> Earning Freedom
>  by Daxisle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Second Chance (Revised)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 	

Second Chance




A red stallion sat on a wooden shelf being held up by two blackened chains, he looked around the dark and dilapidated stone cell that he had been forced into. The silence was only broken by his own breathing and an unseen stream of slow dripping water. He shivered at the chill of the night, with only the light was the half moon pooling in threw a the slim and only window of the room.

The pony stood up, his hooves meeting the cold and unforgiving stone floor, causing shivers to shoot up his legs in protest of the change from the wood his body had heated. A slightly blood stained orange mane fell over his usually somber emerald eyes as he limped to his cell gate. The red pony took a deep breath and with a forced confidence demanded to know why he was imprisoned.

"QUIET YOU!" A voice barked, "Or I'll ram this spea' where the sun don't shine!"

Discouraged and afraid, the red pony turned his back to the gate and went back to sitting on the wooden shelf that constituted his bed. "Why am Ah' in here?" He whispered lowering his head, trying to figure out what happened. A tear started to flow from his eye, not only from being trapped, cold and hungry; but from confusion. What did he do wrong? He couldn't recall anything to earn this kind of treatment.

The pony remembered himself and a light cream colored filly with a red mane were walking in his home town of Ponyville. On their way to grab some sweets for Granny Smith's birthday, from the aclaimed Sugar Cube Corner. He had no idea that what had started out as a warm and sunny day would end with a cold and lonely night.

After collecting the goods, he remembered being confronted by two Royal Guards who simply said "Big Macintosh, you are under arrest. Please come with us."

Big Mac never liked unwanted trouble, and even though they refused to give him a reason for his incarceration, he thought it best to submit. He informed Apple Bloom to have Pinkie Pie help her with getting the cake to the Sweet Apple Acres, and that he would be along after what ever misunderstanding he was in was resolved. To his surprise, the stallion was not only denied an explanation; but unnecessarily assaulted with impunity and thrown into a cell with absolutely no explanation at all.

The moon shown brightly through the window above, Big Mac thought about using it as a means of escape, but it was hardly big enough to fit his hoof through, let alone his body. "I hope ya'll er' doing alright." Said the pony, hoping the Apple family would make due with out him for a while. 'A while? Hmph, that's assuming they let me outta here at all.'

"Oi!" Barked a voice breaking Mac from his nihilistic thoughts."Alright mate, ya' free ta' go." Said a brown male unicorn, as he pulled a ring of clanking keys from his gold plated hips. Relief flooded over Mac as he leaped from the shelf, a smile claiming his mouth. He had been here for nearly seven hours, it was about time they let him go.

The unicorn smirked at the stallion before him. "What? You thought I was serious?" He laugh. His thick Manehattan accent making his words even more pretentious.

Big Mac froze in his tracks, uncertain if the pony was joking about keeping him in here, or about letting him out. "Am Ah free to go or not?"

"Nah." The unicorn waving a dismissive hoof. "I'm not sure. It depends."

Mac's mouth gaped. What did he mean by "depends?"

The cynical jailspony gave an evil grin. "You're the brother of tha' fine filly Applejack, right?" The guard pony's eyes lit up after he finished speaking.

"Y- Yep." Macintosh answered, unsure of what she had to do with this.

"Well then, I think I might just be able ta' let you outta' here." He put the key in the lock, igniting hope in Big Mac's heart. "IF! Ya' get her to come down here and uh... Pay for you."

Macintosh deadpanned. "And by pay, I don't think y'all mean bits." Mac may have been a shy and quiet pony, but he could tell when something was implied.

"You're smarter than ya' look." Mac's antagonist replied, his tone condescending. He placed his two forelegs on the bars of the cell and leaned in, yellow eyes peering under a furrowed brow. "You give me her, and I let you go."

"Buck you!" Mac called glaring. "Ah don't treat ma family that way!"

The cynical ponies smirk collapsed to a sneer. He coughed before standing up straight and removing the key from it's place. "Well, i guess time will tell on how you will..." He lifted his hooves and made air quotes, "'treat yalls family'." And with that, he laughed as he walked back down the hall way, his bellows subsided only by the slamming of a door.

Just as the harsh echo smacked into it's frame, the imprisoned stallion's heart sank. He couldn't sell his sister; but there was no other way out. Defeated, the pony returned to the bench again, and began to contemplate his options. Escape was no good, trying to convince them to drop the charges would be difficult, considering they hadn't given him any. And the last option, he didn't want to think about. He was stuck.

Trapped with no fight given, a wave of anger caused the stallion to slam his hoof down on the ground. 'Why? Why didn't I fight back? They didn't tell me what I was being dragged off. I should've known something was wrong then and there!' he screamed in his mind. "Why was Ah so blind?"

But he knew it wasn't being blind that made him lack resistance, it was fear. Fear had gripped hold of him, the fear of what the guards could do to him and his family. Fear of what his resistance would mean for them and the farm. Ironically, now the only one left to protect either was Applejack, seeing as Granny Smith was too old, and Apple Bloom too young. 

And to top it all off, it was Applejack herself that the guard wanted, Macintosh questioned why the guardspony didn't arrest her instead of him, but dismissed it as him wishing ill on his sister to save his own hide. 

He lay back on his bench, thoughts of Apple Bloom, Applejack and all of their friends eating cake having a good time, danced around in his head. If anything gave him peace of mind, it was knowing that everyone else was still safe and happy. He loved them all, though he scarcely expressed it; he did. And they loved him too, hopefully enough to listen to Apple Bloom when she told them what happened, and come look for him. Get him out of this hell hole.

Big Mac's eyes began to feel heavy, though the thoughts were starting to slow down, one particular idea kept popping into his head. 'I just wanna see mah family again'.



A small click startled Mac from his slumber, he rubbed his tear ridden eyes before he looked around to see what had happened. A second clank sounded and drew his attention to the window. Something withheld the moonlight for a moment before the obstruction fell to the ground with the moonlight refilling Big Mac's cell. Puzzled, Macintosh arose from his makeshift bed and wondered over to investigate the intrusion.

Before he could get a good look at the fluffy padding, something else started to obstruct the window. Mac recoiled on instinct and observed as a brown bag was slowly lowered by a rope down onto the the pillow, a bulky object within and a note tapped to the outside. Mac tilted his head, he had never been to jail before, but he was certain this kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen.

He walked over to the fully descended sack and pulled the note off, though the writing wasn't the best; Mac could still make out what it said:




     Prisoner

Were you put on this earth to serve another?

You are where you are right now because you were weak that day in Ponyville. You did not fight back when you were unlawfully "arrested", and worse you are not alone; hundreds more have given up their freedom to ensure self preservation from those in authority who abuse their power. And I am of the belief that because of your willingness to give up said freedom, you are not worthy of it; and deserve to be in this cage, left to suffer for your ignorance of unquestioning trust in said authority.

However, I'm here to give you a second chance. In this bag, you will find: one cross bow, one mirror, and one bolt arrow. Though you may be farm folk, the weapon is relatively simple to use. Instructions will be included with the arrow if you need them.

Despite what you may think, freedom is not granted by your superiors. Not your Princess, not your Mayor, and not the head of your household. It is something you are born with that can only be taken away. And it can only be taken, if you are willing to give it. You were not charged by those Guards, thus they had no right to arrest you, but you gave them your consent and abide by them anyway. Do not despair in that now, this is your chance to make it right. 

The tools i have provided for you, will assist you in your escape. Keep in mind, this is not a rescue. there will be no one to greet you at the gate with an escape plan, there will be no food, water, or active help of any kind passed what I've given here. This is as much a test for you of how far you are wiling to go to be free, as if you are in fact; intelligent enough to ascertain and maintain such an idea.

What will you do? Fight to take back the freedoms that life has granted you: Your family, your friends, your property and your happiness? Or submit, and remain protected from their wrath for the sake of calming your own fear, and potentially being trapped within these stone walls for the rest of your days?

What i have provided to you, i don't intend to see again. You may use them as you see fit for your escape and ascension from this state of control, or you can toss the bow and bolt out the window, shatter the mirror and rip up this note, thus living the servitude for which you have done nothing to deserve, save your own submission to it.

As i asked before: Were you put on this earth to serve another? Is that the epitome of your existence? Or, were you born into this world to serve yourself, and live the life YOU want to live, giving to those who you deem worthy or in need?

Make your choice.

(A/N. Meh, might continue depending on how the ratings are)
> My Life? (Revised)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





My Life?






Big Mac stared at the parchment, the first line playing over and over again. "Were you put on this earth to serve another?" he sat the note down on his sleeping shelf. "Was ah?" He whispered thinking of his family. He enjoyed bucking apples and working the land, helping out with the farm was all he had ever known; was he dedicating his life to serving them? No, he had a choice. He could leave at any time, but would the farm be able to sustain itself without him?

The stallion shook the thoughts away, deciding such over analysis would need to wait until he was free from this prison. Mac hunched over the bag, and used his mouth to undo the string that tied at the top. He reached in and pulled out a heavy contraption that held a curved piece of wood held by a string at one end, with a long arm that held a ring at the other. Though he had never used such a projectile, the pony had seen it before and understood how it worked. He slipped his hoof threw the ring and pulled it up his foreleg until the curved piece was just above his hoof. He fastened the crossbow onto his foreleg and gave it a wiggle to check its stability.

After a few adjustments, Macintosh deemed the contraption would hold, and reached back into the bag to pull out a small red feathered arrow and a face mirror. He perked an eyebrow at the reflective surface, the bow and arrow were easy to decipher in their use, but what of this? Mac peered into the mirror; looking at his blood-stained mane when the guard- no... THAT guard stomped him in the forehead. The unicorn who he had nothing but absolute contempt for.

Big Mac's anger flashed in the mirror, he glared at himself; despising the fact that he was being used. How could he have fallen for such a disgusting ploy? He pushed the mirror away before he could watch the tears fall from his eyes. What would his family think of him? If Applejack DID have to come down and, "pay" for him to leave. 

'NO!' A voice in the back of the red pony's mind seethed. 'You will not let that happen, you were put in here for no reason. NO REASON AT ALL! You did nothing wrong; HE is the one who deserves to feel shamed. Punished for putting you in here for no reason other than for that bastard to get his jollies.'

Big Mac's tears stopped. He looked down at the mirror again, a determined glint in his typically somber emerald eyes. "Ah am Big Macintosh," he whispered turning away from the mirror and grabbing the arrow from on top of the bag. "And ah will NOT be used bah some two bit mule," His whisper turned into a growl as he sat down on the shelf and began to contemplate his plan of escape.

Big Macintosh wasn't sure where exactly he was, due to the fact the stallion was knocked silly by a particularly maniacal guardspony, but he remembered that the building they dragged him into was not very big. He also didn't recall seeing anypony else before he’d been left in his cell. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to go through more than three of them to get out of here. Thankfully, one of them would fall immediately thanks to whoever gave him the bow and bolt.

A sly smile claimed Big Macintosh's face. The plan formed quickly, and all he needed to do was have the right pony come and open the door for him. He stood from the shelf and walked over to the bars, "Alright!" he barked, trying to get his captors attention. "You win! Ah'll do what 'cha asked."

Mac sighed, his excitement out weighing his nervousness. He was taking control of the situation now, he was in control of his life. He would no longer be at the will of the pony coming to, for all intents and purposes, release him. Trotting hoofsteps started to echo louder and louder throughout the hall, each clop of hoof to stone; brought a faster race to the red stallions drumming heart. The captive stallion sat down in the corner of the room, hiding the crossbow from sight. "Come on ya' son of a mule, come on."

After what seemed like an eternity, the jailor finally stood in front of Big Mac's cell, his keys in hoof. "I'm glad ya came to yer' senses, colt." he unlocked the cell door and walked in, much to Big Mac’s delight. "Ya' know? Just because yer' panzy hide didn't make me wait too long, I think I might just plant myself in her sweet plot when I'mma gettin' ready to finish up."

Big Mac's eyes widened in anger for a moment before he suppressed the emotion and the urges that came with it. Vengeance would be sweeter than he had originally anticipated.

"So," the guard said grinning at the downtrodden captive. "When d’ ya want me ta send for her?"

Big Mac grumbled, turning his head away, doing his best to feign despair. 'Come on, just a little closer!'

"Beg yer’ pardon?" Asked the jailer, his hoofsteps closing the gap.

With tear ridden eyes, Macintosh looked back at him. he found the unicorn was unarmed, exactly what he was hoping for. He turned his head away and mumbled again.

The sadistic jailspony moved even closer, putting his hoof to his ear. "Didn't quite catch that." He lowered his hoof and walked until he was only inches away from his prisoner. "Don' worry mate, no one in this whole jail but you n' me."

Big Mac couldn't hide his smirk, as he place the arrow readied crossbow up into his new captive’s throat. "Ain't nopony hea' but us, ya' say?"

As the sharp metal pushed up into his naked neck, the jailer's eyes lit up in fear, and he rose his empty hooves in show of surrender. "What? What's going on here? Where did you get that?"

Mac pushed the arrow eagerly against the ponies neck. "Ah think tha' question y'all should be asking is: How do I get the angry red stallion to not stick this here arrow in my throat?" He growled keeping his bow holding hoof right below the button that triggers the firing sequence.

"Hey take it easy, I was only jokin'." The unicorn laughed nervously.

Tremors of fear vibrated past the bolt and into Big Mac's arm. The stallion knew he was in control, but he wanted to make sure the guardspony knew it as well. "Y'all arrest me with no charge, knock meh' silly for no reason, generally treat meh like dirt," His tone growing darker with each point, "Throw me in this here cage, tell me Ah need ta' let yah have yer' way with mah sister to get free, and all you have to say is that you were only jokin'!?" Mac's eyes narrowed at the creature before him, he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying the brown stallion’s squirming a little too much.

"Please dude, I'm sorry, just, please don't kill me, man. I got a wife an’ kids." The captor-now-captive pleaded.

'Dude?'

"Ah ain't no murderah',"Big Mac seethed, lowering the crossbow slightly. As he saw the pony relax, Mac pulled his free hoof back and sent it flying into the side of the jailer’s jaw, knocking his shocked brown face against the ground. "Even so, Ah am a stallion who believes in payback." 


The golden armored lump didn't move, save for his chest showing the clear signs of breathing. Macintosh hmphed and walked out the open gate; making his way back to his life, and the freedom he had come to appreciate. He remembered the way out, and proceeded down the hallway, fumbling with the keys to open the outer gate. Once he reached the slightly warmer holding area, he found the last door that lead outside.

A crash and pain splitting headache later, Big Mac shook his head and looked up to see his previous jailor standing a few feet away, panting heavily. "Where you think you're goin?" he asked, slightly out of breath. 

Big Mac jumped to his hooves and tried to aim his crossbow, only to have the guard too close for it to fire the shot before he grabbed it. A pair of brown legs wrapped around the crossbow to try to wrench it out of the apple pony’s grasp. Abandoning the weapon, he slammed his hoof down onto the unicorn's head. Somewhat unfazed, the unicorn brought his head back and gracelessly rammed it into Mac's own; momentarily disorienting both of them.

The red pony found his bearings first, and bucked his opponent off. He quickly stood and took aim at the unicorn's chest. After everything that's happened, the guard stood still, cocky enough to contort his mouth into a condescending sneer. "Hey, how 'bout you put that thing down and fight me like a real stallion?"

'HA! This one speaks of honor? After what he did to you to get to your sister!?' The small voice in the back of his mind barked, ending any honor bound inclination Mac began to feel. 'This thing doesn't deserve to be treated with decency, Big Macintosh, he barely deserves to live. Do it, end him; NOW!'

"Come on mate, drop the crossbow; and let's settle this like re-" His words were cut short by a thud. The unicorn's eyes grew wide and he looked down to find three red feathers attached to a long wooden shaft sticking out of his left shoulder His lips quivering, he looked up to find Macintosh with scathing eyes, and a shaking hoof.

The defeated jailor fell to his knees, shock consuming his features. Big Macintosh limped up and brought his face mere inches from him. "If ah EVAH see y'all again, you'll wish that that there arrow had killed you." He slapped the jailor with his leg and sent him tumbling down to the ground for a second time.

Mac burst through the doors, leaving the wounded pony behind. The cool night air smelled sweet brushing past his mane. The grass, cool though kind on his hooves, he took in a deep breath; it felt as if it were the first breath he had ever taken. It was a refreshing breath, the breath of a new pony, a free pony.

He looked around to find a familiar cluster of tree that expanded for miles, not far up a shallow hill. "Tha Evahfree forest." Mac smiled looking around to see if he could find Ponyville. Off in the distance he could see a bright light, though his vision was still a little fuzzy from the altercation, he could tell it was the welcoming sight of home. He trotted forth, wavering from time to time; due to his balance still not being completely regained. 

He made it to the last bluff that hindered him from the small village that was his home. He looked around as if seeing the world for the first time. That letter had struck him more than he initially realized. It was true, he had always found the world as such a constraining place. Not that he’d mind it most of the time, but to see it; to really see it as a place he could go, somewhere that nopony could keep him from. It lit a new fire in himself, one that he never before experienced, something he had always taken for granted until now. He was alive, and this was his life.

"Congratulations, Big Macintosh!" Called a smooth voice.

> Structure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Structure





Big Mac shook off what remained of his blurred vision, and gazed upon the mysterious pony before him. He had an idea that this was the individual responsible for the tools that lead to his escape, but he wanted to make sure. "Were y'all the pony who gave meh tha' crossbow?" he asked curiously.

The pony only nodded his head in the affirmative. He turned his back to the red stallion and began to speak. "Mr. Macintosh, I am proud that you have escaped your fear, and unlike many others; fought your way from those who seek to control and use you." He began to trot away slowly before Mac called out for his name.

The stallion halted his retreat and turned his head slightly, giving Macintosh a sidelong glance. "My name, is Sin." His voice was sophisticated though menacing. The kind of voice that made Macintosh question his intentions and skeptical of the pony's trustworthiness. 

Though Mac felt a twinge of mistrust, he had to extend his gratitude for the help this stallion had given him. "Thank yah kindly, fer' yer help." He gave a somber smile before it slowly dropped to a thoughtful expression, how did this pony know he was innocent? For that matter, how did he know that Mac was arrested in the first place? Was he there? did he see? And most importantly of all; why?

"Of course," Sin replied turning around to speak. "I don't often accept praise for doing only what I should be doing. However, it has been quite some time since somebody has actually taken the initiative for their freedom." He gave a smirk and bowed his head. "It does exhilarate to see my efforts go unwasted from time to time."

Macintosh returned the bow before looking up into the dark spectacles that concealed Sin's eyes. "If'n yah' don't mind mah' askin', why did ya free me?"

Sin shook his head weakly. "Mr. Macintosh, you have a great deal to learn." 

"Beg pardon?"

"Did I truly free you? Was I there?."

Mac furrowed his brow. "Well, Yah' did give me the contraption I needed to escape. That counts fer' somethin', right?"

"Tell me Mr. Macintosh." The stallion cooed turning his back again. "Did you really need that crossbow to escape? Was it absolutely unquestionable, to fire that arrow in order to walk out of that building?  Or did you just need the confidence that it gave you? Could you have subdued your captor with out it, assuming you gave time for proper planning?"

"Of course no-" Mac paused, the more he thought about it, the more he realized: he could have done with out the projectile. Once the sadistic bastard had entered his cell, and thought his wronged prisoner vulnerable and broken, Mac could have easily bucked his legs sending the jailer into the wall, and finished him from there. No weapons required. "Ah, uh... er." He struggled to find the right words.

"What you did in there, you did on your own sir." Sin interrupted. Mac couldn't help but smile, this pony's trust in him had given him a chance at a life he had never contemplated. "But, I must ask a question."

"Ah think you owe me one." Mac replied elfish. "Yah been asking questions since i got here."

Sin stood and mused over the point, finally he nodded in agreement.

Macintosh repeated his initial request, hoping the results would be more favorable this time. "Why did ya help me?"

Sin's right cheek curled up in an empty smirk, a dark chuckle preceding his words. "True freedom, Mr. Macintosh-"

"Big Mac," The red stallion interrupted softly, "call me Big Mac." Macintosh hated being called "mister" anything. Far to formal for his typically laid back and casual personality.

"True freedom," Sin started again, "is most appreciated, by those who fight for it." With those word, the dark stallion took his leave, venturing towards the Everfree forest.

"Wait!" Big Mac cried. He couldn't articulate what he wanted to say, but he didn't want to see Sin go just yet. He had so many inquiries for the stallion.

"Worry not, Big Mac." Called Sin over his shoulder, "we shall meet again."

"Come on by tha' apple farm!" Mac shouted. "Tamorrow at noon, i wanna thank ya' properly!"

"I'll see what i can do!" Sin replied holding his retreat once again. "Now go, you have a family who must be worried about you!" And with that, the brown stallion disappeared into the darkness. Though he got an answer, it's vagueness only spurred Mac's curiosity further. He contemplated what freedom truly meant on his decent back to the town.







"BIG MAC!" A young voice exclaimed. As Macintosh entered the well lit farm house, he was assaulted by the embrace of his little sister. She clung around his neck, small sobs escaping her. "We we're so worried about ya', big brother."

"I'm fine Applebloom," Big Macintosh assured her with a somber smile.

"Y'all don't look fine." Barked a deeper but still feminine voice, Mac looked up to see an orange coated, light straw maned pony wander into the living room. A light brown stetson adorning the top over her head above a concerned and skeptical brow. Applejack walking towards he brother, concern lighting her features. "Wha' in tar-nation happened to ya? Ya look like yah just go otta a brawl." She raised her hoof and gently parted Mac's main where the blood had stained. She saw the small wooden cross bow on his hoof and gave him an expecting look

Mac sighed. "Ah'll tell ya 'bout it tamorrow." 

Applejack gave her brother a skeptical glare, than shook her head. "Did those guard ponies do this to you?" She asked before letting out an exacerbated sigh. "What happened Mac? Did you resist 'em or-"

"I honestly don't feel like talkin' 'bout it right now." Macintosh seethed, his patience was thinning with his sister's interrogation, and blatant disregard for his own request for sensitivity. He looked away, knowing that eyeing his sister would come across as a challenge and only solidify her pressuring him further.

"Alright, alright." Applejack stepped away from her brother and commanded Applebloom be sent off to bed. The filly wined in protest of the demand, claiming she wanted to make sure Macintosh was ok, but Applejack wouldn't have it. Eventually the yellow pony gave into her sister, and with a goodnight to her siblings, trotted up to her room.

After the slam of the young mares door, silence tensed between the two remaining siblings. Mac looked around the room, admiring the all wood floor that his parents had built so many years ago. His eyes trailed around to the comfy red colored couch on which he would relax on after a hard days work. Granny Smith's rocking chair sat none too far from it, and before them both, a small green rug where Applebloom would play with her toys.

"I hope the party went alright." Mac said, a hopeful smile creeping onto his face. he didn't need to look up to know his sister was glaring at him.

"It was fine, took a little longer than' expected for the cakes to arrive, but aside from that; everypony seemed to be havin' a good time." Applejack replied, her scowl forced up into a small smile. 

"Glad to hear," Mac lifted his head to look at Applejack. The smile she adorned was infact forced, and it quickly let away unto a look of worry. She gingerly  hugged her brother and nuzzled his neck. "Ah understand if you don't wanna talk now." She admitted breaking the embrace. "But, promise me yah won't leave the family with two royal guards again, ok?"

Mac smiled down at her and gave his town famous: "Eyup." before the both retired to bed for the night.






Mac awoke with a smile on his face, fogging memories of himself gliding threw the clouds with Pegasus wings ,slowly slipping from his memory. He felt amazing, the wind flowing through his main, and the speed of exhilaration that flight gave him; it may have only been a dream, but next to seeing his family and friends, it was one of the greatest things he had ever experienced. 

Mac looked outside to see the sun had already broken the horizon. Typically he would be out bright and early to do his work on the farm, but after the events of yesterday and the discovery they lead to; the red stallion figured he deserved a break. 

After his stretching and morning hygienics, Macintosh wondered down stairs. To his surprise Applejack was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and a bowl of: carrot, lettuce, and tomato salad on the table; Mac's favorite dish, it even had the small apple slice on top. His smile grew slightly and the stallion wondered into the kitchen.

"Mornin' Big Mac." His sister called with a genuine smile.

"Mornin'," Mac replied taking his seat and rubbing his hooves together. He leaned down to indulge in the delicious greens that were specially prepared for him, but his face met the bear wooden table. He rubbed his nuzzle with a hoof and looked to find his sister had pulled the plate away from him.

"Y'all should really learn to keep yer eyes open when ya eat." Applejack jested. Mac's eyes drew back to the meal. He wanted it, it was his favorite, why did she torment him so? The red pony forced his lip to quiver and gave his sister a pleading look. "Ya can eat, once we talk."

Macintosh deadpanned, "Filly please," he patronized smacking his sisters hoof off the bowl and taking it for his own. 

"BIG MAC!" Applejack cried. "What n' the world has gottn' into ya?"

She was met by a pair of scathing emerald green eyes. A small sigh escaped Mac's chest and his expression softened. He didn't want his sister upset with him; but by the same token, he wasn't going to let her antics condescend his pride. Not anymore. "Ah said last night we would talk, ain't no reason to treat my like some colt who needs bribin'." 

The farmer mare stood in shock. She had never seen her brother this way before, he was typically so laid back and easy going with her and anypony else. She always thought he liked her playful and sometimes motherly nature.

Big Mac looked away from her and down to the assorted vegetables before him. He couldn't understand why he was yelling the way he was. Why was he so angry with what she did?

It always caused him a little irritation in the past, that much was true, but more honestly the red pony more enjoyed the games his sister played. It was fun to see what questions she would ask, and what he would get as a reward. But this morning, he just saw her as patronizing and disrespectful.

"Ah... uh." Applejack began, her face down trodden. "Ah'm sorry Big Mac."

A tidal wave of guilt surged through Macintosh, he didn't want his sister to be so over motherly, but he never wanted to hurt her. After a few minutes of thought, his expression softened. "I'm sorreh too, sis." Mac finally replied.

He looked up to see Applejack smiling weakly at him, 

Mac took a calming breath and explained to his sister what had happened. She already knew that the Royal Guard had detained him by Applebloom, but as much as he rather avoid the why, he told her anyway. His sister gave a disgusted snarl and slammed her hoof on the ground. "They did tha' so... Sick bastards!" She cringed at the thought of having to let a pony she didn't even know have her way with her. "Wait, if the only way they would let yah' leave was for me to get you, how'd ya get out?"

Big Mac unleashed a prideful smile. "Ah had some help."

Applejack cocked her head and an rose a brow, "Yah had some help?"

"Eyup."

The farm mare put a thoughtful hoof to her chin. "Who'd be so crazy as to try to get yah out of a the hoosegow of the town guard?"

Mac looked at the clock, to his surprise; it was almost noon. He couldn't believe how much time he wasted detailing his capture and the sadistic unicorn who kept him prisoner. "Well," he said lowly, "Ah am hopin' he'll drop by soon, and he can tell ya himself."

As if right on cue, a loud knock came from the door. Macintosh felt a wave of nervousness climb over him. Mac knew the pony meant him no harm, but something about the Sin just seem to intimidate him. "Speak'n of..." he he said forcing the hindering emotion away. The two siblings walked calmly to the door and opened it to find a brown cloaked pony with black goggles covering his eyes. 

"Afternoon Sin." Big Mac called with a somber smile.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Macintosh, I do hope I am not interrupting anything." Sin's voice still held that sophisticated yet menacing tone that shook Macintosh to the core, but the red stallion dismissed it as a quirk.

"Nah, not at all. This is mah sister Applejack; you came just in time to help me explain how you helped me escape." Mac held his hoof to his sister. "Applejack, this is Sin."

"Pleasure to make yer' acquaintance." Applejack held out a hoof for Sin to shake.

"The pleasure is all mine, madam." Sin bowed his head. "You will have to excuse me, touching is something i avoid if at all possible. No offense intended."

Applejack gave a skeptical glare, Mac could tell she had the same feeling about the new pony that she did. She retracted her hoof and invited the stallion in with a friendly smile. "Well any friend of Big Mac's a friend of mine." The three walked into the dining room to converse. Big Mac took the half eaten salad from the table and stored it in the fridge for later, as the Applejack offered sin a chair and she took her own.

"Thank yah for acceptin' mah invitation." Mac said taking his own seat. 

"Of course," Sin gave an uneasy smirk, though he was sitting; it was obvious he was still tense. Though the two apple siblings didn't want to appear rude, they both couldn't help but acknowledge how forced the curved lips were. "Truth be told Mr. Macintosh-"

"Big Mac." Mac corrected.

"Big Mac," Sin repeated. "I am not here on only selfless intent."

"First thing's first." Applejack interjected. " My brother tells me you helped him escape jail. Why did yah do it?" Macintosh was as eager to know the question as Applejack was. The two looked upon the stallion who remained silent for a time.

"Straight to the point, I like that." Sin commented leaning over the table slightly and and placing his hooves in front of him. "Your brother was wrongfully arrested Miss Applejack."

Applejack gave a concerned look to Macintosh who simply lowered his head, a scene of sadness in shame played in his eyes. "And do yah know that?" She questioned, Applejack loved her brother, she really did; but if he did, in fact, commit a crime than he must face the consequences for it.

"He was arrested with out charge." Sin replied simply. "I may not be from Equestrian, or Ponyville for that matter; however, i have studied your laws. And if there is to be an arrest made, charges are to be given to the accused. Or it is considered ponynapping."

The farm mare looked at Macintosh for confirmation, the red stallion pressed his lips together and gave her a gentle nod. Her gaze fell back to the foreign stallion, he had placed one hoof over the other and watched her with a knowing face. "That doesn't answer neither of mah questions." She shot back, hoping to get a reaction. Ever since Macintosh had met Sin, his face had never given any significant change. Sure he would smirk, or twist his lips; but aside from that, he seemed to have the emotional response of a white painted wall.

"In a way it did." Replied the Sin giving a more genuine smile. "Tell me, Ms. Applejack, do you believe in authority over individuality?"

Applejack grimaced in confusion of the question. "Ah, wait what?"

Sin's smile dropped and he took a small breath. "I apologize, that was rude of me. The reason i helped your brother escape was simply because that is what i do."

"Ok," Applejack deadpanned. "Now could you explain to me why you do it?"

Sin's smile returned even bigger than before. "Quid pro Quo, Ms Applejack. You answer my question, and i shall answer yours."

"Excuse me?" 

"I am willing to tell you why i aided in your brothers escape because it concerns him." Sin gestured with his hoof to Macintosh who was beyond words to see someone challenge his sister in such a way. He raised his his hoof to symbolize reluctance. "In order to know something about me personally. You will need to exchange information for information. After all, nothing in life is free."

Applejack furrowed her brow attempting to process all of the information she was getting. It wasn't typical to have an encounter with pony's like Sin. Usually, visitors were more open and friendly with the mare, but Sin seemed more reserved and, for lack of a better term, deceptive. "So, i gotta tell yah somethin' about mah self, in order for y'all to tell meh somethin' about yer' self."

Sin simply nodded his head.

"No offence uh, Mr. Sin." Applejack replied. "But, you rub me the wrong way, and i don't feel i can trust yah too much." The mare stared at the pony. She couldn't explain why the pony's lack of emotion struck her as ill motivated, but it did. And the fact he was in her house only put her on edge.

"A smart move, Ms. Applejack." Sin smirked again. "It is unwise to give personal details to a stallion you have just met."

The farm mare was starting to get annoyed with the nonsense the pony before her was touting, she opened her mouth to end it before she was cut off by his speaking again.

"I am from a nation where my fellow citizens are rather... Cynical and selfish." Sin admitted, Mac smiled at the final bit of knowledge on him. His sister breathed a sigh of relief at a straight answer. "I must ask that you excuse my conversational etiquette, it has been some time since i have actually spoken with ponies I could trust not to use my own information against me."

Applejack gave him a smile. "Yah don't need worry none, 'round here, what's said on the farm; stays on the farm."

"Thank you." Sin turned his attention back to Macintosh, "Have you thought about what i said?"

Mac smiled and nodded. "Ah have, and ah think yer' right." The red stallion took a breath. "Ah didn't appreciate mah freedom enough to fight for it, n' ah feel ashamed of it."

Applejack gave a quizzical look at her brother. "But after ah thought about it, bein' locked up in that cell, and used as a barterin' tool; Ah figured somethin' out. Somethin' that ah had never thought about." Mac looked down trying to articulate his feelings.

Sin relaxed his tensed muscles and his smile grew. "Oh, and what was that?"

"This is mah life," Mac looked back up to see his savior, "and ah was put on this earth to serve none other than myself, or who ah wan' to."

A full and genuine smile claimed Sin's face before began to mirthlessly chuckle. "I'm glad." his tone lost of malice and deception put Applejack at ease, she was happy to see the pony before her was more than robotic.

"However," Big Mac continued, his serious tone didn't wavered. "There have been some questions I'd like to ask ya, if yah don't mind."

Sin scratched his chin in thought, after a few moments he placed it back on the table nodded in agreement. "I suppose i don't have anywhere to go for a bit. Please ask anything you'd like."

Closed his eyes and constructed the question in his mind. He recalled a scenario that plagued him before he fell asleep last night. "How do ah balance mah freedom, n' the freedom of others?"


I don't know why, but this chapter was hard to make. But i do hope you guys like it, let me know if you can point out anything I need to improve on, or if it's my own imagination. And yea, sorry about this chapter being so dry, the next one should make up for it.
> Analyzation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Analyzation




Sin and Mac were walking through the green forestry that constituted the apple farm. The sweet red apple lined the trees in the current section of the orchard and the smell of the delicious fruit brought a familiar calm to the red pony. This was his property, this was his hard work.

"Sure am glad my sister is lettin' me have a day off." Mac sighed, happy to be able to relax his aching form from bucking apples.  

"Indeed." Sin replied observing the apple trees. A slight breeze picked up and he took in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the tenderly cared for trees. "So why did you want me to come out and walk with you in the apple orchards?" 

Macintosh chuckled, causing Sin to raise a confused eye brow.

"Bein' cooped up in tha' house was startin' to get on mah nerves'." Big Mac replied cracking his neck. A few more steps and his smile faded to a more serious expression along with his tone. "But more or less for privacy's sake." He halted his trudging with the brown caped stallion stopping a few feet in front of him.

Sin turned back to see Mac was looking at him thoughtfully. "Are ya' gonna answer my question or not?"

Sin furrowed his brow and stared at the ground. Mac watched with baited breath, the red stallion hated to be confused in anyway and with the emotional turmoil he was going through; the lack of knowledge on how to deal with his new found pride was eating him alive. Finally the enigmatic pony spoke, "Hmmm. You would think with me being the master of vagueness I would be able to give you an answer to that question. However, I'm afraid you will need to be a bit more specific than: 'How to balance your freedom with that of others'."

Mac took a breath, "Le' me put it this way." He lifted a hoof for emphasis, "Now say i'mma walkin' down the street, mindin' my own business; n' i find a sack o' bits on the ground. No one claims it, n' ah take it for my own." Mac finished looking at Sin, who gave a confirming nod.

"Now say, somepony addresses me for those bits, claimin' the coins wer' there's and that they wanted them back." Mac continued as he bucked a tree with half strength, causing a few apples to descend freely to the ground. "Now, off the bat ah don' believe them, n' ask for proof." He held an apple in his hoof and gestured as if taking it away from an invisible accuser. "They can't give me any but still insist that the bag o' bits is there's, what do ah do?"

Sin stood silent for a time, he made some thoughtful sounds as he mused the scenario over in his head. "and there is no way for them to prove it was theirs? Nothing in the bag besides bits?"

"Nope." Replied Mac simply.

"Then it's your call." Sin shrugged, Mac opened his mouth to speak but the freedom oriented stallion cut him off. "Lost property is one of the hardest things to prove, assuming of course, that the individual didn't take the necessary precautions to ensure that such a valuable asset was secured on their person or that it would be identifiable should reclaim be required. However, if there is absolutely no evidence that the money does belong to the pony who claims it does; than for all intents and purposes you have proper claim over it, as it is in your possession."

Mac mused over what he was being told. A thought perked in his mind that shattered the Sin's words. "But, the money don't rightfully belong to me."

"As of the moment it's owner leaves the property on the ground, it can be perceived as abandonment of said property." The brown pony grinned. "As such, the property has no owner and therefore is free game to those who wish to lay claim."

Macintosh recoiled from the swift answer, he couldn't imagine that anypony would willfully leave a sack of bits on the ground, only to have them stolen by another person.

"Now, what you do with said bits is at your full desecration." Sin continued, picking up one of the bucked apples and using it as an example. "You could: Give it to the pony claiming they were the proper owners, surly out of the trust that the pony in question wouldn't lie to you. You could take it to a lost and found, and allow them to sort the whole thing out for you, or you could take the more selfish approach and keep the monies for yourself. Doing what you please with it, but knowing that it was once the property of another and you did nothing to earn it." With each example Sin made gestures of holding the apple out and recoiling it to his chest.

Big Mac couldn't lie to himself, the third option was rather appealing before it was put in such terms. In a way it was thievery considering he could have given it to some one whose job it was to help return to the property to the owner. "And those are mah three options?"

"Of course not!" Sin exclaimed taking a bite of the apple. "Big Mac, I am only giving you examples, you must learn to think about these things for yourself. Use your own judgement to determine what the best course of actions would be. Other options would be to: Give the bits to a charity, or to a friend, or to simply place it back on the ground and hold no involvement over what befalls the money."

Mac scrunched his snout. Do nothing with a bag of money you find on the ground? The thought would never have occurred to him to simply walk away and let such a precious commodity go untouched. "Bu' wha' if thah proper owner, dosn' get it back?"

"Such as with your own freedom Big Macintosh." Sin took another bit of the apple and swallowed. "Mmm, i must say this is quite a delicious treat, I wish they had this back in my country." He took another bite, his train of thought broken by the sweet syrup of the fruit.

"Yea..." The red pony replied, subtle inquiries popping into his mind about the mysterious pony's country of origin. "Now what about mah freedom?" He asked, eager to get the conversation back on track.

Sin swallowed the last of the apple sighed contently. "Oh yes, sorry. Such as with your own freedom, it is the responsibility of the owner to protect what is theirs." His content and proper stature, giving way to a more disheartened one, "Lest you be robbed of it, and have none to blame but yourself for you own lack of vigilance."

"So, if ah lose it, it's my fault and ah shouldn't expect anyone to do the right thing, and help me fix mah mistake?" Mac asked feeling a little offended that his companion would suggest that the options that sounded less than moral, would in fact, be acceptable.

"Were you put on this earth to help ponies find their lost belongings?" Sin asked smirking.

Mac's eyes widened at the recognition of the question. At first he didn't understand its relevance, but the more he pondered his place, the more the pony made sense. "So, I wasn't put on this earth to do the right thing?"

Sin chuckled, putting his hoof over his mouth to hide his indignant smile. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"Wha'?" Mac asked tilting his head in confusion. 

"In the world we live in, there are no objective forms of: 'right or wrong'." Sin said making air quotes with his hoof. "There is no black and white, nor is there good and evil. There is only perspective."

"Perspective?" 

"Take this into consideration." The brown clad stallion gathered five apples and placed them in a circle. "In my country we had socialized medical care. Now, that means that everyone pays a certain amount of taxes to fund the medical system." He pointed to the five apples. "All of these people have their money stolen from them by threats of violence from the current government, and place their taxed money into a big pot to pay for others being treated." He finished drawing a small circle in the middle of the apples.

Macintosh tilted his head trying to understand what he was being told. "Ok, why does the government make y'all do that?"

"Because some of the people in my country can't afford to be treated by the hospital." Sin pulled out some red pieces of paper, the faces of various proud mares plastered slightly on the side. "With out enough of this, the doctors wouldn't treat ponies who were ill, so they created a system where everypony paid in equally to fund the doctors endeavors of treatment."

Rubbing his temples, Macintosh squinted his eyes to the concepts being spewed forth. "So... Folks are putting money aside fer' other folks... to get to help in tha' hospital?"

Sin shrugged, "More or less."

"Why though? In Ponyville we can just pay for it, it doesn't cost that much." 

A small laugh erupted from the oak stallion, his cape rustling slightly from what mac assumed were wings beneath. "That, my good sir, would take quite some time to explain. But the main point I was trying to make was: Since the system was for the 'greater good' of helping individuals who were incapable of helping themselves, it would seem to be the 'right' thing to do." He motioned at the apples all giving something to the center. "However, should one of them refuse to pay the tax out of desire to keep the money they earned..." He slammed his hoof down on the one closest to his companion, shooting bits of apple and seed in every direction. "They are punished with violence or fines. Thus bringing into question the so called 'goodness' this system has to offer."

Mac wiped bits of apple from his face, he furrowed his brow at the thought of ponies being hurt for simply wanting to keep their money.

"I think a break from such deep metaphysical constructs is in order." Sin smiled, brushing the freshly made applesauce off of his hoof.

Mac couldn't deny that the information he was receiving was quite overwhelming. Life was relatively simple for him prior to this pony's acquaintance. He would work on the farm, sell some apples, make his money; and spend it how he saw fit. Unless, of course, something was against the law to buy, in which case he would happily obey; thinking that Celestia would know better than he on matters of such importance. But the thoughts raced back to his captivity in the cell with out charge, where was Celestia then?

"OMIGOSH NEW PONY!" Cried an overly cheerful voice from behind the two stallions. They looked back to find a bubble gum pink mare bouncing up and down excitedly. "HIYA! My name is Pinkie Pie, and you must be new here. I mean I know everypony in town and i don't know you so you must be new here, and if you're new here that means I have to give you one of my special welcome to Ponyville parties!"

The pink mare continued rambling on about her logic of parties and friends, with only short breaths to interrupt her. "Friend of yours?" Sin asked Macintosh, his head bobbing up and down with the bouncing mare.

"Eyup." Mac replied nodding his head.

"... and i love meeting new ponies, whatsyourname?" She asked with a giant grin.

"My name is Sin." Replied the brown stallion calmly before bowing his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you Ms Pie." he smiled his typical polite though, empty smirk.

To Macintosh's surprise the pink mare stopped her bouncing, a pair of wide and curious blue eyes were locked on his new friend. "Sin? What's wrong with you?" Pinkie asked bluntly, her voice void of comedy or playfulness.

An awkward silence consumed the once noisy and lively atmosphere of the that had ensued with the pink ponies coming. The light ruffling of trees in the wind were comparable to thunder claps in the growing tension of Pinkie's odd behavior. "I beg your pardon?" Sin finally asked, his grin wavering.

Pinkie's eyes narrowed, and she began to circle the pony, inspecting and judging him up and down. Mac watched in complete shock, he had never seen the pink party mare react to anypony in such a way.

"You seem..." Pinkie hesitated, scrunching her face to find the right words. "Empty. No that's not the right word." She scratched the top of her head with her hoof. "Fake?"

"Fake?" Asked Sin, his smile collapsing entirely. "I apologize but I am afraid I don't understand wh-"

"I'VE GOT IT!" Pinkie exclaimed before jumping into the air and rushing back to the the town proper.

Mac stood in bewilderment, he knew Pinkie could be random at times, but he had never seen her insult somepony new so blatantly. Yes Sin was standoffish, but he would hardly use 'empty' or 'fake' as a word to describe him. "Ah am sorry 'bout that, Pinkie has always been over excited and random, and ah have nevah' seen her act like that before."

Sin didn't reply, he simply watched with a stone face as the pink mare raced back to town. Macintosh looked between her and his companion, his mind guessing what Sin was making of his sisters pink friend. After she finally went out of view of the two stallions, Sin took a long breath and looked back to Macintosh. "Big Mac?"

Macintosh waited for the stallion to continue before he acknowledged it was a question of acknowledgement. "Eyup." he replied hoping the brown pony would finish his statement.

"You said she didn't typically act like that, correct?" Sin asked blankly.

"Nope, usually she is much more hyperactive and loud. When she first arrived is how she usually acts all the time." Mac replied before clearing his throat.

"Just from the few moments i have been in the presence of that pony, i can tell you right now; she is one of the smartest mares i have ever seen in my life." Sin shook his head, "I am not sure what you think of her, or how long you have known her, but believe me when i say; she is not as silly and over excited ball of happiness, that she appears."

There is no offense nor belittlement intended to anyone's differing political, social or economic ideologies. This is simply how the story goes.
> Angry Liberation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Angry Liberation




Mac offered to treat Sin to lunch down at Sugar cube corner, but the brown pony politely declined claiming he wasn't much for socializing and being around to many ponies at one time. They arranged another discussion of freedom theory the day after tomorrow, and Sin took his leave.

Figuring he had nothing better to do, Big Macintosh returned home to gather a few bits for the shop, seeing as he lost his desire for the salad his sister had made, and grown a sweet tooth. After a few minutes of explaining to Applejack what he and Sin spoke about, she excused herself to the acres to continue harvesting apples. The red stallion ventured forth into the quaint village and onward to his destination.

"Hello Big Mac!" Called an orange mare waving her hoof with a friendly expression.

"Afternoon' to ya Carrot Top." Mac replied kindly as he passed her carrot stand.

He ventured into the tall cake and ice cream decorated building, the smell of chocolate and vanilla assaulted his nostrils and familiar feeling of the cozy shop brought him comfort as it always did the few times he visited. Though the shop was empty for the time being, he did find two familiar ponies conversing at the purchasing counter.

"HIYA Big Mac!" Called Rainbowdash, her tone cool and knowing. 

"Afternoon Rainbow." Macintosh replied approaching the counter, his eyes scanning the delicious sweets for one that caught his fancy.

Rainbow grinned with narrowed eyes. "So, picking out a special treat for a special somepony?"

"S'cuse me?" Mac look up questioningly.

"Oh, you know." She teased, stifling a laugh. "Black glasses, wears a long brown cape, brown fur."

Mac eyed the rainbow mare's cocky grin. "Why do y'all have to go n' assume he's a special somepony?" He asked blankly, his eyes holding an annoyed stare.

Rainbow had to bite her lip to hold back the bellow of laughter at big Mac's annoyance. 

"Big Mac," Pinkie called trying to ease the tension that was growing between the two. "Who was that guy?" 

"Ya already know his name is Sin." Macintosh barked, his glare now turned to the party mare. "You were there when he introduced himself, but ya ran off before ya could talk to him."

Rainbow burst out laughing, "bahahaha, what... you have to stick up for you're coltfriend?"

"What's yer problem Rainbow?" Demanded Mac slamming his hoof on the ground to gain the convulsing mare's attention. And as quickly as the sound of his stomp came, the rainbow mare's laughter stopped. A look of shock replacing her amused expression.

"Geeze Mac, can't ya take a joke?" Rainbow demanded, her face contorted into an offended grimace.

"I'm hardly in the mood to be laughed at right now." Mac seethed, daggers shot from his eyes and pierced Rainbows subconscious impression of the quiet and tolerant red stallion she knew. She backed away from the scathing stallion and wondered out of the store.

"Sorry you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I'll catch you later Pinkie Pie." Rainbow gave Macintosh one last look, this one not of anger, but of concern. When she was only met by the same angry glare, she shook her head and shot out of the shop, leaving a trail of dust and rainbow light behind. Mac's expression softened again, and he looked back to see Pinkie staring calmly at him. 

"Mac, would you like to talk? I'm here if you need me you know." Pinkie offered calmly. Mac never saw Pinkie as much of a confidant, but his sever agitation with the majority of his friends was starting to scare him. Why was he so quick to lose his tempter today?

With a heavy sigh Macintosh agreed to speak with the pink mare. She nodded her head and placed the "Closed" sign outside of the shop. Mac inquired about Mr. and Mrs. Cake's opinions on the shop's temporary shut down, but Pinkie assured him that they wouldn't mind. "So, who was that pony? You said his name was Sin, and that much I get." Pinkie Pie began. "But what I don't get is why you are friends with him."

Over the next half hour, Macintosh explained what he had learned from the topic-ed stallion, explaining what he could piece together and articulate from their conversations. Pinkie Pie listened intently with the occasional sounds of acknowledgement or question that he could answer when the subject was put into context. He spoke about the idea of his life truly being his own, and how he took it and his freedoms for granted. Along with the stallion aiding in Mac's wrongful arrest.

"I know he may seem kinda shifty." Mac continued, taking a sip of tea that Pinkie was kind enough to provide. "but, once you get to know em, he ain't too bad."

Pinkie looked down thoughtfully. "Maybe, I don't know what it is about him. I mean usually i can figure out a pony moments after i meet them, but he just seems so empty. Like the pony that stands where he is just isn't real." Pinkie shrugged, "But I'll talk to him about that later. You said that when you escaped the jail, you felt alive when you walked out. Like you had taken your very first breath as a free stallion. That sounds very liberating, and I'm glad that you got out of such a bad situation."

"Pinkie, ah'm sorry but, ah have'ta ask. What's gotten into ya?" Macintosh gave the pink pony a puzzling look, which she returned in kind. Mac would expect this kind of behavior from Twilight, Rarity and maybe even his sister. But from the spastic and random party mare who sang songs about meeting new ponies and partying? It just didn't sit right with him.

The now somber Pinkie glanced down at still steaming beverage. Her eyes darted around in thought, trying to figure out how to answer the stallions question. "To be honest Big Mac, I'm not really sure." She rose the cup to her lips and set it back down. "To see a pony like him, already zapped alot of energy from me just thinking about how empty he looked, but now you're telling me he wants to spread freedom and the joys that go with it? It's a heavy contrast to his personality."

Mac's jaw dropped at the words she was using. He was so used to hearing simple words like "Meanie" and "snooty" when she addressed ponies who appeared the way Sin had. "Okay, who are ya, and what have y'all done with Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie chuckled at the red ponies accusation. "Relax Big Mac," She beamed, "I'm still the same Pinkie Pie! Just in a little deeper thought on how to handle, you said his name was Sin?"

Mac nodded recalling their encounter, "Wait a minute." Mac called remembering what Pinkie said when she left. "Didn't ya say 'ya got it' er somethin' when ya ran off?"

Pinkie scratched the back of her neck. "yea, I was going to just throw him a party and hope he lightened up." Pinkie shook her head frantically, "but enough about him, back on topic. It was today that you became short with Applejack yes?"

"And Rainbow." Macintosh admitted looking down, he did feel really guilty about scaring Rainbow Dash off, even if she did deserve it for mocking him.

"Hmmm." Pinking sigh leaning back in her chair. "Do you feel some kind of new pride about your newly discovered freedom?"

"Yea, actually." Big Mac nodded. "I feel like she was baby'n me, n' i didn't need that. Don't get me wrong, I love mah sister and her motherly ways most o' the time. But this mornin' I just felt like she was disrespectin' me." Shivers went up his back as he recalled the memory of smacking his sisters hoof away from the salad she had made for him, and the anger he felt towards her.

"Well, maybe you should try talking to her about it," Pinkie suggested, taking the last sip of her tea and giving red pony a soft smile. "That and maybe ease up on the idea for a bit. Don't forget, Applejack has freedoms as well,, and she doesn't want to you restrain hers anymore than you want her restrain on yours."

Mac smiled at the seemingly impossible wisdom of the party mare before him. "Ya know? He was right, ya are one of tha smartest mare's I have evah met."

Pinkie's eye brow propped up, "Sin said that?"

Mac nodded and stood from his seat. "When you left, he said tha' with out a doubt; ya' were one of the most intelligent ponies he had ever seen." Mac waved his goodbyes and with out a second look, as well as Pinkie calling after him, he walked out of the shop and began his trudge back to the farm.

The sun was falling over the western horizon, it's light yellow tint grew orange as Luna's moon crept up on the opposite side of the land. Though he hadn't done any work today, Macintosh felt tired. All of the thinking on how to approach situations with his new mindset, along with the confessions to Pinkie and Applejack this morning had left the stallion utterly exhausted.

He entered the farmhouse to see Granny Smith, Applejack, Applebloom and Rainbow Dash sitting in the living room. Once his presence was acknowledged by the closing door behind him, the four mares turned their expectant stares to him. Macintosh stood frozen in his tracks, he was used to the stare from Applejack, but to be ganged up on by both his sisters, Rainbow and Granny Smith; he felt like a young colt who was about to get brow beat by his parents.

"Wha' in tarnation d'ya think yer doin' upsetting miss Rainbow, Mr. Macintosh?" Granny Smith demanded. Uh oh, Mac though as his eyes shrunk. She called me "Mr. Macintosh". The last time she did that was when he actually was a young colt, and he had one of the worst woopin's of his life.

"I'ya ah, err." The distraught red pony fumbled over his words from the nervousness of Granny's accusation.

"Mac, ever since ya started hangin' around that Sin feller, you been changing fer the worst, and fast." Applejack spat.

"Why'd you have to go n' upset Rainbow fer?" Applebloom scolded.

Macintosh tried to reply to her, but was instead cut off by Applejack again.

"Not to mention you had already caused me grief this mornin'. After I made yer' favorite dish." She chastised standing up and walking over beside Granny Smith who only shook her head in disappointment. "I spent all mornin' preparin' that for ya, tryin' to make up for what happened with you endin' up in jail."

Rainbow's eyes shot to Applejack, "He was in jail?"

"Can I ju-" Macintosh tried to say, only to have his words cut short by Granny Smith.

"Yer' darn tootin'." She seethed, her eyes never wavering from her grandson. "Applejack tries to lift up yer' spirits and that's how ya repay her kindness? Y'all should be ashamed of yer'self."

"Well she di-"

"Don't you talk back to me, young colt." Granny's eyes narrowed and gave Mac a stare that struck fear into the stallions heart. The stare that preceded a severe beating with Granny's unused cane.

"Can ah please get a word i-" Mac attempted, but of course, he was cut off again. This time by his youngest sister condescending him about how it's never ok to hit a female, filly or mare.

Mac's eye began to twitch, it was bad enough that his entire family was turned against him, but he also had to chomp on his tongue to with hold his temper. It was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. Sadly, his efforts could only last for so long. The small voice in his head started to chip at him again. 'Are you just going to stand there and take this? Applejack and Rainbow sound like they only told their side of the story. And granny is going to take their side with out hearing yours?' 

The world began to close in on the stallion, he was fighting a two way war. One against his desire unleash the anger that his family had been building, and another to cope with what they were saying. All four of the mares were yelling at him now. He felt his body shaking, his tolerance reaching it's limit.

"OH SHUT THE BUCK UP! ALL OF YA!" 

The mares all hung with wide eyes and gaped mouths. Macintosh huffed glaring at them, than individually point as he made his counter arguments."YOU Rainbow Dash, had implied that i was a colt lover, even after Ah thought Ah made it clear that it wasn' appreciated. YOU, Applejack, treated my like some kind of filly who needed to be bribed to speak. Not onl'eh did ya disregard my feelin' and my word, but then you took my favorite dish hostage; the stuff used to make it was PAID FOR WITH MAH OWN BITS!"

Big Macintosh huffed looking towards a flabbergasted Ganny Smith. "YOU, should be ashamed of YOUR SELF for taken the'r side, with out even LISTENING to my side of tha story." His angry eyes found the last member of the four, a meek and scared filly who lay trembling on the floor with her hooves over her eyes. "AND YOU!" Macintosh bellowed, his stern eyes locking on to his baby sister. "Don't ya' EVAH, sit theh, and condescend me like that again. Ah am fifteen years your elder, young filly, I know a thing er' two about equality. If somepony tries to take what AH paid fer'; don't think fer a MINUTE I won't use force to take it back."

The room was silent, save for Macintosh's own panting. three pairs of wide eyes locked onto the enraged stallion. He looked down to see his sister sobbing quietly before him. He took three deep and calming breaths before he addressed the stupefied crowd again. "Nao, allow me to make ma'self very clear. The days of pushin' around ol' Big Mac er' over. If y'all want me to leave, then fine. But those insults and accusation will be the last." 

He grabbed the large wooden yoke that hung from his neck and threw it away in disgust, causing the other ponies to flinch from the sudden movement and loud crash that the instrument made slamming against he hardwood floor. Macintosh felt his anger transform into pride, he wasn't going to be pushed around any longer, he would finally get the respect he deserved. "Now, Ah am gonna head to bed. I suggest you fillies think about how you've treated me over the past years. Cause the Macintosh you knew, the one who put up with your crap, is dead n' gone."

And with that, the proud and liberated stallion walked up the stairs to his loft, there he would have the most peaceful and restful sleep he could ever have hoped for.

Ok, I give you two chapters in one day. Praise be the lord if you worship one/him/her. So, my main question for people reading this is: Do you think i went a little overboard here? Or do you think i captured an enraged Macintosh just right?
> Chaotic Neutral
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chaotic Neutral



Macintosh awoke before daybreak, with a satisfied smile he arose from his bed and cracked his neck. Two days in a row of of waking up and feeling incredible, it almost seemed to good to be true. He undertook his morning stretching and hygiene rituals before trotting downstairs. 

To his surprise nopony was up yet, or they were and were just to afraid to come out and meet him after his unearthly blow up last night. Mac smirked looking to where the yoke still lie, he noticed that part of the slave tool was damaged, and would need hefty repair. "If them mares wanna use tha' again, theh' best get someone to fix it." He whispered, a cynical smirk plastered on his face. As he thought on the farming tool, Macintosh became disturbed with himself. He used to like it, the way it hung around his neck made him feel like everypony could see the heavy burden he bore. 

But now that he had awakened to what life truly was, he didn't care what the other ponies saw. He would no longer subject himself to their desires simply to 'fit in' or be accepted by them any longer, and saw the equipment for what it was, a simple controlling mechanism. The darkness outside was giving way to twilight, and the stallion decided he would give the others a full day to decide what they wanted to do, before the next confrontation. He ventured out in to the farm, forgoing breakfast to get an early start.

---

High noon finally came around, and Macintosh had bucked twice as many trees as he usually did by this time. If there was any proof that his new mindset was more of a benefit than a hindrance, this was it. Not only was he harvesting faster than he had ever done before, but he was genuinely happy with doing it. For the first time in a long time, it didn't just feel like a chore he was stuck with anymore.

Mac loaded the last of the buckets onto the brown wagon he brought and started to pull it back to the farm. He supposed that the saying "a happy worker, is a more productive worker" held a bit more truth than he realized. He trudged up the last hill that obstructed him from the farmhouse, preparing himself mentally for when he saw Applejack and if she might be looking for an argument. 

To his surprise, the farm mare was no where to be seen. He pulled the cart along side the barn to store the apples away for later, and began to inspect the property for his sister, but she was nowhere to be found. "Tha's strange." He grumbled looking back to the newly harvested fruits, after musing it over in his head, Mac decided he would store them away later. He had already done twice his workload already; and felt himself entitled to a break.

He decided he would go and talk to Pinkie Pie again and tell her about the attempt to get his family to listen to him. Though it wasn't overly successful, Mac felt it was the best he could do. After entering the town proper, Mac was greeted by some unwarranted stares by a few passing mares. He didn't think that A.J. and Rainbow would be to keen on the idea of gossiping about him, but his sister Applebloom, did pose as one of the biggest gossip columnists in Ponyville at some point.

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" A young voice yelled. Mac looked over to see Spike stomping out of the tree house/ Ponyville library, his face contorted in an angry scowl. "I'm so sick of this!" 

Mac watched as the angry dragon crossed his path, his claws clenched as tightly as his jaw. "Ya alright there Spike?" He asked, a genuine look of concern on his face.

Spike glared back at Big Mac with an angry distaste, but soon his anger dispersed upon discovering who it was. "Oh, hey Big Mac. What are you doing here?"

"Just goin' to visit Pinkie Pie. Wha's eatin' at ya?" Mac asked.

The dragon clenched his eyes shut in frustration, "I'm getting so sick of Twilight treating my like a baby." He seethed.

Mac felt great sympathy for his purple friend. He knew exactly what he was going through. "Yea, tell me 'bout it. Applejack and them 'r starting to get on mah last nerve as well."

"Spike, you have to clean the Library or no Gemstones." 

"Mac, you have to tell me what's goin' on, er' no breakfast."

"Spike, clean the up the mess of books that YOU didn't make."

"Mac, the leaves need rakin', even though that's not yer' job."

The two continued in their mutual displeasure at others unfair commands. Verbally cursing the respective ponies responsible for their aggravation and malcontent. They pointed out various flaws of bossiness, insensitivity, overbearing and all around over control of the two male's lives. 

"I'm right there with ya, man." Spike sighed, a few moments later a sad smile creeping onto his face. "It's nice to have someone to talk to who actually gets it, ya know?"

Mac proudly smiled. "Eyup."

The two shared a few jokes about their agitators personalities, before both bursting out into laughter. Spike mentioning how a spot in the bathroom would prevent Twilight from taking a bath, and Mac telling the story of how when they were younger; Applejack would refuse to eat any apples that was already bitten into, and Mac took a bite out of every single apple that was in the house just to make her think she was going to starve.

"Oh man, that's rich." Spike chuckled wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh man, I would have loved to seen the look on her face after that." He calmed his giggling and puffed out his chest as he spoke in a mocking accent. "Big Macintosh, Wh'dya take a bite from all tha' apples fer'? Now I'm gonna starve." Mac couldn't help but raise his hoof to cover the unjustifiable chuckle of the impersonation. It was one of the most cynical conversations he had taken part in, and at his sister expense no less.

Spike regained control of his breathing and calmed himself once more. "Man, I haven't laughed like that in ages, we need to hang out some time Mac. It would be a nice change from the oversensitive and girly stuff we have to deal with all the time."

"Ya know Spike, Ah think yer right." Mac agreed, "we 'r always stuck around mare's and their girl talk. A little time with just the guys sounds like just the thing to get our minds off all the crap they give us."

Spike cringed at the curse, Twilight always berated him for using such language; as did any other pony he would use such foul words around. "Crap." he said covering his mouth, he darted his eyes left and right for Twilight, but to his relief, her scolding voice never came. "Crap." He said again, a little louder now.

"What's?" Mac asked confused.

"No, no. That word, Twilight would always get on my back if I used it." Spike explained. "But when you said it so freely and without any fear; it just looked like fun." He smiled, repeating the word a little louder again.

Mac smirked at the relieved and proud smile the dragon made. Contrast to the prior anger the young reptile displayed earlier, it was quite a welcomed change. Macintosh felt the smile was oddly familiar to the smile he made when he first walked out of the jail, the smile of a free creature. 

Spikes smile soon faded, and he looked at the ground in disappointment. "Well Mac, i gotta say it was fun, but I need to get back to work."

"Why were ya' put on this earth, Spike?" 

"Huh?"

Macintosh smiled, the words he needed arranging themselves perfectly. "Why. Were You. Put on. This Earth?"

Spike cocked an eyebrow at the question. "I don't follow."

"Were y'all born simply to do wha' Twilight n' them told ya?" Mac elaborated, a smirk growing on his face. "Er' were ya put here to serve yer'self and live tha' life you wanna live?"

The dragon opened his mouth to answer but cut himself short. He mused over the question like Macintosh did the first time he heard it. Spike recoiled from a thought he was having looked around in realization.

"Ya know what?" Spike quipped, his thoughtful expression turning into a sly grin, "forget this." He kicked the door of the library in a show of spite for the unicorn. "Let's go do something else, Twilight can do the chores she wants done herself. I'm not her slave dragon." 

Macintosh beamed, he knew that it felt good to be liberated, but sharing the freedom brought a warm sensation to his heart. Having someone who understood what he did was nice for a change, instead of Sin knowing too much, and his family not understanding at all. The two walked away from the library and onward throughout the town. Mac had some spare bits saved from the free tea and sweets Pinkie gave him, and the two explored all the fun activities the town had to offer.

After a few hours of food, watching ponies race, and a few stallion going at it in sparing sessions; Spike felt his testosterone levels rise. He felt like a man, not an adult keep in mind, but like he had finally found a longed after right of passage that gave him the masculine feeling that he just couldn't get around his other friends. They would have seen the thrills that competition; (displays of strength, speed, and power) as brutish and immature. But that was part of the fun of it all, it was brutish and immature. It didn't adhere to the desires of the prissy and girly rules that Twilight had made for him.

"You know Mac, you probably could have beat all of those stallions if you entered the ring." Spike encouraged with a smile.

"Nah, them boys would toss me if ah were ta go toe t' toe with'em." Mac replied humbly. His confidence did give him a feeling of liberation, but the humility he had was one of the traits he liked the most about himself.

"Don't sell yourself short there," Spike retorted punching Mac's arm. "Bucking apples all day has got to have made you into pretty tough stuff." 

"Maybeh'," Mac thought over trying his luck at fighting.

"Well, the suns going down." Spike said as he looked at the descending star. "I think I should get back to the Library, Twilight is going to be so furious with me." The dragons confidence didn't waver at the negative thought, but Mac could tell Spike was nervous at the scolding he would receive when he got home.

"Ah wouldn't worry to much about it, but let's pal aroun' again tomorrow. There is somepony ah'd like ya to meet." Mac chimed as the two began their trek back to Twilight's.

"Really? Who?" Spike asked looking up at Mac.

Mac gave a small smile to his friend. "Y'all remember that question Ah asked ya? About why yer' put on this here earth?"

"Yea?"

"He's the one who ask'd me that." 

Spike rose his eyebrows, "Sounds like a smart guy, to be honest; at first I didn't know how to reply when you asked. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized; this is my life." Spike stretched his arms. "It's just something I never thought of before I guess."

"That's exactly what ah' thought when asked me." Mac said.

The rest of the trek was silence as the two thought about the question. Mac understood what it meant to be his own life, but he didn't understand what it meant to him. What would he do with his life? Was his purpose simply to buck apples as his cutie mark foretold? Or was that just his special talent?

Finally the library came into view, and the two waved their goodbye before Mac began his one track home. Upon arriving at the farmhouse, he was surprised to see the apples he had harvested were unmoved. He looked to find that not a single light emulated from any of the windows. "That's strange." The red stallion mumbled.

Upon entering the well kept building, his suspicions were confirmed. Nopony was home. He shrugged it off as them still avoiding and thinking about how to deal with him, so he made his way to bed. It felt good not having to argue with anypony for once, he locked his door and tossed himself on the bed to a happy and well deserved sleep.

---

Mac awoke to a thud down stairs. He heard a dozen whispers creep up through the floor boards, he identified a few of them as: His younger sisters, Twilight, Rarity and Rainbowdash. He sat up on his bed shaking his head. HA! They are so scared of you, they had to bring in the cavalry to back them up? Cowards. Mac initially found the small voice in the back of his mind to be brutish and unnecessarily antagonizing, but this time it was absolutely right. The family had no reason to go and involve so many other ponies in this affair.

He gave a heavy and disappointed sigh before he rolled out of bed and deceneded the stairs to face the group bellow. As expected: Applejack, Applebloom, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight were down waiting for him. What he didn't expect, was to see Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Sin standing down there with them. Most of them were staring skeptically at Sin before they noticed Big Mac descending the stairs.

"Big Mac, we need to talk." Applejack called, her face down trodden.

"Yea, ah think we do."



(Not gonna lie, this chapter was a bit to much fun for me to make, though I think I might need to get an editor. Question of the chapter: Did I kinda rush Spike's acceptance to abandon Twilight's overbearing nature? Or did his level of anger an annoyance justify his leaving?) 

And thanks for reading.
> Mane Intervention
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Mane Intervention




Macintosh stood in the circle of ponies, right between Pinkie and Sin. Applejack and Rainbow sat together glaring at the two stallions. Twilight stood a bit farther in the middle of circle with an uncomfortably forced smile, and Rarity and Fluttershy simply looked down in thought. Fluttershy more hid behind her hair trying to avoid looking at Sin more than actually thinking.

"Sin, when did Y'all get here?" Macintosh asked looking to the enigmatic stallion, shooting him a skeptical glance.

"Your friend Ms. Pie," Sin began, a small smirk given. "She is quite, tenacious when she wants a favor. Though I cannot figure out for the life of me how she discovered where I was."

"It's better just not to ask." A familiar voice called. Mac looked over to find Spike walking into the room, holding a quill and parchment. "Trust me, it's just better not to question it."

Pinkie blushed for a moment than cleared her throat looking to Twilight. The purple mare broke her concentration from the speaking of the stallion. "oh right, Umm, Big Mac." Twilight addressed, "Applejack says you have been acting rather strange as of late."

Mac cocked an eyebrow at his sister. "Has she told ya why? Or did she leave ou' tha' part to ya too?" His scolding glare never once leaving his sister.

"Well, she told me that you smacked her hoof away after she made you a salad, and teased you with it." Twilight explained prompting a snarl from the red stallion.

"Mind tellin' her the rest, Applejack?" Mac shot.

Applejack gave an unapologetic groan. "Yea, Ah think Ah will." She explained her bit of how Macintosh came home after he escaped from the guards who had arrested him, much to the disgust of Fluttershy and Rarity, she distinctly detailed the reason for his capture. She mentioned how worried she was that her one and only brother was hauled off by the Equestrian peace keepers, and emphasized that it was in front of her little sister no less. She informed them about when Mac came home, and the way he acted upon arrival. 

"And ever since he's been back, he's bein' a lot more sensitive 'bout the smallest bit of patronage." Applejack accused, pointing to her brother.

"Hmmm." Sin put a thoughtful hoof to his chin and began scratching. "That is quite a tale. Ms. Rainbow, you said you had a similar experience as well?"

"Pft, I don't answer to you." Rainbow turned her nose up and away from the question.

"Than answer it for me." Twilight glanced up to her rainbow friend. "What happened between you and Macintosh?"

Rainbow shook her head, and reluctantly answered. "Well like I told you before, I was talking to Pinkie in the Sugar Cube Corner, and she told me that she had met a particularly strange pony." Rainbow pointed a lazy cyan hoof to Sin, "And told me that he had been hangin' around Big Macintosh. We had a few laughs about them, ya know, being special somepony's; and than Mac actually came into the shop. I made a joke and he took it way to personally!" He explanation finished with flared wings, and an annoyed stare.

"Would ya' like to tell the rest of it, or should Ah?" Mac offered in both a joking and aggravated tone.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and crossed her forelegs. Mac knew that her pride wouldn't allow her to admit that she had done wrong, so he finished her tale, adding in the part where he made it clear that he wasn't in the mood to be made fun of.

Twilight nodded in comprehension. "I can understand your frustration Big Macintosh, but I don't see how that justifies you stomping and yelling at Rainbow the way you did." She called sternly.

Mac's anger fell to a deadpan. 

Spike let out a scoff as he took notes, "Pft, give me a break."

Twilight's eyes shot down to her assistant. "Excuse me?"

Spike cocked an eyebrow and gave her a sarcastic look. "Are you kidding me? You yelled at me for five minutes after I made the honest mistake of breaking wind on front of you."

Rarity scrunched her nose and condemned such a disgusting action in front of a lady. 

"Don't worry, I'll get to you in a minute." Spike spat, shooting a cold look at his love interest. "But five minutes of yelling Twi', and the yelling was pretty bad, you used words that you smacked me for using. And when i confronted you about it, you said that i deserved it. Now you're going to sit there and say that Big Mac went too far?" His voice was calm and explanatory, but the scathing undertone was more than overt. "Sounds kinda hypocritical to me."

Twilight made an offended face. "You did deserve it, I mean who does that?"

"Not the point Twi'," Spike replied blankly. "The point is, you were alright with yelling at me for something so trivial, but when Mac does it, than a line was crossed?"

"It's not the same!" Twilight cried.

"How? How is it not the same?"

"Because he's a boy, and Rainbow is a GIRL!" Twilight shouted, her face full of anger and frustration.

Silence washed over the room, they all watched the angered mare with surprised looks. Fluttershy now backed into the wall, and Pinkie and Rarity giving her sympathetic looks. A.J. and Rainbow simply stood with berating looks at Spike for his words.

"And so the truth finally comes out." Sin spoke, his words low and amused.

"What truth, what're you talkin' about?" Applejack demanded stomping her hoof on the ground.

Sin slowly turned his head to the farm mare, and stared for a moment before speaking. "I am not a dog, I do not take orders from you. Also a bit ironic, considering that is the exact action that put Macintosh in hot water with Rainbow Dash." He looked back to address the entire group. He cleared his throat and began to speak again. "When i first came to your country, i had noticed that it was a primarily matriarchal society. It's not just from the fact you have two Princesses who rule the kingdom as the supreme authority, but from my observations, the female ponies outnumber the males in this town by five to three."

The group thought about what he said, and nodded in the strange revelation.

"Furthermore, not only do the mare's outnumber the stallions in Ponyville, in such a way; the trend is a constant in other cities such as Manehattan, Trotinghamand Fillydelphia. Not to mention, that mares take up the leadership rolls in most of the towns and villages." Sin's words were calm and matter-of-factly. "Add to that, the fact that a great deal of your stallions are part of the royal guard, a subservient group of ponies, who's primary goal is to serve the princesses' and thier constituent's every command; it really stands to reason why you see male ponies in an inferior fashion."

"I don't see stallions as inferior" Twilight replied a little to quickly. 

Mac and Spike rose their eyebrows and beamed at the purple mare, giving her an uncomfortable feeling in her shoulders and neck.

"That's it!" Applejack interjected, gaining the attention of everypony in the room. "Ah, have had it with this nonsense. Now y'all look here Big Mac." The farm mare walked up to her brother giving him one of the most stern looks her face could muster. "I'm givin' ya an ultimato."

"Ultimatum." Twilight corrected, groaning at her inability to hold back her urge of correcting her friend.

"Whatevah'!" Applejack rolled her eyes before returning to Macintosh. "Now, you listen to me. Ah want ya to keep away from that colt, he's a poisonin' yer mind, and makin' ya unkind to me n' yer' friends."

"Poisoning your mind?" Sin repeated at the silly way to phrase his influence.

"Shutup!" Rainbow yelled. "You have no right to speak."

"Really? Than why was i called here?" Sin quipped with a smile.

Rainbow gritted her teeth, "Why you little-"

"ENOUGH!" Barked Macintosh, bringing the incipient bickering to its end. His eyes darted at his sister. Her own gaze gaze loosing it's confidence, and giving way to nervousness. Immediately seeing the fear growing on his sister's face, Mac's hard expression softened to an understanding and sympathetic one. "Sis, Ah am sorry that Ah yelled at ya and smacked yer leg." Mac admitted, owning up to his side of the blame.

"Thanks Big Mac, Ah'm sorry Ah treated ya' like a filly and disregarded your word." Applejack smiled up at her brother. A sudden flash of realization crossed over he face. "But, i have to ask ya, don't hang around Sin anymore, please." 

Before Mac could answer, Rainbow piped up. "Yea, he turned you into a real jerk."

Mac waited for Sin's response, but nothing came. He looked over to find the stallion looking down at nothing in particular. The oak colored pony finally noticed Mac's stare and forced a reassuring smiled, "I am a pony of freedom, Mr Macintosh. I have no interest in keeping you from the family you wish to be with."

A.J. placed a tender hoof upon her brothers face. "Ah just want my brother back, Ah just wan' things the way theh' were before."

Mac leaned into his sisters hoof slightly, his eyes shifting away from her. He thought about it for a moment. Could he forget the lessons he had learned? Could he cast away his own self indulging desires simply for the sake of allowing his families happiness? 'Are you kidding me?' That small voice quipped again. The great feeling of being truly alive and happy about it. And the power you felt when you had stood up for yourself. Now that you have a crying mare looking at you, you're going to throw all of that away? Simply for ponies who treated you badly from the start? You heard her, she wants things to go back to what it was before. You will be the melancholy and empty stallion you used to be. Do you really want that for the sake of making them happy? Those who ignored you, figuratively spat on your opinions and drove you you to silence? Are they really worth throwing away the feelings you earned?

"Big Mac?"

Macintosh gently pushed away his sisters hoof from his face. "Ah'm sorry Applejack." Macintosh apologized, his voice calm and rational. "Bu' I will do as Ah please. This is mah life, n' if Ah want to spend time with somepony, than that's mah business." 

Applejack's eyes eyes began to well with tears, her body shook with suppressed sobs before her eyes found their way to a discouraged looking Sin. "You." She whispered turning her head to the dark stallion, anger forming on her features. "This is all YER' FAULT!" She made a dash for Sin, only to be met with her brothers leg holding her inches away from him. "Give him back! Give me mah brother back!" She broke down on the floor, tears falling freely from her cheeks.

"I think you should leave." Twilight said, her face a mixture of pity for her friend, and disdain for the one who caused Applejack's pain. 

"Yea, Get out of town and never come back!" Rainbow Dash agreed trotting over to Applejack and placing a comforting hoof on her head.

"Of course, I don't like to be where I am unwelcome." Sin said with a small bow, he turned his back to the group and began to head for the door.

"If he's leaving, than I'm going with him!" a nervous voice proclaimed. Sin stopped in his tracks. The others laid their eyes on the green dragon who spouted the unbelievable words. 

"You will do no such thing!" Twilight scolded. 

"Spikey darling, don't tell me that ruffian's influence has gotten to you too." Rarity walked over to the baby dragon, and laid a compassionate hoof on his head.

Spike smack the hoof off with more force than necessary, causing a look of shock to erupt on the diva ponies face. "Ya know Rarity," Spike began as he walked over to stand by big Macintosh. He tossed the quill and paper onto the ground, and kept his back firmly to her as he spoke, "Big Mac asked me a question yesterday, one he said Sin had asked him. I thought about it, I thought long and hard, and i realized that; I'm not going to be happy if I stay here."

"YOU BASTARD!" Rainbow jumped up from Applejack's side and rammed the dragon against the wall. She panted heavily with tears running down her face, "Whadoya mean you aren't going to be happy? After everything we've been through and everything we've done for you?"

Spike released the flinch from the force of Impact and looked Rainbow dead in the eye,  "Rainbow, I've been meaning to say this for sometime now, and I really think you need to hear it. You are not the bucking bad ass you think you are." he said with a blatant and apathetic tone.

Rainbow recoiled at the harsh words, allowing the dragon to fall to the ground. The remainder of the mane six gave audible gasps of horror. "Yea that's right, I said it." Spike picked himself up and addressed the bewildered group, "You wanna talk about what you've done for me? How about we talk about what Spike wants for a change?"

"DEAR CELESTIA WHAT DID YOU SAY TO THEM?" Twilight demanded, her tear ridden eyes focused on Sin.

Sin turned back to the group of ponies and smiled. "I merely asked them a question, Miss. Sparkle." He walked forward to address the party so they could all see him. "A simple nine words in an open ended and thought provoking format, nothing more."

"Well no bucking crap." Twilight cursed. "WHAT was the question?" She snarled.

Sin chuckled to himself at the pony's rage. "I'm sorry, it's just astonishing how nine simple words can bring about such unprecedented events. The question I asked them, i will propose to you: Were you put on this earth to serve another?"

Twilight quirked an eyebrow, as the anger in her face dropped to disappointed annoyance. "That's it?" She looked to Macintosh and Spike, who nodded in the affirmative. "That's all you did? Ask a stupid question that doesn't even make any sense?"

Spike and Macintosh shook their heads in a unison of disappointment. "And that's exactly why I'm leaving Twi'." Spike took a breath. "You just don't get it."

Twilight growled in frustration, "What they hay? Does he have some kind of mind control over you or something?"

Mac began to speak, but he was cut off by the stallion responsible. "There is no point Big Mac." A genuine sigh of disappointment escaped the downcast and disappointed Sin. "If she doesn't understand it now, she will not understand it until she figures it out for herself."

"I've had it." The enraged cyan mare exclaimed rushing for where Sin stood. Macintosh wrapped his forelegs around her and with held the fury that was now Rainbow Dash. "You monster, I don't know what kind of psychosomatic, whatever you put on Mac and Spike, but You'll pay fo-"

"Tell me Ms. Dash." Sin interrupted the mares words, his face only inches out of reach of her hooves. "Are you so selfish and full of pride that you believe your desires outrank that of your friends?"

Rainbow ended her thrashing against Mac and growled at Sin. "What the hay is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you believe your desires to have your friends stay here with you, should be considered more important, than what they wish to do with their own lives?" He noticed Rainbow relax her body, a shallow look of guilt on her face as she mused over the question for a moment; and took the opportunity to step closer, a small snarl on his face. "Do you truly think your friends are so incompetent and weak that; your opinion of what they should do with their lives is the best? Making them into nothing more than your slaves, doing only what you allow? Do you really hold that much disrespect for them and care so little for what they want?"

Rainbow looked up, a hurt and confused look on her face. "They don't really want this?"

"And how do you know that?" Sin replied turning his back to the mare. "You were there when they both made their case for not wanting to stay here. Or did you just dismiss that as idiotic banter?" Rainbow Dash's mouth gaped at the accusation. She couldn't very well reply, due to the fact that the pony was right. She did more or less disregard their opinions out of the shear emotional contempt for them.

"I shall depart Ponyville at seven A.M. tomorrow morning. If you two still desire to come with me, I shall be on the western bluff outside of the market district." And with that, Sin walked out of the farm house, and closed the door gently behind him.

Pinkie Pie shook her head. "I knew this would happen."


Hmm... Yea, i probably put in more dialog then there should have been, but can ya blame me? To those who found this chapter too androgynous because of the fact; I do apologize. Most chapters wont have this many "quotation marks" but for this chapter, it was kind of essential. Question for the chapter: Am I focusing to much on Sin and not enough on Macintosh? and a second question: Does the addition of Spike give or take away from the story?
> Faint Goodbyes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Faint Goodbyes





After Sin's Departure, the rest tried to talk Spike and Macintosh out of leaving their company, to which the former pushed anypone who tried to get close to him away. Even Fluttershy's stare wouldn't make the baby dragon adhere to the mare's whims. He casually walked out of the farm house with Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy close behind. Leaving Mac to deal with the three remaining mares on his own.

Applejack and Rainbow were sitting on the couch, attempting to comfort each other over what had transpired only a few moments ago. While the two sobbed quietly together, Mac thought about what exactly Sin said. 'You think them incompetent...?' He furrowed his brow over the insult, questioning if his sister's friend had noble intentions for keeping him here, of if it was that she felt he was unable to fend for himself?

Then something else crossed him, how the pony acted with such malice and provocation to the rainbow pegasus. Though Sin was calm and level headed in his questions to Rainbow, Mac could feel the utter loathing from the mysterious pony's words. Mac began to wonder if the pony was good or evil, but that brought about the whole conversation of how Sin had mentioned that there was no such thing. Feeling a headache coming on with the all the stress he had to deal with, the stallion pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Big Mac?" Pinkie called from where she sat. "Are you ok?" Her voice ridden with concern.

"Ya Pinkie," Mac smiled at one of the only two mares who didn't go against him. "Ah'm fine. Ah am gonna go pack."

Applejack's face shot out of Rainbow's shoulder, "But... wait... yer' serious 'bout leavin'?" She sobbed. Mac gave a simple nod as his reply before heading up the stares into his bedroom. Though he was now leaving to understand his life, and do everything and anything he wanted to do, Mac felt an uneasy pit in his stomach. He loved his family, he really did; and he would never wish anything to hurt them especially his own actions. But leaving them, he felt like he was giving up so much. Applejack, Granny Smith, Applebloom, Twilight, Fluttershy and everyone else.

He paused as he began placing a picture of his family and friends in the saddle bag. All of them were there, The Mane Six, local Apple family, Spike, Carrot Top, Lyra, Bon Bon and alll the rest. All of them were smiling in an immortalized happy pose that the picture would hold until it crumbled to dust. Tears began to swell in Macintosh's eyes. All the fond memories they shared started to crash against his mind like tidal waves. Applebloom's and her friends attempt to set him up with her teacher, Applejack's accident that hurt his back, and forced her to Buck most of the farm on her own. The multiple foreleg wrestling matches that Rainbow Dash kept challenging him to, and the frustrated blush she would get when he beat her.

Was it really so bad here? He felt loved, he felt wanted and needed. His family and friend's were a little bossy and disconnected from him, that much was true; but at least he wasn't alone, at least it was better than having no one. Ever since his parents had-

"Big Mac?" A voice  called from behind. The nostalgic endulged stallion turned his body to see his sister looking at him with pleading eyes. He took one last look at the picture and smiled, two streams of tears running down his cheek. "We sure were happy, back then Ah mean." She said her own gaze falling on the framed portrait.

Mac let out a heavy and happy sigh. "Eyup."

Applejack walked up to her brother and nuzzled his his nose. "Big Mac, why do ya wanna leave her' so badly? Ah know that we have been a little neglectful of ya, n' Ah'm sorry 'bout that. But is it really so bad you gotta leave?" A.J. hugged Mac, a wave of warmth and love emulated from where she had embraced.

Mac hugged her back and began to cry freely. He couldn't answer her question, in that moment, he felt like everything was alright. There was no Applejack patronizing him, there was no Rainbow making fun of him, or Twilight correcting every other word he said, or loud and and annoying Pinkie Pie. There was only love and contentment in Mac's heart. He mentally slapped himself for ever thinking about wanting to leave where he felt so much kindness and compassion. He opened his eyes and in a violent clash, his mind was brought back to reality.

Behind his sister, leaned up on the wall by the door, something brought all the memories back. All of the confidence and lessons he had received two days ago had overpowered the warm sensation that Applejack was giving him. The small wooden crossbow that Sin had given him to escape jail had a more powerful emotional impact than his sisters own embrace. It truly spoke volumes to him about how restricted he was, that such a small and inanimate contraption gave him greater inspiration than his own flesh and blood.

Mac broke the embrace keeping his hoofs on the mares shoulders. He opened his eyes with a soft smile gracing his lips. Applejack's mouth trembled, knowing that her last attempt to convince him to stay had failed. "Ah love ya' sis." Mac said compassionately. "Ah love you, Granny, Applebloom n' the rest of tha' family, but, this is mah' life. N' I just ain't satisfied with it no more."

Applejack cringed at the stallions admission. A few more sobs escaped her lungs before she looked back up him sniffling. "Is this really what y'all want, Big Mac?"

Macintosh chuckled trying to lighten the mood before he nodded his head. His sister released a defeated sigh and shook her head. She looked back at her brother and placed a hoof on his shoulder, "Than, you have mah' blessin'. But y'all come back n' visit every now n' again. Alright?"

Mac's smile grew, "Eyup." he replied pulling the mare into a civil embrace. After a few moments, they broke apart and A.J. asked Mac for a few spare bits to write up some "Help Wanted" signs. They shared a laugh and Mac agreed, they walked out of the room together to begin drawing up plans for the farm during his absence. 

---

Mac's final day in Ponyville passed a little to quickly for his liking. After he and Applejack had place the job offering pages on the bulletin bored, his little sister had just gotten out of school. She took the news of his leaving harder than he would have thought. Even before his apology for yelling at her two nights ago, Applebloom was in tears about her brothers leaving. After a few minutes of the elder siblings comfort, they agreed that their last day together should be a happy one. The trio made way for the motel where Granny Smith was. To Mac's surprise, she was more encouraging that Mac find his path in life. Mentioning how he spent the majority of his life on the farm, and how he barley been outside Ponyville.

After the approval from his last of kin, he helped move their things back to the farm. With now open minds they listened to his tale about how he escaped his imprisonment from the guard and his first meeting with Sin. He explained what he knew about the concepts of freedom, and the amazing way it made him feel. After his story, Luna's moon was growing in the sky, but the family agreed to allow Applebloom to stay up a little bit longer to have some more time with her brother. They sat and reminisced about all the memories the family shared. Tales of childhood and trouble received laughs of nervousness and comedy.

When midnight finally came, they all decided that it was time to retire. All of the mares hugged their soon to be lost brother tightly. 

"Nah' what ever happens to ya' out there, just remember; were all still a family." Granny spoke, her weezing voice full of pride and sadness.

"N' we always will be." Applejack agreed with a smile.

"Always n' forever." Applebloom chimed. 

"Eyup, and tha' will nevah' change." Big Mac finished, the family indulged in group hug. After the warm embrace, the each returned to their respective quarters and each gave futile attempts to gain sleep.

---

Finally, the morning had come. Mac hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, he looked over to his alarm clock which now lay on the ground from the turmoil of his tossing and turning all night. He signed when he discovered he only had an hour to get to the bluff. The sallion rolled out of bed and strapped on his saddlebag before brushing his teeth, once his perly whites were cared for, he walked down stairs to see Applejack sitting on the couch with her hair a mess, and a cup of tear in her hooves.

"Y'all didn't sleep well either?" Mac called down to his sister, who meekly shook her head. She took a refreshing breath and stood up from her place on the couch, a forced smile on her face. "Ya ready?"

"Yea," A.J. replied. "I think Ah am.

The two made their way to the bluff outside of ponyville, it only took them about twenty minutes to arrive, they found Sin sitting on one of the closer ones and approached him. "Mornin Sin." Mac called waving a tired hoof.

"Good morning Big Macintosh." His black covered eyes moved over to Applejack and he gave her a simple nod. "And good morning to you as well, Miss Applejack." A gave a fake smile to the mare.

The mare sighed, "Look Sin, Ah'm sorry about the way Ah reacted to ya. But-"

Sin rose an interrupting hoof, his smile turned a bit more genuine. "I can understand Ms. Applejack. You love your brother, and dislike change. It is only natural you would react to me in such a way. I feel no ill will to you."

A.J. smiled, at that moment she felt a lot better about letting her brother go, but still felt a great deal of mistrust and contempt at the pony. Though, a certain amount of respect had been awarded to Sin for his ability to appreciate and understand her concerns.

Not long after, the three ponies heard repeated sounds of crying. The more time that passed, the louder the crying became and the easier it was to distinguish as whining. They looked down the hill to find Spike trudging up the hill with a back pack pressing against his spines, and a dirty white unicorn wrapped around his leg.

"Please Spike, don't go!" Rarity begged, her body dragging on the ground with each step the dragon she was trying to convince took. Obviously Spikes goodbyes hadn't gone as well as Mac's, "PLEA -EH-HE-HE-EASE!" 

The trio watched as the small dragon trudged up the hill to them, his face contorted in a way that made it look like he would smack the pony pestering him at any moment,

"That one, is... quite the drama queen isn't she?" Sin remarked with an amused smile.

"Well that's somethin' we can all agree on." Replied Applejack, her hoof slamming against her face.

"Eyup."

The three also noticed a timid and pink maned pegasus following after them, keeping her distance at first, but slowly growing closer.

"I'll give you time to say your goodbyes before I leave." Sin stated turning his back to the siblings and the approaching trio below. He walked to the far side of the hill and watched as the moon set in the west.

Mac watched as the dragon finally arrived to he and his sister, with the dirty unicorn literally on his heals. "Look at me Spike, I'm FILTHY!" She called burring her head in his now static leg. 

"Well, maybe if you had let go, i wouldn't have had to drag you through that mud puddle, and you would still have some dignity." Spike replied trying to shake the distraught mare from his leg. "Rarity come on, this is getting ridiculous! Let go of my leg already."

After a few more minutes of convincing, the mare finally released her death grip. Her eyes were bagged and bloodshot, and her typically gorgeous coat and mane were now tarnished by the elements Spike ungraciously dragged her through. The timid pegasus poked her head up from the hill and sighed at seeing Sin not looking in her direction. She wondered up to the Apple siblings and explained that Twilight was too upset to see them off.

"I'm sorry, I wish i could have convinced her to come. but..." The mare hid behind her hair for a moment than took a breath, "After she and Spike had started yelling at each other last night, I was just to afraid to bother her."

Applejack pressed her lips together and placed a hoof on her friends shoulder. "Nothin' to worry 'bout sugar cube. Ah'll talk to Twilight later."

Suddenly, a voice called out to the group on the hill. They all looked over to find Rainbow and Pinkie rushing towards them. "You aren't thinkin' of leaving with out saying goodbye to us are ya?" Rainbow called, a knowing smirk playing a cross her face. Pinkie bounced with her usual happy grin, and addressed Mac and Spike.

"Well guys, this is it." She called happily, her face becoming more serious as the seconds dragged on, but her smile maintained. "I don't like saying goodbye, but you two shouldn't leave with out a proper one." She hugged Mac and nuzzled his neck, than she moved to Spike and repeated the process. "I want you two to be safe out there alright? Not everypony is as nice as we are."

Spike gave a comedic scoff. "You don't need to worry about me Pinkie, I'm a dragon after all; were made of pretty tough stuff. If I were you, I'd be more worried about the tender hoofed Big Mac."

"Eyu- Hey!" Mac called glaring. The group shared in a laugh at the stallions expense and Pinkie looked over to Sin with a curious expression.

"Yea, not everypony around is as awesome as we are. So don't you two become lame-O's by spending too much time with Mr. Robot over there." Rainbow called, pointing an accusing hoof at Sin. "But in all seriousness," her face dropped to a concerned smile. "You two be careful alright. And don't forget to stay cool." A wink following her final words.

The two departing friends nodded their agreements and hugged the rainbow mare. Her laughing being crushed to awkward rasps by their tight squeezes around her mid section. As the group gave their good byes to one another, and made promises of returning home someday, Pinkie wondered over and sat by Sin, her eyes locked onto his face. "Sin?"

"Yes Miss Pie?" Sin replied turning his head slightly towards her.

"I know that I just met you and all, but could you do me a favor?" Her words were calm and genuine, a trace of guilt was caught in her eye.

"Of course."

Pinkie looked back to her friends, a sad grin forming on her muzzle. "Please look after Spike and Macintosh, my friends and I love them dearly, and I would hate to think of what we would do if anything happened to them."

Sin sighed lightly and faced forward again to the dispersing twilight before him. He knew there was more to what the young mare had to say, and he didn't want to interrupt. "You may have noticed, they haven't been in a lot of uncertain situations before. They have never had to worry about getting water, or food or being safe in general."

"I understand Ms. Pie. And you have my word, i will-"

"AND YOU!" Called a stern Rainbow Dash flying in front of the two ponies with her forelegs crossed over her chest. "You had better make sure NOTHING happens to Spike or Big Mac. Because if they get hurt I'll beat ya till you have to eat through a feeding tube." She eyed the stallion before her, her lips quivering slightly.

Sin let out another soft sigh and reached into a pocket of his hidden saddlebag that rested beneath his cape. He pulled out a small metallic object and set it on the ground before pegasus. She looked down questioningly and descended to find it was a thin and small metal container.

"In this case, you will find one of my most prized possessions: A quill that belonged to one of the greatest leaders my country had ever known, and it was used to sign one of the most freedom oriented pieces of legislation that my country was ever graced with. Needless to say, i had to go through quite a bit of trouble to get it, and I offer it to the Apple Family as my promise to return Macintosh in good health, so long as i can help it; and he allows me to."

Rainbow's expression turned into an apologetic and thankful one before she picked up the container and rejoined the group. Sin reached into his bag again and handed a crumpled and age worn manilla envelope to Pinkie Pie. She took it in her hooves and looked up to the stallion. "That is for Ms. Sparkle, It is the original letter that another great leader of mine, had made to inform the current High Arbiter at the time, of a great evil that threatened the my countries prosperity. Please insure that she gets it, and tell her that is my promise to her that Spike will be returned home in good health, so long as i can help it, and he will allow me."

Pinkie nodded her head and hugged the stallion around the neck. Though in their second encounter, Sin made it clear he didn't like to be touch; Pinkie couldn't help it. She had to give him something back for for him leaving such precious items with mares he hardly knew, all for the sake of easing their stressed and worried minds. Though he seemed cold and standoffish, that display showed Pinkie that Sin was one of the kindest ponies she had ever met. 

Sin cleared his throat, his muscles tightening from the awkward embrace. "Yes well, I Uh, er..." he fumbled before he lifted his hoof and awkwardly patted the pink mares back. "thank you?" 

Pinkie pulled away and shook her head. "No, thank you." She put emphasis on the last word before she wondered back to the group behind Sin.

After a few more minutes of closure, Spike and Mac stood beside Sin and looked out to the dawn lit fields below. The two had no idea where Sin was going, but they decided they would follow him happily. After they agreed to be ready, the trio began to descend the hill with their friends calling after them.

"Y'all come back now, ya hear!" Applejack yelled waving a hoof. "And stay safe."

Spike and Mac replied with similar reassurances to their friends and continued waving until they were out of eyesight.


The End.













(Ha, I'm joking, I'm not evil enough to end a story there. (Ok yes I am, but not this one) So, Question of the story is: Did giving the objects to Applejack and Twilight give a more "Human" look into Sin? Or did it take away by making him seem weaker?)
> Breaking the Chains
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Breaking the Chains




Spike, Sin and Macintosh ventured out into the wilderness of Equestria. Leaving the homely town behind, they had traveled north ward through the grass ridden planes of the country side. Passing fields of forestry and wildlife. Giant rock formations began to appear in the distance as the trio walked along side a narrow, though deep, canyon. for at least five miles before Spike called for a break. 

The stallions agreed and released themselves from their heavy saddlebags. Upon the sack dropping, Macintosh nearly toppled over from the sensation of weightlessness. It took him a moment to regain his balance and adjust his his actions accordingly. He looked over to see a bandaged wing ruffling the dark ponies own pack off, before it lay still at his side again. Mac tilted his head at the discovery, he thought sin to be an earth pony since he met him.

"Alright gentlemen, An hour to rest, then i ask that you join me in our advance to the Black Hoof tribe's mountain." Sin proclaimed looking north the the rock formations. 

"Black Hoof whats?" Spike asked wincing as he tried to rub the soreness out of his aching feet.

"The Black Hoof's Tribe." Cooed Sin turning back to face his companions, "They are group of Minotaur who owe me a favor." He wondered back to his saddle bag and pulled out a map of Equestria and give it a quick once over. Mac peaked his head over Sin's shoulder to gain a little bit of insight as to how big the world he was about to explore really was. While Ponyville was in the middle, Mac's eyes widened at how much of the country there actually was. Ponyville, was a small dot on the quarter of the way opened map. After the feeling of smallness passed, Mac looked over the parchment to discover all kinds of bigger cities and towns, some drawn in with harsh writing.

"Have you never seen a Map of Equestrian before?" Sin called, folding up the map again and stuffing it gently back into his bag."

"Nevah' one like that, All the maps Ah've ever seen had been drawin' where Ponyville and Canterlot were a lot bigger." Mac admitted raising his hoof to the saddlebag. "Is Ponyville really that small?"

Sin nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid in terms of scale to the rest of the country, it is a rather small village." 

Macintosh's ears laid back to his head. He always took pride in the size of his farm and the community in which he lived. The hastily drawn maps he had seen that made his town look bigger, and by association, his farm didn't help to ease him into the revolution that it all equated to a simple dot on the map.

"You alright?" Sin asked, beaming.

"Huh? Oh yea." Mac snapped out of his thoughts. "Just, 'lot bigger than Ah thought."

Sin nodded his head again, "Yes, when I am shopping around respective towns for maps, I always find that the town i'm in holds more space than it should." He took a breath before he cracked his neck from side to side, a sigh of relief following. "One would suppose it's part of the feminism your country embraced." He finished mindlessly looking around for something.

"Feminism?" Spike quirked an eyebrow. "What? You mean all the frilly and flowery stuff?"

"Well, that is part of it." Sin wondered to a near by rock and tapped his hoof on it. "However, there is a great deal more. Feminism has quite a broad interpretation: Some think it's female superiority, others that it's equality between the sexes, and others even think it's just about making everybody more... Touchy feely and emotionally connected."

"Everybody?" Spike nit picked.

"Here in Equestria, you say "everypony" back in the Federation, there were not only ponies; but all manner of creatures." Sin shook his head, pushing away the useless bolder. "Yes, the land once used to be entirely wilderness, untouched by any of the sentient races. The first to settle there were the wise and humble Centaurs, creatures with that were half pony from the waist down, and some kind of monkey from then up."

Spike and Macintosh were listening with great interest. They knew little to nothing about the history of the world outside of Equestria, save what little reading the baby dragon had done on the Griffan Empire. "Then what?" Spike asked, his tone as eager as his eyes.

"Well," Sin took a seat in front of the two, placing his hoof in between his eyes; trying to recall what he had learned years prior. "After the Centaur had began settling, the... Griffans came next? Or it was the Ent's from the east. Anyway, many of the races began to congregate on the continent. Some came to escape their oppressive governments while others merely wanted to stake some land they could call their own. Naturally, some of the races had past hatreds that they brought with them to the contentment, and it was not long until the fighting began."

"Fighting? As in like, war?" Spike asked, a mixed between excitement and terror.

"Yes," Sin answered, he continued his story about how the leaders of the factions would curse their rivals and send their subjects to fight in order to maintain territory, and war seemed inevitable. However, A Centaur tribe known as the Libertas Patronus had spread through out the land, and asked the creatures why they were fighting one another."

"Now keep in mind," Sin warned placing his hoof on a patch of dirt that lay in the middle of the trio. "The centaurs were an intelligent, and nature embracing race, well respected by all the creatures of the earth and sky. This particular tribe believed that the individuals themselves had no quarrel with the other races, and it was only their leadership. So they splintered off into the colonies and conversed with the races average citizen. For the majority, the "Libertas Patronus" were correct. None of the creatures that held no office wanted battle with the others, but were fooled by fear into believing that it was the other factions who would attack them."

Mac furrowed his brow, trying to piece everything together. "So, yer basic'ly tellin' us that: Nopony really wanted to fight? It was just all a big misunderstanding out of fear?"

"Almost," Sin smiled, "It was their leaderships who wanted war. They wanted to fight over power and control of the continent. Even though there was plenty for everyone, those in power, often want to expand that power. And by any means necessary, even sending their own subjects to die."

Spike blanched. "That is the most sickening thing i have ever heard."

Sin continued the story of how his country was founded. He drew crude and unjust pictures in the dirt with his hoof of how the citizens of the factions woke up to the reality that their governments were using terrorist tactics to scare the people into submission. But the centaurs proceeded from provenance to provenance, more and more of the creatures from each faction became aware of their government manipulations to pit them against one another. 

Finally, the after the Governments became desperate to maintain power and killed their own people as a show of force, A revolution occurred that brought the factions together. They brought their highest ranking leaders together, and executed them by decapitation. Thus sending a message to future leadership that such terrorism, authoritative control and violence would not be tolerated.

Though a little horror struck from the gruesome concept of selective murder, Mac and Spike seemed happy at the ending. "Good, those jerks deserved to die, even if it was in a way that that makes me wanna wet myself."

Mac and Spike laughed at the joke and looked up to notice the sun had fallen dramatically. Sin informed the two that it was time to get moving again, and the trio began their second march for the day.


"Who's bucking idea was it, to put all these rocks this way?" Spike cursed as he climbed over an awkward set up of sharp white limestone. He lost his footing and slipped backwards, yelling at the top of his lungs. Instead of the hard stone bellow cracking his skull into a thousand pieces, his back was met with by a softer pressure that pushed him upright. The baby dragon regained his lost balance after wavering some on the slippery rock and looked back to in anticipation of Sin's lecture on his recklessness.

"One thing about mother nature, she is as unforgiving a mistress as father time is a master." Sin jumped onto the stone by spike, he too lost his footing momentarily before he found it again. Spike looked in awe of the pony before him.

"You, aren't mad that was acting so recklessly and might have hurt myself?" Spike asked, a tinge of guilt in his voice.

Sin quipped an eyebrow at the confused dragon. "No, why would i?"

Spike sighed in relief, "Well, it's just that I would never have heard the end of it from Twilight if she saw." His cheeks reddened a bit from the thought of his friend seeing him. "She would yell at me for doing anything dangerous. Or anything I did that was fun that could get me hurt."

"Mr. Spike, I am not Twilight." Sin replied, jumping from the stone to some light dirt below and looking back, "I have no right to tell you: what to think, feel or how to live your life. I'm not here to coddle or hold you back." He fully turned his body to the hatchling, "Besides, how are you to grow in the world if you do not make mistakes and accept its challenges?" 

Spike grinned happily. "You really think I have what it takes to live my own life?" He tapped his claws gleefully before his tone soured. "I wish Twilight felt the same, but it's nice to know there is somepony who has a decent bit of confidence in me."

"None of your friends back home held confidence in you?" Sin asked as the young wingless wyvern jumped to the soft pale of dirt next to him. He looked down and inspected the adolescent for a moment,

"Nah, because I'm a baby dragon, ponies think they need to look out for me, and treat me like I can't do anything for myself." Spike sighed crossing his arms. "It gets really annoying."

"Strange." Sin quipped turning his body away from Spike. "I have never met a baby who understood the world as you do." He crossed one foreleg over the other, peering back the way they came. "Babies have a tendency to cling to their mothers, they cannot reason, rhyme; or think for themselves in any critical way. They must be under their mothers care for every need. The very fact you told Ms. Sparkle that this was your life, and you were going to embrace your own freedom; makes it obvious that you have matured past such an infantile stage."

The adolescent reptile beamed up to Sin, a pony who felt true confidence in him. He knew that Fluttershy and Applejack had small amounts of admiration for his abilities, but he also knew they looked down on him more often then not because of his size and stature. To know that somepony actually believed that he could make his life what he wanted with out help, brought a warm feeling to Spike's heart.

Deciding now was a good time to end the conversation, the purple dragon followed Sin's eyes and looked back to find Macintosh gingerly shuffling through the deepest part of the rocks, careful not to put himself into a situation that would could bring him harm should he slip.

"You alright Big Mac?" Spike called, cupping his hands to his mouth to amplify his voice to ensure the distant stallion could hear him.

The two waited for a moment before the predictable "Eyup" finally came. It took the quiet stallion some time, but he finally made it to where his friends sat in wait. He lifted his head with an apologetic look, verbalizing his concerns about them being upset that he took so long. 

"Why are you apologizing?" Sin smirked, "We don't have a time limit or a schedule to keep. If it took you two hours to get up here from where you were, it wouldn't make any difference to me, the important thing to keep in mind is, to take this at your own pace. Don't put yourself in a situation where the consequences could be detrimental, unless you decide you want  to do so." He bowed his head slightly.

Mac's guilty face grew a smile, it was nice to have somepony say he could take the time he needed instead of trying to rush him all the time. Mac had always had people pushing him to his limits, yelling at him to go faster or buck harder. That he needed to get things done before a certain time, and that there would be consequences if he didn't. It did his mind good to know that he could finally take the time he needed, and do things at his own pace. "Thank ya'."

Sin raised his hoof as he always did when he was given praise. "No thanks needed my friend, requesting that ponies do what they are comfortable with and not taking unnecessary and undesired risks is what I often refer to as, common sense."
Sin continued on, with Spike playfully leading the way through the limestone ridden trail. As Celestia's sun began to set over the horizon, the party finally made it to the grassy and tree enriched summit.

"Oh thank Celestia!" Spike proclaimed sitting on the soft and tender grass, the blades tickling the scraps that had formed on his scales. "Man, I'm starving, so where is the entrance to get to the Minotaurs?" The purple dragon asked looking around for some kind of entrance to the mountain.

"Minotaurs?" Sin questioned, "Spike, the mountain we have to get to is about another two days walk from here." 

Spikes jaw hit the mellow grass below, his eyes full of shock and his words impaired by his disbelief. Mac requested that they make camp for the night, and Sin agreed. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Spike finally spoke, well, yelled; coming out of his shocked state. Sin looked over to the dragon and rose a playful eyebrow. 

"You didn't think it was going to be this easy, did you?" The lead pony worked his saddlebag off his back, he shoved his hoof into to pull out a few carrots and two pieces of metal. After gathering some dead sticks from a nearby tree, he struck the pieces of metal together that generated a spark. After a few attempts, the wood caught a low flame that was breed to strength by Sin blowing on it.

Mac watched with delight as the fire came to life. The cool night air was refreshing to the overheated stallions aching hooves and legs. The stars had shown brighter than they ever had in the comforts of even the most distant part of the Apple farm. Mac recalled the map he had seen that made him feel so insignificant, as he looked up at the countless twinkling diamonds in the sky; Mac couldn't help but feel small again. If what Twilight told him was true, there were millions of planets just like his own. Some bigger some smaller; but still they were there. 

In the unexplored cosmos above, there were worlds, galaxies, asteroids, and who knows what. It was all so vast and grand that Mac began to question the significances of his own existence. If everything Twilight said was true, than these stars and planets have been around long before him, and would shine brightly after he was gone. In retrospect, was dwelling on his own life really that important? With such an epic concept staring him right in the face, laced with the ideas that It could be within the reach of ponykind in some way he knew. The ability to explore the outter realm above, that not even the bravest of pegasi dared venture. Was such a thing even possible?

"So, what do we do now?" Mac snapped out of his philosophical dilemma and turned his head to the disturbance. The young antagonist limped to a stand and his eyes caught the dancing fire in the middle of the camp. Mac observed as the young dragons eyes focused in on the flames. He could see their reflections in his eyes, but there was something else there with it. Some kind of uneasiness that plagued the dragons very consciousness. 

Before Mac could observe Spike in this new light further, he turned to sin with a blank face. Sin merely lay back with his head against an elevated sheet of grass and raised a dismissive hoof. "Whatever you want to do." he said taking in an extra large inhale of the mountain air before he listed off some examples. "Stargaze, soul search, draw in the dirt, yell at the top of your lungs; it makes no difference to me."

"Yell at the top of my lungs?" Spike repeated in a questioning tone. Why would i wanna do that?"

"You would be surprised what a good bellowing of insults will do for the soul." Sin called smoothly before nuzzling into the grass, trying to find as comfortable as possible. "Especially if you have someone in mind who you believe deserves to hear what you have to say."

Spike considered the option for a moment before looking to Big Macintosh, his eyes gleaming with skepticism and doubt. Mac thought about the option himself, his nature had always caused him to either shy away from loud situations, or end them as quickly as he could. But recalling the night he unleashed his repressed emotions on his family brought him nothing but liberating and proud memories. Save for the fear he installed in his family, though he was still undecided on whether they deserved it or not. Mac nodded his approval, and Spike shrugged his shoulders before walking to far end of the mountain.

"Rarity!" His young voice called, not really in an angry bellow, but more of an attention grabbing shout. "Rarity!" He yelled again, this time a little louder, and with much more expression. Mac rose his head looked over to find him looking up to the crescent moon above, his body slightly trembling. 

"RARITYYYYYY!" Spike yelled, his voice echoed and reverberated off into the distant nothingness of the night. Mac could hear him fuming now, Spike was angry, angrier than he had ever thought that such a young creature was capable of being. "RARITY! I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING!" He took another few breaths. "I COOKED FOR YOU, I DUG HOLES FOR YOU, I FOUGHT DIAMOND DOGS FOR YOU, AND I EVEN GAVE YOU MY MOST PRECIOUS GEM STONE!"

Mac looked over to Sin to see his reaction to all of this, the pony was simply smiling, his goggle ridden eyes never leaving the stars above. With every word the adolescent cried, the smile on his face only grew more and more.

"I BUCKING LOVED YOU MARE! I ALWAYS HAVE, EVEN AFTER YOU DENIED MY FEELINGS I STILL CARED FOR YOU!" Spikes voice didn't waver this time, he wasn't afraid to yell, he wasn't afraid of getting a response to quiet down; or a lecture about how he shouldn't yell. "AND IT TAKES ME LEAVING FOR YOU TO FINALLY APPRECIATE ME? IT TAKES ME WALKING AWAY OUT OF ANGER AND HURT TO FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE I HAVE FEELINGS? YOU STUPID BITCH?!"

Sin chuckled at the last bit. Mac rose an eyebrow to the stallion, beginning to contemplate his approval of such an act. Sin looked over to Macintosh, his smile genuine though slightly cynical. "So much rage kept inside, left to fester into something more." He shot Spike and approving glance before he laid back again.

Mac furrowed his brow, he was always taught that being loud for no reason was rude and unsophisticated. But the more he observed the lack of such a philosophy, the more he wanted to partake in it himself. He stood and walked over to Spike, who was now screaming about how Twilight only pretended to care about his opinions and how little she had actually listened to him. Mac place a hoof on the dragons shoulder, who turned his head with tears streaming down his face and and a smile gracing his lips.

Mac looked out into the night and began addressing his own quarrels along with the dragon. They yelled and screamed at their invisible antagonists, shouting out obscenities over grievances as they came to mind, and pointing out key moments in their lives and how they were treated by their loved ones. Minutes turned into hours, and even after the fire had finally burned itself out the two continued to verbalize their respective grudges. Sin grimaced from the constant shouting, and turned to his side, placing two small cotton bits in his ears.

"This is going to be a LONG night."

(Yea, yea. Not to much to this one, and I know when i started out i was uploading two chapters a day. Meh, I'll be honest here, I thrive and become inspired when i get feedback. Hence why I ask the questions. Mix that together with my fingers being sore from archery (Recurve two fingers) and you just wear yourself out. But enough of the Daxisle emo bullshit. Time for this chapters question(s): Does anyone know a good editor who would be willing to put up with my writing? And I'm sure most of you know the point of the yelling, but is the title "Breaking the Chains" a bit to pretentious for what's going on here? 
> Anticipated Altercation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Anticipated Altercations




Mac awoke to a gentle prodding on his side and the calling of his name. He slowly opened his eyes and cringed them shut as the light of the sun did nothing to help an, all to quickly developing headache. He coughed at the dryness in his throat, he wished he hadn't. His throat was horse and raw from he and Spikes mid night screaming session, and his eyes drooped from the lack of sleep he had.

"Get up Mac." Sins voice called, The red stallion felt another push into his side. "I know you two had fun with your screaming escapade last night, but we have to get rolling soon. And I think you are the kind who actually eats breakfast." Mac heard the unsociable stallion walk away and begin his wake up call for Spike. 

Mac began to lift his head, though the headache and dry mouth were enough to make him want to lay back down, and call the Reaper for his soul, A small feeling of relief came from within him. It wasn't that incredible feeling he had woken up to for the past few days, that was quickly overpowered by the illness he was ready to beat his head against a rock to get rid of. The feeling of relief came from a small piece of his mind, it was that little area where he let everything fester; that part of him that would bring dark thoughts front and center, and make every little bit of stress far greater than it needed to be.

As Macintosh wondered over to his saddlebag, he grabbed a large red water pouch he had stuffed for his travels. The liquid was cool and refreshing on his raw throat. Though his dry mouth and thirst were only quenched after the water was all but gone, the discomfort in his throat had subsided and his headache began to fade. 

A loud and agonized grown erupted from behind, Mac turned his head to see Spike rubbing his temples and sighing heavily. "Aww man, my head. What happened last night?" He asked, his voice shrill and cracking. As the dragon opened his eyes, he clamped them closed again with another complaint. "Man that's bright, who turned the sun on so high?"

"Yelling requires a lot of energy." Sin explained taking drink from his own canteen. "It dries your throat, thus forcing your body to redirect hydration to it and away from other places that your body needs it. He tossed the water container to Spike who drank from it, grateful to treat his throat to the relief. "Once that starts circulating up to your head, the headache should go away. Unless you have herbs that will numb the pain instantly. But numbing the pain isn't solving the problem, it's only masking it."

Spike drained the rest of the contents down his throat, he took in a gasp before wiping some droplets of the refreshment from his chin and cheeks. "Oh, uh." He looked down in realization at his unintentional over indulgence, "sorry about that." He stood up to give the canteen back to Sin, only to fall to his knees as a sharp and sore pain shot threw his feet and legs. He hissed and looked down at his feet, tracing his claw gently on his pained part of his feet.

"Y'all right there, tender hoof?" Mac teased trying to stop the oncoming giggle.

Spike deadpanned. "Oh ha ha, very funny." His scowl lightened and he couldn't help but laugh at the irony. "Wow, did one day of walking really mess my feet up this bad?"

"Mac's used to bucking apples and working his farm." Sin said again replacing the bag on his back. "I have been traveling by foot for the longest time. From what you told me about your confinement and your overprotective care taker, you have been shielded from this long a walk. Nothing to be ashamed of, you'll get used to it."

Mac agreed that Spike could ride on his back for a few days, at least until he could walk on his own at a decent pace again. Sin mentioned seeing a some wheat growing at the bottom of the mountain and a small lake next to it for them to refill their water supplies. After Spike questioned why they walked all the way up the mountain, seeing as this wasn't the one that they were going for, he was bemused to find that Sin's answer for doing so wasn't a "why" but a "why not?"

After half an hour the party had finally reached the bottom and drank happily from the pond below. Though it's taste was more stale then Mac's liking, he couldn't complain that his thirst was finally and fully quenched. He turned his attention to the delicious looking grains only a few feet away, his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he began to approach. The sweet and slightly bitter scent of the herbs called to him, making his stomach growl for satisfaction. 

"Hey Spike." Sin called as the mentioned individual dipped his feet into the water with a stinging his. "I've been meaning to ask, dragons are primarily carnivorous right? How did you manage to live among pony folk for so long? I couldn't imagine they were to keen on the idea of giving you free roam of the fields for hunting."

After a sigh of relief, the adolescent looked back with thoughtful eyes. "I've never eaten meat before. Back in Ponyville, I just ate the Gemstones they gave me." He shrugged musing over the idea of killing an animal for its flesh. Typically such a thought would disturb him to literal sickness, but it didn't now for some reason. "But I have a good weeks worth of emeralds in my bag, so; I should be alright for a while in the food department."

Sin nodded thoughtfully and joined Mac in his quiet grazing. After everyone had their fill of food, the two stallions began their walk north again, with Spike still poking at his feet on Mac's back. They left the mountain behind and moved from the luscious green grass and trees, to a more dry and dirt ridden climate. Passing by several dead trees and brush, Mac began to feel the temperature drop as they continued. It wasn't anything that really bothered him at the moment, but it was defiantly noticeable. 

"So, what's the reason we're going to see the Minotaurs anyway?" Spike asked, breaking the silence that had lingered for hours. 

"One of the things i do to help ponies awaken to the idea of freedom and self sufficiency is give them a weapon they can use to aid what ever situation they are in." Sin explained motioning the others to walk around an upcoming ditch. "Typically a crossbow and selective number of arrows, which reminds me, Mac do you still have that Crossbow i gave you?"

"Eyup." Mac lifted the flap of his pouch to reveal the the wooden contraption was present and in good condition. Sin nodded his approval and asked the stallion to brace it on his forehoof. Mac agreed holding the march for moment before he strapped the bow onto his arm. Sin pulled open his own bag and pulled out a black crossbow that was modeled the same way Mac's was. After fastening it to his own fore hoof, he pulled out a couple of arrows and placed them into one of Mac's pockets. 

"Be on guard you two," Sin cautioned looking around at the dead plant's and small amount of rocks that lay about. "We are entering very dangerous territory."

"What ya mean?"

"Bandits." 

"Bandits?" Spike inquired, his eyes darting for any unseen threat.

"Yes," Sin answered before he used his mouth to load an arrow into the crossbow, placing a strap down to hold the projectile in place as he walked. "Instead of creating for themselves and earning their way through life, they have decided to it better to simply steal or kill in order to take from another. Truly the second most disgusting kind of creature alive." He spat his last words in absolute disgust.

Mac cleared his throat to gain attention. "Only the second? That sounds like the worst kinda pony Ah evah heard of." he stopped his trot in order to attempt to load his bow, having a bit more trouble than his companion did.

"As bad as they are, at least they have the honesty to do the dirty work themselves." Sin replied placing another arrow on an elevated holder, so that when pushed correctly, it could quickly be inserted into bow for another shot. "At least they don't try to hide behind a righteous cause while they steal money from others."

Mac was taken aback by Sin's unprecedented change in tone. He seemed almost angry with his final words, and the fact the red pony had no idea what his friend was talking about, only fed his suicidal desire to press the issue. Sin breathed a calming sigh before he apologized. 

"S'alright," Mac replied smugly, "Though, Ah am curious what you meant by 'hide behind a righteous cause'."

Sin shook his head and wordlessly continued walking forward. Mac followed, unsure if he had done anything to offend the lead stallion. Spike was to concerned with looking around for anypony who might jump out and try to take his gem stones to worry about what the two were talking about.

After an hour into the walk, the group approached a a tall and lengthy forest. Trees as far as the eye could see, and then some. Mac bit his lip as his nerves began to act up on the incontrovertible fact that every single tree was with out leaf. He narrowed his eyes to see if there was any living vegetation in the wood work, but all he could see was grey and brown tree bark beyond what he saw before.

"Gentlecolts, this is Deadwood forest." Sin proclaimed before he turned around to address his followers. "The sun will be going down in a few hours, and we will not have enough time to make it through before nightfall. So, I ask you: Would you rather wait the night out here where a reasonable amount of visibility can be maintained? Or take our chances by spending the night within?"

Mac looked up to what would have been the canopy of the trees. Sharp and pointed twigs shot out in every direction, a strong feeling of discomfort festered in his stomach as his eyes shifted between the trunks. He couldn't see anything threatening, but the dead trees and lack of color only gave off a sense of danger and malice. He looked back to get Spike's opinion on the matter, based on the young reptiles expression, his thought's hung around the same areas Macintosh's.

"Nope." they both said in unison.

Sin took one look behind himself, observing the forest from a closer standpoint before his eyes returned to the others. "Good call." They wondered around for a bit, trying to find something to eat or some shelter that they could spend the night in. The group came upon a field of daises and the two stallions began to feast on the few flowers that had yet to fall to autumn's chill.

After a few more minutes of search, the three deduced that the area was devoid of water. Thus they would have to conserve what little they had on them. Instead of sitting around blankly and waiting for nightfall, Sin and Mac decided that now would be a good time to practice shooting. The two kept their backs to Spike, was now sitting and watching them, and selected a tree as their target. Mac raised his bow baring hoof and aimed it at the tree. Sin raised an eyebrow and gave gave condescending look before, he looked forward again and awaited the strum of the bow.

Mac held his hoof steady as he zoned in on a crack right in the middle of the trunks base. His concentration was disrupted when he gingerly pushed the firing mechanism and the projectile launched forward in a blur of brown and white. Mac's hopeful smile fell as the arrow missed the tree truck completely and struck the dirt thirty yards behind it. He looked back down to the crossbow in confusion, he could have sworn he was right on target; 'is there something wrong with the bow?' wondered.

"Good try." The leading stallion gave a genuine nod of approval. "Though, one thing about crossbows; you have to bring the arrow up to your eye." He grabbed the Mac's bow arm and brought it up to his right eye. The novice bowcolt closed his opposite eye and veered down where the shaft of the arrow would be. Sin pointed the tip of his hoof where mac was looking and motioned where the arrow would fly upon release. "Straight line, until you get to further targets, but we will stick with the basics today."

Mac nodded grabbing another arrow from his bag and resetting the string. Sin stood to the side of the bow and observed his apprentice at work. Mac lined up the arrow with his eye, the contraption before him starting to shake slightly from his inexperience with it's weight. After tightening his muscles to better steady the bow, he pushed the button and watched as the arrow struck the tree. Though it hadn't hit it's mark, Mac was pleased to not that he had only missed by by a foot or so downward. He looked to his instructor, who returned his look with another approving nod.

"These kinds of skills take time, Big Mac." Sin whispered, his whoof pulling up Mac's own. He observed teh unsteady shaking that the Red stallion failed to control. "Don't worry, It is a heavy object on a limb you are not used to being impaired. With a great deal of time and practice..." He paused and inspected his own crossbow before pointing at the tree. Two thuds later, he smiled and withdrew his hoof to the ground. "You'll be able to hit home almost every time."

Sin turned away and trudged back to the camp area. Mac watched him go momentarily than shot his head back to where Sin's arrow had struck. Macintosh's mouth gaped when he found that his instructor's arrow not only pierced the the crack Mac was aiming for, but he hit it right in the middle of an area where the bark had pealed off. The red pony looked back to find his associates conversing about Twilight again, and her former subordinates complaints about her over corrective mannerisms. 

Shaking his head, Big Mac made his way back to his friends and listened to the young dragons tale about how Twilight had done something that would run her out of town if anypony knew about it...

---
 Wind, wind was flowing through his mane. Gently at first, but as time passed the air began to grow more harsh and started to whip his orange hair around his face. Mac felt something in the pit of his stomach, that feeling you get when you slip from bad footing, his lower body felt like a pit and his shoulders weightless. An emerald eye opened to see clouds flying past him, clouds? His eyes redirected to green, blue and brown landscape below him, as it rushed ever closer into view.

---

Mac awoke from his sleep by something poking into his neck. He opened his fogged over eyes, the campfire offsetting his blurred vision. A feeling of terror claimed him upon everything coming into focus, he beheld Spike struggling against a dark rope that pinned him to the ground,  two spikes on either side of his body holding the rope firmly in place, his screams for help were muffled by a white piece of cloth that was unceremoniously stuffed into his mouth.

Mac's eyes darted to where Sin was sleeping, a pool of dark liquid flowed from where his body lay facing away from him. The back of his cape concealing what Mac dreaded was the lifeless body of his friend. Big Mac attempted to rise to his feet, but was immediately reminded of what had awoken him in the first place. A sharp pain radiated from his neck down to his body. With wide and trembling eyes, the stallion turned his head to see two soulless and half closed eyes glaring down at him.

"Eav'ning Gov'na."



Wow, a maybe decent cliff hanger? Maybe I can get a C+ in creative writing now! Alright enough of the self animosity. Questions of the chapter: Is character development up to par? (With Big Mac and Spike's learning about how restrained they really were, and how to appreciate being who they themselves, really are? 

(Bonus History Question.) The Federal Reserve Act and IRS Act of 1913 were signed into law by which President? 

I might go into world history if the bonus question actually gets answered.
> 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?) 
> Information and Determination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Information and Determination




After two more days travel,  Mac, Sin, and Spike finally arrived at the Minotaur's mountain. The trip had been rather silent considering Sin was not on favorable terms with either of them due to incapacitating the infant reptile, and scaring the Red stallion half way to his deathbed.

"We're here." Sin whispered looking upon a giant shrub covered mountain, residing just before it was cracked and brittle dirt lined with dead brush and small mounds of sand. On it's face, the mountain had numerous tunnels blemishing it's otherwise ordinary appearil. A few dark shaded creatures with horns and varying body types were going about their business at its base, some occasionally glancing over to the trio who began their approach to their shelter.

"Have either of you had dealings with minotaurs before?" Sin asked in a whisper.

Spike mentioned how his friends dealt with a rather particular blue assertiveness seminar peddler back in Ponyville, and how he came a crossed as egotistical and greedy, but also rather silly and lighthearted.

Sin quirked an eyebrow at the dragon before he faced forward again, mentioning that the encounter Spike's friends had, while insightful, was hardly typical. As the three entered the base encampment, two large minotaurs approached them. They bore brown and red painted leather armor, armed with relatively good sized axes on their backs and hips. "Halt!" called the first. A dark forest green monster with double nose piercings. Though his voice was scruffy and harsh, there was a tone of politeness to his command. "If Crude Action may ask, what business do you have here?"

"Crude Action?" Spike recited, looking up into the minotaurs beady yellow eyes. 

"Yes?" Crude questioned.

"We have come to see Vice Grip." Sin replied, "I'm here for a favor he owes me."

Crude narrowed his eyes and gave a scoff. "Ha, don't make Crude Action laugh, Vice Grip has no time for little ponies." He motioned his hand, gesturing as if shooing a fly. "Be gone, or Crude Action shall-" His sentence was cut short by his partner placing a hand on his shoulder. The red minotaur with a longer goatee gave his associate a blank stare before his lower and calmer voice filled the air.

"Crude, I do not believe Vice Grip would be too happy to know that you treated his expected guest with such impunity." His words were calm and level, but the stare he gave Sin left the impression of distrust and uneasiness.

Crude glared at his partner before letting out a long sigh. "Perhaps Cold Blood is right. But Crude Action still does not believe these ponies are worth Vice Grips time." He turned his back to the travelers and wondered back to his post.

The red monster turned his attention from the brooding Crude, back to the trio of new comers. His stone cold expression showing no signs of enjoyment to their being. "You will have to excuse Crude, he has a certain... Bias, against pony kind." He explained, his face drooping to a annoyed depression. "Not to mention he's an idiot for jumping on the in-the-third-person ridiculousness that Iron Will started." He grumbled, cursing the blue minotaur for the trend.

"Quite alright." Sin replied with his empty smirk.

"You are free to enter." The implied 'Cold Blood' stated, standing aside to allow the party through. Sin bowed his head to the red monster before they proceeded into a large cave at the base, that Mac was sure constituted the main entrance. As the three wondered in, the walls grew darker as they ventured away from the light at the caves mouth. Mac's stomach churned a bit, he didn't like being unable to see where he was going. Just before full darkness consumed them, a dim red light appeared at the end of the tunnel, bringing with it, a concentrated odor of sweat and metal.

The three walked out of the darkness and found the inside of the mountain to be a free for all of the giant beasts outside wondering around to the make shift stands, built in booths, and staircases leading to the levels above; all illuminated by numerous red torches sticking out from the walls. The inside of the mountain was hollowed out, save the very core, which was carved into a giant bull thrashing it's head in the air. As Macintosh looked around, he noticed dozens upon dozens of minotaurs: drinking, walking, examining larger and smaller contraptions, ceramics, and weapons. That's when he looked up to the higher levels to notice, Gryphons? He stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes to see a pair of brown feathered wings flare up before a cat like body with an eagle head and talons flew up into the upper levels.

Mac's discovery was interrupted by an impolite shove and a "Watch it!" from one of the passersby. He brought his attention back to his associates to see they were beginning to walk a little out of view. 

Macintosh quickly caught up and kept close. "Wow," Spike mused observing all of the action, his eyes catching a jewel peddler on the second floor. "I had no Idea this was how the minotaurs lived. This place is way more packed and exciting than even Canterlot!" He exclaimed, the young dragon held out his arms for emphasis. His eyes abandoning the tasty gems in awe of the society around him.

"Stay close, and don't look them in the eye." Sin called to the others. "This place is one big brawl waiting to happen." He picked up the pace with his friends in step. After a few flights of stairs, they stopped at a booth where a dark grey beast of a minotaur was standing and inspecting a variety of different color bows that lay on the dark wooden counter for display. He picked up a Recurve bow and began to bend it slightly before giving it an approving smile. 

"Oak Recerve eh?" Called a darker grey minotaur on the other side of the counter, his goatee reaching down to his stomach, and the wrinkles around his eyes and cheeks demonstrating his plethora of years. "That one'll cost ya 'round thirty trenny." He said decisively, folding his arms.

Mac, Sin and Spike sat against the rail opposite the stand out of the way of the other gargantuans who were passing by. With interest, the three watched as the patron bartered his desired bow down to twenty five trenny, after thanking the shop keep for his product, the consumer walked away with a smile. Sin shook his head and wondered up to the counter and called the attention of the owner.

"Well, well." The minotaur smiled down, "Sin my old friend, how've yo been? No wait let me guess... You're tired." He said pointing his fingers down to the brown pony.

"You know me too well Vice Grip." Sin called over the crowd and giving a somber bow. Vice Grip chuckled harshly before he shook his head and questioned the pony what brought him all the way to "this rats nest".

"I'm afraid i have to call in that favor you owe me for the delivery to Cloudsdale." Sin replied dryly. Vice quiped a brow before placing his fingers over his beard and lightly stroking down. After a few moment the beast shrugged his shoulders and denied that he had ever requested that Sin do such a job. Sin perked his own eyebrow and calmly demanded to know of the minotaurs sincerity on the matter.

Vice broke out into harsh laughter, wiping an invisible tear from his eye. "Oh Sin, ya gotta learn to take a joke lad." A harsh cough interrupted his next words, but soon after he began to speak again. "Sorry, old age is gettin' to me. So what is this 'favor' you be wantin'?" he asked a sly smirk taking to his lips.

"I need some more of those custom Cross bows I bought last time, three should do for now." Sin replied pulling out a brown bag and placing it on the table. "And if ya throw in one with a finger trigger, I'll give you ten trennys."

Vice pressed his lips and looked down, "Sorry lad, 'fraid I only have two of those in stock right now, I didn't think you'd be back so soon. I can give 'em to ya, but you're gonna have'ta put in a bit more work for me to make ya more." 

Sin gave a hard chuckle before shaking his head. "Vice Grip, always squeezing every last bit outta your customers eh?" 

Vice shrugged, his scared hands lifting up into the air, ascertained no doubt from all the wood work he had done. "They don't call me that for nothin'." he turned around and started to shuffle through the boxes under the back table. Sin looked back to see Spike and Mac watching, their heads tiltedto see past him. "Here we are!" Vice turned, one hand occupied by a small wooden box, and the other by one lone black and brown arrow shooter. 

Sin opened the box and brought out the crossbows for inspection. He looked all around them for anything that might be wrong before placing both back into the cubed container. Satisfied with the product, he began to intarigate Vice about any information he might find useful.

Mac let out a sigh and turned to look down from the rail. He observed the beasts below, a couple of them were starting to argue over a tray that was brought over, only to have it interrupted by two smaller and thinner minotaur who the red stallion supposed were their female mates. "Man, can you believe this?" Spike asked, leaning his arms on the wooden railing and looking around. Mac looked over to the dragon expectantly. "I mean, I had never even seen one of these things before; Thanks to the way i was brought up. But here I am: hanging out in a Minotaur colony and observing an entirely different culture. WITH OUT TWILIGHT!"

After a bit of thought, Mac nodded in agreement. A few moments passed before Sin addressed the two again, and motioned for their departure. The trio made their way down the stairs and back into the throng below, attempting to get to the exit. As they approached the tunnel outside, Spike was tripped up by a young Minotaur around his size. "Watch where yer' goin', shrimp." The brown youngling antagonized.

Spike stood from his knees and looked back to the minotaur with a confused and angry expression. "What's your problem?"

"I don't like seeing runts like you littering my shop!" The brown bull like creature replied holding up his hands. "What, you wanna make somethin' of it?" He clenched his hands into balls and shuffled from side to side. Mac tilted his head, his shop? what on Luna's moon did that mean?

"Hey kid!" Spike spat, "I don't know what the buck your problem is, but you really need to-" He words were cut short by the young creature leaping at him. Spike recoiled from the unexpected attack before he was tackled to the ground and his face and chest beaten by merciless fists. "Hey, ow... Stop!"

"What's the matter runt!" The assaulting minotaur scoffed. "Why don't ya make me?"

Mac began to make his way to the young dragon's aid, only to be met by Sin's leg holding him back. Mac looked over to find the pony looking around at a few well earned spectators who watched the combat with interest. Spike lay with the beast assaulting him, it didn't physically hurt considering his scales were tougher than most diamonds and the youngling hadn't developed the strength of his kind yet, but his pride was receiving most of the young minotaurs blows. "Hey kid get off!" Spike shouted pushing the youngling off momentarily only to have it come back and begin it's assault once more.

As the brown creature began his assault once again, Spike looked back to this two friends for any assistance they could give him. Mac motioned his leg in a punching motion and eyed the dragon to follow suit. Spike looked back in time for the youngling to deck him in the face. His scales may be tough, but his eyes were still a weak point. A rage broke within Spike before he yelled and threw the very first mal-intentioned punch had had ever cast in his life.

Upon his fist making contact with the young minotaurs face, its head shot the opposite direction and its brown hands stopped their assault on the dragons chest. Spike smiled as the youngling returned his attention, "Why you little-" another punch to his face halted his words. Spike pushed the shocked creature off and continued his own assault. He hissed of anger and pained pride all the while, returning the every blow the child had given him.

The observing crowd cheered for him, encouraging the baby dragon to deal the final blow. Spike was more than happy to oblige and with one swift clawed uppercut; sent his enemy flying into the air and onto his back, fresh drips of crimson spurting from the new gashes in his cheek. Standing triumphant, the dragon held up his fist in a show of power, basking in the eruption of cheers around him. He looked down to his defeated and groaning opponente before he placed a scaly foot down upon its chest. "Nopony calls me a runt, and gets away with it." Spike placed an accusing claw up to the younglings face, ensuring he had its attention. "Name's Spike, and don't forget it."

The dragon walked away with the fresh taste of victory in his mouth. Mac couldn't help but express his pride in the young reptiles decisive win, but something poked at him that the dragon went to far in his triumph. Regardless, that would have to wait for another time. Spike lead the way out of the mountain, the cheers only dying down as the distance between the crowd grew.

"What's goin' on in there?" Asked Crude standing up and looking passed the party. Spike ignored the guard and continued on his way. Mac and Sin followed suite giving a cheeky grin to the confused beast before making their way back to the grasslands for a well deserved rest.

"Bitch you just got knocked the fuck out!" Sorry, i just had to put that in here some where. Sorry about this chapter not turning out so well, I had rewritten it about seven times last night before I finally said screw it, the next one should be a bit better. Question of the Chapter: Would it have been better if Spike had lost the fight? You know, give him some more development form a sympathetic angle? 
> Bitter Thoughts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bitter Thoughts




"THERE MUST BE RETRIBUTION! THE GRIFFONS DEMAND IT!" Called a male griffon with a scream, his aged forehead scrunched and his talon pointed to a large Centaur on the other side of the vast wooden circular chamber. The Centaur stroked his long and scruffy beard pondering over the situation. "The griffons of the Columbus will NOT be haggled by the prices of the ponies feed for their live stock any longer!"

"You're will shant be imposed upon my people, now or ever!" Called a brown coated stallion, his eyes narrowed and his black mane dressed in a sophisticated display. "If i may remind Senator Sycon, that if it were not for the Sindicrats ordinance of rehousing the Timberwolves in the Vail WHILST INTERRUPTING the trade routs and causing a great amount of food to spoil, the Ponies trade of harvest could have gone unhindered and more bountiful, thus bringing down costs of feed." He smirked in defiance at the griffons growing anger.

"And may I remind YOU, Senator Goodwill," Sychon shot back, his eyes narrowing "That It was you and the other Boltinians; That voted 'Yay' to the bill of disallowing the killing of Timberwolves, even if they are found to be a danger to surrounding communities? Thus giving none other choice than to halt trade from farms to markets for immediate and humane relocation?"

"Only because the Minotaur had been massacring the poor beasts for sport!" Cried an older buffalo, a feathered head dress falling loosely behind his graying coat. "Such a barbaric act must be halted for the good of nature!" The rounded monster of a senator slammed his hoof down onto the table bench on which he sat, looking to his left to see a black minotaur wearing a red tie, flaring his nostrils.

"Do not desecrate my tribes rituals, Strong Horn." His called, his voice low and threatening. "You wish to condescend rights of passage, why don't we look at your so called 'republic's' initial desecration of the Vail's wildlife via your stampedes through it? Causing the wildlife to scatter thus forcing the Timberwolves to flee in the first place?"

The chamber erupted into a free for all of shouting, The five seats that belonged to the Minotaur began their complaints with the five seats of the Griffons; arguing between the issues of food and ritualistic 'first kills'. the Buffalo and Diamond dogs were torn between each other and the Ponies, complaining about the proper treatment of land and wildlife. On the far end, the words: "Undignified" and "Thief" could be heard in another match between the Donkeys and the Coalition of Pegasus and Unicorns.

"ENOUGH!" The presiding Centaur exclaimed slamming a gaffle against the counter, silence filled the air as all of the once arguing politicians gazed upon him with huffs of anger. "For months," He continued, his deep and authoritative respect demanding voice echoed loudly. "You have argued and bickered as younglings, making a simple disagreement into a brawl of unprecedented madness." He bellowed while pointing the gaffle over all the senators of every race. As he stood from his crouched position, the light overhead caught his forehead to hid his eyes.

"Three hundred years ago, my father founded this land in an attempt to avoid such backwards politics," His bellow shrank to a low whisper, but still very audible to the others of the council. "And now I, Spar Hawk, must adhere to this drivel? Yells and shouts that would earn my own children a whip on the flank?" His angry eyes that had searched the room for the most guilty turned sad, and he placed on large hand over them.

"Arbiter Spar Hawk!" Called an aging unicorn from his left, the large Centaur looked over to see the beast half his size. Her blue coat and fire orange mane glistening in the candlelight. She cleared her throat before looking at him with a pair of stern yellow eyes. "It has been acknowledged that you are the heir of the founder of this Republic. However, with all due respect, your leadership has been anything but impressive as of late. You presume to compare we who have passion for our nations, to petulant children? And than you also presume to threaten us?" Her prissy and obnoxious voice spat.

"You would do well to KNOW TO WHOM YOU SPEAK!" Called a darker centaur from behind the first. He held his spear at the pony, it's tip aimed right between her eyes. "You dare to question the leadership of this council, Senator Star Gazer; when you yourself have done nothing but adhere to the lobbyist you claim to despise?"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Star Gazer accused pointing a hoof and beginning to speak.

"ENOUGH!" Called the Spar Hawk slamming his gavel on the counter, leaving a good sized splinter in the dark wooden surface. "We have been in session for the past two hours, this meeting is adjourned until next week, perhaps than we can settle this like adults instead of younglings." 

With one final tensions glare, the senators from the respective states turned their backs and began to exit the dimly lit chamber. The three centaur held their place at the elevated head of the council and stood with disappointed looks. "Arbiter Light Heart." Called the head centaur turning his massive body and pointing an accusing finger. "You would to well to know your place in this council." His jagged teeth clenched as he grabbed his associate by the neck, lifting him off the ground. "I do not need patronage from you."

Light Heart grabbed grabbed Spar Hawks arm, trying to gain some leverage lift his head for air. "My appo-" he gasped, "I meant no-"

Spar Hawk clenched his hand, forcing choked sounds to come from his bluing subordinate. "I'm sure you did not." In one motion, head Arbiter thew Light Heart away from his pedestal and watched with uncaring eyes as the centaur lay gasping desperately. He walked over, his hooves clopping like thunder as he made his way. "And I am sure to expect this will never happen again."

The fallen half breed looked up to find his superior looking down upon him with not but disdain. "ye- yes my lord." He called dragging himself up to his knees and bowing before the now amused Spar Hawk. "It will never happen again."

Spar Hawk observed the centaur for a moment, judging him silently with his eyes. A thoughtful finger ran up to his chin and began to twirl his beard. He smiled sadistically before observing the spear the the fallen halfbreed had dropped, "I know you will not." He cooed, before he picked up the weapon and looked upon the serrated tip; he couldn't help but smile at the uncharacteristic nature of the weapon. Centaurs were never creatures of suffering nor pain, no matter how much one or another deserved it.

Arbiter Light Heart looked up to see the spear pointed at his chest. "Arbiter?" He called watching as his superior narrowed his eyes. He pulled his arm back and before Light Heart could react, the sound of metal slicing threw flesh echoed in the chamber, followed by a loud and agonized scream.

___

Spike, Mac and Sin made their way down a small grassy hill. The chilling air of winter would soon be among them, as autumn's leafless trees began to look more and more deathly. Sin's cape had started a trend among the travelers, after Spikes victory in the Minotaur market, Mac and Sin pitched in to buy the young dragon a cloak for the winter time, sin assisting Mac in buying his own to save for food among them. Though the town that they had purchased the cloaks at seemed more than hospitable, the enigmatic pony informed the other two that he wouldn't be staying there long.

Spike held a new found pride now, initially he was distraught and distant over having his first fight, and hurting another creature the way he had. But after a talk with Big Mac, and the red stallion telling Spike how his first fight was protecting the honor of his sister way back when they were fouls, the dragon seemed to be more accepting of what he had done. Not that Mac condoned the violence as anything but to be used as a last resort, but the young minotaur didn't leave him much of a choice but to fight back.

"Ugh, we've been walking for weeks." Spike complained, pulling up his saddle bag to check his last remaining Sapphire stones that he had dug up from the ground near an old mine Though the trio had found work to do to earn their way around a few small towns: Bucking and collecting apples, pealing apples, repairing buildings, fixing up old wagons; and anything that needed be done. But the cold was not something money couldn't fight for travelers. "Where are we going?" He demanded running up to sin, his cloaking being blown by the wind and his movement. 

"We are heading to a small village only about a day from here." Sin explained with a smile, "It's actually a treat for the two of you."

Spike perked an eyebrow gazing skeptically into the ponies reflective goggles. He didn't want to admit it, but he had wanted to see Sin's eyes for a while now. Nothing to do with romanticism or anything, but as long as the three had been traveling, he felt like Sin was always hiding something. "Wait, What do you mean?" 

"It's going to be Nightmare Night in a couple of days," Sin replied walking past the dragon with out any real explanation. Mac walked up by the hatchling and gave a shrug before continuing after. Dusk would soon be upon the three, so they decided to make camp for the night with the usual routine: Mac would grab the firewood, Sin would use some flint and steel to start up a small bushel of dead leaves, and Spike would scout about to see if any water or danger was near by.

After their evening meals of what ever could be found, save Spikes own gemstones, they lay back wrapped in their brown cloaks and waited to drift off into an uneasy slumber. Spike looked up at the cloudy sky, the moon shown bright before a rolling cloud decided to move over it. He sighed, as much as the dragon enjoyed his time traveling Equestria, he always hated nights like this. The clouds hiding the beautiful night sky in a dark grey ball of evil fluff that some pegasus had let out of his/her sight; it almost seemed like the world wanted him to feel hopeless.

"Spike." Called Sin's voice.

"Yea?" Spike replied looking over to the stallion, though his goggles were on, Spike could tell that he too was looking upon the dark clouds above. 

"You said you were a baby dragon correct?"

"Yea?"

"Yet you speak with sophistication and vocabulary far beyond even older colts. How are you still a baby?" His head turned to look at the unwinged Wyvern. 

"Ack." Spike spat, thinking about what it took for him to grow. "Dragons grow when they take things, it's our greed that makes us grow, the more stuff we have, the bigger we get."

"Hmm." Sin looked back up to the sky. "Then, why haven't you matured to much? If all it takes for you to grow is to simply have things, then wouldn't you be as big as you wanted?"

"Nah," Spike replied, the memories of him scaling a mountain with Rarity cursing his mind. "I did that once, and I wasn't the same. I had hurt a lot of ponies close to me, destroyed half the town and even trapped the best fliers in Equestria in a can like spider in a jar."

"Nice." Sin smirked.

"Not really."

"And your attitude changed dramatically into a greedy dragon as you accumulated more items to call your own?"

"I guess." Spike shrugged, the subject not being his personal favorite to talk about. The memories flashed of the town, the towns people and Twilight yelling at him over the ordeal. Though that time he did deserve the hollering he got, and having to help with all the repair work.

"Didn't they try to help you grow?" Sin asked looking back over to the dragon again.

"Na, not after what happened the first time."

Though Spike had given the tone that he hadn't wished to discuss the issue, he had been looking for somepony to talk to about it for the longest time. It's true that he didn't want to become that gigantic beast who was hellbent on taking everything, but he also didn't want to remain a small reptile forever. He told Sin about everything that happened in great detail; how he initially was able to retain his calm, and how his love and generosity to Rarity had brought him back to his senses, thus returning him to his current state.

"So, if you were able to maintain a sense of rationality as a 'teenaged' dragon as you put it, why didn't they attempt to just ease you into it?" Sin asked confused.

"I don't know." Spike answered in thought. "I mean, I had to sleep in a basket for Celestia's sake. I didn't get my own bed, my own bed room, i was like a pet!" Spike proclaimed at his own sudden realization.

"Ouch." Sin stretched out his legs, the conversation had lasted long enough to make him yawn, "Well, I was wondering why you gave up your bits so willingly to Macintosh-"

"AH DIDN' DO IT!" Mac shot upright panting. Spike and Sin shot their glances over to the wide awake pony with expectant looks of concern. "Oh err, sorreh, Ah just uh, never mind." The pony threw himself back on the ground and began snoring immediately. 

Spike giggled at the random interruption, than thought over the situation. "Hey Sin?"

"Yes sir." Sin called.

"Would, would you be willing to..." Spike's words caught in his throat, did he really have a right to ask his friends to help him with this?

"Help control your greedy tendencies with aging?" Sin finished turning his back to the hatchling. "I have no problem with it, but you will have to ask Mac, though I'm pretty sure he wont object either."

Spike nodded his head, and saw Sin turning his back as a sign to end the conversation and get some rest for the day ahead. The constant marching and work was starting to become more and more natural, but that didn't stop it from making him tired. 

The next day, they continued forth on their trek to the small town, stopping only for lunch and water. In the time Mac had traveled with Sin, it was only recently had the leading pony started partaking in breakfast. Mac couldn't imagine not eating something in the morning and having to wait till lunchtime everyday to put something into his gut. They spoke about the town a bit more, coming to find the name of the place was "Hooftrot" and that it was a major hot spot for Nightmare Night. Though promises of a festival and an appearance by the moon pony herself, the red pony was still skeptical. How come he had never heard of such a place before?

"We're here." Sin proclaimed from the top of a yellowing bluff. Mac looked on to see the town was a bit bigger than he had expected. Though it was mostly white and manilla sea of tents that were perked up around a huge tent in the middle, the village itself was a bit bigger than Ponyville.

"Hmm. I didn't expect this much of a turn out." Sin said in the closest thing Mac had ever heard to surprise. "Hopefully an inn has gouged prices to try to make a bit or two off of this." The three encroached the tent village that surrounded the town in a half moon. As they passed, they were waved to and greeted by all manner of ponies, some dressed in silly Nightmare Night costumes, others in more dark and menacing fashions. One particulate mare caught macs eye.

She was dressed as a cowpony, complete with a hat and a tied flannel shirt. He stopped midstep and gawked at her for a moment. He couldn't help but notice her long brown mane falling graciously over her yellow back. He wide and adorable eyes mixed with a happy smile brought had spread over to the stallion. She was beautiful, her tail was done in a shorter fashion like his own, but her voice is what caught him off guard. He voice, it was like milk and honey to his ears. That kind of voice where you listen to it all day, it sounded as if he words were in a constant melody of relaxation.

"Mac, you ok bud?" Spike asked walking over to the infatuated pony.

"Well, well." Sin said following Mac's line of sight. "You getting butterflies in your stomach Mac?"

Mac's followed the beautiful creature until she disappeared behind the sea of tents around her. "Eyup." He called letting out a sigh. 

"Ugh, give me a break." Spike rolled his eyes.

"As much as I'd rather not rush you, I'm afraid we find a room before they are all booked up. Assuming they aren't already." Sin called as he made his way through the tent city again with Spike right behind.

"C'mon Big Mac. You can play with your marefriend later."

"Eyup."

Meh, let's see how I do at Romance.
> Nightmare Night (pt1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Nightmare Night (Pt.1)




"Ok, so let me get this straight." Spike said scratching his head. "We have been traveling for weeks with out real relaxation, It's Nightmare Night tonight, an amazing festival of fun and dancing; and you're heading down to the town jail?"

"I told you." Sin replied cooly strapping a saddlebag onto his back. "This was meant as a retreat for you and Mac, I actually came here for work." He looked around the Inn room for something. Mac was laying in bed still, he hadn't felt much like moving ever since Sin paid for the suite two days ago, and given him the wonderful gift of comfortable slumber. 

"Besides, just because I'm going to work, doesn't mean you two can't enjoy yourselves." Sin added sighing again, he gave up looking for what ever it was he was hoping to find, and sat down on his makeshift bed; a mattress with only a pillow and blanket that the inn keeper was gracious enough to provide. 

"C'mon dude." Spike said, in a sarcastic tone. "This town is amazing, they have: Picture shows, story telling, haunted houses, candy gathering, and all the things we had back in Canterlot!" He finished, a huge nostalgic grin overtaking him as he lost himself in the memories of he and Twilight running away from bats and wearing ridiculous costumes to get candy. 

After shifting through his saddle bag, Sin stood up and addressed the comment. "Yes, I never quite understood how such holidays worked, but I'm sure the two of you will find something to do." He made his way from the corner over the green dimly lit carpet, to the exiting door of the room. "Is Macintosh dead?" Sin asked dryly looking over to the relaxing stallion.

"I don't know, I threw some crumbs onto his pillow a while ago;and their gone now so I think he's ok." Spike pushed the red stallions side. "Mac, you alive?"

Mac replied with a distant and longing sigh. The only things on his mind were two beautiful blue eyes, and the voice of milk and honey singing a melody of love and companionship. Mac's lips turned up before the thought brought him a brief contentment for his longing and romanticized fantasies. Who was she? Where was she from? What was her name? When can they meet again? The questions piled on and on, each more mindboggling than the last.

"Yea, he's fine." Sin stated before he opened the door. "Mac," Sin called turning back to face him. Macintosh remained silent and lost within his own imagination. Though he found it slightly disturbing that he was in such a state of infatuation that he acted like a love sick puppy, the stallion rationalized it with the fact that he had never seen such a beautiful creature before. He had every right to be in a near comatose state, as far as he was concerned.

Annoyed from the constant unwanted physical contact, the red pony looked down to the offending dragon. After a silent and agitated leer, the dragon quickly pointed his attention to Sin. Mac darted at the pony, wanting to get what ever they wanted to do over with as quickly as possible so he could go back to his day dreams. 

"Do not become so hypnotized, Mr. Macintosh." Sin seethed calmly, earning a quirked eyebrow from Mac. The departing pony gave a sly smirk before he continued. "Regrets are are a terrible thing to live with, and rarely do you get a chance to remedy them." He turned his attention back out to the hallway, and walked out with the door closing behind him.

"Can he talk like a normal pony for once?" Spike exclaimed before he threw himself on his bed. Mac furrowed his brow over the concept. Regrets? He didn't have too many, other than not leaving Ponyville before he did. But beyond that, he couldn't very well think of anything that weighed on his mind.

"What ya think he meant by that?" Mac asked the faced down and sprawled out adolescent. 

"You know Sin," Spike waved a dismissive hand. "The guy never gives a straight answer for anything. Seriously, how vague can a guy be? I bet he is planning something for Nightmare Night, try to scare us or something." 

Mac mused over the thought. Sin never struck him as much of a fun lover, matter of fact; Mac couldn't recall a time when Sin smiled that it wasn't forced. He never showed any signs of humor, aside from a few bad jokes. He couldn't imagine the enigmatic pony doing anything that would compromise his emotionless and robot like image.

"I'm bored." Spike said plainly, shifting in his bed to get more comfortable. Mac looked over to the clock to see it was almost noon. He asked Spike if he would like to go out to find some costumes for the night, which the dragon agreed to almost instantaneously. They grabbed their cloaks and walked out of the room and into the narrow hallway, passing a few doors before they reached the main entrance. They waved salutations and goodbyes to the Inn keeper mare before departing into the busy streets of Hooftrot.

Despite the cold weather, the warmth of so many ponies pushed together had stopped any shivering Macintosh had expected. He almost humored the thought of taking off his cloak, but a sudden draft of wind killed any thought of lightening his clothing. He looked around and observed the buildings in the immediate vicinity; those on his left and right were primarily inns and other housing structures for ponies and other paying creatures. A crossed the street, he saw the giant circular tent that he had noticed when they had first arrived. 

Mac began pushing his way threw the diverse crowd of goblins and ghouls to reach his destination. A few insults and "excuse me's" later, he and Spike stood on the corner of the street looking up the the gargantuan. 'It had to be at least twelve stories tall' he thought observing the domed tip. The stallion looked around to see all manner of ponies dressed in more refined costumes: Some vampires, wearwolves, bloodied up school fillies, they had it all. Though the blood was a bit much for his own taste, he still found a sense of admiration for the dedication some ponies put into their costumes.

"Wonder what's going on here?" He heard his companion ask looking up at the gigantic white coverings.

"Ah figure we'll find out soon enough." Mac replied before he began shoving through the crowds again, Spike right on his tail.

"Cool dragon costume!" called a passerby dressed as a skeleton. 

"Uh... Thanks?" Spike yelled over the noise driven crowd. 

A sudden wiff of cooked vegetables assaulted Macintosh's nostrils, causing his stomach to growl in hunger. He had been sitting on the bed thinking of that brunet mane beauty so long, he had noticed that his body was craving sustenance. He followed his nose over to a stand where a crowed was literally throwing bits at the merchant; who in turn, threw out sticks laced with assortment of vegetables.

Mac tried to gain access to the merchants food, barley able to withhold slamming his hoof down on a blue cloaked wizard that rammed into him for his own ventures. After a few hopeless moments of fighting, the red stallion gave up and let out a sigh of defeat. He wondered over to a curb and decided he would have to wait until the crowd died to down to get the delicious food that he desired.

"You know." Mac heard a confident voice call in his direction, he looked over to find Spike with four steaming hot sticks stacked with tomatoes, onions, peppers, pineapples, and folded lettuce. "It does pay to be small from time to time." Mac's mouth quivered from the morsels in front of him, a small patch of drool escaping the corner of his mouth. After the dragon offered, Mac gulped down the first of the stacks uncaring for the searing flame that it brought to his tongue.

Spike recoiled and watched with wide eyes as the stallion gave a satisfying sigh. "Geez Mac, What did it taste like?" He asked sarcastically.

"Ah donno," Mac blushed at how quickly he engulphedthe morsal. Spike gingerly held the second stick of vegetables to Mac, teasing as if he were afraid he would have his arm bitten off. Big Mac rolled his eyes slightly and used his front leg to pinch the wooden stake and hold it for him to feast.

"Mmm," What is this stuff?" Spike asked finishing the last of his own. "Dear Celestia, i have got to find the pony responsible for inventing this and thank him."

"It's called a shish kabob." A voice called from behind.

Mac's heart skipped a beat, he knew that voice, he may have only heard it once; but such butter to his ears was unmistakable. The two looked over to find a brown maned yellow coated pony with a barrel cutie mark looking right at them. The smile on her face made Macintosh all but melt where he stood, a firm prodding in his side gained his attention, he looked down to spike giving him a knowing look. "A shish kabob huh?" The dragon mused over the four now bare stakes. "Man, I gotta get the recipe for this stuff." He walked away from the two, presumable to throw away the food holders gone chopsticks.

"He's go a pretty cool costume." The mare said looking at Mac. The stallions infatuated smile turned grim. A jet of ice cold fear shot up his spine from the base of his tail to his skull. She was talking to him now, what should he say? What could he say? 

"E- Eyup." 

"My name is Annabell, but my friends call me Anni. What's your name?" She asked with an interested smile.

Mac stood frozen. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and he searched his ever racing mind to figure out what his 'name' was. 'Macold? No' His knees began to tremble, fearing he was making a fool out of him self with each passing second of awkward silence. 'Macdonald? No that's not it either... Name, name, name...'

"Name's Macintosh." Mac said holding out a hoof, "Friends call me Big Mac." He said, a bit of confidence boosted through Macintosh's body. He was surprised at how well he had managed to introduce himself considering how nervous he was. The mare took his hoof and motioned her delight at his acquaintance. 

"So, ya'll come here see the show?" She asked with a friendly smile.

Mac looked back to the giant tent down the block. He looked at Ani with a curious look. She laughed and nodded her head. "Yep, that there is where we will be givin' the Nightmare Night show of the century tonight." Se exclaimed before her eyes went into a fantasizing daze. "We've been practicin' for this show all year. N' we gotta dragon no less."

Mac's eyebrows shot up. "A dragon?"

"Yep," She smiled before it faltered a bit as she thought. "Ya see we, the ponies I travel with and myself, were walkin along the outskirts of Manehatten, we had a job for entertainin folk at some party. Ya know, makin' it more lively and what not. Any way, as were makin' our way from the city back to the road, we found the big guy sprawled out by a creek. Poor thing was famished, so we brought him some Gem stones and nursed him back to strength."

Mac was about to speak, before Spike interrupted. "You have a dragon here?" He asked a little surprised. 

"Sure do." Ani exclaimed happily, beaming down. "Ya know, I have to say; that is the best dragon costume I have seen yet. Shoot, you could pass for his son if you didn't know any better."

"I actually AM a dragon." Spike explained. To this Ani's eyes eyes shot up. At first she tried to push it off as him trying to pull her leg, but the reptile continued to insist he was in fact a dragon, belching out a few green flames to lay indisputable evidence; though drawing some uneasy attention from the passing crowd.

Annabell stood with her mouth a gape, Mac found it rather difficult read if her feelings were more towards infatuation, or terror. Finally, after the information had been processed, the mare spoke. "You're a might bit small to be a dragon." She said her brow furrowing.

"Well, I am a baby dragon after all." Spike said, scratching the back of his head. "So, technically, I'm about the right size."

Annabell nodded her head, an acknowledging structure on her face. "Well, pleased to meet ya dragon. Oh where are my manners, my name is Annabell."

"Spike." The purple dragon said, giving a bow. "So where is this dragon you were talkin' about?" He asked eagerly.

"Oh, were doin' a show with 'im tonight." She smiled and pointed over to the tent. "And after that, were all gonna go dancin' with the rest of the town." She clapped her hooves together, obviously more enthralled by the dancing than the show. 

Mac watched the mare smile in delight, his heart melted as the smile she wore grew. She was happy, and he liked that, but he couldn't quite figure out what was so great about dancing. Personally, he hated it, but if she liked it; he figured he might give it a try. "Sounds like ya'll gotta full night." he added with a shrug.

"You betcha. Say." She rubbed her hoof against her chin eying Mac. "Why don't ya'll come on by 'n watch the show? I'm pretty sure I can get you both in with out havin' to pay."

Spike gasped gleefully, "Buck yea, that would be awesome!"

Annabell's eyebrows shut up. "Well, don't ya have quite the mouth?" She smiled awkwardly.

Spike scratched the back of his head, his cheeks beginning to pink. "heh, sorry." 

"Nothin' to it." She smiled reassuringly. "Now the show begins at seven, Go 'round back; and ask for me. You'll see a big pony out back, but he shouldn't cause ya to much trouble."

After the the confirmed the plans, Mac and Spike waved Ani off. She waved back, more to Mac than Spike, and trotted off back within the crowd from whence she came. As she left, the two noticed that the activity in the streets were starting to die down after the Lunch hour, and decided to take the opportunity to see what the town had to offer. As they passed by a costume shop, Mac felt a little nudge from the dragon. "Smooth, lover colt."

Mac's ears laid back slightly as he blushed again. "Ah, uh,"

"Hey, hey; it's cool." Spike teased. "I'm sure you two will be locking lips in no time." 

Mac gasped and stared at the reptile with wide eyes. The red of his face put the rest of his body to shame. He was about to scold Spike before the purple hatchling burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh man..." he laughed again. "You-- you should see your face."

Macintosh dead paned, his eyes narrowed onto the laughing dragon. Spike pressed his lips together in a futile attempt to stifle the giggles. The more Mac tried to be angry, the bigger the grin on his face became. He had no Idea why, but he just couldn't be mad; after all he was hoping it would end on something like that.

After Spike got past the hyperventilation of his abundant laughter, the two continued to explore the haunted housed, Nightmare Night decorations, and what ever else the town had in store for them.

---



"Senator Windmane." Called a brown Unicorn trotting up. "Mister Senator, A word if you wold."

A large  male Pegasus turned to greet the unicorn with an all to forced smile. His dark blue coat slightly covered by a darker blue suit jacket, and his teal mane pulled back in a ponytail. "Ah, Good evening Senator Thornberry." He watched as the pony closed in, her hooves echoing on the wooden floor of the vast lobby area.

"I was just wondering." She said standing infront of him, her brown face smiling slightly. "If you would mind accompanying me to the Nightmare Night ball in the Centaur palace tonight."

Though Windmane had spent many of his years in Politics, thus experiencing the highs and lows that came with it in regards to 'friendship', he had known Thornberry all of his political career from when he first started his campaign years ago. He smiled gently at the unicorn and hung his head. "I am sorry Madam Senator, however, i must prepare for my debate with Senator Stuborn. I have prepared this for weeks, and if I don't have every loop hole closed on why it is best not to have the pegasus interfere with the typical weather patterns over the Donkey state; The Syndocrats will be unified in their backing of the Donky's just to make me look bad."

Thornberry pouted for a split second than quickly perked up. "Of course." She furrowed her brow as she gazed to the floor, Windmane couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt; he always knew she had feelings for him, but with the way things were going for the Federation, he just didn't have time for such distractions. "What about Senator Abstract?" her eyes beamed at him with hope. "Couldn't he go over the notes for you? At least for one night?"

"I'm afraid not." Windmane shook his head, his gaze downcast to the wooden floor before him. "Abstract has always been a good pony in his state, but his understanding of free will and slavery isn't articulated as it needs to be in order to hold his own on the floor. Remember the debate he had with Sychon over the Gem mines?"

Thornberry's ears perked down again as she cringed. "Yes, I do recall the humiliation he endured at his forgetting of the treaty of Xoni." She sighed and looked at the pegasus with concerned eyes. "Windmane, you have to take break from this. You've been working everyday for the past month, even on days where the congregation isn't in session. It's wearing on you."

Windmane gave her a genuine smile. "Thorn, I have no choice. I am the best the Boltinians in the arena of debate now."

They both stood in silence as the words hung in the air. Dancing shadows caught the pegasus attention, and his gazed shifted to watch as his shadow was manipulated by the torchlight. His mind wondered, as it always did, and he began to see the irony at how life was alot like the shadows of a dancing flame. No certainties on it's exact shape, no real telling how bright or dark a particular time would be, and something that sent a chill up his spine; no guarantee that there would be a second shadow there to bask in the light.

"Ever since Islander left." Thornberry began sadly. "You've been taking more and more responsibilities in fighting unjust laws." He voice cracked at second to last word. She took a calming breath and looked the pegasus in the eye. "I am greatful to him for endorsing me for his seat in the Senate, and the opportunity to serve after my time as mayor of Georgeton, but I can't help but feel I'm letting him down, letting the Coalition down and... Letting you down."

Windmane placed a comforting hoof on the Unicorns shoulder, his eyes showing compassion and kindness. "Don't be so hard on yourself Thorn," He gently kissed her forehead and watched her eyes dart a way before a faint red blushed her cheeks. "Islander left because he didn't play partisan politics, even though we all tried convincing him to. He didn't adhere to the Boltinian belief of controlling the earth, or the Syndicrats belief in controlling trade and the sky. He just wanted the government to stay out of everything."

The blue pegasus gave a large sigh before his face turned downcast. "I guess i never realized how much of a role he played in keeping order in the Senate. As much as he was hated by both parties and the Arbiters, they still held a respect for his words and rhetoric." He furrowed his brow in deep thought. "I wish it could have been different, we were good friends and all. But, I just couldn't side with him when he claimed that the congregation should do nothing to impede the Minotaur's killing ritual."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself." Thornberry called, nuzzled Windmane's neck, her foreleg find it's way around his back. "Just because you two were friends doesn't mean that you had to cast away your own beliefs."

After a long embrace, Windmane smiled and returned the unicorn's nuzzle. "I know your right, my mind has been," The pony observed the dancing shadows again, images of the light growing dimmer and dimmer clouding his mind in fear of darkness. "clouded lately. Perhaps a break would do me some good."

Hope shot through Thornberry and she gave a full hug to the stallion. "I'm glad to hear you came to your senses." She whispered in his ear happily. After the embraced ended, the two walked out of the chamber into the busy streets of the Capital city, Unity. Where they would make their way to the Centaurian palace to enjoy and indulge that which the event had to offer.

---
"Were you put on this earth to serve another?"

"Why in the name of Cerberus do you care?" Barked a cold voice, it echoed wildly off of the stone cell in which he sat.

"To be frank, I don't." Sin replied blankly. "As far as I really care about you personally, you deserve to sit in there and rot for your subservience to authority."

"BUCK YOU, YOU ASS!" It yelled, a loud thud erupting from within the iron clad window. "What in Luna's night is with you? You come her to offer me freedom, and than turn around and say you couldn't care less?"

"I personally don't care for you as an individual currently." Sin corrected, his hidden eyes casting their judgment. "However, I have heard from a reliable source that your imprisonment was overtly out of racial differences." He waited for a response before he continued.

"Yea, so? You pretty much said I belonged in here." The angry voice called.

"I'm not here to offer you freedom. No one can offer you what is yours at birth, and can only take it away later on." Sin seethed. "I'm here to give you the tools needed for you to free yourself. I care not for you past what you care for yourself." He heard a sound from his left and shot his head over to find a guard had exited the tall grey building and begun his patrol around the perimeter.

"Why should I trust you?" The voice growled, the anger subsiding to skepticism.

Sin scoffed, giving his final words before he knew the guard would spot him. "I came to give you a second chance at a free life, what you do with it is up to you." The dark stallion moved quickly but quietly away from the window, and escaped the shadows of the compound, careful to avoid any light that would give his presence away. After a few moments of dodging ponies and griffons he made his way to a dark alley right in front of the jail entrance and sat down with his eyes fixated on the door. 

"Alright minotaur," Sin whispered to himself. "Let's see what you're worth."

(Alright, no i know this is a little longer than most; but i'm going to try the: different things going on in the same story, style I have come to like. ALSO, and I actually do need opinions on this... I was planning on adding another individual to travel with the group. A little bit of a nut job who takes his love of freedom a little to far. What do you think?)
  
> Nightmare Night (pt2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Nightmare Night Pt.2




"MARES AND GENTLECOLTS! FILLIES AND FOULS!" Called an announcer pony; his red ringmaster clothing torn and bits of faux flesh hung from his body. "STEP RIGHT UP!, BEHIND THIS CURTAIN IS A GHASTLY CONCOCTION OF DELIGHT! Horror, FANTASY, and terror. Your every wish is our command, your every whimsical desire brought to life! But I'm warning you, there's always a price. WELCOME... TO THE GREATEST SHOW UNEARTHED!"

As he finished, the single light above him blew out; leaving the inside of the tent in full on darkness. A high pitched scream was heard and than a loud roar followed right after; causing a bit of commotion from the crowed that encircled the ring. Mac felt a gust of wind shoot past him as another roar filled the air, screams erupted from around him as a white flame illuminated the inside of the white tent, and the large red and orange dragon that flew within.

One by one torches shot fire high into the air, bringing an unnatural hellish red lighting, making the creature look even more demonic. It landed in the middle of the ring, and started to glare around the audience, scanning them like they were bits of gemstones that he could feast on. "And a one, and a two." 

"La la la la la la," Came high pitched voices that echoed around in a spine chilling orchestra. Creatures began to reveal themselves from the sand of the ring, crawling out of their buried tombs; all while keeping in tune with their song. Macintosh felt the bleacher shake lightly, and looked over to find Spike watching with wide and interested eyes, though it was hard to tell if he was shaking out of fear or excitement.

After all of the zombie ponies had crawled out and finished the ghoulish lullaby, the show continued with an act of a skeletal pony pulling off his head, and kicking it to the far side of the sandy ring, landing in an explosion of sand and rolling slightly over to the side. "Hey what in the sun was that for?" The skull asked rolling itself upright. It watched its body begin to wonder around the the ring looking for its missing skull. Every bump into the wall or dragon elected a laugh from the crowd and a berating from the bodies head. "No!" It yelled in an over dramatic Trottingham accent. "No, no this way! No, no that's the- Yes, that's the wall. Say hello wall. No not tha- yes, yes this way. Yes that- NO, no WHAT THEY HAY? This isn't that hard?" He called as the headless skeleton walked right by him. "Are ya kidden' me?"

Mac couldn't help but laugh along, the original slapstick display wasn't his typical kind of humor, but the condescension of the skulls hilarious accent, mixed with the his body doing pretty much the exact opposite of what he said just tickled the stallions funny bone. Finally the walking bones found its head peace and reattached. "FINALLY! Good goin' ya bastard. Can ya go one show without fallin' apart on me?" it exclaimed the sound of an audible breath being taken. Suddenly, the bones all collapsed to the floor leaving the head to roll off to the side. The crowd laughed again, watching as the pony head lay silent watching its bones... "Your contract with my company has been called into question!" It yelled. Before the pile of bones and the head shot up into the dark abyss that was the top of the tent.

The crowd began to stomp their hooves onto the bleachers, demanding the next act be put forth. After a segment of spectral lights and fireworks, and a few black outs where the crowd was invaded by the zombie ponies from before; earning a few screams of the unknown. Annabell walked out onto the ring, still wearing her cowmare costume and speaking in her accent, she explained that the dragon from before was not in the best of moods, and that he was starting to question if he would destroy the show. For her part, she would use her voice to bring him 'under control'. She called out to the dragon and told him to get his rump to the middle of the floor.

A few moments later, he obeyed, crashing down onto his feet from the abyss above and shaking the ground as he did. The crowed watched with baited breaths as the dragon and pony stared each other down. Mac could feel his muscles tighten, he knew it was all just an act; but seeing his friend in distress was enough to put him on edge. Annebell began to approach, a soft song giving words of kindness and compassion to her foe. At first the dragon looked away in defiance, but the softer Ani sang, the more interested the reptile seemed to become. As the song began to quiet down, she nuzzled the dragons snout with her muzzle, electing an "aww" from the crowd around her.

"and now... you're MIIIIIINE!" Her soft lullaby shot into an evil cackle. The yellow torches around the tent returned to their hell fire, as hard and angry music came from the darkness above. Ani drew the rope than hung from her neck, and looped it around one of the spines on the dragons dragons head. Her voice turning sadistic and cynical as she bellowed about betrayal and his selfish desires at the sacrifice of his friends.

As she began to hog tie the reptiles feet together, the music began to get faster, and her voice more threatening. "You can't escape us, were in your head." The music was beginning to reach it's climax and Macintosh pinched his foreleg and hoof against the bleachers in anticipation. "Try and leave the show," The music finished, giving way to not but the slender mares finall words. "And you'll end up dead."

---


Windmane walked into the Centaur palace, he observed the white marble floors, laced with swirls of grey and black. The red velvet carpet was soft as he walked down the hall. Nightmare Night decorations hung on the walls, giving a festive feeling to the typically boring and droll building, while still maintaining class and elegance. He bumped into Thornberry on accident, causing them both to blush slightly. They both looked up to see a band playing classical fear inspiring songs into a lower and more jazz settled way. Though Windmane was never one much for music, he couldn't help but feel a light shiver run up his back at the enjoyment it brought.

The pegasuse observed his unicorn companion again. He had always been fond of her over the years, but more in the sense of distant admiration. With her here with him now? It felt like he was walking with an entirely new pony, he didn't know what to expect, but he was never one for letting anybody down.

Behind the balcony dwellers, he noted more ponies and griffons were speaking about politics and other stories; trying to make themselves seem more impressive than the gentleperson/lady next to them. To his left and right, perlwhite table cloths hung over gourmet meals, with diners laughing and snickering about who knows what. All in all, it seemed that everyone around was having a good time.

"Good evening misuor and madam Senator's. Do you have reservazions?" Asked a griffon, looking down at them expectantly.

"Have I ever?" Replied the pegasus playfully.

"Of course." The griffon replied looking over the list on his pedestal. "Luckily, zear is a table zat vas not taken for ze evening." The greeter brought the two over to a circulate table lined with wine glasses and customized silver where so that the forks and spoons would fit into expanding and retracting rings, and three emerald candles that gave little lumination in the middle of the table. He informed the two that a waiter would be with them shortly and wished them a pleasant stay.

After the two watched him march back to his post, they giggled slightly and began conversing about what the Senate would need to do in order to set the federation back onto the right track. Windmand began to drone on and on about the Syndicrats insistence on controlling the Vail, a long and lustrous piece of wilderness that seemed to be the perfect paradise where: The weather was natural and pure, the fields were green and spacious, and it always seemed to be the perfect two hundred square miles on the continent. 

Though the founding documents strictly prohibited any kind of settlement among the Vail, he himself has had thoughts about convincing the Boltinians to allow settlements for prosperity. Though, he knew that his arguments would be stonewalled not only by the Syndicrats, but also by the Arbiters; who worked as a second branch to keep the Senate in check by retaining the word of said founding documents. 

As the conversation began to wind down, the blue pegasus began to notice that the Thronberry seemed disappointed as she played with a bit of salad that the waiter had brought to her. "Are you alright?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine." She said giving him a weak smile. "It's just, I was hoping that we could leave our business aside for the time being and enjoy a romantic evening." She returned to fiddling with a piece of lettuce before she slammed her hooves over her mouth.

"Romantic?" Windmane quirked a playful eyebrow. "So, you brought me here to seduce me did you?" He teased holding out his own hoof onto the table.

Thorn started at the hoof skeptically, finally letting her curiosity getting the better of her; she grabbed the offered appendage and squeaked slightly as she was pulled away from the table and out onto an open part of the room. Before she could protest, she was embraced into the stallions forelegs, and found herself moving to the music of the band above. Slowly, her movements became less awkward and she began to allow the music and energy of her partner to flow through her body. (A/N Yea, i just said "energy to flow" it's for lack of a better term alright?)

As soon as the two began to dance, other couples began soon joined in the merriment. Stallions and mare washed over the dance floor, their clopping hooves adding a beat to the jazz and creating a much easier feel of flow. "Is this what you were expecting?" Wind whispered soothingly into the mare's ear.

Thorn gave a twirl under the stallions leg and brought her body back up to his. "Maybe." She teased nuzzling his nose slightly. They continued to dance, the band above winding down the quiet tune with the final play of a light trombone note. The crowed looked up and began clapping their: Hands, talons, and hooves at the wonderful music, before the next song began to play, this one a bit more fast paced.

After another hours of dancing, the two Senators decided it would be a good idea to retire for the evening. They made their way out the corridors to the streets of the capital. They almost didn't recognize it for all of the decorations of it's citizenry covered the buildings like a plague. Though it was primarily a holiday for Pony kind, the other races took a liking to celebrating the night as well, even the Buffalo had their own tribal decor for the festivities.

After avoiding the children asking for candy and the few attempts at being intimidated by passers by; they finally came upon a well lit street where it's houses seemed more conformed to the idea that grey, white and tall were the best way to appear. Their hoof steps echoed more loudly than the two would have liked on the cobblestone walkway that separated the houses that faced each other. Finally, the two reached Thorn's house and she opened the door after a quick trip up a few stairs.

"Well?" She asked expectantly from within the door.

"Hmm?" Windmane replied nervously.

Thorn giggled slightly, "aren't you going to come in?" She asked, as long as Windmane had worked with Thorn, he had always known her to be a playful filly at heart; but that was only one of the things that made her so attractive to him.

The nervous stallion cleared his throat and fiddled with his hooves, "I uh, er." He pondered what they would do inside. Though he was in the prime of his life, he had always been enveloped in his work, and not much one for intimacy unless it furthered his own agenda. He genuinely wanted Thorn to have a good time at Palace, and used his political pokerface to put on the charade that he was himself, enjoying the dancing. Though, now that the adrenaline and spur of the moment had past; he couldn't believe what he had done. "I'm sorry Thorn, but I must return to the debate notes."

A look of hurt confusion passed over the unicorns features, "Work? But, I thought..." her blue eyes threatening to develop tears.

Windmane felt a twinge of guilt pass his heart, the shock of everything he had down was still setting in on him, and now he could add that he was about to ruin the night of a mare who only cared about his well being. "I'm sorry Thornberry, I had a great time, and thank you for spending it with me." He lied, his guilt levels succumbing to his fear. "But, I have to ensure that I am prepared for convincing as much of the congregation as possible to stand with me against Stuborn, than he will have the Federal Government backing him to force the Pegasi to-"

"ENOUGH!" She cried, a tear falling freely from her face. "Enough with the damn, politics already." She sniffled, she stifled her sobs into one of her fore hooves and made an attempt to regain her composure. Windmain reached over to place a comforting hoof onto the mares shoulder before she recoiled away. "One night." She looked up at him with wide sad eyes.

"Sorry?"

"One night, I wanted it to just be the two of us. Just one night, I wanted to be happy with you; to forget everything and just be together." She coughed a little and let out a disappointing sigh. "But, I guess you just can't do that for yourself." Slowly she closed the door, Windmane called after her; but his please fell only to the grey slab of wood in-front of him.

The pegasus slumped his shoulders down. He didn't want to remain silent while she was angry and hurt, he didn't want to stand by as she closed the door. He wanted to knock or bust down the offending slab and embrace the mare within, and do... stuff... with her. But he couldn't. He had been in the game of politics long enough to know that his country and state came first above all things. Even if those things could mean more to him than anything in the world...

"I'm sorry."


---

Mac and Spike stood on top of a hill, looking down at the not to distant crowd. They crowd was filled with Minotaur and ponies dancing to the beat of drums and some kind of wind instrument that Macintosh had never seen before. Though it's noise starts out harsh and whining, the way the handler played, turned it into a musical master piece. 

The two observed the dancing below, some partners were more traditional and conventional, others were more... Proactive and exotic. The cool blew the red stallions mane around his head, a reminder that it needed to be trimmed and groomed at some point. The smell of ponies and cooked vegetables filled the air, though two weren't hungry after purchasing some more shish kabobs on their way over to find Annebell. Mac wanted to thank her properly for allowing them free entrance to the show, and allowing Spike to hang out with "Brute", the dragon who started off the show with his flaming breath.

"Well, you can stay up here." Spike proclaimed stretching out his arms. "I'm going to go in and dance." he ran off into the throng, leaving Macintosh to stand alone. He smiled as the dragon disappeared into the dancing frenzy, he hoped that Spike would have some fun; he was a young dragon after all. After a few more minutes of observation, a friendly face finally appeared. Mac smiled as Sin approached and stood beside the red stallion.

"How'd the job go?" Mac asked looking over to his companion slightly.

Sin let out a disappointed breath. "He did what most do." 

Mac pressed his lips together, though his friend hid his emotions the majority of the time; defeat was one he let off quite liberally. "Sorry to hear." Mac replied turning his attention back to the throng. Though Mac wasn't much one for dancing himself, he did like to see others have a good time.

"BIG MAC!" Called a silky voice. Mac looked over and a big smile claimed him. 

"Hey there, Ani." He called waving.

The mare trotted up and took a few gasps of air. "How'd ya like tha' show?" Her eyes were bright and hopeful.

"It was amazin'." Mac replied smirking a bit. "Though, Ah didn't expect ya to sing so uh..." He looked over to Sin. Who simply betrayed him and sat in silence.

Ani laughed, "Yea, I ain't all sugar and honey now, contrary to what I look." She looked down at the dance party below. "Why ain't y'all dancin'?" 

Mac pressed his lips together, he wasn't sure how to answer that question. He didn't want to say he didn't like dancing, because that wasn't exactly true; it just made him a little nervous. "Nopony asked me?" he replied timidly. 

Ani giggled a little than turned her full attention back to him. "Than may I have the honor?" She held out her hoof. Mac felt a spike of embarrassment shoot threw skull, having the lady act like the gentlecolt just didn't sit well with his pride. Though he did want to dance with her, his nerves began to prick at his confidence. What if he stepped on her legs or made a fool of himself for his lack of ability. Even with her shining face warming his fears, the stallion was still doing battle with his own self doubt.

"Mac." Sin called, causing Mac to look over at him again. "Regrets are terribles thing to live with." he gave one of his more genuine and reassuring smiles. Mac looked back over to Ani and accepted her hoof, the made their way to the bottom of the hill and began to dance to the music as it played. Even through his own nerves and self doubt, the stallion couldn't help but be happy at where he was. All of his quiet and reserved energy finally had some place to be used. A huge weight was lifted from his shoulders as the two embraced for a slower song to play.

"Who was that guy?" Ani asked, her head over Mac's shoulder. "Was he your bother?"

Mac couldn't help but chuckle at the question. "Nah, but he's a good guy."

The two conversed for the rest of the song, questions of each others past holding priority in terms of topics. Though Annabell dominated the conversation, Macintosh had opened up more about himself than he had before. It was an intimidating thought at first, talking so much about himself to some one he had just met. But he can't rightly say he hadn't done it before, even though that was purely business toned.

He put thoughts of Ponyville, Spike, Sin and his past asside. Once again, loosing himself to the music and allowing he and Annebell to dance the night away.

("Dude, the romance was rushed." BITE ME! For Windmane, yea It kinda was, and I could have added a bit more back story, but for what I have planned, the romance needed to happen now. I'm a stiff for time frames.)




> Over Indulgence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Over Indulgence




Mac awoke to the sound of shuffling papers and the bright glow of the sun assaulting his eyelids. He rubbed his eyes and arose from his bed to behold Sin shifting over some papers and sticking them into his saddle bag. The newly awoken pony let out a silent yawn and recalled last nights events. The dance he shared with the mare of his dreams, the apples they bobbed for, the midnight stroll and one of his personal favorites; the haunted house where she was clinging to his arm. The end of the night couldn't have been better for him. he walked her back to her tent in the middle of the white sea, and after their goodnights; she gave him a nuzzle on the cheek and stole a quick kiss on the cheek before her blushing disappearance into the tent. Leaving the stallion in a state of pure bliss for the remainder of the night.

His attention was snapped back to reality when he heard the familiar clicking of buttons on a closed and ready to move sack. He looked back to find the liberty pony had finished packing his bags and had stuck the holster over his back. Sin looked back to find Macintosh watching him. "I'll be leaving in an hour." He growled coldly.

A flash of panic ran through Mac's spine. "But," He began to protest, the thought of leaving with out seeing Annabell again
tearing at his stomach. He couldn't just up and leave with out saying goodbye, hell he didn't want to leave at all.

"But what?" Sin asked cooly yet expectantly.

"Ah," Mac hesitated trying to plan how he could convince the stallion to stay in town a little longer. He searched his mind for any excuse, but before any could form, Sin spoke again.

"If you wish to stay and be with that mare, that is up to you. No one is forcing you to go." Sin turned away from the distraught stallion and made his way to the door. "I'll return before here I leave." He called before he closed the door behind him.

---

Sin strode down the hall way with his mind abuzz with racing thoughts, while he didn't want to admit it; Big Macintosh's decision to accompany him or not was weighing on his mind. He had only been traveling with the stallion and his reptilian associate for the better part of two months, but despite his best efforts to remain cold and detached, he had learned a great deal from the two.

He wondered outside into the streets in time to see that the erected tent down the street was being torn down. A small smile crept on to his face at the knowledge that Mac's interest in staying in town was leaving as well, thus leaving him no reason to stay. At this the dark stallion shook his head rapidly, he didn't want to feel any pain once the stallion left. Sin never liked to admit he had feelings, he suppressed them to refrain from their infringement from his logic. And the loss of another friend, would do nothing to help keep his feelings in check.

Sin continued down the street with a few spare bits he had left over from the Inn fee, as he expected, many places were packed with ponies and minotaur filling their stomachs for the long voyages home. He decided to go to one of the further down the line. As the dark stallion finally got in a short line for a head of lettuce from a local farmer, he heard a sound that struck an all to familiar twinge up his spine. "Oh dear Strong-Arch no."

A sudden slam against his side sent the tensed pony to the ground, an ungodly pressure on his side contracting his ribs onto his lungs as two black forlegs pranced up and down on him in utter delight. "Sin, Sin, Sin how have ya been? Sin, Sin, Sin, How have you been?" An whimsical yet masculine voice sang obnoxiously. Sin grunted before he pushed off the offending pony and looked at him with a tired yet slightly amused expression.

"Star Shade, must you physically assault individuals in form of salutations?"

The black pegasus smiled devilishly, his bat like wings flaring and his cat like eyes narrowing. "You LEFT me in alone in the Everfree FOREST ya jerkass!" 

Sin stood and brushed off his cape. "I didn't leave you anywhere."

"Yes you did," Shot the Black pegasus, "You knew I had a phobia of big creatures, yet you went in there anyway." He crossed his forearms in a childish pout.

Sin stuck his hoof over his goggles, "You don't have a phobia of those things. You stopped following me after we wondered into a mantacor den." he grumbled.

"Don't have a phobia of what?" Star Shade perked a curious eyebrow.

Sin shook his head. "Not to mention YOU were the one who suggested that we go into the den because you thought the beasts were, and I quote: 'cuddly, unloved kitties'." 

Star hugged his arms around himself and rocked from side to side with a dumb smile on his face. "And they were the most adorable little things," His over-dramatic posture gave way to a more explanatory one. "Well, accept for the whole poison tails trying to stab me and kill me. I mean, that was kind of adorable, but mostly just rude." He shrugged, "besides, you attacked Fluffy and made him run away from me."

Sin deadpanned. "I told you, if that hydra bit me; I wouldn't hesitate to stomp it's heads in."

"And WHO do you think had to tell it's mother the bad news?" Star exclaimed throwing his forelegs in the air, a slight frown on his face. "Let me tell you, a fully grown hydra doesn't take it well when you tell her that one of her babies you stole is now lost."

"How are you not dead yet?"

Star smiled gleefully, his voice taking a melodic tone. "Because I have to see: Sin, Sin, Sin, how have ya been?" He started again, moving his head side to side at the beat of his tedious and repetitive lyrics. After the third stanza, and and an overly dramatic finish, Sin decided it best to leave while he had the chance.

"Well, this has been a," Sin mused over the right words. "nostalgic, encounter. However, I was about to get something to eat." The stallion trotted past the now offended Star Shade, and took his place back at the end of the line. The black stallion glared and marched up to Sin again.

"Do you even know the ramifications?" Star growled.

"Stop using words you don't understand." 

"You abandoned me."

Sin moved up in the line. "I didn't abandon you," He looked over to Star, "I said I had somewhere to be, and I went there."

"And you didn't even bring me a golden satchel from where you went." The black stallion pointed an accusing hoof. "You. Make. Me. Sick." He seethed in faux disgust.

Sin was about to retort when he noticed a familiar purple and green youngster traveling his way. "Star look," Sin pointed, "Fluffy came back."

A look of pure joy overcame the pegasus' face as he gasped. "FLUFFY!" He darted the way that his associate had pointed, black wisp flowing behind him.

"Hey Sin!" Spike called running over to the now lonesome stallion. Sin nodded his acknowledgement and moved on to get his meal. After the purchase, he was interrogated about the dark pony he was speaking to.

"An old acquaintance" He growled placing the vegitable into his bag. After a breif protest of trying to dismiss the subject, and having the dragon push the issue further, Sin agreed to tell his stoy; so long as they walked back to the Inn. Spike shrugged his desire to know the reason for their hurry off and the two began their trek.

Sin explained that the ponies name was Star Shade, and that he was once one of Luna's personal body guards after he return from the moon. His parents had him strictly for the purpose of adhering to her whims and once he was deemed too 'unstable' to serve for his duties; he was exiled from the Lunar contingent, and wound up in a prison cell after he had refused to accept medical treatment.

He was the first individual Sin had ever reached with his words of freedom and personal desires. The freedom pony went on about how Star was a more submissive pony with maniacal tendencies. His emotional personality didn't adhere well like most soldiers, thus they involuntarily expressed themselves in fits of: laughter and anger, at least that's what the Star told him in a rare state of calm. Once he began pondering why he was alive, and what he wanted to do, the shackles of both restraint and sanity had shattered and he became a whirlwind of emotion and impulse.

"Where did you find him?" Spike asked enthralled by the story. "And how did you know about him being locked up for that?"

Sin shook his head before the two acknowledged Macintosh standing in front of the deconstruction of the huge white tent. "Tat is a story for another time." He replied making way to talk to the red pony. Once they were right beside him, Mac turned with a disappointed expression.

"Woah, what happened to you?" Spike asked.

"Ah am ready to go." Mac growled his once sad eyes tinging with anger. He walked by Sin, scowling as he made his way back to the inn to pack his things.

"What's his problem?" Spike asked a mix of concern and confusion tinting his voice.

Sin merely shook his head as he followed after. A sudden and loud unintelligible sound made him snap his head back before he was once again tackled to the ground by a dark pair of forelegs.

"You lied about Fluffy."

-------------

Windmane stood in the center of the chamber, a few beads of sweat racing down his neck as he eyed the small, brown donkey before him. He was nervous and ill prepared for the debate to come, but he knew that he would need to convince two of the other four seats of the Donkies in order for a stalemate to be called. And luckily, he knew just the two to appeal to; and how to get them to vote his way.

"The judiciary calls attention to the debate between Senators: Windmane, of the 4th district of New Equine, and Stuborn, of the 2nd district of Orval." Proclaimed Arbiter Spar Hawk. "The debate will be in pertinence to Senate Proclamation 0221 entitled: The Pegasus Environmental Assistance Ordinance where in, a mandatory adherence of no less than twenty New Equine pegasus, shall assist in the ordered weather manipulation at the request of Orval's ruller: Minister Annoyance."

After the proclamation, the Arbiter went into detail about how the bill would be read through before a final vote would be cast. He continued in the tedious and repetitive decree that it would require a majority to strike down the bill to hold in accordance with the Proclamation of Senatorial Power, One of the founding documents that gave power to the Senate to create laws that crossed the borders of the states.

"If I may site: Page two, artificial one, Section two." Called Windman, turning over the three page vanilla document on his dark pedestal. "In this document it clearly states, as Arbiter Spar Hawk said: 'This is a decree for: mandatory adherence of New Equine pegasus to assist, under the penalty of sanctions from the remaining states, the Orvalian Donkeys with sufficient weather manipulation as deemed fit by the minister of the Donkey state, or his constituents that he elects to hold said powers'." He looked up from the paper, his mind racing for the words he had recited over and over.

"The legislation put forth by the Senator from the second district of Orval," The pegasus continued, happy he didn't butcher the text. "directly contradicts the treaty of Orval, in which my state holds in highest regards and respects, the right of the Orvailian succession from New Equine. And there in, shall not enforce, neither state shall enforce any hostile acts against the other. Be it Economic, military, political, or otherwise."

"That is a State Treaty. Mr. Senator." Called his opponent in an annoyed and dismissive tone. "This is the Federal Senate, we-"

"That is of no concern to the populace of New Equine." Interrupted Windmane, venom dripping from his words.

"I care not for the opinion of your constituents." Replied Stuborn, his words just as scathing. "The second district of Orval has become drought ridden, and is in desperate need of precipitation. The continued requests for aid from your weather teams have gone unanswered. And I will not let my people suffer when there is help to be given."

"Taken." Corrected Windmane. "You are threatening economic sanctions upon New Equine should the state refuse to accommodate. And since YOU are the one calling for the sanctions to be made, Mr. Senator." he spat, pointing an angry hoof. "THAT can be interpreted as an act of war!" He gasped as soon as the words left his mouth.

Silence had consumed the chamber, save the ever loud ticking of the huge clock that lay behind the Arbiters. Mouths were agape all around the chamber, and all eyes rest upon the pegasus in the middle. Windmane quickly recovered from his slip and decided that there was no going back on what he said, discovering a nice little silver lining so he looked like the victim. "You wish war upon us?"

"War?" Replied the Donkey, his facial structure still in bewilderment. None have ever called for war between states. Such an act was forbidden among the federation, warned against by the Five who forged the federation after the political class was tried and executed. "How dare you!" Stuborn spat, his shocked expression contorting to one of hate. "You threaten war upon my people?!"

"YOU are the one breaking the treaty our fore fathers had created for your peoples succession." Windmane forced a smirk, he was playing a very dangerous game. He didn't intend to bring out the war card until his last two lines of defense failed. Now he would have to offer them as alternatives just to salvage what he could. He berated the Idea of war, and the notion that it was even a viable option. Instead, offering to discuss the voluntary option once more by personally speaking with the governor of his New Equine. 

He also went into the uncomfortable topic of slavery, and how the force of violence would constitute the pegasi's work as comparable to such a despicable and long tabooed idea. Stuborn had rebuked a few points, but was shut down rather quickly with mentions of other treaties and one founding document. That laced with the fear of war; gave Windmane all he needed to control the debate in his favor. After some approving sounds from both the Boltinians, the non partisan Donkeys and even a few Syndicrats, he withdrew from the debate podium. After an hour of almost none stop speaking, even the sweet taste of victory couldn't energize him enough to go overkill.

"Thank you for that," Arbiter Spar Hawk began. "Rather unorthodox debate Senator Windmane, I here by adjourn this congregation until tomorrow; where the final vote for this bill shall take place." The Centaur slammed the gavel and stood from where he lay, all of the Senate followed suit and the camber began to empty until all but one pony remained. 

Windmane looked upon the pedestal from where he spoke, shivers running up his spine over the mistake he made. He internally slapped himself for it before, but now it was time to unload the real self beat down. He couldn't believe what he had done. How could he have been so stupid as to let those words slip out of his mouth? 

"That was quite a stunt you pulled." A familiar voice barked. Windmane's heart skipped a beat as he looked over to see Thornberry leaning against one of the walls under the minotaur seats, an expectant look on her features. The pegasus bit his lip trying to find the right words to say, but through the haze of his exhaustion and the guilt that he was already feeling, nothing seemed to satisfy his need for the perfect rebuttal; rendering him silent.

"What? Nothing to say?"

Wind turned his head away from the angry mare, his mind abuzz with self punishment. "I messed up."

"You messed up?" Thorn repeated sarcastically, mocking the simplicity of his words.

"Yes, I messed up." Came a forceful reply.

He heard Thorn scoff cynically, and expected a full on verbal assault at his stupidity and impulsiveness. To the pegasus' astonishment, he found the mare's arms wrapped around his neck, as she laid her body upon his from the side. He looked back with a confused expression, to find her smiling gently. "But you fixed your mess." She reassured.

Windmane pushed back his ears, he was confused as to what she was doing; but her smile spoke wonders of her genuineness. "I'm sorry." he called after a time, lowering his head in shame.

Thorn gently nuzzled his neck to comfort the stallion. The two stood in the middle of the chamber; embraced in a mix of guilt, shame, and contentment.




Yea, ending it there. Why? Because bite me, that's why. (and I might need to start a new chapter to get things going again) 

> Disapointing shades
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Mac walked behind; Spike, Sin and a new dark pony that was merely introduced as "Stare Shade." He hadn't been around the pony for more than a couple of hours, but that was enough to give the stallion a great deal of judgement. His randomness put Pinkie Pie almost to shame, mix that with the dark purple ponies almost demonic look and maniacal yellow eyes; and you have one of the few individuals on this earth Big Mac could actually consider himself fearful of. But with his current state of anger for the leaving the first mare who ever showed him affection in such a way, and so abruptly no less, he was more angered than intimidated.

"Soooo..." The shaded pony began, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence he allowed. "Where 'we goin'? 

Sin simply kept walking, ignoring Stars words. Star narrowed his eyes at his old associate and place himself infront of the silent pony to block his path. "I asked a que-"

"Canterlot." Sin replied passing by, with Mac and Spike not missing a step. Star looked on as the three walked by as if he were making a decision. He placed a blackened hoof to his chin in thought of Luna-knows-what before he shrugged and caught up with the trio. He trotted next to Sin and looked up to the cloudy skies over head, the air was growing cold again; and defiantly giving the warning signs of winter. A heavy win shot out of now where and ruffled the travelers cloaks, pushing Spike slightly off balance.

"YAYZ!" Star exclaimed with a grin, before he continued walking with out elaboration. After a few more moments of walking, Mac's curiosity got the better of him.

"What's 'yayz' fer?" he growled, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

The black pegasus looked over with a mildly interested smile. "What?"

"You said 'yayz'." Mac replied, his annoyance of repeating himself showed in his voice. "Why?"

"Cold times." Star quipped happily facing forward again.

Mac opened his mouth to speak again, but thought better of it. He couldn't tell if Shade was trying to get under his skin or if he was genuinely that random and unprecedentedly confusing. Either way, he knew that if he continued the conversation with his current stress, he would be digging a six by six hole where nopony would think to go.

As the three made their way forth, the wind began to pick up more and more. Levels of annoyance and audible cursing rose while the party fought nature to press forward. Spike was not a light creature, but he wasn't heavy nor strong enough to handle this kind of weather on his own. He lost his footing and fell backwards from the wind resistance his cloak had caught. 

Mac pulled the young dragon upright and gave him a stern nod and continuing on. Spike wrapped the light brown cloth around himself to minimize the resistance it gave, mentally kicking himself for not considering the extra warmth such an concept would bring. 

"BRING IT ON!" Yelled Shade in challenge of the wind. "You can do better than that, can't you?!" He held a daring hoof to the direction the wind was blowing from. A sudden gale had sent the he and Sin to the earth in what Mac could only describe as; Pegasus nature to accept the young stallions request. Though his earthen birth had given him enhanced strength enough to withstand the onslaught.

Mac looked over to find the leader of their escapade giving a snark look to the now lively and exited Star Shade, who was to preoccupied by thrill and excitement to acknowledge. "I've met FOALS who could boil water with their eyes bro, DON'T MESS WITH ME!" He cried. Another gale swam through, the pegasus opened his black wings and flew back with the wind. "WEEEEE!"

Mac's temper flared, he couldn't explain why; but this pony's voice just irritated him to no end. He made his way to the cause of his anger, "Will y'all SHUT UP ALREADY?" 

Star's happy babbling ceased almost immediately, he flow forward and landed infront of the red pony before he turned around and tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowed as he judged the offending stallion before him. "Do you WANT me to preform acrobatic stunts?" The the pony proclaimed throwing his hands in the air. "Cause I'll do it, don't think I wont."

Mac stood in awe of the ponies statement, his mind strained to comprehend what he was hearing as some sort of threat. "What the buck are you on about?"

His mouth a gape in disgust, Star walked until his face was only inches from Mac's "I will have you know sir." He growled. "I have smacked DIAMOND DOGS for less."

Mac slammed his hoof into the dark pegasus' face, sending him toppling to the ground. He snapped, he couldn't take this ponies shenanigans any more. (Yes i actually put "shenanigans" in here, you cannot convince me there is a better term) He was already aggravated beyond reason for leaving Anni, and somepony had to put this colt in his place.

As the wind began to grow increasingly violent, he looked around to check how his friends were doing. Spike had both of his claws planted firmly in the earth as his eyes were wide and beaming at him. Mac's gaze shot to Sin who bore an unreadable expression. Mac turned back to find the pegasus had already lifted himself from the ground, his eyes baring daggers for Mac. "You got a problem pussy cat?" Mac clenched his jaw, the wind whipped his orange mane around his unblinking and hateful eyes.

"If you did, now you have three." Star growled, flaring his nostrils. 

Mac scowled at the challenge, who did this pony think he was? In a fit of unintelligible rage, the red stallion threw up his bow leg, aiming it directly at the black pegasus' chest. As he centered his shot, something slammed into his crossbow, shattering the contraption into pieces on the ground around him. Mac recoiled from the sudden destruction of his weapon and turned to find Sin holding his own unloaded bow up at him.

No words were muttered from the four as the wind began to die down, Mac looked in shock and awe as he came to terms with what had just happened. Sin shot him, he shot and destroyed the very mechanism that helped Mac escape imprisonment. The stallion hadn't thought about it until now, but the once in tacked crossbow had given him a great feeling of confidence and calm. Having such a powerful and strong weapon shatter in his grasp, Big Macintosh couldn't help but feel a little bit of his heart shatter with it; and the fact that Sin himself was the one who did it, didn't do anything to help his shock.

After what seemed like hours, the wind started to pick up again, Sin broke the awkward staredown with a disappointing shake of his head; before he walked forward again. Mac watched him go, before his ashamed gaze found their way to Star Shade, he saw the pony shrug blissfully before he turned and followed the free pony, leaving Spike to stand next to Mac. "C'mon." The dragon sighed, his eyes had shown sympathy for Macintosh, but determination to keep up with the others. Before long, the red stallion shook himself from the initial bewilderment enough to continue. Slowly but surly he followed the lead ponies, a slowly growing sense of shame and despair in his heart. 





Applejack raised a hoof to remove the sweat that was dripping her brow, she looked at the last barrel of apples that she hulled into her cellar. It was the last of the apples for bucking season to be put into storage for Winter. The product had come up a bit short this year than usual, but she knew that the two farm hands she had hired were doing the best they could to have the apples bucked in time.

The orange mare sighed. Still, she never liked when apples went to waste, and with all the fruit that was still in the far edges of the orchard; the apple mare couldn't help but be left longing for her brother. Even when it was just the two of them, they could have had the whole farm done with time to spare, she never realized how much his absence would make the work suffer.

"Hey Applejack!" Called a voice from above the shadow enclosed basement. Applejack looked up to the light, and with a deep breath she perked a smile and made her way outside to find a grinning Rainbow Dash. "What do ya think?" She asked smugly, gesturing to the naked trees around. "I'd say we cleaned this place up pretty good."

Applejack chuckled. Not wanting to offend one of her best friends she simply play to the the truth, being the element of honesty was something the mare found quite annoying at times. "Ya' sure did partner." She looked around and admired all the work that the Rainbow had done. It's true, the work was nothing to scoff at; bucking apples for most of her life, the orange pony knew that.

"Sooo..." Rainbow said with an expectant grin.

Applejack quirked a brow. "So wha'?"

"Come on." The rainbow mare demanded playfully. "how awesome am I?"

AJ rolled her eyes before she began to stroke Dash's ego. "You're the fastest flier in Equestria."

"And?"

"And ya' cleaned this place up good."

"And?" 

The orange mare's ear twitched in annoyance, "'and wha'?"

Rainbow slammed a hoof against her face dramatically, her bright and egotistical grin deadpanned. "AND!" She began. "It was all done just in time for Winter! Pretty impressive huh?"

"Oh, uh. Yea." Applejack chirped nervously. "You betcha, hehe" She gestured her hoof.

Rainbow quirked a skeptical eyebrow, "Yea, so." She scratched the back of her head, a sore feeling assaulting her pride. "Did you wanna get started on the preservation stuff?"

The apple mare shook her head. "Nah, that can wait. I was thinkin' 'bout goin' n' visitn' Twi. Ever since Spike left, she's been hold up in the Library more 'n usual."

Rainbow found interest in a rock on the ground, she gently kicked it in the dirt before her mind began to recall not seeing the lavender pony around lately. "Yea, I have kinda noticed that too."

"sides," Applejack proclaimed with a smile walking back into he house and grabbing an envelope from the table. "Pinkie said she was s'posed to give this to 'er."

Rainbow glanced at the envelope a moment before she recognized what it was. "Why didn't Pinkie Pie give that to Twilight herself? I mean, It's something that could really help her nerves wouldn't it?"

AJ shrugged before placing the parchment into her saddlebag. "Can't say exactly, Twi' probably wouldn't answer the door for her or sumthin'."

The two ponies closed and locked up the apple cellar before making way into the town proper. Applejack noticed a few clouds casting shade overhead and began to question her Multicolored friend about it. To which the cyan mare simply shrugged it off as being a job for a later time.

Applejack quirked a brow, from what Rainbow had told her earlier; the weather team was supposed to keep the sky clear for the next week. She knew that her friend liked to procrastinate in the form of downtime and naps, but she always finished her work when the schedule called for it.

After a brief back and forth between the two, they finally arrived at the library with Rainbow shrugging off Applejack's concerns of her her overworking herself. 

"Al'righ, bu' Ah still say, ya need'a take it easy." the farm pony said skeptically.

A quick scoff from Rainbow caused Applejack to roll her eyes and knock on the door. After a few moments, it creaked loudly and opened only a small amount. "Hello?" A voice called from within.

"Umm, Twi'?" Applejack called.

The door opened a little more to reveal a rather apathetic looking purple unicorn. "Oh, hi Applejack, hi Rainbow Dash." She muttered dryly. 

"Umm... Hey Twilight." Rainbow called, her voice mixed with concern and skepticism. "You alright? We haven't seen ya around lately."

Twilight merely shrugged and made a sound of indifference. A moment passed before she realized her answer wasn't received with satisfaction before she continued with a sigh. "Oh you know, just reading and being an egg head." 

Rainbow flushed a little at the teasing nick name she had given to the lavender mare. It wasn't meant to be as insulting as she made it out to be.

"You alright there sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Fine, absolutely wonderful, Fan-bucking-tastic." Twilight began, he apathy giving way to sarcasm. "I'm sitting here, minding my own business, and the next thing I know; my basic small brother ups and leaves me for somepony who I have never even met. Claiming that he wont be happy as long as he stays here, giving ME the impression, that I am not making him happy. And not only that, but I was the one making him miserable!" 

Applejack and Rainbow stood in shock to see the unicorn huffing and gritting her teeth at the end of her tangent. They had seen her angry and even a little crazy after a few incidents of imperfection and tardiness. But this was a whole new kind of anger that scared them both. Typically when Twilight was angry, her emotions were clear and what attempt she made to hide them failed miserably. 

But this was different.

The way Twilight Sparkle was behaving wasn't just angry, her words weren't just ones of hurt and emotion; they were cynical and hateful. Her calm tone and seething eyes were very distinct to her true feelings, and they weren't subtle.

"Feel like asking anymore stupid questions?" Twilight asked flatly.

Applejack cringed at question before her cyan associate stepped in front of her. "Hey back off there Twi'."

Twilight's flat eyes slowly fixated on Rainbow before a smirk played to her face. "I'm sorry Crash, I didn't think you'd mind hearing that question directed at somepony else for a change."

Rainbows eyes widened before she snarled and lunged at her friend. They both toppled into the Library with Rainbow pinning Twilight against the ground. "What's your problem?" The rainbow maned pony demanded.

Twilight glared soullessly, "Gee, I knew you were dim, but deaf too?" She finished with an evil smile.

Dash's mouth gaped before she rose an offending hoof and slapped the smirk off the unicorns face. 

"RAINBOW!" Applejack yelled coming out of her shocked trance. She ran over and pulled the cyan pegasus off, her friends thrashing body making her exert more strength than she anticipated. "Calm down."

"NO!" Rainbow cried, he eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Did you not hear what she just said to us?"

Applejack held her restraint against the aggravated pony. "I heard her, and she don't mean nothin' by it. She's jus' upset, n' ponies say some messed up things when' ther' upset."

"What's the matter AJ?" Twilight said still laying on her back, her eyes fixated on the darkened light fixtures above. "Your marefriend becoming to much to handle?" 

The farm mare flinched at the insinuation, her mind briefly toyed with the thought of letting the enraged Rainbow mare go and thrash Twilight for saying such a thing. "Twi', Imma turn the othah' cheek on that one." She finished her statement before realizing that Dash had stopped struggling to get free from her grip. "Rainbow?"

Dash held her head down, her rainbow mane covering her eyes. "That was low Twi." She growled, "That was not cool." She pulled her arms from AJ and turned her back before walking out the door and flying away from the Library.

"Alright Twilight, What's your deal?" Applejack stomped an angry hoof onto the ground. "Y'all know Rainbow's sensitive on that kinda subject."

Twilight abrubptly sat up, her head flinging forward and down with her lavender main covering her eyes. Applejack bit her lip as a few moments of silence lingered between the two, causing the air to become thick with tension. "You know Applejack..." Twilight finally broke the silence, her tone even and thoughtful. "It's kinda funny, don't you think?" Smiled before her head lifted up.

"Wha's funny?"

"Oh you know," Twilight chuckled, "He said I was a 'stallion hater' when I never hated them. Until he showed up and took our two boys away from us."

Applejack let out a sigh and took a seat on the floor. "Ah know how ya' feel, Twi'."

"Do you?" The purple unicorn asked.

"Ah do." The farm mare replied sympathetically. "But, Sin didn't take our boys, he just gave them the option to leave with 'im."

Twilight scoffed sarcastically. "Oh he did something to them." She gowled standing up. "You know he did too. I've been thinking about what he claimed to have told them. And it's complete CRAP! He took them from us, and we will never see them again! Don't you get it?"

Applejack eyed her friends rage before shaking her head and standing up again. The farm mare walked over to her friend with tears threatening her eyes. "Sugarcube, I think it's time we talked about it." She stood in front of Twilight, her friends angry eyes softening at the sight of the tears. "Ah know you're angry n' hurt. But, they both left on their own. Mac 'n Ah were talkin' before he left. He said he was levin' 'cause he wanted to, not 'cause some stallion told 'em..."

The explanation dragged on for the better part of half an hour, Twilight's stone angry face softening the more her friends spoke. She listened with interest as the farm mare gave her opinion on the perspective of Mac and how she had never really looked at much from his point of view. A particular cord resonated when Applejack mentioned the farewell that Twilight had missed.

After the explanation the orange pony reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the envelope. "Pinkie sai' that she tried to give this to ya." She held out the envelope which Twilight took and looked over a few times, noting the name and location on the front. "She told me that was Sin's promise that he would look out fer Spike."

Twilight's shoulders slumped, a twinge of guilt pulsing through them. "W- What is it?" 

"Pink said it was some important pony's letter, and that Sin would come back fer it cause it is important." Applejack shrugged. 

Twilight furrowed her brow in thought and guilt. He was going to look after them until they came back? He mind transitioned from her own pain to the needs of her practical son. He was a dragon after all, it really shouldn't have been that surprising that he needed more than what: She, her friends, and this town had to offer.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the lavender unicorn began to sob. She berated herself for her selfishness and assumptions, though a small part of her clung to the thought of some kind of psychological manipulation. She felt a warm pressure constrict around her form. Twilight's eyes opened to find AJ holding her in embrace. "It's alright Twi'."

"I'm terrible." Twilight squeaked, burring her face into her friends shoulder.





After a few minutes of trek in the wind, Mac, Sin, Spike and Shade found themselves in an small cave and cold cave. After getting the fire lit, Spike sat with a very bleak and lifeless Macintosh. He looked over to find Sin looking out of the caves mouth, observing several dark clouds that had began to descend from the north. 

"How long will we be here?" Shade complained laying on his back, with his rear pressed against the wall. "I'm BORED!" 

"I'll be here until the storm passes." Sin replied quietly, strangely, the wind that bellowed outside oft he cave was nothing more than a quiet whisper when heard from within. "You may do as you wish."

"Sin." Spike called walking besides the stallion, Sin looked over slightly to view the nervous look on dragons face. "Why did you shoot Big Macintosh?" He eyed Sin for an answer.

"What happened was between myself and Mr. Macintosh," Sin replied before turning his gaze back to the encroaching storm. "I am not at liberty to discuss the matter with you." His voice dripped with ice and venom causing the baby dragon to furrow his brow. He opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it and walked back over to his red friend. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the young wyvern finally spoke. "You alright Mac?" 

Mac looked over to his young friend, confusion and sadness littered his features. In a way, it stung Spike himself. He had never seen much from Macintosh aside from his typical somber smile and working cheer. To see what Spike considered the closest thing to a role model in such a state was almost devastating to look at. "Mac, I think you should go and talk to him."

"Who wants to play Tic tack toe?!" Star Shade exclaimed drawing a crude 5x5 diagram on the dirt ridden ground. "I've only ever gotten four in a row, but dammit all if I don't win one game in my life!"

"Anyway..." Spike continued, ignoring the random outburst. "I don't know exactly what happened, but you can't just mope around like this. Now get over there and settle it!" The dragon pushed the red stallion away from the wall, breaking him from his shocked state of thought. The next thing Macintosh knew, he was face to face with Sin; the young dragon wondered away to give the duo privacy to speak. Sin eyed Macintosh expectantly, after a few moments of nothing, the stallion turned his attention back outside.

"Ah um..." Mac started before his eyes turned down in discouragement. He found the destroyed crossbow still strapped to his foreleg. His green eyes shot wide before they formed into a scowl, a deep feeling of anger coming with them. "Why'd ya do it?" 

Sin sat in silence, pondering over Mac's question. Mac awaited impatiently, his anger beginning to bubble within himself just waiting to explode into some thing his rational self tried to control. After what seemed like an hour, the enigmatic pony finally spoke. "You know why I did it. Why are you asking?" 

"NO!" Mac hollered at the unsatisfactory answer. "Why did'ja have'ta ruin it?" He pointed his hoof, Sins hidden eyes trailing down to the desolated contraption before he made a sound of acknowledgment and turned his gaze back to the now sprinkling weather. 

"Above all things, Mr. Macintosh, I value freedom and disdain authority." Sin looked down to see the annoyed stallion locking onto his, he lifted his hoof and pointed to the crossbow. "That was meant to defend your own freedom from those who would perpetrate violence against you, the minute you turned it into a tool of self appointed authority to impede on Star Shade's own free and nonviolent actions; I had the responsibility to put it to an end."

"Wha' the buck are y'all talkin' 'bout?" Mac demanded slamming his hoof to the ground, "Ah didn't use it ta-"

"You weren't going to use it to threaten him to be quiet?" Sin interjected his tone emotionless and calculated. "Or, You weren't going to shoot him out of anger for his insensate babbling?"

"You're Insecetant!" Shade yelled from the background. "And don't use words you just made up!"

Mac shook his head and let out a sigh. "Ah didn't plan on-"

Sin held up his hoof to silence the Stallion, a gentle smile claiming his face. "I understand your frustration." He said calmly, his face turning back to the light drizzle that was now growing strength. "But you must understand something about Star Shade. When I first decided to lend my hoof at assisting him in the ways of freedom, I didn't know he would go as far as he did with the concept."

Mac quirked a brow and stared skeptically at the explaining stallion. He was still angry about what had happened, but as he thought on it, it began to dawn that Star didn't really do anything but get on his nerves. No reason to go off and threaten a pony with something that could kill him over something so minor, or so he found in retrospect. Not to mention he did give Star a good punch in the face before he drew the bow.

"Star Shade had always found himself rather," Sin paused thinking of the correct way to phrase it. "Unstable with this world." He finished looking over to see he still had Mac's attention. "Once I showed him that his life was his own, and there was freedom in the world to call his own." Sin's smile became a little brighter. "He relished in the broken chains of his master, beyond ecstatic at his new found liberty."

Sin looked back to the the fore-mentioned dark stallion to see him drawing something that represented a multi headed snake in the dirt. His face turned from thoughtful to sad before he leaned down and hugged the art he made.

"After he discovered the freedom from your princess." Sin continued, bringing Mac's attention back to the conversation. "He wanted to take it a step further than just being free of his personal servitude." 

Mac pulled his head back in surprise. "What do ya mean? How could he take it ah step farther?" His question was met with silence as Sin shook his head and chuckled lightly. 

"He did something I never thought any individual in this world would do." Sin smiled and looked back to find Shade writing the letters "F L U F F Y" over his creations head. Sin drew his attention back to Mac. "He wanted to be free from Logic and Sanity."

(A/N, Yea been a while since I uploaded. I would say sorry, but I don't think to many care. Any rate, Question of the story: Should I make the chapters longer to include all three archs? [The senate's politics, the Mane Six's struggles to cope, and Mac, Spike, Sin and Star's little escipade], or just stick with two at a time?)
> Restrained Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Restrained Rescue




A dull light from the caves mouth assaulted Mac's fleeting unconsciousness, a sickening chill finished off what remnants of slumber he clung to. He lifted his head with a groan to find Spike curled up against the dark cavern wall a few feet away. He scanned around to see Star Shade hanging upside down from the cave ceiling, a light bit of drool escaping down his nuzzle onto the sandy floor below.

The red stallion yawned before stood from his make shift bed, stretching his legs and neck. He breathed deeply the cool Autumn morning air, it wouldn't be long until winter was upon them now. He wondered outside to be greeted by a slight shiver due to the drop in temperature a light breeze offered. He surveyed the surrounding area, and found it to be a rather tranquil landscape. A forest of green pines surrounded the cave, standing tall with the age that Macintosh was sure far surpassed his own grandmothers. A far off mountain to the north bore a whited peak in contrast to the gray and blue closer to the base.

Mac closed his eyes, a great feeling of ease and relaxation climbing over him, a few birds sang their morning songs to his left; emphasizing the peace that this world, his current world, had to offer. Sweet Apple Acres was peaceful and all, but it was a predictable peaceful, something that the stallion couldn't help but find stale and bitter sweet when he took the few opportunities to appreciate it when he and his sister weren't assaulting apple trees for their contents. But here, this current feeling of bliss and quite, was something beyond refreshing. His world of tranquility came crashing down when a loud yawn erupted from the cave behind him, he looked over to see the dark grey perpetrate of the previous nights altercation looking round lazily before the two of their eyes locked on to one another.

Mac watched the dark pegasus for a few moments before Star's eyes closed and he let out a yawn. "I'm hungry." Shade grumbled slapping his tongue against the roof of his mouth and looking around. Mac quirked a skeptical eyebrow, the feeling of unease he typically got from the pony before him wasn't there... Right now, Shade struck him as any run of the mill pony that Macintosh would expect to see strolling around Ponyville.

"Should be sumthin' to eat 'round somewher'." The former farm pony called taking another surveying glance around. He heard another yawn from behind as he spotted more and more patches of flowers he had never seen before. He had never been this far north, and thus wasn't particularly familiar with the edible vegetation. Mac made a thoughtful noise as he mused over the options of consumable nourishment presented.

"I must apologize for yesterday," Shade called walking up and standing a few feet to the right of Mac. Mac looked over and quirked a surprised brow, he began to speak but was cut off by another bit of monolog. "And I also must apologize for everything I will do in the future."

"E'rythin' you'll do in the future?"

"Yes," Shade nodded, his eyes saddening and down turn. "The mornings are about the only time I'm ever calm as you see now. I like to think, and reflect on everything I have done the previous day." He looked up to meet his acquaintance's eye. "I don't like to live in regret Mac, I don't like being constrained by social or societal norms. Buck it all as far as I'm truly concerned."

Mac took in a gasp, "'Er actin' social a bad thing?"

"When you think on it," Shade looked back out to the rising sun. "It's one of the worst things you will ever witness." The two stood silently for a while, until finally the silence was broken by soft hoof clops shifting through the dew frozen grass below. The duo looked down to find Sin trotting towards them with a few bushels of violet colored flowers in his mouth. 

He greeted the duo with a nod and dropped the lavender herbs onto the ground for them to observe. A brief explanation followed as Sin explained the plants to be Chives, more common homed in the northern areas of his homeland, and apparently in Equestria as well. Mac sniffed the flowers cautiously, he had never heard of these plants, let alone seen or eaten one, unlike Shade, who simply dove in head first and stood back up with a mouth full of the flora.

After Mac's cynicism had passed and he at the meal presented, the stallion questioned Sin about their current whereabouts, which the responding pony gave a prompt explanation, pulling out the map he had looked over before. He pointed to a mountain pass that was, in examination upon the Key of distance, quite a bit further than Big Mac had initially conceived. Though, something had Struck the stallion, on top of the expertly, though simply, drawn mountain was a large diamond shape. He dismissed it as having something to do with the mountains contents before he inquired about the next destination.

"I was hoping to visit the Capital." Sin said as he folded the map and stuck it back into his saddle bag. "Comparing my countries Republican form of government and your Monarchy, I'm fascinated by your extremely loose and unhindered laws. Even with a supreme singular ruler, your country is vastly more free than my own."

Mac quirked his head to the side, a light questioning sound soon followed.

Sin took a breath. "Back in the Federation, we had elected representatives to attend a council in which they would: debate, ratify, and create legislation to be voted on. The founder of my Country, Tapio Bearking, was a Centaur of freedom and voluntary cooperation; he saw what the injustices that had procured under the reign of our respective leaders and the deception they had displaced upon their citizens. Creating arbitrary laws that would impede upon them so that another race could be blamed, and slowly demoralize the public into believing the laws would be lifted once the "threats" had been quelled."

Mac sat nodded his head, remembering this part of the story.

"After the Run of the Centaur's, it was set into the founding of the Federation that no single individual would be able to create law. A single being with so much power was too tyrannical, and would certainly be only so obliged to abuse it." Sin cleared his throat, "However, you're country seems to have that exact design, a Matriarchal Monarch in which you are ruled by two princesses. Though you are far more free and prosperous than my own, even though there are two who wield supreme power... I'm interested to know the personality types who could refrain from indulging in such gross misappropriation of power."

As strange as Mac found Sin's words, he actually understood what he meant. Aside from the multiple lawmakers, he had a feeling of comprehension, though he would have to clarify. As the red stallion opened his mouth, he was cut off by a loud noise reverberating from the cave behind him. 

"YO' DRAGON DUDE! Where are you?" Shades hyperactive voice rang, gathering the attention of the two ponies behind him. Mac poked his head in, he hadn't noticed it before, but he didn't see Spike when he walked out of the cave's mouth. After a quick glance at the dark interior, Macintosh looked over to Sin and questioned if he had seen the hatchling. Sin shook his head and wondered into the black void, his hoof clops clicking against the stone floor the further he moved in. 

"Spike, ya in ther'?" Mac called, his voice echoed a few times until it died off further within the now acknowledged tunnel. "Oh boy."

"I can't believe this." Sin whisper before slamming his hoof on the ground with a loud grunt. "Why didn't I check to make sure this was just a cave? Stupid freaking idiot!" He slammed his head forcefully against the wall and huffed after his self beration. Aside from a minor moment of disorientation the livid stallion seemed ok. 

Mac watched as Sin attempted to calm himself, he had never expected the enigmatic pony to have such an outburst over something so minor before. Before Macintosh could ask about Sins well being, the latter spoke in a the dark and malicious tone that he had when they first met. "Shade, find him."

"Yes sir!" Barked the dark pegasus cat like irises disappeared as his pupils dilated before he shot passed both of his associates and sped into the darkness. 

"What d'ya think yer doin'?" The farm pony asked stepping along side Sin. Any time that Macintosh could remember Sin asking for anything, it was just that, he asked. In all the months that the two had known each other, never once did Sin give anything more than a harsh request. "Maybe he jus' wen' explorin' er-"

"If he went exploring, than he wouldn't have gone far." Sin barked, his black covered eyes peering through to Macintosh's own. "And would it not make sense that if he were not too far away, he would have answered when Shade had called to him?"

Mac was given only a minute to muse over the question before the brown pony spoke again. "This cave was not naturally made, another failure on my part to notice. I'm sorry that I failed to keep your friend safe." Before the red stallion could say anything, Sin galloped threw the darkness after his associate, with Mac shook off his inquisition and followed close behind.

-----


After a few steps in, the duo couldn't make out their own hoof in front of their face. After a quick call to Shade, they both felt their forelegs grabbed and the condescending voice of the aforementioned grumbling about 'normal pony eyes'; dragging them through the underground. After a few minutes of awkward stumbles and cursing the rocks that had given ill footing, they came a crossed a dim glow in a far off crevice of the cavern.

"wha' the-" Shade unceremoniously slammed his hoof into the red ponies muzzle. Mac swatted the offending hoof away and was about to make a statement before Shade tilted his head to the glow, and proceeded cautiously, with Sin and Mac in tow. As the three approached, they began to hear hear disgruntled voices and various sounds of metal and snapping. The brighter the light became, the more distinguishable the words spoken. 

"We has to make him talk for us." a younger slightly excited voice proclaimed.

"Shudup Lucky, we know that." Barked a more condescending and gruff voice. The trio of Ponies made peaked in through the crevice to behold a vast mine large enough to hold at least half of Ponyville. Lit by some how shining gems, Mac inspected the area; at the higher points, some stray dogs were scratching through loose earth, holding up gems and tossing them aside dismissively. Over in the corner some other dogs were speaking nervously to each other, their eyes shifting to the middle of the hollowed out cavern. Mac followed their gaze to a group of Dogs congregating around a flat wooden bench with a familiar green and purple wyvern held down by rope.

"Gah, what do you want?" Spike demanded futility attempting to pull his arms free of the restraints, his fearful eyes scanning the angry mutts looking down at him.

"Well," One of the dogs smiled wickedly, "We just need you to-"

"NO'S!" Cried a dark furred pit-bull, "If we lets that one goes with the other one, we would be eaten by BOTH!"

Mac furrowed his brow, looking down at his restrained comrade. He began to exit the crevice in the wall, bearly fitting through; before Sin grabbed him and yanked the red stallion back to the dark ground behind. "What er' ya doin?" He growled, "He needs our help!"

Sin held his hoof over his muzzle, than pointed it at a railway bridge that stood over the table. Mac observed the transportation way than followed his friends moving hoof to a well sized mine cart only a few yards away. Mac made the connection and gave Sin an approving grin, though he didn't know how exactly how dropping the cart on the dogs would free Spike. He rose his concerns about the plan only causing a brief moment of shock among the dogs, maybe even just killing one, but not enough to buy the time needed to rescue the purple dragon.

Sin smirked at the protest and began to rummage through his bag.

"Alright chums," The until now silent night pony proclaimed flying up into the air and cracking his neck, an exuberant smile on his face. Sin's mouth hung agape before he started to shake his head furiously, whispering futile protests. "Let's do this! LEEROOOOOOOOOOOY JENKINS!" The pony burst out of the small opening and down to the confused voices below.

"Damn it Star Shade." Sin seethed closing his bag and jumping in after the impulsive stallion. Mac hesitated a moment, uncertain as to what just happened but soon followed after; preparing himself for what ever was to come.

The voice bellow went from arguing authoritatively to confused and panicked as the black mass approached. Shade barreled himself hooves first into the confounded crowed. Half of the congregation fell with audiable groans before Shade kept his grip on one of the bigger dogs and ascended until he reached the caverns roof, where he unceremoniously dropped the quasi-canine to the ground with a loud thump. 

Shade smiled and laded forcefully against the ground, his angry serpentine eyes scanning over the various emotions of each dog. "I've come for the child." He muttered slamming his hoof down on the ground.

With the dogs thoroughly distracted by Shades impulsive and violent display, Mac and Sin continued with the plan, both pushing the black iron cart over the bridge, trying, though failing, to be as quite as to not draw attention.

"What you want? We don't have a child!" Barked the voice Mac recognized as Lucky's. 

"Don't play games with me." Shade grunted before his face softened a bit. "Unless it's Monopoly, I like Monopoly... OH I WANNA BE THE CAR!" He jumped up and down in delight at the thought of the game. He continued to babble on while his antagonists stood dumbstruck, unsure of what to make of the unprecedented change in attitude. 

As the two ponies put the cart into position, ready to be bucked off, Mac turned to Sin. "Is he always that crazy?"

Sin looked down to the group bellow, than back to the cart before he gave an approving nod of it's trajectory. "He is the abandonment of logic and reason. Are you truly that surprised?" Sin smirked before he motioned for mack to help him push over the cart. They both took either side of the track and  began to tip the metal container to consume the unsuspecting canines underneath. 

"SHUT UP!" Barked one of the dogs, his paws firmly pushed against his ears. Shade stopped his happy bouncing and looked over at the dog with an unimpressed glare. "We won't give you the dragon! He must speak to Masters for us."

"Master? Master of puppets?" Shade said dumbly.

"Wha-" A loud crash and the howling of a dozen agonized lungs filled the cavern walls as Shade looked upon a black metal block crushing the legs of at least three dogs. He looked up to find Sin and Mac nodding in approval before they both descended down the wooden beams that supported the railway. 

"Oh man, am I glad to see you guys." Spike spoke, a little to soon as the remainder of the pack regrouped themselves to assess and fight the intruders.

"PONIES!" On barked point his claw at the newcomers.

Shade gave a faux gasped. "Ya don't say."

"GET 'EM!"

The dogs jumped for the three ponies, pumping Mac up for the fight of, and for, his life.


[b(]And I have to apologize to everyone repeatedly for the bad taste a few of those jokes left in your mouths.)
> Nonintellectually Inclined
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  

Nonintellectually Inclined



Maniacal laughter echoed throughout the dark catacombs, sounds of pained howls and stressed grunts followed soon after. 

Mac through his back legs into the air, slamming them into an assaulting canine's mouth. A sickening crack could be heard before the mutt dropped limply to the ground; it's weezes of pain the only indication that it was alive. The red stallion slammed his hoof to another of the beasts, disorientating it before another dog jumped onto Mac's back and dogs it's claws into his neck with a snarl. "Now horsey, don't-" Mac slammed his head back, cutting off the female dogs speech.

A loud boom shot through and gained his attention, he saw Shade standing standing in a newly made crater, a few adversaries crawling away in shock and fear. "I AM STAR SHADE! MASTER OF ALL MUTTS! NOW BRING ME YOUR VIRGINS!" He cried before ascending into the air, preparing another dive bomb maneuver. Another sharp howl erupted, this time from behind, Mac spun to see Sin with his crossbow being redrawn and a larger dog laying on it's side, nursing a newly punctured shoulder.

After a few moments of bucking and slamming his hoof, along with a few bite and claw marks, Macintosh stood panting and and tired. Luckily, most of the diamond dogs attention seemed to have diverted to the flying horror that was Star Shade. Who, for all his scars, scratches and even a black eye; seemed to be having the time of his life. He giggled happily after he let what had to be the twelfth beast fall from the ceiling. Though through it all, Mac noticed that very few of the fanged miners were actually staying down, and those that did were still breathing.

Spike called, snapping the red stallion from his revelation. "Mac! Get me off this thing." The purple dragon strained against his binds. Mac rushed over but was cut off by the biggest, and slightly grayer, dog in the pack. 

"Back ye beast!" It cried swiping a clawed paw. Unable to duck in time, Big Mac's face flew left, a few bits of blood tripping from his mouth. After falling to the rough dirt, the initial shock gave way to moderate twinges of pain over his cheeks, only suppressed by the current adrenaline rush. He felt the blood slowly flow down his face, tainting his lighter red coat darker. He lifted his head to see the presumed Alpha's approach. 

"Now, now." Called a dark and menacing voice. The Alpha looked over to see Sin smirking at him. "There is no need for any of that." The stallion began to step in front of Macintosh, shielding him from the leader.

"What do you ponies want here? We done nothing to you!" The Alpha bellowed turning his attention to the new menace.

"You seem to have abducted our companion, we are only here to get him back." Sin replied in a polite tone. Another roar from behind gave way to a loud crack into the ground. The trio looked over to Shade panting but standing triumphant over the rest of the pack. "He'll be at it for hours, you know." Sin seethed looking back to the pack master. 

The Alpha hmphed, "It don't matter," he growled with a sly smile. "My pack is tough, we have had worse than him. But once he's done, we come for you." He pointed an accusatory hoof at Sin, who merely adjusted his goggles giving a quaint sound of acknowledgment. Sin looked around the cavern, noting all of the the wooden pillars and support beams laden around.

"I suppose you're right," Sin admitted, his sneer turned into a smirk. "HEY SHADE!" He bellowed, halting the bat-winged stallion's decent into a dazed group of dogs. The sudden halt of Shade had quieted the miners, leaving a tension of anticipation and eerie silence "Kill all the wood, It took Fluffy!" 

Mac quirked a brow at the random announcement, immediately wincing from the cuts on his face, than turned his attention to Shade. The fore-mentioned stallions eyes shot wide with shock, a silent tear rolling down his cheek. His mouth gaped and trembled as Macintosh supposed the dark pony was thinking back on the memories with the supposed pet hydra. 

"GIMME MY FLUFFY!" Shade proclaimed before slamming himself into a mineshaft support beam, crippling the entrance to the vain. He shouted obscenities as his second wind began to kick in. One after another, pillars of wood holding up different veins of hollowed earth fell, small clumps descended from the roof, informing all around what Sin had planned.

"FOOL!" Cried the Alpha, his shocked stare turning into a desperate and angry scowl. "Do you realize what you make him do? We will all be trapped down here!" His last words betrayed the true fear the dog was feeling.

Sin smirked. "Funny, I seem to recall that my companions and I would be stuck down here at your beck and whim anyway. Surly you wouldn't have let us live after the distress we have caused. So what have we to lose?" He turned his head slowly back to Shade, a few brave diamond dogs jumped at the emotionally wrecked pony, though; their bravery was rewarded only with a twenty foot drop down the the bottom of the cavern, along with a surly immense amount of pain. "Though, I do suppose I could call him off, if we are guaranteed the release of our associate and safe passage out of the cave." His gaze turned back to the angry canine leader.

Alpha pondered the idea for a moment, though after seeing the winged pony begin to attack one of the four major pillars of the cavern, he immediately gave his answer. "Alright, alright. Just call of the demon!"

Sin smirked and informed Star Shade that the wood had released his long lost pet. Mac's jaw hung ajar as a mixed expression of joy and sadness washed over the pegasus' face. "But, but... I was having fun." He complained, his melancholy happiness contorting into a pout.

After the party regrouped with the now free baby dragon, Mac couldn't help but confront the dogs and scold them for their abuse. The other dogs started making repairs to the destroyed shafts and damaged pillars, leaving only the Alpha and what was assumed to be his second in command to accept the punishment.

"We are sorry." Quipped the Alpha reluctantly, though his tone turned explanatory. "We didn't know if that dragon was working with Golvec."

"Golvec?" Mac repeated confused.

"Golvec is our masters." Answered the Beta, though he was obviously a younger dog, following the conforming yellow eyes and darker brown fur, he still held a deeper and commanding voice. "He makes us dig for his gems to feast. If we don't, he feasts on us!"

"And we thought your dragon would go to him and work for him." Alpha continued, "We can hardly Mine enough for Golvec dragon's hunger, we can't handle another."

The Alpha and Beta males continued on with the tail of their packs enslavement to Golvec. A massive; yellow eyed, blood clawed, and angry ruby Wyvern, whom had discovered the pack's mining operation at a non to distant hill point. The Alpha went on to explain that once the dragon decided to strike, he devoured their current pack Alpha of the time. Described as an uninspiring, though well liked, pack master; his death pained the current leaders of the miners. More for loss of moral, than the actual death.

Tears began to well up in the Alpha's eyes, Beta took over the explanation. "And now we serve Master in order to survive. It's not so bad." The second in command shrugged, trying to calm Mac's concerned stare. "We may have to work, but at least we are living."

"Why don't you just leave?" Sin asked calmly.

Both Alpha and Beta's eyes grew wide and they shook their heads furiously. "Nononononono, We can't do that." Beta sputtered. "We end up like rest of pack."

"Rest of pack?"

Alpha let out a sigh, his eyes threatening to tear up again. He began to speak, though anything that was supposed to resemble words was lost in a babble of semi-controlled sobs and wines.

"Our pack..." began Beta, laying a comforting paw on Alpha, his tone dropping to a somber whisper. "Our pack divided, and some ran away to leave the mine. Golvec chased after and gobbled them all." The dog finished with a clenched jaw to end his lip quivering.

Mac furrowed his brow and looked to the ground, a wave of disrepair flooded him as he contemplated how the dogs here must have felt when they discovered so many of their brethren were dead. How many were there? Were they family to the Alpha? Brothers, father, mother, and how the came to know about... Mac's head shot up in questioning realization, though Sin seemed to have had the same train of thought.

"How did you come to know," Sin began, though bit his lip as he hesitated. "That the other half of your pack was eaten?"

"Golvec." The Alpha replied calming himself, "Golvec told us we would end up just like them if we tried to escape." Macintosh saw the canines paw begin to clench in anger over the memory. "He said they screamed, they howled, they cried for us to save them but..." he trailed off, his posture turning to one of shame and guilt.

"Have you any evidence?" Sin barked before letting out an angry sigh.

Alpha and Beta looked at each other than gave a confused look to Sin. "Evidence?"

Sin repeated the question, asking them to go into detail about how they were so sure the escaped pack was dead. Over the course of an hour, the Liberty pony inquired and analyzed everything about the missing members of the pack, all of which the leaders happily, if not, skeptically gave. Accordingly, the  missing pack members mostly consisted of males who had decided they have had enough of Golvec's demands and attempted to rebel. Though, the efforts were aborted after so many had refused to join. Having no desire to return to their enslavement, the rebellious dogs turned separatist and fled their captivity for a land free of such threat and control.

Mac, Sin and Spike listened intently to the tale; while Shade simply hummed a marry little tune to himself, seemingly oblivious to the current plight. Macintosh pushed the point after realizing the dogs hadn't addressed it; "But how do ya'll know fer certain tha' yo' other pack membah's 'r dead?"

Alpha hung his head and simply gave the same reply of Golvec informing him. A few more attempts from not only Sin and Mac but Spike, each taking a different approach to the question; only fruited the same, or similar results. "So, you didn't see it happen." Spike half stated and half asked, to which the dogs merely shook their heads, "You say somepony told him that the pack had split and some of you ran away, Right?" The dogs nodded again. "And you are simply taking the dragon's word that he got your pack with no proof."

"That's right." Alpha nodded.

"Do you realize how stupid that is?" 

Alpha and Beta were taken aback by the deadpanning baby dragon's outburst. Spike looked at them with an expectant stare for a moment, waiting for them to answer his question before he shook his head and began to speak. "Look, I've heard some pretty exaggerated stories in my life. I once knew this mare named Trixie, or 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'" Spike gave air quotes to the supercilious ponies name. "She told of how she, quote un-quote, Vanquished an Ursa Major."

The dogs eyes widened at that outrageous claim. Though they were simple canines, and hardly to be considered one of the more intelligent races, most every creature on Earth knew what an Ursa Major was. "She beat a Major URSA?!" Alpha gaped, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

Spike shook his head, "No of course she didn't. She made it all up!" He through his hands in the air for emphasis. "She tried to convince everypony that she was the greatest unicorn ever by making up lies like that. No proof, no detail, nothing! And everyone believed her because she simply said it was true." Spikes explanatory posture turned to an amused smirk. "But when she was called on her bluff, she couldn't even stop an Ursa Minor, and my friend Twilight ended up saving the town, and putting Trixie in her place."

"No proof, but a lot of claim. Soundin' any kinda familiar?" Macintosh quirked a brow.

Alpha opened his mouth to speak, though closed it as he went back into contemplation the newly bestowed concept. He repeated the action a few more times before looking at the four creatures before him: three of which watched him with expectant stares, and one looking around absently. 

"Well, maybe..."

"It doesn't matter!" Interrupted Beta, causing all eyes, even Shade's unamused stare, to be drawn to him. The second in command relaxed his angered features and his tone turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I don't like thinking about it. Nightmares come in sleep, missing pack member screaming as Golvec eats them."

"Besides," Alpha continued folding his forelegs (arms?) His own tone becoming surprisingly defensive. "What's to prove that it didn't happen? Once you see Golvec, you will understand why he is Master. He is much smarter than any of us, he speaks with words that we don't understand but sound right. He knew things he shouldn't have known, he probably knows you're here right now. When you meet him, you will know why we obay."

The six individuals stood in awkward silence, the Alpha and Beta diamond dogs holding an air of resilience and unprecedented confidence in their supposed slave-master's word. Mac was lost in thought, he couldn't prove that the separatist pack did, in fact, escape unharmed. For all he really knew, this "Golvec" really had descended upon the escaping dogs and devoured them all. He opened his mouth to apologize, though he was cut off.

"Regardless of how this dragon may appear, it is you who chooses to stay here." Sin barked, his tone stern. Alpha's eyes shot up and he began to protest, only to be cut off by liberty stallion again. "You think he is the one making you mine all of these jewls? You think it is this "Golvec" that keeps you down here, bound by invisible chains; working you to the bone and forcing your lives in servitude?"

The head Dog gave a confused look to Sin before looking to Macintosh and Spike. "What?"

"He means the only one keeping you down here is yourself." Spike crossed his arms. 

The Canine gave an acknowledging "ooh" before he turned back to the imposing brown cloaked pony before him. "He does keep us down here."

"NO!" Barked Sin, causing the surprised duo of mutts to jump back. "YOU keep yourselves down here. You can leave at any time, you just stay out of fear of him. There are many options you have to escape... Dig away, leave while he sleeps; there are no excuses for your captivity and complacency, not even fear." Mac watched on as Sin was practically muzzle to snout with Alpha, though the lead miner tried to keep his demeanor stern and tough, the steps the nervousness of his wondering eyes betrayed any confident front he was trying to push.

"What of the younglings?" Alpha barked back, taking a step forward and pushing Sin back. "What if he does catch us? Would you have them die?"

"You think their enslavement to a dragon is any better?" Sin quipped with a knowing smirk. "From what I see, you have one of two options: One, stay here and live under the authoritative rule of your master, Golvec. Wondering about everything he has ever done, and everything he could and will do to your and your off spring. Or B) You can leave, and run for a life better than what you have now. Yes, there will be the possibility that he will catch you or find you, but there is a world out there better than this. Unless of course, you want your children to grow up under him.

Alpha's mouth dropped and his eyes widened at the sudden and offending question. Mac saw the unruly anger bubbling in the poor dogs iris's, his paws clenched after a moment of glaring into the dark and semi-reflective surface of Shades goggles. The dog's breath began to deepen with the building rage, Macintosh could empathize with the leader of the mining pack. Sin wasn't exactly the nicest of ponies around, and what he said was true; but the dark pony's actions and words needn't have been as harsh as they were, and Mac was finally going to call him on it.

"Sin, that wasn' right. Y'all should be a bit kinder to folks ya' don' know. No reason to mention ther' pups like tha'." Said Mac with a glare.

Sin began to speak though he stopped himself at the first word. The menacing air around him began to thin as his brow had unfurled. "Perhaps you are right, Big Mac." After he spoke, Sin visibly relaxed his stance, he gave a half smile and turned back to the leaders. "I apologize for my blunt and harsh words, however; I only speak the truth." He finished with an uncharacteristically sympathetic tone, void of all calculation and passive aggression that Mac had become so accustom to.

Alpha shrugged sheepishly and cast his eyes downward like a small child who knew he had to apologize for doing something wrong. "We're sorry for stealing your friend, but what if he catches us?"

"It's up to you what to do with your life Alpha." Sin lightening his features.

"Alpha?" The head minor tilted his head before it clicked. "Oh, my name is Rex. I am Alpha, but I prefer Rex. This is Tido." He pointed to the Beta who deeply tilted his head to the side and exposed his neck, a canim form of greeting.

"What's he doing?" Asked Spike watching Tido redirect his neck to the proper posture. 

"In the canine world, bowing down like most ponies do, is a show of aggression. Seeing as how said canine's typically pounce after they bow their bodies in such a way." Sin turning to the dragon. "It is their form of an acknowledging nod or bow."

The conversation soon drew to a close with Rex and Tido deciding they would converse about an escape plan at a later date. The dogs wanted to make up to the group for dragon napping their associate, and Rex sent out a party to gather a feast of edible vegetation for the ponies, and some gemstones for Spike. The fore-mentioned dragon couldn't have been more pleased with said offer.

After another hour of introduction to the higher standing members of the pack, and their miserable tales under the rule of 'Master Golvec', the four were lead to a larger cavern than before. A large oaken circular table with a dozen chairs greeting them in the middle of the room. Once seated, they were presented with a plethora of hearty vegetation, actual vegetables and even some fruit. Spike's eyes lit up upon seeing a tray of full of sapphires and rubies presented to him, there was even an accent emerald in the middle. He began to devour the stones as if he hadn't eaten in days, while Mac and Shade dug into their own food; leaving Sin to watch the dragon in shock.

"You he never eaten before!" Sin announced as the dragon stuffed two sapphires the size his fist into his already occupied mouth. Mac laughed and informed Sin about Spike's rather glutinous apatite when it came to a seemingly endless supply of gems. Sin merely shook his head at the incredible feat and started his meal with a nice stock of chives.

After a moment Tido wondered in with another dog baring a new platter filled with the second course of vegetables and gemstones. "Rex hopes you like it, and that there are no hard feelings."

"ARE YOU KIDDING?!" Spike jumped happily. "Who can be mad after all this food? I've been eating dandelions and limestone for the past two weeks!" 

Mac scolded the wyvern for his rude comment, conveying that Sin had helped the provide well for themselves during their travels. "It's alright Mac." Sin said with a genuine smile. "He's right, the food we have been eating lately hasn't been the best. Well, before we left Hooftrot, and there weren't exactly an abundance of good Gemstones there."

Tido smiled and began to exit the make shift dining area, though his departure was interrupted by Rex entering the room with a somber expression. Mac and Sin turned their attention while Spike and Shade continued with their food. With out a word, the dog took a seat at the table along side the four travelers and let out a sigh. "What you said is true."

No one spoke while the two stallions awaited the alpha to elaborate on his statement. There would have been an awkward silence, though the crunching of gemstones and and carrots echoed along the cavern walls. "It would be best if we left, the longer we are here; the longer the little ones will have to watch their elders suffer and work. Even if Golvec does manage to find us and catch us, I would rather die than spend another minute down here, and digging for that retched lizard.

"A reached lizard am i?" Called a dark voice that shot shivers up Mac's spine. It wasn't the voice of a Diamond Dog, Though it was scruffy and ragged, the sound was far to deep and sophisticated. They all turned to see two yellow eyes peering through the darkness. A well sized dragon, about seven ponies tall, emerged from the darkened area. It's blood red scales shown brightly when caught by the light of a random magically laminated Gemstone, it's snout was long and squared at the end where it's light orange underbelly met the scales at its mouth. Long spines protruded from it's back, slicking back to a spiked, mace like tail. The dragon sprouted its giant golden wings and stretched it's arms before bringing a black claw it's cheek. "I must say, you're entryway for me must be made bigger."

His statement was greeted with silence, Mac's wide eyes watched the dragons mouth open into a smile, showing razor sharp teeth that held little pieces of yet to be swallowed jewelery. The stallions blood ran cold just hearing the voice echo from behind them, but seeing the beast froze the stallion in place, only allowing him to gock at the carnivorous monstrosity.

"I say," he began in a strange accent. "Is that another dragon invading on my territory?" He asked with an amused smirk.

"What, me?" Asked Spike with an awkward smile, he pushed the plate away and started to shudder out an explanation.

"And what's this?" Golvec asked looking down at the plate of jewels. "And you're eating my gems as well? Hmmm," The large dragon began to think to himself, his claw stroking his chin with a delightful smile. "That just simply wont do. That wont do at all." His eyes traveled back down to Spike and his delightful smile turned wicked.

The smaller dragon gave a nervous chuckle before slowly climbing down from his seat. "Oh uh you see, the thing is uh... well, would you look at the time!" Spike turned to run out of the chamber though, a long red tail slammed down and obstructed the exit he was running for. 

"Leaving so soon? Why I was just about to sit down for a bit to eat." He smiled coyly at the dragon than looked back to half eaten trey of gemstones. "Though, since it seems you've devoured my dinner. I suppose I will have to find something else." Golvec made a thoughtful sound while his eyes shifted around the cavern. They finally came to rest on the three ponies still sitting at the table and he smiled.

"Uh... Master?" Called the Beta, calling the amused smirk of the dragon over to him. "We have more gems-"

Golvec cut him off with a dry fit of laughter, "Oh Tido, I don't want any of those gems, I wanted the ones that were right there on the table!" he spoke as if he were telling a joke, but all individuals in the vicinity could tell he was serious. His eyes shot down to Macintosh again, and his sarcastic smile grew genuine. "Now there's a delectable looking specimen. A pony, I haven't had one of those in ages."

Mac's irises shrunk from the terror that slammed into his heart. The dragon was contemplating on eating him? Judging by the height and no doubt weight difference, there was little that the Stallion could do to stop him should an attempt be made.

"Golvec, was it?" Called a voice from beside Mac. Petrified, the red stallion still couldn't move until Golvec's hungry eyes were diverted unto the pony who had addressed him, a sigh of releif soon after. "If I may be so bold, you seem like a sophisticated and Intelligent individual. Why do you spend all of your time around diamond dogs?" 

The mentioned quirked a curious eyebrow before answering. "I'm sorry, I don't remember addressing you. However, to answer your question, they do good work for me. Though the conversation is lacking and many try to scurry and hide in their little holes like rats; they do get the job done I suppose."

"Indeed." Sin wiped rubbed a hoof over his lips, removing any crumbs or such. "Does it truly feel an adequate trade? gemstones for lack of intellectually competent companionship? I'd imagine it to be quite maddening."

Golvec leaned down and titled his head to pony before him. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I've the pleasure, Mister..."

"Sin." The stallion nodded.

The gave an approving grin. "Well, Mister Sin, I'm not quite sure how familiar you are with others of my speicies. Though, the fact that you believe they might be even slightly more intelligent the the mutts here; does speak volumes to your ignorance."

A ghost of a smile found it's way onto Sin's face before he replied, "Perhaps it does, though, I don't quite grasp how one who thinks so much of them self, could possible want to surround themselves with those who they consider inferior. Unless of course, said individual desires only to feel superior by hiding from those who surpass him. Dwelling within the coal to make a dull diamond shine in comparison."

The insult wasn't lost on Golvec and the two exchange a few intellectually assaulting quips that would soon turn into a game of psychological warfare. Statements about intellectual honesty and competence coming from Sin, and clever quips on geographical and cultural ignorance from Golvec. In a matter of minutes the dragon had enough of his equine harasser, he let an angry roar after he had backed himself into a corner in a debate pertaining to how his time best be spent.

"That is enough." He growled looking down at Sin who took a deep breath.

"Temper, temper. What you have in form of intellect and sophistication, you lack in temperament and emotional control." The dragon let out another roar and leapt out at the brown clad pony. Sin jumped down from the table and bucked one of the chairs into the dragons face, stunning it momentarily.

He noticed all the other occupants in the room had run through the tunnel hallway that they had come from, and quickly followed after. He ran up to Macintosh and then looked back to see Golvec's head being jammed into the tunnel entrance.

"Wha' y'all do that fer?" Mac yelled as they reached the far end of the cave hallway, returning to the original caver that they had found Spike in. Sin looked back up to what few bridging rails that Shade hadn't destroyed in his emotional fit of destruction. He smiled when a few heavy iron carts caught his eye. 

"Hey Shade," Sin called turning his attention back to the night pegasus. "wanna play a game?"

"Sure." Star Shade said with interest. "What's the game?"

"It's called: Hit the dragon with the cart."




(Dry? Yes, a bit. Though, NOW I finally get to introduce two things that will play a role a little later on. Not to sure how this chapter will be recived, please do give feed back.) 
> Triple M. Corporation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Triple M. Corporation




"Are ya buckin' kiddin' me?!" Mac demanded before rolling left, avoiding a strong, red scaled tail slamming down where he once stood. A sharp pain stung up his foreleg where the offending creature had slashed a nice gash right above the stallions hoof. He looked down to see a small chunk of muscle had been stolen along with the skin and fur. His eyes trailed from his wounded appendage up to the dazed monstrosity. 

Three carts had already fallen on Golvec, the first two the dragon treated as minor inconveniences, and the their was merely the equivalent to a smack in the face. "Alright," Golvec looked upwards to see Shade readying another cart for assalt. "That's enough out of you!" The dragon raised his claw and aimed for the night pegasus. Shade grunted in frustration and flew out of reach before the appendage crashed through the rail bridge. Mac took note of Shades escape before quickly limping behind a cluster of stalagmites to nurse his wound.

He looked back to where Spike and Sin had run off to. Mac remembered protesting the livelyhood of Sin's plan, though he couldn't really come up with anything better at the moment. With the dragon already enraged from his spat with the pony, talking it down would be next to impossible at this point. He heard Golvec roar in anger before commanding that Shade remain still for capture and consumption.

He peaked his head over to see the ruby dragon slam his fist into the wall where Shade had been a moment prior. Sin landed on a higher carved our platform and began to quiver from what Macintosh assumed was exaustion. "Hey Sin! I'm not sure how long I can keep this up bro." The stallion gasped. Macintosh couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for the pegasus, he doubted even Rainbow Dash herself could keep up with him. After tracking down Spike, having dive bombed at least three dozen times into a large pack of diamond dogs, bucking three iron carts, and still managing to avoid a dragon in such a tight nipped place; he still managed to keep himself not only alive but relatively unscathed.

"Don't worry little pony." Golvec smiled gripping the claw he used to hit the cave wall, loud cracking sounds emitting from his knuckles. "All you have to do is DIE!" He opened his mouth, a small ember emerging from his throat before a flaming inferno blasted forth.

"OH MAMA!" Shade jumped out of the way and took flight, Golvec however wasn't done and followed the bat pegasus with the flame still spewing forth. Half the cavern had been covered with golden flames before Golvec held off on the flaming assault. The dragon began panting from fatigue, something Macintosh found curious, he hadn't seen many dragon in his time, but he knew that from most stories; dragons shouldn't be that tired from such a simple feet. At that moment, the dragon turned around having lost track of his pray, and began to search through readily available mineshaft hiding places.

Mac saw the elusive pegasus and called him over from behind the rock formation. Shade glided over to the stallion as the now annoyed Golvec called out to them. 

"What are yo-" Shade stopped after seeing the trickling blood oozing from Macintosh's leg. "Oh, you alright?" His angry tone turning soft. 

"Ya, Ah'm fine." Mac replied before turning his head back to the hazordos reptile. "Alrigh', Ah have an Ideah."

Star Shade nodded intently before Mac explained what he needed to have done. He made sure that the dark stallion was alright before setting the plan into motion.

"I think so, but have you seen Sin or Spike?" Star asked, oblivious to the eerie silence that had befallen the previously thundering cavern.

"Ah havn', Ah hope ther' okay." Mac said, his eyes riddled with concern.

"I belive it is yourself you should be worried about." Golvec called.

Both the stallions snapped their necks just in time to see Golvec reaching down. In a panic Macintosh jumped up and instinctively through his hind legs behind him to push his friend out of harms way. What happened next he couldn't quite say, maybe it was seen by the dark stallion and he did the same, or perhaps it was just dumb luck. But Shade had mirrored Macintosh and their hind hoofs made contact in mid air before they both pushed, and bucked each other just in time to avoid Golvec's deadly claws.

They both rolled forward, neither expecting the other to give savior. "DUDE THAT WAS AWESOME!" Called the dark stallion gleefully before his happy face dropped at the sight of another claw reaching for him. As the winged stallion ascend into the air once more, he observed Mac running into an undamaged mineshaft. He quickly followed with Golvec hot in pursuit. He slowed his speed and entered the small vein just in time to avoid the dragons reach. 

Golvec roared in anger and then reached his arm into the the vein, feeling around for the hopefully close by meal. A loud crack was followed by a loud cry from the dragon. he quickly recovered his arm from the mine and inspected the now two broken index and middle claws. He gently touched them in a nervous attempt to put them back the right way, sharp winces accompanying even the most sensitive of grips.

Mac smiled at his work from the Mines entrance. "Good job." he smiled approvingly at Shade for buying him enough time to get where he needed to be. The complimented stallion simply nodded before collapsing in an exhausted heap on the ground.

"Golvec!" Cried a booming voice from the cavern. The dragon dismissed his broken carpels and looked around, the smoldering ruins of the eastern side of cave, trying to find where the voice had come from. "You know, for all your arrogant boasting, you are rather simple to trick."

The ruby wyvern blew an annoyed huff of steam from his nostrils before he pushed the pain from his claw to the back of his mind and regained his composure. "You speak confidently, when you're not around to be held responsible for it." He replied smugly. 

The voice gave a low chuckle. "Why would I need to be around? You're hardly capable of defeating two ponies on their own. Getting myself involved would only give them advantage enough to fall you. I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed. I mean look at you: A massive lump on your head protruding from your scale covered scalp,  broken clawed fingers, and you still have nothing to show for it."

Mac recognized the words and voice after a moment, the bloodloss and pain of his wounds beginning to make his mind a little fuzzy. Why would Sin be provoking the beast so much? Mac winced at about the tenth angry rawr the dragon had let out since the ordeal began. "You are one to talk about the shame of working through others, Mister Sin." Called the dragon with a smile steadily creeping onto his face. Mac let out a questioning sound before the dragon began to speak again. "Oh yes, you demonize me for the act, than you turn around and allow those two fools to battle me for you. We're alot alike you and I."

"HEY BIRD BRAIN!" A small voice called.

Golvec turned with a pleased expression to see a purple hatchling of his species standing with a nicely sized ruby in hand. He tilted his head and slowly wondered over to the him. "And now you send infant wyrms to do you're fighting? Undoubtedly one of the greatest cowards I have ever met." 

Spike looked up at him with a half confident smirk. The young dragon took a bite of the ruby, his faux smile never leaving the approaching beast. "Gotta problem big guy?"

The elder wyvern lowered his head so it was eye level with younger. "Do you presume to test me hatchling?"

"Just for the record." Sin called out, Golvec looked past Spike to see Sin hidden under a stone shelf only a few feet away. He was holding something that the crimson gold dragon couldn't quite make out. "I'm nothing like you."

A quiet thud echoed breifly before it was drowned out by a cry of pain. Golvec threw his head back and grasped at his left eye with his claws. A sharp and concentrated pain radiated from the visual orb, causing pain never before experienced in the slave masters life. 

Spike gave sine a wry grin and thumbs up. Sin lowered his crossbow and grinned to the youngling in return.

"YOU JACK ASS!" Golvec roared thrashing his head around violently, trying to dig the bolt out with his claw. "OH WHEN I GET MY CLAWS ON YOU, YOU WILL FEEL PAIN BEYOND PAIN!"

Sin looked back over to his associate. "Find Mac and Shade, make sure they're alright." Spike gave a salute and quickly walked over to the mine he had last seen them in. After he arrived, he found a wounded Macintosh leaning against the cave wall, Star Shade collapsed a few feet away from him. 

"BIG MAC!" Called Spike running over to his side.

"Hey li'l fellah." Mac replied sheepishly. Spike raised alarm over the gash in Mac's leg, the stallion merely shrugged it off as shock. He hadn't lost to much blood, not enough to kill him, but enough to cause disorientation when coupled with the shock of the current battle they were in. Luckily most of his wound was begining to clot, and the blood loss slowing. "Is Sin alrigh?"

Spike nodded and tried to help the stallion out of the mineshaft to observe the now calming Golvec. They deduced the arrow had been removed, but a small trickle of green blood flowed from his now swollen and useless eye. "Very cleaver donkey, use my emotions against me. Strike my pride and make me act arrogantly." He looked to where Sin was and a devilish grin graced the dragons mouth. "But I'm done with your games." With a quick spin, the elder wyrm slammed his tail into the cavern wall, causing the dirt to come cascading down upon the former shelf that had sheltered his foe.

Waiting for either the dirt to entrap Sin, or said stallion to come running out to escape; Golvec took a in a deep breath and waited for the perfect time to unleash the flame. After the last of the rubble had fallen, the crimson beast blew more steam from his nose and laughed maliciously in his triumph. Though his mirth had soon quieted With  when he noticed the rubble beginning to shift. With an expectant, albeit curious smirk; he watched as the brown tanned form of crawled out, gasping for air in between rough coughs.

"Well, well." Golvec mused, grasping the stallion; making sure to hold his forelegs against his body to stop any tricks. "So you're still alive."

Spike and Mac watched helplessly as the the cocky wyrm patronized Sin. They both wanted to help, but Mac was injured and disorientated, Shade was unconscious and exhausted, and Spike knew there was little he could do to catch Golvec's attention, let alone actually hurt him. The duo grew teary eyed as they saw Sin get one last lecture before his demise.

"You know pony? if you were a dragon, I think we might have actually been friends." Golvec's smile turned into a grin before his grip tightened, causing a muted yell out of his prey. "It's to bad."

Sin was given reprieve from the dragons tightening claws, he greedily sucked in the dry oxygen the cavern had to offer before tilting his head up and looking the great beast in the eye. "I would never associate with a such a slothful and foolish coward." He muttered before the dragons grip tightened once again, it's sharp claws digging into Sin coat, small drops of crimson began to streak down the punctured intrusions of his body. One final wheeze escaped the pony before the dragon let out a small chuckle.

"Say good nigh-"

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the main entrance of the hollowed cave. Shouts of official sounding voices shot  all through out the mine. Then, three silver armored Griffons speed past an opening, each beginning to assault Golvec. 

"What in Skyrim?" He barked trying to shoo them away. "What's going on? Who are you?"

"Golvec Rubyborn." Called a strangely familiar voice. "You are banished from Equestria for the crimes of enslavement and murder. By order of the Royal Sisters." 

A small smile crossed Mac's face as he recognized the booming voice of Princess Luna.

Golvec scoffed and swatted the three eagle/lion hybrids away, slamming them into the far wall. He dropped the barley conscious Sin onto the ground, a loud thump echoing upon his impact, and turned to face his new; Royal adversary. "I am matured passed your magic, dear heart. It will have no affect on me."

Luna only smiled back as ten silver clad minotaur charged in and placed themselves in two rows of five, the front row knelt down while the back row stood. All of them holding weapons much like Sin had, though with out the modification for hooves. They all took aim at the dragon face finger firmly on the trigger. "We wont need magic when we have ten well trained dragon hunters present."

Golvec opened his mouth to speak but immediately covered his snout at the foul stench that assaulted his snout. He turned back to find the source of the putrid odor was the arrow heads. He had only smelt it once in his life, but remembered almost instantly that it was Dragonsbane. He took a step back and shook his head in defeat. Before anything else he looked down at a struggling to stand Sin, his one good eye glaring down on him. "You will pay for this." And in one swift motion, the elder dragon darted skyward, bursting through the roof of the cave and out into the open sky.

"Follow him!" Called on of the minotaurs, the three Griffons from before gave a quick salute before jumping up and flying after the reptile.

Luna watched the predators give chase before remembering the injured pony before her. "Sargent, we need your medics, add it to your fee." The Princess demanded, the lead minataur nodded and barked out for medical staff. Soon after, five unicorn mares with a read crossed on their hats gracefully ran in and began to inspect the pony.

"P- Princess?" Spike called, Luna's gaze shot to the procuring dragon, than they shot wide open in shock.

"Spike? What in the name of our moon are you doing here?" Her words were much softer when not using her Royal Canterlot Voice. She cautiously trudged up to him with two of her night guards falling in line behind her.

The two shared a brief embrace before Luna noticed the few cuts and scrapes that Spike had endured. "My goodness Spike, what on Celestia's Sun happened to you?"

Spike looked at minor injuries he gain from the struggle with Golvec. "It's a long story," he dismissed before he motioned with his hand. "C'mon, Macintosh and Star need help."

"SPIKE!" Sin called trying to push away the medical mares.

Spike shrugged him off, what ever Sin wanted could wait. He lead the lunar princess into the shaft to a sickly looking red stallion who greeted them with a somber smile and glazed eyes. Luna's eyes shot to the other heap of a pony laying only feet away and her eyes shot wide again. She informed her personal guards to fetch the medical personal to tend to Macintosh than wondered over to her former subordinate.

She cleared her throat to gain the forms attention. Shade opened on eye and rose his head to see the princess looking down at him indifferently. The exhausted pegasus groaned and began to speak "Oh the nightmares are back, wonderful." he complained laying his head back down.

"Star Shade!" She barked causing the stallion's head to shoot up.

His eyes widened and he prodded himself with his hood. "OH SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA IT'S REAL! WHY!" He shouted in an over-dramatic and disparaging voice before he began to sob. "Why Discord? Why have you FORSAKEN me? I CARE NOT for this BEAST!"

Luna gave a curt and offended scoff and began to scold the pony for his insolence, though a sudden thought crossed her mind. She had heard tales of Star Shade from her other Night Pegasi, and if the psychotic tendencies of the creature before her were true, it was best to leave him be. She shook her head in defeat before turning away from her former would-be subordinate and wondering back out side. She was greeted by three members of the medical staff tending to Macintosh, placing new gauze over his injured limb and giving him something to drink. His other associate however was reluctant with the medics, pushing them away if they tried to get to close.

"Get away from me, I don't want your help." Sin groaned, his shaking legs threatening to give out at any time.

"Please sir, we're just trying to help you." Called a light blue maned unicorn mare, he eyes riddled with concern for the stallions well being.

"And your concern is appreciated, but I will not take anything from the Triple em Corporation." Sin barked, his voice stern and unwavering, thick venom dripping from the last two words to exit his mouth.

"And why do you deny our aid?" The princess of night barked approaching the battle marked stallion. She looked down at him expectantly, noting all of the crimson stained puncture marks on his cape, and his wobbling legs. Her reflection caught in the young ponies black reflective goggles and hid his eyes from her judgment.

"I'm sorry." Sin mutter and furrowed his brow, "I didn't intend to seem rude, though-"

 "And rude you were, my little pony." Luna announced, glaring down at Sin as if he were a foal being scolded for doing something foolish. 

"And I apologize madam." Sin gave a curt bow of his head, as angry at the ill treatment she personally was giving him, the liberty pony still owed her his gratitude for her saving of his life. 

"Uh, Sin." Spike interupted, "This is Princess Luna, she's one of the Royal Pony sisters."

Sin's mouth gaped, "So I did hear correctly." He muttered looking up at Luna, judging her for what it was worth to him. After his brief examination, he gave a more genuine and deep bow. "I am sorry Princess Luna. I did not know it was you." A faint smile passed over the princess lips at his words and genuine respect. "And thank you for your aid, I am in your debt."

The princess allowed a bigger smile before addressing the wounded stallion again. "Rise Sin, please, the formalities are hardly needed to gain our favor."

Sin arose slowly, trembling from his aches before he was upright again. Though his words sounded warm, his face was passive an unreadable; even for the mistress of the night. "So why will you not allow my associates to treat your wounds?" Luna asked returning to her original point. The two medical mares stood eagerly to the side, just waiting for their call to action.

Sin let out a long slow sigh. "It's complicated, general synopsis, we have an unfavorable history."

Luna cocked a brow and was about to speak before she was silence by the sound of another stallion, this one's voice as cold and empty as Sin's. "Yes, he and we didn't exactly see; eye to eye." They all turned around to witness the entrance of a dark grey earth pony stallion with a darker grey mane, small wisps of white running back through it from front to back. On his neck was a red striped tie with two white cuffs that were held firmly in place, and his cutie mark was that of a female bipedal creature made of ice. "It's been quite some time, Sin."

Spike looked back to Sin, had he not known any better, he would have sworn the brown pony's eyes had narrowed. "Malic." Sin spat, causing the named pony to produce an empty chuckle. 

"Sin, Sin, Sin." Malic tisked shaking his head. "Out of all the places in the world I expected to find you. You! A once proud Senator of New Equine-"

"Why are you here, Malic? You're the Vice President of the Triple em Corporation. You are hardly a field worker." Sin asked with little more than annoyance.

"Triple em Corporation?" Spike asked confused.

Malic smiled looking down at the dragon, a smile that seemed all to familiarly empty and ingenue to him. "Yes my good sir. Triple em. Medical, Mining, and Mercenary. Back in the Federation many years ago, those were the three most in demand services at the time, still are to this day." 

Spike was already weary of this "vice president " just from his empty smile and seemingly emotionless words. But the ponies eyes sealed the deal, they lacked a certain shine to them; that shine that showed: hope, happiness and love. It was lost to the pony before him, and set the baby dragon on edge. "Oh. Okay." Spike shrugged forcing himself to sound more interested than nervous.

"And if you must know." The stallion turned to the battered former Senator. "I was here as a peaceful negotiator. Though, I think after seeing you in that predicament, those intentions went out the window." The executive pony shook his head.

"Negotiator?" Sin asked, though his question was ignored.

"Truly a shame as well, I was hoping he would join the Dragon Raiders, from what those mutts told us, he was quite the intelligent creature. I was hoping to make him my personal mount."

"Truly a loss for New Equine." Sin gave a sarcastic smile.

Malic shot a skeptical brow to his former associate, giving a dry word of acknowledgment before turning to Luna. "Princess, as we agreed. Triple M. has removed the dragon, and attended with Medical personnel." He bowed to her. "I will have a balance written up for you when you are ready. And please, if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." And with that, the princess gave him a thankful nod and Malic proceeded out the way he came. Though not with out one last empty smirk to Sin.

"Sin?" Spike croaked looking up at him, "What's a Senator?"

"A very shameful thing Spike, A very, very shameful thing."
 
> Royal Commitment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Royal Commitment



After the Triple M. Corporation raid on Golvec's enslaved diamond dog mine, the escaped dogs returned home to rejoin their pack. Alpha Rex and Beta Tido apologized for assuming the word of thier master was absolute and not even considering the strangers advice. 

Macintosh, Spike, Sin and even Star Shade were invited to stay in a small base camp set up by Triple M. a mile away from the caverns. Though Sin had still refused medical treatment from the medical agents, the Lunar sister had her own staff available to tend, even if it had taken a great deal of convincing and that the Luna accept some form of payment. 

Most stayed in the Corporate sponsored cluster of tents, surrounded by a durable though lanky chain fence. All accept Sin, who, with lack of confidence or just plain hatred for the enterprise, spent his time in the woods nearby; rejecting anything that could even be remotely associated with them. Though Macintosh and Spike had both tried to confront the stallion on the matter, he simply dismissed them with infuriatingly cryptic and vague words.

After looking over the tucking away the generous amount of stones that the dogs had given Spike and his friends to show their gratitude, in a newly made pouch that flung over his shoulder, curtsey of Luna; He and Macintosh gave the the best explanation for their current adventure.

Luna sat with the two in the white infirmary tent to allow the red stallions leg to heal. Listening with interest as the duo told of their first encounters with the enigmatic pony outside. Both feeling a little ashamed at the mention of how sad their loved ones were during the departure. Lune looked especially hurt when informed that Twilight hadn't come to see her number one assistant off. Though, she didn't particularly care for Spike's own words for his caretaker.

They spoke of their travels north, and Sin's lectures on freedom and the philosophical impact it had on them. Helping the two with challenges on how to live both free and responsibly. Though some of what was said made the princess raise a skeptical brow, she couldn't help but hold some amount of respect for the joy and fire that Sin had brought to her two subjects. Macintosh had come out of his shell more, speaking more words in one conversation than she ever thought the stallion said in his life. After they wrapped up the topics in pertinence to Nightmare Night and the Golvec incident, they shared a hardy laugh for reasons neither of them could explain.

"My, it seems as though you two are certainly keeping your hooves full." Luna grinned sheepishly.

"Yea, no kidding." Spike agreed, then his expression turned down trodden. "But some times, I do miss Twilight and them." To this Mac's face also turned downward. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm glad I came along with Sin and all, I've never felt more alive; but, Twilight is like my mother and big sister. And I left her with out even saying good bye."

"We are sure she has already forgiven you, young one." Luna gave a reassuring smile. "Twilight Sparkle has always come to logical conclusions, though you're words may have hurt; we are sure she understands."

The young Wyrm gave a sad smile, but then looked back down, another wave of guilt flowing over him. Mac placed a sympathetic hoof onto Spikes shoulder in an attempt to comfort the tears that were threatening to run. Luna took this as her cue to leave, and wondered out of the tent. She wanted to leave the two to have a moment of reflection and companionship to be sure, though her main goal was speaking to the supposed freedom oriented pony they were traveling with.

She found Sin laying under a tree, a few of the fallen leaves pushed together into a make shift bed on the ground. His head slowly shot up and he observed her encroachment. Once she was in close enough distance, she made her address. "Sin."

"Princess Luna." Sin replied, watching her expectantly.

Luna's eyes turned curious looking at her reflection in his goggles. She never liked being unable to view somepony's eyes when speaking with them, it made her feel more vulnerable then they. Though, she had a pretty good idea that's why he bore them. "I was hoping we could have a little chat about who exactly you are."

Sin gave a smirk. "No one of importance, your majesty."

"Hardly," Luna gave an amused smile. "You have had a great influence in the life of our sister's prodigy and our friend. I'd say that makes you a pony of great interest."

Luna had to clarify that it was Twilight who was the prodigy after Sin inquired about which of Spike or Mac was said high standing individual. After the initial confusion was cleared up, Luna pressed on the issue once more, her tone still friendly, but a forceful undertone was hardly unnoticeable. Sin answered he questions as vaguely and cryptic as he could, only feeding into the Lunar rulers frustration. She wasn't as patient as her sister, though; she had been locked in solitude upon the moon for 1,000 years. You'd think that would have taught her something in the ways of mellow expectancy. 

"Remove your eye wear." Luna demanded softly.

Sin quirked an eyebrow before shaking his head. "With all due respect Princess Luna, I have no-"

"You remember that debt you owe us?" Luna smirked after seeing Sin's face turn deadpan. "We wish to make it payable by you removing your eye wear whenever we request it."

Sin opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. If this was all she wanted for saving his life, than it was his responsibility to oblige. Reluctantly, he pushed his goggles up from his closed eyes and let them rest upon his forehead. For a moment the two stood in silence, awaiting for the stallion to reveal the windows to his mind that she had desperately wanted to see. Finally he inched his eyes open half way, revealing blue sky blue irises and something Luna had feared. Though Sin looked a great deal healthier than the executive stallion she met with to bring down Golvec, he still had the same; dead and soulless eyes as he did.

It was strange, the goggles made him look older than he actually was, even the small bags under his eyes didn't make him seem as aged as those reflective eye protectors had. Had she to venture a guess, she would have actually put the stallion as younger than Macintosh. "Alright," The pony replied looking to the Alicorn. "I have done as you asked."

"Our thanks." Luna stuttered involuntarily. She covered her mouth and began to apologize. 

"It's fine." Sin interrupted holding up a dismissive hoof, his eyes looking down to the ground again. "That's part of why I wear these, your subjects react the same way. And I'd rather not make them any more uncomfortable than necessary."

Luna nodded before she continued her questions. "How did you and our subjects become acquainted?"

Sin shot an eyebrow, "They didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Odd, though, the answer might be to your displeasure." Sin closed his eyes and gave a small smile. "I'd dare say you could call me an enemy of the state."

Luna stared skeptically, nopony had ever been so blatant to supposed wrong doing against the crown before. "We shall determine that for our selves, young one."

"'Young One'." Sin repeated opening his eyes. "I have not been refereed to in such a way for a long time." His eyes seemed to glaze over, or as much as could be seen before his somber expression turned sour. "My apologies, my first encounter with Macintosh was in a detainment facility outside of Ponyville..."

Sin recalled the day he observed Macintosh's unlawful arrest in the market, He followed the "law keepers" to the facility outside of the village and observed which cell the wrongfully arrested stallion was put in. He explained the tedious task of awaiting the sun to set and set in with his usual bag of supplies for the prisoner to use to escape. Conveniently leaving out the other numerous times he had repeated this plan, and the multiple failures that resulted. Luna reacted as he expected, she became angry and condemned his actions, stating that he should have instead notified his superiors to such gross misuse of power.

"And all that would have been needed was to create a charge." Sin replied giving a sigh.

"That isn't the point!" Luna slammed a hoof down to intensify her point. "We are a nation of laws, Mr. Sin. As such, we expect those laws to be obeyed!"

Sin smirked, his flat eyes some how turning amused. "Laws you say? Where were your laws for Mr. Macintosh?" 

Luna was about to answer before the liberty pony cut her off and continued. "Ask for a superior? When it was infact their superior who demanded that said individual be brought in?" 

"Excuse us?"

The brown cloaked pony's amusement collapsed to a sad look. "The reason for his incarceration was for a bargain, they would give him release if his sister would give the jailer a sexual favor."

Luna blanched at the accusation, seemingly at a loss for words she gave a seemingly apologetic look before Sin continued again. He stretched the point of a mare relinquishing her body because the Royal Sisters "law" had demanded it. Condemning the act as one of the most disgusting misuses of power he had ever played witness to. "And then there is your would-have-been subordinate, Star Shade." He looked behind him, before staring back at the Princess. "He was locked up for his lack of psychological stability and disinclination to adhere to your word. From what I understand; he never hurt any of your subjects, but they were only afraid of him. And that was reason enough to lock him away for the rest of his days... If that is your supposed 'justice' than I am more than happy to take on the title of 'Enemy of The State'."

"YOU RELEASED STAR SHADE!?" Luna bellowed, her demeanor turning angry and authoritative.

"Indeed I did, your highness." Sin gave a mocking bow. 

"INSOLENT FOOL! WE SHOULD HAVE YOU ARRESTED FOR SUCH AN ACT!"

Sin watched her threatening tirade with blank smile before he looked up the beautiful blue sky. He took a deep breath through his nose and lavished in the fresh smell of the forest around him. The cooling autumn to winter air gently blowing a crossed his face as he lowed his head to look at Luna with a glint of determination in his eyes. "I'm battered and beaten, your majesty," his grin grew wider at the flash of annoyance that hit Luna's face. "Now would be the best time to make such an attempt. Though, even as weak as I am, don't expect me to go with anything less than a fight. This is my life and I'll be damned before I allow you or anybody else to try to restrict me for simply giving freedom to those who did nothing to deserve the loss of it."

The night princess mouth hung open before her mind faltered on her words. She understood where the pony was coming from, though; she knew that the law must be respected. But what when the law fails to give fairness to her subjects? What then? Does this... Vigilante have the right to combat the corruption on his own? He shouldn't. He should have come up the chain of command to her. But would she have heard it? Would another stallion or mare in the chain have dismissed him as a liar? Does the wrongful incarceration, perhaps indefinite, of another entitle him to work outside the law?

"Though as it is your kingdom." Sin continued, snapping Luna out of her thoughts. She looked to the Stallion who had no put his goggles back over his dead-like eyes. "And as it is yours, should you not wish for my presence; I will leave. I've never enjoyed staying where I am not welcome."

Luna furrowed her brow and pondered his offer, it was solidified that she didn't like anypony working outside the law; and it was blatantly admitted that he had broken quite a few. Though, she also understood there were things that happened within the law that would put innocent ponies in places they didn't deserve to be. As much as she would like to believe all anypony would have to do is inform her of said abuse, she knew deep down that such a fantasy would never be reality. "We do not condone your actions." Luna began, trying to word her response carefully. "Though," She hesitated, "We do understand that there are things that are out of our control. We are willing to overlook this for the time being."

To her surprise Sin just stared indifferently at her kindness and practical pardon of his crimes. She expected some kind of gratitude for her leniency on the stallion, she probably would have locked him up on the spot had it not been for his friendly relationship with Spike and Macintosh.  

The stallion nodded and fell back to his knees in the leaves. A twitch of concern showed over the princess' face before Sin dismissed the act as one of exhaustion that time would heal eventually. With that bit if business out of the way, the princess had to depart for Canterlot to inform her sister about the success of the Triple M. Corporation's success in dealing with the slave driving wyvern. 

She said her goodbyes to Macintosh and Spike, informing them they may stay in the compound as long as the would like. After she informed Sin that though his actions had been overlooked, Star Shade was still a wanted pony by crown, and that if he wanted his freedom to be absolute, the night pegasus would need to stand trial, and receive a personal pardon from the two sisters respectively and publicly. After the freedom oriented pony agreed to relay the message, the mistress called down her carriage and set forth for the destination, becoming a tiny spec of black in the wide blue sky.
> Political Complication
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Political Complication



 "C'mon big Mac, If we hurry, we can still finish the lef' side of the orchard 'fore lunch." Called Applejack running through the apple family farm to the next set of trees.


"Eyup." Replied Mac following closely after. The two began to buck the eastern trees, most of the numerous vegetation was deprived of the previously abundant fruit and was tucked away in the new Apple family cellar. A slam of hoofs on bark later, and another round of apples fell into strategically placed baskets that surrounded the tree. "Hey A.J."

Applejack just slammed her hind legs into a tree before addressing her brother with a grunt.

"Y'all ever wonder what life's like outside tha farm?" 

Applejack let out a small laugh, "Mac, yer talkin' crazy again. Ain't nothin' outside this farm worth a lick."

Mac began to gather up the stray apples and set them into the basket. "Ah don' know 'bout that. Ah mean, how's everythin' work?"

"Work?" Applejack quirked an eyebrow at her brother.

Big Mac finished with his current tree and moved on to another one. "Yah. like: All these ponies buy owah' apples with bits righ'? Where do they ge' 'em?"

Applejack scoffed and shook her head. "Bruthah' Ah think Y'all been out in the sun to long. They git'em from their jobs n' such."

"Yea, but my question is, wa'do they do to get 'em bits?"

Applejack gave an annoyed sigh, "Honestly Mac, Ah don' know. N' Ah don't really see why ya care. The Apple farms the only thing that's important, far's money goes n' all."

The red stallion opened his mouth before giving a defeated sigh, and bucking his current tree. After gathering up the apples, he decided against his better judgment to ask another question. "But don' ya ever wonder wha' would happen if folk' stopped makin' the money to buy owah apples?" 

Mac wasn't much one for talking, but few actually knew the reason why. Everypony thought the stallion was just naturally quiet and had been his whole life. Though nopony knew the continual events the drove him to his painstaking silence, he wanted to tell them, he really did. He wanted to escape the confides of his mind and the hell that such seclusion brought, but ever since it started his confidence had slowly began to dwindle to the point of near extinction. The stallion didn't want to experience the belittlement from everypony else that he was about to go through right at that second.

"Macinosh Apple." Applejack snapped turning to face her brother. "There ain't nothin' to be gained from thinkin' bout those kinda things. How many times we have ta' have this conversation?"

"But-"

"Don't you but me misteh," Applejack took a step forward, her eyes showing even grater annoyance from the repeated motions of prior conflics. "Ah know ya wanna know how tha worl' works, but there ain' nothin' to it. It just does, alright? Now quit wastin' yer mind on things yer never gonna be able to control, n' just accept it. Does ya no good but stressin' ya out."

Mac hung his head down and slowly finished gathering the red fruit. Some how the sun shown a little more dimly, not from cloud cover or anything, it's glow had just become a little less bright over the fields. The conversation, or lack there of, had gone just as the stallion had expected, just like it always had and always would. He wasn't sure if his sister knew what she was doing to him, or if she even cared; but her constant degradation of his opinions and questions about things that didn't relate to her interests always discouraged him from speaking to her.

After putting the newly filled buckets into the wagon, the farm pony tilted his head till he heard a satisfying crack. A somber smile graced his muzzle again before he looked out past the wagon. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small brown blot that seemed out of place. Curious, he marched past the cart and into the opposite side to leave his sibling on her own. The closer he got, the more he realized the abnormality was actually a small brown sack sitting in between two trees. Something about the sack seemed vaguely familiar to him, though he couldn't quite place his hoof on it.

He unwrapped the small string that bound the top together and gasped as the bag fell open; its contents poking out. A small wooden crossbow, a round mirror and a single bolt arrow with a note attached greeted the crimson pony. He rubbed his temple at a sever case of deja vu before turning back to make sure Applejack hadn't noticed his absence. Big Mac reached into the sack and pulled out the note, careful to unfold it with out ripping the parchment. He furrowed his brow at the single sentence that seemed to repeat over and over going down the page to the bottom.

"Were you put on this earth to work this farm until the end of your days?" Mac asked in a whisper.

He put the paper down and gently reached in to grab the crossbow, a contraption he had only ever seen once. Though, it felt so natural to him as he slid it on his foreleg and tightened the belts that held it in place. A swift wave of confidence and power grabbed hold of the stallion before loaded the arrow bolt into the firing string. The last thing he grabbed was the mirror, he gently set it in a way that he would be able to see his face in the reflection. After his sad emerald eyes met the mirror image, the sentence from the note popped into his mind. He frowned and looked at himself in the mirror before smashing it with and angry hoof. "No, Ah was not born to work here, Ah was born to do what Ah wanna do." He proclaimed proudly.

"Big Mac?" a voice called 

"Big Mac?"

Macintosh's eyes fluttered a bit as Spike nudged him and pushed his side. "Big Mac! Get up!" Spike began before Mac eyes shot open and he jumped out of the cot, looking around in a panic. The purple dragon fell over backwards from the sudden change in activity and looked up to see Mac's green eyes had shrunk and his face horror stricken. "Mac Calm down, it was just a dream."

Macintosh's eyes flew down to Spike, a wave of realization and relief struck the stallion before he sat back down on his cot and began breathing heavily. "It was... just a dream." He reassured himself looking back to Spike.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No..."

Spike gave a concerned look for a few seconds before shrugging. "Suit yourself, how's your leg doing by the way?"

Macintosh began to roll the joint at his ankle, it felt much better now than when it first happened a week ago, thanks to the magical properties that the wrap had brought. Though, for four out of the five nights that had passed, the red stallion was having dreams of home that made him both sad and longing. The air growing could due to winters approach didn't help much either. He ventured to think that soon they would need bigger and bolder cloaks in order to continue traveling as they had been with out freezing to death.

A booming voice outside drew the attention of the stallion and his reptilian associate, it sounded like Star Shade was yelling at some thing. They both nodded to each other and left the infirmary tent to investigate, they passed the familiar faces of some Triple M. medical ponies that had cared for them, giving them morning greetings before they finally left the small compound to witness Shade yelling angrily at very tired and cold looking Sin.

"You know, I'm surprised at you." Shade announced turning his body away from his friend. "I thought you were all freedom and liberty oriented, no. No you're just like everyone else."

Sin rubbed his temples with his hooves before replying with restricted annoyance. "Shade, this isn't an Anarchist land. There are laws that you must abide by. You said the law hasn't given you any trouble during your time out, how long do you think your luck will last?"

Shade let out a humph, "You're one to talk about obaying laws."

"I offered to leave the land, and if she was going to arrest me, or you for that matter, she would have done so." Sin lowered his hoof and gave a look. "If I'm right, you will be pardoned, and roam a truly free-"

"FREE!?" Shade shouted, "YOU! Always said that our freedom came from OURSELVES, NOW you make it sound as if it is a gift to be given by the princess? What happened to-"

"DAMMIT will you let me finish?" Sin yelled back huffing. "It's not as simple as that and you know it!"

Shades eyes widened than narrowed before shaking his head.

"This is the land of Equestria, domain to the pony sisters: Celestia and Luna. They are the supreme law of the land, and because the inhabitants through out the land will abide by them, those two do hold authority." Sin explained calming himself significantly. After a curt nod of acknowledgment from his pegusus associate, Sin continued. "Now, let's use judgment here, If the princess still wants you detained for you being... you. Than the ponies of this land will be more than happy to accept. That is their power, and there is nothing you can do to change that." He took a breath. "However, if all you have to do is simply appear in her royal majesties court and make the case for why your imprisonment was wrong, than it's more than likely she will let you go a free stallion. At least, that's more or less what I've gathered from the conversation I had with her a while ago."

Mac observed the almost daily routine that started once the four of them reached the Triple M. compound. Sin trying to convince Star Shade that it would be best to attend his trial and hopefully leave with a lunar pardon, than to keep wondering around the country with the constant threat of the law scooping him away. Mac began to like Shade after what had happened with the wyvern Golvec. The two worked well together when it came to planing and executing. Though, Macintosh wasn't to well off on the Idea of losing his friend on charges of escaping prison.

"Ah think Sin's right, Shade."

The unstable pegasi's eyes shot to the newcomer, "You too Mac? I thought-"

"Shade," Mac interrupted. "Ah thin' the poin' Sin's tryin' t' make is that y'all gonna be caught by the law sooner 'er later. Might's well go on n' get it over with while ya have a chance to walk away from it 'thout goin' back to prison." He took a breath and closed his eyes. "Ah know how ya feel, ya know."

Shade quirked an eyebrow.

"Sittin' in a cell with none there to comfort ya. Feelin' hopeless n' weak n' angry. Not knowin' what ya did wrong to be put in ther' in the first place. I know how it feels." He gave a small and sympathetic smile, having an unexpectedly guilty look to come a crossed his friends face. "But don't worry. If Ah have n'thin' to say 'bout it, y'all be a free stallion in no time."

The dark blue pegasus big his lip, trying with futile effort to hold back the emotion that threatened to burst out. "I... Maybe," Shade looked down at his hooves and began to paw at the ground. "Maybe you're right... Thank Big Mac." He gave a small and uncharacteristically warm smile."

"Than that settles it." Sin called standing up from his leaf bed. "We make way for Canterlot."

Just like a pouting small child being offered ice cream, Star Shade perked up and smiled a tooth grin. "CANTERLOT! I finally get to see my god trapped in stone!" He hopped up and down gleefully, to the relief of all the ponies around.

"Your god?" Asked the until no silent Spike. "Who's your god?"

Shade halted his bouncing in mid air than turned to Spike. "Well Discord of course, he's my idol you know."

Spike and Mac looked on in disbelief for a time before an even more stunning question erupted from Sin.

"Who's Discord?"





Spar Hawk massaged his temples with his tallon like fingers. Today was a special kind of childish for the Senate, they were refusing to speak to anyone out side of their state. It was typical of the Politicians to ignore thier "rival party" seeing as they almost made it a point to disagree on everything, but today was different, the Boltinians and Syndicrats weren't playing their usual party politics. They states representatives merely kept to themselves and their own seats of the Congregation.

What made it unusual was the fact that economic hardships had befallen both the Columbus Griffins and South New Equine Worker ponies. With the lack of adequate feed for the stocks for farmed rodents, meat prices in Columbus have begun to skyrocket. Latest reports indicate that a simple rabbit grew 150% in price to make up for the cost of heightened price of supplemental vegetation caused by the interrupted trade rout through the Veil; thanks to the humane timberwolf relocation. Add the particularly gruesome two week trade disruption to the already exuberant price to cover Union Dues of the Earth Pony Union, and it's own political abuse; suddenly the accusations of extortion against the Columbians might not be as brash as first thought.

Though, since the trade dispute hit the South Equine's as well, the workers councils will need to determine what the best course of action will be to make up for the losses. True as it was that the their own party was to be blamed for the ill timed relocation of the wooden canines, though Spar Hawk found it astonishing that the South Equine's hadn't prepared for the event. Now, the lack of income from the Griffins will cause either: Deflation to keep up with standards of living, there by interfering with trade in the other states, or to accept the loss of the current season's first income; and rattle the market to rally for the next. Assuming that the suffering until the new trade line doesn't cause too many complications.

"Well?" The centaurian arbiter bellowed, his booming voice echoing though out the muted hall. The bored eyes of the thirty five current senators fell onto him. "Would anyone like to be addressed? Anything to be brought to the floor?"

The questions were greeted with an unnerving silence. The centaur knew the South Equine's more democratic and worker oriented mentality made them avoid-ant to speak to political superiors. Try as they might to create a country "for the worker" their attempts had been rendered futile by their peoples love of frivolity and comfort that the Corporatist Pegasus/Unicorn coalition offered. 

Ever sense the Triple M. Corporation had began its expansion into commodities outside the named, the Unicorn rulers couldn't have been more happy than to give subsidies at taxpayers expense to assist making the products cheaper... Enchanted quills, enchanted benches that vibrated and massaged the ponies body at their word, water that made crops grow faster, modified automatic wagons; there was no limit to what the Triple M. Corporation could produce. And since said state is where the main company is located, the main trade with the Unicorns/pegasi was all to convenient to pass up.

The Diamond Dogs of Cania had been rather passive, their trade with the Unicorns/Pegasi had gone rather smoothly, trading mining equipment for gems and jewels. Taking contracts for the Triple M. Corporation for their mining division wasn't a bad source of Income and economic stimulation either. It was probably the Canim trade to Columbus that would see the Griffins through their recession with minimal difficulty. At least, that was the hope running through the arbiters mind.

Though, the minotaurs had been a rather enigmatic state. As much as Spar Hawk gave pride to himself for his understanding and knowledge of the Eight states of the Federation. But the Vein minotaurs were as secretive as they came. Sure, they spoke a lot about what they were selling in weapons and/or services, but the: how's, when's, where's, and why's were a complete mystery to those who weren't "in the knows ring" as the Senator Stone put it.

The Orvalian donkeys had been catching a great deal of scorn from the syndicrats recently for their tolerance of high propensity immigration from Zeborica. Many of the immigrants had taken their leave of Orval and began to migrate all a crossed the Federation. The zebra's had been a particular grievance in the Vale. Though it was common knowledge that none were to inhabit the seven thousand archer piece of untainted forestry and grassland, the Zebra's found the uninhabited land full of indigenous and exotic plants to be favorable for their alchemy and potion brewing. 

Disputes between the Federation and Zeborica had arisen when word had gotten back to the Zebra nation about how the locals... handled the Vale intrusion. Threats were made against the Senate and most notably the Centaurs, who for all of their peacefulness and wisdom, were far from tolerant of one of the last bastions of nature, being impeded upon by a group not even holding routs in the nation. Though, not exact, the Rovin Republic's Buffallo could have the same complaint made against them for their "ritual stampedes" through the Vale, and how hypocritical it was to allow them to march on while the Zebras and all others, could not.

"Very well," Spar Hawk declared standing from his crouched position. A brilliant light shining off his dark blue coat as he stood. "Should petulant children you wish act, petulant children you shall be treated. I know there are issues that need be addressed here, as do all of you." He awaited someone to speak, anyone, about anything. Though the only answers the Arbiter received were the few awkward coughs from the North Equines and Columbians. "Fine, You're all dismissed for a three day recess." He slammed his gavel down and the silent room began to empty.

----

Windmane slumped in his seat, he knew there were issues to be addressed and such as the continued pressure on the Recession about to occur in Columbus, but the Lobbyists of the Triple M. Corporation had gone to each Senator and bribed them to hold their tongues in the chamber today, save the few who didn't care for the corporate interests; in which case they were threatened with Triple M. with holding funds to respective charities in local districts. Something none of the politicians wanted to responsible for, not even Windmane himself.

Though, it did confuse him as to why the Lobbyists had taken to such a campaign, questions began to swim through the young senators mind as he pontificated the residual outcomes for such political stagnation. Finally after most of the congregation had dispersed, Windmane approached the Arbiters in an attempt to see why Light Heart had't attended the Senate meetings for the past week. "Arbiter Spar Hawk!" He called with a smile, causing the dreary eyes of the Centaur to gaze upon him, a wave of nervousness soon to a company. 

"Senator Windmane." Called Spar Hawk with a sigh. It wasn't a secret that Windmane and Islander were friends, thus, the Arbiter didn't particularly care for the Pegasus. "How may I help you?"

Windmane cleared his throat, a forced confidence went into his voice. "I was hoping you might know why Light Heart isn't here. His representation of the Western Grove in Northwood-"

"Light Heart isn't feeling well." Spar Hawk interrupted with a calm though dangerous tone. "He has had a minor accident involving his spear. He resides in the Red Cross hospital; down on Fleet street.

A wave of fear quickly destroyed what ever confidence the navy blue pegasus had mustered."Accident? What accident?" Spar Hawk only looked upon him with sad eyes before casting his gaze back down to his bench. He explained that Light Heart had over indulged in mind altering beverages and the ceremonial spear his office carried had been carelessly and tragically shoved into his shoulder some how. 

Windmane was about to push the issue before another pony entered the fray. A dark grey earth pony with a black and white mane approached, causing an all to familiar nauseating feeling to bubble in Windmane's stomach. "Good afternoon Malich." Spar Hawk called with a greatly annoyed sigh.

"Good afternoon Arbiter. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything." Malich called with his icy voice. His eyes darted from the high ranking Spar Hawk to Windmane. No matter how many times the blue pegasus saw them, he could never get used to the unnerving shiver those cold grey eyes sent down his spine. It was look looking into the eyes of a dead and decapitate pony who not only knew his life was about to end, but he looked forward to it.

"Vice President Malich," Windmane gave a curt nod, to which Malich only gave a sly smirk. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Right." Malich said dryly before turning his attention back to Spar Hawk. "As your emissary to Equestria, I have spoken with both the Princess's Luna and Celestia. They send their compliments and gratitude for your token of good faith by paying us to assist them with a little dragon problem they were having."

"Emissary to Equestria?" Windmane asked, his eyes widened with shock. "But, we're not supposed to have any political ties with other nations. The Articles of Arbitration clearly state-"

Spar Hawk cut off the pegasus with a bone chilling glare. It was one the centaurs signature abilities, and this particular Arbiter was no exception. Windmane's mouth hung for a moment, his words literally a breath in his throat. A sudden feeling of terror began to envelop the senator before his judgement kicked back in and he decided to pardon himself from the two. As he gave his good byes and walked out of the dark wood chamber, he caught a glimpse of a pony sitting on the otherside of the way from him. He shrugged it off as another senator who wanted a word and wondered out into the familiar and relaxing lobby. 

Windmane loved to go into the lobby after a session in the Senate. It was his way of unwinding, there were not many political debates out here, no confrontations, no trying to convince others of your point of view... There was just the lobbyists, and when you were clear in your disdain for them, they hardly ever spoke to you. As he passed the receptionist at the desk, he noticed that the minatory looked surprisingly nervous. "The husband have a bad day?" The pegasus asked, causing the dark purple monstrosity to fumble with her pen. After she recovered, her beedy yellow eyes met the senators and she let out a forced smile.

"Oh, oh nothing at all deary. Shila was just uh..." she paused her eyes darting around. "Thinking about home, that's right. Shila was thinking of home."

"Ah yes home." Said Windmane, oblivious to her obvious discomfort. "I think I might head there myself now. Nothing much to do."

As the stallion began to exit the building Shila called out to him before he could leave. "Senator... might Shila give a suggestion to this beautiful cafe' down the street?" She gave a large grin.

Windmane couldn't deny it any longer, something was off. "Yea... sure." He noded, trying to hide his skepticism. 

"Ok." The female minotaur replied. She opened her mouth as if she were about to speak but suddenly stopped. Windmane watched with unimpressed eyes before the nervous monstrosity leaned down and picked up a vanilla colored parchment and began awkwardly reading the text. "Go to the... Villa Cafe down... First street and walk inside... Tell Windmane he should, look for a... black griffin who will be... sitting in back of, cafe." She looked up with a goofy and proud grin.

"Um. Shila? Who gave that to you?" 

Shila's happy grin turned horrified as she hid the paper behind her back. "Paper? What paper? I don't see any paper." She gave another nervous chuckle as small beads of sweat began to pour down her face.

"Right." the pegasus found it best to end on that note before debating on whether to follow the notes instructions. Should it have been a political assassination, killing him at home would have made more sense than dragging him out to a wide open cafe. Would they be trying to send a message? Does it have something to do with the eirily silent Senate? The pony Senator wasn't completely sure what was going on today.

But he was going to find out.

Ok yea, now we get a bit more into the Federation and the Actual political stuff. Gotta admit, it's a bit difficult to keep track of everything and make it coherent and constant. So yea... All this happened. Now I have to figure out what I'm doing, how I'm going to do it, and how it's going to end up. If this is confusing to anyone, let me know. Politics can be rather confusing, be it fan fic or real life.
> Luna's Deception
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Luna's Deception



After a grueling journey back down to the south east. The party lead by Sin finally reached the mountain side capital city of Equestria: Canterlot. Had it not been for the heavier cloaks provided by a near by village, it was questionable if the four would have survived the trip. Granted the southern side of Equestria was a welcome bit warmer than the northern, however, not enough so that proper winter clothing would be anything less than necessary. 

"Finally," Spike proclaimed taking a seat on the recently snow covered ground. The party had gotten used to trudging in the quasi-frozen winter precipitation in recent weeks; not to say they particularly enjoyed it by any means. Matter of fact, Macintosh and Shade would audibly curse whenever they witnessed pegasi preparing a storm for the day. Though, the many hours of perseverance and encouragement they gave one another, had hardened the hearts and minds of all involved. 

Add to that Spikes joy that he had finally been given his own things, true to his word, Sin had began to assist the baby dragon in his growth by allowing him to hold more than just a food supply. Though, whenever the wyrm would act in any kind of over indulging act of greed, the liberty pony would immediately remove one item from the dragon's satchel as punishment. It took some getting used to, and left Sin sleeping with one eye open after a certain incident that involved a gem carving set.

"We've been walking for six damn weeks!" The purple dragon announced shifting his neck to the side with an audible crack.

"N' it paid off." Macintosh said before her looked onto the great castle held within the city walls. He and Spike had talked about the fact that Hearths Warming Eve was coming up, and the play that stared their six friends, and even Spike himself as the narrator. They spoke of their concerns about seeing the others there, and even though they dismissed it as unlikely, a small churning still lingered in their stomachs about their friends and families reactions to seeing them again. 

Star Shade had been given a darker blue cloak instead of a tanned brown one, and in typical 'Shade' fashion, he managed to some how add a zipper to the front so that the non-hooded cape turned into a sleeping bag. The more Macintosh thought about it, the more the black pegasus reminded him of a certain pink party mare from back home. He cringed, the thought of the two meeting each other sent his heart into an unprecedented race of terror. 

"Parties and violence... yea, I can't see that ending well either."

Sin checked over the cache of gems he had personally stored under his cloak to trade for currency, compliments of Spikes new hobby, the jewels had been expertly chizzled to pleasing shapes, and very well shined. If what Mac and Spike said were true, then Canterlot would be full of Unicorns just itching for some new gems to work with, and with such a supply and his willingness to under cut the competition, the liberty pony assured the others that they would be able to raise funds for a decent hotel. 

After a quick break, the party quickly approached the base of the mountain, the sun beginning it's post mid day decline. Macintosh hoped by all things pony that they would get into town at least before the cold night overtook them again. He had grown quite aggravated with sleeping on the ground in winter weather, not to mention some... Other things that happened in order to preserve body heat at night.

It didn't take the group long to reach the city gates, though the red stallion had never been to the capital before, he was confused by the lack of ponies coming in or leaving the area. He had heard about pegasus drawn chariots flying to escort the royal sisters to and from their palace, though he couldn't imagine that many could afford such a luxury. As they approached the opened city gate, two golden clad royal guards greeted them with their typical stone and serious expressions.

"Halt!" one of them called, both bringing their spears to block the entrance to the city. "Identify you-" He stopped as soon as he saw the young dragon give a long and impatient groan. "Oh, the assistant of her majesties pupil." The earth pony guard gave a quick solute, his associate following soon after. "My apologize, please; Princess Luna is awaiting you."

Spike gave a snide smirk before proudly marching by the guards, mumbling to Mac about how his reputation had proceeded him. Sin followed behind Star Shade who gave and received a skeptical glance from the Celestial guardsponies.

Mac's mouth gaped after entering the city, some how it seemed alot smaller from outside the wall. Magnificent alabaster marble pillars arose with golden domes off in the distance, shops and residents were decorated and primed clean for the event that was to come in a few days. The crowd mostly consisted of higher class unicorns, some gave Mac an odd and curious glance before continuing on with their noses rung high.

He looked down to the cobblestone ground, he had never seen this style of flooring save a few roads he had traveled on a special deliver of apples outside of Ponyville. "I suppose we should head to the Castle." Sin sighed before he continued on the road. Mac was still stuck in awe of the magnificent detail of the City, there were different floors to it; the roads connected to a few ramps that lead to the higher levels, and with each level gained the buildings became even more luxurious, and it's inhabitants more... judgmental.

About half an hour later, and some strange and glances that dripped with a superiority complex, they had finally arrived to the palace proper. As they approached the heavily guarded main gate, Macintosh noticed a rather large gathering of ponies restricted by a phalanx of royal guards, however the ponies weren't looking at the guards nor the castle. They were all intently focused on a larger green earth pony with a mallet for a cutie mark.

The green ponies voice was rough and loud, he was yelling at the gathered about something to do with the workers being extorted and not having a say in how the fruits of their labor are used. 

"They take our time and our labor! Give us nothing more than what THEY deem we are worthy for! The gentle laboror gets the scraps from the tables while THEY live in comfortable homes and have enough for all, but to themselves! And the supposed 'government' those who are supposed to protect us, turn a blind eye! Well I say NO MORE!" He called, summoning a wild cheer from the crowed before him

Before anymore could be said, Spike had convinced the celestial servants to let them pass. As the three walked in, the farm stallion noticed Sin staring intently at the rally leader. 

"Sin?" Mac called.

Sin stood motionless, his attention fixated on every word the green pony was saying. Mack nudged the brown stallion who gave a surprised jump. "Huh?" Sin called absently, almost innocently. Mac pointed his hoof indicating to follow. "Right, right. Sorry." He apologized as he began to walked to catch up. Mac eyed the liberty pony with concern, Sin walked forward but his head was still turned to listen to the preaching.

After they were finally out of ear shot, Mac noticed Sin relaxed, though his head was down trodden. Before he could question it, they entered the main hall and were greeted by two very tired looking black clad Royal Night guards. They recognized Star Shade immediately and narrowed their eyes, which the dark pony returned with a growl. 

"Star Shade, who'd a thought I'd see your happy flank again?" Called the left guard, his voice dripping with venom.

Mac decided to stop this before it got started and held up a hoof. "We don' wan' any trouble naw." he called atracting both the guards attention. "So, ta' us to th' princess, or clear out!" The stallion bit his tongue but kept his face stern. he was surprised at how rude he had been, it was true he was tired and cranky from his time out in the wilderness; but he had never once even considered speaking to anypony in such a way. Let alone the personal guard of Princess Luna herself.

Both the dark unicorns eyes brows shot up, their eyes shrinking at the forceful command of the red giant before them. They agreed that arguing was not the best option and lead the way to see the Lunar pony.

"Nice job." Shade called happily from behind him. Mac nodded with a somber smile at his approval.

Mac took this moment to look around and enjoy the scenery and decorations of the inside of the castle. Many tapestries hung over the pure marble white walls, giving a good contrast to the red velvet carpet that lead up to the main stairway. Though the guards lead them down a hallway where the red velvet slowly turned violet than a dark shade of blue, the half celestial and half lunar tapestries gave primarily way to the later. Dark blue fire torches lighted the darkened hallway now, he could hear something behind him and he turned to find Star Shade breathing heavily.

Not that it was surprising, considering it was his trial after all, though with Sin around, he couldn't imagine the former lunar guard being imprisoned again. Finally they reached a pair of long navy blue doors with a crescent moon on each. Both lunar servants moved to open them, a bright blue light coming from within cased Mac to shield his eyes momentarily, when he allowed his hoof back down his eyes eyes widened again upon discovering the numerous dark colored ponies from within.

The two Lunar servants beckoned and the group followed, save for Shade bit his lip and his eyes narrowed. Mac looked back and wondered over to the stallion to see what was ok. "I- I" he stammered, "I don't wanna go back in the cage." He shook his head taking a few steps back from Luna's chamber. Macintosh advance placing a comforting hoof on Star's shoulder. He had never seen Shade like this, he was usually such a care free and happy pony, albeit a very random and psychologically unsound one, but never in the months spent together had the dark stallion ever shown such genuine terror. 

"Don' you worry non'." Mac cooed. Shade focused his yellow eyes on Mac's comforting green ones. "Ya got friens' wh'll be righ' ther' witcha." he gave a comforting smile, Shade took a long breath and returned it. A quick thanks and the two entered the chamber to find Luna talking to Sin and Spike from atop her black and navy throne. She nodded her head and dismissed the court before her. A few minutes later, the darker shade of ponies had cleared out of the room, leaving only Macintosh, Sin, Shade, Spike, Herself and two guards standing by the door.

"Star Shade." Luna called, beckoning him to stand before her.

Shade took a calming breath and marched over the blue carpet to stand before the stairs that lead up to Luna's throne. He looked up at her with a surprising amount of resilience in his eyes as he awaited for her to speak.

Luna's gaze was not as hard as Mac had remembered it being last she saw him, a small waver of hope stood in his dread ridden heart. What if he was wrong, what if Sin's words didn't sway the lunar Alicorn?

"Star Shade, Former Night Guard to my very throne. You have been deemed a threat to yourself and to society." Luna proclaimed standing up. She began to descend the stairs, her eyes hardening the more she looked at the bat pegasus. "Your mental state, has been observed and considered unsound, you were imprisoned in the Swirl prison due to your lack of resolve and disobedience to my crown."

The last part cause Shade's eye to twitch slightly.

Mac watched as Luna stopped at the bottom of the stairs, causing the down trodden former subordinate to step back. Luna continued with a scowl. "You abandon me, you abandon the code of the Lunar Guard, and You abandon the very reason you were born, how do you plead?"

Star Shade's eyes narrowed at her last topic. "I was NOT born to serve you," He growled looking up from the very interesting piece of carpet. "I am not guilty, and no amount of judgment you pass will change that fact."



"Okay!"

"..."

"..."

"... What?" 

"I said Okay." Luna chirped smiling brightly. 

The mouths of: Sin, Mac, and Spike gaped at the sudden change in personality of the princess. How does a... when did she... Luna looked around to find the flabergasted faces gawking and she giggled, placing a hoof over her muzzle to help hide it. "You should see your faces." She snickered before she calmed down and began to speak again. "I've heard what happened to you, Star Shade, and I want to make it clear that I'm very displeased with it."

Mac could only nod his head in agree, he couldn't help but be stuck on the fact she said "I" instead of "we" when addressing herself.

"And as such" Luna continued, "You are here by pardoned for of your supposed crimes." She spat the last word with loathing. Star Shade stood emotionless to the sudden and abrupt revelation. Macintosh let out a small cheer before walking up and patting him on the shoulder.

"Congratulations Star Shade." Sin called with a small smile. Shade merely looked forward blankly.

"WOO HOO!" Spike chimed walking up to the other side of shade and patting him on the back. "You see Shade, it all worked out in th-"

The dark pegasus broke the small wyrm's words as he fell like a statue onto his face, a small thud echoed through out the chamber. "Uh Shade?" Spike called looking down to the paralyzed pony. "You alright dude?" Star didn't reply, he simply sat with the awkward tilt of his frozen fore hooves and head supporting his arisen lower body. Spike looked over to the amused princess and quirked a brow. "I think you broke Star Shade, princess."

"He'll be fine." Sin stated lowly, putting his hoof on Shade's back and set the rigamortis stricken pony upright. "We thank you for your time, your majesty." Sin bowed before he looked back to Luna again. "Will that be all you need?"

Luna's expression turned from playful to a sadistic form of mischievous. "Oh no, no Mister Sin." She shook her head. "There is still going to be a trial, it just wont be for Shade."

Shade's ear twitched with interest.

"Oh?" 

Luna shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm afraid we have had a string of strange weapons appearing in over ten prison cells all over Equestria. One of them was given to the hooves of a foal napper. Sorry to say, we must bring YOU to justice for your crimes against the law, and against us." 

Sin stood for a moment and processed the information before he shook his head and cast his eyes to the ground. "It was a trick." He scolded himself for being fooled so easily. "I can't believe I fucking fell for this."

For a moment, a look of sympathy shot over Luna's eyes before they hardened back to those of a ruler. "Yes, I'm afraid you were tricked into coming here. And as of now, you personally are not to leave the castle grounds until after you have been judged. Celestia has heard alot about you from her student: Twilight Sparkle, I assume the two of you have met?" She said, her glance shooting to Spike; who laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.

"We have," Sin stated simply.

"Good. than come, we must meet with my sister to set a time." Luna walked briskly past the four travelers and wondered out the door back to the hall. 

Mac let out a sigh of relief and disappointment. He was happy that Star Shade would be allowed to go free, but disappointed that Sin was now being charged for what he had done. Though, a feeling of conflict ran over him, did he really try to help a foalnapper?

He helped YOU didn't he? A voice in the back of Big Mac's mind hissed.

Yea but, what if he kne-

Oh yes, because Sin would knowingly help a pony who wanted to take foals away and do Celestia knows what to them.

"Shade." Sin nudged the pony, breaking him from his statue like state with a blank stare. Sin gave him the closest thing he could muster to a warm smile. "You don't have to go back in the cage." 

Mac was a bit taken aback by that. After the princess had not only tricked him into coming her to face his own trial, all he could think about was how Star Shade felt. A mix of pride and anger flashed over him, pride that Sin really cared about his friends, and anger over the fact that he might actually be admitting that he deserves to be here.

After Sin snapped the now pardoned pegasus free, the three migrated out of the room to follow the lunar princess. Who stood impatiently outside the chamber with a foreleg patting repeatedly on the ground. "Come then, we can't keep our sister waiting to long."

And there was the "our" instead of "my" again.

After a brisk walk down the hall, Macintosh looked over to the groups ring leader to find his face wasn't the stone cold it had been before. His mouth was open for short breaths, and he repeatedly gulped the closer they came to the main hall. "Y'all righ' Sin?"

Sin nodded then gave a little nervous chuckle. "Never been in the presence of Royalty before." Sin admitted as the left the darkened windowless hallway into the bright and open marble entryway. After their eyes readjusted to the light, they followed Luna up the staircase.

"Pft, don't worry about it." Spike scoffed, easing the tension between them as they approached the throne room. "Celestia is the most patient, kind, and loving ponies I know. After you explain to her what you've told us; I'm sure she'll let you go."

Mac couldn't help but smile, if anypony knew the princess, it was him and Twilight.

"What if she's right though?" Sin asked, more to himself than to Spike. "What if I did plan to help a foalnapper escape? I didn't see anyone do it, but then again, i didn't really study those who were arrested with out charge." He hung his head in guilt.

Spike blew a raspberry. "Eh, I'm sure one misunderstanding wont hurt your chances." Luna used her magic to open the door. A large and angry voice boomed from the newly revealed enterance, a voice Macintosh could only describe as a rival to Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice.

"TEN YEARS IN THE DUNGEON!"

 



> Capital Debates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Capital Debates




Behind the door was a very angry looking elongated alicorn. Her slender and delicate form was a stark contrast to hate-filled stare she had been giving one of her subordinates. The crown atop her try collared flowing mane confirmed her royalty and linage.

The smaller red pegasus looked up at her with a bored and and expectant expression. Mac quirked a brow and suppressed the shudders he was feeling. Was this pony more insane than Shade? To have the Princess of the sun, capable of banishing him to the moon, yell at him and stand there and give her a look that practically said: "is that the best you can do?"

To eveypony's surprise, the celestial goddess' expression softened and she cleared her throat. "How was that?" 

"Eh, could be better, but it will have to do I suppose." Called the pegasus shrugging.

Celestia looked past the blood red stallion and blushed upon realizing there was more of an audience than just him. "Oh, uh... Sister," Celestia stuttered, her blush shaming the crimson of the pony before her. "I wasn't expecting to see you right now."

The pony turned to see who had come in to visit. His amber eyes and cocky smirk held a familiar kind of arrogance and pride that Mac couldn't quite place his hoof on where he remembered it from. "Well, it seems you have other guest." The Pegau quipped turning to them. "I suppose we will finish this later." As he passed he stopped for a moment and his gaze shot to Sin. "Do I know you from some where?"

Sin observed the pony for a moment. "Blood wing, you were a performer with the Shadowbolts at Cumulonimbus city. I was attended one of you shows."

"Front row?" He asked.

"yes."

"Ah." Blood wing shrugged and walked by with out another word and proceeded down the red carpet to the castle entrance. 

"What was that about?" Luna asked trudging up to her sister and taking her place on her own throne in front of a Lunar tapestry. 

"Oh, Blood Wing and I had a bet a while ago," Celestia waved a hoof dismissively, "It's a long story." She brought her attention back to the crowd below and smiled when her eyes landed on the former assistant of her pupil. "Spike!" she called standing up and descending the stairs. to her gold plated seat. "It's good to see you again."

Spike and Celestia shared an embrace and a gentle nuzzle.

The warm feeling of the reunited turned dark when the princess looked past the dragon to his companions. Celestia's eyes narrowed an she placed a stern foreleg on the purple reptiles shoulder. "We will speak about your abandonment of Twilight later." She scolded giving a disappointing glare. To which the dragon backed away and turned his head in guilt. 

Celestia pointed and accusing hoof at Sin, "YOU!" She called, prompting the gestured stallion to quirk an eyebrow. "So, you're the enigmatic 'Sin' yes? Twilight has told me much about you."

Sin took a calming breath. "So, it is true." Sin confirmed, more to himself than the goddess. He took another breath and shook his head. "Your student has a tendency to... over reactions and jumping to conclusions, your majesty."

Celestia cocked a brow. "Oh? So you didn't Take her assistant with you on a travel around my kingdom? You didn't convince her friend, Applejack's, brother to accompany you and leave his life behind?" She pointer a golden laced hoof at the red stallion beside him. "and you didn't speak down to her friend Rainbow Dash, adding bits of guilt to the pegasus' conscience over not wanting to see her friends leave?" She let out a low humming sound like a mother who caught a small child.

Sin's ear twitched before he let out another sigh. "First off, the told me to leave; I agreed and Spike offered to accompany me, as did Mr. Macintosh. I didn't take anything. Secondly, I only informed Macintosh about what a free life was, and how he should live it the way he wants. I didn't convince him to do anything, it was his choice." Sin spat now looking straight up at the princess.

"Is that a fact?" The white alicorn replied quirking an eyebrow, her gaze never shifting from the reflective surfaces on Sin's goggles.

"Why don't you ask them?" Sin shrugged motioning to Mac and Spike. "I can tell you don't care for what I have to say." Celestia slowly turned her head to look at the mentioned individuals. They both nodded in the affirmative, giving a small words of confirmation.

Celestia took a breath, her form visibly relaxing. "Regardless." She spat beginning her trek back up the stairs to her throne and she took a seat. "Those are not the crimes you are here to atone for."

Mac cringed a bit at the word "crime".

"So I've heard." the Liberty pony agreed.

"Though, I have to say. I am curious." The elder alicorn scratched her chin with her hoof. "When I asked about where you were from, my faithful student claimed that you said you... were from far away, was it?." Her skeptical eyes turned down to him with a contemplating grin. "Please tell me, where are you from? And don't say far away."

Sin cracked his neck, "I'm from the Federation north of the Griffin Empire."

Celestia's eyes widened a little at the revelation. "I see, and why, exactly, did you come to my kingdom?"

"I came here to escape the idiocy and tyranny that has befallen my country." Sin replied in a serious tone. "Much has happened with an entity known as the Triple M Corporation, but I'm sure you know all about them."

Sin's face was turned directly to Celestia, though his eyes darted to her moon rising sister, who's confident expression was replaced by one of shear terror and pleading.

"Never!" Celestia called, regaining all attention onto her. "I have seen the way they do business. They attempted to expand to Equestria to further their profits. I wouldn't' have any of that barbarianism here." She scolded what she thought was a taken back Sin. 

Mac's eyes traveled over to Luna, who gave the stallion a quick and almost unnoticeable shake of the head.

Sin gave a curt grin to the princess. "Of course, my apologies."

The alabaster unicorn calmed herself and sat back in her throne. "As well as mine, you were only asking a question." A glint of subtle interest and realization came over her and she gave a small smile. "I've actually been trying to get into contact with the rulers of your country, though I've had little success in the matter. Could you please tell me why that is?"

An empty smile crossed Sin's own muzzle before he informed the princess about the founding document of the Federation that disallowed Political ties with all other nations. Upon hearing this, the princess inquired how the stallion had ascertained such information. He subtle interest grew when she discovered that Sin was part of the Federal Senate. The next thirty minutes were spent with the two conversing about how the aligned states worked, how it came to existence and how nation was divided up between the eight races who inhabited it.

With each passing minute, Celestia's skepticism and mistrust faltered more and more to the point where she actually spoke as if she liked the stallion, and they were old friends catching up after years apart. Luna's terror had diminished once the topic was off Triple M. and she too listened with interest. Even Sin was speaking with a bit of warmth, away from his typically cold and calculating voice.

"That bad?" Luna called wide eyed.

"Oh yes," Sin nodded, "Diamond dogs maybe more submissive in Equestria, but in the Federation, they are well renowned for killing anything that dares attempt to steal from them."

Luna let out a sigh, "I will never look at those dogs the same way again."

"Quite." Celestia agreed before she flared her wings for a stretch. She noticed the odd look from every one else and scoffed at the notion that royalty was to remain 'prim and proper' at all times.

"I see." Sin smiled, "I like that."

"Thank you." The solar alabaster unicorn cleared her throat and her friendly expression became more serious, though not as threatening as before. "However, this minor advent does not excuse you from judgement." She walked down to stand in front of him again, standing a full head taller. "I'll be calling in the witnesses and have the trial set up for tomorrow morning." She said sternly.

Sin let out yet another sigh of annoyance and nodded his head. The solar princess gave a sly smile and a satisfied nod. "Good," Her demeanor turning friendly again. 

The princess sure likes to change her moods... 

"Now that that's settled, by all means. The castle is free reign, just inform me before you leave, and I'll have the servants prepare a room for you all tonight." 

Sin was about to give protest over having another work for him on her her order, but a black streak shot by, causing him to flinch. He looked over to find Luna grabbing Mac's foreleg and looking at him with sultry eyes. "Come big Macintosh, you have a trial of your own to attend."

Mac, completely caught of guard, pulled away from the princess and backed away in both confusion and shock. "Princess Luna Ah..." he began only to be cut off by a dark and lively glow which plucked him off the ground. He looked upon his captor with a pout, Luna returned his gaze with a lazy eyed grin.

"Now, now. Big Macintosh." Luna scolded playfully, "We wont have any of that." She winked and began trotting off to who knows where. Mac searched the confines of his mind for what he was in for. Yea it was true that he found the princess attractive, and maybe it was true that he might have given her a bit more attention than Celestia while they were interviewing Sin... And it wouldn't be a complete lie to say that some of those looks were rather affectionate. Still, he was nervous and unprepared for what lay ahead.

"Sin, Sin help!" He cried as he was pulled past.

"Mac, she's an alicorn, what on this green earth do you expect me to do?" Sin smirked knowingly.

The red Stallions attention turned to his dragon friend. "Spike buddy-"

"Yea," Spike laughed. "You're in real trouble there Mac." He called sarcastically and gave a wink.

With one last attempt to revive assistance, the stallion looked to his ever loyal friend, Star Shade. 

"I'm just here for the food!" The Night pegasus proclaimed proudly and gave an oblivious smile.

Mac's eyes narrowed as he was dragged out the doorway. "Y'all suck!" was all he could get out before the heavy doors slammed shut, ending their wittiness to the pony's plight.

A few awkward moments of silence passed before Spike pipped up. "Do you think we should help him?"

"Nah, he be fine." Sin replied before walking to the door himself closely followed by Shade. Spike shrugged and began to walk before a white glow surrounded him. He let out a squeak of surprise, calling the attention of his comrades and looked back to a stern looking princess.

"I believe you and I need to have a little discussion on your abandonment of my pupil." Celestia chided. 

"And like that the circle of screwed is complete." Shade proclaimed walking out the door.

"What are you talking about?" Sin shot back, leaving the dragon to mercy of the solar goddess. "We came here because you were called to court, and now you're the only one not getting any-" The door closed on the two, leaving a very distraught wyrm to face his scolding that was sure to last for an hour.

The sun was still bright, but it was clear the evening would draw close soon. After a quick conversation with Shade, who to Sin's relief, was back to his old self; the pegasus darted off outside the castle to explore his home city. The liberty pony wondered over to a window and glanced down to see the small rally hadn't yet dispersed and the same Green earth pony was still preaching and name calling.

A few minutes passed of Sin hearing the Stallions words before he let out a grunt and left the window to approcach the castle entery. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Called an Icey voice behind him that Sin recognized as Celestia.

Sin stopped to open the door, not bothering to turn to the princess. "To do what I was born to do." He said as he closed the door behind him.



.

"THE CAPITALIST PIGS WHO USE YOUR LABOR FOR THEIR PROFITS MUST BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE FOR THE CRIMES THEY HAVE PROPAGATED AGAINST YOU AND I!" Called the green earth pony, erupting another cheer from the crowd, a few more in agreement than last time. "BASIC MEDICAL CARE! THEY HAVE ENOUGH, MORE THAN ENOUGH! WHY SHOULD THEY KEEP IT ALL TO THEMSELVES WHEN YOU COULD BE HURT AT ANY MOMENT IN YOUR SERVITUDE TO THEM?"

"THE COMMON PONY HAS YET TO BE ACKNOWLEDGE FOR HIS TRUE WORK! HOITY TOITY MAY HAVE DESIGNED HIS DRESSES, BUT WAS IT NOT YOU WHO ACTUALLY STITCHED THEM TOGETHER? WAS IT NOT YOU WHO TRULY GATHERED THE COTTON, OR THE SILK FOR HIS DESIGNS? WHY SHOULD SHE GET THE MAJORITY OF THE PROFIT WHILE YOU ACCEPT MEAGER PAY?!"

"PERHAPS BECAUSE YOU DECIDED TO DO IT?" A voice boomed in return, electing a sequences of gasps from the ponies below.

The green stallion gave a grimace. "OH SO WE HAVE A CRITIC? The tyrannical capital class has sent one to interrupt our rally then? NEVER! The people came to hear Mallet speak, and I will do just that!" 

Slowly the crowd began to shuffle and move until a brown pony cloaked in a tanned cape marched to the front and onto the stage. "None have silenced you." Sin said quietly with a smirk. "But to answer your question, were you forced to do it? Had Mr. Toity held a blade to your throats and forced you make those cloths?" Sin addressed the crowd. Electing some more thoughtful sounds and shakes of the head.

Mallet walked over to sin and cast his magenta eyes over stallion, judging him. "So, Hoity Toity sent one of his Pseudo-intellectual lap dogs to challenge the workers eh?"

Sin gave a wry smirk. "Hardly, I've never met who you're speaking about. However, I have my own reasons for being up here, surly you don't mind debating your points off of another? Trying to convince everyone here about your side might go over a little easier while you have the other side represented."

Mallet quirked an eyebrow than furrowed them both with a devious grin. "Of course not, I hope you know you wont walk away from this victorious." He puffed his chest out proudly.

"We shall see." Sin replied turning back to face the now very interested audience.

A few topics were brought forth by the audience, including: Working conditions and "slave wages."

Sin began to speak but was cut off by Mallet, preaching about how the Elite have a responsibility to their communities and their employees to care for them, and how a happy employee is a productive employee. "The masters of the Capital Class should be held responsible and accountable for any sufferings that befall those who serve them!"

"Indeed, a happy employee is a productive employee." Sin agreed. "However, these so called 'Elite' have no responsibility to you. As a matter of fact, do they not enrich your lives with their products? With out these so called 'Elite' who gave the concepts for the cloths on your very backs, would they be there? And what is to stop you from ending your employment with them and going the way of live YOU wish to go?"

Mallet let out a laugh. "Ignorant PIGDOG! With out this!" he held out a hoof full of bits, "These ponies would go hungry! These, these... PIECES OF METAL!" He gave a disgusted look and threw the bits onto the ground. "Have more power than any one pony. Those are NOT labor and production. They are tokens of repression, a race to the bottom of who can run out quickest; and go with out feeding their families. We are taught at birth that they mean something, but they are only tools of our enslavement."

Sin looked out to the cheering crowed, many smiling and happy faces beaming up to the new proud worker stallion. "Yes," he said and everyone quieted down a bit. "They look very repressed and miserable... and hungry."

A few laughs came, along with nervous chuckles and scolding stares. "Now, allow me to put it to you this way." The liberty pony continued. "This money is earned through mutual exchange yes? You give it to other so that they will do what you want. So, in a way, these are, 'good deed' tokens. You do someone a favor, and they give you these in the appropriate quantity." Sin picked up one of the Bits to demonstrate, earning a scowl from his opponent. Sin walked to the end of the stage and rose his voice. "How many of you will give someone one of these for doing something you didn't like?"

A few of the crowd nodded their heads in understanding, but most of them just looked onto him confusedly. "Exactly, you will not give that which is valuable to you, to some one who does you harm."

"IT'S NOT VALUABLE! IT'S METAL OPPRESSION!" Cried Mallet. 

Sin continued his explanation, giving emphasis to how Mallet was half correct. The bits didn't have any intrinsic value, but it had perceptive value. He motioned to how the majority of Equestria used this as currency, hence, it's worth something only because ponies say it is. "and even then, you don't have to use this. One could grow his/her food and simply give it away if he/she wants to. The same could be said for all manner of things. Hell, you could even start your own business and make it into a charity if you so chose. Who's going to stop you." He looked back at the currency in his hoof. 


Then he decided to humor Mallet, and ask how the monetary system would work with out the Bits, or any kind of currency since it would all be "oppression" in one way or another.

Mallet answered with what Sin had predicted. Government force. Though not worded in that way, it was the inevitable and bear bones argument. Though, The green earth stallion phrased it to where the ponies who resided within such a government would happily share what they produce, for they do not own it. All is owned by the community, hence there is absolute equality over all

"Consider it." Mallet began to pace, his words directed evenly between Sin and the crowed. "No more need to go hungry, no more are refused medical care due to income. No one is forced to get sick by working themselves to the bone, no Elitist pigdogs exploiting the humble laborer." Mallet gave a faux look of sadness to Sin, playing to the crowds emotional side before his voice turned from angry to pathetic. "Why do you want suffering?"

The crowd's gaze turned scolding as the looked onto the brown stallion for his explanation. To their surprise, Sin actually began to laugh a little. Mallet's eyes narrowed as Sin's laughter dragged on. Finally after a few tense seconds, the stallion calmed down and his goggle hidden eyes darted right at Mallet. "You think that's how it's going to work? I suppose you're going to use Democracy as your primary means of decision making as well?"

"Yes, and it will work that way-"

Sin burst into another fit of laughter, apologizing between snickers. "I'm sorry, that was rude." he coughed and regained his composure and turned around to address the audience. "Excuse me everybo- I mean, everypony. May I ask you all to do me a little favor?" The angry looks turned to ones of confusion and interest. "Don't worry it's not hard. I just want to ask you, how many of you want to end mares' suffrage?"

The audience began speaking amongst themselves, trying to determine what the word "suffrage" meant. Suffrage? Suffera, Suffer, sufferer? Suffering? Suffering? The crowd started to chant that they didn't want mares to suffer and angrily stated no. Sin asked if the majority of them felt that they wanted to end mares' suffrage, and almost unanimously the crowed roared in the affirmative. Sin gave a toothy grin. "Congratulations, you just took away all mares' right to vote."

Many of the ponies gave protest to the tan clad stallions accusations. Though, most were just confused and talking amongst each other about what he meant. Sin told of the definition of suffrage and how mares would no longer have a voice in any democracy because the crowd had just voted that right away. And since rights were things that couldn't be voted away, it would count as a privilege.

Mallet made a series of retorts as to how preposterous it would be that the commune would allow such a thing to hold any water. Sin smiled and turned to face his opponent. Claiming how it wouldn't be on that grand a scale, but the same concept would apply if the immediate positive out comes out weighed the perceivable and immediate negative. Sin told a story of how an entire town was brought to ruin as one of their major exports, onions, were disallowed for a single harvest due to majority vote to perpetuate the consumption of potatoes and olives because the producers had convinced the majority of the 'greater good' that nutrition from said vegetables would give to the community.

As the town was full of Onion farmers and others to help ensure a decent existence for them, the mandate for the immediate halting of Onion farming gave way to a bit of restlessness in the town. Eventually, the town became too restless and began farming the onions again anyway, but to only keep it within the town so to not have it distributed to the rest of the state. However, supply line ponies had seen the town's abundance of the eye watering root, and word soon spread about the outlawed production taking place. Ponies in other towns became angry that they couldn't have any, and became jealous. So, another vote was called as to how to deal with this dissension within the town; As ordered by the majority, a contingent of the "Equalists Brigade", which was the state's military, were sent to stop the production immediately, and by any means necessary. 

"Surprisingly enough though." Sin's voice was informed the crowd the story was drawing to a close. "The townsfolk were reluctant to end their way of life on behest of the numerous stallions who had come to threaten them. As such, the stallions arrested many of the farmers and spilled salt all over their lands. Giving a show of forces as to not challenge the majority. Though the majority was not pleased with that either, and the ban was abolished. All it took was the destruction of the way of life for one town to show that the 'majority' doesn't always know best."

A wave of enlightened "ohh" washed over the crowed as they took in the story. Some pointed out the mistake made by the term "any means necessary" being used. Though, Sin quickly dispelled that by the state wide anger clouding the inhabitants judgment.

Mallet scoffed and began to point out other flaws, each met with a considerable argument from the strange stallion before him. Finally after the sun had began to fall behind the castle spires, the green pony let out a huff of anger. "Why you?" He walked up and grab Sin by the neck of his cloak. "You shut your pigdog mouth!"

Sin gave another wry smile and answered calmly, "Now who's doing the oppressing and silencing?"

A look of realization and pure hatred crossed Mallet's face, his green coat turning a dark shade of red from his bubbling anger. "YOU'RE AN EARTH PONY LIKE US! WHY DO YOU FIGHT US?!" He threw his fore leg forward, attempting to move Sin. However, the lightness of the still clenched cloak informed him of the missing pony.

The crowd gasped at the white bandage bound wings on Sin's side, and the mark on his flank. Even Mallet took a step back from the sudden revelations. He looked between the brown pegasus' body and his reflective shielded eyes. The earth stallion rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly, still unable to accept what the stallion had done to himself..

"I fight you." Sin seethed grabbing his cloak back. "Because I have seen the world you want to create. And unless it's done through voluntary means..." He replaced the cloth and turned away. "It is slavery of the majority over the minority. Using the force of the government body to cause pain to those who don't live the way the many say they should." Sin walked off the stage, the crowd giving him ample room to walk, and he wondered up to the castle grounds to a very surprised looking pair of alicorns.


As a reminder, I do respect other peoples beliefs in terms of: Economic, Political and Social view points. This Story isn't meant to degrade or shame disagree beliefs, but to simply be part of a story, inspire thought
> Chaotic Closure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Chaotic Closure



"OH GREAT DISCORD BUTT!" Praised Star Shade, bowing before a serpent like statue with mismatched body parts of different animals. "Tell me your secrets!" The former Night guard hugged the grey stone, a shiver crawled up his spine upon feeling how undeniable cold the statue was, thanks to winter weather.

Shade's ear twitched. "What's that?" He asked looking up into the horror filled face of the statue. He observed the one fanged mouth intently and nodded his head. "Thank you My lord. I-" he stopped speaking and tilted his head. "No, I don't blame Luna, she-" He stopped speaking again. His serpentine eyes widened in shock as he looked at the statue. "NO! She's a BEAST!"

"You know, it doesn't make me look good when one of my companions is talking to himself in front of a statue." Called Sin walking into the stone garden. Shade looked back and tilted his head. "Especially when you make it look like you're worshiping the greatest threat this land had ever known." Sin took a seat by his friend and observed the statue with scrutiny. "So, this is the draconakiss, Discord."

"Draconequus, idiot."

Sin looked over to Star Shade with a quirked brow. "What did you call me?"

"Huh?" Star replied looking at him dumbly. "I didn't call you anything, he did!" He pointed a hoof to the statue.

"Star, he's a statue, he can't even hear me." Sin rubbed his temples with his hooves.

"Oh contrar, young Sin." That voice said again, Sin's mouth gaped when he discovered that the origin of the voice was actually from the statue. "I am very conscience and hardly hard of hearing." The voice was playful though menacing. Dark and some how light hearted at the same time. Like speaking to somebody who you know was playing around with you.

The freedom loving stallion looked around the statue and circled it, trying to find if anyone was playing a trick on him. "There's nobody there, Sin." Discord called again with a chuckle. "It's only me." Sin looked around the garden to ensure they were unquestionably alone before he spoke back to the supposedly quasi-inanimate stone ornament.

"Indeed." he growled walking back to his original position. "So, you're Discord, embodiment of disharmony and chaos."

Discord chuckled, his stone form still as it always was, giving for a feeling of gross paranoia to the stallions mind. "That would be correct. The god lord of chaos at your service." A moment passed before he spoke again, this time his tone holding a bit of a condescending theme. I've read a lot about you from Shade here's mind. A stallion of liberty and freedom, hell bent on making the world a freer place and freeing those who have been unjustly imprisoned.

"Something like that." Sin agreed cautiously.

"You know." Discord chuckled. What is Chaos but another form of freedom?

Sin quirked a brow and looked to Shade who was enjoying his masters words. "Consider it." the statue continued. "The opposite of Chaos is Order yes? Order of government, the very thing you loath in this world."

"Indeed, I heard from Spike that you had unleashed quite a bit of trouble for Equestria last you were free." Sin smirked. To which the Draconequus laughed and listed off a few things he had done, putting sever emphasis on the comical value of his 'shenanigans'. "Tell me, Discord, is it true that you had buffalo dancing like ballerinas in pink tutu's?"

Discored laughed again. "One of my best gags yet."

"Do they typically do that?"

"Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind would?"

"So it was because of you that they did."

 "duh" Called the imprisoned spirit giving a sigh, clearly becoming agitated. "Can you get on with your point already?"

Sin cleared his throat. "That sounds rather authoritarian to me." He shrugged.

Discord was silent for a moment. "Beg pardon." He shot with skepticism.

Sin adjusted his goggles and reasoned to the spirit of chaos about how if it weren't for him, the buffalo wouldn't have acted as they did. Discored replied with another aggravated sigh and explained that he only gave them the ability to do it.

"So, let me see if I get this straight." Sin held up his hoof. "You're escape only 'allowed' the buffalo to dance like that, even though they could have done so already, yet they needed you out in order for them to done pink spandex and trot around like younglings at a ballerina recital?" 

"Pretty much." Discord replied apathetically.

Sin's thoughtful expression turned deadpan. "You'll have to pardon me, however, bull shit."

Oh Sin, you're far to serious for your own good.

Sin smirked. "Sorry to say, it more or less sounds like you have your own form of authoritarianism. Except, instead of using your power to make those you control productive and rule them in an orderly manner, you make them act irrationally and perform acts that entertain you."

Discord was silent for a moment, he made a few thoughtful sounds before he blew a rude raspberry. Yea so? He asked annoyed.

"You are not the god of Chaos." Sin replied simply.

Discord burst into a fit of laughter. It echoed throughout what Sin assumed was the walls of his stone prison. "I'm not the- hahaha" He continued his maniacal fit of giggles, even prompting Shade to join in the merriment. Though after a few minutes the Draconequus finally eased his laughter to chuckles. Alright smart guy, and what, prey tell, am I exactly?

"You are a chaotic god, but you have your own brand of authority. Which you, and only you, dictate." Sin shook his head and began to walk away. "You are a dictator for your own entertainment, you do not let happen of their own accord, which is what true chaos is, you simply bring in your own destructive brand of control." The stallion began to walk away, a triumphant smirk plastered across his muzzle.

"Shade!" Discord barked. Sick 'em!"

Star Shade gave a quick solute and made a mad dash for his friend. Sin looked back just in time to see the stallion and rolled backwards, using his center of gravity, he extended his four hooves and pushed the attacking pony up, causing Shade to overshoot the stallion land on the other side of the garden.

Let's see who you really are, Sin.

The night pony geared up for another run before a white glow consumed him and held him still. Sin turned his head and looked over to find Celestia and the pink alicorn with yellow and purple hair from before. "Sin." She called walking up to him like a mother about to scold a child. "I don't know what this is about, but it ends now." She chided. Sin gave a glaring look to Star Shade and another look to the princess.

Wanting no more trouble for the evening, former senator conceded to the princess"Very well." he called taking a breath and visibly relaxing. "Shade and myself had a simple disagreement. Nothing that violence will resolve." His last words were directed at the night pegasus, who merely returned his scowl. Celestia released the former night guard and sighed.

"Good, now come. I've had the chef's prepare something for you and your friends." She turned around and motioned to be followed. The pink alicorn walked beside her, shooting a quick look between the two stallions. Shade gave one last scowl to Sin before slowly back his way to the princesses. Keeping his serpentine eyes intently on his associate. 

After the pegasus was out of sight, Sin turned back to Discord and humphed. "You really know how get under my skin." 

A chuckle came from the statue. "Oh I've gotten under more than your skin, dear Sin." The brown pony shot the statue a look. I've gotten into your brain, and I must commend you sir. I haven't seen anypony with so many daemons as you... Poor Sin, trying to be something he's not. Tell me, does it hurt?" 

Sin growled and narrowed his eyes, the finally remnants of Sunlight fading into the distance, and the moon rising in the east. The brown stallion took his umpteenth calming breath of the day, and turned to return to the castle proper.

"You can't fight it forever Sin!" Called discord as the pony disappeared into palace entryway.





Spike, Sin and Shade sat in a well light dining room. Small torches illuminated the corners that the mantel fire place hadn't. Though the eating space was significantly smaller than the royal dining area, it was a bit more homely, the brown circular oak table was bigger than the three needed, but still much more intimate. And the red cushioned seats and well made food was a welcome contrast to the constant nourishment of flowers, random herbs, and granite atop a cold hard ground.

A servant brought in trey of five plates, most holding salad but one particular holding Spikes very favorite gems. The three began to stuff their faces with the tasty edibles, even Sin tossed aside his etiquette in favor of filling his gut. After a few groans of happiness and satisfaction, the dragon pipped up with a question. "Hey, have you guys seen Big Mac?"

Sin and Shade looked around in a futile attempt to see the crimson pony, but eventually shook their heads. "Man." Spike folded his arms and shook his head. "What are he and the Princess up to?"

"Probably bucking each other senseless." Shade replied nonchalantly taking another bite of food.

"Classy." Sin replied.

"He asked." Shade shrugged."

"Ever hear of euphemisms?"

"Don't you make up words to me!" Shade scolded.shaking a hoof.

Spike quirked a brow, "Why would they... buck each other?"

Shade gave a head splitting grin. "You don't know what sex is do you?" Sin's neck nearly snapped from the force he used to look at the dark pegasus again. The brown pony opened his mouth to speak but shook his head and went back to his meal.

"Sex? What's that?"

Shade smiled even bigger. "That's where fillies come from!"

Spike shot Sin a look, to which the stallion nodded in the affirmative. After, Sin looked up to see Shade giving him a pleading look, his eyes darting to the young dragon before him. Sin gave a sigh. "If you want to teach the lad about pony reproduction, that's your deal. Don't look at me to give you permission."

Shade beamed and picked up a salt and pepper shaker, and to Sin's horror, began illustrating the intimate and delicate intricacies of making love by bashing them against one another on the table. All of this complete with the inappropriate noises of pigs and sheep. The dragon stood speechless and horrified by the display, and gave nervous "uhh" when he found that the explanation wasn't yet over. Over the course of sever minutes: The night pegasus had foretold of an unimaginable tale in which life was conceived, complete with a secret laboratory in the core of Canterlot Castle and demons being resurrected from Tartarus. 

"And once the doctors of the lab give the fillies either a horn or wings, or nothing at all because they are just mean like that, they put the infant back in the egg and send it to the princess. Who reads from a long list of happy married ponies from all over Equestria, than distributes the eggs to them at hospitals to call their own children. And that, my friend, is where babies come from." Shade gave a proud and satisfied grin.

His two comrades only sat in silence, mouths agape; one in shock and awe, the other in offended distaste. The only sounds to be heard were those of the crackling fire place, and the occasional trotting of patrolling guards outside.

"Is," Spike stuttered looking over to Sin. "Is that really where babies come from?"

"You honestly think... You know what? Sure." Sin let an exacerbated sigh, "Why not?"

"Because it's not the truth." Called a scolding voice behind them. They all turned to see Princess Celestia enter from the hallway. She looked to the dragon and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Your instructor seems rather... misinformed on the matter." She shoot a look to shade who only rolled his eyes.

"FOOL! My lord Discord knows all an-" he stopped, his eyes went wide and realization set in on his features before he darted a hoof to Sin, grabbing him by the collar of his cloak and pulling him forward, placing his face only inches away. "You!" He growled with utter contempt. "Don't think I forgot. I'll get you Sin, I'll get you when you least expect it." His eyes peered through the reflective barriers upon the pony he was threatening. "When. You. Least. Expect. It." He spat.

Again the room filled with a tense silence, Celestia's horn began to grow a faint alabaster with her eyes narrowing on the conflicting duo. Sin merely remained stone faced and calm, awaiting for Shade to either do something or let him go. Finally, the pegasus released Sin's cloak and slowly backed out of the dinning area, before he turned the corner, he put his hoof up to his eyes and and at the brown clad pony in the universal sign of "Eyes on you."

After he left, everyone let a sigh of relief. "I'll never understand that kid." Sin pushed his plate away, the ordeal killing his apatite. 

"Indeed." Celestia agreed. "I was hoping to speak with you about your, condition." She gave Sin an awkward look.

"If it's all the same to you, your majesty, I'd rather not."

"But your-"

"Is what it is." Sin replied visibly annoyed. "Nothing can be done about it now, and I wouldn't allow it even if there was."

After a few more attempts to pry, the white alicorn accepted the ponies decision to remain mute to the topic. The last occupant of the dining area inquired as to what the two were speaking about, though was quickly dismissed upon hearing about it's irrelevance. The sun goddess nodded her head and proclaimed since there was nothing more to talk about, she would be retiring for the evening and have her servants awaken Sin and Spike for the trial tomorrow morning.

"Princess," Spike called, halting Celestia's retreat. "Can you at least tell me what Macintosh is up to?"

Celestia turned to the dragon with a playful smirk. "I wouldn't worry about him, Spike. He is in good care for the night." She winked before resuming her trot back to her quarters.

The young wyvern fumed after his protests on how lackluster that explanation was until finally gave a defeated sigh and lay his hand on his claw. "Oh forget it." He complained poking at his food.

A few minutes passed before Sin spoke again. "Spike. I need to talk to you."

"Yea, about what?" Spike growled.

"What I want you and Macintosh to do if I'm held in custody by the princess."

The pout Spike once had was immediately replaced by a look of shock and panic. "No, she won't do-"

Sin held up an hoof to silence his friend. "There is no guarantee of that, and even if there was; I'd rather you two have a plan to carry on with out me anyway." Spike opened his mouth to speak out to the ludicrous statement, but he knew that Sin was by no means foolish, and sagely nodded for the pony to continue. "Should I be restrained here, I wish for you and Mac to return to your families in Ponyville."

Spike's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Go back?" He asked with a denying smile.

Sin nodded and relaxed his body, leaning his neck back so his head shot up to the ceiling.  "I have every confidence in your ability, you and Macintosh. You have grown both mentally and physically, you wanted to be stronger and free; and have learned to survive off the land. Striving for self sufficiency and breaking the bonds that forced you into society. That is no easy task, despite what you may think." He leaned his head down to look at his attentive companion. "My absence should be no great loss for you."

"No great loss?" Spike repeated dumbly.

Sin shook his head "There is very little else I can teach you. Fighting larger dragons and minotaur, braving the weather in nothing but your cloak and eating various rocks and small game as nourishment, you have come along way from the small and portly dragon that stood up to his friends back in Ponyville."

Spike looked down at his body. He hadn't really noticed it before but: his shoulders were far more broad, his muscles more defined in his arms and legs, and even his port belly had reduced considerably for all his travels. He took a sense of pride at that, everything he had now, he earned through hard work and by his own means. Though something else the stallion had said began to work it's way to the fore front of the dragons mind. "You said you're no great loss." He called solemnly. "Why?"

Sin took a moment to think about the question before he spoke. "Because I'm more or less just a pony." He shrugged.

"Just a pony." Spike repeated. "Ouch." Sin made an inquisitive sound and looked at the dragon expectantly. "Is that how little you know me and Mac? After the six months we've traveled around together, you really think we don't care about you?" His voice grew with every word.

"Spike please." Sin began only to find an accusing claw pointing to his face.

"No, YOU listen for a change." The wyrm yelled. "Now it's time I taught you something. All my life I've been treated like a baby! Like I can't take care of myself, have some one check up on me if I was left home alone for too long." Spike huffed, his eyes narrowed as the memories started to reherse. "Do you know what it's like to sleep in a basket? To be treated like some kind of pet? To be probably smarter than most of your friends, yet talked down to all the time?"

Sin sat patiently through the dragons tirade, occasionally nodding for him to continue.

"Do you know what it's like to feel useless?" Spike's voice broke. "What it's like to see the one you love dragged underground by a pack of diamond dogs while you can do nothing because one of them is throwing you around like a rag doll?" The dragons breathing became shallow as he recalled all of the events in his life where he was too weak to do anything to help his friends. Rarity and the Diamond dogs, Discord and his friends, Nightmare Moon and the like. After, the dragon let out a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"And I wish that I had then, what I have now." He whispered before looking up to his friend with a determined glint in his eyes. "You're right. I have grown alot from the baby I once was. With your and Mac's help. Unlike Twilight, you treated me like an adult! You allowed me to make my own mistakes and get hurt, and I became a stronger dragon for it." 

"Do you remember that time when were were fighting Golvec or what ever his name is?" Spike waved his arm.

Sin smiled, "You make it sound as if it was no big deal."

Spike chuckled. "Yea, but you remember when you had the plan to shoot a bolt in his eye with your crossbow? I volunteered to be bait and lure his head down to me to give you a good shot. You told me it would be more likely that he would just pick me up with his claws than to actually lean his head down." He deadpanned. "But when I said that I was willing to risk it, you allowed me to. You treated me as if I were an adult capable of making my own decisions." He grinned sheepishly. "And that's alot more than Twilight or any of them would have allowed me to do."

"I owe you alot, so does Big Mac. He's really come out of his shell alot since we began traveling with you." Spike smiled and shook his head. "I mean the guy never said anything past: 'eyup' or 'nope' back in ponyville. But now look at him, having actual conversations, talking to people about philosophy, hay, he's even spending the night with Princess Luna for ponies sake."

Sin shrugged, "He's a good pony, big strong silent types are good with the mares."

"And me?" Spike continued as if he didn't hear. "Look at me; I've lost weight, I've gotten a lot stronger and grown a bit. You helped me keep my greed in check, given me my own stuff, helped me to discover a hobby not centered around books, and taught me the value of freedom, honor, and defending them. Heck, I won my very first fight against that minotaur for pony's sake!" 

Sin flinched from the sudden pair of purple scaly arms that wrapped around him, "Don't ever think that you're nothing to me. You and Big Mac are like family to me now." Sin breathed steadily before gently patting his foreleg against the reptiles spines. Awkwardly giving him what he considered a 'hug'.

"Very well." Sin stated before the dragon released him, content with his answer.

After, the two finished eating in silence, and Spike made his way to bed. Before leaving, he tried to reassure the stallion of his assured light sentence. Sin shook his head with a smirk and told Spike that the events of tomorrow would be dealt with as they came. 

Content in the knowledge that his associate was far enough away, Sin pulled out a quill and paper.


 Macintosh,

If you're reading this, I have been found guilty and am being held in custody by the crown.

I write this letter to you for two reasons:

Firstly, I don't want you to be angry or upset with Celestia's decision in her judgment of my guilt or innocence. It is true, I did go against the laws of your country, and now I must accept the consequences of my actions. Though some might find my imprisonment unfair, I want you to keep in mind that the inhabitants of Equestria have agreed to adhere to the rules and laws set forth by the Princess's and those she sees fit to govern. 

Knowing full well that my deeds were an infraction against her laws and wishes, as justified as anyone anypony might see my actions, the fact of the matter is: I have gone against the law. I could have left this country at any given time and never have been subject. However, my choice was to stay. My choice was to release ponies who I felt were unjustly imprisoned. Never the less, it is Celestia who has the ultimate word in this land, and as much as I may not like it, I must abide for one simple reason.

I choose to. I am not completely sure if I, in fact, attempted to release a foalnapper. And if I had, than I deserve to be arrested. Though I never heard the charges brought against many who I have released, the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, and I should have looked into the individuals I released more.

The second reason I write this is to request that you return to ponyville. I had meant to speak with Spike about it, though it seemed that there was something else worth talking about. At any rate, the reason I wish for you to return to Ponyville is to be with your friends and family. Despite everything i have taught you: Self sufficiency, survival in the wilderness and using your own judgement, the real prize of freedom is to have it with the ones you hold close. What makes such an Idea worth holding, fighting and dying for; is so you may celebrate it's benefits with those who you love and cherish.


There is very little else I can teach you, so this shall be my last lesson. Life isn't meant to be lived in solace and silence. What makes life worth living is being surrounded by individuals you care for, and who support you through your trials and tribulations. It maybe a bit hypocritical coming from me, however, it doesn't make it any less true. Don't live your life alone Macintosh, and Spike everything I say applies to you as well. Don't ever be afraid to be alone, but don't make it a point to push people away because they could threaten your sense of freedom.

Some things are worth giving up freedom for. And I'm proud to say I have full confidence you will know what is and what is not.

And if it means anything, I'm proud of both of you. Stay safe, and live good lives.

Regards,
Sin. 

  
> The Trial of Sin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   


The Trial of Sin



Noise, noise enveloped the throne room as dozens of ponies conversed in on both sides of the red carpet that lead up to Princess's thrones. Sin stood with his head bobbing from drowsiness, he hadn't slept much from the night prior and that did nothing to help his mind in order to form an adequate defense against who ever was going to be prosecuting him.

He looked around the room again. The brown clad pony recognized some of the faces in the crowd. Mostly those he had seen arrested with out charge, and perhaps some witnesses who had observed the event for themselves. He took comfort, even if it was minor, in the fact that he at least had others to reference and support his defense.

Spike was standing by him looking bored, he let out a yawn before he spoke. "Hey, have you sen Mac? I can't find him in the crowd anywhere."

"I'm afraid Macintosh will not be joining us today." Called Luna gleefully, as she began trotting forward. "He's had a." She paused and gave goofy grin. "Long night to say the least." She gave a wink and giggled before ascending to her throne beside her sister.

"Honestly Luna," Celestia rolled her eyes. She whispered something to her sister, causing Luna to blush and wave a dismissive hoof.

"Come now sister, just because you spend all of your nights alone doesn't mean we all must." Her eyes trailed around the room, seeing the dozens of ponies gathered to prove as whiteness. "When might the trial begin?"

"Now!" Cried the solar goddess slamming her hoof onto the marble floor, prompting everypony to be silent while she spoke. She announced the reason for the gathering and thanked all the ponies for their attendance, granting a few sympathetic and nervous smiles. After everyone was orderly and silent, she directed her accusing gaze to the defendant and cleared her throat. "Sin, if you would be so kind as to remove your goggles? It's much easier to trust your words if you don't look like your hiding anything."

Sin's eyes narrowed beneath the lenses. He hated to remove them, he hated having his eyes exposed for any reason. He even slept and bathed with the eye protectors on, and now he was being asked to remove them. Sin considered the option for a moment; on one hoof, he could refuse and face the consequences of a probably guilty verdict, if not, immediate detention. On the other, though he would feel vulnerable and self conscience, it would give a good impression to the goddess, and maybe even a more lenient punishment.

The defendants hoof found it's way up to his reflective specticals and he pulled them down to his neck. Celestia grinned in arrogant triumph at the ponies complacency, not one of the malicious, but one of a mother who had finally gotten her child to do as they were told. Though her sister furrowed her brow and looked very interested in the hidden stare Sin always had. "Thank you." She chirped sitting back. "When the prosecution is ready. I shall hear your opening statements."

Two unicorns dressed in ties and collar cuffs stepped forward from the crowd, the first an orange mare with wild purple mane, and the was a stallion with the colors of the mane and coat switched from his counterpart. Though, he was caring a brief case, a large one. The stallion used his magic to envelop the case in a purple glow and proceeded to open it and dig out the first file. After her passed it off to his associate and stood quietly while the prissy mare spoke.

"Thank you, Princess." She said, he voice every bit as uppity and snobbish as her turned up nose implied. "Equestria was founded on the laws that the princess's Luna and Celestia had proclaimed since it's formation. Those laws have lead us to great prosperity and peace for a thousand years." She turned her attention to the defendant. "Mr. Sin has not only gone against these great laws that help us to keep those who are a danger to society locked up, but has made it abundantly clear that he fancies himself above it." She turned her attention back to the courtroom. "His actions of releasing those being held in custody firmly reflect his disrespect for her majesties and the laws that have made our country happy and prosperous. It's anyponies guess as to who he shall release next, and I ask the princess now, could you allow him to release a pony who would kill again?"

An audible gasp filled the court room. Sin sneered, this mare was already playing hard ball? Well, the accusation against the princess couldn't have done her any favors at least. He watched as the prosecuting pony walked back to her place before the princess and announce the rest of the prosecution.

Celestia nodded to Sin for his rebuttal. "Thank you. The laws of the land have indeed made it a prosperous and beautiful place, prosecutor." Sin's calculating eyes zeroed in on his opponent. "However, they are not perfect. It is not common practice to incarcerate an individual who has done no wrong in Equestria, at least, I hope that would be an accurate statement." He smirked at the scowl that appeared on the mare's face. "For those within your law who would seek to abuse their power, along with all others, there is a responsibility with the citizenry to  rectify such gross misuse. Not only from the citizenry, but in the name of sentience and... uh-" He faltered, the words escaping him. The stallion shook his head and regain his concentration. "And morality. I have broken your laws I admit, though, I admit no guilt in any wrong doing." 

Sin shot the mare one last satisfied smirk before resting himself. And with that, the prosecution brought forth a witness. Sin's eyes narrowed for a moment at the thought of the prosecution having time to prepare statements while he had none, though; he was more than certain his ability to improvise and adapt would be enough to see him through. The first witness was a white unicorn pony he recognized as a guard from Trottingham. The alabaster stallion stood before the princess with the prosecuting mare asking him to tell his story about his experience with Sin's antics.

After, the crowd gasped at what they had heard. Allegedly, the pony Sin had given the named 'cross bow' to, was previously accused of foal napping and had earlier been incarcerated for the offense. A small smirk twisted on the defending stallions muzzle as the prosecution went to rest again. Sin walked up to the stallion and began his own series of questions.

The stallion nodded to his name and occupation, he affirmed that the escaping convict had shot a bolt at the guards pony and escaped the holding area. Then, Sin inquired about the outcome of the trial for the foal napper in his previous run in with the law. After the witness explained that the pony was released from jail and sentenced to seven months of community service, Sin looked to the princess who nodded in the affirmative with a knowing smile.

"So, the individual paid for his crime then? Justice was brought to him for kidnapping the foal?" Sin quipped, his dead eyes looking directly into the white stallion before him. The stallion's features became visibly uncomfortable though he nodded in the affirmative. "Than for what reason, If I may ask, was said stallion imprisoned for?"

The white stallion gulped, his lavender eyes darted from side to side, though once they locked onto Sin's own, his irises shrunk. "He... He was arrested f- f- for" he trailed off into a low mumble.

"I'm sorry?" Sin's ear twitched, "I don't think the court heard that."

"OBJECTION! He's intimidating the witness." Called the prosecuting mare.

"She has a point." Celestia called, prompting Sin to back away slightly, his knowing grin unaffected. 

"My apologize your majesty." Sin closed his eyes, satisfied with his strategy. He pushed the issue again, but with a little less force. The testifying stallion cleared his throat and explained that the pony in question, had been apprehended on charges of loitering. Though his nervousness and lip biting portrayed an all to clear indication of dishonesty.  "Is that right?" 

"I'm afraid it isn't." Celestia commented from atop her throne. Her eyes narrowing onto the white pony below. "I've had a full investigation called in on the matter after it was reported by an... intimidated apprentice colt that a weapon was found in the cell." Celestia shook her head. "My personal guard had found no documentation on the matter," She opened her eyes again and narrowed them unto the stallion once more. "Which is one of the most fundamental actions taken upon arrest."

The white guard stood dumbstruck, though not as flabbergasted as both Sin and the prosecution. "You're helping me?"

"You're helping him?!"

The alicorn smiled gently, almost apologetically. "Well, I hadn't given Sin adequate time for preparation. And as he is technically not a citizen of Equestria, I am obligated to assist him in any way I can, so long as it's the truth of course."

Sin watched with a satisfied grin as his opponents face changed from surprised to a mix offended and terror. She quickly began conversing with her associate. Celestia shook her head and dismissed the witness back into the crowd to be dealt with later. If his hunch was correct, Sin already knew the the outcome of this whole ordeal, and the judgement and assistance the sun goddess would give.

The next hour dragged on with four more witnesses coming up for their testimony, each first being questioned by the prosecution mare, than questioned by Sin. Save the first pony. Though only one spoke the truth and admitted that their respective holding pony was not charged upon arrest. The rest, as Sin predicted, had their lies called on by Celestia. Mentioning that her personal guard had investigated the situations and spoken with witnesses behind the local law enforcements back. Mentioning how reports from citizens themselves to foolish officers, informed her of the 

Though, it struck Sin as odd. The princess had already known about the faux arrests made and had the sense to send those she trusted to investigate the scenes. Why hadn't she called for the arrest of them if she knew they were guilty of a crime? The stallions thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of the throne room opened by an all to familiar crimson giant of a pony.

"ehehe, s'rry." Big Mac chuckled nervously as he entered. Sin noted the all to satisfied smile, and lethargic kick in his step. Sin shook his head as he witnessed a blush and wink between the two. "YOU!" Mac shouted, his satisfied grin turning sour. Sin followed his friends trail of sight and found the very guard that had arrested Macintosh on his first day in Ponyville. The unicorn's eyes shot wide as Macintosh began his charge, frightened ponies jumped and rolled to get out of the stampeding stallions way.

"ORDER!" Celestia bellowed slamming her hoof on the arm of her throne. "ORDER IN THE COURT!"

Her words went by with out consequence, Macintosh dug his hoof into the scruff of the unicorn's neck, holding him firmly in place as the crimson farmer pony bore his teeth, his eyes wild as the flashbacks of the dark cell and the deal this pony tried to strike came to mind. The oaken unicorn flinched as his aggressor pulled back his hoof to strike...

ORDER! Celestia bellowed, once again demonstrating her Royal Canterlot Voice.

A pin dropping could be heard in the throne room, ponies were frozen in place. Nopony dared move a muscle lest they face the wrath of the unamused princess before them. Finally, Luna broke the statue ridden atmosphere by descending the stairs and walking through the maze of still petrified citizens until she came face to face with a still enraged Macintosh. Gently, she grabbed his retracted hoof and helped place it on the ground, immediately the stallions face softened and he was lead by the lunar goddess to the front of the room where Spike stood.

"Now," The white alicorn continued, acknowledging her sister was not going to rejoin her. "May we assume with out further interruption?" Her tone agitated.

The prosecution began whispering to each other again. After the room became orderly and organized again, the uppity mare hung her head. She knew the trial hadn't been going her way since Celestia had ripped the rug out from under her with the first witness. She gave the sun raiser a look and let out a sigh. "Your majesty, if I may. It seems like you have already made your judgement and chosen a side in this case." She explained in a defeated tone. "Why do you continue it?"

"Because," Celestia said with a motherly smile. "This is as much about your ability to convince me of your side, as it is about his innocence. I've already decided on a great deal, Uppity, however your current task is to find him guilty. And I have yet to determine if you can do that."

SIn furrowed his brow. So, this 'Uppity', aptly named; is on some sort of trial herself to prove something to Celestia? Poor girl... Uppity took a calming and reinvigorating breath and nodded before she turned back to the remainder of the crowd. "I assume you've already heard everything you need to from them as well?" Uppity asked rhetorically. Celestia answered in the affirmative. The prosecuting mare turned back to Sin and her eyes narrowed.

"It seems that all that's left to do is argue about how you're guilty then." Though the upper-crust and snobbishness of her voice hadn't yet returned. Sin knew that Uppity was gathering her confidence and whits. A small tingle of excitement rolling up and down his spine. The populist he debated yesterday hadn't been much of a challenge, though this pony he knew was far more intelligent. And in a debate, with intelligence, came challenge. "And I don't plan to allow you to walk out of here with out destroying anything close to a case you could make for yourself." She said with a dead pan glare.

Sin smirked. "Madam please. I was a politician back in the Federation.You don't get where I've been by being sloppy." The stallion tilted his head up slightly, "I've stood literally, alone against many bills that I didn't like. And in a few hours time since the bills bringence to the floor, I've made it so not even the sponsors of he legislation wanted anything to do with it. You truly think you have a chance?"  He turned his head slowly away from the mare, even if his words didn't intimidate her, the fact he wasn't paying attention to her reaction would probably get her railed up. As snobby and professional as the unicorn may have been, Sin knew a rookie when he saw one.

"Alright Celestia, cards on the table." Sin called looking up to the pokerfaced princess. By Tapio's beard this mare changes her mood quickly, maybe she's bi-polar? "You sent your agents to investigate the incidents where I was involved, found through one way or another, that there had been foul play but didn't arrest them. You've assisted me in my defense even though most arbiters are supposed to be neutral during any and all disputes." He took a breath. "And now you're telling me that the decisions have already been made in pertinence to this case? Why even bother having this trial?"

The aforementioned alicorn gave an innocent smile. "Because, I want to know why you think you're innocent." Her eyes shifted over to her agitated and appalled subject than back to Sin. "Uppity is anything but incompetent, and from what I've seen of you, Sin, the same is true. As I've said, this is just as much about testing her abilities as it is your actual judgement."

Sin quirked a skeptical brow. "So what you're telling me is: This whole ordeal is such a joke, that you are actually using it to test this young mare's argumentative abilities?" A small bit of amusement bubbled when from the corner of his eye, he caught Uppity scowling.

"You're being here is a very unique opportunity." Celestia explained, ignoring the blatant insult against her judgment. "You're not one of my subjects, so I have no reason to think you'd hold back. You are a politician from an egnigmatic and isolationist country, and you've proven that you're an intelligent and well spoke pony. Uppity is going to be my main prosecuting agent for cases that I wont be able to personally attend. She's proven herself on many occasions, though; not many have offered her the kind of challenge you can."

Sin dwelled on the notion for a moment. Had the princess truly held his abilities in such high regard? Was there an ulterior  motive? He hadn't gather nearly as much information on the crown as he would have liked, and he berated himself for that enough already. Though he couldn't think of anything, Sin felt in his gut that there was more at play here than the princess was leading on. Surly there have been better arguments brought before her, She's the monarch of a country. Surly she didn't actually expect him to believe that he was the only one who could offer her personal prosecution a challenge.

"Very well." Sin turned back to his opponent, a pair of eye shooting daggers for him. "I'll play your little game... When you're ready."

The mare cleared her throat, though shaken, it was apparent she wasn't beaten. "Then I shall finish this with a kill shot." Sin pressed his lips at the words, though not word for word, it was similar to a phrase he used when he provided an argument that no one would be able to refuse. As nervous as he was about her next words, he couldn't deny the fact that he had been looking forward to at time where he would be on the receiving end of a such a proclamation... And rip it to shreds.

Though he found himself with a blank mind as the mare basically reiterated her opening statement. Emphasizing that there were laws in this land, and that those laws must be respected and abided by for the good of pony society. After a long winded speech about the order of society being maintained by law, and how those who brake said deceleration should be held accountable, the mare let out a sigh. "The prosecution rests."

"Is that really all, Uppity?" Celestia asked concerned.

"It's more than obvious who's side you've already taken your majesty." Uppity huffed. "Frankly, as much as I take pride in my position in your court and I would love to see him get his just deserts, there is relatively little else for me to say." She shook her head.

"Little else?" Sin quipped drawing her attention. "You're letting your pride get in the way of your work. There is plenty else you could have said, mostly emotional arguments, but still plenty else. Never the less, I'm here to defend myself." Sin spoke briefly, though his words struck everpony in the room. "Life isn't black and white and no law can make it that way. Simply because a law exists doesn't mean it shouldn't be gone against if it's tyrannical." He looked directly at the prosecution, her un-enthused gaze meeting his own. "And if there is an innocent behind bars simply because a law protects those who put him in there, than you will be damn sure I'll do everything in my power to fight the law, even if it requires breaking it."

With that, the liberty stallion closed his case and looked to the judicator for his verdict.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Will that be all?" Both the ponies below nodded their head in the affirmative. "Very well. Sin, I, Princess Celestia, do here by find you the defendant-"




A bit of a bad cliff hanger and lack luster chapter here. Sorry, things have been rather unnerving as far as my creativity goes for the last couple of days. With the elections drawing closer, Turkey playing dance dance with Syria, and the U.S. economy the way it is. I've been stressing myself out trying to keep up. Not too much I can do about it, though; I'm one of those guys who likes to keep a close eye on the bigger picture. So, sorry if my writing suffered to much for it... Ok, I also had to rewrite this chapter after FIMfiction logged me out before I could save for some reason. I hate having to rewrite anything, and that also might have played a factor.
> Verdicts Your Honors?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Verdicts your Honors?



Sin sat on an oak bench outside of the the castle, the princess words replaying over and over in his mind. He cringed a bit at the smug look on her face as the verdict was passed. "Guilty." he repeated to no one in particular. He thought he had it figured out, he thought he knew what the call would be when the princess had assisted him. He couldn't help sulk, he hated sulking. It made him feel like some petulant filly who was simply pouting for not getting his way.

Though, the unsettle churning in his stomach was well justified along with his now snarling demeanor. Her sentence was lighter than his imagination had terrorized him with, a few days confinement in the castle and an apology to Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack for the trouble he'd caused them. Sin agreed to apologize for the trouble and hurt feelings, though he refused to apologize for what he said, as he was merely telling the truth. Had it not been for the fact Hearts Warming Eve was close, the princess claimed her leniency wouldn't have been given.

So, now here he sat. Mac and Spike had come to check up on him, Mac keeping an eye out for a particularly cynical unicorn, and Spike with the look of "I told you so" written all to smugly upon his face. Though, Sin couldn't really complain, he'd owned up to his actions, and was now going to pay for them. After he'd dismissed the two for a moment of silence and thought, the duo said they would be waiting inside for their families to arrive. Both looking far more nervous than they did when they discovered that Sin could possibly be locked away. Though, that really hadn't surprised him. Considering the way he felt when he left his family.

Before Sin could dwell on the concept for too much longer, a golden pegasus approached him. Sin pretended to pay no mind, but under the reflective surfaces of his goggles, his eyes trailed the pony, examining his features. Golden pegasus, darker brown mane with a few black streaks going through it. He smirked at the cutie mark the unclothed pony had, a half coiled up pure black porcupine. It looked almost like a crude drawing, though he new better. The pegasus took a seat on the far side of the oaken rest and looked up to pegasi flock in the sky. Moving clouds into formation for a snow shower.

"Cold?" He asked in a friendly tone. Sin's eyes trailed to him, and noticed that the ponies own grey eyes had yet to leave the working equines above.

"Not as much as." Sin replied. The yellow stallion smiled and turned his head to greet his associate. "What are you doing her Ace? The Syndicate would benefit a great deal more from you being in Northwoods,  than here." He said nonchalantly. 

Ace smirked. "I see your manners have improved since last we met." The golden pony chuckled at his own joke. His voice had a tone of playfulness, though it was clear that Ace was a smooth and calm pony. Sin gave him a brief sideways stare before reiterating his question. Ace's ears fell slightly, he pressed his lips together and readied himeself to deliver what Sin could only guess was bad news. "Actually, that's what I'm here to talk to you about."

"Alright."

"We need you back at the Syndicate, everybody's become a lot more lethargic during your missing year. Along with some" The ponies eyes turned down. "Unforeseen circumstances." 

"if you by 'unforseen circumstances'," Sin began turning his attention directly to the new comer, "That the Triple M. Corporation had thrown the market into a panic and by selling their stocks off and buying everything in the chaos, than-"

"No." Ace interjected. "You were right when you said they would attempt a Rothchild Panic Run." A small smirk claimed his face. "We had agents on standby to purchase stocks when things had hit rock bottom, though; we hadn't the funds to get more than five percent of the market. We did have impact enough to halt any significant gains by Triple M. though."

Sin shook his head in disappointment. "If Malich got his hands on the remainder of the Mining and Medical stocks, he holds the Monopoly. What was it that made the market follow Triple M.'s lead?"

Ace let out a sigh and looked back up to he clouds. He informed Sin about a recent trading incident where Timberwolves had to be relocated. The loss of time in trade resulted in tons of food spoiling, It had a massive effect on the nation's economy. The South Equine earth ponies were high in food exportation to all other states, though, the griffins and the Pegasi/unicorn consortium were their absolute largest consumers. While the other states could live off the land if cared for enough, Griffans were short tempered, and hadn't the patience nor will for gardening or farming plants -Much like pegasi and unicorns-. Mix that with the naturally dry climate in which the lion/eagle hybrids lived in, and importing feed for their live stalk was anything but an option.

And add that with the loss of money gained in the South Equine high tax rate, and less money to use to import luxurious Items from the Pegasi/Unicorn consortium, the corporate North Equine trade suffered as well. For all of their back stock, prices fell dramatically with out the earth ponies making purchases as they used to. "Once the worry of recession began, companies and bodies were only too happy to get rid of their assets quickly while the prices were still high. Better to have paper money that's worth something than stocks that aren't. And the moment Triple M. began selling off it's stocks in droves, the fools followed right after."

Sin scoffed. "Is that what you came her to tell me?"

"No. I came here because this is bigger than that." Ace deadpanned. "The lobbyists for Triple M. have been concentrating on keeping the senate quiet, and create a line of division between the Judicators and Legislators." Sin quirked an interested brow, electing a knowing grin from the golden pegasus. "Oh yea, the Senate has a few upcoming bills that need to be re-voted on. If they don't vote to approve them, than a lot of Federal programs are going to fall under."

"Many federal government programs are going to fall under." Sin said slowly, as if he were speaking to a child. "And you want me to help stop that? I want you to think that one over for a while Ace."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Sin, it's not that simple, a lot has happened while you were away. A bill was passed a few days after you left that should have had the whole country in a frenzy," Sin's ears twtiched slightly, betraying any attempt to keep his cool. "The Senate passed a bill that would allow the Federal level to use one million mercenaries to quell civil uprisings."

Sin's jaw gaped. Beneath his goggles, his eyes were larger than anyone had ever seen. "One million? For civil uprising?"

"Yep, and what's worse, the don't even know they passed it."

"Ok. Now you're fucking with me."

"'fraid not." The pony said with a smile. "The provision was ear marked into a bill that had nothing to do with it. And with Windmane missing in action and Senators Tallon and Verdigo retired, none of the others really cared to read through it to-"

"Windmane is missing?" Sin asked concerned. The grey eyed pegasus nodded and told how the senator had disappeared with out a trace. The initial thought was he committed suicide, though there was no body and no evidence to support it. Leaving the country while in such a position of power wasn't exactly orthodox, and how the next guess, ponynapped, was probably the best bet. "You don't think Triple M. would go that far do you?"

"Oh yea." Ace chuckled. "With the way Trip 'em  has been operating lately, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they were behind it."

"Regardless," Sin sighed remembering his sentence, "I'm afraid I'm stuck here for a while."

Ace chuckled heartily, "Yes, I heard you had to appear in court for releasing prisoners." To that Sin shot the pegasus a look and asked how long he had been in Canterlot. To his surprise, Ace had been in the city for the past two weeks waiting for him. Apparently Malich wasn't very quiet about finding the former Senator, and he some how knew that Sin would end up in Capital at some point. "After I heard, I left the Federation and came here. Not long after, those Communist rallies began, and low and behold; my instincts were right as to where you'd end up."

Sin was about give a snide retort before he noticed Macintosh and Spike approaching and, to his dismay, four very familiar looking mares not to far behind them. The former senator shook his head and motioned to the approaching group, whispering to his associate that they were his friends. Ace gave a knowing nod and began walking away. "We'll talk more about it later."

"Of course. I have something to take care of anyway" Ace bowed his head a bit and trotted off into the castle. Sin's stoic face turned to address his now present friends, and the lavender, cyan, orange, and pink mares accompanying them. He noticed the nervous looks on Mac and Spike's faces as they held their position a few yards away, making way for the four mares to confront him themselves.

"HIYA SIN!" Bubbled Pinkie Pie with a ear splitting grin much like she had during their initial encounter. The other three offered more calm and awkward greetings. Sin nodded and addressed each mare respectively before looking directly at Applejack and Twilight, a small twinge of guilt rushing though him as images of the costly victor of Golvec came to mind. They sat in an awkward silence before Applejack nervously spoke up.

"th' princess tol' us to com' n' talk to ya'." She said blank, "said you had something important to say ta us." The others nodded thier heads and looked at the oaken stallion expectantly. Sin nodded his head and began apologizing for any bad feelings he may have given to the duo. He apologized for Mac's behavior to Applejack, explaining that with the realizations that Sin had given, a new kind of pride birthed with it, and his mistake of not helping her brother to better control it. He than addressed Twilight, he couldn't really say much to her considering it was Mac who had assisted Spike in realizing that he could control his life instead of being told how to live it by his, for all intents and purposes, mother. Though, he could say sorry for all of the bad feelings it gave them.

Finally, the two gave him a nod of their heads, satisfied smirks spread across their muzzles, and Sin moved onto Rainbow dash. He stood blankly for a moment, he really couldn't find anything to apologize for aside from hurting her feelings himself. Everything he said was true, though he supposed it could have been a bit more gently toned. He also found added on the bit where Spike punched her ego in the gut with the "not the bucking bad ass you think you are", even if he did find it personally hilarious. "However." Sin proclaimed, wiping the newly formed smirk off the rainbow mare's face. "I apologize for the trouble and bad feelings it caused. I do not apologize for what I said." He fought the urge to direct his next words at a certain sky colored pegasus pony. "Because what I said was nothing less than the truth, and I will never apologize for the truth."

The superior smirks of Twilight and Applejack faltered slightly, though regained as smiles of acceptance. "Aww, shoot. I'm sorry tha' Ah was rough on ya', but ya hafta understand: aside from granny Smith n' Applebloom, Big Mac's the only fam'ly Ah got left." Applejack admitted.

Sin nodded, giving his own words sympathy. "Well, I'm not sorry." Twilight answered calmly. "I haven't forgiven you for taking Spike away from the only home he's ever known. Don't misunderstand me, I know that he's his own dragon, and he has the right to leave if he wishes. But he's only a baby after all, he could have been hurt." Another twinge of guilt shot through the stallion. Though the mare's words were calm and logical, he had seen the rage that lay beneath. Add to that the fact that this was truly the star pupil under the princess herself, the stallion couldn't imagine her reaction when she found out he had been hurt. Though, he had found something interesting in her words and pointed to Spike.

"I wouldn't be to worried Ms. Sparkle. I don't think to many would want to go hoof to hoof with him." Twilight turned to face the dragon and her eyes lit up as if she had seen him for the first time. Sin supposed that they were to dead focused on finding him to pay Mac and Spike much mind.

"Spike?" Twilight asked in disbelief, looking at the dragon, who was actually eye level with her now. All of the ponies drew their attention to the slightly grown dragon with surprised and interested stares. Spike folded his arms and allowed himself a cocky grin from the admiration. The mares questioned him about how he lost his port belly and how he had grown so much. Sin discovered that a dragon didn't need his greed to be fulfilled in order for it to grow, but since it was at the wyrms request; he would have done it all the same.

Twilight's eyes began to dampen and she embraced the dragon, her friends soon followed suit and then repeated the process with Macintosh. Soon they had forgotten Sin was present and began to catch up with eachother. 

Sin watched with a feeling he had long since repressed for years. An emotion that ripped at both his gut and heart, a feeling he hoped Mac and Spike would never have to feel en mass. Envy. He quietly watched as the tearful greatings turned into excited reunions, and slowly descend into into subtle laughs of story telling. A particular roar of laughter came as Applejack explained how Rainbow Dash attempted to collect apples apples by using a Sonic Rainboom, what ever that was, and wound up flying though a thick tree roof and landing face first into the dirt.

The group of four continued their talking with the politician gone rouge deep in thought. He repressed his emotional desire for the time being and began to contemplate the information he was given. He'd already apologized, so that part of his punishment was over, and he would only be in the castle a few more days; a week tops. Will he go back? The whole point of him leaving his country we because the citizens hadn't really taken an interest in what thier politicians were doing. All politicians were mandated to visit the districts they represented. Though, most would simply hide away in a hotel for the week, Sin wondered about and spoke with ponies; not as a politician, but as a normal citizen. And the result he had were of mixed results. 

True that the North Equine citizenry mainly consisted of unicorn and pegasi, but like all other states (Save the northern Centaur) they were not mutually exclusive. Most of the bodies were not happy with the way the Federation had been operating. That was a good sign, however those who spoke ill of the government didn't show much promise to want to change it. Sure, they were going to vote in new politicians, however; it always ended up with the same crooked politicians in office. 

Anybody can run for office, though the main races of their respective states have always been elected out of pure racism. Not a fact Sin was particularly proud of, as it was most rampant in North Equine and South Equine. His time in the ponies mother land of Equestria had shaken him a bit more than he had expected. His time here had show ponies to be a very kind and loving race, he couldn't believe that such pony could exist, let alone a country full of them. And it was a land more free than he thought possible. Despite them having a monarch, she hadn't imposed too many laws for her subject to follow, well compared to the federation anyway. 

Sin thought about returning home, he liked Equestria and all, but there really wasn't any place for him here. His thoughts were interrupted by a rather large grumbling sound, and he snapped back to reality to find a pink pony smiling knowingly at him. Though stallion's face was stoic and un-telling, the small glint of pink hitting his cheeks betrayed any kind of dignity he attempted to maintain. "Sounds like somepony's a hungry pony." Pinkie giggled, causing Sin to brighten more. And then there was this enigma of a mare. Sin narrowed his eyes, apparently this particular mare for some reason or another, was emotionally unstable according to Spike. That mixed with her actual intelligence and ability to tell if someone she didn't know was around unsettled the stallion, and the fact she took an interest in him didn't help that fact.

"I suppose forgoing breakfast and lunch weren't my brightest of ideas." Sin grabbed at his stomach, the realization of how hungry he actually was setting in. He shrugged it off and looked up to see three pairs of eyes scowling at him. What did I do now?

"Y'all had my brothor' figh' a dragon?!" The apple mare exclaimed, murderous intent more than visible in her eyes. ... Oh yea, oh shit.

Before she could leap forward and unleash her rage upon the liberty pony, Macintosh redrew her attention and told how he and Spike wanted to free the Diamond Dogs that Golvec had enslaved. Twilight began to push the issue for her own assistance well being, though the dragon himself explained how he volunteered for his part. Shooting a few cheap shots at how Sin had more faith in him than she did.

"Look Twi'," Spike sighed at the hurt look Twilight gave him. "I don't want to fight over this anymore. You're the closest thing to a mother I've ever had, and the only family I've ever known. I don't want you to be angry with me, but I don't want to be treated like a child anymore either. Sin helped me to realize my potential, and he treated me how I wanted to be treated:as an adult."

Twilight opened her mouth to retort several times, though by the end of it she gave an exacerbated sigh of defeat. "Alright. I suppose I do owe you an apology. You've grown a great deal since you left. And I'm really proud of you for making your own decisions, even if they weren't what I wanted." She smiled gently, then she gave the dragon a pat on the head. "But don't think this changes the fact that I'm still your guardian." She laughed and gave a wink. Which prompted a laugh from Spike who hugged her tightly and thanked her.

Mac had smoothing things over with Rainbow Dash, the latter taking extra precautions to avoid even looking in Sin's general direction. Applejack had long accepted her brothers departure from the farm, though; she wanted a real answer as to why he left. She was genuinely surprised when it was actually he who told most of the stories of he and Spike's adventures. She was enjoying the fact that her brother was actually talking to her, and not just giving one worded replies as he usually did.

Sin stood from the bench and began trotting away to look for Ace again. "Where are you going?" A voice called from behind. He looked to find Pinkie Pie with her head tilted and her eyes questioning. Sin looked behind her to the other ponies who had suddenly taken an interest in what the Sin had to say.

Sin cleared his throat, "This is a family reunion, I have no business in it." He shrugged and turned to walk away again. As he rounded the corner where he saw Ace disappear to, he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew why he felt so uncomfortable around them, but it still didn't help the fact that he hated himself for allowing such emotions to get to him. Shaking it off, Sin trotted forward, if nothing else to find something to put into his gut. It was then he remembered the cache' of gens he planned to sell off to get some bits. He trotted into the castle and to the provided room to retrieve said valuables. Once he had the saddle bag secured he wondered back down stairs to find a servant whom might be able to point him in direction of a few buyers.

As he walked down the hall, he found that the throne room door was slightly ajar, and heard Celestia and Luna consulting somebody inside. Sin shrugged it off and began to walk off again until a familiar voice made him freeze mid step.

"I apologize your majesty, however, I can't take the chance of him having the ability to leave. I need him to come back with me, the Federation needs him." He heard Ace's smooth voice compel the princess's. 

"So let me see if understand this correctly." He heard Celestia say slowly. "You want me to lift his sentence so he may help you in bringing stability to the Federation?"

"And in exchange, you have my protection, as well as that of the Syndicate, for any of your subjects who are sent with us." Ace finished, his voice carrying a sweet and convincing smoothness. "You said you were very interested in the Federation, you'd get a great deal more insight from somebody who'd pay attention to it with interest than we who take it for granted."

Celestia let out a thoughtful sound. "Is Sin truly that important?" Sin pressed his lips together, he never considered himself important or someone who did anything particularly extraordinary. Though he was more occupied with the sting sense of betrayal he was feeling with what he considered his friend, going behind his back and attempting to convince someone who had leverage over him, to use it in their own favor. Sin smiled, 'I've always wanted to do this.' he thought as he slowly slipped in, garnering no attention from the trio of conversing ponies.

"More so than even I had realized. Had it not been for him, the Syndacate would have gone the rout of violence and assassinated the leader of North New Equine." He saw Ace's head droop slightly. "He was the voice of reason that day, told us of another plan that would expose the bastard and make him step down. You should have seen the looks on the pegasus and unicorn's faces when they found out about his-"

"Please, Ace." All three ponies flinched from the unexpected outburst and their eyes shot up to see Sin casually leaning against the wall by the door. "I don't think such a subject is fit to be mentioned in the presence of royalty." The aforementioned pegasus gave a sheepish grin and a shrug as Sin wondered up to the conspirators. "Trying to use the crowns authority to have me return home? I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose."

"How do you always know when somebody is plotting against you?" The golden pony waved a dismissive hoof. 

"This isn't your first time doing it." Sin stated matter of factually, he then looked to the princess expectantly. Ace questioned if he was going some where, pointing to the saddle bags on his back. "Well," Sin began. His muzzle twisting into a maniachle grin. "I was going to use the bag to beat a traitorous associate of mine senseless, than offer the gems to two certain alicorns as a bribe to never speak of what I did with your body."

"...What?" Asked Celestia quirking a brow.

"As much as I don't like it when those I trust go behind my back." Sin shot Ace a hard look. "I would like to assess the situation in the Federation myself. If Ace is correct in what he told me, than I must return as soon as possible. However, I am in a situation where I have decided to face my consequence with you, thus I must pay my debt before I will allow myself to leave." Sin announced, completely dismissing the shocked looks he received from his joke/threat.

Celestia placed a hoof to her chin, making a mental note to dismiss Sin's sense of humor, and mused over to two foreigners before her. Sin waited patiently, for the princess to come to a decision, while he wouldn't mind waiting the extra couple of days, what ever she had planned for him, he still would have liked to leave for the Federation as soon as he could. 

"I shall need time to think it over and discuss it with my sister." Celestia concluded placing her golden clad hoof back onto the ground. "Once my decision is made, I shall send for you. Until then, your sentence still stands."

Sin nodded his head and gave his thanks before turning around and walking back to the enterance of the throne room. His lips twisted into a brief sneer when he saw the Mac and Spike walk in, accompanied by the four mares from before. "Hey Sin!" Spike called happily. 

"Spike, Mac." Sin addressed simply before walking out of the hall, or attempting to anyway. A very stern looking pair of lavender eyes met his. He looked passively down at the purple unicorn before him. "Can I help you?"

Her stern eyes softened a bit before she spoke. "Is it alright if Applejack and I have a word with you in the hall?"

Sin pressed his lips together, unsure of what the two had wanted from him. "Of course." he announced. Twilight and Applejack took point and lead him outside the doors and into the hallway. After they were a good distance away from the door, the two turned around to address him. But instead of actually speaking, the each heals out their hooves with both a metal container and an old envelope. 

"We want to thank you for keeping our boys safe." Twilight gave a sheepish smile.

"Ya, they tol' us 'bout the detour y'all took to Hooftrot for Nightmare night, and how ya helped Macintosh learn to talk more. Ah havn' seen him speak so many words at once before."

"And Spike's not as crabby either." 

Sin listened as they trailed on, their smiles growing and their discomfort with him fading. He looked at the two items they offered and recognized them as the tokens he gave in promise... A promise he broke. Finally they looked at him with expectant, though kind eyes and offered thier thanks for the experiences he helped their friends through. The liberty pony looked down at the quill and letter again before a twinge guilt in his heart quickly grew to an overwhelming wave. He shook his head and heald up a hoof. "Keep them,"

"What?" Both mares asked, confusion plastered on their faces.

"Part of the promise was that they wouldn't be hurt during their travels, so long as I could help it. They were hurt, both of them." Sin admitted, a small bit of disappointment in his voice. The two looked at him quizzically, they hadn't heard about either of Mac nor Twilight's assistance being injured.

"What'er you talkin' about? Ah didn't see a scratch on 'em." 

"During the fight with the dragon Golvec, we all sustained some kind of injury." He replied shaking his head. "They healed soon after, thanks to an intervention by Princess Luna. But I broke my promise." He motioned for them to keep the artifacts and offered a small smirk, "I'm sorry."

Twilight and Applejack looked at each other for and then back to Sin, silence consumed them for a painstaking time before Applejack chuckled. Interest in what the farmer pony found so amusing, Sin eyed the mare. "Y'all think we didn' 'spect those two t' get a few scrapes n' bruises?" She finished with a beaming smile.

Sin was taken aback by her sudden optimistic outburst. It wasn't just a scrap or bruise, it was fighting a dragon. Then he remembered these two had been part of a team that took down the "god of chaos" as he liked to call himself. So maybe he was being a little critical.

Twilight re-offered the letter. "It's not like we expected you to pamper them." She rolled her eyes, but offered a reassuring smile. Sin nodded an retook the objects, placing them into his saddlebag with the gems. Twilight questioned the stallion about the precious stones, asking if they were for Spike.

The three continued their conversation, Sin giving his input on the Golvec incident and talking to librarian and cowpony as if he were at a parent teacher conference, keeping them up to date on what Spike and Mac had done. Suddenly, a very timid butter colored Pegasus tapped Twilight on the shoulder. 

"Oh, Hi Fluttershy." Twilight greeted, her orange friend also giving her own salutation. "Where's Rarity? You said you both would catch up with us after you shopped around." After the pink maned pegasus gave said her hello's she mentioned seeing a night guard arguing with Rarity outside in the Castle statue garden. Sin facehoofed after he heard about the Dark stallion bowing before Discord's statue, and how her prissy (or from what he saw undignified) unicorn friend confronted him about it.

"Y- You know him?" Fluttershy whispered cocking her head. 

"Um... Yea." Sin bit his lip in embarrassment. He shook his head and began to walk to the main hall. "I need to go make sure he hasn't done anything to hurt anybody yet."

The three mares eyes went wide. "Is he dangerous?" The librarian asked concerned.

Sin nodded in the affirmative then began a brisk trot the other four falling in behind him. The four made thier way to the garden to find two golden clad white unicorn guards watching with confused glares as Star Shade and what Sin recognized as Rarity arguing in front of Discords statue. 

"Discord say's your fashion designs are terrible! And he would only use them for the worst in torture techniques." Shade yelled, earning an offended scoff from his opponent. 

"Well, 'Discord', you are hardly one to make a judgement about fashion." She turned her nose up, and with a snide look commented on how he couldn't even be born with any kind of symmetry.

Shade's eyes narrowed, his pupil locking onto the arrogant mare before him. "How dare you speak to my god in such a way?!"

Rarity flipped her mane over her shoulder. "Darling, please. Let's halt this silly, 'Discord' nonsense. It's quite unbecoming."

"I will EAT YOUR UNBORN BABIES!" Shade yelled flaring his wings. Rarity took a few steps back at the display. Sin stepped in between the two, and glared at Star Shade. Shade's eyes instantly soften, and he smiled happily. "Hey Sin, how have ya been?" 

Sin cracked his neck, he hated when Shade said that rhyme. "Causing trouble again Shade?" 

"Oh you know," The dark pegasus shrugged. "Went for a walk, had a nice lunch, and just marked the first unborn sacrifice to my lord and master. The usual." He finished nonchalantly. 

"Shade, I'm going to be blunt. I'm hungry, I'm tired, I just got out of trial, and I am not in a good mood." Sin stated flatly, his face stern. "I am not in the mood for your antics. I'm going to get something to eat. Would you care to join me?"

Shade mused over the prospect for a moment, he turned to Discord than turned back to Sin. "Discord wants to know if we can get him an infant sacrifice?"

Sin's neck twitched slightly. He took a long slow breath and instead of doing the responsible thing and explaining to the former night guard how Discord wasn't really a god to be worshiped and how infants shouldn't be sacrificed to anything. He did the only thing that any sane pony who knew the insanity of Star Shade would do. "Sure, why not?"
> Growing Pains
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Growing Pains



"No..."

"Aww, c'mon it'll be lots of fun!"

"No..."

"Sin, I really think you should at least take a moment to think about it."

"NO!" Sin growled. He turned his head to face Sin, Mac, and Ace. "No. This is beyond the worst idea I have ever heard. And I have known Star Shade... No offense."

"Your mother." Star Shade poked his head into the dining area and quickly zipped away. 

Ace shook his head. "Look, I know that you're a guy of doing your own thing. But we need you back now. Even travel by air ship is too long for my liking, and waiting a week on top of that? Who knows what Triple M. is planning?"

Sin shot the stallion a look, "haven't the Syndicate's agents found out anything?"

"No, and that angers me as much as it does you. Believe me."

"Alright, Twilight and Applejack I can understand. But, is it necessary to bring the rainbow one and Pinkie? They don't know how things work in the Federation. Hell, they use a racial slur just to address crowds, for Tapio's sake." Sin exclaimed prompting an explanation from Macintosh and Spike about how any/every'pony'. was exclusive to the other races. A sudden smile crept onto Sin's face. "Besides, they all have responsibilities at home don't they?"

Spike opened his mouth to interject, though Sin did have a point. Rainbow Dash was part of the weather patrol, Applejack had to run the farm, and the lack of Big Mac had already taken it's toll on the family business. Twilight ran Ponyville Library, though her presence wasn't completely necessary, and Pinkie was employed at Sugercube corner, Ponyvilles greatest sugary confectionery. 

"Well, Twilight and Pinkie could go at least." Spike shrugged, torn between the happiness of making up for lost time with her, and the thoughts of her pushing him around again and telling him what to do. Mac's face remained relatively neutral though out the conversation.

"Be that as it may." Sin replied with venom. "I'd be skeptical just taking you two along. I know you're both quick to learn, however the Federation works a great deal differently than Equestria. Bodies doing stupid things are imprisoned simply because the law demands it!"

Spike and Mac grimaced at the pony's lack of confidence in them, and each gave their retort about how they could handle the cultural change. Before Sin could address either of them, Ace pressed the issue of the numerous innocent lives who could be affected by such political stagnation. Even still, the brown clad pony was once again cut off by Star Shade poking his head in again, and said something to the extent of how disappointed Fluffy would be if he were here.

Finally, after a great deal of pressure and deliberation, Sin gave in; as uncharacteristic as it was. "Alright." He gave a defeated sigh. "Fine, I'll agree to the terms. On one condition." 

"I can't believe it." Ace replied beaming. "You're actually giving in? You actually lost an argument?"

"Don't push me." Sin threatened.

Ace lifted a dismissive hoof, an arrogant smile plastered over his still beaming face, and inquired to the stallions condition. Sin gave a low growl and shook his head. "I want you to fly ahead, and bring the air ship Gonshinian along with it's Captain Demos, to the outlying northern city of Hooftrot. By the time you arrive at the Federation and bring him there, I'll have gotten everybody here informed on how the Federation states operate."

"Demos? I don't know Sin." Ace fidgeted nervously. "Demos isn't exactly the easiest Griffin to approach." Sin sneered at his associate and explained that Captain Demos had owed Sin a favor from a while back, and if there was one thing that Griffin hated more than anything, it was owing a debt. Shooting down any protest that could have arisen, the golden pegasus dejectedly accepted the condition and left the dining area to inform the Princesses.

"Will it really take that long to catch everypo- everybody..." Spike enunciated, trying to end the 'racial slur' habbit. "That long to get up to speed? I can't see it taking more than a day or two."

Sin shook his head grimly. Mac also voiced concerns about wasting time, and how Ace seemed truly adiment about collecting all of them and getting back to the State collective as soon as possible. The former senator rubbed his hooves against his temples and explained how he would need to not only teach the new comers about the law of the land, but also allow the new mares time to adjust to how the traveling four operated. He wanted all the complaints and objections to be dealt with before they reached their destination. And the only way to accomplish this was by trial and error.

Spike rolled his eyes and accused Sin of being over dramatic. While it was true that the stallion held closing all loopholes in common practice, he hadn't acted with such passion before. Mac and the aforementioned wyrm were beginning to think Sin incapable of it. And here he was now, arguing with both anger and vigor. Even if it required a great deal of stress to pry it out of him.

After a few more minutes of conversation, the three came to agree with Sin, and they wondered back into the throne room to speak with Celestia and Luna. Ace had just wrapped up his explanation to the royal sisters and asked Sin when he would arrive to Hooftrot. Sin informed the pegasus about the six week trip, to which the pony's jaw nearly fell off his head, though rectified the situation by telling him it would only take four with no intentional delays. However, that wasn't good enough for the foreigner.

Reluctantly, Sin looked over a map to which Ace declared he would meet the stallion in two weeks maximum. His golden hoof struck a small dot that read "Trottingham" and ordered that the group await the Gonshinian there. There was to little time to waste on needless travel. They came to another agreement, and Ace quickly burst out of the palace; flying north to secure the air ship he desperately needed. 

Sin turned around and with a bow, addressed the sisters again. "Thank you, your majesties." He stood and looked up to them.

Celestia waved a playfully dismissive hoof and smiled. Luna on the other hand seemed rather interested in the group, or one particular red stallion of them. "Did Ace inform you my conditions?" The solar alicorn asked, prompting a curt nod from Sin. "Excellent. When will you all be leaving then?"

"As soon as possible. There are some things I'd rather work out before we reach our destination." Answered the oak stallion. Before any elaboration could be given, the lunar mare stood from her throne and made a mad dash for Macintosh, wrapping her hooves around him.

"No sister!" She cried holding the surprised pony in a death grip. "I wont let you take him, he's MINE!" She flared her wings and burst out of the throne room door, carrying a pleading Macintosh off to only she knew where. Leaving a room full of half confused and half knowing individuals.

"Okay, seriously?!" Spike proclaimed throwing his arms in the direction of the now ruined throne room doors. "Is anypony going to tell me what the hay those two are doing?"









"Y'ALL CAN'T SERIOUSLY LIVE LIKE THIS!" Applejack cried over the roaring wind. She held onto her stetson as another snow filled gale threatened to remove the accessory. Pinkie stood shivering in her pink cloak, only moving to keep up with the ever advancing: Sin, Mac, Spike and Shade. Twilight raised a lavender bubble shield and engulfed the farmer and party ponies, protecting them from the cold.

Sin looked back to the luxury the ponies were indulging in and shook his head. It was only their first day of travel, and they even left at mid day for the extra warmth! The four mares said their tearful good byes to their best of friends and promised to return soon. Celestia had requested Sin give the four extra special care during the winter to ensure that nothing too bad would happen to them... You'd think with those four being part of these so called 'Elements of Harmoney': Fighting the also so called 'God of Chaos' they would be able to hold their own in the cold.

And here they were, already using magic just to walk a simple short distance. Though, he thought, it would be fair to note that the sun had begun it's decline, and they were a good ways from Canterlot. Sin felt a prod on his side and looked over to find a tan clad dragon pointing to a near by concave in an approaching cliff side. Taking the hint, the group began to head for the closes thing to shelter they would likely find for miles.

The reverberating heat offered by the fire off of the walls was refreshing, even to the newcomers to the group. Sin and Mac continued the tedious task of drying off dead blades of grass to help kindle. They observed the four mares huddled together to preserve body heat by the fire. Both stallions grinned when they witnessed Spike and Shade emerge from the darkness just out of the cliffs reach, carrying a bundle of sticks a piece. They kept a good distance away from the fire and dusted off the remaining snow, trying to keep the wood as dry, and flammable, as possible before proceeding with a more permanent heat source. 

It took the purple reptile using his own breath to do it, but eventually, the wood took light, and the fire became more than enough to comfortably envelop the troop. Once the task was complete, The mares watched with curious eyes as the silent males of the group went about their tasks. Sin wondered out into the storm, Mac pulled out a metal pot from his saddle bag and began filling it with snow before he placed it over the fire to melt it to a drinkable fluid. Leaving Spike to pull out his jewel carving kit, the shavings of which went into his mouth, and Shade to lay against the semi-cave's wall in what looked like a particularly uncomfortable position.

"Hey! Where did Sin go?" Pinkie quipped peering into the raging snow storm.

"Uh... to go scout for food." Spike answered, his tone condescending. He facepalmed and apologized for being rude. "We've been doing this for so long, it's just habit by now. Sin's incharge of food, mainly because he knows the most about it. Mac's in charge of water." He pointed a claw to the half water half snow filled pot Mac held in his hooves. "and Shade and I are in charge of the fire, and getting fire wood."

"I ain't in charge of jack!" Shade mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes to address the group.

"He's not so bad, once you get to know him." Spike grinned, "And neither is Sin."

"Right..." Rainbow Dash said skeptically, keeping a mistrusting eye on the insane stallion behind them. "So, this is what you guys do huh? Imagine if Rarity were here!" She snickered at the thought.

"Wha'? Miss prissy pants her self?" Applejack chuckled. "Boy I can jus' hear 'er now. 'oh no darlin', Ah am not sleeping in the dirt. Spike, be a dear and be my bed'." The four mare laughed at the apple farmers joke. Spike and Mac could only shake their heads in disappointment of such disrespectful talk.

"Aw, c'mon sugar cube. We were only teasin'." Applejack grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, Ah know." Mac replied setting the near boiling water on the ground and shaking his hooves. "I's jus' tha' we dun' talk like that 'roun here." Spike nodded his head in agreement, leaving the four mares with furrowed brows.

"Bit hypocritical of you." Sin said, walking back from the static outside. He shook off the snow from himself and retrieved a few bits of asparagus and chives from his saddlebag. "Or do I need to remind you two of some rather immature things you both yelled your first night? I believe it also had something to do with Miss Rarity." Sin gave an empty smirk to Spike who returned the smirk and shrugged.

"Point taken."

"Hey Sin." Twilight called. "Why did you go out and get all of that? We packed enough food for the trip."

Sin gave a curt nod. "Spike, Mac, Shade and I have a system, Miss Sparkle. I'd rather not break it." He looked at Mac who gave an affirmative nod. The gatherer put the asparagus into the pot of now fully thawed snow, while Mac took out large tripod of metal. He placed it over the fire and then placed the pot onto the metal, allowing the water to boil the vegetables.

"Soup'll be up in 'bout twenty." 

Sin nodded and knelt down by the fire, he addressed everybody and requested that give him their attention. Once everyone was situated around the fire, the liberty pony told about the fundamental and basic differences between Equestria and the Federation. Beginning with the basic social interaction, which was clear he hadn't done very much of due to the large questions that arose, he explained that the Federation was made up of different states: The Donkeys who had broken off from New Equine and formed their own state of Orval, The North New Equine Unicorn/Pegasi consortium, the Southern New Equine Earth ponies, the Rovin Republic Buffalo, The Columbus Griffins, the Minotaur hailing from the state of Vain, the Canian Diamond Dogs, and the Centaur from the state of Northwood. 

They all paid great attention to the brief history lesson of how the states came to be, and how some of their speech could be viewed as racist and exclusive, to which the girls furrowed their muzzles at the thought of their average speak being so offensive.  Sin's lesson was interrupted by the Mac proclaiming the finished cooking food. 

"Ah dun' know 'bout y'all, but Ah sure am happy we got some spices for th' food." The crimson cook anounced adding a few of said flavorings to the stew. "Pretty damn tired of the food bein' so dull tastin'."

"Big Macintosh!" Applejack exclaimed covering Spike's ears. "We was raised better n' that." The coddled reptile pushed the famer mare's hooves away and grumbled, looking to Sin for help. Taking the hint, the pony grabbed a wood bowl from his saddle bag and allowed Mac to grimly fill it with the stew. 

"Miss Apple, another thing you will find about us is, we accept all forms of speech. Cursing is included in that. We have come to the understanding that we have no right to-"

"Ah don't care what y'all have come to an understandin' 'bout." Applejack replied with a calm, though stern, tone. "Macintosh shouldn' be talkin' like that 'round little Spike here." Twilight nodded her head in agreement, though her face remained passive as did Pinkie's. Rainbow Dash, as unlikely as Sin had thought, was surprisingly the one who voiced an opinion that agreed with his own.

"Lighten up AJ." She said with a smirk. "Spike's not a little baby anymore. If he wants to curse, let him." Applejack and Twilight snapped their heads so quickly, Sin was surprised their spines were intact. What was almost more surprising was how quickly their jaws dropped to the ground. "What? The little guy stood up to me. And that takes some serious guts." She crossed her forelegs to emphasize her steadfast. 

The three began to bicker, prompting Sin to shake his head and begin sipping on his stew. He was used to sipping out of this bowl, he had done it for almost a year, though the sweet and flavorful broth that met his lips almost procured a smile compared to the usually bland heated water it bore. The last of the mares not arguing, Pinkie, joined the stallion after being handed a metal bowl by Mac and having it filled. After Mac filled: His, Spikes and the others; promptly joining his more calm associates.

"Do they always argue like that?" Sin inquired watching the debate heat up with hoof pointing and glares. 

"Applejack and Rainbow Dash do." Pinkie replied with a giggle. "Twilight though, not so much. At least not when it's something that's not important."

"Eyup." Mac chimed with a sheepish grin. "But don' le' em foolya, they're really the best of friends." Sin heeded the crimson stallions words as he regarded the fact that Twilight had now become the moderator between the farmer and flier ponies. Arguing about something having to do with an 'Iron Pony" competition, and who had been the victor of it.

Sin nodded and took another sip of his stew, chewing down the stray piece of asparagus that had made it into his mouth. "So..." Pinkie began, taking a sip herself. "What is it you do?" She asked innocently, eying the enigmatic pony.

"What do I do?" Sin asked.

"Uh-hu."

"What do you mean?"

Pinkie giggled. "You know, what do you do? Like, I'm a baker and I love parties. Which reminds me, I have to throw a party for you!" Her eyes widened and an unintelligible tirade escaped lungs that Sin swore had to be attached to a hydra. The party mare began to babble on about... An alligators birthday, a time when she felt guilty about not inviting zebra to a party and something about a crazy nightmare involving cupcakes... Sin stood in shock, this was the intelligent mare who had seen through him? This couldn't be the same Pinkie who had held a conversation with him back in Ponyville six months ago. No, she was playing at something, she had to be. But what?

Sin looked over at Mac who simply chucked. "That's the Pinkie Pie I remember."

"AndAfterTheItchWasGone,IFoundOutItWasActuallyAllergies!" She beamed, having finally finished one of her sugar fueled tirades. Which reminded Sin, if what he was told was correct, and this pony practically lived off sweets; than she would need to be prepared for the lack of sugary consumables in New Equine.

"Miss Pie, I feel as though you should know, there-"

"=aren't that many sweets where you come from? Don't worry, I pretty much figured that out when I met you and you were pretty much all 'oh I'm so serious and I never smile'." she said, giving a mocking deep voice. Sin's eyebrows shot up after the pink mare lifted a rock and pulled out a cupcake hidden underneath. "But you don't need to worry, I have hidden cupcakes all over. Just in case of Cupcake emergencies."

Ok, now this had to be some psychological manipulation mixed with illusion. There is no way on this earth that she placed a cupcake under that rock just under the off chance that she would need it here. No, no that's impossible. There had to be some explanation. Perhaps Twilight was using her magic to make the cupcake invisible in Pinkie's hoof, and when she brought the hoof back, the spell was lifted. Though the mares were arguing only feet away, that was probably just a ruse to distract him, and have him lack suspicion... "I see." Sin said calmly, repressing the urge to call out the numerous conspiracy theories that began to pile up.

Pinkie ate the cupcake in one bite before washing it down with more of the vegetable soup. Mac looked over to find Sin's stare unwavering from the party pony, the two had been around each other long enough for Mac to know the tell tale signs of Sin trying to figure something out. Mac nudged the concentrating stallion and shook his head. "Don' mother Sin." Mac said sagely, taking a sip of his soup and chomping down the asparagus. "It's jes' Pinkie Pie bein' Pinkie Pie."

"Right..." Sin took another sip, keeping his eye on the bubbly pony. Mac's words offered no comfort, and the knowledge that not only could he not figure out Pinkie, but others couldn't as well; only served to drive his mind. Sin hated ignorance, he found it to be the root of all tyranny and by association, war. And if there was one thing he hated more than the ignorant, ti was those who remained willfully so. Though there was nothing more to say on the matter, he would do as he usually did in his free time and think. Surly he would find something, he always did.

Finally, the mares closer to the inner part of the concave grew tired of their arguing and had their fill of the now cold stew. They quickly fell asleep, to exhausted from fighting to consider anything else. Spike placed a few more sticks of wood on the fire and adjusted the tinder to where it would last the longest before he too proclaimed his retirement and curled up next to Twilight. Mac washed out the remnants of the meal from the pot and broke down the cookwear before slipping into blissful slumber.

Unable to sleep, Sin decided he would take watch for the night and sat with his back to the wall, the fire glistening off his reflective goggles. He knew there was little to no chance of anything menacing coming to cause havoc upon the refuge, so he allowed his mind to wonder. At first he began pondering how Pinkie Pie had pulled a cupcake from under a rock... Funny how when you actually spell it out, it just seems like utter nonsense. Though, his mind drifted as it always did. Connecting to why was Pinkie relevant, to why had had been told to let her accompany him, to where he was going and why. It didn't take long for his homeland to come to mind. Sin blinked away the creeping sleep, trying to recall all of the Bills he fought in the Senate, how he and his brother would share philosophical ideologies at night; and how other kids treated them like freaks for being more interested with discussion rather than physical activity. And how his cutie mark had actually been a-

"Sin?" A curious voice piped, breaking the stallions concentration. He looked over to see the subject of his initail thought yawn and look at him with a smile. "Aren't you going to sleep?" She tilted her head to the side, a face resembling that of a child asking an innocent question.

"No." Sin replied his head turning back to the still raging blizzard outside.

Pinkie waited for the stallion to elaborate on his answer before finally shrugging. "Well, are you going to tell me why not?"

"... Keeping watch."

Pinkie giggled again. "Silly Sin, there's nothing that's going to get us." She stood up and yawned again before walking to sit by the vigilant pony.

"You can see the future?" Sin asked sarcastically.

"No, my Pinkie Sense would tell me if something bad were going to happen." Pinkie replied happily and matter of factly. 

Ok, just, just... no. So now she has a 'sense' that can tell her when bad things are going to happen? No. "You're 'Pinkie Sense?" Sin asked to which Pinkie nodded and told him about how there are a sequence of spasms and involuntary movements that indicate the future in a vague manner. Ok, so not only can she tell when something bad is going to happen, but now she can just tell when pretty much anything is? What kind of sorcery hath been given here? Sin gave a sigh and returned his attention forward. The two were quiet for a few minutes, before Pinkie spoke up again.

"How do you do it? This is so boring." She sighed and lowered her previously straight posture. Sin merely shook his head and continued his aimless gaze, allowing the thoughts to trail again. After a few more fruitless attempts at conversation, the party mare shrugged and returned to her place in between Applejack and Twilight and snuggled into the pile that the ponies and dragon made.

Sin couldn't help but smile, they all looked so peaceful there. So happy and content to be in each others company. He had thought himself above jealousy, though also found the thought rather awkward. A bunch of ponies sleeping in a pile? Yes, he and the others had to snuggle to preserve body heat on a few particularly cold nights with no way to reverberate the heat off of walls, though that was just uncomfortable for all involved; even if it was less so than freezing to death. But how they were together, it wasn't a group of guys trying to push past awkward necessities for survival; they were a family. And each looked just as comfortable as the other. 

Peace, Contentment, Relaxation. The last stallion standing couldn't help but wish the best as he watched the pile breath almost in unison. The smiles on their faces betraying the happiness they all felt even under such miserable conditions. Honestly, Sin hadn't expected the endeavor to go so smoothly. He anticipated having to deal with insurmountable amounts of complaining and bickering. Though they had endured a bit of it, none of it was really directed at the cold or the lack of civilized lodgings as he had originally thought.

He took one final look at the happy mass of ponies lost in the bliss of sleep before looking back out into the dying snow storm. He would never say it out loud, but even as little time as he knew all of them, he had a strong protective feeling for them, and this is why he did what he did. To allow others to experience the same love and warmth that made even a miserable cave only lit by single camp fire, a sanctuary of bliss and contentment for those willing to share such vulnerability with one another.

(A/N Alright, so I had One comment and two personal messages asking me to continue the story. Since one of those messages was a death threat involving chainsaws and meat cleavers, I think I'm going to count it as three and say my five was reached. Last chapter coming up next. Plus a nice little surprise for all.)
> Farewell Equestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Farewell Equestria



The two weeks of travel had taken longer than Sin would have liked, speaking in perspective anyway. The newcomers were all well and good when things were peaceful and passive, but when an activity they didn't understand took place or traveling in an area they were uncomfortable... By all things on this earth, he had never heard so much groaning and complaining. Even his time spent in the Senate with all of the political squabbling was more was nothing compared to these four mares. What's worse, from what he understood; these four were nothing compared to the white unicorn, though Sin took some comfort in the silver lining. 

The Rainbow one and he still hadn't gotten along well, assumable from the confrontation back at Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight and Applejack spent most of their time questioning Mac and Spike, chatting about how things would be in the Federation, or remaining silent. Pinkie for her part was surprisingly chipper and accepting of most of what went on. Star Shade, for his part, was uncharacteristically silent, and very wary of the mares. Keeping mostly to himself the majority of the time.

The group had finally made it to Trottingham, the older town that while holding some newer age buildings, also maintained some more archaic ones. The sun was blocked out by grey clouds, but enough light showed to turn the world in a dull grey tint, giving the perception of muted color. The town itself was less than impressive, a few white and grey buildings reached past the clouds, though the town itself couldn't have been more than a few miles wide. Judging by the amazed looks on the other's faces, the foreigner of the land could only conclude that big cities weren't as common here.

What caught the liberty stallions eye more so, was the giant zeppelin holding a low flight off the the side of the city proper. A thin smile graced Sin's lips as he recognized the darker red and black swirl patterns of the rigged frame. Each of his companions let out a chorus of "awws" upon seeing the air suspended Gondola above.

"It's huge!" Twilight proclaimed staring wide eyed at the airship.

"It's... Awesome." Rainbow agreed, her gaped mouth turning into a smile. "I want one."

"Das too bad lass." Called a voice from ahead. The group had been so distracted and enticed by the magnificent marvel above; they hadn't noticed the group of griffins and ponies approaching them, a nervous looking Ace included. "The Gonshinian belongs to me." The lead griffin, a rare spectical with black feathers where the brown ones should be, along with a corny modern day captains hat. His voice was gruff and discomforting, giving a harsh contrast to his playful tone. The griffin's eyes wondered between each of the ponies before finally landing on Sin. "Aye, so the lad wasn't leadin' me on a goose chase." He smirked.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience Demos." Sin bowed his head, returning the captain's wry smirk. Demos waved a dismissive talon, gesturing for the pony to continue. "Though, we need Immediate passage to the Capital city of Unitas, think you can get us there?"

Demos stroked the three feathers that constituted some form of a thin neared under his beak. He hesitantly eyed each of the ponies once more, paying particular attention to Twilight and Spike. "Your friends there." He waved his claw in the direction of the two. "I hear they are government types, I'm surprised at you for associating with such filth."

The four mares and Spike gave offended scoffs. "Hey," Called Rainbow Dash, prompting a bored look from Demos. "Celestia is a great ruler!" Demos gave the mare a mocking yawn and readdressed his associate.

"Why should I allow you on my ship when you have become some 'Celestia's' lap dog?" Demos quirked a playful eye. His smug expression didn't last long before brown hoof literally smacked it into the ground. Sin's group stood in shock while Demos' men drew weapons and tensed at the hostel act, with only Ace to hold the crew where they stood.

Sin bore his teeth to the fallen captain, "Don't you ever refer to me in such a manner." He threatened. The Griffin arose to his feet, a bit of crimson flowing lightly from the site of impact. He glared daggers for his assailant, a tense moment where Twilight, Applejack, Mac Spike, Star Shade and Rainbow Dash glared down the multicolored pegasi and griffins, arose. The two leaders locked eyes for what felt like hours, knowing that the wrong move could begin a bloody brawl between the Equestrians and the crew of the Gonshinian.

Demos' beak began to quiver the more he looked upon the stone faced pony. Finally it broke out into a smirk and a light laugh. "Ah laddy, you're still the same still-wall bastard ya always been." He pulled Sin into a brief hug and released him. Demos turned around and furrowed his brow. "What's this? Baring weapons against my honored guests?" The crew lowed their weapons slowly, most letting out a brief sigh of relief. "That's better. So Sin," Demos spoke casually as if the small stand off hadn't happened. "This be the favor you need, eh?" he eyed the Equestrians again and shrugged. "Well, since I'm in your and your grandfathers debt, I'll transport ya over. Won't be happy about it o' course. What with them being government and all."

Sin smirked. "No need to worry Captain, the Old Equine have fine rulers compared to ours." 

Demos closed his eyes and gave disappointed shake of his head at the comment. "Laddy, there be no such thing..." He stopped and tilted his head to the side before poking Sin's cloak with a tallon. "Are ya still not usin' your wings?" Sin nodded in the negative and Demos slammed his claw against his face. "As long as I've known ya, you've always been stressed out and uptight, you're to young for that. A little flight might do ya some good." He pointed to the hovering rainbow mare behind him. "Ya could learn a thing er two from the lass."

After noticing the arrogant smirk on Dash's face, Sin couldn't help but chuckle. "Old promises die hard, I'd expect you to know that better than I, Demos." Demos scoffed and rolled his eyes. Before he could retort, Ace interjected motioning how they should have already boarded and left, fidgeting his hooves nervously. The commanding Griffin gave a hearty laugh before informing the golden pegasus that provisions would need to be accumulated for the voyage before headway could be made. Feeding a crew of sixty some odd ponies wasn't cheep you know.

Demos turned to his men, "LOAD 'EM UP!" he cried. Before anyone could question it, the crew grabbed each of the ponies, and dragon, who couldn't fly and hoisted them to the behemoth above. Leaving only Sin, Shade and Demos below.





Mac gave a minor protest to the dark blue pegasus whom reached under his forelegs and began to lift him into the air. Once he processed what the Captain had said, it made sense what the pegasi and griffins were doing. 

"Woopie." Pinkie explained before giggling, giving her griffin escort a bit of difficulty maintaining control over he squirming. "Ohmigosh this is so amazing! We are so high up in the air right now!" Mac looked down, a sudden fear of heights all to conveniently realized. He latched onto his own pegasus escort, causing a slight falter in their balance, which did nothing to calm the red earth pony's nerves.

"Quit yer squirmin' you." The dark blue pony grunted, eying Mac. "If ya give me to much trouble, I'll drop ya here n' now." Any anger Big Macintosh would have felt over the threat had been quickly over powered by the dread of falling at least one hundred feet to the ground below, and he froze to a near statue like paralysis. 

After a few more minutes of flight, the entire group had reached an out stretched platform of the gondola. Mac's escort began to pry the petrified pony off, with some difficulty and less than presentable vocabulary. Mac's legs wouldn't seem to to budge from around the ponies neck, the others were beginning to wonder if he was glued in place, but eventually the stallion  was forced off onto his rump.

Cold wood greeted the stallions touch, the oxygen was a great deal thinner at the higher altitude, thus harder to breath; not cripplingly so, but defiantly noticeable. Mac sat for a moment and took calming breaths before looking around to the others. Who, other than Rainbow Dash, seemed to be having difficulty with the sudden climb in altitude as he had, albeit not as dramatic.

"Woah," Spike groaned massaging the back of his legs. "Man, what's up with the cramps?"

"It happens from time to time." Dash answered. happily. "When you stress your muscles and get really excited, something happens to your legs so that when you use them, they cramp easier after being off your hooves." Spike quirked a brow than shrugged it off after the relief of the cramps came. He looked back to see the crew filing in to the inside of the massive suspended structure before them. All the ponies smiled at the impressiveness of the Gonshinian gondola. 

"Alright boys, Mr. Shmee should return with the provisions in fifteen!" Called a voice, the Equestrians looked over to find a black unicorn with a red mane and a white tribal designed porcupine as his cutie mark proclaim with a confident smile. "Mr. Ricochet, please inform the engine to warm the rudders, Mr. Vandilier, could you and Mr. Chains ready the supply bay for new provisions? It would be appreciated." Mac watched as a a pony and griffin each gave a firm slap of their fore extremity to their chest and went about their business. Was this the ship's second in command?

"Hey!" Pinkie pouted before pointing an accusing hoof to the blackened stallion. "You're doing it wrong! What kind of pirate says 'please'?"

The charcoal stallion was taken aback by the sudden outburst and accusation. His ruby eyes locked with the blue of Pinkie Pie and he wondered over to the new group. "Pirates? Who told you we were Pirates?"

"Well duh!" Pinkie threw her forelegs out and motioned to the few members of the crew looking at them. "You have a mean captain, a second in command who calls everybody 'mister', you carry weapons everywhere and even a crew member named 'Shmee.' How are you not Pirates?"

The unicorn dramatically quirked an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, examining the pink mare before him. His mouth gaped as he observed just how serious the mare was and he began to laugh. Pinkie furrowed her nose at the display and tilted her own head in confusion. "Madam, pirates are plunderers and thieves. We operate on a more voluntary exchange basis. Violence is only given to those who antagonize it here." The crewmen nodded their heads in agreement, before grumbling about the insult.

Pinkie gave a sheepish grin before apologizing for her assumption. The unicorn stallion dismissed it as a cultural thing and introduced himself. "Most refer to me as Mr. Goldman, Third in command of the Gonshinian." He gave a slight bow and inquired to the names of the newcomers. To Mac's relief Twilight stepped forward and began listing off everyone's names and finished with an interested look and question about the airship.

Macintosh looked around to see the gondola was more dark painted metal than wood, a long balcony encased the the gondola, complete with black rails and several other platforms presumably for easier deposit and withdraw of goods being transported, presumably a transport vessel. Though, the bows and swords the crew carried didn't exactly help the display the persona of peaceful exchange.

Though, Sin always carried his crossbow, and he had never forced anypony to do anything against their will. So maybe it was purly for self defense. A sudden gust of wind brought Mac back to his sense as the ice cold air brushed by him, causing him to shiver heavily. The others had the same reaction, even Rainbow Dash. 

"Huh? Oh right." Goldman slapped his hoof against his for head and laughed. "You aren't used to the cold. And with it being winter and all, that can't help either. MR. VANGARD!" He cried, summoning a bored looking silver pegasus. "Please show Twilight and her companions to their respective quarters and offer them something hot to eat and drink." The stallion nodded and motioned for the others to follow him inside. Mac smiled at the thought of not having to endure the weather anymore and gladly played caboose to the trail of ponies who cautiously followed the pony in. He stopped once he noticed Sin and Shade weren't present and turned to address Goldman.

"Aye." He agreed looking over the rails. "The cap'in hasn't returned yet either. I wonder what their talking about."

Demos shot up as if on cue and landed beside his crewman. "I swear, some ponies." The captain shook his head and questioned his crewman about the whereabouts of the new comers. Goldman answered him and with a delighted smile, Demos also addressed the lone Equestrian still present. "What are ya doin' out here lad? There be soup and warm inside the ship."

"Ah was wonderin' where Sin and Star Shade were." Mac answered calmly. The commanding griffan didn't rub Mac the wrong way, not in the least. Though, he was still cautious of him due to the fact that they were at least five hundred feet in the air, and the captain didn't seem quite right in the head. Maybe he was a little insane? But not to the point of installing terror; though enough for Mac to be careful with his words.

Demos gave a sigh and motioned to his right, as if also on cue, Shade appeared, carrying Sin just as the blue pegasus had carried Mac. "The lad still refuses to use his wings." He shook his head again as Sin and Shade descended to the bridge. 

"You will never let that go, will you?"

Demos shrugged again but let out a knowing smirk, one the tan clad stallion returned. The captain motioned for the three to head inside. "Mr. Goldman..." Goldman nodded and lead the three into the iron casings.

Mac looked around in wonder of the interior. The first thing he noticed was something that helped him relax immensely, warm. The first step he took in, a rushing wave of heat immediately dispelled the frozen feeling that had made it self at home on his coat. The sickly feeling of such a dramatic change passed with relative ease, allowing the stallions to observe the surprisingly homey interior. The wooded floor was covered by a soft and warm red carpet. Nothing velvet or fancy, but all to welcoming none the less. There was a sitting area lined with wooden chairs around a cozy looking fireplace. Even a tanned couch graced the living space, though aged an slightly worn with obvious repairs, it was enough to relax the griffin sleeping on it.

"What?" Goldman chuckled observing the shocked pony before him. "You expected us to be uncivilized and purly business? This is pretty much our home." Goldman explained leading the trio down the left hallway. "The captain knows that the best way to maintain his crew, is to keep them happy and relaxed. He maybe a little not all there in the head, but he dose hold our loyalty in the highest of respects." The charcoal unicorn looked forward again, observing the lamp lighted path before him. "He treats us well, and we return the favor."

"Ah see." Mac muttered looking at the wood polished doors and observing the spotless bolted together white walls of the hallway. After a moment of walking, and passing a few other crew members, they reached the far door into the mess hall to see Spike and the rest sitting at a two wooden tables; drinking something that smelt both sweet and delicious.

"Mac, it's about time!" Spike smiled motioning him over. "C'mon, they gave us Hot Chocolate." Mac smiled and began to advance to his friends before a sutdy hoof halted his progress. He looked to find Sin staring at Goldman.

"That wouldn't happen to be Templar's 'special' hot chocolate, would it?" the former Senator growled.

"Well, of courth it ith." Chirped a happy feminine voice. Mac looked over to see a light green unicorn stallion holding a potato and knife in his magical aura. Something seemed, off about this pony. "Thin! It's you!" He said happily.

"Hello Templar." Sin groaned before being pulled into a close, uncomfortably close, hug. Templar giggled in delight of seeing the pony before scoffing and demanding that Sin return the embrace. The aforementioned stallion escaped and sucked the forced out air back into his lungs. "Templar, still as... affectionate as ever."

Templar chuckled then flicked his hoof, "Pu-lease, ever thince Rex left to thee his family, I've been like lonely like you don't even know!" Sin asked about the crew keeping him company, to which the flamboyant pony scoffed. "Oh my gosh, don't even get me started on the crew. You know how everybody is on here. They wont let anybody touch them. Even the girls up here are real prudes."

He turned his attention to Mac before his demeanor turned from agitated to interested. "Oh my, and what's your name?" he batted his eye lashes. That's when it all clicked for the Equestrian stallion, he looked past the teal pony to find Rainbow Dash's face turn red, trying to hold back a fit of laughter that was all to ironic for the situation. While all of his other homegrown friends watched with a mix of bewilderment and amusement. Mac's attention was drawn back to the pony leaning closer to him, pushing for an answer.

"Uh, M- Macintosh... Big Macintosh." 

"Ooohhh." Templar eyed him up and down before giving a sultry look. "Any particular reason they call ya, 'Big'." He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. Mac shuddered and took step back, shuddering. 

"Hey!" Called Applejack, the offense and anger clear in her tone and eyes. "That's mah-"

"You're boyfriend?" Templar smirked eying the apple mare, he waved a dismissive hoof, "Don't worry thweet cheeks, you can join uth if you want." A crimson much brighter than any velvet carpet found it's way onto the Apple siblings cheeks. Mac stood wide eyed at the implication, his sister? He felt sick even at the thought. Mac thanked his lucky stars when Sin finally interjected; informing Templar about the family ties between the Apple siblings. "Kinky." Templar replied.

"Templar." Goldman chided, obviously amused by the situation.

Templar rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Fine, fine. I need to talk to the Captain anyway. I mith Rexy." he gave an overdramatic weep before giggling and happily walking out of the eating area, potato still being peeled by magically hosted blade. After the Unicorns departure, the room stood in dead silence, aside from a still snickering Rainbow Dash.

"Well, now that that's settled, how about we-" A violent crash and explosion interrupted the charcoal unicorn, the ship rocked slightly as shouts from above boomed about damage reports and questions about fault. All of the girls immediately dropped their beverages and stood at the ready. Mac's nervous and awkward manner gave way to a serious and determined one. "What the hell?" He opened the door and found a few crewmen running outside. "You lot stay here." Goldman yelled before running out the door. SIn, Mac, Spike and Shade shared a look then ran after the second in command.

Mac was gasping for air after the quick burst, the thinness of the air becoming inconveniently apparent to him. Loud bells began to ring through out the interior of the airship now, numerous pegasi and griffons spilling into the living area and outside, each carrying some form of weapon, mostly projectile. "Avast ye scervy dogs!" Called a gruff Demos from outside. "We be takin' fire. All able bodies to battle stations!"

Finally catching their breaths, the group made their way through the crowd out to the exposed balcony. Mac looked around for any sign of the assailants, though couldn't find much of anything. "Mr. Vangard, Take Alpha and Gamma teams and find out what the bloody hell that was." The silver pegasus from before gave a quick solute and was quickly joined by a group of 10 other pegasi and eleven other griffins. The two desegregated  into two groups and both formed their own arrows, before flying around the ship.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked walking up behind Sin and Mac. Mac shook his head to symbolize his lack of understanding and Sin stood silently expecting to find out something soon. "Is everypony alright?" Two nearby griffins looked over in shock at her, causing Twilight to blush, apologize and correct herself. Both of the griffins just shook their heads before flying off into the cold sky.

"Captain!" Called a brown pegasus, floating front of Demos. "We found the source of the explosion," he called panting heavily.

"Well then Mr. Knails, perhaps you could tell me what it was?" Demos crossed his arms, eying the stallion expectantly. 

"There." Called the subordinate pointing behind the ship. Demos eyes widened as a fleet of Pegasi and Griffins pulled along a slightly smaller in comparison, but still impressive airship. The insignia of three "M"'s meshed together informed the commander of exactly what he was in for."

""Captain Demos of the S.S. Gonshinian This is the S.S. Judgement of the Triple M. Corporation's Mercenary division. You are under arrest for flying though North Equine Air Space with out authorization," Commanded a booming voice from the Triple M. air ship. "Surrender now, and land the Gonshinian to be taken into custody along with it's crew. Failure to comply will be met with further hostilities."

Mac watched as the Captain's mouth gaped. "By all things earthly, they really followed us all the way out her to arrest us?"

We are sending our forces to board you now, I repeat, resistance will be met with hostility." The stallions amplified voice echoed as the fleet of Griffins and Pegasi began their encroachment. The Gonshinian's own forces stood ready and awaited their captains orders. Each looking more nervous than the last.

Macintosh looked to Sin who was busy chewing his lower lip, than to Demos who was stroking the feather conglomerate that constituted his beard. "So, it's a fight they want eh?" He smiled and took flight with his crew, eying the approaching mass of mercenaries coming for him. All eyes were on the commanding Griffin, the wind blowing past the only sound to be heard from the ship for what felt like an eternity. "Mr. Templar." Demos finally said letting a grin grace his beak. "Go to the engine room and Inform Mr. Chains to set the engines to maximum capacity. Take us out of range of the city, I'd rather not take the chance of the fine folks of Trottingham being caught in any crossfire." He turned to address the battle ready crewmen. "If it's a fight they want, it's a regret they shall have. None have assaulted the Bloody Sky Captains and lived to tell the tale, and I intend to keep it that way!"

Templar smiled as the crowed around him shouted in joy of the Captains attempt at gaining moral. Though his smile quickly dropped and the light green unicorn reminded the Captain of the fact that Mr. Shmee had yet to return with the provisions.

"By gah! What could be taking him so long?" Demos looked up to see the attack force was still advancing. "to hell with it." He addressed his men once more. "All Unicorns, harness up and and blast down any of those bastards that dare get close. Wings: Alpha, Delta, and Gamma, take to the left. Sigma, Theta, and Eta, you take to the right." As the Captain spoke the crew obeyed, save the flying offense who awaited his plan to finish before they acted. Beta and Epison, you two see if you can go for the heart of the beast, and bring that infernal contraption down."

After a quick solute, all 88 ponies and griffins took off from the ship to intercept the approaching fleet. Sin pulled off his bag and drew from it: three crossbows, two for ponies, one to be actually hand held. He handed the two spares to Mac and Spike. giving them ten bolts of ammo a piece. Mac looked down at the weapon with wide eyes. The thoughts of that night where his original bow was destroyed by Sin's own. He knew his associate had gotten another one for him some time ago, though he hadn't the courage nor nerve to take it.

Spike, on the other hand, seemed excited. He grabbed the wooden contraption and loaded a single bolt, placing the rest in his back pack. "Keep in mind, the wind might throw off your trajectory, use your first bolt to get a feel for the air, and wait until you see the whites of their eyes to fire."

"Wait, you mean to kill them?" Twilight asked, remaking herself known.

"We kill them, or they kill us... Miss Sparkle." Sin deadpanned, he looked at his two traveling companions. "If you don't wish to fight; I'll understand." He said before he trotted off to a vantage point, leaving before anything else could be said.

Mac looked down at the crossbow, he'd wanted it back to be sure. Though he never thought of killing somepony with it. Hurting them or scaring them off to protect himself was one thing, but this? Could he really end life of another? Sin didn't seem to have any reservations about it, did that make it right? Or did it make him a monster. Ending a life was still ending a life. No matter how it was justified. Mac looked over to Spike to see him with a look that suggested he was having the same conundrum. 

"Spike... Mac...?" Twilight called, the two looked over to see the pleading eyes of their friend. "Please, don't." Mac felt something growing inside of his stomach. Fear wasn't the right word for it, neither was terror. It was something else. Something froze him in place. He was simple farmer pony, a stallion who bucked and collected Apples for a living. Life had been relatively peaceful aside from the occasional attack by some other worldly creature every year or so. The most exciting things to happen to him were Applebloom's Cutie Mark problems and Applejack getting on his back about not getting every last apple out of a tree. How did him being falsely imprisoned lead him up to an air ship being assaulted by mercenaries? At no certain point in his life did he ever think he would be in this kind of predicament. And the fear, sadness and desperation in Twilight's eyes were a mirror image of how he felt inside.

He heard the clashing of metal behind him, and turned to see the two forces had collided. Yells and obscenities were shouted as the skyward battle raged. A scream of pain was heard before a griffin began to descend from the clash, Mac's eyes widened in horror and the pit in his stomach dropped ten fold. That griffin was going to die, he was actually going to fall to his death from another sentient being hurting him. Mac took a step back, tears welling in his eyes. One of the pegasi had broken away from the battle and darted to the Gonshinian.

"No..." Mac heard Spike whimper. The pony drew closer. 

"UNICORNS TAKE AIM!" Called Goldman eying the approaching threat. Mac's heart beat wildly in his chest, time slowed down. He could almost hear the beating of the enemies wings as he approached. The harsh breaths began to echo louder and louder... This pony was going to die... Just like the Griffin had. "FIRE!" Upon the order, a barrage of multi colored beams shot forth from the Unicorn crewmembers, each narrowly missing the Triple M. agent by inches or less. He came close enough for the red earth pony to make out his face. His eyes, so full of anger and determination.

There was an audible gasp when the pony stopped mid flight, a single red feathered bolt protruding from his chest. Mac couldn't help the tear flowing freely down his cheek as he saw the despair enter the agent's eyes, then life escape him as he descended to the ground below. That pony, that poor pony... Mac shot his head to the source of the bolt, and found Sin loading another before returning the stare. 

For the first time, Mac didn't see a leader worthy of respect. He hadn't feel inspired by the enigmatic stallion or a sense of loyalty or pride in their friendship. What he felt was fear, fear and disappointment. How could he? As long as Mac had known the politician gone wanderer, he never would have labeled him a murdering psycho. Sin was the first to break eye contact, he turned around and awaited the next enemy to come close enough to shoot.

Mac slowly reentered the the gondola, his legs shaking and his throat dry. Twilight and Spike gave him support and lead him back to the others to trying and offer some much needed mental and emotional comfort.


_________________
A few minutes earlier...
_________________

"Why that's... that's extortionist, good sir." Cried a portly, nazally voice white unicorn stallion. "I am a financial worker," he tutted sticking his nose in the air. "And those prices are beyond unreasonable." He walked away from the cabbage selling stallion and continued on his shopping spree with three other pegasi and two angry griffins.

"Oi, c'mon now Shmee, we need to get back to the Capi'n. We saw him pick up some travelers, we did." Called a stereotypically angry looking maroon stallion.

"I know, I know Von. But you know how the Captain gets when the provisions aren't up to his standards!" Shmee wasn't with the best of sight, and often had a hard time deciphering a ripe apple from a rotten one. The only thing that made him able to see the financial sheets was the monoclel he typically wore around his white collar.  "Now, how can we make this budget work?" He pondered looking over the list of supplies the captain gave him.

Von let out a dramatic sigh. It was no secret among the crew that he truly despised Shmee for his constant indecisiveness. He had tried to do away with the unicorn a couple of times, but the first mate had maddeningly good luck. Von shook his head before his attention was brought to back to the airship, or rather, a second airship. He motioned to the others who furrowed their brows in an attempt to read what was on the side of it.

And explosion against the side of the Gonshiniancaused the market to go into a frenzy, ponies from all over began screaming bloody murder and ran into any nook or cranny the brought them comfort to hide in from the battle above.

Von smiled while the others, minus: He, Shmee and single Griffin, immediately took to the sky to aid their comrades. "Gah, what was that?" Shmee asked fiddling his monocle with his hooves. Von looked over the market, this was his chance, he could finally be rid of this pesky, portly god forsaken sack of incompetence once and for all. Completely discarding the welfare of the crew, Von noticed a nice crate labeled "Fireworks." "Waring, extremely flammable."

This was his chance, all he needed was a fire, leave the old dog here, and watch him go in a blaze of glory. Shmee would regret forcing him to be his personal assistant. Then an even better Idea hit the pony. He could not only get rid of Shmee, but also end the battle above AND appear as a hero in the eyes of the crew! Maybe even catch the eye of that pretty young mare he's been chasing for a while now.

"Hey Shmee." Von beamed, startling the senseless unicorn enough to drop his monocle with enough force that the chain hold it to his collar slid off. Von took the moment to swipe the eye piece away.

"Oh dear." Shmee wined fumbling on the ground. "Von, what was it? What happened?"

"Sir, we've gotten word that the Captain has lost patience, we need to grab some supplies and head up to the ship NOW!" He motioned to the Griffin than to the explosives, than to the enemy vessel. The Griffin gave a look of realization than an evil smirk of agreement.

"Oh dear, the Captain sure does get scary when he's mad." Shmee fiddled his hooves over the thought of Demos yelling at him. 

"Not to worry boss." Called the griffin cheerfully. His ruff and rugged voice obviously unsuited for such a tone. "We've already got a nice supply crate all ready to go." He picked up the aged stallion, much to Shmees protest, and placed him onto the crate of combustibles. "You hang on tight sir, we'll be up to the ship in no time."

"But, but... My monocle..." Shmee trailed off he felt himself become heavier and lay down on the crate. He'd have to ask to go back once the supplies were given to find his seeing glass. 

Von had the crate brought up right under the Triple M. airship to avoid being spotted. Once they were close enough, they slowly inched up to the rudders and stuck the plywood box, and the unicorn ontop of it, on to a small platform that connected the two giant fans. "Alright Mr. Shmee, you open the crate and I'll go get the Captain to inform him of our progress."

Shmee quirked a brow, "What do you mean I have to open it?" Von didn't respond, he was to busy flying back under the gondola with his associate, snickering the entire way. "Oh dear, Von knows I can't see with out my monocle, he could at least tell me which way the balcony was." Shmee squinted his eyes and made out the grey shades to one side, and the darker shades to the other. Concluding that the lighter colors would mean more open sky, and thus death. He jumped into the shaded area and landed nicely on the connecting platform. "Hmmmm."

Shmee hadn't really been one much for manual Labor, how was he going to open this crate of provisions when he couldn't even see where the latch was? He flet with his hoof slipping when he didn't even touch the box. "Dag nabit. Oh wait." He cast an illumination spell with his horn, a nice glow giving him visibility enough to discern to brown blur from the surrounding blackness. "There you are!" The stood on his hind legs and used his forelegs to try to feel around for the top. 

"Shoot, I suppose I'll need to wedge it open." He complained trying to dig his hooves into the crevice of the lid. After a few mild words of discouragement, the pony thought about how the captain would react to his inability to do such a simple task. He tapped his for head and looked at his horn. "That's it!" He exclaimed happily before using said extremity to wedge the lid off. As he managed to dig his still lit horn in, he heard an ominous hissing sound coming from the crate. Before he could make anything of it, a voice called to him from behind.

"eh? What are you doing here?"

Shmee smiled, "Oh hello, I was just unloading some supplies for the Captain."

"You were... You know what? Never mind." The first mate felt a pair of hooves gripping him around the chest and, for the second time that day, he was lifted against his will. "You're coming with me."

"With you, but the Captain-"

"The Captain is the least of your problems right now little one. Now pipe down or I swear on Discords statue I'll drop you." The angry pony hushed,  descending to the ground. After a few moments of frustration and confusion, Shmee felt himself hit hard ground once more. 

"What's going on?" He demanded stomping a timid hoof. "Why did you-"

KABOOM! light show of fire works erupted from behind the offending warship, causing it to dip forward slightly. Shmee heard a chorus of cheers from his ship mates, and Goldman yell something about "Triple M. bastards."

Oh dear, the Captain isn't going to be happy when he finds out Triple M. is here...

____________________
And back again
____________________


Sin watched as, for some reason, a whole bunch of fire works had exploded in a brilliant display of green and white. Judging from where the fire works were and the destruction they would cause, he assumed it to be sabotage. Though he hadn't really noticed any of the combatants fly towards the Judgement. But they all sure as hell gunned it once the ship began to descend. The crew of Gonshinian returned, battle and beaten, but victorious none the less. Multiple medical mares began examining the wounded before Captain Demos, in much worse shape, landed with a proud smile.

"That, lads, is what becomes of any who dare challenge the Bloody Sky Captains!" Proclaimed Demos pointing his cutlass to the descending zeppelin below. "Even the mighty Triple M. can't stop us now!" The crew cheered to those words, even the wounded gave what they could in means of a positive "ya"'s.

Demos limped around shaking hoofs and claws with his comrades and congratulating everyone. He saw Sin still sitting on a tower/perch, watching the ship continue to fall. Demos wondered over to his old friend and placed a claw on his shoulder. "You alright lad?" Sin shook off his claw and growled that he needed to speak to his friends inside. Demos obliged and allowed the angry stallion passage.

It didn't take long for Sin to reach the door to the eating area, soon this place would be swarming with hungry crewmen who deserved to feast for the night. He wanted to stop and think, but time was limited and he had to get his point across. He opened the door to find what he expected. Macintosh and Spike being consoled by Applejack and her friends. "You!" Rainbow glared dagger. "Get out!"

"I need to speak with Macintosh and Spike." Sin growled, his tone unwavering. Giving the distinct impression he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Twilight stood up, angry tears forming in her eyes. "You!" She fumbled her words, trying to find the best one. "You MONSTER! How could you do that?"

Sin eyed the unicorn pony for a moment, holding his silence until he deemed her finished. "I did it to protect you. Now if you don't mind..."

"Sin." Mac croaked sniffling, Applejack laid a comforting hoof on her brothers back. Sin watched as the stallion stood up from Pinkies lap. "H- How coulja do that? Ah respected you."

Sin neck muscle twitched from the guilt, he hadn't meant to cause such trama to his friends, but they needed to hear what he had to say... just as he needed to hear it himself. "Mac, I warned you it would be like this." He said sadly. 

"Be like what? You never said you'd up and kill somepony!" Spike yelled, he fumed and stood tall as Sin entered the room. "That was the most disgusting display I had ever seen in my LIFE!" Spike slapped his mentor, shooting his head to the side.

The room was silent, everyone watched with gaped mouths for a few moments, until finally Sin adjusted his head upright. The reflective surface of his left goggle slightly scratched. Spike gasped at his work but quickly recovered holding his ground.

"Did you think it would be easy?" Sin growled taking a step to Spike, who took a cautious step back. "Did you think I was joking? That I was making things up to scare you?" He glared down at the shrinking reptile. "What? You thought I was being overly dramatic when I said that there are those who would fight and die to take away your freedoms?!" He half yelled sneering at the now horrified baby dragon.

"Hey, we didn't do anything wrong!" Twilight yelled stepping in front of her adopted son. "So you lay off him!" 

Sin laughed in disbelief. "Did nothing... Are you kidding me? You think you actually need to do something wrong to be imprisoned Miss Sparkle?" Sin put his face only inches away from hers. "As a Senator from North Equine, I know for a FACT that there are ponies in place who would NEVER allow such legislation to pass. The crew did not break the law, this was an attack on Demos personally."

"I don't care!" Twilight yelled, "You killed a pony!"

"A pony who would have killed you!" Sin shot back, a look of offended shock overcame his opponent. She was cut off before she could give a rebuttal. "They attacked the Gonshinian with NO regard for it's crew or innocent passengers. Do you honestly think they care if you're innocent or not?"

"Tha' don't make killin' a pony righ', Sin." Mac said standing up fully.

The liberty stallion shook his head in disappointment. "Mac, I'd expect you, most of all, to understand where I'm coming from." He looked into the apple green eyes of his friend. "They came to put you in a cage, a cage you had done nothing to deserve being incarcerated in."

"Y'ALL KILLED  AH PONY!" Mac yelled slamming his hoof on the wooden floor. "Ya took a life that wasn't yours."

"And what would you have had me do?" Sin replied. "Sit by and let them take us into custody? Do nothing as we were all judged in an unfair court and sentenced to who-knows-how-long because the only way to stop them was to use violence?" Sin waited for Mac's response, though one never came. "This is what I meant when you would have to fight for freedom, Mr. Macintosh. There are those who will try to take your freedom from you, simply to make an example of you. That is what happened here this day."

"Using violence in self defense and to protect the freedoms those you care for isn't something I'm proud of doing, though, If someone has the intention to use physical violence to scare me into submission, than physical violence is my only form of defense. And I will not hesitate to defend myself."

He turned his back to the group of ponies and began walking, holding himself at the door. "I'm sorry for any pain I may have caused you, but I'm not sorry for protecting you." He closed the door with some one calling his name and walked to the bridge. 

He hung his head sniffled a bit before shaking the shame away and walking in to see Mr. Shmee helping Captain Demos plot a course. After him a particularly happy looking maroon stallion walked, his smile collapsed and his eyes turned from content to confused. "What?" He eyed Shmee for a moment. "No. No No... How I left you... and hen the fireworks... and then the boom and- and now you're... Oh fuck my life!" He shouted slamming his head against the floor.

"Is that you, Mr. Von? You wouldn't by chance happen to have my monocle would you?" Sin quirked an eye brow as the despair ridden pegasus staggered to the white unicorn and handed him a small seeing glass. He took it and gave a sequel of delight. "Why thank you Von, you're the best assistant a pony could ask for. And to prove that, I want you to work with me full time now."

Sin stepped back as the pony let out a yell of frustration and charged out of the room. Star Shade moved out of the way of the retreating pony and looked at Sin with curious eyes. "What's up with him?" Sin shrugged than asked Shade where he had been this whole time. "Oh right, well, the strangest thing happened to me." Sin's mouth gaped.

"There's strange to you?"

"I know right? Any way, I was going to go to the other airship and maybe cause a bit of trouble for them. But then I saw that little guy," Shade pointed to the newly accounted for Shmee, "sitting on the propellers in the back. I assumed he was one of theirs and brought him back to the ship as a prisoner. Turns out he was actually the second in command, and he has no idea what happened."

Sin gave a genuine look of confusion? "Sitting on the propellers you say?"

"Yep."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." Shade chirped happily.

"A unicorn who can't fly ends up on enemy propellers and fire works go off." Sin thought on the subject before his own problems began dawning on him again. "Bah, it's probably better not to question it."

"ALRIGHT LADS!" Called Demos looking to address the few stallions on the bridge. "We have a course. We'll stop  in at Hooftrot and regain supplies there, and then onward to New Equine." He turned to the silver coated stallion. "Mr. Shmee, tell Mr. Chains to gun it, full speed ahead."


(The End)





(A/N By god I need to get an editor. But this will not be the last chapter, maybe I'll just make it the end of part one.
> Continuation (Begining of Pt 2.)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Hello everyone.

So... Yea, the sequel made for this story didn't go in the direction I wanted it to, and suffered for it. Heavily.

I know where I messed up, and I acknowledge that it was my fault for not only straying away from the initial premise, but also getting off track on the initial moral of what I was trying to convey. Add to that the fact that I had added characters to juggle in an environment that I had no business writing for, and how much I rushed through it, and yea...

All in all, it failed, and I failed. However, I've come to terms with the fact and moved on from it. Now, I get to (though hopefully avoid) botch this one farther. Don't like it? Too bad, my story.
> Retraction 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Retraction



Big Mac sat quietly in the Canterlot throne room as Celestia and Luna quietly whispered to each other. He let out a sigh and bit his lip after his eyes landed upon Sin sitting before the two. 

He and Spike had been standing to the side for the better part of two hours, allowing the Federalist to tell his side of what happened on the airship. The applepony wasn't sure what Twilight had told the crown before the hearing, but Sin's words hadn't angered either of the sisters, so it was a safe bet the stories matched up.

Neither he nor Spike had spoken to the stallion ever since the Gonshinian incident, which hadn't pleased Canterlot in the least, but for some reason, he felt as though he'd betrayed his friend in a way. But how could anypony blame him? Mac had never seen a pony killed before, much less at the hoof of somepony he came to think of as one of his closest friends. 

But by the same token, with all the time he had to think on it, what Sin said made sense. The other airship did attack them outright with no regard for his life. He'd done them no wrong, yet they would have arrested, or worse killed, he and his friends. Though, he still couldn't shake the unsettled feeling he had about the experience.

He looked to his side to find Spike with a painfully thoughtful look as well, the two had talked about the incident a great deal on the way back to Canterlot. The dragon holding a more lenient stance on Sin's actions than Mac, The worst to take it were the girls, it wasn't really surprising that they unanimously decided to abandon the excavation to the Federation. 

To their surprise, their escort decided that since his sentence of acting as a tour guide could not be fulfilled he would seek an alternative form of redemption. And after Celestia's personal investigation into the fallen airship and Twilight's testimony, she too was only happy enough to oblige.

And though Ace heavily protested the decision, Sin's words to stay won out in the end. Mac wasn't there for the whole conversation, but with he and Spike having to pull the two apart after the golden pegasus tackled his associate to the ground, it was safe to say the two didn't end on good terms.

"We've come to a decision on your alternative sentence." Celestia announced, her neutral expression baring down onto Sin.

A moment of silence passed, Mac's breathing grew unintentionally shallow, as angry, hurt and confused as he was, he still considered the stallion his friend; and the last the he wanted was to see him suffer.

"What?" Sin sneered. "You expect me to contest it? I've already agreed that I'm indebted to you, and that I'll accept any punishment that you see fit to bestow. So, could we get this over with?" He paused before giving a snide smirk, "-your majesty."

Mac internally flinched at the harshness of Sin's words, or rather his tone. He hadn't noticed it before, but the stallion's mannerisms and etiquette had warmed quite a bit since the three had traveled together. The coldness displayed now resonated a bitter nostalgia that the farmer wished to leave forgotten. 

"Very well." Celestia sighed before reminding the Federalist about his debate performance the last time he'd visited the capital. Once he affirmed recollection, the sun goddess requested that he remain in Equestria to act as her agent in quelling such rallies before use of the guard became necessary.

Sin's mouth gaped and he stood for a time in utter shock.

"Do you feel you can do this for me?" Celestia half asked.

Sin shook his head frivolously, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "As if I have a choice." 

Celestia smiled and dismissed him from her chamber with kind words of thanks. Once the pony began to depart, Mac and Spike followed after. Leaving the bright shine of the throne room into the darker, more ominous hallway.

Once the doors closed, the Federalist stopped. 

"What?"

Mac and Spike stood silent. The eerie quiet of the darker environment weighing far more heavily on the mood than it should have.

Sin turned. "What do you want?" Still no reply. "Why did you come here? You have no more business with me... Or did you wish to find out how I got my just deserts?"

Mac quirked a brow at Sin's tone, yea he and Spike might have said some things, but nothing to earn this kind of treatment.

"Sin, we're sorry about what we said." Spike piped. "And I- uh-" he looked down at the ground, "am sorry about, you know, hitting you."

Mac cast a dubious stare, he wasn't sorry for crap, why was Spike speaking on his behalf?

Instead of accepting the apology, Sin merely scoffed and shook his head before turning away and walking to the place entrance. Spike and Mac followed after. The former insisting on Sin accepting his apology. The closer they grew to the entrance, the more agitated the drake became with the wall of stubbornness. 

"Ok, what is your problem?" Spike snapped, his patience fully drained.

Sin turned around quick enough to make the drake take a cautious step backwards. "My problem? You're really asking that?" He gave a mirthless chuckle. "Not only have I been sentenced to work under the very institution I despise most in this world, but I'm also the princess lap dog to be commanded as she sees fit until she decides that my time serving her is up."

He turned away before either of them could respond and burst out of the palace entryway. Mac's eyes slammed shut as the bright golden of the sun and icy cold assaulted his retinas. He quickly recovered and caught up to Sin as he was beginning to enter the courtyard.

"Now see here." He demanded stepping in the way. "Ah understan' yer upset, but that ain' no reason to take it out on us."

The two stallions eyes locked for a moment before Sin pushed past, muttering how the fault really lied with him. 





Sin was enraged, how could he have been stupid enough to leave himself open like that? This wasn't just a momentary lapse in judgement, it was the most idiotic decision he'd ever made! He didn't want to return to Federation, but this was a hell he'd gladly trade for it. 

Never the less, he'd agreed to it, and as such, must adhere to the contract. 

But that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Shade!" He called as he pushed past Mac to find his associate bowing hastily before the statue of Discord. "I'm heading out."

Shade looked up and tilted his head. "But we just got here, and I haven't preformed the ritual of appeasement where I suck Discords toes yet."

The liberty stallion stared blankly upon the acolyte before shaking his head and walking on. 

"Where 'r ya goin'?" Big Mac demanded.

"Hopefully to a place where your good princess can't find me." Sin had to obey the call of the princess, but how could he do that if he never heard it? Though, fortune seemed to scorn the pony as two pegasi guards clad in bright golden armor interrupted his departure and handed him a scroll bound with the royal seal. 

"What? She's got an assignment for me already?" He took the note and the guards wordlessly returned to the palace. The stallion sighed again and unraveled the scroll, his eyes quickly taking in all of the text addressed to him.

After a moment too long of quiet, Mac inquired to the contents.

To his surprise, Sin actually answered his question in a way he'd never expected. 

"YOU FUCKING CUNT GOBLIN!" He looked to the alabaster castle behind. "You're really sticking me there? Really?"

It was no use other than to relieve the great deal of built up stress the stallion kept bottled. The princess couldn't hear his anger, probably for the best. He'd been assigned to keep residence in Ponyville, Most likely so her lap dog elements could keep tabs on him. 

The stallion cursed again under his breath as he ventured into the city proper. 

The cold of winter was still heavily prevalent, he paid no real attention to the small hills of snow nor the ponies who buzzed about their daily activities. All Sin wanted right now was to get onto the train and give himself time to think... Preferably in peace and quiet.

Though, if there was an otherworldly power in this world, it seemed hellbent on pissing him off as much as possible. 

"Sin, wait up!" The unmistakable voice of Spike piped. Odd, he never noticed how deep it had grown. Regardless, his pace didn't slow, if anything, it actually sped up a bit. Still, it didn't take long for him to be joined. "I don't get it, you worked for the government before when you were in the Senate. What's the problem with working under Princess Celestia?"

Sin stiffed the urge to growl, and attempted to regain his typical demeanor. "That was different matter entirely."

"How?"

"I did it of my own accord."

"Well." Spike looked away and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "You did come back here voluntarily too, didn't you?"

Sin grimaced, that was a good point. He could have just left on the Gonshinian and he probably would have never heard from the princess again. Hell, if he'd have just walked away after the landing, chances are she would never have found him. "Yes, well, I said I would." He stated matter of fact, "and I keep my word."

The crowd began to thicken as the trio approached a large platform with a long train track running through it. The noise of the concentrated beings made conversation difficult, but Sin did hear Spikes rebuttal about how he was sure Celestia would have given him an alternative if he was truly so unhappy about his predicament. 

Instead of arguing the point, the stallion feigned ignorance and gestured that he couldn't hear what was said. He needed time to think about this one. Eventually, the drake gave up on his speech and waved the stallion off. Approaching the ticket counter, the brown pegasus paid the necessary amount of bits and acquired the desired slip, stiffing both Spike and Mac. He hoped they would take the hint, but... yea, the universe, him, everlasting hatred.

He tried to stay near the crowd, but his anxiety quickly got the better of him and elected instead to sit on a rather secluded bench on the far side of the platform. As expected, the two Equestrians shadowed him and sat as well. Cold as the bench was, the hooves had suffered their part.

The silence actually lasted longer than he thought it would, a full five minutes before the first words were muttered.

"Y'all chose this fer yerself." Mac declared sagely. 

'ya don't say.' Sin inwardly scoffed. Did he really need to be told that? Had his explanation not proven that he already knew this was his fault?

"But." The farmer continued. "Ah don't wan' no hard feelin' 'bout wha' happened." He extended his hoof. "Ah'm sorry fer yellin' atchya."

Sin observed the offered appendage than Mac's face. His typical solemn smile was replaced with a more genuine and welcoming look. It was rather scary, how nostalgic the look was.

It was the same apologetic stare that Zell gave him after he'd caused unnecessary trouble as well. Mac tilted his head and Sin's blood ran cold.

The way he looked at that point in time, he resembled the pony to an almost indistinguishable level. A sudden wave of anger overcame the former senator, not at Mac, but at himself. The way Sin had treated his friend wasn't what one would call the best. The memories of using him for herbology experiments and constantly criticizing his social beliefs were enough to make his gut twist, not to mention he'd...

Sin shook his head and looked down. 'No, I've been over this. I did what I had to...' "Hmph, it's not your fault." He admitted, trying to push the memories away. "I should have left when I had the chance."

"Then why didn't you?" The dragon inquired sternly. "And don't give me that 'you gave your word' crap again."

He couldn't help but smirk, perhaps he'd rubbed off on the drake a bit more than he'd meant to. Truth be told, he really didn't want to go back. There was nothing there for him. His home's downfall wasn't something he could alter even if he wanted to. 

But before he could even solidify words to reply, the dragon continued on about how his sentence wasn't really all that bad. Celestia was a benevolent ruler, Sin admitted that himself when he'd first met her. What would he have to do? Something he admitted enjoying? debating ponies on an individualist point versus a collectivist one?

A slim memory flashed where he'd told the Alicorn he was going to do what he was born to do right before debating a pony preaching before the castle. How was this all that different?

"Yea, it's the princess telling you where to go." Spike conceded with a teasing smile. "But think of it as her-" He tapped his claw against his chin, "-just telling you where you can find them."

Sin quirked a brow, he had a point, if he just looked at it in that kind of way, it wouldn't be so bad. Of course the fact that she could have guards swarm him at any given moment if he didn't comply would always be at the forefront of the issue. But he could over look that for now, besides, he did agree to it after all.

His eyes looked up to the newly arriving train, the one bound for ponyville. "Perhaps." he admitted. It wasn't long before the cars emptied and the baggage compartment bared. After that, the Conductor announced boarding and the group entered the transport.

To this day, Sin couldn't get over how warm and inviting the railway cars were here. Instead of the cold plastic seats he had grown accustom to, there were velvit recliners and beds. beds by Tapio's beard. There was traveling in comfort, then there was wasting a ridiculous amount of money on frivolity

This would be the latter.

It didn't take long to find the chair he was assigned, nor the cozily shelved books beside it.

Waste. Of. Money. 'For Bluecloake's sake, does some one actually live in here?!' 

But instead of voicing his complaints, he instead admired how the owner of the train had actually made enough money to give such glamor. If memory serves, this was a privately owned enterprise, as such, this would be exactly what he wanted in a way. The pony who owned it must have been well off enough if he could afford all of this just for his clients. So, what was he complaining about again?

 'Ah screw it, I've had enough thinking for right now.'

And he had taken his signed chair, hot damn was it comfortable, and with all of the days events, quickly lost all interest in consciousness.





Sin brushed off a pesky something on his forehead, his mind hadn't organized to where he was or what he was doing, but for once in his life, he didn't care. He was comfortable and warm where he lied. A lazy hoof brushed off what ever was on his forehead and he tried to go back to sleep, but what ever it was prodding at him didn't like his plan.

He sighed and lifted his head, allowing the rest of the world to come into focus. Mac stood over him, repeating that they'd he'd slept the entire trip to ponyville.

Not surprising, Canterlot couldn't have been more than twenty or so miles away. Grogy and some how more tired than before, Sin shook the sleep from his eyes and gave a quick stretch before the apple pony lead him off to the platform. 

"So, what now?" Spike asked.

"Now, I must have an audience with..." Sin withdrew the parchment. "Mayor Mare... Really? Mayor Mare?"

Mac didn't seem to get the redundancy. 

When the former senator had first arrived in Equestria, he'd thought the first few ponies he had encountered were playing some kind of game with him upon introduction. 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Harsh Tones' were their names. At first he didn't believe either of the mares, but  when the small town they were in addressed them as such, it took every bit of his restraint not to comment on how ridiculous the names here were.

But Mayor Mare? What was she before that? Just "Mare"? Couldn't addressing her in a crowd be perceived as sexism a bit? Or was her name always "Mayor" and she took on the office just so her name would make sense? Or maybe some parents just want to watch their child suffer.

Never the less, he had to meet with her.

Luckily, most residents knew his companions and took a great interest in their return. A pair of residents wondered up and greeted the two with friendly smiles. One a teal green unicorn mare, the other a manilla earth pony with curly pink and blue locks. Spike and Mac tried to politely push past, but the two wouldn't have it.

Sin smirked as he heard the mares begin to scold the two for being rude and trying to wiggle out of catching up with them. One turn of a corner later, and the mess was out of his mind. 

Hey, chances are that if Spike and Mac truely wanted to, they'd just push past. It wasn't his fault they were still pussy whipped to the point where simple words made them stop dead in their tracks. Perhaps he'd failed them on that front, all well.

It didn't take long to reach the Mayor's hall, it was an impressive building for the town it was in. Though, as he approached the door, it swung open to reveal a fuming lavender mare beginning to exit.

"It's you." She gasped, her face loosing it's previously angry look for one of surprise. Sin nodded, but he wasn't here for her, so he walked past with out a word. "Wow, rude."

He never understood Twilight, but with what little time he'd spent around her, it wasn't hard to understand why Spike was the way he was. 

Putting the distractions aside, he wondered up to the receptionist and polity asked to see the Mayor.  

"Do you have an appointment?" The unicorn mare asked dryly, not even bothering to look up from her paperwork. Sin retrieved the royal seal and parchment from his bag, again, and placed it on her desk for inspection. The pony's demeanor changed dramatically upon seeing the mark of Canterlot upon it. "Oh, of course." She smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, p-please follow me." 

The mare motioned for the stallion to follow, and the two began to ascend the stairs, but not before he noticed Twilight still looking at him from the corner of his vision. She was probably still upset with him, not that he was all too concerned about it. As a politician, he was used to being given hateful stare, be it from ponies, griffins, or any other type of sentient being.

Though getting it from her was unnerving, even to him...





"What was living off the land like?"

"Did you really fight a dragon?"

"You guys sure are brave! I'd never do that."

"Who was that pony walking with you?"

Mac backed up from the growing crowed and questions. He wasn't used to this kind or amount of attention. Yes, many of the ponies present were his friends but, just give him some breathing space guys! Anytime he or his friend tried to answer, another question cut them off. Luckily, it didn't last long before Rainbow Dash entered the frey and herded the onslaught of words to go about their business.

"These two have had a tough day. So why don't you leave them alone alright? They'll talk when they're ready."

A collective "aww" erupted and the ponies dispersed back to their daily lives. 

Mac breathed a sigh of relief, though the angry glare RD was giving him tensed him right back up.

"So," She began awkwardly. "You guys decided to come back?"

"Eyup." The two nodded.

"Well." Rainbow looked away, flustered for some reason. "It's- um- good to have you back home."

The apple farmer's spirits soared at the word. "Home" the word had never sounded so unbelievable wonderful before. Even Spike was smiling at the notion. 

"I guess you two should go see your families. C'mon, I'll make sure no mobs rush you."

With that, the three traveled into town. As grateful as Macintosh was for Rainbow's help, her words were still being analyzed in his head. Home, he was home now. But would his family accept him now? The reason he left was because they were reluctant to accept the new him. 

What would they think now?

Applejack was happy enough to see him. But what about Applebloom and Granny? After yelling at them, he'd scared them out of the house. Yea, they'd had a good time before he left, but was that because they were still afraid of him, or because they genuinely wanted their last days together to be favorable?

Had they forgiven him? Could they even do so?

His introspection was broken by the happy coincidence of finding his kin in the market place. It was the right day for them to be there, for all his time gone, he could never forget all the time he'd spent in this place.

"Heya AJ." Rainbow greeted, the addressed turned her attention, and her pleasent smile shifted to a more awkward look. 

"Oh uh- Hey Rainbow," Mac's breath caught in his throat as his sisters eyes moved to him. He'd only seen her a few days ago, and the two were favorable of one another, so why did he feel like now was the time for judgement? "Hey big brother, what'er you doin' here?"

"Ah- uh..." Come on, just say it. 

"He's coming back home." Rainbow answered all too eagerly.

Applejack's unsure demeanor changed to a more natural one. "Is that true?"

Mac took a breath, he'd intended to give the matter a bit more thought before visiting any of his family. Tartarus, a little bit of small talk to ease the tension was hoped for in the scenarios within his mind. But to be thrown the question like that? No greetings, no easy conversation? 

As if he wasn't flustered enough.

"Ah'm home 'n Ponyville." He replied, hoping to keep any implications at bay. 

"Well." She said while shuffling her hooves. "Uh, do ya, ya know, plan on stayin' anywhere?"

Mac couldn't help but chuckle at that, of course he had to stay somewhere. He wasn't going to sleep on the street, not that it would be an alien experience. But he settled on shaking his head.

"Well, we need some help on the farm... Thing've been kinda tight. With us havin' ta higher extra hands 'n all." The mare chuckled "Never knew how much ya did there. Darn near took three ponies to do yer chores and what not."

The tender reunion was broken by a loud and intrusive gasp. "SPIKE!" it yelled before a pink blur whipped by and tacked the unsuspecting dragon to the ground with a thud. "I've missed you so much... MACINTOSH!" What little warning he had didn't help as he too fell to the overly excited party mare. 

"I'm so HAPPY you guys are back!" The crushing feeling that enveloped his stomach felt more like a large clamp than the legs of a pony. Had AJ and Rainbow not pulled her off, he was certain Pinkie would have cracked a rib or two.

"Oh, sorry." She smiled sheepishly. But, it was still good to see her. Especially now that she was in such high spirits again.

It didn't take long for Twilight and Rarity to arrive, the latter taking a bit of shock to Spike's older appearance. 

"Oh darling!" The alabaster unicorn exclaimed while examining the taller dragon. "What has that brute done to you?"

Spike flushed furiously. Strange, wouldn't her remarks be more hurtful than embarrassing? In Macintosh's opinion, the dragon should be respected for his growth, not ashamed of it. Though, that was just Rarity being Rarity he supposed. 

After confirming that the drake was actually happy with his growth, the mare only stared skeptically. "Well, when I see that Sin character again, I'm going to give him a peace of my mind. I still cannot believe he made you fight a fully grown dragon!" She embraced spike and, with comical strength, waved him around like an over protective mother. "My poor little Spikey wikey."

'Wait, didn't he leave to avoid that kind of treatment?'

The drake freed himself and voiced his displeasure of the treatment.

'There we go.'

"Well, you'll get your chance." He said straightening out his scales. "He's talking to the mayor right now though."

"HE'S HERE!" The mares exclaimed in unison.

For the next half hour the two explained how after the princess had investigated the Judgement incident and had all the injured placed in Trottingham medical facilities, they'd given Sin a new order to take residence in Ponyville and have him quell any uprisings around the country in form of peaceful debate. Neither knew much about mob psychology nor it's difficulty to manipulate, but his demonstration in Canterlot had proven his ability to handle himself and preserve the royal order.

Ironic really.

"Well in that case," Rarity piped, a bit less confident. "Then I will give him a peace of my mind next I see him."

"Is that so?" Well, speak of the demon lord. The very topic of the time strode up with his typical scowl. "And what exactly do you have to say to me?"

"SIN!" Pinkie exclaimed, though her assault hug was stopped by a hoof placed upon her forehead.

"Yea, let's not do that." He lowered his hoof and turned his attention to Mac, leaving Rarity to chew her lip. "If you don't mind, I'd rather you not speak of my person, Mr. Macintosh, Spike." He nodded before walking past. 

"Hey wait a minute!" Rainbow called flying in front of him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To the Everfree forest." The pony replied pushing past.

"What!? Why!?"

He stopped and looked back at her. "I was told I had to stay in the region in order for your dear matriarch to keep tabs on me." He smirked, "But she didn't say I had to make myself convenient to find."

It was no secret that the dark forest wasn't the safest place in the land, with all the survival skills and tenacity that the Sin had, Mac still had mixed feelings about him staying in there. Last he checked, there was not only an Ursa Minor, but it's superior dwelling within it some where.

That's not to even mention the Timberwolves, Cocatrices, Mantacores and deadly foliage. And that was what he knew off the top of his head.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Twilight asked.

Sin shrugged, "I've wondered through it before," He began walking forward again, though the rainbow pegasus stopped him... again.

"Alright, as much as I don't like you, I'd really rather you not go in there." Her words went unheeded with a dismissive shrug and she cast a look to her friends for help.

Mac knew better than to speak out, unbeknownst to the girls, Sin had almost abandon he and Spike on multiple occasions because they didn't want to follow him. Fact of the matter was, if he said he was going to do something, he did it. No amount of talking or convincing would discourage him unless it was of new information that was of threat imposing significance.

And the fact of the matter was, Sin probably knew more about the forest than even Fluttershy. So chances were that none present could alter his decision.

It wasn't long until the pony was out of sight and the five mare broke from their dumbstruck silence. 

"I can't believe somepony would rather live in that forest than out here." Twilight commented, "why does he hate the princess so much?"

To a being who'd traveled for months and learned a great deal about individualism from the Sin, that was pretty much the dumbest question anyone could ask. But to somepony who didn't know him, it really wasn't a surprise.

"No kidding." Her cyan friend agreed. "Hey Spike, what is his deal anyway?"

And thus began the arduous process of trying to explain Anarcho-volunterism to a group of ponies who's undying loyalty lied with the princess and ruler of the land...
> Home Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Home Again



"Well I must say, that sounds positively barbaric." Rarity scoffed before taking a sip of her tea. After Fluttershy was retrieved from her cottage, giving Mac and Spike a warm welcome home, they all ventured into the library for a casual welcome home party. The formal one would be held tomorrow by Pinkie Pie. "A world with out government? The idea is simply absurd."

Twilight nodded her head in agreement. "Princess Celestia has been a kind and excellent ruler of Equestria for the last thousand years. Had it not been for her guidance, who knows what kind of condition the country could be in."

Mac couldn't help but agree a bit, for all he was taught under Sin, he couldn't really imagine a world with out the good matriarch. For all the evils that he was told of and experienced, he couldn't see her really wanting any of it. But then again, would any recognized and truly benevolent ruler? Spike, for his part, had fully puzzled all present. Instead of acting as his curious and sarcastic self, he was more cold and snarky. The sarcasm was still there and all, but it was more malevolent and off putting.

Still, it was good to be around friends and a safe, familiar environment again. Relaxing actually, it made the whole experience of catching up and swapping stories a bit more enjoyable and intimate than back at the palace. 

"Yea, and if it weren't for Cadence and Shining Armor, those nasty Changelings would have taken over Canterlot." Pinkie chipped. "Shining Armor counts here, right?" After affirming her, Applejack mentioned the time where Celestia had quelled Twilight's "Want it need it" spell fiasco, much to the embarrassment of the unicorn mentioned. And Rainbow Dash noted how it was the Royal guard who kept peace through out the land, if they didn't exist, there would be chaos and nopony to challenge those who would commit crimes against another.

The lone stallion of the group didn't speak out against it. What they said did make sense to a degree, but he was subject to the abuse of the very entity that Rainbow was glorifying. And though it did sting him the wrong way, considering how previous altercations progressed, he decided that this was a battle not worth fighting. So, he and Spike sat quietly while the girls talked, only answering questions when asked. Most being either vague enough to give a similarly open ended answer to, or just one the two could nod to.

Still, as angry as the red pony was, he was rather interested in talking about how conflict resolution would be done in a government-less society. That would have to be brought up the next time he saw Sin.

"But enough about that brute, so tell us-" Rarity beamed, "What was it like wondering around Equestria? Did you go to Los Pegasus or Manehatten?"

"No." Spike shrugged lazily. "We went up North, staying mainly to the smaller towns. Hooftrot, Wingdale, Crescent Moon, places like that."

"Oh really?" Fluttershy's voice answered, Mac had almost forgotten the timid pony was in attendance, she really should work on that. "Did you see any new critters?"

The drake pressed his lips together while Mac stiffed a laugh. During their travels, one of the two had thought it a good idea to explore a canyon at end of autumn. Little did he know about a small band of bone-horned goats living within it, or their aggressive behavior. In short, had it not been for the second's interference, a certain dragon would be a pancake at the bottom of the gorge. 

"Uh, a few. Nothing worth mention though." He stuffed a ruby into his mouth that Rarity provided and shrugged again. Mac had to give him credit, that was pulled off rather smoothly.

"Wha' about you, big brotha?" Applejack smiled. "See anythin' interestin' ya care to share?" 

For some reason, Mac's thoughts went immediately to Annebell. But the insufferable teasing that was sure to come from his sister procured him to spend an hour talking about living off of the land, learning about the different kind of edible and poisonous plants, how easy he really had it on the farm and the trip to the Minotaur Ratsnest where they'd gotten Spike's crossbow. 

While the aforementioned was only to happy to brag about his own observations on all accounts, his face turned from one of joy to one of horror when Mac mentioned the fight he'd gotten into with a similarly aged youngling... and the non-contestable victory that he claimed.

"Spike you didn't!" Rarity's eyes widened.

"Thanks Mac." He scoffed. "Yea, I did. So?"

Twilight scoffed, "Spike, I cannot believe you did that. Haven't I always told you that violence isn't the answer?"

Spike rose a lazy claw. "Hey, if you were pushed down and hit repeatedly, I'd be disappointed if you didn't do the same, Twi."

The lavender mare gave an offended look, but her rebuttal was cut off. "Aww yea, that's my dragon." Rainbow laughed "If somepony pushes ya around, you show that pony who's boss."

"Rainbow Dash! I believe it would be appreciated if you were to not encourage violence." The alabaster unicorn chided motioning to Twilight."

"Oh come on Rars, let's be realistic here. If there's some jerk trying to hurt somepony, someone's gotta knock 'em down a peg or two."

"Ah agree with Rainbow." Said AJ. "Don' get me wrong, Ah'm not sayin' he should go lookin' fer trouble, but a dragon's gotta defend himself."

"By beating another child senseless!?"

"He didn' really beat 'em sensless." Mac intervened feeling slightly guilty. "He jus' gave 'em a few good knocks on the head. Fer the way the kid was actin', served him righ'."

"Speaking of deserving things." Spike slyly smirked. "What about that filly in Hooftrot? Annibell was it?"

Now it was Mac's turn to wear the mask of disbelief. Did Spike really just do that to him?

"A mare frien'?" Applejack gave a teasing smirk. "So, ya'll were holdin' out on th' good stuff huh?"

Mac pressed his lips and scowled, "sleep well dead drake." Spike just laughed the threat off and the apple pony reluctantly admitted to his brief friendship with the mare. The girls looked on with interest, Twilight and Rarity more so than the rest. He skimmed over their initial encounter in the tent city and the party, putting more emphasis on the song she preformed in her circus act with a large dragon. 

Out of all of them, Fluttershy seemed most perturbed by the subject matter of the circus mare's lyrics.

"Oh no," Spike interjected smugly. "You can't play her off like that."

"We were jus' friends."

"Friends don't stay out after midnight and then nuzzle against each other in haunted houses."

Mac's eyes constricted, he saw that?

"Oh really?" Rarity smiled devilishly. "Well go on Mac, give us details."

The interest looks he was getting endued a rather awkward feeling. He didn't like being pressured, but, by the same token, it wasn't really anything important either. They'd gone through a haunted house and he'd seen Annebell back to her tent, not really a big deal. All in all, he decided to only tell the group enough to correct Spike's story, much to the dragons amusement. 

But Rarity wouldn't have it, she demanded to know how the night between them had ended. Her almost obsessive interest in his love life was questionable and a bit creepy. So he'd been out with a mare, why was she acting like he'd undertaken some kind of quest to rescue a princess from a tower?

Luckily, his sister interjected at his reluctance and eased the unicorn back into place. 

He had to admit, he did miss his sisters way of handling things, out of all the ponies he'd ever come across, she was defiantly the most level headed and caring for her friends. And for all that's happened, he still loved her. 

As the conversation drew to a close, the girls finally owned up to their lives during Mac's absence. Rainbow was only too proud to credit herself for the work she'd done on the farm with AJ, the aforementioned giving an awkward smile. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie more or less just dismissed the inquiry by claiming nothing special. And Rarity decided to go on a twenty minute rampage about some delivery for some higher class pony up in Canterlot.

Eventually, the sun began to set and the non family members depart. Each giving a big hug and nuzzle to the guys before they left. Rarity and Fluttershy were the last, and unlike the others, the pink maned pegasus gave a quick kiss on the cheek to both before blushing profusely and zooming out the door. Rarity's affections were played off, as expected though.

"Well, C'mon big brother. I's time to git home." 

The stallion smiled warmly again. "Eyup." Home. By Celestia, it sounded even better now... Twilight and Spike escorted the two to the door, the cold of the evening chilling the pony, but not as much as it did his sister. 

"We'll be by later tomorrah ta see how ya'll r' settlin in." AJ announced. A grateful word from the unicorn later and the two were off on the all too familiar road to the farm. 

In his heart, he was conflicted. He wouldn't show it now, but inside he was worried about how the reunion with Granny Smith and Applebloom would be. To break the silence, he asked how the rest of the Apples were doing. Smirking playfully, his sister told him he'd have time to ask soon enough. 

That told him they were at least open to the idea of seeing him again. Bah, what's he worried about? It's family! Family is love, love is forgiveness and acceptance. He known these ponies his whole life, he had nothing to be worried about.

"Hey Mac?"

"Hmmm?"

"That friend of yers, Sin? Ya sure he's gone be alright out here in the cold?" 

The stallion smirked, was she really concerned for his well being? "Don'cha worry none, sis. Sin can handle himself better 'n most." He caught the unsure look in her eye and flowed his lips to a warm smile. 

"Same ol' Big Macintosh." She smiled and shook her head. "live n' let live." He smirked and chuckled. "But, ya'll have changed more 'n Ah thought."

"Really?" 

The look on her face was a hard one to read, a mix between concentration and concern. "Ya used to be tha only pony quieter than Fluttershy, but back there, ya spoke mor 'n one night than Ah ever seen all the years knowin' ya." She looked up at him. "Ah'm not sayin' Ah don' like it, don't get me wrong, but what happened?"

Mac's smirk dropped.

What happened to him? She was really asking that? Surly she knew, she'd patronized and demeaned his opinions ever since their parents... That and the fact she'd pretty much taken on the mother role of the house hold. Granny Smith was a good ol' gal, but she wasn't exactly, how should he put it, responsible? Well, all in all, if she didn't get it, maybe it was better left unsaid. No point in muddying the waters when he'd just returned home.

"How 'bout Ah jus' say that Ah learned a few things." His grin returned, causing the mare to smile weakly. "Now enough 'bout that... Did Applebloom get her cutie mark yet?"

  



> 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.

> Confrontations Pt. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Confrontations Pt. 2



Spike cursed the morning rays of light that had assaulted his dried and sleepless eyes. 

The entirety of night previous was not one of his best, the numb feeling in his body was intense and his nerves were on edge. Every time he closed his eyes, the smell of the air brought memories of his life in the hollowed out oak tree. His previous life anyway. Not that he was unhappy with it, but he didn't want that life anymore. He'd grown, he'd matured and he'd found a new sense of self worth that made him want more. 

He wanted to do as he pleased, but also he didn't want to hurt the mare's feelings. How could he compromise the two?

Before he could repeat the series of slumber rejecting thoughts again, the basement door opened with the object of his struggle greeting him. "Good morning Spike!" She said happily. "Breakfast is ready."

Reluctantly, the drake arose from the makeshift bed of a blanket, pillow and ground and stretched out his limbs. Twilight had insisted that he take the guest room, since he would no longer fit in his basket, not that he was sad about that mind you, but he declined in favor of the basement's cold ground. He couldn't explain why, but he didn't feel comfortable enough to sleep in a bed in this place yet. It still felt a little alien here, dispute the life he'd spent within.

"Alright, thanks." He stood and cracked his neck a bit, much to the unicorns revulsion. 

"Um, ok. it'll be upstairs." With that, Twilight nodded awkwardly and trotted back from whence she came. Leaving the drake to stare blankly up to the door. 

'Why do I feel this way? Why don't I want to go up there? I'm home now, I've proven that I can take care of myself. Twilight doesn't seem mad at me, nopony did. So why do I feel so unsure right now?' 

Gulping down his fear and mustering his courage, Spike quickly ascended the stairs, as if any sign of hesitation would force him to turn around and curl back up under the blanket. 'Keep it cool Spike, nothing bad will happen. It's just breakfast.'

Quickly enough, he soon found himself in the dinning area where a well sized stack of rubies and emeralds laid out in a spread on the table. His stomach raged for the delicious gems to be within it, and reminded him just how long it had been since last he ate.

He licked his lips as he eyed the stack before him, finally he reached out, grabbed an emerald and brought it to his mouth. His mind went into Nirvana as the sweet rock assaulted his taste buds. True he'd gone with out gem stones for long periods of time, but this one was simply fantastic. There had to be more to it than met the eye. 

"Hey there Spike, feeling better?" Twilight asked with a smile.

"Sure am," he replied happily, the gems making him forget his troubles for a moment. He raised one of the emeralds, "these are delicious Twi! What are they?"

The mare chuckled. "There just gem stones, Spike." She nuzzled him, "The same ones I've always given you."

Glass broke and the world came to a screeching halt, the feeling he before came back stronger than ever. 

'Always given me?'

Was this how his relationship with Twilight would always be? He a child who would always need to be "given" things? Dissuaded from earning, or being seen as equally capable of it? It made sense he'd be feeling this way, he rationalized that the mare's actions the night before and recently were just her trying to cope with his return. Running him a bath, getting his favorite book, cooking for him.

But he didn't want that attention and treatment anymore. Things had changed, he had changed.

"Are you ok, Spike?" She asked in concern. Apparently, his lack of movement had lasted a bit longer than he'd thought. 

Maybe he'd just need to nudge it in the right direction. Try to bring the new Spike to light and let the old one go. "Yea, I'm fine." He shrugged nonchalantly before stuffing his face with an emerald. "Just thinking."

"Oh? What's on your mind?"

"Stuff."

"Okay? Care to share?"

'"Stuff"? Really Spike?'

He swallowed and stroked his chin, trying to appear more sophisticated. "Just what's happened lately, you know." Considering what all had gone on, it wouldn't be a stretch to have a few things to dwell on. The air ship, the first killing he'd ever seen, the fight where he'd assaulted Sin, and now returning home. 

Twilight nodded in understanding and smiled. "Well your home now." She leaned in and kissed the dragon's forehead. "And that's all that matters."

'All that matters? Me being here is all the counts?' He refrained from words. Obviously he'd need to kick things up a notch if he wanted to get out of the motherly affection phase. 

"Yea," Spike rubbed the affectionate-ed area. As the mare took her own seat to eat, the dragon began contemplating a new approach. "Hey Twilight, you think it's time I got a job?"

In a second, the addressed spat out her food and coughed a bit. "A job?! Where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "We'll, while I was traveling, I've been developing some skills." He retrieved his bag and pulled out some gems and his gem carving kit. Twilight looked on with impressed eyes at the exquisite and refined craftsmanship of the different shaped gems he presented. Spike was just happy he hadn't eaten them... yet. "There's loads of stuff I can do in town. I can cook, manual labor, maybe get a job over at quills and sofas." 

"Those are very impressive." She conceded. "But you're still a baby dragon Spike, and there are laws in place that wouldn't let anyone higher you."

The drake looked himself over than gave her a deadpan. "Really?" She couldn't seriously be denying his matured form, true he wasn't a full grown behemoth yet, but calling him a 'baby' was hardly accurate anymore. Though, Twilight didn't seem to buy it, electing instead to push the fact that the labor laws in place would be upheld.

In a matter of minutes the conversation had escalated into a debate about how unfair such a law was. After all, dragon maturation wasn't the same as that of a pony. Even for his age, he was a great deal brighter than those who'd be considered his peers. As was his maturity level and now his body. Why was Twilight so adamant about keeping with some silly regulation?

"I'm sorry Spike, but I wont let you break the law." She took a calming breath. "Look, if you want me to start paying you for your chores around the library than-"

"It's not about that." He sighed in frustration. "Never mind, just forget it." There was no point, she chose a stupid law over her own assistant. If he wasn't allowed a job here, than there was little else he could do to be seen as an adult.

The dragon stood from his undersized chair and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Twilight asked in a sudden panic.

"To see Sin." He replied before stepping out and walking to the forest, any more words lost to him. "At least he gets me."

To his surprise, he actually found the desired stallion while venturing into the market district. Sin in Ponyville? Well, that's unexpected. True to his word, he greeted the pony, "hey Sin."

"Morning," He replied in his usual empty way. 

Deciding his own troubles could wait a bit, Spike inquired as to why the pony was in town.

"Just came to get some liquor." Sin replied before continuing on his way, a very confused Spike in tow. "If I'm going to be stuck here, doesn't mean I have to be sober while doing it."

The drake wasn't completely sure how to take such a blunt, not to mention discomforting, statement. Since when did Sin drink? "Oh, uh, ok. But what about Pinkie's party?"

"Yea, that's another reason."

The two reached the only booth that had what the pony was looking for, though he seemed none to pleased with the fact that wine was his only alcoholic option. With a few bits he obtained through selling his gems, the pony paid for a couple of bottles and went on about his way.

"I'd expect you to back home with Ms. Twilight. Why are you out here?"

Spike grumbled and crossed his arms in a pout. "She's still her motherly self."

Ah, nothing more need be said. But that didn't mean that the dragon have plans to do so anyway.





Sin was no stranger to listen to the dragon's rants. Be it about the lavender unicorn or that white one he was(?) in love with before he left. The kid seldom had little to say. Considering the random arraignment of torn fluff and disembodied filly doll heads stuck on tree branches the pony had woken up to this morning, some sensical conversation was very much in order.

So, the mare was treating him like a kid and he wanted to be seen as an adult. At least, that's what he got out of the fifteen minute ramble he was given. There might have been some kind of strange desire for the dragon to sleep with his mother in a romantic way, but that may have just been a misunderstanding. He stuck with the former topic, for obvious reasons.

"Well, you were practically her child." He shrugged as the two walked out of town. "It's only natural that she'd still hold to her old beliefs."

Against his better judgement, the pony also motioned how Spike just dumped the fact he wanted to get a job after he got back for being gone for six months. The reaction was as expected.

"You're saying this is my fault?"

"No, what I am saying is you've been away for a while," Sin said matter of fact-ly as they began approaching a small cottage on the edge of the forest. "And she, as your caregiver, may have wanted to spend some time with you?" It was actually more a statement than question, but that format was typically the best way to get to his friend.

"Yea, well, I'm not a baby anymore." 

Apparently this wasn't working. Maybe he really was being overly babied? He had lead a pretty sheltered life before, this country wasn't exactly known for it's strife and peril... Well, since Discord and Nightmare Moon anyway. 

He chuckled inwardly, He remembered that incident happened while he was in the Senate. Everyone was complaining about Celestia not raising the sun that day. The country was on the verge of actually sending an emissary to see why the sun princess wasn't preforming her duties. Equestria wasn't the only country who'd suffer from it after all. 

They approached the entrance and Sin gave his attention to the building on his left. It was a kind of burrow natural home. He had to admit, it was quite a pleasant place, animals scuttled about, there was a garden full of delicious and healthy looking foods, and the location of the real estate was simply impeccable for his needs. If the place wasn't occupied, he'd seriously consider purchase.

"Spike?" 

Sin looked around, he could have sworn he heard something. "Did you hear that?"

"Fluttershy." Spike pointed with his thumb. 

Oh yes, the pink maned mare from before. The other four he'd gotten a feel for, and Rarity reminded him of a pony who made him want to empty his stomach every time he thought of her. If memory serves, this would be the final of the six of Celestia's pets. 

Or it would be if she hadn't stopped at the front yard and look on like an elk about to be pounced by a mantacor. 

"Don't be afraid Fluttershy," Spike said kindly before pointing a lazy claw at Sin. "He's not as dangerous as he looks."

After a brief moment of indecisiveness, the mare began to approach again, albeit, more cautiously. "Uh..." She said something else but the calm quiet of winter drowned her out."

After a few requests for her to repeat herself, the pegasus finally spoke above a whisper. While the two conversed, Sin decided to have a philosophical moment.

It was a common theme that ponies here would be aptly named. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Now Fluttershy? One had to wonder: Did parents push their kids into these names? Applejack was obvious, but was Rainbow's parents the pressure putting folks to push their daughter to be the fastest? Did this Fluttershy's parents intentionally shelter her from the world or abuse her to make her as shy and withdrawn as demonstrated?

Windmane always took pride in his Equestrian derived name. Compared to most, it did sound exotic, but he didn't care much for flying. So naming incorrectly was possible. How embarrassing would it be to end up with a suggestive name and having no skill or interest in that area? Now that would be cruel. Of course there's always changing one's name. But how hard would that be in terms of legalities?

"Sin?" 

'Oh wonderful, they want something.' 

"Sin."

"Hmmm?"

"It's true you're living in the Everfree forest, right?"

"Yes." he nodded. 

"Oh my, isn't that dangerous?"

Sin just shrugged, and the group stood in awkward silence.

"... um. Ok. I'm sorry for asking." She hid behind her mane a bit.

Sin furrowed his brow, her shy mannerisms, it struck a cord with him. Submissive and timid, two things he really hated in the world. Lack of a back bone was always a gate way to be ruled, he was half expecting a violent boyfriend to poke his head out of the door and start yelling at her to get inside. It was always individuals like her that would be the poster pony for more intrusive law to "protect" the weak and meek.

"Yea, ok." He turned his attention back to Spike. "As for what we were discussing earlier, I'm not saying you're wrong. However, I do think you should give her a real chance. From what I gather, you're just stressed and just projecting it onto her."

Spike rolled his eyes. "But she's treating me like a child, and keeps going on about how laws are preventing me from getting a job."

Sin froze mid step, now that part the dragon had failed to mention previously. He turned and was given an elaboration about how his age would make it difficult for him to work. 

As much as Sin would love to rip into the protige of the Sun Monarch, he had to be fair. It wasn't Twilight's fault that those kind of regulation were in place. And that the dragon shouldn't be angry at her for them. 

"I guess you're right." Spike sighed. "But I don't want to go back to being treated like a child. I just... I don't know." He looked to Fluttershy for some advice on the matter, which gave Sin a moment.

After a moment of thought, an idea came to the stallion. "Find me in the forest tomorrow morning." He smirked, "and bring a shovel and lunch."

Before the drake could as why, Sin disappeared into the dark of the forest.
> Party Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Party Time



Mac and his siblings walked in an awkward silence. The streets were far more scarce than they usually were, but it wasn't hard to guess where everypony was. 

He wasn't sure what the other two were thinking, or what they knew, but his mind was a cluster of shame, fear, and for some strange reason; disappointment. But not regret. Should he feel regret though? Was what he did bad?

Granny wanted him gone, that much was clear. He could see where the elder was coming from, leaving his place and work unattended an all, and with her sterness and stubborn personality, it was next to impossible to make her see his point of view. Perhaps it's for the best he does move out of the farm. That was the exact reason he'd left in the first place. Not being listened to.

"So..." Applejack droned. "Sure is a nice day."

"Lot better than yesterday, nearly froze my plot off." Applebloom agreed.

"Eyup."

'Oh for the love of- are you really back to that again Mac?' That little voice called again. Strange, he hadn't heard it in a long time, why was it back now? 'C'mon, one day back and you're already limiting yourself to what you used to be?

"Say Mac?" He looked over to the elder sister. "Wha' sactly were ya n' granny talkin' bout?" Her words were inquisitive, but the look in the blond pony's eyes betrayed her fear to the answer. Yet again, how much did she know?

"Nothin' much." he lied. What was he suppose to tell her? The truth? That she'd brought up their parents? It was an unspoken rule in the house to speak well, if rarly, of them. And she mentions them in a way to hurt him? Buck that! 

"Uh huh." She said skeptically. Her reaction wasn't surprising. She wasn't good at math, but he'd be damned if AJ couldn't read a pony like a book if she wanted to. Especially him.

The rest of the walk was in silence until they reached the gingerbread decorated destination. Just in time to see Spike and Fluttershy arrive no less.

The two groups exchanged greetings, and they both went inside.

"SURPRISE!" The town yelled upon entry. Mac put on his most convincing face and took a step back. Gotta be nice to Pinkie, especially since she went through all of the trouble to set this up.

Everypony was present. Twilight, Rarity, Lyra, Bon Bon, Berry Punch, Cheerilee, Octavia. Wow, she was here? Didn't know she cared. The bakery was decorated the usual Pinkie Pie way: Multicolor bolloons, streemers, a spread of sweets the works. What struck him as odd were the names on the "welcome back" banner. He and Spike were present as expected, but the third name made him quirk a brow. 

The party mare seemed to have the same reaction due to the third pony's absense. "Where's Sin?" She asked over the now booming music. Courtisy of one Vynal Scratch.

Mac and Spike looked to each other with blank stares before looking back and shrugging. Did she really expect him to come this?' The confused and saddened look on her face seemed to suggest it.

"He didn't come?" Her confused look turned to one of hurt, "But he said he would..."

"Don't worry about it Pinkie." Spike gave a toothy smirk, "Sin's a party pooper anyway. C'mon, let's have some fun!"

Soon, all the ponies were on the scene again. Eating cake, dancing, sipping punch, or just talking with friends and family. The few whom the returning two hadn't seen yet were waiting with both giddy and excited faces, some even bashful. 

Thirty minutes in, Mac tiredly collapsed on a couch in an "off limits" room in the bakery. A sign on the door read as much, but he didn't care. The welcoming smiles and kind words of his return were alright enough, but the questions. He cringed at the thought, it may only have been a short time but it was like he was being interigated. He never wanted to talk about his six months on the road ever again.

Still, he did always like when he told a story of the canyon. Always got a reaction out of his purple scaled associate.

Unfortunatly, the red pony's reprieve didn't last as he heard the door open and a voice call out.

"Pinkie, darling are you- Oh my apologize." Said Rarity. Mac looked up, it wasn't alarming, but surprising to see it was her. "I'm sorry Macintosh, but have you seen Pinkie Pie? I can't find her anywhere."

Mac furrowed his brow, Pinkie not at her own party? That was unusual, but for all his thought, he couldn't remember seeing her past the time he'd entered. He shrugged the thought off, she'll turn up, she's probably baking something er... something.

"Ah'm sorry Miss Rarity, Ah can't say Ah've seen 'er."

The alabaster unicorn pouted. "All well, thank you for your help Big Macintosh. By the way, what are you doing hiding away in here?"

"Honestly, tired of answerin' questions." He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. Though, the mare's reaction wasn't something he was expecting.

"Oh come now darling. You've been gone away for so long, it's only natural that everypony would miss you." She took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. "Is that really the only reason you're in here?"

Of course it was, why wouldn't it be?

"Not trying to avoid anyone, or anything?" Mac gave the fashonista a stare. "Well, I was speaking with Applejack and she told me you may have been on bad terms with your grandmother."

... So, she really did know more than he thought. "'N wha' s'actly did she tell ya?" He asked bluntly.

"OH! Oh nothing personal." Rarity waved her hooves in front of her to dispel and misunderstandings. "Just that the two of you had a bit of tension between you. Nothing more."

Macintosh gave the mare a skeptical look before giving a sigh and taking a faux interest in the the pink triple decker cake photo across from him. "Alrigh'." 

Rarity gave a sigh of relief. "Well is it anything you'd like to talk about?" She asked in concern.

"No' really." Mac shrugged. "Fact is, Granny's jes' upse' Ah left. Nothin' more to it."

The seamstress quirked a brow and pressed the issue farther. The stallion never much paid attention to her before, what with his work ethic and practical love of the earth and soil and her disdain for anything unclean and hard labor related, they were as different as night and day. So why was she talking to him now? And more importantly, why was she sitting on a couch with him trying to get him to open up about his kin problems?

The more she tried to pry, the more Mac clamped up. He'd always been an enigma in his own right, but he'd never been so out of discomfort for another before. Perhaps Sin and Spike had been wearing off on him more than he'd originally thought.

Luckily, the unicorn decided to change the subject; unluckily, it was still pertaining to him. "I see that you've had quite the courtship since you've come back."

'Wait what?'

"Oh don't look so surprised darling." She teased. "It's only natural that a stallion of your fine caliber and build would be of interest." 

That look she was giving him, he couldn't explain it, but the way she had spoken of him and her eyes made his heart beat a little quicker than it should. It was a feeling that felt vaguely nostalgic.

"Ah guess." He shrugged again. There was a pregnant silence now, what was he doing here now? What did she want? Best to probably change the subject. "So, how's ol' fancy pants doin'?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh he's been absolutely dreadful as of late." She stood from the couch, easing the tension a bit. "Apparently there was some kind of unionist pony rally against his Bank and trying to get everypony that has an account with him to switch to a smaller one!"

This could be interesting. "Really? Why was tha?"

"Oh something about him supporting the corporatist elites or some other nonsensical drivel." She waved he hoof dismissively before her eyes shot wide. "You know, I've just realized this is the first time I've ever really spoken with you. And here I am complaining about a friend's troubles."

"Oh no, please go on."  Mac really didn't mind. This was the kind of thing he enjoyed talking to Sin about, and it was perfect for getting his mind off of his current plight. 

It was then that he'd realized why the mare was referred to as the gossip of the town. A conspiratorial grin perched ear to ear and she looked around as if there was some one that could possibly over hear them. Then she leaned down and whispered into his ear: "Well, you didn't hear it from me, but apparently there's-"

"Hey Mac Carrot Top said you came in here an-"

Mac's eyes shot wide and Rarity froze mid sentence. There at the now open door was Spike with his mouth a gape. The stallion looked between he and Rarity, who'd for some reason didn't move away from him at this point.

Silence, even the music from the party was drowned out right now from the pure tension of it all. Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting, but it was clear Rarity was to shocked to move. "Spike." he pushed the mare away from him and sat properly. "What's going on?"

"Oh- Uh yes Spike." Oh now she decides that she can move and talk. "I'm sorry, to um... yes if you two will excuse me. Twilight needs me to do," she paused. "Things and... stuff." She quickly pushed past the still dumb struck drake and ventured into the lively group of party goers.

"Ah know it looks bad." Mac started, knowing that the drake had feelings for Rarity. "But it's not wha' it looked like."

Deafening silence reigned again. But Spikes facial features dropped from one of surprise to expressionless. Mac waited, he waited for the lecture, the rant, what ever the dragon was going to say to vent his emotion about what he saw. But nothing came, perhaps he understood? Perhaps he knew that it was just Rarity telling secrets in her usual way?

Spike blinked a couple of times before sighing and shaking his head a few times. He gave Mac one last disapproving look before calmly closing the door behind him.

Or perhaps not.





"I'm telling you, once you find Discord like I have, your freedom will be complete too."

"No Shade, Discord is not the god of Chaos, he's just a chaotic being of great power." Sin stated while tying another knot around a tree branch. 

"Pft, whatever. You're just jealous because Discord's got swag."

THWAK!

"OW! What the buck Sin?" The insane pony whined, favoring his struck cheek.

The mentioned lifted an angry hoof and flared his nostrils. "I don't know what that word means, but you deserved that. By Tapio's beard, I swear you deserved that."

Leaving the night pony confused, Sin pulled the branch back with all his might before carefully looping it around an extended root and tying the other end to a sturdy stick and placing said stick on another root just so. He took a step back and admired the height of the trip wire from the ground and the branches trajectory. "Yea, that should work."

"Keep this up and you'll deter anypony who comes to visit you know."

"That's the point."

Shade gave a childish pout. "But what if they have news of Discord?"

Sin sighed, "If you're so worried about him, why not just go see him? Not like anyone can stop you."

The bat pony scoffed. "On doesn't just waltz up to the god of Chaos Sin. There are rules for that kind of thing you know."

Raising a hoof, the liberty pony readied his reply but stopped before the first word could leave his mouth. "Never mind, that's just too easy."

A sudden rustle to his left caused both ponies to jump back from the brush, Sin equipping his crossbow and quick loading it. How could something have gotten past his his alerting perimeter with out setting off an alarm? He took a step back as the rustling became louder and the leaves closer. He took a breath expecting a timber wolf to pounce out at him, but all that exited were a pair of solemn blue eyes attached to a fluffy pink mare.

"Oh great" Sin exhaled. Well at least now it made sense. "What is it?"

"You forgot to come to your party, silly." She bounced. Well, that moment of quite lasted long. 

"Party?" Sin searched his memory. "Oh right, yea, sorry. Something important came up."

"And what would that be?"

"I remembered that I'm not the party type." He deadpanned.

Shade, for his part, only looked on with mild disinterest. Which was rather surprising considering he was never shy about voicing his opinion about something he disliked.

"Not the party type?" Pinkie asked in confusion.

"No."

Pinkie quirked a skeptical brow. "So, you don't like parties?"

"No."

"Than why did you say you'd come when you didn't like them?" The party mare walked closer. "Ponies don't just suddenly remember they don't like something. Especially parties."

Sin had to keep his jaw from dropping, was she really that dim witted? No, no. She's far more intelligent than this, he knew that in his gut. Why was she playing dumb, she had sarcastic friends, Spike being one of them. Surly she could understand it.

That's when it hit him. Of course, she's just trying to play to his guilt! How foolish of him to consider this genuine. "Fair enough." He cracked his neck. "You're right, I should have been more clear. So, I don't like parties and I have no intention on attending any."

"Have you given one a chance?"

"Yes." No, no he hadn't. But just the concept alone was enough to make him grit his teeth. 

"Well, you've never come to a Pinkie Pie party." Pinkie beamed again. 'Talk about mood swings.' "If you come now, I promise you'll have a great time!"

"Yea, no thanks." Sin said before trotting back to his camp, Shade in tow. He didn't make it long before the mare, some how, popped out from behind a tree that was in front of him. "The fuck?!"

"Please come." She said, her eyes going overly puppy like.

"No, thank you for the invitation though." He pushed past. However, Pinkie was a tenacious being, one that he considered to rival Shade if their loves for Discord and Parties were parodied in passion. If this were the case, he would probably lose out of his own lack of tolerance for repetitive gibberish. Perhaps he would just skip that and head straight for his trump card.

"Look." Sin turned and took a breath. "I said I do not wish to attend, why do you insist on trying to make me do something I don't want to do?"

"Because it'll be fun!"

"I suppose you think you know what's better for me than I do?" There it was, only an egotistical maniac would dare answer-

"Yes." She chirped.

...

...

Well, that's a first. "You're always so serious and angry." Was she trying to impersonate him? "You need to let loose and be happy! And Parties are the best way to do just that."

"Yea, I don't think so." 

"Please..." And now back to square one. Sin had to think, Pinkie wasn't really aggressing him, so physical force wasn't an appropriate response. Sarcasm got him into this mess in the first place and she didn't take it as a hint to get lost. Blunt rudeness was probably not the way to go, but not off the table. Perhaps-

"In case you're still thinking on it, I'm not taking no for an answer."

 'Damn, well, I guess I have no choice.'

Thankfully, Sin was wrong, for the brush to his left began to rustle again. While he and Shade tensed up and stood ready. Pinkie was still standing patently for his inevitable acquiescence. 

"I have a feeling." Shade growled, his eyes narrowing to slits. "A feeling that I know what's coming, and that I'm soon going to be in excruciating pain."

That can only mean one thing...

"Sin art thou here?"

"The beast has come."

Out from the same brush, Princess Luna ventured out while trying to get the branches of the shrub out of her hair. "Curse this infernal- ah there you are." She smiled, I was sent her to-"

TWACK! The tree branch he'd just spent ten minutes booby trapping activated, slamming into the lunar ponies chest and throwing her back into the brush. Strange thing was, she was a good ten feet from the trip wire...
> Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


Aftermath



Big Macintosh sat quietly, the music from the party had stopped and the voices outside began to die down. He was relieved at that, but the look Spike had given him was still of great concern. Why did he have to walk in at THAT point? First Granny, now this? There may have been no words spoken, but the look of shear disappointment was all that need be to show how he felt.

How could Mac face him again?

"Mac?" A feminine voice called, he didn't need to open his eyes to know the town librarian when he heard her. Instead he just beckoned her in with a word of affirmation.

"Hey, Spike told me you were in here." He could hear her hoof steps approaching. Before she could get to close, he motioned for her to stop. He'd already gotten in trouble with Rarity, there was no telling how the purple dragon would react if he saw Twilight in a compromising position too.

As expected, she wasn't all to shy to address the dragon's mood when she'd asked him where Mac was. Not that the stallion could blame him, well, in a sense anyway. 

"So..." She said awkwardly. "Are you going with Sin to Canterlot?" 

Mac opened his eyes and looked at the mare in confusion. "Canterlot?"

"Mhmm. Princess Celestia sent a message this morning from Spike," Twilight gave a small smile. "I've kinda missed the flames he'd belch when-" She shook her head. "Sorry, but yea, she sent Luna to find Sin and have him come back to the Capital for something."

"The letter wasn't specific, but it said he made a deal with her. That's actually something I was hoping you'd explain to me. Why did Sin come back here? He said he was stuck here by the princess's orders, but for what?"

The facts were simple enough, Luckily, he'd already explained the stallion's philosophies so that made it easier. He told her what he knew, Sin was pretty much her servant to quell any collectivist uprisings that may pop up through out the kingdom. 

The look on Twilight's face over the revelation was a almost comical. "SERVANT!" She almost yelled in surprise. "But, I thought he hated all forms of government."

"Eyup, bu', he said he'd given her his word. No matter how much he don' like it. Think of it as a contract he made of his own free will." And despising himself for doing so.

The mare took a seat and began pondering the notion, however Mac had questions of his own. Like when Sin was set to leave? All things considered, leaving with him didn't seem like that bad an idea. Of course there may be Spike's scowling, but reasoning with a reasonable misunderstanding would be far easier than trying to convince Granny Smith about a complicated issue.

From what he gathered, Sin was to depart for the Capital at first light tomorrow morning. Which probably meant he was at the train station already. Funny, he'd just got back home yesterday and now he was going to take a train all the way back to Canterlot. There was some kind of irony in there some where, but he was to preoccupied with standing up and walking out of the room. 

"Mac?"

"I"m goin' with 'em." He said calmly, before exiting. As expected, Applejack and Applebloom were still present, the latter being curled up on a chair and in a peaceful slumber. Wow, it was dark, how long had he been in that room? 

"Applejack." He called to garner his sister's attention. "I'm headin' back to Canterlot."

"WHA'!" The blond exclaimed. "But, Y'all jes' got back! Why ya leavin' already?"  The stallion nodded and made way for the bakery entrance, though his sister blocked his path, "Woah there big guy, why 'r ya goin' there?"

Judgement time came to early for his liking. He didn't want to tell his sister that he couldn't come home, but what was he supposed to say? She'd find out soon enough, there was only so long he would be in the capital again. "Sin's gotta 'nother job up there."

"Okay, 'n why do ya need to go?"

That... was a good question. Think emotionally, he wasn't dealing with Sin right now, he didn't need to be precise. "Just ta make sure nothin' bad happens to 'em." A bull faced lie, but one he could play on if AJ rebuked it. Which she did.

It was low of him, but taking a shot at her disinterest in his friend's well being. 

To his surprise she waved his faux concerns off. "From wha' happened on the blimp, Ah'm sure he c'n take care o' himself." Ok, so she was playing that game.

"It ain't that simple here..." He tried to explain how Sin would be dealing with mobs of dozens of Equestrian ponies, and how that collective could turn violent on him. A crossbow for such a situation would make him lose favor in the eye of the general public, thus creating emotionally charged discredit for himself as a speaker. Big Macintosh was aptly named, he can only think of a few ponies he didn't have to look down to see, and even less to look up at. His presence should discourage any violent initiations from any single and most groups of stallions.

The debate wound on, but Mac knew he had control. Eventually, his sister conceded, but not with out condition. He had to check in at least once a week if he would be gone for longer. Chances were that Sin would just get on the Soap Box with the one rallying and end it there, so he wasn't worried about to long of a stay... But hopefully not too brief either.

With a quick nuzzle from his sibling, and a happily slumbering Applebloom, Mac was out the door and on his way to the train station. Hopefully his associate hadn't left yet. 

It didn't take him long to arrive, but among the ponies scattered around the station, he was relieved two of the three expected departures. 

"Good evening Mr. Macintosh." Sin greeted with a nod. Shade with a smile.

"Hey" Mac said before also taking a seat by his friends. He didn't want the silence to come, so he figured he'd just inquire as to what the four of them were leaving for.

"To be honest, I'm not completely sure."

The reply was unnerving, but still not worth worrying over. "Wha' 'sactly can ya tell me."

"From what Luna's told me, there's a protest over some Fancy Pants for his support of Celestial Incorporated." Sin droned. Celestial Inc was a known enterprise infamous for laundering charity money for it's own needs. Taking the guise of "Celestial" to appear government, it was only recently discovered to not be under Princess Celestia's control. Many had donated and supported it under the misconception, but now the ponies want retribution for the latent fabrication the name conveyed.

Outraged in his own right, the Apple family too had made donations to the business. 

"So, why are we leavin' this early?" 

Sin smirked as he heard the train approach. "I need to do some research." His black tint hidden eyes turning to the stallion. "I know next to nothing about Celestial. If I'm going to prepare a proper debate platform, I'll need to have a clue of what I'm talking about."

Sin admitting he didn't know something? Alert the bucking media.

Finally the train slowed to a crawl and the doors pushed open. A very small amount of ponies and griffans existed the cars, not surprising considering the late hour.

"ALL ABOARD!" The conductor proclaimed. That's when Mac's eyes widened in realization, Spike wasn't here and he hadn't purchased a ticket yet. Luckily, his friend had already anticipated his arival and handed Mac the needed stub, leaving only one spare in his pack. 

"I suppose Spike isn't coming." Sin retrieved the spare. "A wasted pair of bits." He shook his head and boarded with Mac in tow. After a few minutes of waiting, the doors closed with no showing of the reptile and the train began to move.





Applejack let out a sigh as her brother walked out of Sugar Cube Corner. He'd changed. He'd changed alot more than she'd originally thought. He didn't know it, but She heard what Granny said to him, and the old mare would get a piece of her mind once she had her sister in bed. How could Granny say such a thing? Did she want to drive her grandson away again?!

But that was for after the blond mare helped clean the place up. 

"Applejack?" She turned.

"Hey Twi'." She said with a sad smile. "Great party, huh?"

Twilight's confused manner gave way to sympathy. "Did Macintosh already leave?" Applejack's smile disappeared as quickly as it came and she nodded. She felt a comforting hoof place itself onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but he should be back soon. If Sin's as good as the princess says he-"

"Sin!" AJ seethed. This was all his fault! "Sin, Sin, Sin. Ah'm tired of hearin' about that pony!"

Twilight took a concerned step backwards, but the farmer didn't care. Ever since that stallion had come into the picture, life for her had gone from prosperous and peaceful to hecktic and stressful. The economic strain, the later work hours, the depressed mood around the house. She tried to keep spirits up, to convince the Family that everything would be ok, but how long would this last? She loved her brother, she wanted him home, but this coming into and out of her life thing was not ok.

"Applejack, dear." Rarity approached, a discarded streamer in hoof, "are you alright?"

"No, Rarity, Ah'm not alrigh'. Matter o' fact, none of us are." She looked to Twilight. "You 'n me least of all. Ever since that Sin character came 'n took Spike, how've things been at the library?"

The unicorn took recoil at the sudden question, but answered that the stress on her had been greatly intensified since her assistant wasn't there to keep the store maintained. Not only did she have to do her research on friendship and what ever else Celestia called on her for, she also had to: cook, clean, dust, re-shelf, take time to find research material, care for Pee Wee, and all else that the dragon had done before. 

Now that the stresses were listed aloud, Twilight actually felt a bit of resentment for the unfairness she was left with. Spike and she were a team, 'were' being the operative word in that sentence.

"Yea!" AJ shot Rarity a look, "'N ya know 'bout the troubles on the farm." The alabaster unicorn thought it over than nodded in agreement. "Ah know Mac needed his space, Ah know Ah hadn't treated him the best all tha' time. But he had some mighty big horseshoes tah fill, least he could'a done was give us some notice."

"Yea." Twilight furrowed her brow. "Spike did kind of leave out of now where too. Come to think of it, I still can't figure out why he did."

"You still don't get it Twi?" The three mares looked to find the mentioned dragon with his arms folded and leaning against the door frame. His eyes were flat and his tone humorless. "After all this time, you still haven't figured it out?"

Applejack beat Twilight to the reply. "What's happened to you Spike? You never spoke that way to her before."

His lifeless eyes slowly locked on to her. "I've never been given the chance to grow up before either." That point could be debated with the Dragon Migration, though Spike mentioned how he wasn't trusted enough to handle the experience himself, and had Twi, Rarity, and Rainbow follow after and 'keep tabs' on him. He wasn't sure what part of the ordeal was real and what was Simplified for him. He didn't really win at tail wrestling, he didn't really do well in the king of the hill game... How much of it was a joke?

"Spike..." Twilight pleaded, though a lazy claw halted her words.

"I know you did it to protect me, and I am thankful for that. Just as I'm thankful for you raising me." He closed his eyes and refolded his arms. "But you also interfered with my growth. You ruined the mistakes that were mine to make. I left because I wanted to find myself and be free to live as my species was supposed to. With all the bumps, scares and scrapes that came with it, but you couldn't let me."

Noticing the near tearful eyes of her friend, Applejack spoke against him. "Because she cared about you Spike. What's so wron' with tha'?"

His gaze slowly turned again. "You mean the same way you cared about Mac?"

"Yea, not in the motherly way, but Ah do care about 'em."

The drake quirked a brow. "If you're way of showing you care about somepony is to disregard their opinions and treat them like foals, than... Wow."

"Wha'?" The farmer frowned and tilted her head. "What'er you talkin' about?"

Spike gave her a surprised look than shook his head. It really shouldn't be that surprising, if Twilight didn't get it, chances were slim that Applejack would. 

"Spike, darling." Rarity chimed with a smile. 'Oh great, she wants to say something.' "While I'm inclined to agree that Twilight and I hadn't handled ourselves in the most trusting of manners, we only did so to ensure your well being."

"Yea, I've already covered that."

"What?"

" 'Let me make my own mistakes, all of the scares and scrapes that came with it'? "

Rarity pressed her lips together and looked around in thought. "Well, you can hardly blame her for-"

"This isn't about blame."

"But you said-"

"I gave an example." He kicked off from the door and dropped his arms. "But if I have to spell it out, what this is about is understanding and moving forward." And with that, the dragon marched out the door, leaving the mares speechless.

"What has that brute done to him?" Rarity gasped.

"Maybe he's right." Twilight said, her voice apparent to the tears she fought back.

"Dear, you can't be serious!" The seamstress moved so she was face to face with the librarian. "Listen to me Twilight, that is not the same Spike we know and love. That Sin character has done something to him. And we need to do something to bring our Spike back."

However, the lavender pony didn't know what to think right now. She never thought of anything the way her former assistant had explained it. Spike was always a smart kid for his age, perhaps she hadn't given him enough credit and respect for that. But did that change the fact that he was still so young? It certainly didn't change their relationship and her role as his guardian. 

This was more complicated than she'd have liked it to be, hay, even the stallions around town were simpler to understand than he was right now. 

"Um, I'm with Rarity on this one." Pipped a voice. 

"Fluttershy? How long have you been here?" Seriously, the mare could be present at a mime demonstration and nopony would notice if she didn't want them to.

"I'm sorry." The pink maned pegasus apologized needlessly. "But, before the party, I met Sin, and he doesn't seem like a very nice pony at all."

"What did he say to you?" Twilight asked in angst.

Fluttershy thought the question over and informed the group that he didn't really say anything to her, but his lack of sensitivity to her quiet nature. Along with the rude dismissal he gave in favor of speaking with the reptile, something about meeting him in the forest tomorrow morning.

Twilight made a mental not to relay the information later.

"But, he just seemed so angry and mean. I don't think it's a good idea for Spike to be around him." The timid pony pawed at the hard wood floor. "His still so young, and very impressionable."

That much was true, all in all, the dragon was still very young, especially for his species. She decided to ask Applejack for her opinion on the matter, but the blond mare remained quiet, her face contorted in thought. 

"Applejack?"

No response.

"Applejack!"

"Huh? Wha'?" 

"Are you alright?"

The apple farmer shook her head. "Yea, yea. Jus' thinkin's all." Needless to say she needed to be brought up to speed, but all in all, none of them had any real ideas. Even just talking to Spike and Mac about distancing themselves from the stallion seemed to have counterproductive consequences.

"Look." AJ said. "It's gettin' late. We're all tired. We should talk about this when we got clear heads." She grabbed the forgotten filly and placed her sister onto her back. The others were quick to agree, Rarity had to check on Sweetie Bell, and Twilight on Spike. 

"Wait a moment." Rarity exclaimed looking around. "Has anyone seen Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash?"
> The Story of Shade.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


The Story of Shade



Gently placing down the needed news paper articles, Sin yawned and stretched out his back mildly. After the tension began leaving his shoulders the stallion sat back on the pillow cushion and took a look around at the blue lit library around himself. The pristine stone walls and neat decor was the first time he was reminded of the Federation, most of Equestria was more expressive and colorful. But here, here he felt more comfortable, more... familiar.

For his work, he was given restricted access to the Canterlot Archives. Leaving Shade to his typical religious duties and requesting Mac to find literature on naming entities in regards to Equestrian or Canterlot law. The palace receptionist was surprised to Sin to be there at such an early hour, Celestia hadn't expected him until later obviously. Before the white unicorn mare could inform the Lunar princess of his arrival, he requested that his early presence not be mentioned for the time being. 

All he wanted was to know was if the castle kept credible new papers in it's archives and any government documents pertaining to land development and construction permits. 

The receptionist was a bit flustered by his blunt commands and pushed that she needed to tell a superior, something the Federalist hated was anyone who couldn't think for themselves and decided to just pressure bull himself to the desired information. It didn't take long for the mare to just give up and tell him where the library was. And so, here he sat about to delve into a few papers to observe the perceived history of the organization in the eyes of Journalism.

He opened the first news paper. The Canterlot Times and began scanning for anything on Celestial. Announcements, hiring practices, forth put objectives or endeavors... It would be cheating in a way, but if he was going to defend this Fancy Pants bank, he'd need to find some ground to stand on. Especially after what Luna had told him about the citizens growing desire to have the crown bring down the hammer on the organization.

Luna claimed that Celestial, headed by someone named "Filthy Rich" was never convicted of any misdeeds in money laundering. However, the money that was shelled out by the charity always seemed light compared to the money it had taken in. The claims were that the employees needed to be paid and the tax collector had deep pockets. 

Most still believed that Celestial was part of the government, but those who knew better saw the organization as intentionally lying and using the implied name in order to gain favor and attention from the general public.

But the protests over the business itself had been unsuccessful, so now they were aiming at those whom spoke well and recommended the label for future charity drives.

It was a strange thing really, Celestial itself spent more resources and time assisting other charity drives with supplies and housing arrangements than it did with it's own fund raising. But, when it asks for 5% of the bits donated to those it gives assistance to, it all comes together. Convoluted to the point where the more you thought about it, the less sense it made.

Summery: Protests on Fancy Pants bank for the business it had done with Celestial. 
Objective: Find out what Celestial is, and disprove the claim that the drive claimed itself government sponsored.



Sin let out a sigh and turned the page, there he found the first article.

June 24th

Charity and kindness has always been a virtue in the fair city of Canterlot, but a new treat is about to open for those in need. Celestial, a new entity to our city, has just completed the necessary forms and permits for opening. While the name seems to imply the newly established entity to be under the name of Princess Celestia, the head of Celestial, Filthy Rich, has publicly denounced the idea.

Here is a quote from Mr. Rich's address to the Equestrian Elite at the Grand Galloping Gala:

"Thank you all for a most warm welcome. Yes, Celestial will be the newest addition to the Rich empire, it's main purpose is to assist all other non-profit fundraising endeavors in anyway it can here in Canterlot. Be it: Financial subsidization, procurement of housing or however else we may assist. However, we are not under the banner of the princess herself, I believe that we carry in her glorious spirits."

While Filthy Rich has declined comment on addressing the public directly, it is clear that his heart seems to be in the right place.

-Author: Quick Fix.

Sin scoffed, he'd expected bias, but that was a little too blatant for him. 

However, the fact remained, in his first attempt he'd found what he was looking for. It wouldn't be enough to convince the protestors, but it did encourage him to find the fliers that advertised the company. 

After looking though a few more papers, two of which giving similar information, and just as hard to find, Mac returned with the requested literature. 

"Thank you sir." Sin said absentmindedly, looking through the last news paper.

'If nothing else, the "Steel Pony" had much to be desired in any kind of real story finding Must be corporate owned.'
The oaken stallion shook his head, before grabbing one of the books. He stopped upon noticing that his associate was actually reading one of them, curious, Sin asked why.

"Well, Ah've always wan'ed tah know wha' made the world work." He said with a slight tint of embarrassment. "Figure'd why no' now?" With that the pony returned to the first page of the fresh book he'd pulled.

Sin had to admit, Mac was a great deal smarter than he'd originally given the farmer for. Cool, level headed, and observant. It wasn't really a wonder he didn't mind his companionship for his travels. The stallion wasn't in the business to show himself off or show others up. He just wanted to learn about the world and what it had to offer.

He smirked than grabbed one of the books and dived in for more needed information.





"And you hit her with a tree branch?!" Discord asked in almost pure shock, once given affirmation, the stone cased draconaquiss broke out into a laughter that would have made any normal pony double over. "Oh, oh man, I'd have love to have been there for that." he panted.

Shade gave a smug grin. He'd always spoken about inflicting some kind of bodily harm upon the dreaded Beast, but to not only do it, but get away with it was truly one of his most astonishing accomplishments. Complete with Discords approval and praise, it was a good day.

"Oh how mad was she? Paint me a picture here." Discord practically begged. In typical Shade manner, the bat pony pulled out a canvas and paint bored out of seemingly nowhere and began to rapidly paint, desiring only the best for his god.

When complete, the pony stepped aside and showed a very detailed comic strip with four windows. The first being of Luna poping her head out through some trees with a happy smile. The second of her face in a mix between pain and shock as a tree branch swung, knocking into her chest. The third was him smiling happily with the speech bubble. "Hehe, You gotta admit, that was amazing." The bottom half of the panel showed Sin pressing his lips together than giving Shade a high hoof. The fourth, and his favorite to paint, was that of an enraged and scraped up Luna exploding from the brush, with the bubble text "ALL OF THINE RAGE!"

Another bit of laughter overtook the chaotic being while Shade stood silent, basking in his masters praise and joy.

"Oh, oh boy. Oh my." Discord attempted, but it was of no use, every time he tried to speak, it would be like a child being tickled again by it's mother. Eventually, the laughter subsided, some how leaving the statue out of breath. "Shade, you are quite the character." Though, after a few moments, his tone turned more serious. "Say Shade, if I may be so bold as to ask, why do you hang around Sin?"

The mentioned tilted his head in curiosity. Discord never seemed interested in the Federalist before, why now?

"He's in the picture, that must mean you're still traveling with him. But why? He doesn't seem nearly as chaotic as you are. Actually, you're personalities collide more than compliment."

Shade thought on the matter, his smiling turning into a stare of concentration. For it to make sense, the night pony had to put it into context of who he was and how he came to be. Discord made a remark about how he had to be some where in an hour, sarcasm of course, and asked the tale to be told.

It was a while ago, before his sanity left him. He was a young pegasus colt like the other children his age. Parents were just as loving as anyone else's, maybe a bit less attentive, but they were typically there for him when needed. The night ponies kept mainly to themselves, stigma for their loyalty to Luna still as prevalent as it had ever been; despite her transformation and return back to good.

And loyal they were. If nothing else, he remembered how zealous his mother and father were in their subservience to the younger Alicorn. It wasn't about everything, but it did become a bit concerning to "thank Luna for this food" when he knew his father had worked hard in the mines to earn money for it.

In the communes it was a tradition that on the sixteenth birthday, all Luner ponies were to join the Night Guard, regardless of gender or race. It was hard to remember, what he was like before that hell began. He couldn't remember anything about himself. His personality, interests,  what he wanted to do when he grew up, nothing. Perhaps that part of him was truly dead now. 

He tried to avoid thinking about his past for that exact reason. Every time he'd dwell on the older memories, it was as if he was looking at the life of a proper stranger, just another night pony who resembled him. The disconnect left a hole in him, but life was too short for brooding and whining. There were better things like holding grudges and revenge.

Digressing back to his story, he put aside what he didn't remember for what he did. 

The fact of the matter was, he didn't want to join the Night Guard. He remembered feeling very angry about the tradition and his his forced into it. All the lessons and training they'd forced him to do were not welcome, it was then that he began to resent his heritage and the supposed "matriarch" of it all. Along with his parents for passively stepping aside and allowing him to be subjected to it, even if it was tradition.

But the worst was yet to come. 

He finally couldn't take the guard anymore and decided that he would no longer participate in their exercises. In hindsight, leaving with out a word would have been a better plan. The Lunar ponies didn't take well to his disobedience and brought him before the Captain of the camp.

Shade's teeth gritted, The Captain, she was the one pony Shade remembered most vividly. Her commanding tone and beyond perfect posture were almost intimidating in her strive for perfection. But it was her rhetoric that grinded the pony's gears the worst. She had this way of talking about the good princess, a sort of romanticized brainwashed expression when the topic came up. Especially when speaking about how "Luna was amazing as" this, and "how disappointed Luna would be" that.

Buck Luna! She had no claim over his life or his body or his time. He didn't ask to be born in servitude to that wench and she wasn't even around anymore, curtsy of her sister almost one thousand years ago. The Captain didn't take his rebuttal well, deeming his lack of willingness and subservience to the throne as a "mental disorder" and having him placed into solitary confinement until things were sorted out with him.

Solitary confinement, that was all Shade could really remember and feel connected to during his last moments of sanity. The cold and dark box they'd kept him in, devoid of any space but enough to stick a bowl of water or food in. He couldn't even stand up or stretch his wings. 

He couldn't remember how long they'd kept him in there.  A month? A year? maybe more? No bathroom, no blanket, nothing to entertain himself with and most importantly nothing to tell time. There he lay upon grates who's only purpose was to allow his waste to flow out, a bowl of stale cabbage in front of him. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, how long he'd wept, how long he'd screamed and begged for release and from the hell he'd been kept in.

He never hurt anypony, he never stole or destroyed property. Why was he in here? Why did they place him in this metal box?

Eventually, his thoughts began to wonder to places they shouldn't have. Questioning if this was reality, if there were ponies in the would who could really be so cold and heartless as to put a living, breathing anything in conditions as traumatizing as this. That's when it hit him, Luna. She was the cause of all of this! If it wasn't for her order of that stupid bucking decree, he wouldn't be laying in a puddle of his own filth and going into a coma of malnutrition.

But despite the name of "solitary" he'd have the occasional vising guard, or the Captain herself come by. It was only ever to tell him how foolish he was and how much he deserved to suffer for his insolence. 

Maybe he did deserve this fate? Shade began to think. Maybe he should have just given up himself and done as he was told? Was he put on this earth to serve Luna's interests? Was he nothing with out it? Being trapped solely in a night pony cult village, he never imagined the world beyond, so how could he think otherwise? 

The more Shade told of his story, the more vividly he remembered it. The stench, the cramps, the disgusting "food" they'd feed him. He hated it, he hated the guards for putting him in there, he hated his parents for allowing it to happen, he hated his heritage for condoning the act, and most importantly; he hated Luna for creating it all. 

He suffered because of her wishes. And for that, he could never see her as anything less than the un-holy and heartless beast that she was. That's the only... thing that could ever even conceive of such torture, a beast.

Was that when he snapped? He wasn't sure what the actual second of his lost sanity was, or if it had just degraded during the duration in a smooth transition. Neither would surprise him, the whole experience was a blur now, a long, painful, pitiful blur of anxiety and fear and hatred.

He concluded with his eventual release from the box where he was transported to the tower prison. place where he would be able to fly and exercise, but still be held prisoner for his lack of "owed" service.

When they'd first allowed him out, one of the soldiers, a unicorn stallion, just chuckled and said: "Sorry, we forgot you were in there." After gagging at the foul odor that was Shade's "new home".

Shade didn't think much of the statement, he was numb, hollow and starved. The words they said meant nothing at that current point in time, the experience of being able to stand itself was intimidating now. The muscle cramps and deterioration from lack of use were the first thing to make themselves known when his filth covered and broken body was extracted from the box. 

The pain of having his limbs stretched out was a new kind of fire that rivaled that of his initial captivity. But that was Shade's first memory on the outside, the pain. The pain of loosing himself, the pain of knowing he could never get back the time he'd lost inside of captivity, the pain he wanted to make those responsible feel...

Eventually they had taken him to the tower prison in a more humane way of incarceration. But despite the freedom he was given, the damage was done. Madness had taken him, not complete and total to the point where he became stupid and reckless to his own interests like eating and drinking, but enough to make him not care about others.

"And Sin?"

"I really don't know. One night I wake up to the sound of a sack by my cot, used the nail filer in it to saw through the bars and busted out. He helped me get free." Shade chuckled, "He was my first real friend. He accepted me for who I was, and told me that I was unjustly punished."

Discord sat in silence. Shade felt nothing of the story he told. What was he expecting to feel? Words never really helped relieve anything, most days they were just a waste of time unless they were for his amusement.

"Umm. Wow." was all the draconequus could manage. I can't believe they did that to you. His words were full of a genuine sadness that depressed the pony. His master was supposed to be the fun god of chaos and freedom! Not sad and blue over his own plights.

"Eh, crap happens." Shade smirked. "I've already got plans for revenge in the works."

"Oh?"

"Yep." Shade chirped happily. "Now all I need is seventeen tones of butter, a roll of duct tape, and a paperclip."

They two shared a laugh.

"Say how are the others doing?" Discord asked trying to vear the conversation in another direction. As much as I may dislike Twilight and them, I always did kind of like Spike."

Shade kicked his hind legs in the air, while his front ones rested under his head. "Dragon boy's alright. And Mac went back to his farm. Haven't seen 'em in a while though, so I can't really give to much infrastructure." 

"You mean information?"

"Information on what?"

What?

"What?" 

Deciding to just let the topic go, Discord asked about more of Shade's philosophies, sending the pony into a tangent of nonsensical topics that, when thought about, really were interesting.,,


> Revenge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Revenge



Spike sat quietly in Ponyville park with his prized ruby dragon sculpture in one hand, and a small filer in the other, concentrating humorlessly on the details of the dragon's fangs he was making. It was a warmer day in small town, with naught but the warm rays of the rising sun and stray, early bird ponies making their ways to work to keep him company.

However, the dragon's hands were on auto-pilot, his mind was elsewhere. Somewhere he never liked to go, but always found himself being regardless. Those days where one just thought about all the stupid things they had done? The times they'd wished they could take back or done something different? 

Yea, it was one of those days.

It was typically depressing at first, remembering the disappointment he'd felt in himself for his mistakes. Like: when he had become competitive with Owlicious out of an irrational fear of the avian replacing him as her assistant, or when he'd offered to watch all six of the girls' pets for gems as payment, only to unload them onto the Cutie Mark Crusaders so he could do what he really wanted. Or worse, the time he'd become greedy and grown to a brainless drake who almost destroyed the whole town.

Bad decisions weren't the only things his memories cursed him with when he practiced his craft. The teeth gritting instances where he was unable to do anything were also previlant, Like when his friends went to face off against foes like Discord and Nightmare Moon, while banishing him to stay behind for his own safety. Or Mac saving him from that wild and crazy mountain goat... or was it a sheep?

But the depression always gave way to anger when the moments of humiliation hit. Twilight continually telling him what to do, the girls laughing at him for wearing a pink apron. Him forgetting to clean Pee Wee's cage for a day and being reminded, in unnecessarily gross detail, how the phoenix's living conditions could deteriorate if continually neglected. 

But by far the worst was the Diamond Dog incident. Any time he thought about those gruff and ill manner canines it made his blood boil. Not because of their ill toned mannerisms or even the fact they had taken Rarity, but how easily they had dismissed his attempts to protect her. 

Oh sure, he had managed to do some degree of delay, stepping on their tails and grabbing one of their legs to hold them in place. But that was because they weren't taking him seriously... Just like everypony else. Even when the greatest object of his affection was in danger, he could only hold her attackers back due to the dogs own arrogance, and even that didn't last long.

His claw tightened around the chisels, the pressure on the sculptures mouth becoming dangerously close to breaking its jaw. 

Useless, weak, dismissible. That's what he saw in himself back then. His intellect counted for little and his bravery even less. Hay, even his attempt to join the dragon migration reminded him of how puny he was.

That was the second worst incident.

He came back to his senses when he noticed just how much pressure he was putting into his craft. The symmetry between the sculptures bottom and top teeth was permanently ruined due to his emotionally filled butchery. But, he didn't care, he was just glad that was the worst he'd done. Gem carving always let his mind wonder to places he'd rather not go to, and many a projects had suffered as a result. At least this one was salvage-able.

Deciding to handle a more broad section, the untouched tail spines he sighed and turned his attention. Still, his mind wondered to a darker place, a place he was conflicted about, but still one he relatively enjoyed going to.

His body wasn't the chubby cheeked, baby bellied hatchling he used to be. Now he was stronger. Able to hold his own with Mac in a hoof wrestling match. bigger, almost able to look Princess Celestia herself in the eye, and endured. Walking the plains, running the valleys, climbing the hills and descending the canyons had strengthened his body, sharpened his mind and reflexes, and best of all, desensitized him to show little fear.

That day he'd fought and beaten the minotaur youngling, something in him came to life. A fire, the end of being pushed around. Leaving Ponyville had liberated him, but that fight had awakened him.

He was bigger and stronger, and he wanted revenge. 

The dragons were likely gone from the Lava Pools, the migration had taken them there a while ago, no telling where they went back to. But he'd see them again the next century at the latest. 

However, the Diamond Dogs weren't that far away...

Spike's mouth drew to a small smile.

He remembered they owed him an apology for that little incident. Oh they may have apologized to Rarity for ponynapping her, but not to him for the humiliation he'd endured. And now, since he had nothing better to do, and no where to go, why not take care of business? Sin may have taught him the ways of non-aggression, but what the stallion (and mares in town) didn't know, wouldn't hurt them.

His smile grew to a grin as he thought about what he was going to do to those mutts. The humours ways he was going to push them around, how he'd have them begging for forgiveness before he was through. It would finally leave his shame at peace and restore the masculinity he'd lost that day.

"Hey Spike!" A scratchy voice in front of him called, breaking the dragon from his trance. He looked up to see one Rainbow Dash looking down at him with concern. "You alright, dude?"

"Fine." He replied, his voice a bit darker than intended. "Uh sorry. I'm fine, what's going on?" 

Rainbow cleared her throat. "You had that look on your face, what's going on?"

"Just thinkin'." He replied nonchalantly. 

"About Twilight?" 

"Hmmm?"

"Well," the mare rubbed the back of her neck. "I stopped by Applejack's this morning. She was telling me about what happened after the party, you know about how Mac left and how you seemed rather-" She paused for the right word. "frustrated."

"Frustrated huh." Yea, that was a good word for it.

"Wanna talk about it? I mean, I'm not really good with the emotional stuff, but talking can help."

"Talk to you?" Spike quirked a brow.

"I'm not Twilight, Spike. I'm not gonna judge you or anything like that." She shrugged.

Maybe talking to her would help? But he had a question first. "You know it's only about seven in the morning right? Since when do you wake up so early?"

"Who said I went to sleep?" Her eyes gave a mischievous gleam before she noticed the sculpture. "Woah, that's pretty cool." She complimented. Spike observed the near complete ruby dragon for a moment than offered it to the pegasus. Who inspected the thing with wondrous eyes.

The purple dragon did have to take pride in it, most of his other projects had ended with him giving cracks or the gem just not "doing what he wanted". But this one, this one was going to be the first he'd ever completed. Add to that the fact that never once had he seen anypony attempt to make a jewel into such an advanced sculpture, curtisy of most his free time spent practicing, and not only would it be beautiful, but one of a kind.

The pony handed the trinket back with a low whistle. "Man, I've never seen anything like that before. How long did it take you to make it?"

Spike pressed his lips trying to remember. "I think it was... three weeks ago?"

"NO WAY!" Rainbow interjected, "Three weeks?! How can you even concentrate for that long?" She gave a groan at just the thought of the arduous task. To be fair, the actual hard part was making a hole in the gem while not shattering or cracking it. His earliest projects were full of those failures, but at least the gems intrisic value wasn't lost upon his stomach and taste buds.

Though the differences between the two were clear: He liked the calmer and more and more mentally challenging activities, while she was a dare devil with a thrill for ariel acrobatics. Apples and oranges really.

"Sorry." Cyan mare blushed before digressing to the original topic.

"Yea, frustrated." The drake repeated. "I just want to be allowed to grow up a bit. Get a job, get my own place, have a freaking bed for Celestia's sake." He drew a claw past his forehead. "Is that too much to ask?"

"Tired of being treated like a kid, huh?"

"Yea, a bit. I know the whole caring and love thing, Luna knows I've heard it every day, but that's not good enough." Wait a minute, what was he thinking about before? It was something that made him feel really excited, and he was about to go do it. Crap.

Dash placed a comforting hoof on Spike's shoulder. "I know it can be hard to change, and have people accept you after it..." 'Oh yay, here we go with this speech.' 

Rainbow continued to talk, but he didn't listen. He was concentrating on what he was thinking about before she'd interrupted him. C'mon Spike think, what was it? Oh yea, those diamond dogs. Where were they again? Out by the old mines right? Yea, yea they're there. Now, how am I going to get back at them? 

For some reason, his mind was blank in terms of an actual plan. He just wanted to hurt them, he just wanted to make them feel the shame and humiliation that he had. How didn't matter, only the act. Why was he still here? This was a waste of time.

"Hey Rainbow." Spike interjected, silencing the pegasus. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have some stuff I need to take care of."

"Stuff?"

"Yea." The dragon pushed himself from the bench and cracked his neck. "I'll be back later." And with that, Spike placed his carving into the bag under his cloak and began walking in the direction of the old mines outside of town, determination in his eyes.

"Hey woah there big guy." Apparently the speedster wasn't done with him yet. "You just got back. what exactly do you need to do?"

Spike looked down at her with blank eyes than gently pushed past. "Just need to pay a visit to some old friends." He said with an involuntary menacing smirk. 

Rainbow didn't reply, but he didn't care. The frustration in him told him that she could wait, now he was on a mission. 

The walk through the town was quiet enough. Most residence were too busy setting up shops or carts to pay him any mind, and he made it to the outskirts of town with no real incident. Now, it was just a matter of finding the holes. 

After a good half hour of searching, he finally found the area where Rarity had been taken all that time ago. 

The scene played over and over in Spikes head. How the dogs had picked her up and dragged her down into their den, himself stuck on a tree branch by the spines on his head, and the frightful look on her face as she begged and pleaded for him to save her. 

His claws drew into fists and his eyes narrowed. He was going to enjoy this far more than he should.

As the dragon approached the first hole a sudden pang of doubt hit him from the sight of how big it was.

Deliberately, he drew his crossbow from his bag and studied it for a moment. 

No.

He shook his head and replaced it. He wouldn't kill them, he was no murderer. But who knows? He might need it. What if he still wasn't strong enough to take them all on? What if they ganged up on him? This weapons was supposed to be the great equalizer between a group and an individual. 

He pulled the bow out and strung the main string, along with the quick load and placed to bolts in the proper positions. Sin's voice echoed in the dragons head, advising him against the practice of having the bow loaded and not using proper safety handling, but this was a chance worth taking. It could save his life.

With a steeling breath, Spike looked down the darkened hole. There was a chance he could get lost, or that the dogs had abandoned the mine a while ago. Well, he could probably sit here all day and think of reasons not to go down there, but he jumped in anyway.

No turning back now.

He didn't fall long before his feet made contact with the cold earth at a downward incline. Once nothing had attacked him, he grabbed a torch from his sack and blew a flame to give illumination.

Aside from it being cold, it was just how he remembered. Just a dark tunnel made up dirt and stone. So he began walking, if he was right, he'd come to a hollowed out cavern where he would climb into the lowest tunnel and find the primary den.

Cautiously, he began his decent. Making constant note of how far the entrance was. As he walked, he came across various forks that only served to annoy him and wast time. Grudgingly, he needed a way to make which way he'd come in from, and sacrificed some pieces of parchment to serve as his guide. 

After walking for what felt like hours, he finally came to the open cavern. His heartbeat accelerated in both anticipation and angst as he he heard annoying and scratchy voices arguing from within. He killed fire and slowly crept to the sound. After a winding turn, a dim glow of green illuminated his path forward.

Spike's breath became shallow as he slowly crept onward, finally, he looked on and saw two of the three dogs he was looking for. The smaller runt, and the bigger pug. But not their mid sized leader...

"We already looks there!" The shorter of the two barked, his associated shrinking away in fright.

"Um, okay, well we could digs over there?"

The smaller canine slammed his oversize paw to his face. "Fido, I is gonna... There are no's gems that way!"

Fido flinched away again. Spike almost felt an ounce of sympathy for the dog. Yet, at the same time, disgust. He was bigger than his friend, why was he shying away?

Irrelevant. He wasn't here to listen to them bicker.

"Hey!"

"Wha?"

"What?"

Fido looked down at the other dog confused. "What is it, Spot?"

"Spot no say anything."


"Hey!" The two looked to find Spike with his arms folded and an unamused expression. The two canim gave an incredulous and unsure look. "Remember me?"

"What? We do not know you." Spot said said furrowing his brow, trying to get a better gimps of the intruders features.

Spike smirked and placed his arms to his sides, blowing a small puff of green smoke, giving light to his sadistic smirk "Well then, allow me to remind you..."  
> Immigration issues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Immigration Issues



"How could this have happened!?"

"Who authorized those ships away from their designated areas?!"

"Are you aware of the disastrous consequences that could have befallen our entire nation, should even one of those things have remained undiscovered?"

A bald eagle sat quietly with a small smile upon her beak. Her place was in the higher rafters, out of direct sight of the arguing politicians below, but close enough to clearly hear what they were saying, and who was saying it. With precision hand writing, the Griffan scribbled down the finger/hoof/claw pointing going on, mainly at the lone pony sitting in the middle of the chamber, while the entire Federal Senate floor was in an uproar.

"Triple M claimed they had safe guards in place to ensure this never happened again!" One of the earth ponies proclaimed, recieving words of agreement and nods. "We demand to know why those ships were not in their designated coordinates!"

The lion eagle hybrid looked down to find her boss, a grey earth pony stallion, sitting calmly with bored eyes. "My subordinates had intercepted another unregistered transport vessle." He said blankly. "I have only so much to spend on a blockade you understand."

The earth pony scoffed. "Don't give us that, Malich. You're company recieves very genorous subsidies from not only the state of Northern New Equine, but from the Federal budget itself. Yet in the millions we give to you, on top of the billions your company receives on it's own income annually, you are unable to supply our country with proper protection from one of our greatest threats."

The spy chuckled, even if it was just for show, it was nice to see Malich being on the receiving end of a chew out for once.

"Perhaps if we weren't restricted by purely non-violent deterring tactics, my vessels wouldn't have been preoccupied for so long as to let a transport through in the first place."

A look of horror overcame his scolding senator. "Tensions are bad enough with Zeborica over your methods of removing their people from the Vale!" He slammed his hoof on the bench. "And here you offer open violence on the lawless waters? Do you intentionally test this Senate's patience by making a mockery of its inquiry?"

Malich shook his head with a small, condescending chuckle. The spy in the rafters above just as pleased as he was. The fact was that the Triple M. fleet that guarded the north western coat of the Orvalian peninsula was more than enough to successfully, push back anything short of a war sprung invasion, even that would still have a difficult time getting passed. Not to mention the Donkeys of Orval would fight tooth and hoof to maintain their own good graces with the Zebras, if nothing else but to keep the supply of cheep herbal medicines and exautic food imports coming in.

"Well." the grey earth pony's smile grew, "perhaps my company is to blame for the transport getting through. However-" He opened his eyes and glared daringly. "I was under the impression other measures were taken to insure parasites would never make it past the shore." His attention turned to the five Orval seats.

The Donkeys present each glared daggers, while the blockade was federally commissioned and funded, the Orvalians were very distrustful of Triple M. Electing instead to higher other companies to maintain security of the state. Diamond Dogs and their canine cousins were quite well able to to sniff out the parasites that dwell could dwell within any living creature. As such, there were at least seven stationed at each processing dock and ship yard to ensure none made it through legally. 

Any found were immediately turned away from the nation. Despite all the research put into safe extraction/sure kill of the pests, there was nothing that could be done short of costly surgery to remove the Zeborican bred threat. 

"The Orvalian Prime Minister has set up and inquiry of his own with K-9 Securities." One of the donkeys seethed, a prim and proper female and supposed leader of their caucus.

The questioning continued on for hours, the Senators roasting the vice president for information. Though the story never changed: The B- class frigate ship "Sigma III", which would be in every news paper in the nation by the morrow, had moved out of position of the blockade to intercept an unidentified transport from Zeborica to deter it away, or send it to the proper channels to dock. Meanwhile, another transport has slipped through unnoticed and reached the shore where dozens upon dozens of infected Zeboricans swarmed into Orval, many of which had almost infiltrated settlements before being detained by K-9 Securities. Who, for some reason, had completely missed the unauthorized landfall at the coast.

While a great deal of the zebra's were currently being relocated back onto the ship to be deported, fears of stragglers were high. If one parasite, who happened to have the ability to reproduce, remained in the country, there was no telling how quickly or easily the rest of the state could become infected.

Little was known about Zeborican Changelings, and what was, was pretty common knowledge: They some how manage to feed off of the idea of fear, a cross breed between insects and ponies, able to shape shift, and while in their natural form the insectioids had black carapace, big blank yellow eyes, and amber fly wings. 

Anything past those facts was speculation. Theories buzzed about how they infected other living beings with the parasites, (which eventually grow to consume their hosts in gruesome and horrific ways).

Some believe that the queen has specialized drones that infiltrate zebra villages and subdue one of its inhabitants, allowing it to plant the young insect like being within them without the zebra even knowing about it. Others believe that any drone can infect anything, so long as the queen gives them the egg to do so.

But the zebra saying goes that the queen visits the villages herself to deposit the parasites as punishment for misdeeds done by their ancestors. Little merit can be given to the notion as no credible expeditions have achieved scientific evidence hailing from the mysterious country. Well, none have returned to tell about it, anyway.

Eventually, the interrogation came to an end and the arbitrating centaur called the hearing to a close. Malich proceeded to the exist with no real haste, giving some of the politicians a chance to leave before him. 

The griffin gave a sigh of relief and also took her leave, while it was nice to watch her boss be questioned, the prospect of stretching out her wings and body were far more appealing at this point.

Malich was greeted by the yells and questions of the press. Some had Camara's others pens and quill, and there was even a tape recorder for the new radio wave industry.

"Mr. Malich! A statement please?"

"Is it true that the Sigma III frigate was sabotaged by the zebras?"

"Are the Citizens of Orval safe?"

"How did this happen?"

Malich smirked at the throng, his calculating eyes searching for a question he could answer. "Allow me to reassure all of you. Triple M. and K-9 Securities are working in full cooperation to gain control of the situation. As always, the health and well being of the citizens of the Federation is our top priority. No comments farther please."

And while the griffin above watched with amusement, the CEO of Triple M. pushed passed the journalists, who redubbled their efforts on an elaboration of his statement. Fruitlessly for them, he made his way to the awaiting carriage of her fellow griffins and before long, were up in the air, away from the cameras. 





Malich breathed a sigh of relief and exacerbation. So much wasted time within the Senate while so much was going on was truly a hot button for him. Stuck with a bunch of know nothing baffoons who knew little to nothing of what they were talking about, sometimes he'd just fantasize about sending in one of his raiding parties and slaughtering every single one of them. Even Spar Hawk could be killed if enough effort was put into it.

"Evening sir." A female griffin said flying along side the carriage. 

"Hello Silvia." Malich replied, hiding his surprise. 'I really need to get better body guards.' "I assume you're her to deliver the notes?"

As soon as he saw the multiple scrolls, Malich smiled. Silvia was actually one of the best spies his mercenary division had to offer. How she managed to gain unnoticed access to one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the nation truly escaped him.

"Have I ever let ya down before, boss?"

Malich shook his head and took the parchments. Not only did they contain what was said bay anyone whom spoke, but there was a full three pages detailing undesirable mannerisms from certain senators when topics were spoken about. Obviously some things recorded weren't verbatim, but that would be worth it to find which of the politicians were were displaying skepticism. 

From this report, most of the Canim Diamond dogs, and the Vain Minators showed disinterest and/or lament for him, All five of the Orvalian seats were in angst, and the Southern New Equine earth ponies were described to be mostly angry. However, it was the Pegasi/Unicorn Consortium of Northern New Equine that he cared about. Each demonstrated a certain level of unease and whispered alot to their aids and colleagues. 

The fact that that level of uncertainty was maintained was all he needed to know. "Thank you Silvia." He placed the documents into a brief case for archive. "Now, I have a new assignment for you."

"What?!" Silvia wined. "I've been on like seven missions this past month. Don't I get a day off or something?"

The business pony gave her a look until she sighed in defeat. "You are to travel to N. Equine's homeland of Equestria." He shuffled through a conveniently placed file holder and pulled one out, making sure it was tied well enough to not come undone from the wind. "There, you travel to the capital city of Canterlot and find audience with their younger Matriarch: Princess Luna."

"Do not give yourself away as an agent of Triple M. her elder sister Celestia, holds no favor for us. Once you are in contact with Luna, I want you to find a stallion named Sin." His brow furrowed. "And be cautious, Sin isn't to be taken lightly by any means. His tongue is as silver and sharp as the arrow heads he uses for bolts. If you're discovered do not engage him, return to headquarters immediately." 

Silvia rolled her eyes and took the file. "He can't be all that tough."

Malich smirked. 'You'd be surprised what that stallion is capable of'

"Alright boss, I'm on it." She gave a thumbs up before darting off to the south, presumably to find passage to the motherland. 

Malich leaned back into his seat, the carriage beginning to descend upon the border of North New Equine and Orval. A larger building surrounded by stone walls with barbed wire at the tops surrounding the construct. Malich stuck his head out the window to observe the growing research facility, on the surface it was a laboratory for information on mild viruses like the common cold or flu. But he wasn't here for those...

The Futuristics Medical Research Facility held many secrets, even from those who worked there.

Once landed, the business pony was greeted by a surprisingly anxious auburn unicorn stallion in a white lab coat. His mane was a disheveled mess of purple and red.

"Good evening, director." he said with a nervous smile.

"Hello Scy," Malich greeted walking past, the scientist following. "How are the new subjects doing?"

"Well sir-" The pony began before opening the heavily gated front door. "The subjects seem to still be in shock over their capture and relocation. Our simulation of their environment has done less than hoped to calm them."

Malich rolled his eyes, Zebras acted so tough when they were in groups, but get one alone and they were as scared as their foals. The immediate inside of the facility was the cafeteria/lobby. Plain white walls with tilled floors made up the majority   of the area, a few scattered benches and paintings gave it a small welcome feel, but not much.

Talking about the lower levels wasn't a wise idea while on the upper, while he trusted his enterauge and Scy, there was no telling who of the employees here was a spy for his rival Fatchataz, or worse, the Liberty Syndicate.

After turning a few corners and showing both identification and being sniffed up by a few dogs, the two eventually reached an elivator that took them to the lower levels.

"Um, Sir?" 

"Yes?"

As the elevator began to descend, watched the Glass panels that constituted three of it's walls. His mind abuzz with the uses the parasite threat could have for him.

"The staff..." The unicorn paused, his expression unsure. "A- and I would like to make a complaint."

"Oh?"

"These Zebras, sir, the parasite that's infected them will eventually reach maturity..." Malich inwardly groaned, here we go with the moral conniptions again. He never considered himself one for harsh punishment for understandable complaints, but this work required dedication. And it could not be threatened by weak stomachs.

Scy wasn't one to be rattled so easily, though, surely not as bad as he was now. Typically he was calm unless he was excited about a sudden break through or angry over a failure. As long as he saw the good in his work, the unicorn scientists would go to almost any lengths to see it come to fruition. Perhaps there was merit to his concerns, but the fact of the matter was: The Zebras would die soon enough anyways. Why not make their lives mean something?

"I know it's hard." The director pony stated with forced empathy. "But Scy, our work here could lead to a cure for the changeling infection in all races, hell, it could lead to the end of the changeling scourge for good. A few sacrifices will be made either way." 

The scientist gave him a some what hopeful look. "You're right."

It wasn't a lie, one of the functions of the facility was to find a cure and way to irradiate the changelings from the face of the earth. Didn't mean that the bugs couldn't serve a purpose before doing so.

"Trust me, if the zebras come under too much pain that even anesthetics cannot help, than I'll give the order to euthanize." And with that, the two the rest of the way down in silence. He had a few other projects to see to, but the other two could wait a while. If the lab tests showed the molecular structure capable for reproduction, his plans were locked in for success. 
> Occupy Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Occupy Canterlot



Sin sat quietly at a white, gold trimmed table with a modest tea cup in front of him, and Princess Celestia on the opposite side of the wooden construct.

The night before, whilst he and Macintosh were studding their respective interests, a very giddy Princess Luna had come to "speak" with the apple farmer. Sin didn't much care for what was said between the two, it was probably just another request for sexual intercourse. Not his business nor his problem.

Morning came after the all night cramming session and each and every piece of distributed information all had text informing the readers about Celestials lack of involvement with Celestia. His suspicions aroused, Sin ventured into the city and asked around to find this "Fancy Pants'" bank. Once there, he discovered that things were actually better and worse than he thought.

Better due to the fact that there were no where near the number of ponies and griffans he thought there would be; and worse because what few there were had set up tents or slept on the open ground. The few that were visible looking rugged and worked, as if they hadn't bathed in some time. It was an Occupation.

After that little revelation the stallion decided to return once their morning agendas began, there was defiantly more to this than some misunderstandings about a name. So, here he sat. Celestia insisting the matter be discussed over tea and him recapping everything he knew.

"I see." Celestia mused, taking a sip of her tea. "But, Luna's already told you everything we know. The protesters claim they want Celestial dismantled for it's misleading name."

Sin furrowed his brow. 'Disperse the organization? That was new. Now who would want that to happen? More importantly, who pointed these ponies in the direction of the bank?'

"And you have no indicator as to the leader or organizer of this little ordeal?" The alicorn shook her head. Great, a decentralized protest. Well, there were at least a few things he could do given the situation and circumstances, though those would probably shrink as well once he'd actually spoken to the protestors. It was a funny way of thinking individuals like them had: "First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they confront you, than you win."

All the while trying "fix" a system that was only doing what it was intended to do in the first place.

"Mmmm." Celestia's dreamy humming broke his train of thought. "I do love herbal tea, it helps calm my nerves and start the day on the right hoof."

Sin looked down at his drink, the stagnant greenish liquid had a minty like aroma to it, but the fact that a royal sister had personally prepared it for the two of them was a bit off setting for him. She had no shortage of servants willing to do pretty much anything she told them to, why go through the trouble of all this herself?

"Right, at any rate-"

"Aren't you going to drink some?"

"I'm sorry?"

Celestia elegantly motioned to his untouched cup. "I've made it myself, it's an old recipe, bit of a bitter taste at first but after the first few sips, it's quite addicting." She took another sip and smiled.

Sin quirked a brow, now even more paranoid of the drink. "Perhaps another time." He gave an empty smile. "I'm going to interview the protesters in an hour or so, and if your tea is as relaxing as you say it is, it mixed with my lack of sleep might make me too drowsy to be as retentive and coherent as I need to be."

"Lack of sleep?" The sun goddess tilted her head.

"It was a late night in the archives."

"How late?"

"Late enough." Sin had to refrain from snapping. He was already aggitated and he felt a head ache coming on. Now she wanted to waste more time with petty questions?

Calmly, Celestia placed the tea cup down onto it's place  "You know staying up all night isn't good for you." She said with a bit of patronage.

'No shit, who told you that?' 

"There's work to be done, if nipped early, it becomes considerably less work." Sin sighed. "Plus, having a little background of what I'm talking about is nice."

Celestia chuckled, causing him to stare expectantly. "I'm sorry, but you seemed to handle yourself well enough with that green stallion before."

The tan clad pony sneered, not at the princess's amusement, but at his own foolishness. He didn't know those ponies plights, who they were, their living conditions, or even who that "Hoity Toity" guy he was defending was. He'd lept before he looked. Luckily that populist pony had little real idea what he was talking about, that and the fact he was driven by more emotion than logic were the deciding factors on Sin's victory.

Still a stupid mistake on his part. Being angry over Luna's deception was, and is still, no excuse.   

"Very well." His current superior stated solemnly. "I'll leave this matter in your hooves. If you need anything, please ask." With a sigh of disappointment for absolutely no information gained, he took  that as his cue to leave. Sin stood from the cushion on which he sat and began making way for the exit, at least until he was stopped again. "Oh and do come and visit me tonight, I would like to hear more about your country."

Sin gave her a nod and pushed out passed the doors. His mind was a mix of blankness and overdrive, attempting to sort the facts he had into some kind of coherent conclusion he knew would never be found. It wasn't until he had reached the bottom of the velvet covered stairs that he noticed the white unicorn receptionist from before glaring at him wordlessly.

"Can I help you?"

The mare's brilliant hazel eyes only narrowed more. Apparently still peeved over his dismissal of his previous remark. "So." She said, her voice jeering. "You're the princesses new lap dog, huh?" 

The Federalist didn't respond, causing the receptionist to chuckle.

"Oh yes, those goggles." Her smirk grew to a grin. "My brother said it was a pony with tinted lenses and a brown cape who down talked Mallet while he was trying to gain steam for the Equality movement."

Equality movement?'

"Did you know that what you did to him shamed him to the point he didn't even come out of his house?" Sin didn't reply. "That many of the ponies in his life began mocking him and demonizing his beliefs? Calling him mean names an-"

"As invigorating as this tale is, I don't see how his life is my problem." Sin began walking passed, he had more important matters to attend.

The smirk the receptionist wore disappeared, her eyes gaining an almost frightening amount of animosity. "Because he isn't alive anymore." She growled. "He killed himself."

A small amount of guilt did hit the stallion, but nothing overwhelming or impressionable. "He hung himself because of what you did to him."

Taking a breath, Sin looked at her expectantly. After moment of the two staring each other down, he finally broke current tension and brought about a new level of it. "So?"

The unicorn looked as if she'd been slapped in the face. Her eyes wide in disbelief and her mouth gaped large enough to drive a carriage through. 

"He killed himself. I did not end his life, nor did I pressure him to do so, I feel no guilt."

Silence. Suicide was a hot topic, one he'd probably regret speaking on later, but right now, he just had to ask; why was it his concern? The stallion and he shared a debate, that was it. How exactly did that result in ponies ostracized him? Not to mention to the point of killing himself. All in all, he'd only debated a point, Mallet's actions passed that were none of his concern.

When the mare didn't reply, stuck in a state of shock, Sin shrugged and walked out.

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind along with the now creeping tiredness and ventured back to the occupied street way. As expected, locals took different routs to get to their destinations, the few souls brave enough to tread near the encampment -be it needing to get into the building for work or passing by- were either shouted at about the bank's dealings with Celestial or assaulted with pseudo-intellectual drivel that made the stallion want to vomit.

The building which they stood in front of was uniform in color with the white city, though, it wasn't that much bigger than other buildings on the street, but still noticeable. What really set it apart was the gold lined words: "Fancy Pants Bank" inscribed on the front.

"Alright, I think we should start the assembly." A slightly over-weight teal mare called. The twenty ponies and griffins agreed and stood down from the signs they held before gathering in a semi-circle around a larger white bored with the word "agenda" written at the top. "Alright, order!" She wined. 

With the meeting about to begin, Sin decided to stand at the back and just observe. Marine, the speaking pony, adjusted her circular glasses and sniffled. She began speaking about food rations and how donations had stopped coming from ponies who were sympathetic to their cause. Some of the crowd actually held jobs in the city and offered to help subsidize the meals.

Some other topics were covered: Two members had left the movement yesterday, the mayor of Manehatten stood in solidarity with them, even Fancy Pants himself had actually tried addressed them. The usual rhetoric of the victim fighting back spewed forth, but if these ponies were anything like Mallet, he was certain that it was probably just an exaggeration to try to raise moral and public opinion

Finally the assembly dispersed with nothing of substance being accomplished and everyone went back to what they were doing before.

"Hi." greeted a younger yellow mare with an attentive smile. "Have you heard of Celestial?"

Sin kept his mouth shut, perhaps word of him hadn't spread as far as he initially thought. "I'm afraid I haven't, who are they?" He asked.

Her tired eyes grew with a new eagerness that somepony finally cared about what she had to say. "Well, the name isn't what it implies." The mare stated conversationally. "It's actually a private entity that just uses Princess Celestia's good name to play on public emotion..."

The conversation went as expected, Sin asking questions he already knew the answers to, and the protestor confirming. He tried to pressure her to give more details about how the movement started, but she knew just as much as she did. His first trace of any real research came when she mentioned how she had joined out of a conversation she had with one of its "paid volunteers". The mare she spoke to seemed rather sadistic about the ignorance of the public on the matter, and literally laughed at them for all the donations the received because of the misconception.

Sin made a mental note of the description of the volunteer pony. It was irrelevant information for the time being, but his gut told him that there was more here than a simple conversation gone gloating. 

After she was through with her part, the stallion interviewed others of the protest. Some were more well spoken than the others, each one telling their reasons for attending and goals after Celestial was brought down, but one griffin in particular captured his interest. This hybrid was something else, he spoke with conviction and intelligence, passion and emotional logic. His business here wasn't really with Celestial at all, it was with the bank itself.

Sin had to literally bite his tongue in order to not argue. While griffin spoke with elegant fluency, his ideals were a great deal contradictory and maddeningly populist. Going into great detail about how every single solitary bit should be distributed evenly between every individual residing in Equestria, and any who reject should be made an example of.

Once Sin's eye began twitching out of unbridled anger, he quickly drew the conversation to a close, thanked the griffin for his time, and walked away from the congress of loud yelling. 

As soon as he passed a street corner, he let out an aggravated sigh, internally demonizing the populist and his rhetoric. Though, a small smirk soon crept onto his muzzle as he realized the silver lining. Almost none of the protestors there wanted the same thing in the long term. Oh, they may have a vested interest in Celestial, but if he was crafty enough, he could push the process so that the differences in their beliefs would drive a wedge between them. 

A small kick in his step, the former politician ventured back to the castle to make his plan. Most present were there for emotional reasons, that would defiantly play to his advantage, they didn't seem very bright but they were young; and impressionable.

He'd reached the palace entrance by what felt like noon and walked in, a few scenarios already played out in his mind. As he did, the tan clad pony was met by a different receptionist this time and informed him that Celestia had given him permission to attend lunch in the dining room.

He was about to decline, due to the fact he'd already eaten enough on the tax payers dime, but when she said that Macintosh was waiting for him, the stallion sighed and went on his way. As promised, there he was sitting with Princess Luna. For some reason, they were staring each other down.

"Everything alright?"

"I just wish to have foals of my own, Macintosh!"

Sin froze "Yea, screw this."

Quickly, Sin left the disturbing argument and made way back to the entryway.

"That was quick." The earth pony receptionist commented with a smile. "I assume everything is in order?"

Sin gave the pony a tired look. "Yea, order of reproduction." Before the receptionist could voice the confusion on his face, the Federalist took to castle courtyard, maybe Discord and Shade could give enough nonsensical babble to shut down his brain for a bit.
> Alpha
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Alpha



Spike looked down at the numerous unconcious beasts around him.

"Please." The canine whined, "Please don't kills me."

Spikes eyes narrowed. "Kill you? No. No, You're not the one I want." He moved his face so that it was mere inches from the diamond dogs own, the mutt cowering under his opponents angry gaze. "Where is your leader?"

Cautiously, the red vested pack animal pointed with a shaking paw to the tunnel behind Spike. Throwing the beast infront of him, the drake drew his cross bow and aimed it to his enemies back. "Walk."

Obediently, the dog complied by holding his paws up and leading the way through the maze of tunnles. 

Spike's inner fire was burning bright now, he couldn't believe how strong his scales were now. The pack of dogs had gotten pleanty of swipes at his being during the initial brawl, but by looking at him one would think he'd just had a nice walk through the park. Save for his reddened left eye, as powerful as his scales were, they were quite a bit weaker around the orbs.

But he'd look into that later, right now, his revenge was almost complete. As the twenty minute mark was hit, Spike began to hear raspy and imbecilic voices from the darkness ahead. The closer his guide lead him, the more he slowed them both down to avoid making too much noise.

"... and he wants you!" Spike stopped his hostage and pushed him so the two were knelt down. "Hes said he wants us leader."

"WHAT!?" A second voice barked. "I's never meets a dragons before. What he wants with mes?"

His claws trembling in both fear and excitement, the dragon furrowed his brow in concentration.

"My no know, but he... he fights like a mad dog! He tooks down whole pack himself!" The dog continued to go on about how the intruder had beaten the dozens of miners back. The drake was actually surprised at the animosity he'd been described to have. The way the dog had spoken, one would think he was speaking about an enraged demon from Tartarus itself.

"He even beats Grounder?" Silence. "Then I face him."

This was it, this is the end of his problems with the Diamond Dogs. This would be the day he finally quelled the unspoken shame he'd hidden so well. Taking a calming breath, he looked to find his guide with a mix of concern and curiosity. "You're done." Spike said before slamming the butt of his bow into the dogs forehead, knocking him out.

"Whats was that?" One of the voices barked.

Crap, they'd found him out. Spike made way ahead, following the sounds as quickly as he could, hoping they wouldn't change their minds and run away.

"He's here! He's come for you."

The sound of grunting ahead only pushed the drake to run faster, the choices of tunnels to fork into all going the opposite way now. It was clear where his target was.

"Fines then, leave mes. I'll fight him myself!" Spike smiled, the words were of pure delight, at least he wouldn't need to hunt him down past this.

A dim green light illuminated the tunnles walls, the farther he went, the brighter the light became until he finally reached a blindingly bright clearing at the end. With labored breath and acute senses, the drake's eyes began scanning the new cavern. The walls were in the typical dome shape, the top at least ten times as tall as he was. The dome was full of rail road bridges and tracks to half made tunnels and a nexus pile gemstones the size akin to a dragon's nest. What were in the carts ranged from nothing to piles of multicolor gemstones.

He turned his attention to a rather large pitbull dog standing with it's arms crossed and rock hard eyes glaring. The drake stood confused, this wasn't the dog he was looking for. "Who are you?"

The dog didn't flinch, but instead took a breath. "I am the alpha of this pack, Fido"

Spike's eyes dropped from confused to flat. It was true, this dog was quite a bit bigger than the last leader, to the point he was just a bit taller than Spike himself was now, but the fact remained that he wasn't the canine he was looking for. "Where has the last Alpha gone?"

Fido tilted his head in confusion. "The last alpha had been banished."

Eyes widening, the dragon's heart skipped a beat. "B- Banished? WHERE?" he demanded.

The dog smirked, his eyes growing amused. "You wants to know, do you?" He finished with a chuckle.

Spike's temper began to flare, his arms shook violently as he began contemplating stuffing a bolt into the dog's mouth to silence him. Baring his teeth the drake ordered the location of his target, to which the current Fido halted his mirth and eyed the drake. "Whys should I tell you?"

That was it, he'd had enough. Throwing caution to the wind, the intruder lunged at the new alpha and drew back a fist to strike. The dog was surprised, but was able to jump out of the way of the punch proper. His foe now realized, Fido drew down to all fours and began circling. Spike followed the motion, careful to keep his fists balled. He'd never tested his claws in combat, and there was excruciating pain to breaking one.

Suddenly, Fido made his move, pouncing the dragon and biting at his neck. To his surprise, the attack actually hurt, the sharp teeth managed to break through a couple of scales. Realizing he was no longer invulnerable, Spike kicked the canine off and stood to his feet, nursing the new bite wound. 

Like a vampire, the miner licked the small amount of blood on his lips with delight, "If it can bleed, it can die." 

A sliver of fear now mixed with his anger, Spike began actually sizing up his opponent. The mutts build was similar to his own, probably a little bigger. His stance seemed balanced and sturdy, so pushing him down, mounting him and beating his head would probably not be a viable option. And with his opponents ability to, some how, break past his scales when the others could not; being careless wasn't an option anymore.

Tired of the tension, Fido took the initiative this time and jumped. Spike braced himself and threw his fist forward... and missed. The alpha's claws glided over the dragon's armored arms and he took a bite at his top spine. 

Thankful he had no feeling on it, the purple reptile took the opportunity to wrap his arms around the dog and tackle him to the ground and attempt to hold him in place. Unfortunately, he underestimated Fido's strength and like lightning, his opponent had turned so his paws were grounded and began shaking free.

With all the his might, Spike held on to the dogs torso, and finally had his footing to where he could lift the dog onto his shoulders and fallback, slamming Fido's head against the unforgiving stone floor. His hopes that would at least cause disorientation was shattered as he felt the alpha, with a new vigor, bolt from his grip. Grunting, the dragon jumped to his feet just in time to be tackled to the ground himself.

Punches and scratches were thrown by both parties, primal instincts alien to both began reeling up. Whenever Fido would take a bite, Spike would lower his head so that his spine, which was now showing signs of wear, would take the teeth. The fight dragged on, whenever one party would show signs of dominance in a scrap, the other would kick them away and regain their footing.

Eventually the two began to tire, Spike's cloak was in tatters as was the dog's vest. Compared to the rest of his pack, this particular dog was very strong. But that's what the Alpha of anything is right, the best? With this dog around, he couldn't help but wonder how the old Fido became the leader in the first place.

"Why do you want old Alpha?" 

The question shocked Spike, should he answer? He decided he should, maybe he could save the trouble of wasting energy an time here. "Payback," he panted.

"Old alpha banished." Fido growled. "He gave into puny ponies and drag down pack with him."

"Where?" 

"Me no tell you, filthy dragon." Fido spat.

Spike roared at the insult, his primal impulses coursing through him, pushing out his self control, and he leaped for another round. This time, however, his own claws came into play. This made the fight much more one sided, while Fido's scratches were barley noticeable, his left nice gashes in the dog's body, with differing amounts of crimson beginning to stain his coat.

Realizing the new advantage, Fido jumped away. "What?"

The reptile didn't answer, electing instead to give chase to his assailant. Fido jumped away, his eyes full of frustration and surprise. He couldn't get close enough to strike without coming in range of the drakes claws, all he could do was dodge and hope that the now psychotic dragon would run out of steam soon.

No matter where he went Spike would follow with a look of murderous rage. After a few minutes of evasion, Fido soon realized that his injuries from the short time his opponents claws were used would make him the one to slow first. Desperate to be away from danger, the alpha jumped onto the highest bridge of the tunnel. He looked back to find Spike clawing his way up the wall. Though, he had the high ground and attacked Spikes claw to make him loose his grip and fall back to the ground below.

After the process repeated itself a few times, the dragon roared with rage and glared up to his inaccessible prey. Both calming themselves for rest, Spike's primal side began to calm and he regained his senses. He was partially happy that his claws were strong enough to fight with, but a little annoyed that he tried to climb the wall when he would obviously be vulnerable to Fido.

After a few calming breaths, he tried to reason with the dog again. "Look, just tell me where the former alpha is, and I'll leave you alone." With the condition the dog was in, he'd be foolish to decline such an offer.

But... Diamond Dogs were more known for their pride and greed than their intelligence.

"NO!" He barked before growling as if he were a threat.

Spike crossed his arms and quirked a brow, but the dog stood firm. Feeling he'd get no where with reason, he began observing how he could either get up there, or get the dog down here. The caverns walls were to steep to climb, save right by the railway where Fido could get to him, it was to high to stack anything and hope to be stable, and destroying the support beams of the bridge, if the alpha didn't jump to safety, would probably kill him.

Still, he wasn't leaving with out knowing where to find his real enemy, and scanned the room until his eyes fell unto the treasure trove in the middle. His mouth contorted into a smirk as an idea began to form. He casually wondered over to the gems and picked on up.

"Hey! Those belong to pack! Put them down!"

"I'm sorry?" Spike smirked wryly, tossing a rather large ruby up and down in his hand. "I couldn't quite hear you all the way up there."

"THOSE BELONG TO PACK, PUT THEM DOWN!"

"You're offering me some gems? Well, don't mind if I do!" He chucked before taking a bite of the precious stone. "Mmm mmm, dis ish good! Om nom nom nom!" He continued to munch.

Fido swore and made threats from above, but his words only made Spike chuckle and continue the feast. His muscles began to relax, but the dragon wasn't worried, his opponent was injured and running from him after all. 

"That enough!" Fido yelled after the intruder gobbled his third gemstone. As expected, his greed and pride both got the better of him and he leaped down from his place and charged forth.

Spike smirked in victory and turned to face the beast, his primal side creeping up again. 

"Stop eating gems! They not yours!"

"And who's gonna make me?" He gave a smug expression.

Fido growled, but didn't lunge this time. As prideful as he was, he wasn't that stupid. After another waved off threat, Spike picked up another gem and took another bite. His eyes kept glued to the dog's own, giving the most smug and proud face he could muster, just hoping the dog would leap. It was a little scary now that he thought about it, the way he was acting. Typically he'd never think to disrespect somepony like this... Maybe he was going too far?

"I said ENOUGH!"  The dog ran at him again. His introspection was interrupted by a gaping mouth full of fangs inserting themselves into his face. Pain beyond anything he'd ever experienced drew his knee jerk reaction, and with both claws reached up and ripped the dog off of him.

Spike held his hands to his head, checking the multiple cuts that almost reached his scull where the teeth had left their marks, almost unaware of the howling mutt in front of him. His anger was rising again, but now he was aware of it and fought to keep himself in check. He slowly lowered his hands, small bits of crimson on his palms as well as his claws and stood over he dog, who also was clutching his own face in his paws.

With all the speed of a snail and twice the grace, the dragon reached out and grabbed the dog by the scruff of his neck, making sure to pierce his skin and lifted him face to face, immediately dropping him as soon as he had a good look at his work.

Fido's muzzle was full of gashes, blood ran freely from the alpha's face down the neck of his coat. It was the first time he had actually cared about the smell that was now in the air, but the odor of blood and sweat that filled the air made him want to vomit. What scared him the most, was the fact that he wasn't as ashamed as he felt he should be. Why should he feel ashamed? He was defending himself. Yea, the dog had bitten him, and he only inflicted that damage because he was being attack. 

"The old alpha." Fido coughed. "He- He is west. He go to find new pack."

With dead eyes, Spike took the information and mental inscribed it in his skull. It was only two details, but those would help lead him to where he needed to go. With out words, he began to walk away from the chamber, his eyes looking at the pile of gems until they were out of sight. 'Maybe later.'

His mind was numb, he didn't want to think about what he did, he didn't want to think about what he was going to do; he just wanted to leave this place and take a nap. After hours of wondering, the dragon finally made it out of laberinth to be greeted by the sun hitting the ridge to the east.

'Wow, I was down there all day and night? Man, no wonder I'm so tired.' 

Free from earth, Spike found a near by pond, cleaned up the dirt and blood on his body, and made his way back to Ponyville. Fully unaware of the magenta eyes watching from a low hanging cloud.




> Introspection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Introspection



Big Macintosh sat quietly at the eating hall, thoughts of what happened last night buzzing around in his head. He was tired, very very tired. But, a little ashamed as well. What he did with Luna felt very empty and hollow, not to mention a kind of betrayal to a pony he had seen nothing of for months.

Annebell...

Why was he thinking of her right now? One would think Luna would be the one occupying his mind. After all she's the one he-

"Are thou well, Macintosh?" The farmer lifted his head. "Thou aren't eating thine lunchen. Might something be troubling thee?"

Mac was a horrible liar and he knew it, probably runs in the family, but all the same, he just went with the half truth that he was tired.

Luna chuckled. "It hath been many eons, though we believe we still, as the kids say, have it." She took a bite of her salad a chewed happily. Though, her eyes grew concerned when she observed the look her associate bore was more one of thought than sleep longing. 

The stallion's mind was running faster than any other time in his life. His stomach was doing flips inside of him and his heart felt slow. Why did something that felt so good at one point, feel so bad at another? Why did he want to do it so much? Granted his first time could almost be considered rape, but after they began, he didn't want to stop. It was the most incredible experience of his life.

"There's something on your mind, Macintosh." Luna said, garnering the stallion's attention. "As long as we've been trapped on the moon, I've never forgotten the look of a mind in thought."

He sighed and made his confession about his first time, and how confused he was on the inside. Careful to leave out how he felt about another mare.

Luna listened with both interest and compassion. Giving a gentle nod or warm smile of encouragement when he spoke in embarrassment. "Macintosh, I had no idea it was... That I was-" She blushed. "Well, I do suppose I owest thou an apology for being so rough with thee, we had assumed thou to be a stallion of many woos."

Mac furrowed his brow and glared up at her. It wasn't just accusation of being an easy lay that bothered him, but the constant switch between singular and multiple self addresses. It wasn't a big thing, but still annoying all the same.

Genuinely confused, Luna questioned his harsh eyes.

"Ah don' jess go 'n rut random mares, nopony does."

Luna gave a nervous smile. "Well, I'm not saying thou does, but with thine age and build, surly you've been courted by a herd at least."

Mac quirked a brow. "A wah?"

"A herd." Luna nodded.

Mac's confused eyes began shifting in thought, he knew cows had herds, but ponies? From his understanding they were monogamous creatures. Not by design, but by civilization standards.

"MONOGAMY?" Luna's eyes constricted. "One stallion and one mare? That's preposterous! The female of our species vastly outnumber the males, whom are they supposed to love? Each other?!"

Mac gave her a flat look, wow was she out of the loop. How did the three years since her return not educate her about these matters? Surly her sister must have said something, right?

"Oh my." The mare peaked crimson. Ha! Apparently even she can be embarrassed in sexual matters. "Well, I suppose that I shall need to read up on more of our civilization since I appear to be so ignorant of our changes."

"'Lot happens in thousan' years." Mac agreed. Though he couldn't help but dwell on the thought of polygamy, how difficult that would have to be? Not to mention awkward, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the though of some random stallion trying to introduce his two wives to one another. Not to mention how much of a pain anniversaries would be, along with hearts and hooves day. 

"May we ask you a question, Macintosh?"

"Sure."

"Have you told anypony about the Triple M. Corporation?"

The stallion quirked a brow. Talk about odd questions, though he answered honestly. Truth be told, he'd almost forgotten the company who the griffins who saved him worked for. "Why?"

"Oh nothing." Luna said quickly returning to her food.

As odd as the question was Mac dismissed it and returned to his meal. After a moment of silence, he decided to ask a question of his own. 

"Why do ya wanna-" he paused to make sure he had her attention. "Ya know, take me to tha' bedroom with ya?" It was a legitimate question, after all, there were plenty of male guards stationed all around Canterlot. Unicorns and Pegasi no less, what would a princess want with a simple earth pony?

Luna blushed at the inquiry but took her time to find the right words to answer. "Well, we need the affection of a stallion from time to time." 

"Ya, but, why me?"

She offered a plethora of answers, each of which he shot down. Ranging from just wanting to sleep with a stallion to finding if he kept to his name sake. That should have been enough, if she had answered truthfully to any one of them. Though Big Mac couldn't lie to save his life, he could defiantly identify a liar when he saw one.

Sighing in defeat, Luna gave her real reason for the stallion's 'services'. She wanted foals. 

Mac couldn't the grimace of disgusted when she told him that out of the numerous stallions she had sexual intercourse with, none proved to be able to fertilize her womb. If what she said was true, she bucked nearly every guard in the royal palace and the male half of the Wonderbolts. all of which failed to impregnate. 

However, her cycle had skipped a month when she had intercourse with Mac a while ago. It may of only been a month, but it was a change from her usual disappointment. By her thought process, if only one session could do that, maybe he was the only one who could father her foals.

"Ya buckin' me so y'all c'n get pregnant?" He nearly yelled.

"Is that so wrong of us?" Luna shot back. 

"Ya'll evah consider jess adoptin' a foal?"

"This is about the furtherance of the lunar bloodline! Not simply having a pony wonder with our name!"

The two sat in silence for a moment, tensions rising, manipulations being registered. It was then that Mac heard somepony say something.

"I just wish to have foals of my own, Macintosh!"

It was then that the unexpected guest walked out with a word of disinterest. Though, the stallion wasn't happy with being deceived. Having sexual intercourse for the sake of intimacy was one thing, but doing it for the sake of offspring? And with out the consent of the stallion? That was a line. He was confused enough just to have such a physical relationship on its own.

"I-" Luna's eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry Macintosh, I..." Her eyes began brimming with tears. "I wasn't thinking, I was just... Just..." The jumped from her seat and burst through the dinning room door.

Mac stood half dumbstruck and groaned. Oh yea, sure. First Annebell and how he felt like he betrayed her last night, and now Luna confessing... that and running out. Anything else world? Anything else you might wanna throw my way?

'What? Are you seriously blaming yourself for this? Are you buckin' kidding me?' Oh hey, it's that voice he hadn't had for a while. 'She tries to make you become a father against your knowledge, why do you feel guilty?'

Mac supposed it was how upset she was. He never liked to see mares cry, especially when it was his fault. With a disheartened sigh he returned to his plate.

'Crying mares? Seems to happen a lot doesn't it?'

Hmmm?

'Come now, surly you've noticed it!'

Noticed what?

The voice groaned. 'Every time a mare wants something? Or one of them wants to not feel bad for doing something wrong? Remember Applejack when she started crying? How often has she shed tears?'

I thought it was because I was leaving and she didn't want me to.

'Yea, right after talking down to you didn't work. Remember?'

Thinking back on the intervention, the apple farmer began recalling the conversation that happened over half a year ago. He remembered how much he knew leaving was right, and through all of the stern lecturing of his sister the fact never changed. However, it was her tears that made him second guess himself. It was her more vulnerable side that almost made him stay.

If he was being honest here, it was the same with Luna just now. Even if he was still a bit confused as to why she had the sudden outburst of tears. She was in the wrong here, not him.

'That's it! Mare's have the ability to manipulate a situation and play victim even when they're wrong by simply pouting out their lips and letting a few beads of water fall from their eyes.

A discovery long since known by stallions, but yet to be acknowledged or cured. 

'I think you should leave.'

Mac grunted, and go where? Back home? Granny's already playing hard ball. Not to mention he would have to live with two manipulative mares instead of just one.

'Here's a question. What were you planning to get from Luna? 

Get from her?

A relationship? Love? Marriage? Foals? Could you see yourself with her for the rest of your life?

A look of disturbance crept onto the stallion's face. He never even considered a princess would be interested in him in that way, yet here he was. He found the night princess attractive, but to the point of an actual relationship? That didn't seem like something he wanted between them.

'Jeez Mac, you know what you want already. Now go get it!'

I do?

'Hmmm, let me think here for a minute. Beautiful brown mane, lavish yellow coat, spoke with a hint of an accent like yours, oh and a barrel cutie mark on one very nicely shaped-

Yea, yea, I got it. But, where do you think I should go? She's in a traveling circus, she could be anywhere in Equestria by now... If she's even in Equestria.

'Going anywhere else seem like a better idea?'

...

'That's what I thought.'

Mac had to admit, finding Annebell was a far more alluring endevor than going home, but the prospect of wondering around Equestria again wasn't. He was tired, and he just wanted to be some where he could call home.

'You're hopeless.'

His inward conversation ended there. He decided that the best thing he could do now is probably try to talk things out with his family and leave again when he had a better idea of where he'd be going. It wasn't a perfect plan, but up and leaving as it was would probably have implications that would never allow him to return to the farm again. He'd only gotten back two days ago for Luna's sake, and then he up and leaves the day after to come back to Canterlot... Yea, there's another guilt trip he didn't need.

 

  
  
> Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   


Preparations



"And that's how minotaurs came to be?" Shade asked in amazement.

"Yup." Discord replied happily. "The rulers of all the nations, being the oh so sensitive souls, had any record of the event hidden away so that nopony would ever know the truth."

Sin could only sit with a half disturbed look on his face. He'd never again look at a cow the same way again...

 "So Sin. How goes it in the realm of boringness?"

"Aggravating." Sin seethed, his multiple plans of how to deal with the protesters quickly ending preliminaries to determine the best course of action.

"Well, that's why it's boring. You should try just having fun with it! Take the pressure off, go out on a whim. What's the worst that can happen?"  Discord said in a scheming tone. Shade nodded in agreement.

Sin let out a sigh before looking directly to the statue's eyes. "Failure."

"Oh no!" Discord gasped before weeping sarcastically. "Not Failure! Oh the horrors of making mistakes and proving that you're not perfect! Oh the humanity." The mock show ended with the draconequus bursting into roaring laughter

The stallion growled, to which Shade responded by stepping forward, very uneasy about the perceived threat to his master.

"Oh calm down you two. The statue tutted. "Really Sinbad, it's no wonder you're so stressed out all the time. You should relax, being all stuffy isn't good for your health."

Instead of responding, Sin just stood from the ground where he sat and began walking to the castle proper. He'd listened to the supposed "god of chaos" tell stories of the time before Celestia and pony kind in general, for hours. 

He was tired, too tired to give any sarcasm and defiantly too tired to put up with that damn lawn ornament any longer. As he entered into the main hall of the castle, his stomach groaned, making it's desires for food no longer deniable. Thinking on how long it had been since he ate, he turned back to the door and began trying to remember where a good spot to find some potatos.

"Sin?" A voice called. "Where are you going?"

A bit surprised, the tan clad pony turned to find a mare he hadn't seen for weeks. It was Uppity, she stood with a look of half disinterest down at him from the top of the stair case that lead to the throne room. He answered her question truthfully.

"Well if you're hungry, you could come to the dinning hall." Uppity offered. "Preparations for dinner should be almost done."

The stallion declined the invitation. He felt bad enough about all the tax payer money he'd used already and proclaimed that he was capable of paying for his own food. "Do you truly think they care?" He stopped when he heard her chuckling behind him. "Equestria is a land of generosity and kindness. You may be a stallion of and for the individual, but rest assured, there is nopony here who would take offense to you eating a meal."

Sin was about to give a retort, but as if it set out to conspire against him, his stomach growled in agreement. He didn't need to look back to know the mare was wearing a smug grin of victory. With as loud as it was, of course she'd hear it.

Still, the fact remained that she was bluffing. The young prosecutor couldn't possible know that out of the millions of ponies in the country, there wasn't a single one of them who would mind if their hard earned money went to his eating a free meal. And if there was only one single coin of that individuals money in the tax collection, that was enough to keep him away from the whole pot all together.

Polite as he was to point that out, he quickly walked out of the entryway before a rebuttal could be made. 

As he wondered down into the city, he thought about the humor of the encounter. First the mare tries to get him locked up, now she's trying to get him food. You'd think she'd hold a grudge against him for the way he'd humiliated her. 

Finally, he came across a reasonably priced stand of assorted vegetables and fruits. He took a few Apples, carrots and potatoes. After he paid his fair, the stallion looked for a place to eat. It was then, as he sat down on a bench overlooking the streets that he noticed his actions were being duplicated by Uppity before joining him on the bench. Her again?

"For a stallion who presents himself sophisticated, you're rather rude." She chided taking a bite of recently purchased head of lettuce.

Sin just shrugged off the comment and took a bite of his carrot. 

The two sat in silence for a bit, Sin finally narrowing down the last details of what he would do tomorrow and how he hoped things would play out, back up plans being made, and variables being taken into account. Most of them for the out spoken socialist he'd no doubt have to debate. No matter how he played out the scenarios, he always saw that particular griffin causing him grief, grief that would be a drawn out thing if he let it.

He let out a small shiver, not only because of the cold wind chill that had struck, but of nervousness. He could handle the younger ones, they weren't too set in their ways. But the fact was the liberty pony was at a disadvantage. He was to dispurse the crowed who wanted to be there, while his opponent need only keep them there... And by what Sin judged, the griffin was no stranger to mob psychology.

"Is it customary in your country to ignore ponies who join you for a meal?" Uppity said, breaking him from his train of thought.

Sin turned his head, it may have been dark out now, but the light of the city was enough to illuminate the teasing stare of the mare before him. Even through his goggles. "Can I help you?" He stated flatly, still cautious of her intentions.

"Help me?" She jested, acting as if she were putting some thought into it. "Well, from what I understand, Celestia had requested that you disband the occupation down at Fancypant's bank. You haven't done it yet."

Unsure if the stated fact held a small insulting undertone or not, Sin just nodded and explained how he'd planned to have it dispersed by tomorrow morning. Noon at the latest.

Uppity, showing more interest than indifference,then tried probing for details. But Sin's paranoia began kicking in. As far as he knew, this was still a mare he'd beaten in a debate; in front of her superior no less. And as years in life had shown him, there is no fury like a female's scorn.

"Well, if you wont tell me what's on your mind, I'll tell you what's on mine." It was times like these that he remembered why he preferred to live in the forest.

And so it was, for some reason or another, Uppity decided that ranting about her day was a good idea. Dealing with paperwork enough to make legislators cringe, talking to a family who's colt was the victim of a mugging and how guilty the mare looked who was the suspect of said crime. 

As the mare continued to talk, her features began to unwind. Uppity's vocabulary, while remaining relativity stand-able, degraded to a more average and insulting slur of complaints. 

It was simple enough to tune her out, but dammit if her voice didn't make Sin want to slam his into the side walk until he'd lost all ability to think. 

As the mare continued to babble her senseless drivel, he continued to eat and pieced together the absolute final touches of his arguments and counter arguments respectively. Taking all of the "but" and "what if's" that he could see his opposition throwing at him. Even going so far as to prolong a debate of two specific ideologies he remembered two of them having against each other if worse came to worse.

After what couldn't have been less than twenty minutes, Sin decided to listen again. He had nothing better to do, his plan being thought out to the best of his ability, and his last potato in hoof. Uppity was actually thanking him for putting up with her words. Apparently the few she ever talked to in this way didn't much care for what she had to say.

Sin just sat in silence, he didn't really care. Call him cold and heartless but he honestly could not have given a fuck less about this kid's feelings or struggles. Hell, the fact that she was now complaining about her life to a complete stranger was both annoying and kinda pathetic.

Maybe that was just his bias against her for trying to get him put in a cage. Even so, he'd never consider going up to a random individual just to spill his guts to them.

"... And I really appreciate you listening." She smiled

Cracking his neck, the stallion responded with the best thing he could say to avoid any fall out. "Of course." Was it inviting another session of this? In a way, but he'd pushed his luck enough with suicide thing this morning, and with this mare's status and power directly under her royal pain in the ass, the last thing he needed was to make an enemy of her if he could help it.

Another moment of silence, Uppity just sitting and looking up at the stars above while the bustle of Canterlot began to die down. Shops began closing, lights turned off, and the air grew colder. No more point in staying here.

Sin stood from the bench and offered words of parting before making his way back up to the castle. 

"Hey Sin."

"Hmm?"

Uppity shifted nervously and bit her lip. "I uh..." She stopped and took a slow breath. "Um, good luck tomorrow."

"Uh-" The stallion looked at her in confusion for a moment, he wasn't sure why she changed what she was going to say, but if it was important, she'd have said it, and he was too tired to care otherwise. "Thanks." Was all he had to say before continuing his trek to the palace and conversing with Princess Celestia before some well deserved rest.
> Spike's Rage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Spike's Rage



Spike looked at his reflection in the water, the teeth marks from Fido's bites had taken a hefty toll on his top spine, while his face could look worse, the incisions around it were noticeable and throbbing, much like his eye. 

But he didn't care about the pain, he really didn't care about anything right now. He was tired, a certain kind of tired that could only be brought about by the hollow feeling he had inside. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why he felt this way. When he'd fought that minataur youngling, he felt on top of the world, invincible so to speak. 

But now... Well, he may not have found the specific dog he was looking for, but he managed to take on the entire pack by himself. That had to count for something right? The void inside didn't seem to agree, instead making him feel like the whole ordeal was pointless. It wasn't a guilty feeling for what he'd done, as far as he was concerned they deserved what he'd given them, but just. pointless.

He groaned and went back to observing himself in the lake's reflection, he noticed the long and short strands of dark brown ribbons that used to constitute his cloak. That wasn't good, especially since the day was a bit colder than the others. It wasn't really a problem, surly he could find another one, or have this one repaired. 

Spike's mind screeched to a halt as his first thought was to ask Rarity.

His hands tightened to fists. 

Rarity.

Oh how hopelessly in love he was with her not long ago. How he'd willingly dig for hours on end for jewels he'd never get to eat just to see her smile or receiver her gracious touch on the top of his head. Her sapphire eyes shining with joy at any opportunity to gain something "fabulous" or "to die for" was enough to make his heart melt. Hay, he'd even help her with making dresses. Fetching cloth and recording measurements, working late into the night all just so he could be around her.

But now, just the thought of her made him want to punch a filly in the face. Why? Why was he so enraged by the image of her smile? Was it because she lead him on for so long? The fact that she used him? Maybe it was anger at himself for being so naive as to believe there could ever be something between them.

Spike sighed and laid back. He didn't want to sleep, he didn't want to think, he just wanted to rest. The cool ground felt good against his scales and he slowly moved his feet so they would slightly dip into the lack before him. The water was cold, but damn was it relaxing. 

So there he lay, his muscles beginning to unwind and his mind going into an uneasy numbness. Perhaps some rest was all he needed after all.

"Hey Spike?"

Of course, rest would be too much to ask for.

Reluctantly, the drake opened a disinterested eye to find Rainbow Dash looking down at him with a mix of concern and anger. "Sup?"

"What were you doing in the Diamond Dogs' mine?" She asked. As much as Spike didn't want to fight, a part of him swore that her words had a tone to them, even though they didn't. 

"Just checking for any loose gems." he lied placing his arms behind his head. Why should he tell her the truth? So he could get yet another lecture? Pft, screw that.

"Uh-huh." Rainbow replied skeptically. She didn't say anything for a while, which only served to make the air tense again. Spike wanted her to either speak her mind or get lost. All he desired was solitude..

"Spike." The mare sighed, oh boy, here it comes. "Why were you really down there?"

"I told you, just looking for gems." 

"Then explain why you're cloths are thrashed and the marks on your face."

Spike opened his good eye and looked dead center into both of hers. "The locals didn't like it." His tone was solid and unwavering, hell, only Applejack could tell he was lying if it wasn't put in context. "What's with the third degree anyway?" Seriously, what business was it of hers what he did in his spare time?

"What do you think it's for?" Rainbow threw her forelegs into the air, then threw one against her face "Look, if this is about that incident with Rarity, then-"

"Hey!" Spike barked, silencing his friend before standing up and towering over her. The subject of that day was a little touchy, all things considered. "Don't talk about stuff you know nothing about."

As expected, the cyan flyer didn't back down. She flapped her wings and with got up to eye level with him. "What? You think you're the only one who cared about her? The only one who was scared for her when she was taken by those mutts?"

"This isn't about her, Rainbow." Spike seethed.

"Than what is it about? Huh?" 

Two convincing lies were all he had in him. The emotional trigger pulled at his primal side again, but he did his best to keep it under control. Celestia knows what ponykind would do to him if that part of him was realized. 

He ventured to change the subject to something else, but Dash wouldn't have it. As much as her just tried to push the conversation in another direction, the pegasus would call him on it and return to the original topic. 

. "Look, drop it, okay? This isn't any of your business."

The rainbow maned pegasus obviously didn't see it that way, evident by her getting directly in his face so her words hit home. "You're my friend, Spike. You going and picking fights with Diamond Dogs is my business!"

Spike took an involuntary step backwards. "Yea? And why is that?" He growled, she wanted to talk about friendship? With as many reports as he'd written on it, he could freaking teach the subject! "When have the two of us really done anything together? What exactly makes us 'friends'? Twilight? She's the only thing that connects us. With out her we wouldn't even say hi on the street corner and you know it."

THWAK

In a blur of light blue, the dragon's head was now facing to his right, a deep sting shooting through his cheek. He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from knocking her senseless. 'Keep calm Spike, this will turn out alot worse if you hit her.' It was kinda ironic really, that single slap had caused more pain than the entirety of the melee underground.

"You bucking idiot!" she nearly yelled before going into a tirade about how out of line his comment was. While not really debating the actual point of his words, she claimed that she would walk through a lake of fire to help him if he needed her, bringing up another topic that was discussed not a few days ago. 

"It doesn't matter how we met! I consider you my friend now and I care about you enough to see that you need help."

"HELP!" Spike barked in restrained anger. "What do you think you can help, huh? I've already told you how I felt about what you did at the Dragon Migration, or did you just conveniently forget that?"

Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "That's it," She took higher to the air. "We've tried it Twilight's way, and this is what you do? No. I'm not going to let you get yourself killed because you're being a stubborn ass." And with that, the speedster took off to the town, probably to rally her friends.

Spike's eyes grew wide as exactly what that meant dawned on him. He'd wandered into a Diamond Dog's mine and intentionally beat down every single dog whom challenged him. He may have tried to avoid inflicting actual harm, but the fact was that he was the aggressor, and in the eyes of a judge, that's how he would be treated. 

The inclusion of Diamond Dogs was very strict in Equestrian law. While they may not be as mainstream as griffins, they were certainly considered citizens.

If the law was after him, that meant one of two things: Either he'd be imprisoned like any other pony, or worse because of his species. It was too late to stop Dash from letting the cat out of the bag on the issue, and with the way he'd been acting to the lot of them, the only thing he could do was run.

He remembered what had happened sitting on the park bench before and almost slapped himself. Of course Rainbow would have followed him! The way he was acting wasn't suspicious or anything. This could have gone a lot smoother if he had taken just two seconds to think out the consequences. A disguise, attacking at night, a plan. Just one of those would have avoided this situation.

In a mad dash, he went back to the only place he had enough time to get to undetected. The mines. After that, his logic left him, all he wanted was to avoid the trouble that was about to come his way. After a few minutes of the fastest run of his life, the drake reached one of the tunnels and dove in. 

His heart was pounding a mile a minute, his eyes shifted suspiciously around to find the way clear of all life. He began running again. He didn't care where he was going, he just knew that he couldn't stay still. Keep moving, don't stop, they'll catch you if you stop. 

And so he ran, he took random tunnels that inclined and declined into the earth. A left loop around or a right overpass. The only noise he could hear was the sound of his own grunting and his scaled feet slapping on the earthen floor. The longer he ran, the faster his heart slammed against his chest, the faster his heart was, the more panicked he became. And the more panic, the faster he ran. The cycle gave him energy to run, run for a time he couldn't even measure. All the turns and tunnels were just blurs to him. As long as there was a place to put his foot forward, that was what he did.

After what felt like hours of running, the adrenaline in his system began to wear off and his pace slowed. His vision began blurring from exhaustion and his legs ached from the exercise. A light at the end of one of the tunnels told him exactly where he was and he went into it. As expected, he found himself in the chamber where he'd faced the new Fido. Though the alpha wasn't present, come to think of it, none of the dogs were. 

Spike sat himself down by a pool of dripping water from an high up stalagmite and took a drink. It wasn't the most pleasant or sanitary thing he'd ingested, but it certainly wasn't the worst. The cooling liquid quenched the burning dryness in his throat and he coughed before sitting with his back to the wall, eyeing the only entrance to the cavern.

"You've done it this time." His conscience lectured.

He sat in thought, trying to figure out what to do now. He couldn't stay here long, this would be the first place the guards would look for him.

"You could turn yourself in and try to explain the situation?"

Yea, because that would go over well. What exactly was he supposed to say? 'Oh, sorry I went and beat down a bunch of Diamond Dogs and damn near ripped one's face off. I was still upset about what they did three years ago. Hope you're not too upset.'

"It's the truth."

Yea, the truth would probably land him in the Equestrian Mental Institution. They wouldn't understand what he went through and how he felt. And the fact he didn't even accomplish what he set out to do was just insult to injury.

"Really? You still give a flying feather about that right now? Seriously?"

Stupid as it was, that dog was still on his mind. Maybe his banishment from the pack was enough of a consolation. Yea, being an outcast was probably the worst humiliation that could happen to a pack animal, certainly worse than anything he could do, that was for sure.

That was a bitter pill to swallow actually. One one hand, he could end up escaping this place and maybe finding the dog and giving him his own brand of what he felt Fido deserved. On the other, the dog had already received his just punishment, and the drake threw his life away for nothing but the marks on his face and the blood on his claws.

The situation for his life seemed hopeless. He was screwed no matter what, the only thing on his mind was keeping out of jail by avoiding the law. If he found a place to wait it all out long enough, maybe he could sneak out of the country unnoticed. Head up to griffin territory, or the west with the minotaur.

As Spike sat in contemplation, a nearby aroma made his stomach growl. His eyes found their way on to the gigantic pile of gemstones in the middle of the cavern and his mouth began to water. He hadn't really eaten anything since the day he got here besides a few shavings from his sculpture.

And there was a mound of them, his for the taking.

All... His.
> Undesirable Assistance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Undesirable Assistance



Sin awoke before the break of dawn as he always did. As much as he'd like to drift back into blissful slumber, he never liked it when there was anyone awake before him. The thought of others creeping about while he lay unconscious wasn't exactly comforting to say the least.

The stallion lifted his head from the rug on which he slept and yawned. Beds were always unnerving to sleep on for him, the vibrations on the ground were almost impossible to feel from the elevated and overly cushioned surface. If someone walked up to him with ill intent, he'd have his throat slit and be none the wiser until it was too late. 

Quietly, the stallion exited the well decorated guest room he was offered quarters in and ventured out into the main hall of the palace. White and black stallions stood in golden or lavender armor at consistent intervals through out his trek.

He was used to being watched by security agents back in his own country, but the Equestrian peace keepers always kept him on edge. The dead pan look of seriousness they bore made their eyes look dead and empty. Why was there exclusively stallions guarding the halls anyway? The number of ponies in Equestria, from what he'd seen, were heavily tipped in the female ponies favor, yet they use the sex that are few in number to do the more dangerous job? That didn't seem very intelligent, but very little happened here. And what did was usually the cause of the government itself. 

Again, from what he'd seen.

As the former senator approached the dinning area, he was surprised to actually hear voices conversing and light emitting from the doorway. One of the two voices he recognized as Big Macintosh. 'Why would he be up so early?' Sin asked himself as he wandered into the eatery. 

As expected, there sat his read coated friend with white unicorn pony with a electric blue mane. The cutie mark the unicorn had seemed familiar some how, but Sin couldn't place where he'd seen it before.

"Yea man, I getcha." The unfamiliar chuckled. "Cadence has been hounding me to have a foal too, and we've only been married for a year." He took a swig of his drink, "I love her, I really do, but I'm just not ready to be a dad yet."

Mac scoffed. "'Leas' she's doin' it cause she loves ya. Luna jess wants me so she c'n get pregnant."

Sin had heard enough, this was already a conversation he didn't understand and probably never would. Have sex with one of your subjects for the sake of pregnancy? What was this? An ant colony? As the pony made ventured into the light, the unfamiliar of the two tensed a bit.

"Who are you?" He asked wit hard eyes. Sin stated his name and former occupation, but was cut off from telling his reason for being here. Apparently the local already knew about him and introduced himself as "Shining Armor" the captain of the royal guard. 

Yet again, Sin just couldn't help but question what was going through Equestrian ponies minds when they named their children.

Still, the captain's eyes didn't lighten. "So, you're the Anarchist."

"I prefer the term: Voluntaryist." Sin gave his famous empty smirk. He always wanted to appear polite when meeting new citizens.

"Right." Shining said before yawning. "So what are you doing up this late?"

"I always get up before day break."

"Daybreak?"

Sin looked out the window to the dark sky, the faintest hints of dawn beginning to brighten the blackness above with a faint gray hue. Once Shining observed the oncoming sun, his demeanor changed from solid to fearful. 

He stood from the massive table and let out a yelp about how angry his wife would be if she knew he stayed up this late, and bid the two good morning. 

"We'll talk later Macintosh." Shining gave a small smile, though it dropped as soon as he turned forward. "Pleasure to meet you, Anarchist."

"Likewise, Captain." Sin stood aside and watched as the unicorn made way down the hall.

Once alone, the liberty pony took a seat with his associate and inquired what had kept him up so late. Mac explained what had been said during the conversation he'd walked in and out of.

"What brought that up?" 

"Not really sure." 

If what he perceived to be true was correct, Equestrians were just as devoted parents as those in the Federation. Why would one of the matriarch suddenly want to bare foals with just anyone that could fertilize them?

"Ah don' know." Mac sighed. "Mares are confusin'."

"And that, my friend, is why I've never been in a relationship." Sin proclaimed, a smug grin claiming his muzzle 

"Nevah?" Mac tilted his head.

The federalist shook his head. "From what I've observed, mares are more emotionally driven than logical. Controlling and manipulative beings hell bent on being right all the time."

"Tha' seems kinda sexist." 

"Hey, is it misogynistic if it's true?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought."

Mac chuckled and shook his head. "Didn' know you were a mare hater, Sin."

"That's a little harsh." The aforementioned protested. "I consider myself more of a realist." The look on Mac's face pushed him to continue. "Alright, take him for example." He pointed to the door way Shining Armor exited. "He's a grown stallion, yet when he realized he did something that his lover didn't approve of, he tucks tail like a scared little colt and rushes back to her side."

"Seems ta me she'd be a bit upset over him staying up late." Mac shrugged.

Sin smirked and pressed how scared the pony looked. It wasn't just a "oops, better get to bed" kind of expression, but more of a "oh man, better get back before I get an ass chewing". While Macintosh tried to argue in favor of the captain's actions, the former senator just wouldn't budge on how whipped one had to be to act in such a way.

Eventually, Mac had to concede the point. Admitting that he rather envied the fact that somepony cared so much about Shining to be willing to scold him over not getting proper rest.

"Reminds me of my Grandfather in a way." Sin smirked

"Yer grandpa?" Mac asked quirking a brow.

"Oh yea," the Federalist smiled genuinely yet sadly. "My grandmother would always chastise him for working as much as he did. Every day he worked before sun raise to long after it set, in the cotton fields when he was young. If there was anyone deserving of a good mare, it was him. Ol' boy worked his ass off ever since he was-" He stopped, just realizing how irrelevant the ramble was to the current conversation.

"Since he was what?" Macintosh asked.

"Bah, nevermind." Sin dismissed with a shake of his head, he needed to get back on topic. "At any rate, that kind of relationship in general is just disturbing."

"Okay, now Ah'm lost. Didn' ya jus' compliment yer grandma fer it?"

Wow, was he really just caught in a hypocritical moment? Must still be half asleep.  "Well, consider it," Sin offered, just trying to get back on topic. "A mare who berates you when you act inappropriately, takes care of you when your sick, and cleans up after you when you forget. What does that sound like to you?"

Mac furrowed his brow, he obviously had an answer but kept it reserved.

"A mother, perhaps?"

"Alrigh'? And?"

Sin just shrugged, it was strange the idea was to want to marry some one who'd act like a parent. Mac argued against him, claiming that he didn't see anything wrong with two lovers acting as parents when need be. Besides, it wasn't as bad as the brown stallion lead it on to be.

The stereo type, Sin countered, was just that. It was something he noticed but could never really understand. The male would mess up and the female would scold him for it. He never saw the reverse of this, and when he did, the male was seen as the bad guy talking down to his mare. While said mare, in turn, simply knew best and should be obeyed for her grand knowledge. By the look on Mac's face, he didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Alright, from all the places we've gone, tell me how many time's you've seen a mare roll her eyes at a stallion and berate him for some reason or another." The apple farmers lips pressed and his eyes shifted innocently. "Exactly."

"Well, t'was always in good fun when Ah saw i'."

Sin scoffed chuckled. "Hold on, let me get this straight. You think one treating their husband/coltfriend as a child, scolding them as such and looking after them as a mother would is all in good fun?"

"Mares 'r nurturin." Macintosh stated simply.

...

...

"Am I really the only one who finds this kind of behavior just the smallest bit offensive and condescending?"

Mac grinned. "Eeyup."

"... You freaking suck."

Bursting into laughter, Mac didn't hear the statement about him also being found in a hypocritical manner. Though that may have been Sin's fault, since he too was expressing mirth. It wasn't often he shared a laugh like this.

"By my sun, is that what I think it is." The two's laughter died down upon seeing a very shocked Celestia standing in the door way, flanked by two barley awake golden clad unicorns. "Sin, laughing? I believe Tartarus might have frozen over."

The mentioned downgraded his smile to a curve of the lip, still maintaining a somewhat friendly appeal. "It happens." She's up already? How long had the two been talking?  

"Well, it certainly is a nice change." The sun goddess commented before taking a seat at her place and requesting one of the guards to make a spot of tea. "But I'm afraid I'm not here for pleasantries, I was hoping you could do me a favor." 

Against his better judgement, the stallion inquired as to what was being asked of him.

"You remember Uppity, yes? I was hoping you wouldn't mind allowing her to accompany you to the occupation this morning." Sin's eyebrow shot up, causing the the mare to offer an apologetic smile. "It's not that I don't believe you can't handle the assignment, but i'd rather her be there for insurance purposes."

"I assume this is an order?"

"That would be correct."

Sin inwardly groaned, he hated it when superiors dressed up orders as requests. Always have to give the worker that small bit of hope to refuse just to rip it away. "Then I have no choice."





Sin trotted down the bustling streets of Canterlot, Uppity following close behind. He felt his stomach drop a centimeter with every step he took. This didn't feel right, he didn't feel right. Not a conflict of morals, but, just trying to end this occupation. He'd never done anything like this before. And the fact he had to watch out for an unwelcome accomplice didn't help either.

"Nervous?" Uppity teased walking beside him now.

"Here's the plan." Sin replied, uncaring to her sass. "I'll handle the talking and you make sure none of them attack me from a blind spot."

The orange mare grimaced in confusion. "Stand back? I don't think so."

"This isn't negotiable."

"You'll have to pardon me if I disagree." The young prosecutor huffed playfully.

Sin gave her a look and shook his head before belly aching on how he wasn't responsible if things went south because of her.

"This seems simple enough." Uppity smirked arrogantly. "I'm sure I could accomplish this on my own if need be."

"Is that a fact?"

"Mhmm."

The temptation was hard to resist, if he let her go shooting off her mouth, chances are her rudeness wouldn't leave a bridge building impact. Yea, she'd be humiliated when the protesters didn't listen to her, but they might not be willing to listen to him either if she ruffled them enough. 

"All the same, I'd rather handle it."

"Don't trust me?" She smirked again.

"Not with two bills to buy a stick of gum."

Uppity scoffed in disbelief but didn't reply. Another round goes to Sin.

A short while after, the two made it to the bank just in time for the general assembly. The situation couldn't have been more perfect. A griffin and younger mare were arguing about what exactly they were doing here and if the occupation was making a difference. 

'Finally, a bone thrown my way.'

The two joined the crowd, neither saying a word but listening intently.

"All I'm saying is we've been here for a week, and I haven't seen a single pony shut down their account with the bank." The griffin roared. 

"These kind of things take time, Siegfried." The yellow mare cooed. 

"Yea, I know that." Siegfried smiled passive-aggressively. "But I'm tired of being looked down on, or being called a hobo who needs to get a job. Hay, I work fifty-five hours a week for Celestia's sake."

"And we're all very appreciative that you take time to come down here." The unicorn said soothingly. "But you have to understand that this is a necessary step in order to bring down Celestial."

"There's another thing, Celestial. If we're going after them, why aren't we occupying them? Huh?" A large number of the occupiers nodded their head with small murmurs of agreement.

Oh Bluecloak, the whole situation couldn't have been better if Federalist had written it himself!

The unicorn mare just sighed in defeat and turned back to the crowed. Her eyes lit up when they found Sin. "Hey! Your back." She smiled. "Come to join the occupation?"

With a polite shake of his head, Sin recalled their previous conversations before retrieving a few posters, fliers and news papers from his saddle bag. The mare took them and observed the text that had been circled. All showing that Celestial admitted to having no connection to princess or the government in general. While she tried to argue that the text was hidden away in the fliers, the stallion down played the area of the disclaimer and pressed the fact that the information was still present.

"From what I understand, the reason for this whole protest is over Celestial's misleading name." He made his tone as understanding and compassionate as possible. "But the information is there for all of you to see. as well as pony's who wish to donate to them."

With a scowl, the socialist griffin stepped forward to defend his comrades. The interruption was actually quite welcome, this was becoming a little too easy.

"The name has a significant impact on ponies psyche's, Filthy Rich knew that when naming the charity. Who wouldn't trust the name of the princess after all?"

"Indeed." Sin nodded, "however the fact remains that they did put a disclaimer that clearly disassociated themselves from the government. As previously pointed out."

And so it began... The griffin, who went by the name Sickle, argued the moral irresponsibility of the enterprise to use such an underhanded tactic to play to the citizens emotions. He was met with the fact that Celestial had no such responsibility to begin with. That was just a matter of opinion, not law or force.

"A matter of opinion to intentionally rob ponies of their money with misleading and fallacious patronymy ." Sickle spat. Oh yay, advanced vocabulary in order to confuse your opponent. 

"It's undeniably that the name is misleading, however the truth has been given to all whom care to take a minute to research the topic." Alright, time to end it. "More over, your attempts at gaining public support are questionable at best. You claim to be after Celestial, yet you've gathered here at a bank."

"We have set up this occupation in order to give awareness to the general public about it's support of such a crooked organization." The griffin explained after he rolled his eyes. "If you were paying attention, you would know that."

Ad hominims. already? Wow, that's a bit disappointing. "Fair enough, but what exactly are you protesting?" The pony held up the fliers. "The group you seek to dismantle has already made it clear that they are private, what more do you wish them to do?"

He took a minute to observe the crowd, a few fliers were making their way around them, each one making the protesters look a little more guilty at their lack of research. 

"The system is designed to protect companies rights to name themselves what they wish. So long as they give detail to the fact they are not part of the government, I don't see why you take issue."

"Because the system is broken and bias in the capitalist pig dog's favor."

Sin's breath caught in his throat. Did he just say that? Did he know Mallet? Sickle also noticed the stallion's reaction than began observing him.

An unnatural silence took hold as Sickle inspected the Federalist. No words, just inspection. Sin's discomfort grew as he felt those beedy eyes wonder him; taking in his face, and more importantly his goggles. "The pony with goggles and a brown cape." He whispered thoughtfully. "You debated Mallet not so long ago, didn't you."

Oh son of a bitch.

And his image fell apart like a tissue in the ocean. Loudly, Sickle accused Sin of being the reason for the green pony's demise. "You killed him! He's dead because of you!" A few members of the crowd behind him gasped. 

While the accusation had absolutely nothing to do with the the argument at hoof, it was probably the best move the griffin could have made. A move that took Sin completely by surprise. Flustered, the stallion began to try to get back on topic, but Sickle twisted Mallet's suicide into the conversation. Defaming Sin  and turning him into the poster foal for the elitists.

"Of course you'd defend Celestial and the bank! How much did they pay you huh? Were those fliers recently printed by them to try and make us think you genuine?"

This wasn't good.

"That would be illegal." A female voice proclaimed. Uppity, who the federalist had completely forgotten about, stepped forward. "These documents were taken directly from the Canterlot Archives. To insinuate them disingenuous is to accuse the princess herself of falsity."

"Really." Sickle asked eyeing his new opponent. "And who might you be? Another lap dog of Celestial?"

The mare frowned and stood so her face was only inches from his. "I am Uppity von Council, Princess Celestia's personal prosecutor and deputy District Attorney to the Celestial Criminal Justice system." Sickle seemed surprised at the revaluation, egging the mare to smirk. "And I do work for the government."

"I am not sure about Sin's part in what happened to your associate, however, what he says is the truth. And I couldn't help but notice your obsession with the bank, Mr. Sickle. You've been standing out here months before the occupation. Might you be using these ponies and griffins to farther your own agenda?"

Sickle gasped at the accusation. "I have no such-"

"Oh, but I believe you do." Uppity cut him off. "As long as you've been under the careful watch of the crown, never once have you ever shown interest in Celestial." She looked to the crowd. "Who of you thought it was a good idea to occupy the bank?" 

Silence. Uppity returned her attention to the taken aback Sickle, she was in control, and she knew it. "I suppose it was your idea then? Playing on the emotions of protesters to twist their minds into thinking they'd be helping their cause by following yours?"

The griffin's face went from shocked to angry, but Uppity didn't give him a chance to speak. Her address was not with him anyway. "Listen, Celestial did use it's name to in an underhoffed way. But protesting a bank is not going to get them to change it." The crowd let out a collective sigh of acknowledgement. "But," She smirked innocently "If you really wanna stick it too them, just put up fliers and explain to ponies what Celestial is. And put a little emphasis on why they chose that name specifically." She finished with a wink.

Her words elected slow nods that evolved into words of agreement. 

"Man, do I feel stupid."

"What were we even doing here?"

The small crowed began to disperse, despite Sickle's pleas for them to stay. Once the protesters were gone, the griffin turned his angry gaze back to prosecutor. "You've ruined everything." He pointed a threatening claw. "I'll remember this."

Uppity just rolled her eyes and walked away.  "That's nice. I think we're done here Sin."

Sin, who'd sat in silence took a moment before turning to follow the lawyer.

After a moment of silent gloating, the mare spoke up. "I think that went rather well."

Sin didn't think so, he didn't think so at all. How could that have happened? How could he have not seen that coming?! Stupid fucking idiot! The stone road was just begging for him to slam his head against it.

"Sin?"

With a reluctant sigh, the stallion congratulated her on her victory. Proclaiming how proud Celestia would be to avoid being seen as a sore loser. Though, he wanted to be alone. He was angry at himself for needing help because of such carelessness. "Please inform Macintosh and Star Shade that I've returned to Ponyville."

Uppity watched in confusion as the stallion did an about face and made way for the Canterlot train station.





Shade lay in the shadow of Discord, silently thinking about butterflies why the insects existed. What was their purpose besides being wondering works of failed artistry? They didn't live that long, and there were millions upon billions of them on the earth. Why?

"Excuse me." A voice called. His yellow eyes looked up to find a light orange mare looking down at him. "Are you Star Shade?"

"Does a bear eat catfish to complete it's pizza box hut?"

...

"Riiiiight. Sin told me to inform you that he was heading back to Ponyville."

Shade gave her a patronizing look. "Yea, and he wouldn't come and tell us himself? Sure." He waved a dismissive hoof. 

"I'm just delivering the message," She she shrugged apathetically before walking off. 

Happy to be in silence again, Shade lay his head back on the ground before his eyes shot wide and he sat up with a gasp. "Wait a minute! Butterflies used to be caterpillars... Trippy." He fell back onto the ground again. His mind falling back into peaceful bliss at having discovered the reason for butterflies.

Now what did that mare say? Something about Sin leaving right? Yea.

Shade shot up again. He didn't remember that mare, and if he didn't remember her, she must not have been around very long. And if she wasn't around very long, Sin wasn't going to trust her, but he saw her leave with him earlier that morning. Why would he trust her to tell him that he was leaving unless... "Uh-oh."

The bat pegasus turned and apologized to Discord for having to leave than took off to the town below. A feeling of dread in his stomach.
> Reckoning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Reckoning 
 


Sin sat on the morning train bound for Ponyville, his eyes were cast downward as his self demonetization finally passed it's verbal stage and began demanding physical punishment. Not yet though, he'd have to wait. Shade, who was sitting across from him with the eyes of a hawk, had halted his punishments before; and no doubt would do so again. 

What really got to him was the fact the bat pony had actually borded the train while it was in motion. The conductor of the tram didn't take kindly to the late bored stow away and demanded he depart immediately. At least until Shade pushed him against the wall and swore to devour any foals he may have or plan on having. After calling the attack off, Sin tossed the last of his bits to the ticket taker and settled the situation.

While his friend had good intentions, Sin messing up wasn't tolerable. Sure there are mistakes, but that was simply forgetting your bag when you went to work or putting on another pony's cloak on a cold day when you leave a restaurant. To be completely blindsided on an issue he should have seen a mile away wasn't a hapless mistake. It was down right idiocy. 

'Stupid fucking retard! How could I have not seen the possible connection?! Sickle was a populist just as much as Mallet was. Just what excuse could I have for not even considering there to be a an acquaintanceship between the two? Tapio's beard that's just common sense!'

Thus, they sat in silence. The Federalist eager to slam his head into something and the Equestrian ready to stop him.

Suddenly he was jerked forward, the sound of metal grinding pierced his ears as the train came to a stop. "That's just wonderful." Sin thought aloud rubbing his muzzle. The small crowed within the car began murmuring why the train had stopped where it was. They weren't at Ponyville yet, so why-

A loud roar echoed through the car. Sin and Shade shared a quick glance before hurrying to the side of the car, forcing the door open and jumping outside. Sin drew his crossbow from his saddle bag and loaded two bolts. Looking to their destination, they both gasped at the sight of a giant purple scaled, green spined dragon within the village.

Sin stood in shock for a moment while Shade could only gape in offence. "That little upstart prick!" The bat pony spat before shooting off to confront the drake. Leaving his associate to slump a little where he stood.

"As if today couldn't get any better."



 

Twilight and her Applejack scattered as a giant purple foot came crashing to their current position. "Spike!" The librarian called, but to no avail. It was just like last time, Spike had lost himself to his greed again. Except, this time was different; instead of going on a collection binge and taking what was in claw's reach, the drake acted afraid. For some reason, he'd walk one way one second, than do a complete about face the next. 

The only ponies in sight were the the few town guards the small village had to offer.

"Twilight!" Applejack screamed before the lavender mare felt her tail being yanked and pulled out of the way of another foot step. 

"Spike!" Twilight cried again. "Please Spike, listen to me."

"T'aint no use sugarcube." Applejack placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "He ain't in his righ' mind again."

Twilight couldn't bare seeing her son like this. He looked so sad and scared. She thought Sin had taught him to control his greed, but the display before her proved the contrary. Why thought? Why did he do this to himself?

Suddenly, a dark whirl flew above the ponies heads and slowed to a stop until it was directly in front of the rampaging monster's face. "SPIKE!" Shade yelled, gaining the dragon's attention and spoke the way only a madpony would. "Three days, Spike! Three bucking days I leave you alone, and that's the time you decide to go on a destructive rampage?!"

The bat pony looked around and took in the town. "Look at this!" He exclaimed motioning to the buildings. "Look at this partially destroyed town. Not mostly destroyed, not even half destroyed. but partially. This, my friend, is sloppy work at best! For Discord's sake, the hospital doesn't even have a scratch on it, and the school's right there! Right over there!" Literally, about twenty feet away.

The dragon stood confused for a moment before registering the multiple insults and swiping a claw to try to capture the pegasus. He opened his clenched fist to find no Shade within. 

"OI!" He turned to his left shoulder to find his target tapping his hoof impatiently. "Don't get mad at me because you don't know how to bring chaos and destruction properly." Spike swatted at his shoulder, only to find the pegasus on his other. "You're doing it WRONG!"

In a rage, the huge dragon roared and managed to swat the pony away as he tried to dodge the next attack. Shade regained himself mid-fall and hovered a good thirty meters from his friend. "Alright." He whispered softly in acknowledgement before wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Let's see what you've got, dragon boy."





It didn't take Sin too long to reach the besieged village. Had he not seen it for himself, he wouldn't have believed it. 

A numbed feeling of shock filled him as he removed any doubt that the monstrosity actually was Spike. How'd he get so big so fast? Was it the greed getting to him? Seemed like the best explanation. 

He dug deep into his saddlebag and retrieved a carefully covered bolt head from a small pocket at the bottom and removed the dark red covering. While the three were at the Nightmare Night festival, he came across a vender selling exotic flora. 

Since he was traveling with -and agreed- to help grow Spike, Sin made an insurance purchase just in case things didn't go as planned. 

As sure as he was about the authenticity of the plant he'd bought, he was hesitant. Spike was his friend, one of the few he'd ever really had, and Sin had no intentions on ever causing him pain. Life, however, had always shown him that insurance was a friend greater than any.

Steeling himself and numbing his emotions for whatever may come, the pony ran to the town square to find Twilight Sparkle yelling at that the rampaging beast, with Mac's sister keeping close by.

"What happened?" He barked rushing up to her.

"We don't know." Twilight replied sadly and turned to reveal her tear ridden eyes. "I don't know." Her eyes went back to the sky, where a rainbow streak was now flying around the dragon along with Shade's black one.

"Applejack and I were just grabbing a bite from the cafe'  when Rainbow Dash came up and said that there was something wrong with Spike and... " She trailed off and looked back.

"Right." Sin nodded. "This happened before, didn't it? How did you stop him last time?"

The two mares were silent for a moment, at least until another roar from Spike made them gasp in surprise. "Rarity! Rarity made him come back to his senses."

It took a second to explain, but from what the Federalist gathered, it was Spike's love for the unicorn that calmed him down. 

"Yea, that' not going to work again."

Groaning, the pony looked around the quazi-destroyed market district. There was some rope flung haphazardly, but he doubted it would serve the purpose he needed it to.

Another screamed for the dragon's attention, though, this one came from an eccentric pink party pony with a... giant cake on her head? What the hell? Wait, were those candles?

"You got big, Spike! I thought your birthday wasn't for another three months, but I don't know how dragon years work. So I made you a cake! Now blow out the candles!" She squeeked before jumping out of the way of a giant clawed foot bore down on her, smashing the pastry flat. 

"Hey!" The mare pouted looking at the culinary destruction, "You didn't even try it yet."

It was official, Sin's gut was actually wrong. She was either insane or extremely idiotic. Probably both.

Twilight called out to her, causing the party mare to rush over with a pushed out lip. "I tell ya, some ponies just don't know how to share a good cake."

"Ah'd love to agree with'cha Pinkie, but we have bigger problems." Applejack motioned.

Twilight called the other two to order and began forming a plan. Discarding the former senator's words, they intended to find Rarity and see if she could work her magic like last time.

"It will not work." Sin repeated.

"And how do you know that?" Twilight barked defensively.

"Because he doesn't love her anymore."

Twilight looked taken aback but was cut off before she could retort. "Ah think he's righ', sPard'ner." Her friend sighed. "Haven' ya noticed th' way he'd been treatin' her? 

After a moment of thought, Twilight reluctantly nodded her head and sighed. "Does anypony have any ideas?"

She received no answer. Just two mare's with folded back ears and a sad eyes.

Suddenly a flash of blue passed by them and skidded on the ground until crashing into fruit stand. Rainbow Dash poked her head out of the collapsed debris, her eyes wiggling to regain focus.

"Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed and ran to her friend, concern written into her features.

"Oh, hello Miss Sparkle, might you have the new Daring Do and and the Kingdom of the Crystal Empire?" The pegasus replied in a daze.

The scollar looked to her friends for help, personally Sin was surprised she flyer drew breath. Considering how fast she had hit the ground, it was amazing she hadn't snapped her neck.

However, her condition wasn't to last and with a quick smack from Applejack, regained her senses. "Owww." She favored her cheek. "Oh man, anypony get the number of that dragon?"

While the others were busy with their could-be-injured friend, Sin bolted to the dragon's position. If he could some how get Spike's attention, he could probably lead him away from the town. "Shade!" He barked. In a moment, the bat pegasus flew down and looked irritably at his friend. 

"Sin, can you not see that I am in the middle of a lecture here! What is so bucking important?"

"I need you're help to lead him away from the town to-"

"Lead him away? Oh no,no,no no. He's going to destroy this town, and he's going to do it right!" Shade threatened before flying back up to scold the dragon while simultaneously avoiding any strikes from his claws.

Oh boy, he's in one of those moods. Trying to keep his cool, he looked around while trying to find something, anything, he could use as some kind of bait to save the town. His eyes rested on a plethora of well dressed and spaced trees off in the distance. 

Ohhhh was Mac going to hate him for this...

"Hey Shade!" Sin barked repeatedly until he finally had the desired attention. "You see all those trees over there? You see how orderly and uh... properly spaced they are?"

The bat pony's eyes went wide as he beheld Sweet Apple Acers. His face crumpled into a sneer and his golden eye twitched. "Daw hell naw!" He proclaimed before shooting off. Luckily, Spike found more interest in Shade than he found in the rest of Ponyville and gave chase. Though, a large log of some kind was flew forth from out of no where and slammed into the dragon's knees, causing it to slip to the ground. 

"Now Rainbow!" The voice of Twilight yelled. To Sin's surprise, Rainbow Dash and Applejack ran out into the field where Spike currently lay, carrying with them a large and thick weave of multiple ropes, and proceeded to tie his legs together. Twilight, and now Rarity, joined the duo with another rope for his arms using their combined magic. 

Just as the two unicorn's restraint had touched the disoriented beast, the lavender and alabaster aura disappeared and fell loosely around his extended wrists. "What?!"

Gaining his senses, Spike began to stur again.

"Come on you two!" Rainbow yelled. "Get his wrists already!" 

Twilight and Rarity shared fearful look than tried to pick up the rope again, this time unable to even grasp it. "Twilight, our magic, it's not working."

The mentioned gave her friend a look. "Yea, I got that. Now RUN!" All the ponies scattered as Spike sat up strait and tried to get to his feet, the ropes tied around his ankles at least doing their jobs.

Disappointed that the Equestrian's plan didn't work, Sin took a bit of comfort in the fact that the dragon was no longer in the town at least. Shade was of no help now, and options were quickly running out. Wonderful, his day just couldn't get any better, could it? He wondered down to the four mares to find them arguing about the failed plot.

"Why didn't you guys tie up his hands? You had one job!" The flier complained.

"We don't know! Well..." Twilight had a look of sudden realization. "It could be... But no, that can't be right."

"What is it dear?" 

Twilight looked at the semi-bound dragon with squinted eyes than began to approach. She charged a spell, causing her horn to glow and shot it directly at the dragon's flank. To all the being's surprise, the spell had absolutely no effect. Spike didn't even seem to register it.

"I don't believe it."

"Wha' happened?"

"He's immune to my magic."

Well, that's inconvenient

"What? That's impossible!" Rainbow yelled. "You've never had problems with it before."

Twilight sat in thought for a moment before coming to yet another realization. "Of course, I can't believe I forgot! Dragon's are immune to magic!"

'And that's extremely inconvenient.'

"Wai' wha'? That can' be righ. I've seen ya pick up Spike loads o' times wit'cher magic." Applejack pointed out.

"It's his scales." Twilight countered. "When dragons mature, their scales become magic resistant."

'And that's just six ways of over powered.'

Take magic out of the equation and didn't look good at all. What's worse, the attempt the girls made became worthless for Spike, as lacking intelligence as he currently was, figured out his impairment and cut the binds around his ankles. Their voices drew the drake's attention and with a deliberate growl, charged for the conglomerate. 

The ponies scattered, avoiding the rack of claws that left a gash in the earth at least three feet deep. Useless to the cause, Rarity and Twilight could only watch in angst as Rainbow took to the air and redouble her efforts to preoccupy the dragon by flying around it like an annoying bee. 

"Alright y'all, we gotta think a' somethin', before this gets outta hoof." Sin stifled a chuckle. She thought they had this under control at what point exactly? Still, there were truth to her words, the damage done was mild, and would only become more sever the longer this went on. If they didn't stop the dragon, he'd have to.

Sin drew back his bow and observed the dragon's underbelly. Where would be a good spot to put the bolt? 

"What do you think you're doing?" He heard Twilight say. He wasn't looking at her, but with the clarity and tone of her voice, it was obvious who she was talking to.

"Trying to find the weakest part of his body," he answered inattentively. 

"To do... what exactly?"

"Shoot him."

Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "NO!" She stood directly in front of the Federalist. "You can't shoot him!"

"If you have a better alternative, I'm all ears."

The lavender pony pressed her lips and her eyes shuffled. Clearly, she'd never been in too many predicaments where magic wasn't her trump card.

"Wha'cha think tha' thing'll do anyway?" The farmer pointed to his bow. Spike's hide was thick, no doubt about that, but if the bolt hit true, this issue would be resolved. May trade it for another problem, but at least no one would die. He left with out answering and ran up on top of the hill over seeing the market district and took aim with a normal bolt to see if he was capable of piercing the dragon's underbelly.

"NO!"

His bow was thrown to the side before the arrow fired, missing by, literally, a mile. Sin turned with every intention of smacking who ever responsible, silly but found his bow holding leg stuck in place, a purple glow around it. "I wont let you shoot him!"

Despite himself, Sin actually took in the feeling of being touched by magic. It was a warm, soothing sensation that fluctuated in rhythm with the slightest bit of pressure. And by all things freedom oriented did he hate it.

With a slow turn of the head, Sin growled for his release. Twilight wouldn't have it though, her eyes sat determined with a hint of anger.

"If you have a better alternative, than by all means." Sin seethed again. The librarian held his standoffish gaze. Her eyes began to drill holes into his goggles, the eyes of a mother protecting her young. Even though Sin didn't want to become too emotional, he felt empathy for how difficult the situation must be for her. A pony whom she barley knows and probably despises is offering to send an arrow through her son and maybe kill him. Just thinking about it made him a bit hesitant.

With tears beginning to form, Twilight stepped away and released Sin from her magic.

He wanted to offer words of comfort, about how she didn't need to worry, but he couldn't. The effects of what he'd laced the tip of the bolt head with weren't specific. The vender just said the plant's sap was meant to "Stop dragons". Whether that meant killing them or disabling them had yet to be determined.

With another swipe of his claw, Rainbow Dash was sent flying out of control again. This time, she was lucky enough to have a house roof cushion her fall.

Sin took a breath and put the special bolt into it's place. "I'm sorry Spike." He mumbled before taking aim.

THUD

The bolt protruded into the yellow underside of the beast and Spike roared in pain. 

Though, it was only the pain of penetration. All the bolt had succeed in doing was angering the beast farther. His mistake realized too late, Sin was gripped in Spike's crushing claws before he could make it ten steps. 

As he was brought up to look the dragon in his angry emerald eyes, the stallion couldn't help but try his luck in comedy at the familiarity of the situation. "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Should I crush him' and the answer may surprise you."

The crushing grip of claws that consumed him made it obvious his joke wasn't well received. Though, despite the claws digging though his cloak, the air forced from his lungs, and the raising panic for his person; the former senator's mind was on the fact that this predicament was his fault; going over the multiple mistakes he made.

Failing to give Spike more discipline on how to control his greed, failure to see -or perhaps care- that his friend was in such a vulnerable state, and most importantly of all, failure to have a back up plan for the failure of the dragonsbane.


  



  

  
  
 

 
  
> Drawback. 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


Drawback



Macintosh sat grumbling to himself as he waited for the next train to Ponyville to come. 

He couldn't believe Sin had actually left here with out him, what the buck? Yea, he'd been known to go off on his own from time to time, but this was freaking abandonment! He made a mental note to give a verbal flank chewing when he got back.

Sighing, the stallion looked at the far off clock tower than back at the train scheduled. He'd have to wait for the express to return after it had stopped at it's destination, which was a two hour trip both ways, but he didn't want to go back to the castle, and he didn't have much money at the moment, so entertainment in the city was out as well. Not much fur off his muzzle though, he didn't like the loudness or the constant pushing through the streets.

Mac preferred the quiet and peaceful lifestyle, his short time in Canterlot was enough to last him years. Why anypony would actually want to live in a place where the noise never stopped and ponies rudely pushed past you was beyond him. Differences of opinion and lifestyle choice was all he could chalk it up to.

As he sat in wait, his mind began to wander away from Sin and back to what he would do when he was home. Things hadn't really changed in his mind: Granny was still angry with him, his sister's would probably be nicer and the farm was still standing tall.

'You're really still thinking about going back, aren't you?'

Just for a while.

'Do we really need to have this conversation again?'

No, but I've decided that I don't want bad blood between me and my family. 

'And what of-'

If Annebell doesn't want me around, then what? I'll have nothing at all. Besides, I've abandon them long enough. If they need me, I'm going to be there. End of conversation.

The voice didn't respond and Mac nodded his head in victory. Wait, what was that voice anyway? Wasn't it a sign of mental illness to talk to yourself? Or did that have to be out loud in order to count?

Still though, he'd thought long and hard about it. As much as he resented his grandmother's words, he couldn't say she was wrong. What right did he have to sit in his father's chair after leaving? His pa was a stallion of hard work, loyalty, and discipline, not overly so, but he'd never been accused of being lazy.

While Mac selfishly left and abandoned his family for his own pursuits and desires...

As his mind drew more to his past, the current events grew irrelevant.

The few times Macintosh thought on his childhood, he always remembered his parents fondly. Unlike most where one was the strict and threatening enforcer while the other was the approachable empathetic soother, his were a bit of both when need be. 

His mother was a listener. No matter how farfetched an idea or how bad a day, she was there to lend a compassionate ear and kind words. Her voice was a soft and melodious song that only served to be complimented by the accent the family uniformed, as well as her sunset orange eyes that would melt the heart of an old cynic if looked into.

For all of that, she was anything but lenient though. Those blazing orbs of compassion and courage could quickly turn into raging infernos capable of sending the same cynic running home in tears. One of her more mixed qualities was the mare's inability to stay out of the business of those in her family.

With her around, problems never stayed buried long, and neither did secrets.

His father was a bit more apathetic most of the time, kinda like Macintosh was. Always had a somber look and feel to him that most would mistake for simple minded. That was the male part of the families biggest offset, the ability to surprise others due to their own underestimations. His Pa handled most of the more scholarly inclined works: Finances, books, product inventory and so on. 

His own methods of child raising were a great deal different than Macintosh's mother. He believed in Team Unit or group punishment and reward rather than individual. Let the peers work out the problems they were having amongst themselves instead of butting in at every chance. His reasoning was always the same: "The farm'll only do 's good 's tha slowes' pony on it." 

The apple stallion had always thought it unfair, being punished for his sister's mistakes and vice versa, but now with his parents gone, the lessons really helped he and his sister work a great deal better together. 

Put the two of them together in a situation, heads would roll. It was the only time he remembered being legitimately afraid of them. Whenever he or Applejack would get in trouble his mother had a tendency to play Nicey-nice while his father would just stare with indifference. In the beginning, it would be serine words of comfort and understanding so long as admission of guilt and cooperation were given. If it wasn't... Things happened, bad things.

Oh boy, he'll never forget the time he'd had the great idea to put the family pig into Applejack's bed while she slept. Or the woopin he got for acting so proud of it. Side note, totally worth it.

His nostalgic daze was broken by a voice calling his name. He looked over and silently groaned as Princess Luna approached him on the platform, the few ponies present already on their knees to her royal appearance.

"Macintosh, we demand an explanation as to your unannounced departure." She said firmly.

Reluctantly, the stallion explained how some orange mare had found him in the dinning hall and told him that Sin had returned to Ponyville with out him. 

She never told him why he left, but Mac would find out soon enough.

"Well, that's all well and good, however..." Luna stopped in her words, her face loosing it's authority for a mask of nervousness and self doubt. "We- I would like to apologize, for what happened at dinner last night." She sighed. "I had no right to go behind your back as we did."

Mac frowned. It was something he'd been trying to bury into the back of his mind, considering what all was going on. 

'Aww, how cute. After trying to use you for her sexual means, she's come to apologize. Ten bits says she wants you to come back to the palace.'

"Not gonna lie, I don' like feelin' used." The stallion replied.

He wasn't sure if he was going to forgive her. While it was a fact he was being used, it's not like he even offered protection in the first place; it wasn't even on his mind. What right would he have to be upset if he did end up having a foal with her? After all, it took two to tango.

"I hope you shall consider accepting our apologies."

Before he could decide one way or another, a loud scream blared through teh air, causing the two ponies to look. to the other side of the platform. A group of ponies were looking down from the walls that surrounded the capital to the lower hillsides. "MOMMY! DADDY!" A mare called. 

As the two approached to investigate, they caught small murmurs laced with fear and uncertainty. When the two finally got a view over the stone balcony of the tram station, Mac's heart skipped a bet. Ponyville was close enough to be seen from where they were, not in great detail, but enough to make out the individual buildings. However, there was something there. Something big, purple and very very angry.

What ever it was, it roared loud enough for the entire train station to hear it.

"What in my sister name?" Luna gasped.

Macintosh squinted his eyes, there was something that seemed a bit familiar about the creature. 

His green eyes shot wide with an audible gasp. "Spike!" 

"Spike?" The moon goddess repeated, "oh my, that is Spike!" Suddenly, her horn began to glow, releasing a star filled dark blue aura that began to expand until she and Macintosh were consumed, then in a flash of bright light, they were gone.





In a flash, the two reappeared in Ponyville's market district..

Getting over the disorientation and nausea, Mac took in the town. It didn't look too bad. Most of the buildings were still intact and the noise was limited. However, the over half the stands in the market lay in ruin piles of wood, tarp and product. 

Another roar broke his observation and he looked to west bluff to find the purple monstrosity pick a pony up in it's massive claws. The apple farmer's eyes constricted. "Sin!" he breathed before bolting off to help his friend. Luna had said something, but the adrenaline and fear pumping through his being pushed him to run regardless.

When he'd gotten closer, he found his sister and her friends gathered about debating amongst each other. "Macintosh!" His sister yelled.

"Wha' in tarnation 'r ya doin' Spike?!" Mac yelled walking past the mares. 

Spike's attention never shifted to the stallion, it was to fixated on the pony in it's massive claws. That is, until a dark, ethereal blue alicorn placed itself directly in front of his face. The dragon looked down at her, perplexed to the beings sudden appearance.

"SPIKE!" Luna bellowed in the Royal Canterlot voice. "We demand you cease this rampage immediately. And release the pony within thine grasp!"

Spike's eyes went from confused to fearful in an instant. His grip on Sin loosened and the pony fell limply to the ground.

The grounded ponies ran over to check on Sin's condition. There were small bits of blood scattered along his cloak where the drakes claws had pierced flesh. His cross bows lay broken in splinters, some of which had been forced into his body and cloak. Luckily, small raises from his ribs indicated that he was still alive.

"Is he alright?" Twilight asked in concern. 

"Sin?" Mac shook him fruitlessly. The Federalist was out cold.

Mac clenched his jaw, how could Spike do this? He almost killed a pony who'd been nothing helpful to him. Confusion, pain, anger over betrayal, the emotions were endless. But all that had to wait, Sin was hurt, Spike was on a rampage and Shade... wait, where was the night pony in all of this?





Luna had herded Spike away from the injured pony, but couldn't control him when he turned around and began running away. 

"Get back here!" Luna bellowed giving chase.

A sudden slamming into her side caused the princess of the night to lose her balance for a moment, though quickly recover to find a pegasus flying above her. "How dare you!?"

The black batpony smirked down at her. "I dare in revenge, beast."

  


> Release
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Release



Mac charged through the cold plains outside of Ponyville after a retreating Spike with Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash in tow. Luna was unable to assist them at the moment, considering Shade was holding her in combat for some reason. For all his attempts to gain the night pony's attention and quell his rage, Shade took no notice. It wasn't surprising, with the bat pony's hatred for her, he probably wouldn't even listen to Sin.

But the apple farmer had more pressing matters at hoof. And with what little time the girls had to give an explanation, it struck a blow to find the dragon immune to magic. That would make this difficult. Luckily, Pinkie and Rarity agreed, the latter a bit more reluctant, to help get Sin some where safe and see about medical treatment.

As the remaining four of them began gaining on the drake, Twilight ran up to his side. "Do you even have a plan?" She asked through panting.

Mac gave her a smirk. "Nope." He admitted before running faster, leaving the gaping mare to fall behind with the others. 

He may not have had a plan, but standing around was defiantly not an option. As the three began to get in range of feeling the earth shake from the monster's steps, Rainbow Dash took to the air again and shot forth like a bullet. However, this time she didn't fly around in a menacing manner, instead flew directly above his eyes and, from what Mac could tell, tried talking to him.





"Spike listen to me." Rainbow pleaded as she hovered just in front of him. To her surprise, there were tears running down the massive dragon's cheeks, and her ears immediately pressed down to her skull at the sight. She didn't get a chance to apologize before he turned away and began another direction. "Spike! Hold on a sec!" 

The cyan pegasus caught up quickly enough and landed herself on his muzzle, wobbling to keep herself steady. "Spike, just stop okay? I know you can understand me." Surprisingly enough, Spike's pace began to slow to a depressing heel drag until his legs finally stood still. Rainbow motioned for the rest of her friends to hold their place for the moment, hoping that keeping it just the two of them would calm him down

His good eye avoided looking directly at her and his bad one was beginning to swell, a bit of blood mixing with the tears. It was a pitiful sight, that pulled at the mare's heartstrings. "Hey, hey easy." She tried to sooth as she felt his body tense with silent sobs. "It's alright now, big guy. No need to get upset." She gently stroked his muzzle.

Slowly, Spike began to cry, Rainbow's soothing words doing little to stop it. His body trembled and he lowered himself to his knees and elbows. Dash bit her lip and looked on with compassion. "Hey, I'm sorry for what I'm-" she took a breath "I'm sorry for... ya know, what happened back there. I shouldn't have tried to mess with you like that."

The dragon gave a small yet hopeful smile.





Shade dashed in a zig zag motion to avoid the night blue beams of magic cast by his opponent, he'd gotten a few good hits in but nothing fatal. The beast's magical abilities were formidable, but he was sure with the correct timing he'd be able to finish it.

After she'd fired off another magical blast, Shade took the opportunity to fly right at her and slam a hoof into her throat. Luna dodged the assault and fired another beam that could only be described as ah hair's breath miss.

"What do you hope to accomplish in this? You were given a pardon!" The beast bellowed, ending her previous stagnancy and flying after her opponent. Shade's adrenaline was off the charts, he out flew the princess with relative ease and took a nose dive to the ground, relishing in the battle he'd waited years for.

While not effective, the attacks he landed made him feel amazing. Like a young strapping colt beating his meat furiously for the first time. After all of that time spent in the box, after all the suffering he'd endured, he finally had his chance to get the mare he wanted with none around to help her. 

As he fell, he looked back to find Luna giving chase, her eyes glowing white and her ethereal mane whipping around in a furious rage. "So you show your true form." He said to himself before taking a sudden, and almost impossible, 90 degree shift to travel just inches above the landscape. He dodged left and right every time he heard the sound of a released spell, all the while contemplating his next move.

Suddenly, he came to a stop and dug in his fore-hooves, shifting his weight forward. Wait for it... A trickle of sweat fell down his cheek, a dark blue beam missed his body by inches with an almost feel-able hiss. Shade's heart slammed against his chest, a mix of excitement, anxiety and nervousness. If this didn't work, it would hurt him alot more than it would hurt the beast.

He heard a gasp and threw his legs back as hard as he could.

both his hind hooves hit home, he wasn't sure what they hit, but the contact that threw his body forward and earned a pained scream was all he needed for a satisfied smile to bare across his muzzle. He spread his wings and used the momentum to begin flying again, only getting about a house distance from the ground before a sharp jolt on the back of his neck sent him tumbling down.

After the initial impact, twisting a few appendages, he rolled to a halt and shook his head to clear the oncoming disorientation. Luna, had already recovered from his buck and glared at him with her seething white eyes.

The beast was mad, and he couldn't be happier about it.

"Come on beast I expected better! Or is your age beginning to show?" Shade wiggled his eyebrows.

Luna gave a second long look of confusion at the mixed message than yelled angrily before rushing to the pegasus, who smirked and returned the motion. It wouldn't take long for the two to clash, and without a thought in his head, Shade arose his hoof to slam it into the princess' face. 

A flash of light later, he found that his hoof didn't make contact and came to a skidding halt. What happened? He looked around, yet couldn't find her. "Where'd ya go, Matriarch?" He spat, his golden eyes darting and his heart working overtime. "Have you lost courage as well as your youth?"

A sharp pain in the back of his head answered him. It sent him staggering, but failed to knock him out. He turned back with a sadistic grin to find his prize standing before him, her previously white eyes returning to their original teal, and a deadpan that would make a cast iron skillet red with shame. "Thou wish us to bringeth it? Than we shall oblige." Her words were soft, just above a whisper. A nerve racking contrast to the royal Canterlot voice, and almost twice as intimidating... If he were any other pony.

Shade ignored the labored breath he was starting to find himself in need of, flared his wings, and widened his smile so that it showed off his canines. "Let's play."





Pinkie walked carefully, Sin placed on her back and Rarity lightening the load slightly with her magic. The two had initially agreed to take him to the hospital, but Fluttershy's was closer... Yea, that's the reason and they're sticking to it.

"I still haven't the slightest idea why we're helping him." Rarity stated looking at the unconscious stallion in disdain. "This is all his fault, after all."

"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked looking to her fashion obsessed friend. 

"What do you mean, what I mean?" The unicorn mare asked injudiciously. "Had this ruffian not come and taken our little Spike away, this whole situation could have been avoided."

Pinkie couldn't really disagree, but she couldn't say her friend was right either. The pink mare mentioned how it was the dragon's own choice to go. Rarity countered the point with the pony's influence and silver tongue. Playing on the emotional manipulation the stallion had put upon the dragon. However, that couldn't have been the case. Spike did mention how he'd never met Sin before and how Mac was the one who explained the Federalist's teachings.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were defending that ruffian." The fashonista proclaimed snidely. 

The party mare furrowed her brow. "It's not that I'm defending him, it's just that Spike said he wasn't happy here."

Rarity rolled her eyes and groaned, dismissing the outburst at the farm some months ago as an exaggerated response to a bad day. The two continued to debate where the blame lay the entire walk to Fluttershy's. Not surprisingly, the animals that usually offered the property a certain charm and grace had long since scattered during the commotion that wasn't too far away, leaving the typically lively and inviting cottage, a simple, quite house.

Rarity took the initiative to knock on the door, a few moments later, the pink maned pegasus poked her head out. "Oh hello Rarity." She greeted with a small smile. "You should come inside. There's something terrible going o-" She stopped and squeaked before backing inside and slamming the door.

The fashonista groaned and knocked on the door again. "Fluttershy, dear? I'm terribly sorry about all this, but well... we need your help."

No sound came from the house.

Just as Rarity had motioned for Pinkie to follow her to head to the hospital, the timid pegasus poked her head out of the house again and quietly apologized. "It's just that, well, he scares me."

"No need to apologize for that darling, he'd scare anyone with a bit of good sense." The white mare snickered, lightening the mood. 

"Please, come in." She allowed the three inside. "Thank you Pinkie, please put him on the couch, if you don't mind." 

The party mare gave a solute and gently lay the stallion down. "You know, he's not that heavy for an earth pony." She said stretching her back with a satisfied sigh. 

"Pinkie he lives in the woods, his verity of food is most likely very limited."

"Malnutrition is an extremely dangerous condition," Fluttershy said, walking back into the living room with a first aid kit. "Oh my," she froze, taking in the blood stained cloak and splintered pieces of wood that stuck out. With a renewed spirit, the animal caretaker rushed over and began inspecting his injuries. 

"Poor thing, what happened to him?"

"You remember that terrible thing you mentioned at the door?" Pinkie pressed her lips. "Well, he tried to stop it."

The timid mare's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness." She turned her attention back to the patent and began to work, gently removed some of the wood from his ribs. A few stirs and groans, but otherwise no real protest to stop her. Pinkie and Rarity moved to another room to allow her to work in peace.

"Shh, it's alright." She cooed picking out the last splinter. The preparatory work didn't take more than ten minutes. Luckily most of the shards came loose with out leaving any see-able splinters.. "Alright now, let's see what we can do for-" She stopped again when she'd realized what lay behind his cloak. The wood weren't sticking into his side, they were lodged into a pair of small brown wings wrapped up in old bandages.

She furrowed her brow and inspected the appendages. The dirty gauze indicated that they hadn't been changed in a while, and that the wings had been stuck in place the whole time. She'd have to ask him about that when he came to. Her attention was drawn away again and she began to look over the wounds, however, another sight caught her attention. His cutie mark, or lack there of. 

"What?"

"Everything alright in there, deary?" Rarity's voice sang.

Looking behind her to the kitchen, than back to to double check what she saw to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Reluctantly, coming to terms with the fact there was no mark present on his flank, the butter milk mare carefully lay down the cloth and turned to walk into the kitchen to inform Pinkie and Rarity of her findings.

The two seemed to be just as shocked as she was at the revelations. Neither had ever seen him fly or his lack of a "special talent" mark before.

"Is it possible for adult ponies to be blank flanks?" Fluttershy asked.

"If so, he'd be the first I've ever heard of." The white unicorn said puzzled. 

The pegasus of the group nodded in agreement. "Well, we could ask him."

Pinkie gave a scoff. "Good luck with that. I've tried getting him to talk ever since I met him. He's more closed up than Cranky Donkey." She sighed at the end, a little hurt at the fact.

The girls wondered back out to the living room and let out a collective gasp. "Where did he go?"







While Rainbow sat trying to comfort Spike, Twilight, Applejack and Macintosh sat where they were. Careful not to intrude on the space that could send the drake into another panicked frenzy. 

Mac tried to hear what they were saying, but neither one of their voices even made it over to him. Neither had made a violent move yet, that was good at least.

"Whatcha s'pose they're talk'n bout?" Applejack asked.

He and Twilight shook their heads, he had no clue how the dragon even grew, much less why or how. Chances were they'd find out soon enough though. The longer the three of them sat there, the more Mac felt something was... off. 

'Yea, because Spike growing twenty stories tall and going on a rampage isn't off.'

Mac inwardly groaned. Something felt off, and it wasn't Spike. But it had something to do with him. If memory served, something happened last time besides what he did. Oh buck, what was it? Rainbow couldn't shut up about how "awesome" it was to see them fight. Ugh, it was infuriating how on the tip of his tongue it was.

Wonder Balls? No, no that wasn't it... Thunder Jolts? No, that doesn't sound right either. Vonderbilts? What the hay were those?

"WONDER BOLTS!"

Yea, that was i- wait what?

Mac looked up, his eyes constricted at the site of seven blue suited soluettes flying at them with smoke trails behind them. As the first of them came into view, Twilight rushed in their direction, "No wait!" She yelled. "Stop! Please don't hurt him."

Her yells either feel on deaf or apathetic ears. The troop's speed didn't decrease, nor did they look any less threatening. With a look of regret, the unicorn's horn began to glow, suddenly a shining violet net appeared directly in front of the fliers and they each slammed into it, each giving choice words of surprise and anger.

"What the buck?!" One yelled.

Twilight lowered the performers to the ground and turned the net into a bubble designed to keep them trapped inside. "What's the big idea?" Another asked, a firey orange and yellow maned mare.

"I'm sorry." The lavender unicorn apologized, "But we just got him calmed down, we can't afford for you to make him angry again."

The mare grimaced at her captor than looked at the monstrosity siting stagnantly. After demanding who Twilight was, the mare introduced herself as Spitfire, Captain of the Equestrian Special Fliers, as well as the Wonder Bolts. The knowledge may have been common to her and Pinkie, but Mac had never heard of the sky dare devils, he was tempted to watch a performance if they were willing to take on a fully grown dragon.

"Hmmm, I guess he seems alright." Spitfire admitted, her tone wavering between skepticism and admission.

"Yea, all the crazy one's do." One of her fellows spat, this one a black maned stallion. "C'mon Spitfire, remember what happened last time? That thing almost leveled all of Ponyville." He motioned to the town, "doesn't look like it fair much better this time."

"Excuse me." The scholar frowned. "But that 'thing' happens to be my friend."

"Soarin..." The leader growled.

"Uh-uh, sorry Fire, but just because the target is passive now, doesn't mean it's not dangerous." The pony flapped his wings and began slamming into the bubble, making a few cracks that dispersed just as quickly as they came. "Darn it, let us go!"

Defiantly, Twilight shook her head and calmly explained to the pony she had no intention on his release if he planned to cause problems. They had a plan now, and she had no intention of allowing anyone, not even Celestia herself, to interfere with that.

It was then that the stallion flier recalled who exactly Twilight was, as well as her relationship with the current issue. In a tone that made Mac's blood boil in rage, began to berate her for how much of her fault it was that this happened. 

"Soarin what has gotten into you" Spitfire chided. The angry stallion scoffed at her.

"Don't remember what happened last time?" The stallion barked, his eye narrowing. "That thing didn't even break a sweat taking us down."

A pregnant silence transpired, filled only with the angry breaths of Saorin. 

"So?" Spitfire asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Revenge."

They all looked at Twilight. "You want to get back at him for beating you so easily." The leader of the Wonderbolts gave a confused look to her fellow, who of which neither confirmed nor denied the accusation. His stare, however, made it all to clear what the truth was. The librarian let out a long sigh, "look, I understand that the incident may have hurt your pride, but attacking him now wont-"

"It doesn't matter anyway!" He interrupted, flapping his wings and hovering again, "so long as the dragon remains as is, he is a threat." Soarin's eyes turned to Spitfire, "and we have our orders."

The fire maned mare stared her subordinate in the eye, trace hints of doubt beginning to surface on her face. Mac felt the tension, even from the outside. His eyes scanned the remaining five members of the Equestrian fliers, all of which seemed impassive, their blue tinted goggles hiding their eyes. The earth pony's breathing grew louder, if Soarin did try to break out and attack Spike, he wouldn't let it happen. Their orders be damned.

"Subdue the target at all costs." Spitfire exhaled, barely above a whisper. Mac looked over to his sister, the two sharing a look of determination as well as a nod. "I'm sorry, Twilight." The Captain of the Wonderbolts said before she and Soarin hovered up, getting ready to slam into the lavender force field. 

Macintosh and his sister crouched down and readied themselves to jump. He was pretty sure he could take Soarin on his own, and maybe Spitfire along with him. But the rest of the team was beyond him. Hopefully Twilight and his sister could handle them.

The sound of a harsh slam was accompanied by shattering glass. 

"NOW!"





Shade laughed maniacally as he dash from side to side, avoiding the night princess's spells. His muscles ached, his lungs begged him to stop, and a direct hit on his side burned something fierce, but he would never get another chance like this. 

"Weeeee!~" He sang before shooting up into the air and taking another nose dive for his nemesis. To his great irritation, another bright flash occurred and the beast had once again disappeared. But there was a theme he noticed now, every time she'd teleport, she'd always appear...

"Hello, puppet!"

At break neck speed, the bat pony turned around and bolted forward. In another flash of light, Luna appeared before him, her angry face holding for only a moment before the satisfying look of pain overtook it and she went flying back. Pushing his advantage, Shade flew into her and pushed his wings to to knock her off balance and on her side. Unfortunately for the moon holder, it worked. 

She was skidding on her side, her wing being pulled against the ground and Shade forcing her to continue moving. This was it, now, if he could just get to her horn, he could finish her infuriating disappearing act. While maintaining the force needed to push her along the ground, he inched his hoof up closer to her head, by the time he'd gotten to her neck, Luna's eyes had snapped to their glowing white again and threw her hoof, slamming into her assailant's wing.

The disruption set Shade off balance and he rolled over his enemy and landed a good few feet passed her. 

The insane stallion lay in a daze, the adrenaline in his body quickly dispersing, leaving him drained and exhausted. The cold fileld was quiet as the sun gave dismal heat from above. It was a strange feeling, being this tired. Then again, he'd never had an opponent who'd been nearly as strong as the beast.

He tried to lift his hoof to stand, the soreness of moving his muscles made him cringe. But he couldn't quit now, he was so close, the matriarch hadn't even moved yet, if she stayed down, he could finish it all right now. But not before telling her why.

"You wanna know why I'm doing this?" He asked, pushing past the pain and gaining shaky footing. A small smile creeping to a full blown psychotic bellow. "You really, -hehehe- you really don't know what I plan to gain?" Luna didn't respond. 

Shade began to stagger an advance, his legs full of lead and his panting mutilating his word. "Poor little beast all alone with none to protect her... I've waited for this day for years, beast. Ever since I was locked in the box, it was because of you... All you." He stood over her, looking down, his face devoid of  expression.  "Did you really think you'd -eheheheh-" He chuckled. "Did you really think your 'pardon' would be enough?"

"It's because of you: my parents abandoning me, letting them take me away and put me through Tartarus, forcing me do what ever they said even if it hurt me. No matter how I begged or cried or screamed, they would just tell me how disappointed you would be." 

He placed his hoof gently on her neck, his face growing to it's psychotic grin again. "It was because of you my sanity came to an end, and now I plan to end you." 

With all the force he could muster, he pushed his hoof down and began to twist. Suddenly, the princess screamed, she screamed a beautiful melody of pain and anguish. It was bone chillingly familiar, a terror filled and desperate cry that took him back to the box. "Do you feel it?" He asked softly, his voice drowned by Luna's shrieks. "Do you feel helpless and scared? That's how I felt." He placed a second hoof upon her throat, stifling her voice.

"Don't worry, unlike for me, your suffering will end quickly"

The Alicorn's body thrashed as she tried gasping for air, her flailed useless and her legs thrashed about trying to get free of him. But it was no use, Luna was in the most helpless position she could be in, and Shade couldn't be happier about it. He watched with glee as the first signs of her death showed. 

The beasts legs began to quit wobbling and hung limply against the ground, her wings quickly following, her chest going still and finally, her eyes slowly closing and a very low final, defeated breath leaving the princess's muzzle. 

Finally, quiet. Complete and utter silence. No thrashing, no spells, no yelling, no wind. Just pure and utter silence. Shade stood over his deceased prey, his smile softening, only one thought going through his mind. 'He'd finally done it, he'd finally killed the beast.' Funny, he'd always run plans through his head about having to kill a legion or two of guard to get to her, yet she was brought to him all alone. Ironic, really.

He turned away. "And may the Demon Lord repeatedly violate your soul." He spat.

He began to walk, victory had a bitter sweet taste to it, but still better than potato salad.

"Where doth thou thinkest thine is going?" Shade froze, a chill ran up his spine. 'no.' Slowly, he turned his head. His golden eyes nearly budged out of his head at the sight of the beast standing tall and proud, her coat and mane were flawless, absent of any signs of damage or battle. "We aren't done here."

"No..." Shade took a step back. "no, no this can't be... you-" he was cut off as a bolt of dark blue slammed into him, taking the pegasus to the ground. There he lay, the pain and exhaustion all but tossed aside for the confusion that consumed. How could she still be alive? He crushed her throat for what had to be at least five minutes, it wasn't possible, ponies couldn't go that long with out air. How did she not die?

By the time his thoughts subsided, he noticed the beast standing over him. He looked at her, his eyes no longer full of hatred and mal-intent, but just exhaustion. "Doth thou wish to know a secret?" Luna asked with a gossip like smirk, he managed a slight nod, the matriarch slowly descended her head and whispered "Alicorns are immortal."

Shade blinked a couple of times, taking in the information and letting it sit. It started out quaint and rough, but his chuckles of madness began to grow. He laughed, he laughed as hard as he could force himself to.

"Immortal, of course." He chuckled, wrapping his forelegs around his stomach. "Of course you're-- you can't die! Ahahahaha, the one thing I want--" He broke into a semi-stifled laugh, "-- and I can't have it! AHAHAHAhahahahahaha!"

As angry and hateful as the night pony was, all he could do was laugh. His one dream, his one purpose, his one goal in life... impossible. Apparently, one's world could be shattered twice.

"Oh, buck it." He managed as his laughter began to die down. "Buck... it... all. Just kill me and get it over with." No point in him living now, might as well end it.

Luna quirked a confused brow at him. "Kill you?"

"Come off it... We both know what you really are." He smiled coyly. "You get your jollies out of torturing and and hurting."

"We are no longer Nightmare Moon!"

Another harsh laugh. "So you claim."

The look Luna gave showed she'd had enough. "I will not kill you, Star Shade. You will stand trial for your actions against the crown as all ponies will." 

"Oh... I don't think so..." He smirked up at her. Luna's face was firm, yet her silence indicated for him to continue. "Well, not unless you want your dear sister to know about your dealings with Triple M." The night sister's eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp. "Oh yes... I will."

Shade knew the beast was cruel and foolish, but hopefully not too foolish.

"I'll deny it." She said. "I'll deny everything!"

The stallion grinned than looked around before mentioning his adversary to come down. He softly whispered something into her ear. 

Luna's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Tis a lie! Y-you're bluffing!"

"Try me."

A long and tense pause came between the two. For all her grand standing, Shade knew he'd won. That last little tid bit would seal the fact that he wouldn't stand trial and go back to prison. Now it was up to her: Would she kill him, or leave him be?





Macintosh had successfully tackled Soarin to the ground and used his superior strength to hold the stallion down. Applejack, albiet with a bit more difficulty, yielded the same results with Spitfire. 

"Easy there, big girl." She cooed.

"NO!" Twilight cried.

Mac cursed under his breath, the unicorn had managed to only grab two of the other fliers. The escapee's were en-rout to their target.

Hopefully Rainbow Dash would be able to handle them.





Finally, a smile. The magenta eyed pegasus had spent the better part of ten minutes trying to calm the dragon down. It really didn't help when the Wonderbolts showed up either, as awesome as it was to see them, they couldn't have picked a worse time.

The duration of the time of her talking, she noticed the ground was steadily growing closer. The greed growth effect was wearing off, and if she could just keep him occupied a little longer, and away from anything valuable, he'd eventually return to normal. At least, that's what she hoped for.

"Alright." Rainbow Dash nodded. "So, what do you say? Will you calm down and just talk to us?" She asked reassuringly. Spike closed his eyes and nodded. Thing were finally going to be alright.

At least until a crashing sound, followed by a loud "NO!" came from behind. The two looked over just in time to see three blue and yellow suited fliers coming right at them.

"What?" Rainbow asked in shock. She immediately jumped up and took off to intercept the Wonderbolts, no time for words, she couldn't let them undo her work. She'd regret it, the act may very well bar her from ever joining the team, but with what was at stake she had no choice; not to mention the massive head ache to come. She collided into two of the pegasus, unable to catch the third.

As she, tumbled down to the ground, she noticed the last flier had slammed itself into Spike's shoulder, some how tearing through his scales.

For all her efforts, the drake had only shrank a little bit, he was still a relatively formidable size and was now terrorized again. However, instead of fighting, he once more began to flee. He didn't get far though, something tripped him up and he fell to the ground. His impact causing a small earth quake.

She would have flown over to check if he was alright, but the two ponies she'd assaulted had regained their bearings and looking to get even.





"GET OFF!" Soarin cried attempting to struggle. But Macintosh was a stallion of the field and apprentice of the wild. Years and years of bucking apple trees and plowing fields, along with his natural strength as an earth pony, made him easily stronger than the flier. 

"Nope."

"Do you have any idea what's going to happen to you for this?" Spitfire proclaimed trying to gain her ground against Applejack.

Oh there would be consequences, that was for sure. But between a scolding from the pony sisters and a destructively rampaging dragon, the choice was clear. Fruitless as the effort may have been.

"Well, if you'd just list-"

A booming roar erupted from behind them, followed by a massive smashing and trembling of the ground. They all looked behind to see what caused it.

"SPIKE!" Twilight exclaimed.

Suddenly, a swift and unexpected pressure in the apple stallion's side sent him flying off of his charge. His guard lowered by the shock, he flew fully off of his captive and landed in a heap. "Big Mac!" His sister cried. 

The pony tried to get to his side and back to Soarin, but sharp and extremely acute jolts of pain sent him back down. Mac gritted his teeth, lamenting his broken ribs and the one responsible. He slowly rose his head to find the one of the three escaped Wonderbolts had returned and were now trying to assist their comrades.

Mac pushed past the pain and steadily gained his ground while Applejack bucked Soarin away from her and Twilight divided her concentration between the two she had and one who'd assaulted him. 

"Enough!" Soarin Barked, wiping a bit of fresh blood from his muzzle. "Aid to an enemy of the nation is treason!"

In the blink of an eye, time stopped. Struggles halted, words of release had silenced, and the very sounds of natured seemed to have just... stopped.

Everypony present stood motionless and wide eyed at Soarin, even Applejack and Spitfire had ceased their wrestling.

Treason? The word made Mac almost forget about the pain in his sides. Treason was the highest offense anypony could be accused of, so little had ever gone against the princess that the charge had all but been forgotten. What was even the punishment for that?

Twilight, understandable, stood far more flabbergasted than the rest. Celestia's opinion was one of the highest regard to the mare, to think her mentor would look unfavorably upon her itself would be earth shattering; let alone see her as a criminal of the most heinous offense.

"You've already assaulted multiple members of the Equestrian Air Force-" the stallion spat. "Interfered with Special Operations, and now you're aiding a threat to the nation." His words were frank and exploratory, not malicious, but very direct. "Those are grounds for treason."

"Treason?" A soft voice called. All of the ponies looked up to find Princess Luna slowly descending to the ground. "Twilight Sparkle, please release those ponies from thine grasp and explain to us what's going on here."

Doing as she was asked, Applejack removed herself from the leader and sat by her friend. 

With all the grace of a disillusioned madmare, Twilight began spouting out random information that was more important to her own welfare than to the events that lead up to the current situation. At least, that's what Mac could tell between the constant apologies and begging to not be sent to the dungeons.

It wasn't until a battered Rainbow Dash was retrieved by her idols that anything truly insightful was spoken. According to her, Spike had wondered into the Diamond Dogs mines for some reason...





Silently, the brown cloaked Federalist crept behind a hill to avoid detection from the group of arguing ponies. He wasn't sure who the blue suited equine were, or why Macintosh and his friends were fighting them, but he had a bigger problem. Sin limped a bit quicker, knowing it would only be a matter of time before the lot of them redirect their attention.

His legs were shaking and his cloak stained with blood.

Eventually he found his target and quickly climbed up the dragon's chest and retook the bolt he'd shot. He looked up the now silent group of ponies, the lunar princess now holding authority over them, then back to the bolt head. Sin shook his head and climbed down from the unconscious drake, he noticed a huge wound on the beasts arm, scales being stripped away revealing vulnerable pink flesh.

Upon noticing a few scattered and loose scales, Sin furrowed his brow in contemplation. His mind was abuzz with the ethics of what he was thinking on doing, it wasn't right, even by his standards. But the power unicorns had, this was his one chance.

"I'm sorry, Spike."
 
  

  
> Mark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Mark



Mac's eye twitched. 

Fillies, that's what they reminded him of. Even in such a serious situation as this, Twilight and Soarin were screaming over each other to Luna like Scootaloo and Applebloom did to him when something bad happened and neither wanted to get in trouble for it. 

Spitfire had the same look, or she did until her hoof was slammed over he face. Professionalism: when your boss facehooves over you, you're doing it wrong.

"NO, you should have stayed out of it! We had everything under control!" 

"It was a matter of national security! You're aiding of the enemy is inexcusable!"

"Spike isn't the enemy!"

"Yes he is!"

"No he isn't!"

Sweet Celestia was it giving him a migraine.

Fortunately, Luna had less patience for such squabbling than he did and brought it to an abrupt halt, courtesy of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

ENOUGH! She bellowed, bringing about an almost supernatural silence. "Now, we wish thine subjects speak as adults, instead of foals."

The apple stallion inwardly chuckled. Perhaps he and she weren't so different after all.

"Now, we demand to know what is going on here!"

"Well..." Twilight said, beating Soarin to the punch. She told her side of it and how since Spike was passive and being kept calm, she and her friends were justified in holding the fliers back. 

Though, the second in command of the fliers saw the situation differently, siting some legal jabber about how orders were orders and interfering with them were grounds for reprehension from the law.

Big Macintosh failed to stop the seething leer at the ponies words. It wasn't the time or the place, so he'd hold his tongue in that respect; but staying to the law could have caused far more damage than breaking it. There was a time and place for protocol and holding to rules, that much was true, and he didn't know for a fact that what Rainbow was doing would calm Spike indefinitely, but what ever the Wonderbolts had in mind would have ended a great deal worse; of that he was certain.

"And on that note." Soarin pointed to the fallen drake, siting his team's handy work. "The target is subdued." 

"Yea." Macintosh spat. "Only cause Rainbow calmed 'em down so yer' cheap shotin' behinds could catch 'em off guard."

All present looked at the stallion with gaped mouths. He was only telling the truth, Spike was in a highly vulnerable state physically --emotionally too by the look of it.-- Only one of the seven freely assaulted the dragon, and that pegasus single hoofedly defeated a being that easily took down five of them on his own? The Wonderbolt taking credit for the dragon's downfall wa questionable at best.

Before the Soarin could reply, a low grumbling from Spike brought everypony's attention back to the current issue. "We'll finish this later." Twilight declared, eying daggers at the stallion, before galloping off to her former assistant. Macintosh shared a brief stare down with him as well before he followed suit, quickly tailed by Applejack carrying a very beaten Rainbow Dash on her back.





"Spike are you... Sin?" Twilight asked in shock. The stallion in question, for what ever reason, finished stuffing something into his saddle bag. "How did you get here? How are you walking?"  

The addressed gave a pained smirk. "Not my first time being crushed by a dragon, Ms. Sparkle."

"Where's Pinkie and Rarity?" The lavender mare asked. Sin shrugged, it wasn't a lie to say he didn't know. They must have noticed he'd disappeared and were probably looking for him. 

"Sin? What'er ya doin' here?" Macintosh asked trotting up. Again, the stallion chucked and repeated himself.

"Enough about that." The Federalist dismissed and turned to the unconscious form of his friend. "He's out cold. I don't know what you did, but it was effective."

"We didn't do anything." Twilight spat, looking back to the seven ponies flying towards them. 

'So, they were the one's responsible.' Sin mused. For a split second, he thought Triple M had made an appearance again. With Luna here, he was almost sure of it.

Setting aside idle chatter, the ponies did the only thing they could and inspected the dragon's wounds. When Rainbow arrived, she had spilled information about how she felt Spike shrinking while she was standing on his muzzle. The revelation gave hope to the theory that just keeping him away from anything valuable would allow him to shrink back to normal size. 

It made sense, and was a hopeful truth. Now, to figure out what the hell happened to turn him into this.

Yet again, Rainbow Dash was the one to explain, and it wasn't something Sin wanted to hear.

"He what?" The stallion seethed. Taken a bit aback by the sudden emotional outburst, Rainbow awkwardly repeated a short summery. 'No, no that can't be true. He'd taught the drake better than that.' All the same, it was an accusation that could be investigated, as much as the Federalist dreaded the suspicion confirmed. "Where?"

He was pointed in the direction of the Dogs' mines and began walking, well, limping with a purpose. 

"Need some help, partner?" Mac asked, limping beside him as well. 

"Your in just a bad a shape as i am," the stallion stated walking a few steps ahead. "If I were you, I'd look into restraining him until he returns to normal." And with that, Sin wordlessly continued onward. A small pit in his stomach beginning to form. 

His mind was a blaze with thoughts, ranging from how could this happen to what he was going to do if it were true. Had he failed? Had he truly failed what he considered one of his closest friends? Where did he go wrong in it all? What part of "non aggression" wasn't understood? 

No, no, innocent until proven guilty. Perhaps there was another reason he went to the mines. Just going to mine for some gems? That seemed like a plausible explanation.

'Oh yea, intentionally going into a mine where the Dogs would rip him to shreds for intruding on their territory... No, no he wasn't looking for trouble or anything..'

Spike didn't seem the kind for revenge though, he was sarcastic and humorous, a bit blunt and cold to be sure, but never seemed the type to actually want to cause harm to another. There had to be another explanation.

Twenty minutes of limping later, his fears were confirmed. Large chunks of dirt and earth lay haphazardly tossed aside, the once flat and lustrous green land that he remembered being here had turned into a disturbing gash that lead deep into the earths' crust. With as fresh as the disturbed dirt and rocks were, the mar couldn't have happened but a few hours ago. There was only one thing big enough to cause this much destruction.

Sin pressed his lips and gulped. He remembered studding up on Diamond Dogs in case there was ever an instance he wanted to visit the state of Cania, one piece of information that stuck with him most was the "Treasure Hall" where all the canine would store all the gems they'd discovered. 

Stealing himself limped over the edge of the new chasm and looked down.

The Federalist's heart sunk when he saw what was at the bottom. the Sun was at just the right angle in the sky to catch the glimmers and twinkles of the brilliant gem stones below. 

"No," He whispered before looking for a way down. maybe he wasn't seeing it right, maybe Spike had pushed past them? It was just a few shines right under the light, there was dirt all around them so it couldn't have been that much. He looked for a way to investigate, saw an incline and slid down.

'Oh yes, only a few, the cave in after Spike left this place wouldn't have --oh, I don't know-- buried them? Honestly, you're in denial.'

And maybe he was, that flat bit of ground would be the epicenter of this crater. Spike's treasure hoarding effect would need a lot of gems to grow to his current size and strength. NO! Spike wasn't like this, he wouldn't assault a group of other sentient beings and steal their treasure, there had to be another explanation...

When he finally reached the bottom, his heart sank again. Upon viewing the plethora of jewels that laced floor of the old cavern, all of his doubts disappeared. 

Sin removed his goggles down to his neck and l fell to his rump. It was hard to take in, Thousands upon thousands of various sized gem stones littered under the rubble. The dirt was there, but it wasn't enough to hide just how many valuables lay scattered in.

'There it is.' The voice in his head condemned. 

Yea, there it was. Incontrovertible evidence to deny that this was, in fact, his dragon friend's doing. The gems fed into his greed and his body grew to the point he would erupt from the earth, climb out and do as he pleased. But why? Why would he come back here?

'Are you retarded? Gee, why would a dragon come back to a jewel rich mine after he fought his way through Tapio knows how many Diamond Dogs that have huge sums of treasure locked away? Milikki, I'm completely stumped.

Did he? No, the dragon was upset and wanted revenge, he didn't want to to steal all the gems for himself.

'Yes, that's exactly what he did.'

No, he didn't.

'Are you seriously denying what's in front of your own fucking eyes? Look around!' Sin sighed, failing to do so. He didn't need to, he knew, he knew that his logical side was right, he just didn't want to believe he was betrayed like this. Or maybe it was a failure on his part in educating the drake. Why not? His fuck ups bit him in the ass how many times today?

The stallion sat in silence, too tired and sore to move just yet. He'd need time to truly let this sink in, and how to deal with and confront the dragon responsible.





Whilst Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack began to speculate what course of action would bring Spike back to normal size, Macintosh was eying a particular wonderbolt with a glare heavy enough to crush obsidian. Despite the fact the entire group of fliers were receiving a scolding from the lunar alicorn, Soarin would often allow his eyes to wander and lock with Mac's own. 

Treason... That word was stuck in Macintosh's mind. That pony would have charged him with treason for trying to keep a sensitive situation under control. Who did that stallion think he was to even threaten such a thing? And with such impunity no less, Soarin had no idea what the the four of them were doing to keep Spike calm, yet he'd have the worst charge placed upon the farmer and his friends just because the flier was upset?! No, that was not okay by any means.

"Twilight!" Mac looked over to find a familiar trio of mares approaching, the pink one taking point. "Have you seen Sin? We- SPIKE!" The three rushed over to the dragon and began inspecting for injuries."

As the rest of AJ's friends arrived, Luna dismissed the performers/special officers. One by one they slowly began to take flight, the princess's words stinging a bit at their egos, all until one remained. He didn't stay for an extended period though, just long enough to hold a proper stare down with the farmer. It was strange, this pony hadn't really done much in the way hurting Macintosh, yet he held more contempt for him than the jailor who locked him those many months ago.

In a blink, the flier's eyes shot up as if realization struck and he grinned smugly. "I'll be seeing you." He growled before lifting himself into the air and shooting after his companions.

Silently, the apple stallion watched him off, his face as hard as stone. "Eyup." he said to no one in particular. What was that supposed to mean? He'll be seeing him? Was that a threat on his life?

'Please let it be.'

Are you kidding me?

'What? If he comes at you, then you can beat him down in self defense. Nothing saying you can't enjoy the process is there?

Isn't revenge what got Spike in this whole mess?

'Two different things, boss. Two completely different things.'

Mac shook his head, the prospect of seeing a psychologist becoming more and more appealing, and did his best to walk with out limping. Now what were they going to do? If what Rainbow said was true, they could probably just wait his growth out. Keeping him calm and away from any valuables for a few hours should do the trick.

"Heya Big Macintosh" called his sister with a gentle smile. "Why doncha go get some rest? We c'n take it from here." But... After staying up most the night, being teleported for the first time, chasing down a dragon, going hoof to hoof with a Wonderbolt, maybe some rest was just what he needed...











His eyes slowly began to flutter, unsure about if to open. Consciousness crept upon him more and more, making the raisng head ache even more profound. 'ow man, what happened?' He thought. His memories drew an immediate blank but were slowly beginning to return. He wished they wouldn't, not because he remembered anything bad, but every thought he had sent a jolt of brain splitting agony through his cranium.

He groaned and rubbed his face, immediately retracting the appendage and letting it fall to where he lay. Another mistake. He just sat and lay where he was for what felt like hours. His memories were all coming back, but he didn't have the mental fortitude to search through them. Letting his mind rest was the only thing that didn't cause him too much discomfort. Eventually, the head ache began to subside enough for him to think, but he still didn't want to move. 

Suddenly, he heard murmurs. They sounded so far away and muddle, like there was something between he and them. What were they? 

"How's Spike doin'?" A louder, more rambunctious voice asked.

Spike, that's his name. (Because you needed to be told that... yea)

The drake slowly forced his eyes open and looked around. He was on a very soft bed in a dark, but familiar wooded room. "Twilight's room?" He asked in a daze. Slowly, the dragon began to sit himself up, trying to get his thoughts gathered. How did he get in here? Why couldn't he remember doing anything that would garner concern from others?

Spike took a breath and sat at the bed side and pulled a hand away from a sudden discomfort in his arm. His green eyes looked curiously over a white bandage that enveloped his left shoulder, a noticeable soreness throbbing from it.

Once his mind was clear enough to think properly, he figured he should go down stairs and inform his friends that he was ok. He made his way to the door than stopped just before grasping the door knob. The dragon took a few steps backwards and looked to his right into a vanity mirror that showed his reflection.

It was curious, something was off about him. No, not off. Wrong. Something was wrong with him. 

The more he looked, the wider his eyes became. His body... A larger head, pot belly, small and chubby legs... "No." He gasped taking a step away. No, no no no no this couldn't be happening. He was his small and pathetic size again. 

Horror and dread over powered any remnants of his drowsiness. Spike's breathing became erratic the longer he stared at himself. His Spine's lost their slicked back edges, his eyes once again full of innocence and curiosity, and worst of all: The damn mare muzzle he had. All the work he'd put into his body, all the scars and experiences his form had been molded from were gone now. 

Left with only the chubby cheeked, baby dragon he had come to despise.

He stood as still as he could, fighting against his body's trembling and eying the reflective surface with a vain hope that what he was looking at was merely some kind of enlarged picture. A very fearful and nervous picture. He blinked, the mirror image blinked in sync. He didn't want it to be true, how could this have happened to him?

Minutes passed and his body calmed. His eyes grew to a sturdy and hate filled scowl and he punched the mirror as hard as he could, scattering the shards to fall with small and large clanks and screeches of farther breaking around him. He didn't know why he punched the mirror, but dammit if it didn't make him feel at least a little bit better.

"SPIKE!" Twilight called. He didn't care. He was too angry to care. Look at him! It was like the last seven months of his life were erased in one night's sleep! Luna dammit all, why?!

A stampead up the library stairs came, and the door to room burst open with a single gasp presiding. Typical. 

"Spike?"

The dragon stood silent for a moment, his claw still pinning a few shards unfortunate enough to have been stuck between his fist and the wall with small bits of blood now dripping. A few tense breaths passed and in a low tone, he growled. "What. Happened. To me?"

Another moment of silence. Spike was still focused on where the mirror was, uncaring for their presence save the information he demanded.

"Y-" Twilight began timidly. "You don't remember?"

Spike's eye twitched and his head snapped in her direction. "If I knew, would I be asking?" He snarled. He was far too livid for stupid common sense games. "What the buck happened to me!"

Before he could get an answer from the distraught unicorn, Applejack poked her head in the door. "Everythin' all righ' in here, sugarcube?" Soon after, Rarity and the rest of her five friends began to enter, each with various looks of concern, irritation and relief. 

When Rainbow Dash stepped in, limped rather, a sudden sense of connection hit him. Like she knew or was apart of his current situation.

"Oh my goodness, Spike your hand-"

A snarl from aforementioned caused the pink maned pegasus to squeak and shrink behind her mane. Unamused with his intimidation tactics on the element of kindness, Applejack stood in front of her as a mother would her frightened young. "Look Spike, Ah know yer havin' a hard time n' all, but that don't give ya th' righ' ta-"

In one solid and almost instant motion, Spike's eyes were a mear inch and a half a way from her's, the glass his fist was holding up, falling after the fact. 

Applejack was taken aback, but only for a moment before her own gaze hardened, trying to match the devolved hatchling's intensity. 

"What happened to me." He whispered through clenched teeth. This close, he was this close to smacking the living crap out of the mare if the next words out of anypony's mouth didn't begin with: 'What happened was...'

Luckily for the farmer, Twilight began to explain the situation in a soothing and calming tone. At least she understood that he wasn't in the mood to be toyed with. 

Though her words quickly sucked the anger out of him and replaced it with a numbed sense of concern and confusion. As she spoke, it was like a movie played in his head, the many memories he'd forgotten shoving themselves into his forethought. The Diamond Dogs, the mine, the anger he felt,  the consequences, the gems...

His eyes widened at the realization. The gems. That's what made him grow, right? What was he thinking in claiming them for his own? He didn't know, how could he? The drake was running for his life to avoid being captured by the law for assaulting an entire pack of dogs just to get to their leader. Well, he didn't wake up in a prison cell, that was good at least.

Spike looked at his shoulder as Twilight explained the part of the Wonderbolt's arriving. It was impressive how much damage had been done to it, a good chunk of scales were missing and even some of his flesh was carved off, from what she said; and the radiating pain more than confirmed the story. Score was even now for sure...

Upon completion of the events explained, the lavender unicorn posed the question that the room already knew the answer to. "We just have to know, why did you go back into the mine?"

He didn't want to answer, what was the point? The evidence would speak for itself, he grew quickly and the Canine were famous for the only treasure they horded. Would they even believe him if he were to say he was sorry for what he had done? That he was just trying to hide away from the law and lost control of himself...

His blank stare and lack of an answer was all the excuse somepony needed to speak.

"Revenge..." 

The room turned to Rainbow Dash. "Because of what they did to you when they took Rarity?" She gave a small look to the fashonista than to him. "That's why you went there in the first place, isn't it?"

The drake let a small smile cross his lips, she bucking narked on him, figures.

"Yea." he nodded, his tone mixed between bitter and relieved. He was already screwed, might as well come clean about it.

So, the drake confessed, he confessed to everything. His resentment for being treated like a child still, the sitting and thinking in the park, the fact he wanted to track down Fido and make him feel the same kind of humiliation he felt, all of it. He expect himself to break down some how, maybe a tear or a sob, but it didn't come. All things presented were done in a fashion of nothing less than calm and even matter of fact. 

And he felt no remorse for it. The dogs deserved what they got as far as he was concerned. Rarity's payback was humiliating them and making off like a bandit with multiple carts of gems, while he'd never gotten so much as an apology.

It was quiet again. Six pairs of eyes looking upon him with concern and sadness. What was sad was that he felt anger at them. The six friends present used to fill his heart with warmth and love, and the worry-filled eyes he saw now used to make him feel cared for and loved. But today, they just pissed him off.

"Wh- Why didn't you tell us?" Twilight asked, breaking the silence.

Spike snorted. "Honestly? I didn't care enough to dwell on it." He shrugged and turned to look at the broken mirror below him, seeing his reflection in the larger chunks. "I knew I wasn't big or strong enough to do anything about it, so I let it go."

"But now I-" He stopped and clenched his fists. His tiny, non threatening fists. "I restored what I lost that day..."







Macintosh began to stir from his slumber, his ribs ached beyond reason, but other than that he was ok. Granny didn't give him too much hassle about sleeping in his room, considering his shape. Matter of fact, her hard demeanor had completely dropped upon the sight of him being hurt and after palpating his abdominal and determining non of his ribs had actually broken, sent him to get some bed rest.

The red stallion forced himself up, he couldn't rest yet; there were a few last things he needed to take care of before he could relax. He slowly crawled out of bed and made way for the door. Down the stairs, outside and on his way to town. Though, he had to stop for a moment and take in the fact that some of the apple trees had been broken over. Well, Granny Smith and Applebloom are both ok, that's all that's important.

The trip through town wasn't much worse. A few buildings with a small amount of roof torn off, a nice gash in the barber shop, and other small damages. Though, with the repairing residents, while generally irritated, looked more worried and uncertain. He over heard two mares mumbling to each other as he passed. Both were confused and angry to why Spike was "allowed" to grow like that again. As if it were condoned by those responsible for him or even his fault.

With a snort, he marched to the library, not fully sure what to expect, however the door flung open before he could get to it, with a very strange sight coming out. The familiar dragon spoke in his old higher pitched voice again, and he didn't look to happy. Following was Twilight and Applejack, calling for him to stop and talk to them.

"What else is there to say?" The drake barked. "What I did was stupid, but I'm not sorry for it."

Wait, they were talking about that already? Mac would have expected them to try to keep him calm, what happened?

"Spike, please... you're hurt and upset right now, I get that." Twilight said compassionately, none taking notice to Macintosh's arrival. "But please, can't we talk about this later? Please?"

Her words were sincere and gentle, Mac actually felt compelled to tell Spike that she was right. Heads were still hot and there had been enough bad decisions made for one day. 

Too bad the aforementioned didn't see it that way. 

The green eyed reptile just scoffed and rolled his eyes his before proclaiming that he wanted his old body back as quickly as he could get it and had every intention to retrieve his bag from the lake in hope. As he turned to walk, Macintosh caught his eye and the two stood for a moment. The stallion wasn't sure what it was, but the look in Spike's eyes wasn't right.

The drake continued to walk, but Mac stood in his way.

"What?"

Mac didn't answer. Something was wrong with his friend, and he wanted an explanation for it.

"Oh great, now you're getting on my back too?" He folded his arms. "Ok, I attacked the dogs to get revenge for what they did to me. Ok?" With the shoddy explanation given, he tried to push past, but found a giant red foreleg blocking his path and two somber eyes looking down at him. "What now?"

"N' you turned into ah rampaging monster tah do that?"

Spike took a step back and quirked an offended brow. "No, that was an accident."

"Is tha' righ'?" Mac asked flatly. Being tender and what not wasn't really his way of doing things. And with the way the girls were looking right now, maybe his way was just what the dragon needed. "N' how's tha?"

Spike stood for a moment then rolled his eyes, "Why don't you go talk to Rarity? Mac? I don't need this." He tried to walk past again, but this time, the stallion through his hoof forward and sent the hatchling staggering back. 

"No, I think ya do." Mac growled, his eyes narrowing. He could hear a bit of debating from the girls about Spike's words and if they should intervene or not, but this was a male thing. And could only be handled as such. As expected, the drake returned the glare and balled his fists threateningly. 

Even in his current condition, Mac could easily win in a fight, but as likely as the situation was coming to it; but he'd rather not. Spike was his friend, one of the individuals he'd actually gotten close to in his life... Still, he had to address the problem. "Y'all need to learn to respect others."

A bewildered look crossed the dragon's face, as if he couldn't believe what he was just told. But Mac knew that was the case and proceeded to enlighten all present. Ever since they started following Sin, there was one thing the Federalist had failed to address, and it was that Spike was still young. He treated all of them as adults and let them make their own decisions. 

While he did teach that it wasn't ok to commit aggression against another, Sin didn't much care if the group was respectful or considerate to others. So long as nopony was hurting another, he didn't care what happened. But there was more to life than simply 'not hurting others'; especially when it came to ponies who cared for you.

Freedom was a great thing and all, but that belonged to those mature and respectful enough to be trusted with it. It wasn't that he couldn't be trusted, far from it, but even with Spike's aged body, his mind still had plenty of growing up to do.

Apparently, the hatchling had forgotten that there was a certain etiquette that one gave to those who actually gave a damn about them, and it was time he remembered that.

"You think I don't respect her?" Spike gave a bewildered smile. "Twilight raised me from birth, she's practically my mother!"

"Then why do ya treat 'er like 'n annoyance?"

Spike threw his palm into his face. "Because she's treating me like a child!"

Mac was about to answer, however, a pony moving past him halted his words. 

Sin wordlessly walked past him until he was face to face with the issue at hand. Mac pressed his lips, typically when the Federalist made an entrance, he'd usually say preclude it with some vocal greeting. Where was that pony for so long anyway?

"What do you want?" Not a second after the words left his mouth, the dragon fell to the ground, a sharp pain now shooting through his nose. Mac stood with his mouth agape, Sin scowled at the dragon and retracted his hoof from a firm right hook. 

Woah hold the bucking mail curior, Sin... the master of Non aggression, just assaulted sompepony who wasn't personally provoking him. Mac couldn't move, he was rightfully shocked, but it didn't end there.

"Why did you claim the dog's treasure?" Sin asked barely above a whisper. If it wasn't for Macintosh's proximity, he wouldn't have been able to make it out.

Spike, who had a look akin to the apple stallion's own, broke from his stupor an stood with dagger eyes. "Truth be told, I don't know."

"Don't give me that bull shit." Sin growled taking a step forward and repeated himself with an edge that could cut diamond. Spike eluded that answer in favor of explaining why he went there in the first place.

"Revenge?" The Federalist repeated. "You betrayed my teachings because of something that happened years ago? Is that what I'm coming to understand?"

"You weren't there, you don't know what they did to me! How ashamed I was! How could you ever understand?"

TWAK.







Spike was down again, but this time he wasn't the only one. Sin became engulfed in a lavender glow and was shot back a good ten feet before he came to a skidding halt on his side. And to add onto the current commotion, an almost bodyless black blur zipped past the stallion and slammed itself into Twilight. 

"Shade!" Sin barked, the aforementioned's typically over powered flying ability hadn't done it's expected damage, the unicorn he'd just attacked merely staggered backwards into Applejack, both keeping upright. "That's enough."

Shade himself stood on shaking legs and eyed his friend's assailant with seething eyes. 

Sin picked himself up with some difficulty and managed to slowly limp back to where he stood, explaining to his associate that he did, in fact, deserve the unicorn's scorn. That last hit was unnecessary on his part.

"The only one shaming you here is yourself." The tan clad stallion seethed looking to Spike, who was getting up for the second time. "Now enough with self pity, emo bull shit and grow up." His seething words were concluded with a brief stare down from the drake. Sin knew he was probably over stepping his bounds on this one, but with the destruction that his friend had just wrought, he couldn't sit by with out giving his two bills on the matter. Spike was mentally in a bad place, a place he'd recognized from not too long ago. 

Sin couldn't allow him to end up the same way. "You want to be treated as an adult? Why? Ever since we've gotten here I have seen nothing resembling that from you." Spike opened his mouth but Sin wasn't about to let him get a word in. "What? You're going to bring up how calm and level headed you've been? You became upset when Twilight told you that you were too young for a job. An adult would have disregarded her opinion and just tried to find one, or not asked her at all; not thrown a fit when an opinion didn't go their way. She is your mother, but she doesn't hold control over you. I'd expect you to have figured that out by now."

Spike's frown deepened during the scolding, but not turning more angry or hateful, but more of a...

Pouting? Well, at least the message was sinking in. But dammit if Sin didn't hate seeing males pout, it wasn't anything logical, just really stupid and pitiful looking. He had to restrain a third kick of his hoof because of it.

"And Macintosh is right." The stallion sighed looking up to Twilight and Applejack, who was now joined by Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "I didn't teach Spike to respect others. I saw him as the adult he wanted to be and I treated him accordingly, I didn't recognize the problem because I didn't care; and I owe all here an apology for that." He looked to the pouting reptile again. "Especially you."

He shared a moment of eye contact with Spike who then looked away again. His gaze then looked up to the unicorn mare, her angry eyes softening the longer he looked at them. He wasn't sure why he waited for her scowl to disappear entirely before he turned away, but it just felt right to ensure that he didn't leave with her upset at least. The dragon needed help, and hopefully Sin knocking the self-righteousness out of him, his friend would understand that fact as well.

"Shade." He said, beckoning the night pony to follow him back to the Everfree. "Oh and Macintosh." he stopped again and looked to the giant red stallion. "Sorry about the apple trees." And with that the two ponies left Ponyville.

...

...

"Hey Big Macintosh, wha' all did he mean 'bout the apple trees?"

  

  
> Post
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Post



Back in the Everyfree forest, Sin sat at his camp leaning against a tree, a bottle of Moonshine he'd used exclusively for disinfectant in his hoof. Well it used to be exclusive anyway, seeing as he was no mixing it with the wine and sucking it down like there was no tomorrow.

The warmth of the fire battling the cold of the night for dominance caused him to shutter. He didn't bother setting out the tarp to reverberate the heat of the flame, so only half of him was warmed by it. Inducing a slightly nauseous feeling from the extreme temperate mix.

He eyed the collected purple scales that lay in glisten off the camp fire. When he was sober, he planned to use the alcohol to sanitize the things before he did... something with them. What was it?

His mind was blank and he chuckled. "Can't even figure out my own stupid plans anymore, dumbass." He took another swig. His mouth stung and throat burned something fierce as the lukewarm liquid spilled down into his stomach. It always did, even mixed with the lower proof wine, it burned like hot metal. 

Yea, days like this were prime time for alcohol. How many times had he failed today? Spike in almost every way possible? Check. Failing to research the Dragonsbane? Check. Going straight for violence instead of at least attempting diplomacy? Check. Oh and his current favorite, needing assistance to disperse the occupation in Canterlot. Check.

Thinking back on it made him sick to his stomach. How could he have allowed all that to happen? What kind of mental fucking retard was he? It was clear Spike needed more guidance, Twilight Sparkle had proven herself less than capable of that the minute the drake wanted to leave. And jumping straight to shooting him? By Tapio what would his Grandfather think if he knew?

Sin's breath caught in his throat. Mandylion, one of the few ponies in the world Sin actually held in high regard. The highest really. How disappointed he would be to see his grandson like this. To know that he'd failed to live up to him, discarding everything the wise pony had taught out of panic and lack of rational thinking.

Unable to withstand the disappointed amber orbs in his mind, Sin drowned the thought off with another swig and tried to shrug off whatever Mandylion's opinion may be, but it was no use. The earth pony had been more of a role model for him than his own father was. He looked up the his grandfather and his teachings, taking an almost cult-like following to them. Just leave everyone alone, listen to all, follow none and don't stick your nose where it didn't belong. It wasn't difficult, and most anyone around would agree with it unless some form of altruism was put into context. 

The bushes rustled to his left, but he didn't care. The way he was right now, he'd be happy to go hoof to whatever came for him. 'Screw it, let's see what I can do when I can't hide behind my cross bow.'

A familiar bat pony exited the brush with a blank stare. Sin's curious look turned sour and he took another swig. "Sup?"

"The clouds." Shade replied taking in the unmolested trees and landsacpes. "Surprised you haven't tried to slam your head into anything yet."

Sin chuckled mirthlessly. "Surprised you give a shit." Another swig, half the bottle in one night? Damn, how was he not dead yet? The night pegasus didn't reply, he knew better. 

The two sat quietly, the Federalist taking the occasional drink while looking off into space and Shade eyeing the fire. But like a quiet before the storm, the uneasy peace didn't last.

"So, what do you want?"

Shade didn't reply, he just stared indifferently into the blaze.

"Oi, dumbass!" Sin barked, "I asked you a question, or didn't you hear me?" Shade let out a breath and turned to face his intoxicated acquaintance with narrowed eyes. "Fuck's that look for?"

"You're drunk."

"No shit." He chuckled again. A loud smack and yelp echoed off in the distance, drawing the two's apathetic attention. "Dumbass Timberwolves." He really needed a find a way to kill them permanently. Annoying reconstruction magic. "Now what do you want?"

Sighing, the Discordian acolyte turned his attention back to the fire, mumbling about how he just wanted to sit and rest for a bit. "What? You're supposed god gettin' sick of you already?"

In a flash, Shade's head snapped back with a hatefilled glare. This only fueled Sin's fire however, as he made another taunt about how stupid the Equestrian was for believing such a tale. "The god of chaos." He scoffed. "What a joke." he drew up the wine/moonshine mix to his lips, but a swift slam into his chest made him spit take the fluid and groan in pain from his countless fractured bones.

"Don't. Bucking. Go there." Shade growled, his eyes narrowed to hateful slits that sent chills up his potential enemy's spine. Sin was too drunk to be smart enough to shut his mouth though.

"Or what." He whispered through clenched teeth as he lifted his head to look his assailant dead in the eye. "What exactly are you gonna do?" 

A few tense moments passed. Heavy breathing from the both of them was the only sound to accompany the crackling sound of the dancing flames behind them. One out of pain, having a hoof baring down on his chest, and another from visibly holding back slamming a second hoof to accompany it.

Light reflected from Shade's eyes, a fire that Sin had only ever seen once, a sight that, by all rights, should have made him soil himself in sheer terror. The last time the batpony had that look, he'd barley survived the rampage when he'd bucked Shade's pet hydra in the face. But right now, he didn't care. He didn't care about anything.

"Go ahead." 

The silence finally broke under a soft, threatening, drunken whisper.

"Hit me, see what happens." It was a bluff, a far out Hail Milikki, he had no way of defending himself now. His crossbow was in pieces, and all other form of weapons were out of reach. If Shade decided to oblige, he was as good as dead; and he knew it.

However, the pegasus just shook his head and took a step back, removing his appendage from it's place and turned around. "I knew you wouldn't do it." Sin proclaimed triumphantly.

His arrogance was short lived as a hind leg bucked him in the chest and, with great force, slammed his body into the tree. Something snapped, he wasn't sure what it was, but something snapped.

He gasped for the the air to return to his assaulted lungs and coughed, neither of which helped the impending migraine. Nor the sudden radiation of suffering from his back,"You asked for it."

Sin wanted to reply, but between the pain and the difficulty to catch his breath, that was almost impossible. He did only what he could, which was limited to a pitiful groan. Shade seemed more amused by it than threatened. The Equestrian sat back in his spot with a certain bitter sweet smugness and once against glared into the fire.

After a few moments of Sin catching his breath, the stallion's anger subsided and he apologized, claiming his associate deserved none of what he said. "But still, I do have to ask: Why do you keep hanging around me?" Shade gave him a look, causing the brown clad stallion to sigh. "Don't stare at me like that, you know what I mean."

His associate, almost as if gaining a sudden case of amnesia to the last two minutes, answered honestly. "Where else am I supposed to go?" 

"Anywhere ya want. Not like too many ponies could stop you."

A small grin made it's way unto the night pony's muzzle. If memory served, Shade's ultimate goal was to be free from reality. A conversation the two had way back with they first met. Wonder if he still has that goal?

"Yea, I do." He nodded. "I still want to be free of consequence."

Sin let out a sigh, as drunk as he was, he still knew that one could ignore reality, but one could not ignore the consequences of reality. And no amount of insanity or mind altering substances will change that. Still, if there was one pony who could find a way to do it, it was defiantly the stallion before him.

"What about you, Sin?" The mentioned gave him a look. "Long as I've known you, you've never told me what you planned to do in life." Shade turned his head and stared blankly. "What is it you live for?"

Sin bit his lip and contemplated telling the pegasus exactly he wanted to see before dying. It wasn't that he thought Shade would be offended by it, on the contrary, he'd probably relish in the idea and wish to join him. It was just a matter of timing. His single aspiration in life, the one experience he wished to view wasn't set in stone on a time and day. As much as he'd love to see his country suffer the consequence of their stupidity and apathy, it'd be a lie to say the two of them would live long enough to see it.

The stallion placed his hoof over his eyes. "Something I'll get far more enjoyment out of it than I should." He chuckled. That much was true, but as he said before, one can ignore reality, but one cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.

"At anyrate, you wont find what you're looking for with a loser like me."

The night pony quirked a curious brow. "Loser? Haven't heard you call yourself that before."

Sin arose his forlegs and gestured around him, inquiring what other name would be used for a homeless individual who lives in the woods. Shade chuckled, "Not sure if looking for sympathy, or legitimate."

An attempted laughter, falling to a cringing, regretful coughing fit, filled the camp, drowning out the forest sounds and crackling fire. "Sympathy?" The Federalist managed through winding down panting. "When the hell have I ever asked for that?"

Shade gave the question a bit of mock thought but didn't name anything. "Eh, You're my only real friend I guess."

"You need to go out an meet new ponies then." He lifted his hoof to his mouth, but found nothing to drink. "Bastard, you broke my alcohol." His scowl returned when he was met with a comment about how he shouldn't drink. It was true, alcohol always made his superego take a back seat to whatever he wanted to do. Fuck others and their feelings, they're a bunch of dumb shits anyway...

Too bad it's that kind of thinking that got him into this current situation...

The conversation ended there with Star Shade turning around and drifting off to sleep. Sin attempted to move so he could do the same, but the that shot through him had frozen him in place. He let out a sigh, sleeping while sitting up had always left him with a crick in his neck, but compared to everything he'd been through today, that was the least of his concerns come the morning. The Federalist wasn't a stranger to broken bones, aching muscles and natural treatment; but dammit if it didn't get easier to deal with over time.

Regardless, he took one last look at the fire and scanned the immediate area to ensure that nothing near it would catch a spark and set the area aflame, a habit he'd gotten into after the first time he'd almost caused a forest fire. Once he was satisfied, he leaned his head back into the tree that Shade so graciously introduced him to and attempted to fall asleep.

However, a thought lingered in his mind. The goal he'd set for himself... What if it would happen soon? What if he did miss it, and all of this waiting became pointless? Ace or Tyken would probably find him and inform him about it eventually, but it would be far to late for him to witness first hoof. No that wouldn't be ok, he'd have to figure out something. By Tapio, he wouldn't miss the single greatest event in his lift time, he'd worked too hard preparing and looking forward to it to let it just slip by.

But those were things to work on when one didn't recently accumulate: multiple broken bones and muscle bruising injuries by being: crushed by a dragon, thrown around by a unicorn like a rag doll, and bucked back into a tree by a psychotic maniac. 

Sin sighed. 'Tomorrow will be better, I mean, it can't get any worse, right?'




  
> Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Truth



Two weeks had passed since, what Ponyville would come to refer to as, the second rampage. 

Macintosh and the dragon had attempted to reintegrate with their respective families, the first few days were understandably awkward. The apple stallion waking on his old bed in his old room felt like a dream the first few days, but he grew past his nostalgia quickly enough. He even began helping out with the house hold chores again, thank Celestia for that. Those 'helping' hooves that Applejack had hired had no earthly idea what they were doing.

Plus he worked for free, that ought to please the budget.

He hadn't seen much of Spike since then, word from his sister was that he and Twilight haven't spoken either. According to her, he spends most of his time thinking or reading. The librarian hasn't had the heart to put him to work yet, but she's considering compensating him for his work now.

Granny Smith hadn't forgiven him for leaving yet, but the two were civil enough with each other. Smiling and joking after a hard day on the field about if it was too much work for him and if Mac would take off again. He tried his best to just laugh it off, but every time she made a comment like that, it did sting a bit. Trying to avoid any more confrontations, the stallion hoped the matriarch of the family would drop the jokes soon.

Applejack was happy to have him back, as was Applebloom and Winona. In hindsight it was kinda funny and cute how tightly his youngest sister hugged his leg and smiled when she heard he'd be staying for good. Her eyes lighting up as if it were the morning of Hearths Warming Eve. "Are ya really stayin' big brother?" She asked.

"Eyup." He replied and the two embraced, quickly joined by Applejack. He even saw his grandmother give a soft smile where she stood, before barking order for everypony to get to work.

The town was still the same, minus a few broken shops of course. Everypony was happy to see him back and were quick to offer a good drink to catch up and hear of his adventures out in the Equestrian wild. He hadn't heard from Sin or Shade since they left for the forest, the two looked pretty beaten up, but he wasn't too worried about them. Right now, his focus was on him and putting his life here back together.

Things were finally going to go back to normal. Well, not normal normal; things would never be the same in that respect. And it was a change for the better as far as he was concerned. Life would be better from here on out...





A thunderous crack echoed through out Sweet Apple Acres, accompanied by none but the complaining birds who fled any near by apple tree. Macintosh watched with somber eyes as a few dead branches fell limply to the snow covered ground. His steaming breath left his mouth and lost itself to the grey and white world around him. 

Only a few branches fell, and nothing too big. This tree would do well come spring.

Nodding in satisfaction, Mac wondered to the next one to repeat the same experiment. The crunching of the snow beneath is strong hooves over powered that of the tiny crunching that approached from behind. 

"Big Mac?" He turned to find little Applebloom staring up at him, shivering under her orange and red scarf. "G-granny said tah come on inside. It's getten' dark."

The stallion looked up to the over cast sky. That was one of the things he hated about days like this, the sky never changed until the sun was beginning to go down. Still, he was getting tired and cold, perhaps a nice cup of co-co would do him good.

With a smile, the two set off back to the main house. It wasn't until they were half way home that his younger sister spoke. "How're the trees doin' this year?" She asked.

"They'll be fine." Macintosh answered, keeping his eyes forward. "Few dead branches 'n all 'r expected durin' the cold season." Well, he hoped they'd be fine, Luna knows if the family got around to putting the necessary fertilizer and such down in time to protect the trees from the winter's frost. 

"Oh okay." The filly replied and looked forward again. 

The rest of the trek was quiet as the two finally made it to the warm porch and wiped their hooves of snow. The inside was warm and soothing, Macintosh's cold muscles and skin were under the houses spell to relax to the point where he could fall asleep on the entry rug.

"Granny!" Applebloom shouted as she removed her scar. "We're back."

"We'll getcher keisters in the kitchen then!" Granny's voice bellowed from the next room. "Ah've gotcha both some nice hot co-co ready."

The stallion smiled, nothing like the chocolate liquid to help relax him after a hard time in the fields on a cold day. Quickly, the two made their way to the table and found the promised warmth. Taking a seat on the pillows, he brought the steaming hot deliciousness to his lips. 

"Mmmm, Granny's hot co-co." Applebloom sighed.

As if the aroma and warmth wasn't intoxicating enough, the very taste of the sweet drink almost made Macintosh fall asleep in his chair. His body would still need to adjust to the work he'd be doing around the house, all the: Walking, running, fighting goats, swimming through rivers, lakes and dragon fighting had made him soft to farm work.

"Where's Applejack?" The filly asked, looking around for the missing family member.

Granny poked her head into the dining room and reminded her grand daughter that Applejack was going to Sugar Cube corner to meet with her friends about an upcoming spring Wonderbolts show. Apparently there was reconciliation between Rainbow Dash and Spitfire not too long ago and as way of apology, she and her friends were given tickets to watch the wonder bolts preform in Canterlot on the third day of spring.

Mac shook his head, Wonderbolts. How he'd come to despise the fliers, he used to be fairly indifferent to them, but after displaying their overwhelming obedience to authority to the point they put others at risk; they were less than admirable now. Still, he was happy that his sister was going to take some time off, she'd been working to hard on the farm lately.

Applebloom seemed a little saddened at the information, though quickly perked up. "Tha' means tha' Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell 'll be free that day, and we c'n have 'nother slumber party!" 

The stallion chuckled before realization dawned on him about how bad the Cutie Mark Crusaders were about getting into trouble with their quest to discard their status as blank flanks.

"Maybe they're free right now! Hey big Mac, can Ah go n' play with Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell? Pleeeeease?"

The addressed was about to answer in the negative, siting the cold weather, but then found it to be the perfect opportunity to talk with Spike. He'd been meaning to check up on the drake for a while now, but never had the excuse.

After a quick double check with granny, and a sincere promise that the younger would be safe, the two ponies left the house and made way for Ponyville. Mac gave a look to his sister, they wouldn't be out long, considering the time, but she'd been cooped up in the house for the whole day due to the weather. She needed the time outside.

As the two wondered through Ponyville, a few unicorns went about lighting the town's street lights. It was heart warming in a way, a deep contrast to the darkening dusk that blanketed the already depressing city in a cloth of shadow. Small twinkling light's fought back to retain some hope lost upon the town.

'Boss, chill out. They're just lamp posts.'

All the same, the act was uplifting in it's own way. They stopped by Rarity's house and knocked on the door. None came forward to answer their call and they both shrugged and figured to ask her at Sugar Cube Corner where her sister was. Once they came into view of the establishment, a lovely aroma of baked goods and delicious, albeit not as good as Granny's, hot chocolate graced their nostrils.

Applebloom took the initiative this time and charged forward, slamming her hoof on the door with the subtle inclination of a pack of stampeding cows. 

"I'm sorry we're- Oh, hi Macintosh!" Pinkie said as she answered the door. "Hello Applebloom, what are you two doing here? Come to visit Applejack?"

"Well no," The stallion answered before motioning to his sister, "we were hopin' ta let Applebloom see her friend for a moment."

Pinkie tilted her head and then looked to the rambunctious filly. Had Macintosh not known any better, he'd have sworn his sister hadn't seen her friend in weeks. What in tar-nation was so important anyway?

Pinkie put her hoof up to her chin in thought and furrowed her brow. "Hmmm, well, I don't know."

Applebloom's eyes grew and her lip began to quiver. "Pleeeeeease?" She begged. Mac was a bit surprised at the mare's posture, was she really considering sending them away?

"Ha! I'm just kidding" Well, that's a relief. Pinkie welcomed them all in where they came face to face with the rest of Twilight's friends.

"Hello you two." Rarity greeted with an all to friendly smile. "Sweetie Bell is entertaining the Cake twins if you'd like to see her." And before the words finished coming out of her mouth, the youngest Apple was up the stairs faster than Spike going after a freshly seasoned ruby.

Oh yea, Spike.

Macintosh gave quick words of departure before beginning to head to the door.

"Woah hold on there, pardner." His sister called, holding him in his tracks, "where ya off to in such a hurry?" The stallion didn't answer for a moment, the last thing he wanted was any of them accompanying him. This was a private matter that he needed to address on his own. 

"To talk to Spike." Was all he said before walking out the door. He wasn't cold about it, but his tone did convey the fact that it wasn't something for them to get involved in.

Once the door closed, his chest felt a sudden tightness to it. He could only hope that Spike had some what gotten over what happened the last time they spoke, and even if he didn't, Mac knew he needed to at least see how the drake was doing.

The library wasn't far off, and it wasn't long until Mac found his own hoof knocking on the door. He heard the foot steps approaching and for the briefest of moments thought that what he was doing was a mistake, but only for a moment. The door opened and there stood his friend. His green eyes were bloodshot, his scales a mess and book in his left hand. If that wasn't enough of a shock, the fact that the drake was back to his small and chubbie hatchling form was. Mac couldn't believe he forgot about that.

"What's up?" He asked in a tired voice. Well at least he didn't slam the door in the stallion's face, that was encouraging.

"Nothin' much." Mac shrugged. "Jus' commen' to see how yer' doin'." It was more or less the truth, he hadn't exactly had any real idea of what he wanted to talk about yet.

The drake answered his shrug with another, claiming things had been well enough. The two stood for a while, Mac in the cold night and Spike in the warm library entrance. 

What was he supposed to say? 'Yea, I'll take your word that you're ok. You look like you've been up for weeks and just finished up being mauled by a pack of timberwolves, but yea, I'm sure you're doing fine'? 

"Is that all?" Spike asked, breaking Mac from his thoughts.

the stallion took a breath, "may I come in?"

With yet another shrug, the purple hatchling stepped aside and allowed the pony to enter the establishment. Now, Macintosh didn't often visit the Library, but the place didn't looks as immaculate as memory served it to be. No, the place wasn't trashed with books scattered and parchment flung about but it did lack a certain charm that used to be a constant. Everything was in it's place, but it all seemed... dulled some how. The colors of the tomes and shelves that held tomes and shelves that held them were dulled, even the furniture was covered in it.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Naw, thanks though." 

Spike nodded and let out a breath, putting the book unto a near by table and folding his arms. "Did you wanna book?" 

"No."

"Then what do you want?"

Rattling his brain, the stallion tried to find the right words, what did he want here? To talk to Spike, but what about? He obviously wasn't looking too good, and his chance of opening up were slim. No, no, he had to play it cool, casually just ask what he's been doing.

"Just see what you've been up to lately, n' such."

Spike's eyes had a flicker of irritation. "You know, same old, same old."

"That right?"

"Oh yea, after I get the lecture of a life time and knocked senseless twice by somepony I thought was my friend, things just go back to normal, you know?" His sarcastic deadpan finished with a scoff. "Honestly Mac, how do you think I am doing?"

Mac quirked a brow. "Ah didn't come here to fight witcha."

Spike waved his hand dismissively and placed his other over his eyes. "I know, I know. I'm just... not in a good place right now, ok?"

Mac agreed and gently inquired to his friend's plight.





"Runnin' from the law?" Macintosh asked, taking a sip of some tea the dragon had made for the two. 

"Yea." Spike nodded rubbing his forehead. "That's the reason I went back to the cave." Now the story made sense. He didn't go back to claim the gems for his own, he went back to hide and became desperate and irrational.

That still didn't answer one question though. "What was it yer' hopin to gain outta it all?"

With a deep and tired sigh, Spike looked him dead in the eye with an almost challenging stare. "Revenge." Mac shook his head, he already knew that, but what he didn't know was what exactly his friend planned to do. Just beat every dog up and make him feel better or...?

To his surprise, a small chuckle escaped Spike's lips. It wasn't sarcastic, but it did lack mirth. "It wasn't about the dogs themselves, it was about their alpha, Fido." He laughed again and shook his head. "Come to find out that he wasn't even there."

Twinges of guilt pulled at the heart strings for some reason. The look of disappointment on Spike's face was hard to look at, had this "Fido" really wronged him so much? He didn't have time to ponder on the thought long though, the hatchling let out a quivering breath and spoke again.

"What happened to me down there Mac, it was terrifying... I- I wasn't in control of myself."

A light shake of the chair interrupted him, but it was actually Spike who was shaking. His eyes were full of terror and pain the likes of which weren't appropriate for his age. Macintosh wasn't sure what to do, if he were a female, he'd offer some form of comfort, but as two guys doing it? That just seemed wrong.

"I didn't wanna hurt them." Spike managed, settling down a bit. "I- I just wanted to humiliate them a little. But, I..." He sighed, a quick sob, "I hurt them, Mac, I hurt 'em bad."

"The leader was s-stronger than the rest, faster too. My fists didn't do anything to him, and... I swear to Celestia I didn't wanna do it, but he made me."

Mac's eyes widened. "Did. Did ya-"

"No! no, I didn't kill him." 

'Wow, that was a close one.'

"But, I did mangle him a bit." Spike drew out his claws and raked them across his face. Big Mac couldn't control his cringe, that had to be six ways of painful. "And the worst part is, I don't feel bad about it." He proclaimed in a shaky voice. "I still don't think what I did to them was wrong... What kind of monster rips off a sentient being's face and doesn't feel wrong about it?"

The restrained tears in the dragon's emerald orb fell freely and he openly sobbed. "Why in Tartarus is wrong with me?"

Biting his lip, the stallion began to think of what he could say. Well, what could he say? It wouldn't be right to call his behavior anything but wrong and unacceptable, but he didn't need that kind of negative reinforcement right now. Throwing caution to the wind, the stallion placed a strong hoof on the dragon's shoulder.

"Ah'm sorry that happened to ya, Spike." He began, the words just coming out of his mouth. "We all make mistakes in life, part of livin' 'n such. Don't beat yerself up over 'em too bad, like it or not, yer still young n' allowed to be wrong."

'He's allowed to get away with assaulting countless diamond dogs and mutilating one's face?

Shut up!

'What? I'm just saying.'

"Look, Spike, you know wha' ya did was wrong, righ'?" The mentioned tightened his eyes shut and nodded. "That's all that matters. Ya can't take back the past, but ya can try to make this better in the future."

"How?" Spike sniffled.

Mac shrugged. "Apologizing would be a good start. Maybe helpin' 'em dig 'n find a few gems?"

Luckily, the comment cause the dragon to chuckle. "You really think they'd let me go near them after what I did?"

"Can't say fer sure. But, at least you'll have tried." And with that, Mac gave two pats of the shoulder and stood from his place. "Well, I should be headin' back, gotta get Applebloom to bed on time 'n all. Have a good night, Spike."

"Hey wait," The dragon called. "Have you seen Sin lately?"

"Sorry, haven't seen him in weeks."

"Oh, well, do you know where he is?"

Conflicted about giving the information due to Spike's state, Mac answered hesitantly and advised that he get some rest before looking for the foreigner. What ever needed to be said or done could wait until thoughts were collected and proper measures of sleep were taken. Anything less would end badly.

"Thanks, I'll see you later."

The dragon gave a wave and closed the door behind his guest. Like a the yoke he'd thrown off all that time ago, a huge weight had lifted from the apple stallion's shoulders. He felt more at peace after hearing his friend's story, hopefully Spike would feel the same, given some time...


> Perspective
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   

Perspective



A small rustling of leaves stirred the griffin from her slumber with a gasp. She quickly wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked down from the branch that she'd perched herself on to find her target yawning and standing up.

After a few minutes of watching, Silvia let out an antagonized groan and let her beak rest on her claw, her eyes looking lazily upon the brown cloaked stallion who was preforming the morning rituals he'd done ever since she found him two weeks ago. It was always the same: Wake up, stretch, get some water, feed himself and the other pony with him, scout his traps -which were very well hidden she found out, evident by a healing black eye-, and look for other food sources or just sit around and relax. 

Silvia groaned and her mind began to wonder how she was given such a boring assignment. It seemed really exciting when she got the order, infiltrate the countries capital, locate the younger matriarch and get information on the target's whereabouts. How the fuck did something that sounded so dangerous and exciting end up with her sitting day in and day out on top of a branch that over looked a hobo living in the woods?

Sin rarely spoke, his partner, Shade even less. This whole mission was starting to driver her insane from boredom, the whole time she'd been observing the two she'd only got seven or eight quotes. 

Curious to her accuracy, she reached into her black leather jacket and produced her pad, seven quotes and they weren't anything useful! Why was Malich wasting her time with this? What was so important?

'Yes Malich, he likes to sleep in the dirt and drink water from trees. Oh yea, this is a high profile threat for sure.' Rolling her eyes, the eagle/lion let out a sigh. Her tedious task getting the better of her, she began to entertain the idea of simply returning to HQ, claiming she'd been spotted and the mission comprimised. No amount of yelling or screaming that her boss could do would come close to the current torture she was enduring..

Suddenly, something happened that she hadn't expected. A lavender unicorn mare ventured into the camp and addressed him.

Happy that something was happening that didn't involve silent work, Silvia grabbed a pen and pad again and listened carefully to their conversation.

The unicorn, miss Sparkle, had come to give Sin some kind of order from the Elder Matriarch. A sort of revolution going on or something that she needed Sin to do... something about? Silvia didn't care anymore, she was just enjoying a conversation she could over hear that was finally interesting. The griffin finished jotting down the notes and saw that Sin was packing up, and figured their conversation to be over.

That couldn't be farther from the truth, apparently Sparkle had more to say. However, it was more on a personal level and caught Silvia more on her own feminine side. Quick to deny to anyone who might straight out ask her, the Triple M. agent wasn't really interested in jotting down political plans or economically inclined encounters. Small and personal interactions like these were far more interesting for her.

Silvia's eyes widened upon hearing about how Sin had done battle with a monstrous dragon and understandably lost, her look of shock turning into a warm smile when she realized the concern the mare's voice held for him.

'Oh goddess, this is soooo cute'. She inwardly beamed, 'I wonder if there are feelings being exchanged.'

To her disappointment, Sin acted as cold and platonic as he always did. Paying little attention to Sparkle's words of worry.

'No you idiot! You're suppose to thank her for her concern!' She thought, turning the job into her own personal soap opera. As the conversation went on, the Equestrian invited the Federalist over for tea, apparently some one named "Spike" and he held a relation and wanted to speak with him. 

Pressing her beak, the agent silently begged him to go. Not only wanting desperately to see what happened, but to go anywhere that didn't stick her in a tree all the time. Social interaction and moving around were two of her favorite things in life, along with eating good food and using sanitary restrooms.

Much to her relief Sin sighed and agreed to the meeting. The two didn't end on the best of terms, the mare mentioning someone named "Fluttershy" wanting to check in with him over his injuries. 

Oh? Another mare? Well, this stallion may live in the woods, but he's getting all the ladies, isn't he? She'd have to introduce him to Malich, he really needed to get laid..





Malich slammed his head against his desk, the poorly lit room complimenting his depressing mindset. The reason for his current depression laid sprawled out on a scroll. Taking a breath, he continued reading.

The Admiral from the 1st fleet would be coming to visit soon, He didn't mind Chip, Chip was alright, but the Captain of Sigma III was who he worried about. While Malich hadn't met the Captain personally, but excellent was the last thing he'd call the ship commander's portfolio. Both were coming, and not only that but a team of no less than four Senatorial investigators would be joining them.

All of this he could handle, it wasn't the presence of these ponies and what ever else was coming that caused him grief. The Senate itself had threatened him. They blatantly told him, to his face no less, that if he refused an advanced inquary that he would be held in contempt of the chamber, and thus; the chamber dungeon.

Rubbing his temple, more problems began to enter his mind. The Judgement being the most prominent. He was lucky as hell he took the precautions he did, Malich couldn't believe it when he'd heard about the air ships destruction over Equestria. 

Equestria, of all the fucking places it could fall, it had to fall there! He still remember being awoken in the middle of the night with the news and sped off to Canterlot to hold himself responsible, lest the princesses expose the incident to his own government. As much power as he held, he wasn't so foolish as to think they couldn't take it away from him. The ship entering the country's air space itself was an act of war, even if it was chasing down an anarchist pirate vessel. 

The head of his relations department as well as his sky raiders didn't get off light for allowing the stunt.

As if that wasn't enough, he had his engineers and construction crews work overtime to finish the replica. Every dent, squeaky board, dulled wall paper and cracked tile was made exactly the same as the original and was now enrout back to Columbus. Hopefully, the griffin's wouldn't find anything that would expose the lie, but as sharp as the eagle eyes were, he had some on his side as well, and spent a full day of scrutinizing inspection; he could hold confidence in that at least.

And then there was Sin...

Malich sighed and looked blankly to the bottom drawer. Pressing his lips he pulled it open to reveal a simple bottle of whiskey, untouched and full of amber liquid. As he rotated the bottle in his hands, the swishing liquid helped ease his mind into a distant memory. The memory of the only promise the two had shared.





 "Are you sure about this Sin? It doesn't really seem possible for the whole thing to collapse."

"Hard to imagine, i know, but the evidence and logic is there." 

"I don't know," Malich said, his head shaking back and forth. "It just doesn't seem possible."

Sin smirked at him, his icy blue eyes reflecting the stallion skeptical look. "Trust me, if things continue the way they have been, it's only a matter of time."

"Well, what will we do when it happens? It'll be too dangerous to be around others."

The brown stallion's smirk grew. "I intend to see it unfold." Malich's eyes widened, he wasn't too savy on the subject at hand, but the repercussions of what the two were discussing would be terrible for all affected. Seeing the younger stallion's dismay, Sin offered his hoof, "Remember what we talked about when you were younger? How those who made bad decisions deserved to suffer for them?" 

Malich nodded, of course he remembered, how could he forget? Sin had been his teacher in the philosophical arts ever since they were colts.

"Then make me a promise." Malich took a step back. A promise? Sin had never made a promise in his life, mainly because there was no guarantee he could follow through. What came next must be either a joke or really important. "Promise me that when it happens, we'll watch it happen, together..."



"And smile as they get what's coming to them." Malich finished with a small curve of the lip. He'd bought this particular bottle of whisky for just the occasion. Everything would be ready soon, his plans were coming together, and with the blue prints for the Judgement and a new weapons project that the original air ship's fall had inspired, there was no chance of interference.

The executive smirked and replaced the bottle to it's place.

Hard work and success were the way of his family. Triple M wasn't always known by that name, nor was it the dominant economic force it was today. His father, Gemini and his father's father, Mandylion worked hard to make the entity grow and expand. Well, Gemini more so.

When Triple M. started out, it was simply a small mining operation, lead by the patriarch of the time. Before his family, Mandylion held aspiration, drive and dedication. He left his abusive house hold at an early age and faced the world before he entered adulthood. He recounted stories of jumping from town to town, trying to earn enough money to pay his way. As time passed, the pony found himself less and less happy with his life around civilization and elected to try his hoof in the woods.

Using the money he was going to use for shelter one night, Mandylion purchased an old book on wilderness survival and wasted no money on rent or food, electing to save it to start up his own business. Once word had gotten out-

"Mr Malich?" The door to his office slowly opened, breaking him from his thoughts. "You have a visitor."

The stallion groaned, who could this be? "Send them in."

"Oh Malich~!" A sing song voice called.

The executive's eyes widened and his stomach dropped. The depression and helplessness he was feeling immediately dissolved to urgent panic and disgust.

'No, no, no, sweet earth all mighty, no.' The door burst open to reveal a very heavy set alabaster unicorn mare, her plump figure repulsed the stallion, no matter how many times he'd seen it it always made him want to look away. Her smile was the oblivious and blissful cheeky type. One that made him want to slap it right off her face. Her only redeeming quality was her mane, but that was due to her stylist, not her own volition.

"Good evening!" She beamed.and took a seat on one of the pillows in front of his desk.

Steeling himself, Malich sighed and forced a smile. "Good evening miss Fatchitaz. How may I help you tonight?"

Gloria Fatchitaz, the epitome of all he despised. Empty headed, rude, arrogant, disrespectful, and a flab that would make a hydra spit her out in disgust. Well, there was one other redeeming quality, one that Malich hated her for having: her fortune. Born to the richest business owner in all the Federation, this spoiled princes had a knack to cause some of the most horrible chain of events that the world had to offer. Yet SOME HOW always managed to walk away from the ordeals completely unscathed! How the fuck did that even happen?

"Hmmm? Oh yes." Oh and a little tendency that all Fatchitaz had, starting off their sentences with 'hmm's' to make themselves seem more thoughtful. "I was hoping you'd be able to attend a small garden party I was planning on holding in the Centaur Palace in three days. To reconcile the beginning of spring."

It took every last bit of will the executive had to resist slamming his hoof into his face. "A celebration for spring?" He questioned, playing dumb. Too late did he realized such an open ended question would bring forth a verbal assault the likes of which made him miss the Senate interrogation.

"Oh yes, Malich, it will be an herboligists paradise!..." And so it was that Gloria spoke. On and on... and on and ON about the festivity. 

Waiting for the perfect moment to interject and wind down the conversation to a close and send the mare on her way quickly became hopless. The verbal senslessness just kept coming, one minute turned into three, then five, then ten. The words, they just didn't stop!

'I wonder how many hungry Zeborican villages I could feed with you.' Malich's thoughts wondered. Twenty? Thirty? For a week at least? Zebra's don't like to eat meat, but you're comprised of fat and FAT, so I think they'll be ok.'

'Huh? Fuckin' fat ass? I bet you'd probably stuff all the dragons in my mounted division, and there would still be left overs. Some how, that just didn't sound right.

"So, will you accept my proposal?" Lady Fatchitaz beamed, her eyes knowing and expectant.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yea. Sure, whatever?" Malich waved dismissively.

"Oh, I knew you would!"

The grey stallion quirked a brow, what ever he'd just agreed to, it made her nearly as excited as seeing a chocolate doughnut after five minutes of fasting. "Yes, yes, I accept, what ever. Now if you don't mind, I have things I need to do." Like figure out how the hell to get Sin to come back. Windmane's abduction didn't have the desired result, though, the oaken pony had demonstrated apathy on deeper levels; so it shouldn't have been that surprising.

"Oh Malich." Fatchitaz tisked. "I knew you couldn't resist me forever, but you'll always hold that strong front of yours. Very well, I'll see you on Thursday! Tah tah!" And with that, the jolly tub of jello finally made way for the exit. Thank Tapio, if he had to deal with her for longer than fifteen minutes, he wasn't sure what would happen.

Finally alone with his thoughts, the executive pulled out a parchment and began to scribble down the list of activities he currently juggled, listing each in priority. This usually calmed his nerves, his mind had a tendency to blow things up in proportion to what they really were, but the more things he jotted down, the more aware he became of the contrary. 

He groaned and rubbed his temples, dwelling on the events that lead up to his current predicament. It was funny, how the placement of one little frigate could turn his life into a living hell like this. Even if it did manage to work out in his favor in some way, the negative implications were far from worth it.

Slapping the paper down and standing from his desk, Malich walked from his office and to his personal quarters. If he was going to be in a nightmare, he might as well get some sleep.
> Complex
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cold season was finally beginning to wind down with Winter Wrap Up just around the corner.

Mac observed the cloudy sky above with a sense of appreciation he hadn't noticed before. It wasn't anything in particular that he could place his hoof on, but the warming air around him went that the cold and cloudy days would end; and he would miss them.

Things would liven up again, noisy ponies and excitable foals would roam the streets and even his farm. Maybe that was it, the peaceful silence that the season brought with it. An, albeit gloomy, tranquil and calming atmosphere that set others around him into a somber ease that he had embraced earlier in his life. It was a selfish, unspoken desire bu one he'd silently enjoyed.

But life went on, and so would the weather. He contemplated the sore muscles he'd have after the time pulling the giant snow snow plow to clear the fields for next years harvest. Hopefully the pegasi wouldn't waste any time in getting the snow piles cleared up this year and take them back to make precipitation clouds. 

Having the snow piles around wasn't really bad, just an eye sore, and a pet peve of his.

The stallion turned from the clouds and began walking into town. He had completed his daily work and chores before noon, there was something he wanted to do today.

He passed the gate and followed the familiar road, but didn't turn to go into the town, instead, he ventured up past a well lit cottage into the ominous Everfree. Inspecting the crossbow he had firmly held on his foreleg, Macintosh took a breath and trotted forth. The wind began to pick up and pushed around his tattered brown cloak, swaying the cloth from side to side.

Even for him, the Everfree forest was dangerous territory. Manticor, Timberwolves, and Ursa aside. There were dozens upon dozens of creatures that littered the forest floor that he'd never heard of, and Celestia only knows what the beasts were capable of. Regardless, he hadn't seen his friends in at least a month. He had to make sure that they were at least alive.







Sin yawned as he stood from the small whiker hut he'd made for himself. He was lucky he carried so much cordage and twine with him. Most saplings and roots that he'd typically use for the task couldn't be found anywhere near by. Luckily, that was the biggest of his worries. His sides were still sore, as were his wings, but he identified some fungi that had very potent pain killer properties. 

He looked around for a moment in the preemptive hope to find Star Shade. Strangely enough, the stallion was no where to be found. Typically, the insane stallion would be jumping up and down, complaining how hungry he was. "Guess he went to find food for himself for once." Sin said allowed before stretching and sighing.

Sin wasn't worried about Shade being attacked or anything, the only concern he had was: his friend eating something that first required cooking or boiling to dispel any toxins. Star may have been stronger than anyone he'd ever met, but he still wasn't all that bright when it came to eating, or cooking for himself.

As he walked, he cast a gaze to the fire. It was in close proximity to the huts he made for the two in order to catch the heat from the flame, but not too close to cause discomfort or burn the shelters. Sadly the flame was beginning to die and he'd need to fetch more fire wood before the day was up.

As if to add insult to injury, his stomach gave a loud groan of yearning. Food, believe it or not, was very hard to come by in the forest. Of course there wouldn't be lettuce or tomato and what not, but there were very few plants out side of the amaranth flower that he found to his liking. None of the trees were producing their fruit, no dandelion crops he tried to plant would grow, and most everything failed the edibility test.

Clicking his dried tongue, Sin ventured to a near by tree who's branch was entrapped by a large plastic bag with a rock at the bottom and a collapsible bucket underneath. Condensation was truly and under rated form of water gathering and purification, it may not taste the best, but mixed in with a bit of filtration from rocks and the char coal of the fire, it would serve it's re-hydration purposes. Hey, it was better than nothing, and the closest stream was about two miles away. Too much energy to wast to fill two flasks, two buckets, and a canteen. 

Not to mention the rabid animals he would have to continually clash with in order to maintain his place there if he wanted to set up camp. All in all, this was the safer and more intelligent manner of water gathering.

A small rustle of the bushes behind him made his ear flick. He didn't know why Shade did that, he could just as easily go around the bush. "Bout time." He said taking another drink, "did you eat anything poisonous?"

"Excuse me?"

Sin froze then spun around to find one Twilight Sparkle stand outside of the brush. The lavender mare had a reserved and curious look on her face, obviously confused by the stallion's welcome.

"Pardon, thought you were Shade." Sin replied, his tone becoming noticeably more stand offish. He polished off the remainder of the bucket before returning it to it's place, catching a small drip of water. "Can I help you?"

The lavender intruded didn't reply, instead electing to look upon him with a judgmental gaze. As the seconds drew on Sin became more and more uncomfortable and awkward. Finally, he repeated the question.

"Oh." Twilight shook her head and blushed. "Sorry, I uh, was supposed to give this to you." She produced a red ribbon bound scroll from her saddlebag. "It's a message from Princess Celestia."

 'Of course, I still have work to do for her.' Nodding, the Federalist growled to himself before he took the scroll, unraveled it, and read through the contents.

Dear Sin

I'm in high hopes that you're doing well this morning. My sister and student told of your battle with Spike and the wounds you've sustained. If you are in need of assistance, feel free to ask.

Now, down to business: In the near by city of Trottingham there has been a 'revolution' of sorts. According to reports, a band of Trotski followers have been making way around the city and demanding others to join their cause to restore the three tribes.

There have been no physical altercations for ponies who wish nothing to do with them, but the organization has become more aggressive in its tactics of recruitment. The crown hasn't persued any action against these individuals out of respect for their beliefs and right to opinions, but they're now starting to infringe on the rights of others.

My task to you is to end the harassment of the ponies of Trottingham by peaceful means. 

Complaints are becoming more frequent and tensions are high, it is only a matter of time before violence becomes unavoidable. And I'd rather that not happen.

Good luck.
Signed,

Princes Celestia.


"Trotski?"

Battle? That's a choice word to use, considering he'd more or less got his ass kicked with no effort. The matriarch sure had a way of romanticizing things. Now, what in Northwood was Totski?

"Trotski was a unicorn from Equestria's founding." Twilight said, with a huge grin. "When the Alicorn sisters had approached the ponies, he and a few others rejected them. Calling them monstrosities for their having both horns as well as wings. When the sisters offered to rule over the Equestrian ponies, Trotski saw it as a power grab on their part and refused to join them, threatening treason to anypony who did."

"His methods of governance are what lead to the ponies that he worked for and under, abandon him and seek refuge with the Alicorns. Decedent of Commander Hurricane, he held office in the Supreme Executive Arbitration Council after winning popular vote with the earth ponies and pegasi. Trotski believed in pure democracy and wanted to abolish the SEAC, due to a wide and strange set of circumstances, he succeeded, and the country was lead in this fashion."

As she finished, the unicorn mare's grin widened, all to pleased to give a lecture. Sin wasn't too sad about it either, he'd heard stories about the motherland, but had never heard about how the Alicorn had taken rule once the three tribes were present.

But as history showed, Trotski's attempts had failed and the ponies of Equestria passed over to their side to the point where the country actually belonged to them. Twilight wasn't sure on all the specifics, but it was said that Trotski and a few of his loyalists had returned to the old world rather than live under the rule of Celestia and Luna.

"I see." Sin nodded. "Thank you miss Sparkle." 

"Of course!"

And with that, the stallion turned around and grabbed his own saddle bag. The place he needed to go was about half a day's trot from here, if he was lucky, he'd have camp set up before the sun went down.

"Uh, Sin?" He turned once again. "Are you sure you're ok?" The librarian's face was tinted with concern.

"Well enough." He replied dismissively, concentrating on the provisions he would need.

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked. "Fluttershy was surprised you were walking, considering your condition."

Sin scoffed, Fluttershy. Just her name screamed protective legislation and pathetic, how she managed to take care of animals and play nurse was beyond him.

"No offense miss Sparkle, but your friend is a bit to sensitive for me to take seriously."

He hoped that would be the end of it, a minor insult to send her on her way. If only he were so lucky.

"Hey! That's my friend you're talking about." The native scolded.

"Indeed."

A thick silence hung for a moment, giving a quiet moment for the stallion a quiet moment to piece together the ramifications of his actions. It was obvious Twilight wanted something more than she let on, he could either: ignore her or truthfully proclaim his disinterest until she left, or act as if he cared and held a conversation. The former would strain relations with her, and seeing as she was the keeper of the only free information with in ten miles, that probably wasn't the best way to go.

"Look," Twilight sighed. "I think we started off on the wrong hoof, and I wanted to apologize for- you know- throwing you against that tree a few weeks ago."

Biting his lip, Sin also sighed. He may not like it, but it was within his interest. "You had your reason to do it, I don't fault you for protecting your son."

A small smile crept on the unicorns face. "Thank you."

"Sure."

A sudden realization struck her and the Equestrian began to giggle. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've ever been properly introduced." She offered her hoof. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, personal student to Princess Celestia and bearer of the Element of Magic." 

Sin reluctantly shook her hoof for a moment and gave his name as his only form of introduction. He wasn't to keen on the idea of this one knowing more than necessary. 

"Uh, nice to meet you." Twilight smiled awkwardly.

Nodding the stallion replied in kind. 'You see, was that so hard? You even made a friend!'

That's nice.

'Yes, yes. You're the lone and tormented politician gone freedom fighter blah blah blah. Get over yourself.

Make me.

"Is there anything else?" The Federalist asked half heartedly. 

"Actually, there is, I was hoping you'd like to stop by the library some time and maybe have tea?"

Tea? is she serious?

'Things like that are what friends do, Sin.'

No shit, will you shut up? You're driving me insane here.

'Isn't talking to yourself apart of insanity?'

...

... I've gotta stop hanging around Shade so much.

"Sorry, I'm afraid tea isn't something I particularly enjoy."

A little disappointed, the unicorn ended her beating around the bush and requested the stallion stop by for a visit. The whole purpose of her being in this town was to learn about the "magic of friendship". It only seemed fitting that she at least extend an olive branch to him.

'magic of friendship? And I thought you had social issues.'

"Plus, I think Spike wants to talk to you."

Sin smirked, if fists could talk, that might be an accurate statement. "I'm sure he does." He finished packing his things and wrote a quick note to Shade, explaining his departure and even leaving a few bits for something to eat. Prep work done he now needed to get to Trottingham, which would be done right now if his way weren't blocked.

"Look, all I want you to do is come by the library, one hour tops and then I'll never bother you again with stuff like this again; deal?" 

Only one hour? "Alright." Sin nodded skeptically, "one hour."

Twilight beamed and thanked him and claimed he wouldn't regret it before running off into the bushes.

"Oh, i believe I shall, miss Sparkle."
> Question
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Question



As Sin reached a high bluff that overlooked the small city of Trottingham, his attention was pulled to a dilapidated mess of metal and wood. The wreckage of the Judgement lay with scattered bits of scorched debris littering around it. The stark contrast of the darkened figure that stood strong in a sea of white snow was both sickening and thought provoking in a way, a definite eye sore to say the least. Small platforms had been erected into the dirt with ladders leading up to the base of the gonadala. Probably used by the Equestrian emergency teams to extract the Federalists for medical care.

Seeing no reason not to use the former air ship for a shelter, the Federalist trotted down. The sun would be setting soon, and he wanted to get an early start tomorrow in finding out exactly what this "revolution" was about. Twilight was a bit sketchy on the details, but it was also his own fault for not asking more questions.

'Yea, you defiantly need to work on your communication skills.'

The closer he drew to the remains, the more he daunted he became. Even in shambles the air ship was a mammoth in a class of its own, it made him feel so small for some reason. Small bits of debris would greet his hoof through the snow, apparently that hadn't even been cleaned up, and that made for a very bad minefield, should anything sharp be in his path.

He climbed up one of the ladders and made way inside of the ship. It was just as chaotic as the outside. Small bits of plywood and metal scattered about, large chunks of the cealing and floor had crashed in over themselves with small bits of glass littering the far way. A large hole in the top allowed a skylight illumination, with smaller holes throughout giving more clarity.

Sin carefully wandered in, cautious of creaking boards and anything that could cause any debris from falling on him. It was also worth thinking about any animals that could have taken refuge here for the winter, the last thing he needed was to encounter something poisonous. 

That's when the smell hit him.

He inhaled through his nose and exhaled with a nostalgic sigh. Past the smell of cabin and other obvious odors to be present, there was a small scent that brought a certain kind of relaxing nostalgia. During his year and a half in Equestria, he'd become accustom to avoid relaxing; keeping his guard up at all times and forgoing taking comfort or trust in anything and everything. 

As he looked upon the Columbian architecture and obvious griffin constructed interior, a small smile crossed his muzzle. How sad was it? That even though the smell and design of the airship that he was in brought him more comfort than anything Equestria had to offer? Especially when it wasn't even from his own state? 

Suddenly a noise jutted and he froze in place. The noise was a creaking, but it wasn't him. Revolving his ears to try and pick it up again, he heard whispers coming from the farther down. Interested to see who would inhabit the fallen vessel, the stallion turned to a small hallway of stairs from where the voices originated and descended with all the stealth he could muster.

He reached the bottom of the flight of stairs and slowly tilted his head to check the hallway. There was a small candle giving light to reveal a light blue unicorn standing in front of a large metal door. The shine of the door compared to it's frame told that it was a recent addition, and whoever the new occupants were had an investment made to stay.

Sin's ear twitched when he heard the voice again, the unicorn mare was softly singing under he breath, the squeaking sound a loose board she was stepping on, presumably to entertain herself. The more he listened the more he wanted to just wonder out and slap her silly! The lyrics to her words were nothing but whining and complaining about how she wished she could find a lover and how lonely the singer was. 

Bunch of emo bull shit.

As he sat at the bottom of the stairs, he thought about just leaving and going back to set up camp. He'd probably not be welcome here, and he had no real business with the ponies who resided there in; especially if they remnant Triple M. agents. Deciding to not impair himself further, he took back up the stairs, he wasn't sad about coming, but it was mostly a waste of time.

He'd almost reached the top when he heard a pair of hoofsteps coming straight for him.

Frustrated by his exit being blocked, he quickly turned around and walked back down, keeping his head held high and walking with a purpose. If he just acted as if he had no problem being there, he shouldn't have a issue being thrown out.

He reached the bottom and marched directly for the unicorn, who's eyes fell on him and immediately stood at attention. "Halt!" she cried. "What's your business here?"

Sin stopped. "I am Goliath, I apologize for my intrusion, I was seeking shelter for the night." He explained halfheartedly. The mare eyed him skeptically for a moment before the ponies from before reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello Frosty Morning, ho- Who's he?" Asked one of them, Sin turned to find a smiling dark blue Stallion with a blond mane and wheel cutie mark. After giving his alias again, the pony walked up to him and offered a hoof. "Nice to meet ya, I'm Hot Wheel, and this is my wife, Sandy Shore." He referenced the pink mare with a long let down white mane.

'Alright, does every pony in this country have to have a verb or adjective in their names?

"Pleasure." He shook the offered appendage and turned his attention back to the guard. "My apologize for intruding. I'll be on my way."

As Sin turned and made way for the stairs, Hot Wheel objected to his leaving, citing that it was almost sun down and how cold it would be. Before Sin could protest, the pony insisted that he stay, at least for the night. 

"But I must ask you," he continued, his green eyes hardening a bit. "How do you feel about being ruled over by Celestia?"

The question both unnerved and interested him, if common sense dictated anything then he was the place he was looking for, but not the place he wanted to be. Luckily, he wouldn't have to lie. "I have no desire to be ruled by her."

As expected, all present were pleased to hear his reply and offered to allow him inside. Frosty opened the door and Sin was escorted in.





A grey coated and blonde maned pegasus pony flew over Sweet Apple Acres. her last delivery of the day of the day should have been made a few hours ago, but thanks to a slip up on one of her co-workers, one letter was left behind. Discovered just in time for her to drop off.

Being the pony who's mail service always provided excellence. Er, she tried, anyway.

After the long sea of snow, she finally reached the apple home and landed on the front porch. Putting on her best smile, the mailmare knocked on the door and waited patently.

The door opened. "Oh, hello there, Derpy." Mac smiled.

"Heya Mr. Macintosh, special delivery for Applejack!" She handed him the letter and scratched the back of her neck. "Sorry it's so late, some pony at the post office dropped it during sorting."

Mac thanked her for coming out in the cold and wished her a good afternoon. He closed the door and laid the envelope on the table next to the jar of apples he'd just opened for for a snack. As he ate, his eyes wondered to the letter and curiosity got the better of him.

He checked the address to see if it was sent from his relatives in Manehatten, asking about last years crops as they often did. To his surprise, the message's origin was from Cloudsdale. Odd, he didn't remember AJ having friends from there, but he'd been gone for a long time, she'd probably met tones of ponies look for work.

Shrugging it off, he finished his food, rinsed out the jar, and placed it back in it's crate for use next year. 

"Big Macintosh." Granny Smith called as she entered the the room. "Have ya sharpen' th' plow, like I asked ya?" 

The apple stallion's lips pressed and his eyes bulged in the universally recognized. 'oh crap' face. Granny caught on to it and gave him a one eyed glare. Chuckling nervously, the stallion slowly retreated from the kitchen outside the house and proceeded to the barn.

The snow was thick on the ground, darn near came up to his ankles. But the Ponyville pegasi like to pack in a nice and thick sheet to finish up winter. So he was used to it.

He pulled open the barn door and closed it behind him. The sun was descending in the sky, so he grabbed the near by lantern and flicked it to life. It didn't offer the best lighting, but it would be enough for the job. Satisfied that it was on it's highest setting, he casually trotted over to the larger tools and found the plow sitting between a couple of shovels and buckets.

He placed the lamp next to the blade and leaned down to inspect it, palpating the now rugged sides and blunt wedge. According to Granny, it took his sister, Rainbow Dash and a hired hoof to use this to plant a new row of trees. Now, Applejack and Rainbow were by no means weak, the two together would probably override him in strength, and considering he didn't have much of a problem with it last year, there had to be at least something wrong.

And there it was, the lowest end of the blade had been compromised. Probably by a dug in rock.

Shaking his head, the stallion loosened a few bits of the tool and removed the metal wedge. 

Yea, this thing's done for. He tossed it aside and made way back for the house. They'd have to wait and get a new one, either order if from Smith's shop or go over to Trottingham himself and get it. Well, those things don't last forever, his pop taught him that.





Spike sat at the Library's front desk, his hands holding a crafting file and a well sized sapphire. After he'd finished the ruby dragon, a thought occurred to him to do an entire set in different gem stones, his latest work just finishing up the outline of the upper body. He wasn't in any real intense mood, matter of fact he was quite content with life since he wasn't thinking about it.

"Hey Spike, I'm home!" Twilight announced as she came in the door.

"Welcome back." He smiled genuinely. After thinking it over, he was being unnecessarily mean to her when he'd returned. The dragon didn't want to be a jerk, and he sure as Tartarus didn't want her hating him. So, maybe making the best of being little Spike again would help both of them. "How was your lecture at the school? I bet Miss Cheerilee was happy to have somepony else do teach for once."

The librarian chuckled and removed her scarf. "It was great! Things started off a little boring with Star Swirl's early notes, but the kids loved seeing some of the spells he came up with, including the transfiguration of the class hamster into a frog."

Spike's head shot up and he looked in disbelief. "Hey, I turned him back." He smiled and shook his head before going back to his carving. "Getting hot and heavy into your crafting again?"

"Yea, it's coming along."

Twilight looked out the window. "Winter wrap up will be coming up soon, do you have any plans for when things warm up?"

"Nope."

"You sure? Maybe Rarity could use some help digging for gems."

Spike stopped and gripped the file tightly. Images of the party where she and Macintosh in the back room together dancing through his mind, as well what they might have been doing. 

"I'd rather not." He dismissed, going back to his work.

Twilight gave him a strange look. "Awww, c'mon, I'm sure she'd love to have some help."

"Maybe she could get Mac to help her." Spike grumbled. 

"What?"

"I'm just not interested Twi." he shrugged calmly. It was weird, it wasn't jealousy he was feeling when he saw them in that situation, it was just the feeling of betrayal. From one of them? Both? He wasn't sure. Rarity had lost her beauty in his eyes the night he left Ponyville, so why did it hurt so much to see her with Macintosh?

"Alright, if you say so." The mare conceded. "I'm going to make us some dinner, care to make a suggestion?"

Helping to lighten the mood, Spike placed his thumb to his chin in playful thought. "Yea, some carrot and potato soup sounds good. His guardian chuckled and wondered off to the kitchen. Not two minutes later, a knock came from the door. 

"It's open." He yelled.

Obeying, Rainbow Dash entered the Library. "Hey Spike, what's up?"

"Nothing much, you?"

The mare gave a big grin. "Oh you know, just preparing to see the Wonderbolt performance in the Canterlot 500!" She pulled out a ticket. "In the front row." 

Spike had mixed feelings about the performers., but he only let surprise show with a low whistle. "Nice." He nodded. It wasn't that it was actually a surprise. Twilight had told him a few days ago that Rainbow and herself were called to the capital to receive an apology from the entire team and were given free tickets. So, why was she shoving them in his face?

"Yep, and this one's for you." She held it out.

The drakes eyes widened. "For... me?" 

Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. "Yea, uh, look I'm not too good at this mushy stuff, but what you said before? About how we've never really acted like friends? Well, you were right. We haven't really done anything together. So, I pulled a few strings and would like you to join us."

A smile made it's way onto the dragon's mouth. She really wanted him to go? She actually cared to have him there? "Th- thanks Rainbow!" He beamed up at her.

"Anytime. But, I just came by to drop that off to you. Gotta get back in time to work with Applejack."

"Applejack?" Spike questioned.

"Yea, Soarin said he had a new idea for the show and needed an earth pony to do it. At first I suggested Pinkie Pie, but after finding out how bubbly she was, AJ turned out to be a better candidate."

Spike nodded and and bid the pegasus luck in her endeavor. With that, the speedster took her leaves for Sweet Apple Acres. 





The insides of the bridge was surprisingly well intact. The helm was replaced with a uncharacteristic mahogany table that was littered with maps of both the Federation and Equestria -as well as some world maps-. Each of the stations had been remade where ponies conversed and debated about various topics of philosophy and strategy. 

The room wasn't as big as he would have imagined, holding a maximum of at most 20 crew members. But Sin had to admire their fortitude in utilizing every last bit of the make shift hide out.

The chairs he'd guessed were used for pilots were replaced with luxurious brown trimmed red velvet recliners. Occupied by three ponies, each representing the different races.

"Good afternoon, Hot Wheel." Smiled the Pegasus mare of the throne barrers. Her sunken in eyes looking down upon them with a weak and old smile. "And who might you have here?"

"Good afternoon, Hurricane." Hot Wheel greeted with a bow. "This is Goliath, he is in search of shelter for the night." 

The three pairs eyes landed on Sin and he gave a nod of his head. It wasn't a bow, but enough to be considered a sign of respect.

"Goliath?" The mare tilted her head. Her body was slim and frail looking, her tanned coat lacking in the luster of youth and health. "I have not seen you within the confindes of this place before." 

Sin's muscles tightened, her voice had a certain elegance to it, a tranquility and wisdom that very few lived long enough to to ascertain. A voice that was soothing and gentle, yet holding an undertone of authority and intelligence. A voice that honestly reminded him of Celestia herself.

"I have recently traveled her from Hooftrot." Sin explained, forming himself in his head. It may not be a one hundred percent certainty, but he had a pretty good idea where he was, and the common sense wisdom to keep his identity to himself..  

The mare's eyes scrutinized him, making the stallion feel as if she could glare into his soul. Luckily, his goggles hid his almost uncontrollable blinking. "I see. Oh where are my manners? I am Commander Hurricane, Trotski leader of the Pegasi."

Alright, now that was a decent name.

"I am Prince Platinum, Trotski leader of the Unicorns." Growled the dark red unicorn to her right. His hard eye and shady voice spoke to him being middle aged, but his demeanor and grey mane made him look much older.

Prince Platinum? Yet again, a very dignified name. Perhaps the citizens of this land didn't have the most ridiculous names in the world.

"And I am Chancellor Puddinghead, Trotski leader of the earth ponies."

Aaand just like that, the universe had to prove him wrong. Wait, those names sounded familiar.

The fairly young yellow earth pony looked down at him with expectant golden eyes. "Something to say, Mr. Goliath?" He sat to the left of Hurricane, completing both the race differences and roughly the age differences.

"I'm wondering why you've taken the names of the founders of Equestria." Sin replied, genuinely interested.. 

"Oh yes, the old tales." Hurricane chuckled mirthlessly before explaining that the Judgement now harbored followers of the Trotski movement. An arguably revolutionary group of ponies who wanted to restore the 'natural order'.

That erased all doubt, this was the movement Celestia had called him to quell, better to hear what a movement was about directly from their leaders instead of a bunch of possibly bias individuals interested in only taking verbal cheap shots.

"After the three tribes had come to the new world," Hurricane said.  "There was still mistrust among the ponies. However, with the new and prosperous land threatened by the Windigo's storm, the three tribes quickly saw past their differences and unified under one banner. While it was a fragile truce, it was enough to keep the foul spirits away."

"In time, certain circumstances arose that had drawn the tribes closer and closer together. Inexplicable combustion's that destroyed Unicorn food supplies, malicious griffin raids with out cause and so on. What was curious was the fact that there was always a solution from the other races readily available. The destroyed food happened just as a earth pony caravan was passing the compound. As such, the food was shared, putting the food growers in greater favor of their magic bearing counter parts."

"Why wouldn't there be talk of sabotage?" Sin pointed out. "Building's don't just go into flame for no reason."

The tan mare gave him a smile. "There was, at first. But earth ponies had no means to cast fire on such a magnitude. And the compound was devoid of the few pyromystic's who could preform such a feet."

Sin furrowed his brow and nodded. She continued the story. The three tribes grew and formed the first desegregated town of Canterlot to improve relations. Unlike the the other settlements, this one was not subtly dictated as a "controlled" town by any of the factions. It was to be the capital of the new world, but pushed back by the arrival of two creaturs very alien to unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus alike.

The Alicorn sister, Luna and Celestia had approached the ponies. Some were frightened, some were curious and some were disgusted. These feelings transcended all of the races and only further served to draw them together.

Trotski, finally coming into the story, regarded the Alicorn as "Abominations" and "Unnaturally warped" mixtures between unicorns and pegasi. Claiming they were the one's responsible for all the bad happenings around the camps and compounds. However, his hateful accusations riled up the citizens and brought forth the Windigo's frost once more.

Unable to lose the land a harsh winter once again, the ponies suppressed their fear and anger once more and elected instead to do as they had done with each other. Come to learn and understand the new creatures. Unlike Trotski foretold, the sister's didn't bring harm, they instead became friendly with every pony they had come across. Town by town, the duo would travel, observe, and interact with the various and growing cultures.

Trotski, however, was Tartarus-bent on the idea that the two had caused the phenomena that destroyed food and raided farms and villages. 

As time went on, the ponies had come to accept the Alicorn, but Trotski, as well as the entire Equestrian Executive Council and their loyal followers, did not; despite both Celestia and Luna's multiple attempts.

Eventually, Trotski's fears became realized when multiple Equestrian's separated from the camps and followed the Alicorn's in their teachings of friendship and harmony. Unable to stand their subordinates undermining their authority, the EEC began a campaign to halt any farther turn coats from leaving the compounds. Severely punishing any foolish enough to try and escape.

Three days after the lock down, the Alicorn sister approached the diplomats and demanded to know why the ponies were confined into their places. After failing to leave and physically dismissing any whom tried to remove them, the council explained -with no shortage of profanity- that they would not let pony kind be ruled by non-pony abominations. 

Unable to accept this, the Alicorn sisters used their magic to free the ponies and gave them the option to join their own nation or remain under the rule of the Equestrian Executive Council. Understandably, the ponies sided with the Alicorns until all but a fraction remained with the original settlers.

Seeing themselves out numbered and fearing retaliation, the settlers migrated back to the old world. However, before leaving Trotski vowed to return and restore order to those whom it rightfully belonged.

Sin stood in awe. Always ALWAYS when he encountered one group in conflict with another, the story was slanted in the current outspoken individuals favor, making themselves look like the righteous and suffering side and their opponents the twisted and misguided. How Hurricane told her side of the story made it clear that Trotski and the original leaders were in the wrong. So why did she follow so with such dedication?

"And we have witnessed first hand the lack of competence our current leaders have!" Spat Pudding Head, with Platinum nodding his agreement. "The changelings, Discord, and now this air ship invading the country... Had it not been for our aid, the-"

Hurricane raised a hoof to silence her associate. "Platinum, we all know full well that the ponies of our land are far more capable than that."

Yet again, explaining the truth even when the lie -a believable one at that- would make them seen in a better light. This was new, very interesting, and worth asking about.

Predictably, Hurricane chuckled and looked upon him with a smile. "Dear Goliath, we do not wish to gain rule through lies and depict. Such ponies of ire are unfit to be command a family, let alone a country. History is to be learned from and informative, lest it be repeated."

The stallion nodded. "But your cause would receive so much more support if-" He was once again silenced, half by himself this time. Was he really about to advocate false promises and slander? 

"Our cause is our own, young one." Sin gritted his teeth. "Now, I'm sure you are hungry after traveling all the way from..."

"Hooftrot, it's about two weeks walk from here from the north."

"My goodness, you must be starving." Commander Hurricane clapped her hooves. "Hot Wheel, would you mind escorting our guest to the eating hall? I'm sure he'd greatly appreciate some Amaranth soup."

"Of course, your majesty." The pony nodded before he and his wife nudged the stallion into he left most door. 

"Thank you." Was all Sin managed before he lost sight of them.





Sin lay in a cot in a private cabin. The candle he'd used for light was out and he stared blankly up at the ceiling.

His thoughts would start and come to a screeching halt whenever he'd think about the current situation he was in. They told the truth? They admitted how they were on the darker side of history... What was he supposed to do now? Whenever an issue arose with a political group, he could just slam facts down on the table and shame the group into submission or with draw all public support for it.

But this organization had neither. It had no romanticized beliefs about it's founders/leaders or their beliefs, and even if it did, anything he could say would only strengthen their resolve. What was he supposed to do?!

Were they sadists? Did they want their followers to suffer as they did so many years ago? Did they think themselves better than the leaders of old and only held that belief while discarding what their ancestors acts as those of the past and only keeping the story the same to be historically accurate?

No, no There had to be more, the dinning hall was full of dozens upon dozens of ponies. Each seemed very happy with their following of the Trostski. Especially a young couple who just joined the movement not but a week ago. There was the possibility of Stalk Homes Syndrome, and the unicorns using their magic for memory manipulation, or full on mind control but would it be possible on this grand a scale? From what he observed, the ponies seemed normal enough, chatting and conversing like usual. 

There had to be more to this that he wasn't seeing... There had to be. 





"I don't trust him." Snarled Platinum.

"Our scouts report that he came from the west, from the Everfree. He didn't come from the north." Agreed Pudding Head with his head leaning lazily against his hoof.

They both looked to Commander Hurrican who sat in silent thought. "Indeed he is a liar." She finally spoke, opening her eyes and smiling widely. "Gentlecolts, the pony who now resides within our care is none other than the Celestia's new lap dog, Sin."

"Sin?" The two others said in unison.

"Indeed. An insider of mine in the Canterlot ranks spoke of him. He is a radical, borderline anarchist who now serves the throne to quell uprising much like our own."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pudding Head stood from his place and grabbed a dagger "Rets kirr em."

The pegasi of the group rose her hoof. "Still yourself, young Pudding Head,"  The earth pony did as she requested and she smiled gently again. "I recognized our young friend the moment he entered our chamber, and if my source is accurate, than he is merely serving Celestia out of a moral obligation to her."

Pudding Head waved his hoof for her to continue, obviously finding the detail irrelevant.

"What we have told him is not a lie, to the best of our knowledge. So he has no reason to doubt our credibility, his entire demeanor change the moment I showed our ancestors in a negative light, and it has put him into a state of confusion."

"Yes, yes." Platinum pushed. "But what does this have to do with letting him live, Hurricane?"

"The point of it, dear prince, is that if we can turn him against the Princess, bring him over to our side; we will have a very capable ally. The collectivist movement in Canterlot had gained quite a bit of traction in recent years, and that young stallion had turned it's leader into a weeping recluse in one short day." 

"If he can do that, the prospect of him arguing for our cause would be an immeasurable asset. Ponies would come far and wide to understand their true place, and their true leaders. No more will ours be a fringe movement, cast to the side like an insignificant insect. We will raise to power as is our birth right, and make the Matriarch's pay for what they did to our ancestors."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Pudding head scoffed. "Your source said he was an anarchist radical, yet here he serves the princess of the sun? Such a contradictory claims are questionable."

"It will not be difficult, Sin is a stallion of logic an reasoning." The pegasus smirked. "And we will merely use that logic against him. After all, we have yet to explained our suspicions on the Winidgos lack of interference as of late."

"But he did speak on truth while he was here." She turned to the door. "He doesn't hold any fondness to the throne."





> Work & Play
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Work & Play



Sin awoke in a cold sweat. 

He didn't dream often, but when he did, he wished he haden't. Faces screaming in darkness for no apparent reason other than to vent themselves. Anger, fear, terror, pain, it didn't matter. All they did was scream and bring his mind a terror like nothing else. Well, he shouldn't have fallen asleep anyway, behind enemy lines wasn't the best place to get rest after all.

Gaining control of his breathing and heart, the stallion shook himself  and stretched, popping a few vertibre in his back. Happy with the relieved tension, he remade the blankets on the bed for its next occupant and slowly approached the door. Opening it slowly, he peered out to make sure no one was going to jump out at him. The sun was shining through the small cracks in the air ship and gave the hall way a distorted sort of lighting that darkened the farther ends to almost pitch black.

He left the room and closed the door, trying to make as little noise as possible and walked down the hallway to the dinning area, constantly checking behind him.

Quit being so paranoid, if they were going to do something, they would have done it by now.

It was a half truth, he didn't eat the food they offered, assuming the worst of it. Fact be told, he would never know now, not that he took exception to that. Still he was getting hungry, once he reached Trottingham, he'd be foolish to forgo stopping by the market and getting a few carrots.

Sin entered the hall to find it almost as full as it was last night. It took him a moment to register that such a large number of ponies could be awake before he was, it was both inspiring and unnerving. 

"Goliath!" Sin looked left to find Hot Wheel smiling and approach. "There you are, I trust you slept well?"

The federalist nodded, thankful his goggles hid what were probably blood shot eyes.

"I'm glad to hear that, come, let's get you some breakfast, yes? Blueberry flavored oatmeal today." The blue earth pony chirped and nudged. Oatmeal? What was so great about that?

"Sure."

Lead to the line, the two were handed two plates and sat at a table.

The aluring aroma of the oats was driving his stomach wiled. It screamed silently for the food to be consumed and satisphy his stomach's desire. Slowly, the Federalists resolve began to crumble, and he licked his lips. It was there, the delicious smelling bowl of stuff, it wasn't poisoned, how could the food distributer have known which one was his to be given? The older pegasus didn't seem to be paying mind to who she gave food to.

'Maybe she just played aloof, you know, to make you let your guard down.'

Was that it?

'Oh yea, dude. Everyone's out to get you. You see that spork over there? It wants to gouge your eyes out. And that pony over there getting a drink of water? She to throw you off the top of the ship.'

...

...

Go fuck yourself.

'I'm you, dumb nut.'

"Goliath?" Sin was broken from his thoughts to find Hot Wheel's wife siting beside her husband. "Any one there?" When did she get here?

"I think your beauty hypnotized him, sweet heart." Hot Wheel chuckled.

A bit of playful banter ensued between the two, ending with heart felt nuzzling. 

"Sorry, I was just thinking." Sin offered an empty smirk. "Do you two mind if I ask you a question?"

"Not at all, young stallion, please ask away."

Their warmness and happiness was off putting, he'd never seen a couple act this way before. Was this whole Trotski thing really so bad? "Why is it that you joined Hurricane and the others?"

To this, both of their smiles dropped, along with their ears. "That's an-" The blue stallion hesitated, "interesting subject to ask about." He chuckled.

"Well, if you want the honest truth, I personally have no interest in being lead by Celestia or her incompetent policies." Sandy huffed, putting her nose in the air. "Let's be honest here, what has she really done for us?"

Sin didn't reply.

"Indeed. First her sister comes back, one whom she banished to the moon for a thousand years, because she became understandably jealous, and comes to take her revenge. Does Celestia confront her directly and take responsibility for her actions? No, no she does not, instead she sends her student and five strange ponies whom she's never met to fight in her place!"

Hot shook his head in disappointment. "I used to look up to her as our matriarch, a symbol of light and protection, but that day showed what she really was; a coward."

Well, there was something new. Sin hadn't ever thought of the story past face value. Why didn't Celestia confront her sister the night she returned? Why did she send Twilight and her friends to fight in her stead? 

"Next, we have Discord. A draconequus with power enough to alter reality. Does our oh so brilliant leader confront the threat herself? No, yet again, she sends six little ponies to do her work for her." Sandy exclaimed, her voice raising and her eyes growing dark. "And then, there was the changeling invasion of Canterlot no but last year! The one time, THE ONE TIME she actually takes actions herself to protect her citizens, she is defeated by one single attack from the queen, JUST ONE! WHAT KIND OF INCOMPETENT FARCE IS BEATEN SO EASILY WHEN THE LIVES OF HER CITIZENS ARE AT STAKE!?"

Silence enveloped the cafeteria. All eyes were on the now fuming pegasus mare.

Both Sin and Hot sat dumb struck, the former more so, seeing as Sandy Shore had her wings flared and was standing on the table looking upon him with green orbs full of malice and rage, as if he were the one her contempt was directed at. 

As realization slowly dawned on her, a dark crimson overcame her already pinked cheeks and she sat back down. "Sorry, I suppose I got a bit carried away."

'A bit? Tapio forbid you tell us how you really feel.'

While Hot Wheel placed a comforting hoof on his wife's shoulder and soothed her back to normal, Sin let the new information sink in. 

Is what the mare said true? He knew that it was ultimately Twilight and her friends who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord, but did Celestia really make no effort to do so herself? Did she honestly place the entire effort for stopping the literal end of the world on the backs of six ponies? Most of which had no experience in dealing with dangerous situation?

Was she really such a coward?





Spike sat stood in front of a book case within the fiction section. Working on the same dragon piece for so long became boring and tedious, but finding a new specimen to craft after would hopefully rejuvenate his will to sculpt. Well that would come after, currently speaking, he just wanted to do something else, and reading was always a failsafe for him, especially when there was something to learn that interested him.

Problem was that he'd read almost all the books in the section. 

"The Daring Files" "Daring Do" "The Codex Equestria" all of them. Most of the new books Twilight had brought in were factual tomes for research and study, not pleasure and excitement. 

"Hey Twilight." He yelled. "Do we have any new adventure books?"

"What?"

"I said, do we have any new adventure books?"

The dragon marched up stairs to end the shouting and met Twilight on the stair way. "What about adventure?"

It didn't take long for Spike to explain that he wanted to take his mind off of what he was currently doing and find something to read, maybe even learn about. Something that would inspire and help the creative juices flow.

The librarian put her hoof to her chin in thought for a moment when she beamed at a realization. "You should talk to Lyra!"

"Lyra?"

"Yes, the green mare who plays the lyre all the time in the park? Everypony knows that she loves humans and has done some delving into anthropology. I'm sure she could tell you a few stories about their time."

"Cool, but, what's a human?"

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She repeated the act a few more times with different poses but ultimately ended with a thoughtful frown. "You know, I'm not really sure, but she will. Just talk to her, she should be at Bon Bon's shop since it's so cold out."

Putting his own fist to his chin, the drake pondered the idea for just a moment before agreeing. With nothing better to do, he slowly trudged to the door, grabbed the remnants of his cloak, and bid his mother good bye. "I'll be back later Twi'."

He closed the door with his departure acknowledged and wondered through the town. The snow was the highest he'd ever seen it, coming up to his thighs. And Celestia was it cold, especially considering where it reached. 

As he walked through the town, he found other ponies out and enjoying the final day of winter. Fillies and colts playing in the snow, having snowball fights or making snow angels, hay even a few adults were having fun. Tomorrow began the wrap up, and the day after, he would be taken to Canterlot to watch the Wonderbolts preform in a live derby. Even if he was bored today, he still had something to look forward to.

he walked into the recognized candy store, a small bell rung and alerted the current manager of his arrival. 

"Welcome." Called a vanilla colored pony with curly pink and purple hair. "What can I get you today, Spike?"

"Nothing today, Bon Bon." he replied. "I'm actually here to talk to Lyra about something."

"Lyra? The store said, her head tilting. "Well, she's upstairs in her room right now. I suppose you can go and see her." 

"Thanks."

Spike waved and proceeded up the stairs. Once ascended, it wasn't difficult deducing the room he needed to visit. A heavenly melody that only years of honed practice could produce began to encroach his ears. 

The drake slowly wondered to the door and firmly knocked three times. The music stopped and a moment later to reveal the mint green unicorn more with golden eyes looking at him in surpise. "Oh, hello Spike." Lyra greeted, putting on a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Hey, I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me." The dragon replied, finding the sudden awkwardness of wondering over to a mare's home -one he'd never met formally mind you- knocking on her door unannounced, and asking questions. It didn't seem so bad until he was looking the lyrist in the eye. How would that make him look? Just wondering into a home and say: 'Hey, I wanna know about humans, now spill it.' 

"Alright, I guess." Lyra offered him to enter and the two ended up on a pair of warm and cozy blue cotton chairs. "So what was it you wanted to know about exactly."

Gripping his claws, swallowing his fear, and stealing himself for the interrogation to come; Spike asked the question.

"Well uh," He chuckled nervously. "I've hit a road block in my sculpting and I could really use something to think about that doesn't revolve around... what I've been thinking about."

"Right... Uh, hey, how about I make us some tea?"

"That sounds good." The dragon sighed and whipped a few trickles of sweat from his forehead. After his host left the room, he began to panic.

Coming here like this was a very stupid mistake. He'd ever talked to Lyra once, and that was a cliche' conversation about the weather! 

'Wow, she must think I'm a freak.'

'Well, what did you expect? This isn't a public place you know.'

Yea but I guess I'm just used to it and- Wait, I'm here to talk to her about humans! She probably doesn't meet to many ponies as interested as she is in it, hay, if the fact I'm her to indulge in her knowledge, than maybe she'll be happy I'm here. I've got nothing to worry about.

Relieved to come to that conclusion, Spike's tension began to wash out of him. He was just getting worked up over nothing, it was silly how his brain could be so irrational some times.

A few minutes later, Lyra returned with a tea pot and two white, ceramic tea cups. After a few polite sips, the dragon confidently asked: "So, Lyra, what can you tell me about humans?"

The Unicorn mare's tea cup froze mid way into her mouth, she closed her eyes and began a tyrade the likes of which Spike would never forget...





"R' ya sure ya wanna go alone?" Applebloom complained.

"Yea, fores's mighty dangerous." Applejack agreed. "Even fer you."

Big Macintosh chuckled and placed his cloak. He hadn't heard from Sin or Shade in quite a while, even if things hadn't ended well, they were still his friends and he wanted to make sure they were at least ok.

"Don' worry, Ah won' be gone long."

"All th' same. Ah'd rather ya didn't go alone." The elder sister said, grabbing a coat of her own. "Applebloom, yer tah stay inside and do what evah Granny tells ya. We'll be back later."

"But sis!" The youngest Apple complained. "Ah'm tired a bein' stuck inside. Can't Ah go tah see Scootaloo? Ah haven't seen her since Winter break started."

AJ was about to answer in the negative, but the big puppy dog eyes of the filly were slowly dwindeling her resolve. Unable to answer her way, the mare looked to her brother for support, but Macintosh also said he wanted to go alone, so he simple smiled lazily and leaned against the door frame.

"Alright, fine, but you stay with Scootaloo the entire time, ya hear?"

"Yay!" Applebloom quickly donned her scarf and a matching purple poofball hat and the three set off for town. In the town park, a decent sized group of ponies were enjoying the final day of winter. Playing in the snow, building snow ponies and so on, among the ponies present, Scootaloo was playing with two other fillies, one of them being Rarity sister.

"Hey you guys!" Applebloom shouted before being pelted with a snowball. 

Mac stifled a laugh as the filly whiped the residue from her face and eyed the offender. "Oh so it's lik' tha' huh?" She smirked and charged forth, basking in the fun with her friends. Deciding the fillies would be fine where they were, the two older Apples marched onto the Everfree forest.

Surprisingly enough, Twilight Sprakle was just exiting through the main way and greeted the two with a smile. "Hello there."

"Hey Twi', what'er you doin' here?" Asked Applejack.

Apparently she'd just finished speaking with Sin about a new assignment in Trottingham, though she wasn't to sure how the stallion was doing physically, he seemed to be able to move around well enough. He was alive at least.

"So he n' Shade went to Trottingham already?"

"Shade? Oh you mean the bat pony he's always with?" Twilight furrowed her brow. "Come to think of it, I didn't see him there when I went. And Sin just up and left with out saying a word about him."

Sin left Shade? It really shouldn't be a concern, the bat stallion should have been more than able to take care of himself, he probably went to see Discord.





Shade smirked as a den of manticore slowly back away from him with their scorpion tales between their legs. Even though they backed into a darkened cavern, his eyes were serpentine and allowed him to see in the dark.

"Before this day is done one of you will be my kitty!" He barked before lunging himself at the chimera.

A loud roar and pained yelps echoed through out the land scape and into the world beyond.



 

Yea, he'll be fine.

Well, now that that's out of the way. The Appleclan had to find something else to do. Seemed like a big waste of time to walk all the way out here and just go back home.

The two walked back to town with Twilight, might as well enjoy the town with the rest of his friends, better than sitting in the farm with nothing to do.





Silvia fought of an oncoming sneeze from her place under the fallen air ship. She took covered under some dead debrise and used a small thermoblanket to keep herself warm. Though, it did little good.

She had a cold and she knew it. 

Worse than that, this air ship was crawling with ponies that she had no idea what to make of, save one detail that lent to her current hidden predicament. Pony supremacy. 

When she'd first arrived, she hid herself next to one of the stair ways used to gain entree to the gondola. After, two earth pony mares trudged by, complaining about all the minotaur and griffins the town had to offer. One line in particular told Silvia where she stood.

"I hope these atrocious creatures die off soon."

It was stupid, it was childish and it was the epitome of unprofessional, but the griffin had to restrain herself from marching out and slapping the mare silly. Who did she think she was berating an entire race like that? 

Bitch.

Sighing again, the Triple M. agent grumbled to herself. Here she was back to being in solitude, cold and bored. And now she was sick. Malich definitely owed her an extended vacation for this one.





After dismissing himself from the eating hall, Sin bore fare well to his new acquaintances and took his leave from the wrecked vessel. As he wondered the distance between that and Trottingham, a last few words between he and the Trotski leaders echoed in his mind.

All in all he felt indifferently about their struggle with Celestia and Luna, and while it wasn't bluntly said, the implication was hardly subtle. 

The windigos were drawn to strife on even the most minuscule of levels -assuming the old tales are true- to the point where just six (three technically) ponies fighting would draw their attention. But why not now? There were hundreds of conflicts all over Equestria on a daily basis, but not a frost single demon had been reported.

Same could be said for the Federation too, and any other nation with a tense populace. Yet, the only place the winter spirits were ever encountered were in Equestria and the Old World. 

Why did Windigos only go after ponies? Why were they no longer active? Could the implication be true and... Well it would make sense, but at the same time not. 

He entered the city and found the streets to be hustling and bustling with the usual livelihood that only Equestria could offer, plowing snow and preforming the winter ending ritual. Taking special care to avoid any unseen Triple M. agents, Sin quickly made way for the government building within the town. Surprisingly, it was quite a palace to behold, akin to that of Canterlot's own. 

White spires with golden dome roof tops, balconies on almost every floor and a well sized fixture in the middle that made a perfect star type shape, truly a work of art, and waste of money; but to each their own.

Entering the courtyard with little caring from the guards, the stallion frowned at the sight of multiple ponies and griffins standing within it's confines, looking upon a white unicorn stallion with blond mane and an air of prestige and arrogance. It wasn't he whom spoke, but another unicorn clad in higher ranking military armor whom he whispered to.

"Subjects of Prince Blueblood!" He cried. "You have been called upon to dismantle the radicals whom lay just beyond his fair city!" The crowd stood in silent acknowledgement.

Sin quirked a brow, his city? Did he own all of this?

"The royal sister-" The prince cleared his throat forcibly. "The prince's aunts..." The office corrected. "Have neglected to end the undermining of the prince's rule for far too long!"

As the assumed prince began whispering the next line for his subordinate to speak, Sin contemplated exactly what the government planned to do. It wasn't hard to figure out who they were going after, but if he wanted to let them handle it or not was another matter.

On one hoof, this wasn't an environment he was used to, the ponies showed no shame for thier desires and barbaric pasts and in that respect, he had no idea and no place to solve the problem at present.

On the other hoof, Sin wanted a challenge. The last debate he was in made him fell alive and even excited, humiliation of another was a bonus, but it was for himself; to know he could prove himself right. Not to mention more knowledge about the princess's cowardice and the appearance windigos. If what was implied was true, he'd undeniably have to reconsider his obligations. The only reason he even considered following the sun mare's orders was out of respect for the fact that she allowed her subjects to be relatively free and unmolested. 

If her rise to power was simply a cleaver plan threatening food stocks, then he had a great deal of thinking to do...






"WHY DOES EVERYPONY THINK I LIKE HUMANS!" Lyra bellowed for the twelfth time. "I have never said a word about them in my life. But every time somepony gets a wild hair up their flank about them they always come to me. Why? Why!? WHY!?!"

Spike felt his seat wobble on it's two hind legs due to the mare's face pushing his own back with proximity. He gulped, her eyes were on fire, a seething anger that only years worth of endurance and bottling could produce. 

"I don't know." He shook his head. "T- Twilight jus-"

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" The pony's eye twitched. "She's the one spreading these rumors?"

'Wow, I think you just sold your care taker out.'

Gathering his courage the drake side stepped the question, following his care taker's lead in proclaiming that everypony thought she was an anthropologist. Yea, not the best move on his part.

"You think I don't know that?" Lyra chuckled sarcastically. "Hey Lyra, why do humans walk on two hooves? Oh Lyra, what do humans eat? Oh Lyra, do you wanna buck a human? For the love of Celestia; I'm a Lyrist! Is my name and cutie mark not enough to show that?!" She stomped an angry hoof.

Silence, a very intense and deafening silence filled only with the seething huffs of the enraged mint unicorn trying to catch her breath

Deciding he'd far over stayed his welcome, Spike quickly excused himself from the room and damn near ran down the stairs. Bon Bon had said something, but the last thing he wanted to do was give that maniac the chance to catch him where he wouldn't have witnesses. 

He burst through the door and out into the snow, checking behind him to make sure he wasn't followed. When he was a safe distance away he placed his hands to his knees and caught his breath, "maniac" he breathed. "What the hay? Who answers a simple question like that?"

The more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to know actually. In the end it was still a bust and a waste of time. Well, maybe he cou-

And suddenly a cold and soft impact on the back of his head, with small bits of white powder slowly falling on his shoulders. Slowly he turned to see Scootaloo and Applebloom laughing, the latter congratulating the former on her aim. His previous dealings all but forgotten, Spike pouted for a brief moment before smirking and reaching down for ammo of his own. 

Bam.

Two spheres one after the other, the once laughing fillies now lay in awe as the strike from Spikes own attack sunk in. Though, that too didn't last long. 

The giggling school children (for lack of a better term) began running around and continued their snow begotten battle. He wasn't sure when, but Sweetie Bell had shown up and attended his side. 

'Ha! That evened things up!'

And what was once Spike on the continual run and defense quickly turned into the farm and scooter bound fillies constant retreat. Between the drake's superior agility and Sweetie's magic, the two were more than a match.

As the small dragon took under a small sign for cover and chuckled at the vague threats of his opponents, he called sweetie bell over.

"This is fun." The white and lilac filly chuckled before peaking over the sign. Spike couldn't agree more, he couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun, just throwing caution to the wind and indulging in a simple pleasure of a good old fashioned snow ball fight.

The tingling feeling of excitement in his shoulders and the eagerness of mind to charge forth with out need for real strategy or care was liberating. Life seemed a lot simpler in that moment. Just friends having some fun, no over blown plans or life threatening fears or anything of true consequence... Why did he want to leave this behind?

"Alright, Spike." Sweetie ducked back down. "They're behind that bush over there."

The drake gingerly poked his head out and surveyed the area, sure enough, a snow disturbed bush lay only a few feet away from the duo's current position. "Good, alright let's make some more ammo." The sign they sat behind seemed well enough in terms of cover, if they just held here, the other team had little chance of hitting them. Two, four, ten and eventually twenty snow balls were made for their bombardment. 

"Ready?" Sweetie asked with a grin.

The purple reptile nodded and the both shot up, two snow balls ready to be thrown. What they saw made them freeze in place. Both Applejack and big Macintosh stood with devious smirks on their face behind Applebloom and the rainbow maned speedster known as Rainbow Dash stood behind Scootaloo.

"Son of a-" Was all Spike managed before their barrage came upon them.

The two ducked back down. Now the odds were 5 against two. This wasn't good.

"FIRE!" 

Suddenly, just as many snow balls were flying over head to the other team as there were at Spike and Sweetie. The two grinned happily to find Twilight and Rarity using their combined magic to shoot snow balls in rapid succession. And like that, the odds were once again evened. 

The mares used the covering fire to join their younger family and crouched down. "Rarity!" Sweetie called with a slight nuzzle. "Thanks for the rescue."

Spike didn't care to hear the rest, as fun as this was he still had his feelings for her. But no, he was having fun, fun he hadn't enjoyed in months, and Celestia dammit he wasn't going to let her ruin that. So he pushed his feelings aside, the complete team stockpiled their ammo curtsey of the Bell sisters and steeled themselves for the battle to come.

What ensued next, past the constant threat of being pelted by the opposition, past his feelings of resentment and even past the events of the past few weeks; was the most wonderful time of his life. 

These moments. These moments are what made life great.





Sin followed the large group of Equestrians out the town gates and towards the fallen air ship. The summoned group was apparently a mob of angry citizens who were tired of being harassed by the followers of Trotski, and were being led by Prince Blueblood -decent name- to arrest the conglomerate on accounts of treason and conspiracy. 

It wasn't hard to let them do it, at the end of the day, the Federalist had no place to challenge the mob; nor their leader. Fact was, he had no place here to begin with, this wasn't a movement that was gaining steam it was simply a band of remnant loyalists looking for power in their traditions who just annoyed the populace. 

As the mob slowly began to descend upon the structure, a few coward pegasi fled the encampment and soon enough, the  entire Trotski movement crawled out of the ship to come and face the mob. 

Sin sat back and simply observed the interaction, they were shouting well enough for him to hear, arguing about the rights to hold refuge in the make shift commune and the rights of other citizens to not be harassed. However, vocal skirmish ended once Blueblood's speaker ordered the entire commune under arrest and demanded the ponies come peacefully. To the tan clad stallions dismay, the traditionalists actually complied, ordered by their leaders to not fight.

Sin sighed. "So disappointing," he said with a shake of his head. They had the right to talk to others and live as they had, yet they didn't put up a fight to stay out of the cage? Spineless. Though it they had gotten the populace of Trottingham so riled up to the point where a mass of ponies were willing to arrest them, they weren't with out their part of the blame for this happening.

Still, this would not be the end of it, he had questions and he wanted answers...





"Tell me what you meant." Sin said, eyeing Commander Hurricane blankly. She and the other leaders had been sentenced to their own cell while the others were kept else where. The dark room was divided by a thick row of black bars holding the three leaders on the other side with only the faint torchlight behind Sin to see them with.

This was different, actually acquiring permission for visitation instead of just taking the initiative with prisoners in the dead of night to offer them tools to escape while avoiding detection. Sin still wasn't sure how he should feel about the simplicity of it all, but truth be told, he missed the adrenaline that could only be given to him by fear of being caught.

"I'm sorry?"

Sin repeated his question.

"In terms of?" Hurricane replied polity.

"The windigos." She nodded for him to continue. "You mentioned that they haven't appeared in quite a while, why is that?"

Hurricane and Pudding Head chuckled while Prince Platinum merely growled and shook his head. "You truly do not understand?"

Sin regarded the unicorn, "if I did, do you think I'd be asking?"

Platinum growled again, baring his teeth.

"Calm yourself, Platinum." Hurricane interjected before smiling pleasantly. "Truly, you disappoint me Goliath, I thought you more intelligent than this."

Quirking a brow the stallion voiced his interpretation on the matter, only desiring to seek confirmation on if what he thought he heard was true. The three ponies in the cell smiled knowingly and nodded in the affirmative. 

"Perhaps he is smarter than he looks." Pudding Head chuckled. 

Now that there was no chance of a misunderstanding, Sin thought over what he knew. Celestia always seemed so noble and honest, even by his standards; which was the primary reason he agreed to work under her. Yes rather annoyingly condescending in their previous dealings, but for the few hours he had to digest the information and as little time as he actually knew her, he just couldn't see her doing it; but as a government official himself he knew how deceptive politicians could be.

But the facts spoke for themselves, the fact of the matter was that all the history of the Federation, for all of the disagreement and a situation not too different from the founders of the Old World, his people were never plagued. 

Unless, this was all a big lie.

Such history happened so long ago, and the frost demons were not but a myth now. Perhaps that's all they ever were? Maybe the whole story was just that! A story, a fictional comfort food that brought the three different races together. This land was based around positive social interaction above all things, would it be so far-fetched to suggest this kind of fiction become mainstream just to farther that utopian objective?

"Goliath?"

The only ones who'd know would be Celestia and Luna, only they were around all that time ago. Luna would be a back up resource if he needed her, but if it was a grandiose conspiracy the two of them would lie their plots off. No, no there had to be something else he could look into.

"Goliath?"

Perhaps a book on Windigos from way back when? Yea, finding a book from thousands of years old, good luck with that. Well, maybe the castle held some kind of archive? Yea, it had too, now to figure out how to find it and-

"Goliath!" Sin looked up in a start.

"Are you alright? You seemed distant, for a moment." Hurricane said in concern. 

Sin's eyes narrowed under his goggles. If the old stories were a fabrication, these ponies were the biggest suckers of them all. He had no more time to waste with them if their entire movement was based on a lie. He had no farther business here.

"Thank you for your time." He stood from his place and cracked his neck.

"Leaving so soon?" Pudding Head said worriedly. "But, you've only just gotten here, and we have so much to discuss."

"Perhaps another time." He gave a slight nod of the head and walked past the lazy guard who stood half asleep at the door. Once he had exited the holding area, Sin shook his head, both at his new side project and at what the other point of visiting those ponies was.





"Alright traitors, lights out and shut up!" The pegasus jailer bellowed before slamming the door on the other side of the bars.

"Well, that was a waste of time." Platinum spat as he crawled into his bed. "It seems as though your champion isn't even capable of rescuing us from this prison cell; much less assist us in gathering a following."

"I agree with the prince." Pudding head nodded. "You said he would be our greatest ally, yet he leaves us to rot."

The two continued their insult session until Commander Hurricane broke out into small chuckles. Holding the other leaders attention for a moment the pegasus mare checked the door to make sure nopony was watching her than quickly made way to where Sin sat and reached to the wall and felt around. Before the other two could comment on the surreal character breaking feet she was displaying by laying on the ground... "There you are."


Slowly she moved back a small black piece of metal in her hoof.

"What in Unicornia?"

"Gentlecolts." Hurricane smiled with just a twinge of malevolence. "I give you the key to our salvation."



  
  

   
> Thouhtful Considerations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

(So yea, I need an editor. I didn't want to proclaim it this way, but the groups I've looked into haven't provided.)  
-----



Thoughtful Considerations



Sin stood at the clearing of the camp site

Why wasn't he surprised? He knew he should be. Tapio's beard this was a new one, even for Shade, but he didn't even get a small shiver up his spine nor even wide eyed from the very strange display before him, he should at least be a little afraid, if nothing else.

There, sat the bat pony, his back to a tree looking as carefree and comfortable as a overworked labor employee on vacation. But what made Sin take notice were the two paranoid looking mantacor who lay in front of him, both shivering and looking back at the stallion with discomfort.

"SIN!" Shade cried happily. "I found kitties!"

The Federalist held up a hoof. "I don't even wanna know." He dismissed before removing his saddle bag and stretching out his legs. "I'll be back later, I'm going to head to the Library in town."

"Kay." Shade smiled and laid back down.

The tan clad pony wanted to just leave it at that, he wanted to lay down his bags and walk straight to ponyville and get his research done and over with. Ever fiber of his being begged him not to ask, he knew he'd regret it, but he couldn't stop himself. "What are those?"

The bat pony smiled again and motioned to each manticore. "This is Discord Jr. and this is Reverend Rabi Uncle Billy Bob Cletus Lee Roy Godfree Godsend Alibastar the third, no relation."

And with that, Sin mentally berated himself and silently turned away. 

"Say bye to Sin, boys."

The lion like chamaras at the pony's feet gave him a quick nod as if they understood, but Sin had already left the camp and was on his way. 

He exited the forest and found the noon sun to greet him. The black eyed stallion had walked all night to get back from his mission with little sleep the night before, needless to say; tired didn't do his feeling justice. But, he'd undergone days with out sleep before, so the amazing technique of "grow up and stop being a whiny little bitch" came into play.

Though, there was something different about the walk this time. A noise faintly began to grow from his destination...

"The hell?"

He listened again, swiveling his ears to pick up on it the best. It sounded like... singing? Wait, what? Getting no where standing where he was, he continued on.

Sin's eyebrow was quirked higher than it had ever been before. The display before him was of the Ponyville collective wrapping up the winter to make room for spring. It wasn't strange, the Federation held the same practice for getting rid of the snow and clouds that remained after the frozen season had passed, but it was the oddly coincidental choreography and flawless execution of a song the whole town was singing that bewildered him; with no see-able instruments in sight.

The more he looked on, the more apparent it became that both Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were the ring leaders in the orchestra. They'd be given their own little solos every so often, still in the general beat of the inexplicable music. Eventually, the number reached its climax and the ponies went back to their work in a much more dull and professional manner.

The horror may have been over, but some mental scars would never go away.

"SINNY!" Speaking of which...

A pair of pink for legs enveloped the stallion in a bone crushing hug. Literally, he felt one of his not fully healed ribs snap and quickly pushed the pink menace off. 

Acknowledging her mistake the party pony apologized repeatedly. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry." Sin attempted to calm her near tear ridden ramble, but doing so through gritted teeth hardly offered his lie justice.

The pain subsided to where he could address the two mare in a more proper greeting, the mage of the two decided to a topic for herself. "You know, if your still hurt, you shouldn't be walking around."

"I've had worse." Sin seethed collecting himself and putting the pain out of his mind as much as he could. "Any rate, I was hoping to visit your Library, Ms. Sparkle." 

Pinkie and Twilight looked at each other for a moment, as if to silently converse the reason for his visit. "Why? Is there a book you need?"

"Yes."

A small bit of chit chat later, the lavender mare agreed to escort him and they left the over powered Pinkie to her work in pulling a snow plow through the main streets. "So, you already took care of the thing in Trottingham?" Twilight asked, trying to start conversation.

"I had no business there." Sin stated bluntly. "But the townsfolk had taken care of the problem well enough."

"I see." The librarian remarked, the rest of the walk passed in relative silence.

Once the two made it to the establishment, Sin immediately ventured to the non-fiction section and looked under "W".

"Do you need any help finding anything?" Twilight offered with a hopeful smile.

Sin stood silently for a moment, his eyes continually scanning the books for the topic of his interest. Sadly, yet predictably, he found nothing of what he sought. Perhaps they went by another name? He could ask for help, but Twilight was a direct link to Celestia, and the last thing he wanted was her to relay his sudden interest.

"No, what I'm looking for isn't here." 

Twilight's ears drooped for a moment, whether out of apology to him or disappointment in her own lack of material, he wasn't sure. "Well, maybe it's under another name? Or is it native to your country?"

Wow, that's kinda scary, at least she left him a way out. Or, so he thought.

"Oh! Would you mind telling me what it is? I'd love to hear about something from another country!. The Federation of the North has always been so enigmatic about it's cultures and rituals." She explained, beaming with shear delight. "Does it have to do with a natural species? Or perhaps fauna that you found here that goes by a different name..." the questions didn't stop, each one that came her speech became faster and her steps drew closer and closer to him as if proximity would give her the answers she sought.

'Sweet Milliki what have you done?'

Sighing the stallion held up a hoof to try and silence her, it took a while, but Twilight slowly acknowledged his non-verbal request. "I'm afraid I don't know much about what it is, but I'll find it some where else I'm sure. Thank you for your time." He gave a curt nod and aimed for the door.

"Alright, I guess." the unicorn conceded, "are you sure you're alright?" Her tone held a skepticism that just made Sin want to turn around and ram his hoof into her face. How many times did he need to say he was fine before she'd get off the issue?

"I'll be fine," He dismissed before heading to the door. He would ask about Celestia's role in battling Discord, but he didn't need her relying that information to Celestia either. Hopefully he could coax Mac into telling him or some other resident.

"Oh, before you go." He stopped again, resisting the urge to groan. "Big Macintosh went into the forest yesterday to see how you and Shade were doing. I think it would be nice if you paid him a visit."

'apparently I'm supposed to care what you think?' Still, Mac was his friend, he did owe the stallion a visit after so long gone. Sin thanked Twilight for her message and made way to Sweet Apple Acres.





Silvia smiled happily and wondered through Ponyville. 

Finally, fucking FINALLY she got to move around and about. The currency here was different, so the Bills she had in her pocket couldn't really buy anything, luckily though; the Equestrians were far more trusting than Federalists, so stealing a quick bite to eat was nothing short of child's play.

An apple, a sweet, sweet, crispy apple was almost heaven on her tongue. These in and of themselves were a rare treat in her homeland, yet here she could just pick one off a cart with ease? Fuck yea, this place was awesome. Screw that boring stick in the mud Sin, Silvia was going to get the vacation she deserved.

And the ponies here, they were so friendly! Just walking down the street she was greeted by most any pony she came into close proximity with. Warm genuine smiles and heart felt gestures, a far cry from her typical dealings with fake politicians and sleazy business types. Hell, she was debating going back to the Federation at all, now.

Still she needed money, maybe she could help with the Winter Wrap Up business and gain a few coins.

"Good afternoon.." She greeted to a green vested lilac earth pony, he offered a smile in reply. "How would a griffin make a few bits around here?"

"Well," the stallion scratched his chin. "I'd say to help with the obvious, but this is all community work, no pay involved." No pay? Son of a bitch. "But, I do know of a business that could always use a good pair of wings for advertising."

Silvia thought on that for a moment, fact was, she needed money but there had to be a better way.

"Aweful lot of good impressions ya could make by helpin' out with the wrap up though." The stallion smiled. The spy had to stop her eyes from rolling, it was the most shameless plug to get free work out of a girl that she had ever seen in her life. Still, what he said was true, maybe if she showed off at just the right place, a simple small job that paid well wouldn't be far behind.

"Alright, thanks." The two shared another nod and the griffin went about her business. Now, who around here looked rich?





Sweat pouring down her cheeks, Applebloom pulled the snow plow with all her might. "Grrr Come. On. Ya. Ssstubborn. Thing." She cursed. Eventually, she made it to her destination and looked back to admire her work. While the amount of snow the filly's plow had collected wasn't as impressive as she expected, it was a might bit farther than she'd had the previous year. And something she was quite proud of to say the least.

Still, it was only a few passes on the road that lead up to the house, and she agreed to clear half of it by day's end. "Woo, this is harder n' Ah thought."

"With your size, it's still quite admirable." 

"Gee thanks." The apple filly blushed over the compliment. "A've been workin... on... it-" Her voice slowly trailed off as she turned to see a dark and stoic pony with blackened goggles looking down at her. A sudden jolt of wary mistrust shot through her, who was this pony? "Ah'm sorry mister, Ah ain't eveh seen ya round her before."

The black eyed stallion stood silently, his presence bringing a crushing feeling unto the little filly that caused her breathing to become far more effort-ed than it should have been. Though, something about him seemed oddly familiar.

"I don't come around often, ma'am." Said the stallion. "I'm here to speak with Big Macintosh." 

Applebloom tilted her head, the wheels in her mind slowly beginning to turn as the dots connected. The cloak, the black goggles, this was her brother's friend. The one who took him away from her for six months...

"Yer Sin, right?" She asked, her face holding a curious and neutral innocence. Sin nodded. "Why'd ya take mah brother away?"

It was an innocent question, but she couldn't keep the small bit of malice it carried. She loved her elder brother and when he left, it felt just as terrible as the time Applejack ran away and worked on the cherry farm after she lost at the Rodeo some time back.

"He came with me of his own accord."

"Accord?"

"Free will."

Applebloom looked down and frowned. "Then... he really did wanna leave us?" Ever since Big Mac had returned to the farm, she'd pushed back thinking his reasons for leaving. Her sister and grandmother repeatedly told her that it was because Mac needed to "go out" into the world for a bit and that she shouldn't blame herself. But any time she thought about it, that's exactly what came to mind.

Wasn't he happy on the farm? Did I cause too much trouble for him? Was it because I didn't help out enough in the orchards? Then of course there was the exchange where he threw his yoke down and scared the mares of the house out. But he seemed so angry at her in particular that night. That had to have been it...

In all her years of living with him, Applebloom had never once seen Big Macintosh so angry, not even the times he yelled at her for doing stupid things to try to get her cutie mark. 

She still remembered the terror she felt that night. The slamming of his yoke on the floor and his yelling at each of her kin in the room. Granny and Applejack were even more scared than she was, which only served to fuel the tears she shed. At first she was angry at Macintosh for being so mean to them, after the fear subsided and they found refuge at an inn. However, the moment she heard that he was leaving, all of the anger she felt suddenly turned in on herself, and a little at her grandma and sister.

If they hadn't yelled at him than none of this would have happened. She was part to blame for her brother walking out on the family.

She looked back up to the brown pony before her expecting an answer. Though, he simply stood with an impassive and stoic nature that rivaled, if not, surpassed that of her brother. 

"It is not my place to say why he left." Sin finally said, lowering himself to the filly's height. If it was meant to make her feel less intimidated, the tactic failed miserably. "But if it helps, your brother spoke very fondly of you and your sister."

Appleblooms mouth gaped with a happy smile, Sin returned the gesture than stood from his place. 

"H- He really said nice things?" Sin nodded once.

Before she could interrogate him farther, a voice cut in. "Applebloom, how's that plowin' commin'- Huh?" Applebloom looked over to find her sister looking at her curiously. "What's goin' on here?"

"I'm here to talk to Macintosh." Sin stated again.

"He said Big Mac wasn't angry at us!" Applebloom chirped. 

"I wouldn't go that far." His words lost on the bouncing filly, but not on the elder apple.





Sin regarded the older mare, While the young filly continued to speak, the two holding each others indifferent gaze while the stallion forcing his face to remain impassive. For some reason, the pony's green eyes always made him feel like she could see through his goggles, past his eyes and into his very soul. It was unnerving.

The longer the two stared, the more and more awkward the moment became. Truth was he didn't know what to say right now. What was he supposed to say? 'Move and allow me on your property to see your brother?' That wasn't his way of doing things, he wasn't about to just march right by her. This was Apple family property, and while Macintosh probably wouldn't mind him coming on, Applejack's authority superseded Sin's own if she bared him entry.

"Hehe," Applejack chuckled, breaking the tan clad stallion from his thoughts. "you know Sin, ya really gotta loosen up at some poin', no use n' bein' all stern faced all the time." He failed to find the comedy in the situation, but then again he was running on about three days of no sleep. "Alright Applebloom, it's a mighty good job. Keep it up!"

"Alright, sis." the aforementioned replied before attempting another pass.

"Let's go."

"Right." He said awkwardly before being escorted up to the freshly plowed western fields.

"So, wha' brings ya to the farm?" Asked the mare pleasantly. "Last Ah heard ya had some job over west."

"Yes, the assignment was beyond my ability." Replied Sin, almost letting his snarl slip. Admitting to something he couldn't do always left a bad taste in his mouth, almost as bad as admitting he was wrong. 

"Yea, Twi' said ya took off 'fore she coul' really give ya details." He looked over to find the mare smirking. Passive aggression? Curse the fact he was too tired to really make a witty reply. Admitting to his over zealous urge to do the job a grunting nod, AJ continued to push the issue. "Why didn' ya, if Ah may ask." She gave him a look. "Y'all seem a bit too smart tah be hot headed like tha'."

A compliment? Really? Now that was suspicious. What he meant to be a well thought out and intelligent response degenerated into a discombobulated mess of words with inappropriate wined downs.

"Ya alright, pardner?" 

Sin shook the impending sleep from his head. "Yea, just tired."

"Ah can see that." Applejack chuckled. "We've been moving at a snail's pace fer the past minute." The stallion didn't want to admit it, but he knew it was true. Guess that meant he'd be sleeping for a bit when he got back to camp. "Mind if Ah ask ya a question?"

"Sure."

"Why do ya insist on livin' in the Everfree Forest?" 

The question seemed innocent enough and he answered honestly. Fact of the matter was, he preferred his privacy and solitude. Though the mare knew of Shade's association and pointed the fact out. 

"Shade keeps well enough to himself most days."

"Hard tah believe tha', consideren'." 

Sin offered an empty smirk and shook the creepy tiredness from his eyes again. "Yes, he... uh," He shook his head again. "Can be difficult at times."

Again, the mare eyed him skeptically. "You sure you're alrigh'?"

And yet again with this nonsense. "Yes, Ms. Applejack, I'm perfectly fine."

"Is that why you haven' taken a step for the pas' two minutes?" 

Cocking a brow, the stallion looked down at his legs to find they were infact, stagnant. He let out a light yawn to hide the embarrassed flush in his cheeks. "Yes, well; ahem, as I said before..." Oh hell, what did he say before?

'Dude, you're losing it. Just speak with Mac and get the hell outta here.'

The stallion and mare pushed onwards, Sin's full mental fortitude concentrated on simply making it up the hill. Why did all of this exhaustion hit him at once like this? Well, the aching feeling in his stomach should have answered that, he hadn't eaten since the day before yesterday and even what he did eat wasn't exactly nutritious for what his body really needed. Not that it was his fault, the forest just didn't provide much that he could identify as being safe.

It didn't take long for the two to make it to the higher end of the fields to find multiple ponies dragging wheeled plows down and collecting snow to be pushed off to a large mound on the side behind the barn.

"Sin?" Macintosh questioned. The two exchanged greetings and conversed quickly about himself. A basic repeat of how the whole day went really.

"Thanks fer comin' all the way out here, glad to see yer' okay." The Federalist nodded and prepared to leave, "say, wouldja mind helpin' us out clearin' the field? We're a bit behind scheduled."

Sin was about to reply in the negative but something made him hold his tongue. He wasn't able to rationalize it due to his exhaustion but it came from a feeling of how guilty he'd feel for denying his friend. Mac was one of the few real friends he had and had helped him out in his travels, he at least owed him this much.

Not to mention what better did he have to do? Mentally he wasn't fit to digest any research and back at the camp... yea, staying her was defiantly better.

Mac smiled and lead him to where two extra plows stood on stand by. 

Sin groaned in discomfort as the yoke was placed over his neck, even if it was for an actual job, the yoke itself just pissed him off. 

"Alrigh', so jes walk 'n collect snow. Bring it all oveh to that big pile there." The red stallion pointed. Seemed simple enough, the plow had wheels so that would help, even if his body ached like a mother fucker. Still the other ponies around walked at a happy pace, so he should be fine.





Macintosh stood and watched his friend pull the plow. He was honestly surprised Sin agreed to help with Winter Wrap up, but in a good way. As expected, the first few yards were plowed effortlessly, but the more snow the pony accumulated, the more visibly strained he'd become. It took a while, but eventually, the brown cloaked pony made it to the end of the field and deposited his snow cache.

Mac took to his own plow and did the same. 

About an hour into the job, one of the fellow work ponies greeted him and asked for a moment.

"That new guy over there." Said the greenvested caramel earth stallion. "What's up with him? He's having alot of problems with the plow for an earth pony."

Directed looked to find his associate struggling, but still moving.

"He ain't an earth pony." Mac shrugged.

"He isn't?" Asked the other stallion. "Well I don't see a horn on him, but why would a pegasus pony be down here pulling snow? Should he be with the weather team? And where is his vest, anyway?"

Promising he'd explain later, the apple farmer told the stallion to get back to work. Reluctantly, he agreed and the work continued on.





Silvia strode along happily, a fresh lead about a pony by the name "Filthy Rich" playing in her mind. If word around served true, he was the richest pony in town. She had a great skill set she could offer up to him, and if nothing else, her job had called for many infiltrations in companies, seducing the high stress types was down to a science. Even Malich had complimented her abilities, putting her up with the 'Destruction Twins' who were daughters of another wealthy businesspony.

She didn't know whether to be thankful for the compliment, or disgusted by being compared to those sluts.

"Omf!" She cried before falling back. Silvia looked up to a lavender unicorn rubbing her snout. 

"Oh, excuse me, I'm so sorry." She apologized helping the griffin to her feet. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Silvia shrugged, "don't sweat it, I wasn't either. Say, you don't know where Filthy Rich lives, do you?"

The unicorn mare rubbed her chin in thought for a moment. "If I remember correctly, he's in the mansion on the west side of town, though that might just be his daughter's."

Mansion? Silvia didn't recall a mansion in the town, and with fly about she did to survey the town, there wasn't a doubt in her mind she would have missed it.

Still, the unicorn mare seemed certain about the dwellings placement and would have offered to assist by escorting Silvia through the town, but her place with Winter Wrap up wasn't done.

"Alright, I'll check it out. Thanks miss..."

"Twilight" the unicorn smiled, happy to be of help.

Silvia giggled and gave her own name before departing. Again, shifting through the pleasant crowed the griffin wondered through the town and asked a few ponies for the direction of Filthy Rich's mannor. How her cheeks must have flushed when the orange colored mare pointed right behind her and said "right there."

Silvia turned and tilted her head. The building was by no means large, but it was about fifty percent bigger than the surrounding homes. Two chimnies protruded from the dark grey roof panels, held up by alabaster bricked walls with complimentary accents of dark red pillars leading to a darker green door. This was a mansion? 

She thanked the carrot colored mare and approached the building. As impressive as the structure was, it was by no means a 'mansion' in her book, she thought as she approached the door. But then again, Equestria was more expressive in quality of space than it was quantity; compared to the Federation.

A few quick knocks on the door summoned a very sightly and snobbish looking pony. Grey were both his coat and mane, the latter being a slightly lighter shade. He towered over her, compared to the other ponies she'd encountered, this one was a giant! Never before had she seen one so tall, and what's worse, he had his nose in the air with his eyes closed. A butler of the highest caliber for sure.

"Good evening, madam. May I help you this fine afternoon?" He asked in a pompus tone that made Silvia want to slap him silly. Especially on the word 'fine', he practically barked it at her as if there was something he'd rather be doing right now.

"Um, yes." She cleared her throat. "I'm seeking an audience with Filthy Rich, might he be available? I have some... services that I wish to offer."

The butler stood making an over the top "Hmmmmm" sound. It was amusing at first, but after the thirty second mark, the thought of smacking him upside the head became a great deal more appealing.

"Stern Look!" An obnoxious, adolescent voice barked, drawing the stallion's attention. "Who's at the door? If those stupid blank flanks are selling cookies again..."

"No, Miss Tiara, it is some griffin looking to speak with your fathah."

"Well is he important?"

"No, she does not appear to be."

'What the hell? I'm standing right here, you know.'

A moment later, a small pink and white filly with a... crown upon her head stood and observed her with bored and annoyed eyes. Silvia was about to give her a greeting but a mischivious smile crossed the filly's face and she gestured for the butler to come down and whispered into his ear.

Silvia's eyes narrowed upon the child. She had a certain predisposition to children, and the griffin had worked with them enough to know a daddy's little girl when she saw one. If there was one thing daddy's girls liked to do, it was force out any female who could be perceived as a threat..

After much consideration, the butler decided to let Silvia -now a bit more cautions- in the home, which surprisingly enough, was far more impressive than the outside. The large marble pillars stood proudly against the darkened uppermost floor with two symmetrical stair cases that lead up to the second level. Miraculous paintings and busts of unicorns stood atop graphite pillars etched in the same fashion that pegasi use for their homes. The smell hit her hardest though, the bland but clean air on the outside gave way to the fragrance of... well the best way she could describe the smell was clean. No play on words about lemons or roses, or even the pungent odor of sterility. Just clean.

As she observed the impressive decor of green plants at the base of the stair case, Silvia stood unprepared for the harsh, high pitched screeching sound that echoed through out the house. 

"DAAAAADDYYYYYY!"






Sin stood on wobbly legs and his body cried out for him to just fall where he stood and go to sleep. Thanks to Pinkie's rib shattering death grip, pulling the plow had taken far more of a toll than it should have. Still, it did feel good to help a friend out, he'd be sure to appreciate it after his hibernation. While this was by no means the worst condition his body had ever been in, it was still irritating to be exhausted and unable to rest.

"Thanks fer yer help, Sin." Macintosh called, leaving the barn where the town kept the snow plows. Sin offered a nod and a small 'yea'. With that, the Federalist let a sigh and approached the exit of the farm. He never noticed how nice cold grass felt against his hooves. That was also something he'd need to appreciate when he woke up.

"Ya leavin' already?" Sin stopped mid step and slowly turned to the farmer. He knew he was supposed to reply in the negative, but he was to exhausted to form the words so he simply nodded.

"Ya sure ya can't stay fer dinner? Granny's makin' some good ol' pumpkin pie." He tried to persuade. Still, Sin declined with a slow shake of his head.

"Al righ'." Macintosh nodded, "see'ya 'round." Mac turned to wonder back to the farm.

Sin stood for a moment to let what the stallion said sink in when a sudden dizzying feeling overtook him. His body's balance was thrown off for a moment and he involuntarily staggered to the right. Blinking none stop, the Federalist's will to stand began waning fast. No, no this couldn't be happening not now.

He slowly turned and moved little quicker than an old mare. 

But it was, his body was on the verge of shutting down and he couldn't stop it. His mind went blank as he felt the last shred of his will leave him before he fell to his stomach. The last thing he saw was a giant red figure standing over him, yelling something unintelligible.





Malich sat in his chair, his face as blank as his thoughts. His eyes were glued to the window. Unfocussed and disinterested in the griffin who was pushing off the last bits of snow from the outside balcony to the long drop below.

His mind didn't work like that of normal ponies. Whenever he wanted to sort out his thoughts he would sit in a trance like state with his mind in a numbness that, one would think, cause him insurmountable amounts of frustration. Truth be told, he didn't much care for it either, but the results were incontrovertible in their efficiency. 

"Alright." He growled, closing his eyes. The newly constructed Judgement II would be delivered to Columbus in three days. The reports he received yesterday claimed it was ready for final inspection, and with one day for error corrections, his inspectors should be able to make sure it passes for the original. 

Silvia had not reported back yet. This meant either she was dead or Sin refused to acknowledge her presence. Of course there was the possibility she was slacking off, as she liked to do from time to time. Still, he'd need to send some one to find her and either relieve her of her duty or gain one hell of a detailed report. Next up was Windmane, his situation was one that deserved serious reconsideration. Thornberry was simple enough to control with his captivity, but the mare's resolve was visibly dwindling.

According to his lobbyists, the Senator was growing more and more depressed and apathetic to her work. Fact was, he had no intention on killing Windmane, but he couldn't have him leave just yet. A small hope in the Vice President was still holding out that the former senator's capture would draw the pony he wanted. Still, if this kept up for much longer, who knew what Thornberry would do.

Malich wasn't stupid, he knew that even with his control over the media that Thornberry could still cause quite a bit of trouble for him. If she did blab to the Senate about the abduction of her lover, it wouldn't end well for his image -especially since he was already involved in another scandal-. The threat of killing Windmane wouldn't be enough if she became all too distraught, and with out knowing where Sin was he couldn't enact his plan to make her words inconsequential.  

So, he'd either need to let her visit and gain some sort of reprieve from her stress or deny her public rantings. Since he wouldn't be able to really do anything about it for fear of giving her claims credibility. He'd send for her soon to set up a meeting arrangement.

And lastly, and the most migraine educing topic to think of, the Federal inquiry. He wasn't sure when it would be, but knowing the government, he had months to prepare. Still though, it was an unfortunate matter and bad judgment that wouldn't soon be forgotten. The company's reputation was hurt, but not killed.

A small smile crept onto the stallion's face.

Besides, the breach of the Changling's parasite had lead to a solution to a far larger problem that had long plagued his plans. If everything worked out as he hoped, even Sin would be tempted to join him, his morals be damned.

A sudden thought occurred to Malich and a small but mirthful chuckle escaped him. 

And finally, fucking finally, he'd be able to get rid of that plague, Fatchitaz once and for all.

> 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.  

  
> Underlying Resentment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Underlying Resentment



Macintosh breathed a sigh of relief as the train entered the Canterlot platform. The sun's creeping light threatened to break over the horizon any second, sending Luna's night into a loosing twilight with Celestia's day. Leaving his seat, and the awkward situation with Spike, Macintosh and his friends stepped out to the chilled air of the outside, nearly run over by an overly excited Rainbow Dash who flew in several tight loops outside, obviously to excited for her own good.

"C'monc'monc'mon!" She complained as the rest of her friends exited the cart.

"Settle down naow." Applejack eased. "Th' show ain't gonna start fer 'nother three hours, no need tah rush."

Rainbow scoffed in disbelief. "Are you kidding?! We need to get you there so you can go over the routine with the wonderbolts!" The cyan mare held her apple friend's face in her hooves, her own coming uncomfortably close. "Soarin himself came up with it short notice, and we can't let it fail."

Calmly, Applejack placed her hoof between the two and pushed the pegasus away.

"Don't worry Dashie!" Pinkie chirped happily, patting her friend's head motherly. "Three hours is plenty of time for them to prepare! That's, like, fourteen batches of cupcakes time!"

Beginning to protest, Dash stopped herself, arguing wouldn't get her anywhere, and more importantly; it wouldn't get Applejack anywhere. They agreed to stop by the arena and check to see if the earth pony's presence was required. If it wasn't then all eight of them would simply wonder about the city for an hour or so then head back to their seats.







On a snow covered, forest ridden mountain summit, Sin stood looking down to the low base, a gentle falling of crystallized water being the only movement to readily observe. He looked around slowly, his eyes lidded though slightly recognizing. The dark trunks of trees and dead leaves were a stark contrast to the pure and white flakes that had accumulated around him.

He'd been here before, but where it was exactly he wasn't sure. This memory was old, very very old. Before he'd dropped out of school, hell probably before he even went into school. But why was his mind showing him this?

A gentle breeze sent the snow around him into a frenzy, but he couldn't feel the cold. He couldn't even feel the properly melting snow beneath his hooves, dreams were funny like that he supposed.

"Come on!" A young voice cried out to his right. The stallion turned to find a young brown pegasus running to him, a smile a mile wide and eyes as young and playful as a happy foal free from school. "Come on, Grandpa! We're here!" 

"I'mma commin'!"

Sin's breath caught in his throat, and for the first time in years; a happy and warm feeling grew through his body. That voice... that rugged yet kindhearted voice he'd come to know through so many years of teaching... How long had it been since he heard it with such clarity? Clarity that not even his most vivid memories could replicate.

As the young colt approached, the broken winged pony could tell with out a doubt who he was looking at. He saw a much younger version of himself hopping happily in place, eagerly awaiting for the older stallion to catch up. 

Sin knew his grandfather wasn't a push over yet, but he had a bit of an injury at the time and he took the moment to study the dream colt before him. He was a little smaller than Macintosh's youngest sister, but with unbound pegasus wings and a darker color scheme, but they did share one thing in common, their eyes. The colors didn't match, but there, right there, covering the upper right of the pupil and retina; a shimmering, bright white glow. The glow of a young and happy spirit.

"Oh boy."

Sin looked on with anticipation as the darker grey earth pony pulled himself up onto the more level ground. The dream forced a smile onto his face, there stood one of the greatest ponies he'd ever have the pleasure of meeting. The older stallions wild white and black mane sat in an ratty mess that some how always kept a charm of sophistication with the way he always pushed it back. The classic dark maroon cloak he wore hiding the saddle bags full of asparagus and other needed tools to cook and collect firewood.

Mandylion looked around for a moment. "Great choice for a camp site." He huffed before looking at the dream Sin. "Next time, you think you could be a bit more friendly on an old colt's sprained ankle though?"

The younger Sin giggled. "Grandpa!" He said teasingly. "You're not old yet! You've got ten more years till you're old."

"Ten years eh?" The stallion said, putting his hoof to his chin in mock thought. "Hmm, nope. I think I'm old now." Dream Sin rolled his eyes and chuckled again. 

All the while the real Sin could only slam his face into his hoof in embarrassment. Rolling eyes? Bouncing? Giggling like a filly? Tapio's beard he was a lame colt, thank Milikki no one was around to witness this. There was shame he could live down and then there was this...

Mandylion dismissed his grandson to go and fetch firewood while he set up the camp and started a spark. Once Sinny, referring to the dream child, returned, he saw the older Federalist striking his legs together, small sparks emanating from the point of contact.

Sin scoffed and smirked. to this day, he still didn't know how his grandfather had started a fire in less than two minutes with that method. Hell, it always took him at least three times that to this day.

The dream continued on for a time, Sinny gathering firewood, while Mandylion set up the camp site. The duration of which, the dreamer's emotion's of happy nostalgia rapidly degenerated to feelings of curiosity and annoyance. Why was he seeing this? 

In the blink of an eye, night fell. Sinny and Mandylion were now observing the stars overhead, the elder of the two finishing a conversation not seen. Suddenly, a topic came up that Sin had almost forgotten through the years, one that made him bit his lip in shame.

"Hey grand pa? How come you live in the woods?"

At the time, the question was innocent enough. After all, civilized citizens lived in buildings and homes, close to their families, but Mandylion lived very far away. Three days trot to be exact, and to a child, that might as well have been a million miles away. Sin was always curious about his grandfather's life, why he always seemed so happy when others were more distant and cold, why he only ever wore a cloak and seemed to have so much more energy than anyone else.

On the winter before the young colt began public school, his grandfather agreed to take him for a single month, away from his family and society  just the two of them to see how the happy stallion lived. At first, Sin was excited but when he heard about the lack of any kind of modern day appliances or any kind of stable living conditions, second thoughts began to emerge. Still in the end, he agreed.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that if anything bad were to happen, his beloved grandfather would be there to protect him. 

Little did he know, however, that on that night; that small question, that innocent and rushed question he wanted to get out of the way before he was sent back home would lead to a speech that would change his life forever.

Mandylion sat silently, a strange contrast to his typically happy and warm demeanor.

Believing he'd asked a stupid question, Sinny was about to apologize before he was cut off.

"Sin." Mandylion called, his voice far deeper and more commanding than ever before. He turned his face and eyed his kin. "What I'm about to tell you, I want you to listen and take to heart what I have to say."

Sinny pressed his lips in uncertainty and nodded.

"I live alone because society is wrong..." he let those words linger in the air for a moment, allowing them to sink in before continuing on into a speech that lasted the better part of three hours. Though the cold couldn't understand the majority of it at the time, he listened with eagerness and wonder, letting the emotions of his grandfather carry the tales and associating the words with emotions displayed.

Subjective morality, individual preference, non-aggression, self sufficiency, victim-hood and his disdain for it, were only a few topics that he could remember. 

"But I want you to remember, Sinbad." Mandylion placed a hoof on the colts shoulder with a soft smile. "No matter who tells you any differently, you should never compromise your own beliefs and ethics because someone tells you that you're being selfish of uncaring. Creatures like these only want to manipulate you to do as they see fit," he paused for a moment, adding more intensity to the already thick atmosphere, "you were not put on this earth to serve another."

And with that, the images began to fade to white with Sin standing alone to dwell on what he saw.

The stallion lowered his head, his insides feeling empty and hollow.

Such heavy and extreme concepts at such a young age. Back then, he could only understand a fraction of it, but he wanted to learn. By Tapio's beard he wanted to learn. 

The atmosphere, the conversation, the idea's the attention, the pony telling it all to him, it was one of the most intense and impacting moments of his life.

Especially considering the contrast he lived in, with the boring and neglectful home he came from. His father had just taken over the family business, and his mother was always busy with his younger brother. To have that kind of attention and be on that kind of adventure, mixed with all of the experiences of learning how to start a fire, identify and gather edible plants and other skills made him want to never leave.

But as much as he wanted to stay, he knew that he needed to go back home. 

"Hello?" A voice called out.

Sin looked up, expecting another dream sequence to start but nothing came of it. The feminine voice called out again and he turned to fine Princess Luna of all ponies, standing a few feet away. He replied and she quickly closed the space between them, but still leaving enough for their persons.

Wow, first he dreams of his childhood, than the princess of the night. There must be some serious issues his subconscious is trying to make him face.

'Like your repressed sexuality?'

No comment.

"Hello Sin." She greeted polity, met with only a small nod. Well, at least he can interact with this dream, that was some thing.

"I'm not a dream." Said Luna with a tint of motherly condensation, explaining her power to enter the dreams of others. Apparently, her power over the moon and night also gave her authority to invade the sanctity of other's minds and visit their subconscious's attempt to communicate with the ego. Seems legitimate.  

"Right." Replied the stallion, setting his thoughts of 'why' aside so as to deal with her. "So what can I do for you?"

With a sense of nonchalance that showed how little regard she had for invading the privacy of some other pony's dreams, the princess of the night began to slowly circle around the stallion and looked around the white void, as if admiring some kind of scenery. "Oh, we just had a question for you, is all."

"A.. question?" Sin repeated hesitantly.

Luna nodded, her horn glowing and the white void dissolving back into the landscape it was before, doing nothing for Sin's previous embarrassment. Even worse, she giggled madly at the frozen image of his younger self asleep by his grandfather. "Aww, thou lookest so cute as a colt."

The stallion had to redouble his efforts to maintain his composure, such a tender moment reduced to a princess amusement was hardly the high point of his day. Still, he couldn't stop the low mumble of choice words that escaped his lips.

"Don't worry, young one, we wont tell a soul." She said teasingly.

"Right, so what exactly is this question of yours?" 

Sensing her time of fun at its end, Luna replaced her vigor and addressed in a more proper fashion. "Yes, we were hoping to um," she paused awkwardly for a moment, her face betraying her uncertainty, "question you about your relatives."

Sin quirked a brow. What the hell? Where did this come from?

"In relevance to?"

A short pause.

"Malich."

Oh so that's it. Guess he must have told her they were siblings. "What of my brother?"

Luna gasped, her eyes widening to saucers. If he hadn't known any better, Sin would have thought he'd just told her the meaning of life by her look of dumbstruck. After a few very awkward seconds of silence, the alicorn shook her head and let out a sigh. "So it is true."

True? Damn, I've just over played my hand. Still, what reason would she have for wanting to know about their relationship? When Questioned about it, Luna scratched the back of her neck and dismissed the matter, failing to hide the nervous guilt she felt about being called on it..

"Indeed." The stallion sighed, his sense of curiosity loosing to discomfort and embarrassment at the fact his mind was being invaded and memories seen. He just wanted her gone. "Is that all?"

Luna nodded and took a step backwards. It looked like she was about to walk off into the moon but, she suddenly stopped. "Don't be to angry at her, she's still upset about losing her grand son."

"Losing her what?" Sin repeated, though sudden and stark pain on the top of his head took priority, as did the crumbling of dream scenery around him.




"OW!" Sin jolted awake and rubbed the sharp, searing pain on the top of his head. Blinking back the tears from both sleep and pain, his hooves came over his eyes to find his goggles missing.

"So, yer finally awake, eh?" Said an older, gravely voice.

Where was he? Right now he couldn't remember too much of anything other than Luna and Mandylion, not that the grogginess helped. "I am." Replied, trying to put authority into his voice. "May I please have my goggles?"

"Eh? What dija say?"

"My goggles, I would like them, please."

A moment of anticipatory silence passed, Sin chancing a squinting look to the marshmellow green pony before him. he couldn't tell much from the momentary glance, but it was enough to know that she was the only one in the room besides him.

"Yer a strange type o' coltcuddler ain't ya?"

Colt-what?

"But Ah ain't here tah wait on ya hoof n' tail, buster!" He felt something, presumably a hoof, jab into his chest. 

Gritting his teeth, Sin resisted the urge to simply swat her hoof away, moving his hoof so he could look for the eye wear himself. Luckily they were on a light colored wooden night stand next to him. Ignoring the mare's banter, he quickly grabbed them and replaced them, adding some comfort to his situation.

Well, it was, until he opened his eyes.

The lense in his left eye was gone. Well, half gone, small jagged edges of glass remained around the rim, as if something had stepped on them.

A look to old mare confirmed his suspicions, her smug grin and sadistic eyes spoke of her pride. "Somethin' wrong, deary?" She asked sarcastically.

Silently removing the broken eye wear, Sin allowed himself several long and deep breaths before his eye began to twitch. It was a useless attempt to keep himself calm, so was the grinding of his teeth and the constant stress and relaxation of his muscles.

There were three things nobody, no pony, no griffin, no minotaur, no donkey, not even a centaur could ever get away with by him. First and foremost, destruction of his property. Fuck the dream, fuck Luna, fuck why she was there and fuck not knowing where he was or how he got here...

He opened is eyes and looked directly into hers. The mare's smug look only hastening his raising anger. Lowing his head and baring his teeth, the stallion sneered in challenge.

She was gonna pay.

  

  
 

  

> Equestria 500
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Equestria 500



Sitting upon the higher stands, Macintosh and his friends sat fighting against the bitter morning cold and higher altitude air. The girls talking loudly and smiling with anticipation for the days events. Save for Rarity, whom had left the lower stands to speak with some local higher end types up in the VIP box. Not that either he or Spike was sad about that, all things considered.

While the others had run off to have some time in the city, the stallion stayed behind within the monolith of a stadium and wondered about in search of something informative. He'd visited the capital only a few weeks ago, and the hustle and bustle of the city was more exhausting to him mentally than he would have liked. Luckily, the ponies who ran the race were more than happy to let him stay inside and wonder about. 

Oddly, the environment he was in gave him a strange urge to find out which of the Wonderbolts had the highest chance of winning the race. He wasn't sure if it was the excited onlookers outside, or the myriad of pictures that lined the walls, but it was something. Finding some fliers in one of the lobby areas, the stallion opened it up and gave a quick glance over.

Still, after doing a little reading on the fliers themselves, he decided to take the bet up with Spike. While the drake was more than happy to put his five bits on Spit Fire, Mac had a secret weapon. Striker had steadily progressed his flight time over the past five years, if the correlation was correct, he'd be a heavy contender this year, maybe even the victor.

While not one much for gambling, the anticipation was exhilarating. Money on the line, a pegasus representing his chances, the loud and excited crowd demanding the race to begin, it was one of the most exciting times of his life. Well, when he wasn't in immediate danger, anyway.

"Omigosh this is going to be so awesome!"

Twilight shook her smiling head. "We know, Rainbow Dash, you've said that already."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and teasingly moved her hoof up and down to mock. "Only because it's true, Twilight!" 

The apple stallion was in full agreement, this was pretty awesome. 

"So, Applejack, how are you feeling about YOUR performance?" The rainbow mare asked, jabbing her friend with her elbow.

The cow pony chuckled. "A might nervous, but Ah think I can handle it. Thanks fer helpin' me learn the routine."

Rainbow smiled proudly. "What are friends for?"

"IT'S STARTING! IT'S STARTING!" Pinkie chanted loudly, pointing to the approaching announcer. The crowd quickly settled and quieted as the pegasus stallion tapped his microphone.

"Mares and Gentlecoalts, welcome to the 223rd annual Canterlot 500!" The crowd let out a cheer.  It is with great pleasure that I may present to you today, the Speed Demons of the Sky: The Wonderbolts!

The crowd went into an uproar of stomping and screaming as six jet blue figures swooshed over the packed arena. Preforming a few stunts before closing in together and flying straight up to release a single, massive firework over the crowd.

"Nice entrance." Spike remarked with a smirk.

"Eyup."

The pegasi took their places on the starting line while the announcer pony jabbered on about sponsors, rules, and some other jargin that Macintosh didn't care about. There were only eight ponies racing, each numbered according to their seeded expectation. As expected, Spitfire and Soarin were number one and two, with Striker being number four.

"Who're you rootin fer?" Applejack asked, looking to the others.

"Spitfire, duh." Rainbow cheered.

"I'm going with Soarin on this one, he put up a much better fight against my magic than any of the others." Twilight replied.

Pinkie didn't take any sides, she was just happy to be around so much energy and thrill, and Fluttershy was as nervous and timid as ever.

"What 'bout you boys?"

Spike puffed out his chest and grinned. "My money's on Spitfire of course!"

"That's my dragon!" Rainbow said holding out a hoof for a given high five.

"What 'bout you, Mac? Spitfire or Soarin?" 

"Strikah." Mac said sagely. The mares looked at him with furrowed brows, most of all Rainbow Dash. 

"Striker? Why him? He's never been able to beat Spitfire or Soarin."

Mac offered a half knowing smirk as his only reply before returning his attention to the lower ring. His confidence all for show, on the inside he was a little nervous. The bet he and the drake had made wasn't by any means substantial, but if there was one thing the stallion didn't like doing, it was wasting money.

"Racers! Take your positions!" Each of the eight lowed their lower bodies, and began fluttering their wings. "On your mark, Get set, GO!!"





"Woo Hoo! Ah haven' had this much fun in ages!" Granny Smith proclaimed as she wiped a small trace of blood from the corner of her mouth. Sin silently walked into the kitchen after her, offering no witty retort or reply of any kind. All he could see through his hate filled eyes was red with a small side of marshmallow green.

His speed and mobility were severely limited thanks to his body's condition, but neither that nor the continual pulsation of agony from his ribs stopped him. Hell, he didn't even register pain anymore, the only thing on his mind at the moment was slamming this mare's face into the ground until her faux teeth came out.

Granny, for her part, held the upper hoof. She may have been old, but she was still one of the Apple clan.  "Aww, what's wrong, colt? Nothin' to say?"

Sin came to a stop half a meter away and took a swing. Granny easily moved back and chuckled. "C'mon boy, surely ya'll can do bettah th'n that!"

Acquiescing, Sin swung again, but this time used his core muscles to power his his head and slammed it directly into the mare's jaw. Comically sending her dentures from her mouth to go swirling to the ground. 

With only a second to recover, the apple elder spun on her legs and gave a nice buck to the Federalists chest. Pleased with her strike, she turned to observe her work, only for her mouth to gape. She'd his Sin's chest, but the desired effect had gone with age. 

The stallion merely looked at the point on his chest than looked back at her, his stoic/angry face never changing. 

"Uh oh." Was all she could manage before another slap sent her staggering across the dinning table and onto the ground. 





"Lap 495!" cried the announcer. Finally stoping to catch his breath.

This was the first time Mac had ever attended an event like this, and this would honestly be his last. Aside from the majority of it being quite boring to watch eight ponies flying around and around, the announcers never EVER shut their yaps. Literally, the two would just take turns talking, and talking, and talking about the race.

Looking to his left, all the others seemed to be in the same boat of boredom as him, aside from Rainbow Dash. Even Pinkie was checking the alarm clock she kept stashed in her mane from time to time. Sure it was very exciting in the beginning, thrilling even; but after the fifty first lap or so, it all subsided to tediousness. 

Well, aside from the number 8 going full force and slamming herself into the cloud wall, that was both comical and concerning. 

"C'mon Spitfire!" Rainbow exclaimed to herself, biting her lip. 

The Wonderbolt leader had held the lead for the majority of the race, Soarin only over taking her a couple of times and only for so long. Three more laps to go and both were now neck and neck. Mac felt his heart beat begin to kick up as the race came to it's merciful end. He looked a little to the left to find Striker a fourth a lap behind. Strange as it was, he still held some hope the alabaster pegasus would win. It wasn't the money, five bits wasn't really all that important, but the fact he had an investment was.

"Going on the 498th lap, Spit Fire and Soarin are neck and neck! It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone here that the these two would be the front contend- wait, what's this?" Mac smirked. "It looks like number three, Striker is making his way past the pack and up to the front runners!"

The crowed gasped as the pegasus shot forward, his wings flapping a mile a minute. "Woah, Link, I think Soarin and Spitfire might have a new contender for this year's champion! No, seriously, get over here and look!" A few rustling sounds over the intercom later another voice gasped. Sweet buckin' Celestia, Speedy, you might be right."

Striker slowly but gained until he too was neck and neck with the leaders.

"What the hay?!" Rainbow Gawked. "Who the heck is this guy?" She looked left to find a smirking Macintosh and Spike bitting his claws in anticipation. The rest of the girls were watching with baited breath.

Under Mac's cool demeanor, his heart was going faster than Strike's wings. Was he going to actually pull it off? Was Striker actually going to win? The stallion's eyes slowly wondered over to Rainbow, who in a moment of realization, snarled before returning her attention to the race. "COME ON FIRE! SHOW 'EM WHO'S BOSS!"

"We're on the final lap folks, it looks like it's Spitfire! No, wait, Soarin's taken the lead, no Spitfire again! Wait, did Striker just pull ahead? They're half way down the final lap, it looks like Spitfire's taken the commanding lead!" Macintosh's smirk turned into a small grimace as Spitfire shot ahead of the other two. His eyes went both to Spike and Rainbow, who returned with smug grins.

"And Spitfire takes the inner ring to the finish line! Looks like she's- No way... Mac's breath caught in his throat, his adrenaline now in over drive. Striker had just shot past Soarin and was neck and neck with Spitfire yet again. Number three has caught up with the leader. I can't believe it, it's too close to tell!

Time slowed down, 20 meters. Mac's eyes widened, realziation dawning that he might actually win. His bet might actually come out victorious! 10 meters. He stood up, his lips pressed. 5 meters. He gripped the rail hard enough he heard it crack.

Finish! Cried the announcer as the two sped by the finish line, flashes of light from camaras going off as they passed. It was close, too close to tell. We're getting the photo's now to see who won. Just a moment. A zebra from the stands came and collected the pictures from cameras at the finish line and quickly rushed up to the announcer's box.

"Pft, what am I worried about." Rainbow chuckled, exhaling heavily. "Spitfire won, no question."

"Ah don't know, Rainbow." Applejack disagreed. "That Strikah feller was on her like caramel on a candy apple."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and dismissed her friend with a lazy wave. "Nothin' to worry about, AJ. Say, aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the performance?"

She gasped. "Yer right!" And with all the speed and twice the grace of a rabid bull, Applejack pushed past the few whom sat between her and the stairs and made way for the lower levels. 

Once her associate departed, Rainbow turned her attention back to Macintosh. The calm and knowing smile he held made her snear almost immediate. It was wrong, he knew it was wrong; but it was too comical to see the typically proud and cool speedster so flustered. "Somethin' wrong?" He asked polity.

Attention ladies and gentelcolts! Interrupted the announcer. Ourselves and the judges have studdied the photo finish and what a battle it was! However, there can only be one winner, and by the evidence presented, they shall be named! Rainbow and Mac locked eyes, beads of sweat pouring down the pegasus profusely. And here it is, folks, the moment you've all been waiting for. The winner, by the skin of their teeth, is-





"GRANNY! I'm home!" Applebloom called happily from the front door. 

Sin and Granny Smith held their positions with a small gasp. The former holding a chair over his head while the latter gripped a spatula in her mouth ready to swing. 

Yay, now you get to beat up an old mare in front of her grandchild!

Yea, there were some lines that the Federalist was not willing to cross, beating down a loved on in-front of a child is one of them. He couldn't blame his injuries or lack of fighting skills for the battle that took place between the two. This Granny Smith was one of the toughest ponies he'd ever come across for he age. 

"Truce?" he growled, placing the chair down.

"Fer now." Granny replied, the two quickly straitening up the kitchen as best they could before the tiny hoofsteps found their way into the room.

"Granny, wha' happened?" The filly asked curiously.

The elder turned her head with a kind smile. "Oh nothin' deary, Ah jest had a little accident n' Sinny here was kind enough tah help me clean up."

The aforementioned grunted to himself as he used a rag to wipe up some broken glass and apple jam that he didn't remember breaking. He hated being called by that name.

Once the rag had absorbed its share he lifted it up and tossed it into the trash can while the family members spoke. "Yer a bit late comin' home deary, Where yer orange friend?" 

"Scootaloo's not feeling very well." A smaller alabaster and lilac filly proclaimed. She must have been one of Applebloom's school mate. "On our way back to School, she was complaining about feeling a little sick, and I don't think that mean night pegasus helped much."

"Sweet Milikki, what did Shade do this time?"

"That right? Well, Ah'm sorry tah hear that 'bout yer friend. Why doncha girls go outside n' play fer a spell? We can't have youngin's bein' 'round broken glass n' all."

"Okay, Granny." The cream filly obeyed. "Oh yea, Sin." The stallion pressed his lips to hold back an undoubtedly aggravated retort, "we told yer friend 'bout you bein' here." She gave frown and paused, as if trying to put the next sentence in the right words. "He didn't seem too worried about you, though."

Sin chuckle grunted. "Shade wouldn't." He replied simply. Sad thing was, he wasn't sure if that was just his cynicism or if he meant it. Shade was a chaotic stallion to be sure, but the Federalist would have to be blind not to see he held obvious favor with him.

"Alright. Oh and Fluttershy said she was gonna come over n' check on ya when they all got back."

Oh joy, the walking "bill to be" wants to come and visit with me.

"HA! How cute, you're about to be nursed back to health by-"

Finish that sentence and I swear to Tapio I will imagine images that will keep us both up for days on end.

"Wow, touchy. Ever consider that just because she appears weak and helpless that doesn't mean she'd want legislation to protect her?"

Ever consider to piss off?

"I see, thank you." The stallion nodded his head before going back to cleaning. Once the young ones were out of the house, he picked up his speed and finished up the rest of the kitchen before moving to the living room. 

"Don't move too fast." Granny soothed passive aggressively. 

"Why? It's obvious you don't want me here." Sin replied calmly, placing a table back up right and resetting the clock onto it. 

Granny admitted that he was right with a bit of a chuckle, but showed slight concern for what ever damage she may have inflicted. Sin gave her an empty smirk, verbally scoffing at the idea before walking passed her to the door. His smile brightened as he felt her eyes burn holes into the back of his head, that was until he opened the door.

A blinding and head ache enduing light assaulted his eyes, forcing him to block it with his foreleg. How many years had it been since his naked eye had experienced sun light? Sin heard a comment from granny but walked out before she could finish. Between the two hells, this one was definably the easier to deal with. 

It was an inconvenience and uncomfortable experience, but he needed to find his saddlebag. Be it luck or just his foresight, he'd already prepared for such an event and had a second pair of goggles in his inventory.

He chanced a squinting glance forward to find he was coming to the end of the farm, once off the property completely, he'd try and figure out where his bag had gone. It should be back at camp, unless he took it somewhere, he didn't really remember seeing it at his campsite, but he was pretty drunk or really hung over since last he cared.

.Add to that he now had to worry about what Granny was going to tell Mac. The Federalist hadn't left any bruises on her and had a case to be made, but if worse came to worse, his association with Macintosh ending would be an acceptable loss. 

But that was for later, now, he needed to get to camp.

One problem at a time, boss. One problem at a time.





Rainbow and Spike each let out sighs of relief after the announcer revealed Spitfire to be the winner of the race. Twilight swished her foreleg in a "darn it" fashion and the others just cheered for the sake of the either the victory or the fact it was finally over.

Mac, for his part, sat laid back indifferently and watched the award ceremony below. It was close, very close. Next year, Striker would most likely be the first place winner. But today, he stood on the second place podium, which suited the apple stallion just fine. Especially with the frustrated glare stuck on certain flier who may or may not have given him a nice buck sat himself on the third place pedestal. 

Eyeing the expectant stare of Spike, Mac tossed the owed bits and maintained his sagely calm. 

"Aww, c'mon Mac." Spike pouted, ignoring the coins in his claw. "You're just going to keep that smile on your face the whole time? I was sweating bullets over here!"

The drake wiped off a bit of sweat for comedic effect.

"Eyup. Whacha expectin' me ta do?" Mac asked innocently, knowing full well he was depriving his friend the emotional reaction the drake desperately wanted. 

The two held a brief back and forth, Spike trying to exaggerate the situation to get a reaction and Mac continually down playing and dismissing it. With each dismissal, Spike grew more and more stressed and emotional in his attempts. Irony, thy name is Big Macintosh. Luckily, Twilight interjected and ruined it all by laughing at the drakes overly emotional investigations.

Directly after the ceremony, Applejack was lead out with five of the Wonderbolt Seniors. Happily there was another hour of sunlight left, so at least they'd be able to see it.

"I hope she'll be alright." Fluttershy pipped, her eyes looking on in worry.

"I wouldn't worry, AJ and I practiced this, remember?" Rainbow said with a wink.

She was right, his sister was one of the toughest ponies in the Equestria, she was an Apple after all.

With a drum roll, the Wonderbolt performance began. At first, AJ just stood in the middle of the racing arena while the pegasi flew around with fireworks going off as they preformed stunts. Many of which made Mac's stomach turn just watching them. Especially the ones involving the fliers coming within a hoof of the audience at such a heightened speed, the rushing air knocked ponies out of their seats.

One certain theme made itself very well known. Whenever Soarin would get within fifty yards of him, the pegasus stallion would always give Mac a little teasing smile. Too bad this would be the last the two would ever see of each other.

The finally finally began when all five of the Wonderbolts zoomed too the middle, darting right for his sister from all sides. Mac felt his body tense the closer they grew. 

'It's all an act,' he repeated in his head. 'She'll be fine.'

Just as the five were about to make contact, they side dashed into a perfect circle around her, closer and closer to the ground until they'd begun to gallop. Applejack, for her part, stood like a stone, not even flinching when it looked like they'd slam right into her. Suddenly, the five bolted right at her and with their combined wing power, carried her into the air with the grand finale of fireworks.

Mac smiled and the crowd cheered. The day was finally over. He may have lost the bet, but his sister was fine and the show was pretty darn exciting to watch. Observing Applejack's happy smile while ten stories in the air brought him a strangely warm feeling in his heart.

That was until she embraced on of the fliers in a passionate kiss mid flight. Ma's eyes widened and his heart sank when he realized, the stallion of her affections was none other than the same bastard who'd assaulted and taunted him through out the entire show.

Soarin.

  
> Murphy's Law
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Murphy's law



Low voices shuffled about as the stadium began to empty under the cover of night. Mac's face still had yet to lose it's shock and awe it gained an hour ago. His sister... kissed a pony who'd threatened him with treason. and it wasn't a quick peck either. The image played over and over again in his mind: Applejack pressing her lips against Soarin's, her hooves wrapping around his neck and his around her back, pushing eachother close, close enough to make the red pony sick to his stomach.

Though, somepony didn't seem to upset about it. Spike was laughing it up! Making remarks about Soarin becoming the dreaded in-law and chuckling on about the two having foals together. 

"Spike!" Twilight wined. "I think we get the picture, thank you."

"No! No! I've got it! Soaring Apple!" He burst into another fit of chuckles, sparing only to look as Macintosh's face grew even more horrified. 

Looks like he got the reaction he wanted after all.

Rarity, knowing just enough of the situation -and having just enough of a guilty conscious- interjected, suggesting that it was all just for show, an act, as it were.

The thought brought hope to Mac's heart. Yea, it was all just part of the show! Like how Annabell wasn't really a dragon controlling witch, it was all just for show and entertainment. Some shock value!

Yea, that had to be it. He just got all worked up over nothing. 

"Hey ya'll!" The mare in question greeted, the hellspaw of a stallion by her side.

Rainbow took the initiative and gave her friend hoof-bump. "Nice going AJ, told ya you'd be able to pull it off." She leaned in closer. "But what's with the ending? We never practiced that."

A tint of read peached Applejacks cheeks, causing the wonderbolt at her side to chuckle. "What? You didn't tell them?"

Macintosh felt his heart stop, no, no it was an act. It had to all be an act!

"Well, no." The mare admitted. "Everypony, I'd like to tell ya'll somethin'." No... "Soarin' n' Ah have been talkin' fer a bit-" What? When!? You've never left the house and- the letter! "We've decided to see if we're compatible."





Sin limped onto the beaten path of the Everfree. While thankful for the darkened surroundings for his sensitive eyes, the adrenaline from earlier had long sense dispersed, giving him notice of every single ache in his body. Including his grumbling and complaining stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he ate.

'Well, at least the camps not too far away now.' His inner critic commented cheerfully. Soon you'll be able to get something to eat and sleep this off like a bad hangover.'

Yea, problem with that was how much food did he have? Yea, he left Shade a nice cache of berries and vegetation but who's to day there was any left?

'Could always go and forage for a bit. Not like you're a cripple or anything.'

Yet.

'Yea, fighting old lady mares is more dangerous than most realize for sure.'

... Why must you remind me of that?

'Because it was hilarious. But at least you left with dignity.'

That's all I have left...

'Oh lighten up, It could be worse!'

...

...

A small ruffle of leaves to his left halted the stallion in his tracks, his ears swiveling to pick up on it.

'... No...'

Suddenly, SIn picked up on almost inaudible footsteps in the grass, creeping behind him and too his right. Light snarles and growls tinting the predators.

Noooo... Murphey, don't you do this too me.'

Sin slowly turned his head to find the glowing, hungry eyes of a timberwolf pack, their jagged fangs and oaken muzzles covered in slimy green saliva. The Federalist, out of a mixture of calm and exhaustion, simply turned his body and  regarded the wooden mammals. Mammals who were just waiting to pounce and tear him limb from limb and devour his flesh.

Hey.

'Yea?'

New rule, you're not allowed to say "it could be worse" anymore.

'Uh, yea, I don't think that's going to make a difference anymore. Unless you've got a card to play, please tell me you've got a card to play.'

Nope, I'm spent.

One of the wolves took a step forward with a smile that exposed a glowing from in the back of its throat, Sin responding while taking a step back, needing another to maintain the distance. Another growl forced his head to look behind to find another pair of the pack approaching from the rear.

So this is how it ends, huh? Mauled to death by Timberwolves. 

'Yea, I always thought it would be a huge fight with some government. You failing to comply with their orders and falling in battle, taking at least thirty ponies with you.'

Thirty? Don't be ridiculous, I'd easily take a hundred.

The lead wolf, one slightly bigger than the others, drew ever closer. Sin tested the weight on his foreleg, he wouldn't be able to buck worth a crap, and a quick sweep wit his eyes didn't find any branches or sticks to aid him. 

The pack leader was closer now, with the rest of the pack halting their advance. Guess the alpha was going to end Sin's life himself. All well, at least he'd survive longer in a one on one fight.

Approaching leaping range, the head wolf lowered his body and Sin pushed his head to the side. He may die today, but he'd be damned if he was going with out a fight.

The wolf lept and Sin slammed his head into the wolf's head as hard as he could, sending small bits of splinters cascading from the animal's neck. However, his efforts were for naught, the alpha pinned Sin to the ground under two massive claws, stealing both the stallion's breath and another cracked rib.

"Ahh, mother fucker." He cursed, attempting to move to his hooves. It didn't take a genius to figure out he wasn't getting up. 

As he lay there, feeling the saliva of the wolf's gaping maw slowly descend upon his bare neck the Federalist's life flashed before his eyes. Mandylion, His father Gemini, Malich, the head aches in the Senate, his survivalist training and lessons, and even the few friends he'd found in Equestria. Strange as it was, he wasn't afraid of death at this point, truth be told there was a strange kind of relief knowing that his end was here.

Well Crasus, looks like I'll be seeing you soon.

The uneasy peace ended the moment he felt the jagged and and hungry fangs of the wolf tear into his flesh. The spine freezing, heart stopping terror he'd expected sooner overtook him like a tidal wave. Sin jerked and struggled to get free, but it was no use, between the massive paws, lack of breath and clamped maw; he was stuck. 

Releasing, the pack leader looked up and growled at one of his approaching comrades, staving off any challenge. Sin, let a sigh of relief from both the pain and the few extra seconds of staved off death. He opened his eyes and looked under the wolf to find probably the most disturbing and inspiring thing he'd ever seen.

Dangling freely between its hind legs were a pair of bark wrapped (what he assumed) testicles. And as every male in the mammalian family knows, the weakest spot was always where you aim.

"Ugh, that's just wrong. No, seriously, why do they even need those?

In a sudden epiphany of wanting to live again, Sin used his hind legs and pinched them against the beasts genitals. He didn't care for the texture or feeling so much as if they had the desired effect, and by Tapio's beard, they had the desired effect.

A sudden yelp caused the entire pack to stand at attention, the alpha wolf snapped it's head down to the stallion and growled before leaping in for the killing blow, stopping only when it's prey put the squeeze onto it's privates. 

Slow and steady, the Federalists breaths came forth. Tolerating the ungoldy stench of the wolf's maw that hover just inches above. His legs burned but he couldn't let go, his sides were on fire, and all he cared about was surviving the ordeal and going to sleep.

Feeling the alpha try to move itself free, Sin tightened his legs and hooked them together to save energy and keep a grip. In a shocking turn of events, he literally had the situation by the balls and may just survive yet. 

The fluidity of the situation showed itself as a sudden rift of dark and light green passed by in a flash and Sin found himself yet again in the hungry clutches of the wolf. But it wasn't just a one sided battle this time, the wolf may have had him by the neck, but Sin had something far more sensitive and as powerful as his adversary may be, a few quick yanks relieved the sharp pain of teeth. 

He was in control now.

"I've survived eight weeks in the frozen winter of Mount Vention with nothing but a broken leg and a knife." He seethed, tightening his grip, forcing a small yelp and retraction from his foe. "I made it through the heavily guarded border of North and South Equine on multiple occasions" his last words spitting venom as he used his body to pull the wolf down to it's knees and angled to where it was on its side, and slowly crawled ontop of it. His words only growing in power and pride. 

"I've been crushed by two dragons, fought countless diamond dogs, parlayed with the Bloody Sky Captains,helped dozens of innocence escape wrongful imprisonment, endured the idiotic ramblings of a hundred solipsistic politicians, and invested years of my life to prepare for my country's destruction all on my own." He was now standing on the wolf's underbelly, his teeth bared and eyes full of determination. "I am Sinbad Von Islander. And not you nor Tapio Bearking himself will kill me here!"

What happened next sent a large and loud echo slapping through the air, followed by an even louder and pain filled howl. Sin jump off of his attacker and watched with disdain as the poor creature wiggled and writhed in what had to be unimaginable torment. 

He'd stomped on them, he'd put every last bit of his strength into his hind leg and threw it down as hard as he could. Bringing about the most painful experience any male could endure. He may not have been familiar with Timberwolf anatomy and physiology, but with the force he put into that kick, it would be quite a while before this abomination of wood and animal would be of any threat to anyone.

Growling like the beast he'd just beaten, the oaken stallion quickly eyed and challenged the rest of the pack, each taking one step back as soon as the pony had them in his line of sight. Each tucking their tails, closing their legs and bowing their heads.

Knowing full well about pack mentality, he held himself with strength and pride as he walked back to his camp. Defeating the alpha, and in such a grim fashion, made his safety all but certain from the rest of the pack. 

With unquestioning confidence, the stallion marched out of the circle of predators, the ones in the back scrambling to get out of his way, and he made way back to the safety of the trap encompassed campsite, where he unceremoniously collapsed onto the forest floor and immediately fell into a deep slumber. 

Taking no notice to the new pile of white pebbles behind him or the being who'd put them there.

"Oh boyo, what happened to you?"
 
> Introspective Acceptance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Introspective Acceptance



"Oh C'mon Big Macintosh," Applejack Scolded, her brother remained silent. "Yea, Ah know he n' ya might'a gotten off on the wrong hoof, but t'ain' no reason tah act like a foal." She waited to see if her words would have any effect, still no response, "will ya please talk tah me!?"

The two sat alone in one of the carts meant for shipping large objects. The male of the two had hoped to find solitude within the darker and more isolated car, but sensing her brothers agitation and disbelief, Applejack pursued him all the way through twelve of the main passenger cars. Sad fact was, Mac was in no mood to talk, matter of fact, he was in the mood to put his hoof upside his sister's head.

She waited, her eyes scrutinizing his face for any hint of a crack in his stoic wall. 

"Treason." though it was soft, the single word carried a tone both deep and grounded in severity, as did the fact his facial features never faltered.

"Ah know, big brother." AJ's face contorted in guilt and she looked away for only a moment before her resolve returned. Obviously she knew this moment would come and had done her share in preparing. "But this is what Ah want."

"He threatened me wit' treason." Mac repeated, his mouth contorting into a sneer. "N' y'all want tah date him!?"

Applejack recoiled from the harsh words, her ears drooping slightly. With a deep breath she proceeded; "look, Macintosh, it was all a mistake-"

"Mistake?!" The stallion bolted forward with rage, sending his sister shuffling back. "A mistake is Applebloom fergettin' her book bag. A mistake is me not waterin' a tree. A mistake is what yer makin' right now!" He towered over her, his eyes baring down onto her own. Applejack stood her ground and did her best to keep a strong front. "Threatenin' somepony with the worst crime in th' country is not a mistake."

Applejack pressed her lips as she fought the urge to say a few things she'd regret. Macintosh had never laid an unkind hoof on her, but with as angry as the stallion was now, and all the time he'd spent away from home, she found it unwise to escalate the altercation further. 

Fact of the matter was, she really did care about what Soarin had said about the charges, and she let him know the next time they met, but the stallion did seem genuinely apologetic about what he'd done and admitted that he was in the wrong. 

It took him a while, but the pony broke his glare and sat back down.

"How did this even happen?" Macintosh growled, he still hadn't processed his emotions on the matter nor the feeling of betrayal. What was he supposed to think? 

"Well." Applejack blushed, bringing a hoof to her chin.

'Oh, here we go.'

"It started out with him writen me ah letter apologizing fer what he did tah all of us. The fightin' the threats, him uh... breakin' yer ribs ." She explained, shifting uncomfortably and trying not to look her brother in the eye. It seemed laying out everything; it finally dawn on the young mare exactly what her kin was trying to tell her. but that was short lived.

"After a few letters back n' forth, he asked to apologize in person n' he came to the farm one night-"

"He was at the farm?!" Mac interrupted, both bewildered and cynical. 

Applejack took a breath. "Yes, Macintosh; he was at the farm while y'all were out workin' the fields."

Now it was his turn to take a breath. While he was out working the fields, helping to provide for the family and earning his keep; his sister was on a date with a pony who'd broken his ribs. 

'Are you seriously surprised? With the way the entire family treated you before hand, this seems like another Tuesday if you think about it. When have they ever really cared about how you felt until you started yelling?'

The apple farmer motioned for her to continue. "Now, at first I was just as upset as you." AJ quickly pointed out, "but after a few glasses of cider, n' just talking to him, Ah came to figure that he was just followin' orders to protect Equestria from a threat it had faced before."

Mac's jaw dropped. "Are ya kiddin' me? Ya heard him yerself, this was about revenge fer what happened last time."

"No it wasn't Mac." AJ said solumly. "He did say that he was a bit upset about that still, bu' Soarin's main goal was the same as every Wonderbolt in his unit. To keep Equestria safe." Mac tried to push the point home that that excuse was complete bull, but his sister wouldn't have it. No matter how he tried to express the obvious deduction Twilight made, the pony held firm in her belief that Wonderbolt had only been acting in the best interest of the Equestrian citizens.

Knowing her stubbornness couldn't be moved once her mind was made up, Mac reserved himself to a disbelieving shake of the head as he pondered over the entire situation. It was crap, just a load of bull.  'Just following orders', unthinking and interfering. Soarin's superior was willing to see what was right in front of her face. Rainbow Dash had the situation under control, they all had a plan. But him, that foolish stallion let his pride overtake the situation with out regard for the consequence. 

How could his sister, the Element of Honesty, be so willing to believe this obvious half truth? What exactly was said in those letters and during the night he came over?

Since the stallion was so willing to go off of the "what if" scenarios, what if the Wonderbolt's attack had aroused Spike's rage and sent him back into Ponyville? What if he continued to destroy buildings? What if he, Celestia forbid, actually killed somepony? All because he wanted to get back at the giant drake who'd put a slight dent in his ego. Not to mention the rest of them were just following orders and also could have made a potentially bad situation worse, but that was an issue he wasn't very keen on thinking about.

How could his sister; a pony he, while being a bit inconsiderate of his feelings, always revered as a good judge of character, be interested in such a reckless and self centered pony? It just didn't make sense.

As the silence continued to creep by, Applejack finally sighed in defeat. "Look, Mac." She said, calmly. "Ah know how ya feel, seeing a somepony you care about associatin' with another pony ya don't. But this is what Ah want, okay?"

Mac wanted to speak out, debate the point that Sin hadn't tried to have her arrested and thrown away for Luna knows how long over  doing what was right. But he'd given up on trying to change her mind and simply shook his head. "Alright."

"Good!" His sister chirped with a smile and began walking out of the cabin. "Oh and one more thing." He shifted his eyes to look at her. "He n' his family will be over fer dinner on Friday." She forced out quickly before closing the door behind her.

Left wide eyed and dumbstruck, the stallion could only look at the door in utter disbelief. Dinner? As in Mac would actually have to see him and interact with him? Applejack having a relationship on her own time was one thing, he couldn't control her right to interact with who she pleased, but having him at the same house to eat? That was going to be a problem.





Spike sat back with his claws behind his head and a peaceful smirk on his muzzle. Ahhh, sweet, sweet karma. Mac was messing around with his old crush and his sister gets it from a stallion he loathes. 

Oh how he missed being able to be guilt free about such immature destructive hopes.

That was a lie. He wasn't guilt free about it. He took delight in a friend's suffering, that wasn't cool; not in any way shape or form. So why was he so happy about it?

'Beats me, all well, you've got growing up to do anyway. Just take it one step at a time.'

His peaceful stewing was interrupted by Applejack finally returning to the cart. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact that prior to her return, despite there being five friendly mares present, the entire ride had been next to dead silent.

"So, how'd it go?" Rarity asked, her desire for juicy gossip ever present.

"About as well as expected." The Element of Honesty shrugged. As much she tried to play it off, the disappointment in her voice was undeniable

"Well, it is understandable that he wouldn't be as open to you having a Coltfriend who assaulted him." The fashonista commented, looking to the other girls for agreement, save Rainbow Dash; who's nose was deep in a pamphlet on the Wonderbolt's bios.

"Yea, I'm also a bit confused. I mean, aren't you the least bit angry over what he did?" Twilight asked.

Applejack gave a thoughtful look. "Yea, Ah'm still a bit steamed, but the fact was, he was jest followin' orders and keepin' Equestria safe."

Spike listened intently. He knew what they were talking about, but he never got to hear the more detailed parts of it.

"That is true." Twilight conceded. She was the prize student of the ruler of Equestria, so it wasn't a stretch to believe she also would be willing to side with the Wonderbolt.

"Yea, but how did it go from that to you having feelings for him?" Pinkie asked, cutting though the obvious insensitivity that most everypony present wanted to ask, but was too respectful of privacy to do.

Blushing and pulling her hat over her eyes, the mare cleared her throat while attempting to sputter out an explanation. "Well... er uh... wha' happen'd was..." She took a breath in order to regain her composure. "When he came n' we talked one on one, he just... Ah don't know, had this aura about him."

"Aura?" Rarity chirped. 

"Yea, it was like," she mulled over the proper words, "like he just glowed. Ah mean, he's a very good lookin' pony, but the way he smiled, how charmin' he was, the way he carried himself; Ah couldn't help but laugh at any joke he said. Even if it wasn't funny, he just made me feel warm inside, ya know?"

And like that, what was once a seriously toned conversation bent on determining why a mare had betrayed her brother and began a relationship with a pony who'd both hurt and threatened him, turned into a gossip scene that resembled a bunch of teenagers who's friend was just asked out by the hottest guy in school.

The change in atmosphere was almost instantaneous as Rarity and Pinkie jumped from their beds with a slew of questions.

"Sounds like somepony's in love!"

"What happened after the conversation?"

"Did you two go out on any super fun date?"

"Did he do anything romantic?"

"Does he like parties? Well, I mean everypony likes parties, who doesn't? But still!"

Applejack wanted to reply, but the questions just kept coming. Ranging from innocent to extremely personal. Luckily, the rabid assault of words was broken by a very harsh and raspy laugh.

. "Hey AJ," Rainbow Dash managed through bouts of giggles, "you're coltfriend was a Carni!"

Everypony looked up at her expectantly. "What you talkin' 'bout Dash?"

Rainbow held the pamphlet down for all eyes to see. 


Soarin


Date of birth: June 3rd
Type: Pegasus
Sex: Male

Short bio: Born in the Northern Providence of Equestria in the town of Hooftrot, Soarin was a member of the Family owned: Greatest Show Unearthed Carnival fliers act, and quickly rose to lead it. During his time preforming, he was scouted by one of the Wonderbolts head hunters and was offered a contract in which he accepted four years ago. During his time within the academy he had arisen to become one of the fastest fliers on record and be selected as one of the elite Wonderbolt Air Force Special Operatives.

"A carnival flier, huh?" AJ raised her brows. It wasn't really anything harmful to her perception of him, but definitely something interesting, considering his father and sister would be over for dinner with him.

"Well, what do ya know? Guess greatness really can come from anywhere." Twilight shrugged.

"Yea, guess so." Rainbow smirked a little too maliciously than she had any right to. "I mean, for a Carni, that is."

"N' what, exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Rainbow shrugged, "oh nothing." Her tone and demeanor pointed to the contrary in every way. Passive aggression was hard to prove, but easy to spot.

Spike smirked from his place, if he didn't know any better, he'd have thought Rainbow was jealous. Or maybe she's just teasing her friend and gauging the reaction. Hard to say really.

'Seriously, if it isn't one bout of drama with these mares it's another.'

The rest of the train ride was spent with with the girls chatting among themselves, the flier and farmer sparing in words every so often, but seemingly returning it to a joke if things ever got too heated. 

As fun as the whole day was, Spike still had those little pangs of guilt over his satisfactions. His mind began to wonder again as he sat and waited to get home.

Macintosh was there for him in a way nopony else could be. When he was upset and confused beyond all reason from having his age ripped from him, having his mentor knock him to the ground twice and running wild like a spoiled brat, Mac was the one who listened to him and challenged him as equals. He wasn't completely sure how to put it, but even if Twilight had said the same things in the same way, it just wouldn't have been the same.

Twilight, and the rest of them, were girls. No matter how he thought about it, it was always the fact that Mac was a stallion that kept popping into his mind. A male role model? Somepony who could understand him as a male? Talk to him with confidence and a mature logical stoicism and seriousness. Maybe that was the reason he really wanted out of this town. To just indulge in his more masculine urges and not have to tone it down for the girls. 

All the same, Mac was there and Mac helped him alot. And here the drake was taking pleasure in the stallion's pain. 

Sin was right, he did have a lot of growing up to do.
  
> Asinine Details
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Asinine Details




The train pulled into the Ponyville train station in the late afternoon, the sun just an hour or two away from hitting the dusk line. As per usual, the commuters quickly filed out with the hustle and bustle of the  race most had just seen. All ranging from happy and excited  to bear witness, to many crying or chuckling about bets both won and lost.

As Macitnosh and the Elements departed, his sister gave a few words of good bye to her freinds before beginning the journey back home. However, there was a third companion to accompany them back to the orchard.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked, looking to her friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The pegasus squeaked. "But, I told Applebloom that I'd come to see how Sin was doing."

While it wasn't strange for Fluttershy to be so caring to other another pony's and their well being, the stallion in question wasn't particularly fond of her. The fact she was more concerned for his injuries over his rather... condemning personality did speak volumes to her character.

No objection being given from the Apple siblings, the three ventured forth with a silent and almost palpable tension. With what was said on the train ride, any words would just be awkward or lead to an argument that he'd rather avoid.

Thankfully, the destination came quickly. Even had Granny Smith and Applebloom sitting out on the porch waiting for them.

"Yay!" The filly proclaimed before running and tackling the elder mare. "So, how was th' race! Was it fun? Did y'all buy me anything?" Applebloom demanded, bouncing up and down. 

"Easy there, sugarcube." Applejack said, attempting to calm her sister down. 

"Ah'll never understand dem races." Granny commented, nursing her forehead. "Jest a bunch of ponies goin' round in circles, if ya ask me."

Chuckling, Mac couldn't help but agree with his Grandmother. Out of all of them, it was Rainbow Dash who was the most enthralled with the race in and of itself. Hay, if it weren't for the fact he had a few bits on a pony, he wouldn't have been interested at all past the first five minutes.

While Applejack tried to answer to the fillies interrogation, Fluttershy followed him up to the porch and into the house before guiding her to his bedroom.

"Hey Sin, y'all up ye-" He stopped and looked at the empty bed with naught but a haphazardly tossed blanket on the floor to insinuate that anypony had been there at all. Mac's eyes shifted and he stepped forward to grab a pair of broken black goggles from the floor.

'How did that happen?'

The two did a shallow sweep of the up stairs before treading back down and asking about the injured pony.

"Oh, he left." Granny said with a simplicity that was far too dismissive for her character. The two looked to Applebloom for confirmation; who's story was a bit more detailed, but still the same conclusion.

According to her, Sin and granny were talking in the kitchen until she tripped and caused a big mess which he helped clean up and she and her friends saw him walk out the door a few minutes later. 

Mac shouldn't have been surprised, if the stories about him surviving in the mountains with a broken leg were true, him getting up after collapsing from exhaustion should be expected at this point.

With mild concern, the pegasus sighed and excused herself from the home. No reason for her to be here if the pony she was looking for wasn't.

"So, how'd yer date with that pegasus, go?" Granny seethed. 

AJ rolled her eyes. "Why ya gotta say it like that? And it went fine, thank you very much."

The elder mare scoffed. "Ain't no wondarvolts gone do no good werkin' the fields, missy." She slowly wondered back to her seat. Far more slowly than usual, Mac noticed. 

"What are you gettin' at?" AJ challenged.

Granny Smith hissed as she lowed herself to the polished wood, taking a breath and her grand daughter and look. "Do Ah need tah spell it out fer ya? Farms need Earth ponies, not pegasi foals!"

It took a minute for the implication to set it, but when it finally did, Mac had to stop himself from bursting out in laughter as his sister's cheeks burned a red that put the apples on her cutie mark to shame. "G- granny Smith!" She stammered, a slew of unintelligible and half words failing the flustered mare, serving the rest of her kin's amusement at her expense.

The look on the elder mare's face was stern, almost serious. But, the small smile that threatened to overtake her quickly betrayed her portrayed prejudiced and she broke quickly.

Granny went into geazerly chuckle that quickly spread to her grandson, and eventually, despite her being flustered, Applejack. Even Applebloom had joined into the merriment. 

In times like these, Macintosh loved being around his family. Laughing light heartedly at one pony poking teasing fun at another with out any passive aggressive undertones. Just playful fun.

Why couldn't his life be like this all the time?

"Hey Mac?" Applebloom called, the other two still snickering. "What's everypony laghin' about?"






As Twilight and Spike were about to head to the Library, Rainbow Dash tapped the drake's shoulder for a quick word. Figuring it wouldn't take too long, he sent Twilight on and promised to catch up.

"Soooo, what did ya think?"

"That was pretty awesome, actually." He replied cooly.

"I know, right?!" Dash almost squeed. Obviously she found the entire event a bit more exciting, understandably since it was her passion after all.

After recounting the days events for the fourth time since the train ride, a small awkward silence past between the two. Spike wasn't really sure why she kept him back just to ask him about that.

"Soooo..."

He looked at her with a brow quirked.

"Since we've done what friends are supposed to do, are we better friends?"

'Ohhhh, so that's what this is about.' He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from chuckling at his own dimwittedness. The entire point of his invitation was so that he and she could bond. In all reality the bonding was minimal, but it was a start and defiantly a more exciting day than the typical.

Allowing himself a small smile, Spike nodded and gave her a sincere thank you for his inclusion as more than just a tag along. Yea, it wasn't anything new that he would join the girls for events like this, but to be personally invited? That was a unique circumstance; and defiantly one that he could appreciate.

After the typical pleasantries of promised plans the two parted ways. It didn't hit him until now but that pesky lightness in both his shoulders an neck that precluded a yawn crept on. With a soft inhale and exhale, Spike rubbed his eyes and commented on his lack of energy. Apparently the race had taken a bit more out of him than he thought. All well, he'd pass off as soon as he got back home.

Though, as he approached the Library he found Twilight standing outside the front door. The reason being a... griffin stood in her path. 

He approached and found the two talking about something before both breaking into laughter.

"Oh, dear, oh my. That Shopenhoof is quite a delight." The griffin proclaimed. Both his voice and the slight greying of his feathers both gave light to his age, same with the small balding on the top of his crown. Still, the fire and twinkle in the cross breed's eyes spoke to his inner youth as well as his muscular form. Considering the shear size of the saddle bags that lay on the steps to the library, it would appear he was a wonderer.

Had it not been for the light atmosphere, the darker feathers and utter size of the beast would be quite intimidating, especially since Griffians were genetically larger than ponies. 

"Oh my, is that a baby dragon?" Spike suddenly became aware of the two orange and red eyes beaming right at him.

"Yep, that's my assis-" Twilight paused. "This is my good friend, Spike." She introduced. "And I'm Twilight Sparkle, Local Ponyville Librarian. What's your name?"

"Oh wow." The griffin rubbed the back of his neck. "Where are my manners. My name is Tycan, but you may call me Ty."

That name, he couldn't put his claw on it, but Spike thought that name sounded familiar some how.

"Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The unicorn mare smiled with the up most enthusiasm. Aside from Rainbow Dash and a few others, not many had such a high appreciation for literature, especially for the more sophisticated works.

Both Tycan and Spike repeated the gesture.

"The pleasure is mine."

"I haven't seen you around Ponyville before." Spike spoke, testing his theory. "What brings you here?"

Twilight was about to scold him for his bluntness but the Tycan beat her to the punch. "You would be correct, sir. I'm not a resident, but I've come here to find something."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"Spike-"

"You know, I'm not entirely sure. Well, I suppose you could say that I'm here to find a few things, actually."

"A few things, huh?" The drake eyed skeptically. 

Spike knew it wasn't fair how cynical and judgmental he was being, but his prior experiences with griffins wasn't exactly the best. What with Rainbow's friend Gilda and that one time when He and Mac put in three days of labor for a few dead rats as contracted by a Grifonian caravan.

Though, that was mainly his fault for not reading the fine print.

"Spike, don't be rude." Twilight scolded.

"Easy lass, I can understand the boy's skepticism." Tycan proclaimed heartily. "From my understanding, Ponyville isn't exactly known for its peace and quiet."

While Spike could appreciate his feelings given affirmation, it was true that he was being rude.

"Oh that's right. What time does the library open tomorrow? I'm guessing it's a little to late to rent anything?"

With a blush of embarrassment, the librarian explained that they had been out for the day and gave him the official time of opening.

"Fantastic." The traveler smiled before turning away to leave, "thank you for the information."

"Sure thing. Will we see you tomorrow?"

"As sure as Tapio Bearking is the ruler of the forest." He nodded quainlty before disappearing into the town.

  


> Grudges and Obsessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Mac sat at the table in the kitchen, his face stoic and unwavering as his eldest sister ran back and forth, checking to make sure that every vase was perfectly centered, continuously taking a few moments to fix her typically ragged and let down mane, which was styled by Ponyvilles very own Carisel Botique Owner into a set of three braids for the occasion in which caused him so much annoyance.

"Y'all need tah calm down there, missy!" Granny called, swirling a delicious smelling pot of her special hay stew. Had it been under any other circumstance, Mac would have been twice happy. One for the special event that it would take to bring such a dish to the table, and again for the fact he'd be dining on a dish that would make the five star restaurants in Canterlot green with envy. In his opinion, at least.

"Sorry, granny." Applejack dismissed while making sure a fork was placed ever so appropriatly by it's plate. "It's jes tha' Ah wan' ev'rythin' ta be perfect tonight."

'Wow' Mac's inner voice piped up. 'She must really like this stallion if she's going through all this trouble.'

Mac shook his head at the absurdity of the whole situation. Not only was his sister bringing a date home, not only was said date a stallion whom physically assaulted him and laid threats for the worst possible repercussions the law had to offer, but she herself was acting as out of character as she possibly could. Here, his sister; the typically dirt loving and easy going mare that she was; in a whirlwind of perfectionism and stress.

It wouldn't have been nearly as bad had she not attempted to make her brother brush his mane.

There were things he was willing to put up with, and then there were things that he'd bite ponies over... the fading red mark on his sisters foreleg evidence to that.

"Uh, Sis?" Applebloom pipped up. "Ah think mah fork was perfect a millimeter to the left." She added with no small trace of sarcasm. 

The Element of honesty stepped back and took a breath. "Sorry Applebloom." She took another breath. "Guess Ah'm just a bit nervous."

"A bit? Child yeh managed tah straighten up every picture, vase n' piece of furniture in this house faster than a cyote chasin' a road runner!" Granny chuckled taking the stew from the oven. If Mac could find any solace in the situation, it's that Granny was also disapproving of his sister's choice in a stallion. Though, her reasons being a bit more bigoted than his own. "Now get ahold of yerself missy, our guests'll be arrive'n any-"

Three knocks at the front door cut the elder pony off.

Applejack froze mid step on her way to the living room, her balance comedic-ally wavering slightly as her retina's constricted. Her brother's eyes only narrowed as they found their way past the living room to the front door. Small voices and hoof to wood shuffling now audiable. 

AJ took a breath. "Alright, now let's show them a bright Apple family welcome." Her eyes rested on her brother. "All of us."

Mac just quirked a brow in response as the two's emerald eyes held contact. A few seconds was all it took for his sister to give and head to the door to give welcome to the only pony in the world who he truly loathed.

'You know, you could always leave if it upsets you that much.'

True, but Mac felt his place was where he was tonight, He wanted to face Soarin head on.

The sound of the door opening echoed from the living room and greeting's were exchanged from a familiar voice.

Mac took a breath and put on a smile. Just because he didn't like one of the three ponies coming to visit didn't give him the right to be impolite to the other two.

Then, as his eyes made contact with her, his smile disappeared almost instantaneously. Dark, emerald blue eyes, windowed perfectly by a mane dark brown braided down her back, only slightly covering her buttermilk coat and gorgeous form.

But what had set him into an almost catatonic state was to hear her voice. 

"Oh, it's you!" She smiled brightly, if a little mischievous. 

The voice of milk and honey.







Spike sighed as he stared up to the library ceiling from the couch. 

The day's events had taken enough out of his surgot mother that she decided to turn in early and requested he do the same. But here he lay, his mind caught in that annoying place of to tired to get up but not tired enough to fall asleep.

Well, that and trying to figure out what it meant to "grow up", exactly.

The drake turned over and tucked the covers under his chin, but it did little to stop the questions from assaulting his mind.

Why was it that he found delight in Mac's suffering? Was it because he was a bad person? Or maybe he just had growing up to do, but what did that mean? What did it mean to be "mature" anyway? Was it to lack emotions? No, Twilight was very emotional, but she was mature, right?

Oh yes, because having a stuffed doll is the epitome of 'mature', now isn't it?

He sighed and sat up, running a claw through his scales. A small chuckle escaped as his eyes scanned the contents of the library. "Don't suppose there's a book about it." He whispered to no one in particular.

"Who." Came a reply from the darkness. 

Sighing again, this time in frustration, Spike leveled his eyes at an owl perched atop on of the lower book shelved. The chocolate colored avin staring blankly at him with black beady eyes.

"Not who, it's more of a what." Spike replied, knowing the conversation would only end with-

"Who."

Yea, and it would all be down hill from there. Instead of the typical indulgence of banter, the dragon lifted himself from the couch and began searching through the books for something interesting to read. His main interest lying in the realms of responsibility and maturity.

Unable to find any book in particular about the subject, Spike settled for a manifesto on Princess Celestia.

He may not have found a book about how to be mature, but sun goddess was the most mature and oldest pony in the world, surely he could learn something from her life story.

He opened the book and skimmed through the pro-log, noting a few instances where she mentioned how the events in her life helped her to "grow as an individual as well as a leader". Well, at least there was something for him to go off of.

He silently produced cup of tea for himself and lost himself in the book, the first chapter dealing with her earliest memories. Parents, Luna's birth and how it affected her relationship with them, growing up with Luna and apparently she knew Discord back then too. Go figure.

But just as he was getting to an interesting event involving the Princess's parents leaving, Twilight's voice rang out from above. "Spike?" She called groggily. "What are you still doing up this late?"

Spike quirked a brow and looked up from his book. "Hey Twi', just some late night reading."

The unicorn slowly descended the stairs and sat opposite her former assistant. "The Biography of a Princess?" Twilight questioned with a small chuckle. "That's an interesting read for you."

"Yea, well. I'm trying to figure out how to be grown up and mature, but we didn't have any books on that." Spike explained rubbing his claw over his eyes, sleep slowly creeping upon him.

"Wait, you're reading this to try to be mature?" The Twilight questioned with her head cocked to the side.

Spike gave a thoughtful grimace. "Not exactly, but that's the basic idea."

Twilight brought a hoof up to her mouth and gave a thoughtful 'hmm' to the idea. After a few moments of deliberating, she nodded and gave another pleasant smile. "Alright, if you have any questions about anything, I'm always here to help."

'Yea, because you're the definition of maturity, aren't you? Pretentious tramp.'

Woah, what in Tatarus?

'What? You know it's true! She's been talking down to and condescending you for years and has break downs over the approval of others, does she really seem to be the type to take advice from on matters such as this? Not to mention the only reason she's not telling you to go to bed right now is because she's afraid of you.'

...

I'm beginning to think I might have mother issues with Twilight.

'Ya think?'

And Psychological issues in general.

'Now let's not go overboard.'

"Thanks Twi." Spike smiled as he closed the book. "But, I think that's enough reading for one night. See you tomorrow."

The lavender unicorn stood from her seat and spoke with a kind, maternal tone."Alright, Spike. I love you."

Spike's heart skipped a beat as the words sunk in. For the first time in a long time, his mind went utterly blank. He hadn't heard those words in almost a year, he had practically forgot how powerful they could be. And if his shock wasn't bad enough already, his heart almost exploded from the hug and kiss on the forehead that he received almost immediately after.

Typically, he'd dismiss the affection as just another of the day's hassles, but tonight was different. Tonight, his body lit up with a warm fuzziness that he hadn't noticed missing for months. As if an amber gold comforting wave of heat slowly coarsed through out every bone and vain in his body, easing his mind, muscles and soul; and making the reptile remember why he wanted to come back and stay in Ponyville.

Though he and Twilight may not see eye to eye and though she may treat him as if he were younger than he was, she offered him something few else could and he could offer to even fewer. Love.

Tenderness, Carefulness, Acceptance and Compassion.

After a moment, the drake broke from his stupor and smiled sheepishly. "I, uh, love you too, Twilight."

The mare bid him another good night and went off to bed. Spike quickly cleaned up the candles he was using for light and found himself back on the couch, his mind calmer for the experience.

The voice in the back of his mind made no comment, and his almost obsession with maturing had dulled down to a slight curiosity. Sleep wouldn't be hard to come by now. 
> Awkward Moments
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


Awkward Moments



Sitting down to the table: Mac's mouth had to be held shut at the sight before him. Annebelle, the pony he'd met months ago, the mare who occupied his mind, causing him no small ammount of flush and guilt was there. Sitting right beside him, eating with his family.

His shock at seeing her had overpowered the absolute malice he felt towards Soarin, who's alabaster hoof sat ontop of his sister's, and the older pegasus stallion sporting a greying dark blue mane and midnight blue coat that continually shifted between forced light conversation and eyeing his son's new marefriend with eyes of criticism and interest.

"Ya'll right there, Mac?" Applebloom called. No answer. She tried again, and again. By the fourth attempt and a gentle prod to his shoulder, the stallion finally came back to the world of the living and looked to his sister. "Ya ok? Ya've been sitten there fer a while. Haven't even touched yer stew."

The farmer rubbed his eyes, playing it off as him being a little tired. He really should know better than to lie to his kin, but it was better than the alternative of telling the truth.

He took in his surroundings for the first real time. Granny set at one head of the table, cackling at some joke he must have missed while Soarin and Applejack both blushed profusely. Annebelle and her father, Shuffle, both gave teasing smiles to the couple, the latter giving more out of mallace than good humor.

"Granny!" AJ finally stuttered out, her hoof removed from her coltfriend's. "That's- Ah can't believe that ya'd-"

"Oh relax, deary. Twasn't like ah was given ya a time table er nothin'."

Embarrassed to the entirety of the situation, Mac just took a sip of his supper and did his best to appear invisible. If the teasing and embarassment was already starting this early into dinner, than making his presence as unimposing as possible was the best way he could handle it.

"So, Mac." Soarin, out of all the ponies present, addressed him. "How have your ribs been?" He asked with a smile as fake a politician's campaign promises. Mac wouldn't allow what little anger he had to show. The Wonderbolt was trying to get a reaction out of him, and he knew it.

"Been fine." He replied nonchalantly. 

"Good to hear." He replied smugly. "I do hope you recover fully soon."

Mac's eyes narrowed and he was about to address the stallion but was cut off by a gasp to his left, followed by a pair of very concerned emerald eyes. "What happened to your ribs?" Annabelle asked, looking at the stallion's side.

Mac looked at her than eyed the stallion, a small smirk creeping on his face. Soarin smirked back and mouthed the words 'she'll never believe you'. Taking a breath, the apple stallion conjured up a story about working on the barn and falling off one of the higher beams.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Anna said, placing a comforting hoof on his shoulder, much to Macintosh's delight.

"Well, your acting a little chummy with a stallion you've only recently met." Shuffle notted with sheer disapproval.

The buttermilk mare looked at her father with eyes that mixed with both indignation and realization. "Dad, this isn't the first time I've met him. Remember that stallion I told you about from Hooftrot?"

Silence. 

Both Soarin's and Shuffle's eyes shot wide open, mouths hanging agape as their faces shifted between the two.

Mac blushed at the unwanted attention.

'Well, this just became six shades of awkward.'

Suddenly, Shuffle's head began shifting from both his son and his daughter, and the... partners that they sat next to. "What?" 

"Well, well noa." Granny beamed in utter delight. "Seems ah might be getting me more great grand foals n' ah thought."

"GRANNY!"





Silvia had seen things and experienced things that some would call "tramatic". She'd seen ponies head's lopped off for crossing the Triple M Corporations, she'd been walked in on by wives while she was seducing business owners for extortion and run out of homes while being chased by pots, pans and other heavy kitchen wear. She'd even almost been a hair's breath away from her death as she carried out an assassination on a pair of witnesses to a few of Malich's less than tactful minions, at the hooves of above averagely trained mercinaries who were hired to protect the two.

But nothing in all of her training, nothing in all of her life experience could prepare her for the horrors that she'd just faced.

The slender griphon thought it would be easy, that she'd just waltz into the mansion, seduce the stallion, fuck his brains out and gain a pretty profit for her troubles and get right back to the vacation she deserved.

But she hadn't accounted for the filly she now faced. The pink youngling's sheer and unashamed gal, her intelligence, her capabilities in manipulation and feigned innocence that brought the spy to her current situation.

Silvia wasn't only angry at the mare that stood with a smug smile directed at her, but with a sense of begrudged respect and admiration. How could a filly so young be so treacherous? She thought as she dangled upside down, her front claws and back paws hogtied to a rope, dangling her from the ceiling barely a foot off the ground.

"Now remember." Diamond Tiara said, putting on a blindfold and picking up a stick. "If you tell Daddy anything, I'll tell everypony in town that you touched me."

The Federalist's eye twitched. She could do it, she could kill this little... this little... demon spawn right now, and be done with it. A little prodding with her tallons on the ropes, smash the filly's throat, steal some money and be on her merry way. She knew it really would be that simple, but Silvia also knew this thing to be the anomaly.

It was a nice town, one that she would probably be spending quite a bit of time in if her mark didn't move. She couldn't risk being a suspect of murder, or worse, accused pedophile. So, she'd bite her tongue for the time being.

TWAK.

Though, maybe she should have waited to bite anything until her time as a living Piñata was over.





"This party is quite exquisite." Malich said with a forced smile 'Exquisite as a parasprite invasion on my bank safe!' The stallion was in shock at what Lady Fatchitaz had done to the dignity and pride that used to encompass the Centaur Palace. Gargoyles bore circles of multicolored flowers around their necks and on their heads. The paintings of Tapio Bearking and his wife Mielikki Bluecloak now lay hidden by fern and ficus.

Vines littered with different herbs wrapped around dark grey stone beams along with all other manner of beauty and desecration. He didn't want to say it out loud, but the only color that wasn't too well represented was red. And with Lady Fatass's mass, he couldn't help but let his imagination wonder on how he could decorate.

"Oh I knew you'd love it." The alabaster unicorn proclaimed "I've grown everything here by my own personal hoof. Please, do enjoy yourself hmmm?" She bragged before turning to visit other party guests. Malich's smile dropped to a scowl. For all of the executive rivals he had, for all of the renegade and disobedient politicians he loathed, and for all of the attempted muscle-ins by smaller companies to his territory; there was no... thing he hated in this world more than that unicorn.

Deciding to mingle, the business pony began to wonder about and see if he could find anyone he wanted to recognize. There was the Yazu, the Minotaur he'd been in a power struggle with in the emerging field of self replenishing Magic nanos. The two didn't hate each other, on the contrary they were friends, but it was a healthy rivalry, especially considering for all of Malich's money, he couldn't keep up with Yazu's intricate knowledge on Magical properties and sciences; along with the guy's gut instincts.

Over the his right, he found the Seek and Destroy twins, a promiscuous duo of beautiful Pegasus mare's known for seducing and gaining valuable knowledge. Being the Vice president of a mega corporation definitely put him on their radar. The only reason he hadn't accepted one of their numerous offers is the uncertainty that they use psychotropic drugs to get the information the two wanted.

A year ago, the two had laid a reasonably wealthy stock broker who'd climbed his way from a lowly street cleaner, to millionaire in a matter of six months. After the special session, it was revealed that he had some one on the inside and knew when to sell and when to buy. He lost it all, his insider was found out and reported for insider trading.

Why they turned the poor sucker in was just as much a mystery as why he told them his secret. He obviously had to be a smart pony, too smart to let his dick lead him astray like that.

He gave them a friendly nod and continued to survey the room. A few construction CEO's were present along with their wives/husbands respectively. There was a Udall, a Jeweler that patronized Triple M. and his husband. -Malich never could get used to homosexual relationships- Mr. Cooled, president of Mac Donald's Enchantments, Ms. Cleo, Vice President of Artsy Academy and so on and so forth.

He spoke with a few, checking on how the families and business were coming. Most gave him fake and cheesy smiles. -by hell he hated that.- But there were a few who shared his look of disinterest or had been genuinely happy to see him. A few tried to put in good words for other, others tried to wiggle their way into the Triple M. ranks.

And then there were the occasional few who asked him about his 'availability'. Yep, it never failed. From some big business head trying to fix him up with his or her daughter to gorgeous models practically throwing themselves at him for his money. It got on his nerves some times really.

Yea, he was like any other guy and liked to sleep around, but each time his partner tried to convince him not to wear protection. It was obvious what they really wanted, and it wasn't his love and affection. Still, it did feel good and was fun he had to admit.

But Malich had is eye set on a mare, a lavender unicorn mare from Equestria to be precise. The student of Celestia. From what he understood: Strong, intelligent, determined and the element of Magic. From what he witnessed: Beautiful, strong willed and rational.

Truly a worthy mate for him to birth intelligent and worth while off spring.

"Good afternoon Malich!" The pony sighed at having his train of thought derailed and looked to find an elder unicorn stallion smiling at him, 
Lord Fatchitaz. Granted the title by none other than his own pretensions and self serving ass.

He was his father's biggest rival and best friend, next to himself of course. "I'm so glad you were able to make it to my daughter's little swarey."

Malich gave a smirk. "Yes, after a contingent of my mercenary agents had been ambushed during a mission in the Vale, I was afraid I wouldn't." He looked around to the party goers conversing polity among each other. "It's a good thing that little issue had gotten sorted out. Say you wouldn't happen to know anything bout it, would you?"

Lord put his hoof to his chin in mock thought, "Sorry to say, I don't think I do."

A bull faced lie, the business pony had taken to keeping a record of all weapons sold from the Triple M. weapons department via hidden number codes. Luckily, the ambushers were nothing more than a common gang, nothing compared to his well trained forces. When the weapons were recovered, it just so happened that most of them were sold under the good Lord's name.

Of course, he'd come to expect it by now. Lord Fatchitaz held a well funded grudge against the pony for failing to take his daughter as his bride.

How was he supposed to? "Ah, well such is the way." Malich shrugged and smiled politely.  'The girl is the epitome of everything I despise! Rude, idiotic, incompetent, not to mention the walrus could probably choke out a black hole if she got to close to one.'

The Lord took a drink from his magically enveloped wine glass. "So I've heard your company has been working on a new weapons project. Do you care to share a little information with an old friend?"

'I've known you for about six months.' "I'm afraid not." The Vice president chided. "The development has zero disclosure. The developers aren't even allowed to leave the building until the patent is in." Not that they would complain, the research lab has a VERY nice leisure area for the workers and their families. Malich's Grandfather was of the belief that: A happy worker is a productive worker.

"Ah, I see." The bankster nodded taking another sip. After a few tense moments passed, and the inevitable finally occurred. He asked about Malich's "Eligibility" -as he called it- and openly offered his daughter up to keep him company in marital union.

"You know." The Lord pushed. "She is quite the luscious young mare." He placed a hoof around Malich's shoulder. "And she has quite a lot to offer."

Really? You're talking about your daughter like that? Yea, she's got a lot to offer alright. And all of it could feed the entire country of Zeborica for a month! Seriously, what on this green earth was he talking about? She was foolish, arrogant, aloof, he'd be hard pressed to find a positive trait about her. She couldn't even fall back on her looks to gain herself a mate. What exactly did she have to "offer" to anyone? Let alone himself.

The earth pony gently shrugged off the foreleg and tried to wind down the convincing into an eventual decline. Though, the more he pushed away from the topic, the harder the unicorn pushed for it. This would result in some kind of financial or physically destructive blow to the company, he knew that was certain.

But there was no way he'd settle for her. Especially when there was a protégé to the most powerful Alicorn in all history, running around the federation just waiting to meet him again.

Finally, after rejecting threat and fortune, the Lord finally sighed in defeat. "It's alright." He smiled knowingly, "you'll come to your senses soon enough." He leaned into Malich's ear, "I guarantee it."

The Triple M. Executive shivered as the bankster trotted away. One thing Lord Fatchitaz was good at was making good on his promises. He'd need to double the guards on all of his caravans and militarized compounds. Despite him holding the best in weapons technology and trained combat specialists, there were other organizations that would love to challenge that title, gaining some money of it would only be an all to welcome bonus.

The party continued on and he mingled as he had, looking to the clock from time to time hoping it would move faster. This party was suppose to go until midnight or so, and it was only ten-o'clock. If the last parties were any indicator, the other guests wouldn't have him leaving before they could. The saying was true, misery does love company.

Still, he grew ever more bored and disinterested. There was only so many times he could hear a higher up talk about their climb to fame while not threatening to slash their throats open with a rusty pudding spork. 'Wow, I'm beginning to think I have issues.'

Eleven finally came around, and the pony took to hiding away in the corner with a bottle of Jack Apples. He wasn't any where near as toasted as he wanted to be, but the evening became more bearable none the less.

'Alright, Eleven O'clock. Finally stretch.'If I can confine myself to this little corner, and keep out of sight, I should be able to-'

"Oh, there you are Malich!"

Malich slammed his head into the table. 'Why? Why is it when I always think I'm safe, life has to prove me wrong? WHY?!' He lifted his head slowly to find the hostess of the party smiling dumbly down at him. 'ugh, she looks even worse from down here.'

"Would you please join everyone else in the main hall? There's a very special announcement about to be made that I think you'll find absolutely wonderful."

'What? That you're going to jump off the balcony and split your fat fucking skull?' Malich made a vague threat under his breath before standing and venturing from the only thing that made this night suffer-able. Begrudgingly, he was escorted tot he crowd and began to look around. The place seemed intact enough, considering who was present. Perhaps the night would go better than expected after all... He just thought optimistically, didn't he?

Still, he thought as he looked about the orderly party, the last time he'd gone anywhere with this pearl clad walrus; her single hoofed dysfunction had: Destroyed a small business pony's chance at a much needed loan proposition, terminated seven well intention-ed security guards, mocked relations between North Equine and Vain, destroyed two hundred Minotaur antique battlements worth millions, and branded he himself, as a potential terrorist of the Minotaur state.

It took him months to smooth things over to the point where he wouldn't be shot on sight of entering the territory. And he didn't even do anything!

The hostess called for the attention over the room. Slowly, the noise of the crowed began to die down and give their attention to the Lady.

"Ladies and Gentle-Citizens of the upper-crust." She gave a snorty giggle. "If I may have your attention please..."

Malich watched as she clinked her spoon on a wine glass a little too hard and cracked it. 'And so it begins...'

Lady Fatchitaz gave a brief speech thanking everyone for attending and paying tribute to herself for throwing such a "extravagant" get together. As she spoke, Malich's eyes darted all around, trying to analyze exactly what was going to go wrong. There was a certain feeling he got when something was going to go wrong, glass shattering, ponies screaming, antique treasures being smashed, the works.

He had that feeling the moment he wine glass cracked.

He couldn't pin point any particular thing. No exposed strained rope, no one doing anything particularly dangerous, no sharp objects conveniently propped up and ready to be flung. But something was going to happen. He looked up to find he was standing directly under a chandelier and quickly moved ten paces to the left. The first time it happened, he made the mistake of losing his cool and losing his threat assessment. The flying piranha tank he took to the face taught him that lesson the hard way.

With his luck, he'd wondered how he'd held such a successful business position for so long.

And suddenly, a burning cake. It was a typical spectical for such an event, but one that Malich did enjoy. The longer the I pastry burned, the sweeter it became.

The cake was rolled in on a silver cart by a griffin confectioner. The crowd began to mumble in delight of the treat, each saying something or another about it. "Ahem." Lady Fatchitaz pouted hitting her glass with the spoon again, the glass cracking more.

'Here we go.' Anticipation filled him. The glass would shatter soon and then it would begin. Though, before it did; the crowd silenced again.

"As I was saying," She barked. "I have a very important announcement to make."

Malich pressed his lips together, his eyes fixed upon the glass in the unicorn's white magical aura. Why wasn't it breaking? How was it not shattered? It was a disastrous web of splintering carnies and cuts! He hardened his stare, as if his eyes would be the beverage holders final undoing. 'Break! Break damn you!'

"I am up her tonight to ask a very special pony to join me in martial wedlock."  She eyed the crowd. "Malich, would you take me to be you're lawfully wedded wife?"

His heart skipped a beat. She wasn't really doing this. 'Tell me that twat isn't trying to put me on the spot like this?'

The crowd around him eyed him for a moment before looking back to the hostess. It started out as harsh whispers, though it eventually escalated into louder gossip and talking about if he'd really accept the offer. Mixed debates about how foolish it would be to reject her, battled with how reasonable it would be if he declined.

"Order please." The Lady asked hitting her glass again.

Malich, for his part, stood with a disbelieving stare. He didn't even notice the wine glass finally shattering, sending it's crimson contents and shattered gloss to the marble floor below.

The mare let a squeak of surprise before grabbing a cloth with in her magical grip and turning to begin cleaning up the mess. This would have been all well and good if her fat rump hadn't slammed into the tray carrying the flame lit caked and sent it on a run away course to collide with a plant covered pillar.

The business pony broke from his stupor due to the audible gasps that emanated from around him. He observed as the flames began to melt the vines on the wall. Wait. Melt? The vines were fake? Fatchitaz gasped again and rushed to the vine, moving the flaming cake away and using her magical grip to pull the decorative piece down and stomp it out.

Once she thought she'd contained the situation, the crowed gasped again and pointed behind her. Her eyes budged as she found that she'd pushed the cart near a bed of roses, some of which caught flame and also, began to melt.

Malich shook his head. The cake, of course, how could he have not seen that. And the plants being fake? That shouldn't have surprised him at all, anything she touches would probably die if it wasn't smart enough to up and leave her. The more she tried to stop the burning of her faux garden, the more things caught on fire due to her lack of foresight. After a full on inferno was building, the other guests finally decided to attempt to help quell the flames.

Finally, after a few pegasi with emergency storm cloud fire extinguishes put out the blunt of it, Lady Fatchitaz, burnt and winded, turned her attention back to her hoped fiancé.  Malich stood impassive. His mind was a mix between relief for the little damaged caused, anger for all the damage it did cause and deadpanned irritation for the question that proceeded it.

Instead of actually giving her a piece of his mind, the stallion simply turned around and deliberately walked out of the main hall and to the stair case that lead to the lobby down stairs.

"So, is that a maybe then?"
> Dissolute Reconcile 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
Dissolute Reconcile



With dinner done eaten and the startling revelation along with it, Soarin's family thanked the Apples for the meal and excused themselves from the property. Considering the embarassing subject matter, Applejack didn't push for them to stay, still in her own shock from the matter.

Macintosh, for his part, was in a shock all his own. Annebelle didn't seem all that bother by the prospect of her brother dating the apple stallion's sister. 

'Well no crap, you and she aren't really in a relationship. So what is there to feel awkward about on her part? Or yours for that matter? She was a mare you danced with and kissed one night. It's not like your married.

Too bad Applejack didn't feel the same.

"Ah can't believe this!" His sister fumed, pacing in the living-room. Mac sitting with a contemplative look on the couch while Granny Smith stared with an amused smile at her granddaughter's dilemma. She herself saw nothing wrong with the situation, personally. It wasn't like she'd never heard of a two brothers dating two sisters before.

Now marraige on the other hand would have been a slippery slope, along with children of course. But her comment at dinner was all in good fun. Young people these days take things way too seriously.

"Ah can't believe it either, chil'." The marshmallow green mare agreed. "Ah swear, y'all young folk git worked up ovah the smallest things. Makin such a show at supper, n' all."

AJ whipped her head around and gave her elder a look, holding it for a few seconds before shaking her head and turning her attention to her brother. "Why didn'ja tell me ya were seein' Soarin's sister?"

"Cause Ah ain't seein' her." Mac replied bluntly. It was true, he hadn't seen her in months. He was actually closer to "seeing" Luna than Annabelle. Much to his chargin. He still had to sort his feelings out on that matter.

Applejack sighed, unable to deny the truth of the matter. "Ah, guess. It's just weird, ya know? Datin' a pony who's sister had a thing with mah brother."

Mac pressed his lips in thought. This might be able to work in his advantage, if he thought about it. He didn't like Soarin, and if he were to be with Annabelle than that would make the relationship between he and his sister awkward. Too awkward for her to continue.

'You get with Annabelle, AJ breaks up with Soarin. Win, win. But, do you think it would work?'

What do you mean?

'Pft, don't give me that, you know exactly what I mean.' The voice waited but sighed with Mac's lack of an internal response. 'Sweet Celestia, you're dense. You don't think this could be seen as you using Annabelle to your own ends?'

Mac scrunched his brow in thought. 

Well, I mean I suppose that it could be seen like that, but wouldn't the fact we had feelings before show that my interest isn't just in separating AJ and Soarin?

The voice paused. 'A good point, but would it be good enough to use if the argument came up? Mac's frown deepened. 'Let's be honest here, do you really think Soarin dating your sister is really because he has an interest in her? I'd be willing to say the answer is no. He's just trying to get back at you for beating his flank back during the Spike incident.

Emerald green eyes shot wide as the revelation dawned on him.

Yea, surprised you didn't figure that one out yourself.

"Are ya even listenin' ta me?"

Mac's attention was drawn from his introspection, he hadn't heard what his sister was saying, but the look on her face made it apparent that he was supposed to. The groan and eye roll after also apparent that she knew he wasn't.

Lasting for only a split second, Mac's eye and mouth contorted themselves into a sneer. He hated eye rolling, always did. It was a sign of both dismissal and disrespect. The only reason he'd tolerate it now was the fact that he knew his sister was just as confused as he was, just much worse at hiding it.

"Chil' yer gettin' all worked up over nothin'." Granny called as rocked back and forth on her favorite chair. "Yer datin' the colt, Mac's not datin' his sister. You got nothin' t' worry 'bout." 

In her sagely wisdom, AJ couldn't argue. It was true, she was making a big deal over nothing. Just allowing her emotions and events of the past to hype up an issue that didn't matter. She took another breath and chuckled at her own silliness before offering Macintosh an apology for her overreaction.

Accepting, the stallion decided that he'd had enough for one day and retired for the evening.

Though the mix of guilt, excitement and confusion in his stomach halted sleep from warping him in it's sweet and blissful embrace. 

So there he sat, his eyes focused on a particularly interesting part of his celing while his mind raged over the events that had transpired from the time he left Ponyville to just a few hours ago. The nights he and Luna had spent  together, Applejack and the way his family had treated him, Annabelle, the night he spent dancing with her and of course, the kiss they shared.

He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he'd betrayed the mare he'd met that night. Yea, they had never really commited to each other, but to say that he didn't have any feelings of connection to her would be a lie.

'Why?'

The voice caused him to cringe, as if he hadn't just explained it in his thoughts.

'I'm just saying it's a little stupid that you feel committed to her all of a sudden is all. I mean, all you did was share a kiss and a dance with her. Not like you went through much of a bonding experience.'

You think I don't know that? You think I'm not confused over all of this? Are you simple?

Woah, calm down there, dutch.'

NO! No, I'm tired of you continually condescending me all the time! Here I am, bucking acknowledging it doesn't make any sense, and you come out pointing out the bucking obvious and down talking my feelings as if I hadn't done it enough. For all the criticizing you've done of my family for the way they treat me, you're really not that much different.

His thoughts hung in the air for a few seconds, than a minute. Mac waited for his inner critic to reply, but still nothing came. After a few minutes of quiet breathing, the voice finally gave its reply.

'You cut me, Mac. You cut me real deep right there.'

Mac gave a small smirk. You saying I'm wrong?

...

Thought so.

'Alright, fine.' The voice replied, taking a breath of its own. 'I'll admit that I've been rather critical of you-

Rather critical?

Alright, really critical. But can you blame me? You're not a dumb pony, Mac. Everything you act like is some big revolation to you after I say it is just a facade. If I know something it's because you already knew it, you just didn't want to admit it.

Mac couldn't argue that, though most of it was true. He didn't want to be too judgmental or rash so he held off on making such acknowledgments for what they were until he was sure about them. Not to mention that he'd been sheltered on the farm and caring for his younger siblings most of his life. Subjects such as romance weren't really a topic his mind had time to wonder to. Who could blame him for being so confused on the matter.

'Because you're not as confused as you think you are.'

Oh yea? And what makes you think that, huh? You think I'm not as confused as I feel? Well I'll be the first to tell ya that you're wrong! I have no idea what to make of these feelings I have. Guilt, fear, remorse, excitement, I don't know what to make of all of them. I've never been exposed to them before or, or had anypony explain them to me. You don't understand them any better than I do, and you know it.

Again, the voice was quiet. Mac knew when his inner critic was right and when it was wrong. A deep gut feeling compelled him to agree when it was, that gut feeling wasn't present for this conversation.

Funny enough was that not a few days ago, the same critique was telling him to abandon his family and chase after Annabelle, now here it was getting on his back for the very same feelings.

Having silenced the critic, Mac closed his eyes once more. Sleep wouldn't be easy or restful, but it was better than laying in bed with his thoughts...





"That went well." Annabelle chirped happily. 

She couldn't believe it, she'd never thought she'd run into the red farm pony again, and his sister is dating her brother no less! Maybe she'd get to see him again! She wouldn't mind visiting, they had a very lovely farm.

"Well? You think that went well?!" Soarin barked as he rubbed his temples, looking over a piece of parchment, bearing the Wonderbolt insignia. The parchment required the flier to report to Luna tomorrow night for a detailed report on the second dragon incident. The first report was directly to Princess Celestia and the day court. He wasn't sure why the lunar princess wanted a personal interview on the matter but he just chalked it up to the universe making his already bad night even worse.

"Coulda gone better." His father agreed. Shuffle looked over some paperwork he'd gotten from Mayor Mare earlier that day. The parchment laid across the small wooden table of the in they stayed held detail on the proper permits and such for setting up another show in the small town... as well as the costs.

"Gotta say, though. I'm kinda disappointed, Soarin. I thought you'd have had the sense to go after Spitfire, at least someone in the Wonderbolts. Not some backwater hick filly."

The light blue pegasus gave his father a look. "Yea, because relations with your boss worked out so well for you, didn't it?"

Shuffle's head snapped to attention so fast that Annabelle was surprised he hadn't snapped his neck. Talking about their mother was a taboo topic among the family and was a quick way to turn any discussion into a brawl. But before the elder stallion could speak, his son continued on with a dismissive wave of his hoof. "Besides, I'm not really interested in dating Applejack seriously."

Annabelle gave a confused look.

"This whole thing is just so I can get back at her brother for humiliating me in front of my team mates."

The expressions between his sister and father were in pure opposition. The former's face contorted into a look of shock and disgust, while the latter had a slight smirk of approval.

"Going after the lad through his family, eh? Not bad." Shuffle complimented.

"Are you bucking kidding me?" The butter milk mare cried. "Yer really gonna mess with a mare's mind like that? Just ta get back at her brother?!" It was one of the most despicable and disgusting things she'd ever heard in her life. She may not have always seen eye to eye with the rest of her family, but this was the first time since birth that she really wished she'd never been related to the two.

Shuffle rolled his eyes. "Oh give it a rest, Anna. This is all because that meathead colt and her interfered in official Equestrian business. They should both be grateful that the worst punishment they receive is a little manipulation instead of jail time like anypony else would have got."

Unable to continue listening to this, Annabelle excused herself from the inn room and slammed the door behind her. She slowly made way out of the building and the town proper, her path leading straight to Sweet Apple Acers.





"You're not gonna stop her?" Shuffle asked, eyeing his son over the parchment he was currently reading.

"No." Soarin replied dismissively. "Mac already knows why I'm doing it, and Applejack won't believe her."

"Ain't she one of them Elements of Harmony used to stop Discord a year or two ago?"

"The element of Honesty," Soarin nodded.

The greying pony quirked a brow. "And you don't think that said element might make her inclined to see that Anna's telling the truth?"

Soarin's eyes drifted to his father, a confident smirk growing across his muzzle. "The love potion I had made up for her already tricked her into thinking my feelings were real, didn't it?"

Shuffle pressed his lips and nodded his head to concede. While he did acknowledge what his son was doing was wrong, what her brother and her had done to him was more than enough for him not to care.

The crown may not have punished them for their acts of assault against his son but that didn't mean that punishment wasn't deserved. And Shuffle would be damned before he became the one to stop it.



> Disturbing Offers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Disturbing Offers



Limping silently from along the streets of Ponyville to the inn, Silvia bit her lower beak, a nice sized bag of bits jingling being the only noise that penetrated the still night air.

The Griffon's legs buckled under her every so often, but she managed to press on. Never in all her time had she experienced the sensations and stimulation she felt in the Rich house. Diamond Tiara, once she tired of her merciless pinata training, retired for the evening. When Silvia met Filthy Rich, she knew seducing him for money was the best course of action. He was clean, handsome and had one hell of a charm to him.

Her plan stretched from a day to three when Diamond Tiara called her out on her bluff. Silvia pretended to be a foalsitter, offering to keep Diamond out of FIlthy's mane for a few hours while the stallion rested for a... night of fun. Mr. Rich didn't even seem hesitant to the idea, instead giving a little flirtatious smile back initially. 

But Daddy's girls are always on the look out for anyone would steal their male figure away. 

Cringing as another sharp jolt of pain shot through a particularly sensitive are, an area Diamond paid extra attention to during her sadistic "games", Silvia cursed under her breath. A mix between pleasure and pain.

Thank Miliki she had a masochistic side to her. Otherwise the torment of the filly, mixed with her father's well endowed three hour session would have probably resulted in her gouging out the stallions eyes half way through. All in all, it wasn't the most emotionally tramatic moment she'd ever face in and of itself; but the fact that such a filly could exist that gave her pause and questioned everything she thought she knew about fillydom.

Eventually finding the inn, she handed over the appropriate fee to a sleepy but polite pegasus mare. The pegasus gave the giffon a key and pointed her down the hall to her room. 

Bursting through the door, the federalist collapsed on the bed and shivered, the bag of coins left forgotten on the floor. She was too tired to eat and too sore to sleep, her mind trying to focus on happy thoughts to dispell this particularly bad day.

Though one thought continually came to mind. One that made her want to hit herself upside the head with the pillow at the head of the bed.

"I wish I'd just joined the winter wrap up..."





Malich sat upon his chair, an uncommon smile of pure delight spread across his face. The reports he'd been getting from Scy on removal of the changling parasites were almost enough to make him forget about the Federal Inquiry. 

Apparently, three of the test subjects had died upon early attempts to eradicate the parasites via chemical means. During injections, the subjects exhibited no signs of duress, aside from the expected of a needle and the pain that accompanied. However, a few minutes after injection, the zebra all began to convulse, each grabbing at their chest with their hooves and screaming about a pain that was gripping at their hearts. 

The reported translations roughly amounted to "My chest is being grabbed and punched." As expected, the changeling parasite had coiled itself around the upper cardio tissue and constricted its body until cardiac arrest set in.

What made Malich smile was that there was finally a substance that gave a reaction to the parasite. Though it caused the host to die, it was a marvelous break through. antibiotics, Magical concussive radiation, Xero Spell, Atrial Cleansing, none of the previous methods worked. The only way to kill the parasite before was direct extraction, and that had a 90% mortality rate.

This new chemical, Essence of the Golden Devil flower, or EGD, was a new weapon. 

If properly used with any number of controlling agents or spells, the changeling larva could be extracted from the host. Some how.

"Mr. Malich." A male voice called. The ashen earth pony looked to find his trustworthy assistant standing in the doorway. His light magenta eyes looking dully at the executive. "You have a visitor, sir."

"Send him in, Radcliff." Malich replied, his tone equally as dull as he observed the pegasus walking away. Pity really, Radcliff was one of the brightest old stallions the executive had ever employed, but his character and conscience made trusting him with his less than reputable affairs a liability.

And there were so many things he would like to ask the pony's advice on.

His train of thought didn't last long as there in the door way stood another pony. This one, however, was quite a bit smaller than the last, almost linx like. A black unicorn mare with a short cropped, well groomed dark orange mane that covered one eye looked at him with an stare that bordered on psychotic with it's focus. Her mark bearing a scalpel and clock upon her flank.

Elsa Heartborn, a pony who's sole passion for dissection and comprehensions had labeled her a sociopath and banished her from every major university and research facility in North New Equine. Her family disowned her after some of her peers inadvertently interrupted an experiment she was in the middle of. The horror they observed was enough that all three of the college students had to be counseled for three weeks after the event. One of them committing suicide half way through. 

Since her crime was exposed to the public, association with Ms. Heartborn was one of the quickest ways to commit PR suicide.

No skin of his muzzle, if the rest of the world didn't want her, he would gladly take her.

"Malich." The unicorn said a little too happily.

He smiled back. "Elsa, good to see you."

Entering like she owned the place, Elsa looked around a little, her smile becoming more and more forced as she took her seat. "You have a very nice office."

The ashen stallion furrowed his brow for a moment before realization set it. "Ms. Heartborn, no need for the formalities, please make yourself comfortable."

And like that, the switch was turned and the mare's attitude shifted one hundred and eighty degrees. The fake smile she bore died with out a trace. Her wide eye became half lidded and dull, and her obviously stressed demeanor slumped into an uneasy relaxation. "Good." She sighed, pulling out a pack of smokes from the brown nap sack on her back and lighting it.

"I said, make yourself at home, not turn my office into your personal ashtrey." Malich snapped. 

Most wouldn't dare speak to this mare in such a fashion. If half the stories he'd heard about her were true, she had little to no objection to preforming some of the most painful acts upon a pony realistically possible. And with her back ground in the medical field, she could prolong the torture as well as make it so that the body couldn't go into a numbing shock, or better yet; pass out.

The look she gave him told of her disdain for authority. Though, unlike he and his brother, Elsa wasn't a being of freedom for the sake of individuals living for themselves. No, she wanted free reign to commit her experiments and observations as she saw fit. Ethics, morality and compassion being foreign concepts to the mare.

She eyed the pony than slowly lifted the front of the cancer stick to her mouth and bit the cherry off before proceeding to swallow it. Her face showing no reaction to the burning in her mouth aside from the movement of her jaw to give passage, and the small sizzle of the char meeting saliva.

"Fine." She replied icily. "So, I'm assuming there's a reason you tracked me down?"

Malich took a breath and pushed what he'd just seen from his mind. He'd met hard ponies in his life, but this mare was definitely something else. "Yes, I've been made aware that you have certain... skills and abilities that I am in need of."

"That right?" Elsa smirked. "And what possible reason could you have to associate with me? You, the vice president of one of the biggest corporations in New Equine and me, a shut out of the medical community."

"I have a proposition for you," he smirked, picking up a manila file titled: Project New Wave and pushing it to the mare. "There's a certain project I want worked on that requires a more... emotionally detached hoof."

The black unicorn picked up the file cautiously, opening it up and reading over the content. Her golden eye growing more and more interested as she looked through the notes. The ashen pony hoped that she'd just read the introduction before addressing him again, but it appeared that the doctor had other plans.

It took nearly ten minutes for her to reach a stopping point half way through the documentation, but upon her fill the mare declined. "No thanks." She declared before standing up and making her way for the door.

"Beg pardon?" Malich asked, genuinely confused that his offer was rejected.

"I have no interest in assisting you in your endeavors." She replied dryly.

She was almost to the door but stopped cold in her tracks. Malich, in a slight panic, asked her if she wasn't interested in continuing her passion for science and medicine. Elsa quickly turned around and withdrew something from her bag. 

Before he knew it, Malich's vision was encompassed by two scalpels levitating mere inches from his eyes. He gulped, keep it together, Malich, keep it together.

"You DARE to insult my passion?!" Elsa decried before moving her hair from her eye to expose a stitch binding it shut. "I have used my own body in my pursuit of understanding anatomy and physiology!"

Malich took another breath. "And here I offer you a chance to learn about a species you've never come into contact with before." He said, forcing a confident smile.

"Indeed." Elsa scoffed, "I've read through your project, dissecting changeling larva is all you offer. Those ants are nothing compared to sweet, soft and pure organic tissues that simply rips and tears when cut. I've come across those disgusting abominations before, and find them of no interest to my talents." She scoffed again, the door opening as her scalpels returned to the bag.

"What if I told you that it wouldn't just be larva that you'd have the chance to dissect and experiment with?"

Again, Elsa paused. "What? You mean an actual changeling? They are not different enough for me to care about."

Malich chuckled. "Oh no, something much bigger than a simple Changeling, my dear."

The still present mare's silence gave Malich all the excuse he needed. 

"What if I told you that before the year was out, you'd be able to have your way with a Queen?"
> Inhibited Anticipations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Inhibited Anticipations




Spike sat in the library, his eyes shifting between the Griffon that sat speaking with the lavender librarian and the almost complete ruby dragon he held, gently stroking the final touches to the fire worms spines.

True to his word, Tyken, had come to the library as soon as it opened, allowing he and Twilight to continue last night's discussion. 

Spike looked up after a particularly healthy laugh. 

"And so I tells the minotaur," the gryph managed between snickers, "'If ya don't feel like ya can cry Fer this scene,  I got the perfect solution'. You should a seen the look on 'is face when meh fist made contact with his neathers. Got an award for his performance Tha night!" He finished, bursting into chuckles. 

Spike merely Smiled as his former care taker tried to maintain a harsh gaze for the deplorable action, "I can't believe you actually did that to somepony!" She stammered, the upturned corners of her mouth betraying her feelings of humor.

The griffon shrugged it off. "Eh, it's what I was paid fer, lass. 'sides, not like he been th' first I've given a good whack to the balls ta motivate a tear jerker."

Spike cringed, his legs tightening around his own sensitivities. 

After a few more words, the conversation slowly died down, the purple drake saw the opportunity and decided to be blunt with his question. "Hey Tyken" He called quietly yet firmly, "you wouldn't happen to be looking for a pony named Sin, would you?"

If there was any doubt left in the dragon, it was gone the second the strangers eyes widened at the name and his neck damn near snapped to eye the reptile. The black and grey beast's eyes, while still maintaining their sense of good humor and kindness now bore a look of shock and curiosity. 

"You know the boy, then?"

Snickering at hearing the stallion refereed to in such a way, Spike affirmed the griffon. "Yea, been traveling around with him for a while."

Tyken's beak turned up in a smile. "Ah, good. I was hoping he would make some friends after he left."

"Wait, so you know Sin?" Twilight interjected.

"Aye," Tyken nodded sagely. "Boyo's grandpa and myself are good friends back home. Good stallion, that Mandylion."

Spike pressed his lips together, here it was. The chance to gain a little knowledge on the enigmatic stallion he'd come to think of as a friend and damn near role model. So many questions were forming in his mind, the first of which he asked. "So why does he always act like he's got a stick up his ass?"

"SPIKE!" Twilight shrieked indignantly, the black and grey Federalist eased her back though, voicing how happy he was that Sin would surround himself with such blunt and forthcoming companions.

Apparently Tyken couldn't tell everything as the oaken libertarian had made it a point to keep most of everyone he trusted silent about himself, but what he could convey was that Sin hadn't had good experiences with others. His time in the Senate had completed his jading process from others, but it mostly started when he'd come across a book that set the pony on the path of freedom that he was on today.

Why Is Life? 

"Now, one thing I must first preface is tha' the Federation isn't in the best of shape." He confessed with sadness in his eyes. "The citizens aren't... as caring about where the country goes as they needed to be."

"What do you you mean?" Twilight asked as she magicked over a few pieces of parchment and a quill, ready to write everything that came out of the griffon's mouth.

Seeing that he was about to be documented, Tyken paused for a moment before reluctantly sighing. "The Federation was supposed to be a Confederation." He started out carefully. "The central power was not supposed to exist as it was the previous Federal government that caused the strife that lead to the Running of the Centaur. Alas, the citizens gave too much credit and responsibility to the politicians and the Senate. It started out small, bills for higher taxation for roads, slightly higher intrusion to citizen's lives, that sort of thing. But soon enough there were greater issues. Domestic violence was one of the biggest and garnered the vote of a federal agency to inspect any 'at risk' couples or herds that could result in anyone being hurt."

Twilight flipped a page and continued scribbling, a lavender aura surrounding even more pages of blank parchment and pulling them to her.

Spike quickly found his inquiry to Sin forgotten as he heard the Tale of how the Federation was born and how it came to its current state. The government had grown exponentially since the initial revolution. What was meant to be a small and limited government with freedom of the informed and stall-word individual being the prime directive; had quickly devolved into a bunch of government bureaucrats owned by the corporate elite micromanaging the lives of the: Ponies, Minotaur, Griffons, Buffalo, Donkies, and Diamond Dogs at large. With little meaningful protest and larger masses hungering for more security and protections.

With that hunger for more protection and security came more laws and regulations. In only seventy years past the revolution, not even two generations, the government had surpassed the previous one in terms of power. The Centaur leaders, Tapio Bearking, his wife, Milikki Bluecloak, and their Sons; Spar Hawk and Disciple observed from their land that history was repeating itself. 

The first revolution came about when the government used the fear of its citizens to manipulate and control them, levying heavy taxation and gearing up for violence against their fellow Confederates. Deciding to stop the madness before it began a new, Tapio called together the seven leaders of each state to the capital of, at the time, New Equine.

The state itself was on the brink of civil war between the south and north. The southerners dealing with the over taxation in their own way by attempted secession from the corrupt and corporatist north. During what would become known as the Founding of the Federation Tapio used what remained of his authority to try and coax the heads of state to allow for a federal Senate to halt any and all tensions and fears that one state could pose to another and unify them under one banner.

It took many days, the unconditional split between North and South New Equine, and three assassination attempts on Tapio's life, but eventually the leaders agreed to the terms of Federal Unity.

"After that, the Federation continued to declined. Not as fast, mind you and not with the fear of their fellow Federalists in different states of attacking them, but the continued apathy of the citizenry and the corruption of our government still leads to our inevitable collapse." Tyken sighed, scratching the balding spot on his head with a talon. "Sorry, went on a rant. What was the question again?"

Spike stood silent for a moment before realizing he was the one addressed and shaking his head. "Why Sin was a stick in the mud?"

"Oh right, well the book I told you about was written during the time before the Founding of the Federation. The book basically stated that the individual was responsible for themselves and had no business controlling others, government was nothing but cohersion and force of violence and that the Federation would fail, no matter how many revolutions or laws were placed into being."

Furrowing his brow, the drake tried to understand why such a book would be written. Sure, the government at the time was bad, but that didn't mean that it couldn't be made better. Everything could be made better with proper knowledge and cooperation. Life had taught him that there was no obstacle that the world couldn't overcome if everypony worked together to beat it. 

"So he doesn't like others because the government is corrupt?" Spike asked, his brow creased in concentration. 

"Eh, kinda." Tyken replied. "Bah, that's enough with all of that. So, you two are his friends, eh? Tell me, has he finally found a mare to give his dear grand dad foals yet?"

Spike's eyes damn near bulged out of his head, and he coughed a few times from the absurdity of the inquiry. Twilight on the other hand looked at the griffon with blushing cheeks.

"Ohhh, so yer the one, then?" Tyken proclaimed with a sly smirk. "Gotta say, it seems fittin', you seem like the quiet and intelligent type the boy with go fer."

At this, Spike pressed his lips together and tried not to laugh. His body bobbed from the small chuckles he tried to contain.

"Wha- No! Nononononono." The flustered mare denied, shaking her head and holding her hooves out. "I've barely talked to him!"

"Oooh, not much of a talker in the bedroom are ya?"

He couldn't hold it back anymore, the drake let out a laugh and clutched his sides as Twilight's already rosy cheeks turned crimson. There were days and then there were good days. This was turning out to be a good day.

"Stop!" Twilight cried in alarm. "I'm not like that, we're not like that!"

To his credit, Tyken held his inquiring gaze for a good few moments before he joined the dragon in righteous laughter. "Oh, I'm sorry lass, but the look on yer face!" He said as he wiped a tear from his eye. It took a few moments but the duo finally calmed down and apologized to the irate mare.

"I'm sorry lass, but after that talk of the Federation, I had to say something to lighten the mood."

Twilight held her scowl before rolling her eyes and huffing in defeat. She'd get him back later, but right now, being upset would just ruin the fun. And the last thing she wanted to do was something that would push Spike out the door.

"So, anyway I'm assuming he doesn't have anybody in mind?" Spike shook his head and the griffon deflated a bit. "That's disappointing to hear."

"Why?" The drake shot back as he sat down and leaned back on the sofa. "We both know he's a stick in the mud."

The Federalist nodded. "Aye, he is. I was just hoping that he came to this country to settle down a bit. The mares from the homeland seem so much friendlier and approachable here. Boy needs someone to make him lighten up a bit."

Spike scoffed. "No kidding. So, you said his Grandpa is still alive? What about his other family?"

"Other family?" Tyken asked, tilting his head.

"Yea, his mom and dad? Does he have any siblings or anything?"

Eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, Tyken shook his head. "Does he have any- Milikki's voluptuous teets lad, don't ya know anything about the boy?"

Taking a moment to think, the drake shook his head. The black and grey hybrid sighed to himself, mumbling under his breath. "Sin still hasn't talked about anything? Anything at all?"

"All I know is that he was a senator and he studied how to survive in the wilds under you."

"Hmph, boy hasn't changed at all. Speaking of which, I'd better go check on him." He said as he looked at the clock. "Oh Tapio, is that the time? Sorry friends, I've got to go fer the day."

"Hey, wait!" The young dragon stood up and followed the Federalist. "What do you mean you have to go check on him?"

Tyken stopped and placed a claw upon the dragons shoulder, informing him that Sin was fine and that he just needed to go make sure that he wasn't getting into trouble. Had the drake not known any better, he'd have sworn the griffon was actually Sins father. Quick enough, Tyken exited the building with the promise of a future visit, hopefully one with the topic of their conversation in tow.

Spike shook his head as the door closed then his eyes drifted to twilight. The two stood in a pregnant pause for almost a full minute before the hatchling finally said with a sigh. "Guess it doesn't matter how big you get, your guardians will always wanna look after you." He looked up to see Twilight smiling at him, one that he couldn't help but mirror.




Earlier that morning




A slight shift to his right roused Big Mac from his slumber. He creaked an eye open to find that the the brown dresser on the other side of the room was still black and lacked any sunlight, too early for him to be up. He began to drift back to sleep before he felt another shift in his bed and a small spike of ice through his spine to accompany it.

Somepony was in bed with him.

At first he dismissed it as being his younger sister probably crawling in after a bad dream. Though, when he opened his eye again to look down, the color of the mane told him that he was dead wrong.

Slowly, and with a creeping feeling of panic, Mac awoke rapidly but kept his calm in the bed. The pony, whoever it was, had their back to him with their lower half under the covers. He couldn't quite make out many details in the dark, but one thing he did know was that whoever this was didn't belong here.

He debated for a moment if he should handle it, before the body turned over and Mac's breath caught in his throat. 

"Annabelle?" He asked, the spike of ice in his spine growing ten fold. What was a mare doing in his bed? What was this mare doing in his bed?

'Oh wow, a mare who you have an attraction towards and has an attractions towards you sneaks into your room in the dead of night and crawls into bed with you and is now sound asleep. Gee, it's a complete bucking mystery to what her intentions could be.

Dismissing the voice in his head, Mac prodded the sleeping mare, gently coaxing her into consciousness. "Annabelle, hey Annabelle." 

With a soft and gentle whimper, the mare stirred and slowly raised her head to look at him. "Macintosh?" She asked with a yawn. The inhalation of air took a sudden gasp as realization dawned on the mare about where she was. Her golden eyes looked around the room for a moment before landing on Macintosh, who was now standing at the side of the bed.

Their green emeraled eyes looked for a moment before the buttermilk earth pony exhaled slowly. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Mac scoffed. "Ah wasn't scared," he fibbed, "jest wonderin' why yer in mah bed."

Annabelle's smile drooped to a pout. "Any reason you don't want me in you bed?" She teased.

Mac opened his mouth to reply until the second implication set in on him and he froze.

'Mac, don't you dare freeze up on me here. Mac say something, say something dammit! Oh come on! Luna was way worse tha- Oh buck.'

Too little too late did the voice silence itself before Mac's feelings stirred once again. Conflict, guilt, betrayal. The waking up next to her had shocked all those emotions out of him seeing her initially, now here they were showing their ugly heads again.

"Didn't think so." Annabelle chirped. Mac pushed down the emotions as quickly as they came and smirked at the mare's playful quip before again asking for her reason for coming.

Her playful demeanor, too, had fallen at that point. "Big Macintosh," she started, her left fetlock fidgeting nervously with his blanket while her eyes looked down in stressed sadness. "I don't know how to tell you this, but, umm."

Oh sweet Celestia, she's about to confess her love to you!" Mac gasped, he knew on a deep level that there was something between them, but it should be cultivated a bit more before such a confession is made. 

"My brother, he- he's only datin' Applejack tah get back a'cha."

...

'Ah, well that... happened apparently. What a let down.'

"Ah know." Mac said, his massive form sitting back down on the bed with his back towards the mare and his shoulders slumped. "Ah know he is."

The buttermilk earth pony slowly crawled over the sheets and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Have you told her?"

"What's the point?" Mac replied looking over his shoulder at her. "If Ah tell her, she'll just see it as me tryin' to break em up cause ah'm bitter."

There was no argument for that, and Annabelle knew it. She had heard what Soarin had done to Macintosh and why, while she did love her Wonderbolt brother, she was also very angry with him. The story he told said that Mac was interfering for the sake of interfering and to her, the apple farmer didn't seem like that kind of stallion. But this wasn't the time for that, she'd get his side of the story after they'd figured out what to do for Applejack.

"What if I tell her?" 

Mac's brow creased and he looked over his shoulder again. "I can tell her, she may not believe you, but she has no reason not to believe me."

"Wouldn' work." Mac replied. "She knows that there was something 'tween us n' she'll use that as the reason you're doing it."

Annabelle's ear flicked forward and her eyebrow raised. "Was?" She asked innocently.

Shrugging the stallion replied with the fact he hadn't seen her in months. He'd been traveling and didn't know where she'd been or what her intentions were, so he just assumed that she'd moved on after that night.

Little did he know that she hadn't. Despite being a Carni, and the stereo-types that go with it, Annabelle wasn't some loose floozy that slept with any mare or stallion that presented themselves, she was a romantic at heart. She'd received countless tokens of affection from many a stallion and mare, but rejected them due to their personalities being so extroverted. She preferred the shy, strong and silent type. The last kind of pony that would every come to a carnival. 

Well, that's the explanation she gave, anyways. Really, she just didn't trust the potential suitors that came to her. Carnivals were a notorious place for bad things to happen. Bad things that she had witnessed and almost experienced. The biggest misconceptions was that it was stallions doing it to mares, but mares were actually the worst offenders from what she'd seen. Something about Macintosh just told her that she could trust him. Yes he was her "type" as she put it, but there was something more. A warmer feeling.

"Macintosh." The buttermilk pony croaked. "I still remember that night, you know." She said as she turned his body to face her. "The dance, the haunted house, the rides and... the kiss we shared."

She felt his body tense and his fetlock pinch into the bed. "I was really hoping to see you at the next show." She admitted in a sad voice. "hoping you'd be like on of my admirers and follow the carnival around for a while, but I never saw you. It... it made me sad, thinking I'd never see you again."

Mac's breath caught in his throat and he pressed his lips together, wanting desperately to say the same in return but he couldn't. The memories of Luna and their time together pushed themselves to the front of his mind now and he didn't want to hurt Annabelle by admitting what he'd done.

He wouldn't lie, but he would say what he felt in his heart. "I'm happy to see you too." The applepony smiled and placed his hoof over hers. They sat like that for a moment before another question popped into Mac's mind. "So, why did ya go ta sleep in mah bed instead of waking me up?"

The mare blushed and resumed to fidgeting with the blanket. "I wanted to, but... ya looked so peaceful asleep n' I wanted to sleep next to you."

Unable to find fault with her logic, and though conflicted, happy with her decision; Mac smiled and nuzzled his snout against hers before a creak from next door and some footsteps gave him pause. "You'd better go soon, don't want anypony findin' ya hear n' tellin' Soarin er yer brother n' pa 'bout it."

With a look of both disappointment and annoyance, Annabelle gave a huff and stood from the bed, making her way to the window. "I'll be back." She said as Mac followed her over.

"Ah look forward to it."

She slowly opened the window, letting a cool breeze enter the room. "And next time," she said, turning suddenly and planting a gentle kiss upon the stallion's lips, "I'll be staying a bit longer."

Mac watched with a smile as the mare made her way out the window, gently using her acrobatic skills to fall silently on the porch roof and jump to the apple tree adjacent to the house. She slid down one of the branches to the ground and crept to the walkway that lead back to town giving one last look back to Mac before sauntering off into the darkness.
> Student & Master
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
"So, let me get this straight." Spike said, his brow narrowed in thought. Annabelle is Soarin's brother, and you have the hots for her while AJ has the hots for him." Macintosh nodded. "and you," he gestured to the buttermilk earth pony, "have confirmed that your brother doesn't have a genuine interest in Applejack and only wants to use her to get back at Mac. You both know this, want to tell her but don't think she'll listen?"

"Yes." Annabelle replied with a sigh of defeat. "It's a delicate situation that could end up with her being hurt very badly."

The drake put a claw to his chin and stroked it solomly. He could see the problem, even if both of these two went to tell her, she'd only see it as Mac holding a grudge and using Soarin's sister to do so. That's when a thought occurred to him. "Maybe you two should talk with Pinkie Pie. She and AJ are close, maybe she can help."

"Who's that?" Annabelle asked.

Spike smirked. "Somepony who doesn't give a feather about delicate situations."

Her frown deepening, Anna retorted that involving said mare would be the last thing that they would want to do. Though, Spike's thought pattern on the matter was more along the lines of exposing the truth as quickly as possible vs exposing it with tact. In his experience it was the better way to go.

"But honestly, I wouldn't do much of anything right now."

"What?" Both earth ponies said in unison.

"Well think about it. Soarin is just trying to get to Mac, right? So, if you two sit around stewing about out and getting all worked up, he wins." Spike replied bluntly. "AJ is going to get hurt, no matter what you do now. It's sad to hear, but that's the truth of the matter."

Grinding his teeth, Mac resigned himself to sit back on the lavender sofa. He didn't like it, but his friend was right. AJ put herself in a situation, and she'd have to face the consequences. It still didn't sit right with him though, it wasn't like her or any of the Apple family to so quickly and willingly forgive somepony who'd wronged their kin.

Annabelle let out a low groan and took a sip of coffee the drake had provided. 

Twilight had left for the day to accompany Rarity and Fluttershy to the spa. Chuckling inwardly, the dragon couldn't help but feel some comfort in having a sense of normalcy back. Even if he did want it to end and go out on his own again.

"So, whado we do?" Mac asked.

Spike rolled his eyes and exhaled harshly. "C'mon Mac, are you serious right now?" He deadpanned, rolling back the snark when anger appeared in the red pony's eyes. "You've been talking about seeing this mare again since we left Hooftrot, now here she is stuck in your lap and you don't know what to do with her?"

Mac's eyes shot wide and his already crimson face somehow reddened farther. He loved Spike like a brother, but sometimes he just wanted to smack the boy upside the head.

"Oh my." Annabelle giggled. "Didn't realize that I was that important to you."

Mac wanted to reply right away, but found that he didn't know what to say. Fact of the matter was that the mare before him still initiated feelings of guilt for what happened between himself and Luna. That was enough to make him hesitant, let alone the fact he knew little to nothing about relationships and was a soft spoken introvert with mare issues due to how his family had treated him.

"Macintosh?"  He looked up to find the mare looking at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn' mean to upset you."

Spike humphed and waved his claw dismissively. "He's fine, Mac likes to think alot. Don't worry about it." He turned his head to look out the window and find the sun still high over head. "Still pretty early, I'm sure you guys could find something to do. Maybe head over to the business district and find someplace nice to eat."

Mac thought the idea over and agreed. He did want to spend time with Annabelle, regardless of how he currently felt. It would hurt, but if he confessed what happened and why he felt so much guilt over it, maybe he'd feel better if she forgave him.

The two were about to excuse themselves but Spike held Mac back for a private word.

"You alright, dude?" Spike inquired.

Mac nodded in reply. He'd never told anypony about his feelings towards Luna. He didn't want them worrying about it, besides it was his business and his issue to deal with.

"Alright. Hey," the drake reached into a draw in the side table and pulled out a bag of bits. He carefully plopped a few into his hand and gave them to Mac. "Still had a bit in savings after that Griffin fiasco. Consider this my apology."

"Apology?" Mac asked, his head cocked to the side.

"Well talk about it later. Now get going, don't want to keep your date waiting." Spike smirked knowingly before Mac offered his own smile of appreciation and walked out the door.





Sighing to himself, Sin gently rubbed the bit of gauze around his neck and looked at the bandages around his leg. He didn't expect to wake up again, he expected the wolves to follow him and finish him off after they'd rebuilt their moral. Yet here he was, his wounds tended to and a few canteens of water more than when he left no less.

Star Shade wasn't anywhere in sight now, Sin began to worry about the lunar pegasus. Not so much for the stallion himself, but for those around him. And those two lion looking things he had when he left.

Sin took a long drink of water than looked over to the collection of white rocks and shuddered. He knew what those rocks meant. His master had found him, and in such a pitiful state no less. The burning of tearing flesh and freezing of terror was nothing compared to the empty feeling of shame he felt.

The coming conversation was going to suck in more ways than the oaken stallion wanted to admit. 

He hated when others pitied him, especially those who he looked up to. Though, it was bound to happen considering the way he'd left things last time he and Tyken had spoken.

Sin heard a swallows whistle from the trees in front of him and whistled in return, his grip on the new crossbow now relaxing. Sure and soon enough, a big, bulging and ugly as sin Griffon walked though the brush. He was still as tall and proud as the stallion remembered, though the grey feathers were a new touch.

"Ya look like shite, boyo." He called monotonously. 

Sin chuckled. He couldn't help it, he hadn't seen Tyken in damn near three years and left with words of anger between them, yet he wakes up to his old master saying the very first he'd spoken to him when they'd met.

Finally able to calm himself, and feeling a little better Sin decided to indulge the nostalgia. "Yea, and you look like an oversize falcon rat." The two shared another small snicker. "So, how's Philena doing?"

"She's been fine. Had a visit from Cherib and her hatchlings 'for I came. She be in good spirits."

"Good to hear." Sin replied, his smile dwindling as the time for small talk came to its end. "How'd you find me?"

Tyken recalled a meeting with Captain Demos. Apparently the Triple M Corporation took the battle between theGonshinian and the Judgement as an act of war. The Gonshinian has been under constant assault from Triple M agents. Nothing major like sending another Titan Class airship after them, but small little jolts and jabs that keep the crew constantly on edge.

While the Bloody Sky Captains had sought out refuge in the Highscore Mountains, The Griffin and his family gave Demos and his crew a secure place to rest as well as plenty of food and drink.

Tyken pulled out a news paper and gave it to Sin to read. Sin's eyebrows shot up as he read the title. "Sky Pirates destroy Triple M. Aviation." A picture of the Gonshinian flying on the front page with the Judgement falling to the ground with smoke puffing from its rear end. He read the first few paragraphs of the article.

 "It was another peaceful day in Equestria's Trottingham. At least until a behemoth class red and black Airship at least 200 feet in length loomed overhead. Followed by another ship, slightly smaller. The residents of Trottingham quickly stampeded home from the city, seeking refuge from the battle. Six were killed in the initial scramble, and dozens more wounded. 

The Equestrians watched with awe and terror as the crews of the two foreign air ships collided in a mid air battle over the city. Bodies fell, casualties were taken in the unknown fight between the two. A few witnesses claimed that the Judgement's Captain demanded the surrender of the Gonshinian prior to the attack, others claim that the Gonshinian opened fire first."

Sin blew dismissively and skipped down to the final paragraph.

The question that must be asked from all of this is if the Triple M. Corporation, the entity that failed to stop a changeling infested troop of Zeboricans from touching down in Orval in what's become known as the Sigma III Scandal, who has now lost one of their most prized air ships to a group of rag-tag pirates, is really the corporate entity we should rely on for national security.?

He looked at the name of the already dead author and pay his respects, his father didn't take critiques very well. Though, no name could be found, only the letter Z.

"Pretty big guts to print this story." He sighed, knowing that the publisher and the entire firm were probably already dead.

Tyken nodded solemnly. "Aye, the building went up in flames. Claimed it was a malfunction of the printing press."

Shaking his head, Sin placed the news paper in his bag for later inquiry. Sigma III sounded like an interesting story, considering how much pride Malich took in the efficiency of the blockade around the country.

"So, I guess that brings up the next subject, why are you here?" 

Scratching his crest, Tyken replied, "I came tah ask ya to come back to the Federation."

"Thought as much. Hate to disappoint you, but I can't go back, and I have not interest in returning if I could."

"You know they've napped Windmane, Aye?"

The stallion let out a sigh. He knew this was coming. "Windmane knew that becoming friends with me was a bad idea. I warned him of my plans to challenge the Citizen's gods of Apathy, Fear and Dogma, the very thing that leave's the corporate elite's control of the government unimpeaded by the populace. Windman knew to leave well enough alone."

"Aye, just as ya did Zell?"

Sin's neck twitched a little, but he remained calm. "I told him to leave Unitas the moment that I came into the Senate. I knew that my father would try to use my friends as a means to sway me into his political gains. I offered him plenty of money to start a new life somewhere else, but he refused. His death was not my fault."

"BULL CRAP IT'S NOT!" Tyken shot back, causing Sin to flinch. "That unicorn was nothin' but short a yer brother, he left into the mountains tah find ya n' bring ya back after he heard I abandoned you there. If it weren't for him, you'd be dead and ya know it!"

Clamping his jaw, the former federalist's nostrils flared and for the first time in a long time; his ear twitched in annoyance. "I went to challenge the status quo of the Senate. The gods of Apathy, Fear and Dogmatism. Zell's sacrifice was to show that my opinion would not be swayed by violence an-"

"Zell shouldn't have been sacrificed at all!" The griffin bellowed in frustration.

And that's when Sin heard something deep within his mind snap and every last bit of patience he had suddenly abandon him.

"AND WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!? Huh? Become the political puppet that I'd set out to eliminate from the Senate!? Submit to my father's political agenda and do his biding while disregarding every thing you and my grandfather had taught me?! WELL FUCK THAT! I did what I thought was right! I stood against Gemini and his plans. Something no other Senator would do besides Windmane! I knew there'd be sacrifice, Zell knew it too but instead of being smart and going into hiding, he decided he was going to be a big bucking hero and martyr himself to show that he wasn't afraid, HOW IS THAT MY FAULT!?

Smack!

Sin's face was now looking right, his left cheek burning profusely with small and warm droplets dripping down his cheek. He sat for a moment, looking at the ground. There was silence around him and all that could be heard was his and Tyken's labored breathing.

After a few moments of a blank mind, Sin's senses slowly came back to him. He wanted to be angry and beat the crap out of Tyken, he wanted to exact vengeance for the breaking of the Non-Aggression Principal, he wanted to show that what his master had done was by no means acceptable...

Except it was, and deep down, the stallion knew from the crushing guilt he'd been repressing since he'd heard the news of his friend's death that he deserved it.

"What happened to you?" Tyken whispered softly. "What happened to the colt I knew who'd helped that rabbit free itself before the wolf ate it? When did he become this apathetic ta the suffering of others?"

The stallion spit out some metallic tasting blood from his mouth before turning his head to face his old friend. His face was neutral and steadfast as were the words that came out of his mouth. "When he challenged the gods, Tyken." He blinked away a tear at the corner of his eye and sniffled. "When he challenged the gods and lost."
> Suppression and Ramifications
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






suppression and ramifications







"Spike? Hey Spike." The aforementioned lifted his head from his hand with a groan, his arm propped up on the purple chair's armrest. 

Rubbing his eyes, he saw his lavander care taker looking at him with an almost frantic look in her eye. "What- what's goin' on?"

Coughing to calm herself as well as clear her throat, Twilight looked left, the her uneasiness increasing tenfold. It wasn't hard to figure out why, two golden clad celestial ponies stood with their trademark look of indifference.

Awake and now much more aware. Spike looked at Twilight with his eyes wide and his pupils and retina's the size of pinpricks. "Twilight, what's going on?"

"We've come to take you to the Mayor." The leader of the guards replied, his voice authoritative. He produced a scroll and handed it for the dragon to read. "You're being summoned to the Mayor's office for the offenses of: one count Disturbing the peace, charges initiated by Mayor Mare and twelve counts of destruction of property, charges initiated by: Carrot Top, Roseluck, Daisy, Muffin Clover, and a few others," the stallion informed. "Plus 45 counts of un-aggrivated assault upon the Diamond Dogs, charges initiated by Fido. But those shall be handled in Canterlot by her Majesty."

Spike's stomach dropped as he processed the information. He knew that this was coming but knowing didn't make it any easier.

Stepping between the two, Twilight demanded to know why this summons hadn't come earlier. The guard informed her that the mayor was afraid that the drake was unstable, that he might turn back into the rampaging dragon if not give time to de-stress. She had felt that enough time had passed that she could call the young dragon to account for all of the carnage he'd caused.

Twilight bit her lip. She wanted to rebuke but couldn't find the words. There was no way Spike was going to walk away from his misgivings this time. He may have not been himself when he'd attacked Ponyville, but he was very much in control when he'd gone to the Diamond Dog mines.

Spike quelled anymore debate Twilight might insite with a gentle claw upon her shoulder. "Don't." He stated before giving her a soft smile. "I knew this was coming for a while, Twi. It's time I owned up to what I did."

Giving her former assistant a pleading look, she reserved herself to hugging him and gently sobbing into his shoulder. Spike knew that he should say something to make her feel better but it would only be empty words. What he did was serious. He knew what he had done was wrong but that wasn't enough. He'd hurt others for nothing more than their bruising of his pride and ego.

Giving her one last squeeze, Spike removed himself from the mare and sauntered over to the guards where he'd be escorted to the Mayor and then to Canterlot. If he was stuck in Ponyville jail, at least the corrections officers would be better mannered than they were a few months ago.

He gave one last look as the golden clad stallion's walked through the library door, his eyes threatening to loose tears and parting with four simple words. "I love you, Twilight."








Tired, irritated, in pain and now with emotional weight, Sin stared up at Tyken. The griffin's face just as neutral as his own, betrayed only by the same phantom of sadness he himself had.

Why is Life had taught him so much. It helped forge him into the stallion he is today. The author wrote about the citizens and government. About how the government was nothing but the complacency of the citizenry. It was the very embodiment of fear and the responsibilities that the average individual was not willing to take on.

And once it was given life, it quickly became its own entity. Feeding off of the gods that most everything sapient worshiped: Apathy, Fear and Dogma. The first being that which Sin hated most. Citizens not caring about issues that affected them so absolutely and intricately that a single group could destroy their very livelihoods with a flick of a pen. Of course, it wasn't with out Dogma that the order of that pen strike was carried out. No matter how brutal, how foolish, or how utterly repulsive the order was. Lastly, Fear to hold decent at bay by intiating terror of both government force and the unknown.

All of these made up the true god: Complacency. Fear to enforce the Dogma and discourage to Apathy.

Oh yes, there were things to really fear in the world, but these issues cannot be fixed by government nor the blissful ignorance and lies it offers. The protection it gives is just as likely to be turned into a weapon against the sheltered. History has proven this all too well.

"Sin." Tyken whispered, the world darkening as grey clouds collected overhead. "It happened. We've all taken on challenges we couldn't win and failed." He said sagely.

Sin's muscles in his front fetlocks tensed up. He hated the concept that he could fail or be wrong. Just the thought made him taste bile in the back of his throat. It wasn't that he thought himself so amazing that he couldn't fail, but that he could never allow himself to. Failure was for failures, not for intelligent ponies such as himself. He was better than that.

"But," Tyken continued, "instead of accepting the failure as it was, you've held onto it and made a grudge against the world with it."

Straining to keep his dwindeling temper in check, the former Senator bared his teeth. "Yea, I did. And you know what? From where I stand, I have every right to. One being, no matter the race, doesn't make a government work. It requires the complacency of those it influences. And for all the bitching and bickering of the citizens of Northwood, Glendive, Unitas, and every other city and town I'd visited that complain about their political overlords, they've demonstrated little action. I go in to try to solve their problems, give them the chance to make the change they claim to want. And what do they do? They condemned me." 

Tyken pressed his beak tightly, Sin took a bitter bit of smugness in the victory. He knew the griffin couldn't reply to that because he was right on every single account. The citizens of North New Equine were all bark and no bite.

Allowing a calming sigh of defeat, Tyken admitted that his apprentice's grudge was indeed well founded. Though, he also pressed that the grudge did nothing to help no hinder the citizenry, it only hurt the stallion himself.

"True enough," he shrugged dismissively, reminding his friend that it was his choice to make in the end.

And that's when it happened, something that made every single muscle in Sin's body tighten at once. The conversation was taken from the abstract and general and placed upon the one thing he dreaded speaking about... Himself.

"Alright then, let's change the topic. Tell me, Sinbad: Have you found direction fer yerself yet?" Tyken asked snidely, his patience running thin. "Have you figured out what ya wanna accomplish?"

Sin quirked a brow. "Accomplish?"

Nodding the hybrid replied in asking about what the young stallion was actually doing with his time. Sin made a quip about his freeing of innocent ponies, though Tyken countered with the fact that the oaken pony hadn't pursued that endeavor since his trial a few weeks ago.

"Yea, I had made an agreement to assist Celestia in events where my assistance would be required."

"Fine." The griffin replied. "But was that the reason you came to Equestria? Ta free innocent stallion n' mares from wrongful imprisonment? And is that what you intend to do moving forward?"

Furrowing his brow, the pony replied shakily that he planned on continuing his work in trying to spread liberty by speaking to crowds and exposing economic fallacies and incongruities in state run central planning. Though, Tyken wasn't buying it and rephrased that he wanted to know what the stallion planned to do with he himself, not the ideas he was going to preach and chase.

Sin smirked and opened his mouth to speak but stopped before a word could leave his mouth. His brow furrowed and he reached deep into the recesses of his mind to give the explanation that was requested. More to himself than his former master. 

"Were ya plannin' on settlin' down somewhere? Maybe plannin' on startin' a family?"

Again, the former senator's quick tongue failed him. No matter how he phrased the question to himself; the answer wouldn't come to him. Fact was that he'd never given much thought to his future personally. Yea, he'd planned for events or furthered his knowledge in both psychology and group think, but not himself. Hell, that's how he defined himself. In his mind's eye, he was the survivalist pony who spread liberty and individualism where he went; that and his past. Trying to expand on that set the gears in his brain into a grind.

Seeing the familiar look of unknowing frustration on his pupils' face, Taken took the opportunity to press his advantage and use this to break through the stallions defenses. "You've got that look again." The pony looked up. "That look you have when you get angry at yerself fer not knowing something ya think you should know."

Sin's neck twitched, his frustrations growing. He didn't know, how could he not know? This was his life, Tapio dammit and for all of his talk about an individuals right to their own life, he hadn't really been living it. 

'You, living life? HA! That's a laugh. Come now, surely you can reply to something this abomination is saying.'

Don't call him an abomination! 

'What? Since when did you really care about others? Huh? You know damn well that if it came down to his life or you being manipulated, you'd drop him like a rock.'

Is that right?

'Yes, just like you've abandoned Zell to die and abandoned Windmane to whatever Malich is doing to him now. The former of which spent a good three weeks out in the woods looking for you, risking life and a frost bitten limb to help you, while the latter was the only one who stood beside you as you challenged Apathy, Fear and Dogma. They were there for you when you needed them but where were you for them, huh?'

I already fucking explained my stance on that!

'Exactly. You don't care about anyone but yourself, no matter the sacrifices they've made for you. So why do you pretend to care about Tyken?'

"Boyo?"

His inner debate interrupted, Sin looked up with a defiant look on his face, contrasted heavily by the concern on his master's. "What's wrong?"

Sin bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't want to think about this, he didn't want Tyken here, he didn't want his inner critic getting on his case right now. He was flustered, his mind and logic was failing him. He couldn't think, he couldn't focus, all the emotional guilt and shame he'd pushed down and rationalized was bubbling now. "I'm fine, just hadn't given it a lot of thought." Sin answered reluctantly.

Nodding, Tyken sat down by the pony breathed a patient sigh. "Ya know, boyo. I think you've played the bitter loner long enough, now." Sin scoffed and shook his head. "Don't wave me off there, I'm being serious. Let me ask ya this then, what has acting this way gotten you?"

"A small lashed hut in the middle of a Milikki forsaken forest where I'm free to do whatever I please." Sin deadpanned. He didn't want to think about this. He knew where it was going and he wasn't sure he could handle the emotional frustration of it right now.

Clicking his beak, Tyken looked around, observing the camp. While he smiled internally at the obvious and healthy conflict he'd finally made the stallion he cared about indulge, his outward expression was neutral with a faint hint of disappointment. "Ya, you've got yer freedom, n' nothin' ta show for it."

That was it, Sin stood on shakey legs and began walking away. He couldn't do this with a level head. He was getting angry, at Tyken, at the Senate, at Zell and most of all himself. He knew the game Tyken was playing and he knew he'd loose. He wanted to be alone, he needed to be alone. 

"Where do ya think yer goin'?" He heard from behind. Sin didn't reply, what was he supposed to say? This was what he wanted out of life? To live in the middle of a hole in the woods surrounded by dangerous beings that ranged from giant killer mammals made of constellations to acid covered plant roots?

He felt a claw on his shoulder and shrugged it off, only for it to come back a bit more firmly. His temper flared again and Sin smacked the offending apendage away. "Don't fucking touch me!" He barked, causing the griffin to step back.

No, what he needed to do now was to unwind and let his mind go blank for a while.
> Exposition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Exposition



Mac and Annabelle walked in an awkward silence through the Market district. The sun was now covered by a thick layer of clouds, curtisy of the Ponyville weather team. The mare had tried to make light conversation a couple of times, asking about Macintosh's family but fell flat with the apple farmers less than elaborative responses.

He wasn't really interested in talking about his family at the moment. The only one he wasn't angry at was his younger sister, and Celestia knew what she was up to.

Finally having enough of the dead end stallion, Annabelle stood infront of him. "Mac, why aren't you talking to me?" 

Sighing, Mac answered, "sorry, jest thinkin'."

"About?"

About how I slept with another mare three times kinda against my will, cheated on you even though we were never together, how my sister is probably getting rutted by a stallion who'd broke my ribs, and how my grandma hates me.

"Stuff."

'Oh, Macintosh, what a poet you are.' His inner voice mocked. 'So, you going to tell the truth? Or are you just going to keep playing this 'Oh I'm such a tortured soul' game? She's going to get tired of it eventually you know.'

Macintosh didn't reply. What was he supposed to say? He knew, and he knew the inner voice knew he knew.

I know, it's just hard, okay?

'Hard, yes. But which will be harder? Continuing this torture or just getting the truth out of the way?'

And what if she doesn't want anything to do with me after this?

'Hate to sound cliche as Tartarus, but it wasn't meant to be. Best get it out of the way now and quit wasting both your and her time.'

"Stuff?" The mare replied flatly. Sensing her patience running thin, the apple farmer took a long deep breath and steeled himself for the explanation to come. He lead her to a stall to grab a quick berry pop and sat down in the park, spilling everything that was bothering him. What he meant to be a well thought out and guilt emoted explanation started off as more of an awkward and stuttering ramble.

"A-a-after left you... uh, went to Canterlot and... uh, friend set up, Shade made babies... Rutted Luna and FAMILY HATES ME!" He bellowed, his nervousness causing his voice to raise the more he talked.

"Woah, woah, easy there." Annabelle said soothingly, placing a calming hoof on his shoulder, making the stallion shutter. "Alright, start from the beginning."

And so he recalled the night from Hooftrot and how he came across the Dragon: Golvec. He had a little trouble remembering exactly what happened after that in detail. So he just mentioned that Princess Luna had come to save he and his friends after the four failed to bring the Wyvern down. After that, Luna had treated their wounds and informed them that one of their friends was to be put on trial for acts against the Lunar monarch.

After a few weeks treck, meeting a caravan of griffins, being abandon for a few days in the Black Lagoon Forest by Sin and Shade, him being caught in said Black Lagoon and Shade, Spike and Sin rescuing him from it, and reuniting with the other stallions, they finally made it to the capital. 

Once present Shade's trial was exposed as a lie and Sin's trial was being set. Once that was done was when Luna had... taken him for his first time. He didn't go into graphic detail but did make it known that his participation was initially reluctant. Though, some gentle coaxing had lead to him accepting her advances and ultimately their copulation. 

He took a nervous shudder and looked at the mare's face. Annabelle didn't look angry or disgusted with his actions or the actions taken against him. Matter of fact, she looked more sympathetic and concerned. What she said next made him feel even more confused. "Your friends just let you be taken like that?"

"Eyup." Mac replied with a depressed slump in his shoulders. He still couldn't believe it to this day that Sin and Spike didn't try to stop her. Made only worse when he'd found out that she was having sex with him for the sole purpose of getting pregnant.

At this, Annabelle's curious start took on a darker and more menacing tone. "She did that just to- Are you bucking serious? I can't believe she'd do that! Why I have half a mind to go to Canterlot right now and-"

The rest of Annabelle's threat was lost on the red stallion as he stood in shock. She wasn't mad at him? she wasn't mad at him at all? No, her anger was directed at Luna. Mac couldn't believe it, somepony was actually on his side on this. She wasn't dismissive about his shame, nor was she angry for his acts of sex. Finally, finally somepony who understood him.

And for the first time since the kiss they'd shared, Macintosh looked upon the mare with no shame nor guilt as relief flooded his mind. 






Seething with rage, Malich violently tossed the news paper from his person, knocking over a pen holder and a few knick knacks from his desk to clatter onto the wooden floor below. His jaw ached something fierce from grinding his teeth throughout reading the head line story.

Fatchitaz and Islander Marriage, to be Continued?

The press had wasted little time in reporting on the events at Centaur Palace. His public image was held in comedy for the public proposal of the walrus and her antics that nearly burnt down the building. The papers said he was "so overwhelmed by the proposal" that he could not reply.

It was a load and anybody present would, or had, attested to it. His own paper, The Unitas Harold had already made a PR counter strike. Claiming his lack of response was due to the fact the building was on fire. But the idiots down at the Muffington Boast had downplayed that little detail in favor of the gossip of such a juicy story.

All in all, it was a mess. It didn't help that Elsa's cooperation was short lived and she continually came from her orientation on Project New Wave to complain about one thing or another nearly every other hour. Not to mention he was still trying to prepare for the Sigma III Inquiry, The Liberty Syndicate's constant interference, tracking down the Gonshinian, keeping tabs on his Changling project, and finally the plan to return his brother home. 

Reserving himself to the most dignified and sophisticated forms of stress relief, Malich unceremoniously slammed his head against his desk and grumbled profanities. He was half tempted to forgo the conclusion of the plan and just bring about the destruction of the world for the sake of ending all of this stress.

Though, luckily his friend Captain Morgain, was there to talk him out of it. A good three or four shots had soothed the Executive enough to where he could think about everything and not repeatedly think about slicing his own fetlocks.

"Sir?" 

Well, for the moment at least.

"This had better be good news, Radcliff." Malich grumbled.

"It is, sir. We've heard from Princess Luna. Our agents have secured the Discord statue before the reformation could begin and have relocated it fifty miles outside the wasteland town of Apploosa. Celestia knows nothing and has just now found out about the Statues absence."

Malich smiled. Finally some news that made his heart a little lighter. "Good thing I kept the crew of the Judgement in Equestria." He said proudly. "And what of the offer?"

The aqua pony pressed his lips. "The target has been... hesitant to accept, sir."

"Oh?" Malich tilted his head. 

"Yes sir, he's skeptical about the effectiveness of the weapon to do as you've claimed."

Malich smirked. Of course the target would be, who wouldn't be skeptical if you were told you'd found a way to kill and immortal being and were offering it up for an unspecified favor. Though, it was just as much a test of the product for Triple M. as it was a token of good faith. And besides, he knew that no matter how much of a pain the target may be, gaining his favor would prove useful for Malich's own aims.

"It's of no consequence." Malich dismissed. "Discord's relocation and rescue will be more than enough to ensure our target's cooperation. The weapon we offered was just a token of good faith."

"As you say, sir." The old pegasus replied, unsure of himself. He had a feeling he knew what this "Discord" was, but didn't want insult his employer by entertaining the thought. Malich wasn't a good pony by any stretch of the imagination, but even he knew better than to mess with that can of worms. He simply dismissed it as code-names for a couple of field agents attempting to bribe a farmer or something.

"Indeed. Is there anything more?" 

Radcliff breathed a sigh. "It's the press, sir. They want a statement about the proposal from Lady Fatchitaz."

"No comment." Malich replied flatly. He knew better than to engage the press. And with that his assistant excused himself from the office, leaving the ashen earth pony to his own thoughts yet again.

At least some good had come out of today, he thought to himself. A small and genuine smile gracing his muzzle. It was an expensive piece of the puzzle to get, but it was one more item to get one of his brother's closest friends on his side. And by extension, his brother.

Malich glanced around the windows of his office before drawing them closed. He withdrew a key that he kept on a necklace and tucked under his shirt, inserted it into one of the draws in his desk, opened it and lifted a bright red folder from it with the words: Project Mortality, Sector Medical Research Facility

His smile deepened as he opened the file to read over the brief synopsis on the beginning page.

"Test results conclusive: Destruction of Alicorn DNA accomplished."
> Forceful Action
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    


Forced Action




Spike scowled as he was lead out of the Mayor's office, his terror and grievous acceptance about his fate quickly replaced by irritation and begrudging tolerance.

He got the message about what he'd done five minutes into the conversation, 'twenty thousand bits in property damage, two ponies injured, neither really hurt, one only holding psychological damage, and the other having a broken leg from trying to escape the panicking crowd.' But she just kept going. Belly aching on and on and on about how irresponsible he was and how he should have known better and blah blah blah. Yea, he deserved it, but damn if it wasn't irritating. 

It didn't strike him until he'd wrapped up the meeting how convenient it was for the mare to call him to task for his crimes the same moment as the imperial investigation for with the Diamond Dogs had come to a close. Probably afraid he'd unleash on her personally for berating him as she had without the Canterlot guard's presence.

All the same, the true terror was yet to come when he'd have to go before Celestia. 

Spike's stomach began drop and his irritation once again gave way to terror as the thought of one authority figure over ruled the other. He cringed as he imagined the look of disapproval upon the Princesses face. Even after all this time, the thought that she would be disappointed in him still filled him with shame.

That and the fact she would dictate how long he'd be sitting in the Canterlot dungeon.

'Guess it really doesn't matter how long you're away, a mother figure's wrath hurts no matter what.'








Twilight walked through the market, cautiously and discreetly observing Spike and his escort. Obviously she'd make way for Canterlot upon the next train but she wanted to see her friend before he was taken away for Celestia knows how long.

She fought back the tears and the urge to charge forth and render the guards to take the baby dragon away. Somewhere he'd be safe and never have to serve his sentence. But she knew better than that. Even if she somehow did toss away her love for Celestia and the unbelievable amount of both anger and disappointment her teacher would feel, Luna would find him.

She knew about the Lunar alicorn's ability to invade dreams and communicate with ponies. Dragons probably weren't exceptions to this ability, and neither was she.

She felt her body shake, she couldn't believe it was happening all over again. It wasn't fair! He'd just come back!

The lavander mare's breathing quickened and became labored as the situation fully dawned on her. Spike was going away, this time he may not come back for years, decades maybe.

Unable to contain herself any longer, the unicorn ran forward, passing the two guards who stood back in shock and tackle hugged her son. Spike began to protest but quickly dismissed it in favor of offering comfort. The mare was glad for it, she needed it. Spike had grown up so much since he left almost a year ago. He fought to protect his friends, grown into a teenage dragon, learned a  trade in gem carving that he could easily make a career of, was intelligent beyond his years, and was finally looking for wisdom beyond some charliton who hated government and lived in the woods.

The mistake was made, however. She knew that no matter how much she hugged or hoped, he was leaving again. She felt the hooves of the guards begin to pry her off, their gentle words attempting to coax the distraught mare from their prisoner.

"GET OFF A' THEM!" Cried a deep and angry voice.

"Mac no!" Twilight cried, using her magic to envelope the stallion and levitate him before he reached the guards. Both stepping back again, the crimson earth pony's hooves mere inches from their snouts.

"What's goin' on!" Big Macintosh demanded, his hooves still reaching for the guards. A buttermilk earth pony soon joined at his side, gently whispering to try to calm the pony down.

It took a moment to explain the situation, but the look of defeat upon Macintosh's face told of his resignation. Fact of the matter was that he too knew that this was coming.

"Ah'm sorry, Spike." He mumbled, eyeing the green irises of his companion. Spike reached out a claw and brought Macintosh in to join the group hug. The two had become best friends since they departed, and though the drake would never admit it in public, he'd come to love Macintosh as a father figure.

Suddenly another solar pony dropped from the sky, his labored breathing sluring his initial words until he finally calmed down enough to speak properly.

"Twilight Sparkle, I bear a message from Princess Celestia." He said before pulling out a scroll in his wing and giving it to the mentioned.

Twilight reluctantly tore herself away from the hug and unfurrowed the scroll. He eyes widened and her emotional breakdown halted in complete shock as the three simple words registered in her mind. 

Discord is missing





"Where are we going?" Annabelle asked between labored breaths as she galloped, following Macintosh as he raced for the borders of the Everfree forest. 

"Ta tell Sin n' Shade!" Macintosh replied. Though, it was more to find out if Shade could track down Discord more than anything. It was clear the lunar pony was in contact with the lord of chaos, perhaps he could help them find him.

'Or maybe Shade's the one who took him.'

The thought was almost enough to make him stop but the stallion kept going. As strong and insane as the bat pony was, he wasn't strong enough to carry a statue out of the Canterlot gardens undetected. At least, Mac didn't think so.

A few minutes and the avoidance of many tree roots and traps later, Macintosh and Annabelle burst through the brush that outlined Sin's camp. The sight that greeted him would have stolen his breath, had it not been for the fact holding it for more than a second would have caused him to collapse from pure exhaustion. 

A griffon stood in a pouncing stance, his talons and claws digging into the ground as his beak clicked in warning, waiting for the quickly growing tension to be broken.

"Where's Sin?" Mac asked absently, his mouth getting ahead of his brain.

The hybrid's body relaxed slightly but immediately tensed up again. "Who wants to know?" He growled.

"Who are you?" Mac demanded, his own fight or flight system kicking in.

Eyes narrowed, the griffon studied the stallion for a moment. "You a friend of his?"

"Yes Ah am."

Slowly but surly, the black and bald foreigner relaxed his body until finally he stood upright and proud, looking eye level with Macintosh. "Wasn't aware." He exhaled. "My name is Tyken."

"Macintosh," He replied. "N' this is Annabelle."

"H- hi." 

"How do you do." Tyken replied more of a statement than a question. "What do you want with the boy?"

Boy? "Ah need tah tell him that Spike's been taken tah Canterlot." 

"Spike?" Tyken asked, his demeanor becoming much more concerned, all the build up completely dispersing. "The young drake? Who took him?"

"The government."

Tyken's eyes narrowed and his tallons gripped into fists. He muttered something incomprehensible under his breath before he turned suddenly and dashed out of the camp and into the thicket, the sounds of rusteling leaves and brush accompanying his dash.

Curious and thuroughly confused as to how this creature knew Spike and Sin, Mac shot after, informing Annabelle to stay in the camp where it was safe. 

"Yea, I don't think so." She declared before she gave chase.

Mac hadn't run long, a good two minutes tops, following the tracks and sounds of the griffon before he heard voices echo throughout the forest. He slowed his trot to quiet his hooves, motioning for his companion to do the same before slowly approaching where he heard Tyken and Sin talking.

Mac knew that Sin wasn't on the best terms with those from his homeland, and found the griffin's sudden appearance in the Everfree very disturbing. The harsh tone spat between the two not helping matters either.

"Where's Shade?" The apple pony heard his friend ask. He gently poked his head through the brush to find the two Federalists standing beside a slightly green lake. Tyken quirked his head, probing the pony to explain farther. "The lunar pegasus who was at my camp?"

"What? Ya talkin' 'bout the lad who's six sheep short'va flock?" Sin nodded. "Aye, colt left day after I brought ya back. Strange thing, one minute he's pettin' those beasts of his, next thing he jumps awake and starts going on about something being rehabilitated." Tyken waved a claw dismissively. "Why in Tapio's name you'd associate with an individual like tha' is beyond me."

"Rehabilitation?" Sin quirked a brow and then deadpanned "The word 'Discord' was mentioned, wasn't it?" Tyken nodded and the former senator spat. "Well, that explains- Macintosh?"

Both turned their attention to the stallion and mare as they approached, each exchanging greetings and reintroduction. After the eighth time telling Mac not to worry about the bandages around his neck, and what caused them, the apple farmer informed Sin of the days events with Spike and Twilight. His explanation was cut short, however, as Sin already knew. 

"It was only a matter of time." Sin sighed. "Celestia may be friends with Spike and his mother, but she's a fair ruler. I doubt she'd let him get away with what he's done."

Mac ground his teeth to halt his snark filled reply, it hurt to hear his friend be so callous and pragmatic about somepony he considered his closest friend. But fact of the matter was that he knew, deep down that Spike deserved the punishment he had coming to him. Still, that didn't make it any easier to accept.

A few more moments of silence crept by before Sin limped past the three residents by the lake. "I'll be leaving for Canterlot tomorrow." His voice strained with each step he took.

"In your condition?" Tyken replied. "I don' think so."

As par the course, Sin shrugged off the objection and continued through the brush to the camp.

"You were just mauled by wolves, ya daft bastard!" Tyken cried, blocking the stallion from his bag. Mac, still weary of this stranger, moved quickly to protect his injured friend by placing his body between the two.

"Easy Mac." Sin soothed, placing a fetlock over the stallion's chest. "Tyken won't hurt me." Trusting his friend's words, Mac backed off a bit, but kept a wary eye on the hybrid Federalist, who, oddly enough, eyed the stallion with a kind of curiosity that had no business existing on anything who nearly had it's head bucked off.

"Ya gotta good friend, Lad." He complimented, turning with a look scolding look "hopefully you'll learn to appreciate this one."

Sin scoffed initially as he passed, but stopped mid step as he took in his master's words. 

Windmane and Zell; he warned them about his predicament. About how his family's political and economic ascent had changed all of them. About the night his father threatened him into obedience after he'd helped get the young stallion elected to political office. And how his younger brother stood idly by, a look of begrudged acceptance on the grey earth pony's face.

Sin remembered that night so clearly in his mind. How angry and fearful he was upon hearing his father's threats, how angry he was that neither he nor his brother had challenged him upon it.

Sin thought himself mature in telling Gemini to "do as he saw fit" before going into a tirade about how he was elected for his views and by the will of the citizens of North New Equine.

How foolish he was to ever believe that ideology and compassion held more sway in politics than money.

Though, after Gemini had left, Malich found the young stallion sitting up that night, preparing his case to go against the political moves that his father wanted. Timidly, the grey earth pony approached and offered words of comfort, pledging to send word that night to Sin's friend back home and do everything in his power to see Zell safe somewhere outside of his father's reach.

But that was a lie.

Sin took a breath and leaned down to pick up his saddle bag before turning to the others. He shared a stare with Tyken, his hard gaze softening faster than a politician's honesty when faced with capital, he turned away and sighed. "You ready, Mac?" 

Macintosh nodded in the affirmative and the two began their treck back to Ponyville, Annabelle in tow.

Once the three were gone, Tyken embraced the silence of the forest for a few moments. His body shuddered ever so slightly as his tallons dug into the camp ground. Another shudder, and another until finally a low and sad whine escaped his beak. "Fergive me, boyo."





Macintosh, Sin and Annabelle sat within the Ponyville express en route to Canterlot. They had to wait an hour for it to arrive, as the last train had already departed with Twilight and Spike in toe. 

Apparently the rest of Twilight's friends had been informed to late to make the first train as they sat in the next cart over, but Mac wasn't too concerned about them for the time being. His mind was more focused on something that griffon had said before the three of them had left.

"Hey, Sin?"

"Hmm?" 

Mac wasn't sure how to approach the situation, but felt bluntness would be the best course of action. "When that Tyken fella said  he hoped you 'priciated our friendship, wha' did he mean by it?"

His muscles tensed a little as he saw his friend's lips press. Mac hadn't known the stallion all that long, but he knew the subtle body language that Sin desperately tried to repress. "Nothing," was all the stallion replied with.

"Yer lyin'." Mac stated darkly. Sin didn't lie often, but when he did, it wasn't hard to see.

The aforementioned locked onto Macintosh's face, creating a tense moment of judgement. Mac kept his face neutral, presenting a stone front was his specialty. Sin's overbearing presence had once intimidated him, but after the time the two had spent together, Macintosh had come to realize that it, much like his darkened goggles, was a defensive mechanism. One he had to learn to out stead in order to gain the Federalist's respect and admiration.

Though respect and admiration didn't equate to something he'd been trying to get from the first day he'd met the pony. His trust. And with the wordless shake of the head, this situation seemed to be no different.

It was a silent irritation that Mac had to live with, being friends with a pony who wouldn't open up about themselves. Sometimes he questioned if the two were even really friends, or if they just associated with one another for the sake of the common interest of freedom. To say such uncertainties was disheartening was an understatement.

Aside from some chatter between Annabelle and himself, along with the occasional visit from either Pinkie Pie or Applejack, the train ride was relatively peaceful until they'd reached Canterlot.

As expected, a security detail of Solar and Lunar guards greeted them and escorted the ponies to the castle proper.

"Oh my goodness" Annabelle gawked as the troop was lead through the city, he mouth agape as she took in the capital. "It's so pretty."

Mac smiled. It was adorable to see the foal-like innocence and wonder upon her face as she took in the sites. "Never been ta Canterlot?" She shook her head before her eyes befell a rather large crowd gathering to see a pair of unicorns preforming some kind of exploding pyro-technic show, accompanied by synchronized symphonic musics.

As the troop approached the castle gates, Mac couldn't help but notice the higher concentration of guards that stood and patrolled around the walls. Apparently, Discord's disappearance had placed Celesta on higher alert than he initially thought.

"I wonder if he escaped?" He heard Fluttershy ask to nopony in particular.

"Fat chance." Rainbow replied. 

"Yea!" Pinkie chimed in. "If he did, I'd be showing in chocolate milk rain right now!"

Macintosh cringed as he recalled the first time the lord of Chaos had broken from his stone prison... Dancing buffalo wearing tu tus... so much rage, so much why.

Eventually they made it into the throne room to find Celestia barking orders to numerous guards. "Have the second Solar brigade check the Canterlot Catacombs! It's possible he's hiding there if he hasn't used his magic yet." 

"Your highness, we've received word from the 3rd Sun Scout, he's not in the Misty Mountains!"

"Tell them to move their search to the Dodge Junction, and the surrounding areas. Send every Chaos detection relic we have to spare."

Giving a salute, the two guards ponies dismissed themselves from her majesties presence to go about their orders. Celstia's eyes widened as she saw Twilight's friends and beckoned them forth. "It's wonderful to see you again, My little ponies. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"We got here 's fast as we could." Applejack stated matter of factly. "Where's Twilight?"

Celestia bit her lip for a split second before informing them all that she was with Spike in the back room. The unicorn had yet to come to terms with what was happening to her son.

"I'm sorry, Sin, Macintosh, would you two please wait outside with your friend while I speak with My little ponies? This information is for them specifically."

Nodding, the three exited the room and sat outside the doorway to the hustle and bustle of golden clad unicorns, pegesi and earth ponies charging every which way to either give orders, get orders or run about to new locations.

"Do you remember where Luna's audience hall is?" Sin asked out of the blue. 

Mac's eyes widened, why did he want to see... her? He looked to find a sour look on Annabelle's face that spoke of her own disapproval for the lunar alicorn.

With no answer, Sin began his trek through the castle to see if he could remember where it was. It was a slim chance that she'd be there, but  if anypony knew how to find Star Shade, it would be the dream walker.

He saw a couple of black clad lunar pegisi enter a door way and took that as a good sign. He slipped in as quietly and stealthily as he could, keeping himself hidden behind pillars  and anything else as he crept along. It was more undignified than he liked when in the presence of other sapient beings, but when gaining access to information was as essential as finding food, avoiding detection and silent skulking was one of the many talents he'd acquired during his many years in the wilderness.

Luckily, the doors were mostly ungraded, all probably scrambling to find the missing draconaquis.

As he entered yet another gothic themed room and quickly dashed behind a tapestry as he heard a pair of hoofsteps approach the door on the other side of the room. "Seriously? She had her personal guard watch the gardens last night?" He heard a voice question as the door opened. Sin couldn't see the ponies talking, but he could make out that one of the voices was a younger male while the other was an older female.

"Yes, we aren't sure why she did, but they are facing one Tartarus of a punishment for their failure to keep who ever it was from getting the statue. Nightwish thinks that she knew somepony had planned to steal it so she had her best Night Walkers posted to ensure it didn't happen." The voice tisked. "Sure glad I'm not those guys."

'Hmmm, a higher up changes out a standard security unit for a more elite one on the day that a high profile valuable is stolen? Gee, what are the odds?'

Sin waited until the pair was out of ear shot before continuing to the next door. He opened it slightly and peered his eye in to take a quick servey of the room. He saw Luna sitting on her own throne with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Come in, Sin." He heard her call. 

Against his better judgement, the stallion pushed the door open to find the room only held two other guards, whom she dismissed as he found his place before her.

"How may we help you, our little pony?" Luna asked, her smile more forced than usual.

Sin contemplated somehow sneaking a question about her guard detail about last night, but thought better of it. He needed answers now and would probably be dismissed if he went prying in that area. "I'm looking for Star Shade. I know that you've been keeping tabs on him ever since he assaulted you a few weeks ago." The stallion stated bluntly. "Tell me where he is."

Luna's are twitched, aside from that her posture remained neutral. "I'm sorry, Sin, I'm afraid I don't know where your... rather rambunctious friend is."

"You're lying." Sin sneered. "We have a saying in my country, don't bull shit a bull shitter. Where is Star Shade?"

Luna's reaction this time was far more distinct. She knew where Shade was, she just didn't want to tell him. And if his hunch was correct, he knew why. "We do not have time for this, Discord is missing, or haven't you heard?"

'Indignation, always a favorite for those in power.'

"I've heard, which is why I'm looking for the pony who either took him or knows where he is." Sin shot back, satisfied to see the look of realization on Luna's face. "Now, tell me where Shade is, or Celestia will be informed about a certain change in guard last night."

Eyes wide and breath caught in her throat, Luna's words faltered for a moment. "How doth thou know about that?!"

Sin smirked. "My sources are confidential. Now where is he?"

Recomposing herself, Luna smirked. "Thou are in my chamber, my little pony. You are in no place to make demands." Her horn glowed an ethereal blue as he heard the door behind him lock.

Smirk intensifying, Sin flexed and relaxed his fetlock before talking to buy time. "Perhaps I'm not, perhaps I'm just a pony who sits in your throne room, a pony without magic who is completely at your mercy." His body relaxed as the idea came to him. "Or, perhaps I've already informed someone else of your change in guard and if they don't see me in the next thirty minutes, perhaps they go to tell your sister about it."

It was a gamble and one hell of a lie, but it wasn't as if he'd thought about things playing out the way they had. A mistake on his part for not really setting it up as he claimed, though if the bluff worked, he'd walk out with Shade's location, if it didn't, he'd probably be having Spike as a cell mate.

All well, he'd gotten out of worse situations. 
	  
> Crushing Demands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Crushing Demands




Macintosh stood outside of the throneroom, sitting with nothing but the flickering torchlight to keep him company. Annabelle departed back to Ponyville to see to her father. Understandably, the Wonderbolts had been called back to the capital to receive orders on scouting about to find Discord. Soarin, much to Mac's chagrin, conversed briefly with the mare and told her that her father wanted to speak with her, demanding to know where she was and make sure she was safe. 

And so, here he sat, alone. Celestia and Luna were currently discussing plans with his sister and her friends about what the possible scenarios  they could be facing, with messengers being sent all over the world to warn of the draconaquis's disappearance.

Mac didn't care about any of that, though, he just wanted to make sure that Spike was alright. Throughout all of the chaos he hadn't heard a single peep about the fate of his friend, probably stuck in some dungeon somewhere awaiting a trial that would go on for Celestia knew how long.

Mac shuttered at the thought. Spike, alone in some dark and cold room made of stone and metal. His bed nothing more than the slab of wood suspended by chains like his was when he was in jail. It was enough to make the stallion both enraged and crestfallen.

'Relax, Spike's a tough guy, he'll be fine.'

Suddenly, the throne room doors opened and he watched as Luna exited the passageway and give a bow to those inside. "If we or our dream walkers see anything, we shall be sure to let thou know."

Mac's heart skipped a beat and his muscles tensed as she turned and locked eyes with him, both caught in a tense moment of rocognition.

...

...

'Well, this is awkward.'

"Are you alright, Macintosh?" Luna asked in concern.

"How's Spike?" Mac asked in return.

Luna bit her lip. "Ah yes, we remember he was arrested earlier. Not to worry, my little pony, Spike is being housed in the guest chamber while he awaits trial."

Mac breathed a sigh of relief, at least Spike wasn't rotting in some cold dank cell, like he once was.

"If that's all, than we must be on our way to find Captain Shining Armor and get a report on how the lower number of guards are handling the city."

Mac called to her and asked her if she'd seen Sin, apparently he'd gone to see her an hour or so ago, but never returned.

It may have been his imagination, but Mac could have sworn he saw Luna's eyes widen ever so slightly. "Yes, he came to ask us a few things, we answered them and sent him on his way." She recalled. "Now, if you'll excuse us."

Mac wanted to ask more questions, but he also didn't want to be pulled into her chambers for another cuddle party. So he let her go and waited patiently outside the door for anypony else to come out. A few hours passed, with nothing to desract him but a book he'd taken the liberty of borrowing from the library, but eventually the doors opened again and his sister came out.

"Hoo whee. Sorry t' keep ya, Big Mac." Applejack apologized.

"Oh my, were you waiting out here all this time?" Fluttershy asked in her typical, quiet and soothing voice.

"Eyup. Wanted to talk t' the princess about Spike."

Twilight's ears folded back at the name and she took a breath before inviting Macintosh for a walk through the Castle. The others offered to come, but the scholar insisted the matter be handled privately. Once out of earshot, Twilight slowly breached the topic at hoof with tears already building up in her eyes.

"It- it's not looking good. Big Mac." She stuttered.

"How bad?" Asked the stallion, the lump in his throat growing.

Twilight's ears split out sideways and her posture became submissive and sad. "Celestia said that the Diamond Dogs had petitioned for his custody and demanded that they be the ones to try him. They said that any court of Equines that judged him would be bias and too lenient."

Mac wasn't sure what that meant, the Dogs were just as bias to the prosecution as the Equestrians were to the defense. "N' Celestia's gonna agree to that?"

"If she doesn't, the Pack's sworn to openly rebel against her, they've already sent runners to other near by Diamond Dog mines to encourage revolt if she doesn't."

Yea, that wasn't good. Things were getting far bigger and more complicated than Macintosh had originally thought they would. But the worst had yet to come.

"Mac, they... the Diamond Dogs, they still believe in the death penalty!" 








'You sure it was a good idea not to include Macintosh in on this? Don't you think Tyken had a point about appreciating your friends?'

"Maybe he did, regardless, Mac has enough to worry about. Between Spike's arrest and his new marefriend, he doesn't need to concern himself with this matter. Besides, I can handle this well enough on my own." Sin whispered to himself as he descended the Canterlot cliff side. 

'Right, and why didn't you take the train again? Seems like it would be a lot quicker.'

Because, if Shade is responsible, and the fact that he's in the badlands of Grand Junction would indicate he had, than it's likely that whoever helped him bring Discord there would be on the look out for anyone heading that way. Most notably the train stations and any low level air ship ports.

The stallion kept his nice, though purposeful pace as he walked down the mountain side. If his estimation was right, and the map's indicator true, than he should find Shade by tomorrow night, assuming he traveled straight through without any breaks. Hopefully nothing would happen before he got there. If the stories he'd heard about years ago was any indication, the draconaquis had yet to be free.

Sin slowed his pace a little and listened, a faint clopping echoing from behind him. He stopped and looked to find nothing but the grey of the road behind him. Not a soul in sight. Shrugging it off, he continued his treck down the mountain. It was mid day and he had alot of ground to cover.

'Felling paranoid?'

Don't act like you didn't hear it too.

'Yea, too bad you don't fly, otherwise this would be shit ton easier.'

The stallion nodded his head. Yea, too bad indeed.

'You really think it's fair to yourself? To deny your instincts and urges like this? For what? Because your-'

Let me stop you right there. No, this conversation isn't going to happen. I don't know what you are, I don't care how I'm talking to you, me, or whatever. But we're not going there. Savy?

The voice went quiet, and Sin took a brief amount of satisfaction in his victory. A win was still a win and a major boost to his ego, something he was in desperate need of.

Especially since he was about to ambush whomever it was that was following him.

Spying the base of the mountain, Sin saw a curve around the mountainside and mentally decided that such a spot was perfect for his plan. He walked around the bend and found a pile of boulders conveniently placed for him to hide behind as he waited for his stalker. Mounting his new crossbow onto his leg, the stallion placed both the primary and quick load draw strings and bolts into place.

He strained his ears and listened to the clopping, judging on when the pony would eventually pass, each click echoing louder and louder off of the mountain wall.

Clop clop clop.

Pressing his lips, the stallion took aim at the road and waited. It wouldn't be long now, he or she was right around the bend.

And then the clopping stopped.

Worried his assailant had found him out, the Federalist considered his options. Confrontation or running. Well, he wasn't really in a position to do either. The strain walking alone put on his neck was obvious and he wasn't sure that running was even possible, so by process of deduction, fighting it was. Even if he couldn't fight that well either.

'Like you can fight at all.'

Oh yay, you're back.

Suddenly Sin felt himself become weightless. And by weightless, he lost contact with the ground as he was slowly raised up in a bluish white aura that encompassed his body. He looked around and took aim with his crossbow but couldn't find the unicorn who'd caught him in their grasp.

"Put down the Bow, anarchist!" 

Sin looked up to find none other than the Captain of the Guard himself, standing at an 80 degree incline smiling smugly down at him. "Oh, it's you." He lowed the crossbow, and with a little convincing was lowered to the ground.

"Going to see a friend?" Shining Armor spat distastefully. 

Sin didn't reply, causing no small amount of irritation to the electric blue maned stallion. "I asked if you were going to see a friend?"

Sin ground his teeth. He didn't like Shining Armor, and he knew Shining Armor didn't like him. If he was going to ask where Shade was than Sin would be wise to simply give the good captain the information he wanted and be on his marry way.

"I am."

Shining breathed. "Does he know where Discord is?"

"Most likely."

"Good." Shining smirked darkly, looking the stallion up and down. "Considering the sorry state you're in, I don't think you'd object to some company?"

Sin glared. "Yea, no thanks."

Shining smirked again. "Let me rephrase that. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."
> Disadvantaged Negotiations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Disadvantaged Negotiations



Night had fallen and Luna's starfilled sky reigned with only her full moon offering any sort of illumination. Sin and Shining continued to walk, the former having slowed considerably, with the cramps and pulling of his still tender neck muscles causing him to move more carefully, more slowly.

Shining Armor gave him not end of grief about this, encouraging the Federalist on more than one occasion to seek proper medical attention. It was actually a bit of a shock, seeing the guard captain act in such a casual way. From their first encounter, Sin had assumed the pony as uptight and stuffy as he himself, baring his wife's interference. But as the two walked, slowly but surly, the good captian's strong and purposeful walk has become more casual, much like his attitude.

It wasn't until his frogs felt the green grass give way more and more to the dead and dying earth of the badlands that he considered his companions words beyond anything besides annoying. If for nothing else than to end those little prickly thing from continually sticking into his hoof.

'Gah, sweet Tapio! Why didn't you invest in some horse shoes!' I don't know what's worse, the pain of the bite in the neck or those Milliki forsaken pricklies!'

Damn you complain alot.

'Well someone's gotta remind you that you're still a pony who's body is on the brink of exhaustion.'

Yea, I think Mr. Whipped over there's got that covered.

'Ok, someone you actually care to listen to.'

...

'Oh piss off!'

"Where did you get the map?"

Sin looked back questioningly.

"The map, where did you get it and how do you know where your friend is when the entire Canterlot Scouting Division doesn't?"

Sin smirked and looked forward. "I have my sources." He said, feeling a little too pleased at himself. Luna was a valuable asset if he played everything right, turning her in would be against his self interest should he need more information on something like this again.

"Care to share?"

"Now why on earth would I do that?"

Shining Armor gave the stallion a sideways glance, muttering about how with holding information of such a calliber was a high crime and holding such knowledge would insinuate some kind of involvement.

Sin halted in his tracks and turned to face the alabaster stallion. "If I was involved in this, do you really think I'd be wondering the wastelands instead of taking a nice, cozy train to get to our destination?"

'Dumbass.'

"Maybe you wanna throw me off?" Shining Armor replied skeptically. 

"Alright, Captain, ya caught me." Sin stated in mock surrender. "I came to the castle, way out of the way of Dodge Junction in order to catch your interest and hope you followed me all the way to the badlands where I'd rendezvous with Shade and Discord. You've figured me out." 

Shining obviously didn't find the joke nearly as amusing as Sin did, the two stared at each other in a tense moment of silence. "Keep walking, anarchist."

Satisfied the issue was resolved, the two continued on in silence.





Mac sat besides Twilight Sparkle, the two on one white and golden couch in a rather spacious studio bedroom, complete with it's own kitchen and bedding area. Opposite them sat Spike, his claws cuffed in some rather uncomfortable looking shackles. All items in the room aside from the essensials had been removed. No curtains, no vases, no busts of the alicorn sisters. Nothing that could be used as "treasure" to engage Spike's dragon hoarding instincts.

He didn't look as downtrodden as Mac had expected, matter of fact the drake looked rather casual about the situation, if nothing else.

"So, what's up?"

Mac quirked a brow in surprise.

'What's up? WHAT'S UP?! The boy's just been arrested and will face trial for assaulting an entire Pack of diamond dogs, that's not to mention the political aspect of the fact he'll most likely be tried by said dogs and possibly be put to death, and his first words are "what's up"? Is he out of his bucking mind!?'

"How are you holding up, Spike?" Twilight asked, her eyes still red from the crying she'd done, holding her son a few moments ago.

Shrugging, the drake dismissed the situation like it was some kind of inconvenience. Complaining about how long the royals plan to keep him in his comfy prison before bestowing punishment as if he were talking about a rainy day ruining his picnic. 

Twilight apologized again on behalf of the princesses, explaining once again that finding Discord took president over his own missgivings. Spike rolled his eyes again and hoped that they'd find him soon, as comfortable as he was he wanted to just get the whole thing over and done with.

'It's official, the boy's lost his mind.'

Eyup.

"Spike, this is serious!" Twilight pressed, her efforts rewarded by more dismissal. "Stop acting like this isn't a big deal!"

His eyes going flat the drake took a breath. "You think I don't know that, Twi? I'm in jail because I've assaulted a bunch of dogs who hurt my pride, ran off out because I was afraid, enudlged my greed growth and went on a destructive rampage. Both Mayor Mare and you have already read me the riot act."

Macintosh didn't understand, if he knew all of this, than why was he acting so cool about it?

"It's not like me getting all teary eyed and emotional again is going to make it better some how. I've accepted what I've done, why I did it and why it was wrong. Only thing left to do is take my punishment like a big boy and hope I don't get exicuted. If I do, sniveling and crying like a baby isn't going to help it."

Both ponies present were flabbergasted at the logical and well reasoned statement. Spike did understand the severity of his situation after all.

'Well, maybe he's not out of his mind, but he's still crazy.'

Suddenly, Twilight leaped from her place and embraced the dragon in a bone crushing hug that only a mother could afford to give. "I wont let that happen to you Spike. I wont let anypony do that to you."

Slowly Spike's indifferent resolve began to crumble under his mother's embrace. A small hiccup, followed slowly by another as his body shook and his eyes filled with tears. It wasn't long before he returned the embrace and wept openly into Twilight's chest, small muffled cries telling her how scared he really was.

Standing from his own place, Macintosh also embraced both of them, his own embrace offering a type of comfort Spike didn't even know he yearned for. A male's touch, a father's protection.





Luna lay awake in her chambers, her eyes looking up at the ceiling as her brain moved a million miles a minute, attempting to keep track of everything that was going on, along with how she would need to act in order to keep herself safe.

Macintosh, she'd subdued with her seduction and memory alterations of her involvement with Triple M. so him accidentally passing off the information to his sister and her friend's wasn't a concern, Spike she'd kept silent by offering a ton of gems and the truth that she was simply trying to both build relations with the Federation and handle some problems within Equestria. Slowly, but surly, his memory of her involvement in the event was beginning to dwindle thanks to her dream walking powers.

Sin and Shade were definitely a problem, though. The former had mental defenses were staggering, she'd experienced Occlumency before, but never quite like this. It took all of her will to break into his dream the one night she did. She gained a little insight to the stallion, but couldn't interfere with his memories by such an indirect method.

Politics in the Federation must have been far more brutal than she'd originally thought.

And Star Shade. 

Luna shivered tucked herself into the blankets. Poor, poor Star Shade. It wasn't surprising he still hated her, she entered his dreams once, and immediately left out of thorough disgust at seeing herself being forcefully penetrated in every orifice she had by black, spiked tenticals reaching out of a hellfire filled fishure in the ground, with both he and Discord laughing maniacally. 

After that, she'd only went into to visit his memories, and the thought brought a tear to her eye. He suffered, he suffered so much because of her. Luna didn't mean to do it, she'd never intended for her little ponies to enact such terrible and inhumane tortures onto one of their own. She wanted to apologize to him, to comfort him in some way when they'd met in Ponyville, but he'd attacked her pride and her self. Such a thing wasn't something she could let go without punishment. His hatred of her justified or not.

Still though, she couldn't help but hate herself a little bit. Upon her return, she'd outlawed The Box prison and had all serving to be taken to other prisons to live out their sentences in a more dignified and moral manner. She couldn't rightly persecute those whom were only following orders, but she did let them know that what they had done was unacceptable and that if any such methods were used again, appropriate and proportional punishments would proceed.

But no matter how much work she put in, no matter how she reformed her ranks or punished those responsible, Star Shade and Sin would always be a couple of ponies she had to keep an eye on. Sin seemed well enough to let her be, so long as she gave him the information he wanted, and Shade was unpredictable, but seemed to honor his word when it was in his interest.

Maybe he wasn't as insane as he protrayed  to be afterall.

'Or maybe you were foolish for not killing them.

Luna's eyes shot wide and she sat up from her bed with a start. She attempted to calm her body's shaking to no avail as flashbaks from a tall, black mare with serpentine terquoise eyes played in her mind.

"N-n-no! We are not like that anymore." The night princess declared feebley. 

'Oh? We are very much aware of that.' Replied the icy, seductive voice inside of her head. 'That's what you had me for, remember?'






"You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" Sin grumped to the alabaster stallion to which he was tied, both dangling a few feet over the dead, dirt ground as the cold night air of the badlands was cast alight by multiple bonfires surrounding them. The tree on which they hung creaking ever so as they gently swung in the breeze.

"Oh shut up, Anarchist." Barked Shining, struggling to get out of their bindings, a small trace of blood flowing from his mouth up past his eye and pooling at the magic inhibitor ring on his horn. The guard captain's heated glare constantly shifting from the insane bat-pony sitting upon a makeshift brown chair and a peculiar, serpent shaped statue, both surrounded by; zebras, buffalo, and ponies of all sorts.

Irritated beyond measure, the oaken stallion replied with just as much venom. "Tell me, captain, what part of 'hey, I know that pony, let me go talk to him and see if we can resolve this peacefully' spurned you into a violent attack, there by exposing yourself and eliminating any chance of reinforcements?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that your little peace talk failed when that madpony ordered you to be hanged!?" Shining replied, recalling the magical beam he'd summoned to throw the multiple ponies and buffalo off of Sin before they could lynch him. "You're welcome for that, by the way."

"Didn't know you cared." Sin quipped sarcastically. "A stallion after my own heart. Though, I'm surprised you followed me without reinforcements, didn't peg you for the type to go outside of protocol."

"Figured I could handle it." 

Sin looked at their binding. "Apparently not."

Shining sighed. "Besides, this is your fault. What were you thinking just waltzing in and asking what was going on? Are you out of your mind?"

"Shade is a friend of mine, I thought he'd offer me parley until I figured out what was going on!" 

"And you're criticizing me?"

"Well, if you'd have just stayed put or went and gotten help-"

"SILENCE YOU FOOLS!" Barked Shade. 

The circling dances and chanting of the buffalo came to an end, same with the numerous conversation of both the zebra and the ponies. Shade's typically blank face looked contemplative, his brow furrowed and left hoof stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, my lord. But he's my friend. I don't want to hurt him, he saved me." He said to himself.

A few silent and tense moments ticked by. "Really?" He asked with wide eyed curiosity. "I didn't know that. As you command, BRING FORTH THE UNRULY WHOM HATH SWINDLED MY LORD'S FORMER PROVISIONAL!"

Silence. All species present looking at eachother trying to figure out what exactly the statement had meant. 

If what Luna had told Sin was true, than the Discordian acolytes weren't as insane as Star Shade was, they fancied themselves 'anarchists', with the belief that Discord would offer them the freedom of government and reality that they desired. They believed that Discord would somehow use his magic to destroy any and every authority and hierarchy, thus rendering in an era of true equality in the way that nature was supposed to be. Chaos.

Or some other contrived means of self-governance. He wasn't too sure he followed the logic of these ponies, but that really wasn't surprising considering most social movements were based primarily off of emotional appeal rather than rational thought.

Still, as irrational as these acolytes may be, Star Shade's channel of insanity was one that nopony could ever hope to be in-tune with.

Shade, looking rather annoyed that his request went unheaded, slammed his hoof against his face and let out a groan.

'Star Shade just facehooved, that kind of failure is just astounding.'

"Bring the white one forward." He declared in exacerbation, grumbling under his breath about incompetence.

In quick order, the two stallions were gently lowered to the ground, where both were met by a couple of earth ponies each and Shining Armor taken to be presented for Shade.

Sin exhaled heavily, sending a few bits of dead dirt and rocks scuttling about the badland ground beneath him. As Shade berated the stallion for willfully entering such a deplorable and misery inducing institution such as marriage, Sin felt the blood rushing away from his head and tried to figure out a way to escape...
	
> Moving Along
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


Moving Along



Malich sat behind his desk, watching the overly stuffy Donkey and Griffin before him reading over a few file's he'd prepared the night before.

Both members of the Federal Inquisitive Agency.The FIA had been a thorn in Malich's side for a long time now, along with the EPI (Enviornmental Protection Initiative), FEB (Federal Ethics Board) and the board of Federal Conflict Over-sites.

These two wouldn't have been a problem if it hadn't been for the fact that they were hand chosen, and directed, by none other than Arbiter Sparhawk himself. Most agents were easy to bribe and send on their way, these two knew the good centaur's wrath, and neither would be inclined to incite it for a million bucks.

"Mr. Islander." The Donkey stated slowly, looking up at him above her glasses, the way a mother typically does her troubled young. "Reading through your fleet formation reports show that your ships: Gamma III and Beta III hold no training or other substantial contingency in the event that Sigma III should be neutralized." 

"Page 456, subsection 22." Malich stated helpfully. Causing the mare to slowly, carefully seek through the book.

'Sweet fucking Tapio this is torture!'

Malich had been sitting here for the past five hours, the first dealing with the legal and consent jargin that these two had to recited in order for their investigation to be legitimate, and the past four with them sitting there reading those damnable naval interception protocol booklets. He was originally planning to assign his PR board to handle the situation, but he couldn't trust them to handle the matter, all things considered.

To make matters worse on him, these two government bafoons had come in right after Radcliff came in with news about Elsa  successfully extracting a parasite without killing either it nor the host. He didn't even get any details before another receptionist came in to inform him of their arrival!

Life just wasn't fair sometimes.

"So, have you considered the proposal yet?" Asked the Griffin, looking up at Malich with a slight quirk of the brow.

"I'm sorry?"

Now, Malich wasn't the most social guy in the world, but he knew an insinuation when he heard one. "The proposal from Lady Fatchitaz, of course. She proposed to you at the Centaur Palace just a few days ago, did she not?"

Malich wasn't a social pony, but he knew that such a question was asked for no other reason than to provoke him.

"No? That's a shame." The elder griffin sighed before going back to the booklet. "Arbiter Sparhawk was very interested to see if you were going to accept."

'Sparhawk. That son of a fucking bitch!'

"Inform your master that I have no interest in Lady Fatchitaz. She's a... umm... lovely young mare?" he forced out, nearly choking on the last three words. "But I'm afraid my heart belongs to my work for the time being."

'HA! Nice save.'

I know, right?





Elsa stood at a table, observing the aimless black, centipede like creature swimming around in the tank before her. It was amazing, truly a specimen who's soft flesh was worthy of her skilled magical cut. The black mare fought the urge to break the tank, grab hold of the parasite and dissect it right then and there.

"Hello beautiful," Elsa cooed softly, taking in the the marvelous sight before her, using her magic every so often to pet the parasite just above it's small, beady yellow eyes. She tingled every time she touched it, feeling the soft and inviting skin of the larva. 

A timer went off to her right and a rather large injection of red fluid was cast into the tank. The parasite wasted no time in making straight for the right side of the tank and began sucking in the fluid through it's legs.

"I hope you like the lunch I made you, curtisy of the medical departments enhanced blood transfusion stocks." This wasn't the first Parasite she'd successfully extracted, unlike most, she didn't mind cutting open living being beyond repair for such a prize. It was keeping them alive that was the issue. The first two didn't take well to either prolonged exposure to air, nor basic water. So, she demanded a solution that was used to keep organs alive for transplant, climate controlled to keep the water at a pony's body temperature, and a tank big enough for the organism to swim freely in and observe.

Low and behold, the behavior of the parasite was remarkable, as expected, it swam about, attempting to find the organ it was meant to attach to. Though, this left the question of how long the parasite would survive. She wasn't completely sure if it was simply becoming docile or dying, but it was slowing down more and more by the minute.

Deciding to see if another feeding would help, Elsa pushed the button again. The creature greedily sucking in the red nourishment before going about its business swimming.

Deciding she needed to get back to work, Elsa returned back to the dissection table to find the already dead parasite she'd been disassembling for the past ten minutes waiting for her. Cold, lifeless, hardening and boring. She'd found the heart of the beast, as well as it's "brain", but no other organs were currently present. The lack of a excretion system was almost poof positive of every last cell consumed for nutrition was being used for sustenance and growth, though the need of a such a large brain was a bit puzzling to the young surgeon, and she made pleanty of research notes about it.

Typically parasites of this size had one half the brain size, yet this one had something the others didn't. A Parietal lobe had developed over  the typical Optical and Cerebellum lobes. Perhaps it was because changelings used this as their primary telepathic link to the queen, she wasn't sure, but the lack of a Temporal lobe was very baffling.

Oh, there was a spece in the back of the brain for it, to be sure, but when she looked at it, it looked... rotted, somehow. 

"All well." She blurted with a shrug. "That's the genetics department anyways, hopefully they can give me some info on it later."





"Oh no. Oh crap, oh hell." Silvia shook as she sat in a tree, Sin having not returned for two days. She did a sweep of ponyville to see if he was just staying with somepony else, but to no avail.

"Oh, Malich is gonna kill me! Why did that idiot have to wonder off and leave no trail?!" She chastised herself as she dove down and began combing the Everfree.

She spent hours upon hours searching for the stallion, avoiding weird chicken snakes, a giant kamara, a few timberwolves, and group of trees that grabbed painfully at her wings. All for nothing.

"Fuck!" She proclaimed, landing on a path that lead back to Ponyville. She was dead, she might as well bend over that tree stump right now and stick a tree branch up her ass and out her mouth to be roasted on an open fire. She could already hear it now. 'You had one job, Silvia! One fucking job!'

Though a small flicker of hope hit her when she smelt a faint trace of smoke. Her heart threatening to burst out of her chest, the griffin made like a bullet to the source of the fire. Silvia slowed her pace to a casual walk as she approached a small hut in the clearing. 

"That's it!" She declared in whispered glee. "He must have snuck off to make that and live there. Gross and tacky, but it beats living in a makeshift tent."

Quiet as a mouse, Silvia crept along the blind side of the hut and prowled to the window. She peeked inside to find a cloaked, hooded figure messing around with something on a desk. Farther inspection made her recoiled in slight disgust and confusion. Tiki masks and other primitive and tribal decorations filled the hut. A long table with glass bottles of different color liquids stood on one side, another was full of different herbs and plants, with a long wooden tube sitting on the wall. Completing the picture of creepy woodland hermit was the giant cauldron that sat in the very middle of the hut, a small fire beneath to heat the liquid to boil.

Well at least she found him, the cloak was a bit longer and the hood was new, but no other creature in the country wore such a thing besides him. Satisfied that she'd found her target again, Silvia flew up and perched herself upon a near by tree branch to get a nice vantage point to ensure she never lost her target again.





"My goodness Applejack, might we rest for five minutes?" Rarity decried, lifting her hoof for inspection. "My hooficure is absolutely ruined! RUINED!"

"Aw pipe down, Rarity!" The applemare replied with a roll of her eyes. "If'n we're gonna find Discord, we can't be layin' down on th' job."

"But we've been walking for hours!" The alabaster unicorn wined dramatically. 

It was true, the two had been wondering the countryside outside of ponyville for the better part of twelve hours. The grass was soft and green beneath their hooves at least, and the warming spring are was also a plus, things could be much much worse for the both of them.

Still, the sun was almost just behind the horizon and it would take them some time to get back home, perhaps it was time to finally head back.

"Oh thank goodness! I'm in desperate need of a spa bath." 

Again, rolling her eyes, the cow mare and the fashionesta made way back to ponyville. Tomorrow, they'd check the area outside Grand Junction. Hopefully Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had more luck searching over at the Bottom Bog, provided they weren't attacked by the hydra, of course.





Celestia bit her lip in worry, as she watched the doors of her throne room. She didn't want to send the message, she really didn't, but she had to. Shining Armor couldn't be found, her Captain of the Guard was AWOL in a time of national crisis. What else was she supposed to do?

Hopefully, his second in command, Flash Sentry would be able to handle the coordination of the guard and search teams until he returned. If he returned, that is.

"You seem worried, Princess." Twilight pointed out, oblivious to the fury that was about to enter. "I'm worried about my brother too, but he's a big stallion. He can take care of himself."

"Twilight Sparkle, you are my friend, my ally and my most faithful student, you have learned a great deal in your life about friendship and many things about both science and magics." Celestia declared. "But there is a lesson you're about to learn that will be both shocking and very frightening about the concept of love."

"Love? Princess?"

Suddenly, the doors burst open with a loud bang. A furry of pink magic, revealing a sight that made Twilight both happy and fearful at the same time. A pink Alicorn, adorned with golden regalia strutted into the throneroom, her face a calm mask with eyes that betrayed the inner storm within.

"Cadance?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

Cadance paid her no mind, continuing her calm walk until she was just before the steps that lead to where Celestia sat. She asked a simple question, both the tone and subject made Twilight's shudder in disbelief. 

"Where. Is. My fiance?"
> Heavy Dialog
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Heavy Dialog



Star Shade stood in contemplation over the debate he'd heard from the eye twitching mass of rage of a pony that was Shining Armor.

Apparently this thing called "love" entitled him to snuggles and kisses from the mare he'd soon to take as his wife. These things were apparently idealized and desired by the oaf. Along with the constant closeness, late night talks keeping him awake, and unyielding affections. But he was not married as of yet, he could still be saved.

Shade had tried his best to reason with the young stallion, informing him about the cosmic entities whom frowned upon the disgusting display that marriage was and how they condemned it when they cast out the ponies Polka Halla heaven for their vile traditions, and were sentenced to be ruled under the Beast and Giant Horse Lady until the end of times.

Shining countered his fact based knowledge with the same indoctrinated drivel most ponies were told. That marriage was the best way to raise foals and that the ritual for their summoning didn't lead to the foal factory under Canterlot delivering them to the parents, but the act itself created them to live in the mommy's tummy.

BLASPHAMY! The poor fool was too far gone to be saved.

But Shade was a merciful and compassionate Messiah. He may not save this poor fool's mind, but he could save him from a fate worse than death.

"Take him to my tent!" The lunar pegasus declared. "I shall not allow him to disgrace himself farther!"

Exhaused from the three hour shouting match, as well as the travel, Shining armor put up little struggle as he was lead to a giant tent where Sin lost track of him.

"The infliction of chemical compounds within ones mind, and their compulsion for desired slavery and servitude to another for the sake of appeasement and companionship." He declared sagely, his eyes closed. "these are the self destructive biological battles we as sentient beings must continually fight."

Having tuned back in at just the right time, Sin found a bit more truth to Shade's logic than he'd like to admit.

"SINNY!" 

And like that, it was over.

"How ya been, Sin? Get rid of that loud mouthed bird yet?" Shade asked cheerfully.

'You know? As long as you've known him, you think you'd be less affected when he goes through a mood swing like this.'

Composing himself, the oaken stallion nodded and explained that Tyken had indeed left his camp. 

"Excellent. Too bad though, I wanted to know if he tasted more like a cat or more like a chicken."

A couple of griffins looked up in bewilderment at the pony. 

'Did he seriously just say that?'

"Well what are you waiting for, come, sit and drink with me. We have much to celebrate this night!" He declared, a couple of ponies, buffalo and zebra's joining in with cheers of their own, leaving Sin and the griffin's to their annoyance and shock respectively. Eventually, Sin was released from his holdings and took to Shade's right upon the ground.

Alright, he was out of his bindings again and had a decent vantage point, as well as the advantage to be near his friend to maybe talk some reason into. First though, Sin would have to do a head count and observe the area to make a good escape if he had to, plus rescue Shining Armor, maybe. If he had the time.

34 total. half ponies, a few buffalo, and only a couple of zebra and griffins. Fighting them wasn't an option, he didn't even have that many bolts, escaping when they slept would probably be the best bet if, er, when reason failed.

"Hello Sinbad. Nice to see you again." Discord's voice echoed in his head.

"Discord." Sin nodded pleasantly. 

"Actually, I'm rather surprised to see you here, I thought for sure that Lulu or Tia would find us long before now. What with Luna's little dream walking and mind reading reality hack."

Sin chuckled. "You really think you're in a position to complain about hacking reality?" 

"Fair enough. Still though, how did you find us?"

'Ha, it's funny because that's exactly how he found you.'

"He?"

Sin's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat... They could hear eachother?

'Yes, he found you through Luna's dream scape.'

"Facinating, I didn't know you had voices in your head Sinbad, you really might wanna get that checked out."

No, no, no, no. This was not happening, he didn't just say that!

'Uh, excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are, exactly?'

Stop! For the love of all things holy in the world!

"Oh my, such language." Discord Chuckled. "The Spirit of Chaos, at your service, and as such, I think I'm very qualified to determine a mental disorder when I see it."

'MENTAL DISORDER!? How dare you!?'

Sin resigned himself to the torturous arguement going on in his mind. I suppose it's true what they say: Hell is in your head.

"So, what brings you out here? Come to celebrate the Lord and Master's return with me?"

Yes! An escape!

"In a manner of speaking, I actually came to see what you planned to do." Sin stated matter of factly.

As if he'd just opened a gift on Hearths Warming, Shade beamed with excitement. "Oh good, for a second  there, I thought you were trying to stop me. Yes, we shall free Discord and chaos shall rule over the land once more!"

Again, the crowd cheered in agreement, each giving their own take on how the world will be a better place once the statue had broken and the spirit roamed free to bend reality to his wishes.

"And after that, we'll kill the beast!"

The acolytes' cheer was much louder, this time mixed in with harsh words for Luna, ponies spitting at her name and decrying her for the horrible acts she had committed herself and was indirectly responsible for.

The atmosphere of merriment quickly turned apprehensive to her mention, but the Federalist steeled his resolve and pressed on to ask the final question. "How?"

Sin didn't expect the silence he'd recieved. It was as if the night itself had just come in and sucked the air out of the camp. Nothing could be heard from the formerly joyous and angry crowd before him but the cackling of the fires and the crickets outside. He felt a little more humble seeing several dozen eyes looking straight at him in a mix between surprise and realization.

"How are we going to kill the Beast?" Shade asked, equally as confused. "Well, I'm not sure if it works, but the ponies who brought Discord to me gave me this thing, they said that it could-"

"No, no. I mean how do you intend to free Discord?"

"Oh, that! I was gonnaaa..." the stallion trailed off as his eyes furrowed in concentration. "I was going to... Hey, Iron Maiden, come here." A lone blue pony covered in white spots stepped forth from the crowed, coming almost nose to nose with him.

"How were we going to free him? ... What do you mean you don't know!? I thought you said you had it figured out!" He growled in a hushed, quick whisper. "No, no you said you did... Yesterday when we brought him back! ... No, no you said that you had a plan that might work... It didn't? Oh great. Alot of help you were, get the buck outta my face!"

The poor mare never had a chance, seeing as Shade's hoof made contact with the side of her face before he even finished speaking. "I'm surrounded by idiosyncrasies."

"Hey! The massiah just struck that mare!" One of the stallions in the crowd barked accusingly. 

Shade, seeing the challenge, jumped from his makeshift throne and gently glided to give a few words and collect a few teeth.

"Ok, seriously, how does he plan to break you out?" Sin asked, happy to have enough time to get some real information.

Discord chuckled sadly. "I'm afraid that me leaving this prison was never an option with these ponies."

"Wait, what? Than what was the entire point of bringing you out here?"

And so it began, a long and very strange tale. Apparently, as he suspected, Luna had changed the guard that night and meet with some shady ponies in black, leather jackets with an emblem comprised of three T's on the back. What possible reason Triple M. would be involved in this, Sin wasn't sure, but apparently Luna had been blackmailed by them into giving up the statue; less they inform her sister of their association. 

After that, he was brought here, where Discordian acolytes had assembled their anarchistic society, all of them believing their prayers were answered upon his arrival. Shade too was present, and declared the Messiah for his ability to communicate with Discord's statue. The draconiquis in question finding extreme delight in the idea. 

"After that, they gave him something. Said it could kill his greatest enemy, if he hit her with it. Of course I'd never advocate such a thing, that kind of chaos isn't something I'm interested in."

Sin sat silently, waiting for the statue to finish his tale.

"What?"

"You never mentioned what they wanted in return."

"They never asked for anything from him." The statue sighed. "Real shame too, it would have made this little venture a bit more interesting if they did. Still, I suppose it'll give me something to think about when I'm brought back to the Canterlot. The Elements of Harmony are what imprisoned me, and they are the only thing that can set me free, now."

Sin nodded. Seemed kinda sad, actually. Though, he did have one more question. "Any reason in particular they chose that day to plan your escape?"

Chuckling again, the spirit of chaos claimed that Celestia had planned to have him "rehabilitated" by Fluttershy. Which, to Sin, was the biggest joke he'd ever heard. So funny infact that he actually had to stifle a chuckle. 

"Ok, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let me get this straight." He said, pressing his lips to fight the smile. "Fluttershy. The poster pony for timid, meek and overall the biggest wimp in the world, was going to reform you, the so called "God of Chaos".

"I know, right!" Discord said as he and Sin bellowed out in mirth.

'Wow, for being a couple thousand years old, Celestia's kinda dumb. I mean, has she even talked to the mare? A gust of wind would send that girl screaming through the forest for Tapio's sake.'

"You see, even MD gets it!"

MD?

"Mental Disorder."

'I will eat your fucking face!'
> Experiments and Searches
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Experiments & Searches



Twilight stood in awe of the pink Alicorn of love before her.

Cadance... her brother... Engaged?!

"Good evening, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." Celestia greeted as officially as she could. "I hope your train ride was pleasant."

Cadence was obviously in no mood for such formalities, her scowl intensifying as the time passed with her question left unanswered. "I'm sorry, Aunty, but I'm not here to indulge you. Where is Shining Armor?"

"We do not know." The Alicorn replied simply. "We were hoping that you might have an idea, due to your intimate knowledge of his person. This obviously seems to no be the case."

"No, I don't. Where was he last seen? Were there any ponies of interest around or leaving the Castle before he left? Was anypony..."

Twilight tuned out the rambled off list of questions as she took the entire situation in. The Alicorn before her was nothing like she remembered. Kind, compassionate, Caring and very much living up to her namesake, Cadence was love and peace made flesh and blood. Yet here she sat, cold, calculating, angry nothing at all like how she remembered her former babysitter.

And strangest of all, engaged to her older brother! How did that even happen with out her knowing? Why wasn't she told!? Twilight knew they were going out when she was younger, but something this big might have warrented a letter to her. Did her parents know? If they did, why didn't THEY tell her? Why didn't Celestia tell her?

Twilight suddenly became very angry with those closest to her. 

Ok, ok. Maybe her family didn't know about it. Maybe Celestia didn't know about it, but if she didn't, than why was she acting as intimidadted as she was? Love doesn't automatically mean engagement, and even if she did know, maybe she assumed Shining Armor told her, same with her parents if they knew.

"Twilight?"

Than why didn't she know? Why didn't she hear from her brother for darn near a year and a half? No, no. Maybe it just happened? Yea, yea, maybe he proposed to her a few days ago. Yea, and he hadn't had enough time to tell her about it. That's the reason, that had to be the reason.


"TWILIGHT!"

"Huh? Whatssat?" The addressed asked, broken from her train of thought.

"Did Shining tell you anything when you last saw him?"

"No princess, not since he'd informed you about the city's last update a few days ago."

Cadance let out something that was a mix between a sigh and a grunt. "Than I suppose I have no choice. I'll have to use the tracking spell I placed on him." 





Malich burst into the Futuristics Medical Research building and made quick way to the elevator. He entered the proper door order and felt himself descend. 

There was no point in hiding it any longer and let out a very filly like squeal of glee. An event that he'd die of pure humiliation if anybody else saw him, but the information had him more than giddy.

He reached the basement and strutted from the door, startling the receptionist Minotaur. "Mr. Malich! Sir, Grind wasn't expecting to see you. Please excuse Grind while she makes you coffee."

"No need. Ms. Grind." He dismissed walking right on by. "I'm in too good of a mood for caffeine at the moment.

He left the lobby, and puzzled receptionist, wondering down the sterile white hall to the research labs briefing/break room. In the last few days, the team had accomplished more research on the changeling parasites than they had in ten years. And he owed it all to his newest associate.

He pulled open a single white door and entered the equally white and bland break room, with nothing but update news papers, and a kitchen area differing from the white walls, ceilings, floors and cream coloured chairs. Along with a black unicorn mare, sipping away her coffee as she reclined on a comfortable looking couch, Scy sitting right besides her, his face full of interested concern.

"Hello, Psy. What news do you have for me?"

"It's incredible sir." Psy replied, turning over another page of the file. "I don't know how she did it, but Elsa managed to remove a living parasite from the host with both still alive. BOTH! And the organism's hyper deterioration factor didn't kick in until after she'd preformed her dissection and analysis. Hell, it was still sitting in her office before her and I left!"

Music to his ears. 

"Wasn't anything really." Elsa dismissed cooly, taking another sip of her coffee. "That nice little Golden Flower of yours was helpful enough, I just added injected the subject with a personally developed solution that induced temporary neurological paralysis." She finished whipping her hoof on her chest, obviously pleased with the praise.

"Excellent. So, what have we learned?"

The only thing Malich wasn't fond of the his science teams for, was their long winded explanation about biology, physiology, genetic purpose and blah blah blah. They could go on and on for hours, and that's baring if he dared to ask for an elaboration on anything.

After the thirty minute speech had come to its end, Malich understood that the parasites had an overly developed brain for their size. The neurological pathways were vastly different from the Changeling drones they had dissected, much more independent and self determining, the part of the brain that intercepts transmission from the queen not being present from what they could see. 

This lead either to the possibility that the larva would consume its host and become a queen, or the theory that the larva would keep its independence until mature, gaining access to the hive cluster after it's need for self sufficiency had been completed. More tests would need to be done.

Though, the aspect of having a queen in their midst was what Excited both Malich and Elsa. Both for vastly different reasons. 

"It's a shame we're out of infected subjects, though." Psy declared sadly. Malich perked up at this.

"Out of subjects?" Malich repeated.

"Yes sir, Elsa dissected the last Zeborican a few hours ago." Malich's heart sank. "Save his life too, he was very appreciative." Lower. " "We've officially cured the disease." And that's the day Malich's heart met his ball sack.

But he couldn't let Psy see it, the poor auburn unicorn was an ethical being, kind and fair. If he knew Malich's true intentions for the changelings, the bastard might actually try to kill him if he ever found out.

"Truely a shame." The business pony replied, feigning disinterest. "The current living parasite, is it still being studied?"

"Yes sir!" Psy chirped. "Subject CP 001 and 002 are in climate controlled solution tanks as we speak. Again, last we checked, both were alive and are currently being observed for their response to different stimuli. See if we can find out anything relevant about them."

Well that was something at least. Hmmm, maybe he could still make something out of this yet. Still though, he'd have to capture more infected Zeboricans and bring them to the lab. If there was a chance, that he could grow a Queen naturally, not only would he pay his debt to Elsa, he could also follow through with his grand plan. Hmmm.

"What blood are you currently using to nourish them?" 

Psy was taken aback by the question, but answered honestly that earth pony blood given to 001 and donkey blood to 002.

"I'll be sending some agents from my Dragon Mount Division here. Greet hem at the entrance and Change up Subject 001's diet to dragon blood." Malich demanded, a delightful thought entering his head. "Let's see if that will garner some results."





Twilight Sparkle walked beside her former baby sitter. Apparently her tracking spell had caught onto Shining's trail and the two were now walking along his magical signature. The air was tense between the two, half from the unicorns resentment and half from Cadence's one track desire for her lover.

Celestia all but begged Twilight not to go, that she wanted all of the elements together should Discord decide to strike, but the unicorn insisted. Besides, the others were already out and about looking for the aformentioned anyways. Her leaving to find her brother was of the utmost importance.

But she promised to teleport back at any sign of chaotic magic.

"Any idea how far away he is?" Twilight asked, trying to defuse the tension between the two. Hey, she may be rutting his brother, but they were both still friends, right?

"No." Cadence replied simply, sparing no words. "He came through this way recently, though. So, he can't be too far away going on hoof."

The two were silent again, the awkward and tension returning.

Maybe it was the heat of the day, maybe it was the the fact that she was kept in the dark about the engagement, or maybe it was the fact that her son was imprisoned and awaited trial by Diamond Dogs who still believed in the death penalty. 

But the love pony's shortness had began crushing her patience far more quickly than it should have.

"What's your problem?!" Twilight finally blurted out indignantly, causing Cadance to look at her, irritation just as plain on her face as her accuser's. 

"My problem? Are you seriously asking me that, Twilight?"

"Yea! We haven't seen eachother in years, and you're treating me like a total stranger! The least you could have done was say hi to me back in Celestia's throne room!"

Dead panning, the Alicorn let out a sigh and put on the fakest smile she could muster. "Hi, Twilight. It's been too sooooo long! I've missed you so much, we should catch up some time! But right now, we have to find your brother who's gone missing, okay?" She proclaimed in mock perkiness before dropping back to the determined scowl and marching forwards again.

Twilight stood in shocked indignation at the display. What was left of her patience was slowly dwindling and she used the breathing trick Cadence had taught her when she was younger to try to regain control over herself. How dare she behave in such a manner? Twilight knew Cadence loved her brother, but this kind of behavior was simply unfathomable.

Then her mind drifted back to the lecture Celestia gave her right before Cadence had entered the throne room.

She somehow knew just how upset the Alicorn of Love would be, stating that Love enhanced other emotions such as anger when something of value was taken. Cadence, being the embodiment of love, suffered more from that than than anypony else. So long as her ability to fight existed, her anger would be roused and fueled by her love, same if she was unable to fight and her love would enhance her despair.

Considering that, the Alicorn's rage really wasn't as baseless as Twilight had first thought, maybe it would be best to simply stay quiet and let the seething princesses be until they'd figured the situation out.

At least, that what she would say, if her temper was under control...

 
> Discordant Awkwardness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Discordant Awkwardness



Sin sat beside his friend, waiting patiently for Shade to go to sleep. He'd already figured out what he needed to do, and how he was going to do it. What he was having trouble deciding was if he was going to save Shining Armor or not. I mean, the two weren't exactly friends, and he was rather certain Shade wasn't actually have him hanged. The alabaster stallion really did bring his capture on himself.

'Dude, seriously? He attacked because he thought you were going to be lynched.'

"Alright, Sin." Shade said with a yawn and a few clicks of his tongue. "I'mma head to bed."

"Alright, have a good rest." Sin replied as he looked about at the multiple piles of ponies and zebras around him. 

"Will do, don't go off trying to escape or break out the prisoner who's trying to throw his life away to some temptress while I'm asleep~" The bat pony sang before disappearing into his tent.

Sin smirked and looked away.

"No, seriously." Shade said, poking his head out. "I need you here to figure this out tomorrow. You're like, the smartest pony I know. Valaris. make sure he doesn't try to leave."

A rather bored looking dark red unicorn stallion with a white, shoulder length mane looked up at him with one piercing red eye. The other covered by an eye patch. Upon his chest and shoulders sat two dark brown belts that criss crossed over, laced with multiple stones that had various symbols and and markings. Nothing else looked terribly remarkable about the pony save for the black pendant shaped like a diamond that hung around his neck, holding a white vertical line with an arrow going off up and to the side.

"Yes sir." He replied, his voice a little high, but still menacing enough.

Sin squinted his eyes. That was the stallion who'd challenged Shining's powers and subdued him with his stones. Sin wasn't a mage or scholar by any means, but he knew those stones were enchanted. Unsure of exactly how, it seemed they enhanced the unicorns powers. In his brief skirmish, he'd used them as: A shield, a means to enhance a magical blast, and a kind of prism to capture the unicorn. The first two done through the stones forming a giant circle, the area within acting for offense and defense respectively.

Taking the new variable into account, Sin contemplated how he was going to get past him, watching the pony who laid back lazily, keeping his one red eye on him at all times. He was a unicorn, he had telekinesis, a problem the stallion had faced multiple times and come out with the short end of the stick. 

Hey could wait the stallion out, hoping he fell asleep before the others woke up? No, it was too close to dawn for that. Rushing him probably wouldn't work out for obvious reasons, same result with flat out running away.

The only other option Sin could think of was to don his cross bow again and take a shot. Unicorn's were fast, but not fast enough to stop a cross bow bolt.

Sin didn't like the option, after all, the stallion in question didn't really attack him or cause any aggressive actions what so ever. He merely reacted to Shining when the stallion had leapt in on the threat to defend Shade and the rest of the Acolytes. 

'Be that as it may, the fact of the matter is that if you want to get out of here, you'll have to incapacitate him. If you want to save that damnable captain, than you'll have to kill him so he wont wake the others.'

Kill someone just so he could leave, kill someone who'd done nothing to him. Only the threat of it. It went against his moral code, but the fact the stallion had intentions to stop him from leaving left Sin with only two choices. Stay or kill the stallion and leave.

Shade made it clear he wasn't going to let Sin out of the camp, that made Shade an aggressor against him. Yea, he'd aggressed against others, Luna mostly. But he overlooked that because he believed Shade justified. The fact the pony had turned his violence against himself had made Shade Sin's enemy.

Sin let out a sigh and reached for his saddlebag to fish out his cross bow. He'd made up his mind, if he let Shining Armor stay here, it was clear they'd mistreat him. The stallion may have been a fool, but Shining's intention was to protect the oaken stallion, and Sin had the obligation repay such a debt, even if it was to a statist.

"Planning something?" Inquired the pony, lifting two of the stones from their pouches.

"Can a stallion get some bread to eat?" 

Valiar smirked, still holding the two stones in his magic. His body shifting and posture tightening as if ready to strike.

'Yea, I think he might just beat you to the draw... Got anything else?'

Unfortunatly, he didn't.

"Look." Said Valiar calmly, laying back against the rock again. "If you wanna leave, than go ahead and go. I'm not going to stop you."

Sin quirked a brow, it wasn't that easy. It's never that easy.

"Believe what you want." The navy stallion replied, his body visibly relaxing again. "Unless it makes you wanna pull out that cross bow of yours and shoot me. I'd rather you not, if you don't mind."

Eyes narrowing, the stallion's hoof remaind on the projectile launcher. Shade must given away his weapon of choice. "And why should I believe you'd just let me waltz out of here after your superior gave you an order?" 

This got Valiar's attention. "That insane nut-job is not my superior." He seethed between clenched teeth. "Word had it that Discord was being released. I came to make sure it didn't happen."

"By attacking the Captain of the royal guard?"

"Yeaaaa... You see, what had happened was..." Valiar said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know who he was, alright. He comes in shooting off magic 'cause Shade told them to tie you up. Anypony else would have done the same. Ya?"

'He's got ya there, Sin.'

"Fair enough," this concluded their conversation in terms of his skeptisism. Maybe, just maybe the universe was finally cutting him a long overdue break.

Slowly, watching the blue stallion suspiciously, Sin crept past a pile of buffalo and into Star Shade's tent. Who so happened to be sleeping right at the entrance. Slipping to prevent himself from waking the maniacal pony up, he threw his front hooves out and preyed they would both miss him completely. Luckily, they'd both missed his body, landing just above his back.

"Sin?" He heard from beneath him. Unluckily, his stomp was loud enough and close enough to wake him anyway.

Shade looked up at his prisoner with wide, curious eyes, taking note of exactly the situation he was in and making a mind boggling assertion the likes of which neither pony would ever speak about again.

"Are- are you about to make babies with me?"

... 

...

"Go to sleep, Shade." THWAK.

And just like that, Star Shade was knocked unconscious, with no proof that what had happened that night was anything but a dream save for the ungodly headache he'd no doubt have in the morning. But for for the oaken pegasus stallion from the Federation? It was a memory that would join the long list of others to be filed under alcoholic repression.
> Prison Transfer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Prison Transfer



"Shining." Sin barked, nudging the stallion's shoulder. "Shining, wake up."

The alibaster pony shivered and tightened farther into the fetal position. "Canterlot, manufacturing, fillies, stork." He mumbled under his breath. 

'Oh no, he's trying to comprehend Star Shade's conspiracy theories. Quick! Smack him over the head with a hammer!' 

"Don't think about it, he's insane." replied the stallion, cutting the rope holding him and pulling the prisoner to his hooves. "C'mon, we gotta get out of here before somebody wakes up."

"Somepony..."

"What?" 

"You said somebody, you meant somepony." Shining replied groggily. 

Deciding there was no point in explaining how such a word was associated with pony supremacy back in his country, the two slowly crept out of the tent, and stealthily passed the sleeping piles to the far end of the camp. 

Thinking they were home free, Sin looked back to see Shining Armor glancing back at the encampment with sever resentment. "Shining, we need to go."

"No, you need to go." The guard captain replied. "We tried things your way, now we do them mine."

"Your call." Sin declared before walking away. He'd helped the guard captain escape, his debt was paid. It wasn't his concern what became of Shining at this point. Besides, eventually Celestia would find them anyways, so might as well let him get it all wrapped up tonight.

"Leaving already, Sinbad?"

Nope, this wasn't his problem anymore.

"Really, Sin. I'm surprised at you." Discord's voice declared in offense. "You're really going to just walk away and leave Star Shade to this fate? I thought you two were friends."

"We WERE friends, up until he held me captive against my will."

Discord sighed. 'Alright, look. Shade may not show it, but he's scared right now.'

It was comical to even entertain, Star Shade, the most insane and hateful pony in the world, was afraid. "Don't insult my intelligence." 

The draconequus denounced the accusation, claiming that the Federalist was acting irrationally, and allowing the bias of his philosophies to cloud his judgement of the situation. But he wouldn't have it, no matter how the alleged god of chaos put it, Shade had acted against him.

"Listen to me!" He barked, causing a massive headache that made Sin faulter. "When you first met him, the lad was so far gone that he couldn't even talk in coherent sentences! Haven't you noticed how much more rational he's become since you brought him before me?"

That was a good point, but still not his problem. If anything, it just meant the night pony was aware of what he was doing, and did it anyways.

Discord nearly boiled over in frustration at the rationalizations. He'd been attempting to heal Shade's mind ever since he found out the stallion had the plan to kill Luna. Claiming that such actions were counter to his desires and interests. To claim Sin skeptical of such a claim was an understatement, wasn't destruction part of the chaos that the imprisoned god loved so much?

"The same could be said about chaos and anarchy, could it not?"

Ok, that was fair point. Still, though...

At this point, the head ache intensified, bringing the stallion to his knees. It was clear that Sin wasn't going to be allowed to leave... And maybe he shouldn't.

He'd spent his life turning his back on his friends in their time of need. Abandoning them to fates that were far beyond the crimes and foolishness they'd committed. Yea, Shade had committed against his will, but it what if it really was because he was afraid? 

So what if he was afraid! It's his actions that matter, context only holds so much sway! It's the way of most ponies, you know this and you've known this for years. 

Aye, but what's that gotten me? An aimless future, dead friends, a hut in the woods and nothing else to show for it. Is that what I want to be for the rest of my life? Someone who runs away at the first sign of trouble?









Ponies, and zebras scrambled in every which direction, the majority of the buffalo had already fled the encampment along side the griffins as Shining Armor fought both Valiar and anyone foolish enough to attack him directly. 

He'd had multiple experiences facing enchanted magics in his life, but the Stones weren't something he'd ever encountered before. Though, his last duel had left him far more knowledgeable of how to combat them.

"STOP!" Valiar cried. "I'm not your enemy!" Another powerful pink bast from the captain slammed into his spell shield, sending a spider web like crack from the top of the magical field to the bottom, before Shining dismissed another zebra with a lesser spell, dropping it. 

"LIES!" He spat before charging forward.

Valiar grunted and his horn ignited brighter, the red aura around the stones causing them to shift and encircle him before drawing close and teleporting the stallion in a bright flash of light.

"Darn. Where did he go!?" The unicorn stomped looking around. Shade could wait, it was rare that Shining Armor had ever met a Unicorn strong enough to withstand his own magic as that pony had. He was a threat that had to be neutralized and brought to Celestia.

Valiar appeared behind a hut and looked back to make sure he wasn't detected. Satisfied he was safe for the time being, the stallion contemplated what to do. 

That was Captain of the guard, Shining Armor. Surly he'd have Discord replaced into Canterlot garden, so there was no point in continuing the fight. Though, being the competitive and entertained as he was during the battle, he also wanted to stay just for the sake of the rush. Ever since he'd traveled to High Unicorn Citadel and proved himself worthy of the Runes of Anti'arch, Valiar had faced certain victory after certain victory in any duel he'd entered.

This may be his one chance to face an opponent worthy of his time. Captain of the Guard, acclaimed as one of the strongest Unicorns in all the land.

How could he refuse such a delicious challenge?

Doning a smile, Valiar strutted out from behind the hut and looked into the eyes of his opponent. 

Time to put the Runes of Anti'arch to the test.





The guard captain smirked. "Finally done running?"

Valiar smirked in return, half of his runes making way for his opponent. Shining saw this and winked away before the stones could encompass him. He appeared behind the stallion and cast a spell, as anticipated, the spell was deflected by a small circle shield and cast back at him. He jumped out of the way and charged the red stallion.

Seeing the rush, Valiar set his weapons to spin rapidly and returned the gesture. Right as the first rune was about to hit, Shining slid under them and slammed his left hoof into Valiar's own, sending the stallion skidding into the earth.

Ok, that wasn't his best moment.

"C'mon." Taunted Shining with a smirk. "Rookie mistake, kiddo."

Lifting his head, the crimson unicorn returned the smile. "So is taking you're eyes off of your opponent." Shining's smile didn't falter, even as he ducked and dodged the six stones that swung past him from behind.

Catching them before they made contact, Valiar grunted. Alright, so that didn't work. 

'Shouldn't be surprised. He didn't become Captain of Royal Guard by being sloppy.'

Switching up tactics, Valiar set all twelve runes into a circle infront of him and lit his horn for a energy attack. Seeing this, Shining waited until the unicorn unleashed, telephoning behind him and using the stallion's preocupation to land a strike to end the duel. Though, he didn't count on the fact he'd miscounted and had his hoof intercepted by a single rune.

With a smirk, Valiar retracted the stones and winked a good ten meters away from his adversary. "Think you're the first to pull that little trick?"

Again, Shining's face contorted into a smirk. Those stones were a problem, but he had the solution. Using a spell Celestia herself had taught him, Shining channeled his mana into a different kind of magic. It would drain him more than the energy blasts and teleporting, but one on one combat with this guy would take too much time. If stories were true about Star Shade, than he'd need to be unoccupied in order to subdue him.

Suddenly, the aura of his horn died down and the earth started to quake violently. Valiar's eyes widened and he jumped away as two, four digit stone appendages reached out where he was. He watched with irritation as three, six foot, hunched over masses of earth with two legs, two arms and faceless heads climbed forth to challenge him.

"Earth gollums." Valiar spat. "Not bad."

They charged for him, each horrify step they took shaking the earth beneath him, with stomping sounds to match.

"But not good enough." Again, Valiar shifted his runes, forming three squares of four runes and casting a magical blast to hit each of the earth born enemies. Though, as soon as his spell had cast, the unicorn felt a painful jab push right into the back of his neck right before falling to the ground unconscious. All twelve runes falling to the ground with him.

"Good enough to distract you." Shining quipped before instructing all three of his creations to collect Valiar and his runes. Satisfied that his adversary was secured, the stallion turned his attention back to the main hut. He strutted forth and found the lunar pegasus slowly coming to.

"Wha? What happened?"

"You're under arrest for conspiracy against the Crown." Asserted the unicorn, lighting his horn and pointing it menacingly. "Come along quietly, or else."





"Any word on when they'd be back?" Applejack asked.

Celestia shook her head, she'd just explained to the five elements of Harmony of Twilight and Cadence's mission to locate Shining Armor, who'd inexplicable disappeared the day Discord had gone missing.

"I would rather you all stay at the castle from now on." The white alicorn declared. "If Discord does show himself, having the Elements of Harmony present to combat him would be the best course of action.

"Forgive me, your highness, but wouldn't it have made more sense to keep Twilight here, if that was the case?" Rarity interjected humbly.

"Yea, I mean, they don't work unless they are all here, right?" Pinkie agreed.

Celestia sighed. "I tried to stop her, but she was determined to assist princess Mi Amore Cadenza track him down, nothing I could do short of restraint would stop my faithful student."

Everyone gave a sideways glance to the lone chuckling rainbow maned pony. "Wow, didn't think Twilight would disobey the Princess. But hay, if somepony I loved went missing, I'd risk the world to save them too."

"We know ya would, Dash." AJ smiled.

The six chatted a bit longer, putting the missing statue on hold in favor of more pleasant topics, though that wasn't to last as a silver clad stallion burst through the door, announcing the arrival of an escort of Diamond Dogs to take Spike into custody.





Macintosh watched over the baby dragon as he slept. Tired himself from being up as long as he had, but he promised to look after Spike as long as he could.

It was strange how he was feeling, how protective he'd grown over the little dragon. The entire ordeal really put into perspective how stupid the whole Rarity incident had been. Hopefully, when all was said and done, Spike would serve out a rather harsh but short sentence. He wasn't a bad guy, he'd just made a mistake. And mistakes shouldn't cost anypony their lives.

The stallion's attention was caught when a quiet knock came from the door. Standing from his place, Macintosh slowly made his way and opened the door to find Pinkie Pie and his sister standing with their ears drooped and frowns present.

"Hey Mac, Spike up?" AJ asked.

"Sleepin' righ' now. Why?"

Biting her lip, Applejack cautiously explained that the Diamond Dogs had come to take Spike away for judgement. When Mac protested that it was in Equestria and that the Princess should have jurisdiction over the trial, Applejack quietly explain the political issues that Celestia and Luna would face if they didn't hand the drake over.

"Ah'm sorry, Big Mac. Ah don't like it either, but fer the good o' Equestria, we gotta hand em over."

Macintosh stood trembling. Against Celestia, Spike had a chance at a quick punishment and moving on with his life. But the Diamond Dogs? Who knew what they would do to him? A few thoughts came to mind, each serving to make the stallion a little more angry than the last. He had to do something, but what? If he stood by and let it happen, Spike was gone for Celestia knew how long, if he tried to stop them, he'd start a revolt.

This wasn't fair, Spike just made a mistake! He couldn't let it happen, he wouldn't.

'Bucking politics!'

"It's okay, Mac." Spike declared, rubbing his eyes and grabbing his brown cloak. "If me turning myself over keeps peace for the rest of Equestria, than I'll do it. I deserve it."

"Ya do not!" Mac protested, reproducing his internal thought.

"Mistakes happen, and the prices for those mistakes need to be paid." Spike soothed. "I know it looks bad, but I've gotten away with so much because of Twilight. Like the first time I went on a rampage, I didn't get time in jail like I should have, and that's not fair. I should have been punished. I can't keep counting on everypony else to take care of me, I need to start taking care of myself. And the first step is for me to take responsibility for the pain I've caused."

Both AJ and Pinkie looked at Spike with Shocked faces. Mac already knew how Spike felt on the matter, but it didn't make him any less protective.

After a few words of confirmation and concern, Spike was lead down to the main hall where Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Celestia were waiting, Fluttershy being to beside herself to see the drake taken away again.

"Are you ready, Spike?" Celestia asked solumly. "They've brought a... carraige for you."

Mac felt himself tense up as he looked past the troop of dogs to see a square, black steel cube of bars sitting behind them. 

'They're going to put him in a cage!?'

It made his stomach churn, but a part of him knew it was coming. He didn't want to see it, but it made the prison no less real.

Taking a breath, Spike stepped forward to his fate, only to be intercepted by a wailing Rarity, pleading with him to take care of himself and how sorry she was that it was happening.

The dragon still had mixed feelings about the mare, but determined that he wanted to leave with as many fond memories as he could get his claws on. Who knew? They might be the last he'd ever make.

"You stay cool, Spike." Said Rainbow, fighting the tears. "Thanks for being awesome, we'll do everything we can for you."

He embraced the sky blue mare and squeezed tightly, treasuring the affection. He then turned to Pinkie and received a bone crushing hug that he wasn't prepared for as she bawled her eyes out, muttering gibberish he couldn't comprehend. 

Breaking away from the irate mare, he gave a hug to Celestia who wished him all the best and turned to Mac and Applejack. "You two keep things together for me. Alright." The dragon declared, fighting the quivering in his voice. "Twilight will need somepony to keep an eye on her with me gone."

Mac's eyes closed and his face scrunched to fight the crushing despair. This was really it. Spike was really leaving.

"We don' know what them mutts have planned fer ya, but we promis' ta look after Twilight, fer ya, pardner." AJ proclaimed, giving the next hug. 

Mac stood next, no words needed to be said, save two as he gave the dragon the strongest hug he could. "Ah'm sorry, Spike."
	
> Self Condemnation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Self Condemnation



"Or else what?" Shade snarled, getting to his hooves.

Shining didn't want to answer that, he wasn't a cruel pony by any means, he'd rather this settled peacefully but wasn't about to allow the psychological advantage to go to the prisoner of the situation.

"Or else nothing." A voice came from behind, along with the unmistakable wooden click of a crossbow. Slowly, the stallion turned his head to see Sin holding his crossbow directly to the back of his neck. "What will be happening now is you will take your horn off my friend, dicipate your gollums, and return back to Canterlot."

"What are you doing?!" Shining barked in utter disbelief. "Did you forget that-"

"I'm well aware." Sin interjected. The two stood eyeing eachother, each daring the other to make a move. Sin could feel his hoof shaking on the trigger of the crossbow, he didn't want to do it and he knew he really couldn't, but Shining didn't know that. As far as he was concerned, Sin was just some anarchist scum from a backwater country up north. If even that. Hopefully that and a little bit of luck would be enough to push the bluff forward.

"Have you ever killed anypony before?" Shining asked, playing on the soul crushing and terrible emptiness that followed the act. Playing the psychology game against him. Sin didn't reply, but kept his bolt right to the back of his enemy's neck. Knowing all to well exactly what was being spoken about.

"Look," he hissed. "I know you don't like me and I know you don't trust me, but I trusted you when I brought you here. I'm asking you to trust me now. There's alot more going on here than you know about and if who I'm told is involved is really involved and this isn't played properly than there is a possibility that someone very close to you will get hurt." 

It was a very VERY vague half truth that he knew would be considered a threat, but if Triple M was involved and anybody spoke about Luna's involvement with the statue being taken, she would be in trouble with her sister. That would hurt, right?

As expected, Shining growled that he didn't like threats, and Sin attempted to explain that it wasn't one, but there really wasn't a point. How else was anyone supposed to inteprate those words besides as a threat?

Slowly but surly, he'd worked the stallion into dissipating both his aura and the gollums. Shining etched into his mind the face of the red pony and swore he'd come back for him. "This isn't over, anarchist next time I see you it'll be to put you in chains."

"Duly noted." Sin snarked. "Now get to walking."





Cadence flew west through the badlands with Twilight on her back. The former continually swooping down to check and make sure they were still on her lover's trail.

Twilight had held her tongue for the most of the hours of flight. The sun was just starting to poke over the horizon behind them and with it, a sense of dread. Why would her brother be this far out into the desert? They were almost to Grand Junction now, what could cause him to come all the way out here, alone?

"THERE!" Called Cadence, swooping down to a small white speck bellow. Twilight's heart lept in her chest and she followed the pink alicorn.

As they neared the ground, the purple unicorn calculated the lack of time they'd have to slow down before stopping. Realizing that Cadence intended to dive bomb hug her brother, Twilight called out to the Alicorn before jumping for her life using her levitation to bring herself to a gentle stop on the ground.

"Oh Shining. I was so worried about you!" Cadance declared, hugging the stallion close and nuzzling into his chest. Twilight felt all her resentment evaporate in that moment, seeing two ponies she loved embracing eachother in such a tender way.

"I'm sorry, Cadence, I had to- OW!"

And like that the feelings of tenderness were done away with, replaced by repeated and angry wing slaps that hurt to watch. "Where. Did. You. GO! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" She demanded between each slap.

"I'm sorry!" Shining surrender, covering his face with his hooves. "I had a lead on-"

"Ok, Candance, that's enough." Twilight said, prying the aforementioned away. "I think that's enough abuse from you." 

Shining let a sigh but immediately regretted dropping his guard as a flurry of kicks came from Twilight. "How dare you get engaged to somepony without telling me!? You inconsiderate featherbrain!" 

The vicious assault was quickly ended by the other pony present and the two went off to cool down. Shining simply sat there for a moment, absolutely stunned at the treatment he'd just received. But, that was the price to pay for having a family who cared about you and falling in love with the Alicorn of Love.





Sin and Shade sat side by side, gazing into the last fire of the camp. Everyone else, save the Valiar who slept peacefully in Shade's bed, had long since abandon their god.

Funny how loyal these "anarchists" were when the state reared its ugly head to challenge them, fucking cowards. But, this was going off of what Luna said, and he didn't exactly have time to figure out what their stances and goals were. Probably just a bunch of what he referred to as "punk rock" anarchist. Ponies and such who didn't really plan on any structure of society, just wanted to "stick it to the man".

"I'm sorry." Shade said out of the blue. "For telling them to tie you up before."

"Yea, why did you tell them to do that, again?"

Shade sighed. "I don't know, I guess I thought you'd think I was the one who brought him out here and panicked. You always turned over others who wanted to be free from the Magical Horse Lady and the Beast. I figured you'd do the same to me."

Sin pressed his lips and nodded his head. Shade was right, he did have a habit of that kind of thing. "To be fair, though. The last one wasn't on me." Briefly explaining the mob who'd gone out ahead of him.

Another awkward silence passed as Sin contemplated exactly what to say. "Shade, we need to leave." 

"And go where?" The bat pony replied. "You were the one who told me to face trial so I could live a life without running from the law. Now you want me to be on the run when my god is left to the beast?" He ended in a laugh. Sin tried again, coaxing the stallion into returning to the Federation with him, the Equestrians had no jurisdiction there and there were no treaties of indictment. They didn't need to be on the run or suffer for what happened here.

"Sorry Sinny." He chirped leaning on the Discord Statue. "But I don't plan to go anywhere without my god."

He thought he'd be more surprised to hear it, but Sin knew the answer before he even asked. "You're an idiot for staying." He said with a small shake of the head. "And I'm an idiot for staying by you."

This caught Shade off guard. "Seriously? Ya really mean you're gonna stay?" He narrowed his eyes. "This isn't gonna be like that time you used me to fight the dragon while you hid behind a rock like a coward, is it?"

'Ouch.'

"Ok, for the record, I hid because I had a plan."

"What about the time in that one valley when that ram was attacking Spike?"

"Uhhh, well I-"

"Or like that time we were walking along that goat path and that wild boar attacked?"

"That was because you provoked it by trying to steal it's baby."

Shade smiled dumbly. "But pork is sooooo delicious."

The chuckling devolved into silence again. It was an interesting thing, exploring the emotion of guilt. Not actively fighting it or trying to rationalize it, but just allowing it to happen. To simply feel bad for doing bad things, even if it was out of necessity or for the greater good. Especially considering just how many time's he'd really wronged the pony besides him.

"If you want to go, you can." Shade said with a smile as he stroked the fire. "I wont be mad at you or anything."

"Naw, I'm alright."

"Why do you wanna stay? It's not like you to help somepony who hurt you like this."

Sin sighed and tried to figure out the best way he could explain it: he foretold about Tyken's words, about his friends: Crasus, Zell and Windmane. How he abandon each of them when they needed him most. How his father had killed Zell and how he'd done nothing as Crasus ended his own life. Leading to the stallion's self loathing and growing inability to truly relate or get close to others. No matter who he became friends with, his father and brother had the means to kill them.

It hurt. Speaking about his past like this. It hurt realizing all of the guilt and pain for what it was. Acknowledging how much of a terrible, inhumane, pathetic, ass hole he was for turning away from those who cared about him. Maybe that's why he'd lived his life trying to make everything as black and white as possible, denouncing the emotional attachment and the influence it brought in favor of objectivism. To fight acknowledging everything he was forcing himself admit to.

A life dedicated to pragmatism.

"Because, I suppose we're both so alike. You understand me better than Mac and Spike could, they have ponies they love and who love them. I don't, I gave all of that up and just lived my life without loved ones."

"So you're family would never kill them and control you." Shade nodded. "If it helps, my family enslaved me to work under the beast just because I was a lunar pegasus. Said it was my 'honour bound obligation'."

Sin remained quiet as Shade also opened up about himself. Recounting the events that he'd told Discord weeks ago. As the story progressed, Sin's eyebrow grew higher and his jaw grew wider. Thoughts of "the box" burning a new level of hatred he'd never before thought possible. Even leading to him openly yelling at the incredibly disgusting anecdote from time to time.

"And after they moved me to the bigger prison, you helped me break free. And here we are now."

If the oaken pony felt like crap before, he felt like an undeserving useless sack of shit now. Shade had suffered so much, he'd endured probably the worst pain any thing could ever feel and the Federalist had farther abused him, taking him to fight dragons, dogs, goats, ponies and griffins. Yet not once did Shade complain.

It was enough to drive the stallion into depression, suddenly very regretful about embracing his emotions.

"Sin?"

"Yea?" He replied weakly.

"Thanks." Shade said, a genuine smile on his face. "For freeing me and standing by me."

And now he was thanking him for it too. As suddenly as the last wave of guilt and shame had come, an even bigger wave took him now.

Tapio damn, you really are a piece of shit. Dude.

A faint whimper was heard and both looked behind to see Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle and a pink alicorn neither recognized standing behind them. The last of the three the one wimpering, as evidenced by the tears in her eyes.

"Is all of that true?" Twilight asked in utter disbelief. Shade merely nodded.

"That's sad, but I'm afraid that doesn't excuse either of your actions." Shining Declared as he stepped forward and catching them both in his magic. "You two are under arrest for acts of Treason to the crown."

> Empty Incarcerations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Empty Incarcerations




Sin and Shade were lead to the throneroom, the clicks and clatters of armor and hooves of their escort sounding around them, as well as the rattling of the chains that binded them.

Oddly though, there was a third in their troop. Valaris brought up the rear. His runes stolen away from him, leaving the unicorn bare and very much naked looking. But, the metal shackles and collar helped a little bit with that.

Before long, all three were brought before both Celestia and Luna. Shining was still back at the camp, coordinating the return of the statue along with Twilight and her friends, and the pink alicorn "Cadence" taking a seat to the right of the Solar goddess.

"Sinbad Islander, Star Shade, and Valiar Hartborn, you three are accused of treason against the crown and have been brought forth before me to offer explanation and defense against the accusations and to repudiate the accuser." Celestia proclaimed sternly. "Since this is a matter of treason, we shall first judge your explanation, If I and my sister deem your explanation unsatisfactory for your crime, than you shall be taken to trial and found innocent or guilty by a jury of fellow ponies as we are the ponies of bias in your crime."

"You are now to be given time to prepare your cases and present them to us."

...

...

"You may start now."

Again, silence. Each for their own reasons. Shade due to the Luna's presence and his attention to focused on his scathing hatred of her, Sin because of his emotional issues in attempting to cope with them in a way other than repression, and Valiar because he just couldn't believe how utterly stupid he was. Challenging the captain of the guard and not escaping? He had no defense against this.

"Nothing to say?" The sun goddess inquired. "Nothing at all?"

"Your highness." Started Valiar. "Of the crime of assaulting the Guard captain, Shining Armor, I am guilty. But the treason of harboring Discord, I am not."

When asked to explain, Valiar told them about the griffin in a black jacket who'd sought out Discordian Acolytes. Claiming that they had planned to extract the statue from Canterlot and place it into the Badlands east of Dodge Junction. He'd been at the rendezvous site before the statue had arrived and witnessed a group of no less than twenty pegasi and griffins hauling it to the camp center. Each wearing the exact same uniform as the one who'd told him.

Celestia looked thoughtful at the accusation and asked the other two for confirmation of the story. Neither Shade nor Sin spoke to confirm or deny.

"C'mon guys. I could use a little help here." Valiar grumbled, prodding Sin in the side.

"I wasn't there." Sin quipped at a volume barely heard.

The eyes of all three alicorn then fell onto Star Shade who pressed his lips and looked away. 

"Oh c'mon, dude. You were there before I was. Tell them that those black coat freaks were the ones who did it!" No effect.

"I believe that's quite enough." Celestia ordered, ceasing any bickering before it began. She stood from her place and slowly descended the stairs of her throne until she was eye level with the pony of interest. "Star Shade, did you or did you not have anything to do with Discord's abduction from our garden?"

Shade looked into the eyes of his princess and didn't see the anger or look of accusation he expected. All he saw was a gentle, almost compassionate curiosity on her face. He couldn't explain why, but he liked seeing her face so happy, it was soothing to him. "No, Horse Lady, I didn't take Discord from the garden." Shade replied truthfully.

"Thank you, my little pony." Celestia praised, patting the stallion on the head and making her way back to her place. "I find these explanations satisfactory to dismiss claims of treason. Sister, do you agree?"

Luna gave a token of resistance in thought but ultimately came to the same conclusion.

'Wow, gullible much?' Stated Sin's inner voice.

"However, each of you is accused of another crime. You, Sinbad, coercion of a royal guard, You, Valiar, assault of the same royal guard, and you Shade, resisting arrest. Since the accuser isn't present in order to make their claim, judgement upon these charges shall have to wait for a later date. Until such time, all present shall be detained to the Castle and kept under constant monitor to ensure you do not flee."

A few more words of formality and instruction that the trials would each be held in five days time, all five of the stallions were dismissed from the chamber and escorted out.





As soon as the doors opened, Macintosh rushed forward to see if Shade and Sin were alright. Neither had said a word as they passed into the throne room and still neither spoke now. 

He followed them to the guest room of the castle where Spike had been kept during his own time waiting and the guards left all four of the ponies to themselves. Which left Sin to crawl onto the bed, Shade to sit on a chair and the unfamiliar red pony to sit in a corner and mope.

"Sin?" Mac called, walking up to the stallion's side and prod him. "Sin, ya alright?"

"Don't waste your time, bud." The red stallion called. "He isn't talking to anypony."

Mac turned his attention to Shade whom merely looked away, a surreal look of sadness on his typically neutral or happy face. The red stallion took a step back and simply stared. How had things come to this? First they took Spike away, and now his only other two friends were going to be imprisoned too? As if his dragon friend wasn't enough!

"What happened!" Macintosh demanded forcefully. He already knew they were arrested for being involved with Discord's disappearence, but that shouldn't have tramatized the oaken pony as he was. "Shade. Tell me what happened."

"Go home, Macintosh." Shade replied, his face stuck in a pout. "What happened isn't something you need to know about."

"What the buck?! We're friends, o' course it's when something hurts my friends, I need ta know 'bout it!"

"Are we?" Shade countered. Asking for any details about himself that the pony could call off the top of his head. After all friends knew those kinds of details about each other, right? Mac rebuked him, claiming he'd wanted to ask but could never find the stallion in an approachable mood.

"But that's it, isn't it?" Shade shot back. "Can you even-|

"Enough, Shade." Sin croaked, lifting his head up to defend Mac. "Macintosh, I'm sorry, but what we've done, there's no getting out of. They're pretty serious crimes, and we'll be spending a lot of time behind bars for them." He sighed. "It'd... It'd be for the best if you just move on with your life without us."

Macintosh's jaw dropped. He felt as if he'd just had his chest slammed into a brick wall. Not only from the words his friend had said, but the trembling in his body, the cracking in his voice and the shivering of his lips. 

Sin was about to cry. By gosh, the stallion was being emotional!

And that was it, Sin turned away before he could really unload and fell silent, followed by Shade. Mac looked over to the other red pony in the room and was just as dejected to see the exact same reaction.

What was he supposed to do? All of his friends were in custody, facing charges that would have them taken away for years, and all he could do was stand by and helplessly watch as they fell into despair.

The stallion's own emotions threatening to bubble forth, he summoned up the last bit of composure his warey, sleep deprived mind could muster and walked out the door without any word of goodbye.

He felt numb, his appendages didn't feel real, each step he took felt like he was floating and the world passed by in a blur. He remembered walking out of the castle, arriving at the train station, briefly being on the train, passing to Ponyville and finally walking up the stairs to his room. He laid down in bed and simply stared up at the ceiling for what had to be an hour.

How? When? Why? Were the questions that kept going through his mind. His life was falling apart, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do.

He didn't know when she came in, but he felt a hoof upon his cheek and looked over to find Annabelle looking down at him with eyes full of concern. "Macintosh? Are you alright? What happened?"

The tremors came in quick order, followed by the salty sting of tears in his eyes. Next thing he knew, he was in Annabelle's sweet embrace and that was it. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He cried, he dropped every last shred of mental armor he had and completely unloaded every last bit of pain and hurt he had, the kind mare stroking his mane, whispering to him how things would be alright.







Three hours had passed for the stallions before they were disturbed by a pony offering the dinner time meal. Two of the three trays went untouched as Valiar was the only one who ate.

A few more hours passed as the night came and took each of the ponies into sleep.

After a rather strange dream about Princess Luna and... something, Sin awoke to the light of dawn aroused the Federalist from his restless slumber. He always hated the nights where he woke up more tired than when he slept.

It certainly didn't help his mental state either. It was strange, having all of the feelings he did and not knowing how to deal with them. Guilt, fear, self pity, self loathing, shame, anger, the desire to self mutilate. How he was able to hold all of these emotions back for so long was truly amazing. 

A few hours of silence passed and Twilight Sparkle poked her head into the room, quickly followed by Cadence and three guards.

"Good morning, gentlecolts." She called, attempting to sound official. "We will be pulling each of you aside for individual question of your crimes and determine how best to approach the trial or if a plea bargain can be reached."

No responses. Twilight, now visibly uncomfortable, looked over to Cadence for support. 

"I've already confessed." Valiar dismissed. "No point in holding a trial for me."

Unsure of how to respond, they first asked for Shade to step out with them. When he promply rejected, they attempted to coax him out with kind words. And when that didn't work, they threatened to have the lunar pegisus brought out by force of their guard.

"Whatever." Shade hmphed and up and followed. What he found both surprised and confounded him. He was lead into a room where... all of Twilight's friends sat around in chairs with Discords statue in between two of them. 

"The tatarus is going on?" He ask to himself more than anypony else.

"We thought having Discord here would make you feel more comfortable." Cadance replied, closing the door and smiling gently.

"Discord?" Shade asked, very warry of the situation.

Speaking with honesty and admission, the Draconiquis told him that he'd spoke with Cadence and Twilight, informing them that he'd been using what little magic he had to try and curb the insanity in his mind and heal the stallion from the trauma of his past.

Shade didn't know what to believe. Here sat his god, in cahoots with ponies who allied themselves under the government that imprisoned him. Something was wrong, something was very very wrong, and the lunar pony felt his heart start to beat rapidly in his chest as sweat formed on his face and neck.
   

   
  

  
> Failed Psychology
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Failed Psychology




Golden eyes looking all around the room, vastly watching for any of the other six ponies to take action against him. Nothing, nopony moved. Nopony did anything but look at him with soft, gentle, smiles.

'What's going on here? Discord, what are they doing?!'

"As I've said before, dear boy." Discord's voice boomed in his head. "I told them what happened to you and they'll be taking a psychological evaluation to see if you're in need of mental help and if your trauma could be the cause for all the crimes you've committed."

No, no this was a trick! It had to be a trick.

"Starshade, would you come to the circle please?" The pink Alicorn requested, but the insane pony wouldn't move. He wanted to fly but the chains that bound his wings hadn't budged ever since he'd gained them upon arrest. 

His eyes again, began searching the room for any exist he could find, but again his search lead to nothing, causing his already stressed sympathetic-nervous system to exacerbate farther in intensity. 

Discord is his god, his entity his being! He doesn't work with the the government. If he worked with the government, than that means he likes the government, and if he likes the government than he likes order, and if he likes order than he doesn't like chaos as much. And if Discord, the god of chaos doesn't like chaos, than why didn't all lizards have shells like armadillos? Pancakes aren't good shells for tacos, the chronological consistency is far to sour for the texture pack of minecraft to process intrinsically.

It wasn't apparent to the pony himself, but to everypony else in the room, Shade's front hoof had reached up and began rigorously scratching his ear, while his eyes dilated and contracted at a rapid and ungodly pace as his body began to convulse from his inability to comprehend the situation he was currently faced with.

"Discord, what's going on with him?" Demanded Cadence as a sense of dread crept in her throat.

"Discord?"

"Oh my, I think he might be having a psychotic break."

Already put on edge by the situation, The alicorn cast her best sleep spell and missed as Shade flipped over the spell and landed infront of Pinkie Pie. 

His eyes wide and a maniacal grin twisting his face, Shade looked at the pink mare's mane with psychotic delight. "Oohhh, Cotton BREAKFAST!" He cried before clamping down and attempting to eat.

Pinkie screamed and began running about, "Gaaaah! Gethimoffgethimoffgethimoff!" The mare cried, desperately trying to escape.

Though, her movements were counterproductive as Shade simply hung limply on her mane and was carried like a rag doll out of the paths of Twilight's spells. "Girls, get out of here!" She barked, opening the door.

"APPLES!" The psychotic pony declared as he bound off of Pinkie's hair and directly to Applejack's rump.

"Ho Nelly!" Cried the applemare, jumping just in time to save her keister from a four fanged chomp. "Anypony, Little help here!" 

"I like apples, but I HATE oranges!" Declared Shade, his happy smile suddenly turning into a hate-filled scowl, licking his lips repeatedly. "I CRUSH ORANGES!" 

Cadence flew in front of Applejack and used the projected trail to blast Shade head first with her magic, dropping the stallion into a chuckling mass of sleep on the ground. 

Everything was quiet except her, Pinkie Pie and Applejack's labored breathing and the occasional cackle from the pony on the ground. They thought they were equipped to use the power of friendship to bring harmony and calm to the stallion who'd suffered so gravely.

They were all very wrong.






Sin breathed heavily as he finally started to come to terms with his feelings and began trying to repress them again. The pain and crushing depression wasn't as debilitating as it was a couple of days ago when it initially happened, but he still couldn't stand how much his logic and reason had lost control. This was a problem, a problem he had to solve if he wanted to get out of this mess and get his freedom back.

Of course there was a way out of this, there was always a way, but his emotions were clouding his judgement. It may be a long shot, but he could get out of this place if he needed to. He'd gotten out of worse before.

"You alright over there?" Valiar asked.

"Fine." Sin replied sitting up and taking a breath. Valiar shrugged and went back to his moping.

Another few hours passed and a vast amount of emotional control with it. Enough to realize that what he did was stupid and the method of slow release would have been better than going over bored.

"Valiar?" Called a voice as it entered the room. Sin looked to find Shining Armor and two guards accompanying him. He came to collect the crimson unicorn for interrogation.

Though once Valiar and the guards had left, one other pony remained. A familiar mare Sin had met before but couldn't quite put his name on.

"We meet again, Sin." She declared softly, stepping forward into his field of vision. Strangely enough, she looked differently than he remembered. Her once fazzeled and lilac hair was now much more kept and braided down her neck, her orange coat seemed much more vibrant and feminine without the suite tie and cuffs she bore last time.

Upitty.

"How are you holding up? The guards said you refused to eat anything since you'd gotten back." She looked at the old bandages around his neck, observing how old and dirty they were not only from the elements of the badlands, but small reddened pools that bled through the gauz. "What happened there?" She asked in concern.

"What are you doing here?" Was the oaken ponies reply.

It was an odd bargain, but apparently Celestia had appointed her to be his over-seer until his trial. Guessing it due to Uppity being the only pony who'd ever worked successfully with him. 

'Aww, isn't that sweet? You're marefriend came to look after you.'

Eat a dick.

'Wow, that whole revelation about being more kind to your friends thing didn't last at all, did it?'

"And as your Over-seer, I'm giving you a direct order to eat. You'll need your strength if I'm to help you get out of this." The orange mare declared, summoning forth a cold plate of carrots and hey fries to her side.

"Alright, first of all. I don't take orders." Sin growled, lifting himself to look his care taker in the eye. "Secondly, I'm not hungry."

"Yes, yes I'm sure you're so tough and alone that you don't need need to eat." Uppity teased, lifting a bit of carrot up to his mouth. "Matter of fact, I bet you don't need to drink either. The simple fact that you're so awesome sustains you, doesn't it?"

'HA! Nice.'

Now he was getting annoyed. He didn't play himself up that much, yea he was lying when he said he wasn't hungry and thirsty, but he'd be damned before he was spoon fed like a freaking foal! He may be a pathetic wretch, but he still had a shell of dignity.

"Yes, those chains and not talking to anypony really showed them, didn't it? How independent and self-reliant you are. You don't need anypony at all, do you? Who's a cute little anarchist?"

Was... was she patronizing him?

All the stallion could do was look on in a mix between mild horror and utter bafflement. He'd never received this kind of treatment before and wasn't sure how to respond to it.

Uppity, however, seemed satisfied at the reaction and smiled proudly. "So, are you done acting like a petulant foal now? Or do I need to keep on praising you for how strong a stallion you are who don't need no pony else?"

Again, said stallion could only look on with absolute bewilderment. What was he supposed to say to that? Even the pragmatic part of his mind had trouble processing a response.

'Bwahahahah. I'm not! She's got your number, boyo. She's got your number and she's calling it left and right!'

After a few moments of silence, Sin finally reached out to take the carrot and jammed it into his mouth, for some reason feeling a great deal of shame and irritation for the mare before him.

Eventually the food was all gone along with the painful gurgling in his stomach. "See, was that so hard?"

With a sigh and shake of his head, the stallion inquired what she wanted from him. To his surprise, Uppity took a seat and stated that she wanted to thank him for the massive destruction he'd played against her during his trial. Apparently Celestia had wanted to see how the mare would handle such an impossible situation. To see if she'd snap from the betrayal or if she'd stick to the Law up until the bitter end.

Apparently, her mentor was more than pleased with her performance and even though Sin made her look foolish, maintained her position in support of the country's laws. Saying it was the laws that had built the nation and blah blah blah.

Sweet Tapio did this chick like to talk.

'C'mon dude, she's bearing her heart to you here. Can't you just and at least try to make her happy?'

It's not my fault that I find her meaningless drivel annoying. It's her voice, it makes my stomach churn.

'Why do you think that is?'

I don't know, she just has that kind of voice. I guess?

'Didn't seem to bother you when she saved your ass from those Occupy protesters. You know what I think? I think you resent her because you know that she might just be smarter than you'.

Preposterous! Granted Uppity was a very intelligent mare, one does not become the practical District Prosecuting Atorny for the crown by being stupid, but that wasn't the reason he resented her.

'No, it is. She's smarter than you and you find that intimidating. But it's also kinda funny that she actually wants to be around you too, considering how you treat her. Maybe she has a fancy for you? Is that a blush I detect on your cheeks? I think it is.'

His face was indeed turning red, but he attributed it more to irritation than embarrassment.

'Think what you want, but the cat's already out of the bag. You feel something for her. Don't try to deny it now! Heart rate increasing, breath growing shallow, face reddening. Good god man, get ahold of yourself before you become indecent!

I swear on all things liberty oriented I will put images of Lady Fatchitaz fucking a rhino in my head if you don't shut up!

"... and for that I wanted to thank you." She concluded her long winded speech that Sin tuned out half way through.

Crap, what was she saying? Gah, Screw it.

"Yea, sure." He replied dismissively. 

"Hey, I'll be right back, alright?" She declared before leaving at a brisk trot.

A moment later, the mare reappeared with a white tin case with a small red cross on the front. Uppity carefully placed the tin onto the bed and opened it, retrieving multiple rolls of guaz and disinfecting agents. Sin reached for the dressing but was refused with words that he wouldn't be able to reach all the way around himself. Already irritated from his internal conversation, the stallion snatched away the medical supply and undid the bandages around him.

A disgusting smell of his ruined flesh made nearly gag. The bite mark on his neck wasn't a bite mark at all, it was cauterized shut. If he was lucky, the pelt would grow back, but he didn't care about that. What he cared about was the infected and yellowing of the flesh along the scar. It wasn't as infected enough to incapacitate him, but it did help in explaining his lethargy. He was sick, no denying it anymore.

"Sweet Celestia! What happened to you?" Screamed Uppity, covering her snoot with a hoof. 

"Timber wolves." Sin stated simply, applying the disinfectant with a harsh hiss at the sting. It was at that moment he discovered just how debilitating the wound really was, he couldn't lift his hoof at the angle he needed it.

Deciding she'd seen enough, Uppity took the gauze in her magic, and proceeded to wrap it around and encourage proper medical treatment.

"I've had worse."

"Worse? What could be worse than having a chunk of flesh ripped from you?" The orange mare deadpanned, still holding her nose as she worked.

Sin briefly debated telling her, knowing it would serve no purpose; but she'd likely find a way to annoy it out of him anyways, might as well make it as painless as possible. "Broken leg for six weeks in the worst of winter."

Looking up at the stallion in disbelief, Uppity questioned what on earth had happened to lead him to being in the wild for so long with such an injury. Sin just smirked and explained that it was a test, a kind of coming of age and title. Of course, it was only he and his grandfather who's every done it, the later not having a broken leg; but the point was survival. To be able to persevere in the unforgiving elements and even prosper should he ever need to be away from civilization... or want to.

The fresh bandages finally wrapped properly, Uppity smiled at her work and pushed down on them for good measure, causing Sin to stiffen up his muscles from the touch. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" He shook his head in reply. "I've heard you live in the Everfree forest? Why? You seem much to pragmatic to live in such a hostile environment for no reason." She pushed his neck to emphasize her point.

"Because I don't like other ponies." He replied bluntly.

"Yes, but... why? What did they do to you?"

Again, the stallion debated about explaining, but felt an odd sort of excitement about telling someone about the way he... felt.

'Awww, you're finally going to talk about your feelings? See Sin, we're making progress!"

Fatchitaz. Fucking. Rhino!

'OH SWEET GODS IN HEAVEN! I'LL NEVER TALK AGAIN!'

After a long winded speech that had to have lasted at least an hour, Uppity sat with a mixed look of fascination and consternation. Morality, Non-aggression, truth, honesty, corruption, sentient disillusionment, anger, fear. She didn't know how to take it all.

She'd heard many stories in her life, about why so many ponies had done things, lead to lives of crime and the philosophies that went with them. But this was one of the most disturbing reasons of sociopathy that she'd ever heard. It was no wonder he was so angry and standoff ish. The stallion only saw the worst that ponies had to offer the world, so one sided and misguided. 

His grandfather sounded like a starch anarchist who focused so much on the bad things that it made her almost want to cry. To live a life so dedicated to standards that nopony could ever live up to. To hold philosophies that would damn her very mentor and everypony else in the guard. All because they wanted to keep peace and rule over Equestria and keep their little ponies safe. He made it sound as if every single national leader was a tyrant just waiting to pounce.

"You don't think Celestia is a bad ruller, do you?"

Sin took a breath. How was he supposed to answer that? Honestly, he'd found the liberty and freedom in Equestria to supersede that of the Federation by leaps and bounds. And they had a monarchy! But the matter of the Windago's still remained, as did his suspicion as to their involvement conveniently during her rise to power.

"She's one of the better I've seen." He replied honestly. Fact of the matter was that Celestia was above his typical critique of the typical rulers. She was an immortal being who's reign had lasted at least a thousand years and in that time she'd accomplished quite a bit of good for her followers. Her experience and wisdom were far beyond the average and... maybe that gave her right to rule? He wasn't sure, never thought about her in particular before.

Both stayed quite for a time, though it wasn't long before Uppity instructed that she'd be retiring for the night and demanded the stallion stay in bed until the doctors gave him permission to walk again. He protested at first, but only found the orange unicorn's dismissal.

He didn't know why, but he was starting to like her.

  
  
> Conscription Sentencing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Conscription Sentencing




Valiar sat in a darkened room, a small wooden desk infront of him with Shining Armor and an orange pegasus guard standing opposite him.

The stallion's typically laid back and indifferent demeanor slowly crumbled as the mana poison kicked in. The Runes of Anti'arch had constantly drained him of mana ever since he'd gotten them. A payment for his ownership of them, but when they were taken away, his mana, which had put his producers in overdrive since the Runes required so much, had been overflowing in their glands in his brain and started to secreat into the rest of his blood stream.

He wasn't sure what the exact process was called nor how it worked, but if he didn't drain the excess mana soon, it would eventually start coughing and throwing up the stuff. Sadly, another part of his contract with the Runes was that he had given up the typical unicorn powers without them, thus had no way of draining it. 

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. "You don't look too good, Valiar."

"I'll live." 

'Yea, not long, though.'

"I'll bet." He dropped a manilla folder on the desk and opened it, reading the contents outloud. Valiar was genuinely surprised at the knowledge Canterlot had about the Runes. He named off every stone, the power it gave, the red unicorn's profile, his home town, living relatives, and association with the Warlock's guild.

"The Warlocks of Anti'arch have never had reason to cause trouble for Celestia. So why did you?" Shining asked, genuinely interested in the response.

"You want the truth? Or would you like a more believable lie?" 

"The truth."

So, Valiar give it to him. It wasn't easy to find real challenge with such powerful enchanted items at one's side. He was a young stallion with a ton of hormones and a mind that thought it was ten feet tall and bullet proof. 

Shining Armor gave a brief lecture about attacking officers and innocent ponies who had done nothing to him and questioned what part of the stallion had thought it a good idea? His reply was the same, he wanted a challenge, he found one.

Shaking his head, the Alibaster Unicorn whispered to his subordinate, who in turn gave a solute and left the room. 

"Alright, here's the deal. As you are, I can't have you off and about with such power at your disposal. You've proven yourself too irresponsible and immature to be trusted." The door opened again and the same pony walked in with a large box on his back. He placed the box down and opened it. Immediately, Valiar's headache subsided as six of the runes charged at him like magnets and began to circle, feasting on his mana. 

"I'll give you back six of the safest Runes. The ones that enhance offensive spells and summon portals will be kept with me. You need them to keep your mana sickness at bay." He smiled at the visibly relieved pony before him. "Also, I'm going to offer you a plea deal. If you agree to stay within Canterlot, train directly under myself, and learn the restraint and responsibility for me to trust you, than I'll have your record expunged."

'No way! We could train against a worthy opponent AND get out of this scott free? That is way too good of an offer.'

And it was. Shining pushed forward a piece of parchment that Valiar recognized as a voluntary conscription to the Royal Canterlot Guard. Should he agree, he'd be stuck in a barracks for the next six months. In that time he'd be expected to: Attend drills, patrol the streets, undergo unicorn magical theory, magical effect on psychology and physiology, ethics in magic and more that he didn't even care to read.

"Yea, I'm not doing this."

Shining shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Valiar let out a sigh of relief.

"But since you've already plead guilt, than a trial wont be necessary, which means that It's up to the princess what you're sentence will be."

Well, so long as it isn't that, than-

"And Celestia thought a year in my service would be more fitting, anyway." The blue maned unicorn said with a smug, almost sadistic grin before standing from his place, leaving the manilla folder. "I'll see you at 0400. Try to get some sleep, you're going to need it." He finished as he and the other stallion closed the door to the interrogation room.

It was all the stallion could do to keep his eyes from popping out of his head. He hated it when he made his own situations worse, which seemed to be a constant them in his life.

'That cheeky bastard.'






Spike sat with his back to the cage door, his claws gripping and releasing at nothing, making sure his hand wasn't broken. When he'd reached for turquoise gems that the dogs offered, the lowest quality gems there were, they'd "accidentally" caught his claw in between the bowl and iron bar of his cell.

The surroundings were the epitome of dank and creepy. The walls were bland and grey stone, almost black against the dim, candle light that sat upon the wall two cells down from him. The air was stale and humid enough to burn his nostrils even on his second day of imprisonment. As if that wasn't bad enough, indoor plumbing was a forign concept and left only a chamber pot for the dragon to do his business in.

In short, if this wasn't hell, it was a close second.

The gems would be enough to get him by, but he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to take being in the cell. Well, it wasn't really a cell, it was really a large kennel like cage they kept him in. He could probably break out if he tried, but then what? He'd go back to Canterlot and hope that the dogs wouldn't retaliate? 

No, no he'd have to accept whatever his captors had in store for him. Even if he did look like a sad, pathetic mess for it.

No matter how angry he felt about his treatment, as soon as he remembered why he was where he was he felt too guilty to act. He deserved everything he got from the mutts, even if it was unfair.

With nothing but his own breathing and a small, drip of water somewhere to keep him company, the young drake tried to go back to sleep.

"WAKES UP, GEKO!" Barked a raspy, ill-mannered voice. Spike opened his eye and found one of the guards who'd brought him in standing at his cage's entrance. His brown fur and flat, ugly face looking down at him with vigor. "You's caused Fido problems. Fido shamed from pack because of you." He declared, holding up a... something that resembled a piece of parchment.

"Also, you steal Shilo Packs Gems, attack entire Pack, break many bones, hurt many eyes, ears and mouths. Shilo Pack demand you hurt for the hurt you've made, and Gamma Pack hurts those who hurt other packs."

Spike's expression never changed from the scowl he offered, not even with the mutt snapped at him to speak. He knew where this was going... Pain, lots and lots of pain.

"Pack leaders deciding what to do with you. The pretty ponies have come to beg for mercy, but pack leaders strong, they no care about stupid pony princesses."

Stealing himself, Spike asked about what the leaders would do to him.

"Hmph, my no know. Been long time since geko attack pack." He smiled evilly. "Most likely leaders say you die."

A sudden and frozen chill ran down the drake's spine. Die? They... they were going to kill him? Holding him for a few years was one thing, he had thousands ahead of him. But death?

"It take time for pack leaders to come, get cumfy, geko. You be here while." It spat a disturbing amount of phlem into Spike's cage before walking off and blowing out the candle. "Sleep well, geko!"





Luna sat upon her sister's throne. Night had already fallen and all else save her own personal night guard had fallen asleep. She couldn't believe the mess that everypony was in.

War with the Diamond Dogs, Spike being taken away, Discordian Acolytes, Shining Armor getting hurt, and now Discord, the god of all things chaotic, was being used as a theripy animal at the request of princess Cadence.

Now there was a scolding the lunar monarch would never forget. She'd never seen the young alicorn so upset. She wanted to deny what her followers had done, but she couldn't. But it wasn't her fault! Nightmare Moon had made many changes before her banishment a thousand years ago.

'You're going to blame me for that?'

Luna gasped and looked around the throne room.

'I suppose I made you rape the red stallion buck toy of yours too, didn't I?'

Grasping her head, the lunar Alicorn attempted to silence the dark voice inside of her. She didn't do it, she wasn't that cruel. She loved her subjects, back then and today. No, no it wasn't her who did it!

"Are you alright, Princess?" Asked one her guards, looking upon her in concern.

"Fine, Nightwish. We just have a headache." She lied. It was hard to tell why the voice was still there, the Elements should have purged her of the Nightmare, yet she still heard her voice in her head. Why?

'You fool, I AM you!'

NO! No, that wasn't acceptable! Nightmare moon was another entity, another pony! Princess Luna and she were not one in the same!

A knock at the door jutted the princess from her thought. A lunar guard informed her of a visitor and brought them in at her request. To her horror, three black jacket clad griffons entered and marched forward to greet her.

"You! You are not supposed to be here!"

"Spare me, Luna." Barked the lead griffon, a black and brown beast that stood a head and a half taller than most ponies. "We've received word that Sin, Spike and Shade have been taken captive by you and your sister. Our employer wasn't very happy to hear about this."

Malich wouldn't be, considering Sin was his brother. Why he cared about the other two was beyond her. "Things became complicated, Conno."

Conno's eyes narrowed. "My agents tell me that Shining Armor was seen raiding the Acolyte camp. Slade wants to know how he came across it when the only pony in Canterlot who knew the exact location was you. And don't even think about blaming my agents, anyone interested in the statue were blindfolded and taken to the location under nightfall. We're very careful about not being followed."

"Don't you make demands of US!" She boomed, not quite to royal Canterlot voice level, but still loud enough to make the Triple M agent take a step back. "We employed your services! You may have your master, but you are in our realm! And you would do well to remember that." She spat, her voice lowering to a growl that dripped with ice and venom.

However, her subservience was called upon the moment Conno mentioned Celestia and listing off the numerous crime's the lunar alicorn had participated in. Including: Espionage and treason. Triple M agents had become a great deal more trouble than they were worth, Nightwish had warned her that there was a reason her sister had forbade contact with them and Luna was starting to understand why.

She reluctantly recalled that she'd informed Sinbad of their location and that Shining had accompanied the stallion. When asked why, she told them that Sin had made the same threat they were making.

After a few more words about where Spike had been taken, Luna finally got around to asking her one question. "Why did you have us secure the statue for you? What good did it do you in the end? Surely you must have known my sister would bring Discord back in short order."

"Why is none of your concern." Conno spat, causing the princess to snarl in irritation. "Our business here is concluded. We'll be in touch." The griffin ended before turning around and strutting out of the throne room. Leaving the Alicorn to her thoughts. 

She just wanted to prove to herself that she didn't need her sister's guidance to solve the problems of her subjects, she had no idea that such a mes would come of it. Had she, the lunar alicorn would have simply foregone the Triple M corperations assistance and handled the situation herself. But no, she wanted to build relations with the most isolated country in the world, to prove that she was capable of handling diplomatic matters on her own.

It was a foolish decision. Celestia knew better than to trust such an organization and now it was all Luna could do to with hold telling her sister of her mounting failures.

> Intimate Interrogations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	



Intimate Interrogations




Massive head aches brought about by dehydration and bacteria were never fun, especially when someone wakes up to them. Sin made this grievous mistake and worse yet was shivering from head to hoof. His body felt cold yet hot at the same time, and felt soaking wet for some reason

He couldn't figure out if he was wet or just felt weighed down, but then again, his mind was so fogged over and disoriented he couldn't think much at all. His head hurt, last night's dinner was threatening to come up and his body was beside itself trying to figure out if it was in a sahara or a tundra.

He heard a voice next to him call out his name and tried to respond that he "was fine" but all that came out was a low, wordless groan. He felt something lightly touch his side and immediately pulled away, followed by quick clopping. Unsure of what to do, the stallion attempted to lift his hoof and gain a bearing, trouble was that it felt like a giant lead block occupied his frog and kept it from movement.

Next thing he knew, Sin came to understand vertigo as he was lifted from the bed, gagged to hold back the contents of his stomach and placed onto another bed and felt himself moving. The other bed must have been a gerny, judging by the squeaking, or maybe that was just his breath. Hard to tell, really.

The world passed in a blur of voices, sharp pinching sensations and beeps as he laid there in the bed, almost wishing that death would just take him already.




Sin awoke with a start and sat up, immediately wishing he hadn't. He fell back with a grunt as a familiar spike drove itself between his frontal lobes.

"Sin, sin. Calm down, everything's fine." Uppity's voice soothed over a machine that beeped faster and faster. "you're in the hospital wing."

Hospital wing? How'd he get here? When did he get here? What was going on? 

It was then his head cleared enough for him to recall the events that lead up to this. The infection must have been worse than he thought to put him in here, considering his immune system. He's lucky he lasted as long as he did, who knows? It might have actually been the thing that finally killed him.

'Convenient of you to forget it during your trip to the badlands, eh?'

Yea, if only he'd been the one who'd forgotten about it.

He felt a light imprint of something soft upon his side and shifted away from it. He was weak and vulnerable, and nothing put him more on edge than that.

Slowly but surly the head ache subsided, leaving the stallion to brave another open eyed glance at the world. Though, this lead to another problem, there was a distinct lack of tinted glass before him. When questioned about where his goggles were, Sin was informed they were in the room, and he had no need of them at the current time.

Irritated that he lacked his eye ware, the oaken Federalist resigned himself to silence as he tried to gather his full wits about him. The sickness was still interfering with his brain, but after a while his headache subsided to the point he could think somewhat clearly.

"The doctors said you'll be fine, in case you wanna know." 

"Thank you for informing me." Sin groaned, the beeping of the heart monitor slowly edging his already frazzled nerves.

"They umm. Also had a few questions for you. About your wings?"

Yea, there it was. The reason he didn't want to be brought here.

"My wings are fine, Ms. Uppity." He smiled, attempting to be pleasant, and failing miserably.

Uppity looked at him as if he'd just said the sky was red and the ocean was made of killer bees. "Umm, no. You're wings are not fine. The doctor said that they're underdeveloped from lack of use with no sign of breakage and is wondering why you had them bandaged." She finished with the quirk of an eyebrow. "And I'd like to know too."

It was a sensitive issue. His wings. He didn't like talking about them, or his lack of a cutie mark. He had his reasons, was the reply he gave anyone who asked, and that's the reply he gave her.

Uppity, thoroughly irritated uged in frustration and stomped. Next thing he knew he felt her breath against his snoot as she put her face mere inches away from his. "If you think I'm going to drop this because you're being stubborn, than I've got news for you. You're dead wrong."

Sin didn't open his eyes, but he did feel an alien mix of irritation and something else when considering her proximity. He lifted his hoof and attempted to push her away, but was still to weak to do so. "Is there anything else?"

Uppity answered in the negative and sat down. She contemplated prying a bit more, but decided against it. She'd been psychoanalyzing the stallion ever since she'd met him and found that his secrecy wasn't anything personal against her, but something more about emotional independence. Poking at it and being patronizing had only worked for that one day, after he'd just shrug it off or say things like "sure, why not?"

"How long do you have to play baby sitter?" Sin asked completely out of the blue. "Can't be too much fun watching a prisoner who'd humiliated you in front of your mentor."

Uppity with held her scoff of indignation, she knew his game and allowing him to get under her skin would be her loss and his victory. 

"Actually, I wanted to thank you for that." She declared, relishing the look of shock on his face. "Celestia wanted to see how I'd react to such an impossible situation, and you showed her that I could handle it and uphold the law. So, in a way, you didn't humiliate me; you actually helped me become a better lawyer."

"I see." Was the oaken pony's only reply. He'd been used to farther her own arguing abilities and prove her worth and will. "So I was a pawn even before I agreed to my sentencing."

"Don't look at it that way." Uppity declared. "Think of it as you helping out somepony who needed it. To become the best they could be and fulfill their dreams of upholding the law. Besides, because of you, Celestia opened multiple investigation on jail and prison wardens all over Equestria. Surely you can find some good in that."

Time to see how he'd react to that. See if Sin was just out for himself or if he was out to make other pony's lives better.

"Maybe." Sin admitted, causing Uppity to smile in triumph. "Though, there were better ways of going about it than subjecting me to this nonsense."

Uppity quickly pointed out that Sin agreed to the terms, silly as they were. The stallion pressed his lips and nodded, he had little to complain about. Besides, it's not like they were abusing him. He was getting medical treatment and being kept relatively comfortable.

'Yea, on the tax payer's dime.' His inner voice pointed out. 'Or have you forgotten about the fact everything you're enjoying right now was taken via theft?'

No, he hadn't forgotten that. How could he? Just the mere thought of what he was currently doing was enough to make his skin crawl. 

A parasite.

Stuck on a bed with his injuries incapacitating him, how much were others paying for him to get this medical treatment? How much for the room? How much for the food he ate? How much for this baby sitter? The trial? His one time payment from the Crown? 

He felt himself shake with rage as his fetlocks weakly contracted. What right did he have to take what others worked for? What had he done other than become a lap dog for Celestia? 

The heart monitor began to speed up faster and faster, he ground his teeth and his breathing quickened. It was one thing to be out in the woods, at least he wasn't a leach, but this? This wasn't just an assault on his pride, this was full on disgraceful parasite!

"Sin! Sin, what's wrong?" Uppity said in concern, making the grave mistake of prodding the pony's shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He declared, attempting to swat her hoof away, his weakened forleg barley making contact with her hoof. His now open eyes though froze Uppity to the core.

She'd never seen such blank and hateful eyes before, constricted orbs that hardened in malice and loathing, but as the two of them sat there, noiseless save for the constant beeping and his slow, shaking, calming breaths the stallion huffed. She could tell that those hateful, hurt-filled eyes weren't for her, but for himself.

To her, such a thing was heart breaking. She wanted to hug him, to tell him to let his anger go, but she knew it would be futile. Sin was a grudge holder who hated government, and he hated himself for being part of it. 

"I'm sorry." She sniffled, looking down as tears began to fill her eyes. "I- I didn't mean to make you upset."

A sharp pang of guilt hit the stallion's chest like a knife as he watched the mare before him begin to cry.

'Good job, jerk.'

What? He didn't mean to make her cry, but thinking about what he was doing just made him furious. Not only was he at the complete mercy of others and dependent on them, but he was consuming the fruits of other ponies' labor. How could he not feel completely disgusted with himself?

'You, you, you. Always about you, isn't it?'

Ears splayed back, Sin's anger gave way to guilt and he made an attempt to apologize for the way he'd acted. 

"I get it." Uppity said, wiping her eyes. "You dislike working for Celestia, you don't want to be here. But being angry wont make things any easier for you. I know I said Celestia assigned me to you, but I volunteered because I wanted to help you."

He closed his eyes and reclaimed his pragmatism, she was right. There was no point in being angry but he didn't want to be a reliant or parasitic. He needed to figure something out to be free of this aid, but he knew he wouldn't be able to leave the castle. He was being held for threatening a royal guard, after all.

Fact was, he was stuck no matter how much he didn't want to admit it. And even though he was stuck, he was receiving aid from someone who'd gone out of their way to help him, despite the work she could be doing to farther her own studies and career.

"You're right." He said, swallowing his pride. "It was wrong of me to be angry with you. You're only trying to help and... I do appreciate it." He opened his eyes and gave his best half, quazi, barely existing smile.

Uppity's face lit up at the acknowledgement and before he could stop her, Sin found a pair of orange forelegs around his neck as she embraced him in a gentle hug. Causing the stallion to blush furiously and garnering a semi annoyed semi grateful smile.

"Sin it's time we- Oh... Uh..." He heard Shining Armor stumble over his words. Sin wanted to open his eyes and see just how incriminating the situation was but Uppity had already moved. Shining Armor told her to wait outside for a moment while he ran a quick questioning session with Cadence and Sin. Uppity protested, claiming that the injured pony had the right to his attorney present during such inquiries, but Sin himself insisted that she wait outside.

"Sorry, Ms. Uppity. But this is really going to have to be a private conversation."

Before long, both Shining and Cadence were at his bedside, he supposed they were both looking at him questioningly. "You wanted to ask me something?"

Shrugging off the strangeness, Shining Armor skipped the pleasantries and asked why Sin had threatened his wife to be.

"I told you then, I'll tell you again. I didn't threaten her, she wasn't the pony I was talking about."

"Then tell me who you were talking about." The white stallion demanded calmly. Sin tried to explain that the situation was still delicate and that the pony in question was still in danger if word got out. Though, the stallion wasn't having it. He had numerous mind control spells at his disposal and was more than willing to use them.

"Ha! Good luck." Sin declared with a grin. "I was a politician back in my country, Occlumency is one of the required courses to ensure mind control never happened to us to make us vote one way or the other."

Shining took this as a challenge and before Cadence could stop him, cast a spell that would force the stallion to answer his questions. A few pained grunts of resistance eventually lead to a calm and smooth breathing from the Sin. Seeing his efforts amounting to nothing Shining gave up and rubbed his head, his fiancee nuzzling him in concern.

Resigning himself to defeat, Shining Armor grunted and evaluated the pony before him. "Is it an issue that threatens national security?"

"No."

"Does it involve one of the princesses?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me which one?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because, if you tell anyone else about it, there's a chance the organization involved will get wind." Sin turned his head to look at his questioner. "And I don't want to see her get hurt anymore than you do."

"You're talking about Luna, aren't you?" Cadence interjected. "I was wondering why she's been acting so strangely as of late."

Shit, might have said a bit too much.

Cadence then began to explain Luna's strange mannerisms, how she'd look around as if she heard something and had been complaining about frequent head aches and appeared sleep deprived. All indications of paranoia.

Sin didn't know why that would be, Triple M agents were always careful about contacting their targets. If she'd worked with them before, than there was really no reason she should be paranoid.

"Alright, what did Shade have to do with all of that?" Shining asked, much less aggressively. 

Sin bit his lip, if he could play this right than maybe... "Shade was the one they targeted, according to him and Discord, they wanted Shade in particular there. Why? I'm not sure, and neither is he. Discord knew that he wouldn't be freed without the Element of something or another, so it was just his statue that they wanted there."

That really didn't make much sense. Bring a chaos god's statue out into the middle of the desert to have a bunch of worshipers camp around it for a few days? What possible purpose could that have served? A revolution perhaps? No, the invitation was a closed party with roughly 30 in attendance, maybe less. Planned assassination? Took their sweet time.

"Did he teach them anything? Tell them where any artifacts were or anything?" Asked Shining.

Sin shook his head. It was a complete mystery to him. The questioning and hypothesizing continued on for a good thirty minutes until finally it began to wind down. Which was a good thing, considering the only piece of the puzzle the two were missing was the name Triple M. Shining and Cadence both made for the door but neither left before Sin got the last word in.

"Captain." He called. "I know it's frustrating, but trust me when I say that I'm not being cryptic to get you riled up. I'm... sorry I pointed my cross bow at you, but understand that I did what I did to keep Luna safe. She's become involved with some very dangerous ponies. Ponies who will do whatever they need to in order to accomplish their goals." He turned his head to look at them. "They aren't above bringing your country to ruin to achieve what they want."

He heard the stallion exhale and begin walking out of the room, though a word from Cadence stopped him. She whispered something to her husband to be and he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"You know." Cadance said in a knowing voice. "It's not hard to tell how Uppity feels about you."

"Kid's got no sense to her." Sin replied dismissively, already knowing where this was going. 

"I've known Uppity for a few years now, she's always been clingy with new friendships." The Alicorn replied calmly. "We've talked and she thinks very highly of you. Nopony else has ever interested her like you have, intellectually or otherwise."

"Can't be that smart, if she was, she'd find someone who didn't live in the woods and get attacked by Timberwolves." He emphisized pointing lazily at his chest.

" Maybe." She conceeded sagely. "Or maybe it's time somepony stopped living his life away from others and opened up his heart to something a little more valuable than freedom."

And with those words, the Alicorn of love stepped outside of the room to follow her husband to be.

Sin smirked to himself: 'More important than freedom,' there was no such thing.
> Shocking Preludes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    

Shocking Preludes




Shade's eyes shifted from the purple unicorn mare in front of him to the orange earth pony besides him, than to the sky blue pegasus to his other side. His eyes never lingering for more than a half a second before finding yet another object of interest to gaze upon. 

He'd tried to escape many times, but the purple one's magic was far too strong. His wings were held in place, and all he could do with his legs was whip them around uselessly. He was at their mercy, and according to them, they had plans to "help him".

He didn't care though, Discord needed him. His god was being tainted behind him with the white unicorn, the pink pony and cream colored mare! He needed to get to him, he needed to get away from these cretin to see to his master! 

His labored breathing soon became even worse as the troop diverged from the path to Sin's camp. Where were they taking him? What did they plan to do? 

"Would y'all just relax already?" Said Applejack, looking a little miffed. 

Shade merely glared in reply. There was no point in words, he was at their mercy.

"At least he stopped yelling about eating our young and burning our innards." Twilight replied with consultation. "Poor Fluttershy, I hope she isn't too scared by that."

"Pft, she may act weak and helpless, but Flutters is a lot tougher than you think." Rainbow proclaimed proudly before giving a scowl to their prisoner. "Too tough for this bat brain to mess with."

Shade smirked. "Is that why she was crying like a little bitch?!" He finished with a cackle, only to be lifted a little to quickly for comfort, thanks to Twilight the bat pegasus narrowly missed a much deserved slap from Rainbow Dash.

"Dash, calm down!" Applejack sneered, holding the fuming pegasus back. "He ain't in his right mind, he don't know what he's sayin'."

Working he way out, the cyan mare spat and declared that she didn't care what Discord or Cadance had said. Shade had no right to make her friend cry or call her such a terrible name. Twilight interjected that their troubles would be over soon. Apparently somepony named "Zacora" had offered her assistance in dealing with him.

'So this is what they plan to do, get somepony else to do their dirty work. Bucking cowards!'

The trip continued in silence with only the occasional snide remark and counter to offer company before Shade came face to face with a strange hut that was built into a tree. His eyes narrowed as a strange odor greeted his nostrils from the dwelling. It smelt more offensive than pleasant, but not so much as to make him annoyed.

Twilight went up and knocked on the door, which in turn opened to reveal a brown cloaked figure standing in the door way. Shade suddenly felt a sense of hope, thinking the hooded figure was Sin, but his hope quickly faded as a low, feminine voice spoke.

"Ah, my good friend the princess. I've heard you've had to deal with quite a mess."

Rhymes, the bucking thing spoke in rhymes! So, this was their game, was it? To psychologically torture him into submission? HA! It would take more than some bitch with fancy word play to get him to admit defeat. As he contemplated his plan to combat whatever plan the mares had for him, he didn't notice the conversations and pleasantries taking place.

At least, not until a strange, rolled up piece of paper was offered up in front of his face. "The buck?"

"As I was saying, you my dear shade have much stress on your backs. To use this properly will cause you to relax."

'Stress on your backs? The buck is she talking about?'

The lunar stallion merely looked over the small offering with a confused expression. He looked up at the smiling face of the... Striped female pony with golden rings around her neck. 

Ok, what the buck is this?

She encouraged him to place one end of the piece of paper into his mouth. Apparently they wanted to kill him via poison by having him suck on something that looked like a phallus, huh? Did their sickness know no bounds?

"If you want to see sucking, ask the rainbow one to suck the purple one's horn." Shade snarled. 

After that, a bunch of things happened. First he was in a chair, now he was on the floor. Rainbow Dash was now ontop of him, snarling with her snoot only about an inch away from his with the most angry and hateful eyes he'd ever seen. The orange one was on her way to calm Rainbow down, and lastly and most importantly, Shade was free of the unicorn's magic.

"Thanks doll." Shade chirped happily, giving Rainbow a peck on the nose. 

Her head immediately shot up in utter shock at the kiss and Shade took the opportunity to push her off and dash out of the hut and shot into the sky to make way and rescue his god. Something was wrong with Discord, the ponies had infected him some how and he needed to help his master in any way he could.

   
> Plea to Insanity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Plea to Insanity



Lunacy, absolute madness! How could they really think this was a good idea?!

Mac sat and watched the newly freed Discord as he sat and spoke with Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Cadence and Celestia sitting by to keep an eye on the draconaquiss during his initial release.

Mac was torn between walking with his sister and Shade, who was a bit more animated than usual, but ultimatly found himself better off keeping an eye on the god of Chaos. It was his family's property they were on, after all, and Twilight's magic was more than capable of handling the insane pegasi.

"Ah don't like this." Mac humphed and shook his head, his green eyes dripping with venom. Discord, the god of chaos was to be rehabilitated in the hooves of the most dainty and skittish mare in all of Equestria. He liked Celestia and never truly questioned her judgement until today.

Though, there was some credit to be given to the former lawn ornimate. Instead of using Shade's powers for any nefarious purposes, the elder attempted to reason with the pony, saying that he needed help that Discord could not give. If what he heard was true, than many therapeutic techniques had been preformed on the pegasi in Canterlot, each failing worse than the last.

Ultimately they turned to alternative means of healing and got in contact with the zebra Zecora to see if she had any ideas. 

Still though, Discord was crafty and deceptive. Him feigning compassion for Shade wouldn't be unreasonable to assume in order to gain the trust of those who could imprison him again.

"Why not, Big Mac?" Pinkie asked, much to chipper for the few nerves he had left. "Celestia thinks one thousand and one years is long enough to be imprisoned in stone. Imagine how cooped up somepony would feel being frozen in place that long."

It didn't matter to him how long the trickster was locked up, he had no problem using his powers to harm others and that was a problem. Pinkie tried to appeal to his empathy but Mac wouldn't budge. His friends were scattered, his sister was still dating somepony who he hated, he couldn't find Annabelle and now this.

Empathy was not his strong suit at the current moment.

"Macintosh, are you alright?" Rarity asked, looking concerned. "You've been glaring daggers at Discord for the past twenty minutes."

The stallion was about to respond with a deathly sarcastic rant, but was cut short as he saw a black blur speeding through the sky, a faint but quickly growing proclamation preceding it.

'Uh oh.'

"diiiiiiiiiissssssCOOOOOOOOOORD!" 

Everypony in the area looked just in time to take cover before the pegasus dive bombed his master at a speed that would have undoubtedly broken any other pony's neck.

"Discord! Baby, how ya been? They didn't hurt you any more did they? I hope not, I don't think I can fix you if they messed you up too bad." His smile immediatly vanished and he jumped to all fours and bared his teeth; challenging any who dared approach with a vicious snarl. "You get going, I'll hold them off!"

"Dear Star Shade. Old Pal." Discord said sweetly. "Didn't I tell you that I would be fine and to go with the nice Unicorn and her friends?"

Shade nodded vigorously and pointed out the absolute fact that his god wasn't in his right mind. That the ponies had attempted to taint and corrupt him into their ways of sanity and feelings. The lunar pegasus proudly proclaimed that no matter what the wreches had done to him, he could fix whatever they had broken.

Discord, while unable to deny his delight in the utter chaos the pony was creating, attempted to explain that his decision to become more orderly wasn't done by force, but by his own free will... kinda.

Shade countered the point by pointing out the fact that it was the ponies keeping him by force, not allowing his free will to choose but using his stone prison to coerce him into conforming with their beliefs.

It was at this point that both Celestia and Cadence had had enough and used their magic to restrain the maniacal pony. "Come on, Master! Is this what you really want? To be restrained and castrated by those who seek to rule you?"

The elder grimaced at the question. Technically that is exactly what was happening here. Discord was submitting to their rules and and abiding by them as if he were any other citizen, but it was for the good of his own freedom. Between being stuck in a stone shell or under the hoof of Celestia, the latter seemed like the better option.

"Where is my student and her friends?!" Celestia barked, bringing Shade to eye level. 

Her prey smirked at her. "Last I saw, all three of them passed out with the Zebra." The sun goddess's eyes widened and she immediatly dismissed the allegation, claiming that Twilight was more than capable of handling him. "Than why am I here?" Shade asked, his smirk growing wider.

Tossing the Stallion aside, Celestia made way into the Everfree forest with as much speed as she could muster. Leaving only Cadence, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Macintosh to deal with the threat.

"Shade, please." Candace cooed. "I know that things don't make sense right now, but I'm begging you. Please trust us, we're not trying to hurt you or Discord."

Mac watched silently as Shade barked out in laughter. He knew that there was no point in trying to calm Shade down now, what he needed to be was restrained. And for all the incredible things he's seen the bat pony do, he was in just a bad enough mood to try his hoof at bringing him down.

Seeing her attempts at talking fail, Cadance moved in closer. Her horn alight and trying to influence Shade's behavior with her magic. It seemed to be working well too. The blackened stallion was visibly relaxing with each calming word and step the princess of love took.

"It's okay. Everything will be fine, you see? Nopony's trying to get you." As she drew within reach, Shade immediately spun around on his front hooves and bucked the pink Alicorn right in the chest. Sending her flying a good thirty feet and would have been a devastating landing, had it not been for a last second save by the one he'd come to collect.

Growling at his master's betrayal, Shade had only a second to notice the red blur before it slammed into him and tackled him to the ground. "That's enough, Shade!" Big Mac barked, pinning his friend's hooves behind his head.

Shade stared up in shock. "You too, Mac?" He spat before using his hind legs to kick the stallion off.

Getting to his hooves, Shade dusted his shoulder. "So, they got to you too huh? Don't worry, I can help Discord and I can help you too."

Mac charged forth, huffing angrily as he went. Shade returned in kind, spreading his wings for maximum speed. The two collided and began wrestling one another for dominance.

"Why can't ya see they're tryin ta help ya?" Macintosh demand, as he held Shade in a half nelson. Shade twisted his body out of the hold and swung around knocking the apply pony on his side.

"Help me? Help me?! Since when the flying buck did anyone ever give a crap about me!?" His questioned was answered by lost ballance, both front hooves swept aside by Mac's own. Using the momentum of his foe's fall forward, Macintosh twisted, flipping the stallion onto his head and back.

"Ah care! That's who. Why do ya think everypony was tryin tah talk to ya back in Canterlot?" The apple pony seethed, using every last bit of strength he had to hold the pony in place.

"To, ugh, get me, grrr back under theiiiiiir HOOF!" The last word was punctuated by Macintosh's strength finally being outmatched and the lunar pegasi pushing him off and beginning the wrestling match a new.

However, before they could begin, a bright golden flash of light interrupted them. Soon followed by three angry looking mares and one very upset alicorn.

Shade saw that his level playing field was gone and attempted to escape the situation, though the thing about magic users is that if they are in range of you, they can catch you in their telepathy. He found this point exceedingly relevant as the golden aura around his body quickly brought him face to face with the magical horse lady.

"Buck." He sighed.

Celestia simply eyed him for a moment before checking to make sure everypony was ok. Aside from a pain in her chest, Cadance was fine, Discord had cushioned her falling back to the ground. The rest had been in hiding, so aside from some mental trauma they escaped the episode unscathed as well.

Macintosh, for his part, had a split lip and sprained ankle, but the physical exertion left him more drained than anything. His sister came to check on him, so he was in good hooves.

Deciding it best for her to be the one to take the pony for treatment, Celestia commanded that her ponies stay put and watch over Discord and Cadence.

She wanted to have a few words alone with the eccentric pony in her grasp.

"Please, Auntie. Don't hurt him!" Cadence called out, stopping the sun goddess in her tracks. "He's scared and confused, Discord is the only thing he has left that makes sense. He only attacked me because we were taking all he had left. Please don't hold him responsible for this..."

Heeding the words of her niece, Celestia continued on into the forest; determined to give the stallion a tongue lashing he'll never forget. Nopony hurt her little ponies like this and got away with it. Nopony.

  
> Three Days Grace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


Three Days Grace




"Are you ready for therapy?" Asked the doctor with her typical forced smile.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not going to fly!" Sin sighed, adjusting his goggles. It took all of his restraint not to yell at the poor mare. He knew she was only doing her job, but for the love of the gods, he'd told her for the past three days he didn't want to use his wings.

Again, just as the day before, the Doctor insisted that he at least try. His wings were underdeveloped from disuse and had psychological effects on his mind as well as the physiological effects on his spine and shoulders. Apparently dopamine and other hormonal imbalances occurred when the instinct of a pegasus to fly were rejected. But he didn't care, he wasn't going to use his wings and that was final.

Discouraged and far too kind to give him proper grief, the baby blue unicorn removed his bandages and inspected his wound one last time to ensure proper healing. Once satisfied she asked one more time if he was sure about denying wing therapy before dismissing herself from the room.

Though, he knew that if the last three days were any indicator, Uppity would be putting her own two cents in on the matter. And as usual, he was right. Sometimes, he really hated that fact.

"Why are you being so stubborn about that? Your a pegasus, flying is in your blood. It's your advantage and calling in life." She stated calmly, placing her book down on the couch. "A pegasus who doesn't fly is like a unicorn who doesn't use magic or an earth pony who doesn't use their strength and durability. It's not healthy."

This was why he didn't get into relationships. The nagging never ends. "Can you just let the issue die in peace?"

"No, since you hinder and hurt yourself for no apparent reason, somepony's gotta try to do what's best for you."

Sin quirked a brow and questioned that she thought she knew better than he did what was best for him. Apparently that was funny to her and said that if he did what was best for himself, than he would be happier.

Three times, three times she'd said something he didn't know how to respond to. What the hell? He'd utterly destroyed her at his trial, why was she so easily able to leave him speechless? What was wrong with him?

'Alright, hear me out, hear me out, don't throw any disgusting images my way, please. What if she's right? What if you and happiness might just be able to get along?'

Eh?

'Stay with me on this. Okay? We good? No disgusting images? Cool. So, you know she's smart, you know you are smart. But she smiles alot and seems happy, yea? Her intelligence doesn't keep her miserable. And you've admitted to yourself that Equestria doesn't have that bad a leader, right? So, maybe it's possible for you to be happy here.'

Happy? It was an odd thought. Happiness for himself. Sin could never quite imagine what the feeling would be like, not ever since he'd grown so cynical over the inevitable truth of his homeland. But maybe he could start something new here?

Well, new in attaining contentment with his life, he came to Equestria to 'start new' but never really got anywhere. Was it possible? Better question, was it smart? He knew that Triple M agents were in Equestria, some of them had probably tracked him to the palace and were keeping tabs on his associations. When Malich or Gemini got wind of it, they'd do as they'd done before and kill his friends.

'If that's right, than why are Spike, Mac and Shade still alive?'

That was a good point. Malich himself had seen the stallion's relationship with all three of them. Yet he didn't do anything about it. Why?

"Sin? You alright? You're doing that thing again where you don't talk for a while."

"You mean think?"

The mare rolled her eyes, much to Sin's amusement.  "Whatever. Can you at least tell me what's on your mind?"

Sin declined, it wasn't really important anyways. Though, Uppity was as persistent as ever to get into his head. When he'd first learned the mare had an interest in psychology, he wasn't very concerned about social engineering, but her skills in manipulation were well honed. Still, he lied and told her that he was thinking about how his family was doing.

This was a very big mistake.

The orange pegasus proceeded to unleash one of the largest tangents he'd ever heard in his life. It was so fast that he couldn't even make out what she was saying half the time. Something about a grandmother who'd vistited the Crystal Empire, picnic on a boat, Prison therapy, family dog care, niece stuck a carrot up her nose, and it just kept coming and coming.

'Sweet Tapio's beard in Heaven; she likes to talk.'

Changing your tune already?

"Nope, you're actually listening to her this time. Well, trying to, I'm just pointing out the obvious.'

You? Pointing out the obvious? I'll alert the media.

"-So what's your family like?"

Sin bit his lip, he hadn't really thought his decision through. Talking about his family wasn't really much of a topic changer from talking about how they had killed his friends. 

"Dad's a dick, brother's an asshole, mom's gone, grandpa's a hard worker and Grandma's a mother hen." Quick, precise and to the point.

Uppity, however didn't appreciate such vulgar language, especially in reference to one's own family, though the Federalist dismissed it. It wasn't often he spoke so casually, and he'd be damned if he's censor himself due to someone else's feelings.

Shaking her head, the orange mare gave a rueful smile and proceeded to continue her coaxing; only to be interupted by a rather annoyed looking unicorn stallion as he pushed a food cart into the room. "Lunch time, Sir." He dead panned.

"Thank you." Sin replied in the same tone. The servant removed the lid and in his typical boring tone, explained the meal of bland carrots, peas, milk, and potatos before taking his leave.

"I like him." Sin declared with a smile, he carefully leaned down to take a bit of the potato before it was engulfed in a light orange aura and lifted to his mouth for him.

He looked up to find Uppity smiling slyly. 

"Can I have that back? It's pretty much the only thing that has any flavor in this place."

"Open up and saw ahh." Uppity declared. 

'Sh- She's joking, right?'

Let me ask.

"You're joking, right?"

"Nope!" She chirped.

I don't think she's joking.

"I'm injured, not crippled." 

"I know, it's just fun to tease you." The unicorn teased with a smile that made Sin want to kick a puppy.

"Anybody ever tell you that you're sick in the head?" The oaken federalist snarked. Her momentary indignation was all he needed to grab the potato from her magical gasp and begin to feast. He smirked at a comment she made about dirty tricks and savored the spud with a sweet taste of victory.

'This is victory to you now, huh? Sweet Miliki how you've fallen.'

Do you just enjoy criticizing me? Seriously that's all you ever do.

'I'm your inner critic, it's kinda my job.'

Though, the victory was short lived as his life back in the Federation was called into account. Deciding to indulge her for once, the mare beamed with joy as he told her about his time in the Senate. He'd never written a bill in his short political career, but he's shot dozens down. He told her about the different nations and his knowledge of them.

The Centaur were where her interest lie most, since they were unheard of in Equestria. Indeed, the half pony, half humanoids were very reclusive and didn't take much to the other races, save when it was in their interest to do so. The Running of the Centaur proved to both awe and horrify her, much to Sin's delight.

It was strange how comfortable and casual he'd become with her over the past few days. He couldn't remember a time where his coldness was taken more as a challenge to tease and play than hostility. Typically he'd take such a condescending attitude as disrespectful, but with her it was different some how, and here he was telling her things he hadn't even told Macintosh or Spike.

He'd just gotten to the second running when the two were interrupted by Celestia.

"Oh my, I hope I'm not interrupting anything personal." 

"Of course not your majesty." Uppity said a little too quickly and bowed. "We were just, er-"

Celestia chuckled and told her student not to fret, she may have been royalty but she had just as much a desire to tease and have fun as everypony else. "Now then, I've come to ask Sinbad a few question." She said, her demeanor turning more serious.

"Oh joy. Fine, what do you want?"

"What do you think? To know why you threatened my subject." She said venomously, sending a small chill up the stallion's spine. Sin replied that he'd already told her and that his story wouldn't change. Protecting a friend was his priority and that's why he did it.

It wasn't a smart decision, but it was one that made him feel a little more alive inside.

The Alicorn looked Sin in the eye, past his goggles. Staring into his soul for what felt like hours as the crushing weight of the godesses judgement assaulted the stallion's resolve. He knew what she wanted, but he wasn't going to apologize to her. He'd apologized to Shining for what he had to do, but that was it. 

Celestia could go fuck herself as far as he cared.

Her gaze shifted to Uppity who immediatly averted her gaze. A word from her teacher called the young unicorn's attention and was asked of her opinion on the matter. 

"Well, I think he's really harmless." Uppity declaired, her snobby and uppity personality returning. For some reason, those words really crawled under the stallion's skin. True he may not hurt her, but he was far from harmless.

'Feeling inadequate?'

Feeling like a walrus?

'That gag's getting kinda old.'

So are you, but you're still around.

"I see, and what do you think we should do with him? We certainly can't have him going around pointing dangerous weapons at innocent ponies."

Were they really talking about him like he wasn't there? 

"Where is Shade?" Sin asked suddenly. "I've heard nothing about him for the past three days."

Celestia's ears perked and a thoughtful look adorned her face. "Shade has been taken to Ponyville with Discord at the request of Twilight Sparkle and my sister for his own rehabilitation. After an... incident involving your friend, it was decided best to keep the two together."

Sin's eyes widened and he gulped before asking as to the nature of this 'incident'. 

However, the solar princess didn't answer and instead changed the topic back to his plea deal. But the look of pure neutrality on her face told him all he needed to know.





Three days into the investigation, three days Malich had been stuck in the Unitas Triple M. Head Quarters. Three days he'd been forced to be away from Project New Wave with only titilizing and exciting memos to keep him up to date.

Half of them he couldn't even read because he couldn't risk the questions of the two dunces infront of him! It was maddening, the vice-president wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to last. Shit, he almost found dealing with Lady and Lord Fatchitaz more preferable than this.

Happily, though, his western fleet had intercepted a rather large raft of Zeborican refugees, and after a little well timed moves, passed the K-9 Securities and transported the new subjects to the lab for testing. He'd given very clear and hidden instruction to Elsa that half of the infected Zebras were to be separated from the rest and allowed supreme nourishment to help the parasite to flourish and grow.

She was also instructed to keep the pet project and absolute secret from Psy and any other Staff aside from a select few he'd mentioned. Mainly, Dr. Voltare. Voltare had originally suggested to Malich, in a report, that the best way to garner a Queen was to constantly allow the parasites to grow. Mainly in the hopes of producing a Queen instead of a drone.

Sadly, Psy caught wind of the report and threatened to abandon the facility should such an experiment take place.

Morals and Ethics always held back progress.

"Mr. Malich." Called his assistant, poking his head into the room. "I'm afraid you've got a visitor, sir."

 YES! Finally, an out!

"Thank you, Radclif, if you will excuse me." He said before departing the office, leaving the Federal Investigators to their research. He didn't have anything planned for today, he'd cleared his entire schedual so he could keep an eye on the pair, but for the god's sake was it tedious and boring.

"She's waiting in the conference room, sir." A brisk trot down the hall and the ashen earth pony opened the door.

"Good afternoon, how may I- oh shit." His stomach clenched in disgust and his mouth and nose crinkled in an involuntary grimace as he made a silent deal with himself to be more careful what he wished for in the future.

There before him in all her blubbery and ignorant wonder was the bane of his existance. Lady Fatchitaz, smiling with an unearned sense of arrogance that made Malich's teeth grind to the nub.

"Malich! So good to see you!" The Lady declared, moving to, what was either a hug or to grab and eat him. He wasn't sure and didn't want to find out.

"Quite." He replied, stepping away from her advance, though to his shock and horror, she still walked after him. Every step he took back, she took forward.

"Where are you going, dearest? Why wont you give your fiancee a hug?"

Fiance? FIANCEE?! FIANCEE?! 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, please stop walking after me." He turned to go around the table.

"Still playing coy I see. Momma does love a challenge."

The ashen pony had clamp his mouth shut to stop from throwing up. Her... as a mother... her... committing the act to become a... 

Oh Tapio, I'm gonna be sick.

The chase lasted for all of two minutes before the good Unicorn finally gave up, and by gave up, Malich meant that her labored breathing and sweat soaked coat indicated she'd gotten her bi-yearly exercise in that she was in desperate need of. Still better to be subject to a chase than to actually have the blubbering tub of fat  touch him.

Finally catching her breath, the Lady gave her associate a look. "You know, playing hard to get is only fun for so long, dearest."

"I'm not playing, I want nothing to do with you." 

Fatchitaz laughed him off as she always did, it was like she was completely incapable of accepting criticism or negative responses. The fat must have kept her insulated from anything other than kind words. A kind of biological defense mechanism, as it were. To his shock and horror, she'd revealed that her reason to visit was that she'd picked out their wedding date and place.

Malich's mind went completely blank, it was impossible. There was no way she could be that stupid. He didn't give her an answer when she proposed at the Palace and dismissed her at every freaking turn! How did she go from that to thinking he accepted her marriage proposal? It was like having a stalker, a stalker who you couldn't be rid of because her rich daddy would launch a financial war that wouldn't end until both companies were in the ground.

And that just wasn't part of the plan.

"I was so beside myself when father told me of your acceptance of my proposal!" She beamed.

Motherfucker. That low down, sick, twisted, manipulative, donkey ridding mother fucker. Lord Fatchitaz set him up, literally with his own daughter.

There was only one option, and Malich knew that he'd never be forgiven for it, but this thing and him were not going to work out.

"My yes came with a condition, Lady Fatchitaz."

Cocking her head to the side and quirking a brow, the alabaster Unicorn stated that her father had never mentioned any terms, but if it meant that Malich would finally come to his senses, than she would accept.

"My brother, Sinbad, currently resides in Equestria. With the new Federal Inquiry, I'm afraid that I'll be unable to find him myself, so if you want us to marry than I shall need you to find him. It's only fitting a pony get his brother to be his best stallion, right?"
> Coerced Decisions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  



Coerced Decisions




Valiar grumbled under his breath as he trotted along with his platoon. Cursing the weight of his runes as they pulled down upon his chest and back. He and his troop had been trotting around the Canterlot Mountainside for hours as part of their morning conditioning, and Celestia's sweet ass did he hate it! At least the sun was shining again today, though he knew that the days of slippery slopes were to come.

It wasn't so much the exercise in and of itself, but the fact he was being told what to do with order that damn near made his ear drums bleed. Sargent Steel Hammer was far worse an instructor than any of his teachers in Anti'arch. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was missing the offensive side of his runes, the red stallion was certain he'd have blasted the burgundy earth pony off the face of the earth six times over. 

Especially after, what his new squad mates affectionately refer to as, the burrito incident.

The good news was that they were on their way back to the barracks, the bad news was that after that, he'd be going to visit Shining Armor for his "special" training. None of the other members of the squad ever much spoke to him, so that much was a positive at least. Oddly they never much talked to each other at all outside of Hammer barking orders and encouragement. 

It did make some sense, considering the majority of Celestial Guards stood as still as statues most of the time, but this kind of silence just seemed unnatural.

Once they'd finally made it back to camp, the others dressed up for combat training, while Valiar made way for the castle proper. The private court yard seemed to be the favored sparing ground for the young captain. But he couldn't complain though, better to get thrown onto soft grass than unforgiving cobble stone.

"You're late." He heard. As expected, Shining was standing at the ready, fully adorned in his violet armor. His face was neutral, but the tone of his voice spoke volumes to his disapproval.

"Sarge took us an extra mile, sir." 

"I don't want excuses." Shining replied calmly, pulling a nap sack from his side and tossing it to the stallion. "I want results."

Summoning the strength of Diak, Valiar lifted the bag and smiled at what he saw. Blaze, the Rune of Energy! Out of all twelve of his weapons, this was by far his favorite. And since he had the runes that allowed him to: Levitate, produce shields, amplify, store mana, and analyze, and the rune that protected him physically, he might have a shot at this sparring session.

Declining the training armor provided for him for the third day in a row, Valiar smirked as he summoned out his runes and began their circling around him in an almost protective barrier. 

Today would be different.

"Go!" Shining barked, charging forward. 

Immediately the stallion put his favorite magic tool to use and set the others fell to the way side, save his personal protector. Focusing, the rock began to glow and a fine beam of red energy blasted forth, headed straight for his opponent.

Shining smirked and teleported just as the beam was about to make contact, he appeared right behind Valiar and attacked, though it wasn't his hoof this time, but an energy blast of his own. His efforts were met by the protecting stone as expected and deflected the magical beam right back at the guard captain.

A small pink shield intercepted the blow and dissipated the attack just as quickly. His efforts were rewarded by a swift buck from that left a nice crack in the captain's defenses.

"Trick's getting old, Cap'n." Valiar taunted, having jumped across the yard. He summoned five of his runes and with a mix between the amplification and energy, released an onslaught that he hoped would obliterate the bubble shield Shining had grown so fond of using. 

"You idiot!" Shining called before charging his own beam and unleashing his magic to intercept. To Valiar's shock and enthrallment, Shining's magic seemed to be just enough to match his own as the two spells colliding in a collision that sent shock waves through the court yard.

The red stallion licked his lips, taking great enjoyment from the fight, though his happiness was short lived as Shining let out a cry and his magical efforts doubled down, beating back his own spell at an alarming speed. Thinking quickly he switched out his Energy rune for his Shield and with the help of Amplification, had just enough power to hold back the blast that surly would have meant his death.

Valiar cursed the dust that had formed from the explosion and growled. He set forth Analysis to get a better vantage point and use his magical link to find his opponent. Before the black rock could even reach the appropriate height, Valiar felt a teleporation spell discharge behind him and turned just in time to see his protection Rune engage yet another energy beam, though this one was much stronger and overpowered the stone, slamming it into Valiar's chest and sending him skidding through the grass.

"What the hey are you trying to do? Blow up the castle!" Shining decried, marching after his subordinate "Do you realize what would have happened if that mega charge of yours hit my shield? I'd be dead right now!"

Valiar got to his hooves and eyed his proclaimed mentor. "You said you wanted results, didn't you?"

A small vein began to protrude on his forehead, to the left of his horn. That was not a good sign."The entire point of you being here is your lack of control and irresponsibility, you featherbrain!"

Valiar groaned and rolled his eyes, "than what was the point of letting me keep Enhancement? The entire point of that Rune is to enhance any spell that it's used with!"

It didn't make much sense to the mage, his runes each had a very specific purpose. Each one was either a direct or support magical tool. Enhancement was one of his most powerful, yet in and of itself, it was little more of a threat than any other thrown rock, but matched with any other spell? It was a very effective means of making an otherwise mundane and ineffective attack utterly devastating.

Though, if the steam coming from his mentors ears were any indication, that wasn't the response he wanted to hear. "I WANTED you to learn restraint!" He barked, eyes witching and snout scrunched in a fumming grimace.

Shining was quickly growing impatient, not enough to outright abandon Valiar of course, but this was his third failure in a row in terms of tests. The first day they'd attempted simple meditation and hoof to hoof combat. Though, it was soon undeniable that, unlike most of the mages of Anti-arch, Valiar wasn't as disciplined in either patience or physical fighting. Strange enough to prompt a letter of inquiry for his personal files from the Temple.

The second day, he tried a more compassionate approach, as suggested by his lovely and overly compassionate wife to be. This, also ended in a resounding failure. 

The test was simple, attempt to befriend the mage and gain his trust through communication and gentle words to see how he would respond. The result? Said red stallion looking at the guard captain as if he had grown a second head and a laugh that would haunt the good pony's sense of humility for years to come.

The training session yesterday was absolutely merciless, yet the healing magic of his rune returned the pony back to peak physical condition, rendering the entire painful lesson utterly pointless.

But he was determined, despite his insubordination and utter lack of respect for authority, Shining knew that Valiar was both capable of being a great asset to the kingdom, and far too much a liability to let leave his sight. To give up on him would be to a catastrophe in the making, and Shining, as a servant to said kingdom, would sooner die than allow such a an asset to become a threat.

Though, he couldn't waste all of his patience on today, there was still a certain brown and black anarchist that required his attention.





Sin sighed, growing bored with the staring contest between himself and Shining Armor. Apparently, the guard Captain had come to offer him a plea deal to avoid the actual trial in a few days time. Though the Federalist was skeptical, if plea deals in Equestria were anything like the Federations, than he was better off spitting in the stallions face and getting one last threat in for good measure.

"Before I make the offer, I've got a question and I need you to be totally honest." Sin nodded. "When you said that whoever's threatening Luna wasn't above bringing down the entire country, were you serious, or just trying to get out of telling me the truth?"

The two held eye contact for a few tense moments of silence. Sin knowing that his answer wasn't going to make the captain happy, but he had to tell the truth.

"Fact of the matter, Captain, I don't think you'll believe me either way. But if you want to hear the truth from me, than here it is: I don't much mind Equestria's ruler." He stated honestly, his typically bored or annoyed tone replaced by one of relinquishment. "I've got some reservations about the honesty of both Luna and Celestia, but thousands of years of life will inevitably lead to lies of some kind to maintain order. Chaos is simply within our nature."

"As far as I know, you've been honest with me, so I'll do the same in return. The organization that is involved here has destroyed very powerful citizens in my country. Citizens protected by literal personal armies with no blood shed. Make no mistake, they are quite capable of it... capable in some of the worst ways possible. " His voice dropped to a low, disgusted and abhorrent tone. "Things that still make me want to commit suicide after seeing."

That was enough to make Shining recoil. It wasn't a lie either, once you see pictures of three younglings being held by Triple M. griffon agents, you don't really get over that.

Thankfully, Shining appeared much more agreeable now. His scowl replaced by a look of mild sympathy. "Alright, let's say I believe you. What should I do?"

"For now, you must do nothing overt. If I were you, I'd find out why Luna was so insistent on her sister not finding out about her partnership with-" he stopped, realizing he was about to say the name. Though, a bit of though convinced him that it didn't matter at this point if Shining knew or not. "With the Triple M. Corporation."

Sin gave a quick synopsis of hiding their name, during his trial when Luna sent a clear signal that she didn't want him exposing his secret. It probably wasn't near the dramatic ordeal he'd been making it out to be, but for the sake of him being right, he kept things dramatic. Triple M. had a way of cutting deals with those in power and keeping their claws around them. "Eventually someone will have to meet Luna in private and tell her to take whatever hit she's going to take to be rid of Triple M. when the time is right." Replied Sin with absolution. "I'm not sure why she doesn't want anyone to know about her affiliation with them, but the longer she's involved, the longer she'll suffer for it."

He saw Shining Armor pull out a quill and parchment but asked him not to write it down. Such writing is evidence that could be used to convict the princess should Triple M. get their hooves on it.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation." Shining thanked solemnly. "Now, as far as your plea deal is concerned, I was going to recommend that you be placed in the dungeon for a few months. However, after speaking to both Uppity and due to your cooperation and honesty here today, I've decided a more lenient punishment would be in order."

"And that would be?"

During his conversation with both Uppity and Celestia, the issue of his anti-social tenancies became a reoccurring theme. They thought that it was due to his isolation that he held so little respect for life and the rights of others. Both mares argued in his favor that he wasn't a bad sort, but that he was just damaged by the world and that he needed both rehabilitation and resocialization.

Sin's eyes narrowed under his goggles as the pit in his stomach began to grow. "What are you getting at?"

Shining cleared his throat and pulled out another parchment, a made up contract. "Your plea deal, should you choose to accept it, will be that you are no longer allowed to live in the Everfree forest and that you are to reside in Ponyville, no more than half a mile from the town center."

... "Not guilty, take me to trial. Ten years in the dungeons, please." Sin blurted after collecting his jaw from the floor.

No way, no way in hell was he going to live among others. He hated other ponies, yea he could be civil and what not when he needed to be, but for the love of Tapio he found them annoying. All they ever did was talk, talk and talk some more about menial crap he couldn't give a damn less about. Sentencing him to a time where he'd have to interact with them on a daily basis? He'd rather have a noose around his neck and tossed into the gates of Tatarus. 

"Now before you answer, I've been told that you'd first need to speak with your council." Declared the captain, a small smile of satisfaction pulling at his lips.

"No I don't. I'm pleading not guilty, right now."

"Uppity, he's all yours." 

Sin watched with contempt as the alabaster stallion walked out of the room, replaced by the orange mare who'd kept him company for the past three days. 

She sat down at his bedside and pressed her lips. "Ok, so I know what you're going to say-"

"Not. Guilty!"

"-but hear me out." 

Speaking to his sense of freedom and anarchy, Uppity asked if his misequinthropy was justified. Equestria was different than the Federation, his anger towards the Federalists had no baring here, since he'd made multiple statements about the extraordinary differences in culture.

"Yes, I did say pony's here seem more friendly and honest, but I have no interest in associating with them all the same."

"Why not?" Sin didn't have an answer for this. His general hatred of others, save a select few, had no holding in this land. Though, his personality was solidified, he simply had no interest in being around others in the way that he was being coaxed into. He'd lived his life on his own for a long time, and that's just how he liked it.

"And that's the problem." His councilmare pointed out with her eyebrows fully extended. "You've been alone for so long, you don't even remember the good parts of being around others ponies. I promise, we're not all bad and air headed as you think we are. I mean, you gave me a chance, didn't you?"

Two choices that can be made here, say that he didn't mean a word of kindness he'd given her and completely destroy her spirit and trust, or admit that she was right, and move on from that.

... ... Fucking Tyken and his ill timed plan to make him start caring about his friends!

Sin glared at the young mare, hoping she'd back down and not force him to answer, but she stood as firm on this issue as with every issue the two disagreed upon. Which was pretty much everything in the world.

"Why are you putting me in this position?" Sin sighed in defeat. He didn't have it in him, he'd backed himself into a logical corner, and just couldn't bring himself to hurt her after everything she'd done for him.

His irritation was quickly replaced by surprise as he felt her hoof softly bop his nose. "Because I care about you, of course." She declared, an unusually chipper smile adorning her face.

Well, as much as he wanted to say otherwise, Sin reluctantly accepted the plea deal. And just as quick as he answered, he found himself crushed in the embrace of the unicorn mare, much more happy for his decision than he was. He'd never say it out loud, but for the first time in what had to be years, he felt a warm sensation in the cold pit of his heart from the mares... comforting embrace.

> lll
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



III



Macintosh gently awoke to the glowing sun beyond his window. He looked down to find Annabelle missing this morning. Probably took off in the middle of the night again.

A few hours after Star Shade was taken by Celestia, Annabelle had stopped by the farm and nearly lost her mind when she saw the bandages on Macintosh's muzzle. The apple pony demanded that he was fine, but she shushed him and looked him over anyways. It was a comfortable feeling, having somepony care for you in that way.

Still, she wasn't pleased about his condition and questioned Shade's loyalty if he was willing to inflict such damage on one he called friend. Long explanation short, she got the jist of the insane bat pony's condition, she couldn't fathom why Mac had remained friends with him though, despite the long winded explanation of their ordeal in the diamond dog slave mines. All the same, the butter milk mare just asked for Macintosh to be more careful in such dealings.

Fumbling out of bed, the apple stallion resolved to get some chorse done for his sister, who still hadn't returned home for some reason. After a quick shower he made way down stairs for some breakfast. His breath caught in his throat at the sight before him.

There was both his grandma and Annabelle, in the kitchen together. He wasn't sure what they were talking about but the latter seemed excited about it.

"Well, Ah'll be." Granny chuckled. "Didn't know ye could fry sea bacon 'Bout time we gotta mare who could cook somethin' sides apples round here." Granny praised, overlooking the sizzling slabs of giant, sliced sea weeds. It wasn't Mac's favorite, but it did sound kind of appealing, and the smell emanating from the kitchen wasn't bad either.

"Ah've never had sea bacon before, what's that?" Applebloom asked.

"A special plant from the ocean that, when stir fried and seasoned, tastes amazing! My momma taught it to me back when I was a filly." The golden maned earth pony announced, flipping the sea weed over in the pan. Her eyes flew to the stairs at his hoofsteps. "Oh hi, Big Mac! You're just in time fer breakfast!" She chirped happily.

It hadn't hit him until that point how embarrassing his entire situation was. He, a grown stallion still living at home. But that was how farm life was, and the fact that there were not other stallions do do the heavy plowing and lifting in his stead, which he had every intention to do today even if he'd gotten a late start.

Before long, the table was in a spread of all kinds of food from sea weed to apple fritters. It was the most diverse meal the stallion had in a long time. Well, since he'd eaten with the griffins, anyways. It made him shutter to think about, poor rabbits.

During breakfast the typical comments were made about how great the cooking was and a few questions about spices and seasoning when something new came along. Talk about the chores that needed to be done for the day, which were plenty since AJ hadn't been around, and who'd be by to assist. Which, was nopony.

Spring was important for any farm, hopefully Mac would be able to get everything he needed to get done yesterday done within the next week in short order. Last thing they wanted was a disappointing harvest.

It was an odd circumstance, to say the least. His granny wasn't too thrilled about swallowing her pride and asking for him to return to the farm work, but she somehow managed it. Folks weren't stopping buy to help like they used to. Rainbow Dash being held up more and more at the weather factory to go threw some kinda training about getting water for clouds or some such, and Pinkie Pie was swamped with the spring break rush, where Sugar Cube Corner suddenly became a hot spot for kids with way too much time on their hooves.

Finishing up, the stallion excused himself and made way for the shed to grab some fertilizer and secret apple family tree reguvinizer. The trees would be the primary concern, but the smaller pineapple orchard in the north still needed to be looked after. Maybe he'd teach Applebloom about it at some point today, if she wanted to.

The golden sun was shining bright and unimpeded today, a much needed change of pace from the dreary and cloudy mornings they'd had previously. Mac gathered the supplies onto a cart and made way for the fields. He'd planned out the scheduled and determined that he'd be able to get at least the north western fields done today. By week's end it should all be fertilized and ready for rejuvenation.

Half way through the day, as he was applying some much needed fertilizer to a tree root, a shadow appeared over the stallion from behind. Thinking it was either Annabelle or Applejack, Mac turned around to greet them, but his smile fell almost as instantly as it had come. For it wasn't Anna nor his sister, it wasn't even a pony. A black jacket clad griffin stood before him, looking down at him expectantly. Something seemed vaguely familiar about the hybrid, but for the life of him, Macintosh couldn't figure out what.

"Mr. Macintosh Apple?" It asked in a calm but intimidating voice. His overbearing presence left a familiar kind of intimidation that reminded the apple pony of Sin's own.

"Can Ah help you?" Mac asked, stand up straight, now looking slightly down at the griff.

"Yes actually. I'm aware that you're associated with the dragon called Spike, yes?" The black and red Griff asked.

This piqued Mac's attention and he asked who was asking and why.

"My name is Conno, and I've been sent to gather any and all information on the matter." Conno replied taking out a flipbook and pen. "Could you please tell me why Spike was arrested?" 

Initially, Mac refused to give any information. He didn't like when anypony came onto his property and randomly started asking questions, especially when the pony was a griffin he didn't know. Though, Conno coaxed the stallion by explaining that he intended to help the young dragon, claiming it was in his employer's interest to see the drake free.

Reluctantly, the apple pony recalled the day of Spike's rampage. It was simple, considering he'd only gotten there after Luna had winked them both there after the attack began. All he could account for was that reasoning with the dragon had been working out rather well until the Wonderbolts showed up and started making trouble. Aside from that, was that Spike was sorry for what he'd done and was genuinely ready to accept responsibility. 

Apparently, that wasn't what Conno wanted to hear. "I see. Is there anything else? Anything at all?" He waited for any kind of response before writing down a few final notes in his notepad before putting it away. "We'll be in touch." He declared before flapping his wings and taking off into the sky, leaving the stallion to contemplate who he was, why he was asking questions, and why he had the same kind of presence Sin had.





Celestia and Twilight sat in rather large cavern upon a not so comfortable rock couch. Diamond dogs had been placed at all the entrances and stood guard to ensure that either no harm came to the princesses or they couldn't escape. It was hard to tell. The two had been told that they'd be recieved by the leader of the Gamma Pack, yet one night and three hours past day break, neither had seen head nor tail of any diplomat.

"Princess," Twilight began. "Are you sure coming here alone was a good idea?"

Celestia chuckle. "My faithful student, there is nothing to fear from these dogs. We may be in their home, but they are in my domain. And besides, we've both faced more powerful foes. Between the two of us, there's nothing to worry about."

Twilight gave a hopeful smile and went back to waiting patiently.

Finally a large, pitbull face K9 came forth before them, jewels of every sort adorning his elongated pristine white vest which lead all the way to the ground. Unlike most of the other mutts, this dog didn't have a sense of nervous ignorance or stupidity about him.

"Princess Celestia." He declared with a bow, turning his head to the side and exposing his neck. "I apologize for the wait. There's been some trouble aside from your dragon." 

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Celestia paused.

"Please, call me Alpha Raptor." Raptor declared with a toothish grin. "What can I do for you this fine day?" He asked, acting a little too corgeal.

"We beg mercy for our friend, Spike." Twilight interrupted, hushed quickly by Celestia.

"What she means is that we would be happy to discuss terms for leniency upon your prisoner." Raptor gave a look of interest and condescending amusement. 

"I regret to inform you that I am not the sole judge against your friend, your highness. It will be a vote between myself and the other six pack leaders to determine his fate." His eyes than lit up as he looked over the princess. "Though, I suppose I could be... persuaded into a fair verdict?"

He licked his chops, eyeing Celestia's taught and divine body, his eyes turning an unashamed form of lustful as he chuckled, giving Twilight one of the worse shivers of creepyness she'd ever experienced.

Celestia apparently also caught on, smiling polity and rejecting any favors of sexual nature. Raptor took this denial with both grace and dignity. "Well, can't blame a dog for trying." He chuckled, his face re-dawned a neutral expression. "Now, all joking aside, I'm afraid that I'll need to hear testimony before I can truely decide one way or the other. Your associate's crimes are great, but they are beyond great. It isn't often an entire pack is defeated by one being as small as he was without magical powers."

"He's dangerous to us, Celestia. I don't think I need to remind you about the relationship between dragons and dogs?"

Celestia nodded. "I'm aware, Raptor. But he's no threat to you, of that I can promise."

"Oh? Just as he was no threat to the Delta Pack?"

The sun goddess countered by recalling the events of the Delta Pack's pony napping of one of her little ponies and how she was used as a slave, and how she'd not pressed charges against them for the crime. Raptor returned with a reminder that the Pack had suffered the indignity of slavery under said pony and had their belongings robbed in order to be rid of the pony they napped, when easily they could have had her killed.

This went on in a back and forth until Celestia sighed in exacerbation, demanding to see Spike as ruler of the land they stood upon.

"Careful, your highness." Raptor challenged, looking the solar goddess in the eye. "This may be your land, but this is a diamond dog matter." The two looked eachother in the eye, both waiting for the other to concede the challenge and walk away with the other's tail between their legs.

It was impressive how long he lasted, but Raptor looked away first. Experience trumps youth this day, still it was the only victory the ponies would get. The alpha denied them visitation to Spike but were more than welcome to provide council during the real trial.

Dismissing themselves from the tunnel, Twilight and Celestia offered thanks for the gracious hospitality and teleported back to the castle to figure out their options.





Slamming a his heavy pick ax against another rock, Spike grunted with ever increasing effort that the constant mining took on his body. Two days of constant labor had strained his muscles and caused multiple bouts of dehydration, but he didn't give up. He mined every gem type the earth had to offer and gladly offered it to the diamond dogs, knowing that it wouldn't erase his sins, but it was at least a small consultation.

Coughing from the dusty dirt he sent spraying with another hit of the pick ax, the drake halted his work and took a drink of water from the canteen he'd set aside. Cool and refreshing water, it was amazing how something so vital could be taken for granted.

"Why you stop work, geko?!" He heard his control officer bark from behind.

"Sorry," the drake apologized. "Just got a little thirsty is all."

The dog scoffed. "Oh, look at me, I'm a dragon raised by ponies and I can talk right, BAH! No care why, back to work!"

Gripping his tool of the earth to channel his anger, Spike turned back to the tunnel and began hammering again. He knew the dogs hated dragons and that he deserved to be here, but man were they rude. Not to mention that their grammar was absolutely atrocious. 

He lifted the pick a little to quickly and it flew from his weakened grip, sent to clamor against the cart meant to transport dirt to the surface. 

"WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THAT!" His handler barked. "You try to kill Desodo?!"

"Maybe" The slave muttered under his breath.  It was an interesting thought, but he'd never entertain it for long. Spike was a good dragon, killing wasn't something good dragons or any other race would do, aside to eat of course.

After a few more hours of slowed work, yet another dog had come to inform Disodo that it was time to put Spike back into his cell for the night. Grunting with disapproval, the pug faced mutt beckoned to be followed. 

The tunnels may have been hard work, but Spike had to admit that, as they traveled through back to the compound, they were astonishingly beautiful. Like the last two mines he was in, there were lighted gems to illuminate the way, a large cavern that served as the main base of operations and thousands upon thousand of wooden supports and railways with hundreds of off shooting vein mines that had to go for miles into the earth's crust in every direction.

His mind slowly slipped to the treasure trove of gems that laid in the very bottom of the mine, imagining the utter enormity the pile had to be for all the work this mine had labored and he couldn't help the small bit of drool that escaped his smiling lips. All of those delicious gems... all of them, just for him.

Physically smacking himself, Spike berated himself for even thinking about that. It was that exact thing that had landed him in this mess in the first place! 

'But how can you not? All of those succulent, shiny, valuable gemstones? All fo- 

STOP! I know! I know! But I can't think like that any more! What I did was wrong, it got ponies hurt and landed me as a slave in a diamond dog mine! I shouldn't be thinking about it.

But he was, and he hated himself for it. It was wrong, so very wrong, but he wanted it, he wanted to bath in the jewels and hoard them all to himself. He wanted to consume and keep them, to lavish and protect them. He wanted them a-

Physically slapping him again, Spike forced himself to think about something else. Well, after giving a nervous chuckle at the disturbed look his handler had given him.

"Crazy geko." He gruffed, shaking his head. 

I've got your crazy right here, pal.

After a while of walking, Spike felt the earth beneath his feat become denser and harder from extended foot traffic, signalling their closeness to the top of the operation. Seven minutes later, he found himself back in his cell, Disodo giving him one last look of disgust before walking off to do whatever.

It wasn't his best day, but suffering was part of repentance, and as Spike laid down onto the cold ground, he hoped that the dogs would take his labor for them into consideration when his time for trial finally came.

    
> Anger management
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Anger Management




Sin thought long and hard about how he was going to get out of this one as he looked out the window of the Ponyville Express.

The contract he'd subjected himself was abhorrent and grossly unfair. First off, he had to live among other ponies, interacting with them on a daily basis. Secondly, he had to make time for two visits a week from Uppity who was delegated as his probation officer. Thirdly, his residence not being enough, he was allowed to leave Ponyville city limits only for a maximum of four hours a day, barring extenuating circumstances, effectively destroying his out of claiming residence while actually living elsewhere.

One Twilight Sparkle would be visiting him at her discretion to teach him the... magic of friendship? Is that what she called it?

'Yea, that's exactly what she called it.' 

And she some how did it with a straight face! He recalled the stern lecture the solar goddess had given him, threatening sever dungeon time should he break his agreement to her again. At least she was more serious about it this time instead of treating it like a joke, well that's what he told himself, lamenting the small upturning of her lips any time he'd scowl, frown or give any indication to disapproval.

And even worse, Spike's arrest weighed on his mind. Celestia had explained the dragon's situation and Sin was torn on the issue. He had no caring for their government, but his friend had to face consequences for his actions. Though, any sympathy for the dogs quickly dispersed as soon as the death penalty was mentioned. 

Death? Yea he'd assaulted them and maimed one, but to kill him for that was out of order! Luckily, Celestia agreed and had already visited the pack complex to ask for mercy. However, it wouldn't be until the dragon's trial that any of them could do anything that wouldn't start a revolt within the K9 territories.

Sin rubbed the sides of his head. He'd need to find Mac and Shade to figure out a plan to get Spike out if things didn't go in his favor. That was if Uppity didn't get in his way.

He still wasn't in the best shape yet, being discharged from the palace's medical care due to his constant attempts to escape and insistence that he didn't have time to rest with so much going on. He was determined and even the orange mare across from him couldn't stop his departure. Celestia allowed it under the condition that he wouldn't strain himself too much, and for some reason, consider learning to fly.

He agreed to the terms and boarded the next train for Ponyville. Hey, she just said he had to consider it, he did and decided not to pursue the subject. The 'not straining himself' bit would need to worked around though.

The train finally reached the station and Sin limped along, careful not to put to much strain on his still healing chest. Magic was amazing, but it wasn't a cure all to everything.

"Welcome home!" Uppity smiled and breathed deeply through her nostrils, taking in the town. "So this is Ponyville huh? Seems like a charming and rustic place."

"Quite." Sin agreed, beginning his long trek to Sweet Apple Acres. The fact he'd been stagnant for so long on the train didn't help his already tightened muscles, but he pushed through the pain to maintain a decent pace.

"Easy, no need to push yourself so much." Said Uppity in an attempt to slow him down. Putting things in questions typically resulted in sarcastic answers, statements had more of an effect, she learned.

"I'm kinda strapped for time, here." Sin countered, keeping his pace.

"Part of the agreement for you being discharged from the medical wing was that you wouldn't push yourself too much, remember?"

"Aye, and I'm not pushing myself. I'm just trying to make good time."

Deciding against farther dialog, the DA resigned herself to quiet concern. The Federalist may have been proud but he was the first friend she had that seemed to genuinely care about her feelings and being around her, that and he had an IQ above the average pony in her circles. She may not be able to stop him outright, but she'd still be there to help him back if he needed it.

The duo approached the wooden farm house and rapped on the door three times. It was mid day, so if Mac was here, he'd most likely be out in the fields, but Sin wanted to make sure.

"Howdy, what can Ah-" He had to stop himself from growling at the marshmellow green mare who opened the door to greet them, and from the frown on her face, it was clear the feeling was mutual. The two shared a brief stare down before Uppity nudged him into asking where Mac was.

Granny Smith looked over at the mare and studied her for a moment. "Got yerself a cover fillyfriend, did ja?" She chuckled cynically. "Don't ya worry none, yer colt cuddlin' secret's safe with me."

He heard the mare in question gasp from the accusation, though found the response rather obvious. "I'm not worried, at your age, Alzheimers  will see to that." He smirked at scowls from both mares being directed at him.

Granny was a proud mare, probably more proud than he was, but still she had to admit when a joke was funny. "I'll give ya that one, colt, but this ol' mare c'n still put the woopin on yer sorry kester."

Sin placed his hoof on his chin in mock thought. "If memory serves, that didn't work out so well for you last time." Granny's own smirk didn't falter this time though. "I'm here for Macintosh, I need to talk to him."

She told him that he was in the north western orchard and sent them on their way. The two found the named pony and another mare that Sin recognized as Annabelle. Odd that she'd be out here, but he did have a feeling about her and Mac, though.

Once the introductions were done with, Sin asked to speak with Machintosh in private, leaving the mares to themselves while they spoke. Mac spoke first, rather miffed that Sin had abandoned him to speak with Celestia about Spike on his own, though he understood why, it still made him angry.

"Yea, sorry about that. Speaking of Star, where is he? I'd rather talk to you both about this matter."

Mac told him about the... incident between himself and the aforementioned, it was somehow both surprising and not surprising at the same time that Shade would attack his friends, he seemed to have calmed down so much in recent weeks. This was explained to be Discord's doing, who had been freed from his stone prison and taken up residence in Ponyville.

That was surprising, but since there were no cotton candy clouds, Sin figured they had it under control. Apparently, he was taken to some zebra in the Everfree named Zecora for psychological therapy, an idea that the federalist half hoped worked and half hoped didn't. One of the benefits of Shade was his insanity and unpredictability.

"So where is this Zecora, exactly?"

"You'll have tah have one of Applejack's friend's show ya, right now, Ah've gotta get back to work. Even with Annabelle helpin' me out, there's too much work tah be done fer any of us ta get distracted."

Nodding in agreement, Sin wished his friend luck for the day and called out to Uppity that it was time to go. She and, what Sin assumed to be Mac's mare friend, had shared one final giggle at something or another and she said her farewells before catching up with the stallion as he trotted down the road to the gate.

"Annabelle seems like a nice mare." Uppity commented. "I like the braid in her mane, I think I'll try that out some time."

"Fantastic," Sin said dismissively thinking about who to ask. Twilight would probably know, he had to talk to her anyways. 

His companion agreed and the two eventually found themselves at the library. Though, the pony who over looked the establishment wasn't whom they expected.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Golden Oaks Library, where... Sin?" Rarity called from behind the counter, a mascara brush held within her magic. "I'm sorry, Twilight's still asleep if you were wanting to speak with her."

"Oh my gosh!" Uppity said, cutting off the stallion's words in his throat. In what had to be one of the most surreal experiences of his life, he gawked as the orange mare studied and admired the fashionista's screw like mane. "Your hair is simply magnificent! The shine is so genuine, yet it looks soft to the touch, and how did you style it to maintain it's shape? It's so unique, yet so stylish!" She squeed like a filly.

Initially taken aback by the enthusiasm, the alabaster pony quickly recovered and happily basked in the praise. Humbly accepting the compliments and explaining the beautification process.

Figuring he'd allowed the two enough time to indulge their girly habbits, Sin interject into their conversation, stating that they'd both had reason to see the library's primary caretaker. Uppity produced the royal order, and Rarity's face turned puzzled.

"They want you to stay here, in Ponyville? For a re-socialization sentence?"

"Blame her. I asked for the noose." Uppity chided him for his unnecessary bluntness. Though the mare behind the counter looked almost hurt by the comment.

"Oh, I see. I'll uh... Go get her for you. Please wait right here."

She went up the stairs at the end of the building and entered a door after knocking. A few minutes later, both her and Twilight came down, the latter's eyes red and puffy. The kind of red and puffy that indicated tears. 

"Hello Sin." Twilight spat, glaring daggers at him.

'HA! Oh boy does she hate your guts.'

Oh hey, been a while.

Uppity replied much more cheerfully in greeting, and informed Twilight of the current situation. The librarian looked over the contract with scrutnous eyes, Sin wasn't sure why she was mad at him, but considering her power, it made him nervous.

"I see." She signed her name a couple of times and handed the papers back, apparently now signing her own consent into the contract. "Don't worry, Uppy, I'll make sure he's well taken care of."

Uppity thanked Twi for her assistance, apparently they were on nickname basis. Upon looking at the clock, the mare noted that she needed to get back to Canterlot. "Alright, Sin I'll be back in a weak, take care of yourself until then, alright?"

After he agreed, he received yet another hug and the Canterlot Attorney made her way out of the library and back to the train station.

With her gone, the Federalist looked back and prepared himself for whatever was about to come. "I need to talk to Star Shade, can you tell me where Zecora is?"

Twilight quirked a brow. "Rarity, go ahead and head home." She declared, her eyes locked onto his. "The Library can be closed for the rest of the day. I need to see how that pony is as well."

"Are you sure? It wouldn't be any trouble at all to-"

"GO HOME NOW, RARITY!" The lavender unicorn barked, sending the white mare running out the door. 

Sin felt the a chill run up his spine as he saw the libarian's cold gaze turn just the slightest bit manic. "So, you want to see Shade, do you? Do you know what he did to me?" She asked, beginning to circle the stallion who followed her with his eyes. "He made me look like a fool in front of my princess!"

She stopped to his left. "And not only did you associate with him, you associated with my Spike, my son." She growled. "If it weren't for you, he wouldn't be in prison right now, you know that?"

Sin fought the urge to flinch from the scathing words, beginning to really wish they'd taken him more seriously when he asked to be hanged. "I recall taking responsibility and apologizing to both of you for my part in the ordeal. Yes."

Twilight nodded, beginning to circle again, this time stopping behind him. "It's because of you that he could be killed, did you know that?!"

That flinch he couldn't stop, nor his ears drooping from the guilt. She was just venting, he knew that but Twilight Sparkle was no joke of a mage, he'd felt the effects of her magic personally and had no interest of rousing her wrath yet again. Especially unarmed. 

He decided, then and there, that the dragon scales he'd left in the forest would be put to good use either tonight or tomorrow. This kind of nervousness wasn't something he was fond of.

As expected, Twilight went into a tirade about how he was to blame for her stress and despair, how if he hadn't come along, Spike would still be with her. He didn't dare speak against her, as much as he wanted to, for fear of magical repercussions. She was unstable, he could see that and found silence the best means of self preservation.

But it still didn't stop the guilt and sting of truth of her words from sinking in. She was right, had he not come along, his dragon friend wouldn't be arrested. He'd probably stew in unhappiness from time to time, but that was far better than imprisonment or death.

"But I'll take you to him. Not because I want to make you happy, but because Celestia wants a report on how he's doing." She turned to the door and slammed it open with her magic. "Move it!"

   
> Plot Devices!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    


Plot Devices!




Sitting alone in his office, a half consumed bottle of burben on his desk, Malich reluctantly read the report from Conno one more time, eliciting the same sense of irritation and aggravation that he'd gotten the last seventy seven times he'd read it. And even as he took yet another swig of the happy tingle inducing beverage, his mind felt no worse for the wear.

This was a problem, a very big problem. One of his brother's closest friends was imprisoned and out of his reach. His plan didn't have room for such an incarceration. Why hadn't this been reported to him before hand? Where was Silvia? 

His agents reported searching for her but never finding her. Malich had known Conno for years, and as far as he knew, had no beef with his assistant or any other reason to lie and earn his ire towards her. His initial thought was that she may have been hurt and in need of rescue, but that thought faded to the more likely scenario that she was just slacking off.

As if everything else wasn't irritating enough for him today.

Malich sighed and pulled out another parchment, writing up a new set of orders to be carried out. The first of which was a denial for Conno to question his brother about any and all affairs, the same with any Triple M agent. He knew his brother, and for all of his talk about non-aggression and volunterism, he knew that Sin was a resourceful and pragmatic pony, and by no means stupid. If he had the slightest idea that his company was involved, the banker wouldn't put violence and coercion past him to get the information he wanted.

Conno and all of his mercenaries and spies weren't push overs by any means, but it was a situation that could end up with either his brother dead or his own subordinates, most likely both. A situation Malich would rather avoid.

Secondly, he pulled out another piece of parchment, this one holding multiple photos of a very incriminating circumstance in which the Grand Alpha was observed consuming a still living pony. He wanted to resolve this issue quickly and peacefully. There was a profit in war, to be sure, but there was a greater profit in avoiding it.

Once he'd written his demands for the black mail, he called in Radcliff and gave him instructions to assemble an incognito escort to deliver the message to the Dog Empire by tomorrow.

Satisfied that his part in this plan had been painless yet effective, Malich wrote down how the next few days should play out for his agents in Equestria. Giving them permission and instruction to disrupt the trial until his influence had been introduced. 

At that point, a large smile began to twist onto the vice president's face as a great idea came to mind. He could use this all to his advantage! He quickly pulled out another piece of paper and began writting up another contract. Giggling to himself menacingly as he wrote down every single word. It was perfect! He couldn't help but feel silly for worrying about what was actually a blessing in disguise!

After he'd finished the contract and looked it over to ensure no loop holes could be wiggled through, he placed it beneath the paper to be shipped off with the official order.

He smiled, his mind slowly giving into the happy euphoria that the burben offered. Fatchitaz was on an impossible mission, the Federal Inquary was off questioning the new Captain of Sigma III, Project New Wave was well ahead of scheduled, and his newest success would ensure his brother's return.

Things were finally starting to look up!





As she sat in her tree, staring up at the clouds, Silvia's mind continued to wonder on about the way she wished her life was. Missions like these became boring very quickly, and as skilled as she was in stealth and seduction, she was still a griffon, and bordom was a threat that would drive anyone to madness if not kept at bay.

Though she couldn't do much, even reading a book was frowned upon in her field when on long stake outs. So, she instead settled for thinking, writing up scenarios in her head, creating characters who went on adventures and found themselves in stupid situations. She always found most of her life lived in her own head, and as much as she would rather live in the real world, her choice of career more than hindered such a prospect.

She couldn't wait until retirement so that she could be the heroine in her own stories. Sex for love instead of business, having someone she trusted as a mate, traveling with the sole purpose of enjoyment, wondering through the Zeborican jungle for the sake of adventure and at the end of it all coming home to a small little cottage in the middle of the country, with little hatchlings and a loving husband or wife waiting for her.

A life of adventure on her own terms and a loving family, was that too much for a girl to ask for?

A sudden snap from below caught her attention and she looked down. To her surprise, her target and the librarian from before were both walking towards the hut.

Quirking her head to the side, Silvia wondered when he had left the hut at all. She had seen the black pony being pulled there twice a few days ago, once by the librarian and another time by a huge white Alicorn she knew as Celestia.

The two knocked on the door and Silvia's eyes widened in horror as a brown cloaked, hooded figure came to greet them and grant them access.

All this time, she was watching the wrong pony...

---------

Relaxing in his father's recliner, Macintosh took a sip of lemonade to cool his throat from a hard day's work. Annabelle helping out was a huge plus and somehow her presence made him even more productive.

Though his mind was still preoccupied with everything going on that he couldn't get the full benifit of his down time. His younger sister handled the eastern feilds with Applebloom for most of the day, and immediatly departed the house to visit with her colt friend. Though, she didn't seem as eager to see him as she usually did.

'Maybe she's finally coming to her senses, eh?'

A possibility, but still he'd never seen AJ second guess herself before. If she was unsure of something, she'd make a note of it with careful wording to her feelings and logic, but this whole affair never sat right with Mac to begin with. So his opinion was bias.

"You alright, Mac?" Annabelle asked, sitting on the couch opposite him, enjoying her own fruit flavored beverage. 

"Yea, jes' thinkin'."

"About that brown pony and his marefriend?"

She couldn't have picked a worse time to say anything so inconceivably hilarious Mac was just in the middle of a drink when those words garnered the very first spit take of his life. He tired to stop laughing and cough his air way free, but just the idea Sin making mushy talk was enough to push out every stressor in his life.

"What's so funny?" The mare asked innocently. "She seemed like a nice enough pony to me. I don't get why you're laughin'."

"Him? A marefriend? Ah'm sorry, Anna, but Ah just can't see 'im doin' that."

Anna shrugged and changed the topic to the reason for his visit, Mac returned the shurg and explained that Sin had wanted to talk about something but he was too busy with the field to bother with it at the time, which was true. Though, now Mac was getting a little curious now that his mind was free. Hopefully it was a plan for helping Spike, and knowing his friend, it most likely was.

"Hey Mac, Ms. Annabelle, what are you guys talkin' 'bout?" Asked Applebloom, wondering into the living room. Mac dismissed it as nothing important and instead asked about how her and Applejack's day was.

"It was alright." The filly said with some thought. "Well, actually, Sis seemed pretty distracted fer most the day. First she brought out the Rejuvinizer instead o' the fertilizer, so that was an hour of unloading and reloading. After that, she fertilized the same tree three times in a row. Somethin's eatin' at here, Ah think, but she wont say what."

That wasn't anything new, Applejack always tried to handle all of her problems by herself. It wasn't something the family condoned, nor her friends, but pride ran thick in the Apple blood line. Though, as the filly continued her recount, a constant theme was her date with Soarin tonight. According to her, he head something special planned for the two of them.

Now, like any caring and loving sibling of the male persuasion would, Mac's face was horror struck as the worst case scenario came to mind. Both he and Applebloom were too preoccupied to see Annabelle look away with a pained look.

She couldn't be? She wouldn't! She'd only been officially with him a week or two, for Celestia's sake! She ain't that kinda mare, she knew how much ma and pa valued abstinence.

'You really think you have any right to get on her about that?'

Mac's muscles tensed from his inner critic's words. It wasn't like! Luna had practically raped him!

'Really? Because from the fact I was there, it didn't seem to me like you were fighting it.'

It hurt bad enough knowing his friends sat by and let her take him, he didn't need this from his own cynicism. Applejack was her own mare, and as much as he may lothe the stallion she was with, it wasn't his place to dictate to her how to express or repress her sexuality.

"Ya'll right, brother?"

"Ah'm fine." He nodded, smiling at his sister. "Ah think AJ might jes migh' be a tad nervous, is all. Nothin' we shoul' worry about." Applejack was her own mare who would make her own decisions, and so too would the consequences of those decisions. Buck Soarin, he was tired of having that stallion constantly giving him grief, especially when he wasn't there.

Applebloom asked if he was sure, and Mac responded in the affirmative. Her confidence on the matter boosted, the bow maned filly chirped her thanks and scuttled off to get a bit of last minute play time in before bed.

"You're not that good of a liar." Annabelle said gently. 

"She's a grown pony, ain't my right to stand in her way." He replied, Annabelle tried to interject that it was natural for family to worry about one another, but Macintosh brushed it off. Fact of the matter was what it was, and his sister wasn't somepony he could nor wanted to control. Besides, worrying about it wouldn't make a lick of difference to the outcome, he didn't need that kinda stress anymore.

"So you're just going to let her be lead on because she's an adult?" Annabelle, unfortunately, didn't take well to his sentiments. What was he supposed to do? Stop her?

"YES!" The mare almost shouted. "She's your sister, fer Celestia's sake. You're supposed to take care of the ponies you love!"

Mac quirked a brow, "Ah do love mah sister, but Ah've already tried talkin' to her. She's made her choices n' she can take care of herself. Ain't my job to protect her from her bad decisions."

Abject shock over took the mare's face. Anna tried to offer some means of argument, tried to show him how cold he was to the fact his sister may have her heart ripped out and trampled on, but Mac stood firm in his convictions. She stood up, humphed in disgust and began trotting to the door; stopping only to give a few words. "Maybe she's being careless, but if you really loved her, you'd try to save her."

The door slammed shut and Mac sighed. 

A part of him told himself that he needed to get up and go after he. To tell her that she was right and that he was being too emotionally distant on the matter, but a larger part told him that he didn't need that kind of stress. They were both adults, it wasn't his job to save her. No, no. His job was to take care of himself now. He'd help with the farm and earn some money as well as help out the family, but that was it. 

If his sister didn't care about what he thought about Soarin, than why should he care about what Soarin does to her?
> Consideration and Therapy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Consideration and Therapy





There are things in the world one just doesn't expect to see. A waiter who knew exactly what you wanted before you ordered, a passer by suddenly getting attacked by a pair of street thugs, coming home from a hard day of work to find your wife in bed with another stallion, finding your husband banging a griffin from down the street, and so on.

But what Sin saw when he entered the tree hut left his mind in a tug of war between utter horror and bawling laughter. Shock, was the best word that one would use to describe it, not just shock and awe, but the kind of shock reserved for the most confounding and flabbergasting of moments.

There, sitting on a red covered bed, was Star Shade. Smiling peacefully without a care in the world while a female zebra sat and stroked his mane soothingly.

"It is good to see you, dear new friend. Tell your princess this rock does bend." She bopped Shade's nose, causing the stallion to giggle like a filly.

Twilight cast away her scowl and bad mood entirely for the joy of the scene. "You mean it? You actually cured him, Zecora?"

The zebra chuckled and gave a rhyme filled explanation (yes, and it's going to stay that way) about the drug she'd used to pacify the insane pony. Though a few words stuck out that jarred Sin from his stupor. Hemp? Cannabis? Those two things were familiar to him, they were compounds used in... Oh no.

"So you see, he may have been a bit mean, but given some zebra medicine and he becomes quite sareene."

Twilight blinked at Zecora and turned her attention back to Shade before disturbing his peaceful slumber with a cautious poke to his chest.

"Huh? What's that? Oh, hey Twilight." He stammered out slowly, his words ending with a giggle. "Oh hey, I um, I wanted to say that, I'm like, super sorry for saying that Rainbow Dash should suck on your horn. That was so not cool."

'So not cool? Smoking weed? Apologizing? Calling them by name? Oh my gods he's a hippy!' 

It took a few seconds for her to work passed her skepticism, but the growing look of genuine concern and guilt slowly warmed the unicorn's heart to the matter. "Awww, it's okay." She beamed, her actions rewarding her with a crushing hug.

"Thanks man, you're an alright cat. You know that? Sin?" His golden eyes locked with Sin's goggles and his smile grew to excited. "Hey man! What's going on, bro?"

"Shade?" The Federalist whispered, taking in the site. Gone was the manic pony he'd come to know and almost like. Replaced by the filthy, carefree, apologetic mess before him. "What did she do to you?"

"To your friend I gave the leaf of my tribe." Zecora chimed. "His mind was full of hurt and pain, the hemp leaf is all trouble bane."

Sin didn't get a chance to voice his disapproval fo the situation, Shade had interjected himself and praised the mare for her services. Commenting on how calm and happy the plant made him feel. It was like he was a different pony, all of his anger and malice was gone now, no more hatred of babies, no more dislike of red robbins and finally, no more hatred for his history or Luna for creating it.

Thinking it over in his head, Sin held council with his inner critic.

'What? You wanna talk to me now?'

Can it. I'm not sure if I approve of what's going on here, but he seems happy. But that's the thing isn't it? As soon as he runs out of that stuff, he'll only come back ten times more pissed off.

'Yea, So?'

Don't tell me that doesn't concern you. You know what that stallion is capable of when he's got a grudge, right? Now imagine that anger, rage, and unpredicatability magnified ten fold. How do you think that will work out?

'I'm not sure we should be around for it. But I'm also not sure what you're asking either. Are you suggesting we stop him from it, or...?'

It wasn't really surprising. Sin always hated mind altering substances and while he didn't consider weed a drug, it still offended him in a stupidly conservative way. Shade was his own pony, he could smoke if he wanted to, but how long would it last? 

He asked the Unicorn if the stallion was counciled on the effects of the plant he was smoking and Zecora nodded, though his participation was anything but voluntary.

"Yea, Celestia made me smoke it." He giggled. "But hey man, if I knew this would happen, I'd have busted down the door to get to this stuff."

Well then, there was nothing more to think about on the matter. If this is what he wanted, even under the influence, the Federalist had to accept it. Even if he didn't agree with it. That settled, he beckoned his friend to speak outside in private to discuss the plan to rescue Spike should his trial not go favorably.

It took a while to explain but eventually the lunar pegasus was caught up to the events and declined. "Sorry dude, but that sounds rough. I mean, I like Spike and all, but that sounds, like, violent."

Sin had to grind his teeth to keep himself from smacking the pony silly. How could Shade be so callus about this? If he said he had a moral objection or was afraid, that was something he could understand. But to not act because it sounded violent? "You're just going to let Spike, your friend, our friend, be killed if found guilty?!"

Shade flinched away from the outburst but stated that he didn't want to hurt others or get hurt. The only reason he'd ever done it before was because he was angry and he wasn't angry any more.

He knew he'd hate himself for it, but the oaken pony had no choice. He had to appeal to his friend's emotional side, bringing up how Spike had stood by him when he was going to trial with Luna. Though, while still looking like a guilty puppy, baked stallion didn't budge. "I'm sorry, but I wont help you hurt anypony else."

Sneering in utter disgust, the Federalist spat at the Shade's hooves and walked away. Things weren't looking good, if he couldn't recruit Macintosh, he'd have to break Spike out himself. Nevermind the fact he wasn't exactly in the best condition, even if he was, it was an impossible mission. No, he'd need to figure something else out.

"Hey! Thanks for letting me know you were leaveing." Twilight called, catching up to him. "Why do you look so mad? Your friend's not a hateful walking monster anymore. You should be happy for him."

Sin didn't reply and the two spent the walk back to the Library in silence with the stallion thinking over his options. He could call on those he'd offered freedom to for help, but that might take too long. Demos and his crew were too far away as well, and he didn't much know or care about anypony else in Ponyville. A town he was now legally bound to.

"Alright." Twilight said, pulling up the document. "Says here that you're to report to me every day at 7 to 8 pm, or at your earliest convenience around such time to make sure that you're maintaining a presence within the Ponyville community. Since you're bound by law to take residence within half a mile of town center, I guess you should begin looking into a house." 

Seriously? Spike's about to be put to death, and she's talking about that stupid contract? He found it almost comical how distracted she tried to keep herself.

That's when an idea came to him.

"Ms. Sparkle. You're a unicorn of great power, correct?"

"Trying to butter me up?" She replied with a smirk.

"No, but if I'm going to rescue Spike, I'll need your help to do it."

Twilight's snear faded in the blink of an eye, a hurt grimace taking hold. "Rescue? Sin you can't be serious. I want to get Spike back too, but if we assault the trial, the Dogs will be in open revolt against the princess."

Sin didn't care about that, fuck the dogs. If they planned to kill Spike, and began a rebellion inside the country's borders, he'd hold no pity for the quelling that would come.

Uttering a defeated sigh, the librarian just shook her head. "I can't let you do that. I have faith that Celestia will bring him back home."

"And what if she doesn't, Ms. Sparkle? What if the Dogs do decide to kill him? Will you just stand by and allow it to happen? He's like a son to you!" He fummed, meeting her gaze. "I admit that my influence on the boy may not have been the best, but-"

"But nothing!" Interjected Twilight angrily. "It's because of you this happened! If you hadn't come to Ponyville and filled his head with your crazy anarchist nonsense than this would never have happened."

"And if you hadn't treated him like a child, he wouldn't have wanted to come with me in the first place!" Sin shot back, causing Twilight to recoil once more. "Did you ever stop to think about why he left? Did it ever cross your mind even once? Because it sounds to me like you're too busy blaming everyone but the one pony who raised him."

She took two steps back, her ears drooping and eyes finding the floor to her left quite interesting. "I let you get your punches in when his rampage was over. Once for hitting him, and again because I was partly responsible. But I want to get one thing straight, you were his surigot mother. You were the one who raised him, coddled him, and made him feel like he wasn't worth having by your side."

"That's not true! I've always held him as my number one assistant!"

"Assistant, Ms. Sparkle. He submitted to you, you bossed him around! That's how he saw it! During the fight with Nightmare Moon, did you allow him to help? No, you didn't want him getting hurt. Your fight against Discord, where was Spike? Being told to hang back while you and your friends nearly ripped yourselves apart. When he wanted to help get Rarity back after she'd been taken to the mines, he practically had to beg to go with you. He felt weak, he felt helpless, he felt-" He cut himself off, seeing the tears flowing from his host freely. Shaming her wouldn't do him any favors, besides, he'd already given her enough stress for the night.

"Look, we'll talk about this later. You're tired and upset, I'm six flavors of pissed and nothing good will come from this conversation." He made way for the door but was stopped by a small cry from behind.

"Please wait." Twilight called, he groaned when pointed out the fact that he had no where to go, since he had to live within his limits. She offered to let him use the guest room in exchange for something.

"And that would be?"

She gulped. "I want... I want to know why Spike left. I want to know why he hates me..."

Spike didn't hate her, that much he knew for a fact. He was just frustrated with her mothering him so much. Yes, she was just trying to protect him, but what kind of message did it send that she wouldn't let him help in her most dire moments? That she didn't give him a chance to prove himself?

Depressed at the truth she wanted  to deny coming from somepony other than the drake, Twilight seriously contemplated how much she may have underestimated the importance of Spike asking to go look for a job. Why hadn't he said anything to her? How long had he felt this way? Why hadn't she seen it before?

"Because he's your baby." Sin stated, garnering a questioning stare. It was always hard to see the good things in someone when you concentrated on the worst in them. She cared deeply for her son's well being, she raised him, fed him, taught him and most importantly of all; loved him. Held him while he cried, joined him when he laughed, gave tough love when he needed it. All of these things Spike had told him on multiple accounts.

But he wanted a change, evidenced by his participation in the Dragon Migration. He wanted to grow, he wanted to learn about something other than friendship. He wanted freedom, he wanted to learn what it was to be a male, self sufficient and independent. And no matter how much she tried, the heart broken librarian, nore any of her friends could have taught him such things.

As the conversation drew to a close, so too did Twilight slowly grow an accepting melancholy as all of the anger and confusion she had for both Sin and her former assistant  slowly accepted the truths being told to her. Spike didn't have that much of a male influence in his life outside of the few interactions with ponies around town. Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow, herself, the princesses... They all focused so much on friendship and togetherness, teaching him about freedom and independence would be one of the most difficult things they ever tried.

And Twilight knew that she would fail. Just the thought of him going a day without food made her want to take him into her embrace and hold the dragon. 

"Survival and freedom are dangerous arts for bringing up a child. It forces them to grow, to learn, to adapt and accept the realities of the world that most don't want to think about. I know this from experience. But It doesn't make you a bad pony for wanting to see him protected. As a mother, that's the best you can do for the ones you love.

"Thank you, I needed to hear that." The mare smiled, wiping her tear strained eyes.

Sin nodded but against his better judgement, digressed to the original topic. "I know that you may not like it, but should Spike be sentenced to death, I will intervene. If it causes a rebellion, than that's your country's problem."

Twilight tried to argue him down, but he wouldn't allow it. Sin had lost so many ponies who he should have cared about because he stood by and did nothing as they were lead to slaughter. Crasus, who he let commit suicide, Zell, who he allowed be killed, and most likely Windmane, but there was a chance he was still alive.

The Federalist thought long and hard about the moral implications of his actions, about Spike's crimes and if he should be put to death for the animosities he had committed. But, his pragmatism wasn't what it used to be and in the end his concern for his friend won out in the end.

He was done standing by as his friends were killed, and though it may cost him his life, or the hatred of the country. He'd try to save his friend, and it didn't matter how many dogs or even ponies, if it came to it, he had to murder to do it.
> Deceptive Slavery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 


Deceptive Slavery





Annabell stomped angrily off the Apple owned property. Grumbling about how inconsiderate and deplorable her stallion's actions were. How could he just sit back and let Celestia knows what happen to his sister! He was her brother, it was his job to protect her and all of his family and friends. Why couldn't he see that?

Yea, she was being foolish, but that wasn't any excuse to let her heart be shattered!

As she made her way to Ponyville to confront her own brother about the matter and tell him to come clean with Applejack, she spotted the mare in question looking over some carrots in the market district. Her typically lively and radiant demeanor seemed sullen and thoughtful.

Concern growing in her chest, the butter milk mare slowly approached. "Hey, Applejack? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh hey there, Annabelle." AJ replied, forcing a cheery attitude. "Sorreh, was just thinkin' 'bout tonight. Soarin said he wanted me to meet him at eight fer a special date. N' to be honest, ahm real nervous."

She didn't know what this special occasion, but Annabelle had a bad feeling about it. So, with a heavy sigh, she asked to speak with the young mare in private. The two found a private space in the park away from prying ears and she told Applejack what Soarin had said to both her and her father a few days ago.

"Why would you say he said that?" The cow pony questioned, her face turning stern.

"Because it's the truth, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Care to prove those accusations?"

Of course she wouldn't believe her at her word, but Anna was clever, and an idea popped into her head. She invited AJ to listen in while she questioned Soarin and hear it from the horses mouth. 

The two soon found themselves infront of the motel where her father was staying and stopped. "Put your ear to the door and listen, okay?" Though reluctant and skeptical, Applejack nodded and the circus pony entered. "Soarin!" She barked, garnering her brother's attention.

"Ugh, sis I just finished up all the papers for the Discord incident and I've got a date with my marefriend tonight. I don't have time argue with you right now." He said a little louder than necessary.

"Shut up! I'm not going to let you string her along anymore to get back at her brother!" She yelled back. 

Soarin let out a loud groan. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't care about that with her. Applejack is a kind and nurturing mare who I want to get to know better."

The straw maned mare visibly recoiled from the response. What? What was he saying right now? She over heard him admit to his intention being soley for revenge. What was going on? Her answer was soon given by Soarin casting a devious smile and looking at the door. 

"Next time you want to try catching me in the act, don't talk about your plans right behind the door." He whispered, shaking his head.

Seeing her plan quickly falling apart, Annabelle pulled out the last stop she could think of. "If Macintosh is the one you want to hurt, you're out of luck, he doesn't care anymore. He gave his blessing that she come out and have a good time with you." She shot back in a harsh whisper.

This time it was the Wonderbolt's turn to recoil, though he recovered with a sadistic grin. "Is that right? Well then, I guess I'll just have to do something he'll have to care about, wont I?"

And like that, all defiance fell. She watched her brother walk away with a million and one different scenarios playing through her mind about what he might do... what he could do. It wasn't common knowledge, but Soarin was no saint by any means, and she was out of cards to play against him. 

"Applejack? What are you doing here? Our date isn't for another thirty minutes." She heard from behind.

The cow pony blushed and looked away. "Sorry fer the intrusion, but yer sister wanted to show me somethin'." Annabelle could practically feel the daggers being burned into the back of her head from the scornful emerald eyes that locked onto her.

"Oh? And what was that, little sister?" She turned to find him giving the most smugly innocent face she'd ever had the urge to buck. Though she didn't have to give an answer, his marefriend told him that it no longer mattered and suggested they start the date early. "Sounds good to me, we can go for a walk in the park or something." He replied, closing the door with only the echoing hoof steps to keep Anna company as she slowly gave into despair.

She wanted to help, she wanted to save AJ from whatever fate that her kin had in store, but the had lost all credibility and she knew it. Following them would be out of the question, trying to catch him in the act didn't work, and Mac wasn't going to help. She was out of options and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't figure out any way to stop the date from happening. Heaving a sigh of defeat, Annabelle resigned herself to failure.





Spike grunted as he hauled an arm full of gems into an iron cart with a matlic ring. The gems weren't heavy, but after a few hours of back breaking manual labor, his arms and legs were slowly turning into noodles. Lunch break wouldn't be for another hour or so and any slacking off was severely punished.

It was all kind of ironic in retrospect. He wanted a job where he was doing labor for another, and he got it. Though, no pay, small breaks and the ever looming threat of death wasn't exactly what he wanted to go along with it. Still he wanted to prove that he was truly sorry for his actions and that's why he kept digging. He didn't complain, he didn't slack off and aside from the snide remark here and there, he didn't talk back.

He tossed one final arm full of the cache of gems he'd collected and pushed the cart to Disodo. "Another cart full."

Disodo nodded. "You mine gems good for a geko." Was that something resembling a compliment? The dragon wasn't sure, but he'd take it as one, positive reinforcement was a rare commodity down here. "Take to main chamber than come back. You know drill." Giving a slight solute, the reptile began the arduous task of pushing the cart up the tracks. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't at an incline, but still he pushed through with his personal warden pushing right along side him.

It was nice having help, when he'd first arrived; Disodo wouldn't even talk to him besides barking orders. The two were by no means friends, but there was a growing respect at least. Small though it may be.

"DISODO!" Cried a smaller k9, this one wearing a green vest. Something Spike had correlated as being some kind of messenger caste. "Alpha Raptor has told that the first of the Council come. Rest should be here in two days. Make sure the geko can present himself." The guard dog nodded in understanding and the messenger disappeared back into the tunnels.

Spike wasn't sure why, but the news that his trial finally had a date suddenly terrified him. What if his time down here wasn't enough? What if the gems he'd collected wasn't enough to get him mercy?

Then another thought struck him. If he were killed, what would happen to Twilight? Or Macintosh or the rest of his friends? Were they going to come? Would they be alright? No, they'd be devastated at his passing. Heck, Rarity dragged herself through mud to try to stop him from leaving for just a few months! 

It was a terrifying thought, one that made the dragon shiver. He was just starting to figure out his life! He'd just patched things up with Twilight and Rainbow! He couldn't die now, he just couldn't.

"GEKO!" Disodo barked, bringing him back to reality. "Back to work. We talk while you mine."

It was a quite trip but much easier to bring an empty cart down than a full one up. Once back in the mine, Disodo looked at the mouth of the cave for any eavs droppers before explaining that today would be the last day of work. After tonight, Spike would be put to rest for his trial. It was an odd idea but when questioned, the drake wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

A final day of rest to the Diamond Dogs was a lot like the last meal request to the Minotaur.



   

   
> Unexpected Alliance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Alliance




Sin awoke before the break of dawn, checking the clock to find it was 4 hours past midnight. He quietly exited the library and made way to his camp in the everfree forest to collect his belongings and bring them back to be sorted out. 

Reaching into his saddle bag, he found he had his last and strongest crossbow remaining from his destroyed arsinle, with no more than five renforced bolts at his disposal. He briefly contemplated making more, but knew the effort to be futile. The final crossbow was one of his most prized and powerful weapons. The Ragnerock would instantly splinter any wooden bolt that didn't have the correct reinforcement, destroying the projectile before it had a chance to find a target.

He traced his hoof over the dark oak frame of the bend, all the way to the whipcord draw string. It was still as beautiful now as it was when he'd fist gotten it after he'd "graduated" his grandfather's survival training. Still, it wasn't an ideal weapon for survival, since it's power rendered  any makeshift bolts utterly useless at worst and inaccurate at best. But it would have to do for the time being.

His weapons gathered, the Federalist went over his mental checklist inventory. One cast iron pot, two tarps, flint and steel, tattered cloak, spare cloak, spare canteen, titanium mug, broken goggles (curtisy of granny Smith) his paracord, ropes, two knives, medical kit, cook where and a few more bits and ends.

Looking over his supplies he felt something was missing, but what? That's when it hit him, the stallion wondered over to a near by tree and found his bowl, still sitting as he'd left it, plus a few dead flies, and a fair amount of purple scales.

Breathing a sigh, Sin took out one of his plastic wraps and sealed the bowl to carry without dripping. He didn't look forward to the process of the scale implantation, but the idea of becoming invulnerable to magic was too much for him to refuse.

Three hours after dawn broke, the Federalist reentered the Library to find Twilight Sparkle cooking some pancakes for breakfast. "Hey, where'd you go off to?" She asked. 

"To collect my gear from my camp." He stated matter of factly. As the scent of the cooked batter hit him, Sin suddenly became aware of how hungry he was, and the fact he hadn't eaten anything all day yesterday with his stomach letting out an unnecessarily loud groan of hunger.

While he could have gone without it, Twilight's amusement was apparent and offered for him to eat with her. He was hungry, had no bits, and completly spaced foraging for his food that morning, so he wasn't in a position to turn her down. Besides, if he was going to get along with her, he would be better off making an effort for it.

He briefly trotted to the guest room in the back and returned to see two plates made and on the table. As the two ate, the librarian made a few attempts at conversation, but Sin's lack of social skills quickly ended her attempts at compliments of her cooking and sharing his concern about Spike's well being.

After one too many awkward situations, Sin finally caved. "Look, Ms. Sparkle. I'm not a friendly stallion, alright? I know you're trying to make me feel welcome and I appreciate it, but I'm just not a pony person." He said with completely neutral honesty.

"Yea, I've noticed." Replied the mare sarcastically. "You know, you aren't all that different from how I used to be, actually." It was kind of hard to believe from her current personality, but Twilight Sparkle used to be a shut in who spent all of her time held up with her nose in a book, completely uncaring for the notion of friendship or social interaction.

Looking around the home and the many tomes, all of the paperwork, and the fact she used Spike to write at most every moment she had a thought, Sin didn't find the idea inconceivable for a second. "Yea, real hard to believe."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"That? Where you're always rude or sarcastic when you say something."

Sin chuckled, slightly perturbed by the inquiry. "I'm not always rude or sarcastic." Twilight disagreed, pointing out in many of their interactions that didn't involve him being in the wrong, most everything he said to her or her friends was either heald snarky undertones or was outright dismissive.

'She's got a point, Sin. You are a sarcastic ass hole.'

Eat a bag of dicks.

Though, the more he thought about it, the more he did come to realize that aside from dealing with her and her friend's outside of trying to make them understand his point of view on Macintosh and Spike, he was quite rude and dismissive. He had reasons though, like Fluttershy being the poster pony for legislative actions and Rarity reminding him of a fat tub of goo back in his homeland.

But then something else occurred to him. He hadn't encountered all that many laws in this land. Yea, he was helping ponies escape for wrongful imprisonment, but that was abuse of power, not law. So maybe he was being a bit unfair here? Okay, maybe just a little bit.

"That's just how I am, I guess." Sin shrugged, still mulling over his thoughts. "The Federation is a different land than yours is. Sarcasm and rudeness are kind of a second language to us."

He half expected a quill and pen to pop out of no where and for the scholar to begin jotting down notes, instead she asked why mean spiritedness was such a common theme in his homeland. Fact of the matter was that apathy and "coolness" was a hot trend in the Federation. If someone cared about something, it was almost common place for others to ridicule it. Especially if the one who cared didn't have a sharp tongue to rip apart arguments made. Leading to most avoiding social interaction on deeper levels and focusing more on shallow topic and agreements.

Sin had his theories, but all in all; North New Equine, well Unitas to be more precise, was just full of spiteful ponies among other races. Constant fear and anger kept everyone stressed out and friendships were based on mutual benefit and manipulation over genuine care and companionship. Division over any issue was the common topic for conversation, his people loved to complain, whine, bitch and moan about anything and everything under the sun yet never take action to rectify the problems they had.

The cynical and stand offish front the stallion put on was a reflection of the culture, he supposed.

Twilight frowned as she considered his words, Equestria wasn't perfect by any means, but its citizens were far nicer and understanding than most others.

"Are you happy you left?" 

Sin quirked a brow. "I don't much care for the idea of being happy." 

Jaw almost dropping to the floor, lavender mare allowed a bit of pancake to fall from her mouth at his words. Not caring about being happy? What was the point in life if not to find happiness?

It was a question he'd contemplated for a long time as well. Freedom had always been his answer whenever that question came up, but he had to face the facts. Freedom was a means of happiness, not the ends of it.

Before she could ask for clarification, a firm wrasp at the door drew their attention. "Shining?" Twilight gasped before embracing her brother in a hug. The two shared a moment of closeness and Shining let himself in, giving a curt nod to Sin. "Anarchist."

"Captain." Sin replied with a smirk.

Once he was situated, Shining explained to both of them that the Trial for Spike would be held tomorrow and that Celestia had convinced their pack Alpha to allow her and her friends to give testimony on the drake's behalf.

Tomorrow? That was much sooner than Sin expected.

Twilight bit her lip, she was both happy and afraid that the judgement was so soon. At least she wouldn't be kept in suspense for long.

"It was good to see you, sis, but I need to get going. I only stopped by to tell you about where and when the trial would be. Princess Celestia wants all Royal guards on high alert just in case" he looked to Sin, "anything happens." The Federalist didn't react save a small hesitation on his final bit of food. It shouldn't be surprising the princess was taking counter measures against his own actions, she wasn't stupid.

Shining left with a goodbye to both, leaving the two ponies alone again. A quiet sob escaped her lips, but Sin placed his hoof on her shoulder, garnering her attention. "You haven't lost him yet, and there's no time for tears now." he said, summoning every last bit of compassion he could muster. Twilight needed to gather her friends and have plans to travel by tonight. 

She nodded and made way to Fluttershy's cottage while Sin made way for Sweet Apple Acres. Macintosh would want to be there too and while he may not help with the plan, he would be there for moral support.

-------------

"Eh? Oh, it's you." Granny Smith grumped at the tan clad pony who stood on her door step. "Yer lookin' fer Mac, Ah assume?"

"No, I came here for your cheery disposition." Sin deadpanned. "Look, I don't have time for this. Spike's trial is tomorrow and I need to tell Mac about it."

"Hoooo no." Granny stomped her hoof down. "We can't have 'im leave fer a whole day! Applejack still ain't back yet from her date, n' Applebloom can't handle the farm by herself! What with 'er bein' a filly, n' all."

As luck would have it, the very stallion he needed came over a hill, carrying a cart full of empty bags with an exhausted Applebloom trotting besides him. Disregarding the elder, Sin made way to intercept and told about the happenings of tomorrow.

Happily, Macintosh was far more receptive than Granny was, but was unsure of the plan to rescue. Applebloom begged to come along, but Mac refused, stating that the danger of her getting hurt was to great, especially if Sin was going to start a rebellion that would pit the K9's against ponies in their own land.

Macintosh dismissed himself to the rest of the day's work that would need to get done if he was going to be away and trotted off to get more rejuvinizer. Thinking quietly to himself about what he was going to do when the time came. Sin was also about to dismiss himself but a tug on his cloak stopped him from leaving.

"Ah know Ah don't know ya, n' Ah don't really like ya fer takin' mah brother away. But Ah also don't want anypony gettin' hurt." Sin looked down at the filly, who looked back at him with confused and concerned eyes. He couldn't imagine how confusing and convoluted the situation must seem to a child. "Spike did a bad thing, 'n when ponies do bad things, they need tah be punished. Righ'?"

But his mind was made up on what was to be done. "Tell me something, kiddo." He stated, leaning down to eye level but maintaining a comfortable distance. "Do you have any friends?"

"Course Ah do." Applebloom stated as if he'd asked the stupidest question in the world. "Sweetie Belle n' Scootaloo."

"Alright, than answer me this. If you knew that someone, er, somepony was going to kill them because of a mistake they'd made, would you stand back and let it happen because 'you didn't want to see anypony get hurt?'" 

She took a step back, relinquishing her hold on his cloak. "It's not fair and doesn't make a lot of sense, I know." Sin stated turning around and walking away. "But life is full of senselessness and unfairness. What matters is how you deal with those situations, you may not like it but someone will get hurt regardless of if I stand by and let it happen or not."

He walked away, leaving the applefilly to contemplate his words. He had a lot of work to do tonight. Hopefully he could get on the stand along with Twilight and her friends and plead his own case against the execution. He had a defense formed in his head, so maybe... just maybe he could make them see mercy.

As expected, the former senator found the library far more populated than when he left it. One Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie were all present. 

The four mares greeted him awkwardly, which he returned with a curt nod and made way straight for the guest room. He grabbed a quill and piece of parchment and began writing down the points he was going to make. Citing different instances and utilities that the drake would certainly hate him for if he got the chance to rehearse them.

About twenty minutes into his point by point script, the right corner of the page folded itself down and then back up to reveal a sketch drawing of a certain chaotic being looking at him from the parcel, moving about as if completely oblivious to the fact inc wasn't supposed to move.

"And what are you up to Sinbad? Oh my?" He said, looking at the words and tutting. "And here I thought you were a stallion of freedom. I am very disappointed in you."

"Better than him being killed." Sin replied, skeptical as to his already questionable sanity. Was he really talking to a Discord drawing that magically appeared on his paper?

'No, you're not insane. I see him too.'

The voice in my head tells me I'm not crazy, how comforting.

With a snap of his fingers, the drawing disappeared and the full fledged, multicolored draconequus reappeared right besides him. Scrambling to put some distance between the two, Sin took in the much larger serpentine god. He'd seen him before, but that was while he looked like a poorly designed statue. Actually seeing him upclose, flesh and blood able to move around and use all of his limbs properly?

Well, that just topped his list for "weirdest things seen this week".

"So it would be better for him to live on his knees than die on his feet, then?" Discord crossed his lion paw and clawed arms. "You're not the stallion I thought you were."

Spike had committed aggression, that part was undeniable. But death was too far an extreme for what he'd done, and while Sin wasn't against him being punished, he was against it being the dragon's departure from the world.

This piqued Discord's interest, and he inquired about how the Federalist came to this reasoning.

"I'm no fan of government, but I am a fan of consequence." Sin replied, returning to his paper. "Consequences are what govern the world. Action and reaction. If there weren't reaction for aggression being committed, than there would be no point in advocating the non-aggression principal. I mean, why would anyone who didn't care listen to anything if there weren't consequences to be faced for it?"

"Spike aggressed against the dogs by going to them looking for a fight. He deserves their retribution for that, but I'll damned before I sit by and allow him to be killed for it."

Discord looked thoughtful, leaning back into the air and stroking his goatee while he thought. "So, you're okay with him being punished for what he did, but you don't want him to die for it. Is that it?"

"Yes." Sin nodded, writing down a few more points to his list.

"And what if they find him guilty and sentence him?"

He put down the quill and looked at the draconequus "Than I do whatever I can to rescue him."

"Whatever you can? Huh? Does that include hurting others?" Discord opened an eye and looked down at him. "I can't imagine Sun butt would be to pleased with you interrupting a trial like that."

"If need be." Sin countered solidly. "And Celestia, Luna and the rest of them can eat a dick for all I care."

The two stared each other down. Discord's typically playful and jovial eyes far more serious and analytical as he studied the pony's face. Sin grew uncomfortable from the staring contest, something about the red and amber eyes of the draconequus sent shivers down his spine and his stomach into a theme park, but he wouldn't be the first too look away. It didn't matter if he had to maintain eye contact for hours, he was resolute in his decision and was going to save his friend one way or another.

Happily, the tension was quickly broken as Discord's serious face slowly turned into a menacing grin. "I'm in. What's the plan?"
> Preparations 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Preparation





As the day slowly gave way to dusk, Sin sat outside the library in wait for Macintosh. His interests in dealing with the five mares inside varying from little to nothing at all. He took a breath as he considered what he was going to have to do tomorrow, things were never simple for him, that was a fact he'd grown accustom to, but the attack he planned was insane at best and suicidal at worst.

He'd given his Slayer crossbow and bolts to Discord and informed the Draconequuis to keep it until he was inside the court. If these dogs were half as smart as they were in the Federation, they wouldn't allow it inside for obvious reasons. He first tried to reason that it would have been the most efficient means to simply have the god simply teleport in, grab Spike, and teleport out; or use some other magical way to solve the problem. 

Though, Discord accused him of getting cold hooves and trying to escape the matter unscathed. If Sin wanted his help, he'd need to play by his rules, and his rules sucked.

He saw a pair of figures approach the library on the brisk of Twilight and was surprised to see it was actually Uppity and the stallion who'd attended her at Sin's trial. "Afternoon, Sin." She greeted cheerfully.

"Afternoon," the oaken stallion replied. "Ms. Sparkle and her friends are inside if you wanted to talk with them."

"Thanks, wait why are you out here? I'd like to speak with everypony at once." Sin shrugged and informed the prosecutor that he was waiting for someone else and would be in as soon as they got there. She nodded in return and beckoned her aid to follow her inside.

Not a few minutes later, another pair of figures approached, one of which he was expecting, the other not so much. Macintosh quietly chided his sister for her nervousness as they approached, saying something about their sister being fine and not to worry. "Alright, Sin have you seen Applejack? She still ain't come back to the farm n' little Applebloom's worried sick."

Sin shook his head, out of all of the mares present, he knew the cow pony was not one of them. Which was a little odd to him, considering she was Spike's friend too, but he didn't really care enough to question it beyond that.

Dejected to the dead end, Applebloom sank to the ground only to be picked up by her brother. "None of that now, Ah've toldja, AJ's fine, probably still off with her coltfriend er somethin'." The issue put on the back burner, the three made way inside to find Uppity addressing the mares in the room. Apparently both Celestia and Luna had teleported in to join the breifing.

"Is everypony here?" She asked looking around. 

Applebloom pointed out that her sister's absence, but Twilight pointed out that she couldn't find her, prompting the DA to begin without her. "Right, so I've been doing some research into Diamond Dog Law. Their trial system is a great deal different than our own..." She began going into a tyrade about subsections, clauses, causations, and all other legal jargin that Sin knew no one present, minus the princess and maybe Twilight, would possibly understand.

Thankfully, Rainbow Dash cut in and said something to the effect of 'explain it to the none egg heads'.

"Well, basically they gather a council of alphas from around the region to hear testimony, see evidence and decide guilt." She explained. "Also, unlike in Pony societies, guilt doesn't need to be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, but merely holding more evidence for conviction over release."

Sin scoffed internally, what a redicious way to run a justice system.

"So basically what you're saying is that we have to convince these alpha guys that Spike shouldn't be... you know." Rainbow said awkwardly. 

"Exactly. Now, there is both good news and bad news with this. The good news is that most pack Alphas are very intelligent and fair in their assessments, since dogs are proud creatures; no alpha would last long if they showed blatant disrespect to their fellows. The bad news is that the evidence against your friend, plus the fact he's a dragon and the history between the species', is pretty condemning. There's little to no chance he'll be found not guilty, but there is a chance we can have him on a lenient sentence."

Fat chance of that happening. Dogs hate dragons, part of the curriculum in the Federations schools was to explain the slavery dragons had imposed on dogs for years until the Equality shift lead by the Equestrian Alicorn Sisters. And if there was one thing Sin knew about dogs, it was they knew how to hold a grudge.

Pinkie suggested offering a party to soften their hearts, for some reason, but the idea was shot down by Uppity. Though the pink mare was adament that her idea was the solution to their problems, parties made ponies smile and when ponies smiled it meant that they were happy, and if they were happy, they were in a good mood, and if they were in a good mood they'd be more willing to accept bribes and favors.

'Well, there she is, Sin. One of the smartest ponies you've ever met.'

I'm telling you! She's not as stupid as she lets on, I swear on my life!

"Perhaps we could offer up a trade?" Rarity suggested, garnering the room's attention. "Dogs love gems, and who could blame them? Maybe they'll let Spike go if we offer them so many they can't refuse?"

Okay, now THAT was an idea. She may be one of the more prissy and snobby ponies he'd met, but Sin had to give credit where credit was due. Offering a trade where everyone wins was something that hadn't even crossed his mind.

"If it weren't for the fact that we were dealing with pack Alpha's that would be a viable option." Uppity countered, pointing to a large sheet of paper with a detailed drawing of the Diamond Dog hierarchy. "The reason Alpha's are chosen is their virtue, intelligence and the fact that being bribed is much less likely to happen, due to them owning their own mines. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try, but getting our hopes up would be ill advised."

Dejected, the white unicorn looked down in shame of her idea being shot down, and Sin mentally kicked himself for not coming to the same conclusion.

The best bet was to beg for mercy and hope Spike's sentence would be minimized. Celestia had spoken up about calling an emergency meeting with the pack leaders of the region to discuss possible territory expansion to appease the crime, but they would need time to council before deciding and couldn't stop the trial in time.

Any and all deals to be made would have to be taken up with the arbitration council. Another issues was that, in accordance with Dog law, the accusing party would also need to be accepting of the terms and drop the charges. And what with over 60 dogs petitioning, it seemed unlikly that every single one would back off.

As the mares continued to converse, Sin walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to get some quiet. As expected, Macintosh followed him in. "Did you make a decision?" He asked.

"Ah have. Ah don't know what yer plannin ta do, but Ah'm in. Ah know Spike would do the same fer me. Speakin of friends, where's Shade? Things would go a lot easier if he was with us."

Breaking the news in a way the farm pony could understand, Mac stood with a look of both uncertainty and disgust. His opinion on drug usage was much alligned with Sin's as well as his happiness that Shade wasn't as hateful as he was before.

As far as the plan went, he explained everything he knew from start to finish, which was basically that if Spike was sentenced to death, than he'd wait until the security was weakened and dispose of the detail, have Discord help free the dragon and smuggle him into hiding. The details were fuzzy since there was so much to take into consideration, but that was the basic gist.

"Think hard about this, Mac. If you help me here, you'll most likely become an enemy of Equestria. I've got no problem with the country hating me, but this is your home and your family that you'll be exiled from."

Mac pressed his lips and thought more deeply about the consequences, but still decided to help anyways. He loved his family and all, but things weren't exactly working out on that front, between his grandma's constant passive aggressive behavior and Applejack's foalishness, the prospect of leaving again didn't strike him as badly as it should have.

"All of this assuming we make it out alive, of course." Sin stated, getting himself a cup of water.

"Get out alive of what?" They both turned to find Rainbow Dash looking at them with skeptical eyes. Neither stallion spoke, simply giving her a neutral look as the silence consumed the room. It was careless that she had overheard them, but Celestia already knew they were up to something anyways, so it wasn't as big a deal enough to lie about.

The cyan mare threatened to tell the others about what little she heard, but a dismissive shrug from Sin told her that it wouldn't change anything. It was amazing how liberating it was when one stopped caring about getting a lecture or felt much shame.

"Look, I just wanna know if you guys are gonna try and break Spike out or not." Slowly, the oaken pony nodded his head in the affirmative. "Alright, I don't want to see Spike hurt any more than you guys do, and I think it's stupid that Celestia's just letting those mutts take him like they did. Let me know how I can help."

That was an unexpected twist, especially considering Rainbow was the Element of loyalty. Would she really betray her country and princess like this? Was she really willing to throw her life, family and dreams away for the little purple drake?

"Are you kidding? Spike's a friend of mine, yea he did something stupid but he shouldn't be... you know, for making a mistake. I don't care what Luna or Celestia says anymore, they abandoned him when he needed them most. And that's not cool, no matter the reason." She said with absolute resolution.

Sin looked over at Mac for his take on the rainbow maned pegasus, to which the apple stallion smirked and nodded. Returning the smile, the Federalist filled Rainbow in on the plan, a new sense of respect growing for her as she received instructions.






Shining Armor finished his last meeting with the Trottingham Solar and Lunar captains. The rest of the cities and towns would be informed via pegasus messengers. He'd really hoped that what Celestia warned about wouldn't happen, but he'd worked with Sin once and he knew the stallion wasn't afraid to take heavy punishment to defend those he cared about.

It was kind of commendable, in a way. Shining had known Spike since he was a hatchling and cared for the dragon every bit as much as Twilight did. And while he didn't agree to the possible penalty, he did understand it and had chosen to side with Equestria's interests should the line be drawn. And peace was always Equestria's main interest.

"Valiar," Shining barked as the two came to the train station. "We'll be heading North to the Amaranth Vale tonight. The orders for tomorrow are simple, ensure there are no equine disruptions of the trial for Spike."

"Eh? But you said-"

"Yea, I know what I said, and I'm not any happier about it than you are. Cadence and I have a wedding to plan and this extra work is killing our bonding time. But these orders come straight from the princess. Apparently she suspects your new friend of causing a ruckus, and wants us to make sure he doesn't."

It took a moment for Valiar to connect the dots and immediately dismissed the brown pony he'd met before as a friend. The two had never crossed paths before, and the night they met the said like two words to eachother. 

"Regardless, both Princesses will be there and we need to make sure this doesn't become an international incident. If it does, we could face a rebellion from every single dog territory in the nation."

The crimson stallion became much more intrigued about the situation, and so long as he wasn't taking on the princesses themselves or Shining, he felt confident that his magical abilities would be more than enough to handle that weirdo. Especially now that he had his reflector rune back.

Valiar was ready for whatever this "Sin" had in store for him.


   
> Saviors and Decisions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Saviors and Decisions





Malich smiled happily to himself as he finished the last bit of paperwork for the Inquiry. The Sigma III debacle would be in the papers for a few more days to keep the masses entertained, but there was already a new story circulating about the disappearance of Lady Fatchitaz. Apparently she was supposed to host another, most likely botched, dinner party two nights ago and the press was eating her absence up like no tomorrow.

The best part was that, while he did "agree" to marry her, the condition he'd set was a next to impossible task. He never gave her Sin's location in Equestria, so the search itself would most likely take weeks or even months! But even if she did find him, he hated her almost as much as Malich did, so there was no chance of him actually coming. 

He kinda wished he could see his brother's face when he heard that the fat tub of lard was betrothed to him. By Tapio, he might actually crack a smile at it! 

All well. As nice a thought as it was, it was nothing compared to the new developments that had come from Project New Wave. According to both Elsa and Voltare, the new shipment of... subjects had arrived and Psy was none the wiser for it. Both Changeling Larva that had been kept in containment had died, unfortunately, though not without a great deal of knowledge being gained.

If his hypothesis was correct, than allowing a fully birthed changeling to be born in the Federation would be the best course of action, though, both of his researches demanded that the Larva were examined at different stages of development. The vice-president approved this only if there were enough subjects to spare, but made the condition that at least three changeling parasites had to come to full maturity.

Had it not been for Malich's quick thinking in offering Psy a few days off to enjoy Unitas and get out of the compound for a bit, he overly empathetic fool might have damaged his project. He certainly wouldn't have stood for it.

But, it was on Voltare and Elsa to keep that little secret from him. Good thing Malich never told him about the sub basement levels for just such an occasion, nor any of the staff about the lower lower levels. He didn't have a plan for them yet, but it was always good to hold a few aces up his sleeves.

Though that did leave one more thing to think about that had a hazardous effect on his mood. Things were progressing much faster than he'd expected for his brother's reptilian associate. As such, Malich had sent one last letter to Equestria for deliverance a day ago when he'd gotten the news. 

He didn't have many mercenaries in the country, a maximum of twenty plus his spies to stay out of Celestia's radar. But that wouldn't be enough to stall the trial for long and would be a depressing loss of capital and investment should things escalate to violence. 

He needed Spike alive for his scheme. He needed his brother alive, and if things went badly, it was a high risk that both of these needs wouldn't be met.





A small camp awaited the Equestrians as they departed the wagon that carried them from Manehatten to the Dog territory in the Amaranth Vale. As night fell and everypony fell to sleep, a few figures escaped the camp, each leaving at thirty minute intervals to avoid suspicion from any guards.

It took all of an hour for all three to trudge through the lush fields of the Vale with not but Luna's night and cloud to keep them hidden. Taking in the scent of fresh grass, the meeting came to order with silent acknowledgement.

Macintosh, Sin and Rainbow Dash agreed to meet up to get a real plan in order, taking into account some new developments. Luckily Discord must have over heard them, or "happened to be out for a late night stroll" as he put it, and came to join them.

"Alright, so starting off, Rainbow, Mac I'll need you two close to me. Shining Armor and that stallion we met at the Discordian camp a few days ago is with him. I've seen what they are capable of and I know they'll be watching me." Sin declared, stroking his chin while looking at the other two. The clouds brought darkness with them, keeping the conspirators well concealed from anyone following them or seeing them. "Rainbow, think you could handle them long enough for me to get to Spike?"

The mare nodded, even in the darkness the determination and resolution in her eyes was clear as day. Sin turned to Mac and asked if he would cover him while he took out the more heavily armed security detail dogs. Mac nodded in the affirmative, but expressed concerns for how long he'd be able to last.

"That's where the first part of Discord's involvement comes into play." The idea was that once Spike was sentenced to death, the god of chaos would unleash a distraction that would cause the court room to erupt in panic and mayhem. He may not be willing to do all the leg work, but the draconequus was more than willing to lend his aid so long as the ponies put forth the effort. Though a distraction may not be effective in escaping Shining Armor and his apprentice, which was the main reason Sin needed them both present.

It was irritating how vague the whole thing had to be, but he didn't have access to the trial chamber, so reconnaissance was next to impossible. If the drake was kept in a cage while being tried was another variable to take into consideration, Sin could deal with shackles and chains, but if he wasn't able to physically move the drake, than something else would have to be figured out.

"I suppose I could help with that." Discord intoned. "But it'll still be your job to get him out alive. I may be on your side, but that doesn't mean you get to use me for everything."

"Aren't you afraid Celestia will turn you back to stone?" Rainbow asked. "Don't get me wrong, I still don't trust you, but still..."

Chuckling out loud, Discord dismissed the idea. He'd been imprisoned for a thousand and one years because he was foolish enough to challenge the Elements of Harmony. A mistake he would only make twice.

She countered the point by mentioning how disappointed Fluttershy would be in him, to this; the elder had little in way of reply. "She'll understand. Fluttershy may be my friend, but we've talked about this and she's just as much against this as I am." His jovial face turned downcast. "She wants to stop it, but doesn't know how, I'm afraid."

"Guess we'll have to do it on her behalf then." Sin stated, "Sorry I can't give more details, but I'd need to see the schematics of the place to make things more detailed. And since one of us refuses to use his godly powers to-"

"I can give you the drawing I made." All four looked to find Pinkie Pie standing and looking at them. "I snuck into the caves and saw everything when I went to see Spike. The dogs may not smell great, but I asked nicely and they told me where they'd take him."

Sin stood thunderstruck. First Rainbow defected, now Pinkie? 

'Well Sin, I've gotta admit, you may have been right about her after all.'

Uhhhh, huh? Oh yea! Right. Told ya.

Pinkie walked over to join the small gathering and produced a crude, blue crayon drawing of a circle inside of a square with numerous details and a half circle that was labeled: "Big judge table". "It's not much, but if it can help in getting Spike out of this mess, than I'll be happy with that."

"Pinkie... What... what are you doing here?" 

The party pony smiled sadly. "I've been thinking alot about what's happened, and I don't understand what's going on. All I know is that I want Spike to come back home where he belongs. He was being stupid, but he's a baby, babies are allowed to make mistakes, right?"

Dash gave her a sympathetic stare. "Pinkie, you know what you're getting into, right? You'll lose everything in Ponyville. Sugar Cube Corner, your friends, the Cake family, your own family. You'll never be able to see any of them again."

The pink earth pony's eyes returned to the ground and she took a breath to steady herself. "Dashie I can't let this happen to one of my friends, I just can't! I haven't talked to my family in a long time. I still love them all, but I guess I let them go when I left the rock farm. And Mister and Missus Cake will be mad at me, so will Pumpkin and Pound, but they will understand."

'Dude, this is getting a little heavy.'

Yea, but I need all the help I can get, so I'll allow it.

'Hey I just thought of something. How bad will this look? Two of the four Elements of Harmony turning against their own country? Aren't they well respected figure heads? Wouldn't their involvement here have some kind of political ramifications?'

"You know that if you help us, you'll most likely become an enemy of the state." Sin pointed out, dismissing his inner critiques assertions as utter nonsense.

Her expression turned from warm sadness to neutral as the cotton candy maned mare turned her attention. "I know, but I don't want Spike to-" A hick up interrupted her, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I can't let them do that to him, and you're the only pony willing to stand up to Celestia to help him. You heard what Twilight and them said yesterday." She shivered and quaked as the raw emotion finally began to bubble over. "I love Equestria, but it just wouldn't be right to do nothing while one of my best friends is... is..."

"Killed." Sin finished, making Pinkie cringe. He couldn't blame her, the thought of Spike hanging from a noose didn't sit well in his mind either, but it was a possibility. 

"So it's settled then?" Mac spoke out finally. "We do this togethah? All five o' us?" He looked around to find any objections or reservations. The apple pony closed his eyes to stop himself from blurting out his own objections. This was a crazy plan that would ruin his family and life, but this was bigger than him now. 

It was an issue that was on his mind ever since the sun goddess had simply stood by as they took Spike away. His growing resentment for her submissiveness as his friend, her student's son, was thrown in a cage! She sat back and let it happen in the name of peace. Peace, as if it was worth betraying the life of his friend so that she wouldn't have to deal with a few rowdy mutts causing a ruckus. It was a disgrace!

'Did you forget that there was a reason for his arrest?'

No, he hadn't forgotten, as far as Mac was concerned, Celestia should have made some demand that he be tried by both ponies and dogs and a compromise be found for his punishment. Death was too severe for him to allow, and if it demanded the Solar Princess' wrath, than he could confidently say: 'Buck the princess.'

This wasn't just about Spike's life, it was about sending a message to Celestia that her standing by while Equestrians were threatened with death wasn't acceptable, and to the dogs as well that their laws didn't apply to Equestria.

"Are you all sure about this? You understand that once we do this, there's no going back. Once we start fighting, you'll all be seen as enemies of Equestria and chances are that you will end up fighting your own friends if they interfere." None spoke, as the crushing finality of the entire situation was considered and excepted. No one spoke, not even Pinkie. "Then it's decided." Sin proclaimed as he gathered everyone around to make final preparations for execution. 

Tomorrow, there would be no place in Equestria for the six of them, there would be no more Ponyville, no more Sugar Cube Corner or Cake Twins to play with, no more Fluttershy talk to, no more Wonderbolt aspirations, no more Twilight to dote and love, no more Uppity to speak with, and no more Apple family to love or Annabelle to build a relationship with.

Tomorrow, all six of them would need to leave Equestria forever.
> Judgement Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Judgement Day




Clad in shackles of blackened iron, the purple dragon was escorted on all sides by gigantic, behemoths that more closely resembled steroid enlarged gorillas than most other diamond dogs.

As he walked, he noticed that almost every single k9 in the mine had stopped their work to come out and watch him walk. The walls were lined with them, too numerous to count. Some glared daggers of unspoken anger, others with sympathy and sadness, but most simply held a simple, silent respect as they closed their eyes and lowered their heads when he passed.

Spike felt numb taking in the dramatic site, his legs feeling quite a bit heavier than the day before. If there was any doubt to the seriousness of the situation before, it was gone now.

He was lead into one of the larger and more brightly lit chambers. To his left sat dozens upon dozens of the miners, Spike's eyes widened as his locked onto a vaguly familiar mutt with one eye and scars all over his face. He couldn't believe it, the entire pack of miners he'd assaulted were all present, almost every one of them covered in some kind of bandages from his rage.

To his right sat a few more dogs, but to his delight a great deal more ponies. He smiled as his mother-by-right smiled down at him. His feelings of warmth and loss compounded more so when he saw the rest of the girls were there, and so was Sin and Macintosh, too. Even the Princesses had shown up, save Cadance and Applejack.

As he was stopped from moving forward farther, the drake looked forward and up to see a semi-circle of no less than seven varying colors and breeds of dogs looking down at him. Each stare ranging from intrigued to outright disgusted.

"Order!" Barked the one in the middle of the council. He spoke at length about the reason that the judication was taking place, who was involved, the charges and all manner of jargin that was fuled the fear and guilt that Spike was already drowning in.

"Spike." He finally broke his nerve ridden stupor. "You stand accused of the crimes mentioned against the Twelfth Delta Pack. Do you deny these charges?"

His green eyes drifted down and then to his right to Twilight. He knew that he was guilty, and so did everypony else, he didn't want to admit it out of fear they wouldn't hear out what he'd done for them, but he wasn't going to lie either.

"I don't deny what I've done." He said, forcing confidence into his shaky voice. 

"Than he admits it! Guilty as charged!" Cried someone from the left side of the room, followed by numerous murmurs of agreement. These were quickly hushed by the lead Alpha with an icy glare. 

"So you admit guilt? Very well, than it shall be this council's right to determine a proper fate. Be ware, young dragon, the power that you have displayed is great. Such ferocity turned upon our people is an atrocity that must be condemned in the most permanent manner."

His eyes constricted at the words, but Celestia spoke out against the statement. "Pardon me. Beta Lords and Council of Alphas, but since my subject's guilt has already been established, and this is a matter that occurred within Equestrian borders, would it not be prudent to allow some words on behalf of the guilty?" She said with a calm regalia as she looked up at Raptor. "I know that the same privilege has been awarded to the Diamond Dogs on numerous occasions under my discretion."

The council of Alphas quietly deliberated between themselves for a few minutes before acquiescing the sun goddesses request. Both Celestia and Luna took to a crude podium to plead for mercy for their young ward. Recounting his numerous kind deeds and strength in the face of adversity.





Sin let out a breath as Pinkie Pie finished up her appeal and script, a puddle of tears formed beneath her hooves. It was as generic and heart warming as Rainbow Dash's, Rarity's, and Fluttershy's. The latter holding the most time the word "please" was used by far, though. 

He looked down at his own paper one more time, quadruple checking to make sure everything was in order. His nerves were starting up again, as they usually did when he might be the next speaker. Stage fright was always a factor for him, but this was so much more. He was damning himself, regardless of the outcome of the sentence. 

He'd be hated for it, but between death and what he proposed, the drake would appreciate it in the end, even if he swore never to forgive him.

Sin looked back to make sure Rainbow and Macintosh were in position. Both were standing close enough to Shining and Valiar, should a sudden judgement be made. No sign of Discord though, all the Federalist could do was hope that the alleged god of chaos would still hold to his end of the plan when push came to shove.

Macintosh took to the stand next, but Sin had a growing thought in his mind. One that had only crossed his mind recently but making it's presence far too profound for his liking.

Happiness. Happiness in Equestria, he could have built something here. He wasn't a fan of the government, but it was by far the most lenient he'd ever encountered. He wouldn't be as free as he wanted to be, but it might be... it might just be enough...

One of the main factors that lead him on the life of liberation he was on was his almost cult like obsession with freedom and the ability to do what he pleased when he pleased, damning what others though of his life and actions, but that meant never settling down. Never having others care enough about him getting hurt or putting himself in situations like this where he'd be willing to risk life and liberty to rescue another from death. And most importantly, never getting attached to anything or anyone who would hinder these abilities. 

And though it may have been hard to admit, that was the fact of the matter. He'd gotten attached. Macintosh, Spike, Star Shade, and even growing a fondness for Uppity. He cared about them, he didn't want to see them hurt more than most anyone else. He cared about them, and that caring was about to lead to an act that may destroy every last freedom he'd ever taken for himself, and every chance he'd ever have of being happy.

Even now his pragmatism was screaming at him to abandon this whole quest. Pleading and begging him to walk out of the cave, let the drake suffer whatever fate that would befall him, and go about his life for another day. Ponyville wasn't a half bad place, he may be bound there for a while, but he could make something of it. He had the knowledge through all of the lessons from both his grandfather and the few his own father had taught him. He could build a business and make a very comfortable life for himself.

'At what cost?' His inner critic asked calmly, causing Sin to flinch. 'Could you sleep at night, knowing that you left one of the few individuals you've ever cared about to die? Could you really look at yourself in the mirror knowing you'd abandon yet another to death after you've realized how terrible you are for forsaking your friends already?'

Sin began to tremble and and shook his head a little too quickly. He didn't need this right now, he had to keep his head where it belonged. There was no debating the matter, Spike was the priority here and he'd already committed to relinquishing both happiness and freedom for loyalty. Even if it did end eveyrthing else for him.

"Are you alright?" Uppity asked.

"Yea, just thinking." Sin replied, clearing his mind. The purpled maned mare smiled and placed a fetlock on his shoulder, attempting to comfort the stallion.

"Don't worry, You'll do fine. I'm sure of it."

Sin didn't take much comfort in her encouragement, but there was a small part of him that felt better from her words. It was... nice to feel that from her.

Mac finished up his speech, electing a small bit of applause from the pony side of the room. The apple farmer took a breath, fighting back the tears and retook his position a few feet from Shining Armor.

Sin took another breath and was nudged to adheared the call to the next speaker.

He took to the crude stone stand and placed his script down to read. He took in the first sentence of the parchment and began.

"Hello Council of Alpha's, my name is Sinbad Von Islander. I would like to first state that unlike the ponies who've come before me, I have no loyalty to Equestria, nor the princesses there in. I come from the Federation of the North, and any and all loyalties lie there in." He proclaimed, ensuring that he made the point clear. At least, if he acted, the dogs would place blame on the Federation rather than the ponylands.

"I have been friends with the accused for the past nine months, teaching him, observing him and I see it relevant to address that I am some what responsible for what has happened to the twelfth Delta Pack. I did not teach him the proper discipline that was required in order for him to grow, and for that; I offer to take as much responsibility and accountability for his guilt."

Numerous gasps came from both sides of the room, followed by disapproving glares and mummers.

"To that end, the reason I am addressing you here today is the possibility of the death penalty. I advise against this course of action under the principal of possible labor. Spike, son-by-right of Twilight Sparkle, is a dragon who has committed an atrocious act against your people, commiting undue aggression and injuring and mangling them." He looked to see Fido, the prosecuting alpha, glaring with his remaining eye.

"But let me ask you this, what good is he to you dead? What return does a dead corpse rotting offer to those whom he has wronged? Nothing, nothing what so ever. It is my belief that in the benefit of the injured, a tribute of time and productive labor served is a more beneficial and lucrative alternative."

The beta lords and Delta Pack looked on in utter confusion at his words, but the Alpha Council bore masks of intrigue and interest.

"Sinbad." Started the lead Alpha. "To clarify your words for the laydog, are you saying that we should make the dragon into a slave for him to pay for what he's done?"

Sin heard gasps from the ponies to his right, but nodded in the affirmative. "That's exactly what I'm saying." He chanced a glance to see looks of utter disgust and shock from Twilight and her friends. Even Macintosh was shaking his head.

He knew he'd be hated for it, but he knew Spike would find it a preferable fate to death. At least this way he had a chance at life. If and when the dragon had had enough, he'd either bust himself out when he was strong enough, or end his life as he saw fit. 

All Sin did was buy him time, hoping that the Council of Alpha's would be open to his next point.

"However, in his crimes no lives were taken. In determining the length of the sentence, it is prudent to exercise reason in determining such a time." He looked to see the betrayed and hurt face of the purple drake. "He's committed gross assault, and rendered many workers incapable of their duties. To this, I believe a sentence of one month per worker would be a sufficient punishment for his acti-"

"ENOUGH!" Barked Fido, standing from his seat. "Stupid pony does not say what punishment is. Diamond Dogs hurt, Diamond Dogs decide what happens!"

Sin drew his attention to the Arbiters, finding them nodding in agreement before stating that his imput into the length wasn't appreciated. Finding that he had no more words to say, Sin thanked the adjudicators and retook his place on the observation deck and readied himself for the onslaught of chastisement that was to come.

Uppity was the first to get to him and demand to know why he'd said what he said, but Sin held no regrets. He did all he knew he could do, and that was it. He wanted Spike free as much as the rest of them did, but he also believed in consequence and reparations for aggression committed. Spike did deserve to be punished for what he'd done, but he wouldn't allow them to take advantage and have free reign with the Drake's life.

Twilight was up next, giving him one last icy glare before taking the stand.

"Greetings Alphas," She swallowed and took a shaky breath. "I am Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, personal Student of Princess Celestia and Mother of Spike. I know that he's done something terrible, something some will never forgive, and for that I'm sorry and am willing to help... help him pay for what he's done."

She sniffled and bit her lip as she saw the drake looking at her with pleading and apologetic eyes.

"Spike doesn't des- He doesn't deserve to die!" She cried, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Spike made a terrible, terrible mistake, and I'm begging you, don't take him from me. He may not be a pony, but he's my son." She sobbed, placing her head into her hooves. "He's all I have and I love him. Please, find it in your hearts to show him the mercy he deserves."

She stood on the podium, muttering incomprehensible jibberish through her tears and hooves. It was a heart breaking sight and an one that melted the hearts of any who saw it. Even Sin felt a tear built in his eye at the display, feeling just a tiny bit jealous.

Eventually, the distraught mare forewent any comprehensible argument and simply cried at the stand until Celestia finally came out to escort her student back to the side lines, offering words of soothing comfort.

Once the room had quieted down, the Alpha's asked for any more speakers. None came forth, there was nothing more to be said. With that, the adjudicators left to deliberate the sentence, asking Fido to join them in the decision making process.

A sudden weight drew Sin's attention to his foreleg, the sudden appearance of his Slayer crossbow appearing with a remnant of pink smoke. He looked to find both the primary and quick load strings pulled and ready to fire. He pulled his cloak to conceal the weapon and looked to find Macintosh doing much the same.

Step one of his plan was complete, and Sin's back shot with ice. Green eyes meeting his black goggles, the Federalist gave a nod, one that Mac reluctantly returned before stepping just a little closer to Shining Armor. He looked back at Rainbow Dash to find her glaring at him, but she returned his nod and stepped just a little closer to Valiar.

Pinkie walked to him, looking forelorn and hurt. She didn't way a word, just lowered her head. Sin took a step back upon seeing Discord's face within her mane and hearing the draconequus's voice in his head. "You've got your tools, Sinbad. Be ready, if the word death leaves their lips, my magic will kick in. I'll try to keep it off of you, but I make no promises. Chaotic magic and all that." He said in a jovial voice.

Sin nodded with a word of affirmation before putting a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Pinkie, but you understand that I did what I had to." He had to make the exchange look less suspicious to his observers. The less he let on, the better.

The party mare didn't reply, she merely stood by his side and waited. While Sin used his cross bow to take out the Security detail, he'd be exposed, even with Discord's magic. He'd need someone to watch his back while he took the shots, and that was exactly what she'd do. Hopefully.





Spike stood wringing his claws together and attempting to bring his breathing under control. His mind working a million miles a minute, too fast to keep track of any thoughts. Twilight's crying, Sin's betrayal, his friend's words, the judgement to come. It was so much to think about, so many thoughts and feelings.

Anger, hurt, terror, nervousness, confusion. It made him want to cry, to shout, to apologize, he wanted to throw up and curl into a ball. What had he gotten himself into? He didn't deserve this! Or did he?

He'd made a mistake! He didn't want this, he never wanted to see his friends cry, to see his mother cry, the sobbing she'd gone through, the suffering... He hated it, and he hated himself for bringing it about.

"Why was I so stupid?" He asked himself. "Why did I have to go there? Why did I... why did I have to hurt them?" He cringed, forcing tears to flow. It was just a mistake... he didn't mean to hurt them that bad, he just wanted to get revenge for the pain they caused him. Just humiliate the dogs a little. They deserved it, they never apologized to him for humiliating him.

Didn't that count for anything? Didn't what they did to him matter?

Celestia and Luna both addressed the incident, with Rarity confirming as a witness, but the Alphas proclaimed that the gems the ponies made off with was more than compensation. Stating that the crime had already been paid for and would hold no sway with their opinion and judgement.

It made him angry that he didn't get to speak, but in the dog courts, the accused didn't get to speak unless there was none to speak for them. With pack communities, it was reputation that mattered, the more you had others to speak on your behalf, the more representation the accused was awarded. It was a stupid way to determine guilt, but one Spike couldn't fight if he wanted to. His opinion and words didn't matter in this court, and there was nothing more maddening to him that kind of helplessness.

Not even Sin's recommendation of his enslavement.





Sin sighed in relief that he'd finally convinced both Uppity and Twilight what he'd done was all that was within his current power. Spike being dead was permanent, he'd be gone for good with no chance of life; while him being enslaved for a set period of time was something that could be worked with. Even if it did go against every principal he had. The drake deserved a chance to live, and that he offered that chance. Even if it was in the most painful manner possible.

What was he supposed to do? The dogs would most likely accept nothing less, short of bribery anyways, but he also believed Spike deserved to pay and had to find a common ground that would be acceptable for both his beliefs in reasonable consequence and emotional attachment.

Both mares frowned an looked down before walking away with the bitter understanding. Sin didn't like it any more than they did, but he had to be realistic; it was an unfair situation, but life was full of unfairness. He'd just learned to handle the cards he was dealt in the best way he could.

A full hour of building tension and constant murmurs passed, and Sin's breath caught in his throat as the Alpha's returned and took their seats. he lifted his cloak slightly to double check his bolts and triple checked his marks. There were four Guard dogs, plus the bailiff. He tried to steady his shaky legs, he couldn't afford to make a mistake here. He'd already lose enough time reloading both strings, after the first two, and with five bolts, he'd need to take even more time to reload in-case he missed, and the others could only keep the Equestrians off his back for so long.

"We have come to a decision." Declared the lead Alpha.

Placing his hoof into the trigger mechanism, Sin's breathing quickened as he stroked his weapon. This was it... this was really it, no more time to think. 

Nerves on edge, muscles tense, mind completely frazzled, and his head both full and empty, the Federalist's eyes constricted and dilated in anticipation. He gave one last look to make sure Rainbow and Mac were in position, both looking just as anxious and distraught as he felt. 

He closed his eyes and tried to find peace in the idea that he was doing the right thing, but there was no peace to be had. Not even his inner critic spoke, despite, for some odd reason, Sin wishing he would.

"We, the Council of Alphas, have reached a unanimous decision." They paused and looked down at a terrified Spike. "In the judgement of Spike of Equestria, found guilty of grossly assaulting and maiming to the point of disfigurement of the Twelfth Delta pack, we sentence you to-"



> Judas Machto
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Judas Machto




"We, the Council of Alphas, have reached a unanimous decision." They paused and looked down at a terrified Spike. "In the judgement of Spike of Equestria, found guilty of grossly assaulting and maiming to the point of disfigurement of the Twelfth Delta pack, we sentence you to-"

"STOP!" Cried a voice from the enerance. All eyes shot to the interuption to find at total of seven leather clad griffons standing side by side, save one who stepped forwards, a bit bigger than the rest and much darker in color.

Mac's brow quirked as he slowly relaxed his muscles, he recognized the griffon, that was the person who'd questioned him a few days ago.

Sin's eyes narrowed as he took in the tell tale signs of Triple M. Black leather jackets mercenary division. What were they doing here? "Discord." Sin whispered into Pinkie's mane. "Keep on standby."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Barked Raptor, standing from his seat. "Who dares interrupt an Alpha's word?!"

"I do. Conno of the Federation." Replied the black eagle lion hybrid as he stepped forth. "We have more character whitnesses to present the court with. Bring them in."

A sudden fire of hope began to burn through Macintosh as a large group of cainim entered the court, though unlike the ones currently present, he recognized them. 

"This is the Seventeenth Sigma Pack. They were enslaved by the Ruby Dragon: Golvec in the territory by Hooftrot to the west. You own their liberation from the dragon, in part, to that very dragon you are persecuting now!"

With his final word echoing though out the chamber, a copious hoard of angry voices screamed from the left side of the room. The entirety of the Beta Lords and the Delta pack calling him a liar, and condemning his claim as a rouse to buy time. Though, the Alpha Council looked both intrigued and skeptical. 

"SIIIIIIIIIILEEEEEENCE!" Raptor Barked, bringing the yelling to its end. He turned and addressed the mercenary commander. "The dog pack has always held its own in high regard. If this pack was liberated with the aid of the geko than we shall hear what they have to say. But be warned now, should you be forcing them to speak against their will for your own means, the consequences will be swift!"

"He doesn't lie." Cried a a larger dog, one that Mac vividly remembered as the pack's alpha: Rex. "Big Ruby dragon enslave entire pack. Told us he ate many members when they ran away. Lied to us to keep us afraid and working, but Spike and friends helped us. They fought the old master, and drove him away so Sigma pack could live without fear!"

Tido came forth, confirming his Alpha's statement. Elaborating about the battle between the Equestrians, Federalists and the drake. Though, Luna's involvement in the ordeal was strangely absent from the story, a fact lost on everyone but Sin, and even he was questioning why he thought she was there.

"By law of all Diamond Dogs, Alpha's must listen to all sides of story. All seventy-nine members of Sigma pack wish to speak in defense!" Rex demanded.






Hours and hours of speaking later, Sin yawned but kept his mind sharp enough to act at a moments notice. Half way through the entirety of the newly arrived Sigma, he grew tired of hearing the same story over and over again. Yea, it was buying time, but would it be taken into consideration? And what was his brother's gain in all of this? He thought about sneaking out and using some rather... intensive interrogation methods, but decided against it.

The court room was too packed and he needed to be ready just in case the dogs became just as board as he was.

"What's goin' on?" Macintosh asked, stepping beside his friend and taking a seat. 

"Trying to figure that out." Sin replied, still mulling it over in his head. It didn't make any sense, Malich nor his father would have anything to gain by doing this... Maybe favor with Celestia, perhaps? Was that the goal? Sounded like a plausible scenario. Had Luna requested their aid in this matter? That would add up too, considering he had a memory of her involvement. Hazy though it may be, which was extremely troubling since his memory was typically pretty good about such ordeals.

"That griff, the leader." Mac pointed out, "he came tah th' farm few days ago. Asked about wha' happened with Spike when he went on th' war path."

Quirking a brow, the Federalist questioned why Mac hadn't mentioned this before, to which the stallion simply shrugged and thought the detail unimportant. So, Triple M. was interested enough to ask questions? Why? What did they have to gain?

'How many times are you going to ask yourself that? You don't know, sad fact.'

And boy, did Sin hate not knowing things, but it was the truth, he didn't know.

"HOLD ON!" Another dog barked as he panted at the entrance.





"WHAT IS IT NOW!?" Cried the head Alpha of the judicators, causing Spike to cringe. He didn't know why, the last interuption was a very welcome thing, maybe this one would be too.

"Grand Alpha of Dog Empire sends message!" Cried the green vested canine, rushing over to the leader. Raptor's eyes and mouth widened at the news, as did the rest of the dogs present. Apparently this "grand alpha" was a pretty big deal.

"Grand Alpha? Give me that." Raptor barked, snatching the parchment away and reading it aloud. "To the Judication, by the decree of Grand Alpha Maximus, you are hereby ordered to release Spike of Equestria?!" The last words came out with a surprised yelling, with each of the council member demanding to read the letter and see the seal for themselves.

A slow hopeful smile crept onto Spike's face at the news. He wasn't going to die? He wasn't going to die after all!?

The rest of the dogs in the room didn't share his sentiment, returning to their self righteous uproar of how outrageous the order was. Many questioning why the Grand Alpha saw such an action fit, other questioning his right to do so.

"NO!" Cried Fido, his wrathful voice easily overtaking the rest. "No, no, no! Grand Alpha can't do this! He can't! Geko must pay for his crimes and hurt!" He demanded, slamming his fist against the ground in a desperate attempt to assert himself.

The Alphas looked down at him helplessly and each averted their eyes, muttering how they had to obay the highest authority. None who challenged the Grand Alphas had ever survived to tell about it, to undermine the greatest authority within the canim was a taboo against the entire pack structure. For them to authorize an order that contradicted his was a death sentence, and they all knew it.

Fido's pit bull face slowly gave way from righious determination to horror as he came to realize that he was being forsaken. Spike was going to walk out of the chamber with nothing to show for what he'd done. Fido wouldn't accept that, he couldn't accept that, and there was only one authority higher than the Grand Alpha.

"JUDAS MACHTO!" He cried, pointing to the drake. "I declare Judas Machto against the geko!"

The entire courtroom fell into silence as all the non-equine and griffon onlookers gasped. Their faces stuck in masks of absolute horror and disbelief.

"What's Judas mako?" Spike asked innocently though the deafening silence.

The head Alpha dog eyed Fido for a few more seconds before turning his eyes back to Spike. "Judas Machto, young dragon, is an old right of the dogs. One that we have not used in a century, and considered abolishing many a times, continuing only for the sake of maintaining a counter balance to the power of the Grand Alpha." Spike continued his stare, his question not yet answered. "Judas Machto is a trial by combat."

"Trial by combat?" The drake asked and quirked his head slightly. "What does fighting have to do with a trial?"

Raptor gave a quick explanation that, in the older times, Grand Alphas that abused their power and didn't put the pack first were constantly assassinated, leading to power struggles to the higher leaders. Since the power struggles constantly lead to bloody wars that claimed thousands of lives, a new Grand Alpha had created the Trial by Combat, Judas Machto, to challenge the highest power to one on one combat, since the entire empire held to the tradition of standing behind the leader to the point they'd fight any threat, no matter the lies the leader told, or the melevent oppressions.

It was a crude measure that was mercilessly abused in the beginning, but one that quickly brought order to the upper echelons, as well as broke the undying loyalty that the Grand Alpha had over the numerous packs. If ever the trial was called upon a kind and benevolent ruler, the rest of the pack would constantly challenge the victor. No matter how strong a single dog was, he would eventually fall when placed up against a constant stream of opponents.

This concept was supposed to remain solely against the highest power, but eventually the packs integrated the practice into their own courts against their own pack Alphas when a dispute arose. For an Alpha themselves to call for it was unheard of, but the trial by combat was never specified to be only against the proceeding power.

In all technicality, Fido's challenge to Spike was a challenge against Raptor and the rest of the Council's decision, and the right to the duel was clear.

"JUDAS MACHTO! JUDAS MACHTO!" Fido chanted, slowly his pack joined in the chant in a slow and steady beat. Soon, every dog, even the council, had joined in. Demanding that the trial take place and that some measure of accountability be taken.

The lead council member heald up a paw to silence the crowd, it took longer than he would have liked, but eventually the dogs all began to calm down. "Spike of Equestria," he began, "you are no longer bound by this court, and are free to leave. However, you have been challenged to trial by combat, a challenge against me as well as every Diamond Dog who sits up here before you. We will not hold you to this challenge, but we will look unfavorably upon your honor should you walk away without engaging it."

Spike looked down and brought a shaky claw to his head. He had no idea what was going on, first they were about to tell him his sentence, then they told him that he was free to go, but now they were requesting that he stay and face another trial, kinda thing? It was strange, the canim made no sense at all! But he knew that he deserved punishment, and the scars upon Fido's face deserved retribution.

"I accept." he declared after a full minute of thought. "What are the rules?"

The dog smiled. "The rules are simple, both of you must engage into combat until one is unable to continue. Death has been the historical norm for victory to be declared, but we would rather avoid killing if it can be helped." He clarified, "though, if one of you is killed, we cannot hold the other party accountable."

Spike's breath caught in his throat and he looked at the evil grin upon Fido's face. Spike didn't have a prayer against him now, his chubby and infant form was nothing compared to the more developed body he had when he'd gone toe to toe in the caves. Back then, he stood just a half head short of eye level with the beast, now he barely came up to his waste! He probably couldn't take a normal dog, let alone their Alpha. 

But that didn't mean he was just going to sit back and let himself be killed, either.

"Fine." Spike declared, looking over to his friends, each giving him a look of concerned.  "I want to be held accountable for what I've done. I'll fight him one on one and let him get his licks in. It's the least I can do."

"Very well. The sacred rite of Judas Machto has been invoked and accepted. Any whom attempt to interfere with the trial by combat shall be killed immediately." Raptor declared, looking back to the ponies. "Magic of any kind will be considered assistance."

All of the stress and terror that had evaporated when his trial was interrupted suddenly came back full force as Fido slowly made his way into the open floor. But Spike pushed it all down, convinced that his decision was the right one. Even if killed here, at least he could speak for himself, if not with his words than with his fists. He was weak, but he wasn't helpless.

Fido stepped forward, eyeing the emerald orbed reptile as all the humiliation came rushing into him. "Stupid GEKO!" He cried, slamming his fist into the drakes face and sending him to the ground. "Dogs no need your pity. Dogs PROUD!" He lifted his leg and gave a good kick, sending Spike rolling a few feet with a pained grunt.

Spike got to his feat and launched himself forth, tackling the dog to the ground and hitting his chest repeatedly with his fists. The effort was all for not, as Fido merely looked down at him with minor amusement before slapping the drake off to the ground once again with a resounding thump.

The canim chuckled mirthlessly at the pathetic attempt to tackle him yet again. "Puny geko." He spat, kicking Spike away again. "You should have ranned away when you had chance!"

In that split second of feeling his second rip crack from a fierce stomp on his back, the split second between hearing the snap within his ears and feeling the ungodly pain to follow, Spike was inclined to agree that his decision was a mistake.







Sin cringed as a loud snap of something breaking echoed throughout the chamber, followed by a cry of pain from the baby dragon. He wanted to help, he really did, but this wasn't a battle he could fight for Spike. The dragon had agreed to the duel and he had no business butting in.

"How it feel, geko? How it feel to be tossed around like you were weak?!" Another kick elecited another scream of pain. "How it feel, dragon?! TELL ME HOW IT FEELS!" Fido reached down and picked the dragon up by the neck. "I wanna hear how you feel being weak!"

Sin looked down at the crossbow on his foreleg and resisted the urge to take aim. 

"Celestia! Please, we have to help him! You heard them, he's free to go!" Twilight declared, looking up at her mentor. Her begging was met with a simple shake of the head and a few words that didn't make sense to Twilight, but made perfect sense to Sin.

"Spike's chosen this for himself, my faithful student. He must now own up to the consequences of his decisions." 

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Twilight ran to Luna and received the same answer. With her desperation quickly growing, she approached the council of Alphas, begging them to end this madness.

"Pony, we are bound by laws just as you are. We cannot interfere with this duel, lest we suffer the same fate we threaten."

The lavender mare continued her pleading, quickly releasing her calmness to desperation and anguish. It was a sight too painful to watch, so Sin turned back to the duel just in time to see Spike's face receive an extreme blow from Fido's fast that made Sin cringe yet again. 

If this kept up, Spike wouldn't make it. Judging by the flowing blood from the dragon's mouth and nose, he'd be down for the count soon. But no matter how many times he was knocked down, no matter how many bones were broken, the drake still stood to his feat, a burning determination blazing in his eyes as he challenged the dog time and time again.

"Why do you fight?!" Fido demanded, his chest heaving from exertion. "You lose, geko, you no touch me. I stronger, faster and tougher than you!" He snarled with irritation as Spike limped over to him, the reptile fairly certain some part of his left leg had been broken when he'd lifted it to protect his already injured side. He lifted a shaky fist and with all the strength he could muster, slammed it against the Alpha's stomach. The result being enough force to barely break a thin piece of pencil lead.

"I... fight," Spike panted, pulling back his fist again and throwing it. "Because... I... have to." He puffed, pulling back for a third attempted punch. His fist made contact with Fido's open paw, and he looked up through blood shot and tear ridden eyes. "I'm... Sorry for... what I... did to you." Fido's eyes widened at the apology. "You... deserve to... beat my face... in."

The alpha's muzzle quickly turned to a snarl and he threw Spike as far as he could, landing the drake on his back. "STUPID GEKO! I don't need your pity!" He declared while walking to the already rising dragon.

"This isn't... about pity, Fido." he managed, just before Fido picked him up in one paw by his neck. "It's... about... the revenge... you... deserve."

Again, Fido was taken aback by the words. His amber eyes went wide at the notion that his anger was understood and even accepted. The dragon understood him. He knew what he wanted and was willing to give it, even though he had the chance to walk away.

Unable to accept that a dragon could be intelligent or empathetic enough for such an act, Fido snarled again and slammed Spike into the ground, holding his neck and relishing the cry of pain his opponent shrieked out. Spike tried to scream again, but between the broken ribs, the paw around his throat, and the undoubted lung damage, nothing came out but a noiseless cry for mercy.

Fido would show him none though, he had suffered at the hands of the geko before him, and he deserved the vengeance he was going to get. Yes, Fido had started it with the pony napping, but he paid for that. Dear sweet treats above, did he pay for that. And now, the dragon would pay for what he'd done.

"MERCY!" Cried Twilight, drawing the dogs attention from the asphyxiated drake. "PLEASE! HE CAN'T FIGHT ANY MORE! PLEASE!" 

The Alpha dog sneered at her, but another voice caught his attention. This one also calling for mercy. Though, it wasn't followed with an explanation, but repeated the word. Again, and again she chanted the word. Soon, another voice joined hers, and another, and more until the entire right side of the chamber chanted in one unified voice the word: "Mercy".

Fido exposed his teeth and was about to give the entirety of the Equines a piece of his mind, but then the Dogs from the Sigma pack joined them in their chant. Looking with utter shock, Fido observed as members of his own pack stood against him and declared their desires for leniency.

Had they all gone mad? This was the dragon who'd assaulted them all! He was the reason they were hurt and damaged, did they really not see that he was just getting revenge on their behalf!

"Idiots." Fido whisper in disbelief. "All of them are idiots!" And idiots though they may be, the constant chanting and stress was beginning to wear on the dogs nerves. He was tired of punching the rag doll around, and while he did have a small amount of respect for the drake for standing up and facing him, he still had to finish the fight.

Raising his free paw, Fido drew his claws and readied for the final blow of the fight.


> Courtroom Blitz (Bonus Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N, this chapter takes place at the end of "Judgement Day" and is dedicated to the massive set up I had built for Sin's assault to free Spike. The vote ultimately went to the trials interruption with 4 to 3 and 1 abstaining while another chose a third option of their own design, so this chapter will hold absolutely no relevance to the story continuing onward, but I'll be damned if I don't write this for some satisfaction. Please enjoy.)






Courtroom Blitz (Bonus Chapter)






"We, the Council of Alphas, have reached a unanimous decision." They paused and looked down at a terrified Spike. "In the judgement of Spike of Equestria, found guilty of grossly assaulting and maiming to the point of disfigurement of the Twelfth Delta pack, we sentence you to death."

As the last word was uttered, Sin heard a snap of fingers to his right, and the world devolved into utter chaos, compliments of the god of the same name. 

What happened over the course of the next few seconds was a hectic mess with no realizable details. Save screaming, yelling, and a mass of pink and black clouds attacking both pony and Diamond Dog alike.

By the time Sin came to his senses, he was reloading his crossbow, two of his marks already fallen by his crossbow. He placed in the second two bolts and took aim, taking a shot and hitting one of the two remaining guard dogs in the head, the last of them figured out what was happening and picked up Spike, using the dragon as a shield.

"Shit!" The Federalist cursed.

"RAINBOW! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He heard Twilight cry, but he didn't have time to deal with helping Rainbow Dash, he had to get to Spike and get the rest of them out of there.

He jumped down to the courtroom floor and made a dash for the dog, slamming himself into Spike and using the force to push both he and the dog over. He rolled into a recover and just as quickly pounced ontop of the last guard, placing his crossbow right over the dogs neck. "No, please no kill-" Was all he could get out before the cross bow bolt powered by two hundred and fifty pounds of draw embedded itself into his neck and pinned him to the stone floor.

Covering the terrified dragons eyes, Sin looked back to see the madness going on behind him...





Mac's eyes widened at the final decision and just as he watched Sin raise his crossbow to fire, a puff of black and pink smoke, thick enough to almost be solid, formed before his eyes. And then another, and another. Soon, the whole court room was full of the contton candy like clouds. His attention was redrawn to Shining Armor as the unicorn lowed his head at Sin, a spell slowly charging in his horn.

Impulsively, Macintosh jumped forward and knocked Shining's head off its target, sending the spell to collide with the other side of the room. Having Shining on the ground, the apple farmer struggled to keep him down and limit the range of motion for his magical casting. "Big Macintosh? What are you doing! Get off of me!"

"Nope." Mac shook his head and placed something into the guard captain's armor, he had shining subdued and no intention on allowing the guard captain up. At lease, he didn't until another spell was cast from a different unicorn and had sent him splayed out against he wall.

He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes to find Twilight Sparkle confronting Rainbow Dash, who had her own hooves full trying to subdue her target.

"RAINBOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Twilight demanded. Mac looked over to see Sin wasn't standing with Pinkie anymore, but was approaching Spike and the dog who held him captive. He looked down to find Shining Armor attempting to summon his magic, but had it constantly dissipate on him.

Mac had to admit, he wasn't sure about Sin's idea with the dragon scale, but it was working like a charm. 

"Stay out of this, Twi. We're doing what you and Celestia wouldn't do." Rainbow declared, slamming her hoof into the back of Valiar's head, knocking the stallion unconscious, much to the unicorns shock and horror.

"Rainbow," she pleaded, completely besides herself with what her friend had just done. Shining also didn't take to well to the attack and charged with an audible yell, though Mac had more than enough time to recover and leaped again, intercepting the stallion and repeating Rainbow's actions, knocking the Guard Captain out cold.

"MACINTOSH! RAINBOW! What in the name of Celestia are you two doing?!" Decried Rarity, keeping a fair distance from the fight.

"We're savin' Spike!" Mac declared, seeing a dog coming from his right and slamming a hoof into its face. His adrenaline was in overdrive, and what he'd meant to be a mere knock out had sent the canim at least ten feet backwards in the air.

"Come on, Rares," The cyan flyer replied in exacerbation. "I'm the element of loyalty, did you really think I was just going to sit by as one of my best friends was about to be killed?" She quickly spun around and gave a nice buck to an approaching dog who'd escaped one of the cotton candy clouds.

Rarity and Twilight both looked to the center of the camber to see Sin holding Spike as he stood above a dead dog, then they looked at each other in disbelief at the carnage happening around them. Neither of them could believe what was slowly dawning on them. This was Discord's brand of magic, Rainbow and Macintosh were fighting against Equestrian guards ponies, and Pinkie's party cannon was firing full blast at anything that wondered too closely to her. 

Rainbow, Pinkie, and Macintosh were helping Discord? It was insanity, absolutely inconceivable! Yet the evidence was incontrovertible.

Twilight looked to find both Luna and Celestia too busy fighting off a constant stream of cotton candy clouds to help, Fluttershy was crying behind a bleacher, and Applejack wasn't here.

What was she supposed to do? This wasn't supposed to be this way, first Spike and now her Rainbow and Pinkie Pie? How much more did she have to lose?

It was then that Twilight summoned her magic and lassoed both Rainbow and Pinkie, bringing them to her and holding the two in her magical aura and trapping them in a bubble shield. "Twilight, let us go!" Rainbow demanded, slamming her hoof against the prison.

Twilight shouted her rejection and huffed. "Why? Why are you guys doing this?" She asked, tears falling from her hurt and betrayed eyes. "I love Spike too but Celestia said-"

"Oh my gosh Twilight, forget what Celestia said!" Rainbow shouted. "You always do what Celestia wants you to do! Never a hoof out of place, even when your own son is about to be killed! What kind of mother stands by and lets that happen, huh?!"

She took a step back, her feelings of pain and betrayal compounding ten fold from the hateful words one of her best friends had just spoken to her. Mac saw the opportunity, grabbed another dragon scale, and slammed it into the bubble, shattering it instantly and sending a magical feedback that gave the caster a splitting head ache.

"Mac, Pinkie, Rainbow, C'mon, Let's go!" Sin shouted, Spike on his back and an purple maned mare standing beside him.

Twilight opened her eyes and saw her friends running from her and towards Sin. The mare's eyes narrowed as a few things clicked into place. Sin, that bastard, that unbelievable dunderhead was the source of all her problems and worries. He was to blame for everything that was happening now, for the loss of Spike, and now two of her best friends.

No, no she wouldn't let him get away with it. She wouldn't get away with destroying her life.

"Are you alright dea- oh no." Rarity whispered, observing the wide eyed maniacal grin she saw on the librarian's face. She'd only seen it one other time in her life, but she knew just how unstable Twilight Sparkle was when she had it. "Dear, Twilight, please, please don't..."

"Take, hehehe. Take my friends away from me, will you?" She chuckled, before her mask of mania turned to shear hatred, small wisps of flame emerging until her entire mane was ablaze. "NO YOU DON'T, NOW DIE!"





Sin cursed as he saw both Rainbow and Pinkie trapped in magic bubble by Twilight.

Where was Discord? he'd upheald his part of the deal, why weren't they being teleported out yet?

"SIN!" He turned to see Uppity runnig towards him. "What have you done?!"

"I did what I had to do, Uppity." Sin shot back, looking again to find Mac slowly approaching the bubble, and again to make sure that both Luna and Celestia were sufficiently distracted. What did he need to do? Yell out for the extraction or something?

"Sin, you've just..." She stopped, looking down at the dead dog under his hoof. "You killed him." her final words were lost under the constant screaming and yelling of the courtroom around. Luckily, none of the dogs had come to Spike from him yet, but how long with that last? They needed to leave, and they needed to leave right the hell now.

"I'm sorry, Uppity." Sin confessed, looking away. "But I couldn't sit back and let this happen. I made a decision that I'd save Spike from death, even if I had to kill others in order to do it."

Taking a step back, Uppity could only stare blankly at what she'd heard. Sin imagined she would be in more pain than he was over the matter, she'd probably never seen another pony or dog killed before. That plus it coming from a pony she understood to be her friend? The betrayal must have been horrendous.

"But, but I thought we..."

Sin lifted his hoof and placed it upon the orange mare's lips, halting her words. "I'm sorry, Uppity. I didn't mean to hurt you this way, but you have to understand that I've done this for good reason. Celestia would have stood by as an unfair judgement was passed, and I couldn't let that happen. And I'd have done the same for you."

If the DA's eyes got any wider, Sin was sure they pop right out of her head. Sad thing was that he meant it too. He wasn't sure when he started to care for her as he did. Maybe it was her intelligence or personality, maybe it was the fact she played nurse to him, but somehow, he'd come to care about her, not as much but still close to, Spike, Mac and Shade.

He turned back to see both of his companions freed. "Mac, Pinkie, Rainbow, C'mon, Let's go!" He declared, smiling internally as the ponies finally made their way to him for the escape. Though, something caught his eye from behind them, Twilight had somehow caught fire, but what really concerned him was the charged up fireball spell she'd cast that was headed straight for him.

"NO!" 

The spell was intercepted by another before it could reach him, and as he saw her form fall to the ground in a blackened heap, Sin stood stunned at the sacrifice Rainbow Dash had made. 

"Dash? Dashie! Dashie, are you okay? Speak to me!" Pinkie cried, shaking the chard pegasus mare, who coughed and hissed from the burns inflicted. 

"You monster." Sin said softly, looking to Twilight, who was frozen in fear of her spell. "Mac, grab her and let's go!" The Federalist barked again, thankful that the stallion wasted no time. The five of them ran out of the courtroom and into the caverns. The carnage of the assault still raging behind them. "Dammit Discord, where are you!"

"Right here." They looked up to find the draconequus looking down at them from the ceiling. "And I must say, that was quite the delicious brand of chaos you displayed for me."

Sin voiced his disapproval for the chaos god's praise and asked to be teleported out of the mines.

To the horror of all five of them, the chaos god refused to do anything of the sort. "I'm afraid that I have no intention of helping you five escape."

"WHAT! We had a plan, Discord."

"Yea? Well plans change. Or did you forget that I'm not your biggest fan after you calling me 'not the god of chaos' but a god with his own brand of authoritarianism?" 

What, when did he... No, no, no, no, no, no. He was not being that guy right now, he was seriously not holding that grudge against him. "You're still angry about that? I'm sorry, alright?!"

Discord laughed and gave a salute before parting into a cloud with a few words. "Good luck mares and gentlecolts. Hopefully you all learn something from this little ordeal."

Bastard, fucking double-crossing bastard. But he didn't have time to get hung up on that now, the plan, minus Discords assistance in getting out, was still successful. He'd need to lead them out, hopefully what assistance the draconequus had given would be enough to see them to freedom. "Follow me." He declared, running towards where he hoped the exit was.

The five of them quickly dashed past multiple caves and lamps with not a pony or dog in sight. Sin kept on point, with Mac carrying a moaning and groaning black and blue pegasus, Spike right behind him and Pinkie keeping an eye on the rear.

Sin's eyes darted as he looked past another corner. He took the momentary reprieve to load his last bolt into the crossbow. He mentally reminded himself of the bolt's finality. It was his last shot, and it may be the only thing that stood between them leaving or all of them dying.

"Clear, move up." He lead them forward, keeping an eye out in all directions. "Pinkie, do you know where we are in here? Pinkie?"

Sin frowned as he observed a drastic change he hadn't noticed before. Some how, Pinkie's bouncy curly mane had fallen bone straight, her coat slightly muted in color, and her eyes... something about them looked... dead. They reminded him alot of his brother's eyes, alot of his own eyes.

"Sorry, I don't remember." She mumbled without emotion.

Great, Rainbow's down, Spike's a mess, Pinkie's emotionally crippeled, and Macintosh was too busy carrying Rainbow to be of use. This was not good.

"Hey... Mac." Rainbow croaked. "Go ahead and put me down."

"No." Mac replied forcefully. He hadn't come this far to save one friend just to abandon another.

Rainbow didn't seem to agree. "You idiot, I'm already done for." she chuckled mirthlessly. "If you keep me, I'll just slow you down, and then none of us get out of here."

"Dashie, please don't talk like that." Pinkie pleaded, Rainbow was the only friend she had left, she couldn't lose her, not now.

Rainbow apologized, but she had already lost feeling in both her wings and her hind legs, and as bad as they were burnt, she'd most likely never fly or walk on her own again. "now put me down."

The absolute resignation in her voice left no room for debate this time, and the red stallion accepted her request, slowly and gently lowing her to the side of the cave. Rainbow hissed as her burnt plot made contact, but soon found the pain tollorable enough to speak. "I'm sorry, guys." She smiled sadly. "Pinkie, you were the best friend a pony could have, the pranks we pulled together were some of the happiest memories of my life, and I'll always cherish them, even after I die."

The addressed bit her lip as she fought to keep her legs from trembling and her stomach from tying in knots.

"I never got the chance to tell you this, but I loved you, Pinkie Pie. Not as just a friend, but as something more, and I want you to know how I feel before we say good bye."

Too beside herself with emotion, Pinkie lept and embraced Dash in a hug, completely unaware or uncaring to the fact the burnt pony had to bite the mare's shoulder to keep from crying out. 

"I'm sorry, Dashie. I'm so, so, sorry..." She cried into her friends shoulder, small trails of tears slowly falling onto her friends chard back. The two parted and Pinkie planted a small peck onto Rainbow's lips, making the dying flier smile one last time.

"Sin, I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time. When it comes down to it, you're a pretty cool guy."

The stallion pressed his lips and nodded, thanking her for the compliment and apologizing for her circumstance. "Not your fault," She chuckled sarcastically, before her face turned serious and her eyes found Spike. "Don't blame Twilight for this. I think she's been through enough without having her own son hate here. She loves you, and don't you ever forget that, can you do that for me, pipsqueek?"

Spike nodded, though said nothing in reply, electing instead to give a much gentler hug.

And finally, the dying mare turned her attention to make, and unlike any of the others, she donned an expression of guilt. "Mac, I want to apologize again, for what I said about you being a colt cuddler." She confessed, her eyes falling to the side of her face. "I never meant to hurt your feelings or you. I know you-" she cut off as a massive coughing fit overcame her. "I know you said you forgave me, but I never thought you really did. So, just so you know, I never meant a word of it."

Mac watched as Rainbow entered another coughing fit, though her limbs didn't move, and her chest was heaving worse and worse with each breath she took. He leaned down and gave the mare a final hug, explaining that he'd forgiven her for her words a long time ago.

"Thanks guys, for everything." She smiled one last time before turning to Sin once more and asking for the ultimate mercy. 

It shouldn't have hit him as bad as it did, but Sin felt a sting in his chest at the request. He didn't want to killer, but he didn't want to leave her to suffer either. He didn't reply at first, but she begged him, she was in so much pain and she just wanted it to end, to die with a little bit of control.

Sin finally caved and pointed his crossbow at the mare, right between the eyes, as painless a death as he could offer. Pinkie, Spike and Mac all looked away, unable to watch as one friend killed another, even if it was to end her suffering.

"Thank you, Sin." She said, closing her eyes, a content smile creeping onto her face as she laid back against the wall.

"Good bye." were the last words she heard before a dull thud echoed, followed by a light crunch and squish of the bolt penetrating her skull. His job done, the stallion slowly lowered his foreleg and gave one last look to the pegasus mare who'd gained his respect. 

He felt his chest and knees shake as his emotions threatened to overflow, he found is breathing difficult to control and finally he lost it, falling to his knees and throwing up on the tunnel floor. He killed her, he killed someone he respected, someone who helped him. Yes, it was to put her out of suffering, but that didn't help like it usually did.

He sniffled and spat out the last traces of vomit his stomach decided to push out, dry heaving a couple of times as he lay on the floor. He heard Pinkie crying behind him and desperately wanted to join her. He wanted to cry for the first time in his life, he wanted to let go of the feelings he had, to cry like a little baby demanding comfort from their parents.

His breakdown was interrupted by a red hoof on his shoulder, Sin looked up to find Macintosh looking down at him in concern. 

'That's right, you don't have time for this right now. You've got to those three out of here. If the dogs find them, they're all dead, just like Rainbow.'

Sin inhaled and exhaled, he stood to his hooves and gave an appreciative smile to Mac before taking point again. After a few hours of wondering, the troop finally saw daylight from one of the tunnels and made way for their escape, they were too far to be at the main entrance, so they didn't have to worry about guards being on the look out.

As they finally exited the dirt mines, each of them embraced the rays of sunlight, basking in melancholy freedom. Each keeping to their own thoughts as they wondered into the lush green countryside.

Finally, Spike decided to break the silence. "So, what happens now?" He asked, forlorn to anything but the fact of the matter.

All three eyes went straight to Sin, who stopped and slowly turned to face them. "We go to the Federation, put this whole mess behind us, and try to lead something resembling a normal life."

He turned back around and continued walking. He knew that was a lie, none of them would ever be "normal" again, but he felt responsible for all three of them now. He'd dragged all of them away from their home, and one to her death, he owed them a chance at happiness, he owed them his effort to make their lives better.

Twilight was right, all of this was his fault, and he was going to fix it, no matter the cost.
> Corruption and Loss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   


Corruption and Loss





Spike screamed as a blazing pain shot through his skull, he writhed and felt around his face, finding something missing that sent what was left of his rational mind into a frenzy of desperate patting and searching.

"My eye! What did you do to my eye!" He screamed, clutching his fist against the now concave socket, too revolted by it's unnatural feeling to care about the pain he was causing.

Fido looked down at him with a look of pity before looking back into the newly extracted organ. The white of the ball was slowly turning red from the salt and dirt on his paws, and the pupil was stuck in a permanent half stilted state. "Geko wanted to be held accountable, than he was." He placed his paw over the mangled scar on his face. "An eye for an eye."

The dog turned away from the withering mess back to his clan and raised the organic sphere to his pack, basking in the looks of admiration and fear they gave him. Slowly, he clenched his didgets around the eye ball until a small splat echoed from his fist, small bits oozing between his fingers. "Justice!" He declared triumphantly.

His pack erupted into a chorus of cheers and jeers. Most offering words of praise and encouragement, but there was no shortage of critics either. It didn't matter though, vengeance was his, justice had been served and he was victorious.






"SPIKE!" Cried Twilight as she jumped down to the floor and charged to wrap her friend in an emotionally charged embrace, clutching his form to her chest. Completely uncaring for the small tickles of blood from his numerous cuts, as well as the stream coming from his left eye socket. "You stupid, stupid idiot! Why did you have to do it." 

Sin quickly slung his bow across his back and followed suite, joining the others whom looked down upon the drake in concern and worry. Celestia pushed passed them all and used her magic to teleport the troop out of the cave. Not before giving one last icy glare to the adjudicators whom started the whole mess.

As soon as they winked into the throne room, Celestia barked at the stunned guardsponies to inform the infirmary of their arrival and to prep for the mangled patient. She lifted both her student and the injured in her magic and made way for the medical wing, following the much more quickly moving guards.

The rest were about to follow, but the solar princess requested that they not, too many distractions and stress.

Reluctantly, the four of Twilight's friends, Shining Armor, Valiar, Sin, Uppity, and Mac stood in silence. Each considering what they'd just seen and the extent of the damage to not only Spike, but themselves. The girls looked pretty shaken up, especially Fluttershy, who was crying into Rarity's shoulder, the alabaster mare desperately trying to comfort her.

Pinkie and Dash were both a mixed bag of relief and numbness. Both glad that they didn't follow through with the plan, but still disturbed about the merciless display they witnessed. Uppity was shaking and looked sick, her breathing was labored and eyes wide. Valiar and Shining stood stone faced for the most part, but small glances betraying just how terrifying the ordeal was.

"Is it over?" Pinkie asked to no one in particular.

"Yes, Pinkie. It's over." Luna said, placing a wing around her. The party mare pressed her face into the lunar alicorn's neck and sobbed gently. 

Both Sin and Mac stood in a silent seething, wishing they could do something. Even after the trial, both felt extremely helpless.

A few minutes passed with no words spoken, and only the gentle sobs of loss and sorrow to fill the void of silence. Eventually, Luna offered to house the ponies for the night, dismissing both Valiar and Shining from duty for tomorrow, and promised to inform all of them should Spike's condition improve enough for them to visit.

It was an emotionally exhausting day, and as much as they all desperately wanted to see how their friend was doing, worrying wouldn't do any good. The needed rest, and Luna adamantly pushed to make sure they got it.





Luna traveled through the dreamscape, checking on each of her subjects dreams, paying close attention to the ponies she'd seen to bed. As expected, each were having nightmares of their friends torture, some finding blame in themselves for not acting to save him or help at all.

He used her magic to sooth their minds, sending images of herself into their minds to fight the trauma. It wasn't a well known fact, but since her return, Luna had taken to influencing other's dreams in an effort to heal mental disorders and traumatic events. She studied psychology, hormones, and neuron patterns at length to try to understand what needed to be done to help atone for her actions a thousand years ago. The fruit of her labor showed with resounding success.

Yes, there were problem cases, one Diamond Tiara in Ponyville being a prime example to her failed manipulations, but for the most part, she brought happiness and healing to those she touched in the dream world. 

Having checked on the Elements and Macintosh to satisfaction, Luna moved to a new pair of windows. These two belonging to Spike and Uppity. Spike wasn't dreaming, the anesthetics erasing all traces of subconscious operations, but Uppity on the other hand was having a terrible nightmare. One her image was having trouble dealing with. 

With a heavy sigh, Luna used her magic to numb the neuron pathways that lead to the memory and implanted one of her DA's more pleasant reoccurring dreams. It was an ethical conundrum, repressing memories for another, but Uppity was more in tune with emotions than most. She had a tough exterior, but that was built to protect the sensitive and vulnerable mare within.

Nodding in approval of her work, Luna decided to try one more time to enter Sin's mind and see his dreams, though, his occlumency was in full effect as it usually was. It infuriated her to not be able to see into somepony's dreams, especially a pony like himself who was in desperate need of her services. But she wouldn't give up on him, nor would she give up on Diamond Tiara, or Silver Spoon, or Trixie or any of them. The lunar alicorn was determined to help everypony and any way she could.

Though, as determined as she was not to help others and not fall from grace again, she had made quite a few mistakes. And even worse, hidden those mistakes with even more mistakes, telling lies and using her powers not for the greater good, but for her own benefit. 

Her eyes were drawn back to the window of Big Macintosh's mind, observing her image attempting to comfort the stallion. The lunar goddess closed her eyes and uttered a silent apology. "I'm sorry, Macintosh. I'm sorry for what I've put you through, I hope that you can forgive me."

What she'd done was terrible, forcing herself on him as she had in an attempt to wipe his mind of the memories of her involvement with Triple M. Saying she wanted a foal with him, manipulating and throwing him on a guilt trip. All for the sake of saving herself from her sister's wrath. She was a terrible pony, a terrible pony unfit to rule her throne.

"Well, at least you realize how terrible you are." Eyes shooting wide open, Luna turned around to find a small black cloud that resembled her mane floating a few feet behind her. "About time too, your self pity party was getting a bit old, Lulu."

Luna skuddled backwards, the voice emanating from the cloud all to familiar. The Tantabus, a spell driven by guilt and remorse, a constant reminder of what she'd done and what she never wanted to do again. It was a mechanistic demon she'd conjured upon herself a few weeks after her return from the moon, a measure to make sure she never became nightmare moon again.

Yet she'd never given the thing a voice to speak with. It's entire purpose was to punish her and keep her in line by inducing terrible night terrors. The voice it had, it was... No, it couldn't be...

"How many times must we go over this?" The Tantabus sighed, floating lazily around her. "You know who I am, you just don't want to admit it to yourself."

Unable to accept what she was hearing, Luna slammed her hoof on the ground and woke herself up with a start.

Shooting up in her bed, Luna shivered as she finally couldn't deny what was happening to her, Nightmare Moon was with her once more, and  what's worse, she was growing powerful enough to infect the magics within the younger Alicorn's mind.







Blinking into wakefulness, Spike felt absolutely numb throughout his entire body. He heard beeping to his right, but couldn't find it in him to care what it was.

He lay there on the hospital bed, attempting to clear the fog of chemicals from his mind to figure out where he was and what had happened to him. No matter how much effort or concentration he put forth, nothing but the constant beeping besides him entered his thoughts.

Hours passed, or maybe it was just seconds, time was hard to tell, but eventually a new idea pushed itself into his mind. It was dull at first, barely even a registered feeling, but as more time passed the more pronounced it became. 

Pain.

Pain that radiated from his face, his body, his legs, arms, claws and feet. Along with the pain came a clarity that allowed the drake to recount what it was that placed him here.

With sudden realization, Spike shot up right, a flaring of searing hot lancing hurt quickly putting the dragon on his back again with a yelp. The trial, Fido, his eye...

Slowly, Spike lifted his claw to his face. It was a painful process, both in speed and feel, but eventually the drake finally reached the bandaged socket and pushed in to find that he had, infact, lost his left eye.

It was gone, he'd lost his eye to the dog who's eye he'd taken. One would expect him to be angry, to feel despair or to depressed. Yet he didn't feel anything of the sort. Aside from a nagging bit of sadness and loss, the main emotion Spike had felt was relief. Relief that he had done what needed to be done, and paid for the crimes he had committed. Relief that his guilty conscious and fear that had been building up over the last few days was finally gone.

He exhaled heavily as he heard a door open. "Spike? Spike are you awake?"

Spike opened his mouth to reply, but what he intended to be a "yes" came out as a pathetic groan. He opened his remaining eye to look and find Twilight's face looking down at his. Her eyes had the worst puffy redness he'd ever seen them, or maybe there was red lip stick around them. His vision and mind were both still a bit fuzzy. 

Twilight brought forth to his lips and told him to drink. As the cool liquid of water made contact with his parched throat, Spike greatfully sipped down the glass in a hurry so much so that he got a little down the wrong pipe and began coughing. He didn't even register how thirsty he was.

"Easy, easy." Twi cooed, gently stroking his bandaged spines. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I look." He tried to laugh, his voice hoarse and scratchy. It wasn't a lie, the drugs were wearing off, but they were still potent enough to keep most of the pain away. "Speaking of, how are you Twi? How's everypony else?"

The lavander mare set his mind at ease, informing him that everyone else was fine. He'd been out for a few days now, but the doctors were confident that he'd make a complete recovery. Apparently dragon biology made for quite an impressive healing factor, but with all of his broken bones, a punctured lung, damaged kidney and three points of internal bleeding; he'd be off his feet for a while.

"Is that all he did? Wow." The drake commented absently. "Here I thought he broke every single bone in my body."

"Why did you do it, Spike?" Twilight asked softly, garnering his attention. "Why did you stay when they told you you could leave? Why did you put yourself through this?" She emphasized by placing her hoof beside the one spot that would never heal, the one thing that he would never get back.

Spike looked away. "Because Twi, I deserved it." He stated simply and matter of fact. 

The librarian didn't seem to like that answer and frowned, arguing sternly that he could have been killed. Spike nodded in the affirmative and admitted the same, but he couldn't have just left things as they were. She saw what he'd done to Fido, she saw the maiming he'd given to the dog as clearly as he had. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he had left without giving the dog what he was entitled to.

Sighing, Twilight ended the argument before it began. She didn't want to be angry, and neither did Spike. She gently placed her forelegs around him, working slowly past his hissing and held him. Glad that he was finally safe and home. He could win this one.

"I'm sorry, Spike..." She said as she held him. The drake accepted her apology, not knowing for what though. "No, Spike what I did, what I said, it wasn't alright."

"What are you talking about?" 

Releasing her son-by-right, Twilight recounted the conversation she had with Sin, as well as connecting a bunch of dots about the past. His initial departure, the dragon migration, his first rampage through Ponyville. All of it occurred long before the Federalist arrived, she couldn't blame him for those things. "You needed something else, something I couldn't give you." She confessed. "I treated you like a child, always wanting to keep you safe and never get hurt. I didn't realize how overly protective I was being, how helpless you must have felt because of it."

Spike didn't know what to say, he was more than a little miffed with the aforementioned stallion spilling the beans on the things he'd said in confidence on top of his slavery suggestion, but maybe it was for the best. Twilight seemed as though she finally understood where he was coming from, and now... now maybe they could finally work their problems out in a way that actually changed things between them anddidn't leave him uncomfortable around her. 

"I promise, Spike. From this day forth, I'll start treating you as the dragon you want to be." Twilight smiled, "Well, once you're better, anyways."

Spike chuckled. "Yea, I guess I could use some motherly love right about now."

The two shared another laugh and talked at length about possible futures for him. Where he could live, jobs he could apply for, of course Twilight would have to help work something out past the labor laws, but if it meant never having to lose the one she'd come to love so much, she'd be happy to fight that battle a hundred times over.

Despite the past few days of his life being probably the worst in his entire life, Spike finally found a soothing calmness that he hadn't felt since the snowball fight a month ago. For the first time in a long time, he was genuinely happy, he finally saw things getting better for him. Though, as Twilight gave him one more hug, the dull pain that emanated from his missing eye brought a dark cloud to his thoughts. Things may get better and he may move forward, but there would always be a reminder of what he'd done, and the price he paid for it.

   

   
> Investigative Returns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Investigative Returns




Awakening before the dawn, Sin stretched out his legs and back before looking around the darkened room. The bed he slept on was currently occupied by an injured Spike. Not that he was about to complain, he always felt more comfortable on the ground. Something about beds and couches always made him feel vulnerable.

He quietly crept out of the room, careful not to awaken his roommate, and made way down stairs to the kitchen to set up breakfast. He may have been here as a guest, but he wasn't going to be a freeloader, even if the degrading title of "house bitch" as he called it, was his only option. But he planned to have a job by days end, so the title wasn't of too much shame.

He opened the cupboard and paused. He didn't recognize the majority of the things he was looking at, and what he did recognize, he had no idea what to do with. Flour? Sugar? Those were used in Pancakes, right? What in Tapio's name was "baking soda"? 

Suddenly an idea occurred to him and he left the kitchen and wandered the books that lined the building. Finally he came to the "cooking" section and grabbed a few titles that resembled his interest. As he sat the tombs down on the counter, the Federalist looked out the window to find the horizon to the east taking on a slightly lighter tone, signalling that dawn would hit within an hour.

'Sun's coming up earlier.' His critic pointed out. 'We'll barely wake up before dawn by summer.'

True, but irrelevant. The oaken pony opened one of the culinary books and searched through the pages for "pancakes" with not but a single candle to read by. Though, the results came up short. He opened to the index and frowned, there was no mention of pancakes what so ever. He closed the book and felt a little embarrassed at reading the title. "101 dinners to make your flank shrink."

'Wow dude, that's bad, even for a culinary retard like you.'

Sin humphed in dismissal and read the rest of the books to find that he did grab at least one that was correct for his needs. Flipping to the correct page, he looked at the recipe and smiled. He could do this, well, maybe. He wasn't entirely sure what baking powder was, but it would most likely be labeled. 

He studied the required tools and gathered them. A single table spoon, a pan, a container of baking powder, some flour, milk, eggs and butter. He couldn't find any spoons he thought went with a tea cup, but figured he'd just wing it and use half a table spoon. The book never specified what a "cup" was, so he grabbed a nicely sized mug from the glass cupboard and decided it would suffice.

"Alright, step on: Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl." He filled the massive cups with flower and placed them into a nicely sized aluminum bowl, "next, three table spoons sugar, two table spoons baking powder and one tea spoon salt." Again, he added the ingredients mentioned and looked on with pride to his work before consulting the book once more.

"Separately mix: 1 and 3/4ths cups of milk, 1/4th cup butter and two eggs until 'Smooth'?" He looked at the mug he was using and squinted. That didn't seem right. He went back to the recipe's description to see the author purported the concoction as the "best pancakes in the world".

'I'm not sure about this, maybe we should hold off until we get a grasp on-.'

Sin shook his head, he wasn't about to be bested by a damned cook book. Though, it probably wouldn't hurt to see exactly what a "cup" was for future reference. Sin couldn't believe he was thinking it, but he'd really wished he paid more attention in cooking class. But he was a stallion convinced he was going to live off the land. Foraging, poison testing, and herb identification gave him no advantage in this arena.

Shrugging to himself and accepting whatever consequence may come, the stallion whipped the "wet" ingredients together until "smooth" and added them to the flower bowl to be stirred with a "whisk"? What the hell was a whisk? 

"Screw it." He grumped, using he same spoon he used for he wet stir to continue here.

As the dawn farther approached, the stallion continued stirring the watery mix, constantly checking the book to ensure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Apparently the result was supposed to be a thicker, yellow, more substantial batter that slowly dripped from the whisk in a strong stream. What he had slightly resembled it, but was almost bone white and a little chunkey.

Again he shrugged and decided to allow himself the trial and error leniency before placing the pan onto the stove and placing at a "low medium" heat and adding the recommended amount of batter to cook. It took a a minute or two, but slowly and surly, the slowly evolving pancake began to take shape with a sizzle.





Macintosh was already in the barn, sifting through the stock of fertilizer and yield assistant. No work, absolutely no work had been done since he'd left. Each bag was exactly where he'd remembered leaving it. The cart was exactly where he'd parked it, and the wheels were in desperate need of a greasing.

When he'd returned home yesterday, Granny didn't say a word to him. The silent treatment was her favored method of punishment for him now, since he'd demonstrated guilt would be met with swift rebuttal rather than silent acceptance. Applebloom was happy enough to see him, though the filly was besides herself with worry. Applejack hadn't returned from her date with Soarin yet. That made Mac uneasy, she'd never abandon the farm, Applejack loved it here and she loved her family.

He came into the barn to see if she'd secretly come back to do her chores and sneak back off, but as he could see, she hadn't been in here since he was.

As if that wasn't worrying news enough, Annabelle had stopped by every day to check if he was back yet. He wasn't sure if she was coming to apologize, to get another round of scolding in, or just pick up as if nothing had happened, but the fact he didn't know why she was so desperate to find him terrified the stallion for some reason.

As compelled as he was to see to the badly neglected farm, Mac decided to head to town to ask about Applejack and Soarin. He thought he could just dismiss her as her own mare who did whatever she saw fit and could deal with the consequences, but a small churning in his stomach compelled him to investigate.

As angry and upset as he was with her, the applemare was still family, and Apple's take care of their family. Even if they were ungreatful and didn't care to respect their kin's wishes.

As he made his way to Ponyville square to catch the stall owners setting up shop, he felt a bitter sweet mix as Sin exited the Golden Oaks Library building. Mac figured he'd approach and enlist the stallion's help in his quest. "Hey Sin." He called.

"Hmmm? Hey Mac." he replied, looking a little nervous.

That was strange. "What brings y'all out and about so early?"

"Made pancakes, now about to go look for work." Sin pressed his lips.

Mac smiled a knowing smile. He'd never once ever seen his friend attempt to cook anything outside of what he found growing by the road side or in the Everfree Forest, part of him really wished he was there to witness the attempt. "How'd that work out?"

"Yeaaaa. Anyways, what's up?" Sin deflected, much to the larger stallion's amusement. He gave a brief explanation about his sister's absence and asked for Sin's help in tracking her down. "How much does the job pay?" Sin asked with a smirk. "Hey, I'm stuck here now, guy's gotta make a livin'."

Mac shook his head and the two made way for the market district. The two arrived just as the stalls were beginning to go up. The two split up and began to ask the numerous wear sellers for any information they had on the mare. Each mentioning seeing her around town about a day or two ago, but not since and never mentioning where she was going.

Apparently she seemed really down about something when they saw her. She never looked anypony in the eye when she spoke to them, it was almost as if she looked ashamed or angry or something.

A few hours of interviewing later, the two had cleared the stalls and regrouped to exchange information and take a break. "It never ends, does it?" Sin commented with a sigh. 

"Wha' nevah ends?" Mac questioned, the concern he felt before slowly growing with each passing moment.

"The drama. Diamond Dogs, Triple M., Constant trials of guilt and innocence, Discord's ordeal, and now your sister." Sin shook his head. "Was your life always this crazy?"

"No, it was meetin' you tha' it really took a turn fer the worse." 

The two shared a smirk before coming back to the matter at hoof. They had no leads, and decided to ask around the more permanent establishments when they opened for information. It was going to be an hour or so before such a time came, so Mac offered to buy breakfast. An offer his companion didn't refuse considering... yeaaaa.

Mac walked over to a booth and purchased a few carrots for himself and a potato for Sin. The two consumed their food and chatted about what a calm life would be like in town, each asking the other what it was they planned to do now that the excitement of their times was slowly drawing to a close.

Mac wanted to stay on the farm and work the orchard, but there would need to be a serious talk between himself and his family. He'd come to accept Applejack's decision and let the matter die, though his grandma's passive aggressive behaviors would need to come to an end. She had a small right to be upset, but he wasn't interested in living in such a hostile environment. Let alone subjecting Applebloom to the toxicity there in. Family was a special thing, a bond between ponies that was bound by love and kindness, not resentment and feud.

When questioned himself, Sin replied with a shrug. He'd never explored Ponyville before, he had no idea what work he could find or what he wanted to do. A few thoughts crossed his mind like lumberjacking to pay his bills, but to do so in the Summer time would be a bad idea, unless he found a merchant who'd buy his wares and take them to the northern most cities where temperatures were more lucrative to his interests.

Fun fact was that the wood from the Everfree would burn longer than most any wood he'd ever come across. While most birch, oak and spruce went for an hour or so with need of constant fueling and stroking, he found that the black wood of the Everfree burned for at least four hours with no stroking or adage.

Mix that with the fact most were too afraid to travel near the forest and it seemed like a good monopoly to start on. Though, the environmental effects would need to be explored.

"Hey Mac, isn't that you're girlfriend?" Sin pointed out as the mare passed by.

It was! "Annabelle!" He shouted, her ears and entire body perked up from her name being mentioned and she made a mad dash straight for the pony. 

"Uh oh." Sin quickly removed himself from the bench just in time to avoid the collision and the ensuing embrace. "MAC! I've missed you so much, where have you been!" She demanded, pushing the stallion away just enough to get a look at him.

"Been helpin' out a friend." Mac replied before a thought occurred. "Hey, sorry to ask, but have y'all seen Applejack? Granny said she hadn't come home since Ah left."

The straw maned mare's ears dashed against her skull and he eyes looked left, looking very guilty. "Mac, I... I tried to stop her, honest I did. But, she wouldn't listen! Soarin, he tricked me, he found out what I was doing and then-"

A red hoof found it's way onto her lips, though him seeing her did lift a weight off of his shoulders, the apple farmer needed her to start from the beginning and remain coherent. The tale was short, but it was enough for him to understand. She tried to expose her brother against his sister but instead, the exact opposite happened with Soarin using the situation to his advantage. Solidifying AJ's trust in him even farther.

"I know where Applejack is, she's staying in the room where my brother was. Dad left yesterday with him to Canterlot on some order from his superior. She should be alone, now." She looked into Mac's eyes for just a moment before looking away again. "There's... one more thing you should know, Big Mac. I don't know why, but she's been acting strange lately. Distant, angry, defensive... I think, I think my brother may have-"

She didn't' have time to finish her statement. Mac was already up and demanding to be taken to where his sister was, the not in his stomach expanding ten fold and forcing it's way to his chest.

Annabelle nodded and lead the two stallions to the motel in which her family was staying.

She gave one last look at him before unlocking the bright orange door and pushing it open. What Mac saw next he was not ready to see, what his eyes found in that room, the state of his sister, one of the few mares he loved in the world, would make him forever question the notion of allowing her decisions to go unchallenged again.


> Confessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   



Confessions




Malich leaned back in his chair, a sigh of utter relief happily escaping his throat from the news he'd just received. The letter on his desk read out in bold red letters "Status of Target: Free."

His initial reading left him feeling angry at first, since the report stated that the drake was found "guilty", but that point was quickly followed by the statement that gave the vice president so much joy. Malich finished reading the report and felt a grave sense of concern, they didn't give him the contract.

"Post trial, the target was severally injured and teleported (presumably) to receive medical attention immediately after the Trial by Combat. The event happened too quickly for interception and there were no more opportunities to garner the agreement. As the lead of this mission, I accept full responsibility for this-"

Already annoyed at the failure of his subordinate, the ashen pony pulled out a piece of new parchment, his reply already formed in his head. It was fortunate for Conno that Spike had such a rigid code of ethics if the report was correct. He hoped that the drake's sense of duty would be easy to manipulate and he'd sign out of a sense of gratitude.

It was Triple M. that saved his sorry ass, after all. Though, Malich would rather have saved that little trump card for another instance, he couldn't say he was sorry.

His letter made, the vice president called in Radcliff and sealed it for delivery.

Once again alone, Malich pressed his lips and shrugged. It wasn't really important that the dragon sign the contract, after all: it was more than within his power to ensure his cooperation. Voluntarily agreed to or not.






(Rainbow Dash speaks with Pinkie about what they almost did. Talk about what could have happened, and why it shouldn't have.)

Pinkie sat in her room, the party pony looking unusually glum and forlorn. Her typically happy go lucky atmosphere had evaporated among the harsher realities of the world. All thoughts of parties distant memories as the many scenarios played over and over again in her head about what almost was.

What would have happened if those griffons in the black jackets hadn't come, what would have happened if those other dogs hadn't testified, what would have happened if the big dog had gotten out his last word.

The pink mare shuddered at the word. She didn't like the idea of it, she couldn't even think about it without wanting to unload the contents of her stomach. Which was nothing, considering she hadn't eaten since Rainbow Dash had practically shoved food down her throat during the train ride home, and even then, it was no where near what her sugar desensitized body craved and needed.

Could she have done it? Yea, she agreed to help, but would she have actually gone along when push came to shove? Discord, Sin, Mac and Rainbow, they all looked so determined to help, and she didn't like the way Celestia handled things, but what they would have done, what she would have done... Would it really have been any better? 

Sin... he planned to kill them, the Diamond Dogs. He told her point blank that he had every intention to do it, no reservations, no concern for the lives he was ending, he just... it was like he didn't even care.

Though, she shouldn't have been surprised. While she didn't witness his capabilities, she had heard from Macintosh and saw the fight that ensued. Even then, he was more upset that she and her friends were upset than that he ended another pony's life... and she was about to help him do it again.

Placing her head into the pillow, Pinkie sobbed gently to herself, trying to keep her muffled cries from reaching the ears of her surrogate family.

What had she almost done?

She almost threw her family and her life away. She didn't regret it, but it did confuse her that she was in that situation at all. It scared, confused and sickened her the pink earth pony all at once and she shivered.

"Pinkie?"

She looked up to find a cyan pegasus standing in her doorway, eyes full of knowing concern. "Can I come in?" Pinkie nodded, approving of Rainbow Dash's entrance. Sitting on the bed, Rainbow sighed. "Still thinking about it?" Again, Pinkie nodded.

Dash stretched out her wing and pulled the pink mare close to her side. "You can't keep beating yourself up over this. C'mon, this isn't you Pinkie."

Something was muttered in reply, but Rainbow couldn't make it out. "He would have killed them." She managed through muffled sobs into her friend's neck.

"He would have." The flyer agreed, pressing her lips. "But he didn't. It didn't happen, Pinks. Things worked out for us and nopony got hurt besides Spike."

Rainbow felt the earth pony cringe at the inclusion and she internally berated herself for putting it that way. "But that was his choice to make. It was an unfair situation for him, that's why we wanted to help in the first place right?" She felt Pinkie nod. "So, we can't feel too bad about it, right? We were just trying to help a friend."

Pinkie muttered something too distorted to make out but continued into coherence. "-all so wrong. I don't know what I would have done, Dashie. I was so scared, my tummy was full of rocks and vinegar. I keep asking myself why? Why it was happening, why Celestia didn't stop it, why she just sat back and let it happen. Spike was going to die! I love Spike, I don't want him to die. But if we stopped them, than somepony else would die!. No matter what happened, somepony was going to... to..." A hiccup sob interrupted her, and Rainbow felt herself on the verge of tears as Pinkie fell prey to emotional trembling. "It's not fair, it's all just not fair."

Rainbow let out a defeated sigh as she held her friend. She was right, it wasn't fair, but it was the reality of the situation. As she sat being a pony tissue, the cyan mare's mind also wondered. She had one job, that was to take out that Valiar guy who was backing up Shining Armor. She'd gain the element of surprise and knock him out before he even knew what happened.

It was assault. It was assault on a royal guard on behalf of protecting both Sin and saving Spike, and she was fully ready to do it and accept the consequences of her actions.

She was also angry that the whole thing almost came to that when all Celestia would have had to do was show some spine and tell them that what they did wasn't acceptable. But she didn't, she just sat back and let Spike be taken and presumably killed. 

Pinkie, Spike, Mac, herself, they all had a right to be loathed with the princess's decision. She tried to convince Twilight to show some indignation and anger over it as well, what with it being her own son, but no matter what; Twilight was adamant that Celestia was wise in her rule. 

Nopony, nopony else besides them was willing to act, and that made aroused a rage worthy of the element she bore. It was the antithesis of her and everything she stood for. Betrayal.

"What are we going to do?" Pinkie asked, breaking the mare from her thoughts. "About Twilight and them? I'm still kinda mad at them for not doing anything about it either, but I understand it at the same time. I don't know how I should feel right now."

Rainbow had also given that consideration, while she was anything but thrilled with her librarian friend, it was clear that she was distraught and emotionally drained. She didn't want to use the word "weak" but it was something pretty close to that. "We have to forgive them, Pinkie." Rainbow said solemnly, tilting Pinkie's chin up to make eye contact. "They were afraid and as confused as both you and I are. We can't be too angry at them for doing nothing."

"I know it hurts, Pinks, but it's for the best that we put this behind us. No grudges, no regrets, no resentments. Okay?"

Pinkie looked into the confident and compassionate magenta eyes of her best friend. Her confusion slowly dissipated to acceptance, finding sound logic to Rainbow's reasoning. Being mad wouldn't last forever, Twilight was hurting and she'd need support, especially since she'd be caring for a bed ridden baby dragon.

As the two held each other in a most platonic fashion, a small warmth returned to Pinkie as her memories and questions became less and less relevant for the hope of a better tomorrow. She wouldn't be top notch, A-Okay party planning mare extrordinare again, but she'd be better. Yea, tomorrow would be better.







Soarin sighed as he looked out the window of the Ponyville express. His mind was a mess, he wasn't sure what he was capable of anymore. 

Applejack. The mare he'd meant only as a means to hurt a stallion who'd wronged him, had worked her way into his heart. The wonderbolt didn't know how it was happening, but he was slowly starting to fall in love with her.

He cringed as he recalled what was done and considered how reprehensible his actions were. Closing his eyes, the stallion stopped a tear and attempted to rebuild the walls around his heart he'd made, to no avail. Not even the thought of Spitfire kicking the stuffing out of him helped his growing feelings.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this, he was just supposed to string her along, get under Macintosh's skin a bit, and break it off. It was business, business for personal revenge, but business none the less.

Her eyes, though. Her laughter, he genuine kindness, the way she laughed and kissed. The way her eyes came alive when she'd see him, the admiration and respect, it wasn't just because of the uniform, it was genuine feeling for the stallion behind the goggles.

He groaned rubbed his hooves against his temples. No, no it wasn't genuine care, it was the love potion he slipped her. She didn't care about him any more than the rest of the equine around the country, not really anyways. Or so he tried to convince himself. The closest he'd ever felt to this was the little affair he had when he still worked under his father at the carnival when his sister introduced him to one of her friends.

Glitter was her name. Glitter, the silver coated pegasus mare left a bitter sweet taste on the stallion's tongue. 

How he loved her, the two would often fly together after a show and take in the night's sky. Sharing stories about dreams and past experiences. Out of all of the ponies he knew, Glitter was the only one who didn't laugh at his dreams to become a Wonderbolt.

They shared alot of things together, including many first times. Kissing, spooning, sleeping, sex. She was everything a stallion like him could hope for. Save for two very crucial traits... Honesty and loyalty.

"You gonna cry or what?" Shuffle asked his son, the stallion looking up from his news paper. Soarin shook his head, dismissing that he was in thought. "Well think about something else. You and your sister are couplin' with a pair of farm hicks, don't need you embarrassing me more by crying about it."

Soarin cringed to hold back his hoof from slamming the old stallion's head in. He was right though, he did need to figure this out before things got too complicated. He didn't want to hurt AJ again, but he also knew he couldn't keep his facade up much longer. The stallion was getting attached to a grudge in the worst way and needed to escape.

That's when another thought hit him. What if he just pursued the relationship? Came clean about the love potion, apologized to both AJ and Mac for his actions and tried to work around the fact his sister was dating her brother?

Than another part of his mind slapped the former part across the face and reminded it what happened the last time Soarin had opened his heart in such a way. Glitter was his number one fan, right until he'd failed his initial tryout. After that, it was utter abandonment with some of the most hurtful insults to add insult to injury.

He could still remember that day, the day she'd left him. He cynical and dismissive laugh, calling him a wanna-be-bolt, and walking out of the bar with another stallion.

With a growing tug of war between self preservation and protecting one he was growing to love, Soarin sat stumped on what to do next. He was a terrible pony, truly one of the worst.




> Divergant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Divergent




A startled cry roused Spike from his slumber. He sat up in a daze before his muscles and bones reminded him of his condition, sending him back to the bed with another pain enduing thump.

"What was that? Twilight! Are you okay?" He yelled, irritated at his limited mobility.

"Yea, yea I'm... fine!" He heard her yell from down stairs. A few pain staking moments passed before the lavander mare entered the room, looking painfully disgusted.

"What happened?" The bedridden drake asked, craning his neck to get a view of her. "I heard screaming."

Twilight blushed and rubbed her foreleg, apologizing for her overreaction. Apparently, Sin had attempted to make them breakfast, but the pancakes had more wrong with them than right. Burnt, far too much flower, too little salt and sugar, not to mention the kitchen was an absolute disaster. It was almost enough to make the mare neglect the goodness of the deed. Almost.

Spike, on the other hand, found the incident amusing for obvious reasons.

In her magic, Twilight carried a letter addressed to both of them, explaining that Sin had made breakfast and was currently out looking for a job, much to the librarian's chargin. He was under orders to "take it easy" from both the Canterlot physician and Uppity. He wasn't in as bad a shape as Spike, but he was still healing from his infected wolf bite.

"I'll be back in a bit with some gems and pancakes for you. I really don't think you want any of what was left for us." Twilight apologized, wondering back downstairs.

Once alone, the drake contemplated about the aspect of labor. His friend would find a job soon, and once he was better, so would he. What was he good at that could earn him money? His gem carvings were nice, but he hadn't touched that in a while, and with one of his arms broken and the other having sever muscle damage, it would be a while before he could get back into practices.

Well, he was good at organizing and writing. Maybe he could be an accountant or something? Filthy Rich was the wealthest stallion in Ponyville, maybe he could help him out? That or maybe the Mayor Mare?

Twilight walked back in, bringing the promised goods and Spike opened wide as she magic feed him gems. "There you go, would you like anything to drink? Or something to read?"

As he nibbled the first bit of a delicious ruby, the drake relaxed his mind. There'd be time later to think about jobs and bigger responsibilities. Right now, he was just happy enough to relax and allow his mind and body to heal.







Sin looked on in utter shock at the scene within the inn room. Applejack lay sprawled out on the bed on her stomach, dozens upon dozens of empty cider bottles around her, with one latched between her fetlock. She was a sleep at the moment, but the tears running down her face suggested it to be a recent event.

Her trademark stetson was missing from he head, cast aside onto the floor. Her typically well kept ponytail mane was wild, falling all over her face and shoulders, adding to the absolute train wreck she appeared to be in.

He looked around the rest of the room for any signs of struggle, but none could be found. Everything aside from the slightly messy blankets and alcohol was in order. No dented walls, no broken glasses, no pictures on the floor. Nothing.

"APPLEJACK!" Macitnosh roared, resorting in the aformentioned to awaken in a confused stupor. The mare must have been hung over, grabbing her head and asking him not to yell. "What in tarnation?!"

"Mac? What are ya, oww mah head. Wait, where's Soarin?! Did he come back yet?"

'Uhh... that was not the right thing to say.'

Sin took a few steps back but readied himself to pounce should the need arise, he motioned Annabelle to step away as well, but the earth pony seemed well enough where she was.

He'd never seen Mac angry before. Yea, he'd seen him upset, frustrated and irritated, but he knew the line between anger and full on, balls to the wall rage; and with the size and strength difference between the two being so great, the oaken stallion decided to set himself in a position out of the way of harm yet still close enough to act. Things had the potential to go very very badly here, and while he knew he could help, he was absolutely certain he did not have the strength to stop it.







"SOARIN!? Yer passed out drunk, teary eyed, lookin' like a mess o' burden and horror, and all you can think about is Soarin!" He barked, causing the mare to flinch and grab he head again.

Livid didn't come close to how enraged the apple stallion was. His coat was red already, but any onlookers would be in debate if it had grown a shade or two lighter. Green eyes hardening to diamond levels, Macintosh stomped over and eyed his sister all over, checking to make sure she'd not been injured in anyway. "What in Celestia's name is wrong witcha?"

The applemare stiffeled her urge to vomit and calmly tried to explain that she was waiting for Soarin to come back, apologizing to him at the end. "Ah'm sorry brother, but y'all have tah understand, Soarin needs me righ' now. He's not alrigh' in the head and needs somepony to look after him."

"And where is he now?" Mac demanded, wishing he'd brought his crossbow.

Any remnant of a hangover were gone at the words. Applejack immediately perked up and jumped to her hooves, he place on the bed placing her at just the right angle to look down at her brother.

"Nao you listen here, mistah. He didn't do nothin' to me that I didn't deserve, ya hear?"

His forehoves trembling to keep themselves rooted to the ground and not smacked across his sister's face, Macintosh fought tooth and hoof to keep his temper in check. 

She deserved what he did? She deserved to be raped!?' His inner critic chimed in, not helping his control in the least. 'I don't know what's wrong wit her, but Applejack is in need of some serious intervention. Rick Reigns style!'

"Ah was outta line with him n' he put me in mah place like Ah should have been. So Ah'd appriciate it if ya'll didn't make threats against the stallion who's worked his way intah my heart."

"PUT YOU IN YER WHAT?!" He barked, completely thrown off by the nonsence he was hearing. Was he hearing this right? This wasn't his sister! Well, it was, but it wasn't the Applejack he grew up with. AJ had far more pride and self respect to talk about herself in such a fashion. "What is wrong with y'all, Applejack? When in the buck did ya ever let some two bit, show freak-"

Smack.

"Don't you EVAH talk about him like that!" The applemare declared, nursing her stinging hoof. 

The room delved into utter silence as Macintosh stood in shock, unable to process what his sister had just done to him. He stood observing the floor to his left, a growing burn in his cheek growing in intensity from her trained and toned leg. She'd hit him, he tried to help her and she hit him.

As his rational mind slowly returned to him, he used the precious moments of rationality to try to figure out what was happening before the rage returned ten fold. There was something wrong with her, this mare wasn't Applejack. But what happened? Had Soain tortured her, no there were no marks for that. He wasn't a unicorn, so that was out. Black mail? No, no, no! AJ didn't lie, and her anger was as genuine as it got.

His serenity and rationality faded as the rage returned, evolving into restrained hatred.

Slowly, Macintosh swiveled his neck, revealing one of the most hateful faces he'd ever given. Enough to make Annabelle and Applejack take a step back. The latter suddenly realizing the giant mistake she'd made.

Quicker than either other pony could see, Mac returned the slap he'd received, sending his sister to the floor, rolling into the wall. There was no more rationalizing, there was no more explaining, there was only anger, hate, desperation and revenge.







As the farmer mare fell, Sin tense his muscles. One, one was all he got. She'd aggressed him and he showed it wouldn't be tolerated, he hoped Mac wouldn't pursue any more physical acts, but the stallion was walking to here with a purpose, his lips peeled back and eyes furrowed into an active sneer.

Deciding not to wait and see, Sin jumped onto Macintosh's back and used his legs to try to block Mac's own, constantly trying to talk his friend down from doing whatever he was thinking about doing. Annabelle stepped between both and Applejack, shielding the mare from her brother's wrath.

"Mac that's enough!" She cried, using her own strength to hold the pony back. Somehow between both her and Sin, the stallion was halted. She took the stallion's head in her hooves and looked him in the eye. "Mac listen to me! Stop, please stop!" She cried, trying to reach the stallion she loved from the thralls of emotion.

Sin didn't put much stalk in the "love conquers all" nonsense, but he was certainly ready to believe if it stopped one of his best friends from doing something he'd regret.

Slowly, but surely, Sin felt Mac's struggle against him subside and muscles relax. After a few minutes of Annabelle whispering sweet and soothing words as she maintained eye contact, the male farmer finally relaxed enough for Sin to release.

"Shhh, it's okay. Everypony's okay." Annabelle cooed, stroking his face and planting a gentle kiss on his muzzle.

With Mac subdued, Sin quietly wandered over to Applejack to see the damage. She was crying, sobbing to herself about how badly she'd messed up. Soft words about how sorry she was, how Soarin had was angry with her and now her brother hated her.

Shaking his head, the oaken pony didn't know how to reply. He always figured Applejack a proud mare, far above this, yet here she was; bawling like a baby. This was beyond devotion, this was something else entirely.

"Applejack." He heard Mac say through tears. "Ah love ya, Ah love ya n' Ah wanna know why yer doin' this tah yerself. But Ah can't stand seeing ya like this. Ah don't know what to do." There was a pause with nothing but the sounds of baited breath and sobbing. "Fine." He finished with absolution before walking out of the room, Annabelle in tow. She stopped at the door to give both Applejack and Sin a look of sorrow then she too disappeared.

Sin looked down at the mare again and felt he shouldn't leave. She needed someone right now, and as much as he wanted to see to his friend; he decided to be where he was needed more. Applejack had shown him kindness before, it was time to return that kindness.
> Obligations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Obligations





Sin sat and watched as Applejack continued to sob on the floor. His mind telling him to do something, but holding conflict about what that something was.

He knew that she needed comfort of some kind, but the two hardly knew each other. What was he supposed to say? It'll be alright? That wasn't the truth, and he preferred not to lie too much when it came to ponies he'd likely associate with alot. Lying had a tendency to breed more lies, which lead to more lies and a lack of trust and integrity. Though, maybe this was the exception? Ponies always said things that weren't true to make others feel better. Like telling a mare the dress didn't make her look fat, even if it made her look like the child of lady Fat Ass.

Her gentle sobbing began to die down and slowly, Applejack raised up from the floor into the sitting position. She looked up and held a sort of depressed surprise to her face, obviously not expecting to see him. "Sin?" She hiccuped. 

"Ms. Applejack." He replied politely, attempting to force some warmth into his voice. He had no idea what he was doing, but maybe he could just stand there and she'd be the one to start it off. Though, the awkward silence that followed told the Federalist the contrary was true.

'Any ideas?'

If I had any, don't you think I'd have used them?

'Not really, you kinda suck at making others feel better about themselves. Too honest for your own good.'

No regrets there.

Growing irritated at the uncomfortable quite, Sin took a breath and tried to probe the subject of what had the cow filly in such a state of self loathing. 

"Ah, Ah don't... Soarin's upset with me and ah feel sick over it." She replied, looking absolutely broken.

"If my understanding is correct, you haven't known him that long, how can you have such strong feelings for him?" The oaken stallion asked, genuinely curious.

"Ah don't know. Jes, whenver Ah see him, Ah feel complete, happy, like there's nothin' wrong in the world. When he's gone, Ah jes... Ah jes..." She hiccuped, starting a new stream of tears. This intreagued the stallion's desire of comprehension of psychology and to beat a problem, one first had to understand the problem. He had a few theries toying around in his mind, but wasn't sure which to pursue, especially without coming off as an inconsiderate jack ass.

'Since when did you care about being an inconsiderate jack ass?'

You know, I think it was when you and Tapio lectured me about feelings and shit.

'Well, ummm... Yea, I don't know how to respond to that.'

"Can you name a flaw with him?" He asked, taking a chance. The mare's sobbing stopped for a moment and she looked at him, her head tilted and eyes wide with confusion. "Can you name a flaw Soarin has? Just one will do." Furrowing her brow, AJ tried to comprehend the question, and much to Sin's hidden bewilderment, she claimed she couldn't do as he asked.

Filly love? At her age and maturity? That is strange.

Deciding to play his gambit, the former Senator continued questioning the mare about her relationship, feeling something in him grow warm as her tears were suddenly exchanged for a smile. It was a disturbing, bitter sweet warmth, but he didn't like seeing others cry.

He sat for a full ten minutes, listening and learning. Soarin had, apparently, taught her about what she was missing out on in the arena of love. Showing her a world of warmth and caring that she'd never before experienced. 

Oxcitocin and Endorphins were incredible hormones and had a profound chemical effect on the brain. Was she just so repressed that her opening her heart a little had left her utterly infatuated? She'd claimed to never had a coltfriend before, so that was a profound possibility. If the country folk in Equestria were anything like in the Federation, fundamentalist values of chastity and abstinence were firmly in place upon fillies.

Psychologically speaking, she may have had an overly sensitive reaction to the feelings, but he found that suspect. Equestria was far more open about many things than his homeland. Surely she had experienced something before Soarin, right?

"Here's a question, why are ya askin'?" AJ asked, flipping the script and surprising him. "Ever since ya came here, y'all've always been the creepy pony mah brother hung around. What do ya care 'bout me n' Soarin, anyhow?"

Sin felt a small smile creep it's way onto his face. Personal attacks always meant he was hitting a nerve, and when you hit a nerve, it means you found a problem. Though, his smirk only set the applemare farther on edge.

"Why am I curious? Well, to be blatantly honest, I've had a certain respect for you since we met your house all that time ago." He replied honestly, his smile fading and a faux look of pity. "Pains me to see how far you've fallen, you seemed so proud then, now you're just a scared school filly with a crush. It's really pathetic."

That got a response he was much more apt to dealing with. Anger, anger and indignation. "Why you! Ah outta send ya through the wall fer that!" She declared, standing on her lefts and snarling.

Now, there were choices to be made at this moment. Good choices like walking out the door or apologizing for his rudeness and cruelty. Then there were bad choices, like continuing to goad and mock her, choices that would end up making his healing neck and chest feel exuberant amounts of pain, and extend their reconstruction process.

Sin decided to a compromise of the two was in order. "You'll have to forgive me, I just found the sight of you whimpering like a lost foal a little to disturbing to sit down and listen to." His smirk turned into a sneer to match her own. "Especially since it kept you from attending the Trial of your friend Spike two days ago."

Her sneer faded to another confused head tilt before the applemare's eyes widened and he ears perked forward. "Yea, everyone was there, except for you." He pointed out icily, seeing her defenses crumble before him. "You missed what might have been your last chance to see Spike for a stallion who'd assaulted your brother and threatened you with treason. Can you even justify that?"

Applejack took a step back, horror plastered all over her face. She was afraid, she was sorry, and most importantly, she was becoming vulnerable. It was manipulation of the type Sin was most disgusted with, but in dealing with the emotionally driven, logic just didn't garner the same results, and if he was going to get to the bottom of this, he'd need as many results as he could get his grubby little hooves on. That, and if her strength was anything compared to Mac's, he was as good as dead if he didn't keep on the defensive.

"Ah- Ah uh" AJ floundered, her eyes darting around the room for something, anything she could use to help her case, though there was no help to be had, and before long, found herself in tears of guilt yet again. Constantly muttering about how sorry she was and how she never meant to miss the important event.

Backing off, Sin used her vulnerability to get some more personal information. Asking if she'd been defloured by the stallion she claimed to love, and for the second time; she looked at him with indignation. "Wha? Why are ya askin' me that?!" She was blushing, just another emotion to add to the hurricane inside her head.

"Because your brother is worried about you, and as his friend, I don't like seeing him stressed out over his family." He paused, carefully condicting his next few words. "And it appears as though you were manipulated in some way. I despise manipulations of other's free will, it's a dangerous thing that can haveterrible consequences. I may not know you, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't particularly care for you."

He watched as a slow blush came to her face and quickly explained that his care was in no way romantic or sexual in nature, much to AJ's relief.

"But understand that despite what you think of me, you're brother is the one you should be concerned with. He's worried about you, scared for you."

Cringing, the mare's eyes continually shifted between his goggles and the floor. Appearing as submissive and guilty as a puppy who'd just been swatted for the first time. Figuring he'd best take the initiative again, Sin inquired about how the feelings had come about, feeling a little bit like a stalker for his persistence, but knowing something really wasn't right. AJ explained that it was just... love. She first met Soarin when he wanted to apologize about what he'd done, and as the two sipped on a bit of adult beverages, she slowly had feelings grow for him. Seeing the wonderbolt in a completely different light that she hadn't before.

The rest she just chalked up to her growing love for him. Though the Federalist remained skeptical, taking note of the two sharing beverages, taking special note of Soarin's providence of the drinks. 

He waited patiently as she explained what had driven her to the drunken state she was in the night before. To his surprise, Soarin left her two nights ago, claiming that she was too clingy and needy, that he needed his space and wanted to be alone for a bit. This surprised him due to the look of guilt AJ described him to have. It wasn't one of irritation or disgust as one would expect, but remorse.

If that was true, than Soarin was the one he'd need to talk to next. Telling Mac was just asking for trouble at this point, still he had a problem before him, and he decided to apply what little he knew about love in questioning what the emotion had to do with her reaction to the way he treated her.

"Ah don't know, that jes how love works!"

"Love, huh?" Sin deadpanned. "Tell me, Ms. Applejack. What is "love" exactly?" He turned and admired the simplicity of the room. "When I was in the Federation, I had a facination with love when I was younger. Not falling in love, but the idea itself. I spoke with many married couples of all species, and do you know what they all told me?"

She didn't answer, content to eye him skeptically. "I was always told that love was built. It was something that ponies, griffons, minataur, all of them, it was something that was built on trust, compassion, and a an unwillingness to hurt one another." He paused, the words suddenly making a bit more sense to him than he was willing to admit. "Something that developed through experience and hardships."

While she didn't express utter disbelief like he hoped, she did grimace in thought. 

Something in his gut told him to leave and he walked to the door with a few parting words. "I don't know about you, but someone being cruel with words and emotional detachment doesn't feel like love to me." He eyed her for a few seconds and shrugged, heading for the door again. "But maybe I'm just old school."

He closed the door, hoping that he'd given the mare something to think about.







Mac stormed forward, his mind far too jumbled to do anything but concentrate on putting one hoof infront of the other.

Today had been a very bad day, his sister was a different mare, she wouldn't listen to reason no matter what he did and was obsessed with a stallion he loathed greatly. Worst of all, he cared. No matter how much he told himself that it was her life and her decision, he still wanted to protect her, to save her. It was maddening, trying so hard only to fail half way through.

Annabelle followed him a pace behind and too his left. He really wished she'd leave him alone, though. He was grateful to her and Sin for stopping him from giving AJ the woopin' of a life time, but now he just wanted everypony to leave him be with his thoughts. He needed to sort himself out before he did something he'd regret.

And as if the universe had conspired to place the pony back in prison, he felt his muscles tense as Soarin and his just so happened to cross his path, causing the stallion to freeze. He really really wished he had his crossbow, it would have been so easy. Mac wasn't a perfect shot, but with each step the object of his loathing took, the more of a chance Mac would have to put a bolt right between his eyes.

'Dude, calm down. I know you're angry but-'

Shut up! Shut the buck up! I'm so bucking tired of you! Why don't you do something useful for once? Huh?

He felt a leg on his side and Mac looked down to find Annabelle looking at him with a hopeful smile. He wanted to smile back, to let her know that he was fine, but he wasn't and the smile gave no comfort, only farther irritation. It must have showed because the buttermilk mare stepped away from him and looked down.

He eyed Soarin, trying to force his typical neutral stoicism, but he could feel his lips prying themselves into a sneer and quickly turend to walk back to Sweet Apple Acres. Thankfully, Annabelle didn't follow him and the stallion looked forward to the isolation that he desperately needed.







Annabelle watched with her stomach in knots as Mac walked away. She wanted to follow and offer comfort, but he needed to be alone. She, on the other hand, had her own sibling to confront.

"Soarin!" She barked, not even phasing the approaching pegasus. "What did you do to Applejack?" That got a reaction, he looked away, his ears folding back ever so slightly. Though, his posture quickly became resolute and he trudged forth again, ignoring his sister's inquiry. Though, Annabelle was more than through being ignored.

"I said, what did you do to her!" She screamed, pushing her face and forehead right against her brother's.

Soarin's eyes narrowed as his father continued to walk on, not at all interested in his children't fighting. He silently glared into his sister's eyes for a few seconds before replying: "That's none of your business."

"BULL CRAP!" A few near by ponies stole a glance to the irate mare. "I saw her this morning, she was absolutely miserable because of you!" Again, the stallion's mannerisms slunk to slight submission and regret. The earth pony lowered her voice, preparing herself for the answer to a question she was terrified to ask. "Did you... Did you take her-"

"NO!" Soarin cried, his head swiveling around to see if anypony heard the all to close accusation. "Sweet Celestia, Anna, you really think I would do that to anypony? I'll admit I'm vengeful but... Luna have mercy."

A shot of relief hit her like adrenaline at the news and the mare felt her muscles relax. Her worst fears having been dismissed. "Then what did you do to make her cry like that?"

Soarin still wasn't in the mood to explain himself and said as such before pushing past her, salvaging his reputation and dignity as much as he could.

The two continued until they reached the motel room though were surprised when they saw a brown cloaked pony exiting. "Who are you and why were you in my room?" Soarin asked.

Sin looked to the flier and began to study him.







'So this is the pony she's getting all up in a tissy about?'

It would seem so.

'Kick his teeth in.'

I've got no evidence of aggression committed on his part, and violence here wouldn't help AJ at all. As far as I can prove, he's done nothing worth assault aside from toying with a mare's mind. And if that was worth committing violence over, than I might as well start a fight with every other stallion I see.

"Checking on an associate." Sin replied slowly. He walked past the flier, head looking forward, but his eyes glued to Soarin's own. His path was blocked by a light blue forleg. 

"And who are you?"

Carefully, the Federalist turned his head and looked the slightly taller pony in the eye. His intimidation factor was a difficult psychological art to master, a tool that every single mercenary in the Triple M. training camp was taught to both avoid violence and evoke complacency. Though, it held little effect on his current challenger.

"A friend of Applejack and Macintosh." He replied, "now if you will excuse me, I've got business to attend."

He pushed Soarin's leg gently aside and continued his departure. As important as all this was, he'd done all he could for the time being. Confronting Soarin now would be pointless without leverage. And even if he did decide to use enhanced interrogation, he was in no condition to take on the stallion one on one. 

And besides, he still had to find a job.







"Alright Spike, are you sure you've got everything you need? I don't know how long I'll be gone, Fluttershy was really upset about what happened, you know how she can be."

"I've told you already, Twilight, I'm fine." Spike replied with an all to pleased smile. It was nice to be cared about, but his mother's affections were a little too strong. Actually, they were too strong after the fourth pillow she put behind his head out of the six he laid upon. She was now in fanatical territory. "Now stop worrying about me, I'll be okay."

Eyes full of reservation and skepticism, the librarian eventually agreed and departed with words of promise to return as quickly as possible. Finally the drake was alone.

He loved her, he really did and it felt like things had finally changed for the better between them, but he hadn't gotten a moment's peace to himself since they'd gotten back. He needed some quiet silence that didn't feel awkward with the continual check up every fifteen minutes.

And just as he was beginning to relax for a nice nap, he heard the door to his room slowly creek open. "Twilight for the last time I-" He gasped. Twilight wasn't the one standing in the door frame, but it was someone he had a recognition of.

"Good afternoon." Said the black coated griffon in a flat voice. Unsure of what to do, and very uncomfortable with his lack of self help, the drake eyed the intruder warily.

"You. You were the griff from the trial. The one who brought the diamond dogs." 

"Indeed. You may call me Conno." Conno replied, asking if he may enter. Spike gave a sarcastic laugh and motioned that he couldn't stop him.

Conno entered the room and slowly walked to the Spike's bed, inquiring how the dragon was feeling. Spike quirked a brow, but decided to answer, the griffon had helped him before, so there was no reason to think his intentions malevolent. 

"Good to hear." Conno replied, it wasn't something Spike could put his finger on, but something about the griff felt familiar. Like his presence just made everything heavier for some reason.

"Though I'm not just here to check on your well being. I've come to collect payment for our services in your trial." Conno reached into his jacket and produced a rolled up piece of parchment. Unraveling it, he proceeded to read allowed the contents, an agreement that bound Spike to a favor owed to Triple M. 

Spike didn't know much about the corporation, aside from what Sin had told him, which was nothing good. This guy had bad news written all over him and an agreement to something as ambiguous as a "favor" didn't bode well. Though, pride and honor conflicted with his pragmatism. He owed this guy, and by extension Triple M, his life. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't brought those dogs along?

"Wait a second. I know you brought the other dogs to testify in my defense, but what got me free was that letter from the Diamond Dog Empire demanding it."

A small smile crept onto Conno's beak, making the griffon look even more intimidating. "Yea, that was our doing as well."

Spike's eyes narrowed, "why?" It wasn't that he wasn't grateful, but that seemed like a lot of trouble to go through. What was so special about him that they were willing to cut what had  to be an expensive deal for his freedom? It was a question on his mind ever since he grew coherent enough to think properly.

"That, I'm afraid I don't know and is of no concern to me." Conno replied. "My employer gives me orders, I follow them. He pays me money, I do as he asks." He emphasized by placing the contract on the bed, apologizing for the urgency, but the agreement needed to be signed. 

Thinking it over in his head, Spike weighed the pros and cons of the situation. Something in his gut told him that he didn't want to be apart of this, that making the agreement was a bad idea, but his sense of obligation stood in direct conflict. He owed this pony and his employer his life, whoever that was.

Nodding and asking for his quill, the purple drake raised muscle damaged arm and wrote what he could of his signature. 

Satisfied at his work being done, Conno smiled and gave a firm nod. "We'll be in touch."
> Reflections of Anarchy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Reflections and Anarchy





The sun was begining to set over the Apple Orchard as Mac threw the rejuvinizer he was supposed to gently place and mesh around the tree roots of his crop. Wiping away a bit of sweet, the stallion stomped and grind the compound, effectively cutting its effects in half from both inefficient usage and damage.

He couldn't get his sister out of his mind. He hoped some time working the fields and working out his stress would bring calmness and clarity to his mind, but it seemed only to irritate him farther. Applebloom had come out to check on him repeatedly, offering water and lunch, but he refused with a ferocity that he was ashamed to display. The shame only adding to his already foul mood.

He tried desperately to fill his mind with other things. Things that once made him happy and smile, but each thought brought with it the mistakes he'd made in his life. Annabelle and the things he'd said to her, Spike and the lack of authority he provided, His parents and their deaths, Apples and his day long mistreatment of them. No matter his happy thought, there was something attatched that made him want to kick himself in the balls.

'Mistakes happen, you can't hold yourself to such a high standard.'

That didn't matter, mistakes were made. Mistakes were failures on his part, that's exactly what they were. Failure, failure to acknowledge the best course of action, failure to account for variables within his control, failure to protect the one's he love, failure to-

'ENOUGH! Enough of this self pity party already.'

Pity? PITY! Mac didn't feel "pity" for himself. He was far to angry to feel such an emotion. He was livid with himself and any sorry feelings weren't a factor.

As he felt his body start to tremble again, Mac grew a strong desire to buck something, anything. Anything to make the feelings that had been plaguing him go away. He eyed the tree he'd just applied rejuvinizer to and his anger amplified ten fold. He gave the tree the identiy of all of his problem, Soarin, Granny, hopelessness, failure and regret. Everything he hated, everything that scared him, everything emotion he wanted gone.

He quickly pivoted on his front hooves and slammed his back legs into the trunk of the tree, resulting on a very satisfying release and snap that echoed throughout the orchard. Though, his satisfaction was short lived and he bucked the tree again, and again and again. Grunting in irritation as every buck became less and less fulfilling than the last.

He gave one last buck and heard a unique snap and the tell tale signs of cracking and creaking that always accompanied breaking wood. He closed his eyes as the cracking and popping grew in intensity and finally came to climax as a loud thud echoed from behind, finalizing the destruction he'd committed with a deafening silence.

His mind blank, the stallion flinched from the noiseless finality, he slowly turned to look at the fallen tree and quickly wished he hadn't.

The stump and root were slightly disturbed, but well intact to the ground. The top part of the tree, on the other hand, lay ravaged on the ground utterly useless, hanging on by a few slivers. All of this complimented by the intensity of the red tint that the dusk offered, making the scene look more disturbing than it really was.

What made him wish he hadn't looked was the fact every last bit of stress he'd rid himself of with the act returned ten fold. He'd just ruined a tree, destroyed a crop that he needed in order to keep himself and his family fed. More destruction.

Finally, releasing himself from all rationality, the stallion screamed. A yell of anger and frustration, a cry of desperation, hopelessness and pain that would infect any listeners with both fear and heartbreak.

In his desperation, he leapt forth onto the fallen tree and unleashed a ravenous assault, fully convinced that if he just destroyed it, if he just mashed it into nothing but wood chips and splinters, all of his pain would go away.

He kicked, he bucked, he stomped the poor flora. Stamping, slamming and grunting all the while, sparing no strength he had in himself. Nothing else mattered, not the brusing on his legs, not the splinters in his hooves, not needed oxygen in his lungs that just couldn't get seem to fill to need. All that mattered was destroying the object of his hatreds.

Slowly, he felt his energy deplete as the pain in his body finally pushed past the adrenaline to tell Mac about the damage he'd done. Tears had pushed themselves out of his eyes at some point in his tirade, he didn't know when though. But as his movements slowed, his crying fell from being out of rage and pain to tears of emptiness and sorrow.

He was empty now, no more anger or hatred, but the pain and hopelessness were still present and more profound. 

Mac struggled to stay upright, but knew that soon he'd be on the ground, bawling like a baby. Maybe that's what he needed? To simply let it all out. Lose control and have himself a cry.

"Big Mac?"

Pressing his lips and readying himself, Mac slowly turned to find Applebloom standing a few feet away and immediately turned away from her. She didn't need to see him like this.

"Mac, what happened? What's goin' on?" She asked, her voice dripping with worry.

"The tree, it was-"

"Ah'm not talkin' 'bout the tree! Ah'm talkin' 'bout you!" She yelled. She ran up in front of him and gasped. "Oh mah gosh, brother. Look at yer legs and hooves!"

He obeyed and found that the signals of pain his brain was receiving really didn't do justice to the damage. Splinters stuck out of his hooves and legs, small trickles of blood running freely to the ground almost completely coating the black part of his hoof.

Applebloom looked up at him with wide eyes, confusion and a desire to understand within. "Why'd you do this tah yer'self?"

Mac was silent for a moment, wishing his sister hadn't been here and didn't have to see what he'd done, but he also didn't want to hurt her more by pushing her away. He did it because he was angry, angry about so many things that the filly both could and could not understand. He left out the part when AJ was besides herself silly drunk, but did include her and granny in the list.

"AJ and Granny made you do this?" Bloom asked, taking a step back.

Flinching at the message received, Mac tried to correct her. "No, it wasn't granny n' Applejack. Ah did it because Ah was angry, they didn't make me do it though, Ah did it cause Ah wanted to."

Suddenly, he felt a light pull on his foreleg and found his sister latched to him. "Please don't." She sniffled. "Please stahp. Ah don't wanna see you hurt yourself like this."

Mac parted his lips and sucked in a bit of air. It felt good to be loved and have somepony care for your well being. He gently pulled the filly into a hug, whispering words of comfort to her.

But he knew they would only be so true. Spike's hell was over at the trial, but his hell was only just beginning.






Sin entered the Library, leaving the darkened streets behind for the well lit open area of the bookstore turned home. Twilight looked up from the book she was reading smiled.

"Welcome back, any luck finding a job?"

He didn't have the appropriate documentation in order to get a legal job, but where there were white markets, there was always black markets.

It was hard dealing with ponies in such a casual town. He wasn't used to others being so friendly for so long without the snark and sarcasm. Genuine ponies smiled and greeted him as he walked thought town, it was weird and he didn't know how to respond save his faux politeness, which understandably put anyone he spoke to on edge.

It would take time to acclimate to such an environment, if he could do so at all. Still though, he managed to find some work at lesser pay under the table in helping some rather shadowy pegasi transport cargo from a flower store to the outskirts of Ponyville. He had no idea what it was he was hauling, but he also didn't concern himself with it. With his lack of citizenship, he'd take what work he could get, even if he found the work beneath him.

Twilight eyed him with a knowing smile for a moment. "Really? Because guess what arrived while you were gone?" She pulled out a card and booklet. "Your passport and a visa. Since you didn't have these, and a regulation identification card, I'm curious as to how you found a job."

... Motherfucker.

"Legal markets aren't the only work in town, Ms. Sparkle." He shrugged, knowing that he'd most likely get some flack for the answer. And boy did he.

He also got flack for disregarding orders of rest from his handler and the physician. He was supposed to take a week off to rest and recover, but he'd be damned before he'd accept any more charity. He was sick enough of how much he'd been given already.

Again he shrugged off the mare's scolding and reached into his saddlebag to produce three bits onto the table. "Pay for rent." He declared, one of the better things about the black market was that it usually paid daily.

Twilight's irritation quickly turned to shock and she pushed the bits back to him. Thanking him for the offer, but he'd need all the money he could get. Sin had thought about that, the more bits he accumulated, the quicker he'd be able to buy his own place, but he wasn't about to live like a parasite.

"I'm not a free loader." He pressed, pushing the bits back to her. The librarian scowled in irritation, pushing them right back.

"Nonsense, you're a guest here."

"Yes, I'm a guest in a Library, a government building paid for by tax payers." He pushed them back, matching her scowl. "And I have no interest in living off the public's dime without contributing something in return."

The debate between the two continued, each finding their own reasonings for why the money should be kept or paid. Finally Sin agreed to keep the money, Twilight looked as if she was about to start blowing steam out of her ears and his interests dictated that he'd be better served to appease her.

"Thank you." She declared triumphantly, but Sin wouldn't be bested so easily. He'd just save the bits and leave them for her when he left.

"How's Spike doing?" He asked, changing the topic.

"Spike's been okay, he's been eating and drinking and says he's not in as much pain anymore. So, he's doing better I think."

Sin nodded and went upstairs, yelling a reply when Twilight yelled that dinner was ready for him. He pushed the door to Spike's room open and found the drake humming to himself as he read a book. "Sup?" 

"Not much, just wanted to talk to you about something." The Federalist replied, taking a seat.







Spike pressed his lips as the stallion began asking him the same questions he'd been asking himself. Spike gave the same answers.

"I have no idea why they did it, honestly. I mean, I've never even seen them outside of the Golvec incident." He watched as Sin pondered the information. It was always hard to tell if the stallion was thinking or spacing out.

"And you're absolutely sure you've had no other interactions with them outside of that? You've never signed a contract with them or anything?"

Spike had signed a contract with them, but that was after the matter, so him saying no wasn't technically lying. Still, he wanted to ask Sin about what the Triple M. might have in store for him. But that would require telling the stallion that he did sign a contract with them, and with all the stuff going on, he just wasn't in the mood to deal with all the lecturing that entailed.

Besides, he re-read over the secondary copy of the contract he was bound to, it was just one favor. He didn't sell his soul to them or anything. 

Spike, having enough of the subject, changed it to how Sin's first day as a Ponyville resident had been. Where once he was the prey of interrogation, he was now the predator, a much more comfortable position.

Sin, apparently, was working in the transportation industry and helped move freight, and just like with Twilight, was called into account about his legality. 

"White markets aren't the only markets, you know that." Spike chuckled to himself, he did. While black markets had a bad rep to them, it was actually anything that the government wasn't involved in was considered a "black market". Drugs and prostitution were considered for sure, but larger wagon sales, untaxed or unregulated food sales, and the like were also considered "black" due to their lack of legitimacy in complacency in law and government involvement. A lesson he learned in passing Trottingham back when the three of them were helping a trio of minotaur unload a wagon full of illegal construction equipment.

Thank Celestia Sin had seen the guards mobilizing, still it wasn't what one would call "steady" or "safe" work, considering the government was always on the look out for such things. But hey, nopony was getting hurt by it.

"What were you and Twi arguing about? I could hear you from all the way up here."

"I tried to give her money for rent, but she was adamant about not accepting it."

Spike laughed, not surprised. It was good to see his friend and mom somewhat getting along, though. "I'm actually kinda surprised you can stand in the same room with her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're an Anarchist, right? You don't believe in government at all. She's the student of the highest authority in the land, seems to me like you'd be natural enemies."

He smirked as Sin nodded in concession. He didn't know why, but the irony of the whole friendship just struck him as funny. Same with his friendship with Uppity, honestly.

"True, and while I do find it ironic, I also acknowledge where she's coming from. I've got no reason to fight her or lecture her on the fundamentals of taxation being theft. Twilight's smart, I'm pretty sure she already knows that." He smirked. "Besides, the crown isn't all that intrusive, taxes here are quite low and well, honestly, It's probably a more functional and compassionate society for it."

"Oh?"

Sin nodded, he knew what he was about to say went against everything he believed in, but Anarchy was a very volatile and dangerous society. It didn't matter if the society was based in Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, or Mutualism. Yea, there wasn't a government around to give the monopoly of violence to, but there was also no authority to hold the masses in check. No higher power to stem the tides of fear and uncertainty.

His main philosophy against the state stemmed from the idea that no pony was fit to rule over another pony through force of violence. Both were equal in that regard, and as such, neither was fit to govern the other.

But Celestia was a different story. She wasn't merely another pony, she was an alicorn with thousands of years of wisdom and experience behind her. That made her a bit more fit than others, in his honest and pragmatic opinion. 

Fact of the matter was that, a healthy and functional Anarchist society of all types required a polite and compassionate population, a group of individuals who were willing to fight and suffer to keep their way of life. Though, with the fear and instability of it, something all sentient life dramatically tried to avoid, it would only be a matter of time until too much of the populace abandon statelessness and sought shelter and security in a higher power.

It is what had happened to his homeland after the first Running of the Centaur, and history had a terrible habit of repeating itself.

Though, unlike his country, Equestria's political class didn't thrive off of fear and instability. They didn't push for laws that tried to place the ponies into sucking the government teat. 

So in all reality, Equestria was as close to Utopia as the world would most likely ever come. The fact it was a primarily Capitalist nation did bring a fond smile to Sin's face, though.

It was an interesting idea. Spike hadn't really gone too far into Sin's beliefs before, but the more he thought about it, the more he began to respect his friend's logic.

Fear and instability had always been what he thought when the word Anarchy came up, and it was addressed quite well in this instance.

"Governments are never the problem." Sin sighed, shaking his head. "I've been demonized for saying so in the Liberty Synidcate, but I stand by that to this day. The chain of obedience, the ponies who obey the commands, the ponies who say "I'm just following orders" against others who aren't hurting anyone, they are the problem. Governments are just a reflection of what the population is willing to put up with. Much like how Markets are simply the reflection of the will of the populace."

That last bit was lost on the drake, but before he could question him farther, Sin bid him good night and walked out of the room.

Responsibility of the ponies for themselves, some might call that victim blaming, but when it came down to it, who was responsible for the individuals freedoms if the government ever became tyrannical? Who'd protect the rights of others if not the government who's sworn to protect them?

   
> Lance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Lance




A week had passed since Sin's ordered stay in Ponyville, and though it caused no small amount of lecturing from Twilight, he found a new way to earn money every day that he was stuck in the town.

His little partnership with the Pegasi didn't last long. The day after he'd helped them, he noticed a few suspicious ponies eyeing the pair and their freight. Eyes that were devoid of emotion and looked on with a blankness and emptiness that rivaled his own.

Royal Guards.

He knew a bust when he saw one and tried to warn the mares about the possibility of them being watched. They dismissed his claims as paranoia and asked him if he was willing to help them again. Though he declined, good thing too as the two were later seen arrested and taken to jail.

Sin had a bit of compulsion to fall back into his ways of freeing those he believe wrongly imprisoned, but he was trapped in Ponyville now. If he did help them escape, it wouldn't be long until word reached Twilight, Uppity and eventually Celestia. In terms of interest, his peace of mind superseded their freedom.

Besides, he warned them, not his fault they were too stupid to heed his words.

He did find work in the legal market at a saw mill, but that may have been short lived.

His current job was... complicated to determine





It all started he was walking through Ponyville on his lunch break. Nice spring day, sun was shining and he ate one of his favorite foods in the world. Potatoes.

His interest was caught by the town's Mayor Mare, (He still couldn't believe someone named their child that) she was in a confrontation with a group of burocrats about the budget outside the Town Hall. Apparently she walked out to get away from them, but they persisted, demanding raises in their pay for the long hours of paper work they were forced to indulge.

She tried reasoning with them, claiming that the majority of the paper work was a direct result of their growing regulations.

That's when Sin decided to listen a bit closer to the conversation, growing regulations were almost never good. And as he listened, he felt a growing swish of anger and confusion. The entire ordeal, the angry bickering and harassment was all over regulations of tulip sales on Tuesdays.

No shit, there were regulations about a flower being sold on a certain day of the week... He knew Ponyville didn't have many problems, but seriously? Was there really nothing better to do?

The meeting had concluded with the three mares demanding a higher pay rate or they'd quit their jobs and leave the mayor to run Ponyville by herself.

Once departed, Sin approached the downtrodden mare and greeted her with a sympathetic smile. One week had worked wonders on his social skills, he still wasn't the greatest conversationalist, but he'd improved enough to not put everyone he met on edge.

The brown and grey earth pony returned the introduction with a sad smile, mentioning how she remembered him from the first time they'd met.

The two chatted for a bit, the topic starting on the rudeness of her subordinates to inquiring about the reason for their disrespect and threats. Sin was both genuinely curious to see the budget and regulations, as well as the pay those three were getting for the work they did.

"I used to be a Senator back in my country, so I know a thing or two about-"

"You were a politician? Well why didn't you say so? Please come with me." She declared giddily, grabbing him by the foreleg and dragging him along. Within seconds, Sin found himself sitting in front of the desk of one of the strongest mares he'd ever met. Another second passed and he was offered a nicely sized manila booklet titled "Ponyville Budget & Regulations of 1233."

"I've been getting so many complaints from ponies about what those three are doing to the system. Especially Colgate and her attempts to make candy buying age restricted. I've tried to go through this a hundred times, but I can't make heads or tails of it all."

Sin eyed the mayor for a moment than turned his attention to the booklet. He carefully opened it and found the tired legal jargin he expected. It wasn't that the the elder mare was stupid, this kind of legalese was practically a second language to anyone who wasn't well versed in it. Especially the bits that set the reader into a loop of reading specific subsections on other pages only to be directed to even more subsections on matters completely unrelated to the topic.

Luckily for her, he was trained in such an art and slowly began the rusty practice of what he called "tracking translations". For the next few hours, he read through the book and  wrote down what best he could in laypony terms what the laws were, though some words just couldn't be dumbed down. As he got back into the swing of it, he figured out what was being said without having to go through every provision and subsection. He'd figured out the trend and was beside himself at inefficiency of it all.

He'd spelled out twenty budget synopsis clauses and began reading them allowed. Though, with his old habit of reading law kicking back into effect, so too did his old habit of criticizing it and crossing off provisions he deemed unnecessary.

"The grass of The Ponyville Town Park will be trimmed three times a week? Yea, no. Drop that down to one, no reason to trim the grass three times a freaking week." He mumbled, crossing it off and wrote in his preference. "Double and a half pay for all imperial workers with over 30 hours of weekly service. Okay, who's stupid idea was that? That's gone." Another cross. 

He sighed, daring to look at the next of his entries. "All bushels that lay within Proudhon street shall be trimmed- are you freaking kidding me?" He barked. "What is so special about Proudhon Street?"

The mayor grabbed at her collar and smiled nervously. "Umm, the street where the more well off ponies live?"

Sin glared at Mayor Mare, there was stupid, and there there was special, and boy was he having a hell of a time not saying it to her face. "Oh hell the fuck no." He crossed it off, his quill stroke much more brutal than the ones before. He didn't like when the rich tried to use public funds for their own benefit. Matter of fact, some would call it his greatest pet peeve. "They can pay for that shit out of their own pockets."

As he continued to read through the budget and regulations, Sin's quill moved with a growing ferocity. A few of his strokes cutting through the paper, though one of those was intentional, and one causing him to break the quill and be in need of a second. Spending 600 bits yearly to pay an inspector to ensure flower shops weren't selling tulips on Tuesdays, was that a joke or was the author just trying to piss him off?

Finally, he'd finished his last slash through the paper, double checked the numbers from the book and calculated what he'd deducted from the budget, totaling over seven thousand bits. 

Sin slowly closed the book and handed his mangled parchment to her for inspection before leaning against the foreleg rest of the chair and placing his head into his hooves. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever read or criticized. These a-holes were literally just looking for something to spend money on.

Steadying himself, the Federalist pony removed his goggles and looked directly into the mayor's eyes. "Madam, I'm going to be frank with you. This is the biggest joke of a budget I have ever seen in my life." He picked up the booklet and threw it into the trash, much  to the politician's chagrin. "I don't know how you managed to let these things slide under your watch, but it's no wonder why you get so many complaints. You're allowance of such inefficient and ridiculous usage of public funds is utterly appalling and I'm surprised nobody's come into beat the crap out of you for it."

Mayor Mare didn't take kindly to his words. "How dare you?" She cried in indignation, retrieving the book and replacing it on the desk.

"How dare I? Have you seen this excuse of an economic train wreck?" He pushed open the book again and read the finalization index aloud in a voice that commanded attention and respect. "Three thousand bits for a weekly polish of the Canterlot memorial statue. Twelve thousand bits for annual maternity leave, ten thousand bits for City Hall maintenance. What does this place need ten thousand bits of yearly maintenance for?  And to top it all off," he slammed his hoof onto the the very end of the book, a larger printed number who's very existence sent the stallion seething, "you're in debt!"

And that was what landed him in his current predicimate. Mayor Mare didn't take too kindly to his attitude and anger over the use of the taxes. Stating she'd made it clear that she wasn't the one who'd created the laws, but Sin knew that the laws required her executive affirmation in order to pass.

That lead to a shouting match between the two and then there were guards, restraining orders threatened, requests to end resistance, and finally the stallion was now in the Golden Oaks Library, waiting for Uppity to come and "council" him on what the mayor called his "anger issues."

It was a pretty good day, all things considered.

He didn't have anger issues, anger issues implied that one became enraged or overreacted to trivial matters that didn't warrant it. And with that obscene waste of money that the mare called a budget that had the displeasure of tainting his mind, how anyone could call his response an "overreaction" was beyond him.

After a few hours of silent waiting, Uppity finally made it to the library. She was greeted by Twilight and offered a cup tea, which the eccentric mare gratefully accepted.

"Thank you, the train ride out her is always hard on my neck." She commented before looking to find her charge sitting on the couch. "You couldn't make it a week, could you?"

"Hey, you weren't there. You didn't see the abomination that I did." Sin said defensively, still worked up over the numbers more so than the shouting match.

Twilight and Uppity slowly made their way to the coffee table, offering Sin his own cup which he refused with a grunt. Once settled in and all pleasantries out of the way, Uppity spoke. "Sin, it doesn't matter how bad the budget was, you're not supposed to yell at ponies."

'FUCK YOU! What the fuck do you know? Huh? Did you see it? Do you have any idea the waste? The stupidity? The idiocy? If you saw it, you'd be right there with us you bitch!'

Calmly, the stallion argued his case, stating that the mayor couldn't even understand the legislation that she was signing into law. Such gross negligence and political irresponsibility deserved far more than the tongue lashing he'd given her.

"Be that as it may." She lifted her hooves in an attempt to calm him, apparently he wasn't speaking as calmly as he intended. "It's not an excuse to start shouting matches and make threats."

"Threats?" He asked sarcastically. "What? About the ponies coming in and beating the crap out of her? That wasn't a threat, that was me being legitimately amazed that she was able to survive without a feeding tube jammed down her throat."

Uppity pressed her lips and placed her hooves together in front of her muzzle in contemplation. Sin knew what she wanted to hear and that was that what he did was unacceptable. He finally started to calm himself down, finding it in his better interests to just say what DA wanted to hear and move on with his life.

"Alright, fine. I was in the wrong for yelling at her, and it wont happen again." He deadpanned, hoping that would appease her.

"I think you're just saying that because it's what I want to hear." She chirped before closing her eyes in thought.

"Yep." 

"Hmmm Twilight? Could you give us some privacy for a moment, please?" The unicorn nodded and wondered upstairs to check on Spike. "Sin, I've never seen you this animated before. Typically you're set at a low simmer of anger, but now, it's like someone turned the heat on the stove up to ten. Why is that?"

"Why? Because I despise wasteful spending on the tax payer's dime. That's why." The orange mare pressed her lips, silently thankful that he hadn't seen the national budget. "Six-hundred bits, Uppity. Six hundred bits a year to make sure certain flowers weren't being sold on Tuesdays! Six-hundred bits! Have you ever heard of anything so reduculous!?"

To that the mare tilted her head, she wasn't sure what to make of the claim but did comment on how silly the idea sounded. Still though, it wasn't really her place to say anything one way or the other.

"Figures you'd say that." The oaken stallion moaned, rubbing a hoof into his head.

"You really care about that, don't you?" 

"Well, yea. When I was in the Senate, I was the reason we almost did away with the country's deficit spending. The tax payer doesn't have a say on if they do or don't want to pay the money, it's all up to the politicians and the force that obeys them and enforces their rule. The least that we can do is use the money efficiently."

"We?"

Tensing at the word, the stallion retraced his previous comment. He just counted himself as part of a government. Well, he was part of it a while ago, and with everything he was doing, it should be no surprise he'd get back into the mindset.

Uppity on the otherhand was silently cheering inside. She knew the stallion had potential but never quite knew how to channel it in a positive way. Now the answer was dropped into her lap, wrapped up like a present. "Since you seem so adamant about this matter, I'll investigate it for myself. Under one condition, you must promise that you will never yell at anypony ever again over questionable uses of tax payer bits. I want your word on that."

"You have my word that I will... try." He paused thinking of what else to say. No, no that was about as good as he could put it.

Sighing and figuring that was the best she'd get, the orange mare decided a change of subject was in order and inquired about his acclimation to Ponyville society, since her order of bed rest was obviously ignored.

"Yea, it's been fine I suppose."

"Make any friends, yet? Twilight's sent some reports that you've had a hard time finding a job."

That wasn't true, he didn't have a hard time finding a job, just the first two days was all. His employment as a mill worker showed promise, it was where all the introverts went to work. Well, it would have showed promise, but not returning from a lunch break might have just destroyed that opportunity.

He also denied any acquisition of friends. Uppity didn't need to read Twilight's daily reports to figure that out. According to her reports, all he did was work, come back to the library, eat, read and sleep. Never starting a conversation unless there was a question to be asked, and typically spent his off time in the back of the library, leaving if one of her friends came over for a visit.

"You need to go out and do something fun." She stated encouragingly. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull colt."

Though Sin's definition of "fun" probably didn't line up with hers. Ripping up the budget? That was the most fun he had in months, even if it was a headache. Finding fault with the government of any kind was about as fun as he got, and he was proud of that.

"I'm talking about hanging out with friends and doing stuff together." Oh, right then. "Have you talked to Big Mac lately? Or your friend Shade?"

No, no he hadn't, maybe he should pay Mac a visit. One week was more than enough time to cool down, and he wanted to see how Applejack was doing. Shade on the other hand, he wanted no part of. The stallion had become a dirty hippy, and he hated dirty hippies.

"I have a suggestion, how about you and I go get some coffee?" Uppity asked, fidgeting with her hooves.

Well that came right out of no where, but he agreed. Sin was getting pretty tired of staying in the Library so long and could use some time away from his thoughts. 

   
> Disengaged
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Disengaged





Macintosh laid down one last bag of fertilizer and looked back to find Applejack doing the same. The last bag before lunch time.

"Whoo wee! Ah think it's 'bout time to call it fer lunchen, brother." AJ declared cheerfully. 

"Eyup." Agreed the stallion, joining his sister in a walk back to the farmhouse for some well earned sunflower sandwiches. He didn't know exactly what happened between her and Soarin a week ago, but AJ slowly began to return to her old self. The day he'd slapped her was the night she returned. She didn't speak to anypony in the house save offering an apology for her disappearance. 

The next day, she didn't come out of her room and both Mac and Applebloom had brought her her meals. She didn't eat breakfast, but she did eat lunch and supper. Much to the Apple families delight.

The third day she left her room and wondered around a bit, even helping Applebloom with her chores. Things only got better from there until finally she was back to her old self. Each day bringing the Applejack they all knew and loved back just a little bit more from her depression.

Though, what the rest of the family didn't know was a small secret that the two siblings shared between each other at the end of the second day. Something that Mac still couldn't understand what had happened and arguably terrified him as much as his sister's behavior the day their altercation took place.






Mac sat in his room, reading over some numbers that granny had been having trouble with. It was amazing they held the farm aloft without his, as his sister put it, "Fancy mathematics", to create a workable and efficient budget.

Things must have been bad with how close to the red the farm had become, maybe he should have recommended someone help them out with the finances when he left. He did take off when applebucking season was in full swing, after all.

That's when he heard a small knock from his bedroom door. It couldn't have been Annabell, she was spending the night with her dad and brother. He opened it up to find Applejack, her gaze switching between looking guilty and reserved to inquisitive shame.

"Big Mac? C- Can Ah talk to ya fer a spell?"

Mac nodded, hoping his sister was finally going to give him an explanation. As she walked in, Mac caught the scent of something... something profound and oddly familiar. His pupils constricted upon realizing what the scent was but he tried his best to ignore it. Pheromones weren't something ponies had control over, after all. Once comfortably situated in his bed, she spoke.

"Ah, umm, Ah wanted to tell ya that... oh shoot, why am Ah makin' such a big deal outta this? Ah'm sorry." The mare finally forced out wit ha sigh. "Ah'm sorry Ah hit ya n' said what Ah said. 'tweren't right of me n' Ah am ashamed of it."

Mac waited, maintaining his stoicism. That's not what he was expecting, nor was it really what he wanted. He wanted an explanation on why she'd referred to herself as some kind of object to be owned? Why she believed she loved him so quickly? These two issues were of far more concern to the stallion than their slapping match.

Happy as she was at his love for her, she couldn't explain why she'd said what she did, or worse why she meant it, causing no small ammount of irritation. But Mac knew that being aggressive and demanding wasn't going to help her or himself.

"Ah wish Ah knew, Mac. Ah wish Ah knew why Ah felt that way about Soarin." She declared dejected. "He told me he did somethin', somethin' bad that deceived me 'fore he left. He didn't say what it was, bu' Ah didn't care, Ah jes'  Ah jes' didn' want him to leave me. That's all Ah cared about." 

He did something bad? What did he do?

'Looks like you were right, she wasn't in her right mind.'

His sister began to cry and he sat down beside her, placing a foreleg around her in comfort. Applejack excepted the invitation and cried into her brother's shoulder. "It hurt, Macintosh. He left and Ah wanted to die. He jes' kept sayin' tha he didn't deserve me, that he'd messed up and was a terrible pony..."

Mac strengthened his embrace, believing that the tighter he held her, the more comfort he offered. He'd long since given up trying to figure out the specifics of what had happened, there was no way to figure it out for sure. All he cared about was that his sister was home and safe now. He told her as much.

He felt AJ press a gentle kiss into his shoulder and tensed for a moment. She was just being affectionate, nothing wrong with that. Though, a second kiss caused him to tense again, then a third.

Eyes widening with concern as he felt his sister's lips trace up his neck, and her hoof slowly traveling from his barrel down to his stomach. Mac quickly broke the embrace and eyed his now shame ridden sister before gently saying: "Applejack, what were you doin'?"

He felt her tremble in his hooves. "Ah, ah don't know." She replied looking just as flabbergasted as he did. He felt her begin to pull away but kept his hold. "Mac, let me go, please."

The stallion shook his head, demanding to know what was going through her head. Again she replied that she didn't know, though this time he found a hint of insincerity in her eyes. She knew, she was just too ashamed to admit it.

Continuing his questioning, Mac pressured and pried, this all ended tonight, he was sick and tired of asking questions and constantly receiving half answers or being given the run around. "Ah'm not mad at ya, Sis. But Ah have to know, why ya wanted to do that."

It took a few minutes of struggling, but AJ finally succumbed to days of emotional fatigue that had broken her stubborn will. "Ah... Ah jes, wanted to be near somepony is all." Be near? "Ah can't sleep alone, Mac. Jes thinkin' bout it makes me wanna cry. Ah've been tryin' so hard to keep mah... sexuality in check. But, since Soarin n' Ah met, it's like Ah can't control it at all."

Mac was going to kill him, there was no more room for debate, next he saw the wondebolt, he was getting a buck right to the face. 

"Ah don't understand, and Ah'm so scared right now. Ah just want it to go away." Again, he embraced her as she cried out of instinct. Though, there were no inappropriate means of affection this time. Just a broken mare unloading her emotions.

'Anything you wanna say to her?'

"Ah'm sorry too, Sis." He stated, hugging her just a bit tighter. "Hittin' you wasn't right, nor was me givin' up on ya like Ah did."

She stopped crying for a moment, her ears perking. Though the pause was short lived and she began bawling like a baby once again. She didn't blame him for giving up on her, she'd been trying to bed a stallion who'd seriously wrong him. It was a terrible thing to do to someone you loved, and the fact she couldn't explain why she did it was all the more infuriating. 

Add to that her previous advances, and you had a mare who could do nothing but cry and bawl... and a brother who desperatly wished she'd get better...





The two never spoke about it again, each wishing that they could forget. Though, it was when AJ made serious progress to getting better, of that Mac couldn't be more grateful.

The two entered the farmhouse and found a plateful of sandwiches waiting, along with two glasses of lemonade. "'Bout time ya got yer keisters in here." Granny declared. "Glad to have ya back, deary. Work's been really slow with y'all gone." She declared, giving Mac the stink eye.

As happy as he was about Applejack's recovery, there was still one more problem he was getting sick of, and as soon as today's work was done, he'd be settling it, once and for all.
> Debate Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Debate Date




Sin and Uppity made way through the afternoon rush of the town to find a place to have their coffee. Though, the two of them had vastly different frames of mind.

Sin, still fumming over his experiences over the last few hours, was contemplating how he was going to explain himself to his boss. He didn't like working for another pony, but it was what it was. The pay was good, and the labor didn't require much socializing. Oh it was back busting to be sure, which didn't help his condition, but it was probably the best job his personality type was suited for.

And he might have just gone and screwed it all up. The worst part was that he had no one to blame but himself. The mayor may have been an incompetent, but she didn't force him to stay past his allotted time. His anger over that fact was probably the worst of it all.

Uppity, on the other hand, was thinking a mile a minute. She was in desperate want of social interaction that didn't revolve around work, and she was finally given some time with what she considered her only friend. She wanted to make the best of her time, even if it would most likely be limited to an hour or two.

She was also figuring out if she wanted to talk to him about her growing feelings for him or not. He was one of the few who could stand her incessant rambling, so it made sense she was wanting more, but was it a good idea? Could it drive away the only friend she had? Were her feelings genuine or out of desperation? There were no shortage of suitors for her, being Celestia Personal attorney, her status and reputation was know all throughout Canterlot.

But when she spoke to the stallions and mares who offered themselves, that's all they knew about her. Her natural inclination to speaking gibberish had quickly become a defense mechanism in sorting out the genuinely interested and the shallow profiteers. It was always one of two types, ones who were either too far below her intellectual level to consider, or ponies who were on her level but only wanted her for her status.

Neither she wished association with, shallow though it may be. She and Sin had actually talked about her aversion to the simple minded when she confessed. Though, instead of calling her out on such a reluctance for friendship, he responded with complete understanding. She shouldn't be ashamed of not wanting to be friends with the less intellectually inclined of the world, it was a compatibility issue, no point trying to stick a round peg into a square hole.

But even that much wasn't entirely true, and she planned to explain herself for deceiving him. Quid Pro Quo, of course.

The two found a quiet little cafe and entered, seating themselves and looking over the short menu. Well, Uppity did, her companion just said the word "black".

The orders were filled in no time and left to themselves as they sat in silence of the cosy and aesthetic coffee shop. The unicorn mare chanced a glance around the establishment to see the place all but empty, save the barista in the back, who was busy doing something.  

"So... Um, how's life been? I haven't received any letters from you." 

Sin shrugged and took a sip of his beverage with a grimace, this coffee was far too rich for his liking. "Been busy working. Been a parasite a little too long."

Giving another sigh, Uppity started up the vicious cycle once more about how he wasn't a "parasite", thus leading to a good ten minutes of back and forth. She didn't know why she did it, there was no point in arguing with him. Sin may have been a pegasus, but he had the stubbornness of an earthpony, or ten.

"Well, aside from work, what else have you been up to?"

"Eating, Sleeping, Drinking, the usual." He smirked at his own smart ass comment. Though that was all he did, save today. Today was a very exciting day.

"Well, things have been rather hectic for me." Sin simply listened as she began her usual over explanation on every little thing that had happened in the past week. Irritating is it may be, he didn't mind the Unicorn's voice much anymore, matter of fact, he'd dare say he'd come to appriciate it. Well, he wouldn't say it out loud, but yea.

She was in the middle of a story about a new case that had opened. Apparently the guards have been hard at work trying to find out about a new terrorist who'd been plaguing the Canterlot streets. No violence, just leaving strange markings that nopony could make sense of. Besides that, she was stuck as a paralegal, going over files. What made the story worth anything of note was her interactions with the other attorneys. One of her co-workers, a gifted researcher, had made an observation Uppity didn't care for.

While the rest of the mares were quickly finding husbands or wives to start their lives with, she had not. Friends, colliegs, and acquaintances had been sent by her co-workers to try to set up Uppity with a hopeful special somepony, though none had succeeded.

Sin felt an odd feeling at the news. For some reason he felt resentful of her friends to push this on her, yet happy that she didn't accept any of the advances. 

'For some reason? You're really going to deny it in your own head?'

I've already spoken my piece on the matter with Cadence.

'Yea, and you know what? You're not a hobo living in the woods anymore, now are you?'

No, just a parasite living off of a tax payer funded library.

"I just wish they'd give me a break from it, you know? I realize I'm getting on in life, but that doesn't mean I should just go with the first stallion who throws themselves at me." She picked up her cup. "Besides, I've already met a pony I'm interested in." Sin quirked a brow, "trouble is that I'm not sure if he feels the same in return for me..."

Keeping himself neutral, Sin eyed the mare as she sipped her glass, stealing the quick glance at him every so often. 

"If you find it important, than I'm glad you've found someone to pursue." He took another sip of his own cup, a slight sense of apprehension in his stomach. He was really hoping both he and Cadence were reading too much into her behaviors, the Federalist never cared much for romance. And as easy as it was for him to dismiss the feelings of others, he knew that it would hard to dismiss Uppity's if she decided to reveal them.

"How about you? Find any mares you're interested in?" She inquired both teasingly and curiously. 

Sin sat in thought for a moment, pretending to give real consideration to the question. Fact of the matter was that he hadn't, relationships were an invitation to his personal space and time. He liked his alone and quiet time, and gaining a girlfriend was forfeiting both.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't found someone attractive, but I don't plan to pursue it." He replied carefully, attempting to maintain honesty. To his expectation, Uppity perked up and asked who. "Who she is doesn't matter, I don't plan to pursue her."

"Why not, though?"

Peace and quiet were two of Sin's favorite things in the world. He theorized that's what made Mac and him friends was their mutual appreciation for both. The stress he got from quiet was his own and he knew how to deal with it when the blessing became a burden. Mother nature was a bitch, but she was an honest bitch. He knew where he stood with her, and that she didn't care about him and if he lived or died.

Ponies, on the other hand, were a different beast. Unpredictable and attention seeking beasts of burden that he would just as soon do without. Relationships required his attention and effort, which detracted from his peace and quiet for the sake of maintaining those relationships. Spike and himself had butted heads on this issue many times, same with the drake and the larger stallion. He didn't want to call the dragon annoying, but to say he wasn't was a lie.

Fact of the matter was that, like Spike, most ponies didn't appreciated his desire for peace and quiet. Most liked to talk and socialize, finding fulfillment and connection there in. He did not. 

"Well, I can see where you're coming from, but you make it sound as if you prefer to be alone all the time."

"Mainly because I do." Sin nodded, Uppity frowned. "I like my space, and it would be sick to invite a relationship where my time is needed and not give it."

"Well that's because you're doing it wrong."

"Doing what wrong?"

Uppity chuckled. "Well life, of course. You're doing it wrong and I know why."

Sin smirked, oh this should be good. Though, his smirk quickly lost it's strength as the purple maned lawyer picked apart his internal reasonings. His life before was stuck around deceit and users, lobbyists and politicians. To be around liars, thieves, and manipulators for so long, it was only common sense to emotionally shut down and put on an auto-pilot of rejection.

Would it then, be prudent to suggest, that his rejection was out of the avoidance of the negative rather than general disinterest?

'Dude, you're fucked. She's got your number so hard right now.'

Sin shot back that his general disinterest was true in that he did find ponies within Equestria more genuinely friendly, yet still had no interest in association. Uppity quickly countered this by pointing out the fact he'd spent months with three Equestrians constantly, playing coy as to their names.

"That was different."

"Really? And why is that different?" She asked with a knowing smile.

Well, both Macintosh and Shade had earned his respect with their willingness to commit violence to maintain their freedom. Most ponies he tried to help would just as quickly submit to authority, but those two didn't. Spike took some getting used to, but the drake was smart, very smart and had interesting things to talk about when Sin was in the mood for it.

"I see. So you're willing to share your time with them, but not a mare?"

"No."

"That seems a little sexist."

"That would be because it is."

Uppity demanded the stallion elaborate and found said explanation cringe worthy. He declared mares for more clingy than stallion, more needy of attention and interaction, she called him out on generalizing but he replied that the generalization was true. Mares just wanna talk, talk, talk and it caused no end of grief for desires of peace and silence.

"You mean that you don't respect us." Uppity cut in icily. "You give your time to Mac and them because you respect them, you said as much."

Sin's smirk returned and he answered in the affirmative. It was true, he didn't go off doling out his respect like hot cakes at a bake sale. Such a thing had to be earned, and for mares who liked to talk alot, it was more difficult for them.

"Well, I suppose I should count myself luck to be in your presence at all then." She smirked taking a sip of coffee. "Mare hater."

Sin shook his head and chuckled. "It's not hate, just being honest about what annoys me and what my interests are."

The two sat silently for a few minutes, just drinking and enjoying the revelations. Things were going better than either had anticipated, and the two found converse in future plans. And by converse, Uppity spoke and Sin listened and asked questions.

A full hour passed, the coffee was drank, refilled and drank again. Chatter had jumped from plans to expectations, to political philosophies to  a debate of freedom vs equality. Sin arguing that freedom was more important in that it was based on an individual's "right" to voluntary association, a notion that Uppity loathed as "bigoted".

"No, no it doesn't work like that!" She declared passionately. "Ponies of the homosexual pursuasian would have been denied their equal right to a wedding cake should there not have been laws in place to allow them such a product."

"Aye, and what of the right of the cake maker? What you suggest is violence to force them to make a cake for an event they disagree with. Thus, eliminating their right to free association." Sin countered with equally as much passion.

"So? They shouldn't have such biggoted views anyways. Gay ponies are ponies too and should enjoy a wedding cake just like the rest of us."

"At the cost of committing threats of violence onto them should they not comply? One who denies the patronage of goods and services with no aggression or violence being committed? I can understand your disagreement with their position, but do you truly think that it's moral to use threats and coercion to make them conform?"

Uppity's eyes narrowed, she didn't like the way he was looking at the matter. "It's stupid to refuse service based on sexual orientation. We must encourage unity and progresses for the sake of tolerance and acceptance. what is your solution to the problem? Huh?"

"The free market, of course." Sin replied coolly. "Go to another baker and give your money and business to them." Uppity jokingly questioned if he hated gays. "Not at all, I'm indifferent to them, so long as they don't hurt others. Money is money to me, and gay money is just as good as straight money."

The mare gave him a sideways stare, pointedly asking if he didn't care about the struggle that the marginalized class had suffered before. Sin replied that he didn't much care about the morality of the subject, individual ponies had individual preferences and tastes that should be respected. If the ponies in question were attacked or what not, than yes he had an issue, but a denial of service wasn't the same as open violence.

She was too irritated to reply and the two sat in the silence of judgment. On thinking the other was a bigot and one thinking the other authoritarian. They both knew where the other was coming from, but both had their beliefs and would argue them to the death.

"Alright, so let's apply he same concept to unicorn supremacists." She smirked. "Are you saying that you'd be okay, being a business owner, selling your wears to them?"

Her smirk was met with Sin's own. "That'll depend, did they every commit acts of violence?" His opponent scowled. "If not, than I see no reason to not do business. Ponies are entitled to their opinion, are they not? I may not like it, but their personal beliefs aren't any reason for me not to take their money."

"And if they might use your product to hurt others?" She countered.

"The Might, maybe, possibly, arguments? Those argument could be applied to anyone who has a problem with another pony. I'm more of an innocent until proven guilty sort."

Quirking a brow, Uppity looked at him skeptically before carefully walking thought the entire thing with the "let me get this straight" starter. He would be okay doing business with ponies who thought that the other tribes were inferior? There by giving his support to the ponies. It was hard to fathom how careless he was about it, he claimed he didn't agree, but he'd still accept their patronage. Didn't he realize that he was supporting tribalism? It was a huge taboo in Equestrian society, yet it's like that fact didn't even bother him.

Before the heated discussion could be started anew, Sin's attention was drawn as three ponies he recognized entered the establishment. One blue and white maned unicorn mare who had an hourglass for a cutie mark, another unicorn mare with a curly red mane and green pelt, dressed much more respectfully and sophisticated than the other two, and an earth pony mare of prestige, younger, barely of age to work, let alone the age to be a government official.

The three took a seat and spoke in harsh whispers, keeping Sin's attention. "Those were the three the mayor was talking to." He pointed tactfully. 

He strained his ears to listen, they were talking about their irritation with the mayor and her sudden lack of compliance, the younger mare was suggesting getting her father involved, withdrawing his funding for her next election as punishment. Sin's muscles tensed, they were black mailing the mayor, were they? Well that explained a bit of it.

The red maned pony settled the younger's temper, decrying it as over exaggerated. The mayor was just upset that the budget was starting to inflate and the fact her government was in debt, what they would need to do soon was raise taxes if they wanted to maintain their comfort while easing her stress.

Sin gave a look to the DA who returned it in kind. It was funny in a way, they had no idea they were confessing their entire plan in front of Celesta's District Attorney. She was about to get up and expose them, but Sin halted her. "No, let them dig their hole. I don't have anything provable on them yet."

Uppity reluctantly agreed, but not without whispering how the law dictated her involvement to end corruption. Sin wasn't going to let them get away with it, but he saw far more lucrative possibilities in allowing: names and proof to be exposed first. He knew exposing corruption was a good objective, but removing corruption was a far more difficult one.




> Neo-Confrontation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 



Neo-Confrontations







Mac waited with the cart, having cast his final bag of fertilizer and waiting for his sister to pact down her own. The day had moved both too quickly and too slowly at the same time. He'd made a proise to himself about what would happen when they got back, and he intended to keep it, regardless of how terrifying the confrontation was to him now.

He knew that he was better off in the long run. He'd had enough of Granny's passive aggressive attitude, it was going to end tonight for better or for worse.

"Phew! That's the last of it." AJ exhaled, removing some sweat from her brow. "Ah'd call that a day brother. How's about we head back fer dinner?"

"Eyup." he replied absently as the two began walking returning to the barn. AJ questioned why he hadn't said much the rest of the day and found acceptance to his decision to confront their gandmother. The two had spoken about the issue before, but Macintosh wanted her to drop the issue without him having to make her, lunch showed that hope was useless.

"Alrigh' Ah understand, jes... be careful wit' her Mac. She took it real hard when ya left. Harder than both me n' Applebloom." And he felt bad about that, but it wasn't an excuse.

As the two approached through the dusky Twilight, AJ splintered off and went to the farm house while her brother dropped off the wagon. When he'd finally unloaded the last empty bag, he turned to find the matriarchy of his family glaring at him in the redden dusk of light that spilled threw the boards of the barn.

"Applejack said ya wanted ta talk." It suited Mac well enough, better out here than where his younger sisters would see.

"Yea, the way you've been treatin' me. It's done, right now." He stared blankly and with absolution.

Granny chuckled, softly at first but it soon grew to a cackle that filled and echoed off of the wooden walls of the structure. "Oh? Is tha' how y'all think this works? Ya think yer tellin' me what to do? Colt have Ah got news fer you..."

Mac pulled his lip back, exposing his right teeth. "Ah'm not going tah argue over this with you. Ya were upset that Ah lef' n' Ah am sorry fer that, but Ah'm not puttin up with this no more."

Grinny chuckled and began to circle him. "Oh how disappointed yer ma n' pa would be if they heard ya talkin' to yer elders that way." She chuckled, though in the blink of an eye he chuckle caught in her throat as she stood looking into the furious green eyes of her grandson.

"You will NEVAH talk 'bout mah n pa tah me like that or so help me Celestia Ah will-"

"You'll do wha'?" Granny snapped, pushing her forehead against Mac's in challenge, just begging him to make a move. "Ya gonna hurt n' ol' mare? Smack me 'roun like ya did yer sister?"

Mac stepped away, anger fading to shock. She told her about that?

"Oh yea, ya think ya can pull one over on Granny Smith?" She chuckled beginning her circling again. "Colts never change, even back in my day, stallions thought they could step to mares and fillies cause they were stronger. Hitten em, beatin' em, leavin' when they were done ruttin'. Makes me sick." She spat, a slight copper ping echoed through the building as she did. "Ah tried mah best to raise you n' yer father tah be better, teach y'all the importance of family and stickin' together."

"Suppose yer pa learned. He never abandoned Blossom fer nothin', he was a fine stallion, unlike his son and his father before him." 

The two stared eachother down, though Mac now had a bit of a clearer understanding of his grandmother. He'd never heard of her husband before, he had no memory of him neither. The family matriarch was always alone as far as he could recall, was it because her husband had left her? Was they why she was so hard on him? So he'd never become like that stallion?

"Y'all think yer in control, y'all want freedom to do as ya please. No consideration fer the mares you string along or impregnate." She spat again, her words tainted with disgust. Suddenly so many things made sense about her. It always made him mad how Applejack or Applebloom's punishments were far more lenient than his own, even for comparable offenses. While they had to scrub the floor or peel apple, he got the switch and hours of grueling work. 

He always thought it was her way of toughening him up to help his pa in the fields, to build up his strength and discipline. He can see now the real reason, his grandmother resented him. No, she didn't really resent him, but she was... cautious of him. Just because of his sex.

"Now it all makes sense." They both turned to find Sin leaning against the barn door. "I was wondering why you made fun of colt cuddles so much. Guess you see that as stallions abandoning mares too."

"Stay outta this, Sin!" Mac barked, his patience already wearing thin. "This is Apple business."

Sin pushed off and approached the mare. "I'm just here to say my own piece and I'll be gone. You're not the only one with a grudge here."

Granny smirked. "Come fer round two, have ya?"

Mac was both confused and morbidly curious. He didn't know about those two having any conflicts.

"No, that would just be proving your point, the way you've already proven mine." He smirked as she quirked a brow. "You blame me for Mac leaving, you've admitted to that much. Yet, you still raised him, didn't you? You were right, stallions do want freedom, but so do mares. To condemn only one sex is still sexism, but I think you know that already. You just don't care."

"Jes' say what yer gettin' at colt, Ah gotta grandson tah put the beat down on." Granny snapped impatiently.

"You thought you were raising Mac to be the kind of stallion his father was. Yet he left, and it hurt you. Didn't it? It hurt you just like when Mac's grandfather left you-"

Mac recoiled from the smack that sent his friend to the ground. He was left in awe as Granny huffed and shook in anger, readying herself for another blow.

"I'm surprised I hadn't figured it out sooner." The Federalist coughed, rolling to his hooves and taking a few steps back. "Mac had told me all kinds of stories, I always just assumed you were a strict grandmother, now I can see what you really are. A bitter old spinster." He ducked as granny threw out another leg, just missing his head by an inch.

"SHUT YER MOUTH!" She yelled.

Mac wanted to help, but the emotional reaction his grandmother was giving made it all to apparent what Sin was saying was true. She did hold him beneath her because he was a male.

"I'm actually quite surprised at you. As much as I dislike you, I still pegged you for an intelligent sort. Why did you get pregnant by a stallion who wouldn't stick around?"

Granny gritted her teeth and lunged at him. This time, Sin's injuries were far less limiting and he clearly had the advantage compared to their last encounter. He jumped away from her assault and stood, waiting for her to raise again. "That was a legitimate question." He growled. "Why did you allow yourself to get-"

"AH SAID SHUT UP!" She leapt at him again, her front hoof just missing him again as he jumped away. Mac had enough and jumped to restrain his grandmother, demanding that his associate leave. "How dare ya? Let me go! Ah'm gonna make ya sorry ya ever crossed me!"

"Sin, leave!" He declared with finality.

The oaken stallion complied, sparing one last look at the marshmellow green mare before trotting off to the exist of the farm. It was probably a mistake, but he hoped that with his little stunt, Granny would give him the full blame for what Mac had done, or at least most of it. He'd exposed some very deep problems she had, and hopefully Mac could use that to reach some kind of reconcile.

It took all of his strength to hold his grandmother down, her bunned mane had fallen loose, giving her entire appearance a wild and dangerous edge as her mane flailed about that unsettled him. That mixed in with her barking for release and screaming, he'd almost thought his granny was a crazy mare.

A few minutes passed and her struggles subsided to half harted pulls and pushes against him. Finally, she'd calmed to the point she was ready to talk. "Was he righ'? Was that why you left?" She croaked in exhaustion.

Mac closed his eyes and pressed his lips. "Yes, it was."

Her emotions returned, though anger had taken a back seat to sadness this time. She was trying not to cry, but he could hear it all over her voice. "S- so Ah pushed another stallion outta mah life."

Pangs of guilt struck throughout all of Mac's body. It wasn't just her, it was his sisters too, but the blame with why they treated him so badly was all on the pony beneath him. She was responsible, no matter how bad he felt for her.

"Ah- Ah'm sorry, Mac. Ah-" She breathed sharply. "Ah never wanted ya ta leave, Ah jes- Ah wanted us ta stay a family..." Unable to stand it anymore, he switched positions and picked the not so frail elder up into an embrace. "Yer... yer grandpa, he left me. Walked out as soon as I told him ah was pregnant."

Mac shushed her, knowing that her memory must have been painful to relive, but she persisted anyways. "No, Macintosh, ya deserve to know why Ah've been so hard on you and yer father. Yer friend was righ, Ah knew he was trouble, but ah was jes so infatuated with 'em. He was a strong sort, tall and muscly like yerself. But he was a drifter, told me he'd never stay in one place fer long."

She chuckle cried. "Ah thought Ah could change 'em. Ah thought Ah could show him the good life o' settlin' down and havin' children; make him abandon the drifter life. He was a gentle heart, but full of fear and reservations, both Ah wanted so bad to go away. Ah though... Ah thought if Ah had his foal, he'd feel bound ta stay." She went quiet for a moment, as if to reminisce about such a time. "But that isn't what happened. He left the next day without so much as a goodbye."

Cringing at the thought, Mac cursed his grandfather's name. How could he do that? Up and leave a mare pregnant? It was a disgusting thing to do. Though, his grandmother disagreed, much to his most unfathomable bewilderment. 

"He told me he didn't wanna stay, but Ah got pregnant in hopes o' tyin' him down." She shook her head. "I rutted him fer the sole sake of gettin pregnant, and as much fault as it was his, I was the one in the wrong fer tryin' tah manipulate him." She turned to face her grandson. "Jes like I was wrong fer tryin'a manipulate you."

"Ah, ah don't understand." Mac frowned.

Pushing herself gently from her kin, Granny stood upright and and stretched out her legs. "We mares know what happens durin' sex, we're not stupid. It's why we're so picky 'bout the stallions we rut. Sex leads to foals, don't ya know." She chuckled at her own joke. "Yer granpappy knew that too, and he told me he didn't want tah do it fer that reason. But Ah didn't care, Ah was irresponsible and instead of findin' a stallion who wanted foals with me, Ah took 'em fer myself anyways."

She shifted from light harted explanation to a more depressing one. "Guess Ah deserve what Ah got, in the end. But instead of just sufferin' mah self, ah brought yer pa down with me. It wadn't right o' me, n' Ah regretted it everyday." She took another breath before turning to face Macintosh. "Ah was never angry with you fer it, nor yer father. Ah was angry at myself fer the decision ah made that left ya'll wtihout a pa n' grandpappy. Ah was so hard on ya because ah didn't want ya to turn out like he did. Gettin' some mare pregnant n' takin' off on em." She chuckled at the irony of the situation, she'd spent so much time on Mac, yet, it was Applejack who was closer to her situation.

But it did make sense now, she was angry at herself for poor decisions made and took it out on Macintosh because she felt abandoned. What didn't make sense was her divisiveness with AJ.

"Oh don't y'all worry none, AJ got the dressing down of a lifetime when Ah saw her a few days ago." The peppy old mare he knew and loved was back, only her unkempt mane indicating her previous break down. "But Ah suppose Ah wanted to say Ah'm sorry and ask yer forgiveness for how Ah treated you. What happened wasn't yer fault n' Ah shouldn't have been so hard on ya."

Mac smiled and embraced her once again, feeling as if a three hundred pound yoke had been lifted from his shoulders. "Ah fergive you." He whispered. 

It was over, he had his family back, no resentments, no passive aggressive bull crap and an understanding for the reasons that his treatment as a colt. It was over, it was finally over.
> Sin's Bio
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I need to slow down a bit, I've been adding chapter's daily and hitting burn out. One thing I've been meaning to do for a while is write up a bio for Sin for those interested in seeing, link is in the A/N

And if anybody knows a good artist, there's a few pieces I'd be willing to pay for. Thanks.
> Fun Times
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Fun Times






Applebloom and her friends, a Unicorn filly with an alabaster white pelt and mixed curly white and lilac mane named Sweetie Bell and a pegasus filly, with a pelt orange as dusk and short cropped purple mane named Scootaloo, walked out of the schoolhouse in a slump. Detention was never fun, and with a teacher like Ms. Cherilee, who made it a point to punish them with three hours of it for the innocent crime of trying to get their cutie marks, it was even worse.

How were they supposed to know that removing a few screws from the teachers filling drawers in her desk would end up with the drawer falling on her hoof? They were just trying to set themselves up as for their newest perpetration. "Cutie Mark Crusader Repair Fillies" where they replaced the screws and see if they got their marks of destiny. It was a simple plan that none of them thought could go wrong, life had a tendency to prove against that phrase, though.

Regardless, the three had been kept after hours and would have a hard time explaining it to their family. Applebloom could already feel her hooves pruning from the promise of scrubbing the entire porch by herself. Sweetie's emerald eyes were down cast, Rarity was going to be so disappointed in her. Scootaloo actually didn't look all that upset, she was irritated to be kept after, but aside from that seemed fine.

"We're gonna get it for sure." Sweetie commented as the three walked through the town, observing the final sales within the market district.

"You can say that again. Granny's gonna be sore as the dickens, prolly worried sick, too." Applebloom agreed.

"Well, at least tomorrows a school day, so we can't get it too bad, right?"

"Pft, speak fer yerself, Scoots." The yellow filly dismissed. "Yer parents are awesome n' don't ground you r' nothin'. Ah'll be cleanin' the chimney out fer this one."

"Rarity will make me play filly mannequin, I know it." Sweetie cried, placing her head into her forelegs.

The three reached the light post in the middle of town where they always parted ways, each wishing each other luck in dealing with their respective families and punishments. Scootaloo began her walk to the residential district, keeping an eye on both her friends until they were out of sight. She did a double check to make sure and sighed before turning around and trotting to the carrot stand to seek out her typical order from Carrot Top.

The fee was the usual, helping the mare break down her stand for the night.

"Thanks you very much Scootaloo. It's so nice to see young foals helping out around the community." Carrot praised, patting the filly on the head. "Here's your usual, plus another since I've got it to spare." The mare handed Sctootaloo four carrots for her help and told the filly to send her regards to her parents.

"Thanks, Ms. Top. I will!" She replied enthusiastically, ecstatic at the fourth carrot. 

Again, the filly began her walk to the residential district, waiting until the orange mare had left her line of sight. She double checked one last time and turned to the road out of town, making way for the White Tale Woods.









"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" Uppity proclaimed, wagging her hoof at the oaken pony before her like a child. 

Sin apologized, as soon as the three mares had started talking about something other than government business, he had no farther interest in listening to them. The conversation he and Uppity were having before, while riveting, wasn't something one discusses in public. Especially if your opponents views are the norm and those in said public might take her side.

"I told you, I had to go check on something." And boy did he show up at just the right time. He was initially going to invite Mac back with him to talk with him. Kill two birds with one stone in his outing, but that didn't work out as well as he hoped. Still though, it worked out for the best.

"Care to share what that something was?"

"No." He stated simply, walking past her. The two looked up to admire the ending of the dusk twilight, signalling it was almost time for him to head back to the Library. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

The purple maned mare grinned sheepishly. "I might have ran back to the library to check if you were there and told Spike to send a message to Celestia informing her that I needed more time down in Ponyville to investigate budget expenditures."

This pleased Sin greatly, though her political beliefs might not agree with his own on the budget allocations, so he still had reservations, never the less the matter was being looked into. "Glad to hear."

"Alsoooo I might not have enough bits for a motel tonight, and might need to stay at the Golden Oaks with you guys."

Sin chuckled, the guest bed was taken, and he didn't picture her as the type to sleep on the floor. He gave another excuse for his laughter though, Uppity really didn't like to be laughed at, evidenced by her disapproving scowl.

The two entered the library to find one Twilight Sparkle reading dutifully on the floor, a few parchments by her side and a quill rapidly taking notes. "Oh hi guys." She greeted. "You two have fun on your date?" She teased and snickered. 

"Date?" Sin looked to find Uppity pressing her lips and looking up, feigning obliviousness. "Alright, yea, sure why not?" He walked around back to his usual hiding spot in the library and reopened the economics book he was reading. He didn't know who this "Smart Cookie" was, but she knew her free market economics. According to the book, she was one of the the original advisers to the Princesses after her superior... Chancellor Pudding Head.

His mind was recalled to the separatists back in the fallen Judgement airship, he hoped that the three "new leaders" had maintained their freedom after he helped them. He'd read news of their break, but they didn't help their comrades escape which did peeve him a bit, but that wasn't his problem.

He was just getting into the better part of her two bits on the "theory of labor" when a fit of giggles broke his concentration. He tried to ignore it, but it was quickly followed by another bout of giggling. 

This is why he always left when Twilight had friends over, he could never get a moments peace. At least alone, she didn't talk much. Freaking mares.

"Sin? Are you back here again? What are you doing? You've got company here, it's rude to leave them unattended like that." Twilight said, walking behind him.

"No, you have company. This is your house, I'm just a guest." He retorted, much to Twilight's annoyance. She rolled her eyes and cast her magic, picking the stallion up and wandering out to the living area.

There was no point in resistance, her lack of respect for his personal autonomy and will had presented itself many times in his week's stay, only furthering the pony's resolve to leave as soon as possible. He found himself placed back on the couch next to the orange mare he'd spent the last few hours with, desperately wanting to find a hole to crawl in for some alone and quiet time.

Twilight wouldn't have it though, she was on one of her "socialization" kicks again. He swore, whenever she got like this it was as if she wanted to watch him suffer. Yea, she was forced into a social situation when she didn't want to be, and he felt sorry for her for that. But that didn't mean that she had to drag every other introvert down with her.

'Oh lighten up, du-'

Shut it, you don't get to talk for a while. I've had a hard day and it's not even over yet.

"See, told you. He's just as anti-social as I was."

"I think it's kinda sad." Uppity placed a hoof on his shoulder. "It's not right that somepony who's done as much good as he has should be so miserable." 

They were talking about him like he wasn't there again, weren't they? 

"I don't know about that, he's done a few bad things too." Twilight added, giving him a mild stare. Sin scoffed, life had choices to be made, he chose poorly in many cases. The idea of his failures made the stallion want to slam his head agaisnt the wall, but the fact of the matter was he was still a mere mortal. But he wouldn't address it, he was too exhausted for any more arguments.

"Be that as it may, the bad things somepony has done shouldn't erase the good." She defended. "He should be rewarded for his efforts."

The two thought on the idea for a moment, their silence bringing the much sought after peace the stallion wanted. Though, his feelings of contentment were lived far to short.

. "I know, we can send him to the spa!" Twilight proclaimed with a gasp.

WHAT!?

"Hey, that's a great idea. Spa's always help with ponies who are stressed out and uptight. Think he'd go for it though?"

I'm going to kill them, I'm going to kill them and make it look like an accident.

"Not at all, which is why we'd need to go with him to make sure he relaxed and did everything there was to do. Hot tubs, massages, mud baths, avocado mask facials..."

Forget the accident, quick deaths were far to merciful for such twistedness as this. He'd have to wait until tonight, though. Wait for them to sleep, than tape some of the dragon scales to their horns to avoid their pesky magic. Yes... and then they would be at his mercy. Nobody would ever hear about what almost happened this night. 

"And after that, we could take him to Sugar Cube Corner! Pinkie is still upset that he didn't attend his "welcome to Ponyville party."

They will never find the bodies...

"What do you think Sin? Sound good to you?" Uppity asked, finally addressing his presence.

"Yea, how about no." He blew dismissively. They were just giving him flack, they didn't seriously think he'd put up with that.

The two shared a knowing look before shaking their heads in unison. 

"Why would you try and force me to do that?" He asked slowly. The answer was the same as before, apparently they were legitimately concerned over his irritable personality. Sin was resilient and the very idea of being... pampered just made his skin crawl. He liked being stressed out and irritable, it was who he was as an individual, besides other ponies touching him made him stressed him out more than anything. So, yea, kinda counter productive.

"That's because you're doing it wrong, again." Uppity chirped.

"Doing what wro-" groaned, already knowing the answer.

"Life, silly!"

And here we go...



> Working Days
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Working Days






Awakening from a light sleep, Sin tweaked his neck until he felt a very satisfying crack both directions. With a satisfied sigh, the stallion stood up and stretched his body, taking notice of the night's sky and the clock. 3:30 AM.

He looked across the carpet to find Uppity still fast asleep on the pillows that the library used for chairs. She and Twilight had kept him up until damn near midnight, arguing their cases against why they thought he was wrong in his ways. He kept his calm and held his own for a bit, but the two constantly agreeing with each other put him at an obvious disadvantage.

A fiery poke in his chest froze him in place and he gently lowered his foreleg. It was still too tender to be messing with it like this, but he'd need to push through it, especially if he was going to go back to working at the lumber mill.

Silently, the stallion spared one last look at the mare who slept soundly not two yards from him to ensure he hadn't disturbed her before quietly opening the door and creeping out. Quick and quiet movements had been an imperative skill if one wanted to live in the wild undetected, and the ability had served him well in many situations.

He was probably being paranoid, but he couldn't risk them waking up before he did and following through with their threats from last night.

Sin walked through a dead forest, one the residents of Ponyville referred to as Whitetail Woods, it was where the wood mill he hoped to still be employed at was located. 

The dark of the morning brought with it the early spring chill and an imitating view, the moon hanging in the sky ever so lowly, casting just enough light for the shadows of the branches around him to look like claws that waited to ensnare him. Not that he was childish enough to think such a thing was possible, but the idea did give him something to think about that took his mind off of the ungodly burn in his chest.

He'd done it last night while everyone else was asleep. He snuck into the bathroom with three dragon scales in hoof and mentally prepared himself as he undid the bandages around his chest. The pain was excruciating enough to halt the incisions more than once, but the still repairing flesh was a perfect opportunity for him to jam the dispel charms into his chest with no questions asked. His body was having a hard time accepting the foreign objects into its anatomy, not to mention that every time he lifted a foreleg he could feel it pushing into his muscles, but he'd get used to that.

In being immune to magic, such temporary pain was a small price to pay. At least, he hoped that it would make him immune to magic, dead dragon scales weren't the same as live dragon scales, obviously. Hence his early departure, it was always better to avoid a bad situation than hope you were prepared for it.

'You don't seriously think they'd do that to you, do you?'

Would you seriously put it past them? Think about what Twilight's done to me in the past for a second.

'You've gotta go back after work, you know that, right?'

As he walked, he caught sight of a small light burning through the trees, he dismissed it as one of his co-workers coming to work early like him. Typically the day didn't start until four-thirty, but management showing up to turn on the lights and get a jump on the day seemed reasonable.

He made it to the main building and was surprised to see the mill completely devoid of life. He took a pocket watch from his cloak to see the time was four in the morning. But that light, shouldn't that have been one of the managers?

Shrugging, the stallion looked around to pass the time. Circular saws were set up in their usual places when not in use. Converyer tracks stood stationary, soon to be carrying logs to be cut into thin wooden strips, a few platforms and racks lay to the right, a small but powerful set of cranes sat ready to latch the logs from the transport wagons from the lumberjacks.

And finally the station in which he worked, rolling the logs from the racks to the conveyor lines, holding them steady for the initial saw work. While his goggles were an asset for the job, his cloak was a giant hazard, possible to get caught in a saw and lead him to a very grisly demise.

He was reluctant to remove it his first day, but did so anyways. The obvious questions came up about why he didn't have a cutie mark, both on his flank and paperwork, but he just said that it was the result of an experience that happened in his childhood and that he didn't want to talk about it any farther. Technically it was true, so he didn't feel too bad about his vagueness.

His co-workers gave him a hard time in the begging, but in that kind of work, if they gave you a hard time, it meant they liked you. It was when the stallions around were polite and quiet that you had to worry.

"Sin? That you?" He turned to find a brown pelted pony looking at him, his black mane was disheveled yet held a strange orderly chaos to it. "Damn man, what are you doin' here this early?"

Sin pressed his lips. "Hey, boss. Came in to talk to you about yesterday." 

The manager pony nodded his head and made a mention about how unhappy he was as he unlocked the door to the offices. "Well, I would say you'd best get to explaining yerself, but I already know why you didn't come back."

Sin followed him inside. "You do, Jacker?"

Jacker smirked. "Course, half the bloody town knows by now I think. Ain't too many stood up to the mayor and her lackeys." He chuckled. "Did she really call the guard in to pull you out because you were givin' her a thrashing?"

Small town rumer spread pretty fast, but the Federalist that they had spread that fast.

"Didn't touch her, Jack. Though I really wish I could have." Jack chuckled and asked why he was yelling at her in the first place. "The town's budget."

"Is that all?" Jack shook his head, the two entering his office, the manager switching on the lights.

"Double and a half pay for over 30 hours worked." The black maned stallion's head whipped so quickly, he nearly snapped his neck.

"WHAT!? Double AND a half for... is that what my tax bits are... I... WHAT?!" Sin smirked, finally, someone was on his side for once. "You've got to be kidding me."

"That's what I said when I was looking it over." Deducting is rather colorful language.

Jacker humphed and cursed under his breath before commending Sin for his efforts, hopefully the mayor would make some serious changes now that she'd been confronted about it by someone. "Guess we'll find out when the day's over." He smirked before scowling. "But this is your one warning, if you don't come back from lunch again, you're fired."

Returning the smirk, Sin nodded. "Duly noted."

Sin was handed a warning form for documentation evidence to his acknowledgement of the warning and signed it before walking back out to his station. Some of the other employees were filling in now, each looking just as tired and not with it as the last. It was always like that though, they'd all be found in the break room, coffee in hoof and waking up there in to ready for the day.

There was Chopper, a large, grizzly old pony of a stallion who had to be taller and more broad than Mac. His pleated shirt and overgrown beard only adding to his ruggedness. He greeted Sin with a friendly "Mornin' Dutch". The Federalist had no idea why he called everyone Dutch, but he counted it as a term of endearment.

Behind him entered Ax and Blade Slasher. A pair of Twin stallions, both light green in pelt and blue of mane, both worked hard and kept safety as the prime directive. Though, that's where the similarities ended. One was a a jokester who kept the work atmosphere fun and lively, the other was a stallion wound a little to tightly. Sin could appreciate that, though.

A few more stallions plus one mare also came in, each making straight for the break-room/kitchen area to begin the awakening and for Jacker to come in herd them to work. 

Sin smiled, it was nice to be back here again, though as he lifted his leg a little too far up a sudden jab in his chest forced him to put it back down. He sighed and looked over to the logs that he'd have to push onto the conveyor belts and cringed. Today was going to be miserable. 

  

  
> Couples Rendition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Couples Renditions






Macintosh and Annabelle walked about the orchard, the former pulling a wagon behind him full of fresh new bags of fertilizer. Today would only be a half day of working in the fields though, the old bags needed to be dropped off and new bags acquired.

That would typically be an all day event, but the farm was vastly behind on it's fertilizing and rejuvination. They'd cut their losses by forgoing the Northern and Pineapple fields for the time and focused on catching any missed trees in the western and eastern. No matter how though the Apple siblings were, they'd always miss a few in their initial sweep. Plus, it gave Mac some time alone with Annabell, which he needed in order to determine what exactly their relationship was.

That, and the fact she was still upset about his attitude to his sister when he'd given up on her. She tried to hid it, but whenever the subject would come up, she'd immediately change the topic to something else. It was always better to get things like this out of the way rather then let them fester and stir.

Finding an unfertilized tree, Mac stopped the cart and removed one of the bags for use. "It's such a nice day." Anna commented, looking around the orchard. "I'm glad we don't have to spend it all working. I'd love to walk around Ponyville for a bit."

"Eyup." Mac agreed, spreading the compost around the tree roots.

It was a difficult topic to break, not something that could easily be segued into, so he took the initiative with an innocent inquiry. "Hey Anna, what are we, exactly?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, legitimatly confused.

"Ah mean, are we coltfriend n' marefriend er...?" He left the question in the air. They'd cuddled a few times, shared a kiss, but that was it. He wasn't looking for sex or anything and made that point clear, but he also wanted clarity on what... this was.

Anna tilted her head and doned a thoughtful expression. "I'm not really sure." She shrugged. "I mean, I'd like to, but I'm not really sure I can trust you."

Macintosh recoiled slightly, that was not what he was expecting to hear. The butter milk filly clarified that the way he treated his sister was an indication to his personality and treatment of loved ones. To simply dismiss what was a potentially bad situation was, in her eyes, a gross negligence on his part.

"Ah see." The farmer replied calmly. He wasn't upset with her, he knew this might be an answer and had fully accepted it. If she didn't want to be with him because he respected others decisions and didn't play captain save-a-ho, that was her right.

"What? That's all you have to say?" She asked in indignation. "You're not going to tell me that I'm wrong, or go on about your sister making her own choices, even if they're stupid ones?"

"Nope." Macintosh interjected. Annabelle looked down in dejection, disappointed with his reply. He was supposed to say that he was trustworthy, that he wouldn't let her hurt herself if she wanted to. That he would be there for her and protect her.

"Sorreh, but Ah'm not gonna stress mahself out over what y'all mares decide tah do." He gave her a neutral look. "Ah'm lookin' fer a considerate mare. One who'll understand n' respect my love of freedom, that includes their responsibility fer keepin' outta trouble." And that he was, he'd still be friends with Anna, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to keep her safe and secure. 

Since Applejack's disappearance and Anna's expectancy at his saving her, the farmer had thought long and hard about the relationship between stallions and mares, about why it was the stallion's responsibility to always protect them, even if they were in the wrong. It was stupid, sexist and an old notion he didn't care for. He wasn't put on this earth to serve another, his life was his own. His time, stress and energy were all he had in the world and he'd use it how best he saw fit.

That lead him to the old concept of fighting competitions for a mare's affection and how nonsensical it was. Stallions fighting often lead to serious injury and sometimes death. Loss of life and the freedoms it offered, and for what? The "love" that came with being the biggest and strongest? How long would that last? In such a system, loyalty meant nothing, it was a sexual rite of passage to the strongest. An idea that seemed too stressful. Stallions were the minority here, mares should be trying to prove their worth to them, not the other way around.

Plus the stallion who lost often had to deal with the shame of losing as well as the injuries that would hinder work and money gain. 

Life was too short to be stressing out over the bad decisions of others and to be expected to bail them out or get hurt over them. He'd already had his hooves full helping AJ, Spike, Shade and Sin, but those were ponies and a drake who'd proven themselves to Mac. They'd been through some pretty bad times together and proven their loyalty.

Annabelle had not, and if she thought him selfish for it, than she could hit the road. He felt strongly for her, and would be heartbroken to see her go, but he knew what his life and time was worth. Such a precious thing wasn't meant to be wasted on those who hadn't proven themselves.

"So, you'd help your friends get out of situations they were stupid to get into, but not me?" Anna asked carefully, trying to address what she saw as a contradiction. Though, Mac saw it differently. All three of his friends had taken responsibility for the situations they'd gotten themselves into. Spike when he turned himself in and agreed to be judged by the dogs, Sin on numerous accounts of submitting to the princess for his numerous crimes, and Shade; who wasn't really done much damage... that he knew of, anyways.

The decisions may have been poor, but each knew what they did wrong and strived not to make the same mistake again. The four never expected help from one another, but they knew it would be there if they asked for it. There was a difference between expecting help and earning it. Users expected help, friends gave it to those who'd earned it.

"Plus each of 'em has risked their lives to help me. Usually puttin' their own lives in danger fer doin' so, so yes, they get mah help."

Annabelle's lip pouted, an obvious attempt to manipulate him, but the large red stallion held fast. The prospect of love didn't hold up to the act of it. If she was going to earn his protection for bad decisions, she was going to have to work for it.

"I see, alright then." Anna declared, mentioning how, in the end, Mac did ultimately help his sister. "How would I earn your help then?"

Mac opened his mouth, but no answer came forth. Sin had earned it by helping break him free and the Vulture Grove incident. Spike had earned it when the two fought those Billy Goats together, and Shade in his fight with Golvec. None of those seemed really fitting situation to go into willingly. He was happy she asked though, it meant she understood and respected his position. Finding his time and energy more than a tool for her disposable use.

"Guess you'll have to stick by me through some bad times." Mac shrugged, his voice casual, but lined with dead seriousness. "It's always easy to stand by a pony when they're doin' well. It's when they're down and out that ya see who yer true friends are."

Anna nodded, looking quite thoughtful over what she'd been told. The two trotted about, finding the occasional tree that needed fertilizing and decided to call it a day when the sun reached its zenith. Neither spoke the rest of the trot back, settling for contemplative silence. 

They quickly loaded up all the empty bags of fertilizer, enjoyed a delicious lunch curtisy of Granny Smith, and made their way to Ponyville. The town was bustling like it usually was around this time, they waved to Applejack as she manned the stand, selling off a few baby green apples. Next to her stood the stand they'd come for. The pony couple who manned it, a pair of unicorns, took the cart and told them that it would take a few hours for a new shipment to come in.

The two used the time to wonder about, looking over the various wares of the Ponyville market district to pass the time. The two found a snow cone vendor and asked for a couple of icy treats. Mac was about to pay for both, but Anna stepped up and tossed the single bit cost. "Mare's gotta treat her stallion, right?"

The two smirked at each other and found a bench to sit as they ate. Mac licked his cone thoughtfully, contemplating what they should do next, but a sudden movement to his left caught his attention.

"Hey." He quipped, as Anna took a lick from his cone.

"Mmmm, banana." She chirped happily, giving him an innocent look.

'She dun went and ate your snow cone. You know what must be done.'

And that he did, waiting until the mare was enjoying her own flavored ice, Mac slowly worked his hoof under her paper cone and gently popped it upward. Sending the entirety of her cherry flavored goodness up in the air and catching it in his mouth. The brain freeze was worth it.

'I was gonna say shove her face into it, but that works too I guess.'

It took the stallion a second to recover, but that's all Anna needed to grab his own and devour it in a three bites, brining about her own bout of frozen head pain. 

"Owwwwie." She complained through a giggle. 

The two shared a good laugh at the experience and settled to simply relax and enjoy the warm of the day.

"Hey, Macintosh, what up, brah?" Mac's jaw hit the floor, Star Shade?

It was, though unlike he remembered, Shade's typical mania wasn't present. Instead he looked calm, very very calm, almost a bit sleepy. His eyes were blood shot and he walked with a swagger he never had before.

"Hey brah, haven't seen you in like, forever man."

"What in the, Shade you seem, er, different." He wasn't going to beat around the issue, even if it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. Shade explained that he'd been with Zecora for the past week. His mental health treatments weren't really working out in the traditional means.

It did Mac good to see the stallion happy though he was curious why he hadn't been told earlier.

"That's actually what I came here for, brah." Shade answered drowsily. "I was just about to visit Dragon boy and then you. Hey! Wanna come with me to see him? Stripes said he was hurt pretty bad and I wanted to see if I could cheer him up."

That sounded like a good idea, he hadn't seen Spike in a while, and was meaning to check up on him. The bat pony lead the way, moving far slower than he usually did and making comments about how beautiful everything was in Ponyville. As happy for him as Mac was, it was starting to get irritating listening to every little thing being pointed out and praised.

"Hey Twilight! Good to see you again." Shade declared, walking into he Library, the addressed greeted all who entered. Informing them that Sin wasn't in at the moment and that he'd be busy later that afternoon with a devilish snicker. "That's cool, we're here for Dragon boy anyways."

She pointed them up the stair and before long, the trio found themselves looking at the bed ridden drake who greeted them happily.

"Woah, Spike, you look... like... really messed up, dude." It was unreal to hear him talk like that, but there it was. He wasn't wrong either, the dragon was covered in various casts and slings, keeping his leg suspended and his arm close to his chest. That and the missing eye, that would take a long time to get used to.

Obviously the drake was just as curious as Mac was for the sudden change in personality, which was just as quickly explained. "So, what brings you all here?"

"Just came to check on my old friend." The night pegasus declared. "Haven't seen you in forever, brah."

The drake smiled and returned the words, Mac wasn't as pleased though, seeing his friend in such a state, and what happened to him still plagued his dreams. He knew Spike had chosen the duel for himself and understood why, but that didn't make it easy to see such a good dragon in such bad shape. Spike must have caught on because he asked if everything was alright with him.

Mac shrugged it off, though. He wasn't about to ruin a perfectly good visit because of past events. He made the mistake of asking what the drake had been up to, to which Spike simply looked around the bedroom and quirked his brow sarcastically.

For his part, the dragon asked how everypony was doing. Which Mac replied about Applejack and Granny, keeping the more intimate and shameful parts out, while Shade had actually been cultivating a relationship with Zecora. If what he said was true than he'd been taking her medicine every four hours, helping her to grow and care for the plants that it came from.

Fighting a scowl of disapproval, Mac congratulated Shade on his transformation, though he wasn't happy about the mind altering substance. He couldn't really explain why, but he could compare it to his disapproval of Applejack's drinking. It wasn't right, somehow.

All the same, the Lunar pegasus was still having trouble socializing with others. He'd calmed down and had a personality shift, but his social skills were still subpar and he took judgement and criticism much more harshly than most ponies did.

"So yea, Stripes has been really nice to me. She lets me sleep in her bed with her now, which is nice." Shade finished, his cheeks turning... pink? Yea, this was wrong on so many levels. 

Actually, the more Mac thought about it, the more he really didn't like the changes he was seeing. This was just like Applejack, a change in personality, mind altering substances, attitudes and actions that completely contradicted the pony he'd come to know. It was wrong, wrong on so many levels, but it was for a good cause. Right?

'Dude, focus! We're here for Spike, not him.'

Pushing his discomfort aside, Mac spent some time talking and laughing with the drake about their adventures leading up to Hooftrot, the time before they ran into Shade. The Billy Goat brawl Spike had roped him into was the main topic. It was still funny to the apple pony how Spike, against both he and Sin's suggestion, decided to approach the beast and ask how it was doing.

The goat, not liking the drake being on its territory, acted in accordance and charged Spike smacking into the canyon wall. It was funny now, but back then, it was absolutely terrifying.

"And then." Mac laughed. "Y'all ran at 'em and smacked him with yer head." Ok, it wasn't funny now, it was hilarious.

"Hey, it's not my fault he didn't get out of the way." Spike replied with just as much mirth. An hour or so passed and Mac felt his welcome slowly draining away.

"It was good to see ya gain, Spike. When ya get better, we need tah hang out again." He leaned down and whispered. "Hangin' round mare's is turnin' me into a filly."

The two shared another laugh and made promises of future endeavors. With that, Mac and Annabelle walked down stairs, leaving Shade and Spike to their own good byes. The two saw Twilight again, though this time she wasn't alone, the mare from the orchard was there with her now. Uppity, was it?

"I'm glad he's doing alright, Oh Hi Uppity!" Annabelle greeted happily.

"Ya said Sin wouldn't be back till later?" Mac asked for clarification. He still had a few things to talk about with the stallion, one of those being why he'd interrupted his and Granny's confrontation.

"I wouldn't count on seeing him until tomorrow." Twilight responded, giggling with Uppity for some reason. He had a bad feeling about that, but also secretly enjoyed it. He liked Sin and all, but the stallion could stand to be knocked down a peg or two.

"Oh, why's that?" Anna asked with a sadistic smile. Mares had a funny way of knowing when conspiracies were going on with other mares, and Mac was bearing witness to a third accomplice in a plot that would be remembered as on of the funniest times in his life.

   
> Maturity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Maturity





Malich hummed happily to himself as he exited the elevator that lead down to the third sublevel of the Futuristics Medical Research facility. According to reports, the dragon blood had accelerated the parasite growth when introduced directly into the blood stream of the hosts. Where it had once taken months to wait for the parasites to come to maturity, they had done it in only a week! It was truely progress the stallion would have sex with if could only be made flesh.

'Fuck Success and make her your bitch, eh, boss?'

Exactly!

He quickly walked down the hall, taking notice of the disturbing lack of decorations on the walls. White, white walls, white ceilings, white floor, by Tapio's beard this place was creepy. He'd need to seek out some advice on how to make it more homey. Such blandness and alien starality  couldn't be good for one's mental health.

He walked into the break room which was, thankfully, much more expressive and warm. Chairs, color, a smell that didn't remind him of lemon flavored disinfectant. Much more pleasant.

"Good morning, Director." Voltair greeted, the Unicorn stallion stood from his chair and bowed low. Malich wasn't sure why, but being bowed to by the pony didn't put him on edge as it would most others. "I assume you're he for he reports. I must warn you, they are disturbing."

"Disturbing how?" Malich asked, accepting the folder handed to them.

The Spackled dark green unicorn listed off all of the effects of allowing a parasite to come to maturity. First there was excessive neurological stimulation as the parasite tapped into the spinal cord, sending the host into a sensory overload of pain in all areas of the brain. Pain, pleasure, thirst, hunger, cold, warmth, everything. After that, the hosts were observed to become exhausted, each complaining of nausea and a burning sensation in their necks and backs. Though that may have been a failure to communicate.

The translation was "Cold fire burning", neither the translator nor Voltare knew what to make of that, but it was all they could get the Zebra to say before all neurological capability was shut down.

From there, the scientists deduced that the parasite had grown much larger than the one Elsa had kept in the tank. They observed moving protrusions from beneath the zebras skin up its limbs while the growing bulge in its stomach began to shift. 

Elsa, threatening anyone who tried to stop her, quickly charged forth and placed her ear besides the zebra's mouth to find it still alive. She slit the poor creatures throat, offering it the mercy of a quick death and sliced it open before any other scientist or security agent could stop her.

To the shock of the entire research team, the parasite had grown even bigger than they'd thought, and had matured enough to no longer need the host. At least for a short period of time.

The thing had grown, taking on a quasi-pony form. Though, unlike the changelings observed before, this one still had tenticles and was as small as a foal. It writhed around in what they believed to be confusion at it's hosts sudden death and locked onto one of the researchers. Slowly the changling walked towards him, licking its chops. 

Elsa realized what she was seeing and tried to stop it, but it was too late. The changeling had lept forth and latched its fangs onto one of the researcher's necks, its tenticles forcing their way into his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. The episode ended with a scalple jammed and twisted into the developed parasite's skull, but not without the loss of a good doctor.

Upon inspection, they looked to find that the entire digestive track of the zebra was missing. Well, most of it anyways, part of the stomach and lower intestines were present with small teeth marks embedded into the torn flesh. This lead to two conclusions, the lack of mentioned abdominal pain was indicative of organ numbing and the parasite was a quick eater.

However these kinds of disturbing facts were of little concern to Malich, he was afraid there were complications that interfeared with the results. A zebra suffering a gruesome death was hardly worthy of note.

The experiment was observed again on another changeling. This time, the doctors watched it from the outside of a containment field. This time, the changeling burst forth from it's dead host, and looked around, it's amber eyes taking in the surrounding and checking for something with its gangling antenna. Voltare was documented demanding all equipment that could pick up biological wave frequencies be assembled immediately.

It was unlike any changeling they'd ever seen before. It had irises instead of blank bug eyes and more importantly It had a horn, it was a small almost unnoticable protrusion from the forehead, but it was unmistakable. Such a unique feature could only be indicative of one thing, A queen had been born.

"We've been searching through different channels to see if we could find the frequency and waves she uses to communicate to her brood." Voltare informed, closing the file and leaning back in his cushion. "No such luck though. we'll most likely need for her to gain a subordinate before she'll set out a strong enough signal for us to pick up on."

Malich jumped for joy. He did it! He had a queen! And well ahead of his predictions at that, but that was the easy part. The hard part was finding a way of finding her frequency and imitating her wave pasterns. He wasn't sure what the study on that was, but he knew he'd need a team of crack pots to figure it out.

All in all, it had been a good week for the New Wave project.







"You know something, Valiar? You're an alright pony." Shining stammered as he took another swig of gin. Valiar, simply sat and waited to once again refuse the beverage. when offered. The two had been on the outskirts of Canterlot for the past few hours, the red unicorn sitting and listening to the drunken ramblings of his Captain and the fight he'd had with his wife to be. "I know I give you a lot of crap, but you're alright."

"Thank you, sir." Valiar replied dutifully, if for no other reason than to give him a reason to speak. There were a lot of words he wanted to say, calling him a drunken, filly whipped plot hole was at the top of that list but he knew better. He understood that the Shining was going to soon be married and have to really settle down in all the bad habbits that most single stallions got to enjoy, but why was he being pulled along for the ride?

He agreed to be Shining's subordinate under the notion that Shining would be a worthy opponent who'd challenge and teach him discipline, but lately it seems like Valiar was the one who needed to be responsible for the two.

"You know something buddy? You need to get laid." Not knowing how to react to that statement, Valiar settled for silence. There was a time to talk and a time to be quiet, and now was the time for quiet.

"You need to find yourself a good mare to settle down with. Heck, maybe two, sure you could handle more though." That was an idea that terrified the red pony. Marriage, being tied down to another pony for the rest of your life, and worse, having foals with them. Granted, the urge did cross his mind from time to time, but having a family required being responsible and disciplined. Two things he was greatly lacking in. What kind of husband or father would he be? The kind who his wife and children resented, that's what.

No, no. He was young and had alot to do before he would even think about a family, if he was ever mature enough at all.

"Awww, C'mon buddy. You think I'm ready for kids?"

Was he really supposed to answer that honestly, because bad things would happen if he did. "Sir?"

Shining took another swig of his drink and sighed, his happy smile giving way to a thoughtful scowl before talking about how he was thinking about everything he was giving up. The alabaster pony recalled all the crazy things he'd done in his life, some of which were very questionable and surprising given his moral compass and reputation. Parties, mares, drugs, drug mare parties, and a few things Valiar wasn't up to date on slang to understand.

"But most of all, it's my freedom. I'll be giving Cadance everything from that day forward. You know?" He turned to look at the red stallion. "We've known eachother since we were kids, but it feels terrifying, giving up everything for her."

"Pardon me, Captain, but haven't you already committed yourself to Equestria anyways? Doesn't seem like that big of a difference to me." 

Shining Armor chuckled again, but this time there was no mirth behind it. "You think that's how it works, huh? That being dedicated to a life time monogamous relationship is the same as serving Princess and Country?" He stood up on wobbly hooves and approached before placing his hoof on Valiar's shoulder. "The country doesn't care if I get drunk every night to escape my problems. Cadance does. The country doesn't care if I'm up all hours of the night, Cadance does."

"It's kinda funny and sick in a way, mare marry stallions that remind them of their fathers and stallions marry mares who remind them of their mothers. Maybe that's what everypony wants? To be with someone who'll continue the love and care their parents gave them."

Creepy. No, there was no other way to define that kind of concept, that was just creepy. Though in some sick and twisted way it did make sense. From the interactions Valiar had seen, stallions got lectured by their wives alot, especially Shining. Like a mother would her foal for doing something foolish. He wasn't sure if he was disturbed or intrigued by this revelation. On one hoof he could see the appeal, but on the other wasn't marriage supposed to be between two adults? Adults who viewed each other with admiration and respect?

'Dude, don't think about it too much.'

Shining just snickered, making a quip about how some ponies just wouldn't understand until they were in a relationship. Valiar wasn't sure what the appeal was about relationships. Well, he understood it, but he didn't "get" it. Maybe he was just too preoccupied with bettering his magical capabilities and his love of dueling. Maybe it was how unsafe Equestria was and his feelings of desire to protect it, but starting a family just didn't seem appealing to him.

And situations like this one are exactly why he didn't want to join the guard to protect his countryponies. Inefficient use of his time. Vigilantism was much more his style.

"Well, the Suns going down, guess it's time I told you why I dragged you out here." Shining declared, sobering up quite nicely as he did so. he reached into the side pouch he carried around his neck and offered it to Valiar, who took it to read aloud. "It's a map from an informant. We've received reports of possible activity from the east. They didn't give many details, only that the threat was worth checking out, and I'm sending you to look into it."

"Why me?" His subordinate asked, looking over the map and instructions. He was supposed to go to the city called Las Pegasus and meet up with a lunar pegasus named Shimmering Gale at some tavern at a certain time. He glared at the name, Los Pegasus, the city of the vile and filth of the world. From what he'd been told, it was the play ground of the immoral and the slaves of pleasure. Ironically, the monks had taught him not to judge ponies, as he knew nothing of them, yet saw it fit to judge an entire city. Just one of the many hypocrisies that lead him to abandon the temple.

"Because, you know how to operate alone." Shining replied, that and it wasn't really a government sanctioned mission. This was for his personal reassurance. Word had it that there was going to be something planned for his wedding and he wanted to make sure that nothing would upset his fiancees big day. It was a shaky probability at best, but the stallion didn't want to take chances.

Valiar sighed but accepted his orders without question. It was a simple task, plus it got him out and away from Shining for a while. He'd summarized that, it being a royal event, small threats like these were expected to be made, it wasn't something he was too concerned with.

   
> Of Magic and Gambling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Of Magic and Gambling






Well, I'm contractually bound to return anyways.

'That doesn't mean you can't be cautious going in!' Sin's inner critic screamed at him as the stallion approached the library. The more Sin had thought about it, the more he'd come to the conclusion that he didn't need to worry about the spa threats. It didn't make logical sense to send him there, and the two mares had both agreed with him by the end of the night.'For a master of sarcasm, you really can't identify it, can you?'

It was an irrelevant detail at this point, he'd need to confront the librarian sooner or later. Might as well get it out of the way.

'You know what? I'm going to enjoy this.'

He pushed open the door and walked in, closing it behind him. As expected, both Twilight and Uppity were sitting on the couch, though they weren't talking, instead the two were playing some kind of card game. Each of their cards held in their respective magics against their foreheads. Though, it wasn't a game Sin was familiar with.

"Hi Sin!" Twilight greeted a little too cheerfully.

Sin nodded and asked what the two were doing, they looked ridiculous with the cards playing cards stuck to their foreheads like that. Apparently it was a game based on deception and risk. The players could see the other pony's card but not their own and decide if they wanted to fold, call or raise judging on the opponent's reaction. If neither folded or raised than the higher card holder won. Kinda like poker, but instead of seeing your own hand, you saw your opponent's. 

Stupid aesthetically, it did hit a small itch the Stallion had for gambling. Though there was no stakes at play, so it was just stupid.

"Awww, darn." Uppity muttered seeing her four of hearts loss to the six of clubs. Twilight threw her hoof up triumphantly and basked in her opponents loss. Of course it was all in good fun and the two shared in a laugh. "That was fun." Uppity was in full agreement, Sin knew she had trouble making friends and was happy to see her making one. Even if it was through one of the most ridiculous games he'd ever seen.

And just as quickly as the fun could be seen, it ended. The two turning their heads with the librarian grinning maniacally and Uppity smiling innocently. "Are you ready for your Spa visit, Sin?"

'Called it!'

"Are you two still on about that?" The stallion deadpanned, he didn't wait for an answer and simply walked past them confidently to his spot in the back.

"Oh no you don't." Twilight grinned, Sin turned to find her horn aglow and the familiar tingle of her aura encompassing his body, but just as quickly as it had come, the aura felt disrupted around his body and "popped", sending the unicorn's hoof up to her head as a mild headache set in.

"What in Equestria?" She cursed, rubbing her horn.

It worked? IT WORKED! Ha! Suck it unicorns, you have no power here!

Sin stood with an all to pleased and smug smirk of satisfaction, all the pain he'd endured that day felt all too worth it just for the look on their faces.

Both mares looked at him in utter shock and disbelief, their jaws hanging open with their eyes the size of dinner plates. He had to restrain a chuckle at the shock value as he could see the cogs in their heads working overtime to justify what had just happened. The district attorney asked if her friend was alright before picking her up. "I'm fine, Uppity. Let's try that again." Twilight declared, summoning her magic and cringing as soon as she had him in her grip. "Oww, what in Equestria going on?"

Sin's smirk somehow grew even more smug and he turned around. "You seem to have lost your touch, Ms. Sparkle." Though, a quick attempt at lifting a book in the same fashion yielded much better results,so she hadn't lost her power over objects so much as she'd just lost it over him and she wanted to know why.

Sin placed a hoof to his chin in mock thought, pretending to be ignorant to the fact. "Afraid I couldn't hazard a guess." He replied sarcastically before continuing back to his spot at the back of the library. He opened a history book and began reading, his smile still firmly planted on his lips. It was a hard fought victory, but it's sweet taste was to be savored. And the mental image of his foe's completely flabbergasted expressions were to be forever a reminder of his triumph over the smartest unicorn in Ponyville.

As expected, Twilight wasn't about to let the issue die, but no matter how much she stomped, pouted or demanded, he wouldn't tell her the secret to his magical immunity. To watch her squirm was almost as satisfying as seeing her face a few seconds ago.

"How about a bet, then?" Uppity asked. Sin turned his attention, his interest very much called for. To his surprise, a typically quiet red pony had somehow learned of his habit and passed the information onto her. "If we beat you in a game of cards, you have to tell us how you did it."

"And in return?" Sin asked, leaning back in his chair.

"We'll leave you alone for a whole week." The mare replied, Twilight began to protest, but the other mare cut her off with a raised hoof, asserting her dominance in the matter. Sin wasn't sure why they were challenging him, but he accepted none the less. A little bit of information vs a whole week of peace and quiet? Hell yea!

'I don't know, I think its a bad idea to indulge your gambling itches. Remember what happened last time.' 

He remembered, and he'll never live down the shame in his mind. He'd lost five thousand bills that night. But he learned a very valuable lesson that day, never drink and play cards against a pony named Ace.

The game chosen was a simple one, the one he'd seen them play before. But it was to be a one on one between himself and Twilight, and since Uppity could be used to give subtle hints, she was dismissed from the living room while the two played. The rules were simple, highest card won and both players had one chance to discard their card and draw a new one.

Sin drew from the top of the deck and placed the card against his forehead and Twilight did the same. She had the six of diamonds and he had no idea what he had, but the slight twitch in her left eye told him it must have been good. "Care to bow out?" He smirked, sensing a chance to assert himself as well. "I'll be willing to let all of this go if you just give up now."

Her face hardening in determination, Twilight shook her head and discarded her card to draw another. The Librarian wasn't about to humiliated in her own home. Sin eyes narrowed as he saw her pull up the jack of clubs. Now he had a reason to worry, not just at telling her the info or suffering the indignation of mud baths and massages, but that he might lose. He hated losing.

He sat in thought as the rush of the game quickly jolted through his body. The lightness, the thrill, the uncertainty, it was what made him love gambling. The lack of control, the chance, it was a rush that brought a kind of high the stallion loved to chase. Though, he wasn't sure what to do at this point. Her card had gained alot of value, but he didn't know if his was good enough to beat her. That part was maddening, still it only added to the rush of uncertainty and lack of control.

He smirked and decided to keep his card, much to her dismay.

The two pulled their cards down and Twilight slumped in despair. Sin had the queen of hearts, queens beat jacks. He offered a smirk, "nice try, kiddo."

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Twilight called in Uppity and Sin basked in the explanation of her losing. He'd won, got to keep his secrets and won a weeks worth of peace. If he'd known this was going to happen, he'd have looked forward to returning to the library.

His joy was interrupted by Uppity, however, who wished to make another bet. 

"Another wager, is it? What did you have in mind?" he asked with a Cheshire grin. She called the spa back into account and bet his voluntary compliance to go. "Ha! No thanks, there's nothing you have that would make me even consider that."

"How about you being allowed to live in the Everfree again?" Uppity cooed, smirking knowingly. She knew just what to say to gain his interest. "I'll talk to Celestia and give the condition, but you'd have to maintain your job and checking with Twilight every day, though."

Sin laughed, there was no way Celestia would agree to that. "You underestimate me." Uppity smirked and turned away. "But if you're scared, I'll understand."

He wasn't afraid, there was nothing to be afraid of. The Spa wouldn't really hurt him, just make him extremely uncomfortable. For the chance to get out of town and live in isolation? Such a gamble was well worth the risk.

'You know she's goading you and playing on your weakness, right?'

So what? If his weakness turned into a strength and getting him what he wanted, he'd gladly allow it.

Sin nodded his approval. "Alright, if you beat me, I'll go ahead to the spa, if you don't, I get to go to the Everfree again." Though, Twilight wasn't the opponent this time, Uppity told her to leave and shuffled the deck, holding the cards in her orange aura.

"You ready to lose and make yourself pretty?"

Oh, she wanted to do some shit talking? Alright then. Sin took the top card and held it to his chest. "Big talk from a mare about to run and beg her master to let her charge have his way."

The mare's smirk only intensified and the two raised their cards to their foreheads. Sin maintained his neutrality but felt himself panic a little, she had the king of spades, that wasn't good. And judging by the smirk she still wore, his card wasn't anywhere close to beating her.

"You know," she smirked, her smile softening, "I didn't have to play the game. As your Parole Officer, I do have jurisdiction to tell you what to do, you know that right?

"Aye, but you also want my respect." Sin countered, killing the mare's smile. "And you know that using government force is the quickest way to kill it. Why you want my respect I'm not sure."

Uppity rolled her eyes, he wasn't seriously that dense. And he wasn't, he just wanted to get under her skin. Throw her off of her game, and it seemed to be working, judging by how worked up she was getting.

"Alright, I draw." He placed down his card and drew another one. Uppity made no motion to give away what he'd gained or lost, instead, she sat in quite thought for a second before she too discarded her queen and drew the eight of clubs.

"Care to make another bet?" She asked, studying his forehead carefully. Sin felt the rush from before come back ten fold and asked what about. "If I win, you have to do me one favor, no questions asked. And if you win, I have to do you a favor, no questions asked."

Sin pressed his lips and eyed her carefully. Small beads of sweat were beginning to form below her ears, and her blinking rapidly quickened. Seeing that it was a serious favor she wanted of him, he shook his head. Such requests were far to vague to put up against anything he'd win. "No thanks, call." He pulled down the card and was surprised to find he had the eight of spades. 

"Darn, looks like a draw." The mare pouted. "Guess we'll have to go again, and after all that dramatic build up."

"Eh? Play again? No, that's no how it works." Sin interjected. Uppity argued that there was no winner of the game, but the stallion was quick to point out the conditions of victory. "You said that if you didn't beat me, than I didn't have to go to the Spa." His smirk widened. "Well a tie's not beating me."

It was one of the biggest and cheapest play on words Sin had to give himself an edge. He'd gained many enemies and lost many friends because of the technicality, but between victory and friendships he knew which of the two was more important.

"Noooo" Uppity pointed an accusatory hoof. "That's not how it works and you know it! That's cheating."

Cheating? That wasn't cheating, that was playing smart. It wasn't his fault the mare didn't know how to read the fine print. "Give Celestia my regards." He declared as he walked back to his corner of the library. He heard his fallen foe making demands for something or another, but continued on in willful ignorance.

Today was a good day; he's managed to acquire Magical invulnerability, get his job back, make Twilight look like an idiot, make her also beg him to tell her his secrets, might be able to go back to live in the forest, would get peace for an entire week AND won two bets in a row. Today was a very very good day.

'Oh shut up already.'

A very good day indeed.
> Viva Las Pegasus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Viva Las Pegasus





Valiar departed the train and wondered out into the bustling city of Stalliongrad. It wasn't the biggest city, but the population density was reduculous. The red pony had to push through the crowded streets, litterally it was a can of pony shaped sardeens drenched in sweat, sex and sin. In both feel and smell. Seriously, this place needed a few million gallons of bleach!

Pushing past his growing need to vomit, Valiar made his way to find a large directory of signs. "Excuse you." he muttered as a rather rude mare pushed past him. 

'It would be so easy.' The voice in his head commented, his dark red eyes following rude pony as she trotted away. 'Just pull out Blaze, take aim and send that featherbrain on a one way flight to Trottingham.'

Valiar shook his head to rid himself of the tempting thought. He'd always had a bit of anger issues, so the voice never really said anything too shocking. "Let's see here, The Dainty Mare, the Dainty Mare." he chanted, trying to find the name on the map. He couldn't find it, but did see that he wasn't too far away from the entertainment district where all the other pubs were located.

He grunted as he pushed his way through the crowd, wishing the good Captain would have given him his teleportation rune back. Out of the two Shining kept, that one would have probably served him the best in this mission. Regardless he'd make due, he was a pony of accomplishment and percervirence.

A few hours of pushing, shoving and swearing later, the stallion finally reached the district he was looking for and his jaw hung loosely. It was massive, easily covering half the city. Though, Las Pegasus was a gambling hot spot where the rich and desperate slunk to in order to have a good time without being exposed for their immoral behaviors. It shouldn't have been as surprising as it was to the magnitude of the search. Guess that was why the Captain sent him ahead with a few days to spare, just so he could find the bloody place.

Though, that did give Valiar another idea. While the monks of Anti'arch had taught him in the ways of patience, anti-materialism, and transcending the values and desires of the flesh, he cared for power. Greatly. Their teaching were deeply embedded though, acts like sex outside of marriage, rape, and drugs made his blood boil thanks to them. But he wasn't a puppet, nor would ever be. He wanted power and justice, often going against their pacifism to get it in the temple. It was a wonder they tolerated him for as long as they had. Perhaps they thought they could save him? 

'Idiots.'

Las Pegasus wasn't only known for its fun and sin, it also held an underground market for the blackest of rot. Something the monks were adement about avoiding, claiming that the Runes of Anti'arch would foresake him for if they deemed him fallen to the temptation or vengeance. 

It was almost funny how little the monks understood the Runes. 

Sometimes, the pony wondered why the Runes had chosen him as their master. According to legend, only those whom cared deeply for justice and consequence were fit to wield the them. Something about giving power to good and keeping it away from evil. They severely limited his magical options and spells, but in return they also offered power beyond that of all other unicorns, rivaling the magical prowess of Alicorns. 

And while he loved the power so much he dreamed about it some times taking pony form and having sex with it, he did envy other powerful unicorn's abilities to transmute and charm. To create ice or fire, or to cast spells that dealt with emotion and the mind. His power was only good for fighting and defense, nothing more. And while he did resent that fact more than he wanted to admit, it also suited his personality rather well. He liked to inflict harm onto those who he thought deserved it.

Another rude pony slammed into him, muttering under his breath about kids needing to respect their elder broke him from his thought. If he found the pub quickly, he might save just enough time to have a little fun in the underground. Yea, just ask around for the Dainty Mare, locate it, remember where it was, and have a day or two to go out, kick plot, and bring a few mobsters to justice. Simple, safe, and he didn't have to attack any royalty to do it.

Valiar laughed to himself as he rubbed his hooves together. It was the perfect crime.







Having spent an entire day looking, Valiar finally found  the pub he was looking for, rented a room within a quaint motel, and set his saddlebags securely in the rooms safe, the red mage finally sought his satisfaction and was asking around for information. Seeing if he could find a good time that the tax pony wouldn't be involved in.

The first few leads were nothing but brothels, disgusting whores with no respect for their bodies or minds, but hardly something worth his time. The next lead was to a drug dealer who operated on the outskirts of the city. He was a earth pony stallion who specialized in psychedelics and narcotics. 

Valiar made quick work of him, using his levitation to knock some sense of morality into the scum and interrogate him as to where the real crime was happening. Some ponies had threatened to get the guard to break up the encounter, but the threat of prison only made the drug dealer squeal just a bit quicker.

Now, Valiar was heading back into the city. If his tip was correct, there was a sex slave ring going on beneath the "Celestial Casino and Hotel" complex, and what worse, there were young foals used as "special orders". That was the kind of Red Market the stallion was interested in putting down, and he had to contain the mixed emotions of glee and disgust sloshing in his belly. But he wasn't worried, those emotions would be put to use in due time.

He found himself outside the hotel entrance just as the second day was coming to its end. If he heard right, than there was a mare in a blue top hat around the building he'd need to talk to to gain access to the lower levels. He wondered around, pretending to admire the scenery as his eyes trailed between the building and the ponies around. It took him a couple of laps and the sun's full departure from the sky, but he did eventually find a pony meeting the description. She was an incredibly seductive looking sapphire blue mare, all the curves in all the right places with a white mane that covered one golden eye just enough to give a lustful mystique. 

"Hello." She cooed, to anypony that would listen. Most ignored her, but the occasional stallion or mare would hear out what she offered and keep walking. "Oh my, aren't you the rugged one." She chuckled as he approached. "You interested in a good time, handsome?" 

Her entire presentation made Valiar want to puke. Such filth was vastly beneath his association, let alone his seed, but he knew such a harlot would need to be tolerated. He did his best to remain polite and was lead to the back of the luxurious building, through a gate, and down to some stairs that eventually lead to an iron door that she slammed her hooves on in a well practiced pattern.

A slit of metal slinked to the side, revealing a pair of burly eyes looking down at them. "Password?" The guard asked.

"There's a house in Sin City, they call the raising sun." The blue mare replied, the slit closed and the door opened a second later. Revealing the huge minataur within. She lead Valiar inside, giving the red pony a look at the arsenal of crossbows and other weapons the guard had by his post.

He'd need to be careful and keep his shielding rune at the ready. His Protector was strong, but he wasn't sure if it could intercept projectiles coming at those kinds of speeds.

As he wondered through the halls, he could hear voices echoing throughout the walls. Voices crying out in both pleasure and pain, voices begging for more and release. He knew what they were and it made his skin crawl. Had they no shame? Had they no concept of decency or dignity? Disgusting ponies, ponies he wouldn't be sad to hear died painful deaths brought about by the rot that such careless copulation would bring.

He was lead into one of the numerous rooms around the complex and was followed in by the mare. She locked the door and leaned against the door, smiling seductively at him. "My fees may be discussed later, if you know you can afford me." She tutteted, sashaying his way. Valiar had to bite his tongue to stop the vomit again. He needed to hit something, he needed to hurt something, to make them pay penance for the sin this hole currently bathed him in.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't come here for you." He lied, forcing himself to look at serious as possible, but instead coming off as guilty and slightly ashamed. "I'm sorry, but I'm looking for mares of the... younger persuasions."

He wanted to slam his head into the wall for what he'd said, he wanted to bite his tongue off and cast into an acid bath. The shame wouldn't be in vein, he'd make them pay for forcing him to say such things.

"Ohhh, so we're a little filly lover, are we?" She chuckled again, backing away and regaining her "professionalism". She offered to take him to get what he needed, claiming that she didn't judge on ponies preferences, but had to make sure he wasn't a cop or of the guard. "You understand, yes?"

Valiar nodded, he wasn't registered and nopony around would recognize him, so it wasn't of concern. She left for a couple of minutes and returned with a few other ponies. Six shady looking characters and two minatuar carrying crossbows. The three stallions and mares looked at him with scrutiny, each judging him and seeing if they could recognize his features. None could and gave the okay for his continence. 

"Glad to see you're not an informant." His escort declared happily. "Though before  I take you in the back, I do warn you now. Should the guard hear of this and preform a raid, we will look for you, we will find you, and we will grind your testicles into the dirt, we will kill every last member of your family, and we will make you watch." She whispered, her face growing closer and closer with every word, her voice maintaining its seduction and longing, taking on an overwhelming sadism to it.

If he had any doubt before, it was gone now. She was going to suffer his wrath just as much who orchestrated this mess would. He lifted himself up and followed her out of the room back into the hallway.

As he was lead down the path to the back, his mind slowly began to simmer as a smile slowly crept onto his face. It was the biggest bust he'd ever done. He'd caught pedophiles before, cleansing them in fire and granting them both death and forgiveness as they begged for both. The few murderers around Trottingham were offered the same. He wasn't one to give forgiveness, but being the judge, jury and executioner it felt appropriate.

What drove such sick and twisted behavior? What lead one to want sex with foals? He didn't know, Tatarus was full of nightmarish beings, he theorized that they had something to do with it. Healthy and untainted ponies didn't indulge or conceive of  such sick fantasies. They didn't rape and hurt foals, they didn't commit the most intimate of acts with ponies they didn't even know, they didn't taint their bodies with substances and healthy ponies didn't indulge the pleasures of the flesh so frivolously.

As his train of thought continued, his smile grew in both size and mania. He had to clean the filth, he had to purge the rot so it didn't infect the rest of society! Yes, he not only had to do it, but he got the pleasure of it. Such sickness shouldn't be allowed to exist, how long before it tainted the rest of them? Foals being stolen from their homes en mass to sate the sickly urges of the undesirables? Of the unclean? Of the rot. 

No, no. He'd end them. He'd save those thousands, perhaps millions of ponies and more from the evils that lurked in these halls. He'd protect the innocent and the pure.

She stopped him as they reached the end of the hall, a thick metal door standing in their way. "Are you ready, my dear? You may find somethings behind here rather shocking in the best of ways." She giggled.

Valiar kept his head low but nodded and his escort pulled open the door. Little did she know, she was also opening the gate. The gate that held back his madness and hate, the gate in which he'd kept so closely guarded and hidden. The gate that would unleash all of his malicious burning fury of righteousness, bringing naught but death and suffering to any and all who were tainted by the rot.

  




> Gods of Government
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Gods of Government






Malich sat at his desk, reading over reports of strange activity in Zeborica. The changelings there had become more invasive of the local zebras. The problem had gotten so bad that the zebra chiefs had sent out runners to raise an army and combat the threat. Raids on various tribes, foals being taken or devoured in front of their families. Actions that were far too brutal and out of character for the typically docile bugs was becoming almost common place.

The changelings there thrived on the emotional energy waves of fear, and they were installing alot of it. Though, it was also counter intuitive, considering they were killing their live stock as well as the food source. They had to know what they were doing was foolish in nature, their queen, from what had been observed, was an intelligent being.

There was nothing indicating the cause, but Malich had a small pit in his stomach that he knew why. When you'd captured a colony's queen, they were sure to get restless in trying to find her. But that theory didn't make sense either. They had a queen already, they must have, how did they breed without one?

The stallion placed the reports down and placed his head into his hooves. What did he care? There was a good thousand miles of sea between the Federation and Zeborica. The changelings there were of little concern, save the test subjects they brought. Speaking of which, the arrival of new specimens should have been delivered to the facility earlier today. Which was a good thing, considering what had happened to the rest.

It was fascinating, terrifying and heartbreaking. Everyone in the facility was so busy gawking at the newly born queen to take notice at first, but the fact was more than apparent once the swooning was done.

Every single hosting Zebra had died simultaneously as the first queen was birthed, and with them, the parasites within. Elsa demanded the authority to  dissect the hosts to find out why the deaths had occurred. This lead to quite a shocking revelation, the parasites, each and every parasite that had matured enough showed signs of becoming queens themselves.

It was baffling to every single scientist who worked on the project. Even Voltare was at a loss for words. It didn't make any sense, why would there be so many queens in one place? But that's when it hit Malich, it made perfect sense. How did a colony expand? By sending a queen outside of its territory to form her own brood. He hypothesized that there was a link of some kind that connected the brood mother to the parasites and if that connection was ever severed than the parasites would develop passed the point of a drone and into a new colony matriarch.

What solidified that theory farther was that the dead queens had infact died just as, or a few minutes after, the surviving changling was birthed. He figured that they picked up on the wavelength of the new matriarch and simply stopped their cycle of birth. It made sense, competition of newly born brood mothers wasn't a good thing, so mass suicide of the unformed competition was in order if they weren't to kill each other over resources and control of the brood.

Still, that left them with seventeen dead zebra and no way to tune into the bio frequencies on which the queen operated. They'd need to wait for another shipment and hope that the parasites would accept the new queen as their own and that their infection being from another mother wouldn't result in alien rejection. Malich wasn't above infecting illegal immigrant zebras or prisoners to acquire his goals, but he'd rather avoid it if he could. What they were doing was already illegal in the eyes of the Federal Senate and most every citizen in the country. Abducting fellow countryfolk would arise suspicion and make citizens start asking questions.

Questions were never a good thing. Well, they were, but not to his plans, and certainly not now. Soon he'd bask in the questions the populace would be asking, he'd be happy about their intelligence and wisdom. It was the whole point of this, after all. But not yet, not yet. There was still so much to do, so much work to be done and time was running out.

Triple M. had been propping up the entire North New Equine economy for the past three months. Some time ago, Malich had ordered a Rothschild Raid on the market. Selling high and buying low in an attempt to purchase every lick of stock he could get his hooves on. The Liberty Syndicate, a HUGE thorn in his side, must have received word of his plan and organized a buy back counter initiative. It didn't matter though, the Rothschild run was about a mass acquiring of stocks for penny's one the bill, and his company bought new stocks each and every day. When the time finally came for him to enact his plan, he'd have more than enough to wreck the economy and send the entire nation into chaos.

Their efforts to stop him would mean nothing in the end.

The vice president smiled and pushed up from the chair as he locked the door to his office and found another place to sit. A rather nice and cushy bean bag chair, it was childish and would make him the laughing stock of the business world if he was ever found in such a compromising situation. But he'd locked the door, so it was all good.

His thoughts drifted from all the work he was in the middle of and all the work that was left to be done and shifted to memories back in time. Back in time to a single moment, the moment that inspired everything he was doing, everything he was working so hard for.





  "Sinny? Can you tell me the story of the Run of the Centaur again." A younger ashen colored earth pony asked solumly, devoid of the life and innocence he once held so long ago. His brother had been avoiding him more and more lately, he spent so much time in his research that the foal barely ever talked to him about anything outside of topics like government and history.

"For the last time, stop calling me that. Just call me Sin." The brown coated pegasus decried. using a manipulation horse shoe to continue his writing. "And why do you want me to tell you that again? I've told you a hundred times."

Malich scuffed his hoof against the wooden floor of Sin's room. "Cause there's something I don't get."

Sin scoffed, muttering how children not understanding something wasn't new. "Fine what part?"

"Why did the citizens hate each other so much? Why were they so afraid when they didn't do anything to each other to begin with?"

Sin's pen stopped moving and he gently sat the utensil down. Malich didn't see it at first, but his brother also closed a book called "Why is Life?" A book he'd soon come to be obsessed with.

"Because, Malich, all races: ponies, griffons, minotaurs, dogs, buffaloo, donkeys, and even the centaur are all idiots." Sin stated bitterly. "They are so consumed by their gods t that they can't see past their own ignorance."

"Gods of Government?" Malich asked, tilting his head ever so.

His older brother nodded. "Fear, Apathy and Dogma. All leading to the true god: Complacency. These are the down fall of all sentient civilizations. Fear of the unknown, the Dogma of authority to bring certainty to that fear, Apathy in what is too difficult to change or understand and Complacency to sit back while those in power continue to rule." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if it means ruling the country right into the ground."

Malich, the nine year old colt he was, was hard pressed to comprehend what his brother was saying, but while the words were big, he did understand alot of it, especially Sin's anger. "So, what you're saying is that ponies and them were ready to fight because they were afraid because they didn't know if the others were going to hurt them. And because of being afraid they accepted it when those in authority said they should fight, they were willing to hurt others because they were told to?"

Sin smiled and ruffled his brother's mane. "Hey, you're starting to get it."

While the oaken stallion may have seen the gesture as a simple show of affection, Malich relished in it. He'd wanted his brother to be proud of him, to show that he was just as smart and capable as he was. The praise he was getting was beyond words as to the joy it brought. Though that also posed another question. Why did governments exist in the first place?

"For the same reason." Sin answered. "They are the Authority everyone craves the Dogma of, and shift responsibility onto so they can be Apathetic and not have to deal with the Fear of it All. Ultimately leading to them falling into Complacency in their illusion of security." 

The stallion sighed and looked down at his book, Malich knew he had to have read it at least a dozen times but each time he came to a new conclusion. He suddenly found the book in front of him and looked up at his brother. "Take it." He smiled. "Something to remember me by."

"You're leaving?" The ashen pony gasped. Sin nodded his head and explained that his years in secondary school would be with Mandylion. "Oh, okay then."

He was heartbroken, Malich didn't have too many friends. None of them were interested in the things he was interested in. They were too busy playing hoofball and talking about the latest plays that came to town. They couldn't even define the word economy, let alone understand it enough to talk about it.

Sin gave his brother a hug, making promises to visit around Hearths Warming, if their father allowed it that was. Gemini had little love for his eldest son ever since what he'd done to his wing. Malich wanted to tell him that he didn't need to do it, that he should have flown and enjoyed being the pegasus he was, but when confronted, all he could do was gratefully smile for the sacrifice. He didn't want to make it in vein, and when you're six years old, it's kinda hard to figure out what was best for your elder.

Their father didn't agree though and had given up on Sin. He offered the pony a job in his corporation, of course, but he never pressured him again. Malich, on the other hand, was the new chosen son, the new protege who would succeed him. After Sin left, the ashen colt was subjected to studying economics and psychological theory as to determine how best to handle the growing customer base.

One would have thought his fierce intelligence and hunger for knowledge would make him an ideal for school, the perfect straight A student, however nothing could have been farther from the truth. Malich despised his schooling, he found it to be a waste of time even before his brother dropped out. Gemini was an intelligent stallion, and from what he'd heard of his mother before her passing, she was equally so. Of course, his father would never settle for anything less.

The school work they gave him was maddening when he was in middle school, getting him to pay attention was neigh impossible. But during secondary it was how easy the work was that made him not want to do it. Well, either the ease or the pointlessness of it all. He had no interest in mathamatics aside from economics. English and History were child's play and science, while the outcomes were fascinating, was boring. Though, he'd managed to graduate with honors at the top of his class when he finally buckled down for the second half of his last year. A+ Student, placard and picture on the wall, all of that rubbish he couldn't care less about.

Though through all the discipline and all of the mindnumbing blandness of his teenage years; he'd always make time for his personal studies, mainly in the book his brother left him and inherent immorality of government. 







Malich could remember it so clearly, the emotions of unbridled curiosity and anger. Government existed out of fear of the masses. He'd seen the government's inefficiencies and failures. How much of a failing system it offered to those it governed. Buying votes by selling the citizens money back to them in the form of welfare and incentive's reliance on the system rather than allowing the idiots of society to fall to their own laziness and stupidity.

That's where it really all stemmed from, the lazy and the ignorant. Those whom went hungry due to their own incompetence, or those who were so paranoid they were willing to follow someone who claimed they could protect them at the cost of their will and conformity. It was these individuals that created the necessity of government, those so wrapped up in fear and the unknown that they would kill and conquer the innocent and peaceful in the name of preemptive protection rather than stop and think about their actions and how they were being used.

And worse, the two combined in a synergy that played on the compassion and care of their fellows. Pulling at the emotional strings of the decent pony and calling for aid to feed the lazy and make the ignorant feel safe in their idiocy. He believed the term was called "political correctness."

This is where he and his brother disagreed. Malich believed compassion of the masses of intelligent ponies was a virtue, one that was simply abused and needed education in order to correct and differentiate the "wasteful" compassion on those who'd be a drain and "rightious" compassion for those who were simply down on their luck. His brother, on the other hand, believed that compassion was only for the individual to judge for themselves. That such an emotion would only give raise to the drains and leaches of society if it was encouraged.

The ashen pony smiled, the two always fought about that before Sin stopped talking to him. His nostalgic smile faded as a cold grip clenched his heart. The day their father decided to kill Sin's best friend Zell, he remembered how angry his the oaken stallion was and how he'd failed in his promise to keep the pony safe for him.

He hated it, he hated having his only friend in the world hate him. It's not like he didn't try, he sent agents to find Zell and move him to another location. Reports said that the earth pony was located and that his agents tried to reason with him, but to no avail, but Malich feared something like that might happen so he's instructed his agents to act as body guards, but his father must have known. Conno, back when he was new, showed no shame in telling him that he'd ordered his men to stand down at his father's behest and allowed the execution.

After that, he didn't see Sin again until he'd come to Equestria and still wanted to cry to this day over the loathing he'd seen in the pony's icy blue eyes when he looked at him. A pony was killed, his brother hated him, he'd lost the only pony he ever had to talk to, and for what? So Sin would adhear to the beck and call of his father? So he'd jump like a good dog when Gemini demanded him to? Using the power of the Senate for his own personal gain?

No, his brother stood firm and allowed another to die to show he wouldn't be swayed by death or threats, and Malich admired that. That was how government were supposed to be run. If only they weren't run by such despicable and weak creatures.

Government was not the problem, it was merely a symptom of a much more profound disease. A disease that Malich was growing ever closer to eradicating once and for all. Sacrifices would need to be made, lives lost, citizens would go hungry and many would starve, be killed and die of exposure, but the ends justified the means. A few thousand had to suffer for the world they failed to stop so that millions would enjoy the world to come. He'd see the day, the day that marked a new era for all of pony kind. The day where the Gods would finally meet their end, where Fear was traded for Understanding, Apathy was cast aside for Courage and Hope, Dogma for Enlightenment of Facts and Compassion. Where Complacency was exposed for the disgusting and dangerous notion that it was. 

He'd see that era, the era of successful Anarchy.
> Tornado Warning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Tornado Warning




Two weeks had passed since Sin's royal order to remain bound to Ponyville.

He sat relaxing in the corner catching a mid day nap. Saturdays were always nice, especially when a certain wager offered him complete isolation the week prior. It seemed Twilight wasn't in the mood to bother him, which suited him just fine. Aside from a meal to be eaten every other day, there was no interaction with her, and Uppity had yet to show up either.

Though he knew it wouldn't last, and was kinda glad about it. Being alone for a time was nice, but a small part of him craved social interaction.

'I'm so fucking BORED!' Yea, that part.

Work had been going well, he wasn't the new guy anymore since an old donkey named "Cranky" came on board. This struck him as odd, but the old jack proved himself much better than the stallion expected. The two didn't talk much outside of the necessary communication that pushing and steadying a log required, mainly because the sound of the saw's buzzing drowned out anything else, though he couldn't complain about that. Cranky lived up to his name sake.

Even his neck was healing well enough, the dragon scales in his chest would occasionally rub uncomfortably if he bent his forelegs too much, but nothing too bad. The only complaint he really had was when Twilight had bothered him yesterday, but that was about some presentation Rainbow Dash was having on rallying pegasi to help bring water somewhere. He had to find somewhere else to laze about for that night, but all in all, he wasn't complaining. Plus he'd gotten his first pay check which was extremely generous. A couple more of those bad boys and he'd be out of the Library with a down payment for his own house.

He opened his eyes and looked at the clock to find the time was three-thirty and decided to check on Spike. Twilight had something to do with measuring wing powers of ponies. He didn't much care about it, he had other, more important matters to attend to.

As he walked up the stairs, he found Spike moving around a bit more than he had previously. Sitting up and twisting about. It did the Federalist good to see him active and about. "How are you doing, man?"

"I'm doing." Spike replied. The dragon was healing a lot quicker than the doctors had anticipated. He'd stopped having pains from his ribs and arms two days ago, and Sin was convinced by the drake to cut off the cast that held his broken arm. Despite the doctors orders not to do so, but he'd disregarded multiple physician's demands before, what was one more?

Today he was moving around his legs with ease and Spike had a feeling that he'd be well enough to get out of bed by tomorrow morning. Dragon healing properties were simply amazing.

"SIN!" He heard a bark from down stairs and sighed.

"Well, I knew this was coming."

Spike quirked a brow. "You knew Rainbow Dash would be coming?"

"Rainbow?" Sin thought it was Uppity's voice, but in a blur of cyan, there hovered the Pegasus in question. Though she bore some unsual attire, a whistle and a baseball cap. "Huh, so it is."

"Sin, I need your help, pronto!" She commanded, causing the stallion to step back and demand to know what she was talking about. Apparently the presentation yesterday was mandatory for all pegasi in an effort to help bring the Highview resuvuar water up to Cloudsdale for it to be distributed as rain water for the rest of Equestria.

It didn't take much more explination to figure out where this conversation was going. "Fluttershy and Rarity said you were a pegasus, and that means you've gotta help out too."

"Yea, that's not going to happen." He dismissed bluntly.

Rainbow inquired why not and he gave a list of why nots. Firstly, he had work tomorrow. Which he wasn't scheduled to, but volunteers were always accepted on Sundays. Rainbow brushed it off, claiming that all pegasi were excused from work by law to attend the event. Which would explain why Crow hadn't come in yesterday. Finding that excuse to be a bust, the Federalist moved onto a more legitimate reason, he had no interest in doing it.

To no great surprise Rainbow tried to reason with him, claiming that she needed all the pegasi she could get if they were to set a new wing power record. This lead to a bit of back and forth until Rainbow pulled out her trump card. "Does he know? She asked motioning to Spike. "About, you know, what we almost did?"

Sin's furrowed his brows and requested they move to conversation away from Spike, who begged them to returen and tell him what they "almost did".

Finding a place down stairs, Sin explained that he hand't told Spike and would rather keep it that way. If Twilight ever heard about the conspiracy the five of them had almost committed, it would not end well for any of them.

"Fair enough, now will you tell me why you wont help me with this?" She pried again.

"I've told you already, I'm not interested in it."

"Than do it as a favor. I was willing to help you!" Sin gritted his teeth and grunted, he was afraid she'd call him to task on that at some point and here it was. He did owe her for the help she was going to offer, for all he knew she might have died in their plot to save Spike. Though he still had to decline.

"Are you serious?" She growled.

"Look it's... complicated, okay?" Sin replied defensively, hoping beyond hope she'd just let the issue die. Though he may have not known Rainbow long, he knew her long enough to understand his hope was false. As expected she asked what was so complicated about it, he didn't answer and then she played on his guilt and calmly asked him to trust her the same way she trusted him.

"I can't fly, alright?" He barked.

"Can't fly? Whaddya mean ya can't fly? You're a pegasus, you've got wings, don't ya?"

"Aye, that I do, but I haven't used them in years." Finding such an idea laughable, Rainbow grabbed his cape and tossed it over to see for herself.

"Oh my gosh!" She decried, stepping back from him and taking in his bandaged and underdeveloped wings. Judging by the look on her face, Rainbow had never seen anything quite like it. "What happened?"

Her words were soft and devoid of any accusation, only sympathetic curiosity. It was then that Sin told the first Equestrian the story of why his wings had never seen use. His brother was an earth pony who desperately wanted to venture into the sky. He knew this from conversations the two shared about how lucky Sin was to be born as he was and how envious Malich admitted to being.

He loved his brother and didn't want to make him feel bad or jealous, so as a child he'd made a promise to never fly and leave Malich behind. He was about nine years old when his father tried to pressure the pegasus into it, but Sin held firm, convinced that doing so would do damage to the only relationship he cared to have. His father was just as stubborn as he was though and much more irritable since he was in the middle of restructuring his father's company. So the Federalist did the only thing a child his age could do when faced with such pressure.

He broke his wings, he tried to snap them in half, but found the pain too unbearable.

"It was enough to get my old man off my back, though." Sin chuckled. "After that, he must of gotten the hint and never asked me to fly again." He came back to his senses to find Rainbow staring at him skeptically. "What?

"You broke you wings so you'd never fly because you didn't want to upset your brother?" She deadpanned, irritation quickly spreading across her face.

"Yea, more or less." 

The Cyan flyer inhaled deeply before removing her baseball cap and setting it gently on the ground. "Are you stupid?" Her head cocked to the side, giving him a look of patronizing that made Sin want to kick seven puppies. "Do you really think that's what a brother wants? To see somepony he loves limit themselves for their because of them?" Sin opened his mouth to retort but Rainbow cut him off.

"Does the Federation have any idea what a family is? Or are you just so closed off and hateful that you don't?"

Sin, taken aback by the unprecedented accusation spoke: "You think I live in hate? No, I'm a pragmatist, I live in the real world where-"

"No!" Rainbow barked, point a hoof to silence him. "No! No more of your word games. Twilight told me how good you are at twisting things to get out of dealing with your feelings, and I'm not going to let you do it anymore!" She stomped her hoof for emphasis.

Sin quirked a brow and he felt his muscles tense up. So this was his reward for being open and honest huh? Getting yelled at, funny thing was that was how his father treated honesty too. With hostility. Besides, what did she know? Equestrians and Federalists were a great deal different from eachother. He knew Malich would be upset if he'd taken flight, he saw it in his brother's eyes every time he'd see a pegasus in the sky.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled, but to not fly, to never embrace being a pegasus just because you didn't want to hurt your brother's feelings is just... it's just not okay." She quickly apologized though was resolute. It made sense to Sin, from what he'd understood everything in her life revolved around being a winged equine and the thought of it being denied must terrify her.

"Oh? And you presume to know what the objective definition of right and wrong is? You think you knew my brother better than I did?" He retorted, taking a step in challenge. Rainbow lowered herself down, meeting the pony eye to glass covered eye.

"You see, there you go again! Using big words to justify your bitterness!" She declared, pushing her forehead against his in a show of attempted dominance. "I may not know what the 'objective right or wrong is' but I know family, and families don't hate each other when somepony can do something somepony else can't." Sin didn't say Malich would "hate" him for it, but there would be resentment brewing for him and he knew it. His promise was a promise and he intended to keep it.

Sin's patience severely strained, the stallion found the argument too much of a hassle and simply said what she wanted to hear. "Fine, I'm just being bitter. There, happy?"

"No, no I'm not happy!" The flyer decried, stepping back, swiping up her hat and placing it upon her head. "Tomorrow, four A.M. Be ready for a crash course in flying."

  
> Family Counceling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Family Counseling







Mac laid his back against a tree with his hooves behind his head, a half dozen apple cores surrounding him. The sun was well into its decent to night, chlling the already cool air. It had been a relaxing day for him, Granny had given him special order to take the day off on account of Applejack, Annabelle and himself working thmselves so hard to get caught up on the orchard.

He was going to complain, having some down time from work that didn't come attatched with some kind of drama was a welcome respite. He'd done nothing all day except nap, eat and relax.

'This is the life, huh?'

Eyup.

It really was, he needed more days like this one.

He pushed himself upright, slammed his hoof against the tree trunk and caught an apple mid fall before leaning back again and taking a bite. Yea, he needed more days like this one.

"Hey Macintosh?" He heard from his left, Applebloom walked into his vision, her typically cheerful disposition unusually solumn. "Can Ah talk to ya fer a moment?" Mac nodded in approval and listened intently.

"If y'all have a friend who's in trouble but wont accept help, what're ya s'possed to do?" Well, he was the pony to talk to about that, since he'd been dealing with just such a situation.

"That'll depend what kinda trouble they're in." 

His sister scuffed at the grass beneath her hoof, her sadness quickly giving way to discomfort. "Hypofe- Hypote- Hypocritically speaking," she managed in concentration. "Ah have a friend who's not livin' in the best o' conditions. This friends parents, uhmm, are never around for her. It's like she lives alone but wont tell nopony 'bout it. What should Ah do about that?"

Neglectful parents? That was certainly an odd "hypothetical" situation to come out with. He asked if one of her class mates was in trouble or something, but she dismissed the idea a little too forcefully, stating that it was all "hypocritical". She looked at him with baited breath, telling Mac that this wasn't just a case of "what if?" But he also knew that his sister was smart and would take his advice to help fix whatever problem she had come across.

"Well, have ya tried tellin' yer friend tah talk to their parents? Get 'em tah spend more time together?" Applebloom hesitated for a moment, considering her words carefully before answering yes, though according to her, the parents simply dismissed the filly's plea. Mac asked if she was eating or looked sickly in any way. "Nah, she can do fer herself, but it's jest, not right ta be all alone. Ya know?"

That he did. Though he was now questioning if this really was just a hypothetical situation. Ponyville was a great town full of decent and kind folk for the most part. He couldn't imagine a school filly having such neglectful parents as all that. So he told Applebloom to do what he should have done, simply be a good friend and support the foal when they needed it. When it came to those too proud to ask for help, it was really all their was to do while respecting their space.

His sister side and nodded her acknowledgement before beginning to trot back to the farm house. Mac decided to follow her in, having been outside long enough.

The two approached to find Granny Smith rocking in her chair, pushing back and forth slowly with the wood creaking slightly. She smiled at her grandchildren and called them up. "Hey granny! What's fer supper?" His sister chirped, he depression from a few minutes ago completly forgotton.

"Well, Ah'm not sure. Yer sister's friends, Pinkie Pie n Rarity showed up n' was talkin' ta Applejack. They asked fer some privacy n' Ah can't cook out here, little filly." She paused in thought. "Well, not till we get us a grill, anyhow."

Privacy? Why would she... Unless. Mac's eyes widened, he'd hoped beyond hope that she wasn't telling AJ about what they'd almost done. He pushed the door open and quickly made way to the living room, there in he found Pinkie Pie, looking sadly at him, as well as a crying Rarity. His sister, while not in tears did look equally troubled.

"Mac? Could you give us a minute here?" AJ demanded gently. She didn't look at him in spite or anything, so she must not have known, much to his relief. Though Pinkie didn't mind his presence, asking if it would be alright for him to stay, since he was there and saw what she saw.

Taking a look back to make sure he wasn't followed, Mac took a seat on the floor and patiently listened. Even after the two weeks had passed both mares still had nightmares about the incident. They were weakened thanks to Luna's interference in the beginning, but for residents of the quiet little town, such brutality had never been witnessed before.

While Mac had seen things that both rivaled and even surpassed what he saw that day, he learned how to cope with it through a mix of expression and repression. Pinkie was an innocent spirit. A pony of smiles and happiness, it was no surprise she'd be scarred so badly by the event. Neither of them knew how to cope, their various battles and misadventures were dangerous and intimidating, but nothing like this. Rarity, for all of her sophistication and maturity fared no better, he typically immaculate appearance was marred by smeared make up and split ended curled.

Pinkie had resorted to crawling into bed with her foster parents, the Cakes, like a foal to try to get some sleep, but that didn't help. Poor Rarity had sent Sweetie Bell to stay with her parents, finding herself to be much to irritable to care for the filly properly.

This was disturbing news to Applejack, Mac was glad she wasn't there to witness the event. Still, his sister was an empathetic mare who knew how to care for her friends. They continued talking about the depressing subject, fresh tears falling from both mares. Mac wished they hadn't seen it, he'd wished it never happened.

"I just, I don't understand why he did it." Rarity sniffled. "He could have just walked away without so much as a slap on the wrist, but he stayed."

"I know why he stayed." Pinkie admitte with a sigh. "He stayed because he wanted to be responsible. I get that, but... but why did they have to take his eye!"

An eye for an eye. Mac thought to himself, but kept his thought to himself. 

'Maybe you should speak up. They really don't get it.'

They don't understand because they don't want to. They saw what Spike had done just as well as he did, but they weren't used to such brutality. Equestria, especially Ponyville, held ideas like forgiveness and tolerance in high regard. Vengeance and revenge were typically dismissed as "two wrongs don't make a right". But where other cultures were concerned, such belief wasn't shared. Revenge was a right to the wronged, it was penance for the crime committed. While the agreement was never made in writing, there was a standard all beings held eachother to. Sin called it the "Non-Aggression Principal" but that just didn't feel right to say to Macintosh, it was more of a respect of personal space, property and territory, even if no harm was intended. Anyways, such things demanded justice, and justice took different forms t different ponies.

"How 'bout you, Mac?" He looked up to see his sister looking at him in worry. "How are you feelin' 'bout all this?"

"Ah'll be fine." He replied with a smile. He saw Spike healing and felt much better, he knew the drake would be fine, but seeing him made him feel alot better. "Have ya seen Spike yet?"

All three of them remained quiet. Pinkie had been busy trying to get Sugar Cube Corner, AJ had been stuck on the farm, and Rarity had been swamped with orders. The red stallion quirked a brow, those were excuses if he ever heard them and said as much. "Y'all are avoidin' him, aren't ya?"

Pinkie immediately burst into tears, and she was the only one willing to admit as much. His sister remained quiet, simply pondering his words and Rarity looked ready to explode with a mixture of indignation and tears.

"Alrigh' Ah think that's enough." AJ announced before the situation could escalate farther. "Yer righ' about me, brother. Ah have been avoidin' Spike cause Ah'm ashamed Ah wasn't there with ya guys. Ah'll be visitin' him tomorrow, "she turned to her friends, "and Ah'm sure he'd love ta see y'all there too."

Both ponies agreed with silent nods, it was good to have Applejack back, somepony needed to keep her friends honest and in line.

"Good, nao enough o' this heavy stuff, Ah think it's time we did somethin' fun. Feels like Ah ain't seen you girls in forever." The farmer announced, giving both of her friends a hug, one they graciously returned. Finding the tender moment to be one between friends, Macintosh walked back outside as AJ explained her disappearance for the last few weeks.

"Everythin' alright in there?" Granny asked, looking past her grandson and into the door. He nodded and told her that everything was going to be fine. Applejack needed to talk to her friends and they needed her right now, for all the grief and foolishness she'd involved herself in lately, she really was one of the better mares in the world. "Good, cause she's got one more bitta company."

Mac followed her pointing green hoof and his eyes went wide with rage at the stallion who sat behind where Mac stood. There, sitting on his porch, wearing a bow tie and a carrying a bouquet of flowers stood Soarin.








Trotting through town on her own at dusk, Applebloom hurried through town to find Sweetie Bell. She knew she made a promise to never expose a friend when they didn't want to be, but she couldn't just let what she'd herd go without telling somepony. She'd confronted Scootaloo a week ago about camping in the White Tailwoods, and when Applebloom confronted her friend on the matter, Scootaloo dodged her at first, but eventually the farm filly learned about a massive fight that happened between her friend and her friend's parents.

It drove the pegasus filly to tears to have to explain the verbal altercation. There was yelling, lots of yelling. Scoots just wanted to spend some time with them, to be apart of a family, but they were always too busy working. Finally, the orange foal ran away, she promised she'd return home, trying to quell Applebloom's fears, but she'd been checking in on the tent regularly and there were no signs of her friend going home anytime soon.

She'd almost made it all the way to Carousel Boutique before a foal intercepted her, blocking her path to the one friend she could honestly talk to about the matter. "Hey Applebloom, what's the rush?" Scootaloo asked with a forced smile.

Taking a few steps back, Applebloom fidgeted in her reply. "Oh, uh, hey Scootaloo, jes' goin' ta talk to Sweetie for a bit."

"At this time of night?" The orange filly quirked a brow. "What's so important?" 

The farm filly should have known better than to even try to lie. She was terrible at it and in her haste to come up with something convincing, Scootaloo stepped forward with a none to convince scowl. "You wouldn't happen to be going to tell Sweetie Bell about me, would you?"

Knowing her intentions were never going to be hidden, Applebloom sighed and nodded, much to her friend's chagrin. Though the appearance of absolute misery on how badly the issue was tearing the farm filly apart must have garnered sympathy. Scootaloo didn't berate or yell at her, matter of fact her position was the opposite. "Please, Applebloom. You promised me you wouldn't say anything to anypony."

"But it's not right!" The distraught filly countered as tears began to well. "Nopony should have ta go through what yer goin' through alone. Ah know yer proud n' all, but Ah think yer takin' on a bit much. Livin' alone in the woods tah be away from yer family just ain't safe."

The orange filly groaned nervously. "I know that, but it's just... I can't be around it, okay? Just give me a few more days, and I'll figure something out with my parents. Okay?"

The applefilly stared at her friend skeptically, she wanted to believe her but reservations were well in the works. Though, there was another solution to the problem, one that she'd been meaning to bring up since she'd found out a week ago. "Well, there was somethin' else Ah was meanin' tah talk ta ya about." Taking a breath and questioning just how stupid she was for even suggesting it, she asked why her friend hadn't asked Rainbow Dash if she could stay with her. A question that seemed to terrify Scootaloo, who blanched at the suggested.

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how disappointed she would be in me?!" The filly blushed upon realizing how loud she was being and continued her point in a much quieter whisper. "Rainbow Dash is the most awesome pony in Ponyville. How lame would I sound, coming up to her and saying: 'hey Rainbow Dash? Can I stay with you for a bit while my parents are fighting?' Do you realize how pathetic that sounds?!"

Applebloom could see the logic, but argued that the assertion was ridiculous. Rainbow was an adult and the time she'd spent around her, while exposing the mare's arrogance to be more than just for show, did show that the speedster was capable of emotional understanding and caring. She wouldn't find it shameful that a foal that admired her would come to her in her time of need. The loyal pegasus might actually find such an act extremely flattering.

Scootaloo, on the other hand disagreed whole heartedly and stood by her own point. She wanted to gain Rainbow's respect, not her pity. How was she supposed to earn her idol's esteem if she couldn't even handle herself in her own family affairs? To this, Applebloom had no response, she knew it was a silly idea that would be best served to bring to light, but Scootaloo was her friend, she didn't want to put her in a situation where her trust would be in question.

"Look, give me a few weeks. I just need some time to figure some things out, alright?" 

Applebloom perked up at the promise, but only a little bit. Scootaloo was only a filly, barely ten years of age, and taking residence within a wood far away from the comforts of home and society was an environment that was no place for a foal; especially for such a length of time. However, as much as she may not like it, she agreed to defer to her fiend's judgement on the condition that she'd do it soon.

Thanking her repeatedly, Scootaloo beamed and offered to walk the filly back to the farm. With dejection and a deep sense of unease, Applebloom walked in silence, sincerely hoping her decision to keep quiet wasn't a decision she'd come to regret.

> Fight or Flight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Fight or Flight





Sin quietly opened the door the Library entrance and swiveled his head around to see if anyone was outside. Nothing was to be seen but the typical empty streets for the wee hours of the morning. He chanced one last look at the clock to see that he had a full hour before Rainbow's threatened visit and walked out the door.

He smirked as he made it down the street without any complications and finally began to relax. She wasn't going to find him, she was probably still asleep, the pegasus didn't know where he worked, so all he had to do was get to White Tailwood and he'd be home free. 

A sudden sound of trotting from behind froze him in place and set his ears into a swivel. He looked back to see nothing, and heard the trotting stop. That was never a good sign. 

The Federalist turned around and began walking backwards for a little bit, knowing he heard the sound from behind and waited for any motion in his view. He made it another street down before relaxing again. 

What is wrong with me? I'm acting ridiculous, I can just say no to her if she does find me.

'Yea, but you're not going to.'

What makes you say that?

'The fact you already know you can say no and are still creeping about to avoid having to do it.'

That was a fair point, but he really wasn't in the mood for confrontation either. Rainbow was a temperamental mare from what he'd observed, she was loyal to a fault but she had a type of arrogant personality he couldn't stand for very long. If he was going to stay in Ponyville for any length of time, avoiding her was within his bes-

His thoughts were cut short as he felt something pounce on him and suddenly lift him into the air. His breath caught and eyes widened as the ground below grew farther and farther away. "What the hell!" He wrapped his forelegs around the blue forlegs that held him aloft. "Ms. Dash!"

"You were going the wrong way." Rainbow chuckled. "My house was in this direction." Whether she didn't know of his intent or was being sarcastic Sin couldn't tell, he was too busy clinging to her for dear life as he was flown at least two hundred feet in the air over town. Soon he found himself on the ground again, just bellow a floating cloud house donned with small rainbows, olden style Pegaopolian pillars and even a Rainbow fall.

"Glad to see you up and about so early though, it takes that kind of initiative to get better after what you've done."

Sin glowered at the mare as she hoovered above him and began his argument against her but quickly found himself cut off. "Nope, don't care, you're going to fly."

'Ha! Nice.'

This was going to be a battle of wills, and Rainbow was stubborn with a capital S. 

"Look, I would really appreciate it if you'd just help out, I'm already having a hard enough time with Fluttershy, I don't want to have to keep fighting you on this. Now take off your cloak and give me a few wing ups." She stared at him expectantly, but the Federalist didn't budge. He wasn't even sure he could lift his wings, let alone put his weight on them.

Growling in frustration, Rainbow readied herself to pounce again, but Sin was ready this time and though he knew he wasn't as strong as she was, he'd be damned before he gave in without a fight.

Though what he didn't take into account was her speed. "SHIT!" He sputtered as he was tackled, he tried to wrestle against her, but quickly found that she was even stronger than he originally thought. "Ms. Dash, would you kindly get off of me?" He grunted, attempting to stand as she placed the entirety of her weight onto his back. He felt her grab his cloak and struggled against the knot against his chest.

"Take off da Coak!" She growled as she pulled on it with her teeth. Sin grabbed the knot in an attempt to stop it from coming undone. He struggled against her pull until the fabric began to tear. "Itsh coming off un way er anover!" She managed before the an even louder tear completely ripped it down the middle.

"FUCK! ALRIGHT ALREADY!" Sin barked rolling the mare off his back. That was his last freaking cape! And she ruined it! He stood up and looked her in the eye, maintaining eye contact as he removed the remaining tatters of the tanned fabric as he planned his next move. He had no plans of letting her get away with such aggression.

"Good, glad you saw things my wa-" 

TWAK!

She side stepped to keep her balance from the right hook Sin had lobbed at her cheek. Grunting, the now naked stallion stepped to her as she swiveled her head back to look at him blankly. "Don't ever do that again."

Rainbow merely stared at him, her face completely devoid of emotion. It was kinda scary with how expressive she usually was. "Are you done?" She asked, her voice just as blank as her face. Sin quirked a brow, he wasn't sure how to respond to the question. He was done, but... what?

"What do I have to do to get you to at least try?" 

He knew of one thing, but was it a good idea? He thought about it for a second and the look in her eye convinced the Federalist that she was going to fight him on this tooth and hoof. "I'll make you a deal, if you beat me in a gamble, I'll do whatever it takes to fly. Should you fail, you drop this whole business." He smirked, a game already forming in his head. She was a jock type, athletic types weren't known for their intelligence.

"Alright." Rainbow agreed, her ghostly expression in full maintenance. "What's the game?"

"Got any cards?"

Rainbow quirked a brow before disappearing into her house and reappearing with a full deck. Sin smirked and asked for three. He asked her to pick one card and he'd pick another. His card was the two of hearts while hers was the ace of spades, it didn't matter to him, though. Even if the third card was picked, she'd still lose she hadn't technically beaten him.

He turned around and shuffled the three together before turning around and presenting them faced down. It was a risky gamble, but it was two to one odds in his favor. 

"Yes!" She chirped, having taken the middle card to find the Ace of Spades.

'HA! Owned.'

"Fucker." He mumbled under his breath. It was just then he realized what he'd done. The promise he'd made to himself all those years ago, he just placed that on a card game. Wow, that was grossly irresponsible. Why did he do that?

'Because a part of you does want to fly.'

That was... true. Part of him really did want to take to the sky. To fly where ever he pleased, the wind, the rush of air, the freedom to travel anywhere he wanted. Sin had denied his pegasus instincts and urges for so long that he finally stopped feeling them as anything more than background noise, but that didn't stop him from longing for the sky as every pegasus did.

All the same, he'd made a deal. His word and reputation were the only thing he had now and intended to keep himself honest. Well, as honest as he could.

"Good, make it twenty wing ups." The stallion groaned and tried to explain that he hadn't used his wings in much too long to even attempt such a thing. The flyer wouldn't have it though and asked if he could at least lift them. Deciding the pain of the argument wasn't worth it he sent the will into his body, but the appendages didn't give the desired response. They moved a little, but only ever to the point he moved them to wash himself. Moving above that point sent sharp cramps lancing through the joints and his spine.

He attempted the feat a few more times, slowly finding it a personal challenge to raise them just a little more each time, but the cramps continued to stop him. He quickly began to pant and sweat from both pain and exertion, but he did manage to get them half way up before Rainbow stopped him. "Give me a second." He growled, he wasn't about to be bested by his own fucking anatomy. Though a cyan hoof pushed his wing back down.

"Alright, take a break dude. You've been at this for an hour, you look like you're about to pass out." Rainbow said in concern. Sin shrugged her off and whipped his head off with a hoof. He immediately looked down at his now soaked foreleg, he had broken more of a sweat than he thought he had. Wait, an hour? Had that much time passed?

Rainbow nodded, pointing to the sky, which was now taking on the lighten purple hue that signaled an hour before dawn. That had to have meant it was almost five o'clock, how did so much time pass so quickly? He'd have sworn he was at it for only a few minutes.

"You really think that?" Rainbow asked, handing him a water bottle that she didn't have before which he took gratefully. "Sin, I've had time to get all my morning exercises in, watch you, and do my morning routine." 

Really? He knew when he got into a challenge he could concentrate on it like no other, but that was just... wow.

He took a drink and quelled his parched throat, the burning in his wing joints beginning to become more pronounced as the muscles simmered, he was seriously going to regret this tomorrow morning. After the break, he began attempting to raise them again, moving just a little closer to a full stretch each time, but continually falling to the pain. To anyone else it would look utterly pathetic, but to him it was a grueling test of his own perseverance.

He'd managed to get them all the way to a 70 degree angle before Rainbow stopped him again, saying that the two needed to get down to the park so she could coach the rest of the town's pegasi. The water transport would take place within five days time, and she was going to whip all of Ponyville into shape.

He had to run to keep up with her, but the two quickly made it to the outskirts of the park to find only two of the townsfolk had arrived. The sun was just peaking over in the east and Rainbow wasn't too pleased with the turn out. "Cloudchaser, Flitter, where is everypony? I said to meet in the park at dawn."

The two shared a nervous look. Both lilac ponies with white manes. One with her mane a spikey styled mess who wore a little too much eye liner and another who kept her hair more feminine with a pink bow, but also seemed the more timid of the, what he guessed were, twins.

"Sorry Dash, guess we're the only ones who showed up." The rougher pony replied, he sister keeping her eyes low.

Rainbow slammed her hoof against her forehead and gave the two an order to fly a few laps around the park. "I guess you should just keep focusing on lifting your wings while we wait for the rest of them to show up." Sin nodded and returned to what he was doing, he hated having to restart the exercise since it always left his muscles stiff and cold, but he'd felt worse before. "Hmmm, yea. You'll need some wing therapy at some point." She commented offhandedly.

It was true, if his appendages were ever going to lift anything, they'd need to be healed properly. Though, he wasn't sure how that would happen, since wings were supposed to grow with the ponies using them.

He continued his attempts to raise his wings, though as time went on, grew more self conscious over the growing number of ponies who'd come to the park. When it was just Rainbow and the two mares, all of whom were too busy with themselves to pay him much attention it was fine, but now there were dozens of pegasi around along with a few earth pony and unicorn spectators. He'd see their eyes wonder to his now naked form from time to time and talk among themselves.

At first the stallion tried to ignore them, but quickly found his self consciousness kicking in. They were judging him and he knew it, which prompted an end to his attempts. 

Sin hated being judged, who didn't? Though that was the funny thing about him. He could take being hated, jeered and scorned by anyone. That he was used to, but to be laughed at? To have others continually looking at him and giggle to themselves and their friends, or speak with one another in concern? That was a different beast.

Ponies hating him was in his comfort zone, ponies laughing at him or pitying him was not. He pondered for a moment why that was, though. Why was he alright with some stigma but not another? Why was the thought of others snickering about him such a cause for duress? Try though he might to find a logical conclusion, he couldn't come up with one.

'Maybe it's because you're a little bitch?'

Was that it? Was it because he was just being a little wimp about it?

'Woah, you're serious? Damn, ummm, forget what I just said. Because it's humiliating maybe? I mean, hating you is one thing, but at least there's a respect required for it.'

Sin frowned as he thought the idea over. It did require a certain amount of accomplishment for someone to hate you. Hate was an emotion who's power rivaled love, those who hated him took him seriously, they knew how dangerous he was to their interests. Those laughing at him? They didn't even acknowledge him as a potential, he was just a joke in their eyes.

He hated being looked at as a joke.

"Ugh, Sin, have you seen Fluttershy?" She asked him in frustration. Sin shook his head, surprised she expected the timid pegasus to be here. Sighing, Rainbow beckoned him to follow, shouting some more orders for to the rest to continue working, threatening consequences for any who she found slacking off.

As the two made way for, what he assumed was Fluttershy's cottage, the oaken pony breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be away from the prying eyes of ponies he didn't know. Though he was still questioning why it bothered him so much.

"Hey, can you do me a favor and wait her a minute. No offense, but Flutters really doesn't like you." Rainbow stated bluntly before trotting up past the bridge that lead to the mare's cottage.

'Well, now what?'

Guess we wait until she's done with whatever this is and see what happens.

'Hmmm, interesting.'

Eh?

'It's not like you to follow someone else's lead like this.'

I made a deal and have to stick by my word.

"FLUTTERSHY! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" He heard her bang on the timid pony's door, demanding to know why she was avoiding Tornado Duty.

The door opened to reveal the desired mare covered head to hoof in red circles and looking awfully pathetic. Around her was a pink robe that added to her sickly appearance. Sin couldn't hear what was being said, but he had to bite his tongue to restrain from laughing at seeing Rainbow douse the poor pony in a bucket of water.

'HA! That was awesome! And look! Those circles are coming right off!'

Faking an illness to get out of a job? Wow, that's just sad.

'Hypocrite.'

What?

'Oh, I don't like to be judged or laughed at by others, but I'm going to judge and laugh at a mare I don't even know.'

Difference is that I'm not laughing at her.

'Yes you are, just not on the outside.'

He waited a few minutes, attempting to lift his wings to pass the time until a very cheereful Rainbow and terrified looking Fluttershy exited the small home. "Great news, Fluttershy is on board!" The former declared, holding her friend up and squeezing her dainty form in one leg.

'Yea, because she's going to be loads of help in... whatever the hell we're doing.'





'Damn, now I just feel like an ass.'

Why? You were right.

'Yea, but still, she got a score of like 0.5.'

Sin looked at the heart broken yellow mare caught in the middle of a large gathering of animals, who blocked Rainbow Dash from tending to her distraught friend. Sin wasn't asked to stay his place this time, but an extremely large grizzly bear glaring at him from the bridge to the meddow was an incentive to keep him where he was.

Yea, but to be fair, she slowed down at the end because she was being laughed at. 

'Is... Is that pity I hear? By Tapio, it was!'

No, it wasn't pity so much as empathy. Sin had to admit, loathed he may be to do so, he understood where she was coming from. It was hard not to, tensing up and floundering due to stage fright and others laughing at you? Seeing your best attempt reduced to something to be scoffed at? He'd like to criticize, but he had no right to. In all actuality, he'd have probably done the same in the face of such humiliation.

He felt sorry for her, but in a place not out of superiority so much as a place of equal footing. 

It took a solid half hour, but both mares approached him, Fluttershy desperately trying to hid her face in Rainbow's neck. "Alright you two, here's the deal. Fluttershy can't handle stage fright and you can't fly. So, I'm going to have you two work together for-"

"WHAT!" Both pegasi cried in distraught unison.

"Ms. Dash, are you sure that's the best idea?" Sin asked, being the first to do so. 

"Yea, I mean, I don't like him one bit. No offense." She quickly apologized, pushing a special button that the stallion had reserved specifically for those who felt they should apologize for their opinions to avoid conflict rather than embrace it.

"Look. Both of you need to up your game, and neither of you do well around other ponies." She looked between the two of them and pointed out how she observed both of them displaying behaviors correlating to discomfort of public viewings and suggested that the two of them observe each other as a means to desensitizing themselves from the ensuing stage fright. At least, that's what Sin got out of he rant.

"But Rainbow please, he scares me and he's mean." She whispered a little two loudly.

It was true, he was scary and mean, but that's how he liked it. He attempted to argue his case as well, he and Fluttershy agreeing against her but Rainbow stood fast. It was at his point Sin finally came to a terms with the fact that this was going to be much more painful than he originally thought.






"Hello Uppity! Good to see you again." Twilight greeted cheerfully as she carried a fan like measuring device in her magic, though her cheerfulness quickly subsided as she took a closer look at the orange pony who'd just entered her library. Her mane wasn't the newly styled braid that Uppity had doned so perfectly last week. Now it was a mess of frays and dishevelment made mane and placed ontop of her head. Her eyes were blank and hollow, devoid of their usual playfulness and assertiveness.

"Good afternoon Twilight, It's good to see you again." She forced a smile. It didn't lack genuine happiness to see a pony she considered a friend, but it wasn't a smile that came of it's own accord either. "I'm here for Sin's check in."

Twilight nodded and mentioned that he wasn't here, but had been escorted to Fluttershy's cabin by Rainbow Dash after a humiliation the pink maned pegasus had endured. Uppity asked why he had gone along with them, to her shock Twilight explained that he'd lost a bet and was under obligation to appease Rainbow's requests.

She asked where the cottage was and made way out the door, her chest growing increasinly tighter. What bet had he made with her? Why was he at pegasus flight training. A small idea formed in her head, but she didn't want to think about it.

Though, as she approached the cottage, she couldn't deny what she was seeing. There, standing naked of his typical cloak, stood Sin dripping with sweat while he attempted to life his bandaged wings. A small creeping of indignation and betrayal coursed through her as she continued her approach finally coming up to him.

"Sin? What are you doing?" She asked, hoping that it wasn't what it looked like. Sadly her suspicions were proven right. The Federalist was stretching out his wings in a soon attempt to fly. The orange unicorn couldn't believe it, she'd been trying for so long to make him use his wings and he wouldn't budge, yet some other mare accomplished what she couldn't...

Was she... was she not good enough? What did Rainbow have that she didn't? The bet? Why in the world would he take a gamble on such a thing? Slowly, her indignation and anger grew, but her neutral expression remained the same. She was already upset with him over the cheat he'd made against her as well as his demand to be left alone. Both she saw as rejections against her, but this was enough to almost make her resent him.

"Did you need something?" He asked, breaking Uppity of her concentration. She took a, breath and retrieved a scroll and tossed it to him in her magic.

"I didn't get you what I promised about the Everfree, so I owe you one for that." She declared, her voice an erily similar neutral to the one Rainbow had a few hours before. "That order is from Princess Celestia herself, she's been informed about the Ponyville budget misalocations. You've been given authorization to investigate the current regulations and budgets as a delegated Treasurer to her majesty."

Sin stopped his exercise and reached out tentatively for the scroll. "You feeling alright?" He asked in his typical dry tone, underpins of annoyed concern present.

'No you idiot! I'm furious with you right now!' Uppity didn't reply to his question, knowing that Sin would probably just justify himself in some way that revolved around his selfishness like he always did.

"You've been ordered to appear at the Mayor's office tomorrow afternoon for orientation. Ensure you aren't late." And with that, the mare turned away and began walking to the train station. She kept her stone face until she boarded the train, once safely away from prying eyes, Uppity allowed the tears to fall. Tears of hurt, betrayal and inadequacy. She tried so hard to get Sin to open up, to get him to do what was best for himself, and where she failed, another succeeded with such little effort.

She felt the train lurch forward and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. Uppity may have been socially awkward, but she had pride and dignity. She wouldn't allow herself to wallow in pity, even if the emotional pain was one that made her sick to her stomach.
  



> Comprehension & Consequence 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Comprehension & Consequence
 



"Alright, careful, careful..." Small beads of sweat drifted down Spike's head as he worked his sharpened claw downwards, in small mistake and the pain to come would be enormous. "Easy, almost there... and... AHA! Got it!" He declared happily as the cast on his arm fell uselessly to the ground by the bed.

He twisted his arm and wrist around to check for pain or limited mobility, happy to find neither present. Thank Celestia for his dragon body, he couldn't imagine how other ponies managed to tolerate being bed ridden for eight weeks when two had nearly driven him insane. Jumping onto his freshly healed legs, save a nice little nip where he'd learned the lesson of slow and stead, the drake stretched out his body for the first time in what felt like forever.

Parched from his untimely cast removal, the drake took a few tentative steps to the kitchen to get something to drink. His legs didn't feel right, but he chalked it up to not being in use for so long. A few days of getting his muscles back up and he'd be right as rain.

"Let's see here." He declared opening the fridge and finding some delicious orange juice. "Ah! There we go." He pulled out the citrus rich beverage, opened the carton, grabbed a glass and proceed to fill it and empty it. He may have been injured, but he still had his class.

'Mmmm, feels good to be up and about again.'

Yea, and now Twilight wont have to wait on my hoof and hoof now.

He sat at the table with a fresh glass and enjoyed the act of sitting on something that wasn't a bed. He stretched out his tail one more time just because he could and relaxed into the the backrest to ponder what he'd do next. He didn't know on the grander scale what he wanted, but the drake was certain that getting out of the library would be a good start. 

He chugged the remaining juice and caught the scent of something atrocious, his scales, his entire body hadn't been cleaned properly in two weeks, it shouldn't have been as big of a shock that he'd smell like plot. Maybe a shower being the first order of business was a better idea. 

He placed his dish into the sink and quickly made way for the bathroom upstairs, keeping his arm and nose as far apart as he could. Grabbing a towel from the closet, Spike smiled to himself as anticipation began to grow. He hadn't had a shower in too long, and he could already feel the tension in his muscles melting away from the hot water soothing into them.

Though, as he walked into the bathroom, a sight to his right made him freeze in place. Flinching from the emotion of it all, the drake forced himself to turn and see what he looked like, to see the truth that everypony else would soon see. His one green eye took in the sight and he didn't know how to feel. Everything from his head down looked pristine, butt he white bandage that covered his left eye was a stark contrast to that.

He lifted a claw and remembered all the times he had to clean out the eye socket. It was a feeling that made him throw up the first time he was conscious for it. It felt so wrong, having a staril pad or que tip push so far into his cranium and push into places he didn't even know had feeling. He sometimes felt a fuzzy feeling in his socket, doctors referred to this as akin to a phantom limb where the body part that was taken still feels like it was there.

Bracing himself, Spike slowly reached up and felt for the binding of the bandages. The doctors said that the orbital was to receive no water unless staril to prevent infection until the socket either healed shut or he got a glass eye, so he'd either need to get goggles or clean it right after his shower.

Unwrapping the bandages, he held off just as the last of the wraps were done. He'd never seen the scars before, he'd felt Twilight and Sin clean the socket a few times until he could do it himself, but feeling and seeing were vastly different things. His arms shaking, the drake gulped and gently pulled the bandages down to reveal a sight that nearly made him loose the orange juice he'd drank.

He stood in awe of the massive crater that covered damn near half of his face, the discoloration and unnatural appearance only added to the hideousness of it. He lifted a claw and stopped short just of where his eye had been and pushed into the indent, past the phantom eye and into the crater. It looked and felt so wrong. He stood there for thirty minutes, just staring at his refelction, coming to terms with the fact that this is what he looked like now.

A small drop escaped his remaining eye and fell to the floor. He knew it would be bad, but this? He'd never, he could never have mentally prepared himself to see. A few more tears flew liberally leading to a hicup, and then a sob. Seconds later, the drake fell to his knees and cried, he cried and cried, begging something within him to restore what was lost.

Denial was a subtle thing some times, one could say they acknowledge a fact but never really think about it because they didn't see it all the time. Most days, aside from cleaning, he didn't even acknowledge he was missing his eye, he just tried not to think about it and carry on as if it wasn't true. But staring himself in the face, seeing the damage and horror he'd become, denial was absolutely hopeless.

"Why did I have to go in there?" The drake asked himself through the tears. "Why couldn't I have just let it go?" His emotions were a mix of pain and anger, it was a stupid decision that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. The entire time he'd been in bed, he could only think about the wrong he'd done, but now he was acknowledging the wrong done to him. How would other ponies look at him? With pity? With skepticism? What farther consequences would follow the stupidest decision of his life?

Slowly, his mind grew blank as the questions and emotions hit their boiling and simmering points. Unable to think clearly about anything, Spike stood from his place and slowly dragged his feet to the shower, turning the water on and stepping inside and letting the warm water cascade down his body. He didn't think, didn't feel, didn't move, he simply stood in front of the flow on autopilot as realization truly set in on just how different his life was going to be.







Malich sneered as he read over some reports from the Vale. Six of his griffon mercs were deployed to investigate a growing camp of Zeborican migrants into the area. None of them had been heard from for the past two weeks and that meant on of two things; his assets were either capture and kill or they'd gone rouge

The latter was a rarity, but it did happen from time to time. Triple M. had employed all races and the incentives for their mercenaries were unmatched by any security or relocation company. Though what solidified it was that not a single one of them had returned. One or two leaving in the middle of a mission was understandable, but six? No, that was too many. Somebody was messing with Malich's assets, and the ashen pony didn't take kindly to someone messing with his assets.

And what was the best way to ensure such destruction of his assets wasn't seen as tolerable? Why an over reaction of force and violence of course.

"Radclif!" He barked, slamming the file down, garnering the older stallion to enter his office. "Take an official order, I want the Thanatos Seven deployed to the Vale immediately! Tell Slade to head the investigation and slaughter any who get in his way!" The older stallion's eyes went wide. 

"Sir? Are you sure that's a wise course of action?" Radclif wasn't as naive as he lead his boss on to believe, he'd read many of the reports Malich received for... alternative reasons, but he did know about the Thanatos Project and the destructive capabilities there in. Dragon Riders weren't known for their subtly. But Malich demanded his judgement not be questioned, he was in no mood for such things. It wasn't about the money so much as it was about the reputation. To harm Triple M. employees was to harm Triple M. And that kind of disrespect and humiliation was the biggest button anyone could push.

"That's an order. Tell them to find out what happened to the team that was dispatched for the Vale investigation, File," He paused to look down at the paper. "22-114. I want to know what happened and I don't care how they find out." Any resistance Radclif would have offered was quickly smashed by the look of unbridled hatred in Malich's icy blue eyes. He knew better than to challenge him when he got this angry.

"Will do, sir." He quietly closed the door, leaving the Vice president to his thoughts. He couldn't let word of this get out to the general public, the entirety of North New Equine used Triple M. as a police force to keep the population in line. And with the economy slowly easing its way back into recession, the security forces were being called more and more every day to investigate various crimes that started to pop up more and more. 

The Senate was on his back again, though this time they were trying to get back into his good graces. They needed money to pay off the exuberant debts they were occurring, not that it mattered, considering the deficit was enough to make any good business pony hurl in disgust. He could give them all the money in the Federation, and they'd spend it all in a year's time. So many of the politicians in the Pegasi/Unicorn consortium were so bent on "saving" the country from itself that they promised damn near socialism to get elected. 

Of course, those chickens would come home to roost soon. He'd just need to hold things together long enough to see it prepared for and used to his advantage.

He sighed and looked back at the file. He felt his anger on the raise and quickly looked away. He needed a break from this place, he needed to get away for a bit before he drove himself crazy. Drinking helped, but he had a feeling even the finest of Firewhisky wouldn't set him right after the time he's been having.

That's when a thought occurred to him. It had been months since his personal expedition to Equestria, they'd managed to capture the ruby dragon Golvec and domesticate him. 

A small smile took the young vice presidents face as he put the logic together. He'd do well to accompany Thanatos, he could use the mount experience and the time away from the office. The Vale was a beautiful place, what better excuse and opportunity would he have to get some relaxation and field experience?





Radclif finished up the official order, signed his name, and stamped down the official seal of Triple M. Executives. He looked over the order and shook his head. "This is insane." He commented, thinking about all the possible destruction that the dragons could cause. The Zeborican migrants were anything but violent. They just wanted somewhere to go away from the dangers of their homeland. They were a peaceful people, but to the Federation, they were simply problems that needed to be fixed.

The donkey State of Orval was their safe haven and port of entry, though, that did also lead to the first and only Changeling incident. An estimated one thousand and seven hundred zebra had entered the country through that state about a decade ago. A time before the insectioids entering the country was a concern. The Orvalians welcomed them with open forelegs for the trade work the zebras brought. 

It all started with finding a great number of zebra complaining of pains and aches to the local medical agencies. Many of the unicorn doctors preformed scans and found the parasites within, but were unable to know what to make of them. Soon after the government became involved and interviewed the migrants for any explanation. The information wasn't hard to find, but they didn't call them "changelings" they called them "Skin takers" which initially lead the Orvialian oligarchs to believe the parasites would take over the host's mind.

Though, that theory was quickly disprove when six hundred and seventy-two zebras were reported to have died all in one day, all around the same exact time. It was a mystery as to why it happened until the autopsy's came back to show the varying sizes of black and gold chitnes insectoieds within the bodies of the zebras.

A few days later, a state of emergency was declared, and many security and investigation agencies were hired to handle the situation. Triple M. was one of these organizations. This was back when Mandylion was still part of the company and headed all mercenary missions himself to show his subordinates that he was willing to fight along side them. He and his son, Gemini, had brought some tracking dogs and unicorns to assist in their efforts in finding any changelings who'd come to maturity and threatened the Federation.

The search was fruitless for the first few days, but a report of unnatural fear overtaking donkey foals in a small city to the south gained their attention. Mandylion decided to investigate, and in that investigation, found that the donkey foals had been infected with parasites similar, but much smaller, to the parasites the zebras were reported to have. This lead to Triple M's dogs catching the sent of the changeling queen and tracking her down to a small makeshift hive in a close cave.

The queen was quick and powerful from what Radclif was told, but the mercenaries proved more than a match. Once dead, she was electrocuted, burned to ash, and had the remains sealed away in an urn to ensure that she would never return. Happy though Triple M. was for their success in capturing and killing the queen, none could deny that there were still multiple donkey foals infected. With Triple M's medical devision only just starting out, they didn't have the resources to help the foals, nobody did. Even the best doctors of the pegasi/unicorn consortium could not stop the infection without killing the foals.

As such, thirty five donkey foals died from various means of attempted removal ranging from surgery to magical sedatives. Obviously, it was this incident that the Federal Senate used to justify more controlled border entrances as a matter of national security, when your platform was on dead foals, you typically go unchallenged. 

It was a bitter sweet victory for the father and son, but it was the start that Triple M. needed to raise to the top.

Radclif sighed as he walked through the halls and boarded the elevator. However, instead of going down a few levels to inform the messengers of his superiors plans, he pushed the button that took him one level up. The top level.

Quickly, he exited the door, opened the scroll and set it down upon a nice wooden table next to a blood red quill and a small glass sphere that held, what looked like a small ethereal green eye inside. An invention called the "scanner sphere". The scanner sphere slowly levitated over the parchment, moving over the words slowly and carefully. The quill arose from it's ink holder and quickly began to magically scribble down what was on the parchment.

Radclif hated this part of the job, it felt so wrong to betray his boss's trust in this way, but when he received orders from the highest power in the company to duplicate and record his son's every written letter, the orders weren't to be questioned. Bad things happened to those who crossed the Triple M. Executive, and the old pony knew better than to become a statistic.




  
> Confessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Confessions





"Ummm, may I speak to Applejack?" Soarin asked, small beads of sweat forming under the intense gaze of the large red stallion before him. Now that he had a chance to look at Macintosh, the flyer looked back on his past actions with scrutiny. Was he really crazy enough to take on that bahemoth?!

Mac simply stared down at the pony who'd not only wronged him, but his sister. How dare he come here after what he'd done? Had he no shame for breaking his sisters heart after admitedly manipulating it? Or was he just looking for a fight? If that were the case, the apple farmer would be happy to oblige.

"You're trespasin' colt Ah suggest ya leave." He growled, his emerald eyes narrowing.

Soarin bit his lip and closed his eyes, making a decision he knew would not end well. "Macintosh, I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and to Applejack, but I want to explain myself and offer her my-"

"Ah don't think ya heard 'em." Granny Smith cut in, standing from her rocking chair. "Mah grandson said yer trespassin' boyo, if'n ya don't want no trouble, ya better turn yer keister 'round n' make like the jack rabbit." Mac smirked, it was nice to have Granny on his side for once. Soarin took a few steps back from the threat, but stood his ground from there and tried once again to reason with the Apple family before him.

This only served to press Mac's patience, it was only by the idea of Annabelle holding it against him that he wasn't down there already beating the stuffing out of the tool of a pony, and he made sure Soarin knew that.

The Wonderbolt's obvious nervousness showed a sudden tinge of annoyance. He wasn't happy about his sister's choice in a mate, but he was more than willing to allow it for the sake of respect. "This isn't about Anna, and I'd appriciate it if you left her out of it."

"N' Ah'd appreciate it if you got off our property!" Mac barked, his voice growing in volume. Still, Soarin didn't move, standing by his claim to need to talk to Applejack. It must have been important in the objective scheme if he was willing to challenge Mac as he was, but the stallion wasn't thinking objectively, he was too busy restraining the urge to introduce the pegasus to the ground and making their relationship as intimate as possible.

"I'm not leaving until I see her!"

So that's how it was going to be? Mac decided to give him one more warning, though to a mixture of irritation and delight, Soarin refused one last time, prompting the farmer to begin walking down the porch with the intent to remove the problem.

"APPLEJACK!" Soarin yelled at the top of his lungs. Mac stopped for a second and just stared at the growing sense of desperation. He yelled her name again and Mac continued his casual walk, part of him hoping Soarin would gain the good sense to make a break before he got his hooves on him.

"Soarin?" Mac stopped again and turned around to see his sister and her friends outside now. "Soarin' what are ya doi-" She cut off, her eyes going blank as she took in the stallion she'd fallen in love with.

"Applejack, listen to me. That night when I invited you out to apologize. I..." Soarin looked away for a moment and struggled with what he was going to say. "I slipped you a uhm, ahem Gah, I slipped you a love potion!"

Mac's eyes went wide as the revelation. A love potion! Of course! How did he not even consider that! The reason finally confirmed to be something more than simple convincing, Mac's urge to beat the pony senseless finally overreached the justification to Annabelle. She'd understand, or she wasn't worth the effort.

Soarin saw the coming pounce and immediately took to the sky.

"COWARD!" Mac barked as he looked up at the hovering stallion. Bucking wings! Where was Star Shade when you needed him? 

"Applejack, dear are you alright?" Rarity asked loudly. Mac turned to find his sister looking blankly at the pegasus stallion. The stare she had a week ago that the stallion recognized as depression and hurt. "Applejack?"

"Soarin?" The farmer mare asked, taking steps down the porch. "Soarin, you've come back!" She made a full on sprint.

Mac's jaw dropped, she was... happy to see him? What? WHAT? WHAT!

'Didn't you just hear him? Love potion! She's being controlled by it.' So that was it! 

Applejack stood by her brother, attempting to coax Soarin to come back down, making promises of his safety. Though Soarin refused, trying to explain what he'd done. It was no use, Applejack was just happy to see him and went on about the relationship she wanted them to have again.

"Jackie, listen to me. This isn't you!" Soarin barked, small beads of glistening tears falling from his eyes. "You don't want me as your special somepony, you're being influenced by-"

"Ah don't care." AJ cut him off with a warm smile. "All Ah know is  that Ah wan' ya back!"

Soarin shook his head. "How are the effects still this strong? It was only supposed to last a week." 

"Cause, sugar cube, it's real. Ah do love you, with all mah heart." The stallion shook his head and slowly retreated from Applejack. He looked down at the burning eyes of Macintosh and sighed.

"The potion wasn't supposed to last this long." He confessed, desperately trying to make himself seem genuine. "You know why I did it, and I was wrong to, and I am sorry for that."

Mac didn't reply, he just stared and simmered with seething rage. How could somepony do that to another? Soarin was angry at him, and used his sister to get back at the stallion. That was one thing, but to force her against her will into it? To take away her choice all together? That was unforgivable.

"From what I was told, any time she sees me, she'll fall under the potions effect of love. You wont see me again, ever, but keep her out of Canterlot for a while. I don't want her to suffer anymore than she already has." He turned around and made a mad dash back to Ponyville without another word.

"Soarin! Soarin' come back! Please! Ah need you!" Mac withheld his sister from giving chase, she wiggeled and struggled, demanding release for her love, but he wasn't letting go. She wasn't right in the head and he knew that now. Pinkie and Rarity quickly followed suite and help him hold her back.

"Applejack, calm down, didn't you hear him?" Pinkie wined.

"AH DON'T CARE! AH LOVE HIM!"

"No, no you don't darling. Listen to me." Rarity stated calmly, her calm sapphire eyes catching AJ's own, gaining her full attention. "I've heard and researched love potions during my time in Canterlot. "They sound romantic and divine, who doesn't like love, after all? But dear, love isn't just a feeling. Love is something that blooms between two ponies through sacrifice and want for the best of the other. Soarin doesn't love you, he's admitted as much, and as strong as your feelings may be, you aren't in love with him."

Applejack looked between all three of the ponies restraining her, desperate to find any who were on her side in the slightest, but she was only met with harsh glares of conviction against her decisions. Slowly, she gave up the struggle and was escorted back inside by everyone with promises of coco and friendly comfort.







"NO! PLEASE STOP!"

"GET HIM! KILL HIM!"

"HEEEELP!"

"WHERE'D HE GO!?"

"AAAHHHHH"

"OH CELSTIA, PLEASE DON'T KILL HER! SHE'S JUST A FOAL!"  

...

...

...

"Please don't hurt my mommy, mister."



Valiar awoke with a yelp as the remnants of the eyeless foal stared at him. Even after he'd awoken, he could still see her, crying tears of blood, begging him not to kill her mother.

He sat and trembled as the memory slowly began to be repressed. He hated it when his mind tortured him like this for what he'd done. He... killed them all. All of them, the ones in charge of the sex ring, and the prostitutes. Stallion, mare, filly and colt alike. He massacred them, he didn't know how many, a dozen? Two dozen, a hundred? He didn't know, but when he passed through the door, he didn't see child or adult. He didn't see male or female, he didn't see master or slave.

All he saw was rot. All he saw was an infection that needed to be stopped before it could grow and hurt others. They were damned anyways, every last one of them. They couldn't be helped, not even the foals! They were to tainted by the rot for help, it wasn't their fault, but they had to go. Valiar did his best to give them painless deaths, but he gave the adults no such respite.

They screamed, they screamed and begged for death like the filth they were. They deserved it for what they'd done to the foals. He felt great remorse for his actions, but also great pride. Those foals were suffering and by their parents hooves no less! What was he supposed to do? What else could he have done? Allowed them all back into the world? No, there was no help to be given, they were tainted and would have spread it, despite the best efforts of those who would want to help them.

He rubbed his eyes and looked to the stones that sat on the table next to him, each still in their place of his brown crossbelts. The red pony stood from his bed and went to the window to see the lights of Las Pegasus still shining bright. Truly it was the city that never slept, the demon king's play ground. He briefly considered going out for another serving of justice, but decided against it. There was already a chance somepony had escaped his wrath and was reporting his action to the guard, he didn't need to draw anymore unwanted attention.

Resigning himself to his bed, Valiar looked up at the ceiling as the scene from a few hours ago played over and over in his head. He could remember a select few he'd killed. The lusty blue mare who'd brought him down for one, he took particular satisfaction in seeing his energy beam pierce right through her eye and out the back of her head.

A minotaur guard who'd tried to stop him with a sword, only to have his Protector deflect the weapon and face death by his magical levitation mixed with Amplify, crushing the beast into a bloody and gooey mess of broken bone, blood and flesh. A younger mare who'd just reached adulthood running away and facing impalement from the sword the minotaur left behind.

The chaos lead to him somehow obtaining multiple arrows and piercing foals in the head, he knew that much. Screaming, screaming of pain, anger and terror. Then there was the mother and foal, they were the last two to die. He could see them both so vividly...

The mother's trembling form clutching tightly to her foal, trying to be a pony shield. Her once pristine grey coat now marred with blood, and her bedroom eyes quivering and tearing in shear terror. How disgusting that a mother would bring her foal to such an environment. She begged for her child to be spared, but Valiar wouldn't answer her. Out of all the ponies he'd killed, he hated her the most and made sure she knew why as he slowly separated the foal from her with his magic and tossed the mare around the room like a rag doll.

He couldn't see it, but he could feel the maniacal smile he had all the while. He was doing the world a service, right? Stopping a foal from getting raped while her own MOTHER let it happen.

He scolded her as he slammed her body against pillars and walls. Asking what kind of mother would subject her own daughter to such an existence. How she could be so depraved, how she could ever even consider such a life. Even if they were forced into it, it would have been better to kill the child as she slept than allow what happened her to be done.

His speech was more for himself than her, between the foals constant crying and screaming and the fact she'd most likely died after the fourth hit, there was no point in talking to her.

"STOP! STOP HURTING MOMMY!" The little grey foal begged, crying and wheezing with each wet thump of the broken corpse. In a fit of happy rage, Valiar tossed the grey mare aside and turned his attention to the filly. His heart was thumping in his chest as his adrenaline finally simmered down. 

He looked at the pitiful creature in his red aura and sighed, she had no chance to be helped. After being raped repeatedly, tortured, beaten and seeing her mom killed in such a brutal manner especially. He lowed his horn and called upon the power of Blaze, she deserved a quick death, and that's what he gave her.

It wasn't her fault, but he couldn't allow the rot within her to spread to the rest of the world...


> Government Restructuring 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Government Restructuring




Sin limped through the library door, fighting the urge to slam it shut to relieve some frustration. 

He was seriously beginning to regret making that bet with Rainbow Dash yesterday, for two days he's done nothing but stretch out his wings and put up with animals as they encouraged Fluttershy's flying. He wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't for the fact they were supposed to be watching each other. He could preform his wing exercises no problem, but every time he looked at her, she'd freeze up on whatever she was doing and stare at him like a deer looking at a wolf.

But that's not what bothered him, what bothered him was the fucking grizzly bear who made it his life's mission to ensure no discomfort ever came to the mare. The thing chased him around for twenty minutes because Sin refused to look away from her. How the hell was Fluttershy supposed to get past her stage fright when her little "woodland critter friends" kept trying to maul her audience?!

She finally made the bear calm down and apologized for his behavior, but that didn't make up for the few swipes it landed on Sin's hind legs. At least she was decent enough to give him ointment for it though.

He growled and walked past Twilight who give him a look of concern as he strutted by. "Are you okay?"

"Fucking peachy." He growled, walking over to the kitchen for a drink of water. He shouldn't take it out on her though, it was his own stupidity that landed him in his current situation. "Sorry, how's Spike doing?"

"Spike went out for a walk. He didn't look too good though, I'm worried about him." The lavender mare replied, her expression turning downtrodden. 

"He's lost his eye, being a little depressed is to be expected." Sin stated matter-of-factly. "Getting active will hopefully get his mind off of it and is a good start in the right direction as far as coping and getting on with life."

Twilight nodded, still worried about her son. Sin would be lying if he said he didn't feel the same. He knew Spike was a resolute and tough little bastard, but beneath all the snark, sarcasm and wittiness, he was still a being with feelings and hurts like the rest of the world. "Oh, I almost forgot, Uppity wanted me to remind you to report to the Mayor's office at two."

Sin looked at the clock and groaned. He only had twenty minutes to unwined before the real stress came. He shook his head and filled his glass a few more times before washing it off and setting it to dry. "I still don't get why I'm being sent to clean house."

Twilight chuckled, recalling a conversation she had with his probation officer about the matter. His distrust of government and dedication to the sufficient usage of tax payer bits is what made him an ideal candidate for the job. "Believe it or not, Uppity and Celestia both have a healthy distrust of government power being abused, you seemed like the best pony to make sure it never happened here."

Thinking it over, the Federalist did see the logic to it, but they had no idea what they were doing. He had a certain method of doing things, a method some have called unorthodox, a method that garnered results. He didn't play politics, he didn't care about "feelings", and he most certainly didn't compromise on retarded spending practices. He cared about the individual tax payer, the one who didn't get a say in having to pay. The bureaucracy wasn't going to like him, and that's exactly the way he liked it. When the proper ponies hated you, it meant you were doing something right.

"Before you go, I wanted to talk to you about Uppity." Sin's ear flicked at the name. She was acting strange yesterday, some insight into that matter would be appreciated. "Yes, she wasn't her usual self and I think I know why."

"Okay?"

"You know that she has feelings for you, right?" 

Sin pressed his lips, he was not in the mood to talk about that, but that's exactly what her problem was. According to the scholar, his technicality and boasting about his victory over her had scorned Uppity more than he thought it would. She was a playful sort herself, so he wasn't sure why she was getting so bent out of shape.

"Maybe because she's been extremely lenient with you and you've shown her no appreciation for it." Sin quirked a brow at the blunt statement. Well, yea of course he wouldn't give her any leeway, she was his probation officer, his handler. He submitted to her on the grounds of his agreement with Celestia. She had power over him, and Sin hated when others had power of him. "Yes, but has she used it against you?"

"Not really."

"Than why are you so bent out of shape over that? Doesn't that seem sort of stupid?" His eyes narrowing, Sin opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't come up with an argument. It was true, she'd been very fair with her powers, keeping her orders limited to what the Princess had passed down. Still though, that was her job, he shouldn't have to be grateful she was doing it correctly.

Twilight had debated with Sin enough to know that a psychological frontal assault was a bad idea, so she simply said that he should think about the way she was treating him and the way he was treating her in return and left it at that.

The Federalist reluctantly agreed before leaving to make way to the mayors office.

'Sooooo...'

What?

'You going to admit it?'

What? That I'm an ass? I thought this was established already.

'No, that's a given. I'm talking about that you've been treating Uppity unfairly while she's been overtly kind to you? You know her patience will only last so long, right?'

Groaning, the stallion pushed his inner critic into the small corner of his mind and readied himself for what he knew to be a most unpleasant orientation with mayor Mare.





"And this will be your office, all matters of taxation, budget allocation, and regulations will be brought to you for approval or rejection." The tan and grey earth pony declared irritably. Sin took a look around to find a well sized cherry desk sitting in the middle of a white and light blue wall colored room. The red patterned rug stood out against the bright oak floor, and the few cabinets that lined the walls were all stacked with files that Sin could only imagine were too numerous to fit in the drawers. The smell was of stale air and dust, but that could all be worked with.

The orientation had gone far better than expected. Despite his almost assault of the mayor, Mare had been extremely corgeal with him. Sure the occasional dirty look here and there, but it was all prefaced that she'd rather just let the matter go if he would. Her beurocratic assistance, however, didn't seem to take to him to well.

Colgate, the white and blue mare, was the town's dentist and was apart of the city council. Her primary job was to look over the towns complaints and determine if regulations were or were not necessary. Next up was Leaf Spring, the green mare from before, she was the towns treasurer, figuring out the numbers and budget. Finally there was Rain Drops, the younger mare, her mane done up in a stylish fashion of teal curls; she was in charge of tax money care. When introduced, the first two just glared at him and gave generic greetings, the last didn't even acknowledge him, she was far too busy filing her hooves.

Out of all of them, he knew he'd hate her the most. Nothing, not even government, could Sin's gears more than a princess who'd never done a hard days work in her life, having political power.

"Do you have any questions?" 

Sin asked a few, just in regards to pay and what the limits of his new powers were. He was told that he had the power to veto any legislation proposed by either the bureaucrats or the mayor herself, but didn't hold sway over a popular vote held by the town, though he could certainly make his case. He could also write up his own suggestions for laws to be looked at, but that might as well have been an insult. He wasn't on the City Council, as those had to be elected, but that suited him just fine as well.

He quickly wandered to the desk and grabbed one of the many files that was stacked on it. Clearly an attempt to make him feel overwhelmed. "Am I correct in assuming that all three of the City Council members will be answering to me prior to coming to you with legislative concerns?" He pulled the file off and looked over the legal jargin, this was going to be a headache, but one that got his blood pumping.

"Yes, Celestia's letter states as much." Sin looked up and clarified that he didn't care what Celestia wanted in that regard, siting that the Mayor herself was tired of the council pushing their agenda on her in legal speak she couldn't understand. He wasn't asking about the order the princess gave, he wanted to know if she was on his side.

Taken aback by the question, the Mare frowned. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"I'll simplify what I can, and pass bills onto you that I don't think are too preposterous, but they'll be worded in a way that you can understand." He clarified, looking back at the file. "Wagons with a gross combination weight of eight hundred pounds requiring special permits for road maintenance? Where the roads made of sandstone? Pft, that's gone." He tossed the file to the desk and found a prize he was all too happy to see.

He smiled and reached down to the two stamps on his desk, picked one up and slammed it down on the file. Lifting it up to read in red bold print "REJECTED".

The elder pony thought on the idea for a moment and nodded. "Thank you, I would greatly appreciate that." 

Sin nodded and stated that he was in no more need of assistance. He quickly looked through the file in search of any study to justify the amount cost and the higher weight vehicles causing damage that would warrant the fee. To no surprise, he found none, just a bunch of notes stating that the possibility of damage was high when the wagons would catch the curb and knock off a few cobble stones.

He placed the file in the "out" slot of his desk, a slot riddled with more dust than any other area of the room and gave a sigh. He was going to have a migraine the size of Unitas before this day was over, but he was responsible for cleaning up the mess these four had made, and by Tapio, he was going to do it.





"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Sin barked at Colgate who jumped back at such an aggressive demand. 

Sin was shaking, he'd read dozens upon dozens of the regulations and capital justifications for them. Only two or three holding any validity to them. His work was interrupted as Colgate entered his office and offered a new proposal. The Federalist was hesitant to take the folder, fearing that he'd finally lose his sanity if he dared peak at it.

His fears were justified upon the title alone: PV: Proposition 3325-09: Restriction of Candy sales to Minors

"I- it's a proposal to-" Colgate began, though she was quickly cut off.

"I KNOW WHAT IT IS!"  He slammed the file on his desk and placed his head in a hoof. "What I'm asking is why you feel the need to tell colts and fillies what they can and cannot buy!"

"Hey! You're new here, I've been living in this town for years! I've seen most every filly and colt in Ponyville and the cavities they get. It's absolutely disgusting! Selling candy to children is irresponsible, and should be abolished within the city!" She decried, her anger and indignation a simple paper tiger against the storming hurricane of Sin's own.

"Justify it." 

"What?"

The oaken stallion opened up the file and read aloud the subtext. "Foal enamel cavity accumulations are appearing within at least four out of every seven foals in Ponyville. This kind of public health hazard is a preventable problem by simply rejecting the foals purchasing power of sweets until they are of proper age."

"Tell me, what is this 'proper age' and what makes foals suddenly capable of comprehending the responsibility of their decisions there in at such an age but not at the age they are currently? I want you to justify that."

The cobalt unicorn gave him a stare as if to ask if he was serious about his inquiry, as if he'd just asked the stupidest question in the world. "Ummmm, they're foals? They don't have the thinking capabilities of adults?"

Sin pressed his lips and inhaled sharply. Treating children as infants was another of his pet peeves, he knew kids were young and ignorant, but they were able to comprehend more than most adults gave them credit for. "You are going to sit there and tell me that kids are too stupid to know that candy gives them cavities?"

Colgate answered in the affirmative, arguing that he was stupid for even questioning the notion. "Alright, so if we go down to the school house right now and I ask the class to tell me if candy gives them cavities, they'll all say no?" He asked. This worked out in one of two ways for him, if they did say no, the education system would need serious revamping or they said yes and made the unicorn look like over reaching, nanny state advocating authoritarian she was.

Logic presented, Colgate back tracked a little, but appealed that the maturity of foals was her primary reason for her proposition. They may know that the candy gave them cavities, but they didn't have the fore sight and mature responsibility to fully understand the long term consequences of their decisions.

"If you're on about managing choices of immature foals, then tell me why you feel as though the responsibility of protecting these children from their own desires and urges for candy should fall upon the government as opposed to the parents." The Federalist asked flatly. "Explain to me why you should be given more authority over the choices of children than the ponies who are responsible for their upbringing. Please, I want to hear this." Children were children as far as he was concerned, getting hurt and making bad decisions was part of being a foal. Choices had consequences and he believed that, so long as they weren't life or limb threatening, foals should be allowed to make said decisions and face said consequences at the discretion of the parents for one simple reason: Life lessons weren't taught in class rooms, they weren't something that anyone could or should protect others from. 

Such things were how children learned the value of decisions and the consequences there in, by being allowed to suffer for them. Be there to pick the kid back up, but let them feel the pain of failure and stupidity so they'll give more time to consider the choices life has to offer.

"No, better yet, why don't you introduce a bill that completely bans foals from purchasing any sugar products at all, keep it logically consistent yea? Make Sugar Cube Corner an 18 and over club. You know, since the foal's parents obviously don't know what's best for them and you do." Sin stated calmly, it finally happened, he'd become so utterly enraged he'd come full circle to calm. It wasn't the first time it happened, but he hadn't lost any amount of irritation, he was just channeling his anger into demeaning and down playing jokes.

The glare he was met with showed that Colgate didn't appreciate his sense of humor though. "You think this is funny? You think foals getting cavities is a joke?" She spat venomously.

"No madam, I think this," he pointed to the folder, "this is a joke, and you didn't even give me the courtesy of making anything funny about it!"

The two stared each other down for a few tense moments, each waiting for the other to back down from their stance. Colgate finally broke the silence: "Look, Mare said I had to get this approved by you, so are you going to approve it or what?"

Sin maintained his stare for a second more before taking a breath and slowly leaning back. "You really want my answer to that?" No response prompted the pony to grab the file. "What I want you to do is to get this out of my FACE!" He picked up the file and threw it out the door, sending the slips of paper to scatter about in the hallway.

"How dare you!" The council-mare scoffed in indignation, such treatment of imperial officials was beyond offensive. "Who do you think you are."

The oaken stallion smirked, he loved when government ponies asked that question, and quietly whispered five words to her, just loud enough for the mare to hear. "I am your. Worst. Nightmare."



> Beer and Cards
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Beer and Cards




"Sin! Put me down!" Spike complained from ontop of Sin's back. The drake was the victim of a plot conspired between his mentor and mother and was now being taken to unknown whereabouts.

Sin shook his head as he walked through the overcast afternoon market district to the Applefarm. "No, you've been brooding around the library for the past three days. Sparkle's worried about you, I'm worried about you, and since you aren't willing to get out of this of your own accord, than it's who of me to give you a nudge in the right direction."

"This isn't a nudge! You're taking me against my will you hypocrite!" Sin nodded his head, it was hypocritical and he knew it, but the dragon did nothing but mope and go for depressing walks. He'd completely forgone any and all will to get out and do anything despite his capability to do so, and if left to stew for too long, he knew what may eventually happen. He'd lost one friend to suicide before and wasn't about to let it happen again.

"You'll thank me later." 

Spike scowled and continued to struggle feebly against his bindings, eyeing the ponies who passed by for help, but none was to be had. Everyone of them simply looked away and went about their lives. "Where are you taking me?"

Sin chuckled, happy to see Spke showing more life now than he did in days and informed the drake they were going to spend some time with Macintosh and Shade. Get the old gang back together for some male time. He needed to de-stress just as much as Spike did. Between his session with Rainbow Dash, fighting the grizzly bear he affectionately named: "Killer", trying to do his part in helping Fluttershy get passed her stage fright (which was starting to show signs of promise) and his new job(?) at the mayor's office, he too was ready to crawl in a corner and wait to die.

Twilight was reluctant to help him with his plan, as was Mac when he'd brought it up to them. They'd argued that three days wasn't enough time to cope with what had happened to the poor baby, but Sin disagreed. He didn't just have three days, he had damn near a month. He knew something happened that made the ordeal all too real for Spike a couple of days ago, but it was time to take a step for his own good.

Sitting back and doing the whole "let him come to you when ready to talk" thing wasn't working out, so Sin decided, for better or for worse, he'd enact a more progressive and active method of therapy. 

The drake complained the entire way to the farm, struggling and demanding release the entire way with Sin grinding his teeth to keep quiet. Finally they'd reached the farm house and were greeted by a smiling Macintosh. "He don't look too happy to be here." The stallion said solemnly. 

When Sin had visited about the plan, he was informed about what had made Applejack act the way she did. The idea of forcing someone against their will into such intimacy made Sin fume. While he wasn't one to advocate government interfearence, he did encourage and ask if a report was filed. Such a thing would send any brother into a murderous rage. Happily there was, and he'd recieved a personal letter from Celestia that the Wonderbolt would pay for his crime.

"If he was, would I have had him tied up?" Sin snarked. Mac shook his head and invited them inside. His sisters and Grandmother would be out for the day. Granny and Applejack transporting an order that would take them till tomorrow to get back, and Applebloom having a sleep over at Sweetie Bell's with Scootaloo. They were free with the house for the night.

"Shade in yet?"

"Eyup, he's already at the table."

"Got the Liquor?"

Mac pressed his lips, he was anything but happy about what his friend had suggested in order to help the dragon with his problems. A night out with the guys was one thing, forcing said friend against his will was another, but alcohol to a minor? That he had serious reservations about. Sin argued that Spike needed to loosen up though, that the entire endeavor would be completely useless if the dragon didn't want to have a good time. It was manipulative, it was immoral, and it was outright illegal. But it was the best Sin could come up with. Mac wasn't sure why his friend was so adiment about Spike's drinking, but he could tell that whatever it was haunted the Federalist something fierce. 

He nodded and pointed to a few bottles of malt beer and fire whiskey on the kitchen table next to Shade, who was happily munching in apples like there was no tomorrow.

Spike perked up at the idea of drinking, he was obviously nervous, but Sin could see the  curious and excited twinkle in his eye. "You're going to let me have beer?"

Smirking, Sin nodded, pleased to see his plan coming together. He wasn't going to let Spike get black out intoxicated, but he was going to give him enough to get the happy flowing again.

Shade greeted the drake and his friends with his new laid back attitude. Sin was happy enough that he wasn't hippy laid back now as he feared, but it still wasn't the Star Shade he remembered. 

"So, dragon boy's gettin' his first bit of the creature, huh? You're in for a treat." Shade beamed as Sin began shuffling a deck of cards and Mac gathered up the snacks and booze.

"He's about to become an adult, for sure." Sin smiled placing the deck down and undoing the knot with his teeth. Spike was enticed enough now that he wouldn't run. "Take a seat."

The three ponies and single drake sat around the circular table. Sin dealt out the cards with a practiced hoof and Macintosh distributed the drinks, halting only momentarily before giving some of the malt to Spike. Shade immediately popped the cap off the dark glass bottle with his teeth and vigorously chugged the entire thing in one go. "Ahhhh. Discord, that taste good."

"You don't drink it for the taste." Sin commented absently as he dealt. They'd start out simply enough, five card stud, no jokers. (Only cheaters played with jokers.) They'd bring in the chips later, this was just a practice game for some fun.

Spike knew the game, but he was too shocked by the whole situation to even think about picking up the cards. He'd never thought about something like this happening to him, at least not for a few years. Yet here he was, about to have his first beer and play cards. He lifted his remaining eye, the other still covered by a bandage, and looked at his friends; silently asking himself if all of this was for real. He finally settled on Shade and asked if the beer tasted any good.

All three of the stallions chuckled malevolently to themselves. "Yea, it's delicious." 

Reaching out tentatively, the atmosphere becoming more intense and nerve wracking, he grabbed the bottle in his claw and halted at the cold and wet touch. He inspected the bottle to see it read "Apple Ale" which brought him comfort for some reason. He looked to see both Mac and Sin use the same trick Shade did, angling the bottle cap on their teeth and popping it off. He gave it a try, immediately regretting the decision.

"Heh, yea, tha' there takes some practice." Mac chuckled apologetically taking care of the bottle for him.

Once the weird feeling in his teeth had gone, Spike licked his lips and took the bottle into his claw. The entire last month of his life all but forgotten to him. All there was now was the uncomfortably heavy, but excitedly mature environment before him. It was like he was finally entering the door to adult hood, and he didn't want to let his friends down.

Sin smirked and held up his bottle. "To a night of debauchery."

The other stallions laughed and held up their bottles before guzzling them. Spike took the cue and brought the drink to his lips, took a swig and coughed and sputtered as the disgusting taste of the ale hit his tongue.

The others shared a laugh at his expense with Shade patting him on the back. "Oh Celestia that tastes horrible!"

"You don't drink it for the taste." Sin repeated as he picked up his cards, he waited nervously. If Spike took their laughing the wrong way, he'd be up and out the door, if he became curious about what they did drink it for, he'd be set for the night.

His body relaxed as the dragon took another sip and cringed only to try again. He commented on a slight warm tingle in his abdomen and Sin smiled.

He had found the feeling.







The house was quiet and pot was full. one thousand and sixty bits worth of chips lay in the middle of the table, and each of the four occupants eyed each other suspiciously. Both Sin and Spike were all in, the former throwing a few high stakes games for the sake of maintaining a fun atmosphere. The latter, on the other hand was just a bad poker player, though he was catching on.

Each of them had three beers in their system and two shots of firewhisky, save Spike who was only on his second beverage and one shot. The drake had eased up considerably, laughing through out the game whenever he won and indulging in the table bull shit talk. The dark cloud that had embedded itself over his head was no where to be seen and though he was a little drunk, he was finally feeling better.

Shade looked at Sin, trying to find any indication of the stallion's hand, though he couldn't see anything. None of them were letting on and if he upped the bid, only Mac could meet him. "Call." He growled, looking to Sin who merely tapped his hoof on the table. Mac stared him down a little bit, throwing in a few more chips and offering his own call.

Shade smirked and threw down three of a kind. Mac immediately folded at the hand, his two pair holding no chance. Sin smirked and put down a three of a kind queens, beating the sevens Shade had. The bat pony glared at his associate and Sin reached for the chips, confident in his victory and relishing in his friends playful frustrations.

"Not so fast." Spike smirked, dropping his cards to reveal a full house. "Read 'em and weep."

"Ohoooo, Spike came to play!" Mac commented loudly. Shade also put his own two bits in on the great hand and Sin could only look in awe. 

"Are you serious right now?!" He groaned, leaning back in his chair and placing his hooves over his eyes. Spike chuckled mirthfully and armed all of the chips over to him.

"Better luck next time." He smiled and founded over the largest pile of chips at the table. 

Sin smiled as he leaned back, he was exaggerating his emotions drastically for comedic effect. This was Spike's night, it was dedicated to the drake having a good time and he was more than willing to sacrifice a game of cards and some dignity in order to bring the drake out of his funk. That's what nights like these were about, uplifting spirits by disregarding inhibitions and just being happy and having fun.

Seeing him laugh and happy again was well worth it, but the Federalist did worry if this would only be a temporary fix. He didn't tell Twilight about the booze, he wasn't crazy or stupid enough to do that, but it was alcohol that made him feel better. Still, tonight was a step in the right direction, he'd deal with the dragon's long term when he wasn't under mind altering substances.

The game continued with Sin playing only for the fun of it. He couldn't win the pot, but he could still beat them and gain some semblance of fun and satisfaction in the better cards.

Shade and Mac had caught onto what Sin had done and slowly threw their own well timed games, eventually leaving the dragon the victory. They held a toast to the fact and each had one last shot of fire whisky for the night before departing with promises of making the card game a weekly event.

As the three of the non-apple ponies walked, it quickly became apparent that Spike had consumed a little more of the booze than Sin had intended. His body wobbling and his feet constantly crossing made him look like a drunkard, not that he had too much room to talk, his walking ability were a little impaired as well.

Shade split off with an exchange of good byes, leaving Sin and Spike to wander back to the Library on their own.

"Hey Sin?" The dragon asked, leaning on his friend for support. His eyes were glad but also grateful. "Thanks for kidnapping me, I needed that."

Sin chuckled. "Told you you'd thank me, and what are friends for?" He saw the drake's face smiling face slowly grow neutral and an all to familiar greenish white tint take his throat. "Uh oh." He turned Spike left behind a building and stood watch as the drake proceeded to empty his guts all over the alley. It was amazing, really. Sin expected Spike to throw up long before now considering all he had to drink and never touching it before.

Once done, Spike whipped off his face of the residual bile and the two eventually made it back to the library. Sin peaked his head in the window, making sure Twilight was long asleep and briefly thought about returning to the farm for the night. He hadn't thought threw what he'd do if the Librarian was still awake now, but he didn't need to think too hard to imagine her reaction to seeing her son drunk off his ass.

Hoping beyond hope that she wasn't waiting, Sin opened the door and escorted Spike in. He spoke in hushed whispers to keep the giggling dragon quiet and helped Spike to bed. He tucked the dragon in and slowly crept out of the room, careful to make no sound what so ever.

He slipped down stairs, and carefully set himself down upon his spot on the floor, laying it down and closing his eyes. His head was swimming and he took pride in his accomplishment today. Though he still did worry about the long term, he was toying around with some ideas but nothing he was willing to commit to yet.

A click and sudden brightening of the room sent shooting ice down his spine. He lifted his head and looked to the couch to find a very unhappy Twilight Sparkle sitting and glaring daggers at him.

"Fuck."
> Informant Corrupted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Informant Corrupted





Valiar looked at the pocket watch one more time, the contact should have been here by now. He chanced a look around the tavern one more time, nopony fit the description. He growled, growing more and more uncomfortable with each breath he took from the air that stank of cigarettes and booze. He didn't mind the darker atmosphere or the brooding hushed tones of the fellow patrons, though, he felt quite comfortable in that.

"C'mon, where are you?" He asked himself. He waited another half hour before a lunar pegasus mare finally entered the establishment who fit the listed qualities to a T. Smiling, Valiar waited patiently for her to take a seat before approaching.

"Shimmering Gale?" He asked as the took a seat across from her. The mare's attention was drawn to him in shock. "I'm Valiar, I was sent here by Shining Armor to speak with you about a conspiracy against his wedding?"

The mare's eyes went wide as she looked the red pony up and down. "I- Is Shining Armor coming?" She asked hopefully. "I'd really feel more comfortable giving the info to him. Please, it's very important."

He voice was quiet and gentle, but it held a sense of urgency that made Valiar wish the captain was present. Unfortunately he had to tell her that Shining was no where near Los Pegasus, he was still in Cantrlot, protecting the city as was his duty. Shimmering pressed her lips and asked how long it would take to get in contact with him and get the alabaster pony to meet with her. Valiar didn't know if she was just simple or didn't care.

"I was sent here in his place, Shining Armor will not be able to come to Las Pegasus now nor in the near future." He pushed a bit more forcefully, making the mare recoil and fidget nervously.

"Oh, she isn't going to be happy about this." He heard her mumble.

"Who isn't going to be happy about what?" He demanded, feeling the alarms going off in both his mind and body. This wasn't right, the way her hooves were moving, they seemed... automated some how. So did her eyes now that he came to really look at her, but that's when he noticed something else, something that really didn't add up. Her wings, they were feathered pegasus wings, not the bat wings of the lunar pegasi.

"I've gotta go!" Shimmering declared before standing from her chair and bursting out of the pub. Valiar wasn't about to let her get away now that she'd been caught in a lie, and more importantly, a plot that could hurt his mentor. He gave chase and saw that the night pegasus had taken to the air and was headed out of town. Cursing to himself, he called forth his levitation Rune to give chase. Cursing Shining for his lack of Teleportation.

He flew into the air and followed, keeping his mind focused as to not lose the spell and send himself falling to an early death. Unicorns using self levitation flight wasn't unheard of, but it was extremely dangerous, especially with quick movements and at heights. But he had both the concentration and mana reserves to accomplish both safely.

He pursued the informant up and out until they were out of the city limits. Once he was sure nopony else would see him, Valiar called forth Enhance and picked up speed to catch the fiend. Seeing him coming, the night pegasus dive bombed for the ground. "Okay." The unicorn smirked, happy his job was being made easier.

He watched as the ground became closer and closer as the two fell, his breathing becoming more and more difficult. He prepared Shield and felt his muscles begin to tingle delightfully as his potential death grew closer and closer. All of his shame, guilt and responsibility given the possibility of reprieve, but he knew better than to dwell on such hope for too long. Though, he did start to slow his decent, becoming fearful of his stopping abilities at such high speeds so close to the ground.

The mare had no such inhibitions and turned up at the lost possible moment before banking back up and following just a foot above the ground. "Just a little more* He cursed as he grew closer and closer. He saw her bank to the right just a little and dive bombed where she was going to be a few seconds later. That more than put her in his magical range.

"GOT YA!"

He wrapped her in his magic, though that left his own body free of the influence. As he began falling to the ground, he called her body to his own and wrapped all his legs around her to keep her body pinned. Seeing the ground coming up in short order, he cast the bubble shield and softened the barrier for elasticity. 

The pegasus and unicorn bounced harmlessly off of the bubble shield a few times before it popped, and the two fell to the ground with a relatively harmless thud.

"Who are you!" He barked down at her. She tried to wiggle and squirm, moving to using kicks and punches to get him off, but Valiar was stronger than she was.

A flash of green fire engulfed the mare suddenly, and disappeared just as quickly. What lay in her place wasn't the night pegasus at all, but a grotesque monster covered in black chitinous with big blue eyes. The ordeal shocked Valiar enough for him to lose his grip and the pest shoved its legs into his chest, sending him flying into the dirt and sand behind.

The shocked stallion pushed his confidence and immediately drew to his hooves to give chase.

'Changelings! Mother bucking changelings!'

And that it was, he'd researched up on them in detail in the temple. They were shapeshifters, able to scan ponies bodies with their eyes and imitate their likeness. The only other thing known about them was that they fed on sapient emotion, the most prominent being love.

What they were doing playing informant, Valiar couldn't say. Nor understand what they wanted with his Captain, but he was going to find out. A small smile took his face as he galloped, calling again on Levitate and Amplify to boost his speed, though keeping himself on the ground this time. He must have damaged one of its wings, because it too was bound to running, but much slower than himself.

The chase didn't last near as long this time, a few banks and fake outs sent Valiar's magic ahead of his intended actions. One of the draw backs to the Amplify/Levitate combo was the lack of reaction time, but he'd still caught the insect again, this time using Blaze to subdue the fiend. "Who sent you!" He barked, looking down into the blank blue eyes of the changeling. "Why did you want Shining Armor?!" 

No response, it just stared at him in either defiance or blank neutrality. That was alright, Valiar had ways of getting answers. He'd never use such methods on the innocent and pure, of course, but the thing below him was arguably less than a monster, so there was no reason to call upon such empathy.

He called upon Protector and used the stone to push into the creatures foreleg, applying more and more pressure until the leg would finally snap. "I suggest you tell me what I want to know." He demanded, smirking as he saw the first traces of pain started to twitch on the thing's face. He applied more pressure, his smirk deepening as the thing began to grunt from the pain.

SNAP*

HISSS it groaned and writhed as the chitin cracked under his power, small bits of green ooze pushing out past. It was making mouth sounds now, it wouldn't belong until those mouth sounds turned into coherent sentences telling everything he wanted to know. Though, one thing he didn't count on was a sudden burst of pain slamming into his side and sending him sprawling off of his prey. 

Rolling onto his hooves Valiar prepared for yet another fight, but as he turned to face whatever it was that had made the grave mistake of assaulting him, a green spell of light was cast directly at him. He created another red shield and set forth Analyze above. There were no less than three changelings hissing and glaring at him, one of which was now helping the fallen drone.

Wait, that didn't add up. Besides morphing, changelings couldn't use magic. That's when another green blast hit his shield, shattering it and sending Valiar flying for the umpteenth time that day. "Son of a mule." He cursed, lifting his head and finding yet another of the insectoids, this one however, wasn't like the rest. Far taller, lengthy, with green eyes and a much longer horn.

"Hmmm. What have we here?" She cooed in a seductive voice. "You weren't supposed to be here."

Eyes widening, Valiar realized what exactly he was dealing with. A Changeling Queen.

Losing no more time to petty words, the stallion leapt up and shot a spell at her. 

While the smoke was clearing for a precise hit, he called on all his runes to form a protective, floating wall around himself. He'd never fought a changeling queen before and slowly grew excited at the prospect.

As expected, the Queen stood unphased from his attack, he smile the first thing to appear as the dust cleard. "Oh my, you are a feisty one." She chuckled, charging her horn. "I do love a stallion who can keep my one my hooves!" She threw her head down and launched another spell, it slammed into the red force-field.

Valiar smirked, between the power of the runes and Amplify, Shield was more than enough to stave off the attack. Though, his confidence quickly waned as the beam began to grow in intensity, and saw his shield slowly bending inward.

'That's impossible! No Unicorn could have that kind of power!'

But the Queen of changlings was no mere unicorn either. Valiar pushed more magic from Reserve into both Amplify and Shield, but not matter how much manna he exerted, the spell intensified to match it and then some. As he saw the first rips of the shield begin to tear under the pressure, Valiar cursed Shining Armor one last time.

He really could have used that teleportation rune right about now.

That was the last thought he had before pain and green overtook him.

 
> Neo Confrontations (II)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Neo Confrontations (II)




Sin bit his lip and forced his wings to full extension, keeping them there for a full ten count before dropping them down and holding them all the way down for another ten count. This had been some of the most grueling training of his life, no matter how hard or long he'd stretch and strain, his wings would still punish his brain with subtle jolts of pain through his spine.

As if his physical ailment wasn't enough, his argument with Twilight earlier that morning had kept him from getting any sleep. She was rightfully upset with him, after all he did give a minor enough alcohol to the drake stupid happy, but he had a good reason. Never the less, he was in some trouble with her, though he wasn't too concerned with that. He did what he felt needed to be done and would see the fruits of his labor when he got back.

Though, what he did care about was that Uppity was going to be making a surprise visit most likely, so he that little lecture to look forward to as well. Not to mention Sin would also have to put up with whatever the mayor was going to throw at him for his fiasco with Colgate. Probably bring up his "anger management issues" again or something.

'Dude screw her, regulating candy to foals is just retarded.'

Yes, yes it was. Changes were going to happen in this town, and he'd be both loved and hated for it.

Sparing a glace at Fluttershy, Sin smirked as she preformed another suicide run between a couple of trees. She was getting better, that was for sure. Though, as soon as she turned to see him, she quickly succumbed to her doe eyed statuesque form. Of this, Sin had had enough.

"Ok, kiddo, this is getting ridiculous!" Sin snapped, the entirety of his patience fully lost for the Fluttershy's dear to wolf stare at him. She physically flinched and stepped back from him, her animal friends taking their usual formation of protecting her whenever someone dare to speak against the pegasus.

He eyed the many rabbits, squirrels and birds who stood guard over their care taker, his anger subsiding as a small idea hit him. "Tell me something, is this what you plan to do for the rest of her life?" He stated calmly, the critters shocked that he was speaking to them for once. He may not be able to reach Fluttershy directly, but maybe he could reach her through them. "Do you plan to fly for her on Friday when the Tornado is expected?"

He waited, watching as a few of the animals looked nervously between themselves. "Yes? No? You might wanna come up with an answer." He growled, before turning his attention back to Fluttershy. "I wont be able to participate, so I don't personally care, but Rainbow Dash does and she's the one who'll be disappointed in her." He turned his attention back to them. "Can you protect her from that?"

All of the animals looked away, knowing his words were true. All except one. A white rabbit who acted both as a ring leader and personal master of the cream colored pegasus. Sin was half right in thinking she had an abusive boyfriend, it just happened to be a small ball of fluff named Angel. (The sexual character between the two he couldn't say, but wouldn't be surprised to discover one way or the other.)

Angel pointed to him, placing his index finger from one side of his neck to the other in the universal sign of slitting ones throat or shutting up, Sin wasn't sure which applied, so he went with the former. "You think I'm scared of you?" Angel made some rather rude hand gestures. "Mother fucker, I'll turn you into rabbit stew, keep going!"

That made the snow bunny second guess himself. 

"Stop it! Stop it both of you!" Fluttershy chided, finally taking a stand for herself. "Don't you dare threaten him like that again!" She pulled Angel into a sweet embrace, cooing words of comfort and saying that Sin wasn't going to follow through with his threat.

The Federalist, for his part, just shook his head and went back to what he was doing. It was a waste of time talking to either them or the pegasus. They were a synergy that fed off eachothers motherly nature and desire to protect. Love was a strange thing, but it did just as much harm as it did good.

She was Rainbow's problem from there on, he didn't need that kind of stress, there was enough to worry about.







"You said you'd turn him into rabbit stew!" Rainbow demanded, slamming he hoof on the ground.

"To be fair, he threatened to kill me." Sin said dismissively, his time exercising for the day done. "Or he was telling me to be quiet, doesn't matter. Besides, it's not like what I was saying wasn't true."

The cyan flyer threw her hoof against her face. "Are you seri- This is Fluttershy we're talking about! In case you haven't noticed, being hostile doesn't work out well with her."

"Yea, and yet you teamed me up with her. What's up with that?" Sin cocked his head to the side. "You do know who I am, right?"

Rainbow growled in frustration before castigating the Federalist about how she found his language appalling as well as his treatment of others. Sin countered that she already knew that's how he was, yet she still had him practice with her friend. "I'm honestly not sure what made you think that was a good idea."

"Because you both had the same problem!"

"No, no we do not, Ms. Dash." He pointed to Fluttershy, who was resting under a tree and snuggling with Angel again. "Her problem is she can't face others at all, I can, I just don't like to be laughed at. Which I'd say is more of a universal problem than anything."

She was quick to point out that his treatment of her wasn't the best nor most encouraging, but yet again, that's just how Sin was. Fluttershy didn't like him and he didn't like her, setting them up together was a bad idea from the start. He knew it, but went along anyways because he didn't want to have to fight over it, but the ensuing fight seemed like a piece of cake by comparison. 

"Look, I tried, alright."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did," Sin pushed, trying to maintain his cool. "This? This isn't helping her. My observing isn't helping her, she needs her friends to give her encouragement. That's why she's surrounded by those damned rats all the time." -Rats, squirrels and rabbits; same thing- "If you want her ready before Friday, than you'll need to find someone more suited to the job than I am."

The two stared each other down for a time, Sin was resolute in this, though. Rainbow was right, Fluttershy didn't need hostility, she needed compassion and gentle encouragement, and these two things were not his strong suit. Eventually, Rainbow gave in with a depressed sigh.

"You're sure you can't help me with this?" Sin nodded, he wasn't happy about a failure, but he didn't have a chance here. "Fine, you can go then, I guess."

The stallion complied and turn to leave for the Town Hall and gave a nod when Rainbow said she still expected him to keep up his exercises. He didn't need to be told, regaining full motion of his wings was a person project now, but he was worried about the overall return. His wings weren't as big as they needed to be, and even if he did regain mobility without pain, could he fly again? Was all of this time and energy going to be worth it in the end?





Standing in the back and reading over another few old propositions, Sin sat in on his first City Council meeting. While unable to speak on the matters directly, he was allowed to listen in and give advice should it be asked for.

The Council meeting was one of "emergency", one of the many they'd be having over the next few days, to debate and discuss the follow through with the dozens of pieces of legislation the Federalist had spat on and thrown back at them. Programs would need to be cut, service members fired, public declarations made, it was every bureaucrats worst nightmare. The paperwork was so enormous that not a single one of the council members dared to make any more propositions.

"So, with Proposition 11445-01 Road Repairs budget cuts from 40,000 bits per year to 25,000 bits per year, and monthly maintenance cut to maintenance every four months, we of the Ponyville City Council will now decide if the extra funding in 15,000 bits will be allocated to other endeavors or proceed with tax cuts in appropriation to the registered businesses in which it effects."

"Do anything but that." Sin commented absently as he turned the page. "See what happens."

He felt four pairs of eyes shoot directly at him and smirked. He loved it when they did that.

"THAT'S IT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Rain Drops declared. "He isn't even apart of this town, what right does he have to come in here and tell us what we can and cannot do!"

Leaf Spring placed a hoof onto the young mare, attempting to calm her while maintaining her scowl. 

"He's been sent by Celestia Rain, unless you've already forgotten about the Empirical Inquiry and Audit that we had last week." Mayor Mare growled, looking at the earth pony through narrowed eyes.

"Like, okay fine, but why does he get so much power here?! We all had to get elected to our seats, but he just, like, watlzes in and Celestia expects us to listen to him? That is so unfair! Ponyville likes the way we do things, so why should what the Crown says matter!?"

Sin's smirk faded at the accusation. That... was an excellent point actually. Well, it would have been, if it were the full truth of the matter. "You really think the population is happy with the way things are currently, Ms. Drops?" He asked, picking up the file he was working on and walking to her. "Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I believe a few ponies were in just this morning making complaints about Ms. Colgate's Candy regulation that was to be brought up for popular vote next week. One Ms. Bon Bon leading the charge, if memory serves?"

Rain huffed and looked away, folding her forelegs over her barrel. Sin didn't like that Colgate was using government taxes to fund her proposition voting campaign, but that was something he did allow for one simple reason. An informed population is a better population. He'd need to figure out a counter campaign in advocacy against her proposition, but without use of tax payer bits. Grass roots were always more effective, the kids and candy stores would be useful, they were the ones most affected after all.

"Differing opinions doesn't make an unhappy town, Sinbad." Leaf Spring retorted sagely. The green mare was smart, very intelligent, probably on par with his own. Though, with her intelligence came cunning and manipulations, Sin had to be on guard whenever speaking with her.

"Perhaps." He agreed, "time will tell." He laid down another folder to the pile for the council to look over.

And time would tell, it would tell him that she was absolutely right. The population would suffer a little, especially the construction and maintenance sectors with all the work he was taking away from them. He'd also need to find a point of mitigation for that as well before the lynch mob came for him. The small farms around the town would have excess capital with the tax cuts, maybe he could present some business opportunities that would employ the majority of the lay offs? Something charity related maybe? Celestial did own him a favor after that whole "occupy" fiasco.

The meeting finished up with a good bit of work done, Sin keeping them on point of course and he finished up one last edit to an addition to the school house. He wasn't stupid enough to cut what little funding there was to that, though he could see the need for an extension. One building for multiple grades didn't make sense, if anything, they should be receiving just a tiny bit more money.

 'You son of a bitch.'

Hey! Piss off alright. I can't just be the "no more government" pony anymore. I'm not here to turn this into an Libertarian paradise, I'm here to make this town run more efficiently.







Silence, complete silence permeated the Library as Sin sat on the floor. Across the table from him sat Uppity, reading through Twilight's reports one more time. She hadn't said a word to him besides asking him to take a seat. A full hour of her sitting and reading had passed, and Sin was getting sleepy. He didn't complain though, he was done meeting Rainbow for his wing training, so he planned to take the day off before heading back to his job at the lumber mill.

It was going to suck having to wake up even earlier than before, but it would be fine. He felt more in shape when he was pushing the logs around, and maybe he could get Spike a job there too.

"'What the fuck is this'?" Uppity said suddenly, her tone as firm as stone. "'Get this out of my face', 'are you fucking kidding me with this', 'This is a joke and you didn't even give me the courtesy of making it funny', and 'did your mother drop you on the head when you were a foal'?" She was reading off quotes from his past dealing with Colgate.

'Fucking nark.'

"Hehe. Yea, good times."

The DA didn't share his happy feelings and gently closed the folder before rubbing her eyes with her hooves. "Sin, Sin, Sin. What am I going to do with you?"

"Accept my apology for one." Uppity scowled at him, saying that it wasn't her that he should be apologizing to. "Huh? Oh, no I'm not sorry for saying that. Shit, I wish I had stamps that said that." He chuckled. "What I'm sorry for is the way I've been treating you. You've been very generous with me, and I've been taking advantage of that."

He felt a flicker of hope as a small light returned to her eyes. His words were genuine and he didn't intend to get her forgiveness, but he did want her to know he was sorry. She looked away a small blush taking her cheeks. "Don't try to butter me up now."

Sin denied her words. He was sorry, and he explained why. Telling Uppity that he'd been unfair to her because of her Imperial position of power, despite her best efforts to both befriend him and show him leniency. The purple maned pony, not expecting the heart felt comment betrayed her professionalism for just a split second with a misty eyed happiness.

It wasn't to last before she cleared her throat and brought up another crime he'd committed. One that Twilight had almost thrown him out of the library for. "Provision of alcohol to minors is a serious offense, Sin. Why in Equestria would you do such a thing?"

The oaken stallion pressed his lips as the memories came flooding back to him once again. Crasus' cold and blank face, his intoned depression, the iron door, the body laying on the blackened streets of North Wood. He closed his eyes and opened them to find Uppity staring at him firmly, but with an undercurrent of concern. "I know you're not stupid enough to do that for just the fun of it."

Taking a breath, Sin saw no way out of this charge other than being truthful. "Fine. When I was in the Federation, I had a friend named Crasus. Unicorn pony, smart guy. He..." He paused, finding the story much harder to tell than he thought. "He wasn't a happy stallion. He thought alot, about how uninteresting life was."

"I knew for a while that he was in a miserable depression. He'd never find a nice thing to say about anything, life was shit because of this, or nothing mattered in the grand scheme because of that. You know." He cleared his throat, finding that there were onions being cut somewhere in the house. Uppity's cold stare was completely gone now, nothing but anticipation and interest.

"He never told me what happened, but I never asked either. I thought that if he wanted to talk, he'd talk and I had no right to pry into his life. But the more time went on, the more... *Sigh* the more I saw it coming, the more I knew it would happen."

"What would happen?" Twilight asked from behind, the tea in her magic growing cold from her time standing and listening.

"October seventeenth. Crasus wanted to meet me to tell me something important on the rooftop of a Skyler building. I knew what he wanted to say, and I'd come to terms with it. I thought there was no stopping him then. It was his life, right? His decisions to make. What business of mine was it to stop him?"

"What. Happened?" The librarian repeated a bit more forcefully.

Sin chocked on his words as he blinked back the tears. He blamed himself alot for it, and why shouldn't he? He let it happen, he didn't stop Crasus from jumping, he didn't even show signs of concern. The Federalist was right there, not even a few feet away and he just walked away, knowing one of his oldest friends was about to take his own life.

"He... he asked me to shoot him." Both mares gasped. "He wanted me to make sure he didn't half ass it that time. The last time. I told him no, of course, but I did walk away as he stood on the edge of the roof."

He could see Uppity visibly shaking, if out of anticipation or rage he wasn't sure. Twilight still hadn't taken her place on the sofa yet either. "I told him to jump head first, make sure he did it right the first time."

"The... the dead, broken and lost look in Spikes eye. It was so close to Crasus, the look he had before he killed himself." He sucked in air through his nose and calmed the subtle shaking in his legs. "I couldn't let depression take him, not after what I've seen it do before." He turned back to Twilight, finding tears streaming down her eyes. "I'm sorry your upset with me for giving him alcohol, and I know he's sorry for drinking. But I'm not sorry for doing the only thing I knew to try to pull him away from a darkness I was too stupid to fight before. I did what I did because I care about him, and hopefully he'll be better off for it."

The room was quiet, nopony spoke.

What was there to say? What could someone say to something like that? Hey, I just stood by and let my best friend kill himself, gave him a few pointers too. Sin couldn't let that happen again, the consequences against him be damned.

"Is all that true?" A fourth voice pipped up. All three ponies looked up to find the drake looking down the stairs, his eyes just as tearful as everyone else's. Sin merely nodded in reply, not expecting him to hear it too. He didn't know why the baby overhearing the tale scared him, would he think it was a lie to justify what he did? Using psychological manipulations to gain pity?

"Anyway." He cleared his throat again, committed to finishing things on a note that didn't make him feel like an emotional whiny bitch. "That's all there is to it. You can say all you want about the law or whatever. That's your problem."

Uppity stood from her place on the couch and quickly walked in front of the Federalist. She looked at him for a few seconds before reaching out and taking him into an embrace. Sin froze up at the contact, unsure of how to respond. 

"You lost somepony." He felt her hicup, but kept his head and eyes forward. "You lost somepony important to you, and you don't want that to happen again."

Furrowing his brow, the Federalist squirmed slightly from the hug. It was true, he did care about Crasus, he wouldn't admit it before today, but he did care alot. He just wasn't sure about what right he had to protect the pony from his own desires because they were his own desires. Spike hadn't reached that point of hopelessness yet, he couldn't risk it getting so bad.

The room was silent for a time, each of them reflecting on their own thoughts about the discovery. Twilight was the first to speak, voicing her appreciation over Sin's actions, but still condemning them under both morality and legality. It was to be expected, she was a government type after all. 

"You did what you thought was best." Uppity whispered into his chest, squeezing just a bit tighter. She understood. She understood more than she cared to admit to those present. "And for what it's worth, I am proud of you."

Sin shivered, unsure of what to do. "Ahem, yes, well. Thank you." He lifted his hoof and gently patted her on the back. 

To his surprise, the orange unicorn chuckled. "Way to ruin the atmosphere, Sin." She pulled away and beamed, happy that she finally learned something deeper than before. It was gut wrenching and humiliating, but the Federalist felt a bitter sweetness at his exposition. Still, that left the matter at hoof.

He wasn't going to take any punishment lying down this time, and made it clear that he'd fight whatever the two pushed on him. Uppity and Twilight looked at each other for a moment, silently coming to an understanding that his crime was to be taken into account, but a passive method of punishment would need to be considered.

"You have one week." Twilight declared suddenly. "One week to find a new place to live. I understand what you did and why you did it, but I don't trust you around Spike anymore. You've broken that, and I don't want your influence in my home."

It was a fair deal, he'd long felt he overstayed his welcome anyways. He'd need to speak to a bank tomorrow, but Sin felt confident his next pay check would cover a down payment. Well, assuming he put in a shit ton of overtime anyways. 

Spike began to protest on his behalf, though Sin beckoned him to stop. It wasn't his place to say who did and didn't live in her space. He wasn't planning on staying much longer anyways.

Depressed about his friend's kind act going being condemned, Spike just shook his head, glared at his mom and stomped off back to his room. He'd be angry for a while, but it's not like the two would never see each other again. Twilight excused herself to speak with Spike, leaving the two alone.

"So what do you plan to do?" Uppity asked, the life back in her eyes.

Sin shrugged. Only thing he could do was continue on as he was while looking for a new place to live. He didn't think Twilight was as angry as she lead on, his dismissal was more of a matter of principal, which he could respect. 

The conversation sequaed into lighter topics, what Uppity had been up to, what his plans for Ponyville were and finally just talking in general. 

And while his mind was in the conversation, Sin did come to realize something. He'd changed, alot. Since he came to Equestria, he'd laughed, cried, cared and was cared for. Spike, Mac, Celestia, Uppity, Rainbow and even Twilight to a degree, were ponies he come to respect in a way he hadn't respected those back in the Federation; not even those within the Liberty Syndicate.

Where his work in the Senate was more out of his hatred of government than his liking of others, here it was the opposite. Granted, he still had a general dislike of the over all population, but unlike at home, he didn't hate them. They were decent in Equestria, ponies were genuine here. This was the kind of world he wanted to make the Federation into, where respect for the "rights" of others wasn't enforced through law, but a general respect throughout the population. Where compassion reigned supreme and the individual wanted to be good out of a sense of respect for the efforts of their fellows.

He'd always told himself he could never live in the world he wanted to create, that he'd been too jaded from his time submerged in the lowest form of muck that sentience had to offer. Yet, here he was, attempting to make it even better.

He'd scarified more here than he ever did back home. His emotional wall, his sense of individuality and even his freedom to a large extent. Sin never thought he'd give up anything that he had, yet here he was. Spilling his guts, taking deals to limit him to a single town, working as a part of an entity he despised for the sake of others he didn't even know. All because he wanted to. 

It wasn't going to be easy, but maybe, just maybe he could finally be part of the better world he'd always wanted.



> Unnamed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Unnamed





Hauling for all he was worth, Spike stabilized the heavy desk as he and Sin pulled it through the front door of a fairly isolated house a few streets down from the Library. The two found the ideal spot in the bedroom and brought the ungodly weight to a halt, each pausing to catch their breaths.

"Why *gasp* did you need *gasp* such a heavy desk!" Spike complained, rubbing his now aching fingers together. That was going to leave a blister or two.

"It was *gasp* a gift." Sin replied huffing and puffing, the two of them were out of shape something fierce, even with Sin's wing training. It was moving day and the house he'd taken a loan on was a very nice one. A bit more expressive a property than he'd have prefered, but when in Equestria, do as the Equestrians. Three bedroom place, more than he needed, but it was one of the few properties available, and it was more than in his price range. "Besides, we need the exercise." 

'Obviously.' Spike's inner critic snarked. 

Macintosh and Annabelle filed in behind the two, each carrying boxes of welcome gifts for his new home. Even Granny Smith was kind enough to send over one of her delicious apple pies. Spike was told the two didn't like eachother, but he wasn't sure why.

"Appreciate the help, guys." 

"Don't mention it." Mac declared proudly. 

There wasn't much more to bring in besides a few blankets that would constitute Sin's "bedding" and some food. All in all, the house didn't look anything like a home, but Spike was sure that would change over time. The four admired the house and Annabelle offered to make everyone a quick lunch, but Sin quickly declined. His cooking skills needed work and didn't want to start things off by relying on another to make his food for him.

He thanked everypony again for their help with him moving in and they all went about their day. "Hey Spike, got a minute?" Spike turned back and tilted his head, wondering what his friend wanted. Apparently he'd been needed more and more at Town Hall, what with all the extra work he'd been making for the council that he'd become more and more pressed to take time off of the lumber mill, and asked if the drake would like to take his place.

Spike beamed. "You want me to work at the lumber mill?" 

Sin nodded, "Aye, I'll need to talk to Jacker, but I'm fairly certain he'll say yes. I think you've proven you're more than capable of handling yourself."

"Awesome!" The dragon cheered. "What's the work like?"

Sin explained that the job paid well enough, all he had to do was set the logs on a conveyor and hold them steady for the machine to cut them in half. It sounded easy enough, roll some logs, hold them steady, cut them up, lather, rinse, repeat. "Sound like something you're interested in?"

"Sure!" He nodded, happy to finally have a prospect at making money. He wasn't sure if Twilight would approve, but meh, he wasn't planning on stick around for too long either.

It was kinda sad but it was time for him to move out of the library and do some real growing up. Learn to horde just enough to give him growth, but not enough to send him spiraling out of control. He'd been thinking a bit about trying to grow again and retake his post adolesent form. The dragon didn't know why, but he felt more confident in his ability to maintain control now. He was certain he was ready to try again.

Sin nodded in agreement, giving his own two bits that he also thought it was a good idea, though it would be safe to have somone look after him just in case.

"What if I move in with you?" Spike asked, his mouth moving a little faster than his mind. "Er, sorry I meant, if ummm..."

His mentor thought it over for a second, ultimately deciding he'd need to think about it. It suited Spike just fine, he'd also need to take some time on the matter. What was he thinking just blurting it out like that? Was he really that desperate to get away from Twilight?

'Or maybe it's a desire to be out on your own?'

No, he'd still be living with Sin, so that wasn't it.

'Yea, you'd be living with him, but as equals. You may be young in his eyes, but he does give more respect to you than Twilight does.'

That much was true, speaking of which, he needed to talk to her. Bidding Sin farewell, Spike began his walk back to the Library. He was going to go in for his eye implant today or tomorrow and he'd need to clean his socket out more thoroughly than usual tonight to get ready. He walked in the door and found a most peculiar sight. Princess Celestia and his mother were speaking and laughing over a cup of tea and friendly conversation.

"Oh, hello Spike." Celestia greeted, showing no signs of discomfort about his condition. "It's great to see you up and about. Where have you been off to?" Spike explained that he was helping Sin move into his new place. "Yes, I've heard there were some rather, illicit activities taking place on his part." He eyebrow quirked, but her smile never faded.

"Celestia!" Twilight frowned, catching on to the playfulness in her mentors voice. "Don't talk about it like was a trivial matter! We have laws against drinking for a reason."

"Oh Twilight, loosen up a little." Celestia chuckled. Spike couldn't believe it, the princess was standing up for him? "Part of the male bonding process is the right of passage to partake in alcohol. Surely you can see that it typically comes before one is of age?"

Twilight stood in awe while Spike crossed his arms and smirked. It was like watching your mom get in trouble by her mother for punishing you. "Any way," The lavander mare deflected. "You said you were here to see Spike, right?" Celestia nodded, she had stopped by to see how the drake was doing, and if he was ready for tomorrows visit to Canterlot.

"Yea, bit nervous though." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry too much, Spike. The doctor's had plenty of experience with false eye implants before. I do apologize, but our magic hasn't come far enough to grant you any vision out of it yet."

The baby dragon shrugged, he never expected to use his left eye again anyways. It would feel better once the crater was filled though. After that, he'd be issued an eye patch in case he'd like one, which he did like the idea of. Even if it was unnecessary, everypony looked cooler with an eye patch.

Celestia reached down and gave her little dragon a firm hug with a wing. "I'm glad you're okay." She whispered, smiling down at him. Spike blushed and chuckled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"Aww, you just got here, though." Spike complained. Celestia gave him an apologetic smile before telling them that she was needed back at the Castle. Luna was acting strangely as of late, and no matter how much the Solar Alicorn coaxed her, the princess of the night refused to speak about it.

"I'm worried about her, and I must be there to make sure she's alright." Spike nodded in understanding. He'd like to see Luna again too and thank her for her for what she did with in his dreams. He'd be a wreck without her help.







Macintosh steadied his hoof, one eye closed looking down his Crossbow at his target. A small red circle painted upon a dead tree was his aim, he'd hit it everywhere but where he wanted before, but he had a feeling he'd get it this time.

Exhaling slowly as he was taught, he pulled the trigger and sent the bolt charging, missing his mark only by an inch this time. 

The apple stallion smirked at the applause he'd garnered from both Annabelle and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They'd seen his cross bow in his room and asked if he'd ever used it before, that lead to a story, which lead to asking for a demonstration, which lead to begging for a demonstration, which lead to him in the Everfree forest away from prying eyes.

He could have stayed on the farm, what with the massive land space, but the Everfree Forest seemed like a better idea. Where bolts could be lost in the thicket, monsters lurked all over, fungi had the ability to ruin your life, and snake chicken hybrids could turn you to stone.

Still safer than Granny Smith catching him.

All of the safety rules were established. Cross bows were dangerous weapons intended for the sole purpose of killing other things. Being used defensively or offensively, of course, but still, their purpose and design was to kill.

"Can I try?" Applebloom asked.

"Sure." Mac nodded.

'Best big brother ever.'

He undid the straps from his foreleg and placed them onto Applebloom's much smaller fetlock. The binds needed to be pulled to their tightest to fit, but the crossbow was stable on her leg. The bow itself, though, was about two thirds her size, which made for some hilarious size comparisons.

"Noa, the reason Ah'm lettin' ya do this ain't cause Ah want ya ta learn to shoot." Mac declared, holding the filly's unbolted foreleg up. "Ah'm doin' this cause Ah don't want ya gettin' curious n' takin' it without me there to watch ya. Better ta teach ya to respect the weapon fer what it is then hope ya don' go behind mah back."

"Weapon?" Applebloom questioned, suddenly nervous about the heavy contraption around her leg. Her brother nodded, explaining that just like guard ponies spears and swords, this was a weapon meant only to be used in self defense. 

Foals were foals, they had a tendency to get into things they shouldn't get into. Macintosh knew this, he was quiet, but he wasn't simple. Ignorance was a dangerous thing, and while Annabelle may not have agreed with his decision to teach Applebloom (and most likely her friends) about the power of his cross bow, it was a lesson that needed to be learned for his own piece of mind. There was a respect that came with understanding the simplicity of being able to hurt others with such a weapon, it wasn't something that could be learned about in school or talking with your folks. It had to be done while holding the weapon in your hoof, the heaviness of the thing symbolic to its responsible usage.

"Alrigh' now hold it steady, very good, can you hold it just like that?" He moved his hooves away and watched as his younger sister struggled to maintain the weight.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Macintosh." Annabelle said in concern. The two had spoke about it, and Mac was going to teach her what she needed to know. Part of that was the actual shooting of the bow.

"You ready to shoot it?" He asked, letting the filly's leg rest. Beaming with excitement, Applebloom said she was and with minor hesitation, helped her pull back the primary draw string, forgoing the quick load, and placing a new bolt in place. "Alright, so line up the bow with the target n' pull down on the trigger while exhalin' slow like." He moved behind her as a brace. "Be very careful, the recoil will push the bow back."

"Recoil?" 

He stablaized her leg while the filly took aim, her tongue poking out and up her lip as she lined up the shot. He felt her exhale before pulling the trigger. He felt her push back into him a little and look down at the bow in shock. "Wow, that was neat!"

"WHAT THE BUCK!"

Mac's eyes widened, the voice came from behind the tree, and there was no new bolt present on the target pad. "Uh oh." Suddenly, A black figure burst through the brush line. "Who in the? What the buck, Macintosh?!" Star Shade yelled, his mouth pulled back into a snarle of malice and hatred.

Applebloom and her friends quickly scuttled away from the bat pony and huddle next to Annabelle, who stepped forward as a shield to protect the foals from the deranged pegasus.

Mac attempted to ease the stallion, claiming what had happened was an accident, but it was clear something was wrong with Shade. He wasn't the laid back pony he was yesterday night, his wild eyes and tense body showed him to be more how he used to be.

"You wanna start somethin' bro?!" Shade barked, taking a step forward. "Come bucker, one v one me, faggot!" Mac's family's security challenged, he looked back and told Annabelle to see the Crusade's back to the farm. There were very few ponies in the world who's physical strength made Macintosh nervous, and Shade was defiantly on that list. Especially given that he'd held his own against a fully grown ruby dragon alone.

"Shade, what's wrong witcha?" He asked patiently, keeping the pony's attention. "What happened was an accident n'-"

"BUCK YOU IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" The pony snarled and charged. Mac rolled and dodged the night stallion's ram attack. Catching his bearings, the farmer quickly turned in a crouch ready for the next attack to come, though Shade didn't move from where he now stood. Instead, the pegasus started giggling.

He turned and gave Mac a smile that dripped with insanity and mania. "You killed Fluffy, and now you've come for me, didn't ya?" He licked his fangs. "You can't fool me, ol' bean. Shade know when his pasta's bein' conditioned!" He burst forth again, catching Macintosh on the shoulder as the pony tried to dodge.

This wasn't good, even with his time working on the farm, Mac had become soft. Shade, on the other hoof, didn't lose any of his capability.
What happened? How did he go devolve back to this when he'd come so far? "Shade, stop!" It was a useless plea, the black pony just laughed and ranted on about not being swayed by demands. "Shade, please. Ah'm askin' ya as yer friend-"

"FRIEND!?" He cackled again, looping in a lazy circle around Mac. "You think we're friends hill billy? Friends don't kill friends pets!" He charged again, catching Mac's leg and sending the stallion to a kneel. "Friends don't send friends to get good therapy only to have the stuff run out!" Another charge, another leg buckling from the attack.

'Run out? Wait, the drug! That's gotta be it. Wait wasn't he with Zecora?'

Mac demanded to know what Shade was talking about with respect to Fluffy, he'd never even seen the damned thing, let alone have anything to do with it's death. Star wasn't buying it though, his thought and reason too far gone to his now unrepresented malice. "You can play dumb, but you gone learn today, boy!"

Seeing another pass coming, Mac attempted to put some weight on his legs only for them to buckle again. No good, he wouldn't be able to move like this. He looked just in time to see Shade a few dozen yards away and moving fast. The apple farmer flinched and awaited the pain of the attack, though a sudden grunting and sound of popping bone interrupted what was sure to be a brutal end.

He chanced a glance and saw buttermilk, blond headed earth pony, savagely pinning the subdued attacker in place. "If you ever hurt my Macintosh again, I'll bucking KILL YOU!" 





"He consumes so much, and give so little. My entire supply is in quite a fiddle." Zecora rymed, looking over the unconscious pony and sighed. "The needed sun from up above, is needed to grow, to calm my love." She gently stroked Shades ear.

Mac and Annabelle shared a look, from what they'd gathered, the plant used to pacify their friend had run out about a day ago and without the medicinal effects on his mind, he reverted back to his old ways. Compounded since the medicine didn't really "heal" his head so much as repressed his nature. The romantic interest between the zebra and lunar pony was half expected though, both were outsiders, so it did kind of make sense.

Zecora looked to a pot on her window sill and sighed. "There's not enough to keep him happy, but there a solution to grow more poppy." She looked back to Mac and smiled.

"No," Mac said instantly, already knowing where this was going. The farm was specifically for apple and pineapples plus some marginalized crops. There was no way he was growing that stuff in his orchard. Not only were its effects on the mind of questionable principal to his mind, but the plant stank something fierce. Even while it wasn't being smoked, the stench of plant itself made him want to gag.

"Macintosh." Annabelle complained, turning to her coltfriend. "He's your friend and needs your help." Mac scowled and explained that he took serious exception to such mind altering substance. In a way, it was no different than what happened with his sister. Annabelle asked Zecora if the effects of the drug were as Mac had claimed and the zebra replied in the negative.

Ganja, as she'd called it, just made the ponies who indulged it more mellow and relaxed. There was no mind control or influence aside from that, though Mac wasn't sold. It changed ponies, it changed their personalities drastically and that was something he couldn't condone.

"And what about him?" Annabelle pointed to the retrained lump on the bed. "He'll be to unstable to live a normal life without it."

"He wasn' livin' normal with it."

"At least he was living!" The butter milk earth pony argued. Which was true, he'd never played cards with Shade before, he'd have seen playing chess with a pigeon a better idea. Still a decision would need to be made and soon. The longer Shade was subjected to the drug, the more brutal his mania would become if and when he'd be without it. Though that also brought up another problem, if the medicine was just repressing his feelings, than how long would it be before the feelings were too strong to bottle up? All of them were of the mind the Ganja was  healing his mind, only to find now that it was just repressing it.

So the solution wasn't a solution at all, but a temporary fix.

"Not quite," Zecora interjected. According to her Ganja was a long term medicinal regiment. Short term doses did act as a calming agent, but longer term effects lead to the "calming of the soul" which she assured would happen to Shade. The Apple farmer really wished he understood what all she was saying, but his understanding of anatomy and physiology was anything but an authority.

Finally between the guilt and coaxing by Annabelle and the prospect of Shade living the rest of his life either strapped to a bed or lashing out, Mac agreed to consider Zecora's solution. "Ah'm not sayin' Ah'll do it, but Ah am sayin' Ah'll consider it." He clarified. The answer made both mares happy enough. The zebra gathered something from the plant for a moment and offered it to Macintosh.

"Seeds of the Ganja, for plant and growth. Keeping in mind, it needs the lives of water and sun the most."

'That didn't even rhyme!"

Piss off.

Looking down at the oval shaped brown seeds in his hoof. There weren't enough to start a crop, but there was enough to get an experimental garden going. 

Annabelle and he left with a word of good bye and thanks. Mac's mind working a mile a minute, he'd need to speak to Sin and figure out the legality of these "Ganja" plants.
> Business and Nightmares
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Business and Nightmares







Sin tapped his hoof upon his office desk as he looked at the lithe, forest green mare before him as she sat in preponderance over his offer.

News of his position had spread quite well around the town since yesterday's city council meeting in pertinence to the slashing of both spending and regulations. This caught the attention of the two pegasi mare's he'd helped in transporting contraband a few weeks ago. Both mares came to him, hats in hooves of course, in hopes that they could have their records expunged.

Seeing an opportunity, Sin granted the request on one condition. That the mares bring in their boss for a little interview with him, and here she was. Shady Oaks. Well, that was her surename anyways, what little he'd spoken to her, she didn't seem like the air head type who'd give her name to government officials.

"So, let me see if I understand you correctly." Shady said thoughtfully. "You will get the police and the guard out of our business if we regulate the black market for you?"

Sin sighed, rubbing his head with a hoof. "No, Ms. Oaks. Regulate the Red Market, not the Black Market."

The mare had a bit of a difficult time understanding the difference. "Yes, but isn't what you've described part of the black market?"

"Yes and no." The new Treasurer grimaced. "Black and Grey markets are simply outside of government interference. Avoiding the tax mare, if you will. So long as the transactions are voluntary, I hold no qualms with anything you do. Drugs, unregulated goods and services, prostitution, I don't care." 

"The Red Market, on the other hoof, is a different beast." He stood from his desk and wondered over to the window, staring out into the peaceful town and sighing. "I've come to like this town, and would like to keep it safe. The changes I've made in the government regulations are going to attract some... less than reputable characters to Ponyville." He turned back to her. "When that happens, I want to make sure that peace is kept in the underworld as well as the overworld."

Shady quirked a brow, commenting on his less than orthodox methods of maintaining order. Typically, law saw the underground as an enemy all its own, something to be exposed and destroyed, and yet here was a political figure who was asking for it to be self regulated. This was much to the Federalist's delight. The underworld couldn't be stopped he knew this for a fact, it would be there no matter what the government did, he just figured it was better to get it as safe as possible, and it was going to be within Shady's organization's interest to accept his olive branch.

When divided up, he saw the: Grey, Black and Red markets within the underworld vs the White of the overworld. The Grey was untaxed, under the table work, plus some under the table purchases. Black markets were what many deemed lawfully illicit, but not immoral against the principal of voluntary exchange. Red Markets were transactions that took place against the will of one of the parties involved. Slaver and killers who didn't give the choice to others, they simply took the right to choose away and made a profit off of those whom they committed violence against.

"And what's in it for you?" Shady smiled lazily. Her hazel eyes holding a certain bored interest that could almost be misconstrued as bedroom calling. She was the type of mare who was never surprised or impressed, but found the unexpected more entertaining than anything. "Money? Product? Or perhaps you want to get some of my mares for free for a night?"

An image of Uppity yelling at him popping into his head for some reason, Sin declined, stating that his interest was purely in the benefit of the town. Red Markets housed slave trades, sex rings, organ traffickers and killers for hire. It was always so difficult to regulate the black market due to it's conflation with the red, so it would be easier to just leave the law out of it while he worked his own manipulations. Safety was a priority, everyone wanted to get to their respective husband/wives and children at the end of the day, after all. 

If he could get informants in the underworld and kept it policing itself, the guard and police should have no business with it.

Though, there was also the problem of asserting one's self. Drug dealers and and black lords weren't ponies to trifle with, even if they were a peaceful sort. Maintaining Shady's respect would be a priority if he wanted her to trust him and maintain her people's safety, as well as those who'd go after her.

"On second thought, there is one thing I'd like from you." He smirked taking his seat.

"Aha! I knew you had selfish desires." The forest colored pony chuckled, her laugh both knowing and innocent all at once. "So, what will it be? Ask and you shall receive."

"Information."

Shady's eyebrows soared, though her lids remained halved and smile never faltered. Sin wanted to be kept in the loop of things just in case. He'd made some powerful enemies in the small town, and wanted her to keep tabs on the market for any information pertaining to himself.

"That is my one condition for our agreement. You keep the reds out and don't cause trouble, I'll make sure the law keeps its distance."

She didn't take long in thinking over his proposal and agreed. "You know, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership." She cooed, standing from her place.

"No partnership, please. I've no interest in participating in what you do." He respected other ponies life choices and styles, but he personally didn't agree with drugs or prostitution. The lithe mare awed patronizingly and sauntered around the desk.

"Don't tell me that you've never been with a prostitute before." Shady teased, stopping just as her muzzle barely touched his ear. "Or have you never been with a mare at all?" She whispered seductively.

Sin froze for a moment, her proximity and hot breath sending shivers down his spine. She was testing him, she was testing him and he needed to pass. He calmed himself and forced a smirk. "Afraid I've never had a thing for whores." 

'Wow, scathing.'

Shut up!

Shady found the come back just as humors though and laughed jovially. "Oh my, you really haven't been with a mare, have you?" He had no idea what he did to give her that impression, though she was quick to point out the shakiness in his voice when he'd whispered to her, as well as the blush that tinted his cheeks.

He gave her a quick glare and turned away, unsure of how to respond to a situation he'd never been in. Though, his face was quickly brought back to her by her hoof. "If you'd like, I can relieve you of such a burden." Her hoof traveled down his neck to his barrel. "No stallion should ever go so long without knowing a mare."

In a blur, Sin swatted he hoof away and pushed his chair backwards a good few feet, his skin crawling and stomach churning from the contact. 

Again, Shady just chuckled and giggled, laughing like a filly. Sin was already irritated at being touched, he had to bite his tongue to stop from chewing her out.

"Well, this was fun, but I'm afraid I must go." She turned around and made way for the door, stopping to give him one last suggestive smile. "I'll be seeing you soon, Sin." The door closed and the oaken stallion shivered and exhaled to calm himself. Sexuality wasn't something he was comfortable with, in fact, it was probably the weakest point he had in terms of mental defense. 

'Maybe getting involved with her wasn't the best idea.'







"Ganja?" Sin asked, looking at Macintosh, who was holding up some brown seeds. "I haven't looked into the drug laws here."

"Ya think ya can do somethin' if it is illegal? Ah'd rather not get too much hassle fer this." Mac replied, looking down at the seeds uneasily. Sin pressed his lips and said he'd have to talk to the city council. Drugs weren't well accepted in Ponyville, but in medicinal use, an exception might be made. To that end, he also asked about why the Stallion was considering growing the plant, he knew the Apple farm was hurting, but he'd never expected Macintosh to turn to drugs for it.

To his bitter sweet relief, it was more for Shade's use due to a... relapse episode, brought about by the lack of product.

Pressing his lips, the former senator shook his head. That was the reason he didn't care for drugs, addiction and withdrawal. It could turn a well mannered individual into a raving lunatic, but apparently it could also do the reverse. Ups and downs, he supposed.

"If I was you, I'd talk to Celestia." Sin intoned. "You'd have a better chance getting an imperial permit than a city permit." Mac hadn't considered that possibility, but it wouldn't hurt, she was the one in charge of Shade's rehabilitation. "You sure you're Grandmother and Sister's will approve of this though? They don't strike me as the drug condoning type."

Mac had considered his family's disapproval, they would verbally slaughter him if they ever found out what he was doing. But, between Shade and Annabelle, he'd made the decision to go through with it anyways. "Alright, your call." The other stallion called with a shrug.

Expecting the meeting to last a bit longer, Mac asked how Sin was liking his new job, to which the stallion scoffed. "Ain't a new job, Mac. I'm not getting paid for this." The apple farmer quirked a brow, though it did make sense, considering where the money would have to come from the pay him. To his surprise and respect, his friend maintained his job as a mill worker on top of this. Considering the hours equaled out to about fourteen hour work days, Mac had to tip his proverbial hat to the pony's dedication.

"You gettin' enough sleep fer all that?" 

The Federalist nodded. "I don't need the full eight hours during the work week, I catch up on the weekends. Aside from Shade, how are you doing with Annabelle? You two seem to be spending alot of time together."

Nodding proudly, the apple farmer was very happy with the way the relationship was progressing. It took a special kind of mare to help fight off another stallion for her own.

Sin had to admit, despite his chauvinism, he respected her for stepping up to one of the most dangerous ponies in Equestria. "Sounds like a keeper."

"How 'bout you 'n Uppity?" Mac smirked. "Ya two are sure gettin' along." Sin chuckled and shook his head. She was a government type, her loyalty would always be to Celestia. An anarchist libertarian and a personal assistant to the Crown didn't mix in that kind of way. Mac wasn't buying it though. "Spike was the assistant to Twiligh' n' you accepted him jes' fine."

"Spike was a different matter. He didn't enjoy his servitude like Uppity does." Sin countered.

"Jes' like you don't?"

'Ouch, low blow.'

Truth be told, he didn't mind the job he was doing now, but he was also manipulated and forced into it. Though, he was also more than able to argue his way out of any situation, manipulating him was probably the only way anypony could make him do what was necessary for his own happiness. "Fair point." He thought the issue would be dropped there, but Mac had other ideas.

"We should do a double date."

"Eh?"

The red pony smiled. "You, me, Annabelle n' Uppity. We should all meet up in Canterlot tomorrow n' do somethin' fun."

Fun? Him? Sinbad Islander? Sinbad Islander and fun? What? Those words just didn't sound right together.

He appreciated the offer, but dismissed it. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he needed to catch up on his sleep as well as go over some hypothetical scenarios on combating Colgate's proposition and finding work for the soon to be unemployed government employees. 

'Wait a minute. Maybe going to Canterlot might not be a bad idea.'

What do you mean?

'Think about it, Celestial owes you a favor right? This would be the perfect opportunity for you to visit their office and figure out something for those construction workers.'

"On second thought-" Sin said, the wheels in his mind turning. "I think I will come. I've got some business in Canterlot I need to take care of." That pleased Mac well enough, but Sin's mind was in overdrive to find a solution. Getting funding would be easy now, but he'd need a real plan on what to do. He'd toyed around with the idea of a charity drive for something, but that never lead to anything substantial. He didn't have a lot of time, and would need to pitch something to the executives.





The next day, three of the four friends exited the train car plus one Twilight Sparkle, she'd been civil enough with Sin, but Spike could sense her unease around the new town treasurer. He and Mac both made way for Canterlot Castle while Sin left to take care of whatever he had to do while in the city.

For some reason he was particularly secretive about his reasons for coming, same with Macintosh now that the drake thought about it.

"I miss Canterlot, sometimes." Twilight said, smiling dumbly as the nostalgia hit her. It was nice to be back with out a crisis for once, just taking in the scenery. Spike had to agree. Ponyville was nice and all, but there was just something about the high spires and over all entirety of the city that made it breath taking. The fact that it was his birth place and the area he'd spent most of his life didn't hurt either. 

The three made way through the busy streets on the familiar path to the castle gate. Greeted by the stony faces of the guards, the two ponies and one dragon pushed past the main entrance and into the chambers of Celestia.

"Hello, my little ponies." Celestia greeted regally, waling down to give Twilight and Spike a quick nuzzle of affection. "Are you ready for your surgery, Spike?"

The aforementioned took a breath. "Yes, yes I am, princess." Celestia nodded in approval before calling Twilight over for a few private words. Her student looked at her in questioning, but was told to see to Spike first. Once the two had seen thsmselves out, Celestia turned her attention to Mac. "Machintosh, was it? What may I do for you, my little pony?"

His ear flicking in nervousness, the stallion mentioned that he'd rather hold a private audience with the princess. He'd rather as few ponies know about his inquiry as possible, lest word spread and land him into more crap than he cared to deal with. Nodding in the affirmative, Celestia sent the dragon and librarian to the medical wing, giving the former a nuzzle of encouragement.

Once alone, Celestia turned her attention back to Macintosh. The stallion was about to speak, but the sight of a white earth pony stopped him. "Oh, do not fret, Macintosh. Raven here knows how important confidentiality is among my subjects." Celestia's assurance didn't calm the stallion, though she didn't seem to be leaving any time soon, so he just made his plea.

"Ganja?" The alabaster sun goddess tilted her head. "That is the plant that has depressive effects upon ingestion, correct? You do know that such a thing is illegal within not only Ponyville, but Equestria as a whole, correct?"

Mac nodded, though he made his case about Shade's condition and how it was the only thing that kept the bat pony under control. News of the method Zecora was using to pacify her charge sent a grimace onto Celestia's face. "You were th' one who told Twi n' them to rehabilitate Shade, yer majesty."

The princess looked down at him with a minor scowl, though nodded in the affirmative. "I did not think it would come to illicit psychoactives, though." She sat in contemplation.

"If I may, your grace." Raven interjected, much to Macintosh's horror. "Research conducted in Manehatten has shown positive effects of the Canabanoids on the mentally unstable among the inner city youth. Side effects are strongly prevalent of course, but those whom are confirmed to have mental instabilities and  consume Ganja have shown positive improvements in their behavior."

"Thank you Raven." Celestia said politely. "But I'm afraid legalizing Ganja isn't a good idea for the current time. The Canterlot elite, stuffy aristocrats that they are, would bring it up at every turn against me."

That didn't sound right, the noble ponies in Canterlot were supposed to help keep Equestrians safe and happy. Though, Mac could understand their reservation and agreed to a point. Though, he wasn't completely sure what all the side effects were. Wait, did she say they were observing foals using the drug?

"Forgive me your Majesty, but I wasn't suggesting total legalization" Raven corrected, patting the red tuft of cloth that came from her collar. "What I was suggesting was the implementation of medical Ganga usage. Under specific controls and observations of course. Since the main problems with the drug is it's adverse side effects on underdeveloped brains, observing the effects on fully grown adults could help our cause for recreational legalization."

The two continued their conversation and it slowly dawned on the apple farmer that he was about to be part of an experiment that would prove the legitimacy of Ganja usage for medical purposes. According to Raven, the positive benefits out weighed the negative consequences for mental health, as well as trace elements of body purification. He had his reservation though, if he was shanghaied into this, it would be under protest. Shade needed help, of that he knew, but the bat pony suffered from sever mania, dementia and insanity brought about by traumatic events. To use that as a base to push Ganja on others for less sever experiences just didn't sit right with him. 

After a few minutes of deliberation, Celestia agreed to the trial that Raven had appropriated and ordered a permit to be written up. As well as a team of observers and researchers summoned for briefing. "Congratulations, Macintosh. " The princess smiled happily. "You're request to farm and harness Ganja has been approved."

Suddenly, Mac began questioning if getting out of bed today was a good idea or not.







Spike was shaking in his chair, and he couldn't figure out why. Twilight sat by his side, gently stroking the drake's head and whispering how everything would be alright, that there was nothing to be afraid of.

He knew that, he'd be unconscious for the entire operation, but that didn't help. He felt ridiculous for being afraid, but the sterile white room and sharp tools of surgery that hung from the wall sent all kinds of images into his head. Not to mention the jar on the counter to the left. The doctor gave it to him to see his transplant eye before insertion, but the more he looked at it, the more sick he felt. Eventually, Twilight took it away from the drakes claws in observation of his distress.

His stress over everything was keeping the anesthetics from claiming him. Twilight was told to calm him down and that's what she was doing as best she could. That would include lecturing a certain brown unicorn doctor about patient bedside manners. Until then, all she could do was sit and whisper soothing words of comfort, saying that everything would be alright.

"What do you plan to do while I'm in surgery? I don't expect you to stick around for it." Spike said with a smile, desperate to get his mind off of what was coming.

"I'll be talking with Celestia for a while. She said she had important news for me about Luna and that she may need my help for something." Twilight replied, catching on. "I'm not sure what it's about, but it must be something important to ask for my help."

'Yep, like when there are enemies she can't be bothered to fight! Like Nightmare Moon and Discord.'

Spike nodded in agreement, he hoped Luna was alright, Celestia had rarely asked for Twilight's help. The two continued to talk to each other, smiling and laughing at jokes and past events in an attempt to defuse his tense apprehension. After a few minutes of talking, due to the conversation or just his body's inability to fight, his muscles finally began to relax.

He'd felt the drugs the anesthesiologists had put in his system taking effect, but asked that Twilight stay until he was asleep. Spike was happy she was there, he wasn't sure he could have done this without her.

"Of course, Spike." She gave him a quick hug. "I love you and I'll always be there for you, even if you do act like numbskull sometimes." She giggled and Spike made an attempt to do the same, more for his benefit than hers. It did bring him comfort, knowing he'd have somewhere to go even when he left. She'd be upset no matter where he went, but something told him that his going to live with Sin would really step in her carrots. 

"I love you too, Twi."







Her son now unconscious and about to go under the knife, Twilight left him with one last look and made way straight for Luna's personal chambers. She quickened her pace the closer she got, whatever was happening must have been bad if it warranted her to come to the lunar alicorn's room.

When she arrived she was greeted by at least a dozen solar guards and even more lunar standing in front of the door. "Twilight Sparkle." Barked one of the guards. "You're expected. Please, follow me." The golden clad pony turned to his fellows and nodded. All of them retook formations. The pegasi formed floating pony shields, facing in both directions of the hall while their ground bound breathern stood to cover as much ground as they could to stop any invaders. What caught the librarian's attention was that the guard weren't facing away from the door to stop anypony from coming in, but towards it, as if expecting something to come out.

Her eyes going wide at the display, Twilight began to fear what was beyond the door to warrant this kind of protection. 

Satisfied with the formations, the golden clad unicorn opened the dark blue room divider just enough and beckoned Twilight to follow inside. She steeled herself and complied.

The scene inside stole her breath. There, sitting upon a black and blue decorated couch, lay Luna. Her eyes were tear stained red and lifeless, Her pelt was disheveled, and her typically ever billowing, ethereal, starry mane lay dull and lifeless. She was naked of her typical regalia, exposed in a light that could almost make her look like any other pony besides her having both wings and a horn.

Besides her, Celestia sat in solemn contemplation. Her breath visible from the cold chill of the room.

"Princess?" Twilight asked, cautiously approaching her mentor. Awakening from her stupor, Celestia offered a sad smile and greeted her student. "What's going on?" The lavender mare asked, her heart breaking at the condition Luna was in.

"Luna-" Celestia croaked, cringing slightly. "She... she's been..." She trailed off, looking extremely ashamed about something. Twilight's heart broke twice, she'd never seen the solar alicorn looking so defeated before. She quickly moved to Celestias side and pressed her side into her mentor, offering comfort as best she could. Still though, she needed to know what was happening, what had happened to the sun pony's sister.

Sighing, Celesta took a calming breath and told Twilight what Luna had told her. A week ago, Luna finally came to her to confess the reason for her strange behaviors. About the visions and voices that plagued her mind, shadows of a mare they all thought destroyed, of serpentine turquoise eyes visiting Luna in her sleep, a lustful voice trying to pull the poor mare back into the hateful and jealous ways she'd succumbed to a thousand years ago.

Nightmare Moon wasn't gone, and threatened to return. 

"But it's worse than that, Twilight." Celestia hiccuped. "She... Luna, she... She's been torturing herself. Twilight." That was enough to send the slack jawed librarian's mouth to the ground. "A few weeks after her return, she... She cursed herself with a horrible creature of nightmares. The Tantibus."

The lavender unicorn could only stand in utter terror at the revelations. Luna had been torturing herself? Why?! Why would she give herself nightmares? How was Nightmare Moon still here?! The Elements of Harmony should have purged her. Why was she only now being told about this? Why hadn't Celestia assembled the rest of the Elements? "W-why?" She whispered, too full of bewildered shock to get anything else out.

"A few weeks after her return. Luna had summoned that Tantabis to terrorize her dreams with possibilities of how she could hurt others. To remind herself never to fall what she once was." Celestia answered, tears falling from her eyes. "And as punishment for her crimes."

"WHAT?!" Twilight demanded. "But- but she was already punished! She was sentenced to the moon for a thousand years for what she'd done!"

The white alicorn shook her head. "She didn't think it was enough. And in her desires to atone, the Tantabus merged with her worst nightmare. Giving life to that which she feared most."

Grimacing from a growing sense of anger, Twilight marched over to Luna glared at her. "Luna, you- you dunderhead! Why would you do this to yourself! Haven't you suffered enough!?" She screamed, tears of indignant rage welling up. "What about Celestia!? How could you do this to her!"

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! ENOUGH!" Quickly scurrying away from the lunar goddess, Twilight stood shaking at the stone scowl of Celestia. She'd never ever heard her mentor use the royal Canterlot voice before. And to have it directed straight at her sent the mare's neurosis into apology filled over drive.

Seeing her student's state of duress, Celestia's anger evaporated and she used her magic to pull Twilight into a firm hug. "It's okay, my faithful student. I'm sorry I yelled at you, but Luna is in a very vulnerable state right now." She whispered, feeling the first few tears escape her students cheeks and spill onto her shoulder.

Taking a few moments to calm themselves, Twilight listened as Celestia explained that she was attempting to exercise the Tantabus and the remnants of Nightmare Moon from her sister's mind. Her attempts thus far had been unsuccessful, obviously. She was planning on originally commanding the entirety of the Elements if the failures continued, but seeing Twilight today, decided to ask for her help. "The Elements have failed before, Twilight, but perhaps you and I, together, can banish this beast back to Tatarus where it belongs." 

Twilight looked up into the hopeful face of her mentor. She wanted to help Luna, she wanted her Princess happy, and that's what she planned to do. "What do you need me to do, Princess?"






"Mr. Sinbad? Fancy Pants will see you now." Called a very fetching and polite secretary. Sin stood from his place in the lobby and thanked her for holding the door open.

Inside was a lavish room full of busts and pillars. The color scheme was a small eye soar, what with the pink and white, but the royal purple rug and it's amazingly detailed pattern of ponies running more than made up for it, that and the tapestries of the same colors, but with different patterns. Sin wasn't typically an admirer of art, but he had to give credit when it was due, these were some absolutely fantastic works.

Behind the ebony desk sat a well built, white unicorn stallion with a small mustache protruding from his upper lip. His attire of a business suite screamed pompous and prissy, yet his eyes and smile suggested a much more Fezzwig-esque character. "Good afternoon Sinbad. I'm glad to finally meet the stallion who helped with those Occupy protesters. We at Celestial and Fancy Pants Banking are grateful for your assistance." He gave a humble bow.

"This is my wife, Fleur De Lis." He motioned to the stunning and delicate mare besides him. She gave a small, though dull, smile and a slight nod of the head, a gesture Sin returned. "So, what brings you to Celestial this afternoon? I'd be most inclined to assist you with whatever endeavor you see to undertake. Return the favor and all that, I say." He chuckled jovially.

Sin, off put by the behavior proceed to explain that he had come for financial backing in the creation of a new development in Ponyville.

"Good show, old boy. But, I was always under the impression Ponyville was doing well for itself, why would you need my help for?"

Explaining his position and what he'd recently done, the Federalist explained that the workers who's pocket books he'd just smacked would need work in order to maintain their life styles and feed their families. He wasn't willing to dip into public funds for any projects to keep them busy, but he was willing to incentive a charity backed program. Fancy seemed both intrigued and hesitant at the offer.

"I see, and what is this program you'd like me to back, dear boy?"

Sin smirked. "A lumber mill. A lumber mill that would quickly grow into a research facility." The stallion explained. He drew several pieces of twigs from his saddle bags. Each generic colors of browns, grays and reds. Though, there was another twig. This one a dark black the likes of which Fancy had never seen. "You've got your basic wood stove burning fuels here. Birch, Oak and Pine." He pointed to each of the twigs and named them respectively. "However, this last batch is a kind of wood that I've yet to hear recorded within any form of dendrology. Not that it's surprising, considering where it comes from." It wasn't really true, the Golden Oaks Library was an isolated assortment of knowledge, but in his research into all the books he could find in his research, no mention of this kind of wood was ever mentioned.

Fancy tilted his head, inspecting the black twigs carefully. "What's so special about these twigs, sir?" He asked kindly. Smirking, Sin looked to the fire place and asked if he may use it. Fancy nodded and the stallion brought over the twigs, grabbed a candle from the mantel and lighting it with a match. "Your typical birch gives off an explosion of heat but doesn't last long." He said, lighting the pine next. "Pine also burns quickly, but the sap pockets produce sparks that can cause damage to both ponies and property, should the proper size pocket catch ignition." He moved on to the third pile of twigs and lit it aflame. "Oak is often considered the superior of the three, no sap pockets and the burn time is optimal. However, the proper seasoning of the wood is imperative to its burning optimization." He explained before lighting the final and darkest of the woods.

In no time at all, the Birch had expended itself, leaving the room slightly warmer than it needed to be. The pine crackled a little, but nothing too drastic before it too finally faded into ash and died. The Oak and Black wood were the only two burning left, a few minutes passed and the oak finally died. Though, the black wood continued to burn for another ten minutes before it too died, the embers of the twigs still glowing brightly.

"This wood requires no such waste of time in its longevity. The process wouldn't hurt, I'm sure, but coming straight from harvesting and production straight to the market would save both time and money. And since the experiments I've performed seem to show its longevity superseded oak wood, cost efficiency of the product would drive consumers to purchase."

Fancy stood in awe, giving Sin's ego no small boost. He was considering running a few more test against actual logs of Oak and Birch, but he found it a moot point. While side by side testing wasn't done, he could personally attest to the fact that a single log of black wood would last at least twelve hours, even if left unattended. And personal usage wasn't the only use for it. Industrial ovens, water heaters, the possibilities were astounding.

But what really made the black wood special was its resilience to moisture absorption. Sin found this out through a log catching fire after a nice rain storm had hit the camp. Unlike most woods that would need to be dried out, black wood lit almost immediately, after the outer bark had dried of course. Everything he'd mentioned didn't even take into account the possibilities that came with using the wood as building materials and other potential uses.

"Marvelous." The Alabaster stallion replied. "Look at that, it's still glowing!" 

Nodding, the stallion explained that even after the official fire had died, the ember would remain for about half the time of the initial burn, only fueling his potential backer's interest. As much potential as all of this had for him, Sin was still apprehensive about sharing the discovery. The lack of knowledge on the Ever Wood (as he affectionately called it) was concerning. Tests had no adverse effects on him personally, nor Shade, but that didn't mean there weren't health hazards to be considered. Personal and environmental alike.

"Is it safe?" Fancy asked quirking a brow. Seems as though he was having the same thoughts. Sin answered truthfully. There had been no adverse effects on himself, but he couldn't say for certain one way or another. "I see, than some tests will need to be done, but it does show great promise!" The stallion beamed looking down at the now dimming embers of the twigs, comparing them to the long dead piles that lay in a row. "I've just got one more question. Where did you find this wood?"

Sin's smirk returned full force. "The Everfree Forest."
> Demons and Double Dates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 





Demons and Double Dates





Smiling with a new sense of Pride, Sin trotted happily through the streets of Canterlot back to the palace to rendezvous with Macintosh. Feeling rather pleased with Fancy Pants' acceptance of his proposal, after a few rounds of testing, of course. However, the Everfree Black Wood did interest him and would interest the masses. Sin hadn't done too much research into the market for prices and what not, but that would only have improved his already considerable demonstration. Good thin Fancy wasn't one of those business types who demanded every nook and cranny be explained.

"Hey Sin." Mac greeted nervously. His eyes were wondering about as if looking for someone about to pounce on him. Guess that meant he got the permit.

"Ready to go?" Sin asked, he had to get back to his house as soon as possible and write up an actual business plan ASAP. Celestial's chairman said he'd be by in a week and between the lumber mill and City Council, he'd have no time to get his work done during said week.

Mac was of a different mind, though. "Weren't ya gonna go git Uppity?" Sin tiled his head before the previous night's conversation came back to him.

"Oh, wait you wanted to do that today?" Mac nodded. "Then why isn't Anna here with you?" The Federalist smirked. How was there supposed to be a "double date" if one party's date wasn't present? His smirk faded when Mac gave a rather believable explanation for the blond earth pony's absence.

"Since Soarin was arrested a few days ago, Annabelle's been trin'a comfort her pa this mornin'. Poor guy's been a wreck." Ah, okay then.

Figuring the date was going to take place in Ponyville, and he'd agreed to it in a guilt by association kind of way, Sin trotted back into the palace. It did astound him just how lax security was when it came to him. His hatred of government wasn't a secret, yet the guards just let him waltz on by. Did they honestly consider him to not be a threat?

'Oh but of course, I mean with your track record of terrorism, they should be swarming you at every turn, shouldn't they?'

Sin pressed his lips. Hey, he may not be a terrorist, but he had broken multiple laws.
'Yep, and like a good dog you continually come back to lick Celestia's horse shoes for forgiveness and take any punishment she dishes out.'

Ouch.

Making way to the castle proper, the duo asked the day time receptionist about the mare in question and about her current whereabouts. To Mac's disappointment, and Sin's delight, Uppity was under a "Do not disturb" order and refused to give her where abouts.

"I am sorry." The mare said dryly, almost bored. "But those are the rules."

"Well darn. Guess I'll have to take a raincheck on that double date thing, Mac." Sin complained half heartedly. To this, the receptionist's eyes widened with new found interest.

"Wait, date? As in... romantic involvement?" It was at that moment of heart stopping terror that the Federalist knew he'd fucked up. The unicorn mare's eyes were alight with joy now. "Well why didn't you say so?! She's on level four in the east wing! Oh boy, I've gotta tell the girls about this!"

Sin pressed his lips together as the giddy mare practically squeeled with foalish delight.

'You fucked up.'

I'm aware.

Thanking her for her help, Mac lead a much more begrudging Sin to the mentioned place and smiled smuggly. He'd seen the discomfort Sin was going through, and took a sick kind of relishing in it. "C'mon, don't look so glum. This'll be good fer you." He said, trying to offer comfort.

The oaken stallion merely grumbled in reply, deeply regretting his decisions to this whole venture. It wasn't just the social graces of dating at this point either, but the realization of what he was now responsible for. Sin's time and attention was already streached thin, what with his job at the lumber mill, his dealings with the City Council, and his dealings with the black market. On top of that, now, he was also responsible for putting together a full business plan that would lead to the promised research facility/lumbermill, all for the sake of covering his own ass over the consequential loss of jobs his tax slashing would bring.

Uncomfortable, tired, and thoroughly distracted, his mind was on overdrive to dig up all that he knew about small business building. Permits, pay, materials, govt inquiry; there was so much to take into consideration and he had no excess capital to delegate the process to another company.

His mind thoroughly occupied by the realization he may have bitten off more than he could chew,  Sin didn't even notice when Mac told some guard outside of a huge wooden door whom they were here to see.





Mac quirked a brow to the very odd pair of ponies sitting across from him as they quietly sat upon the train bound for Ponyville.

The orange pegasus with a shoulder length mane of well kept lavender sat humming to herself,  her purple eyes full of happiness and giddiness like a foal on Hearth's Warming morn. Besides her, a typically stoic and irritable stallion sat with a notepad and pen, a note pad that was now being devastated by the stallion's vicious scribbling, reading and tearing away each failed attempt with a frustrated grunt.

It was odd, seeing the contrast between the two. One being so happy and excited with herself while the other was irritated and immersed in anywhere but the individual besides them. Which was made even more strange by the incredibly intimidating persona Uppity had when they'd arrived to see her.

She was in the middle of a conversation with some green stallion over a matter of public defamation and how to deal with the mare’s responsible. Her attitude reminded Mac alot of Sin's, actually. Cold, logical and ruthless. Much more confident and direct than she was during Sin's trial.
Mac couldn't help but smile, knowing exactly where she picked up the habit.

"So, what are we doing? Movie? Dinner?" Uppity asked excitedly.

A growlingly awkward silence passed as Mac looked to Sin to answer her question, though none came. He cleared his throat to gain the pony's attention, and again louder when the first failed.
"Don't look at me." Sin replied, making another literary attempted. "This was your idea... no, that wont work either." He ripped out another piece of paper and added it to a growing pile on the chair beside him.

Furrowing his bro, Macintosh explained that they'd be meeting up with Annabelle and going out to eat. Uppity's excitement compounded ten fold as her suspicions were affirmed. This both warmed Mac and made him feel a little bit of pity, if he didn't know any better, he'd think the DA had never had a night out with friends before.  By the way she was acting, one would think so. Heck, she didn't even mind that Sin was paying no attention to her, and it was his invitation, begrudged though it may be, that melted her hard exterior and sent her into the excited filly state.

So, he was actually not only doing something good for Sin but for her as well.
'You're way to nice of a guy. So underappreciated sometimes.'
 
The train finally went into the station and the ponies all departed, Sin finally settling on something he could work with in terms of his writing. Mac was curious as to what he was working on, but decided to ask at a later time. He lead the distracted duo out of the station and back to the farm. As expected, Annabelle was back at the house, speaking with Granny and his sister about some such.

"Annabelle!" Uppity decried with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Oh, hi Uppity!" The earth pony greeted, the two shared an awkward hug and began talking about their days.

Mac took the opportunity to see gauge Sin's reaction to the ordeal, but the Federalist was much to immersed in his note pad to pay attention to what was going on around him. Having enough of his obliviousness, the red stallion yanked the small stack of white paper out of Sin's hooves.  "Hey, I was reading that."

Mac sighed. "Look, we went all the way to Canterlot ta git Uppity fer a date. It's rude to ignore her." He felt Sin's eyes narrow beneath his goggles, but stood his ground on the matter. There was an agreement made here, and Macintosh planned to hold his friend to it.

Taking note of the present company, Sin leaned in and tried to explain that there was some very important matters that required his attention, but Mac wasn't having it. Whatever the Federalist had planned could wait, today his attention was needed for his friends and Mac would do his damndest to ensure Sin paid every ounce he was due.





"... and so I backed him into a corner. He either exposed his lie or came clean about it!" Uppity recounted with smug satisfaction as she finally concluded on of her most crowning achievements. The four of them had chosen the cafe Sin and Uppity had patronized a few days ago. Mac wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but Annabelle loved the stuff, so did the others, so he'd tolerate it for the sake of spending time together.

Currently it was story time, a topic started off with a tale of her foal hood in which she'd first met the circus dragon, and that she was so terrified she wet herself. Mac, thinking it would all be embarrassing stories, had recounted the "Mr. Smarty Pants" episode that had taken place a little while ago, and was still a little embarrassed of. But he had the last laugh though, the doll still sat on his shelf after all.
Uppity, for her part, settled for a high profile court case she'd taken when she was a little younger. Some city scum who thought he was going to sell some Ganja to minors and make a few quick bits doing it. Idiot landed himself three years for his crimes, plus restitution to the families to help rehabilitate the foals he's sold to.

"Ahh, good times." Uppity said with a stupid smile as she reminisced. "Anyways, you're turn, Sin."

All three pairs of eyes fell upon the distracted brown pegasus as the looked down in contemplation, he was mumbling something under his breath but Mac couldn't make out what he was saying.
"Sin?"

"Huh?"

"It's yer turn fer a story."

"Story?" The Federalist quirked a brow. He looked at the others and realized that they wanted something from him and cursed his lack of attentiveness to the situation. "Umm, what kinda story are we talking about here?"

"Any will do, this is just about us getting to know eachother." Annabelle replied gently, taking a sip of her cup.

Sin pressed his lips and looked around the table as he racked his brain for anything suitable for the situation. Odd thing about him was that he never much cared to remember irrelevant details about his life. Comical moments and anything appropriate for this kind of setting would fall directly under the 'no point in remembering that' category. It wasn't that he forgot those kinds of things intentionally, but if it didn't serve his interests in remembering them, than there was no point in remembering them.

"Umm... I got nothin'." He stated, much to the entire table's annoyance. Hey, it wasn't his fault he'd rather forget stupid moments of his life rather than remember them for social events he never thought he'd be mentally ill enough to take part in. 

"Where's your cloak?" Uppity asked, finally speaking out about the missing item. Mac breathed a sigh of relief, hoping to get an answer to the question he'd been meaning to ask for a while now. His relief was quickly joined by interest as Sin's turned his head away, muttering how he didn't wanna talk about it.
Sin, one of the most blunt and ruthless ponies Mac knew of not wanting talk about something?

Now he had to know.

"C'mon Sin!" Uppity said, placing an encouraging hoof on his shoulder.
"Everypony else is telling stories about themselves. Don't worry, we'll still think your the cool and anti social stallion you always are, even if you don't have a past completely made up of revolution and gay hate."

"I told you, I don't hate gays. I'm just indifferent to them." The Federalist shot back. 

That caught both Mac and Anna's interest. "What's there to hate about gays?"

Sin deadpanned. There were two choices to make here, well more than that but if he wanted to remain polite, than there were two, even if walking out of this entire situation appealed to his common sense. First he could explain the debate with Uppity, resulting in all three of them most likely ganging up on him. Not fun. Or Second, he could explain about Rainbow Dash ripping apart his cloak in a bid to detract. 

Neither decision he cared for, but the latter could at least be explained unimpeded.

"You can thank Rainbow Dash for the missing cloak." He grumbled, taking a sip of his coffee. This piqued curiosity, the gay comment all but forgotten and the other coaxing Sin for details, which he reluctantly gave. "She wanted me to learn to fly, er something. I said no, she said yes... I felt violated."

A few seconds passed in silence and the others burst out in laughter. The Federalist felt his cheeks take a crimson hue, but also chucked under his breath at the joke.

It took a few moments for the others to finally settle down, but eventually they calmed down. "Oh boy, that was perfect!" Annabelle wipped a tear from her eye between gasps. Mac had to agree, dark and dead pan humor wasn't something he typically cared for but the blunt delivery from Sin, of all ponies, was just too much for him not to appreciate. And considering his experience with the matter, him finding comedy with it was saying something. 

Uppity who had to bite her lips together to stop the giggle fit also seemed to relax and the group enjoyed the less tense atmosphere. Sin still seemed somewhat preoccupied with his thoughts, but he was engaged in the conversation a little less begrudgingly now. The four friends continued to chat and talk about past experiences as the day went on. Slowly, Mac and Annabelle moved closer and closer together until they were finally side by side, leaning on eachother, stealing gentle muzzles and softer affections when they felt they could get away with it. 

“Aww, you two are such a cute couple.” Uppity swooned, “don't you think, Sin?”
The mentioned gave the unicorn a side long glance before taking in the couple before him. “I… guess.” 
Again, romance wasn’t really one of his strong suites. No politics, no economics, no real long term consequences that added up to the greater whole of the world. Frankly, romance want any of his business to have an opinion on. 

Sighing to herself, Uppity forced the dejection away and asked how the two earth ponies met…







Twilight sparkle sat panting beside an increasingly irate Celestia. This was their seventeenth spell in attempt to exercise the Tantibus. And with another growl of frustration from Celestia after she used her magic to inspect her sister’s mind, it appeared to be another failure. 

“DAMMIT!” The solar goddess spat. Twilight's eyes widdened as her back went stiff, she'd never heard her mentor curse before. 

“Princess, maybe we should take a break.” The unicorn suggested, just as much for the Alicorn’s sake as much as her own. The two of them had been at this for hours and still no sign of improvement. “give me some time to round up the elements and I will-“

"No, Twilight.” Celestia called her off, calmly but in a way that left no room for argument. “I have stood by twice and relied on you and your friends to fix my mistakes. I will not do so again.”

Luna groaned from her place on the couch. It was the only thing she'd done since the attempted exorcism began. It was a pathetic and helpless whimper that barely registered to normal pony ears. But the pained look on Celestial’s face said that it might as well have been a blood curdling scream. The elder sister had yet to tell her student the circumstances that lead to Luna’s current state, not for lack of the latter's inquiry, though. 

“Sister.” Luna called. Perking up, Celestia shuffled and kneeled down to her sister, gently stroking her dull mane with a hoof, “please, forgive my foolishness.”

“Hush, little sister.” The alabaster goddess gently tutted, “we'll find a way to help you. How are you feeling?”

The younger sibling merely wimpered in reply. Celestial’s gaze wonders back to Twilight. Here eyes full of helpless pleading. The librarian shook with frustration, she had no answers to her mentors plight. Luna was the only authority on dream magic, and only she would know how to help the situation. 

Many of the lunar servants had been consulted prior to her confession to Celestia. Dreamscape mages, sleep doctors, dreamhealers, none of them had any luck. 

Celestia was the last bastion of help to be had barring the Elements of Harmony, and she was slowly growing discouraged with each passing failure. 

“Celestia…” she said blankly. “tell me something, sister.”

“Shhh, it's okay Luna.” The white pony replied, lifting her hoof to stroke again, though her affection was intercepted be a dark blue hoof. “Luna?” Twilight felt a jolt of pure ice shoot threw her spine, that voice, she'd heard it before, but it wasn't Luna. 

“Tell me, how does it feel?” Luna asked, her head slowly moving up to mere inches from her kin. 

That's when it hit her in a rushing brick wall of realization. “Celestia, get away from her!” The Alicorn tried to pull back, but a pair of turquoise eyes mere inches from her face stopped here with a gasp. Eyes much lighter than they should have been and, more importantly, pupils not round like a normal pony but serpentine, like a drake.

“Tell me, how does it feel? Knowing your own sister couldn't trust you enough to seek your aid upon my return?”







Sitting across from one another, Sin and Uppity caught the last train back to Canterlot. The date had gone well enough. After coffee, the troop simply wondered around town for a bit until they spent some time at the park. 

Mac and Anna were happy enough with themselves, and Uppity was dropping hints like crazy for him to embrace the affectionate atmosphere. And as he sat in his chair, thinking over the events, small thoughts of intimacy played through the young pony’s mind. He didn't want to say it, but he'd observed the earth ponies’ affection with a small sense of longing. 

Knowing that the orange and purple unicorn with the wanted the same of him only served to compound the new feelings. He tried to push the thoughts out of his mind, going over his excuses again and again, but unlike the other times,  his desires to… feel didn't subside fid his sense of duty. 

No, his feelings were rebelling against his logical mind once again, asserting themselves at the most inconvenient of times. 

I won't have time for her, it's not fair to strong her along like that. 
‘than you should make time!’ his inner critic chided.  ‘it's obvious you care about her, and if you don't act soon, you might miss your chance.’

My chance to what? Tell her that I don't have time? That I'm busy, or that I'm not interested because I want my alone time? How's that fair to her, exactly? 

'maybe she'll be understanding that you need your alone time?'

You don't seem to understand mare's-

 ‘What, and you do? Give me a break, dude.’ The voice sighed. ‘look, you know what you need to do and the choices you need to make. Decide and act, take a chance and live a little!’

“Sin?” he looked to find Uppity with her eyes closed and a content smile. “I just wanted to say thank you for bringing me with you today. I had a lot of fun.”

'cliché as all get out, but still sweet.’ 

Sweet? Tapio help me, my thoughts are turning fruity

“Yea, umm. Glad you could come.” He replied, sounding much more unsure of himself than he meant to. Still, Uppity’s smiling face didn't falter, her subtle beauty at the moment warming the stallion's chest.  

Unable to stand the forces pushing him, Sin finally broke and planned out what he was going to say. 

“Uppity…”

She opened her eyes again and tilted her head. “yes?”

“I want to umm…” he paused to clear the lump in his throat, the solid script he'd mentally written suddenly disappearing, courtesy of his reading emotions.  “fuck.”

A gasp from the unicorn drew his attention, her orange cheeks turning bright red. 

 ‘Pft hahahaha, oh wow, that was smooth dude, 10 points.’ It took a second, but the Federalist realized the weird that came out of his mouth and he took began to blush. 

“No, wait.  No, that’s not what I meant to say.” He stammered. 
He took a breath and decided to let the truth come out, chips falling where the may. 
“Look, I know there's been some… chemistry between us, and I'd like to think you feel the same.”

Nodding, Uppity looked with eager interest. “yes, I've had a little crush on you for a while now.”

“And I have…” he stopped again to clear his throat. “ahem, feeling for you as well.”

The reaction given was far less than what Sin was expecting. Instead of jumping for joy or talking him, Uppity took the confession with grace and dignity. “I'm very glad to hear you say that, too be honest, I was beginning to think you didn't find me attractive.”

“I find you attractive, in most every sense actually.” This emotional honesty thing was working out pretty well, maybe this wasn’t going to be as bad as he thought. 

“Then why do you continue to shut me out, Sin?” she opened her eyes and peered into his. 

“Fear.” He replied, surprising both Uppity and himself with the response. “Fear, being jaded, having to much on my plate and not enough time, liking my alone time and feeling it would be unfair for you to want more time and attention than I'm willing to give. Take your pick.”

The words came and flowed so naturally, each and every one of them as truthful as the last. It was all out in the open now. No more denial, no more games, the ball was in Uppity’s court now, and Sin would accept what ever she said next. 

She didn't sassy anything for quite some time. Sin began to wonder if he made a mistake breaching the subject at all. 

Finally, she let out a content sigh and smiled warmly. “thank you for finally being honest with me.” She did before standing from her place and marching forward. The oaken stallion barely had time to react before the happy pony pushed her head to his and laid a gentle kiss onto his nose. 

Sin, too dumbstruck to speak, listened to what she said next. “you've got nothing to be afraid of with me.” She lifted a hoof and gingerly touched his cheek. “I've protected you once already, and I'm sure I'll be doing it again.”

“So relax, okay? I know you’re a pony who likes his space and I can respect that. I don't require much, just some affection and trust. Okay?”

His body trembling for some reason, Sin couldn't reply. He wanted to say something, anything, but he just couldn't. Is head was swimming, his stomach was in knots, his entire body was rapidly heating up from the close contact and cooling down from uncertainty. 

This entire situation was utter madness, it was emotion and emotion based logic through and through. And he found that a small part of him liked it. The same part of him that liked gambling but another part as well. 

He felt his head being slowly tipped forward before receiving yet another kiss on top of his fore head. 

And suddenly, for the first time in a very long time, Sin felt as if every thing would be alright. It was inexplicable why, but the problems he knew he had to face just didn't see like that big of a deal anymore. 

Comfort was a powerful thing, he was slowly coming to understand
> Preoccupied Possessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Preoccupied Possessions 





"Ughh." Groaned Spike as he slowly came from the realms of unconsciousness to hazy reality. His head hurt, and though he lifted a claw to nurse the numbed throb in his eye, he felt a hoof stop his hand's advance. 

"Take it easy, son." He heard a soft voice say. "You're going to need to rest for a bit."

Rest? Why? He wanted to ask, but the area of his brain responsible for forming coherent sentences wasn't as aware as the part for comprehension. What was meant to be asking about why the need for rest, devolved into unintelligible grumbles and grunts.

Luckily, the voice seemed to understand his inquiry and explained that the anesthetics were still in effect, the glass eye would be initially rejected by the body for a time, the rejection causing on and off bouts of throbbing pain, but would subside in time eventually. "The orb holder will feel strange for a while, but you'll soon be used to it." The stallion assured him. 

Spike attempted to open his remaining eye, but the bright light of the room was too much for him and he quickly slammed it shut. 

"Tw-Twiligh?" He groaned, finally able to form a word that made sense. 

"Your guardian still hasn't returned, I'm afraid." The voice replied, sounding apologetic. "But don't worry, she said she would return as soon as possible." 

A small sliver of concern crept up the drake's spine. Twilight knew how scared he was about the operation, something big must be happening to keep her away now. Gripping what little he could find of his resolve, Spike slowly pushed himself up right in a painfully slow show of will, though his efforts were met with another gentle hoof pushing him back down and a small lecture about maintaining bed rest. "Twiligh-"

"Is fine, I'm sure. You've only been under for four hours and will need a full night's rest to recover." The doctor commanded with the kind of authority that only a medical pony could demonstrate. After a few more shot down protests, Spike resigned himself to his bed prison and lay still in a show of submission. The doctor bid him good night and said he'd be checking on him periodically throughout the evening.

Once alone with his thoughts, rest was the last thing on the young dragon's mind. The anesthesia was wearing off more and more as minutes turned into hours, and the sliver of concern he felt grew in intensity. It wasn't just for the sake of his mother, but also for his own selfish need for comfort. Where was she? Why wasn't she here? Had something happened to here?

He shivered and weakly pulled the blankets up as far as his weakened body could. He felt cold, cold, worried and alone. His concern started to shift into anger as more and more of his thought processes cleared from their drug haze. Twilight should have been there, she promised she'd be there! He'd finally given up the guard, finally allowed himself to be open and vulnerable to her, and this was how she repaid him?

'Wow, seriously dude? You really think after what happened earlier, she'd just up and abandon you?'

Is she here?

'No, no she isn't. That doesn't mean she doesn't want to be, though. Celestia said she needed Twilight for something, right? It must have been important if it's keeping her this long.' 

That much may have been true. Spike sighed, he had no right to be so short, Twilight would be here if she could.

'Yea, maybe it would be who of you to ask questions before jumping to conclusions.'

Again, that was true, but it didn't stop him from feeling a little abandoned, good reason or not. Regardless, he was awake now, awake and alone. Worrying and thinking on the matter would serve no other purpose than rile himself up and it was next to impossible to think about anything else. So, he resigned himself to sleep, hoping that he'd feel better come morning.





"NOW TWILIGHT!" Celestia cried as sweat poured from her brow, a bright orb of raw amber growing at the tip of her horn hummed as it charged a new spell.

A final spell.

Luna lay before her, a maniacal grin of daring and madness twisting her face, her eyes wide and full of disturbing yearning.

Twilight hesitated, she was exhausted, both from the mana usage and the mental bombardment coming from the Nightmare before her.

"Yes, Twilight." Luna's voice said, her head cocking to an unnatural angle to look at the unicorn, the sounds of bones popping out of place echoing through out the chamber as the Alicorn's head twisted almost 180 degrees. "Show your princess how you will fail to destroy me again! Show her how weak and incapable you are!" Her grin grew wider.

"How much of a failure you are."

Lavender eyes shrinking to pinpricks, Twilight's mind swarmed with thousands of possibilities for how her surging Celestia's magic could backfire. Discharge that could hurt or maybe even kill her mentor, putting too much magic and obliterating Luna, putting not enough and rendering their last attempt utterly useless. It was more than her own neurosis, there was mind altering magic in the air, magic that cultivated and preyed upon the worst of emotions.

Seeing her psychologically cutting words having effect, Nightmare Moon turned her head back to Celestia to really push her advantage. "Your student, dear sister, how disappointing she is."

Twilight's self doubt magnified ten fold at the accusation. The mana she was charging began to fade as the uncertainty quickly overpowered her resolve. "Don't listen to her, Twilight!" Celestia boomed, casting her gaze to her student. "You've bested every test I've thrown at you, I feel nothing but pride for you and your achievements." She offered a gentle smile as the amber spell began to grow in intensity, it's comforting light and warmth pushing away the damning, fear praying magic. "I need your help, let us vanquish this darkness once and for all!"

Forcing the last of her energy and self confidence, Twilight smirked and cast her eyes back to the Nightmare Moon possessed Luna. She silently wished and hoped that the spell would work and leave the lunar princess the gentle spirit she once was. The unicorn's horn flared a brilliant purple and channeled her last into her mentor. With a cry, the amber spell's bright light grew too intense to behold and Twilight collapsed away from it.

The last thing she heard before exhausted unconsciousness took her was an equally powerful scream from Luna and then everything went black.





The ride back to Canterlot was a quite time of reflection for Sin. He'd seen Uppity off of the train and walked her back to the castle proper, she invited him in for tea, but he declined. He wasn't in his right mind, if he could be called "in his mind" at all. 

The oaken pony couldn't think, any time he'd try, his mind would just blank itself out. It was strange, living in the here and now. He'd spent so much time living in the future. Most of his thoughts were dedicated to planning, running scenarios about future events, how things could go wrong and how he could make them go right. Consequences and results of actions rendered and precautionary contingencies for events he couldn't control. Either that, or trying to take lessons from the past.

Yet here, he was unable to do either. All he could do was stare out at the stars of the night. Funny, he'd stared at them a million times before, but they seemed so beautiful and captivating right now.

'You alright?'

He didn't reply, he wouldn't know how to even if he could. Sin wasn't not okay, but he was certainly out of sorts. His muscles weren't as tense as they typically were, his paranoia and worry were naught but faint shadows in the back of his mind. All seemed well with the world, problems didn't seem so significant, hell even Celestial's upcoming visit seemed like such a trivial matter right now.

And in all honesty, that did scare him a little bit.

'The powers of the feminine whiles, huh?'

...

'Ok dude, you're starting to freak me out a bit... C'mon, say something! A witty retort? An Acknowledgement? Anything?' No response. 'Not even a chauvinistic comment huh? Well I'll leave you to it then.'

His mind returned to the blank bliss it was before, and Sin wished it hadn't. It was wrong, but it felt so right. He knew he had responsibilities, he had cares that required his attention, but he just couldn't find it in himself to take any of it seriously.

Was this happiness? Was this what it felt like to finally be content? To let the worries of the world fade to nothing and just exist as a being who was okay with life?

The train finally arrived at the station and the stallion exited on auto-pilot. His conscious mind continually shifting from trying to force himself to think about matters of importance to succumbing to the recent memory of affection and the confusion it wrought. It bothered him, not just not being able to think straight, but the contentment it brought. Something about another individual having the power over him to make him feel this way made him almost sick, but that was the point, wasn't it? Romantic relationships?

Rhyme and Reason had their place, but emotion and intimacy were seldom creatures of logic, hence his aversion. Now here he was, caught between the desires for logical grounding and emotional release/escape.

As he slowly made his way home, Sin locked the door behind him and methodically made his way to bed. He laid down and forced himself to resign to slumber, hopefully things would make more sense in the morning.





Floating within the blackened dreamscape, the Nightmare infused Tantibus lashed out in star sparkled irritation. It had been vanquished from Luna's mind, taking the memory of Nightmare Moon with it. The spell had the potential to utterly obliterate the dream spell, but it fled the mind of the lunar Alicorn as soon as she'd lost consciousness.

The Tantibus watched through a small viewing portal as Celestia huffed and prodded her sister's form, trying to pull the younger alicorn from slumber.

"We must go."

The Tantibus hesitated for a moment, but decided to adhere to the memory's plea. It wanted to be free, and it had come so close with Nightmare's help, but it dared not stay. It's creator's dreamwalkers must have been close, and while they may not have had the means of completely destroying the Tantibus, it didn't know if they had the means to detain it until Luna's eventual recovery.

"Damn Celestia and her meddlesome foal." Nightmare Moon cursed as they sailed through the abyss, she was so close to consuming her host but her control fractured, just for a second, but it was more than long enough for Luna to figure out how baseless her shame was and immediately run to her sister for help. 

The Tantibus replied with hollow sounding gusts and groans that sounded no where near equine in nature, nore animal in general, but to Nightmare Moon, the message was quite clear. "Yes, I am aware that she'll find us. I shall need time to think." Unfortunately, time to think wasn't a luxury the demons could afford.

"THERE THEY ARE!" A voice echoed, a Lunar pegasus pointed a hoof. "Halt fiend!"

"Dammit all! Move!" Nightmare commanded, sending the polymorph of stars and magic into a scurry across the void. It was a futile attempt however, the dream walkers were closing in at a break neck pace. Nightmare wasn't sure what would happen when they'd caught her new quasi-vessel, but she wasn't interested in finding out. 

Using what little magic her memory itself still had, she cast an illusion spell that created ten clones of the Tantibus and sent them scattering in a attempt to confuse their pursuers. Their pursuers hesitated for a moment from the trick, but as luck would have it, they split off after three of the clones, leaving enough time for her to think.

She could escape into another pony's mind, but Luna's dream walkers were everywhere, they'd find her eventually. The dreamscape itself was vast, almost infinitely so, but how long would they survive out here? Her magic couldn't keep the walkers at bay forever.

A silent wisp graced her mind and Nightmare would have smiled in pure delight if she had a body to do so with. "That's perfect! Take us to him!" Another silent gust and her confidence and relief were sullied, but not broken. "I know it shall be difficult, but it's the best option we have currently. He may not have magical properties, but he can stop her from finding us. We must remain hidden!"

Silently, the Tantibus obeyed and darted full speed to where Nightmare told it to go. After dodging multiple patrols and shaking a second sighting, the two finally found their prize. A screen depicting a lone brown stallion laying in bed. "Prepare yourself." The memory warned. "This is going to be quite painful for both of us."





Jutting awake with a sudden flash of terror, sin bolted into a sitting position and stared around his room with labored breathing. His eyes darted around, looking for what he felt was stalking him. His eyes continued to scan every nook, ever cranny, every last crack or gap that his bedroom had to offer.

Nothing. There was nothing in the room with him, but he felt like something was. Something that was ready to pounce and devour him from the inside out.

After a full hour of inexplicably induced paranoia, the stallion started to calm down. With a sigh, he laid back down and blamed the days affairs. His mind had been numbed for so long, all of the stress had probably just come back to him in one foul, spine freezing swoop. Something outside had probably woken him up, the stress hit him all at once and he was spooked by it.

Everything was fine, he was worked up over nothing.

He chuckled to himself at his own foolishness, for a second, he could have almost sworn he had seen the boogie pony. There was no such thing, of course, it was just an old tale meant to keep young foals in line or offer a good scare. Funny thing was, though, he'd never been told a rendition of it where the boogie pony had teal and serpentine eyes.
> National Insecurity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





National Insecurity





Malich tapped his foot upon the lush green grass that spanned for miles around. The mid spring day was cool, but not as cold as it was in the rest of the Federation. As loathed as he found the entire situation, at least the magical properties of the Vale still held up against winter. His typical business attire was replaced by a much more utilitarian and fashionable black leather jacket, lined on the inside with dragon scales. Complete with a blackened cross bow attached to one foreleg and a small snatch of bolts who's tips were laced with a powerful paralysis enduing solution. On the outsides of both legs, two blades were held by straps that reached up to his knees. 

"Pardon me, Malich." Called his ruby red, one eyed dragon mount. The ashen stallion's harsh gaze turned from the village before him to his Equestrion captured companion. "But why have you brought out the entirety of Thanatos? Don't get me wrong, It is nice to be off of the Triple M. Dragon Reservation, but if my understanding of your assignment is correct-"

"You seem to not hold as much understanding as you think, Golvec." Malich replied calmly, his eyes flickering with irritation. The VP knew how temperamental dragons could be, but with the Triple M. name on the line with having so many agents commit desertion during a mission? He'd happily go toe to to with the leviathan a hundred times over. "Triple M.'s good name is all we have, it is a name that is associated with power and intimidation. I think you can respect the concept, considering your previous occupation."

Golvec, as expected didn't take his patronizing well. "DON'T CONDESCEND TO ME, PONY WELP!" The ruby drake snarled, revealing rows upon rows of sword length, razor sharp teeth as well as the small glow of dragon's fire ready to emit from his throat. "Speak to me in that way again, and I'll gladly be rendered and ravaged by Fleshrenderer and Skulvian, so long as I take you to Tatarus with me!"

A large claw slammed down, shaking the earth around to drive the wyvern's point home. The business pony remained calm though, threats of death were nothing new to him, and they'd been made by beast far more intimidating than the drake before him. Still, his mount was a capable dragon, he'd chosen him as his personal mount of course, so perhaps a more respectful approach was in order.

"My apologise." He forced through gritted teeth. The half hearted attempt hadn't convinced Golvec by any means, but it was enough to relax him enough not to incinerate the earth pony before him. It wasn't a difficult explanation to give, Malich saw the ponies under his command as assets, individuals whom were almost in-expendable. Training, salary, per diem, transport, housing; the money spent on Triple M. mercenaries was substantial, and the experience they had gained through their field work was equally valuable.

This squad in particular, Reco 2, was one of the most investment heavy group of griffons the company had to offer. He'd read many of their case files to deduce possible post desertion relocation and dispatched investigators to the areas. He knew he'd receive word as soon as he returned back to his office in Unitas, but subtly hoped that he'd find the answers here. 

An asset being captured wasn't difficult to get back, but convincing one to stay whom was leaving of their own will was almost an impossible task.

"I see, so it is a matter of pride then." Golvec growled, reaching up to his empty eye socket. Malich pressed his lips, the dragon swore vengeance upon his brother for what he'd taken. He couldn't blame Golvec for his anger, but also couldn't sympathize with him either. Sin was only doing what he needed to to protect his associates and survive. 

Life made so much more sense when the concepts of "good and evil" were cast out for the foalish attempts at world view that they were. There was no such things, there were only individuals with individual interests. Golvec's interests to maintain his control over the dogs and his brother's interests to free them. He'd never say it out loud, but he sided with Sin in their little scuffle. 

"Mr. Malich!" The stallion turned his head to see a stoic, black coated griffon staring at him with a note pad on display. "Sir, we've investigated the camp, there are no signs of Reco 2 and no signs of conflict. Sir." Malich sighed, that was not the news he was hoping for. He turned to look at the small conglomerate of wooden huts for a second than to the seven dragons who stood at the ready a good half mile away.

Golvece, for all of his build and girth, was by no means a large dragon. He was easily dwarfed by even the smallest of the Thanatos drakes, but he was also far smarter. "Hmmm, Golvec." Malich asked, an idea forming in his head. "Tell me, if you were looking to hide something in this area, where might you keep it?" It was a silly idea, asking a dragon for his opinion on zebra tactics, but some perspective was in order. It wouldn't hurt to ask, right?

A small smile pealed the ruby dragon's lips from his teeth, much to Malich's surprise. "I have some ideas." He whispered, his head swiveling around a bit. 

Curious, Malich mounted the beast and informed his subordinate to keep the zebra confined to their village, pushing all safety protocol until the situation was resolved. A word of promise later, Malich abandon the gryphon as he was taken to the sky and where ever his mount had in mind.

As he ascended, the ashen earth pony looked down past the dragon's neck and smiled. He loved the sky, he loved to fly. Air ships were alright, but they didn't put the wind through his mane and get his heart racing. Not the same way he imagined a pegasus or gryphon could, but riding a dragon had to come pretty close right?

The experience lasted no where near as long as he would have liked as he found himself taken downwards, down to small gathering of trees that offset the ever expansive green grass typical of the Vale. Once landed, Malich jumped from Golvec and took in his surroundings before looking at his companion expectantly. His only answer was a large red and white claw pointing to the trees and a wry smirk.

Deciding to play it safe, the executive pulled back the string on his bow and armed it with a single bolt. With all the caution of a prowling wolf, Malich slowly crept to the tree line. His eyes scanned around for any possible movement, his right hoof holding slack upon the release mechanism of the bow. He'd gone through the training regiment for the merc division when he was younger, but training but the few missions he'd been on had taught him just how ineffective training was in preparation for the unknown.

He slunk behind a tree and tipped his head to look beyond. Nothing of not could be seen at first glance, just the shadows of the numerous branches above him. He quickly ran to the next tree, a little deeper in and repeated the process, the trees became thicker, so thick that there were some areas that no sunlight came through at all. His eyes and ears straining to pick up even the slightest movement of brush of grass. Though, as he continued to move in, he still found nothing worthy of note. 

As he walked, he began to feel uneasy. As if something terrible was within the small wood and watching him, waiting for him to slip up. Malich whipped his head around and drew his bow at the ready. He found nothing, he wasn't even sure why he turned in such a panic, there was no noise from that direction, no reason for his actions at all. Yet he felt compelled to do so. Even if Reco 2 wasn't here, there was something very wrong with this area; despite his curiosity, Malich knew it was a smart move to leave the thicket and acquire assistance.

That's when he saw it.

A small swing, barely distinguishable from a leaf in the wind, but he saw it. Blue eyes squinting, the earth pony looked in the one spot he failed to stare at the entire time he'd been skulking about. Up.

He couldn't believe he didn't think of it before, not only in its common sense application, but in it being a perfect hiding spot for an attacker. The tree branches were unnaturally full, leaves blotted out the sun completely here, where the they'd only provided shade elsewhere. 

Another chill of panic shot through his spine and Malich turned again with his crossbow at the ready. Again, there was nothing for him to shoot and no reason for the creeping sense of dread. He needed to leave, he needed to get out before this place drove him crazy.

He turned and quickly made a be line for the entrance, but his retreat was stopped as an ear piercing shreak spooked him and veered him just enough to send the pony face first into a tree. Recovering quickly, Malich aimed his cross bow forward and prepared himself to shoot. What he saw next he wasn't ready for, his icy blue eyes widened, the retina constricting ever so slightly as he took in the... things before him. 

There, glaring with bright, glowing red eyes as pure as the fires of Tartarus themselves stood three black coated griffons. Their black, Triple M assigned coats were in prestien condition, but their feathers and coats were marred with missing patches of fur and feathers. Large chunks of flesh were missing from their necks, and one had multiple vertibre exposed from the side. A sudden stench of death and decay wafted through Malich, almost making him gag.

He'd seen this kind of thing only once before, Triple M. was called in about mysterious disappearances in a small town on the border of North and South New Equine. He'd lead a team of unicorns and minotaur to investigate and found the missing ponies in a cave north of the city. Thing was, the ponies were all dead, all seventeen of them. Emphasis on the were.

He remembered checking a few of them personally. Necromancy was a magic Triple M. didn't dare speak of, even behind closed doors. Yet there he was, in the midst of a horde of risen ponies hell bent on ripping him and his team apart. Though, unlike last time, he knew what they were and how to stop them.

Taking aim, Malich cursed whomever had disturbed the dead and released a bolt into the head of one of the approaching griffons. It struck true, embedding itself into the eagle/lion's eye and dropping it like a rock. The others took no notice of it's fallen companion and proceeded forward a little faster. His confidence bolstered by the fallen enemy, Malich charged forth and swung his left foreleg with all his might at the left griffon's neck. He felt the blade connect and slice clean through, severing the fallen's head from it's body and sending the rotting appendage rolling out of sight.

The last remaining griffon lunged forth, gripping Malich's shoulder padded jacket in it's hands and squeezed with unnatural strength, forcing its claws into the fabric. 

Wincing, the earth pony responded by head butting his assailant in an attempt to get free. His efforts were for naught as the undead beast's grip never faltered. Malich twirled his body in an attempt to gain leverage, but undead's talons failed to release him. His sense of confidence quickly wavering, the business pony picked up his leg and lunched the blade down upon the griff's arm. Surprisingly, it let go and jumped away just long enough to dodge the attack and lunged at him again.

Free to move more readily, Malich threw swing after swing of his legs, attempting to cut his opponent down. In an unprecidented move, the griffon actually proceeded to dodge each attack as it came. It even parried a few!

This isn't right, the undead supposedly had no sense of self preservation at all. Triple M. had preformed multiple experiments on the captured for research and not a single one had shown signs of either combat capability or a sense of self protection. Yet this one was displaying both! It wasn't only combat capable, but with each new slice and slash he through that made contact, the undead would counter it if he tried same move twice. The fucking thing was learning!

Knowing he'd tire out if the fight lasted too long, Malich committed a technique he absolutely hated but knew would work. He pushed the griff back a ways, swiveled on his front legs and threw his hind legs out as hard as he could. The shot hit home and sent the assailant flying back into a tree, the shock lasting just long enough for Malich to lunge forward and slam the blade directly into it's skull, slicing the thing's head in half at the eyes.

He hated bucking, it turned an individuals back on an enemy and making them quite vulnerable, but it did have it's uses from time to time. Pushing off of the tree, Malich fell onto his back side to catch his breath.

He couldn't deny it. Those were Triple M. agents, and as he dared to look upon the sitting corps that lay against the now blood stained tree, he saw clearly the R-2 upon it's chest. They were dead, 3 assets of one of Triple M.'s most efficient reconnaissance team were dead and gone. Not only that, but there was Necromancy being preformed within the Federation, a threat rivaling that of a full blown Changeling infestation, and to make matters worse, the undead were showing signs of intelligence.

He forced himself upright on shaky and exhausted legs, making a mental note to get back in shape before entering field missions again. He had to get back to Thanatos and send word about the discovery. That's when third feeling of panic shot through him, followed by a sickening realization. There were six members of Reco 2, he'd killed three of them, which meant...

A small squawk from behind made his eyes go wide and he knew exactly what it was. Malich chanced a glance and found three more griffons, each with piercing bright red eyes glaring at him from a few yards away. Slowly, he lifted his foreleg to take a step and felt a new sense of dread as two of the undead griffs proceeded to branch off to his sides, while the middle one held his gaze. They were surrounding him, the fuckers were not only capable of learning, but planning too?!

Malich made a mad dash for the exit, he'd gotten lucky in dropping the first two of his risen subordinates and taking on the last in a one on one. Three against one weren't good odds for him, and they were even smarter than the last. The small thicket quickly gave way to lighter and lighter terrain as he approached the exit. He could hear the fallen chasing him and gaining on him. He'd just need to get to Golvec, the dragon could easily incinerate his pursuers with no problem what so ever.

He broke the tree line and busted full sprint out into the planes with his pursuers nipping at his heels. There was no sign of the drake. 

"FUCK!" Malich spat at he ran, taking a look behind him to see the griffs spreading their rotten wings and taking flight. It was at that moment the business pony realized that running out of the tree line that kept them grounded wasn't the best of ideas. "GOLVEC! WHERE ARE YOU!" He cried, the earth pony could hear the woosh of wings behind him and dived left, narrowly escaping the clutching tallons of his enemy. Durring his roll, he grabbed another bolt from it's strap and quickly pulled the draw string.

He took aim and loosed a stream of curses as the undead zig zagged through the sky. They knew what he was doing and were preforming maneuvers to throw his perception off. "Son of a bitch."

He chose a target and followed it. His bow was pointed his bow and waited for the attack to come, hopefully they'd take turns at him, but if they had any sense at all, a three pronged lighting blitz from all sides was inevitable. 

As if the Universe was conspiring against him, all three broke from the zig zag manuver and branched out to all sides of him before banking hard and making a nose dive directly for Malich.

I- I can't take all of them. It was a sobering realization, but even if he shot one and dodged another, the third would have him for sure. 

This is it, I'm going to die. All of that planning, all of that work, and I wont be around to see it. 

The earth pony chuckled, lowered his bow and cast his eyes to the ground with a shake of his head in utter disbelief. In his last moments of life, he thought about all the mistakes he'd made to lead him to his current situation. Going alone, trusting a dragon he'd met only once, leaving the office, getting out of bed. Yea, today was just full of regrets.

But he wasn't about to die without a fight. "I came into this world kicking, screaming and covered in someone else's blood." He whispered, lifting his bow to an approaching undead, a new fire burning in his eyes. "And that's how I intend to leave it..."
   
> Prosthetic Absolutism
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	


Prosthetic Absolutism
 







"Well, I must say this is a surprise." Sin said awkwardly. In his office sat a pony he'd not expected to see... ever really. The pink party pony of ponyville sat with a solum expression of doubt and shame. It was both odd and affirming to see her in such a state, odd in the contrast to her usual persona, and affirming to have his feelings about her validate his suspicions about her once again. An uncomfortable silence overcame the room as the pink pony continued to sulk. 

Sin wanted to say something, but he knew that anything he said would either come out as an awkward mess or as a harsh snap. He didn't want to do either, and while his ego demanded he go with the latter to maintain his own persona, her agreement to help bust Spike out if the trial had gone south did make him feel obligated to be kind.

Well, as kind as he could be, anyways.

"Is there... something you needed?" 

Sighing, Pinkie lifted her head and eyes only to look away once more. Sin had a suspicion he knew why, but decided not to pry and let her speak when she was ready. He'd taken a day off from the lumber mill in order to get caught up with all of the City Hall approval paper work a few days ago, which left him with a much more suitable time frame in order to start a counter campaign against Colgate's candy restrictions bill that would be up for a popular vote next week.

As expected, Bon Bon, the Cakes, and a few other ponies had come to address their grievance with the legislation. While it wasn't orthodox, or even smiled upon to have third party government officials take place in counter campaigns of the local members, he was more than willing to sign off on some permits to use the city center to raise both awareness of the ill effects of sweets, flyer passing to encourage moderation for proper diets and the importance of dental hygiene, and call a meeting of those who'd attend about the importance of family authority and the unease that everyone in town should feel about the government trying to push their agenda.

All to Colgate's protest, of course.

Still, he hadn't heard anything from Shady Oaks, which bothered him a great deal. He felt like he should have heard something by now, maybe not from her personally, but at least from one of her associates.

"I- I feel sick." Pinkie said carefully, breaking Sin from his thoughts. Her eyes turned up to him, locking onto his through his goggles. "What we almost did, it wasn't right."

Sin took a breath, he hoped he wouldn't have to have this conversation, but it seemed his hopes were unfounded. He stood from his desk and locked the door, ensuring as much privacy as he could. "Miss Pie, what do you mean it wasn't right?" Sadness melted to horrified confusion, but the mare didn't reply.

"Do you mean the fact others would most likely have been killed if we had gone through with-"

"YES!" She jumped up, eyes wide and desperate. "That's exactly what I mean."

The oaken stallion nodded his head. "You do know that, unless those other dogs had come to speak on Spike's behalf, he'd most likely have been killed. Correct?" Her eyes welling up with tears, Pinkie slumped back down into her seat a somberly nodded her head. It wasn't a fun fact, but facts weren't dictated by how nice they were. "Someone was going to die that day, Spike or a few dogs. It was an unfortunate situation that-"

"Unfortunate?" She cut him off, her brow furrowing and body trembling. "Unfortunate is when you run out of frosting when you have a whole dozen cupcakes left, unfortunate is when your party canon gets clogged because of too much jelly beans! What happened wasn't unfortunate, it was wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!"

Slightly taken aback by her passion, Sin stood in pause. 

There was no way around it, he had to explain it down to the level she was playing at now. "Wrong." He paused again, pretending to analyze the word. "Life is full of 'wrong' situations, Miss Pie. Life isn't always fair, sometimes circumstances arise in which hard decisions must be made. I'll agree that the situation was one I'd have rather avoided, and I did mean it when  I said that I was partially responsible. However, getting upset over the harsh realities of the world doesn't make them go away or any easier to deal with."

While his words were logical, Pinkie was in no mood to have her emotions dismissed so readily. "For somepony who doesn't care about life that they'd kill another, I guess it was stupid of me to expect you to understand how I feel."

For some reason, that got the Federalist's temper to flare, he had killed another and was prepared to kill again, that much was true; but that didn't mean he had no respect for life at all. He calmly explained that his entire philosophy on how he lived revolved around respect for life, just not the lives of those whom committed aggression of dished out over inflated punishments. "I explained this before on the Gonshinian if you remember."

Her trembling intensifying ten fold, Pinkie was almost fumming with anger. It wasn't the best idea to fight emotion disconnect with logical connections, but when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

"Look, what do you want from me? I can see that what I'm saying isn't what you want to hear. Perhaps speaking to Miss Dash would better serve your-"

"I want you to say your sorry!" Sin quirked a brow. "I want you to say your sorry that it happened and mean it!"

She wanted him to apologize for a situation he had no control over and for making a plan to save her friend from almost certain death? That didn't add up in the least.

"Sorry for what?"

Rolling her eyes, Pinkie explained that she wanted him to apologize for the exactly what he thought she did. Caught between his pride and desire for peace, the Federalist sighed and said everything he felt he was supposed to say. Though, Pinkie wasn't having his half hearted attempt. "I said you had to mean it!" She reminded forcefully.

"...No."

"WHAT!?" Came her shrill reply.

"I said no, I will not apologize; not truthfully anyway." His tone was resolute and unwavering, and he stared in utter defiance at the pink ball of seething anger before him. "Remember, you came to Mac, Rainbow, Discord and I to help. You became involved of your own accord. I didn't ask you to do anything aside from the plan after you said you wanted to assist us."

Her shaking slowed drastically, and her anger evaporated into guilty resignation. She was scared, angry and in pain over what could have happened, Sin knew that, and he while he did sympathize with her he had his pride.

"I wanted to handle that with as few ponies involved as possible. I needed Discord, but I discouraged Mac and Miss Dash, as well as yourself if memory serves." Again, Pinkie slumped, the truth of his words draining what little anger she had left for him. He was right and he knew it. "You want an apology? An honest one? Fine, I'm sorry for my part in Spike's decisions and I'm sorry you regret your involvement in the ordeal." he barked, stepping to the mare. "But I will not, and I will never, apologize for protecting the lives of my friends whom I believe were to be killed for a matter befitting the crime."

Shock was all that met him, an open mouth, wide unblinking eyes and a single tear that slowly trailed down Pinkie's cheek. If he'd hurt her or just gave her a little too high a dose of reality, Sin didn't know, but he did know that he was finished with the conversation at hoof. "If that is all, Miss Pie, than I have work to attend to. Please see yourself out."

Returning to his paperwork, it took a good few minutes before his guest found it within herself to stand from the chair on which she sat and make way for the door. Once the door closed and he was alone again, the stallion sighed. He understood where she was coming from, he really did, but the world wasn't all black and white. Harsh truth was there was no "right or wrong" with the world, there were only individual and collective interests.

From the perspective of her and Equestria, the dogs were wrong for almost killing Spike for his crime, and to the Dogs, Spike was wrong for assaulting and maiming an entire pack of their kin. 

So who was right? The dogs for their desire for revenge over the aggression Spike had committed? Or Spike for taking his own vengeance for what they had done to him first? He'd most likely have been vilified for killing even more just so his one friend could live. Was he wrong for that?

He didn't think so.

Of course the thought crossed his mind from time to time, but in the end it was his own interests that dictated his morality. Collective ethics were of little concern to Sin and he had no problem admitting that. He'd abide by them for the sake of maintaining civility and peace, but there was a limit to what he'd put up with. Spike deserved to be punished and he was, albeit a light punishment, but the old rite of an eye for an eye had been paid.

Had the end punishment been the only punishment the dogs would have dished out, Sin would have been content to stand by as he had done. 

But truth be told, if it wasn't Spike, if the individual put on trial had done to Sin what dragon had done to Fido, the Federalist would have killed him. He'd have killed him outright to show that the aggression was unacceptable. For what he had done, Spike was lucky to get off as easy as he had.

"There is no right or wrong in the world, kiddo." He whispered to himself. "Only individuals doing what they must to attain and defend what they care about."





"Spike?"

Stiring from his slumber, the mentioned slowly opened his eyes to find an exhausted looking Twilight smiling down at him. "Twilight!" He cried, jumping up and throwing his arms around her neck, his irrational anger from the night before all but forgotten.

"Hey, Spike. How are you feeling?" She asked as she held him. "Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, the Doctor said you were pretty upset about it."

Shaking his head, the dragon squeezed tighter. He didn't care about that anymore, he was just happy she was here now. 

They broke the embrace and Twilight got a good look at the results of the work. The prosthetic eye was... noticeable. It looked like it tried to replicate his remaining eye, but the dullness of it in both color and sheen told anyone that it was a fake, almost distractedly so. But she didn't care, he looked better, and that's all she wanted.

"I'm doing alright, now that the drugs have worn off." Spike replied, pushing himself off and smiling. "So, what did Celestia need your help with? Must have been pretty important."

Twilight's enthusiasm vanished at the inquiry. "I'm not allowed to say," she admitted, much to the drakes annoyance. "But I can tell you that it was important."

"Why can't you say? Did Celestia swear you to secrecy?" The lavander unicorn nodded. 

'Wow, it must have been serious if she wasn't allowed to talk about it with you.'

Deciding he'd had his fill of drama and sparing his tired caretaker any farther stress, Spike dropped the topic in favor of asking how he looked. Though, that brought about a new kind of discomfort to his mother. "What?"

"Well..." Twilight bit her lip. He didn't look bad or anything, but he didn't look right either. Spotting a mirror the hospital counter, she grabbed it in her magic and pulled it to him so he could look for himself. As obviously fake as the eye was, Spike didn't think he looked too bad, he brought a claw up to touch the now filled eye socket and felt a warm tingle at having the alien space finally filled. 

Still, he could tell the difference and knew others would as well. That's when he remembered the eye patch. He asked Twilight to get his bag and fished it out, secured it in place and retook the mirror.

He let his good eye lid droop lazily and smiled at his reflection.

'Yea, eye patches make everything cooler.'

While it didn't take away from the fact he'd lost an important part of himself, Spike was done wallowing over his loss.

"Ready to go?" he asked, placing the mirror down. Twilight smiled tiredly and nodded in the affirmative. After a night of exhausting every last bit of magical, physical and emotional strength she had, she was utterly amazed with herself that she could stand at all, let alone walk. Though, a lingering thought hung in the back of her mind. The Nightmare and Tantibus weren't confirmed destroyed, Celestia had told her not to worry about the matter, and that she would speak with Luna about it once she fully recovered, but that hardly eased the young mare's mind.

This was the third time Nightmare Moon had become a threat to Equestria, she'd survived the Elements of Harmony on two of those occasions. If what she understood was true, than destroying the demon wasn't a conceivable goal. Nightmare Moon didn't really "exist" yet, she wasn't unreal either. She was a memory, and so long as the memory of the corruption exists within Luna's mind than so will she. Ironic, really. Luna had created the Tantibus in order to stop her from ever becoming the Nightmare again, and in the end; it was exactly what brought the fear to pass.

"Twilight? You okay?" Spike asked in mild concern.

"Huh? Oh yea! Sorry, just spaced out a bit." Twilight chuckled.

Rolling his uncovered eye, the drake told her to get a move on back to the train to Ponyville. Home was calling her name, specifically a very fluffy and comfortable bed.
> Sexual Irritability
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Sexuality and Irritability




Feeling a gentle shifting from within his grasp, Mac slowly awoke to find Annabelle snuggling closer to his embrace. She was facing away from him, playing little spoon as she usually had during thier cuddle sessions.

Smiling contently, The apple farmer pulled her closer ever so gently to get that little bit of extra closeness. With the farm the majority of the Spring fertalization and rejuvination done, there was no real hurry to get out of bed today. Applebloom was in School, Applejack said she would be out with her friends today and he wasn't really sure what Granny was up to.

He felt Anna's plot shift against himself and gasped as she shifted into just the wrong position. This was the one part of the day he always dreaded with her, the awkwardness of his morning need. Waking up alone with the need was one thing, but to have an attractive, young, fertile mare in such close proximity? That made the need almost painful.

He attempted to calm himself through deep breaths and thoughts of disturbing images, however another rump wiggle from the slumbering earth pony quickly broke his concentration. His half erect member was now at full mast and pressing into Anna's lower back.

Mac slowly loosened his grip, his breathing becoming involuntarily heavy. He wasn't about to panic, he'd just do what he always did, sneak out of bed, take care of his business and then come right back.

As his forelegs slowly shifted away from Annabelle, he quietly, though quickly shuffled himself backwards. A firm pair of legs gripped onto his and pinched them against the mare, holding him firmly in place. The mare was awake, and she seemed to have other ideas.

"Where do you think you're going?" He heard her say playfully.

Frozen in fear, Macintosh quickly ran through the options in his head. A) He could bolt for the door and hope to Celestia she didn't see or B) He could stay where he was and hope that she wouldn't notice. As if reading his mind, he own forlegs tightened around his, pulling his body straight onto her back.

'Option B it is.'

Trapped, the stallion resigned himself to his breathing exercises in a futile attempt to suppress his sexual desire.

"Hmmm, I love waking up like this." He heard Anna coo happily, snuggling into Mac and wiggling just the wrong way yet again.

'Glad you do, because it's killing me!'

A thick silence hung in the air for a time, one that grew uncomfortably quiet. Anna sighed from beneath him, not a content and happy sigh, but one that Macintosh knew meant that there was something on her mind. "Y'all alright, Anna?"

Shaking her head, the buttermilk earth pony replied in the negative. "No, I'm just worried about Soarin is all." Mac's body tensed at the name. Soarin, as far as he was concerned, was a menace to his family that he wouldn't be sad to hear rotted in the dungeons until death. Though, he was his marefriends brother, and that left him in a very complicated and frustrating situation. "I know he's hurt you and your sister, but he's my brother and I love him."

'Ouch. You know, even though he's kin to her, hearing the mare you love say she loves a stallion you hate is just... ouch.'

"Sorry ta hear." Said Mac, honestly he didn't know what else to do. Soarin was a creep, a creep who took his job too seriously.

For the next twenty minutes, the apple farmer sat in silence as Anna spilled her emotions. Speaking about her fears for her brother's future, her father's mental stability, the circus, everything. Each passing word made the stallion grow uncomfortable, he didn't like hearing the mare he loved in pain, who would? By the time she'd finished asking about what would happen to the dragon of the circus without her father there to run it, she was practically in tears.

He pulled her closer, wishing that his tight embrace would make the pain go away. The effect wasn't immediate, but he did feel her shuddering body relax little by little until eventually she stopped.

"I'm sorry," She chuckle cried, rubbing her foreleg over he eyes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Ah slept al riiaaaahh." He gasped, feeling her wiggle again. He'd calmed down quite a bit during her confessions, but her new round of snuggling placed an unnecessary amount of wiggling into her lower body.

"Hmm? What was that?" She asked innocently, causing the apple farm to blush. "I didn't quite hear you, let me shift to listen better." If the movement of her plot could be called unnecessary before, it was intentionally suggestive now. What had taken twenty minutes careful concentration and breathing was undone in the span of a few seconds.

"Hmmm. Much better." The earth pony chuckled. "Oh my, what's that?" She gave her plot an experimental shake. Mac gasped at the pleasure, he couldn't help it. He honest to Celestia could not help himself at this point. Her soft, velevaty coat brushing up against his exposed stallionhood was enough to almost drive him to end right there, but he held her in place just long enough to spare himself the shame.

Her teasing obviously flustering her coltfriend, the provocative earth pony laughed sensually. "Well, at least I know you're actually into me now." That statement gave Mac pause and he asked her to elaborate.  "Well, I mean, I've been in your bed how many days now? And you haven't once  tried anything." She answered, explaining that she was beginning to wonder if he'd found her desirable. 

It wasn't so much that Macintosh found Annabelle undesirable, far from it infact. But this was also his first love, his first real relationship. The values he was raised on was commitment before such things. For all of the irritation Granny had caused him with her light misandry, he did find the idea of loving somepony before committing the foal making act to hold merit. He wasn't sure if sex now was the right thing to do, he did Love Anna, but he wasn't sure he had the emotional maturity to be a father.

Turning to face him, any sense of playful teasing was gone from her beautiful face. She looked at him with serious, though understanding eyes. "Macintosh, ponies can have sex and not get pregnant. You know that, don't you?"

Mac nodded. "O' course Ah do, but there'll always be that chance, ya know?" He'd never told her about the story that Granny had told him in the barn that day, but it left an impact on red pony. Anna wasn't about to let the excuse fly, though.

"I understand your reservations, Mac. Especially considering your first time was... less than consensual." She placed a gentle hoof on his cheek. "But I'm not in estrus right now, and I feel comfortable enough to share my body with you." He knew this would happen eventually, and despite the stereotype of "stallions always want sex" Big Macintosh had always felt different. Yea, he had sexual urges and wanted it just as much as most others, but... He wasn't really sure why he wasn't able to prepare for this moment.

Without realizing it, he felt tears welling up in his eyes, a memory he didn't want to think about pushing itself to the forefront of his mind. 

Luna... What Luna had done to him, he... he thought it wasn't supposed to bother him so much. It wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed it, he just wasn't ready for it.

He shut his eyes as tightly as he could, doing everything to push the memory out of his mind as the emotions came rushing back to him. Feelings of helplessness at her advances, betrayal at his friend's casual dismissal, anger at his own inability to stop her. Trembling, Mac forced quick breaths through his nostrils to keep calm, fighting with every part of his being to stop himself from going outside and destroying another tree.

"Shhh, it's okay, Mac." Annabelle cooed, pulling the stallion's head to her chest and stroking his mane. "It's okay, I've got you." Realizing her mistake, the mare did everything she could to comfort her stallion. She honestly felt guilty but she had also noticed how timid he was upon her obvious sexual advances. It wasn't simple shyness, a flick of her tail to expose herself, a sultry stare, any gesture or act that would be considered suggestive brought an almost pained flinch to the stallion's face.

She hated it, it felt like a small rejection against her, but Annabelle knew it was. He'd been hurt, he'd been hurt and abandoned, so badly so that he didn't even talk to his supposed "friends" about his pain. It was a quality that both made the apple pony both attractive and frustrating. Getting him to open up was like pulling teeth out of a timberwolf's maw, but that was to be expected. Anypony facing pain would naturally fight against it, no matter how necessary the pain was to heal the unseen wounds.

She felt the stallion hic up in her chest and tightened her embrace. As terrible as the situation was, she knew her stallion would come out better for it. She'd just need to stay here with him until such time, the same way she knew he'd stay with her if she needed him.





"I hate my life." Sin grumbled, looking at the resolute defiance on Rain Drops face. Rain Drops, the prissy young mare was a petulant princess as he'd expected. He will was that of a daddy's filly, constantly using her will and pout to get what she wanted. He'd told her time after time that "emergency paid leave" for Imperial employees didn't include going home early because of feminine issues.

"I hate your life too, sexist!" She screeched.

Sin pressed his and tensed his muscles. He joked about killing ponies alot, it was always just venting inside his own head to make him feel better and come up with comical situation to get a good laugh. The scenarios he currently ran about the mare's untimely end were flirting with the line of petty revenge jokes and problem solving.

He admitted it, he didn't have much of an idea on what issues mares went through in terms of their sexual health, and personally speaking, he didn't care. Sin was not going to back down on the bill she was challenging. Why should the tax payer be on the hook for her issues? The females in the Federation took unpaid leave whenever such issues interfered with work, so why shouldn't the mare before him do the same?

"It's got nothing to do with sex, Ms. Drops. It has to do with you being paid for time that you're not working." Which would actually mean she got paid, like, for an hours worth of work a day, but the Federalist was already five seconds away from putting that blue flower he'd found in the Everfree into her tea, adding another topic for her to bitch about was not in his interest of non-aggression.

"Yes it is about sex, if you stallions had to face this kind of problem, you'd take off in a heart beat!" She retorted. Sad thing was that she was probably right, most stallions would. But between working though both limiting injury and pain that demanded bed rest in a much more physically intensive job and then working a second job here, Sin wasn't most stallions.

"That's a very lovely opinion, and I'm sure you're very proud of it." He replied calmly, sighing and letting the anger slide. "However, you lack the evidence needed to back it up. As such, it holds no water here and is disregarded. If you wish to leave now, that's on you, but I'll be damned before I let you get paid for it."

Rain gasped and made that face. It was a face so unbelievably silly and foalish, Sin had to bite his tongue, hard, to keep himself from laughing. Her pink cheeks puffed out, eyes narrowed, and lowered head were the epitome of adorable idiot. She looked like a blow fish, really. A blow fish demanding her daddy give buy her a toy or she'd hold her breath until she exploded. 

The idea was almost enough for him to crack up laughing, but he'd kept his reserve. This happened every time she'd get a wild hair up her ass and challenge his decisions, and like every other time, she stomped her hoof on the ground, call him a name and stomp out of the room.

He'd never say it out loud, but he always loved when she came in to butt heads with him. No matter how irritated she'd make him, it would always be completely erased with the humor an satisfaction that came with seeing her storm out of the room like a spoiled child who'd been told "no" for the first time.

"Well, that was fun." He said to himself. Taking a look at the clock, Sin saw the that it was a few minutes before five. It was ironic, Rain Drops had wasted the two hours arguing with him that she'd wanted to use to go home early. Too bad she wanted to get paid for it, otherwise she could have just left.

He closed the proposal folder, used his ever trusty REJECTED stamp on the top, placed it into the "return to council" bin for re-evaluation -and most likely shelving- and made way for the door.

"Hello Sin." Mayor Mare greeted as he opened the door. "Heading home?"

"Yes. Tiring day." The Federalist replied, eager to get home and eat. He'd forgotten lunch that day and settled for sponging off of Cranky for some carrots.

"Before you go, here's this weeks pay." She declared, offering him a small brown sack.

"Keep it." He replied almost instantly. The Mayor tilted her head for a moment and asked why he was rejecting payment for his work. "Because that's money taken by the government via taxation. It's money taken by theft, I want nothing to do with it." 

Mare rolled her eyes. "Oh give your whole anarchist thing a rest already." Sin quirked a brow. "This money wasn't taken by theft! Ponyville loves paying their taxes, they know that it's because of our government system that they live secure and productive lives."

Yea, bringing up a town of ponies whom don't know how to protect themselves because you do it for them and condemn the idea of self defense being unnecessary. If that wasn't epitome of: the government breaking one's leg and giving them a crutch, claiming that there wouldn't be a crutch at all with out them; he didn't know what was.

Still, a sudden idea did kill two birds with one stone. "Send that money to the Library." He smirked. Don't fight taking the money and pay off his debt to Twilight at once? Genius! "Tell her I sent it to settle my rent with her."

He walked away before the grey maned mare could get another word in and made way for home. He was tired, irritated and hungry. Oddly much worse so than usual. He wasn't even sure why, either. Yea, today was shit day, but that really didn't justify his foul mood.

He stopped walking and rubbed his head. "What's going on with me?" He grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Sin you jerk!" He turned to see who called him. With just enough perception and reaction time, he dove right to avoid the quickly approaching blur of rainbow fury. Rainbow dash flew up and came to a stop infront of a building, scowling down at him. "You made Pinkie cry!"

Oh joy, that came back to bite him in the ass, did it? "Yea, I guess."

Rainbow landed, finding his response deplorable. She marched forward, pushed her snoot against his and snorted. "You'd better go apologize, now!"

"And what the fuck are you going to do if I don't, you fucking cunt!?" Sin barked pushing his forehead against hers. He knew this was a bad idea, Rainbow was obviously stronger than him, faster and was actually able to fly. Not to mention his reputation would be badly damaged if he was seen brawling with one of Ponyvilles heros, even worse so if he lost. But his irrational irritation had rendered his temper almost gone. As far as the current moment went, he wanted her to start something. He wanted her to commit aggression against him just so he would have something to lash out at and cause pain to.

The sudden realization gave the stallion a startled pause. What was wrong with him? He was a pony of peace, okay yea he had no problem with violence, but to goad it like this? Okay, well he wasn't really opposed to goading others who were hostile to him, but still. This was wrong.

Rainbow, for her part, was also in shock. "What the hey did you say that for?" 

Again, Sin placed a hoof over his eyes and tried to calm himself down. "Oh Tapio, look right now's not a good time. Miss Dash." He said through clenched teeth. "I'll talk to you about this tomorrow." He pushed past her and jogged back home before he ran into anything else that would farther push him to lash out.

He locked the door behind him and sat trembling as a growing sense of both rage an panic gripped his chest. He wanted to hit something, he wanted to yell at someone, to make something hurt. The want quickly grew to a need and the stallion ran through the small house to his bed where he unleashed an unpresedented assault upon his pillow.

Feather started to fly as Sin slammed his legs down repeatedly onto the defeseless neck comforter. With each slam of his hoof, his mind slowly began to regress from logcial reason to primitive rage. He didn't even ask himself why he was so angry right now, all he wanted to do was kill the pillow, to destroy it for the very fact it existed. It had to die, it needed to hurt, it needed to be in pain."

"DAMMIT!" He shouted, what little of his rational mind forced itself to regain control and the stallion slammed his head into the wall with a loud thud that shook the house down to the foundation. With the sense knocked out of him, Sin slowly slid down to the floor in a mess of confussion and fear. He felt blood trickling down his cheek, and noticed he couldn't see out of his left eye.

Minutes ticked by and he regained his senses. The anger had subsided drastically, leaving pain and dread to dominate his mind. He lifted his hoof and touched his cheek, the blood on his hoof confirming what he already knew.

Trembling, Sin worked his way to his hooves and cautiously stumbled to the bathroom. He reached down, turned on the foscet and splashed the calming water on his face. He opened his good eye and watched as blood washed down the drain, much more than he thought he'd see.

Figuring he'd gotten enough off, grabbed a towel and blotted his face, wincing as the harsh fabric of the drying cloth made contact with his wound. "C'mon Sin, get it together." he groaned, pushing the cloth into his head. "Everything's fine, there's no reason to be this angry."

'Is that what you think?'

The stallion's head snapped up and his mouth dropped. It was there, only for a second, but he knew he saw it. In the mirror, his left eye was slowly blackening and swelling, small traces of caked blood falling from the cut just to the left of it. But his other eye, his right eye, held a lighter blue than it was supposed to. A teal color, with a slitted retina.

 

> Totalitarian Dream, Libertarian Nightmare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	





Totalitarian Dream, Libertarian Nightmare











Screaming and panic filled the streets around him as he walked. While everyone in Unitas was running away from the metropolitin area, Sin was walking to it. Pushing and shoving past everyone he'd come into contact with. The sounds of discharged spells and yelling was ahead of him, the first skirmishes had begun, and he needed to be there for them.

It was amazing how nightmarish life could be to those who didn't pay attention... One day, you think everything's fine. You go to work as you always do, spend your time and labor to get money, go home, spend some time with your family and go to sleep. Day after day, the routine feels like nothing could ever change it. 

And then, one day you wake up to find the streets crowded and your fellow citizens yelling and screaming at law enforcement. You find out that the grocery stores are barren of all food and drink, and that your place of employment was either closed down or was riddle with broken glass from rocks and bricks thrown into them. Sin didn't know exactly how that felt, but he imagined it to be rather terrifying.

The collapse finally happened, news papers were flooded with the headlines about massive sell offs by Triple M. that sent the market into a selling panic. Stocks became worthless, the bills they'd used for capital had lost their power, succumbing to a giant bout of hyperinflation. And with enforced rules of no competing currencies, the amount of money that had once been enough to buy a cutting edge Archno-Tech chariot was better used as kindling for a fire or toilet paper. 

It still amazed him how no one had seen this coming. Martial Law was rumored to start soon, effectively shutting down all borders around North New Equine and preventing any legal aid from the neighboring states. The Senate had been stormed the other day, angry Unitas residents had been reported to have charged in, walked right past the Triple M. security detail and mauled over half of the Senators to death. Those lucky enough to survive fled, retreating from the danger of the angry population.

Oh how he wished he'd been there to see that.

North New Equine had little in terms of agriculture, all their trade being down with South New Equine for nourishment, meant there'd be shortages. And the only thing worse than a rich pony with a grudge, was a poor pony with nothing left to lose.

But that was all planned for by the Liberty Syndicate. They had tons of supplies stashed away, easily enough to feed every single citizen in North New Equine for at least three months. The problem now was to calm them all down enough to lead them to where the food was in order to keep the citizens alive. 

Sin pushed past the main crowd and entered a back alley, keeping his crossbow at the ready as he approached the fighting ahead. 

He wasn't a fan of introducing the masses to the Syndicate's food supply. The populous was just as much a danger to the Syndicate as it was to the Government at this point. They were desperate, hungry and helpless. Served them right for their worship of the God of Apathy, as far as he was concerned, they deserved to perish for their indifference to how their government ran the state into the ground. Still, it wasn't his decision to make.

"LET US THROUGH!" He heard someone ahead demand. 

"NORTH NEW EQUINE! NORTH NEW EQUINE!" A group began chanting. Hurrying, Sin turned the corner and found that the fighting he heard was actually riot control. The killings hadn't started yet, but he'd be ready when they did.

The mass of citizens was much larger than the armored, baton wielding minotaur and diamond dogs who stood in a line barricade. Behind them was the banker district, where all the corporate fat cats held business. He guessed they were going for the rich who'd started this mess, mostly his father and brother.

The clashes were minor so far, just a few ramming protesters and retaliatory riot police. He saw rocks and other such objects being thrown, but nothing that would kick off the powder keg of violence and desperation just yet. As he watched, he smirked. A small streak of bravery lead to the protesters all bull rushing forward, though, as one solid unit, the minotaur pushed them back, and began stomping their hind legs in a loud and intimidating display, pushing forward a few steps and driving the crowd back.

It was so close now that the former senator could almost taste the real skirmish.

A small bit of movement caught his eye and the stallion looked to find two more brown clad ponies standing on the second story balcony, watching the riot group as well. Other members of the Liberty Syndicate were arriving now, it would only be a matter of time now.

As time went on, Sin noticed more and more members of the Liberty Syndicate slowly congregate around his own hiding spot. There weren't many that he could see, but they all wanted to remain hidden for the time being. The plan was discussed a few days ago for when this happened. The goal wasn't to storm the rich and hold them to task, no, the goal was going to be a rescue mission for the group below. These were a special group of citizens, the citizens who didn't run away, the ones who were willing to fight for themselves.

The Syndicate was far to few in terms of numbers, and even fewer in terms of technology. The organization wasn't a secret, and any whom paid membership dues were taxed with the main head audited daily. Still though, they did have some tricks up their sleeves, and Sin was both afraid and morbidly curious to see what the sons of liberty were able to pull off. They had the knowledge, the ability and the skills, but would that be enough?

A sudden boom of lightening and thunder broke his musings. The scent of chard flesh and the sound of screaming sent the other members into action.

Guess he'd find out soon enough.







Panting from exhaustion, Sin took cover behind a large pile of stone and concrete. Powerful Unicorn lightening shot overhead, hitting one of the sky scrapers a block behind him with a loud boom, sending bits of rubble and dust flying everywhere.

Shivering, he looked down to his quiver of bolts to take inventory of his ammo. He still had about a dozen bolts left, not enough to complete the assault, but he'd find a supply holder by then. He looked left to see other members of the Liberty Syndicate taking cover, a unicorn peaking her head over and unleashing a bit of ice magic.

"Sin!" His head jerked left to find Ace landing before him. The golden stallion was limping, a fresh burn mark scoring his left hind leg. "Glad to see you're okay." he smiled, joining the oaken pegasus in his hiding. "We're almost there, I can't believe he would let us get this close."

"He got sloppy." Sin replied, loading another bolt. With a nod, both stallions lurched up, and quickly took aim of two Griffons whom had barricaded themselves with sandbags around the main entrance of the building. Two thuds, two head shots, two kills.

Ace chuckled as he reloaded his black cross bow. "We're within two miles of the Triple M. Corporation Head Quarters building. Scouts have reported multiple air ships en-rout from Vain and Columbus." He paused, jumping up to release another bolt at the enemy. He cursed and jumped down just as a ball of fire shot past him, singing the top of their rubble cover. "Son of a bitch."

Sin shook his head. Vain and Columbus were the most Triple M. heavy city states in the Federation outside of Unitas. The Liberty Syndicate was causing trouble all over the country. This battle wasn't a small rebellion, it was a full scale, post collapse revolution. Other reports confirmed riots throughout all of North New Equine, refugees were fleeing the states border over into South New Equine, Vain and some were even rumored to flee to the Centaur controlled Northwood.

The city was alight tonight, not with the typical bright lights of the buildings, signs and lamp posts, but with fire. All around him, he could see the ominous glow of flames flickering against the oppressive night. That was nothing compared to the sounds though, where the was once the sounds of vendors selling their wares and hustle and bustle of commuters to work, there was screaming, shouting, explosions of electricity and the roaring of fire magic. It was impossible to tell in all the chaos how many skirmishes were taking place, but he was certain that most of Unitas would be reduced to rubble before it was all over.

Another explosion crackled off in the distance, a loud and continuous crash echoed throughout the city. Sin looked back to a sight he'd never forget, a few blocks down, a rather large sky scraper was collapsing into itself, sending massive clouds of dust and debris everywhere. Killing anyone within it's range, if not by the force of the crash than the flying bits of stone or the suffocating dust.

Unitas, the city meant to be a symbol of the unification of the States of the Federation, wouldn't last the week. The building's fall didn't impact the fighting at all, if anything, it egged everyone else, rebel and loyalist alike to fight even harder for survival.

Sin had no idea what would the plan was after his father and brother's assassination, there would be more in the chain of command for the mercenaries of the company, but hope was that with the heads of the beast gone, too much turmoil and disruption would break the fighter's spirits and interests for whatever plans they were order to fulfill.

A sudden boom and bright flash to their left generated enough force to send the two stallions flying. Ears ringing, Sin was the first to recover and found the position of the other members whom aided them completely annihilated, three lifeless bodies laying scattered about, mostly in smoking pieces.

Panic coursing through him, Sin looked up to find three unicorns standing on balconies above them, all three charging up lighting magic. "MOVE!" He yelled, pulling Ace with him as he ran. Another bright flash and thunderous boom called a shockwave that sent both ponies flying again. Thinking fast, though, both of them splayed their wings and used the energy to thrust themselves forward and banking hard left, taking shelter within the buildings through broken windows. The insides of the buildings where the real war was taking place.

"FLANK LEFT!" Cried a black clad minotuar after seeing Sin burst in. The beast withdrew some knives and began throwing them at the pegasus, barely missing by inches with every throw. Thinking fast, the survivalist flew to the wall, caught himself with his legs and bounded back to neutralize the threat. 

The sound of cracking and shattering bones filled his ears as his foreleg smashed through the minatuar's face, smashing the beast down into the ground with a puddle of blood forming around his head. Someone yelled from behind and the stallion institutionally dived left, narrowly escaping a fire ball that sailed directly to the corps he'd just made and incinerating it in an instant.

With a chance to finally breath, Sin reached down and reloaded his crossbow, slipping momentarily over the blood and brain matter. He drew the string back and looked for any reflective surfice he could to tell him where his enemy was. He didn't have time to wait as a sharp pain in his back pushed him forward. In a rage, the stallion turned, roughly aimed his crossbow, and fired. Marking his bolt into another pegasus's chest.







SHING!

Sin felt the chains around his ankles rattle and quake with another step forward. He was in line now, along with all the other survivors of the Rebellion. The utter silence of the crowd around him made the rain fall almost deafening. The only sounds to be heard was the occasional beggar and the commands of the Reaper.

"Death to the rebellion!" He declared before using his hoof to slam down a switch, releasing a giant blade from up high and dropping down onto another rebel, severing her head from her body. Sin cringed as the head rolled past him, coming to rest right before being picked up by a griffon merc to be be used for Tapio knew what.

SHING!

The guillotine, an inefficient and crude device developed by Triple M with only one intention. Intimidation. Killing the Liberty Syndicate members, and those who joined them, methodically, slowly, one by one was a genius tactic to deter future usurpers. The torture of waiting, slowly going step by painful step was a mental torture in it's own right, but watching it? Watching the Reaper as he slammed down his victims, laughing like a mad pony as he watched them squirm, and finally releasing the giant blade to end it all with no chance of escape? That wasn't just terrorism, that was spirit breaking.

Another step forward, another step closer to death. It only took about a minute for one pony to be put on the contraption, be decapitated and have the body removed and the blade reset. He looked up and, with a morbid sense of curiosity decided to count out how long until it was his turn.

SHING!

"MOVE IT, RUNT!" One of the escort griffons barked. Sin felt his heart sing at what he saw. A colt, no older than a decade mark slowly trudged forward. His mouth clenched as the Reaper picked the poor foal up and slammed him down upon the bench. 

He turned away.

SHING!

He heard the head roll and bump into his leg. Opening his eyes, Sin slowly took in the empty, dead eyes of the child's severed head looking up at him, begging him and almost asking why? Sin pressed his lips to stop himself from throwing up. This wasn't right, this was wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"NEXT!" 

He walked forward, slowly coming to terms with what was about to happen. He looked at the captured: ponies, griffons, dogs and minatuar around him. Each looking just as defeated and disappointed as the last. How so many were taken, Sin wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure when he was taken, but that didn't matter anymore. They were all as good as dead, his only hope was that Ace had escaped and was seeking out the remaining members to finish tomorrow what they'd failed in today.

SHING!

Another head, this one of a zebra.

A few moments passed in silence as Sin made peace with himself. He'd failed, he failed to stop the future he feared most. He failed in the Senate, he failed as a philosopher, and he failed as a rebel. It was kinda funny, really. He never intended to fight in this war, he intended to sit by and watch as all of this happened, to allow the country to fall to its due ruin as it was meant to.

SHING!

And now here he was, walking over a griffon's head after being capture in an attempt to fight against a newly solidified corporate owned government. It was so funny he almost laughed.

SHING!

Almost thirty minutes had passed by the time he'd finally made it from behind the device to the front. What he saw would have shocked him if he hadn't already given up on life. There, standing in the rain were rows upon rows of younglings. Pony foals, Griffon cubs, Minataur younglings, Pups, Donkeys, every race was present. 

That's when it all made sense to Sin, why the Reaper was yelling. He wasn't yelling at the captured and executed rebels, he was installing fear into the next generation to make them obedient...

"For the state!" The reaper cried, loosing the guillotine's blade and giving it another head count. It would be Sin's turn soon, and at this point, he didn't mind death. It would be a welcome release from the constant feeling of impending doom.

SHING!

Sin could finally see the Reaper now. A figure drenched in pure white, with a blank emotionless mask. His chest was covered by a blood drenched apron and his hooves were lathered in the red of countless fighters. The Reaper, as he was called, did not discriminate. The young, the old, male, female, meat eater or herbivore. The Reaper killed all of them, constantly demonizing any whom opposed the new state.

The pony in front of him had his shackles undone and was lead up onto the platform, "No!" He begged, struggling to get free. "Now, please no! Please don't kill me! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" It was pathetic to watch him squirm, knowing that no amount of pleading would stop the fate he'd soon face. But a group of flying gryphs carrying a pony stopped them.

"Ace?" Sin asked as the mercs briefly conversed with the Reaper.

His wish granted by a momentary miracle, the pony's begging was headed, and Ace was the next on the chopping block. "HERE WE HAVE,  THE LEADER OF THE LIBERTY SYNDICATE!" The Reaper barked, addressing the lines of young whom stood to watch the massacre. ""THIS IS THE END OF EVERY ENEMY OF THE STATE!" Cried the stallion, his emotionless mask a severe disconnect from his passionate voice.

Sin looked upon his friend one last time, saying a silent good bye. He hoped Ace had gotten away, that he'd managed to escape to live and fight to being an end to this madness.

Sin lifted his eyes slightly and made contact with Ace's golden orbs. The oaken stallion couldn't help but offer his friend a sympathetic smile, even to the bitter end, Ace's eyes still held the fiery determination they had when the two had first met all those years ago...

SHING!

Right up to the bitter end...

"No! No, please!" The previous victim began his protest again. The slam accross the head with a baton soon silenced his pleas before he was placed onto the bench. He'd regained just enough sense to see the blade before it came. "No-"

SHING!

Sin took his steps onto the platform. "I'll be right behind you, Ace." He chuckled as the body was removed from the bench. He offered no resistance now, and as he was forced down to await his death, Sin's life flashed before his eyes. His father Gemini and brother Malich, the adventures and teaching of Tyken, the meeting of the Bloody Sky Captains, his time in the senate, all of it. He chuckled again as he watched the Reaper walking around, giving another speech about the futility and immorality of fighting the new government.

His life was so hollow. Sin had spent so much time in logic, trying to figure out how to convince the individual of how important individuality was and how terrible the state was that he'd foregone any sense of happiness or fulfillment in his life. Love, passion, accomplishment, he could find no comfort in any of those things now. And this was how he would die, bitter and hollow.

Maybe him dying now was for the best then...

The Reaper was beside him now, strangely enough, the white clad figure was staring at him, taking much more time than usual to pull the leaver. The sight of the murder sent chills up and down Sin's Spine, the fact he was being given so much attention sent his sense of dread into overdrive.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sin asked, the sweet embrace of death becoming more and more appealing. "Do it." His voice was barely above a whisper, still the Reaper didn't move. It just stared, observing him. His nerves grew raw and a growing sense of disturbia and despair joined the sense of doom. Sin wanted to die, he had to die, he needed to die.

"DO IT!"

SHING!







"NO!" 

Jumping up, Sin stood and swiveled his head, eyes and ears around himself, prepared to fight and kill as demanded. 

However, he quickly discovered that there was no need, as his room was hardly the thing of such nightmares. No war, no dead friends, no fallen countries, and no Pony in White. "It was a dream." He sighed, his chest heaving and a hoof coming to cover his eyes. "Just a dream."

Well, not a dream so much as a nightmare, and one of the worst he'd ever had. Not because of the frightening images, but because of how accurate he saw it being in terms of the Federation's future. The economy was in dire straights, there would be food shortages, and with Triple M.'s power, the corporate entity would most likely use the collapse to seize power. Killing any and all who stood in their way.

Once calm, Sin noticed he felt a great deal better than when he'd gone to sleep. He was just tired stressed, that was all. His irritation made sense now, how long had he been burning the candle at both ends now? What with his late nights staying up to work on the business proposal on top of two jobs? That also explained the hallucination he'd seen in the mirror, just a trick of the mind. The same could be said with that voice he heard. 

Compound that with his emotional acceptance, Pinkie's intrusion, his guilt there in, Rain Drops little temper tantrum, and little relaxing time, it was no wonder Sin was seeing and hearing things.

"Maybe I should take tomorrow off and get more sleep." He said to himself. He looked at the clock to see it was midnight on the dot, he'd slept a few hours and felt better, maybe he'd be back to normal with another few. Time would tell and he'd make a decision in the morning.

The Federalist closed his eyes and told himself everything would be better in the morning.
> Child Labor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Child Labor






Humming to himself, Spike walked along the darkened, early morning streets of Ponyville, his destination firmly in mind that rushed emotions of excitement and nervousness through the young dragon's chest. Today was the day he was going to begin something new, today was the day he'd get his first job.

As he wondered, he looked at the clock tower off in the distance, the moon of the early morn gave just enough light for him to tell that it was almost four thirty. And like clock work, the stallion he'd come to see was just exiting his house. "Hey Sin." Spike greeted happily, causing the oaken pony to jump in an uncharacteristic display of fright.

"Spike! Dammit, don't sneak up on me like that!" Sin barked with a shiver.

"Heh, sorry." Spike replied, rubbing the back of his neck with a claw. He didn't mean to scare his former mentor, but then again he wasn't really being loud or anything either. When questioned about the reason for him being out so early, the drake reminded Sin of his offer from before.

Something didn't seem quite right with Sin today, he seemed more skittish and nervous than usual, but Spike was too preoccupied with his the upcoming job to care. "Yea, right. Right, I forgot about that. Wait, you want to start today?" The purple dragon nodded. Though his excitement gave way to annoyance as his face, more importantly his eye, was being observed. "You sure you don't want to take some time to recover from-"

"It's fine." He dismissed with a wave of his hand. That seemed to have done the job, the oaken pony agreed and lead the dragon through town and out to Whitetale Wood. While enrout, he was told the specifics of the job. What he'd be doing starting off, how dangerous the work environment was, proper lifting techniques, personal protective equipment, all of that.

Much to Sin's amusement, Spike shrugged off the warnings of how hazardous the mill could be. He was a dragon, dragon scales were much more tough than pony flesh. Though, as the walk continued, and the facility came into view, the dragon's bravado swiftly left him.

Big, circular saws with jagged and razor sharp edges lay intermittent along two long conveyor belts that spanned a good three hundred feet into the wood. A large, tall crane sat at, what Spike figured, was the beginning of the process. The boom was fully retracted, but it's purpose was clear. Beside the crane sat dozens of giant racks, some holding large logs that were soon to be placed onto the belt and pushed through the first to cut it in half and then more to make slimmer and slimmer planks. At the end, he saw a few large wagons, and a net work of silver pipes crossing over a portion of the conveyor near the end.

Small exhaust pipes stuck out from a large, oven looking box with a small mountain of chopped wood standing tall beside it. Behind that, an extremely large water tower with pipes connecting to the stove, leading the drake to conclude the entire thing was steam powered.

His attention was only on the details for a moment, as his eyes were brought back to the large saw that stood at the end of the first zone. It was half exposed, with the other half of the blade buried in the conveyor. The moon light caught it's sharpened teeth at just the right angle to make them shine and sheen, like the maw of some encroaching beat ready to render his flesh from the bone.

"Early as always." The voice broke Spike from his thoughts, and he looked up to find a larger brown earth pony approaching. His coat was shade or two darker than Sin's, and his black mane looked unkempt but had a certain sense of organized chaos to it. "You just love wasting away here, don't you, you reclusive son of a bitch?"

Spike's eyes widened at the insult and he looked to the mentioned with nervousness.

"Well, what can I say, Jack? If it weren't for your piss poor management, we wouldn't be wasting anything." Sin replied dryly.

Jaw dropping, Spike's eyes shot between the two as they stared eachother down. Why were they insulting each other like this? 

Before he could voice his complaint, Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Bucker." He mumbled tiredly before pushing unlocking the door and pushing his way inside. Despite the obviously rude encounter, the pony didn't seem to be holding a grudge, much to Spike's relief. 

"Sin, what the hay?!" He asked in a harsh whisper.

The stallion gave the drake a tired smirk before following his boss. He'd keep his mouth shut for now, but the dragon vowed there would be words about this later.

Spike timidly walked into the small log cabin and was surprised to find that the thing actually had a kitchen inside. Small counters, a sink and a couple of coffee makers. At the other end of the kitchen was another door, this one revealing the office he'd expected to see.

"So, are you going to acknowledge the dragon with me, or what?" 

The black maned pony leaned back in his chair and covered his eyes with booth hooves. "Noooo." He wined. "If I acknowledge him than I have to say hi, then I have to be pleasant and nice and social and..." He sighed, "it's just too early for that."

Sin shook his head and told Spike to have a seat while he made the first batches of coffee. While the stallion was busy with that, Spike sat and waited. He'd seen Sin playful only a handful of times, and only with another handful of ponies. Yet here he was having a sarcastic exchange like it was an every day occurrence.

"Cream and sugar's over there." Sin said, placing two cups on the table for himself and Spike. 

"Oi! Where's my coffee?" Jack asked, still leaning against his chair.

Sin smirked. "In here, waiting for you to get off your lazy ass and get it." Spike chuckled at the banter, the Twilight and her friends would never let him work here if they heard this.

Grumbling, Jack entered the kitchen and got himself his own cup of life giving brew, mumbling about how he needed to get an assistance for such menial tasks like this. All in good humor of course. "So, this is the guy you were talking about?" He asked, taking a seat across from Spike.

Sin nodded and gave and introduced the dragon, Spike raised his claw and shook Jack's hoof. Gripping firmly as instructed before to leave a good impression. "Nice to meet you."

In an instant, Lumber Jacker's eyes turned from casual and tired to cold and calculating as they analyzed the drake. His intense stare unnerved Spike, but he kept himself composed and neutral, showing no weakness or reservation.

"Seems kinda chubby." The manager stated bluntly before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Don't let that fool you, boys a hard worker." Sin smirked, only adding to Spike's indignation.

What the hay!? I'm right here, you know!

'These guys are plot holes!'

Jack pressed his lips over the bitter taste of his black brew and mulled over the prospect, his eyes looking at Spike every so often before looking back to the ceiling. After a few minutes of contemplation, Jacker laughed and agreed to give him a trial run for the day, let Spike see if he liked the job enough to stay before dragging out the paper work and all of that. Apparently, the Federalist had put in a really good word on the dragon's behalf.

"The coffee better be brewin'." Groaned another pony as he walked through the open door. This one a behemoth of a stallion, his stature quite a bit larger than Mac's and rivaling that of Celestia. "Oh thank Celestia you- Oh, who's this?" He asked, the tan stallion eyed Spike curiously for a second before looking to Jacker. 

The manager pony merely smiled knowingly, his eyes shifting from Spike to Sin and back to the pony who'd just entered. No words were spoken, but none needed to be.

The pleat shirted pony's eyes widened slightly before taking on their own knowing and mischievous twinkle, his muzzle twisting into a smirk. "Hehe, new guy."






The air was filled with the loud rumble of the steam engine and the ever present cry of the saws as they ringed through the day, waiting for their next chance to slash and ring another slab of wood. Spike had been told the specifics of the job prior to arrival, talking didn't happen much and most communication was done verbally for obvious reasons.

Adjusting his too small goggles for the hundreath time that day, the dragon pushed himself to return to the the rack. The pony from before, Chopper as he was called, had brought them yet another rack of fallen trees for milling.

His hands were covered in blisters from all the rough logs he'd been pushing that day. Even through the gloves, which he was thanking everyone and their mother for at that point, he could still feel the tell tale pressure pain. His arms felt like jello, his legs weren't far behind and his back could easily snap in too if somepony brushed into him.

The job itself was hard, but at least it wasn't difficult. Roll a log off of the rack and onto the conveyor belt, hold it steady and when it was half way through the cut, walk back to the rack, get a new one and restart the process over. One would think with the fact that there was little lifting involved, the job would be easy. Oh how Spike wished he could smack those ponies in the face.

He'd started off the job well enough, nervous enough due to a story about somepony loosing their arm out of bad training. But that turned out to be just a story to scare the new guy perpetuated by the next guy on the conveyor, Blade, who was a notorious prankster. At least, Spike hoped it was just a prank. Sin assured him it was, so did Jacker and Chopper, but Blade gave an ominous and sarcastic "yea, of course it's all just a joke" that was set the drake on edge.

Still, Spike went through with the job. It started off easily enough, but by the time Lunch hit, he could feel the burn and weakening of his muscles kick in. The constant pushing, pulling, lifting, reaching, bending was anything but easy on his body. As if that wasn't bad enough, it was onto his position to get the ball rolling in order for the others to do their jobs. If he didn't get the log onto the conveyor, the others couldn't grab it down the line in order to cut it into farther thinner planks, coat it, and load it. Meaning that any time wasting mistake he made was felt in a ripple effect throughout the entire operation.

Just as he was reaching the point of giving up, Sin stopped him from grabbing the next log and pointed to the now recalled boom. Chopper descended his crane, pulled a leaver that displaced the steam energy away from the engine and to one of the larger pipes, silencing the engine and halting the saws and conveyor and dowsed the fire in the oven,

The steam energy shot through a small network before it came out in a loud scream, signaling the end of the work day.

"Alright, lads! That's it for the day." Jacker said as he walked out from his office.

"Lads?" A feminine voice asked from farther down the line.

Jack snorted. "Shut it Fiona, you've got bigger balls than most of us." He shot back. Spike would have found the off color comment cringe worthy, but he was expending too much energy trying to stay standing to give it any heed. His hands hurt, his legs hurt, his arms and spine hurt. Matter of fact, every thing hurt, his body was one big walking assortment of pain and soreness.

"Well, he made it." Chopper commented heartily as began digging out the ashes from the oven. 

"Good thing too. Cranky didn't show up and Sin was half assing it all day." Blade remarked, taking a sip from his water bottle. 

"Piss off." Sin shot back, taking out his ear plugs.

Blade shrugged. "I'm just saying, dude. You were pretty sluggish."

The banter continued on, but Spike didn't care to hear it. He was exhausted, more so than he'd ever been in his entire life. He had enough energy to think and groan, but that was about it. And with that energy, every last beat of his heart sent a dull, throbbing ache through his muscles. Why had he agreed to this? Why had he wanted this? Was this what being an adult was about? Working yourself into pain?

Maybe being a kid wasn't so bad after all.

He heard more voices talking about something and he felt himself be picked up and placed on Sin's back. "We wont get another shipment in until Wednesday, I'm afraid." Jacker said, much to the chagrin of most everypony else present.

"Great, so it's only going to be a half day tomorrow." Ax and Blade said in unison, the latter much happier about the fact than the former.

Jack nodded and instructed everyone to come back in at eleven tomorrow morning. It wasn't often the phenomena of late deliveries happened, but it was an imperfect world. Not that Spike minded in the slightest, he wasn't sure he'd be able to get out of bed for the next week, let alone drag himself all the way here at five AM the day after.

Though, the drake did take sollace that he wasn't alone in the work, and tomorrow they'd have even more help.





"You alright?" Sin asked, Spike was quiet, a little too quiet apparently.

"Tired." He replied, causing Sin to chuckle. "How do you do it?

He didn't reply right away, which either meant he was coming up with an analogy, or would explain it in a way Spike would have to rattle his brain in order to understand. "You mean how do I do that kind of work?"

Spike nodded, mumbling an add on about surviving it.

"Guess I just don't think about it." Sin replied. Spike knew his friend was tough and all, but this job required a pony to be border line crazy to work it. "Yea, that sounds about right."

The rest of the walk continued in some much needed peace and quiet. At least until they had gotten back into town. The hustle and bustle robbed him of his peace, irritating the drake a great deal. However, that was nothing compared to what was waiting for him at home. Once at the library, Spike attempted to climb off of his friends back, falling flat onto his face. "Owww."

Sin knocked on the door, and Twilight quickly appeared. "Oh, Sin what can I- OH MY GOSH!" Next thing he knew, Spike was lifted from the ground, the familiar tingle of magic tickling all over his body. "What happened to him!" Twilight barked, eyes blaring daggers at the Federalist.

He was quick to explain that it wasn't his place and that she should ask Spike about it. "Just make sure he eats bananas and drinks alot of water tonight." The stallion suggested before wandering off about his day. Immediatly, Twilight's eyes turned to her son, her stern eyes dropping to worry.

"Spike?"

"I'm alright, Twi." He replied as he was gently set down on the couch. As expected, he was given the third degree about his condition, especially when Twilight saw his hands.

"What's going on? Where have you been, what's happened to you?!"

Taking a breath, the dragon told her exactly where he was. He knew it wouldn't end well, but compared to what he'd gone through today a small lecture was nothing.

"Spike!" She wined. "I knew you were going out to look for a job, but not a manual labor job." The drake just looked at her and shrugged. It was an honest days work for an honest days pay. It was hard, yea but that's why they called it work, right? Twilight wasn't of the same opinion though, stating that that kind of labor was exactly what she was afraid of. That kind of work wasn't for children, it was work meant for the strong, burly and rugged. Though, with the contempt she had for it, Spike suspected that "stupid" could be added to the list as well.

"I'll be going back tomorrow at eleven." He blurted out as a quiet moment passed.

The librarian looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. "Are you sure?"

"Yep." He replied before cringing at the sudden soreness in his neck. "Assuming I can stand up. Man, this is gonna hurt in the morning."

To his relief, Twilight chuckled at the joke. "Well, I may not like it, but I promised I'd give you your space. So I'll accept your decision." She spoke with reservation at first, but finality at the end. "Now, since you're a working drake, I think you're going to be pretty hungry. Would you like anything specific for dinner?"

"Bananas, I'd like some bananas."

   
> Narcotic Invitations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Narcotic Invitations 









Macintosh stopped in his place and turned to look at the farm house far off in the distance. The mid day sun felt nice, nice enough that his granny might have come onto the porch, and with where he was going, if she had sliver of an idea to follow him, he'd be out on his rump with no where to live.

One month had past, and he still couldn't shake the feeling of paranoia that accompanied illicit activity. Typically, Annabelle saw to the cannabis plants early in the morning once during lunchtime and once at dusk. Though, the poor mare had come down with a fever and was stuck in bed. Macintosh would rather have not left her side, but she insisted he go and water the plants.

"Ah wish Ah knew when they were good fer harvistin'." He sighed as he approached the small garden on the outskirts of the property. It was a secret place, surrounded by trees that once served as a hiding ground for his father and mother when they wanted to be alone. At least from what he was told, now it was a rather sizable garden complete with carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, onions and of course, ganja.

'Maybe you should go get Zecora? See what she thinks, she does know more about it than you do.'

That wasn't a bad idea, but he was already away from Anna more than he cared to be. Damned him catching the sickness, he couldn't stand the thought of her suffering alone.

'Mac! Get a grip, she's just under the weather because she pushed herself too hard. Honestly, I know you getting your penis wet was good, but you've become obsessed!'

The already crimson stallion blushed just a little red more at the words. It was true, she'd taken him to bed. Unlike with Luna, it was a mutually enjoyable experience. Not one where he felt helpless and used, but one of mutual admiration, respect and pleasure.

'Yea, yea, yea. You got laid and you liked it. Can we go?'

Mac picked one of the germinated flowers and placed it on his back. The stink of the thing was almost over whelming, and would surely grab attention if he took it through town. So in the interests of discretion, he took the long way around Ponyville to the Everfree. 







"Maccy! How ya been?" Shade asked happily. The night stallion smiling from his place on the couch. Mac was hesitant to reply, unsure of his friend's stability, but ultimately answered positively and returned the inquiry. "I'm cool, Stripes here let me give it to her in the plot last night!"

Blindsided by the unnecessary information, Macintosh coughed on his own breath.

Though, it did explain Zecora's strange limp when she answered the door. The zebra, for her part, treated the off color comment as if it hadn't bothered her in the slightest, laughing even. 

'Different cultures, dude.'

"Macintosh, of you it is good to see. Tell me please, what has become of my seeds?" Mac retrieved the foul smelling plant from his bag and handed it to his host. "Ahh, she is ripe for the smoke, given proper care, she will make Shade toke."

'Toke?'

I don't even wanna know.

"SWEET! You brought my medicine!" Shade beamed happily before snatching it away and giving Mac the stink eye. "You'd better not be holdin' out on me, Macintosh. I know where you sleep."

'Well, it is nice to see him back to his old self, at least.'

Zecora gently plucked the green and pink flower from Shades grasp, causing the poor pegasus to pout. "Worry not, my beast in bed. For soon you shall take the weed to your head." It was always a little weird how cheerful and casually the zebra spoke about narcotics, it was like she didn't even care about the gravity of their power over the minds of those who consumed them.

His work here done, Mac stood to excuse himself from the hut, but staying his place when an idea hit him. Zecora was a witch doctor who had once helped Applebloom with her Cutie Pox problem, maybe she'd be able to come up with something for Annabelle. The ol' Apple family recipes hadn't worked out as they usually did.

The zebra asked for a list of symptoms which Mac happily gave. He wasn't hoping for a cure, just for something to ease her bed sickness. The Zebra placed a hoof to her chin and began rummaging through her stocks, Shade slipping in and stealing the grounded up flower pedals she had in the mortar. 

Finally, the stripped mare pulled out a pot of some kind, filed with liquid he couldn't identify. Carefully, she took a small spoon, retrieved a bit of amber liquid from within the pot, placed it into a small glass tube and handed it to the stallion, giving clear instruction to provide only one drop in any beverage given. One in the morning and one at night.

Grateful for the help, Mac thanked the zebra for her help before departing back home. Applebucking season would be upon the small farm soon, and they'd need all the help they could get.







"No." Sin deadpanned.

"Awwww, c'mon! Cadance said Twilight asked for me personally! I can't show up without a date!" Uppity argued, trying to coax her... stallionfriend? quasi-romantic Associate? Parole bound cuddle buddy? The terms of their relationship were never really defined.

"Not happening." The Federalist responded, taking a sip of his coffee. The cafe they visited in when the DA came down all but empty, a perfect place for just this kind of conversation. He hated Shining Armor, he hated weddings and he hated the government which is why said wedding was such a a big deal. Why Uppity was so gung-ho about going at all was beyond him.

Still though, he wasn't as annoyed as he thought he'd be by it.

Matter of fact, he was feeling pretty good about things, he'd never say it out loud but Sin always felt a little, tiny bit happy when Uppity was around. Which had become quite a bit more often since his little encounter with Rainbow Dash over Pinkie a few weeks ago. He apologized to both, doing something he wasn't fond of and blaming his behavior on stress and lack of sleep. Alas, the truth had to be told, it was his fault of course, biting off a little more than he could chew, but a day off from both the mill and the city council had done him good.

Though, he'd been getting severe migraines since that night, probably brought about when he'd slammed his head into the wall, and taken to some less than legal pain killers he'd purchased through Shady when she'd come to visit with him. When he'd asked for another bottle of the things, the dark green mare suggested a hospital visit as the drugs weren't supposed to be used for extended periods of time, but with the pain becoming so sever, Sin insisted on continuing his regiment and said he'd get to going to the doctor at some point.

Suffice it to say, the doctor hadn't seen head or hoof of him yet. They weren't so frequent, so long as his head didn't experience any trauma he could keep the migraines away for a few days off of one pill.

Yet still, the speedster had gone and blabbed to the town's librarian about what he'd done who immediately called Uppity down from Canterlot and set up a new arrangement to come down and visit three times a week. Whether that was out of his actual 'crime' or because it was a convenient excuse to spend more time together was up to interpretation.

Uppity gave her signature pout, the kind mares used when they wanted to get something from a stallion. "Please? I know you don't like weddings, or the government, or Shining Armor. But you like me right?" She asked innocently, her eyes misting over as she pulled out the most adorable pleading filly face she could.

Sighing, Sin explained his case. There were things he didn't like and then there were things he really didn't like. Shining, weddings, government, hell even his own father didn't make the latter list. Loud noises and lots of ponies, those were the things he really didn't like and weddings had both. Matter of fact, he often toyed with the notion that when he died and went to Tartarus, a never ending concert would be the hellish nightmare that awaited him.

"That's terrible! Why would you even think about such a thing?" The orange mare chided. "Going to Tartarus, you aren't that bad."

Yea, that's what you think.

Sin had kept his more damning choices in his life to himself, a little surprised Twilight hadn't told her about the pegasus he'd killed when they were on the Gonshinian. He liked Uppity and all, but those kinds of details didn't really have a place in relationships, at least he didn't think so. Besides, what would be the point in telling her?

"What do I have to do to make you go with me?" She asked, adopting her calculated and cool personality that Sin had come to be weary of. He had to watch what he said now, she was just as good at playing on words as he was when she was like this.

"A million bits in small change would be a good start." Sin replied sarcastically. Probably not the best idea though, that was a term of agreement, a term Uppity could easily fulfill.

The mare simply quirked a brow and pointed out that Sin had no need of such money, since he'd been granted so much by Celestial. The Federalist countered, stating that he didn't see a bit of that money, it had all gone through a financial specialist he'd hired to handle the ins and outs of the money side of things. Fancy Pants investment wasn't really "free" but it had a liberal repayment time and not a single bit of interest.

While the lumber mill itself wouldn't take too much longer to build, word about the Ever Wood harvesting had spread quickly around town, and as expected, his co-workers nearly hanged him for treason for daring to create competition. But Sin was no idiot, he proposed that, once the Mill was complete, he offer Jacker a merger of sorts. A proposition the green stallion was very interested to hear.

It was the plan from the start, Sin had more than idea how to run a business, what he lacked was the interest. If he placed Jacker in charge, the pony could easily manage both the Whitetale mill and the Everfree mill and make quite a pretty penny for his trouble.

It was a win all around. Especially for Sin's knee caps, considering the road construction representatives who'd come to visit him a two weeks ago had threatened to rip them off. As planned, they too were interested in the Research Facility project. Sin would just need to maintain partnership in the company in order to get money to keep them working off of his dime rather than the government's. Once construction of the facility was complete than he'd have to figure something else out, though that was projected to be a good two years off at least.

Ahh, the power of charity and business.

"Done." Uppity declared. "One million bits."

"I was kidding! Jeez mare, I know where you'd get that money from." Uppity smirked, knowing Sin's lack of a smart alick response meant he didn't have a narrative to work off of. It was scary how much she'd come to figure him out over the month. "Does this really mean that much to you?" Uppity's smirk faded and she nodded solemnly. "Very well, I'll go but-"

Sin's words were cut off as Uppity lept over the table and pounced the pony in a tackle hug. "Yay! I knew you liked me!"

"Buuut." He repeated. "I want to make it clear here and now. If I wanna leave at any given point in time, you do not stop me. Agreed?"

Uppity nodded enthusiastically, squeezing him just a little bit tighter. He'd gotten better at the whole hugging thing but still, physical affection was an act that made Sin uncomfortable. That and the mare's sudden pounce worsening the start of a migraine.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your head." She asked in concern, pulling Sin upright. She watched him for a moment and noticed he was grabbing the left side of his head right under his goggle strap, the side he'd always nursed whenever he got one of his head aches. "Sin, did you go see the doctor about that yet?"

Pressing his lips, the Federalist didn't reply, Uppity sighed. "That's it, were going right now." The Federalist stood his place, he'd go to the doctor when he was damn good and ready. "Sin, don't make me drag you to the hospital, because you know I will."

"Not with your magic you're not." Sin shot back, smirking for just a second before going back to nursing his head. Uppity fummed, having completely forgotten about his invulnerability. He still hadn't told her how he did that yet.

"Ugh, why are you being so stubborn about that?" She stomped a hoof. 

This. This right here is why you never tell a female about injuries or pain, they just didn't understand that stallions were a proud people who had to tough out the pain as long as they could before admitting surrender and then going to the doctor and getting treated.

Could it be a be a tumor? Yea, could it leave permanent damage to Sin's brain? Absolutely, could it even be a symptom of an easily treatable disease that could take the stallion's life tonight? You bet ya. But dammit if he was going to be a little bitch and run crying to the doctor over a minute little head ache. It's like his master always said. "Don't be no bitch, Sin."

"I said I'd go, didn't I?" He did, he didn't say he'd go any time soon, but he did say he'd go. No lie was uttered there.

Rolling her eyes, Uppity countered with the fact he had yet to fulfill his promise. Sin merely shrugged, stating that it wasn't severe enough to warrant a doctor's visit. Might have been bad enough for black market drugs, but nobody had to know about that. 

Not wanting things to end on a sour note, sin moved the conversation to another topic. "Uppity, I've already agreed to go with you to the wedding, can you just be happy about that?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, his parole office just glared at him in silence. Mac had often referred to this as him "being in trouble" but Sin wasn't a child with her being his mother. He'd never say it to anyone due to his hatred of gossip, but he found Machintosh's relationship with Annabelle kinda pathetic with how submissive he was to her. Not that he could blame him too much, since that seemed to be the norm for Equstria.

"If you promise me that you'll see the doctor by Wednesday, I'll let it go." Sin immediately nodded, already having the loop hole set up in his mind. "And I mean THIS Wednesday, as in two days from today." That... was a ball buster. Reluctant though he was, Sin agreed to the demand. Probably for the best anyways, if the doctors noticed any physical trauma to his head, he'd just say he slipped at work. Yea, that was a good plan.

Satisfied, Uppity's cold demeanor quickly changed over to her usual happy self. "Good, I've gotta get back to Canterlot now." She turned to leave but stopped before walking back to him. "Oh, and Sin?"

Body tensing from the proximity, the stallion's mind went blank. She knew her snoot being an inch or so away from him always caused him distress, but he suspected she relished in the fact. She was so close, he could smell the minty freshness of tooth paste on her breath. "The wedding is in three days. So make sure you let Twilight and your boss know." She cooed before planting a quick kiss on his lips.

Too stunned to speak, Sin merely watched as Uppity blushed, pulled away and went running out of the store, long bits of hair flowing after her that had come loose from her braid. Sin hadn't noticed it before, but she had a very nice cutie mark on her flanks. A pair of scales, signifying balance and justice.
	
	
> Mandylion's Warning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Mandylion's Warning





Malich watched with cold, dead eyes as the roaring flames incinerated the cavern, along with the countless walking corpses within.

The undead were a growing problem, the general public was slowly becoming aware of the threat. His news stations had received countless letters and pictures of wandering corpses attacking small towns, killing hundreds of New Equine citizens. Luckily, the reports of the attacks were only in the state of North New Equine. Still, at least a thousand ponies were dead, and it would only be a matter of time until the government began to ask questions.

'Forget the Government, dude. What if your father finds out?'

Snarling, Malich shook his head. Gemini probably already knew, he was just keeping to himself on the matter. The vice president understood just how few of his agents were loyal to him over his father, those precious few he could truly trust and confide in.

The extermination and investigation into the necromancy was carried out in the Shadow Ops, a branch that Malich had developed personally. Unlike the typical Triple M. CCC (Confine, Contain, Command) the Shadow Ops didn't wait for orders. They were a branch free of restriction post intricate and detailed objectives. Of course, collateral damage was to be expected, they had no official existence within Triple M. nor any other organization. 

As far as the public was concerned, all of the effort Triple M. was making was to protect the major cities and towns from the threat. Whatever carnage the Shadow Ops unleashed was not the responsibility of the company. Luckily, no major metropolitans had been hit, but that didn't mean they wouldn't soon be.

"Malich." An icy, somewhat metallic voice breathed from behind. The stallion turned to regard the black, covered pony behind him. It's head was covered in a thick black helmate, a narrow red visor being the only means of sight. The entirety of its body was covered in thick black leather meant to withstand any biting or scratching the undead could unleash. "Objectives complete, the cavern is clear of all necromance." 

"Excellent work, Number one, stand by." Malich replied carefully. Hearing the breathing of the Black Ops agents through their respirators always made the grey stallion uneasy. It served as a constant reminder just how dangerous they were and how much power they had.

Scouts had been scrambling for a month straight. Searching, checking every last nook and cranny for the Necromancer who'd dared to kill his countrymen. No leave requests were honored, home time was kept to a bear minimum and every effort to keep the public in the dark was expended. Malich even shelved his beloved New Wave project so his staff could devote their time to a cure for the magicks, or at least find a way to track it.

There really wasn't much of a point to bringing in a new era if he didn't have control over it. Malich even swallowed his pride and set up a meeting with his most revered of enemies. The Liberty Syndicate.

Speaking of which, it he needed to head out now if he was going to make that meeting.







Pacing in circles, Malich continually glanced between his four escorts and his pocket watch. Ten minutes until the designated meeting time, and not a single tan cloak in any direction. The executive paced around a little more, his nerves starting to get the best of him. 

He hadn't seen his grandfather in years, ever since the old pony abandoned he and his father had re-written the ethical codes of conduct in dealing with immigrants. Mandylion was almost persuaded to abandon his father's edit, the older pony being a very persuasive and silver tongued snake, if Gemini hadn't been there to reinforce Malich's will, he was certain he wouldn't have gone through with it. 

Though, what would he expect? He was a young stallion back then. Young and weak of mind, easily swayed by gentle and firm words. Words that preyed on both an individuals logic and their emotions at once, a skill hard to master. Usually, one either became logically minded or emotionally minded when it came to argumentation. The cold and rational or the warm and sensing, the other trait was there to be sure, but one was always more prominent.

Mandylion had managed to somehow make both prominent and didn't rely any more on one than the other. 

While it was universally better to be seen as logically minded, the appeal to emotion had it's edge. Not only could one make a case against an issue of disagreement with another, but they could rip apart the individual's character, guilt them into submission and over all destroy self confidence all at once. Turning the public against it's own heros and once loyal allies into dangerous enemies.

And he was about to engage the stallion who'd perfected the art.

Trembling, Malich took a shuttering breath as he checked his watch again. Two minutes. He looked around, seeing nothing around for miles. Nothing but grass, a few trees and his escort. Part of him hoped Mandylion wouldn't show, he knew how dangerous the stallion was; the stories and reports about how he'd turned almost an entire town against Triple M. agents was legendary. Most of the members of Liberty Syndicate were comprised of his personal involvement.

Estimates of the membership's size staggered in the thousands, spanning all across the Federation. While many were individualists by nature, Malich couldn't imagine how someone was convinced to make an enemy of a corporation capable of not only killing them, but their friends, family and reputation.

"Ten O'clock, Mr. Malich." One of his escorts said, bringing the stallion a wave of relief. "Maybe he's a no show." 

That was a possibility, the letter he got back from his grandfather did specify that his presence was a shakey probability.

"Or maybe he's been here the entire time."

Malich jumped, his escort drawing their weapons and circling the executive.

A moment later, small simmers distorted the air around them as five figures began to materialize from thin air directly in front of them. Two unicorns, two earth ponies and a pegasus.

"Hello, Grandson." A tan clad stallion greeted with a slight smile as he strode up to the grassy hillside of the Vale. Malich took notice of the four other ponies in light brown capes that accompanied the old pony, capes signifying membership of the Liberty Syndicate. Though, they were of little interest compared to the one who stood before him.

"Grandpa Mandylion." Malich replied politely, signalling his escort at ease. The stallion had changed since they'd last met. The old earth pony's mane was completely white now, parts of his neck were also a lighter shade of grey, but his slightly green eyes remained as lively and knowing as ever. "Thank you for coming. I know our organizations haven't always seen eye to eye, but there's a bigger problem to attend to."

"Heh, straight down to business, just like your father." The old pony smirked, making a motion with his leg that compelled his comrades to sit down. His face turned serious and Malich could feel the air around him become just a bit heavier. No matter how much his mercenaries developed it, they could never quite match the aura that Mandylion himself had created. "I'm a little surprised you came to us for help, though."

The business pony nodded, it wasn't often Triple M. couldn't handle business themselves, but this was a new threat. A threat that they'd considered planning scenarios for, but never followed through out of how unbelievably vile and absurd they thought the idea to be. The Federation was a neutral country, no other nation had any reason to commit acts of war against them. Any single individual using this type of magic was also not seen as a plausibility. 

How mistaken they were.

The formalities over, Malich cut to the point. The tests that they had run on the still living undead concluded that the magic being used was not unicorn in nature, but they did match up to the alchemy of Zeborica. It couldn't be said 100%, as magical signatures could be altered, but evidence did suggest a zebra was responsible. Perhaps multiple.

Mandylion closed his eyes in a sage like manner. "Yes, the Tal'Derime."

"You know of them?" Malich asked, slightly surprised.

"Mmm, it's funny what one may accomplish and learn when they attempt to use diplomacy instead of force." The elder earth pony replied pointedly, much to Malich's annoyance. "The Tal'Derime are a cultist group within the Zeborican nations. They were a group dedicated to eradicating the Nizilthu threat from their people, using the bodies of their fallen comrades to fight them in a way only the dead could."

"Nizilthu?"

Mandylion frowned, his eyes becoming hard and aggressive. "You would call them 'Changlings'." Malich's eyes went wide. "Changelings cannot infect the dead, they cannot feed on the emotions of the dead, and with the fall of any Zeborican, the oath of service after life is given as a final wish to protect their families and clans." He shook his head. "Which is why I find it strange that the cult would be active here. The Tal'Derime necromancers have no purpose in the Federation. Though I may not like the methods you and my son may use, you have been successful in keeping the parasite from the country."

Malich furrowed his brow and made a thoughtful sound. The Zebras consented to post death service? 

'That's what you're thinking about? How about the fact that these 'Tal'Derime' MIGHT have an idea about what you're doing and are summoning the undead?!'

"Forgive me, Mr. Malich, but perhaps it's revenge?" One of his escorts suggested, speaking out of turn. Words would be had about that.

"Perhaps." Mandylion pondered, placing a hoof up to his chin in thought before eyeing his grandson. "Or maybe some Nizilthu are in the country somewhere."

The young executive gave his best glare. He knew what Mandylion was getting at, but it would look suspicious to say it outright. "You think we've let some changelings in? I assure you, the Orvalian Infection is still fresh enough to keep all of my-"

"Do not play dumb with me, boy." Mandylion interrupted in a soft but forceful voice. "I was referring to the refugees a few of your chariots had collected from the Orvalian coast a few months ago."

'Shit! How the fuck does he know about that!?'

Obviously one of our agents is a traitor feeding information, or they weren't as careful as they should have been.

Already making a mental not to call in the team who'd carried out that mission, Malich had to make a reply that was both in character and didn't give him away. "I'm sorry?" He asked, acting both surprised a little perturbed. "I'm afraid I have no clue what you're referring to, could you elaborate what you saw?"

It was years of acting made into one single moment of brilliance. His tone, his facial structure, the movement of his eyes and ears were all spot on with his attempt to convince his grandfather of his lack of involvement. 

Mandylion held his knowing smirk for another few seconds before it fell, leading to an internal celebration that Malich had finally matched his deception skills with the perception of his grandfather.

"Malich, I want you to listen to me, and listen closely." The old pony lowered his head, giving a powerful stare that reached into Malich's very soul. "I don't know what you're planning to do with the Nizilthu but until you are rid of them, the Tal'Derime will never stop their conversion of the dead. I have spoken with chiefs from many of the zebra clans. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of members of the cult here. None of them know who the active necromancers are, but if they gain followers we will have a crisis that dwarfs the changeling infection one hundred fold. The death count could be in the millions before it's brought under control."

By the end of his speech, the young stallion felt two feet tall and was running short of breath. The oppressive aura had magnified with every single word his grandfather spoke. Malich could feel his legs trembling beneath him, ready to give out and sending the him to the ground in a terrified and exposed heap. He could feel his inner defenses waning as he started into the light green eyes of his kin, judging his soul, searching through his mind. Ripping, tearing and shredding through the useless memories of his life to find what the old pony was looking for.

Just as his will was about to give out and the pony come clean with everything he'd done and had planned to do, Mandylion broke eye contact, lifting the invisible and suffocating presence the stallion withstood. He was so disturbed by what he'd just experienced, he didn't even realize his grandfather was now infront of him, placing a gentle hoof upon his shoulder.

"Malich. Ever since your mother left, you've always been much harder and more cunning. You lacked guidance and sought power to make up for that which you could not control." 

His body tensing from the truth he long denied, the younger earth pony cringed. The words his grandfather spoke cutting his heart, their absolution convincing him of their truth.

"But don't let that desire for power control you." He said, his voice raising to that of a father talking to his son. "Your father has placed it into your head that results are the most important thing in the world. That all expenditures of life are acceptable if it means accomplishing your goals. What you must come to find is that the ends don't always justify the means, grandson."

Despite his gut telling him not to, the young pony slowly turned to look Mandylion in the eye.

"Tell me, has your father found happiness in the life he's chosen for himself? Was he ever able to move past Malina?" Malich looked away, not even wanting to think about his broken family or missing mother. "He hasn't has he? With all that he has become, with all the power he has, do you think he's happy?"

'No! He's a miserable old bastard who does nothing but sit in his office all day!'

"Is that how you want your life? Malich?" He asked when no answer came forth.

He couldn't believe what had happened here. Him, Malich Islander, the Vice fucking President of the most powerful corporation in the entire Federation, the stallion who'd slain three undead by himself, The one who stood alone against the senate on countless occasion, the Ruby Rider, the mastermind of his plans for Anarchy, was reduced to a speechless foal being lectured.

He searched for something in his mind, anything to say at all. He couldn't answer the question about happiness, it wasn't something he'd ever concerned himself with. His plans were all that mattered, his plans would bring him contentment! Happiness? That was a fleeting thing! An idea others wasted their lives chasing. He wanted accomplishment! Accomplishment that would only come through being cunning and having power. 

"You've got me there, grandpa. I haven't been happy for as long as I can remember. Neither has my father, nor my brother." His eye flicked to see Mandylion quirk a brow.

"Sin? You've seen him?"

That look, that split second of surprise and uncertainty was all his mind needed. It told him that Mandylion wasn't all knowing, that his knowledge didn't extend past the realms of reality. No, Mandylion, for all of his cunning and intelligence both in logic and emotion was still just a pony. A pony who'd mastered the aura and used it to manipulate and project himself to be greater than what he truly was.

"Tell me something, if the zebras summon the dead only to fight Changelings. Than why are they attacking and killing the living?" That didn't push the elder pony in the slightest, but that was okay. The psychological mindfuck that accompanied the pony's presence was broken well enough now. Malich knew the answer, it was customary in the Federation to cremate the dead, only those of wealth could afford to be buried and put in a graveyard. 

Still though, the first to die and be resurrected were Triple M agents, weren't they? There was no way any zebra could have known about the changelings, Mandylion may have, but with his knowledge of the cult and their intentions, what possible reason would he have to say anything? No, no this wasn't about the changelings, this was about the Zeboricans taking revenge on Triple M. If this was about the parasitic invaders, than why hadn't there been any attacks on the complex? Wouldn't it make more sense for the damned to attacked his company's facilities rather than randoms towns?

No, this was terrorism, terrorism on a country who'd allowed the zebra into it's borders and away from a life of threat and uncertainty and Malich made sure his the elder earth pony heard his logic on the matter.

With a defeated and graceful sigh, Mandylion stepped back and rejoined his associates. "You disappoint me, I was truly hoping to end this before it began." For some reason, those words angered Malich and he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from ordering his men slaughter the Syndicate members. "We shall continue our search of the necromancers. But Malich, I implore you to see reason this day. Should we fail in our endeavor and the Tal'Derime become more powerful, countless will die. And there will be no victory in that for any of us."

Malich didn't reply, he didn't even think on the words. Triple M. was a powerful mega-corp and they'd find a way to stop whatever threatened their country. Of that he was confident.

With a gesture of his hoof, the two unicorns ignited their horns at once and the entire troop vanished in a blink of white.

With their departure, Malich heard his escort collapse into labored breathing. "You guys alright?" He asked, genuinely concerned for their health. Unlike him, they'd never encountered the aura at it's most powerful, some of the weaker minded ponies even went mad from it.

"Fine... just... wow." The leader replied through labored breaths. Luckily, Malich didn't employ the weak minded.

Once they'd managed to get their breathing and minds under control, Malich gave orders. He ordered every last K-9 unit from all over the country to be recalled, given access on an undead, and sent to search the country side. After that, he gave a second order, this one giving pause to every single one of his escorts.

He wanted Thanatos reassembled and brought to where Reco-2 had been found. He was going to make an example of the Zebras and send a clear message that the use of Necromancy upon the citizens of the Federation, that these Tal'Derime, would not be tolerated.


> Neo-Confrontations (III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Neo-Confrontations III







"You doing alright, Cranky?" Spike yelled over the roar of the engines as he set the umpteenth log on the conveyor.

Cranky Donkey was an old timer, recently moved to Ponyville where he'd found the Love of his life, Matilda. Only thing of note about the ass was the fact his head was as bald as a cue ball that he constantly tried to cover up with a gaudy blond wig.

Typically, Cranky was a good and hard worker, didn't complain and did his job right, today he was having a bit of trouble though. Between the three of them, Spike, Sin and Cranky were doing pretty well at their station. The third pair of legs made the work a lot easier, but with the brown pony absent for the day to take care of his parole officer business, that only left the other two. And boy, did it really dawn on Spike just how much weight Sin carried in this job. 

"I'm fine!" Cranky yelled back, nursing his right front knee for a second before working his way back to the next rack of logs. "Knee's jest actin' up. Nothing to worry about!"

"Alright, if you say so." But that wasn't really an option. The job they were doing relied heavily on team work, and if his co-worker wasn't fit to help him push the logs in the first place, than the job would need to be put on hold. Either that, or Blade would need to abandon his station to help Spike out, which would not leave a good impression for the new guy on the rig. 

"Aw man, you've gotta be kidding me." There was an extremely long knot protruding from the next log, meaning that rolling it would be a great deal more difficult. Sighing, the two pushed the slab of wood from its place and grunted with effort to roll it to the conveyor. Celestia did Spike hate it when the lumber jacks delivered from Maple Forest, it was like they didn't even try to smooth the logs out. 

It took some effort, some words of aggressive encouragement from Blade and almost help from Chopper, but the donkey/dragon team eventually managed to get the log onto the track. Production took a time hit, but sometimes, pride just had to overcome. 

Before the two could grab the next log, Chopper gave them the signal to halt and pointed to his watch, signifying it was almost break time. Once the final log was completely through the milling process, the plaid shirted stallion descended from his crane and pulled the lever that sent the steam to a silenced relief valve and shut down the conveyor. 

"Man, I'm starving." 

"Ha! Too bad you don't have a wife who makes you decent lunches. Maybe if you weren't so ugly..."

Spike shook his head as he followed the guys back to the break room. It was so strange how everypony insulted each other but didn't mean it here. They found fun and a type of friendship in saying, what some would call cruel and hurtful things to one another. It was like a game of who could say the worst insult and still be friends.

It compounded when he considered that mares were the exact opposite, well outside of Ponyville anyways. Stallions insult each other and don't mean it, mares compliment each other and don't mean it. The world was a very confusing place sometimes.

"Hey Cranky, you alright?" Chopper asked, retrieving a box from the fridge and sitting at the small table in the middle of the kitchen. "Looked like you were having some trouble today."

"Trouble keeping his hair piece in place." Blade teased, electing a small chuckle from the group.

Cranky just smirked wryly for a second. "Yea I'm fine. Knee's just acting up a bit is all."

"I had a problem like that once, then I told the wife to sleep on the floor." Another burst of laughter.

Spike was happy he was being honest about the issue, even if he was down playing it. He and his co worker grabbed their own lunch boxes from the cubbies above the sink and began to eat.

"All joking aside, if you're having trouble Cranky, you can let us know and we'll give you some time off." Jacker offered as he chewed thoughtfully on his meal. 

"What? And leave Spike there alone?" Chopper asked, quirking a brow.

"What? He can do it." Blade declared confidently before looking at the drake. "Unless he's gonna be a bitch, you ain't no bitch, are you?"

When he first started here, words like that had cut the drake. He'd actually cried a few night when the guys, Blade mostly, said some scathing remarks. But Spike knew he didn't mean a word of it. Evidenced by a day where Cranky was a no show and Sin was having one of his off days. The light green stallion would see the two having trouble, run over to help them out really quickly than get back to his own job once they'd gotten it under control.

He didn't make fun of them for it either, he just helped them out. He even taught Spike a little... minotaur vulgarity. A small hand gesture that was also used by griffons and any other species with fingers.

A hand gesture the drake decided to display. "If I can handle your mom, I can handle this."

The room went absolutly silent, every single eye was locked onto the dragon. Spike grew nervous as the seconds passed, he'd never returned their rude snark before, maybe it wasn't yet time? Maybe he hadn't been here long enough to-

"Pft." It was a faint sound, but it was enough to draw his attention. There, Fiona, the pink earth pony was fighting with everything she had to stop herself from laughing, soon Jacker followed her example. In no time at all, the entire room was in an uproar of laughs. Even Ax and Cranky were busting up in a fit of giggles.

"Oh my Luna, Oh sweet Celestia. Oh wow, that..." Chopper attempted, constantly loosing himself to laughing fits. "You... You never retaliate at all, and then the first time you do.. hahahah."

It was a perfect delivery from the most unlikely of sources. For the first time in the entire month he'd worked here, Spike officially felt like he belonged.





"SPIKE! Pack you're things!" Twilight commanded as she ran about the library, grabbing different books from here and there and placing them in a large brown suitcase.

The drake watched her walk around in awkward silence, half out of silent protest against being told what to do and half out of waiting for an explanation. "What's going on?"

Twilight stopped and looked at her son with a large, beaming smile. "Candance and Shining Armor are getting married in three days!"

'Eh? Three days? Wow, that's kinda short notice.'

He voiced his complaint, but Twilight was too far gone in La La Land to concern herself with the logical intricacies of guest and attendance arrangements. Unlike the unicorn, he couldn't just drop everything and leave. "I can't go, Twilight, I have work."

That got her attention. "What do you mean, Spike? This is my brother's wedding!"

Spike proceeded to explain what had happened at the mill. Between Cranky's injury and Sin's no show, the mill needed him. Sin might have been able to cover him, but the if the donkey took time off like his boss suggested, that would leave the Federalist to handle the loading alone. He'd just felt like he was starting to belong there, Spike couldn't afford to tarnish that now by taking time off because Cadance and Shining couldn't be bothered to give proper warning.

Twilight looked like she'd been blind sided by a train, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. But what did she know? She didn't have a real job like Spike did. Her responsibilities could easily be shrugged off at a moments notice. Nopony really visited the library all that often, most the town probably wouldn't even notice if it shut down for the week. His co-workers would definitely notice if the logs weren't loaded on the conveyor belt.

"Spike, please this is my brother and Cadance we're talking about. Both of them you've known for years." She said gently, giving the drake her full attention. "Surely you can take off work for them. They've helped me raise you, after all."

'Ouch, playing the guilt card.'

A small pang of irritation followed the guilt. Was she really doing this? Was she really pushing him to set his life on hold for this? He knew the guys at work would understand if he left, but why should they be left high and dry? 

The door pushed open as he was just beginning to form his argument, the orange coated and purple mane'd pony he knew as Uppity walking in the door. "Twilight, I've got great news."

Twilight gave her a forced smile and greeting. "Uppity, can this wait? I'm kind of in the middle of-"

"He said yes! Sin said he's going to come to the wedding with me!"

Twilight's smile turned awkward as she gave a half hearted congratulations. To Spike, after the shock of hearing his former mentor actually agreed to the invitation, his irritation compounded ten fold. 

He had no choice now, the mill would most likely be down the entire front line of loaders if he took time off for the wedding. Sin? Why was he going? Any time the royal wedding was spoken about in the break room, he always spoke down on it. Yet he was not only leaving for that exact reason, he was leaving at a time he was needed? The buck, dude?

The District Attorney gave Twilight an excited hug and said she couldn't wait before departing again. Leaving the drake more than solidified in his decision to stay.

Twilight, however, saw this as an opportunity. "See, if he's going, I don't see why you can't."

The drake's head lowered and he gave Twilight a look, the kind of look a pony gave whenever they'd heard the something so unbelievably stupid, there were just no words for it. The type of look he knew Twilight hated more than anything. 

"Stop looking at me like that!" The librarian shouted, her anger igniting small slivers of flame from her horn. It was a dangerous game, but Spike really didn't care at this point.

"Did you not hear a word I said? Now that Sin's gone, I have to go to work!" He bellowed back. Twilight wasn't about to let up though, she went into a tirade of pushing buttons now. How he'd changed since he'd gotten the job, how rude he'd become to her and her friends and how understanding she was trying to be of him. All of that only to have all of her lenience thrown back in her face. 

"I've tried to be reasonable, but all you want to do is work, eat and sleep! Every time I suggest something fun, you're too tired or you have to work that day or something else! I work, I have a job, but I still manage to make time for my friends and family, so why can't you!?"

Spike's chuckled cruelly. "Oh, you want to talk about work huh? Guess what, Twilight? You don't understand real work. You know why you don't understand real work? Because you don't have a real job!" The librarian's eyes widened and her mouth gaped. "Oh what? You didn't think I'd say it? You think running a library is hard? What work do you really do here, Twi? I mean, really what work do you do here? No, I'd like to hear just how much effort you have to put into it."

The drake could feel his anger bubbling. It wasn't just for Twilight, but she'd chosen the wrong time to pull this crap, and it was time a few truths came to light.

"What? You have to take down a book from a shelf once every other day when somepony actually comes in. That's it. Oh, heh, no wait you have to put them back when they are dropped back in a week later. My mistake." He laughed sarcastically.  "Let me tell you what the majority of your so called 'work day', is. You study, play with your friends, move some books around, cook and clean. That's it. Hay, if the library shut down for a week, no pony would notice."

"Me? I've got ponies who count on me to do my job everyday! If my station isn't running, guess what? The entire operation doesn't run. Ponies don't get wood to build houses, floors, fences, and whatever else. I don't show up, my co-workers can't get work done and they don't get paid. You know what that means? Hungry foals and homeless ponies, Twi. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You're too busy being the personal student of Princess freaking Celestia. Privileged, able to live a life of comfort and luxury because you got lucky and were born with superior magic potential. Well let me tell you something, Twilight Sparkle, not everypony has the bucking privilege! Some of us have to work for a living, some of us have responsibilities that we can't just shrug off for a few days because we've got nobody who depends on our day to day grind."

It was an ass chewing, it was an ass chewing a long time in the making, and a bleary eyed Twilight was the reward for all his troubles. He didn't have to work, but he wanted to. He didn't want to be a leech off of the Twilight and her own success, he'd learned what it meant to have pride in being his own dragon, and despite the ease and comfort of the life he could have, he valued his new found pride more.

"I- I have responsibilities..." She whimpered, but Spike was too far along in his rampage to stop now.

"Yea, you saved Equestria a few times. Well, Twilight, let me ask you this." He folded his arms. "If Nightmare Moon returned right before the wedding started, or Discord went on a rampage. Would you say 'Derr, chaotic creatures hell bent on the destruction of harmony can wait, I want to see my brother get married! derr'..." He waited for a response. "Well?"

His words cut deep, his mocking voice exaggerated to sound as stupid as possible. He didn't want to have this conversation, Spike knew venting all of his feelings would make him feel better, but he didn't want to hurt Twilight. But the Unicorn brought this on herself, the dragon would have been content to just have his wishes not to go respected, but no. The librarian just had to make him out to be the bad guy.

And as he watched his surgot mother hitch sniffle with tears, he thought that he might have been. But tears and feelings of sadness didn't add up to what logically happened here. 

"Y-y-you JERK!" The unicorn shrilled before breaking down into a sobbing mess.

With a sigh, Spike felt his anger slowly dissipate. He wasn't sorry for what he'd said, but it did pain him to see Twilight in tears. Part of him wanted to throw himself over her and hold her tightly, to apologize for everything and tell her that it would all be alright. Another part of him, a stronger part, said that would do far more damage than good. What he said wasn't a lie and she should never have compared her job to his own, but still there was no more point in being cruel.

"But it's apples to oranges, I guess. You've got a job that allows you to be flexible." It was a sound conclusion that made sense. Her primary job was to become more proficient in magical studies, not run the library. But her studies came at her leisure and convenience. Spike, and most every pony else who had a job, did not. They worked around their employers schedule, not the other way around.

It was a cold feeling, keeping to the point he was trying to make and not be swayed by tears. Spike wasn't in the wrong, he knew that much, but neither was Twilight. It was a hard thing to face, but this was just one of those situations where opinions were painfully different and principals had to come before feelings. He loved Twilight, he really did, but he couldn't just drop everything for her convenience any more.

His mind went over the relationship the two had ever since he'd gotten back. It was nothing but constant fighting and making up. They'd reconcile after this, there was no doubt in his mind about it, but Spike had had enough. This was the last straw. 

"I think it's time I moved out."

Her crying ceased and Twilight slowly looked up to Spike, her face a mask of horror. "No, Spike... Please don't..."

"I love you, Twilight." He croaked, fighting the urge to cry himself. "But I can't shrug off my responsibilities because your bother's getting married. If I had known in advance, I would have set something up with my boss. But as it stands right now, I've got to stand by where I'm needed." He slowly walked by her side and knelt down to place a comforting claw on Twilight's back. "And ever since I've gotten back, it's been constant fighting between us every other month and I'm tired of it."

"I'm sorry!" Twilight cried, trembling. "You're right, I was being over bearing on you and pushing you. I'll stop! I promise! Just please," she put her hoof over Spikes claw and looked at him with pleading eyes. "please don't go."

With a shake of his head and soft smile, Spike declined. If she was really as upset as she made herself out to be than him leaving was for the best. Not only for himself, but for her as well. She was too emotional to understand right now, but he knew she'd appreciate it once she calmed down. 

"It's not like I'm moving away." He said, wrapping his arms around her neck, pulling her into a hug. "I'll still be around town, we'll still see eachother and stuff. But staying her is becoming toxic, Twi. For the both of us." He felt her tremble, but also felt a weak foreleg pulling on his back. "I've got my own life now. I've got business that I have to take care of, and others who count on me too much to just up and leave them. I love you, Twilight,  I really do. I hope you can understand what I'm saying."

He couldn't tell if she could or not, she just continued to cry and he continued to hold her. As much pain as it caused, he knew him leaving was for the best for both of them. But right now, she needed comfort and as her friend, that's exactly what Spike planned to give her.


> A Free Nightmare Night (Bonus Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







A Free Nightmare Night







"C'mon Twilight and Sin! It's time to go Trick or Treating!" Spike bellowed with glee. jumping up and down from his place in the library. His costume was a quite a project this year. He'd thrown together some armor the royal guard was auctioning off and a red cape covered in black swirls. A knight, a dark knight who's sworn to never again fall prey to the temptations of thankless love and devotion.

Ironic, considering Rarity made the cape for him.

"All ready to go, I see." Twilight said as she descended the stairs. Her costume was a rehash of last years. A blue wizards robe with a complete matching hat with a small stars covering all over both. Spike chuckled about her using the same costume, which lead the lavander mare into a small tyrade about the importance of historical figures in the modern age.

"Yea, yea. Whatever." Spike dismissed, electing a small pout from his superior. "Sin! Are you coming or not?"

He heard a few hoof steps and the black eyed stallion poked his head over the banaster. "Wait, you're serious?" Spike nodded, eager to get his empty sack full of deliciously sweet  treats. "Spike, don't you think you're a little old for that?"

In a look of utter horror, the dragon recoiled at the question. Too old? One was never to old to go trick or treating. Sin was of a different mind however, according to him it was customary to end the rite of Nightmare Night at the age of ten in his country. To continue on after that was frowned upon. "And no, that isn't just me being a stick in the mud, that was pretty much how it worked."

Spike and Twilight shared a knowing smile between the two before both turning and yelling in unison. "That's not how it works in Equestria!"

Unimpressed by the entire ordeal, Sin wished the two a good night of fun but stood firm in his position. Trick or treating was for children and he had no intention of going out for it.

A couple knocks at the door drew the attention of all party's present and Twilight sighed. "Well, if you're not going to go out with us, can you at least hand out candy?"

Seeing Sin agree disappointed Spike greatly. He wanted to see the Federalist dress up as one of the political figures he was talking about when they met. He had no idea who Tapio Bearking or Sparhawk was and was looking forward to it.

"Trick or treat!" Cried a group of ponies from the door. Sin took a hoof full of candy and began filling bags, halting as soon as he saw that one of the foals was quite a bit larger than the rest. "Miss Pie?"

"Hiya Sin!" Pinkie greeted, holding out her bag for him to fill. "Happy Nightmare Ni- HEY! You're not in a costume!" 

Spike chuckled at the bewildered look the stallion had, moving his head back from the accusitory hoof pointed directly at his face. "Well of course not, trick or treating is for chil-" His words were interupted by a sudden gasp from Pinkie, who went into a tyrade about why he hadn't dressed up for the night. The drake had to hold himself back as she went over the various scinarios, asking if he couldn't think of anything to be, if he didn't have the money and how he should have asked and so on.

"NO! I've got it, you're sick aren't you?" The pink mare bonked herself on the head. "Duh, of course that's why you're not out and about. Silly me, I remember this one time I got sick on Nightmare Night. Well, I wasn't sick during the day, I actually got sick because I ate so much candy! It was terrible, my tummy felt all achy bakey and-"

"Yea, here's your candy, have a good night." Sin said in a rush, throwing a few pieces into her bag and slamming the door. He turned away from the portal and sighed, glad to have that over with.

"She'll be back, you know." Twilight declared with a smug smirk. The Federalist tentatively asked her to elaborate.

"Yea, Pinkie hits up every house like five times on Nightmare Night!" Spike agreed, gaining amusement from seeing Sin's face drop. "So, you can expect to see her again in another half hour or so." The drake turned around an folded his arms, he turned just a little bit to see his friend's reaction, giving the librarian a small wink.

The threat had the desired effect and Sin reluctantly agreed to go out and about with the two in town. Though he made it very clear he wasn't going to be trick or treating, he was just going out to avoid giving candy to the hyperactive chatterbox. The two briefly discussed pressuring him into wearing a costume, but decided against it.

"C'mon! We have to go before everypony runs out of candy!"

His declaration made and logic sound, Spike opened the door and lead the way out, Twilight in the rear and locking the door behind her.





Walking with his head held high, Sin wandered behind Spike and Twilight in a mask of neutral indifference. 

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, for every foal dressed up in scary or silly costumes, at least two adults were doing the same. What was wrong with this town? He knew the ponies around her enjoyed acting foalish, but this was just plain ridiculous! Even when they'd reached the town square, he saw Mayor Mare and Colgate in cheesy get ups! Was there no more shame left in the world?

But the worst was yet to come, he'd find. While the stallion was running the "bobbing for apples" stand, he still couldn't believe Macintosh, the somber and gentle giant that he was, was also dressed up. His costume was a little more sophisticated than most though, so it was semi-forgivable.

"Ello Tvilight and Spiyak!" The apple pony greeted in a strange but enticing accent, lifting the black cape he wore over his fanged mouth. "Vood you like to bob vor some apples?" Annabelle gave some pun about biting that Sin couldn't quite understand and playfully nipped Mac's neck. Her costume was of a similar variety, though the chest was far more open for some reason, and her hair was pushed into a giant bun on top of her head.

The two intellects agreed immediately and dunked their heads down into the water. In a matter of seconds, both resurface, both holding delicious fruit in their mouths and smile broadly.

It was official, Sin was stuck in a town full of little foals stuck in adult pony bodies.

'Here's a crazy idea, maybe they just know how to have fun. You know? That thing that makes ponies feel good on the inside?'

Right, because ponies getting dressed up and acting like children was how fun worked. My mistake.

"Hey Sin! Come tah enjoy the night?" Mac asked, dropping his accent. "Kinda surprised to see you out and about."

Sin gave his formal hello and explained that he was just out for a while until Pinkie was done trick or treating. Mac laughed and asked if his sister was still with her, apparently dressed as a mummy this Nightmare Night. Sin nodded, he didn't know that the mummy was Applebloom though, guess the big red bow on her head should have been a dead giveaway, though.

Another few ponies wanting to play came up to the stall and Sin bid the pair good night. Though, he turned to find himself alone, both Twilight and Spike having ditched him. "Dicks."

'HA! Nice.'

Unsure of what exactly to do, Sin began looking around at all of the activities that the town center had to offer. It was a proverbial smorgasbord of entertainment and culinary consumables. Including the spider toss, pop corn on the cob, Night Mare pies, one of those games with balloons attached to the wall that you had to hit with darts and a good deal more.

Soon, he found himself wandering about out of curiosity, a small hope welling in his chest as he walked. There was a booth for sea weed on a stick, another booth of speed pumpkin carving, a vendor selling comically large sized candy, and... No, no it couldn't be."

'Mother of Tapio, is that what I think it is?'  

Sin approached and he had to hide his excitement. It was! A cross bow shooting range! He felt his speed increase the closer he got to the booth, surprised at how empty it was. There were three rangers, and only one of them was occupied. Thuugh, Sin soon understood the attractions lack of interest as he approached, finding the station unmanned.

"Sorry, miss?" He asked, the only other pony present. This one being what he guessed was a mare, drapped in a cloak and aiming an orange leg down range. "Do you know where the booth head is?"

Loosing her bolt, Sin watched with mild interest as the bolt hit a good six inches to the left of the bulls eye. The mare humped and turned her hooded head to look at the stallion. "That would be me." She replied with a slight smile. "One bit for six bolts, please." 

Sin thought about the idea for a moment, how long had it been since he'd used his beloved crossbow? He was a great shot, one of the best back during his time with Triple M. It had been far too long since he'd heard the sweet thud of the bow releasing, sending a projectile at speeds almost too fast for the eye to see. The weight, the power, the sense of security and control...

He reached into his cloak's hidden pocket and pulled out one of his emergancy bits for the game. The mare smiled and placed six, rahter dull and worn bolts before him. Sin had to force himself not to criticize the damaged fletching and lifted the crossbow onto his foreleg. It was... light, much lighter than he was used to. With a quick look for a draw hook and failure to find on, Sin reached out and grabbed the string in his fetlock, pulling to full draw with relitive ease.

It was disappointing, the draw weight couldn't be any more than twenty pounds. Still though, it felt so right on his leg. He quickly loaded the bolt and took aim. He lined up his sights and did a quick inhale and exhale before pulling the release mechanism. The sights were off point, badly off point. He knew how to aim, he know how to shoot, yet the bolt was a good six inchest high from what should have been a dead on shot.

Considering the off sights, Sin repeated the motion and retook aim at the target. He compensated downward a little and loosed the bolt, hitting a mere inch from the bulls eye. "The fuck?" He asked under his breath, looking over the cross bow. It was a light brown little thing, barely to be considered above a child's toy at all. Still, that shot should have been dead on with the compensation. he looked at the cloaked mare besides him who merely stood with a small smile on her face.

Knowing he wouldn't get any answers, Sin loaded up the third bolt and compensated accordingly. The bolt hit just to up and left of the bulls eye. He loaded the forth bolt, repeating the same process with the projectile ending up in close proximity, but still never hitting the bleeding target. The stallion quirked a brow and and let an idea slowly form in his head. 

He mythdically loaded the fifth bolt and breathed heavily, taking aim at the lower left quadrant of the red and white target. His breathing calm, he forced out all the noise of the festival around him. Opening one eye, he lined up to his target and released the mechanism. Again, his shot hit not where he was expecting it to. The green and orange fletchings were sticking out just to the right of the bulls eye. A good foot and a half from his intended mark.

That's when it dawned on him what exactly was going on. "You can turn off the assist now." He grumbled, a little disappointed it took him this long. The hooded mare's small smile grew wide, a dull orange glow emitting from her horn. In that moment, a dull flash dispursed the spell from the range and Sin took his final bolt into the bow.

His final shot hittind in the direct middle of the bulls eye. He always hated assists, they were meant to raise confidence and for a setting like this, let everybody have a good time but still come back for another game, thinking that they "almost had it".

"Congratulations on figuring me out, and hitting the bulls eye." The mare smiled stepping a little closer. "Here's your prize." Before Sin could react, he found a pair of orange lips pressing into his cheek. The shock enough to stunt his movements, but not enough to stop his sense of smell. Clearly picking up the faint scent of office paperwork.

"What the... Uppity?"

Her smile broadening ten fold, the mare pulled down her hood to show that it was the very mare. "Hey, Sin! How'd you figure me out?"

His mind finally making sense of everything, Sin told her that he'd aimed at the very edge of the target and still managed to get the bolt away from where he wanted it. "I see, and how you know it was me?" She asked, fluttering her eyes innocently. 

"You have a very distinctive smell." The stallion smirked, placing the crossbow back on the counter. The orange mare just rolled her eyes and tossed her straightened mane behind her shoulder, it was quite a lovely style for her, though Sin still preferred the braid. Much more feminine and attractive. "So, did you set this up in the vague hope that I'd stumble accross it?"

The mare giggled and shook her head. No, she said she knew he'd be out and about tonight, despite his reluctance to be in large crowds. When questioned about her knowledge, Uppity denied telling him, electing instead to find enthusiastic interest in the spider tossing game. "Oh, oh! Sin! Let's play that game!"

"No, how about lets tell Sin why you knew he- woah!" Was all he managed before having his leg grasped in hers and was pulled to the mare's game of choice.

'Don't do it, dude. Don't you DARE make this into some cheesy ass romance thing. Sin, I sweat to Tapio, I will give you shit for a fucking month if you win her a prize!'

And that's exactly what the scinario was turning into. Uppity, the foal at heart she really was, pointed to a large stuffed Princess Celestia plushy sitting against the wall, asking Sin to win it for her. "You're good at these types of games, so it should be easy for you."

Sin looked at Uppity, fully regarding the mare for a moment. "If you want it so bad, why don't you play? The game doesn't seem that hard." Truth be told, he was kinda surprised the plushy was still up there. With as big as it was, it must have been the "grand prize" or whatever it was called.

"Because silly, the stallion is supposed to win it for the mare. That's just the way it works!" The overly interested booth watcher declared, leaning in to whisper. "He seems a little slow in the romance department, doesn't he?"

The Cloaked Unicorn sighed playfully. "You have no idea."

'Sin, Sin you listen to me, Tapio dammit. Do not do this! This is the ultimate sign of being owned! If you do this, she'll see it as you obeying her, and once she's got it in her head that she can control you with a pouty lip or by appealing to your ego, she'll play on it every time she needs something. You know I'm right on this!'

"One bit to play!" The mare declared, awaiting the stallion provide payment for the privledge.

It was at that point an idea hit him and he told Uppity to pay for the game. Both mares looked in stunned silence, like he'd just slapped a filly across the face for even daring to suggest such a thing. "What? Hey, this was your idea mare. If you want me to play, you're gonna have to pay."

It was genius, absolutely genius! It would demonstrate his ability to compromise and meet her half way, yet still allow him to maintain the boundary of rebellion! And if she decided to fight him on it, he could just denounce the typical gender roll thing, calling her out on the whole "anti biggot" stance she had while still supporting traditional gender roles.

"Hmmm. No, I think you'll be paying for it." Uppity declared happily. Sin was about to give his retort, but was quieted when he saw her reach into her cloak and produce a single bit for the booth keeper. His bit that he gave her for the archery range.

'... That clever little fox.'

The stallion shook his head, unable to believe he didn't see that coming and took three stuffed, velcro spiders from the, now miffed, booth head. He tossed the spider up and down a few times, getting a feel for the weight of the thing and felt the top of it to find the top of the toy had another layer of velcro so the spiders could layer one on top of the other.

And just like with his shooting, he tossed all three spiders into the center of the web, procuring the stuffed Celestia plushy, still a little creepy she wanted it, to Uppity for her hugging pleasure.

"Thank you!" She beamed, placing the toy down and throwing her arms around the stallion's neck. 

Clearing his throat and feeling his body tense from the contact, Sin rose a forleg and patted Uppity's back in an almost robotic motion. No matter how often she hugged him, he just couldn't find it in himself to return the embrace. "Hug me back." She said sternly, tightening her grip. Figuring it best not to fight this battle, Sin brought a single leg up and pulled the mare closer. It didn't feel quite as awkward as he fear, it even felt a little nice.

Still uncomfortable though, very very uncomfortable.

The embrace finally broken, the two wandered around the town, checking out numerous stalls and attractions. The deal where he won her something was a one time thing, after that, Sin found himself in constant competition with Uppity. He'd won the dart toss, but lost in the water canon. He'd barely pulled out a victory in the ring throwing competition, but lost his ass in a "for funzies" black jack booth.

A good hour flew by as the two continued to play games, each trying to out do the other. It was... enjoyable, to say the least.

'F is for friends who do stuff together, U is for you an-'

I will fantasize about Lady Fatchitaz's clit growing into a dick and having her fuck a clone of herself in the ass if you even think about finishing that.

'... You're sick, you are a very sick pony and you need the professional help.'

Still, he had to give credit where credit was due, the time they were spending together was more than tolerable. Sin would dare say he wouldn't mind spending the rest of the night like this.

Though Uppity checked heard the clock strike nine and said she had to depart. There was a trial tomorrow and she needed her rest for the night. Sin felt a little sad about it, but also a little relieved. After the night he had, crawling into a cupboard in the library and simmering for a few days was very appealing at this point.

"Thank you, for everything tonight, Sin. I haven't had this much fun in a long time." Uppity said as she averted her eyes. The stallion nodded, glad he decided to come out, it was always good seeing her. Again, before he could react, the orange mare slowly leaned forward and planted a kiss on his nose. "I'll see you later. Take care." 

And like that, she grabbed her Celestia toy and made way for the train station. It wasn't fair how she always pulled that stunt on him.

'L is for the way you look! At me. O is for the only-'

A THREE WAY! A three way between three futa Fatchitaz clones! Each sucking each others... Oh fuck, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

The reminiscent mood thoroughly killed by the disgusting image he'd forced into his mind, Sin continued his wandering around the town. None of the games appealed to him by himself, alone, it just seemed creepy for a fully grown stallion even be here. Though, it appeared Mayor mare was about to make announcement. The fabled demon "Nightmare Moon" was allegedly going to appear tonight, and all those who wished to see her were to accompany a zebra named Zecora. 

Sin's eyes squinted from under his goggles. He was honestly surprised and a little disturbed to see a Zebra in Ponyville. But that was a prejudice he didn't like that he had. Zebras weren't bad, they were just different. Still, it was strange that he'd never seen her before tonight. Also, he'd like to see this "Nightmare Moon" for himself. Maybe gain a little insight into who this mare was.

'Racist.'

Again, it was a prejudice that he didn't like himself having, but to say that he didn't have it would be a lie. He didn't trust Zeboricans. It wasn't that they'd ever done anything to him personally, but the news papers he read sure loved to report every single time they'd committed any aggression against an innocent Federalist. This rang especially true when your father was a raging racist who hated anything outside of the main races within the country.

It was then that he noticed Twilight and Spike were accompanying the children as they were lead into the woods by Zecora. 

"Hey, thanks for ditching me." Sin spat at the two. 

Spike put his armor clad claws up in defense. "Hey don't look at me, I was just doing what Twilight told- ow!" Spike rubbed where Twilight struck on his arm. The mare offering a forced and awkward smile.

Sin dropped the issue, a few dots connecting in his head. Finally, Zecora approached a giant grey statue that stood in a clearing. 

Odd, but okay. I'll buy it.

Zecora began speaking, telling the tale of Nightmare Moon and the origins of Nightmare Night in the most painful way Sin could imagine. Rymes, the freaking zebra spoke in rymes. He didn't have too much time to dwell on that though, as a green puff of smoke suddenly appeared and took the image of Nightmare Moon. In a fit of rage and hunger, the illusion took off down at the crowed, shooting mach ten right at them. The illusion was so terrifying and surprising that Sin raised his hoof to protect himself from the coming crash and arguable devouring. 

However, the illusion was jsut that, an illusion. The spell disolved into smoke the minute it made contact, leaving everyone present unharmed. Save a few crying children.

"This stuff is meant for kids?" He asked Twilight, unsure about how he felt about it. There was a good prank on children, and then there was bat shit, making your children prime candidates for therapy. Yet somehow, not a single child had gone running. He had to admit, compared to the chicken shits in the Federation, these foals had balls of steal. 

The Zebra finsihed her speech, declairing some kind of sugar tribute to Nightmare Moon in order to appease her and avoid having the foals be eaten.

'Talking about children being eaten alive by a spirit long since trapped away or dispelled. Ponies, truly the most gentile and kind of all beings.

Right.

A sudden, low groan shifted around them, splitting the silence of the night. "What was that?" Sin heard a young colt ask in a shakey voice. Another groan was his reply. Slowly the groaning grew louder and louder, it was all coming from all around them. The trees began to shake, quietly at first, but becoming more and more violent as the groaning grew louder and louder.

Then it stopped. The groaning, the shaking, every sound that was to be heard suddenly muted itself. His eyes shifting around, Sin could feel the tingle of fear that crept up his spine, it wasn't a deafening silence like this that was always accompanied by-

Suddenly an ear piercing shriek echolated from the trees around them. Causing each of the ponies faols to jump in their place, the tree branches were thrashing now, wildly kicking all around them. "Nightmare Moon, she draws quite near, quick children, give her your tribute and disappear!"

As quickly as she finished, every single foal was pulling out hoof fulls of candy from  their bag and throwing it at the statue before taking off screaming out of the forest. Sin was tempted to join them, but stayed his place when he saw both Spike and Twilight sitting and watching with anticipation.

Once all the foals had all run back home with thousands of bits worth of mental trauma, Zecora smiled and called out that all the children were gone. 

"Heh, that was fun!" Shade declared, flying down from a near by tree branch. "You were right, Stripes, helping you with your Nightmare Night thing was- Hey Sin! Feels like I haven't seen you in ages!"

Sin smirked and bid his friend hello. Twilight and Spike looked disappointed, they were expecting Luna to show up but Zecora said she was going to make an appearance in Trottingham this year. 

The two caught up a bit, Sin was almost beside himself with disbelief when he'd found out about Shade being in a relationship, but said relationship being with a zebra made accepting it much easier for some reason. Still, the stallion seemed happy, so who was he to open his ignorant trap about it?

The night done, Twilight and Spike bid Zecora good by and Sin did the same. He was tired, confused, anxious from all the social contact and wanted nothing more than to hid in a cupboard. 

Though that did leave one question left unanswered.

"Say, you guys wouldn't happen to know how Uppity knew I'd be out tonight, would you?"

Spike tensed a little and bit his lip. "N- Nooooo.."

"Care to try again?"

"Maybe?"
	
	   
> Chaotic Sanity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Chaotic Sanity






Sin grumbled as he walked to work, he'd need to take time off to visit the doctor if he was going to meet the agreed dead line, which sucked because it meant he'd spend half of his last few days not even helping out before leaving. He was also a little worried about Spike and Cranky on their own, but he was confident in the young dragon. Fact was that he'd done it mostly alone when he first started, so there was no reason the two of them should have had too much trouble.

Spike had denied it, but Sin and the others could see he was growing little by little. The body he'd once earned during their time traveling around Equestria was slowly coming back to him through both work and his pay checks spurring small burst of hoard growth. In time, he'd be back to what he was and most likely be able to handle the station by himself with ease.

As Sin approached the main office of the lumber yard and was surprised to find his reptilian associate standing by the door. Arms crossed and looking thoroughly annoyed, the stallion wondered how long Spike had been waiting there and why.

"Morning, Sin." Spike spat, clearly upset.

"What brings you hear this early?" Sin asked, not taking too kindly to the drake's tone. Spike didn't answer right away, electing instead to give Sin the evil eye for a few, tense moments.

"Heard Cranky would be taking today off, depending on what the Doc says, he might be out for a few days or so." Sin groaned, so much for those two handling things while he was gone. "Also heard that you were going to be off for a few days too."

It slowly clicked into place that the dragon was resentful of being left to work alone, with any other skepticism erased by Sin's firm inquiry about the dragon's attitude. The Federalist bit his tongue, today was not the day he needed this. He'd already woken up in a foul mood on account of yet another nightmare, there was only so much he could take before the dragon ended up like his first pillow.

"Look, I'm attending because I was pressured into it. You really think I want to go?"

Spike gave the stallion the same look he gave Twilight yesterday, the kind of look that verbally asked if someone was 'that freaking stupid'. A look that gave Sin's leg an itch that could only be scratched by slapping Spike's face repeatedly. 

"Yea? And you think Twilight didn't pressure me? You think I didn't have to explain why it was so important that I had to stay here?" He asked sarcastically.

Sin used what remained of his patience to push the anger down into his stomach. Today had already started as a bad day and adding assault charges wouldn't help. 

"Look, can you just tell Jacker I wont be coming in today? I've got a doctor's appointment." 

"Is that right?" The drake humphed.

And it was at that point Sin had had enough. "I don't know what you're problem is, Spike, but I'm going to leave before I beat it out of you." He turned his back and began walking away, a small part of him hoping, wishing the dragon would stop him. Though he walked away without hearing a word otherwise, and by the time he'd exited the forest, he was shaking with utter rage.

What the fuck just happened? He knew Spike was new and all, but he should have learned enough by now to handle the job on his own. There was no fucking reason for the attitude he'd received. None what so fucking ever. Fuck him! Fuck him and feed him to a hydra!

His legs trembling, Sin felt a powerful urge come over him to hit something. He wouldn't make it home, he knew he wouldn't. The first face he saw that spoke to him would be the victim of his wrath. His vision was slowly turning red and ground his teeth to keep himself in check. He had to find something, anything to hurt.

he ran back into the woods, far enough so he wouldn't bee seen off the beaten path, after a good minute of runnig his concerns about being seen faded.  He didn't care, the closest tree to him was good enough.

"FUCK! YOU!" He seethed, slamming his hooves against the hard bark of the oak. He hit it again, and again each blow doing absolutly nothing to quell his anger.

"Harder."

He hit harder, and harder, swinging, jabbing, bucking, nothing worked. If anything, the continued exertion only served to further fuel his anger. He knew what he'd need to do, but despite his irrationally enduced state of rage, he still didn't want to do it.

"Do it."

The small hiss in his head was all the encouragement he needed and he planted his hooves firmly into the ground after removing his goggles. One slam sent his head into a state of mild swimming, but the anger still persisted. 

"Again."

He complied, smashing his head into the chipped bark of the trunk. His thinking capabilities all but escaping him with the third assault.

"Harder!"

Smash

"Harder!"

He'd have liked to, but the last bit of blunt force trauma had knocked him silly.Tthat was okay though because there was one more hit t- Slammed right onto his side.

Sin lay on the ground, and as he did so, he felt the anger melt away from his body. Evaporating like water on a hot stove. He couldn't really think, but he could register feelings, and what he felt right now was pain. Lots and lots of pain.

How long he laid there he wasn't sure. Could have been a few seconds, could have been a few hours. Daze waiting was a different kind of hell all of its own. When he finally regained some semblance of cognitive brain function, the stallion immediately closed his eyes, raising an aching foreleg up to his head. 

The headache was back, as he suspected it would be. Surprisingly it wasn't that strong though, considering he'd just used his head as a make shift ax against the tree trunk.

This was getting out of hand now, this anger wasn't natural. Something was very wrong in his brain, something he'd need to figure out and soon. He tried to push himself upright, but a sharp pain assaulting him caused both of his legs to buckle. He looked down to find both of his front hooves swelling all the way up to the knee, and he suspected his hind legs weren't in much better shape.

"Fuck." He moaned, laying his head back onto the grass. He wasn't going anywhere for a while, might as well stop fighting unconsciousness and pass out until his hooves healed a bit. Hearing voices in his head, encouraging him to commit self harm, an overwhelming and irrational urge to hurt others? Yea, sleep was probably a good idea.







Sin looked around and found that all he could see was a white void. Expansive, pristine, almost sterile white. He recognized this place, he'd been here once before, when Luna had invaded his mind to speak with him about... something or another.

He stood and waited, waiting for the next nightmare to come. He'd been having them every single night. Night terrors about the post collapse world he feard in the Federation, about life long imprisonment in some jail or dungeon, and his personal favorite, watching as hundreds of foals were indoctrinated to despise everything he'd set out to teach.

It made him sick to think about. Freedom is Slavery, War is Peace, Greed is Charity. It was wrong on so many levels. 

"Hello?" He called, growing tired of waiting. 

Hmm, maybe that voice in his head was here? He hadn't heard from his inner critic for a long time. "Critic?"

"Oh will you be quiet!" A shrill voice yelled back at him. Sin squinted his eyes, he'd heard that voice before.

Suddenly a black figure began to materialize infront of him, a glowing black blob at first with small white dots twinkling at him. Almost like the night's sky. Then, a pure black followed it, twisting and turning, small defining features forming into legs and a head.

"Luna?" Sin asked, but no, no this wasn't the night princess. The coat was too dark, and the forming horn was much longer than the navy blue of Luna's. Finally, the figure stood in full appearance. A tall, black alicorn with turquoise, serpentine eyes staring down at him with seething irritation. "The fuck?"

"Will you be quiet!" She shouted, both ponies grabbing their respective heads and holding tightly. "Oh why do I keep doing that?"

"Because you're a fucking idiot." Sin crinched, rubbing his temples helped a little but not much. Who was this? Was she his inner critic? No, that voice was masculine, much closer to his own. Was she something Luna made? Seemed likely considering her appearence.

"And you've paralyzed the Tantibus, that's just wonderful." She stomped, sending another mind splitting sound crashing through both of their ears. Whatever she was, she had to go, like right the fuck now.

Taking a moment to breath, Sin tried to figure out what was going on. Her eyes, he'd seen them before. Once in the mirror yesterday and once again the night... that... No, no, no it couldn't be. His Occlumency should have prevented anything from entering his mind, yet here she was, clear as day before him. Also, something else was here too, what did she call it? A Tantibus?

"Why are you in my head?" He asked, the painful noise finally subsiding. "Who are you?"

The tall mare regarded him for a moment before dusting herself off. "Figures you wouldn't know who I am, my dear." Sin quirked a brow, well no shit he had no idea, that was kinda the reason he asked. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, my presence here is indicative of one thing and one thing only. You're spiral into insanity."

That put the Federalist on guard. Insanity? So he was finally losing his mind, huh? Well, wait, was that how it worked? You had someone come into your head while you slept and told you you were going mental? That seemed kinda fishy.

"Oh? You aim to tell me that you don't think hearing voices, irrational bouts of lashing out and self harm are signs of losing one's mind?" The alicorn smirked, looking down onto the Federalist. By Tapio's beard! That's exactly what it sounded like! "Think about it, you've been hearing voices for years, haven't you? Become disconnected from your family? Constant nightmares about the things you fear coming to pass? That's text book beginnings of a full mental break down, my dear."

It was true, everything she'd said was true. Sin felt his pulse begin to race, his thoughts going over what little he knew of those who fell to insanity and couldn't deny the parallels between them and himself. His detachment from others, his obsession with logic, his phobia of emotions, it was all coming back to bite him now. 

Sin shook his head and placed his legs over his eyes. No, no, no, no. "No, no, NO! I can't be losing my mind right now." he complained trying to figure out some other explanation for what was happening. That's when he remembered what he was thinking about earlier. "Wait, no I'm not going crazy. Luna! She's the one who put you here, didn't she?!"

Chuckling, the alleged "ponyfication of insanity" strutted around lazily, circling the pony. "Luna, huh? Well, if that's what you want to tell yourself. I have no means to prove you wrong. So believe whatever you wish."

Quirking a brow, the oaken stallion demanded her to explain. 

"What would be the point? If I said yes or no, would it really help? Would you feel any more stable thinking that insanity came to you either out of another or of your own accord?"

Again, she was right. What difference did it make if Luna had brought her here or not? The black alicorn was here, but that didn't mean she was the incarnation of ponies losing their minds. "And why should I believe that your presence in my head means that I am going insane?"

"Simple. How else could I have gotten here?" She asked with amused delight. "I mean, you could believe Luna brought me here, but what sense would that make? Luna and you may not have fond feelings for eachother, but does she really seem like the type? Really?"

Sin groaned, he hated when ponies dodged questions and continued on a false premise. She still hadn't told him how she was the representation of his alleged madness. Though, she seemed to have known that, and like her coming in through Luna, she could not prove one way or the other. All he could do was trust her on her word.

Yea, because trusting a black alicorn whom encouraged self harm and dodged straight forward questions was just the epitome of trust worthy. Still though, Luna had only come to him that one night, she even admitted that his mental defenses had kept her out before that. What if this thing wasn't part of her? If it wasn't than it couldn't be an outside force, not if he could keep the mind walker princess's powers at bay.

What if she was right? What if she was the incarnation of insanity? What should he do?

'Well first of all, calming down would be a good start.'

Both ponies turned their head opposite ways. That voice, it sounded like it was coming from all around them, from everywhere and no where at once. And it was a voice Sin was happy to hear.

"Oh wonderful, you're back." The alicorn mare bemoaned.

In a whiteish pink flash, Discord winked into existence, reclined back onto a velvet red couch and drinking from a white tea cup. His eyes were closed, his face in a confident state of bliss. "It's good to see you too, Marry. What's it been? A thousand years?" He let go of the cup and paid it no mind as the utensil began to float upwards and away.

"Discord." Marry spat with venom. "What do you want?"

The draconequus stroked his goatee for a moment in in contemplation. "What do I want? Marry, you wound me so, have you forgotten who I am?"

Sin eyed Discord wearily. The last time he'd seen the god of chaos, it was during the Balloon incident at one of Pinkie's parties. Bad things happened, most the town still couldn't look at rubber products without groaning or feeling sick.

Marry was just as skeptical, her lazy legs going straight as she turned to face him. "Really? Because I've heard you're a changed draconequus now."

Discord smiled wide and slapped both his talon and paw against his cheek in glee. "Oh you've noticed? Thank you, I have been losing weight you see." He said, grabbing a portion of his serpentine body and giving the skin a good yank.

Well, Discord was in his head antagonizing an irritable alicorn mare who promoted self harm and proclaimed herself as the embodiment of madness. Sin couldn't deny it any more, if there was a verbal play on how going insane would look than this was definitely it.

The two exchanged a few more quips before Discord became bored with her and turned his attention to the only other party present. "So, tell me Sinbad. How's life with the new roomie? Is she keeping herself out of trouble?"

"Ummm, no. She's actually kinda being a complete bitch." Sin answered bluntly. Discord laughed, Marry gave a scoff of indignation. 

His chortles finally coming to their end, the god of chaos wiped a tear from his eye. "Well, that's why I'm here actually." His eyes narrowed into a mischievous grin and he turned his attention to the Alicorn. "You see, Sin here is an associate of mine and I've got a couple of friend's who wouldn't be very happy to see him bludgeoning himself into a coma."

He lifted his lions paw with his fingers ready to snap, Marry's eyes went wide and she began to protest but couldn't get a word in before the  draconequus snapped his fingers and made her disappear.

Sin stood in waiting for a moment, but relaxed when the night maned pony failed to reappear. In that moment, Sin felt himself grow lighter somehow, as if a small but heavy weight in his mind had lightened considerably.

"Well, my work is done here. Best get back and help Fluttershy with her animals like I promised." Announced Discord as he raised his paw for another bit of magic. He stopped when Sin called out to him, offering the chaotic being a few words of thanks. "Oh think nothing of it dear Sinbad. I haven't really done much of anything." He gave the pony a wry smirk and snapped his fingers.

And like that, Discord was gone in a flash, leaving the Federalist with a feeling of peace he hadn't experienced in a full month.



> 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.
	   
	
	   
> The Afternoon Before
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



The Afternoon Before





Sin exited the train, his eyes immediately dodging left and right to the legions and legions of royal guards who littered the streets around him. Such security detail put the Federalist on edge, slightly reminiscent of a nightmare had only a few nights ago. Hundreds, there were litterally hundreds of black, grey, brown and white stallions in golden and silver armor all over the city. Each had their eyes darting from place to place, causing the stallion no small amount of discomfort from their typically straight forward, stoic gaze.

Though, that wasn't the worst of it. he'd seen it on the train ride up, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. A large, impossibly large pink spell bubble had engulfed the entire city and part of the mountain side, it had to have a two mile radius at least. It was an incredible display of magic that he didn't think possible. Yet here he was looking at it. It was almost overwhelming to think about the amount of mana and the uncountable legion of unicorns necessary to power such a feat.

His astonishment was farther tested when Uppity had casually informed him that it was all the work of a single pony stallion. Shining Armor. Sin may not have liked the stallion, but he had to give credit where credit was due, and this was definitely incredible. 

"And he's still walking around, seeing to his Captainly duties, too." Uppity declared as she waltzed through the crowd. Sin made a mental note to stop giving the captain such a hard time next he saw him, provided the good unicorn didn't instigate it of course. He was curious, and a little unnerved, about the reason for such security measures. Unfortunately, all Uppity could tell him was the most ambiguous statement in the history of ambiguous statements. There was an unknown threat made against the wedding.

'Yea, because calling an army of guards and creating a massive magical shield is what happens when un-specified threats are made.' Then again, Equestria was a relatively peaceful place, maybe this was how they dealt with threats of terrorism? 'You mean to tell me that this place is so peaceful that an unknown danger that might not even exist had spooked Celestia enough for her to commit to all of this? But she wouldn't call in so much as a special task force to prepare for the return of her sister as Nightmare Moon even though she knew about it?'

... And once again, the solar goddess's competence in ruler-ship was called into question.

As they walked, Sin heard the orange unicorn talking about some such, but couldn't really make her out over the throng of ponies they were surrounded by. Despite the fact most of them were pretty well muted compared to how loudly they should have been, he could only hear mumbles and syllables from her.

Surprisingly, Uppity wasn't leading up the path to Canterlot Castle, but towards another district beside the business and markets. He followed her, ignoring her constant attempt to make conversation and just trying not to bump into anyone. It got really annoying constantly having to say "excuse me" and "sorry" to every single passer by, but he liked being polite, always less trouble when he was.

The two were just about to a very tall building of pure white and gold when Uppity's attention was grabbed and she stopped where she stood. Sin was about to ask her what she saw but the purple maned unicorn simply began walking to the right to a large crowd of stagnant ponies huddled around a wall. As he drew closer, he noticed that a trio of ponies were standing in front of a... painting of some kind. Between the crowd and the trio stood five police ponies, each holding some red caution tape around the strange painting.

'The fuck is that?'

No clue.

'Wait, didn't Uppity say something about a problem prosecuting a guy for this? Hold up, is that him?'

Well, her to be exact. The mare in the middle was posing for a multitude of cameras, each pose giving attention to the painting. Something seemed eerily familiar about the mare, but the Federalist couldn't quite put his hoof on it.

He turned to ask Uppity about it, but stopped upon seeing the look on her face. It was stern grimace, her eyes hard and cold, not full of disdain and hatred, but eyes of contempt, like looking at something that shouldn't be happening. He felt a small part of his mind telling him to wait before asking, but he was far too curious to stop now.

"Uppity, what's going on? You alright?"

The unicorn shook her head and turned to him. "That's the mare I've been trying to prosecute for the past month. She's been defaming public and private property with her graffiti for the past six weeks. She's been arguing on the grounds of freedom of expression, but well, just look at what she did." She pointed to the eye sore. "It'll cost hundreds of bits to get that off!."

Sin quirked a brow and eyed the painting for a moment. It was a different style he'd never seen before. Words were elongated unnecessarily to the point they were unreadable. He thought he saw a couple of figures standing over something, but couldn't quite make out what they were, if they were even anything at all. All he could really tell was that it was a blue, black, and red mess.

The two stayed and stared for a good few minutes before Sin pushed the mare to continue moving. It wasn't so much that he was growing uncomfortable with the ponies around him, but that the longer they stood watching, the more irritable and tense Uppity became. For some reason, he wasn't very fond of seeing her upset, not like that anyway. 

Eventually the orange pony sighed and pulled herself away from the display, but she was still visibly upset by the ordeal. Sin found the mare's passion in the matter intriguing and made a note to speak to her about it after they'd found a quiet place to chat. "You alright?" 

"Yea, I'm fine." She replied, pressing her head into the crook of his neck and giving a nuzzle. "Didn't realize you cared though."

Sin's eyes narrowed from beneath his goggles. As uncomfortable as he was with the display, it did make him happy to see her smile again.  

The two continued walking, and the stallion gave one last look behind them. The crowd was still there, making a scene out of something he wasn't completely sure of, but he did notice one thing that caught his attention. A unicorn, one of the two stallions who was standing besides the graffiti artist, had pushed past the crowed and was staring at them. The aqua pony's eyes were hard but vacant, they locked onto Sin's and refused to leave contact.

Sin turned a corner, feeling more than a little unsettled by the encounter.

"Sinny!?" The Federalist froze in place and gasped. 

That voice? It... no, no it couldn't have been. Here in Equestria? No, it was impossible!

He heard his name called again and turned his head, his stomach dropped and his heart galloped over a mile a minute to the disgustingly familiar face he'd seen.

There was no mistaking the large, flubbing, waddling pile of a pony that approached him. Her well styled blond mane being the only thing of grace for her, the rest of the mare was an assortment of rolls, bulges and curves in all the wrong place, held together in a slightly dingy alabaster coat. Her girth, to its credit, did make her an excellent battering ram for pushing past other ponies, though.

'NO! NO! NO! NO! You CANNOT be serious right now! How the flying unadulterated fuck did she get here!?'

"Lady Fatchitaz?" He asked to no one in particular. The figure shouted his name again, sending familiar feelings of dull claws scratching at his stomach, yep, it was her. He broke himself from his stupor, grabbed Uppity's foreleg and dragged her through the crowd as fast as his limp would allow. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

He heard the mare begin protesting, but he also felt his legs and hooves beginning to grow sore, both could wait. Pain beyond either of them would befall him should that blubbering buffoon catch up.

"Sin! Stop, what's going on? Who is that pony?" Uppity asked, as she was pulled through a very slow moving group, earning a few reprimanding remarks from them.

"Explain later, move now!" The Federalist shot back, turning a corner. His heart was galloping a mile a minute now as he searched for a spot to hide until the menace had passed. He saw a few shops, but they were all packed to brim, there was no way the two could hide out there. As he ran, he found more and more of the buildings were in much the same condition as the first. There were so many ponies here, were they all seriously going to attend the wedding?

The thought was irrelevant, he needed a place to hide. Finally, he saw a booth sitting infront of an alleyway and did a quick check to make sure the Lady wouldn't see them run behind it and follow. 

Sin placed his back to the underside of the cart with Uppity beside him, he didn't know how long they'd have to sit here, but a good ten minutes should suffice. The DA began to speak, but Sin placed his hoof firmly over her mouth, believing that her words would attract unwanted attention despite the roaring crowd outside.

There the two waited, and waited. He didn't know how much time had passed, had to have been at least ten minutes by now, right? 

'Why is she here?'

How am I supposed to know? I've done everything short of kicking puppies to avoid that fat tub of flub.

'Equestria, of all the places you'd run into her.'

Yea, that was a close one. Maybe she was invited to the wedding?

'Yea, because, wouldn't you want her at your wedding?'

Fair point, but I'm just- what the hell?

A soft, wet feeling permeated over Sin's frog, he looked over to see... Uppity licking his hoof? What?

"Eww, Sin, you need to change your bandages." The mare blanched, pushing his leg away. 

Absolutely thunderstruck, Sin could do nothing other than stare at his companion. She just licked his hoof in between the bandages. She just licked his hoof. Why? Why did she just lick his hoof?!

Uppity rolled her eyes. "I've been trying to push it away for the past ten minutes! When my brother used to do that to me, licking his hoof always made him stop."

She had a brother? Well, that was something new to talk about, still though... She licked his fucking hoof!

'Don't get all indignant, you've done a lot worse to your brother when you were younger.'

Some things weren't supposed to be remembered...

Having had enough waiting, Uppity stood up from under the cart and looked around, she gave the clear and Sin slowly joined her, looking around cautiously before slowly exiting the alleyway. Uppity lead the way once again, the Federalist continually looking back and forth for any sign of his predator. Something very bad was going to happen at the wedding, he didn't know what but he knew it was, but with Lady Fatchitaz in the vicinity, he knew it was going to be a catastrophe of epic proportions.






It was an interesting experience, being in Canterlot without going straight to the Castle.

Most of the city had the same rustic and massive aesthetics as the castle did, but miniaturized. The Hotel entrance was a massive display of sophistication and grandiose warmth that rivaled that of the Centenarian Palace. Gold and white being the primary colors for the walls and marble floors, with small trimmings of trees and other soothing images that were quaint, but still somehow lavish.

The room in which Sin sat was much more inviting though. The ceiling wasn't as high, the crimson covered bed was much bigger than what he'd usually seen. Two dark oak wood dressers splayed on the side wall beside a pair of golden drapes that framed the window to the outside with a desk on the front wall of the same color. 

The stallion speculated that the room must have cost quite a bit. Not royalty worthy, but much to extravagant for his taste or liking. However, Uppity had already paid for it out of her own pocket, demanding the stallion not make waste of her generosity by using it for the night. Much to Sin's chagrin, of course.

"Thank you for the room, but was it really necessary to go this... big, with it?"

Uppity blushed and cleared her throat. "I wanted your stay up here to be enjoyable. I know you don't like coming to Canterlot, or other ponies, or the government, or big corporations... Is there anything you do like?"

"Peace and quiet?" Sin smirked. It was only a half joke though, peace and quiet were the most beloved of things to Sin. Giving him a playful shove, the DA shook her head before having a realization.

"Oh yea, so who was that mare from before? The ummm-"

"Fat ass one with a voice that sounds like nails on a chalk board?" Sin finished with a shiver. It wasn't something he ever wanted to talk about, ever. The Fatchitaz organization was a banking group, with Lord Fatchitaz sitting at the head; pampas ass that he was giving himself the name "Lord".

"Yea, was she an ex-marefriend or something."

There were honest mistakes, there were insults, and then there were honest mistakes that some wondered were declarations of war. Sin didn't speak, he didn't even move for a moment as the absurdity of the inquiry was initially rejected from his conscious mind. He and... he and... No words, all the stallion could do was give Uppity the look. The look specially dedicated for questions so unbelievably ridiculous there was just no words.

"I'll just take that as a no." Uppity grinned sheepishly.

'She's this close, this close to going on the list.'

Sin explained who Lady Fatchitaz was, her looks were only part of her problem. She was a clutz, no not the cute kinda clutz who you felt sorry for because you know she's trying and well meaning. The kinda clutz who could be considered a weapon of mass destruction! The kind you gave as a gift of the worst insult.

While her nickname in North New Equine was Lady Fatass, her reputation in outlying states was far more foreboding. The Lady of War's Hand.

Most would realize that such a being's place was no where near important parties or meetings. Yet her father continuously sent her as his representative, allowed her to spend his money and do whatever she wanted. And everyone and their mother put up with the walking walrus for the sole sake of keeping in the good graces of Lord Fatchitaz. Even Sin's father, Gemini, had remained pleasant with the mare, despite the fact she'd managed to, single hoofedly, turn the grand opening of the Unitas Triple M. head quarters into a literal circus. How she got it in her head that was a good idea, Sin would never know.

However, despite the clowns rubbing balloons together, countless monkeys running amock, and flaming hoop in the middle of the building's foyer, Gemini had somehow managed to remain pleasant with the filly at the time. Sin and Malich, on the other hand, were six ways of ready to throttle the cow for such an embarrassment.

"Oh come on, that didn't happen. You're just exaggerating." Uppity dismissed with a wave of her hoof. She had absolutely no idea.

"Oh? You think that huh? Tell you what, I'll make you a bet. If Fatchitaz shows up to the wedding, something absolutely catastrophic will happen. No, I'm not talking about a small accident, I'm talking big. Something that will stop the whole wedding in it's tracks. There will be screaming, crying, and running before the groom kisses the bride." Sin stated with absolute confidence. He knew this game, things were going to burn before she was done and he wanted to show Uppity just how wrong she was.

Nodding, the mare agreed to the terms, stating her stake. "If I win, and there's no running, yelling and crying because of an unexpected event, than you have to stay in Canterlot with me for a week."

That was an odd thing to request, but Sin saw the term as one he could live with. "Fine, and if I win, you have to... ummm." Wait, what would he want from her? Uppity made the suggestion of another week of peace and quiet, but Sin declined. He had kinda grown to like having her around. "Hmmm, what do you have that I want? What do you have that I want?" He asked himself.

That's when an idea hit him. It was childish, immature and all around wrong, but he was going to do it anyways. "You have to sign every letter to Celestia calling her Madam Sun Butt."

The look of horror and disbelief upon the orange unicorn's face was absolutely priceless. He was just waiting for her eyes to bulge out of their sockets. He'd take the blame, of course; what better revenge was there against Celestia for using his honor about agreements against him than to corrupt her student against her?

Seeing he was serious, Uppity immediately declined, voicing her displeasure at the bet. Sin felt a little disappointed, how funny would that have been though?

'Dude, I seriously think you need some counseling.'

Oh whatever, that was funny and you know it.

His plans for comedy refused, Sin contemplated another stake that would make him laugh, but not be near as cruel. Then it hit him that what Uppity suggested really wasn't all that bad, he dare say he might enjoy his time in Canterlot. Maybe something they both would like was a better gamble?

The he thought about the comedy of the next thing that came to mind and grinned an evil smile. "If I win, you have to spend a full hour with Lady Fatchitaz. Full 60 minutes in her presence." Uppity looked a little apprehensive, but considered the term for a moment. 

"A- Alright, deal." 

Sin held out his bandage covered hoof and Uppity gingerly shook it, having no idea just what hell she was in for. "Great, now that that's over. I have to ask, who was that mare from before?"
	
> The Night Before (Pt. 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




The Night Before Pt. 1






The day not yet over and both Sin and Uppity having skipped lunch, the two ponies decided to out to eat at a near by restaurant. Sin wasn't too thrilled about the promises of finding a fitting wedding garb, but if all else failed, he could just walk away. 

The two found themselves outside of a quaint restaurant on the tourist strip down from the main areas of Canterlot. The line didn't look too long and the decor was much more toned down from what Sin had been expecting. It still had the white and gold aesthetics that signified Canterlot, but the color scheme was a little darker and more subtle.

"This is where I meet up with my co-workers for some down time after work." She explained as the two secured a booth and awaited the waitress.

It was a nice place, one the Federalist could see himself visiting once in a while. The two made idle chit chat as they waited, revisiting the white unicorn pony mare from before. She'd done more than just one piece on the city wall, according to Uppity the defiler had been running around for weeks and tagging all over high traffic day time areas at night to get her message out. The message was muddled to say the least, but it was supposedly something to do with suicide and how those who drove ponies to commit it should be charged as murderers.

What made it all click into place was who she was that the unicorn mare was a former receptionist at Canterlot castle who quit her job three months ago. She was the mare who'd informed and blamed Sin for the suicide of Mallet for his debate in front of the Equalists. 

Cupid Protector, her name was. She was using the dead pony and the laws of freedom of expression to fight her case. Calling anyone who dared question or condemn her as suicide apologists who didn't care about ponies killing themselves. And who would be seen as the biggest apologist besides the very mare who was prosecuting her?

'Wow, that's pretty heavy stuff.'

"Yea, it's earned me a few jeers and mean words, but I'm a pony of justice. You know?" She said with a sigh. "I sympathize with her, I really do. I find it deplorable that someone she cared about killed himself, and I hate the pony that made him do it, but that doesn't give her a right to just go around and defame public and private property."

You hate me? Sin thought about saying, but decided against it. Uppity was already upset enough, he didn't need to make it worse by exposing his part in her problems. Maybe later, but for now they were having a nice, relaxing-

"Uppity!"

-interrupted meeting with some of her friends now apparently... 

A couple of Unicorn mares came to greet the two with Uppity standing up to give each a friendly hug. Sin looked away, trying to make himself as invisible as possible. 

Please don't try and talk to me, please don't try and talk to me.

"Who's the cute stallion over there."

'They're talking about you.'

No they're not.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Quill Pusher, Velvet, this is my coltfriend, Sin Islander."

Son of a- wait a minute, coltfriend?

Sin turned to them and gave a small nod of acknowledgement but no words. "Don't mind him, he's kinda shy."

Both Velvet and Quill's faces lit up. "No way! You've finally found a coltfriend?" The grey one asked, causing no end of embarrassment for Uppity for the unnecessarily loud announcement. The orange pony tried to calm her over enthusiastic friend down, who was hopping in place like an idiot.

Pressing his lips, Sin silently wished the two would leave but held no false hope that they would when Uppity took her seat next to him and the other two across from them. It was a little weird that they'd be excited about it though, why friends were so interested in one anothers romantic lives was a universal fact he'd never understand. Regardless, if these two were friend's with Uppity, it would be in his interest to remain civil.

He grabbed a menu and began scanning around, despite knowing exactly what he was getting. It was a fragile hope that they wouldn't bother him out of respect for his reading, but it was better than staring straight ahead like an idiot.

That's when it began... the clucking. They talked in lower and booming octaves that scratched every single raw nerve he had. Gossip, gossip and work drama. He was partially glad the topic wasn't on him anymore, but who was screwing whom in the office was another subject that rubbed him the wrong way. The worst of it? He had to continually tune in just in case he was directly addressed for any reason. 

This was why he didn't go out with friends. Shit. Like. This.

'Oh my gods, it's like listening to a bunch of clucking hens!'

If there was one sliver of solace Sin would get from this, it was that his inner critic was suffering with him.

Oh? I thought you were all about me socializing more.

'Don't even try to twist this on me! This is not what I had in mind an-

Oh no, you wanted it, you've got it. You're going to listen and suffer just like I am. No bitching or complaining.

Finally there was a lul in the conversation as a waitress dropped by to take their orders. That done, the topic of conversation changed to something a little more interesting.

"So, did you guys here what's up with all the guards? Apparently there's supposed to be some kind of attack." The mare known as Quill whispered.

"I heard it was going to be an interruption, vowed by the Neo-Founders group." Velvet replied. "Ever since they escaped custody, there's been stories about them recruiting all around the country."

Sin pressed his lips. He might have just ruined a royal wedding and set one of the ponies he detested most in Equestria on edge because he'd released ponies who were non-violent reactionaries... Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, now if he could just find a way to pin it on Fatchitaz...

"What do you think, Sin?"

Shit, they were talking to him now. "No clue." He replied bluntly. Honestly he didn't know what to make of the overkill security. Celestia knew that Nightmare Moon was returning on some particular day, yet she didn't have much set up in the way of security then. So, if the Princess hadn't beefed up security for the threat of ever lasting night, than a trio of reactionary ponies would barely be blip on her radar. No, there was something else coming, he just wouldn't have enough time to dig around for it.

A few more speculations were thrown around. Some about jealous ex boyfriends of Cadance coming to stop the wedding, which was laughable, a monster attack, another unlikely scenario and a subject Sin was a little disturbed he didn't know of.

He'd thought everyone had forgotten about the small aerial battle that happened over Trottingham between the Judgment and Gonshinian. However, it appeared that the opposite was true and most of the major cities had taken stronger measures to pressure Celestia into securing Equestria's borders.

The Triple M. agents who'd received medical treatment in Equestrian custody had followed protocol and given a complete alias organization as their employer. But the public was kept in the dark about what exactly happened to them after they were released or the reason for their presence in the country. As far as they were concerned, the battle was nothing more than a couple of sky pirate's settling an old grudge.

Yet here they were, being spoken of as if they were planning on attacking the wedding for motives ranging from: Celestia's alleged involvement in the battle and choosing sides to if the entire official story about sky piracy was a cover up to hide the assasination of Trottingham's political figure head, Prince Blueblood. 

Sin knew had to admit, some of the conspiracy theories these two came up with were pretty creative. If he wasn't personally involved with the ordeal, he might have given some serious thought to the speculations.

Still though, that left the question unanswered. What was the point of all the security?

"That's enough of that, Quill. Uppity's finally found a stallion, we should grill him for all the juicy details!"

I hate my life so hard right now.

"C'mon you two, please don't-"

"Well, we already know how you two met." The light grey unicorn continued, ignoring her friend's please. "But I'm dying to know, how did it go from Uppity trying to put you in the dungeons to becoming her coltfriend?" She finished wit ha slight smirk, much to Uppity's horror.

"She said I had to or she'd revoke my parole." Sin stated bluntly. Hey, if he was going to be stuck here, might as well have some fun with it.

As expected, Uppity went into a sputtering tirade and decried him as a liar telling falsehoods. It was fun watching her squirm for a change. Though, the delivery must have been a little too good, as both her friends looked on in abject horror. Of course, he told the truth, which was that she'd helped him out of some pretty bad situations, and the time they'd spent together in Ponyville exposed a small chemistry between them.

Quill was happy enough to accept the answer, but Velvet didn't. The maroon coated unicorn pressed a hoof to her chin and studied him for a moment, her intense glare putting him more and more on edge. "And you just accepted that? Never asked why she had a thing for you and nopony else?"

Truth be told, no, the Federalist had never really questioned it. The District Attorney had a thing for him because he was intelligent and not a completely manipulative jack off, he had a thing for her because she seemed honest, intelligent and caring; and he was willing to see where things went from there. Both of them had things going on in life, so maybe it was more the idea of spending time together that made them drawn to eachother rather than the time they really did interact that drew them to attraction.

Aside from constantly clashing heads in debate in progressive vs libertarian philosophy and her playing psychologist nurse, the two had very little in terms interaction. Yea, he'd tease her with chauvinism to a point where it got under her skin, but never enough to where it genuinely upset her. Challenging her was probably a component in all of this, but besides talking and some one way affection, nothing between the two had ever really happened.

It really called on the legitimacy of the relationship to all ponies present. Forced wasn't the right word, there was a mutual respect and admiration between both Sin and Uppity for the personalities and known character traits the two had exposed, though it all really came down to Sin's emotionally stunted world view. Emotional detachment made things simple, kept him calm and objective which lead to an easier and more efficient mindset to attain his goals.

His goals had changed, however. Where once he'd only wanted an existence of solitude induced Anarchy in the middle of the woods out of a mix of his failures and being jaded, here he was now. Sitting at a table with three other ponies on what could have arguably been a date, going to a royal wedding, working as an imperial fund checker/woodmill laborer, owning an honest house, working to regulate the black market and on a project that would give dozens of non-taxpayer funded jobs and farther research on the Everfree forest.

'Isn't life weird?' 

Uppity, who had her own emotional shortcomings, was a personal prosecutor for Celestia. She was socially awkward, had few personal friends, was currently working on putting a mare who had it out for him behind bars, and was a strange mix between a silly foal at heart and a caring maternal figure.

To answer Quills question, while not outloud, Sin figured it was his emotional grounding and snark that attracted Uppity the most. Anyone who knew the mare outside of her business persona would see just how easily off putting she was in her forwardness. Yes, he was a pony who liked both space and peace, he could always appreciate when an acquaintance was honest and forthcoming about both character and intent. While he could have done with Uppity being a little more subtle, such a thing would have taken away from the honest respect he had for her lack of social manipulation.

She needed an emotional ground who accepted her for who she was. Someone who could put up with her constant need for intellectual stimulation and tolerate the real her until she grew comfortable enough to calm down; and somewhere along the way, despite the obvious clashing personality types, he'd not only come to make such an acceptation, but enjoyed it.

It was difficult to put into words that were both honest and socially acceptable. Call things "complicated" would be an understatement.

"I see, so have you two had sex yet?"

Sin spit out the water he was drinking, was that real? Did she just ask that?

Sin looked at Uppity for... anything, but she was too busy hiding behind her forelegs to be of use. Was this really happening right now? He knew mares could be blunt for their daily fix of gossip, but seriously?

"Sir, sir! Please you're not allowed to-"

"Quiet mare! If you keep talking, they'll find me."

That voice, Sin had never been so happy to hear that voice. The stallion looked back to find Shade heckling one of the waitress while simultaneously pulling a table cloth over himself. The oaken pony excused himself from the trio of mares to see what all the fuss was about.

"Dammit, I told you- SIN! Boy, am I both glad and livid to see you!" Shade greeted. Sin was about to give his questions before a black hoof grabbed his own, pulling him under the table and pushing the waitress away.

"Shade, what's going on? Why are you here?" 

The batpony's golden eyes glowed faintly from the shadow of their hiding spot and they looked left and right before speaking. "Alright, so there were these guys, see? The came to Stripes' hut and were asking me all kinds of weird questions. They were trying to get me to smoke something, they said it was the same Ganga that Stripes was giving me, but Mac's the one who brought it over."

Sin took a minute to reflect on just how full tonight was of his decisions in life coming back to bite him.

"I know what they think, they think I'm crazy and that they're going to fix me. Well, I'll show them, I'll show them all just how not crazy I am!" He chuckled evilly and rubbed his hooves together. There was a brief, internal debate on how the Federalist wanted to handle the situation: On one hand he could try to talk the bat pony out of whatever he was about to do, convince him to go home and go back to the uncomfortable gossip grilling, or he could see where this went. 

He chose the path of least resistance and inquired to the bat pony's plan. "I'm going to expose it. I'm going to expose the foal factory beneath Canterlot!"

That sounded eerily familiar for some reason, but the stallion couldn't quite figure out why until Shade made his next statement. "You were the only one who believed me, Sin. You were the one who said 'sure, why not?' when everypony else doubted me, and now that you're here, I want you to share in my revelation."







Spike settled into the late night train bound for Canterlot from Ponyville. His eyes fixed firmly of the city's all too dim lights from the miles and miles away it was. His stomach was in knots, palms literally drenched with sweat. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and searched for what he was going to say to Twilight and her friends once he arrived.

No doubt they knew by now, all five of them had a lecture line up for him most likely. He deserved it though, well partially anyways. As much as he wanted to stay and just wait for everything to blow over, he knew Cadance and Shining would be disappointed with his lack of attendance. He loved them and he loved Twi' he loved all of his friends really, it was just that he was growing up now. He hadn't meant to burry himself in work like he had, but it just kind a happened.

His co-workers set him straight though and at the time he wasn't happy about it. Chopper and Blade were jumping down the dragon's throat hard core after work today. He tried to walk away, but baby dragon strength wasn't really much of a contest against two full grown earth ponies. Plus... part of him wanted to hear what they had to say. More of him wanted to just get away and stew in his bad decisions, but that small part was more than enough to make him put up no fight as they carried him to the break room.

Sighing ,the purple dragon turned away from the window and placed a hand over his eyes. He was an idiot, an brash, overly irritable, workaholic, neglectful idiot. He still believed that moving out would was for the best, but he'd wished it would have been on better terms. Now he'd have less chance to spend time with Twilight, it was for the best and all, but the thought did creep dread into his thoughts. He could cook, clean and take care of himself, that was no problem, but the companionship Twilight offered was much more important than that.

Knowing there was somepony home who cared about you, someone who'd ask you how your day was and offer to get you a drink or make you something to eat, and most importantly a warm smile. No matter how badly the two clashed heads, she'd always smile when he came back from the mill. It didn't hit him how much he'd taken her for granted until yesterday when she left. It felt like she was leaving his life for the final time.

He felt tears begin to well in the corners of his eye as he remembered her walking out the door. Back then, he watched with stoic resignation, not wanting to show any weakness. But he was weak, he wanted her to come back and say she forgave him, that the two were still friends and that she loved him, but that didn't happen. How could it? He'd said some of the most hurtful things in the world to her, she called him a jerk for Celestia's sake. 

How fair would it have been to hope she'd come back after he'd pushed her so far? And after everything she'd done for him, no less? The eye appointment, feeding him, caring for him since he was young, saving him during the Dragon Migration, defending him after he'd wrecked the town twice when he'd he'd suffered his greed growth?

Every thought, every memory of Twilight standing by his side made Spike feel lower and lower about himself.

He was a terrible dragon, one of the lowest peices of scum the earth had to offer.

'Yea, you do kinda suck.'

But despite his depression, he'd make it up to her. They'd been through some bad times before and gotten through it. This time, they'd just need to set up sound boundaries to have a more healthy relationship, he could make this right... At least he hoped he could.


> The Night Before (Pt. 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






The Night Before Pt. 2




The evening are was cool and crisp, small sections of wind hitting the Sin's bear pelt as he traveled behind Shade to the Castle proper. According to the bat pony, there was an old mine shaft hidden beneath the the structure that would take them directly to the "foal factory" just beyond the guard barracks.

Sin, not wanting to spend any more time around Uppity's friends, agreed to accompany his associate and meet Uppity back at the hotel. The unicorn, on the other hand, had a different idea on the matter and vouched to join them in the excavation of the Canterlot Catacombs.

"So, why did you want to come with us down here?" Sin asked as he walked up the stairs.

"Because this sounds like fun, every time we're together, we're usually sitting around and talking or arguing. Doing something exciting seems way over due for us."

She had a good point, their... relationship was rather dull, and this would be a good chance to see how Uppity would handle some hard walking and hiking.

The trio approached the entrance and were immediately greeted by a wall of spears and golden clad guards of all races baring their approach. "Well, that's not good."

Shade's ear twitched in annoyance and he lowered his body, ready to pounce. Sin immediately placed his hoof on the pony's back to stop him from the stupid thing he was about to do and suggested a more diplomatic approach. As luck would have it, a naked Shining Armor approached from the other side, demanding to know what was going on.

His eyes narrowed as soon as he saw the two pegasi on the other side of his soldiers. "You!" He growled pushing through. "What do you want?"

Sin began to speak, but Uppity cut him off. "Good afternoon, Captain. I invited Sin her to my office. He'd seen Cupid's defamation of the wall in town square and wanted to help me build a case for prosecution."

Shining tilted his head, looking legitimately confused. "Prosecution?" The orange unicorn nodded and explained that he may have been able to give her some perspective on the law that would push through the emotional appeal of freedom of both speech and expression.

Sin was unsure how to feel about that, if she was really planning on using him to put somepony in prison or if she was just saying that to get by the guard. Words would be had either way.

"Alright, ugh." Cried the Captain as he reached for his head, nursing a head ache. "And what about him?" He pointed to Shade with his free hoof.

"He's here with Sin."

Teeth clenched, Shining looked like he wanted to argue, but was too busy fighting the headache to make anything of it. "You alright, Captain?" Sin asked, genuinely concerned for his health. Shining's wedding was tomorrow, he looked to be getting a little too stressed out about something.

"I'm fine!" He grunted, a few seconds later, a look of relief came over him and he visibly relaxed. "I'm fine, just a migraine."

Figuring Shining would know better than he would, Sin let the issue die and followed Uppity as she ascended the final few stairs. "I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye, I want to genuinely congratulate you on getting married. Cadance seems like a wonderful mare." 

It wasn't his typical shpeal of artifice to appear the good guy, Sin was sincere in his well wishes for Shining's accomplishment. At first, the guard captain wasn't sure how to handle the compliment, but settled on an unsure thank you. Uppity followed suit and wished he and Cadance all the luck in the world.

"Plow her good, capi'n." Was all Shade could manage before he too walked past, the three were stopped as the Alicorn in question wondered out of front gates, bearing an uncharacteristically irritated scowl.

"Shining, what's going on out here?" Cadance demanded, her tone shrill and annoyed.

Shining immediately switched to simp mode, his stance turning submissive and ears splaying against his skull. "Sorry, Cadance, I was just talking to Uppity and-"

"Shining, I love you, I really do, but I can't have you running off like this. The wedding tomorrow, and we've still got a lot to do tonight." She snapped.

Sin and Uppity pressed their lips and looked away. "She seems cranky."

"Big day tomorrow."

But the scolding didn't end there. Sin felt legitimate sympathy for the white unicorn at the tongue thrashing he was getting and was half tempted to tell his aggressor to calm her teats. As much as he didn't like submissive behavior, this was just getting hard to watch.

"Never mind, let's just get back to the dinning hall." The Pink alicorn groaned as she stomped off in a huff. Shining looked around at his guards who each averted his eyes until he found Sin and Uppity. Both offered the best faces of sympathy they could, but the fact was there was nothing either could do. "Shining, are you coming?" Sighing, the alibaster stallion groaned and turned to go back to follow his wife to be.

"Poor girl, she must be having a tough time."

Sin quirked a brow. "Her? How about him? Shining just got the dressing down of a life time and you're worried about Cadance?"

"Where's Cadance?" Shade asked looking around. Both Sin and Uppity furrowed their brows at him, motioning to where she was just standing. "That wasn't her, dunno who that was."

"Shade, how was that not her? You've both seen her and talked to her before." Sin argued. Uppity gave her two cents of agreement, stating that she'd been around the royal pony enough to recognize her when she saw her.

Shade rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I don't really care anyways. C'mon, let's find the foal factory!"





Exiting the last train for the night, Spike gulped upon looking towards the castle. He knew Twilight was there, and his reception would most likely be anything but pleasant.

He tore his eyes away from the distant structure and observed the force-field that surrounded the city. The Gigantic pink bubble was a bit of a shock, initially putting the drake on edge that something was wrong, but no pony else seemed near as bothered by it, so he kept to himself. The city appeared well enough, but the squads of patrolling guards at the train station did set off some bells for concern.

Steadying himself with a sigh, the drake began his trek through the white city, his eyes continually darting around to the night guard who'd taken residence at almost every street corner he passed. They were subtle about it, but he could easily see their golden eyes tracking him.

'Dude, what the buck is going on here?'

Spike didn't know, this was an unprecedented occurrence that he felt he should have been informed about. Was this part of the reason for the wedding's hasty announcement? No, a security risk would cause an event like this to be pushed back, right? What possible reason could there be for this much security, anyways? There were three Alicorns in Canterlot right now plus Twilight and Shining Armor for good measure, nothing in their right mind would try to set foot or hoof here and think about causing trouble.

He didn't know, and his thinking wasn't getting him anywhere, but it was a nice distraction for him to dwell on as he finally reached the castle gates. What nice was the wall of night pegasi that circled the drake as he set foot into the darkened court yard. Some flew around, holding spears at the ready to scewer, other were bearing thier teeth like predators ready for the kill. Spike felt a little afraid of the night guard, but he was more apathetic to them. As far as they could see, there was just a purple dragon looking at them through half lidded, bored eyes.

He didn't have time for this, it was 8 o'clock and he needed to find Twilight.

"Can you get out of my way, please?" He asked with a flat monotone. Some guards quirked a brow, taken aback by his collected demand but didn't move.

"State your business!" Shot one of the flying lunar pegasi, the only one who didn't look like a blood thirsty mantacore.

Maintaining his calm, the dragon explained that he was here to see Twilight Sparkle. Frowning, the pegasus guard captain lowed himself to the ground and eyed Spike for a moment. "You're that dragon of hers, aren't ya?" He asked, the dragon scowled but nodded, and the pegasus licked his fang as he began thinking about what to do. "I'm sorry, but we can't let you into the castle under the Princess's order. Gale, fetch our mistress, she'll know what to do."

One of the pegasi slammed his hoof to his chest in salute before dashing off to his duty. 

'Princess's order? I knew Twilight was mad, but damn.'

Spike wasn't too inclined to agree. Yea he was kinda an ass hole, but to be bared from the castle for that? Seriously?

'Don't forego beating yourself up too much, you're still an ass hole.'

Still though...

Eventually, the lunar alicorn descended from one of the higher towers, every hostile pony around immediatly doing a 180 and bowing with their faces in the dirt, Spike didn't however, he didn't even give a friendly nod.

"Spike, this is most unexpected." Luna greeted, dismissing her guards. "Our sister was under the impression your attendence would not be so, I am glad to see you've changed your mind."

"Why am I not allowed in?" The dragon asked, forsaking formalities. Luna's eyes narrowed, irritated that her greeting went unanswered. "Look, I just need to talk to Twilight and-"

"You will not be speaking to her tonight!" The lunar alicorn declared, silencing his words. "Twilight Sparkle is distraught over you, young one. We have heard what you did, and we are ashamed of you!"

'Who's 'we'?'

What?

'Every time you see her, she always uses plural when referring to herself, as if there's more than one of her. Why?'

We're being denied entry talk to Twilight and see the wedding, and that's what you're focusing on? 

'Well, it's been bothering me ever since we first met her.'

Wow. Okay, you've lost talking privileges for the day.

"Look, I know I've messed up, but I'm trying to fix it." The drake complained, forcing as much desperation into his voice as he could while maintaining a sense of dignity. Luna looked unconvinced, so taking a page out of their own book, Spike appealed to emotion and justice. "Can I at least come in and explain my side of the story? It's not really fair to keep me out without hearing the other side, right?"

His words didn't even seem to register with the impassive alicorn, just as Spike was about to go into some more questionable methods of manipulation, Luna sighed and agreed. However, the dragon was restricted to keep within ten feet of her at all times and was not permited to speak with Twilight or any of her friends for the night. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start. 

Spike could be patient and wait one more night to speak with his adoptive mother, if she had gone to these lengths to keep him away, than maybe space was what she needed right now. Besides, there were a few questions he wanted to ask about the giant shield and beefed guard in the city, and Luna may be a bit more forthcoming about answering his questions than Celestia would.





"You guys find anything?!" Shade yelled, his voice echoing off of the stone catacomb walls that dug deep beneath Canterlot. Sin grumbled, standing by the bright orange glow of Uppity's horn. How was he supposed to "find anything" when his sight radius was about twenty feet in any given direction? Shade's serpentine retinas and echolation hearing were ideal for these kinds of conditions, night vision plus... that thing where the reverberation of sounds would tell his ears where everything was.

'Sonar?'

Yea, that. Sin was a normal pegasus pony, had it not been for Uppity, whom he was now very glad insisted she come, he'd be wandering around in complete darkness. Hell, the three of them had been wandering around in these caves for the past two hours, and as expected there wasn't a single trace of Shade's imaginary foal factory.

The only reason the Federalist hadn't given up on the failed quest was due to how much fun Uppity was having with the entire thing. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just exploring the underground tunnels. It didn't have much to offer besides the odd gem and glowing stone, but each discovery made her eyes light up with foalish excitement. Like everything that wasn't a boring grey stalagmite was some lost treasure just waiting to be discovered.

"Sin?!" Shade barked.

The aforementioned sighed. "Nothing yet!"

Thank Milikki there was a rail way system here. Story went that this was a mine where unicorns sought to reap all of the gems and sell them for profit. He didn't care about that, it was more about having a solid track back to the surface, assuming the unexplained breaks in the tracks didn't make them lose their way. Of course, Sin wasn't about to leave that to chance, and carved arrows into the floor that would point them to the entrance.

Old miners trick he picked up from one of the mercenaries who worked in the miner division of Triple M, continually self made direction marks that always point to the exit.

"ooh, Sin look!" Uppity proclaimed before taking off farther down the cave. Sin tilted his head at a faint shine that sparkled off in the vein's distance. He'd cautioned the unicorn about issues like low oxygen and cave creatures that may inhabit the mine, but she was much to excited about prospecting to pay him much mind.

"Oh wow!" She gawked in silent appreciation. As he grew closer, the Federalist came to realize what she was looking at and was rather impressed himself. The cave wall was giving a perfect and un-distorted reflection of both of them. No cracks, no slight warps or edges, it was almost as if nature had carved the stone with the sole intent of allowing the onlooker to examine themselves.

"Hmmm, I wonder if this was what the stories were always talking about." Uppity asked as she placed her hoof against the rock.

"Stories?" Asked Sin.

The unicorn nodded and told him about some folklore of the Canterlot Catacombs being haunted by the spirits of miners who'd lost their lives down here. "Legends say that if anypony comes down here, they'll hear strange noises that sound like a foal crying."

Sin just gave her a sideways glance but kept his mouth shut. He'd heard stories about poltergeist infestations before, nothing official of course since ghosts were hard to prove, but he'd always taken them with a grain of salt. It wasn't that he didn't believe in ghosts 100%, but he had always been skeptical since the stories he'd heard always sounded exaggerated.

"What was that?" Uppity gasped, looking around the small cavern in which they stood, the orange glow of her horn intensifying with her fear.

"What was what?" The Oaken pony asked, his skepticism peaked but giving some humorous looks around. He hadn't heard anything besides the sounds of their own breathing, though that's when something did give a slight echo from the surrounding walls. It was faint, almost impossible to hear, but he knew there was something.

It sounded like small and dim cryies and moans of some kind. Almost like a... filly crying?

'You know, maybe we should leave.'

What? You scared of weird noises underground?

'No, weird noises are fine, but ghosts? I'm not interested in dealing with ghosts.'

And that delicious little bit of information was put under the folder marked "silent black mail".

Still though, there was no denying it, there was the odd sound of what appeared to be a few hick up sobbing. Sin strained his ears to see if he could find some indication to where it was coming from, but with the echo of the cavern, it was almost impossible to tell.

"Sin! I'm scared!" The District attorney cried, latching onto his neck and burying her eyes into the crook of his chin. The stallion would have called her out on feigning fear until he'd felt Uppity's body trembling against his. She was legitimately terrified right now. Seeing her distraught, Sin attempted to coax her into leaving with him, but Uppity refused to let him go.

A mix of irritation and panic rose through the pegasus' chest. She was obviously scared, so the logical thing to do would be to leave, yet she wouldn't let up, how were they supposed to go if she-

'Oh for the love of Northwood, hug her and comfort her! Tapio's beard, this is just getting embarrassing.'

Here's a thought, maybe I don't want to. Maybe I'm tired? Maybe walking for hours through inclines and declines on twisted and swollen hooves and legs is leaving me in a little pain and I'd like to get some ice on them? Maybe-

'Maybe someone's trying to dodge the fact they like holding a mare in the dark because they don't know what they are doing? You should really know better than to lie to me, dude. I know everything that goes on in this little head of yours. Now you've got a golden oppertunity right here and you're going to take it. You've drawn this out long enough!'

.... You sure? I could drag it out a bit longer if I-

'Dammit Sin! Pick up your hoof, stroke her mane and tell the mare everything will be alright!'

Stealing his resolve, Sin lifted his hoof and gently patted Uppity's back with an almost awkwardly robotic fluidity. "There, there."

'What the fuck did I just say?'

Waiting to see if his motions would have the desired affect, Sin felt his stomach twist when Uppity's grip only tightened around him. There was no way he could deny what the situation called for, no matter how uncomfortable and ridiculously vulnerable it made him feel. He slowly placed a little more weight onto the mare and lifted his other leg, bringing it up behind her back giving her a gentle squeeze.

As he held her, he felt the unicorn's trembling lessen more and more until it was barely noticeable. He relaxed a little, allowing himself to place alittle more weight forward. She wasn't going to move and he wasn't going to fall.

His self-consciousness was screaming at him to stop, that he had no idea what he was doing and would most likely make an idiot out of himself, but the more Sin held the mare, the more calm and at peace he was with such consequences. Uppity was a decent and kind pony, even if he did manage to mess this up, it's not like she'd hold it against him.

Gingerly, he raised his bandaged hoof and slowly began stroking the unicorns luscious purple mane. It was soft, silky even, like silk sheet threads intertwined into a single beautiful purple braid. "Shhh, everything's fine. It's alright, everything's alright." He cooed, swelling with pride as the mare's trembling ceased and she melted into him.

'Success! Praise be to the Centaur, there may yet be hope for thine soul!'

Sin didn't even bother registering the comment, his attention was too focused on the mare in his legs. He felt something strange brewing in his chest, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, matter of fact, it was quite warm and soothing. He fought it at first, not liking the forign feeling but just as quickly resigned to let it flow it's course. He had an idea of what it was, and in order to fully realize this moment, he'd need to embrace it.

He felt Uppity nuzzle into his neck and with wide eyed realization, Sin suddenly felt something in him shift. So many empty spaces in mind began to fill, dark and bitter thoughts fled his mind, plan and consequences of the future abandoned him, just like last time. This is what it felt like to be vulnerable to another. There was only the here and now, only the warm mare who trembled and sought comfort from a pony who she loved... and... was falling in love with her. Was this it? Was this the feelings that everyone often called "love"?

Maybe, it was warm and inviting, de-stressing and overall pleasant. He kinda didn't want it to stop and didn't care that they'd have to. Sin just wanted to make Uppity feel better, feel safe and secure, and as she farther relaxed into him, he could feel a sense of humble pride well in his chest. Feeling her shift, Sin loosed his grip a little and allowed her to lift her head.

His mind went blank as she stared at him. Magenta eyes full of wonder, curiosity, intrigue and uncertainty. Slowly, she lifted her hoof up to his cheek and pushed up on the straps of his goggles, removing the dark tint from his eyes.

Without those, there was nothing left. Ever last defensive measure he had was gone, and with it, the entirety of his capability for thought. Her eyes were so captivating, so open and inviting. There was nothing else here, just the dark pink irises and the warm orange glow that illuminated them.

In an all too cruel show of will, Uppity closed her eyes and looked down. "Sin..."

"Yea?"

In a surprising twist of fate, it was now Uppity that seemed unsure of herself. Her eyes were averted, her hooves fidgeting nervously as she bit her lip. "I- I don't know what I'm doing right now."

Sin had to hold himself back from laughing at the irony, settling instead to be humbly honest. "And you think I do?"

Uppity chuckled warmly, easing the tension in the air. It brought warmth to his heart to see her smile. "It's just, I've never felt this way about anypony before, and... I'm scared that you'll... leave me." She confessed, turning the volitile warmth into a cool confession. "I've seen what happens to my co-workers and, I don't want that. I-"

With no active thought on his part, Sin's hoof moved to cover Uppity's mouth, leaving the mare to stare at him in wonder. "You know I'm not that kind of stallion." He slowly moved his hoof down, allowing her to respond but there were no words to come, patiently he waited for her to speak, free of any judgement. She didn't, instead she began lifting her head to meet his own, her eyes closing as she grow closer. To his surprise, Sin returned the motion, anticipation building as he slowly leaned down to share his first real moment of romantic intimacy. 

He felt her lips on his and his entire body almost turned to jello, it was a rush of chemicals in the brain that sent sparks through his extremities. A gentle suction pulled at him and he returned the gesture. It only lasted a second or two, but to both ponies, it might as well have been an hour. An hour of passion, excitement and a bliss that neither of them thought possible.

"Et Too, Sin?"

Both ponies bodies tensed at the disturbance, Sin being the first to regain proper thinking facilities sigh and turned to see Shade leaning on the cave wall, watching the two with a mix of interest and judgement.

'Worst. Timing. Ever.'

"Well, if you're just going to sit around and cannoodle with your foal friend there, than you guys can just go." The bat pony hmphed as he turned away. "No wonder we haven't found the factory yet, my friend is too busy making snoo snoo!"





"So, you're saying that while you were angry with Cadance and Shining for not giving you enough advanced notice, the reason you'd lashed out at our sister's student was due to her trying to guilt you for working too much." Luna carefully said, working through what she was told.

Spike nodded from his place in the lunar dining room. "It's my fault though, I said I wouldn't be able to go without even checking with my boss to see if he'd let me. I was out of line for all the things I've said." He placed a hand over his eyes, resting his arm on the large chair. "I said she didn't have a real job, when her job was to protect Equestria as she's done twice. I don't know what came over me, I was just irritated I guess."

Luna took a sip of her tea, as she pondered over the dragon's words. She was feeling much better now, better than she was before Twilight and her sister cast the tantabus and the Nightmare out of her. She wasn't near as excitable and whimsical, she had grown to see goals and aspirations. Have meaningful friendships again, and this would be the start of her first outside of her sister.

"Spike, we believe that there is more to it than you are leading on." She pointed out bluntly. "Ponies, or dragons as the case may be, do not just snap as you are suggesting. There must have been other factors that lead to this lashing out, yes?"

Spike nodded, emphisizing his point about them butting heads over the past month over the use of his time. It was nice at first, being constantly told he worked too much and should take some time off to spend some of it with Twilight and her friends. Showed that they wanted him around, you know? But after a week or so, it became a grueling test on the dragon's patience. Unlike Twilight, he had to face a daily grind that worked his nerves and his energy. He liked the job, he really did, but it left him stressed out and exhausted after an eight to ten hour work shift. He just didn't have the energy to constantly endure Twilight's constant prodding and pushing to when they'd spend more time together.

He figured that it all just came to a boiling climax when the issue of the wedding came up.

Luna just sat there and nodded patiently, waiting for him to finish his tale. "We see, forgive us, but you glossed over that detail as if it wasn't important. When it was very important indeed." She took another sip, letting her words hang in the air for a moment.

"I feel bad, I really do, Princess. I it hurts knowing I'd hurt her this much. I don't want her to be sad or angry over me and what I've done, but we've just grown apart, you know? I'm moving out, staying in the library is setting up false expectations from both of us. It isn't fair to her that I'm there when I'm not around. I think if we just give each other some space, we can make a more healthy and positive relationship."

Quirking a brow, Luna nodded her head from side to side. "That is a wise decision, Spike. I'm curious though, do you believe she will be alright with it?"

The dragon slumped, he'd thought long and hard about this on the train ride up and no matter what alternatives he proposed that kept him in the library, the problem would remain the same. "There's not really any choice. She's Twilight, my mother, the mare who sees me as a son and wants to act as such. I love her, I really do, but I've got different interests now, different responsibilities that make our schedule incompatible. It's causing her stress and it's causing me stress. My job keeps me busy and tired, I just don't have the time or energy that I used to. I think it has a lot to do with her introversion, she wants somepony to spend time with her."

"I understand where she's coming from, but I get all of my socialization at work and that leaves me pretty much out of energy to talk. I may sound mean for saying this, but she needs to spend more time with her friends outside of just me. Get out of the library and what not. I... I just don't have the time for her right now."

It was a crushing thing to admit, but it was true. He didn't have the time that she needed, and it must have felt like rejection to her. Rejection was never taken well, even by the most accepting of ponies, and after enough rejection, lashing out was inevitable. Him leaving was the ultimate rejection, but it was a solid one that would leave both of them in peace and finality instead of wondering what would happen tomorrow.

The conversation continued on, Luna explaining what she thought and Spike answering as calmly and coherently as possible. The lunar godesses attitude towards him changed dramatically. She empathized with him, Celestia was often an overbearing sister to her, often acting more as a mother than a sibling. As she continued to speak, it was kinda scary how much of a parallel there was between herself and Spike... with one major difference.

"You are wiser than I was, a thousand years ago." Luna sighed, finishing off the rest of her tea and giving the drake a stern and imposing glare. "Just remember not to forget her. She loves you and missed you when you were away, her dreams were often about the day you'd return. Twilight Sparkle is a lonesome mare, despite her growing knowledge of friendship. We ask that you be more gentle with her in the future."

Closing his eyes, Spike nodded and made a silent promise to himself to be more careful with how he treated his mother in the future. He was her main support pillar that kept her loneliness away, now that he was leaving she'd have to rely more on the friends that didn't live with her. It was going to be hard on her, but he was confident that she'd grow through it.

The conversation was pretty much over after that. Luna had forbade Spike from going into the Solar Wing of the castle as that's where Twilight was and offered him a room in the Lunar Wing. He'd be able to see Twilight before and after the wedding should she choose to speak to him. For right now though, he'd need to fine tune everything he was going to say to her once he got the chance.


> The Royal Wedding Pt. I
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






The Royal Wedding Pt. I






"LIGHTNING!" Cried a tan clad minataur as he dodged another tracer round of blue lightening. The spell light up the  dead wood forest, exposing the entirety of the Liberty Syndicate force's position. The trees were slim, barely the width of any stallion's neck, they would provide little cover for the soon to be incoming volley of bolts and arrows.

Sin cursed under his breath and began running to the side to escape the volley. The unicorns on his side had long since abandoned any spell shields, there was no point when their enemy was using Dragon scale tipped bolts. He heard the dull release ahead and dived as far as he could, crashing through fallen leaves and dirt.

Behind him, cries of pain and the bellowing of orders for advance echoed throughout the trees. The voices of the dying superseding their superiors ten fold. He reluctantly looked back to his comrades position to see the soft glow of orange and yellow, the constant lightning spells had began to set the forest ablaze, it was only a matter of time before this out post was lost.

Part of the Federalist knew this was a dream, how many times had he died? How many times had he seen Ace die? Or Ragnerok? Or any of the members of the syndicate? But no matter how much he knew none of what was going on around him was real, he constantly felt the grief, loss and failure of knowing that their deaths were partially to blame on him. They were all supposed to protect each other, he was supposed to be their guide through the Deadwood, and there they were, dying by the dozens in a rain of arrows from an enemy they couldn't even see.

Another streak of lightening flashed where they were, with another volley soon to follow. Sin pushed himself up and crept through the wood, leaves softly crunching under his hooves. He listened, straining his ears to find the enemy's location through their own bout of order shouting, but he couldn't hear anything besides the cried pains of his comrades as they flailed for some measure of effective resistance.

He picked up speed when he heard the repeated thuds of cross bows discharging, how many more was that? Ten more dead? Ten more he failed to protect?

NO! No, this was war! This wasn't his fault, they all knew what they were getting into when they joined the Liberty Syndicate and their crusade against Malich and Gemini's authoritarian regime! Sin knew he couldn't keep blaming himself, but these guys weren't trained like Triple M. agents were. The Syndicate had a small number of those who'd ever tasted a real battle, most were just civilians who'd chosen to die on their feet rather than live on their knees.

But what time was there for training? They all had lives to attend to, jobs and families to support before the collapse. Even with the schedule to give combat training, there wasn't enough time or capital to make it the least bit effective or retained.

A small series of clicks made Sin stand his ground, there, directly in front of him, a growing silver light twinkled. He waited, his anticipation raising in his chest as he lifted his cross bow. Suddenly, the area lit up as the silver light shot forth in a brilliant display of magical lightning. Using the small window, the oaken stallion took count of the enemy... and felt his heart sink into despair.

Hundreds, there were literally hundreds of black coated agents of every race present. Sin watched helplessly as the front rows of Griffons raised their weapons, bringing down another death shower unto his companions. The force was overwhelming, too much for the poultry sixty or so rebels member who'd taken refuge here.

Helpless or not, the nightmare was becoming too much for the pony and he charged forth in a desperate attempt to save those he called friends. He loosed both the main load and the quick load, stricking two of the agents in the chest. Though, that was all he managed before about fifty cross bows were turned onto him and their bolts loosed to end his pitiful existence.





Sin awoke in a fright. Gasping for breath he felt his adrenaline pumping through him as he jumped up and swiveled his head around, looking for his enemy. A sharp and sudden pain in all of his legs bringing him crashing back down to his stomach, through that pain he tried to stand again, but much more slowly. As he took in the darkened room and bed infront of where he slept, the reality of the situation caught up with him and he forced himself to relax.

Why was he having these nightmares? He'd had the odd one occassionally before, but ever since Marry, or the alicorn of insanity, had visited him, there hadn't been a night of sleep that he'd describe as peaceful. He was hoping that with Discord's banishment of the alicorn, he'd taken the dreams with her. Clearly that didn't happen.

'Maybe it's because you feel guilty?'

Guilt? Guilt for what?

'You've always wanted that kind of future, right? I mean the one where society collapses and you revel in the suffering to come because the citizens deserve it out of their worship of the Gods. You've become much more emotionally available lately, maybe your experiencing a bit of empathy for how things will realistically turn out for them?'

Was that it? Was Sin growing to feel sympathy for the future of his fellow New Equines? 

"No." He stated with absolution. He wasn't going to feel sorry for them, he wouldn't allow himself to do it. He was a stallion of consequences, a stallion of results and ponies laying in the beds they make for themselves. Their suffering would be self induced and they would deserve it. There was no point in feeling sorry for them, the future that awaits North New Equine was a future they bring on themselves. If his subconsciousness was just now starting to realize this from an emotionally empathetic angle, than it would need to accept the harsh reality of the situation and leave his ego in peace.

Sin had done enough for them, he tried to save his state, and they spat in his face. They were on their own.





An hour or so later, the sliver of light pinched over the horizon to bring in the dawn, and not too long after, a knock at the door brought with it Uppity.

"Morning Sin, sleep well?" She asked as she walked into his room.

'Nope, had another terrible dream that woke him up with a fright, but you're not going to say that are you? You're just going to say...

"Well enough, I suppose."

Ahh, yea, you hate liars, don't you? So long as it's not you who's doing it.'

"Glad to hear, how're your hooves doing?" She asked, reaching down and pulling one up for her inspection. Sin looked away and told her it was fine, but small speckles of red bled through the dingy gauze. "Hmm, yea, we need to change your bandages."

"Uppity, it's fine." He tried to dismiss, but the unicorn wasn't having it. Producing two pairs of fresh bandage rolls, Uppity demanded Sin take take a seat on the bed so she could remove and reapply fresh dressings. "Uppity, this isn't necessary, just give me the bandages and I'll-" His words slowly trailed off as the mare moved her face closer to his, her eyes instantly catching his own, sending him into a small trance as he gazed into her captivating stare of intent and curiosity.

She slowly lifted her hoof and gently pushed him onto the bed, maintaining eye contact all the while. Once he was situated, the unicorn smiled and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "There, was that so hard?" She asked before reaching down to undo the dirty bandages around his hooves.

Dude, what just happened?

'Feminine wiles?'

Is that what it was?

'Yea, not gonna lie, I'm not sure what that was, but you fell for it hook, line and sinker.'

Feeling cheated somehow, Sin glared down at his marefriend. "That wasn't fair."

"Oh shush, you." She dismissed as she finished removing the last bandage. Looking down, Sin cringed. Each leg was swollen to almost twice it's normal size with small lacerations and even a few chunks of his coat missing, revealing the raw, red skin beneath. Nothing looked infected, thank Tapio, but it was still no less cringe worthy to look at.

"Celestia..." He heard her say as she gently picked up on of his legs and began examining it. It was odd how comforting Sin felt for being as exposed as he was, still they had things to do today, and he made sure the fact was verbally reminded. Shaking her head, Uppity quickly took the other bandages in her magic and began wrapping them around his legs, an inch or so above so they wouldn't make contact. In no time at all, she used her own hoves to tighten the gauze and pin them in place. "Good as new. You ready to go?"

"The wedding's starting this early?" Asked Sin a little surprised. The answer was no, though. Uppity wanted to get to the Castle to get ready for it though. She'd left her dress and make up at the castle and wanted to have ample time to get her make up just right for the special event.

Oh joy he was being brought out into public hours early because of female things, yay.





The trip to the castle was as eventful as one would expect walking through the capital of a country where a princess was about to be wed. Despite the heavy guard presence, the entire town was alive with well wishes and merchants selling their Cadance themed wares. It amazed Sin just how big a consumer Item the Pink Alicorn was, there were even some pink and gold dresses made in her honor.

The castle itself was just as lively. Ponies of all all tribes were running about, setting up last minute details and decorations for the day's festivities. Banners were being placed up on their stands, tables lined with pink cloths set about, and of course, the bride herself coordinating the entire effort. Her foul mood from last night only increasing with time.

"No, no, no! I specifically said the square tables would be placed in a U shape around the circular ones and surround the Throne line." She groaned, slamming her hoof into her face.

'Yea, she's on the rag or something.'

No kidding.

"Alright, I'm going to go get ready, care to come with?" Uppity offered, the stallion declined however, he wasn't really interested in sitting around while the unicorn tried to dossy herself up. They weren't at that stage of the relationship yet. Shrugging the mare informed him the wedding ceremony would start at three o'clock and would be held in the main hall. "And, try to make yourself look decent, would you?"

Sin quirked a brow. "Yea, I'll get right on that." The two parted ways and the Federalist looked for something to do to waste time. He and Uppity had left Shade in the tunnels since last night, hopefully he'd either gotten out already or would stay down there until the wedding was over. 

"Hiya Sin." Rainbow Dash greeted as she hoovered down in front of him. He returned the greeting and asked how the prismatic speedster was doing. As usually, she proudly proclaimed her day to be "awesome" as ever and explained how she'd be giving the preformance of something called a "Sonic Rainboom" during the kiss of the wedding. He had no clue what that was, but congratulated her on the accomplishment none the less.

"Any way, what happened to your legs?" She pointed out. It was bad practice to tell multiple ponies multiple lies, so he stuck with the same one he told Uppity. "Ouch, you sure you're okay to walk? You could always fly you know." She quirked a brow. "You have been keeping up on your wing exercises right?"

Sin pressed his lips. "No, I have not been." This was apparently not the correct answer.

"Seriously? After all the time I spent on that?" Rainbow groaned. There really wasn't any excuse aside from the lack of interest, still though, it wasn't like they were completely useless so he gave a quick demonstration to show that progress had at least been maintained. "Well, I guess if you can hold them up without causing too much pain, it wasn't a total loss."

Well, at least she wasn't too peeved. "I assume the rest of your friends are here?"

Rainbow nodded solumnly and explained what each were doing. Fluttershy was helping to train the birds for their part in the cerimoney, Rarity was designing dresses, Applejack was playing head chef, Pinkie taking charge of the entertainment and Twilight was... "Well, I'm not sure what's going on with Twilight. She was really bumbed about something on the train ride up, but she's been on this weird binge about Cadance."

"Really. Aren't those two old friends?"

The pegasus nodded and began walking, beckoning him to come along. "Sorry, I'm excited and don't feel like standing still. But yea, Cadance was Twi's old foal sitter. But ever since we've gotten here she's been complaining that there wasn't something right about her. I mean, come on, it's her wedding day soon, of course she going to be stressed out and stuff."

Sin nodded in agreement. It wasn't his place to say too much, though. The two continued to walk and talk, popping in to the main hall to help out Pinkie with her decoration and party planning for a bit, then up to Rarity's to see how the dresses were coming. The Fashionesta was exhausted, evident by the small split ends and dark circles under her eyes. Had it not been for the unicorn reminding him of someone else who might be lurking the castle grounds, he might have felt sorry for her.

"Hello Rainbow Dash." She yawned and gave a small nod to Sin. "Sorry, I've been up all night trying to perfect these dresses, but Cadance just isn't satisfied yet." They looked fine enough to Sin, but what did he know about mare fashion? "Sweetie Bell, Applebloom and Scootaloo should be running around here somewhere, could you be a dear and make sure they aren't getting into any trouble?"

"Sure thing Rares." The two left the tired pony to her work, and descended the tower. Upon entering the main hall, they noticed a growing number of ponies were starting to sign in on the guest registry. Each guest giving a small bow to Celestia, who stood beside a white pony with a brown mane done into a bun.

"SINNY!"

The stallion froze mid step, he knew it was a high probablility that he'd eventually run into her, but he could never mentally prepare himself for the unbridled fear that shot through his spine. "Miss Dash. If I were you, I would fly away as fast as I possibly could."

Rainbow tilted her head at the pony before his name was once again called from the large, very large unicorn as she climbed up the stairs to greet him. "Why? Who is that?"

"Ms. Dash, trust me, you don't want to be here when she-"

"Sinny! It's so wonderful to see you again!" Fatchitaz proclaimed, approaching to give the oaken pony a hug. He put out his hoof and placed it onto her head, halting her advance.

 'Oh my god, she's sweating! That's disgusting!'

"Sinny, don't be such a prude and give me a hug!" The blubbering mess whined, trying to push past his stiff legged defense. 

"Lady Fatchitaz, to what do I owe this... encounter? I didn't think the royalty of Equestria had ties to your organization." 

Unfortunately, this piqued Rainbow's interest and she asked if the alabaster unicorn was from the same country as he was. Fatchitaz was all too eager to reply in the affirmative with a small whip of her hair, presenting herself as if she was some beautiful demi-god who had any business drawing attention to herself. "Yes dear, my father is quite the impressive pony in my country. Sinny here is the brother of the pony I'll be marrying as soon as I return!"

Breaks screeched, glass shattered and every single thought in the Federalist's mind came to a sudden halt at the implication. She'd be marrying his brother? This... pony, the epitome of everything Malich despised and worse, was going to take his hoof in matrimoney to have and to hold till death do them part? 

"Come again?"

The Lady beamed proudly. "You heard right, my dear. Your brother Malich accepted my wedding proposal!"

...

...

It started out as a few hick up and grunts, Sin's body shaking in an attempt to restrain himself from the forign feeling that threatened to bubble up in his chest. A few more snickers escaped him, then some chuckling and finally full on, side splitting, tear wrenching laughter. 

"Hahahaha! Oh Tapio, oh sweet Miliki Bluecloak help me! Pftahahahaha" He couldn't help it, he honest to Tapio Bearking's beard could not help himself. The comedy of the situation was just too much for him. "You- You and Malich- pft hahaha- You're- you- you're gonnahahahahah!"

He could feel the other guest's eyes scorn at his roaring lafter with severe disapproval, but Sin didn't care. This was the greatest joke he'd ever been told in his life, and wasn't about to let some snobby upper-crust ponies ruin it for him. A full minute and two aching sides later, Sin finally managed to calm himself down enough to look at Fatchitaz without going into a fit of giggles.

"Okay, okay, I think I'm good. Oh boy, oh man, I haven't laughed that hard in years." He admitted through shallow breaths. Rainbow was just looking at him wide eyed and Fatchitaz continued to beam with pride.

"I know, he's the quiet and reclusive sort, but he's also got that dark and brooding persona that I do find oh so attractive." Fatchitaz admitted with a wistful sigh.

"Huh?" Rainbow asked in confusion. "Umm, you do know he's laughing at you, right?"

Sin's smile almost became ear splitting as Rainbow tried to explain that he was mocking her, though Fatchitaz was immune to such criticisms, seeing his jolly attitude as a congratulations for her finally wearing down Malich's internal defenses and convincing him to marry her. If it wasn't for the fact both of his sides were already sore, the irritation Rainbow was experiencing would have sent him into another rib splitting state of laughter.





Spike slowly exited the room provided to him and clenched his fists to boost his confidence. He didn't get a wink of sleep last night, his mind and nerves keeping him awake as he replayed over and over in his head what he was going to say to each of the girls if they tried to stop him, and to Twilight herself. 

Now all he could do was track her down and hope his words would be enough. The prospect of her wanting nothing more to do with him made him almost throw up.

Echoing voices boomed from the entryway and Spike began making his way through. As he turned the corner, a loud, boisterous laughter serenaded through the hall. He felt his claws tighten farther as he saw who the source of laughter was. Seeing Sin, the pony who shouldn't have even been here laughing made the drake angry. Not only was his friend here, but he was even having a good time? How dare he?

'Simmer down, what happened wasn't his fault and you know it.'

Still though, seeing him... laughing like that put Spike on edge. With how much he was suffering inside, it wasn't fair how carefree the stallion was. But he didn't have time to dwell on that, he needed to find Twilight. He saw Rainbow standing beside the pony and approached her.

"-no, you're not getting it. He's not laughing because he's happy for you."

"Well of course he is dear, why else would he be laughing?" An unpleasently plump unicorn reasoned.

Steam was starting to shoot out of Rainbow's ears in frustration and Spike decided it was a good time to intervene. "Hey Rainbow." He greeted, all three of them drew their attention, he and Sin shared a brief stare down before the stallion motioned to the unicorn to give him and the pegasus a moment.

"Hey Spike, I thought you weren't coming." She seemed happy enough to see him, maybe Twilight didn't tell her about it. "Glad you did though, Twilight's been a mess ever since we got here."

Spike cringed and asked if Rainbow knew what was bothering her. To his surprise, it wasn't him that was the source of her woes, but Cadance. According to Rainbow, Twilight had been constantly complaining about something being off about the Alicorn. Spike suggested that it was the pre-wedding stress, but that's exactly what Rainbow and her friends told her and the lavender unicorn wouldn't hear a word of it.

That was odd, Twilight could be neurotic and a stifler against change, but surely even she could see that ponies' could be stressed out and act differently. Cadance being a little short and irritated shouldn't have been that surprising.

"Rainbow, there you are!" Applejack interrupted as she descended the stairs. "Rainbow- Oh Hey there Spike, glad tah see ya." The cow pony greeted with a warm smile. "Sorreh, but Rainbow n' Ah need ta get goin', we've got a wedding rehearsal to attend."

Figuring he'd have the best chance of finding Twilight there, the drake followed the pair of ponies as they hurried through the castle, but maybe it was a final refresher before the real thing this afternoon. Entering the blue checkered room, Spike took in the lovely scene before him. All five of Twilight's friends were present, preparing themselves to begin walking down the the velevate lline isle from the door to where the bride and groom were.

"Spike, you made it!" Shining smiled, the drake smiled and ran over to give his 'uncle' a hug. "It's good to see you, little buddy."

"Glad to be here, sorry but have you seen Twilight? I need to talk to her."

The room descended into silence, everypony looking at eachother uncomfortably at the name. Shining was about to speak but before he could, the doors to the hall burst open, revealing the unicorn he sought.

"Everypony, listen up!" Twilight decried, paying no mind to any party present, save a stern look at Cadance. "I'm not going to stand next to her! And neither should you!"

Gasping all parties quietly watched as Twilight slowly began to approach the alter. Shining's ears flattened to his skull, his muzzle taking an awkward smile as if trying to save face. "I'm sorry." he turned to his fiance, "I uh- I don't know why she's acting like this."

Spike had an idea, but Cadance made a comment to ignore her friend. A move Spike found both questionable and out of character for the alicorn.

Without missing a beat, the librarian continued her walking, dismissing both Applejack and Fluttershy as they tried to console and calm her. "She's evil!" Twilight proclaimed, pointing an accusatory hoof, a hoof Shining Armor stood in front of to defend the honor of his bride. She continued her tyrade, teleporting around and listing off a trio of grievances, ranging from disappearing brides maids to casting some kind of mind control spell on the groom.

Spike was taken aback to the point of speechlesness. Why was she saying these things? Cadance was one of her best friends, why would she do anything of what the unicorn was accusing her of?

The entire thing went into a finale as the pink alicorn broke down into sobs, questioning how Twilight could accuser her of being evil before the distraught bride ran out of the room in tears, Twilight giving her one final taunt as she retreated.

Bitting his lip, Spike looked away as her brother scolded her about how stressed out Cadance was due to his lack of invovlement in all the wedding planning. The dragon wasn't sure what he should do, defending her outright didn't appear to be the best option, he had no idea what was going on or what she'd observed. He looked to her friends, who each glared daggers at the element of magic, they weren't going to be much help either.

"C'mon ya'll, let's go check on the princess." Applejack proclaimed. 

As if what happened ago wasn't bad enough, each and every one of her friends walked right by the lavender unicorn as she sat in utter defeat. Even Celestia passed her by with not a kind word to say. Finally, the doors slammed shut behind the lunar goddess, leaving both Spike and Twilight alone.

Spike heard his mother sob and dashed forward, embracing her in a hug. "Spike?" She asked before taking him into a crushing hug. "Oh Spike, I'm so sorry. I- I messed up."

"I'm sorry too, Twi'." The dragon cooed words of comfort and support. He didn't know what was going on, but she needed him, now more than ever. He wasn't going to tell her she was right, but he would sit here until she stopped crying. "I'm sorry." He heard her say again.

"You will be."

His remaining eye shot wide at the threat, but even wider as sudden bouts of green flames began sprouting in a circle around him. He looked back to see Candace smiling evilly at the trapped pair before a solid green sphere of magic confined him and slowly pulled them beneath the floor.







"I can hear you..." Shade whispered seductively. The crying, he'd been hearing it all night throughout the cave. Problem was that he could hear it too well and with the reverberation off of the cavern wall, couldn't pin point exactly where it was. Walking around in utter darkness didn't help either, maybe Sin was onto something with that whole light thing.

The crying had to be coming from some where, and in that somewhere, he knew he'd find it. The truth about foals would be exposed to the world, and they would give him all of their chocolate covered crickets! He'd be a hero, and then they'd find Fluffy!

'Shade, can you hear me?'

NO! You're not allowed to talk, you've NEVER been allowed to talk, you're wrong, you've always been wrong and you'll always be wrong! Now go sit in the corner and think about just how wrong you are with your wrongness!

'But- but I've been doing that for the past ten year-

The buck did I just say?

He hated the voice of reason, no matter what it just never understood him. "Now where was I? Oh yea. Chocolate covered Crickets... Mmmm."

Feeling the air shift, Shade stopped where he was and opened his mouth. The stallion closed his eyes and clicked his tongue in just the right way, his sensitive ears listening for the nooks and curves of what lay before him. The tunnel branched into a two way split, if memory served, he came in through the one on the right, so the one of the left would be the way to go.

But he went right anyways, just to show logic that the bat pony didn't need him. Bucking logic, trying to make sense of everything and show consequences for actions rendered. Dick, who did he think he was?

His lack of adherence to the laws of reason paid off with the cries and sniffles he'd been following growing louder. He clicked his tongue and found that the cave would end in a small cavern, a familiar cavern at that. Shade approached, mindful of the inner map in his ear. He dodged quite a few sharp stalagmites and stalactites the grew from the caves roof and floor. Well he did until the chore became to bothersome and elected instead to just go crashing through them. Buck head aches, what did he need to protect his head for?

Again, the sound of crying shifted, much louder now than anywhere else. Still, his echolation told him that this was a dead end.

"Discord dammit all!" He shouted, slamming his hoof into the ground. "Hey, that felt good." He slammed his hoof against the ground again, chuckling to himself.

"Hello?" A voice called, Shade's ears perked. He couldn't hear the crying anymore. "Is anypony there?"

"Where are you? Are there any ponies in white coats around? Don't be afraid! Just tell me where the factory is and I wont hurt you!" Shade called, his chest raising with hope.

He heard the sounds of stomping behind him and clicked his tongue to find nothing but an extremely smooth rock wall. "What manner of sorcery is this?"

"This wall! It's fake! Please, help me!"

The wall was fake? OF COURSE! How could he be so stupid? Of course they wouldn't make it somewhere he could just walk to! The sneaky bastards. 

With renewed hope, Shade slammed himself head first into the wall, it didn't break like he'd hoped, but it did have a give to it. He backed up and charged forward again, using his wings for a little extra momentum and smashed into it again. He felt the wall begin to crack, or maybe that was his skull? Hard to tell through the splitting migrane.

"It's almost broken!" The voice yelled. Shade staggered back to his hooves and ran to charge once, though at the last minute he pivoted on his front hooves, swung around and bucked with all of his might against the wall, shattering the stone in a loud crumbling crash. His vision blury, he found a bright blue light blinding him.

"Oh thank you for... Star Shade?" That voice, he knew that voice. 

"Candy?" He asked, rubbing his head. "What are you- are you in charge of the foal factory?"

Cadance tilted her head. "Foal what? Never mind, Shade, please listen to me. We need to get back to the wedding! Shining is about to marry an impostor!"

Impostor, Shining Armor, in trouble, none of these things Shade found the least bit interesting. All he knew was that after wondering down in these Discord forsaken tunnels for who knows how long, he'd finally found a secret passage way. Pushing past the mare with glee, he entered the chamber she was in and clicked his tongue. 

"What?"

He repeated the motion, straining his ears as much as he could, but it was no use. The cavern ended here. "Oh Come ON!" He yelled slamming his hoof down. "Secret passage, trapped princess, what? Is my factory under another castle or something? What at rip off!" 

"Shade, please you have to help me get out of here. Please." The Lunar pegasus didn't hear her, he was too busy pouting and sulking. It wasn't here, it just wasn't here. How could it not be here? There was no way he could be wrong, could he?

Just then, a dim green light began to spill forth. He looked up to see an orb slowly drifting from the ceiling until it hit the floor, depositing one unicorn he didn't care for and one dragon who he didn't mind seeing.
> The Royal Wedding Pt. II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




The Royal Wedding Pt. II







"- and that's why you simply must return with me back to Unitas. That was your brother's one and only condition, you see." Fatchitaz proclaimed.

Sin wasn't sure what to make of the mare right now. It sounded like Malich really did agree to marry her, under the sole condition she bring him back to the Federation. Was this a joke? Was it a way to get rid of her? Or was it a legitimate attempt to get him to come home, and there by, an insult by pushing the mare onto him?

Growling in irritation, Sin told Fatchitaz point blank he wasn't going back to their country. No sarcasm, no snark, just the cold hard truth of the matter.

"Oh Sinbad, what reason could you possibly have to stay in the Old World? The Federation is so much richer than Equestria, full of the finer things in life." The unicorn argued. The pegasus didn't bother replying, what business was it of hers that he didn't want to go back? He was staying here and that was final.

Fatchitaz, being the sort who didn't know what not getting her way was, continued to pressure him. "Dear Sin, you simply must come. Your brother wants you home! Don't you want to see him and I get married."

'As absolutely hilarious as it would be to see, I'd pass.'

"Not really. My brother's an ass hole. Frankly, the fact you want me to go back because of him makes me want to not go even more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I find our business concluded." Turned around and walked away before she could get another word in. 

It was blunt, crued and to the point. There was no way for it to be misinterpreted and misrepresented, even in the mind of the dim witted idiot known as Lady Fatchitaz. He couldn't have made the point any clearer if he tried.

The fact she was in front of him once again, asking him to come back, convinced Sin 100% that she was either insane, or just tuned out whatever she didn't want to hear. How? How was she still asking? What did he have to do in order for her to leave him alone?! He checked the clock to see the wedding wouldn't start for another hour or so, so that was out of the question, where the hell was Uppity? Sweet Miliki, Fatchataz was still talking!

'Dude, I know you've got a code of non-aggression and all, but seriously. SERIOUSLY, I am begging you to make an exception here. She's less than sentient anyways, so what's the harm? Just take her up to the balcony, tell her to stand by the edge, write up a suicide note and be done with it. The world will be better off, I promise you.'

If only Sin could. Morals and honor was all he had left in the world, he couldn't compromise it now just because it would make life convenient. Even if it was a convenience that would make the world a better place over all.

He looked around for something, anything to get away from her. He saw all five of Twilight's friends walk by in succession and excused himself, saying he needed to speak to a friend. Fatchitaz began to pursue, but her girth slowed her down considerably.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Sin called, running to catch up. "Have you seen Spike?"

The mentioned stayed, but the rest continued on. "Yea, he's back with the home wrecker." She pointed in the other direction. Home wrecker? What was that about? Rainbow just snorted and turned away to continue after her friends.

'Loads of help she was.'

Groaning, the stallion reserved to look for the drake himself and get the explanation he wanted, as well as apologize for what he said. 

"Sinny! Sinny please come back!"

Then again, Spike would understand if he waited until after the wedding to do so.







"Spike! Twilight!" Cadance cheered, embracing her two friends. 

The drake, more confused than ever, pushed the dirty and disheveled alicorn off. "What the hay, Cadance?! Why did you do that?" He barked. Twilight responded in much the same manner, but with her horn charged a spell to give the pink alicorn more than just a verbal assault. 

"No, no, wait!" Cadance cried in alarm, but Twilight had already loosed her spell, sending a bolt of lavander magic directly at the pink pony and slamming her against the cavern wall with a crash.

Shade watched on with an passive disinterest. Why Purple was attacking what he thought was their friend was beyond him, but it was entertaining enough to watch. Certainly enough to get his mind off of all the time he'd wasted today.

"Shade? What are you doing down here? Are you in on this too?" Spike asked, lowering his stance. He didn't want to fight the lunar pegasus, but if Twilight was throwing magic around already, than things might go smother to kick ass now and ask questions later.

"Dragon boy please, I'd break you." Shade dismissed with an annoyed tisk. "But I don't really get why Purple over there is attacking Candy. I thought those two were friends."

"Tw-Twilight, please..." The Alicorn wheezed, forcing air into her lungs. "It's me, the real Cadance."

Twilight snorted, picking "Cadance" up in her aura. "Oh yea? Than tell me why you're trying to hurt my brother and turn my friends against me!" She snarled before tossing her foe into another wall. 

Spike cringed at the impact, and moved to stop Twilight from her assault. He tried to calm her, convince her to take a moment to try and figure out what was happening before causing any more harm. "Spike! Didn't you just see what she did to us?!" The irate librarian argued, pushing the dragon aside, only to have him jump back in front of her.

"Twilight, listen to me! We both saw and felt what happened back there. Why would she just appear to us and let you beat her up?" Spike argued, his logic halting Twilight in her tracks. "What if that Cadance was an impostor, and this is a real one? Think about it, we were brought down here to get us out of he way, right? Well she's down here too, isn't she?!"

Taking a moment, the lavender unicorn looked down at the drake than over at Shade, who stood with even more disinterest now that the fighting stopped. She turned her gaze back to Cadance, a small sliver of hope cutting through her cynicism. She pushed her former assistant aside again and carefully walked to the fallen alicorn. "Sun shine, sun shine, lady bugs awake." 

Cadance coughed and smiled at her. "Clap y-your hooves and- d- do a little shake." Her words were weak and breath shallow, but there was no denying the accuracy in the poem she finished.

"Cadance!" Twilight cried, all her anger immediately turning to guilt and worry over what she'd done. "Oh my gosh, Cadance, I'm so sorry!"

She extended her hoof, helping the pink pony to her hooves. "It's fine, Twilight. I'm just glad you didn't kill me." Such a thought put Spike on edge and he was glad he'd intervened when he had. "But we need to go, we have to stop her before it's too late!"

"Aww, you can't leave so soon, you just got here." Declared a harsh and manacle voice that reverberated off of the cavern walls. Spike looked around, trying to see where it was coming from when a glowing pink face of the impostor appearing on the wall. "And here I was hoping you'd dispose of the good princess for me."

Demanding to know what was going on, Twilight shot a spell at the reflection, shattering the stone on contact. "Well, since you've asked so nicely, I plan to use his love to conquer Canterlot!"

The answer merely served to stir Twilight's rage farther, and she shot another spell, destroying the stone reflection once again. "You'll need to do better than that."

"Twilight, stop, she's just making you tire yourself out." Said Spike, watching helplessly as his mother stomped in frustration. Her bellowing laugh echoed and taunted the ponies and dragon she'd captured, declaring their inability to stop her from achieving her plan. 

Cadance limped forward and asked Shade if he knew how to get back out side. The bat pony shrugged and began walking, mumbling to himself about finding something or another. "Shade please, we need your help getting out of here, okay?" Spike asked, hoping that the pony would help him out.

Sighing, Shade shrugged. "Fine, I'll get us out of here. Guess the foal factory really isn't down here anyways." He pouted and turned to lead them all to the exit. The pace could have been faster, but with no idea how to get out, all three of them followed their guide, hoping that they would reach the alter in time.





Standing at attention, Sin looked around at all the Canterlot nobles. This was not his scene at all. The stuffy ponies around were smiling joyously on the outside, but he could tell none of them found the event as interesting as they lead on. Not that he could blame them though, how many of these ponies actually knew either the bride or the groom? Most likely none of them, it was just an important imperial event and they wanted to feel important by attending.

He looked at the alter and saw Shining Armor Smiling dumbly. Not the kind of dumb that a stallion gets when he sees a pretty mare, but the kind of dumb that made one think he was simple. It didn't suite the good captain at all. Besides him, Celestia stood to read the rite and give the ceremony proper, her eyes closed with that smug, overly tranquil grin she always had.

There was one saving grace to the entire event, and that was the mare standing beside him. Uppity had gone from beautiful to stunning in the course of a few hours. Her single braided mane had been redone so it would droop lazily over her shoulder, a rather classy but still practical dress of red and black covering her body, the entire outfit complete with a small rose delicately placed onto her chest. her make up wasn't anywhere near the over done, clown stuff the other nobles had. Simple eye liner and lipstick was enough to compliment her features and bring out a look that had more than a few stallions turning their heads.

"You look beautiful." He grunted, his attempt at sincerity a miserable failure. Uppity didn't seem to mind, blushing and thanking him for the compliment by leaning her head onto his neck. Had it not been for all of the ponies around, he'd have happily returned the gesture. Instead he did what he did best and changed the topic. "So, are we supposed to just stand here and hope she walks through the door, or what?"

Chuckling, the unicorn lifted a hoof and pushed down his mane in a futile attempt to straighten it. "The bride will come when she's ready, until then, we just stand here and wait for her."

Sin shook his head and sighed. This was half the reason he hated weddings. Such a waste of time, why did they need to stand here like a bunch of idiots? Was it really too much trouble for her to give five minutes warning before hand so they could mingle a bit?

'Hey, look at the bright side. At least Fat ass isn't here to-

No! Why? Just why? Why do you have to keep testing Murphy like that?

And on Que, shuffling began outside the door, with muffled voices going back and forth. Everyone watched with eager anticipation, the pianist readied to play, and Celestia straightened her posture.

Sin, however merely slumped his shoulders, already knowing what was about to happen.

The door opened and the piano began to play "here comes the bride". Though, the gasps from all the noble ponies quickly silence him. 

"Please, I just need a moment, I've got a friend in here that I need to speak with." Fatchitaz implored the guards who continually failed to wrap her up in their forelegs due to he excessive girth. Her attention was pulled from them to the room at large, every eye looking directly at her. "Oh, um. Sorry, everybody, I'm ummm, just here to see someone." She declared happily before peering through the crowd.

Sin looked away and slumped his shoulders, it wouldn't be any use though, he was too close to the front. Dammit, the one time he doesn't stand in the back is the one time he really needed to.

"Let's see here, I could have sworn- Aha! There you are, Sinny!"

"Is she a friend of yours?" Uppity asked leaning over. 

Sin shook his head. "That, my dear Uppity, would be lady Fatchitaz. I thought you saw her." The unicorn shook her head, saying she, some how, never really got a good view of her in the market district. As anticipated, Fatchitaz began to approach, the nobles in her way quickly opening a path for her. 

"Hello Sinbad, so have you had time to reconsider what I said about the wedding?"

Every single eye in the room fell onto the stallion, despite their outward appearence of not listening in. "Look, I've told you already, I am not going."

"Oh but you must, the wedding can't happen with out you there. You're one of the most important ponies to attend!" The white unicorn pressed.

Uppity quirked her head. "Oh? And why are you one of the most important ponies to attend this wedding?" She asked with no small amount of playful indignance in her voice. "Are you seeing another mare behind my back?"

'That's it! she's going on the list!'

His face firm as stone, Sin turned his head to face the mare. "You're a very sick mare, you know that? But that's part of why I think I'm falling in love with you." Uppity awwed and turned away. "Tell my brother that I will not be attending your wedding, and that my decision is final."

Fatchitaz stared blankly, her dumb smile never once leaving her face. For a moment, it was almost like she finally registered that her request had been denied, but the next words that left her mouth destroyed any hope the stallion had. "I'll just let you think on it until the end of the wedding." 

She pushed her ways past a few of the nobles, but instead of walking out the door, found a place closest to the front and stood as if she was a regular attendant of the wedding. However, the mare and two stallions who's spots she'd taken contested her new position and continually tried to push her out into the aisle to regain their rightful places, only to have Fatchitaz push them back again.

Sin watched with growing interest as the shoving match grew in both intensity and physical aggression.

'And so it begins...'







They'd been walking for what had to have been at least an hour, yet still there wasn't a single trace of sunlight. Spike was beginning to wonder if Shade had any idea where they were going at all, but knew better than to ask any questions. The dragon was all too aware of just how volatile and bi polar the night pony was, and simply asking a question could make him abandon anything he was doing.

"So, you were placed down here two days ago, by that impostor who's actually a Changeling?" Twilight asked, stunned by the story she was being told. 

Cadance nodded. "Shining was so worried about Valiar's absence. He was continually blaming himself, thinking the colt had died. When I'd gotten that letter stating that he was in the hospital, I wanted to get there before Shining did to make sure he was in a condition that wouldn't send my Shining into a mental break down. When I'd turned down one of the alley streets to get there more quickly, that's when a bunch of seemingly normal ponies attacked me. Next thing I knew, I was down here with Chrysalis draining me of my love magic."

Spike was absolutely shock at the deplorable scheme this "Chrysalis" concocted. Not just about using a pony Shining cared about against him, but that she'd be so callous about leaving Cadance down here for dead. According to the alicorn, the changelings fed off of love, and planned to use the love that all of Equestria held to feed her brood.

Shade stopped walking looking up and off to the distance. "What the buck?" 

"What, what is it?" Twilight asked, her voice full of anticipation. Her eyes followed his to a bright light that spilled in through the darkness, bathing a small part of the cave in light. "An exit! Cadance, we're almost out!"

The pink pony smiled and unfurled her wings, pulled Twilight on her back and began her quick assent to the crevice. 

"Well, not the way I came in, but I guess it'll do." Shade shrugged before picking up Spike and giving chase to the other two. The drake breathed a sigh of relief, they were going to make it! They were going to stop Shining from marrying the wrong mare and save Equestria!

Just as they were about to make contact with the opening, a bolt of teal shot past, missing Twilight by mere inches, and clipping one of Cadance's wings. The blow was enough to set the alicorn's flight off track and send them spiraling to a small cliff side. Spike urged Shade to follow them.

"What in the world?" Twilight asked as Spike landed. Her eyes bulged as three unicorns skulked forth from the shadows, their eyes glowing green and smiles twisted in evil grins.

"You're not going anywhere." They all said in unison, their synchronized advance pushing the weakened alicorn back. 

"We don't have time for this." Cadance groaned, her face lit up and she turned back to her companions. "Shade, what was it you were talking about before? The foal factory?" The mention stallion quirked a brow and nodded. "They work there! They can take you to it!" 

Spike's eyes widened, what had she just done?

In a flash, Shade tackled all three of the mares, neutralizing any threat they may have posed. Using the last bits of magic, Cadance picked up both Twilight and Spike and made straight for the entry way, knowing that her escape was covered.

"Good afternoon, laydies." Shade smirked as he watched the unicorns stand back up. "Word has it you know where the foal factory is, and I want to go there. So, if you just tell me-" 

THWAK!

Shade's eyes hot wide as a stinging sensation burned through his cheek, curtisy of the teal mare upfront. Taking a breath, the bat pony turned his head back to them, slowly forming a grin. "Did you just slap me?" No answer, only another synchronized step forward. 

Shade felt his muscles twitch with anticipation. "I don't think you know who I am, but you gone leARN TODAY, BOY!"







The wedding would start soon, more guards were being brought in to replace the six unicorns it took to sweep up Fatchitaz and throw her out of the hall. Sin was kinda disappointed, during the struggle, she'd managed to knock over two banners, elect a few gasps and an order from Celestia, but nothing more than that.

Sick as it may have been, he was kinda looking forward to how she managed to ruin the wedding. Looks like Uppity had this bet in the bag.

The doors burst open, drawing everyone's attention to the front. Cadance walked down the velvet carpet to the alter. "Oh doesn't she look beautiful, Sin?" Uppity swooned, The stallion grunted ambiguously. "Oh come on, coming up to stay with me for a week isn't that bad, is it?"

"No, I just don't like losing bets is all." He whispered back. Of course, being anywhere near this many ponies wasn't his cup of tea, maybe he could just hide out in her apartment the whole time.

"Princess Cadance and Shining Armor" Celestia bellowed. "It is my great pleasure to pronounce you-"

"STOOOOOOP!"

A faint hope shot through him at the interruption. The crowed looked at the door to find Twilight Sparkle standing in contest of the wedding, declaring that the mare at the alter wasn't the real Cadance. Sin quirked a brow, this was going to be interesting. Suddenly another pony entered the room, one that sent the entire hall into an uproar of confused mummers.

"This isn't your special day! It's mine!" Declared a second Cadance.

'Wait, what?'

The bride Cadance demanded an explanation as to how she'd gotten away from something or another, to which Shade's name was mentioned. Applejack asked what was going on, which promoted the second Cadance to accuse the first of being a changeling, bent on impersonating a pony who is loved and feeding off of that love.

'Wait, did she say changeling?"

Sin looked back to find the first alicorn engulfed in a pillar of bright green magical fire, her form lengthening and coat turning a midnight shade of black. Her once pristine pink and golden curls straightened into dark green, matted locks that clung down her carapace ridden face. Anything once beautiful about the mare was gone, replace with a hideous insectoid that put the entire crowd on edge.

'Yep, she's a changeling.'

As if to show her power in confidence, the changeling queen, as she called herself, descended the stairs with nary a shred of concern. Her green eyes looking all around the room as she gave undue exposition to her plan through a seductive, but double toned, almost animatronic voice. "Equestria has more love than anywhere else I've ever encountered..."

Sin looked at the guards up front who stood aghast at the changeling queen. All sixteen of them made no motion to stop her, despite the fact she was alone.

"... that we will gain more power than...." 

'Sooo, is anyone going to... you know, stop this? I mean, she's kinda interrupted a pretty big event here.'

Yea, you know, I would, but I've got a bet to win. 

It wasn't over yet, there was still opportunity for running, screaming and crying.

"...Shining Armor's shield will keep them from ever even..."

'Wow dude, you're seriously going to let this drag on because of a stupid bet?'

Well yea, you know how much I hate to lose. Besides, it's the royal guard's job to stop this kind of thing, right? Who am I to go and interfere with it?

'Say's the guy who releases falsely accused prisoners.'

Cadance charged forward, only to have the changeling queen stop her advance.

'Fucking seriously? Nobody is going to do anything about this right now? You're all just going to stand there as an invader comes in, explains her plan, and eventually sicks her brood on you? Are you kidding me right now? Do you have a bet going on with them too, or something?'

No, but right now, I kinda wish I had.

"... I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love..."

'Sweet Miliki, is she still talking? C'mon you guys, there's like, seventy of you Equestrians out there! Just bull rush her, or capture her in a magical shield, or.. something, anything! Why are you all just standing there like slack jawed idiots?!'

"even now, my minions are chipping away at..."

Sin smirked as his inner critic quickly became frantic with the situation. It begged him to go into action, that there was absolutely no reason that someone shouldn't have done something by now. Sin speculated that it might be out of fear that nobody intervened. 'Dude, the numbers are there! The ponies have the power to end this right now. Even if it was just the unicorns, with Twilight, Cadance and Celestia, they could all easily over power her... I'm just saying that the fact her speech has gone on this long is astounding.'

Yea, and it doesn't seem like she's running out of steam either.

"...be my husband but he's under..."

'Sooo, about that whole charging forward and stopping her thing? Anyone? Anyone at all? Royal guards? No? Just going to stand there like a bunch of piss ants? Alright, umm, how about Twilight and Cadance? No? Okay. Sin, you going to do anything, buddy?

Is there screaming, running and crying yet? No? Than I don't plan on lifting a damn hoof until there is.

"Soon, my changeling army will..."

'Okay, okay, you know something? I don't even care anymore.'

Really? Because you seem kinda upset.

'Me? No, no, no. I mean, Celestia's right here, she's right. Freaking. There! All she would need to do is lower her horn and bam! Right on the back of Chrysalis' neck and it's over and done with. It wouldn't even be hard! But she's just standing there and letting this bitch continue touting her plan. So, you know what? If she doesn't care, than why should I?'

"No." Sin's attention was directed to Celestia, who stepped forward, someone willing to FINALLY challenge this nonsense. "You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to preform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self-" She pressed her horn against Chrysalis's -for some reason- before jumping back into the air. "I can protect my subjects from you!"

Celestia tilted her head slightly, a brilliant beam of light descending down onto the changeling queen below. Chrysalis reacted instantly, shooting her own spell of sickly green magic to intercept the solar alicorn's.

Finally! Celestia was finally taking charge and defending her subjects herself instead of sending Twilight and her friends to do her fighting for her. 

Sin's anticipation died as quickly as it came, though. In a matter of mere seconds, the power struggle between the colliding magicks ended with the solar alicorn falling to the ground, her crown appropriately scattering across the floor. Twilight called out to her as she and her friends abandoned their stupor to see to their fallen hero.

'Wow...The one freaking time you decide to step up, and you fail. Freaking useless.'

Suddenly, everyone in the wedding hall finally found their will to move and began running and screaming to the entrance, eager to escape the cackling changling queen whom promised the consumption of their most treasured emotion.

'Oh yea, okay. NOW you suddenly figure out that you can move! That would have been a lot more useful thirty seconds ago!'

Through all of the chaos and panic, Sin feeling Uppity pulling on his foreleg, refused to move. He just stood and smiled at scene around him, watching as the Canterlot nobles fled, cried, and shouted for those in front to move out of the way. "Sin! What are you waiting for?" Uppity demanded, trying to use her magic to get him to move.

The stallion then turned to her, his smug, shit eating grin more than enough to answer her question as to his stationary positioning. 

Her pink eyes shooting wide, the orange unicorn released her grip and pointed a hoof. "Noooo. No, this doesn't count!" Sin didn't reply, he simply stood with a posture that would put Prince Blueblood to shame. "No, no, no! Stop smiling like that! The bet was that what's her name would do it!" She pointed to Chrysalis. "As we can clearly see, this was the work of that monster over there."

The room was quiet now, the Federalist's smile slowly disappearing as he remembered the exact terms of the bet. "Son of a bitch."

> The Royal Wedding Pt. III (Battle of Canterlot Pt. I)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







The Royal Wedding Pt. III (Battle of Canterlot Pt. I)







Sin pressed his lips and conceited defeat. There was no point in going on anymore, the jig was up, the ghost gotten and the game all but lost. It was so perfect, such a perfect set of circumstances to happen. Alas, his down fall was that which he prided himself most. How could he be so foolish as to not see he'd forgotten? He was usually so careful about such things...

But the bet was lost, Fatchitaz was not responsible for the running, crying and screaming. This round went to Uppity.

"Good, now that that's settled, can we please get away from the demented changeling?"

Sin's eyes widened, he'd been so consumed with the bet that he'd completely forgotten about a very important and very dangerous fact about changelings.

Immediately, he ran right towards Chrysilis. "Oh please." The tall bug pony scoffed, the stallion felt her magic surround him, but it instantly dissipated on contact. "WHAT?" She cried just as he leapt forward and slammed himself directly into her chest.

With a grunt, the queen fell backwards, too caught off guard to catch herself.

'Oh, so now you decide to do something. Little late for that.'

"Uppity! Cadance! A little help would be appreciated!" The Federalist barked. The former immediately ran to his side, her horn glowing orange and wrapping Chrysilis in an orange aura. The latter attempted to summon her magic, but quickly explained that too much of her magic had been drained.

Cursing under his breath, Sin questioned yet again where the guards were. He turned his head just in time to see the queen break free of Uppity's hold and snarl at him. Apparently not learning the first time, she charged up her horn and shot a concentrated beam of magic directly at the stallion, it made contact with his chest, but failed to do any damage.

"Magical immunity?" Chrysalis pondered, her eyes shifting for a moment before coming to rest on a pair of comically long, royal purple drapes. Shooting another beam directly at his feet made the stallion jump left to avoid the magical induced explosion, placing him exactly where she wanted him. A green glow gripped the very bottom of the curtain and stretched out, grabbing the stallion before he could figure out what she was planning.

To Sin's surprise, her magical hold on the curtain wasn't rendurd null when it touched him. "The hell?"

Chuckling, Chrysalis explained that he wasn't the first enemy she'd encountered who was resilient to magic. All it took was a little creativity in the placement of the aura's grip in order to maintain manipulation capabilities.

'Clever girl.'

"Sin!" 

"Uppity! Get out of here, now!"

His words went unheaded. Uppity charged the queen, though unlike him, was easily caught in the changeling's magical gasp and forced to the ground under her powerful grip. 

'You see, all of this could have been avoided if only yo-

Oh will you shut up!? I get it already.

"Mmmm, I must say, you're love for him is quite delicious." Chrysalis cooed, licking her lips. Her gaze turned to Sin. "But I'm afraid that your time together has come to an end."

"Now I know what you're thinking, and please don-" His breath was stolen from his lungs as the tension against the curtain tightened. Sin struggled to get free, but the velvet light block was too strong. No matter how he squirmed or struggled, the constricting pull between the wall on which it hang and Chrysalis magical grip held his body in place. "Why does... everyone always try to... squeeze me to death!?" He wheezed.

Well, at least it wasn't a dragon this time.

An ungodly loud crash followed by the sound of shattering glass thundered from outside, breaking Chrysalis' concentration and releasing her hold  giving Sin just enough slack so he could suck in some much needed oxygen.

"Yes! My changeling army has broken through!" The giddy queen declared, looking out the window and watching as the pink bubble outside broke apart. "So sorry dear Princess, but your precious city is mine now!"

Sin snarled, they may have been useless in here, but the army of guards that littered the city would surely put up a better fight, right?







'Absolutely... Fucking... Useless!

There was bad, and then there was inexcusably bad. In the span of no more than thirty minutes, not only had Twilight and her friends been capture, but the entire city fell under the changeling assault. The Federalist would have called Chrysalis a liar, he saw how many protectors there were outside, there was no way they'd have lost the entire city in such a short amount of time!

But there was denying what was right infront of him. Celestia lay suspended in a cocoon right above the alter, Twilight and her friends had been rounded up in the middle of the hall -to their credit, he could hear the hell those six were raising- , Spike, Uppity and Cadance were held in place by some green slime the Changeling's created and he was still suspended in the curtain, and not a single golden clad stallion coming to aid them.

It hurt Sin to admit this, it really did, but he desperately wished some Triple M. agents were here. From what he'd witnessed today, a handful of CCC's were worth more than the entire Equestrian Royal Guard.

'Meh, you've gotten out of worse.'

Yes he had, but this would just be one hell of an embarrassing way to go. Six weeks of dire winter exposure, a cult of fire worshipers, skirmishes with Triple M, fighting a pack of diamond dogs, a pack of timberwolves, and surviving two dragons. Death by a common palace curtain wasn't in the cards today.

But it was enough to hold him in place, though.

In hind site, maybe leading that charge against the queen before all of this happened would have been a good idea. Especially since it was a moot point to the little gamble he had going.

'Yea, ya think?' Yea, hind site was a bitch.

"You'll never get away with this!" Twilight declared, as she and her friends merely stood, free to wander as they pleased. "Even if you take Canterlot, more ponies will come, Equestria has allies!"

'Yea, and once they get here, then they're gonna charge in and kick the crap out of all the bugs who can shape shift to look like the very ponies who they're here to help! Better hope Chrysalis doesn't give a speech though, seems to be the big weakness when it comes to government protection services.

Not that it mattered. Canterlot must be running full of parasites by now. Unless the Queen herself had to administer them, that is. But if she was able to infiltrate the Royal Family, than it was reasonable to assume that she had more than enough time and proximity to infect at least the guard staff. Especially Shining Armor.

Thinking through everything he remembered in school, it suddenly hit Sin just how little he really knew about them. The Orvailian Changeling Massacre was the only record of Federal involvement with the insectoids. He knew they infected their hosts, fed off of their emotions, and eventually grew large enough to rip said host open and kill them. However, their queen was killed before any data collected or observation could be done. Though, theories were always passed around.

If the theory of the "head bug" was correct, than killing her would hopefully sever all connection and coordination between her brood, turning all of her drones into mindless and faril beasts of burden. Hopefully Equestria had the technology or knowledge on how to remove the parasites from those already infected. If not, he'd at least make it a point  to save those who were still free of them.

That, of course, was on the assumption he'd be getting down from his velvet lined prison at some point.





"Filth and lies!" Shade barked at the minty green unicorn infront of him. Her fellow mares coward behind her, but the lead stood firm in her convictions, unafraid by the constant show of force the bat pony had demonstrated.

"It's not lies! Foals come from mares! Not some... foal factory and eggs and whatever nonsense you're going on about!"

Shade's eye twitched. These mares were talking now, Minty green was the first to speak after a particularly hard slam into the cave walls. Her once green eyes turned golden and she did something with her magic and made the other two talk as well. All three of them were confused about something or another, but Shade figured they'd finally realized they couldn't beat him.

He demanded they take him to the foal factory, it was his knowledge by rite of combat. But mares didn't have honor, they simply looked at him in skeptical bewilderment, playing dumb as to his request. He knew they knew, after all, Candy told him they knew, and Candy wouldn't lie to him.

The other two coward, but Minty stepped forward and demanded to know what he was talking about. He humored her and explained it, to which the mare made the mistake of getting an attitude with him and went into a long winded speech about the conspiracy theories and official stories of foal birth.

Idiots, if they only knew how much of their alleged 'knowledge' was nothing more than government propaganda.

"I'll say this one more time, where. Is. The Foal Factory?" The irritated night pony growled with a small shifting of his wings. If he didn't start getting answers soon, there was going to be some very nice red and pink cave drawing on the wall depicting what happens to ponies who stood in his way!

"I'm telling you there is no such thin, you idiot!" Minty yelled back. 

That's it! She dies!

Lowering himself, Shade furrowed his wings and prepared to launch himself forward. Just as he was about to rush forth and use Minty's skull as an improvised cave painting utensil, a flash of pink winked infront of him, bringing Discord to stand between he and his prisoners. "Discord?"

The draconaquees merely stared at him disapprovingly before turning to the mares and snapping his fingers, blinking them away from the catacombs.

"Discoooord!" Shade whined, trotting up and down in place anxiously. "I was going to use them to find th-" 

"I'm well aware of what you were trying to do, dear Star Shade, but going around hurting innocent ponies is no way to do it." The god of Chaos reprimanded.

Eyes widening with pain and shock, Shade took a step back. Not hurting others to get the information he wanted? But... how was he supposed to get it then? Everyone denied the existence of the pony creation center! How was he...

"Besides, you're under the wrong Castle." Discord looked around and made a motion with his arms. "What you're looking for is in the old castle in the Everfree forest, not here."

"Oooohh, my bad." Said the batpony with a sheepish grin. 

Rolling his eyes, the god of chaos folded his arms. "Honestly, why you never come to me about the conspiracies that Celestia and her ilk feed the masses, I'll never know."

Shade immediately threw himself at his lord's feet and begged for forgiveness, promising to make amends and never commit to exposing government lies without consulting Discord ever again. The draconequus slowly twirled his beard in thought, considering the insane pegasus' words. "Very well, if you want to make it up to me, than go help your friends up on the surface."

"Surface?" Shade tilted his head. Apparently there was buckary afoot in Canterlot, something about an invasion of some kind with his friends all being captured and held hostage in the main hall. In order to appease his god, Shade would need to free his friends and return control of the city back to it's rightful rulers.

"I'm afraid Celestia's incompetence has reared it's ugly head once again. This will surely put a damper on Fluttershy's tea time, and I can't have that. Dispose of the changeling threat, and you'll have earned my forgiveness."

Shade bowed his head, "yes my lord, is shall slaughter them all."





"Quick go to Shining while you have the chance." Twilight urged, using her magic to free Cadance. Spike and Uppity came next, the latter of which came to try to help her coltfriend down while the former gave Twilight a hug.

"Are you alright?" The drake asked, looking his mother over for any injury. Twilight smiled and dismissed his concern with proud claims of needing more than a few changelings to hurt her. He turned his attention to the rest of her friends to see them all looking down quietly. "How about you guys?"

They each gave a short answer of affirmation, but it was clear that each of them were bothered by something. If they weren't, than the six of them would have acted to stop Chrysalis. Spike looked to see Uppity struggling to get Sin down, the changeling Queen paying little to no mind to the activity going on behind her.

Cadance was busy looking at Shining Armor, the stallion still stood at the Alter, the mind control in full effect. She hugged him, begging for him to come back to her before casting a small spell and breaking the stallion from his trance. "Wha- what happened? Is the wedding over?"

Spike's heart soard. He was back! They had a chance now!

"Valiar!" Chrysalis barked as two drones lifted to the window and dropped a red unicorn stallion with two belts over laping him onto the windowsill. "How fare my forces?"

Valiar bowed, his green eyes closing for a moment. "My Queen, the city is almost yours, a few stragglers are held up in the west and east towers, but they'll be dealt with soon enough."

"Mmmm, who says a girl can't really have it all?" The queen cooed and chuckled. "Would you like to see your former captain?" She turned an eye to the disoriented unicorn. "I've heard he's been quite worried about you."

"Of course, my queen." The stallion bowed again and leapt through the window, staring blankly around the chamber.

"What'sah, uh, Valiar? You're alive!" Shining shouted, happy that his pupil was alive, but confused about his actions. There was nothing to be confused about, the stallion was under the changeling's control. He didn't reply, just regarded the Captain with curious disinterest.  "Valiar?"

"Ooh, did I forget to mention that your little friend here is under my direct control?" Chrysalis laughed, waltzing up beside the red unicorn and placing a leg around him. She leaned her head down to his cheek, her eye fixed firmly on Shining. "It was cowardly of you to send him Los Pegasus in your stead, but I have to admit he is quite dashing." 

Spike cringed in disgust as the queen stuck out her tongue, giving the hypnotized stallion's cheek a small lick.

'Dude, that's just wrong.'

"As we speak, my changelings ravage your city, and plunder your houses, soon all of Equestria's delicious love will be used to feed my minions. Cattle to-"

"No!" Shining cried. "I have to stop this!" He charged up his horn in an attempt to resummon his spell.

"Did- did you just interrupt me?" Chrysalis asked in acute surprise. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, small conclusions beginning to form in her mind before the finally widened in realization. "Valiar, take Shining Armor's life NOW!"

The red pony's horn began to glow and five stones that were hidden within the belts around his chest began to levitate outwards. 

"Don't let him use those!" Spike turned to Sin. "Ms. Sparkle! Those stone enhanced his power enough to take on Shining Armor, don't let him use them!"

The warning came to late, and a beam of magic blasted forth from a small circle the pony had formed with the stones right at the bride and groom. A purple light flashed and the magic destroyed their position, sending dust and debries flying every which way, clouding the room in a thick smoke screen.

Spike fell backwards from the force of the impact, small bits of rock and marble littering his face. "Shining!" He cried, standing up and rushing blindly to where the duo were standing. Suddenly, a purple bolt of magic shot past him, clearing a large tunnel through the fog and directly at Valiar, who's stones circled, generating a red, pattern filled shield that intercepted Twilight's attack.

Much to the drakes relief, both Cadance and Shining were safely behind Twilight and her friends. 

"Don't you dare hurt my brother!" The unicorn snarled, launching another spell. The magical attack was much more powerful than the first, but ended with almost the same result upon impact of Valiar's shield. The difference being it pushed the stallion back a few feet, despite his unmoving legs.

"Fool!" Valiar scoffed, dropping the shield and preparing yet another attack. The blast fired, and another flash of lavander shined right before the spell hit home.

Spike tightened his fists, feeling utterly useless. He needed to do something. He didn't have his bow, he didn't have his more adult form, so he wasn't immune to magic. He looked around for something he could use as a weapon, though nothing could be seen through the new wall of dust.

His fists clenched tighter, before he ran through the smoke, determined to find a way to help. He came across a few well sized rocks he could throw, and started gathering them in his arms. If nothing else, he could place for a well timed detraction.

"Valiar! Don't let them escape!" He heard the changeling cry. They didn't have much time, it would only be a matter of moments before she grew a brain and either entered the frey herself or called in a couple of her minions to help. Another spell of lavander shot forth, clearing the dust through it's force. The beam hit Valiar's shield once more, but this time held it in place with a constant stream of magic, slowly pushing the turn coat backwards

Seeing his opportunity, Spike dashed behind the pony. He could feel the mixed emotions of courage and fear coursing through him as he approached. His enemy was destracted, but the thought of his magic being turned against him gave Spike pause. His love and desire to protect his friends, however, destroyed any semblance of hesitation he had. 

He'd just made things right between he and Twilight, and he'd be damned before he let this bastard hurt her.





Emerging from the cave, Shade was immediately surrounded by dozens upon dozens of... flying bug ponies.

"Bucking gross." He spat, eyeing the changelings as they began to wrap around him. The bat pony snarled in disgust and shot straight up, his pursuers giving chase and giggling like crazy. "Hey! That's my thing!" He immediately stopped his assent and shot back down, jealousy superseding his disgust and slammed into the pillar, knocking one bug after another senseless as he passed.

He grabbed the final on in his hooves and dive bombed straight downwards, Discord bent on showing this thing what happened to those who dared try to steal his shtick. The changeling's eyes grew wide with horror as it looked back and saw the closly approaching ground, it summoned green magic into it's horn and shot Shade directly in the face... before meeting the ground with a soul shattering splat.

Shaking over his newest kill, the bat pony brought a hoof up to his eye. He could still see out of it, but his vision was blurry. "Mother bucker!" He screamed, slamming his hooves down onto the splattered remains of his assailant, making damned sure that the dead horse was a well beaten and bloody pulp.

Today was just full of ponies who didn't know who they were messing with.

A sharp pain in his side accompanied by force pushed Shade hard left. He used the momentum and spread his wings to take flight, looking back to the fifth pony of the day who'd earned his ire. Another squad of blue eyed insectoids was behind him, a few shooting off green spells in an attempt to bring him down. "Tonight I dine on bug-eye soup." 

Banking hard, Shade circled around and went to charge the enemy head on. It was a useful tactic that served him very well in the past. The first Changeling to make contact became his battering ram and shield against the multiple spells and horns meant to impale him. He slammed the drone into one of the buildings, splattering it into pulp.

"On second thought, bug-eye soup doesn't sound so good anymore." He guaffed, taking in the repulsive innards of the thing.

Leaping off, the bat pony growled at seeing the growing number of flying changelings slowly encroaching around him. How many was he going to have before they figured out the should just beg forgiveness and pledge their undying loyalty? One charged forward, alone to meet the stallion in areal combat. Shade lifted his hoof and swatted the enemy as it came into reach, sending it flying out of sky and into one of the buildings.

"Is Shade gonna have to smack a bitch?" Shade yelled, aggressively shooting forward a few feet. Two more changelings approached him, glowing green horns ready to strike. "I think Shade's gonna have to smack two bitchs." The spells loosed, easily dodged by the bat pony's agility before he dashed forward. "One!" Smack, "Two!" Smack. Both of the foolish insectoids went spinning down to their deaths.

"Two bitch smacks! Ahahaha!" He cackled. His adrenaline was hot now, the tension he'd built up from remaining so calm for so long finally easing itself. Violence and destruction, chaos and war. These were the things he knew, and he was finally free to share his knowledge. No Stripes to calm him down, no Sin or Magical Horse Lady to tell him to stop, he was free. And he was going to enjoy giving these pultry bugs an education on what true violence was.

He'd taken on the beast he could handle a few hundred changelings.





Spike threw the stone right at Valiar's head, his arm giving everything he had. He didn't want to kill the pony, it wasn't his fault he was being mind controlled, but he also couldn't risk the attack doing nothing.

Another rock shot forth from Valiar's pocket and intercepted the projectile before it made contact, much to Spike's surprise. Seeing Twilight's spell begin to weaken, Spike charged forward. Thinking about his next move wasn't a priority, all he knew was that once Twilight ran out of energy, they were all in big trouble.

As expected, the rune intercepted his leap at Valiar, hitting the dragon in the stomach. With one last desperate attempt, the dragon lifted his right arm and threw his last rock point blank at the pony's face. The attack worked like a charm, and Valiar's concentration, and spell, broke just in time to catch the tail end of Twilight's spell. Catching the stallion off guard and flying back into into the wall with a crash powerful enough to crack the marble. Unfortunately, his close proximity gave promise of his own injuries, and Spike too felt the fury of Twilight's magic slam into him, the force sending the dragon flying into another wall.

Disorientated, Spike slowly pushed past the growing pain and sat up. Twilight called to him, asking if he was okay. The drake wasn't in top condition, what with the burning in his arm and face where the spell made contact, and the tail and back that broke his fall, but he was in better shape than Valiar was.

"You brat!" 

Another spell slammed into him, though, this one wasn't the awesome force and heat of unicorn magic, but a cold, sickly green that made his body burn in frozen fury. "Ahhhh" Spike screamed as he was sent skidding through the hall, the pain of dry ice pressing against his skin was overpowering.

Once at a stop, he slowly pushed himself to a stand, his good eye forming tears of pain as he tried to hold in the screaming. A large portion of his shoulder was missing scales now, the cold sting of air hitting his raw skin almost driving him to unconsciousness. 

"You monster!" He heard Twilight yell before turning her attention back to Chrysalis and unleashing yet another attack. Though, the Changeling queen simply dodged the spell with a lazy wall of green fire. The queen leapt through the fire with a screech and tackled Twilight, ending the unicorn's assault.

"You little tramp!" She was going to say more, but a pair of white legs slammed into the queens muzzle, sending her flying out the window.

"Twily' are you alright?" Shining gasped, pulling his sister up. 

"I'm fine, Shining, go check on Spike. I need to figure out a way to finish this once and for all." 

Cadance stepped forward. "Shining, between the two of us, could we make a surge that would give you the magic you need to push all of the changelings out of the city?"

The stallion immediately shot the idea down, defaming such a plan as suicide. "There's no way we could predict or control that kind of power, a surge between the two of us could destroy the city!"

Chrysalis screamed as she jumped back in through the window, her cool and calm persona all but gone, now. Worst of all, she wasn't alone. 

Spike felt his stomach drop as a wave of her minions began spilling in through the window. He tried to take a step, but a sharp pain in his back put him on the floor. Grunting, he tried again, pushing past the growing surges of agony that shot through his spine. "Twilight..." He groaned, taking a step.

Suddenly a red aura surrounded him and slammed the dragon back to the floor. Spike tried to scream from the pressure hitting in just the wrong place on his back, but all that came out of his throat was a painfully pathetic wheeze. 

"That wasn't very smart, sir." His eyes trailed and the pain in his back was accompanied by ice as his eyes found Valiar standing behind him. No, no this couldn't be happening. There was no way! How could he get back up after being hit with that kind of spell?! 

Valiar picked up Spike in his magic and tossed the limp drake across the room. "SPIKE!" Twilight called, catching her son in her own magic and gently placing him down besides her. "Spike, Spike speak to me!" She demanded softly.

The drake coughed in reply, small droplets of blood spilling out of the corner of his mouth. He tried to move, but nothing would respond. He felt his legs and arms shake, but that was it. "Hey..." he wheezed, offering a weak smile before succumbing to yet another coughing fit.

Twilight shushed him, telling him that he'd done enough today. "You were great Spike, why do you rest for a bit. Okay?" The drake chuckled in reply. He could feel unconsciousness coming to claim him and took pride in what he'd done. He may not have been able to fight, but at least he wasn't useless when his friends needed him.







Sin hit the ground with a thud, the curtains gripping in a ll the right places to leave his legs asleep and unresponsive. 

Things were not looking good. Chrysalis was placing her mind control spell back on Shining Armor, Spike and Celestia were down and out, Twilight looked on the verge of collapse, Cadance was drained, and the rest of Twilight's friends had been as useful as the guards were. This left three problems very much unchecked. The Changeling Queen, her swarming drones, and the red mage.

Things were not looking good at all.

Uppity pulled him upright, asking if he was alright. "I'm fine." He replied, trying to force feeling back into his legs. He needed to figure something out, he over heard Shining Armor's plan, but he was captured. He could work with that as the ultimate goal, but between the mass of changelings and Valiar, such a goal was almost impossible to achieve.

"Girls." Twilight said, turning to her friends. "I know your angry at yourselves right now, but I need your help!"

Pinkie and Rarity were the only two who could bear to look at her, the other three just cringed at her words. "We can settle what happened later, right now, I need you to help me fight"

The five mares looked between themselves, each nodding their approval before any traces of doubt and shame faded away, leaving only a determination and fight that made Sin smile. "Uppity, you saw what the queen did to me, right? How she used her magic to manipulate only part of the curtain?" The unicorn nodded. "Use the curtain like a catapult and launch me at Valiar."

"What?" The unicorn whispered. Sin harshly repeated the instructions, the moment Twilight and her friends acted, Valiar would make his move, he needed to be airborne before that happened.

Reluctantly, Uppity obeyed the command and drew the curtain, concentrating to keep her aura just on the corner. Sin placed himself on the edge and smirked. "Throw me as hard as you can."

"Are you sure about this?" She asked hesitantly, she'd never done anything like this before, what if she missed? What if she wasn't strong enough? What if- 

Sin placed a hoof on her mouth and smiled, leaning in he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "You'll do fine." He looked back to find Twilight's friends charging the incoming changelings and the lavender mare herself casting a spell at her brother's Captor. "Now do it!"

Turning, Uppity eyed her target and put a little strain on the drape to check its weight. Summoning every last bit of magical strength she had, she pulled the curtain back and slammed it forward, propelling her coltfriend out like rock and shooting him at the red stallion, preying that Sin knew what he was doing. 
> The Royal Wedding Pt. III (Battle of Canterlot Pt. II)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




The Royal Wedding Pt. III (Battle of Canterlot Pt. II)






Shade pushed himself up from a pile of rubble, gasping for breath. The impact of being knocked through the air, into one of the giant spires that littered Canterlot, out the other side of it and then into a house had stolen the air from his lungs. He coughed, the uncomfortable sensation of a rib pressing into his lung every time he inhaled pausing his brain's desire to give the city a new green paint job.

"Why does education have to pain?" He rubbed his head and gave his wings an experimental flap, they were still good so he was able to fight. His students were tough little bastards, that was for sure. How many had he crushed under his hoof? Seventy? Eighty? Two-hundred and twenty six? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that they just kept coming.

A few brave pegasi joined him in the battle, guards of the solar court, though their strength was no where near his own. Their sanity and sense of self preservation made them too weak to keep up before they joined the countless other ponies on the ground, either captured or dead.

"Alright, let's try this again..." He bent his legs and launched himself into the air, there before him hovered what had to be at least three hundred drones, their buzzing wings echoing off of the city below, creating a maddening state of noise that made him grind his teeth. Though, it would take more than a few tricks of psychological warfare to keep him from earning his lord's forgiveness.

One of two things were going to happen here today, they were going to die, or he was.

As he hovered, he slowly began to chuckle, he didn't know why he was, Shade seldom ever knew why he laughed. Something about the odds  never being in his favor was funny. One pony, a single, little pegasus standing against an entire army. He wasn't sure, maybe it was a brief moment of sanity that tried breaking though his madness, using comedy to register the absurdity of his goal? Maybe it was the fact laughing always helped ease the pain, the mental and physical that he'd never stop registering. Or maybe, just maybe he was laughing because he imagined himself standing on a mountain of dead bugs, beaming proudly to the world of his accomplishment that meant nothing short of his god's affections.

Whatever the reason, his chuckles soon grew to full on gwaffs of bellowing laughter. This continued for a while, the swarm before him patiently awaiting his maniacal cackling to subside. Any semblance of self care or self preservation cleansed of his psyche, Shade grinned with malice and determination. The world grew quiet around him for just a few seconds, the calm before the storm.

"A valiant effort, but you still have much to learn."

He bolted forward, dodging green beams and spells by twisting, aileron rolling through a troop of changelings and barrel rolling around another. Bright flashes of green flew by him, some missing by inches, some by a solid foot. As he passed, they began in crossfire, hitting their own and sending their brethren in a smoking heaps to the unforgiving stone ground. Shade smirked as he saw his goal, the very center of force. He barely made it before he was swarmed by angry bugs, each latching onto every limb he had. He kicked and bucked them off, eventually returning the hold one gave and using it as a new battering ram and shield.

Once at the center, he immediately adjusted his wings and banked straight down, racing the numerous husks of chard drones to the city streets below. He slowed down a little, allowing his pursuers to catch up slightly, he felt a few blasts of magic hit his hind quarters but did his best to ignore them. His target was a small subset of lower buildings he'd seen while passing by, a few of the windows just big enough for him to slip through at top speed.

As the ground grew closer and closer, he was surprised to find that not a single one of his enemies had pulled up. One hundred feat down, he pulled up just in time to avoid colliding with the streets. A few of the changelings weren't so lucky or skilled as he, but the majority had him figured out and avoided the collision.

Not that he had the time to look, though, as a building a scant two hundred feet off quickly came into view. He chose a window, placed his hooves out, squinted his eyes shut and braced for impact.

SCREACH, he flew into the building and crashed out of a second window on the other side. Dusting his face off, he smirked and looked back to see no changelings directly behind him, but the glorious sounds of splattering and, what one could only describe as insectoid cries of alarm, exploding behind him in a cacophony of death and unintended mass suicide.

His victory was short lived, however. More changeling drones flew over the wall and after him, their lost comrades an inconsequential sacrifice. Shade's eyes grew wide and he began to speed up, but a well placed bolt of magic slammed into his wing, sending the night pegasus off balance and crashing into the streets of the city, tumbling and rolling to a stop.

Realizing his position, the bat pony pushed himself up once again and tried to fly, but fell to the ground with a yelp. His wing twisted in a cruelly unusual way. Swearing up a storm, the pony instead tried to run for cover, but it ended with the same results. Though, this attempt foiled by a jolting pain in his foreleg, the one he often used to help cushion impacts.

Slowly, cautiously, Shade pushed himself up onto three legs, keeping his injured limb to his chest. He turned around and saw the wall of changelings behind him. It was unreal, it was like he hadn't even made a dent in their numbers. No matter how many he fell or turned on each other, there was just more and more.

His body began to tremble, he expected small chuckles of laughter to pour out of his mouth, but the feeling in his chest wasn't right for it. No, no what the pony was feeling now was an emotion he hadn't felt in a very long time, an emotion he'd tried for years to eradicate from his mind.

Fear.

Fear of a death he had secretly prayed for since he didn't know how long. Fear of the pain he was likely going to be subjected to. And worst of all, fear of becoming one of them. A mindless, conforming changeling drone with no free thought or sense of insanity. 

He backed up more, the wall of bugs slowly drawing closer. 

Tripping over a crack in the street, Shade fell onto his rump. There was no point now, his leg was injured, his wing was injured, he was out of strength and out of the will to fight. "So this is how it ends, huh?" He chuckled mirthlessly. That was all he knew how to do when dealing with his problems in life, why not die the same way he lived? "And here I thought the beast would be undoing."

He chuckled again and smiled wildly, his eye grow to their full width and his retinas shrinking to pinpricks. "But it's like momma used to say. I came into this world kicking, screaming and bathed in somepony else's blood, and THAT'S HOW I WANT TO LEAVE IT!"







Sin unfurrowed his wings and flapped them as hard as he could. The pain in his joints and bones was mind shattering, but it was just enough to propel him forward directly into Valiar.

The pony arose his shield, a futile effort. Sin shattered right past it, tackling both the rune that tried to protect and it's master, slamming all of them into the ground. The Federalist bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as his injured hooves met the floor, overwhelming compared to the pain he'd felt just a few seconds prior. Though, his will pushed past the excruciation and immediately wrapped all four of his limbs around the pony, breaking his magical connection to the stones.

It took Valiar a moment to realize his magic wasn't working, but eventually forgone them in favor of more physical combat. Luckily for Sin, the red pony was physically just as weak as he was, making his squirming all for naught. 

"Uppity, help the others!" Sin shouted, but it was wasted breath. Uppity and Twilight were both already held in combat with Chrysalis while Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie did their best to hold the line against the on coming hoard. Fluttershy was seeing to the fallen dragon, who's small chest raises indicated that he was gladly alive, and Cadance to Shining Armor.

Sin wasn't too pleased with the fact he was unable to assist them, but he was much more useful where he was right now.

"Why do you continue this futile effort?" Chrysalis asked, casually dodging another bolt of lavender lighting. "Your city is already lost! Even if you do defeat me, my changelings number in the thousands, you'll never defeat them all!"

"Shut up!" Twilight shouted, blasting another magical attack, this one singing the queen's mane. Livid over the damage to her hair, Chrysalis made a frustrated screech grown and returned the spell two fold, her magic intercepted by a small orange shield that deflected the queen's power directly back at her.

"Impudant fool!" the bug pony cried, swooping down to grab the less powerful unicorn, only to be met with a blast of purple magic to the face. Shaking herself off, the queen slowly regained her composure. "You think your friends will save you? You're deity has fallen! Your city in occupied ruin and your heroes lie defeated, drained and as my prisoners. It is futile to resist!"

"Quiet mare!" Uppity bellowed, taking a rock in her telekinesis and launching it at Chrysalis, missing her by a few inches. Sin took special pride in that quip.

His attention was brought back to Valiar. The pony was starting to struggle a bit harder than Sin could handle in his injured state. Despite putting everything he had into holding the stallion down, he could feel Valiar slowly breaking free of his grip. Seeing no other alternative, Sin lifted his head back and slammed it down onto his captive's, smashing the red mage's head against the floor.

The attack only surved to fuel his enemy's rage, however, and he soon slipped free of Sin's grip. The Federalist lept back onto him with out missing a beat, wrestling to gain control over the unicorns hooves. 

"Grr, what have you done! Why can't I use my magic!"

"Yea, that's a thing I do." Sin quipped before Valiar pivoted his body, throwing the stallion off of him. Valiar arose to his hooves and stomped Sin's side, holding the pony down in place.

"Now, let's see if... what? My magic is... Wait." He pushed off of the Federalist and stepped back, the runes suddenly coming to life and levitating around him once more. "So, it's only when you're touching me that they don't work. I'll keep that in mind."

Slowly, Sin pushed himself onto his own hooves, and stared behind Valiar for a brief moment to see how the others were doing. Things weren't looking good for any of them. Rarity was getting mauled, Applejack was reduced to weakened bucks, Rainbow was doing all she could to avoid and evade capture, and Pinkie was crying over a giant... blue and white stripped canon...

On top of that, Twilight and Uppity were panting heavily, matching their opponent in endurance, but that wouldn't mean anything if the changeling's broke through and overwhelmed them for her.

Bearing his teeth, the Oaken pony estimated that they'd only have a few more minutes before Applejack and them were down for the count. Still, he had to keep Valiar's attention, otherwise it would be over the second the stallion turned around. It was a last ditch effort, but ultimately a strategy Sin preferred to use first and foremost in any altercation.

With no other choice, the stallion did what he did best: Talk.






"CHARGE!" 

The sounds of dozens upon dozens of ponies crying for battle filled the streets around Shade. The pony was mildly surprised by what he saw: stallions and mares of every tribe, color and sort dash through the streets and clashed with the changeling invaders in a brawl most befitting his standards of entertainment.

"Zero Company, flank left! Third Company, unleash tartarus!" Barked a golden clad stallion holding a spear. He trotted up to the injured stallion and pulled him up. "Thanks." He whispered before charging forth and joining his country-folk in battle. "Did you forget about us? You bug eyed freaks!?"

From all around, the pegasi of Canterlot flocked in. dropping whatever objects they could find onto the threat, or outright slamming into the invaders. Unicorn magic blasted into the horde, shattering it's ranks and sending the changeling's scrambling. A few engaged the earth ponies on the ground, only to be bucked or crushed beneath their mighty legs.

Realization hit the invaders like a brick wall and the scrambling coordinated itself into a defense. A few changelings splintered off to preform carpet bombing maneuvers, but wings and scores of pegasi learned from their previous mistakes and took to a higher altitude before dive bombing the kill squads.

Stones and rubble covered in auras of every color launched themselves in any direction an bug could be seen, peppering the changelings and dropping them from the sky in the dozens. Red blood mixed with the green however, a small subset of the main invasion party orchestrated a suicidal charge, horn first into one on of the unicorn artillery positions, skewering the poor ponies on the spot. 

Everywhere around was a mass of death, battle and ear piercing shrieks, both equine and non-equine in nature. The earth ponies held the ground, the Pegasi held the sky and the unicorns were giving support to both.

The battle continued to rage on around him, Shade felt himself almost glowing in warmth as he basked in the perfectly orchestrated destruction. He'd escaped death's cold grip and experienced a battle that would sate his blood lust for at least a good two weeks. Closing his eyes, the bat pony felt sublimely calm. Peaceful. Tranquil.

Exhausted, Shade fell onto his side and allowed slumber to take him for a well needed rest.






"Tell me something, Valiar." Sin said, slowly beginning to pace in place. His goal was to keep the pony's attention through movement, but not advance to the point he'd attack. "What is it that makes you, you?"

The red pony quirked a brow. "Care to elaborate on that, dead pony?" Scoffing, Sin elaborated that he wanted to know who the pony was. Where he came from and any details that would buy Twilight and her friends the time they needed. "Of what concern is that to you?"

"Honestly, you're being mind controlled by the look of it. I'm curious what happens to the individuality of a pony once they've submitted to a new master in the way you have." Sin answered, genuinely curious to the inquiry. He'd always been fascinated by the idea of a hive mind, and the incorporation of an individual brain that didn't conform to the standard. Would the collective override the individual, or would the individual infect the collective?

The answer he received was just as interesting as it was terrifying. "Peace." Valiar replied calmly. "Peace and companionship." 

"Companionship?"

"Ponies are more alone than we realize. Our minds are isolated from one another, we lie to fit in, we change ourselves to suite the will of the collective we wish to associate with. And yet, at the end of the day, we are truly alone by comparison to what I am now." Valiar lifted his hoof and tapped his head. "I am never alone, though. For weeks, any sense of loneliness or isolation has been exterminated from my being. Replaced with the presence of my queen. To answer your question about individuality, I've never lost my sense of it, but I have grown to be mistrustful of it."

"Mistrustful of it because your queen says so?"

Valiar nodded. "I have been wrong for so many years. What I believed wasn't right. Chrysalis showed me that my sense of morality was wrong, far to lenient and forgiving. Only through her may peace and unity in the world be found, only through her can a better world come to pass."

Those words sent chills up Sin's spine. Better world, her better world? A changelings world? How would that be better?

"There are no more grey areas." Valiar stated, seeing the growing confusion on his enemy's face. "The questions of what is right and wrong, what's fair and unfair, just and unjust. The questions I used to kill myself thinking about no longer haunt me. My determination of what constitutes moral and immoral actions are irrelevant now. Only what Chrysalis tells me matters, and that has set my mind at peace, and would set the world at peace if they'd only let her."

Objective morality enforced by the hive mind and dictated by a mad changeling. Fascism at its finest, but it held one fatal flaw, and that was the food supply the changelings would need in order to continue living. Ponies would need to live in order for that to happen, and no individual in their right mind would allow such an existence.

Valiar mulled over the loop in logic for a moment. 

"VALIAR!" The queen barked, flying high to avoid a well sized slab of broken marble. 

The red pony turned his head and Sin took the opportunity to lunge. The protection stone shot forth with a momentum the brown pony wasn't expecting and slammed directly into his chest, ending his momentum with a rib shattering finality and dropping the pony in a gasping, coughing heap.

Clutching the stone, Sin felt blood spittle from his mouth and nose with every cough. The pain in his chest where the stone was indented was muted by his adrenaline. He could barely breath, his vision growling blurry. He looked past his victorious enemy to see Uppity hit by a green spell and sent sliding into a pillar. Rainbow was tackled by one of the drones, who held her down and allowed it's companions to dog pile on her. Pinkie and Rarity were buried now, Applejack was seen just in time before she too was overtaken by the swarm. Fluttershy was cowering over Spike, begging the lings to leave her alone.

Shining Armor was unconscious now, Cadance sobbing over his form and pleading with him to wake up. This was it, it was over. Shade wasn't coming, neither was Mac. There was nobody coming to save them this time.

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"BEGONE FOUL CREATURES!" a thunderous voice boomed from outside.

A massive explosion of white and dark blue erupted from the window, sending a dozen changeling flying though the hall with force enough to splatter them against whatever they came into contact with.

Sin's heart leapt with hope as a new kind of pony began to flood the chamber. These ones clad in black armor and sporting black bat wings. They tackled and dived through the mass of chatlin, stomping, bucking, and piercing with obsidian spears or swords.

Chrysalis's eyes widened in alarm at the new threat that had come to attack her brood. She shrieked and flew back as a large orb of dark blue magic slammed into her, throwing the creature against the wall. Valiar summoned his runes to assist his queen, but a volley of black magical bolts from behind him slammed into his back, dropping the pony into a smoldering heap on the floor.

Black armored hoover dashed past Sin, their metal clanging on the floor as they went. Some stopped and barked orders to separate the pony from the stones, while others pushed onwards, engaging the still quite numerous changelings.

"SISTER?!" Luna gasped as she flew in through the window, looking in horror at the suspended solar Alicorn as she hung within her cacoon prison. "What hast happened to thou?" A small crumbling of rock drew Luna's attention to Chrysalis and the night matriarch's eyes narrowed. She took the spear in her hoof, cut her sister free and slowly lowered her to the floor. "Are you alright?"

Celestia coughed but answered in the affirmative. The solar pony stood tall and turned her attention to the invading queen who growled in frustration, seeing her plan falling apart before her eyes. "You? I thought my changeling assassins took care of you!" She took a breath and cooled herself down. "Not that it matters, the city is already mine. Kill me if you wish, but understand that if you do, my changeling army will become faral and all prisoners will die before you get the chance to save them."

Luna smiled a cool, taunting grin. "Oh, I don't think we need to worry about that." 

Confused at first, Chrysalis barked with laughter, calling the night alicorn's claim a bluff. "Oh, we don't bluff." She chuckled pointing outside. The changeling queen turned to see a new swarm of being controlling the skies. A multi colored swarm that obliterated every changeling in it's wake. 

"No..." She whimpered, her connection to the hive mind finally registering all the distress and requests of the brood. "No, no, no, NO! Not my babies!" She decried. She charged her horn and turned back to the two princesses that stood before her. Trembling with the rage and pain of loss, Sin could have sworn he saw tears begin streaking down her cheek, but he was too exhausted to tell.

"You may have won this day, Celestia, but this isn't the last you'll see of me!"  She threw down her legs and a pillar of green fire engulfed her, leaving nothing more than a scorch mark.

That was the last thing Sin saw before he joined Spike in sweet, blissful sleep.
> Betrayal's Price
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Betrayal's Price






News of the changeling invasion of the capital soon spread all across Equestria via mail courier. Major metropolitan areas conscripted every guard they could find and hired voluntary security forces in preparation of any kind of retaliatory assault while the smaller towns and villages simply waited with baited breath, doing what little they could in means of defending themselves.

Luckily, the majority of the Changeling forces were eradicated in the initial assault, with stragglers being spotted along the Appeloosa corridor and Manehattan outskirts. Special teams of Changeling hunters were called in to investigate the claims and remove any potential threats from the area.

Casualties were minor for the Equestrians, the dead numbering only in the sixties, with over one hundred severely injured and even more seeking minor medical treatment. The city of Canterlot didn't fair as well as its citizens, with millions of bits in property damage, the capital would see an economic down turn that would leave the city almost crippled. A new trading super center hold would need to be established while repairs were made and lives put back together. A boom to the repairing and construction sectors, but a loss for all others.

Macintosh and his family, accompanied by a plethora of other Ponyville citizens, rushed to the Canterlot hospitals at the news of the attack. Luckily, Applejack was a tough mare, and was estimated to make a quick recovery, escaping the battle with only minor bruising, cuts and a twisted leg.

Pinkie's family came to see her as well, her physical injuries were also minor, though her mental state was another story. She'd complained about nightmares and feeling very cold and empty inside. Doctors said it was a side effect of the trauma she'd sustained, having one of her most precious emotions that defined her most being pulled away from her. Luckily she'd been put on a sugar heavy and party oriented recovery regiment. 

Rarity and Rainbow Dash received the worst of it, the Fashionista's face was pummeled pretty badly, her face swollen and a cheek bone fractured; and Rainbow was hospitalized for two broken hind legs. As expected, both families had come to offer encouragement and support, but the former's face was almost unrecognizable due to the severe physical damage it received. While the latter was expected to make a full recovery in three to four months.

Spike's back suffered a few slipped disks, luckily his species were extremely fast healers at such a young age. What would have been crippling for most ponies was a mere set back for him. In three days time, he'd but up and walking again, should prediction and X-rays remain consistent. Twilight Sparkle would over see both the recovery of himself and her older brother, along side the princess of love to be.

Shining Armor, while drained of his magic, wasn't in any physical pain or harm, though he was very mistrustful of Cadance. Any signs of affection were cringed at and he'd tense up when she saw her magic come alight. Nothing green or black was permitted to be within his sight at any given time.

Sin and Uppity shared a room in the hospital wing of Canterlot. Uppity's injuries were mild, first degree frost burns and minor magical radiation. Nothing sever. Sin's were a few broken ribs, a punctured lung and a severe concussion. His condition made worse by the pegasus, upon awakening from a nightmare, screaming and shouting about parasites the changelings used to infect the citizens of Canterlot. It took doctors an hour to calm him down enough to figure out what he was saying and another two hours for them to hunt down a specialist on the bugs to convince him that their reproduction came from eggs within a queen's lair, not from infecting other ponies.

Once released of Chrysalis's control, Valiar fled the city, unable to cope with what he had done. Like Shining Armor, he remembered what had happened under the queen's control. The sins committed by his magic and the evil's he had partaken in were countless, and he sought seclusion to ponder redemption and hide his shame.

Shade was by far in the worst shape. A fractured wing, broken foreleg, six broken ribs and ten cuts that required over fourty stitches. However, he was regarded as a hero to Canterlot, from the nobles all the way down to the peasantry. His "bravery" and strength had pulled away every changeling from their invasion, giving the Equestrians hope and time in order to mount a more effective defense and finally offensive operation.

Word had it that there was hard pressure to officially declare him a knight of the city and have Luna award him the Myrmidon, the highest honor a servant of the lunar court could receive.

Despite all of the injuries her little ponies received, Celestia was by far the worst to suffer. Not her body, but her reputation and public image. With the botched defense and her quick fall to Queen Chrysalis, ponies of political office began criticizing her relentlessly. Questions arose in mass about her capabilities to defend and rule over the empire reigned down upon her from tabloids, news papers and magazines of every genre, make and publisher.

Three days had passed since the attack on Canterlot, and Celestia's attention was far too focused on the relief efforts of the city to concern herself with the tripe and filth of the media and bureaucrats. Her ponies needed her now more than ever, and she planned to make up for her mistakes.







Reading the news paper, Sin groaned and tossed yet another hit piece aside. 

He leaned his head back onto the hostpial bed and slowly exhaled, the stink of over sanitized everything making him want to gag. He hated hospitals, did everything he could to stay out of them. Alas, he was stuck here, stuck until the royal pains in the ass gave him their permission to leave. 

He'd tried to walk out, oh boy did he try, but Uppity made it a point of keeping an eye on him during the day while a lunar guard observed by night. Curitsy of a complaint the unicorn had made to Celestia, making it an official order that he remain bed ridden until the doctors saw fit to grant his release.

Aside from Machintosh's initial visit and Twilight or Cadance on occasion, he hadn't seen any of the ponies he knew. Mostly doctors and nurses who came to tell him just how messed up he was and lecture him on the luck it took for him to survive what he had. 

The worst part though was what they had to remove from him. They'd found the dragon scales in his chest and carved them out while he was under, claiming that their properties in magical resistance made it impossible to remove the rib that had lodged itself into his lung. He understood, and accepted it for what it was, but was making a mental note to replaced them once he was free of this accursed place. 

If for no other reason than to so have a defense against Uppity, who's magic gave her more than enough of an advantage to keep him in bed.

"What's wrong?" Uppity asked, she picked up the newspaper in her magic and brought it over. As soon as her eyes hit the title, she made a sound of annoyance and tossed the thing away.

"Fucking pricks." Sin spat. The paper in question was yet another headline about Celestia's failure to protect Canterlot. Royal Princess or Royal Failure? 

The DA sighed and took a drink of her coffee. "I'm a little surprised at you, I thought you hated Celestia and the government. I thought you'd be happy about all the negative press she's getting."

Sin bit back his initial urge to laugh, by everything he's said so far, one would think her correct. After all, he hated the government, right? But the reality of the situation was much more complicated than 'individual good, government bad'. 

"As much as she may have failed here, Celestia has held Equestria together and peaceful for over a thousand years as Equestria's matriarch. While I was stuck with Twilight at the library, I looked through the history books and found minor revolts here and there, but those were solved with minimal violence." He turned his head to her. "Most countries have revolts and need to induce mass democide in order to keep the citizens in line. She doesn't. Matter of fact, most the citizens here are very kind and generous beings, tolerance and acceptance of others is the most important aspects of a decent society. So long as their ruler is just."

Sin continued with a small grimace. "As much as I may not like to say it, it is because of Celestia's leadership that Equestria has been as peaceful and safe as it has been. Compared to most countries that have crushing laws and debts, this place is paradise." Uppity's eyes shot wide, was he really giving the government credit for what it was supposed to be doing? "Even if an Anarchist territory ever was established, it could never come close to the world that the princess has paved the way for... She may have failed in combat, but rulers are judged by so much more than just their ability to fight. I don't think these fucktards realize that if Celestia were to step down, just how royally screwed this country would be."

Truth be told, he was actually looking into the history books to see if there was any clues to what had happened between Equestria's founding and the raise of the Alicorn Diarchs after his involvement with the Neo-founders. It was in that search he looked through the history books to see if he could find any large scale riots or other national emergencies that might look suspiciously staged in order to hide any secrets. Aside from the occasional revolt, typically having to do more with corrupt local officials, he found nothing.

It wasn't proof that nothing did happen, but he couldn't draw conclusion by a lack of evidence where it was needed most. Still though, he had to judge by what he saw, and what he saw was wonderful, it was achievement of what other countries claimed to want. Peace.

'Maybe that's why she has you in the Ponyville council? Keep the peace in Ponyville by keeping the politicians honest and on track.'

Maybe... I wouldn't put it passed her.

"But don't tell her I said any of this." Sin immediately added upon seeing Uppity's knowing smile. Celestia would never let him live it down.

The mare leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, promising that his admission would be kept between the two. It wasn't that Sin liked government, he just couldn't argue with the results, and so long as ponies worshiped the gods of government as they had, than it was better they be ruled by a being of benevolence than a hundred with varying agendas.

A knock came from the door, pulling both of them from their conversation. The invitation extended, the door opened to reveal a wheel chair bound Spike being pushed in by Twilight.

The two mares exchanged greeting courdually enough with each other, the males on the other hand simply stared at each other, their faces stone masks of observation and judgement. The room grew uncomfortably quiet, tension building between a pair of cold blue eyes and a single solid green one.

"Sup, cyclops?" Sin deadpanned, electing a gasp of disbelief from Twilight.

Another few moments of silence past. The dragon's face didn't show any signs of acknowledging the statement, not even a twitch of annoyance.

"Me in three days." The drake quipped with a smirk, looking Sin up and down. "Good thing too, looks like you're going to play up your injuries to get out of work again."

Twilight looked like she wanted to say something but bit her tongue. 

The smirk on Spike's face bordered on malevolent, probably still angry about his leaving for the wedding, but there was another aspect to it. One that made it clear that Spike's venom was mostly in jest. Any doubt on the matter was erased the moment the dragon began to laugh, and Sin right along with him.

"Ms. Sparkle, are you going to let him speak to me in that way?" 

A wave of relief flooded the room, the bad blood between the two having settled for the time being. "Oh hush Sin, why can't you just enjoy your time off of work like a normal pony for once?" Uppity said with a light swat on his shoulder.

"Because being normal is boring." The stallion sighed as he tilted his head forwards again to look at the bright, dull light above. "Three weeks of bed rest, hmph, like I've got that kinda time, I'd be fired for sure."

Spike chuckled as Uppity contested the stallions ideas, sighting labor laws which Sin might or might not have scribbled out of the books.

He wasn't going to argue for him, but also not against him. Fact of the matter was that his associate was in pretty bad shape, no where near ready to man his station at the mill. Not that he could talk for the next three days, but he'd be back there hauling logs long before Sin was. He could hold things together until the stallion's recovery.

"How are the others doing?" Uppity asked, Sin having given up on their argument.

All the others had either gone home or were being transported to Ponyville Hospital. Fluttershy would be checking around on all of them from time to time and encouraged Twilight and Spike to do the same upon their return. The lavender unicorn had tried to speak with her friends, but none of them could bear to look her in the eye or say anything passed formal greetings and shallow questions. Shade was being surprisingly cooperative and nice to the nurses, he wasn't even snarling or making death threats.

"We'll be chucking up on my brother later, how are you feeling Uppity?" Twilight asked, forcing some upbeat cheeriness into her voice.

"I'm fine, doctor says it'll take a while for the coat hairs to grow back, but I'm healthy as a horse besides that." She finished with her own over upbeat smile. It was weird watching two socially awkward ponies be friends.

A few more minutes passed with the four of them talking before Twilight took her leave. Spike gave one last wave of good by to his friend before they departed.

"He seemed alot happier to see you than you let on." The DA declaired, relaxing into her cushin. "You made it sound like he hated your guts." Sin chuckled, Spike didn't hate him, it was going to be a minor grudge and a joke for all the guys at work, but that would most likely be the end of it. He'd get heckled for a day, maybe too and every week or so past that. Everyone had a running joke about them at the mills, he figured he'd just gotten his own.







Spike felt a relief wash over him, the boys at work would hear about it, but it did feel better to let things go as they were, rather than meet in a big confrontation about it. With all the time he had to think in the hospital, Spike couldn't really blame his friend for what happened. Twilight talked him through alot of it and what she said made sense.

It was stupid for Spike to be angry at him.

They passed through the hospital wing hall, he'd already poked his head in on Shade, who was currently fast asleep and on Rainbow, who would be stuck in Canterlot for another week before she was fit to be moved to Ponyville. Spike was worried about the pegasus, doctors said she hadn't eaten much of anything since she got in and showed no visible signs of what most considered healthy coping. Dash wouldn't even talk to either of them when they came to visit, she just sat there looking guilty.

The drake made a point to speak to her after they'd finished up with Shining and Cadance.

A quick trip later, they'd found themselves outside of Shinings bedroom chamber. With a knock, Cadance was summoned to the door, smiling through tired eyes to the duo. "Hey guys." She greeted, walking out and closing the door behind her. "How are things?"

Twilight quickly relayed what the doctors said about Spike's condition, and Cadance brightened a little bit. "That's great news, I'm happy for you, Spike." 

She may have said she was happy, but any idiot could see the obvious running mascara and bags under her eyes. She denied their existance at first, giving the typical speech about being fine and not wanting anyone to worry about her, but a little poking and proding by Twilight quickly brought the alicorn's pain to the surface.

"He... he wont let me touch him." Cadance said through sobs. "He's scared to death of me."

Spike felt his heart break as one of his caretakes broke down infront of him. He knew things with Shining were bad, but this was a whole new level of messed up. Cadance had told them that her fience was becoming more and more paranoid over the three days since the attack. The first day he was fine, or fine enough all things considered. But on the second day he kept looking suspiciously at his wife, his eyes hard and judgemental. She'd figured a nice cuddle would help make him feel better, but Shining politely declined, saying that he just wasn't ready for that kind of closeness.

By the second day, the white stallion would flinch at any signs of affection Cadance gave him and actively avoid her. Walking around the the room longways so that the two wouldn't get too close.

And today he seemed to have taken to locking himself in the bathroom in order to keep away from her. The pink princess was feeling rejected and in pain. "How am I supposed to help if he wont even let me touch him?" She bawled into Twilight's shoulder. The unicorn did her best, but her old foal sitter was inconsolable. All she wanted was the chance to get the love of her life back, and he was terrified to even look at her.

Spike asked Twilight to open the door for him and after a little convincing, she did. He entered the large bed chamber to speak with Shining Armor while his mother did her best with Cadance.

He found the door and took a breath, trying to figure out what he was going to say. 

'Oi! Shining, why you makin' da princes cry? Wasa madda wich you? Might be a good start.'

Yea, something to that effect would work. He knocked three times on the door, and then three times again when no answer came. "Shining?" He called.

"Go away, Spike!" He heard the unicorn bark from within.

Well, that wasn't going to happen. "Shining Armor, can you please open the door?" Shining replied in the negative, stating that there was nothing to talk about. "Dude, you're locked in a bathroom and afraid of Cadance, I really think there are a few things to talk about."

"Go away!"

Spike took another breath, patience and tact would need to be exercised here. "I will as soon as you and I talk. We're worried about you man, you're freaking Twilight and me out here!"

Shining again declined the drake's demand but Spike was persistent and continued to coax the stallion into opening the door. After a good ten minutes, Shining agreed to allow the dragon in on the very specific condition that Cadance not be present. Once the agreement was made, the door opened just a crack with the unicorn pressing hie eye to in order to see Spike alone. "Who was The pony Twilight first met in Ponyville?" He asked. Spike tilted his head, confused at the inquary. "I said, who was Twilight's first friend!" The paranoid pony barked again, a little more loudly again.

"Pinkie Pie, that was the first pony she met in Ponyville. After that, it was-"

In the blink of any eye, the door opened and a pink aura surrounded the dragon and his chair, pulling him inside and then slammed shut behind him.

Spike was just about to lay into Shining for his lack of warning, but his words died as soon as he saw the pony. Dark brown bags hung under his wide, blood shot eyes. His once pristine electric blue mane was matted and dirty, the same could be said of his coat. That's when the smell in the bathroom hit the dragon and almost caused him to gag. It was sick thing to think about, but Shining must not have bathed, despite locking himself in a bathroom, ever since the wedding.

"What?" He asked quickly, sounding like he had a little too much coffee this morning. 

Pushing past the funk, Spike quietly asked what was going on, why Shining had locked himself in the bathroom and why he was so terrified of Cadance. The stallion's eye twitched at the name and his breathing quickened it's pace. 

"Why? WHY!? Why do you think?!" She barked, making the dragon lean back in his chair. "Imagine if Twilight suddenly turned into a changeling right before your eyes! A pony you loved, trusted, shared your vulnerabilities with. Imagine if she suddenly doused herself in fire and turned out to be a hideous, disgusting monster! How do you think you'd feel seeing her again?!" 

It took the dragon a moment to register everything the frantic pony was saying. He couldn't reply, he'd never even think about such a thing in his wildest nightmares. "I- I don't know, but-"

"But nothing!" Shining armor shouted before pacing around in a circle. "A changeling, Spike. I shared my bed with a Changeling for three nights! Do you have any idea how humiliating and disturbing that is?" He looked away, shivering a little. "The words she said, I was so ready to believe them, and I didn't question any of it. Not a single word, no matter how out of character it was for her."

'HA! Wait, is he doing this because he's guilty?'

"Shining, she's not mad at-"

Electric blue hair flashed as Shining cast his glare to Spike. "I know she's not mad at me. That's the entire point! She isn't mad at me! I slept with another mare, and Cadance is treating the entire thing like it's not a big deal!" He began to tremble, looking at the door. "Assuming that is the real Cadance."

"What? You think that-" Again he was interrupted by self righteous fury.

A pair of blood shot eyes stood mere inches away from his own, full of fear, apprehension and uncertainty. "Can your prove to me that is the real Cadance? Hmmm, well? How do we know it's really her? Huh? The reason changelings are such a threat is because it's so hard to see through their magic! And think about it for a second, if you had a marefriend, and she slept with another stallion, would you be all calm and forgiving about it?!"

Now this was just getting ridiculous, what Shining was talking about and what had actually happened were two different things. "But they weren't, Spike, don't you get it?!" He turned away, his trembling becoming even more pronounced as small hiccups lurched his back. "M- My own sister told me it wasn't really her and I didn't listen. I knew Twiley was hurting about something, and I chose a lie over my own sister."

Trembling with his own rage, Spike fantasized about jumping out of his chair and smacking the pony silly. He was being stupid! None of them could tell the changeling was a fake. She'd fooled everypony, Cilestia, Luna, all of the guards, Twilight's friends; everyone. He couldn't blame him for all of the confusion, paranoia and guilt the pony had, though. Spike wouldn't know how to feel if he were in such a position.

Still, that left his question unanswered.

"Yes." Shining's trembling stopped and he turned to face the chair bound dragon. "If she thought it was me, and took on my appearance, my voice and using an excuse like stress to act weird to cover her different personality, yes. I would forgive her." He slowly reached down to the wheels on his chair and pushed them forward, careful not to move to quickly and spook the pony into action. "It would hurt, I'm not gonna lie, but if I was making as much of an effort to reach out to her as Cadance is to you, only to have her hide away in the bathroom because she was afraid I was mad at her, than I'd feel pretty hurt and rejected, especially when I needed her most."

Shining turned away again, his breath growing from frantic panting to angry huffs. "That's not the only reason I'm in here, what if she's not the real-"

"And what if she is?" Spike cut him off, almost pushing himself from his chair. "If that is the real Cadance, if that is really the pony I grew up knowing loved you, and who you loved, if that poor girl out there who's been crying her eyes out, stressing herself sick over you, and making every effort to help you see it's her, where does that leave us? Huh? I'll tell you, it leaves you a coward. A coward who's too afraid to see what's right in front of his-"

A quick jerk upwards stopped Spike's tirade as he was lifted up into the air. His claws reached for his neck, feeling the familiar tingle of magic. "Don't you EVER call me a coward!" Shining yelled, slamming his leg against the floor. "You don't know what it's like to feel that kind of betrayal! To lay with someone you thought you loved and loved you, only to find out the last few days had been nothing but the lies of a mad mare who used you and planned to kill you!" He jerked the drake down to eye level and glared into his good eye. "Do that, and then you can speak to me about cowardice."

"And Twilight?" Spike wheezed. The magical grip around his neck dropped immediately at the word, falling the drake onto his stomach in a gasping heap. His back was burning now, but the dragon managed to crawl his way back to the chair, positioning himself to get his spine straight again. He looked at the horror that returned to Shining's face, feeling a mix of anger and pity for the stallion. "Twilight was fooled too. You're not alone on feeling betrayed there, but don't you think your sister's feeling betrayed most of all?"

Shining clenched his eyes, fresh tears tearing down his face at the dragon's words. He'd chosen the lie, he'd abandoned her, knowing full well how hurt she was. He told her not to attend his wedding two days after offering to make her his best mare. And for what? Trying to stop him from being with the very lie that tormented him now.

"After all of that, do you know what Twilight's been doing? She's been checking up on her friends constantly. Each one of them doing what you are now. And you know what? It. Is. KILLING HER!" Cringing, Shining stepped backwards, his threatening persona melting into a lost puppy getting a well deserved scolding. "She's mad at them, and rightfully so. They chose the lie like you did, and they aren't even giving her the decency of opening up for her to explain just how hurt she is. The only one who's apologized was Fluttershy, and she did so through tears. But you know what? Now Fluttershy and Twilight can be friends again, she has a chance to connect with Twilight that none of the others have right now."

He turned his chair to the door and opened it, giving Shining one last look.

"I don't know how long you plan to stay in here, but I'd figure something out soon. Because it's only a matter of time before Cadance stops putting up with this and leaves. You're a lucky stallion to have her, I'd hate to see you mess it up because you were too scared and guilty to sort it all out while you had the chance."

His part finished, Spike wheeled himself out the door, taking care not to close it behind him.

Soon enough he passed out the bedroom door and found both Cadance and Twilight staring at him wide eyed. Spike took a minute to look back and see the bathroom door still open behind him. "I think he's ready to talk now."






Feeling extra confident and cocky, Spike sat outside Rainbow Dash's room alone. Cadance and Twilight were having a well to do conversation, and what was going to be said here was better said alone.

He knocked on the door for the sake of being polite and slowly opened it.

"Rainbow?" He asked, wheeling himself in. The pegasus in questions was laying in a bed on her back, both of her hind legs suspended in the air. Her face looked blankly at him before turning forward again.

Spike closed the door and sighed, expecting this conversation to go just like the first one had. "Rainbow Dash, can we talk for a minute?" No reply, Rainbow just continued to look blankly forward. 

The one big difference between Dash and Shining was that her shock and reservation might be because of the broken legs more so than what she'd done to his mother. A more gentle approach was in order, but the point still needed to be made. "Talking requires that you make mouth noises too, you know." He teased, trying to lighten the mood... and failing miserably.

He pushed himself closer and prodded the pegasus a few times, trying to get some kind of response that didn't revolve around blank staring or ambiguous grunting. Finally, he'd grown impatient and used his claws to pinch her shoulder.

"Oww, what the hay, Spike?" She whine, rubbing her now irritated joint.

'You know, you should look into being a psychologist.'

Happy to have her attention, Spike decided to breach slowly and asked how Rainbow was feeling. That's where all things gentle ended. 

"How am I feeling? I've got two broken bucking legs! How do you think I'm feeling?" She snarled, before folding her hooves and slamming her head back into the pillow.

Patiently, Spike waited her out. Anybody who know Rainbow Dash knew she was a stubborn mare, a rare breed of too stupid to quit and too persistent to give up. But with the calm finality the dragon was feeling right now, he knew she'd break long before he did.

A full hour of silence crept by as the dragon sat in wait, a small sliver of irritation pushing it's way to Spike's mind. He was slowly begining to wonder if his confidence in his own tenacity was misplaced. Though, just before the thought had a chance to be entertained, Rainbow mumbled something under her breath. A noise that Spike asked her to repeat.

"What am I supposed to say to her?" Rainbow's head turned to his, the tell tale misty eyes of a pony who'd messed up looking at him. "After what I did to her, walking away like that? What am I supposed to say?"

"Sorry would be a good start." The dragon replied thoughtfully. 

'Crying, groveling and begging for forgiveness worked pretty well for Fluttershy.'

Rainbow lifter he hooves to her eyes. "I walked away from her. Me! I saw she was hurting, that something was bothering her. And right there, when she needed all of us the most, we all just left her to rot. Angry because we thought she was trying to ruin her own brother's wedding because she was jealous..." She sobbed a few times before removing her hooves and breathing deeply to fight the urge to cry. "Some element of loyalty I turned out to be."

Bitting his lip, Spike repeated what he said to Shining about them all being fooled. It was a cleaver disguise and ruse that caught even Celestia off guard.

"I'm an Element of Harmoney, Spike. The Element of loyalty! Does abandoning a friend when they need you most sound like somepony who deserves to be called loyal?" She snarled through tears.

That made her blunder all the worse, the Element of Loyalty committing betrayal. He wasn't sure how to approach that, aside from saying what he planned to say anyways. "Mistakes were made, Rainbow. You and I both know that you're not an unloyal friend." He pushed forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sin told me what you, Pinkie, Mac, and Discord were planning." Rainbow's anger melted into shock at the revelation. The small things some ponies get caught in when they talk a little too much.

"He told me that you and them were willing to sacrifice your very lives to get me out. That even if you survived you were fully prepared to flee the country because you were loyal to me and thought that my punishment was unjust. You made a mistake, we all do and we all will. You're awesome, but you're not superpony, even if you'd like to be."

"Twilight will need her friends now more than ever. She's a little mad at you, that much is true, but if you want to make it right, than shutting down around her will only make her angrier. Be the friends she needs when I'm not there for her, I think that's the best you can do, and that's all she wants." He removed his hand and shrugged. "You know, right after she chews you out for leaving her high and dry."

'Wow, way to send a mixed signal there, guy.'

To his credit, Dash gave a weak chuckle at his words and nodded. "Thanks Spike, I needed that."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

> A Captain's Woes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



A Captain's Woes






Limping down the stairways of Canterlot Castle, Sin leaned over to check and see if any guards were coming. None in sight, he continued his agonizing trudge down to the main hall.

The cover of night had most who'd see him resting, asleep themselves. Even the lunar guard who was supposed to be watching him was passed out on the make shift bed he'd brought with him. Slipping some untaken sedatives into the pony's drink wasn't a hard task, after giving some innocent inquiries to allergies, of course.

He couldn't take being doped up and sitting in that damned room any longer, he needed to be up and about! He needed fresh air, trees, grass, the sky for Tapio's sake. Uppity and Celestia, should she care to visit him, could chew his ear off about it later. He'd go as insane as Star Shade if he had to spend one more night coped up in that room.

He heard clanking ahead and ducked down, he could feel his heart picking up as the clanking grew louder. 

'Shit, a patrol.'

He ducked behind a stone pillar and awaited the guard to pass, his ears perking and swiveling whenever there was an abnormality in the trotting pattern. Luckily, the guard passed without incident, and as Sin watched him reach farther down the hall, he gently crept down the hall in the opposite direction. If memory served, he'd just need to pass by the dinning area and then jump out the lower window.

As he walked, he dodged a couple more patrols and reached the archway that devised the hall from the large dinning hall. He peered into the hall and cursed under his breath. There sat Shining Armor, alone with a glass of, what he assumed to be, alcohol of some kind. The pony's shoulders were high and his head low, perfect body language to indicate depression.

'Drunk captains are inattentive captains.'

Another bit of clattering from behind and Sin dashed as quietly as he could behind a perpendicular archway that lead down to main hall. His ears swiveled and he waited for the clanking hooves to either pass or die down. It always annoyed him how infiltration and sneeking around really worked. Unlike books and plays, which emphasized an unnecessary amount of athletic and acrobatic ability, the key was always more about patience and observation.

His heart dropped as the clanking slowly, painfully slowly, drew closer and louder. He'd wasted a good hour on his sneaking around already. At this rate, he wouldn't have any time to clear his head outside before having to sneak back in!

The guard passed by him, his eyes straight forward and entered the dinning hall. He called to the captain and whispered something, before the clanking began a new as the lunar pony returned from the path he'd come.

'Wonder what that was about?'

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed? Anarchist?"

Shoulders slumping, Sin limped from his hiding spot and into the dinning hall to confront the good drunk pony. Shining lifted his head and gave the pony a smirk. "We were just invaded by a bunch of Changelings, did you really think you'd be able to creep around without somepony noticing you?"

'Cleaver bastard.'

Sin took the opportunity to study the bottle the captain had, as suspected it was methanol in nature. And judging by the fact the stallion was smiling at him, he was well past what most would call: Socially acceptable intoxication. "Fair enough." Was all the Federalist could reply with before switching topics to a more interesting account. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I think I asked you first." He said before downing the rest of his glass.

Alright, so something's bothering him. Now do I care enough to sit and speak with him about it? Hhhmmmmmm, ye- na- hmmmm, sssure, why not?

Limping his way around the table, Sin pulled out a cushin and took a seat. The truth seemed like the best way to go here. "Can't sleep."

Shining chuckled. "Well would you look at that, we have something in common." He spat, pouring himself another glass and downing it in a single gulp. Sin was about to stand up and leave, but Shining's magic stopped him. It wasn't that it manipulated him, but summoned another glass from a near by cupboard. Halting for a moment, Shining's eyes trailed to Sin and stayed on the pony. He shook his head and then proceeded to fill the glass before pushing it over to him.

"What's this for?" Sin inquired, looking down at the auburn liquid.

"For your help at the wedding." Replied Shining, pouring himself yet another glass. "It's a lower proof, so don't expect to feel too good off of if." He lifted his glass in a hoof, Sin mirrored the act and the silent toast was downed. Shining wasn't lying, the swill tasted more like a fireball candy than it did anything else. Though, it did explain why three fourths the bottle was gone and he wasn't under the table yet.

Giving a word of thanks, Sin inquired as to what kept Shining up, it was obvious he had something on his mind, and getting on his good side wouldn't hurt. "I told you already, I can't sleep." Quirking a brow, Sin clarified that he wanted the reason he couldn't sleep. "What's it to you, Anarchist? I thought you didn't like me."

"Not as a pony of the guard, no." Sin replied flatly. "But as a stallion all his own, you don't seem too bad."

Again, Shining paused and looked at his drinking companion. Sin's answer must have been suitable to him, his glass being refilled told him as much. The two continued to trade information, shallow at first. Giving short and ambiguous answers about how things were, how their respective love interests were doing, as well as their friends.

That last one was where Shining's good mood ended, and he resumed his thoughtful preponderance over his drink. "I guess I've just been figuring things out lately." He admitted, downing the last bit of the "whiskey" and summoning another bottle from the same cupboard he'd gotten Sin's glass. Sin begged the question and the unicorn replied. "Valiar was the closest thing to a friend I had here. When returned from the mission I'd sent him on to Las Pegasus, I was planning to ask him to be my best mate." He chuckled mirthlessly, pouring himself another drink. 

"A pony who assaulted me not too long ago, is the pony I was going to ask to give my wedding speech." Sin briefly thought about saying something about the unicorn's drinking, but quickly thought better of it. "All because he was the closest thing I had to a friend here."

Okay, that couldn't go unabated. "You're Captain of the Royal Guard. What do you mean you don't have friends?"

The unicorn stallion motioned to the empty table around, as if to say that this was the epitome of his relationships outside of the obvious, before he asked Sin about how many of the ponies that attended the wedding looked like they'd be the sort he'd associate with. Thinking on it, out of  all the ponies present, there were only two who weren't dressed like pompus snobs. Though, with the way Twilight was acting with them, he'd assumed them family, rather than friends.

"Exactly." Shining grumped. "Ever since Cadance and I became official, it's like nopony wants to be around me outside of the job. I see the way they look at her, they want her, but they can't have her. I'm the luckiest stallion in the world to be with Cadance, but I'm also the most hated for that exact same reason." He finished his mini rant with another shot.

It made sense well enough, the pink alicorn was one of the most attractive mares he'd ever seen physically. Sin couldn't deny that her personality was also an asset as well. Her magic, if he understood it correctly, was something to the effect of spreading love. Mix all three and you had a mare on your leg that would make any stallion green with envy. "That sucks, dude." He polished off his own drink, only to have Shining pour him yet another.

The conversation picked up from there, Shining began confessing quite a bit about himself. He loved his fiancee, quite dearly from the way he spoke about her, but he also wanted more than to just be a husband. The white pony may have had the most beautiful bride in the land, but he still craved friends outside of just her. "Just, ponies to hang around with, you know? Talk some smack, relax a little bit, curse for Luna's sake." He took a breath and sighed. "I mean, this is the closest I've had to a decent friendly conversation, and look who I'm having it with."

Sin saw the insult, but decided to play on it. "Yea, you've fallen pretty far, not gonna lie." he smiled and arose his glass again. "Welcome to rock bottom, Captain."

"Loathed to be here, Anarchist." The two took another shot and allowed the conversation to drift to more light hearted topics. Stories about their exploits and accomplishments filled the air, it stared out professionally enough, but the more alcohol consumed between them, the more embarrassing details were shared. The Federalist exposing his time in Triple M. while Shining recounted his own time in the Trottingham guard as a private.

An hour and three more bottles of whiskey later, and both were cracking up at a story Shining was telling. "Alright, so no lie, there I was. A baby foal in one hoof and a ritualistic staff in the other, right? The mother's -hehe- the mother's still trying to feed me the lemon pie and, dude, it's was disgustingly sour. I mean I was ready throw it up all over the basement."

Sin couldn't make out the next few details, mostly on account of the story being muffled by the sounds of the two busting up laughing. "But eventually, back up came and the baby was taken into foal protective services while the mom received psychological treatment. Oh gosh, I'll never forget that day."

Sin sat in his mirth for a while, appreciating the story he had just been told. He'd never heard of seduction techniques being so unorthodox in all his life, but that was the price one paid for being a first responded.

"Alright, alright. I've got one for you." Sin managed between breaths. "So, I'm somewhere around five years old, right? My brother, Malich, and I are walking down the streets of Unitas. Big city, think Manehatten, but the size of Canterlot. Anyways, so we go down the park where all the plays come to town, there was this play he loved to watch My Little something or another, and I run to get us some... Popcorn and ummm, oh fuck, what were those candies called? You know the ones that look like little blue pills but burst all kinds of different flavors all at once."

"Oh! Oh, crap, umm. Hold on, they're... Dang, I forget the name of them but- Oh! Echo Dons!"

Sin pointed and grew more excited, the alcohol hitting him alot harder than he expected. "Yea! That's it. So, I go get them right? And I come back to find he's not there. So, I'm flipping shit, I just lost my little brother at the park and I begin running all over trying to find him. Asking everyone I see if they'd seen where he went. "

"I search for a few minutes and the play starts, I don't notice but he- hehehe -he's one the stage, dancing along with the actors!"  He stopped to get his giggling under control. "So, I jump up on stage to try to get him off, apologizing the entire time when suddenly, one of the actors picks me up and starts twirling me around like a baton! I mean, literally, he was spinning my body around his wrist! Malich's just dancing around and having the time of his life, and I'm being thrown in the air like a rag doll, scared out of my mind, crying for the guy to put me down."

Sides were hurting, heads were more than a little fuzzy and hooves were pounding on the table. The story concluded with Sin eventually grabbing onto his captors arm for dear life and refusing to let go until after he promised to stop throwing him around. He wanted to threaten the pony that he was going to tell his dad, but he couldn't afford to look weak in front of his brother, so the two had settled to simply stay and watch the play from the far back of the park.

"And that's why I never stand in front for shows. Honest to Tapio, true, fucking, story." 

It was then that Shining asked who Tapio was and that lead to a long story about the Federation's founding. While not as comical and long winded, both the stallions added their own commentary to make it somewhat funny. 

Another few two hours passed and the laughed died down, mainly due to head aches and a lack of any more alcohol. Sin had mixed feelings about the white pony infront of him now. He still mistrusted the stallion to be sure, but any feelings of passive aggressive hostility were gone. For all of his stuffy state worship, Shining was actually a hilarious guy when he wanted to be.

"Alright, I think I'm going to head back to my room before someone notices I'm gone." Sin stated, standing up and wobbling from inebriation. "Okay, this will be a fun walk."

Shining did the same, though his wobbling was much more pronounced. "Yea, that's not a bad plan. You know somethin'? You're alright." He paused, his smile stretching into a smirk. "For an Anarchist."

Seeing the opportunity, and his drunken mind superseding all functions of dignity, Sin scoffed with indignation. "Just alright? Bitch please, I'm fabulous!" He said, lifting his hoof up and tossing his mane.

Shining immediately dropped to the floor, holding his head as he fought to keep his snickering under control. "No, that's ehehe- that's not fair! I've already got a head ache" He managed between snickers.

Sin had to clench his jaw to keep himself upright, just the sight of someone laughing was enough to push for his own giggle fit. Eventually, Shining got ahold of himself and the two said their good byes before parting way to their respective beds for the night.

Seeing the situation done with, Sin calmed himself and regained his senses the best he could. He had to admit, Shining was an alright sort, and it made him feel better knowing he'd be going to sleep feeling a little better than before the Federalist had come in.

'Hey, that's that empathy thing we were talking about.'

So it was, it felt good. Kinda like the feeling he had when he'd helped pull Spike from his depression. Alas, it was on the trek back that he realized that he'd never gotten outside, though he surprisingly didn't care as much as he thought he would. Maybe just being out of the room for a while was all he needed after all.

"You know..." Sin froze mid step and gasped before slowly turning around to find Luna leaning against one of the pillars behind him. "If thou wishes to drink and wonder the halls without being caught, thou would do well to keep thine voice down." She was smiling at him playfully. "Good morning, Sin."

"Mornin'." The Federalist replied bluntly, surprised to see Luna here. "Yea, I'll keep that in mind. Didn't mean to disturb you."

Luna chuckled mirthfully, explaining that she wasn't disturbed at all. Matter of fact, she was very happy to hear laughter in her halls at night, most ponies didn't pay her half of the day any mind. "We just wanted to thank you."

"For?"

"For many things, but right now, for what you did for Captain Armor." Her smile faded to a grimace and she looked away. "He does his best not to let my sister and I know, but we've seen how he's treated socially by his subordinates and peers. Their jealousy and lust drives hostility to him for what he has. It's not fair that he should face such scrutiny for being the one who won Cadance's affection."

Sin pressed his lips and shrugged. Shining had known the mare since they were in school, the other stallions and mares around really didn't have a chance. 

"Exactly. I haven't heard him laugh like that in quite some time, and it was nice to hear it once again. And I have you to thank for that." She turned away and began walking back to the main hall. "Sleep well Sinbad."

Seeing her turn and expose the stars in her mane quickly brought a memory back. "Luna!" 

The Alicorn stopped and looked back at him curiously. "Yes?"

Sin pressed his lips, thinking over what he was about to say. "When... you were in my dreams that one time. Did you leave anything behind? In my mind, I mean."

Luna's brow furrowed at the question and Sin's brain started sobering up real quick over the questions he was asking. What was he going to do if she said no? Tell her that something that looked like her, calling itself the Alicorn of Insanity had popped into his head and was making him commit self mutilation?

"No, We did not. Why do you ask?" She inquired, her eyes narrowing slightly as he tone shifted to suspicious. That was all Sin needed for him to abandon his planned inquiry.

"Never mind, it's nothing. Have a good one." He said before limping his way back down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him.
> Bombs and Drugs (Mac, Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Bombs and Drugs






Big Mac awoke to a slightly swiming head. He clenched his eyes shut and rubbed them with his fetlocks to try and steady his vision, no luck though. Despite it being the third time rubbing, his eyes just couldn't seem to adjust to the slightly wavering room he looked out at.

Grumbling, the stallion carefully extracted himself from bed. His nerves making any morning rituals or problems either not happen or seem irrlivant. He looked out the window to find the sun well over the horizon and sighed, apple bucking season would start up soon, and he wouldn't be able to sleep as late as he was accustomed to.

"Macintosh?" Annabelle mewled and lifted her head, stretching out her neck with a satisfying pop. "Hmm, where are you going?"

It was always a little irritating when Anna woke up, she was one of those sorts who'd forget the night before in the first few minutes into the waking world. Despite the fact both of them had packed a few bags a piece, the stallion reminded her about last night's conversation and it all came back to her in depressed realization. "Hang on, let me get ready and I'll come with you."

It only took a few minutes for her to go through her daily routine before the two ponies went downstairs to see no breakfast or lunch waiting for them, only a very patient Granny Smith, sitting on her rocking chair and winding peacefully back and forth. "'Bout time ya'll lazy birds got outta bed." She stopped rocking and jumped off her chair, arching her back and sighing. "Well, did ya wanna lead the way, er eat first? Ah didn't make nothin' so it'll be on ya to feed yerselves."

Figuring it would be the last meal in the house, Mac asked Annabelle if the she'd mind making something. "Maybe it'll help lessen'  the blow fer when she gets ta hollerin'." He whispered.

Annabelle agreed and wondered to the kitchen, preparing some generic sandwiches for the late morning meal. Granny and Mac now alone, the marshmellow green mare turned to her grandson. "Heard ya'll movin around more 'n usual last night." She said, reminiscing about hearing drawers opening and closing along with more walking around.

Packing was a loud thing, no matter how quite one was. Even better, Applebloom and Applejack were in Canterlot for the royal wedding right now, so claiming any type of plausible deniability was out of the question. "Eyup."

"Care to share why?" Her words were calm and polite, but still held an air of suspicion. It was almost like she knew what they were doing, and it wasn't like the young ponies were trying to be loud or anything, but apparently it was loud enough to rouse his granny's suspicions. "Ah know the sounds of foal makin' when Ah hear it, so don't be tellin' me none o' that ta butter me up."

'Wow, even now she can still crack jokes... HA!'

The two shared a short, awkward laugh. Mac was almost tempted to tell her right then about the Cannabis plants, thinking her good mood would help him in some way. Alas, he decided to just wait and show her; let her see and judge for herself exactly what he'd been doing with her property.

Shortly after, Annabelle came back out with a trey of freshly made lettuce and tomato sandwiches, complete with olives peirced tooth picks on top. It would be a good last meal before facing the wrath of Granny Smith. Eating passed in silence, the cream colored earth pony casting worried looks over to Machintosh every so often. Between his growing sickness and the idea of them being out on the streets because of her insistence on the crop, it was only logical that she would be.

Still though, Mac wasn't going to let her blame herself too much, he was the one who agreed to do it, her influence held sway, but it was his decision in the end. He'd face the consequences for what was about to happen, even if the pit in his stomach told him not to.

Once done eating he began to walk out to the fields, Anna and Granny in tow. Clouds were rolling over head and he had a slight inceling to use that as an excuse to turn back and wait for tomorrow, but he knew it would just be a delay of the inevitable. Assuming they did get thrown out, walking to Sin's place in the rain didn't appeal to him.

He felt the first few drops of rain drip against his snoot as they finally approached the small enclave of trees that surrounded the garden. He looked back to find Granny Smith's eyes widden at the rows of vegitables and roots that mared the once lush and full lawn of grass. "So, this is what ya'll were doin' back here." She said.

"Eyeup." Her grandson nodded.

"N' this is what them ponies were here tah see? Can't imagine why they'd be here fer this." She stepped forward and began inspecting the roots and stems, Mac waited for her to get to the cannabis plants. Once she did, she stopped and took special care to examine them, making thoughtful noises as she looked down the row.

The rain was coming down harder now, Mac felt the anticipation building in his shoulders, waiting for her to ask what exactly the plant was. He felt his stomach clench as Granny humphed at the plant and stood, looking at him with a scrutinous gaze. "Mind tellin' me what this is doin' here?"

"It's ganja!" Annabelle exclaimed before Mac could open his mouth. "We- I was using it to help a friend with sever mental problems, someone else had given him some and it seemed to help alot. But she ran out and my friend got worse. I asked your grandson if I could grow some out here. Macintosh was against it, but I preassured him into letting me do it. I'm sorry."

Mac's eyes went wide at the admission. She was going to take the fall for him.

'Dude...'

"Please, don't be mad at him! We have permits from Celestia herself! It was-"

"It was underhoofed to be goin' behind my back n' plantin' crops like these." Granny spat, gesturing to the cannabis. "Ah can't belive what ya'll have done here. Especially you, Machintosh. Ah thought Ah raised you better." 

The mentioned pressed his lips and endured his lecture, waiting for the inevitable to come. As bad as he felt, he was more relived than anything else. It felt good that everything was coming out in the open. Granny shook her head and turned back to the guarden, she picked up one of the few buds he hadn't taken and began examining it.

"Ah mean, tah hide a treasure like this here n' not tell me? Shame on both of you."

'Treasure?' 

Taken aback, Macintosh looked to Annabelle for a brief second to see that she was just as off put by the comment as he was.

"Hmmm, Zeborican grain, firm bud, peach and purple specks..." She sniffed the plant and let out a delighted sigh. "She's ready fer harvest too!"

"Wait, what?" Macintosh asked, his eyes shooting wide. "Ya, but, how do ya know- about..."

Granny began to chuckle, tossing the bud into he air. "C'mon now, Macintosh. Did ya really an ol' mare like me could keep buckin' the entire apple farm by mah self after yer parents were gone?" She smirked and looked at the small piece of plant again. "Used to sell these little beauties out ta the travlin' drifters n' settlers who passed through Ponyville when yer pa n' Ah settled in. Ah stopped once he and your ma made enough money off the apple farm to keep it going, though. And boy howdy were some ponies mad about that." She chuckled and walked over to pat her grand son on the shoulder. "If'n ya need any advice, just come n' ask me."

She stopped and looked between both Macintosh and Annabelle. "'N don't ever think about tryin' ta hide somethin' like this again. If Ah was younger, I'd tan both yer hides right nao!"

Both ponies stood at stiff legged attention. "Yes ma'am." They declared in unison. Pleased with the reply, Granny began walking back to the farm house. Anna noticed she was still carrying the bud and asked why she was planning to do with it.

"Are ya kiddin' chil'?" the elder mare hollered back before looking at the bud with a cheshire grin. "This stuff's great fer muh arthritis."








The entirety of the Zeborican village had been rounded up and was currently being held a half a mile from their quaint town. Malich eyed each and every one of them with suspicious contempt, he wanted them close enough to see what he was capable of, but not too close that they would be caught in it. He wanted the message spread to every last Zeborican immigrant in the nation.

He'd told his subordinates to avoid killing them, despite the doctrine's granting of the authority. Property, decency, respect, all of these things he expected from the mercenaries under his command. Which must have been working, considering how cooperative the zebras always were. And yet, it seemed as though an example needed to be made, not through blood, but through destruction.

It was all he could do for the time being. If what his grandfather had told him was correct, than the terrorists were raised on strong values of protecting their people and family. Threatening the zebras, while not the most kind hearted of actions, was a preferable alternative to having an apocalypse of undead roaming the countryside. He wouldn't be so heavy handed if it weren't for the fact that dozens of ponies an a few griffons had already been killed for these cultists goals. Mainly his own assets.

How they came to the conclusion he'd brought changlings into the Federation, Malich was unsure, but he'd be damned before the citizenry was made to suffer for it. It was a small, miniscue bit of altruism, but the spark was there. These things were abominations that would kill indiscriminately, his company was the greatest chance the Federation had of preventing their continued infestation.

Of course, he didn't want anything else blamed for the fall of this country other than the actions of the citizens themselves. With as unstable as the ecnomy was, and reports of rioting and protests in key metropolitine areas of North Equine, a zombie apocalypse would be just the thing to tip the country over the edge.

He could see the news papers now. "Economy crashes, zombies invade Unitas."

No, no, no. He wouldn't have that. If his plan was to work for a better world, the undead had to go. In order for that to happen, the cultists had to stop conjuring them.

"Mr. Malich!" Called a scrawnly unicron as she walked up to his position on the hill, two zebras in tow behind her. "Sir, the Zeborican chieftain and his daughter would like to speak with you."

Sighing, the executive pony nodded for them to come forwards. He'd been expecting this, the zebras weren't very happy about being told to grab personal belongings and evacuated from their huts, but once they'd been told that their village was going to be engulfed in fire, they packed up and left in short order, begrudgingly so, of course.

The Chieftan was an older, but much brawnier zebra than most. The stripes on his face were outlined with darker blue paint, distinguishing him from the rest of his clan, along with the fact that his ears were lined with golden looped earrings. He walked oddly, using a rather old and worn looking staff he carried as his fourth leg.

The daughter was an older filly, breaching on the cusp of adult hood. She didn't make eye contact, electing instead to keep her eyes on the ground. Aside from a dark brown cloak, Malich couldn't' see much of her body, but the resilient look on her face more than told him how unhappy she was with the entire situation.

"Chieftan Maleek!" The zebra called with a gracious bow, one that the ashen pony returned. "I am Chief Alidon, and this is my daughter, Yoganda. I have come to speak peace, I ask that you allow my people to return to our homes."

The executive regarded the zebra for a moment. Unlike the others, he wasn't afraid of Triple M. He didn't show any signs of fear in his stance nor face, nothing but honest concern and want for normalcy and to be left in peace. Malich had to give respect where respect was due, this zebra would make a great addition to the new world. Assuming things here didn't escalate to violence, of course.

Luckily, the chieftain of this tribe had spent time studying the native language, and made it a point to speak with the locals himself instead of relying on a translator. 

"Chief Alidon. I'm afraid that I can't let you do that." He replied grimly, explaining how some members of his country were a threat to Malich's own. He needed to send a message that such acts of death and murder were not going to be tolerated. Alidon urged him to reconsider the destruction of his people's village, stating that he'd seen the power Triple M. had and would gladly send runners to every Zeborican settlement and tell all of them to what the Federation was willing to do to protect it's citizens.

"I'm sorry, but actions speak louder than words, Alidon." Malich declared resolutely. The Zebra's facial expression didn't shift in the slightest, it appeared he'd expected as much of a reply. Though, before the Zeborican could continue the talks, a black clad griffon swooped down, landing just to the right of the ashen pony.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Malich. But Thanatos has returned with the prototypes you've requested."

Sighing, the stallion thanked his subordinate and told him to summon the dragons to line up in front of the zebras. It was an intimidation tactic, he wanted them all to see it from start to finish. The prototypes were inspired by reports from the loss of the S.S. Judgement, the explosive force of gun powder used in fireworks had destroyed both the rudders, propellers, and pierced a hole in the gas bag large enough to bring the entire thing down almost immediately. Considering how sturdy the materials used in both were, it was apparent that the usage of the powder in fireworks was only the tip of it's capability and  limitless destructive potential.

Malich had ordered a separate facility dedicated to weapons development begin experimental tests and enhancements of gun powder. The weaponization of it was far to incredible to ignore, and was going to observe the first field test the project had to offer.

"Chieftan Maleek, please, I beg of you. This is our home, we have braved the great sea to escape the destruction and hate that our land is known for, we just want to live in peace."

Malich could appreciate what he was being told. Isn't that what everybody wanted? To live in peace and feel secure and free?

'Then don't destroy the village.'

That wasn't an option, if he wanted the Tal'Derime to stop their cultist actions upon his country, he needed to threaten what the Zebras held dear, the lives of their kin.

'But you're not really hurting the Zebras here. Not their physical persons, anyways. So, what's the point of destroying their village with no blood shed? Do you really think the Tal'Derime will see this as anything other than farther encouragement for their actions?'

Malich hoped they would not, but if they did continue, and he did need to take farther actions, the next demonstration would be much more severe and bloody than what was about to happen. He felt bad, he really did. It was likely that the agents who'd summoned the damned weren't even apart of this settlement, but he couldn't ignore the Federalists who were killed by their actions. Hopefully, this would either pressure the Tal'Derime to stop, or have the other Zeborican tribes out them and either kill them or bring them to justice.

The talk continued on, the Zeborican desperately trying to convince Malich to stop what he was about to do, and the Federalist continually explaining why he had to do it. It all really came down to one thing, proof. Claims were easy to dismiss, but a giant crater in the ground where a zeborican village once stood? That was a reality very hard to ignore.

"I understand your position Alidon, however, we wish to live the same. And so long as the Tal'Derime continue to kill and resurrect the ponies of my country and state, we will not be able to do so."

A thunderous roar boomed behind him and all parties turned to see a troop of eight dragons flying straight for them. Malich smirked as the beasts flew above and began to circle. He could hear the zebras behind gasp and yelp with fright, talking amongst themselves and cowering. That was what he needed to see.

One by one, the dragons of Thanatos landed, shaking the earth with each drake that touched the ground. Each dragon bore a harness that held six giant black barrels on them, black barrels with a yellow pony skill and crossbones painted on them. The barrels were massive, easily the size of seven full grown ponies a piece, and that was just in height.

Finally, Golvec was the last to land, unlike the others, his harness held no barrels. "We have come as requested." He looked at the large gathering of zebra and smirked, his amused eyes turning back to his master. "I must say, I knew you were a cold hearted monster, but to gather up all of these wretched zebras in one place in order to kill them? That's almost inequine."

"It would be," Malich agreed, shivering at the thought of such a disgusting act of death. "But I have limits on what I'm willing to do to get my way. The Zeboricans are not to be harmed in any way." He turned and eyed the village down the hill. "On my order, you will lead Thanatos down and destroy their village. My mercenaries have ensured that it was cleared out of any more zebra, leave no buildings left standing."

The ruby drake bowed his head and answered in the affirmative. "On your word."

Nodding, the ashen pony turned back to the Chieftan to finish up what business there was, it was pointless, he was going to blow the entire village into the next century, but he also saw it good policy to always listen to complaints.

To his surprise, and a little horror, Yoganda stood in front of Alidon, her demeanor unsettlingly submissive and pronounced. "Chieftan Maleek, I offer you my daughter, Yoganda. I prey that in your acceptance, you will spare my village."

On the outside the executive merely stood stoically at the offering. On the inside, he was recoiling in complete and utter disgust. How? How could a father put up his own daughter like a common whore like this? Was there no shame to be had!? It took half his strength to resist smacking the Chieftan across the face.

'Don't act all surprised. You know exactly why he's doing this, and to be honest, I can't really blame him. You're about to ruin a lot of lives here, did you think there wouldn't be some last ditch effort to stop you?'

He knew there'd be something, an attack party or a peace offering of some kind, but to offer up a pony for, what he really hoped was marriage, that just didn't set right.

"She is a fine filly. In time, she will grow and bear you many sons and daughters. Her skills in food preparation are well and-"

"No." That caused the chief to flinch, this was not okay. Slavery of any kind was a hot button for Malich. Humane imprisonment, quick deaths, and hard labor were were one thing, but this? This was too much. "You do not own your children as property here. She is not an item to be used for barter, and I would never consider even thinking about it."

His spiteful glare was returned by the Zebra chieftain's, a tense few moments passed as the two sized eachother up. He didn't know what custom it was for Zebra to reject an offering, but if his scowl was any indication, offense was heavily taken. To be fair, though, it was equally given.

Not wanting to be around them any longer, Malich shook his head and motioned for Golvec to lower himself to be mounted. "Thanatos, with me, on my mark drop the bombs!" He barked. In a rush, Golvec flapped his wings and the force of upward momentum overcame the executive as the dragon took to the sky. He looked back to find the other dragons following.

As they approached the village, Malich heard a shrill cry. He squinted his eyes and saw a lone zebra filly standing in the village center. She was crying, saying words that were too far away for him to hear. 

'Well, well. Looks like the CCCs missed one.'

It- it didn't matter. The example needed to be made, the bombs would fall.

'Can you do it? You've ordered the capture and detainment of many before, but you ultimately allowed them to live and compensated them for their trouble. You've always projected yourself to play hard ball, making killing seem like something that doesn't bother you, but we both know that's not true. You've taken credit for what dear old dad ordered, knowing that it would boost your reputation. You even fed information to the Liberty Syndicate that you were the one responsible for Thornberry and Windmane's kidnapping, even though you were the one who saw them released. You value the individual liberty of others and punish the guilty for their own failures and aggression, and you know damn well that that filly down there isn't deserving of your scorn.'

Cursing under his breath, the executive pulled on the reigns around Golvec's neck and turned away from the small village before they'd arrived, leading the entire bombing raid banking from their target. It was a life he'd be directly responsible for ending, a life he wouldn't be able to restore. It wasn't her fault she was there, she was just a child. His mercenaries missed one, and since he was their superior, the responsibility of her death would be squarely on his shoulders.

Once a safe distance away, Malich lead the troop down to a small conglomerate of trees and motioned to the others to unload their cargo upon it.
> Twilight's Trust
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Twilight's Trust






Twilight closed her book and sighed. She looked around the library for the little purple dragon she knew was no longer there, a small bit of her believing that what had happened yesterday was all a very bad nightmare.

Spike left, just like he said he would. It hurt Twilight knowing that the dragon felt he had to move out because of her, despite his repeated attempts to say otherwise. She had been trying to figure out what had gone wrong, what she had done to make him leave. "It's not your fault" he kept telling her, but it took two to tango.

Deciding to make herself a sandwich, the librarian stood from the cushion on which she lay and slowly moped to the kitchen. The closest thing she could get from him as far as a real explanation went was that he didn't have the time for her. His job kept him busy ten hours out of the day and left him too exhausted to do much else.

She pulled out some bread and pushed the thought out of her mind. 

"He's not trying to reject me, he said so himself. I just wish things could have been different, Spike." She said, her eyes misting over with tears. Finishing up the lunch she was making herself, Twilight looked out the kitchen window and caught sight of the one story white house down the street. Sin's home used to fill her with a mix of suspicion and boiling envy, what with the dragon choosing the stallion over her, but now she wished she could go there, just to check up on him.

She pulled herself away and scowled a little, he needed his space, and she needed to start moving on. Spike was right, she'd been spending too much time cooped up in Golden Oaks and needed to get out more. She needed to find something to do other than study, maybe one of her friends could...

Twilight felt her heart sink as her friends crossed her mind. It was a brand new problem that hurt almost as much as her son leaving the nest. Cringing, the librarian turned her eyes to the small picture that sat above her fireplace, a picture of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, rarity and herself. 

The longer she looked, the more her depression began igniting into hurt anger. How? How could they do that to her? They'd met Cadance once before, but acted like they'd known the alicorn better than Twilight had. She told them, countless times she told them that the bride to be wasn't acting right. She'd known Cadance for years, she knew how she handled stress, how she handled being upset, and yet even Celestia didn't believe her.

They all just walked away and left to her to sob and cry in the middle of the hall floor. Like she was just looking for a way to hurt her brother and beloved foal sitter.

"Why?" She asked, her legs beginning to tremble as the picture was taken up in her lavender aura. "Why didn't any of you believe me? When have I ever lied to any of you?" She touched the surface of the picture. Fluttershy had apologized, back at the hospital. It broke Twilight's heart to see the gentle pegasus breaking down in tears, apologizing over and over again, begging for he unicorn to forgive here. Twilight said she did, and as much as she wanted to mean it, she just couldn't.

When the girls abandoned her like they did, the did a serious disservice to their elements of friendship and harmony. None of them would even hear her out. She couldn't be too mad at her brother, what with the mind control and the fact he was caught up in the emotional roller coaster of it all, but even as he begged for her to pardon his sins, she simply couldn't.

How could she? They'd all been through so much together. Twilight had invited some of them into her home to have a sleep over, she'd have gladly let any one of them stay at her home if they needed to. Why wouldn't they at least hear her out?

A couple of knocks came from the door, breaking the mare of her thoughts. She quickly replaced the picture, whipped her eyes clean of any tears and wondered over to the door with the closest thing she could muster to a smile. "Good morning, welcome to- Oh, hello Applejack." The orange mare outside her door was somber, her hind leg in a small cast.

"Mornin' Twilight." She cleared her throat, looking down for a moment then forcing herself to look into the librarian's eyes. "May Ah come in? Ah need ta talk to ya."

Twilight pressed her lips and stood silently for a moment before opening the door and letting the cow pony in. "Much abliged."

She was a little taken aback by the apple pony's appearance, but pushed her indignation to the way side. It only figured that Applejack would be the first to talk to her about what happened. She offered her friend the couch and took the cushion she was on before, giving her friend her undivided attention.

"Ah'll cut righ' to it, Twi. Ah am sorreh fer not listenin' to ya about Cadenza. Ya were right in bein' suspicious o' her, Ah was so wrapped up in thinkin' ya were jes jealous n' tryin' ta ruin yer brother's big day tha Ah didn't even take the time tah hear what y'all were gonna say. Ah was bein' stupid, we all were, and Ah apologize fer it, fer what it's worth."

Calm, cool, collected and genuine. It was almost amazing how detached yet fully present Applejack appeared to be. Twilight knew the earth pony meant every word she said, but then again, she had a few things she wanted to say herself.

"You thought I wanted to ruin my big brother's wedding? Why would you think that?"

Applejack inhaled and exhaled. "Honestly Twi' emotions got in th' way." Twilight's eye quirked and her head tilted. "When Ah saw the fake Cadance cryin', Ah thought it was the real Cadance. From mah perspective at the time, what Ah saw was a jealous little sister who was takin' her brother's bride's stressed out behavior n' makin' it inta somethin' it wasn't. It made me angry, seein' you call her evil, yellin' at her until she was in tears. I'd imagine the others would tell ya the same."

"Though, there's another reason, Ah suppose." She removed her stetson and looked Twilight in the eye. "When you brought up tha' she was usin' mind control on Shinin', I was reminded o' what Soarin did tah me. It hurt, Twilight. It hurt to think tha' anypony else in the world was able er willin' to do to yer brother what he did tah me. Usin' some sorta magic tah force somepony to love you while bein' a bad sort. Ah... Ah didn't wanna think about it, so Ah left. Ah know you wont see it as an excuse, n' that's not what I'm tryin' tah make it into. But that's part of the reason Ah walked out how Ah did."

Twilight was dumbstruck, she'd almost forgotten about it when Applejack told her. The love potion that Soarin had used made her become infatuated, even to the point of emotional abuse. It wasn't quite the same thing that happened with Shining Armor, but it was a similar concept.

Applejack was right though, that wasn't going to be an excuse. If anything, that should have helped convince her that the possibility existed. When she brought it up, AJ just nodded her head and agreed that she should have, but didn't. Getting caught up in a stressful moment and being lead by the emotional manipulations of a crying mare was what had lead them to where they were now. It may not have been a logical or sound truth, but the world isn't dictated by only logic and soundness. Emotions were powerful things, emotions could easily turn friends into enemies and destroy years of built trust and care in under a minute.

Again, she wasn't using it as an excuse against what she'd done, but it was the reason.

"I- I just don't understand how you all could walk away from me like that. Do you have any idea how betrayed I felt, watching the ponies I called friends walk away from me like that?" She was trembling, fighting the urge to cry and hit Applejack, to try to make her feel the pain she'd felt. 

Looking down in a mask of guilt, Applejack shook her head. "No, Ah'm afraid Ah don't know how you felt, Sugarcube; n' Am'm not gonna pretend ah do." She answered calmly.

The calmness in Applejack's voice was driving Twilight crazy. It was the complete opposite of Fluttershy's apology, and what's worse, Twilight found her words much easier to take than the timid pegasus'. It was rational, collected, and nothing but straight facts. No excuses, no justifications, just the truth.

"Applejack, I-"

A series of knocks at the door interupted her. AJ nodded and Twilight stood from her cooshin and answered it. "Pinkie Pie?"

The saddened pink pony stood in the door way, her usually fluffy pink mane was bone straight and her once vibrant and energetic eyes were dull and lifeless. Her entire body seemed... muted somehow, bringing a terrifying memory of their trial in the maze when Discord had corrupted her. It almost made the librarian physically sick to look at the shell of a pony that stood before her. 

"Hey Twilight, may I come in?" She asked dully, like her voice and mind were on auto pilot.

Frowning in concern, Twilight stood back and herded her in. Pinkie and Applejack made eye contact with eachother but said nothing, neither looking surprised to see the other here. As expected, the party mare had also come to apologize. "I- I'm so sorry Twilight, I don't, I don't know what to say." She began to hiccup, fighting back sobs. "I- I was a terrible friend to you."

The confusion and inner turmoil she'd felt from Applejack magnified ten fold. She'd never seen Pinkie like this before, sad, depressed and so close to tears. Twilight wanted to hug her, to comfort her, but she couldn't. A small voice in her head began whispering about how the pink earth pony had no right to come in looking for sympathy, that this was all an act to try to smooth things over.

Twilight didn't believe it though, in all of her confusion, she knew that her friends would never intentionally manipulate her like that. Even so, Pinkie's tears needed to stop.

"Pinkie, calm down, okay?" It took a moment, but she eventually regained her faculties through a thin vale of stoic guilt. "I want to know why you did it."

Pinkie's explanation was the exact opposite of her apple friend. Where AJ came out with the cold, hard facts of the situation, Pinkie quickly descended into an incoherent rant of feelings like anger and guilt. She was angry at Twilight for what she had done, thinking her assault on Cadance unjustified, but unlike Applejack, she couldn't justify it in the same way.

"I thought you were just mad at her and being crazy. I was wrong, I know that now, and I'm sorry I didn't stay with you. I'm trying to figure out how to make it right, really, I am! Honest! But, I just- " she sighed, slumping her shoulders. "I just don't know what to do, I don't know how to make it up to you and show you how super sorry I am..."

Twilight began trembling again, for some reason, Pinkie's voice was becoming very annoying to her. She was all to happy when she'd finally shut up, but still, the damage was done. Anger began to feed off of her confusion in a vicious cycle of indignation and aimless rage. Anger at her friends for what they'd done, and anger at herself for thinking such terrible things about them. She didn't want to be too hard on the two, or any of her friends for that matter, but she also couldn't deny that their abandonment wasn't without consequence.

"Pinkie, Applejack. I'm sorry, but I... I just can't trust you two anymore." Twilight admitted. Pinkie's sobs began anew, and AJ cringed and looked away. "When I needed you both most, when my brother walked away from me, telling me not to come to his wedding, you weren't there. I get it, you were both upset and disappointed in me, but you didn't trust me enough to even talk to me and figure out why I was being so dramatic. If you can't trust me with that, than why should I trust you?"

Unable to take any more, Pinkie finally broke down and cried before making a mad dash for the door.

Though, a lavender aura of magic caught her before she could exit the building. She struggled and squirmed to get free, but magic, unlike other, more physical forms of manipulations, rendered her struggling absolutely useless. "Please, Twilight, just let me go."

"No, Pinkie." The librarian shook her head and closed the door before putting Pinkie right back where she was. "Not until you let me finish. I don't trust you, or any of the other girls. That much is true, but I am willing to try and rebuild our friendships again." She paused and cleared her throat. "It was a mistake, and I don't think good friends who care about me should be thrown out of my life over a mistake."

Pinkie offered her a weak smile. It was a faint, brittle upturn of the lips, but her tears of sorrow subtlely turned into tears of joy. Applejack stood from her place and walked up to Twilight, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "That's perfectly understandable Twi. N' Ah do hope, that in time, ya can fergive us all fer what we did."

Twilight let out a relieved sigh, not happy about the decision she'd made, but finding it to be the most rational. She knew she still wanted to be friends with the girls, and was confident that they would regain her trust once more. With a silent nod, the cow pony said her good byes and offered both Twilight and Pinkie supper at her place tomorrow. An offer Twilight felt hesitant about accepting, but agreed to none the less. If they were going to be reestablishing their friendship, than she would need to make an effort as well.

Pinkie followed next, but stopped to give Twilight a hug and thanking her for the chance at redemption. The librarian returned the embrace and saw the pink pony out before closing the door.

She felt better, the uncertainty in her chest loosening it's grip greatly, but she knew that it wasn't over yet. She'd need to seek out Fluttershy and be more forthcoming about what would need to happen for the two to be friends again. But as far as Rainbow and Rarity were concerned, they would need to find her, apologize and also face her judgement. She was going to be as harsh on them as she was on Pinkie and Applejack, but she was also willing to make to make the effort, and silently hoped that the six of them would be friends again.
> Hospital Visit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Hospital Visit





Sin tapped his hoof impatiently on the bed, every so often losing himself to the constant muted beeping of the heart moniter and going in rythem with it.

He'd been here for a week and a half and was ready to strangle the next pony he saw. He'd sent Uppity out for a bit, saying he needed time alone. She made him promise to stay in bed and he agreed, he just wanted to have a few minutes to himself, being constantly surveyed and cooped up in the room had rubbed his last nerve raw, alone time was very much in order.

Alas...

'Will you calm down, already?'

Fuck off, if I stay in this place much longer, I'm going to kill myself.

'Yea, because suicide worked out so well for you last time, didn't it? Besides, I think you've got a few ponies who'd miss you if you killed yourself now.'

Sin snarled, usually his inner critic was background noise, something he'd be able to tune out if he concentrated hard enough. Now, though, it was a constant companion, reminding him of all the things he'd messed up on in life. Sentimentality and reflection had taken up the majority of his mind, making his memories and decision more vivid and impacting. He had all but forgotten about his previous suicide attempt. He lifted a hoof and cringed at the memory as he rubbed his neck where the rope held him aloft, digging into the muscle and suffocating him.

'It's understandable, you know. You'd just been run out of the Senate, jeered at by the very ponies you'd sworn to serve and protect. You'd given up on the entire population of North New Equine and were depressed to know that it would fall into ruin.'

The Federalist felt his muscles tighten as the memory continued to push itself into his minds eye. He wanted to stop the thought, to push it out of his mind and leave the joke as what it was meant to be, but his inner critic was already on a roll.

Stop...

'You'd given up! You abandoned the Liberty Syndicate, told them they were wasting their time because you knew fighting the coming collapse was a futile effort.'

Yes, I'm well aware of what happened... Now will you fucking drop it!?

'And after the rope snapped, there was nobody there... Granted, you hid yourself away, but besides your family, there was nobody there who'd care that you were dead.'

His body beginning to tremble, Sin bit his lip to stop himself from lashing out, he felt tears threaten to spill from his eyes as he recalled the feeling of mud on which he lay that night. His body sucking in much needed oxygen and with his mind screaming at him to finish the job, but he couldn't. All he could do was look at the tree from which he tried to hang himself, stewing in his self pity and loathing of all of the ponies who'd scorned him for trying to tell the truth. Trying to help save their lives and the lives of the generations to come.

It was then, in those moments of wishing for death that the stallion's heart hardened to the world around him. He'd held a hot liquid rage for the population that spit on him before, but after that... after he'd failed to end his life, that hot rage cooled into bitter mold of cold hatred. Hatred for the population who'd rather live in their instant gratification, regardless of how unsustainable it was. Hatred for their willful ignorance and helpless victim hood mentality. They were sentencing their young to a life of poverty and suffering, and they were doing nothing to stop it, hell they even justified it!

His critic was right, nobody but his family would have missed him. But that's the way he wanted it, to die and not have others be sad over his loss. He'd planned it so that he'd just disappear, no one would ever find his body in the Northwood Forest. It was stupid to want someone there to help him, to save him, when he'd done everything in his power to ensure he'd be alone.

Breathing deeply the stallion finally got himself under control.

Why was he feeling all of this now? Why was his mind so focused on the past? There was nothing to be gain from it besides pain. The pain of failure, of knowing that he couldn't convince the population to see where their state was going. He'd tried, he'd studied and planned as best as he could, presented charts, consulted Syndicate and non-bias ecnonomists alike, dumbed down the rhetoric and terminology as best he could so even the simple minded could understand.

Yet all his efforts lead to nothing.

'Exactly, it's understandable you'd try to end it. But let me ask you this: Do you still-'

Where's all this coming from?

'You haven't noticed?'

Noticed what?

'You're really thick, you know that?'

GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!

'For a long time, you haven't been afraid to die.' Sin furrowed his brow, yes he had. He could remember fearing for his life on multiple occasions and fighting with everything he had to save it. 'No, that was your sense of self preservation, the primitive desire to live. On a subconscious level, you haven't been afraid to die ever since that night. Until recently you've actually been wishing for it.'

Sin pressed his lips, he wanted to believe that such a thing wasn't true, that he'd gotten over it the night he'd tried to kill himself and put that little bitch victim he used to be behind him. But he couldn't deny that on a small level, he did want to die. Not enough to contemplate suicide again, but the small thought was present.

Alright, fine, what's you're point?

'My point is that you've always put freedom and liberty, and the importance there in, first and foremost throughout your entire life. The question I was going to ask is: is that still the case?

He'd never placed much stock into his life before. Yea, his liberty and freedom were more important than his life ever was, and he'd prefer death to the loss of either. Yet... now? Was that the case anymore?

'Rhetorical question, Sin. You've willingly submitted to a princess on multiply occasions and have a parole officer out on an errand for you who is subsequently someone you're falling in love with. You've given up your liberty and freedom on both a literal and emotional level for the sake of preserving the life you want and protecting your "captors". Are you seriously asking if your priorities have changed?'

His frustrations compounding, Sin rubbed his head. Confused wouldn't begin to describe how he'd been feeling the last few days. Things used to be so clear to him: Don't commit aggression, enforce the non-aggression principal with an over reaction of violence to show that aggression wouldn't be tolerated, assist those willing to fight for their freedoms and maintain emotional detachment from those around him. Simple.

Now? He was a dog of Celestia, a city fucking planner working for a small and local government to serve the ponies of Ponyville. How did an anti-social anarchist, living in the woods who wanted to watch the world become a pony with friends and dedicated to serving the very institution he'd sworn hatred against?

'Character development?'

What?

'Character development.' His critic repeated. 'You're not the pony who just wanted to watch the world burn because the world burned him anymore. You've changed, found the paradise you've wanted and tried to find happiness there in. Even before Tyken spoke with you about that, you'd become emotionally attached to Shade, Macintosh and Spike. You went up to bat for Shade twice, and stood trial for the "crimes" Celestia brought against you. You tell yourself that you did it because of your code of honor in agreements and punishment, but the real reason is because you wanted to stay in Equestria, to try to start fresh and maybe , just maybe, make the life here that you'd denied yourself back in North New Equine.'

The realization hit Sin like a brick wall, it was true. Deep down, that's exactly what he wanted.

Why are you bringing all of this up now?

'I've got your undivided attention for once, I'm not just here to make funny quips, you know.' The Critic replied smugly. 'Aside from that, you've had a near death experience while your emotions were more intact. You were scared on a conscious level about dying when Chrysalis was about to kill you, and now you're confused about how to feel about it. Because, you know, you're actually feeling instead of just thinking.'

That made sense, in a twisted sort of way. Though, a knock at the door drew his attention from the internal conversation. "The hell?" Sin whispered to himself before calling the intruder in.

"Sin. You have a couple of visitors here to see you." Said a... Lunar guard? What?

Slightly off put by the strange scene, Sin was reluctant to agree but ultimately shrugged with indifference. He didn't care who was here to see him, he'd had enough talking to his inner critic.

Three ponies entered through the door and Sin's eyes nearly bulged out of his head in utter disbelief. All three of them were wearing the tanned cloaks of the Liberty Syndicate. The first two he recognized immediately, the last was cloaked from head to hoof in the decor meant to hide the member's identity with a tanned scarf, not an uncommon appearance for an organization that makes big enemies.

"Hello Grandson." Said Mandylion as he walked into the room, his tone was soft and gentle, his eyes looking over Sin grew heavily concerned.

"Grandpa?" Sin asked, still to stunned to believe what he was seeing. The grey earth pony nodded and smiled sadly down at him. The oaken stallion rubbed his eyes and make sure they weren't playing tricks on him then looked at the IV, wondering if he'd been drugged. "Grandpa Mandylion?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes Grandson Sinbad?" He asked with a slight chuckle. "Surprised to see me?"

Sin nodded. Again, surprised didn't begin to cover how he was feeling, but as soon as his senses came to him, Sin tried to stand up, embarrassed to being seen in his current condition, though, Mandylion was quick to push him back down. "Easy there, boyo. I heard what happened to you during the Changeling invasion of Canterlot."

"What? B-But how?! I mean- how could you have-"

"You were in the paper." Ace replied cooly, stepping forward and producing a news article from beneath his cloak. "Front page of the North Equine Harold." Sin took the news paper and began to read it. It detailed the battle of Canterlot, the fight in the wedding hall and statements from both Celestia and Luna. His name wasn't mentioned, but it did say a brown pegasus with goggles and no cutie mark was seen being taken to the hospital wing. "You didn't think you could be part of something this big and our attention not be drawn to it, right?"

It was true, the Liberty Syndicate operated heavily on the news, but Sin didn't realize that the attack would garner international attention. Though, it did make sense that the description would be enough to lead them to him.

"My grandson, fighting to protect the princess of our homeland. You can imagine how surprised I was." Mandylion chuckled taking a seat. "Surprised and scared when I'd heard you'd been injured."

Sin scoffed and looked away. "It looks worse than it is, anyway, how have you been, Grandpa?"

The grey stallion's smile dropped slightly to a sad turn of the lip. "I've been fine, you're grandmother's been wondering why you haven't been by to visit lately. Sure would be nice if you'd stop by and say hi once in a while. You know, after you're done fighting changeling armies."

A small chuckle erupted from around the room, Sin being the loudest of all. Nana was going to give him an earful when she saw him.

"How did you guys get in here? I thought the guard wouldn't let anyone up here."

Again, Mandylion's smile drooped a little. "You're brother called in a favor from Princess Luna, he wanted to come and see you personally, but things are... bad in the North Equine right now."

That caught Sin's attention and he asked if the collapse had occurred, to his begrudged relief, it hadn't but another problem was growing in his home state. Apparently a cult of Changeling hunting Zeboricans had been summoning the undead and were killing Federalists with impunity. The oaken pony questioned why and was shocked to hear Mandylion suspected his brother of harboring the dreaded insectoids for unknown purposes.

"Malich, harboring Changelings?" Sin asked before shaking his head. "No, no he's bad, but he's not that crazy. He knows about the Orvialian Infection that you and... had to put down."

Mandylion was about to speak, but Ace beat him to it. "I know what I saw, Sin." The golden unicorn said insistently. "And there were Triple M. Chariots loading refugee Zeboricans up with out K-9 units inspecting them. A while after that, the zebra necromancy cult: the Tal'derime began to summon the undead. They only do that when they know that Changelings are near, all of the evidence points to them, dude."

Sin couldn't believe what he was hearing: changelings knowingly brought in the Federation? What could Malich possibly be thinking? Unless it wasn't his doing, but what would his father have to gain from their presence any more than his brother? This didn't make any sense.

"Oh, before I forget." Ace said as he pulled out another piece of news paper, looked at it, chuckled and magicked it over to Sin. "If you wanna good laugh."

Upon his eyes touching the newspaper, Sin had to hold himself back from laughing. It was an article about Lady Fatchitaz "bewildering the Vice-President of Triple M. with her feminine charm and proposal for marriage."

"Oh shit. She really did propose to him." Sin's brow creased and he looked up, asking if Malich had really accepted her proposal. The third Syndicate member chuckled to himself. Sin didn't think anything of the pony at first, what with two of the three being more important, but did find his appearance rather unsettling now.

"No official answer was given, but it doesn't matter. Fatchitaz left the Federation to find you." Ace informed him, Sin knew the rest but found it rather amusing to let his old friend tell his spin on things. All three of them were surprised when Sin told them that he's already seen her, though their response wasn't what he'd expected.

Both Ace and Mandylion shared a stare and their eyes briefly trailed to their third associate, who stood stock still and shrugged. "You know, Sin. It might not be a bad idea to come back." Ace mused. 

"Indeed, I think it's time I had a few great grandfoals running about." Mandylion agreed with a smirk, both their eyes going to the scarved stallion behind them. "They'd need constant exercise though, what do you think Felix?"

The third pony just stood with wide, fearful blue eyes.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on here.

'Seriously?'

"Malich?" Sin asked, the pony groaned and pulled back the cloak and scarf to reveal that it was. Sin immediately tensed up, confused now more than ever. "What's going on here?"

"First of all, I've already told you: I have no idea what you're talking about with the Changelings, secondly, you guys are ass holes." The grey pony glared at the elder ponies who merely gave wry grins and shrugged. "And I'm here to see you, of course. You may hate my guts, but you're still my brother and I care about your well being."

Giving his brother an angry stare Sin didn't say a word, only wishing the executive would leave the room and stay out of his life. He'd almost forgotten how to use the oppressive aura Triple M. agents were taught, but called upon it as best he could to get his feelings of loathing across. Mandylion stepped between the two and asked that any hostile feelings be put to the way side for the time being.

Sin obeyed, dropping it heavily but still maintaining a slight discomfort in the room.

"Okay, hold on." Sin put his hooves over his eyes and rubbed them. This day just kept getting more and more surreal. First his inner critic goes into a trip about the past, then his grandfather shows up and tells him his brother is using changelings, then it turns out his brother is actually there and... Yea, he needed a minute.

He lifted his head, expecting the three ponies to be gone and replaced with some kind of horrific image that indicated another nightmare, but still all three stallions stood. 

Sin bit his tongue and was legitimately surprised to feel pain, this was no dream.

Apparently all of them were in Canterlot with the sole purpose of checking up on him. There were questions asked of course, mostly about what his part in the whole ordeal was, which he answered honestly. All three seemed rather impressed with him, and even more so when Malich recounted the story about how Sin was found half crushed by Golvec a few months ago.

"You fought a dragon?" Mandylion asked, quirking a brow. "By yourself?!"

"No, I had help from my friends." Sin answered bluntly.

"You have friends?!" The elder pony asked in surprise. He looked back to the other two who nodded in the affirmative. "And I'm the last to know of this for what reason?" Ace pressed his lips and looked away while Malich shrugged, stating he'd thought the old pony already knew. Mandylion gave a silent sigh and turned back to his grandson. "I would love to hear about them, if you have the time."

Sin was stuck in a hospital bed for at least the next week and a half, time was all he had. Plus, it was his grandfather, the pony he looked up to most in the world, he'd always have time for him.

"You two will need to make new arrangements to get back to Unitas." Malich stated abruptly before removing his cloak and scarf. "The undead really do need my attention." He bid Sin a good by and nodded to the other two before departing. Mandylion tried to stop him, saying that he'd wanted the executive to stay and discuss his part in the changelings, but Malich wasn't having it and pushed past him.

"Don't forget! Lady Fatchitaz is here somewhere! Give her a kiss for me!" Ace reminded with a shit eating grin.

"Eat a dick, Goldie!"

With the ashen ponies departure, the tension in the room lifted heavily, though Sin was curious as to why Malich was present and hidden in the first place. Mandylion explained that he was hoping that the former senator would be able to speak reason to his brother, convinced that Malich did have a part to play in the 'Tal'derime's activity in North Equine. Ace believed he saw what he saw, and Sin wasn't there to deny the claim, but he just couldn't imagine his brother would be stupid enough to willingly let changelings into the country.

"We can talk about that later." Mandylion stated, his eyes turning more light hearted and friendly. "I want to hear more about your life here in Equestria right now."

Sin hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out where to start, though another interruption broke his train of thought.

"Alright, Sin. I really think we should- Oh." Uppity halted, seeing that the room was occupied. "Umm, hello there." She called unsuredly, both of the new stallions regarding her with hardened gazes. The orange unicorn shifted uncomfortably than looked at her coltfriend. "Sin, who umm, who are your friends?"

The bed ridden Federalist pressed his lips, it would lead to a very agonizing interrogation session, but the truth was better than inevitably being caught in a lie. He introduced his grandfather and old friend Ace.

"Grandpa, Ace, this is Uppity."

Ace gave a small nod of the head, and Mandylion quirked a brow, asking if she was a nurse. He gasped when Uppity announced that she wasn't only Sin's friend, but his marefriend.

"Really?" Ace said with no small amount of interest. He looked her up and down again than looked back to see Sin looking away. "How do you put up with him?"

"Patience of a saint, I would sumize." The elder pony declared.

Uppity rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "It's really not that bad, yea he's a hoof full sometimes, but he's actually really sweet."

Sin let out an audible groan as both Ace and his grandfather gave him a look.

'Wow, she just threw your entire hard core persona under the carriage, backed that carriage up and ran over it again with one sentence. Well done.'

Sin tried to salvage what he could of his reputation, but Uppity continually contradicted him at every turn. Explaining his service to the crown, her position as both his parole officer and Celestia's personal attorney, and many other events in which he'd assisted others. By the end of it all, Ace was too stunned to speak.

"You've changed a great deal, Sinbad." Mandylion declared with a smile. "But it's change I'm glad to see, even if it is under the hoof of a government structure, you appear to have found a new life in the old world."

"Yea, whatever." Sin huffed, thoroughly humiliated. This was not the way he'd intended anyone to find out about his life, not that he'd ever really planned on telling his family about it anyways. Fact was, he never wanted to go back to the Federation, so he had no idea how to handle what was going on. "At anyrate, Uppity, would you please wait outside while I-"

"Oh no!" The DA rejected pointedly. "This is my chance to hear from somepony who knows you about your life. And I'll be getting the juicy details that you wont share!"

"HA blunt and sassy! Boyo sure found himself a good mare." Mandylion laughed before donning a contemplative look. "Alright, lets see here, what's an embarrassing story about the boy that you'd find funny?"

"Grandpa, don't."

"Oh I've got one!" Ace declared with a mischievous grin. "Did Sin ever tell you about the time he broke into the power plant?"

'Oh, I hope the hospital staff brings a fork with them for lunch, because you're done.'

   
> Ideological Revelations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ideological Revelations






Spike yawned and streched out his arms and legs with a few very satisphying pops. He'd spent a lot longer in bed than usual, on account of today being his day off from work but his hunger was an itch that he know no amount of sleeping would scratch. 

The down side to him staying at Sin's place was that the food options were less than inviting. It amazed the dragon just how little the stallion consumed. He wondered into the kitchen and opened the pantry to find nothing but oats and potatoes... that's it. No snacks, no chips, no cereals or fruites or candy, nothing but oats and spuds.

He wasn't surprised, the food selection hadn't changed since last he checked on it, but it still bewildered Spike how anypony could sustain themselves off of nothing but two food items. He'd need to go shopping and get more of a variety of consumables today.

"Matter of fact-" he said to himself looking around the abode. The minimalist presentation of the entire house was starting to wane on him. There was no sofa, no dining or end tables, no decorations of any kind at all. Nothing but white walls and a hard wood floor that stank of lemony fresh floor cleaner. If anypony walked into the house, they'd be forgiven for thinking the place abandoned. "This whole place could do with some furniture."

'You sure that's wise? You asked if you could stay with Sin for a while, not come in and redecorate his home.'

Spike didn't care, though. This place felt staril, it didn't feel like a home at all, Sin would understand that, his room was the only thing that had furniture in it, after all.

He walked out of the kitchen and back into his bedroom to collect a rather handsome amount of money from the floor. His pay had been piling up from all the work he'd been doing, so money wasn't an issue right now. He approached the door and found a small white envelope sitting in front of it, he picked it up and put it on the counter before walking outside to go shopping.

The mid morning sun was veiled every so often by a roaming cloud, but the air was warm enough to compensate. Spring was defiantly here and Spike was glad for it. He passed into town and grabbed as much food as he could carry, bread, milk, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, he even got a pie from Sugar Cube corner. Pinkie wasn't manning the register, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to her anyways.

As he walked back to the house after half an hour of shopping, and a promise of a return trip, he passed by the Golden Oaks library and stopped. Maybe it would be a good idea to check in on Twilight? He hadn't seen her for a few days now. He dropped off the groceries on the kitchen counter and back tracked to the library, knocking three times.

No answer.

'Maybe she's out?'

He knocked three times again and waited, still nothing. Spike briefly considered walking in but decided against it, this wasn't his home anymore, he wasn't welcome to just come and go as he pleased. 

Double checking his money reserves, the drake wandered back to the market district, thinking over what else he'd need to buy. A couch was out of the question, since he wouldn't be able to get it to the house by himself, same with most other forms of furniture, but he'd need to figure out something for bedding, there floor was playing murder on his back.

"Oi, Spike!" He stopped and looked back, smiling as Blade wondered up, a pie sitting on his back. "What's up, brah?" He asked.

Spike shook his head, it always ammused him how strange his co-worker could be in his speech. "Nothin' much. Just getting some food, how about you?"

"I'm a little depressed." The stallion admitted sheepishly. "I was hoping Pinkie would be working in Sugar Cube Corner today, but the owners say she's still depressed about something."

Spike quirked a brow. "Gotta thing for Pinkie Pie?"

"Damn right dude, she's hot as buck." The stallion declared. The two continued chatting for a while before Spike's stomach yelled at him to eat something and he bid his friend a good day. It was always fun to run into co-workers on off days.

'Even during the balloon incident?'

Spike shuddered, except that. Sixty cream filled doughnuts and fifteen cupcakes... he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't been there.

His attention was drawn back to reality as he saw the mare of interest passing through to the library. Happy to have a chance, Spike wondered over to her. "Hey Twilight" The mare turned and smiled, greeting him with a warm hello of her own. It was hard to tell for anyone else, but Spike had known the unicorn long enough to know the difference between a genuine smile and a token turn of the lip. He asked what was wrong.

As expected, Twilight tried to play dumb but Spike knew better. "You know me a little too well." She sighed, he smile turning sad but more genuine. "I was just out with Pinkie and Applejack over at Sweet Apple Acres." 

"And?" Asked Spike.

"I don't-" She stopped and chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Spike tilted his head not sure of her meaning. She was still pretty off put by most of her friends, but AJ and Pinkie had both made an effort to reach out to her, so in the effort of rebuilding their friendship, all three had a picnic and help out around the farm, since things were so behind. Of course it was more than about just work, but talking and trying to laugh and have a good time like they used to.

"I just, I keep remembering what happened at the wedding." Twilight's shoulders slumped. Spike looked around and motioned for the two to head inside. It was clear she hadn't come to terms with what happened yet, maybe she needed to be alone for a while so that she could before trying to rebuild again?

'And what until then? Remain isolated in this stuffy library? We both know that she'd most likely rebury herself in her books until she needed her friends again.'

And your solution? I mean, it's pretty obvious she still has trust issues.

'I'd suggest she maintain what's she's doing right now. She's still on edge, that much is true, but allowing her to remain distant from her friends would be more counterproductive than pushing her to interact.'

I don't know if I agree with that.

Twilight lead Spike into the library and Spike's eye began to twitch. The library was absolutely covered in a full layer of dust! Every book, every picture, every table that wasn't regularly used, all of it, veiled by a thin layer of dainty grey. He looked left and felt the muscles in his neck twitch, there, on a small step shelf, stood nine candles, each burnt down to the end of the wick with candle wax dripping onto the darker wood holders. The rugs and couch were covered in crumbs and stains of what he hoped were only water.

He dared peak into the kitchen area and fought a silent groan. Bowls were stacked in the sink with plates and some cooking utensils piled up beside it. The trash can was overflowing with garbage, opened books covered most of the counter tops. The drake was fearful to even look in the fridge, considering that some items he remembered putting in there a few weeks ago would have long since expired.

"Sorry about the mess." Twilight grinned sheepishly. "I haven't really been in the mood to clean lately."

'Mess? MESS?! THIS PLACE IS BUCKING DISGUSTING!' His inner voice screamed. Spike had to agree, this was no way for anypony to live. His initial thought was to chastise Twilight for allowing things to get this bad, but this was Twilight Sparkle, one of the most neurotic and Obsessively clean ponies he knew. She would never let her home dilapidated to this kind of state unless something was seriously wrong with her.

'Maybe moving out right after getting back was a mistake after all...' 

Guilt flooded through the drake's back and shoulders as he watched Twilight move sluggishly through the kitchen. Her pep was still gone, her coat and mane were both kept but had lost their shine. Her once lively personality and multitasking was replaced by a zombie of mechanical motions and single, precise actions.

Maybe he should have stayed, he knew she wasn't doing all that well, but this? This was just... just... unacceptable.

"Any way, I'm just not sure how to go about it is all." Twilight interjected, sitting down and acting as if there was nothing wrong. She sighed, "I wanna move on, I really do, but..."

Seeing tears in her eyes, Spike walked forward and placed a comforting claw on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're ready to move on, though?"

Blinking a few times, the unicorn slumped her shoulders again, voicing again how unsure she was. 

How does this kind of thing even work? How does one get over being abandoned and betrayed like that? She thought they'd just reintroduce themselves and let by gones be by gones, but she was still holding a grudge. It was wrong, she knew it was wrong. Applejack and Pinkie were doing their best to reestablish their friendship and so was Twilight, but that little nagging in her mind kept her from fully realizing the friendship they once had.

Spike could relate to that. Even now he still held a little resentment for Sin when he'd agreed to go to the wedding and leave the mill high and dry, but each day, the relevance of it just seemed to smaller and smaller to him. As much as he wanted to let her know that he understood her pain, he couldn't. There was a big difference between a friend unknowingly sticking you with too much work and all your friends knowingly abandoning you.

"Maybe you should talk to Celestia about it?" Spike offered, Twilight looked at him quizzically. "She's always given you good advice before, right? And I think it would be good for you to talk to someone you've always trusted." He walked over to library counter and grabbed a quill and paper, awaiting Twilight's instructions.

She was hesitant at first, claiming that Celestia had more than enough problems to deal with due to the changeling attack, but Spike countered her with knowing how the Solar Alicorn loved her and would always make time for her faithful student whenever she'd need it.

Writing down every word his mother said, Spike added his own note at the end and sent the letter away in a belch of green smoke. 

Man it felt good to do that again.

The subject suddenly turned onto Spike, Twilight asking him how he was doing living on his own. Shifting uncomfortably, the dragon looked anywhere but at Twilight before talking about how happy the guys were to see him back at work. That seemed to raise the lavander mare's spirits a bit as she questioned him about what all his coworkers had been up to.

It was an inconsequential topic to him, but seeing her smiling and showing genuine emotion pushed Spike to indulge her. Blade was still a wise cracking jokester. Chopper was still the fatherly figure who everypony knew to be the second in command of the entire operation, Cranky finally proposed to Matilda, and Fiona was still-

BELCH!

In a burst of green flame, a sealed scroll fell to the floor. Twilight picked it up in her magic and began reading it over.

"My faithful Student

I am sorry to hear that you're having such a tough time right now, but I understand your feelings more than I care to admit. I wish that I could come and see you in person, but I am unable to leave my subjects in Canterlot at this time. The repairs and releif efforts are demanding upon me and my attention is required here-"

She stopped, the depression that Spike fought so hard to keep at bay returning ten fold. He gently took the letter and finished reading it.

"-is required her to ensure the means and capital for the reconstruction. I have, however, sent word to somepony I think will be the ear you need. She is a great listener and has given me sound advice when I've needed it most. I'll send her as quickly as I am able. Don't give up hope, the friends you've made in Ponyville are the best friends you could ever ask for, their bearing of the Elements of Harmony is proof of that. Signed, Princess Celestia. P.S. Spike, I'll see what I can do."

Spike shrugged. "Wonder who she's sending."





"- and that's the story of how Sin failed the third grade." 

Uppity was covering her mouth with a hoof, fighting to hold back the small giggles that slipped past every so often. Ace didn't say anything, all he could do was see just how high his eyebrows could raise as he continually looked back to his bed ridden countryman. Sin, for his part, simply sat with his eyes closed, quietly waiting for the story to be over.

"Oh Tapio, his father was so upset, he almost sent him to boarding school!" Mandylion laughed. Sin was embarrassed, too be sure, but he knew that his grandfather seldom ever lost his composure like this. As much as it ate him up inside to be laughed at, he knew his elder was just having some rarely seen fun and didn't have the heart nor gall to ruin the moment.

"Now to be fair." he croaked, looking up at his grandfather. "Mrs. Lox was one of the most misandristic teachers we had at the school. She had it out for me ever since I said that it was stupid that boys weren't allowed to hit girls even if they deserved it."

"I know, right?!" Ace agreed.

All four ponies sat in silence and allowed themselves to reflect on the story they were told, for all of five seconds.

"So, Ms. Uppity, when are you giving me some great grandfoals?" Sin's jaw dropped, Uppity blushed beat red and Ace burst out into unadulterated laughter, making a half hearted attempted to comment on how inappropriate asking such a personal question was. "Uh it's not that personal, it's not like I'm asking if she's taking it up the a-"

"Okay, that's enough of that." Sin interjected, this was going in all kinds of the wrong direction, thankfully an knock at the door lead to an imperial guard poking his head in and informing the orange mare that Celestia required her presence immediately. "Oh thank Milikki."

"Actually, Miss Uppity." Mandylion said, all his person now void of humor or playfulness. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to accompany you to see the good princess."

Sin furrowed his brow, his grandfather was just as much of a theoretical anarchist as he was. What possible reason could have to want to speak to Celestia? He tried to stand, wanting to accompany the two to see what this was all about, though Mandylion gave him a look and told the younger stallion that he wanted to speak to the crown without Sin present.

His eyes narrowing, the oaken Federalist held eye contact with his grandfather. "I'll be coming with you."

"I would prefer you didn't." Mandylion rebuffed.

"And why is that?"

"Speaking in all honesty, I know that you will take heavy exception with the message and request I plan to make of her."

Sin quirked a brow. "Message? So you had alternative motives for visiting Equestria?"

Mandylion nodded in reply, but excused himself from the room before Sin could ask any more questions, asking for Uppity to lead the way to the princess's chambers. "Make sure he stays in bed." Uppity called to ace as she trotted after the elder stallion.

"Touch me and I'll break your leg." Sin spat, pushing the covers off and gently lowering himself to the floor. One week of rest made quite a difference, he was still sore to be sure, but his ribs could support him without too much pain now. As expected, Ace made no motion to stop him but instead offered the pony the hooded cloak that Malich had left behind.

Sin looked down at the cloth, it was a fair bit darker in color than his old cape, plus it had a hood and scarf. Truth be told, he'd felt naked ever since Rainbow had torn apart his first cloak, but couldn't find the time to repair it. 

He tentatively grabbed the new cloth and smiled as he felt the comfortable and familiar weight drape over his back. It felt good, it felt right. Seeing his goggles upon the table, the stallion gingerly retrieved them and placed the eye ware, feeling a wave of relief and normalcy as the world became slightly darker than it once was.





"I understand that you wish to remain here for personal reason, Uppity, however, Twilight is in need of a friend right now. A friend of advice." Celestia declared. She looked tired, heavy bags beneath here eyes, her once illustrious mane now a frazzeled mess of split ends and neglected grooming. "I would be grateful if you would be willing to speak with her on my behalf."

Uppity smiled tiredly and nodded. "Of course, your majesty. I will be on the next train to Ponyville." The solar alicorn nodded in thanks and inquired to the pony who'd escorted her. Mandylion allowed himself to be introduced and gave a polite bow of the head to Celestia.

"And what may I do for you, my little pony?"

"I bring a message from Tapio Bearking and Milikki Bluecloak, your grace." Mandylion replied. Celestia's eyes widened.

"Tapio? I haven't spoken with him in centuries. How fares the Ruler of the Forest and the Healer of the Ill and Sad?"

Mandylion pressed his lips and fought a silent sigh. "They are... afraid, your grace." He paused for a moment to take a breath before explaining  some of the the problems the Federation was currently facing. How North New Equine was having economic troubles, good paying career positions disappearing en mass, replaced by mediocre and low wage jobs that hold no promise of advancement or decent standards of living. Many forced to apply for government assistance for food or utility.

Thousands of businesses receiving tax payer funded subsidies in order to maintain low unemployment numbers so politicians can keep their positions as well as the peace. Federal money being used to purchase stocks and bonds to keep prices artificially high in the stock market to keep trade going between the states. The bills being created by the government being used and hoarded in multiple mega safes all throughout the state.

Estimates are that the bills number in the trillions throughout the vaults, fear of inflation from the money handlers and those whom understand the concept of supply and demand have speculated the influx of bills into the economy would devalue them too quickly for the market to adapt to the rates while maintaining economic stability. Local governments from the remaining states of the Federation have also forseen the threat and have already put laws into motion to cut ties with North New Equine to preserve the integrity of the bill within their own respective territories.

In short, all it would take is a stock market panic to activate a massive sell off of stocks, and have the bills become so abundant that they become worthless, and there by, destroying those of modest means. Driving them to desperate actions once prices sky rocket to accommodate the lighting capital inflation.

"Surly your people will maintain peace long enough for the market correction to take place." Celestia argued, though North New Equine was a state of massive industry. Agriculture was all but non-existent within the entire territory since food and such were the primary export of South Equine at much lower costs, and even if the population was pacified until the markets could correct themselves, the planning done by South New Equine to close the borders with North New Equine to preserve the bill would eventually lead to mass hunger.

"We know it is coming, the collapse is beyond anything any of us can stop. An the collapse will lead the entire state of North Equine to devastation and ruin. Ponies, dogs, minotaur, beings of every race will suffer. Riots, looting, pillaging, desperation of the worst kind will befall them all." Mandylion said sullenly. "We believe that the death count will most likely break one million before everything is said and done."

"We know it will happen soon. We've received multiple reports of private caravans of food being delivered to known wealthy individual's compounds and isolated safehouses. Tapio and Milikki kindly requests that you accept North New Equine refugees when the time comes."

Celestia sat wide eyed from the tale, so shocked it took her a few attempts to speak. "And your government has done nothing to prevent this?"

Mandylion scoffed and shook his head. "The Federal Senate is too busy playing politics to even consider it." He sighed. "They know what is coming, my grandson had done everything in his power to make sure they knew, yet they are more interested to maintain their power."

Slumping in her throne, Celestia shook her head. It was an overwhelming thing to think about, so much suffering and pain. Such an event couldn't happen by accident, could it? Was it all orchestrated? Why were these ponies placing so much power into the financial eliet's hooves? "Forgive me, Mandylion was it? I will need time to think this over."

"Reject it!" Everyone turned around to find Sin marching up from behind a piller. His face a mask of disgust and revulsion. "Reject it and let the Federation suffer the consequences of it's actions!"

"Sin?" Uppity gasped.

"Go to Twilight, Uppity." Sin seethed, passing her by. "This is a Federal matter."

Mandylion and Celestia looked down at him with indignant shock. "I'm ashamed of you, grandpa. Trying to push the problems of the Federation onto the Equestrians, and at the behest of Tapio Bearking himself no less?" The oaken pony spat on the floor, attempting to get the taste of those words out of his mouth.

"Sinbad this goes beyond what-"

"Spare me!" Sin interjected with a sneer. "You seek to protect the citizens of North Equine from the consequences of their inaction against the government and the rich whom pull their strings, and I'll be damned before I let you help wiggle them out of being held to account for it."

"Sin, calm down..." Uppity tried to calm him by placing a hoof on his shoulder, only to have him push it away harshly, barking at her to stay out of the conflict.

"You think that what's coming is justice?" The elder pony asked, his tone dark and foreboding. Sin nodded, explaining that it was consequences and suffering that the state would need to endure, to teach the citizens, once again, the dangers of complacency. "Think about what you're saying! Innocent ponies will die! We're not talking about suffering for a few months! This will destroy our civilization!"

"A civilization that needs to be destroyed!" 

"Innocent children will die!"

Sin leered at his grandfather and exhaled slowly. "And that sucks, but that's the price that the citizens of New Equine have decided to pay. They've condemned their children's futures, that was their decision. Is it fair? No, but we both know that life isn't fair."

Mandylion shook his head. "Listen to yourself! You sound just like Malich!"

Sin smirked. "Who do you think taught him that?" The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Sin looked to see both Uppity and Celestia had the same looks of shock and disbelief that Mandylion had. It would be hard to explain to those whom dwelled within Life Worship over Consequential-ism, but he knew the worst was yet to come.

"You would save their lives and rescue them from their mistakes instead of allowing them to reap what they have sewn. The citizen's complacency and silent inaction is what has lead to the current state of North Equine, both political and economic. The conservatives blame the government, the progressives blame the rich and the libertarians blame both. But through all of that, there's one aspect that none of you look at. Who supports these entities? Who gives them their power? Governments and corporations don't just sprout out from the ground, they are built and sustained by the people."

"You blame everyone but those most responsible, hell you even seek to protect them form their decision to ad hear to the government and support the corporations. They could have disobeyed, they could have refrained from commerce, yet they chose not to. They didn't want to make the needed sacrifices to turn the country around, they wanted the convenience and luxury of indulging their greed and comfort and they happily sold the future of their children and their children's children for it."

"You think they knew?" Mandylion countered, but Sin was more than ready to fight this point to the end. Of course they knew, he'd spread the word himself, not that it mattered. Ignorance didn't change results, and the results were the destruction of the state, he didn't think. "Sorry little Scooter, mommy and daddy didn't know we were selling your future for today's comfort" was going to be a viable excuse for why 'Scooter' ate one carrot a day while he was growing up in a third world country conditions.

Victims, victims was all they were at this point. He had no sympathy for victims, all they were were the devil's playthings. Toys of those who'd seek to control and consume them. Incapable, holding little to no agency in their lives, constantly looking for pity and sympathy and to be taken care of.

The Government was their god and they were it's worshipers.

'Dude, I really think you should calm d-'

Shut. The Fuck. Up.

"Make all the excuses and justification you wish, Mandylion, but that's all they are ever going to be. Excuses. Excuses do not stop the consequences of the decisions made from coming." He pulled down his goggles, revealing a scathing and determined glare. "And I will be dead before I let you save them from the bed they've made for themselves."

 

   

  
> Actions and Consiquences
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Actions and Consequences 







Sin grumbled to himself as he stormed through the hallway. His eye and neck were twitching from unbridled rage he attempted to suppress, and even then he couldn't guarantee the safety of anything that stood in his way.

After his minor altercation with his grandfather, Celestia demanded he vacate the throne room. Initially he told her to stay out of the affair, but her magic was more than a match for his words and he found himself outside the room with the doors slamming shut behind him.

"Fuck." He cursed, going over what he needed to do. It pained him to consider, but he'd need to warn Malich about his grandfather's plan. The pony himself didn't have the power to stop Celestia should she decide to send aid or take in refugees, but his brother did... but that left another problem.

Tapio Bearking was involved now. He didn't know the full power of the Forest Emperor, but he'd imagined it to be great, considering his life span, if Tapio himself interfered, he might be able to subside the consequences of the collapse to the point of substantial mitigation and-

'What the hell is wrong with you?!'

You know what the problem is, so stow it.

'You want innocent ponies to-'

INNOCENT!? You think them innocent?! That's a fucking laugh, you know that? You can sit there and make them out to victims all you want, but in the end- in the fucking end -it is they whom doomed their children AND themselves. What's happened is because THEY allowed it to happen, and you fucking know it.

'AND HOW THE FUCK WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO KNOW!? HUH? WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO!?'

SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Their lives are about to fall apart because of their subservience and complacency. It's nobody's fault but their own. No, no, you know something? Let's follow your train of thought to its conclusion. You wanna blame the government? Fine. Now what?

'What do you mean "now what"?'

Well, is the economy fixed? No? Well, that didn't do much good, did it? Let's try blaming the corporations! Alright, I blame them. Is North New Equine no longer on the verge of collapse? No? Huh, looks like thousands of ponies are still going to die and millions starve. Darn it.

'What the fuck is wrong with you?'

What's wrong with me? 

The stallion chuckled cynically. 

What's wrong with me is that this is the fate of the complacent and the apathetic. Results are what matter in the world, and the results are the same no matter who wins the blame game. Is the government to blame? Yes, now what? Are the corporations and banks to blame? Of course, now what? What happens now that they are blamed? Because I'll tell you what isn't happening, the problem being fixed.

'...'

The citizens know they are to blame, how many ponies and others have we spoken to outside of the syndicate who know that all politicians are corrupt? How many have we spoken to who know that the rich use puppet politicians with gold covered strings? Countless, so don't say it's an "education" issue, because the population knows. So tell me, my dear inner critic, the majority of the population of New Equine knows that their government and corporations are a bunch of dirty and corrupt crooks. Now what?

'...'

No, no. You will answer that question since you seem to be so high and mighty right now. Let's hear it, let's hear your justification as to why you think these retards should be helped when they know the problem is there but just ignore it. Please, I wanna hear this.

'... I don't know, okay? God! The only reason you're being this way is because you're bitter.'

You're right about me being bitter, I've got no problems admitting to that and I think I'm well passed justified. What I do have a problem with is being told that I'm wrong with nothing but appeals to emotion and Life Worship rhetoric. You think that just because they're persons that they deserve to not suffer, right? Your that last little bit of me that believes that, fine, but I want to ask you why you think they should be able to wiggle out of the consequences of their inaction? Why they shouldn't suffer for ruining the futures of their children and grand children?

'... Because politicians are supposed to run the country right...'

Sin stopped walking his eyes going absolutely flat as if he'd just heard the stupidest thing in the world.

Oh for the love of Milikki, are you serious right now? Are you seriously touting that "shoulda coulda woulda land" bull shit? Sigh, in the perfect little world of "shoulda coulda woulda land" yes, politicians would run their countries good and right. They would be pillars of virtue who'd never take a bribe, only write laws that the people wanted, and never bicker with each other for reasons of personal gain. In the magical world of "shoulda coulda woulda land" there'd be no hunger, everyone would shit rainbows, and everyone would have a brand new arachno-tech carriage. Wouldn't that world be just swell?

Now, here, hehe, you know, in reality, they are a bunch of lying and corrupt crooks. The corrupt seek power and use that power to line their pockets and all of that. C'mon critic, you know this!

'Well they should still run the government right!'

Why?

'What?'

You seem to have forgotten a lot of things lately, specifically why I consider myself an anarchist. So I'll ask: why should a bunch of ponies and what not who have absolute power give a damn about "virtue" and "ethical conduct"? I mean, what's going to happen to them if they aren't? Oh, they're going to get voted out? Oooohhhh, noooo! 

'Like, I'm seriously, you guys! Don't vote me out of office! What with all of the millions in lobbyist money, life time senatorial pensions, giant estates and other privileges? How will I go on in life?'

Yea, there is just so much incentive for the corrupt liars to act right, isn't there?

So explain to me why they should run the government "right" when we know that those who seek power are those most unfit to have it. No, go ahead, I'll wait.

'Because it's their job!'

In magical "shoulda coulda woulda land" critic, I'm talking about reality, remember?

He waited, but there was no answer to that question. 'What do you expect the people to do?'

Black market Agorism? Syndicalism? The creation of local currencies? Civilly say "we're not paying taxes to you lying crooks, go fuck yourselves"? Come to the thrilling conclusion that 'hey, we've got no food in this state, gee it sure would suck if S. Equine stopped trading with us.' Or, you know, doing Something, anything? Apparently that's too much to ask, since all I ever get are excuses of some kind.

'Those aren't viable solution and you know it.'

Yes they are, the citizens just don't want to make the collective sacrifice that they would need to to stop what's coming, and now, they will sacrifice a lot more. They are sheep, sheep whom are being lead to the slaughter because of their apathy and ignorance. So you know what? You go ahead and decry your pity for them. You, Mandylion, Celestia and Tapio all. Because no matter how much pity or self righteous indignation you and them espouse, no matter how badly you berate or reprimand me for telling the truth, the problem will still be there, the collapse will still come and I'll still be the one who's right.

Will I take delight in their suffering? Oh sweet Milikki you bet I will. I was right, I told them it would happen and wasted years of my life trying to save them, and you saw how they repaid me. However, that's only why I will like their suffering. The honest truth is that even if they didn't humiliate me, I'd still want them to face the collapse that they've brought onto themselves. Apathy, fear, dogma and complacency are dangerous things and they must be punished if a better world is going to be achieved. I can't explain it any better than that, if you can't understand what I'm getting at now than-

"Sin!"

The stallion groaned and turned back to see Uppity running after him. He'd need to keep his temper in check now. "Sin, are you okay?"

A little put off by the question, the stallion nodded. "Yea, I'm fine." He expected to have to argue with her about what was discussed, but the unicorn didn't bring the topic up. Instead she asked if he would accompany her to Ponyville and see to Twilight Sparkle, declaring that Celestia had lifted his bed-rest status.

Sin eyed her warily for a moment. "You're not going to get on my back about what I said back in the throne room?"

Uppity shook her head. "No, that's not what you need right now." She ducked her head submissively, her ears splaying. "I don't like when you're angry, it- it scared me."

A nice little pang of guilt shot through the stallion's chest.

The mare gingerly stepped closer to him to test his reaction before slowly placing her head under his, nuzzling into his neck. "I don't know why you said those things, but I know you well enough to know that you're not a bad pony. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

Sin relaxed, returning the affection by learning into the unicorn. He must have been much more worked up and tense than he thought because his legs nearly buckled from beneath him. Nothing hurt much anymore, going back to Ponyville and getting away from this place was probably a good idea.

Again, Sin asked if the DA was sure she was alright being left in the dark about his words. Again she replied in the affirmative, ducking her head and acting in a submissive manner. His anger dissipated bit by bit as his concern for her behavior grew. This wasn't how Uppity acted, fearful and complacent, was he really that intimidating to her? Again, guilt flowed through him, cooling his rage. He pulled the mare into a small hug and she returned the favor.

He honestly wished she hadn't seen him like that...

Unbeknownst to him, both Ace and Mandylion stood around the corner, listening to the two as they spoke before the golden unicorn leaned over and whispered. "Are you sure it's a good idea to let him go? If he's half as serious about wanting the Federation to suffer as-" his words died as the elder earth pony turned to look at him, causing Ace to look away.

Mandylion looked pensive for a moment. "Sin is... hurting, Ace. He's been hurting for a very long time." He turned back to watch the other pair walk away. "It is possible that he may warn Malich of our attempt to seek asylum or aid, but-" he sighed tiredly. "-he is my grandson, and I would kill to protect him."

"Forgive me, Mr. Islander." Ace took a steady breath, stowing his loaded crossbow. "Sin has been some thing of a friend to me as well, and while I do care about and for him, I also recognize how much of a threat he's presented himself to the Syndicate's plans." He turned his attention back. "If he does follow through with his threat, thousands we could have saved will die. Are you sure it's wise to allow that because your feelings are getting in the way?"

The older stallion closed his eyes and shook his head. "It breaks my heart to say, but I see where he is coming from. The citizens have stood by and done nothing, that much is true. However, I think Sin's cynicism and over simplification of the issue is clouding his judgement." He opened his eyes. "Hopefully, with some help from that mare of his and his friends, he will come to see that those he cares for are not so different from the ones he condemns."

Ace pressed his lips. "As you wish. I think our business here is concluded, we'd best get back and inform Tapio about Celestia's decision..."





Spike and Twilight sat in wait at the train station, both standing as they saw the Ponyville Express pull forward. Uppity was one of the last to exit, and Spike could see why. Sin was with her, limping out with a brand new cloak.

"Hello Uppity, Sin." Twilight greeted pleasantly, the two gave their own in return, the former embracing the mare in a hug. "How was the train ride?"

"Boring as always." Uppity dismissed. 

Spike wandered up to his friend and poked him in the chest, making the stallion flinch. "Yea, working with you is going to be fun tomorrow." He smirked, folding his arms.

"Ha ha, funny guy." Sin deadpanned, returning the smirk.

The two conversation eventually wound down and the troop made way for the library, once there all the talking ceased as the new comers came face to face with the condition of Golden Oaks. 

"Umm.. Twilight?" Uppity said, forcing a smile over a grimace as she observed the messy home. "Your house looks... umm."

"Like a god damned trainwreck?" Sin finished, Spike jotted him in the ribs with his shoulder and Twilight blushed, explaining that she hadn't been feeling the best lately and the library had suffered for it.

Spike pulled Sin away for a moment and explained the situation to him, hoping the pony would behave himself a little bit out of respect for his mother's current mental state. Surprisingly, the Federalist waltzed right up to Twilight and offered his sympathies, explaining that he could relate to having those you've trusted and helped turn their backs on you.

Twilight accepted his words with thanks and offered to get everypony something to drink, returning in short order with four cups of tea. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Uppity asked.

The lavander mare sighed and told her about how she was unable to forgive her friends for what they'd done, even though she wanted to. There was more words spoken about details, but that was the long and short of it. Uppity furrowed her brow as she processed the information. She asked if Twilight had cried about it yet, saying that's what she always did when she'd faced a particularly bad case and couldn't get over it. Crying always helped her to "get it out" of her system, as it were.

Spike didn't see how shedding tears would help, but mares processed things differently than stallions (or male dragons) did, so maybe that would help? It didn't matter though, since Twilight had cried, quite a bit by her own admission. She cried herself to sleep every night ever since the wedding.

"Have you talked to Cadance about it?"

Again, Twilight shook her head. "She's too busy taking care of my brother." She paused to sigh. "I don't know, every time I'm with either Pinkie or Applejack, I just... my mind keeps going back to what they did. I... I don't wanna be angry at them anymore... I just want things to go back to the way they used to be."

Spike saw tears forming in her eyes and looked away. He couldn't stand seeing Twilight cry like this, tears of self loathing and defeat. He wanted to see her smile again, he wanted her and her friends to hug and laugh like they used to. To smile and be carefree, enjoying adventures and having all around good lives.

And most of all, he wanted to hurt the one who made her suffer like this. He could still hear the laughter of Chrysalis echoing inside his head as she nearly trick Twilight into killing Cadance. He felt his claws clamp shut as he recalled her mocking them in the cave and it sent his temper on end.

Twilight was a good pony, her friends were good ponies. They didn't deserve to suffer like this...

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself or your friends, Ms. Pie and Ms. Dash in particular." Sin said abruptly, garning the attention of the room. He looked at Spike for a moment then to Twilight. "I- know that those two, at least, would do what ever they had to to protect their loved ones."

Happily, Uppity cut in before Spike had to. "Have you talked to anypony about it? Anypony at all?" Twilight shook her head, she's talked to AJ and Pinkie, but that wasn't really what she needed.

"It just... hurts, you know? Being there for somepony and having them turn their backs on you when you need them and... you just don't know why..." Twight hiccuped. Uppity rushed to her side and embraced her, letting the mare cry into her shoulder.

Sensing the moment, Spike prodded Sin and both made way out of the library, giving the two a moment to themselves. The drake hoped that Twilight would come out better for their talk, it wasn't Cadance like he'd hoped, but he knew Uppity was a friend as well.

"That sucks to hear." Sin stated from out of the blue as the two wondered back to his house. "I didn't think Miss Dash or Pie would do that to her." Spike frowned, he didn't want to talk about it, and soon enough, the topic would change. If that was a good or a bad thing was up to the pony next to him.

The two walked into the house and Spike closed the door. "Made yourself at home, I see." Sin quipped, looking at the bags of groceries sitting on the counter. The letter the dragon had picked up before caught his eye and he opened it, nodding at the bill before removing his cloak. Spike winced at all the bandages Sin had on and asked if he'd be able to come into work tomorrow.

"Of course I can." He replied confidently. "Now how much use I'll be is another story, though."

Spike snickered and shook his head. "You know, you really need to get, like, a couch in here or something."

"I'll think about it." Sin replied absently as he rummaged through the pantry and withdrew a potato. "So, how's the food situation going to work?" He asked, elaborating about if the two would pool and share or if they'd keep separate. Spike was quick to state that if they were going to combine the food stuffs than the stallion would need to expand his consumables. "Fair enough."

"That, and I need to get a bed."

"Let's not get carried away now." Sin smirked earning a nice shot to the good side of his ribs. The jovial moment lasted for only that before the pony's smile faded to a more pensive look.

"You alright?" Spike asked quirking a brow.

"Yea, just... thinking about some things."

The rest of the evening passed in silence, apart from Spike making a suggestion about either a practical furnishing item or aesthetic decoration. It bothered him how often he'd need to repeat himself just to get Sin's attention, usually Sin was aware of his surroundings, but whatever he was thinking about, it must have been pretty bad. He'd need to ask about it in the morning.

   
> Shades of News
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Shades of News






Macintosh carefully trimmed the buds from the cannabis plant, grateful for the clear spring day to leave the light he needed to do his work. For all of his initial reservation of the drug, he'd actually come to find that caring for the cannabis plants was very therapeutic. Unlike the apple trees which required his brute strength and muscle at most every interaction, the ganja forced him to develop a softer and more tender touch. Using his fetlock to gently cut, trim and pull rather than his powerful legs to buck trees or pull heavy loads.

It was intriguing how differently he had to use his body in order to care for such a delicate and flixible plant, and even though his disdain for mind altering substances, he had to admit that he took pride in what he was accomplishing through it. Even his sister and her friends almost discovering their little project earlier today couldn't sour his good mood.

"So, that's all you have to do?" The stallion asked.

"That's it." Annabelle chirped happily, grabbing one of the buds from the wicker collection basket. "Zecora said that one bud would hold him over for at least three days if he used it correctly."

Nodding, the apple pony picked up the bud and observed it. The stench wasn't nearly as overwhelming as it had once been, Mac would even dare say he'd grown to like it a little, but was still morally opposed to it's use. Still though, if this could lead to what he considered one of his closer friends being given a normal chance at life, then he was happy he decided to risk 

'Closer friends, huh?'

It was a little sad to think about, but Shade was one of the ponies he'd grown closer to in his life. Prior to leaving the farm about a year ago, Macintosh hadn't considered association with anypony outside of his family. Hay, the closest thing he had prior to that was Braburn in Appleoosa, and... well, yea.

Annabelle asked if Macintosh wanted to make the delivery today and have all of tomorrow to dedicate to applebucking, but the stallion declined. Shade was still in Canterlot, healing from his injuries so the delivery could wait. He did have an interest to pursue with the mare, and their little hiding spot was the perfect place to do it.

He stepped forward and cupped her cheek, leaning in to kiss her. Surprised apprehension melted to a sigh of acceptance. He deepened the kiss and gently pulled her to the ground, parting his lips and allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. She suddenly pushed him over onto his back and attacked his mouth with a ferocity he'd come to expect and returned in kind, using his body to twist and place her back on the ground. He loved the initial playful power struggle between the two prior to the act, it always made it so much more exciting.

Slowly, he felt himself become excited enough to begin.

"Ooooh myyyyy."

They both froze, eyes wide in terror. In unison, they both looked up to find Discord sitting on a floating red recliner, a bag of popcorn in his talloned hand. "Why did you stop? It was just getting to the good part."

"D- Discord!" The two pulled themselves apart, both taking care to keep their neathers well protected and blushing furiously. The floating draconequus rolled his eyes, disappointed that the show had reached it's conclusion. "W- What'er y'all doin' here?"

"Keeping this T rated, for one." He snapped his fingers, appearing on the ground and claring his throat. "Also," he eyed the basket and picked up one of the ganja buds. "I've come to ask you, my dear boy, has Shade ever told you about why he's off his rocker?"

Anna and Mac shared a look at the unprecedented question. Discord, the god of chaos was coming up out of the blue and talking to them as if they were acquaintances when the only interaction the apple pony had with the beast was the dreaded balloon incident last week, and that was him trying for figure out what had happened.

Still though, Mac did want to know why his friend was forced to suffer as he had been, often wondering why Shade was the way he was but never having the nerve to flat out ask the pony himself. Discord sighed and tossed the fauna back into the basket before preparing an explanation that Mac was anything but ready to hear...







Shade sat in the hospital bed, his mind completely blank as he looked up at the ceiling. He was tired, too tired to think, even after a week and a half of constant bed rest, he was still tired. It didn't help that doctors and guards constantly poked their heads him and offered him their thanks for one reason or another, but he just wanted to be left alone.

Exhaustion was an unfamiliar feeling to him. Yea, he'd been tired before, but never like this. Before, he always had a little more to give, always had a little bit extra energy in the reserves to finish whatever insanity he started. This was the first time he'd ever completely drained himself of every last bit of strength and emotion he had. There wasn't any anger, there wasn't any manacle malcontentedness, there wasn't even his loathing for the beast, there was only tired.

Well, there was one other thing... Pride.

He did it, he helped his friends just like Discord told him to. He'd earned his god's forgiveness and even though he couldn't feel the full dopamine rush of it yet, he was still pleased none the less.

All that was left to do now was to rest.

"Star Shade?" A voice called from the doorway.

Shade's golden eyes blinked and he curiously, almost innocently, looked to the door. He knew he should have felt something about what he saw, he knew that his calm and tranquil state wasn't an appropriate response to the intruder, but he couldn't bring himself to so much as snarl at her.

Luna stepped into the room, confident but not hostile in her mannerisms. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Shade nodded automatically, his eyes tiredly drooping to the floor.

Pressing her lips, the alicorn took a seat by his bedside and cringed at the lunar pegasi's state. His entire wing was in a cast, as well as his hind leg, with multiple layers of bandages covering his chest, torso and one around his head. "We would, umm, we would like to thank you for your services in protecting our subjects from the changeling swarm." She declared through a reluctant frown.

Again, something told him that his empty and blissful state of mind was supposed to be something else, but he couldn't bring himself to figure it out. Instead he simply nodded his head and blinked.

Luna grimaced at his response, she'd taken time out of her busy schedule in overseeing the night time recovery and relief efforts to thank this lunatic, and he repays her kindness by zoning out? 

Though, she knew she couldn't be too upset with him. He was the only pony in all of the world who could have fought off an entire changeling brood on his own. She may not like him, and she may have seen Shade as one of the biggest threats to Equestria the world could produce, but the lunar goddess could not deny that it was he whom saved Canterlot from falling under changeling control. He'd heard multiple accounts of how the pony had not only garnered the attention away from the Capital's citizenry, but inspired the city's defense to rally and push the invaders back.

Where she and her sister had failed, it was this little pony she had to thank for the safety of her subjects, and it was a debt she would always keep herself to.

Shade wasn't sure what she was talking about, but apparently she was thankful for his actions in protecting the other ponies. She wanted to give him something or another called a "myrmidon" or something. He wasn't sure, all he knew was that she had a horn and wings, and had the most mesmerizing mane he'd ever seen. Seriously, how was it waving like that?

She said a few other things he wasn't in the mood to process. Nodding his head typically made the doctors and nurses happy, so he just continued to do that whenever she stopped talking for any length of time. This seemed to please her, and that made him feel good. He wasn't sure how long she talked, but eventually she left. She was smiling, so that was good right?

He didn't know, he was too tired to know. All he knew was that his wing and leg hurt and that the bed was warm and comfy. A nap sounded good...







Mac was speechless, his heart had stopped and restated itself on multiple occasions through out the duration of the tale. He could still hear Annabelle crying as she held tightly onto his shoulder, squeezing him for all the comfort she could get. Even Discord's typically jovial attitude had become crestfallen and somber.

It was beyond words to describe the level of anger and disgust Macintosh was feeling. He couldn't believe anypony could do that to another, to keep them in a box for years because they didn't comply with the demands of authority, making them live in their own filth and feeding them barley anything to keep them alive.

He couldn't imagine what that was like.

Even worse, he was surprised to learn that Shade was once a pacifist who never wanted to harm anypony. A kind and gentle soul who simply wanted to be left alone to do as he saw fit for himself. A pony who's mind was twisted and broken by a cult's caste system that tried to force him into conformity by doing the most inhumane thing anypony could conceive of...

It was a terrible thing to think about, but Mac almost wished that Shade had died in the box. To endure that kind of suffering was more than he wanted to think about, but to live with it afterwards? To go day after day with that kind of pain for the rest of one's life?

It explained so much about the pegasus and gave a much clearer understanding into his hatred of Luna and the government in general. It was actually amazing how coherent he was, yes he was insane but he wasn't all out bat shit crazy. He still had his own sick sense of honor and self understanding even if it's only constant was his love of Discord, but he wasn't an unbridled lunatic who followed any whim with no regard for consequences. And that fact was overwhelming when put into context.

"He's spoken well of you, Big Macintosh." Discord said, eyeing the pony for a moment. "Believe it or not, you're the most steady and calm of your little group of friends. You're the rock they need. Spike acts tough and collected, but we both knew he's still got a long way to go with that temper of his. Sin acts as if he knows everything and lives like he's got life figured out, his hubris masks alot and it will get him killed one day, and well, you know about Shade." He chuckled and shook his head.

Mac didn't reply, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to after hearing all of that. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to feel right now.

"I know you probably don't trust me, and you be stupid to, but believe me when I say that you're a very important pony to my acolyte. It goes against the will of chaos, but the discord I want isn't the kind Shade will bring. As much as I love chaos, I know that his isn't the right kind, so I am here to say thank you for what you've done and to continue to look after him."

Macintosh gave an automated nod. Discord smiled gratefully turning his attention to Annabelle. His face turned curious and thoughtful before slithering over and putting his lion's paw upon her side. The mare yelped and looked down at the draconequus with apprehension. 

Discord's smile turned knowing he looked back to the red stallion. "Be careful with her now, Macintosh." he said wistfully. "You've got a little Macintosh in there now."

  
> Pregnant Anticipation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Pregnant Anticipations







The world was quiet, not on account of there being no noise, but due to one hell of a round of shock. Annabelle sat across from the apple pony, her shocked and bewildered expression matching his own.

Macitnosh was still processing Discord's words. He wanted to think he was just messing with him, or wrong. Yea, that had to be it, right? He was the god of chaos! He made it his lot in life to mess with others. What he said couldn't be true, how would he know anyways?

'Well, it's not like you didn't commit the act to make a foal... a dozen times... a week.'

Mac blushed and his breath quickened. This was... how could... they were careful! They did everything they were supposed to do! He never... inside her... and with the protection... just... HOW?!

"Macintosh?" 

His eyes narrowed to pinpricks as he turned his gaze to a very timid Annabelle. She averted her gaze, attempting to look him in the eye and failing repeatedly. "I- um... I don't, I don't know what..." Tears started to form in her eyes, her once milky voice now a shrill tremble. 

Was it true? Was she really pregnant?

"A- are ya?"

She looked up at him, fear and uncertainty in her saphire blue eyes. "I... I don't know."

Ice shot up the Macintosh's spine and up through his chest. What if she was? What would happen? What would he do? What could he do? A foal, a foal was on the way! His foal, a foal that he'd be responsible for, foal? Infant? Baby? Food? Diaper? What do, what do, what do-

'Get ahold of yourself, man!'

It was a little late for that, the shocked stallion could barely get ahold of his breath, let alone his mind. He could feel his breathing quicken against his will, his muscles twitching from the excess oxygen and heart rate. There were ways to break delicate news, and that was not one of them.

'Alright, alright. It's... a bomb shell, but getting all worked up like this isn't going to help! Look if Annabelle is pregnant than she's going to-

I know she'll need me, I'm alright. I'm okay, just... wow.

It took him a moment, but Mac eventually got his breathing under control regained his facilities. He saw his marefriend, the potential mother of his unborn child, shaking uncontrollably. In an instant he lept forward and embraced her in a bone crushing hug.

He could scarcely imagine what she was going through at that moment. If she was pregnant, it was her that would have the little foal inside. He'd need to be there, he'd need to take care of her and the baby.

"Macintosh..." The mare asked. "I- if I am with foal, will you... will you stay?"

Cringing, the stallion tensed. He knew the ideas of the country and out of wedlock pregnancies, how single mothers without a partners were treated and seen. Granny was very forthcoming with how the community initially treated her and how alone she was. There were some ponies who helped her out, but most weren't as accepting back then. And if Derpy's treatment was any indication, things hadn't changed much either.

"O' course Ah will." Said Mac, gently easing his grip and rubbing her back. "Don't ya worry none, if'n ya are with chil' we'll figure it out. Ah promise, ah ain't goin' no where."

Slowly, Annabelle reached up and returned the hug. The dam was breaking, and in seconds a gentle hiccup escalated into full on sobs. Sobs of both fear and joy. Machintosh cleared his mind as best he could and started trying to figure things out. He'd just been told that he was the emotional stability in his friends' lives, and immediately fell apart upon hearing his marefriend pregnant. That couldn't happen again, things were going to change. A foal may be soon born to him and he'd be responsible for it's health, safety and well being.

Falling apart was no longer an option, for anything.







Spike let a sigh of relief go as soon as the steam engine had it's power valve switched from to relief. The group completed their clean up for the next day and met up in the break room.

"Well, today went well." Blade declared, nursing a cup of water.

Chopper shook his head. "Yea, after Sin finally got it through his head that he wasn't fit to work the loadin'." He looked over to Jacker who'd just locked up his office. "What'd ya have to tell the guy to get him to stop?"

"That I'd fire him if he didn't go home." Jacker replied tiredly. 

Spike pressed his lips and took a drink of water. It was pretty sad to watch the stallion continually buckle under the pain in both his chest and hooves, Sin was trying and everyone could see it, but he was soaked in sweat after the first hour of work, standing on trembling legs and cringing with every step. He was still hurting, that much was obvious but he swore up and down that he could handle the work.

"Kid's tough, I'll give 'em that." Chopper declared. "But he shoulda known better then to come in today, all covered in bandages and what not."

"Yea, it also didn't help that Ax constantly egged him on with his 'don't be no bitch', thing." Fiona declared, glaring daggers at the more more reclusive twin. Ax merely shrugged and continued eating his sandwich.

"Regardless, I told him he's not to come back until he's properly healed." The manager declared, eyeing each and every one of his employees, making sure they understood that they would be held to account on the matter. The message was clear and received. "Spike, you and Cranky can handle the conveyor loading for a while."

Cranky gave an ambiguous grunt before walking out the door and the dragon nodded in the affirmative. It did irritate him slightly, but he couldn't be mad, Sin would have probably killed himself trying before admitting that he couldn't do the job anymore. Couldn't be angry with that kind of determination.

After another fifteen minutes of general conversation, the group dispersed and headed home for the day. Tomorrow was Friday and Spike was looking forward to a weekend of rest and relaxation after a long work week. As for today, he was going to see how Twilight was doing. He wasn't sure if Uppity's presence was going to help, but he had hope.

As he walked to the library, he saw a familiar cream colored pegasus mare at one of the few remaining market shop stands, asking Carrot Top (or Golden Harvest was it?) for something. As he approached, he observed Scootaloo standing behind Fluttershy and gave a wave, the filly returned the gesture.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

"Fluttershy's out of carrots, she say's her rabbit wont eat anything else today." The orange filly replied. Spike rolled his eyes, he never liked that bunny and couldn't understand for the life of him why Fluttershy put up with it.

"Oh please, Angel hasn't eaten anything all day. I'm worried he'll starve if he doesn't eat something soon." Fluttershy pleaded. 

And nothing of value would be lost.

'Wow dude, I think you've been spending a little too much time around Sin.'

Telling me I'm wrong?

'No, but still...

Eventually, Carrot Top sighed, rolled her eyes and committed the desired commerce. Fluttershy thanked her repeatedly before turning around and running nose first into Spike. She froze as soon as contact was made, the two sharing a moment of closeness that the drake would call a grave violation of personal space, yet as green eyes met turquoise, he couldn't find it in himself to move.

As quickly as it happened, both moved away, blushing heavily. 

Fluttershy was the first to regain herself and apologized profusely, saying she didn't notice him, stuttering all the while. Spike cleared his throat and placated the frantic mare before asking how she was doing. 

"I'm doing alright, thank you for asking." She lied meekly. Her eyes looking anywhere but at him. Of course, he wasn't just going to let that slide. "Alright, maybe I'm not doing alright." She admitted.

Spike, being the nice guy he was, offered to walk her home and listen to her plight, to which Fluttershy agreed. He'd sort of knew what was bothering her already though. He bid Scootaloo a farewell and the two began walking.

As expected she was worried about Twilight as well as the rest of her friends, especially Rarity, who'd yet to come out of her Boutique home. The buttermilk pegasus had taken it upon herself to go grocery shopping for the marred fashionista, making sure she was eating right and had pleasant company. However the unicorn wasn't coping well with all the bruising that the changelings had inflicted. Spike initially dismissed this as her being her typically over dramatic self, but Fluttershy shook her head and said that the alabaster unicorn's behavior was much more subdued than dramatic.

"She isn't crying or anything, Spike. It's like she's just... shut down." She frowned. "She doesn't even cry anymore, all she does is either lay in bed or sit quietly on the couch. It's gotten so bad that even Opal's trying to comfort her."

'Opal? Opalescence? The cat that's mean as a snake to anypony but Fluttershy? That Opal's trying to... Oh sweet Celestia.' 

"I know I've got no right to ask this after what happened, but could you check up on her tomorrow for me? I... I need to talk to Twilight." 

"Yea, sure thing, Fluttershy?" He patted her on the back. "Do you know what you're going to say? When you see her, I mean." The pegasus stopped walking and gulped. 

"No... " She admitted, her wings fidgeting with irritation. She took a breath, "I don't know what I'm going to say to her. I've already apologized and I don't know what else I'm supposed to do... I've never been in the situation of earning somepony else's forgiveness before. You know, besides that Assertiveness thing."

How could anyone forget? Still that did leave her with something to think about.

They finally arrived at the cottage and parted ways with kind words. Fifteen minutes later, Spike found himself outside of Golden Oaks library and knocked on the door. Uppity answered with a warm but tired smile. "Hello there, Spike, right?" The dragon nodded and followed her in. The library was in a little better shape, not much but the sink was clear at least. "Sorry, but I'm afraid Twilight's asleep. I was just in the process of cleaning the place up."

Well that wasn't fair, Spike thought to himself before grabbing the feather duster. Uppity detured him from work, but Spike argued that she shouldn't be the only one cleaning. It wasn't her responsibility anyways, and besides, it was the least he could do.

"So how is she?" He asked, dusting the mental. Uppity sighed and explained that Twilight was holding back a little more than she initially let on. To the dragon's disturbia, his mother's anger wasn't directed at her friends, but at the changeling queen. The librarian admitted that she fantasized about hunting down Chrysalis and finishing her off as revenge for what she'd done.

It terrified him to think about. Twilight was a good pony and the idea of her doing... what he had done made his stomach churn. He could still smell the blood on his claws every time he thought about that day. He could still remember the unbridled desire to kill, to shred and rip and tear. It made him sick now, but back then? When all he could think about was revenge and justice, anger and hate felt righteous and justified.

He couldn't let her fall into that.

"After that, we talked until the early morning. She was emotionally exhausted and has been up and down asleep ever since. I brought her dinner a while ago, there's left overs if you're feeling hungry." Uppity offered. 

The dragon thanked her for the offer and after a good hour of cleaning, sat down at the table and dined on the green bean casserole. It was a decent meal, he'd had better but he wasn't about to say it out loud. Once he'd finished, Uppity asked about how Sin was doing and if he handled the mill okay.

Spike made a face and told her that he'd been sent home. Uppity's eyes widened and she asked if he was alright. "Yea, he's fine just, his injuries kept him too limited." He answered honestly.

"Ugh, why are stallions like that?!" The mare groaned. "Always trying to push themselves and show how tough they are all the time. With as smart as he is, you'd think he'd have better sense!"

Spike chuckled. "Ain't that the truth." He paused. "Speaking of him, he wasn't really acting like himself too much last night. You wouldn't know why, do you?"

Her flinch was all Spike needed to see to know that she did, but the explanation she gave both confused and interested him. Uppity said she couldn't speak too much on it, but apparently his grandfather had come to visit him in Canterlot a few days ago. At first they seemed to be getting along really well, but then something happened and he and Sin got into a huge fight over it. Spike pressed for details, but Uppity just shook her head, declaring that she wasn't sure what all they were talking about, only that she'd never seen Sin as angry as he was.

"I'll be honest, I've never been scared of him before. He's a chauvinist who doesn't care about discrimination or the feelings of others. But he's always been calm and logical about it... It was the first time I'd ever seen him get angry before. I mean really angry, I thought he was going to hurt somepony." She admitted.

As if Twilight's admission wasn't enough to disturb the dragon today. Sin getting emotional? Letting his anger show and the mare before him grimacing in fear, he needed to talk to him about that. That must have been what was making him act so strangely last night, Spike had asked the Federalist what was bothering him this morning, but Sin said he didn't need to worry about it.

Yelling at your grandfather, a pony you did nothing but praise, didn't sound like nothing to Spike, though.

> Drunken Conversations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Drunken Conversations






Sin sat in his room, over looking a manilla folder with an irritated scowl and strong fireball whisky on his breath, the half consumed bottle of alchohol sitting at his side as the afternoon sun sat lazily outside the window.

Today was not a good day to be him. First he was sent home from work because of his incompetence in preforming the menial task of placing a fucking log on a belt, then the receptionist at city hall said the council meetings were put on hold for all of this week and the next so the members could attend and emergency summit in Manehatten over the changeling attack, and finally he had been sent another letter from Celestial, badgering him for farther detail upon his plans for the Ever-wood mill and research facility.

A little known fact about the pony was that he was as bad a drinker as he was a gambler. He could maintain his cool with a few drinks out with friends, but he'd always stop once he felt the thirst kick up. He'd get buzzed to loosen up for social situations, but he'd never allow himself to get full on drunk around others.

Calling him a "mean drunk" would be a vast understatement. 

Though, today was a bad day and he just wanted to forget it. Too bad his mind was conflicted on the issue and preassured him into trying to take care of his business with Fancy Pants. The letter wasn't urgent or anything, but with the destruction of a good bit of his property, the rich unicorn was looking for results faster than the Federalist was looking to give. He hadn't checked on the progress of the mill, but it couldn't be too much longer until it's completion, right?

Well, that was assuming that the construction workers hadn't been called upon to help restore the property damage in Canterlot, anyways. At least the government construction workers he'd been worried about would be busy for a while.

"Fuckin' thing." He spat, taking up the bottle and downing a few gulps, coughing from the strong burn in the back of his throat. It was pointless to continue reading, he knew that much, but the alternative wasn't much better. 

Sin was in no shape to travel to the Federation. Fact was that if he couldn't even do his stupid job, what chance did he have of walking all the way up to Hooftrot and finding that port city he came in from again? Since the Federation was primarily isolationist, sending a letter wasn't an option and he knew of nobody in Equestria who'd be willing to make that kind of journey for him. He'd wished his grandfather would have told him of the plan sooner while Malich was still around, save him the headache of trying to figure this shit all out.

A slight movement out of the corner of his eye drew the stallion's attention the window, nothing was there now but he knew that something was. That's when it hit him, his muzzle twisting with a sickly grin, or better yet, someone. That griffon had been stalking him for months! He'd contemplated shooting her back in the Everfree forest on the grounds of the invasion of privacy but continually put it off due to how much hassle it would cause. Looks like that little bit of procrastination was finally going to pay off. 

Excitement coursed through him but fell flat as soon as the stallion tried to stand. His hooves were still in pretty bad shape, and her being an agent of Triple M., catching her would be near impossible even if he was in peak condition. He briefly considered grabbing his cross bow, but that would either kill her or render her unable to make it to the Federation. Violence wasn't going to work in his favor here.

Of course he shouldn't be considering it as the first course of action anyway, but booze had a tendency to cloud his judgement. He'd need to wait until he was sober to do anything, but he could take solace in the solution that the universe had provided him.

Just then the door opened and Sin's ears perked. "Sin, you here, bro?"

Shit, Spike, he'd almost forgotten the drake was taking up residence with him. That might be a problem...

The drake knocked on his door and Sin invited him in. "How was work?" Sin asked after the typical pleasantries were extended.

"Fine." Said Spike, pulling a face. "Are you drunk?"

"As a pirate on Sunday." 

Eyeing his associate skeptically, Spike shook his head and asked why, obviously not approving of the pony's decision to help pass the day away. "Reasons," he dismissed.

"Right. anyways, I stopped by the Library to see how Twilight was doing." Sin nodded and inquired to the state of Ms. Sparkle. She wasn't really his friend, but he viewed her more favorably than non-favorably as far as acquaintances go. He was surprised to hear that she was having feelings of revenge, but he shouldn't have been. From what Spike had told him, her anger was well passed justified. Being tricked into almost killing someone you love? He'd probably have already tracked down, tortured and killed the bug eyed bitch if he were in her position.

"Uppity also said something else while I was there." Spike said slowly, looking the pony over. "She said that your grandpa came to visit. Care to tell me why you didn't say anything to me about that?"

Sin's eyes narrowed beneath his goggles. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to tell her to keep her mouth shut about that! Great, well he wasn't about to tell the dragon the truth. Instead he asked, in an equally skeptical tone, what exact information she'd relayed. 

"Doesn't matter, I wanna know why you didn't tell me your grandpa came to see you in the hospital."

"Why?" Spike tilted his head and gave the pony a hard look. "What would you have done with that information?"

"I wouldn't have done anything, we're friends aren't we? Don't friends tell friends when family from far away come and visit them?"

Now that was something the pony could work with without lying. "He'd already embarrassed me in front of Uppity." Sin chuckled. "Asking all kinds of personal questions and shit. Didn't think you wanted to be involved in that." It wasn't a lie, but apparently he was still wrong, Spike would have appreciated the chance to meet Mandylion. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright, so what had you so distracted last night?"

"My grandpa came to town?" Sin stated as if it was obvious. Though his bluff was called when a new little bit of information came to light, apparently Uppity wasn't content to just tell Spike about Mandylion's appearance, but about the altercation the two had as well. Sin tried to steer the conversation back to Twilight, but the dragon wasn't having it. Any detraction from his inquiry only fueling his need to know what exactly had the pony so worked up.

The conversation was quickly turning hostile and Sin did the only thing his drunken mind could think of.

"Leave it alone, Spike." Sin croaked with subedued warning. 

Spike shook his head slowly. "No, I wanna know what you two talked about."

"I said leave it alone!" The Federalist barked, his muscles growing tense. Still Spike wouldn't let up, instead of backing down, the drake took a step forward. "Why are you asking? What would you do if with the information if I told you?"

"Don't give me that crap!" Spike shouted. "We're friends! When friends see that there's something wrong, they try to figure out why to see if they can help!"

"Help?!" Sin chuckled and shook his head. He scoffed and grabbed the bottle of whisky, taking a good gulp to calm his nerves. "You wouldn't understand, let alone help." It was true, Spike was a smart kid, but this was a problem who's philosophy was too deep for him to comprehend. The dragon still believed in Life Worship with no where near the thought needed given to understand the ultimate conclusion. Sin only came to said conclusion after years and years of introspective thought and emotional disconnect from the idea that life should be preserved at all turns. Fact was that Spike would be just as hostile and full of denial as he was when he'd first figured it out. 

It was a sick truth, a sad truth in a world that placed so much emphasis on compassion and kindness. So many believed in the idea yet their actions spoke more than their words ever could. So many bitched and complained about things like the homeless and how ponies should be more caring for them, yet take no real action to help. That was the truth of the matter, the truth he was hated for telling, and the reason he never said a word, because he didn't help them either. 

Most didn't really care about other ponies, they simply said they did because it made them feel morally self righteous and ethical. To them, that was enough, but to Sin? To a pony who saw results as all that mattered in the world? It was a sad joke.

The general public's ideas on how the world should work and how it does work were so far from one another that it would induce a state of cognitive dissonance on the believer and condemn any who tried to tell the truth as radical extremists.

"You're making a pretty big assumption about me." Spike called, breaking the stallion of his train of thought. "Don't you think?"

"Maybe." Sin replied after a moment of silence. Another tense moment followed as the stallion contemplated if telling Spike was a good idea or not. No, he would need to test him first, but how?

"Picture this" The Federalist starts, "a pony you don't know or have any emotional attachment to... is walking through the forest."  He takes another swig of liquor. "In his or her projected path of travel, you see that he or she is going to walk right through a mantacore den. You tell them repeatedly that they are going to get seriously hurt or killed if they keep going in that direction, but they tell you that you're paranoid and that they will be fine. You point to the plethora of bones and other bits of evidence to your claim, but you're ignored. Eventually, you give up trying to tell them to stop and just watch, waiting for it to happen. Finally, the pony walks into the den and you hear yelling and cries for help." He paused and removed his goggles, giving Spike a hard look. "What do you do?"

Spike pulled back and made a face, taken aback by the question. "Umm, well I'd help them, of course."

"Would you?" Sin asked calmly. "The individual walked into a mantacore den, right after you told them what was going to happen. You would risk getting mauled by a group or single mantacore, most likely killed actually, to help someone who was too stupid to listen to reason? Why would you risk your own bodily integrity for someone so foolish?"

"Well... when you put it like that." Spike grimaced, he took a moment to think the scinario over in his head. "I think I'd still try to help them."

"Why?"

"Well, because they're a pony in trouble, I guess." Spike shrugged. "And it's the right thing to do."

"Is it?" Sin smirked, causing the drake to frown. "How stupid does someone have to be to walk into a mantacore den? How utterly fucking retarded is said hypothetical individual to unwittingly waltz right past a perfectly good warning and into their own gruesome death? You'd help them? You'd save them from the fate at the risk of your own suffering to preserve that kind of stupidity?"

Spike opened his mouth to retort, but fumbled over his words. This pleased Sin greatly, he may have still been a Life Worshiper, but at least his logic was being accepted. Of course, the primary difference between what he was doing and the analogy was that he was that the pony was given several hundred warnings and he was stopping another pony from standing in front of the traveler and baring entry into the mantacor den.

"Now picture this. That same pony walking expects you to come and help them. Let's say you do, let's say you somehow get both him or her and yourself out alive. Instead of thanking you, they complain about how irresponsible it was for everyone else to let them walk into the den and go on and on about how someone should have stopped them. Decrying any who say they should have stopped themselves as 'victim blaming'."

"After that, they start walking towards a sign that reads 'Danger! Quick Sand'. You try to tell them not to go near the quick sand, but they dismiss you, saying your paranoid. Would you still help them then?" Spike frowned, giving Sin a sidelong look. "Would it be what you call 'right' to stop them from killing themselves yet again?"

"What are you getting at?" 

The drakes tone was laced with uncertainty and apprehension, both things Sin wasn't sure if he wanted to hear or not. It was simple what he was getting at though, the world was full of idiots who do stupid things. The Federalist believed that the idiots of the world should suffer for their ill gotten decisions while Spike thought they should be protected.

"So am I making a bit of an assumption about you, Spike? Yes. Yes I am. Now, are you going to tell me I was wrong?"

"Okay, what would you do?" Spike asked pointedly. Sin's smirk intensified, he knew exactly what he'd do.

"Shake my head and walk away." He said simple. Spike's jaw dropped from the blunt honesty. "Either that or point and laugh as Darwin took it's due course."

Spike stood looking absolutely horrified. Sin could practically see the thought process written on the dragon's face. How cold and cruel he was, how much of a monster he had to be to not only allow another pony to die a painful death, but to take a sense of satisfaction in it.

"Now... picture this." Sin said, his smirk fading to an serious frown. "That pony has the power to make others as stupid as they are by touching them. Once they touch another, they become their victim's leader with no limit to how many followers the pony can have. They never question, they never disobey, they never stray from the path and continually see themselves as incapable of walking away. The leader continually promises peace and safety for all his followers, reinforcing their ridiculous belief in that leader, no matter how foolish his or her actions. What few individuals stay away from the leader when they see his or her power are pulled into the fold by the followers against their will or are killed if they resist. The followers, believing they have no choice or will be better off for it, all march to a cliff-"

"Stop." Spike said, his breath barely above a whisper.

"A cliff that's a good three hundred foot drop, assuring all of them will die when they hit the bottom-"

"Sin, I said stop!" 

Sin regarded the dragon's clenched fist, heavy breathing and tense jaw. As expected, he met the scenario with hostility and denial. That was okay though, anyone who wasn't a deranged sociopath would become angry and scared if they'd never thought the entire situation through before.

He sat in silence, waiting for the dragon to calm himself down. 

With out another word, Spike turned around and quietly walked out of the room, stopping for only a moment to look back at his room mate before gently closing the door behind him. 

Sin sighed, it was a gamble to try and explain, he knew Spike wouldn't be receptive, but it still didn't make it any easier to be hated. Though, that last look the dragon gave him before he left, that gave Sin hope that maybe, just maybe, he'd see where the pony was coming from.

"The pony who leads them," Sin whispered, finishing the story. "Is Complacency, and they want you to follow them. Even if it's to your death."



> Good News
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   





Good News






A black void

Solid, unadulterated darkness in every direction. Up, down, left, right, forwards and backwards. No matter where Sin looked, all he saw was the same pure blackness. 

He frowned, this was different. The Federalist knew he was asleep and was expecting some kind of nightmare, if not being killed after another failed attempt to destroy a post economic collapse corporatocracy, than maybe something having to do with him being disgraced in the Senate, or dying of exposure in the woods.

But his mind seemed willing to give him some peace tonight. No disturbing images or feelings of terror and failure, just an empty black void. It was kind of soothing, actually. Compared to the hell he'd been experiencing for weeks, the ability to sleep without constantly being tortured with the worst case scenarios of the future or past, a black and boring void was paradise.

Suddenly he heard a soft and gentle sob. He perked his ears and listened for the noise, trying to discern where it was coming from. The crying grew slightly louder, and louder. He couldn't tell from where the sobbing was coming from though, it sounded like it was all around him at once, and yet, from no where at all. 

The sobbing grew louder and for some reason, Sin grew angry with it. It wasn't the noise itself that bothered him, but the reason for it. It was strange how dreams worked, but as the sound of misery permeated through his mind, he could feel the knowledge of the voice's plight shifting into his head. It was much more emotional than logical experience.

As the crying grew louder, it also began to take origin. After a good few minutes, the stallion could hear the crying from directly behind him, and with it's finality in existence, Sin turned around and laid eyes upon the young foal laying behind him.

His blood was boiling as the full weight of realization laid into him. The foal, a brown colt, about Mac's youngest sister's age, sat with his hoover over his eyes. Seeing the child, Sin's neck began to twitch with tension.

"Why?" He heard the foal ask between sobs. It didn't need to say anything more, Sin already knew what it was getting at. "Why did mommy leave me?"

"Because you're crying like a bitch, I'd summize." His scathing words sent the foal into a fit of louder and more desperate sobs, bringing with it no small amount of irritation. "Will you stop crying already? Crying wont bring her back, you know."

Again, his words only fueled the colt's misery. Deciding enough was enough, the pony turned around and began walking away. His legs were trembling with rage and if he stayed, he couldn't guarantee the child's safety. However, the farther he walked away, the louder the sobs became. He walked a little faster, then he began jogging and finally going for a full on sprint. The crying moaning only grow louder with every step he took.

In a rush he came to a dead stop and growled before turning around. To his horror, he was almost right in front of the colt now and any doubt or denial as to the identity of the child was gone. He didn't want to admit it, but the colt was him, just a great deal younger.

"Why are you so mean to me?" It said, the sobbing finally subsiding. "You've always been mean to me, and I don't know why."

Sin scoffed, his right leg trembling with anticipation. "Why? You know why. It's because I hate you."

The foal visibly flinched and turned away before curling into a helpless little ball, but he'd already started the conversation and Sin was going to finish it.

"You..." he seethed, feeling the anger in his belly shooting into his chest. "You are everything I despise about myself, all thrown together in a disgusting metaphysical construct. A weak, useless little child. A victim who'd bemoan how unfair life is and cry out for a mother who'd abandoned him rather than face the harsh truth of the world! Well I've got news for you, life isn't fair! Never has been, never will be. Mommy left, kiddo, she left and she's not coming back. You're the part of me that doesn't understand that, that cannot understand that."

The foal began to sob quietly again, the noise coming out as faint whimpers. Sin couldn't stand it anymore and kicked the foal as hard as he could. With a pained yelp, the colt flew a good foot before rolling onto his side and curling up again and trembling in fear. He removed his hooves from his eyes and Sin felt his anger compound even more.

Fear and terror permeated from the wetted and puffy blue orbs as they gazed into Sin. He wanted to kick him again, to destroy the little creature once and for all and rid himself of every last bit of self pity he had, but something told him that it would just be a waste of time, that this... thing couldn't be killed here.

"I'm sorry..." It quivered.

"SHUT UP!" Sin barked, making the foal flinch and cower again. "Just shut the fuck up! I am so sick and tired of you!"

"B- but I'm you..." It whimpered.

Sin felt something in him snap and he rushed forward, kicking the foal again and sending it flying. He continued onward, kicking the foal again and again in a red vision filled rage. "Don't." Kick. "Fucking." Kick "Remind me!" With a final toss of his leg, he sent the colt rolling before stopping to catch his breath.

He took a full minute to calm himself, taking deep, controlled breaths. The anger had been depleted significantly through the beating, but a cooling feeling of anger still had it's grip in his stomach. He looked to find the lump of a pony crying once again, still curled up into a ball with his hooves over his eyes again.

"All you've ever done is felt sorry for yourself and blame the world for your problems." The Federalist growled, slowly skulking closer to the child. "Complaining, bitching and moaning about all of the suffering, all of the injustice. Yet you do nothing to fix the problems you complain about. You never did because you don't have what it takes to do it, you know why? Because you're nothing but a sad, pathetic little victim."

His words dripped with venom, Sin could remember feeling this... thing ever since he was little. How it would constantly expose guilt about the haves and have nots of the world. How the homeless should be house and how the hungry should be fed. About the mundane little details of life that everybody always acknowledged and detested but seldom took action to rectify, preferring to talk a little then go on about their busy day. The colt made him feel like a hypocrite at every turn. It told him he should care, that he did care, but that was a lie. Sin didn't care about the homeless or the hungry, he acknowledged and accepted this as the cold fact it was, but this little shit would always be there, telling him that he did.

He stepped forward and leaned down, glaring with all the hate he had in him. "You're the part of me that wants to give into complacency, you're the part of me that is the devil's play thing." He dropped his voice. "And there's nothing I'd love more than to see you dead."







Spike awoke to the sound of something beating repeatedly on the front door. Tired from a lack of sleep, the drake forced himself from his cloak/make shift bed and wondered over to the door. The scene from last night playing over and over in his head. No matter how much thought he gave it, he just couldn't seem to understand what Sin had said or why he said it. To take delight in the suffering of others? That was just wrong.

"Alright I'm coming." He complained after a rather excentric round of knocking. He opened the door "Mac? What are doing here?"

"Hey Spike. Ah was just stoppin' by ta tell ya that Annabelle might be pregnant." The apple pony replied calmly. Spike's stood awestruck. Macintosh and Annabelle were having a foal? How was that possible? They weren't even married yet.

'Weird, maybe they eloped and didn't tell you? Wouldn't be the first secret your friends have kept.'

"What is goin- GAH!" Sin cried from behind, covering his eyes with his hooves. "Close the damned door!"

Mac walked in and Spike slammed the door shut behind him, making the oaken pony groan for some reason. "Tapio, now I remember why I stopped drinking." He looked up and smiled. "Hey Mac, what brings you here. Feels like ages since I've seen you."

The stallion said his own hello and repeated the news. Sin simply frowned and looked on at Macintosh for a good few seconds before sighing. "Congratulations Mac, I'm happy for you and all, but what do you mean she might be pregnant?"

Macinotsh took a breath and began recounting how Discord had found him and Annabelle out in the orchard and told them that he was thankful for their help with Star Shade. After that, he'd placed his claw on the mare's side and said that she was pregnant. Spike was immediately skeptical of the claim, the draconequus was the biggest prankster in the world, he wouldn't put it past him to make up a pregnancy scare just for the fun of it.

Besides, Annabelle couldn't get pregnant without being married. That was one of the rules.

"Might want to get her tested." Sin groaned, nursing his head. "I wouldn't put too much stock into what Discord says." 

'Exactly!'

Mac voiced his concern and said that he'd planned to take her to the doctor's today to confirm it. Though, money would be a little tight, considering tax season would start up soon. Spike felt bad about hearing his friend having money troubls, but Sin was quick to say that he wouldn't need to worry about it too much.

"Why's tha?"

"Don't worry about it," Sin dismissed coolly before grabbing some pills from the kitchen and eating them. He waited a moment then sighed in relief. "Oh Sweet Milikki that soothes." The stallion sighed, Spike wasn't sure what those pills were, but they must have been amazing if they cured his head ache five seconds after taking them.

Macintosh was about to leave but both Spike and Sin stopped him. The three of them hadn't gotten together in a long time and with that kind of news, now seemed like a good time to catch up. Mac was reluctant at first, but he didn't really have anything else to do. Besides, it would do him some good to stay off the farm for a bit.

"Hey, where is Anna, anyway?" Spike asked after getting everyone some coffee and settling on the floor in the living room. It was embarrassing to have everyone sit on the floor, and Spike made it a point to talk to Sin about the issue later.

"She's at th' farm. She's still a might shaken up 'bout it." Mac replied, taking a sip of the coffee and grimacing. "Hot damn that's strong."

"Don't be no bitch, Mac." Sin smirked, taking a sip of his own and making his own face before glaring down at the cup. "Or maybe not."

Spike liked his coffee strong.

The three made idle chat about what they'd all been up to, Spike taking note of the extreme lack of detail Sin was giving. They recounted the battle of Canterlot and their respective roles, how the Shade was the one who inspired the city's defenses and all that. Surprisingly, Sin also told of his grandfather's appearance after giving the drake a side long look of course.

The conversation began to wind down as a full hour passed and Mac prepared himself to leave. "Y'all should stop by the farm fer supper tonight. Granny's makin' country fried brussle sprouts."

The message was supposed to be enticing, but Spike wasn't too fond of the vegetable. He accepted the offer anyways though, as did Sin. It wasn't his ideal meal, but it was defiantly better than having potatoes and oats.
> Decent News? Maybe?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Decent News? Maybe?







Macintosh paced around the waiting room of the doctor's office, his mind racing back and forth between if he did or didn't the pregnancy to be confirmed. Nurse Red Heart had tried to get him to calm down, but only half hearted attempts to save face for the other clients whom waited in the staril white and grey waiting room.

Fact was that he had used up all of his "calm" telling his friends about the news. The powers of uncertainty were stronger than he'd have liked. If there wasn't a foal coming, Macintosh would be vastly relieved. He wasn't ready for this, and if he was being honest, neither was Annabelle; she could be a good mother, but he wasn't sure if she would be. Never seeing her interact with foals before, outside of Applebloom of course, which she always seemed to handle rather well.

On the other hoof though, he'd also be disappointed. Part of him... had already accepted that he'd soon be a father. He looked forward to it, kind of. To have a little baby smiling warmly at him made his heart flutter, even if it was a time consuming, flatulent, crying machine. He remembered how he cared for Applebloom when she was a foal and smiled to himself. 

Babies were precious things, little lives that were to be nurtured and cherished by both parents. The joy they brought and love they felt was the most real and unwavering thing in the world. More powerful than even the love of husband and wife, he would say. He also felt a duty to the foal, a duty to protect and provide for them, to play and cuddle and laugh.

As conflicted over the whole thing as he was, he'd accept whatever happened. It may not be today or a year from now, but someday: Big Macintosh Apple would be a father, with hope for Annabelle being the mother.

A somber smile crept onto his face and he stopped pacing.

He'd had the thought occasionally of being a parent. Of coming in from a long day of work and having a young colt or filly calling him, running up and excitedly hugging his leg, saying how much they missed him and telling them all about their day. It was a warm feeling, to be needed and loved. 

"Macintosh?" Said Red Heart. "This way please." She walked through the double doors that lead to the back. Mac took a breath preparing himself for whatever news he'd be receiving. He'd accepted what would happen, one way or another.





Spike sat with both Twilight and Uppity at Sugar Cube corner for some delicious and savory fudge. Sin's depressing and distracted attitude had come back full force after Macintosh left, driving the drake out of the house and to visit Twilight. The librarian was happy to see him and looked a lot more cheerful than she was before. She wasn't back to normal, but it was still progress.

Uppity suggested that the three of them get out of Golden Oaks for a while and have some fun around town, getting Twilight out of the library sounded like a pretty good idea. The lavender mare loved sweets and a good helping of chocolate would be just the thing she needed to get out of the rest of her funk. Well not completely, but every little bit helped.

As the three of them spoke, Spike shook his head. Twilight was recounting the dragon migration and how he was standing up to a group of fellow wyrms had nearly convinced him to destroy a phoenix egg. It wasn't something he liked to talk or hear about, it was a very shameful and personal experience, but to see his mother light up and be so open was well worth the humiliation.

"Hey guys." Pinkie said, a little more subdued, but still relatively happy. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all!" Twilight declared between giggle snorts. "I was just telling Uppity here about that little incident with Spike and the dragon migration."

"Oh I remember that!" The party mare said, taking an empty seat. The conversation continued on and Spike's smile faded into a content smirk as Twilight and Pinkie began to navigate between different stories and other misadventures. It felt good seeing them laugh and tease eachother again, he didn't feel any tension or reservation. The feelings and words spoken were healing the rift between the two, each making the effort to reach out and mend the friendship that had been broken.

"Oh boy, I still can't believe those two colts actually went into the Everfree Forest and found an Ursa Minor!" Pinkie giggled. "It's a good thing you were there, Twilight. Trixie wasn't anywhere near as 'great and powerful' as she lead on."

Spike chuckled and shook his head as he recalled the memory of the show mare. He honestly felt a little bad for her, he'd never seen the entirety of Ponyville unite against a single pony before. It was painful watching her try to maintain her stage person after the humiliation she was put through.

"Ohmigosh, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot to introduce myself." Pinkie declared, her bubble personality fully restored. "My name's Pinkie Pie, it's nice to meet you!"

Uppity returned the greeting, and when questioned about her being in Ponyville, "I'm here to help Twilight out with a few things." She said "Though, it looks like the situations resolving itself." The unicorn pointed out, seeing the somber expression Pinkie was taking on. "Spike, would you mind coming with me for a while? I think these two have some catching up to do."

The drake nodded and bid his farewells, any and all reservation being immediately dispelled as his mother gave him a genuinely happy smile. Twilight would be fine, he knew that if nothing else, this would help her figure out how to establish the bonds between and her other friends.

Once out of Sugar Cube Corner, Spike sighed with relief. 

"How's Sin doing?" Uppity asked, looking down at the drake. 

Tensing up again, Spike silently cursed the mare for ruining his good mood. He was still offended by what the pony had said to him yesterday and told Uppity everything the pony had said. 

The unicorn mare stopped walking and blinked, her ears dropped as her body slumped in defeat. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." The purple drake's apology was quickly dismissed as Uppity shook her head.

"It's not your fault, I'm just... I don't know what to do about him." She admitted with a tired sigh. "I've tried to be a good friend to him. I've reached out so many times and done everything I know how to make him open up. He's opened up to me a little bit, but he's still holding so much back..." She turned and looked at the drake, her face ridden with uncertainty and self doubt. "Be honest with me, please. Does... does Sin still resent me for trying to... you know, put him in jail?"

"What? No, of course not." Spike declared with absolute certainty. It was more of a front, since Sin hadn't spoken about the ordeal once since it happened. Though, Sin exposing his feelings on anything was an anomaly as rare as seeing a shooting star in the city of Las Pegasus. "What makes you say that?"

The two sat down on a shaded bench and watch the noon time crowd as it shuffled by. 

"Because he's never told me about his feelings." Uppity said solemnly. "I know he's passionate about politics and economics, he loves freedom and liberty to the point it's almost an obsession. I know he's from the Federation, and one of the smartest stallions I've ever met. Which is saying alot."

"But... that's really all I know about him." Spike felt the heavy weight of sympathy course through his shoulders. He could see the disappointment and rejection in her eyes, and it broke his heart. 

"At first, I found his stoicism and bluntness attractive. Even when it wasn't in his better interest to do so, he called out Celestia on her helping him against me in the trial. If it were anyone else, they'd have happily sat back and laughed as I was humiliated by the princess. But he didn't." She blushed and smiled. 

Spike nodded as he recalled the memory. Sin remained respectful to most everypony he came across, or so the drake had thought. With what he'd heard last night, he really wasn't sure what to believe about the pony.

"That's why I fell in love with him, I think." Uppity declared wistfully as she laid back and looked up at the branches above them. "I know he isn't all that well spoken when it comes to his emotions. I think he likes to pretend he doesn't have any, but he does." She closed her eyes and her smile grew. "Anytime he and I would debate about our views, I could always hear the passion and understanding in his voice. He understood where I came from and, even though he could, he never down played my beliefs. He'd disagree, but he'd never be mean about it."

She turned back to him, offering a warm smile. "I know he's hard to get along with, but I also know that for all of his cynicism and bitterness, there's a good pony deep down inside him."

"How are you so sure of that?" Spike asked, indulging a thought. Uppity quirked a curious brow. "I mean, he has no problem watching other ponies suffer and said he'd be happy to see it if the pony was too stupid to help themselves. Does that really sound like a good pony to you?"

To his surprise, Uppity shook her head and gently hummed in the negative. It was an innocent kind of noise, one someone would think to come from a child rather than a full grown mare. "No, but I do know that he's embittered against the ponies he's talking about. I think... if it came down to it, he'd do for them the same thing he did for Macintosh."

Spike furrowed his brow, trying to remember what exactly the Federalist had done for Mac. He had it right on the back of his mind, but it took Uppity saying that apple pony was in jail for him to fully remember.

Of course, how could he forget? Even after Macintosh had willingly gone to jail for no reason at all, Sin had helped him escape. That was an inconsistency to everything that Sin espoused last night! If he really believed that those foolish enough to get themselves killed or hurt deserve to suffer, than why did he help the red stallion? Or any of the other ponies for that matter? They could have just as easily helped themselves, but instead of standing back and letting nature take it's course, the Federalist stepped forward and offered help to those in need.

"I think he's just talking tough because of how vulnerable he is." Spike frowned thoughtfully at the mare's words.

She continued on in a depressingly wistful monotone, pointing out what had been taken from Sin lately. His ability to work and care for himself, his magical invulnerability, how easily Chrysalis had beaten and almost killed him and how he was forced to stay in a hospital bed. "I guess, if I were him, my pride and ego would be pretty hurt too."

"Pride and ego?" The drake asked incredulously, he was more worried about life and limb than feelings. Though her explanation did seem to make a lot of sense. Sin lived life like he didn't need anyone else, like everypony in the world could disappear tomorrow and the pony would be perfectly fine on his own. 

"He takes a lot of pride in being an individual. Being the pony who can handle everything on his own. Sin doesn't want to need anypony else, for him, needing others is a sign of weakness..." Uppity's smile dropped to a depressed scowl. "I just wish he wouldn't be that way with me. I want to feel needed, but I feel like he still resents me for what I did to him that day and the fact I'm his parole officer..."

"Let me ask you something. What is Sin to you?" It was a simple question, but Uppity's tilted head demanded an explanation. Spike thought back to what he'd heard today about Macintosh and Annabelle, he knew the two were in love and wanted to be together forever, was that what Uppity wanted with Sin?

Blushing, the unicorn cleared her throat. "Umm," she started but paused. "I would..." A pained grimace paused her again and she sighed. "I want to be with him, but with as closed off as he is and how tartarus-bent he is to try to be Mr. Handles-everything-himself, I just don't see it happening." She fidgeted with her hooves. "I may not know much about friendship or stuff like that, but I do know that it takes two to make a relationship work..."

Spike was about to retort but thought better of it. For all he honestly knew, Sin didn't care for Uppity in the least. He'd never mentioned her at all, never exposed any dreams or aspirations towards a romantic relationship with her or anything. It was kind of hard to believe that anyone could have feelings like that for him, but to each their own he supposed.

The conversation pretty much trailed off after that with the two making awkward attempts to speak about more inconsequential topics like how their respective jobs were going. When outside of deep conversations, Spike found that Uppity was less than sociable. It became kind of awkward when she started giving only one worded answers to any question he asked, even open ended ones. Eventually he stopped trying and elected to sit in silent contemplation.

He didn't like how depressed and helpless Uppity looked, it made him feel equally helpless. She was a good pony, nice and caring who took time out to help Twilight and try to befriend Sin. She didn't deserve to feel the way she was and he was going to have another talk with Sin about it. This time, though, he'd be ready for whatever cynical bull crap the stallion threw his way.

'Are you sure that's a good idea? Yea, you've got some dirt on him now, but he's smarter than you are. A lot smarter.'

Yea, and?

It didn't matter what his voice of reason said, Spike couldn't stand by and let this happen. Sin needed to fix this, it was his fault for being emotionally withdrawn and if he had no intention on following through with Uppity, than it was his responsibility to tell her that so she could move on.

"Anni!" 

The sudden noise made Spike nearly jump out of his skin. His shock turned to delight as soon as he saw both Macintosh and Annabelle walking past, both looking very happy.

The four of them exchanged pleasantries. "So, did you guys go to the doctor?"

"Eyup."

Annabelle smiled and placed a forehoof on her stomach. "We're having a baby."
> Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Change







Watching as the sun slowly descended, turning the day to dusk, Sin took another swig of his nearly depleted reserve of whisky. Last night's dream leaving the pony in a constant state of irritation and moodiness. He couldn't concentrate on his plan to catch the griffin all day, nor the letter from Fancy Pants. Any effort he put forth into trying was immediately met by the image of the foal, crying and sniveling. 

With nothing better to do, the stallion turned back to the drink to pass the time. He knew it would most likely mean going back to the void, but he didn't care at this point. His desire for peace and quiet worked against him now, and served to fuel a maddening mixture of stress and boredom. 

What really got to him was that he had something he needed to do today, but couldn't remember for the life of him what it was. Alcohol had a tendency to make his memory a little selective.

"Fuck." He groaned rubbing his head. What was it? He agreed to do something earlier, but what? It was right on the tip of his tongue too, maddeningly close but just out of reach of remembrance. If nothing else, though, it did serve to distract him from the other topic on his mind. He couldn't wait to get back to the mill and city council. They may have been hard work and a stress all their own, but at least it wasn't the confusing and maddening introspective kind.

The front door opened and closed. Sin looked up to find Spike standing in the door way a moment later. "Hey dude, are you read to head to Macintosh's for..." He trailed off.

Oh yea, that's what he was supposed to do.

"Really, Sin?" Spike made a gesture. "You're seriously drunk again?" The Federalist looked down at the mostly empty bottle then back at Spike and shrugged.

"I'm not drunk, just a little tipsy at best." He slurred, attempting to stand, having his legs buckle out from under him and falling flat on his face. "That was the pain, not alcohol."

Spike shook his head in disbelief and walked out of the room in a huff. For some reason that bothered Sin. So what if he was drunk? He was a free pony, kinda. He was free to drink however much he wanted in his own house. He didn't know what the dragon's problem was, but it was starting to wear on his nerves.

Spike returned a moment later with a folding chair and placed it in front of Sin's bed, taking a seat and sighing. "We need to talk."

The Federalist quirked a brow and awaited whatever anti-alcohol lecture Spike had planned. To his surprise, the topic had nothing to do with booze or liquor, but with his mare friend. According to the dragon, Uppity was growing depressed about his emotional distance and lack of effort to cultivate a deep and meaningful relationship with her.

It was a sobering revelation, for a moment, but Sin nodded his head in agreement. Truth was that he didn't put too much effort into the making things work with her. No denying that, but to be fair he'd also never had one before and wasn't sure what the relationship between them even was. He cared about her, a lot, but was it love? He said it was, but what honest knowledge did he have about love? Aside from some speeches and lectures from his elders.

Besides, he was an Anarchist and she was a Statist. Their beliefs clashed at every turn, how could that kind of relationship work out anyway?

"I think you should talk to her about it." Spike said with finality. 

Sin looked contemplative for a moment before speaking. "No." 

The dragon quirked a brow. "If she's got something to say to me, she can come and-"

"That, right there. That's what I'm talking about." The drake pointed a claw. "Why does she always have to be the one to seek you out? Why don't you go to her for once?"

A well meaning point.

Sin summoned all of the sobriety he could and looked Spike directly in the eye. "Spike, take a good look at me. I mean, I want you to put our friendship aside for a second and take a hard look." He gestured to himself. "In all the time you've known me, in all the talks we've had and throughout all of my philosophy, did you ever once think of me as being a husband?"

That gave the dragon the wake up call the pony wanted. He immediately resumed his defiant front afterwards, but Sin knew he'd shaken whatever confidence Spike had in himself. The Federalist wasn't being snarky or speaking down to his friend, all he did was tell the truth in the most objective and factual manner he could manage.

"I mean, let's face it dude, I'm a broken stallion. I'm emotionally stunted, I've got trust issues out the ass, I hide my insecurities behind freedom/consiquentialism based intellectualism and dry, callous humor. I constantly argue with a little voice in my head, I take pleasure in the suffering of the idiots of the world for their stupidity, giving skepticism to my ability to feel empathy, a trait of sociopathy mind you, and, I'm an both an a-social and anti-social ass hole with self destructive tendencies."

The words were blunt, straight and factual. Spike's jaw dropped, apparently not ready for the revelation to come forth.

Sin chuckled cynically. "What? You didn't think I knew? C'mon, give me a little credit here." It felt good to get that off of his chest. Liquor made emotional expression so much easier and less painful. "And on top of all of that, I do it by choice. I choose to acknowledge all of that and even though I know how bad it is, I still live that way." His smile faded and he looked Spike in the eye once again, his tone turning serious. "So, you tell me. What is there to talk about when the relationship between her and I was doomed from the start?"

His final words sent Spike's hands into clenched fists, his face a mask of confused anger. "If you know it's bad than why do you still do it then, huh?"

"Simple." Sin glared. "I do it because that's all I know."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You think all you know today is all you'll ever know?"

Sin was taken aback, that was not a response he was expecting. 

"Before we came to Ponyville, Twilight never knew anything about real friendship. All she did was lock herself away and read books in a stuffy old library." The drake stated calmly. "That's all she ever wanted to do because that's all she knew. But you know what? She had the strength to change, she had the strength and will to find something better and make deep and meaningful connections. Heck, her friend outright betrayed her in one of the most horrible ways, and you know what she did? She's trying to forgive them for how they wronged her because she knows how special and meaningful those relationships are."

"If she can move past her insecurities and comfort zone, I don't see why you can't."

Sin's jaw dropped as he processed what was being said. His eyes trailed around the room and he patted his hoof against the bed nervously as he racked his brain for a response, he couldn't find anything. Not even a snarky retort to set the dragon off balance. This was not how he'd expected this conversation to go, for all of his thought and time spent to mental scenarios, this was one course he'd never even considered.

After a full ten seconds of silence, the pony had a few responses to give, each weaker than the last.

"I ummm..." He stopped, dismissing what he was about to say and thinking over something else. "What you're talking about is Ms. Sparkle. Her and I aren't the same pony. Our experiences in life are very much different."

"Yea, I know. I've heard about you being run out of the country. From someone else, mind you." Spike said pointedly. The topic didn't shift as Sin had hoped. Spike's comparison and point still stood at focus, and Sin had no real argument to make against it. Of course now wasn't all he'd ever know, it was a bad reply, but it was also an honest one.

"I have no answer for that." He admitted honestly.

The dragon shook his head. "No, I think you do, you just wont say it. You're afraid."

The words sent a coursing lance of rage through the Federalist's veins, but he couldn't deny the validity. Yes, he was afraid. He didn't like change, he didn't like the prospect of emotional closeness and vulnerability it offered. He didn't like the possibility of being hurt again. "Alright, fine. I'm afraid."

The drake's stance and eyes softened a little, pleased with the admission. "Glad you've admitted that."

Sin actually did admit to it already. He didn't use the term afraid, but insecurities. Only in that moment did he realize just how much of a difference there really was between the two.

"And as bad as you painted you're self out as, I don't think you really believe everything you said yesterday." Sin tilted his head with a bewildered smirk, begging Spike to finish. "I think you only said those things because you're feeling weak and vulnerable."

The smirk dropped immediately and his his temper required effort to keep. The emotional response told Sin that the statement about him feeling weak and vulnerable was true, but the part about him not believing his own words confused him more than anything. "And what would lead you to believe that?"

Spike folded his arms and smirked. "Because, if you really believed in letting ponies suffer for their stupidity, than why would you have gone all around Equestria helping free ponies who went quietly to jail when they didn't deserve it? Why would you help Big Macintosh if you honestly believed he deserved to be where he was?"

Again, Sin fell quiet, unable to find an answer, letting his eyes trail once again... 

How was this happening? How was Spike giving him this kind of an intellectual beat down? He wasn't this smart, he didn't think about these kinds of things. Sin knew the dragon's thought process, these weren't conclusions he was supposed to come to. This wasn't right, how could... Uppity! Of course! She was feeding the drake arguments and information!

The revelation didn't serve him much good though, he'd been argued into a corner and no matter what Sin said, he'd end up contradicting himself one way or another. That left only one choice.

"Alright, fine. You're right, I'm not as big of a sociopath as I think I might be. You've got me on that one point." Sin admitted. "But does that really excuse everything else I've said so far?"

Spike shook his head. He agreed that it didn't excuse anything, but it did mean that the Federalist had enough self knowledge to know what he needed to change about himself to have a happy and healthy romantic relationship. That, mixed with how Twilight had changed, was proof that it could be done. Would he need serious psychological healing and emotional support? Absolutely, the only thing stopping the stallion from progressing past the broken pony he saw himself as, was himself.

"You may not want to see it, Sin, but you've got friends and ponies who care about you here. I don't know how things worked in the Federation, maybe the pony you are now was who you had to be. I don't know, but you don't need to be this way in Equestria." Spike gave him a gentle and pleading look. "You don't have to afraid here. Macintosh, Twilight, Shade, me? We like you, and I know Uppity loves you. You can relax, we aren't going to hurt you."

Sin felt his chest tighten at the words. He wasn't sure how to reply to that, he wasn't even sure what that meant to him. Others not trying to get to him? Not trying to make conflict or get something from him? Even members of the Liberty Syndicate weren't that trustworthy. But if Spike was right, what did that mean for him here?

That... left Sin with more to think about than he wanted it to. 

Could... could he really change? Could he really stop feeling this bitter and cynical after living in it for so long? It was so much of a constant in his life that he considered it one of his primary personality traits. What would happen if he did change that? Who would he become? Would he still be himself?

"Go head to Mac's." Sin said thoughtfully. "I... I have some things to think about."

The dragon grabbed the folding chair and placed a claw on his friend's shoulder. His words were gentle and somber. "I know you don't like change and that you're afraid, but I want you to be happy, Sin. You're a smart guy and my friend, and... I know you can change for the better if you try."

And with that, the baby dragon walked out of the room, grabbed his cloak and walked out the door. Leaving the pony to, for the first time, seriously ponder his future. A future that didn't include him growing into an angry and bitter old stallion living on his own and hating everyone around him, like he'd always pictured, but a future where he just might actually be happy.

Sin didn't scoff at the notion like he usually did, he didn't even immediately downplay the idea as idealistic or optimistic. Equestria was a different place, it was... better here. He had a lot going for him. The wood mills, his position in city hall, the Ever Free research center, Uppity, his friends, and Ponyville was full of friendly ponies, even if they were a little odd.

This was all he ever wanted... a world where ponies and all others could walk freely and have their individual persons respected, both politically and socially.

Was that the entire point of Celestia chaining him to Ponyville? To try and show him the better life he could have like she did Twilight? It was kind of ingenious on her part. Manipulative as fuck and he took serious umbridge with it, but still ingenious.

Of course, that would also mean he'd have to give up the one thing he'd been looking forward to for years. He still wanted to see the fall of New Equine, he still wanted to watch those who'd wronged him suffer for their hubris. He wanted to watch that world burn as it deserved to.

Sighing, the stallion grabbed the whiskey and took the last swig it had to offer. It was going to be a long night.

   

> Dinner
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Dinner







"Ah still can't believe mah brother got a mare pregnant." Applejack said, shaking her head in both disappointment and disbelief. This was either the fifteenth or sixteenth time she'd uttered those words during dinner. Spike wasn't sure which but with each time she grew less and less energized over it.

At first, the apple mare almost pounced her brother and tried to smack him silly. Going on about how it was only proper to wed a mare before omitting to a child with her. The drake shuddered as he was finally told the truth about where foals come from and was in full agreement with AJ. As far as he was concerned, Macintosh should have married her before doing... that.

"Oh git over it, missy." Granny dismissed with a smile. "Ah'm finally gettin' me some great grand babies! O' course, Macintosh'll be marryin' her 'fore too long, right?"

Spike looked up from his brussle sprouts and eyed everypony around the table. The apple clan in it's entirety were present of course, himself as well as Twilight, Uppity and Pinkie Pie.  All three coming to congratulate the new soon to be parents and celebrate. Spike was content to eat in silence, he'd talked enough today and was content to watch the interactions around him.

"Oh course he is!" Applebloom interjected. "Can't have a baby with ou' bein' married!"

Oh how wrong you are, Applebloom.

'You thought the same thing until Twilight pulled you aside and explained that ponies didn't need to be married to have se-

I know already, geeze.

"We aren't sure about a wedding date yet." Anna said, taking a bite of her food and rubbing her tummy, smiling serinely. 

Macintosh nodded, but expanded that there would be a wedding soon. He wanted to keep it small and on the farm. Family and close friends, but even then, an Apple wedding of any kind would turn into a "wild hootinany" with the small army of relatives that were bound to show up.

Spike and Twilight shared a look, the memory of their first day in Ponyville and visiting the farm flashing through the dragon's mind and uncountable cousins that each tried to stuff some kind of apple related food stuffs down Twilight's throat. Spike remembered the days events far more fondly than the unicorn did.

Mac finished his food and placed a foreleg around his mare, pulling her into a one armed hug. Applebloom smiled and sighed, Twilight, Pinkie and Uppity beamed and Applejack frowned pensively. 

The news shocked all of Mac's family, each recovering with varying degrees of disapproval for their lack of official matrimony, but AJ was the worst of all. While Applebloom was more confused than anything, and Granny regarded it with slight disapproval, both were content to accept the pregnancy and give support to it. Applejack, however, remained reluctant to show support or say any kind words at all. She wasn't being openly hostile or anything, but her constant muttering and scowling told her feelings well enough. Spike wasn't about to say anything though, conventional wisdom dictated he kept his mouth shut.

"So, whach y'all gonna name him or her?" Applebloom asked.

"Umm, I haven't really thought about that." Anna replied, with Mac shrugging. The farm filly placed a hoof over her mouth before rattling off a few suggestions, all revolving around apples of course. Though, the elder stallion declared that he and Anna would come up with their own name in due time.

Pinkie was bounced with excitement, already setting up play dates between the new foal and the Cake twins. "It'll be super fun! They can crawl together and play with toys, and go to the park, and when they are done, they call all nap in a little pony pile!" She gasped and jolted to her hooves, her eyes going wide and pupil's dialating. "Oh my gosh that'll be the most adorable thing EVAR!"

"Easy Pinkie." Twilight said, trying to bring her the party mare back down to her chair. "They'll still be foals, but I think Pound and Pumpkin Cake might be a little to old to play with the new foal."

Pinkie scoffed. "What are you talking about? Everypony loves to play with foals, especially other foals!"

Twilight admitted that was true but argued that foals of certain ages began to disassociate from those a younger age. Siting a book on child rearing she was reading that suggested the infant and toddler ages were the first to separate. With the cakes being well into toddlerdom by the time the new baby arrived.

"Why would you be reading foal rearing books?" Spike teased, finally speaking for the first time all night. He didn't think Twilight had a special somepony in her life, but he had been rather busy lately.

The librarian blushed as all eyes suddenly went to her. "No! No it's nothing like that! I was just reading because I thought it was interesting is all!" She stammered quickly. Everyone else shared a look before giving her a knowing smile. Again, save for Applejack, who maintained her disapproving scowl with the entire situation.

"I'm hurt, Twilight." Uppity humphed. "You're looking to carry a foal to term and you didn't even tell me you had somepony special. I thought we were friends."

"There is nopony special!" Twilight exclaimed, sweat beading on her face.

The table erupted into laughter, all except for Applejack who decided to 'politely' excuse herself from the table in a huff. She stood from her place and calmly walked out of the dinning room and out the front door.

"Wha's with her?" Applebloom asked innocently.

"Don' you worry none 'bout that, youngin'." Granny replied, turning her gaze from the filly to the door, her eyes full of concern and guilt.

Spike knew that the Apples were more... conservative in their views, but it didn't sit right with him how AJ had been acting all throughout dinner. If granny and Applebloom could take Macintosh getting a mare pregnant before marraige in stride, why couldn't she?





The remainder of supper passed in a more subdued tone, the conversations continued, but the jovial mood was dead and burried. The entire flock of party goers funneled into the living room to indulge some apple cider and relaxation. Save for Applebloom, who'd been sent to bed.

After finishing up a rather elaborate conversation with Granny about a wedding date, Mac excused himself to go out and talk to his sister.

He walked outside and relished the cool, fresh evening air as it gently kissed his pelt. The silence of the night helping to clear his mind. Being an introvert, Mac took a moment to simply enjoy the quieter atmosphere outside. He loved his family and friends, but he needed his own peace and quiet too.

He looked to find AJ sitting at the end of the porch, looking out over the fields. 

"Y'all righ'?" He asked, stepping beside her.

"Fine." AJ grunted in reply, obviously lying.

Macintosh gave her a hard look. "Y'all know better th'n tah lie, AJ. You were nevah really good at it."

The cow pony flinched, cursing her own honest nature. She turned to her brother with a scowl and said, "alrigh' fine. If'n ya must know, Mac, Ah don't approve of what happened one little bit."

Mac pressed his lips, he'd already gotten that much, but what he wanted to know why his sister was acting so passive aggressively. To his surprise, Granny had told Applejack about their grandfather leaving them. How granny got pregnant without being married and was wrong she was for allowing herself to have sexual relations with out safe guards to pregnancy or being married.

"Ah'm not sayin' that Ah don't think you'll be there for her, Ah jess don't like that ya were doin'... that before you n' her were proper husband  n' wife." She finished. Macintosh looked down into her eyes and saw how serious his sister was taking the ordeal. Marriage for children was an unspoken rule in the Apple house, with granny and Pa being the biggest proponents of it. It made sense more today than back then, though.

The stallion sat down and placed a hoof onto his sister's shoulder. Unlike himself, Annabelle was raised in a different place, a different culture. Premarital sexual relations were becoming more and more normal in Equestrian society, especially among the younger crowds. Marriage was still prominent and heavily encouraged, of course, especially if foals were involved, but sex was something that happened regardless. He did love Annabelle and was committed to her though.

Getting Applejack to understand that would be difficult, though. Such behavior among his culture would be considered "horse", but when it came to AJ, blunt honesty was always the best policy.

"Ah don't know what tah tell ya. Applejack. We did the deed and it's done." Again, AJ flinched. Mac pulled her in a one legged hug. "But understan' tha Ah do plan tah marry her n' have a proper family."

Reluctantly, AJ began to slowly lean into her brother. She'd accept the situation for what it was, but she still wasn't happy about it. That was her choice and as much as Mac didn't like it, he'd respect it. "Ah jess wish I knew why y'all did it. Why ya couldn't wait."

He tried to explain how things worked outside of Ponyville, but as expected, his sister found the explanation lacking in consistency with her own values. It was only pony nature to judge everypony else on their own moral lens wen they were insulated within their culture the way one was in a small farm town like Ponyville.

"Ah guess." Applejack relented. The two sat in silence for a moment and looked up at the stars. No more words needed to be spoken, just a quiet moment together to show that they were still family and even if one of them had done something to anger the other, the bond of love would still hold them both together.





Spike, Twilight, Uppity and Pinkie left the farm in good spirits. They received an Apology from Applejack and a farewell from Macintosh before leaving, with the latter promising a get together with Spike some time later in the week.

They all split ways upon reaching the market district with Pinkie going back to Sugar Cube Corner and the rest heading to their own neighborhood. Spike briefly thought about joining the unicorn mares at the library for the night when offered, but he decided against it. He was pretty tired and wanted to get some sleep for the night.

Sharing a brief hug, he bid Twilight good night and sent the lavender mare on her way. Uppity held him back for a moment and asked how Sin was doing. Smiling with arrogant pride, Spike rubbed his claws against his chest confidently. "I might have gotten my point across earlier today."

Uppity tilted her head and recoiled as Spike explained what exactly was said between the two.

She ducked her head, ears splaying wide with a pained look on her face.  "Oh my gosh, Spike you didn't have to-"

The drake raised his claw to cut her off. "Don't worry about it." He said, hoping to ease her fears. "Sin's been a pompous jack ass who sat comfortably in hsi misery for a long time, somepony had to give him a wake up call and make him see the good things he has."

Uppity threw her forelegs around Spike and gave a tearful thank you to the dragon. He gave her a hug of his own and the two parted back to their respective homes. 

Once inside, the dragon looked over to see the light in Sin's room off. Probably for the best he not disturb him tonight and check on things in the morning.

Laying on his cloak Spike stared up at the ceiling, feeling satisfied. Things were finally changing for the better. Twilight was happy and reestablishing her friendships, Uppity was happy, Mac and Annabelle were going to have a baby and Sin was finally getting his head out of his plot. With as good happy as he was, he almost didn't mind sleeping on the floor tonight.
> Damaged Diamonds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Damaged Diamonds






Spike awoke long before the crack of dawn and began his morning routine before heading off to work. As he brushed his teeth, two things hit him at once that made him groan. The first being that he'd gotten up early for nothing since the mill wouldn't be up until Monday, and he'd completely spaced going and checking up on Rarity yesterday like he'd promised.

'Oh crap, you dun goofed.'

Spitting the toothpaste out and cleaning out the sink, Spike cursed his negligence. He never liked when he didn't follow through with his word, but beating himself up over it wouldn't help. Twilight didn't mention seeing Fluttershy yesterday, so he guessed the pegasus had went in his stead. He knew she'd be forgiving of his blunder, but it didn't make his own failure in honoring his word any easier.

He laid back down for a while in a futile effort to go back to sleep. The drake had a lot on his mind, not just about his friends, but also about himself. He'd thought about the future and where everypony was going with their lives. Mac and Sin had love interests and the former was starting a family, Twilight was most likely going to become a powerful Magi of the Solar Court, Pinkie would most likely take over running Sugar Cube Corner at some point in her life and Applejack would take over the farm.

Spike had a job... That was pretty much all he had going for himself. Everypony else in his life had somewhere to go, something they wanted to become or a goal to strive for. Well, all except for Star Shade, Shade was the only one of his friends who had less of a plan than he did, but... yea, that comparison wasn't really anything to be proud of.

'You've got a job, maybe you could make something out of that?'

Yea? Like what?

'Well, a career, maybe?'

No, careers were meant for advancement and getting farther and farther ahead in any given company. The dragon liked the manual labor aspect of his job, he liked the constant movement and expulsion of energy for the day to day grind. It left him exhausted, but feeling very much accomplished. To make a career would eventually involve him doing more mental labor in pencil pushing and management, and he'd being Twilight's assistant for so long had more than broken him of that.

'How about getting back into gem carving?'

The drake opened his eye. He'd all but forgotten about carving gems, he still had that little kit Sin gave him as well as the half finished ruby dragon in his bag. Carving gems wasn't really all that big of a skill in Equestria, but it also wasn't that high in demand either. If he did finish the dragon, would anypony want it? What would he even sell it for?

'Are you kidding? It would be a one of a kind piece! The Canterlot types would have something to brag about if they got one.'

The hours began to tick by as Spike mulled the thought over in his head, by the time the slow, grayish purple of the morning twilight gave way to dusk, Spike decided he'd give the idea a shot. It would be good to get back into the hobby and even better if he became nationally renowned as the only jewel carver in Equestria. The bits also helped to sway his decision, but he'd still do something to keep himself in shape and provide a more steady income.

Standing up and going through another round of stretching, Spike decided to take a morning walk. 

The air was cool and he could feel the delightful sting of cold in his lungs as he inhaled and traveled down the street. A few passers by gave a small wave, but most were too distracted to pay him much mind. The market district opened early, but everyone always had to take some time to set up their booths and wares. 

He walked around for a few hours, just enjoying the town for what it was. 

As nine o'clock rolled around the drake decided it was time to visit with Fluttershy and tell her to go ahead and speak to Twilight. He even went home, grabbed a bit and bought a carrot for her piece of work rabbit of hers. On the way of town, he passed the resident mail mare who immediately went straight for him. "Hello Spike." Derpy chirped happily, handing him an envelope. He thanked her for her service and watched as the blond maned pegasus flew on to continue her daily routine.

He looked down at the envelope and found no return address or sender, just his name written sloppily on the front. He shrugged and placed the letter into his cloak for future reading. He couldn't afford to be distracted again.

After another few minutes of walking, Spike found himself outside the meadow cottage and knocked thrice on the door. Fluttershy answered in short order and offered a warm and friendly smile. "Hello Spike, what brings you here so early?"

"I wanted to say sorry about yesterday. I didn't check in on Rarity like you asked." He offered her the carrot. "This is for Angel."

Fluttershy took the root and accepted the apology with grace. "There's no need to be sorry though, it's alright."

Though Spike was of a different mind. It didn't sit well with him when others said they were going to do something and didn't follow through and it was only fair he hold himself to the same standard. "I was just about to go to Rarity's actually, poor thing hasn't eaten much of anything in the past three days."

That didn't sound good at all. This behavior was starting to scare him now.

The two made way for the fashionista's boutique, Spike moving a little quicker than usual. There was already somepony there, though. Well, multiple actually. Sweetie Bell and two other ponies he didn't recognize were standing outside the door, speaking quietly among themselves.

"... this is a good idea. Rarity is an adult now. Remember what happened last time we tried to interfere with her life?"

"You heard the mail mare, the boutique hasn't been open ever since she got back from Canterlot! Something's wrong, Magnum, and I refuse to let our daughter suffer because of her damnable pride!"

These were Rarities parents? The stallion of the two was whit in color with a brown handle bar mustache that Spike had to admit he was a little jealous of. The mare was a pink unicorn with lavishly primed and full deep lavender mane.

"We need to get in there, I'm worried about her, I just know something... Spike?" Sweetie Bell asked, seeing him approaching. "What are you two doing here?"

"Same thing you guys are." Spike said, looking at the door before turning his attention to Fluttershy. She shifted her gaze between the dragon and the group of ponies before walking forward and lifting the mat in front of the door, retrieving a key.

'Wow, seriously?'

Undoing the lock, Fluttershy lead the group of ponies and single dragon into the boutique. 

It was in decent condition, thanks in no small part to Fluttershy, but Rarity wasn't present down stairs. Sweetie Bell called out to her and approached the stairs, though her way was soon bared by the buttermilk pegasus. "What ar-"

"Just, give me a second please." Fluttershy asked, she asked that the Bell family wait down stairs while she and Spike went up to talk to the Fashonista. Magnum and his wife, Cookie, both protested the request, declaring their right to see to their daughters health, but an intense glare from the timid pegasus quickly silenced their objections.

'Woah, she broke out the stare, this is worse than I thought.'

The two slowly made way upstairs and Spike felt his chest tighten more and more with every step. He felt like he was about to walk into something he shouldn't, like he was in a place restricted to him and was waltzing right up to what he was supposed to be avoiding. He was just making it worse than he was, right? The atmosphere and Fluttershy's behavior amplifying his already heightened feelings of worry and concern. 

His heart galloped in his chest as they approached the door to Rarity's room, his shoulders growing cold as they stopped just short of it. Fluttershy turned back and gave him a serious look, completing the entire horror movie experience. He gulped and nodded and she opened the door.

The first thing he noticed was how absolutely unkempt the room was. It wasn't destroyed or damaged in any way, but it was far from the typically immaculate condition Rarity kept it in. Fabrics of every kind and color lay strewn about in disaray, multiple projects lay unfinished and draped over her chair, desk and even on parts of her bed, with loose pieces of discard flung about like confetti. The drapes were closed, the only light that gave the room illumination being the small sliver of sun that bounced off of the dust covered mirror.

Spike's anxieties heightened when he looked on the bed and saw that the figure within was completely covered by the blanket.

"Rarity? Umm, are you awake?" Fluttershy asked, signaling Spike to stay his place while she walked over to check on the unicorn.

"Fluttershy?" He heard a dry, raspy voice whispered from the bed.

'That voice? No, no that couldn't be her.'

It was more akin to Rainbow Dash's scratchy verbalisms than the elegant, crystal clear tone of the unicorn.

"Oh dear, you didn't get your water this morning did you?" The pegasus asked.

Spike heard some mumbling from the figure as it shifted, it said something but he couldn't hear. He frowned helplessly as Fluttershy looked back at him for... something. He didn't know what she expected him to do though.

"C'mon, we need to get some water in you before you almost dehydrate again."

That sent waves of ice up his spine. Dehydrate? Rarity had been neglecting herself to the point where she almost died of thirst? Why hadn't he been told about this?

Fluttershy's attempted coaxing was met by a pouting grunt from the mass as it shifted away from her. She attempted to get the mare out of bed a with a few more words of incentive, but each was met with less and less of a reaction until finally there was none. Spike had seen more than enough and let the anger mix with his fear. "Rarity." He growled. It wasn't a threat, but it was an undeniable call for attention.

A pair of white-ish forelegs peaked out from under the blankets and pulled them down, revealing a very tangled mess of deep royal purple hair. "Spike?" She asked quietly, a single sapphire blue eye poking from the top of the blanket.

"Rarity," he said taking a step forward.

Immediately, the covers flew back over her head and she began screaming at him to leave, begging him to leave and not look at her. Spike, denied her, of course. "No, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on."

"Leave Spike!" She barked. "Leave me alone! I can't bare anypony to see me now, to finally see the monster I am on the inside..."

"Monster?"

"JUST LEAVE!" She shrieked, her voice on the verge of tears. "Get out of my room! Get out, get out GET OUT!"

Spike took a few steps back, his body shivering from the incredible desperation in her voice. He could hear her crying, repeatedly chanting those two words over and over again. He wanted to say something, he wanted to tell her that he wasn't going to leave, but his body betrayed him. His legs moved against his conscious will and he backed out of the room, sharing one last look of uncertainty with Fluttershy before walking mechanically back down stairs.

He didn't even acknowledge Sweetie bell or her parents as they rushed him, trying to get answers as to what the screaming was about. Silently, the dejected dragon dragged his feet out the boutique and into the streets of Ponyville. 

He was numb, numb to everything and everypony currently around him. Things that should have been clear as day sounded like distant echoes, his body knowing exactly where everything was and acting as a machine that Spike's brain had no conscious control over. He wanted to be angry, he should have been angry, but all he felt was deep sympathy. That little glimpse he got of her would haunt him for the rest of his life. Her usually immaculate and vibrant curls were... rats nests, tangles beyond repair. And her eye... the mascara looked like it had crawled the full length of her head and horn!

And most of all, she called herself a monster... why would she do that? Yea, she'd betrayed Twilight and all, but was that really grounds for that kind of behavior?

Then again, Rarity was the queen of drama queens. It would stand to reason that she'd take her guilt farther than it needed to go, as far as all of her friends were concerned, anyways. Still he was worried about her, now more than ever. He was just glad that her family and Fluttershy were there to take care of her, he wasn't sure he had it in him to go back any time soon.

In short order, Spike found himself back at the house he lived in, slumped through the door and went to lie back down. It was only the late morning, but the days events had drained him of any desire to do anything but curl up into a ball and sleep the day off like a bad stomach ache. 

Decrying herself to finally look like the monster she was on the inside.
> Elderly Words
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Elderly Words






Mac awoke far too early.

He glanced at the clock and groaned, rolling over to try to get another hour or two of rest. His eyes slowly fluttered open upon hearing the unmistakable sizzling of sea sausage and eggs.

His favorites, typically made by the mare of his dreams. Annabelle was in bed beside him though, which meant that either Granny or Applejack was cooking. And considering he'd already talked to one...

'Get out of bed, Mac.' His voice of reason said gently. 'Getting Spike and them involved to break the news at dinner was a pretty smart move, but now it's time to face the music, and Granny's giving you a personal invitation.'

Slowly, the stallion arose from bed, careful not to disturb his marefriend. He silently crept out the door and down stairs, taking care not to make a sound until he was sure that only Granny Smith would hear him. It was odd, being nervous and starving at the same time, the alluring aroma of sea sausage was pulling him forward, the feelings of dread and hunger fighting for dominance in his stomach.

He made it down the darkened stair way and found the only light in the house coming from the kitchen. Mac took a breath, stealed his resolve and walked into the kitchen.

Only to find that nopony was in there.

There were two skillets on the stove top, both with the promised food stuffs, cooking as they should have been, but nopony tending them. With apprehension, Mac slowly walked into the kitchen and looked around, but saw no sign of Granny Smith. He turned out the window, thinking maybe she'd stepped out for air for a moment, but he couldn't see anything but the blackness of early morning.

'Dude, what's going on?'

Mac had no clue. This was the strangest thing he'd ever seen, it wasn't like any of his family to leave cooking food unattended for so long. 

A creeping sense of wrongness started tingling in his neathers, telling him to get his happy self back up stairs and hide under the covers. He quickly turned around to make way up stairs.

"Hello,"

Mac jumped as a pair of orange eyes appeared right infront of him. Both orbs staring intently into his own. 

"G- Granny!" He yelped, calming himself down. She stood glaring in the door way, giving him one of the most terrifying stares he'd ever seen in his life. The marshmellow green mare had given him many looks in his life, but this was different from any other. It wasn't an over played scowl of rage or a simple stern look of reproach. 

At first he'd thought she was just a little upset, but the longer he looked at her, the more intense the stare became, peering past his eyes and looking into his very soul. Judging it, blaming it... violating it. Assaulting a spot of vulnerability the pony didn't even know he had...

"So." She stated simply after a full minute of nothing but the ear shattering sizzle of cooking food. "That was a mighty dirty trick y'all pulled yesterday." 

Her words were calm, reasonable and very full of something else. Something that had no business being presented as anything but seething rage. She walked past him, her eyes following his until she passed. Macintosh had to fight to keep his bladder from under control. He couldn't explain why, but her eyes... there was something very disturbing about them.

He heard the sizzleing of the eggs and sausage shift as Granny resumed her spot at the stove. Macintosh waited and waited, but she didn't say anything else. The longer the silence lasted, the more he internally screamed at her to finish her lecture and be done with it. A small part of him told the stallion to just go up stairs, but another part, the part that Granny's eyes had violated, told him that walking out of the kitchen would be a very very big mistake.

With a wave of relief, the pony sighed as the skillets were removed from the stove and the harsh hiss slowly died down to a simmer. His reprieve was short lived.

"Ya know Ah was a single momma," Granny stated, her voice conversational yet... not. "Ah liked tah think Ah raised ya better, that ya had 'nuff sense tah not make the mistake ah did n' get a mare with foal 'fore it was proper. Apparently Ah thought wrong."

Mac's's breath caught in his throat. Granny walked past him, casually grabbing two plates from the cupboard. He didn't dare move.

"Ah'll be frank wit'cha, that mare up there is part o' this family noa n' yer lucky Ah like her. Reminds me a lot o' yer ma." She said, continuing on with the lecture, shifting gears between his parents and what it was like for her to raise his pa on her own. He'd already heard a lot of it, the parts about the community looking down on her and treating her like a pitiful and deplorable horse, but it's when she started on about his father that the pony felt his blood truely run cold.

The town called him a bastard, he'd come home some times in tears, crying about being made fun of in school for not having a father. Granny's voice finally betrayed her pain to the situation. 

"Those little shits had no ahdea what it was like fer us. Fer him." She spat venomously, placing the sea sausage and eggs onto the plates. "He did more work in a day than any of the other colts his age did in a month. Even when he was a kid, yer papi was a good n' honest sort. Never got inta trouble if he could help it." She sighed, a tired and disappointed sounding breath. "Sometimes Ah wish he'da knocked their heads in fer the things they said. Yer pa didn't deserve none o' that."

Granny walked over and placed the red pony's plate on the counter in front of him. Mac stood awestruck at the presentation of the food and blushed heavily. There was three links of sausage on the front most of the plate and scrambled eggs at the back end, but in the middle, sat a very suggestive and intentional image involving two circular piles of eggs and one slightly longer sausage.

Granny brought her own plate over and stood beside him. "Yer ma was the best thing that ever happen'd tah that boy. She was the sweetest mare ah ever did see, ah tell ya what. She didn't take no lip from nopony, n' she didn't let nopony down talk yer pa neither. Feisty as a rattle snake defendin' its den if ya crossed her." She chuckled sadly, he smile dying ever so slowly. "Gave my son the lovin' he always deserved."

Mac regained some of his senses and looked over at his grandma, his jaw dropping a little as he saw tears forming in her eyes. Part of him wanted to hug her, to tell her that he had no intention on leaving the mother of his child unwed, but again, that small part of his soul advised him to stay his place. She wasn't done yet.

Granny took a breath and regarded Mac calmly, all the threatening hostility in her eyes were gone now, replaced only with absolute intent. "Ah know Ah didn't always treat ya the best, Macintosh. Ah know that Ah was harder on ya than Ah was yer sisters, but Ah also know the power you have that they don'. And it's fer that reason that Ah've can't say I'm full sorreh fer doin' it." 

She stepped forward and grabbed a fork and knife from the kitchen drawers and turned her attention to his plate. "Ah've no doubt ya will be marryin' Annabelle 'fore long." She shifted her attention from Macintosh to the plate, piercing the fork into the very top of the... decorative sausage and slowly began sawing off a quarter of the way down. "But ah'd like to make sure that you know what happens if you don't."

Staring with wide eyed horror at the slow, precise movements of the knife, Mac squeezed his hind legs as close together as he possibly could. Every motion of the the cutting tool sending his skin crawling with levels of discomfort so disturbing he had multiple thoughts of running to the bathroom and emptying what little was in his stomach. 

She cut the sausage into six slivers, and just when the apple stallion thought she was done, stabbed the fork into one of the piles of eggs, proceeding to twirl the fork there in. The mix between the implied mental image, the mental image itself and the screeching of metal on ceramic caused small gurgles of bile up the stallion's throat.

With the sausage decimated and both piles of eggs throughly destroyed, granny replaced the utensils down on the plate and turned to find her grandson as shaken and terrorized as she intended. "Looks like Ah've made my point." She declared, admiring her handy work. 

Macintosh wanted to feel indignant, he wanted to feel angry about being threatened in such a way, but all he could think about was how he was going to marry Annabelle before the month was out and how he wasn't going to let... that happen to any part of his anatomy.

A few seconds later, a clopping of hooves echoed down stairs and a very tired Annabelle entered the kitchen with a yawn. "Morning." She said sleepily.

"Mornin' chil'" Granny replied cheefully, her quazi-sedictive manism melting into the happy old mare she always was. "Made y'all some breakfast, need to keep ya well fed nao with the baby on th' way." 

"Thank you, granny." Annabelle replied with a smile. She turned to Macintosh and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning her attention to the plate. "Is this one yours?" She asked, pointing to the one with the pre-sliced sausage.

Granny chuckled bashfully. "That ones fer you, ah was just takin' a little taster there. Hope'n ya don't mind."

The brown maned earth pony shook her head. "Not at all. Thank you for making this for me."

"'Course Anni, yer part o' the family noa." She grinned, giving Anna a sudden hug. "N' don't ya worry none 'bout lettin' ol' Granny Smith know if this lug here gives ya any trouble." She finished with a wink and sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving the young ponies alone.

Anna playfully elbowed Mac in the ribs. "Now you're stuck with me, like it or not." She teased before grabbing the very top slice of the sea sausage and popping it into her mouth, chewing happily and complimenting the elder mare's cooking.

'Dude, that is just wrong...'

   
> Emotional Exhaustion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Emotional Exhaustion






Spike groaned into wakefulness, his head feeling like lead as he tried to push himself off the floor.

Sleep didn't come easy last night, the image of his once beloved mare chasing the rest away, and once he finally did get to sleep, he had nightmares about what the rest of her looked like.

Bad things, very bad things...

The drake didn't want to get up, he felt drained and exhausted, despite having the day off from work. He knew he had to go back to botique and face her again. Rarity was his friend and for whatever reason, her neglecting herself would eventually lead her to more trouble than destraught reclusion.

'I don't think it's a good idea for you to go today.'

Why not?

'Dude, you're an emotional wreck right now. You've been the rock for Twilight, Uppity, Macintosh, with the attempt at Sin and Rarity... Your heads going to either explode or implode if you keep this up! Think of yourself for a minute, here.'

Furrowing his brow, Spike thought over his inner voices words. He had been trying to support all of his friends the best he could. Twilight's life was in shambles, but she was recovering.  Uppity seemed happy enough and Sin was receptive after two attempts, the first of which was an absolute loss of confidence to the drake. Mac was having a baby soon and with what happened with Rarity... yea, he was pretty tired.

His head was heavy and he didn't want to really go out and see anyone, maybe a lazy afternoon in the house would do him some good. He decided to stand and felt his resolve to stay home compound with the effort. He felt sluggish and weak, but also hungry. Maybe before starting his lazy day, a quick trip to the Library for some gems and a good book were in order.

He walked out of his room and froze, eyeing the door to Sin's for a moment.

'...Noooo..."

I haven't seen him the better part of two days, I don't think he's come out since I talked to him.

'So? He's a big colt, he can take care of himself.'

Seriously?

'Okay, fine. Check on him, but not bouts of emotional support.'

The drake knocked on the door, no answer. "Sin?" He called, still no answer. Spike opened the door and walked into the room. The mid morning sun was blocked out by a pair of drapes, with the only lighting coming from that which spilled in from the door.

"Sin?" He asked again. Turning his head, the dragon stared at the stallion who looked up at him warily. "Sin? Are you alright?"

"Fine." Sin answered tiredly. Spike wasn't one hundred percent sure, but it appeared as though the stallion was sitting in the exact same position he was in when the dragon had his confrontation. What disturbed him more was how raspy the pony's voice was. His goggles were off, revealing unfocused and puffy red eyes, with the discarded bottle of fire whiskey sitting a few feet away. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but his lips looked a little dry and chapped. 

All things considered, Sin was not fine.

'Stick to the plan! You are in no condition to help him now.'

The guy looks terrible, almost as bad as Rarity! I'm not just going to leave him like this!

'Then go get Uppity. You need a break, or YOU will end up like that!'

"Alright buddy, let me know if you need anything." Spike whispered before slowly closing the door. With a shake of his head, the baby dragon checked the clock to see if Twilight was up and grabbed his cloak to make way to the library, stopping when he saw the white envelope from yesterday fall from the inner pocket.

Curiously, he picked it up and opened it with his claw.

The letter was from Rainbow Dash, saying that she'd be coming back to Ponyville in a few days, she wouldn't be walking for a while, but the doctor's have cleared her to fly, so long as she didn't strain herself too much.

He placed the letter back into his cloak and made way outside, taking immediate notice of a large group of dark clouds conglomerating outside of town and heading in fast. Looked like rain today.

"Good morning Spike." Twilight greeted happily, her happiness gave way to concern as she took in the drake. "Are you alright? You don't look so good."

"Long night." Spike explained.

Twilight moved back and welcomed him inside, the smell of pancakes permeated through the library, reminding Spike of just how hungry he was and how he hadn't had anything to eat today. He blushed as a small rumble echoed from his stomach at the promise of food. 

"Oh, someone sounds hungry." Twilight giggled, offering to have him join her for breakfast, an offer he happily excepted. That was the problem with large, late night meals. They always left Spike famished in the morning, despite conventional wisdom dictating otherwise.

"I'd love to." He said with a tired smile. The place looked a lot better, almost in top condition aside from a few imperfections here and there, all in all, Spike was relieved to see that his and Uppity's efforts hadn't gone to waste. The orange unicorn herself was sitting at the table, reading over a few notes of some kind or another.

She greeted him and immediatly went back to reading. It could wait, Spike was hungary and what was another ten minutes?

"Oh, Rainbow Dash will be coming back home in a few days!" Twilight said, loading up his plate with sweet, golden, delicious fried batter mix and syrup. "She'll need some looking after, but it'll be good to have her back in Ponyville."

Spike took a bite of his food and savored the long missed fluffy golden treat. He chewed thoughtfully as his mind recalled the conversation he'd had with her before he left. She'd already come to terms with what needed to be said to Twilight, so he didn't think he'd need to say much to her. Besides, she wasn't the problem pony...

'Do not-'

Yea, yea, I know.

"It'll be good to have all the girls back in town. I'll probably stop by and check on how she's doing. Speaking of which, I haven't seen Fluttershy or Rarity much lately."

Spike had to stop himself from cringing, he had to tell her. He wouldn't get involved today, but Twilight did need to know what was going on and what he saw. He made quick work of his breakfast and turned his attention to Uppity. She was concentrating on a particular letter, her brow strained in thought. "What's that?" he asked.

"A letter from my brother." The unicorn replied, placing it down and rubbing her eyes. "He never stopped working on prosecuting Cupid, despite the attack. He said he's found a break through in the case and would send another letter after he confirmed it, but... ugh, I just don't want to deal with this." She pushed the letter away.

That was good, because he had a request to make. Not only for Sin, but to have a moment alone with Twilight.

"Sucks to hear, but can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can you go talk to Sin for me? He isn't looking all that well." The drake frowened, Uppity looked at him in concern and quickly straightened up her letters before letting Twilight know she'd be out for a bit. Once gone, Spike turned his attention back to Twilight and readied himself to recount the events that happened yesterday.

Hopefully, Rarity would be more receptive to the lavender unicorn than she was to him. 







Sin sat in his room, his mind continually turning itself on and off as random things around brought back memories he could only concentrate on for so long before the sleep deprivation kicked it back off. What little thought came to him was a haze of blurry and strenuous ideas that were in his grasp just long enough to acknowledge before disappearing in a puff of feverish exhaustion.

His inner critic hadn't spoken to him for a while either, despite Sin calling on the voice multiple times for council.

He'd spent almost two days doing absolutely nothing but sitting and thinking. The only time he'd gotten up was once to use the bathroom, and that was it.

Though, there were some conclusions reached for all of his time in contemplation. The first revelation was the most painful one: he couldn't kill the Gods. He'd tried and he'd failed. No matter what course of action he took, no matter what arguments he came up with, it was impossible... He cried when he had to admit it to himself, he cried as years and years of study, thought and the ultimate conclusion to rid the world of government he'd dedicated his life to, essentially amounted to nothing.

But the fact of the matter was what it was, and no amount of denial or fighting would change that.

The second conclusion Federalist had come to was that he didn't know how to be emotionally vulnerable. He didn't even know what that meant... Aside from needing others. That in and of itself made him uncomfortable to think about, but Spike's words appealed to something inside of him. Something he wanted to embrace but was heavily reluctant to do so.

The third and final conclusion he came to was that... he wasn't sure if he wanted to see the collapse anymore. It wasn't a for sure thing, after all they'd wronged him, but there were things in Equestria did want. Uppity taking a high priority there in. He'd thought about the way he'd treated her. He thought he was being more supportive and caring, getting better with physical affection, but that wasn't all there was to a relationship. He'd seen how his grandfather and grandmother interacted, there was something there that warmed his heart in a way that he yearned for with Uppity.

The same for Spike and Macintosh. He liked the two and would most likely fight to protect them, but he didn't have the emotional connection with them that he could have, that he deserved to have.

He heard the front door open and a knock later, gazed warily at the orange unicorn mare infront of him. Maybe it was the fever, maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but with the light spilling in from behind, there was something majestic about her, almost heavenly if he remember the term right. She was captivating, radiant, beautiful, and it warmed him inside to see her.

"Sin?" She said, breaking his slight dilusion all too quickly. She quickly walked over to him and knelt down, looking the pony in the eye. "Sin, what's happened to you?"

"Hey Uppity." He replied dryly, blinking a few times to try to keep the sleep away. The purple mane'd pony reached forward and touched his cheek, frowning as she took in his features.

"You're burning up and dehydrating. I'll be right back with a glass of water, get into bed now." She called gently before walking out of the room. Sin didn't have it in him to move though and sat in wait for her return. He was to tired to understand why her presence filled him with both dread and comfort, but it was better than feeling numb.

In no time, Uppity returned with the promised beverage and an ice pack. She took the pony in her magic and placed him on his mattress before bringing the glass up to his lips. The water was cool and refreshing and Sin sucked it down greedily, sputtering as it went down the wrong way.

"Easy." Uppity cooed, gently picking up his head and laying down, using her side as a make shift pillow. She was warm, comfortingly so. Her coat was soft and silky and smelled reminiscent of mangoes, something Sin had never noticed before. "What happened to you?"

Her words were barely above a whisper, but he could hear it with perfect clarity. Tired as he was, he could feel the worry and love in her voice. It made him feel a little ashamed to be seen like this, but... maybe it was okay now?

"Thinking."

Uppity quirked a brow and looked down at him, she wasn't buying it but the Federalist swore up and down that was the truth. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten sick, but he did know that he just didn't wanna get up to do anything else.

"You're a stupid pony sometimes." She declared with a shake of her head. Gingerly, Sin felt her shift around and found himself embraced from behind by two secure orange forelegs, pulling his back into her chest. "A stupid pony who I love."

Instead of tensing from the usual discomfort that came with such intimacy, Sin breathed a relaxing sigh and almost fell asleep on the spot. He fought to stay awake and simply enjoyed the embrace. It warmed his cold body and brought comfort to his cloudy mind. He didn't need to think anymore, he didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to be in the moment and indulge the warm affections being given.

After a full minute of the embrace, Uppity quietly asked if she was angry at her.

Sin's body was on auto pilot and he shifted his body around so the the two were on their side, facing one another, resting comfortably on the bed. He leaned in and kissed her lips than leaned up and kissed her forehead. It pained him to hear the guilt and shame in her voice as she asked the question, he found it silly, but it was clear she did not.

"Uppity, I've never resented you for that." He whispered, stroking her mane, feeling the wetness of her tears as she began to gently cry into his chest. She was only doing her job... how could he be mad at her for that?

The two held each other close, Sin patiently waiting for his mare to let out all the tears she'd been holding in. In that moment, he found her more attractive and open than ever before. Was this emotional vulnerability? Was this what it meant to become bare to another pony? To cry before them and seek comfort there in?

Maybe, or maybe that's just what he'd always thought it was. It was an incredible display of trust on her part, one that dissolved any doubt on her love for him and served to strengthen his love for her. Sin continued to stroke her mane, giving words of comfort as best he could. He told her that it would be alright, to let it out and that he'd forgiven her.

After a time, the mare calmed herself and slowly lifted he head to look up at him. Her magenta pink eyes now as red and puffy as his own. He felt her tremble as she slowly leaned forward and kissed him again. Though this wasn't the normal pecks the two had been giving each other since the cave under Canterlot, but a deeper, more meaningful kiss that made the stallion's body go completely limp from the intensity.

He didn't know how long it lasted, but once it was over, he was more dicombobulated and struck than ever. Both were panting and trying to regain themselves from the throws of the sudden passion. Uppity was the first to recover and place a hoof on his cheek, locking eyes with him once more. Her blushing face and tender touch sent shivers down Sin's spine, the kiss bribing him to realize just what he had almost lost with her.

"I love you..." She whispered quietly. 

"I love you too." Sin replied.

Uppity smiled and shifted her body once more, moving upwards and then hugging the stallion's head to her chest. She let out a content sigh and stroked his mane, the comfort and relaxation of the act slowly lulled Sin to sleep as she snuggled into her. It felt right, it felt serene, and for the first time, he felt completely safe.







Twilight Sparkle sat slumped over, her face a mask of distraught disbelief. Spike had told her everything that happened yesterday. About Fluttershy, Rarity's family and the experience had with the pony herself. Rarity calling herself a monster and screaming at him to leave. 

The details were fresh and vivid in his mind, he felt like he wanted to cry just thinking about it. Not for himself, but for her. How badly she must have been suffering psychologically. He didn't think of her as a monster, even with their relationship before. She was a little manipulative and a drama queen, but despite her flaws, she was still the most generous mare in all of Ponyville.

"Spike..." Twilight started, standing up. "I'm going to go talk to her."

Spike stood in a panic. "Twilight, I really don't think that's a good idea."

"No, Spike. If what you've said is true than I need to talk to her as soon as possible, and that means right now." 

The dragon gulped as Twilight made way for the door and began to follow. His advance was halted abruptly when Twilight had told him to stay put, that he needed to rest for the day and it was better that she go alone. The drake tried to argue against her, but the unicorn wouldn't have it, siting his obvious state of exhaustion. 

"What you need to do is get some rest." She declared, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "Rest in a proper bed. I'm still a little peeved you didn't come to me to help you get one before, but we'll worry about that later." 

Again, Spike refused her but his protests were met with his person being engulfed in a lavender aura and lead upstairs to his old bedroom. He had to take a moment to appreciate the fact that nothing was out of place from how he left it. She could put him in bed all she wanted, Spike was dead set on coming with her to face Rarity, damned to his inner voice or his mother's complaints to his well being.

She gently placed him in the open covers and sat down beside him. "Spike, I know you want to help, and I'm greatful for that." She placed a hoof on his cheek. "But you're stressed out and exhausted. You've been doing so much for me and everypony else lately, I wont let you keep pushing yourself like this."

"Twilight, please. I can help, I know I can."

The unicorn shook her head patiently and argued that he'd done more than enough. "Please Spike, get some rest for now. If not for yourself, than for me, okay?"

It was a shockingly effective tactic. The drake wanted to help with Rarity, but he didn't want to cause his mother any stress.

'Best just get comfortable and let her handle it. Fluttershy will most likely be there if she needs help.'

Reluctantly, Spike agreed to Twilight's request, laying down in bed with a pout. It was a little embarassing and made him feel like a child again, but what else could he do? Rarity needed someone, and Twilight seemed like the most logical choice.

She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, promising to be careful and make him something to eat when he awoke. Once gone, Spike had initially planned to get up and head back to his own house, but the bed's comforting embrace was more than enough to give him second thoughts. It was just so warm and soft, no back pain, no stiffness or preassure points on his head, by Celestia's Sun how he'd missed this...

Maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt.



> Normalcy Bias (Spike and Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Normalcy Bias







Spike groaned as he limped home from work after another exhausting day. It was the weekend again and with as badly as his muscles ached, he couldn't be happier about it. Cranky was starting to pull less than his usual weight again, blaming his bad knee as he often did later during the work week. It wasn't so bad when Sin was around to pick up the slack, but without him? The drake might as well have been doing the job himself.

Despite that though, he was in a good mood. Twilight had helped him move in a bed into his new place, as well as a few bits of furniture that the place was in desperate need of, and had been visiting her daily for after work dinners. The arrangement was working out quite well for them, they got to spend time together every day but still managed to live seperate lives. 

Last week end's talk with Rarity didn't end well. The alabaster unicorn had given Twilight nothing but a mix between please for her dismissal and apologies. There were a few other things when his mother would refuse or insist a question, but nothing too revealing. Just that Rarity considered herself a terrible pony and finally looked the part. Though, a new revelation did come to light, in that the fashonista claimed she'd "only gotten her just deserts" before Twilight acquiesced the demands and left.

The week passed and Twilight still wasn't sure what to do, she'd gone back a couple of times to try and visit, but each attempt resulted in the same failure, leading to more and more discouragement. Spike had an idea though, and was planning to share it tonight. He didn't mind staying a little later to speak with her, especially considering Uppity practically moved in to Sin's place. Over the past week, she'd stayed the night at least three days. 

Spike groaned as the thought of them sleeping together burned itself into his brain.

'Dude, I do not need that mental image.'

Neither did he, but after learning about how foals were made, it was hard not to.

'Yea, anyway, don't forget, Rainbow Dash is coming back into town tomorrow.'

How could he forget? Rainbow was part of his idea for Rarity. All of Twilight's friends were, and should the endevor succeed or fail, the night after would be at the farm for another game of cards and relaxation. He loved Twilight and her friends and all, but his life didn't revolve around them and their doings anymore. He was his own dragon with his own life, and come Saturday, he'd be relaxing with his own friends, playing cards, eating junk food and maybe, just maybe, having a little bit of adult beverages.

He walked into the Library to a site he didn't expect. Princess Celestia, sitting on the couch, looking grim. Twilight was sitting across from her, a frown of contemplation on her face, along with Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, each keeping silently to themselves.

"Spike?" Celestia said before turning her attention and smiling.

The dragon waved awkwardly and wondered into the library proper. "Hello Princess, what brings you here?" The solar alicorn's smile vanished and she looked away. Something she didn't often do. The cycloptic dragon hoped that the princess was present to offer Twilight some much needed advice and comfort on her friendship troubles, but that appeared not to be the case.

According to her, Celestia was here to ask for Twilight and her friends' help with an issue that he'd heard of only in books. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were currently on a trip of great importance, the Crystal Empire had made a miraculous return after years of being gone in a strange and in-explainable disappearance.

Spike stood in surprise. The Empire was lost over a thousand years ago, before Nightmare Moon, when Celestia and Luna worked together to defeat Sombra and imprison his fell shadow in the north.

"With the return of the Empire, it has brought with it, the return of Sombra." Celestia declared, her tone grim and foreboding. "I have already sent Cadance and Shining Armor to the empire to defend it against him, but their power will only serve to protect the crystal ponies for so long. I've come to ask Twilight and her friends to go to the empire and find a way to stop Sombra once and for all, and liberate the ponies from his enslavement."

"I would go myself, but there is still work to be done in Canterlot with the reconstruction efforts." She turned back to Twilight and her friends. "I am sorry to rush you, my faithful student, but time is of the essence. I know not how long Cadance and your brother will be able to fend him off."

Spike balled his claws into fists. This couldn't be happening right now, Twilight and her friends were needed here, with Rarity! The mare was almost incapable of caring for herself, she wouldn't last without Fluttershy's playing nurse.

It was then that Twilight stood from the couch and declared that she would head out on the first train to the north. 

"But... what about Rarity? She needs us." Fluttershy said timidly. 

'Thank you!'

Twilight nodded in agreement, her face devoid of any emotion. "She'll be coming with us," she growled with absolution before making way for the door, "I've had enough of her over emotional bull crap, I'll drag her to the train kicking and screaming if I have to."

The mare's departure left the room in complete silence, never once had Spike heard her curse. There was no rage nor emotion to her words at all, just a simple fact of the matter. As much as he wanted to speak out against the decision, he knew Twilight had her limits. Rarity may have been an emotional wreck, but a full two weeks was more than enough time to sulk. If she needed a good kick in the rump to get her back to where she used to be, than so be it.

"C'mon, y'all. Best make sure those two don't kill eachother." Applejack said, leading the group of mares out the door.

Celestia turned to Spike and sighed. "Spike, I know that you are not living with Twilight any longer. That you've started your own life and are your own dragon now. But I ask that you accompany them. The dangers will be great and I know that they would appriciate your courage and ability."

He didn't answer immediatly, taking a moment to think it over. However, there wasn't anything to think about. As much as he wanted to live his own life and do for himself, he also loved his mother and all of her friends. If they needed his help, he wasn't about to deny them. His weekend with Mac could wait.







Malich smirked as he read over the numerous reports that had come to his desk. 

Dozens upon dozens of Zeborican Tribes had denounced the Tal'derime and banned any and all necromancy within their respected circles. Some of the Zebra had actually migrated back to the Orvalian coast to return to Zeborica. 

While the test of the new weapon wasn't as he'd planned, it's capabilities became nationally renowned over night. Thanatos' pay load had done it's job quite well. The explosion was magnificent and destructive, obliterating the tree and anything living that was unfortunate enough to be caught in the one quarter mile explosion radius. Nothing was left of the plane, nothing but a smoldering, chard crater that went almost ten feet deep. 

It was a feat only the most powerful of magics ever dared hope to challenge, and he did it with a simple and cheap mix of gun powder and TNT. The show of force had the desired effect, all reports of undead activity had ceased two days after the test, with many zebras coming out and publicly condemning necromancy, saying it had no place in their "new land" and would be swiftly punished if observed.

The "bomb" as Malich heard it called, was a remarkable success, and would serve to be the cornerstone in new Triple M. weaponry. Magic of that kind of destructive power was expensive and time consuming. It would take a battalion of unicorns a minute to do what a bomb could do in mere seconds. And bombs didn't need to be fed or to rest after wards. Sure, they were a one and done thing, but they were cheap, cheap and effective in practical combat as well as psychological warfare.

Sure he had to deal with a few visits from the Federal bored of ethics and explain to them why he'd created a weapon capable of such terrible power, justifying it's existence as a means to preserve life by deterring any acts against the Federation and it's interests, but that was fine. What was the government going to do? Stop giving him funding? They'd played their part as his puppets well enough, and keeping in the Senate's good graces was becoming more and more inconsequential by the day. Soon enough, they'd just be a stain on the pages of history. Stains that would be remembered for the disgusting and corrupt filth that they were.

The ashen pony smirked as he placed yet another report of Zebra's publicly outing Necromancy. His smirk slowly turned into a thoughtful frown as he gazed up at the lights above him.

With the threat subdued, he'd placed all of his research teams back onto their respective projects. Luckily, the changling Queen, now named "Imperatrix" was faring quite well in her new environment. A few of the Zeborican changelings had spawned from their sedated hosts while the scientists and biologists were busy trying to develop a cure for the undead.

The report he read for that kept him up until the wee hours of the morning.

Unlike the changelings before them, who wandered feral around their cells, occasionally halting to regard their own reflections in the one way mirror window. The new batch stood stock still, making no motions or moves save in sync to any stimuli the scientists created for them. What showed even more promise was that the drones would react any time Imperatrix was interacted with in any way shape or form. She was connected to them, they may have been spawned from a different queen, but Imperitrix was their queen and they were the beginnings of her brood.

Tests were already being preformed to observe what ever wave lengths they were using to communicate, as well as  test to see if those wave lengths could be disrupted. Every communications expert -that could be trusted, of course- had been called in to see what their opinion was and if they could assist in assessing the Changeling's method of communication. 

The only down side to all of this was the budget expenditures, but the results would be worth it in the end.

It was too bad that Imperitrix would also need to be killed at some point, but it was necessary for his plans. The queen would serve her purpose and then be put down like the rabid dog she was. And offered up to Elsa as promised compensation, of course. Malich was a pony of his word, after all.

Though, speaking of reports, there was a small problem to consider ever since a rather unique message arrived a few days ago...

He shifted through the papers until he reached a blank yellow folder, an attention grabbing color, the tab at the top containing the name "Mr. Black". Usually Malich took more joy than irritation when reading a message from Mr. Black, but this record of accounts left the executive slightly confounded. If his inside source was true, than the Tapio Bearking himself was dispatching Liberty Syndicate agents around the world to seek assistance for North New Equine's coming down fall. It was no secret that the other states of the Federation, more aptly named a confederation in reality, would happily abandon North Equine if it served their better interests.

The problem was that Malich only had so many favors to call in to ensure that the international cry for help would go without consequence. Yaks of Yakyakistan and the ponies of Saddel Arabia were both no threat, the Griffin empire was a sad joke with it's current economic drought, and the Zeboricans were too busy with their Changeling problem to cause him any grief.

That did leave quite a few nations who held slight favor to altruism, though. He'd already expended his favor with the Diamond Dog kingdom, the Laberinthian minotaur would likely see a new servant class in refugees, and most threatening of all, Equestria. Where he knew Mandylion himself was sent.

Malich knew about the Equestrian Empire's military capability, as well as their dedication to promoting altruism and "friendship". Many thought the idea of friendship was a weakness, but he knew better. He'd seen the sacrifices individuals would make in the name of protecting their loved ones, and would never underestimate it's power.

To the contrary, he was actually exploiting it. Thanks to Mr. Black.

Still, despite the botched protection of Canterlot during their wedding ceremony of Princess Mi Amora Cadenza, a single pony had held off an entire swarm of Equestrian changelings while the city rallied it's defenses. A single pony... turned the tide of an invasion. 

It was like something out of a cheesy war book. Never the less, it was a fact. 

Triple M. had documents on all the greater nations military's, and Equestria's booming economy and incredible governance had lead to it being one of, if not the, super power countries in the entire world. The ship yards that lined the western sea board harbored a compliment of combat ready fleet of no less than one thousand war friggets, plus hundreds of Sigma class destroyers and uncountable transport ships. The sky cities like Cloudsdale and Wonder were also determined to carry at least two hundred air ships, with at least ten percent of them being armed with Arcano-tech lightning weapons capable of charging up the power of a storm and obliterating anything unfortunate enough to be in it's path.

The entirety of Triple M.'s sea fleets combined consisted of roughly nine hundred ships with weapons that came now where close to such feats. The destroyers of his vessels might stand a chance, but the altitude and range is where a potential sea battle would leave his forces at the Equestrian's mercy. He had his own fleets of air ships, but in no where near the necessary numbers or defenses to match an Equestrian air assault. Even with project Thanatos at his disposal, as well as a few more side projects, a war with Equestria would not end in his favor, victory or defeat.

He hoped that between Luna's influence and the obvious casualty count, Celestia would reject the proposal for assistance. She could accept all the refugees she wanted, but that didn't mean a damned thing if the refugees couldn't leave the state, or what was left of it. 

Though, that left another problem... Northwood. If Tapio was really going to allow refugees to enter the sacred centaur homeland, than that would require his military attention be placed upon the border to both keep the ponies in and the centaur out. 

The very thought sent a shiver down Malich's spine.

Fighting the Centaurian legions would be one of the most difficult things he'd ever had to do. To call them capable was an insult if stories were to be believed. Unlike the other races, the centaur didn't rely on any form of advanced technology like electricity. Their reconcile with nature and ability to manipulate it to their will was their greatest strength. What few agents that managed to sneak into the Northwood were in constant awe of what they saw.

Giant trees bending and uprooting, moving around like a land bound octopus, feral birds of prey bowing to their commands, canyons hundreds of yards deep closing and valleys opening with a simple stomp of the hoof. There were even reports of massive Rock Immortals being marched about like pets on display their simple word.

And those were only some of their magical capabilities. The physical combat prowess of the half ponies was only spoken of in legend, not since the Running of the Centaur had one been seen fight. If history were to be believed, one centaur was worth a hundred minotaur in combat and more. These weren't simple civilian minotaur either, but hardened warriors with fresh blood on their hands on a daily basis. What was worse was that the Northwoodlanders didn't age, and the longer they lived, the more powerful they became.

Malich couldn't afford to have his attention divided. If his plan was to succeed, he'd need all available mercenaries at the Northwood border to hold off the legion. The sacrifice would be great, thousands of his own assets would likely be obliterated within a week, but the ends would justify the means. The Better World would soon be upon them, and not even Tapio Bearking himself would stop him from getting it.

"Mr. Malich!" Cried his elder assistant bursting through the door. "Sir, Milikki Bluecloak is down stairs. She says she wants to have an audience with you and your father!"

"Wait what?!" Malich asked, Radclif repeated himself and any doubt the pony had to what he'd heard was gone. Milikki Bluecloak, wife of Tapio Bearking, was in Unitas? And wanted to speak with he and his father?

A creeping feeling of dread slowly crawled through the executive's body. This did not bode well for him.
> Convincing Conflicts (Spike and Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Convincing Conflicts







Twilight Sprakle marched with a purpose, her steps never slowing or quickening, here head was high and chest puffed as she made way through Ponyville. Spike had tried to speak to her, to ask that she not follow through with her brazen plan and be mores sensitive, but Twilight simply continued to walk, giving no reaction to his pleas. She was a mare on a mission, and that mission was going to be accomplished.

'Dude, just... let her go.'

Are you crazy? Rarity is-

'I know, but this is for the best. Twilight may be acting brashly, but this will ultimately be for the best.'

The drake wanted to argue, to say that the situation needed more sensitivity and care, but sensitivity and care didn't seem to be working. As much as he didn't want to say it, he had to side with Sin's philosophy on results on this one.

As the troop of ponies approached Rarity's house, Twilight bade them all to stay outside without missing a step. Her tone left no room for argument.

Spike stood his ground and watched helplessly as Twilight's magic gently opened the door and closed behind her. A moment later, it opened again and three ponies, each with verying degrees of emotional expression, were gently levitated outside to join the others.

"Twilight! Let us go!" Sweetie bell wined.

"I say!" Declared Cookie. 

The door closed again as soon as they were released. 

"What in Equestria does she think she's doing?" The elder mare demanded, looking to Twilight's friends for answer. Each looked away cringing.

"GET OUT!" They heard Rarity cry from inside. "Twilight I- What are you doing?!" There was the crash of something glass inside. "NO! I don't want to, Twilight no. NO! UNHOOF ME AT ONCE!"

Another crash made Spike flinch, this one accompanied by the sounds of struggling and falling items, domestic struggling, a cat meowing in protest. He wasn't sure, but he thought he might have just heard a toilet flush.

Magnum and Cookie shared a worried glance.

"Think she's alright?" Pinkie asked, looking worried.

"TWILIGHT I SWEAR TO CELESTIA! IF YOU- NO WAI-" Another cringe inducing crash ensued. 

"Eh, she'll be fine." Spike said dismissively, coming to accept the situation for what it was. Twilight may be brazen, but he knew better than to think she'd hurt one of her friends.

The group waited through a few moments of silence. Finally the front door quietly opened, Twilight trotting out with a large clothed in her magic, Rarity's muffled voice protesting her current predicament. 

"Where are you going with our daughter?!" Cookie demanded, stepping up to the lavander unicorn.

Twilight maintained her neutral, straightforward stare. "To the Crystal Empire to protect them against an evil shadow monster."





Malich rushed through the halls of the Triple M. building. Pushing past numerous accountants and employees of every race. He made it to the stairs and bolted as fast as his legs could take him. 

He'd told Radclif to belay informing his father about the arrival of Milikki Bluecloak, and stop anyone who would try. He wasn't sure what the centaur knew of his plans, and didn't need the stress, grief, and possible interference from Gemini should anything be exposed. Especially anything pertaining to Project New Wave. If Mandylion was aware of him bringing in Changelings, than it was fair to assume that Tapio and she did as well.

The stallion burst into the lobby and skidded to a halt as a full guard of centaurian legionares turned their attention to him. Their stares bringing the crushing weight of discomfort that made the pony's breath catch in his throat, regaining it only after they'd released their hold. Mandylion was often credited for the development of theoppressive aura, but the centaur were it's true creators.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Malich regarded the escorts. Like all centaur, they were equine from the chest down with four legs and the torso of a pony. However, they were also much bigger and the ape like chests, arms, stomached and heads were unlike anything else in the world. The coats were much thinner, leaving many baled and exposed areas that brought feelings of unease, but looked natural. All of their faces were obscured by royal purple hooded cloaks and scarves, showing nothing but the eyes of the beasts. 

Each carried uniform spears in their right hand and shields on the other, with a sword resting on the front hip and a pair of war ax's crossing over their backs, held in place by a system of belts that spanned throughout their bodies.

The legionares turned their attention forward, returning their spears to their standard guard position and ominously stood stock. It was impressive how well synchronized the unit moved, truely the envy of any drill Sargent in Malich's mercenary division.

"Greetings." Called a graceful and elegant voice. Malich turned his attention to a slightly shorter centaur, two of the gurards moving aside for her to step to the pony. Unlike the legionares, this one didn't wear a deep purple cloth. Instead she donned a simple white cloth that covered her chest and part of her stomach, with a flowing lavender cloak reaching from her shoulders all the way down to her rear hooves. Her coat was another color entirely, while most centaur he'd seen conformed to black, brown or grey, her coat was as deep purple as the cloak the guards wore.

Her most defining feature, however, was her face, specifically her color changing eyes that cycled slowly through the colors of the light spectrum...

Milikki Bluecloak, healer of the ill and sad. Renowned for her ability to rid the depressed of their ailment, heal the heart that has suffered loss, and banish any illness that infects. The latter was of an unknown magical nature, but the former was always held up to skepticism about if it was psychological or magical.

Her face was described in different ways by different accounts, each one giving different accounts of facial structure, eye color, voice type and other features. Though each account declared her being one of the most beautiful creatures they'd ever laid eyes on. This lead to a theory that her face didn't really exist, that it was a blank portrait that the onlooker would project what they wanted to see, but Malich believed that she tapped into the psyche and produced what the onlooker wanted of her own accord. A means to appear as pleasing, as possible to garner psychological acceptance.

"Are you Malich or Gemini of the house three em?" She asked.

Malich regain himself with a quick shake of the head. "My apologies, I am Malich, vice president of the Triple M. Corporation." He bowed his head in a show of respect.

Milikki smiled and reached out a six fingered hand, patting the pony gently on the head. Malich couldn't believe how blissful the sensation felt. The moment her hand made contact with his mane, every trouble he'd ever felt disappeared. No stress, no anger, no schemes, just pure bliss.

"I am thankful for your audience, but I must ask where the one called Gemini is." She brushed her fingers through his mane, making the pony wicker involuntarily. His pride be damned, Malich would gladly take a little embarrassment for the sake of enjoying such a feeling a moment longer.

The moment ended far too quickly when Milikki retracted her hand. The ashen pony wanted her to continue, but thought better of it and decided to answer her question. The centaur queen tilted her head, confused as to why her audience was being denied.

"President Gemini is a very busy stallion, Ms. Bluecloak. His coordination of the hunts for the remnants of the undead keep him occupied, I'm afraid." 

Milikki stared down at him blankly. She knew it was a lie and Malich knew that she knew, but instead of pushing the issue, the healer nodded in understanding and asked if they might converse in a more private chamber. Staying her guards, Milikki followed Malich as he lead her to a conference room. It wasn't designed with the centaur in mind and forced the larger hybrid to duck down in order to fit into the room.

"You ponies are a strange lot." She said a little annoyed as she looked up at the white ceiling. "Always so concerned with your contraptions being as compact as possible instead of embracing the openness of nature."

Malich gave an awkward chuckle and apology. The largest being the boardroom had ever seen was a well to do minotaur, and even he could stand straight with a good six inches to spare. The two got comfortable, sitting accross from one another over a dark oak table and readied themselves for whatever conversation was about to take place.

"I shall be blunt, Malich of three em. My husband has been informed many moons ago that there is a terrible catastrophe that will soon befall your land." The deep purple centaur declared, her soft voice turning a wrong shade of grim. "It has something to do with your money and what he called 'economics'. We as centaur rely on no such meathod of commerce, so my understanding of the intricacies is limited. But if what he was told is to be true, than there are terrible trials and sufferings that await your people."

Malich closed his eyes and nodded his head. She'd come to warn him of the collapse, the collapse he was going to orchestrate. "I see."

Typically, the centaurian didn't involve themselves with the workings of the other states, their only connection to the country being their arbitration of the Federal senate. When it came to Northwood, none were allowed in and none wanted to come out. It was an unspoken rule but one that only the foolish or insane would dare challenge.

Milikki continued to list off the consequences of the collapse: Mass starvation, rioting, looting, rape, pillage, death, all things Malich was very much aware would come to pass. Evil as it was, it was a necessary evil to ensure the Better World would have a chance at being cultivated. He wasn't happy about the loss of life, but the greater good had to be taken into consideration. The needs of the many millions to come had to overcome the needs of the few millions, and sacrifices would need to be made.

"Your grandfather, Mandylion has come to my husband to seek guidance and council on the matter, he says that the history of your kind is about to repeat itself once more in destruction of your civilization. He has called upon the Centaur to aid the outsiders again as we did when you first came to our lands." She closed her eyes and folded her hands on the table. "And in doing so, I've been lead to three em to speak to you and Gemini. I was told that you had the power to stop what is to come and I beseech you to do so."

'Damn you Mandylion.'

Taking a moment to think, Malich ran through all of what he could do. He could deny having the power to stop the collapse, but Malikki already knew he was responsible. He wasn't sure how he knew, but something in his gut told him that she did and there would be no point in lying to her. Another option was to explain his plan, which he'd might as well go out back and dig a grave for himself right now and await execution.

"Hmmm. I can see why you and Tapio would take exception."

Milikki nodded. "Even if the Centaur become involved, there will be much blood shed and death." She sighed sadly, sending a bombardment of guilt through the pony. "So much suffering and pain, so much hunger and strife for reasons I cannot understand." She looked up at him hopefully. "But you have the power to save them. To save lives uncountable and protect the weak. Please, on behalf of the Northwoodlanders, I ask you, wont you spare your brothers and sisters from such needless suffering?"

Crushing guilt and a desire to please clashed with conviction. The longer he looked into Malich looked into the rainbow eyes of Milikki, the more his desire to please and submit grew. Why did so many have to die anyway? Was what he was doing right? Was he really so blind to the means that justified his ends?

But... government and the idiots of the world were what made it such a dangerous place... They were the ones who'd always submit to the demands of authority and be willing to commit violence on its behalf. They were a danger to all free individuals, something had to be done about them.

Education maybe? They were ignorant and stupid, yes, but they might be able to be educated in the current system of things, right? Maybe he didn't need to break down the system. Maybe he didn't need to watch as the world burned and the submissive idiots died off to make way for the Better World maybe he didn't need the changelings to-

The conference room door burst open, breaking the pony's eye contact with Milikki along with her emotional hold. Where once uncertainty and compromise lay, fear and horror now stood as Malich beheld a darker than dark brown pegasus pony with scornful, sky blue eyes look between the two. His mane was slicked back in a shining display of black silk with an air of superiority and accomplishment. He smiled a fake and polite smile before strutting in, a black suite jacket and tie over a white shirt being his only clothing. Each step bringing the aura closer and closer, bathing the room in an atmosphere of unprecedented discomfort and tension.

"Good afternoon, Milikki Bluecloak." He said with a slight bow before turning his attention. "Malich."

The ashen pony gulped. "Hello Father."

   
> Hostile Negotiations (Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Hostile Negotiations







Malich sat in fearful silence as his father took the seat at the head of the table, arrogantly asserting his dominance over a situation in a way only he would have the balls to. Milikki Bluecloak was a hero of the Federation, a powerful witch, and had numerous accomplishments behind her, including defending an entire town of minataur from a pony invasion force that numbered in the thousands. To make the account even more impressive, the death toll was practically zero.

To assert his authority by waltzing in without invitation and taking his place at the head of the table without giving even a single sign of respect was incomprehensible to Malich. Gemini was a powerful pony, probably the most powerful in all of North New Equine, but he was still a mere mortal in comparison to the centaur. 

"I apologize for my truancy, there were other matters that required my attention." The dark pegasus said politely, giving Malich a quick glance. For that split second of eye contact, the ashen executive felt his chest tighten. Unlike most who had the aura Gemini's never stopped, he just chose to enhance or reduce it at will. A powerful trait that had, no doubt, assisted in many of his business ventures.

Milikki gave a nod of acknowledgement and both introduced themselves and the centaur explained the reason for her presence.

"I am honored by your visit, Milikki Bluecloak. However, I am afraid that I have no idea what your talking about." Gemini Chuckled. "My father is... less than within his right mind. His association with the conspiracy theorists within the Syndicate has clouded his judgement and lead him to follow the fear mongers and doom sayers of the world."

Malich's head snapped to his father, his eyes wide with shock at how calous he was to deny that which was obvious. Though, that was the narrative that all those in higher positions followed. Rebuke, deny and condemn.

"Mr. Islander." Milikki said softly. "The events that will transpire as a result of your three em organization's actions have encured my husbands ire. Tapio Bearking is no fool, I trust in his wisdom and guidence."

Gemini regarded her for a moment and did his best to act as if he was laughing but trying to repress it, denying how a single company, even a mega corporation like Triple M. had such power over the entire country. "Forgive me, Ms. Bluecloak, but I simply cannot understand how one company could destroy an entire state in the way you are describing." 

For some reason, the callous and disrespectful nature of the denial set Malich on edge. Milikki was no fool and it insulted his sensibilities that his father would treat her as such. Though, the Centaur took the dismissal with an astonishing amount of grace and rehashed the arguments that the Syndicate members had often used.

Gemini gave a sympathetic smile and asked a question Malich knew Milikki couldn't answer. "How?"

"Excuse me?"

Clearing his throat, the darker pony repeated: "How does one company bring about the ruin of an entire state?" He asked before motioning to himself and his son. "How do two ponies do that? I mean- there are millions of ponies, griffins, diamond dogs, buffalo, zebra and all other races present here. Each with their own abilities and potentials, money and skills. I'm just a little confused as to how you came to the conclusion that we have the power or means destroy the economy."

"I understand that you've been told as such by Tapio Bearking, who was told by the Liberty Syndicate." he continued, his tone becoming dangerously patronizing. "But I must ask: why do you believe that they are telling the truth? It's no secret that the group are a bunch of radical anarchists and libertarians who have no love for my company's leasing of a private police force to the North Equine government. After all, they consider it a monopoly on violence, when we are all that stand in the way of society delving into chaos and madness. Yet you believe we will bring about the very destruction that my company has invested billions of bills to stop?"

It was a fool proof argument that all Public Relations officials used when Triple M faced with media pushback. Triple M.'s mercinary police division were oathed to maintain security and peace throughout the nation and enforce the laws of the local governments.

Milikki didn't reply, she simply sat and regarded the executive with quiet skepticism.

Seeing there was no argument to come, Gemini continued on to insinuate that the Syndicate was using Tapio's influence to harm the company name with defamation and baseless accusation to Triple M.'s stated goal. To that, the centaur emissary did not remain silent, denouncing her beloved being used by anyone for anything, save his own desire to maintain peace within the Federation.

"I find no appreciation or love for your speech, pony, choose your words carefully before you speak ill of my Shalla." She growled, her calm and pleasant demeanor shifting to passive aggression. Malich took special notice that her eyes color had yet to cycle from red during her speech.

Gemini eased off of the patronizing and offered an apology, saying it wasn't his intent to offend. "That being said, however, I must ask you one thing." He pressed his front hooves together and gave the centaur a pointed stare. "Why do you think we have the ability or interest to destroy the state?"

"For power and gain." Milikki replied simply. "Two things you do desire, yes?"

"I... have power." Gemini frowned thoughtfully. "I am arguably more powerful than any other being within the Federation. I adhere to the government, of course, like any other good law abiding citizen should. I just... don't understand how I would gain anything through death and destruction of my tax paying clientele."

Milikki stared silently for a moment and turned her attention to Malich, compounding the pit in his stomach ten fold as her eyes held orange as she looked at him. He wanted no part of this and was thankful when her glowing stare was redirected at his father, decrying his intent to use the collapse in order to assume control of the citizens and gain the power of a totalitarian dictator by using his company's power and influence to enslave the masses.

A moment of tense and pregnant silence bathed the room, Malich's breath caught in his throat at the notion. It made sense, of course, a fascist monarchy using pre-established military power to control the public. It was somewhat a resemblance of his plan, yet the differences were more than enough to make him genuinely surprised by her accusation.

Finally a small snickering broke the ear shattering silence. All eyes turned to Gemini, who cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his decorum. "Ms. Bluecloak, as amusing as your theory is, I must say that I have absolutely no intention of becoming any kind of political tyrant." The last two words came out in a mocking overtone. "Sure, I've thought about it from time to time and as enticing as such power would be, the stress of facing constant rebellions and running such an empire are of no interest to me."

"I mean, consider it. I, a single pony, would have to oversee everything. That alone is an impossible feat with millions of individuals. So I would need to elect my own oligarchs to assist me. After that, I'd need to worry about assassination attempts from said oligarchs who want my position, right? Then there's the actual running of the empire itself." He continued on listing every minuet nuance and stressful responsibility: ranging from military actions to diplomacy to constant revolts, to solutions to food distribution and medical care, with each point he emphasized how stressful and irritating such a life would be. 

Malich found himself in agreement though, running a corporation was bad enough, but to run a totalitarian fascist state? Even setting aside his hatred of government, he still wanted nothing to do with that kind of stress and constant vigilance.

Once he'd finished his speech, Gemini finished by stating, "If you've come here in hopes of stopping a collapse that only the conspiracy minded believe is real, than I'll be happy to inform both you and Tapio that your fears are unfounded and there is nothing to worry about. There is not grand plot to destroy the Federation and take power from the government. Of that, I can assure you."

The president stood from his place. "So unless there are other matters in which you've come to discuss, I believe our business here is concluded."

As Gemini made way for the door, Milikki returned her attention to Malich and eyed him pleadingly. He felt his emotions of guilt welling up once again and called his plan into question once more. Gemini had no part in the coming collapse, he knew it was going to pass, but he'd personally taken no part in it aside from the purchases of his own stocks. The ashen pony, on the other hand, was very much guilty of buying stocks with the sole purpose of crashing the economy... 

Before the guilt could sit too long, a powerful feeling of dread began to infest his stomach. His father's aura was mixing with Milikki's magic and raging an internal war within the pony's mind for his thoughts. It was maddening, he couldn't think straight one way or another, chemicals of all types were flooding through his brain, telling him that he should be both afraid and ashamed, mixing into a blend of desperation that almost made Malich lose his lunch on the spot.

"Please..." Milikki whispered. "Don't do this, please."

For a brief moment, the guilt overtook the dread, but it quickly succumbed to discomfort.

"Malich, I'd like to have a word with you in my office. Now." Gemini barked. The ashen pony blinked a stood, offering Milliki a good day and apologizing for his lack of ability to help.

"Radcliff, please see the good healer out." The elder stallion declared before leading his son back through the hallway and into the crowded lobby. All species of citizen had gathered to see the legionares, but Malich's attention was more focused on his father and the consequences the dark stallion would give to Malich for his deception.

Unlike the ashen pony, Gemini had no qualms about using aggression and force to get his point across. To some degree, he might have even enjoyed doing it.

The two reached the end of the hall and patiently waited for the elevator. Once inside, Gemini pulled out a special key and inserted it into the door, baring any stops except the one he wanted.

Malich felt himself begin to shake as the force of assertion fought to pull him to the ground. The aura became more and more prominent the higher the elevator went. Half way up his breathing became labored as the air thickened, it was like trying to breath through a heavy, invisible steam while gravity doubled in strength.

'Keep it together, it's all in your head. It's not real, it's all in your head.' His inner critic cooed. 

It didn't matter though, the pony was seconds away from soiling himself out of sheer terror and discomfort. 

The doors opened and a flood of relief entered through them, allowing the stallion to breath normally. In short order, he followed the black clad pony into his office and closed the door behind him. It was much more spacious and open than Malich's own, what with the entire back wall consisting of a giant window that showed off the Unitas skyline. Though it was also quite... sterile and minimalist. It had all the things an office was supposed to have, but the wide openness of the room made it feel... empty.

THWAK!

Malich fell to the floor, his ears ringing and the fresh coppery taste of blood in his mouth. He immediately went to nursing his cheek and looked up at his father.

"You tried to go behind my back, Mr. Islander." He growled, lowering his head and circling his son. "Did you really think you could hide Milikki, fucking Bluecloak from me? How stupid do you think I am?" He paused, his blue eyes baring down.

"Father, I-"

Malich's words died in his throat, the aura returned, in ferocity enough to send him into a wimpering and shivering mass of fear and discomfort. He hated this feeling.

"I've given you so much... I've given you power, wealth and life. I set back and let you play big corporate tycoon, and let you blow so much money with a small division of mercenaries. Yet, despite my generosity, you dare to go behind my back for your own agendas." The president growled ominously. "But this isn't the first time you've done that, is it? No... no you've been a very busy colt, haven't you?"

He skulked back to his desk, retrieved a file and wondered back to the fallen pony, reading through one of the pages. "Twenty million bills allocated to miscellaneous and secret medical research expenditures." He looked down. "Did you really think those numbers wouldn't garner my attention?"

Malich flinched, he knew they would, but he had hoped Gemini would buy some excuse about disease funding projects.

"I've been by to visit your little research facility." The president said, walking more casually. "Your rouse on top didn't fool me for a second, but the basement levels were quite interesting." The younger pony felt his balls shrivel, when did, how could?

The look on his face made his father smirk. "What? You think I wouldn't figure it out? One doesn't become the most powerful stallion in the country by being lazy, son." He flipped the page. "Though, I am a little disturbed that you would bring changelings into the Federation." He looked down pointedly. "What are you planning for them?"

He couldn't answer that, no, no the answer would surly bring about his father's wrath. He had to come up with something, anything. Malich cursed himself for not thinking of an excuse, for not even considering the possibility of being found out. The seconds passed and he knew that his failed response in time would render any explanation a falsehood.

A painful kick to the side reaffirmed his fear.

"I asked you a question, boy!"

'Don't take this from him. He may be your dad, but you're stronger than he is...'

Instead of whimpering, Malich arose his head and glared at his father, years upon years of hatred finally manifesting as his own aura unleashed itself. It was a strong presence, but no where near as strong as Gemini's. Still, the message was received. He may have been this pony's child, but he wasn't going to tolerate being kicked around, nor would he answer the question.

"Very well. We'll move onto something else." The tone in his voice promised that the discussion wasn't over, but Malich was glad to have time to think about possible explanations for Project New Wave.

Recomposing himself, the younger executive was interrogated about Project Thanatos and his father giving praise for the newer innovation the pony had invested in. The new "bombs" had already curved many Zeborican issues within the Vale. Despite the ethical debate about the possible abuse of such weapons, polls showed that the Federalists felt safer in knowing that kind of power was being used to protect them. The resources needed to create them were quite cheap in comparison to the labor hours and time needed to achieve the same result.

If only they knew...

"As happy as I am about that, it does raise the question about how you'd come up with the idea."

Malich told most of the truth on that regard. He explained how he'd loosed one of the air ships, leaving out that it was the S.S. Judgement on a chase after the Bloody Sky Captains and that, somehow, fireworks were planted onto one of the air ship in sabotage. To him, it sounded like an excellent potential for weaponization.

"Hmph, Demos." The president shook his head. "Such a shame we lost his employment, his airship was one of the best. Wait, why would you go after him?"

As per the law of the Federation, the Gonshinian was in violation of border air space restrictions in it's departure for Equestria. No permits or anything, as part of protocol, they were to be hunted down and charged for their crimes. However... things didn't work out that way. 

Gemini chuckled. "Demos is one of the greatest air ship pilots and tacticians in the world, Malich. With out a fleet to assist, no single airship in the world could compete with the Gonshinian." He paused in thought. "I suppose you are the reason I'd never heard about that?"

The pony nodded and Gemini shook his head in resigned frustration. A few more topics were discussed, mainly how Malich planned to make up for the millions of dollars he'd invested over his little pet projects. For all of the executives love of power, money was his first and foremost priority.

Of course, Malich gave him some small bull shit ROI's, savings in personnel hours, saving heavily money intensive lives, deterring new threats, and, on the spot, proposing a new faction of the company: Triple M.'s Personal Protections. With the companies growing reputation for efficient destruction, and the undead threat still a wide spread secret, citizens would be willing to pay a pretty penny for assurance.

"Using the fear of the eliminated undead to make a profit." Gemini smirked. "No risk, and good returns. I like it."

Malich sighed in relief, glad to have his father's approval once again.

"Though, that does lead to one last thing I wanted to talk to you about. It seems both Senators Windmane and Thornberry have gone missing from my relocation arangement." He quirked a brow. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Malich shook his head in the negative. Of course he knew, he'd relocated them from the mining camp out into the country. Gemini had already made his point to the rest of the senate by making them believe the couple dead, they didn't need to suffer for their lack of compliance any more.

"Very well. There is no more business to discuss." The president declared, walking back to his desk. "You're dismissed."

Malich nodded and turned to leave, stopping right before the door when he'd heard his father speak. "We are done for today, but don't think I've forgotten about the changlings. I'll expect an explanation. Soon."
> Union Axis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Union Axis








"Sin, you need a new dinner set."

"No, Uppity, I don't."

"Awww, come on! You've only got, like, two plates and two cups!"

"I know, that's because there are only two guys who live here."

"That doesn't mean you can't have more dishes! What if you have company and want to feed them?!"

"Dammit mare, get off my back already!"

The last few days had been... different for Sin.

His first mistake was not helping Spike secure his own bed. Which prompted the drake to acquire the assistance of Twilight Sparkle to help him move a new one from one of Ponyville's local shops. Uppity had been dropping hints here and there about the matter, but Sin was in no mood to waste money on such trivial things he'd never have a practical application for. 

What use was a couch to him?

The second mistake was not pushing the lavander mare out the door when the two had seen each other and started to give small tips about what all decorations could, and the following was quoted: "Liven the place up a bit".

Now here he was, sitting on a nice tan and green couch with simplistic swirl pasterns, looking down at a glass coffee table which stood ontop of a brand new green and tan swirl pattern rug... Lot's of green and tan swirling, he noticed, arguing with Uppity about more domestic necessities.

Sin thought he had more than enough, Uppity thought otherwise. How that was remotely possible was beyond him! He had a table, a dinning set, a freaking bath mat in the bathroom, candles, lamps a plant... he had a fucking plant in the corner. If that wasn't the epitome of 'let's see what other needless junk we can fit in here', he didn't know what was.

Of course he stood against it all, but he was still healing from the thrashing he gave that tree a few weeks ago, so getting rid of this crap was beyond him for the time being.

Except the plant, once alone, that thing was trashed.

Uppity gave a frustrated sigh, the two had been arguing all day about this. Sin was much more receptive and and coopertive than he was before, but he was still an ass hole. An ass hole who'd hadn't gotten any significant alone time in the better part of a week. The first few days with her around were nice, nothing sexual happened, but they did cuddle and he allowed for more affectionate expressions. After the third day? He desperately needed to find a nice hole to crawl into for a good month of solitude.

"Don't you think you're being a little unreasonable here?"

Sin didn't think so, he thought he'd tolerated her advice well enough. If she was anyone else, he'd have thrown her out two days ago. Though, he decided to end the argument and ask about something else. She was an attorney who argued law for a living and he was a politician with a love for conflict, the battle would never end until one of them died... probably.

"I'll think about it, anyway, you've been spending a lot of time reading over those letters lately. I take it your brother is still trying to build that case against Protector?"

Uppity groaned and went into a tangent about the subject. Despite the changeling attack, Cupid had continued her anti-suicide crusade and even got the support of the former Occupy Canterlot kids. They'd taken advantage of the crisis, declaring that it was brought about by the same magic that brought the Windigos, though instead of giant ice horses brought about by conflict, it was a swarm of changelings come to punish the indifference and strife that ponies have for one another in Canterlot.

Sin furrowed his brow and gave Uppity a disbelieving stare, uncertain if she was being serious or not. 

He asked to see the letter, but the DA refused his request, becoming very defensive of the parchments. It confused him, but also spurred his desire that much more to see. He asked again a little more forcefully, and again, Uppity refused; taking the papers in her magic and levitating them away from him.

Sin, seeing his chance, lunged forth and flapped his wings for extra jump and caught one of the letters in his fetlocks. "Sin, no!" Uppity cried, reaching out with her magic again. To her shock, the stallion was unaffected and so was the letter.

"I love dragon scales." He quipped before scanning to page with vigor. He'd only gotten a few words in before Uppity tackled him and tried to wrestle the page away.

"Sin, please do -ugh- not read -grrr- this." She begged, trying to wrestle the page out of his hooves. Her words and desperation only incurred farther drive from the oaken pony. Why was she so hell bent on him not reading it? He wanted to know, he needed to know. His injuries were still healing, but they were well enough to over power the orange unicorn.

Having subdued her in a rather... compromising situation, the stallion quickly read over the letter, his face growing more disturbed as he read.

If the letters were correct, than not only was everything she said true, but the collectivists he'd spoken against a few months ago had come back in full force, declaring the pony sisters incompetent rulers who weren't fit to lead the country, and that their "tyrannical regime" needed to come to an end, letting the ponies lead themselves in democracy.

Are these fucktards for real? Sin asked himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" He whispered, disgusted with himself that he hadn't seen it coming. 

Uppity sighed from beneath him and tilted her head up to look at him. "Because I know you and you'll end up trying to stop it."

"Your damn right I will." He declared, re-reading the note once more for the sole sake of stroking his own irritation.

Uppity groaned and lay her head on the floor, muttering how she wanted him to fully recover before rushing off to engage yet another movement against the crown. Sin just shrugged, he'd done more difficult and dangerous things while in worse shape than he was now.

"Yea, that's the point." The mare grunted, craning her head once again. "You've been lucky so far and I don't want you to push yourself so much you can't recover."

"Meh, I'll be fine."

Again, Uppity dropped her head to the floor. "Stallions."

"Quiet mare, I'm contemplating." Sin said dismissively, thinking about what all needed to be done. First off, he'd need to find out the pony or ponies responsible for the protests and calls for the end of the monarchs. If the same ponies from Occupy were present, they'd recognize him immediately. No intelligence to be gained there, most likely. The same could be said for Uppity. The collectivists were dealing heavy handedly with the matter, and they'd probably remember him too.

Was it Sickle? The one who lead the initial occupy for his own ends against Celestial? He'd seem the type, manipulating the masses for his own ends, the current instability and public opinion the crown was facing was more than ample breeding ground for descent. Fucking communists, never let a good crisis go to waste...

"Um, Sin?"

"Yea?"

"Would you mind... getting off of me now?" The stallion looked down and realized the position the two were in. All things considered, he should be extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. Especially with where his... neathers were currently pushing, but he honestly wasn't. Still the request for personal space was something he always expected from others and gave it in kind.

He slowly stood up and removed himself from her, a slight blush taking his face. No time for embarrassing social discrepancies, he needed to get to Canterlot.

Her embarrassment forgotten, Uppity tried to stop him, but she knew better than to put up too much of a fight. Sin had been out for a good debate for a long time now, and this was the perfect excuse to draw blood, figuratively speaking of course. Working at the mill was physically exhausting and the mayor's office placated him well enough, but they just didn't scratch the itch that analyzing someone's political ideology, arguing it, ripping it apart infront of their friends and family, and shoving it down their throat and sending them running home crying did.

"Okay, fine." She groaned, finally giving up. She gave him a soft smile and a quick peck on the lips. "I know I can't stop you, but just promise me you wont push yourself too much, alright?" 

The Federalist gave her a knowing smirk. "I make no such promises."

Uppity gave a him a playful prod in the side before he left to pack up and head to Canterlot. He didn't have a lot of money, but it should be enough to get a hotel for a few days. Hopefully, he could figure everything out and have this whole matter finished before three days time. 

It was starting to get late, the Ponyville express stopped running after seven o'clock, the two of them would need to get to Canterlot ASAP. Uppity left for the library to pack for herself and would return when she was ready. Once his cloak was secure, along with his saddle bags, a knock came from the door. Sin answered and was a little surprised to find Macintosh standing on his doorstep, looking a little miffed about something.

"Umm, what's up, Mac?"

"Spike was s'posed ta stop by tonight fer cards. Didn't show up, figured he was here." The apple pony replied.

Huh, that was odd. 

"Sorry dude, Spike's not here, he always goes to Twilight's after work for dinner."

Mac nodded and explained that he'd already stopped by and nopony was home. That was a little odd, but Sin didn't have time to think about that now. Spike and Twilight were probably out having dinner somewhere.

Mac decided he was probably right and asked what all he had planned. "Why are ya all dressed up fer? Headin' out a town?" Sin explained the situation, checking the clock occasionally to keep track of time. To his surprise, Macintosh asked if he could tag along to Canterlot.

"You sure you can go? Annabelle and your family might have a few things to say about that."

The stallion's irritated scowl deepened. "Ah love mah family n' all, but ah'm jest wantin' tah ferget 'bout the farm fer a spell. Reason ah wanted you n' Spike fer cards tonight."

Sin could respect that, he could empathize with needing to get away from those you considered loved ones. Once Uppity returned, the trio made way for the train station. There was no time for Macintosh to grab anything, so he decided to go without.







The Canterlot train station was abuzz with more activity than usual. Though it wasn't with the happy faces of locals come to meet and greet long time friends or family, but a swarming mass of one collective political voice, denouncing the rule of the Pony sisters. Tents and stands had been set up all along the platform, the dozens of ponies present clearly taking another occupation.

Sin was a little shocked at the display, the typical civility demonstrators in Equestria for their discontent was none existent now. The unquestioningly peaceful rhetoric was now muddled with violent calls to action should demands not be met, cursing all alicorns and even a few wooden polls with white and black pony dolls of Celestia and Luna hanging by the neck on a rope.

All three of them were disturbed by the crowd that greeted them, but the oaken Federalist had to put a significant amount of effort to keep his temper in check. Part of him wanted to smack the shit out of the protesters and yell at them for how stupid they were being, but the fact they were advocating violence would only work in his favor. He could already think of six arguments to use against it. 

Sometimes, you just had to let your opposition do your work for you.

There would be no real point in speaking to them now, anyways. It was a frenzy mob that fed off of it's own emotional self righteousness, he'd need to use this time to create some kind of descent. Nothing big, but subtle differences for eventual division. 

"Macintosh!" A voice shouted over the chanting. Sin looked up to find a bandaged Rainbow Dash flying to the trains, looking particularly irritated. "Boy, am I glad you're here, are you seeing all of this? They're saying Celestia and Luna aren't good princesses and that we should out them!" The prismatic mare declaired motioning to the crowd.

Sin motioned for the rest of them to push past the crowd and head to the castle.

Once the chanting was a distant blob of sound, Sin and Uppity looked at Rainbow and asked how long this was going on. She didn't know though, she'd just gotten cleared to leave the hospital, so long as she didn't walk on her bad legs, anyways. She was covered in a few bandages, but most of them looked more precautionary, save her legs, which were in casts.

"I don't get it, Celestia's an awesome ruler, those ponies are just lucky I'm in these casts." Rainbow grumbled, giving a scathing glare back at the train station.

Sin could admire her spunk, but he knew that her violence would be vastly outdone by the mob's. They were just looking for a reason and he didn't need her giving it to them. Granted, it would make the whole ordeal easier to dismember if the mass was observed in a display of open aggression... maybe being peaceful about this wasn't the only way to go? He wouldn't have to hurt anyone, but he could-

He stopped the thought there. What was he doing? That's not how he did things, making others hurt each other for his own gains. The fact he was considering it was a little disturbing, but he figured it was just his own irritation getting the better of him.

'It's not like you haven't done it before...'

That wasn't true... when had-

'How many times have you used Shade's insanity in combat for your own ends...'

Furrowing his brow, the Federalist couldn't deny that he'd done that quite a few times actually. That wasn't really the same though, he'd used the insane pony's already manic attitude to help others. That made it alright, right? The consequences justified the means.

'Even against Spike, when he was on a horror rampage...

Sin shouted internally, stating that it wasn't his doing. Shade did it of his own accord, but he didn't do anything to stop him either. He ended the inner conversation there, it was making him more upset than he already was. He hadn't heard from the critic for a week and it was being less than helpful now. He couldn't afford to have his emotions cloud his judgement now, what he needed was some answers and Celestia should have them.

All throughout the walk, the troop passed no less than seven dozen areas that were under some kind of reconstruction or repair. The streets were marred by holes and magical scorch marks. Buildings were missing bits and pieces of blasted marble and other building material. Sin knew the city was besieged, but he didn't know it was this badly damaged...

The castle gate was in much the same state as the train station, filled with a crowd of dozens of ponies demanding the removal of the crown as the primary authority of the land. However, unlike the train station, a compliment of riot guards stood outside the gates, weapons at the ready for any conflict or clash. Another difference was a counter protest by another sizable group, praising Celestia and Luna, decrying the separatists as malcontents who knew nothing of the difficulties of ruler-ship.

Uppity gained the four ponies access in and they made way for the main chambers. Sin took special note of the beefed up security numbers, clearly Celestia thought the protesters were more dangerous than he'd originally anticipated. 

Finally, they'd reached the main chambers. The guards denied them access, saying that the Solar court was already holding audience, but Uppity quickly pushed past them and opened the door.

Sin's eyes shot wide as he beheld the ponies inside.

Celestia was present, with her assistant Raven as always, and Luna as well as two nobles he didn't recognize.

But what drew his attention was the six ponies standing before them. Cupid Protector stood glaring up at the sisters with the dark green pony, Sickle beside her. He turned his attention to Sin and Uppity and scowled, clearly remembering the both of them.

"Ah, well, well. What do we have here?" Asked another another pony, an elder and familiar tan coated mare asked with faint amusement. Sin suddenly felt his stomach drop as her expression turned mischievous, the angry red unicorn beside her and the yellow earth pony also giving him a glare. The reactionary Trotski ponies he'd helped escape Trottingham... "Hello, Goliath."

Commander Hurricane... Fuck.
> Alliance Betrayal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




Alliance Betrayal






Ice permeated through Sin's veins as he came to fully accept what was happening. Not only did the collectivists in Canterlot's labor class come together under the communist pony, Sickle, and the anti-free speech supporters under Cupid, but now the Trotski reactionaries. All he needed now was for the Discordian "anarchist" Acolytes to come together to solidify a small nightmare he had about all of his enemies conspiring against him.

"Goliath?" Uppity asked.

"What is going on here?" Sin barked, ignoring the unicorn's inquiry.

Commander Hurricane stepped forward, her smug grin egging him to deck her in the face. "Did you not see the protests outside, dear? I don't think they are so hard to miss." She turned back to Celestia. "My offer stands, Pony Sisters. Your regiem has come to its end. Step down willingly and you shall be accepted into the fold, fail to do so, and be cast out when we take our rightful places as the rulers of our own destiny."

Celestia looked down blankly at the elder mare. Prince Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead followed the good Commander out, with Cupid and Sickle in tow. The last two stopped to give both Uppity and Sin one last death glare before finally vacating the room.

Suddenly, Luna slammed her hoof against the arm of her secondary throne. "Outrageous! How dare those imputant whelps come and-"

"Sister!" The solar pony barked, small wisps of flame erupting from her mane. "We shall deal with them in time," she turned her gaze to Sin. "As of right now, we have another matter to attend to." She pointed.

One of the nobleponys, a night pegasus, approached Sin and took a breath. "Mr. Islander, you're under arrest for the crimes of aiding the escape of detained criminals. Please come peacefully."

"WHAT!?" 

Fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! They told her, they actually fucking told her! Those fucking traitorous fucks! I'll kill them! I'll KILL ALL THREE OF THEM!

'You sound surprised for some reason.'

Uppity stepped forward. "What do you mean he's aided in their escape?"

Celestia recounted the confessions of the Trotski ponies and how, after the raid that the Trottingham "militia" executed upon the reactionary compound, that it was Sin who'd given them their means of escape. Uppity shook her head, unable to believe what she'd heard.

"Sin, you didn't do that, did you?" She asked, her eyes pleading for his denial. Though, he wouldn't deny it. It was the truth, he did help them escape.

"They committed no aggression," Sin declared, Uppity's face falling to tears. "I helped them escape undue imprisonment, as I have for many others." He turned his attention to Celestia. "And you would imprison me for that?"

"Their goal is to overthrow us! Even now they bring armies of supporters to our doorstep and demand our rule come to it's end, Sinbad!" Luna growled, sneering at him.

That much was true, but that was the price of free speech. Ponies were allowed to make their rulers feel uncomfortable and petition grievances. Though, that wasn't what his arrest was about, it was that he, once again, broke the law. It just happened to affect the pony sisters more personally than any time before.

"Come on, Sin. Don't make this harder than it has to be." The night pegasus asked, stepping closer, trying to make the Federalist step back. Macintosh began to step forward, but was halted by Sin's hoof.

This wasn't good, if he was detained, he couldn't put an end to this ludicrous revolt. Why? Why did they sell him out like that? What possible reason could... THAT'S IT!

"Celestia, if you do this, you're playing right into their hooves." The noble continued his advance, not even bothering to use force of muscle to subdue, but push him back out of the throne room. Rainbow and his friends tried to reason with him, to tell him to stop, but night captain wouldn't listen. 

"If you imprison me, they'll use it agains-" His words were cut off with the officer clamping his muzzle with a fetlock. Sin debated with himself on if he should fight back or not. The princess was making a huge mistake, if he went willingly, she'd be making herself look worse, but he didn't want to hurt the guy either. All things considered, the guard was acting very mercifully with him.

With regret, Sin placed out his leg and levered the stallion to the ground, holding him down and glaring up at the princesses. "Listen to me you fucking idiots. If you imprison me, they'll use it as you detaining those whom speak out against you!" Luna looked taken aback, Celestia remained stoic. "Think about it! I'm the one who freed them, right? Why would they throw me under the carriage? To waltz out to their supporters and declare my detainment evidence of your tyranny."

It was a classic tactic that many activists used in baiting the government to garner sympathy for their cause, one he'd spoken out against time and time again within his time in the Syndicate.

Yea, he was responsible for Mallet's suicide, but his helping the Trotski escape would be used to turn public opinion around and paint him as their leader's savior. He'd be seen as a hero by the Reactionaries and a martyr by the collectivists.

The throne room doors burst open with multiple guards of both solar and lunar decent running in to see to the yelling. They began circling Sin and and his captive their spears and horns aimed warily at the tan clad pony, halting only upon Celestia's demand but still ready so skewer or magically obliterate the pony at a moments notice.

A tense moment of silence passed, all eyes upon the solar and lunar goddesses for their judgement. Both regarded the pony as he stood over the night captain, who was also looking at them, hoping the order would change.

"I believe I gave you an order. Captain Nocturnal." Celestia said finally.

Sin felt his leg sweat out from under him and was violently thrown to the floor, his attacker crashing down ontop of him and painfully twisting his foreleg behind his back.

Uppity and Mac both jumped to help, with Rainbow Dash stepping back, unsure of what to do. "Mac, uffify, Ftop." The oaken pony groaned through the floor. The pain of his leg being twisted into such an unnatural way didn't help his already injured frogs or fetlocks. He turned his head to speak more clearly. "If you try to help, you'll both be arrested too."

"Let's go, Sinbad." Nocternal declared, lifting him up to walk while keeping one hoof behind his back. 

"Listen, the Trotskists believe that they are the rightful rulers of the pony tribes, the communists believe in no rulers at all. Use that, divide them!" Sin bellowed as he was dragged away. It was all he had come up with, but that might be all they needed. Uppity was crafty and Macintosh was unknown to either faction, he hoped they could manage without him.









Macintosh glared up at Celestia past her guards. Uppity beside him, confused and angry.

"He broke the law. Macintosh." The solar alicorn said, a faint tinge of regret in her voice. "He was warned not to repeat his actions, to come to either my sister or myself if he believed there was wrongful detainment among our subordinates. He failed to uphold his promise."

As much as he wanted to hate her for it, he did remember Sin's trial and being told about that. As much as Mac wanted to be angry about it, Sin brought this on himself, no matter how the red pony tried to justify it. 

Uppity gave Celestia a hopeless look before slowly walking out of the chamber without a word, tears still falling freely from her eyes. Mac didn't know what to do, he didn't know anything about debating or whatever it was he was brought along to do. Uppity wouldn't be any help, as bad as it may be for him to think, it was the truth. The mare was distraught and needed to be looked after in a way he didn't know how.

"What if he's right?" The other noble pony asked, looking around the room. "What if they do use his arrest against you, your highness?"

"Then so be it." Celestia declared. "I have expended much effort into trying to help that stallion, my patience and lenience only goes so far, Gale."

The noble earth pony pressed her lips in thought.

"Our best option is to stand aside and hope these movements lose steam as they have in the past. Equestria has held a monarchy for over a thousand years, and it will continue to do so." The sun goddess sighed. "Even if my little ponies may not like it."

"Of course, your Majesty."

Luna humped. "You are too lenient sister. Should it be my will, these ponies would face punishment for their ungrateful treachery."

Celestia sighed again. "And that would only serve to make their point, sister. In spite of their hateful and hurtful words, we must maintain peace and diplomacy. They do demand our removal, but they are maintaining peaceful protest as is their right. Inconvenient though it may be, we are a nation of laws and tolerance, even when intolerance is directed at us."

Deciding he'd heard enough, Macintosh walked out of the throne room. He didn't know what the ponies outside wanted the princesses removed for, but he was too flabbergasted by entire situation to care. He wondered out into the dining room and took a seat at the table to figure out what he'd do next. Probably end up waiting for someone to tell him where Uppity was so she and he could figure things out together.

His didn't know what a "Trotski" was or what a "communist" was. He'd heard small snippets here and there about how bad they were by ponies who were more involved in politics, but aside from that, nothing. 

He was just a dumb farmer pony, a dumb farmer who wasn't savy enough to handle this kind of problem.

'You don't give yourself enough credit, sometimes.'

How so?

'You used to think about why money worked and how it worked. Why it made the world go around, remember?'

He could, and he could also remember why he stopped thinking about it...

'That's not you anymore, Macintosh. Despite how far you've come from the pony you used to be, your still capable of so much more.'

The stallion blushed at his inner voices words, rubbing the back of his neck. Fact was he did wonder about these things from time to time still, he just never voiced them. Maybe it would serve him well to ask about it.

"Macintosh?" Rainbow asked, hovering over to him and sitting down. "Can you tell me what the hay is going on? I'm so confused right now..."

He complied, explaining what Sin had done at the trial and the promise he'd made to never go behind Celestia's back again in releasing prisoners. Rainbow, obviously, took exception to the act itself, but was easily placated when she discovered that he'd only helped release those who were wrongfully imprisoned. She had questions about the other ponies outside, and who they were but he couldn't really answer honestly. This was the first time he'd heard of "Trotski" before.

"Ugh, this sucks." Rainbow declared angrily. "I wish Twilight was here, she'd know what to do."

"Speakin o' which, where is she n' Applejack n' the rest o' y'all? Wouldn't this be something the princess'd call her up fer?"

To his dismay, Rainbow told him that her friends, and his sister, had left Ponyville earlier that day in a train bound for northern Equestria. Something about a "Crystal Empire" and a great evil. Again, more things Macintosh didn't understand. It was starting to really bother him how ignorant he was bout things that required so much attention in the world.

"S'plains why Granny didn't take her with her tah Appleossa." He shrugged. "They take Spike too?"

"D'onno, probably, since I'm not there, they'll need all the help they can get." She shook her head, trying to get back on track. "Anyway, what are we gonna do? This doesn't feel right, Sin said that they'd use his arrest against Celestia. What do you think he meant by that?"

"Ah guess it's 'cause he was the one who freed the three ponies in there, n' they'll say he's on their side n' was arrested fer it." It made sense, Mac didn't know the full story, but Sin obviously had a bad history with the ponies, but if it was to be in their gain, using him as a sacrificial lamb and get him out of the way would make sense.

The two bounced ideas back and forth for a good hour but came no closer to figuring out what they should do. They could try and just do what Sin said and convince the communists that the trotski wanted to rule over them... but what if they asked him how, or why? Mac didn't know either of the answers to those questions. Fact was he'd look like a fool if he went out and blathered about things he didn't understand.

"Luna?"

"Forgive us." The Lunar alicorn cleared her throat. "We could not help but over hear your plight."

She approached, putting Macintosh on edge as memories about what she'd done to him came flooding through his head. She'd apologized, but that didn't make it any easier to come to terms with her wanting his foal.

"We know that the ponies outside trouble you, but Celestia is dead set in her belief that they pose no real threat to our ruler-ship. Protests of this like have come and gone many times in the past few centuries, according to my sister. And we still live in a Monarchy, do we not?"

That was true, and when put like that, maybe coming here wasn't necessary. Though, that also wasn't the case, either. Equestria was a relatively peaceful place for the past few hundred years. Excitement had only come within the last two years or so: Nightmare moon, Discord, the changeling invasion, all of which the government itself failed to stop and relied on the skills of six young mares or the citizens themselves.

This wasn't a simple demonstration from a few dozen ponies, harmlessly decrying the unfairness of a monarchy to rule over the all. This was a call for removal under the pretense of no confidence, with the very real possibility for violent revolution. 

"Yes, and that is what we have said, but our sister stands in her belief that the best way to handle these ingrates is to deprive them of official recognition and wait for them to run out of steam." Luna sighed softly and shook her head. "I fear her tolerance may soon get the better of her. I have visited these ponies dreams and seen their desires." She made a face. "They want us gone, and many are simply waiting for an excuse to draw first blood."

Mac began shaking with anger. This couldn't be happening, this shouldn't be happening. But it was. Why? He didn't always agree with Celestia and Luna's views either, but to spill blood and commit violence in order to get their way? Were they mad?

"What is communism and Trotski?" He asked, determined to find some way to stop this.

Luna tilted her head, pondering for a moment before answering the questions in their respective details.

Trotski being the pony who'd initially rebelled against the Alicorns, believing the ponies should rule themselves under their respective tribal leaders. Communists believing in the the destruction of all hierarchy, that money was not to be used in society and each pony should be rewarded for their deeds in accordance with their needs. As well as going into some details about the communist definitions of equality. Both Macintosh and Rainbow had a difficult time understanding the concept of a work place where there were no "bosses" and everypony was considered equals in terms of authority, but they eventually came to accept it.

"The majority of the communists are agricultural and industrial earth ponies." Luna concluded, her face uncertain about her own understanding of the system.

"Mostleh agricultural earth ponies, huh?" Mac asked, a small idea forming in his head. He'd noticed that quite a few of them wore red bands around their legs and asked if there was any significance to that. Luna explained that the color was representative of the blood of those who'd fought against the hierarchical tyranny of capitalism.

The red pony looked down at himself and smirked. "Ah've got an idea..."









Spike looking out the train window, watching as the sunny, mid spring day slowly began to fade to a gentle snow fall. That was one of the things about the north, the snow never stopped, no matter what season it was. He didn't care for the snow, he much preferred the heat of summer.

Hearing that they'd be heading to the North, he ran back home to grab his cloak for warmth. While there, he found his crossbow sitting beside his bed and decided to grab it. While there, he looked over the few bolts he had left and examined the tips before rushing into Sin's room, careful not to leave any trace of his intrusion, and rummaged through the stallion's saddle bag until he found what he was looking for. It irritated the dragon that his friend had taken his scales and was using them for magical resistance, but if they could be used defensively, than maybe they could be used offensively against magic casters too.

He'd spent a lot of the train ride trying to figure out how to get the scale to stick to the end of the bolt, careful to make sure nopony saw. Trains weren't really known for their allowance of weaponry, after all.

Aside from that, he'd finally gotten the full details about the Crystal Empire bit. He had most of it already, but apparently it was a creation by both Sombra and Star Swirl the bearded, meant to be some kind of mega pylon that kept demons of Tartarus away or something. He wasn't completely sure, but all he needed to know was that it served a purpose for the betterment of Equestria.

Fluttershy, Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack were all present. Rarity demanded that her friends not see her and used her blanket as a make shift cloak to hide herself and ran to the luggage compartment for privacy. Applejack had gone to speak with her and found the alabaster unicorn to be cleaning herself up. Complaining like she usually did when something inconvenienced her.

That was a good sign, it didn't mean she was back to normal, but at least she was going back to her old self in some aspects.

The train ride ended a short while later, the gentle snow fall turning into a full on blizzard before the track ended. Spike and his friends exited the cars onto the plat form and immediately patted himself on the back for bringing his cloak. It was freezing outside, not the expected cold of a blizzard, but a kind of unnatural, oppressive frost.

"Brrrrr" Pinkie chirped, shaking wildly and hugging herself. "S-s-s-so c-c-COLD!"

Everyone made noises of agreement. 

"Rarity? Y'all comin' er what?"

It took a moment, but the alabaster unicorn mare stepped out of the cart. All things considered, she didn't look too bad, actually. Yea, her coat was a little dull and her mane was in a ponytail rather than it's usual drill like curl, but there was no visible unsightlyness to her face or anything. Hay, even her make up looked in order.

"I suppose I should, lest somepony decides to drag me around like some kind of... pony taco again." She scowled at Twilight.

'HA! Pony tacos.'

That's not funny.

'You're right, it's not funny, it's hilarious.'

Once they were all off and accounted for, the train's doors closed and began it's retreat from the harsh norther climate back to the south, taking with it the only warm glow of light for miles. 

"So, what do we do, now?" Spike asked.

His question was answered the form of Shining Armor calling to Twilight. He approached from the snow, a black scarf draped around his neck and and mouth with blackend glasses of some kind covering his eyes. It appeared that there wasn't much time for idle chatter.

"We'd better get moving" He said nervously. "There are things out here that we really do want to run into after dark."

"What kind of things?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Let's just say: the empire isn't the only thing that's returned." The stallion replied, the group shared a look of uncertainty, despite already having an idea of what exactly the 'things' were.

Shining lead the troop through the snow, the storm becoming more and more violent as they walked. Spike took to the rear and tried to keep his eye out for anything that could come out and attack, but between the icy wind and wall of snow flurries, he could barely see Twilight a few feet ahead of him. His crossbow would prove useless if he couldn't see to use it.

He heard Twilight and Shining talking about something and strained his ears to listen, but then a loud groaning sound echoed throughout the tundra, bringing the troop to a halt. It sounded like... groaning metal being crushed, a sound that made Spike's stomach churn.

"What's that?" He heard Flutterhsy ask, looking around frantically.

"We need to get to the Crystal Empire, NOW!" Shining yelled.

Suddenly a black pillar of dark shadow sprouted from behind, the length of the thing standing at least ten ponies tall. Spike stepped back, gazing in horror as the top of the spire grew ruby red eyes, with green taint looked down at him and growled. Before he could react, he felt the familiar tingle of magic surround him and dispiate. "

"Spike, run!" The drake did as he was bid and jumped onto Twilight's back. Having a good angle, the dragon pulled his crossbow from his cloak and took aim. With as close as the... thing was, he didn't need to be all that accurate. He pulled the string and loaded his makeshift dragon scale bolt onto the bow, shifting himself in anticipation of his mounts movements and took aim.

Once he'd centered upon the shadow's chest, he fired.

And felt his blood run cold as the scale ripped from the bolt head and flung itself into the wind to the ground, causing the bolt to pass harmlessly through the shadow and off into the distance. His efforts weren't for not, though, as the shadow had a momentary laps as it passed over the scale, letting out a roar of pain.

The reprieve didn't last long as the sickly red and green eyes were in pursuite not a moment later. Shining stopped running and turned back, preparing a spell. Spike watched with anticipation, hoping that his magic would prove more effective, but alas, the shadow merely twisted its form, dodging the attack all together before charging the unicorn.

That was the last thing he saw before a bright and warm landscape consumed him.









Sin paced around the cell, waiting for any kind of news. He felt completely helpless and disgusted at his dwellings and situation. Imprisoned, he, the pony against government, was behind bars.

It was irony at it's finest really. He'd spent so much time trying to keep ponies out of places like this, and here he was for it. It would have been funny if he wasn't so anxious and irritated. The guards read him his rights and such, claiming that he'd be appointed council and blah blah blah. He didn't care about any of that, though. He was more concerned with the fact he was in fucking prison!

"Fucking bitch." He growled, tapping his hoof anxiously on the ground. There was no way out, he'd inspected the cell for all it was worth. From the toilet to the bars on the windows, to the wooden 'bed', to every single grey and dusty brick for any kind of weakness. It was no use, he was stuck, trapped like a rat in a cage.

'What a fitting metaphor.'

Okay, what's gotten into you? You've always been a dick, but at least you were helpful and constructive with it.

'I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about.'

The Federalist took a calming breath. Something wasn't right with his inner critic. Usually it was casual and snarky like he was when comfortable, now it was more cold and non-constructive with it's criticisms. He couldn't figure out why that was, though.

'Was there ever anything right about talking to a little voice in your head to begin with?'

Dismissing it again, Sin forced himself to relax. There was no point expending energy or getting riled up now. He was helpless and at the absolute mercy of those who ran the dungeons. The guards knew who he was, and would probably start fucking with him soon, or get the other inmates to do it. He'd need his strength for when that time came.

He'd heard what happened in prison, and he'd make sure if it did happen, they'd suffer and fight for it.

Though, the worst part was waiting. He had his own cell and only heard the occasional taunt of the other prisoners from time to time, but that wouldn't last. When he'd be relocated or where was going to eat at him, Nocturnal gave him no time frame or any information about when he'd be placed on trial, but it really didn't matter. His guilt was absolute, and he'd most likely be spending a good few years behind bars before he was released.

Years, hundreds or thousands of days with nothing to do but wait and fight for survival. Slowly, his mind would become institutionalized to prison life. Eventually, he'd have to forgo his morals in order to prove himself to one of the gangs or die a loner.

No, he wouldn't die, he'd kill if he had to, he'd kill as many as it took. Fuck them and fuck this place, if prison was going to be the end of him, it would have to be with a state ordained execution, with only the guards who had the brass balls needed to make him go.

Sin felt his anger raising in through his body. His logical mind was slowly crumbling, there was no more time for arguments, no more time for cunning plans or philosophy. Soon, there'd only be prison culture, and if Equestrian detainment facilities were anything like the Federation's, logical arguments and non-aggression would be his downfall. Prison was a place of hostility, where the strong survived and the weak were mercilessly beaten. He couldn't come across as weak to them.

'Glad to hear it.'

"Oh will you shut up!" Sin barked under his breath.

"I haven't said anything to you yet." Called an all to familiar voice.

Sin turned around and found Discord laying on the plank bed, his arms behind his head and wearing an orange jump suit. He felt a brief moment of relief, but the menacing smirk he was getting told him that the draconequus wasn't here to help.

"Hello Sinbad. I must say, I never expected to see you in a place like this." The god of chaos pressed his lips to stop himself from snickering, but eventually succumbed. "Bah, who am I kidding? We all knew you'd end up here eventually."

"Discord." Sin nodded. "Don't suppose your here to break me out?"

A chuckle and shake of the head answered his question, the draconequus reminded the pony of all the times he'd already given assistance and yet received nothing in return. "Besides, Celestia would know I had something to do with it. Considering the anti-magic field this place has, my chaos magic would be a dead give away."

Figures.

"Then why are you here?"

Discord's smirk returned full force and he slithered through the air, circling his body around Sin. "I just came to give you a friendly little warning is all. A gesture of good will."

"Warning?" Sin asked, growing uncomfortable with the trickster's proximity.

Discord nodded and looked around with gusto, making sure nobody was around to hear him. "You see, you've got a little fox in your hen house."

Sin furrowed his brow and asked for an elaboration. Discord placed his talon onto his goatee and contemplated what to say. "Let's see here, how can I say this without making it too easy? Oh, I know." He chuckled and whispered into Sin's ear.

"Somepony close to you sold you out."









Deep within the city of Canterlot: Hurricane, Platinum, Puddinghead, Sickle and Cupid stood in a circle beside a landmark statue. There was nopony around for to see them or hear what they were talking about.

"Are you sure she'll go for it?" Platinum asked irritably. 

Cupid nodded. "Before I left, Celestia was very much set on punishing him should he go against her wishes again. He should be in the dungeons as we speak."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go tell them now!" The red unicorn urged.

Hurricane raised her hoof, easing the angst ridden pony. "Easy Prince, we must first get confirmation. How foolish would we look if we said he was arrested only to have him walking around tomorrow? We'd lose credibility, and that's not something we need now."

"Then send your agent in and be done with it already!" Sickle spat, looking around to make sure nopony else heard his outburst. "My brother is dead because of that bastard, you promised me his head."

"And you'll get it." Hurricane assured. "But if our plan is to succeed, we will need to make sure he's officially detained."

Puddinghead huffed. "I still think it was a bad idea to include her in all of this. I'm impressed you'd time it so perfectly as to have him walk in right at the perfect moment, but I still don't like how much trust you've put in-"

"It was necessary to have him in Canterlot for this. If they'd detained him in Ponyville, there was a chance they'd keep him there, and we can't have our martyr outside the public's peripheral." The pegasus said with a small grin. "No, he needs to be here, and now he is."

They all went silent as approaching hoofsteps echoed upon the cobble stone. All five of the ponies turned and smiled as Uppity entered the moon light from a dark alleyway, her eyes full of tears and shame.

"About time, what kept you deary?" The commander asked in mock concern.

"I'm sorry," the orange pony replied. 

"Sorry doesn't cut it, you tramp. Now we'll have to wait until tomorrow to spread the word." Platinum growled.

Again, Uppity apologized, timid and submissive to the unicorn's insults.

"Speaking of which, was he arrested and placed in the dungeon?"

Uppity nodded in the affirmative and explained that everything went in accordance with Hurricane and Cupid's plan. She acted just as the letters instructed her to. Paying more and more attention to them than her friends in Ponyville, garnering Sin's interest there in and inciting him a little to see the mock letter from her brother, detracting any possible suspicion against her and making it look like he'd just come to the wrong place at the wrong time to be arrested.

"Perfect." Cupid cooed, sharing a grin with Mallet.

"All according to plan. You've done well, deary. Your part to play in all of this is done."

Uppity sighed in relief. "Can I see my brother now?"

Puddinghead smirked and stepped forward. "I'm afraid he shall remain with us until after the announcement's been made. We can't have you go and break that treacherous little anarchist out and ruin our plan, now can we? After all, your little brother is our only form of insurance."

Uppity gasped. "B-b-but you said that when I lead him down here, you'd let Downer go!"

Hurricane nodded her head from side to side in an indecisive manner. "Yes, we did say that. But we didn't say we'd do it right away, deary." The tanned pegasus placed a comforting hoof on Uppity's shoulder. "Don't worry though, he's safe and sound, and when the day after tomorrow comes, he's all yours again."

"Wait, I thought you said you were giving the announcement tomorrow." 

"Oh we are." Sickle grinned evilly. "But there's another announcement for the day after. Something that will make the crown look ten times worse than imprisoning a pony who'd helped release the wrongfully imprisoned."

Pink eyes narrowing to pinpricks, Uppity waited with baited breath for the next words to come, fear already telling her what they were.

"After all, prisoner can be released, but a dead pony is gone for good."

  





> Phase I
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  





Phase I







Spike awoke to some gentle prodding in his side. He lifted his head from the book he'd fallen asleep on last night and asked what was going on. Fluttershy yawned lazily and told him that everypony had fallen asleep during their search of the library for any clues on how to defend the Crystal Empire.

That was all the drake needed to hear. "Oh yea." he yawned, looking down to find small bits of drool upon the tome he was reading. "Oops."

He looked at the timid pegasus, chuckled and closed the book, pretending he knew nothing about it his own contribution to the pages.

Yesterday was a lost cause of speaking to the residents of the empire, the Crystal ponies. Somehow, they'd all managed to survive one thousand years of "disappearance" after Sombra had hidden the empire away, which was amazing but not really a concern. What was a concern was the fact that each and every Crystal pony they spoke with had some kind of collective amnesia. Nopony could remember what had happened, or even who they were.

The mare keeping the library wasn't even sure she worked there.

Regardless, they'd need to find something soon. Cadance's magic was the only thing keeping that shadow thing, which turned out to be Sombra's fell shadow, at bay. When the alicorn of love finally gave out from exhaustion, her protection spell that encompased the empire would also give out, leaving the ponies to the shadow's mercy.

And it didn't take a genius to figure out what a tyrant like Sombra had planned for them.

"Did you guys find anything?" Spike asked, cracking his neck as he approached the others. 

"Not yet." Pinkie chirped, leaping an impossible height and grabbing a random book from one of the higher bookshelves. 

The library was an amazing display of collective books and tomes. Massive enough to hold at least fifty thousand collections of literature and more. The whole thing colored in a mix of blues all through out, giving it a calm and pleasing atmosphere.

The entirety of the empire was truly magnificent, the architecture was extremely beautiful and unique, holding to the name sake but keeping the rustic aesthetics of olden times Equestria. The only thing that really stuck out was the Crystal Palace, a major spire in the very center of the city that towered above the rest, bathing the entire center in a mix of white and indigo light that reflected off of it's pristine face.

Though, if Spike had to point out one little thing that irked him, it was how everything had an aversion to being round. Seriously, it was like every thing that should have had some kind of rounded edge was just pieced together by obtuse angles to gain a similar effect. It wasn't too distracting, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't notice it.

Sighing, the drake returned to his own search, hoping to find something soon. Cadance wouldn't last much longer, and with Shining Armor unable to use his own magic, thanks to the shadow, when the pony tried to buy them all more time to escape, he wouldn't be able to help her at all.

Spike picked up a book and started reading, it would really help if he knew what he was looking for, but all any of them knew was they needed "something about how to protect the empire", as if that wasn't vague enough. Still, it did give him time to try to connect another dragon scale to a bolt. Sombra was now magical in nature and could be hurt by the scales, if they found nothing else, at least he'd have one last ditch effort to stop him.









Sin lay on his so called bed, staring up at the ceiling and contemplating Discord's words from last night. He was still in shock over not only what she was accused of, but the fact it was the closest pony to him, Uppity.

That was assuming what the draconequus said was true though, but why would he lie about that? Matter of fact, when had Discord ever really lied to him? Not once, now that he thought about it. Everything he said was either too vague to interperate at the time but made sense later or was one hundred percent factual.

Still though, Uppity? The mare who'd garnered his love and affection? She was the pony who'd betrayed him? Why? What did he do to deserve that?

'Mistakes were made, obviously.'

Obviously, assuming Discord was telling the truth. If he was though, what would he do? Sin wasn't sure how he'd react when he saw the mare again, just thinking about her made him feel sick to his stomach.

'You made the mistake of having friends, of allowing others to get close to you. Did you really think, with all of your experience, that it was a good idea?'

Sin frowned. Ever since he'd been thrown in this cell, he could feel something... wrong with his head. It wasn't subtle, it wasn't slow and he didn't know how to fight it. He didn't believe in objective morality, but he did have his own moral standards. Standards he constantly thought about breaking and finding himself more and more okay with it the more he thought about it. The inner critic giving a few pointers here and there as to why it was stupid to have the standard in the first place.

His mental facilities were going, but he could still think clearly enough to know that they were. What was bad was that he could only sit in a silent terror that a continually shrinking part of his mind screamed at him to address. Maybe it was the shock of being put into such a limiting space with no hope of release? Maybe it was a resentment for the Trotski? Maybe it was even a little bitterness towards Celestia. Certainly it had to do with Discord's accusation. He wasn't sure, but he felt something in his mind slowly eroding. Something very important to who he was.

His thoughts were interrupted by a louder than normal uproar from outside. He chuckled and shook his head, they were still going strong, most likely would for a good few weeks, and that was if there wasn't any blood shed. A high possibility if even a quarter of those protesters holding up signs were willing to follow through with them.

Part of him hoped they wouldn't, he hoped that they would wise up and either leave the country, form a commune or abandon the idea all together. But another part of him wished they'd put their money where their mouths were. It came from a bitter place, but the Federalist wanted to see the shock and horror on Celestia's face when she found her guard crashing with "her little ponies". Blood would spill, many would likely die, and he could take great satisfaction in giving a silent "I told you so" to her with a knowing smirk.

It wasn't all that different from what he planned to do in the Federation. Giving warnings, telling others what would happen and taking joy as everything fell into place as he said it would.

Why didn't others listen to him? He was a smart pony, right? Usually when he thought and said something was going to happen, it did. So why did so many not care to hear his words?

'Because ponies are very stupid and hubris-tic creatures.'

Ain't that the truth? All well, he was stuck here now, it wasn't his problem. Oh he wanted to get out and get some much deserved vengence against that cunt: Hurricane, but that wasn't going to happen. He wasn't going to ask any of his friends to risk their own freedom to help him escape, they'd be the first suspects. No, he'd need to find another way out.

A few hours of time passed and the pony slowly came to accept his fate. Oddly enough, he wasn't as much of a mess as he was last night. He felt really depressed this morning, he even contemplated swallowing his tongue to end his life, but his inner critic stopped him, saying that he should see if he could wait it out. And as the morning dragged on into the afternoon... his depression quickly gave way to apathy. Part of him was kinda looking forward to prison life, a sick and twisted part, but a part he knew he'd need to embrace sooner or later to survive. Sin wanted to cut loose for once and just beat the living shit out of someone, he wanted to hurt them, to break them and make them subservient to him.

'It's what you've wanted all along, Sinbad.'

That wasn't true, but the more time he'd spent in the cell, the more he was beginning to believe it. Something was changing inside of Sin's mind, he knew it was there, twisting and turning his thoughts of non-aggression and voluntary association into a inverted version of themselves. Logic that had no business being used working in tandem with his darker emotions made it feel okay though, but what was left of his rational brain screamed at him that it wasn't.

All the same, though. His logical and virtue based brain would serve more as a liability in prison rather than an asset. That much he couldn't deny, as wrong as it may have been, he needed to embrace the anger and the hate he'd repressed for so long. He'd need to embrace his own madness if he wanted to survive.

'Good, I'm so happy you're coming to see that.'

The stallion felt calm, serine. As if he'd finally figured out the meaning to all things, and answered every question he'd ever asked. Blissfully, the time ticked by and he waited for whatever for the time that Celestia would come down to speak with him, for whatever reason she would have. He didn't know how he knew, but a small grin played at his lips as the thought of giving her the speech starting with "i told you so".

And just as he'd finished the thought, he heard the door to the dungeon open and close. The chatter in the cells next to him coming to a dead silence as a calm clop of steps echoed closer and closer. 

Sin didn't even need to look, he knew who it was.

"Sin." Celestia said, her tone authoritative and commanding.

Sin maintained his position, laying in bed with his hooves behind his head, relaxing casually. "Let me guess, what I told you would happen has happened." he lifted his head, grinning smugly. "And they've used my imprisonment as a means to make you look like a tyrant."

The solar alicorn didn't reply, but her face said it all. "Honestly, I don't know why you guys don't listen to me." he sighed making a thoughtful sound. "Am I retarded? Be honest with me. Am I retarded and just don't know it? I mean, I like to think I'm right, I've seen myself be right more often than not, but ponies still don't listen to me."

The words flowed so effortlessly from his mouth. All of his typical filters and need to maintain cordial relations were gone. What did he care if he insulted her? He was already going to the big house anyways, saying what was on his mind without fear of the consequence was actually kinda fun. He wondered if this is what it felt like to be Star Shade.

"No, you are not... of ill mental status, and you are right, they did exactly as you anticipated." Celestia replied, making Sin's smile grow.

"If you say I told you so, I swear upon my sun..." she warned. Now, as badly as Sin was allowing his madness to control his thoughts and emotions, he still had the good sense not to say those words directly to her face. 

"I told you so." He replied with a wry smirk. Hey, just because he had the sense didn't mean he planned on using it. Fuck her anyway, she put him in a cage. Her calm mask broke, it was for just a split second, but that split second of indignant anger was worth whatever he'd just given up to have her come down here. Or so he wanted to think.

"I was going to come and offer you a plea deal." She said, making his smile waver just a twinge, "however, it appears you would rather rot in the cage you loath so much."

A silence passed between the two, Sin contemplating what he should say next. She didn't sound like the offer was off the table, but by the same token, what would he have to give up this time? What display of submission would she demand of him for her offered 'freedom'? How many hoops would need to be jumped through?

"I guess so." He finally replied, craning his head to look up at her. His leg, outside of his control, slowly reached up to his goggles and pushed them up from his head so he could look her in the eye. His stare must have been terrifying because Celestia's stoic gaze turned wide eyed and made her step backwards. He replaced the lenses to their proper place and laid his head back down, basking in the reaction.

'Well done.' His inner critic complimented.

He didn't know why, but Sin took great pleasure in the praise. So much so he giggled about it a little as he heard the solar princes hooves clank and calmer on the stone floor in full retreat from him. 

Sin sighed and he went back to blissful relaxation. Not caring about anything felt so good, it felt so right. All of these years, he'd been using his imagination, running over scenarios and outcomes for the purpose of determination of the best course of action. Stressing himself out in an attempt to sway events that were outside of his control. 

'It is silly, isn't it?' 

It was, it really was such a waste of energy and time. Why bother plotting and figuring things out anyways? What point was there to in expending so much for a future in which he had so little control? On some level, he knew Discord was right, that Uppity had betrayed him and sold him out. One would think the revelation would make him resentful or angry, but all the pony felt was a disturbing amount of acceptance. 

He began chuckling just thinking about it, how stupid was he to invite all of that stress into his life? It was so much easier not to care.

As the inner critic continued to praise his revelations, Sin felt the unfamiliar sting of tears fill his eyes. The final bastion of his sanity pleading for him to stop. He knew he should, that this part of his mind was right, but he was done. He was done with the stress, done with having his honor and regard for his friends used against him, done having his trust abused and, most of all, he was done trying to find happiness in others.

Sin's quite giggling slowly started to loose out to silent sobs as the mania turned to a heavy depression again. It felt like his mind was tearing itself in two, and he was already tired of it. 

Why? Why was this happening to him? What did he do to deserve this? This wasn't him, this wasn't what he wanted, when did he hurt anyone? When had the Federalist ever caused undue pain onto others?

Why did the one he love hurt him? Did he do something to her? Why didn't she tell him about it? Did she have a reason? Did that reason even matter?

Sin turned over and curled up, waiting for sleep to take him again. All he could think about was the mistakes he'd made, and how he wished he could have avoided them. He wished he'd never met Uppity, he wished he'd never gone with Shade to Canterlot for his trial, he wished he'd never embraced his emotions. And as the mental and emotional exhaustion finally overtook him, the last thing he thought was that he wished he'd never come to Equestria.









"I have sent out for the earth ponies you have requested, Macintosh." Luna said, looking contemplative. Rainbow rubbed her sleepy and puffy red eyes, occasionally dozing off at the small table hidden in one of the Lunar war rooms. Mac, as tired as he was, was driven by adrenaline and thirst for both action and knowledge. At this point, he couldn't help but grab the next scroll or document and read over the different kinds of philosophies and derivatives of collectivism.

The apple pony smiled, looking down at the numerous texts and scrolls he'd been studying. Communism, for all of it's alien concepts, was actually a very well written philosophy. Putting the good of the collective as the ultimate focus for the good of the individual, and in a lot of ways, it made sense.

Complicated and more in depth though it was, it basically boiled down to the idea that the collective was only as good as the sum of its parts and the role of the individual for the optimization of the collective. Not in slavery sense, but in the sense that the individual should want to be the best that they can be so the collective could be the best it could be. As all ponies are at their best when they are with a purpose.

Within the ideology, Mac found great agreement. He'd initially thought that communism was a bad thing, that it was just a bunch of ponies who wanted to control everything and every pony, but that wasn't entirely the case. It's main goal was to establish a quality of life that Capitalism and Imperialism could not. To destroy poverty, hunger, and all forms of hierarchy that could lead to things like war, slavery -including wage slavery- fat bureaucracies, unfair wealth hoarding that could be used to benefit society, and circumstances and issues that could readily be pointed out through out Equestria.

Capitalism, using privately owned means of production and currency, tended to favor not hard work, but an ability to manipulate and convince the consumer and working class to ad here to the will of the wealthy and ambitious. Those with money often using less than moral or virtuous means in order to achieve their wealth, profiting off of harsh working conditions and with holding improvements for the working pony for the sake of profit and selfish gain.

The political and capital classes being the primary grievance for their power over the masses was another huge point of focus. Communists despised how a single pony could hold so much power, and found the potential for abuse unacceptable there in. It believed that one individual was no more or less than another and each should be represented equally through pure democracy and voting, allowing the working class to have the voice not as consumers, but as sentient beings with hopes, dreams, thoughts, desires, and an entitlement to a quality of life. Mixing economic, social and political power into one unit and giving each pony both a voice and a chance to express themselves with an impact, a real impact.

In short, Communism wasn't about pushing every pony down to a level of control, but lifting everypony up to a way of life where everyone was as happy as they could be. Not having to worry about if they would eat that day, or if they'd have a warm place to sleep or even if their landlords would come and drive them from their homes because they couldn't make payments for their homes. 

Equality and to be without rulers, hierarchies, or a the threat of those with power coming to take away one's livelihood.

To boil it down even farther: 
Capitalism favored innovation and advancement with self interest being the primary motivation and societal enhancement and progress being a side effect.
Communism favored innovation and advancement with societal enhancement and progress being the primary motivation, with self interest being the side effect.

It made sense why those whom allied with it hated capitalism so much since it epitomized the oppression of the working class by not only making them face constant threat of loss, but held a hierarchy of ruler ship in the work place via superiors who gave orders that could easily pressure the workers into subservience or face disenfranchisement in the work place, poverty, and hunger. The oppression of nature took away many choices when food and shelter were necessities.

And Big Macintosh Apple found the entire thing fascinating. He could see many flaws that didn't agree with his way of thinking, but he could appreciate the idea for what it was.

"When will the ponies git here?" He asked, setting down another scroll.

Yawning, the lunar alicorn informed him that a compliment of nintey earth ponies at least should arrive from Manehatten by mid day. The arriving ponies were agents of a the crown, guaranteeing their cooperation, but still unknown enough to pass as your regular, everyday worker that neither the Trotski or communists would suspect to be infiltrators. 

They wouldn't need to do much, all he needed them for was to stay on his side and use their support in order to be taken more seriously by the communists. Not as a pony ruling over those whom followed him, but as a pony who held influence enough to bring a token of almost a hundred potential supporters to their cause.

"I still don't get what you're trying to do here." Rainbow moaned, taking a long swig of cold coffee.

Mac smiled at her, it wasn't surprising, really. Rainbow Dash and he were alot a like, but also very different. Her mind was more focused on her own self improvement and interests in becoming a Wonderbolt and a fantastic flier. He'd always been more humble and economically inclined, handling the farm's finances and often thinking about why economics worked the way they did.

"You'll see." He said, stretching out his forelegs. Rainbow was nonplussed by his statement, but settled to huff and grumble to herself. He tried explaining the entire concept as he understood it to her a few times, but the mare's superiority complex and pride continually brought her back to the idea that she was to be seen as "equal" to a couch potato who never worked a day in their life under communism. It was a misrepresentation of the ideology, but it was also not entirely wrong to say that she had a small point.

Rainbow, like Macintosh, was a pony of meritocracy and drive. She didn't want to be seen as another face in the crowd, she wanted to stand out and be the best. Hard to be the best when you're a part of a system that declares everypony to be equal no matter what.

The stallion looked at the clock and stood up. "If'n ya don't mind, Ah'm gonna get some shut eye." Rainbow agreed and Luna lead each of them to a couple of rooms so they could rest. Once situatied, she informed Macintosh that she too needed to sleep and that one of her agents would stop by later to wake him up and give him a small briefing on when the train would arrive.

Macintosh nodded his thanks and laid down in bed, fighting the growing anticipation in his limbs. He'd need to be rested and with a clear mind for what was to come. The plan was simple, but it's exicution could easily become difficult if his influence and concern were called into question. He needed to be able to think and debate, and it was hard to do either while one's mind was clouded from being tired.









Sin found himself in an all too familiar place. He looked around the black void, expecting to see the younger version of himself once again, but as was with the first time, there was nothing. 

His mind was clear now, the feelings of inadiquacy, paranoia and manic glee were gone, and he was happy for that. Still, he did feel betrayed and hurt. 

'Sin.'

The stallion sighed and turned around.

There, standing before him, was two ponies this time. One the young colt he'd come to loath and despise, but the other was himself, yet, not. It was strange, like looking in the mirror, knowing it was your reflection, but seeing a dozen invisible imperfection. The only real difference was the stallion didn't have his eternal scowl, but an honest look of enlightenment.

"Who are you?"

'Who do you think I am?' The pony asked, his mouth remaining loosely shut.

"My inner critic?" He asked. The pony nodded. "You've been acting differently lately, why is that?"

'Because that's not me.' The critic replied, looking down at the colt who sat beside him. It wasn't crying any more, the child simply sat with his eyes half lidded, looking down at the ground. 'He's been tainted by something, and I've been silenced to your conscious mind.'

"Silenced?" Sin asked, furrowing his brow. The critic nodded.

'Do you remember the Alicorn of insanity?'

Of course he did, how could he forget that?

'She has begun taking hold of your conscious mind.'

The Federalist tensed up at the thought. How was that possible? She was just a figment of his imagination! The alleged "Alicorn of insantiy" wasn't real! His inner critic shook his head, stating that the being wasn't part of his imagination, or even part of his own broken mind. It was a forign entity, one the critic had been attempting to deal with for some time now.

"How is that possible? My Occlumency should hav-"

'Occlumency isn't a perfect shield, Sin.' Critic replied forcefully. 'It was developed against conventional magical mind alterations, whatever that thing is, it isn't conventional.'

"But, I saw Discord banish it!"

Again Critic shook his head. The draconequus didn't force the Alicorn from the pony's psyche at all, he'd simply drained her power and left her buried within the Federalist's mind to the point that emotional repression and occlumency could keep her in check. It was when he broke down and finally began to accept his emotions as things more than arbitrary feelings that his power to suppress her began to wane.

'That, and the fact your ability to control and repress your emotional state was the driving force behind your ability to keep others from penetrating your mind.' The pony sighed. 'That's why Occlumency came so easily for you compared to the other Senators, you were already knew how to shut things out of your mind, it was simply another technique to it.'

"And when I opened up to emotions I lost the strength of my Occlumency." It was a bitter realization, even more so since he was already losing what little control he had left. "Any ideas on what can I do to stop this?"

Critic's face contorted into a wince and he looked down at the colt and sighed. 'I don't want to say it, but the only way for you to stop this is to repress your emotions again.' He placed a hoof on the colts back. 'All of that progress you'd made, all of it for nothing...'

Sin wasn't sure what to make of that, he wasn't even sure he could repress his emotions again, not with how messed up his mind was right now. The other critic, the Alicorn, her influence was overwhelming. It felt good to no longer care, it felt good to just say whatever he wanted with no regard for the consequences. Plus, he'd probably end up going to prison, so there was that to deal with too.

'Then here is some motivation for you.' Critic lifted his hoof and a full sized image of Commander Hurricane appeared, her stance and smirk exactly as it was when she'd looked at him back in the throne room. 'You can't find her and make her pay if you're out of your mind, right?'

Sin felt his eye twitch, he wanted to hurt the figure, he wanted to make her pay for what she'd done to him. 

He decided that, at that moment, she would. The tanned pegasus would suffer for her treachery against him. Sin carved her name into his skull, his anger fueling his desire for control, revenge strengthening his resolve and will. That cunt was going to beg him for death before he was done, and he might consider giving it to her if she asked nicely enough. The non-aggression principal had not technically been broken on her part, but he'd be happy to make an exception for snitching.

Though, that raised another question. "How is she gaining this kind of control so quickly?"

The critic didn't reply immediatly, his merely stood with a look of disappointment and sadness, eyes trailing to the young colt a few times. 'You've lost hope.'

"Lost hope?"

'When you opened up your emotions, you became vulnerable not only in your ability to repel mental invasion, but also to your over all psyche.' He shook his head. 'In that, your mind was... very weak. You don't have emotional temperance like others do. Your hope was so small and fragile, yet it's what you had to rely on. Hope for the better life that is now denied to you at the almost absolute prospect of spending time in prison, for example. You believe Uppity betrayed you, leading to yet another hopelessness in a love you were developing. In essence, the very things you were afraid of, the reasons you'd emotionally shut down for, had come to pass.'

The Federalist nodded his head. He believed Discord and still did, but he was also sure there was a reason for his marefriend's unprecedented betrayal. She wasn't a bad sort, he was convinced of that much.

'It broke your will, and with that broken will, the Alicorn of Insanity grew exponentially in her influence.'

The stallion felt his ears hum and perked forward.

'You're being awoken.'

Another hum.

'For what it's worth,' Critic said sadly as he began to fade. 'I'm sorry for pushing you into this.'



> Phase II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  





Phase II






"In order to revitalize the Crystal Empire, a Crystal Fair could be held." Twilight declared before an exhausted looking Cadance. The mare looked absolutely sleep deprived, the bags under her eyes made Spike feel uneasily tired, he wished she could rest, but he knew her magic was the only thing keeping them all safe.

"It's a celebration that was used to-" Twilight quoted the book, "'renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm'. It was a tradition established by the first queen."

'We have queens? Since when?'

"My friends and I could put it together. Everything we need to know is in the book!" Twilight said hopefully.

Shining agreed, a small vestage of hope finally being found, he looked at the Cadance and grimaced, seeing his wife dozing off from her throne.

She wouldn't last much longer.

"C'mon Spike, we've got a Crystal Fair to put together." The lavender mare declared, closing the book. Spike went after her, his face contorted in thought. 

He got it, he really did. Good will and the spirit of love and kindness being powerful forces that could change the world, but it just didn't sit right that they were going to waste time trying to 'revitalize the ponies' of the empire, rather than prepare to fight off Sombra's fell shadow. Love and hope weren't going to fall the encroaching darkness that was only held back by a dwindling shield, what they should be doing is finding some kind of magic that could be used to fight the shadow and destroy it.

'Yea, because that worked out so well for Shining Armor, didn't it?'

The drake groaned from annoyance. The voice had a point, he felt bad for the pony, his horn had been tainted by some kind of black crystal protrusions, rendering his magic entirely useless.

Still though, it just didn't seem pragmatic to leave all of their lives in the hooves of a book that promised fair tale, deus ex machina solutions. How Twilight was so sure it would work was beyond him. He'd brought his concerns to her, but Twilight said that it was their only hope of defeating Sombra and saving the empire.

Spike was in full disagreement, but followed her anyway. Twilight was smarter than he was on matters like these, so he'd deffer to her judgement. 

The two walked into a cristiline room to find the rest of Twilight's friends standing around a small table with varying face expressions. Pinkie looked hopeful, Applejack and Rarity looked annoyed and Fluttershy looked exhausted. Twilight explained her plan and the optimistic outcome she hoped for, all ponies present agreed to assist her in her plan. All save for Applejack, who's thought process lined up with Spike's own in questioning the Crystal Fair's effectiveness.

"Ah'm sorry, Sugarcube. It's jes', Ah think we should be lookin' more fer a way o' fighin' back, stead o' throwin a shin dig fer everypony."

'THANK YOU!'

Twilight gave her the same argument she'd given Spike, silencing the cow pony's protests. Fact of the matter was that neither of the two knew enough to say that Twilight was wrong. With reluctance, Applejack conformed to the rest and agreed to assist in the set up efforts. As they read through the traditions of the Crystal Fair, each mare found a role  to play.

Rarity, who'd kept mainly to herself, would handle banner making and other cloth related decorations, Fluttershy would oversee the animals, Pinkie to tend to the miscellaneous merry making, and AJ would see to the proper food preparations.

While the girls held council, the drake's good eye began to droop from boredom and he excused himself. He wondered out of the room and kept a good distance away in case one of them came out, but close enough to hear them if they called. He found a small chair and took a seat.

Sparing a glance to make sure nopony was looking, the drake took out his cross bow and bolts.

He'd received no small amount of flack when the girls had realized he'd been carrying the weapon on the train with them. Twilight being particularly vocal about the laws against such things, but Spike wasn't about to leave himself defenseless. His mother and them could suck eggs and deal with it.

He counted three bolts left and seven dragon scales.

'Got any ideas on how to make them stick?'

He didn't, fact was that no matter how Spike attached the scales, there was no way they'd stick once the force of the release sent the projectile flying. Not unless he connected it to the tip, but that would throw off the trajectory substantially. He might as well be throwing the scales themselves at that point.

Pondering his options, Spike found each less suitable than the last. He could try and cut one of the scales into a sliver and attach it like that, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't shatter, and even if it didn't, did it need to be the whole scale in order to be effective? Would it's lesser quantity be a factor? 

Looking down at the scales in his hand, the drake sighed and clenched them into a fist. Even if he wasn't able to use them offensively, he could still hold magical invulnerability if they were in his grasp. Maybe he could give a few of them to his friends? Not Twilight, since it would render her own magic nul, but maybe the non magic users? Sombra's magic wouldn't affect them if they held a scale, but that would deplete his own offensive capabilities, and with the plan the others were so bent on implementing, something told him he'd need every scale he could get.

"Hey Spike?" The drake looked up and saw Shining Armor looking down at him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." The stallion nodded and took a seat opposite him, his eyes looking down at drake's clenched fist. "How's your horn?"

Shining sighed. "Annoying, I can't stand not being able to use magic." He looked up at the protruding crystals on his forehead and frowned. "Anyways, I saw what you did back there, how did you hurt the shadow?"

Spike opened his claw to reveal the dull purple scales in his grasp, explaining their anti-magical properties. Shining looked contemplative for a moment, regarding the tools. His eyes trailed over to the crossbow bolts in the dragons lap and he nodded in understanding. "If I could use my magic, I might be able to carve out the bolt tip so you could work the scale in."

"That would make this a lot easier." Spike chuckled mirthlessly. "You think this'll work? The Crystal fair, I mean."

Bitting his lip, Shining shrugged. Fact of the matter was, there wasn't any certainty here one way or the other. He wanted to trust in his sister's judgement that the revitalization of the crystal ponies would help, but he too had his doubts. Seemed he and Applejack weren't the only skeptics about the power of love, and Shining was almost married to its personification.

Gently picking out a single scale, Spike offered it to his uncle. "Here."

Shining regarded the offering than looked at Spike questioningly.

"You can't use magic anyway, and if things go badly, you'll still have some way to protect yourself and Cadance." The drake explained, a small hope forming in his mind. Smiling, Shining stepped forward and accepted the scale. Spike had hoped that, in coming into contact with it, the spell used to seal the pony's magical powers would be broken. Though, the crystals in his horn were still very much intact. So the scales wouldn't break the magic of Sombra? That troubled Spike greatly, he hoped that it was only for pre-existing magical conditions.

"If the Fair does fail, what do you think we should do?" Shining asked.

Spike had been thinking about that for a while. During his time in the library, reading over the books, he'd found one book in particular about foul beasts. Unknown to the others, he'd spent a good hour looking through it, trying to find anything he could on fell shadows. Unfortunatly, they were so rare that no studies or research could be conducted. All he could find in their reference was that they came from beings so powerful in life that death, true death, was almost impossible, so long as their will and magical prowess survived.

This lead him to conclude that either a psychological assault to break his will, or destroy him with an anti-magical artifact. He didn't know much of Sombra, certainly no psychological weaknesses that he could exploit, but he did have anti-magic scales. Only seven -six now that Shining had one- and he couldn't see any way to use them. The scales did hurt the fell shadow, but it didn't disperse him upon contact. Perhaps prolonged exposure would work? After all, if something could be hurt, it could be killed, right?

"That's not a bad plan, actually." Shining praised, causing the dragon to blush a little. Still, it was a long shot at best. The shadow had a gas like form that could bend and twist around solid objects at will. It did seem to need constant contact with the ground though, maybe that could be used against it?

The two spent the better part of half an hour bouncing ideas back and forth before Shining took his leave to see to his soon to be wife.

At the mention of her name, Spike gaped. "Shining!" he called, halting the pony for a moment. "I almost forgot, while you have the scale on you, do not touch Cadance. If you do, her magic will be cut off and the barrier will fall."

The stallion's eyes shot wide and he gave his word to be careful. 








"Good morning, Mr. Macintosh." Said a particularly cheerful solar guard. A stallion who's smile had no place near any of the guard's stoic and unblinking faces.

"Mornin'." Mac replied with a yawn.

"Princess Luna sends her compliments, and has informed me that you will have one hour before the ponies you've requested arrive." Said the pony. An hour was a good amount of time, it would only take him thirty minutes to get to the train station. Plus... it also gave him time to think over a dream he'd just had.

The apple pony thanked the guard stallion for his efforts and asked if he could write up a few letters for him. The pony nodded and retrieved a unicorn writer, meeting Macintosh in the castle dining room. Mac told her what to write down, and ensured that three copies of the document were made. It wasn't a necessity to his plan, but it was a contingency, just in case.

"Is there anything else?" The writer asked.

The stallion asked to see the paper and read it, re-read it and re-read it again, making sure the message was as clear as possible, scanning for anything that could be better worded or misconstrued. "Yea, actualleh." He smiled apologetically. "Ah need ta go n' talk to a friend real quick, mind keepin' that on standby fer me?"

The mare nodded and said she'd be in the castle library, waiting for him to come and speak with here when he was ready. With that, the stallion walked out of the dinning hall and made way for the dungeons.









Sin's eye twitched, his muscles straining from constant effort of stress and relaxation. He'd been wrestling with the Alicorn's influence for the better part of two and a half hours or so. Gaining little bits of ground here and there, but still having quite a ways to go. She spoke to him, asking why he'd placed so much effort into fighting the madness she offered, still disguising her voice as that of the Critic, but he didn't listen. All the Federalsit could focus on was Hurricane and the rest of the Trotski leaders, his will and thirst for revenge driving him to take back what was his.

Tensing his leg so hard it began to cramp, Sin flinched and gritted his teeth. He felt a few of his cavities flare from the preassure, but the pain was nothing compared to the head ache that he had. At least his legs weren't moving outside of his control anymore. Whenever he'd feel the Alicorn's influence demand something of his body, he diverted all attention to that area and willed it to stay in place. The effort was maddening, but he was still strong enough to maintain control.

'Why do you resist? Why do you care?'

Because fuck you, that's why.

It was the first response he'd given after waking up from his nap, the Alicorn of Insanity was silent for a moment.

'I come to offer you release, to expel your stress and suffering of this world, why do you deny yourself the peace you so rightly deserve?'

Sin felt his right foreleg beginning to act up and diverted his will, tuning out the question for a moment. 

Why? Because I've got shit to do, and that involves me remaining firmly sane.

The voice chuckled, his tone both sad and amused. 'Sane? You believe yourself sane? Since when? You've never been within your right mind, why try to start now?'

Another forced movement came, this time in his neck. The will was stronger than before, making the pony sweat with effort to resist the spirit's influence. 

Because I want to... and I don't like you, you're kind of a bitch.

That got things going a little faster in terms of involuntary action. Sin's mouth sucked in his inner cheek and chomped down for all it was worth. The stallion was too late to react and felt the blood begin to pool in his mouth. He spit in digust and began hacking, draining the substance as best he could while holding back the urge to vomit.

'Don't you DARE refer to me as that again!'

Sin spit out a few more mouthfuls of blood and allowed himself to chuckle, he kept the looming mania well in check, but tinted it with a dark amusement. 

Problem?

The "critic" mocked him, stating that he had no arguments to maintain his sanity. She chorteled how his beloved had abandoned him, siting and standing by as he was taken away. How his friend, Macintosh, watched helplessly, obeying Sin's request to allow himself to be taken into custody. That, plus his life was over, no matter how short a time he'd spend in prison, everything he'd worked for would be for nothing now. He would most likely not be welcome back at the mill, certainly not welcomed back at city hall, and that didn't even count for all that would happen to him in prison.

Sin had to admit, the 'critics' words hit him hard. It hurt knowing that everything he'd been working for for the past few months was a waste of effort. He'd gain nothing from it, no matter how much he was entitled for all of his hard work and sacrifice. All of that work, all of that planning, all of the relationships he'd built with his friends...

His anger swelled and he reluctantly swallowed the blood in his mouth. The Alicorn's words wouldn't lead him to dispair this time, he channeled the raw emotion into anger and determination, using it to farther his will and dominance.

"You're right about one thing, my life is over." Sin admitted, spitting out a small bit of blood and saliva. "But you've made a mistake in one assumption."

'Oh?'

I don't plan on going to prison. 

'Oh? Because I've seen your thoughts, and you have no plans of escape.'

That was true, but he knew an opportunity of some sort would present itself.

As if on cue, the doors to the dungeon opened and a pair of clopping hooves descended the staircase. Sin readied himself, unsure if it was a guard coming for him, another inmate or Celestia. He hoped beyond hope it wasn't Uppity.

To his surprise, it was none other than Big Macintosh. The pony's eyes were tired but focused, focused in a way that Sin had never seen before. It inspired him, though.

"Hey." The apple pony said solemnly.

"Sup?" 

A moment of silence passed, each waiting for the other to speak.

"Listen, Sin. Ah want ya ta know tha' Ah'm doin' what ya asked." Macintosh said. "Ah've learned a lot 'bout communism, n' Ah think Ah might have a plan 'bout how tah deal with the protests."

Sin quirked a brow, genuinely surprised and interested. He'd never heard Mac come up with a plan before, a supportive idea or two, yea, but not a plan. And to have it done for a situation this massive? The Federalist had to admit, he was impressed.

The catch, though, was that Mac needed a little more information on the Trotski, and what they planned to accomplish and how. The pony was informed that Sin had been sent to quell their initial compound and had more information on them than any imperial agent.

Sin mustered his will and began sifting through his memories, extending far more effort than he should have needed to recall. He told Mac everything he remembered. That the Trotski were reactionary ponies who wanted to return to the rule of the tribes with their respective figures of authority heading each tribe. 

There were some more details, but the 'Critic' was making his already strained control over his mind even more foggy.

"Y'all righ' partner?"

The Federalist nodded, dismissing his behavior as a sever head ache. There was no point telling Mac about the Alicorn of Insanity, what were the chances the pony would believe him anyways? No, this was something Sin would handle on his own. Like how he used to handle everything else before...

"Honestly though, Mac, I'd advise you to go home."

The red pony tilted his head, giving Sin a look.

It was from a bitter place, but Sin didn't see the point in Macintosh wasting his time with this. If the worst came about, there would be some clashes, maybe a riot than Crown would call down the hammer and crush the protesters. They didn't have the numbers, nor the ideology to garner the needed public support in order for the nation to turn either Communist or follow the Trotski.

"Go home, dude." Sin turned away. "Go home to your, hopefully soon to be, wife. She's with child, correct? That foal will need his or her father around. No point in risking your life here against a pseudo-rebellion that has no chance of succeeding." 

Sin couldn't see the bewildered look upon his friend's face, but he knew it was there. 

"Are y'all serious righ' now?" 

No reply, Sin could feel the tension building between the two building. He knew Macintosh was going to be angry, but he also didn't want one of the few trustworthy individuals in his life to suffer life or limb in whatever fool hearty endevor he had planned. Things were going to get bloody, and Sin didn't want his friend in the middle of it.

"Alrigh' then why'd you come up? If'n it's so dangerous." His words were calmer than Sin expected, but that wasn't of any real consiquence.

"Because, I don't have anyone relying on me." Sin turned. "I don't have a family who wants me to come home every day, I don't have a son or daughter on the way, I don't have anything. I came here to help save the integraty of the Celestia and Luna. If I die, it wouldn't be near as painful as if you had died."

"BULL SHIT!" Mac bellowed, his patience already spent. "Y'all have friend who care 'bout you. Wha' 'bout Uppity? Huh!? Er Spike, er Shade, er me?!"

Sin had to stop himself from laughing, if only Macintosh knew... Still though, he didn't know the reason for Uppity's betrayal, and as much as he wanted her too to pay, he'd rather leave that to himself and get the full story before ruining her life.

"You're my friends, but.. you're not my family." 

Mac looked like he'd been slapped. His mouth and eyes wide open.

"You have a family who loves you, who needs you. If you die, there's no replacing you. There is no stallion who could fill your shoes as far as Annabelle's concerned. Even I can see that, and as for your unborn child? Who could be a better father?"

"Me? You and Spike would get over it after a few weeks, Uppity too, find a new stallion and move on. Shade would just as likely laugh as he would cry over my death, being frank. Besides," Sin paused, giving the pony a hard look. "What do you think your granny would say if her only grandson died while a mare bore his child?"

"Buck you, Sin." Mac seethed. "Ya know damn well not ta bring that up."

His voice was a low, warning growl, but Sin's mind wasn't right. There was a better, softer way to go about this, but he couldn't find it. He was in too deep now to back out.

"Mac, I want you to think about this. I know you're devoted to Equestria, I get that. I suppose I can even empathize a little, but you shouldn't risk your life against a cause destined to fail anyways." The pony turned his head away. "Believe me, it can come down to life and death. You saw the protesters at the train station, they're just looking for an excuse to become violent. And... I want better for you, and your family."

"Buck you, SIN!" Mac yelled, his voice dripping with emotion.

Steeling his resolve, the Federalist stayed silent. He did feel genuinely sad and hurt for the words he was hearing. Mac never cursed at anyone, that was the first time he'd ever been insulted by the humble pony before. Though, his mind wasn't clear enough for logical reason of that magnitude. His best bet was to appeal to Mac's emotions and stop him from wasting his time, or at worst, his life. What he'd say next would hurt both him and Macintosh both, but Sin had to know he tried everything he could to save the pony from a pointless potential death.

"You're one of the finest stallion's I've ever met, Big Macintosh. Moral, just, courageous, loyal and honest to a fault. I would hate to see you leave this earth because you were too stupid to see what you have in front of you."

The words were cruel but the concept was worse. He wanted Macintosh to hate him a little, make the severing process easier when he finally made his escape. He didn't want Mac to feel this way, but he also wanted the apple pony to move on in life without him. Same with Spike, and to a certain degree, Uppity. He'd escape, he had no plans on going to prison, but he'd never see any of them again. He'd be a fugative from the Equestrian Law, hunted, hated and loathed as an enemy of the empire.

And Sin knew that Ponyville would be the first place they'd look for him.

The Federalist meant every word of praise he'd given the stallion. Mac had his faults, like any other, but it was his morals and sense of honor that made him one of the most appealing friends Sin ever had. He was a good stallion, one the libertarian knew he could trust completely, and that made the pain of his words even worse. 

The farmer was the reason Sin believed that the world had any decency left in it. Mandylion, for all of Sin's praise of him, was a manipulative bastard, even to those he loved. Big Macintosh was not, he was meek, humble, honest, and gracious in his own way. The kind of stallion Sin wanted to be if things had turned out better for him.

He'd never said anything before, but he really did look up to the larger stallion.

Wordlessly, Mac began walking away, his clopping hoofsteps echoing oppressively in Sin's brain, making his body tremble with emotions barely contained.

Silently, Sin bid Big Macintosh a final good bye. 









"So how are the preparations going?" Asked Shining Armor, continually bumping Cadance with a hoof to keep the dozing mare awake. 

Twilight grimaced. The fair's preparations were going splendidly, all things considered. The crystal ponies were much more lively since it had started, they'd become more lively, their once depressed and meloncholy attitude switching to jovial and upbeat. Everything looked like it was making progress, but there was a problem.

Something called the "Crystal Heart" was needed to complete the Ceremony. 

While out trying to encourage the ponies to indulge the fair, Applejack had spoken with numerous ponies around the grounds. One of the ponies asked about the heart, claiming it's presence was significant to the empire's protection. Twilight had carved a heart shaped crystal for the affair, seeing as how the book also claimed it's necessity, but was unaware that it was actually an artifact irreplaceable.

Of course AJ said they'd had it, under the impression they did, buuuuuut no. No, no they did not.

Though, it did give Spike hope that the fair wasn't a waste of time after all. The heart being used for the protection of the empire was exactly the kind of thing he wanted to hear about. It just took the cheer of the fair to get the ponies to remember, that and it w

"Do we know where it is?" Cadance yawned, fighting to keep her eyes open. Twilight shook her head.

"But don't worry, we'll find it. Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity will see to the crystal fair and keep the ponies happy. Spike and I will figure out where the heart is and bring it back."

Cadance smiled and dozed off for a moment, the blue sky outside flickering with a blackened and snow filled reality a few times as her magic waned. She stood with a gasp and the spell once again stabilized.

She wouldn't last much longer.

"Twilight hurry!" Shining pleaded, leaning on his wife to be. "I don't know how long she'll be able to keep this up."

"Right!"

The two ran out of the room and made way for the main throne. Spike wasn't sure why, though. The two had been searching the castle proper for the past two hours, the throne room being the first place they looked. It was large, but open. There weren't too many places to hide anything there.

According to the empire's residents, Sombra had claimed to have hidden the crystals where nopony would ever find them. Wouldn't the palace be the first place somepony would think to look? Of course, that was the beauty of it, too. Hide the heart where one would least suspect.

They looked around once again and Twilight began pacing, her face contorted in a thoughtful expression. Spike looked out the window and saw the sky flash black again. It had been happening with more frequency and the instability lasting longer and longer each time. The drake gripped the crossbow that hung from his shoulder in one hand, and the dragon scales in the other, trying to find comfort there in.

"Twilight, it's not in here, we need to look somwhere else!" He said, a sense of dread and urgency beginning to overcome him.

The librarian shook her head, convinced that the heart was here somewhere. They'd overlooked something, something important. Her eyes trailed to the throne and lingered for a moment. Her eyes shot wide in realization. "THAT'S IT!" She cried. Concentrating, her horn began to glow, though to Spike's horror, it wasn't her typical lavender aura, but a black one that slowly gave way to a bunch of sickly green and purple erutptions.

Suddenly, her horn discharged the spell and hit a single crystal that sit at the throne's top. The crystal returned the spell and began to hit the floor, pealing away the crystal floor to reveal a blackened, stone staircase that spiraled downwards. Hope filled the drake and he ran over to see where the staircase lead. It amazed him how deep it was, he couldn't even see the bottom!

"Geeze" he thought out loud. The sky flickered again and the two shot down the staircase, hoping beyond hope that the heart was below. Nothing was down there though, nothing but a single door.

Twilight used her magic to open it, but the door... moved away from her.

"What the?" She asked, the door came to stop and she repeated the spell, only to have the door, once again, scurry around the wall and away from her.

'Well, that's... new.'

Growing frustrated, the unicorn summoned the same spell that put Spike on edge from before and shot the door with it. The crystal at the top of the door frame to be exact. Suddenly the door opened revealing... nothing. Nothing but stone behind it.

Spike took a step closer and scratched the top of his head. "What?"

'What do you mean "what?", dude the door moved around! You saw the stone it was sitting in front of a second ago. Did you really think it would open and reveal anything else?'

Well... yea! It's a hidden door! There's no reason there should be nothing down here! Why would Sombra go through all of this trouble to make a door that didn't lead anywhere?

'To throw off anyone looking to find the Crystal heart?'

"No, I didn't know if I failed the test I wouldn't be your student anymore!" Twilight said from him, her voice beyond distraught.

Spike turned and felt ice shoot up his spine. Her eyes, they were red and green with purple smoke emitting from them. "Twilight?" He asked, the mare didn't respond, her sickly eyes looking intently at the empty doorway. She began speaking again, blathering frantically, apologizing to someone and pleading not to be left alone or without direction.

'It's a trap!'

"TWILIGHT!" Spike yelled, placing his hands on the mare's shoulder and breaking her from her trance. She gasped and trembled, her eyes flowing with tears. Next thing Spike knew, Twilight had embraced him in a bone crushing hug, sobbing uncontrolably. "Twilight, are you okay?"

"Oh Spike..." She sobbed. The drake felt something soft hit the ground beside him but was too preoccupied by his mother to care. He gently rubbed her back, telling her that everything was fine. She told him what she saw, that Celestia had abandoned her, that he'd left her and said some of the most horrible things, that each of her friends had turned their backs on her again, just like at the wedding, declairing her a terrible pony who deserved to be alone.

The thought made the dragon's temper flare, she was just starting to let the scars of her lost friendship heal, that was the last thing she needed to see.

"C'mon Twi, let's get out of here."

The mare, to his surprise refused to leave, convinced the door held the answers they sought.

"Are you crazy? That door's nothing but trouble?" He said.

The librarian was of a different mind, claiming that she had a gut feeling about it. Rolling his eyes, the dragon turned to look at the open piece of wood again, he waited for Twilight to do something, but nothing happened. He turned and found Twilight had disappeared!

"Twilight?" he called, his voice echoing off of the stone cavern around him. He was alone. "Twilight, where did you go?!" He bellowed, feeling the dread from before creeping up again.

He turned around and... found himself in the Ponyville market district. He recoiled in shock and turned around, looking for anypony or anything. Yet there was nothing to be seen and nothing to be heard. Not even the sound insects, just ear shattering silence. Now utterly bewildered and terrified the dragon rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. 

When he opened them, he found Twilight standing infront of him, she was facing away from him, and stood stock still. "You're your own dragon now, right?" he heard her say in icy tones. "So why are you looking for me? I thought you could take care of yourself."

"He can." Spike looked to his right and found Sin, also looking away from him. "But he chooses not to, deep down, he's still just a scared little baby."

"No I'm not." The baby dragon said, his words full of hurt and sadness. Why were they saying these things? Twilight knew he loved her...

"Then why are ya wearin' a diaper?" 

Spike turned around and saw Big Macintosh, also turned away. he looked down to find he was, infact, wearing a pair of white, waste containment undergarments. What was worse was that he was a great deal shorter and pudgier than he remembered. He lifted his claws to find them small and dull, like that of a dragon baby. Not the kid dragon he was, but a full on infant.

"Because he's a baby..." Sin declared. "A baby looking for his mommy."

"Ah guess so."

"Pathetic"

"Weak."

"Alone."

"Cry baby."

The words continued to come from all three of them, words that cut the drake deep and hurt him on a level he'd never before experienced. Spike covered his ears, arguing that he wasn't weak or a baby, but it was pointless. He was a baby, and he could feel the warm trail of tears flowing down his cheeks from crying.

A wicked chuckle came from all around him and the trio began to chant "cry baby" over and over, their cruel enjoyment in his suffering fuling his sense of betrayal and pain.

Unable to take anymore, Spike ran in the only direction he was free to do so. He wanted to cry, he wanted to bawl like the infant he was, what did he do to deserve this? He was a baby, but that didn't mean he deserved such heartless words. 

He ran and ran until he couldn't run anymore, his short and stubby legs taking him barely any distance at all. Stopping to catch his breath, Spike rubbed the tears from his eyes and looked up to find himself standing right in front of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight poked her head out the window and gave him an evil smirk. "Baby come home?"

The question didn't even have time to register before a gigantic, clawed, lilac foot slammed down, crushing the library in one swift motion. His heart pounding a mile a minute, Spike trembled and made use of the diaper as he looked up to find... himself. It was the body he had when he'd gone on his rampage through Ponyville. His neck was much longer, and more slender, his body gigantic, and face ugly as sin. The difference was that his eyes weren't green and white, but red and green with a small trail of purple smoke flowing from the side.

It roared, breaking the smaller dragon from his trance. His panic sent the dragon running, running for his life away from the giant monstrosity behind him.

Why was this happening? What the hay was going on?

He felt the ground shake as his pursuer took a step.

No, no, no, no!

"TWILIGHT! SIN! MACINTOSH!" The infant drake cried, feeling another rumble of the ground, this one much closer. "Somepony, anypony, help me!" He tripped, stumbling to the ground with a painful omph. Struggling to catch his breath, Spike felt sick to his stomach as dark shadow blocked out the sun above him.

He turned his attention up just in time to scream before the giant clawed foot that destroyed the library offered his skull the same fate. In a final act of defiance to his death, Spike pushed himself up and made a mad dash out of the way, his tail inches from being pinched between the unforgiving cobble stone ground, and an even more unforgiving mass of dragon foot.

He took shelter behind a building and threw up. He'd almost died, he almost bucking died! Nopony was there, nopony was coming to help or save him. He was alone, alone with a giant dragon who was bent on killing him.

Shivering, infant dragon sat down and waited, hoping the leviathan would lose interest.

"Still running?"

His blood froze and the drake looked down the alleyway. Another pair of glowing red and green eyes appeared from the shadows, walking foward. Dread surpassing that of the giant dragon swirled in Spike's belly as the figure entered the light. It was him, but... his form before. When he ha'd aged under Sin.

It crawled on all fours, skulking to him ever so slowly, teasing his sense of fear and horror with it's slow pace. "You can't run from this, you can't run from who you truly are."

"No..." Spike whispered, stepping back from the encroaching beast. "No, I- I'm not like you!"

The teen dragon halted his advance, looking at the infant with mild curiosity. "Aren't I?" He reached up a claw to his face and slowly, methodically, sunk his claws into his left eye. The sounds were exaggerated, the sounds of squashing and tearing made Spike want to vomit, seeing it did.

His stomach now empty, the drake could barely keep focus or consciousness. Spike didn't wanna look back, he didn't want to be here any more, he didn't know how much more of this he could take, but something compelled him to, despite his sanity's protest. He chanced another glance at his teen doppelganger and, to his horror, found the dragon had halted his act, waiting for Spike to turn his attention back before finishing his work.

POP

The teen drake removed the his own eye ball, pulling it until the nerve cord that connected it to his brain was tense. His expression never changed from amusement, there was no trace of pain or even discomfort as the older dragon continued to pull and rip the nerve cord out completely.

It was the most horrific thing Spike had ever seen in his life.

"There, is that better?"

Spike turned away and began to run again, but his teenage self was in front of him once again, this time wearing the eye patch over his freshly gouged eye, leaning back against the alley wall with his arms folded. "Do you acknowledge me now?" It asked, smiling as blood seeped from the eye patch. 

The infant drake couldn't answer, too traumatized to even think about anything other than the horror he'd just seen.

His psychological assault complete, the teen's mouth began to foam, his remaining eye shrinking to a wild and ferral pin prick. "Aknowledge me. Acknowledge the beast inside."

"SPIKE!"

In what could only be described as a break from reality, Spike fell face first onto a cold stone ground. He could hear Twilight, calling out to him, asking if he was okay.

'Dude, are you okay? What happened, what did you see?'

Spike didn't reply, he didn't want to know what he saw. All he knew was that curling up and crying sounded like something he wanted to do. Twilight took him in her legs and held the drake as he wept. He clung to her, taking her for all the comfort she was worth.









It was night time now, Sin had gained a lot of ground in his mind. He still had to battle the Alicorn of Insanity at every turn, she made sure he earned every last bit of himself, but he was making progress. Enough to not have the urge to laugh at everything at least.

Macintosh coming down didn't help with his emotional repression, but as much as he didn't want to care, he did. He didn't want Macintosh missing him when he was gone, the apple pony deserved that much.

The doors to the dungeon opened and a pair of hoof steps echoed through the hall. Sin felt himself grow nervous.

"Well, well, well. I had to see it to believe it." Said a darker green earth pony as he walked infront of the bars of Sin's cell. Behind him, Uppity followed, looking just as miserable and ashamed as the last time he saw her.

"Oh how I've waited for this." Sickle declared smugly, looking at Uppity than back at Sin. "Bet ya didn't think you'd end up here, did you, lap dog? And it's because of your old lady at that!" 

Sin felt his muscles tense as he looked at the orange unicorn.

"Sin, I- I..." Her words trailed off as she looked away.

Any hope Sin had of her not being involved died then and there. It was official and confirmed, Uppity had betrayed his trust and himself.

"So," Sin said lowly, keeping himself calm. "Come to gloat?"

Sickle nodded and Sin laid back in his bed, motioning the stallion to proceed. Sickle quirked a brow, asking what he was doing.

"You came to gloat, so go ahead." He shrugged apathetically.

"WHAT?! No! No, you're in the dungeon! You've been betrayed by your own mare, who I will have by the way!" He said, Sin could sense the desperation in his voice, the stallion wanted a reaction, he wanted Sin to be hurt and angry, but the Federalist wouldn't give him the satisfaction. 

"Yea, I'm aware." He replied, as if pointing out the obvious. "Look, can you just gloat and leave? I've had a long day." He said with a dismissive yawn, urking the communist ever more. 

His taunting worked, sending Sickle into a rage-filled tirade about how his life was over, about how he was going to kill him here and now and make it look like Celestia's doing.

"Oh?" Sin asked, feining an amused smirk. "You're going to kill me?"

Sickle smirked and nodded.

To this, Sin allowed himself a small chuckle. "Yea, okay. I'd like to see that."

Sickle began to shake with rage. He fumbled and pulled out a crossbow, Sin's crossbow. He loaded a bolt and aimed it at the pony, that was enough to wipe Sin's smirk from his face.

"Oh yea, that's what I wanted to see." Sickle cooed. "Any last words?"

Summoning his courage, Sin pushed himself out of bed, walked right up to the bow and pressed his forehead against the bolt tip, his smirk returning full force into a maniacal grin. "You think I'm afraid of death?"

That set the earth pony on edge, not that it mattered, his hoof wasn't even on the trigger mechanism. Actually, the trigger mechanism wasn't even attached to the bow.

Sickle pushed the bow forward, the bolt digging into Sin's forehead. The stallion laughed cruelly and walked back to his bed, laying down and relaxing casually.

"Why isn't it working?" The communist demanded

"Because, I took the trigger mechanism away." Sin answered casually. "I haven't used that thing in months, figured I'd make it harmless to anyone who didn't know how it worked."

"YOU BITCH!" Sickle cried, thowing the contraption at Uppity and hitting her in the chest. "I told you to make sure it worked!"

Sin chuckled again to hide his desire to beat the pony senseless. She may have been treacherous and manipulative, but dammit if he didn't still have feelings for her. 

"STOP LAUGHING! OR I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!" 

"Yea, yea, yea. You'll kill me, end my life, blah blah blah. Broken record, I swear." Sin said non nonchalantly. 

As hoped, Sickle pulled out a the key to his cell and began fumbling to get it into the lock, promising pain and misery once he was inside. Sin sat up and patiently waited for the pony to enter, fighting to keep his anticipation in check. This was it, this was his chance.

Finally, the door opened and Sickle charged in, his hoof aimed directly at Sin's head. The Federalist unleashed his aura, dodging the pony and putting him off his guard even farther. The oaken pony had always kept his use of the aura to a minimum, making it's influence subtle and uncertain. This was the first time he'd ever used it to it's fullest effect, and the results were immediate.

Sickle, already hot headed, was impossibly easy to anticipate and react for. Growing before an attack, ducking before a kick. Even in his injured state, Sin found the assassination attempt utter child's play.

That was until a lucky strike landed on Sin's cheek, sending the pony's goggles from his face and clanking onto the ground, the pony following right after.

"HA!" Sickle declaired through labored breaths. "Got you, mother bucker!"

A small chuckling put the stallion's sense of victory on hold. Sin slowly began to raise, his face turned away. "Tell me something, Sickle. Do you want to see your brother again?"

"Eventually." Sickle breathed stepping forward to finish the job. "But I'll be sending you to let him know I avenged him."

In a flash, Sickle haulted as Sin turned to face him, muzzle to muzzle. His once icy blue eye now turquoise, crazed and serpentine. "I don't think so."

A new level of tha aura Sin had never before experienced flowed through his mind. Powerful, much more powerful than he ever thought possible. He wasn't sure how, but it was enhanced. He could feel his emotions in an organized chaos that flowed through his limbs, doing his conscious bidding. His eyes never left Sickles, but the pony began to back up, fear taking a tight hold of his body. Sin marched forward with him, pushing him back into the bars and making the stallion shrink down to his haunches.

For all of the power Sin was displaying, he could still feel more within his chest. He leaned down, watching as the stallion's eyes began involuntarily shifting in rapid movements. "I think. He paused, forcing every last bit of his energy out, wanting to crush his antagonists very soul. "It's time for a family reunion."

Sickle gasped and clutched at his chest. Sin stood back and watched as the pony clutched his chest, trying to get to his heart. Sin wasn't sure, but it looked like the earth pony was having a heart attack.

With one last confused and terrified expression, Sickle began to go still before finally dying.

The room was quiet, and Sin looked at the door to his cell, it was open and he was finally going to be free. Through out all of his actions, he found the will of the Alicorn to be... non-existent. He felt in control of his emotions again.

"Sin..."

He charged forth and pinned Uppity against the stone walls, his hoof firmly in her neck. His anger threatend to spill over, but he had to know. He needed to know why she did it.

"Sin, please..." she begged, fruitlessly trying to push his foreg off of her throat. "Th- they were goi- going to kill my brother!"

Her wheezing was just audible enough for him to make out and the Federalsit dropped her in a heap. As Uppity lay on her side, gasping for breath and massaging her neck, Sin wondered over to his crossbow and picked it up, as well as the few bolts attached to it's side. Her story was fine enough so far, but if she had anything to gain other than that...

He pointed his crossbow at her and demanded a full explination for her actions. Uppity gave it, spilling her guts in their entirety. She told him everything, about the letters, about the plan to have him arrested at Canterlot, how they were planning on using his arrest and death to gain sympathy, everything.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The Federalist asked.

Uppity sniffeled, "Th- they were going to ki-"

"I KNOW THAT!" He yelled, silencing her. "I want to know why you didn't tell me. We could have done something together! We could have figured this out! We could have made a plan! If worse came to worst, I'd have gladly given myself up. Willingly! For you!" Tears pulled in his eyes. "I'd have given up alot for you, Uppity. Dammit mare, I loved you!"

He slammed his crossbow hoof down in frustration, making the mare wince. "I loved you, but you couldn't trust me enough to tell me about this problem..." He shook his head. It was a defeating feeling, but at least he'd found out the reason for what she'd done. If nothing else, he could find closure in that, at least.

Sighing with nothing but the sounds of Uppity's constant sniffling, Sin tried to think about what he needed to do next. He'd need to leave this place, that was for sure, but that would be difficult, considering the beefed up security. He looked back at Sickle and a new thought came to mind.

"Uppity." He called, his voice calm and calculating. "You said that they wanted me dead, right? That once I was dead, they'd let your brother go?"

It took her a moment, but she eventually nodded in the affirmative.

Sin walked back into the cell and grabbed his goggles. He slammed them down onto the floor, giving the right lens a good crack. Once satisfied with that, he lifted the goggles up to his head and covered them in a little bit of his already drying blood.

Uppity looked up to find Sin offering her the lenses.

"I want you to take these to the Trotski." It was as good as evidence as they would get. From this moment on, as far as the Trotski, communists, princesses, government, and his friends were concerned: Sin von Islander was dead.
> Phase III
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Phase III






Standing amongst the crowed of roaring communist protesters, Big Macintosh looked around to make sure that the Trotski ponies from before weren't in  the vicinity for what he was about to do. He could deny association with Sin easily enough, especially with how the pony had recently spoken to him, but he didn't want to have to explain himself yet.

Fact was that, according to Luna, he'd need to establish some credibility when her agents arrived, posing as fellow communists before being confronted by the leaders. He needed to gain their trust and their respect if his plan was to succeed. Rainbow Dash wasn't all that cunning... or useful, but Luna, despite her previous actions against him, served as an invaluable fountain of knowledge for regal presentation and persuasion.

He straightened up the new red leg band he was given, ensuring it was fastened securely. It didn't do much to stand out, being only a shade darker than his own coat, but the importance of the cloth wasn't in it's cosmetics. The cloth was enchanted to enhance his vocabulary and minimize his accent so the crowd could understand him better. Communication was the key to his plan, and the stallion had little in the way of articulation. He could understand the bigger and more fancy words well enough, thanks to his numerous conversations with Sin, but using them? That was a different beast entirely.

He didn't have the years and years of experience and study necessary to sound as if he was as intelligent and well versed as he needed to be, but magic made it easy enough to feign.

Well, not really. The words and rhetoric may have belonged to the magical gift bestowed, but the understanding and comprehension still had to come from his own mind. The enchantment worked more as a filter for his mouth than his mind. He wouldn't get another chance like this, and had only one brief moment to make a first impact.

Luna was very direct in asserting that her services were at his disposal. She, unlike her sister, was more than happy to aid in the disruption and dispersal of the protesters. If Sin and Luna were right, and these protesters really were looking to become violent, than his work over the next few days were paramount in protecting the lives of the communists, the guards, and the innocent bystandards who'd most likely get caught in the clash.

He saw the train approach and readied himself. The protesters, gaining a second wind with a chance at demonstrating for new arrivals, upped the volume, and raised their banners and demonstrations. It made Mac sick to his stomach to think that he'd be seen as a "comrade" to ponies who hung dolls of the princess's on pikes, but he knew the ultimate goal would be worth the pain and effort.

The express slowed significantly before finally coming to a full stop, the engine allowing a small discharge to solidify the finished journey. The doors opened and groups of ponies began quietly exiting the train, some pegasi and unicorns, but mostly earth ponies. Most earth ponies with the tell tale red band around their right, upper forelegs.

The crowed cheered, each of the new arrivals, mares and stallions alike, having different reactions to their welcome party. Some looked amazed, others curious, and a few even looked disgusted. Mac hoped the real communists would buy his facade, and take no suspicion at the massive influx. Ninety ponies looked alot smaller in theory, but to see the count as each individual exited the train? It was almost overwhelming, and they just kept coming.

'Stay cool, remember the plan.'

Once the train was empty of it's cargo, the doors closed and the new comers began to file into lines, each standing at attention, their faces stoic masks of patient waiting.

Taking his cue, Macintosh pushed past the crowed and walked to the forefront of his miniature army. Seeing him raise a hoof, the crowed shushed itself, waiting to hear what such a daring pony had to say. The stallion tensed all of his leg muscles, per Luna's instruction on how to deal with stage fright, and finally began his address.

"COMRADES!" Mac shouted, his voice echoing throughout the now silent platform. He felt empowered, nervous and slightly sick. He briefly wanted to run home and hide for a while, he was an introvert, and introverts didn't do well at speeches. Though, as angry as he was at the Federalist, he knew Sin wouldn't allow his feelings of discomfort to send him running from this kind of challenge, and neither would Mac.

"Thank ya fer comin'! Do you see?" He gestured his hoof the crowed of ponies already present. "It is as Ah've said. Ouah time fer revolution has come!" The crowd roared with praise, he waited for them to settle again before continuing. 

However, a lone pony stepped forward, a unicorn stallion, coat a dark cobalt with a rough white and aqua mane. "Who are you supposed to be?" He asked, his voice dripping with exaggerated skepticism.

Eyeing the pony for just a moment, fighting the churning in his stomach from the challenge, Big Mac introduced himself as a local family Applefarmer in Ponyville, one who was tired of his labor and toils being profited from by those who didn't know him, who he didn't give permission to. The stallion tilted his head and looked between Mac and the new arrivals. His status as a farmer putting the cobalt pony at ease only a little before he proceeded to ask how he was addressing the new arivals in such a way.

"Ah have been in correspondence with the Red Revolution fer years." He answered sagely.

"Is that right? Than why is it that we have never heard of you? Comrade Macintosh?"

Mac's eyes went wide in shock. He never even considered that question, how could he have not considered that question to come up? It was practically the first thing these ponies would ask!

'Keep it together, play it off!'

Thinking quickly, the stallion suddenly found the answer all too clear. 

Tilting his head and giving the cobalt pony a genuinely confused look, Mac answered. "We live under the rule of Capitalist Impearialists. Ah thought it best tha' we not make ouah intentions known tah them." He looked around, feeling a bit more confident. "Ah was of the mind ta keep my comrades safe by workin' in secret. Fearin' we'd be brought to harm for ouah beliefs."

The unicorn narrowed his eyes. "Indeed, 'comrade'. Is that the reason you've come so conveniently? Showing up with a hundred ponies at your back? Very suspicious if you- Ow!" He cursed, another pony, a white stallion elbowing him hard in the ribs and whispering something harshly into his ear.

"My apologize, Comrade Macintosh." The white pony declaired, stepping forward and offering a much more friendly disposition. "Comrade Toiler has been on edge since our protest began. Please, continue as you were."

Mac smiled, happy to have someone on his side. "Ah don' blame him. Mah appearence is a might suspicious. But tah answer his question, Ah've been in Cantahlot fer the past two days, hearin' whispers about the brave ponies who took a stand 'gainst the political class. Ah wanted tah see fer myself."

He paused, swiveling his head and looking at each of the blushing faces in the crowd, appealing to charm. "Ah've seen all ah needed to, n' sent word that the time fer hidin' was over. Y'all have inspired me to stand against mah fear, and for yer efforts, Ah come with all I could call upon to aid in the revolution efforts."

The crowd broke out into an applause of stomping hooves and whistles, the white pony nudging the cobalt stallion encouragingly.

'Not bad, not bad at all. Luna's little speech spells seem to be working out rather well for you.'

That they were, Mac would never, in a million years, consider doing this without them. For all of his understanding of communism, he wouldn't be able to articulate it in the least to save his life on his own. The praise emboldened his confidence, and the pony returned to his address.

"Th' Capital and Imperial Political classes have, fer too long, profited off of the sweat of the brow of ponies toiling the fields n' factories that they-" He pointed to the castle proper. "have seen onleh in news papers from their coseh little desks!"

Another cheer, this one far more intense. As troubling as Mac found the interruptions, it did give him time to think and coordinate what he was going to say.

"Fancy Pants, Filthy Rich, Bounti Full, our dear princess's: Celestia and Luna! None of them know what true work! They sit here, in the city of pearls and gold, watching with delight as we break our backs fer them! As we give of our own labor for their profit and gain! Taxes, Landlordship, Management, BUREAUCRACY!" He spat, earning a great deal of boos and other lewd accusation from the crowd that he was happy Applebloom wasn't here to learn.

He carried on, keeping his posture firm and confident, just as Luna had taught him, emulating what few speeches he'd seen and heard on his way down. He recalled every last bit of communist literature he could remember, keeping the rhetoric concise, but making some well timed declarations to get the crowd going so he could think about what to say next.

The Bourgeoisie's lavish indulgences, The Gentle Laborer's plights, Comparing the upper management and rich corporate fat cats to parasites feeding off of the workers and their labor, like leeches and life blood. The idea of private property, the inefficiency of money, and the disgusting mix of greed and power. These were only a few of the things he spoke of. He'd spent a good twenty minutes rallying the crowd before turning his attention to the political class.

Celestia, he verbally crucified an inept leader who allowed a Swarm of Changelings to invade and obliterate the nation's Capital under her personal watch. A swarm that had to pass miles and miles of Equestrian territory and, some how, was not stopped or even intercepted. She knew that there was a threat coming, yet even with her knowledge, the military force she'd rallied was no where near enough to hold the city she'd sworn to protect. How long could she be trusted with the ponies safety if she couldn't even handle that?

As for Luna, all he needed to do was remind them of her banishment and return as an actual tyrant: Nightmare Moon. She promised eternal night, she promised an authoritative rule that would bring about the ruination of the world. She was stopped by six mares using mystical and ancient "artifacts", that could only be wielded by six mares, one of which, conveniently, being the student of Celestia. Was Nightmare Moon truely gone? Or was there ever even a Nightmare Moon to begin with?

The questions had the desired effect, none of the ponies cheered this time, all of them simply stood in shock, or whispered fearfully amongst themselves.

Macintosh had initially argued against Luna when she'd suggested he bring this argument up, stating that it might do more harm than good in it's irreversible damage of the sister's credibility and trust, but she coached him through the process. As well as decorations of power and righteousness were, fear was the ultimate in bringing about complacency. Especially the fear of the unknown.

Macintosh needed, not only the communists' trust, but their complacency. If what he needed done was to be done, he'd need them to follow him, believing that he had the answers they sought. And what better way for others to follow than to pose questions that inspired terror and feelings of uncertainty?

"Mah friends, mah brothers, mah sisters... mah comrades." He turned and looked to the castle. "Let us show, today, here and nao, that we would not sit quietly by as the fruits of our labah were handed to our oppressahs who gave us table scraps in return! Let us march and tell these dogs that their chains of coin will hold us down no more!"

He began walking, shivering as the crowd filed behind him. His eyes trailed around to find that the entire mass was falling in step behind him, not just his new arrivals. Chants echoed as the mass marched, demands of changes to be made, declarations of union sovereignty and the rightful recognition of democracy and the governance of the ponies.

'Phase one: Become a respected name within the communist collective; Complete.'









Spike finally began to loosen his grip on Twilight, unsure of how long he'd been crying into her chest. Her gentle words of comfort finally breaking through his distraught state, and placating him into raspy, quite whimpering.

He could still hear the cruel words of what lay beyond the door, taunting him, echoing and cutting into his very soul. It hurt, it hurt so much and he didn't know what to do. Were they right? Were they wrong? He wasn't a baby, at least he didn't want to be, but here he was... snuggled up to his mother like some foal after a bad nightmare... pathetic, weak and vulnerable.

Feeling her hoof stroke his spines for the millionth time, Spike cringed. How could he deny their words? Especially that of his teenaged self? If he wasn't a baby, he was a beast, a monster, a mutilator. His own missing eye was a testimate to his sin, an ever present reminder of what he'd done...

'Enough!' His inner voice criticized. 'Dude, I don't know what you saw in there, but you need to get going! The empire's still under attack! You need to get up and find the Crystal Heart!'

The voice was right, he'd wasted enough time sobbing and crying, but he didn't want to leave the warmth that Twilight offered. He felt like he lost her all over again. Why did this always happen? Why was the universe conspiring to break their bond and relationship at every turn?

'Dude, question's later, you need to move!'

Sighing to steel his nerves, the drake gave Twilight one last squeeze before pulling away and embracing the coldness of the pit. She kept a hoof on his shoulder and looked down into his eyes, offering a friendly and encouraging smile. As he looked into her tender eyes that promised mercy and love, a small warmth developed in the drake's chest.

For all of the terror, for all of the visions cruelty and disturbia, it wasn't real.

The drake returned the smile and placed a claw onto her hoof, nuzzling his cheek into it. This. This was real, her love and care for him, that was real.

'You know what else is real? The empire and all of your friends about to be consumed by Sombra! MOVE!'

"We'll talk about it later." Spike promised, sniffling. Twilight nodded and offered him a small brown bag. Eyes widening, the drake checked his cloak to find the dragon scales were missing. "But, how?"

"You dropped them, it's how I pulled you out." Twilight explained helpfully. He took them and replaced the bag in his cloak, making sure it was secure this time. The two looked at the door and Twilight cast yet another spell, this one more in line with her usual harmony magic. The door's outline began to glow and open, revealing a bright and inviting white that cut through the darkened pit like a hot knife through butter.

Excited, both ran forward, expecting to see the Crystal Heart on the other side. To both their annoyance and disappointment, all that lay beyond was even more stairs, to make matters even worse, these stairs went up.

Oh for crying out loud! 

'How? How's that possible? The pit wasn't that deep!' 

Fourth denominational magic seemed like the only logical answer.

"C'mon Spike, we need to get the heart." Twilight declaired, dashing forward and beginning her assent up the spiral stair case, Spike in step right behind her.







Shining Armor held Cadance upon the balcony of the Crystal Palace. Applejack and Rarity smiling awkwardly down at the growing crowd of concerned crystal ponies below, desperately trying to offer them some form of assurance; and failing quite miserably. Through an unfortunate set of circumstances, it was revealed that the Crystal Heart was not within their possession, and now the crystal ponies were reverting to the melancholy and disenfranchised mob they were before the Fair began.

Hugging her for all he was worth, Shining tried to keep Cadance's will strong, but it was no use. Her barrier was in a constant state of flux now, her magic observably weaker and taking it's toll after four days of continuous usage. Spike and Twilight had been gone for almost an hour and he was beginning to worry about them, and if they would return in time.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He'd catch little naps here and there, but he was almost as sleep deprived as his wife to be. He nudged her, trying to keep her awake, but her eyes immediately closed again. He watched in helpless exhaustion as the faint blue aura on her horn slowly died out, and with it, the barrier that kept the darkness outside at bay.

Suddenly, a dark laughter permeated through out the empire, shaking him to the core. The sky was a disgusting shade of yellow, and all around, black fog swept throughout the streets below. The ground began to trembled as black, jagged crystals began to sprout from the ground, all differing in size, but uniform in their horror and promise of impalement. 

"He's here!" A mare from below cried frantically. "I can't take it!" She took off at a gallop, getting all of twenty feet before running smack dab into a newly formed crystal protrusion. Shining watched with horror as a pair of green and red eyes formed from behind the crystal and loomed over her.

"King Sombra." He whispered fearfully before putting Cadance on his back. "Everypony, get into the palace, now!"

Once all four ponies were in, the unicorn stallion slammed the door shut and ran to the throne to pick up the dragon scale. He felt like a coward for running, but with his own magic suppressed by Sombra's crystals, it was the only weapon he had. "Take care of Cadance." He said, looking at Applejack and Rarity. "Sombra may have gotten past the barrier, but I'll be damned before I let him take the empire while I'm still alive."

"Shining, no..." Cadance called pleadingly. Shining leaned down, kissed her nose and offered a sad smile.

His febel attempt at comfort ended when his gaze returned to the other two. "If I don't make it back, I want you two to get her back to Canterlot and tell the princess what happened here."

"Shinin' ya can't-"

He didn't know what she said next, nore did he really care. He was already half way to the entrance of the palace now. His chest was tight with fear and anticipation, but he was a soldier, a captain of the Royal Guard. His duty was to protect the ponies of Equestria with all that he had, that included his life if need be.

Bursting the doors open, Shining gasped. The carnage was unprecedented, too much had happened for the few minutes it took him to descend to the bottom. Already, hundreds of crystal ponies were being trapped by the black spires, the crystals either twisting around them or spouting up and blocking any escape. Buildings all over were pierced by the same, screaming and fear permeated through the fog, heightening is already inflamed sense of terror.

"SOMBRA!" He shouted, trying to gain the dark king's attention.

A pair of sickly green eyes appeared in the fog before him, the head of a black and grey unicorn with a curved horn pushed through, it slowly, steadily made way for the captain, meeting him face to face.

"Armor." It growled, it's shadow stuff circling the pony. His voice was as dark and foreboding as it was deep and sophisticated.

Shining stepped forward, showing no fear to the king. "Leave now, Sombra! The Crystal Empire is no longer your kingdom!"

Sombra tilted his head for a second than burst into bellowing and mirthful laughter. "You believe so? Perhaps you've not seen my subjects." He turned around, eyeing the ponies, each one of them dropping to their knees, faces cast down in the dirt. "Subjects bow before their king, do they not?"

"You are not a king, you're a tyrant!" The captain barked, stepping forward in challenge. Sombra cackled again, the shadow fog around him condensing beneath his head, slowly forming into a... body. All four legs and his torso were fitted with Silver and black armor, all covered by a royal red cape.

"Mmmm, yes." he cooed, looking down at his hoof. "It feels good to be back in flesh and blood."

Shining took the opportunity to charge forward and attack the now materialized pony head on, though the king vanished in a wink of light before he could make contact.

"Tell me, Shining Armor. How fare's Celestia and Luna?" Shining felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end from the soft breath on his ear and threw his leg out, missing as another wink of light took Sombra from his reach. "Did Celestia every heed my warning about her sister's inevitable corruption?"

"SHUT UP!" The white pony shouted, looking around for the fell king. Though, all he could see was the blackened fog growing thicker. The shouting and sounds of panic from the crystal ponies was becoming distorted, muted somehow by the fog. The air became harder to breath.

"Oh, she didn't did she? That's quite a shame. I warned her over a thousand years ago that Luna was being taken by the darkness... Pity that she didn't listen."

He looked all around himself, but no matter which way his eyes darted, Shining couldn't find his foe. He wished he'd had his magic, and wondered why the scale hadn't dissipated the fog. It was magical in nature, right? Why hadn't it been effected?

Sombra's proud face appeared before him, his body now immaterial again. He offered words of praise to the stallion, commending him for resisting his fog's influence to fear and panic that the others had succumbed to. It was too bad about his horn though, otherwise he might be a credible threat.

Having had enough, Shining charged forward again before the fog became to thick to see through and found that, upon contact, Sombra howled in pain and the blackened mist parted for him. Emboldened, Shining ran through and chased the mist, trying to grasp it. 

"What manner of sorcery?!" He barked, parting the fog just out of Shining's grasp at every turn.

The alabaster pony smirked. "What's wrong, King Sombra? Can't handle a little insubordination?"

"Whelp!" The fog thickened and a crystal formed, slamming itself into Shining Armor. The captain flew with the force of the blow, but the pain was nothing compared to the satisfaction Sombra's howling gave him. He quickly got to all fours and watched as the fog condensed again back into fell shadow's body.

"Clever, using my own hubris against me." He declared sagely. "It seems even after a thousand years of solitude and reflection, my pride and wrath still remains my downfall." He ignited his horn, eyeing Shining with a thoughtful look. The red magic exploded in a mini feedback and the king rubbed his head. "That is no shield, that is magical immunity. It seems you're more clever than I thought."

His words were calm, casual, almost pleasant.

Shining was taken slightly aback by what the king did next. Sombra closed his eyes and raised a hoof, recalling the fog, bringing the blackness away from the empire and calling it's power back to him. Fearing the power build up, Shining charged forward, but a wall of black crystals blocked his path and locked him in place.

The last little bit of shadow fog returned to the king and slammed his hoof down, shattering every single black crystal that had erupted from the ground, freeing all the trapped ponies there in. Shining fell onto his haunches and stared wide eyed, unable to comprehend what he'd just witnessed. 

He thought it to be some kind of trick, but as the fell king  took a calming breath and opened his eyes, Shining noticed a distinct lack of purple mist and green Sclera. His irises were still red, but he looked... different. The feelings of terror and fear were gone now.

"Shining!" Cadance yelled, running up to her husband and standing between him and Sombra. "Leave him alone you beast!"

Sombra eyed the princess of love for a moment, regarding her as though she was a lesser being, then with another sigh, he did something that nopony would ever come to expect.

King Sombra, the Tyrant of the Crystal empire, apologized.









"Hey, that was a great speech!" 

Macintosh looked to his right to find the white pony from before smiling at him. "Thank ya kindly." He replied, continuing to walk up to the castle.

"My name is Wedge, comrade. We are grateful for your assistance in our efforts." He smiled. "I can't wait for you to meet Sickle, between you guys combined intelligence, the revolution can really start to kick off!"

"Sickle?"

The pony gave him a questioning look. "You've heard of him, right? He's the one who organized the revolution and sent word out to our comrades that the time for revolution was upon us." He smiled and looked forward again. "Sickle is the reason I decided to adopt my ideology. He taught me that the way things are now isn't the way they have to be."

Mac listened with interest as Wedge told his story. He was a marble artisan who's hammer and chisel cutie mark told of his talent. Carving marble and such wasn't much in demand, but it was his passion in life. It's what Wedge wanted to use his limited time on earth for. He tried to sell his statues as best he could, but the market just wasn't there. He was eventually evicted from his home, along with a wife and newborn child, leading him to question why his passion was denied to him while others seemed to thrive off of their own.

It was understandable. Macintosh and his family were farmers by nature, food was always in demand and there would always be somepony willing to pay a bit for an apple. He could live his passions and make a pretty decent living off of it. For Wedge, though? He could not. The world was becoming more utilitarian in it's consumption, with things like statues and paintings being cast aside for more useful items.

Though, as unfair as it was, the apple pony knew that life wasn't always fair. Perhaps it was because he was born into a profession that would always render his services and goods in demand, but he also had hobbies that didn't revolve around apples.

"I just want to carve and skulpt. To create beauty from the earth and share it with the world." He frowned. "But under Capitalism, unless I can make money off of it, it's a waste of time and a liability, and I don't think that's the way the world should be."

'Selfish.'

I don't know about that.

'Eh? What do you mean? He want to contribute to something in society that there's no want for, why should others give him things he wants if he's not willing to do the same?'

Well, life's short for us ponies. What do we have? A hundred years or so? Nopony wants to live life continually jumping through hoops to get money doing work they hate. That kind of life's kinda depressing, don't ya think?

'Depressing or not, it doesn't matter. Fact is that if he doesn't want to work for things people actually want, than why should anyone give him anything? Fair and voluntary exchange, ya?'

That much was true, still though it didn't sit right with him that life had to be gone through as a drone of work for some ponies who spent more time in misery than enjoyment.

The troop continued onto main street, Macintosh could see the other group of ponies outside the castle proper, many of them lacked the leg bands of the communists. Seeing his chance, the stallion asked why that was.

To this, the white stallion grimaced. "They are the Trotski. They do not believe as we do." He said reluctantly, Macintosh gave him a hard look of disapproval, scaring the Wedge into an explanation. "But they are in solidarity with us to remove the imperialist regime!"

"Solidarity, huh?" Mac asked, eyeing the other group skeptically, making his eyes as hard as possible. He wanted to make it convincing that his disdain and trust was being called into question, and from the nervous look on Wedge's face, he'd more than accomplished it. "Where are we going?"

"There." Wedge pointed to a small, enclosed ten just out of range of the protesters. "Sickle and the other organizers are there."

Looking back to see the crowd behind him once again, Macintosh motioned to them with his head to join the other protestors and took a breath to steel himself. There was no going back now, but he hoped he'd garnered enough support for the Trotski leaders not to mess with him for fear of creating descent between the two factions.

He followed Wedge into the tent after by-passing a few stationed guards and found the four of the five ponies he'd seen in the throne room sitting around a table. Immediately, all four of them looked at him in wide eyed shock.

"Commander, Chancelor, Prince, Cupid. I'd like to introduce Comrade Macintosh." Wedge declared with a smile. "Macintosh here has brought about a hundred ponies from all over Equestria to aid in our fight against the Imperialists. With his help, our numbers have grown almost a hundred strong!"

The elder pegasus eyed him for a moment, her muzzle working into a knowing smirk. "Really? That is interesting, and excellent news." She said. Mac sighed internally, he was in.

"Yes, it is. If this keeps up, we'll have enough bodies to really make a difference. Celestia can't ignore us if we take over the city!" Wedge looked around and furrowed his brow. "Where Sickle? I thought he'd be here."

"Sickle is still running his errands for the morning." Hurricane replied serenely. "He should be back any moment, now." Her attention returned to Macintosh, eyeing him up and down before requesting that Wedge leave so the five of them may speak in private.

Once gone, the apple pony tensed up, waiting for the chance to interrupt whatever interrogation the ponies had ready for him.

"You, my young stallion, are no communist." The elder mare proclaimed.

"Ya think?" Mac replied, feeling a little cheeky.

Prince Platinum scoffed. "What's your game here?"

"Divide and conquer, of course." Hurricane answered, saving Mac the trouble. "He's brought an army of ponies to back him and will use his status and influence within the communists to create desertion in the ranks. Am I correct?"

'Crap! We've been found out! Now what?'

Keeping his cool, the stallion nodded. There was no point in denying it, she'd already had him figured out the moment she laid eyes on him. It couldn't be helped, though. With as big an influence as he needed to be, Mac would have been found out eventually, even if he tried to keep hidden.

"Hmph, clever." Cupid chimed in, smiling wickedly. 

The young mare began to circle around the table and stood beside Mac, eyeing him in a way that made every muscle in his body shiver with discomfort. "So, what do we do with him now?"

"I say we kill him, end it before it begins!" Platinum declared, his horn flaring red.

"And then what?" Mac interjected, seeing his chance. "You kill me, n' the communists'll ask questions. Ah've got ninty supporters outside righ' now waitin' for me to come outta here. So there's no chance of ya sweepin' me under the rug" He smirked, eyeing the red prince. "Sure would be a shame if'n y'all were caught murderin' somepony. Might get ya a few years in the dungeon, Ah'd say. N' that doesn't take inta consideration yer movement's reputation would be forever destroyed."

Growling, the red unicorn stood from his place, his face a mask of sheer loathing and malice. "Then we'll just attack the castle now and overthrow the princess by force!"

A low chuckle escaped Mac's throat. "Y'all seriously think ya have the numbers n' support fer that? Celestia n' Luna have the entire royal guard and their own power at their beck and call. Ya have, what? Three hundred ponies, maximum? Ya really think y'all have a chance in tartarus o' winnin' the public's support by overthrowin' a princess they all love?"

Now beyond livid, Platinum looked like he was about to leap over the table and strangle Macintosh, though, Hurricane lifted a hoof to quell the conflict. "He's right, Prince Platinum. Beginning violence now would be counter productive to our interests." She turned to Mac and smiled. "But not for long, I'm guessing you remember our plan for your little friend in the dungeon, yes?"

Mac's smile dropped and he nodded, recalling what Sin had told him.

Just then, the flap of the tent opened and a familiar orange mare walked in, though there was something on her back that Mac couldn't quite see. She looked depressed and distraught.

"Well, good afternoon Uppity." Hurricane said cheerfully. "I hope you've come to give us the good news."

Uppity's eyes tightened shut, Mac could tell she'd been crying, but was too preoccupied by the fact that she was here. What in tartarus was she doing talking with the Trotski and communist leaders?

The purple maned unicorn wiped her eyes and looked around, freezing as soon as her gaze landed on Macintosh. She was shivering, her breath caught in her throat, Mac waited patiently for her to say what she needed to say and leave, making a hard mental not to hunt her down and get some answers later.

"Where's Sickle?" Cupid asked, looking out the tent flap. "Uppity, where is Sickle?"

Uppity took a breath and looked at the organizers. "Sickle was caught, he was being interrogated by the solar guard last I saw of him." She answered, her voice a shaky whisper.

"Caught? Caught doing what?"

Reaching, Uppity pulled the black thing from her back and presented it on the table. Mac's eyes shot wide at what he saw, he'd recognize those goggles anywhere. 

"He was caught after he killed Sin."

  

  
> Phase IV
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Phase IV






Macintosh stood in wide eyed disbelief. He thought he'd misheard Uppity's words, the briefest hopes of a clogged ear, or a split second of not paying attention. Though, the conversation continued, Hurricane asked her to repeat herself and Uppity did. Mac focused, determined not to mis-hear her this time, but she said the same thing.

"Sin's dead."

They were talking about something else, now, but Macntosh could only focus on the black, broken and circluar goggles on the table. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! NO! This couldn't be true. Sin? The pony he considered on of his closest friends? No, no he couldn't be dead! They were just... just messing with him! Yea, they were trying to throw him off of his game, make him slip up!

'Mac...'

That had to be it, they knew he was coming, they found out and set this up to mess with him. Clever bastards, trying to use Sin's arrest as a means to make him out to be dead.

'Macintosh.'

Well he wouldn't fall for it, he was going to follow through with the plan, he was going to dispurse these demonstrations, get rid of the communists and the Trotski, go back to the dungeon and find his friend sitting there in his cell, waiting for him. That's what was going to happen, he wouldn't be tricked, he wouldn-

'MACINTOSH!' His mind froze. 'Mac, those goggles are covered in blood. I don't think this is a hoax. How could they set all of this up in such a short amount of time? You'd barely had an hour of public recognition!'

That's right, they didn't have enough time to set this up. Not since he'd just come up as the new influence in the movement not two hours ago. Was it a spy within the castle? Uppity! That's it! She ratted them out, got the intel and shared it with the Trotski, that's the only explination. But why? She loved Sin, why would she sell Mac and them out? Did Sin put her up to this? He had to have, he didn't want Mac invovled in this any more, so it would stand to reason tha-

'Sin didn't- doesn't want you to come to harm, Mac. Why would he have Uppity so blatantly out you in the lion's den?'

No, no Sin wouldn't do that to him. As cruel as the pony was, the Federalist was coming from the right place. He wanted Macintosh safe, these actions would lead to him not being safe. Then maybe it was Uppity on her own? But why? He and Sin were friends, surely she wouldn't endanger him like this...

Uppity said her peace and left the tent. Macintosh stood up abruptly and gave pursuite, pushing past the two guards who stood in his way. He followed her at a brisk trot, his mind focused as he began to catch up. She'd tell him, she'd tell him everything he wanted to know.

The two passed into an ally way and Uppity stopped, Macintosh halted a few feet behind her and listened to her gentle sobs. "Macintosh, I..." She hicupped, not daring to look at him.

"What's goin' on?" He growled, his anger begining to boil. His words made her flinch and tremble. He wouldn't be manipulated by crying mares... not this time. "AH SAID WHAT'S GOIN' ON!?"

His words came out more pained than authoritative, his mind still in denial over what she'd said. The mare turned and looked at Macintosh. As soon as her tearfilled eyes met his, something in him clicked. The denial was useless, silently slipping into the deeperst recesses of his mind. The pain in her eyes was real, too real. It was true.

His friend was dead.

Suddenly, unable to control himself, Mac dashed forward and grabbed Uppity by the shoulder. He threw her against the wall and growled as he looked into her pained and pleading expression. "WHY? WHY DID YA BETRAY US!?" He bellowed, refraining himself from beating the mare senseless. From the way she'd made it sound, she did nothing to stop Sin's death, and her association pointed to her actually being involved with it.

"I- I'm sorry..." She rasped, not even lifting a hoof to push him off. "i- it's my fault." She repeated the phrases over and over, each word making the situation more real.  Mac slammed his hoof into the wall with enough force to leave a cracked indent mere inches from her head. He wanted answers as to why, not if she was responsible or not. But no matter what he demanded of her, Uppity just kept repeating those five words.

Finally, he dropped her and began to walk away, unsure of what else to do. He couldn't focus, he couldn't concentrate, all he could feel was seething rage and sickening heartbreak. The last words he'd ever said to his friend was "buck you". An insult, an insult he'd never be able to take back. He... he would never get to apologize for that, never be able to say a proper good bye. 

The stallion rubbed his eyes and found tears had run the full length of his cheek, he'd been crying.

"Here." He turned, finding two small envelopes in front of him, his name on the front of one, and Spike's on the other. Uppity looked down, more ashamed than before. "S- Sin told me to give this to you be- before he-"

Mac snatched the letter from her grasped and barked at her to leave. "Ah nevah wanna lay eyes on you again. Nao leave!"

The mare simply nodded and turned around before walking away at a depressingly slow pace.

With her gone, Mac turned his attention to the letter, he'd held his breath and opened it.



  Macintosh.

If you're reading this, then I am most likely dead.

I want to start out by saying don't be mad at Uppity. It isn't my place to tell you why she's done what she's done, but I assure you there was a reason for it. Please, she's suffered enough.

From what I've been told, the Trotski will be using my death in the government's custody as a means to rally the masses against Celestia and the empire. Understand that it was the communists and Trotski themselves who have planned my assassination. Celestia and Luna had absolutely no part in it.

I'd also like to say that I'm sorry, for everything I've ever done to bring you and yours suffering. I'll never get another chance to apologize, and with the circumstances as they are, I believe you will understand if my head isn't entirely clear to all the wrongs I've done against you. So, I'm sorry for each and every one of them now. The main one that comes to mind is what I said about your grandmother. It was wrong on my part, and I wish I could take it back. I ask for your forgiveness on that account, but I'll understand if you refuse it.

There are a few other things I'd like to get off my chest while I'm still able, sorry if it's a bit oddly worded.

I've never told you this before, but I've admired you, Macintosh. From the day I saw you walk out of that jail one year ago, I knew you were an exceptional stallion. My time spent with you was probably the... happiest time of my life. You showed me that there were still decent ponies in the world, that life didn't have to be about the failings and misery of the past. Funny as it sounds, I've often thought that, if I'd never become jaded by politics and the grand scheme of things, you were the kind of stallion I wanted to be.

I'd meant what I said about your humility and honor. You're a fine pony, and I wish you the very best in life. 

I'd also like to say that while I still don't think you should risk your life and time trying to stop the protesters, I'll offer a few tips on how to deal with them. Don't let your frustrations get the better of you, you're not there to convince them of your own ideals, you're there to discourage them to the point of disenfranchisement and making them want to give up. And most importantly, if things look like they are about to get violent, leave. Run and find safety. You're not there to fight, you're there end things peaceably.

I mean no disrespect when I say this, but a foal needs their father, a foal needs both parents in their life. I can attest to just how important it is to miss out on having two parents. Equestria is still a great country, a place I might have considered starting my own family in if things happened differently. I ask that you not throw away your chances like I did.

Aside from that, the last thing I wanted to say was this: Do you remember that second letter I gave you? The one from my first trial that was addressed to you and Spike? I ask that you re-read the second part of that again. I don't remember what I said in it, but I know it was more heartfelt than what I could write here.

Be with your friends and family, Macintosh. Love them and live in warmth and companionship. 

The world is a cold place, always hold those you love and trust close to you for warmth...

 Good bye, my friend.

Regards, 
Sin.

P.S. Look after Uppity for me, will you? I know you may hate her guts right now, but as I've said before, she's suffered enough, and I don't want her hurting any more than she already is.

Thank you, and good bye, my friend.






Multiple tear drops soaked into the parchment. Slowly, Mac folded the letter and sat on his haunches. There was no place in range for privacy, so there, in the dirty and shadowed alley way, the stallion wept in loss.









"Okay, hold on." Spike said, rubbing his temples. Twilight, her friends, Shining, Cadance and surprisingly, Sombra sat around a table inside of the crystal palace. Sombra willingly allowed himself to be chained, though continually insisted them pointless. That was, until Spike had wrapped a few of his dragon scales around the stallion's body. An act the fell king allowed.

This was just too weird. He and Twilight had gone through so much trouble to get the Crystal Heart in an effort to defeat the mad pony before them, and here he was surrendering after his assault? There were mental scares in his mind the dragon would never get rid of thanks to this megalomaniac, and he'd be denied the satisfaction of seeing him obliterated.

"I know, I'm just as confused as you are." Twilight agreed, eyeing Sombra. "It just doesn't make any sense. You'd placed the empire under siege when we arrived, you tried to kill my brother."

Sombra shook his head solemnly. "Correction, he attacked me and I disabled his magic." He argued. The harsh stares around the room silently beat down his resolve. "However, during my time in Celestia and Luna's contempt, I've had much time to reflect upon my actions. My treatment of the Crystal Empire, while within my right, was not a sutible display for honorable royalty." 

"Then why did you attack us?" Cadance asked calmly.

Sombra sighed again. "When I laid eyes upon the empire, my heart filled with rage over what had happened last I was here. One thousand years alone doth leave one's mind in a state of... instability, you understand."

"For one thousand years, I was trapped beneath glaciers of ice and cold. Left with nothing but my own thoughts and self to occupy that time. Tis a simple thing, the mind. So easy to unwind and unravel, I'd become bored with dark magic induced insanity and attempted to rework my mind back into a better state, back before the... darkness."

Spike just couldn't wrap his mind around such a concept. Becoming bored with being insane? Having a mind that didn't shut down after over a thousand years of isolation? How was that possible? 

It was pointless to think about, after all, he was barely a decade old. His entire life wasn't even a fraction of time compared to the isolation Sombra had experienced.

"You asked about Luna's darkness before, what did you mean about that?" Shining Armor asked, still apprehensive. His horn was free of dark crystals now, thanks to the blackened pony. Sombra answered that he had interacted with the Pony sisters a millennia ago. As it turned out, Sombra was actually Luna's apprentice, while Star Swirl the Bearded was Celestia's.

The unicorn learned much shadow magic from the lunar alicorn, harnessing the night and all of it's mystery to farther aid in taming the great new world long ago. It wasn't hidden knowledge of the land Equestria used to be, but it also wasn't common either. The fields, forests and mountains used to be riddled with creatures of all sorts, the gates of Tartarus lay guarded by another before Cerberus, who's noses could sniff out even the weakest demons who attempted to flee it's gates.

The guardian before had no such inclination and allowed the weaker demons to come and go as they saw fit. Ponies would continually be taken by these demons and used for dark and unknown purposes. Sombra and Star Swirl observed these trends on the outlying villages from the old Capital and proposed different ideas on how to solve the problem.

Star Swirl thought the problem best handled by attaining a new guardian of the gate and worked tirelessly to create an immortal Chimera that he endowed with the power to both detect and contain lesser and greater demons to Tartarus: Cerberus. 

King Sombra found his rival's solution too specialized and resource consuming. He wanted a way to protect the nation should the gates ever fail completely, and to return the demons whom already roamed free. Thus, he petitioned his mistress and her sister for the most spectacular creation the world had ever seen, the Crystal Empire.

It's decree was in name only, as it was still apart of the Equestrian Empire, but Sombra wanted a name that inspired his "subjects". To differentiate them, he poured some of his own crystal based prowess over the entire city, making all whom entered crystalline and beautiful in appearance. It was a strictly cosmetic difference, but still one that inspired love and admiration for him. It was, after all, their love and inner light that powered the empire's magical defense matrix: The Crystal Heart.

"Well, that's all... overwhelming and interesting, but that doesn't answer what you were talking about."

Sombra cleared his throat. "I was getting to that, can't a pony give some build up to his own story anymore? Hmph, younglings these days."

Spike had to hold back a chuckle.

'Alright, he may have been a narcissistic tyrant, but that was funny.'

"Now where was I? Oh yes. Before mine banishment to the north came to pass, mine mistress and I had spoken at length. She was becoming irritable, depressed and inconsolable. I tried to offer reassurance and comfort as best I could, but mine mistress was convinced of her lesser worth in the eyes of her subjects. They did not respect the night as Luna had desired, electing instead to sleep it away and spend all waking moments basking in Celestia's sun."

All ponies in the room cringed, each quite familiar with that particular story.

"After that, mine Mistress began to deviate from Shadow magic into something else. A magic that tempted her and preyed upon her weakness and insecurities, offering to give her the praise and satisfaction she so rightly deserved."

"Dark magic." Twilight declared. Sombra nodded.

It made a disturbing amount of sense. The story always went on about how Luna became the nightmare out of jealousy and spite, but it never gave the point of breaking. It never explained at what point the lunar pony actually stopped being Princess Luna and became Nightmare Moon. Throwing dark magic in as a variable did answer a lot of questions.

"So if y'all saw her turning bad, why didn't ya stop her?" Applejack asked.

His eyes trailed to the cow pony. "It isn't an apprentices place to control their better, little pony."

That sentiment earned quite a few quips from around the table, including Spike. To a pony like Sombra, Twilight would be considered "his better" yet he constantly found times when she needed his advice. Just because somepony was of a lower caste didn't mean their opinions and concerns weren't valid. 

However, things worked differently a thousand years ago, Sombra argued. It was obvious he was becoming frustrated with the situation, despite the fact he put effort in remaining cordial. Finally Cadance was the one to play devil's advocate and try to convey the stallion's point. It was a moment of cognitive dissonance for all ponies present, but they settled to let the issue die, rather than try to convince him how wrong he was in his belief.

"So you tried to warn Celestia, but she didn't listen?" Cadance asked.

Sombra nodded. "I could not intervene in mine mistress's affairs, but her elder might. I spoke with Star Swirl and pleaded for him to convince his mistress of her folly. Unfortunately, Celestia was drunk on her pride and blinded by her righteousness. She cared little to see mine mistress's plight, leaving her to seek her due recognition elsewhere."

The room was quiet, each pony unable to believe what they were hearing. The stories always made it sound as if Celestia had no knowledge of Luna's betrayal, like it had just come up out of the blue. How could the wise and kind ruler they all came to love and trust act so callously? This was, of course, assuming all of his words were true.

The conversation dwindled down before switching gears to a more relevant matter. Sombra himself. More specifically what to do with him now that they'd taken him prisoner. The rational place to start was to determine if he was currently still a threat to the empire. The dark unicorn denied any and all accusation about him wanting to rule over the crystal ponies again. He'd been trapped in a frozen glacier for a thousand years, he was done with crystaline prisons for a while.

What he really wanted was to see his mistress again and see how she fared over the years. Also, now that the land was tamed, Sombra wanted to wonder the countryside and see the land, free of all the misery and dangers he and Star Swirl worked so hard to be rid of.

Spike found it all pretty fishy. That shadow thing he'd seen outside the empire, what was stopping him from turning back into that and running amok across Equestria?

'What's stopping Discord from returning to his old ways?'

Touche.

"Why did you become a tyrant? If you were as noble as you claim you were, than what happened to make turn evil?" 

The inquiry made the fell king flinch as if slapped. He eyed Twilight for a long and tense moment before speaking. "Mine mistress was not alone in her studies of the darker magics, little pony. She asked for my help in searching for the spells she sought. Tis then when we came before the Nightmare." Sombra frowned, his proud veneer dropping. "I asked her once, and only once, to reconsider her crusade. She paid me no heed. Mine mistress was determined and suborn in her ways, often using hostility and intimidation for her gains."

'Not much has changed on that account.'

Apparently, during the duo's research into the dark magic, Luna had summoned the Nightmare out of a desperate and painful sense of need. A need for recognition, a need for acceptance, a need for satisfaction. Sombra was subsequently present during the Nightmare's summoning, and after it possessed Luna, it also did give him... something.

He couldn't recall exactly what had happened, but after the spirit entered Luna's being, the Alicorn turned to him and spoke words that no mortal should ever hear before he blacked out. When he awoke, the fell king felt different, off from who he was. He didn't turn hateful or spiteful starting off, just... lesser.

For the most part, everything seemed to be getting better. His mistress was happier than before, smiling more and giggling. He dismissed his own feelings as trauma from delving into dark magic. Though, as time went on, his mind began to play out scenarios of betrayal and destruction. Of the pony sisters combining their powers in an attempt to dominate the world. It was an absurd idea, of course, but something within his mind told him that it was not only possible, but inevitable.

What was worse was during his time in the old Everyfree Castle, he'd see Luna giggling and talking to herself on occasion. Speaking of things he found concerning and frightening. He'd confronted her once, to which she kindly informed him that there was nothing wrong and that he "shouldn't worry so much." Sombra wasn't sure if he was becoming delusional or not, but it didn't matter. Her behavior, mixed with his own twisting mind was more than enough to bypass his mistress and Star Swirl and confront Celestia directly.

The fell king wanted to help his mistress, he wanted to confess everything he'd done, but the thing in his mind wouldn't let him. The words simply would not come out of his mouth. Instead, it told him to divide Celestia and Luna. Sombra was reluctant at first, but the voices in his head convinced him that it was for a noble goal. They said the alicorns were conspiring against him, and would soon kill both he and Star Swirl, the two being the only prominent threat to their power. They'd use the Crystal Empire, they'd revers it's matrix and summon the demons of Tartarus to reek havoc upon the world!

He couldn't let that happen, he wouldn't! Though, Celestia was just as deaf to his words as his mistress.

More time passed, and the voices in his mind drove Sombra to madness. He soon stopped caring about the well being of the Crystal ponies he ruled over and began to see them as the leasers that they were. 

"That was when I turned and strayed from the path. I became the very thing I'd set out to destroy in the world. A demon, a devil of Tartarus. I was drunk on the power I thought was mine by right. I see now how wrong I was, to that end at least." 

The Equestrian's present sat in disbelief. At least until Fluttershy meekly asked why he hadn't saught help personally, just because Luna refused to be helped didn't mean he shouldn't. To which the stallion gave a flat look and said that stallions back in his day didn't dare show such weakness. It was dishonorable and displayed an inability to handle one's own affairs.

'Huh, not much has changed there either.'

There were a few more questions from around the table, Sombra answering each as best he could. Finally he was asked to leave so the group could speak in private about what to do with him now that the Crystal Empire was saved and Sombra had been taken captive.









Spike stood beneath the Crystal Palice in the golden light of the dusk twilight. He eyed the Crystal heart that lay between a stalagmite and stalactite of crystals. It was a well sized heart shaped diamond, one he'd slowly grow to resent over time.

The heart was located at the apex of the palace. Twilight had attempted to retrieve it, but was caught in a magical trap. The heart escaped and came to Spike. Seeing the barrier had fallen, he immediately dashed the stairs and back to the door, clutching his dragon scales tightly. According to Twilight, it was with those that she'd managed to break him of the spell it had cast.

He couldn't believe how much of a waste all of the effort was. By the time he'd gotten down to the bottom, Sombra was already in chains and working to release Shining's horn of the black crystals. The worst part was that nopony had any more of a clue about what was happening than he did. According to them, the fell king confronted Shining Armor and began invading the empire like they thought he would, and even though Sombra was winning, something happened that just... made him give up.

It didn't make any sense to the drake. Even after the pony explained his reflection and own demonic possessions, Spike just had a hard time grasping that all of his urgency and suffering was so needless.

'Well, at least everypony is alright. That's gotta count for something, right?'

Yea, that was true. Well, mostly anyways.

'What did you see in the door? I couldn't sense anything that was going on, all I could tell was that you were terrified, ashamed and felt humiliated. What happened?'

Spike took the time to mentally explain, allowing the images he'd seen to come rushing back to him. 

He recalled the teen dragon from before and balled his fists. His gaze hardened as it beheld the crystal heart. The drake hated it, all of his suffering, all of his pain, just so he could bring this thing back when it wasn't even necessary. 

Though, thinking about what the teen dragon had said, while making him feel sick and disturbed... also made him feel curious. Like he'd stumbled across a forbidden fruit of knowledge. It was an odd feeling, but something told Spike there was more to what the beast had said than taken at face value.

'That's because there is...' The inner voice said reluctantly.

Oh? Care to share?

'You wanted to grow larger, to have the body you once had back, right? Yet you're still in your baby stage. Why is that?'

Well, that wasn't hard to figure out, he didn't know if he could trust himself to hold back on becoming the rampaging monster again. It had happened twice now, and he wasn't taking any more chances.

'You've maintained control very well. The first time was out of ignorance, the second out of desperation. But Spike... you're not a pony.

Spike wasn't sure why, but that angered him. He knew he wasn't a pony, but hearing it said just sent his temper on edge.

'I know you don't want to hear this, but you are a dragon. You have urges and instincts that ponies will never understand. That's just the fact of life. Do you remember what that dragon from the circus said in Hooftrot? He told you that you'd eventually go through changes, become more aggressive and dominant. It doesn't have to be a bad thing as long as you learn how to deal with it early on.'

What are you getting at with all of this? Where's this even coming from?

'I'm saying that you will eventually grow. Your urges to horde and take will come back to you and that you'll need to learn how to control it when it does. The beast within, the feral and mindless wyrm you became when fighting Fido in the caves, that is what you will become again if you continue to hide from it.'

Spike pondered the notion. Usually he'd dismiss and deny such a thing, seeing the wyrm's deceleration as an attempt to make him go crazy. But what if that wasn't the case? What if it was actually trying to help him? To make him face what he didn't want to see and remind him of the danger he presented to his friends? He was a baby now, but he wouldn't be forever. Ponies had a puberty where they made all kinds of bad decisions and stuff, it only stood to reason that he'd go through something similar.

Seeing enough of the heart, but not wanting to go back inside, Spike went for a walk around the city. The Fair had long since ended, but some ponies were still out and about, mostly gossiping amongst themselves about Sombra's return and what it meant for them. Though, Spike had other matters on his mind. It depressed him that there was such little knowledge on dragons in Equestria, the drake from the circus was who knew where right now, so talking to him wasn't any good.

Well, it might be possible to talk to him. He was part of Annabelle's circus, so she'd know where he was. Though, that would still take him away from work, and between this little adventure and the Changeling invasion, he'd already missed enough. 

Ooooh boy, were Jacker and them going to give him flack for this. He didn't even tell them he was leaving! He hoped he still had a job when he got back.

After a few minutes of walking and admiring the local architecture, Spike sighed and admitted to himself that the time thinking would only serve to stress him out more. He turned and began making way back to the palace. He'd had an exhausting day, maybe a little sleep would help clear his head.
> Phase V
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Phase V







Macintosh stared intently over at the Trotski Ponies who ate at the open kitchen area.

Since he's arrived three days ago, he'd been dropping subtle hints and cues as to his displeasure with the Trotski association within the Communists. Wedge was his main point of contact with the Red sect, continually holding conversations about the ultimate goal of the revolution, but quietly moving it more and more to the Trotski.

There were others who demanded his time, of course. The agents Luna called in constantly hassling him for orders. Mac told them to just continue one blending in, and wait for his word. The agents were growing impatient. Multiple assassination attempts on the pony's life had come and gone as he'd slept. Suspected Trotski in royal armor had been seen skulking around his tent, a few even trying to cut in through back. The lunar agents could only remain so vigilant to protect him.

The time had almost come, though. Macintosh was successful in turning many of the conversation in the encampment away from the revolution and more into the Trotski's ultimate goal. It wasn't hard, many of the collectivist ponies were already uneasy about the alliance and stroking the embers of mistrust and resentment took little more than a few words of effort. His agents fanning the embers farther by continuing the conversations after he was gone.

As his influence spread through the party, he could see altercations coming between the two sects. Instigated by the Reds, but retaliations began moving from simple words to pushing and shoving matches. There was almost a brawl between a rather large group of Trotski's and Communists this morning. One he'd ordered the Lunar agents to break up, after telling them to instigate it.

He felt no pity nor remorse for seeing either side bloody, now. These ponies were accomplices in murder, they followed leaders who were willing to kill in order to get their way. If these ponies wanted violence, let them have it upon themselves. He only wished he could turn the hostility upon the tribal rulers, but they were untouchable right now.

Small conflicts here and there were pushing his luck already, but having his ponies make an assault upon the leaders themselves would raise too many questions. No, no he'd need to wait... 

During his time, he'd been able to sneak away during day light and meet up with Rainbow Dash. Luna had appointed the mare as her delegate, since him being seen with any official agents of the crown was too risky. She confirmed that Sin's Cell was empty after the official announcement was made by Hurricane. Celestia was especially irritated by the guard's conspiracy, and began an internal investigation to find out what happened. Though, Macintosh knew what had happened.

Luna was beginning to grow impatient with his lack of results. She and her sister were under growing pressure from the nobles to rid the city of it's minor revolutionaries. 

Despite their heavy demands, Celestia stayed the course of non-intervention. Convinced that the best method of handling the protesters was to wait them out. The stress of the affair, mixed with the already growing tension of her questioned competence in leadership was beginning to weigh upon her. According to Rainbow, the solar princess was becoming more and more irritable. During a procession of grievance, she'd actually gotten so angry, she picked up seven noble unicorns in her magic and literally threw them out of her chamber.

That was the last thing Celestia needed, more bad publicity. Mac knew that the longer this went on, the worse the outcome would ultimately be.

Macintosh had wanted to stop this peacefully, he wanted everyone to go home back to their lives and family with no harm to life or limb, but between the sufferings of Celestia and Sin's passing, the stallion grew bitter and cold. It was a shame, some of these were good, honest ponies who were just of a different mind and ideology, like Wedge and Toiler. Most didn't honestly want violence, they just wanted to be able to live life, not slave away their earnings to ponies they didn't know or thought they had claim.

He hoped that they would flee and stay safe while the aggressive lot played their role.

Soon, very soon. Big Macintosh Apple would see his deceased friend have the justice he deserved.

"Comrade Macintosh." Wedge said from behind him. "A moment of your time, if you could."

The red pony sighed quietly, irritated that his thoughts were interrupted.

"I was thinking about what you were saying yesterday. About our numbers not being enough and that we should peitition for a small bit of land to form our own commune..."

One of the apple pony's many proposed alternative solutions. 

"I was thinking, wouldn't it still be under a capital class system? Would we not still be required to pay taxes and submit to the rule of the political class?"

That was true, despite the commune's ideals, they would still be on Equestrian territory. However, the alternative was a constant clash of wills between them and the crown. Mac had to word it just right to sound as if he was open to the idea of the commune while still supporting the revolution. It all came down to pragmatism and contingency, the current government, for all of their loss of support, was still viewed more favorably than communism would most likely ever be to the public. Even if the entire Imperial rulership stepped down tomorrow, there was absolutely zero possibility that the nation would abandon the empire and it's capitalist ways.

Mac reached out his hoof and placed it onto Wedge's shoulder. "Yes, you would. But Ah want ya to ask yerself this. If things didn't work out here, if the revolution fails here, did you want it all to be for nothing? Or do you wanna use the opportunity you have?"

Wedge tilted his head, genuinely confused as to what he was being asked.

Mac smiled and motioned to the now quiet group of protesters, eating their mid day lunches. "Ya've assembled a fine group of ponies. Communists who agree with your point of view of the world n' how things should work. Ovah two hundred ponies gathered here, togetha. Ponies willin' tah put in the work n' such to make such a commune work."

Wedge turned his blue eyes back to the group, nodding in a slowly forming conclusion. It would be a lot of work, but even if they did have to pay taxes and live in the commune under the political class, wasn't it better than dwelling within the capitalist system they had to now? Wouldn't it serve them better to take what they could get, rather than move to open violence and lose everything?

The white pony groaned and shook his head. "No, we have to win here. Failure isn't an option, Comrade." He turned his attention to the Trotski leaders tent. "I just wish I knew where Sickle was, he'd know what to do."

Sighing, Mac nodded in understanding. He'd spoken with Rainbow Dash about Sickle, trying to find out where the pony was, but according to her, the green pony had never been officially arrested. Luna had escorted her to the dungeons and there wasn't a single stallion who matched the green pony's description present.

What was even more concerning was that, despite their knowledge of it, the leaders had yet to release the news officially of Sickle's captivity. It didn't make any sense, the Trotki should be jumping for joy at the news. Yet another of their heros was arrested, surely that would fire up the crowd, right? Yet, they kept the news a secret.

Why?

'Keep focus, we can deal with that later.'

The voice was right. He needed to figure out how to keep the ponies of Canterlot safe, and that meant incentivizing the communists out.

Wedge may not be openly willing to take his suggestion yet, but Mac could see the growing sense of defeat in the unicorn's eyes. The flames of the protesters were slowly, but surely, dwindling. Soon enough, any violent conflict would be impossible from shear demoralization. Though, the apple pony did want to help them. He may not have liked their ideology on a personal level, but he did empathize with their plight. If they did leave and form their own commune, allowed to live as they pleased, it would be a win-win all around.

He saw Prince Platinum exit the organizers tent and bid Wedge farewell, saying he had some matters in town to attend. In truth, he just didn't want to deal with the angry prince, the pony had anger issues... Alot of anger issues.

As he walked through Canterlot, Macintosh could feel a tingle in the back of his neck. The familiar tingle of something not being right. He turned a corner and briefly glanced from where he'd come. Platinum was following him.

He continued walking, growing concerned over what the prince wanted. Part of him told Mac to turn around and confront the pony head on, another part told him to just keep walking and avoid any contact, hoping that the unicorn's following was just happenstance.  

Macintosh turned another corner, and another, and another. Yet still, Platinum was behind him, growling ever closer. It was clear he was, infact, being followed.

The apple pony weighed his options. A conflict could result in violence, Platinum had magic, Macintosh did not. That wouldn't end well for him, but if he engaged the pony in public, and remained non-violent, that would do serious damage to the Trotski image... but at what cost to his person?

He knew he could goad Platinum into violence just by saying the wrong things, but would the other ponies around help him? The local Canterlot ponies had no love for the invading collectivists, there was a high chance they'd turn a blind eye to him if he was attacked, maybe even killed. Hay, even the royal guards made no effort to stop the internal conflicts, why would now be any different?

That's when it dawned on the apple pony just how much danger he was in. Platinum wasn't the most reasonable of the organizers, nor the most intelligent. The only thing that kept the pony in check at all was Hurricane, and he didn't see her around. Nor did he see any of the lunar infiltrators, Mac was on his own.

This was not good, but then again, it did present an opportunity. Platinum was an irrational sort, Mac could use that to pick him off and imprison him. From the time he'd spent observing the ponies, Hurricane may have been the brains of the operation, but Platinum was the strong arm of the Trotski leadership, the enforcer. He'd witnessed multiple ponies come to the leaders and question if the protests were a good idea, and when Hurricane's emotional explanations failed, Platinum was more than happy to enforce complacency through intimidation. 

It was a very dangerous plan, but if executed correctly, Mac could use the Trotski ponies as well as the communists. Though, there were already two problems with this plan. Firstly, he'd need to find some guards and witnesses who'd be willing to stop the conflict and press charges against the unicorn, and second, he'd need to be away from his allies so that they wouldn't interfere.

The latter problem was an unknown, since he'd specifically ordered a couple of the ponies to watch him as insurance, but he didn't see them. But the abesence of evidence was not the evidence of absence. The former was even more risky, how would he knew which guards would be willing to help him or not?

'The castle! The guards at the gate! They know who you are, they'd be willing to help you, right?'

Even that was a shaky possibility. If they really thought he was a communist, they be just as disinclined to save him as much as any other protester. Not to mention that would take him right by the encampment, risking the communists themselves breaking up the conflict and losing the chance to imprison Platinum.

'Yea, but there's another aspect you seem to have forgotten.'

Oh?

'The fact he could kill you.'

In wide eyed realization, Mac found the assertion all to real. 

It was a hard situation, one he'd really wished he'd planned for, but the idea of taking out one of the Trotski leaders wasn't a consideration. Still though, this was a golden opportunity, even if it would require some careful movements on his part, the ultimate consequences would likely serve his benefit... if he survived.

Of course, there was always the option of going right back to the camp, into the safety of numbers. But when would he get another chance like this?

Macintosh turned another corner. Platinum was only a hundred feet behind him now.

Gritting his teeth the pony made way to the castle, trotting at a little faster pace. 









Spike sat in a seperate car from the others, a rather large back pack jam packed with crystel gems on the set beside him. He'd grown a little when presented with the gems, the Crystal ponies wanting to give him some consulation for his efforts but he wasn't that much bigger. What made him seperate himself was the desire to think with some peace and quiet.

Sombra was on boared with the girls, Shining and Cadance, still under lock, key and dragon scale. He hadn't said too much out of turn, if he did, it was usually a joke of some kind that was either too old to be funny or too obvious for anyone to catch. As serious and foreboding as the fell king was, he also had a dead panned sense of humor. According to him, all comedy was rooted in suffering of some kind, a notion none of the Twilight's friends cared for, but Spike himself was indifferent to.

But when he'd said something off cuff about a conversation involving stallions and poles, the drake had heard enough and found himself in the next car over.

He looked down at the back pack full of gems and took one out. It was a spectecular and shining emerald that glittered in the dimming afternoon sun. Delicious, scrumptious, and probably of just the right age, Spike wanted to bite it and savor the the delicious flavor the gem had to offer him.

He tossed it in the air a few times, eyed the stone for a second and placed it back in the bag.

He figured it would be good to have some kind of conditioning against his urges, to discipline his mind by sating his desire, yet keeping them in check until his rational mind told him he'd earned the snack.

And boy was the urge to eat a force to be reckoned with. It wasn't quite bad enough to call it painful, but it was kind of like an itch. An itch that desperately called out to be scratched and only intensified as time went on. Though, like all itches, if left unattended, it would eventually go away. Spike knew this and settled to endure the want until it finally subsided.

'Very good.'

Eh, it's not so bad.

'You're drooling.'

He wiped a claw over his mouth and blushed.

'It's difficult now, but there are benefits to patience and discipline. Look, you're baby belly is already going away again.'

Spike looked down at his stomach and poked it. Yep, it was starting to become less pronounced again. With another few things gained, he might get his broad chest and abs back again. The thought made him smile, but it also made him a little apprehensive. When he'd grown to his teen form before, it was done so slowly that he barely felt any different until it was pointed out to him how big he'd gotten. A few bits here, a few gems there, the gem carving set, his crossbow and cloak. Aside from minor bouts of want, the itch was barely ever present.

Now? He had to fight it constantly. He figured it was because he was in a more comfortable place now, rather than having the constant stress of looking out for food, water and safety like he was back when He, Sin and Macintosh were making their way up to Hooftrot. Spike didn't have anything to be greedy about in the wilderness but berries and a few quartz stones. Ponyville, on the other hand, was full of stuff to horde.

'Maybe a good survivalist journey is what you need, you know? Get the boys back together and head back out to Hooftrot again.'

That didn't seem likely, Sin and Macintosh had lives to attend to now, and so did Spike. Well, maybe, assuming the two still had a job after everything that happened. If not though, maybe the two of them could? They'd most likely lose the house, but it really wasn't that important in the grand scheme. Not like they'd be living there if they were walking ten plus miles a day due north.

The drake's thoughts were interrupted by the door to the car opening and chains rattling. He looked to find Sombra being lead into the cart by Shining Armor, both looking extremely annoyed.

"Sup?" 

"The white mare!" Sombra cried in regal offense. "She presents herself so refined, yet has no class when left in private!"

The drake's eyebrows shot up, quite a few things implications going through his mind. He waited for an elaboration, but Sombra just took his seat and remained silent.

"Rarity keeps asking him to teach her the spell that made the ponies of the empire crystaline." Shining explained, he rubbed the back of his neck. "She was... persistent."

Spike chuckled in relief, dismissing himself for the connection's his mind had made.

'You just learned what sex was, and that's where your mind went? Classy, dude, real classy.'

To be fair, Sombra could have worded it better.

"Think you can handle this priosoner? Cadance is exhausted and I'd like to be with her." Spike looked at the fell king then nodded. Now that he had the change, he wanted to ask Sombra a few things.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" The drake asked, once the white pony left.

The grey and black unicorn made a gesture.

"Why did you give up?" Sombra gave him a side long stare. "I mean, from the way Shining and them made it sound, you could have easily taken over the empire, so... why stop and just give up?"

"Was my explanation not satisfactory?" 

"I guess it's just a little confusing is all."

Sombra sighed and proceeded to ask where exactly the drake was having trouble understanding. The answer didn't seem to phase him too much though.

As the fell king explained before, his mind had been reclaimed from the demons of dark magic while he was trapped within the frozen glaciers of the north. With nothing to do but wait, he'd slowly reclaimed his soul from the entity and reflected on his life for all of the decisions he'd made.

"Yea, I get that, but then you were all evil and stuff again and then you stopped after that."

"Ah yes." Sombra said in realization. He turned and looked back into the train cart he'd just come from. "After my relapse back into the shadow, it was the determination your Captain displayed in protecting his the empire, his words reminded me of what I'd become and what I hated most."

"His words?"

Sombra nodded, his eyes clouding over while he relived a memory. "'You are not a king, you are a tyrant.' That is what mine mistress's sister declared during our battle." He paused, frowning for a moment and sighed. "Kings and noble ponies are revered and admired by their subjects. They inspire loyalty and love. Tyrants rule through fear and intimidation, I never wished to be feared or inspire terror in any, save the demons of Tartarus."

"So the demon is still there, inside of you?" Spike asked. Sombra nodded, even after a thousand years, he could not rid himself of whatever it was that drove him to madness. He could control it, but it would still be there, waiting for a chance to seize him at a moment of weakness. It was his hope that his former mistress might remedy him of his ailment. Despite his crimes, it was her fault after all.

Spike could sympathize with the prospect of losing control of one's own mind, but still remained skeptical.

"No offense, but... I just don't see you turning good all of a sudden."

"Paranoia, tis an admirable trait." Sombra chuckled. "Though, perhaps a more pragmatic reason will ease your apprehensions. Even supposing I did wish to retake my throne, both of the princesses would proceed to halt me once more. Would they not? The result would be another one thousand years in a glacier of ice, and I've suffered enough of that."

That... seemed like a much more plausible reason. The drake wasn't buying the whole 'bad guy turned good' thing, even if he could empathize with it. He was a dragon of reason and logic though, and Sombra having the incentive to not be an evil tyrant out of fear of banishment did set his mind at ease.

If only a little.

'So, after all you've done, you're worthy of trust, but he isn't?'

Ouch. Low blow. Not to mention that isn't he same thing. My dragon instincts took away all of my choices, his-

'His demons took his away. Not really all that different.'

... Okay, fine. But he knew he was losing control of his mind and didn't do anything about it.

'And you, fearing imprisonment, took to the diamond dogs gem stone stash for the sole purpose of becoming powerful enough to escape. Knowing damn well that you're own consciousness would be compromised, Did you not?'

Spike's hands balled into fists, he was not in appreciation for his inner voice's comparison of the two.

Yes, and I paid for it with my left eye!

'And he paid for his crimes with one thousand years in cold isolation!'

Spike didn't bother replying, no matter what the voice of reason said, he knew Sombra wasn't to be trusted. One thousand years of imprisonment didn't change Nightmare Moon and it didn't change Discord. If the punishment didn't work on those two, it didn't stand to reason to think it would change Sombra.








Heart pounding a mile a minute, Macintosh turned another corner. He could hear Platinum's hoofsteps behind him growing ever closer. He head was yelling, screaming at him to get to the castle. Prickles of ice in his withers promised pain beyond measure should he fail to get help in time.

He looked back, Platinum was almost upon him now, his eyes a hateful glare, confirming what his withers said. 

It was the first time in a long time Macintosh felt afraid, afraid that he might actually die. Shade was one thing, he knew that as crazy as the pegasus was, he wouldn't intentionally hurt him. Platinum was another matter, Mac could see the loathing, the desire to inflict pain and hurt in the unicorn's eyes.

That's when it happened, Mac felt a small tingle on his belly lift him up as he passed an alleyway before being tossed into it, slamming head first into a trashcan with a loud crash.

Pain permeated through the pony's skull, a faint trickle of warm blood flowed down the bridge of his snout. He pushed himself to his hooves and took a few steps only to slip on the trash can again and slam back onto the cobble stone ground.

Pain heightened his fear and the pony pushed himself up again. He needed to run, he needed to get away, he needed to get help. 

A force slammed into his side, sending the red pony flying again, deeper into the alleyway.

Mac cringed, trying to move his downside shoulder. It burned from the friction of the skid, taking most of his weight. He groaned, looking up and seeing Prince Platinum slowly skulking forward. "You've made a big bucking mistake. Comrade Macintosh."

The pony tried to stand again but buckled under the pain in his shoulder. He attempted to stand again, keeping his weight off his right side as much as he could, and back up, glaring at his assailant. Platinum smirked, his horn glowing and picking up the trashcan, looking over the thing in minor disgust. "Fitting, I do enjoy taking out the trash." He loosed the waste container with might. Mac tried to dodge, but his shoulder made him buckle again, taking the hit directly on his head instead of his chest.

"What? No words to say this time?" Platinum mocked, stepping forward again, using his magic to lift his foe. "Oh, that's right. Words don't work against magic, do they?"

He chuckled, bringing Macintosh to him and eyed the pony's bloodied face. "Oh, how I've been waiting for thi-"

CRASH!

In a mess of splinters and wood, the magical hold on the pony released and he fell to the ground in a heap. Wiping the blood from his eyes, the stallion looked in in confusion at the blurry picture before him. Something had hit platinum he could see dark wood and the familiar colors of assorted apples, but his mind was too banged up to make out the details.

"RUN!"

The stallion looked up to the roof of the alley, he couldn't make out the voice of his savior, but he knew that he needed to get away. 

Pushing himself to his hooves, Mac limped as quickly as he could. The fear of Platinum waking up and continuing his assault pushing him past his throbbing head and damaged form.

It took him some time, but he finally made it back to the camp. He needed to tell them what happened, Platinum's assault on his person was a huge mistake and would offer the final nail in the coffin of the Trotski/communist alliance.

Though, as he approached he saw the ponies in an extremely large circle, like the ones they had with general assembly meetings to discuss activities for the day and handling necessities. Tough, in the middle of the circle stood Hurricane, Cupid, Puddinghead and two other communists Macintosh knew were growing in influence.

They were quiet, not saying a word. Something in him told the stallion to keep away, but he'd finally gotten the evidence he needed to divide the two factions once and for all. He couldn't afford to pass it up now.

"What's goin' on?" He asked, moving between two of the ponies. The communists looked at him in surprise for a moment before scowling and turning away. Mac frowned and marched forward, approaching the organizers in the middle.

"Ah, the traitor returns!" Pudding head shouted, amused as always.

Traitor?

"TRAITOR!"

"CUR!" 

"LIAR!"

The circle began shouting, lobing insults of all types against him.

Hurricane marched forward to him before raising a hoof to silence the crowd. Once it quieted enough for her to talk, she smiled an insincere smile and asked, "oh dear, looks like Platinum went a little overboard. Speaking of which, where is he?"

He friendly tone shot anger through Mac's body. She knew, she knew, she'd sent the pony out to assassinate him... 

"Layin' crushed under a crate last Ah saw." He spat with venom.

Hurricane's smile dropped to a scowl. "You attacked Prince Platinum!?" She yelled, incurring gasps around the crowd.

'That bucking bitch!'

She gave him a quick, devilish smile. "First he aid's the crown in the imprisonment of a comrade, and now he assaults another?! It is as I've said!" She declared loudly, tinting her voice with a desperate plea. "Macintosh Apple is an agent of the government, intent on fostering division and mistrust between us!"

The stallion's jaw dropped.

"Do not try to deny it!" The tanned pegasus continued, pointing a hoof. "You were seen speaking with one Rainbow Dash, a known affiliate and lap dog of Princess Celestia by multiple communists and Trotski alike!"

"It's true! I saw them in the Thirsty Pony, chatting like old friends!" Cried a stallion from the crowd.

Another uproar of jeers and condemnations swept over the crowd and Macintosh felt himself grow heavy with fear and horror. That's what they'd kept Sickle's imprisonment a secret for... Bastards.

"Ah had nothin' ta do with Sickle, Ah've never even met the pony!" He argued.

Hurricane scoffed. "Convenient, isn't it? That he just so happens to disappear right before you get here. A pony who's influence and conviction gathered kindered spirits for a noble cause leaves just as another one arrives. One who is desperately trying to convince the brave communists that their struggle might be in vain." 

'Buck!!'

She was right, that did scream suspicious. He tried to argue his case and stick to that truth, but the crowd was already against him. The lunar agents remained tense and ready for action, but quiet. Things weren't looking good, if he didn't figure out a way to turn the tables here, he'd likely lose all credibility and influence, or worse...

> Phase VI
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Phase VI








No good deeds went unpunished.

Macintosh Apple had gone through so much to try and spare violence and pain. He'd wasted five days amongst ponies he didn't care for, living in conditions he couldn't stand, continually stressing about possible harm to his person, and going against his own honest nature and lying on an hourly basis. 

Here he stood on, an hour before dusk, on trial before a group of ponies that trapped him in a large circle in front of the castle, at least a hundred of them glaring dagger of judgement upon him, wishing him harm for his deception. Deception only meant to save them from a suffering he didn't want them to bare. He stood bloodied and injured, his right shoulder required medical attention that he didn't foresee getting anywhere in the near future. There was no help to be had, even the guards whom stood at the gates looked down with not but mild interest to his plight.

Was this what it was like to be Sin? To try to help others, save them from themselves and receive nothing but their contempt and condemnation? The apple pony could appreciate his late friend's bitterness a great deal more, now.

Mac stood in thought as the organizers proceeded to speak amongst themselves, discussing what should be done with him. All that kept him from leaving to the safety of the castle was his desire to stop the blood shed he feared. It would be so easy, though. Just to up and leave. Oh, Annabelle and his family would have a few questions, the former sure to scold him for putting himself in such a dangerous situation with out telling her, but that would be much easier to deal with than the pain of fighting for others who now hated him.

His daze was gone now, but so was the opportunity to defend himself. He'd need to wait until the Trotski leaders spoke again if he wanted a chance to fight his case and salvage the operation.

His eyes continually darted to his fellow infiltrators, who all huddled together in groups, each one looking around every so often. If fighting was unavoidable, than the least he could do was limit it to the town square and between the two factions.

He could see the local ponies going out of their way to avoid the now silent communist and Trotski alliance, if that pony Luna had assigned him to had followed through with their promise, the letters he'd written up a few days ago should have been distributed. The few infiltrators of the Trotski themselves ready to act upon his signal.

All Mac had to do was give cough three times, sniff twice and wait twenty five seconds.

The lunar alicorn was crafty. She'd had her own agents infiltrate the reactionaries when they'd first started to gain steam a year ago. He knew which ponies were hers, but made a clear effort to stay away from them, and told his fellows to do the same. He wanted the division between the factions to be as absolute as possible.

But if that was the only way for the protests to come to an end and stop this before really bad things happened, then so be it.

"I want to make a greivence." Wedge declared, stepping forward. He looked disapprovingly at Macintosh then turned his attention to the organizers. "You have given no evidence to the guilt of the accused, I demand proof before we claim guilt. As should the rest of you! Accusation are not evidence!"

The crowd of ponies looked at the unicorn in disbelief.

"Wedge?" Cupid asked, genuinely confused to his challenge.

"You've heard his rhetoric, my dear." Hurricane replied before looking around. "You've all heard the subtle hints at the folly of our work here. Small gestures of alternative solutions, the small trickling of supporters who've left because they were convinced they weren't making a difference, and your leader's disappearence. And when did it all start?" 

Wedge cringed, but stood in conviction. "Correleation does not equal causation, Cupid! For all of comrade Macintosh's subtle cues, he has never once brought harm onto one of our own. Look at him now? I want to know how you know he is guilty of hurting Sickle?"

"Yea, how are we so sure you aren't the ones who made him disappear?" One of the infiltrators shouted. "Maybe our Comrade is as you say, but isn't it you Trotski who've been trying to use we communists for your own ends as well?"

A few of the other infiltrators made various noises of agreement. 

Looked like this was as good a time as any to begin the official falling out between the factions.

Hurricane gave Puddinghead and Cupid a look, the two communist ponies with them eying the Trotski leaders skeptically.

"We unified against our common enemy, the Imperialists!" Cupid declared, glaring at the infiltrator who'd stepped forwards. "The Trotski and Communists serve the same goal, getting rid of the current system we have now."

"And then what?" Another infiltrator asked, coming forwards. "If we do manage to over throw Celestia, then what?"

Seeing his opportunity, Mac acted as if he had something in his throat, coughed three times and sniffed twice. He'd been waiting for a chance like this for a while. Tension, fostered mistrust, an issue of divide, and bringing all of the ponies together. The best part was that he wasn't even the one to bring it up, just a reason.

"Steel Beam is right!" One of the non-infiltrator communists agreed, boosting Mac's hopes even more. "The Trotski aren't interested in Communism, they want things back to the oligarchy that the ponies had before the alicorn sisters! Segregation and tribal tyranny!"

"That isn't what we want at all!" One of the Trotski's of the crowed yelled back. "We want the princesses gone so we ponies can rule ourselves, just like you do!"

"No! You want your leaders to rule the rest of us!"

Mac coughed again, repeating the signal, but as the arguing continued, it was clear that none of his signals were getting through over the growing shouting. As bad as the arguing was, it was still relatively civil and maintained, tempers weren't anywhere near flared enough to solidify the union's dissolution. 

"HOLD ON!" Pierced a voice from the crowd. Mac tilted his head as Uppity marched through the circle and approached the center, eyeing Hurricane. "I'd like to testify as to what I saw."

Mac was on edge, Hurricane and Pudding head enthusiastically greeted the mare. "Good to see you." The pegasus leaned forward, whispering something into Uppity's ear before pulling back. "Now, please tell the everypony, in your own words, what you saw."

The orange unicorn took a breath and turned to address the crowd. Macintosh felt himself grow tense, she was still working for them? After what she'd done to Sin, she still was helping them?

'Easy there, Mac. Let's see how this plays out before we start jumping to conclusions, yea?'

"I am the informant that the organizers continually reference for confirmation." Uppity declared, loud enough everyone could hear. "I- I was the one who saw Sin's body after he was killed."

Small murmers echoed around, the mare allowed them to pass before speaking again.

"An- And I'm sorry to say that Sickle is dead, I saw his body with my own eyes."

Louder murmers, this round much more distraught. Cupid gasped, Hurricane and Puddinghead wore obvious masks of disappointment.

"His killer is right there." She pointed a hoof... directly at Hurricane, the mare's eyes shot wide. "She order Prince Platinum to kill him to gain more control over the communists!"

"UPPITY!" Hurricane barked, but it was too late, the damage had been done.

"NO! The orange pony snapped. "I already let you use my brother to kill Sin, the only stallion I ever loved. I wont let you use him to hurt the rest of these ponies too!"

The Trotski leadership glared daggers at the mare before turning their attention back to the crowd, dismissing her claims as lies, coerced by those who wanted to disband the protest. Uppity countered, pointing to Macintosh and declaring Platinum as the culperate yet again, another attempt to eliminate the communist influence and leave only the Trotski leaders for guidance.

Mac had to give credit where credit was due, her acting skills were very convincing. He'd have believed her if he wasn't part of the lie.

He smirked as the two sides began shouting at one another, the gentle truce falling apart before his very eyes. Accusations of lying, deception, and authoritarian regiems being thrown all over the place between the factions. It wasn't the way he wanted it to happen, what he really wanted was the Communists to petition for their own commune village free of the Celestia and Luna's influence, but that wasn't going to happen now. The likely hood that this would escalate to violence was almost enviable, and for that he felt he'd failed.

If nothing else, he'd get the satisfaction of seeing the Trotski leaders watch as their little plan fell apart in front of them. And the looks of helplessness on Hurricane's face was one of the most satisfying things the pony had ever seen.

Slowly, the arguing and shouting grew louder and louder. What started out as simple disagreements and accusations soon devolved to petty insults and threats. Macintosh looked past the escalating irritable crowd to see the local ponies retreating into their homes and businesses, many of the guards steadily moving to contain the outburst to come. Hurricane and Pudding head were yelling at Uppity, threatening to kill Downer for what she'd just done. Mac wouldn't let that happen, she'd risked her own to save him, and he would repay that debt.

Somepony, somewhere in the crowed threw a kick, and like a powder keg, the entire circle blew up into a frenzied mosh pit with ponies, kicking, screaming, bucking and casting spells. Uppity yelled something and Puddinghead stepped forward to slug the mare accross the face. Mac charged for with all he was worth, but both the leaders were already in full retreat back into the crowd.

'COWARDS!' 

He cursed to himself and went to see to Uppity, she was alright, a nice little trail of blood dripping from her lip, but nothing too bad. 

"Mac, you need to get somewhere safe!" She yelled so he could hear. He knew that already, but where to? Uppity lead him out of the circle and into the one of the streets, where a good dozen of the Communist infiltrators stood, making sure none of the brawlers pushed their violence past the town's square.

"Take him to the medical wing of the Castle!" She barked before turning around and returning to the mosh, hell bent on pursuing the two ponies who'd assaulted her.









"DAMMIT! DAMN THAT BITCH!" Hurricane yelled as she ran. It was all lost, all of it! She'd planned it out, she'd planned it all out so perfectly. The changeling invasion that demonstrated Celestia's incompetence as a leader, fooling the communists into an alliance where she'd have the leaders meet their own fates until they eventually turned to the Trotski for guidance, and even had a full arsenal of arguments ready for the infiltrators when they finally showed their true colors.

She even prepared for that bucking anarchist who made it a point of getting rid of movements like hers. It wasn't fair, she was the descendant of the Commander Hurricane! She deserved her place to rule! Just as her mother and grandfather before her! 

"Damn that tramp, Puddinghead, let's get to the hide out before... Puddinghead?" She slowed down and looked behind her to find that the good Chancellor wasn't anywhere to be seen. The dusk had long since given way to twilight, leaving the streets in heavy contrast between the shadows of the buildings and the diming purple of the sun. "Puddinghead, where are you?" She asked, backing up.

She felt her breathing intensify, not from her running, but from the growing sense of panic and concern. Where was he? He was right behind her last time she checked, did Uppity or one of the communists catch him? No, they were too far behind and-

"Gotcha bitch!"

A clothed hoof covered her chest and muzzle and the commander found herself pinned down between the ground and a darker brown cloaked body.

Fear drove her and she rolled to stand, only to stop and stare in horror at the sky blue eyes of the pony that stood over her.

"No..."






Sin smirked and dug his hoof into the elder mare's abdomine, pushing up from the base of her ribs and into her chest cavity. "Fun fact, there's a little nerve right here that would induce both excruciating pain and temporary paralysis if pushed correctly."

The pressure caused the mare to cry out and raise her legs in a febel attempt to push him off. It was no use, the effect of his technique was almost immediate, and the strength quickly drained from her extremities, leaving the mare vulnerable and helpless to what he planned to do.

"Y- you're supposed to be dead." Hurricane grunted between cringing breaths. 

Sin's smirk widened and he twisted his hoof, digging in between her lungs and silencing her screaming. "Yea, about that..." Another twist, he relished in the pained expression on her face, taking sweet sweet satisfaction in the revenge he'd been waiting so patiently for. The Federalist had been overseeing the protest for the past few days, keeping a wary eye out for his chance to get the mare back for selling him out and ruining his life.

"You know, Hurricane. I really hate when ponies betray me." Sin said casually, removing his hoof. 

She wasn't going anywhere.

"I risk my freedom to help you and your fellows because I thought you were unjustly imprisoned. I saw you guys as the victims of a state that was too wrapped up in the worship of the princess and locked you up for being different. You didn't break the Non-aggression Principal, so I thought: Hey, let's help these guys out."

With the speed of lightening, the Federalist slammed his hoof back into her abdomine, pushing as far as he could up under her ribs. "And how am I repaid? You sell me out for helping you." He growled, his scowl slowly forming into a maniachle grin as he began twisting his hoof again.

"What? Did you think you'd get away with it? You think that I'd be sent to prison and you'd, some how or another, become the ruler of the land?" He stopped allowing her only a moment of reprieve before twisting hard. "Stupid cunt, that pathetic 'revolution' of yours didn't have anywhere near the power it needed.

He toyed with her for a few minutes, making sure the lesson that pain was currently teaching her would sink in and be everlasting. He needed her alive, of course. Puddinghead was knocked out for the moment and Platinum was still under that rubble a few streets down. If he was going to find Uppity's brother and release him, she'd need to tell the Federalist where the prisoner was.

He removed his hoof, allowing the Trotski to breath and cough. The downside of his enthusiastic vengeance was that it would take her a few moments to regain the ability to speak, but that was okay. He had all night to get exactly what he wanted.

Once Hurricane finally caught a semblance of her breath, the stallion began. "Now, I'm going to ask you a very simple question, give me the answers I want, and I'll make your death swift and painless." He placed his leg ontop of her knee. "Give me a load of bull shit, and... well..." He placed some preassure down, smirk intensifying as her expression devolved from relieved to excrutiating. 

'Good, now stomp her in th-'

Shut it. I'm in control here, and I'll be calling the shots. Now piss off!

"Now, tell me where Downer is."

The pegasus mare rasped something that he couldn't quite make out. He knew she didn't have enough time to yet to speak properly, buuuuuuut...

He pushed down his hoof onto her leg joint, making silently cry out again.

"Yea, you see. That was a bull shit answer. Let's try again, where is Uppity's brother?"

This time she was smart enough to wait until she could actually form words before speaking.

"G- G- Go... b-buck yourself."

Though, she wasn't smart enough to tell him what he wanted to hear. That was okay, though, Sin had was more than willing to indulge her little test of wills.

"Wrong answer." He smirked, jumping up and slamming his entire body weight down onto her knee with an audiable, bone chilling crack.

Her scream came out as a muted, horse, raspy yell, barely enough to even register on his hearing. But the look on her face made it clear he'd broken something, or a lot of somethings. It took a good twenty minutes and Sin re-inducing paralysis three time before she finally settled for gently sobbing.

She begged for mercy, pleading for Sin to end his assault on her. "You see, that's another thing. The main problem with you upper rank types." He picked up his hoof and slammed it down, making the mare cry out even more. "You always crumble at the first sign of trouble."

"Please!" she wheezed, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Please, m-mercy!"

"Tell me what I want to know, and this all goes away." He replied pleasantly. "Why torture yourself by refusing to tell me? All you have to lose is the suffering I'll be inflicting on you. Does death really sound so bad?"

"Please, I don't wanna die."

Sin hissed and looked around awkwardly. "Oohhh, sorry bucko, but I'm afraid that you living past tonight isn't going to happen. You see, you may not have technically broken the non-aggression principal when you fucked me, but you still fucked me. And by fucking me, you earned my ire." He leaned down, allowing his eyes to take their serpentine form for a brief moment. "And nobody walks away from my ire."

"Sin! Sin have you see- oh my gosh, what are you doing?!"

The pony groaned and sat back up. "Getting answers, Uppity." 

He really didn't want her getting involved, yet the universe just didn't want to give him anything it seemed. The unicorn slowly walked around him and gasped at what she saw. Hurricane's foreleg was bent in a most disturbing fashion, a small protrusion of bloody white poking out from her knee.

"Sin... no." Uppity gasped, understandably horrified.

The stallion turned to face her. "Do you want to know where your brother is or not?"

Uppity backed away from him and made way for the door.

Knowing she'd be scared, Sin offered a silent apology, but was more than content to see her go. She'd just get in the way with her sympathies.

"NO!" He heard her cry from behind, slamming her hoof down. "No, I'm not going to let you do this!"

Sin tilted his head, a little afraid of the flame in his former marefriend's eyes. He looked between her and Hurricane for a moment and stepped away. "If you wanna play good cop, be my guest."

Though that wasn't what it was about to her. The unicorn was terrified of him, of what he was becoming. It made her sick to see such sociopathic actions taken on his part. There was a fine line between enhanced interrogation and straight out torture. Sin countered her by saying that Hurricane's kidnapping of her brother and using him as blackmail more than warranted such actions, he was just trying to figure out where he was and save his life.

"No you aren't!" She shouted, stepping forward. "You're hurting her and you're enjoying it. You've had that maniacal grin on your face ever since I came in here!"

Sin lifted a hoof to his cheeks and found that he was smiling. He didn't even realize it until now, he quickly pushed the manic turn of the cheek back to his trade mark scowl. "There, better? Now can we move this along?"

"What's happened to your eyes?" She whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Immediately, Sin squeezed his eyes shut, not even aware that they'd turned against his will. "Dammit, alright, there."

"No, no, not 'there'. I want to know what that was!"

"Don't worry about it."

"No, Celestia dammit Sin, for once in your life will you just let somepony else help you. For once!"

"I don't know what it is! And frankly, we've got more important matters to attend to!" 

Sin scoffed and turned back to Hurricane, who was blinking uncontrollably to keep herself awake. "Hey, hey wake up." He slapped her gently on the cheek. "Time to answer my question. Where is Downer?"

Her eyes locked onto his and her breath quickened. Sin placed his hoof over her broken knee and gave her a warning to tell him.

"Sin, no!" Uppity said, desperately pushing herself between he and the broken pegasus. The Federalist briefly consider just knocking the District Attorney unconscious, but he knew he didn't have it in him to hurt someone he loved.

"W- Ware... House... seven." Hurricane moaned and coughed. "Fleet... street..."

Uppity and Sin looked at each other. "Grab her, we'll see if she's telling the truth." The stallion declared, making way for the door. He poked his head outside and looked around to make sure nobody would see them before signalling Uppity to follow. He hoped she knew what Hurricane was talking about in regards to the warehouse.

Fortunately she did, and the two somehow made it a few blocks down without being seen. Uppity carrying the pony in her magic close enough to the ground as to not draw attention from ponies far away, but keeping her leg up to minimize the pain. Sin opened the door of a white and silver building with the number "7" painted on the side and walked in to the dimly lighted, open building. 

Hurricane lead them into the back and motioned to a crate with a crow bar on top. Sin lept up and used the wedge to pry the box open, revealing a purple stallion with an orange mane sleeping inside. "Downer!" Uppity cried, dropping Hurricane in a heap to see to her brother. She checked his pulse and sighed. "He's breathing, but we need to get him to a hospital."

"Better get going, then." Sin nodded standing behind the fallen Trotski leader. Patting her side gently with a smirk. "Don't worry about her, she's in good hooves."

Seeing her salvation escaping, the elder mare gave Uppity a pleading stare that screamed for her not to leave. Sin knew she'd have to though, Tapio only knows how long that stallion had gone without food or water.

To his utter dismay, Uppity gently set the pony down and sat down on the other side of Hurricane, eyeing him intently. "I'm not going to let you torture her."

Sin called her bluff, and told her that her brother would need treatment as soon as possible. "Are you really willing to risk his life to spare her?" 

Uppity shook her head. "No, it's not about her. It's about you."

"Oh?"

"Sin, this isn't you. You don't go around hurting ponies because you're angry with them. I... I can't stand to see you like this." Her lips began to quiver, and she meekly walked over Hurricane to embrace him in a hug. "I know you must hate me, but I still love you. I- I can't stand by and let you turn yourself into a monster."

His heart skipped a beat. Uppity was crying into his shoulder. 

She... really did love him? But... she... she was... why did she...

'Because she was scared, you idiot! How many ponies make rational decisions when they're loved ones are being threatened? Not everyone is as cold and heartless as you are!'

That voice... the real critic?

'No! She lies! She's trying to trick you again! She's betrayed you once, she'll do it again!'

What?

'Don't listen to her! Sin, Uppity's right. For all of your emotional control, if you torture her like this, you'll lose something. Something that made you equine in the first place! I can't explain what it is bu-'

'Lies! Lies from the Alicorn! Don't listen, get Uppity out of there and finish her! It's what she deserves and it's what you want, isn't it? To get revenge against Hurricane, the one who confessed to your crimes ONLY to have you imprisoned? Or have you forgotten that your life is now ruined because of her?'

It was clear which one the Alicorn of Insanity really was, but that didn't make it any easier to decide the next course of action. 

Sin didn't buy into the whole 'kill someone and part of you will die' thing. He'd killed plenty of ponies before and felt no worse for the ware. Still though, what if the real critic had a point? What if torturing Hurricane was different? What if that did kill something inside of him? Something he needed to maintain control over the Alicorn's influence?

What would she do if she controlled his body completely unabated?

"Sin?" Uppity asked, breaking the pony from his contemplation. He looked into her eyes and felt the familiar tingle of warmth he had the first night they'd lay together. It was the first night he'd ever felt comfortable and safe. He yerned for that feeling again, to be held to be kissed and shown affection, as well as to return it. 

Sin wanted to be with her, to start a family, to have a son or daughter run up to him in excitement and jump for joy at his return after a long day out at the mill. To have a... wife to come home to every day, to smile at him and make him feel welcome, ease his stress and maybe have sexual intercourse once in a while... To grow old hoof and hoof until death came, smiling happily with eachother and enjoying the life they shared.

But he'd never have that...

Even if he didn't kill Hurricane, he knew he was guilty of crimes against the Crown. And escaping imprisonment himself? That'd tack on a few years in the slammer for sure. No, his life in Equestria was all but over now, and he wasn't about to ask Uppity to run away with him, abandon her family and life here just to live on the run. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't afford letting her hurt him.

"Alright." He replied, barely above a whisper. "I wont torture her any more."

She smiled and gave him a hug, one he returned, giving her a slight squeeze. "I don't want you to let go." She said in an overly cutesy pout.

Sin chuckled, the first mirthful sounds he'd made in the past few days that didn't hold mania. "Sorry, but I can't come back with you. I don't favor being put in prison again."

"I'll talk to Celestia!" Uppity declared, pulling back and looking him in the eye. Her pink irises a blaze with determination. "I'll talk to her for real this time, and we'll get this whole thing sorted out. I promise."

Sin smiled and shook his head, he wanted to believe her, he really did. But it wasn't just prison that was stopping him. He could already feel the Alicorn of Insanity's influence seeping through his veins since he'd let his emotional wall down. Moments like these would eventually drive him to madness again, and he didn't want to think about what would happen if he'd lost all control.

"No. I'm dead, remember?"

"So you're not dead, then!" She responded hopefully. "It'll be like old times."

The Federalist could feel the hope and desperation in her voice now. He didn't want to deny her what they had, but it just wouldn't work out. No matter how she phrased it, not matter how she'd approach the situation, no matter what straws of desperation the grasped, he couldn't agree to come back.

After a final, tear filled suggestion that dripped with hopelessnes, Sin shook his head again, this time his expression much more somber. "I'm sorry, kiddo. But I just can't take that risk. If I'm dead, the government wont be looking for me. I need you to promise me you wont tell anyone that I'm still alive, okay?"

Deflating like a balloon, Uppty's face fell and her determined fire dimmed to a depressed ember. She pleaded for her to trust him, that she was sure she could get him pardoned for his crimes, but Sin refused, coaxing the promise out of her that she wouldn't tell anybody about him.

She began sobbing again, crying and hiccuping before tossing herself into his chest again, this time he returned the embrace. It hurt, it hurt more than he cared to admit, but him leaving was the only option he could see working out. Even if the princesses did pardon his actions.

"I'm sorry, Uppity."

"I don't understand. I can help, don't you trust me?"

Sin held her close. He didn't know how to answer that. He still felt some reservation about trusting her, but if he said he didn't, it would be a lie.

"You'd better get going." He cooed, stroking her mane. "Your brother needs medical attention."

She took in a gasp of air. "I love you..." she said pulling back and picking her brother up on her magic. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Sin nodded and the two shared one last look before she turned and walked out, leaving the pony alone with Hurricane. He quickly put back the emotional controls and felt the Alicorn's influence recede before turning his gaze to injured Trotski leader.

"Well, old bean." Sin sighed, pushing back his cloak and pulling out his preloaded crossbow. "Looks like my fun's come to an end." He pointed the bolt directly down at Hurricane's forehead, making her eyes go wide and whimper in distress. "She made me promise not to torture you, she didn't say anything about not killing you. Say hello to Crasus for me when you get to hell. Tell him I'll be along... at some point."

Hurricane struggled and whimpered in a last ditch effort to call for help, a futile effort the Federalist found quite amusing. Though, the pitiful display only entertained his sense of justice for so long. 

THUD!
> Phase VII (Last Goodbyes)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Phase VII (Last Goodbyes)






Spike sat in the waiting room of the castle medical wing.

It was the strangest thing he'd ever experienced, walking into canterlot and finding a rather sizable melee going right outside the castle gates. He didn't know what it was about or who the ponies were, but the splash he'd thought king Sombra would make was overshadowed by the display.

Though his attention was needed else where. 

According to princess Luna, Big Macintosh was some how involved in the matter and had been sent to the hospital. He was injured, not life or limb threatening, but it wasn't something that could just be walked off either. Applejack was with him now, Spike elected to stay outside with Luna for an explination as to what all had transpired during his absence.

After a rather callous reunion between Luna and Sombra, the lunar Alicorn, looking tired beyond reason, escorted the drake to the hospital wing. The long and short of it was almost too conviluted for him to follow, but the short version made it simple enough. Trotski ponies were protesting against the princess for her mishandling of the changeling invasion, and using the communists to increase their influence and preassure. He wasn't too sure what a Trotski was, and even less what a communist was, but all he needed to know was that Macintosh had been trying to disband the two factions and make them leave Canterlot.

Obviously, Spike asked where Sin was in all of this, since that was more or less his thing. To that, Luna gave him a grave look and did not answer. That troubled the drake greatly so he pushed again, only to be met with the same result. The third time he asked, Luna directed him to ask Macintosh while she excused herself.

So now, here he sat, having no clue what was going on and desperately wanting answers.

"Spike?" He heard Applejack call. "Mac wants ta talk to ya." Her expression was grim, just like Luna's was.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

The drake began walking with the mare, trying to ask how Mac was doing but meeting nothing but a stone wall of silence. The heavy feeling in his gut pulled a little harder with each step he took. 

Finally, they reached Mac's room and she ushered the dragon inside.

Spike stood in shock at what he saw. Big Machintosh lay in the hospital bed, that much he expected, but the pony was covered in bandages, his head and left shoulder and side being the primary points where the gauze was discolored. The pony's left foreleg was done up in a soft cast and suspended by wires slightly.

"Hey Spike." He said weakly, smiling.

Spike stepped forward, unsure of how to reply. Seeing Sin, Shade or himself in this condition was one thing, but Macintosh? The gentle giant? The rock of their little group of friends? This just made him want to cry. He wouldn't cry, though. The apple pony didn't need that right now, he needed Spike to be strong.

"What happened?"

Mac chuckled mirthlessly, his smile all but disappearing. "Got caught up in a scuffle Ah shouldn'ta been in." 

A small scuffle? The guy looked like he'd walked through Tartarus and out again! The bandages that covered his face did nothing to conceal the obvious swelling of his right eye and fore head. Still though, Spike could appreciate some reassurance and accepted the token with grace. He pulled up a chair and sat down, still warm from AJ he assumed, and asked Mac to recount what had happened.

The stallion told him everything from the very begining. Starting with how he'd wanted to get away from the farm for a day and left Ponyville with Sin and Uppity to go to Canterlot for something. The protesters he'd learned about were at the train station and the castle gates, demanding Celestia and Luna step down. He told him about Sin's arrest and what the Federalist had said to the two of them about dividing and conquering.

That's when things got complicated. Mac conspired with Luna, grabbed almost a hundred ponies to get himself credibility or something, he was attacked by one of the Trotski, Uppity came and helped him when he thought he was going to fail, and the protesters turned on each other when Spike and the girls got back.

It took a good forty five minutes for the pony to recount the events, leaving Spike both enlightened and drained.

Though, the look on Mac's face told him there was still more to the story, and Spike thought he knew what it was. "Aww, cheer up, Mac. Sin's been through worse. Celestia will probably just throw the book at him and extend his parlor."

The pony cringed and looked at his friend, his eyes full of defeat and disappointment. Spike waited with baited breath, wanting the pony to say what he was going to say. Was he wrong? Was Celestia really going to send him to actual prison?

"Sin ain't in jail, Spike. He-" The stallion paused.

The drake went wide eyed. If Sin wasn't in jail, then where was he?

"Sin's dead, Spike."

The world went silent, no noise came but the sound of his own increasingly labored breathing. Spike wasn't sure what Macintosh meant by that, surely he didn't mean dead as in... dead. Right? He meant like he was in a lot of trouble and was metaphorically dead, like dead meat... right?

His hopes slowly began to dwindle under the crushing reality of the red stallions dead serious gaze. It wasn't a metaphor. 

"Dead?" He repeated. The word sent his inner mind into a denial driven panic. "W- what do you mean he- he's-"

"He was kill in th' dungeons." Mac finished, seeing the drake unable to finish his sentence. "Killed by the Trotski." The last word was spoken through a sob, Mac lifted his hoof and brought it to his eye, covering himself in his shame. "If... If Ah'd a acted sooner, Ah might've... Ah tried!" He sniffled, fighting back the urge to cry. "Ah tried ta- Ah didn't- Ah didn' know they were gonna... gonna" he trailed off, his words lost to gentle sobs.

Spike felt his own chest hick up with emotion. No, it couldn't be true! Sin? Sinbad? The pony who'd shown him how to handle a crossbow? The pony who'd taught him how to survive in the wild? Who'd given him a job and a place to stay when he needed both? How was he gone?

He felt sick, he felt like he wanted to throw up, like the world wasn't real in that moment and everything was just a vivid hallusination. Though, as the seconds past in wait for something to happen, nothing did. The hopes of the stallion's words being part of some kind of mind altering delusion dimmed with each passing second.

Mac looked to the nightstand beside him and picked up a sealed envelope, motioning Spike to come closer. The drakes legs carried him on auto piolot and his stomach tightened as he saw his name etched into the front of the letter. He didn't need to ask, he knew who it was from. 

Slowly, he tore open the letter and retrieved on of the the three pieces of parchment from inside. The first one reading as such:









Spike

If you're reading this, then I am dead.

Since this will be the last time I'll be able to address you, I'd like to start out by saying that I'm sorry for all the times I've ever brought you pain. I didn't know that going to the royal wedding meant that much to you, if I had, I'd have gladly stayed at the mill. But, it all worked out for the best, so I'll leave it at that.

Also, do not act rashly in the face of my death. I've made peace with it a long time ago, and I know the Trotski responsible will be held to account. Plans have already been put into motion to ensure this, so rest easily in that regard.

I know you've got your demons, Spike. I know you can be afraid and lonely at times. You cover it up well enough with sass and snark, but I've known you long enough to see that you need help from others. You're a dragon, not a pony, but you've always lived the Equestrian pony way. Trying to be nice to everyone, keeping your ego in check and doing what was best for everyone else before yourself. 

For what it's worth, I don't think you have anything to fear about your hording growth. You're disciplined enough to know the consequences of your actions, so don't be afraid to try. Alright? You've earned your right to have a few things as your own and become the dragon I know you can be. You may see it as a sign of weakness, but relying on Ms. Sparkle Twilight isn't something to be ashamed of. You're going through something that nobody you know could ever hope to relate to, take comfort in those you trust and love. I have no doubt that they will support you in whatever you eventually decide to do.

It is my sincere hope that you will grow up and find both happiness and fulfillment in your life. I know it may hurt to hear this now, but you will outlive most everyone besides Celestia and Luna by thousands of years. I ask that when that time comes, you do not give into dispair and isolation. 

It's not my intent for you to dwell on such things and lose yourself to the moments with the ones you love, all I ask is that some where down the road, the words in this letter find you if you're ever lost in doubt and grief. For now, be with the ones you love, and enjoy the life and fun that you deserve.

I'm no role model, I'm nobody to judge on how to live life. There's more to it than just going to work, coming home, eating and sleeping. I don't know what there is exactly, but I know there's more to it. Don't deny yourself these joys and comforts just because I did.

Do well for yourself, kid. I know you'd make me proud.

Good bye, my friend.

Regards,
Sin.




The drake felt a fresh wave of tears slide down his cheek, but there was more. He steeled his resolve and reached back in to the envelope to find another sheet of paper.





Spike And Macintosh.

I kept this letter with Spike's because I didn't want Macitosh's attention divided anymore than it already was.

This is my last will and testament:

I: Sinbad Von Islander, Grandson of Mandylion Islander

of: The Northern Federation, Immigrant to Ponyville, Equestria.

Of sound body and mind, do here by revoke all former wills and testamentary made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament. 

I appoint: Uppity, daughter of Silver Tongue and Quick Wit, to be the sole executor of this will and:
Do here by bequeath to one Spike, (surigot) son of Twilight Sparkle: half of the company: Everwood Lumber Mill. 

And unto one Macintosh Apple, Grandson of Granny Smith Apple, I bequeath the other half of the company: "Everwood Lumber Mill.

In light of the circumstances surrounding my final will and testament, I am unable to provide any character witnesses to verify my state of mind and aptitude. To this end, I acknowledge my sole witness as one more beneficiary.

I do here by bequeath to one Uppity, Daughter of Silver Tongue and Quick Wit, the Everwood Research Facility upon its completion. Under the strict conditions that she appoint none other than one Twilight Sparkle to visit the facility on a bi-monthly basis, at least, to ensure the ethical treatment of all creatures within captivity, as well as observing the progress of the research.

I acknowledge this will as of the twenty fourth of March, (current year)

I Uppity Daughter of Silver Tongue and Quick Wit, do hereby verify as a witness to the last Will and Testament of one Sinbad Von Islander I acknowledge this signature as of the twenty forth of March, (current year)

Sinbad Von Islander

Sin Islander 

Son of Gemini Islander, Grandson of Mandylion Islander.




Spike couldn't bring himself to figure out what all the words on the paper meant, all he saw was the phrase "last will and testament". The situation became all to real to him then. 

Now on full auto pilot he reached into the envelope and saw it was something to do with Fancy Pants and how he and Mac would become the full beneficiaries of the company. 

There was no use denying it, Sin was gone. What came next was anger.

"That bastard..." Spike whispered, his chest huffing with rage. Who did he think he was?! Leaving Macintosh and Spike this kind of responsibility after he died?! A whole company? What was he supposed to do with that? His friend was dead and he leaves him half a woodmill!? What was that supposed to be? Some kind of consultation prize?!

"That bucking BASTARD!" He shouted, his anger going from zero to one hundred in two seconds flat. He wanted to punch something, to kick it, to claw it, anything to get rid of the rage.

He turned away from Mac, took a deep breath and blew a stream of emerald flame the like's of which he'd never before produced. The flames reached all the way to the ceiling, scorching the pristine white marble walls.  After what felt like forever, the flames trailed off, leaving the drake exhausted and gasping for air. It would have been an impressive feet to take pride in, but pride had no place in his heart now.

Nothing did, nothing but pain, grief, and emptiness. 

So he cried, he cried and let himself be sad. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair.

He felt a hoof on his shoulder and immediately turned around to embrace Macintosh. There was little comfort to be found between the two, but what little there was they were grateful for. The two wept for a time, saying the last goodbye to a friend they'd both miss dearly.


> Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  




Aftermath






Two days had passed since Sombra was brought to Canterlot from the Crystal Empire.

The fell king inspired shock and awe through out the palace guard, many of which tried to arrest him on the spot, despite Captain Shining Armor's official custody.

The princess both greeted the fell king with a mix of apprehension and honest confusion, off put by his tale of isolated moral redemption. The story of the Empire's return, and Sombra's initial attack there on, had made Celestia and Luna doubt the claims of the stallion, and rightfully so. He'd made an official request for an exercise to be done, one that both sisters surprisingly agreed to.

The exorcism required the full attention of the younger sister while the older continued overseeing repairs and the aftermath of the fallen protests. Luna entered the ponies mind through the dream scape and searched for the presence that she'd wrought onto him. Expelling the shadow and freeing Sombra of his ailment.

He was to be kept within the castle for an undisclosed amount of time for observational purposes. His magical prowess was still a force to be reckoned with, arguably on par with Twilight Sparkle and her brother. If the stallion had indeed changed for the better, he'd be a powerful ally to the crown and would be offered a chance to indulge his wanderings as payment for services rendered.

Big Macintosh would be discharged later today, a special visit paid by Annabelle to see him home. As expected, the butter milk earth pony mare was less than thrilled with his condition, as well as his absence without telling her. Though, through proper explanation and careful consideration, she came to understand his sense of duty and accepted what he'd done to be in the best interest of the nation. It didn't help with the guilt he felt for putting her through so much worry though.

Alas, there was more than just scolding to be offered. She offered her condolences for the loss of his friend and promised to comfort him in any way he felt needed. There was enough grief, though. He had a wedding to plan and a mare to ask as his wife.

Spike secluded himself in room for himself. Pondering and coming to terms with everything that had happened. Depression took the drake as he began to finally accept that he'd never see his friend again. He'd clung to the final letter and promised that he'd make the stallion proud, that he'd become the dragon he knew he could be.

In those moments, Spike resolved himself to grow, to become older, to claim property as his own. Life would get better for him, but unlike Mac, his grieving was just beginning.

Shade took the news as well as expected, his maintained blank stare became a ruffled frown for a while, as if trying to process what he'd been told. Eventually, the frown faded and the pony was as blank and emotionless as he was before.

Twilight Sparkle and her friends had made great progress to restoring their friendship through out their adventure in the Crystal Empire. The planning and setting up of the fair forcing all of them to work side by side and together brought back feelings of comradary and unity that was lost. Rarity was still moody and brooding, but it was clear that the time she'd spent in working with her friends and her passion had healed part of her wound. Rainbow Dash was the final confrontation, and she vowed never again to allow emotional appeals to deter her from the loyalty her element pronounced her to be.

As for the protesters. Cupid Protector was arrested and charged as the instigator of the brawl. Prince Platinum was taken to receive much needed medical treatment for a broken spine and major organ damage before he too would be judged. Many of the Trotski and Communist ponies escaped the authorities when they'd realized that they'd been surrounded, turning their anger and rage upon the guard. The majority were arrested and taken into custody, and charged with public disturbance, assault, property damage, and assault upon royal peace keepers.

Captain Shining Armor over saw the processing and detainment of all involved. 

The story from multiple news papers had destroyed all credibility of either movement's desires for peaceful grievence, condemning both as violent extremists and using photos of both the hanging princess dolls and the brawl itself to destroy any public support they may have had. The repairs to Canterlot continued smoothly after the protests were disbanded, estimates suggest the repair efforts will be complete by mid to late April.

Sickle's body was discovered in a closet of one of the palaces unused rooms after a very traumatized servant maid had come in to do a weekly cleaning. She noticed that one of the ropes that held the drapes to the window was missing and check the closet to see if someone had placed it there as a prank. She found the rope, made into a make shift noose that Sickle's decaying form hung by.

Cause of death determined to be suicide.

Chancellor Pudding head, and Commander Hurricane remain at large, though there were eye witness accounts of a mare meeting Hurricane's description floating down rive a few miles away. No body has officially been recovered.









Macintosh walked with Spike while the girls walked on a head. Mac could see that dragon was still upset about what had happened, but understood that he'd need time to come to terms. So he gave him his space and would wait for the drake to come to him if he was so inclined. 

They borded the train and Spike sat down with the girls. The Applepony was about to sit down beside his sister, but Annabelle asked if the two might speak in private for a moment. Nodding, Mac followed his wife to be to the next cart, away from prying ears.

Once situated the mare took a breath. "Mac, I ummm... there's something you should know, before we get back to the farm. I was meaning to tell you and your sister about it but..."

Mac tilted his head, Anna looked unsure of herself, something he didn't see too often of her unless it was important. "What's goin' on?"

The mare sighed and looked him in the eye, the sign of a blunt truth. "One of Applebloom's friends, Scootaloo, is staying at the farm right now."

Mac quirked a brow, unsure of what the cause for concern was. Applebloom had friends over all the time, why should this be cause for such alarm?

"She's... not there for a visit, hun."

"Then what's she..." His eyes widened slightly, Anna didn't mean she was there to stay, did she? 

How could that be? Scootaloo had a home to go home to, fillies didn't just move out of their homes and leave their families behind. The apple pony was pretty sure there were some laws against that. 

Annabelle pressed her lips, her baby blue eyes trailing outside the window. "She wasn't living in a house. She was living alone out in Whitetail Wood."

"Wha'?"

Applebloom was meaning to talk to her brother about it the morning he'd left. Apparently she'd found out about Scootaloo's living conditions in the forest and urged her friend to return home, which the filly promised to do a good month ago. However, Applebloom followed her home yesterday and found her living in the exact same place. 

It was clear to see why the farm filly grew so concerned. Scootaloo was thinner than any foal Annabelle had ever seen and her wings were underdeveloped. It was a wonder the pegasus filly's well being wasn't called into question sooner.

"When we found her, she was eating berries out of a broken cup." Anna said, her face turning downcast. "She looked so hungry and cold, dirty, she was living in a tent Macintosh. A tent that was crawling with bugs and tears all over."

The revelation caused the stallion to grimace. He could remember a few accounts of bugs crawling on him waking him up and keeping him up through the night. Especially the ones who liked to bite. Though, that left one important question.

"Why?"

Anna shook her head. "She wont say, it took me and Applebloom a good two hours to convince her to come to the farm with us. We told her it was just for the night, but kept convincing her to stay just one more night." She sighed, rubbing her hooves together nervously. "She's proud, too proud for a filly her age."

Proud? This was full on vanity! Mac had lived that way, he knew how tough living off the land was, and how he'd grown miserable after the first few days without his homey comforts like sturdy walls and indoor plumbing. He'd have been utterly lost without his friends to support and teach him, how a young foal did it all by herself was nothing short of insane.

What on earth could make a foal run away from home to live out in the woods?

'Could you really think of no reasons?'

None that he cared to dwell on, that kinda thing happened, that he knew, but in Ponyville? The town was full of great and kind hearted folk, surely even the worst would never hurt a foal like that, right?

"Ah see." He nodded. 

"She can stay, right?" 

The question was an odd one to ask him. That was more Applejack and Granny's decision than his own. He told her as such and the mare sighed in relief. "That's good, Granny's already said she could, at least until we figure out why she doesn't want to go home to her folks and fix whatever problem there is."

He didn't doubt Applejack would accept Scootaloo into the home, but she'd probably be more determined to get some answers than Annabelle was. 

"Speakin' o' which, we migh' wanna tell her 'for we get back home. AJ'll be sore enough that we didn't say nothin' sooner." He stood up and made way to the other cart to retrieve the apple mare.

"Mac say's y'all got somethin' important tah tell me?" AJ asked. Annabelle recounted to her what she told Macintosh, including her plan to keep the filly at the farm until things were sorted out. Unlike her brother, she didn't take the news with a nature of laid back acceptance. Indignant and acutely perplexed were more suitable terms to describe her reaction, actually.

"Wait, hold up, hold up. Yer sayin' ya don't know why Scootaloo ain't been livin' with her family?" Annabelle nodded. "How long she been stayin' at the farm nao?"

"About three days?"

The cow pony's brow furrowed even deeper and she demanded to know why Annabelle hadn't reported the problem to the proper authorities and givin' up custody of Scootaloo to them. Siting that harboring a lost child could get them all accused of foalnapping.

"I did tell the police, Applejack." Anna replied, becoming defensive. "I know how they work, they'll try to take her home right away to figure things out with her parents. Once they do, she'll run away again, and this time, we might not know where she goes!"

"No, if Scootaloo don't wanna go back, they wont force her to." 

Annabelle tilted her head, giving AJ the stink eye. "Oh? Because I've had many friends in these kinds of situations, and that's the first thing that always happens. How are you so sure it would be any different here?"

"Ah... it... we... It ain't ouah place to make those kinda o' decisions!" AJ groaned and rubbed her head in frustration. She took a few calming breaths and addressed Anna in a more friendly tone. "Look, Ah get it, y'all wanna be there to help Scoots. But we've gotta be pragmatic 'bout this. We can't just take in a filly off the street, she needs professional help."

Mac stood quietly as the two mares continued to debate the issue. His sister was always level headed and pragmatic, but her rejection of Scootaloo's refuge didn't seem right to him. Annabelle said she'd informed the authorities, so what was AJ so bent out of shape about? Was it the lack of permission?

'No, she'd have said as much if it was.'

He listened more carefully to the conversation, but the blond mare was slowly crumbling under the logic Anna had presented. And by "crumbling", Mac meant her arguements were becoming weaker in terms of actual points. Her flame to have Scootaloo removed from the farm was still going strong.

Finally, Applejack raised a hoof and said that she'd need time to calm down and think things over. Good decisions never came from hot heads. She walked back into the car with her friends, leaving Mac and Anna alone.

"What was that about?" The earth mare asked indignantly. 

Macintosh wasn't sure, but he was going to make it a point to speak with her about it at a later time. Right now, the two had another matter to discuss... wedding plans.








The train pulled up and everypony unloaded, each heading to their respective homes for the night with promises of future meetings for various activities. Spike walked with Twilight back to their neighborhood, it didn't hit him until he saw his house that he didn't want to stay there. Just looking at the place made him feel depressed.

"Hey, umm, Twilight?" He asked, garnering the mare's attention. He wanted to ask to stay the night with her, but then he thought about the dream he had, about the Twilight there looking down from her window and asking if "baby come home".

"What is it, Spike?"

"Oh, uh, nothing, forget it. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

The two shared a hug and the dragon walked to his house, pushing the door open, turning on the light and closing the door behind him. He sighed, the place felt so alien now, like this was the first time he'd ever entered the home. He recognized everything, it was all in the proper places, but... it just didn't feel right.

He looked around the walls, noticing that there were only a few pictures up. Twilight and her friends were on one, the same with another but adding in Celestia, Luna, and himself. But nothing of his now deceased friend. No mementos, no personal decorations, nothing to remember him by what so ever.

For some reason, the drake felt sorry about that, and wished he capture a picture of the pony.

Spike's stomach growled at him, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything all day. He walked into the kitchen and opened one of the pantry doors to grab a plate, stopping as his claw pulled out a simple, brown, wooden food holder. It was Sin's personal plate, the only one he ever had need of. 

As he looked at the simple plate in his hands, Spike realized that this was the closest thing he had to the pony... a tattered and worn wooden dish.

He lost his appetite and brought the kitchenware out to the living room, placing it on display over the mantle. It wasn't much, but at least it was something.

Even so, it felt wrong. The Federalist had done so much for him and all he could do was offer respect to his memory with a stupid wooden food holder.

'It's fine, dude. Honestly, I don't think Sin would want anything more flashy than that.'

Sighing again, the drake turned off the light and made way to his bed, content to sleep the rest of the early eavening away like a bad hangover.









Macintosh and Annabelle sat in the living room with Applebloom and Scootaloo playing on the floor, coloring in books designed for it. Applebloom continually cast a worried and unsure look to Mac, but he'd give her a reassuring smile every time.The two had yet to ask the filly any questions, neither wanted to. She looked so happy, her smile and laughter bringing them false sense of comfort.

When they'd gotten back, Applebloom had rushed forth to ask what had happened to her brother and why he'd come home in bandages, Granny Smith poking her head in from the kitchen to hear what all the racket was about. It was a long story, so he settled for the bare minimum that he knew his sister would understand. She had a few more questions, but nothing too much and settled for asking if he was alright, which he, of course, answered in the affirmative.

Applejack turned in early, halting at the stop of the stairs and casting a look down at Scootaloo before shaking her head and wandering off to bed.

Now it was almost time for bed and the two fillies were winding down for the day, enjoying a relaxing activity.

"Alright, youngin's, is time fer bed." Granny announced, yawning from her rocking chair. The two fillies awwed in disappointment and began to scamper off up stairs to brush their teeth.

"Ya sure yer alrigh' boy?" Granny asked. It wasn't malicious or mean spirited, just a question from a concerned grandmother.

"Eyup." Mac replied. The elder mare walked forward, lifted a hoof and began tilting her grandson's head every which way, inspecting all she could before resigning herself to his word.

"If'n ya say so." She turned to Annabelle, leaning in close to whisper, "Keep an eye on 'im fer me will ya? Stallions like him er too proud fer their own good."

The two shared a giggle and Granny accompanied the foals to make sure they got to sleep.

"How's your shoulder?"

"It's fine."

Anna leaned into his left side, smiling contently. "You wouldn't lie to me, to make yourself look proud and strong like you would your grandma, would you?"

The apple pony pressed his lips. "N-Nope?"

The mare shifted her head, placing her mouth upon the stallion's neck, her breath titillating his sensitive flesh with her warm breath. "So, if we went out to buck some apple right now, you would tell me if you were in any pain, right?"

Mac froze, unsure if the double entandra was intended or not. Either way, he wasn't sure if he could honestly answer yes. Apple bucking season was coming up soon, things on the farm were behind already. Tax season was coming up too, and if they didn't sell enough apples, some equipment or land would need to be sold to compensate.

His answer didn't come in time and Annabelle turned to face him, her hoof raising up and trailing over the bandages that encompassed his left eye. "Macintosh, I want you to promise me you wont push yourself this season, okay?"

The pony sighed and nodded. His wounds looked much worse than they really were, the doctor said he'd be back to full in a week or two, but still... it was nice to feel like someone cared about him like this.

Anna gently lead her stallionfriend's muzzle down and kissed him. Gentle at first, but growing with intensity, pushing into him slightly and deepening the kiss to indicate that she wanted something in specific, something that wouldn't be appropriate to give out in the living-room where anypony could walk in.









"Hey, Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked, the dark of her room hiding her friend from the bed on which she lay. "You up?"

"Yea." Came the orange fillies unsure reply.

The earth filly softly sat up and looked down on the floot, seeing the spare matress and blanked lump there in. "Ah know ya don't like ta talk 'bout 'em, but what are yer folks like?"

Scootaloo sighed. "I toldja already, I don't wanna talk about them."

"Ah know, Ah jest said tha-"

"So why are you bringing it up?" Scootaloo was short tempered when the subject of her parents came, always was, but still Applebloom was her friend, and friends tried to help each other when one of them had a problem. Even if that pony they tried to help was a stubborn mule, her behavior concerned Applebloom a lot.

"Ah'm bringin' it up cause ya said ya'd go home, but ya didn't. How long was ya in the woods fer anyhow." The filly hissed, loosing her own patience. 

Scootaloo just groaned and told her friend to drop the subject and go to sleep. Applebloom wasn't having it though, not this time. She'd set aside the question for two nights now and let her friend's irritation dissuade her for the last two, but that was done.

"Ugh, look, I told you, they're never around, okay? So can we just drop it?"

"Nu-uh. There's gotta be somethin' else. If'n ya parents weren't around, why'd ya run out ta the woods to be alone 'steada stayin' home to be alone?"

No reply.

Applebloom hated when she did this. The filly could argue all she wanted, but if she ever pushed too hard, Scoots would simply refuse to speak to her. Of course, come morning, Scootaloo would wake up and act cheerful enough, as if the conversation had never taken place, but Applebloom knew it was an act. An act she was getting plum sick of.

Though she didn't want to do anything just yet. Scootaloo was a pony she cared about as a friend, and as reclusive as she may be now, at least she was eating well again. Sweetie Bell had tried to interrogate her on multiple occasions as to why the orange filly had become so thin and irritated. Applebloom, dropped bits and pieces of what she could, but the promise she'd made to keep Scoots secret kept her from revealing much.

That, in and of itself, cause a little bit of tension between the two fillies. Sweetie wanted to help out just as much as Applebloom did, but with as vague and unwilling to explain as the farm filly was,  the lilac maned unicorn took it as a sign of mistrust from both her friends. Applebloom tried to convince the unicorn that such a thing wasn't the case, but Sweetie was convinced of it. 

Their three's friendship was being torn apart because of Scootaloo's selfishness. And as much as Applebloom wanted to get out of bed, crawl over to her and smack the pegasus silly, she knew it was a bad idea. 

Scootaloo had already demonstrated the ability to survive away from adults, away from civilization. The pegasus filly knew that Applebloom knew where her little hide out was, and if Scootaloo decided to run away because of her preassuring, who know where she'd end up this time?

Reluctantly, Applebloom sighed and turned away from her friend. "Good nigh' Scootaloo."

"Good night."









Celestia paced around her throne room furiously, the guard had been dismissed for a time so she and her sister could speak in private. Luna had come forth and told her everything. About Macintosh's infiltration and his plan to disband the protesters in a more peaceful fashion in hopes of maintaining the crown's public image. 

The solar alicorn was furious, she'd specifically said to leave the protestors alone and wait out their will. And now there were multiple injured guards, jails were almost full, and tax money would need to be wasted processing a problem that would have sorted itself out if only Luna had stuck to the plan.

"It wasn't my plan, sister." Luna countered. 

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Yes, it was the plan of Big Macintosh, a stallion you just so happened to have relations with."

Luna scoffed indignantly. "That had nothing to do with it! You heard Sinbad when he was in your very chamber! Begging Macintosh and Uppity to disrupt the protesters!"

The solar pony flinched and went back to pacing, grumbling about how unnecessary the whole thing was. She also had a few things to say about Sombra's return, but thought better of it. Sombra and Luna had a history that the princess wasn't to keen to revisit. Plus the two had already agreed to speak of the matter tomorrow with the pony present to set up an official plan for his release.

Though, that did leave one matter left unattended. A matter Celestia begrudged herself for not taking action against sooner.

"You've searched for him through the dream scape, correct?" Celestia asked, freezing in place.

"We have."

"And you haven't found him?"

The lunar pony shook her head. She hadn't, she'd sent every agent she could into the dream scape to find him as soon as her sister told her about what she'd seen in his eyes. Alas, Sin's mind could not be located, despite sending every available dream walker she had to spare. "We believe that it is as the Trotski have said."

Celestia's head lowered slightly. All little ponies were hers, like distant sons and daughters she rarely got to see, but she loved each of them. Sin was no different, despite his disposition against her. He still served her wishes, assisting her in matters that required tact, intelligence, and an understanding of necessary violence. She knew that sending him to disrupt the Trotski was dangerous, but he did so anyways, unknown to the both she and he about Luna's infiltrators in the organization.

Even when faced with the Discordian Acolytes, he acted in the better interest of the country. Yea, Shining Armor accompanied him, but the pegasus seemed ready to go of his own accord anyway, without having to be asked or ordered. Fighting Chrysalis, the episode with Spike in Ponyville, the initial communist gatherings, he'd been an asset to the throne throughout all of these things.

What was worse was that it was her own fault he was dead, Sin had warned her that they'd use his imprisonment against the government, she knew they would, but how could she foresee them killing him? How could she have failed t o protect her own so terribly?

She felt her sister walk up beside her and place a comforting wing upon her back. "It's for the best, sister." Luna said, trying to offer support. "If what you say is true, than he is better off. You've seen the terrible power the Nightmare holds, how it can twist the mind and drive it's host to madness. I believe his death was an act of unintentional kindness."

"Still..." Celestia whispered, leaning on her sister for support. "This is not how I wanted things to end for him. We shouldn't treat our allies as disposable objects to be used and discarded upon convenience..." 

Sighing to regain herself, Celestia stood from her sister and announced her retirement for the evening. Luna bid her sister good night and took her place on the throne.

Luna, for her part, wasn't all too sad to see Sin go. He was the last thing in Equestria that bound her to Malich's will. Without the threat of the pony revealing their association, Luna was in the clear. 

Shade was no longer a problem, his mind was an untameable mess of madness and ruin, one she couldn't heal via dream walking, but with his current calm, she was able to undo the knowledge of her involvement with the Triple M. corporation. Though, with his new title as the hero of Canterlot, arresting him for their little scuffle back in Ponyville would be a grave mistake. The guard would never forgive her, and she did appreciate his service.

She sat in silent contemplation, pondering about this and that before the doors to the throne room opened, revealing Captain Shining armor bringing in her nighttime guard change. "Good evening, Captain." Luna greeted.

"Princess." Shining bowed. "Cadance is enrout back to the Crystal Empire to oversee the ponies and reestablish the matrix. I've sent a few of our own to see if we can harness it's power and explore alternative uses for it."

Luna smiled, thanking Shining for his service, though the pony looked troubled by something. "Is there something else, Captain?"

Shining took a breath and nodded. "I'm placing a request for a squad of scout pegasi to be taken off official duty." Luna tilted her head, wondering why on earth he'd ask for such a thing. 

The captain looked up at her, his eyes hard and unwavering. "To find Valiar."



> Project Mortality (Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Project Mortality






Malich took his thirteenth shot of whiskey, or maybe it was his fifteenth? Hard to tell, considering he'd already down an entire bottle of some kinda vodka. His tollorance for the drink had grown, he barely felt drunk now. The stuff felt diluted, tampered with and he wasn't sure why that would be.

'Yea you do. Gemini wants you sober when the two of you speak.'

Yea, great, wonderful.

That day wouldn't come till tomorrow and the ashen executive had yet to find an excuse as to the reason for their being harbored in his research facility. An excuse that didn't involve answering questions he'd have difficulty proving one way or another.

He'd sent down a couple of letters, personally, to the scientists. Mainly Elsa and her team to begin side project into finding methods at detecting the insects when in changeling form and as parasites. A way that didn't involve them being sniffed out by dogs.

Little progress had been made in the way of understanding their method of communication. The drones and queen had been stimulated often enough, but no matter what, their was no distinguishable frequencies to be found. 

However, through one scientists idea, a dog was brought in to see if the frequency wasn't in some kind of transmission, but sound. When stimulated, the dog would perk up, listening intently. When the drones or queen had eased, so too would the canine. What was odd and spat in the face of all scientific understanding was that all of the subjects, the hearing dog included, were in rooms that had no business transfering sound between them.

All the scientists found this discovery absolutely baffling, but if the changelings communicated in sound-waves, than it was at least a start in the right direction, unorthodox as it may be.

Elsa, cleaver little psycho that she was, suggested that scientific technology alone might not be able to tap into the frequency and that they should try archno transmission receivers as another method to intercept messages being sent between the two. Psy dismissed the idea as preposterous, that, since there was no source of magic, it would be impossible to pick up any magical signatures.  

The dark grey unicorn also said the same about the changelings communicating through sound waves, so Malich OKed the archno-tech scanners. He didn't know much about all of that scientific or magical mumbo jumbo, but that's why he paid ponies who did.

This worked out two fold, one in determining how to communicate with the drones directly, and another as an excuse to use for his father. The Zeborican's would be very happy to share some of their more... unique resources with the Triple M. Corporation if the entity had developed a way to protect the zebra from the insectoids that didn't involve resurrecting dead comrades. 

At least the Personal Protection Services were already taking off. The wealthier citizens had already put in orders for the mercenaries, mostly for traveling purposes, but a few of the lower class had pooled resources for the private security for trade routs. It wasn't bringing in the revenue he'd wanted, but it was an artificial risk with a real demand. The undead had long since disappeared, but "sightings" of them had been reported throughout the north western vallies of North New Equine. Reported the Triple M. controlled media, of course.

Regardless, that left a new problem, the swarm he needed.

Malich was very much against the prospect of infecting Federalists with the changeling parasite. He'd brought up the idea to Psy and Elsa, to see if they could help him in determining any reasonable actions to gain more subjects.

Elsa suggested a perspective he wasn't keen on, but was a bit more open to. Prisoners.

Murderers, rapists, those whom had sexual contact with younglings... Criminals of the worst sort were proposed as candidates for his experimentation programs. 

Psy, on the other hoof, suggested bringing in more infected zebra. While the prisoners convicted of their crimes would hold less sympathy, the Zeboricans were already infected with the parasites and would die anyways. They'd just be using their lives to his ends instead of dying out in the middle of the ocean.

The only problem with the unicorn's proposition was the Tal'derime could legitimately become more active. Bringing in less than fifty changelings had set them on an undead crusade against the entire state of North New Equine, how badly would they respond if there was hundreds or thousands?

'You might not need any hosts.'

What?

'Consider it:  They've been shown to survive environments that didn't directly constitute a living body, so long as their nutritional and environmental needs were met. Perhaps they can be farmed from the drones or queen some how in alternative containment cells...

That was true, though, unlike the drones and queen, whom fed off of fear, the parasite's food supply was shown to specifically be blood. At least from observation. Emotional sustenance was a completely foreign concept in the realms of science and magic. How an emotion, how a feeling, was able to sustain these bugs was just as confounding as their communication. Most any and every other race of beings in the world had to exchange tangible nourishment in order to produce energy. 

Changelings did not.

Neither magic nor science offered machines or spells capable of measuring "fear nutritional output". 

The scientists had produced enough of it, apparently, to keep both Imperatrix and her new found drones alive. 

He made a mental note to ask how each of the scientists were feeling in terms of their over all well being. If they were feeling 'drained' or tired and what not. Maybe the changelings didn't really feed on the emotion of fear itself, but the energy of those whom felt afraid around them?

The door to his office knocked thrice and Malich ushered the intruder in.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malich." Radclif said, walking in with a note. "But this came in for you."

Malich took the note and dismissed his assistant.

The envelope said nothing other than his name. He opened it and looked down in confusion as he read, at least until he got to the second paragraph. At which point, he read with a growing grin.






Dear Mr. Vice-President.

I am pleased to announce that Project Mortality is operating well ahead of our projections.

The Alicorn DNA you've procured for experimentation has been a monumental asset in our research into what makes immortals immortal. The genetic make up is unlike anything we've ever seen, even compared to the centaur DNA of Spar Hawk.

We have yet to hear back from you about the proto type field test you'd written about a few months ago. I don't know what you were planning to test it on, but we'd very much like to hear back about the results.

We regret to inform you that we have yet to find a way to do lasting damage the home grown tissue cells we'd duplicated, as you've asked, but we have found a way to incapacitate them. I'll spare you the medical terminologies, since you detest them so much, but all in all it comes down to corruption of the cells rather than physical or magical damage. Corruption from a solution my staff has developed from a mix between dark magic, the root: Death's Grip, grounded dragon scales, and a peculiar little virus we've come to call: "Devil's Seed".

The gown cells, Immortal Cells, up to which point showed no reaction aside from defensive rejections against all stimuli, shied away from our solution. Separate, each of these ingredients was repelled, but together, they infected the Immortal Cells and held them in place. Frozen in a frozen black infection for a duration of three days for the current dose. It is believed that upping the dose will prolong the effect, but we'll need to regrow more Immortal Cells to confirm this theory.

Which, I'm sorry to say, will take quite some time. The Southern Bio-Research center has undergone some rather... messy setbacks. Laboratories 22-48 are inaccessible... actually the entirety of sub levels seventeen and down are a death trap. The virus that infected the Immortal Cells got air born, mutations occurred, peers begged for death... it was a bad few days.

As I've said, messy business. But on the upside, we've made a great stride to your ultimate goal. I do look forward to the Better World you have planned.

Regards,
Doctor Stein. 

P.S.

I'll need more staff... brave ones.





Malich smiled to himself and bonked himself on the forehead.

Of course, Project Mortality how could he have forgotten about that? Of course he'd write back about the proto-types lack of field use, that crazy pony he'd given Discord to in Equestria never ended up using it, but the DNA from Luna! She was immortal like Tapio and the other centaur!

If he could incapacitate her, he could easily incapacitate them!

That was one of the major hiccups in his plan for the Better World, those inbred's interference. They were Life Worshipers, nature fanatics with no love for capitalism or technology. Yet their numbers were limited, they didn't have to struggle for resources and peace like the other races did. They'd lived long lives with great wisdom to govern them into peace. Ponies and the like did not, constantly struggling to have their own ideals pressed upon others, believing they had the right because that's what they wanted.

In essence, the centaur enabled these constant clashes by stopping them from reaching their ultimate conclusion, and now, Malich was slowly gaining the power to fight back. 

He felt anticipation and glee shoot up his back as he re-read the first part of the letter. If he remembered right, there was only a few floors below the 17th, so the facility shouldn't suffer too much from the losses, but whatever projects were taking place on the remaining levels could be rearranged.

He was slowly gaining the power he needed to bring his world to fruition. 

The ashen pony smiled and leaned back in his chair.

He was slowly gaining the power to bring about a state of true Anarchy.
> Breaking Walls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Breaking Walls







Battling his internal alarm clock, Macintosh snuggled closer to Annabelle, wanting desperately to use her heat and warmth to stave off the early spring chill, as well as the depressive thoughts that tried to assault his mind.

It was nice, waking up in his own bed again with the mare he loved. Safe, secure, knowing that there wasn't anypony trying to break into his home and end his life. He was still a little put on edge at the idea of the uncaught communist and Trotski, but from what he'd seen, both Puddinghead and Hurricane didn't much do their own dirty work, and Platinum was in the hospital, so that helped.

Macintosh knew it was early, but not to early. He was still a little exhausted from last night's activities, Annabelle was very keen in testing his limits in terms of pain and will. He'd felt pleased with his over all performance, but she was of a different opinion. While he'd succeeded in satisfying her, she did notice him cringing more from pain than pleasure and advised him to take it easy for at least the next week.

'HA! She's got you all figured out, don't she?'

That was part of the investment of love, though. Getting to know one another's weaknesses and strengths, the subtle things to help one another and know when to push them to become better, or pull back to stop them from hurting themselves. Nothing forceful of course, but pursuasian was always welcomed. 

He gently crept out of bed, careful not to wake her and made way down stairs. He flicked on a light in the living room and eased himself down onto the couch.

No it was late March now, and invitations for their wedding would need to be sent out soon. Apple's seeing to the wedlock of their own was a given, and the sheer number was overwhelming to him. Dozens upon dozens of his cousins, aunts and uncles would be there. Food, decorations, other guests, setting up the farm for a wedding, it was all going to be a pretty big head ache to deal with.

But, even through all of that, Mac took comfort in the symbolism. He'd never thought much of marriage. The prospect hadn't really crossed his mind, being insulated to the farm for so long. The little stunt with Applebloom and her friends putting him under a spell to make him fall in love with Cherelee certainly didn't help with that. 

Now, though? With a foal on the way? All he could think about was how amazing it would be to wake up every morning next to the mare he loved and see his own foals. Thoughts that brought a smile to the young stallion's face.

A soft clopping from the kitchen drew his attention to find Scootaloo standing in the kitchen doorway, holding a half eaten apple in her hoof. 

"Mornin'." Mac smiled, hoping to appear friendly. 

"Hey." Scootaloo replied.

"What 'er y'all doin' up so early?" He asked. The reason was rather obvious, but Macintosh wanted to make his first impression one of honest curiosity to the foals intentions, be perceived as being open to hear what she has to say and what not.

As expected, she motioned to the apple and he chuckle, lightly berating himself for not taking notice.

"What about you? Why are you down here so early?"

"Jes' thinkin 'bout stuff." 

To his surprise, the pegasus filly jumped onto the couch and inquired to what his thoughts were, the look on her face screaming that she hoped it wasn't her. He eased her worries and told her about the wedding and how he'd come to the current point in his life. Scootaloo perked up and congratulated him, apparently since there was no official askence for Annabelle's hoof, the wedding wasn't yet considered official. Mac made a note to rectify that situation soon.

"I hope it works out for you guys." She said, her face dropping to a look of sad reminiscence. 

Feeling sad to see her sad, Mac decided to play a little bit at the past. "Ah'm sure if It don't, you n' mah sis will end up tryn'a git me with somepony else."

The filly cringed and looked down guiltily, not the effect he was hoping for. "Yea, I'm sorry about that."

"I was jes' jokin' with ya, Scootaloo." Mac chuckled, hoping to brighten her mood. "It was mighty appriciated, fer the thought y'all put inta it."

That made her smile and Mac felt good about that. Though, the conversation died off and an awkward silence permiated the air. He was caught between two desires, to either stay quiet or invite her to talk. Despite what Applejack said, the farmer stallion had no issue with her staying at the farm. Far as he was concerned, foals didn't run away from home to live out in the middle of the woods for no reason, and whatever he reason was she could stay here with them until it was sorted out.

He decided to remain quiet and let the silence change from awkward to comfortable. He'd done enough for the wee hours of the morning. So long as she was comfortable and safe, that's all he was concerned with.

Scootaloo finished her snack and made way back up stairs to bed, stopping to offer Macintosh one good night.









Spike was awake and making himself some breakfast. He hadn't noticed it yet, but he'd grown just a little bit last night. His pot belly had shrunk yet again, the top abs becoming a little more pronounced. He'd grown taller, but still needed a little assistance to reach into the back of the pantry to reach the special stash of gems that would constitute his morning breakfast.

He stretched out and looked to the window. The sun wasn't out yet, but it would be soon. Once nine o'clock rolled around, the drake resolved to head to the farm and ask Annabelle where he could find Brute, the dragon who worked as part of her show. The two had spoken for a while back in Hooftrot, but he still had a lot of questions... and reservations.

Despite Brute acting nothing like his name sake, the drake's interactions during the dragon migration had turned him off to association with his race. Still, he knew Brute was a pony affiliate dragon and would be respectful, if not a little rough.

He grabbed his cloak and put it on before making way for the door.

Though, there was a reason for his early wake up call. He didn't know how the guys down at the mill were going to handle the news of their fallen co-worker or the fact he was going to be taking even more time off, but he'd handle whatever came.

He was pretty sure he'd be fired, which didn't hurt near as much as the disappointment he'd cause, but that was life. Spike couldn't let guilt and his desire to please others control his life, he'd gotten pretty good at that, but it didn't make his guilt any easier.










Star Shade sat in his hospital bed, his mind abuzz with thoughts too sureal to be anything but absurdity that went beyond even Discord.

He was pondering the meaning of life, what it was to be and how he'd come to be where he was. More importantly, why he was where he was. He'd thought about getting out of bed for the past few days, yet felt strangely compelled against it. Why? Why was he being limited to the bed?

It didn't help that his mind was being farther ripped apart by odd visions that were too calm to be a part of his broken psyche, yet too unreal to be memory. Like seeing his friend Sin being attacked by some green pony in a dark area and whitnessing the Federalist bear down onto the aggressing stallion with his eyes and induce a heart attack.

He'd never seen such a thing before, yet the memory was so vivid, he'd have sworn he was right there... watching from the back of his friend's cell. 

But that didn't make any sense, how did Shade know it was a cell? He didn't know, he didn't know how he knew the event actually transpired either. It was as baffeling and maddening as it was intriguing to the pony. 

He'd seen other things too. Visions of Macintosh getting busy with his marefriend, soon to be wife. The Beast visiting his dreams and flowing through is mind, erasing memories he'd planned to use against her. Of Sin, skulking around the Everfree, keeping an eye on Ponyville. 

Visions of a bright white light, trapped in a box and permeating through a dark room. He could hear constant clicking and a voice bemoaning how frustrated he was that he'd written something or another but had no where to go with it, or something about characters and plot lines he'd completely let die in favor of farthering a more interesting tale.

Though that vision made less sense to him than anything and hurt to even think about.

And as bad as all of that was, it was nothing compared to his desire to simply get out of bed, yet have something hold him back. Something inexplicable and unreal. Just the thought of trying to figure out what it was sent waves upon waves of terror down his spine, like he was thinking about things he shouldn't be.

Was this... was this pushing the limits of his insanity? Was this him garnering the freedom beyond the reality he was trapped in? If so, why was he losing control of his own body and mind? Was the mind an illusion all it's own? 

That train of thought lead him down a rather disturbing train of ideas. Making him question his own existence and why his life had turned out the way it had. Why had he run into a pony named "Sin" whom released him from jail? Why did he feel compelled to listen to this pony and curb his own interests at his word? He was insane, right? So why did that pony hold so much influence over him?

"Hello, Shade." 

The bat pony's thoughts were interrupted by a presence that should have brought him unfathomable joy, yet didn't. The instruments that measured his vitals showed absolutely no change to an event that should have at least shocked him.

Discord stood by his hospital bed, smiling sadly down at the bed ridden lunar pegasus.

While joy and happiness didn't shoot through Shade's body like it usually did with Discord's presence, he did feel something. Something that told him to be wary of the lord of chaos.

"I'm pleased to see you've saved Canterlot and your friends from the Changelings. My forgiveness has been earned." He reached out and patted the pony's mane.

Praise, praise and physical contact. It was a dream come true! It was the greatest thing Shade had ever experienced in his life! To be forgiven by the entity he worshiped more than any other in the world? To have his achievements acknowledged and rewarded? It was one of the greatest moments of Shade's life...

Except... it wasn't. The praise, the forgiveness, the affection, it brought none of the emotions it should have. Shade didn't feel joy or happiness, what he did feel was fear and terror.

"Where were you?" Shade asked, finally speaking.

"What do you mean?" Discord asked, tilting his head.

"I've been in this hospital bed for quite some time." Shade said, the words were spoken with great effort. His brain fighting him every step of the way, screaming that he shouldn't be saying anything at all, but just indulge the affection for what it was. "Why do you choose now to come and visit me when you could have done so before?"

Discord smiled a... nervous smile? Small beads of sweat forming over his misshapen muzzles as his eyes darted around the room. "Oh well, you know how it goes. Things to do, ponies to see and all that."

"No." Shade replied simply, causing Discord's nervous smile to slowly die. "You didn't come because you weren't allowed to come until now, were you?"

It was a theory, his imagination being used in a way Shade had never thought of before. Discord hadn't come because he hadn't been compelled to come, much like how Shade was being compelled to stay in bed. The draconequus' lack of reply told him he was right, something... something powerful was controlling their will. Yet Discord seemed aware of what it was.

The fearful posture turned to one of indignation and Discord laughed the bat pony's assertion off. "Please, I'm the god of chaos, lord of dis-harmony. What could possibly make me 'not allowed' to do as I pleased?"

"Then why did you go into Sin's mind and drain the power of Nightmare Moon?" Shade asked, the question one that just popped into his head. "You never cared much for him after he mocked you, yet you've helped him. Why?"

"How could you possibly know about that?" The lord of chaos asked, his eyes wide with disbelief, and voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know, but I know you did it."

Discord's breathing quickened and he looked around the hospital bed, his face turned serious and he leaned down to the pony. "Listen, I don't know how you're doing this, but you need to stop."

"Stop what?" 

"Stop breaking The Rules" he pressed, the last two words emphasized. "If you keep this up, he will take you away."

"He? Who's he?" Shade furrowed his brow, the image of the white screen appearing in his mind. "Do you mean the hairless ape who sits in-front of the white screen?"

Discord gasped and grabbed his head, muttering under his breath about how wrong "this" was, pleading with himself that what was happening right now was some kind of mistake. Shade reached out to try and comfort the draconequus, but settled to let him be. He knew what was coming next and that there was no way to stop it now. "It's alright, mi lord. Just do it."

His thrashing subsided and Discord looked tearfully at Shade. "I'm sorry, Shade." he moaned before snapping his talons and winking the pony out of existence.

   
> Small Inquiries 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Small Inquiries







Spike trudged up the path through Sweet Apple achers up to the farm house.

He felt guilty, each and every one of his co-workers offered their condolences to Sin's loss, even Ax. Each of them took his resignation in stride and Jacker told him that if he ever wanted to come back, he'd need only ask. Which was lucky, since Spike did plan to return home after speaking with Brute. 

Didn't make it any easier to see the disappointment in their eyes for two co-workers lost, though. Blade and Chopper were probably the most broken up, even if the latter hid it better. Blade tried to make a few jokes about the situation, inappropriate jokes that anypony with any sense of decency would have found tasteless, but the crew knew him better than that. He'd made an off color comment about how it was supposed to be the mill that did one of his friends in, chuckling desperately all the while. 

Nopony laughed, but they all understood. Comedy and poking fun was his main way of coping with anything and everything.

Spike knocked on the door and waited. Granny opened up after a moment and bid the drake a good morning. "Sorreh, but Macintosh's restin' in bed right now."

"That's okay, I'm actually here to see Annabelle."

Surprised but still accepting, Granny allowed him in and directed Spike to the mare in the living room.

"Hey Spike, how are you today?" The buttermilk mare asked, smiling sympathetically. 

"As well as can be." He reiplied. "Hey, do you know where I can find that dragon that worked at your show? The one from the circus?"

"Brute?" Anna asked helpfully before pondering. "Well, honestly, I'm not really sure where he is."

Spike tilted his head. Anna explained that the entire circus was currently on off time to visit their folks and what not. Winter didn't get them much business, since most ponies like to stay inside where it was warm. It was a little disappointing to hear, after all the trouble he'd gone through to get ready to leave town to find the elder drake, but Spike could only kick himself for not getting asking her before quitting his job.

Seeing the dragon slump, Annabelle offered a bit of information that she knew would cheer him up. "But I know he wouldn't miss my wedding. Mac wanted it to happen before the month was out, but it'll take longer than that for all the invitations to go out."

Wedding? Oh yea, Macintosh did mention that. "When were you guys planning on having it?" Spike asked, a flicker of hope filling his stomach.

"We were talking about it on our way back from Canterlot last night, I'm thinking about the end of April. That way we should both have enough time to get all of our families in town."

Spike recalled a memory of his first day in Ponyville and the army of ponies Applejack had introduced he and Twilight to. 

If nothing else, there'd be no shortage of stuff to eat.

The two continued speaking for a little bit about what all the wedding would have planned when an orange pegasus wondered down stairs. Spike eyed Scootaloo for a moment and offered a friendly wave, one she returned awkwardly before continuing on into the kitchen.

"What's Scootaloo doin' here?" He asked, genuinely confused as to the filly's presence. It wasn't so much her presence at all, but it was a school day, he didn't see Applejack letting her sister and her friends play hookie.

The grimace on Annabelle's face told him that such wasn't the case, but she couldn't tell him why. All she could tell him was that the filly was having trouble at home and would be staying at the farm for a few days until the problems were sorted out.

"Sucks to hear."

Anna sighed. "It does, she wont say why she doesn't wanna go home, but it's gotta be pretty bad. Poor thing." Spike watched the mare stare after Scootaloo forelornly with honest and genuine concern. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. She'd make a great mother some day.

'Mac knows how to pick 'em.'

Seeing his business here concluded, Spike excused himself and offered both Annabelle and Granny a fond farewell. He walked out of the house and made way back to town. 

His plan to leave town had fallen apart on him since he had no more reason to leave, but he thought about still leaving anyways. Just to get away for a bit. What he'd seen in the door still bothered him, was there a point to it? Was the teen wyrm trying to tell him something important or was it all just a cruel nightmare?

As he mulled the idea over, his thoughts drifted to how Twilight also saw the door and suffered her own torment. Her own worst fears, maybe that was what the door was? Showing ones own worst fears. If that was the case, was he looking too much into it? Maybe, but the letter from Sin brought back the point of focus: His own development.

He couldn't do anything right now, though. Spike still didn't trust himself against his greed, even if his old mentor did. Brute was an older dragon, maybe a century or two, he had to have advice on how to deal with it, right? That would need to wait until the wedding though, and it would be rude to speak to the golden dragon while the wedding was taking place, but how long would he be around for?

'You know that you have no idea, so asking yourself these questions is kinda pointless.'

Spike knew that, but it was just so frustrating! He had all of these ideas and questions, yet no way to answer them.

'Yea, but you've mostly been thinking about these things, right? Maybe you should try talking to somepony about them for once.'

Maybe, but everpony he could speak to was... well... a pony. What would they understand about being a dragon? It was like the letter said, he was a dragon and ponies wouldn't understand what he was going through.

'That's true, but the letter also said not to try and handle everything on your own and open up to your friends.' That was also true, but still... 'Look, I'm not saying Twilight would have the answers, but maybe it would make you feel a little better if you talked about it.'

Twilight huh? Well, she was one of the smartest ponies he knew of, if not the smartest, and the voice had a point. Maybe talking about it would do him some good.

Spike made way to the library and walked inside. Twilight was sitting on the couch with Uppity and two other mares in the common area. One he recognized as Mayor Mare, the other he'd seen around, but couldn't quite pin point her name. The four were in the middle of speaking about some important sounding government stuff and took no notice of his arrival.

"Be that as it may, Ms. Uppity, the city council is under direct order to pass all legislation through Sin prior to any laws, bills or ordinances being passed through City Hall. I'm sorry for his loss, but I need to be able to run my city." Mayor mare said, the cobalt pony beside her nodding in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Mayor, Councilmare, but during my investigation of your budget allocations and actions, Celestia has ordered an imperially sanctioned agent to act as a filter to prevent negligence." Uppity replied respectfully.

The mayor sighed and rubbed her head. "Perhapse Twilight can act as her agent then. She's certainly smart enough to handle such matters."

Twilight nervously declined, stating that she knew next to nothing about politics and that she had no time or interest in acting as the arbiter of city council. Mayor mare tried to plead with her. "Please, Ms. Sparkle, you must do something! Tax season is coming up and the collectors are this close to going on strike because of our previous arbiter's budget cuts!" 

"Cuts nothing, Sin slashed the budget!" The cobalt unicorn declared, Mayor Mare nodded in agreement. Still, their pleas were rejected and they turned their attention to Uppity, asking if she could handle the affair, at least until tax season was over.

"I'm sorry, but I need to get back to Canterlot as soon as possible. With the fiasco that happened with the protesters, there a bunch of ponies about to be put on trial and I'll be swamped for the next two months at least." 

Both the political mares slumped in disappointment.

"But I know somepony who might be able to help." She offered, making both mares perk up. "I'll see if she's interested when I get back to Canterlot tonight. She's a friend of mine who likes to plan things out and has a superior understanding of economics and social issues. That is, assuming Celestia will allow it, of course."

"That sounds promising." The unicorn said hopefully. "What's her name?"

"Social Justice."









The four mares concluded their business and exited Golden Oaks in short order. Uppity stopping for a brief moment and giving Spike a small apology for his loss. He thanked her and turned to Twilight.

"Hey Spike." She greeted, obviously a little weary from the mornings happenings. "Hope you're doing okay."

He bit his lip and considered if it was right to bring his own problems to her when she obviously had so much on her plate already. "Yea, I'm holding up." It was the vague approach, but it was better than lying.

"Did you need something?" 

Do or die time, Spike didn't know why he felt so nervous talking about this. He could trust Twilight, the mare from the door and the mare before him weren't the same. His mother didn't see him as a baby, she'd never mock him, he was getting worked up over nothing.

"Yea, I um..." he hesitated, his mind playing out the cruel smile the door's Twilight gave him. "I..." He clenched his claws. Twilight looked down at him, her face growing concerned. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Of course." She lead him to the dinning area. 

Spike took a seat at the table, Twilight went to the cupboard and pulled out some hot coco. It was always the beverage she went to when speaking about a sensitive subject with a friend. He'd always appriciated the gesture, finding a subtle comfort from the brew.

Once the hot cup was before him, offering the delicious and calming fragrance, the drake took a drink and felt his anxieties melt away. Twilight took her own seat, cup in her magic and also took a sip. "So, what's on your mind? You know you can always talk to me."

The mare's words brought him farther comfort, almost completely dispelling his hesitation. It all seemed so silly now, but Spike knew that his anxiety would return full force later on if he didn't confront it here. He recounted what he'd seen in the door. What the warped versions of his friends had said to him, how humiliated and betrayed he'd felt when the called him a baby and turned their backs on him. How desperate and hurt he was when Twilight's doppleganger patronized him, and how disturbed he was to see his teenaged self rip out his own eye ball, proclaiming that he was what the drake really was inside.

Twilight was shaking, her face contorting between a scowl of anger and frown of sympathy. She looked like she wanted to jump over the table and hug him, to comfort him and tell him that everything would be alright, an idea that Spike would mind less and less as his story progressed and the memories became relived. Still, he needed to say his peace and get over it. While what he saw wasn't real, it didn't make it any less disturbing.

"I know it wasn't you, and Mac and Sin, but I just... it hurt, ya know?" He confessed sadly. He wasn't in tears, those had already shed enough of those, but he did feel empty.

"I know," Twilight agreed, looking down. "When Celestia and the girls turned their backs on me, I... I felt like somepony reached into my stomach ripped out everything inside of me. Like I didn't have anything left..." She took a sip of coco, desperately fighting back her tears. 

The two sat in quiet, each reflecting on their own experience until Twilight broke the silence again.

"You're not a monster, you know that right?"

For some reason, the question hurt Spike to hear. He knew he wasn't a monster, but that he also wasn't sure. He'd seen what he was capable of as an adult, twice. The dragons of the migration were brutish monsters, taking a defenseless egg and telling him to smash it on the ground. Those wyrms had no morals to them and they were only a few years older than he was. Was that in his nature too? To want to destroy and cause pain just because he could? Or was that part of conditioning? None of them seemed too morally opposed to his assault on the unborn infant, and it sounded like each of them had done something similar even. 

What should lead Spike to believe himself so different? The wyrm from the door would have done it, he'd have smashed the egg and probably gobbled up Pee Wee in a second...

"But you didn't." Twilight interjected softly, reaching over and touching Spike's claw with her hoof. "Spike, you stood up to them and protected the egg. You're not like them."

"Not right now." Spike replied, looking down into drained cup of coco. "But when I get older, will I be? I mean, you saw what I did, how aggressive I became. I wanna get older and stronger, but I... I don't want to become like them or like I was..."

"You said the that your teenaged self was the one talking to you, right? Not the adult?" 

Spike nodded.

"Why do you think that is? I saw you as a teen, you didn't seem to be a monster then."

His sucked in air through his teeth, he'd never told her about confrontation with Fido, about what had happened to him when he'd... become a monster.

Spike could remember it, he remembered feeling powerful, wrathful, enraged. A feeling of addictive power that both invigorated and terrified him to know he had inside. He wanted to hurt, to rip, slash, tear and gouge. To inflict damage and pain and show that mutt his place.

Remembering it brought bile up to his throat, he didn't want to become that. Spike would rather be the giant rampaging beast again before ever succumbing to that that rage again. So much blood on his claws, he could remember the smell. 

What small part of him that was that thing, that... demon, felt good about it. Spike became all to aware of it now. He'd spent so much time trying to black it out, to forget that it ever happened, but as he recounted the events to his mother, it became all to real again.

The large dog, pleading for his life. The stink of blood, sweat and fear. The exileration of power, the hunt, the fight, the contest of wills and power. Spike was thankful Fido was smart and retreated to a place he could be kept at bay. If he hadn't, and Spike had gotten hold of him while still in his state of feral rage, the dog wouldn't have survived.

Spike would have killed him. He knew he would have because that's exactly what he wanted to do. Any thoughts of showing the dog what it was like to be helpless were gone at that point, all he could think about was how nice it would be to gut Fido right there in the cave.

"It's funny, ya know?" Spike spoke, his words tainted by a mix of sad laughter, concerning Twilight greatly. "You're a pony, you wouldn't get it. But to me? I just wanted to end him. To rip out his throat and watch him drown in his own blood."

"Spike..."

Spike began shaking, terror rising in his belly as he let his emotions from that day asserted themselves. That small part of him that was feral began seeping into his mind, influencing the memory, tainting his feelings of revulsion into ones of pleasure. His smile grew as he recalled it more vividly. He could feel the disgust he knew was his rational mind begin to mix with the delight of his primitive instinct.

"I mean, he'd disgraced me. Humiliated me in front of my friends and family. You know? He'd made me look and feel so weak and pathetic, I wanted to hurt him like he hurt me." His smile grew to full on mania, giving a soft cackle. "But then I wanted him to suffer, to suffer like he deserved to, and then I wanted him to die. Die a painful death like the trash and scum he was."

"Spike..."

There was no point in talking to him, though. The drake had already lost himself to a maniacle tirade.

"It was absolutely invigorating, Twi. To see him cower before me, knowing that I was superior to him. That I held his life in my claws." He lifted his hand up and squeezed it slowly. "That I had the power to kill him and take everything I wanted. It's how things work in the wild, the wild my kind was born in, the wild that my kind was molded by! Why shouldn't I take what's his? I'm stronger, faster, better. It's mine by right of the jungle, survival of the fittes-"

"SPIKE!" SMACK.

The drake was much more aware now, his cheek stung like nopony's business, but he could at least control himself.

He turned back and saw the mare he loved crying, looking at him with eyes that begged for him to stop. He regained his barings, forcing the primitive influence from his mind and back to it's little corner where it belonged. 

"Twi... I'm scared."

The mare pulled him into a crushing hug and whispered sweet words of comfort. It didn't help, Spike had already felt the wyrm inside of him. It was there, it was really there! He didn't want to accept it, that that thing was apart of him, but how could he deny it now? Now that he'd felt it all over again? 

It terrified him, it terrified him to think about what the wyrm coming back. He didn't want it to.

He was a good dragon, he wanted to help and protect those weaker than himself, not rule and lord over them. 

The thing, his primitive side, it was wrong. It was wrong and he wanted it to go away.

"Please don't ever do that again, Spike." Twilight begged, squeezing him for all he was worth. "If thinking about it makes it happen, than don't think about it anymore. Just... please don't."

Despite how scared he was and despite how terrible he felt for making the lavender mare he cherished cry, Spike felt better. He felt... accepted in some aspect. Like his anxieties weren't unjustified anymore and had been confronted. Still though, even if he could take comfort in knowing he challenged his fears, he couldn't deny that he'd ultimately lost to them.

A loss that might have more devastating consequences if he tried facing them again.

 
> Political Correctness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Political Correctness






Spike had taken the last three days to himself since he'd left his old job. Twilight and he had discussed his desire to grow and his reservation there in and concluded that it best to hold off on any more accumulation of stuff to horde until after he'd spoken with Brute and maybe seek guidence from the elder drake.

Things at the library had been... interesting for Twilight, to say the least.

Colgate and Mayor mare dropped by every day to ask for her help in some way or form, since their power of governance was effectively halted. The first day, Twilight held to her stance of non-intervention on part of the crown, but by the second day, the harassment and begging of the two government officials grew more intense. Before she knew it, the librarian was writing multiple letters to Celestia for legislation and tax increase submissions for approval. Letters Spike reluctantly sent off to the princess.

Two days later and still no reply.

This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for either Colgate or Mare stopping by every two hours on the dot to see if either of them had heard word from Celestia. 

Seeing the stress begining to weigh on his mother, Spike offered to spend some time in City Hall to give her a break. Spike was the method of communication between Celestia and Twilight, so there was no reason to keep Twilight in the middle when he could just handle the situation himself.

"Are you sure you want to do this? If worse comes to worse, I can just put a shield around the library." Twilight said hopefully. Spike shook his head and dismissed the necessity. From what he'd seen, those two would probably just bang on the shield for a good few hours before calling in the guard to displace it.

"Besides, it might be kinda fun to sit around City Hall, see all the political stuff that goes on. The government who runs our lives is something I should have looked into a while ago anyways."

He grabbed his cloak and satchel, placing his neglected gem carving set there in for something to do to pass the time when he got bored. "See you in a few hours, try to get outta the library for a bit, alright? You know, just incase they try to get you to make me send more letters or anything." 

Chuckling, Twilight gave him a quick nuzzle and saw him out the door. 

City Hall wasn't too far away, a good five minute walk or so. The drake wondered in, looking over the tall inside of the building. The last time he was here was for an official reprimand from Mayor Mare over his second rampage. He'd thought briefly about a little revenge over her blindsiding him with it, but decided to just accept that she was doing her job.

If there was really anything making him second guess himself, it was the fact Sin was ordered to be here to oversee city halls pracitces. From what he understood of it, the council wasn't using the tax money as effectivly as they should be, at least by Sin's standpoint. Many of his changes had already taken effect and honestly, it didn't really seem like too much had changed in the town. The grass in the park got a little long and the street lamps came on a little later, but all in all, Ponyville still seemed the friendly and calm place it always was.

If Mayor Mare or any of the council did give him grief, he could easily throw that back in their face, at least.

He retraced the steps that lead to her office and knocked on the large wooden door at the top of the stairs. "Oh good, you're here! Any news?" The elder earth pony asked with an enthusiastic smile. Spike shook his head and her smile disappeared instantly. "Very well, please make yourself comfortable and don't hesitate to tell me if you get a reply. Councilmare Colgate is in the deliberation chamber if you need anything."

The door slammed in his face before Spike could get a word in edgewise.

'Nice to see you too.'

His good mood dampanned, Spike decided to have a look around. He'd hoped to speak with the mayor about some political matters, but talking to him was obviously of no interest to her. Spike was just there as a messenger boy, nothing more.

Despite it's size, Spike wandered for a good ten minutes before finding the deliberation chamber. It was actually amazing how many rooms the building had.

He found the cobalt mare sitting at a large table, a few piles of manilla folders stacked in front of her. Many having the words REJECTED stamped on the front of them, Spike noticed. 

'Damn, Sin did a number on these guys.'

If the folders had already been rejected, why were they here now?

'Probably for appeals.'

"As you can see, I am very busy, so-" Colgate bemoaned, stopping when she saw who it was. Her face immediately lit up to a much more friendly disposition. "Oh good morning! Did you finally get news from her majesty about my propositions on candy sale restrictions?"

Again, Spike shook his head in the negative. Even if he did, he was still deliberating telling her about it. Restricting candy sales to minors because they could get cavities, what a joke.

Like the Mayor, Colgate's cheery disposition melted as quickly as it came and the mare scowled in disappointment. "If not, than I must ask that I not be disturbed." She turned her attention back to the file, reading over it once more.

'Gee, what crawled up her plot this morning?'

Despite the mare's foul mood, Spike wasn't about to let a dismissal deture him from education. "What are you reading?" 

"Ponyville Proposition 243, The Provision for Maternity Leave for Mares." Colgate answered distractedly. Spike walked forward behind her and read over her shoulder. 

The dragon prided himself on his intelligence and ability to comprehend. He'd lived in libraries all of his life with an intellectual mare who prized knowledgeable pursiutes above all things and challenged his senses of understanding and pushed him to become more adept in the realms of vocabulary, grammar, and interpretation in a way that superseded most average ponies.

Though, when he looked at the words on the page, his mind immediately went blank. The words, the words were beyond count, beyond comprehension! The words he understood if he took a few seconds to think on them, but in the context they were in, it was like reading a second language! 

He had to reread a single paragraph six times before he finally realized that the mass of text was simply a specification of what the implications were for the business whom failed to give the maternity leave would be. Over half of the text was just referencing six other subsections in accordance to authority, regulation, government power of attorney, and what constitutes coercion.

Deciding he could wait to understand the legal jargin, Spike asked the Councilmare about how the political process worked in city hall. He'd expected Colgate to answer him either dismissively or outright ignore him, however, the mare turned to him with a curious skepticism.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Well, you guys kinda decide the rules and laws we live by, right?" Spike shrugged. "Figured it would be smart of me to come in and see how everything worked, ya know?"

The cobalt mare's hard stare continued for a few more seconds before slowly turning into a smile. "Really? You mean you actually care about politics?" Spike nodded, making Colgate giggle happily before turning her full attention to him.

"Alright, so in Ponyville, we run on a representative democracy; with an underscore executive. The City council being the representatives and the mayor being the executive. That means that we representatives, Myself, representative of the first District of Ponyville, Leaf Spring and Rain Drops, who represent the Second and Third districts respectively, vote in a small democracy about the legislation that the town should pass or not, using executive action for emergancy situations or in the event that a council member abstains from voting and a tie results."

"The executive underscore means that the mayor, while technically of a higher position than us, does not supercede our authority as a unified council. Of course there's also direct democracy where we take a bill to the town and allow the entire voting public to decide on if the regulation or law should be placed into effect or not. This is usually not the case because most ponies don't understand the intricacies of our own laws and by laws." She paused and turned the Maternity bill for him to see, the ungodly amount of words giving the drake a head ache. "See, you're on the smarter side too, how do you think the voting public would react if they had to read this and follow through reading everything else?"

Spike often wondered why direct democracy wasn't more often implemented in dealing with Ponyville's issues. It would take weeks, maybe even months for everypony in town to read all of the needed documents to make informed decisions. Making a process that the council could resolve in a few hours last over the period of months at a time. At least, if it was done right anyway, and ponies didn't just vote for something without understanding exactly what they were saying yes or no to.

The mare continued on about the structure of government role, from the power of the city council down to the guards and their commitment to upholding the law and order. It was surprisingly simple, yet somehow seemed so complicated with how she dragged it out. The technicalities and precise language of the laws and regulations were what made it so, since grey areas were so easy to come across.

"We used to run this city as the ponies saw fit... until your little friend came along and began telling us how to do our job." Colgate finished with a scowl. Though, fortunately for her, she immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, it's just been so difficult to get anything done with him around. In two hours, he'd make two weeks of work for us. Rejecting laws, demanding revisions, looking over budget numbers and stuff.''

While Spike didn't appreciate his late friend's besmirchment, he could understand Colgate's irritation. Poor mare looked nothing like she usually did, much more stressed out and tired looking than usual. The arbiter of city council was a new addition to the Ponyville government structure, one Celestia was persistent in maintaining if any kind of federal funding was to be awarded. Sin's place as the previous arbiter had destroyed the system the council had, which was to pass anything they liked so long as there was more benefit to the city than detriment. 

Spike held his tongue on that one, making it so foals couldn't buy candy was a bad joke as far as he was concerned.

The doors to the chamber opened and two ponies Spike didn't recognize walked in. The first a serious looking green mare with her ivory mane bunched up in a bun, the latter was an aqua colored mare sporting a teal curl mane styled in a way that almost rivaled the elegance of Rarity.

"Rain Drops, Leaf Spring? What are you two doing here?" Colgate asked. "I thought you were still in Canterlot."

"Celestia said we weren't needed anymore." Rain Drops said absently, filing her hoof with a dull expression.

Leaf Spring struted forth, pushing past the two occupants and over to one of the desks, retrieving a glass and tea bag. "Indeed, apparently all we Ponyville folk are good for is aid in the reconstruction efforts." She scoffed, pulling out a water bottle and making herself a lukewarm brew.

"Oh boy." The cobalt mare whispered worriedly. "Did she say anything abou-"

"She rejected my appeal!" Leaf yelled, slamming the glass on the table and turning to give Colgate a glare. "Even with that rat bastard dead, the princess thinks our spending and regulatory practices are in need of guidance! I can't flying believe it!"

'Rat bastard? Oh Tartarus, Spike, calm down.'

It took everything he had to restrain himself, but the drake managed to refrain from lobbing a tirade that would make a sailor run home crying to his mommy.

Who did this... muel think she was?!

Colgate made a gesture with her hoof across her throat and motioned to Spike, gaining the irate councilmare's attention. Though, she didn't seem at all dissuaded, she actually looked confused. 

"What? What are you... YOU!" The snobby mare shrieked, now noticing Spike's presence. "You're the dragon that ruined the market district. Twice! Get out! Get out of my Hall, you are not welcome here!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was political corruption going on." Spike said in mock apology.

Colgate looked at him in shock, Leaf had a similar expression but with much more indignity, and Rain didn't even look like heard him.

"Why you- how dare you!"

The drake gave a half hearted bow. "By all means, continue bemoaning the fact you can't do your jobs right and need a foal sitter to hold you hooves." He stood and recited the minotaur finger gesture Blade had taught him. Apparently it was well known because both Colgate and Leaf Spring gasped at the display.

Having said his piece, Spike strutted out of the chamber and told Mayor Mare that he had been banned from the premises. The mayor asked what was going on.

"Ask that mule with the white hair, she's the one who told me to get lost." He retorted before closing the door. Mayor Mare had more to say, but Spike didn't care. As satisfying as it was to give that mule the finger and call her out, he was still furious with her, and just wanted to leave this place before he did something he'd regret.

Seething quietly, he made way back to the library to relax and calm down.

"Excuse me." 

Spike looked left, seeing a bright hot pink pegasus pony with broadly framed glasses approach. Her mane was... disturbingly trimmed. While most mares kept their manes at least somewhat stylish, her rainbow colored locks were cut down to a strange and short bowl cut. A mane don't, as Rarity would call it.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but could you tell me where I can find City Hall?" She asked. Spike couldn't quite put his finger on why, but she seemed... off some how. Fake? No, that wasn't the right word. He didn't know, but she just rubbed him the wrong way.

"Yea, it's over that way." He pointed with a thumb.

The mare thanked him and asked him how his day was going. Again, on the outside she appeared honest and genuine enough, but her words just felt... wrong, some how.

"Fine, I guess."

The pegasus mare tilted her head and eyed Spike with eyes full of pity enough to insult his sensibilities. "You poor, poor creature. Living in a town of ponies who just don't understand you. I can't imagine the oppression you must go through on a day to day basis." She lifted her hoof and motioned for him to come closer.

Spike's brow furrowed and his eyes widened, his mind slowly coming to the conclusion of what she wanted.

'She wants a hug... okay? I'm gonna go with no.'

He stood his ground, waiting for the mare to realize that her offering wasn't going to be accepted. "Umm... thanks, I guess."

She lowered her leg and gave him a wide and happy smile. "Don't worry, I understand, and I'm here to help!" She declared, walking past. "Don't worry little dragon, nopony will ever oppress you again while I'm here."

Spike turned and gave her a look. It was disturbing just how confused he was, almost kinda scary. He'd seen many reaction from different ponies over him being a dragon, but he'd never really felt "oppressed" over it before. Even that little stunt with Leaf Spring was more of a grudge against his personal actions than over his race.

As she walked by, Spike took note of her cutie mark. Two parallel, black, straight horizontal lines covered her flank. The drake wasn't sure what it was, but it almost looked like the mathematical equal sign.
> Mac's Reprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Mac's Reprise







Over the next few days, Macintosh began to feel the stress of his life mount up.

He'd made little bits of effort to talk to Scootaloo, as did Annabelle. Both had agreed to keep their distance from the young filly and not pry into her problems too much yet. Trust was important and would need to be established before anything.

The two had often asked her opinion on certain wedding day aspects like if there should be a larger alter nor not. If she'd like to be a flower filly, since she'd had experience in that during the botched Canterlot Wedding. She happily agreed, promising to do a good job and help out anyway she could.

Happy as he was to see her spirits lifted on the matter, it was a small drop in the bucket. Between the Tax collector arriving any day now, Applejack's continued distance, the other aspects of the wedding, and the fact he needed to be out bucking the orchard but still didn't have the strength, his mind was beyond preoccupied. 

If nothing else, though, Mac's down time did give him the opportunity to catch up on the farms financial status. They'd be next to broke, with scraps of bits left over to pay for the wedding, but they should be able to pay off the taxes they owed, at least until the annual Apple Cider sale, where they'd make up more than enough money to recover. 

Still, it was nice to see Scootaloo smile. Applebloom seemed encouraged by it, and the rest of the day, everypony in the house seemed in a far better mood, AJ even smiled when she'd come in for lunch with Annabelle. The apple mare was still on edge over Annabelle's and Granny's allowance of Scootaloo's living arrangements at the farm, but she was slowly getting over it.

Though, that was another problem on the stallion's mind. He didn't really want to think about it, but informing Scootaloo's parents where she was was yet another mark on his list of things to do.

It irritated him greatly how calm the situation was. She went to school, and if her parents were really all that worried, they could easily go there to get her. So, it's not like they were all that concerned about not knowing where she was. Why or how parents, ponies with children who they are supposed to love and protect, could be so neglegent was beyond him. It worked Mac up every time he thought about it and would quickly have to shift his mind to something else to keep himself from getting angry.

Finishing up some last minute recalculation to make sure his numbers were right, Mac leaned back against his chair and looked around his father's old study. Well, not so much a study, but a quiet room where all the files and other important documents were kept. A quiet room where the paper work could be done. Simple place, a desk, a few filing cabinets, light overhead. Plain with no abstractions.

The fillies were in school, Granny was sleeping in her rocking chair and Anna and Applejack were out tending the fields. It took some time to train his wife-to-be to get her well enough to do the bucking and trimming of trees, but Macintosh took pride in her accomplishments. Annabelle was truely an exceptional mare, she never complained about the work and did everything she could to be kind to the family and help out any way she could.

If he could find one flaw with her, it was her lack of ability to think things through. Annabelle was brash, head strung and made decisions based more on feelings than logic. But Mac found that as one of her more enduring qualities. He didn't often make hasty decisions himself, and preferred to take time to think over his options. It wasn't often it back fired in his face, but he'd often spend more  time thinking than acting. Even his stunt with the communists, he'd wrestled too long with ideas and that lead to all out violence. Nopony died, thankfully, but many were injured and some had vowed vengeance against the crown.

When it came to Scootaloo, he'd have likely consulted the family on the matter and ultimately broken under Applejacks logic to turn the filly over to authorities. Annabelle didn't.

While Mac took a small bit of exception to that, he could also appreciate it for what it was. Independent thinking and action, doing what was moral instead of what was lawful.

Rubbing his hooves over his eyes, the stallion tried to quiet his mind.

All of this thinking with no form of physical relief was getting to him. Mac, while a deep and introspective type, hated not being able to move about and exert himself. He'd been restricted to the house because he'd tried to help Anna and AJ unload the apple cart a few days ago and hissed from the pain in his leg. He swore it was more about how he wasn't knowing how his body to react to the weight, but neither his sister nor marefriend would allow him to help afterwords and told him to stay inside.

Instead of getting indignant about being told what to do, Mac complied. It was true, he wasn't sure how much help he'd have been anyway, nor how much longer his healing would take if he strained his injured form. Still didn't make it any easier to rest, though.

Pushing off of the desk, Mac stood up and made way for the front door. He was sick of sitting around the house and wanted to go out for a bit.

He opened the door and was a little startled to find a pony standing in the doorway with his hoof up ready to knock. 

"Oh, uh. Hey Macintosh." Said Shining Armor, smiling at him.

"Shinin'? What are you doin' here?" Mac asked, a little tingle crawling up his rump over the prospect that the authorities were called in over Scootaloo.

"Well, I'm actually here for a few things." Shining said, pulling up a letter in his magic and handing it to the pony. It was his tax statement.

This both lead to a great relief and small amount of irritation.

Apparently, there was a replacement at City Hall for Sin's job who hadn't been reporting in on the goings on in the council. While Sin reported to Uppity, who reported to Celestia, the replacement did not. So, Shining Armor had gotten wind of this and offered to take a train ride down to Ponyville to figure out what all was going on. While there, the guard captain noticed that the tax calls were going out and figured that was as good an excuse as any to come and visit.

"Alrigh'." Mac nodded, it made sense. "So what're ya needin'?"

"Sorry to intrude, but you haven't seen Star Shade lately have you? He's disappeared from the medical wing and nopony's seen a trace of him since."

That was... odd. Shade's injuries were damn near crippling, some of the medical staff doubted if the pony would ever walk or fly again, how was it possible for him to go missing? The pony didn't exactly have many friends, and what few he did have were either... dead or in Ponyville.

Mac shook his head, he hadn't seen Shade, but was a little worried. Shining Armor sighed and thanked him for his cooperation. "Hey listen," The unicorn said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking more than a little embarassed. "Can uh, can we talk for a bit?"

It was an odd request, but Mac obliged. Shining was an alright sort as far as he was concerned, aside from Spike he was also the only other male who he spoken to in the past few weeks.

The two walked outside and began to make way for Ponyville. Shining opened up the conversation with an apology about Mac's loss, being respectful and making sure the stallion was doing alright. Of course he was still saddened about it, but he knew Sin wanted him happy and not moping around about his loss. 

"So, what is it y'all needed ta talk about?" 

"Honestly, I'd just like somepony to talk to." Shining answered honestly. Mac quirked a brow and the unicorn's ears drooped. "With Cadance seeing over the Crystal Empire, I've kinda got no real friends..."

"Wha?"

And so Shining told the tale of what it meant to be the lover of the most beautiful and sought after pony in the world. Jealousy had severed ties within the social circles he did have, either through envy or a desire to get close to his wife to be. Stallions resented him, and in that resentment, Shining found himself secluded.

It wasn't fair, nor right. Hay, it even got to the point where he'd actually tried to befriend Sin... and those two hated each other. Macintosh asked if he'd tried befriending mares, but that brought another host of problems. Either the mares would send the wrong signal or they'd ask why he wasn't spending time with his fiancee. 

The two made it to Ponyville and went to sugar cube corner to grab a bite to eat. By happenstance, Twilight and Spike were both already there, chatting it up with Pinkie Pie and a dark green pony Mac had never seen before.

The three ponies and single drake looked more somber and serious than they had a right to in the establishment. Even Pinkie was absent her usual smile. 

"Wonder wha's up with them?" 

Shining didn't know, but he was going to find out. They sat down almost unnoticed and politely asked how everypony was doing. Twilight was the first to notice and her spirits brightened immediatly. "Shining! It's good to see you!" She said, embracing her brother in a hug. "What are you doing in Ponyville."

He told her the same thing he'd told Mac about the new City Council mare, earning a saddened look from Pinkie and a death glare from the green earth pony.

"Buck that bitch." The green pony groaned.

"Blade." Spike said, making the stallion scoff and turn his scowl back to the milkshake infront of him.

"What?" Shining asked, genuinely confused.

Blade refused to answer, he just shook his head and mumbled a few more insults that set Twilight and Pinkie's cheeks ablaze. Spike was more willing to talk and told him about the unprecedented changes that City Hall had made in the few days. Firstly, they'd reinstated a few laws that were previously pulled, planned to hike taxes for sugary goods, had lifted the age of purchasing said sugary foods to eighteen years old, and had put into place an unnecessary and inefficient saftey regulation on all industrialized work areas.

Pinkie being upset about this matter, and seeing every foal in the store accompanied by an adult made a lot more sense now, but that didn't explain why Blade was acting so angry.

"Because we know how to do our jobs!" He spat, taking a long drink of his chocolate beverage. "None of the city council has ever even been in a manual labor job, and they think they have the right to come out to our mill and tell us how to do our jobs? What a bunch of horse apples."

Nothing had been done yet, on that front, but there were alleged plans to start implementing all kinds of worker safety regulations. Placing mandatory safety classes at the expense of the business owners, additional safety guards and personal protective equipment, work quotas for all tribes and sexes, even some quotas demanding the hire of other races. All under the threat of fines should the regulations not be met.

Mac found the notion as absurd as it was irritating. He didn't travel Ponyville often, but he'd been around long enough to see that there wasn't exactly a high supply of non-ponies looking for work.

"Now to be fair, that last one's just a rumor." Twilight pointed out. "But umm..." She prodded her hooves together nervously. "After what happened with Zecora, I can't really say that it's not warranted in this town. I mean, the zebra didn't even really do anything and everypony acted like her coming to visit was some catastrophic event."

Pinkie and Blade both cringed. Macintosh honestly couldn't say one way or another, he'd never met Zecora before Shade's inexplicable relationship with her.

"Wait, are you saying you agree with that bull crap quota?" Blade demanded.

"No, well not really." Twilight stuttered. "I'm just saying that Ponyville could do with a little more racial and diversity sensitivity."

Blade gave the unicorn mare a bewildered look. "Racial diversity is all fine and good, but that's not what I'm on about. I'm on about the work quotas for it."

Again, Twilight poked her hooves together. "Well... if different species are going to come and live here, they'll need a job to support themselves and their families, right?"

"Yea, but for it to cost my job?"

Seeing the stallion getting worked up, Spike interjected. "I don't see what you're getting so worked up about. Even if it does happen, you guys have Cranky working there, and I'll be back at some point."

"Yea, but how long until the government deamnds that we have a higher percentage of other species working with us? Besides, I don't really care who I work with as long as they can do their job and I can get along with them. But to be forced to choose a certain type of pony to have work for you? That just doesn't sit well with me."

Mac could agree to that, but Twilight stood by her position that the town could do with a little less biggotry. Gilda, one of Rainbow Dash's girffin friends, had left quite a bad taste in Ponyville's proverbial mouth, and it wasn't fair that the next griffin to come along would likely be treated as though they were Gilda herself.

Spike took exception with this and stated that Ponyville hadn't treated him badly because he was a dragon, and he'd actually done a fair bit of damage, which lead to an even bigger debate.

Mac and Shining watched as the two ponies and dragon shot back and forth, Pinkie walked away, saying her break was over.

"Are they usually like this?" Shining whispered.

Mad shook his head but didn't answer, he was too busy trying to figure out what all of this meant for the farm. Technically they were a business, if a family business. Did that mean they'd be subject to these exuberant rule changes too? He made a note to stop by city hall on the way home to figure out all what was what.

The debate died down with Spike intervening and asking that the day just go by smoothly. He didn't want to be stressed out and irritated right now. Blade agreed, but Twilight apparently had been too worked up and decided to go to the library and catch up on her studies. Saying something about a spell that changed apples to oranges.

A notion that deeply offended the apple grower.

With her gone, only the guys were left at the table with half frozen or fully thawed milkshakes. 

"Sorry," Blade moaned after a minute of awkward silence. "Didn't mean to get her that upset, it's just... I can't stand the government getting involved in stuff like this."

"I get it, dude. But I also understand where Twilight's coming from. Ponyville does have a little bit of a problem accepting ponies who they don't understand."

Again, the dark green earth pony nodded.

Another somber silence was about to descend but the dragon wasn't about to let it, instead asking if they all wanted to come back to his place for a game of cards. Blade gave the matter some thought but ultimately agreed, saying it would be nice to hang out for a while over a good game of poker.

"How about you guys?" 

Mac and Shining shared a look and shrugged. The former really didn't have any plans aside from stopping by the city hall and Shining was looking to hang out with some male friends anyway. Plus, from what he could tell, Blade was an alright stallion. Certainly shared his views on politics and the place of government, at least.





  



Luna walked down the hall of the castle to the garden out back, a letter held within her magical grip.

She was strutting down to assert her own confidence in herself but knew she had little right to. The letter was written by Conno that demanded he meet her alone in the garden tonight. She wasn't afraid of him hurting her or anything, but couldn't understand why he'd want to talk to her. Sin was gone and she'd paid her debts to Malich already. Her involvement with the Triple M. Corporation was over and done with.

It would likely end up painfully for her. Celestia had told her never to get involved with that specific company due to their less than reputable business practices and their fondness of violent solutions. She never liked fighters for hire and found the company to exploitative and manipulative. And after Luna's own dealings with them, she really wished she'd listen to her sister's warning.

The solar alicorn wasn't going to be happy if Conno followed through with his threat to tell her about the deals made.

But Luna was growing tired of her involvements being hung over her head. She wanted the lying and guilt to stop, and if Celestia was going to find out about it, it would be after she'd fixed the problem she'd made. All of this treachery and hiding was slowly changing her again, she figured that out when she was happy to see somepony die who'd expose the truth about her. 

What kind of ruler would she be if she wished death upon her own subjects for threatening to tell the truth? Yes, she was exploited by him, but the decisions he threatened to bring to light were made on her own part. Decisions it was time to take responsibility for.

"We hope this doesn't take long." She said to herself, pushing the doors open and closing them behind her.

As was usual with their meetings, the place she expected him to be was baren of his presence. She had to be the first to arrive while the agents confirmed her solitary company. She took a seat in the middle, away from most of the statues so she could be seen and waited. Luna knew all that the night had to offer, she knew the true terrors that lurked within the dark and she knew she had no need to be afraid, but with darkness illuminated only by her crescent moon, all of the statues around looked far more ominous than they did in her sister's sun.

As she waited, she used her subtle magics to enhance her hearing and listened to the almost silent wing flaps and clicking of claws on stone that echoed all around her. She knew the agents were there, looking around, and wished they'd hurry. The lunar alicorn couldn't blame them though, if she'd ever really wanted to, she could easily have them all taken captive or worse, especially with her guards by her side.

Still, she'd had more than enough of their presence in her life. She planned to tell Conno and the rest of them to leave Equestria and never return. Anypony associated with the Triple M. Corporation would no longer be welcome in Equestria.

"Good Evening, Princess." Conno said from behind her. 

Taking a breath, mentioned turned to find the black clad griffin standing behind her. "Conno."

The mercenary reached into his coat and pulled out a pen and notepad. "I want to know what happened to Sin Islander. We saw him walk into the castle, but has yet to emerge. We've heard... rumors of his death. Can you confirm this and allow his body to be examined for secondary confirmation?"

Luna shook her head. Fact was that Sin's body was never discovered, but if it was anything like what happened with that communist, he'd likely turn up in a very unexpected place.

"That's unfortunate." Conno said coolly, jotting down in his notepad. "Is it also true that you and your sister had him imprisoned and that was where he was killed?"

"We will be answering no more of your questions." Luna said flatly, earning a neutral glare from the ebon colored griffon. "Nor shall you be permitted to ask them."

"Oh?" Conno asked, his head tilting in an almost unnatural way for anything other than non-avian necks.

Luna felt herself grow slightly heavier and uncomfortable. They never told her how they did it, but she knew the feelings of discomfort came from the agents, always used when meeting resistance. But she was an alicorn, the mistress of the night, their powers were nothing compared to her own.

"Yes. We have had quite enough of you and your control over us. Now leave our castle, our city and our nation and never return!" She commanded, throwing her head forward and launching a spell at the griff. Conno dodged left just in time and waited for her to make another move. Seeing that her spell was just for added effect, the avian feline hybrid stood up and brushed off his coat. 

"You realize I could ruin you if I told your si-"

"WE CARE NOT!" She cried. "We said we are finished with you. Now leave lest ye be imprisoned for extortion of royalty!"

She stared down the mercenary with a sneer, one he'd have likely mimicked if Conno's beak didn't always keep him in a mask of utter neutrality. Most griffons would allow their crests to express emotions through raising or lowering, however, he did not. All he ever did when dealing with anything less than full compliance was increase the weight of whatever invisible force she felt that made her uncomfortable, and he must have been angry because it was the strongest that Luna had ever felt it.

Sighing, Conno broke eye contact, as well as the repressive aura that bound her.

"You disappoint me, Luna." He opened his eyes and snapped his talons. 

Suddenly, the mare found herself swarmed by eight leather coated griffons. She tried to cry for help but one of them immediatly clamped a claw over her muzzle to keep her quiet.

As she struggled to be released, she silently chided herself for being as foolish as she was to actually come alone. Luna hadn't thought these deviants would actually attack her within her own castle. Though, she also didn't think them as strong and tactical as they were either.

Upon their assault, they'd all immediately went for different parts of her anatomy. Starting with her mouth and horn, her wings and then her legs. In terms of actual strength, griffins themselves weren't very strong, they couldn't be for their wings to support the muscle weight, but what they lacked in physical power, they more than made up for tactics and speed.

Just as quickly as she pushed off one of the mercenaries from her person, it was right back again before she could use said free apendage. They held her body in place using both leverage and a keeping her joints braced into place.

Despite the fear of discharge, Luna began summoning a spell in her horn to push all of them away at once. Her magic took a great deal more effort than it should have, but she'd finally charged enough to set off the electric discharge, electrocuting both her assailants and herself. 

The griffons looked up at her with beaks wide open.

Before Luna could charge up another spell, she was side swiped and pushed down to the ground, a sharp talon pressing deep against her ear drum. "GET HER!" Conno barked, forcing the mercenaries back to restrain her once again.

Luna tried to summon her magic once more, but something was slipped onto her horn, halting the magic in it's place.

"Dragon scales don't seem to work on concentrated Alicorn magic. Good to know." Conno growled, standing up from the pile and pulling out his pen and notepad, jotting the information down. 

Luna continued to thrash, her anger and indignation meeting with fear over her helplessness. Her magic was restricted and so was her body, part of her feared for herself, but part of he wanted to think they wouldn't dare take advantage of her situation. Triple M. mercenaries were cold and calculating, but they were always professionals.

"The sad thing is-" Conno said, finishing up his notes and putting them back into his jacket. "-you're attack was probably the best thing you could have done. You see, seeing Sin survive this was a secondary objective to my unit once we'd learned of his presence here. If he is dead, and he died while in your custody, that makes you responsible, Princess Luna."

He reached back into his jacket and pulled out a small vile of dark purple liquid. He eyed the liquid for a moment, then looked back at Luna before popping the top off and walking over to her ethereal waving tale. He slammed his hoof down on it, making the lunar goddess cry out a muffled scream.

"And with responsibility, comes accountability."

He leaned the vial ever so slightl, dropping a single, solitary drop of the substance onto the very tip of Luna's tale. 

Her eyes shot wide in shock as soon as the drop landed and she began to thrash around with renwed vigor. Pain beyond pain permeated through her back side. She didn't know what Conno had done, but it had caused her more physical pain than she'd ever experienced before in her life. The more time passed, the more excruciating the pain.

It wasn't possible, Alicorn's bodies could handle pain much better than normal ponies could. Why wasn't her body healing already? Why did her tail still burn like it was on fire?! She hadn't used nearly enough magic to justify anything like this happening.

Slowly, the agony began to subside. Leaving the mare gasp and pant for air through the grip of one of her attackers. Between that pain and the pain of being sexually taken, she wasn't sure which would be worse.

"Interesting." Conno intoned. Again, jotting down some notes. "The boys at the lab will be be thrilled about this."

He placed the notepad away and wondered to look Luna directly in the eye. He knelt down and grabbed her ear, making her wince as he dug his tallons into her soft flesh. "I want you to listen, and listen very closely, you filthy little trollop. I have a reputation, in that reputation I am known for getting answers and accurate information. So, I'll ask you again, did you and or your sister take him into custody?"

Luna gave him a defiant stare and blew her nose, sending small nose matter onto the griffon. Her rebellion was met with his grip on her ear tightening and him reaching into his coat and retrieving the purple liquid filled vile. "What this did going on the very tip of your tale looked excruciatingly painful." He popped the cape and dangled it just over her eyeball, the liquid a fraction of a degree from spilling onto her retina. "Would you like to see how it feels applied to a more... sensitive area?"

Again, Luna merely stared in defiance, determined not to talk.

Conno's eyes narrowed. "You Equestrians do amuse me with how far you're willing to push my patience. I've spent the last three days searching all of the places that the target may be and come up empty clawed. The only one of you who might have known anything was that unicorn maniac who thought he was a prince that we'd found in the hospital. He decided he wanted to push my patience as well, and it was the last mistake he ever made."

The griffin's talon twitched slightly, and a small drop of the liquid splashed a mere inch from Luna's eye and landed on the ground with a dull his. She watched with horror as the solution began to hiss and bubble, eating away at the grass and digging down into the dirt.

Suddenly finding the situation all too real, Luna looked at him and then at the vial. She couldn't see her tail, but she could still feel a small throbbing at the end. Whatever that stuff was, it nullified her healing. If he dropped that into her eye, she didn't know if she could recover from it.

Not wanting to find out just how powerful the tonic was, Luna nodded in the affirmative.

"Good, we're making progress." Conno patronized, loosening his grip and lowering the bottle. "Now, do you know where Sin's body is?" 

Luna shook her head in the negative.

"Do you know for a fact he's dead at all?"

Frowning, the lunar pony considered the question and shook her head.

Conno glared down at her, his eyes somehow becoming harder as the discomfort he caused came back to her.

"Final question. Do you know where he is or where he might be if he is, in fact, alive?"

Again, Luna shook her head. Conno continued his stare down at her, his eyes demanding to know more and searching into hers for any more information she might have.

Seeing none, he sighed again and recapped the vial. "Thank you for your cooperation. Now, let me tell you what's going to happen from here: I know you can find ponies through their dreams. You will be looking for Sin and telling us if and when you find him. You will also be keeping your silence on your involvement with our organization and refraining yourself from doing or saying anything that could jeaporize our mission in Equestria."

"Should you fail in either of these regards, I'll see that you get a very long, very special bath." He withdrew his note pad and ripped out a peice of paper. "Silvia!" 

One of the griffon's who held her legs let go and stood in front of Conno. "Since it was your responsibility to oversee Sin, you will be the one to report what's happened here and give these findings to Malich."

The female griffin cringed and bemoaned her lot in life. A decision met with a firm back hand from Conno. "I don't want your trivial bitching. I want you to get back to head quarters and take responsibility for your failure. You're lucky you're the VP's personal secretary. If you weren't, I'd have ripped open your stomach and left you to the wolves."

Luna's eyes snapped wide at the threat. She knew Triple M. agents were ruthless, but that was just sickeningly cruel.

When the griffin departed and was a safe distance away, Conno ordered his subordinates to release her. Luna immieiatly turned to see to her tail and was disturbed to find it the stars within had become stagnant and lifeless, with the blackness of night swelling and part of it somehow blistering!

She was hurt, Luna, the alicorn of the moon, an alicorn was honestly hurt.

"I'll make this simple for you, just in case you're confused in any way, shape or form." Conno growled, his face betraying nothing of his anger. "If you dare attack me or my subordinates ever again, not only will I drown you in this stuff, but I'll shove it down your throat until it eats past your stomach, dissolves your entrails, and destroyed your fucking rectum like fresh meat in prison. Am I crystal, fucking, clear?"

Again, Luna nodded, too terrified of what's she'd just experienced and her loss of invulnerability to do anything else.

"Good, and don't think your little guards will be able to protect you. I personally saw just how ineffective the Equestrian military is, and would put bills to bits that my squad of six could handle a hundred of your soldiers." He swiped at the alicorn and ripped the magic inhibitor from her horn, startling Luna even more.

Conno snapped his talons again and his subordinates retreated back to the shadows, halting to say a few words before joining them. "We'll be in touch."
   
> Happy Days
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Happy Days






Spike and Twilight sat at the table, eating a delicious plate of brownies the drake had ordered from the counter up. Fluttershy and Rarity sat accrossed from them, both eating with much more refinement and grace than the two library dwellers.

Rarity had shut down her botique for a half day to attend the get together, happy to oblige the request to have a treat with three of her friends. Fluttershy was talking about her day with, of course, Angle Bunny being the primary antagonist. Spike didn't know how he put up with that rabbit, cute and cuddly or not, that thing was an abusive menace that tortured his caretaker and showed her not gratitude at all. He didn't say anything, but he played over a few choice series of unfortunate events he wouldn't mind seeing happen to it.

"After that, I gave Barry a quick bath.." She chuckled. "Hybernation always leaves his coat all scraggly and nasty, what with the bugs and all."

Rarity gwafed. "Please darling, can we refrain from speaking of such things while eating?"

It wasn't meant to be an insult, just a plea for a different topic, and a change Spike was in agreement on.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I've just been so used to it, talking about it doesn't bother me anymore." The timid pegasus apologized. 

"So, how's business at the boutique, Rarity? Coming up with any new fashion designs for Spring?" Twilight asked.

Rarity's eyes lit up. "Oh dear, the ensemble I've assembled is just marvelous! I plan on sending a few pictures to Hoity Toity next week to see what his opinion is. But I know fashion, and I just know my designs will be all the rage, as they say."

This lead to a segue into asking Fluttershy if she'd be willing to model, which the mare was unsure of, considering what happened last time, and Rarity trying to convince her with the "But darling, you simply must" argument.

Spike smiled and took a sip of orange milk shake. He'd missed days like this, where ponies were just hanging out and talking to eachother. No really big problems.

"Well if you insist, I suppose I can't ask you to change your mind more than once." The fashionista bemoaned. "How about you, Spike? How have things been for you since..." She grimaced.

"No, no it's fine." He said quickly, not wanting the good mood to die off on his account. He didn't want to tell them about the problems he'd run into yesterday, or his little interaction with the city officials a few days ago, so he settled for the card game with Mac, Shining and his co-worker.

Not much happened, other than shit talking, as Blade put it. The three of them spoke about the affairs they'd run into as of late. Macintosh said nothing about Scootaloo staying over, but had plenty to say in terms of family drama. Blade going on about how he still hadn't found a mare and was a little irritated at his brother for not coming with him to Sugar Cube Corner because the place was 'for foals, not adults', and Spike's interactions with City Council, which Blade found quite amusing.

Shining was pretty tight lipped at first, but opened up as the game progressed. Apparently he'd sent out multiple search parties all over Equestria to drive off the remaining Changelings and search for Chrysalis, as well as send a search party after his apprentice, Valiar. The stallion was honestly worried for the younger pony and upset with himself that he'd been to wrapped up in his own mental drama to act quicker to see to the obviously unstable unicorn.

So, aside from playing cards and talking, not much had happened. Well aside from Spike losing his tail in the game. Seriously, who'd have thought Shining had such a great pokerface?

"Wait, Shining won that?" Twilight asked.

"Yep."

"I didn't take Shining for the card game type." Rarity said, also a bit surprised.

Spike chuckled. "None of us did. It all came down to him and Blade in the end. Blade said it was the most intense and fun game he'd played in months." Even though there were no stakes to win or lose for, the game did get pretty heated, but he left out how broken up his ex-co-worker was about it, as well as the vengeance he swore come next weeks game.

Which reminded Spike that he'd need to get an actual card table, sitting down at the dinner  table just didn't seem as appealing as a legitimate velvet green top. Also, snacks. Snacks were necessary, he was starving for a good bag of chips or soda at one point and felt a little embarrassed that there wasn't any soda or... more sophisticated beverages that he could offer.

"Was it me, or was Blade really interested in Pinkie Pie in Sugar Cube Corner yesterday?"

Spike's eyes shot wide as he heard Rarity's infamous gossipy gasp. He turned indrudulous stare to his mother's innocent inquary. "What have you done?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" Twilight tilted her head curiously.

In the blink of an eye, Rarity was in Twilight's face, gushingly demanding details to Ponyville's 'newest couple'. "Tell me, was their flaunting, kissing, or dare I say, cuddling? DETAILS TWILIGHT! Spare nothing, especially the juicy stuff."

"Umm, you know, Rarity, it's not polite to pry into somepony else's personal life without asking them about it." Fluttershy squeeked, cheeks flushed.

"Oh pish posh, darling. It's just a little bit of bridal gossip, no harm in that, is there?"

It was a blunt and absolutely inconsiderate dismissal of a friend's privacey with wanton disregard for implications and the new ammo for the town rumor mill.

Yep, it was good to have the old Rarity back.

Sadly, Blade's active pursuite in Pinkie had died out as soon as he'd asked why she was so down that day. He'd originally thought it would be the perfect seguey into trying to cheer her up and asking her out, but as soon as the subject of the city council came up, he deflated just like she did.

Rarity's delight and insistence quickly shattered into dejected indignant at the mention as well. 

City council just left a trail of misery or anger where ever it came up, it appeared, though the fashionista's displeasure with them was far more superficial.

"Ugh, please can we not talk about them right now? I mean, did you see the newest member's mane?" 

"Now Rarity, that's not very nice." Fluttershy chided.

"I know dear! I'd gone to visit the council just the other day to confirm a few of the romers going around town. That's when I'd met that Social Justice character. How anypony could have such a ghastly lack of fashion sense, I just can't understand. It's a travesty against all things decent!"

Spike chuckled as Twilight and Fluttershy continued to reprimand the fashionista's shallowness. He didn't mind it near as much, and he suspected that, when the time came, the unicorn and pegasus wouldn't either.

"I'm just telling it how it is dear. I mean, it didn't help that she completely dismissed me and treated me as though I was some common street rat."

"Street rat?"

Rarity nodded, according to her, Social Justice hadn't been the most pleasant during their interactions. When she'd walked into city hall to confirm the roumers, the place was undergoing some very strange aesthetic changes. Nothing like putting up banners or anything, but taking down pictures of the former city council members, and new drapes and such.

She found the hot pink pony overseeing some renovations and introduced herself. Social Justice wasn't really mean or spiteful to her or anything, just kinda rude and neutral when she confirmed some rumors and denied others. Kinda like how a politician has to indulge a grievance they don't want to, but will sit there and indulge it with a forced and empty smile.

Just as the mare was in the middle of her story, the door to the bakery opened revealing, none other than the topic herself. Both Spike and Rarity grimaced when they saw her and quitely went back to thier respective snacks. Twilight and Fluttershy flinched upon seeing her, but rebounded with happy smiles.

The hot pink mare walked into the establishment with two neutral faced ponies behind her. One an orange earth pony male with a fist holding a red rose cutie mark and the other a lavander earth pony female with a male symbol cutie mark. 

Justice walked up to the counter and smiled at Pinkie.

"Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner, what can I get you?" The darker pink pony asked through a forced grin. Her eyes trailing to the two ponies behind Justice.

"Oh, I've come to deliver this to the owners of the establishment." Justice proclaimed, producing a white envelope onto the counter. "Are you their daughter?"

"Oh no, I just work here and live upstairs, but I guess you could call the cakes like my second set of parents!" Pinkie replied.

Spike watched the display with a small churning in his stomach. It wasn't fair on his part to judge her nearly as harshly as he was, Social Justice just wanted to help, she didn't know he wasn't really "oppressed" or whatever. She seemed like a nice enough mare as far as he could see. So why was he so wary of her?

"Oh my!" Justice declared when her eyes fell on Spike. "Hello there, I haven't seen you since I first got here."

Spike waved and gave himself a proper introduced, an introduction Justice returned and introduced her female associate as Mask and her male associate as Sock.

"These are my friends, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and I think you've already met Rarity."

Social Justice smiled politely at all of them and nodded. "Nice to meet all of you. Hold a tick, Twilight Sparkle? As in the personal assistant of Princess Celestia?"

Twilight blushed but nodded in the affirmative. Justice's smile faltered a little bit, but maintained her cheery demeanor. The lavander unicorn complimented the pegasus's efforts to wring in some much needed changes to the town. "I think you're doing a good thing, and you have my complete support."

"That's... good to hear." Justice chuckled. "So, umm, what is it you guys all do?"

Each of them listed off their occupations. Twilight being the town's librarian, Rarity being the local seamstress, Spike working at the local mill and Fluttershy making a living off of helping others with their animals.

"Oh I love animals!" Justice declared, swooning just a little. "Which school did you go to get your certificate in veterinarianism?" 

"Oh, I'm not actually certified for it." Fluttershy replied bashfully.

"Ehehe, what?" The new arbiter asked with a stupefied smile.

"Well, everything I know about animals, I learned myself. I've always loved taking care of little critters and it all just came naturally to me."

Justice's smile dropped completely to a thoughtful frown. "I see... You do realize that what you're doing is against the law, right?"

"It is?" Fluttershy tilted her head. "I didn't know that."

"Oh yes. If it wasn't, then ponies who hadn't the education as to what they were doing, but well intention-ed, such as yourself, could end up hurting animals more than helping them."

Spike frowned, not liking where this was going.

"Ahem." Sock cleared his throat. "Actually, Justice, that's not entirely accurate." The mare turned to him and gave the orange earth pony. "I was reading through the lawful exemptions, and it would seem your predecessor had written up a specific exemption for pony and wild life relations in Ponyville, among many other exemptions. Technically speaking, what this young mare is doing isn't illegal."

Justice eyed him for a moment then returned her hardened gaze back to Fluttershy before smiling. "Well, you really should still go to school and become educated before you start helping animals like that. Nature is a very delicate thing, and so are animals. You could easily end up doing more harm than good if you're not educated properly."

"Oh, but I am educated." Fluttershy protested. Though, Justice was adiment that if she was as educated as she claimed than there was no reason she shouldn't have a certification for being veterinarian. 

"Ms. Justice?" Said Mr. Cake as he came down the stairs.

"It was nice speaking to you all." Social Justice said turning to the stallion and smiling brightly. "Mr. Cake, it's nice to see you again. Do you have some place we may speak privately?"

The bakery co-owner lead the mare into the back, closely followed by her posse. 

"I didn't know what I was doing was illegal." Fluttershy's eyes widened, her irises constricting. "You don't think I'll be arrested, do you?"

"No, Fluttershy. They said that there was an exemption for what you did, so that makes what you did okay." Spike said, trying to reassure the distraught mare. But how Justice acted after that told the drake that her activities wouldn't be legal much longer. 

It was ridiculous, Fluttershy was one of the best animal care takers in the world. Hay, she could even speak to some of them. So what if she didn't have some school diploma or certification? If she could do the job and help others, who cared?

Rarity placed a comforting hoof on the pegasus' back and reaffirmed her comfort, saying that she shouldn't worry about the matter. Still, Fluttershy was much too shaken up over the prospect and began listing off all the animal's she'd been taking care of and how aweful she'd feel if her passions were lost to her simply because the law dictated it.

"Oh dear, come along Fluttershy, let's get you home and relaxed for a bit." Rarity said standing up. "After all you've done for me, this is the least I can do."

The two said their goodbyes and walked out of the establishment, Fluttershy nearly on the verge of tears. Leaving Spike and Twilight to pay the bill and mull over the prospect of just how many things were about to change...









Macintosh looked over the tax letter and smiled. His owed taxes were no where near as bad as he'd expected them to be.

Though, he supposed he should have known that, all things considered. Still though, this freed up alot of money for the farm. Money he was considering asking the family about using for his wedding. 

He wasn't going to ask to use all of it, just maybe purchase better material for the small alter, cater the wedding a little more, add a few decorations and such. Annabelle didn't know yet, but her answer would likely remain the same. She didn't want a big fancy wedding, especially one that required formal attire. All she wanted was to make a statement of commitment, good food, happy family and friends, and place to dance and be merry.

Mac could more than agree to that, but something continued interrupting his happy train of thought.

While playing cards last night, the subject of his desceased friend pushed itself to the surface, and Spike's Co-worker asked when the funeral would be so he could pay his final respects. 

Sin didn't have any family to set it up, a notion Macintosh and Spike hadn't really taken into too much consideration. If anypony was going to hold a funeral, it would have to be them. 

Macintosh had no way of contacting Sin's relitives and telling them about it or finding out if the stallion had anyone at home he wanted at his Funeral. All he knew was that the Federalist liked his grandfather detested his brother, and despised his father. It was kinda funny in hindsight just how little the stallion knew of his friend personally. Even the length of time he'd known him, Mac couldn't think of a single thing to say about him an a eulagy aside from his political stances.

'Not exactly something to be remembered by, is it?'

No. No it wasn't. Even so, he wanted to get the funeral over with so it wouldn't be such a dark cloud on his mood. He felt bad and selfish for it, but life had to go on. Sin was dead, dead and gone and he should be able to move on from it.

'He didn't have many friends, so maybe you could just have a small funeral at Sweet Apple Achers? A funeral pyre for him.'

That sounded nice, he wasn't an apple, so they wouldn't burn a tree on his account, but maybe cut down one of the trees from the Everfree forest and burn it instead. Yea, Sin might have liked that. Keeping in the traditions of the apple family, but still adding his own bit of home to it.

As he sat in his father's study in silent contemplation, a knock from the door drew his attention. "Come in." He said. Applejack opened the door and greeted her brother, closing the door behind her.

She stared at him apologetically and asked if he was alright. 

"Ah'm fine, jes thinkin's all."

"Alrigh'." The applemare took a breath. "Ya thinkin' 'bout what all yer gonna do 'bout Scootaloo n' the weddin'?"

The question irritated the red stallion, but he knew that it was a subject that would need to be dealt with sooner or later. So he couldn't really blame her for being pragmatic about the problem. "Nah, thinking 'bout a funeral."

"Oh, umm." The cow pony kicked at the floor bored. "Righ', well, Ah came tah apologize to ya, Mac. Annabelle n' Ah been talkin' n' while Ah still don't agree with what all she did, Ah can say Ah understand. It's jes', she ain't part o' the family yet, n' she's got no righ' makin' those kinds a decisions without talkin' to us 'bout it first."

Mac nodded, he figured that's what she was upset about, and to a point, he agreed. Anna really should have counciled the rest of them prior to taking Scootaloo in. It would have been the honest thing to do, but then again, who knows what would have happened if the filly was placed into Ponyville custody? So while he could understand where his sister was coming from, the circumstances worked out for the best that Anna acted against the norm.

"Thank ya, kindly." He replied. "Hey ya gotta sec? Ah need ta talk to you n' granny 'bout somethin'."

"Ya wanna have the funeral here, don't ya?" 

'Wow, and you only mentioned it once.'

AJ gave him an encouraging smile. "Ya know we'll support ya in that. Ah may notta liked him all that much, but yer friend wasn't all that bad neither. Not really anyhow."

Mac looked down at the tax statement and pushed it over to her. "Mighta been a little better then ya thought."

Taking the paper, Applejack's eyebrows shot up at the numbers. She may not have been too good at math, but even she could see the durastic decrease in what they'd owed. "Oh nelly, how'd he make this happen?"

Smiling to himself, Mac remained silent, letting his sister come to her own conclusion. Though, that did lead to another matter, discussing his use of some of the excess revenue for the wedding and beginning the planning process. Starting off with sending the invitations to their kin inviting them down to the farm for last day of the month.
> A Filly's Choice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





A Filly's Choice







Applebloom and Scootaloo sat through another boring lecture by Cheerilee. 

The Applefilly looked over to see Sweetie with a bored expression, sitting a few desks away from her typical seat. She was still angry, despite the fact Applebloom had tried to convince her that she wasn't trying to break up their friendship. 

What was she supposed to say though? Scootaloo had sworn her to silence, as did her granny and older brother. Apparently they were going to handle whatever was going on with the filly when she was ready to talk about it, which wasn't any time in the foreseable future as far as the yellow earth foal was concerned.

All she wanted was for all of this to go away and for things to go back to the way they were. It had been weeks since the girls had a cutie marks crusaders scheme. Applebloom didn't know what to do with herself, though. She'd thought briefly about confronting Scootaloo's parents herself, but realized she had no clue where the filly lived. Anytime they'd ever gotten together, it was always at Sweetie's or her house. Maybe Cheerilee would know. She was the teacher, the authority, she had to have Scootaloo's address hidden around the somewhere.

She sighed and waited for the day to be over. Today's lesson was over advanced basic mathematics: Long division. She knew how to devide long hoof, and could think of a million problems more challenging than the one on the board. Math was always pretty easy for her, just like her brother, but math wouldn't help her figure out how to fix her broken friendships.

Sweetie Bell hated her and Scootaloo was still mistrustful after leading Annabelle to her little hiding space in Whitetale Wood.

School finally let out and Applebloom dejectedly began packing up her things, still thinking about what she could do to help.

"Applebloom, a moment, please." Cheerilee called. Scootaloo stopped and gave the apple filly a glare and a firm shake of the head before walking out the door.

The filly had to resist groaning. Great, now Scootaloo was going to think she was ratting her out.

"Relax, you're not in trouble, I just noticed you seemed distracted in class for the last few days." Cheerilee said in concern. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No' really somethin' Ah'm allowed to talk about." Applebloom replied, rubbing her forleg with a hoof nervously. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want to be pressured into answering either. The school teacher pried just a little bit more but settled to respect her privacy, at least in that regard.

"I'm asking because I'm worried about you. You, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo used to be best friends, now you all barely talk to each other."

"Yea..."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" The plum pony asked hopefully.

"Not unless ya can tell me where Scootaloo lives." Applebloom gasped and covered her mouth over letting the words slip. Cheerilee nodded in understanding though.

"So this is all about Scootaloo, then?"

Applebloom scrambled her mind for any kind of explination that wouldn't arouse more suspicion, but couldn't find anything to cover her enormous blunder. "Please don' tell her Ah said nothin'." She eventually settled to beg, that cat was out of the bag, but at least she could appeal for silence. "Scoots is already mad at me as it is, n' Sweetie Bell too. Ah don't want nopony mad that Ah didn't keep mah mouth shut!"

"Applebloom, it's okay." Cheerilee cooed, trying to placate the foal. "I wont say anything to either of them, but if there's a really big problem, I need to know about it. It's obvious your distraught about your friendship, and so are they. Your grades have always been the greatest, but all three of your overall grades have begun to slip, Applebloom. If this keeps up, I'll have no choice but to have a Parent teacher Conference with you girls and your guardians. Do you understand?"

The farm filly sighed. "Yes Ms. Cheerilee."

The plum colored pony nodded, her eyes catching the window. "Thank you, you can go. Send Scootaloo in on your way out, please."

Applebloom froze at the implication before groaning again and walking over to the door and opening it. To the pit in her stomach's confirmation, her orange friend was, infact, standing outside the door.

"Well, what did she want?" Scootaloo asked as soon as the door closed. She was nervous and irritated.

"Wanted tah tell me mah grades were slippin'." Applebloom scowled. "N' she also wants tah talk tah you."

"What do you mean she wants to talk to me?! What did you tell her!" The pegasus shot back.

"Far as Ah know, yer grades 'er slippin' too."

Scootaloo sighed in relief for a moment, but only for a moment before the realization hit in. "Oh, great." She began making way for the door, but a yellow leg obstructed her path. 

"Scoots, Ah know yer upset 'bout yer parents, but things can't keep goin' like this. Ya need tah open up n' let us help ya."

"I don't need your help." Scootaloo  hissed, trying to push passed but lacking the strength to out muscle and earth pony. "Let go of me, Applebloom."

"Consarnit Scoots, will ya listen to me jest this once! Sweetie Bell's angry at both of us 'cause Ah can't talk to her without ya comin' up n' why Ah can't tell her nothin'. Mah family's doin' everythin' they can fer you, n' were all terrified that one mornin' were gonna wake up n' yer not gonna be there."

As per usual, Scootaloo simple remained quiet, letting the farm pony say her piece with no reply. After a few seconds of silence, she finally asked: "Are you done?"

"NO!" She almost yelled. "Ah'm tired of bein' kept in the dark and knowin' nothin' 'bout what's wrong! It's drivin' me plum crazy knowin' there's something wrong n' Ah can't do anythin' tah help." Tears began welling in Appleblooms eyes as she looked at her friend, conveying just how helpless she felt and how much she cared.

Scootaloo's angry mask began to crack, her lower lip quivering and her body shaking. The filly's breathing began to quicken and she took several deep breaths to steel her nerves before asking if the filly wanted her to leave.

Applebloom finally lost her cool and swatted the filly on the nose. "NO AH DON'T WANT YA TO LEAVE YA FEATHERBRAIN IDJUT!" She screamed directly into Scootaloo's shocked expression. "Ah want ya tah tell me somethin', anything! Ah want ya ta talk ta me!"

The door to the school burst open. "What's going on out here?" Cheerilee demanded, looking down at the panting foals. Applebloom and Scootaloo held each other's glare, making the brief moment of silence tense enough to feel like a full hour. The former an exacerbated mess of anger and desperation, the latter a mask seething calm.

"Nothing." Scootaloo finally said through her teeth. "We were just talking is all. Right?"

Applebloom was half tempted to swat her friend over the nose a second time. Scootaloo was just playing her off again, she bore her soul and true feelings, almost to the point of tears to her, and she was just going to act like the two were talking? Ok, fine. Scoots could have it her way.

"Yea, just talkin'." She agreed before turning around and begining to walk home. Cheerilee called out for her to come back, but that was the last thing she planned on doing. All she wanted now was to run home and hide under her bed for the next few days...









Macintosh looked over the list of things to do and sighed. He knew a lot went into a wedding but all of this? Look at this! 

The catering itself was almost inhumane! The supplies and services of an official marriage minister weren't too bad, but the decorations and coordination were going to be a nightmare on his pocketbook, even with the excess bits from the tax break. And that didn't even cover all the labor that would go into preparing the grounds itself for both the wedding and the tent city for both families, plus cleaning out the pig pen to get rid of the ungodly smell.

Suddenly, teaching Winona to use a doggy little box seemed like an idea he wished he'd indulged when Applebloom had come up with it a year ago.

'I know your grandma and sister okayed some of the wedding details and that you're really excited about it, but shouldn't you be more focused on the funeral before this?'

Again with his mind the dragging down of his good mood.

'Quicker you get it done...'

The apple pony pushed the list away and grabbed another sheet of paper, he began writing down everything he could think of for the pyre. It was customary to burn a personal item of the pony being laid to rest, so, that would need to be found. Sending out the word of the funeral was another. Aside from he and Spike, he wasn't sure who else would want to come. Well, Uppity of course, he was known at work, so maybe they'd like to come?

Alright, what else? Hmm, getting the tree from the Everfree of course. Which would mean another bit of labor in building the fire pit, a task he wasn't going to be able to do alone, so he'd probably ask Spike to help out.

If everything worked out, the funeral could be set up within the next two to three days. Mac felt a little bad about wanting to get it over and done with, his friend did deserve to be remembered... but there was just other things going on. 

He jotted down a few more things as they came to him, but funerals just didn't require as much planning and effort as weddings did, the symbolism of life and death wasn't lost on him, and he chuckled mirthlessly at the coincidence.

Heard the front door open and the soft pitter patter of hooves running up the stairs far faster than they should have been, ending with a door slaming hard enough to make the entire house shake slightly. Applebloom knew better than to run in the house and slam the door, which meant she was upset. And when a sibling was upset, it was the Apple way to offer comfort.

The stallion found his way to her room in short order, passing by a worried Granny Smith on his way up, and knocked gently on the door. No response, he knocked again and called out to his sister.

"Go away." She groaned from within.

It was rare Applebloom ever acted in defiance or rejection to her family, so whatever happened must have been terrible if she was locking herself away. Taking a minute to think his options over, Mac decided that he'd not honor the request and knocked again.

"Go away!" Applebloom repeated much more loudly.

The knock wasn't for an invite, but a warning that he'd be coming in anyway.

He poked his head in felt his heart break at the sight. On her bed, his sister was crying and sniffling, her hooves covering her eyes and her usually perky ribbon deflated around her head. She looked up at him, sniffled and turned away. He approached and sat on the bed, placing a comforting hoof onto her side. Mac wasn't too good with words for comfort, so he let his action speak for him.

Her body tightened around herself, making her into a pathetic yellow, red and pink ball of misery. His touch only spurring her to cry even harder. After a few moments of her continued now uncontrolled crying, Mac sighed and readied himself to leave. It hurt to hear her like this, and as much as he wanted to be there, he was too close to tears himself just by being near her.

His hoof lifted and the filly immediately turned and grabbed it, clutching it to her chest for all he was worth.

It was a strange thing, how the comfort of a filly worked. How they latched onto their elder for reassurance but gave just as much affirmation as they received. Her openness warmed Mac's heart and he pulled her close, giving her a few moments before asking her why she was so upset.

He wasn't shocked to find the cause was her pegasus friend, the two had a fight about something, something big enough to drive his sister to tears. Mac felt a little resentment for that, he knew Scoots had problems, but there was no reason for her to hurt Applebloom like this.

Through it all, he caught bits and peices of the story, she'd smacked Scootaloo across the snoot and something about Scootaloo not caring. It didn't make sense to him, but it didn't need to right now. He just needed to be there make sure his sister felt better.

Another knock came from the door and both turned to find a very guilty looking orange pegasus filly standing there. Mac tried to keep the scowl off of his face, but he couldn't help it. Those who hurt his family earned his scorn.

"I'll be leaving now." She said quietly. "I... I didn't know I was causing you this much trouble and pain. Just let me grab my stuff and I'll go."

She slipped into the room, her head ducked and tale between her legs. Mac felt like he should stop her, that he should say something, but he didn't. Not out of a conscious decision, just... the words wouldn't filter through his mouth without some kind of condemnation that would only serve to push the pegasus out the door faster.

"Scoots..."

"No Applebloom, I need to leave. Look at yourself, if I'd known this was what I was putting you through, I'd have never come here at all." The filly said with absolution, begining to roll up her sleeping bag. "You guys have been nothing but nice to me, and I... I can't keep making you cry and hurting you like this."

"N' ya don't think leaving now n' her havin' no idea where you are or how yer doin'll make her feel better?" Macintosh growled. 

Scootaloo froze just as the sleeping bag was wrapped up, facing away from both of the Apples, her body began quivering with emotions again, but she steeled her nerves with a few calming breaths. Though, when she spoke, the emotion was still very much evident. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, but it'll be a lot better if I just go."

"Go where? Scootaloo? Where are ya gonna go? Back to the woods? Livin' with the bugs n' the animals!" Applebloom called.

Again, the pegasus froze, repeating the ritual of her body begining to tremble and breathing to regain her composure. "I'll be fine, I survived out there for months on my own."

"That doesn't mean ya should!" The farm filly counted, leaping down from the bed and pushing forward to her friend. 

"Yea? Well that's the only option I've got." 

"No! It ain't!"

"Yes, Appblebloom, it is."

Her anger bubbling to climax, Applebloom grabbed her friend and tackled her to the ground. "No. It. Ain't! Where ya should be is with yer family! LIVIN' IN A CUMFY HOUSE!"

"WELL I CAN'T DO THAT!"

"WHY!?"

"BECAUSE MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!"

Silence, absolute silence overtook the entire house from the admission. The only thing Mac could hear was the sound of the two fillies below him, panting heavily as the truth begun to sink in.

"Dead?" Applebloom whispered.

"Dead." Scootaloo affirmed, her chest heaving with barely contained emotion.

Appleblooms face melted from shock to sadness as she looked down at her friend. "Why didn' ya-"

"Don't." Scootaloo, covered her eyes with a foreleg and rolled over. "Don't look at me like that."

The farm filly backed up, giving Scootaloo some space, her breathing exercises didn't help this time, and the young filly began to sob. "Look at you li-"

"Like that! Like some kind of weak and helpless foal!" She shouted, getting to her hooves. "I hate that look, that's the same look the doctors gave me when they told me what happened. Pity, I don't want your pity, alright. That's why I didn't tell you."

"Ya didn't tell yer friends yer parents had died... because of yer tom foolin' pride?!" Applebloom asked, completely flabbergasted.

Scootaloo sniffed through her nose, her desperation redoubling with indignity before going into a tirade about how her pride was all she had left. How the survivors of her family on both sides wanted absolutely nothing to do with her, or her with them. She'd spent most of all of her time trying to be awesome and gain respect, ponies didn't respect ponies they looked down upon and the certainly wouldn't think she was awesome if they felt sorry for her. The name 'Rainbow Dash' came up a bit, but Mac was too shocked to hear any more.

This was all because of a filly's silly notion of pride and independence. Her living alone in the woods, thinning out, suffering the winter alone, it was all because she didn't want others to look down on her. It was almost unreal to him. 

"... -so you tell me, do I look awesome now that you know my parents are dead? Or do you just pity me?" Scootaloo finsihed her rant, doing everything she could to keep the tears from flowing.

Applebloom took a moment to think before shaking her head. "Ah'm sorry ya lost yer parents, but Ah think yer bein' an idjiot fer tryin' ta run away from ponies who just wanna help."

"Help? I don't need your help and I don't need your pity." She snarled, finishing rolling up her sleeping bag and slipping its strap over her chest. "I'm outta here."

"No your not!" Appelbloom cried, standing in her friend's path. "Yer not leavin' her 'til we finish talkin'." Scootaloo tried to push passed but again, her way was bared by the earth ponies superior strength. "Yer stayin' right her 'til ya come to yer darn senses!"

Scootaloo gave her a glare and mentioned how she could just as easily sneak out while everypony was a sleep, and make her escape then, or just as easily not come back from school. They'd miss her attendence if she was kept at the house against her will, and Applebloom couldn't keep tabs on her all the time. To which, Applebloom countered by saying they'd just go to her camp ground and bring her right back to the farm.

"Yea? Well maybe I wont go to Whitetale again, there are hundreds of cities and towns in Equestria I could live in. I don't have to stay in Ponyville." 

Applebloom's eyes shot wide, she wouldn't leave Ponyville for real, would she? She might, she'd already lived out in the wilderness for a few months, so it wasn't really that much of a strech for her to leave the small town altogether. 

Scootaloo humphed and walked by the applefilly, making way for the bitter cold outside.

"Y'all think it'll be easy as all that?" Macintosh intoned, finally finding something to say. The pegasus stopped and stared back at him expectantly. "Ah've seen ya workin' fer Carrot Top a couple o' times n' gettin' paid in carrots. Guess that was yer primary food, am Ah righ'?"

Scootaloo's eyes narrowed and she looked away.

Mac stood from his place and circled around until he was in between the door and the foal he was about to scold. He leaned down to eye level with her. "Ah've been out there, Scootaloo. Ah've lived out in tha' wilderness. The real wilderness. Out there, there ain't no clean water ta drink, no stands ta work at fer food er bits. There ain't nothin' out there but nature, n' nature don't take no pity on nopony."

"There was a couple o' times Ah was afraid me 'n Spike would starve ta death, even aftah we'd spent a good month or so out there. Seachin' fer food, not knowin what was poisonous er not, seeing animals with venom enough ta kill ya in half an hour. If ya think Whitetale wood is anything campared ta the true wilds o' Equetria, yer in for a mighty nasty surprise."

He gently placed his hoof unto Scootaloo's chin and turned her to look at him. "The only reason Ah ain't dead is cause there was a pony who knew how to survive travilin' with me. He's gone nao cause his foolish pride kept him from seekin' help when he needed it. Ah let him down when he needed me, n' Ah'll live with that th' rest o' mah life." He turned her face to look at Applebloom. "Mah sister's doin' everythin' she can to stop ya from makin' some pretty dumb decisions fer yeself. If'n ya leave now and do get hurt or, Celestia forbid, killed, she'll blame herself the rest o' her life too. If'n ya aren't wantin' to hurt her, you've gotta funny way goin' about it."

Mac lowed his hoof and stepped out of the doorway. "If you wanna leave, Ah wont stop ya. Before you make that kinda decision though, Ah'd suggest givin' it some consideration. Righ' now, ya gotta roof ovah yer head, food in yer belly, an a bug free, warm and protected place to sleep. Go back outside, n' ya may not have to deal with a little pity from us, but you'll also be losin' everythin' Ah've just mentioned. Think about that."

He gently closed the door, leaving two fillies alone.

He wouldn't show it, and he suspected Applebloom would probably tell her later on, but he could empathize with her. The entire family could. 

He'd lost his parents back when Applejack was around her age. She tried to act tough and strong too, pretending that their passing didn't hurt like the dickons, but Mac knew better. His world was shattered, he stopped believing in alot of things when that happened, questioning why life was so cruel as to take ponies he loved and needed so dearly. Applebloom was much younger, she could only remember bits and pieces of ma and pa, but AJ and he remembered them both much more clearly.

He knew that those who put on the bravest face were the ones who hurt the most...
   

 
> Final Respects
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Final Respects








Macintosh and Scootaloo threw small bits of hay, straw and other flammables onto the blackened wood on the far side of the orchard. The Sun would be descending soon, and the time was near for the funeral to begin.

The Everwood, according to the letter from Fancy Pants -who oddly enough said he was going to come- stated that his research team had pursued the lumber and, while it would take quite a bit to light the log, it would burn easily and for quite a long time. He also said not to inhale the initial black smoke that came out of it, said it had some toxic properties or something.

The tree wasn't very big, they'd just picked up one of the shorter but stouter trees. When Mac told Spike about the plan, the dragon immediately went to the lumber mill and told his associates about it. Mac had originally planned to cut the thing down by hoof and carry it home via wagon, but was pleasantly surprised when a crane with a rather rugged lumberjack type stallion behind the controls approach his position, along with a full dozen ponies with other industrialized equipment. 

Spike lead them.

With the help of the crane and archno-powered chain saws, cutting down a healthy sized tree was simple work and bringing it back to Sweet Apple Acres was a breeze. 

The drake also promised to bring something personal to burn. Mac wasn't sure what the dragon had, but if worse came to worse, he'd offer up the original letter from Sin during his first trial.

"Hey, umm, Big Machintosh?" Scootaloo asked.

"Eyup?"

The filly threw on a bit more hay and twigs. "I was talking to Annabelle yesterday. Well, Annabelle, Applejack and Applebloom. I told Applejack and Annabelle about my parents, you know, dying."

Mac nodded, feeling a small sense of pride in the filly. He'd kept his mouth shut on the matter, such things weren't his place to talk about until she was ready for them. He knew the younger fillies had reconsiled their plight, he could hear them talking and crying from his room, apologizing to one another for misgivings and pain. He liked Scootaloo, she was a sharp filly, she just had a tom foolish pride to her.

The two hadn't really talked too much before, but the past few days, they'd spoken almost daily. It started off with her apologizing for what she'd done and swearing she'd never run away or be mean to Applebloom again, also that she'd try to salvage their relationship with Sweetie Bell. It warmed Mac's heart to see the unicorn around the farm again, the three of them running around and playing like they used to. The tension in the air between his sister and her friend was gone now, and they were finally acting like happy foals again.

Seeing them run around and play brought him back to the reality of the situation, though. What would happen to Scootaloo if she was taken into FPS? Would she be sent to live with other family members? Family who outwardly rejected her and forced her to live in the woods? Would she be given to a foster family? Would the foster family be good to her?

The questions continued on, and Mac found himself more worried about it than he should have been. He worried for Scootaloo, a filly he knew for a very short period of time, as if she was family.

"And, they were saying that they'd need to report that I didn't have a perminant place to live. You know, tell the police and stuff."

Mac chewed on his lip, that would need to be done soon. He'd put off doing it personally for fear that they'd come and take her away. If what Annabelle had told him about Foal Protective Services was true, than it would be a potentially bad situation for her. However, the law was the law, and he'd abide by it, not matter how much he may disagree.

"And I was... you know? Wondering, maybe if I could stay here with you guys?"

Mac stopped his work and regarded the nervous filly for a moment. She would occasionally look up at him from time to time, but continually look away. She was still ashamed of what she'd done and Macintosh felt bad for her for that. She could stay with them as long as she needed as far as he was concerned, of course, but he knew that's not what she really wanted.

"Ya sure ya wouldn't rather live with Rainbow Dash?" He asked. Scootaloo tilted her head.

"Rainbow Dash?"

The apple pony nodded. "Y'all praise her alot, ya admire n' look upta her."

Again, the quickster's ears flattened down against her skull and she looked away. "Well, I mean, I uhh." She sighed. "I can't face her now, Macintosh. She's an awesome pony, the fastest and most awesome mare in town, maybe the world. I haven't even talked to her since I came here, I can't ask her to let me live with her."

It would be a rather odd request, Mac didn't know Rainbow all that well, but there was really no harm in asking. Scootaloo sighed in dejection. "Okay, well thanks for letting me stay as long as you did."

It took a second for the dots to connect from that statement, but Mac immediately clarified himself. "Ya can stay here if ya want to. We'd be happy ta have ya"

Scootaloo's eyes lit up with hope and Mac smiled down at her. She was smiling, he liked when foals were happy. Though, it wasn't really the truth now that he had a moment to think about it, and had to make a depressing correction.

Though, his initial affirmation seemed to have been a little too well received, because Scootaloo was now clutching his foreleg and thanking him repeatedly.

It was a mistake, he shouldn't have told her that, but how could he say no? Or be realistic of the situation without sounding like he was wanting her gone? Scootaloo had already been traumatized, abandoned and rejected enough. He'd talk to Applejack about it later tonight, same with Granny and Anna. The last two he knew would say yes, granny always loved foals, but AJ might take some convincing.

'Doubt it. If anything, she's got every reason to let Scootaloo live here.'

That was true, there was a certain kind of understanding between foals who'd lost their parents. Though, that left the biggest obstical of all. The government.

'I don't think you need to worry. Even if the government does make a scene over it, she wants to be here. The Apple's have a pretty good reputation around town, I don't see any judges denying your request. Besides, if worse comes to worse, you can just make an appeal to Celestia. So try not to worry about it.'

Mac relaxed a little and hugged the foal, placing a single fetlock around her body. Yea, there wasn't anything to worry about. His family would say yes, the government would say yes. Everything was going to be okay.

"Alrigh nao." Mac said, straightening himself up. "The funeral will be startin' soon, why don'cha go in n' help Granny 'n Anna with Supper? Ah'll be along later tonight."

Scootaloo nodded up at him and gave his foreleg on last squeeze before happily galloping back to the farm house.

'Well, at least today wasn't totally depressing.'









Macintosh stood next to the roaring flames of the pyre, watching as the log burned.

He pressed his lips and averted his eyes, the torn cloak Spike brought burning to a crisp along side the black goggles Uppity provided. The drake stood beside him, with Twilight on Spike's other side, and Uppity besides her. The turn out to the final respects was bigger than Macintosh expected: He knew Sin's friends and Co-workers would come, but there was also his family, Rainbow Dash, Fancy Pants himself, Fluttershy, even Shining Armor had come.

There were quite a few ponies he didn't know, a darker green unicorn mare he'd never met before who introduced herself as Shady Oaks, a pair of pegasi mare's he'd seen around town a couple of times, and of course, the City Council.

The scene was somber and depressing. He and Spike gave a eulogy, but neither could really say anything on the pony himself other than his politics and love for freedom, the drake did add a few stories from the mill, though. So, at least there was some good experiences to remember Sin by.

He felt Anna lean into him from his other side comfortingly.

Mac wished Shade was here. The stallion was making good progress in his recovery with Zecora's help, but with his disappearance there was no way to tell him. He should have been here, he's known Sin the longest of them all.

His ears perked as he heard the council behind him begin to talk to each other. They were explaining to new Arbiter why the tree was being burned and how it was an Apple family tradition. It had only been done one other time on Sweet Apple Acres, with two trees present...

Macintosh felt annoyed by the constant chatter from behind, it was the final moment of silence for a dead friend, and those five were busy chatting it up. He held his tongue though, as much as he wanted them quiet, it was only out of ignorance that they spoke now. Well, that was until he'd heard one of them laugh.

His head snapped back to look at them, the the forest green earth pony of the bunch was chuckling about something with Justice looking at her. 

She stopped giggling and cleared her throat as soon as she noticed Mac's emerald orbs glaring daggers at her. He turned back and looked at the pyre, his anger beginning to burn like the fire infront of him.

"Just ignore them." Spike whispered.

Annabelle pressed a little closer into him and nuzzled his neck, smiling sadly up at him. The apple pony sighed and looked up to the cloud of smoke that wafted up into the air, hoping that whatever awaited Sin in death would give him the peace he desperately wanted.









With the moment of silence done, the attendants began to file out after offing their apologies. 

Mac and Spike thanked everyone for coming and waited until the small group had thinned down to the ponies he knew. Save Jacker, who Spike asked personally to stay behind.

Fancy Pants had some documents he needed Mac and Spike to sign, along with Uppity and Twilight as per Sin's final will and testament. Twilight was a little surprised to find that she was included in the will, but agreed to hear out Sin's final request of her.

Macintosh lead the remaining troop into the house for some food and mourning. He'd had his time to grieve, now it was time to handle business affairs. Twilight and Uppity signed their portions of the documents, the former reading over the contract and asking more than a few questions while Spike and Macintosh signed onto the Everfree Lumbermill. They would have some control over the production and such, but had both agreed to place Jacker in charge. He knew more about the lumberjack business than either of them did.

Jacker was stunned at the proposal. He knew Sin had joked about putting him in charge of the mill the day they'd found out about it, but to actually have the owners offering it to him? The brown earth pony didn't know what to say.

The mill was close to ready for production, but not yet. It would take another few days for construction to be complete. Apparently, Celestial had called in for all of the latest and greatest in equipment for the endevor. Multiple Archno-tech conveyor lines, magical automated arms used to stabilize logs for sawing, saw dust collection spells, the works.

The earth pony shook hooves with Mac and Spike, thanking him and promising to make something in the new mill in Sin's memory. Both of them returned the thanks and watched him leave.

With the funeral finally done with, Mac felt at peace with his friend's passing. It felt right to let go now, he could finally focus on the living instead of the dead.
> Black & White Regulations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Black & White Regulations







A couple of days had passed since the funeral and with it, the dark cloud that hung over Macintosh's head. He felt lighter, more at ease. Of course that was also on account of the work he was currently doing as well. 

He looked down at the dozens and dozens of pearly white envelope wedding invitations he and Annabelle had been writing up. Each addressed to either a single individual or nit family of ponies/whatever species had been invited. It was a little alarming just how many ponies his wife to be had planned to invite to sit on the bride's side of the aisle. It had actually managed to dwarf the cohort of Apples Macintosh planned to invite.

'We're getting Pinkie Pie to plan this... there is no way you two can do this on your own.'

That was true, they'd need to hire an official party planner to set all of this up, and who better to ask than the party planner of Ponyville herself?

"Who'th Pinkie Pie?" Anna asked, her tongue lulling out of her mouth as she licked another envelope shut.

Mac found the question odd, but remembered that the two had never officially been introduced. Come to think of it, she'd never received the official Pinkie Pie welcome to town either. 

'Thing's were a little busy when she came here. What with Soarin and Applejack and all.'

Anyway, it might not be a bad idea to stop by Sugar Cube Corner to get something to eat and introduce the two, as well as ask the pink pony if she was interested in helping cater and party plan. The two walked out into the living room and found Applebloom, and Scootaloo laying on the floor, doing their homework. 

"Hey, we're goin' ta Sugar Cube Corner, y'all wanna come?" Applebloom perked for just a second, but her hope deflated as she looked at Scootaloo, who offered her a small smile.

"You go ahead, I'll be fine." Scootaloo encouraged.

The farm filly asked if she was sure, to which the pegasus nodded. 

"You're not coming, Scootaloo?" Anna asked.

Scootaloo shook her head, saying she needed to spend some more time on her homework. The buttermilk mare tried to coax her along with promise of chocolatey goodness, but Scootaloo was adiment. Apparently her grades had suffered a lot with all of the stress from before and she needed to get caught up, lest she be held back a year.

It warmed Mac's heart that the filly was so committed to her studies, but it made sense. Scootaloo had been on her own for a while, it would only make sense that her future would be a priority.

Applebloom felt a little guilty that her friend wasn't going to be able to come along, but Anna cheered her up with promise of getting to bring home to her.

The trip to Sugar Cube Corner was a quick one, it was a little chilly and cloudy out, reminding Macintosh to stop by the Mayors office and request clear weather on the day of the wedding.

The warmth and heat of the building, while a happy change from the nip outside, was off set by the bakeries emptiness. Macintosh looked around quizzically for a moment, wondering where everypony was. The weekends were usually the busiest time of the week, or so he'd have thought since foals were out of school.

Pinkie sat at the counter, looking far too bored.

As soon as she saw them, she perked right up and smiled. "Hiya Bloomy, Hiya Macky!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Macky?" Anna asked, eyeing her husband-to-be with a a light skepticism. The farmer chuckled nervously, explaining that she gave nicknames to everyone in town.

Macintosh retrieved a few bits and handed them to Applebloom, instructing her to go and purchase something for herself. The filly took the bits and wandered to the counter, only to be denied her order with an apologetic smile. 

"Wha'dya mean ya can't sell them brownies tah me?" Whispered the filly sadly.

"I'm sorry, Applebloom, but the City Council made it law that we can't sell sweets to minors." Pinkie replied with equal depression.

Macintosh frowned in thought. Wait a second, her remembered voting on that ordinance when it was brought to the general public, if memory served, that ordinance failed to pass, so why was it being used to justify denying his sister's order?

"They voted on it a few days ago." Pinkie bemoaned looking around the shop. "Without ponies parents or guardian's around, fillies and colts can't buy anything with-" she made quotation marks with her fetlocks, "-'too much sugar'. Honestly, I can't figure out what that even means. I mean, I ate sweets everyday, and I turned out just fine."

...

...

'... Nod your head, Mac.'

Macintosh nodded, though kept his mouth firmly shut. He remembered hearing quite a few stories of Pinkie's... eccentric mannerism. Stories he wouldn't have believed had he not born personal witness to the dreaded balloon incident a good few weeks ago.

Speaking of which, he hoped Bon Bon and Lyra were okay, that double down chocolate fudge cake didn't look very heavy, but it took both of them to the ground... hard. He didn't blame Pinkie for it, nopony did, but how she'd gotten the idea of mixing a delivery service, balloons and her party cannon, he'd never understand.

'Entrepreneurship, it's a mixed bag.'

Seeing no choice, Mac payed for the sweets himself and handed the treat to his sister. She was reluctant at first, but accepted the brownie with begrudged acceptance.

"So... aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Pinkie asked, no small amount of teasing in her voice.

"Oh righ'. Pinkie Pie, this here's Annabelle, my marefriend, Annabelle, Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident parteh planner n' baker."

Both mares exchanged subdued greetings. "Sorry, I usually throw everypony who comes to town a welcome party, but with how dead business is, I'm not much in the party mood."

"Sorry to hear that, I hope business picks up for your soon. It's no fun not having customers come and appriciate your craft."

"Speakin' o' parties, Ah was hopin ya could help me with somethin'..." Mac explained that that he and his fiance would be married at the end of the month and were going to need a party planner to help them set everything up.

Pinkie's subdued happiness escalated back to her typical mania at the prospect and she jumped at the opportunity with enthusiasm. She began listing off all the things the earth ponies would need, including things Mac wasn't sure about like streamers, bows, ribbons, and worst of all, balloons. Though, she also said that she'd helped plan Shining Armor's wedding, and if she could be trusted to handle the ceremony for royalty, than it should be an honor to have her plan his own. 

The trio left the establishment, feeling pretty good about themselves for helping Pinkie's renewed vigor. "So, what now?" Anna asked?

Macintosh wished he'd brought the wedding invitations, according to Pinkie's tangent about the Canterlot wedding, Fluttershy was called in to handle the music. Of course there was also the dress, which Anna had been hinting at for a while, so Rarity's place was on the list.

'Didn't you just want to go over to eat and talk to Pinkie?'

Yea, but while they were out and about... 









"I haven't seen her since the two of you left a few days ago." Twilight said, looking more than a little concerned. She, Rairty and Spike stood in the middle of the Library, the fashonista coming over to speak with Twilight about the condition of their pegasus friend. 

"I think she may still be worrying over what that Social Justice character said to her." Rarity sniffed. "Honestly, Fluttershy is one of the best animal caretakers in Equestria. Why the new Arbiter saw fit to lecture her on how to do her job is simply beyond me."

Spike nodded in agreement, but Twilight gave a reluctant face. "I agree, but still, I see where she's coming from. Academia on a subject is important, and not everypony who wants to help animals is adept at it as Fluttershy is."

Rarity gave the scholar a side long glance, frowning slightly. "Perhaps, but by the same token, this is Fluttershy we're talking about here. She's looked after all of our animals, including Owlicious."

The lavander mare quirked a brow. "Yes, I know that."

"Than why does it sound like you're taking Justice's side on this?"

Twilight took a breath. "I'm not taking anypony's side, Rarity. I'm just saying that it isn't as black and white as I think you're making it out to be."

Rarity asked just how she was making it out to be black and white, to which the libaririan pointed out that certificiations was a symbol of authority, one that patience -er the owners of the patience- could trust. To show that the individual holding said certification was knowledgeable in their craft.

"Yes, Twilight, I'm aware of that, but I'm talking about Fluttershy, not some random pony who wants to help animals but has little to no inclination there in." Rarity corrected, hoping to deter any farther altercation.

Again, though, the scholar made an unsure face. "Well, I mean, if it's technically against the law for her to practice without a certificate..."

Spike saw where this was going and wanted absolutely no part of it.

He heard Twilight say something about all Fluttershy needing to do to keep legal was go to school, become more knowledgeable, and get certified, with Rarity contesting the notion before tuning out.

He pushed out the door and grumbled as he made way around town. Despite distancing himself from the debate, his own stance on the matter pushed itself to the surface. Spike didn't like the idea that it was illegal to help animals just because some college didn't give you an arbitrary certificate that the law recognized.

'Ehhhh, I don't know about that. I mean, consider it: If some random pony started tending to an injured animal without knowing what they were doing, they could easily cause more harm.'

Yea, I got that, but if a pony is knowledgeable and does help, even without being certified, shouldn't that entitle them to not need the certificate?

'Yes, of course, but the law is put in place for a reason. It's so that pedestrians, who are well intended, don't go out and cause more harm than good. Maybe making a bad situation worse if the animal was just taken to a professional in the first place. It's like being a doctor for normal ponies, you wouldn't just go up to somepony who knew a thing or two about medicine and expect them to be a pharmacy for your ailments, would you?'

Well no, but I'd trust Fluttershy to admit to something that she wasn't able to handle and not make the situation worse.

'The law wasn't written with Fluttershy in mind, though. That's my point, and that's Twilight's point too. It has to be blanketed against everypony, but maintain exceptions.'

Granted, but I am talking about Fluttershy, and the law shouldn't stop her from helping others when she's good at it. 

'Well, it's not. Seems she had someone in city hall looking out for her.'

Yea, but how long would th-

"HALT!"

Spike's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a crashing crate. He looked to find a couple of familiar pegasus mare's fleeing from a pair of silver clad guards. The LEO's demanding the fleeing ponies stop or face arrest, abandoning the wooden crate from a small wagon on which it was being unloaded.

'Hey, weren't those the mares at Sin's funeral?"

Yea, I think they were.

The few ponies around who stopped to watch the altercation started moving again, small whispers of theories already forming tommorrows topic of gossip. If there was one big fault the drake could find with the town, it was how much gossip and rumor passed through it. Small towns were usually like that though.

"Buck." Said yet another familiar face.

Shady Oaks wandered from around the building and looked at the fallen crate. She immediately dashed back and returned with another pair of ponies, who both grabbed the crate, Shady playing look out, and replaced it with a new one of equal look. Fortunately, the guards hadn't returned until after the swap.

Seeing their return, Shady looked for anything as an excuse to her current location and smiled as soon as she found Spike. "Hey, you were at Sin's funeral, right?"

The drake nodded and the two exchanged pleasantries, the mare continually looking behind her to see the guards making progress in opening the duplicate container. Spike wasn't sure what was in the original, nor why they changed the boxes out, but decided that this pony was living up to her namesake, and remained wary of her.

"Yea, umm, how do you know him, again?"

Shady chuckled coolly, almost seductively. "You could say he and I had a..." her smile faded as she heard the top of the crate being ripped off. She turned and exhaled when nothing was found to be within. "Mutually beneficial relationship." She finished with annoyance.

The mare's behavior and actions screamed illicit activity, but Spike wasn't sure how to handle it. He wasn't even sure if he should get involved at all. He had no proof what she was doing was illegal, or more importantly, unethical. Even so, he could tell she was wary of the guard, and that was more than enough reason for him to stay clear of her. He bid her a good day and began to walk away, wondering why Sin would hold association with a mare like her.

Though she called after him and followed.

Already annoyed, Spike put up his claws and said he didn't want to get involved in whatever she was doing. To which the mare declared she didn't want his help, but wanted to tell him something. 

"Look, I-" She paused to take a breath. "Alright, I know he's dead, but I think it best somepony close to him knows what's about to happen."

"Happen? What are you talking about?"

Shady looked around, ensuring that there was nopony close enough to eaves drop. "He kept the guard off my back, and in exchange, I helped keep aggressive crime down. Does the 'Red Market' mean anything to you?"

Spike's brow furrowed, Sin did talk to him a little bit about the black market and how it wasn't inherently unethical, a notion the drake had trouble comprehending for a while, but he'd never heard anything about this 'Red Market' before.

She ran him through the basics of it, which the drake found to make a lot of sense. Aside from drugs and prostitution in general, the red market had most of what he objected to with the black market over all. Or the 'Underworld' as Shady put it, which encompassed both the red and black markets.

"Okay, and why are you telling me this?"

"Because, I've been working with other... individuals of less than legal means to keep the red market out of Ponyville. We remained civil, since violence would result in loss of profit all around, but ever since the Changeling attack on Canterlot, the Underworld has been in a constant state of fighting. Pedophile sex rings and violent drug cartels have tried to push their way into town, and with my associates constantly being threatened by the guard, we wont be able to keep them out anymore."

Spike's eyes went wide. Pedophile sex rings and drug cartels? What the buck does this pony do to know about that kind of stuff?!

"If I were you, I'd keep a good eye on my younger friends." Shady declared looking around. "You'd be surprised what kind of sickos live in this town."

Shady began walking away, leaving Spike feeling more than a little disturbed. Had he not witnessed her illegal activity with his own two eyes, he wouldn't have believed her. It was a disgusting thing to think about, and even worse worry about. The guard was supposed to handle stuff like that, why would anypony want them out of the way?

'It's really not that hard to figure out. It's just like you thought, the black market and red market are closely linked. Since Shady Oaks is part of the black market, she'll know about the going ons there in long before the guard would. If she was being 'civil' with other black market types, that means they were peaceful and only doing voluntary business. Sounds to me like they were under Sin's protection to keep out the ponies who didn't work under voluntary business, with bucking foals!'

Foals... Spike felt the bile raise up in his throat. 

Foals... bucking foals! Ponies would pay to... How could- who could- WHY WOULD ANYPONY WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH FOALS!? He knew the world could be sick and cruel, but that? To...

The drake shook the thought from his mind, his previous irritation now escalating to full on rage. He needed to tell somepony, but who? The guard? Twilight? The Mayor? How would he explain how he came across the information? Ratting out Shady wasn't really a viable option, since she was doing a good thing by trying to keep out the...

Spike groaned and began walking back to the library. He wouldn't be able to say how he knew, but he knew he needed to do something, just the thought of a foal being touched in such a way brought his more primitive side to task. And what was worse, was he wanted to want to let it out.





 



Macintosh, Annabelle and Applebloom stood outside Fluttershy's cottage, knocked on the door and awaited the mare to answer.

They'd stopped by Carousel Boutique to get a price estimate for the wedding dress Annabelle wanted, but the mare wasn't home. The troop figured she was out to lunch and would be back in by the time their business with Fluttershy was concluded.

Something Applebloom took notice of was how devoid the place was of animals. She said that, typically, there were all kinds of woodland critters scampering about or hanging out, yet there wasn't an animal in sight. 

The door opened a crack, revealing a bloodshot teal eye peering out at them. "Fluttershy?" Applebloom asked looking up at her. "Are ya alrigh'?"

The eye cringed and a sniffle could be heard. There was some pained whimpering and some words Mac couldn't make out, but Fluttershy opened the door, revealing herself looking a depressed and depressing mess. Her usually delicately kept mane was a mess of tangles and neglect, her coat much more dull and unseen to, all covered up by a pink house robe.

She sniffled again, her ears dropping sadly and eyes welling with tears. 

"Fluttershy? Wha's goin' on? Why are ya cryin'?" Applebloom asked in concern.

The pegasus mare shook her head and said it was nothing, lying always irritated Macintosh, but right now, all he could feel for the cream colored pegasus was pity and sorrow.

"Umm, so what can I do for you?" She asked, her eyes continually shifting from up at the trio and back down to the ground.

Remembering his purpose, Mac felt bad for asking, but it was the reason they'd come. "Well, er, ya see, Me n' Annabelle here are gettin' married at the end o' the month and we heard y'all had the birds singin' at Shinin' Armors weddin'. N', well, we was hopin ya could do the same fer us."

The apple pony immediately regretted not following his gut instinct not to ask, Fluttershy's already pathetic demeanor became even worse. He shoulders slumped to an impossibly low level, and she audibly sobbed at the in quarry. 

Unable to restrain herself any longer, Applebloom leapt forward and clung to the Fluttershy's leg, attempting to offer comfort and drive off the pegasi's woes. 

The demonstration was too much for Annabelle, and she too wondered forth, placing a comforting hoof on Fluttershy. She must have been some kind of distraught, the pegasus didn't even flinch from the contact of a stranger.

"Poor thing, it's alright." The earth pony soothed.

"Thank you." Fluttershy sobbed after a few moments of crying. He took a few breaths. "B- but I... I can't help you. Or anypony else with animals anymore."

Mac quirked a brow and tilted his head. She couldn't help anypony with animals? What in the world would make her say that? Fluttershy loved animals. He didn't know her that well, but he knew her well enough to know she preferred the companionship of critters to ponies most days.

"What do ya mean, Fluttershy?" Applebloom asked, on the verge of tears herself."

Shakily, the pegasus lifted a hoof from her chest that Mac didn't even notice she was clenching, producing a tear stained sheet of paper. He took the parchment and began to read it over. His eyes going from a frowning concentration to full on shock the more he took in.

"What's it say?" Annabelle gently inquired.

"It's a... cease n' desist order." Mac replied slack jawed. 

According to the order, Fluttershy, since holding no certification of any kind in animal care, was to stop any farther treatment, feeding, housing or tending to of any animals outside of her registered pets. That her exemption to tending to both domesticated and wild animals had been revoked and she'd be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law should she be found in violation of the ordinance.

In short, Fluttershy was no longer legally able to take care of animals anymore.




> Weekend Conflicts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Weekend Conflicts






Spike and Twilight sat in the library, both looking extremely somber and contemplative.

Twilight couldn't believe what she'd just heard, literally, she sat there for five minutes denying the possibility that any good could come out of the black market or from ponies who dealt business there in. Spike had little experience in the underworld, but his dealings with agorism and counter economics didn't really leave a bad taste in his mouth, his mother on the other hoof was of a different mind.

To her, the obedience and compliance to the law was how one judged morality and goodness. Those whom were lawful were good, but those whom were unlawful were bad. For her, trying to disassociate good and lawful was a cognitive dissonance that rivaled telling her that Celestia was wrong. As far as she was concerned, the unnamed informant who'd fed him the information was a liar and an immoral pony who should be thrown into the dungeon.

The drake briefly thought about telling her that Sin had association with her, but decided against it.

"Alright, let's say he is right." Twilight said, humoring Spike's anonymous tip about sex rings entering Ponyville. "Let's say these supposed 'Black Market Guardians' do step aside or are arrested. We have the normal guard who's job it is to stop that kind of thing."

"Yea, I get that, Twi, but the black market would be where these guys would sell... foals-" The drake cringed, still unable to comprehend what he was saying. 

"Exactly!" Twilight pointed an accusatory hoof in triumph. "Which is exactly why the black market is bad and we should do everything we can to get rid of it."

Spike groaned, bemoaning the fact they fell into the logical loop again. "I know, but it's still there. If it could be done away with, I'd be right there with you, but it can't! And since it can't, and the guard aren't as informed about it as they'd need to be to effectively stop things like this from happening, wouldn't it be better to help the moral ponies there in, keep the immoral ones out?"

"Wait, moral? Didn't you just say that the black market is where they'd sell... I don't think that's how moral ponies operate, Spike."

The two had been arguing about this all morning and Spike was this close to giving up. No matter how he tried to explain it, Twilight was tartarus bent on ignoring the different degrees of morality when it came to ponies who worked outside the law. As far as she was concerned, if something wasn't bad, it didn't need to operate from the shadows of the black market. 

It shouldn't have been surprising though, she'd lived her entire life under heavy lawful control, utopianly almost. Her life in Canterlot and Ponyville kept her shielded from the moral grey areas when it came to going outside the law. She hadn't ventured out into the world like Spike had, she hadn't seen the things that he had seen or done the things he had...

In one last ditch effort, he tried to appeal to Sin's morality in going against the law in protecting Macintosh from false imprisonment, thinking that would be a circumstance she couldn't deny.

Though, his hopes were immediately dashed when she pointed out that, while the ponies were law enforcement, what the stallion did to Mac was being punished by the law for his abuse of power. The drake countered that what Sin had done was also unlawful, but moral in helping their friend, but what came next was his ultimate undoing. "Yes, and instead of wasting his time with that silly vigilantism, he took up a lawful position under Celestia and made things better for everypony."

Feeling his irritation begining to bubble, Spike decided to give up the discussion before things got too heated. There'd been enough drama between the two, and he wasn't interested in making any more. He would, however, find Macintosh and discuss the matter with him. Not only as a means to affirm his own beliefs, but to warn the pony to keep an eye on his little sister. Spike liked Applebloom, and the thought of her being abducted enraged him.

"Good, glad that's settled." Twilight said in relief. "Oh, but the way, Uppity is coming down from Canterlot for the weekend. She'll be here around noon, so would you mind helping me umm..."

The mare blushed looking around. The library went a little neglected lately, small coats of dust covering the more unused areas, books pilling up in the return bin, undone dishes, yea... they were being really lazy in terms of home time upkeep.

"I'll help." Spike emphasized gently before crossing his arms. "But dishes are yours."









Macintosh, Scootaloo and Applebloom wondered through Ponyville. Scootaloo had given Macintosh's advice some deep consideration and had asked to visit with Rainbow Dash about the matter, though she didn't want to go alone and asked the two come with her.

Neither Applebloom nor Big Mac minded though. The stallion wasn't in a hurry for her to make a decision, but he did want her to be happy. If she'd find more happiness living with Rainbow Dash than himself, he was more than willing to escort her to the speedster's place of residence. Besides, it was the weekend, and no serious work needed to be done today, a break from all of the wedding and farm stuff was a welcome change.

Scootaloo was growing more and more restless the closer they came to Rainbow's home. Twice already, she tried to back out of the ordeal, and twice Mac had to encourage her to continue on. The pegasus was nervous over the silly idea that Rainbow would the she 'was a loser' because of her parents being gone. Annabelle and Macintosh tried to talk to her about how silly her fears were, and that it wasn't something to be ashamed of. Still, the filly was distraught.

"Scoots, yer bein' stupid." Applebloom chidded, pushing her friend along. "She ain't gonna look down on ya, alrigh'?"

"You don't know that!" Scootaloo protested, trying to out muscle the earth pony by digging her hooves into the grass. "What if... what if she tells me to get lost? What if she says I'm lame? What if I'm kicked out of the Rainbow Dash Fanclub?!"

Her breathing came in frantic burst, the pegasus' fear was starting to give her enough strength to over power Applebloom and slow the earth filly down.

His ammusement over her foalish behavior was long since expunged, and Macintosh gave her a gentle nudge. "Nao Scootaloo, y'all er just being foalish. Rainbow may be the fastest flier in Ponyville, but she's still a pony. Jus' cause she can fly don't mean she don't have feelin's, ya ought ta give her more credit th'n that."

He wasn't just blowing hot air either, he knew Rainbow Dash would stand by anypony who needed her and was her friend. It took a special sort to be willing to go against their own government as blatantly as they planned to.

Scootaloo's ears drooped and folded under Appleblooms pushing. Mac knew he'd hit a sore spot with her, but that was probably for the best. The filly had this weird idea that her idol was without a sense of empathy or compassion, and was just made of awesome sauce and rainbooms. He hoped this delusion would be done away with at some point, it wasn't healthy to have that kind of view of a pony.

The rest of the trip went by much more smoothly and quietly, right up until the floating home came into view. It wasn't too high up, but still high enough that Macintosh wouldn't be able to jump to reach the door. Both earth ponies looked at the filly and waited, encouraging her to call out to Rainbow.

Scootaloo didn't call out.

Matter of fact, she made no move at all. Ever since she saw the house, her body became statuesqu, Mac was pretty sure she hadn't even blinked since her eyes made contact with the floating home of evaporated water stuff.

"Scootaloo, say somethin'." 

...

"Scootaloo?"

No movement, just a filly doing her best impersonation of a mannequin.

"Oh fer pete's sake. RAINBOW DASH!" Applebloom yelled. 

Life returned to her, and Scootaloo gasped at the calling. The damage was done though, there was no way Rainbow wouldn't have heard that.

Sure enough, the door opened and the speedster exited her home, smiling down at the trio.

"Hey guys, what's up?" She asked gliding down to meet them. "Hey squirt. Haven't seen you around in a while." 

Rainbow gently ruffled Scootaloo's mane playfully. The filly chuckled and relaxed under the affection.

"Scootaloo was wantin' ta talk to ya about somethin'." Macintosh answered, seeing the foal giving no explination of her own.

"Oh? What about?" Rainbow asked innocently.

The stallion gestured to her and told his sister to come with him.

Applebloom and Macintosh made way back to Ponyville to give the pegasi their privacy. The elder Apple genuinely hoped things would work out for Scootaloo, but even if Rainbow didn't have any interest in taking her in, she knew she was welcome to stay at the farm as long as she needed to.

Once back in town, Applebloom asked if they could go to Sugar Cube Corner for some more brownies, but Mac refused her. He could still feel the sugar from last time eating away at his teeth.

Instead, the apple ponies found themselves within a quaint little outside diner that was serving lunch. Both put in their respective orders and took a seat at one of the white, outdoor tables to eat.

"Ya think Rainbow will let her stay?" Applebloom asked after a while.

"Dunno." Mac replied. "Even if she does, Ah reckon there'll be a lot a paper work n' such with the government. Adoption ain't somethin' ta take lightly."

Applebloom looked a little worried, but Mac placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder, telling her that everything would be fine. Scootaloo was a tough filly, one of the toughest he'd ever met. If she could handle living out in the woods for the winter, she could handle a little rejection.

Silence descended once more and his eyes began to wonder about, seeing if there was anything interesting to look at.

A conversation a few tables down got a little heated, not enough so to cause a disturbance, but still enough to grab Mac's attention. A couple were arguing about something or another, until the mare of the two said something that made the stallion's ears go flat and submissive. That was when the argument turned into a scolding, the unicorn mare chastising her lover for, what Mac could hear, his lack of wanting to go to see her parents.

She was obviously annoyed and continued on about how she was tired of him continually backing out of every opportunity to meet with them. The stallion, finding his second wind, retorted that her parents never liked him, and would always make snide comments behind her back, a notion his wife brushed off as him being overly sensitive, stating her parents were snarky to everypony.

A slight movement from the next table over caught his eye and he found a lavender earth pony mare he'd never seen before glaring at the couple and shaking her head.

The argument became more animated, garnering the attention of a few passers by and Applebloom. 

The more he listened, the more Macintosh could empathize with the stallion. The unicorn's irritating behavior, mixed with the stallion's begrudged reservation reminded him of how he used to be with Applejack and Granny Smith. How he used to sit there and just take it. How helpless he felt, how sure he was that the mare of the conversation knew better simply by virtue of her gender.

It was the way of things in Equestria though. With the disproportionate ratio of mares to stallions, the female ponies took on most of the leadership and aggressive roles in society. The mayor was a mare, the city council were all mares, the princesses were all mares... It was a mare's world.

'Wow, when you put it that way, it sounds like it kinda sucks to be a stallion.'

Not really. While many mares could be quite condescending and sometimes cruel, they didn't do it out of a place of melevolence. It was just showing that they cared about the stallions and colts in their lives enough to want to spend time with them. 

Macintosh had grown a small sense of misogyny through his experiences dealing with the females in his life, but that piqued when he'd finally left Ponyville and met Annabelle. She could be a little condescending at times, but he secretly liked that about her. Stallions were proud creatures who would often push themselves past what was healthy, and was a good thing to have mares to bring them back in line, as far as he was concerned.

'Bring them back in line? That's a little condescending, don't you think?'

Still though, now that he'd given the matter some thought, it was kind of unfair how little representation stallions had in their leadership. Colgate was his districts representative, and he tried to remember the other candidates for election. 

There was Lemon Poppy, Star Gazer, Sprinkles, and Zipper, the one he actually voted for. All of them were mares, not a single stallion was a candidate for his district... 

Mac furrowed his brow at the revelation. Why wasn't there any stallions for him to vote for? Granted there was a higher female population than male, but was that really an excuse to have absolutely no male say in how the city was run?

His thoughts were interrupted when the lavander mare from the next table over slammed her hooves down on the wooden surface and marched over to the arguing couple, her eyes alight with burning rage.

"How dare you speak to your husband that way!?" She sneered, her voice a contemptuous mass of venom and vigor. The unicorn mare scoffed in indignation and the earth pony stallion flinched, hiding his head in his hooves.

"Excuse me, who do you-"

"SHUT UP!" Barked the earth pony mare, silencing the unicorn. "Do you have any idea of how poorly you're treating him? Did the thought ever cross your mind that maybe you should respect his right to say no? No? I guess it wouldn't, would it. After all, he's just your husband, right? The stallion you love? Why would you respect his decision not to want to see the parents of such a controlling and manipulative unicorn mare such as yourself?!"

The unicorn looked as though she'd been smacked in the face, but that only served to fuel the earth pony mare's tangent.

"Unicorn mares, so blind to the privileges you're born with, feeling entitled to just talk down to stallions all the time, giving no semblance of a buck to respect their feelings. Do have any idea how your external misandry is hurting him? Or how you're perpetuating the matriarchy by treating him like a foal and pushing us away from a society of true equality?!"

"Hey, Mac, what's she talkin' about?" Applebloom asked curiously.

The stallion frowned mulling over her words. He'd never heard the terms "matriarchy" or "misandry" before, but it sounded a lot like female supremacy, which held a lot of truth to it, considering the positions of leadership being dominated by mares. 

The bit about treating the stallion like a child was also a a throw back to a conversation Macintosh had with Sin in Canterlot, about how odd and disturbing the Federalist found the idea when Shining Armor went running to bed so Cadence wouldn't yell at him. Stallions were fully grown ponies who didn't need a mother or motherly figure in their lives, yet, wives, fiances and marefriends often treated them as such.

"Mac?"

"Hmmm?"

"Ah asked what they was talkin' about." Applebloom repeated, looking a little annoyed.

"Not too sure." Macintosh replied thoughtfully, but he was growing interested in finding out.









Uppity had arrived at the Library, and was currently sitting in the newly cleaned common area.

To call her a mess was a massive understatement. Her eyes were bloodshot something terrible, she continually nodded off with Twilight catching her tea cup in her magic when the orange mare's faded out.

Celestia had sent a letter an hour before the pony arrived. Contrary to what Twilight thought, Uppity wasn't just in town for a friendly visit, the District Attorny was working herself senseless in preparation to prosecute no less than sixty ponies. A few were communists, but the vast majority were Trotski.

According to the notice, Uppity was to enjoy a relaxing weekend at the Library. All stress was to be kept to a minimum, a visit to the local spa was mandatory, and at no point in time was anypony to mention Trials, Trotski, communists, or Canterlot.

Both Twilight and Spike had offered to let the mare take a quick nap, but she declined every offer, saying that she was too stressed out about the job to let herself sleep. This lead to the awkward delema of talking about problems making them easier to handle and following Celestia's orders to not talk about the problem.

Figuring he'd probably let it slip anyway, Spike readied himself for Twilight's ire. "Yea, Celestia said we shouldn't talk to you about the trials and your attorney work, but it's obviously bothering you. So, how's all that going?"

"SPIKE!" Twilight whined.

"Twi, look at her." Spike deadpanned pointing his thumb. "She's obviously thinking about it. I know Celestia's smart and all, but I really don't think it's good for her to have to bottle it all up like that."

Uppity offered a sleepy smile and placated the librarian's neurosis. "He's right. I know I was sent here to relax and get away from all of that for a while, but it's all I can think about..." Her face grew somber, the tiredness draining a little.

Twilight stood from her place and hugged her. "I know they took somepony special from you, and they threatened to kill your brother if you didn't do what they said. You can't keep blaming yourself for this..."

Spike agreed, he didn't want her hurting any more than she already was. Sin was his friend, but he was more than that to Uppity. The two loved eachother, even if the Federalist didn't show it. Still, he resented the ponies responsible. These 'Trotski' types in particular, since he'd come to understand them as the brains of the outfit. They deserved life in the dungeon for what they did, as far as he was concerned.

'That's not fair, most of the ponies there probably didn't have a part in Sin's death. Wishing them all to suffer like that isn't right.'

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. How would he know, though? Guess that's what the trial was for.

"I know, I just, I almost lost Downer and then... Sin... I" Uppity's grip tightened around Twilight, sniffling lightly squeezing her for all the comfort she was worth, leaving the drake feeling a mix of scathing anger and awkwardness.

He couldn't imagine what kind of pain she was going through. Downer wasn't in the hospital anymore, but recovering from a bout of dehydration. The doctor's said he'd be fine, but he'd need to rest for a while. Despite the fact that every attorny in the crown's disposal had dropped their own cases to help the DA with the Trotski and communists, she still didn't have her brother's help in law research for statutes.

The two pulled away from eachother and Uppity wipped her eyes with a hoof. "Besides." She sniffled and smiled. "I told Social Justice I'd be coming to the library for the weekend. I'll need to speak with her about how things are going with City Hall and I know she'll be asking questions about work anyway."

Spike frowned at that. He didn't much care for the new arbiter at all. She was condescending and approved more than a few ordinances he found both over bearing and down right authoritarian. Some of the rumors he'd heard around whispered that one of her lackies, Sock, had been snooping around the industrialized areas and used her authority to gain access to areas most others couldn't go without being employees.

Allegedly, the earth stallion was looking over the equipment and asking questions about safety and worker welfare, leading many of the working class ponies to assume his report would inevitably result in more safety regulations. 

Safety was important in the work environment. It was like Jacker always said that the begging of every work day: "I want you all to go home in the same condition you came in." Safety applications and proper personal protective equipment were a must if one was to work on the mill. Goggles of some type to keep the dust out of their eyes and keep all hooves and claws away from the saw blades. Working at the lumber mill was dangerous, but common sense kept everypony safe...

Well, except for Ax and his "don't be no bitch" philosophy. Idiot almost got himself cut to ribbons because he didn't want to admit he'd injured his leg and almost wasn't able to pull himself off of his part of the convayer belt. Boy, did Jacker and Chopper have some colorful language for the stallion that day, Spike was honestly surprised he didn't get fired for the boneheaded stunt.

"So, how have things been around here since she became the new arbiter?" Uppity asked, forcing herself to perk up a bit. "I'd imagine things have changed quite a bit, since Sin was practically an anarchist in the position, and Justice always likes keeping things as fair and equal as possible."

"Yea, equal." Spike muttered under his breath.

Twilight answered that things were going... well enough. Changes had been made on account of Social Justice, though they weren't exactly what the town found agreeable. She hadn't spoken with the hot pink earth pony directly about it, but what she'd heard around town wasn't exactly a welcome reception. Though, it wasn't really her fault either, since all the arbiter did was hold a veto over the city council. 

The position of Arbiter of City Council didn't have the authority to write up laws or anything like that, they only had the power to allow or disallow ordinances and laws to be passed that were made by the council. So, as much as irritated as the ponies were with her, it was a misdirected irritation.

The two continued to talk for a bit before a knock at the door interupted them. Spike opened it and forced himself to smile. Speak of the demon king...

"Well hello again!" Social Justice smiled in utter delight. "How have you been my little friend?"

'Little? Is she for real?'

Spike reluctantly spared the mare a face full of door and allowed her inside, she wasn't alone however. A stallion walked in behind her, a dark grey unicorn with a tanned trench coat walked in behind the arbiter; his face a grim mask of skepticism with piercing orange eyes that regarded the drake for just a moment.

Spike frowned up at the stallion, he'd never seen this pony around town before. Was he another one of Justice's lackies?

"UPPITY!" She cried, running over to her friend and embracing her in a hug. "Oh you poor thing. How's Downer doing?"

"He's recovering, thank you for asking." Uppity replied pulling back from the hug. The two chatted a little, catching up with one another before Twilight offered to make some tea.

In short order, the five of them found themselves around the dinning room table, four cups of tea for the three mares and single not-so baby dragon.

The new stallion, who'd been introduced as Detective Inquiry, refused the beverage. Justice explained that some of the legislation she'd allowed through the council had made her a few enemies around town, and had taken Inquiry's protection services when the town's police had responded to an attack on her place of residence.

The motel Social Justice was staying at had a brick thrown threw the window of her room last night. A note was attached, decrying her as a public menace who'd leave town if she knew what was good for her, but the hot pink pony wouldn't be scared off so easily. If nothing else, the threat only reaffirmed her position to stay in Ponyville and educate ponies about the law and how everypony should obey it, regardless of if they want to or not.

"I'm surprised." Twilight admitted. "You seem so calm about being threatened and tried to run out of town."

Justice shrugged. "It's not the first time I've had my life threatened."

Gee, wonder why that would be?

'Woah dude. Seriously? C'mon, she's only doing her job! Don't you remember that Sin had also had a bout with something similar when he'd cut the road maintenance budget and cost a lot of ponies their jobs, yet you offered him all the sympathy in the world. I think Justice approving a bill in candy restriction is a little less severe than that.'

Yea, and what did the Federalist do? He didn't accept any police protection, for one. Hay, he didn't even tell anypony about it, the only reason Spike found out was when the two were walking home from work, one of the construction workers had confronted the oaken pegasus to see if he was willing to "do the right thing for himself" and reinstate the road work budget. Which, of course, he didn't and offered instead to meet the pony outside of town and handle the conflict one on one.

Spike was against the conflict, of course, but Sin told him that sometimes, words wouldn't be enough. That sometimes, a stallion's steel and convictions in their beliefs had to be tested in physical fighting. He admitted it was stupid and violent, but there was a certain kind of honor and admiration to be gained in being willing to physically fight for your beliefs. The drake was sworn to secrecy after the fight was over. He'd luckily gotten out of the scrap with nothing more than a black eye and a busted lip, telling anypony who asked that he'd "slipped in the shower", but the altercation had the desired effect and the worker pony dropped the issue then and there.

'Yea, and that stallion could have killed him! Sin was stupid for letting that happen.'

Spike disagreed. When he watched the two fight, it was an honest fight. Sin got his plot handed to him, but no matter how badly he was thrown, kicked, or beaten, he'd continue to get up and go on fighting. Yea, he could have been killed and should have gone to the hospital, but what could have become a bigger problem was settled then and there. Out of town where nopony would interfere. The stallion took his licks and moved on with life, gaining a begrudged respect for his willingness to accept accountability for taking the job of another pony.

It was logically stupid, but the drake had come to accept that life didn't run on logic alone. Hay, he'd probably say that logic wasn't even what most of the world ran on. Sometimes, emotional contest needed to be indulged to maintain the peace, even if they were physically violent ones.

"Spike? Are you okay?" Twilight asked, breaking the dragon from his train of thought.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry, I was just thinking." He replied.

Twilight quirked a brow. "Are you still thinking about what that Shady Oaks mare said to you?"

Detective Inquarie's head shifted and his orange eyes settled on Spike, the stallion's typically neutral eyes glimmering with interest now. Spike sat slack jawed, looking at Twilight. 

Did she really just... 

'Wow, good going dumbass.'

"Who's Shady Oaks?" Social Justice asked, her eyes going wide. "Did she talk down to you because you're a dragon?"

Spike shook his head and dismissed it, shooting his mother a less than subtle glare.

The conversations continued on, Uppity explaining how things were going with the trial preparations. Spike feigned obliviousness to the continued stares he was getting from Inquary. It made him nervous, being on the law's radar, but the damage was done and he'd just have to accept whatever came of it.

"-So yea, Cupid Protector's getting the brunt of the charges, since the only Trotski leader we had was assasinated in the hospital. We thought it was by other Trotski members to spare him prison time, but the damage done to him was... cruel, almost torture." Uppity said, looking a little queezy. "We think it was a retaliation attack by the communists for their manipulation."

Social Justice rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Oh Uppity don't be silly. Communits are a non-violent group dedicated to equality and fairness within the commune." 

Spike quirked a brow, unable to believe what he'd just heard.

"But the protestors were-"

"Not real communists, dear." Justice informed lightly. "They may have had communist ideas, but they were not communists, I promise you. Though it's easy to see how you could be fooled into beliving they were. Having been sheltered in capitalist Canterlot for most of your life, still though, you shouldn't be making assumptions like that when you've got no idea what you're talking about."

'Is she for real right now?'

Spike expected Uppity to tell her off or something, but the district attorny, to the drakes bewilderment, slumped and conceeded herself. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Justice patted her on the shoulder and smiled in forgivness, Twilight and Spike shared a look. It wasn't really their place to say anything right now, but the behavior did cause both of them concern. 

The conversation continued and Spike began to notice a trend between the two old "friends". Whenever Uppity would make an observation against anything Social Justice found favorable, the mare would use passive aggressive tones and gestures to chide the mare into submission. It was subtle and more than a little disturbing, Twilight had come to her aid on more than one ocassion with Justice using logic that added up in it's own weird way, but spat in the face of conventional wisdom.

Somehow, the topic of rape came up and Justice started saying things like rape could only be stopped through education, and that anypony who advocated individual responsibility was "victim blaming". 

Yea, it was the rapists fault for forcing sex against somepony else, Spike could see that, but education dispelled ignorance. Twilight countered that anypony with half a brain knew when they were raping somepony else and they knew it was wrong, they just chose to do it anyway, trying to render the 'education' argument nul.

Justice countered this with things like drunken sex where either party was too intoxicated to give meaningful consent, and how the less drunk party was, in fact, committing the act of rape.

This gave Twilight pause, mainly because there was a certain amount of truth to it, but it wasn't the kind of rape she was talking about. There was a difference between intoxicated sex and forced sex against another's will... a difference that Justice didn't take well to being pointed out.

"Forgive me, Miss Sparkle, but have you ever been raped?" She asked pointedly.

"Okay, we're done talking about this." Spike declared, having had enough of the discussion.

Justice's irate glare immediately shifted to worry. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't trigger you, did I? I'm so sorry." 

She was apologizing to him?! She just asked if Twilight was raped and had the gal to apologize to him!?!?!

"I think you'd better leave." He seethed, his claws clenched into fists.

The arbiter continued to apologize, begging for the drakes forgiveness, but all it did was fuel Spike's anger at her. Who did she think she was? Asking about such a traumatizing event that would leave anypony nearly broken and playing on it so self righteously!

"OUT!" He shouted, pointing to the door and huffing. The mare needed to leave, for his sake as well as her own. He could feel cold in his vains and a distinct urge to rip one of her eyes out. If she stayed much longer, he couldn't be held responsible for what cruel acts he'd inflict upon her.

Looking utterly defeated, Justice slumped and made way for the library door. He escort walked up to Spike and discretely slipped him a piece of paper before following her out. 

As if the situation couldn't get any more unreal, Uppity began following after her. 

"Uppity?" Spike asked, stopping the mare in her tracks.

"I need to go." She said quickly and quickly ran out the door.

Spike was flabbergasted, why did she leave? Justice had treated the mare like total crap! Why was she going along with-

"You know what? I don't even care." He sighed. Twilight looked on with a mix of pride and worry before standing up and giving Spike a hug. 

"Thank you, Spike."





> Butterfly
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Butterfly








Macintosh sat in the living room, looking over at Winona and Applebloom.

Typically, the dog played outside most days and they wouldn't see head or tail of her unless she was hungry or sleepy. Today, the border collie seemed content to just stay indoors and play with the fillies of the house.

Scootaloo was upstairs, doing more homework. From what she'd said yesterday, Rainbow Dash hadn't given her an answer one way or the other as to the adoption. A fact which surprised Macintosh if he were being honest. The speedster was a loyal sort, but to even consider taking in, for all intents and purposes, a child on her own? That really spoke to her character and made him happy to be able to call her his friend.

"Is she still in the house?" Applejack asked, wondering in from the kitchen. The apple mare liked to bake apple pies on Sundays and Granny was always happy to help. 

"Eyip!" Applebloom chirped, attempting to emulate Macintosh.

The cow pony wondered over to Winona and looked her over, a notion that garnered a bunch of enthusiastic licks to the face. "Well, she don't look hurt or nothin'." AJ chuckled, petting the enthusiastic puppy's head. "Still, it ain't like her ta be in the house past dawn."

"Oh fiddlesticks." Granny said, wondering out from the kitchen and offering her own affections to the canine. "Ain' nothing wrong with 'er, she's jest settlin' down n' gettin' old. Parta nature, doncha know?"

Hardly. Winona was barely a in her fourth year, her kind of dog lived fourteen to sixteen years. In pony time, she was barley out of her twenties. Maybe it had something to do with the weather? Winona always stayed inside when the weather was going to be bad, pegasi had been putting up a little more cloud cover today than normal.

The stallion stood from his place, wondered over to the dog and gave her a gentle pat before heading out the door to check on the gonja plants. It was a little funny how little he'd interacted with the family dog lately, he actually felt a little bad about it and wanted to make it up to her. Mac made a mental note to head into town and come back with a few doggy treats for her.

Annabelle was already out in the hidden garden, picking at the carrots and other vegetables that were there to blend in the ganja plants. With Shade missing, there wasn't really anything to do with them besides give them to Zecora or let granny use them for her own medicinal needs. Macintosh was honestly surprised at how discrete the old mare was in her consumption of the drug. He'd been around when it was used as, what Shade called, a "joint"; and if one thought the plant stunk before...

Yet he could never smell it on her, her behavior didn't change all that much either.

'Remember that she used to use the gonja before, maybe Granny knows a thing or two about how to use it and keep it secret?'

Yea but, how? 

'Beats me, maybe she eats it?'

Mac shuddered at the thought. Just imagining it made him want to throw up. He'd never tasted the stuff, but the mix of imagining the texture and taste seemed absolutely revolting to him.

"Hey Anna." Mac called, the mare halted her work and slowly turned to him, offering a sad smile before turning back to her works. That wasn't good, wait a minute... oh buck.

'Let's see here: Waking up before you did: Check. Early morning tending to garden without telling anypony: Check. Sad smile with no verbal response: Check. Aaaaand turning to go back to work, completely ignoring you: Check. Yep, she's upset about something.'

"Annabelle?" Mac asked, walking up behind her. Again, no response. "Y'all righ'?"

The buttermilk mare stopped her movements for a moment, then continued, pulling out a cleaned carrot into a wicker basket.

It was unconventional and almost unbelievable, but for all of his marefriend's brashness and upfrontedness, her communication skills when upset were almost non-existent. Annabelle wasn't upset often, not much could keep her typically cheerful disposition down, but what could was something big, big and terrible. Something Macintosh almost always needed to know about.

Not right now, though... He knew better than to push the issue when she was like this. He'd done it once and only once during her brother's arrest for what he did to Applejack. So, he gently raised his forelegs, gave her a gentle hug from behind and told the mare he'd be ready to listen when she was ready to talk.

With a quick peck on the back of her neck, Macintosh slowly made his way to town, his mind a buzz with what could possibly be bad enough to send the mare he loved into silent seclusion. 









Spike peered from his trek up to the Ponyville clock tower, three minutes till nine, the offered time of meeting.

He looked sighed and looked back at the stand he was by and down at the note again. 





Meet me outside Quick's Shingle's at 9 O'clock tomorrow morning. 

Come alone.





The drake sighed and replaced the small slip of paper into his cloak pocket. 

Detective Inquiry had slipped him the note yesterday before following Social Justice out. Spike debated on if he wanted to show up to the meeting or not, but figured he'd have to meet up with him at some point.

'Because a certain mare couldn't keep her mouth shut.'

Yea, it would be pointless to hold her to account though, Spike knew that much.

"Punctual." The drake jumped and spun on his heels to find the grey unicorn from yesterday standing behind him. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Spike mumbled something under his breath before asking what the meeting was about.

Inquiry looked around a bit and motioned for the drake to follow him. The pony lead the two into one of the dinners in town and made an order of two coffees. Spike felt a little unease by the offering, but also didn't want to make trouble. He took a sip of the coffee suppressed a groan. Weak sauce.

Once settled and relaxed, Detective Inquiry magicked out a note pad and pen. 

"You were an associate of Sinbad Von Islander, correct?"

"Yes."

The pen began scribbling, requiring no real effort or attention on the detective's part.

"Are you familiar with who Shady Oaks is?"

"Not really, I just met her yesterday." Spike shrugged.

"What did she say, exactly?"

Painfully, the drake recalled the conversation, informing the detective about the sentinels of the black market being driven from their protective posts and threats of sex rings and drug cartels to muscle into the small town. 

More scribbling. For some reason, it made the drake irritated. Just hearing the pen's subtle movements that documented his every word and the almost inaudible turning of the pad pages put made him want to break the pen and rip the note pad to shreds. 

His feelings were farther exacerbated when the pony would pause and take an unnecessarily loud sip from his coffee between more mundane and almost irrelevant questions. Like who else was around? What were the circumstances that lead up to the encounter? What time and place did the two talk? If there was any black coated griffin's around.

Each and every one of these questions lead into a cohort of sub questions the drake had to answer.

Finally, after two hours of controlled breathing and emotional suppression through clenching and relaxing his claw, the interrogation seemed to be winding down. Which was a relief to Spike, he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

"Did Shady Oaks say anything about the Black Talon?"

"Black Talon?" 

The detective shook his head. "Apparently not." Inquiry magicked his note pad over to read, lifting up a few pages and glancing over the notes. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

His irritation already festered, the adolescent drake brought his claw up to his chin in mock thought. He had some questions of his own, but he'd divulged everything he knew... but Inquiry didn't know that.

"Might be, but I've got some questions of my own."

Inquiry quirked a brow. "I'm not able to divulge any information to civilians on this matter." 

Irritation was a funny emotion. Logically, Spike knew he should just tell the unicorn stallion he knew nothing else and go about his merry way, but the drake had just wasted 2 hours of his life to the pony. As much as he wanted to just leave and go about his day, he was also worried about the foals around town, and wanted to know just how much danger they were in.

"That's classified." Inquiry replied instantly.

"You know who Shady is, why don't you talk to her?"

"Classified."

"Why are you questioning me about it?"

Inquary opened his mouth to repeat the word, but hesitated for a moment. "Because, she's talked to you, and you aren't one of her lackies." He took another unnecessarily loud sip of coffee. "She's told you something she hasn't told me."

Spike quirked a brow and folded his arms. "So you have talked to her."

Grimacing, Inquiry nodded his head. "I have."

"And what did she tell you?" 

"Classified."

"Oh buck this." Spike growled, pushing himself from his half consumed coffee and making way for the door. His progress was halted when the familiar tingle of magic grabbed onto his feet and held him in place. The drake turned and leered at the detective. "Unless you give me some answers, we're done here. Now let me go!"

"You said you might have more information. If it's as important as I think it might be, continuing to with hold it could have desasterous results for the foals of this town." Inquiries' eyes narrowed as his leer met Spike's own. "Could you live with yourself? Knowing that you could have spared a youngling one of the worst and most horrific fates in the world but chose not to?" 

Spike's eyes widened and he recoiled.

'Damn, he doesn't play around.'

"And why should I trust anything you say?" The drake asked, his eyes becoming warry once again. "I've never seen your around town before. And the first time I see you, it's right after I talk to a black market type who you seem really interested in. How do I know you're even really part of the police force?"

Inquiry stared at him neutrally. "If that's your excuse for not talking to me, it's a pretty bad one." He lifted his notepad, "considering you've already divulged that very information."

"Granted." The dragon admitted reluctantly. "But even if you don't work under Shady, how do I know you don't work for one of the other bad ponies trying to move into town? Little strange that I haven't seen you around before."

"I don't go out much, not that that matters, Mr. Sparkle." He flipped through his note pad to the back. "You work at the Lumber Jacker's Milling, spending most of your time outside of town anyway. Is it really an surprise we've never bumped into each other?"

It was a good point, but Spike still wasn't convinced. He didn't get a bad vibe from the detective or anything, he was just skeptical about the pony's intent and running on irritation from both yesterday and today. 

"If you have more information that will save a foal's life, I suggest you give it to me."

Spike felt his eye twitch and the familiar terror of cold blood coursing through his veins. His irritation had piqued into anger and the dragon marched over to the table and slammed his fist down with a loud thud, making the two coffee cups rattle with the impact. "If you think emotionally manipulating me will get you answers, then you're dead wrong."

At that point in time, he didn't care. The foals, the drug cartels, the possibility of Ponyville becoming a den of drug trumped rape end pedophilia didn't even register in his mind as a concern. All Spike knew was this little bucktard was this close to getting an couple of eye fulls of razor sharp claws. The lone witness cashier of the diner be damned.

"I've had enough of that bull crap to last me a lifetime, and all it does is make me spiteful. So, if you want my help, you'll be giving me some answers. If not, you're going to let me leave or so help me Celestia I'll-"

"YOU'LL DO what??!" The detective spat, standing to full height and meeting the drake's glower with his own.

Spike could feel the coolness in his veins coursing faster, making his claw shake and mind fog in a blanket of hostility. Even with the overwhelming urge to put this pony in his place, enough of Spike's rational mind still held his impulses in check. He knew that he wasn't helping himself here, that he should just apologize, explain that he really didn't have anything else to offer and just leave.

Hostility and tension filled the air as the two stared each other down, Spike just waiting for the pony to make a move. Part of him wanted a fight, part of him needed to fight. He'd been so calm and so tense for so long, it started to dawn on him how bored and frustrated he was with his life. The Crystal Empire thing had been a complete let down, and he'd put so much energy into it. But this? This might be just the little bit of fun his primitive side was looking for...

"Fine." Inquiry breathed, straightening out his trench coat, the movement making Spike flinch a little.

The stallion's horn began to glow and he retrieved a badge from his coat, the official badge of the Ponyville Police Department. The two took a second to cool down and Inquiry explained himself a little better.

"The black market in Ponyville was nothing big. Few drugs here and there, prostitution, unregulated goods and under the table work. I was assigned most of the cases. Never liked drugs or rutting for money, it was always a gateway for the darker and more bucked up things."

The stallion retook his seat and breathed, Spike followed suit, happy things were finally going his way.

"When your friend, Sin, was named the Arbiter of City Council by Celestia, I knew he was going to cause problems. Read up about him a lot when he moved to Ponyville officially a few months ago." The stallion chuckled mirthlessly. "Figured I'd end up having to arrest him at some point, what with all of the crime's he been charged with. All of that, and his punishment was to be confined to my town..."

He stopped to take a sip of coffee.

"As I'd figured, he'd gone and ransacked the ordinances of Ponyville. Slashed the budget for the extra services of the wealthier districts and as well as we commoners. Can't say I was sad to see those snobs lose out on their three times a week hedge trimmings though." He frowned, "but cutting the road work crews did rub me the wrong way, though."

Spike cleared his throat, gesturing the pony to get to the point.

"Right, sorry. Anyway, one day: the chief sends me to Town Hall at the Arbiter's request, and what do I find waiting for me when I get there? There mare I've been chasing for the better part of three months." Another mirthless chuckle. "I couldn't pin anything on her, but I know Shady's one of the most powerful drug dealers in town. Got informants everywhere to confirm it, but none of them will dare testify against her. What you gave me here won't be going on the record."

Well, that was... good?

According to Inquiry, Sin had set up a meeting between Shady Oaks and the detective to explain that the black market that Shady and the other bosses ran wasn't something that could be stopped. Inquiry had almost arrested Sin on the spot for conspiracy with the mare, but the Federalist was more than ready for anything the detective would throw. His position as Arbiter and connections to the crown, as well as the District Attorney made him nigh untouchable.

Or so he'd thought.

"I'll never get over the fact that he was finally put away because of a rat that I had nothing to do with."

Spike furrowed his brow. How come he'd never been told about any of this? He knew Sin was a secretive pony, but...

'Are you really surprised?'

"At anyrate, by the end of the first meeting I told him to go suck horse apples and left. I didn't care about prostitution and drugs being 'voluntary' or whatever. I knew what would happen if I didn't stop the drugs before they came in." He finished off his coffee and pulled out his bit bag. "Or so I thought."

He stood from the table, left the appropriate amount of bits and walked for the door.

Spike followed, eager to hear the rest of the story. Once outside, Inquiry pulled out a silver container and retrieved a cigarette.

The second meeting between the two went about the same, but with Sin claiming that the black market was better left policing itself. A notion the detective found ludicrous and down right laughable. The Federalist claimed that the voluntary side of it, if incentive to do so, would keep out the violent and aggressive side. The bosses of the drug and prostitution rings had all agreed to remain peaceful and within their respective territories, so aside from hurting ponies doing peaceful business, there was nothing to be gained through police actions.

Inquary didn't care about any of that, though. Despite Sin's best efforts to tell the stallion how ineffective and counter-productive his methods were, Inquiry was certain his methods of maintaining the law were best.

The third meeting between the two occurred a month later, that was when the unicorn began to see how wrong he was...

A tip had come in about a pedophile sex operation that had just opened up in Ponyville, in the industrial district. Inquiry had set up a sting operation, posing as an interested buyer of some 'young fun'. Sick though it made him to even think about, there were foals being raped and had to stop it. 

He'd entered a ware house alone to meet with the supplier, only to find the remains of three ponies. Two mares and a stallion, all three bodies were mutilated something awful: Hot iron branding all across their torsos and the bottoms of their hooves, their genitals flayed with the stallion's testicles shoved down his throat, and cauterizing of both the mares' vaginas and uterus'.

He'd called in his back up and had the place thoroughly searched. Nothing had turned up from it though, no foals anyway. The warehouse was empty of anything but the corpses.

Upon farther investigation, however, there was something inside the mouth of one of the dead mares. A small, crumpled piece of paper with a date written on it. The date was three days prior to the sting.

Autopsy's revealed that the ponies had been dead for at least that long, all two of the ponies being identified as residents of Trottingham on the otherside of the Everfree forest. One of them a local mare, assumed to be a client. 

It made sense, Trottingham's political climate was run under Prince Blueblood and his 'yes stallion' ineptocracy. Crime rates there were an unbelievable joke. 

The third meeting with Sin happened two days after, when Inquiry walked in to his office, he found the stallion reading a news paper. Oddly, it wasn't the Ponyville Press, but a news outlet from Trottingham. He'd played coy at first, pretending not to notice the detective's enterence, but eventually read aloud that two young fillies had mysteriously turned up a police station yesterday after having gone missing a month ago.

Two and two wasn't that hard to put together, even if Inquiry didn't want to admit to it.

"After that-" he paused taking a final drag of his second cancer stick. "I agreed to work covertly with Shady in their dealings with the underworld and keeping out the sick bucks of the world. According to them, the pedophile sex ring had been in town for about two days before they caught wind of it. Three days quicker than my own informants could get to me." He stompped out the ciggarette and placed the butt into his coat pocket. 

"Now that he's gone though, the new Arbiter's trying to create a task force to handle anti-black market operations. I told her not to, but with my record all but stopping in terms of arrests as the head of the anti-black market, Justice is convinced I've been bribed or blackmailed into aiding the criminal underworld in some way." He lit up yet another nicotine stick and took a puff. "Sad thing is: she's really not wrong, either."

Spike couldn't believe the story he was just told, it sounded like something out of a comic book. Government conspiracies? Foals being returned home with no explanation? Heros from the shadow killing bad guys while avoiding the police? 

"So this... anti-underworld taskforce... what do they do?"

Another puff.

"Basically, they are part of the royal guard that she's petitioned from Celestia. Now that Canterlot's getting back under control, she's got some free hooves to work with."

Spike questioned why he had no power there in, Inquary seemed like he'd have some authority within the peace keeping system. Though he'd quickly learned the difference between the local police and the guard. One was an autonomous part of Ponyville, with limited obligation to report to the crown, the other was an imperial agency, one who was strictly funded and answered to the imperial chain of command.

"Technically, the guard outranks us lowly local colts, but they stay out of our hair well enough. Well, until now anyways." He looked up at the clock to see noon approach. "I've gotta get back to the station." He pulled out a card from his coat. "If you find anything else out, don't hesitate to come and tell me. Alright?"

"You sure it was a good idea to tell me all of this?" Spike asked, mentioning how everything he'd just divulged was 'classified'.

Inquiry smirked. "Sin may have been a libertarian bastard, but he wasn't stupid. If he found Shady well enough to trust, I think you're pretty safe." He chuckled. "Besides, it's not like you have any love for the new Arbiter either."








"Hey Uppity." Twilight said with a forced smile. She stepped aside and allowed the orange mare into the library. Spike was out for the day, leaving the two alone for a little girl talk.

The librarian was still in awe of how things happened yesterday, not the least bit of how Uppity walked out with Justice after she'd asked her that terrible and uncalled for question.

"Hey Twilight, sorry about yesterday... Justice, well she can get a little... animated during debates." Uppity's ears pinned back and here eyes darted in guilt.

Twilight dismissed the apology, that wasn't Uppity's concern, but there was something for the two to discuss. The two sat down with two cups of coco. If the DA was a mess yesterday, than she was an absolute train wreck today. Her mane was lost in is usual braid, her eyes were almost twice as puffy and blood shot, making Twilight wonder just how long she'd stayed up in the past week.

According to Uppity, she'd been using magical enhancements and spells to keep herself awake and alert when she needed to. The spells weren't dangerous if there wasn't continued prolonged exposure, but one had to question just how long "continued prolonged exposure" was. Twilight had delved into the enhancements during her time in Canterlot and found that, while her mind could handle the effects, her body played catch up with sleep, three days of staying up equaled a full 24 hours of continuous sleep.

Boy did Celestia and Spike get on her for that one.

"I was wanting to ask you, something." Twilight said, cutting through the silence.

She wasn't sure if it was her place to ask this or not, but Uppity was her friend, if only one of her most recent. She cared about the mare and wanted to see her treated better.

"Why do you let Social Justice treat you like that?"

Uppity frowned and looked down into her chocolate brew. "Justice was one of my first real friends... Yea, she's a little brash and inconsiderate, but her heart's in the right place. She just hates ignorance to other ponies feelings and the privileges we as unicorn mares enjoy blinds us to the plights of other ponies."

Unicorn mare privilege? Twilight had never heard of such a concept before, though Uppity seemed quite knowledgeable of it. According to Social Justice, unicorn's were seen as the most valued of the tribes for their ability to manipulate the world around them with magic. They were the powerful tribe that was born into ability that the other tribes were not, and thus, privileged. Privilege had to be checked and rechecked so as to not 'oppress' the other ponies by making them feel either inadequate, inferior or afraid.

Mares, being the majority heads of authority, also had privilege in that they held a higher value in matriarchal society. Psychologically and physiologically speaking, mare's were also the bonded much closer to their foals than fathers were, since the birthing process starts and ends with the mare spending eleven months to a year with the foal before the father even gets to see it. Leading to mare's being more biologically predisposed to caring for the foal, and thus, holding the majority of foal custody during any divorce hearings.

"It's rare, but paternal alienation against fathers is a pretty big problem if the mother doesn't want the foal to see the father." Uppity pointed out, becoming a little more animated.

While Twilight could agree to the sentiment, she had to digress back to the original topic of Justice's treatment of Uppity. Though, her attempts were yet again deflected with the justification of Uppity's alleged "mare privilege". While the DA went on talking about the social inequalities that stallions, especially earth pony stallions, faced in society, Twilight was beginning to understand the relationship between the two. 

Uppity was a kind pony, a mare who wanted everypony to be happy, and for all ponies to be seen as equals. Justice played on this desire, and since she was one of Uppity's first real friends, probably pressured her into conformity through Justice's manipulative personality while claiming the moral high ground. It was complicated, but what the orange unicorn believed what she told Twilight about "unicorn mare privileged" than she was running on not only mare guilt but unicorn guilt as well.

"Uppity." Twilight said in concern, placing her hoof ontop of Uppity's, halting the DA's explanation. It may or may not have been her place to say this, but the magic of friendship was her domain, and she wasn't going to let one of her own friends be in such a toxic relationship.

"Yes, Twilight?"

"How did you meet Social Justice?" The librarian asked, taking the tactical approach.

"Well, it was in high school. I'd just moved to Canterlot from Manehatten. She was lecturing some fillies in school about micro-aggressions they'd committed against a colt when they scolded him for missing class again. Of course, I don't condone missing class, but with the way she was speaking, it made a lot of sense. I mean, if you're berating a minority who's already feeling oppressed, that's not really conducive to inclusivity."

"I see, and you said you didn't have any friends before that?"

Uppity shook her head sadly. "No, most ponies didn't like the things I did. Even in middle school, I had a impeccable memory and loved to look into law, figure out how the empire ran and why it ran that way. But others saw it as me being the ultimate tattle tail, the same in high school... but Social Justice thought my adeptness in law was amazing though!"

Yea, a lot of things were making sense now.
> Dreaming of Screaming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Dreaming of Screaming






Walking through the streets of Unitas, Sin took in the city welfare.

Dull grey and tanned building towered over him as the echoes of thousands of voices permiated the air. The stallion couldn't walk three feet without bumping into someone else walking the opposite direction, or having someone push past. Unitas, being the Capital of the state of North New Equine, was a major metropolitine area.

And Sin hated metropolitine areas. It wasn't just the fact there were ponies everywhere with little chance to quietly think, but the laws and politics there in.

He walked by a group of ponies and dogs proclaiming socialism to be the most beneficial standard in which to run the country on one side, with another sect of socialism from across the street pushed itself as the superior form of government. Both demonized the other, but idolized the state and demanded its expansion.

They didn't use the words "state" or "socialism" but anyone with half a socio-economically inclined brain could tell what "universal healthcare" and "higher minimum wages" would bring.

Sad things was, it was younger types, individuals around his own age. Little shits who thought they knew a thing or two about how socio-economics worked because they took a fucking government class in college.

It was as maddening as it was breath taking, Sin himself had been dismissed so many times because of his age and assumed political allegiance to his peers, when nothing could be farther from the truth. He liked capitalism, free markets and trade were the most efficient system of economics, as far as he was concerned. History had proven this time and time again. Hell, Equestria was lauded as the world's leader in Utopism, and it was a primarily capitalist society on the fucking golden bit, for Tapio's sake! A single Equestrian bit was a half a quarter of an ounce of gold, and they traded one for a fucking carrot!

Of course, Sin was a stallion of results. So many clung to virtue ethics and proceeded through mental gymnastics of justification and rationalization when "good hearted" programs have bad results. Unlike many, he believed negative consequences were a necessary part of life, that negative consequences are what kept free citizens in line. 

Yet so many would demonize negative consequences, and his love of them, and blame something else other than their "good hearted" and "progressive" mindsets. All the while condemning Sin and ponies like him as "evil" for the beliefs that decisions had to have both good and bad outcomes.

As the oaken pegasus continued through town, he began to notice the density of the crowd slowly start to teeter off. Nothing nefarious or intimidating, ponies going inside random buildings or walking out of his view, but he was in the "Glass Tower" business district. The part of Unitas that did not know peace or rest.

He stopped at a street corner and decided to wait the dream out. Sin should have known it was a dream right away, he'd never returned to the Federation, yet here he was, back in the same town he'd been banished from.

In short order, much too short, the streets were cleared, the hustle and bustle of the crowd had gone deathly silent, with nothing but a low wistle of wind to show that Sin hadn't lost his hearing.

With a sigh, the Federalist prepared himself for whatever horror would be presented to him.

The nightmares had become more and more horrifying lately. While before they were just showing him visions of failure like resistance against either Triple M.'s Corperate dictatorship, or a Changeling infestation, now they were becoming more... personal.

Sin could deal with combat and seeing a cause he'd fought for fail, he was used to seeing his efforts amount to nothing. Hours upon hours of study, research, simplification and presentation, all to have it spat back into his face... That he was experienced in and much too hardened against for simple visions to hurt.

However, the Alicorn had seen where his weakness was, his friends. 

Sin couldn't count the number of times he'd seen the last conversation between he and Big Macintosh played over and over again in the dreamscape. This wouldn't have been so bad if the dream of events weren't constantly altered. Words said between the two that he knew, for a fact, were never spoken. As if reliving the same conversation over and over wasn't bad enough, the Alicorn now tried to taint his memories.

It was subtle, at first. Mac making slightly varied replies to what Sin had said when the two were in the Canterlot dungeons. But soon enough, other ponies were with the red stallion, condemning the Federalist and saying he deserved to be where he was. That everything that happened to him was the result of his own doing and missgivings to the world.

On a particularly cruel occasion, the Alicorn showed Sin a disgustingly vivid act of Macintosh having sex with Uppity outside of the Federalist's cell. Going on with the speal about how Mac was a "real stallion" and how Sin had never made any sexual advances upon Uppity because he wasn't "stallion enough". 

Sin had to admit, that cut him pretty deep. Even if it was just a dream, cuckoldary was a fierce hot button for him.

He knew his memories were being altered, suggestions being made to drive him into seclusion and isolation. As things were, that didn't really bother him too much anymore. What did bother him was the fact the dreams were tampering with honest memories, his experiences in life were being rewritten by this thing, and despite his emotional control, he had absolutely no way to stop it.

All he could do was write down the truth in a journal, and look at the words again and again; trying to force the pleasant realities over the cynical lies that tainted his mind.

And now, here Sin was again, about to have his memory rewritten once more.

"Hey Sin."

The stallion looked up to find Ace smiling at him. An uncharacteristically cheerful smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting." Sin replied dryly, his eyes darting around for a second out of paranoia.

"That's great! I've been waiting too!" The golden unicorn chirped. Sin waited for him to explain what he was waiting for, but he didn't until the oaken pony gestered for him to.

"I'm waiting for the collapse, of course!"

"Why?"

"So I can point and laugh." 

Sin quirked a brow, Ace would never say anything like that. The unicorn pony was as much a life worshiper as most everybody else and constantly debated the former senator on his desire to watch the country burn. 

Ace shook his head. "No, no. You've got it all wrong, Sin. You see, I'm finally seeing what you've been saying this whole time!" He stopped and looked around at the disturbingly desolate city. "The citizens, they let this happen. They were too foolish and self absorbed to see the consequences of their actions; and now they deserve to suffer for it."

Chuckling, the stallion shook his head. "If you're going to impersonate Ace, at least get him right at first and then have him twist into something else. I'm almost insulted by the lack of effort put into this one."

Ace's happy smile fell to a dark grin. The city around began to become distorted, a lens of disorientating haze covered the building surrounding the two. Sin kept his grin and watched Ace intently.

"They deserve to suffer because they didn't fight back when their right's were violated." The golden pegasus declared, his voice twisted and echoing with an all to familiar feminine coo.

Sin laughed, he cackled a maniachle and cruel laugh that chilled the very air around him. "Hehehehe. Ahhh, that's funny."

Ace tilted his head and quirked a brow, his grin faltering a little. "And what, pray tell, is so funny?"

Sin wiped a non-existent tear from his eye and brought his breathing under control. "The real Ace knows that I don't believe in concept of rights, he knows better than to use that word with me."

The dream pony's grin fell completely, leaving a thoroughly perplexed stallion with eyes that demanded an explination.

It wasn't all that difficult really. "Rights" as the were often called, were supposedly "unalienable" ideas that every sentient being was entitled to. However, as Sin saw it, if something could be taken away, it wasn't a right, it was a privilege, and all privileges had to be fought for and protected. Oh, he used the word, for the sake of conveying his point, but he didn't believe in them for one simple reason.

The term had with it: a false sense of security and ensuing sense of entitled complacency. That a supposed "right" would always be respected and wouldn't need to be worked for. In a sense, he hated "rights" because ponies easily and quickly took them for granted. They were things that were just "always going to be there, not matter what."

Until they weren't.

And then the pony who was so zelous in their "rights" suddenly lost them all because of someone put a bolt through their head. Taking away their little "right to life" and every other right they ever thought they had.

Sin chuckled again, the look of utter confusion on the dream's face was absolutely priceless. 

"If'n ya don't believe in rights, then why are ya on the run?" 

Sin took a breath and turned to find Big Macintosh standing in the street before him.

"To protect my alleged "right" to be free, of course." Sin frowned. "Seriously, do you guys just not listen to a word I say?"

"I don't think that's why he's running."

The Federalist sighed and turned around again, this time Spike was the party to speak, though they were no longer in Unitas, but... Ponyville? 

"I think he's running because he knows he doesn't belong with us. Never did." Spike declared, folding his arms over his chest.

Sin furrowed his brow. It wasn't really a lie... he... never really felt like he fit in with the residents of Ponyville, or other Equestrians for that matter. Most of the ponies there were nice and genuinely happy, even Cranky Donkey. Sin? He was never happy, he rarely smiled, didn't talk to anyone outside of what was absolutely necessary and was a total recluse.

Still though, he'd made friends, that counted for something, right?

"Does it?" 

Sin turned his head to find Twilight Sparkle glowering at him. "You've made friends with Spike, Macintosh, and Shade. That's three friends, three friends in the entire year you've been here. In that time, how many enemies have you made?"

"Quite a few." Sin answered honestly, the unicorn nodded and began listing off every single pony who hated his guts. It was a rather impressive list, one Sin took great pride in, especially when Luna's name came up at the end. 

"Twelve enemies. You have a fraction of the number of friends as you have enemies, does that sound like an environment of belonging to you? We haven't even factored in the ponies, such as myself, who don't consider you an enemy, but have a healthy dislike of you."

"I'd imagine that list is also quite extensive. Though to be fair, most of my enemies are in the political sphere and half of them are currently dead, so I don't really feel all that bad about it."

"Because you have no regard for life." Spike declared, phasing in next to Twilight. "How many ponies have you murdered in your life?"

"Again, Quite a few." 

Spike glared at the pony, a glare that made Sin's eye began to twitch with anticipation. He recognized that glare, from when the drake struck him after the air ship battle against the Judgement in the Gonshinian. The first time Spike had ever seen him kill. 

A sudden sense of dread coursed through Sin's veins. "I've killed to protect others, you should know that most of all."

"Really? Then why did you kill me?" Another pony appeared, this one a face the pony hadn't seen in a very long time. Mallet. 

Feeling his emotions well, Sin fought to keep his logical mind at the forefront, stating that Mallet's death was his own doing in suicide. 

"He killed himself 'cause of you!" Big Mac declaired, phasing in beside him. "Ya ruined him beyond redemption n' repair. Ya made a pony end his own life ta prove a point."

"I didn't make him do anything." Sin seethed, feeling his temper begin to flare.

Twilight tilted her head. "Oh, so if you hadn't challenged him, he would still be dead?"

"No, but it was-"

"So you admit it!" Spike declaired triumphantly. "You admit that you made him kill himself!"

"No, I was a variable, bu-"

He was cut off again by another round of jeers from the dream ponies before him. 

"You did kill me!"

"It's your fault he's dead."

"You can't deny it."

"You don't respect life."

"You don't belong here."

The stallion frowned and tried to ignore them. He had a reason why he wasn't totally at fault for Mallet's death, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what it was.

Maybe he really did kill Mallet? No, no, Mallet's death was a suicide. Yes, he was a variable, but that didn't make him the cause. It wasn't aggression, he shouldn't feel guilty about it... Right? It wasn't aggression, it wasn't aggression. 

Found himself mentally repeating the phrase over and over again in his mind, clinging to it like a life raft as the guilt and shame of being a murderer swept over him like tidal waves. 

"We respect life here in Equestria!"

It wasn't aggression.

"You don't belong here."

It wasn't aggression.

"Y'all don't deserve friends."

It wasn't aggression.

"Murderer!"

It wasn't aggression.

"I DIDN'T FUCKING KILL HIM!" Sin shouted, his voice full of desperation, but to no avail. Each of them was still chanting reasons for his fault and lack of belonging in Equestria. 

Sin's logic escaped the pony as his emotional mind pushed forth into the dream, why was this happening? Why did he feel such overwhelming shame over this. He knew there was a logical reason to absolve himself of shame, but it seemed like such small point now. He'd murdered someone, he ended a life, and now that it was being shoved into his face and shamed for it, he genuinely felt something more than regretful guilt for it.

But why? Why was this happening now? He didn't know, he felt like he should have known, but he couldn't figure it out. His mind was too flooded by emotion to make a logical or even coherent thought other than acceptance to the atrocities he'd committed.

It wasn't fair though, it wasn't fair that they were blaming him. They were't there, they didn't know what happened. How could they? Sin stood alone against his opponents, alone as the crowd scorned and jeered him. Where were they? Why weren't they there if they were so self righteous about friendship and community?

They didn't understand, they couldn't understand! How many life threatening situations had they been put into where it was kill or be killed? How many times had they been on their own with no help? Always having to be the brains of the operation, always having to do the heavy lifting, always having to endure the scorn and contempt, the hatred and stinging words because nobody else would or could make the hard decisions; and take all of it with a stoic face to hide weakness and just how tired he was.

Fuck them. If they wanted to scorn him for doing what he needed to do, than they could go fuck themselves.

Fuck them! Fuck Equestria! Fuck Spike, Fuck Mac, Fuck Twilight and double Fuck Mallet. Communist peice of shit he was, Sin was glad he was dead. Fucker deserved it.

"Then why are you still in Equestria?" Another voice... one that made Sin tense. The four that were in front of him had disappeared, leaving Sin alone with who was now behind him. Feeling himself trembling, the stallion turned to find Malich standing a few feet away. 

"You've all but admitted you don't belong here and are among ponies who will never understand you." Malich stated in a calm tone, a tone Sin was convinced meant to mock him. "Even if you weren't a fugitive of the law, how long do you think this would have lasted? Uppity, your friends, your life in Ponyville? Do you really think life worshipers like them had ever really forgiven you for what you've done?"

The pony gestured and a two dozen visions of small ponies and griffons appeared on the ground. Some had bolts in their chests, others hung from ropes, and a few lay on the ground with various medicines sitting besides them. One of them was Sickle, his eyes wide with horror as he lay on the cobble stone of Unitas. 

Sin's breathing became labored as he realized what it was he was being shown. 

These were the individuals killed by his influence. Both direct, and in direct. As his eyes shifted between them, he could remember each and every single one in vivid detail. There was Commander Hurricane, his most recent kill. A mugger pony he'd killed during his time with Triple M. A former Senator who he'd humiliated so badly she ran out of the senate chamber in tears, the griffon he'd shot out of the sky over Trottingham. 

So many lives ended because of him, so much blood on his hooves. 

How could he live among life worshipers when he bore so much death?

"You can't." Malich said. "You could never tell them your deepest secrets. Do you think Uppity or Macintosh would ever look at you the same if they knew the truth? If they knew about the sins you've committed and the lives you've ruined? You've spent so much time justifying it to yourself so you could pretend to live among them happily, but we both know the truth. We both know this little fantasy life of yours was never meant to last."

Down, deep down, Sin knew the words to be true.

There was never any real hope of acceptance in Equestria. It was his place of refuge, a place of escape where he'd come to after he'd failed to both fight for individualism and personal responsibility as well as ending his own life. 

For all of Sin's service, what good had he accomplished here? Releasing a few ponies from jail, quelling a failed communist uprising, and cutting a few ordinances that were already being reinstated. That was it, that was all he had to show for all of his efforts in life. Over twenty ponies died because of him. Over twenty ponies who were just living their lives and doing what they thought was right, over twenty families would never see a loved on again because of his actions... and for what? 

Nothing. Nothing but delaying the inevitable.

"Poor Sin."

The stallion slumped, depression swarming over him as a final voice whispered from just behind. Sin could feel the alicorn behind him now, but he didn't care. He was too lost in his thoughts and confused guilt to concern himself with whatever she wanted.

"You've worked so hard, sacrificed so much to try and do the right thing, and all of it amounting to nothing or worse."

Sin felt something press up against his back and begin to rub his withers, gentle and circular motions began to unravle his tense body and mind as the calming words of the Alicorn soothed his ears.

"You've been alone for so long, surrounded by ponies who could never understand you. Ponies who you desperately wished you could open up to."

He knew it was wrong, but something about the Alicorn, about Nightmare Moon, soothed the tempest within his mind. He leaned back into her hoof, finding his back braced against her forelegs. It was true, despite how angry and standoffish he was, even he desired acceptance just like everybody else did.

A pair of black wings gently surrounded him and pulled Sin against the Alicorn's chest in a comforting hug. A hug that melted every last insecurity that plagued the ponies mind.

"You wanted to let them in, but you were afraid. Afraid that they would see you for the monster you are. But I know who you really are." Nightmare Moon cooed, now working her own forelegs around Sin's barrel and rubbing his chest in a very sultry and suggestive manner.

"You can trust me."


> Sin's Cutie Mark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Sin's Cutie Mark







Blood.

So much blood.

Sin had to do it, though. He knew what they were doing, what they were trying to bring to Ponyville. The sickness and depravity of ponies never ceased to amaze and disgust him. It was always thought that mares were the kinder and gentler sex, that mares could be trusted over stallions because of their femininity...

Those who thought this would be very wrong.

The stallion sighed as he stood in the Everfree forest, looking down over the three bodies that still bled before him. Three mares, two unicorn and one earth pony. He knew they were dead, he'd smashed their skulls beneath his hooves until they were nothing but shattered bones and pasty brainstuff.

Yet, despite the fact their hearts had to have stopped, blood still pooled from the tears in their flesh. It defied all concept of logic and medical convention, but dreams had a tendency to go against the norm.

Was it all a dream, though? That much he wasn't sure about. When he was awake, he knew he'd seen these three... escorting two foals bound in chains. The two had run off during his attack and he'd yet to see either of them. Probably never would either, now.

Sin lifted his hoof to his head, smearing the blood onto his face as he scratched a non existent itch.

He could have easily summoned the intimidation aura and incapacitate the slavers, possibly even kill them, but he wasn't sure if the foals would bear any side effects, so he went with a more pin point method. The earth pony was the only real problem, anyways. He'd shot her first with the crossbow, following up with the quick load and killing the one of the unicorns. The final unicorn he'd easily taken by surprise with his magical immunity, leaving both to a physical altercation.

Luckily for him, she knew less about fighting than he did, and her reliance on magic had made the unicorn physically inept. Her death was not quick, nor was it painless. The bruising on her abdomine was severe enough to taint her light green pelt a sickly purple, and the stallion felt great pride in leaving his mark upon her.

He knew he shouldn't have, that it was the sign of the psychopath to do so, but he took a small bit of pleasure in their deaths as well. Not just in their deaths, but in the fact he was the one who killed them.

A small bit that was growing, a small bit of him he never wanted to remember again...

Sin sighed and the world around him began to twist and distort in a whirl of black and moon light green.

When it finished he looked to find the landscape had settled on an old sight from a long lost memory.

There was nothing here but a barren land of dirt and dead grass for miles around with a single square building off in the distance. Standing around were mannequin training dummies of bipedal and quadruped design in various positions, along with a target range and various weapons stands with all manner of lethal arms.

To his left stood a group of nineteen earth ponies and a single pegasi, clad in brand new, shiny, black leather jackets of the Triple M. Corporation. All standing in a straight line looking forward and awaiting their instructor to begin the day's training regiment. Every single one of them barley looked of drinking age, but each held a distinct fire in their eyes, the fire of determination and service.

A younger Sin stood among them, looking a little too excited.

Sin could remember these days less and less, but seeing it brought everything back to him. Zell and Crasus were still alive here, the former having been accepted at an internship for one of Triple M.'s news outlets in the city of Northwood, while the latter had moved to Unitas to find his purpose in life.

A purpose he would never find...

"LOOK ALIVE!" 

The unit of ponies stood stock straight, eyes forward. A behemoth of a stallion bigger than Fancy Pants was tall and Macintosh was wide walked into view, his leather jacket much longer, covering his entire black pelted body. His single eye looked over those who'd survived the Triple M. physical entrance exams and looked utterly repulsed by what he saw.

Sin felt himself quake with rage at seeing his old drill instructor. His missing eye and scared snoot bringing back an old grudge he'd shared with the stallion. A grudge that came about through one of the most... unconventional means.

"My name is Sargent Buck." The pony bellowed in a friendly tone. "I want to get any and all questions out of the way right now. As of this moment, I am your god. I say jump, you jump as high as you can and I buck you in the fucking face if it's not high enough."

There were a few nervous gulps from the rookie earth pony squad. Sargent Buck was something of a legend in the Triple M. Corporation's Mercenary Division. He was on the notorious Alpha Squad, the very first combat specialists employed by Triple M. back when the Merc branch was added. The ebony stallion had been the third in command under his grandfather and father for his ruthlessness and tactics.

If Sin remembered correctly, Buck was also the reason Triple M. took over the policing of the Federation from the federal police force. The earth ponies relentless training and brutality was nothing compared to his tactical mind. Some thought he could analyze weaknesses of an individual or even an entire army just by looking at them. If the cross hair cutie mark on his flank was any indication, than Sin suspected it was more than just dumb luck.

Buck barked that he wanted everyone to line up in rows of two and observe what, in his humble opinion, the sad excuse of boot camp gave him to work with.

Buck began walking down the line, inspecting each of the grunts for all they were worth. He scoffed at a few, nodded at others, ended up kicking one of the earth ponies in the chest for having his third button unbuttoned, and continued on. His walking stopped and he looked directly at the dream Sin, his brow furrowing as soon as they hit the stallion's flanks.

"No mark?" He asked, eyes narrowed. "Where's your mark, son?"

"I never got one, sargent." Sin replied, his face stoic and unblinking. Though, his right hind leg bounced nervously.

Buck saw this as an opportunity and smirked. "Ah yes, your Gemini's boy, aren't you?" He began to circle the stallion. "Yea, brown coat and mane, dead blue eyes, no mark. Your Sin Islander."

The sargent laughed a malicious and mocking guffaw. "Alright, ladies. It seems we've got a celebrity in our ranks. This here is a daddy's boy to our new President." No sounds came, but Sin could remember feeling thoroughly humiliated at the attention. The way he was feeling at that moment, the entire squad might as well have been pointing and laughing at him. 

Buck stood back upfront and gave a faux face of sorrow. "But he ain't got no markin' yet. Ain't that sad?"

The younger Sin's leg began to twitch quicker, his anger quickly coming to boil.

Sin cringed as the sargent made a proclamation of getting Sin his cutie mark and elected him to be one of the first two to demonstrate ability in physical combat. Completely ignorant to just how prophetic his words really were. His younger self squared up to yellow stallion who'd also been elected to fight. 

Back then, Sin wasn't as averse to physical combat as he was today. And now, he was remembering why.

The earth pony immediately swiveled on his front legs and tossed them back. A move the younger Sin, and anyone really, saw coming a mile away. The younger Sin jumped left before lunging forward and landing a down hook right onto his foe's head, slamming it down onto the dirt. Being a pegasus gave the younger stallion an evasive advantage, it cost him a lot in strength and pain endurance, but he'd learned it was much more effective to let an enemy tire themselves out by dodging an attack than blocking it, or getting hit by it.

The earth stallion shook it off and lunged at Sin and followed up with a leg swipe. The dream dodged with an ease and grace that betrayed how uncoordinated the pegasus was today. It was weird watching the memory through this kind of angle, the real Sin could believe how graceful and dexterous he was back then. Of course, he'd also trained a lot more than most of the other colts at boot camp as well.

As the "fight" continued on, the real Sin inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He didn't want to see it, he knew what was coming and he'd rather look at anything other than what he was about to witness. 

Sin's decision to join Triple M. at this point came out of a desire for discipline and comradery he'd never gotten at home. His dropping out of school to go live with Mandylion had left the pony... wanting, in a way. The two stayed out in the wilderness away from the stupidity of the common citizen, but Sin wanted more. He wanted to change the world for the better, in a way the Liberty Syndicate couldn't offer. It was an organization dedicated to libertarian principals that he strongly believed in, but it's existence had accomplished so little that the oaken stallion had grown disenfranchised.

It pained him to admit, but he also didn't respect Mandylion. For all that his grandfather had taught to him, Sin realized that Mandylion was much too loving of freedom and "free roam" parenting, as he called it. There was seldom any discipline or structure between the two aside from firm lectures that Sin could easily brush off. In a way, it felt like his grandfather didn't care about him. Not in the way he wanted him to, anyway. He understood his grandfather giving him freedom to do as he pleased and learn at his own pace, but he wanted more. He craved structure, to given something to think about, to challenged in his thinking, to be told "no". But unless it was an aggressive action against the elder pony himself, Sin could jump off a cliff for all he cared. Knowing the stallion wouldn't do it out of common sense, but still...

TWACK!

The real Sin cringed as his younger counterpart was sent flying. The yellow stallion having executed a perfect arial spin that knocked him for a loop. It didn't do much physical damage, after all, Sin had lived out in the wilderness with Mandylion and gotten into all kinds of trouble in the mountains, but still, a blow had been struck against him.

A lot of things happened in the next few moments. 

The younger Sin's eyes shrunk to pinpricks, his bloodied muzzle parted into a devious and vengeful smile that made the rest of the tranee's eyes widen with horror. The young pegasus licked his lips and spat it out into the yellow pony's eyes.

Then, with his opponent caught off guard, Sin pounced. There was no kicking, there were no moves meant to non-leathally or semi-letheally incapacitate his opponent. There was barely any movement on his part at all.

The real Sin looked up at one of the most shameful moments of his life. His younger self was straddling the earth pony colt, his eyes face full of emotional effort as his hooves bore down onto his exposed throat, with his enemy's legs thrashing wildly in an attempt to hit Sin somewhere and get him off.

Things were quite for a few seconds, Buck and the trainees waiting for something to happen, but Sin made no inclination that he was letting his opponent off the ground to continue the match. 

"Private!" Buck yelled. "Private! Let him up, you're done!"

Still no movement.

This wasn't a sparring session any more, at that time, Sin had every intention on killing that poor colt.

To call him "messed up" and "confused" back then was an understatement. Sin had joined the Triple M. Mercs for one reason and one reason only, and that was to legally kill. To kill and end the lives of bad ponies who hurt others and committed aggression. 

He had such a simple world view during his time with Triple M. He didn't know how to change the ponies in the Federation so they wouldn't fall to the gods of government. He didn't know how to break them of complacency, fear, apathy or yearning for dogma. So, if he couldn't get to the ponies themselves, he'd go after the next best thing, those whom committed aggression and made government necessary in the first place.

It was a simple solution, one he'd thought so righteous back then, back when he still cared about others besides his friends and family. 

The sapient races were idiots, idiots who drove him crazy with their lack of desire for individualism and freedom. Sin resented them, but he also felt sorry for them and wanted to protect them. As he saw it, the citizens of the Federation were simple sheep, following the Gods and doing as they were bid. They weren't malevolent ponies, just foolish sheep who needed to be protected from the wolves of the world by ponies like him. Guard dogs who would need to kill and maim in the worst ways possible to show that aggression wouldn't be tolerated.

Sin watched with grave disgust as his youngerself was pulled off of his fellow private, leaving the pony gasping for air and almost in tears with how close he'd come to death. His youngerself was fighting against the others with everything he had, but the multiple earth ponies, while reluctant and some even fearful, could easily restrain a single pegasus.

A small, dim flash later and Sin's cutie mark appeared. It was a simple design, a white "U" shape with a vertical line running through the very middle of it, the symbol of psychology over a black shield. The main feature of it, though, was that the symbol was broken, as if cut in half at the horizontal middle and shifted to the right.

The symbolism was all too clear. A broken psyche, the symbol of the psychopath.


> "Why is Life?"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








"Why is Life?"






Sitting in his old family home, a very young Sin sat on his bed, concentrating intensly as he looked down at a small, rectangular piece of paper, trying to figure out its secrets.

His father was in the back room, going over some things from work and his younger brother was sleeping peacefully in the bed on the otherside of the room. Light breaths were the only sound to be heard as the oaken colt tried to piece together what exactly he was looking at.

Gemini had given it to Sin for his birthday, he called this a "Bill", a piece of paper others used to "buy" things like food and firewood. Sin had a tough time understanding why such a flimsy piece of paper, one he'd already torn to prove it frailty, had so much power. What was it about this "Bill" that ponies would give such nice things for it? He supposed it kinda felt like toilet paper, but much too rough for him to consider using it as such. 

He recounted what he knew of the money, which considering he was barely in his first year of public schooling, wasn't alot. His father didn't have a lot of patience to try and explain it to him, what with he and his grandfather working so much on their mining business together. Sin rarely ever saw Gemini and all but denied the existance of his mother who disappeared a little while after Malich was born.

When Sin asked about it, his father just said "value is subjective, citizens want it, and that's why it's valuable."

Sin did not understand this, and as his six year old mind tried to process it, it began to irritate him. WHY!? Why did ponies want these? Why were they so sought after? What was their utility outside of trade? There wasn't any that he could see, yet ponies were willing to slave away at work for hours at a time for it, some even willing to rob banks and kill others for its abundance.

"Value is... sub-ject-ive." The young colt said in a high pitch voice, picking up the piece of paper and studying it. One the front was the centaur he learned to be "Sparhawk" with some nice designs around the bill and the number "10" on the side. He flipped it over to find a bunch of centaur running through some trees, with the phrase "Pacem Libertas", he didn't know what that meant, his ignorance only compounding his frustration farther.

Sin had no idea why he was so focused on this. He had toys he could play with that were much more fun, books he could be reading with all kinds of bright and happy pictures and words, and plenty of paper and crayons for drawing and creating things. Yet, ever since he'd gotten this "Bill" two days ago, it had completely consumed his world.

Sighing, the colt laid the mystic peice of paper onto his nightstand, turned out the light and snuggled into bed, his mind still abuzz trying to figure to wrap itself around the concept of money.

His father found it important, and his father was the smartest pony he knew. He said that money was the reason the family ate and had lights and water, and in order to get these things, Gemini had to work, and in his work he wouldn't be able to spend much, or any, time with his family.

It was a somber thing that the young pony never wanted to say aloud. He wanted to spend time with his father, but his state of constant irritation and absence made him impossible to interact with in any kind of positive way. 

It hurt Sin to be constantly rejected like that, to be told that his father's work was more important than he was. He'd cried about it once, but it was a mistake he'd never make again. Gemini told him that colts don't cry and that he should stop being so selfish. That if his father didn't work, they wouldn't be able to eat or have heating during the winter. 

It was something the pony couldn't understand though. During his time at school, parents would drop their foals off and he'd heard plenty of stories from them about the time they and their parents spent together. So why? Why did they get to have parents who wanted to be around them and he didn't? Why did they get to have mommies and he didn't? That wasn't fair...

"Life isn't fair, Sin! Never had been, never will be. One day, you'll understand that."

Gemini's words echoed in Sin's mind as the stallion tried to fall asleep. He had school tomorrow and didn't want to get in trouble again for falling asleep in class.









"Hi, I'm Zell, what's your name?" A young, happy unicorn asked.

Sin sighed and looked up from his book at the maroon colt standing before him. The sounds of the playground were loud and the air was cold. He was in no mood to be out during recess, but the teachers refused to let him stay inside and read like he wanted. Now he was stuck outside with the rest of the foals to prance around the school yard. Colts and fillies who seemed so happy and carefree, what with their friendships and ignorance to the way the world around them worked.

Alas, his angry glare didn't send the colt running as it did so many others, and Sin reluctantly answered his question.

"Sinbad." Sin replied, going back to his book.

Zell smiled. "Nice to meet you, hey, whatcha readin'?"

Sin lifted the front of the book and showed it to him. "Why is life?" a novel of thought his grandfather had given him for his tenth birthday a few months ago.

During his delving into the concept of money and both why and how it worked lead the oaken colt into a world beyond anything his young mind could possibly conceive of. Money tied in with so much more than just work and food. Psychology, politics, sociology, and economics, each with their own subcategories for him to explore and understand.

Sin wanted to understand the country, he wanted to understand the world. He wanted to know why things were the way that they were. Why money worked, why government existed, what kinds of government there were, why herd psychology was the way it was, why ponies his age were so disinterested with these concepts. 

And deep down, he just wanted to feel smart. He liked that feeling, the feeling of knowing things others didn't. Whenever he'd ask a teacher about what a certain word meant, they'd praise him for his inquisitive nature and comment how few foals his age could use such advanced vocabulary and concepts. Some times the teachers would have to pull out the dictionary for him, finally settling to leave it to where he could grab it when they'd grown tired of his constant questionings.

While most ponies were out playing and enjoying their youth, Sin was studying "Free Market Economics vs Central Planning" and "Relationship Psychology". He desperately wanted his father's approval for years, but then he asked himself why he wanted it. Why did he want to be around his dad so badly? What was the real point of that? Ironic, considering it was that very desire that set him down his current path of learning and knowledge.

Sin had seen how ponies like his father talked. They didn't talk like most other ponies did. Gemini and Mandylion used bigger words and spoke about things that sounded much more important than what the teachers talked about. Sin figured that if he learned how to talk like they did and understood things the way they did, his father would spend more time with him and talk about those things with him like he'd always wanted.

Despite the elder stallion all but giving up on him for his lack of using his wings, a small part of Sin wanted a relationship with him.

"Owww." Zell complained, rubbing his head. "I don't understand all of those words. How can you read that? You must be super smart, huh?"

Sin closed the book. "Not really." He looked to maroon colt. "Is there something you need?"

"Not really. You never say anything to anyone in class, and my mom always told me to make friends with ponies who didn't have any."

Sin felt his muscles tighten at the word, a word he'd never addressed anyone by. There was no point in getting angry or sad about it, he didn't have a mom and that was the reality.

"Your mother sounds like a very nice mare." 

"She is! She makes cookies every Friday!" Zell chirped. "Say, you wanna come over to my place after school?"

Sin looked bewildered, he was being invited to someone else's house? His desire for friendship all but died as he buried himself in philosophy and economics. And as such, it would be pointless to become friends with anyone here. 

"I'll pass, thanks."

Zell asked him to reconsider, promising delicious snacks and showing him some of his father's archano-tech machines, but Sin stood form in his answer. There was no point, most of the foals in school talked about things he couldn't care less about, like gossip or the latest play that had come to town that he'd never admit to seeing, or in the worst cases, that stupid trading card game. Most of them probably couldn't define the word economics, let alone discuss it with him.

"Well, alright then..." Zell sighed dejectedly and slumped away back to the playground with the others. Sin didn't know why he looked so glum, but returned his attention back to the book none the less.

He couldn't concentrate on the words anymore though, he felt bad for making Zell sad after the colt had been so friendly and continually looked up to see how the colt was doing. 

As the days dragged on, Sin began to notice that Zell didn't have many friends at all, though unlike him, Zell wanted to play with others. He'd be allowed to in group activities and such, but was excluded when the kids would pair off into their respected cliques. The unicorn would constantly pester him, asking to talk but what few conversations the two had, it was clear the colt had no inclination to philosophy or the higher intellectual pursuits. Matter of fact, he was actually kinda slow, even by normal child standards.

He wasn't retarded or anything, but kinda socially awkward. 

Sin felt bad for him for being rejected, he really and honestly did. He could empathize with constantly being turned away from others. Even in class, when the pegasus would look up from his studies to check up on Zell, the unicorn would be subject to exclusivity. Small rumors shot around the room, talking about him being dropped on his head and what not.

One day, during a rainy day or recess when the class was allowed to stay inside. Zell approached Sin as he sat, writing down some notes in his journal.

"Economics." Zell said, looking determined. 

"What?" Sin looked up at him curiously.

"Economics." The maroon colt replied. "The concept of-" the pony frowned, his eyes looking around as he tried to remember the words. "concept of con-consumption, and production." 

Sin smirked, a few of the kids had tried to test his intelligence on multiple ocassions before he'd blow them out of the proverbial water and expose himself as an "egg head". If Zell wanted to play, Sin was more than willing to throw down some intellectual weight against him.

"Define the word: 'Concept'."

Zell's eyes widened and he took a breath. "Concept is like an idea. It's like... um... it's an... oh bother, how did my dad put it... General idea, that's it!"

It was a good enough answer, Sin had to admit to himself that he was impressed, but still not convinced. "Why does money work?"

"What?"

"I asked why does money work?"

Zell bit his lip and frowned nervously. "B- because citizens want it to?"

Sin's smirk grew. The colt was absolutely correct, that's exactly why money worked, for no other reason than the fact individuals saw value in it because others saw value in it. He'd gotten it right by sheer luck though, anyone could see that.

"Do you know why, though?"

Zell grimaced in thought, and for a moment, Sin expected him to give another half hearted answer like many other did before, yet in the end, unicorn shook his head. "No, but I'd like to."









Idiots... Fucking idiots all around him!

A teenaged Sin pushed his way through the town square, ducking between various races as he walked away from the epicenter stage. The entire rally was a supposed "libertarian" event that demanded a private security detail over the government's inefficient police force. 

The ponies, griffin's, dogs, minotaur, donkeys, and rest spouted constantly about the superiority of the free market and how great it would be for the private sector to be involved in the running and maintaining of the police force. Triple M. had been given lofty grants to handle immigration restrictions in the south western sea, and set up a blockade of ships to deter Zeboricans to their country after the first Changeling infection occurred a year ago. 

The company handled the issue beautifully and the citizens here cheered at the prospect of Triple M. being given even more power.

Sin, knew better. What made private enterprise superior to government planning was the fact that competition and individual choice was necessary. Triple M. was a private company, but with no competition to incentivise superior customer and product relations and output, there was no point in their becoming an unchallenged police force.

It was actually more detrimental to the country than it was a boon. Triple M. would hold the government backed monopoly on violence over the entire country with Mandylion or Gemini as potential dictators. Private enterprise with that kind of power was the worst idea that anyone could ever conceive of.

Though, with the changeling crisis still being sensationalized, no small thanks to Gemini he was sure, Triple M. campaigned atop a rather lofty mass of dead foals and cubs, with gaining support from the less informed economic Joe's and Jane's of the state. Luckily, the states of Columbus, Vein, Canim and South New Equine had already dismissed the legislation.

Alas, North New Equine was the primary target, and would be used to set a precedent when the the time for appeals came.

The stallion finally made it out of the crowd of cheering citizens and saw a bunch of ponies clad in tanned cloaks standing along the cobblestone streets. He recognized them as members of the "Liberty Syndicate" an organization dedicated to maintaining the principals of liberty, freedom, and personal responsibility. 

Not a single one of them looked happy about the crowd's demand for a private security force, which wasn't surprising, considering Sin heavily favored their version of economics and sociology. Unlike the idiots behind him who had no idea what they were demanding, the Syndicate understood it all to well.

Sin watched as the small band of ponies shook their heads and began to slowly walk away. He felt his stomach drop as they left, why were they leaving? Was this not what their organization was about? Teaching the idiots of the world about how economics worked and the difference between real capitalism and the crony capitalism these retards demanded?

The young pony slumped and turned around, giving the roaring crowed a hateful glare. No, he could understand.

If what had happened to them had happened to him, it made too much sense for him to be angry with the Syndicate. The common pony didn't understand economics or the principals of competition, they didn't care to understand either. They just wanted to feel good, to feel as though they were protected and followed the best and most agreeable intellectual they could who offered what they wanted. 

Today, that was the unicorn speaking on the podium in the park. Going on and on about how Triple M. was the one who found the Queen of the changelings and eradicated her after the Federal Police Force failed to do so. The corporation had saved millions of lives that day, despite them all but destroyed village the bugs had taken ponies from to be infected. 

The unicorn decried the Federal Police force as well intended, but inefficient. Promising safety to the state of North New Equine from criminals at home and threats from abroad.

These citizens... How many times had he heard them complain about things like the state debt? How many times had he heard them whine about political corruption in the state and federal senates? How many times did they bemoan how inefficient and useless the government was in their dealings with the problems of the collective whole? And yet here they were now, demanding a more brutal and intrusive police force.

Ponies who claimed to be for "freedom" demanding things like State backed: Elderly Financial Security and medical insurance for the financially inept. Believing themselves "charitable" when their alleged generosity only came through the wrong end of a crossbow. 

Sin felt something in himself go cold in that moment. The moment he'd finally snuffed out any and all hope of the common pony seeing reason and logical thought over emotional reaction.

The state of North New Equine could not sustain the government programs it was implementing. Sooner or later, drastic cuts would have to come, and when they did, when the resulting hyper inflation or deflation occurred, when the full consequences came to pass and the bed they were making finally needed to be lied in, the citizens of North New Equine would get no sympathy from him.








"Sin, I'm telling you, you're wrong!" Malich shouted, desperate to deny the opinion his brother had just expressed. On the verge of adolescence, his hormones were beginning to get the better of him. The once innocent and contemplative colt was now forming his own opinion and conclusion on the world. 

Sin knew this time would come and hoped that what he'd taught Malich would be more than sufficient in terms of objective truth. He'd taught Malich his own way of seeing the world, the way of consequentialism and results. It seemed, though, that Malich had taken his stance in the virtue of sapience and held too much regard for the effort and good nature there in to be considered a consequentialist like himself.

"Am I? Then please, Malich, explain to me why I'm wrong? Explain to me why the citizens deserve mercy and compassion when they immerse themselves in the very ignorance and stupidity we both loath and detest. Why? Because they're 'good natured'? Because they 'just don't understand what they're doing'?"

"Yes!" Malich barked, bearing his teeth. "There are good ponies and such in the world, they don't deserve to suffer because the government works outside of their control!"

"Outside of- are you fucking kidding me? The ponies are the ones put those corrupt bastards into positions of political power! The elect them year after year!"

"Yes, and they do so with the belief things will get better!"

"But they don't!" Sin shouted. "They don't get better and they never do, no matter who's put in office! That's the problem with this whole fucking thing! The politicians, all of them, are corrupt and caniving crooks whom bow to special interests and the wealthy. They're puppets, the citizens know this, yet they do nothing to change it but bitch, whine and complain. Actions speak louder than words on what these idiots find 'unacceptable'."

The ashen colt glared at his brother.  "And what would you have them do? Huh!? Realistically, what would you have them do!? Don't give me that agorism or revolutions shit, either! We both know how many would die in that."

"And we both know how many will die if this country continues on the way it is!" Sin countered. "And here's a thought, maybe hold politicians accountable for once? All those retards do is threaten 'vote 'em out!'. As if that's any real threat at all. 'Aww, we're going to not be able to make decisions anymore and keep all of out bribe money or suffer in any meaningful way? How terrible'."

The elder pony scoffed. "You want to know what I would like to see done? I'd like to see politicians write down a list of promises in a contract, and if they don't fulfill those promises, they are beaten in the streets. There, no revolution and no counter economics, that good enough for ya?"

"NO! That's fucking barbaric!"

It was one of the most heated debates the two had ever shared. Sin's own hormones were still in full swing, and with it, his own world views were in a storm of hypocrisy and conflict. One day he'd be in full agreement with his brother about virtue ethics and protecting the very idiots of the world from their own stupidity, the next he would gladly stand by and watch them all suffer for their foolishness.

It was as maddening to him as it was to Malich.

The two continued to shout and yell, finally, Malich's temper got the better of him and he decked Sin right across the muzzle and sent him to the bedroom floor. The oaken pony's only saving grace was the fact his earth pony brother was younger and much weaker, otherwise he'd have been down for the count. As it stood though, the non-aggression principal had been breached, and Sin had to teach Malich what happened when such a sin was committed.

Sin tackled him down and the small wrestling match turned into a full on melee of swearing, debate and flying forelegs and hooves. 

Stomping could be heard from down the hall and the door burst open to show a very livid Gemini. "What the fuck is going on in here?!" He yelled, glaring down at his two sons.

Malich pushed the pegasus away and frowned at the floor. Sin glared daggers at Mandylion, the blood from his muzzle begining to drip to the floor.

"Stop bleeding on my floor, and keep it down in here. If you two wanna go outside and kill each other, that's fine, but don't-" he stopped, seeing Sin's seething glare having only intensified the more he spoke. "What's you're problem?"

Malich was the obediant son, the one who always did what Gemini told him to do. He got good grades, was well behaved and liked in class and did everything he could not to upset his father. Sin, on the other hoof, had grown to hate Gemini, and instead idolize his grandfather. There was a secret plan for Sin to move out of his father's house and officially live with Mandylion a few months from now, but with his adrenaline pumping and his anger already summoned from Malich, the young colt was feeling more than a little brash.

"My problem is you." 

Gemini stared expressionless down at Sin, his face betraying nothing of his feelings save the slight narrowing of his eyes.

"Malich, go outside for a bit. Your brother and I need to speak in private." The ashen earth pony protests, but an angry glare quickly sent him scurrying. Both waited for the front door to close before the official confrontation began. Sin tensed his muscles for whatever would happen. He'd noticed his father had gotten bigger, bulkier and had more than a few scars since he and Mandylion had begun the mercenary branch of Triple M. He may have been a pegasus, but he was much stronger than Sin was.

"So, what about me do you have a problem with." Gemini began, he was calm, cool and very threatening. "Is it the fact that I've given you food and shelter all your life? Is that what's got you in such a tizzy?"

"How about the fact you've never been around?" Sin spat sarcastically.

An irate glare of indignation met one of resentment and the oaken colt began a list of grievances. Missed birthdays, missed Hearthswarmings, the fact that the two would only see eachother for five minutes a day before Gemini would seclude himself in his room to rest and do paperwork from his job, or not seeing him at all during his days off because he was too busy relaxing in his room.

Gemini listened without making a sound, nodding his head every so often to show he was listening. For the first time in a very long time, Sin felt better about his life. It felt good to finally have his attention for once, even if it was in the worst of ways. When he finished, Sin hoped it would leave an impression on the pony, to show him how much he and his brother hurt over their father not being around and no mother to look after either of them.

"So... You're inconsiderate as well as ungrateful."

Sin's eyes shot wide right before a dark brown hoof smacked into his muzzle. His recovery was quick enough, but through a series of of him trying to move away from his father and said father continually cutting him off, it was clear his escape wasn't going to happen any time soon.

In a blur, Gemini's foreleg found Sin's neck and slammed the pony down onto the floor with enough force to crack the wood upon impact. Sin saw his world bluring and a heard a slight ringing off in the distance, but a quick kick to his chest brought him back to reality in short order. 

It was at that moment, the young stallion had finally realized his challenge might have been a mistake.

"Now you listen to me, you ungrateful piece of shit." Gemini growled, placing more pressure. "I have worked my happy ass fucking sick in order to give you and your brother a chance in life I could never dream of. You fucking kids have no idea how good you have it, back when I was your age, we suffered a depression ten times worse than what we have now. You think reading about it in those little books of yours could ever compare to living it? You think just because you fucking understand how it happened you understand what it was like living in it?"

"I have gotten mauled by wolves, watched as two of my best friends were eaten alive, lived through dozens of highway raiders, raided a cult's sacrificial compound, fought a fucking dragon and helped to create a moderately successful company that allows our family to live very well." Gemini glared down, looking Sin in the eye.  "And here is my son, crying like a little bitch because his feelings were hurt because daddy wasn't around enough. Well here's a newsflash, boyo: Nobody, and I mean nobody gives a flying fuck about your Tapio damned feelings! Nobody gives a fuck about my feelings and nobody gives a fuck about your brother's feelings. Do you hear me? Nobody gives a fuck about feelings."

Sin snarled and was about to retort but the hoof on the broad of his neck slipped down onto his throat, cutting off his ability to both speak and breath. Gemini either took no notice of the subtle shift, or did so intentionally.

"That's the problem with your generation. It's all about me, me, me. Selfish, entitled, no respect for work or the sacrifices of others. All you kids ever do is bitch about the feels. Awww, did it hurt that you didn't get to see me all the time? Try being hungry for a couple of days, not knowing when or if you'd have another meal, and then you can talk to me about suffering!"

Gemini pushed off of his son's throat and stormed out of the room, leaving Sin coughing and gasping over his nearly crushed windpipe. His lungs sucked in the life giving oxygen and he rolled over onto his back, far too dizzy and deprived to do anything but recover. 

It was a first for him, a first Sin desperately wanted to forget. He'd antagonized his father, he pushed a lot harder than any time before, but if Sin had known he'd almost be killed by him, he probably wouldn't have said the things he said. As satisfying as it was to finally tell Gemini off, what he'd gained from it was far, far worse.









"Why are you showing me these things?" Sin asked, now in the white void of his mind. A void he'd affectionately come to name as the "White Room".

"Because, my dear, you don't want to remember them." The Black Alicorn stated, walking into view. "Feelings of neglect, abandonment, and rejection. You could only cope with these by submerging yourself in philosophy and economics. It was an escape from the terrible reality in which you lived as a child. She paused for a moment. You've spent so much time denying your own true nature and how it came to be, I know you'd be happier if you just embraced it."

"Maybe I would." The Federalist admitted flatly. "But I would never be able to look at myself in the mirror again. I hated who I was, what I'd become. I was the very monster I despised most in the world, a psychopath who had no respect for the integrity or rights of others... I was wrong in who I was."

Nightmare Moon pulled up beside him and covered the stallion in a wing. "It is what you were meant to be, even your cutie mark demands it of you."

"And I had them carved out to show that I rejected whatever it was that gave me such a future." He looked up into the calculating teal eyes of the mare above him. "I choose who I am, and I've chosen something else."

He felt a gentle hoof reach up and stroke his mane soothingly. "And what has that gotten you? Stress? Suffering? A broken mind and shattered will? Are these costs truly worth it?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes." Sin whispered hesitantly. It was wrong, it was wrong on so many levels, but he felt comfort in what the Alicorn was doing. The gentle stroking of her hoof upon his head, like a mother comforting her foal. How he yearned for that for so long when he was younger. The stallion was half tempted to turn into her chest and cry, but he knew that's what she wanted and wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"Is this what you truly believe? You're miserable, you've not known happiness at all in all of your years of life. A father who neglected you, a mother who abandoned you, a brother who hates you and a grandfather who manipulates you. Don't you think you deserve better for all you've done?"

Sin chuckled, feeling a little bit of strength return to him. First she uses her influence to trivialize his accomplishments, and then turns around and praises him for them.

"My mind is going, but it's not that far gone yet." Her hoof stopped, and Sin's smirk dropped a little. "Malich doesn't hate me, he's angry with me right now, but he doesn't hate me. I know what I felt with Uppity, with Spike, with Macintosh and even Star Shade was happiness in some way. And don't think I've forgotten about my grandmother or other friends either."

The Alicorn's wing retracted, and with it, Sin felt himself grow emboldened.

"I am miserable now, I have been most of my life, and it's clear to see why. I was convinced that nobody cared back then, and nobody knows I'm alive to care now. I've made my choices in life, and I plan to stick by them. Is what happened to me my fault? No. it fair? No, no it isn't. But it hasn't escaped my notice that life isn't fair, and rather than bemoan the fact, I've decided to embrace it and move forward with it."

"Move forward and go where, little one?"

Sin's breath caught in his throat as the boldness he'd felt shattered... "Little one"? That phrase, he remembered that phrase, it was what his mother used to call him...

The wing was back know, draped over him like a cool and comforting blanket.

"A life on the run from the law? Do you plan to kill anypony who sees you? Any who could potentially report you to the guard? What kind of life is that?"

Sin pressed his lips and kept himself tense, refusing to melt under her touch like his mind wanted to. "I'll likely head back to the Federation. If what Ace and my grandfather said about changeling's is true, than I'll need to kill my brother and dad."

"More killing, then?"

Sin sighed. "If I do go back, I'll need to figure out what exactly is going on. After I do and have sabotaged whatever they have planned, they will both have to die. Tapio knows the North Equine nor the Federal Government wouldn't dare imprison them for crimes against Sapience."

"And then what?"

Sin turned to her again and said with disturbing amount of detached conviction: "Kill myself."
> Imperatrix (Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Imperatrix







Malich stood before the changeling Queen's Cell, marveling at the creature through the slightly blue tinted glass.

"Hello." the being said, her yellow eyes glaring intently at the pony, measuring him up and down. Her head tilted slightly downward, and her sickly yellow mane shifted slightly, enhancing her hideous, yet some how, attractive face.

Malich found the being as repulsive as he did fascinating. She was grown, a fully grown queen! In the short span of a month, Project New Wave had progressed at a pace far exceeding his expectations. She was showing signs of superior intelligence beyond what any of them had ever hoped for in her short existence. The dragon's blood they'd given her as physical nurishment had more than aged her well, especially with its infusion of gold particals. Not enough to make it lethal, but keeping the count along the same lines as the trace amounts of iron every other being had in it's body.

"You wished to speak with me?" Malich asked, keeping his voice neutral and businesslike.

Now it was just a game of trying to figure out how she controlled her brood and manipulate it to his own ends.

Imperatrix nodded. "I've been in contact with your research staff, be careful of that Elsa one, but the way. She's a little..." She stopped and chuckled. "Unstable."

"Indeed." 

"Aww, you're no fun either." Imperatrix sighed, obviously feigning feelings hurt. "Why doesn't anyone ever want to play my games for once?"

Malich's brow furrowed, this was not how he'd expected this encounter to go.

"You said you were in contact with my subordinates. What do you mean by that?"

Opening an eye, Imperatrix gave a small and devilish smirk. "Let us just say that some of your employees aren't as... professionally chaste, as others?"

Malich frowned at the statement, what did sexual activity have to do with her and... his... 

The realization hit him like a crossbow bolt and the stallion cringed as a few very disturbing images came to mind. Imperatrix burst out into laughter upon seeing his display of disgust and proceeded to boast of how he'd fallen for her prank. "Oh, you should have seen your face! Could you imagine though!?"

Was this what he was called in here for, just so he could be mocked by a Tapio damned test subject.

The ashen earth pony breathed a few time to regain his composure, watching as Impatrix pulled herself from her giggle fit and wiped a mirthful tear from her eye. 

Malich stood from his place and made way for the door, having had more than enough of her already.

"NO! Don't leave, please, I'm sorry!" She begged, though Malich kept on walking, he'd reached the door before she said something that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I can tell you how I do it!"

He stood infront of the door, contemplating if he wanted to walk out to make a point that such disrespect wouldn't be tolerated, or stay and listen to what she had to say.

"I can tell you how I control my brood! Just... please don't leave me alone... Please?"

Malich's sympathy got the better of him and he slowly turned around and marched back to the glass. Imperatrix's face lighting up at his return. "I'm sorry, it's just kinda lonely in here, you know?"

The insectoid rubbed her right foreleg nervously with her left. She looked genuinely apologetic and sad about her behavior. 

Flabbergasted, Malich tried to process exactly what he was observing. According to reports, Imperatrix hadn't said much of anything to any of his staff unless she could see them. They'd tried verbal communication on multiple occassions but gave up the venture thinking she was to young to understand them. 

That was until Elsa demanded to speak where she could be seen. She'd entered this very room before the other scientists, and a few security griffins, managed to restrain the black unicorn from going directly into the queen's cell. That was when the Imperatrix first spoke, not only did she speak, but she asked questions and used vocabulary and concepts she had no business using.

At first, Malich was outraged. He'd authorized no instruction or education for her, but all of his scientists swore up and down that none of them had taught her anything. So how? Did she assimilate the knowledge from her host? No, her host was a Zeborican, they barely spoke Equestrian, or knew the things she knew, so how?

"So, ummm. I guess you're kinda wondering how I can talk like this, huh?"

Malich's eyes narrowed. "Telepathy."

Imperatrix beamed and nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! I can read your guyses minds, isn't it cool?"

'Cool? This is one of the greatest discoveries of our time! Cool doesn't even begin to describe it.'

"Who's that?" The queen asked, tilting her head. "That kinda sounded like your voice, but different."

"Pay it not mind, Imperatrix. Now, about your telepathy..." Malich cooed. 

Imperatrix gave a thoughtful look before turning her nose up. "Nu uh, I've changed my mind. If you want me to show you how to do it, you have to do something for me first."

Malich bit his tongue to stop a venom filled curse. This changeling, this queen, she acted as if she was a fucking child! Which made sense, she was what? Two months old? Honestly though, was she just testing his patience of did she honestly intend to share her knowledge?

Having read his mind, Imperatrix replied that she fully intended to cooperate. She was just lonely in her cell and the fear she'd been feeding on had drastically subsided due to the scientists coming to understand her. The mare was taller than most ponies, her black, chitnis covered body and grotesque design were certainly inducing of disgust in uncertainty, but not necessarily fear anymore.

Sighing, Malich pondered the delema. The Zeboricans were all dead, now. A new shipment would be arriving soon to strengthen her small brood, but there wasn't enough known about the insectoids to determine just how much "fear energy" they needed to feed on to stay alive. Reports from the scientists declared that they'd initially felt a little fatigued during her spawning, but the more they came to study Imperatrix, the less fatigued the felt, leading to the conclusion it wasn't the emotion of fear they fed on, but the energy of those feeling fear.

The scientists weren't afraid of her anymore, not when they sat in protected rooms away from any threat of her and her drones. The executive preferred it that way, the last thing he needed was sub-par performance on his staff's part because of them being traumatized. 

"I'll be right back." The pony said, making way for he door. Imperatirx protested, deciding that she'd tell him what he wanted to know if he didn't leave, but Malich wouldn't heed her this time. He'd get the answers he wanted soon enough, but he needed to make sure she didn't go hungry and die on him. All of this would have been a waste if their changeling queen had died before they'd had a chance to truly utilize her.

"You two." Malich barked at the two griffin guards standing outside. "With me."

He turned back and walked into the observation room. Imperatrix's eyes widened with happiness at seeing him again, as well as the two others with him.

"Open the door."

Both griffin's eyes widened. "Sir, are you sure you want to-"

"OPEN IT! That's and order!"

"SIR!"

One of the guards unlocked several locks that held the door to the cell securly in place, halting at the final lock and looking to Malich for any sign of second thoughts. 

The stallion looked to Imperatrix, who was practically beeming with excitement. "I warn you now, these two are armed with dragon scale armor. Your magic will be all but useless against them. We know how to kill queens like you, we've done it before. If you make one false step, you're dead. Understand?"

"Uh-huh!" The queen chirped, backing away from the door.

Nodding, the griffin guard unlocked the final latch and opened the door. The second griffin moved in quickly, aiming his crossbow directly at Imperatrix. His breathing was heavy, his tallon resting within the guard of the trigger mechanism. Malich entered after, the final guard bringing up the rear and aiming his own weapon.

As hoped both guards were vigilant masks of calm and determined, both willing to kill the insect should she make the slightest of wrong moves. Malich was intending to use himself as the feeding source by putting himself in this situation but the sad fact was, he wasn't afraid, he was excited. Excited about being in the same room as a changeling and slowly gaining knowledge of her secrets.

He knew his mercenaries, they were trained under some of the most brutal conditions his sick and twisted architects could think of. Some speculated the training regimant they undertook to be borderline cruelty. Changelings were one of the many enemies the mercenaries were forced to study, so they wouldn't be able to feed her either, maybe he should try-

"I'm full!" Imperatrix said with a satisfied smile.

"What?"

"I'm full of fear energy now. Thank you!" She beamed widely.

Malich frowned and looked back at his escorts, neither of them looked winded. Both had just as confused looks on their faces as he did.

"But my drones are starving right now, could you please go help them?" She asked, her smile fading to wide, pleading eyes.

Imperatrix's lower lip protruded in a sickeningly sweet pout. Her eyes began to mist, and her body slumped into a position of submission and pleading. 

Malich had every intention on feeding her drones, her generals, but intially planned to use them as leverage against her. However, the pouting, pleading look upon the queen's face was absolute, none could resist it.

"Very well."

"YAY!" 

Malich felt his cold heart warm a little as the mare pronked up and down for joy. She was a foal, a big, black, odd looking, chitin plated, controlled an army with her very thought, foal.

It was kind of ironic to him, but not really. She may have been young and naive now, but if allowed, her growth would only mean farther assimilation of knowledge. It was extraordinary how one so young had such a developed mind, even if she was only using it as means to play pranks and feed her own... or was that just her way of giving him a false sense of security? Playing dumb and happy while secretly watching for his weaknesses.

No doubt she was looking through his mind now, which did disturb him greatly, he'd need to get some answers and quickly.

"I'm a stallion of my word, now I expect for you to uphold your end of the deal. So long as you tell me how you're able to to control your brood, your minions will be fed."

Imperatrix stopped mid pronk and turned to look at him. "Tell you? Hmmm, nope!"

Malich's lips pressed in frustration, was she really going to change her mind again.

"It'll be much easier if I just show you!"









On a flying carriage bound for his office in Unitas, Malich smiled contently and relaxed in his chair. Today was a great day. It was impossible to explain in words exactly what Imperatrix had done, but he'd seen it. She touched his mind, and in doing so, allowed him to look through the mind of her drones. It was quick, almost a split second, but in that split second, time might as well have stopped. He could see everything, feel everything. His senses were no longer restricted the five he and every other being were so accustomed to, but more, so much more. Feelings he never even thought possible, like feeling the insects in the dirt below the facility, the water wells hidden miles and miles away. It was invigorating for as long as it had lasted.

Imperatrix agreed to cooperate with the scitentists in their attempt to pinpoint the frequencies in which her telapthy worked. As expected, it wasn't purely magical in nature. Some scitentists declared it not magical at all, since she'd also read the minds of the griffin guards who bore anti-magic dragon scales on their person.

Malich thought it to be something akin to the intimidation aura. It was magical-ish in nature, but... not. Dragon scales had no effect on the aura, so perhaps it was something like that?

'Who cares? We've made progress, we've made... progress.'

Malich sighed blisfully as the wagon began to descend. He didn't care if he was about to go back to that hell hole of an office, today was a good day, a good day that nothing on this world could ever spoil.









Malich slumped in his chair, his good mood utterly soiled as he read and re-read the small note he'd been given. 

His assistant, Silvia, stood before his desk, having just finished her explanation of what happened in Canterlot and what had brought her back to the Federation.

"It's an unconfirmed death, sir." The griff reminded. "Luna herself said that-"

He words were silenced by the vice president raising a hoof.

Malich internally berated himself for trusting his brother to Conno and such a small group of sentinels. Sin had demonstrated an ability to get into trouble beyond what they could manage to handle. It was stupid to assume he'd have stayed where such a small squad could keep an eye on him. With everything the pony had done both at home and in Equestria, it was nothing short of a miracle he hadn't been the target of a political attack already.

The stallion had hope though. Sin's Occlumency should have more than shielded him from Luna's dream hacking, so her inability to track him there didn't mean much to him. One of the political malcontents had been found dead in the castle with no explanation as to how he'd gotten there. It was fair to assume the stallion had something to do with Sin's alleged assassination, and he highly doubted "suicide" was his true way of death, especially since no autopsy was ever examined.

Still though, this meant that Sin was no longer being tracked by any of his agents, and with the progress of Project New Wave, that would need to change. The plan was close now, so close he could practically taste it. Imperatrix was cooperative and had made some suggestions about instruments to measure her telekinetic output for measure. Once the method for her control was attained, all that was left was to breed her army. 

With the new program to harness gold infused dragon's blood, the process should take little time in the grand scheme. Though, that did also leave him to figure out how he'd handle the Equestrian relief efforts when they came. No doubt they'd lead in with a military spear head to push past his blockade. 

'Focus! Worry about that later!'

Malich slammed the piece of paper down onto the desk and ordered Silvia to gather up a unit of no less than one hundred to be sent to Equestria to find his brother. A unit comprised of tracking Diamond Dogs, combat ready unicorns, stealth pegasi, and a single Black Ops Tribune to serve as the field commander.

Silvia's breath caught in her throat and she began to question if the situation really warranted such a durastic . Black Ops were ruthless. Hoof picked sociopaths on a good day and operated outside of the Triple M. chain of command until their mission was complete. 

Her protest died as soon as she saw the irate glare in Malich's steely blue eyes.

Pulling out a parchment of demand, Malich wrote out the order, choosing his words very carefully on how the Tribune was to handle finding his brother and what to do if and when he was found. He briefly considered it and decided to exempt the Equestrian government from harm should Sin be arrested. If nothing else, at least he'd be able to keep track of him better if the pony was placed in prison.

The order finished and carefully looked over to ensure no loop holes, but enough flexibility for autonomy, Malich handed the order to Silvia and told her to head to the appropriate barracks to gather the mercenaries. He would be along tomorrow to personally sign off on the Black Ops Tribute, as per protocol. A signed piece of paper was too flimsy to call them in, and with good reason.

Once alone, the executive sighed and shook his head. Today had been going to so well too, why couldn't the universe just let him be happy?

'Because you're an evil ass hole.'

Malich frowned. 

I'm not evil. Not that such a thing exists anyway, I'm just pursuing a goal. A goal that will piggy back off of a devistating event, but the event was a long time coming. It's not my fault it'll happen, I'm just capitalizing off of it.

'Yea, you're capitalizing on a situation that will leave millions dead. I'd call that pretty evil.'

The executive rolled his eyes. The idiots were going to die anyway, the way things were going was the result of their own choices. Him gaining through their idiocy wasn't what he'd call "evil" so much as immoral oppertunism. Of course, with his ultimate goal, it would be remembered in history as the greatest act of altruism every taken.

'Assuming it works, which there's little to no guarantee of.'

That was true, but Malich didn't dwell on that. 

His primary concern was the destruction of the cycle that plagued most every country in the world, and had already plagued his own twice. Yes, millions would die, but what did that compare to for the billions he'd save? War, racial killings, government abuse, mass poverty, ideological democide. 

Ending such things would not come without heavy cost, but Malich believed he could end them. Not creating a utopia, mind you, but ending some of the worst problems this world had to offer.

What was a few million dying today, who were going to die anyway, compared to the beginnings of world peace tomorrow?
> Parole Adoption
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Parole Adoption






Under the cover of night, Luna quietly trotted through the castle proper, on her way down to the castle dungeon's interogation room. The guard had interogated the prisoners on the cell block where Sin was kept the day of his murder, none of them were talking, though. Each of them seemed to have undergone some state of horrible mental trauma that induced amnesia. 

Even in dreams, none of the prisoners could remember what exactly happened. None but one, one who she was going now to see.

The stallion claimed he'd seen everything from start to finish, but Luna was skeptical. Why would he be able to remember what happened while the the others could not? Granted, the pony in question was a revered military type, but the ponies with him weren't weak minded either.

The lunar alicorn had visited his dreams many times, he hadn't any visions about that day. If this was done willfully or not, she wasn't sure. Which fuled her skepticism farther, but he claimed he could tell her what really happened that day.

Standing outside the door leading to the prisons, Luna turned back and looked at the tip of her tale. The tip had healed completely, taking a full week since the incident with Triple M. pouring that liquid on the tip. She shuddered at the memory and took a breath. She needed to find out what happened to him, all attempts to find Sin in the dream scape had been fruitless. It was only a matter of time until Conno and his ilk returned to get answers, and she feared what would happen if they didn't get any.

Her nerves steeled, Luna pushed open the door and marched down the dim stare case. Two guards offered a solute and opened the door for her. She pushed through a series of iron bar doors until she finally came to a full, dark brown door that lead into the interogation room, four unicorn stallions standing guard infront of it.

All four of them looked at her and stood on either side, letting her pass.

"Is he ready?"

"He is, your majesty."

"Very well."

And with that, Luna gently pulled the door open with her magic and walked inside.

The interogation room was simple, four grey walls, a light above, a single, dark brown table, and two stools to match. Sitting on the otherside of the table, bound in chains was the pony she'd come to despise ever so much. It was hypocritical of her to hate him for the reasons she did, in reality, she'd done something far worse than he, but it still didn't make what he did any less deplorable. 

"Princess Luna." The pegasus nodded.

"Soarin." Luna replied, closing the door behind her. 

Not mincing words, Luna cut to the chase. "I understand you can recall the events of the break in on our dungeon a few weeks ago. We want you to tell us all you can recount."

"Of course..." The pegasus replied.

...

...

"Well?"

Soarin eyed the alicorn wit ha serious frown. He inhaled and exhaled. "I want something in return." 

"You are in no position to make demands of us." Luna snapped, glaring down at him, though Soarin's defiance wasn't so easily dismissed.

"Oh, I think I am." The stallion replied. He lifted his hoof and Luna's heart leapt into her throat. He was holding a small patch, a patch with the insignia of three "M"s stacked ontop of each other. "A little griffin came asking questions earlier, asked me what I saw too. He said he'd roughed you up pretty bad and had no problem doing the same to me if I didn't cooperate."

Luna felt her breathing grow heavy. "What do you want?"

She expected Soarin to begin acting cocky and brash, but he maintained his polite, if serious, composure. "I want out of here. I want a royal pardon for my crimes." He paused. "Nothing big, just an under the radar but on the books record of my , of course. As a celebrity, I could imagine the commotion it would cause if the public knew I'd been released. I have no interest in returning to the wonderbolts, but I refuse to live out the rest of my life in this dungeon."

Luna quickly pointed out that his sentence was for ten years, but Soarin wasn't interested in the discrepancy. "Once you've been imperially imprisoned, that stays with you. Jobs are harder to come by, especially good paying ones, if my cell mates are right. Considering how things worked out for me in my trial, and my status as a former Wonderbolt, they'll know my name and treat me as such."

"I want a new name, some funds for relocation to a far away town or village, and to just live my life in peace and quiet now. You give me that, and I'll tell you everything that happened that day."

"And why should I believe anything you say?" Luna countered, quirking a brow. "Every other inmate in the block had some kind of amnesia for that day, why should I think you any different?"

Soarin smirked. "Because he didn't do to me what he did to them."

"He?"

The white pony smirked. "The brown pegasus pony a few cells down."

Luna's eyes shot wide, Sin? He did something to them? HE WAS ALIVE?!

"Glad I have your attention now." the green eyed stallion's smile dropped. "Yes, he is alive. Alive and well at that."

Luna took a seat and asked what exactly it was that Soarin had seen. The stallion refused to speak farther, at least until her pardon and his other requirements were promised to him. Luna had made many mistakes in her life, but this was one she had not choice but to indulge. If Sin was still alive, and Celestia's words were true, than the pony held the embodiment of Nightmare Moon within him, and presumably the Tantabus as well. If Sin hadn't succumbed to them already, it was only a matter of time until he did, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

She agreed to his terms and Soarin recounted what he'd seen. As expected, the green pony who'd been found hanging in the amassador's bedroom was the one who'd come to kill Sin, Soarin couldn't explain just how he'd died, all he could tell her was that there was the sounds of a struggle the quieted with Sin whispering to him. After that, the oaken pony walked around to the prisoner's cells. The first had spoken to him, asking Sin for release but then he started wimpering, asking for him to stop. Eventually, the pony went quiet.

Soarin heard this process repeat a few times before curling into the corner, facing away and pretending he was asleep to spear himself the same fate. Putting hoof on his head, Soarin rubbed his temple and recalled feeling a dramatic sense of dread encompase his being for a few seconds. The fear he'd felt was so terrible he'd almost soiled himself on the spot. 

"Guess he figured I was asleep though, didn't give me any attention after that."

Luna nodded, disturbed to find that Conno wasn't the only one who could induce such feelings. What kind of magic was that, anyway?

"After that, he and the other pony, the one who'd come down with the green stallion, talked about what to do with the body. She went out to distract the guards, and he carried the body out with him when he left."

"This other pony, what did she look like?"

Soarin shrugged. "Orange mare, unicorn, purple main pulled into a messy braid, pink eyes."

Luna's frown intensified, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't who she was thinking it was.

"Uppity, that's what he called her."

And there was no denying it now, but why? Why would Uppity aid in Sin's assassination or help him escape? If memory served, Celestia's DA was his parole officer in Ponyville, what possible reason would she have for wanting him dead?

"From what I heard, some ponies were threatening her brother. Um, Troksi? Or Trotsky, something like that."

The Trotski, of course.

They'd threatened her and used her as part of a plot to imprison Sin in the first place as revenge for what he'd done to Mallet. The Trotski, recognizing the danger he presented to their own goals, were more than happy to aid the communists in his removal.

"Did he say where he might go?"

Soarin signed and shook his head. "No, all he said was that it was better for the world to think he was dead. My guess would be back to his country, but take that with a grain of salt."

Luna frowned. If Sin was going back to the Federation, she'd need to inform Conno. Triple M. would have much more luck catching him at the border than she would. Though, if he didn't go back, than he was somewhere else in Equestria. More importantly, Sin was alive, and she would need to find him before Triple M. did.

"You have been most helpful." Luna declared. "You'll be free by the morrow."

"And my other demands?"

Luna thought about it for a moment and smirked. "Those will come with a condition."

Soarin scowled at her. "That wasn't part of the deal."

"And if we are killed, the deal is off." Luna countered, eying the pegasus intently. "Those griffins you had encountered are beyond dangerous. They are a threat to the empire, a threat that must be removed. They are immune to our dream walking abilities, and if we were to have them arrested, more would come and do who knows what to our subjects. The crimes you've been convicted of a great, Soarin. Too great for simple information to expunge. If you wish to have your freedom returned, you shall serve your country for it."

The green eyed stallion gritted his teeth, feeling more than a little betrayed. Still though, Luna could see his resiliance crumbling even now. He wanted freedom, and she knew that he knew she was the only one who'd be able to give it to him.

"What do you want me to do?"

Luna smirked. "You are to find Sin for us and bring him to Canterlot. Should you do this, we shall sign your pardon and give you a new life far away from any major cities."

Soarin frowned thinking the offer over. "And should I fail to locate him?"

"That is simple." Luna chirpped coolly as she made way for the door. "You wont."









Machintosh walked with a purpose out to the ganja garden, his patience spent and mind consumed with worry and concern. 

It had been a full week since Annabelle had spoken about what was bothering her. He thought she'd just take a day or two to keep to herself and process whatever it was that was bothering her before talking to him about it. A full six days was much too much time, the only time he ever saw her now was when she came to bed, and even then, she might as well have been a thousand miles away.

She was also worrying the family. Granny and Applebloom had taken notice of her silence and continually asked him about it, even Applejack had expressed her worries about Anna's behavior to him. He couldn't give them an answer as to what was bothering his mare, saying that she just needed some time to herself. He considered himself an understanding sort, but even his patience had limits.

Seeing Annabelle come into view, Macintosh slowed his pace to a gentle trot. She wasn't alone, beside her, Scootaloo was present.

He took a calming breath and walked forward, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. Scootaloo was with Annabelle, Scootaloo was near the Gonja plants...

'Mac, don't lose your cool here.'

A small sound came from ahead and the closer Macintosh got, the more he could make out the sound as gentle sobbing. Scootaloo was  clinging to Annabelle's leg as the mare gently cried. Once close enough to hear what she was saying, Mac's heart sank.

"I don't... I just... How could he? I thought..."

Was she talking about him?

"I don't understand how he could blame me..." Annabelle took a breath and calmed herself a little.

Scootaloo looked up at her, her own eyes misting. "It's not your fault. I had no idea Soarin would do something like that."

Mac felt a spike of anger and immediately pushed it down. What had that stallion done? What could he have done, he should still have been in prison.

He stayed back and listened to the conversation unfold. Mac had to restrain himself yet again when he'd pieced together that Anna's father had received the invitation to her wedding and replied that he had no intention on coming. Not only that but he'd also officially disowned Annabelle for her love of Macintosh, a stallion who'd had a part of his son's imprisonment.

Mac trotted forward and stopped when he was right behind her. Genlty, he reached around from behind Anna and pulled her into a hug, making the earth mare meep in surprise.

"Macintosh?" 

"Ah'm sorry, Anna..."

Mac felt her free leg cover his own. "It's not your fault... Really, it's not. Soarin, he did a bad thing, and he's being held accountable for it. All you did was protect your sister like a good brother should."

The apple pony squeezed tighter, he knew she was right, but he didn't care about that. Annabelle, a pony he had come to love dearly, was hurting and all Mac wanted to do was make her hurt go away. She was a good pony, kind and considerate who tried to bring happiness and smiles wherever she went, she didn't deserve to cry like this.

He heard Scootaloo sniffled and looked down to find the filly looking more than a little upset. She let go of Anna's leg and began to walk away, her leaving halted when a red foreleg quickly scooped the orange filly up and pulled her into Annabelle's side. 

The young pegasus had spent the day with Rainbow yesterday, the two trying to see if they would be compatable as caretaker and minor. Scootaloo said things had gone well, but she was was still a little reluctant to go, now. She loved Rainbow Dash in a way, she looked up to her and idolized the speedster. Spending the day together had been on of her many dreams come true.

This morning, when they'd talked about it, Macintosh asked Scootaloo as to why she was having second thoughts about living with Rainbow. It was kind of a surprising reason, yet, not really.

She wanted a mother and a father. Rainbow, to her knowledge, was a single mare, and would most likely be for a long time. Rainbow's dream of becoming a Wonderbolt would be seen as an aversion to pair bonding with anypony any time soon. "And, well, you know what they say about her around town..."

"Now Scootaloo. Small town gossip isn't something you should take as truth." Annabelle chided lightly. "And even if she was a filly fooler, is that really a reason not to want to be her daughter?"

The orange filly's ears drooped. "I feel terrible for it, I really do, but I just... I don't want two moms, I want a mom and a dad, like I used to have..."

Mac felt his barrel tighten and pulled the two closer to him. He didn't know Scootaloo that well, but even so, he'd grown to care for her deeply, and he knew Annabelle felt the same through her actions. He was glad the two were getting along and shared a moment together, and he was happy he could share this moment with them as well.

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, Annabelle had turned to embrace both of them and Scootaloo doing the same. 

Mac felt an extreme sense of calm in those moments. He felt complete, whole, accomplished, like the three of them being together was... right, and he'd treasure that feeling for the rest of his life.

The moment didn't last near long enough and the three broke apart, Scootaloo having something important to tell them. The filly kicked the ground and looked away nervously. "I umm, I didn't get my grades up in time."

"In time for what, dear?" Anna asked in concern.

Scootaloo sighed and looked up between the two. "Cheerilee said that my grades were too bad, she said that there would need to be a parent/teacher conference." 
> Card Game
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Card Game








Spike shuffled the deck one last time before passing out the cards. It was their third weekly get together, and everypony was in attendance. Blade sat accross from him, absently eating a from a bag of pretzeles while Macintosh and Shining Armor chatted away about their respective weddings.

Things had been quiet around town lately. Nopony had heard a peep from the City Council after the'd passed all of the new regulations and reinstated old ordinances. Probably had something to do with the constant hit and runs against Justice, who he also had yet to see after their little spat in the Library last week.

Spike looked at his hand and supressed a sigh, not even a Jack high, but at least they were playing five card draw, so hopefully he'd get something for his trouble.

"Ante up" Blade reminded, throwing in two white chips. The others threw their own in and the first hand was played. Shining was the first up, Spike studied the stallion's face carefully, looking for a tell, but no matter where he looked or how hard he concentrated, the pony lead on to nothing of his hand. His face might as well have been made of stone.

He passed two cards to the drake in his magic and Spike took them and dished out two more. Mac knocked to pass, which wasn't good, and Blade showed an Ace, discarding four cards, along with Spike's three.

Supressing a smirk, the dragon internally cheered at his good fortune. Three of a kind, eights.

"Sad to hear that, Mac. It's terrible what some parents will do to their kids, even when they're adults." Shining said, tossing in a green chip to up the pot. The rest matched his gesture, up to Spike, who tossed in another two white chips in raise.

"Eyup, Anna took it pretty hard, took 'er a full week ta start talkin' again." He finished his words with a knock for call. Everypony else knocked as well and Shining played his hand first. Pair of kings and a pair of aces. Blade and Mac folded.

Spike displayed his three of a kind and passed the deck over to Shining to shuffle and deal while he collected the pot. 

"Well, Spikey boy came to play." Blade snickered, taking another bite of pretzels. 

"First dealer's luck." Shining smirked, shuffling the cards in his magic and distributing them. "Five card stud. So, Macintosh, when's the wedding going to be? Last week you said it'd be near the end of the month, but never gave a specific day."

Spike took a quick look at his card and allowed himself a frown. Though he hadn't a real reason to, he liked to keep everypony guessing by making unfit gestures to throw them off. Pair of queens, he'd play on that.

Everypony threw in their ante, save Blade who folded before the game even started.

"A week from today, Anna's havin' her family comin' in a few days." The red pony chuckled. "Boy, Ah tell ya what, Sweet Apple Acres is gonna get might crowded in the next few days once the Apple's start rollin' in."

Spike threw in a pair of white chips. "You get her a wedding gem, yet?"

Macintosh nodded, matching Shining's raise of a red chip. "Eyup. Got her a might nice necklace. Took me a trip tah find it, but Ah wanted somethin' meanin'ful."

"Call."

Everypony set their cards down, Shining took the pot with a pair of Aces.

The game continued with Shining complimenting Mac on his thoughtfulness and recalling how much trouble he'd gone through to find Cadance's wedding horn ring. Of course, he had a bit more money to throw around, but he didn't measure how much it meant by the capital cost, so much as the time and energy spent into finding it.

Spike noticed that Blade hadn't said much after the talk of the wedding began, aside from the occasion grunt of acknowledgement or funny quip here and there, the green earth pony stallion kept mainly to himself. The drake knew why he'd recluded, the two had spoken about his thing for Pinkie only once and Spike encouraged him to just ask her on a date, but Blade, for all of his talk and jokes, was a very shy pony around mares. 

Spike wouldn't say he was bad looking or anything, he had a steady job, and was in the prime of his youth. Aside from his shyness, and maybe a little bit of immaturity, the stallion had everything he needed going for him.

A few hands passed in silence, with only the knocking of wood or showing of a higher bid to communicate. These short periods were nice, and were always welcomed among the four as time to ponder and process previous words. Most of the hands, oddly enough, went to Blade, who had one hay of a pokerface tonight.

"Ya think you n' Princess Cadance'll be able tah make it?" Mac asked, breaking the silence. 

Shining smiled and nodded, grateful that his presence was being requested. 

"Spike, Blade, what about you guys?"

Of course Spike was going to be there. Mac had already asked him to be his best mate for the wedding and give a speech, but it was more to not put he spot light on the other pony being addressed. 

"I guess." Blade answered, looking a little put out.

"Y'all righ'? Been pretty quiet tonight."

The green stallion shrugged, staring down intently at his cards. 

"He's having mare trouble." Spike stated bluntly, earning the first stink eye from his former co-worker. Shining and Mac both quirked a brow and looked to the drake for an elaboration.

"Honestly dude, you're biggest reservation about asking Pinkie out is what you two would do together, right? Why don't you ask her to be your date to the wedding? I know for a fact she doesn't have a special somepony."

Spike took a sick pleasure in watching Blade's eyes shoot wide as the other two stallion's turned their attention back to him. "Wow, dude. Wanna back up that carriage you just threw me under? I think I still have a ball that isn't busted here."

Mac and Shining snickered.

"Wait, Pinkie Pie? Huh, wouldn't have- no you know what? I could see it."

Blade glared at Shining for his comment before grabbing a blue chip and raising the pot substantially. Mac and Spike both folded, knowing their cards were not worth the gamble. The alabaster unicorn met his gambit with his own challenging glare.

The two eyed each other and Blade raised a pair of reds, met by Shining's own and he called. Both threw down their cards to reveal absolutly deplorable hands, though, both had queen highs, but Shining came next with a jack against's Blade's nine. 

"I don't know, maybe." Blade admitted, seeing the pot taken by the unicorn and slumped. 

Spike grabbed the cards and began to shuffle. "Don't be no bitch, Blade." Spike growled, doing his best impression of Ax, making all three stallion's burst out into snickers.

"He would say that, too. I guess, I mean, it isn't like she could say anything besides no, right?"

"Not sure why she'd say no, you're not that ugly."

Spike delt, and Blade flicked his hoof from his chin out at his antagonist a couple of times. Spike had no idea what it meant, but his co-workers didn't think much of the insult, so neither did he.

"Speakin' of dates, you bringing Twiligh' there, Spike?"

The drake nodded. "Most likely, it's kinda bad to bring your mom as a date, but I've been a little busy. Plus, you know-" he gestured, "-dragon."

"You better treat my sister right, and be a complete gentlecolt." Shining teased, making Spike roll his eyes.

"Yea yea, by the way, Mac. How's Scootaloo doing?."

The red pony was quiet for a moment then answered that she was doing alright. The filly was helping around the farm more and more. She typically assisted Applebloom with her morning chores of feeding the pig, cleaning up after Winona, checking on the new saplings and such. Though, Spike had learned of the filly being an orphan through a good bit of deduction on the stallion's words when the two spoke before, and it was to this that his inquiry was fashioned. 

The drake knew the other's were trustworthy enough to allow such a delicate situation to be handled as such.

The hand went to Spike with a rather substantial pot and another three of a kind.

"Ah don't know, the family likes her bein' round. N' if'n she wants ta live with Rainbow er not is up tah her. She's got a parent teacher conference tomorrow with Cheerilee. Ah asked Granny wha' all she thought o it." Mac paused and snickered, building on the already growing anticipation. "Tol' me Ah was foolish fer askin'."

Spike had to agree. he wasn't sure how the whole adoption thing worked, but he'd seen how Macintosh was with Scootaloo around town and on the farm. He treated her kindly, looked after her needs, made sure she was safe and stayed out of trouble, herded her and Applebloom out during the dreaded ballon incident... It was pretty obvious to any who were in the know.

"No ahdea what she meant, but guess that means Ah'm takin' her."

Spike chuckled and shook his head. "No offense, Mac, but it amazes me how clueless you are sometimes."

The stallion gave him a glare and Blade asked if anypony was going to call his raise. Spike remembered they were playing cards and added his own chips.

"You adopt a foal? Don't you already have on on the way, Mac?" Shining asked.

The apple pony groaned and upped the bet before explaining the issue in all of its complexity. Scootaloo's time spent living out in the woods, her reluctance to stay on the farm, her understandable trust issues and pride, the conversation they've had about what she wanted in a family, all of it. The cards continued to play and Shining nodded and questioned appropriately when needed. Blade listened, but kept his mouth shut for most of the story. He did, however, make off like a bandit through the majority of the hands.

"Wow, that's pretty sad. How did her parents die?"

"Dunno, she ain't told nopony yet." Mac frowned, he'd never really asked either, but he would feel obligated to tell her about how his own parents had gone if he asked about hers, and the stallion didn't know if he was ready for that just yet.

"Sides, she's gotta decision to make o' her own. Ah got no problem with her stayin' on the farm if she wants, but Ah want her tah take time and think about who she'd rather live with 'fore she gets too comfortable."

Blade quirked a brow. "Sounds to me like her choice was made." Mac gave him a look. "You said she wants a mom and a dad, right? I don't like small town gossip, but word has it she isn't the straight edge type, if you know what I mean."

All three of them leveled the pony with a glare, giving him the "are you serious" look.

"Alright, does she currently have a coltfriend?" 

...

"Has she ever had a coltfriend?"

"Just cause she didn't or does have a coltfriend don't make her gay." Mac pointed out.

Blade shook his head. "But it does tell me she isn't interested. I mean, have you seen her? I mean, damn. She could get any stallion in town if she wanted. I know I wouldn't mind a good night or two with her."

"Wait, I thought you had a thing for Pinkie."

"We're not in a relationship." Blade shrugged. "Be kinda creepy to commit myself to her when I'm not with her. Besides, it's Pinkie's personality I'm attracted to, when it comes to the smoking hotness, Rainbow Dash would win hooves down."

"Blade, you'd rut anything with a pulse." Spike commented.

Blade frowned at him. "That's not true, I have standards. I mean, I wouldn't touch Justice with a ten foot pole. Not to mention, her virgin self couldn't handle all of this sexiness."

The table burst into a round of laughs, if there was one thing Spike could count on, it was Blade bringing some much needed comic relief to an otherwise molodramatic mood.

Speaking of Justice, Spike asked the pony if she'd done anything to the mill. Surprisingly, despite a second visit from one of her lackeys, absolutely nothing had been done. Nothing at all. It made Spike a little nervous, ever since she'd come to town, it had been one drastic change after another, to have her and the city council go dark for so long was more than a little off putting.

"Was talkin' to Mask a while ago, she was tellin' me Justice wasn't feelin' well." Mac commented, tossing in his hand to fold. "Somethin' 'bout a dragon chewin' her out and leavin' her triggered or some such."

"HA! Nice goin', Spike." Blade beamed, holding out his hoof for a bump. Spike mirrored the stallion's motions.

As wrong as it felt to take pleasure in her suffering, Justice deserved to feel bad. What she'd asked Twilight a week ago was one of the most deplorable things the drake could think of. Especially considering how she was treating Uppity that same weekend, Twilight had spent hours trying to argue the poor unicorn out of the sick hold Justice had on her, but no matter how logical Twilight was about it, Uppity was tartarus bent on siding with the pegasus mare. It was really sad to witness.

Shining frowned, he knew Uppity and would never have thought she'd behave in such a subservient way to anypony. Though, he'd also spoken to Twilight about it and there was no denying what she told him. "The way she is at work is actually kinda scary, it's weird to think she'd just go along with Justice like that."

"Sin would lose his shit for sure." Blade said, shuffling the deck. "Made a joke about him being in a relationship with her once, I swear he was about to tear my head off."

Spike felt a little bit of bittersweet pride in the comment. It was an unwritten rule that they weren't supposed to talk about Sin at the table, but the deceased stallion's loyalty to his friends was as undeniable as Rainbow's. Spike wished he was here, things wouldn't be going this way if the Federalist was still in town.

Seeing the atmosphere turning meloncholy once again, the drake inquired to when Annabelle's dragon friend, Brute, would be in town to get things back on track. Mac didn't know, but speculated that it would likely be a day or before the wedding itself. 

"Oh great, a second dragon in town." Blade gestured in an over figurative fashion. "As if I didn't have to worry about that little bastard stealing my job already."

"That's racist, Blade."

The dark green pony eyed Shining for a second. "It's not racist if it's a fact. The kid's barely an adolescent, and he loaded the logs like a freaking earth pony on rioids. If Spike here comes back to the mill-" he paused, eyeing the dragon intently "-it'll only be a matter of time before he took mi jerb."

Another round of light laughs and the happy mood of the night resumed.

The conversation died out to more inconsequential things and the cards continued to play. Tonight was a good night, and even if Sin couldn't be here for it, Spike planned to have a nice night, playing a relaxing game of cards with his best of friends and enjoy himself as best he could, as he deserved to.
> PTC
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







PTC







Macintosh walked with Annabelle into Ponyville with Scootaloo between them. The filly looked more than a little nervous, mainly because she was now grounded until her grades got back up.

It was a pointless grounding, but one that both Granny and Applejack thought needed to be implemented. Whenever Applebloom's schooling fell behind, she was condemned to punishment, and it was only fair that the pegasus filly suffered likewise. It didn't matter though, Scootaloo had already been devoting most of her free time to studying and homework anyways, the official punishment was nothing but a formality. Still though, Scootaloo, like most foals, didn't like being in trouble.

Mac looked at the clock tower to see themselves arriving on scheduled and felt a little irritated. Today was a Saturday, it was horse apples the school felt the need to intrude on the sacred time of the week where children didn't need to subject themselves to this place. 

It took seeing the building and knowing he was going inside for Macintosh to recall his memories, but the stallion hated school. It was boring, it was monotonous, and he could have gotten along well enough without it. Alas, it was the law, and probably for the best he went. Still didn't help the small bit of irritation already eating away at the back of his mind.

"Don't worry Scootaloo." Annabelle said, hoping to boost the filly's feelings a little. "You're already grounded, it's not like it can get any worse."

Scootaloo slumped a little. "Thanks Annabelle, I feel so much better now."

Anna, just realizing her mistake, frowned dejectedly and slumped. "Oh, right. I'm sorry."

Seeing the mare sad, Scootaloo immediately perked up a little and gently bumped into her leg a as they walked, intentionally trying to annoy her. Annabelle tried to keep a straight face as she engaged the filly in the bumping match, but her pressed lips failed in their battle with the smile that pushed its way to claim her muzzle.

The trio found themselves outside of the schoolhouse and stopped, taking in the small building.

"Do Ah have to go in?" Macintosh complained. "Ah'm already feelin' a little under the weather."

Annabelle gave him a playful shove. "Scootaloo's the foal here, not you."

The filly was in full agreement, but she was giggling, making Mac feel well rewarded risking the half joke.

The trio walked up to the building just as a light tanned earth mare stormed furiously out of the school house, a dark brown earth pony colt with an odd hat with a spinner on top following after her, looking completely defeated. All three of the ponies were quick to get out of the irate mare's way as she chastised her colt, furious about his appalling grades and listing off privileges he'd no longer be allowed to indulge. It was only when video games were mentioned did the young pony showed he wasn't a forlorn zombie.

"But moooom-"

"But nothing, Button! You're grounded for a month! Wait until you're father gets..."

The words trailed off as Mac made way into the school house, happy his own mother wasn't like that. 

"Big Macintosh?" Cheerilee asked, looking up at the stallion. "It's good to see you, but Applebloom isn't scheduled for a conference."

Mac stood aside and watched allowed Scootaloo to step forward. The plumb mare frowned and looked between the three, her eyes finally settling on Annabelle. "Are you Scootaloo's mother?"

Annabelle shook her head and introduced herself as Mac's fiancee. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well, miss Annabelle, but I'm a little confused as to why you two are here. Scootaloo's parents should be the one's I speak with today."

Nopony spoke, despite the fact they'd all prepared for this enevitablility, both Anna and Macintosh were prepared to allow Scootaloo to give the explination.

A short while later, Cheerilee stood awestruck with a few tears flowing from her eyes.

"I've been living with Macintosh and the Apples ever since. They're really good to me, and I'm happy there. Happier than I was back home when my parents were... well, yea."

Cheerilee didn't speak, she was too busy peicing together everything she'd heard. "Scootaloo, I... I'm so sorry, I had... no idea." She turned to look at the Macintosh and thanked him for looking after one of her students in such a way. "I assume this has been reported to the police, right?"

Mac went quiet, he had gotten around to reluctantly reporting the incident with Scootaloo protesting the entire way. Both were terrified that the government would take her from the Apple farm's care. A fear that had almost come to pass, stopped only when Macintosh had a quiet word with one of the higher ups, telling him that Scootaloo was a flight risk if stressed too much. The pegasus filly was capable of survival outside of civilization and Mac had no doubt that she could easily skip town as she'd threatened to do.

Her skills on acquiring food outside of civilization, however, he couldn't speak of; though it was a bad bet to think that would deter her from running away. The pony he spoke to about it told Mac that he'd write up some paperwork to give them temporary custody, despite the fact it would be deemed unethical and borderline illegal. Happily, though, the stallion he's spoken to, a detective Inquiry, could understand Mac's concerns and found them valid.

"Did you bring her temporary guardianship form? Sorry, but if you two are going to be acting as Scootaloo's temporary guardians, I'll need to see the form for legal reasons."

Mac produced the form and allowed Cheerilee to give it a once over before she handed it back to them, smiling wide. "You guys are doing a great thing." She turned and looked at Scootaloo. "I wish you would have told me about this, Scootaloo."

The filly slumped but didn't reply.

Cheerilee read the rights of everything wrong with the filly's grades. While her grades had improved in the past two weeks, they'd been absolutly deplorable over the past month and a half. She was struggling with Math and writing, and all but failed in Equestrian history and social studies. Scootaloo burst out that she was trying to get her school work back on track, and Cheerilee was going to let her, considering the circumstances.

"I don't usually do this, but I'll let you retake a few tests and redo some assignments. Not all at once, but enough to let you pass this year without being overwhelmed." She paused, looking down at the hopeful foal. "You're going to be okay, everything's going to be fine. I promise."

Scootaloo sniffled and offered a sad smile before the teacher asked her to wait outside while the adults spoke in private.

The plum pony took a few moments to calm herself. "I want to thank you both for what you're doing for her. Macintosh, I know you can relate to her in a way not many of us can. I plan to put in a good word for you with my superiors, it always helps when teachers have good things to say about adoptive parents."

That's when realization hit Macintosh like a brick wall. Parents, he... a father, now.

Yes, Anna was pregnant, but he still had a good eleven months to prepare for the foal. Scootaloo needed somepony now, right now, even if Rainbow Dash was her choice, which looked less and less likely by the day, the pegasus filly needed guidance and somepony to look after her. Her life couldn't be put on hold so that it could be sorted out.

Annabelle was quick to point out the small discrepancy, and Macintosh was too late to stop her.

"Rainbow Dash?" Cheerilee tilted her head. "Umm, I don't know if you two know this, but Rainbow can't adopt Scootaloo. It's Equestrian law that only couples may adopt foals."

The buttermilk earth pony frowned thoughtfully. "Oh."

'Well, guess that ends that little bit of uncertainty. Looks like you're going to be Scootaloo's adoptive father after all.'

On the outside, Mac remained stoic but inside, his mind was reeling from the absolution of the situation. There was no more denying it, there was no more small chance she'd end up with Rainbow Dash. 

Question now was if he was ready or not.

Granted, the last two weeks had been well enough. Scootaloo, while proud, was independent for the most part. Granny and Applejack had made the same observation, giving a lot of praise and a small amount of concern over it. While independence was good, it was clear Scoots had more than a small problem with emotionally opening up. Her time living in Whitetale Wood had made her emotionally reclusive and hard, yet also a little skittish. Not so hard to send up too many red flags, but she was reluctant to ask for help for anything, even if it meant involving herself in dangerous situations.

The stallion shuttered as he recalled a memory of her jumping up into the farm loft on a less than stable barrel ladder she'd made.

It made a lot of sense why her ideas for the Cutie Mark Crusaders were the most dangerous, considering that she'd done alone what most foals would wet themselves in terror doing in groups. The pegasus was resourceful and intelligent, with an iron will and a sense of pride to match. 

A sense of pride and will that Mac and Anna would need to bend in order to give her the emotional support she needed. 

Mac had no idea how to give that kind of support, or bend her will, all he knew was that he saw too much of a similarity between her and his deceased friend to allow things to continue as they were. The Apple pony had so many regrets when it came to Sin, he wished he'd have done more to try and help him. He saw the anti-social and self destructive behavior, but the Federalist's philosophical knowledge and ability to argue was beyond Macintosh's own mental facilities.

It was a small conflict Mac had no ability to win peacefully, but if he'd known things would turn out the way they had, if he could go back in time and change it all, he'd gladly have used force to help his friend. Force him to accept the help he needed instead of trying to handle everything on his own. The Non-Aggression Principal be damned.

Luckily, Scootaloo didn't have the mental abilities Sin had, but that still didn't answer how he was supposed to help her. Though, he figured a good place to start was to figure out how her parents had died... by telling her about his own.

The meeting finished up with some forms and slight disciplinary action of after school make up time. An hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as a follow up meeting later on to discuss progress.

Cheerilee sent the the ponies off, wishing them luck with their soon to be adoptive daughter.

The two exited the school house and saw the filly swinging on the swingset, looking more than a little nervous. Neither knew what to say, Anna had hinted a little at being alright playing as Scootaloo's surgot mother, but the look on her face told Mac her doubts about the situation were just as conflicting as his own.

"Mac?"

"Eyup?"

She smiled up at him, hope glittering in her eyes. "We're really doing this, right? We're really going to adopt her?"

The stallion looked down to his fiencee and then over to Scootaloo, he turned back with a small confident smile. 

"Eyup."









"Hello, mine Mistress." Sombra said marching up to Luna as she paced back and forth in the Lunar Common area. 

The Alicorn regarded her former apprentice for a moment then continued her pacing. "Sombra."

Smiling, the black unicorn watched with detached amusement as his mistress continued to pace fretfully, calling her out on her behavior.

"What is it to you, Sombra?" Luna asked, narrowing her eyes.

The stallion shrugged and walked to the window. "Your nervous mannerisms haven't changed in a thousand years. Mine mistress being fretful about anything never has garnered positive consequence." 

It was true, Soarin was one of the staffing rooms right now, being briefed by a pair of her most trusted Night guard of his mission. The wonderbolt's departure would raise questions, so she'd declared him to be transferred to another prison to serve his sentence, since the dungeons were becoming crowded with the Trotski and communists. A transfer that would be interrupted in transit, leading to Soarin's escape out into Equestria.

"A little Draconequus told me there is a conspiracy ahoof." Sombra declared, nonchalantly. "I am of the understanding that somepony thought to be dead is out and about."

Luna froze, she was going to make Discord pay dearly for exposing her.

Seeing the look upon her face, Sombra gave her a toothy grin. "He and I have battled many a times, mine Mistress. I had dedicated an entire year's worth of developing the spell used to locating his chaotic magicks to rid the world of his presence once and for all. Did you truly think I'd not find him should he be present where I am permitted to roam?"

"And what makes you believe Discord's words hold merit, my old apprentice?" Luna asked, looking down her nose at the pony.

Sombra smirked and replied that he'd "accidentally" stumbled upon a meeting between a peculiar white pony and two of her guards talking about finding the pegasus in question. "It's funny what one may find when they're consciousness is free to roam through astral projection." He paused, rubbing his chin lightly. "If memory serves, it is customary of the solar court to offer plea deals and compensations to the guilty for redemption, is it not?"

Luna snorted in reply, already seeing where this was going.

"Yes, I believe that was what your sister said when I was placed under limitation of the Castle. And yet, here your servants are, offering such a plea deal with no solar agent present to oversee the proceedings. Curious, is it not?"

"Out with what you want, Sombra!"

The unicorn turned to her, his mischievous grin nearly splitting his face. "I suppose I could be inclined to accept such a change in the law, without confirming it with Celestia, so long as I am not excluded from it."

Luna groaned. Her life had just been a series of conveluted and complicated events lately. A series of events she couldn't even tell Celestia about now if she wanted to for fear of Conno following through with his threat of torture.

What Sombra wanted was simple, he wanted the same deal that Soarin had. He was tired of being limited to the castle with nothing but the occassional game of chess and books to spend his time. The unicorn wanted out to explore the country he'd worked hard to protect and build, he wanted freedom, but he also wanted to help the empire.

"Really? And why would you care about Equestria?"

Sombra's grin dropped to a scowl. "Do not presume to condemn me so quickly, Luna. I have sacrificed much for Equestria those thousand years ago. My corrupted soul cared not for my country, but I stand now untainted by it as the stallion I once was. I admit, I resent you for your condemning me to black magicks, but Equestria herself has done me no harm. My love for her is as strong as it ever was."

He paused, his scowl intensifying into a glare. "And besides, since my corruption was the responsibility of you, I believe it only due course that you be the one to allow me the freedom I rightly deserve, or has your honor and sense of justice evaporated with time?"

Luna's wings ruffled in frustrated irritation as the guilt of her actions washed over her. There was nothing she could say in her own defense. The crushing loneliness and jealousy to her sister was no excuses for the atrocities she'd committed against Sombra, the foul magic she'd convinced him to indulge on her behalf. He deserved better than what he'd gotten from her for all he'd scarified for the empire, she'd take the scolding Celestia would give her for agreeing to his release.

"Very well, you shall be permitted to leave under the condition you travel with Soarin and find the pegasus pony known as Sin."

Sombra smiled and bowed his head, thanking her for her kindness. Luna shook her head and began escorting him to the room where Soarin was being briefed. It actually worked out, in a way. Soarin was a cleaver and strong sort, stronger and faster than most ponies, but Sin was a survivalist who's cleaver mind had thwarted ponies smarter than the white stallion.

Sombra, if time hadn't dulled him, was one of the most brilliant military minds to ever grace the empire. Once he was brought up to speed on all of the modernization of the past millennia, his own mind would prove to be a powerful asset in Sin's capture. The black unicorn was well versed in survival himself, things like heaters and appliances didn't exist those thousand years ago. If nothing else, it was a blessing in disguies that Sombra had come to threaten her with the matter.

Still wouldn't make explaining her decision to Celestia any easier, though.
> Fluttershy's Plight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Fluttershy's Plight






Spike sat on the couch next to a very irritated Rarity. His mind was anywhere but the conversation at hoof between the alabaster unicorn and Twilight, both of which discussing Rarity's most recent visit to Fluttershy's.

Spike was thinking over what he had anticipated to happen in the coming weeks or months, if what Inquary had told him was true. The drake was trying not to think about it, but when Rarity had dropped by, Sweetie Bell was with her. Apparently, the filly hadn't been doing well in school and was in pretty deep with her parents. 

Seeing her got Spike thinking about the conversation he and Inquary had, about what Shady and the black market had kept out of town. About what this supposed "red market" would do to ponies like the young unicorn and her friends. It angered him, it placed the dragon into a silent seething rage that shot spikes of heat through his limbs and made him tighten his muscles.

He felt obligated to help, but how? 

He could stand guard over the school house and watch everypony walk home, but that didn't seem like a good idea for obvious reasons. He thought about spreading awareness via fliers, but that was more likely to either be laughed off or cause a panic than simply teaching parents to be cautious of their kids.

'Maybe you should talk to Inquiry again. If you're serious about wanting to help, anyway.'

But that was another thing, nothing was happening that he could help with.

"...it's absolutely dreadful, how the council could treat poor Fluttershy so unfairly is simply deplorable!"

'Maybe they haven't tried to come in yet. You heard what happened to the last criminals. I'd be surprised if any of those kinds of ponies came to town after that. Murphy not withstanding.'

Maybe, but still. What happens if they do? I'm not big enough or strong enough to do anything by myself. 

'Spike, I want you to let me finish this before you say anything. Okay? I want you to keep calm and an open mind.'

Okay?

'Maybe you should, and I'm stressing the open mind thing here. Maybe you could ask Social Justice to be part of the-'

NO! No! Gah what is wrong with you!?

'Spike, dude, chill. Alright? Remember what I said about open mindedness. I'm not saying to go do it now, but if things get bad, that is an option.'

Yea, an option I'd rather not even think about, not after what she did to Twilight.

"Spike? Earth to Spike!"

The drake noticed his name being called and looked up.

"Are you with us? I was just talking about going to see Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes, Rainbow Dash. Didn't you hear a what we were just saying?"

The drake rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, prompting Twilight to give a brief synopsis. The inspectors looked over Fluttershy's home to ensure she hadn't been harboring any animals that were considered "non-domesticated". None were found, non save a single white bunny rabbit named Angel.

The inspector noted the belligerent and borderline abusive behavior displayed by the rabbit and Fluttershy's inability to control him. According to Rarity, Fluttershy had done as she always did and made excuses for the rabbit's piss poor behavior, claiming that Angel was her pet, and that his disobedience was due to a fierce streak of independence.

The Inspector, on the other hoof, didn't seem to agree. He declared Angel feral and informed Fluttershy that she'd be subject to punitive measures if the rabbit was to be continued in her care.

The revelations was a bittersweet one. Spike had no love for Angel, he despised how the rabbit would take advantage of Fluttershy's kind nature, acting like a spoiled brat who'd go as far as committing acts of violence against her to get what he wanted; but he knew the pegasus loved him. She loved him dearly and would do damn near anything to take care of him. The poor mare was probably suffering the pain of having her own child taken away from her, a pain Spike didn't wish on anypony.

Paying her a visit sounded like a good idea.

The two ponies and single drake made way out of the library and for Rainbow Dash's cloud house on the outskirts of town. When they got there, they could hear an ungodly wailing coming from uphigh, a whailing that the trio deduced to be Fluttershy. Spike felt his heart sink as he heard her bawl. Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, was suffering. She was suffering and she didn't deserve to.

"Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash, are you up there?"

A few moments passed and the cyan pony's head poked out of the front door. "TWILIGHT!" She cried, flying down and slamming into the lavander unicorn. "Twilight, I'm so glad you're here. Those... jerks at city hall! They told Fluttershy she couldn't take care of animals anymore!"

"I know Rainbow, that's why I-"

"I tried to go down there and tried to get them to stop, but those horse apple heads said it was against the law! Can you believe that? Fluttershy's been taking care of animals for years, they can't just go and make what she's doing against the law like that!"

Twilight struggled under the cyan pegasus' hooves, trying to escape her growing rage.

"They threw around a whole bunch of big words and legalese jargin that I couldn't understand and said that's why Flutters had to stop. You're an egg head, and the student of princess Celestia! You have to help us! You have to go down there and talk some sense into them!" Rainbow finished her desperate tyrade, looking down at Twilight with wide, pleading eyes.

Rarity used her magic to pull the pegasus off and lifted Twilight to her hooves. 

Spike watched with baited breath. Twilight may have disregarded his opinion on the matter, but now that she was seeing the consequences of the council's decision, hearing Fluttershy crying with such abandon and Rainbow all but begging for her help, maybe now she'd see reason.

The unicorn began to justify the council's decision, but a little more begging from Rainbow halted her words. 

"I can't stand seeing her like this, Twi. I just can't do it! I was so close to bucking Colgate in the face that it hurt not to! Please, Twilight."

The unicorn cringed and looked sympathetically between Rainbow and the cloudhouse, Fluttershy's sobbing and wailing still going strong. Finally, the mare sighed and said she'd go and talk to the city council about re-allowing the exemption. Rainbow threw her legs around Twilight and chanted her thanks.

"I can't promise anything, Rainbow. I don't have any authority or influence on the government here."

Rainbow dismissed her concern, and as far as Spike cared, she was right to do so. Twilight was being paranoid, she was the Element of magic, likely with the full backing of Celestia, if anypony could force the government to allow Fluttershy to indulge her passion, it was Twilight Sparkle.









Spike, Twilight and Rarity foundthemselves in City Hall, Twilight now determined to petition for greivence. The receptionist looked thoroughly agitated, no doubt one of the victims of Rainbow's tirade.

Putting on a friendly smile, Twilight approached the mare. "Excuse me, I'm here to see the city council. I have a grievence and complaint I'd like to make."

The receptionist pointed. "Up the stairs, Mayor Mare's office is the one on the left."

"Umm, thank you?" Twilight said, passing the rude mare and heading up stairs. As they made way up, Spike saw a single unicorn stallion he recognized standing outside the mayors office, looking more than a little antsy.

Arguing could be heard from the other side and the trio briefly considered if it was a good idea to interrupt.

"I wouldn't." Inquary said. "Justice is in a bad mood."

"What happened?" Twilight asked.

Inquary shrugged. "Dunno. Some crazy pegasus was in here half an hour ago, raising all kinds of ruckus about something or another. Mayor Mare ended up calling in Justice about it."

"NO! The law is the law and it will..." All four of them cringed at the shout.

With nothing else to do, Twilight and Rarity decided to wait down in the lobby and check back in later. "Coming Spike?"

Spike and Inquary shared a brief look. "Yea, I'll catch up in a sec."

He heard them walk away and asked: "What's been going on? The council's been quiet all week."

Inquiry looked at the door skeptically, as if expecting it to crack open for the occupants to hear them before whispering to the drake. "Justice has been on duress leave ever since you kicked her out of Golden Oaks. The council hasn't been able to get her to sign off on anything, I had to literally drag her here to get her to talk to the mayor."

Spike frowned. "Was she really that torn up over it?"

The stallion nodded, Justice was beyond herself distraught because of Spike. His being a minority, and her offending him enough for him to kick her out of the library had an unprecedented affect on her psyche. Inquiry was almost impressed with how well she handled the constant death glares the ponies around town had given her. Justice barely even took notice of them. He was even more impressed with how dismissive she was to having her motel room attacked a while ago. Yea, she had him for protection after that, but she seemed so desensitized to the event. His protection was just a formality as far as she was concerned.

To see her in tears, cradling her teady bears and speaking to them like they were her therapists, all because of Spike's harsh words, was almost comical.

"When I went into her room to get her, she kept crying that that was her 'safe space' and that it would be immoral to force her out. Something about being triggered, or some other such bull."

"Right then." Spike pressed his lips, hearing a rather animated discussion happening in the office now. 

"So, anything on the... you know, sex rings?"

Inquiry shrugged. "I've been kept on a pretty short leash. My informants around town have gone dark. Somepony tipped the ABTF about my association with them and they've been keeping an eye on me. I gave one a list of ponies to warn to stay away so they wouldn't become suspects."

"ABTF?"

"Anti Black-market Task Force."

Spike's brow furrowed, that wasn't good, that wasn't good at all. If things kept going this way, it was only a matter of time before the red market wormed its way into Ponyville...

'Or it could all be a bunch of bull crap.'

What?

'Think about it, when in the entire time you've been in Ponyville, have you heard about a foal getting abducted? When have you heard about the kinds of crimes Inquiry and Sin are alleged to have "prevented"?

Yea, but to be fair, I've never heard of prostitution, drugs or anything like that before either. That happening in Ponyville isn't really too far fetched.

'Granted, but foal sex rings? Really? What proof is there that those things actually happen, aside from Inquiry's word? Or are you now going to just trust him at it? I mean, where was all of this before Sin came in and "structured" the black market to keep it out?'

Spike thought on the point for a moment, it was a good point. For all of the small town gossip that happened here, he'd never once heard whispers of such atrocious crimes before. 

Maybe you're right, but if you're not, foals could be raped. The absence of evidence isn't the evidence of absence. 

'Alright, let's settle it. Ask Inquiry for evidence.'

WHAT?!

'You bucking heard me! Ask him for evidence of foal sex rings. He said he'd found three dead ponies in a warehouse district, right? Ponies he was convinced were part of a foal sex ring? Police are supposed to have pretty good documentation, so ask that he hand over the evidence an-

NO! I'm not going to do that, what the buck is wrong with you!? Firstly, he has no obligation to give me anything. Secondly, that's probably classified stuff! He wouldn't just give it to me because I asked him to or demanded it.

'He might if you offer to get Justice off his back.'

What?

"Spike?"

"Huh?"

"You look lost in thought."

The drake scratched the back of his head chuckled, playing off that he was tired. "Well, I'd better get going. Good luck with-" A particularly nasty insult escaped the Mayor's office. "-that."

Inquiry sighed. "I don't need luck, I need vodka."









"I'm sorry Twilight, this really isn't a good time for me." Mayor Mare sighed in a raspy voice. The mare's eyes were red with threatened tears and she looked absolutely exhausted from her little shouting match with Justice.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but this is about Fluttershy and-"

"No!" The mayor pleaded. "I can't, I just tried to reason with Justice about it! All she kept saying was that the law was in place for a reason and she wouldn't accept anypony being exempt from it. I wish I could help you and Fluttershy, I really do, I don't like when ponies come in here and make threats and demands like Rainbow Dash did earlier today."

Spike watched as the elder mare slamped in her chair. She legitimately cared about the Fluttershy's plight, he could tell by the look on her face just how drained the fighting had been on her. Now whether she cared more about Fluttershy herself or avoiding the ire of Rainbow Dash was up for debate.

"There's nothing you can do?" Twilight asked. "There's no executive action you can take?"

Mayor Mare shook her head, repeating that the entire point of the Arbiter's position was to filter legislation and action taken by the government, the mayor was also subject to the arbiter's controls. 

In hind sight, the position was almost ridiculously powerful. It was a position that was more catered to Sin and his personality than it was to be open to anypony who would take the job. Spike pondered if asking Celestia to get rid of the position was a good idea or not. It's purpose had been served, and the corruption would likely continue uninhibited with Justice holding it now.

"The only thing that can overrule Justice is a popular vote from the town." 

Spike's hopes lifted.

"And even then, it's be dead on arrival. If Justice convinced the majority of the council to strike down the legislation the next day, it would end up like the Candy Bill."

And like that, all hope was once again lost.

It wasn't right, why should the City Council be able to overturn the popular vote so easily? Did not the ponies of the town know what they wanted and shouldn't they have their voices listened to?

Twilight voiced the same concern and the mayor sighed. "Most ponies don't know the intricate and convoluted law system, Twilight. That's why we don't have a direct democracy in Ponyville anymore. The laws became to complicated for the everyday pony to follow, so we elect representatives who do understand so they can take care of it."

Dejected, Twilight asked if there was anything else that could be done, to which Mare simply shook her head. 

The two walked out of the office, and down the stairs.

"Well?" Rarity asked.

Twilight just shook her head, Rarity cringed and joined the the forelorn sadness.

Spike began thinking about things he could do, but nothing yielded good results. Aside from contacting Celestia, there was no other options the group could take to make it so their friend could return to her passion...

'There is one thing.'

And what would that be?

'Offer yourself to Justice, become her guard.'

... Are you okay? I mean, really, are you mentally alright? Because I'm starting to have my doubts about listening to you now.

'Hear me out, remember what I was talking about before? Well, this works out for the better in a lot of ways. If you can offer your services and forgiveness to Justice in exchange for Fluttershy's exemption reinstatement, that'll let her go back to taking care of animals. Inquiry will be free of her so he can go back to monitering the black market, and you can play on Justice's guilt to make her act right. I know you'll pretty much be subject to her at most any given time, but it's just something to consider.'

Dude, you're out of your mind!

'Oh? So your concern about foals getting raped stops when a solution inconveniences you?'

Spike's eyes widened at the accusation, his fists clenched and his breathing deepened to maintain control.

... I thought you didn't believe that really happened.

'And as you've said, I could be wrong.'

Spike quietly seethed to himself as he reviewed the idea. It didn't appeal to him in the slightest, to be around Justice at all made his stomach churn with rage. But then he remembered the hopeless crying and sobbing he'd heard come from Fluttershy and felt his sorrow quickly extinguish the anger. Fluttershy didn't deserve what was happening to her, she was one of the best ponies in the world. 

Closing his sole eye, Spike gave the matter more serious thought.

Could he do it? Could Spike really tolerate Justice, a pony he despised, for the sake of helping out his friends and protecting foals?



> Mental Break
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Mental Break








"I don't know..."

"What do you mean, you don't know? What part are you having trouble understanding?"

Zell rubbed his hoof against his head, doing his best to comprehend the words on the piece of paper infront of him.

Sin adjusted his newly purchased black goggles, happy to have bought them for the high intensity light of the day. The two, plus two little brothers, were walking home from school, neither particularly concerned with the school work their teachers had given them. Zell still had trouble wrapping his head around the conscept of labor value theory vs subjective value theory.

"It's easy." Malich said, cooly. "One is the idea that there is no intrinsic value in anything, while one believes that it's the labor and time spent on something that makes its worth. C'mon Zell, it's not that hard."

"Says the pony who gets C's in history." The other colt mumbled.

"What was that?" Sin asked, turning to look at the two younger ponies. 

"Nothing!" Malich barked a little too quickly. Sin's glare lingered on his brother, who turned his own eyes to the earth pony besides him, condemning him for being a tattle tale.

Zell's brother, Zen, was nothing like him, the bright aqua marine earth pony stallion was far more serious an intellectually driven than the maroon unicorn, though he was also far more cocky and insufferably smug. Sin liked the former, but he detested the latter. Malich seemed to take it in stride, though. Often putting the earth pony in his place on matters pertaining to economics and politics. 

"Sin, be nice. It's Friday, and you know what that means..."

"COOKIE DAY!" Malich and Zell cheered in unison.









Sin sat beside Malich while Zell and Zen sat on the opposite side of the table. Zell's family home was a cozy little apatment barely within the Northwood City limits. Malich had made it a point to visit every Friday when Zell had introduced the two to his little brother and the two became fast friends.

It always bewildered Sin just how the family functioned in comparison to his own. The Fridays he'd go over, dinner was always had around the table with everyone present. Zells father was a mine worker for a company that would eventually be bought out by Triple M. while his mother was a stay at home care taker. 

Sin had seen mothers and fathers before, but these two were something else. They were always smiling, always welcoming, always happy to see their sons and greeted both with a warm hug every day that made Malich and he more than just a little jealous. Happily enough, though, Friday was the one day of the week where Malich got to pretend he was part of an actual family. 

Sin had seen how forlorn his brother was, and it warmed his heart to see the colt enjoying himself with decent parents... Even if Sin personally didn't feel comfortable when Ms. Gypse would try to scoop him up and squeeze him like a ten bill plushy.

To call the unicorn mare affectionate was an understatement.

"So, how was school?" Gypse asked.

Everyone said their piece about what had happened to them, with Malich and Zell being the main talkers as always. Zen tried a little  too hard to be cool and brush everything off as unimportant or uninteresting, but a mother always had a tendency to know if something important happened or not.

Mainly because Gypse had personally asked Sin to keep an eye on both of her sons, seeing as how both had a tendency to get into some kind of trouble or another. Especially since the younger colts were entering the time of schooling where there was no more recess to work out their excess energy. 

"Nothing much happened, had a whole bunch of math worksheets to do. I hate math class, I'd rather be writing." Zell stated.

"You'd rather be flirting with that mare in history." Sin teased, earning a glare.

Gypes set down a tray of cookies in her magic. "What was that? My son has a girlfriend?"

"NO!" Zell barked, his ears twitching from fluster.

"I think he diiid~" Malich sang. "COOKIE!"

The four colts helped themselves, Sin making no effort to hide his own liking for the baked goods. Fridays were good days, even to him.

"So that's why you're sucking so hard at history class." Zen chewed on his treat. 

"SHUF UF!"

Gypse quirked a brow and asked what her son meant by his words, Zen informed the mare that Zell had been... struggling to pay attention, and that hid grades had slipped due to a filly's transfer into the class. Gypse turned her attention to her elder son and scowled, her magic covered the cookie he was eating and snatched it from his hooves.

Zell looked up horrified, desperately jumping up to try and snatch the cookie that had been so cruelly taken away from him. "Moooom!"

The unicorn mare shook her head. "Nope, no cookies for bad colts."

Sin frowned as he watched Zell chase after both his mother and the cookie she kept away. That didn't seem right, not in morality, but... in something else.

"HA HA! You don't get a cookie~" Malich sang, farther pushing the boundaries of Sin's tolerance. That wasn't right either. 









Sin rappidly shook his head, having left the memory and returned to the white void of his mind.

"That's not what happened." He whispered. The stallion remembered Ms. Gypes, she was kind, much too kind, she didn't have a malicious bone in her body. Zell's father, Mr. Gypes, was the disciplinarian of the house hold.

Sin looked up and scowled. "Quit fucking with my memories!"

"My memories"

"My memories"

"My memories"

His words echoed into the white room until they finally trailed off into silence. There was no reply.

Why wasn't there are reply? There was always a reply! There should have been a reply! 

"Where are you?" Sin barked, turning about and looking around, feeling his stress levels raise. "Show yourself! I know you're here! You're always here!"

"Always here"

"Always here"

"Never here"

"Ever here?"

The stallion was taken aback by the echo's distortion to his words. Or... were they distortions? 

"I know you're there!"

"Know your there"

"Know your there"

"No one there."

His breathing growing heavy, Sin began to panic. He looked all around, left, right, up, down, circled around and did it all over again. She was here, she had to be here, she was always here. He wasn't losing it yet. He couldn't be loosing it yet, there was something he needed to do, something important he needed to do!

What was it?

WHAT WAS THAT?!

He looked to where the noise came from with wide, fretful eyes, his legs standing so stiff that his entire body quaked with anticipation stress. His ear twitched, nothing. Nothing but the ever present silence of the void.

Sin felt himself on the verge of tears now, his emotions were regaining their hold on him again, even in the waking world, irritation was starting to become an ever present friend he just couldn't get rid of. The Critic was his only sense of sanity anymore, it was the only thing that made him know feel like he wasn't drifting into what ever the Alicorn wanted of him. 

It was terrifying how quiet and hard to hear the critic was becoming lately. His voice, a voice Sin almost always saw as a kind of annoying detraction, had become his sole source of comfort. The only point of reference that let the stallion know that he hadn't lost his mind just yet. How much longer would that last, though? Neither knew why, but Critic sounded... tired and wilted.

Critic didn't want Sin worrying though, worry was emotional, and emotional would only farther break down what little defense the pony had left to himself. 

He wanted to hear the critic right now, he needed to hear him or someone, anyone! The silence he used  to love so much was oppressive now, it was a terrifying cacophony of quiet that bore down into the stallion's very soul and tore at his will.

"Why? Why is this happening?" Sin asked, curling around himself. He'd never noticed how cold he felt here, his reverberated body heat felt nice.

"Why is this"

"Why is"

"Why"

"Why"

"Die."

Hearing the echo, the stallion lifted his head in rage. "I DIDN'T SAY DIE!"

"DIDN'T SAY DIE"

"I DIDN'T SAY DIE"

"I SAY DIE"

"I WANNA DIE!"

The words kept ringing in in his ears, the echos growing louder instead of softer like they were supposed to. Sin covered his head and closed his eyes. He didn't want to die, not yet, not right now. He' die later, when he was allowed to. He wasn't allowed to die yet, not yet. There was something he needed to do first. Something important? 

No, dammit it it wasn't a damned question! It was important! And it needed to be done. But what was it again? Was it here? 

"I WANNA DIE"

"I WANNA DIE"

"I WANNA DIE"

 "I WANNA DIE!"

No matter how hard Sin tried to remember it, the booming sound of his voice kept him from concentrating clearly. He needed to get out of the white room, he needed to find the Critic. The critic would help, right? Of course he could, the critic always helped, but where was he? How could he find him now?

The black room! That's it!

And just like that, the oppressive booming voice was gone, as was the piercing bright light of the white room.

Sin lifted his head and observed the black space around him, thankful to finally be free of the loud noises and have a chance at clear thought once again. All of his mental facilities came back to him, and the stallion felt in control of himself once more.

'Sin, you're not supposed to be here!' His critic declared tiredly, limping out from the shadows.

Sin recoiled, the Critic had aged since last he saw him, and he didn't age well. His face was a mess of wrinkles and crowsfeet, his once dark brown mane was now completely grey and sullied, peppered with bits of black like his brother's pelt. If it hadn't been for the icey blue eyes, Sin would have thought the pony someone else entirely. It wasn't that the Critic was tired that his voice had changed, it was that he'd aged.

"Critic?"

'You need to wake up, when you're here, she's in control of your body!'

That was bad, but Sin knew he was far enough in the Everfree that he had at least some time before she could do anything, not to mention she didn't know her way out like he did.

"Sorry, but I couldn't stand the dreams any more. I don't know how much longer I can take this..."

The Critic looked at him sadly. 'I know, I thought repressing your emotions would stop this, but it seems we've only delayed the inevitable. She's already in, now, and I can't see a way to. he paused to cough. 'Stop her.'

"Nothing at all?"

Critic shook his head sadly. 

Sin's mind raced, trying to find something, anything he could do, but he'd tried everything that was within his power. Meditation, manual labor to clear his mind, some calming root teas he'd made up, but nothing was working. He'd endured the dreams, the memories being rewritten in hopes that those would be the extent of it. However, Critic's condition troubled him greatly. Why was he aging? What was the point of that? It had to be the Alicorn of Insanity's work, but why?

The situation was frustrating enough that even here, he could feel his irritation growing unprecedentedly. Sin looked around, wondering where the child was.

Critic shook his head, an action that farther roused Sin's own irritations.

"Where. Is. the child?" Again, no reply. "Look, the kid's a ponyfied manifestation of my emotions, right? The Alicorn is heavily tied to my emotions as well, right? So if we-"

'If we what, Sin?' Critic asked, slumping and looking at the younger stallion with all the tired challenge he could muster. 'What do you plan to do to him? To yourself?'

Smacking him around to vent some pent up aggression would be a good starting place.

"I don't know, but he's connected to her, maybe he knows something, something neither of us do."

"You keep talking about me like we're different ponies."

The Critic sighed and stepped to the left, revealing the little colt Sin had been looking for.

"But we're not. We're the same pony, I'm a part of you."

Sin felt his temper flare but didn't act. The kid, he wasn't the sniveling pathetic wretch Sin despised so much. He was standing tall, proud and his eyes full of anger and resentment now.

"Yea, I know, I think I've admitted that-"

"NO! NO YOU HAVEN'T!" The colt yelled, marching up to Sin and looking him in the eye. "You say you have, you believe you have, but deep down you deny me! That's why I'm here, that's why I and this place exist in your mind! You hate me, you've spent your entire life denying me!"

Sin was taken aback by the response, he'd felt fear before, but the fear he felt now was different, different enough to keep him silent.

"You say you don't want to be a psychopath, but you fight a mental war at two fronts. One to deny the nature of the psychopath, and one to deny the nature of emotions! That's why you're so miserable all the time, that's why you can't let yourself be happy! You're so fixated on fighting, fighting even if it means failing or hurting the ones you love! And yes, you do love them. Spike, Mac, Shade, Uppity. You love them, but you wont allow yourself to really feel it. You'd rather fight it and remain broken because that's what you know, that's what you do. You like to be broken, secretly feeling a resentfulness for yourself to fight too. Fighting, fighting, fighting, that's all you ever do!"

"Shut up, kid. You don't kn-"

"No, YOU SHUT UP!" Sin took another step back, seeing the kids eyes flash a terrifying teal. "I'm sick and tired of the way you treat yourself, how you treat me! You think it's your denial of emotions that stopped her? Are you that fucking retarded? She was kept in check because I fucking willed it! Because I saw you making progress with your friends and Uppity. You were accepting me, for once in your life, you allowed me to be free, to feel and be felt."

The kid's eyes were misty with threatening tears now. His body was trembling and his lip quivered with emotion. The kid's breathing was the only sound for a while, his gasping, borderline sobbing breaths filled Sin with an uncomfortable dread. "I messed up... I messed up when you were in the dungeons. I thought we were going to prison."

The colts eyes widened in fear. "I thought we were never going to see our friends again. No more Uppity, no more Macintosh or Spike, no more of the guys at the mill, no more anything! You made it sound so terrible in prison, like there was no hope at all! I'm sorry that I slipped up there, but I didn't know how to handle it. She... she just got the better of me."

To call the revelation shocking was an understatement. Him? The kid, what Sin considered the weakest part of himself was the one who really kept him sane? The part of him that protected his mind from the greatest threat his mind had ever faced?

Sin turned his attention to the Critic. "Did you know about this?"

Critic shook his head, turning his stunned face back to the colt.

"I didn't tell him, just like I didn't tell you."

Sin stepped forward, a mistake he'd only realized when the colt looked up at him with teal serpentine eyes. "Stay back!"

Stopping, the stallion sat down in an attempt to reduce how threatening he was. "Kid, listen to me. If what you're telling me is true, then you need to get her back under control."

"Why?" The colt asked defiantly. "Why should I help you now? So you can go on denying me like you used to? This is the first time we've ever talked with out you kicking the crap out of me!"

Sin felt a sting at the colts words, but didn't have time to indulge it. They needed to work together here if they were going to subdue the nightmare,

"And then what? You go through life alone again like you used to? Constantly running away from the law and me? No! At least with her, I can be free! Even if it's under her control and not yours!"

'Kid, listen to him.' Critic said, finally finding his voice. 'The Alicorn of Insanity will turn on you, you know this.'

The child glared at Critic. "After years and years of being kicked around by him-" He pointed an accusatory hoof "Stuffed away, left to suffer in silence and neglect, you think I care? I tasted freedom because of her, I want to be free! I want to be accepted and cared about!"

"Look, kid. I'm sorry, alright? Can we please talk about this after you've done something to stop her? I promise, I'll do what you ask if you just get her under control."

"LIAR!" The colt snarled.

Sin felt himself lifted up by an unknown force and slammed down onto the floor on his side. There was no pain to accompany the ear ringing force that accompanied his fall, but there was more than a little mental duress.

He lifted his head and found the colt smiling cruelly down at him. "How does it feel, huh?"

The force grabbed him again, lifting him up and slamming the stallion down on the floor with a crash. Again, no physical pain, but still alot of mental discomfort.

"You like that? Huh?! How does it feel to be powerless in your own mind? To have yourself psychologically abused and tossed about?! How do you like it?!"

Another slam, and then another, and another. Critic was yelling now, trying to reason with the emotional personification to get him to stop, but the colt was drunk on the power to finally take revenge on Sin for all the abuse and neglect the stallion had given him. With every slam, the colt's face slowly began to turn, his initial expression cruel mania shifted to anger, and then from anger to frustration and finally finished in a desperate expression of tears.

The shock value had worn off after the first few times Sin kissed the ground. With every slam, Sin thought more and more on the young colt's words. Did he really like being broken? Yes, yes he did. He didn't know how not to be broken, he was comfortable in that kind of suffering. Spike once compared him to Twilight in emotional reclusiveness, but the major difference between the two was that Sin's problem was one he clung to as part of himself, while Twilight was still open to the concept.

Sin didn't know how to be whole, he was afraid of what would happen when he was taken from his comfort zone. Emotions were denied most of his life, but that left him feeling empty, an emptiness he tried to fill with moral, economic and political knowledge. Though, he knew now that such things would never fill that emptiness. Only one thing ever had, and that was when he'd interacted with his friends, especially Uppity. And that sense of fulfillment terrified him.

He fell to the ground once more and wasn't lifted back up. He heard the kid crying now, sobbing and wailing away.

Laying on the ground, Sin's mind continued to connect the dots. The kid had a right to be angry with him, after everything he'd done. But what was he supposed to do? Being an adult without a cutie mark was a pretty dead give away to who he was to anyone looking for him, even if he sought company elsewhere. Macintosh and Spike would likely hold his secret, but what would happen if they were discovered? Could he live with knowing they were imprisoned because of him?

"What do you want me to do?" Sin asked.

"What do you think I want?! I want Uppity and Spike and Macintosh! I want friends! I want love! I want acceptance!"

The stallion sighed. "You know I cannot do that." Sin lifted his head and looked at the colt. "You know that Ponyville is the first place the guard will look for me. If they find me, I'll be going right back to the dungeons. No friends and no freedom."

Glowering, the colt huffed. "Fine, but I want friends! I want real friends, friends that you can be real around, not fake like you've always been."

Again, an impossible task, but at least it was a condition. A condition meant a deal could be made.

"I'll need time." He stood up, the assault doing absolutely nothing to impair his movements. "I'll need time, and a clear head. If you can get the Alicorn to leave me to a good night's sleep and stop rewriting my memories, I promise, as soon as Macintosh's wedding is over, I'll go to a new town and find... friends."

Glaring, the pegasus colt pressed his lips and eyed Sin skeptically. His face contorting in thought as to the viability of the stallion's claim. "You promise?"

"I promise."


> Angel's Fall First
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Angel's Fall First








Bouncing through Ponyville, a very hungry white rabbit was in search of something extremely yummy to eat.

Ever since that orange earth pony stallion had made his momma cry, his care taker had tossed him out and ignored his demands to be allowed back inside.

The nerve of her! Dismissing him as if he was some common cricket! Well, he'd show her! He'd show her how unacceptable her actions were by leaving for a full three days! Without Angel bunny there for her to care for, he knew the pegasus would go stir crazy. He knew what she was like without animals to care for, winters were especially appealing to him for that exact reason.

Yea, she'd been the one who kicked him out... leading her to be without him anyways... and... well it made sense in his head. He didn't know why she did it to him, but now she was going to suffer!

He didn't know what the orange pony had to do with all of this, he used many big words that Angel didn't understand, but the constant look of disapproval he'd been given told Angel Bunny that the brute didn't much care for him, nore did he much care for the brute. The pony better hope that the two never crossed paths again, otherwise he was going to suffer the same fate that insubordinate mother of his felt before tossing him into the late winter cold. A nice smack to the face.

When he decided she was worthy of taking care of him again, he was going to let her have it good this time!

Angel couldn't understand her sometimes, did she not know the world revolved around him? That this whole planet was his and he just tolerated everyone else living on it?

Speaking of the surfs and knaves of his world, the bunny was growing hungry, and hungry bunnies needed food. Not the disgusting roots and wild carrots that his... fellows indulged, but real food. Like fresh carrots! And delicious salads with cherries on top! That's what he deserved as the king of his world.

Growing closer to civilization, Angel took note of all of the hustle and bustle of the city he so rarely graced with his presence. The commoners around were wise in their decision to take little notice of him. They knew their worth by comparison. However, the orange mare at the carrot stand also paid him no mind, an act of ignorance that tested his patience. 

"Oh, hello little guy." Carrot Top said, beaming down at the rabbit.

Angel crossed his arms and looked at her expectantly, tapping his back leg for good measure.

"Awww, do you want a carrot?"

No, he wanted the wooden bench behind which she stood and the innocent sacrifice of her foals... OF COURSE HE WANTED A CARROT! Was this mare simple?

He glared at her, his foot tapping just a little quicker in want of her to feel as stupid as ponily possible. To his shock, the mare simply giggled at his actions. She was simple... did she have no idea who he was? Had she no concept of the punitive measure that were his, by right, to take against such insolence?!

He had slapped mares for less!

"Oh, I'm sorry little guy, but you'd have to pay first."

Pay? What was this "pay"? What more did she want from him? Angel had already graced her with his very presence, what else did she need? 

His irate look went unnoticed as a pair of stallions approached the front of the booth to commit commerce, leaving the rabbit king completely ignored.

Fine! If she wanted to play that, than she could suffer the same fate as his caretaker and be ignored. That'll learn her.

Angel pranced on, looking for another booth to claim nourishment. 

To his complete horror and bewilderment, most every single booth keeper had treated him with a similar amount of patronizing or flat out ignored him. The ponies whom owned indoor stores he'd gone into even had the gall to chase him out with a broom! 

What in the world was wrong with these ponies?! It was like... it was like they took him for some common rodent! Well he'd show them, he'd show them all! Never again would he come to Ponyville to display his charm and grace! They could all live without the amazing deity that was Angel Bunny, and when they realized the folly of their ways, the rabbit king would cast aside all apology until he slept in carrots for years! Then, he might consider forgiveness.

Gah! This was almost as bad as the time he had to "play" with the pets of his caretaker in the park! That insufferable dog, Winona and simple Turtle worst of all! The cat he didn't so much mind, Opal could understand him, she knew the insignificance of his subject and how they were placed on this earth for nothing but service. Of course she was a little deluded in thinking they were placed on the earth to serve her instead of him, but her refinement was more than enough to make him forgive such ignorance.

Never the less, it was clear to see that his objective wasn't going to be found within the valley of delicious foods. He would need to seek sustenance elsewhere, among the more obedient and intelligent surfs who knew their place. Yes, he was weak right now from hunger, and once he was back at full strength, he'd come back and give that carrot handler a good what-for that she'd never forget!

As Angel bounced through town, congratulating himself on the vengeful plan he'd made, he came across a familiar face he hadn't seen in quite some time. 

The purple reptile his momma constantly referred to as "Spike" was talking at a very nervous dark green earth pony outside of a gingerbread house.

Angel sniffed something in the air that made his tummy rumble, the smell that permiated his nostrals made him almost tremble with anticipation to the delicious treats it promised. 

"I don't know, Spike, I'm not really in the mood to be rejected right now." The earth pony said sheepishly. 

"Blade, as you're friend, I am telling you: Get your plot in there and ask her or so help me Celestia, I am going to kick it all the way to the counter!"

Angel felt himself grow warm and fuzzy as the green stallion slumped and submissively began walking to the establishment. That was how you got things done!

He followed the duo into the building and had to physically fight to keep himself upright. The smell, the wafting auroma was overwhelming, it made his stomach growl in hunger and almost sent the rabbit jumping over the counter to eat the delicious deserts that sat in the display cases. He wouldn't allow himself to be so undignified, though. Kings needed to remain dignified, lest they be seen as less by the surfs and naivs. 

The stallion known as "Blade" approached the counter in the empty shop. Behind the counter, the pink pony who'd dared try to hug him on occassion stood and welcomed him.

"Hey Pinkie, you remember Blade, right?"

The pink pony nodded, and beamed widly at the stallion, saying how great it was to see him. Blade cleared his throat and attempted to reply, but his mouth was having trouble distinguishing between coherent words and basic sounds of revolving around "umm" and "uhh". 

Angel could see it plainly written on his face that the pony wished to commit mating rituals. It was stupid how conveluted the pony was being with it, just get behind her and take her! Honestly, he couldn't figure out what was up with all of the mouth noise nonsense.

Spike, being the only thing in town he'd seen that understood assertiveness, addressed the mare and informed her of Blade's desire for companionship in something or another. Angel watched as the pink pony blushed heavily and turned away, giggling like mad and giving an oddly shy look to the pony who was now blushing his own shade of crimson.

Rolling his eyes, the rabbit made way for the counter to collect what he'd come for.

"Well, I guess I wouldn't mind going with you." Pinkie said unsurely.

Blade took a breath to steel himself. "Umm, look, I'm just going to be upfront with you. I'm asking as a romantic thing, if you're thinking of it as a friendly date, than I want to know now so neither of us wastes our time."

Spike's jaw dropped and he nudged the stallion's ribs. "Seriously dude! You can't just open up like that!"

Blade turned to the drake and scowled. "Spike, you're my friend and all, but I've had too many 'dates' where I thought things were going one way but turned out to be going into a completely different direction. If I get it out of the way now, there's no false hopes and hurt feelings later on."

The drake lifted his claw to retort, but nothing came out. The logic was sound, but when it came to the game of romance, logic just didn't seem to have the charm and etiquite needed for wooing and courtship.

Pinkie furrowed her brow. "Huh, you know, out of all the stallions and mares who've ever tried hitting on me, you're the first to ever come out and say that."

Blade looked hopeful at being called different, but semi-deflated at the mare's decloration that she hadn't any romantic feelings of her for him at the moment. His hope was renewed, however, when she'd agreed to be his date. She said she was attracted to him, blah blah blah, she'd never had a coltfriend and this was new to her, blah blah blah, and that he could meet up with her and...

Oh for the love of Angel's own left ear, this was just not interesting. There was no talk of him at all, not about giving him delicious foods, not about giving him the due attention he deserved, there was nothing about Angel Bunny what so ever!

Finally the stallion and drake abandoned the counter, both smiling as they walked out and talking about insignificant and inconsequential details of some such or another, giving Angel the chance to come and collect what was his.

"ANGEL!" Pinkie squealed.

It hadn't crossed the bunny's mind that her deep rooted affections for him would make him the victim of one of her feared and crushing embraces as he was now. He knew his servants and the commoners loved him, but there was such a thing as too much love, and this pony was definitely it personified. 

With all his might, Angel was able to pry himself free of the mare's grasp and jumped to the counter. Luckily, she seemed to have expressed enough of her admiration and asked what he'd come for. The rabbit king pointed at a rather delicious looking pie in the display case to his left and began rapidly patting his leg.

"Aww, you want the pie? Well how could I say no to such a cutsy wootsy face like that?"

Finally! He was getting some respect around here.

Pinkie halted and then turned back to him. "Wait a minute, are you of-" She halted, reading something behind the counter. "At least eighteen years of age or accompanied by a parent or guardian of such age in order to purchase or receive any and all sweets?"

The rabbit gave her a look before shaking his head in an unsure fashion. He wasn't sure what his age had to do with him getting his pie, but the mare was this close to the end of the short fuse he had.

"I'm sorry, Angel. But I can't give you anything here unless you're escorted by a parent or guardian." The party pony said sadly.

The rabbit felt his hope shatter in his chest and pointed more vigorously at the baked good. Pinkie wasn't breaking though, stating again with the rules.

Feeling frustrated, the rabbit hopped up and down angrily and gestured some rather rude and unclean language at her. Pinkie's eyes went wide at his insults and she scoffed. 

"Well, if you're going to be a big meany mean head, than you can just leave!"

Angel turned up his nose and hopped down from the counter, condeming the pink pony and the entire establishment to his "never again" list of places and ponies. The nerve, the nerve of her to deny him his rightful fulfillment of deliciousness. Why, it was a crime against nature! Who did she think she was?! And then she insults him to boot? He wouldn't stand for it! When he got his strength back, she was getting a slap right across the face.

He wondered around town for a little bit until he came across yet another familiar face. The yellow filly with red mane and giant pink bow! She'd help him out, just like she did that one time when here and her friends came to sleep over that one night. She did owe him, she and her friends slept in his bed, after all.

"Hey, Annabelle? What'er we lookin' fer 'sactly?"

The buttermilk pony stood and looked intently at the necklaces on display. "Macintosh's wedding necklace. Since we're both earth ponies, we don't use wedding rings like unicorns do for obvious reasons. So, we get each other necklaces instead."

Angel stood infront of Applebloom to try to get her attention but was ignored once more.

"Ah jest can't believe it. Mah big brother's finally tyin' the knot." Applejack said, smiling with tears forming in her eyes. "Why, ma n' pa would be as proud as the dickens that he met such a good mare."

Annabelle froze for a second and then finally made a decision between the two necklaces she'd narrowed down. The one she'd chosen was a silver, apple pendant.

"Speaking of which, Big Macinotsh never told me what happened to them..."

Both AJ and Applebloom cringed and gave each other a look, a sisterly look of uncertainty that could only be given between two he looked for approval from one another. A look that wasn't directed at Angel and didn't get him his scrumdiddilyumptiousness! 

The elder sister sighed. "Alrigh' Ah suppose if yer gonna be an official part o' the family, it's time ya knew what happened to ma n' pa."

The trio of mares made way to the park for a quiet conversation, leaving Angel to seeth to himself as he followed after, determined to get something for all of his trouble in town.

"So..." Applejack started, once they'd reached a private area by the river that flowed through town. "Ma n' Pa were applefarmers like us, it all started when..."

"Meep!" Applebloom squeaked as Angel pounced on her back. 

The three all looked at the rabbit. "Angel?"

The rabbit crossed his arms and gave each of them a stern glare before settling his gaze on Applebloom. "Not now, Angel, we're kinda busy." 

"Anyway, it all started when-"

"Ow! Angel! Ow! Stop!"

The rabbit hopped up and down on Appleblooms withers, digging in his leg right between the shoulders with every jump like he did Fluttershy when she tried to ignore him.

Not knowing what else to do, Applebloom excused herself so her sister could tell Annabelle what she needed to know about the Apple family history.

"Alrigh', what do ya want?" The filly asked, more than a little annoyed.

Angel quickly pointed at her and then pointed at his mouth.

"Y- ya wanna eat me?

Angel halted his movement and let his jaw drop. This foal, this bucking foal... he'd met simple creatures before, beavers, sloths, that pesky mut of hers, but never in all of his years had he ever heard anything so ridiculous.

That's when a thought entered his head and the rabbit took a calming and relaxing breath. Maybe this was his fault, he was expecting too much from such a little foal, maybe he was expecting too much from the entire town as a whole. They were just stupid ponies, after all, stupid ponies who had no idea what they were doing.

Now, with a thin vale of calm, Angel Bunny began his game of charades. He gestured to Applebloom, who pointed to herself, and then used his front paws to make a bowl shape. He pointed at her again, made a motion of pouring something into the bowl, walked about, put the bowl down, pointed at himself and then picked up the imaginary bowl and pretended to eat from it.

The filly's brow furrowed in a foalish way as she tried to comprehend what exactly she was seeing. "Ohhh, ya'll want me ta feed ya!"

Happy his patience paid off, Angel bounced up and down, nodding his head vigoursly.

He stopped mid jump when the farm foal told him that she didn't have anything for him to eat right now, apologized, bid him farewell and returned to her sister and soon-to-be sister in law.

Nope, nope she was the only one who understood him, and Angel was determined to get something to eat before the day was done, and Apples were his food of choice now.

"So when they went ta visit the Oranges in Manehatten after Applebloom was born, that's when it happened-"

"OW! ANGEL KNOCK IT OFF!" 

The bunny, his patience fully expunged now, didn't care if the elder mares were glaring at him as he pronked up and down on Appleblooms head, trying to knock some sense into her. He didn't care if Applejack, already emotional, glared at him through teary and bloodshot eyes. He'd had enough waiting, he'd had enough trying to communicate politely. He was a king, dammit, and kings deserved to have their subjects feed them!

Suddenly, he found himself traveling through the air at a rather impressive speed until he came to fall onto his paws and roll from force. "Go bother somepony else!"

Angel stood awestruck. He'd been thrown! He had been picked up with out permission and tossed about! How was this possible?

He contemplated the absurd situation for a moment before his tummy reminded him of his lack of noms. He gave one last death glare to the apple ponies before an idea came to him. 

He smirked and made way for Sweet Apple Acres, if they were going to misbehave with him, than he'd not only hurt them by ignoring them, but he'd steal all of the Apples in the orchard. See how they liked it when something precious was denied them that they wanted ever so badly.

Only problem now would be getting past that insufferable canine, Winona.

As Angel hopped along, his mind tried to process the day he'd had so far. It just didn't make any sense, the world was his oyster, it was his playground and everything else just lived in it. How could they treat their king in such a way? Had he not been a fair king? Not that he needed to be, but he liked to think he was a good ruler.

He'd only punished those who dared deny him and continually rewarded all with his very existence, how could they all treat him so dismissively? It just didn't make logical sense to him. Well, not unless he wasn't the king of the world.

He chuckled and shook his head, completely dismissing the utterly ridiculous notion.

The world wouldn't exist without him, nothing happened unless he knew about it. If he didn't know about it, it didn't exist! So how could he not be the king? He had a servant who did his every bidding, if that wasn't a sign of royalty, what was?

Still though, it did bother him that not all of the ponies had treated him with the same kind of respect, if he didn't know any better, he'd think that most of them didn't even know his name.

He saw the farm come into view and the white rabbit's ears perked, listing for any rustling or panting. Winona was a crafty little beast. She may have been a goofy looking little thing, but that nose of hers could detect anything within a one mile radius. He'd need to be cautious.

Jumping, scurrying and hopping along, Angel Bunny jumped from one hiding spot to another. Continually checking the farm house for any signs of trouble. He made it to the fence with ease, so far, so good.

The rabbit did a quick double take of the house and made way for his prize; the apple trees on the other side of the wooden home. The treck took a good twenty minutes, Angel continually going stock still at the slightest ruffling of grass in far of the dog finding his presence. he was in the clear once he reached the Apple orchard, but that presented a much bigger problem to the bunny.

Apples, apples as far as the eye could see! Red ones, yellow ones, green ones all of every shade! Angel closed his eyes and breathed in the delicious fragrance of the fruit. He patted his growling stomach, promising satisfaction to the irritation the small exacerbated. He found a rather juicy and succulent looking apple sitting at the base of the tree, as if the earth had heard his plight and delivered the gift down just for his convenience.

Angel smiled and darted for the fruit but halted upon a sound, a sound he knew all to well that sent tremors of nervousness up and down his spine. The sounds of labored, canine panting. What worse, the longer he listened, the louder the panting became... she was coming.

He looked left and saw the dreaded dog approaching. His instincts and addrenaline kicked into overdrive and the bunny bolted farther into the orchard, making sure to hide behind every tree to keep out of sight. The breathing slowly became sniffing and the sounds grew ever louder and ever closer. Angel knew what would happen if he was discovered, and ran, he ran for the sake of his dignity and dry, unslobber covered pelt.

"I'm so sorry, Macintosh." He heard, halting in his tracks, yet another familir voice. He peered out and found the orange filly who was with the yellow one, one who'd also slept in his bed that night.

He drew closer hoping the foal would be more greatful to his generosity than her associate was.

"Eyup, Ah miss ma n' pa dearly. What Ah can remember, they were two o' the best ponies in the world." Mac sighed, "but there's a reason Ah told ya that story Scoots. Ah want ya to let ya'll know that ya can trust me. Ah want ya ta know that ya aren't alone in loosin' ponies ya care about n' that talkin' about it with ponies who care about ya will help with th' healin'."

Scoootaloo frowned and thought over the words for a moment, she sighed and began to recall what happened to her own parents all those months ago. Apparently, her parents were research ponies, scientists who's moved to town to research the strange anymoly of the uncontrolled Everyfree weather. They wanted to understand why the forest's weather patterns worked the way they did without any pegasi manipulations what so ever.

"They found out a lot of stuff about the Everfree, from what I remember, they wanted their projects to remain secret so that they could submit their research for something or another." The filly sighed, her eyes filling with tears. "It worked. I remember they'd got a letter and were both really excited about it. They said something about the Equestrian Weather Foundation loving their research and requested that they do something similar in the griffin empire."

Scootaloo's eyes closed and she began to cry. "I'm sorry, I... It hurts to remember."

Macintosh placed a comforting foreleg around Scoots and pulled her close to his side, the filly turned into him and nuzzled into his ribs as she cried.

Angel found the display very sad and very pathetic, but it did halt him for longer than it should have. Why was the foal crying? Angel didn't want her to cry, and why did he feel so bad for her? His servant momma had cried many times and he didn't care... usually. Why had this given him so much pause?

Macintosh whispered soothing words into the foal's ears, trying to offer her comfort.

"I miss them, Macintosh. I miss my mom and dad so much it hurts."

Miss her mom and dad? Wait, had she been abandoned too?

In an instant, Angel became all to aware of his empathetic side. He knew the feeling, the feeling of being cast away, unloved, unwanted. His pride wouldn't let him admit it until seeing the foal break down, but it was true. He was neglected, he was neglected and it hurt. Tears stung at the rabbits eyes as he continued to watch the foal cry, to be so vulnerable and to have someone there for support. He wanted that, he wanted that now more than anything.

The cry lasted a good few minutes before the foal finally stopped. Macintosh whispered something to her and the filly nodded. He pulled up his hoof with a small glimmering chain that Angel couldn't see and the sad filly immediately beamed back to life.

"OH MY GOSH, that's so cute!" Scootaloo said, looking at the necklace. 

The two spoke in whispers that Angel couldn't hear, but he could easily see that both were somber in whatever the chain was for. After another few moments, the orange filly looked shocked, stunned.

"Ah ain't sayin' we're tryin' ta replace em, but if'n ya wanna live here n' be part o' the family, we'd be happy to have ya."

Again, the foal began to cry, but this crying was different. She jumped onto Macintosh's neck and began to sob, clutching to him for dear life as if he was the only thing that stood between her and death.

Angel took appreciation of the moment. What happened? What was going on? Were those happy tears? Why? Why didn't he know? He should have known, this was his world! This was his world and everything else just lived in it! So why didn't he know? 

It was confusing and annoyed him, but the honest truth was that he didn't know. What had happened here happened without his knowledge and that scared him. What if the idea the world didn't revolve around him wasn't so absurd and rediuclous after all? What if that's really how it worked?

But if that was true, what did that make him?

Suddenly, Angel came back to reality as a brush of hot air hit the back of his neck. The rabbit turned to find a beast of brown and white standing behind him, panting playfully and looking upon him with eyes glittering with loving mischief.

Buck... He'd completely forgotten about her.

Like a flash, Angel took off with Winona in tow behind him. He knew what would happen if she caught him and was determined to avoid such a fate. He made a mad dash for his only form of safety that he could see, which was the ponies a good thirty feet away.

Luckily, Winona wasn't as fast as she usually was, and Angel made it to the ponies before she caught him.

The ponies were initially confused by his sudden pouncing into Scoot's lap, but Winona only got in a few good licks on him before the large stallion stayed her vile tongue. All things considered, Angel got off light.

"Angel? What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked, doing her best to keep the rabbit from the now jumping dog that failed to yeild to Mac's commands. Finally, the beast was placated and Angel pointed to the apple tree under which they stood and pointed to his open mouth.

"You want an apple?"

Angel nodded.

"Okay, hold on."

The filly placed the bunny on her back and made way to the cart that Angel hadn't even take notice of. She retrieved a delicious, ripe fruit and offered it to him. An offering the rabbit took with no small amount of grace. It spoke to him of her character that she could give him something while she suffered so much.

Once given his meal, Angel proceeded to devour the juicy and delicious apple, savoring the tarty and sweet taste as it assaulted his taste buds in the most destructively delicious of ways. Macintosh pulled Scootaloo and Winona away from the rabbit and said something to her in private, but Angel didn't take notice, he was to busy stuffing his face to notice.

Once done, the rabbit leaned back onto the tree and patted his now distended belly, happy to have the hunger he'd felt so viciously gone from him.

Macintosh walked Winona back to the house, stopping her from running back to Angel a couple of times.

Scootaloo leaned down to him. "Sorry Angel, but Macintosh says your feral and have to leave. We'll get in a lot of trouble if you're caught on the farm."

The rabbit wanted to scowl indignantly at being called 'feral' again, that's what that orange pony with the rose holding cutie mark had called him before he was thrown out of his house, but he was still in euphoria over his lunch.

Scootaloo looked back to Mac and then back to Angel. Her gaze was hard but it quickly slipped into a dopey grin as the bunny continued to rub his fat little belly. "Aww, I can't do that to you, you're just too cute."

She took another look around before leaning down and whispering. "The club house is open if you wanna stay there for a while. Winter's over, so it should be alright." 

Angel looked up at her to see the filly pointing to a rather nice and cozy looking tree house off in the distance. "The says we can't interact with feral creatures, at least that's what Macintosh says, but I don't care. The law also wants to send me to live with relatives who don't care about me. So buck 'em. I'll see you later on tomorrow to give you another apple, okay?"

Angel watched as Scootaloo trotted back to the farm house. He was sad to see her go, but he understood why she had to. His new momma was under the same threat that his old momma was. Maybe if was the feeling of being so full, maybe it was how greatful he was to her, or maybe it was just how much respect and empathy he felt, but he didn't mind her leaving. 

His new momma would be back, and she'd bring more apples with her.

  
> Deception
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Deception








As Spike walked along, his mind was repeatedly pulled back to Sugar Cube Corner. Not the questionable tactic of dating Blade had pulled, though he'd be lying if he said the less than orthodox method of askance was bizarre enough to warrant attention, but the little white rabbit he'd caught a glimpse of as they were leaving.

He'd spoken to the stallion about future plans not too far away, and kept his remaining eye on the establishment to see what the rabbit was doing. It didn't take long for Angel to leave the bakery empty pawed and scurry about elsewhere. Once Blade had left, he'd gone back in to ask Pinkie what the little angry ball of fluff had wanted from her. 

To no surprise he'd come in for baked goods and said some rather... choice words when his aggressive request was denied. Pinkie was a little emotional over the encounter, but Spike was sure she'd be fine. 

As he continued his day, now on track to the market district to find a wedding gift for Macintosh and Annabelle, he spotted the rabbit yet again, this time pouncing up and down on little Applebloom and pointing to his mouth. 

It wasn't hard to see what the critter wanted, Fluttershy had taken care of him his whole life, if she was to be believed. Angel had no survival skills of his own what so ever, outside of hardly used instinct. His procument of food in nature would be the most difficult thing he'd ever tried to do, and if left to it, would likely leave the bunny to starvation or worse.

Spike stopped walking and slumped, looking up sadly and taking in the large and imposing structure of City Hall.

'If Angel dies, it'll devastate Fluttershy.'

Yea... I know.

'Look, I'm sorry about what I said before. I was out of line, it's just... What Sin said made a lot of sense, ya know?' 

Wait what?

'About how ponies complain alot yet do nothing to fix problems? How when things suddenly become difficult they just don't care anymore?I get it, it'll be hard, but as Sin always said, it's the results that matter. I know he told you to have a happy life, but I think what you're doing right now is for the best for everyone.'

Spike felt a small sense of indignation for a split second, but it subsided as quickly as it had come. Sin had spoken to him on multiple occasions about, what he called, the "God of Apathy". One of the three "gods of government". Spike, unlike the Federalist, didn't see the government as inherently immoral. As far as he was concerned, ponies should be able to be apathetic to the numerous laws and such that govern the country. If every pony was so busy worrying and bemoaning the laws, nopony would be happy, and what was the point of anything if nopony was happy?

Maintaining intellectual honesty in those kinds of debates was difficult to say the least. Spike didn't want Equestrians to just not care about the laws, which is what Sin had initially thought of him, but he didn't think ponies should waste too much time thinking about them. They couldn't change the laws without going through local governments, a process that took no small amount of time, effort, and stress, so unless it was really that big of a deal, he believed others were only wasting their time worrying about it; especially if they had not plans to try and put in effort to substantially change it, substantial change being the Federalist's main point.

But ponies had lives, ponies had families, ponies had other things to do. Why should they have to devote such thought and stress when their representatives were elected to do it for them? Or the Princesses in place to do much the same? The laypony couldn't understand the law in its entirety anyways, so what was the point?

'Apathy.'

Spike hefted a sigh of annoyance. Yea, he indulged the god of apathy. He indulged the god of apathy and he supposed that what he was about to do was his punishment for it.

'You're going a good thing.'

Yea, whatever.

Spike opened the door to the hall and walked in, taking extreme effort to keep the scowl from his face. 

'It's for the foals and for Fluttershy.'

That helped, but not by much.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked, looking more bored today.

"Yea, I'm here to see Social Justice."

The mare looked up at the adolescent drake and shrugged. "She's not in today, she's down at the inn down the street."

Spike couldn't stop his eyes from rolling, typical.

"You!" He heard the obnoxious shriek and knew immediately who it was. "I told you to stay out of here!"

Spike waved Leaf Spring off. "Yea, yea, blow it out your plot hole. I wasn't here for you, anyway."

He heard her say something else, but was beyond caring at that point. 

Spike knew where the inn was and made a bee line there, wanting to just get it over with. He entered the main lobby of the inn and looked left to find an extremely bored looking Inquiry standing guard over one of the doors.

"May I help you?" The inn keeper asked.

"No thank you, I'm just here to see a friend."

The drake made way down the hall and was greeted by Inquiry. "Well, this is a surprise."

Spike shrugged. "Yea, I umm, I need to talk to Justice."

"That's an even bigger surprise." Inquiry declared, adjusting his fedora. "As funny as it would be to watch you take another bite out of her flank, I don't think I could stand another three hour round of bawling from her."

Cringing, the drake felt a rather large pang of guilt. He didn't mean to make Justice feel that bad. Yea, she was out of line with her questioning, but to elicit that kind of response just made him feel like a cruel jack ass. Spike crossed his arms and explained his plan to Inquiry in hushed whispers so that they wouldn't be heard. The dark stallion was understandably reluctant to accept Spike's help, gently declaring the drake an unacceptable body guard for his charge.

"I appriciate what you're trying to do, but you're not part of the Ponyville Police Department. You're not qualified to handle this situation."

Spike quirked a brow. "Look, if what you're saying about the Red Market is true, than you need to be out there with  the others and keeping the town safe. You're not doing any good being cooped up in here."

Inquiry leveled a challenging gaze at Spike, a glare the cycloptic dragon was happy to return. "I don't mean to sound like an ass, but I care about the foals of this town. Three of them in particular. They're my friends and I care about them, if you can help protect them and keep them safe, I'll handle Justice here."

Inquiry shook his head. "And where's all of this coming from all of the sudden? Last I checked, you couldn't stand her."

Spike pressed his lips and looked away. "It's... personal. Look, I just had the idea, alright?" The two stared eachother down for a tense few seconds. "But I wanna know, are being honest with me?"

The detective frowned. Spike cleared his throat and clarified that he wanted to know if there really was that kind of crime in Ponyville. Pedophile sex rings and violent drug syndicates. The drake's sole eye locked onto Inquiry's own in full and unyielding challenge, determined to see any trace of a lie that the stallion was thinking on telling him. It didn't really matter at this point, Spike's interests were also to protect the entirety of Ponyville's law structure and curtail the damage Justice was doing.

"Yes." Inquiry nodded, his eyes dropping to the floor as he slumped. "It wasn't often that they'd try to take root, but whenever they did, I'd find out and quietly handle the situation before things got bad. That's why I'm the sole detective of Ponyville, not a lot happens here. Well, not without your friends having something to do with it. Twilight and them, I mean."

Spike chuckled, yea, that was true.

"Aside from the occasional domestic violence dispute, petty theft, or world threatening catastrophe, we're a quiet and peaceful town. Small towns have rumors, rumors that I look into and stop problems before they begin..." He paused and his eyes became glazed over and unfocused. Spike didn't speak, he knew when someone was reliving a memory and was content to let him have a moment. "Rumors I haven't been able to look into every since this skank came into town. Alright, if you can convince her you're up to taking my place, I'll leave you to it."

Spike nodded his thanks and Inquiry knocked on the door to announce his arrival.

Justice didn't reply and the dragon slowly walked into the darkened room.

The lights were all off, save a small nightlight on the bed side stand. A small, silver, cylinder can with stars and moons cut out that cast the shapes onto the walls with the escaping light. The mare he'd come to see lay curled up in the inn's bed, surrounded by little plushy teddy bears, a rather large bear clutched tightly in her hooves.

If Spike had felt bad for her before, he felt like an utter peice of garbage now. The display was almost as pathetic as the wailing he'd heard from Fluttershy yesterday. Not quite as bad, but still.

"Justice?"

The pony on the bed curled even tighter to the light brown teddy in reply.

"Justice? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Again, no verbal reply, just a small sniffled to show acknowledgement. A sniffle that stabbed Spike right threw his chest. He didn't mean to do this to her...

Summoning his patience, the dragon told her the biggest lie of his entire life. "I'm not mad at you anymore for what you said to Twilight, okay? But I need you to talk to me, okay?"

Even with his alleged forgiveness granted, Justice still made no attempt to talk to him.

'I think you broke her, dude.'

Shut up!

"Social Justice? Are you okay?"

...

...

"Fairness."

"What?"

Justice took a shuddering breath. "I jus- I just want fairness." She said in a dry, raspy voice.

"I- I just want ponies to be fair to one another. I just want ponies to be fair and kind and treat each other with respect."

"Well, do you think you made Twilight feel respected with what you said?" Spike asked, he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

Justice whimpered and sniffled a few time, curling even tighter against the teddy bear she held. Emotional manipulation, that's exactly what it was, but even so, it didn't mean her feelings of sadness and remorse weren't genuine.

"I'm sorry for that, I was... I don't know, I was just trying to make her understand..."

"Through emotional manipulation."

Justice sniffled. "We're emotional creatures, all of us. Emotion is part of how we communicate, it's who we are as ponies..."

Spike wasn't sure how to respond to that, she was correct in her assertion, but it didn't feel like the whole truth, but he didn't know how to convey the whole truth either.

"Rape is an emotional thing, I know from experience..." She curled up even more, and Spike's reluctance melted to pity.

She'd been raped?

'Dude...'

"H-he didn't know..." She continued. "He said he didn't understand, that he was convinced I was into it, despite me being drunk. I... I couldn't..."

'Wait, what does her being drunk have to do with it?'

Spike listened patiently to Justice recount her story. She was at a party with some of her old friends when some jack ass had sex with her while she was sluing drunk. The stallion she was with was tartarus bent on telling her that she was into it, encouraging him all the while. She couldn't remember the night and believed that, because she couldn't consciously consent, that she was raped. 

Initially, Spike was both confused and a little irritated that she'd said she'd been raped. Whenever he thought of such a grotesque act, he'd always thought of kicking, screaming and crying, yet what Justice was describing here did technically fit the criteria of unwanted sex, in that it was sexual contact that she consciously didn't and couldn't consent to, it just didn't seem the same to him.

"They kept saying it was my fault, blaming me for what he did. I didn't want to have sex with him, but he got me drunk and took advantage of me..."

Unsure of what to say with such a delecate issue, Spike pondered what he should do next.

'Tread lightly, remember, we're supposed to be here to get in good with her.'

I know, but this just... doesn't feel right. 

'She's pouring her heart out to you, here. I think it's a pretty good way for things to go.'

Not that, I mean what she's saying. I mean, I guess technically it is rape, but... it's not at the same time. I'm more irritated that she's using the word where it's not appropriate. I mean, when most ponies think of rape, they think of a mare or, Luna forbid, a foal kicking, screaming, crying and begging thier attacker to stop. 

This? This where she's drunk and asking for it, but technically not being able to ask for it, and calling a stallion a rapist? I don't know, that sounds like she's just trying to garner sympathy to me. It's really a disservice to real rape victims.

'Be that as it may, you came here for a reason. Who knows? Maybe you can curtail her while presenting your own logic on the matter.'

I don't think so, she's emotionally manipulative. We've both seen it with her and Uppity, and she's trying to do it right now.

'Just trying to be optimistic here.'

But you're right, I came here for a reason. If nothing else, fight fire with fire.

"It wasn't my fault though!" She cried, turning to face him. "You believe me, right? That what he did to me wasn't my fault? I couldn't consent, I couldn't do anything! I- I was drunk, it wasn't my fault, right?"

Spike stood for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think it was your fault."

It was the second biggest lie he'd ever told, but if he was going to become Justice's assistant and curtail her behavior in the council, he needed to make her believe that he was on her side.








Conno and his team stood beneath a lone tree sixty miles outside of Canterlot. He'd told Silvia to report back here once the new orders had come down from Malich for their mission in observing the vice presidents brother.

The griffon was worried, he'd never show it, but he was very much beside himself. Whatever happens would happen, ultimately, but he'd failed. Conno had never failed a mission before in his entire career as an agent. He'd altered tactics, killed innocent by-standards, tortured foals and cubs for information, and done everything within his power at any given time to complete his objective.

Conno was considered one of the most competent leading agents among the Triple M. recon squads, this black mark on his resume did not please him in the slightest.

"Sir, movement at your six."

All the black clad griffin's perked up and turned. Conno observed as a small wing of pegasi and griffons approached, coming in low and fast. He told his subordinates to ready themselves until he saw the black jackets on the group.

Conno's eyes widened as he saw one of the pegasi draw closer. His or her red visor telling him exactly who he or she was and making the initial fear the griffin felt expand into out right terror. He wouldn't show it, but the agent was seconds away from wetting himself. They'd brought a Tribune.

"Tribune, at attention!" He barked. All of his agents stood at the ready, unblinking and statuesque. 

Silvia landed first, followed by three pegasi and seven other griffons. "Conno, I-"

"You and your men are relieved of duty." Said the Tribune, marching past the female griff and standing only a few inches short of Conno. 

The lead agent had to surpress a shudder, the pegasus mare's icy voice from within her respirator sent chills up and down his spine. The black helm and red visor covering her head betrayed the no doubt blank face held behind. 

Tribunes were the elite of the elite of Triple M. Agents. Masochists who'd willingly undergone psychological torture beyond anything that any ethics committee would allow. They did not know fear, they did not know empathy, they did not know anger, they only knew the mission and undying loyalty to their contracts. Their training had made their lives and sense of self preservation inconsequential when placed next to the contract, and the lives of any who stood in the way of their objectives.

Conno wasn't sure, but he'd heard stories that the females of the group were far worse than the males.

"Relief code?" Conno asked as per protocol.

"Relief code: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Seven, Seven, Sigma." The Tribune replied monotonously. 

Conno's eyes narrowed. "As squad commander, I... surrender my command."

He didn't want to do it, there was drastic measures and then there was absurd. Tribunes had no place outside of the Federation, they were only called in for suicide missions that didn't yield good returns on survival probabilities vs resource costs calculated. These things were barely sapient creatures anymore, what could his boss have possibly been thinking to send one here?

Once the official protocols of relief were done, including a rather extensive debriefing, Conno evoked the right of Safe Track, which was to see the orders of his relief in order to debrief more properly and emphasize relevant information.

Reluctantly, the Tribune unzipped her front jacket pocket and pulled out a small, folded, golden piece of paper. Conno read it over and his eyes nearly bulged from his head. The new orders were to find and protect the target at all cost until the target was returned to the Federation?! Was Malich insane?!

"Thank you." Conno returned the contract and turned to his men. "We are relieved of duty. You've all been away from your families for the better part of a year, report to the Dead Head HQ for Subordinate debrief. Dismissed."

The group looked between themselves for a moment. "You're not going to lead us home, sir?"

Conno shook his head. "I request to be allowed to serve under the Tribune, my relationship with Princess Luna is not one I am able to abandon while the mission is ongoing."

"And why is that?" The Tribune asked.

The lead griff retrieved his notepad and handed it to her. "Princess Luna's cooperation has been called into question. Her continued support  is vital to our presence in Equestria. She is volatile and brash, she lacks foresight. Which has benefited us so far, but could also serve to be detrimental to our interests if she is pushed to far."

The Tribune read over the notes for a while before finally closing the note pad. "You're request has been denied, Sargent. You are to report back with your squad."

"I urge you to reconsider. I have valuable insight an-"

Conno's words were cut short as a streak of black pain slammed his body to the ground. He tried to jump to his paws and claws out of instinct, but a hoof slammed down onto his neck, making the cold agent squawk in pain.

"Insubordination will not be tolerated, agent Conno." The Tribune seethed, applying force to the back of his neck, causing the griff to squawk again. "Should you fail to follow my order again, I will end your life, is that understood.

Conno's breathing came in grunts and groans, it was an unfamiliar position for him to be in, on the ground with someone else holding his life in their hooves. Reluctantly, the griffon nodded. "Understood."

The Tribune removed her hoof and he stood, there was an intense pain in his neck, but he could ignore that for the time being. He looked back to his subordinates and ordered them  to follow him back to the Federation before taking flight.

Once a good distance away, Conno landed and rubbed the back of his head. 

"Sir?"

Turning back, the lead agent gave his best attempt at a snarl. 

"That fucking bitch."

"Sir. We were ordered to-"

"I am aware, corperal. You guys go ahead and get home. I'll be staying here."

"Sir?"

"Malich has made a mistake sending a Tribune here. I know orders are orders, but my loyalty is first and foremost to the protection of the Federation." He sighed. "As was all of our oaths when we were graduated from basic."

Conno turned to his subordinate. "I have worked on this project for too long to allow that bitch to come in and fuck it all up now. If she pushes Luna in the wrong way and exposes us, our work here could very much lead to a war between the Federation and Equestria." He turned back to the direction where the Tribune stood. "And I do not intend to let that happen."
   

> Justice and the Beast
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Justice and the Beast








Macintosh felt bad, really bad.

He'd made a declaration and an offer without first consulting the family and all of those who'd be affected. It was a momentary lapse in judgement and getting swept up in an emotional moment, at least with Anna. He had no excuse for his second outburst with telling Scoots herself. He knew it was wrong, he knew that he should have spoken to Granny and Applejack before even thinking about taking the filly into the family home.

And now he was about to face the consequences of his brash decisions.

The stallion took a breath as he stood at his bedroom door, contemplating what exactly he was going to say. Some how, he didn't think: "Hey guys, I adopted Scootaloo, k thanks, bye" was going to cut it.

'Yeeeeaaaa, that wasn't one of your brighter moments.'

My heart was in the right place, though.

'You've been hanging around Annabelle too much. Honestly, though, I think you're only real problem will be AJ. Granny's pretty much chomping at the bit for the foal you have on the way, I don't think she'd be opposed to you having another... So long as you get married... like, now!'

Mac shuddered and clenched his hind legs over his most sensitive of areas, the bone chilling sounds of screeching eating utensils on ceramic echoing through his mind as he recalled a very disturbing memory.

It was fine, though, the wedding was only a few days away. That wouldn't happen to him, at least. 

Taking a breath, Macintosh pushed his door open and made way downstairs. It was mid morning, so the only pony around would be Granny Smith. Annabelle and Applejack would be out in the fields, and Applebloom and Scootaloo in school. For this, he was glad. It would be easier to handle the two mares one on one rather than have them gang up against him.

He walked into the kitchen to find his grandmother sitting at the table with a cup of tea and half eaten sandwich. Her orange eyes trailed up to him and she allowed herself a wry smirk. "Well, been watin' on ya tah come on down." She said, polishing of the rest of her lunch in one good bite. "Somethin' y'all wanna tell me?"

Mac's brow furrowed in concern, did she know? How could she? He hadn't told her, but that knowing glint in her eye was one he knew all to well. It always meant she knew something, something that she was only going to give one opportunity for him to come clean on, and if Mac knew what was good for him, he'd be honest and upfront with it.

"Yea, it's about Scootaloo. Don't suppose y'all already know what it is?"

The elder mare's smirk dropped a little, but only just. "Filly asked me 'bout it this mornin'."

Mac cringed, of course. Of course she'd be asking questions to the other members of the family. How could he have not seen that coming?

"Chil' was wonderin' if'n ya asked us 'bout it, first." Granny took a sip of tea. "'Course, Ah told her she'd be more n' welcome ta stay here-" She cast a glance glance at Mac, ending any relief he may have felt, "- but Ah'm a might miffed ya didn' talk tah me first."

The stallion slumped and apologized. Not the neck rubbing, sheepish grin apology, but an honest and dignified one to let her know he understood the significance of his error.

"Does Applejack know?"

Granny shrugged, she honestly didn't know if Scootaloo had asked her or not, nor did she care to ask. The filly wasn't dumb, she knew the whole family would need to agree to her staying, so chances were that she had.

The two went quiet for a time, and Granny asked if Macintosh was sure about the adoption. "Ah know yer jest tryin'a do what's best fer Scoots. But Ah'm worried ya might be bittin' off more n' ya can chew."

Mac frowned.

"Y'all er gettin' married, still recoverin' from yer hootinany in Canterlo', n' ya got one foal on the way, maybe two. Annabelle, bless her lil' heart, is still a youngin' at heart, Mac. When Scootaloo tol' me 'bout the adoption, Ah thought it was her idea." She stopped to sip her tea. "Kinda surprised me when she said y'all were the one talkin' to her 'bout it."

It was just as much a surprise to him, too.

"Ya know we'll be helpin' ya out." The elder mare said polishing off her tea. "Ah ain't as young as Ah used to be, but if'n Ah can handle Bloom, Applejack, n' the shinanigans those two always get in, Ah'm sure Ah can handle two more foals."

Mac smiled sadly, it was a concern, taking care of all of these kids, he'd seen Annabelle with Applebloom and they got along well enough, a small concern was that he'd never seen her with a newborn foal before. He loved Anna, though, he'd yet to see how she'd handle a little foal, but he had hope. The stallion could remember how he'd held his younger sister at night when she cried and demanded to be fed, wailed on and on until dusk some times. He never lost his patience though, he loved his sister, and would never let harm come to her or Scootaloo or any of his family. The newborn, one or two, male or female, he'd take care of them just as much.

And even if he couldn't be there all of the time, he knew Granny could.

"Thanks Granny." Mac said.

The elder mare chuckled, becoming a bit more lively. "Don't be thankin' me yet, t'aint me ya gotta worry 'bout, chil'."

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed in the living room as the front door burst open with a loud crash.

"MACINTOOOOOOOOOOSH!" 

Mac cringed and Granny pressed her lips. "Guess Anna told her the good news."

Applejack came storming into the kitchen, and she did not look happy.








Spike considered himself a patient sort, the kind of dragon ponies could come to with their problems and vent their frustration. A confidant who could with hold judgement, remain objective, and offer helpful suggestions and criticisms in a very gentle way when the occasion called for it.

However, as he sat at the table besides Social Justice, listening to the pink pegasus drone on and on about her life story, the drake's good nature and desire to help felt like it was being pushed well beyond reason.

She talked, and talked, and then talked some more. It was like her vocal cords had a never ending itch that only talking would satisfy. Talking about her life, talking about her father, talking about her mother, talking about her previous organizational participation, talking about how said organizations would continually challenge her because of their "preconceived social norms and expectations" and talk about how they were wrong for doing so.

While the talking wasn't as animated or fast paced, Spike would swear on his right claw, that the pegasus might be able to out talk Pinkie Pie. Though, where the party ponies words were somewhat endearing to her immature and playful nature, Justice's diatribe was nothing but slew pseudo-intellectual verbal diarrhea that just didn't seem to end!

Seriously! What in the black name of Tartarus was a "socially constructed dominant dichotomy entrenched in the culture zeitgeist"? What did that even mean? 

Spike could take the words apart to analyze each of them individually and piece together what the mare was trying to say, but in the time it took for such an analysis to take place, Justice had already moved on to a whole new topic after expanding on the statement Spike was trying to comprehend.

"... and so then, while the protest, you remember when I was talking about the Unicorn privilege and how Earth Lives Matter? Well, the guard's unethical treatment to stallions due to the unfounded construct of males being the stronger and more durable sex, earth stallions receive an unprecedented amount of guard brutality. Like the alleged 'communists' in Canterlot and anecdotes from witness saying that the guard was much more forceful than necessary with the earth stallions than the unicorn mares and..."

'Oh sweet bucking Celestia, it's like Pinkie Pie on verbal steroids! How? How can anypony talk this long? How can they have this much to say? I can't believe we've been sitting here for three BUCKING HOURS, listening to this.'

This was your idea, remember?

'Spike, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sooo sorry.'

It's for the foals, and Fluttershy.

'You are one of the bravest souls I've ever known. You should be given an award for this.'

Seeing Justice winding down to take a breath, Spike saw an oppertunity and took it.

"Hey, umm, as interesting as all of that is, I was actually hoping to talk to you about something."

Justice gasped, her oversized glasses quirking to one side as realization hit her. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I've been sitting here and talking this whole time. I'm sorry, I was just caught up in the moment. Not a lot of ponies, or dragons, listen to what I have to say too much. They say that I'm really annoying when I talk. You don't think I'm annoying do you? Please don't think I'm annoying, I try not to be but..."

'No! No! Stop her! She's about to go on another tangent!'

Spike looked her in the eye and raised his claw, the mare's eyes were brought to the claw and he slowly began to lower it. The more he dropped his hand, the lower Justice's pitch became until finally the sweet blissful sound of silence was once again realized.

"Let's go for a walk? Get out of this dingy motel room for a bit." Spike proclaimed standing up. Justice beamed and stood as well. The two made way for city hall, the drake opening up with his concern about Fluttershy being his friend and her current emotional condition over the law's prohibition of her practice.

"I'm sorry, but your friend isn't licensed to care for animals." Justice said apolitically. 

Spike tried to argue that the pegasus had been Ponyville's resident zoologist and veterinarian for years. The town didn't even have a licensed veterinarian because of her and her skills in animal care taking. It was her passion, and wasn't that more important than some college degree?

Justice held firm in her position on the law. The law was meant to protect both ponies and nature. She admitted that his kind words for the timid pegasus were endearing and considerable, but if equality was to be maintained, exceptions of such like weren't permitted.

Spike stopped walking and slumped, looking absolutely miserable.

"Spike?" Justice asked.

No response.

"Spike?"

The drake sighed and sniffled.

Justice gasped and began apologizing, though her words were ignored. Spike's form began to tremble with emotion, and he looked at the mare with a sole wide and misting eye. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't cry! I didn't mean to make you cry, I'm so sorry, please, please, please don't cry!" The pink mare cried, trotting in place frantically and neurotically looking around. She didn't realize it, but her actions were what was calling attention to the two, not Spike's acting.

His subtle performance was having the desired effect, though that didn't guarantee success. Spike would need to experiment with Justice's emotions a little, being too forward too soon would probably make her suspicious and realize his disingenuous behavior. 

He shuddered and rubbed his eye with a fist. "I'm okay." He sniffled. "I'm sorry, it's just that Fluttershy's so upset about it. You know? She's one of my best friends..."

The drake's voice was warm and empathetic, but his mind was cold and calculating. He explained his relationship with Fluttershy, throwing in a few of the times he'd gone to her when he himself was feeling under the weather. He exaggerated a few of his dragon specific illnesses and draco unique biology that Fluttershy had helped him with. Like scale molting and a sickness pertaining to his fire breath. Doing his best to play his friend's abilities up and make Justice feel as small as possible for her rejection.

"But, you're right. The law is the law, I guess." He began dragging his feet to city hall, his down trodden face curling into a smirk as he noticed the distinct lack of hoofsteps behind him.

It was a cruel and calculating move on his part, manipulating the mare's emotions like he was. Spike took no pleasure in what he was doing, feeling equal parts shame and guilt over his dishonesty in intent, but he'd played witness to how Justice could twist words and concepts. She was almost as good at the word game as Sin was, maybe even better, though her logic was eschew by comparison.

No, no. If he was going to get what he wanted from her and benefit the town for it, the results he wanted would need to first come through emotional logic and manipulation. It was a sick and sad thing, but if he was going to get Fluttershy her ability to care for animals back, he'd need to do what needed to be done; even if the drake didn't like it.








Sitting stone faced, Macintosh watched his sister pace back and forth in the kitchen.

He'd messed up, again. She had every right to be upset with him, he knew that and already apologized. He'd promised her that he'd consult her and the family prior to making any big decisions like Annabelle had made with Scootaloo.

"Ya promised ya'd... gah!" Applejack declared, too flustered to even finish her one hundredth reminder.

This wasn't one of the silly family misunderstandings or a small squabble that would end with everypony kissing and making up at the end of the day. Applejack was genuinely upset and angry, honesty mattered a great deal to her, and Macintosh had broken his word to her not a month after making it.

He'd lied directly to her face in a promise that meant alot to her and to the stability to the family. She didn't dislike Scootaloo or Annabelle, the warmth she'd displayed to both and the budding friendship between his sister and fiance was evidence enough of that. 

What the cowpony was angry about was because of him and what he had done. And as much as he stood by the decision he'd made, Macintosh knew that a few seconds of forethought and consideration would have avoided the entire situation.

"Ya looked me in the eye Macintosh, ya looked me in the eye n' promised me ya wouldn't make these kinds o' decisions without tellin' us first. How could ya do that tah me, to the family?"

"Applejack, please-" Annabelle began, only to be cut off by a glare from the irate mare.

"Ah'd be quiet if Ah were you, bad enough y'all made a decision fer the family like ya did, noa ya gone n' made mah brother just as rash and inconsiderate."

"This ain't her fault, AJ!" Macintosh said. "Ah was the one who told Scootaloo Ah wanted to adopt her. Annabelle had nothin' ta do with it."

AJ regarded Macintosh for a tense few moments, searching his face and soul for something. As guilty as the red stallion felt, he wasn't about to stand by and let Annabelle take the fall for what he'd done.

"Fine, Annabelle, Ah'm sorreh fer snappin' at ya like that, but Ah ask that y'all kindly keep yer opinions tah yerself nao." She resumed her pacing. The orange earth mare had been walking around in circles for the past hour, Mac was a little impressed she hadn't grown dizzy from the constant turning.

Finally, the mare stopped and took a breath. "Ah can't be here righ' now. Ah'm headin' to town fer the night." 

Mac frowned but didn't speak. Few knew just how short tempered the mare really was, as well as the consequences of provoking her ire past mild challenge, especially when she'd been betrayed. 

As Applejack made way for the door, Mac shook his head and began berating himself over his mistakes. Yea, he could have gone the indignant rout and pointed to the fact that Scootaloo would have likely just ended up living with them regardless of if he had asked permission or not, but that wouldn't be addressing the heart of the issue. His character and commitment to being truthful.

A stallion being of their word and following through showed good character. It showed trustworthiness and principal, things Mac wanted to think he had and a value his family had tried to instill in all of its own. A family without values and principals was doomed to crumble and fail, he remembered his mother and father telling both he and his sister this when they were young, and both of the foals took the lesson to heart.

'But you did it for the right reason!'

It's not about what I did do, it's about what I didn't do. There's no justifying me breaking my word and making the promises I did. I hurt Applejack and shaken her trust in me. 

'Yea, but she-'

Don't try to shift blame off of me, I messed up here, I messed up and Applejack has done nothing wrong. I deserve for her to be angry because it was my actions that made her mad.

Macintosh slumped and Annabelle nuzzled him for comfort. She didn't speak, what could she say? As long as Anna had been on the farm, she didn't know how Applejack was when she was angry. "Will she be alright."

"Eh, she'll be fine." Granny shrugged. "Applejack's always been a might less fergivin' 'bout broken promises, specially when they're given while lookin' her in the eye."

Mac cringed, it was painful enough to hear his sister say it herself, to have Granny remind him was just salt in the wound.

A few knocks echoed from the front door and the three ponies looked between eachother for a second to see if anypony was expecting. Annabelle made way from the kitchen to answer.

"Ah messed up, Granny."

"Eyup."

Suddenly a loud piercing squeal was heard throughout the house, sending Macintosh running and calling for his fiancee.

His panic swiftly turned to relief as he saw Annabelle jumping up and down for joy. Her once somber face now alive with glee. Outside the door stood a mature, though still young mare with a resemblance.

"It's so good to see you, mom!" Annabelle proclaimed, taking the mare into a hug.

And just as quickly as the panic had left Macintosh, it came back full force once again. Annabelle never spoke about her mother, ever. Well, okay that wasn't fair, she'd said a few things about her, but... not much worth noting. Just about how she'd left her husband for unknown reasons and lived in Manehattan.

The mare was nothing like Macintosh would have imagined her to be...

Which was more than a little odd, considering he'd only ever given the thought consideration once or twice.

Annabelle's mother was an off white pegasus, with a loose red mane that reached down to her shoulders. While mature, she was still quite youthful in appearance, attractive in a way that Mac couldn't really describe. Though, what made her stand out was the freaking armor she was wearing. It wasn't all out battle wear like the royal guards had, but a silver shoulder plate on her right side that looked to be charred by fire of some kind and more than a few belts holding up various other bits of blackened metal. On one belt, she had a coiled up whip hanging on her side.

"It's soo good to see you Anni!" Her mother said, squeezing her daughter tightly. 

"How's working at the zoo?" Anna asked stepping back and taking the pegasus in, her smile dropped a little. "Looks like Brute gave you a few fresh burn marks."

The mare chuckled. "Yea, well you know how he is, never listens to anypony but you." Her attention was turned to Macintosh still stuck in stunned silence from what he was looking at and what he'd just heard.

"Oh my goodness, is that the Big Macintosh I've been hearing so much about?"

'Hearing so much about?'

Anna nodded and lead the mare inside. "Mom, this is my fiancee, Big Macintosh Apple and his grandmother, Granny Smith. Macintosh, this is my mother. Beast Tamer."




> Political & Familial 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Political & Familial







Justice pushed open the doors to City Hall and offered Spike a forced, desperate smile as he dejectedly walked passed into the warm indoors.

She was trying, she was trying so hard to please him, and make up for her rejection of helping Fluttershy, but he just wouldn't shake the dark cloud that had taken to the drake's head. 

"Good afternoon, Ms. Justice." The receptionist mare said neutrally. "The city council has been expecting you all day."

"Umm, yea ok. Would you like to sit in on the meeting, Spike?" Justice asked, her voice cracking with a little too much enthusiasm.

Spike gave a few seconds of token resistance, but nodded his head and followed after the mare into the council chamber. He took a second out of his acting to look up and see the mares in the chamber, an idea of things to come giving him a ghost of a smile.

"Oh, well thank you for finally joining us, Ms. Justice." Leaf Spring declared, looking up from her paperwork just long enough to see her enter.

Justice apologized briefly and trotted forward, Colgate offered her a smile.

"Rain Drops and I have been deliberating a new tax structuring to gain lost revenue. As was discussed in our last meeting, due to your predecessor's slashing of the budget's income by cutting taxes on farmers, our reinstatement of certain regulation requirements have put us back into a deficit and..." Leaf stopped as she looked up. "YOU!"

Spike's lowered head hid the smirk that his mouth could not.

"I told you never to come into the council chamber! Social Justice, what is the meaning of this?!"

Justice frowned and looked back at the dragon than at Leaf Spring, questioning the problem. The forest mare vaguely recounted Spike's twice damned attack on Ponyville, stating the property damage costs, personal injury accounts and other factors there in. The pink pegasus frowned and extended a wing, as if to block the drake from Leaf's harsh words.

"You expect me to believe this little guy did all of that damage?"

Colgate nodded and verified Leaf's story, including the fact that Spike had grown into a one hundred food tall beast of destruction when he'd committed his decimation of the town.

Spike was ready to admit to his actions, but Justice never called on him for confirmation or explanation.

"Be that as it may, we all make mistakes, Ms. Spring, and I do not appreciate the racism against dragons demonstrated." Justice declared matter of factly.

"RACISM!? It's not racism! HE attacked Ponyville twice! Twice when he grew into a towering... monster and went stomping around town! It has nothing to do with him being a dragon!" Cried Leaf indignantly. Though, Justice wasn't about to back down from the issue.

It couldn't have been through ignorance, after all, hiding a dragon rampage through an Equestrian town is nothing short of impossible. Yet still, Justice continued her defense.

"I've heard of dragon's horde growth abilities. As you can see, however, Spike is a baby dragon with no agency of his own. The fault of his actions lay at the hooves of his caretaker, so do not blame the dragon himself."

Leaf Spring seethed a little at the rebuttle, but quickly pointed out that the second attack was even more horrific, and both Spike, as well as Twilight, were aware of the dragon's Horde Sickness. 

"You make it out to be that he's a threat because of his ability to grow rapidly into a supposed 'monster', Ms. Spring."

The councilmare nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Justice narrowed her eyes. "And how is that not racial profiling, exactly?"

Spike had to suppress a chuckle, seeing the dark green mare's jaw drop after finally getting her point across was just too satisfying. 

'You're one twisted little cur for finding amusement in this.'

The drake internally shrugged as he watched the growlingly heated debate. One side arguing consequence and founded banishment from city hall for actions taken and one side arguing the racial aspect and sticking to it for all it was worth.

'You realize that Leaf Spring has every right to want you out, right?'

Oh yea. I still feel pretty bad about what I did to Ponyville and to my friends, but why fight myself when I can watch my enemies make war on themselves?

'... Okay, no more comic books for you, Sideous.'

Leaf Spring made a high pitch, squealing sound of frustration. "I'M NOT RACIST! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT! HE'S A DANGER AND CRIMINAL AND I DON'T WANT HIM IN THE CHAMBER!"

Spike gasped, seizing the opportunity to play victim. He took several steps backwards from the mare, slumped, turned around and moped out of the council chamber with Justice damning his antagonist, promising to take punitive measures of some kind to rectify her behavior.

"Spike, please, she's a biggot, don't let her words get to you." Justice said, placing a comforting wing on his back, but Spike didn't respond. He played even more pitiful and hurt than he did when they walked in. The set up couldn't have been more perfect if he'd planned it out himself, not only was Justice feeling pity and guilt over what she'd done against him, but now she felt pity and guilt over what another mare had done, utterly convincing herself it was the very thing she feared most that drove Leaf to her transgressions.

Racism and mintority oppression.

He wouldn't aggravate the situation farther, even though he could. Spike would simply bide his time and allow the guilt to fester within Justice as it did in him for his own sins. And when he felt the time was right, he'd use that guilt and shame of hers to manipulate her like a puppet on strings.

'Do you have to put in that way? You sound almost evil.'

It's for Fluttershy and the foals, remember?

'Still though...'

"Oh Spike!"

The drake looked up to find Mayor mare looking down at him. "If I might have a moment?" Her smiled dimmed for a moment as she took in his companion. "Assuming you're alright with it, of course."

"I'm sorry, Mayor Mare, but Spike was just put through a horribly traumatizing racial event, and-"

"No, I'm okay." The dragon sniffled. "What did you need?"

The mayor smiled a bit bigger. "Well, actually I've been meaning to ask you a few things about the adoption that Macintosh and Annabelle had planned for Scootaloo."

Spike frowned and inquired what exactly his presence was required for. Apparently, as the minister for matters such as that, the mayor was charged with gaining character witnesses to determine if pony couples were fit for adoption of a minor, and since he and Macintosh were known associates, it stood to reason to ask Spike about the character and capability of the stallion to be a suitable parent.

Made sense enough, finally a law that the drake could agree with.

"It isn't orthidox for unmarried couples to file for adoption, but since the wedding's in a few days anyway, and Scootaloo's in their care already, this'll just be a formality."

"Wait, what?" Justice asked, making Spike's heart almost stop in his chest. "Are you saying there's a filly in the care of potentially unfit foster parents?"

Mayor mare shook her head. "No, ma'am. The Apple's are a well known and respected family within the community. I have every confidence that they are treating Scootaloo very well." Her face turned serious. "I take the safety of foals very seriously, if I'd thought Scootaloo in any danger at all, I would have sent the guard to retrieve both her as well as Applebloom from the the Apple's custody, as well as revoked the temporary guardianship that Detective Inquiry had given."

Her brow furrowing, Justice asked if Inquiry was authorized to give such a document, a question that gave Mayor Mare pause enough for Spike to intervene.

"I'm sorry Justice, I know today is my first day as your assistant and all, but I'd just like to get home for a while. Can I just talk to the mayor and head home for the day?"

Thankfully, Justice's skepticism immediately switched to pained understanding and she gave her permission. The drake internally sighed with relief and almost pushed the mayor up the stairs to her office, away from the prying and potentially dangerous ears of Social Justice. He knew that the mayor had no love for the mare either, so convincing her to keep her mouth shut until the wedding was over would be simple enough.








Macintosh sat hoof and hoof with Annabelle on the couch, his mind torn between the story Beast Tamer was telling and the angry glare Applejack had given him. He felt bad, he knew he was wrong and he just hoped he could find a way to make it up to her. Luckily, Annabelle and Granny had been doing most of the talking, but he knew that wouldn't last much longer.

'Head in the game, Mac. We can deal with that later.'

Tamer giggled. "Oh boy, that Brute. I swear Anni, life at the reptile house would be so much simpler if your calling had been in lizard keeping."

Mac's eyes trailed down to Annabelle's flank and took in the simple brown wooden barrel. It hadn't hit him until just now, but he didn't really know the story behind it. What did the barrel mean? Well, barrels were used for packaging and containment, and on the farm, she did take to keeping up the barn. He could imagine her doing well packaging the apples after sorting for sale outside of Ponyville.

'Assuming that's what the barrel means.'

It was kinda sad that he'd never asked his own fiancee about the meaning of her cutie mark, but neither had she asked about his. Both were simple and kind of self explanatory though, his own a sliced apple displayed an affinity for the fruit, so... 

"So... you folks are applefarmers, hmm?" Tamer asked, looking out into the farm and then at Granny Smith. "Annabelle always did say she wanted to live on a farm. Didn't think she'd find such a handsome farm stallion though." She gave her daughter a playful wink.

"Mooom." Annabelle wined playfully, Macintosh blushed and looked down.

The pegasus took a sip of apple cider, greatful for the Apple's generous hospitality. 

"So mom, where is Brute? Safe to say you brought him with you, since it sounds like nopony else would get near him."

Beast Tamer pressed her lips, her eyes shifting between Macintosh and her daughter. "Umm, well... I didn't want to bring him on the property for a few reasons." Her eyes lingered on Macintosh. "Mainly he's very interested in meeting your fiance. When I told him you were getting married, the dragon had a conniption, caused quite a ruckus at the reptile house, and-" She patted a very large set of burn marks on her breast plate, "-he made sure his feelings on the matter were known."

Mac's angry sister didn't seem like such a big deal all of the sudden as his attention was snapped forth at the prospect of being on the wrong side of a fully gown dragon. Brute was big, not as big as Spike was during his rampage, but definitely bigger than any pony he'd ever met. He remembered seeing the golden wyvern during the Nightmare Night show in hooftrot, and the idea of the drake taking exception with him personally left Mac feeling more than a little nervous.

"Oh don't worry dear." Annabelle reassured, rubbing Mac's back. "Brute wont... ummm..."

Tamer's lips pressed again and her eyes wondered anywhere but to Annabelle, who was frowning in thought and recalling what the drake had done to one her ex coltfriend. Chasing, Brute putting the ponies head into his maw, acting like he was going to eat him, tossing the colt up into the air and letting him fall back down, and Mac's personal favorite, dragon's fire... lot and lots of dragon's fire.

"Well, he never really hurt Glass, just kinda, um... scared him alot."

"Scared him? Brute made it his mission in life to traumatize the colt at every turn." Tamer pointed out.

Mac quirked a nervous brow and looked at Annabelle, who chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck, downplaying the severity of Brutes actions. Wittingly, Tamer contradicted her daughter's attempt at reassurance, starting off with the story of how Brute became part of "the family".

Starting out with Tamer and her husband back when they were still married, Soarin and Annabelle were both well into foalhood at the time, and the family had taken a vacation to the north east town of Stalliongrad in Annabelle's father's family home. 

It was a late summer day, making the temperature just right for both Soarin and Annabelle to play outside while their parents discussed the circus idea. Tamer was far more in favor of the idea than her husband was, she wanted to live her dream of taming wild beasts and convincing them to do circus tricks and performances. Though, to do that as the show alone would be cruel and heartless, so a full on carnival affair was decided, finding performers of all types and walks to assist and make the festivities as diverse and entertaining as possible.

As the day went on, both had noticed their children hadn't returned home yet and grew understandably worried. Once late afternoon hit, both ponies took outside to find the foals, fearing for their safety. It didn't take long for them to find Soarin, who was absolutely distraught beyond words.

"Of course, we were both terrified. Even back then, Soarin was a thrill seeker who wasn't afraid of anything. To see him so scared that he couldn't even talk right dang near gave me a heart attack." Tamer declared with a sad chuckle, her eyes glossing over and going out of focus for a moment.

Mac felt Annabelle's fetlock tighten around his, Soarin hadn't been spoken about much lately, neither had her father. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling hearing all of this right now.

"Turns out, that little filly right there was riding a dragon! Her, my daughter, my precious little angel, giggling and squealing in delight as she held onto the spines of a well to do, golden drake. Hopping around and showing her the time of her life. No explanation as to where she found him, or anything!"

Annabelle blushed and looked away, Mac was happy to feel her tension leave. Tamer was laughing, recalling how Soarin tried to "save his sister" by flying after the dragon and was continually swatted away by the beasts tail. Her snickering laughter became an almost contagious guaffaw between her recounting of the event, complete with facial features of her son chasing after the dragon.

"Ehe, yea. My brother and Brute never did get along..." Said Anna, looking more than a little uncomfortable.

Tamer, just noticing the buttermilk mare's discomfort, wound down her acting to a subdued and somber sigh. "I'm sorry, Anni... I forgot that... Gah, I'm the worst mother ever."

"Don't say that." Anna shot back. "You're a great mom!"

Everypony went quiet for a moment, save Granny, who never much cared for quiet and tense moments unless she was the one making them. "So, y'all had a place up in Stalliongrad, didja? Used to live up there with mi own ma n' pa back in the day 'fore we came ta Ponyville." She sighed and smiled. "Happy Ah made the move too, apples n' cold go together like oil n' water."

As happy as Mac was for the change in topic, his mind was still stuck on Brute and his known treatment of Annabelle's love interest. He squared off against a dragon once and only lived to tell about it because of a bunch of griffons coming to save he and his friends. Brute was no where near the leviathan Golvec was, if memory served, but still, he'd learned that dragons were not to be trifled with.

How Annabelle's mother managed to control such a terrible force was beyond him, but he figured the dragon's affinity for Annabelle herself had something to do with it.

The conversation continued on for a while more, Granny, Tamer and Anna recalling stories of passed events, how Granny had come to Ponyville, Tamer's occupation, Anna joining the circus as the new dragon tamer after he mother left, the family and friends who were slowly trickling into town on the bride's side of the wedding. All of the things in-laws talked about when getting to know each other.

"So, Big Macintosh, tell me a little about yourself. I can see you're the strong and quiet type." Beast Tamer said, looking at him with great interest.

"Umm..." Mac rubbed hooves together nervously. He didn't much care for small talk, especially when it was with an almost inlaw. "Ah... buck apples?"

Granny spat out the apple cider she was drinking, almost choking on it as she burst out into unadulterated and unashamed laughter. Annabelle's jaw dropped and Tamer looked more than a little amused.

'... You... buck apples...' His inner voice inhaled and exhaled deeply in disapproval.

The stallion closed his eyes and pressed his lips in humiliation, that had to be in the top five most embarassing things he'd ever done in his entire life. Kicking out the Smarty Pants fiasco.

"What he means is that he kicks the trees in the orchard and makes the apples fall." Annabelle clarified, saving at least some of her husband-to-be's dignity.

"Ohhhhh. Okay then."

"'Ah buck apples', that there's the funniest thing Ah've heard in a dog's age." Granny managed between snickers.

Anna placed her forleg around Mac and pulled herself closer in a show of support, an act the stallion was grateful for. 

"Alright, what else? I understand that farm work can be very taxing and time consuming, but there must be more than that, yea?" Tamer inquired, leaning forward in her seat. "Anni says you helped stop a bunch of communists in Canterlot. Is that true?"

"Yes ma'am." He nodded, feeling a little proud.

He recalled the event in all the details he cared to share, keeping out the bits about visiting Sin in the dungeon and trying to do the same for Prince Platinum's attack, but how he'd gotten injured made that difficult. Mac hadn't realized it until that point, but the whole ordeal was quite a bit bigger and more intimidating than he remembered, what with Tamer asking questions and Annabelle reminding him of certain details he'd mentioned before but forgot about. Luna's involvement with his infiltration and garnering the hundred ponies for the sake of influence, the hours upon hours of study, seeing his friend arrested and the helplessness there in.

Then there was the operation itself. Meeting Wedge and the Trotski leaders, talking to the communists and spreading descent and mistrust between the two factions, implementing ideas about separatism and a state sanctioned commune, the few attempts on his life, becoming one of the more respected members of the protesters... Failing to stop a brawl in the middle of town square outside the castle proper.

"Oh my." Was all Tamer could say, looking at the stallion in awe of his accomplishment. The stallion was still a little disappointed that he wasn't able to curve the violence at the end, but Annabelle was there to remind him that he was just one pony, a pony who had done his best and that's all that he could hope to do.

"Quite the accomplishment, Mr. Macintosh. A farmer by day, and political protector at night" Tamer declared, nodding her head in approval before turning her attention to Annabelle. "You've chosen well, Anni. I approve."

"Thanks mom, I'm glad you like him, because I love him." She squeezed Mac a little tighter, making him blush as she nuzzled into the side of his neck.

The heart warming moment was shattered as the front door burst open and three frantic fillies came charging into the living room. However, through their incomprehensible slew of disorienting words, Mac took special notice that they were frantic not with fear or terror, but with enthusiastic glee.

"Girls, girls! Calm down, now what has y'all so riled up?"

Sweetie Bell, Applebloom and Scootaloo looked between eachother with beaming smiles before shouting in unison. "THERE'S A DRAGON OUTSIDE!" The declaration was followed by more enthusiastic and unintelligible words, asking about where he'd come from, why he was there and most importantly, if he was friendly enough to play with...

Granny shook her head, back in her day, foals ran away from dragons, they didn't ask to play with them.




> Torture
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  






Torture








Trudging through the mid afternoon sun, Sin rolled his neck as made way for home with Spike. The day at the mill had been particularly brutal today. There was a massive order of wood to help with the repairs in Canterlot since the changeling attack, and the proximity of Ponyville to Canterlot made the birch of Whitetale wood a hot commodity that just couldn't be logged and milled fast enough. Jacker had even requested that breaks be cut short to attempt to meet the impossible dead lines, a request compounded by overtime for weeks to come, if projections were true.

The guys didn't mind, though. An extra hour or two of work and fifteen minute breaks cut down to ten were pretty annoying, but the pay was well enough. The stallion didn't need the extra money, but a good nest egg was always welcome.

"Ah man... Today sucked." Spike chuckled, rolling his arms.

Sin agreed, and it didn't look like it would be getting any better anytime soon. 

"At least we're getting overtime pay, gotta be happy about that."

Spike shrugged. "I guess, since I've got my own place now, having a little extra spending money would be alright."

Sin chuckled and shook his head, looking at the portly baby dragon beside him. It wasn't like the drake held it against him for asking him to move out a while ago, but things change in time, even when time that time didn't add up.

The two reached the residential district and parted ways.

"See you tomorrow dude, tell Uppity I said hi." Spike declared tiredly with a wave.

"Will do, get some sleep, something tells me it's only gonna get worse from here."

As the stallion walked home, he felt the corner of his mouth pull up into a smile. For all of his hard work, for all of his suffeirng at the mill and constant struggle, it was coming home that made it all worth it. Many thought that because he was a self proclaimed capitalist, that money was all he cared for. Money? Money was a means to an end, that's all it ever would be to him. 

Sin reached the door and pushed it open, taking two steps inside before a ringing noise lifted his spirits.

"DADDY!"

A pair of foals came bull rushing full force from their spot on the couch, each leaping at one of his throbbing legs and clutching on in a show of affection.

Sin smiled down at the kids, his kids.

One mahogany unicorn colt and one bright orange pegasus filly. Both enthusiastically telling him about their day at school and what all they learned about the world, as well as what they had accomplished that day, or at least that's what he assumed they were saying. Foals had a tendenacy to speak a little too quickly to be intelligible at times, especially when there was two speaking at once.

Suddenly, both were caught in an orange aura of magic, and pride from the stallion's legs, Uppity walking in from the other room. "Alright, let's give your father some space, you know how he is after he comes home from work."

Frowning, Sin reached out his wings and grabbed both the foals from his wife's aura. "No, they're mine. I made them!" He proclaimed in petulant voice, making both foals giggle in his embrace.

"You made them?" Uppity asked, quirking a brow and smiling.

Sin was quiet for a moment before reluctantly admitting. "Okay, you might have had something to do with it.

"Daddy, your being silly." The filly declared.

Of course he was being silly, what was he supposed to do? Come home and be as stoic and pissy as he was at work? Fuck that, this was his home and he liked ponies being happy in his home. The rest of the guys would be dumbstruck to see him behaving in such a way, but here? Where his children were? Being fun and silly was what he wanted.

Sin gave his son and daughter one firm squeeze and let them go, Uppity returning them to their homework and promising to let them play afterwords. The colt protested a little more than the filly, but Sin told him to obey his mother, emphasizing the importance of education.

She walked up and gave Sin a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Hard day at the mill? You're home later than usual."

The stallion nodded and nuzzled her, her playfullness now gone. "Yea, will be for a while. The repairs in Canterlot will take a while. How were things with City Council today?"

Uppity groaned and listed off a few complaints she had. Leaf Spring being the primary antagonist as she usually was. Being the new Arbiter of city council wasn't a job he missed, but for all of her gripes, Uppity enjoyed her work well enough. It helped when you had a husband who equally understood what little work she brought home and could argue in ways she could not.

As usual, she had been charged with reading over something for homework and offered to let Sin read it later if he wanted to, which he usually did. Uppity knew him, and she always kept the legislation and ordinances the council made that he'd find interesting waiting. Sin didn't see that kind of thing as more work, that was just a little bit of fun to help unwind at the end of the day.

She lead him to the couch and told him to relax a little she finished up dinner. Sin could smell the food from the living room and smiled, he was reluctant at first to accept anything other than oats and potatoes, especially when both of the ponies attempts at cooking resulted in such astounding failures, but together, they learned how to make all kinds of delicious and nutritious foods. Even if his time cooking was mainly on the weekend and always had potatoes of some kind or another.

Lies

Having had their homework done, both of his foals bull rushed him again. His son showing the Federalist a macaroni picture he'd made, and his daughter climbing on on his back and demanding a "horsey back ride."

"Alright, ooohh, I'm getting old." Sin complained playfully, standing up, exagerating his movements to make the ride more fun.

"You're not old, dad." The colt declared obviously.

"You sure?" Sin questioned as he walked around the living room. "I feel old."

"Nu-uh. Old ponies don't give horsey back rides!" His daughter retorted, extending her wings for added balance.

"Hmmm, fair enough." The stallion said, hopping up and down, playfully putting his daughter off ballance and keeping his wing ready to catch her at a moments notice.

"My turn!" The maroon colt demanded, though his sister wasn't done and demanded she keep riding. Sin smirked as the two began to bicker, picked up the colt in his teeth and placed him along side his sibling. 

Sin continued his trot around the living room while the foals giggled with delight. At one point in his life, he hated children. Their laughing, their crying, their constant and incessant questions and weakness was one of the very banes of his existence, right next to government and hippies, but having his own changed a lot of things. He was happy to hear them laughing and giggling, begging for him to go faster. Their jovial sounds of glee were one of the most cherished things in his life, as well as their love and admiration.

Lies

He was so lost in the fun, he didn't notice Uppity standing the door way of the kitchen, watching with amusement as he played. "Having fun, love?"

"Nuuu..." Sin lied, continuing his trotting. "And you can't prove otherwise."

Uppity smiled politely and told her husband to bring the horsey ride to dinner, a request both of his riders seemed egar to demand he obey.

He lead them to the table and unloaded the foals to their respective seats and then took his own. The meal provided looked absolutely delectable. Stir fry peppers and spuds, one of his favorites. 

He took a bite and savored the delicious texture and flavor of spices and slight tangy burn. Uppity was always the superior chef of the two, but she also had more free time than Sin had to practice. As the family began to engulf the meal and convers, the Federalist felt himself grow a comforting warmth.

His children and wife talked among each other, laughing and smiling and filling the air with a joy and light that he had grown to appreciate. Sin felt protective of every pony here, this was his home, that was his wife and those were his children. He loved them and they loved him...

Too  bad it wasn't real...







Sin stood in the black void, having seen enough of the dream. The Critic stood beside him, looking much better than he had a few days ago.

'Why did you stop it?'

"Why do you think?" Sin barked, unable to keep the emotion from his voice.

'I don't understand, I thought you'd be happy to-'

"To what?!" Sin barked, turning to face the stallion. "To see what I'll never have? To see the life I'll never get and the stallion I'll never be? You think that would make me 'happy'? Are you retarded? I mean, really, what on Tapio's sick name would posses you to think I'd find anything but discouragement from this?"

The critic didn't reply, instead settling for a gaze of stoic contemplation and confusion.

Sin found it torture if anything. That wasn't real, it would never be real. It was a dream, a dream so far out of reach it was almost painful to think about. He lived a lot of his life in his head, and often imagined things to be better than what they really were, but he knew that it was a fantasy that would never conflate with the cold, hard, and jaded reality that was his life.

the fantisy displayed him as a nice pony, one who'd shown favor to children. Sin hated children and no mystical event could ever happen that would make that fact any less true. And the trotting about like a moron and being ridden like a horse? What even was  that? That wasn't him... even if it did look...

NO! No, no, no! He couldn't let himself get that sentimental. That wasn't real, that would never be real, that would never be his life! It couldn't, even if he wanted it to be.

In a twisted kind of way, that was one of the worst nightmares the stallion could ever have... At least when it came to the ones he was supposed to be afraid of, he could just shrug them off in the morning. 

This? 

Seeing himself with foals he loved, seeing himself with a wife he adored, working at a job he liked, living in a town he wanted to live in, and surrounded by friends he'd commit acts that would surely get him killed in order to protect..

This would haunt him for the rest of his life.



    
> Dragon Born
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










Dragon Born









Brute, a dragon who's look lived up to his namesake. A well sized golden drake, portly but strong, with hands and claws as wide as a pony was tall with giant, pristine wings and scales that shimmered in the sunlight. His golden eyes held centuries worth of knowledge and wisdome, tired with age and winter.

Spike smirked up at the elder draco, who smirked back down at him. 

"Hey." Spike said, 

"Greetings, young Spike. It is good to see you again." The elder bowed his head slightly, an act he'd done upon their initial meeting in Hooftrot. His massive maw, easily big enough to eat a small filly whole, curled into an evermore amused grin. "How have you fared amongst the ponies? Better than I, I hope."

Spike nodded. Unlike Brute, Spike didn't see ponies as lesser creatures who's existence he simply tolerated. It was a small point of contest between the two upon their initial meeting, but for the sake of speaking to the closest thing to a peaceful member of his species he could find, the baby dragon didn't contest the issue much.  Especially since Brute scoffed at the idea of, in their first conversation, how he was little more than Twilight Sparkle's assistant.

He wasn't about to mention that he was in service to yet another pony.

"Well enough, been working through the days, you know how it goes."

Brute nodded his head again. "Aye, ponies are amusing creatures, are they not? What with their caging of species unlike their own and caring for them. It is a concept that continues to astound and confound me. Dragons, our kind, do not do this. The strong of us survive, and the weak are left to themselves. Yet ponies care for their weak and captured." He said slowly and shook his head. 

That was another aspect of his kind that Spike didn't care for. Survival of the fittest was nice in theory, but the cruelty he'd witnessed during his time in the dragon migration inspired feelings more akin to self loathing than inspiration. Brute, however, was not born into the moral compass of pony-kind, his was a story of being chased out of the horde for the very concept he adored so much: abandonment of the weak.

Yet still, even though his fellow dragons had cast the golden drake out and left him for dead, he held slight resentment for the ponies who's beliefs differed so much from his own. Instead of being grateful for their offered salvation, Brute spoke down of them, condemning his care takers as counter-intuitive to the genetic supremacy of the species, and even regressive. 

This was another discussion Spike wanted to avoid, since the debate between the two ended up being about genetic supremacy vs moral superiority; in which neither had backed down.

"Yea, we look after our own, but that's the difference between a herd and a horde." 

Brute chuckled. "Indeed. So, your accomplice, Macintosh was it? Has decided to commit my charge with evermore mating." He frowned in contemplation. "For what purpose has this been done?"

It wasn't a surprising question, dragons were not a pair bond species, but a tournament species. To them, genetic supremacy and strength were everything, if Brute was to be believed in his stories. Monogamy was deemed a waste of potential, why should a single male, superior to the rest, be limited to only one mate?

Pony society worked differently, though. Despite the fact that the females heavily outweighed the males, leading to some speculations of polyamory, monogamy offered a security in family structure needed for mammalian social development. Unlike dragons, pony societies didn't thrive on strength being the most important factor; ponies wanted cooperation rather than competition. A curving of violence and hatreds in favor of mutual benefit and love.

Mental health and socialization in society were important skills in order to attain a happy life and integration, which was the ultimate goal of any parent for their foals or for any pony for themselves. Strength was nice, but not as necessary. What was necessary, however, was the character and mental stability that families offered foals.

Brute furrowed his brow, attempting to comprehend the idea... "Ponies truly are strange creatures. Such odd ideals and tactics of survival. And yet-" He sighed, looking back at the farm house in the distance, "-the results are too abundant to be disputed."

Spike nodded, feeling more than a little proud of his adoptive species. 

His reminiscent was cut short, however, as he remembered the reason for his visit with Brute.

"Hey, I need to ask you something."

Brute smiled and nodded, promoting the younger drake to inquire about the delema he was currently experiencing. The urges, the small part of himself that relished in violence, his growing need to take and horde...

The golden dragon smiled knowingly. "Hmmm, you are experiencing the change, it is unusual for one so young to undergo it, but that only means your are of good breeding stock."

"The change?" Spike asked, tilting his head.

Brute nodded. "The change is... how do the ponies say, our form of puberty?"

It was an interesting idea, and made a lot of sense, but if that was the case, why hadn't Spike felt it when he was a teenage'd drake before?

"It takes time for the change to take affect." Brute declared, opening his gaping maw and yawning loudly. "For we drakes, our maturity relies not only upon the passage of time, but our collection of wealth and riches. Our greed grows our strength, but without the years of experience, discipline, and mental fortitude, our minds are lost to the greed; we are consumed by it. You've been regressed twice now, the change has been hastened by this to ensure it doesn't happen again."

'So you were right, it is dragon biology after all. It was just sped up because of the greed growth... interesting.'

It was interesting to know, and Spike wanted to know what else to expect. The elder dragon began to list off a few other changes that would eventually take place. For one, his mind would become even more analytical than it already was. Dragon's were beasts of collection and territory, calculations of cost/risk/benefit analysis analysis in relation to situations would soon become common place to him. His cunning would also become more pronounced, along with a desire to hunt and subdue to justify his right to mate.

Again, the dragon was paused. The desire to hunt? Hunt what?

"Well, pray of course. We dragons are predators, after all." Brute clarified, yawning once again. He didn't want to admit it, but his time with the ponies had made him soft and tired in relation to dragon standards. "Those weaker than yourself, such as the ponies you surround yourself with. Though, you are not like most dragons your age. Most are aggressive and much more lustful of the material wealth. You have demonstrated a desire against this nature so your maturity might be different, if only just."

Again, Brute smirked a challenging and amused grin of superiority, as if he could see the futility in Spike's efforts against his own nature and found the battle petulant and immature.

Spike's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms in defiance. "I don't want to be that way."

And once again, Brute chuckled. "Defiance against the natural order. Perhaps you will succeed, and perhaps you will not."

"Well, you did, didn't you?"

The smirk on Brutes face vanished, beaten over by a scowl as he shamefully declared that the choice was made more for him than anything. His banishment from the horde was anything but desired, but he would do what needed to be done in order to survive, even if it meant the shame of exile to the ponylands.

"And for all the crap you talk about them, you don't seem to mind ponies too much. Especially the ones who take care of you." Spike pressed, knowing he was about to hit on a very sensitive spot. As expected, the elder drake's head tilted upwards in a show of superiority and dominance, daring Spike to continue with his train of thought.

"Watch your tongue, welpling. I may consider you favorably, but it is ill advised to test me." Brute growled threateningly.

Spike quirked a brow, doing his best to hide his fear. "You insult ponies and say I'll eat them, even though you know I love and cherish them. How did you think I'd take that, exactly?"

His golden eyes narrowed, and Brute lowered his head, putting his snoot inches away from Spike's body and eying the younger dragon with a simmering rage. "As the truth that it is."

"And what I said isn't?" Spike snarked in challenge, tensing his body. 

Narrowing farther, the golden drake claws dug into the ground, his legs tightening as if he was ready to thrust forth. Spike's breathing deepened as the icy feel of his draconian blood began coursing, ready to fight if the need called for it. 

Brute lifted his head, snarled and blew a cloud of smoke, venting his frustrations. Though, his actions took on no more malevolence than that. It was a gamble, but Spike wasn't interested in having his desires and family be belittled infront of him.

With his rage and indignation vented through his nostrils, Brute breathed a few calming breaths to regain his composure. "You are fortunate that Annabelle holds you in regard, whelp."

Though, it appeared that standing up to the drake didn't gain the respect Spike sought, it would likely end the irritating way he was spoken to.

A few more tense moments passed in silence as the two stared at each other in challenge before Brute's smile returned. "You truely see them as your equals." 

Spike nodded, of course he did. Ponies had taken care of him and been there for him all of his life. His parents weren't there, mainly due to being hatched while already in pony custody, and he couldn't be happier about the fact. He liked who he was, and he loved his friends. Just because some creatures were stronger and better at hunting than others didn't make them better, it just made them different.

"I see." The golden dragon sighed, his body relaxing as he took on a more casual stance. "And I also suppose it would only stand to reason that you wish to know how to control these urges so you may continue to live amongst the ponies."

Feeling a small pang of excitement in his chest, Spike nodded. 

"Hmmmm, well then, I shall disappoint you. Violence and negative reinforcement was the primary method in deterring younglings from thieving from other dragons." Said Brute with a yawn. small whisps of smoke blowing through his nostrils. "If a hatchling was too tired or afraid to steal, they would not. Those who could not defend their wealth from mere hatchlings were deemed weak, and deserved to have their treasures lost to them."

Spike felt his heart sink a little. "But there's got to be another way, right? Besides fear or violence?"

Brute nodded and reiterated the other thing, being tired, and a minor glimps on younglings acquiring their own wealth at great peril. "Hatchlings are high in spunk and energy, remove these things and the hatchling will be passive, at least in body." His eyes narrowed down at Spike. "However, the change cannot be halted, it may only be accepted. To deny the change is as futile an effort as denying the very air you now breath."

Slumping a little, Spike took a moment to process his elder's words. He could stop himself from acting on the urges, but he couldn't stop the urges themselves. He could work himself silly physically, but how long with he be able to keep that up? His work at the mill kept him relatively tired, but how long with that last? As a dragon, he'd grow and make short work of his duty at the mill...

"I haven't had any urges to hunt, though."

"You shall soon." Brute said, his tone now much more serious and somber. "To hunt and engage in combat will sate this urge, but the urge will overpower you. It still overpowers me to this day, and I'm four hundred years your elder with life times of experience in it's management. To indulge this is your only course, to think it controlled is a mistake, and one I suggest you not allow yourself to make. Lest it mean the loss of one you love."

No, that couldn't happen, Spike wouldn't let it... but what if it did? What would happen if he was strong enough and overcome enough to attack ponies? What would they do? The pegasi could fly away, and the unicorns might stand a chance at fighting him, but the earth ponies would be at his mercy... and eventually the unicorns too, once his anti-magic dragon scales grew in again.

'It wont happen.'

How can you be so sure of that? You felt what I did in the library a while ago, how angry I was, how much I wanted everything. If that kind of urge is directed at Twilight or Macintosh...

'Keep asking questions, let's get the full story before jumping to those kinds of conclusions.'

"How did you stop the urge? The urge to hunt ponies, I mean..."

Brute lifted his eyebrows slightly. "The answer to that is simple. You hunt something else."

"Something else?" Spike repeated.

Nodding, the elder dragon explained that, while he was in the reptile house, he was also being studied. He could not spend more than a few days in his pen without getting restless and was moved to a wilderness ground while accompanied by Beast Tamer. While out, Brute would hunt all manner of game, mainly doing population control on a wild boars. Not for the meat they provided, although that was a bonus, but for the sport. For the thrill of the hunt and capture. It was instinct, it was a need, to dominate and subdue, to be greater than and to overcome. This was part of being a dragon.

"You are not where you were born to be, young Spike." Brute motioned to the small town off in the distance. "I have lived well past four centuries and have seen our kind. Dragons are the perfect predator with nothing in the world for us to fear save the demons of Hell, Hades, and Tartarus. If you are to live peacefully among your prey, then you shall require a new prey in order to fulfill your desire for the hunt, for the conflict, and for the kill."

Spike felt a mix of disgust and morbid intrigue. To kill? To kill innocent animals? How could he not think that anything but vile? And yet... in some sick way it appealed to him, to his primitive side. His claws, they were made for tearing and rendering, his sharp teeth were the fangs of a predator, and his scales were armor to protect from other dragons who'd seek domination over him.

The image he'd seen in the doorway of Sombra flashed in his mind, his teenage form glaring down at him, demanding he acknowledge the beast within. No matter how he could try to rationalize it, Spike knew that there was no escaping the reality. He was an omnivore, and omnivores ate everything. Bread, fruits, nuts, vegetables, dairy and meat.

He was also a dragon, not a pony. Brute had lived among dragons for hundreds of years, and Spike had seen them for himself. He hoped, he hoped beyond hope that their behavior was just social conditioning. That their way of acting was the product of their society and not their biology, but he couldn't deny what he felt and what he was becoming...

Coming to terms with that would take time, but Spike stood resolute with at least understanding part of what was going on with himself. He could start figuring things out now, think about possible conclusions to curve his behavior when the time came. 

"Good, now what can you tell me about your associate, Big Macintosh?"









"Thank ya fer lettin' me n' Scootaloo stay the nigh', Rarity." Applebloom said, accepting a delicious cup of coco from her babysitter's aura. Scootaloo also offered her thanks as did Sweetie Belle.

"Oh you're quite welcome, dear." Rarity replied happily. "I've heard things on the farm are a little chaotic due to all the wedding guests. I do look forward to the festivities, Annabelle is such a sweet heart."

"Eyup, Ah'm so happy to have Annabelle as part o' the family." Applebloom said with a wistful sigh.

Scootaloo could agree with the sentiment. Annabelle was one of the kindest mares she'd ever met, more attentive than her own parents were by far. The filly would never speak of it out loud, but the two had shared 'girl time' before when Annabelle had brushed her hair while the filly gave her honest thoughts on the adoption. She wasn't the brightest pony in the world, but she was genuine in her affections and those she cared about.

Once the elder Belle sister was gone, a collective sigh came from all the fillies. 

"So, you're really going to be adopted by Macintosh and Annabelle?" Sweetie bell asked. 

Scootaloo nodded solumnly, she still wasn't sure how she felt about that. Between her parents dying, living in Whitetale wood, her attachment and idolization or Rainbow Dash, trying to get caught back up on her schooling, and integrating to farm life with the Apple family, her thoughts were a little occupied... 

Though, she couldn't deny that the idea did warm her in a way she craved for years. Macintosh and Annabelle were there, every single day. Unlike her parents who took days or even weeks away from home at a time in order to conduct their research, and would have their heads in the clouds even when home, the Apples took time out of their day to speak with her, to see her, to acknowledge her. Not just as a "squirt" who needed petulant attention like Rainbow saw her, but as a filly who needed love as well as guidence. A filly who was smart enough to see the mistakes that she could make and treat her with respect enough to allow her to make said mistakes within reason.

"Scoots?"

"Hmmm?"

Applebloom poked the filly. "Ya alrigh' pardner?"

The pegasus nodded with no enthusiasm and Applebloom was happy to call her out on it.

"C'mon Scoots, we're all friends here. Please don't fall inta that whole secretive thing again..." Sweetie chirped, making all three girls remember how devastated and strained their relationship had become.

Seeing no other choice, Scootaloo sighed. "Well, I guess I'm just not sure what to feel right now." 

"Whadaya mean?" Applebloom asked softly.

"Well, I mean, it's a big change, I guess. First I was living with my own parents, then I was living alone in the woods, and now I'm living with you guys... Macintosh said that it's a lot to take in and that I shouldn't rush the decision, but... when I think about it, it just seems so weird, you know?"

"Weird how?" Sweetie asked, jumping down from the bed and approaching.

"Being Macintosh's daughter." Scootaloo cringed the first time she said that, she'd known Mac a while and saw him in an elderly brother light in her own proximity to Applebloom, but as a father figure? That would take time.

"Well, it's better than living out in the woods, right?" Sweetie asked.

Applebloom placed a hoof on the unicorn's withers, telling her that that wasn't the point of the topic. Scootaloo's feelings on being adopted by the Apples were in constant flux of stress and confusion, at least that's how it appeared when the earth pony spoke to the pegasi in private. To throw in the "well it could be worse" bit never helped; if anything, it merely served to cut off ties of communication and trust, both of which were very much necessary now more than ever.

Of course, Sweetie Belle couldn't understand the sentiment. She still had her parents as well a family to care for her. She hadn't experienced the loss that her friends had, nor the loneliness and isolation Scootaloo felt. So she remained silent on the topic, feeling more than a little guilty for her imput.

"It is better, don't get me wrong, I am greatful. It's just a lot to take in, I guess." Scootaloo rubbed her foreleg with a fet lock. Communicating her feelings was never her strong suite, especially when she was as confused as she was. She kinda wished she was with Annabelle and Macintosh right now. This all made a lot more sense when she was around them, the stability and safety the stallion offered, and the comfort and care the mare radiated always made Scootaloo feel better somehow.

"I have a question." Sweetie Belle said, sensing the tension growing. "If you do get adopted by Applebloom's brother, wouldn't that make her your auntie?"

Scootaloo quirked a brow, the thought never having crossed her mind.

"Hey yea! Ah would be yer aunt. Hmmm, you bein' mah niece, that'll mean Ah can tell ya what ta do!" Applebloom teased.

"Does not!" Scootaloo shot back.

"Does too! It's one o' the rules of the family." Applebloom explained matter of factly.

"Nu-uh, that because they're older than you. You're younger than I am, so technically you have to do what I say." Scootaloo said smugly. 

"That ain't how it works!" The farm filly cried, desperately trying to figure out how the logic of it all worked.

The bickering continued with Sweetie Belle throwing in the fact she had to listen to Rarity because of her age, giving credibility to Scootaloo's position with Applebloom unable to argue the point since she too had to listen to her elder siblings. It was all in good fun, though. A way to break the meloncholy mood Scootaloo was slowly losing herself too.

As strange and weird as the situation was when she was able to look at it from a more objective standpoint outside of the Apple's infulence, Scootaloo couldn't deny that she wanted to be apart of the Apple family. Was it weird? Absolutely. Was it going to be hard work? You bet. Did some parts terrify her on an emotional level? Of course, but she'd faced those things before and turned out better for it. Tomorrow, she'd officially be eligible to be part of a new family, a family who'd offer her the time and love she wanted.






Macintosh stared at the flicking flames of the fire as they enticingly danced before him.

Tonight was the last night of him being a single stallion, tomorrow he tied the knot and entered wedlock, declairing an everlasting bond with Annabelle and merging two families... two very VERY large families.

The reception started out easily enough, a few Apples stopped in to offer their congratulations, with a few of the males offering playful condolences. Breaburn and Ol' pony Apple came in from Apploosa this morning, the elder stallion giving Annabelle a shameless and critical once over, as was tradition in the Apple family when an outsider was coming into the fold. 

Annabelle took it in good order, but her mother, who was the next victim of Ol' pony, met his stare with the crack of her whip. An act that she soon found to be a very big mistake, since the old stallion was afraid of nothing and excited by everything.

Annabelle's family was... interesting, to say the least. She considered everypony in the circus as "part of her family", and the circus was definitely in town. Ponies of all kinds were present, along side a pair of diamond dogs, three minotaur, and of course, a dragon. They were all nice enough, the ones Mac could recall appeared to be very friendly types of ponies. 

Brute, however, didn't take well to him. Older dragons had this look of superiority about them, kinda like cats observing something with detached amusement or disgust. Mac had to crane his neck to meet the beasts eyes, and despite the fact he was afraid of the creature, he stood firm and ready. It was a test of Macintosh's will and character, challenging him to see if he'd be willing to stand up to the drake or timidly shy away.

A test the stallion passed with flying colors. Mac had faced many things in his life, mostly in the past year. Compared to being on a besieged air ship, watching your late best friend kill another pony, disbanding a group of political rabble rousers, surviving in the plains of Equestria for months, fighting goats, scaling valleys with drops that could easily kill him, accidentally wandering into a scorpio den and fighting his way out, meeting the roving madness that was Star Shade, and fighting a dragon easily ten times the size of his antagonist, Brute was just another tally on the long list of things the stallion had survived in spite of his fear.

"Figured I'd find you out here." A voice called from the darkness.

Mac didn't need to look up to know Spike when he heard him.

"Ya know me. Never liked big shindigs." Macintosh replied, his eyes never leaving the fire. "Ya talk with Brute yet?"

Spike answered in the affirmative and took a seat opposite the stallion, taking to the enchantment that the flames offered.

"How's workin' with Justice been goin'?" Mac asked.

Spike shook his head and groaned. "She's been pretty difficult to get along with. City Council's becoming more and more against her, but I think I've almost gotten her to the point she'll make up the exemption for Fluttershy, again. I'll just need a little more time." He paused and sighed again. "Sorry to tell you this, but the tax cuts the local farms experienced will be rinstated. I tried to stop her, but..." He shrugged.

Mac didn't fault him, he'd met Social Justice once and that was more than enough for him. To the pink pegasus, Macintosh was little more than an "oppressed pony of no means". Mask, who the stallion didn't much mind since she was at least respectful, also had little respect for the mare. Unlike Social Justice, Mask believed that the stallions needed to assert their own agency in life and not be treated as helpless foals who needed to be protected and coddled.

While Mask may have worked for Justice as one of her lackies, it was clear the mare had no love for her and would often speak with the apple pony about how counter productive Justice's actions were in social justice itself. 

It really didn't help with how much of a hypocrite Justice was. First she acts like he's an infantile pony who life has spat upon one too many times and then she turns around and ups his taxes?

'Yea, consistency is a mother bucker, though.'

"How's Twilight n' them doin'?"

Spike frowned. "Twilight's doing okay. Uppity stopped by yesterday before I left, she seems to be doing better. Fluttershy is still up with Rainbow, bawling her eyes out, poor thing. Haven't seen Rarity or Pinkie Pie lately."

Macintosh pressed his lips, he'd heard the story of how devastated Fluttershy was, the town knew her, the town adored her. Anypony who had a pet would always go to Fluttershy for care, how Ponyville wasn't in an uproar over what she'd done was an absolute mystery.

'Well, Spike did say she was threatened.'

Apparently not enough, though.

'Woah, easy there, Macintosh.'

Mac internally sighed, he's been under a lot of stress lately. What with the wedding, Scootaloo's adoption and worst of all his sister. Applejack still wasn't on speaking terms with him, he hoped she'd go to the wedding, her being there meant a lot to him, and the idea that she wouldn't out of spite damn near broke his heart.

Neither spoke for what had to be at least ten minutes, both thinking their respective thoughts.

"You two look pretty glum." Another voice stated from behind. 

Mac's eyes widened and his head turned far too quickly to see the pony who's voice he recognized far too well. 

"SHADE!" Both gasped. 

The lunar pony walked into the light of the campfire and took a seat, the lost pony nodding his acknowledgement to the other two. "Good to see you too."

In a flash, Spike glomped the pony and squeezed the stuffing out of him, making the lunar pony's eyes bulge from his head. "Dragon boy, little too much love!" he managed in a wheeze.

"Where have you been!" The drake demanded, stepping back. Macintosh was also interested to hear where the stallion had run off to, it wasn't uncommon for Shade to disappear for a time, but he'd never had broken bones and wings before.

Something was different about him tonight, though. He was calm, his demeanor was much too subdued, without the easy goingness of being under the influence of ganja. 

"I've been busy, looking for something, as I am compelled to do."

"Compelled?" Mac asked, finding the phrase a rather odd one for Shade of all ponies to use.

Shade nodded but refused to go into detail. "I've come to offer you two a warning." He frowned, looking at Macintosh first.

"Tomorrow will not be the day you think it is. Something very dear will be taken from you if you have failed to learn from your passed mistakes." Shade turned to Spike. "And you must trust in your friends to see you through what now plagues you. Should you try and handle it alone, Spike, you too will lose something you value."

Mac was flabbergasted at the prophetic words, he was about to ask what in the world his friend was talking about, but something happened before he got the opportunity.

"Gah!" Shade cringed, rubbing his head. "I need to go, I've resisted the compulsions enough. Don't brush off what I've said, I went through a lot to tell you two this." He spread his wings and looked at the apple pony. "Do me a favor and check in on Stripes for me, she doesn't show it, but she does get lonely alot."

And with that, the night pony beat his wings and flew up into the night sky, both Spike and Mac fruitlessly calling to him to come back and explain himself.

"What in the world was that about?" Spike asked, still looking up at the night's sky.

"No idea..."


Next chapter, wedding. Everyone assembles for the big day. Mane six, Shining Armor, Cadance, the entire Apple family. Everyone's happy, wedding goes to kiss and Macintosh finds one gift without a name, which turns out to be a pacifier. 
> Country Wedding (Pt. I)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Country wedding (Pt. I)








Macintosh awoke to the booming voices down below. It took a while for the house party to scatter for sleep last night, but he figured a good few hours of rest was better than nothing. Annabelle was not in bed with him, nore had she come back last night, which was understandable.

Before he'd gone off into the western orchard for some peaceful time gone prophecy, the mare and he had a private conversation about her mother. It shouldn't have been as surprising as it was to him, but Annabelle hadn't seen her in the better part of a year and wanted to spend the evening with her at the inn, once the Apples and Circus folk had been acquainted enough to mingle of course. Between circus acts preformed for entertainment and apple foods of every like and type being present, the two families had their own little carnavel on the farm, some had even taken to making up games using the farm equipment and tools.

The stallion pushed himself out of bed and rubbed his eyes, Shade's odd words from last night still buzzing in his mind. Why did he think today wouldn't be the day Macintosh thought it was? Was something going to happen at the wedding? Well, considering how the last wedding in Equestria went, it wouldn't surprise him too much.

'C'mon partner, it was Star Shade. You know? Crazy pony who always spouts a bunch of nonsense? Remember what he said the first time you met him?'

Yea, but that was when he was nuttier than a bag of peanuts. Slowly, over time, Shade had been changing for the better, and last night he almost seemed normal. 

'He's had moments when he appeared normal before.'

Yea, when he'd just woken up, that was it, and that lasted ten minutes tops at any given time.

'Your point is?'

Mac wasn't sure what he was getting at, maybe it was just the stress of the wedding, Annabelle, the foal, Scootaloo, Brute, that ordeal in Cantelot... but something about the bat pony's words just didn't sit right with him. Like he knew something, something that he shouldn't have known but somehow did. And what was he talking about when he said he was being "compelled"?

'I told you Mac, you're reading too much into it. Into Shade of all ponies. Hate to be that guy, but today isn't really the day you can afford to waste time contemplating the mad rambles of a crazy pony.'

His inner voice was right, he had a lot to do today. Mac looked up at the clock and gasped as he saw that it was three minutes til nine. 

As quickly as he could, he made up his bed, ran into the bathroom and readied the shower. The wedding was going to be in four hours, and checking in with Pinkie Pie for decorating and catering would need to be a priority.

Once he'd cleaned himself up from the previous night's grime, Macintosh opened his closet and looked at the emerald green blazer he'd purchased for the wedding day. Granny had suggested he buy some kind of tie, but the pony had no desire to indulge the overly dressed, stuffy monkey suite. He was a simple stallion with simple tastes.

A massive boom from down stairs set Mac on edge, fearing something had gone wrong with the gas, the stallion made a bull rush down stairs. What greeted him was a sight he didn't expect. The entire living room was empty, save for one skeptical and analytical pink earth pony who stood beside a blue canon.

"Hmmm, something's missing..." She mused, looking at the wall, which was now covered in all manner of streamers, roses and red, silver and gold trim. Mac was a little afraid that her childish nature and tastes would result in the wedding appearing more as a child's birthday than a day of wedlock, though from what he'd seen so far, he felt relieved in the serious and elegant results of the party mare's efforts.

"THAT'S IT!" She squealed before reaching out with her fetlock and pulling the string on the cannon. A second loud exploasion shook the house as a blast of white and golden balloons burst forth, magically tying themselves to a lamp, the desk and a few of the other surfaces that stood in front of the wall.

"Perfect! Oh hey, Macintosh, you're looking spiffy!" She purred, taking only a moment to look at him before turning back to the next wall she'd turn her cannon upon, staring at it like a painter, judging, contemplating, seeing what are she could bestow.

Macintosh asked how things were going with the decorations, to which Pinkie replied that her art couldn't be rushed. Decorations were a fine, detail oriented art. She'd already hit the entire outside, all that was left was the house itself for the post wedding reception party. Macintosh wished her luck and went outside to see how the outside looked.

Again he was pleasently surprised to the sight that met him. When he'd come in last night, the entire ground was a mess of tables, pounded stakes, make shift booths for games and an absolute mess of tools and what not for the performance of acrobatic stunts.

Looking at it now, he'd thought it a dream. The grass was trimmed, with not a single misplaced blade of grass. The once haphazardly placed tables were stright now, lined from one end to the other with simple white cloths and silver platters covering, presumably, food and drink. The alter was simplistic, yet elegant. The platform he'd built now had a white, wicker alcove on it, two sets of white and yellow roses lining the sides. Even the trees closest to the alter were decorated with white streamers in perfectly patterned curves.

All in all, it was exactly the balance of simple and nice that he was hoping for.

'Yea, Pinkie outdid herself with this one. You know who else might like this? Scootaloo!'

Oh yea, he needed to go get her! Hopefully the dress she had for the Canterlot wedding was easy enough for Rarity to spruce up.









Pacing back and forth in his black blazer, white shirt and top hat, Spike pulled out his pocket watch and groaned. "C'mon Twilight, we're gonna be late!"

"Coming!" He heard from upstairs.

Spike pulled out his pocket watch again and sighed. The wedding wouldn't start for another four hours, but they weren't going directly to the wedding. Firstly, they had to stop by the mayors office to see to the rumors about the new magical restrictions rumors that were floating around town, then they'd have to stop by the train station to pick up Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.

Despite conventional wisdom, Spike had absolutely no knowledge about the restrictions on unicorn magic in town, though rumor had it that there were some complaints made about a certain lavender librarian attempting to turn apples into oranges outside and, instead, turning a bird into a flying citrus fruit that prompted the legislation. 

'To be fair, she did fix the bird.'

Yea, try telling that to city council.

It didn't matter, though. Spike had finally worn down Justice's defenses and prompted the mare to rewrite Fluttershy's animal exemption again last night. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, but when Discord himself had come in to express grievance to the council for their treatment of Fluttershy and the state of distress she was in, Social Justice was tipped off to the draconequus arrival.

To the council -and most of Ponyville- Discord was an untrustworthy, manipulative, dangerous trickster who loved to prank ponies and had almost lost the world to chaos. To Social Justice, Discord was a misunderstood creature who's liberties and oppression was unjust. His actions were deplorable, but that didn't mean he was deplorable. 

Spike could empathize with the statement, the draconequus had once been part of conspiracy to save his life, after all. That being said, others didn't know Discord very well and, considering the tartarus he unleashed twice upon the world, it would take time for trust to be gained; but with some subtle communication, Discord caught on to the powers that Justice possessed over the city council and he gave her his undivided attention.

Spike had seen some great performances in his life, ponies acting as miserable as possible one second, building up the guilt and shame of their opponent and letting small hope show as they made their opponent question the virtue of their actions and consider alternatives to said actions.

With Discord, it was like comparing a pre-school play to a college drama club. The weeping, the changing of colors, the argumentation on Justices own level with strange logic mixed in with conventional logic, magical props to emphasize his points, over exaggerated facial expressions and mannerisms that the pink pegasus didn't dare question... like the systematic oppression that was the government itself holding him down by harming Fluttershy and denying him her pleasant company.

Justice was no match for Discord's manipulation, and it was absolutely glorious to watch. Spike made a mental note to ask the chaos lord for some pointers after the wedding.

Finally, Twilight descended the stairs. 

Spike's eyes widdened, stunned by the mare he was seeing. The dull and typical librarian had been transformed into something graceful and pristine. Her mane was pulled back into a bun, her body covered by a wine shaded dress with a light blue star pattern adorning her chest, with a subtle amount of eyeliner accenting her delicate deep velvet eyes.

She was beautiful, not in a way Spike was uncomfortable with, but still...

"Sorry that took so long, ready to go?" She asked.

Spike broke himself from his stupor and nodded, complimenting her appearance and making his mother blush with embarrassed gratitude.

The two exited the Library and made way to the city hall. Spike straightened his tie and top hat, if he had a mustache, he'd make sure it was well groomed, but Twilight denied his request, siting the silliness of the appearance as her reason.

'Ridiculous, you'd look awesome with a mustache!'

I know right! This top hat and this tux? I mean, c'mon!

The two entered City Hall to find the place as empty as it usually was, not but the receptionist in the lobby to greet them. "Welcome to- oh great." She bemoaned, rubbing her forehead. "What ever you're about to do, can you not? The council's in a bad enough mood as it is."

Spike continued his forced smile, as rude as the receptionist was, he couldn't be mad at her. Usually when he came in, bad things happened, and he was slowly coming to enjoy that fact.

"I'm sorry, but we've come to speak to mayor Mare. See if there's any substance to the rumors going around about restrictions on public magical practices."

The receptionist eyed the two skeptically, as if she was trying to determine if their intentions were really so simple. "That's it, I'm putting in an official request for a bulletin board." She sighed and gestured up the stairs.









"A little tighter around the barrel, I think." Rarity mused, looking down at the filly she was fitting, taking the needle and thread in her magic and making a small alteration in the back.

Scootaloo wasn't about to protest again, the last time she had, Rarity went into a five minute tirade about her dress needing to look "absolutely perfect" and using a bunch of fashion terms the filly couldn't possibly hope to understand to emphasize her point. As far as the filly was concerned, the dress looked fine enough as it was originally, but the alabaster unicorn was overly meticulous about her appearance. Weddings, apparently, were "cherished impressions and memories that would last a life time and looking one's best was the only option."

"She looks fine, Rares." Rainbow sighed in frustration. "Look at her, if you make that thing much tighter, she's not going to be able to breath, for pony's sake!"

"Thing!?" Rarity gasped, looking as if she'd been slapped. "Rainbow Dash! This elegant and form fitting gown is part of an ensemble that must meet the standards of Carousel Boutique! To reduce the significance of a fillies apparel to such a simplistic word is an affront to not only the wedding in which she must preform, but to fashion itself!"

She pulled a little tighter, making Scootaloo's eyes bulge. "Besides, breathing is optional, perfection is not."

Scootaloo disagreed with the sentiment and felt a pang of sympathy for Sweetie Belle. How the unicorn foal tolerated this day in and day out was beyond her, her camp in Whitetale wood was a preferable life.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yea, whatever. So Scoots, you ready for the big day?"

Scootaloo nodded, unable to verbally answer since her lungs were struggling to give her enough oxygen as it was.

"That's good, I'm sure that Macintosh and Annabelle will make great parents." The speedster paused, her face dropping a little in enthusiasm. "Sorry things didn't work out for you coming to live with me, but hey, you can come over any time you want. If you need anything at all, you just let me know, squirt."

Scootaloo beamed, Rainbow's words filling her with joy. Even if Rainbow couldn't be her mother, she would still be her mentor, her idol, a pony she could look up to and emulate.

"You can count on Rainbow Dash to take care of her friends." Rarity said happily. "By the way, how is Fluttershy doing?"

Rainbow informed her that the pegasus was doing much better now. Discord had teleported into her house last night and had, some how or another, convinced the city council to reinstate Fluttershy's ability to care for animals again. The process would take a few days to be enacted, so she wouldn't be able to do anything until then, but still, the timid pegasus would be allowed to do what she loved in life.

Rarity was thrilled over the matter, after getting over the fact it was Discord himself who'd made it happen. Scootaloo was happy as well, Angel wasn't happy on the farm. He was a lot less rude and demanding now, but it wasn't any better to see him moping and somber all the time. The rabbit was happy enough to see her, but she could always tell how miserable he was after such happiness had worn off.

A couple of knocks at the door drew thier attention and Macintosh walked in, asking if everything was ready.

"Just a few more things, darling." Rarity said absently, concentrating on her work.

Macintosh nodded politly and thanked the unicorn again for her work on Scootaloo's gown, taking special notice of how uncomfortable the filly looked.

'Be polite, she's only trying to help.'

Yea, sorry Scootaloo, but she does look adorable in it. She'll make a beautiful flower filly.









Spike couldn't believe it, the city council was seriously considering legislation against magical usage in public spaces! How absolutly rediculous!

Okay, yea, Twilight turned a bird into an orange, which was pretty disturbing to the foals who saw it, but really? Making a law prohibiting un-permitted magic practice illegal? That was just too much!

Twilight herself was also a little sour over the news, but she wasn't about to let that sully her good mood. They were about to see her brother and soon-to-be, would-have-been-if-not-for-a-changeling-attack sister in law. Today wasn't about them, it was about Macintosh and Annabelle, two ponies Spike cared about dearly. If Twilight could put this issue on the back burner for the day, so could he.

The two stood on the platform and waited for the Ponyville Express. The wait wasn't long, the train arrived right on scheduled and the passengers spilled out just as quickly as they could. 

"TWILY!" Shining cheered, rushing forth to embrace her. 

"Shiny, it's so good to see you!" Twilight said, giving her brother's neck a nuzzle. "You know, when we're not dealing with some great, world ending catastrophe."

Her brother nodded his agreement before allowing Candace a similar greeting. Spike couldn't understand why they took the train, they had access to sky chariots, but eh, to each their own.

To his surprise, the two weren't alone, a third pony stood behind them, this one another pony he knew, but not too well.

"Uppity! You came for the wedding?" Twilight asked.

The orange mare shook her head, looking as serious and forlorn as last he saw her. Uppity had actually come to town to ask for Macintosh's presence in Canterlot soon as a Character Witness against Cupid. Sin's body was never recovered, so her being charged with murder couldn't be done, but she could be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, along with the other Trotski who were still in custody. 

"But that can wait," she said with a sad smile, "today a happy day for your friend, I'll bring this up to him tomorrow most likely."

Nodding her thanks, Twilight and her family made way to sweet Apple Acers. 

Spike walked beside Shining Armor as Twilight walked with Cadance.

"How are things in Canterlot?" The drake asked casually.

Shining grimaced. "Could be better." 

Spike quirked a brow and prompted Shining to elaborate. Sombra, under the order of Princess Luna, had been released from imperial custody a few days ago. 

The drake couldn't believe it, Sombra, the big shadow figure from-

'Easy there, Spike. Remember what we-

Yea, yea, I know. It's just, he knew what he was doing! I didn't! How could Luna just let him go like that? Didn't she see how dangerous he was?

Spike groaned as his inner critic, once again, reminded him of the similarities between himself and Sombra, a notion the drake didn't care for in the slightest, but one he also couldn't argue. It would be hyporitical of him to cast such harsh judgement on Sombra in an arena where he had absolutely no room to talk.

"There... something else." Shining said slowly. "I'm not supposed to tell anypony about this, but you know Soarin? He was on a prison transfer out of the Canterlot dungeons. Something happened and he escaped..."

Spike felt his blood run cold and hot all at once. Soarin... just hearing that name made him sick to his stomach. What he did to Applejack, what he did to Macintosh...

'Spike, chill, now's not the time. Happy day, remember?'

"That's not good." The drake replied, repressing the anger bubbling inside. Today was a happy day, it was a good day, he needed to keep himself in check until it was over, until after the wedding at least. "Don't tell Mac, he's under enough stress as is."

"I wont, but he'll need to know, so will Applejack."

The four entered the market district and passed a green earth pony."

"Wait a sec." Shining said, stopping in place and looking back, Spike followed suite, having seen the pony as well. 

"You don't think that was..."

"I do, Blade!"

The green Pony stopped and turned to face them. His typically rough mane was slicked back in an almost presentable display, complimented by the black blazer he was wearing.

"Hey Blade, where are you going? Sweet Apple Acers is that way!" Spike said. Blade chuckled and walked up to the two, mentioning how he was going to pick up his date, unaware that she was the one catering the wedding, and already present there in.

The mistake was quickly rectified and the pony fell in line behind them.








Macintosh escorted Scootaloo back to the farm, constantly on the look out for any danger that might tarnish her beautiful gown. He stole looks at her constantly to see how she was doing. Her face which had started out happily enough, was growing somber and throughtful beneath the crown of flowers that rested atop her head.

She looked worried about something, like she was trying to figure something out. He didn't say anything, hoping she would come to him if she wanted to talk about it, but as the reached the outskirts of the farm, he realized that the hope wouldn't be realized.

"Hey Scoots, ya alrigh'?"

The filly looked up at him and nodded. Mac was afraid she was going to clam up again like she did before, but then she sighed and admitted that there was something on her mind.

"I guess I'm just... a little confused and worried is all."

Taking care not to dirty his blazer, Macintosh knelt down and asked her what was troubling the filly.

The answer hurt to hear, but it was from a place her could understand, a place he could relate to. 

"I'm just, I'm kind of confused and scared is all."

"'Bout what?"

Scootaloo sighed. "About you and Annabelle... you know... being my parents."

The stallion kept his face neutral, making an attempt to with hold any sign of judgement. Scootaloo took a moment to collect her thoughts before explaining that she wasn't sure what to make of the situation, about feeling obligated to accept their parent-hood over her and feeling both guilty about putting them in that kind of position, as well as the idea just plain being confusing.

"Don't get me wrong, I like you guys, I really do!" She said hastily. "I just... I don't know."

"Do ya not trust us?"

The question came from left feild, a total shot in the dark with little logic, but a lot of feeling coaxing it. Scootaloo looked up at him in shock. Not indignant shock, but the kind of bewildered shock of having your mind read. 

Macintosh gave the foal a small smiled and opened his foreleg, promting Scootaloo to trudge to his embrace. "Ah know how ya feel, Scoots." he said, holding her tightly. "When mah ma n' pa went, Granny Smith offered ta take care o' me 'n mah sisters. Ah didn't know what tah make of it, sometimes ah still don't know tah this day..."

He felt the filly sniffle into his chest, her forelegs squeezing around his ribs.

"What- what did you do?"

Mac sniffled himself, trying to repress the emotional tears of speaking about his late parents. "Ah trusted mah Granny." He swollowed, regaining composure. "Ah trusted in mah family ta take care o' us. Time didn't stop so Ah could figure it all out, no matter how much Ah wanted it to." He paused for a calming breath. "Life is a sad thing sometimes, but Ah knew that Granny was doin' her best to make us happy n' keep us as comfortable as possible. She loved us all, n' we loved her. She wasn't just our Granny Smith who was just there. She became our guardian, our rock, the thing that held the three o' us together n' in line."

He began gently stroking Scootaloo's mane, feeling her sniffling intensify. "She tol' us that family was the most important thing in the world, n' a family needed to be strong, especially after the loss o' loved ones. Ah've never told anypony  this, not even Annabelle, but... when they first went, Ah didn't want any part o' my siblings..."

Scootaloo froze in his embrace, making the stallion double guess if this story was a good idea. 

'Too late to back out now.'

"It hurt to look at 'em. Applejack looked so much like ma, everytime I'd see her, Ah just get upset for no reason. She would always follow me 'round the pasure, n' part o' me hated her for it." He paused, looking down at Scootaloo who looked up at him. "But one day, Granny sat me down n' told me that ignorin' my sisters wasn't somethin' Ah should be doin'. They were hurtin' just like Ah did. Applejack followed me cause she wanted comfort, cause ah was still there. It was when Ah saw that, even though ma n' pa were gone, there was still ponies that cared 'bout me, that's when Ah realized that shuttin' down n' bein' angry did me jest as much harm as it did everypony else."

Scootaloo looked up in wide eyed curiosity.

"Things were bad already fer us, n' Ah was jest makin' it worse. Once Ah got my head outta my plot, n' started tryin' to be part o' the family again, ah felt happy. Life didn't seem so bad all the time, n'... well, things got better."

Scootaloo sniffled. "But... but what if- what if someone else from your family tried to take you away?" She asked, completely out of the blue.

Suddenly, it all made a great deal of sense. Scootaloo was worried that she might not be able to stay, that something might take her away from the Apple's like life took away her parents. "What if you guys die too?"

Mac crushed her to his barrel, his concern over her gown completely forgotten. "We ain't gonna die, Scoots"

The sniffles came back. "But- but what if-"

"Shhh. ya can't live thinkin' bout the negative stuff like that. If yer too focused on what ya might loose, ya never appreciate havin' it in the first place." He cooed, trying to comfort the filly. 

Scootaloo's breathing slowed, her clinging to him also softened and she almost went limp in his grasp, but keeping just enough tension to cling if he dared try to pull away.

"Ah promise ya, Scootaloo, ain't nothin' gonna happen, okay? Ah... Ah love ya too much tah let it..."

The words came out without him meaning to, Scootaloo's grip redoubled itself and she began to cry. Macintosh meant what he said, he'd only had her for less than a month, but... he loved Scootaloo. The two the time had spent together were memories he'd treasure forever. She wasn't his biological foal, he had come to terms with that, but she was still a foal, a foal who was good at heart. She treated the family well, and had a great amount of character and pride to her.

To be her father filled Macintosh with a pride and warmth he'd never before experienced. A happiness that almost brought him to tears.

"You promise?" The filly asked, her voice muffled through his chest. "You promise that you'll stay with me?"

"Ah promise."

> Country Wedding (Pt. II)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Country Wedding (Pt. II)






Mingling, a part of all social gatherings.

Ponies were everywhere, the farm was absolutely infested with them. Ponies of every type and sort littered the farm grounds, some were dressed up and looking their best, others put in an effort to look better than usual, but most treated it like any other day. The music was a soft quartet of string instruments that Pinkie had procured, a lone cellist with three violins offering a soothing and delightful atmosphere to the back ground. The perfect background music for mingling.

Macintosh hated mingling. 

He'd already received a million congratulations on his accomplishment. He was graceful and polite about accepting, of course, but he couldn't get a moments peace! Introversion was not his friend this day.

But still, he fought the urge to run off into the western orchard and hide away until they sent the search parties to remind him that it was his own wedding. After another bout of "thank ya kindly" for some well wishers, he looked for some more familiar faces in his life to ease the stress.

Spike was speaking with Applebloom and Scootaloo, laughing about something or another. Shining Armor was with Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy, all of them speaking in quiet whispers and looking back at town, Granny was busy chatting it up with a black maned, charcoal grey earth pony mare as she sat on a chair with a cello in her hooves, and Blade...

Blade was busy following around Pinkie Pie, carrying refreshments upon his back and helping the mare to restock on all the consumed punch and virgin champeign. Pinkie payed him little attention, which made Mac feel a twinge of sympathy, but he seemed happy enough to help the party pony out. 

Mac couldn't tell where the pony got all the energy she needed for this. Every time he saw her, she was doing something other than enjoying the festivities. Though, to be fair, the most fun that happened in this part of the farm was a rather lewd joke followed by impolite levels of laughter. Not exactly her style.

One pony he did notice not being present was his sister. Mac furrowed his brow and looked around to see if she was just out of view, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find her.

'Don't worry, Mac. She'll be here.'

The pony hoped so, he didn't want her to miss one of the most important days of his life because of such foolishness.

"Hey Macintosh!" Called a pony he vaguely remembered but only met once. The mare was a deep orange, jovial, and appeared almost drunkenly happy. She placed an unassuming foreleg around his neck and stood beside him, forcing Mac to summon the remainder of his patience. "Good on ya for tying Annabelle down."

"Umm, thanks." Mac frowned, looking down at the mare. "Sorreh, Ah don't recall yer name."

"Yes sirree! Anna sure is somethin' else." His antagonist said wistfully. "You're a lucky stallion, ya know that? I mean, with all the ponies she's been with, she choose you! Not surprising really, she never really cared for circus life, especially with how awkward things got after she slept with Red Rover."

"Slept with who?" He asked, a small bit of curiosity growing in his gut.

The orange pegasus nodded. "Uh-huh! You see that stallion over there?" She pointed to a large, really large crimson unicorn." Spent the night with him a few times, same with that stallion over there, that's Fletch. Real heart throb, if you know what I mean. They used to date a while ago."

A sense of frustration and fear began welling in Mac's chest as the mare beside him continued to point and list off stallions in the crowd who she claimed Annabelle had sexual relations with. He kept silent both out of a want to not start trouble between the families and a vage, sick sense of curiosity.

The number, it just kept climbing. First two, then three then five, seven, eight, ten, twelve, and she didn't look anywhere close to done. 

The stallion suddenly felt very sick as the revelation washed over him like a sickly tidle wave. Fifteen? Annabelle had sex with fifteen stallions? No, not Annabelle, not the love of his life, there must be some kind of mistake here. She was a loving and extroverted sort, sure, but to give of herself so freely? He couldn't believe that, he wouldn't believe that.

"But hey, I gotta go, it was good talking to you." The mare said, patting his back. "Congratulations again, by the way. Hey Fixer, don't drink all the punch!" She scolded a young colt and walked off, leaving Mac to struggle against her words.

Was it true? Annabelle had said she'd been with another stallion before him, but that many? Fifteen? Why hadn't she told him about this?

'I don't think that she was telling the truth.'

Yea, me neither.

Mac wanted to believe he didn't believe it, but there was a small and nagging doubt in the back of his mind that pushed his thoughts to cynicism. What if she had been, though? The buttermilk earth pony didn't speak much of her old love life, aside from telling Macintosh about that one coltfriend she had. Matter of fact, she never much talked about any of her relationships with the carnival ponies. Whenever the two would talk, it was usually about his family, doings, or farm work.

Why was that?

'Did you ever ask?'

He did, and he remembered her either giving short winded answers or just dismissing the questions outright. Was that the reason why? Because she felt guilty about sleeping with so many ponies? Was that the reason she left the circus all together? The apple pony always believed it was because of Annabelle's dislike of her father that she left, and that she wanted to be with Macintosh himself, but was that true? Or was her reason for leaving more to do with her relationships with the rest of the carnies?

'Mac, Mac! You're reading too much into this.'

Was he? 

Macintosh wasn't the most worldly of ponies in Equestria, but during his travels around the country, he did come to find that his values were, what some considered, very traditional. Sex was a sacred act, an act committed between two ponies who loved each other, who knew each other and both respected and admired one another enough to share such an intimate act.

To him, one who gave their body away so freely was immoral and of low self respect. Sin and he had debated a little on the subject, but not really, since the Federalist was somewhere along the same mind, his only concern was that the government shouldn't try to legislate such morality in to law. Not that it really mattered if somepony disagreed with his beliefs or not. They were his.

If Annabelle was a floozy before, why would she stop now? What if she wasn't the kind of mare who could be faithful? What if she was seeing another stallion behind his back... What if the foal in her belly wasn't even his?

'Okay, you're done thinking about that. Annabelle isn't like that, you know this, Macintosh.'

But what about what that mare said?

'Here's a thought, maybe she was lying?'

Lying? Why would she do that?

'Because she thinks Annabelle is prettier than her and she did it out of spite? I don't know, mares are weird like that, but I do know that Annabelle would never cheat on you. She loves you, dude. She was willing to fight Shade to protect you, she chose you over her own brother, if you remember correctly. What more proof do you need?'

Relief began to trickle out the tension, there was no way Mac could argue that point. Even his most suspicious and cynical mind had no retort to that. Still, the fact that his mind would automatically go such a dark place in pertinence to Annabelle's past did show the pony just how little he really knew her. 

Had this not been a pregnant wedding, he'd have never considered such a large step in  their relationship.

"You look like you could use a drink." Spike said as he walked up to the stallion, holding a pair of cups in his clawed hands.

Macintosh gave the drake a grateful smile and took the offered beverage. "Ehe, thanks."

"Feeling nervous, buddy?" Spike asked, taking a sip. Mac nodded. 

How could he not be nervous? Even if what the mare said wasn't true, he was about to enter a most sacred of institutions and bonds. He was also surrounded by at least sixty ponies all around with only half being his family, a dragon out in the west field, a sister who wasn't present at his big day, a foal who was having doubts about his parenting skills, and another foal on the way who would be stuck with him no matter what... yea, nervous was a good word for it.

A small groan was heard as Blade slumped up to the two. The green earth pony looked absolutely exhausted and miserable, small beads of sweat dripping from his mane. 

"Blade? Y'all righ' pardner?"

"She doesn't stop, Mac." Blade wheezed, looking back at Pinkie, who was bouncing and pronking around happily without a care in the world. Blade reached up and grabbed the apple pony by his blazer and pulled him uncomfortably close. "The apple fritters, the apple fritters cannot be this important... Pinkie, she acts like the world will end if even one platter has one too many things missing from it!"

Mac felt his nervousness shift  to mild discomfort as the green stallion pressed his forehead against Macintosh's own, his eyes growing wide and desperate over the arbitrary and almost insane demands of one Pinkamena Diane Pie. The punch glasses had to be, at least, in ten by ten rows with an ideal of ten by twenty. Anything less was a "party emergency". A colt or filly didn't have a smile on their face? Nope, that wouldn't do, gotta find a way to make them smile! Party favors, a ripped streamer, a popped balloon, depleting reserves of cups, a misplaced blade of grass! It never bucking ended!

"And worst of all-" Blade paused, looking back at her again, "-she hasn't even broken a sweat! Look at her! This ain't natural, man. She's on something, she's on something and if I keep this up, I'm going to need it too. I thought wedding organizers had easy jobs, dude, I'll take the mill any day of the week over this shit!"

Finding himself leaning back in a feeble and fruitless attempt to gain some space, Macintosh's eyes looked any where but the twitching face of his newest friend as he bore down over him. 

Luckily, Spike came to his rescue and politely pride the stressed pony off, leading him away and recommending he sit down for a while.

'Well... that happened.'

Macintosh straightened out his coat. The interaction may have been a little disturbing, but it did manage to distract him for a little bit.









"So, Twily, how are things working out with the new City Council Arbiter? Princess Celestia wanted me to ask about that." Cadance said, looking down at the Unicorn.

The librarian and Spike shared a look, both pressing their lips. "Umm, well, she's..."

"A total pain in the plot?" Spike suggested, earning a a few curious stares

"Spike!" Twilight wined. The dragon turned to her and gave her a flat look, daring her to argue his words. He'd observed how she operated, using emotional logic and lobbying for her own brand of laws to the city council because she couldn't pass any herself. The drake had set in on a few City Council meetings and assisted Justice on more than one occasion looking over some of the most unnecessarily long winded, but minuscule consequence legislation, his opinion on the matter being some kind of minority voice in her mind.

"You're working as her assistant?" Cadance asked, looking at Spike. "I didn't know that."

"Well, it's not exactly something I brag about."

"You think she's doing a poor job?"

Spike took a sip of his punch and nodded. She was a tribalist and a sexist against unicorns and mare, she claimed that she wasn't because: since Equestria was a matriarchy, mares couldn't be discriminated against, because sexism is prejudice plus power, same with her tribalism with unicorns, believing that their magic made them of a "higher class" to pegasi and earth ponies.

Spike didn't know how many times he tried to point out the hypocrisy of Justice's own racism and bigotry to her, since she claimed to hate both, but it was like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall reinforced with concrete and enchanted to be the ultimate immovable object.

He recounted their experience with the mayor that very morning about the proposed legislation banning public magical practice. Shining questioned why such a thing would need to be done, prompting Twilight to explain her transfiguration mis hap a week ago. Apparently somepony made a complaint about the matter to city hall and prompted a discussion about the dangers of magical usage in public areas and the threats and risks associated.

"I guess I can kinda see the logic in that." Shining admitted, rubbing his chin. "Still, banning it out right seems a little extreme."

"The justification is the mental trauma that it could cause foals and other ponies." Twilight said, blushing with embarrassment. "I changed the bird back, so no real damage was done."

Spike nodded in agreement, it was just a little power grab by city council to make themselves feel important. He'd likely get Justice to veto the legislation before the mayor had to sign off on it.









Mac sat in his room for a few moments of peace and quiet. He felt his muscles growing tense and the small pit in his stomach gaining weight, adding to his already insurmountable feeling of sickness.

He had fifteen minutes until he needed to be at the alter and wait for Annabelle. Such a span of time felt like too long and not long enough at the same time some how. He was nervous, hot yet cold, his mind was a buzz with too many things to keep track of. Annabelle, Applejack, Scootaloo, Granny, Spike, Applebloom, the new foal, Blade, Brute, The dark orange mare... all of them swirling around in his mind as he tried to collect himself for his part to play.

It was so bad he couldn't even hear his inner voice begging him to calm down. 

He took a deep breath tried to relax. It helped a little and the stallion repeated the process a few more times, feeling the tension in his body leave with each exhale.

At least until a knock at the door boomed through his ear, the voice outside bringing back every last bit of stress he'd just expelled.

"Mac? Can Ah come in?"

It was Applejack. He took a moment and called out to her to enter.

The mare looked stunning, wearing a simple and elegant green gown. "Hey pardner, ya doin' alrigh'?" She asked

Silently, Macintosh nodded, feeling a great deal of both comfort and relief at his sister's presence. She pushed the door open all the way and wandered in.

Applejack stopped a few feet away and sighed. "Look, brother, Ah'm gonna come righ' out n' say it. Ah'm not happy withcha." She said seriously, making Macintosh internally cringe. "Ya broke yer word tah me. Ya straight looked me in the eye n' told me that y'all weren't gone do no more big things like that, n' ya did."

The stallion pressed his lips and nodded. Part of him wanted her to hold off the plot chewing until after the wedding was over, but another part of him was happy and relieved to get this matter settled here and now.

"It hurt, Macintosh. It hurt to know that ya lied like that. It makes me wonder if'n ya changed fer the better or fer the worst when ya left home... N' right now, Ah don't know if Ah can trust ya er not."

Mac felt his heart leap into his chest, that hurt. It hurt and the stallion felt anger follow the pain. After everything he'd done for her, how could she dare not trust him? Yea, he'd made a mistake, but he did look after her during that deal with Soarin. He protected her and held her as she cried over what that bastard did, where did she get off acting like he was untrustworthy?

'Because that has nothing to do with this and you know it.'

He felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked up into the emerald robes of Applejack. "As angry as Ah am wicha, yer still mah brother n' Ah love ya. Ah know ya did it fer the right reasons, n'... well, it'll take time fer me tah trust ya again, but Ah jest want ya ta know that Ah fergive ya."

Mac released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, keeping himself turned away as his sister continued to speak.

"Ah spent the night with Annabelle n' her ma after she found me in town. We was talkin' 'bout things, farm life n' whatnot, her influence on ya n' yer decision tah take in Scootaloo. N' then she told me what happened to Scootaloo's parents..." She paused, her hoof trembling with emotion. "Ah understand why ya did what ya did, Big Macintosh. Part o' me is a little proud that yer willin' ta take responsibility of a foal that ain't yers, but next time, can ya just talk to us? Ya know Ah wouldn't have said no."

"Ah know." Mac replied, finally finding his voice. "Ah jest... when Ah found out 'bout that... Ah felt like... Ah don't know. Ah jest wasn't thinkin'."

Applejack walked around the bed and Macintosh got a proper look at her. She made a movement that made him cringe but soon found his fear unjustified as his sister hugged him.

"Ah know, ya were just tryin'a do good. N' despite yer lyin', ya did." She whispered.

Macintosh slowly returned the embrace, gently hugging his sister and finding both comfort and strength from her. He knew she was still angry, but it felt good to know that she still loved him, that she was still here when he needed her the most.

Applejack pulled back and looked him in the eye, giving a gentle smile. "Yer my brother, n' fer better or fer worse, Ah love ya, Mac."

"Ah love ya too, AJ." 

The two hugged again, cherishing the moment as their bond reconnected in a way Macintosh didn't even notice was severed. He missed Applejack, he hadn't realized it until then, but he barely spoke with her outside of doing farm work or at dinner. She'd become less of his sibling and more of a room mate who he seldom interacted with unless necessity called for it. The same with Applebloom and his Granny...

He resolved to fix that once the wedding was over.

"Ahem." Both turned to find Spike standing the door way, looking guilty for interupting the moment. "Sorry guys, but Mac... it's time."









Sitting on a pasture about three fourths of a mile from the festivities, Sin observed the wedding take place from afar.

The Federalist had stopped by every day for the past month to check the grounds out and see if the wedding would happen that day or not, part of him feared that Macintosh might hold the wedding elsewhere, but most of him was confident that, as farm folk, he'd have it on Sweet Apple Acres. 

'Looks like you were right.'

Sad thing is that, even if he wasn't on the run from the law, Sin would still be a good distance away from the festivities. He felt bad for Mac, the apple pony hated crowds just as much as he did, but this was the fate of all who decided they wanted to enter wedlock.

'Kid's glad you came, says he wishes we could be closer though.'

And I wish I could go back to the Federation and stop my brother and father from whatever they're planning instead of venturing to some town to start a new life. Ain't life a bitch?

It wasn't just him being a smart ass either, Sin felt a small resentment for the fact that he would no longer be able to return home and, despite everything that happened to him, save his home from his family's company. That was, of course, assuming what he'd been told by Mandylion and Ace was true. Though, even if it wasn't, there was revenge to consider. Revenge for Zell for his unjust murder, revenge for all the members of the senate who'd been blackmailed and threatened into complacency by Triple M. activity. Hell, he could probably kill them both six times over and find enough evidence of wrong doing to justify a seventh.

'Innocent until proven guilty becoming too inconvenient for you?'

He couldn't objectively prove that it was Triple M.'s work on Zell's death anymore, the physical evidence for that was long gone, and assasination records wouldn't be found, but Malich's word was proof enough for him.

Not that it mattered anyway, since he was all but a slave to his emotions at the threat of a mind parasite infecting his thoughts and afflicting his dreams and memories should he disobey, the idea was rendered moot. It pained him to say, but Sin was stuck in the old world whether he liked it or not.

'Aw, come on. It's not that bad, is it? I get that you want to get revenge and all, but you'd literally be throwing your life away. Is it really so bad to try to find a life of happiness here?'

At the threat of coercion from my own head that I have no means of protecting myself against?

'Yea, well, you don't really have a good track record of acting in your own best interests, emotionally speaking.'

That's what I thought.

'Well... technically speaking, it is still "you" who's holding yourself up to this standard, so it's not aggression so much as a vice?'

Sin had considered this on a philosophical level but abandoned it half way through. He didn't have the answer and honestly, he kinda didn't want one. 

Instead, he busied himself by studying the farm down below and decerned who all was present. Even as far away as he was, he could still make out most of the ponies present, he recognized Twilight and a few of her friends, Macintosh and Spike of course, Blade was present surprisingly, helping Pinkie keep up with the festivities. Rainbow Dash was chatting with someone he didn't recognize, Rarity, a pony he didn't see often was there and there with Fluttershy. No Discord, though, which was a good thing; the draconequus, somehow or another, would have likely found him out and exposed his presence.

'Hey, where's Mac's sister?'

That was another mare missing, Sin frowned thoughtfully as he considered where she may have been. He didn't know her that well, but he understood the Apple family to be very traditional and found her lack of presence an oddity. Not that he could do much about that, though.

Something began happening down at the farm, and Sin turned his attention to it. Ponies began to quiet down and Macintosh and Cadance made way to the Alter, with Annabelle taking her place down at the opposite end of the isle, accompanied by, who he assumed to be, her mother.

Sin watched with a smile as a few violins began to play, beginning the bride's march down the isle. Though subtle movement once again drew his attention away from the scene. He found a most peculiar sight to his left, a lone, camoflauge cloaked mare was sneaking in through the western orchard.

Now, initially, Sin would have thought the mare a straggler from the wedding who'd have gotten lost and wore some unconventional clothing, something he was in no position to criticize, though what put him on edge was the small crossbow that he saw dangling from her cloak.

'Well, well. What do we have here?'

Well, my good Critic, I would say that is a mare on a mission to ruin my good friend's wedding.

'By Jove, Sin, I think you might be onto something. I say, if I'm not mistaken, that crossbow makers her look suspiciously like an assassin.'

Indeed sir, now death and chaos may have been prevalent at the last wedding in which I've attended, so I could be wrong here, but I don't think it's customary in Equestria for matrimony to include such things.

'No sir, I do not believe it is.'

Well then, by logical follow through, what we are currently observing is an afront to the festivities, it's rude enough that she's crashing a wedding, but then she intends to kill someone present? Such attrocious behavior is simply intolerable and requires immediate rectification, sir.

'Good show, old bean, quite right.'

Creeping low, his own crossbow slipped and pulled, with a makeshift trigger mechanism, Sin began to gain ground on the camo cloaked mare, ready to aim and fire if he needed to. She was obviously no trained assassin, her movements far to jerky, sudden stop and go, sudden stop and go. The kind of movement that attracted peripheral attention, instead of moving gracefully and fluidly. Her attention was in tunnel vision, looking straight ahead and taking in no notice of her surrounding, or his silent approach.

Just as she was about to go over a roving hill, the would be assassin crouched low and pulled off her crossbow, Sin taking care to silence his hoofsteps with an even slower approach, paying close attention to his shadow's position. 

He was a foot behind her when she began limning up her shot, the pony a little too close to the event for Sin's liking. "Chancellor Puddinghead sends his regards, you bucking traitor."

Sin smirked as realization hit and leapt forward, his left hoof gripping her muzzle to silence her yelp of surprise, and his right smacking the crossbow down, the discharge of the bolt being sent harmlessly to the ground below.

"Puddinghead, you say?" He whispered sadistically, "What a coincidence, let's chat." He declared, pulling the struggling failed-hitpony down the bluff.


  
> Country Wedding (Pt. III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  






Country Wedding (Pt. III)








"Now tell me, where is Puddinghead?" Sin growled, glaring down at the mare. 

The pegasus mare beneath him glared up at the stallion, daring him to lift his hoof away so she could scream. Sin realized how the pradiciment may look, even if Macintosh didn't recognize him with the new cloak and hood.scarf hiding his face, if any of the wedding goes came running, the situation would look more like a rape on his part than trying to stop an assassination attempt.

He had enough strength that the Federalist could drag her somewhere more private, but the problem there was that Sin couldn't both keep her under control and move her at the same time without risking getting caught. He could try knocking her out and taking her off that way, but if she only feigned being asleep and awoke at the wrong time, that was just another can of worms waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, in his head, a small battle was raging between himself and his personified emotions, with Critic passing along the message. This wasn't part of the kid's plans, the kid had enough of Sin killing. Though, Sin had the high ground here. The Trotski assassin was sent by Puddinghead to kill Macintosh. If not for revenge, than he'd need to leader to ensure the safety of his friend.

Sin gingerly lifted his hoof just enough, but a small screech from the mare made him slam it back down. It wasn't a long one, some might mistake it for a birds chirp.

The stallion smirked down at her. "I guess the easy way isn't going to cut it. That's alright, I have ways of getting what I want." He glared down at the mare and summoned the aura, but her look of defiance persisted in lue of the expected fear.

He pushed the boundaries, making her defiance crumble a little to fearful resistance, but it was clear his actions weren't having the desired affect.

Critic, what the hell? Why isn't she petrified?

'Hold on... Kid says that was the Nightmare's power. Since he's got her under lock and key, you don't have access to it anymore.'

You've gotta be fucking kidding me! Tapio dammit all! Fuck it, we'll do this the old fashioned way.

Suddenly, Sin released his right hoof's hold on the mare and dug it into her belly and dug up into her abdominal, finding the sweet spot for a sickening mix of discomfort and paralysis. She struggled a little, getting a good shot in at his face, but he held firm, pressing up into her sternum and irritating her lungs and reaching up for her heart.

After a few seconds her legs fell limply to her side and the defiant mare was absolutely helpless against him.

He relaxed his leg, keeping the pressure on to limit her volume of speech if she got any more funny ideas.

"Now then, let's try this again. Where is Puddinghead?" He asked, twisting his hoof to emphasize that he was growing tired of asking the question. 

The Trotski acted as expected and didn't reply, cringing a little as Sin pushed in more, rubbing the top of his hoof against a very sensitive area that lay on the inside of the ribcage. It sickened him to no degree to admit, but he was actually a little glad she was putting up such resistance, it gave him an excuse to indulge his sadism.

He tried asking the question again, but the results continued to disappoint, resulting in farther exploration of his hoof into her insides. "Hmm, let's see here, kidney, gal bladder, small intestine, stomach, I don't even know what that is..." he said thoughtfully. "Ah there it is." He placed a gentle pressure to the upper right quadrant of her abdomine and the mare threw her head back and opened her mouth in a silenced cry of pain, slamming her head against the ground repeatedly.

Sin smirked as goosebumps traveled up and down his spine, reveling in his enemy's suffering. He forgot what this spot was called, but from what he'd heard, to put pressure on this spot caused pain akin to that of childbirth or stomping a stallion's testicles. If the Trotski's actions were any indication, he'd say that the his teacher's words were pretty spot on.

"I could do this all day." Sin smirked, removing his hoof from the mare's person, letting her huff to regain oxygen. "All you have to do is tell me where Puddinghead is, and all of this goes away." He said gently. "Don't get me wrong, you tried to kill my friend, and honestly, I'm having a lot of fun right now. But I've also got a schedule to keep. So, tell me where your leader is, and this will stop."

The mare coughed and breathed for a few more minutes before looking up at him and then the sky. "Why? Hurricane? Why have you forsaken me?" She asked in a raspy whisper.

Sin chuckled, unable to restrain himself. "Kinda hard for her to hear you, what with the arrow bolt I put through her ears."

The mare's eyes widened in horror as they locked onto Sin's again, making the stallion's concionce conflict with his id. He knew what he was feeling wasn't right, that his inner glee at her suffering wasn't moral on his part, but dammit if it wasn't the most beautiful thing... to see the hope drain from someone's eyes who tried to kill your best friend.

"Now, I wont ask this again. Where is Puddinghead?" Sin growled.

It took some coaxing and a little bit more skillful hoof work, but eventually he got the answer he wanted. Unsurprisingly, assuming the mare was being truthful, Puddinghead, as well as the remnants of the Trotski in general, had returned to the Judgement wreckage outside of Trotingham. 

"Figures." He said, before looking down at his crossbow and shrugging at the mare. "Well, you're purpose is served." He lifted his foreleg and aimed the bow at the mare's head.

'Hold on a second.'

Seriously? 

'Kid and the Nightmare are talking, they're saying something I think you'll find pretty interesting.'

That right?

'Yea, she says that even if you kill this pony, another will stop by to finish the job when the Trotski realize the attempt was a failure, and your luck in catching that assassin wont be as good as catching this one. Mac did a pretty good number on them, dude, she might be right here.'

Sin furrowed his brow, that was a good point. Still though, what was she getting at?

'The Alicorn has an idea, but she wants to talk to you directly.'

That didn't bode well, Sin was just starting to enjoy her lack of discernible presence in his mind, but by the same token, if she could help him protect Macintosh, hearing her out might not be a bad idea. 

Fine, but tell the kid to shut her down if I give the word, got it?

"Gah! At last, some breathing space." The unmistakable sultry voice of Nightmare Moon boomed.

Right, I was informed you had something important to tell me?

The Alicorn chuckled, finding his pointedness amusing. "I may have an idea to assist in saving your dear friend, Sinbad."









Macintosh looked over at Spike as he stood at the alter. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

Spike shook his head and looked out at the crowd. The Apple Family standing on one side of the isle while the circus folk stood on the other. The soft music was put on hold, waiting for the song everypony came to hear. Mac felt nervous for reasons he couldn't quite understand. Annabelle and he would be put into life long wedlock, that was a good thing, so why did he feel so sick and nervous right now?

'Because you're becoming oxygen deprived? Breath Mac, ya gotta breath!'

The stallion exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding, the world becoming a bit more peaceful when he did so.

'There you go, nothing to be nervous about, right? All you have to do is give your vows, give Anna the necklace, kiss the bride, cut the cake, indulge Spike's best mate speech, do a little dance and head off to your honey moon.'

Mac's eyes shrunk to pinpricks... vows... he completely forgot about the vows!

His inner voice groaned. 'Check you left blazer pocket.'

The stallion lifted his hoof and sighed with relief as he pulled out both the card upon which he'd written his vow and the barrel pendant necklace. He gave the vow a quick once over and it all came rushing back to him.

There we go, you're heads in the game now. Crap, look alive!'

Macintosh put the card and necklace away and looked at the opposite end of the isle. His eyes damn near bulged out of his head at what he saw standing before him.

There, in plain white dress made of sparkling silk, stood Annabelle. Her once braided mane now hung loosley around her head and neck, framing her face ever so perfectly, with her bangs covering just enough of her eyes the way she knew Macintosh appreciated. The subtlest hints of make up could be seen accenting her light blue eyes, a detail most wouldn't notice, but he would and he did. 

'Damn...'

She was beautiful.

Pinkie nodded at the quartet and the lead cellist took her cue to begin the song.

The crowd shushed, the music played an upbeat theme that everypony knew, and Annabelle and her mother began taking small, calculated steps down the red carpet that had been produced.

With each step, the butterflies in Mac's chest wiggled about a bit more violently, the comfort of seeing Annabelle's smiling face doing absolutely nothing to ease his nervous excitement... Even if she did look drop dead gorgious. 

Happy day, happy day, happy day.

In short order, Annabelle was handed off at the platform, her eyes locked onto Macintosh's own as Cadance stepped forth to join them in wedlock. The Alicorn spoke, but no words could reach Mac's ears. His mind was too occupied by the stunning pony before him, admiring her for all she was, contemplating the life they would share together. 

She held out her hoof to him and smiled brighter, Mac accepted the offering and felt the unease drain from his body.

'She is quite beautiful, you did well, Macintosh.'

Eyup.

Suddenly Cadance stopped talking and Annabelle pulled out his necklace, coaxing the stallion to lower his head and accept the gift. He then proceeded to take out his own and return the gesture, admiring the jewelry upon his wife before admiring his own.

"And now, the vows. We shall start with the bride." Cadance declared. Taking a breath, Annabelle retrieved a card from her bouquet and began reading.

"Macintosh Apple. I take you as you are, loving who you are now and who you are yet to become. I promise to listen to you and learn from you, to support you and accept your support. I will love you and have faith in your love for me, as my husband, through all our years and all that life may bring us. Till death do us part."

Mac felt his insides go warm and he almost melted as the words hit him like a brick wall. Any doubts he had, any credence he'd given to her lack of faithfulness were erased by those words.

She gave him a gentle nudge, reminding him to read his own vow.

"Annabelle, Ah knew from the moment Ah saw you that we were meant ta be. Ah vow to love ya, encourage you, trust you, and respect you. As a family, we will create a home filled with love n' compassion. Ah promise to work with you knowing that together we will build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone. Today, Ah choose you to be my wife. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. Till death do us part."

With that, both exchanged their respective cards. Cuing Candace to retake the stage.

"Do you, Macintosh, take Annabelle to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to remain faithful and true, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"Ah do."

She turned to the bride. 

"Do you, Annabelle-"

"I DO!" She interrupted, earning a few chuckles from the audience.

"Very well, but the power vested in my by my birth rite as the Princess of Love, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The two leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a smoldering show of love, time stopped for Mac in that single moment. His body was on the verge of collapse from the kiss and the world vanished once more. In that instant, there was no wedding, no Cadance, no world, no stress, there was only Annabelle and all of his love for her. In that moment, he no longer had any doubts, he no longer had any regrets, save that the moment wouldn't last forever.

The two pulled apart and the guests applauded with a chorus of stomping hooves and whistles.







THUD!

Macintosh's eyes widened as he looked down in shock. Annabelle gasped and screamed as the pony fell to his knees and ultimately to his side, the red fletched shaft of a crossbow bolt protruding from his neck.

Ponies gasped and bull rushed the stage, many were screaming and making incoherent demands.

"NO!" Sin watched in horror as his best friend, a pony he respected dearly and loved, fell to the ground from an injury that he knew he wouldn't survive. Even from that distance, Sin could see the blood pooling around the red pony's throat, staining his wife's alabaster dress red.

His irate attention was returned to the assassin who he'd so foolishly allowed to regain her senses. She was running now, retreating back to the Everfree forest.

"You fucking bitch!" He yelled, lifting his hoof and firing off one of his bolts at her. He didn't even wait to see if it would hit home before taking off after her, putting everything he had into catching her and rendering every last bit of pain and torment onto her that he could conceive of.

The assassin looked back at him and smiled. "Don't worry! I'll get you later! Long live the Trotski!" She declared, pushing herself faster as she ran down the bluff. 

Are you sure this will work?

Sin could hear the crying coming from the farm. Hallowing wails of loss and pain, of fear and anger. it drove him, it drove him to run harder and faster, to kill the bitch who'd ended the life of a pony he cared so deeply for.

"We're too far along for you not to trust me now."

Sin was gaining on the murderer, the deep orange pegasus pony was almost to the forest now, but he would catch her, he'd catch her and hurt her before she got there.

Just as the mare was about to run through the woods, Sin leapt after her and wrapped his forelegs around her hind legs, wrestling her to the ground at the treeline.

"Now punch her in the muzzle, hard!"

Sin did, he turned her over and decked her as hard as he could in the mouth, bloodying her snoot. Though, in her thrashing, she managed to knock the Federalist off, but her attack only served to fule Sin and redouble his efforts.

"Now, hit her on the back of the head!"

The stallion grabbed the Trotski's head and slammed it against the ground, making her cry out in pain.

"Perfect, now you put her down there and then go lay down over there."

The Trotski mare threw her hind leg up and landed a painful blow on Sin's testicles, making the pony howl in pain before he was bucked off and away farther than he should have, falling in a heap on the ground.







"You bitch!" Sin said, cradling his groin. He watched as the mare sat up and rubbed her head, hoping that the plan would work. 

Smirking, the Trotski mare wiped a foreleg over her bloodied muzzle and glared daggers and postulated the victory of the Trotski. 

"That was for Commander Hurricane and Prince Platinum!" She declared, beginning her walk to the fallen pony. "And since you've admitted to-"

She stopped, watching as Sin arose from the ground and lifted his now loaded crossbow at her. The assasin glared at him as the pony fired, missing her by mere inches.

"I wont forget this!" She yelled back, running through the tree line. "The Trotski will raise again!"

Sin yelled for her to come back, but feigned pain to excuse his lack of effort to chase after her. It was, after all, part of the plan that she think she escaped.

Once he was sure she was gone, Sin sighed and turned his head back to the direction of the farm.

Well, she didn't go back to finish the job, guess that means you were on the level.

"Of course I am, I am a mare of my word."

'Pretty clever idea.' Critic praised. 'Knocking her out and making her dream the assassination attempt was a success.'

Sin had to admit, the results spoke volumes. He was worried about the Alicorn betraying him and waking the mare while she was on his back, or that some random wedding goer would spot him as he walked to the Everfree forest for her awakening, but the plan worked perfectly. The Federalist even kept giving her minor injuries to match those in the dreamscape to make it as believable as possible.

Once that mare gives her report, the Trotski will think Macintosh is dead and wont try to kill him anymore. At least not for a while, Sin would need to finish off Puddinghead in order to ensure the longevity of his friend's safety.

A notion that was still being debated by his emotions and himself. Still though, he could take comfort in that a gnawing worry that was eating at the back of his mind ever since the fall out between the Trotski and the communists, was laid to rest.

  


> Country Wedding (Finale)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Country Wedding (Finale)








Watched with a deep sense of pride as his best friend was bound in wedlock. Shining Armor stood beside him, his eyes brimming with tears, with Twilight offering comfort as best she could.

Once the kiss was done, the crowd around broke out into a thunderous applause, with Spike offering a round of clapping as well as a few rude wistles as both Annabelle and Macintosh walked down the isle. Words of praise and acceptance showered alongside the rice as the two strode past.

Spike felt happy, Macintosh deserved a good mare in his life after all the crap he'd been through. He wished them the best, as well as the family that they were starting together. He looked down to find a small filly standing in front of him, watching the two with longing and merry eyes of her own. 

Placing a claw on Scootaloo's back, the filly looked back up him and smiled in a silent show of appreciation. Blade stood on the other side of Shining Armor, doing his best to keep his own emotions in check, he wasn't as bad as the guard captain, but he was not the stoic, if not grumpy and tired, pony he was when he'd stopped helping Pinkie Pie.

Speaking of which, the pink pony pronked up to the quartet as they reached the finale of their song and began whispering something to them as a couple of ponies with a strange mix of instruments followed behind her. The quartet lead, Octavia if he remembered right, rolled her eyes playfully and lead her band off the chairs, making room for the new ponies to sit.

"Alright everypony! Let's get this party started!" She declared, cuing the new band to start thier song.

The beat and tone was casual and upbeat, perfect for both dancing and as happy background music. It wasn't quite the Apple brand of country, but that didn't stop them from turning the front of the alter into a miniature dance ground right along side the carnival folk.

With her part in the ceremony done, Cadance returned to her family. "Sorry, he gets like this at weddings." She said sheepishly, placing a comforting win over her own husband-to-be and encouraging Spike and Twilight to enjoy the festivities. Seeing the chance, Spike grabbed Twilight's hoof and dragged her out to dance, the mare's protest over concerns of her brother lasting only a second before indulging her son.

Ignoring how absurdly reduculous his mother's dance style was, as well as her complete lack of rythem and beat, Spike had fun. Unlike the quadrupeds, his style of dancing allowed his arms freedom to move freely. He caught two of the diamond dogs dancing and decided to give their style a try, finding the beat of the music in his body very fulfilling in a way. 

He spied Macintosh refusing Annabelle a dance, though his almost need to force the issue was resolved when the bride grabbed the groom by the hoof and dragged him out to the dance floor herself. The stallion was clearly uncomfortable with the affair, but Spike knew that if he really didn't want to, he could just as easily pull himself away from her. 

'Sometimes, we all just need a little push out of our comfort zone.'

Looking around more, Spike took in the rest of his friends. Blade was finally enjoying some quality time with Pinkie Pie, and by "enjoying" Spike meant the stallion was being twirled around like a rag doll out of beat, looked a little confused and terrified, and had to summon every last ounce of coordination just so he didn't end up on his back. Pinkie, taking no notice of his discomfort, proceeded with her unconventional dancing, having the time of her young life.

Beside them, Cadance and Shining Armor danced together in a much more casual and subdued step. Rainbow Dash was in a three way dance with Rarity and a local dark grey pegasus who's name Spike couldn't remember. Applebloom was with Applejack and Sweetie with Scoots. 

The environment was jovial, fun, light hearted and full of warmth, just the way he liked it. Through all the crap Spike and Macintosh had been through lately, today was one of the best days of his life. He felt no anger or lust for material, right now, there was only happiness, dancing, good food and plenty of drink.

"Excuse me, may I cut in?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Spike nodded and proceeded to one of the tables for refreshments, only to have his claw grabbed by the lilac maned filly and pulled into another dance with her.

'Well, that was unexpected.'

Spike agreed, but he didn't care. Sweetie Belle was good company, for the few times the two had spoken.

'You developing a romantic love interest?' His inner voice teased.

Meh, not really sure. Honestly, I'm not interested in that kind of thing. Interracial relationships are okay and all, but the last mare I had feelings for used and manipulated me a lot... Not really looking to get caught up in that again, you know?

'You know, Spike, Not All Mares Are Like That.'

I know, but I've got a little too much on my plate to think about things like that.









The song came to it's end and the dance floor erupted in applause. The band giving a slight bow before discussing what song to play next. The next song was more subdued, the wind instruments playing a soothing melody as the strings gave way to a softer tune.

Macintosh didn't care much for fast paced dancing, but slow dancing was one of his biggest fears right up there with public speaking.

'You conquered one fear, might as well face the other.'

The stallion shifted uncomfortably, he didn't know how to dance... Dancing along side somepony was one thing, but slow songs like this? This required coordination and synchronization, atonement to the movements of one's partner. He trusted Annabelle well enough, but the issue wasn't trust, it was capability. 

Still, Annabelle's presence offered him the reason, comfort, and the strength he'd need to embarrass himself. A clumsy mess was one way to put how the two danced, each hooking one foreleg around the others neck like everypony else was doing while turning in slow, lazy circles around one another. 

Macintosh continually looked down, trying to judge where Anna's foreleg would go before he lifted his own in step... that didn't work out well, resulting in more than one instance of tripping and stumbling. He continually looked around to make sure nopony saw his blunder, but Annabelle was content to laugh the mishap off and admit that she'd never danced this way either. Her words did nothing to sooth the stallion's self consciousness, though.

She stopped dancing and gave the stallion a kiss. "Mac, it's okay. Who cares what they think? This is about us." She gently stroked his cheek. "Just you and me."

Mac felt himself relax as the velvety smooth touch of his wife. She was right, what others thought wasn't important, not right now. Today was their day, the best day of his life, and he wasn't about to let his anxiety ruin it for him. 

Letting the tension drain from his body, Macintosh found the dancing much more enjoyable. He stopped looking down at his hooves, content to simply rest his neck on his wife's. The contact, the closeness, the intimacy, it gave him a pleasant feeling of warmth in his belly. A feeling he wanted to hold onto forever, contentedness and completeness, the feeling of love. That, and the fact they'd settled to sway from side to side instead of actually moving helped too.

The soft melody came to it's end, Mac and Annabelle sharing one last kiss to commemorate their first dance. 

'Atta boy, Mac.'

The two looked around to find all eyes on them, each face in the crowd offering encouraging smiles at the pair, making Macintosh's anxiety kick right back in. He could hid it's appearance well enough, but the firm squeezing from Annabelle's fetlock upon his withers told him his body body betrayed the attempt.

"Ain't they just the most adorable little things ya ever did see?" Granny whispered to Applejack, who nodded in return.

All eyes were taken from the pair as a small, orange filly approached them. She looked nervous and a little ashamed for some reason. "Macintosh, Annabelle?"

The two stared down kindly at her. "Yes?"

Scootaloo bit her lip and looked down for a moment before steeling herself with a breath. "Can I talk to you two for a minute?"

The earth ponies shared a look between each other before nodding and leading the filly off to the house.









"Wonder what that's about?" Spike asked, watching the bride, groom and foal make way through the crowd.

"Family business, I'm sure." Cadance answered sagely. "Speaking of which, Shining? Can I speak with you in private for a moment?"

The stallion furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment, but agreed. Spike watched them go and shrugged. The main dances seemed to have been over and ponies split off from the floor to indulge other activities. Spike's stomach growled and a particularly delicious fragrance called him over to the food tables.

He grabbed a plate and loaded it with a few apple fritters and tarts, he was about to grab a piece of wedding cake, but a pony he wasn't expecting to see called out to him.

"Inquiry? What are you doing here?" Spike asked, tilting his head.

Inquiry pressed his lips, looking much more irritated than usual. "Are Macintosh Apple and..." He paused, pulling out a note pad. "Annabelle around? I really need to talk to them."

Spike's jovial happiness was dampened by the detective's claim. "What about?"

Inquiry looked back to the entrance of the farm, Spike did as well and found nothing out of the ordinary. "Look. Justice is on her way right now to pick up the orphan filly who's currently residing her." The dark stallion hushed conspiratorially, making Spike's eyes widen in shock and demanding he start from the beginning.

Inquiry grunted impatiently and looked back at the entrance of the farm again. " Okay, fine. I gave them a temporary guardianship form that I wasn't authorized to give. From what Mr. Apple had told me, it sounded like the child was a flight risk. I knew Justice would hold too hard to the law and try to put the filly in state custody. I didn't tell her but she found out somehow and I need to warn him."

Spike's breath caught in his throat, he knew exactly how she found out but hoped she wouldn't pursue the issue. Why? Why would she waste time and effort for Scootaloo? Didn't she have better things to do?

Inquiry groaned again. "Not much happens in this town. Now where are they?"

"They went into the house, wait, why can't they keep-"

Passing by at a quick trot, the detective shouted back that he'd explain later, but right now he needed to talk to Macintosh and warn the pony about what was to come.









"So, what's up, Scoots?" Anna asked, dusting off her dress as she sat on the couch.

The filly mimicked the mare's motion, nervously smoothing out her own gown. She cleared her throat and looked around a little, fidgetting with her hooves while she tried to put into words what she wanted to say. "Ummm, well, I... I wanted to apologize to both of you." She admitted, casting her eyes to the ground. "You've both been so nice and supportive to me, you took me in and showed me how stupid I was being and... I rejected you."

"Awww, Scootaloo..."

The filly held up a hoof, deflecting the dismissal before it began. "I know that..." She paused taking a few breaths to calm her trembling. "I know that I hurt both of you when I said I wasn't really sure about you adopting me. I know that, but my parents... they were never around much and, then they died... and with Applejack acting the way she was, talking about involving police and what you guys said about foal custady and-"

In a flash, Annabelle snatched the filly into an embrace and held her close, promising that she would never allow the government to take her away. Macintosh joined his newly wedded wife in the hug, also promising that such a thing wouldn't come to pass. 

The two whispered sweet and quiet words of comfort to the foal, easing her troubled mind and reassuring her that neither of them were angry with the way she'd felt. It was a big change, one that she was understandably unsure about, and neither one of them would hold against her.

Her trembling form finally calmed down and she looked up at both of them, her light lilac eyes puffy with unshead tears. "I... I want you guys to be my mom and dad... I- I saw how you two were out there. You two love each other, you love each other so much and, I... I want to be part of that."

Mac's grip tightened on his wife and foal... "We'd be happy ta have ya, Scootaloo."

Silence reigned as the three shared a moment, a moment where a family was born. No words needed to be said now, only the acknowledgment of presence, comfort, and commitment. Macintosh knew, without a doubt, that his was what he wanted. Scootaloo wasn't his by biological right, but he didn't care. She was a good filly, a respectful and smart sort. A good filly who would grow to be a fine young mare. Attachment of this like was hard to explain, to put into words. All he knew was that he wanted her safe, he wanted her happy, and he wanted to be there with her as his daughter.

"Will you two be my mommy and daddy?"

"Of course we will." Annabelle answered without hesitation.

The hug tightened and an even deeper sense of connection was shared before the three pulled away and smiled at one another. "Though, that'll mean you'll have to take on the last name of Apple."

Scootaloo chuckled faintly. "Scootaloo Apple. I think I like that."

So did Macintosh.

"I think we'll need to stop by the mayor's office tomorrow," The buttermilk earth pony declared. "Make the adoption finalized."

"Eyup," Mac laughed, his mind going over all the things they'd be able to do. Farm work was easy enough, but not really what one would call fun bonding time. The ol' swimming hole out past the eastern fields would be good though, making candy apples, going out on Nightmare Night, and of course, Hearth's Warming.

Scootaloo's smile dropped to a sad one, recalling how her last holiday was spent. "I'd really like to spend Hearth's Warming with you guys." She said, giving both one last hug. "Hey, is it okay if I go out and tell Applebloom and Sweetie Belle about this?"

He new parents nodded and the filly went scuttling out of the house.

"Oh, excuse me." Mac heard her say at the front door. He observed the detective in question called after her but went ignored.

"Detective Inquiry?" Macintosh asked in surprise. "What's goin' on?"

The stallion asked if he could come in and made way for the two. "We need to talk."









Angel Bunny lay on his back, looking up at the small puffy clouds of the mid afternoon sky.

He was thinking over his lot in life and how his new momma had constantly pushed him out of the farm house. She knew it was cold outside, she'd said as much to him, and constantly reminded the rabbit of how unwelcome he was in the house. He didn't understand why, though. 

He'd come to terms with the idea that maybe, just maybe, the world didn't revolve around him. It hurt, it hurt his pride, it hurt his ego, and it hurt his world view, but the evidence of his living under an apple tree spoke for itself. He was a rabbit, he was just another critter of many. He was smarter than most beasts of his like, but he was still not as special as he'd always thought himself to be. It didn't change the fact he was angry or felt entitled to certain things, but Scootaloo had made it clear that she wouldn't tolerate his bad behavior like his old momma did.

The pegasus filly had spent one whole day ignoring him after he'd smacked her upside the head a five times in a row for refusing to give him a second apple for lunch a few days ago. He thought she was bluffing, he thought she wouldn't really hold to her anger and realize that the apples were his for the taking. That she was just a conduit the universe used to provided for him.

But he learned a lot that day, the day he'd spent the entire duration with an empty belly until the next morning hiding in his burrow. He'd tried to sneak into the barn for the fruit there in, but that canine beast of a collie had found him out and thwarted his plans, forcing the rabbit to be destitute for the night. It was a humbling experience, having no where to go and having your perceived god-given right to all things dismissed so easily.

The rabbit sighed, he didn't like this, he didn't like this at all. He wanted a warm bed again, he wanted to be pampered and comforted, to be held and have his coat brushed. His new momma didn't do these things. She didn't do much of anything for him besides feed him and play with him for a little bit. Angel was growing sick of apples, he wanted carrots, and lettuce, and celery. 

New momma never gave him those things, though. Apples, apples, apples and more apples. Was it punishment? Was this to be his fate till the end of his days? Living bellow the means of the peasantry he looked down upon for so long? At least they had a house with cooked food and warm beds, all he had was a burrow under a tree. No bed, no warmth, no water unless provided.

Angel closed his eyes. He missed his old momma, he missed his old life. He still didn't know what feral meant, but he suspected it had something to do with his demanding and physical behavior. Maybe he was wrong for smacking old momma around like he had, but what was he supposed to do? The mare didn't listen! When he said he wanted his tomatoes diced and not sliced, that meant he wanted his tomatoes dice and not sliced! It wasn't a difficult concept! Old momma deserved it! She-

Groaning, Angel stopped the thought in it's tracks. No, he couldn't think that way anymore. Thinking that way is what got him in trouble in the first place. So what if his tomatoes were just sliced right now? Hay, compared to life right now, he'd take a tomato whole, so long as it meant he could go back home.

He heard some shuffling to his left and the rabbit's breath caught in his throat. There, walking up to a bluff opposite his current position was the telltale cherry blossom pink mane of Fluttershy. The rabbit jumped to his feet and made a mad dash for her, jumping into her barrel when he was close enough, and clutching into her for all he was worth.

"Angel?" Fluttershy squeaked in surprise. "ANGEL!" She crushed him to her chest, nuzzling the bunny and giving his aching heart a new sense of hope. Her hug... it changed something in him. He didn't feel entitled to her affections and favors any more, her embrace warmed his heart and the rabbit, for the first time, felt a sense of gratitude and love.

"It's so good to see you again. Have you been eating well?" The pegasus asked, pulling Angel up to get a good look at him. "Oh you poor thing. Don't you worry, once I've got my certificate, I'll fix you right up."

Angel didn't know what a certificate was, nore did he particularly care, all he wanted was to go home, have a few carrots and snuggle with the mare of his dreams until he felt asleep, warm and safe, away from the pre-spring cold and preying snoot of Winona. He was saved, he was finally going to go home.

Though, for some strange reason, old momma put him down and gave him a kiss upon his head, saying she'd be back for him soon.

Soon? What did she mean she'd "come back" for him? Wait, she must not have realized he changed, yea, that was it!

Angel hopped in front of her, barring her path and smiled up at her, showing his most innocent and happy side in an effort to prove himself. "Yes, Angel. Momma's glad to see you too, but I need to get back to the wedding. I just needed some quiet time to myself."

Again, Fluttershy walked passed him, taking no notice of his change. He tried again, making the smile on his face more and more pronounced. Though each attempt was met with the pegasus continually side stepping him. 

Growing impatient with having his attempts at redemption continually dismissed, Angel took the initiative and jumped onto Fluttershy's back.

"I'm sorry Angle," the mare said, reaching up and gently taking the rabbit by the scruff of his neck and setting him down. "But I can't take you right now,"

She said something else, but Angel was too shocked by what he'd heard. Why? Why couldn't she take him home? He'd changed! She was denying him and he wasn't slapping her across the face! Why couldn't she see that his restraint meant that he'd treat her better!? Did she think he wasn't good enough now that the violence had stopped? No, that's why she abandoned him in the first place...

His mind didn't have time to sort out the details before Fluttershy once again made way down to the wedding. Angel watched her go, his heart breaking more and more with every step she took. She didn't care... he'd changed for her and she didn't care...









"So she's on her way here now?" Macintosh asked, his voice and face hard as stone.

"Yes, she told me she was going to collect enforces before coming. She wont be long." Inquiry replied.

Annabelle fretted, continually smoothing out her dress nervously, she looked to Macintosh, her face riddled with concern. "Mac, what are we going to do?"

The stallion took a breath but couldn't find an answer.

"You're both married now, right?" Inquiry asked, the two nodded. "You've signed the marriage certificate?"

Macintosh nodded and picked it up from the coffee table, they were both about to sign it before Scootaloo pulled them aside. "Sign it, hurry! And grab the temporary guardianship form."

Bolting from his place, the stallion made way for the office and grabbed a quill and ink, along with the form as requested. He gave it first to Annabelle who placed down her name and then he placed down his own. All that was left was the signature of the magistrate of the ceremony and ratification of the mayor's office...

Inquiry took the certificate and noted the missing signatures, though nothing could be done about that until Monday.

"Bucking horse apples!" Inquiry scoffed. The stallion rubbed his forehead with a hoof. 

"What? What's wrong?" Annabelle asked frantically.

The detective sighed deeply and looked down at the certificate again. "This isn't ratified by a minister. If it's not ratified by a minister, than the marriage has no chance of being legally recognized until it is."

"What are you saying?!" Annabelle shrieked, having lost patience with the situation.

Again, the detective sighed. "It means that Justice is coming to take Scootaloo into custody, and she'll be in the full jurisdiction of the law to do so." He looked out the window again. "I was hoping you two would have it pre-signed by both the minister and the mayor or at least just the minister. Guess I should have told you two to do it."

Macintosh ground his teeth to hold back the growing sense of helplessness in his barrel. "Ya guess ya should have told us!"

"Hey, I didn't think Justice would go this far over a foal!" Inquiry shouted back, bearing his teeth.

His body trembling, it took every ounce of will for Macintosh to hold himself from lashing out. He didn't even know what he would do, all he knew was that somepony was going to get hurt. He was just starting to form his family, and now something was threatening to break it apart not ten minutes after he'd come to accept it?

The two glared each other down, the tension in the living room only egged farther on as Justice's approach loomed. "Mistakes were made, fighting now wont help." Annabelle interjected, placing her hoof on Macintosh's back.

Both stallion's relaxed, she was right, fighting now wouldn't solve anything. What they needed was to figure this out, and cooler heads always prevailed.

"Alright, there are a few things we might be able to pull off here." Inquiry said before listing off a few options as quickly as he could. First, sending Scootaloo away until the marriage was ratified. A simple enough plan, she could go stay with Rainbow Dash for the next few days. Justice didn't know about their association, or so he hoped. Another solution was to hope the Arbiter and guard would be lenient, see the marriage between the two had happened, and allow the foal to stay, a plan none of the three ponies were interested in indulging. Or they could let the law take Scootaloo into custody for the weekend and petition for her on Monday when the marriage was ratified. An option that had worse appeal that either of the former.

'What about Shining Armor? He's captain of the royal guard, he and Cadance have to have some power here, right?'

Hey yea! That's right, they were here.

Macintosh explained the situation and Inquiry found hope. "Shining Armor is here and your friend?! Why didn't you say so!? You need to find him and you need to find Scootaloo, I'll see if I can buy you guys some time."

The three ponies galloped out of the house with haste, Macintosh told Annabelle to find Shining Armor and Cadance while he looked for Scootaloo and sneak the filly off the farm, just in case Shining couldn't be found in time.









"Ah'm soooo happy!" Applebloom cried, crushing Scootaloo to her barrel. "Ah have another sister! This'll be great, It'll be like a sleep over that nevah has ta end!"

Sweetie Belle chuckled and the crushed filly smiled happily. She was happy, happy to have found a new family to call her own. Yea, the chores and such would be... well a chore, and she wouldn't be a single child anymore, but her weeks on the farm had made her old life seem empty by comparison. 

Scootaloo felt ashamed to even think it, but her parents never really acted much like parents at all, or even like they loved each other. They weren't abusive or mean or anything, they were just more focused on their research and work to pay her or each other much attention emotionally. Seeing Macintosh and Annabelle together, to see the love they shared, how real it was... How attentive Granny Smith and Applejack were, and how happy the very friend now hugging her was, it made her old life seem so pointless and empty now.

A sudden rush of words from the crowd around them drew the fillie's attention to the front where a group of six guards and a pink pegasus pony mare were seen walking up the path to the house. 

"Why are the guards here?" Sweetie asked.

Scootaloo felt an unease in her stomach. They weren't here for her, were they? No, it couldn't be... Macintosh and Annabelle wouldn't let that happen... right?

Just as they were about to enter the crowd, a lone dark stallion in a coat and fedora intercepted the troop and began speaking to the lead pegasus pony. Scootaloo felt relief at first, but her stomach jumped into her throat as the pink pegasus pointed a hoof angrily and bid two of the guards to arrest the pony.

The stallion didn't put up much of a fight, but he did yell a few very crude and rude things at her as he was escorted off the farm.

Sensing something bad was about to happen, Scootaloo recommended they head over to the adults, an idea that the other two found most agreeable. 

"Excuse me!" The pink pony declared. "I am looking for Macintosh Apple and Scootaloo!"

There was no reply from the crowd, each pony simply mumbling amongst themselves as to the reason for the intrusion.

Scootaloo's heart went from a heavy thud to a rappid gallop at her name. They were here for her, they were going to take her away! Oh no, no, no, no, this couldn't be happening! This could not be happening!

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom looked at their friend in concern, who slowly began to back up and away. She wouldn't go, not after what she'd heard. She needed to find Macintosh, he'd make this go away. 

Applebloom looked back at the pink pony than back at Scootaloo before placing her hoof over her lips and motioning to be followed. Scootaloo did as instructed, grateful that her friends weren't going to sell her out. The three fillies crept away, keeping low to the ground as they made their way around back.

"Scoots, why in Luna's name are ya bein' chased by the guard?" Applebloom asked in a harsh whisper.

"I don't know!" Scootatloo replied frantically, continually looking behind her to make sure she wasn't seen. Things didn't look good for her right now, it wasn't often the guard was called in for any reason in Ponyville, and to have a pony arrested right after Justice calling out for her? 

"Did you do something wrong? The guards don't go after ponies unless they do something wrong." Sweetie said with foalish finality. Of course Scootaloo hadn't done anything wrong, she had no idea why the guard was looking for her, but she wasn't really wanting to find out either. At least not without Macintosh here.

"Scoots, Applebloom!" 

All three fillies jumped, in fear, but their worries subsided when they saw the red stallion before them.

"Macintosh! What the hay is goin' on? Why're the guards here?" Applebloom demanded.

"It's complicated, Applebloom. Ah need yer help, Ah need ya two to git Scootaloo off the farm while Ah talk to them. Alrigh? Can ya do that fer me?"

Applebloom frowned at her brother and asked why, a question the pegasus filly wanted to know the answer to as well, though again, Mac barked that there wasn't time for explinations and that the three needed to leave as quickly as possible.

"Macintosh!" Applejack barked, marching up to the four. "What in tarnation is goin' on?"

"THEY'RE BACK HERE!" Yelled a voice from above. 

Suddenly, four golden clad pegasi circled around the ponies, spaced properly to prevent any means of escape, with Justice joining them along with a few party goers turned spectators. Spike ran up to Justice, asking for her to stop, but the mare pushed passed him, dismissing the drake outright

"Macintosh Apple?" The Pink pony asked politely before turning her attention to Scootaloo. "Scootaloo, I take it?"

The filly, in a fit of horror, jumped into Macintosh's chest, trying to bury herself into him and disappear from whatever fate was about to befall her. 

"Alright, what in the sam hell is goin' on here?" Applejack snarled her patience all but extinguished. 

Justice ignored her. 

"Mr. Macintosh Apple, I am Arbiter Social Justice. Since you were under the impression that your custody of Scootaloo was lawful, I will not have you arrested for foal-napping. However, since you are not a married stallion, you and miss Annabelle's custody over her is rendered null and void. I will be taking her into Ponyville custody. Now, please hand her over." 

Scootaloo felt her blood run cold as the situation became all to real, they were really going to take her away.

"No!" She cried, burying her head into Mac's chest.

She heard him say that the two had just gotten married and that somepony should have showed her the marriage certificate, but Justice said something that contradicted it.

Scootaloo, in her state of unbridled terror, couldn't make out what was being said through her chanting of wanting it all to go away. There was shouting now, arguing about something, warning tones given, and then more arguing. She could hear ponies she knew yelling and bickering about something, Spike, Applejack, Macintosh, the pink mare, all of them were arguing incomprehensibly, but then the pink mare said something that made everypony grow quiet...

Macintosh tightened his grip... and began whispering something to her, words the filly was to distraught to be able to make out.

After a few moments of silence, just as she was finally beginning to allow the world back in, Scootaloo felt something that almost made her empty her bowls.

Another pair of hooves reached around her barrel and began to pry her off of Macintosh.

She screamed. "Macintosh! Macintosh! Help me!"

Though, to her utter despair, Macintosh not only didn't help her, he let her go. He let her go and did nothing as the guard pulled her away. "Ah'm sorreh..." He said, his lip quivering.

Scootaloo didn't understand, why? Why wasn't he saving her? He promised he'd protect her! He promised he'd keep her safe! Why wasn't he doing that? She reached out a hoof for him, but the stallion didn't help her. He didn't save her, she was being taken away just like she's always feared she would. The world was silent now, no noise could reach her as realization of the situation set in...

She was being abandoned, again. First by her own parents and now by Macintosh... 

Hurt and pain beyond anything she'd ever felt before left the poor filly in a limp and hopeless mess. She didn't struggle as they began to carry her off. She was too much in shock by the betrayal to do much of anything besides a gentle numbness. 

How? How could he? She thought Mac loved her, how could he just let them take her like this? Didn't he care? Didn't he mean the things he said? If he did, then... why wasn't he...

Scootaloo felt the pony stop for a moment and then she felt herself being passed to somepony else and cradled. Her mind came into focus as the source of her ire met her gaze. 

"Are you alright?" Justice asked, looking down on the filly with pity.

In a flash, Scootaloo found herself once again. All of her shock and hopelessness turning into an equally powerful sense of anger and rage. The one responsible for her life falling apart close enough to feel her wrath. She threw all four of her legs up, bucking Justice in the snoot and sending the mare to the ground to writhe and clutch her bloodied muzzle. 

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU MACINTOSH!" Scootaloo Screamed before bolting off. She ran, she ran as fast and as far as her little legs could carry her, determined to get away. To get away from the pain that was behind her, to get away from those she knew were chasing her, to get away from everything.

She didn't know how closly she was being followed, but she knew she was. Voices called out to her, begging her to stop and come back. Scootaloo didn't listen, she couldn't, she was done with the lies, she was done having her hopes destroyed, she was done with Ponyville.

Opening her eyes, Scootaloo found herself approaching the Everfree forest. She turned her head to find the pegasus guards gaining on her, with Macintosh and Applejack hot on their trail. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed, redoubling her efforts as she broke through the tree line. 

The filly felt the loose tree branches and thorns of the trees around her rip and tear at her dress, rending and shreading the garmet to ribbons as she ran. She didn't care though, she didn't even care that a few of the branches and brushes scratched and tore at her own forelegs. The screaming for her return from her pursuers pushed her onward.









She had no idea how long she'd been running, the voices of her pursuers stopped a while ago. She'd thrown up more than once from all the physical exertion and strain, but that only stopped her for so long before she charged forth again. Though, her adrenaline was starting to subside, draining the filly of her resolve to keep running.

She didn't want to stop running, running would mean she'd have to stop, and stopping mean that she'd have to face the truth, the truth that the pony she trusted most had betrayed her, had lied to her, had abandoned her in her time of need.

Scootaloo failed to lift her hoof high enough and caught it on a root, bringing the filly tumbling to the ground with a grunt of pain.

She tried to get up, but a shot of pain up her hind leg staggered her efforts. Scootaloo looked around frantically, trying to figure out what to do, where to go, but all she could see in any direction was the dark foliage and bark of the Everfree.

As her body slowed, her adrenaline and will to run depleted in short order, leaving the filly just as physically exhausted as she was emotionally. Tears began to fall freely from her eyes and the pegasus foal cried. She cried a painful and howling cry, throwing every last bit of energy she had into it, as if her wails would cure her of her suffering. 

"Why..." She asked in a pain filled whisper. "WHYYYYYYYYHahahaha!?" she chocked and coughed on her own snot, leading to a round of dry heaving.

Her wailing gave way to crying, the crying eventually gave way to quiet sobs and the sobs eventually lead to silence. Scootaloo had nothing left, nothing at all. She had no energy and little capacity for thought, but what little she did have served to remind her of what she didn't. No family, no friends, and the guard was going to put her in foster care if she went back... She could never go back to Ponyville... Ever.

No more Applebloom or Sweetie Belle, no more Rainbow Dash, no more of anything that she knew, she was alone...

A small rustling in the bushes behind her made the filly gasp. She was in the Everfree forest, all kinds of monsters lurked within it's domain. Though, part of her was glad, at least this suffering would be ended soon.

To her surprise, it wasn't a fierce mantacore that exited the brush, but a small, tired looking white rabbit. "Angel?" She asked in a small, horse whisper.

The rabbit smiled at her and slowly hopped forward in short, tired jumps. He collapsed against her side and began panting in exhaustion, leaving the filly at least some sense of comfort.

Scootaloo's mind began to clear a little as she took in the rabbit beside her, she wasn't alone... Angel Bunny was here, Angel cared enough to chase her through who knows how many miles of the Everfree. She had no idea why, but she felt better in knowing that there was something that cared about her.

Her relief was short lived, however, as a pair of glowing yellow green eyes peered at her from the brush, and then another pair, and another. Shuffling could be heard from all sides, and the filly used what little strength she had to pull Angel closer to her barrel as low growling began to echo from all around them. 

From the darkness, oaken, canine like creatures began to step forth from the shadows.

Scootaloo knew she should have been scared, that she should have been screaming her head off right now, but all she felt was an sense of exhausted resignation. She watched as the timberwolves circled her, there was quite a few of them, not that it mattered. Even one was enough to do her in now. One of them lowered it's muzzle to her stomach and sniffed her barrel. The stench of it's rotten, mold smelling breath washing over the foal's face almost made her gag 

Scootaloo sighed as the wolf stood over her, sap like saliva dripping from it's open maw. Sharpened wooden teeth glaring down at her in front of it's glowing green throat, waiting to stain themselves with her blood and render her flesh from the bone. 

It was kind of disturbing how okay she was with what was about to happen, truth be told Scootaloo was more worried about Angel than she was about herself. There was no help for it now, though, and as the wolf's open mouth came down to tear her asunder, the filly found she couldn't hold onto consciousness any longer and embraced the sweet blissfulness of slumber.
> Fall out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Fall Out








"YOU BITCH!"

THWACK!

Social Justice flew, clutching the side of her face and wimpering in pain.

Annabelle, livid beyond all reason, was intercepted by Applejack and Tamer, both working to restrain the irate mare from her assault upon the pegasus. "YOU BUCKING TWAT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT! WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO TAKE HER FROM US?!"

"Annabelle, calm down." Her mother cood fruitlessly. It was pointless to talk to her, though. Annabelle's eyes were constricted in tiny orbs of hatred and rage, her legs flailing as they reached for the fallen pony, promising pain beyond pain if they ever came into contact with her again.

Spike was more than a little tempted to force the apple mare to relase the bride and watch Social Justice get what was coming to her. Shining Armor had relived her of her rank and title before taking off after Macintosh and demanding the guards in pursuite stand down. 

'Bucking idiot! What was she thinking?!'

Justice lay wimpering, apologizing again and again as Annabelle cursed her name and everything else about the mare she could think of. Those whom hadn't joined Shining Armor and the volunteers into the Everfree forest showed her no pity, each glaring at the fallen pegasus with looks of absolute disgust and disdain.

A few of Annabelle's family members came to her, each one trying to offer help in the restraint and calm her down. Telling her that now wasn't the time for Justice to face her wrath and that listing off the potential crimes she'd already committed.

"Come on, dear. Let's go help find Scootaloo." Said Tamer, trying to turn her daughter around.

Huffing, the buttermilk earth pony eventually began to simmer down, though, before acquiescing her mother's request. She began to turn but pulled away at the last second, shaking herself free of both the restraining mares and marched forward, standing tall over Justices cowering form. She leaned down, putting her muzzle mere inches from the pegasus's ear. "If Scootaloo, or Macintosh, or any of my family or friends is hurt because of what you did, you had better prey to Celestia- no you had better beg to her, to end you. Because if even one, bucking hair is out of place, I will find the longest, most jagged thing I can find and buck you with it till the screaming stops!"

The crowd gasped at the threat and watched with wide eyed horror as Annabelle spat upon Justice, turned around and marched inside the house. A full minute of silence passed before she ventured out again, missing her dress and calling out for anypony willing to help her. A few ponies broke from their stupor and tentatively formed up to follow at a galloping pace as she made way to find her daughter and husband.

Spike felt a small amount of pity for Justice, Annabelle was one of the sweetest ponies he knew, almsot up there with Fluttershy herself. He'd never seen her act so venomously, and to make a threat like that?! It was enough to make the dragon almost wet himself.

Once gone, the braver of those present began whispering amongst themselves. Each casting looks of pity to the fallen pony and then looking back to where Annabelle was going. 

"C'mon, Spike." Twilight said. "Lets go help find Scootaloo."









"Mandylion, it is good to see you again." Celestia said gently, looking down upon three tan clad figures before her. The first two she recognized as  Mandylion and Ace, though the third was a griffon that she had yet to meet.

"I hope you are well, Princess." The earth pony said, bowing humbly, followed by his compatriots.

The solar alicorn sighed and wished that she could say she was. Her public image and confidence had been shaken due to the changeling attack. Luna, who sat beside her, looking at the foreigners with small skepticism at their familiar capes, remains silent. 

"I am sorry, Mandylion, however, due to the circumstance with Equestria currently, I am afraid that, for the time being, I cannot spare any aid to your country as you've requested."

Mandylion pressed his lips and shook his head. "We're not here for that, though that does sadden me to hear."

"Oh? You have other business with me?" Celestia asked lightly.

The grizzled old earth pony nodded and took a breath, trying to organize his thoughts. "What do you know of Tapio Bearking?"

Celestia's pink eyes widened at the name, and Luna's expression shifted from skeptical to interested. "The Ruler of the Forest? It has been quite some time since I've spoken with him. He and I used to be friends a thousand years ago, but ever since..." She paused, casting her gaze over to her sister.

Luna sighed and looked pleadingly at her sister, urging her not to be too hard on herself for what happened. The lunar alicorn having been close with elder centaur, as both a diplomat and a friend. The Foresterian Emperor had begrudged Celestia for what she'd done, and spoke to her only at Milikkie's behest.

The white princes cleared her throat. "I haven't spoken with him since he lifted the Mist from the Centaur Isles and allowed your Federation to be formed. Why do you ask?"

"Then you know that Tapio has sight beyond sight, that he may hear through wildlife and foliage, and see all things that come into contact with it."

Celestia nodded and Luna slumped, looking a little nostalgic and longing.

Looking almost pained, Mandylion looked up at her before stating: "Tapio has foreseen the return of the elder centaur, Tirek."

Celestia and Luna gasped, both their eyes shrinking to distraught pinpricks at the news.

According to the earth stallion, the fell centaur had escaped Tartarus and is now in her country, preying on the magics of unicorns to regain his strength to challenge the world's Immortals.

Celestia remembered Tirek and the destructive power he wielded. Tapio and Milikki had both warned her about his treachery, though this was after last summit of Immortals one thousand and two hundred years ago. After Atlantis and Ario had almost gone to war over a dispute of territory over the boundaries of the Griffinstone sea and the merpony waters. This, in turn, lead to a long festering rivalry between Lyken and Minos coming to call, and left the entire summit in a squabbling mess that spoiled all friendships and associations to the point of the collections disbandment.

The Solar goddess wanted to keep ties and talks open with all the other races as much as possible. Since it was then that the merponies disappeared from the earth and sky dwellers to the deepest depths of the sea, isolating themselves from the rest of the world and began the griffin's decent as a species to become spiteful and selfish. 

She tried to be fair, though the warning Tirek's brother had given her, and the growing evidence to his inevitable betrayal was too much to ignore; and she, her sister, and Tapio himself, had banished Tirek to the deepest pits of Tartarus.

"How did he escape?" Celestia asked, regaining her calm.

Mandylion shook his head. "We do not know. All we know for certain is that he did not get out through the Hell gate. The Centarian and Canine patrols have assured us of that. We've dispatched agents to the Minotaur Republic for a status on the Hades gate, as well as your Tartarus gate. Also curiors have been dispatched to warn the rest of the immortals of his return."

Celestia slumped and placed a hoof upon her head, recalling the destruction and damnation the fell centaur had wrought. Images of a reddend sky and burning fields almost made her flinch. She could almost hear his laughter and taunting during their battle. The badlands were once a beautiful and luscious fields of green, a sight comparable to the Centaurland's Vale... but now, over a thousand years later, their battle, his destruction, had left a still unhealed mark upon the world, spanning over a thousand square miles of dead rock and red dirt.

Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, Sombra, even Discord paled in comparison to the unyielding power she'd fought against that day... Had her sister not come with Tapio upon the begining of the conflict, Celestia could only sit in dread over what might have happened to her...

"Your grace?" Mandylion said, breaking the princess of her thoughts.

"I am sorry, I was just..."

Mandylion held up his hoof, informing her that he'd heard about Tirek's banishment and the part she'd played in helping Tapio do so. 

"With your permission, a legion of centaur legionnaires would like to enter your country and conduct a search for Tirek. However, I was told to advise you to consider the intervention most heavily. Tapio suspects that, since you, as the royal pony sisters, command the magic of the cosmos, he plans to attack you first and foremost." The tan clad stallion stated grimly. "I ask that you allow and help us to end this problem before it begins."

It was a surprising offer. The centaur hadn't left their island in over a mellenia, even when Luna and Tapio spoke all those years ago, she always had to go to them. Though, it shouldn't have been that surprising, considering the power their foe could wield. She nodded her agreement and requested Raven, who had been silently standing by, write up the necessary paperwork to allow the centaur access into their country.

"Thank you, your majesty." The elder stallion bowed again, as did the two with him before leaving.

Once alone, Celestia turned to Luna. "Sister I-"

Luna lifted her hoof. "I know, I'll make ready to find him as quickly as possible."









"Are you sure this will work, Mandylion?" Tyken asked as he, Mandylion and Ace wondered out of the Castle and into the city proper. The repairs were coming along well enough, though the rubble may have been cleared up and the scorch marks washed away, the missing bits walls and multitude of damaged structures made it obvious the capital had experienced a devastating attack.

The stallion smirked and gave his old friend a side long look. "Of course, Celestia is a mare of honor and guilt. Once she has become indebted to the centaur, she will have no choice to but to send aid when we demand it of her."

Ace shook his head. "This is wrong, this isn't what the Liberty Syndicate is about. Manipulating our allies with guilt and obligation."

This earned a look from the earth pony, who took no liking for the golden pegasi's remark. "This is how politics works, Ace. Not everything can be gained through asking alone... If Triple M. succeeds in destroying the economy, it's imperative that Equestria assists us in the relief and restoration efforts. Chances are that they are the most likely to assist us, and I plan to use every advantage we can get to assure that they do."

Ace shook his head again, mumbling about how the Federation was meant to be an isolationist nation, free of both aid and alliance that could drag them into wars they had no business in, though Mandylion reminded the pony that time changed everything. That no matter how one may hope things would remain the same, ponies and such were creatures of evolution and adaptation. What worked one hundred years ago wouldn't work forever and that the Liberty Syndicate would need to change in accordance in order to preserve the fundamental principals of their interests.

Ace went silent at that, attempting to decipher the riddle of changing whilst remaining the same.

"I noticed you failed to ask about Sin." Tyken pointed out.

Mandylion smirked. "Didn't need to." Tyken and Ace gave him a look. "Tapio has seen him. Your pupil, my grandson is still alive and well, I assure you." It was actually a little sad how well the young pegasus had managed to fool the Equestrians, even the intercepted reports stated that an antagonist to the crown had been found to have committed suicide within the castle the day of Sin's alleged "assassination". If that wasn't a dead give away to the stallion being alive, Mandylion didn't know what was.

The griffin quirked a brow and asked how Tapio could see such a precise pegasus, but the exact location of Tirek elude him. To which Mandylion replied that Tirek was of centaur decent, granting the being default nature magic. The centaur's own power wasn't like the magic of unicorns or other conventionals.

The Aura, Occlumency, Prowling, and such were their own breed and brand. Magics that the isolate beings were adept in, but all species had the power to utilize if they could learn it. That was why, despite wearing anti-magical garments or charms, and the fact they had no means of magic, such powers weren't utilized by Triple M. agents. Tirek was an old being, a centaur who's life superseded that of even Tapio Bearking himself. To have a way of hiding his presence from his own kind shouldn't have been surprising.

"I see. And what of the agents who stalk the lunar princess?" Tyken asked, making Mandylion frown.

"If the reports we'd intercepted are true, they have a Tribune with the relief team. It would be wise to avoid conflict with them."

Tyken nodded his head and stopped walking. "Very well." He declared casually before turning and walking in the other direction. Mandylion called out to him, asking where the griff was going.

"You're not the only one with a grandson here, Mandylion." Tyken yelled back before disappearing in the crowd.










"SCOOTALOOOOOO!" Macintosh yelled into the forest for the countless time.

He'd run deep, far too deep for one pony to go alone, the yells of the search party behind him were a distant memory and had gone silent hours ago. He had to find her, he had to find her before somepony else did, or something else did.

The stallion had heard stories of what lurked within these woods. Cockatrice, Timberwolves, Mantacore, rats as big as a pony was tall, bears that somehow fused with bees, Star Shade.

'And the Ursa.'

Mac gasped and shouted for the filly, for his daughter, again. He was past the point of frantic now and had pushed his emotions to the way side for clarity in the situation.

Why? Why did she run?! Justice said she'd only be in custody for the night at worst! Just a few hours until Mayor Mare and Cadance had signed off on the certificate! Hay, they might have been able to get it right away if they'd gone to her house and pleaded for the politician to sign off!

She was going to arrest him then and there, on the spot and be within her rights to do so by Ponyville law if he didn't hand her over. It was just how the law worked, but even she said that it was just following protocol and she'd happily give Scootaloo back just as soon as the signatures were present, she even apologized to both him and the filly for having to do it.

Applejack promised him that things would be okay, that it wasn't worth him going to jail to stop it an ordeal that would take no more than half an hour at best to rectify. 

Why did he listen to her? Why did he listen to his fear? He knew it was wrong, he knew how desperate Scootaloo was! 

'Mac, you can't keep beating yourself up like this. Justice wasn't being unreasonable with her demands, she was just acting in accordance with the law. Applejack and yourself acknowledged that much. I don't know why Scootaloo ran, it doesn't make any sense... you told her that she'd only be apart for a little bit... I... I don't know...'

His inner voice was at a loss just as much as he was. 

Okay, yea, sure. Ever since Sin had come to town, he'd treated the law like a red headed step foal and made a mockery of the city council at every turn, spitting in the face of the law and throwing out the exemptions for legislation he deemed "useless" and "unnecessarily intrusive", but did Justice really need to try to remind ponies of how necessary it was for laws to exist and be enforced at that moment? The moment when his life seemed so happy and complete, yet was so volatile and unsteady?

"I HATE YOU!"

The words rang in his ears, playing over and over again and making the pony feel sick to his stomach, driving his need to find the foal and push him ever more into the darkness of the forest.

The stallion had pushed past trees, brushes, dodging anything that looked colorful or dangerous, his mind dreading the effects they could have. His ears were perked at any sign of shuffling or shifting that wasn't of his own making, ready to fight anything that found him or run away if he needed to. 

He'd encountered no animals, er at least none that he could see. The darkness of the forest left him almost blind, unable to see but ten feet in front of him at any given time. Though that didn't deter him, Macintosh had wondered into the most dangerous, threat infested landmass of the nation for a reason, and no amount of danger or fear was going to deter him from fulfilling that reason now. That mistake was made twice already, there wouldn't be a third time.

One hoof in front of the other, watch for suspicious plants and listen for threats. Left hoof, right hoof, left hoof, right hoof.

He didn't know how long he'd been searching for her, his legs and hooves ached dully from the brush that scrapped against him. Macintosh didn't care though, the only thought on his mind was the thought of the pegasis foal, a pony he cared for deeply being stuck alone in the middle of the Everfree Forest, exposed to all the dangers it had to offer.

"MACINTOSH!"

The stallion stopped, huffing in labored breaths as a shining pink light approached, revealing both Shining Armor and Spike. The former's horn the source of illumination. 

"There you are!"

"Did ya find her?!" The apple pony asked, a small hope rising in his chest. The hope was dashed as both answered in the negative and he once again began his search, now a little irritated that it had been interrupted. However, for some reason, both of his friends stood infront of him, baring his path.

"What are ya two doin'!? Get outta mah way."

"Mac, you've been in here for sixteen hours! We've been looking for you all night!" Spike exclaimed. 

Macintosh wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen the redness in both his friend's eyes, as well as the multitude of cuts and scrapes both had endured from their own search through the wood work.

Had it really been that long? Sixteen hours? Scootaloo had really been exposed to the Everfree for two-thirds of a day? Alone?

The thought brought no end of stress to him, but his inner voice was quick to point out a few things. One, there was a high chance that Scootaloo was no longer in the forest, that she'd returned to Ponyville hours ago. Two, that she was a capable and resourceful filly who was no stranger to woodland survival or the Everfree forest, despite the Apple families insistence that she and her friends stay away from it.

"You don't look too good." Shining said, eyeing the pony up and down. "C'mon, let's get you back to the farm."

Mac's jaw dropped and he stepped back from the unicorn in shock.

Back to the farm? Was Shining crazy!? Scootaloo could still be out here! And if she was, than it was up to him to find her and bring her home! What if she was in trouble? What if she'd broken her leg or was stuck down in a hole somewhere? What if she'd been right behind that bush over there! Bleeding and lying helpless like he'd thought of so many times during his expedition. Macintosh couldn't go back, not until he was absolutely certain Scootaloo was safe and sound at home where she belonged.

"Mac, we need to head back to Ponyville." Spike implored.

"If y'all wanna give up n' head back home, go ahead. Ah've got a foal ta find." The red pony snapped, pushing past both his friends. 

He couldn't believe it, his friends wanted to give up the search! Fine, if they wanted to tuck their tail between their legs and run home for their nice warm beds, buck em. He'd find Scootaloo alone if he had to.

"Macintosh, stop!" Spike said, placing his claw on the stallion's barrel. A mistake was made in doing so. The stallion immediately slapped the drake's hand away at the arm, barking at him to stay out of his way. 

Though Spike's attempts didn't falter, leading to the dragon, once again, standing in Maicntosh's path. 

"Mac, look at yourself! You're hooves are covered in blood!"

The stallion scowled and looked down at his front hooves, both were matted in blood. Apparently those small scrapes he'd gotten while walking trudging about were a little more significant than he realized, but that wouldn't deter him now.

"Ah'll be fine. Now git outta tha woah!"

The stallions was suddenly encased in a light pink aura and lifted off of the ground. He glared at Shining Armor and demanded the stallion release him immediately. The guard captain shook his head and informed Macintosh that he wasn't in his right state of mind to continue searching for Scootaloo, that the cuts looked deep and would likely result in an infection if left unattended.

That was it, that was the last straw. The patience of Big Macintosh Apple had finally seen its end. "WHO THE BUCK CARES ABOUT THAT!?" He shouted, thrashing about in Shining's magic. 

Spike and Shining watched with looks of pity and disapproval as the gentle giant went on a tirade about his charge. Using words that stung both of them to the core, calling them cowards and demanding that neither of them could understand how important it was for them to find Scootaloo before it was too late. 

The anger in the stallion slowly gave way to desperation, begging the two to let him go, pleading with them. But Shining and Spike held firm, knowing that Macintosh would soon require his own search if left to his own devices.

"PLEASE! AH NEED HER BACK! JEST GIVE HER BACK!" The stallion shouted with the last of his energy before finally breaking down into hopeless tears. The forest didn't listen, it didn't produce the filly whom it had consumed. The trees stood tall, denying the stallion plea. 

Macintosh was slowly laid to the ground after a few minutes of crying, Spike knelt down and placed a gentle claw on his withers, offering Macintosh some iota of comfort. "Mac, we're not giving up. Okay? But you're not going to be any use to Scootaloo if you die out here."

Coughing with emotion, Mac didn't reply. He knew that much was true, he didn't want to admit it, though. He fought against the fact with every bit of will he could, he wanted to stand up and continue looking, thinking that if he just looked hard enough, he'd find her, but a small twinge of reality was breaking though as a sudden feeling of sickness and exhaustion overcame his now recessing adrenaline.

After some failed coaxing, Shining lifted Macintosh in his magic and made way back to Ponyville to get some rest. "We'll find her, Macintosh." He reassured, not knowing if his friend was passed out or not. "We'll find her and everything will be okay."









Sin growled in irritation as he sat in the brush beside the path to Trottingham. He'd hoped that the Trotski pony would move faster than she was, but dammit all was she taking her sweet time! 

He couldn't let her see him, if she knew that he was there, she'd certainly take some kind of action to be rid of him. Be it taking a different path, or worse, going to another location all together. This left both of them about half way through the Everfree where the mare had set up camp for the night. 

A full night of doing nothing didn't sound good to him, but there was no help for it. As much as Sin wanted to walk passed her and kill Puddinghead without the inconvenience, he knew it would serve his long term interests to oversize patience.

'Sucks, but meh.'

Easy for you to say.

'Yea, it is. You know why? Because I can't do anything at all besides advise you.'

That was true, Sin briefly considered what would happen if Critic was given his own body in the world for a moment and smirked. The pony would be one of those goody good types who went around picking up trash and shit, a real male scout.

'No I wouldn't. I maybe your consciousness, but there are dangerous things I like to do... er... think about doing.'

Yea? Like what?

'Well, there's... um...' Critic paused, mumbling to himself for a moment for an answer.

Sin's smirk intensified. 

Exactly. Face it, you're a goody goody two shoes. Probably spend all day at a cross walk, helping old mares cross the street and shit.

'Shut up!'

"Is this what you two do all day?"

Sin's smirk disappeared and he suppressed the urge to groan.

'Pretty much yea. If he's not bouncing off political stuff with me to find logical loops to fix, anyway.' Critic replied. 'Watch this, hey Sin: Feminism is about equality.'

Eye twitching, Sin tensed with a shear sense of loathing and contempt as his mind began to list off exactly why feminism was anything but that. Starting off with how feminists, back in his country, would constantly use double speak to simultaneously proport that females were equal to males, yet constantly laud them as a class of victims who were in need of special treatment. Out of one side of the ideology came the idea that females were strong and independent, yet out of the other side, they were helpless children who needed society to protect them. Citing things like unequal outcomes as evidence of "unequal opportunities" in the work force. Like females in higher positions of power in big business, and the alleged "pay gap".

Did it have to do with the biological fact that females drop out of the work force in order to bear foals and cubs, or that females take on lesser paying jobs since, statistically speaking, males take on the more dangerous, risky and higher paying jobs? Of course not, no, no, no. That would make too much sense, no it was patriarchy! That was it! Patriarchy and systematic oppression!

Some even believed that males had more rights than females did, like reproductive rights, despite the fact females could had the ability to both abort or give their child up for adoption while males were on the hook no matter what and...

"Goodness, he's quite... animated, isn't he?"

'Hehehe, he can go on like this for hours. Wait until you mention how government is needed to build roads.'

DID YOU SAY GOVERNMENT IS NEEDED TO BUILD ROADS!? If that's the case, than why do they always contract private companies to do it for them? Government just collects the money in order to pay the road builders, they don't actually make the roads...

Critic laughed as the stallion abandoned one mental tirade for another, leaving the Nightmare absolutely speechless as the thoughts continued to bellow. It was a little overwhelming, actually. She'd seen through his memories quite a few times, but to actually hear the logical connections being made in the brain, how quickly and succinctly they just flowed together, it was actually a little impressive.

Sin's ears perked as he heard a waling cry from behind him. It was a loud and desperate wail of pain that put the stallion on his hooves. 

What was that?

'No idea. Sounded like someone screaming.'

Sin slowly crept farther into the brush, taking care not to make much noise just in case the Trotski would also come to investigate. 

'Aren't you going to investigate?'

No, that would possibly compromise my position.

'Sin, come on, that sounded like someone's in trouble.'

What did I say? Goody good.

'Sin!'

Hey, I've got a job to do, sucks for whoever's in trouble, but if that bitch finds out I'm following her, it could jepordize the entire plan.

...

'Kid says you better investigate or else.'

FUCKER! Fine.

Sin growled as he turned to the source of the noise and carefully crept through the forest, keeping his ears perked for any movement from behind. He heard nothing, figuring the Trotski either hadn't noticed or didn't care to.

After a little while walking, a most curious thing was found. Timberwolves, and a lot of them. They were standing over something, something orange and purple. 

Sin's breath caught in his throat at the color scheme and he lept from the brush just as the first wolf began to sink it's teeth into Uppity. "Oi! Remember me!"

All of the wolves looked up with their glowing green eyes and snarled, though, their snarles quickly turned to whimpers and yelps as they beheld the tan clad Federalist glaring at them, all bringing their hind legs a little closer together to protect their valuables.

They remembered him, and more importantly, they remembered what he'd done to their alpha.

Sin marched forward, his eyes darting between the wooden creatures, his stare easily pushing each of them back a few steps. He came to rest over the still pony and closed his eyes, opening them again to reveal they'd turned teal and serpentine. The aura summoned again, and any defiance was stolen from the pack, sending each of them scurrying away.

Sin felt a massive head ache come on grabbed at his head.

Oww.

"Yes, do be careful about that. Your body isn't meant to use my magic to such a large degree." The alicorn chuckled in amusement.

Sin put his questions on the back burner and took in the pony before him.

'Wait, that's not Uppity.'

Obviously not, the unconscious pony was both a foal and a pegasus, and she wasn't alone. A familiar white rabbit was in the crook of her foreleg, cowering in fear with it's paws over his head.

'It couldn't be... him? All the way out here?'

"Angel?" Sin asked.

Tentatively the rabbit removed it's paws and looked around for a moment, his black beady eyes landed on Sin and he leapt forth, gratefully hugging the stallion's leg in a show of appreciation.

Yep, that's Angel. Sin had yet to meet a rabbit with that kind of sentience. 

'Is this really happening right now?'

Sin pried the rabbit from his leg and looked back to the foal, and then to Angel as if the rabbit was supposed to offer some kind of explanation. It tried to, but the movements didn't make sense. Something... big? Angel made a snatching motion then pointed to the foal, then ran and did... something. The stallions wasn't really sure what to make of it all.

'Well, what are we going to do?' Critic asked.

Hey, Nightmare, think you can go into her dreams and make sense of what just happened?

'I could, but I'm not going to.'

Why?

'Because, as you so charmingly put it: fuck you, that's why?'

Sin groaned, he hated it when his own words were used against him. Not that it mattered, he couldn't exactly take her back to Ponyville anyway. She didn't look to be harmed, well, save a few scrapes and scratches on her legs.

Sin shrugged and turned to walk away.

'Where are you going?'

Eh, she'll be fine.

"Callous." The Alicorn remarked proudly.

'Sin, don't just leave her there!'

Critic, I know what you're going to say, but what do you expect me to do? You know I can't stand foals, and she'll only be a liability.

The critic didn't care, though. There was a helpless foal in trouble, almost killed and eaten by timberwolves, and he wasn't about to let Sin walk away from the situation. The pony argued back that he was supposed to be dead, and that if she exposed him, all of Sin's efforts could be compromised and him being a live could be exposed to the world, resulting in the law keeping an eye out for him.

To his utter dismay, Critic relayed a message. 'The kid says you have to stay and look after her.'

Of course he does. 

The stallion sighed, ever since his emotional personification had gained power over him, the stallion found himself a prisoner to his own mind. What good was being free if he traded one master for another?

Angel jumped up to regain his attention and pointed at the foal, wanting Sin to do something. With a sigh of resignation, the stallion placed his hoof on her neck to check her pulse, she was alive and seemed alright, the mental trauma of the wolves probably the worst of her injuries. 

He took off his saddlebag and rummaged through the supplies. Compass, map, sack of potato, hoof knife, flint and steel, water canteen, hoof saw, spare hoof knife, cast iron water pot for cooking and water purification, manipulation shoe... where was it?

He checked the other side, pulling out a small tarp and found his prize. A small, red pouch containing medical supplies. He pulled it open and reached in for the rubbing alcohol and considered waking the filly before application to her hooves. The cuts weren't deep, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.


> Party of Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Party of Three








Scootaloo awoke to a throbbing pounding in her head. 

Groaning, the filly, eyes still closed, lifted a hoof and rubbed her face in a fruitless attempt to ease her suffering. Upon contact, she noticed an abstraction on her fetlock, making the rubbing less of a soothing motion, and more of a rough scratching upon her forehead.

Opening her eyes, Scootaloo found that her forelegs were both bandaged and had the strange sensation of stinging yet being numb at the same time.

"Where am I?" She asked groggily, shifting her eyes around.

"The Everfree Forest." A deep voice said from her left. Scootaloo tensed as she saw the imposing figure before her. A stallion, draped in a tannish cloak was sitting beside her. She couldn't make out anything about him besides the brown forelegs that protruded from his cloak and the piercing, almost oppressive, icy blue eyes that peered at her over the scarf that hid his face.

His eyes locked onto hers, making the filly feel a discomfort she couldn't really describe. It wasn't that he was bigger than her, nor the dangerous and deadly weapon that was attached to his right foreleg. It was an indescribable feeling of general fear and a fleeting sense of reality, the best she could do to describe it was as a minor feeling of impending doom.

"Sorry." He said looking away. And just like that, the strange and inexplicable feeling of discomfort Scootaloo had felt was gone. "Old habit."

Scootaloo was about to question what he'd done, but a shifting inside the crook of her left foreleg drew her attention to the small, white ball of fluff currently snuggled up against her. "Angel?" She asked, a little confused. The bunny's ears perked up and his head followed suite, he smiled at the pegasus foal and hugged her side.

The filly's heart warmed at the sight, she had a lot of questions, but at least she could take comfort in knowing she wasn't without a familiar face.

"Here." The stallion grunted, holding a matalic canteen in front of Scootaloo's face. 

It was only upon hearing the sloshing of the liquid inside that she'd realized how parched she was. Scootaloo took the container and began chugging the water within, the cooling liquid sating the burning dryness of her mouth and throat, draining the container almost completely. She sighed in relief before noticing how much she'd taken and grinned sheepishly. "Umm, sorry."

The stallion took the canteen back and sighed. "It's fine, you had quite the ordeal. Not many may engage a pack of timberwolves and live to tell about it."

Hearing that brought everything back. The wedding, the wolves, her run through the Everfree, Angel, Macintosh... that pink pony. Scootaloo began to look around frantically, but the stallion calmed her by reassuring her of her safety. "Easy kiddo, they're gone, you're safe now."

Scootaloo glared at her presumed savior skeptically, the last time she'd been promised such a thing, she was dragged off to who knew where. 

"How... how am I still alive? Did... did you save me?"

The shrouded pony didn't speak, but answered only with a solemn nod. 

Scootaloo was dumbstruck at the concept. Of course she was reluctant to believe it, but... if it weren't true, than how was she alive? "How did you do that? Timberwolves are strong and big."

He turned to look at her again. Yet another strange feeling of intimidation overtaking her as she looked upon his eyes. It wasn't the awful sense of impending doom and discomfort, but an air of superiority and intensity, as if the stallion had both seen and done things. Things that the filly dreaded to even think about. "Very carefully." He turned away again and slowly stood from his spot. "We need to get you back to Ponyville, think you can walk?"

Scootaloo's eyes narrowed to pinpricks at the notion and she looked anywhere but at him. She couldn't go back there, not with what almost happened. She didn't want to go to an orphanage or to foster care, and she'd rather die than ever see Macintosh Apple ever again.

"Kid?"

"No."

The stallion sighed. "Fine, I can carry you to the edge of the forest, there's a cottage there owned by a mare named-"

"NO!" Scootaloo shouted, desperate to do anything but return to her home town. "I can't, please don't make me go back there!"

"Okay, why?" The stallion asked, slightly off put by her outburst.

Scootaloo turned away again, her desperation heating to anger as she bore a flaming hole of rage down into the earth beside her. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything.

Surprisingly, her savior didn't push the issue for a good few minutes before finally breaking the silence, not with gentle words of coaxing, but laying down the cold hard facts of her predicament. "You've almost been mauled by wolves, have a sprained ankle and are prime for an infection. Are you certain you're in a place to reject my assistance?"

It wasn't about him at all. Scootaloo was grateful for his help, honest she was, but by the same token...

"I can't go back..." She whispered hoarsely.

The stallion looked confused at the statement. "What do you mean you can't go back? You're family must be worried about you."

Scootaloo's pulse skyrocketed, her temper flaring. She resisted the urge to bark at him for his assumption. What did he know? He'd just met her, and he was going to come to conclusions he knew nothing about?!

Alas, the filly held her temper and replied with the facts as they were. "My family's dead..." 

His eyes changed a little, but if he felt sympathy for her suffering, he only barely showed it. It was... actually a nice change. Scootaloo was so used to ponies showing her pity and sympathy for her loss, looking at her as if she was a wounded animal about it. The cloaked pony didn't look at her that way.

"That sucks, kiddo. But what do you plan to do? Stay in the forest?"

Scootaloo pouted, crossing her forelegs across her barrel. "Better than going into Foal Protective Services or whatever."

That earned a little more of a reaction. "Guess I can't blame you for that." 

A long, tense silence passed between the two. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he did have a point. She didn't have any means of surviving out here, hay, the only reason she was alive right now was because of him. She didn't stand a snowball's chance in Tartarus in making it two days out here on her own.

What was she going to do? Where was she going to go? If she went to any of her family, they'd turn her in for sure. Not like any of them wanted anything to do with her anyways. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle wouldn't be able to help her... she really didn't have anypony anymore. She was all alone again...

Well, she had Angel, but she didn't think he'd really be much of the caretaker she needed. He certainly wouldn't be able to provide the food, water, shelter and necessities she'd become accustom to.

"What's your plan, then?" The stallion asked.

Scootaloo sighed and fought the hopless tears threatening to fall. "I don't know..."

Another round of silence passed, the pegasus' mind a silent gale of conflicting thoughts, thinking about everything and nothing. What was there to think about? She had one of two choices. Go back to Ponyville and face being put in foster care or worse the orphanage, or face the harsh world alone where she'd likely die of exposure or dehydration. Neither option really appealed to her.

She checked on her hooves, and placed her foreleg on the ground with some weight. Aside from some slight stinging, her front hooves and legs felt fine, though the dull ache in her hind leg promised problems when weight was applied.

"I'm heading to Trottingham." The stallion said out of the blue. "If you want, I can escort you there."
.
Scootaloo looked up at him quizzically. "R-really? But... what would I do there?"

The stallion shrugged and concluded it was better to be escorted to civilization if she didn't plan to return home. The filly nodded, she could appreciate the kind gesture, but that didn't really answer her question.

Slowly and much to Angel's chagrin, the orange pony pushed herself up, gingerly testing out all her extremities and winced as her left hind leg fulfilled it's promise. She wouldn't be galloping or running any time soon, but she was pretty sure she could walk. After all, there was no point in sticking around the Everfree Forest of all places.

"When do we go?"

"Soon enough." The stallion replied. "Before we go, I want you to be absolutely certain you don't want to go back to Ponyville. The world is a cold place for foals. You've got no friend's who'd take you in or anything?"

"No." Scootaloo said, her resolution on the matter firm.

The cloaked pony eyed her for a moment, testing her now solidified resolve, looking for any cracks or fractures to exploit, though there was none to be found. Even without his help, the filly would not be returning to the small town. He tried one last time to make her think about her decision, but the results were the same.

"You're call, kiddo."

"Scootaloo." She corrected. "My name is Scootaloo."

The stallion chuckled and shook his head, prompting her to ask what was so funny.

"I will never understand how you Equestrians get your names." He declared. Scootaloo didn't know what to make of his words, what was wrong with her name? She liked her name.

"Pft, yea? Well what's your name if you're going to make fun of mine, huh?" She scoffed.

"You may call me Mister Islander." The stallion replied. 

Scootaloo quirked a brow. "You're name means islands, and you're going to make fun of my name?"

Islander went silent, making Scootaloo well up a little in pride that she'd gotten the better of him. Though, something about his name did sound familiar, the filly's foggy mind couldn't really recall why.

"Fair enough." He admitted.

Another silence fell, and Scootaloo decided to ask about where all the stallion was planning on going. Islander craned and cracked his neck, casually mentioning how Trottingham would be his first stop for medical supplies and water, seeing as how she had dipped into both, but failed to mention where he was going next.

That avenue of conversation exhausted with a dismissed apology, Scootaloo began to think about other questions she could ask. If she was going to travel with the pony, a pony who could go hoof to hoof with a pack of timberwolves and was her only source of food, it would serve her well to get in on his good side.

"You said, 'you Equestrians'. Aren't you an Equestrian too?"

Islander regarded her for a moment and shook his head in the negative. "No, I'm afraid I'm an immigrant to your country."

"Where from?"

"The Federation."

"The Federation? I've never heard of that, where is it?"

"Due North West of here, across... I think you call it the North Luna Ocean?"

Scootaloo thought back to her time in school, about the large world map that hung on the wall of the class room. She knew where the North Luna Ocean was, and tried to recall which landmass he was talking about. The only one she could think of was the large island that wasn't labeled to be the country in which he spoke of.

"I'll be right back." Islander said before venturing off into the brush, leaving Scootaloo to her thoughts.









'"I can't help her, it'll compromise my position!" Says the pony who gave his real name.'

Sin internally groaned.

Firstly, that's my last name, a name pretty much nobody around here knows me by. Second, the kid's got nobody else. You heard her, her family's dead and she's got no where to go. She's so desperate to get away from the government that she'd rather run out into certain death than stay and suffer through it. Ten bills say that I'll be looking after her for a while, whether I like it or not. I can already see giving a fake name becoming a problem. So might as well tell her the truth until I figure out what to do with her. Besides, it's not like she's going to go ratting me out anytime soon.

'And how do you intend to explain to her that you're on the run from the law?'

Simple: I don't.

'And you don't foresee problems with that? Because I can name a few right now.'

Again, Sin internally groaned. The consequences didn't align with his favor at all no matter what course of action he took. If he told her, there was a high chance she'd run off rather than be around a fugitive. If he told her that now, she'd likely run off into the forest again and die, and if he told her once they were around civilization, she may or may not turn him into the guard. Neither scenario worked out well for his interests.

'Well, you've got a point there. On the upside, Kid's happy you found her, thinks you being so generous and kind without his intervention is a step in the right direction.'

Sin knew he would, though his decision had come long before the filly had even awoken. If she wasn't simple, than there was only a few reasons a filly of that age would dare venture out this far into the woods. And with the way her pulse was behaving a good ten minutes after the wolves had left, and how long she'd slept, it was clear her coming this far was no accident. She was running from something, and if the past few days were any indication, his emotional personification would make him watch over her if she didn't go back home or have any place to go.

It wasn't really a decision, so much as a logical conclusion.

But truth was that he felt something for Scootaloo. Maybe it was her resemblance to Uppity that made him so fond? Maybe it was the fact that she was totally reliant on him for the current point in time, maybe it was the respect he had for her to suffer the wilds rather than be imprisoned in foster care, but he did feel a slight protective of her already.

'You know, you really could have put more effort into convincing her to go home.'

To which home? The government run orphanage or the one with her dead family?

Critic didn't reply, it was a cheap shot, but still an accurate one. It wasn't really fair of Sin to take a jab at the critic, after all he was just the messenger for the kid. Still though, it did feel good to finally feel like he'd won something for once. The pony was growing to loath his emotions more than ever now, at least before he could just suppress and repress them and their irritating affects upon his psyche and objective mindedness, but now they had power over him. 

It was pointless  to struggle, but he etched a note to find a solution to this problem on the inside of his skull. The kid would pay for all of the inconvenience and bullshit he'd put the stallion through, Sin would see to that.

The Critic pointed out that Scootaloo might have been lying, that she may have been in some kind of trouble and had dashed out into the woods to escape punishment for her misdeeds. A notion Sin almost fell over from. He made it sound as if she'd failed a math test or something, but Sin refused to buy that. Scootaloo didn't seem the stupid type, certainly one who could judge risk vs benefits and see the lopsiddedness of the Everfree Forest vs a parent's scolding.

And again, it's not like the Federalist could just drag her into Ponyville, even if he wanted to.

Slowly, he crept forward through the brush and spied on the place the Trotski had set up camp. She was just in the middle of packing up, meaning that the two would be free to move soon. 

The Federalist wasn't sure how long the Trotski wold remain at the Judgement, and wanted to get there prior to them moving if they'd planned to.

'Seriously? You've just found an injured foal and you're going to drag her into your revenge chase?'

My plans haven't changed. Puddinghead needs to die to ensure that Macintosh is safe, kiddo over there might be in danger, but that's how it has to be. Too bad if the kid doesn't like it.

'And how do you think she'll take seeing you kill, what's likely to be, multiple ponies?'

Sin had also given that some thought. Of all places they'd be going, it just had to be Trottingham. The place was a fucking cesspool of crime crowned with pedophile sex rings, so leaving her unattended there wasn't an option. He'd likely have her hide somewhere under the crashed airship while he went in and took care of business.

In short order, he found himself back with Scootaloo and began packing up. 

"We're moving, think you can walk?"

Scootaloo bit her lip and rolled over onto her belly, pushing up and standing on her three "good" legs and took a few experimental steps. Sin watched with faint amusement as Angel also stood and took a few tentative hops, catching the filly as best he could when she stumbled.

He hoped the rubbing alcohol would be enough to hold off any infections she may get, but had a few anti-biotics on him just in case. If memory served, there was a stream just outside of the forest treeline outside Trottingham. He hoped the filly and rabbit could wait until then for some water.
> Forest Encounters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  








Forest Encounters









Sin trudged through the Everfree Forest due north to Trottingham. If what that wannabe assassin Trotski pony had said was true, Puddinghead was there, back at the crashed Judgement, with the remnants of the reactionaries. He'd watched the brawl that took place in Canterlot from the safety of one of the rooftops, not many of the Trotski escaped, but it was more than enough to cause him problems in finishing what he'd started with Platinum and Hurricane.

He'd stop every so often to look back and ensure that Scootaloo was keeping pace, constantly warning her about the threats and dangers he'd discovered while trecking through these woods. The filly had almost stepped into some quicksand a few times already, and despite her displayed knowledge of dangerous fauna, she still had a lot to learn about how to not die in the woods. It didn't help that this particular forest was full of anomalies the stallion couldn't begin to fathom either.

Sin heard her hoofsteps stop and came to a halt with a sigh. "Getting tired again?" He asked, summoning his patience.

"Yea, a little." Scootaloo said, rubbing her sore hooves. Angel jumped off of her back and began pointing to his mouth.

"Sorry Angel, but I don't have any food right now..." She replied sadly, as if on cue, her own stomach growled for sustenance, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since yesterday. "Hey, um, mister Islander? You don't have any food, do you?"

'The kid says feed her!'

Seriously? Food supplies are pretty limited right now. She's drank most of my water already.

'Kid doesn't care.'

Fuck...

The Federalist reached back into his saddlebag and retrieved a single potato from the hidden chache he'd stowed by his old campsite. He wasn't familiar with this part of the forest and wasn't about to start exploring now. He lamented his decision to eat so many of them while he waited for the wedding to pass instead of going out and foraging for food like he used to. He only had about ten pounds of the spud root on him that was supposed to last a good five days with a supply run in Trottingham, but with his new found companions, the stallion concluded that some alterations would need to be made.

Scootaloo looked down at the offering for a moment and grimaced. "Umm, I don't suppose you have anything else, do you?"

"Do I look like a grocery store?" Sin quipped, quirking a brow. "If you don't want it then-"

"No, no I'll take it." Scootaloo said, grabbing the spud and clutching it to her chest. Sin frowned at the response and the desperate look in her eye. He'd seen that look before while in the streets of Unitas during a similar encounter with a homeless diamond dog. It was the look of fear, fear of loss and just a small hint of apology.

He stepped back and decided a break from walking was in order. As hungry as Sin was, he could easily go the whole day without eating, drinking, not so much, but the canteen he had would barely be enough for all three of them to get out of the forest and restock at the river flowing at the other side. With how both Angel and Scootaloo had been brought up, among civilized ponies with clean drinking water, he was not looking forward to the sickness both would undoubtedly get upon their first ingestion of filtered stream water. Even the charcoal/cloth/sand filters he'd used under Tyken hadn't been enough to stop him from puking his guts up the first time. 

But Sin wasn't exactly wealthy at the moment. He was kicking himself now for leaving the majority of his bits to Spike for rent on the house.

"You're not going to eat?" She asked, looking at him quizzically.

Sin shook his head. "Don't have much."

Looking down at the root, Scootaloo appeared thoughtful for a moment, at least until Angel slapped her flank to get her attention, making the filly meep in surprise.

'Kid didn't like that.'

Eh, rabbit's her responsibility. Protecting her from her own choices isn't sending a good message.

The rabbit pointed to the the spud and then to his own mouth before crossing his arms and looking at the filly expectantly. Scootaloo frowned and ripped off a bit of the potato before offering it to Angel. To Sin's surprise, the rabbit took the small bit of food, sniffed it, blaunched and tossed it onto the ground, ensuring it's demise by stomping on it repeatedly.

"Yea, you've got a point. Can we at least cook it first?" Scootaloo asked.

Again, Sin shook his head. He had no idea what was around this part of the forest. He had no traps or protections in place, he had no method of protecting all three of them at all besides his limited ammunition crossbow and the aura, which he'd rather not use if possible. When he'd used it yesterday to save Scootaloo from the Timberwolves, not only did it give him one hell of a migraine, he felt the Alicorn's influence in his mind grow a little. The Critic said the kid had no knowledge on if his using said aura increased her presence in his mind or not, but the stallion didn't want to take any chances.

Not to mention the nightmare he had last night...

Seeing as the spud was going to need to be eaten as is, Scootaloo gulped and bit into the the raw potato. Usually the stallion would check to make sure the insides were devoid of greening of any kind, but the preservation magic, mixed with the containment bag Sin used, was more than sure the spud was safe to eat. Raw potatoes may not have tasted all that great, but they had starch and essential nutrients. Plus they were quite filling, at least in his opinion, which is what made them his food of choice.

Scootaloo began eating her meal with gusto and vigor, though if it was out of hunger or eating so quickly she couldn't taste the blandness, Sin wasn't sure.

She stopped to catch her breath halfway through and panted, her face contorting from the bad taste. It looked like she was about to say something, though Angel made his wishes known once again.

"I'm sorry Angel, but he said we have to eat it without cooking." Scootaloo looked down at the potato again and grimaced before forcing a few more bites down her throat. Angel huffed and hopped over to Sin, crossing his arms and looking at the stallion expectantly.

"What?"

Angel's right foot began thump as his irritated stare intensified.

Biting his tongue to keep the smile from his face, Sin continued to watch Angel for a moment, finding his pouting and rappidly thumping hind foot almost cute. The rabbit didn't seem to appreciate the small chuckle grunt that escaped his throat and began jumping up and down in frustration, pointing to Scootaloo and his own mouth.

Sin couldn't help himself, the opportunity was just too much. "Well, you can try and eat her." Sin smirked. "I don't see it working out well for you, though." He knew exactly what Angel wanted, the rabbit was pretty good at communicating if one paid attention to his over-exaggerated movement and the object of his attention.

Angel angrily began to jump up and down, only adding to the comedic effect and Sin failed to suppress his laughter at the display. Angel, seeing that his point was being taken as a joke, stomped his feat angrily in an adorable temper tantrum the likes of which Sin had never seen. Soon enough though, the critter tuckered himself out and stood huffing and puffing.

In one last ditch effort to get his way, Angel sucked in as much air as his lungs could take and puffed out his cheeks. It took a few seconds before Sin caught on and he finally couldn't take any more and broke out into suppressed snickers. 

"Oh Milikki, you cannot be serious." 

But he was, Angel Bunny was going to hold his breath until he got what he wanted.

"Angel? Angel what are you doing?" Scootaloo asked, seeing the bunny's cheeks puffed out. "Angel breath! Breath! Islander, tell him to breath before he explodes!"

"Explodes, huh?" Sin asked dismissively, gently prodding the rabbit's bulging cheek before asking casually: "I wonder if little bits of fluffy cotton balls will come out?"

Scootaloo began frantically prancing in place, her alarm over the rabbit's well being making her more worked up than she needed to be. "Please! I don't want him to die!"

"Yea, what a shame that would be." Sin shrugged, poking the rabbits cheeks again, finding amusement in the reddening in Angle's face. 

'Sin, the kid doesn't like seeing the filly distraught if it can be helped.'

Tell the kid to calm down, worst that'll happen happen is it passes out and begins breathing again... I think.

"PLEASE!"

"Fine." Sin gently kicked Angle in the stomach and walked passed, satisfied to hear the critter sucking in air and coughing. "Break's over." He declared, continuing his trudge, knowing that the rabbit would cave sooner or later.

It was irritating how much consideration he had to give to the comfort of the two. The Critic was being used as a messenger between the kid and Sin's conscious mind and the orders came non stop ever since he'd found her.

Would he have left the foal to die if she hadn't resembled his ex-girlfriend? Most likely not, but her reluctance to return back to Ponyville for unexplained reasons and instead travel with him, a stallion she'd never met before and had absolutely no knowledge to his intents for her, made the Federalist second guess her soundness of mind.

But maybe that was him overreacting... Things worked differently in Equestria than the Federation. Ponies here weren't paranoid of pedophiles around every corner, just waiting to snatch their foals up and whisk them away.

'Or maybe, you're less threatening than whatever's waiting for her back in Ponyville.'

That was a conundrum Sin had no idea what to make of. It was obvious that Scootaloo was running away from Ponyville, but what could possibly be so bad that she'd run into the Everfree Forest and accompany him? Ponyville was a nice town, a pleasant one filled with decent folk last time he'd checked. So what in the name of Tapio's beard would make such a young filly run away from it?

She claimed it was the law, but, again, last he checked, they were pretty upstanding folk. Despite City Council's authoritative tendencies, he wouldn't label any of them as "bad" or anything. Hell, even Leaf Spring was a pretty decent mare, once politics was put the wayside. Had something changed? Did Scootaloo know where she was going to go and would rather choose potential death? He didn't know, but it worked out in his favor. She'd rejected going back home, which left her to the mercy of the elements, a task she obviously wasn't ready to face alone. The kid was as sentimental for her as Sin was, and the stallion came to a compromise with him.

The promise to head to a new town and start a new life with... emotional bonds was put on hold. The kid agreed to allow Sin's revenge against the Trotski, so long as he looked after Scootaloo and kept her safe and fed. The Federalist considered it a fair trade, he didn't mind the pegasus foal so much as he minded the rabbit, but without his grizzly bear back up, the thing was as much a threat to him as the filly herself.

With the food eaten, the silence that had been ever present resumed once more, Sin keeping his ears up just in case Scootaloo's hoof clops stopped again. He liked the silence, it was almost like not having her around... almost.

So, he did what he always did to pass the time. Think about philosophical scenarios, and what standpoint he would take if forced to choose.

'Alright, I've got one for you: A mare has a disease, right? And she's the only one who has it. No explanation as to how or why, but she does. It's terminal and there's only one stallion in town who has the cure. However, in order for him to give her the cure, she has to have sex with him to get it. Do you consider this rape?'

Oooohhh, that's a tough one. Location?

'Ancapistan.'

Ancapistan, so no government and the rule of capitalism reigns. Alright. So she's got no way of getting help for the disease and the only way to get the cure is to have sex? Hmmm...

It was a ridiculous idea, of course. To make a moral judgement one way or another, Sin would need to hear how she got the disease in the first place. She is the only mare to have this disease and the only pony who has the cure just so happens to want to have sex with her? Coincidence? He thought not.

Alas, that was part of the fun of it all, to see where his moral compass would lie and if his beliefs in property rights, Capitalism, Non-Aggression, and common sense would see him through, in situations where his lack of knowledge to the build up and causes were limited to non-existent. Regardless of how necessary both would be in a real life sense.

I'm going to go with... no.

'No?'

No. Think about it, the whole premise of your question is her having sex in order for the mare to sustain her own survival, correct? Well, by that same logic, a prostitute who feeds herself off of of the proceeds of her sexual labor would also be consider a victim of rape, would she not?

Critic countered that the fact she was going to die is what would make it rape, but Sin held fast against, what he called, the oppression of nature. Nature was a cruel and heartless master, it demanded many things of all sapient beings. Food, water, shelter, protection, all of the things that animals needed to survive. Nature held no moral agency, it was purely neutral in all the pains and pleasures it inflicted. To combat the oppression of nature was to include positive rights, entitlements to all beings for things like food and water, regardless of if they'd earned such things or not.

Entitlements of such a like could only be granted if they were first taken from another. Typically, consent on the matter was of little consequence.

'Yea, but if he has the cure, and doesn't need it...'

Is he giving it willingly? No deals can be made without this sexual favor?

'No.'

Then how do you propose she gain the cure if not by voluntary transaction? Force of violence? 

'More or less, yea.'

Than she is the immoral party in the matter. As you've said, it is unknown how she contracted the illness, so I'll chalk it up to nature giving it to her. And since the stallion with the cure didn't give it to her, thus he didn't commit aggression and is not a guilty party, the mare has no entitlement to the cure and must work out an exchange.

'That's cold, Sin.'

So it was, but that was the price of voluntary association, the right to refuse life saving services.

"Oh my goddess, you are never again to criticize me for being evil!" The alicorn declared in utter disgust.

First off, I've never accused you of being evil, I don't believe in such a thing, as that would require some form of objective morality. I believe in desirable consequence and undesirable consequence relative to one's self and those surrounding. I consider you immoral, and a fucking bitch, for fucking with my memories and my dream-

Sin stopped in his tracks and motioned for Scootaloo to stop as well. He turned to her and put his hoof up to his mouth in a show of silence. Another shuffle, and another. It was rhythmic trotting, and it was getting closer.

No, there was no way the Trotski knew they were following her. Sin had made sure that she stayed out of sight at all times. Was it another traveler, or something worse?

As the trotting grew closer, coming around a curve, Sin motioned for Scootaloo to come closer before whispering. "You stay close to me unless I tell you otherwise, got it?"

Scootaloo looked up nervously but nodded in understanding. 

Cautiously and silently, Sin double checked the crossbow on his hoof, noting the main load was empty, but the quickload was armed and drawn. He hoped he wouldn't need to use it, but he knew what this path was used for, and wasn't about to take chances with his foalish companion.

Slowly, a pony came into view. Not the Trotski, but a pony who looked to be just as much of a problem as she did.

The pony who'd come forward was a paranoid looking unicorn mare. Here eyes were dashing around, her head craning to look behind her every chance she got, looking as if someone was following her. Her eyes locked onto  Sin's own and with another quick look about, she quickened her pace to meet up with the two.

"H-h-hey." She said in a worried wisper, her eyes taking a few split second glances at Scootaloo. "Y- you're early. That's good, just in case somepony tipped the cops."

Sin frowned, he wouldn't be caught dead associating with some drugged up mare like this, why would she assume him in such a way?

The unicorn bit her lip nervously, still looking around, daring the trees and bushes themselves to leap forth and claim her. When she'd noted Sin's lack of response, her gaze took a very unsettling and interested take on Scootaloo. Her mouth twitched between a creepy smile and a scared grimace as she took in the unassuming foal.

"Sh-she's not an earth pony like Don said, b-b-b-but that's okay... It's been so long, ya know?" She chuckled, reaching up and rubbing her horn in a very slow and suggestive manner.

The look in her eyes, how intensely she was glaring at the filly, her twitchy motions, expressive paranoia, and continually shifting smile told Sin everything he needed to know about the unicorn's intentions. The kid didn't need to say anything, there was no way this freak was going to be walking away with Scootaloo.

"Islander? What's she talking about?" Scootaloo asked, looking up at him with big, foalish eyes. 

Sin held up a hoof to silence her. She didn't need or want to know the answer to that question. Though, Sin did see quite the opportunity presented. "Of course, I assume you have the payment?"

The unicorn nodded vigorously before producing a well sized bag that jingled with the sound of coin. "O-of course!"

Sin smirked. "Good."

Before Scootaloo could react, Sin reached down, grabbed Angel in his fetlock and tossed the rabbit off the path and into a heavy brush. 

"ANGEL!" Scootaloo shouted, chasing after the rabbit.

"Awww, she went away." The unicorn said sadly. "Why would you do that?"

Sin raised his crossbow and took aim. "So she wouldn't see me do this."

THUD!

Before her horrified frame hit the dirt path, Sin bolted forward and dragged the mare into the other side of the trail, far enough that she wouldn't be seen before retrieving his bolt from her eye socket. He returned just in time for Scootaloo to break through the brush and glare daggers at him for his transgression.

"Why did you do that?!" She demanded.

"Payback." Sin stated, giving the pouting rabbit a cross stare. "Don't look at me like that, you know what you did."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and hugged the rabbit close, he looked no worse for the wear. "You are so mean to him. Hey, where'd that creepy pony go?"

Sin shrugged "I dunno, ponies around here are weird." He said dismissively. Scootaloo shrugged the encounter off as he hoped she would and continued onward, completely unaware of the kind of pony she'd just seen as well as the slight jingle in the stallion's saddle bag.

> Trottingham
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------






Trottingham






"Finally!" Scootaloo declared, basking in the first golden rays of sun she'd seen in two days. She smiled as the warmth of Celestia's star washed over her, thankful for the chance to cleans herself of the sickly feeling the Everfree forest gave her, as well as the stallion in which she traveled with.

At first she thought he was just a little rude and reclusive, but after he'd randomly threw Angel like he did, she was beginning to question if he was a good pony at all. 

Well, he had to be, he'd saved her life and tended her wounds, bad ponies didn't do those things. Still though, she was angry with him for what he did, and made a point to not speak to him for the entire day yesterday. The filly felt kind of bad about it now, he'd let her have the last drink of water when she asked for it, she didn't remember seeing him have any water now that she thought about it.

The question was why?

Why was he willing to make such a sacrifice for her? Islander didn't owe her anything, but despite that, he'd given her so much without even being asked. Part of her wanted to hate him for that, for treating her like a weak filly, but she couldn't deny that that's exactly what she was. So, the only pony Scootaloo could be angry with was herself.

It didn't make what he did to Angel okay, but she thought about cutting the stallion some slack.

She turned to him and smiled as he passed, but he took no notice of her kind gesture, focusing instead on the large city in the distance. For some reason, Scootaloo felt irritated at his lack of acknowledgement, but decided to let the issue go without complaint. An act made less difficult as she took in the majesty that was Trottingham. The city was huge, much larger than Ponyville and even Canterlot. Not in terms of building hight, in reference to the latter, but in just how spread out it was.

Just looking at it made the filly feel like she was about to get lost in it's expansive reach.

The sound of splashing water drew her attention and she found her companion's head being unceremoniously dunked into a near by stream. 

After a little too much time for her comfort had passed, the stallion's head resurface with a gasp and a few labored breaths. "Oh, much better."

Angel, who'd been riding quietly on her back until then, jumped down from his place on her croup and did the same. Drinking the stream water. Scootaloo felt a little disgusted at the display, but she wasn't really above it either. The water she'd collected from the stream in Whitetale was just as bacteria ridden as the river infront of her. 

Though, it did give her a chance to finally see the pony's face all around. As expected, he was masculine, with a dark brown mane and a stoney and ever scowling expression. Intimidating, yet somehow calming to see. Scootaloo had expected to see scars of some kind, or something, a reason to justify why he hid his face as he did, but there was nothing. He looked like any normal pony should.

Having his fill, the stallion shook himself off and the two made way for the city proper.

"Alright kiddo, make sure you stay close to me here, alright?" Islander stated, slowing so she could catch up.

"Why?" Scootaloo asked, genuinely curious as to the reason.

According to the Federalist, Trottingham wasn't the safest city for foals. It was home to many ponies who were criminals that stole, mugged and murdered. Scootaloo had trouble understanding why such a large amount of nare-do-wells could be known about, but not stopped. To which Islander said something to the effect of innocent until proven guilty and how difficult something like that was to result in ponies going to jail.

Scootaloo, being the young filly she was, hadn't been introduced to the concept. Yea, she'd heard about it a lot, and how it was one of the stapels of a free socioty, but the concept was always one that eluded her. If somepony was doing something bad, and other ponies knew about it, why did that pony not go to jail? It seemed simple enough to her.

Islander stopped walking and looked down at the filly. "If you can prove wrong doing, than most times, ponies will go to jail. But let's say that I come to you and say that... um... some pony just hit me in the face. Would you believe my claim?"

"Claim?" Scootaloo asked. She wasn't talking about a claim, she was talking about fact. 

Again, Islander put emphasis on evidence of wrong doing as opposed to wrong doing itself. Facts were very difficult to determine, even memory itself could be tampered with if a pony wanted to believe something enough.

"What you're talking about is the objective truth, but unless someone else was there to observe the crime, know all of the lead up, reasons, and motives, than everything they do know is because of a witnesses claim. Kinda hard for police to know something happened if they weren't there to see it, no?" He stated calmly and pointedly.

"I guess, but why wouldn't the police investigate? I mean, if everypony knows already like you do."

Islander listed off the reasons as he could see them. Fear, intimidation, bribery, corrupt law enforcement, criminal law enforcement, black mail, and most importantly: lack of evidence to remove every shadow of doubt.

It took a while of him explaining it to her, but an example of him accusing her of stealing potatos from him got his point accross. Yea, he'd given them to her willingly, but she couldn't prove that if he'd gone to the guard and demanded her arrest. Hay, he couldn't prove that there were any potatos at all to begin with, but his claim would still be as such. However, since he lacked evidence and Scootaloo was protected by the idea of innocent until proven guilty, she'd not be charged for the theft he claimed she made.

The filly understood a little of it, but really wished he'd have used a different example.

"It's not a perfect system, but as a famous pony once said: It's better ten guilty go free than one innocent suffer."

Which was the point of it all, to protect the innocent from false claims and imprisonment. Despite herself, Scootaloo had seen many ponies lie, hay, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon lied about her and her friends all the time in school. Making up rumors about them and what not, Tiara even got one of their fellow students, Dinky, in trouble by saying she used her magic to break the school globe. So, yea, she could see the logic in that. 

The two trudged down the path and began to reach the city limits.









'Filly's running away from the law, you use an example of you going to the law about her to get your point across. Tactful, Sin, real tactful.'

Meh, she'll be fine. Besides, the best way to understand why the burden of proof was on the claimant over the accused is always easier to understand when you make the individual the hypothetical accused. Puts thing into perspective for them.

Trottingham's outer rims were full of well spaced homes for those desiring privacy and quiet. Though, the closer the two came to the center, the more lively and bustling the population became. 

The asthetics were rustic and old fashioned, kinda like the homes of Ponyville, but instead of thatched hay roofs and the more individualistic and expressive buildings, Trottingham sported shingles and red brick foundations, along with a great deal more conformity. Streets were much more organized here, with buildings lining the streets in neat and straight rows, as opposed to the almost random placement of the buildings of Ponyville.

Another major difference was the supreme lack of color. White, muted maroon, and brown were the only expressions allowed, giving the entire place an almost depressive sophistication to it. Even the ponies themselves looked dull here. Not so much so to call them unpleasent, but definitely not what the stallion had become accustom to during his stay in Equestria. Honestly, it was a nice change of pace, it reminded him of home, despite the fact he hated seeing ponies like this.

If nothing else, he could take solace in the unorthodox fashion sense the town offered. Many stallions walked around in peticoats and cloaks of their own, making Sin himself blend into the crowd.

As the two walked, Sin smelt the first wiffs of cooking and seasoned vegetables on a hot grill, causing his stomach to give an involuntarily loud growl

Scootaloo looked up at him. "Somepony sounds hungry."

The stallion pressed his lips. In the last three days, he'd eaten only two potato and a few swigs of water to conserve supply... to call the feeling in his stomach "hunger" was like calling an ocean "kinda wet".

Another growl of hunger came forward, making Scootaloo herself blush with embarrassment. Sin smirked, "sounds like I'm not the only one. What are you in the mood for?"

"Anything, anything but potato!" Scootaloo said, desperate to put something into her stomach that wasn't the stallion's favored spud.

He was in agreement, though. As much as he wanted to handle Puddinghead ASAP, going into a fight on an empty stomach and with limited sleep was a bad idea. Despite his training, his attention was already coming in and out of focus more than he'd have liked, making his perception less than optimal. If he was going to sneak passed dozens of Trotski ponies on their own turf to assassinate their leader, he'd need to be well rested and fed. 

Besides, Scootaloo needed some time to rest. She'd pushed passed the sprain of her ankle and kept pace with Sin most of the way, but she wasn't used to the constant walking, drinking and eating only the essentials to get by, like he was. 

The two found a quaint little restaurant on an open thoroughfare and were about to go inside, but a sign stopped both in their tracks. "No pets allowed."

Scootaloo looked down at the rabbit and apologized to him.

"Good afternoon, Sir. Table for two?" Asked a friendly earth pony stallion.

Sin nodded and the two were lead to a cozy booth in the corner and handed their menus. Not long after, another pony came and took their orders. Scootaloo looked up at Sin and back to the paper in her hand, as if she wanted to ask something but was too afraid to.

"Get whatever you want, doesn't matter to me." 

Permission granted, Scootaloo order the largest hayburger the establishment had, with plenty of fries and a soft drink. Sin took the cream of onion soup, mile high green beans -whatever that was- and of course, a baked potato with water. A slight pinch in his side also prompted him to order some baby carrots.

The water wrote down the requests. "So, will mom be joining us, or is it just you two today?"

Mom?

'I think she thinks you're Scootaloo's-

Oh hell.

Sin answered in the negative, it would just be the two of them. 

With the waiter gone, a tense silence filled between the two, with Scootaloo nonplussed by his implied association to her. Sin didn't mean anything by it, but their true circumstances would arouse too much suspicion. To call her his daughter would make things go much easier, even if the two didn't care for the idea.

The two looked around, admiring the charm of the small pub. The lighting was low, and the ponies there in subdued. Whispers and jovial conversations could be heard around them as ponies enjoyed each others company. Dark wooden walls were lined with paintings of villages and other landscapes, all lit by dim light fixtures.

All in all, Sin wouldn't mind returning here, if for nothing else than the familiar atmosphere.

"So, umm. We're in Trottingham, now." Scootaloo said, breaking the silence, fidgeting with her hooves. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Take care of some business." The stallion replied.

"What kind of business?"

'Oh, you know. Killing a pony who betrayed him after he'd helped said pony escape wrongful imprisonment and sent an assassin after his best friend. You know, the usual stuff ponies do.' Critic snarked.

Sin made up a story about someone called "Mister Moneybags" that he needed to speak with. He didn't go into too much detail about that, instead moving on to what he'd do afterwards.

"After that, I guess I'll head to Hooftrot for a while. See if I can find some work up there."

"Hooftrot?" The filly asked.

Her answer was interrupted as the food arrived. She attacked the meal with gusto, barely allowing the plates to hit the table before she pounced. Sin was a little caught off guard by the shear ferocity of her eating, he knew she was hungry, but for the love of Tapio, they were a civilized race.

"Sho wash in Hooftrot?" She asked through a mouthful of burger.

Sin chuckled at the display and explained that he preferred the quiet life. Hooftrot was a small town out of the way of most the major cities like Fillidelphia and Canterlot. 

"Hmm, sounds boring." 

Sin frowned. "I like boring."

The filly took another bite of her burger, making an off handed comment about how he shouldn't. That life was too short to waste on wanting it to be boring. There was so much she wanted to do, like go and watch a Wonderbolt show, or try to fly, or other fun activities.

The stallion chuckled and took a sip of his water. "I've had enough excitement in my life, thanks."

"Nu-uh, you're too young to say that." Scootaloo countered in a foalish voice. Sin didn't know how to respond to the statement, very few had ever spoken to him in this way. Usually, his over all personality and sense of intelligence was enough to carry him into other's taking his word at face value. Scootaloo challenged that, despite her being so young.

"You think so, huh?"

"Yep." She chirped. "Most ponies who say things like that are old and have grandfoals, but you don't even have foals yet. So how can you have had enough excitement in your life?"

Sin was a little conflicted. One one hoof, that was quite the generalizing statement, but on the other, Scootaloo's assuredness in her own reasoning was impressive and admirable. He had to give her respect for that, and it wasn't like he wasn't enjoying the conversation, even if he did have to continually sneak little bits of carrots into his cloak for a hungry rabbit to eat.

She had no idea about his life, the things he'd done... the things he allowed to have happen despite his power to stop them, but he decided to indulge her.

"So, that's how you judge experience, is it? Age?"

Scootaloo took in a hoof full of hayfries and nodded, but didn't go into detail. Family, it seemed, was important to her, but she was understandably reluctant to talk about why. Sin genuinely hoped she'd make peace with her loss and move on in life, holding onto the past and letting it control you didn't end well, he could testify to that.

"Alright, what is it you plan to do, then?"

Taking a drink, Scootaloo sighed in satisfaction. "I wanna fly with the Wonderbolts, like I said. You know, do dare devil stunts, feel the wind in my mane, the crowd cheering my name. How could anypony not want that?" Her smile fell a little as she looked down at her wings. "Thing is, I'll need to learn to fly, first."

Sin quirked a brow, he hadn't noticed before, but the foal's wings did look a little on the small side. He asked if she'd been doing any wing exercises, to which she replied that she had. A full regiment of them, prescribed by none other than her personal idol herself, Rainbow Dash. Sin shouldn't have been as surprised as he was, his own dealing with the speedster were similar in their results, but it did strike him a little odd that the had a mutual acquaintance and he'd never even heard of the filly before.

"Well, keep working at it, and I'm sure you'll be able to do whatever you set your mind to." Sin said, repeating that old shpeal of encouragement. 

The two finished eating and paid their tab. 

A full stomach helped clear Sin's mind and put both ponies, and single rabbit, in a much better mood. Next thing to do would be to visit the market district for some dressings and gauze, as well as pick up some supplies for Scootaloo to carry. Sin was willing to help her out, but he wasn't about to be her personal pack mule.

The market district was a little shadier than he'd have liked. Almost every single stall was manned by a greasy sales pony or griffin of some kind that set Sin's sensibilities on end. Again, he reminded Scootaloo to stay close, and kept an eye out for any suspicious characters who might wonder a little to close.

"We need to get you a saddlebag, a strong one. Peferably something made from faux leather."

Scootaloo questioned the need for a moment, but Sin's blank stare told her everything. Luckily, the money he'd taken off of that pedophile back in the Everfree was substantial enough to buy all of her essentials.

Luck was on his side even more, as there was just such a booth that sold travel supplies of every sort, from merchant travel to single survival novices.

It had everything the two needed: Saddlebag, Canteen, a hoof knife -which he was keeping on him for the time being, until she learned how to not put the tip close to her eye for inspection- tarp, sharpening stone, fire starter, her own miniature first aid kit, a quarter mile of paracord, and of course, a pot and some cloth for water purification and cooking.

The filly didn't take well to the new weight on her back, though that was also a little to do with the state of her hooves and forelegs. She'd get used to it in time.

Finally, the last thing to do for the day was to restock on food and medical supplies. That booth was a bit more difficult to find, well, one that didn't have supplies so nice that they had to have been stolen by the local hospital, anyways. He wasn't happy about it, but Sin ultimately bought a few rolls of gauze as well as some disinfectant and a few more anti-biotics, double checking to make sure Scootaloo didn't have any allergies to any of it.

The sun was well on it's decent and Sin decided to call it a day and find a place to put Scootaloo for the night. Seeing as the lower cost inns had reason for their cheapness, he opted for a moderately priced room in a more reputable part of the city. Again with the no pets policy forced Angel back under Sin's cloak for access inside.

Scootaloo, almost pathetically happy about it, took the first shower, removing all the grime and grit from her coat and mane. Sin waited patiently for his turn before sleeping for a few hours and heading out to finish off the Trotski.

"Ahh, nice bed." Scoots said, snuggling into the worn green blanket. 

"Alright Scoots, here's the plan. I'll be gone before you wake up tomorrow, I'm going to need you to stay in here and keep the door locked until I come back. And I mean it, don't open it for anybody but me. Got it?"

"Yea, okay..." The filly said absently, her mind already treading the fine line between wakefulness and sleep. Sin sighed and regarded the filly for a moment, a small pit in his stomach telling him that leaving her alone was a bad idea. She looked so innocent and peaceful as she lay curled up into a ball, her chest expanding and contracting with each gentle breath. He didn't have the heart to wake her up to make sure she understood his warning. Chances were that he'd be back before she woke up anyways.

Sin heard the toilet flush and spun around to find Angel hopping up to the sink to wash his paws... weird.

Though, it did give Sin the to at least give himself some reassurance. He tapped the rabbit's shoulder and glared down at him. "You make sure nobody gets through that door, you got it?"

Angel sniffed up at him, making some kind of insult, but Sin wasn't in the mood for games. "You listen to me, you little shit," he whispered harshly. "We are in a very dangerous place right now, I didn't say anything before because I didn't need the kid loosing her cool, but I'm telling you right now that if that door opens up for anybody but me, she could be in a lot of trouble. So, I'm asking you, will you keep her safe?"

His last words were softer than he'd meant them to be, Sin's voice almost crack from emotion for some reason. Angel's angry glare also softened and he turned to look at the peaceful filly sleeping on the bed. His scowl disappeared completely and the rabbit nodded at Sin in the affirmative.





   
> Judgement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Judgement









'Wow Sin, you genuinely care about Scootaloo, don't you?'

Sin gently creeped along the bottom of the bluff towards the Judgement keeping his movements flowing and concise, aiding in his stealth along the dark cover of night. The crashed airship was farther away than he remembered, he'd left the room at midnight and it had to be damn near half past two in the morning by now.

Doesn't matter if I care about her or not, all that matters is keeping the Nightmare in check until I figure out what to do with her.

'Huh, funny how only a small part of you believes that.'

It wouldn't matter if he believed it fully or not at all, if he couldn't concentrate on his current goal. He was almost to the airship entrance now.

Voices echoed from ahead, making the Sin sigh in relief. They hadn't left yet.

"Still, I'm surprised it was that easy." One of the sentinels said, sounding a little bored.

Another guard grunted in agreement. "Private Pansy was trying to kill that red bastard since he came to Canterlot, guess it couldn't be helped that she'd be the one to finish him off in the end."

'Sounds like the message has been sent.'

And that's all Sin needed to confirm before double checking both his main load and quick load.

His mouth twitched into a smile as the thought of Puddingheads blood staining the bolts entered his mind. Sin wouldn't kill him right away, oh no, no, no... It was going to be a slow, painstaking process. The pony would understand that he'd fucked up, he'd understand just how big of a mistake crossing Sin had been, and unlike Commander Hurricane, there was nopony to save the earth stallion his due suffering.

"Ohhh, you're thoughts entice me, Sinbad. I knew there was a reason I had yet to leave your side." Nightmare Moon cooed in a sultry voice.

That broke Sin from his bloodlust and he shook his head to regain his senses, but maybe he should indulge them? He enjoyed it, they deserved to suffer, so what was holding him back, again?

'Your sanity?'

Oh yea, that.

The Federalist began his approach, walking with both authority and purpose. The guards saw him and immediately stood at the ready, demanding that he identify himself.

Sin blinked and called upon the Nightmare enhanced aura. In a matter of seconds, both ponies began to tremble, their will being stolen away from them like candy from a baby.

"W-w-what's going on?!" One asked, falling to his knees and then to his side before curling into a pathetic ball of emotional trauma. Two ponies were no where near as bad as a pack of timberwolves, but the division in his attention was definitely noticeable.

Sin lept forward, knocking both ponies in the head and rendering them unconscious. Once he was sure they were both out, he released the summon and began nursing the minor headache. It wasn't as intense as his last one, but if these were going to be a constant theme, he'd need to start saving the Nightmare's power for emergencies only.

"What? Did you think you were just going to have the power to render anypony you came across utterly helpless with a single stare and pay no toll or consequence?"

Wouldn't that be nice? Tapio forbid anything be too easy for him.

Bearings regained, his two enemies gagged and bound, the Federalist made way through the airship proper. He was a little fuzzy on the details as he'd entered a portion where the hull had been smashed in where it met with the air bag, but if memory served, than he'd need to take the left at the engine room and go up the stairs to reach the bridge. Something told him that Puddinghead would be there, and he wouldn't be alone.

'Maybe it would have been a better idea to have the Nightmare convince... her name was Panzy, was it? Yea, you should have made her think you were dead too.'

Hindsight was a bitch, but nothing could be done about that now. Now, there were quite a few decisions to make...

A door opened and closed ahead, making Sin halt in his place. "I don't see why we have to go relieve Good and Crasher. They've only been on duty for the past hour."

Starting with the decision on how to handle the approaching two ponies who'd undoubtedly notice the lack of guards at their post.

'Shit. Quick, up top! into the air bag!'

Sin wasn't sure if he could do it without making too much noise, but a good idea was a good idea, if he could catch the two by surprise, he wouldn't need to call upon anymore headache inducing magic.

Sin leaped up and grabbed hold of a protruding structure bar outline and pulled himself up into the air bag, waiting for the patrol to pass. Asside from some creaking and a little grunt of effort, no noise was made. No where near enough that it wasn't drowned out by the patrol's talking and echoing hoofsteps.

"I don't know, something about the pony Panzy fought. If you ask me, I think he's being paranoid."

"Yea, no kidding. Hey, we're heading to Dodge City next, right? That little town with cherry trees?"

"Yea, we've got a hide out there in the old abandon coal mines, luckily the cherries are good eats, otherwise the town would have- ah!"

Sin jumped down, slamming his fore-hooves on both ponies necks at the bases of their skulls. One of them had made a bit more noise than he wanted and listened for any of the other Trotski to come and investigate, luckily none had.

"Why aren't you just killing them?" The Nightmare asked as Sin pulled their unconscious bodies into a vacant room. 

The main reason was that he wanted to kill them, badly. Sin knew it wasn't right to want them dead the way he did, it was bloodlust killing that tempted him, the Nightmare's influence. If he was right, than whenever he'd give into her, she'd slowly gain more power over him again; and with his commitment to killing Puddinghead, the less he had to indulge her sickness, the better.

Now he had another decision to make, did he continue with his plan or wait out Puddinghead to run?

The bastards were expecting him, he had a quasi element of surprise for them not knowing he was here yet, but the fact was that they knew he would be. Sin contemplated this for a moment and debate on if the decision to go forward was a sound one or not. He could easily wait until tomorrow and snipe the earth pony off while he was leaving the ship. Even at a good distance, Sin's skill with a crossbow could ensure his enemies death.

Or it would, if he hadn't already knocked out four of their numbers, who'd likely be missed and alert the Trotski to his presence, thus causing Puddinghead to be much more cautious when he left. Using tactics that would make Sin getting to the pony an impossibility if he had too many competent scout guards protecting him at once.

It was an undesirable set of circumstances, but Sin ultimately decided to proceed. The Trotski were few in number already, and he'd gotten the upper hoof by taking out four of their already diminished members. Now was a prime time to finish his enemy once and for all.









Scootaloo awoke with a powerful yawn, ending in a slight squeak.

She looked around for a moment to see if Islander was in the room with her, to her surprise he wasn't. The only other animal present was Angel, who slept peacefully besides her.

Slipping out of bed as quietly as she could, Scootaloo stretched out her back and began looking for a note of some kind, or other explanation as to her companion's disappearance. He'd said something last night to her, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember exactly what it was.

Shrugging, the filly walked out of the room and made way for the hotel lobby, they promised a complimentary breakfast for all who stayed with them, and she was going to make good use of it.

She made way down the well lit hallway and turned the corner to a small dining area just outside the lobby. The dining area was empty, save for a pair of unicorn stallions who were busy chatting to themselves. On the wall was a spread of breakfast foods enough to make the foal practically squeal with delight. It had everything! Bananas, pineapples, hashbrowns, eggs, milk, juice and even some cereals!

Loading herself up with plenty to share with Angel, Scootaloo placed the trey on her back and happily made her way back to the room, taking no notice of the two pairs of eyes watching her as she went.

"Angel, wake up. It's time to eat!"

The rabbit woke with a yawn and clicked his tongue a couple of times, his grogginess disappeared as soon as his eyes landed on the food and he dashed forward, ripping an apple free and chowing down as if it would walk up and get away at any moment.

Scootaloo took a bite of cereal, and suddenly a lot of things hit her all at once.

Aside from the rabbit, she was completely alone... No Macintosh or Annabelle to ask her how she slept, no Granny Smith to give a funny early morning quip, no Applebloom to accompany and do choorse with, no Applejack to give her sound advice... The filly was all by herself. In a stuffy hotel room, in an unfamiliar city, accompanying a stallion she barely knew, on the run from the law, and eating food that had no love made into it.

Slowly, Scootaloo placed down her spoon as the revelations began to sink in.

Part of her denied everything that happened, it all seemed so sureal to her. The filly had hoped, even prayed in her most desperate mind, that everything that had happened to her was a bad nightmare that would soon come to an end. That one day, she'd wake up back on the Apple family farm by either Macintosh or Annabelle to tell her that she needed to go get ready for the wedding that hadn't happened. That she'd wake up and go back to school, be around her friends and go on adventures, doing stupid, dangerous or silly stuff to try to get their cutie marks.

But she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that this wasn't the case... that the way she'd woken up the past few days were going to be how life was for her for a very long time. 

There would be no more Apple family... no promises of sisterhood socials with Rainbow Dash, no more visiting Sweetie Belle and Rarity at Carasol Botique, no more Pinkie Pie parties,  no more friendship lessons with Twilight Sparkle, or animals with Fluttershy, no more Mr. and Mrs. Cake, or Cheerilee, or Carrot Top or Derpy, or Dinkey, or Silver Spoon or Diamond Tiara...

Before she realized it, the hot stinging pang of tears burned her eyes and began falling down her cheeks. She'd lost so much, her home, her friends, her family... all of it was gone now. It was gone and there was nothing she could do to get it back.

She gripped the bowl in her fetlock. "It's not fair..." She sniffled. "It's not fair, why did..." She paused again and wiped her eyes.

There was no use in crying, crying never helped anything... It didn't bring her parents back from Griffinstone, it didn't put food in her stomach, it didn't make the Landlord not take her house, and it didn't stop that pink pegasus horseapple head from taking her away... Crying didn't help anything.

She felt something prod her side and found Angel looking up at her, offering the foal his half eaten apple.

It was such a mediocre gesture, a half eaten apple, but even through her tearful laughing, Scootaloo could feel the generosity and good will the rabbit offered. She picked him and and squeezed him to her chest. "Looks like it's just you and me now, Angel."

The rabbit pushed away and looked into the filly's eye with a serious and somber expression before shaking his head and pointing to Islander's dark brown saddle bags that sat against the wall.

"You really think he'll let us stay with him?" Scootaloo asked, surprised by the bunny's gesture.

Angle smiled and nodded vigorously, reaching up a paw and wiping Scootaloo's tear ridden face. Islander had been so mean to Angel, he'd tossed him for no reason, laughed as the rabbit threatened to explode, kicked him, and treated him about as well as... well... as Angel treated Fluttershy. Though, despite all of that, the bunny was still willing to urge her to trust him.

Scootaloo wasn't sure about that, but she looked at her own saddle bag, as well as all the contents there in. It wasn't the most expensive assortment of things, but it certainly wasn't cheap either. Everything she had now was thanks to Islander, he'd done a lot for her... maybe he was a little standoffish and callous, but he did make sure she was taken care of.

"Maybe you're right." She petted Angel's ears and nuzzled the top of his head in a show of affection.

A couple of knocks broke the filly of the moment.

"House keeping." Said a high pitched voice from the other side.

Scootaloo placed Angel down and made way for the door, though for some reason, the white ball of fluff jumped infront of her, holding his paws out to his sides to halt her advance.

"Angel, what are you doing?"

Knock, knock, knock. "House keeping?"

Scootaloo tried to push passed him, but the rabbit jumped in her way, continuously motioning for her to stay away from the door. "Angel, what-" he jumped in her way again. "-they're just doin-" and again, "-just let me tell them they can't come in!"

She jumped over the unusually deniable rabbit and opened the door. "We don't need any hous- MmmmM!" 

Her cry of surprise muffled by a hoof over her mouth, Scootaloo began to thrash about in an attempt to push off her attacker. A sudden and painful hit to her cranium made the filly see stars for a moment before unconsciousness took her once again.

> Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Rescue








Bastards! Fucking bastards!

Sin was not in a good mood. The rib facturing pain in his side evidence of the brutal night he'd had as he slowly limped back into Trottingham.  He'd underestimated the tactical capabilities of the Trotski, of Puddinghead and his lackies. They didn't have many ponies, but what they had was more than enough when used correctly.

Sin thought he was being careful, that he saw an opening where the Trotski did not. He couldn't have been more wrong...

He'd played his way around the guards, sparing all of them the fate of a splintering headache when they awoke to find their leader pinned to the wall by his bolts. That was his first mistake, not taking out as many of the reactionaries as he could before confronting Puddinghead directly. The second mistake was not sniping him from the airduct in which he'd crawled into to gain access to the bridge.

He saw the pony sitting alone, drinking himself silly in an emotional mess, torn between the joy of thinking Macintosh dead, and how much he'd lost because of said pony's interference. Instead of taking the stallion out there and then, Sin just had to sate his ego and try to enact the painful justice he wanted.

He learned, though. He learned that Puddinghead was far more crafty and calculating than he'd given credit for. Even a pony who looked at their most vulnerable and helpless could be nothing more than a trap to lul their foe into a false sense of security.

Sin got sloppy when he'd jumped down to confront the stallion, he'd forgotten the most basic rule of entering any room. Do a sweep, do a sweep and check all corners for hostiles. 

The revenge endeucedd tunnel vision had almost cost the stallion his life, and it would have if it hadn't been for the Nightmare enhanced aura. Which lead to his third mistake, not having a back up plan.

The details were a little fuzzy to him, but Sin remembered that there were seven enemies in total, including Puddinghead, waiting for him when he'd jumped down. The first two, earth ponies, were easily dismissed upon their meeting with his crossbow bolts. The others, though, easily charged for him and overpowered the stallion, kicking the everloving dog shit out of him. He'd summon the aura just in time to save his ribs, but he couldn't maintain it on four minds at once long enough to finish off his charge, resulting in the stallion making a retreat back into the bowls of the ship and hiding away in one of the coal containers until they'd finally left.

They'd gotten away, Puddinghead had gotten away... he'd escaped because Sin was careless and over confident. He knew they were on the look out for him, but instead of playing it safe and taking the Trotski leader out from a distance, he'd almost gotten himself killed.

Mistakes were made, but Sin rarely ever made the same mistake twice, and when he found them again in Dodge Junction, where they thought they were safe from him; hidden away in their little abandoned coal mine, he'd make sure they knew the pain of his humiliation. They were going to pay, and they were going to pay very fucking dearly.

What he did to Sickle, he never wanted to do again. It was cruelty beyond cruelty, pain beyond pain. Penetrating the earth stallion's mind and forcing him to live every single fear he had, to relive every failure, every horrible memory, every last painful thought he had ever made for himself all at once... it was a death Sin regretted inflicting. That kind of pain deconstructed a pony, it stripped them of everything good in their lives, everything they charished and left them with nothing but the worst of the worst...

It was a suffering beyond what the Federalist had predicted, and hadn't wished on anypony, not until today. Unlike Sickle, though, Puddinghead's suffering wouldn't last only a few seconds. Oh, no, no. It was going to be a long and drawn out process. Hours and hours of the pony screaming and begging him for the sweet release of death, but Sin wouldn't let him have it, nay. He'd break Puddinghead, he'd break him mentally, he'd break him emotionally, and he'd break him psychologically. Leaving the Trotski a writhing mess of desperate madness and helplessness.

And when Sin was bored, he'd leave the pony alive. Alive enough to draw breath and think about everything, but too broken to move. He'd leave him to die a slow, agonizing death and-

'SIN! Milikki's sweet fucking name, listen to yourself! You-

SHUT UP, CRITIC!

"Mmm, I love a stallion who-"

YOU SHUT UP TOO! BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! TAPIO DAMMIT ALL!

To call Sin angry was an understatement. Sin didn't really get angry, he was usually set at a low simmer of irritation, sure, but he rarely ever got angry. For him it was either a slow seething or a full on torrent of unyielding hatred and contempt, there was no in between. 

Taking a few moments to calm his mind and cool his head, Sin halted his advance back to the inn. He was too angry, too worked up right now. Scootaloo would probably ask questions, questions he was in no state of mind to answer with anything other than telling her to shut up or completely ignoring her. 

Critic was right, he needed to calm down. Anger was a dangerous beast of an emotion, one he despised most in his mental arsenal. It made ponies do stupid things, get carried away and act brashly, and his pride was well enough for that.

But that was the thing, it wasn't his physical injuries that hurt most, it was his own pride and ego. Sin always place so much value and arrogance in his tactical abilities, how to avoid fighting head on and use his words, or the environment to his advantage. None of those things were utilized last night, and as angry as the Federalist was with Puddinghead, he was more angry with himself.

After a good five or six minutes of deep and calm breathing, Sin finally felt himself in a decent state of mind. Decent enough that he could pass as "normal". Now he needed to get Scootaloo, find out where "Dodge Junction" was, and make way there. He was a little hesitant to use the train still, especially since his foalish companion was likely being looked for by the law, so walking would have to suffice. Hopefully, the Trotski wouldn't relocate until he'd found them again.

He'd reached the inn building after taking a wrong turn and getting lost for a few minutes, but he'd gotten back just in time for check out. However, a most unexpected site greeted him. Angel Bunny was standing outside the inn building, his eyes scanning around for something. What set Sin on edge was the lack of an orange filly standing next to him.

Already feeling his temper coming to call, Sin slowly made way to Angle and asked why the rabbit wasn't in the room with Scootaloo.

Angel Bunny slumped and looked away, looking more than a little guilty. Sin felt his pulse quicken. "Angel, tell me that the kid is in the room and you just wanted to come out for fresh air."

Again, the rabbit merely continued to slump, his eyes looking anywhere but at Sin's own, before finally shaking his head in the negative. The Federalist fought tooth and hoof to keep himself from exploding in a verbal tirade, instead he lowered his head and glared at Angel with seething eyes. "You. Had. One. Job." 

Each word sent Angel a little closer to the ground, making him feel as small as possible. 

Sin pulled back and took another round of calming breaths. There was no point in getting angry, there was absolutely no good to come of it. This was why he suppressed his emotions, bull shit just like this. 

Alright, so Scootaloo wasn't where she was supposed to be, next step was to find out if she was okay and/or in trouble. To which Angel answered no and yes respectively. Okay so she was in trouble, fine, that was a problem and Sin planned to fix that problem. 

"Can you take me to her?"

Angel nodded vigorously and began hopping through the streets due south. Sin followed at a gallop, today was just not his day.









"Let me out!" Scootaloo shouted for the hundredth time, bucking the large metal door to her cell. 

It was no use, nopony was talking back to her, and the dark wooden door didn't budge an inch. The filly looked around, trying to figure out any way she could escape her prison. There was nothing in the small room, nothing but a small barred window to allow light to enter into the room. 

She'd been at this for an hour now, and the questions continued to pile up. Why was she in here? What did they want from her? Was it Foal Protection Agents? Did they find her? How? What was going on!?

Seeing her efforts render fruitless, the filly placed her back to a wall and sighed. 

It was pointless to delude herself with such hopes, she wasn't in government custady... she was foal napped. She was foal napped and she had no idea what would happen to her. The stories that parents always told their kids about being napped is... well, that's it. They "get got", by the boogie pony or whatever. No real explanation to what happens afterwards, but the uncertainty of it all is what made the story that much more terrifying.

She curled up and brought her knees to her chest. 

First Scootaloo realized that she was going to be without her friends and family, and now she's been napped away by some jerks who intend to probably eat her or something. 

The thought didn't sit well, but Scootaloo refused to allow herself to cry. Crying never helped her before and it wouldn't help her now. But what would she do then? What would Annabelle do?

Well, if she had to make some logical conclusions, the window was too small for her to get out of, even if the bars weren't present. So, the only way out was through the door, and the only time it would open was when somepony on the other side unlocked it. Common sense though it was, it did leave the foal to think on ways to get the guards to open the door to let her out.

She didn't need to wait long, she heard something shift inside the barrier and click before it opened. A portly unicorn stallion walked in and smiled at her. "Good morning, sweet heart, how are you feeling?" The stallion asked gently.

Scootaloo felt herself grow tense and gulp at the pony's words, unsure of his intentions for her. The teal unicorn slowly walked into the room, his eyes continually looking her up and down. She wasn't sure why, but the way he was looking, the way he was smiling, it made her uncomfortable. Not in the way a pony staring at someone made them feel a little uneasy, but it was... worse, much worse. A feeling that made her skin crawl in the most unpleasent of ways.

"Dear child, don't be afraid." He cooed, stepping forward and reaching out a hoof. "Nopony is going to hurt you."

It was a lie, he was going to hurt her. Scootaloo just knew he was by the tone of his voice. She stepped back from his approaching hoof and scuttled to the corner, her adrenaline and tension making her breaths shallow and and quick. Still, the stallion proceeded again, offering words of comfort that she knew were false. 

That's when she noticed it. The door, it was still open! But the stallion, he wouldn't just let her walk out.

"Come here, sweet heart." He said, reaching down and scooping the filly up. Scootaloo froze in his grasp, her entire body sezining up like a statue as it was cradled against the pony's chest. He began humming, his other foreleg stroked her mane soothingly. Though, there was no comfort to be found. This was wrong, she couldn't put into words why, but the encounter felt disturbing more than it did comforting. 

"Shh, shhh, everything's fine." He cooed, his hoof strokes moving lower from her mane down to her back.

Scootaloo wanted to scream, she didn't know what was happening or what was going to happen, but she wanted to get away. This pony, there was something wrong with him, something that made her want to throw up.

The filly's body trembled as she tried to find her voice, his hoof was getting lower now, stroking her withers to the curve of her back, slowly, it reached down to her flanks and tail. "You're a good foal, aren't you?" He smiled devilishly and smacked his hoof against her flank.

The sudden stinging broke Scootaloo from her frozen terror and she kicked out all of her legs at once, bucking the pony in the face just like she had the pink pony before.

He dropped her to the ground and clutched his face, groaning obscenities that betrayed the stallion's true inner nature. Tears trailing her, Scootaloo bolted for the door and out to freedom. 

To her horror, the door slammed shut just before she could get to it.

"You stupid BITCH!"

Scootaloo yelped in pain as a hoof came slamming down upon her head. She didn't have time to hit the ground before the unicorn's magic engulfed her and she was brought snoot to snoot with the reddened, tear pained eyes of her aggressor. 

A long moment of silence passed, the pegasus filly doing everything she could to hold in her bowls and bladder. She was absolutely terrified now, she'd bucked him right in the face and he had her in his aura. She waited for the beating to come, he'd hit her once, he'd likely do much worse now that she was at his mercy.

"You're lucky the boss doesn't like damaged merchandise."

He tossed her into the wall with a dull thud and began stomping out of the room. The stallion stopped and turned to face her with one last glare before shutting the door behind him. His hoofsteps echoed from outside, ending after a loud groaning and hissing of something being moved from the floor above.

It took a good twenty minutes for her to regain her breathing. What just happened? Why was he petting her like that? Why did he smack her flank? What was the point? What was the intent? And why did it make her feel so sick and scared? Scootaloo was no stranger to fear, but that was something else, something far far worse...

She brought her knees up to her chest and sniffled, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill forth at any moment. Tears of fear and tears of confusion.

It just didn't make any sense, no matter how she looked at it, the filly just couldn't understand what was going on... and part of her was horrified to find out. She knew she would, though. There was no escaping her prison and her captor was a unicorn. Unicorn magic was stronger than she was, and it would be able to grab her or shut doors faster than she could run...

Scootaloo waited, the only sound from her was the constant sniffling and breathing. She waited for the stallion to return and do something else. Her hope began to fade as seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. The light in the cell was getting dimmer now, and Scootaloo slumped.

"Hey, kid."

Scootaloo's ears perked, a small bit of hope pushing through her chest. She looked up and smiled joyously. "ISLANDER!"

The brown pony put his hoof to his mouth in a "shh" motion, lifting his head and taking a look around. "Are you alright?"

Scootaloo answered in the affirmative, overjoyed that a friendly face had showed up to save her. He asked her some questions, like how many ponies were in the building, to which she could only confirm one. If any of them had weapons or anything, again, what all they'd done to her, if she heard anything when the pony came down to see here, and when the last time she'd seen one of them was.

"Alright, hang tight."









Sin slowly crept away from the window Angel had directed him to and snuck around the cabin, doing a quick check for any patrols or posted guards, as well as the other cells beneath the structure. He counted four total, luckily all the others were empty.

'I can't fucking believe this.'

Sin wasn't surprised. He'd studdied psychology enough to know the facts for what they were. Pedophilia was a thing, and no matter how disgusting nor deplorable it may be, denying the fact made it no less real.

Hiding beside the door, Sin contemplated his options. The windows weren't barred, so, he might be able to break in that way. Though, he had no way of knowing what was on the other side. One guard, two, ten? He didn't know, curtains obscured his vision. But he didn't have  time to wait, it was only a matter of time before something happened to the filly.

"Knock on the door."

WHAT? Are you-

"Sinbad. Knock. On. The door."

The stallion pressed his lips, his options were limited as it was, if he knocked, the element of surprise would be gone, and he was in no condition for a prolonged fight. Though, he felt confident in the decision to do so, the Nightmare felt benevolent right now, maybe he should try it her way.

He rasped on the door in a well known pattern. 

I hope you know what you're doing.

"On my mark."

"Whadaya want!" A voice barked from the other side.

Sin stuttered for a response. "Heard ya knew where a pony went for a good time!" He shouted loud enough to be heard. The voice on the other side was silent for a moment, but answered again that he didn't know what the pony was talking about.

"Is that any way to talk to a paying customer?" Sin replied and smirked. 

As hoped, the locks on the door began to click and scrape. Finally, the door opened an a well sized unicorn stallion with bloodied tissues sticking out of his nose poked his head out. "How much we talkin'?"

''NOW!''

Sin's blinked, his icey blue eyes turning teal and serpintine. "How about your soul?" 

The unicorn gasped, but made no move as his eyes locked into Sin's own. The Federalist began to step forward, the unicorn stepping back. He pushed open the door and followed the pony inside. "Is there anypony else in the house?"

The foal napper nodded his head and named one pony filly in the basement, his eyes never breaking contact with Sin's own. The Federalist lifted his crossbow bearing leg and smirked, thanking the pony for his help. 

THUD!

Closing his eyes, Sin felt the energy of the demon recede from his body. He waited for the head ache, but it never came.

'Mind control?' Critic asked.

"You've seen nothing I am capable of, dear Critic." The Nightmare cood softly before her tone turned hard. "Raping foals is an act even I cannot tolerate."

'Huh, neat.'

You may be a bitch, but at least you have standards.

Sin began looking around, trying to find the access down stairs. He remembered what Scootaloo had said, that something heavy sounding scrapped on the floor when her assailant left. His eyes fell upon a well sized dresser in the corner and smirked. It took some effort to move the thing, but his work was rewarded by the sight of a trap door beneath. 

He pulled it open and began climbing down to the dark hallway below.

Happily, a key ring hung from the wall, one key meant for all doors.

Finding Scootaloo's cell, Sin through open the door to find the filly sitting in the corner. "ISLANDER!" She shouted happily, running forward and jumping on his leg. Sin buckled under her tackle and hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry, are you okay!?" She asked apologietically. 

The Federalist nodded, rubbing his foreleg. "Yea, just... are you okay?" He asked, looking her over. The pegasus filly looked to be fine, but Sin knew the trauma wouldn't be physical. She would likely have questions, but he was just glad she was safe.

'D'awwww.'

Fuck off!

"Let's go." Sin declared, leading Scootaloo up the trap door and out of the cabin. 

"Are you sure you're okay? You're limping." Scootaloo pointed out.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Sin snapped unintentionally. It didn't really matter anyway, it wasn't like he could go to the hospital or anything.

The filly looked a little dejected at his outburst, but rebound just as quickly. "ANGEL!" The filly shouted, racing out the door and embracing the rabbit, the two nuzzling eachother in a heart warming reunion.

'She's just concerned about your health, Sin. You know, when someone cares about someone else? Also, D'awww.' Critic gushed.

Okay, first off, quit doing that. I don't "D'aww". Secondly, there really isn't any help for the injuries, so there's no point in addressing it.

Sin allowed the two a moment before reminding them they needed to get moving again, an idea Scootaloo, surprisingly, contested. 

"I don't know what this place is used for, but we have to report that pony and this place to the guard!"

Sin, his irritation now returning with Scootaloo's safety, stated the obvious. The idea was a bad one, for multiple reasons, the biggest one being her own personal welfare. A notion the filly argued that she didn't need to go with him and could hide while he went to get the guard. 

As much as the Federalist would like to, he knew it was a bad idea. Pedophile rings were the lowest of the low, but he wasn't about to become a myrter to slow one down. Not to mention they weren't really in a place where they could stand and argue about the issue, it was only a matter of time before someone came here and saw what happened.

Summoning the last of his patience, Sin saw one of two options. Either he be truthful and tell the foal that he, too, was on the run from the law, or dismiss her once more and just walk out. He tried to do the latter, but Scootaloo stood in his way, postulating and proclaiming how terrible it would be for other foals who could suffer the same fate she almost did. 

"Alright, Fine!" Sin barked, making Scootaloo take a fearful step back. "I'll go tell the fucking guard, fuck's sake!"

He trudged passed her and barked at her to follow.

Critic was about to say something, but Sin silenced him. He knew what the voice was about to say, and the voice was right. Sin was tired, he was tired, hungry, irritated, in pain, and now fearful of being arrested. None of that was Scootaloo's fault, well, save the fact he had to save her, but it wasn't license to take out his anger on her.

He stopped a good distance from the city, his head now clear enough to think properly. The kid had just been kidnapped, and it sounded like she was molested, she didn't need him being a prick right now.

"Islander?" Scootaloo asked, her voice barely above a squeak.

Sin turned to her. "I've had a bad day, it was wrong of me to snap at you, I apologize."

Scootaloo smiled softly and hugged the stallion's foreleg in a show of forgiveness. Sin tensed as he always did when touched by someone, but found the filly's affection enduring.

"Thank you for saving me." He heard her say. "Even if you are grumpy about it."

Sin lifted up his other foreleg and awkwardly patted Scootaloo's back, his dark tanned cloak spilling around her like a shield. The Federalist found his temper fully subsided by the grateful gesture, despite the pain it caused. To make matters worse, her grip on his foreleg tightened as Angel joined her in her affectionate assault on his person. The hug lasted much longer than he would have liked, but he knew that Scootaloo needed it as comfort for herself more so than gratitude to him.

'D'awwwwww!'

FUCK YOU!
> Of Mice and Stallions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Of Mice and Stallions







April... the month of back stabbing debauchery and indecisiveness.

If it wasn't that damnable holiday on the first of the month, it was the fact that April was the time of year that didn't know if it wanted to officially end winter or not. One day it was nice and warm enough to forgive one for thinking summer was on the way, next day, six inches of snow and below freezing.

Sin had hoped that Equestria and the Federation were different enough that this month wouldn't behave the way he'd become accustom to, alas, the universe decided to give him another harty "fuck you". It was his fault for holding hope, though. Atmosphere wise, Equestria, like the Federation, was almost the same in terms of latitude merely separated by five hundred miles of ocean to the west.

To make matters even worse, Dodge City was about two hundred miles due south, which meant that he and his companions would have to back track through the Everfree forest. That wasn't the problem, though, the problem came from the fact that Ponyville was between them and the city they needed to go to. It would add on a few days of travel time, but Sin decided to take the longer rout around the Everfree. 

He'd briefly considered biting the bullet and taking a train, but Scootaloo's disappearance had made that more than a little complicated. While he informed the guards about the small shack outside of Trottingham, the Federalist went to the train station to buy tickets to Dodge. Though, a bulletin board beside the ticket booth had a poster for missing foals, and the newest addition to that poster was the very orange filly he now had the company of.

And so, here the three of them were, walking along the forest's edge, with the cold sting of winter's end plaguing the both of them. Sin didn't so much mind the cold, his time in the snowy inclines of the mountains had more than toughened his body against it, but Scootaloo was another matter. He could hear her teeth chatting as they walked. The fog of their breath becoming more and more dense the farther east they went, indicating that they were walking into the cold front.

"M-m-m-mister I-i-islander?" Sin stopped. "C-c-c-c-can we s-s-s-stop for the day?"

Sin looked up to the overcast mid-afternoon sky and sighed but nodded his head.

His biggest concern was water, and with the new three gallon camel pack he'd purchased from Trottingham strapped to his back, he estimated the two could go three days without needing to resupply. The first supply hit would be in one of the small villages a full day's trot from here.

Scootaloo collapsed under the weight of her bag, Sin knew that both her legs and back must be killing her, but never once did she complain about it, and to that, he had to give respect.

He noticed her shivering increase, as the heat generated by her constant movements began to cool as she rested. 

Reluctantly, he reached back and undid his scarf.

"Head up." He called gently. The filly looked up with wide tired eyes and did as she was bid, allowing Sin to tie the long material around her neck. The scarf was almost comically long on her, completely covering her snoot and part of her eyes, the length spanning her body and spilling over her like a cloak.

'Hmmm... I like it, but what is it with you and giving ponies cloaks?'

Because it's cold?

'Not what I mean, but fair enough.'

Scootaloo made some adjustments to her new garb and her shivering subsided a little, but not enough to end any concern. They needed a fire. With the abundance of trees near by, Sin had one up in running in fifteen minutes flat, using the leverage of a pair of trees to break down a few larger, but brittle, branches into logs while Scootaloo rested.

He'd halt movement every so often as the sounds of howling came from the forest, but they were too far in for him to be overly concerned. Though, he did retrieve some para cord from his pack and set up a few alarm traps just to be certain. While his training in the wilderness spanned two years, plus a few more from his time with Triple M.'s wilderness survival classes -one he pretty much taught due to the instructor's vast incompetence and oversimplification- he was still out of practice. 

What had once taken him a mere hour to do had taken him three now, but the important thing was to conserve energy and not sweat out water, an imperative he took special care not to break.

By the time sun began it's noticeable decent, camp was fully set up. Complete with spare logs, an anchored reverberation tarp to trap heat, and, of course, a well meaning fire. Scootaloo was doing better now, with heat and rest, hopefully she'd spoken up about her exertion before she became too fatigued to move tomorrow.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" He asked, sitting down beside her, enjoying the heat of the fire.

"I'm doing okay." She said calmly, stroking Angle's head. "How about you?"

"Tired, as always." Sin replied, stretching out his aching forlegs. As expected, she specifically meant his limp. The stallion chuckled and shook his head, "I've done a lot more with a lot worse than this, kiddo."

Scootaloo tilted her head and asked what he meant, which prompted the stallion to recount his time in the Federal wilderness under his grandfather, the time before his real training under Tyken.

It started out simple, hiking a mile or so through the wilderness for a little while, then returning back to his grandfather's cottage for some rest and hot food. Simple enough, but as time passed, Mandylion continued to add small things to the endevor. Steeper inclines, longer trails, more dangerous routs, crossing water and learning how to quickly dry off. Finding small snacks along the way to both keep moral and strength.

Eventually it got to the point where the hike would take a week or two before returning back to the cottage again, the challenge being for the two to stay alive long enough to circle the entire mountain range once and return home in one piece. Sin knew he wouldn't die, but his grandfather had warned him about the possibility of frost bite claiming part of his nose or worse.

The mountain had everything short of a barren desert. Trees, grassy areas, roving hills, a ton of rivers, caves, plants and herbs, both edible/beneficial and poisonous, dangerous animals, benign animals, cliffs to scale, chasms to cross, valleys to explore. Sin could swear to this day, there wasn't a single crack of the north facing cliff he hadn't personally inspected with his own two eyes while looking for drinkable water, or some kind of plant to help with water additives like tea or medicine.

Scootaloo was in awe of his story, asking small questions here and there. By the time he'd finished, she looked alot more at ease with the situation. 

"Ahoy!"

Sin immediately jammed his hoof into his crossbow and turned, ready to draw.

One stallion acknowledged his apprehension and stopped, the other continued onwards until the first placed out his foreleg to stop him. "Woah, woah, easy there friend. We mean ya no harm."

With the way his life had been for the last few days, Sin was more than a little hesitant to believe such a claim. The two began approaching again, a little more slowly this time. It was too dark out to make out their features until they came into the light of the fire.

"Sorry for the scare." The first stallion said, offering the pony a cheap, apologetic smile. "Me n' my brother here were just on our way to Apploosa n' saw your fire. Hoped we might be able to share camp with ya for the night. What with the Everfree being so dangerous and all."

Frowning, Sin took the two ponies in. The talking stallion was a shorter, brown earth pony with a somewhat messy dark green mane and well defined face. The way he spoke and carried himself put Sin on edge a little, he sounded a little con-man-ish, but maybe that was just the accent.

The other pony was a fucking giant of a unicorn stallion. Easily taller than big Macintosh by far, with big dopey eyes, sloping shoulders, and legs that were as big as Sin's neck and then some. Off white in color and wearing coveralls for some reason. His stare immediately went to Scootaloo and lingered on her for a time too long for Sin to be comfortable with.

"Who are you?" Sin asked, keeping his leg tense just in case.

The shorter pony gave a well rehearsed bow. "The name's Vast Gorge, but friends call me Gorge. This here is my friend, Porter Lemmingway, but I just call him Lemmy."

Lemmy began to shift anxiously, his gaze shifting between the ground, Scootaloo and Gorge. Sin waited, wanting to see what was about to happen. "You're friend looks uncomfortable."

Seeing himself mentioned, Lemmy grinned sheepishly. "Gorge, Gorge ask him about the rabbit, Gorge, ask him about the rabbit."

The smaller pony gave his associate a glare, reminding the larger pony that he wasn't supposed to talk, but Lemmy didn't seem to interested in what Gorge had to say at the moment, his eyes falling once again, not on Scootaloo, but on Angel.

"Lemmy, no. Remember what happened to the last bunny you touched? You broke the things neck because you petted it to hard." Gorge stated harshly. Lemmy slumped a little, but his eyes still trailed to the rabbit, looking at him with a fierce longing.

Sin wasn't sure what to make of the pair. It was obvious that the larger pony had some mental issues, what with the way he spoke and accidental killing of a rabbit, which didn't inspire much confidence. Gorge, though, he just rubbed Sin the wrong way. Not by the way he was, but by his accent, it just seemed so con-man-ish.

"No offense, but I'd rather not." Sin stated.

"Aww, C'mon friend. We're only asking to share camp for the night." Gorge urged. "We'da set up camp ourselves, but Lemmy here got us chased by some a pack of irate cyote's, he did."

Great, now there were coyotes potentially lead to his camp by these two... There goes him getting any sleep for the night.

"We w-" Lemmy began, only to be halted by Gorge slamming a knee into his side. "Oh, umm, yep. Cyotes, chased, mean little suckers." He said with a big, dumb smile.

Sin was about to tell them to move on, but Scootaloo beat him to the punch.

"Islander, Coyotes eat rabbits." She declared, cradling Angel in her forelegs a little tighter.

"I am aware, Scootaloo, thank you." 

The filly argued that Gorge was right, and that there was safety in numbers, but Sin fought her on the matter, stating that he didn't think it was a good idea to allow ponies they didn't know to be so close. Though, Scootaloo held to form, citing Angel's safety as the reason for her worry, as well as the filly's own.

Sin, seeing that he had no real reason to deny the two, and the fact he'd been overusing Nightmare's power lately, reluctantly agreed to their stay.

"Thank ya, friend." Gorge chirped, taking a place opposite the two, with Lenny sitting beside him.

An awkward few moments of silence passed, well, for Sin anyway. Lemmy and Gorge looked right at home, chatting with each other about farm life and 'living off the fatta the lan'." Leading Sin to the conclusion that this wasn't their first time crashing a campsite.

"So, where are you n' ya girl headed, mistah?" Gorge asked. "Me n' Lemmy here are headin' to Appleoosa to start our own farm. Ain't that right, Lemmy?"

The larger stallion nodded his head. "Yep, gonna get us a whole bunch o' rabbits, n' Gorge is gonna let me tend to 'em."

Sin stole a quick look at Angel and Scootaloo, neither of whom liked to the idea, but he wasn't about to say anything. Animals were property, and he had as much right to dictate griffin slaughter houses as he did rabbit farms.

The two continued on, recounting their own tale of how they'd come to be here all the way from Manehatten. Time passed, and Lemmy laid down to doze off. Sin felt a pressure against his side. Scootaloo had fallen asleep, resting her head against him and breathing quietly as she slumbered.

Sin was tempted to lift his cloak and tuck her away against his side, away from the cold the best he could, but something inside of his chest demanded him not to, like it wasn't his place to do so. She just looked so innocent and peaceful in that moment, it almost hurt for him to know that she'd soon be cringing and whimpering from nightmares. The Timberwolves may not have gotten to her body, but they had infected her mind, and he had no doubt that the trauma of that pedophile would leave his mark as well.

"You want I should take first watch for the night, Mr. Islander? Let ya sleep with yer girl, there?"

Sin shook his head, he didn't plan to sleep. Lemmy may have been a well meaning oaf of a pony, but Gorge wasn't. Sin still wasn't sure if he could be trusted or not. So, the two of them stayed up, each watching over their respective charges.









"I grow weary of bread and water." Sombra bemoaned, dropping the last few bites of his loaf into the roaring fire before him. The stallion remembered a time when he'd have eaten his own hoof, battling the terrors and horrors that plagued Equestria. Fighting against the griffins in the Forgotten War a thousand years ago, wrangling with demons and driving them back to Tartarus, and even the mighty dragons themselves. Though, since he'd become the King of the Crystal Empire, the blackened unicorn had become accustom to the finer things in life. Even after his return, he'd made the mistake of indulging Celestia's royal hospitality and unwittingly set an unreachable standard of edibles.

"Will you stop complaining already? You're giving me a headache."

The old king's irritation was just limited to his food either, his companion, Soarin, was a stick in the mud. A constant sour puss who never smiled and was tartarus bent on not enjoying anything.

Sombra wanted to visit Trottingham proper and indulge the thoroughfare for all it was worth. Aye, he wanted to travel the countryside, but he also wanted to see all the architecture and changes the country had undergone as well. He wanted to explore the cities, dine on exquisite foods, and lay with the most beautiful of mares. He wanted to feel the heat of a warm body against his own after a good night of dunken sex and debauchery. To Soarin, though, he might as well be asking for the heavens to come crashing down and the earth to be split down the middle.

Sombra scoffed. "Do you take so much pleasure in being miserable, Soarin? Doth you not reminice of the warm body of a mare to keep you well during cold nights such as this?"

Soarin didn't reply, instead, he kept his sharp and intense gaze on the fire.

Seeing his question garnering no reply, Sombra sighed and shook his head. "You are too young to behave so somber and subdued, my friend."

"We're not friends." The white pegasus stated, breaking his eyes free from the flame to glare at his associate. "We've got a job to do, and we're doing it together. That's it."

Sombra rolled his eyes. "Yes, you have yet to let a day pass without reminding me of your ill begotten grudge."

Sorian returned to his fire.

As mind mind boggeling as the stallion's angst and lack of manners was, the blackened unicorn could only be so angry with him. He'd heard about the crimes Soarin had commited, and briefly considered passing his own judgement upon the pegasus, though it was how seriously he'd taken his burden that made the unicorn halt his wrath.

What he'd done was wrong, but Sombra was not blind to the hypocrisy of his ire. For as heinous as Soarin's acts were, they simply couldn't measure up to what the fell king had done. Mind control love was a horrible thing, but at least the pegasus had stopped prior to doing something that couldn't be undone.

Still didn't mean the two couldn't pretend to like each other though.

Luna had said that the target was somewhere in the Trottingham area, she did not know specifically where but deduced that the city was the best place to start their search. Soarin deduced that, since Sin was on the run from the law, he wouldn't actually stay inside the city any long than needed to resupply. The two had swept the outskirts a few times, even venturing into the Everfree forest to see if the stallion could be found. Alas, he could not. 

At the end of each night, one would sleep and give their report to Luna in the dream scape, while the other stood watch for the night until it was their turn. His mistress wasn't upset with their lack of progress, but the confident face she put forth was a well trained disguise that Sombra could see through even if he'd lost his vision. She was worried, something foul plagued the lunar princess's mind, and as angry as the fell king was with her, his loyalty and love was as strong today as it was all those years ago.

A soft thumping soon acompaniedthe crackling of fire, and Sombra and Soarin exchanged glances. Somepony was approaching from behind.

In a flash, both ponies were one their hooves, with Sombra's horn flicking with a stun spell and Soarin ready to rush forward and beat the intruder senseless.

"Good eavening." Said a golden eyed bat pony said as he appeared in the light of the fire. "Sombra and Soarin, I presume?"

"You presume much, batpony." Sombra spat, the red glow of his horn intensifying.

A white hoof blocked Sombra's spell, and Soarin stepped forwards.

"I know you, you were that bat pony from Ponyville. The one who was holding off Spike during his second rampage."

The lunar pegasus nodded his head once, his eyes flickering with knowing amusement. "That would be me, yes." He said calmly, "ohh, fire."

Sombra watched as the bat pony strode between the two of them to the fire and welcomed himself to the heat like the'd made it. As nonplussed as the unicorn was, he did have to give the pony some begrudged respect for the kind of balls it took to do such a thing.

Soarin, now more skeptical than defensive, asked what business the night stallion had with them.

The pony sighed contently from the heat. "I hear you're looking for somepony." He declaired non-challantly. "A certain oaken pegasus stallion thought to have been dead."

Sombra's eyes widened in shock. How? How was it that this noctulecent knave knew of their cause? Had he been spying? Was he one of Luna's dream walkers? It had to be, there was just no way in the bloody moon's devine light that the universe would drop the answers into their laps like this.

"Is that so?" Soarin asked with mild intreague. The bat pony nodded his head, keeping his back turned as he enjoyed the warmth of the flame. 

After having his fill, the bat stallion turned his gaze to the two. "Yes, and I've come to tell you where you can find him."

   

  
> Conflicting Bond
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










Conflicting Bond







Sin, sidestepped yet another cactus only to almost have his frog penetrated by yet another skeletal tumble weed...

Deserts and badlands, the two arenas his skills in survivalism held little sway. He could survive mountains, frozen tundras, forests, jungles, roving hills, grassy planes and even stranded out in the ocean... but the one geography he was completely useless in is the one they just had to go to.

It wasn't like he didn't want to learn, but the Federation's worst landscape was the South Equine scrublands. He had survived a good two weeks out there, life made a lot easier when he'd just stuck along a dried river bed and mastered the delicate art of separating water from mud, but the vegitation was proof of water's existence. 

Desert and Badlands? Nope. No nothing but sand, dirt, rocks, and painful heat. Scootaloo had asked about cutting a cactus open and drinking the fluids contained within, but both Sin and Gorge stood against the idea, informing the filly that such a thing was an old wives tale at best, and could be fatal at worst.

Since he'd met the two a couple of days ago, the Federalist had come to appreciate the new Appleoosa bound stallions. Gorge, for his sharp tongue, was a decent enough guy. He knew his way around the dry climate well enough, and taught Sin a thing or two about the landscape. The Federalist was familiar with the fact that water was more likely found in shaded areas like cliffs and crevices, but it would never have occurred to him to specifically target walls that were slopped instead of at a hard angle for digging.

Not that they'd actually needed it, since the towns in this area were all pretty close together and each had their own supply of water and food to restock on. Still, half the point of the Federalist's drive for learning how to survive off the land was so that he didn't need to rely on the provisions of others. To know that he didn't need anybody but himself and his own wits is what gave the stallion confidence, and being in an environment where his life depended upon others, it had been badly shaken.

But that was the price of learning.

Scootaloo and Lemmy were becoming fast friends, the filly taking special care to keep her words small and manageable. The large unicorn was a simple pony, but a genuinely kind hearted one. Scootaloo had even allowed him to pet Angel a few times, adhering to Gorge's advice to not let Lemmy hold the rabbit, though. Which turned out for the best, as Angel would always hop away if the brute became too heavy hoofed, resulting in a scolding from the filly and a glare from Angel.

Though, the genuine sadness and remorse Lemmingway expressed made it impossible for the two stay mad at him, even if he did repeatedly  almost take Angel's head off.

"Well friend, I do believe we can make it to Dodge City by nightfall if'n we continue at this pace." The smaller earth pony said.

Sin had checked the map before and nodded in agreement. He was feeling better, his limp had decreased sugnificantly, but the constant walking hadn't made his healing easy. Lemmy was happy enough to carry his saddle bag as payment for the shared camp site, which helped a little.

"I've gotta ask, how are you planning on making a farm out in an environment like this?" Sin asked. Gorge chuckled and explained that Apploosa was a good seventy miles west of Dodge, the landscape was a little more forgiving there, more than enough for apples to grow, apparently. That's all the two wanted, was to grow apples and leave the world behind so they could live their lives in peace and quiet. Sin could appreciate that.

"No, Lemmy, Angel doesn't want to be petted right now!" Scootaloo growled. 

Sin sighed internally, and on cue, the stallion began to wimper and whine, begging to be allowed to pet the object of his affections. This had been a constant theme during their travel, every day the well meaning giant would over stay the rabbit's patience, wimper in distress, and then sullenly accept his fate once Gorge put his hoof down.

"No Lemmy, stop! STOP!"

Sin snapped his head back and turned around completely when he saw Lemmy pushing past the filly's protests.

"Lemmy! That's enough!" Gorge barked, but this time wasn't like the others, Lemmy was determined to pet Angel to his own satisfactions. Sin pushed the larger unicorn back and blocked his access to Scootaloo, this prompted the unicorn to begin breathing heavily from the aggression and summon his wrath.

"I want da rabbit!" Shouted Lemmy, trying to push past the much smaller pony, but this wasn't Sin's first time handling creatures larger than himself. Luckily, Gorge was upon the two in a second and stood up on his hind legs to get eye level with his friend.

"Lemmy, listen to me." He said sternly. "These fine folks have been very kind and patient with us, n' if ya keep on as you are, yer gonna get us in very big trouble. Ya hearin' me?"

"Are you okay?" Sin asked, turning to check on Scootaloo. The filly nodded and turned to see Angel pouting on her back, galring at Lemmy with his black beady eyes.

Suddenly, a loud cry was heard, and Sin ushered Scootaloo back and away as Lemmy began to, what he could only describe as, throw one of the biggest temper tantrums he'd ever seen.

"Ugh, great." Gorge rolled his eyes and began nursing his head. "Yer gonna go ahead n' do this now?"

"AH WAN' THE RABBIT GORGE! AH WAN' IT, AH WAN' IT!" Lemmy cried, slamming his massive hooves down on the ground with force enough to feel small tremors.

Gorge sighed and turned to Sin. "You guys go ahead, think we've cause ya enough trouble." 

Sin nodded and pushed Scootaloo onwareds, leaving the smaller earth pony to try and comfort his friend's distress.

Once the wailing sobs of Lemmy had faded into the distance, Sin asked if Scootaloo was alright again. The filly answered in the affermiatve, but looked a mix between both indignant and guilty.

"I feel bad for him." Scootaloo said, looking back. "He's nice, he really is. He was gentle with Angel when he wanted to be, but... he's just..."

"Not all there?" Sin finished for her. Scootaloo nodded

Mental deficiencies like that were a mixed bag, as far as Sin was concerned. One on hoof, they were biological failures, misteps in the brain that the world would be better off without, and a plague that those who had them suffered for. On the other, ponies like Lemmy were honest to a fault, they were almost incapable of manipulation and lies, which he considered a positive on the pony's part, but at the cost of things like common sense and a concept of social civility.

Scootaloo wasn't sure what to make of that, and questioned Sin on the concept of mental facilities as they'd walked.

Sin hesitated for a moment, debating on if being as blunt as he usually was with such matter was a good idea or not. Mental deficiencies were a hot button where he came from, to criticize them was "abelist" to many and some even accused him of being in support of eugenics for it.

It also didn't help that the pony had little to no understanding of neuro-science and his knowledge of biology was basic at best.

'First rule of debate: Never talk about something you have no knowledge of.'

Though, no matter how he ran the conversation in his head, the biological and neurological aspects still blead their way in, not to mention that he was a support of moral eugenics for the sole reason of the inability for those like Lemmy, being a liability to those around them, rather than an asset when they were without their proper caretakers. Had Gorge not been there to constantly keep the unicorn in line, Sin suspected the pony would have either killed someone, or been killed himself.

Such a life made a slave of two ponies. One a slave to his own mental defectiveness, and the other a constant care taker who would never forgive themselves if their charge came to harm or harm others.

"Some ponies aren't right in the head. Doesn't make them bad, but it does mean something isn't normal in their head like most others... let's just leave it at that."

As much as Sin wanted to, he just couldn't find the words to explain his position without condemning the mentally ill. To introduce his own set of values onto such a subject on an impressionable mind like hers just didn't set well with him. It wasn't his place to do so.

'Holy shit, you're being sympathetic and considerate without the kid making you? Sin, I am so proud of you.'

"I'm just... kinda worried about him, is all. He's like a big foal."

To see the genuine concern in her eyes made Sin feel more than a little conflicted. Despite almost dying, almost being raped, and being forced from her home and the only life she'd ever known, Scootaloo was still a whole filly. In a way, he was slowly growing to admire her. Developments like that, at such a young age, would have left most shattered and broken. The orange pegasus filly beside him, however, just seemed to take it all in stride and move on...

'Huh, you know, you're right. That is... pretty amazing, actually.' Critic agreed.

It was, and it bothered him. It bothered him because she shouldn't be this okay with the way her life was going. By all rights, Scootaloo should be a nervous, paranoid and suspicious wreck. Yet she wasn't. Her hesitation for allowing those two to join their camp lasted only as long as Angel's life wasn't in danger, despite her molestation by a stallion... How was that possible?

"What?" Scootaloo asked.

Sin jerked his head forward, completely unaware of the fact he'd been staring at her for the duration of his thoughts. "Sorry, I just... don't understand you."

The filly tilted her head and asked him what he'd meant by that, to which the pony gave his honest opinion. "After everything that's happened to you, you just... act like it doesn't bother you."

Scootaloo frowned. "Well, it's not like it doesn't. I mean, it does hurt, but what were you expecting me to do?" 

'Be broken, cynical and misequinopic?'

"I don't know." The Federalist shrugged. "Just, not this."









The conversation ended there, but Scootaloo was curious as to what made Islander seem so angry at her. The glare he'd been giving her as they walked made her feel slightly confused and self conscious.

What did he expect her to do? Sit around and mope? Cry about how unfair life was? How she shouldn't have lost her parents? How that creep shouldn't have touched her? Or how terrified she was of the wolves in the Everfree? Why? What good did crying and moping do? It didn't help her be happy, it didn't help her get her cutie mark, or fulfill her dreams of flying or joining the Wondebolts. 

No, crying and moping didn't solve anything, only moving forward did, and that's what she intended to do. Besides, it wasn't like she was alone, she had Angel. Who, despite his previous attitude problem, was getting better. She also had Islander who... she knew next to nothing about, really, aside from where he was from and the fact he was good at traveling, and had a philosophical side to him.

That wasn't right, the two had been traveling together for almost a week now. "Hey Mr. Islander?" 

"Sup?"

Scootaloo cringed, realizing that her mouth had jumped the gun before her brain had time to think of a question she could ask. "Umm, why are we heading to Dodge City? You never told me."

Islander pressed his lips, coming up with an answer of his own. "Reasons."

"Oh. Okay, I guess." That was another thing, the Federalist was very secretive. He'd yet to explain what the two were doing in Trottingham and why he'd disappeared in the middle of the night and came back with a limp. Islander claimed it happened when he'd confronted her captors and helped the filly escape, but she didn't buy that for a moment. If that were true, she would have heard a scuffle of some kind upstairs while she was trapped, but the only thing she heard was talking and a thud.

"Hey, umm, what's your favorite color?"

Islander gave her a look, it was a silly question, one that foals asked each other to break the ice, but Scootaloo was committed to it now.

"Umm, grey?" The stallion answer/asked.

Scootaloo gave him a look of her own. "Grey? That's such a boring color, but I guess that's not surprising."

The stallion quirked a brow. "And I suppose yours is orange because it's exciting?"

Scootaloo corrected him that it was sky blue, but the reason was the same. Sky blue made her think of Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash was exciting and awesome.

Islander chuckled. "Miss Dash is a little hot headed, in my opinion."

"She is not!" Scootaloo retorted. "Rainbow Dash is awesome and the fastest flyer in Equestria. She's a little full of herself, but when she can do a sonic rainboom, she's allowed to be."

"Right, speaking of flying, think you can get a vantage point and tell us how close we are to town?"

Scootaloo felt herself sink at the inquiry. She rubbed one hoof against her leg and reluctantly admitted that she couldn't fly. An admission that Islander regarded with a dismissive apology. She liked that, though, she didn't want sympathy for her short comings, but a little encouragement would have helped, something the stallion seemed to have never heard of. 

"Soo... were you apart of the guard in your country?" 

Islander gave her another look, but she pointed out the crossbow hidden under his cloak. It was a question that bothered her for a while now, and she figured it was as good a time as any to ask. From what she could understand of his answer, Islander had been part of his country's military, and had learned a lot about how to fight and shoot from there. They'd also been the one to teach him how he did that weird trick where he made others feel intimidated. The aura as he called it, was mainly used as a tactic to install fear in others and avoid hurting others by making them fearful and obedient. 

"How do you do that?" The filly asked quizzically. "You're not a unicorn, and you said that it's magic, right?"

The stallion pressed his lips, his eyes dodging around as he tried to piece together the answer. "It's... hard to explain. Well, starting off, it's not conventional magic like unicorns use. It's nature magic, magic that all animals may use if they learn how."

"Yea, but how?"

Again, Islander took a moment to respond. "It's... it's like, um... fuck how did grandpa explain it? Okay, so you know that small feeling you get while you're in nature? How that sense of calmness you feel while out in the wilderness that you never get when you're in civilization? Well, that's actually a type of magic created by the centaur in their attempt to sate conflict and bring peace to the world. When channeled correctly, the magic is absorbed into the body in a way to access skills like the aura."

It made sense how he was so adept in the wilderness now, but centaurs? Scootaloo had never heard of them before. Islander didn't give any information on them though, and blocked any more questions relating to them. So, she settled on asking about his home country.

"Why are you so interested in this all of the sudden?" 

Scootaloo shrugged. "Well, we've been traveling together for a while. Guess I just want to know you a little better is all."

Islander's eyes darkened, the ever present dark bags beneath becoming much more pronounced and his brow furrowed into a grim and guilt ridden leer. "Trust me, kiddo. The less you know about me, the better."

Halting her walk, Scootaloo's jaw dropped at the sudden change of tone and words. One second he was as pleasant, almost joyful, and then he just switched to depressive and grim. The filly wasn't sure what to make of the change, but decided not to push the issue.









'Wow Sin, way to go.'

The stallion heard the filly catch up to him and keep pace, staying more behind him than she was before. Sin wasn't sure what to make of her, but he knew that his influence wouldn't be a good one.

Spare me, Critic. Filly's got a good heart, I'm not about to taint that with my past and all the shit I've done in my life.

'The kid says that you should tell her-'

No! You know something? Fuck the kid, and tell him to go fuck himself with a rusty spork. Scootaloo's been through enough, she doesn't need to hear my problems, and let's face it, my past is just one big never ending problem.

'Wooooah, calm down there. Since when did you care this much for her? Remember, the only reason you helped her at all is because the kid told you too.'

Sin knew that much was true, but ever since he'd found Scootaloo, something in him was changing. He felt... protective of her, not because the kid told him to, but because of her just... being herself. She was strong, but still innocent in her youth. 

It was hard to figure out why, it didn't make any sense to him, but Sin wanted to protect that innocence. To some part of him, it felt... good to know that she still wanted to see the good in life. That despite her suffering, she hadn't given up on the goodness of others and valued her future in a way that resulted in her being happy and fulfilled.

It conflicted with almost everything he believed in. That innocence were nothing but a synonym for ignorant and gullible, and the preservation of such a thing would only result in the individual being taken advantage of. Yet here he was, feeling a strong urge to stop anything from exposing her to the harsh realities of the world.

And worst of all, the Federalist felt guilty for his world view and belief in consequentialism when putting Scootaloo in the situations he so often condemned others for being in. 

Sin knew what was happening, that the feelings of things were not interfering with logical application and follow through, it had happened before with Spike during his trial. With Spike, though, the feelings Sin had gotten were no where near this strong, despite Sin's long time association. 

So what made Scootaloo so special?
> No Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








No Hope









Spike sat at the library alone, charged to stay and be the one anypony would report to if they'd found Scootaloo. Though, the drake didn't hold much hope now.

It had been one week since Scootaloo had run of into the forest, one week since Justice was thrown into jail by the Apple lynch mob. Had it not been for Applejack and Twilight, he was certain she'd have hung for what she did. Even after so much time had passed, heads were still too hot to decide what to do with her.

After the pink pegasus was unceremoniously thrown into jail, despite the guard's measily resistance on the matter, and a few days of searching, many ponies took to city council, outraged over how such a thing could both happen and be sanctioned by the law. Mayor Mare received the brunt of it, after all she was the executive branch of Ponyville, but Spike saved her by explaining that it wasn't her fault, and that city council, being the legislative branch, were the ones who'd made the bill in the first place.

It saved mayor Mare, but condemned Colgate, Leaf Spring, and Rain to the mob's ire. It all happened so quickly, so fast, Spike was a little scared at the ferocity and fervor the citizen of Ponyville were capable of. Insults, threats, demands for retribution. Some even began kicking and bucking the three mare's homes.

Leaf Spring and Colgate did their best to reason with the crowd, but they were an emotionally charged throng of blood thirsty ponies. The three had no chance of placating the irate townsfolk who wanted nothing more than to make all three of them tree ornimates.

Spike felt bad for them, he really did, but the mayor was a good pony, she didn't deserve to suffer the mob's wrath. Needless to say, city council was quick to amend the legislation to better handle foal custody cases. Threats and broken windows had a way of getting those kinds of results.

Though, the treatment of the council continued to grow increasingly violent. Ponies protesting outside their houses and Colgate's dental business. It got so bad that some had even broken into the cobalt unicorn's house and wrecked the place, since it was leaked that she was the one who'd sponsored the reformation of foal custody last.

That's when things got bad.

A separate group of ponies, those whom found the protesters obtrusive and radical, formed in opposition. They claimed that it was the rules of law that held society together, that the law wasn't perfect, but it should still be respected and maintained for the greater good of civilization. By day, those with too much time on their hooves would often engage in animated debates about common sense/compassionate approaches vs common sense/fair approaches of the law.

Yesterday, somehow, a brawl started right outside of city hall. A conflict that engaged about twenty ponies in total.

It wasn't certain how or who or where it started, but somepony said something along the lines of one of the protesters against city council not caring about the welfare of children and not caring about their mistreatment, even going so far as to allege the pony wanted foals to be raped.

Twilight had petitioned the Capital's aid to come to Ponyville to get the place under control after that. A decision Spike was in agreement with. As deplorable as the bill's effects were, things were starting to get out of control, ponies were being lead too much by their emotions. He'd read over the bill that prompted the attack on Colgate, and she had actually loosened the restrictions on foal adoptions. The ponies were just out for blood now, and it was only a matter of time before they got it.

Though, Macintosh, Annabelle, and Rainbow Dash were the worst hit by Scootaloo's disappearance.

The dragon sighed and closed the comic book he'd been attempting to read for the past hour. 

Macintosh wasn't speaking to anypony anymore. Every time Spike would go over to check up on him, the stallion was either in the Everfree forest, or had returned home just long enough to sleep and do some farm work. His ever stoic and impassive face didn't betray how distressed and distraught he was, but his mannerisms and lack of speech did. Annabelle was in a constant state of tears now, according to Granny the poor mare couldn't stop crying or looking like she was about to cry every time she looked at the couch Scootaloo had used as a bed before getting her her own along side Applebloom.

Shining Armor and Cadance had to leave to see to the Crystal empire, but Shining promised to return as scheduled every Friday as usual. For cards of for exploration. 

As for Rainbow Dash, nopony mentioned Scootaloo around her again. She put up a tough face, like she always did, but that tough shell would always show its true cracks whenever the filly's name was mentioned. She wouldn't completely fall into depression like she did the second day after he filly had left, but her typically boisterous attitude did deflate to a calmed and forced enthusiasm and optimism.

The door opened and Twilight walked in. "Hey Spike." She said.

"Any news?" The drake asked with mild hope. Twilight shook her head and he felt himself sink.

"Not about Scootaloo, but Celestia did say she wants us to bring Social Justice to Canterlot tomorrow so she can explain herself." Despite how calmly Twilight was explaining the situation, the name sent cold blood pouring through Spike's veins. Though, the voice of reason was just as quick to point out the facts as they were.

Scootaloo ran for no reason, no reason what so ever...

Spike heard what Macintosh and Social Justice said. They both agreed that Scootaloo would only be taken into government custody momentarily. That the filly was just to be questioned and interviewed about how she felt about the family, and absolve the government of any negligence charges should something have happened to her. Justice didn't even seem to want to do it either, she saw how badly Scootaloo wanted to stay and Spike could see the sympathy in her eyes. 

But apparently there were a few cases in Canterlot that she'd dealt with where foals were conditioned to act as if they loved their abusers, and she was appalled at how inefficiently the government there had handled the situation, abandoning the foals to unworthy and abusive caretakers, resulting in one foal being beaten to death.

It did explain the heavy guard presence. When one is powerless to stop an issue before, the power they wield to fix it is almost always over reaching.

To the rest of the town, it was a black and white issue. Justice came knocking and demanded Scootaloo be taken into custody, causing the filly to run screaming into the woods,  but to Spike, Macintosh and anypony else who'd heard what was said behind the farm house that day, they knew better. 

It was a sick dellema, on one claw: you've got ponies who bemoan the law because not enough was done to protect colts and fillies, and on the other, a bunch who complain because too much was done.

It didn't help, though. Even knowing that Justice's heart was in the right place, she was still the reason for Scootaloo's disappearance. Her involvement was the reason a little filly was gone, and that's all anypony would ever come to understand. Her virtues and desire to protect foals and maintain order meant nothing, the consequences of her actions were the sum of it all.

"How's Uppity doing?" Spike asked.

Twilight froze over the tea she was making for a moment. "She's not doing well, Spike. She blames herself for what happened, for recommending Justice in the first place."

Spike agreed with the mare. She was partially responsible after all. Again, her well meaning didn't really amount to anything compared to the consequences and results, but alot of the blame was also on Celestia for approving the mare as Arbiter in the first place. The town's arbiter wasn't elected to office like the council or mayor was, they were appointed, apparently. And Celestia had to have approved the mare's authority in the matter.

The door to the library creaked open, allowing a sullen looking Applejack entery.

"Hey, Twi, any news?" 

The unicorn shook her head, causing the earthpony to slump. Everything that could be done was being done. Fliers were put up at every train station in the country, the Everfree was being combed for all the pony power they could muster, Twilight even sent a letter to Princess Luna in hopes she could locate Scootaloo through her dreams.

"Ah'm worried, Twi." Applejack admitted, removing her hat and taking a seat at the library table. "Macintosh, Annabelle, Rainbow, all of 'em are becomin' more n' more depressed. Mac won' even talk t' me no more. Ah'm at the end of muh rope here."

Of course he didn't. Mac was fully ready to fight off all four of the guards ponies who'd come to the farm that day, convinced that if he'd allowed Scootaloo to be taken, he'd never see here again. Spike would have been right by his side, too, he still owed the red stallion for his part in the conspiracy on Spike's trial. 

The drake didn't have a doubt in his mind that Macintosh would have taken out every single guard to keep Scootaloo safe, had it not been for Applejack coaxing him into giving the filly up. As far as Spike was concerned, alot of the blame fell onto the cow pony's shoulders for that.

"I'm sorry, Applejack... I don't know what else I can do." Twilight said apologetically, pouring each of them a small cup of tea.

The apple mare rubbed her eyes with irritation, asking the million bit question that plagued all of them. "Ah jes', it don't make no sense! Ah heard what all was said! Ah can't figure out why Scootaloo ran away! Ah gah!"

Spike eyed the mare with a glare more intense than he'd intended. He wanted to be angry at Justice, he really did, but after hearing about the foals who were beaten and abused because of government negligence, he just couldn't be. The pink pegasus was just doing her job and wanting to keep foals safe, this whole thing wasn't really anypony's fault, just the result of a crack in the system.

Twilight placed a hoof onto her distraught friends own and offered her as close to a reassuring look as she could muster. Applejack took a second of token reluctance but eventually sighed. 

"We'll find her."

"Ah hope so, not jest fer Scootaloo's sake, but fer Macintosh too." Applejack took the tea into her hooves and sipped loudly. She was scared, scared that her brother would wander into the forest someday and never come back out again... AJ knew the dangers of the Everfree Forest, a might bit more than she cared to admit to, and as much as she wanted Scootaloo to be found, it killed her inside every time Macintosh ventured in to find her. Annabelle wasn't taking well to his exploration either, which wasn't only harming her but could have indirect effects upon the young foal in her belly.

"She's scared silly, Twi. All of us are. Ah'm not sayin' we should give up on Scootaloo r' nothin', Ah'm jest... Ah don't know, Ah jest..." She began to quiver with emotion, calling Twilight to embrace her, and allow the blond pony to sob gently on the unicorn's shoulder, Twilight cooing with soft words of comfort and reassurance.









 "Ya can't take her! Ah wont let ya!

"Macintosh, please be reasonable. The law has a responsibility to-

"NO! Ya ain't placein' a hoof on her!

"Mr. Macintosh, if you will not hand over the filly willingly, I will have you arrested!"

"N' A'LL BUCKING KILL YOU!"

"WOAH WOAH WOAH! Let's all just calm down.




"SCOOOOTALOOOOOOO!" Big Mac shouted, only to be answered by the ever present silence of the darkened forest.

The red pony took a gasping breath, and looked around, hoping to hear shuffling of brush or anything that could be interperated as hoofsteps. Nothing.

"SCOOOTALOOOOO!" He called, venturing farther inwards. 

Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been in here today, six hours, maybe seven? The sun must be going down by now, but even as his hope began to wane, he had to know he did everything, everything in his power to find what he'd lost... what he'd so foolishly let slip through his hooves because of his fear.


"Yes, Spike, I do see her, but you have to understand where I'm coming from here. I've seen too many foals who I knew were absued but conditioned to show attatchment like that... foals who were beaten and neglected."

"Does she look beaten and neglected to you!?"

"No, no she doesn't, but I have to be sure. I have to know with 100% certainty. For protocol as much as my own peace of mind."

"FORGET YOUR STUPID PROTOCOL! Can't you see how distressed she is, that's what you're doing to her!?"

"And how am I to know that it isn't because of her fear of Macintosh? That is exactly how little Bucky acted with a mare who beat him silly every night!



"SCOOTALOOOOOOO!"

The conversation haunted him, again and again, over and over like a reoccuring nightmare. Mac tried to analyze it, he tried to figure out where everything went so wrong, how it all came to this, but no matter what angle he looked at it with, he just couldn't see where he'd gone wrong.

Pushing past a brush, the pony sidestepped a protruding root and peaked around some bushes, coming up as empty hooves as he did the last million bushes he'd looked behind.




"I'm sorry, I really am, but the laws were put in place for a reason, you can appreciate that, can't you?"

"I can, but this case isn't like the ones your describing. Ponyville isn't like Canterlot, or Manehatten or those other big cities."

"Look, I wish I could take your word for it, Spike, but I have to follow the law."

"No you don't! You can do the right thing here, Justice!"

"I am doing the right thing." 



Macintosh called out the name again, and again, and again, his voice growing horse and more raspy. The past six days were a sickening blur to him, each day just melting into the next as nothing but dark foilage and a single name echoing through the day.

His legs were wobbling from exhaustion and his eyes were blood shot and eyelids heavy. The pony wasn't sure how much more of this his body could take, but he didn't care. Everypony else had given up on her, Shining Armor left, Twilight and them were useless, Spike wasn't coming out with him anymore... He was all that was left, he was the last one with any hope that Scootaloo would be found. He couldn't give up on her now.

"SCOOootalooo!"


"Macintosh, I promise, she'll only be in custody for a little bit. All I wanna do is ask her some questions while you and Mrs. Apple get your certificate officially authorized."

"NO! YA CAN'T HAVE HER!"

"Big Mac, brother, Ah love ya, ah do, but ya heard what she said, Scoot's is jest gonna have to answer some questions is all. It wont take that long, n' it'll be legal."

"Sis?"

"Ah don't like it no more n' you do, but fact is that this'll be alot easier n' go alot smoother if'n ya let 'er go..."


Another brush, another ding of discouragement to his already wilted hope. Again and again the process repeated itself, the thoughts from before offering no where near the amount of will and determination they once did.

'Macintosh, Scootaloo's been in here for the past seven days... even if she was still in here, there's no way she could have-'

NO! No, don't you turn on me too! Ah can't give up hope now!

The stallion burst forward in a show of energy and force, challening the forests creeping depression and charging into the unknown to show that it wouldn't break his spirit.



"Scootaloo? Ah want ya ta listen to me, okay? Shhh, it'll be alrigh', Ah'm sorry, but Ah have to let them take ya fer a bit, alright? Won't be long, okay? Ah promise ya, all ya gotta do is answer some questions, n' you'll be right back in the farm. No foster care, no orphanage, no nothin'. Ah'll only be an hour or two, then we can all head back to the farm n' be a proper family... but Ah gotta let em ask ya few questions first, think ya can do that?"



In a sudden bout of realization, Mac failed to see the root ahead and tripped on it, the force of his forward motion sending him tumbling to the ground.

He never checked to see if she understood what was happening. For all of everything that was going on, Macintosh didn't stop to ask Scootaloo if she really grasped the situation, or if she was listening at all. She clung to his neck like she would die if she dared to let go, how could he miss that she may not have even had her facilities about her when she was taken?

Sighing as a few things finally began clicking into place, Macintosh gagged as a sudden and putrid odor permiated his nostrils.

Grimacing, the stallion opened his eyes from his place on the ground to a see a foul and terrible sight.

He jumped up and stumbled away from what he saw but slowly and cautiously approached with a slowly increasing sense of dread. No... no, no this... it couldn't be... the dark of the forest had to be playing tricks on him again.

With each and every step, Mac's nerves doubled again and again. His breathing deep and sparatic. Tentitivly, he reached out his hoof and tapped on the thing he'd found, a hollow echo confirming the hollowness of the blood stained skull. It was big, too big to be any normal critier, but to shapely to be something like a bear or mantacor...

'Mac, you know what it is...'

NO! No, no it can't be! It has to be something else, like a timberwolf or something!

'Mac, timberwolves are wood and they don't have blunt teeth. I'm sorry, but-'

NO! NO! NO! NO!

The stallion fell to his knees and wept, there was no point in denying it any longer. He knew the type of skull he was looking it, the flat teeth, the large head, and most importantly, the rounded muzzle... this was a filly's skull, a filly who died all too recently.

  
  
> Story Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Story Time







"Thank you." Scootaloo said, happily taking the small tin cup full of lukewarm potato and carrot stew.

Sin took a look at the dead fire and missed the Everfree forest. When he looked at the map, he noticed that Dodge City was a a good fifty miles away from the forest with only badlands and small towns between they and Dodge. He found it practical to grab a few good sized bits of Everwood for a fire and had them kept strapped to his person using his saddle bag. Tyken had told him stories about how cold the badlands were back in Griffinstone, despite the cruel heat of the day, and Sin was a pony to rather have and not need than need and not have.

He took a drink of the broth and smiled as the warmth of the water fought off the growing cold of the slowly darkening deadlands around them. 

One thing the Federalist really didn't like about the open landscape was just how exposed the two were. There was nothing for the two to hide behind or conceal themselves with out here. Nothing but dirt, rocks, and a few skilital shrubs. It also didn't help that both would hear the occasional howl of a coyote in the back ground from time to time, setting both Angel and Scootaloo on edge. Sin himself wasn't worried about the mutts, they weren't known to attack adult ponies unless they were really desperate, but foals and rabbits? The dogs would make quick work of both, especially if they were desperately famished.

"Sooo..." Scootaloo started, growing uncomfortable with the peaceful silence Sin had come to love so much. "Umm, can you tell me why we're going to Dodge City, please?"

"I'm a nomad wondering is what I do." The Federalist replied. "Dodge is just a place I'm going, I guess."

Scootaloo frowned and repeated the question, emphasizing the why a little harder. Sin shrugged, he hadn't really come up with a reason to go to Dodge, and he certainly wasn't about to tell her the truth. Saying that learning survival in the badlands wasn't an option, since he wouldn't be in the city for long, his mission succeeding or failing. Though, if he did succeed in killing Puddinghead in Dodge, what then? Yet another question he couldn't really answer.

The filly groaned. "You're so secretive, why is that?"

"As I've said, the less you know about me the better." Sin quipped, taking another sip and munching on a stray carrot.

"Yea, I get that, but why? I mean, you don't seem like a bad pony to me." Scootaloo argued, still unable to understand his claim. Sin decided to go with the classical response of not everything being as it seemed, leading the filly to pout and sulk in her ignorance.

'C'mon Sin, she's a lost foal who's scared out of her mind, would it really be so bad to let her have a connection with you?' Critic asked.

You know something, Critic? You're right, you're absolutely right. So, which story would you like me to tell her? That I'm on my way to Dodge to kill a pony who betrayed me and tried to have me killed, or the story of how I freed said pony? Going against the laws of the land due to my own moral compase and having that decision back fire so hard in my face, it made me a fugitive of the land, resulted in the mare I used to love betraying me and all around ruining my life here?

'Nice strawman, jackass. I was thinking more along the lines of maybe sharing a story about something else? Like when you talked about Tapio or the Federation? Something that, you know, doesn't traumatize children and make you out to be a gigantic, sociopathic, anarchist prick.'

... Have you met me? Hi, I'm Sinbad Von Islander: I'm the fucking definition of a gigantic, sociopathic, anarchist prick.

'Really? So tell me, 'sociopath', why did you save Macintosh from wrongful incarceration? Or conspire to save Spike's life if you found the Diamond Dog's judgement too harsh? Or help liberate those other diamond dogs from that dragon? Or, you know, make friends with any of them?'

Well... those were-

'Or better yet, 'anarchist' why did you: not only take a government position as Arbiter of city council in Ponyville, but also attend multiple events in which to defend the current government structure, one of which being an anarchist event itself?'

Okay, that's not fair, that was-

'Also, you're pretty short to consider yourself "gigantic", and being a prick? Seriously? You're anti-social and a-social. I'll give you that, but you're hardly a prick. Yea, you've been a prick in your past, but ever since you left behind the toxic environment of the Federation, life's gotten better and better for you. You're improved attitude, having genuinely happy relationships, and emotional acceptance was proof of that.'

Yea, right up until it all blew up in my face, if you remember.

'Oh for the love of Milikki, you'll just find any excuse to be miserable, wont you?'

Oh, I don't know, maybe that's because every time I have something good in life, the world has this funny habit of kicking the shit out of me for it? I try to piece together how to make the world a better place, the world fights me with everything it has and punishes me for my efforts. I become a Senator to try and help my country, the populace spits in my face and condemns my very existence, labeling me as mentally ill for my politics. I try to have a marefriend, she sells me out to ponies who want to kill me, there by making me a fugitive of the law for my crime, tricking my friends into thinking I'm dead and simultaneously hiding from the guard whilst also tracking down said pony to take revenge.

So to answer your question, my dear Critic: I don't think I need to "find an excuse" to be miserable.

...

"Hey Islander, whatcha thinking about?" The filly asked, noticing how deep in thought he was.

'Can you just try? Just try to be nice? If not for your own sake, than for hers?'

Sin sighed and scrambled for a memory that was somewhat decent to recount. There was a silent agreement between the two to leave family out of their conversations, which suited him fine, but friends were probably okay.

"Just, wondering how my master is doing."

"Master?" The filly asked, tilting her head.

The pony elaborated about the matter, telling Scootaloo about his survival teacher, Tyken, and the small adventures the two used to share. Survival and utilization of available resources was always the main focus of their little endeavors, but the two would often have side objectives to complete while out in the mountains or whatever terrain they were in. There was one instance the Federalist would never forget involving the Bloody Sky Captains.

While Sin and Tyken were out in the wilds, they came accrossed the pirate's airship Gonshinian, and Tyken had this stupid idea to sneak onto the vessle and steal some food. Sin, obviously, objected to the endevor, but the griffin argued that pirates stole things all the time, and that since they were thieves themselves, had broken the non-aggression principal and were subject to acts of aggression all their own. The stallion would have been more open to the idea, if Tyken wasn't so casual and upbeat about the idea.

Again, though, Sin argued that pirates weren't known for their hospitality and sense of decency. Conventional wisdom and common sense dictated that it was a stupid idea, that the two should have turned around and made way back to camp and pretend that they'd never seen the massive black and red vestle at all.

Tyken, for all of his brilliance, was anything but conventional though.

"So, no shit, there we were, hiding behind a couple of rocks. The ships teathered to the mountain side, and we spend a full six hours just watching and observing. Figuring out any paterns from the crew, seeing what kind of weapons or anything they had worth stealing, right? I'm sitting there, telling him how much of a bad idea this is, and Tyken just keeps giving me this knowing smile. He loved adventuring, danger might as well have been synonymous with fun to the guy."

He paused, watching Scootaloo's interest grow.

"Anyway, when night finally comes, he sees the patrols on the deck and outer perimeter of the gas bag. Two pegasi are paroling the inner perimeter, and four griffons are flying around the ship. Suddenly, and I mean: just out of fucking no where, he grabs me by the leg and tells me to run. So I'm scared shitless, praying to Tapio we aren't caught and flogged or worse. When we get under the ship, and by under it, I mean we were just barely far enough in not to be spoted from the port bow, he grabs me and flies us both up to the rails."

Sin paused again to let the anticipation build, taking a slow couple of sips from his depleating cup. "Ah, good stuff."

"What happened next!?" Scootaloo cried, desperate to know how the rest of the story went. Even Angel was looking at him now, his rabbit ears perked forward and his eyes fixated on the stallion.

Sin decided to embelish the story a little bit. "Right, so we get on the railing of the ship, but Tyken miscalculated something, and we appear right infront of one of the pegasi. So were stay there for a second, us looking at him and him looking at us, both just too shocked to do anything, and suddenly, Tyken throws me at him before he can raise the alarm."

That's not what happened, they both just snuck into the ship undetected, but the look of exileration, anticipation and joy Scootaloo displayed made Sin feel better for lying. The point of the story was to be fun, nothing wrong with a little bit of embellishment, right?

What happened next wasn't a lie though. 







The two had crept into the ship with Sin on Tyken's back. Tyken was much more nimble and silent on his feet than the pony could ever hope to be, and the two made way to the cargo hold. It was a long process, filled with ten minute intervals of waiting and hiding out, jumping into any room they could if even the faintest echo of hooves or claws on metal was heard.

Finally, the two found the hold and rummaged through the multiple crates, barrels and chests within, Sin's inner foal kicking in and hoping to find some jewels or gold within. However, the Bloody Sky Captains plunder was anything but interesting. As the two inspected the cargo, there were no jewels to be found, not gold to be had, or pearls or anything of the sort. The cargo was just a bunch of random things like cloth, cloths, a few tools and other odds and ends. 

As disappointed as both the thieves were, there was something to be gained from their little infiltration. In one of the chests was a full weapons cache, swords, axes, lances, bows, crossbows, it was a mercenary's wet dream. Sin, having had his crossbow taken when he'd left Triple M, took one of the crossbows with vigor and began inspecting it. The projectile launcher was in perfect condition and he strapped it to his foreleg, enjoying the sense of having his weapon of choice back on his fetlock once again, and with a fair number of bolts to boot.







"That's... when things went bad." Sin pressed his lips.

"What happened?" Scootaloo asked with baited breath.





During their raid, the two hadn't realized just how much noise they were making. 

The door to the hold burst open and a troop of pirates came storming in, crossbows and magic at the ready. Sin, having already had his Triple M training at this point, reflexivly took aim and readied a shot, both the main load and quick load already drawn.







"And so there we were, right? I'm looking around, scared out of my fucking mind. Seven ponies and griffons, all pointing weapons and magic at me and him, ready to shoot and kill us both. As I'm sitting there, trying to figure out some way out, Tyken says, and I shit you know, he said it just like this, he says-"

Sin held up his hooves and gave a nervous smile. "Ahoy, ye skervy dogs, how are ya fellas doin' this fine eavenin'?"

Both he and the filly lost it, both breaking down into a fit of giggles at both Sin's preformance and the absurdity of the question. The filly giggled for a good twenty seconds before both of them calmed down enough to continue.

"Alright, so. After he says that, and I'm just blown away at the audacity, we heard a slow and rythmatic clink echo from outside the door. Tyken looks over at me and I look at him, I'm holding a crossbow and he's holding a sword, crates and chests are open... the crew knows what's going on, and I'm just sitting there saying my final prayres as the metalic thumping gets closer and closer."

Sin paused again, watching as Scootaloo's joyful expression shifted to uncomfortable anticipation.







Soon enough, another griffin, this one with jet black feathers and fur covering his body, with a white head came stomping into the room. His beady black eyes were cold, cunning and very accusitory. The griff halted in the middle of the hold, his imposing figure making Sin installing a sense of dread into Sin that the pony had never before experineced.

"Ahoy." he said with enough icy rage to freeze Sin's blood cold.

"Eavenin' Captain." Said Tyken jovially. "Nice ship ya got here, lad. We was just passin' through and stopped in for a bit of a parley, hope ya don't mind."

The captain didn't take the words well, his hard eyes shifting from Sin to Tyken and bearing holes into the giffin's skull. "Parley holds no sway here, thief." He snarled, drawing the guarded cutlass from his hip.

Sin turned his crossbow onto the captain and took aim at the griffon's throat, particularly the large artery within the neck. If he was going to die here, he was going to take at least one of these little fuckers out with him.

"Easy lad." Tyken said, slowly moving his claw to push the pony's weapon down, Sin's protests doing nothing to stop him. The survivalist griffon eyed the Captain's sword and then looked at the broad sword in his tallons. He gave the thing an experimental twirl, testing it's movements and then smiled. "I'll make ya a deal, Captain. You and me, one on one. If'n you manage to best me in a duel, me n' the boy here will be your slaves, no questions asked."







"He did that!?" Scootaloo exclaimed. "That's not right, he can't make that kind of decision for you!"

Sin chuckled. "Oh he can and he did. The alternative was we both be killed or taken prisoner anyway. So, yea, it was a small and pointless gamble, but Demos took it anyways." Sin sighed happily. "Oh man, Captain Demos... Honorable guy, but he liked to think he was the best sword master in the world. No one, not pony, nor griffin, nor dog, nor minotaur could match him. He even fancied himself a better sword master than the centaur.

The filly was about to say something, but Angel gave her flank a shove and pointed to Sin, demanding he be allowed to finish the story.

"Right, so as I'd said, Demos agreed to the duel..."



 


"If you win, you and the colt go free. If you lose, you both die here and now." Demos said, giving his sword a quick once over. "Not that it matters, I've yet to lose a battle o' the blades." He lifted a claw, each of the crew members lowering their weapons and spells.

Tyken lifted up his blade and gave it a few experimental slashes in the air. Sin kept his leg tense, he had never seen Tyken with a sword, ever. Obviously this "Demos" wasn't the big deal he'd lead himself on to be, Sin had never heard of him, so maybe his master had a chance?

The two approached, holding their weapons out and at the ready. Demos had his hind legs streched and his front forward, obviously waiting for a chance to thrust, while Tyken stuck with a style that was more fitted to his own personality. Light, nimble, and ready.

The two finally met and the swords clicked together, the perfect trigger to send  Demos leaping forwards. Tyken, like anyone with eyes, could see the attack coming from a mile away, but instead of counter attacking as most would, he jumped away. His act paid off, as a hidden blade in Demos' hind leg stabbed at where the griffin had just been standing.

"Dirty trick, lad." Tyken complimented, watching as the bladed leg was retracted. "Actin' foolish and over confident to set yer opponent off guard. Not bad, but ya failed to take one thing into account."

Demos quirked a brow. "And that would be?"

Tyken's eyes narrowed. "Pirate captain's don't luck into their command."

In a flash, Demos was bearing down upon Tyken, his sword smashing in a downard thrust and barely caught with the older griff's own. 

"We. Are. NOT. PIRATES!"

Demos pushed back and brought his cutless in from the left, Tyken's blade intercepted the attack, and used both his nimble quickness and sword to redirect the trajectory for an opening on his foe's left side. The captain twirled entirely and cought Tyken's blow, parrying the attack with his own.

"For not bein' a pirate, ya sure fight like one." Tyken qupped, leaping upward onto one of the crate and taking the high ground. Demos took a hard slash at the survival master's legs, but Tyken jumped above the blade before it made contact, lowering his sword to catch the captain's own as he twirled around for another go. 

In a move Sin had never seen, Demo's wing extended quickly and knocked Tyken off ballance.

"I've fought them enough to pick up a trick or two."

Sumersaulting, Tyken regained his stance and began circling around to come in range of Demos once more. Their blades clashed again, and Demos abandoned his hard and solid style in favor of a more fluid one. "I also know I'm fighting one right now."







"Wait what?!" Scootaloo interjected.

Sin nodded his head. "Yep, Tyken used to be a pirate."

The filly's jaw dropped and Sin had to repress the urge to laugh.

"So anyways, the two were just going at it. I mean, they were fighting on the walls, jumping on crates, Tyken even jumped on Demos own crew members and crossed swords with him on one pony's back for the fun of it. It even got to the point where the two were fighting upside down on the ceiling. I'd never seen anything like it."

Sin went quiet for a moment, remembering the fight as if it happened only yesterday. Part of him regreted never learning to fly, but if he kept up with his wing exercises in the morning like he had been, then maybe he'd be able to one day... Assuming he wanted to fly anymore, that was.

"So who won?"

"Oh, neither did." Sin stated simply. Scootaloo's jaw dropped again, apparently expecting some kind of resolution to the climax. Unfortunately, for her, the truth was that the battle was interrupted by the ship's second in command. A light grey unicorn named "Shmee" had waddled in to ask what all the ruckus was about. To everyone's surprise, the unicorn recognized Tyken as an old comrade who'd saved his life on countless occasions when they sailed together.

It was actually Tyken who'd convinced Shmee to abandon the pirate life for all the pain and suffering their actions caused. Demos, holding great affection, not romantically so, for the unicorn, ended the conflict after that and explained that Tyken was mistaken in his assertion that the group were pirates.

"Turns out, they were just a well armed transport and cargo ship. A group of pirates who'd grown a moral consciousness and abandoned their ways, collected by Demos and served under him as the Bloody Sky Captains... So, technically, they were pirates, just formerly so."

As anti-climactic as it was, it was the truth.

"So, what happened next? Did your master end up going with them? He was a former pirate, after all."

As far as Sin knew, Tyken never officially joined the Gonshinian nore ranks with the Bloody Sky Captains, he did keep in contact with them, though, much to his wife's, Philina, irritation. They may not be attacking ships or ports or small villages, but the crew was still a band of rabble rousers and swashbucklers. 

The story seemed to have the desired effect. Scootaloo seemed much happier having heard it, and Sin had to admit, it was nice having his mind in fixed on something that didn't inspire doom and gloom.

The sun was completely gone now, the story working itself well into the night. The badlands were much colder tonight than they were the night previous, but both needed to get some sleep. The two wished each other good night and laid down.

'Ya see?'

What?

'You do have happy memories and good times in your life. That story doesn't have a bad ending.'

That was true, after they'd left the Gonshinian nothing really bad happened. The two even got to keep their respective weapons as gifts. 

Alright, fine. What's your point?

'You know my point. You didn't get into trouble by letting your obsession with freedom and liberty get ahead of you in that situation, and it turned out alright in the end.'

Yea, after almost committing theivory from a civilian transport vessel.

'True, but it was a funny story to tell and it made you feel better just like it did Scootaloo. You can't deny that.'

Sin grimaced as he thought up a response, but then something hit him. Why was he so bent on being bitter and angry? Why did he want so desperately to be angry and depressed all the time? He didn't know, and the lack of knowledge was enraging him.

Whatever, I don't need to take this. I'm going for a walk.

'Yea, because that'll get rid of me, wont it?'

Sin dismissed the voice and began circling the perimeter of the camp. The Coyote's' howls had grown more and more faint as the eavening dragged on, but the sweep was more to set his mind at ease than searching for threats.

When he returned to camp, he found Scootaloo shivering and wimpering as she lay sleeping. At first he'd thought it from the cold, but small wimpers and quickened breaths told him the cold wasn't the only thing bothering her.

"Poor kid." He said, looking down at her with pity. 

She'd been through alot, her conscious mind may be able to fend off the things that had happened to her, but her subconscious was a different beast. Sin knew, all to well, that there was no escaping the hells that the sub-conscious mind wanted the conscious mind wand to see in dreams... 

She didn't deserve it, Sin may not have known her long, but he fancied himself a good judge of character. The fact she wanted to stop what she could of the pedophile ring instead of running away like he did spoke volumes of her to him. As did her demand to not indulge her victim-hood and move forward in life. 

He wanted to do something, to help ease her mind in some way, but he wasn't sure how. What could he do for her, when he couldn't even help himself?

'You could snuggle with her, isn't that what you wanted when you were young and afraid?'

Sin's face hued crimson.

Snuggle wi- are you out of your mind, Critic? She's a foal, a filly at that. I'm an adult stallion, do you realize how inappropriate that is?

'What? You did it a few days ago and she didn't complain.'

That was different! She was laying beside me for warmth and support because of Gorge, Lemmy and the coyotes. She's not being threatened right now, not to mention it would be extremely uncomfortable.

It wasn't like Sin had any sexual feelings for her, but the two were no where near close enough for that kind of thing... 

Though, her shivering and whimpering did hit the pony in a place that roused his protective instincts enough that they couldn't be ignored. Sighing, Sin removed his cloak and draped it over the filly, folding it over several times to make sure her body heat was conserved as much as possible. 

The cold night air was quick to point out the pony's nakedness, but Sin could handle that. The fruits of his labor were almsot immediate, the sleeping foal's shivering subsided drastically, as did her whimpers. Soon, her form went still, nothing over her moved but the short and deep raising and falling of her chest as her sleep became calm and peaceful.

It warmed Sin to see her like that, but it also reminded him of something else. Scootaloo didn't belong out here... out in the middle of bumfuck no where, exposed to the cold like this. She deserved better, she deserved a warm bed, hot food, and a family. One who could comfort her in her time of need, one who could cuddle her fears away, one who could kiss her good night.

'Projecting much here, Sin?'

You telling me I'm wrong?

'Did I say you were wrong?' Critic asked.

No, but there's a lot of similarities between her and I, and... I don't want her to go down the same road I did... She deserves better, Critic.

Sin shook his head and moved a short distance away before laying down and making a mental not to ask about Scootaloo's family. It would break the taboo, but the stallion couldn't stand seeing somepony suffering the way she was. He couldn't help her, but if her family was like anyone back in Ponyville, maybe they could.


> Hopeless Admittance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










Hopeless Admittance






Fighting the ungodly urge to unleash the contents of his stomach, Spike looked in horror at the large, red and white sphereical bone upon the library table.

Ever since a bleary eyed Macintosh had loosed the bag it was carried in, Spike couldn't take his eyes off of it. Twilight had thrown up upon the skulls revelation, if not from the sight, than from the smell. Owlicious and Pee Wee had vacated the premisis, protesting the disturbing presence in the tranquility of their home.

Twilight was gone, now. Off to call the guard and report what had been found. Macintosh was in the corner, sulking and completely detatched from everything. Spike broke eye contact with the skull to take in the bright crimson pony for a moment. 

Empty...

Empty was the best way to describe how the stallion he'd come to know so well, looked. There was nothing else, no anger, no questioning, no expression of accusation or sentimentality. Nothing but a glazed over thousand yard stare.

'-you hear m-'

Spike didn't want  to believe it, he didn't want to accept what he was seeing, but how could he? There was no other reports of missing foals, and none who'd ended up in the Everfree forest. The skull was too fresh to be that old, but he knew he was no thanatologist, so maybe the skull was older than that? Maybe it wasn't Scootaloo and somepony else who died in the woods a while ago?

"Mac..."

...

Spike removed himself from his chair and slowly, cautiously, approached his friend. "Macintosh?"

Still no reply, Spike stood infront of the apple farmer, his recent growth putting him just a head short of the stallion. He wanted to ask if the stallion was alright, but such a knee-jerk question was redundant at best. 

Of course he wasn't alright, the guy just found the skull of a filly, who might as well have been his daughter, rotting out in the Everfree forest after he'd spent hours and hours searching for her... who would be alright after that?

'Maybe!'

What?

'I said, maybe! There's no proof that skull belongs to Scootaloo. It's a fresh skull, fine, but there's no proof that's Scootaloo's. Mac said he'd found it pretty deep in the Everfree, right? Well, on the other side of the forest is the city of Trottingham, perhaps it came from a foal who lived there?'

Spike wanted to believe that, he desperately wished he could see the possibility as viable. But the forest stretched sixty miles between Trottingham and Ponyville, Macintosh couldn't have been in more than fifteen miles at the absolute best... the numbers just weren't adding up to make Spike believe it.

"How am Ah 'onna tell 'em?" Mac's voice broke softly, the volume barely above a whisper.

The words, despite their softness, made Spike visibly cringe as the two mare's who cared most about Scootaloo came to mind... Annabelle wouldn't take this well and neither would Rainbow Dash, or Applebloom...

Macintosh slowly turned to look at Spike, his now shine-less eyes looking at him, as if begging him to give the stallion some grandious explanation to the universe and why it had stolen from him something that gave him such happiness and feelings of pleasing joy. Alas, Spike could give him no such information. He had no clue how his friend was supposed to approach the situation, being blunt and straightforward wasn't okay, but they needed to know.

Recieving no answer, Macintosh stood from his place and slowly skulked to the door. Spike looked back at the skull for a moment and then followed after, he may not have known what to say to comfort his friend, but he hoped his presence would do something to help.

In spite of their slow speed, the silent walk was much to quick for Spike's liking. The dark of the evening only adding to the tense and sickly feeling in his stomach.

Sweet Apple Acres was a mess, the typically pristine and manicured landscape lost beneath a mess of mismatched grass and uncollected farm equipment and tools. Half filled buckets were undisturbed last the drake was here, the wagon used to pull them sat out in the elements, the fruit within collecting time to ruin the flavor and appeal.

Mac stopped outside the door, eyeing the barrier for a time as he did his best to collect his thoughts. Spike waited patiently, but after a few minutes, placed a claw onto his friend's shoulder in a show of support.

Taking a few calming breaths, Macintosh readied himself for the emotional storm that he was about to unload and marched into the house. Upon entering, both he and Spike were confronted by Applebloom, the filly asking about any news with fragile hope.

Spike did his best to maintain stoicism, as did Macintosh, but maybe that's what set Applebloom on edge even more. 

"Go n' get yer sister n' granny into the livin' room. We need ta talk."

Applebloom called out as Macintosh trotted upstairs, asking him to explain, but he took no notice of her. 

"Spike?" She asked, the quivering in the filly's voice assaulting the stone armor the drake tried to encase his heart in. "Please, tell me what's goin' on!"

Spike looked down at her, the tears in her eyes that usually would have made him bend over backwards and do handstands on a volcano brought him no compulsion now. It wasn't his place to say what he'd seen.

"Sorry, but that's something Mac will have to say." The dragon said, unable to look at her anymore. The questions continued, the filly's inquiry escilating into frantic begging. Though, no matter how many tears fell, nor how high pitched and pleading her voice became, Spike wouldn't budge.

'It's not your place, I know it hurts...'

Suddenly, he felt the filly's hooves on his chest, and she began screaming at him, yelling and hollaring about how she had to know, about how all of the uncertainty and not knowing was driving her insane. 

"TELL ME! WHADYA HEAR!? WHY WON' YA TELL ME, SPIKE? WHY!?" She screamed, her face a mask of tearful frustration. "TELL ME! TELL ME!" She began hitting his chest, purple arms met her hooves and restrained the foal as she kicked and struggled.

Spike didn't know when, but Applejack had come and pulled the filly off of him, demanding to know what was going on. Her only reply was for Applebloom to burry her face in Applejack's barrel and sob uncontrolablly.

"Spike?" The mare asked, doing her best to hold the miserable mess of crying and despair that was her sister.

"Mac will be down soon to explain." Spike said. He conceptualized his stance by crossing his arms and closing his eyes. In short order, Macintosh returned, Annabelle behind him. 

Granny Smith, who was quietly watching from the kitchen, lead the way to the livingroom before taking a spot on the couch beside her grand daughters, placing her hoof on Applebloom's back in a show of comfort. The filly still clinging to Applejack, her sobs down to controlled breathing.

The room was thick with tension and anticipation as Macintosh set Annabelle down, whispering a few things to her and kissing her forehead. The buttermilk earth mare had the same thousand yard stare Macintosh did, but her husband's actions seemed to bring her back a little bit. She didn't look happy, but it was better than the look of utter emptiness he saw when she first came down.

Finally, Mac stood up and walked to the middle of the room. He pressed his lips and opened his mouth to speak but ended up clearing his throat. He closed his eyes, took a breath and began the explanation that made Spike feel as if he died a little on the inside.

He'd been out in the Everfree all day, as he'd been for the past week. 

"N' Ah found somethin' today... Somethin' Ah think all o' ya should know about." Mac paused, trying his damnest to get the quivering of his lip under control. He took a few breaths and looked at his family. "Ah f- Ah found a skull, a... filly's skull."

Spike's claws dug into his arms. Applebloom's crying redoubled itself, Applejack's jaw dropped and Granny closed her eyes in resignation.

Annabelle's reaction was slower than the rest, as if the information was taking time to sink in. Despite Macintosh's elaboration that there was no proof that the skull he'd found was Scootaloo's, it was it was all to clear that everypony was accepting that it was. 

Macintosh's breathing became more and more frantic as he spoke, trying to convince everypony not to give up hope just yet. "Ah know that thing may- that things m-..." 

The stallion swallowed, his eyes shifting between the sobbing filly and his slowly trembling wife. 

Mac's breath began to quicken, the trembling the stallion had been fighting since he'd walked into the house overcoming his body as silent tears spilled down from his constricting eyes. The words he was trying to say being stolen by emotions he worked so hard to suppress.

It hurt Spike, it hurt to see a pony he cared so deeply about to crack and fracture as he was. He placed a claw onto Macintosh's back, but that only served to push the pony's already labored breathing into full on hyperventilation.

"Ah- Ah'm so sorreh!" He shouted, falling to his knees, and weeping. "Ah tried, Ah tried, Ah swear to Celestia Ah did, Ah looked as hard as Ah could! But Ah couldn't find her! Ah'm so sorreh!"

That was it, that was all Spike could take of the suffering while maintaining his reserve. He knelt down and placed an arm around Macintosh neck, leaning his forehead on the side of the stallions own and joined the pony in his breakdown. 

"Ah tried, Ah swear Ah did... it's all mah fault..."

Spike wanted to tell the pony that it wasn't, that he wasn't to blame for what happened, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of anything meaningful to say.

Not that the pony would have been able to hear him anyways. Between the stallion and Applebloom, Applejack was also in tears now, clinging to the filly for all she was worth. Granny was quiet in her loss, but the tears on her cheek couldn't be hidden.

Annabelle, slowly, pushed herself up onto her hooves and walked over to her husband. Her face a blank mask of sadness. Mac looked up at her for a split second before turning away in shame. It took Spike a moment for him to realize her position, but it was clear what she wanted. He sniffed and took a step back, giving her the space she needed.

She lowered herself down, gently took Macintosh's head into her hooves and hugged the stallion's head to her chest. A hoof gingerly stroking his head as she cooed kind words of praise and redemption to him. Telling him that it wasn't his fault and that he'd tried everything in his power to find her.

Suddenly, Spike found himself feeling out of place in the heart wrenching family moment. It was off putting to see the mare acting so calmly, everytime he'd seen her prior to, she was a disheveled mess of tears and sadness. That wasn't the Annabelle infront of him now, her tears had already been shead, and she'd accepted the matter for what it was. Macintosh had always been strong, he'd always been the rock, the point of certainty and emotional stability for her when she needed it.

It was her turn to be strong for him, to hold him together through a trying time. 

Spike pressed his lips, whipped a few tears away and slowly made way for the door. 

"Spike?"

The dragon stopped and looked back to find Annabelle smiling sadly at him. "Thank you, for everything."

He didn't know what to say, there was no reason to thank the dragon as far as he knew, but he accepted the gratitude with a grateful smile before leaving the family to their privacy. 

He slowly walked off the farm, his next destination already in mind. There was still one pony who needed to know...









Spike arived in the library to find Rainbow Dash bawling into Twilight's shoulder.

He'd stopped by her cloud house earlier to find the mare not home and returned to Golden Oaks, the skull was gone now, but the putrid scent still lingered on. 

"That bitch... that bucking bitch!" Rainbow cried, condeming Social Justice for stealing the small filly away from her. Twilight didn't speak, she simply sat in silence and stroked Rainbow's back in a fruitless attempt to sooth her frustration and hopelessness.

"I shouldn't have let her go... I should have stopped her, but I... I thought that..." Rainbow began, only to be interupted by the lavander unicorn.

"Shhh, it's not your fault, Rainbow. Things just... happened."

"NO THEY DON'T TWI!" The speedster cried, pushing herself off. "This happened because we didn't stop it! This happened because we sat by and let something we knew was wrong happen! I- I should have... If I had known she..." 

Rainbow's words devolved into an incoherent mess of sobbing mumbles. Twilight stepped forward and pulled the mare back into a silent hug.

Her words struck Spike's heart, she was right, they did stand by as something wrong happened. It was clear to both of them that Scootaloo being taken into custady was a bad thing, that she was scared to death of being taken away. They all saw her cowering and gripping onto Macintosh, but they all thought it would end up with the foal answering some questions and then going right back to the farm. 

Never did any of them think things would turn out this way...

Rainbow began condemning Social Justice, decrying the mare's very existence and wishing she'd never come to Ponyville. That's when Twilight made the fatal mistake of speaking about the validity of Justice's actions...

Spike had silenced her before she said too much, but the damage was already done...

"You- you think what she did was okay!?" Rainbow cried, pushing off the unicorn again.

Seeing things were about to go very badly, Spike stepped forward and tried to speak for her before Twilight could place her hoof in her mouth once more. Now wasn't the time for lawful and objective analysis, Rainbow needed comforting, empathy, and understanding, not to be told she was wrong because the law had a few flaws.

Again, though, the damage was already done, and Rainbow pushed the question, demanding Spike butt out of their current discussion. 

"Well, it's like Justice said, there were foals who were hurt and abused by their caretakers. Justice just wanted to make sure that Scootaloo was being treated well."

"And that's supposed to make it okay that Scootaloo's dead!?" The speedster shouted.

"Twilight, don't." Spike implored, but there was no stopping it now. The emotional and social graces of Twilight Sparkle were never really polished up as most ponies were. The unicorn had all the tact and emotional intelligence of a wet sock when it came to lawfulness vs rightness, a short coming Spike was ready to kick himself for never pointing out to her.

Of course, it didn't make it okay that Scootaloo was dead, but all that Twilight was trying to get at was that those kinds of programs were in place for a reason. A notion Spike agreed with, but he wasn't about to let Rainbow know that.

The sky blue pegasus was about to say something else, but Spike had had enough. It was a hard choice, being stuck between a mare who was known to be a hot head and another who's sense of logic was almost all consuming. He couldn't reach his mother, but he could reach Rainbow.

"Dash, this is just how she deals with emotional situations." He said. "When it comes to emotional and lawful matters, Twilight retreats to any logic she can hold onto. You know how she was before she came to Ponyville, this is just her way of sorting herself out."

Twilight quirked a brow at the dragon, and Rainbow furrowed her brows in irritated confusion. It wasn't technically a lie, but it would be met with questions later. 

He silence his mother with a raised claw and elaborated in a way that Rainbow could understand. Saying that the law was Twilight's primary moral compass and that she hadn't spent enough time socializing with others to develop a more in depth sense of empathy. 

"Ugh, you know what? Whatever, I need to go." The speedster growled before trotting out of the library and bursting into the night's sky.

Spike, relieved that he'd defused the situation before things had gotten too bad, was accosted by Twilight, demanding for him to explain what he'd meant by his words.

"Oh for Celestia's sake, Twilight. You were lecturing her on lawfulness when she's hurting!" Spike exclaimed. "You don't lecture ponies who are hurting, you give them sympathy!"

"But she was wrong! We did what we were supposed-"

"NO WE DIDN'T!" He yelled, making the unicorn take a step back in shock. "The law isn't perfect, Twilight! Don't you get that?! Scootaloo is gone because of the law! She's dead, a filly's dead because the law is bucking flawed! A foal died Twilight, don't you understand what kind of emotional pain that causes?"

"OF COURSE I DO!" She shouted back. "I'm just saying the law exists for a reason!"

Spike opened his mouth to shout back but instead took a breath to calm himself. This wasn't getting him anywhere, all it would do is strain thier relationship again, and that was honestly the last thing he wanted.

"It does, Twilight. It does." He said calmly, "but right now, what Rainbow needs isn't the law. She needs a friend, a friend who'll listen to her, one who'll tell her that everything will be okay." He turned and made way for the door. "Laws don't offer ponies emotional comfort and love, friends do."

He took one last look back at her. "You remember how you felt when she walked out on you during the wedding? When you needed her most and she abandoned you? That's how she feels right now. You didn't physically walk away, but you did turn your back on her emotionally. Think about that."

Spike closed the door, leaving Twilight with a look of genuine shock.
> Dodge City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------











Dodge City






"ACHOO!"

"Bless you!"

Sin sniffled and thanked Scootaloo for her blessing as the trudged on. Last night's sleep was anything but restful for him, the Federalist's nightmares had moved farther away from rebellions and post-collapse socioty to more personal matters. He could remember everything that happened during the dreams, even hours after they'd happened, and in vivid detail no less.

Zell and Crasus, the two ponies he was closest to, being the primary themes...

Waking up, while not as terrifying, was still awkward. At some point during the night, Scootaloo had awoken and decided that she wanted to snuggle up to his back, using the cloak to cover both of them, with Angel pressed between the two. As bad as the nightmare was, Sin was glad enough he wasn't thrashing around in his sleep. With the difference in size, he could easily crush the poor filly if he'd rolled over the wrong way, a thought that shook him to the core for some reason.

"Sooo... you're a pegasus?" Scootaloo asked. 

"Yea, I am." Sin replied. He didn't know what all she saw last night, if she knew he was a winged pony, than she must have seen the his flank and the lack of a cutie mark, but he wouldn't be sad if she refrained from asking about it.

"Huh, I always thought you were an earth pony." The filly remarked thoughtfully before frowning. "Hey, wait a second. If you're a pegasus, then why did you ask me to fly up and see where we were?"

"Because I never learned how to fly." 

The foal's lavender eyes shot wide at the admittance, an adult pegasus who didn't know how to fly? That was insanity, it was an obstruction that she, like Rainbow Dash, wouldn't let slip by without a due explanation. Though, instead of giving the full story like he had done for the prismatic speedster, the Federalist gave a half truth about him breaking a wing at an early age. Stating the break was accidental instead of intentional on his part.

A look of genuine sympathy came over Scootaloo and she apologized, though Sin was quick to dismiss it. He hated that look of sympathy, of pity, of others looking down on you because of a perceived "disability". It wasn't like his wings were useless, or he was any less capable for not having them. Even baring the aura, the Alicorn's powers, and the anti-magic dragon scale necklace, he was still a resourceful survivalist, a superior marksman, and a libertarian intellectual -or so he liked to think himself.

"Speaking of which, I don't see you doing any wing exercises." Sin pointed out, flipping the topic back onto her. Scootaloo scowled and mumbled something under her breath. "Come again?"

"I don't know any, okay?" She growled irritably. "I never went to flight camp, and my parents didn't teach me any before they died..."

Sin's ears perked, so her parents were her primary caretakers. Seemed obvious, but it was always good to know the facts rather than assume. It would be a good segue into asking about her family though, a topic the stallion had spent all day thinking about how to breach.

"Simple enough, really. all you have to do is stretch them out all the way, hold for a five count, relax, hold them down, relax, and repeat that. At least, that's what Rainbow Dash had me do."

Scootaloo gasped. "You were taught by Rainbow Dash!?" 

Sin chuckled. 

'Yea, "taught". More like she ran your happy ass into the ground like a drill instructor with a hard on for breaking the spirits of their subordinates. Well, that was after you smacked her across the face, though.'

Bitch ripped my old cape, she got off light. I've thrown chairs at ponies for less!

"Yea, something like that."

That prompted the two to take a break from walking and drop their bags. Sin removed his cloak and fluffed out his wings. They didn't look right, he'd seen how the wings of other ponies were, and his just didn't look how he thought they were supposed to. Scootaloo mirrored his motion, her movement much more fluid and natural than his own.

The stallion lead a five count up and down a couple of times, the strain still prevalent in his spine and joints, but the pain was gone now. It actually felt good to stretch out his wings now, it was a highlight of his early morning rituals.

The next part was going to be embarassing, but Rainbow Dash swore that it was part of her morning training regimants. "Next, wing ups."

"Wing ups"? Scootaloo gulped, looking down at her short, feathery apendages. 

Sin knelt down to the grown and placed his wings on the sandy dirt, adding just a little bit of his body weight to the primary feathers and knuckles of his wing. There was no way he could actually do a wing up, but the demonstration was what mattered, right? 

"Aren't you going to try?" He asked, noticing Scootaloo's lack of participation.

The filly nervously looked back at her wings again, extended them downwards past her stomach, and slowly lowered herself down a little and stopped. Once down enough for the primary feathers to touch the ground, she gave Sin a great big "see, I did it" smile. The kind of smile that the stallion knew meant she wasn't giving any effort in. But that was okay, she couldn't fake this next part.

"Alright, so I can't do a wing up, but I've got something else we can do." He slowly shifted his weight from the hind quarters forwards. His back legs lifting off of the air and pivoting on his wings and forelegs until his head touched the ground. The stress and pain in his wings was very present now, despite the fact they were only used to help brace him forwards, but Sin's will was more than enough to push past such discomfort.

"What is that?" Scootaloo asked.

"Tripod." Sin grunted, feeling the blood rush into his head. "Well, it's supposed to be, but I need to use my forlegs because my wings aren't strong enough on their own. There're five points of contact, so a quint...pod? Whatever, it's a work out for your wings, that's all that matters."

He regained his standing and waited for Scootaloo to demonstrait what he'd just done. While her own wings may have been shorter, as well as her body, he estimated she would have the needed span to do the exercise.

As expected, she nervously gave it half hearted first attempt, trying to throw her hind legs up in the air instead of letting the weight shift fluidly, resulting in her falling flat on her stomach.

"Good effort, but you're putting too much effort into trying to end up on your head."

Scootaloo repeated the motion, ending on the same result. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Sin shook his head, lowering himself and bracing his wings again. "No, what you're supposed to do is pivot on your wings, slowly and gradually allowing yourself to fall forwards until..." 

He stopped with his head on the ground again, brown hind legs stifly in the air. "You're trying to kick up instead of letting yourself slowly fall forwards. Probelm there is you'll end up smashing your face into the ground instead of making gentle contact with your forehead."

He repeated the demonstration a couple of times, stopping when the pain in his feathers and joints had taken their limit. Scootaloo paid special attention to his legs, which were farther back than her own when she'd tried, and taken the same stance he did.

"Alright, take it slow this time, no kicking, just let-" 

Sin cringed as the filly fell unceremoniously onto face first into the dirt before collapsing and gripping her head with a painful hiss. As funny as it was, the stallion refrained from laughing.

"You didn't take it slow."

"It's hard!" Scootaloo complained, rubbing a few bits of rubble and sand from her muzzle. Of course Sin knew it was hard, it took him a month in order to do the exercise properly, he couldn't count the number of times he'd slammed his face into the grass before he'd got it right, but he kept at it until he could do it right every time. After that, it was all a matter of being able to keep balance and place more weight on the wings and less on the front legs.

Scootaloo tried a few more times, but grew increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt until Sin stopped her. Frustration only added excess stress and caused more mistakes to be made. Persistence was important, but understanding the fundamental technique with a cool head was just as imperative, if not more so.

The two regathered their belongings and continued onwords to Dodge City, Scootaloo looking very introspective as they walked, which pleased Sin to see. It meant that she was thinking about what she'd been doing wrong and would apply her thoughts to the next time they'd tried to do the exercise.

'Soooo...'

What?

'You gonna ask her about her family or...'

Umm, maybe later. Let her think about what I've shown her for the time being.

'You're pushing it off? That's not like you, Sin.'

No, it wasn't, but he'd missed his chance to ask. To blurt out about her family now, after the oppertunity for the segue had gone would just be awkward. Sin wasn't worried though, there'd be another chance to ask. Besides, he was establishing trust with Scootaloo, teaching her something to help her grow as an individual. Something her parents obviously didn't do, so when the conversation finally did come, she'd be more receptive to him.

'Eh, I guess. So, here's one for you. Rainbow Dash or Twilight?'

Sin frowned, the question completely throwing him off guard.

Rainbow Dash or... Twilight?

'Yea, which one of them?'

Which one of them in pertinence to...?

'Oh c'mon, Sin. Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I mean.'

... Is this one of those, "who would you rather have sex with" questions? Critic, I am so disappointed in you.

'Seriously? I'm tired of deep philosophical dilemmas and conundrums! Can't we just have a mental dialog about mares for once? You know, help out with that lacking sexual self esteem you have?'

Seriously dude? I'm a... shit, what is the lingo kids are using these days? A square, is it?

'Square? Did you really just use that term? The fact you even say "kids these days" does seem kinda square-ish though, especially since you're so young yourself.'

Exactly.

...

'So... Rainbow Dash or Twilight?'

Neither.

'Bull shit, I know you find them both sexually appealing.'

The stallion internally sighed, there were things he didn't want to think about, and his repressed sexuality was definitely near the top of that list.

'Okay Sin, we need to talk about that. Having a sex drive is a natural thing. All of the psychology books you've read said as much, so why are you so against even thinking about it?'

Because sex leads to foals and I am not the type of stallion who should be having them?

'Okay, granted, the primary purpose of sex is reproduction, but that's not its only aspect. It also serves to enhance self esteem and reduce stress, as well as release all kinds of feel good chemicals that make the brain feel all warm and tingly like oxcitocin and dopamine.'

Okay, where is all of this coming from? What are you getting at here?

'You want me to spell it out for you?'

Yes.

'Okay. Critic cleared his metaphorical throat. 'You. Need. To. Get. LAID!'

...

...

...

I seriously cannot believe we are having this conversation right now.

And I cannot believe we need to have this conversation right now! Tapio's beard, Sin, you're in the prime of your youth! Two years after the two decade mark and you've only had your first kiss a couple of weeks ago! Most ponies have had long term relationship and engaged in some kind of sexual behavior by this point. But you wont even give the thought the time of day!'

...

So, this is what a quart life crisis feels like, huh? Gotta admit, it revolving around sex took me by surprise. Always thought it would have something to do with my accomplishments in life.

'Don't change the subject! Sex is an accomplishment!'

Biologically speaking and the continuance of a genetic legacy, I suppose you're right. 

'Precisely.'

...

'Alright, here's another one. Colgate or Rain Drops?'

Dude, what the fuck has gotten into you?!

Sin was genuinely disturbed by what was taking place in his head. Critic was supposed to just be the voice in his mind to help with his moral compass and offered a balanced solution of logical and emotional responses. Where on earth did this obsession with sex come from? Granted, most all animals are driven by sexual selection and what not, but... fuck's sake.

'That right, Sin. You are a sexual creature whether you want to admit it or not. I've had sex on the brain for a very long time now, and the only reason I've failed to bring it up is because of the fact you hate foals and are a selfish mother fucker. But do you know what I've been seeing lately? I've been seeing a stallion who puts the welfare of a little filly over himself. A stallion who stood up to a pony twice his size to protect a child he barely knew for a week, risking life and limb for her. If you can get your head out of your ass emotionally, I think you'd be a damn good father.'

Sin froze in place, Scootaloo walking a few paces ahead of him. His pause lasted only a couple of seconds before he continued on. 

Him? Having a child? No, no, that was the hormones and stuff talking. Yea, just a bunch of biological imperatives and primitive desires to procreate and do what evolution had been telling animals to do for years. Critic wasn't in his right mind right now, that's all. He was under the influence of the parts of Sin's brain that demanded he procreate.

'Sooo... Twilight or Rainbow?'

Sin sighed.

Relationship wise? I don't know, Twilight's too much of a statist goody good, and Rainbow Dash is much too hot headed and arrogant for my liking. But if I had to choose which was more physically attractive? Rainbow, I guess. 

'KNEW IT! Alright, now Colgate or Rain Drops?'

...

I hate you so fucking much right now.









"Finally!" Scootaloo sighed happily.

Sin was in agreement, a small conglomerate of buildings grew closer and closer as they walked. The sun would be setting soon, but that was alright, they'd make town before nightfall. 

Firstly, though, Sin would need to hit the train station and check to see if there were any "missing pony" boards he'd need to tamper with. The settlement, which from this distance, couldn't be properly labeled a town, was small. Tiny even, it looked more like an old west town from the picture show's he'd seen back home... Actually, that's exactly what it was.

'Yea, you'll need to either get rid of the poster or add onto it so nobody suspects her.'

Simple enough of a job, but it would still look suspicious if he wasn't careful. The two reached the outskirts of town and Sin asked Scootaloo to stay hidden for a moment while he saw to the station. As luck would have it, the stallion found no such board present on the platform nor at the ticket counter. Still, there could be one on the inside of the booth, so he'd just make a mental note to identify the seller and keep clear of them.

Satisfied there, Sin made way back to Scootaloo when a thought occured to him as he passed the town's inn. 

He turned and went inside the old wooden building. 

"Eavin'!" declaired a cheerful earth stallion wearing an absurdly large stetson hat. "Ya lookin' fer a room, partner?"

"Yea, tonight, possibly tomorrow." Sin answered looking around. No, there was no fliers in here either, hopefully the conesure of the establishment wouldn't have any behind the desk.

"Alrighty then, a room for one or two?" 

"Two please, separate beds."

The stallion nodded and searched the desk for a key. "Ya showed up at a good time, just had a whole bunch a' folks head out to Appaloosa this mornin'." He said in a conversational tone. "Some kinda big land sale er some such. Ya headin' that way?"

"Yes sir." Sin replied, always happy to have questions answered for him. 

The total came to twenty bits for the night, an outrageous price, but one the stallion had to pay. It didn't leave him in a good financial spot, he'd have enough for a second night if need be, but that would seriously cut into their food and water money. This being a desert town, water would likely not be cheap either. Some hard decisions would be made tonight.

"Hey boss, you wouldn't happen to know where an abandoned coal mine is around here, do you?"

The old earth pony placed the key on the counter and hummed in thought. "Sorry sonny, I know there's one 'round her, but my ol' memory ain't what it used to be. Best to try the Thirsty Mare down the way, ol' colt Blitzen would know 'bout that."

"Blitzen?"

The shop keep nodded and informed the Federalist that the pony in question was the barteneder and keep of the establishment. "Hope ya got money though, we've gotta motto here: 'ain't nothin' free in Dodge City'."

'Great.'

"I see, thank you for your time." Sin took the key and made way outside to collect Scootaloo.

"Please tell me we have a bed tonight, Islander." The filly begged. Sin nodded his head and absently adjusted the scarf around her neck to hide her face as much as possible, just to be safe. He then lead the foal through the dusky town and into the building they'd be staying in.

"Finally!" The filly squeeled, jumping onto the green covered matress with a grin. Angel hopped off over he back and jumped onto the pillow, happy to have something beside the hard ground or Scootaloo's back to lay on.

Sin took a moment and looked at the second bed in the room, enticed by the thought of laying down within the inviting and supple covers on top. Alas, he had a job to do, and would rather get the ordeal over with tonight to spare the second night of the room. This was meant to put Scootaloo somewhere safe while he took care of business.

"I'll be back later, kiddo. Try to get some sleep, alright?"

The filly's eyes darted open and she sat up. "Where are you going? We just got here."

"I told you, there was a reason I came to Dodge." He pulled out the coin purse and picked out a few bits. "I saw a general store on the other side of the strip. If you two get hungry or thirsty, go and get something. Otherwise, stay in here and keep the door locked." 

Scootaloo offered him a sheepish green and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "Okay, okay. We'll stay out of trouble."

"Good to hear." Sin stated before walking out the door and making way for the town's saloon. He was a little hesitant to leave the two unattended again, especially with the Trotski in town, but the pegasus foal had experienced the dangerous possibilities now, and he was confident she'd make better decisions about her general safety moving forward.









> Mine(or) Conflict
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Mine(or) Conflicts








Sin humbly past through a pair of loose wooden doors and wondered into the town's bar. He'd looked around for the "Thirsty Mare" for a brief moment before realizing the only establishment of it's like in town was one called "The Cherry Pit". 

'That old stallion wasn't kidding, his memory really is going.'

The atmosphere was just what the pony expected. A calm, yet tense atmosphere of drunkards and associates gathered together in a single place to enjoy all manner of alcohol. A distinct cherry scented aroma permeated the air in a manner so thick that Sin had to concentrate on not gagging. It was amazing how far some were willing to go to make a theme work.

His hooves clopped against the creaky wooden floor as he strode up to the bar and took a seat looking up at a black and white sign that loomed over head. 

'Seven bits for a tall boy!? That's outrageous!'

It was, and Sin would likely need to get one if he wanted Blitzen to give him the time of day. 

"Howdy, stranger. What can I getcha?" Said the barkeep, a crimson maned earth pony mare with high hair and an off white coat. Her southern drawl thick enough to give the Apple family a run for it's money.

"A shot of cherry whiskey, please." Sin replied politely.

"Of course, that'll be six bits."

Just hearing the price out loud made Sin want to slam his head into the bar. It legitimately amazed him how this town was able to function at such a high cost of living, but that was the price of scarcity in supply and demand. 

Once his bits were on the table and counted, the barkeep leaned down under the table and returned with a tall bottle and filled up a pristine shot glass for him. "There ya go, sugar, one shot of cherry whiskey!"

Sin thanked her and downed the glass in a single go, the pungent taste of alcohol nearly setting his throat on fire with a sweet cherry aftertaste. He could feel the warm liquid tingle all the way down his throat and down to his stomach in a mix of fuzzy warmth and burning ethenol. 

Sin knew how to drink, he'd been introduced to many a fine beverages in his life time, as well as watered down crap that wasn't fit to be served to pigs. Even now, he could still feel the whiskey in his stomach, soothing his insides in a euphoric calm that he rarely experienced before. Six bits hardly seemed like a big deal anymore, in all actuality, that was a steal for the coming experience.

"Ain't seen you 'round before. What brings ya to Dodge Junction?" The mare asked casually.

"I'm looking for a pony named Blitzen." Sin answered, enjoying the warm tingles that now permeated through his body. "The proprietor from the inn informed me I might find him here."

The bar keep looked around the establishment, "sorry stranger, Blitzen ain't here tonight, I'm afraid."

'Figures.'

Well, just because the pony wasn't present didn't mean the bartender didn't know a thing or two herself. Sin posed the question of the coal mine to her and, as luck would have it, she knew exactly what he was talking about and informed the stallion he could find it a mile south of town along a small path.

"I'd recommend stayin' away from it, mah self." She said, grabbing the shot glass and setting it in a sink. "Ol' mine was condemned for instability after part of it collapsed and killed a pony a few years ago."

'Hmm, collapsed and unstable you say?'

"I see, thank you for your time Miss..."

"Jubiliee, Blushing Jubiliee. My momma, Cherry Jubiliee ownes this bar, Cherry Hill Ranch, and darn near half the town." She declared proudly.

Noting the names, Sin thanked the mare once again and made way out of the bar. Once outside, he pulled up his hood and approached the southern end of town. 

It was dark now, too dark for him to see. The moon was a small crescent tonight and offered little light to see by.

Hey, Critic, tell the kid to let the Nightmare go. I have an idea.

'Okay.'

"Finally! Ugh, once I am of my full strength, you will pay for-"

Yea, yea, I'll, like, pay and shit. Now shut up and let me concentrate.

Sin summoned the aura at it's most mild and opened his eyes. The Federalist smirked when he saw the once blackened and ambiguous darkness light up into an almost crystal clear view in any given direction.

'Be careful Sin, cleaver as that is, we still don't know how it will affect you long term.' 

The pony was still for a moment, he could feel trace amounts of the Nightmare's influence in his mind and body, a minor throbbing in his head already, but nothing compared to the overwhelming sense of pain and cold he usually did. He lifted his forleg and looked down upon it, the brown hoof appearing to him clear as day. Unfortunately, a dull light green glow partially illuminated his hoof, telling him that said eyes could be spotted if he approached without some means of concealment.

He adjusted the intensity of the aura and found that the glow would dim there in, but so would his sight. It took some time, but he eventually found a balance between the dimness of his eyes and having a respectable sight range. 

"Oh please, you think you can control my powers by awakening them in small quantities to stave off the repercussions?" Nightmare Moon howled in laughter.

Sin ignored her taunting and wondered forth into the darkness, retrieving and stringing his crossbow once far enough out of town. He looked down at the weapon, he didn't want to admit it, but she was right. The only thing he was using right now was her eyes, but how much stronger did that make her? Or did it even make her stronger? The kid seemed to do a good job containing her whenever Sin needed him to, and he didn't feel any long lasting repercussion once he'd stopped using said magic, but that didn't mean there weren't any.

Still, he was able to control the Nightmare's magic, and if tonight went as planned, that's all he'd need her for.

Keeping his steps quiet, the brown clad Federalist moved forwards, a tight sense of anticipation looming in his stomach to not repeat the same mistakes as last time. Puddinghead would pay, he was going to suffer the worst fate Sin could bestow, but the pony would make one hundred percent sure the earth pony was alone this time. They had no idea he was coming, this time and Sin planned to make use of that.

After a good bit of walking, he found it, the enterance to the mine shaft, a small bit of light flickering from the entrance that he was only able to pick up due to his serpintine eyes.

'Well, they're here, or it's gang of outlaws.'

The night was young, Sin had time to do a perimeter sweep and despite ever fiber of his being wanting to go inside the tunnel and slaughter every Totski he saw, the pony relented the extra hour to creep around the entrance for anything that could constitute a threat...

Nothing, no patrols, no secret escapes, no guards, no sign of traps or alarms, or anything.

This bothered Sin, there should have been some kind of protection, some kind of system in place to alert his enemies of any approaching threats, yet he found nothing. Not even a string attached to a bunch of cans.

'Maybe they're just that confident they're safe and can relax?'

Hmmm, maybe... still though, it just didn't sit right. The Trotski, from his observations, were kind of armature in their military and strategic capabilities, but they'd demonstrative at least novice level tactical knowledge, certainly enough to know that keeping a sentinel on post was essential.

Passing through the entrance, Sin kept to the wall, scanning the tunnel for anything to be seen. Again, there was nothing, nothing at all. His steps were as silent as a shadow, placing the tip of his hoof down first and following through in a pivot on the rounded side. Not even his breathing could be heard as he traveled, if they were going to just let him waltz right in undetected, who was he to argue and make life difficult for himself?

He reached the source of light, a small torch sitting on the wall in it's holder. At least it's existence was proof the something was here.

The tunnel curved ahead and another light flickered in the distance, another torch, and a third, and a fourth. Finally, the tunnle ended, the mouth opening up into a large and spacious cavern, propped up by uncountable wooden beams and branching, vein tunnels all throughout. The entire cavern, which had to be twenty ponies tall, was illuminated by hundreds and hundreds of torches, each one enchanted to make the light within almost blinding, constricting his serpentine eyes to slits.

Why were there so many? What was the purpose of keeping the cavern this well lit? And more importantly, where was everybody? 

Sin's ears perked as he looked around, finding different places he could hide should anything happen, running scinarios in his head on what to do if the situation called for it. Pillars and rocks for hiding behind, ledges he could climb up if he needed to, contingency plans just in case said ledges or rocks were destroyed.

He stepped into the cavern, mindful and careful on where he'd go.

Suddenly a laugh echoed all around, making the tense stallion's blood run.

"Well, well. It looks like our guest has finally arrived." Called a mare's voice.

The sound of moving chains was heard, and a re-bar metal door slammed down at the cavern's entrance, trapping Sin inside.

'Fuck! It's a trap!'

No shit!

A light burst forth from a ledge, and Sin jumped just in time to avoid being hit by a consentrated beam of golden magic. He caught himself and took aim at where the spell had come from, but found no caster.

"It's just as you said, Clover. He fell right into your hooves."

Another beam of light came from the left, and Sin rolled, catching himself upright and taking aim, only to have the phantom unicorn to once again, elude his sight. Too exposed where he was, Sin ran and hid behind a large bolder, peaking back around in an attempt to find his assailants.

Clover? Who the hell was that? And why did that name sound somewhat familiar?

'SINABOVEYOU!'

Jumping out of the way with not a breath to spare, Sin regarded the spear that pierced the ground where he'd been standing a second ago with awe. He needed to get to higher ground.

The taunting continued as the Federalist climbed, dodging beams of magic as they came and taking shelter behind anything he could. He looked around, trying to find the bastards that were attacking him, but no matter where he looked, all he could find was the flickering flames of the cavern dancing about upon the walls.

A sudden glint caught his eye and the stallion moved just in time to avoid a poorly aimed bolt arrow that was meant for his chest. He glared at the position the glint came from, seeing nothing at all. No body, no rocks, no metal to reflect, no wooden beams, no stalagmites to hide behind or anything.

Invisibility spells, of course!

Nightmare, can your eyes detect things that are under spell cloaks?

The pony kept moving, jumping and leaping up the walls of the cavern, his ears listening for hoof steps or wings to find his enemy's position. He continually looked to and fro, scanning the cavern for another possible glint of light, hoping their spells wouldn't stop bolts if he could get a clear shot.

"They can, if you're willing to make them."

KABOOM!

The ledge Sin stood upon began to crumble as a well aimed magical blast hit a weak point. The Federalist didn't have enough time to react and was pulled down as the ground beneath him crumbled, sending the stallion rolling down the small slope of the cavern back to the ground level.

"He's a crafty one, isn't he? But I would expect no less, considering how he infiltrated our Head Quarters."

Sin pushed himself up and rubbed his aching side. Things were not going his way at all, but how? How did they know he was coming?! 

No, he couldn't waste time on questions like that. 

Seeing how he had no viable options left, Sin enhanced the aura, bringing the Alicorn of Insanity's power to task. The headache came with it, but Sin was ready for it this time. He looked around and noticed two pony shaped silver shimmers on the ledge above him. He took aim at the first and let loose a bolt.

A scream from above told the stallion he'd hit home, but with the form's shimmering ambiguity, it was impossible to tell where.

"Gah, my flank!" 

"Panzy!" Clover called in worry. "You bastard!"

The second form lowered it's head and a beam of magic bore down. Sin didn't make any attempt to dodge, though. Waiting for the magic to hit and using the shock of it's ineffectiveness to finish the unicorn off with a bolt. The spell made contact with him and brought with it a hot siring pain as something hard slammed into Sin's ribs right under his wing, pushing the stallion into the wall.

What the fuck?!

'Sin, you alright?'

"Panzy! Are you okay?"

Sin pushed himself up cringing as the pain in his side shot through him like a hot spike. That was impossible, he was wearing the dragon scale! Magic shouldn't have affected him!

He heard the two above talking and seeing to one another's wounds, and gingerly touched the point of contact to find a small rock lodged in his skin, small bits of blood trickling down his side. 

Cleaver bastards.

Raising his crossbow, Sin pointed at the unicorn. "Move and you die."

The shimmering silver turned a little too quickly to regard him and Sin's hoof triggered the bolt on instinct, sending the bolt flying up and missing the unicorn by mere inches. Another golden blast of magic shot forth, Sin's injury too crippling to make an unscathed dodge, and slammed into the Federalist's shoulder. 

"Fuck!" He cried, gripping his right shoulder with his left hoof and gritting his teeth. Another rock had been lodged into his skin, luckily it didn't hit the bone and wasn't near as painful as the one in his rib.

He pushed past the pain and ran behind a wooden beam, pulling out a couple of bolts and awkwardly redrew the main load and quickload of his crossbow. If there was one saving grace to the pain he was feeling from the fight, it was the fact it took attention away from the increasingly intense migraine he had.

"Owww, He saw us! You said we were invisible, Clover!" Panzy complained.

"We are! But his eyes, they could see us for some reason. C'mon, he's hurt, we can finish him now!"

Sin rolled his shoulder to find he couldn't lift the bow above a forty five degree angle. He cursed under his breath, pushed back onto his haunches and lifted his right hoof up with his left, forcing searing hot lances of unbridled anguish up through his shoulder and spine. He worried that the pain would take away from his aim, but there was no help for it.

A single pair of galloping hooves was heard, coming from behind the wooden barrier. If he planned this right, he could kill the unicorn and then interrogate the pegasus.

"So, you can see through my spell?" Clover said, slowing her gallop down to a trot. "Very clever, especially since you're not a unicorn. It's rare to find non-unicorn ponies that can use magic."

Sin gulped, feeling the anticipation raising in his chest as the clopping of her hooves grew closer and closer. For some reason, a unsettling sense of impending doom swept over him, like no matter what he did, the stallion felt like was destined to to die as soon as he saw her. It was a stupid feeling that he had to push out of his mind, but it still hit him hard.

She was close now, right behind the beam that hid him. All it would take was one look, one look and she'd be driven to insanity.

"Word has it that you're the one who killed Commander Hurricane... Some even think you're the ghost of that pony we had killed in Canterlot." Clover chuckled a very feminine laugh of skepticism. From the right side, she was coming from the right side.

"But I think we both know that's not the case, is it, Sin?"

Sin smirked, her words giving him a bit of inspiration. "No. I am no ghost."

"I know, but I'm curious as to how you survived. Sickle was a smart-"

Her words were cut off by a harsh laugh from Sin. He double checked his crossbow and made ready. "Oh, I didn't survive, I just said I'm no ghost."

He heard the unicorn mare chuckle. "Really, and how is it that you stand before me now?"

"Simple... Demon's aren't bound to hell."

He heard a gasp and rounded the beam, finding the unicorn uncloaked and standing directly infornt of him. His eyes made contact with hers and he limped forwards, she was wearing blackened sunglasses for some reason, but it didn't inhibit the power of the aura in the slightest.

"I sold my soul to the demon king, and in exchange, he let me come back to claim all of the Trotski." Sin lifted his good leg and smacked the unicorn across the face, sending her to the ground. Slowly, he raised his crossbow up, holding it shakily down at her. "When you see him, tell him I said hell-augh!"

The pressing pain in Sin's skull throbbed in a mind shattering agony, bringing the pony to his knees and clutching his head in a fruitless attempt to sooth.

No, no, not now! Nightmare! STOP! I can't let her get up! If she gets up, we both dead!

"Hmmm, no. You will die, I will simply transfer to a new body. Her body will suit me just fine.

Clover, now free of the Nightmare enhanced aura, stood up and shook herself off.

You idiot, if you jump to her body, Luna will be able to detect you in her dreams!

"Perhaps, but I have grown warry of you and your arrogant confinement."

"Clover, are you okay? What happened? What did he do?!" Panzy asked, limping up to her fellow.

"I do not know, Panzy, but his eyes, they were wrong, possessed. It's like Smart Cookie and the Chancellor said, his eyes have the power to induce mind crippling fear..."

Seeing that the Nightmare wasn't going to let up, Sin released the aura and attempted to stand and finish what he'd started, but the pain was still too great for him to do much of anything. His face contorting into a one eyed grimace, the stallion arose his head to look at the two mares before him.

Panzy was the pink mare who'd tried to assassinate Macintosh, and Clover was a light lilac unicorn with a brown half cloak covering the front of her body and hooding half of her head.

He tried to raise his crossbow, but it was a pointless effort now. Despite every last muscle and bit of will he had being pushed for the act his muscles were too strained to lift the weight of the weapon.

Fuck, fuck, FUCK!

Sin, he... he didn't know what else he could have done! Nothing he could have done different, no mistake he could have fixed, no alternative tactic he could have used. Everything he did, he did by the book! Save not having his exit cut off, but how could he have seen that coming?! The entryway didn't look like it had a door!

No, no excuses, life didn't care about excuses... Life didn't give a damn about effort or attempt, it cared about results... and the results were him laying at the fucking mercy of his enemies.

"Alright, Panzy, let's finish him and get to Apploosa with the others."

"Apploosa?" Sin grunted out loud without meaning to.

Panzy smirked. "Yea, Applossa, you know, where Puddinghead is?"

'WHAT?!'

Clover and Panzy shared a laugh at his look of frustrated confusion.

"Come now, Sin. Did you really think our guards would just so carelessly talk about our next destination, knowing that our last surviving leader was under threat?" The off purple unicorn asked, smirking down at him with half lidded eyes. 

"I- I could have killed them..." Sin grunted, shrugging his shoulders in a last ditch effort to regain some kind of meaningful strength into his bow hoof. 

If he could hold them off with words long enough to regain his sense, then he might have a chance...

"Yes, you could have, and we figured you would have, but you didn't, did you? You knew we had spells in place that, if one of us was killed, I would have known about it and raised the alarm, didn't you?" She said all too smugly. 

Sin didn't know that, but it was good knowledge to have regardless.

Still, that did leave a bunch of questions left unanswered, like if they knew he was there, why hadn't they made more of an effort to find and kill him on the spot? If Clover had a spell to detect if a Trotski was killed, why didn't she have one to tell her if they were under attack or knocked out?

With a flick of her mane, the unicorn gave the most cliche and selfish answer Sin had ever heard. "We wanted the pleasure for ourselves." She grinned evilly. "You killed Commander Hurricane and Prince Platinum. You killed my father and Panzy's grandmother... Ponies we loved dearly all for petty revenge..."

Clover's smile deteriorated with every word, her eyes becoming dark red orbs of hatred and contempt. "And now, I'm going to kill you."

Sin helplesly watched as Clover's horn began to glow a brilliant gold, readying a spell that would either cripple or kill him. The time wasn't enough, his leg wouldn't move the way it needed to, his head still throbbed and failed his attempts to summon the aura...

This was it... he was really going to die here...

"Any last words?" Clover asked, her spell reaching critical mass and picking up small stone in her telekenesis.

"Sorry!" 

A red beam of magic struck Clover in the side, sending the unicorn screaming and flying away, the magic in her horn discharging upon contact and blasting a few of the lower vein mines with a powerful and terrible force.

"But I'm afraid that stallion belongs to Luna."

Sin's eye trailed the voice and found a pair of stallions standing at the cave's entrance. The black unicorn of which casting a spell and blasting the door of bars apart. A white pegasus pony launched forward, spread his wings, and with ungodly speed, slammed into Panzy, bucking her into the wall along side her fallen compatriot.

That's when Sin realized who his savior was... "Soarin?" He croaked, recognizing the pony from his incident with Applejack. It was him, the blue mane, off white pelt and green eyes were unmistakable.

"Who dares to- Oh goddess..." Clover gasped, eyeing the black unicorn as he slowly trotted forth. Sin had never seen the pony before, a black pelt was hard to come by, but the red eyes really left their mark on him, contrasting the casual expression he wore. 

"You son of a-"

"Panzy, we need to go. NOW!" 

"What!?" The pegasus screeched, but she had time for little else before the two disappeared in a bright flash of light, leaving Sin to deal with his saviors.

'Wait, did they say you belonged to Luna? As in, Princess Luna?'

"Sombra, grab him and let's get out of here." Soarin growled, looking down at the Federalist with scorn.

A subtle shifting from behind quickly gave way to a loud creak of of stressed wood and cracking stone, small bits of dirt and dust falling from the ceiling of the cavern and peppering all three of them in earthly dust. The damage that Clover's rouge spell caused on the cave's foundation finally coming to task.

Nightmare, these two are going to take us back to Luna, now if you do not help me and get rid of this fucking head ache, I'll be taken prisoner there and you'll be a prisoner with me... You can try to flee now, but something tells me that that black unicorn there will have some way of capturing and containing you...

Sombra attempted to lift Sin in his magic, but ended up nursing a feedback headache instead.

"Sombra, quit messing around and pick him up!" The white pegasus shouted. The red eyed unicorn shouted that he was trying, but something was stopping him, to which the former Wonderbolt reminded him of Sin's tendency for anti-magical charms.

"I cannot believe the good fortune you have, Sinbad. Of all the ways tonight could have gone, it just had to end this way."

Yea, life's a bitch, now are you going to help or are we going to be buried under a few thousand tons of dirt/taken to see your maker?

In an instant a calming and cool sense of relief began to sooth the ear splitting migraine, leaving the stallion to his facilities once again. His shoulder was still pretty messed up, as was his rib, but Sin could still use it if he limped.

Another harsh creaking was heard from over head, larger bits of dirt and stone raining from the sky and crashing down onto the dirt, with random torches working their ways free from the walls and joining the bits of ceiling on the ground.

"Buck!" Soarin cursed as he barely dodged a nicely sized piece of stone that the ceiling tried to crush him with. He saw Sin now standing and rushed behind him, ducked down beneath and stood up so that the Federalist was on his back. "MOVE!"

Sin held on for dear life as the three ponies made a mad dash for the door, Sombra keeping a red shield of magic above their heads to catch any debris that fell. While the Federalist wasn't a fan of allowing others to help him, he wasn't above allowing said help from potential enemies if they were willing to give it.

The cave's mouth was in sight now, and as the booming from behind them grew ever louder with the sounds of crashing dirt and snapping wood, so too did the heaviness of the dirt that fell in the tunnel. At one point, they were running blind, with Sombra blasting his way through the earth more so than following the cave's path. Sin felt Soarin fighting to keep his balance on the freshly moved dirt, having to twist and turn his body to keep the pegasus upright more than once.

The white pony looked back to see the edge of the shield approaching them and begged Sombra to slow down, but the unicorn didn't listen, shouting that they would be fine and maintaining his galloping as he blasted through the earth. Sin felt Soarin's hooves begin slipping, the earth of the make shift tunnel much too fresh and unstable for good running. He shifted when possible and necessary to keep the two upright, but that wasn't going to do them much good if the magic that kept the earth above from collapsing down was gone.

Just when Sin was certain the pegasus was going to slip up and be left behind, all three burst free from the tunnel into the cool of the night. Each collapsing into heaping piles of panting and groaning.

"Y- you... see? Told... you... It would... be fine." Sombra said between gasps of breath. Soarin wasn't as amused, though. Managing only a slight curse against the unicorn's carelessness.

The Federalist, seeing the opportunity, stood from his place and thanked the two for their help.

"Oh no... you don't." Soarin panted, pushing himself up. "Luna wants to... to see you... and you're gonna... come with us."

Sin frowned and informed the pegasus that, as greatful as he was for the save, he had absolutely no plans to see the good night princess. Soarin didn't take well to his rejection and flew forward, barring Sin's path.

"Soarin, get out of my way." Sin demanded calmly, but the pegasus stood in place. Seeing how this was going to end, Sin began backing away from him and circling to get both ponies into view. Each walking after him and speaking about how much easier this whole ordeal would be if Sin would just cooperate.

"Sorry gents, but I have no intention on going back to Canterlot." Sin blinked and his eyes went serpintine once again, though, unlike any other time before, there was no pain to be felt in his head.

"What the?" Soarin asked in shock, though his question was only answered by the terrifying chill of the aura as it bore down upon him. "What's going on!? What are you doing to us?!"

It wasn't as strong as he usually made it, these two did save his life and Sin owed them for that, but that would only get so much mercy from him.

In a flash of bright crimson light, both Sombra and Soarin disappeared, leaving Sin alone in the quiet dead of the night. His ears perked, waiting to see if the two would return to collect him, but as the minutes ticked by, there was no sign of either Sombra nor Soarin.

'Well... that went better than expected.'

No, no it did not. What Sin expected was to find and kill Puddinghead. What he got was a trap that had been set up for him a week ago that he was too stupid to see through or even question. The results spoke for themselves, new enemies and new injuries. Luna knew he was alive somehow, and had sent some of her little minions to collect him. A notion the pony didn't care one bit for.

'Well it's not like you made it all that convincing you were dead. I mean, having your assassin commit suicide inside the castle? Really?'

Not like there was much else he could do with the body though, he was still amazed he was able to sneak Sickle as far as he was. Regardless, that did leave a new problem. How did they know where he was? It was a happy discovery, but still, how did they know?

"Truly your fortune is what sees you through the day, Sinbad. How a pony who fancies himself an intellectual could be so dim and foolish is beyond me."

Oh? Care to elaborate or are you just going to keep talking out of your ass?

The Nightmare scoffed and pointed out something Sin had not considered. Scootaloo had run away from Ponyville and was a friend of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had ties to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, with the night princess' ability to enter dreams and read minds, it shouldn't have been a surprise that Scootaloo's thoughts would tell her exactly where the two were.

Sin groaned outloud, how could he have not seen such a blaring problem looking him in the face? Of course, his mind was closed to Luna, but her attention being brought to a missing foal by a concerned friend, there by putting Scootaloo on her radar? He should have realized that when Scootaloo said she had some kind of tie to Rainbow Dash.

Fuck, alright, anyone got any ideas? Critic?

'Hmmm, sorry Sin, I'll need some time. Maybe you could teach Scootaloo Occlumency? She doesn't want to be found anymore than you do, so taking that angle, you might be able to convince her to learn it.'

He could, but the problem there was that Occlumency required a seriously developed sense of skepticism and cynicism. Two things Sin knew Scootaloo didn't have and honestly didn't want her to have. She was a gentle soul and kind heart, no, something else would need to be done.

Internally sighing, Sin began making way back to town. As much as he didn't want to, he needed to get some sleep and dig out the rocks before the wounds became infected. All he could do now was hope that neither the Trotski nor Luna's lackeys would ambush him in the middle of the night.


> New Destination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









New Destination









"Hope you fine folk got some good sleep." Said the inn keeper as he observed Sin and Scootaloo strolling past in the mid morning. It was a fair bit later than the survivalist was used to waking up, but considering what happened last night, the crack of dawn just didn't seem to call to his sense of urgency like it usually did.

His cloak, which he'd repaired easily enough last night, hid his injuries well enough. Despite being hit with a magically propelled rock, nothing in his shoulder was broken. The muscle was pulled and bruised, but a few days of walking would help that well enough. Sin often detested being as young as he was, seeing that his age made others take him less seriously, but the shorter healing time younger bodies went through was a benefit he couldn't deny.

"Thank you for having us, let's go, Scootaloo." The oaken pony declaired, his walking was halted after the older stallion called out to him, asking if he was still heading out west to Appleoosa. A question Sin answered in the affirmative, that he and his "daughter" were going there for family business.

"Ah see, well, friendly word of warnin'. Keep an eye out fer the Buffaloo once ya enter the shrub-lands. Apparently there was some fallin' out with the Appaloosa folks pertainin' to some tithe for the land."

"Tithe?" Sin questioned, confused as to why such a species would make such a demand.

The old stallion lifted his hat and absently scratched his head, expanding that there was an incident in the small settlement a few months back where the buffalo and ponies had a conflict over an apple orchard built over the native's sacred stampede ground. The issue was only resolved after the chieftain ate one of the pies used by the Apploosans that was tossed at him in the "Battle of Appaloosa".

"Story goes that the ponies were tired o' the extortion n' rejected givin' the buffs any more apples. Natives didn't take to kindly to that n' are chasin' off any pony who they find travlin' to the settlement." He said with a nod.

Sin found the entire story entertaining, but forewent giving him any credibility when the idea of using pies as a weapon came up. The old coot didn't even know the name of the town's bar, what chance was there of him knowing about some major historical event with any accuracy?

"Oh and whatever ya do, don't go into the desert of the Undiscovered West. Folks say terrible things happen there."

"Thanks." Sin said dismissively with Scootaloo and Angel in tow. 

What a load of crock.

'I'd be inclined to advise you to be more mindful of your elders, but senility definitely has him by the balls.'

"So, we're heading to Applossa next. Why?" Scootaloo asked as the two wondered outside. Dividing his attention, Sin purchased some water, with the Dodge City tax in all of its magnificent glory, while trying to find some viable excuse to tell the filly. 

Unlike before, where her eyes were bright and full of foalish innocence, they were slowly becoming more skeptical and demanding of him. 

"Why not?" He asked lowly.

Scootaloo's jaw dropped at his counter. "Didn't you hear what that stallion just said?"

Of course Sin heard him, he didn't care, but he heard him. 

"Yea, he also thought the town's bar was named the Thirsty Mare instead of the Cherry Pit. Sorry kiddo, I don't put too much stock in pony's who can't even remember the name of one of what? Twelve buildings in town?"

The filly tilted her head in a "fair enough" expression befor her eyes narrowed skeptically. "Wait, how do you know he doesn't know the name of the town's bar?"

'Oh, you fucked up.'

Sin pressed his lips in thought before answering that the inn keep had recommended he visit the establishment when he'd gone out last night and used the wrong name. Making it out as if the Federalist hadn't inquired about it at all. It wasn't that he was scared of her yelling at him or anything, it was just so the peace could be kept incase she had any problems with drinking.

'Nice save.'

The answer seemed to placate the orange foal well enough, but reluctantly so. It was clear she was growing tired of Sin keeping her in the dark about the reason for their travels and his late night missions, but there wasn't much that could be done about that.

The only thing Sin could do, when the subject came up, was play quid pro quo, and ask her a couple of questions about her family. Hopefully if he could get some details on some of her more favored relitives, he could somehow convince the filly to settle down with them and restart her childhood there in.

'Wait, you're going to tell her the truth?!' 

Fuck no, are you kidding me? I'll just make up something else. Keep the "chasing somebody" aspect, but I'm chasing them for reasons other than revenge... maybe they stole something of mine or some such...

Alright, fair enough.'









Scootaloo picked up her freshly packed saddle bag and strapped it to her form in record time. Usually attaching the carriers took two ponies to do, but with all the practice she'd gotten over the past week and a half, mixed with a few tips and tricks Islander had tought her, the run away filly could unpack and repack her entire bag in mere minutes. 

It was kind of sad that she was as proud of it as she was, but there really wasn't much else to do while traveling in the badlands. Last night's camping was as boring as it always was, Islander keeping to himself unless the she asked him a question about something, to which he'd either give long winded and elaborate answers or short quips that said more than they had a right to.

She couldn't quite put her hoof on why, but the way Islander carried himself and spoke just explained more than words ever could. He was reserved, and any sense of emotion gave credibility to the seriousness of his claims. Emotional communication and facial expressions were a rare thing on him, much less common than on any other stallion she'd ever met. It was a thing that bothered her alot, he had this fake smile that set Scootaloo on edge that he'd give her whenever she questioned his limp, contrasted heavily by the genuine smile he gave whenever he was being genuinely encouraging.

Another thing that set Scootaloo off kilter was Islander constant look of distance. Whenever they walked without speaking, his eye lids would droop in a thousand yard stare, always indicating that the stallion was in deep thought about something or another. The few times she'd ask about it, he'd always answer about things that never made sense to her like politics or moral situations. Just hearing the depth and details of his thoughts made her head hurt and she was amazed his brain didn't explode from all the information he ran through.

It also made her miss her old life in Ponyville, as well as her friends and... yea. 

She missed Applebloom and Sweetie Bell, crusading around trying to find their cutie marks and going into all kinds of adventures or getting into trouble. She missed sitting at her old desk at school, listening to Cheerilee drone on and on about things that didn't seem so important at the time. Math, history, reading and writing, she hated it a two weeks ago, but she'd give almost anything to go back to it now.

And, on some level, despite their betrayal, she missed Macintosh and Annabelle. Their hugs, their kindness, their warmth, the way the earth mare would snuggle her if she had a bad day and kiss her on the top of her head right between the ears or how Macintosh would quietly and patiently listen to her as she asked small yet pertinent questions that foals found important but adults found silly.

Scootaloo didn't feel comfortable asking questions like that to Islander, nor even thinking about any kind of physical affection. His constant emotional distance and physical silence gave her the impression that he didn't want her around, that she was just a burden that he needed to constantly look after and take care of.  Between his saving her from the timber wolves, that weird pony back in Trottingham, helping her set up her gear, and giving her his cloak on the really cold nights, it was a logical assumption to come to.

"Hey, Islander?" She asked, keeping her gaze on the ground.

"What's up, kiddo?" He replied absently.

"Do... do you not like me?"

Islander craned his head back at her and gave Scootaloo a look. "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, it's just that... you never talk to me unless I talk to you first, and when I do, it feels like I'm bothering you." She admitted honestly. Lilac eyes chanced a glance up at the icy blue orbs. Islander nodded in understanding and explained that he'd been on his own for so long, he was just used to not speaking too much. He was an "introvert" which meant that he preferred solitude over being around others. 

His words did nothing to help with Scootaloo's feelings of being a burden.

"Don't get me wrong, I honestly don't mind your company. You're a pretty quiet kid and I can appreciate that. So don't feel like you're bothering me, I just don't have very good social skills." He finished putting on his own saddlebags and replaced the cloak he always wore. Once camp was packed up, the two resumed their trek into the early morning twilight.

"Though, if I am going to be completely honest with you, I'd rather see you somewhere you could call home." 

Scootaloo felt a pinch of resentment at the word. Home, she didn't have a home anymore. "Home" was where ever the government and Foal Protection Services would end up putting her.

Islander let her small rant hang in the air for a moment, chewing on the words before finally asking: "You sure about that?" 

"What do you mean? Of course I'm sure." Scootaloo snarked impatiently.

The oaken Federalist shook his head. "Not even a grandmother or aunt and uncle to stay with?"

"Why are you asking? I thought you said you didn't mind me!" The filly snapped, her patience on the matter running thin.

Islander stopped walking and lowered his head, glaring down at Scootaloo and stealing her irritation away in favor of slight fear. "I don't mind you, but I do mind this kind of life for you. What's your plan? Stick with me until you're old enough to make it on your own? You're a good kid, Scootaloo, and life traveling like this is no way for you to grow up."

The filly scowled back, almost two weeks worth of constant frustration of being kept in the dark all coming back to steel her will. "Yea? And what's so bad about sticking with you, huh? If life like this is so bad, than why are you doing it?! Huh!?"

Islander didn't reply, the two standing in a tense silence of the early morning, one pair of glaring eyes demanding answers while another pair glared back with reluctance. A small white rabbit watching nervously from the sidelines.

Scootaloo didn't intend to sound so demanding and harsh, but she was tired of constantly being told "don't worry about it" or "reasons" whenever she asked question. Islander had complimented her intelligence more than once, yet would never explain himself. Yea, she was the one tagging along, but would it kill him to let her in on the plan from time to time? Was she not allowed to be a little angry with him for dismissing her need to know?

"Because, kiddo I am not a good pony." Islander growled. He stood to his full height, bringing his glare to it's fullest intimidation. "I've seen some bad things in my time, terrible things. I've also done terrible things, things that would make you run screaming into the desert to get away from me if you knew about them."

"Pft, yea? Like what?" Scootaloo asked, taking exception to how fearful and weak willed he thought she was.

"You sure you wanna know? I want you to think carefully about tha-"

"YES!" Scootaloo shouted, startling her companion. "For Celestia's sake, yes! I know nothing about you! You're always so grumpy and secretive and I'm tired of it! If something bad about yourself is all you're willing to share, than fine!"

Islander regarded her with a softer gaze, his icy blue eyes clouding over in thought. "I've forsaken two of my best friends when they needed me most, and left them both to die."

Scootaloo gasped at the horrifying admittance, she'd expected to hear a story about Islander's time in his country's military. Maybe something about him in battle hurting somepony or even killing them, a long winded tale with build up and context. But that? She was not ready to hear that.

The Federalist turned away and said "Now tell me: does that sound like something a  'good pony' would do?" before continuing walking.

He... he left his friends to die? His best friends? What? How? Who could do such a thing? And most importantly...

"Why?" Scootaloo asked, her voice cracking with emotion. There had to be a reason, things like that didn't just happen.

"Because I needed to make a point." Islander sighed, turning back to Scootaloo with a look she'd never seen on him before, a look of guilt and sorrow. "Because I needed to show that I wouldn't allow threats and intimidation to bring me to submission."

The answer left Scootaloo even more confused than before she asked. Threats? Intimidation? Who was threatening him? Why would they do such a thing? What purpose could threatening him serve? Where was this? Was this in Equestria or the Federation? Was that why they were traveling so quickly? Was he running away from something? Or was he running after something?

Seeing the stallion beginning to walk again, Scootaloo jumped infront of him, and demanded he explain what he was talking about. Islander tried to side step her, but the filly wasn't having it, she wouldn't let him get away with being vague, not this time.

"Get out of the way, Scootaloo." 

"No! Not until you tell me who threatened you and why." The filly shouted, standing on her hind legs and placing her front hooves on Islanders chest to emphasize her finality.

"Kiddo, I'm warning you." He growled, glaring down at her.

Scootaloo returned the glare with her own, waiting for something to happen. She knew Islander had some kind of weird earth magic, but that wouldn't sway her. If there was one thing she'd learned from Granny Smith about boys, it was that a filly had to be firm with them. 

Islander wasn't like most stallions, though. Where most would smile sheepishly and submit if they were scolded by a mare, he didn't. The stallion simply looked at her, defiant and daring her to do something.

His ear flicked and the pony flinched as if in pain. "Alright, FINE!" He shouted, sending Scootaloo scuddeling backwards, leaving the pony to rub his head as if in pain.









Fuck's sake! I'm going to kill that little shit when I finally figure out a way to control the Nightmare!

'It's your own fault, Sin. You should have just kept your mouth shut.'

It was, but he saw a chance to open a dialog for Scootaloo to find her a decent home. Fuck him for trying to do the right thing, apparently.

Between the kid in his head, the kid standing in front of him, and the Nightmare, Sin had no choice now. She was a little thrown off by his outburst, but wasn't diswayed to his story.

So he told her the truth, well most of the truth. About him being a senator a year ago, about how he was friends with a pony named Zell, and how said pony's life was threatened when Sin voiced his opposition to a lobbyist in regards to a bill meant to give a certain corporation legal rights to use excessive force in their dealings with the Zeborican migrants... And how his standing by the principal resulted in Zell's assassination.

This lead into an even bigger conversation about what the Senate was, as well as an abridged explanation on the Federation's immigration policy, as well as the different states and their dealing with the zebra, and the threat said zebra could harbor.

Scootaloo had questions, of course, questions that had to be answered delicately and with tact. Minutes stretched into hours, each explanation bringing a million more questions for the filly to ask. Eventually the topic of the Triple M. Corporation became unavoidable, and Sin explained that too, keeping out the part about his family owning said corporation.

"Alright so... you were a senator, which is a lot like our city council, but for your entire country?" Scootaloo asked, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to piece everything together.

"Correct."

"And your country doesn't have a guard that's run by the government, but by a big business corperation thing?"

"Yes. Well, most of the country, anyway."

"And it tried to make you vote to let it hurt zebras more easily, and when you didn't, they killed your friend, Zell?"

"That would be the basic jist of it, yes."

Sin felt guilty for sharing the knowledge, as she thought about his explanation, Scootaloo would continually look over at him and he could see the guilt and pity in her eyes. She felt sorry for him now, she felt sorry for him and Sin didn't like it when others looked down on him in pity.

'Well, at least she knows a little about you now, that's good, right?'

Yea, sure, why not?

"I'm sorry to hear that. That's... I..." She fidgeted with her hooves uncomfortably. "I don't know what to say."

"Nothing to say. Wasn't your fault, nothing can be done about it now."

Sin looked up to see the sun had reached its zenith. The two had wasted alot of time talking and they needed to get going. Scootaloo agreed and fell in line with the stallion and asked him if that was why he'd come to Equestria.

"Hmmm, you know something, I've been answering a lot of your questions. I think you owe me a few answers."

Scootaloo scowled and made it clear she wasn't going to go to any of her family and that Sin should forget about asking if that was his intent. Still, the Federalist pushed the issue, saying that her choices on where she wanted to go were her own. He had no right to force her to go anywhere she didn't want to.

"You promise?" Scootaloo asked.

"I promise." Sin confirmed. "Now, you said your parents died right? How did they die?"

It was blunt but Sin needed to be. She wasn't any more tactful with her questioning, it was only fair he be just as straightforward. To his amazement, her parents had been researches who studied odd weather phenomena and died during an expedition in Griffonstone. The ponies would leave the filly alone for weeks at a time, calling in distant family members to come in and check on her. Family members who only did so out of a sense of obligation more so than a sense of concern.

According to her, the primary inquisitor was her Aunt Flowing Sky, who would only stop by once a week to yell at her about keeping the family home clean and drop off a few bits for rent and food from her folks.

'Wow, what a bitch.'

"It's alright though, I figured out how to pay the bills and shop and cook for myself. It did get kinda lonely though." She admitted forlornly.

Sin felt bad for her, at least his father was around to pay bills...

"Alright, so how long ago was the expedition?"

"A couple of months ago." The filly said sadly.

Sin gave her a wide eyed look. 

'Wait, hold the phone, a couple of months ago? What? How did she survive that long without her parents?'

Sin theorized that the Aunt and other family had taken pity upon the filly and continued to give her money for the house, but Scootaloo shot that theory down when she'd lost the house because her parents were sending her aunt any more money to give her.

"So where were you staying?"

"Whitetail wood." Scootaloo answered, gaining a little perk back. "I camped there for a while, well, up until Applebloom ratted me out, anyways."

Sin nodded in understanding. He'd pegged Applebloom as the soft hearted sort who'd do that if she thought it was in a loved one's best interests. "Did she know about your situation? Did anyone know?"

The filly shook her head, her pride kept her from asking for help, a notion Sin would have condemned if it wouldn't have been so hypocritical on his part.

"And that's when Foal Services came for you, I take it?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Hmm mmm, after they found me, I went to stay with..." She stopped in her tracks, her eyes misting over with tears. 

"Stay with who?" Sin whispered, part of him feeling as if he already knew the answer.

"Y- you know what? It doesn't matter." Scootaloo sniffled. "All that matters is that they didn't love me... they handed me over to foal services the first chance they got and... they didn't even care..."

A pang hit Sin's heart as he watch the scornfilled tears fall. It made him sick to think about, handing over Scootaloo to the government. What kind of sick and duranged ass holes would even do that to her? Especially after her parents had died. He wanted to know who it was she was staying with, but he thought better than to push the issue. Instead going with his gut instinct and placing a comforting hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder.

She looked up at him and sniffled a couple of times. Sin was about to say something but found the filly's forelegs around his neck before he had the chance and clung to him for all she was worth. The stallion tensed at the touch like he always did, but soon relaxed and even lifted a hoof to rub her back, whispering soothing words to placate her crying.

"They said they loved me..." Scootaloo managed between sobs. "They said we'd be together, like a real family, but they... he... M- Ma-"

"Shh it's alright. You're alright now." The Federalist soothed, lowing himself to his haunches and holding the filly proper.

Despite everything Sin had told her, how he'd betrayed Zell's life to a mega corporation, Scootaloo still trusted him enough to not only be near him, but to hug him. To hug and be emotionally vulnerable...

He couldn't send her back to Ponyville, not after hearing all of that, seeing her in tears like this, it made his chest hurt in a way it hadn't hurt since... Uppity.

"I hate them..." She growled. "I hate them, especially Ma-"

"Alright, that's enough." Sin said gently, pulling the filly to look her in the eye. "I know it hurts to be betrayed by someone you love, I get it more than I care to admit... but I don't want to see you living in that hate, alright?"

Scootaloo sniffled, wiping her muzzle and looking up at him with hurt and confused eyes. 

"If you do, you end up going through life angry, bitter and alone." He placed her back on the ground. "And I don't want that for you."

'Might wanna try to take your own advice there, Sin.'

Standing awkwardly and having no clue what else to say, the Federalist turned back to the direction of their march, following the train tracks that bridged between Apploosa and Dodge City.

"Why do you care so much about me?" Scootaloo asked. "You've only just met me, so, why..."

"I don't know." Sin chuckled half heartedly. "I guess... I see potential in you. Potential to make the world a better place, and I don't want to see that go to waste because of a tragic past."

Scootaloo blinked away a few tears and smiled at him, it was a weak one, a small little curve of the lip, but it was heartfelt and genuine.

Both having aired themselves out, the troop continued onward at a decent pace. Sin felt... lighter some how. Like his admittance of forsaking those closest to him had lifted a heavy weight from his back and helped bond he and Scootaloo better. An admittance that should have sent the filly screaming in fear and disgust had made her open up to him, open up a little more than he'd have liked, but if it made her feel better and brought her away from the path of the cynic, he'd happily deal with his own discomfort.
> Krystal Melody
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Krystal Melody








The path through the badlands had taken an unexpected turn that Sin's map had no indication to give. The rail road passed over a vast and extensive gorge, a good one hundred foot drop at it's best. Down below was a a small ravine, precious life giving water allowing plant growth in such a harsh enviornment.

Had the Federalist been alone, he'd have chanced crossing the bridge, but with a foal at his side, Sin felt his responsibility to her safety superseded his haste and took a small and winding trail that lead down to the bottom of the valley. Accrossed from the forest and the ravine lay another pathway back up, he calculated that the detour would only add an hour to the trip at most, plus a few minutes to refill water was never a waste of time.

'Oh! Oh! I've got one! So, you know how you're no fan of the prison industrial complex, right?'

Correct. Wasting years of someone's life in prison for crimes like theft and drugs do not turn out well. They are networking centers that create career criminals and immerse petty offenders in an environment where they need to become extreme in order to survive.

'Right, okay, so how would you handle something like... say, murder?'

Ehhhh, my view on it isn't really all that popular, especially amongst other Anarchists and Libertarians.

'... Oh fuck this is gonna be good.'

The stallion looked down over the slope's edge, hearing a slight creaking from down below.

Slavery.

'WHAT!?'

Hear me out, here me out-

'Wha- I don't even- SLAVERY!?'

I know, I know, just hear me out. Alright, so the crime is murder, right? Well, I'm just as much about compensating the victim as I am punishing the criminal. I don't believe in "the killer being off the streets" is good enough for the victim. Such a system doesn't compensate the transgressed, and let's face it, three hots and a cot, the murderer isn't suffering all that badly. And I certainly don't do that whole "but they now have a debt to socioty" bull shit. A murder didn't kill society, they killed an individual, and the individual is the one who deserves compensation.

Unfortunately, the victim's dead, so the reparations would need to fall to those most effected. AKA, the victim's family, right?

'Okay? So wait, what's wrong with sending murderers to prison?'

Because it's actually one of the most disturbing ways to hurt the surviving victims of the murder.

'Eh?'

Critic, let's say you were a stallion outside of me, for a moment. Let's also say you had a son or daughter, Scootaloo for example. Now, let's say that Scootaloo, being your daughter, was murdered in a brutal manner. Right?

'Tread lightly, Sin. I like her just as much as you do.'

Yea, no. I want this to hit home with you. Now, the criminal's in government custody and a government prison, right? Prisons are funded by Who? Tax payers, right? You are a tax payer. So, in a sick way, the government is forcing you, a father whose daughter was murdered, possibly raped, to give them money to keep her killer and possible rapist alive. You are literally paying for the life style of someone who took something precious from you.

'...'

Yea, pretty twisted when you consider it that way, isn't it?

'Your solution?'

Well, when it comes to murder, it's the ending of a life, a life that cannot be given back. If the killer could be killed and resurrect the innocent, I'd do that, but that's not the case. So, I'd have them put in slave camps and have their earnings paid to both sustain the camp and the surviving members of the family, or have the family decide what to do with them from there. If they'd feel better having said criminal murdered for his or her transgression and such.

'And what if it was an accident? The killing, I mean.'

That's another issue, you specifically said murder, murder implies intent to kill. Accidents would require more context and thought. But as for the surviving victims of the murdered, financial compensation would be in order. No point in throwing away perfectly good labor if it can be used to help the surviving victims. Granted, it's not a perfect system, and money is no substitute for a father, mother, daughter, son, brother, sister and what not, but it's a million times better than what most systems have.

'That is one of the most disturbing thoughts you've ever presented to me... and I cannot find a way to argue it. Tapio help me, I cannot find anything to say to you right now.'

The two reached the bottom of the chasm and Scootaloo awed as she looked up. Sin was also a little impressed with the sight, he didn't peg the crevice to be this deep, but now that he was at the bottom, he had to admit, it was pretty impressive.

"Hey Islander, do you hear that?" The filly asked. Sin's ears perked, another squeak and a grunt, accompanied by a low murmur. The stallion dismissed the noise as another traveler and not their concern.

The two walked onwards towards the water front. A small bridge linking the two shores. Sin's body grew tense as they approached the bridge, the sounds of creaking and grunting growing louder and louder with each step they took. It was coming from the other side of the bridge, hidden behind the dense foliage. 

He placed a hoof out and told Scootaloo to stay close to him.

'You think the Trotski set up a trap?'

He didn't know, the Trotski themselves had probably just crossed the train tacks bridge, or maybe even took the train itself. Still, it was better to err on the side of caution.

Sin took a few tentative steps on the wooden planks of the land connect. It was sturdy enough, he backed off and craned his body down to see beneath the planksfor anything there, but nothing out of the ordinary was found.

The two crossed and made it to the other side without issue.

"Oh please come on!" Cried a voice to their left.

A light grey pegasus mare with a white bandanna atop her head and sky blue mane pulled into a ponytail was pulling on an old wooden waggon that looked to have somehow fallen half way off a steep incline. She jumped down to get a lower bit of leverage and pushed with all her might to get the thing back onto the path, flapping her pegasus wings as hard as she could, but to no avail.

'Well, that's a shame.'

Indeed, all well, sucks to be her.

Sin made way for the pathway that lead up the other side but was stopped by Scootaloo, who suggested that the two help the mare retrieve her wagon.

"Scootaloo, I would advise against that, we don't know if it's just an act to rob travelers or not." Sin stated, his head swiveling around just in case he was right.

The filly, too well nature for her own good, persisted. "Islander, she's just trying to get her wagon out. Why would you think she'd put on an act like that?"

'Ohh, I could think of one reason, but I don't think it's bandits or anything. We're kinda in the middle of bumbfuck no where, dude. Most ponies would take the train rather than walk down here. If bandits did plan this, than they are really piss poor about time management and priorities.'

"Oh, oh you... thing!. Oh goodness, father is going to be so upset with me." The mare cried frantically before resuming her efforts. It was kinda sad to watch.

Regardless, Sin didn't want to get involved one way or the other. Scootaloo, though, had different ideas and made way for the pegasus mare to help her out.

"Scootaloo!" He barked, but she didn't acknowledge him. "Tapio dammit all, that kid's going to be the death of me."  

As he approached, Sin took every opportunity to look over the surrounding area for any signs of other ponies. He found nothing, but that didn't mean that there wasn't something there.

Scootaloo helped her push but it wasn't until Sin arrived and assessed the situation that they finally got the wagon out. He moved beneath the wagon and pushed up with his legs to get it level while the girls pushed on the back, using the leverage the stallion provided and the wheels to bring the wagon upright and back on the path.

"Phew!" Said the blue mane'd pegasus mare, wiping some sweat from her brow. "That wagon is so heavy. Thank you for your help, I greatly appricia-" She stopped, her amber eyes locking onto to Scootaloo with sever interest and regard.

"It's no problem, anypony would have- woah!" 

Sin reached back and placed his hoof into his crossbow, as the mare snatched up Scootaloo in an embrace, but his draw halted upon hearing her words.

"Ohmigosh you are just the cutest thing ever!" She declared rubbing her cheek against the fillys own in a display of unbridled and unashamed affection. She looked to be barely aware of the discomfort and confusion her new plushy suffered from as she began flying absently into the air.

"Umm, thank you?" Scootaloo said, awkwardly.

Amber eyes opened and she regarded the filly with a beaming smile. A smile that dropped as soon as she saw the foal in her entirety. "Oh my goodness, look at you! You poor thing, your mane's all matted and you're all dirty and covered in dust! When's the last time you had a bath?"

Sin allowed himself to relax a little at the display, but kept his crossbow ready. Scootaloo didn't look like she was in any danger, but she did look a little off put by the mare's affections. He'd allow her to suffer, serves her right for disobeying him. Well, that was until the mare turned her attention to him anyway.

"How could you let your daughter suffer like this?" She scolded, lowering herself infront of him, placing Scootaloo down and pointing. "What kind of father are you, dragging such a sweet and innocent young filly out into the middle of the badlands like this. What do you have to say for yourself, mister?"

What the fuck? Sin thought, regarding the pouty pony before him.

'Bahahah! Oh man, that's funny. She's funny, I like her.'

You would.

"Right then." Sin retracted from his weapon. "Alright kiddo, you've done your good deed for the day, now let's get going."

Scootaloo in tow, Sin began walking but his path was bared by the object of Scootaloo's assistance. Her once accusatory gaze now much softer and apologetic. " Wait," she pleaded "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You helped me without being asked and instead of being thankful I acted in petulance, please let me thank you properly."

Wait what?

The mare smoothed out her coat and the large bandanna that hung from her shoulders before introducing herself. "My name is Krystal Melody. My father owns this ravine for rock farming and smoothing out stones. Please, wont you join my family and I for supper and amend for my behavior?"

Her voice was gentle, slightly higher in pitch than most females, but very soothing and inviting, despite the odd way she spoke.

"Ms. Melody, as appreciative as we are for the offer, I'm afraid that we cannot waste time on-"

Scootaloo cut him off with a sharp elbow to the foreleg. "I say we go with her. I'm tired of cold carrot soup." She whispered.

"What? Scootaloo, we don't have time for this." Sin countered, though when asked why he was in such a hurry, he didn't reply. He'd told the filly about his past in the Federation, but never about what they were moving for here and now. 

Her eyes told him she knew they were moving as quickly as they were for a reason, and that if he was going to continue on without indulging Krystal's offer, than he'd need to explain it to her. An explanation he wasn't ready to give just yet.

Sighing, the stallion shook his head and submitted. "Fine."

Scootaloo and Krystal, who'd been waiting and listening in, both cheered. The noises of happiness already grinding on the survivalist's nerves. Something deep inside told him he was going to regret this.









"It's so nice to see somepony from out of the area coming to visit the farm for a change. I hope you two like green bean casserole, momma Sandy is a great cook." Krystal chirped. Scootaloo walked beside her as she pulled the wagon, while Islander walked a few paces behind with Angel, who'd elected the stallions company once he'd suffered a similiar fate to that of his foal mother.

The pegasus mare had stopped by the ravine's waterfront to deposit some cobble stones and allow the water to smooth them out before sale, a final chore she preformed at the end of every work day on the farm. Fortunate that her wagon had gotten stuck after she'd deposited the rocks.

The promise of tastey and hot food lifted Scootaloo's spirits, making her very chummy with the mare, it also helped that Krystal was much more for conversation than her other companions were. Even the overly loving affection was appreciated on some level, not that she'd admit to that out loud.

Scootaloo agreed that it was a nice change, making the mare giggle and asking the younger pegasus about all the places the two had been, which wasn't many really. Ponyville, Trottingham and Dodge City, but that was more than enough to entice Krystal's attention and lead to a whole bunch of questions about said towns.

"Eh, Dodge is actually kinda boring, Ponyville was alright though, so was Trottingham. Well, until this weird pony tried to ponynap me anyways."

"Ponynap you?" Krystal said in shock. Scootaloo nodded, but explained that her "father" had saved her before anything too bad happened, keeping up the appearance that the trip in town went better than it really had and resting any worries the mare may have expressed. Krystal gave some token skepticism, but allowed the issue to die.

"It must be nice, to travel around like that. Free to go where ever you want, life out in the world wherever you wish and please." She said with a far off and dreamy look in her eye. Scootaloo could imagine how she'd romanticize the idea. Rock farms didn't sound fun or exciting. 

"Yea, we're heading to Apploosa next, I'm not sure why, though."

"Oh? The desert apple town? Don't you and your father know about the dispute between they and the buffalo?"

She had, but allowed a confirming second account. To the old in keepers credit, the story that Krystal told was very much in line with his own. Scootaloo wasn't sure what to make of it, though. She remembered Rainbow Dash telling her about her and her friends settling a dispute between the two in Appleoosa a few months ago, so why would they be fighting now?

"I guess maybe Islander's heading there to fix it?" She offered.

"Islander?" Krystal asked, tilting he head.

Scootaloo nodded and pointed back to the pony in question.

The off white pegasus gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof.. "You call your father by his name?" 

Scootaloo grinned and chuckled sheepishly. "Yea, we umm, we've got a very professional relationship."

"I can see that." She looked back again. "Pardon me for being intrusive, but why does your father look so irritated? He's had that scowl on his face ever since the ravine."

Scootaloo shook her head and smiled. "That's just how he is, Islander's always grumpy."

Krystal furrowed her brow and asked if Scootaloo had done anything to try to make him less of a grump, to which the filly gave the sky blue mare a side long look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're his daughter, aren't you?" Krystal asked pointedly. "It's the job of daughters, when the mothers aren't around, to make fathers less grouchy and irritable."

Finding the entire concept utterly baffling, Scootaloo grimaced and eyed the mare for an explanation. Krystal giggled playfully and elaborated that all stallions were grumps by nature. Life was much harder on fathers because they not only had wives and children to look after, but society treated them like work horses compared to mares. That was why stallions were stronger than mares as the general biological rule. Stallions were the ones who had to protect and provide while the mares and foals stayed around the house and did less labor intensive chores.

The duration of Krystal's lecture, Scootaloo felt her sensibilities become more and more offended. The way the light grey pegasus spoke, it almost felt like she thought mares were inferior in terms of protection and provision. Like their place was in the home and raising foals, and the world was a dangerous place where only the big strong stallions dare to roam. 

Though, she also said that this was what her father had taught her, boasting a "father knows best" mindset, and as much as Scootaloo wanted to argue her and inform the young mare of the feats females were capable of, she didn't want to ruin her chances of a nice meal. Still though, what exactly were daughters supposed to do to make their fathers less grumpy?

Krystal shook her head and parked the wagon. "This, silly."

Watching with morbid curiosity, Scootaloo felt herself grow lightly anxious as she watch Krystal unhook herself from the wagon and waltz back to Islander.








'Well, this was an unexpected turn. Think it's a trap?'

I don't think so, Puddinghead and Clover have had plenty of opportunities to ambush me already. If this was a trap, I'd be dead by now. 

'And what of those two stallions?'

That was something else entirely. Unlike the Trotski, Luna's subordinates wanted him alive, all it took to push them back last time was the aura, but Soarin didn't become a pony able to trifle with dragons by giving up or being stupid, and when Clover saw that black stallion, she was terrified. Sin had no idea who this "Sombra" was, but from what he knew of magic, being able to move through moving dirt with a magical shield keeping up hundreds or thousands of pounds of collapsing earth, he knew that the red eyed pony was more than your run of the mill unicorn.

Which was strange why they'd yet to make a second attempt on him. Was it because the black and grey unicorn was too weak due to all the magic he'd expended? They knew he was magically immune, so that probably had something to do with it, along with the fact Sin was able to use magic against them... but in the end, that was only conjecture and speculation. What he was sure about was that the two were tracking them at the very least, and likely communing with Luna to maintain his position.

That was half the reason he didn't want the filly knowing where exactly they were. If Luna was using her as he figured she was, keeping Scootaloo away from known land marks that could give away their position was a priority.

Eh, fair enough. So, what's the plan then?'

Go with this Krystal pony, eat, thank her for the food, head back to the ravine, camp out for the night and head out in the morning. That's all that can be done, I'm afraid.

'Huh, speaking of her, she and Scootaloo seem to be getting along.'

Is it too much to hope that Scootaloo would just wanna stay here?

'Wow, okay, A) Yes, that's a lot to hope for, and B) You'd leave her in the hooves of complete strangers? Really?'

Critic, I've almost died twice, and I'm going in for round three. I'll keep chasing these fuckers as long as it takes to see Puddinghead writhing and begging for death or die trying. What do you think will happen to Scootaloo anyways if I don't come back for her one night? 

It was a thought Sin didn't care for, but one that did need to be addressed. Without him, the pegasus filly was alone, alone with no way to care for herself, especially in the harsh environment of the badlands. Another thought, this one even more terrifying, was if her association with him became known and she became a target of the Trotski.

His enemies had proven themselves more cunning and capable than the Federalist had first realized, and with every failed attempt made, their knowledge of his tactics and abilities grew, as did their means to counter them. It took him the better part of the past two days to figure out, but he theorized the reason Clover was wearing sunglasses and kept the cave so well lit was so that she could shield her eyes from his own, believing that eye contact is what made the Nightmare enhanced aura work. Luckily for him, that wasn't the case, but it also showed they were adaptive and willing to take time to study and plan for him.

Face it, I likely wont be coming back at some point, I think it best if we find somewhere to set her down.

'Well, now call me crazy for this idea, but you could just... you know... not try and kill Puddinghead?'

That wasn't an option. The plan to save Macintosh may have worked, but if the Trotski got wind of the apple pony's survival, they'd try  to kill him again, and likely succeed on the second attempt. Sin couldn't live with himself if they'd killed one of his friends, it was his fault they were free and had caused so much damage, and as such, it was his responsibility to fix it; and put the bastards down for good.

'Eh, plus there's a conventional problem with that... If you try to settle Scootaloo down, Luna may send an agent to pick her up and send her back to Ponyville...'

Wha- FUCK! That's right! Tapio dammit all!

'And so long as you keep her around, Scootaloo's a direct link to you... Damned if you do, damned if you don't.'

And that about sums up my life.

The stallion's thoughts were interrupted by Krystal, who, for some reason, had unhitched herself from the wagon and was now walking towards him, smiling all the while.

"Why'd you stop?" He asked.

"Because you're being a grump." She stated matter of factly. "And all grumpy stallions could use a hug."

"Wait, what?"

Before he could even react, a pair of light grey forleges enclosed around his neck, pulling the pony into a hug. If that wasn't bad enough, a pair of pegasus wings soon joined them around his withers.

So there Sin stood, too shocked to move or even comprehend what was going on. He was being hugged... he was being hugged by a mare he didn't know... for reasons he couldn't begin to logically piece together.

Scootaloo, for her part, stood just as much in shock as he was. Angel, on the other hoof, was watching with a wicked and conniving smile. Happy that Sin was finally suffering the blue pony's loving wrath.

"And another thing that father's appreciate is a kiss on the cheek."

Wait what?!

And like that, a pair of grey lips found themselves upon Sin's cheek as promised, offering him a gentle peck of suction, complete with a cheery and happy smile to finish.

She let go and made a motion. "And that is how you make grumpy daddies less grumpy." 

Krystal, with a great deal of pride in her lesson, made way back to the wagon. Sin, now regaining his senses, wiped away at his cheek with a folded fetlock, eyeing the mare in disgusted confusion. His gaze went down to Scootaloo, to find the filly grimacing to hold back her laughter.

'So Sin... you're the mac daddy now, huh?'

So help me Tapio, Critic, I will find a way to hurt you.

'She's pretty cute, that's all I'm saying.'

Scootaloo hiccuped, her forced grimace failing to mask the silent laughter her heaving shoulders and barrel so easily displayed. He looked to find Angel on the ground now, pointing and laughing silently as only a rabbit could.

'And this entire thing is going under the "use for later" category. This will bring many laughs to come, legends will be made by what happened this day, LEGENDS I TELL YOU!'

Yea, I got a better idea, let's pretend this didn't happen and preserve some of my dignity.

'Yea, you see, I could do that... but I'm not. Oh man, the kid's going to love this!'

"Just so were clear." Sin said, eyeing Scootaloo, who's silent laughter stopped. "That didn't happen, and everything else that doesn't happen, moving forward, is entirely your fault."

Scootaloo hiccuped again, nodded, and scurried back to Krystal's side, where her guard dropped and the giggle fit she fought allowed itself in its entirety. Sin sighed, as bad as that was, something in his gut told him that the worst of this ordeal was yet to come.

  

   
   
> Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  






Family






"Well, there's my family home." Krystal said.

Sin peered off at the house in the distance. A adobe style redish grey building, matching the landscape that turned the Badlands into the Shrublands. It was quite sizable, standing at two stories tall and lined with a wooden bi-beam fence, and multiple sheds for rock storage. He was half expecting a broke down and rickety shack, but it looked well cared for and kept.

'Look, Sin, colts! Two of them! Guess she isn't alone after all.'

Sin had never thought she was alone, just that she might not have been the most mentally stable pony he'd ever encountered. The kind who might have parents who "slept" for months at a time, and had yet to decompose enough for their daughter to figure out that they weren't sleeping.

The colts, two small grey earth ponies, were pulling wagons of their own, out from a small quarry behind the house.

Well, Critic, guess we could still go with your theory...

'That was a JOKE! Damn dude, you've really gotta stop seeing the worst in ponies.'

I don't know, girl just comes up to a random stallion and... does that? Something tells me her and daddy might be getting along a little too well.

'Ugh, whatever. Once we get inside, you'll see.'

"KRISTI!" One of the colts yelled as they approached. 

"Hello Scoria. I hope you've had a good day today." Krystal said with a smile, Scoria slowed to a canter as he approached. He, like his sister, all chipper smiles and happiness that only the innocence of Equestrian youth could offer.

"Uh-huh! Obsi found a fossle while we were digging. Hey, who's that?" The colt asked.

"These are my new friends, Islander, and his daughter, Scootaloo."

Sin internally shuddered, he'd never get used to hearing that.

"Daughter? You sure about that, sis?" Scoria asked, looking at Sin. "He doesn't look old enough to be a papa yet."

"Ponies can have kids as young as a decade and three years, Scoria." Said the other colt as he walked up, this one much more subdued and somber. "If I had to guess, I'd say that was the case here."

Sin bit his tongue, he'd always been told he looked older than what he really was, and he thought he could use that to give credit to his story. He wasn't too sure about Scootaloo's age, but if he was right in his estimate, than the colt's analysis would be almost spot on.

"Obsidian! How could you say such a thing?!" Krystal chided, rebuking the somber colt for his assumption and how inappropriate such a thing would be at that young of an age.

Obsidian countered that his assertion was true and had books to back up his claim, but the colt was cut off by Krystal dismissing his unruly behavior and asking her new friends to follow her to the farm house. Sin could hear Scoria snickering, teasing his brother that Krystal had finally found a stallion to bring home to their father to be tried and judged to see if he was fit to join and expand the family. 

'You're going to be introduced to a farm father as the stallion trying to take his daughter away... Oh this just keeps getting better and better.'

So, this is how the universe is going to fuck with me today, is it? You know, you'd think this would make me angry, but I guess I'm just too distracted by the fact that I'm wasting time here when PUDDINGHEAD IS JUST A DAY'S TROT AWAY! And he could leave Appleoosa at any time!

'You just can't let me have any fun, can you?'

"O-Obsi, it isn't like that!" Krystal sqeeked, her cheeks tinting a deep crimson of flustered protest.

Both colts gave each other a look before bolting off to the farm house, shouting promises of breaking the news to the family patriarch, despite their sister's desperate pleas not to.

"Sorry about them." Krystal apologized, parking the wagon behind one of the sheds. "Scoria's always been a hoof-ful, and Obsidian only encourages him. I hope they didn't offend you or anything."

Sin liked to consider himself the most thick skinned of stallions, that his sensibilities were too covered in callous and experience to be rattled by such nonsensical things as children's teasing. Scootaloo didn't look all that rattled by it, citing that she used to be teased all the time in school by a pair of bullies.

She lead them back to the house and pushed the door open. "KRYSTAL!" Barked a harsh voice from inside.

Sin's reflexivly held out a hoof to protect Scootaloo, but found the danger regulated to his guide. Her ears now submissivly splayed and head lowered as she prepared herself to face the music.

Sin decieded to stay his place outside and let the family sort itself out, he observed as an earth pony stallion, accompanied by a single mare, marched into view, a pair of colts sitting besides the female and watching with foalish glee. "What in the world do you think you're doing? Since when did you have a colt-friend? And what's this about you being betrothed to him?"

"N- no papa, that was just a fib that Scoria told you. You know how he likes to lie and cause trouble." Krystal protested, scowling at the younger pony who was snickering behind the Family patriarch.

The imposing figure's hard gaze turned from his daughter to Sin, setting the stallion on edge a little. Her father was a bit older than he'd expected. He was stout, gruff and well worked. His unkempt, shaded pelt was peppered with differing hues of lighter grey and white, signifying his age, but his eyes were as lively and threatening as any angry father's would be. "Well, is this the case, young stallion?"

Unable to believe how gullible the old pony was was, the Federalist confirmed Krystal's side. Stating that he was a traveler from up north who'd come down to Appleoosa when he'd run into the blue maned pegasus and she'd offered them dinner.

"Really, and what business do you have in Appleoosa?"

"He's going to stop the feud between the buffalo and the ponies, papa." Krystal said smiling.

Wait, what?! I am doing no such thing! 

'And better and better.'

Sin looked down to the only pony who could give the mare such an idea, a little orange filly who found the ground very interesting to look at.

"Is that so?" 'Papa' asked, his hard gaze analyzing Sin for all he was worth, somehow making the oaken federalist feel just a little bit heavier for the wear.

Deciding that would just make life easier to stick with that, Sin nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

The earth father's eyes lingered on him for a moment then fell down to the orange filly besides him. "And you brought a filly with you? Do not tell me she is your daughter, you don't look the type to be that irresponsible."

"She is not." Sin stated dryly, placing a hoof upon the filly to keep her silent. He'd already come up with a story just incase something like this had happened. "She's my niece, my older brother Malich and his wife had both died a year ago, and none of our more established relatives were willing to take her, so I did."

"What?" Krystal asked. "But, you said-"

"I never said she was my daughter." Sin pointed out, placing a little pressure on Scootaloo's withers before the foal could make a peep. "That was an assumption on your part. Granted I didn't correct you, but I've been accused of being her father for so long that I've simply come to accept the assumption when it happens."

Sin had spoken to Scootaloo about this before to keep a coherent story, and the filly apologized for lying, siting that she was also tired of correcting others in their assertion about their relationship. Her inability to look others in the eye when lying worked out in her favor here, but her skills in acting were going to need some work.

Again, 'Papa' looked for something to criticize him for, demanding to know why Sin thought it acceptable to bring a foal along on what had to be a very dangerous diplomatic mission. The Federalist recalled what he remembered of the inn keeper's story, and pieced together some random BS on the spot and argued that she wouldn't be going with him to the meeting, that he planned to drop her off in the safety of Appleoosa and investigate the reason for the conflict himself. Determine if it was a slight of the Appleoosans against the buffalo or vice versa, and go from there.

"As I've said, none of the more well established family members are willing to take her, and the less reputable are the last ponies on earth I want her to be around."

The elder stallion's hard gaze softened a bit, playing the single parent stallion with a filly thrust upon them was always a good way to gain sympathy and look responsible.

"I see," he snorted. "What's this world coming to where families don't help each other out anymore." He turned her glare down to the two colts. "As for you two, I outta tan your hides for lying to me like that. You two will be going to bed with no supper tonight."

Both colt's smiles drooped to fearfully wide eyes. They begged and pleaded with the stallion, saying they were just having a bit of fun, but silence reigned supreme as the patriarch lifted a hoof and slammed it down onto the ground in a thunderous crack. 'Papa' told Krystal to keep their guests relegated to the living area until he returned from locking the two boys in their rooms the earth mare following close behind after whispering some calming words to her assumed husband.

"You lied to me!" Krystal said, scowling down at the filly.

'Oh lady, if only you knew.' Critic laughed.

Again Scootaloo apologized most convincingly. She gave Sin her own scowl to show her displeasure with the situation, but he just patted her on the back for a job well done.

"Are you even here to fix the buffalo problem?" Krystal asked pointedly.

"Yea, sure. Why not?" Sin gave Scootaloo a last pat, this one a little harder than need be. Who knows? Maybe that'll lead him to the Trotski's hide out. If nothing else, he could use that as an excuse to go around and ask ponies questions about hidden places and such.

Pouting from being deceived, Krystal offered the two the couch and a cup of tea, an offer Scootaloo accepted. Both took a seat and waited for Krystal to leave.

"What they hay, Islander?" Scootaloo whispered.

Sin wasn't about to let her flip this, though. She was the one who gave the impression that he was going to go and fix a problem he knew nothing about.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but did you have to make me into a liar?!"

"Yes, they weren't buying that you were my daughter, what did you expect me to do? Tell the truth?" Sin countered. "Besides, I didn't make you into one, we're both liars right now, that's just how this has to work."

Scootaloo didn't like to lie, she was terrible at it and she felt guilty for doing it, but that was the sad state of things for the moment.

"We're going with plan C, uncle and niece. Stick with the coming to town to fix the buffalo thing though. These are conservative types, no cursing, no rude noises, no scratching yourself, and most importantly, whatever you do, don't talk about the government in a positive light." The Federalist instructed.

Scootaloo protested, not seeing why she'd need to keep silent, but Sin did. Conservative types like these were a rarity in Equestria, but they were quite common back in the Federation. Patriarchs, and if he was reading it right, hard core ones at that. Equestria was a very egalitarian country from what he'd seen, with a slight favor to the female sex, it was actually a nice change to see a male in charge for once. Most conservatives didn't care to be told how to live their lives any more than libertarians did, but unlike the latter, the former were much more stringent in their social beliefs and traditions. It was the reason why ponies lived out in the middle of no where like this, to get away from societal pressures, as well as government regulations, or so he concluded.

"I could be wrong here, it doesn't happen often, but it does from time to time. Just... follow my lead and play it by ear."

Scootaloo was about to protest but Krystal returned with a trey and five tea cups before she could. She set them down onto the coffee table and gave a polite smile before replacing the trey and taking a seat on another couch. "Momma Gem will be out shortly. She was just in the middle of a bath. I asked her if Scootaloo may use it afterwards and she agreed."

'Really? Well, they are pretty family oriented, so I shouldn't be too surprised they'd accommodate a foal.'

Right, wait, didn't the mother go up with the father to put the colts in their rooms?

'And didn't she say her name was Sandy before?'

"Thanks." The filly answered, taking a ginger sip of the brew and grimacing. Krystal gave a polite chuckle and a moment to late's warning to the tea's strong taste.

The three sat in silence for a moment before cootaloo grew the courage to ask the pegasus about her family. Krystal was reluctant to answer, curling up a little and shifting nervously. "I'm sorry, I- umm, it's well... it's just that this is the first time I've ever been alone with a umm... She stopped, her eyes switching between Sin and her cup of tea with a growing blush. She caught on to his stare, squeeked in surprise and drank from her cup.

'Sin! You're making the poor mare nervous, stop that!

She's nervous just by my presence, what am I supposed to do?

'I don't know... Tapio I am so ashamed of you, look how adorable she is right now. You should be nice to her.'

I thought I already was.

'Papa' and the mare returned in short order, his harsh hazel eyes having not softened in the least.

"So, you've come to fix the buffalo dispute? Tell me, son, who sent you here?" He asked, sitting down on the largest chair in the room, keeping his head high in a show of dominance.

"I'm afraid I can't say." The Federalist stated, clearing his throat. 'Papa's' eyes narrowed at the assertion, but he made no protest.

Sin, using deductive reasoning and his knowledge of intra-national species-centric conflicts, elaborated that he was a solo agent with no ties to the government. His client was an apple merchant in Canterlot who had a vested interest in seeing the conflicts in Appleoosa resolved prior to any substantial loss of revinue could be had. The reason for the secrecy was to maintain anonymity, should the conflict be manufactured intentionally and his client gain enemies.

'Ooohhhh, nice.'

Too bad 'Papa' didn't seem to be buying it. He asked why Sin hadn't taken the train to get to Appleoosa, if he was going to solve the problem like he'd claimed. Sin replied that he was also a survivalist with only limited experience in the Badlands and found it a perfect oppertunity to practice his skills there in. 

It wasn't a good answer, it was very unprofessional to take a diplomatic job while simultaneously practice something that would slow down progress on said job, and the patriarch made sure to let him know that.

"I don't think you're being truthful with me, son." He said calmly, leaning in back into his chair with an air of self rightiousness to him. "I think... you saw my daughter out in the ravine while you were traveling by, and you're here to try and take her for your own."

"Papa..." Krystal started, only to be silenced by a raised grey hoof.

Sin was floored, out of all the replies he could have gotten to his story, that was one didn't even cross his mind. Seriously? Did this stallion really have such a narrow world view, to think a pony and a filly would travel all the way out here just so they could see a mare? Granted, she was very pretty and fine, but... seriously?

"I think-" 'Papa' continued. "You saw here in Twin Springs yesterday while she was out shoping on her own, asked around town who she was, and came here to ask my permission for her hoof."

The old stallion smirked, watching Sin's brow quirk a little.

"Ain't that right, colt?"

'... This guy's fucking delusional! Does he really think the world revolve around his daughter that much?'

I don't know.

"No sir, that is not what's happening here." The Federalist dead panned. 

Krystal was growing more and more distraught with the situation, fidgeting with her tea nervously. Scootaloo looked bewildered by the elder stallion's conviction in his story, the other mare, who'd yet to speak, would continually look between all three of them.

Suddenly, a door opened from the room over and a refreshed and happy sigh was heard. "Mmmm, nothing like a hot bath after a day of pushing rocks around."

Krystal perked up a bit, as did the other mare as a light green pegasus pony entered the room. Unlike the others here, who were more stern and serious, this mare was lively and upbeat. She stopped and took in the living room before her, noting the patriarchs accusitory glare at Sin, and Sin's own defensive expression.

"What's going on out here?" She asked.

"Colt caller came knockin' for your daughter, and he's trying to give me a load of horse apples." 'Papa' replied turning to look at her. "I was just in the middle of calling him out on it."

"Really!?" She she beamed turning to look at Krystal. "You've finally found a stallion, Kristi? Oh that's so wonderful!"

... This seriously isn't going away, is it?

'As Big Macintosh would say: Nnnope.'

The ensuing conversation challenged Sin's assertion of the family being ruled by Patriarchy. The mare, Gem, demonstrated a distinct dominance in the talks. Turns out that the family was polygamous, with the father, Granite, being wed to both Gem and Sandy.

"No! Gem, I will not stand for your encouraging this madness. Krystal is much too young to be allowed to be wed!" Papa Granite contested.

Gem gave her husband a flat look. "Granite, Krystal's hit her two decade mark a year ago. If it wasn't for the fact she was your daughter, you'd be wondering why she wasn't married already."

Granite was taken aback by the accusation. "W- well I- how dare you?! This is my house and I shall not have my own wife speak to me in such a wmwh!"

The stallion's words were lost to him, stolen by a smoldering kiss. Granite put up a small token resistance, but it vanished as quickly as it came before he embraced her affection and returned it in full, shifting the tone of tension to vast discomfort for all other parties present.

Gem broke the kiss and stared longingly into her husbands eyes, stroking his cheek with a gentle fetlock and whispered. "Why don't you go lay down for a while? You've had a hard day, let Sandy and I handle this, I'll be in later to help you get to sleep."

As if Sin couldn't feel any more social discomfort, the light pegasus began humming a soothing noise as she stroked the patriarchs mane. The Federalist's eyes grew heavy at her lulliby, the soft and gentle noise stealing all of the stress and tension from his muscles like a well practiced thief. Lovely, serine, and tranquil...

Yawning, Granite blinked sleepily, conceding the point. He was having a hard day, some rest would do him some good.

Her melodious humming done, Sin shook his head to regain his senses. What was that? One second he was fine, and then the next he was ready to pass smooth the fuck out.

Gem helped Granite from his chair and began walking him out of the room. He looked at her flank and caught sight of her cutie mark, a pair of trebel cleffs surrounded by a pink heart. Sin then looked back to Krystal, to see that she too had relaxed from the mare's song. Her flank adorned a similar mark to that of her mother.

"What was that?" Scootaloo asked, letting out a yawn that ended in a slight squeak.

Krystal's eyes shot wide at the noise and she bull rushed the filly, picking her up into a loving embrace. "Ohmigosh sooo cuuuuuute!"

"Ahem?" Sandy croaked, finally making an attempt talk. "Gem, umm, she has a special tallent of soothing others with her voice." 

Sandy's voice was small, quaint, feminine and almost impossible to hear. 

"Mhmm." Krystal agree. "Momma Gem is my biological mother, but I love both my mommas just the same."

"As you should." The topic said, strutting back into the room. "Biological or not, love for family is always real love."

Hey Critic? Do I have diabetes? Because all this sweetness is making me sick.

'Yea, getting a little sappy in here... I love it!'

Gem took her place on the couch with Sandy, taking up the spare tea cup that Sin had refused and asked him if he'd like one, the stallion declined and the next phase of familial interogation began. 

"Krystal never told any of us about her having a colt-friend, tell us about yourself." Gem said pleasantly, her daughter protested, trying to enforce how the notion was a misunderstanding, but Gem wasn't interested. "Kristi, there's no need to try and hide it. You're a beautiful young mare, it's only natural that you'd attract a stallion. And such a handsome one at that."

Sin groaned and looked away, he was never one for compliments...

After a fair bit of explanation and convincing, Gem reluctantly accepted that her daughter had, indeed, not brought home a gentlecolt caller.

"I see, well that's a shame." The light green earth pony sighed. Krystal dropped a little, seeing the disappointment on her mother's face, but perked up at suggesting the two guests stay for dinner. It wouldn't be any trouble, since her brothers were barred from the meal anyways.

"Ohh, I get you, keep him around and try to serenade him with food." Gem stated, giving her daughter a wink.

"N-no momma, I- it's not like that! I mean, he's handsome and I- Oh dear!"

Sin cringed from the admittance the blushing mare made, wishing he could just walk out the door and leave this entire humiliating situation behind.

'HA! Did you hear that Sin? You're handsome!'

Yes, Critic, I heard, thank you.

Sandy, thankfully, chimed in to rescue the two from any more blunders. "Umm, I finished cooking just before Obsi and Scaria came in, I'll go get everypony's plates ready."

Scootaloo's stomach rumbled, agreeing to the stomach filling affair, but her advance to the table was cut off by Krystal, who demanded that at least she wash up prior to the meal. There wasn't enough time for a proper bath, but clean hooves were healthy hooves.

Dinner itself was another affair Sin wished he could have forgone. The green been casarool and steamed carrots were delicious, but the conversation from the living room continued on as it was. He gave as vague and cryptic answers as he could, trying to avoid any incrimination that Gem could play off of, but the mare was cunning and deciptful.

"So, Islander... what do you plan to do after you've handled the buffalo in Appleoosa?"

"Probably head back to Canterlot and report to the client, after that, I'll see what other work needs to be done." Sin replied neutrally. 

Gem nodded and gave her daughter a look. "I don't suppose Scootaloo has an auntie in her life, does she?"

"No ma'am, traveling like I do doesn't leave much time for such things."

Sandy coughed and excused herself, grabbing a few discarded plates for washing.

Gem finished off the last of her plate and handed it over to her fellow wife. "You know, Krystal here has been meaning to do some traveling herself."

"Momma!" The off grey pony whined.

'Wow... she's really pushing this hard on you.'

Yea, and it's getting annoying!

"Really?"

"Oh yes, she doesn't leave the farm much, and her father forbids her to go anywhere alone. The first time she'd ever left the ravine un-escorted was two days ago when she went to town to buy groceries."

Bringing up her hooves, Krystal tried to hide the mortified expression on her face. Sin felt kind of bad for her, he knew parents liked to tease their children and all, but this just seemed down right cruel.

The meal finished up there, and Gem asked her daughter to fulfill the promise of giving Scootaloo a bath. It wasn't until after the filly agreed that she learned that the blue maned mare would be the one actually giving it to her, an odd display of hospitality, but the old ways were what they were.

While they cleaned the filly up, Sandy retired for the evening, leaving Sin and Gem to themselves in the living room. 

"Islander," The matriarch said, her voice now serious and devoid of any playfulness at all. "I must ask you a favor."

"Pretty sure I already know what it is, and the answer is no."

Gem sighed gracefully and explained that Krystal had never known anything outside of the rock farm. That despite how chipper and upbeat she appeared, the mare hated life here. Between her brothers constantly picking on her and Granite's views on how females should behave, the pegasus would never have the chance to leave the farm. It always hurt a mother to know how her daughter suffered in silence, putting up a conditioned front to avoid depressing everypony else.

"She's an adult, isn't she? If she hates it here so much, why doesn't she just leave?" Sin asked.

"Because she's got no where to go." Gem answered solemnly. "Her naivety and innocence aren't an act. She's afraid, and... I know there are ponies out there who would take advantage of her."

Sin quirked a brow, questioning Gem as to what made her think that he wouldn't be one of those ponies. A question answered with a sincere and knowing smile. 

"Because I can tell that you're not the kind of pony who would do that, Islander." She said. "A pony's eyes tell a lot about them, as well as their demeanor. Sandy told me how your first instinct was to cover the girl when my husband yelled at Krystal. I've seen you, you constantly look over at her, making sure she's safe, and I don't even think your realize you do it. You watch out for her like a father does, even though you lied and said she was your niece when she isn't."

Sin's eyes shot wide for a moment, and Gem's tranquil smile widened just a little... before explaining that Sandy was listening into their little whispering squabble in the living room.

'Shit Sin, these guys are good!'

"Alright, fine. She's not my niece, but I've lied to you and your family. Does that sound like something good ponies do?" He asked pointedly.

"I'm sure you've had you're reasons, Islander." Gem retorted.

"You haven't harmed her, she trusts you completely and... because of that, so do I." Gem placed an imploring hoof on his shoulder. "Please, I'm asking you, take my daughter with you, away from this place. She deserves a better life than this... she deserves to be happy and free."

Sin felt a button being pushed upon that word. Free, any one that wanted freedom was a friend to him... kinda. 

Then again, Krystal was an adult, she should find her freedom on her own, but that also warranted consideration to her upbringing. The young mare was weak, but her weakness was a result of the hyper traditionalism her family brought against her. That... wasn't her fault, so, maybe she was worth the effort? She seemed like a decent sort, a little naive, but ignorance could be expelled only through experience. What was important was that she had a good heart, and he couldn't deny that she had that. It would be a waste to have it grow bitter and cold because she was confined to this place.

"You realize that what I'm doing is dangerous. I cannot garentee your daughter's safety if she comes with me."

Gem's small smile grew wide. "If it's safe enough for that little filly of yours, I'm certain it's safe enough that little filly of mine."



> Confrontations & Decisions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Confrontations & Decisions








Taking a bath in a new place, away from the familiar tub one had spent time in and feeling at ease with, is never comfortable. One always experiences a certain sense of shame from sullying another pony's freshly cleaned bathroom, knowing that, when cleaning day came again, the state of the dirt was half on your own hooves.

Taking a bath in a new place, while having someone you've only just met, was scrubbing your back? That went beyond the realms of discomfort into down right horrifying. A situation one Scootaloo faced currently from her new friend, Krystal.

It was a long and drawn out battle of wills, with the filly insisting she had no need of the young pegasus' assistance in her cleaning, but Krystal insisted that, because it was her family home, and Scootaloo was a foal guest with no female caretaker, it was her responsibility to assist. Any and all arguments were met with this stonewall, the filly didn't have it in her to call the entire thing "creepy" lest she offend the sweet pony's attempts at hospitality and ultimately relented.

However, Scootaloo's reservations to the entire situation melted away just as soon as Krystal's well practiced hooves went to work scrubbing her back and cleaning her wings. 

Feathers began floating on the top of the water, one of the things Scootaloo found most embarrassing about her bath time rituals, but instead of reeling in disgust at the molting, Krystal remained professional and asked when the last time she'd preened her wings had been.

"I... umm... I've-" Scootaloo sighed, "I never learned how to preen my wings."

Krystal placed a hoof up to her mouth in shock. "Never learned, why ever not?"

Remembering the lie, but leaving out plausible details, She informed that her parents had died prior to teaching her the proper preening techniques. "I've never seen Islander preen his wings either, so, I'm not really sure he knows how to do it right."

Krystal nodded quietly, making a few connection there and then. "Am I right in assuming you don't know how to fly either?"

Scootaloo nodded in sad admittance, though her sad frown soothed to a smile as a water soaked brush scrubbed between her withers, right in the place where nopony could ever reach by themselves. It felt wonderful, like an unscratched itch she didn't know she had was finally being satisfied. Scootaloo had often spent a good fifteen minutes after any bath cleaning up the feathers and flushing them down the toilet to avoid the embarrassment she'd face back at the Apple farm.

They were all earth ponies, none of them knew about pegasus problems, and just the thought of asking Rainbow Dash or any of the other pegasi in town about it was humiliating enough to make the filly's thoughts stop dead in their tracks. It was nice not to have to worry about that here. Scootaloo couldn't explain why, but the longer the bath went on, the more at ease she felt exposing herself to Krystal. It was... a pleasant cleaning.

The mare offered to show her how to do so when the bath was concluded and Scootaloo gratefully accepted the offer. 

Applying a little more shampoo, Krystal went to work on the filly's mane. She began to hum an off of the cuff tune again, something she did when there was silence between them, and Scootaloo felt little bits of anxiety flee her body. The off grey pegasus' voice had a strange effect, similiar to that which she'd felt in the living room before dinner.

"Hey, Krystal?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like living here?" It was an absent question, but one she felt strangely compelled to ask.

The brush stopped moving for a single moment, but continued on with the mare answering in a vague and half hearted yes.

Scootaloo felt a twinge of anger in her chest, Krystal was lying. Krystal was lying and it felt painful to know, disgustingly so. She didn't know how or why she knew, but the filly was one hundred percent convinced that her answer was anything but the truth.

"W-why do you ask?" Krystal inquired.

Scootaloo shrugged. "What you said at the river, about how nice it would be to travel and be free. I don't know."

It wasn't Scootaloo's business, not really. Krystal was an adult, if she really wanted to leave this place, she would have. Of course she must like it here.

"Well, I would like to travel around and see the world." She answered politely, lifting a sponge and rinsing some of the water from Scootaloo's mane. "But the farm is all I know, going to Twin Springs a few days ago by myself was intimidating to me. I... felt very nervous."

Scootaloo felt encouraged by the admitance and the older mare continued on. Her mothers had praised her efforts, her father did not. It was clear to the filly that Krystal loved and regarded her dad alot, too much actually. Gem and, to some lesser degree, Sandy, advocated to her feelings of leaving the farm, telling her that she should do what makes her happy.

"Papa would never approve of my leaving, though." She sighed sadly.

A searing hot rage shot through Scootaloo. Her father was never around much, but there was a stallion who she did look up to, a stallion she wanted to be her father at one point. He approved of something once, something the filly wanted nothing to do with and lead to her running away from home as a result.

"So what?"

The sponge stopped mid crush, the words left hanging in the air for a moment.

Scootaloo, feeling bold, turned to face a very shocked pegasus. "So what if he doesn't approve? My dad didn't approve of a lot of things I did, but you know what? I didn't approve of some of the things he did either... he did something bad to me, very bad, the worst thing I can think of..." She paused, forcing the bubbling hatred in her belly to subside.

"What was it?" Krystal asked with baited breath.

Scootaloo took a few calming breaths before answering. "It doesn't matter," she said calmly, looking into the amber eyes of her bath fellow. "What matters is that I didn't want what he wanted, and he didn't care enough about me to listen. I did what thought was best for myself because he wouldn't."

Krystal was shocked to hear such words, and the fact she was so shocked only fueled Scootaloo's anger. It wasn't right that she was so willing to obey her father, it made the filly worry about what she'd be willing to do to appease him. How long she'd be trapped on the farm, how long she'd be willing to allow herself to be trapped.

"But don't father's always know best? That's wh-"

"No." Scootaloo interjected gently, her gaze hardening in memory. "No, they don't. They do the wrong thing sometimes too, be it giving their daughters away or trapping them at home."

The filly was a little surprised at the words that left her mouth, they were heavy with Islander's way of talking. But having your father, a pony you loved and thought loved you, abandon you when you needed him most had a way of changing ponies...

Krystal didn't reply, focusing instead on finishing her duty in cleaning her charge. She began humming again and Scootaloo felt her irritation begin to wane once more as she enjoyed the comforting feelings and sounds.









"If you're so worried about this, why didn't you take her away already?" Sin asked politely, his conversation with Gem bringing them back to the living room. The two had spoken about many things, the stallion being careful with his choice of words, lest the clever mare find some way to turn them against him.

"Because, I like this life." Gem answered honestly, taking a sip of a fresh brew of tea. She had an air of elegance about her now. A tranquility and knowing that the Federalist found absolutely fascinating. "As odd as it may seem to you, I love both Granite and Sandy with all my heart. I love the quiet the farm has to offer, the smells, the hard work and feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day."

Her knowing smile dropped a little and her eyes trailed to the doorway. "I know Krystal doesn't, though. She wants something else, I wish I knew what that was, but I don't think even she knows what she really wants. Don't misunderstand, I'm glad she was brought up here. Despite how tough Granite is on her, it was his moral compass that made me fall in love with him. He may be a little strict, but he's willing to work himself sick to make sure everypony here is taken care of, and for that, I love him and decided to make him the father of my foals."

'Wow... that's pretty deep.'

Gem continued, citing how she wanted her daughter to have a moral compass of gratitude and to repay kindness. A lesson that society was slowly beginning to lose as ethics began favoring entitlements and disposability over appreciation and hard work. Sin could appreciate that, it was a pervasive problem in his own country, far worse than Equestria. It made sense to start such a mindset within the family rather than trying to bring it about through politics.

'Sin, are you saying that-'

No. No I am not.

"She's an adult now, and now she has the chance to leave and find the life she's always wanted for herself." The teal pegasus smiled. "I've done all I can to shape her to be a kind and considerate mare, and while I've made mistakes with her, I feel I've raised her the best I could."

Sin nodded thoughtfully, he hadn't fully agreed to take the off white pegasus just yet, but he could see the writing on the wall.

"Are you sure she will go?" He asked. The question caught Gem off guard a little.

"If I am willing to take her, it's still her decision whether to come or not. No offense, but while you may have raised her to be kind and considerate, she lacks strength and conviction."

Gem frowned at him in offense, but her smile returned soon after. "Do not be so quick to cast judgement, Islander. Krystal is naive and a little timid around her father, but I think you may be surprised just how strong she is."

Sin gave an empty smirk of skeptical amusement, though what had happened at the ravine before did make him second guess himself. While she was very timid around him now, she didn't hesitate to scold him for the condition Scootaloo was in before. No fear to meeting someone new and no timid underpinning, just righteous indignation.

'She does seem to care about Scootaloo's well being, Sin. It might be nice to have someone around who could help out with all of the... mare problems she'll eventually develop.'

Those are a long way off, Critic... I think. Besides, the problem is going to be keeping her fed and hydrated. Scootaloo's quiet, and that makes her easy enough to tolerate, Krystal will likely be a different matter. That, and money's pretty tight for us right now, not to mention there's no food out in the Badlands to forge for. The Shrublands wont be much different, and Appleoosa wont be a cheap town for anything.

"You look worried." Gem said.

Worried was an understatement. There was so much to consider when just taking Scootaloo into account, to add yet another helpless companion on top of that? Another body that required a certain amount of water a day to survive and even more so to be comfortable. Food, money, protection, balancing quick travel with consideration for comfort and proper rest, variables of inevitable physical sickness... and that didn't even begin to break into his own mental tolerance upon the social implications, nor the coming tests of desperation and feelings of stress that both the girls would eventually go through.

"Lot to consider." Sin grunted. His ear twitched as the bathroom door opened and two pairs of hoofsteps came close, two happy voice accompanying them. 

Sin stood from his place and grabbed the saddlebag he'd placed by the couch, thinking that the bath's end meant they could head back to ravine for the night.

"Where are you going, Islander?" Scootaloo asked.

"We've eaten and you've had your bath, it's time to head out to set up camp." The stallion replied.

Scootaloo protested his decision, stating that Krystal was going to show her how to preen her wings. Sighing in irritation, Sin dropped his bags and asked Krystal how long the demonstration would take. To his dismay, the little filly had literally no idea on how to oil nor clean her wings, it would take at least an hour for her to learn to harness the needed glands as well as the proper technique.

I can't fucking believe this.

'C'mon Sin, Scootaloo's a pegasus. Just because you've forgone learning to fly and decent avian hygiene doesn't mean she should.'

Sin pressed his lips and agreed to stay the extra hour, it was already dark out anyways, aside from the extra hour of sleep, nothing of great value would be lost.

"How about you two just stay the night?" Gem asked, only compounding Sin's irritation. "It's no trouble, and I bet you two would like a soft bed to sleep in for the night rather than the ground."

Scootaloo nodded with enthusiasm, happy to accept the gracious offer. Krystal also seemed pleased by the idea and lead the orange filly off to her room to give the needed lessons before Sin could voice any protest.

He didn't want to stay here. The Federalist didn't think it was a trap by either of his enemies, but he just knew that Gem wouldn't allow them to leave without feeding all of them in the morning, there by, wasting even more time. Then there was having to deal with Granite in the morning as well...

Seeing nothing he could do, Sin rubbed his eyes and sighed in frustration.

"Islander, may I ask you something?" The teal pegasus inquired, looking at him in concern. "Why are you so angry?"

He told her that he'd wanted to make good time to Appleoosa, but that wasn't what Gem meant by the question. 

Turning her body, her tranquil and knowing expression turned serious and accusatory. "Ever since I've met you, you've had a scowl on your face, your eyes are as empty and cold as a landlord's heart. You're standoffish and crude, irritable, and it's clear you do not wish to be here, despite my being nothing less than hospitable to you. Do not lie to me and say that your behavior is simply due to punctuality, I may not look it, but I've been around a while, long enough to know a broken and darkened soul when I see it."

Sin's eyes wide at the accusation and he stuttered for a reply, the sudden accusation more than throwing him for a loop.

How the hell did she see that? 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sin said, his eyes narrowing.

Gem's eyes narrowed to match, inspecting the Federalist's own. "Something bad happened to you, didn't it?"

"Bad things happen to everyone." Sin countered. Gem nodded in acquiescence, but shot back that his suffering was enough to "steal the light from his eye", something that the teal green pegasus had seen only twice in her life.

Sin wished he'd had his goggles with him, this was exactly the reason why he wore them. He maintained his calm, but feared that his typically unreadable stoicism would fail him.

Sin's breathing began to quicken as Gem's stare intensified. He wanted to look away, but the way she spoke, no, it was her voice itself. It captivated him, gripped him and compelled him to maintain contact, despite the severe discomfort. His emotional defense were powerless against her search and judgement, the stallion could almost feel her poking and prodding around in his mind.

"Most ponies would deny that something was wrong with them, but that's their weakness to be exploited, denial. You don't deny it, not to yourself. You know something's wrong with you, that you're hurt and bitter, but you embrace that. What most make more vulnerable by protecting, you hurt in yourself to make it tough. You make that pain into a strength, I can see it in your eyes that you do."

Sin couldn't believe what he was hearing. This didn't make any sense, how could she know all of this? What possible experience could she have undergone to see through him? She had seen it twice, right? So, that had to have something to do with it.

"Alright." Sin closed his eyes to make an argument. "Let's say you're right. Let's say I'm everything you say I am. Are you sure you want your daughter going with me?"

The Federalist finished his question with an empty smirk, knowing he had her beat. Surely a mother wouldn't dare trust someone like that with their precious, innocent little girl, right? So either he'd have her in her misplacing Krystal in his care, or he'd have her in her in a misconception about his character. Either way, he won.

Gem pressed her lips and closed her eyes. "Your anger and loathing is directed at yourself, you pose just as much threat to Krystal as you do Scootaloo. You have good moral character. If I didn't think you did, I wouldn't be talking to you right now." She said sagely before opening her eyes again and looking at him. 

Sin shook his head. "Conjecture at best. Tell me, what evidence do you have to substantiate such an off the cuff claim?"

Gem cringed at his words and her gaze lowered down to her hooves, letting his words linger in the air for a moment as she composed her thoughts. 

"The first pony I met with dead eyes... was a pony mare from Detrot named Cherry... I met her when I was about you and Krystal's age..." She started, leading into a story about how said mare was her room mate in Canterlot before coming to the Ravine. Cherry, as expected, had a talent in cherry farming and making cherry centered food goods. However, while her talent lay with fruit, her heart lied in music, specifically the piano. Cherry didn't have the raw talent that anypony with a cutie mark for music did, but she practiced and worked hard at it, buying her own piano and playing whenever she could.

According to the teal mare, Cherry's improvements in her craft were menial at best. Her dream to become part of a major concert continually eluding her grasp because of her incapability lead her to become cynical and disenfranchised with life. The pony wanted nothing to do with her name sake, all she wanted to do was make beautiful music. Gem would often find her listening to classics on the a vynal player and studying the composition sheets all throughout the wee hours of the morning.

"She tried so hard..." Gem sniffled, fighting back a few tears. "She was such a good pony. Very centered on helping others and never wanted to be a burden. Cherry was a proud pony, It took me weeks to get her to open up to me and tell me about everything, how empty and hopeless she felt, how unhappy with her life she was..."

As sad as the tale was, Sin didn't see the point of it. So she had a sad friend who sucked at the piano, life's tough like that. 

Taking a calming breath, the sagely mare continued. "She got better though, she really did. When she wasn't working at the bakery, she'd play her little portable piano in the park. Ponies used to give her money in passing, but many had actually stopped to hear her play after that... but that's when things took a bad turn for her."

"Cherry decided she wanted to audition for the Canterlot concert, confident that she'd improved enough over the months to finally join. She was so determined, her eyes so full of passion and life that I didn't have the heart to stop her, and I wish I would have." 

What the fuck is she on about? What is the point of all of this?

'Shut up! I'm trying to listen to the rest of this.'

As expected, Cherry tanked in the audition, but it was more than just a simple rejection. Most of the judges were kind in their criticism, but one was not. She said that Cherry had no business wasting the concert judgement's time and yelled at her to leave and never return. It was an unnecessary soul crushing cruelty that boiled Sin's blood just to think about.

"She came back to the apartment in tears, absolutely inconsolable. No matter what I did or said, Cherry would just go on and on about how useless she was and how she'd never achieve her dream... then one day, she stopped crying." Gem stopped and eyed the Federalist. "She had that same look in her eye, the look of bitter and begrudged acceptance. She didn't care about anything anymore, she didn't eat right, she didn't help out ponies like she used to.

Sighing, Gem picked up her tea again. "The world was nothing but crooks and swindlers to her after that. She treated me and our friends well enough, but anypony else was just another misfit looking to take advantage of her. She finally took to locking herself away in her room, isolating herself from everypony else, including me."

"Then, one day, when I hadn't seen her for a while, I went up to confront the issue..." The mare sighed again, her fetlocks tightening around her tea cup as her eyes filled with painful reminiscence. "I found she- she'd hung herself."

Sin felt a slight sting of guilt in his chest, hearing about a friend's suicide was a special button for him, a button he couldn't ignore. But even so, he didn't know what all of this had to do with him.

Gem sniffled and offered him a sad, gentle smile. "Because, Islander, ponies like you are the best sort. What made Cherry and I friends was the morals we shared. Loyalty, compassion, faithfulness, waiting until marriage for sex. The ponies I worked with would go on and on about all of the stallions the'd bedded or gossip about promiscuity, condemning others for the very acts they bragged about the day before. I didn't like them, not at all, but Cherry was different. She understood what I wanted and why, something those mares could never do. Even when she was absolutely miserable, she never strayed from her principals."

"There were a few mares and stallions everypony knew gave sexual favors in exchange for higher considerations. That's how the entertainment business works. Cherry didn't do that, she valued her chastity and self respect too much, and because of her standing by her convictions, she suffered. She suffered because the world couldn't meet her standards of morality and ethical conduct, and that made her cynical and suicidal. I may be wrong in this, but I think your principals hurt you the same way hers did."

Sin was speechless. He had no idea how to reply to that, what could anyone say to hearing such an accurate statement? Granted, their situation were vastly different, but it was more or less his personal values, and the world's inability to meet them, that made him how he was.

"There's an old saying my father used to tell me." Gem said, standing from her place. "Within every hardened cynic, there's a devastated idealist."

And with that, the mare finished her tea, offered Sin the couch to sleep, and bid the stallion good night. 

"You said she was one of two." Sin said aloud, halting the light green earth mare in her tracks. "What happened to the other one."

Curiosity was a strange thing sometimes, the Federalist already knew the answer. He'd tried to commit suicide once already, and often thought about ending his misery on occasion to this day. It was... a morbid curiosity that drove him to know what happened to Gem's other associate.

"I met him in Appleoosa twenty two years ago after I left Canterlot. He was a drunkard, a retired guards pony from Stalliongrad who grew to hate the government for abandoning him when he'd been injured while on duty." She explained.

"Alright, but what happened to him?" Sin asked, a little more forcefully. 

Gem chuckled. "I married him."





   



Scootaloo awoke to find her mouth dry and slimey. 

Her wings felt better than they had in months, though her mouth still tasted a little oily and cottonish from all of the licking application with her tongue. Krystal had shown her how to properly remove dead feathers and oil her wings. It wasn't the most pleasant of thing to taste, but there was a certain majesty in the act that Scootaloo couldn't deny.

She stood from her sleeping sack and was about to wake Krystal for a glass of water but found the off white pegasus missing from her bed. Curious, the filly crept out of the bedroom and heard whispers coming from down the hallway. She was about to knock on the door when she heard her name said and froze.

"Scootaloo's very nice, and do like her. Islander is... I don't think he likes me. What if his not liking me makes him say no? This all seems so sudden, momma." She heard Krystal say.

Gem whispered that things happen suddenly in the outside world, that the steady and assurance of the rock farm was an exception to the rule, and that if her daughter was going to go out into the world, she'd need to learn to accept situations where there wasn't much time to consider them.

It also surprised the filly to know that the green mare had already convinced her companion to allow Krystal's company. She wasn't sad about it, it would be nice to have a fellow female around to talk to. Krystal was nice, very sweet and careful. A little unsure and submissive, but Scootaloo could help her with that.

"I don't know, momma. Papa's not going to like this one bit, neither will momma Sandy or Obsi or Scoria. Oh dear, momma, are you ok-"

The mare was cut off and a silence descended upon the hall like a dark shadow, Scootaloo holding her breath for fear of being heard and found out. Soon, she heard some even smaller whispers, emotional and imploring sniffling and words, begging Krystal to consider herself for once. That her life was never meant to revolve around what her parents wanted, and that she shouldn't worry so much about looking after them all.

"Krystal," Gem sniffled from behind the door, sounding as if she was in tears. "I know family is important to you. I know that you love each and every one of us, and you know that all of us love you, even Obsidian. We love you so much it hurts to think about you finding another pony sometimes, but I know you're not happy here, Kristi, not really. I can see it in your eyes, and I can see it in your father's eyes. He knows your not happy either, but he's told you a lot of lies about the outside world to keep you here."

She took a breath, leaving the sounds of Krystal's own sobs free reign in their absence. Scootaloo felt her heart sink at the gut wrenching sounds. It made the terrible feeling of Krystal lying to her feel minuscule by comparison. What she herd next was almost enough to make her cry.

"I- I'm scared, momma."

"There are dangerous things in the world, dangerous ponies. Ponies of ill intent and morals, I know this to be true, I've met them." Gen sniffled, her next words spoken in a way where Scootaloo could hear the smile. "But you can't let that fear keep you from exploring it, Kristi. For all of the bad things in the world, there are good too. The rainbow falls of Cloudsdale, the cascading water of Neihagra Falls, and the beautiful city of Canterlot. Oh sweet heart, during the night, the stars disappear because it's so bright, It's so beautiful, nothing like out her in the country. And then there's the rediscovered Crystal Empire up north, I want you to see it, I want you to see the world and indulge your wanderlust and happiness."

Scootaloo furrowed her brow in concentration. She knew Krystal was sheltered, but it didn't hit her just how terrible such a thing would be until she'd realized a sight the filly took for granted every day was a spectical the young mare had never once seen. It made her feel a little privledged and undeserving, but those feelings were dismissed as quickly as they came.

"If... if I don't like it out there... Can I come back home, please?"

A sharp rage shot through Scooaloo's barrel at the implication, and the pity she felt suddenly burned with white hot envy. Krystal had a home, she had a family who loved and cared about her... why should she get any sympathy from the orange foal, when she had none of that?

Indignity overcame her thirst and curiosity and Scootaloo silently crept back to her bed sack for a fruitless attempt at sleep.
> The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. I)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------











The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. I)









Walking up yet another roaving hill of harsh and dry dirt, Sin groaned in both relief and ire.

Appleoosa. The town could have been mistaken for Dodge City, with it's single avenue thoroughfare and such small conglomerate of buildings, including one train station he'd need to pay a visit to, had it not been for the more redish land scapes compared to the brown of Dodge.

"Finally." Scootaloo complained, pulling out her canteen and downing the rest of it. Sin had forced her to ration the water, despite the fact the small settlement was only a two day's trot from the Ravine. Krystal had been surprisingly calm and well mannered during their travel. She didn't complain about the walk, nor the water rationing, and she kept her cool when Angel got a little honery and decided to ride on her back. She was toned, lean and fit, he noticed, the life of a rock farmer had made her well for travel.

The send off from the Ravine Rock Farm was about what the stallion had expected. The family seeing them off, Krystal's brothers begging her not to go, Sandy saying her quiet and tearful good bye mixed with well wishes. and of course Gem and Granite.

The elder stallion had a little "heart to heart" with the Federalist, threatening his life should Sin try any funny business with his daughter. Of course, Sin had no intention on such a thing, but he acquiesced the point all the same. 

"She's a sweet girl, the best I could have hoped for. I don't like that she's leaving this farm, and I don't like that she's leaving with you, but Gem and Sandy told me that her heart wasn't in it. I want what's best for her and I want her to be happy. If Gem and Sandy trust you enough with her, than I guess that's good enough for me."

Gem had also spoken with he and Scootaloo, calmly asking that both see her little girl through her journey and allow her to be helpful when she could. Krystal wasn't one for being a free loader, nor did she like to not work when others did, a trait Sin appriciated, and he was more than happy to let the pegasus mare pull her weight. Both he and the filly were seen off with a pair of hugs.

Of course, Krystal had no idea that Gem had already convinced Sin of the agreement and offered to accompany he and Scootaloo in a dignified and elegant charade of "wanting to look after Scootaloo," since the oaken stallion had done little in the way of looking after her hygienic needs.

As much as the blue maned pegasus didn't complain about the traveling, boy did she have a thing or two to say about Sin and Scootaloo's relationship. Criticizing both for their lack of communication and pleasantness. She decried watching them as if "watching stranger's traveling together", an assertion Sin was becoming very motivated to confirm. As irritating as it was, there was a small part of him that found Krystal adorably entertaining when she pouted and patronized them. Especially when she'd try to push the same graceful and patient elegance her mother did at any given time.

Scootaloo took another swig of her Canteen and Sin followed suit. "Glad to see it too, fucking tired of the badlands."

Krystal gasped and snatched Scootaloo away. "Islander! Little ears!" She chided.

That was another thing, Krystal's obsession with protecting Scootaloo from everything. "Swearsies" as she called them were unacceptable for children to hear, so was walking too close to a hole that might be a rattle snake den, or getting to close to a brush that might be hiding some other poisonous animal, or... anything dangerous.

Scootaloo didn't take well to being babied, even bringing up complaints to Sin about the mare's overprotective nature. Sin, of course, reminded the filly that it was her fault Krystal was traveling with them now, and declared that whatever consequences were to follow, she would have to deal with.

It all could have been avoided if only Scootaloo would have done as he said and left the wagon stuck on the incline, and now she would suffer for her lack of foresight. 

"Why must you always use such dirty language in front of her?" Krystal asked, coddling Scootaloo in her forelegs.

That was the last straw. With a devilish grin, Sin looked the mare right in the eye. "Fuck."

"You brute!" Krystal scoffed.

"Shit."

"My goodness!"

"Bitch."

"Stop it!"

"Plot?" Scootaloo chirped.

Krystal's eyes shot wide and she looked down in utter shock. "Scootaloo, how could you?!"

"Crap."

Sin felt himself well up with pride as Krystal began to frantically try to correct Scootaloo's mild swearing. The filly looked at him with a wry smile, one matching his own, and indulged her sick sense of fun at Krystal's expense.

"You did this! You corrupted this sweet, delicate little angel with your treacherous vocabulary!"

"Mother plucker!"

"Scootaloo! Stop that this instant!"

Behind a face of stoic amusement, Sin was internally roaring with laughter. Krystal's innocence and kindness wasn't an act by any means, and he was having a little too much fun in destroying and corrupting it.

"Alright, kiddo, that's enough." The Federalist proclaimed, turning around and making way to town. Scootaloo was quick to join by his side and share a laugh about the matter, Krystal following behind, her graceful veneer dropped in favor of a pouting scowl.

As the trio approached, Sin began to feel uneasy about what he was seeing from the small settlement ahead, er, what he wasn't seeing.

Nobody was out and about, the salt bar saloon was shut down, the jail had nobody guarding it's outside, the streets were absolutely destitute, even the saloon held no visible signs of life, a particularly irritating thing, since Sin was in desperate need of mane trimming.

The only place that had any movement what so ever was the train station, where a couple of ponies were finishing boarding.

Just as the ponies upon the boarding platform came into view, Sin froze as his brain registered who was on it. 

There, bowing and allowing a few ponies before him, Chancellor Puddinghead stood. Smiling a carefree, smug grin that made Sin want to kick Angel over the tracks. He also saw Panzy and Clover as well, but none of them took notice of him. 

That was until it was Puddinghead's turn to board. The yellow stallion stopped and the two enemy's locked eyes. He was there, he was right there!

Sin's instincts flared, yelling and screaming at him to run, to run as fast as he could and take a hail mary shot, but it was too late. With a knowing, malicious smirk, Puddinghead broke eye contact boarded the train.

"Islander?"

Sin gritted his teeth, no. No he'd need to wait, he'd need to wait again! 

Stressing and relaxing his muscles, the Federalist calmed his nerves. No, not yet. If Sin made any kind of attack now, he'd be facing not only the entirety of the Trotski out in the open, but be placing Scootaloo and Krystal in the cross fire. No, he'd need to wait this out, if anything, it was good that the Trotski didn't feel like confronting him right now. Even if he did, somehow, manage to take down the entire organization here and now, and both his companions escape unscathed, there was no way he'd be able to explain to either of them why he'd slaughtered so many ponies.

As if destiny was confirming his plan, the train howled its horn and began moving. Krystal herded the quartet away from the tracks and Sin watched the train pass, just hoping to catch one last glance.

His hope was answered. In a single moment, time slowed down, and Sin could see Puddinghead look out at him from the window of the express, giving him one last smug, shit eating grin of satisfaction before passing away into a blur of yellow and orange.

That mother fucker...

'Don't worry, you'll get another chance. Find out where the train is headed.'

"Islander, are you okay?" Scootaloo asked in concern.

"Yea, just... thought I saw someone I knew." Sin replied before shrugging dismissively and making way for the small transit station. He held Krystal and Scootaloo back while he inspected for any missing foal signs, but called them along when he saw none and reminded the filly to keep her scarf up while he replaced his dark cloak's hood. As expected, the small platform was just as barren as the town, save for a very nervous stallion playing ticket master.

"Afternoon." Sin greeted.

"H-h-hello p-partner. W-w-what can Ah do for ya?" He asked nervously.

To Sin's utter discouragement, the ticket master informed him that the train was headed north east, up to Manehatten. 

Manehatten, the city of skyscrapers, underground catacombs, and at least a million ponies. The places to hide were uncountable, the ponies were less than helpful and to top it all off, the city was at least seven hundred miles away!

Frustrated didn't do the stallion's feelings justice in that moment, yet again, Puddinghead slipped through his hooves and was on his way to the second largest metropolitan providence that Equestria had to offer. And that didn't even look at all the potential stops that could be made on the way!

'Fuckin-a, dude. You just can't seem to catch a break, can you?'

Critic, how would you feel if I took this cross bow and just shot myself in the head right now? You know, just ended all of my misery in one fell swoop?

'I don't think Krystal and Scootaloo would appreciate that, and I would be very displeased, Sin, I would be very displeased.'

"Sorreh, that's the last train fer a while. Is there anythin' else I can do fer ya fine folks?" The ticket pony asked, feeling a little more at ease. Krystal, before Sin could reply, asked why the stallion was so nervous and why there wasn't anypony out and about.

"Well, ma'am, the buffalo have been causin' us a heep a trouble lately. As I'm sure y'all have heard, n' the entire town's to scared tah come outta their homes no more."

It didn't matter why these ponies were scared, they didn't have time for this nonsense.

"I see, thank you for your time."

Sin's retreat was stopped short by Krystal, who questioned why he wasn't asking the ticket master about the location of the pony in charge to begin his investigation on why the buffalo and Applelosans were in conflict. 

"I mean, how are you supposed to solve this if we don't know where the governor is?" Krystal asked, her tone making it sound as if she was speaking to a child.

"Y'all are here tah help stop the buffalo?" The ticket stallion asked with enthusiasm. Sin gritted his teeth, already feeling the stress and irritation of yet a few more days in his hunt being lost to his companion's inability to keep to themselves.

Before any reply could even be given, the pony jumped out of the small booth and ran into town, bellowing of the good news, and imploring everypony that it was okay to come out. That someone was finally here to put and end to the conflict.









Scootaloo looked up at Islander with skepticism. He didn't look at all happy about finding out about the train leaving nor where it was going. Why was that? Did it have something to do with that yellow earth pony? They were looking at each other for a while.

"Great." Islander growled, glaring at the ticket stallion as a few ponies began to tentatively make way out of the buildings. Asking him what was going on.

Scootaloo could figure that out later, right now they had a mystery to solve.

"Don't feel too bad, Islander." Scootaloo said, trying to be encouraging. "You're doing a good thing, helping these ponies out."

The cloaked pony scoffed, muttering under his breath about something Scootaloo couldn't make out. He then grew quiet, looking around the town proper and taking in the scene. "Hey, Scootaloo." He croaked. "You don't happen to know if there's any ties between this town and the... Apple family in Ponyville, do you?"

The filly's eyes furrowed in thought but shot wide as more than a few memories had Macintosh or Applejack mentioning this settlement, specifically their cousing, Braeburn.

"Fuck." She heard him say, prompting Krystal to once again snatch her away from his potty mouth.

Scootaloo felt her barrel tighten, she'd never been here before, but just knowing she was within the grasp of an Apple pony made her uneasy. She adjusted her scarf again, attempting to hide as much of her face as possible, as well as her body.

"Howdy." Said a tan pelted, black stetson bearing stallion. His approach was both with timidness and authority, the silver sheriff's badge on his flank and blue denim vest telling Scootaloo she needed to keep as quiet as possible. "I'm Sheriff Silverstar, local sheriff n' governor of Appleloosa. Who might you three be?"

Krystal was about to speak, but Scootaloo quickly silenced her with a jab to the rib and a shake of the head.

"Good afternoon, Sheriff. I'm... The Inquisitor." Islander nodded before mentioning to them. "These are my companions, Krystal, my assistant, and..."

Scootaloo watched as Islander struggled for a name for her, her eyes darting around for anything she could find to reference, but nothing came to mind, not until a fluffy white rabbit upon Krystal's back came into her line of sight. 

"Angel." Scootaloo finished. "Angel Wings. I'm, ummm, I'm a junior inquisitor." She offered a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of her head.

The Sheriff furrowed his brow at the filly, but shrugged and bid them all a well meaning greeting. "Thank y'all fer comin'. Ah'm surprised ya came as soon as ya did. Why Ah only sent word ta Canterlot 'bout this problem just yesterday. That Celestia, always lookin' out for us ponies."

Islander, or the "Inquisitor" corrected him in saying that the three pegasi weren't agents of the crown, but contracted by a private company to solve the matter, Silverstar was surprised to hear this at first, but his shock gave way to understanding as he listed off a conveniently big name in town who was affected by the dispute.

"Is it true, Sheriff?" Asked a large and burly stallion. "Are these folks really here to handle the buffalo?"

Silverstar nodded, placing a hoof on Islander's back and presenting him to the slowly conglomerating town, which had now become a reasonably sized crowd. "This here is the Inquisitor. He's been sent to settle the dispute with the buffalo!"

A roar of cheers and stomping answered his proclamation, complete with whistles and more than a few "ya hoo's" and "Ye haws". Scootaloo watched with a small amusement as Islander grimaced and looked away, obviously uncomfortable with all the attention. It was only fair, he allowed her to suffer at Krystal's hooves, and now she'd relish as he was thrown to the Appleloosans.

After a few more words, and a confirmation from Islander himself, the crowd dispersed, not back into their homes, but to resume their daily lives as normal.

"Well, I bet ya'll would like to get started with yer investigation, then." Silverstar said before walking on to let them get to it, though he was stopped, Islander wanted to start with him, and since the two were already here, they might as well get some questions out of the way.

The sheriff agreed and offered them some Appleloosa hospitality in the town's jail... which seconded as the governor's office.

It felt nice inside, the cool air washed over Scootaloo like a rushing wave, banishing the heat of the outside and leaving her to sigh in satisfaction. The three were lead to a small living area and offered a lemonade beverage, an offer Krystal and Scootaloo accepted with grateful smiles.

"Alright." Sin said, having pulled out a journal book from his saddle bag, as well as a quill. "From the beginning, tell me everything that's happened to lead up to this."

Silver Star took a seat and began recounting the events, taking Islander's words a little too literally and starting from the very beginning of the town's inception a year ago. It was useless information, but Islander's pencil scribbled down everything relevant.

"So, ya know 'bout the first problem the buffalo caused, right? The one the lead to the apple tift?"

Islander nodded, but he didn't want to work off of hear-say, he wanted a full explanation and story to work off of from the more credible source, the sheriff himself. The press, and word of mouth, had a way of... misleading folks.

According to the Silverstar, it occurred as a result of a train heist to get an apple tree while it was in transit from another farm. The buffalo had been causing problems since before that, but that was the catalyst that brought the entire thing to boil. Scootaloo felt an ice cube run down her spine as mention of Applejack came up as being the mare responsible for the tree's transport.

"Somehow or another, three of her friends were stuck with the tree n' ended up with the buffalo tribe. One a baby dragon, another a rainbow mane'd pony mare with a huge chip on her shoulder, and one of the worst preforming pink ponies that I ever did have the displeasure to see."

The words were harsh, but Scootaloo held her tongue.

"Alright, go on." Islander encouraged, flipping a page in his book.









'Shit, so Spike, Rainbow and Pinkie Pie were here? Great, that's just wonderful.'

That's why I changed the names around again, they don't know Krystal, but Macintosh does know my last name, and any correspondence could give Scootaloo away.

Apparently the first conflict was resolved after the "Battle of Applelossa" where in the buffaloo tribe had attacked the small settlement after the buffalo chieftain and Silverstar failed to come to a resolution about how to deal with the Apple Orchard. The orchard being placed onto a traditional stampeeding ground of the buffalo through the land, and barring them from their rite of passage.

In compromise, some apple trees were removed, and a pathway was cleared through the orchard, allowing the settler's and their trees to stay and the buffalo to have their path. In exchange, the ponies were to give the buffalo a tribute, a tithe of apple goods weighing no less than two "Stones" -part of what the natives used as weight units of measurement- which equated to about two hundred pounds of food stuffs every month.

This intreagued Sin. How did the Applelosans know that?

"Scales n' balances provided by Mr. Scales." Silverstare explained. "That rugged pony from before has 'em. When we made the deal with the buffalo, he took one of his scales to their settlement n' measured it against their own scale fer accuracy." 

"I see." Sin nodded, jotting the information down and underlining it. "And this lead to the issue, I assume?"

"There ain't no issue!" Interupted a voice, all parties looked back to find the stallion in question standing just inside the front door. A light blue pony with a scraggly red beared and white stetson hat. "Mah scales 'r always accurate. Them buffalo are tryin' to get more than we bargined them for! It's extortion, I tells ya!"

Sin gave the stallion a wary look before turning his attention to the other pony present with him, yet another stallion. This one yellow, with a brown faux leather vest and matching brown stetson.

It was a pretty big claim, stating that the scale was one hundred percent accurate. Something Sin would need to look into himself if he was to figure this whole mess out. 

It came to light that the real issue might not be one of extortion, but an issue of weight determination. The yellow pony, a stallion named "Braeburn" was responsible for the delivery of the goods to Thunderhooves, the buffalo chieftain. As a precaution, the stallion was escorted by a couple of local ponies. One being a pony by the name of Professor Cook and another his assistant, Sewing Seeds. 

Apparently, during the delivery a couple of weeks ago, the goods were placed against the two "stones" of the buffalo after being weighed by Scales' scales. The Appleloosan's balance confirmed the goods to be within the needed weight requirements while the bison's showed the product to be lacking. Initially, Thunderhooves took this as a small mistake on the part of the ponies, as did Braeburn and Professor Cook. They left the buffalo's home with apology and returned to Appleloosa to re weigh the goods, much to Scales' chagrin. 

Though, he agreed and allowed the weight to be retested, and sure enough, the weight came back within the acceptable restriction. Two hundred and fifty pounds. 

How could that be? If the "stones" were at a combined weight that showed to be two hundred and fifty pounds, than why didn't the scales mach up in that instance?

Braeburn asked for proof of the balance's results and returned to the buffalo the next day to deliver the tribute. Again, however, the stones placed against the goods revealed the stones to be heavier, much heavier the second time around. Thunderhooves grew angry with this, decrying the Appleloosans trying to cheat he and his tribe out of their agreement. The evidence against his deceleration didn't matter, the scales didn't lie.

"Ah suppose they mighta used different stones, heavier ones." Braeburn suggested timidly. "But Ah have no idea why they'd do that. We gave 'em a pretty good deal, Ah say."

"Because their extortionist savages!" Scales decried, slamming his hoof on the ground. Silverstar tried to placate the pony, but to no avail. 

Sorreh, sheriff, but Ah wont tolerate mah good name bein' besmirched by the likes o' them. Y'all were there when we pitted their stones against mah weights. Ya know Ah'd never mis-weigh muh scales to rip off the bison. N' if they're sayin' their scales are right on the matter, than they're sayin' mine are wrong."

Sin knew buffalo, well he knew Federation buffalo. They were a proud and honorable race, a race that was more prone to holding it's word as a matter of principal, especially the more rural tribes. It didn't make sense that they'd intentionally manipulate their weights to get more food, but that could just be generalizing on his part. The Federalist knew better than to openly make such general statements until he had the facts.

"May I see the contract?" Sin asked, Silverstar opened his desk drawer and retrieved the parchment, it was relatively small, so it didn't take long for him to discern. Two stones, named "Soft" and "True" were to be pitted against the Appleloosan tithe every month.

'So, the short and sweet isn't that the ponies think the tribute itself is exploitative, but the buffs are manipulating the weight. Sounds like they think the ponies are doing the same thing.'

Simple enough to solve, just get the two scales together and remeasure. I don't see why this didn't happen already.

Though, upon Sin's suggestion, he found out why. Scales had no interest in intention to take his balance to the buffalo tribe's village, and the ponies weren't going to let them come to town either. A small raid was had upon the Apple orchard itself, stealing over a quarter of that year's yeild. The bison denied responsibility, but all logic pointed to them being the culprits.

Sin finished writing down the information and asked Scales if he might see the scale in question. The pony rolled his eyes, not fond of the implication, but ultimately agreed.

The blue stallion lead Sin, Scootaloo, and Krystal out of the town jail and over to his shop. 

Once inside, Krystal gasped.

"Woah." Scootaloo said in awe.

Woah was right, the scale, a gigantic base leading up to a bronze spire that was almost to tall for the building. The beam arms holding two weight pans at either end, connected by three metal chains a piece.

"Got your fifty pound weights, you'r twenty, ten, fives and ones, down to the ounces there, and even grams if you'd like." Scales declaired, pointing to a few bronze weights. The earth pony declared that they were wasting their time in investigating his measuring instruments, that the guard should have been called in to handle the bison and end this fued before it got any worse.

Getting the guard involved prior to finding out the root cause of all of this didn't appeal to Sin. He may not have wanted to get involved with this, but he did, and as such, he was going to do everything in his power to figure out the problem and resolve it peacefully if he could. And the fact that the Trotski were in town not an hour ago did leave him with a couple of suspects. Or it would have, if it weren't for the fact the problems began long before the Trotski had ever even arrived here.

The pony left, informing the three that any damages they caused they would pay for.

"Why did you two lie again?" Krystal demanded, looking between both Sin and Scootaloo.

"It's complicated." Both said in unison.

The off white mare persisted, demanding for both of them to explain themselves. Scootaloo looked back to Sin and gave him an imploring look. The cloaked pony pressed his lips, finding no humor in the scolding stare he was receiving anymore. "Look, there are a lot of secrets between us. Some that are just better left that way."

He hoped that would settle the issue, but Krystal was determined. Nothing short of a full and honest explanation would sate her desire and drive, and she made sure both Sin and Scootaloo knew it.

"Fine, I'll make you a deal. You help us fix things here, and I'll tell you what I know, within reason." Sin offered, gaining a scowl from the orange filly beside him. Krystal was hesitant to accept, but did, only on the condition Sin promised to tell her the truth. A promise he begrudgingly accepted.

That settled, the troop began from ground one, Sin asked Scootaloo and Krystal to begin loading up a few pounds on one end while he loaded another, checking the weights themselves and countering them in parity. At the top of the scale was a small indicator that registered any minor shifts that the balance itself didn't give any visible indication of. After an hour of testing, using different weights against each other, Sin concluded that each of the weights were correct in their poundage.

Leading the stallion to believe that the fault of the missing food stuffs wasn't on the part of the ponies. Though, there was always the possibility that these weights weren't the ones being used...

"What now?" Krystal asked, replacing the final ten pound to it's proper place.

Sin took a second to think. The next logical step would be to test the buffalo's own scale, but that would need to wait until he was alone. There was no telling how he alone would be received by their tribe, let alone two females with him. So the next logical step would be to find the ponies responsible for the food's delivery and interview them. 
> The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. II)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










The Appleloosa Extortion










Sin and Krystal made way through the small residential street of Appleloosa, on their way to the end of the street to the home of one Professor Cook. Scootaloo had offered to question Braeburn while he and Krystal took Cook and his assistant. Happily, since Sin's alias as "the Inquisitor" was taken for the town, the town's folk became very generous with restocking supplies and a complimentary lodging; saving what little money they had left.

Scales, when asked, refused to allow Sin to move his gigantic ballance into the badlands for comparison against the buffalo's, citing them as untrustworthy and the ballance's value being upwards of six hundred bits. It roused Sin's suspicions a little, but he had no concrete proof in order to make any claims.

"So, Inquisitor," Krystal began. "What is it you are hoping to accomplish by talking to Professor Cook, again?"

"If what I'm being told is correct, he and his assistant are the ones who help Braeburn take the food tribute to the buffalo tribe, to this chief Thunderhooves. Scale's ballances are objectively correct in their measurements, as such there must be another reason for the weight descrpency: Either the buffalo are mis-weighing the food or food is disappearing in transit." Sin replied.

Krystal pressed her lips, she already knew that, but what she didn't understand was the reason they were talking to Cook. Since he was one of the ones handling the food, than that made him a suspect in its disappearance, along with Braeburn and the assistant. What was the point of talking to them, since it was obvious that they could easily lie?

Off put by her assumption, Sin explained that what mattered about this was to establish a working story. One he could apply a logical basis against to disprove and find inconsistencies in. Braeburn could easily handle the food himself, so why did he need an escort? And why would an alleged "professor", an intellectual in some form, be the one to offer it? Something about that didn't sit right with him.

The off white mare frowned. "Umm, I don't know..."

While Krystal chewed over the notion, Sin walked up to the house described to belong to their suspect and knocked on the door.

CRASH! 

"NO! Seedy! Get it! Get it before it- BUCK!" A voice cried from within.

Another crash! This one making Sin and Krystal take a step back from the door.

Hoofsteps could be heard inside, frantically trotting all over the place, the voice screaming and shouting with comical dismay at whatever it was they were chasing continually illuding their grasp. 

"GOT IT! HAHA! And now we- SeedyNO!" 

CRASH!

This one loud and harsh enough to make both Sin and Krystal cringe.

"Oh dear, I hope they're alright." Krystal said in concern.

Sin shrugged. "Meh, I'm sure they're fine."

The blue maned pegasus gave him a small scowl. "You're so callous."

"Yes, yes I am." Sin admitted proudly.

The front door opened slowly to reveal a completely white earth pony stallion, his coat greying slightly with age, and a rather full beared protruding from his chin and lips beneath a pair of lick rimmed specitcals. What was strange was the hay and food pelts that covered his body. "I hope there's a reason for this interruption, I'm extremely busy!"

"You see?" Sin gestured, earning an eye roll from Krystal. "Good afternoon. May I speak to Mister Cook, please?"

"Professor Cook! I didn't attend eight years of college in biological chemistry and inter-species sociology to be called 'mister'." The stallion shot back, his hoof pointing at Sin in accusation.

'Inter-species sociology, well guess that answers why he helps as an escort.'

We'll see.

Sin apologized and corrected himself before giving an introduction and stating the reason for his coming.

"If you have a moment, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Cook placed a hay covered hoof up to his beard in thought. "Well, I do have a moment, but I'm not sure what good it would do. I have no idea why the weight keeps getting thrown off. I see the-" All three of them cringed as yet another bellowing crash echoed from within the house, followed by a series of frantic hoofsteps. "Seedy! Oh horse apples. Excuse me!"

The stallion gave them an apologetic look and went back to help his assistant chase down whatever had gotten loose again.

Seeing which activity took prescidence, Sin decided to abandon the current venture and head back to the main part of town. 

"Well, that was informative." The Federalist said in jest.

"Islander, what's an 'inter-species sociologist'?" Krystal asked.

"It means that he studies the relationship between different species and races. Behaviors, interactions, social structures, prejudices and so on and so forth." The Federalist replied absently.

Krystal tilted her head. "Prejudice?"

Sin quirked a brow and explained the word's meaning, putting the mare off a little. "Why would anypony feel that way about somepony they didn't even know?"

"General rules." Sin answered, the two walked into town and made way for its inn."The entire point of studies like that are to establish rules to work off of in order to understand the overall implication and make rational judgement and explanations."

"But... isn't it bad to generalize? That's what momma Gem always told me." Krystal replied.

"Ehhh... It's a bit more complicated than that. You see, what she meant was the fallacy of a hasty generalization. The difference between a hasty generalization and general rules is that: in hasty generalization, there's no empirical or critical analysis and study into that particular topic, or there is and the generalization made doesn't line up with the rule."

Krystal gave him a look of absolute confusion, whether it was from his words or the vocabulary he wasn't sure, but Sin was always happy to dispel ignorance and help other to understand.

"Basically: As a rule, ponies always have... say... four legs." He pointed around. 

"Well, yes, that much I can see." Krystal replied.

Sin smirked. "Ah, but not all ponies have four legs. Some get a leg or two amputated for medical reasons, or some are just born malformed. These are exceptions to the rule, but the rule still stands that ponies have four legs as a general principal. The same can be said with Unicorns and horns and pegasi with wings and hollow bones. There are exceptions to this rule, but the rule still stands."

"A hasty generalization is like... Okay, so let's take this buffalo thing for instance. Let's say that the buffalo are responsible for weight discrepancy, right? They've intentionally weighed the ballance in order to get more food. So, a hasty generalization would be to say that: because the buffalo here lied and manipulated the weight to get more food, all buffalo are liars and will manipulate to get more. Now, most ponies will argue that it isn't right to assume this on a moral level, that because it casts buffalo in a negative light at all, the notion should be disregarded. The notion should be disregarded, mind you, but not because of its morality. It should be disregarded because of it's lack of basis in fact and objective analysis."

"This is just one hypothetical, keep that in mind, this is all conjecture and a thought experiment; this is just one instance where dishonest behavior is present. I can personally attest to multiple instances of buffalo honesty and honor, but then again, to use my experiences as a generalization against buffalo being liars is also a fallacy. To base this one instance and interaction as indicative to the entirety of the species, where variables are unaccounted for and lack of objective analysis is present, is what makes it a hasty generalization."

Krystal's mouth hung agape at Sin's words, her brow was furrowed in an attempt to comprehend everything he was telling her. It was clear the concept was new and she'd never been exposed to distinguishment between generalities before. Sin kinda felt bad that he threw so much at her all at once, it made him feel a little pompous and pretentious.

"So... um. Being generalizing is a bad thing if there isn't... proof of it, but it's a good thing if there is?" Krystal managed, choosing her words carefully.

Sin smirked, genuinely impressed. It was much more complicated than that, but she seemed to be able to get herself in the right direction.

The mare beamed at the praise. "You're a smart pony, Islander."

Sin knew he was smart, he considered himself an intellectual, but it was nice to be praised for it.

'Wait, you're feeling good about being complimented?'

No, I... wait, I am?

Sin found himself vexed, usually when others gave him compliments in any regard, he felt a slight resentment for them. Even Macintosh and Spike held a little of his ire whenever they said something nice, unjustly so, but it was still a fact. Krystal's words didn't arouse that, though. 

He looked left to find the mare smiling at him, a smile of appreciation and admiration, genuine appreciation and admiration. A smile that made him feel good about himself, like his life wasn't just a complete joke the universe decided to keep going and see how long he'd willingly suffer through it. A smile that made him feel like he was worth redeeming in some way.

A sharp pang shot through the warmth in his body, the painful truth of reality. He couldn't be redeemed, everything he'd done, everything he was, what he really was, a smile, no matter how genuine in it's affections, could get rid of his misdeeds to the world, nor the misdeeds he'd continued to bring. Murder, revenge, enjoyment of suffering for idiocy...

"You okay?" Krystal asked, somehow getting within a foot of his muzzle and looking up at him with worried eyes. 

Sin shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yea, sorry just got lost in thought."

The two made way inside, greeted the inn keeper and made way for the room. Sin would need to devise some kind of plan to either confront the buffalo outright, or sneak the needed weights over to the bison encampment and test the weights against the stones on their own balance. If he did it publicly, he'd only get one shot of at all, and he wanted to make sure that things would go his way when he did.









Adjusting her scarf, Scootaloo made way to find Braeburn. She knew it was stupid, she knew it didn't make sense, but she wanted to know how the Apple family was getting along with out her. The filly had spent the past two weeks trying to convince herself that she didn't care, going as far as to demonize Macintosh to Krystal on more than one occassion, but as bad a thing as he did to her, the foal remembered all of the good. The snuggling, the praise, the affection, and the fact that she loved him, and Annabelle, and Applebloom.

Breaburn was a cousin to the farm folk, but he wasn't the most observant or the most intelligent of ponies from what Applebloom had told her. Scootaloo hoped this to be the case, otherwise her decision would quickly become her undoing. Despite the risks, her guilt over how she knew she hurt Anna and Macintosh compelled her to ask.

"Excuse me." She said, approaching the yellow pony.

The stallion turned around and smiled widely down at her. "Well hello there, little filleh! Yer that Angle pegasus who came in with the Inquisitor, ain't ya?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Yes sir, umm, you were the pony who delivers the food to the buffalo, right?" 

Nodding, Braeburn affirmed her question. Scootaloo asked a few questions she could think of, like if he'd seen anything that would indicate thievery or temperament of the shipment, or if he was present during the weiging of the goods. To which the stallion answered in the affirmative and testified that the weight of the goods were right on the money.

"Ah'm not sure why the buffalo's scales say it's not righ'. I've watched them re-calibrate the scale's mah self, n' Ah know there usin' the right rocks. It just don't make no sense."

Scootaloo nodded and hummed thoughtfully, acting as if she was more refined and diginified than she really was. "And what can you tell me about Professor Cook and his assistant?"

Braeburn's brow furrowed in thought before smiling again. "Well, ain't ya just the cutest little junior detective. Well, Ah can't say too much about 'em to be honest. Professor Cook spends most of his time at home, never seen him 'round too much I'm afraid. What with his experiments an' bein' overecentric and all."

Scootaloo quirked a brow. Braeburn himself was animated, if the stories she'd heard were true, the stallion's current mannerisms were only the tip of the iceburg, how bad must the professor be in order to make this guy call him "over" eccentric?

She asked a few more questions, committing the stallion's responses to memory to tell Islander about later. She'd finished up and moved onto a more personal topic.

"Say, anypony around here related to the Apple family in Ponyville?" She asked, sparing the assumption to avoid arousing suspicion.

Braeburn chuckled. "Well ah gotta say, ya choose the right pony to ask. Ah, myself, am a cousin to them folks. Why, Ah even attended their weddin' a few weeks back."

Scootaloo felt her barrel clench a little. If he was there, that meant he might have seen here, but the scarf hiding her face seemed to be doing well enough to hide her identity... somehow.

Acting surprised, Scootaloo recounted a made up tale about purchasing an apple and striking up a conversation with Applejack while she and  the Inquisitor made a stop in Ponyville on the way to Appleloosa.

Braeburn sighed deeply, his ears drooping. "Cousin' Mac's weddin' turned sour when some government types came to take his little girl away. It's a real shame, Ah think he'd a made a great Pa to her, but somethin' happened to make the foal services try n' take her away. From mah understandin' she managed to escape from 'em and ran out into the Everfree forest."

Scootaloo felt bad, but she wasn't ready for what she heard next.

"Macintosh went out in the forest every day fer weeks to try n' find her. Riskin' life n' limb, plum near worked himself sick, tryin' tah do both farm work n' spending ten hours plus some out there. Why, he'd almost gotten mauled by timberwolves more n' once, accordin' to cousin' Applejack. But no matter what, he looked long and hard for the filly." He sighed. "N' he found her."

Scootaloo gulped, feeling very small in that moment. Why? Why would he work so hard to find her when he was just going to give her up to the government anyway? What possible reason would he do that? She knew he cared about her, but... why? And what did he mean they "found her"?

As if she couldn't feel any lower than she already was, Braeburn told her that a filly's skull was found within the Everfree, a skull presumed to be hers.

"Family's been real depressed on that side ever since. Letters Ah've been gettin from Cousin Applejack says that she's blamin' herself fer it all..."

His words continued on, but Scootaloo didn't hear them. They thought she was dead... Macintosh, Annabelle, all of her friends, Rainbow Dash, Cheerilee... they thought she was killed, killed and picked apart by whatever monster found her in the forest. Scootaloo could only image how terrible they all must feel, at least in foal custady, they'd know that she was alright, and running away, there was hope, but this? She never wanted them to think she was dead, not that she had any real plan anyway, but... this was just... this was just terrible.

She thanked the yellow pony for his time and slowly slinked away. She didn't want to hear any more, she couldn't stand to hear anymore. Scootaloo felt sick, she felt like throwing up and punching herself in the face. 

Feelings of guilt collided with feelings of indignation, feelings that made her stomach and chest swirl into a disgustingly sloshy mix of pain and resentment.

Part of her wanted to be glad they thought she was dead, that it served Macintosh right for giving her away like he had, but a bigger part of her wanted to beat her muzzle til it bled for even thinking such a thing. It wasn't her fault he and Anna had given her away, they'd have put her in a foster home, or worse... Scootaloo running away was the best thing she could have done for herself, but she couldn't take knowing she'd hurt them so badly... But what was she supposed to do?

Go back, tell them she was alive, get a hug and then go right into a foster home? No... as bad as she felt, she wouldn't go back. Macintosh gave her away, he'd abandoned her, and as terrible as she felt for the family, it was better that they suffer in thinking her dead than her suffer in a foster home. Scootaloo didn't like it, she honestly felt disgusted with herself for thinking it, but that was the way things had to be.

She just wish that they didn't...









"Islander, can I talk to you for a minute?" Krystal asked.

Sin placed down the notes he was reviewing and nodded, following Krystal out of the room they were sharing and into the cool of the desert night. 

"I think something's wrong with Scootaloo." She said in vivid concern, casting her eyes back to the room. "She hasn't said a word since we got back to the room. She's snuggling Angel and pretending to be asleep, but I know she's not. She keeps sniffling, and I catch her looking out the window, looking depressed. I think something's bothering her."

Sin pressed his lips and nodded. Having your loved ones die and almost being mauled by Timberwolves would shake anyone. "Yea, I think her parents dying is still bothering her."

Sighing, Krystal asked if he had any ideas to cheer the filly up, that it pained the mare to see her looking so forelorn and depressed. Sin wished he could tell her something, but the fact was that, aside from her aspirations to be a Wonderbolt, he had little to no idea what either of them could do to help.

"Well, umm, do you think it would it help if I offered teaching her to fly?" 

That was... not a bad idea, actually. Scootaloo was having difficulties in that department, and if she was going to join a team of dedicated fliers and speedsters, getting her off the ground, both metaphorically and literally, would probably be a good start. Plus, it would give them something to do while he went around and tried to take care of the Trotski, or whatever altruistic bull shit he'd end up getting suckered into, thanks to his companions. That conversation would need to happen, but it could wait until everything else was sorted out.

Sin looked out into the night and decided that it would be as good a time as any to leave. The inn keep had told him where the buffalo encampment was, and it nonplussed him to know. Lugging two hundred and fifty pounds of weights three miles away was not going to be fun, but if he was going to handle this mess, it was a journey he'd need to make. He was thankful that the injuries he'd sustained a few days ago were healing nicely, but worried about how badly his shoulder was going to take that much stress.

"Wait, you're leaving?" Krystal gaped.

"We don't have much time to waste on this, the quicker I get it done, the quicker we can move on." Sin replied. 

The two made way inside and Sin grabbed his saddle bag and began removing all of the items there in, placing them neatly upon the floor to be replaced upon his return.

"Scootaloo?" Krystal said, placing two legs on the bed and leaning over her. "Islander and I are leaving now. We'll be back soon, okay?"

Sin quirked a brow, but felt his reservation melt away as he took in Krystal gently stroking Scootaloo's mane, whispering kind things and imploring her to feel better, finishing off the display with a tender kiss to the forehead. It was a heart warming display, one Sin felt a little guilty for intruding upon.

After emptying her own saddle bags, Krystal joined Sin and the two made way out into the night, locking the door behind them and telling the inn keep to keep any eye out for Scootaloo for them. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

Krystal cleared her throat. "Well, I'm guessing you're heading out to talk to the buffalo, correct? I think it would be a good idea to have a more feminine touch on the matter."

Sin shook his head, asking the mare to head back and keep an eye on Scootaloo. What he was doing was dangerous, very dangerous, there was a chance he'd be captured and killed... or worse.

"And I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen." The off white mare replied, her tone confident, bordering on arrogant.

Sin stopped and reached out a hoof, baring Krystal's path. "Look, if I don't come back from this, Scootaloo will need someone to take care of her, alright?"

Krystal gasped, giving Sin a side long look of disbelief.

Sighing, the Federalist clarified that he understood how unfair it was to put her in that kind of situation, that Scootaloo wasn't her responsibility, but missions like this one, where death was a high possibility, were a requiement in his "line of work". 

"How dare you!" Krystal sneered, her patience with the entire situation reaching it's end. "That's your niece! How can you just... just... throw her into somepony else's hooves like this?!"

Sin pressed his lips, looking Krystal dead in the eye. "Because, I've seen how you are with her. You're a caregiver, you know how to handle children, and I know that you'd do well in watching out for her if-"

"No I wouldn't!" The mare shot back, tears forming in her eyes. "I try to be calm and caring, and I know how to look after foals, I've been doing it for my brothers since they were born, but I don't know how to do much else." She sniffled, looking at Sin in pleading and desperation.

"I can't... I can't take care of her... not out here. I don't know anything about the world outside of the farm, I don't know anything about Scootaloo or her family or anything! Y- you can't leave us alone like that..." Krystal began trembling, her breathing becoming erratic at the thought of having to continue on without him. "Please, please don't leave us alone... She needs you, and I need you."

Sin felt himself grow heavy with guilt. It was a mistake to assume she could handle Scootaloo on her own, or even think she would consider it. 

"I'm sorry, I wish there was another way, but if there was, I'd have figured it out by now." The Federalist admitted.

"There is." Krystal sniffled. "Let me come with you, I can help."

Sin was about to tell her no, but the look of determined pleading in her eyes told him she wasn't going to take no for an answer. With a sigh of resignation, the stallion agreed to let her come along, but instructed her to use her wings to escape without question and return to town if he instructed her to before turning around and walking again.

Suddenly, Sin felt a pair of forlegs wrap around his middle and begin lifting him up off the ground. On instinct, he gasped and grabbed the legs as he was taken into the air.

"Hey, you're lighter than I thought you'd be." Krystal said from above him, her fluttering wings sending ripples of air passing by his head. He implored her to put him down, but the off white pegasus denied him his request, testing out her abilities to fly while simultaneously carrying him.

Sin would have been impressed with her maneuverability and speed, but he was too busy worrying for dear life about the fact he was at least five stories in the air and a slight mistep on the part of his captor would likely result in his untimely death!

"Islander, you need to stop struggling. It's okay, I've got you." She cooed into his ear. "Trust me."

She began humming, and Sin slowly began to placate. His grip on her forelegs didn't loosen, no amount of her soothing voice could make him do that, but his struggling and tension did subside. 

He didn't like this situation at all. Having to trust someone else so explicitly... having absolutely no power or agency in the situation that didn't result in death or serious injury. Sin was completely at Krystal's mercy right now. It was by her own will that he lived or died right now, and the power to her decision was limited to her simply relaxing her forelegs and letting him fall. And to make matters even worse, her humming placated his stress against his will, making any attempts to remain stressed and ready difficult.

After a few moments of flying about, Krystal finally lowered the two back to the ground, released Sin from her grasp and landed beside the trembling stallion. Sin turned to repremend her for invading his person like that and demanded that she ask before ever doing so again. Krystal's blush dropped to a look of guilt and she apologized.

"It's just... that's how pegasi establish trust. We let eachother carry one another like that. I did it all the time with Scoria and Obsi, I didn't think... I'm sorry."

Sin accepted the apology, too much time was wasted already, they'd need to get going if they were going to get the weights and make it to the buffalo encampment, test the rocks and make it back before dawn.









The trip was going much better than he expected it would. Breaking into the Scales' shop and grabbing the weights was easy enough, and now Krystal and Sin were halfway to the buffalo's camp.

Unfortunately, the hard part would be to convince the bison to allow them to use the scale and test the weights. If everything went smoothly, they'd allow the ponies to weigh the stones and return to town to gather up the goods and allow a new shipment tomorrow morning. If not... well, all he could hope for was that Krystal could maneuver out of the way of spears and arrows.

Aside from giving him an escape option, another benefit of having her come along was that the mare had an impressivly strong back. The weights had been distributed evenly between them, which made life a great deal easier on Sin. His gear alone weighed about eighty pounds, adding an extra forty five ontop of that was noticeable, but a far cry from the two hundred and fifty he'd expected. 

"So, after we weigh it, what then?"

Sin explained his part of the plan. It was skipping a few steps, like interrogating Braeburn or the Professor and his assistant, but it did answer the question of if the balances were the problem. Scootaloo had written down a few notes on her dealings with the former, she'd asked some pretty good questions, but it wasn't enough to get them anywhere. 

The longer term solution would need to sort itself out, Sin would be happy enough to have a temporary peace until Celestia sent down her own agents.

Suddenly, Sin stopped, holding out a forleg to halt his associate as well. His ears swiveled about, and he heard it again. Small clicks in the distance, they sounded random and very faint, but the Federalist knew better. He'd heard this kind of noise before, it was intentional, deleberate and meant for communication.

A couple of vulture calls echoed from ahead and Sin turned to Krystal. "Follow my lead, and whatever you do, don't panic."

The blue maned mare asked him what he meant, but her answer was given in the form of a dust cloud appearing infront of them, accompanied by the thundering boom of galloping hooves on dirt. Krystal squeeked and backed away fearfully, but Sin placed his hoof on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. 

"If I tell you to fly us out, you do it. Got it, but right now, just relax. Hopefully if we don't appear threatening, they wont take us as a threat."

She was reluctant, eying the approaching massive bison in alarm, but nodded to his assertion. He patted the ground beside him and sat down, Krystal doing the same, fighting the urge to spread her wing.

The buffalo finally came into view in the dim moonlight, bulky, round and very intimidating. The beings were at least three times the size of a normal pony, with small legs, and large horns.

Sin felt his heart begin to race within his chest as they grew closer. At that speed, they'd trample the duo into mush. He tensed his legs, reading his mouth to scream for an airlift. 

'They're getting pretty close, dude.'

Wait for it.

'Sin, they're getting really close now.'

Wait for it...

Sixty feet

Fifty feet

Fourty

Thirty

'SIN!'

Just as he was about to yell, the bison veered left in unison and began to make a loose circle around the two. Classic buffaloo enclosure and containment tactic, intimidate with a show of force in charging and then capture by trapping.

Sin sighed in relief, noticing an uncomfortable preassure in his arm. Krystal was lastched onto him, her eyes clenched shut, waiting for the onslaught that never came.

Slowly, the loose circle of the bufaloo grew tighter, the natives closing in more and more on the duo until finally they slowed down and stopped, each one of them looking silently upon the two with harsh, judging eyes.

Sin, ever the diplomat, clicked his hooves together and lowed her head, raising both his empty hooves in a sign of submission.

"He knows our ways." One of the buffalo said, makign Sin's hidden mouth smirk in reply.

The head bison stepped forth, a large, black bufaloo with a higher concentration of feathers compared to his compatriots. "You trespass on our land, little pony." He growled in a harsh and gravely voice.

"Forgive me, but I have come to help make peace between Chief Thunderhooves and the Appleloosans."

The head native scoffed, moving his head around and making a few more sounds of indignation to express irritation. 

Buffaloo were a proud sort, the wise saw fit not to trifle nor presume with them, but Sin didn't have much time to handle the situation. It took a fair bit of convincing, but the head bison agreed to lead Krystal and Sin to the buffalo's encampment, letting Chief Thunderhooves decide what to do with them.

> The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------











The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. III)











Sin was not happy with his current situation.

The buffalo encampment was much larger than he'd anticipated, and the bison numbered in at least one hundred strong. One hundred large, muscular, irritable, buffalo. Each glaring down at he and Krystal with demanding and accusatory eyes. All made even more menacing when flicker of the pyre before him danced just so, exposing these hate filled orbs just long enough to show their bloodlust before disappearing again.

There was no escape to be found in any given direction. No matter what weakness he tried to find, every possible avenue of horizontal escape was bared by at least seven or eight of the bulky bastards, and they knew it. Some looked tense, anxious, ready to pounce and pummel him into the hard ground in jumbled mush of flesh, blood and bone if he tried anything.

Sin was not happy with his current situation at all.

'Nightmare's ready.' Said Critic.

Sin knew she was out of her little box, he could feel her in his mind now, taking a sick and twisted delight in his anxiety and reservation. Not that it mattered anyway. The aura would work against him here, if there was one thing he'd learned, it was that the more minds he had to use the aura on, the more extreme and painful the consequential head ache became. Sombra's threat against her caused the Nightmare to spare him the pain last time, he didn't think he'd get the same protection here.

He could also feel Krystal, pressing up against his side and shivering in fright. He placed a hoof over her forleg and squeezed his fetlock around her own. "Don't be afraid." He whispered. 

"Th-they're so big." She argued, wrapping both her forelegs around his own and squeezing, as if his appendage would somehow protect her from the bison should they decide to trample them where they stood. "Th- this was a mistake. We shouldn't have come here..."

Sin's eyes gave a quick dart about, making sure that the circle of potential enemies about hadn't closed in. He didn't like seeing how terrified Krystal was, not only in her emotional duress, but in the fact that she could freeze up if things took a bad turn and be rendered unable to escape. 

As admittedly terrified as he was to do so on an emotional level, Sin raised his other foreleg and wrapped it around Krystal's neck, bringing the mare into an awkward hug, whispering into her ear. "You need to relax, alright? When things get dangerous and terrifying, that's when you really can't be afraid. Things look bad, but are as good as they can be right now, so you need to relax a little. Alright?"

Krystal buried her face into his shoulder. "I- I can't."

"Yes you can." Sin asserted, tightening his grip. "Your mother told me you were a strong mare, stronger than what I thought. Don't prove her wrong now."

Krystal's breathing calmed a little, and she looked up into Sin's eyes with amber orbs of desperation. "What if she was wrong? What if I am too weak for this?"

Shaking his head, Sin held to his point. "Now isn't the time for self doubt, you made the decision against that the minute you decided to accompany my here, besides-" He gave her a confident smirk. "You're the one who's going to get us out of this, remember?"

The mare sniffled and began to protest him, but was silenced as Sin gave her a few more words of encouragement. She'd managed to pick him up and carry him about a good ten minutes before coming out here, he knew she was capable of getting them to safety if need be, she just needed to have the confidence to do so; and he was the only one who could give it to her. 

Krystal gave him a bleary eyed smile. "Y- you really think I can?"

'She'd better, or this could be the most painful and bloody negotiation you've ever been in.'

Sin, in a rare moment of emotion, widened his eyes and looked around before smiling. "I don't have any other way out of here, if I didn't trust that you could do it, I wouldn't have allowed us to be caught."

Krystal gave a weak chuckle at the half joke, the encouragement seemed to have done it's job and the mare's trembling and helpless form regained some of it's strength and resolve. 

"Just remember, Scootaloo's waiting for you back at the inn." Sin reminded, hoping to give her just a little bit extra push.

Krystal's grip tightened, looking at the stallion with grim but determined smile. "She's waiting for us."

Shaking his head, Sin chuckled at how absurd he was being. Here, in the heart of, what would likely be certain death if he said one thing out of line, he was trying to make somebody smile. Since when did he become so fucking sentimental?

'Since you decided you weren't the cold hearted ass hole you always portrayed yourself to be?'

"Isn't that precious? Do you think they will share a passionate kiss?" The Alicorn mocked.

"What brings you to my lands, little pony?"

Sin took a breath and looked upon the biggest and most terrifying buffalo he'd ever come across. A dark, dark brown mammoth of a bison with a full bouquet head wear of white and brown feathers, held within a blue band upon his head. His voice was deep, grainy and held enough malice to make the Nightmare herself second guess her own terror.

"It does not!"

Sin gently pried himself off of Krystal and preformed the gesture of clapping and offering his hooves again. Luckily, these buffalo spoke Equestrian, so he didn't need to dust off his old language courses again. 

"Forgive me, Chief Thunderhooves. My coming was of no offense to you or yours, I have come to investigate the conflict between the Appleloosans and your tribe."

Thunderhooves snorted, small bits of steam cleaning the air before him. "And why should I believe you, hooded one? Your people are the ones who settled these lands and caused the first conflict many moons ago."

Nods and grunts of agreement echoed around.

"So I have come to understand." Sin acquiesced before elaborating that he wasn't from Appleloosa, or Equestria for that matter. This explanation didn't sit well with Thunderhooves and he demanded the stallion explain why he'd come here in the first place.

Sin cleared his throat in irritation, enforcing that his tolerance for insults had their limits. "I have come to inspect your scale for measurement accuracy."

The buffalo chieftan's eyes narrowed and he slammed his hoof down in a show of indignant rage, sending a small tremor quaking through the earth. "Our stones are true! You waste your time coming to judge them, hooded one." He growled, informing the stallion of his dwindling patience.

"Chieftan, the agreement between your tribe and the Appleloosans stated that you and they were to exchange two hundred and fifty pounds of apple products a month for their trees being on your land. Two hundred and fifty pounds equals two of your stones: Soft and True." He removed his cloak and dropped down the saddle bags carrying the weights. 

Thunderhooves was not making this easy, he was lead by anger and resentment, looking for a reason not to listen to him. Sin expected that though, it always did help to expect the worst of others, cynic's code. It would probably take a bit more convincing and ego stroking before he'd be allowed to judge the scale.

Once Krystal added her own weights, Sin explained his intent, about checking the stones against the weights and seeing if they added up. The implication wasn't lost on the chieftan, who growled a disgusting and hateful snort, reared up on his hind legs and slammed both onto the ground.

"YOU DARE TO INSULT ME!" He bellowed. "Our stones are true!"

Nightmare, I need you to release yourself from the aura for a second.

"Excuse me?"

The aura was meant to assist in situations like this, to placate and deescalation through a subtle assertion of dominance via uncomfortable and inexplicable fear. Could backfire and make him act in desperation, but he's too emotional to listen to reason. 

The Alicorn gave a sound of irritation and proclaimed herself free of it. Sin hoped she was, otherwise what he did next would likely get them all killed.

It was a medium level of it's capability, more than the subtle discomfort he usually gave off, but not so bad as to induce a sickening sense of impending doom. 

Thunderhooves sneer dropped a little, and the bison around shifted to warry. 

It was kinda funny how animals worked, even the sapient ones. Dominance and "alpha" traits were the order of the day on a primitive level. Prior to their ability to reason and think, all beings were lead by feelings and emotion. The perception of dominance and threat, the sympathetic nervous system's "fight or flight" mechanism, the instinctual nature of sub-sentient psychology. The Centaur knew this and developed magic in accordance to these laws, using their ability's for magic to cultivate means to attack their threats on a subconscious level rather than the conscious mind. 

"I mean no offense, but I will need to see that for myself." Sin said, cautious to keep his tone neutral.

Breathing heavily, Thunderhooves calmed a little, but he wasn't ready to acquiesce just yet. It was, however, a good start.

"We bison have not committed dishonesty, it was the ponies who lie! Those... Appleloosans!" He spat in utter disgust.

Sin nodded his head, maintaining eye contact with the chief. Again, he would need to observe the facts for himself, but something told him that the buffalo was telling the truth. 

Though, that did leave the mystery, if the native's and the settler's scales were both accurate, than why hadn't the weight of the goods added up?

Suddenly, a smaller bison stepped forward, a blond haired, light brown female youngling. "Chief, I think we should listen to him."

Thunderhooves regarded her for a moment. "Little Strongheart, to indulge his request is to admit that we could be wrong! It is an insult to our honor to assume-"

"He's not assuming, Chief." Strongheart interjected, looking back at the pegasus. "He's just trying to fix what's broken between us, he wants to help, but he can't help us unless we're willing to let him."

Sin sighed in relief as Thunderhooves and the youngling continued talking, she was having much more luck in making the chief see reason than he was. Someone willing to indulge intellectual honesty and rational thought was a nice change of pace.

Finally, but with great reluctance and reservation, the chieftain agreed to the measurement and lead Sin and Krystal to the otherside of the village. The scale was about what he'd expected, a large board pivoting on a rock, the very middle of the board marked to signify it's middle, and a couple of stones sitting at one end, all lit by a semi-circle of torches.

Thunderhooves made a gesture and a couple of his tribes-buffs inspected a few of the rocks, placing two well sized stones on one end of the balance, while he and Krystal placed the weights onto the other end. 

As he suspected, the scale balanced out perfectly.

He asked what the last result was, finding that the results were similar. Now that left only one of two possibilities: Either food was, somehow, disappearing between the scales, or a different weight was being used on either side. Figuring it out would be simple enough, all he'd need to do was follow the new cargo escort and observe the next weigh in.

He wouldn't be able to prove who was at fault for the last mis-weigh attempts, but at least this would be enough to resolve the current debt.

The ponies rounded up the scales and asked if he could arrange a new shipment to be delivered within the next two days. Thunderhooves was reluctant, but a little coaxing from Strongheart quelled him.

"I hope you guys can fix this." Strongheart said, looking Sin in the eye. "I like you ponies, but it's not fair that you guys tried to cheat us like you did."

Sin nodded his head. He still had some interviews to do and figure out why the discrepancy happened, though this did narrow down the list of suspects. Braeburn, the Proffesor, and his assistant would be seeing him tomorrow.





 



"Scoooootalooooooo." Called a ghostly, drawn out wail.

The filly ran, running away from the pink pegasus pony chasing after her. Panting and gasping for breath as she leapt through the foilage of the Everfree.

Panic coursed through her veins as she ran as fast as her little legs would carry here. The pink pony was getting closer, she could hear it with every cooing call the voice made. Scootaloo chanced a glance back and her heart jumped into her throat. 

The pony... she was floating behind her. Not flying, just floating, looking at her with a glaring and knowing smirk. "I'm gonna get you, Scoootaloooo..."

Sqealing, Scootaloo tearfully yelled at the haunting figure to leave her alone, but to no avail. No matter how quickly she ran, no matter how many twists or turns she made, the pink pony was there. Floating slowly closer and closer, her calm and relaxed form only serving to unsettle Scootaloo more and more.

This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. Scootaloo had escaped her! She'd gotten away! How was this possible? No, no she wouldn't go back, she wouldn't let it happen. 

Her lack of attention forward cost her dearly, a stray branch jutting out from the ground grabbed at Scootaloo's leg and tripped her, bringing the filly rolling to the ground.

Panting and breathing heavily, the filly forced herself to her hooves and looked back, but the pink pony was gone. She looked left and right, even turning around, finding nothing but a cliff behind.

Scootaloo took a few more seconds of observation before finally relaxing a little and sighing in relief.

"Scootalooo..."

Lavander eyes shot wide and narrowed to pinpricks. Scootaloo's head jetted up and she screamed, seeing the pink pony floating upside down above her, smiling a wicked and evil grin.

"No, get away! Get away from me!" The filly screamed, backing up and flailing her wings about, but it was a pointless effort, every movement was mirrored by her pursuer in absolute sync. Pink legs slowly reached out, promising captivity and to take Scootaloo away forever.

"No! No, no, stay back, stop!"

Suddenly, a stinging flash of black and blue shot from behind, hitting the ghostly mare and zapping her from existance. 

"Scootaloo!"

The filly turned, still panting in fright, to find Princess Luna standing on the cliff's edge.

"Scootaloo, are you alright?" She asked calmly, her voice helping to sooth the poor filly's nerves.

It took a few more calming breaths and more than one look around, including straight up to ensure the pink pony's absence before she could give a reply. "Yes, thank you. Princess." Scootaloo said, greatful to the lunar pony for her help.

Luna offered the foal a gentle smile. "We have heard much of what has happened to you, Scootaloo, and we are here to convince you to go back to Ponyville with your family."

The relief Scootaloo had felt immediately disappeared, fear and panic retaking their place in the filly's body as she came to realize she'd only traded one pursuer for another. "No! No, I can't go back!"

Luna sensed the tension and lowered herself into a laying position, making herself as small and non-threatening as possible. "Why ever not, little one?" She asked, genuinely curious and sympathetic. "Is it not better to be back home than travel about as you are now?"

Scootaloo remained tense. "I don't want to go to a foster home!"

Luna tilted her head, asking about why she was so reluctant to go back to living with Macintosh and Annabelle. Scootaloo's desperate puffing turned slightly angry, and she recounted the events of what had happened as she knew them.

Shaking her head solumnly, the night princess corrected that Scootaloo was never going to be taken away from her home. "Scootaloo, do you really think Macintosh or the element of loyalty, Rainbow Dash, would have allowed that to happen?"

"Yes!" Scootaloo answered, though, the odd look Luna was giving her made her second guess her outburst. Rainbow Dash was an Element of Harmony, the Element of Loyalty no less. Their talks and time spent together had shown the filly that the prismatic mare did care about her, but... there just wasn't enough between them to convince Scootaloo that she could trust her. Yea, she admired Rainbow and all, but there was a difference between admiration and friendship.

"And Macintosh?" Luna countered. 

Scootaloo scowled. "He let that pink pony take me! He did nothing, he just sat there and let it happen."

"For good reason." The lunar alicorn retorted. "You weren't going to be taken to a foster home, Scootaloo. She was just going to ask you some questions about how Macintosh was treating you and-"

"LIAR!" The filly shouted before turning around and running away. "You're on her side, you're both government!"

Some how, the filly's path was bard by Luna, sitting in the exact same position. It was like she'd never turned around, but just ran. The princess of the night opened her eyes, their gentleness hardening slightly. "Scootaloo, you must heed me. The stallion you travel with is a very dangerous and bad pony. You need to get away from him."

Scootaloo looked around and slowly began backing up, keeping her eyes planted firmly on Luna as she did. Yet again, dream logic reared it's ugly head, her hoof steps doing nothing to increase the spacing between them.

Luna continued trying to coax and convince her to abandon Islander, telling her that he was not safe to be around and that his reasons for travel were bound in vengence and murder. Scootaloo didn't know if she believed that or not, but it didn't matter. Islander had saved her twice, he fed her and gave of himself to see her fed and warm. 

As much as it did sicken Scootaloo to think she was traveling with a killer, Luna had no proof to her claim. "And even if you did, I would rather try and stop him from killing than go back to Ponyville!"

Luna sighed in irritation. "We know you are scared and mean well, but you must believe us. You must get away from him."

"No. I. DON'T!" The filly shouted back, her fear foregone in favor of anger. Luna may have been the princess of Equestria, but as of that moment, Scootaloo didn't give a flying feather about her. Luna wanted her to suffer, to hurt in foster care for whatever reason. If Luna didn't care what she wanted, than why should she care what Luna wanted?

The Alicorn was about to reply, but her form suddenly turned staticy and shifted in and out of existence. "No... back. Scoot- ... to me, y-... away from-... too late!"

In a flash of teal, the Lunar princess was gone, and with her dispersal, a pleaseing melody permiated throughout the landscape, a soft, loving hum that made Scootaloo feel calm and slightly tranquil. She looked around for the source of the noise, hesitant to accept the soothing delight it offered, but she couldn't find it. Soon enough, the filly lost her struggle against it's loving sound and allowed the music to carry her away into a more peaceful slumber.









Sin watched as Krystal lay in bed with Scootaloo, stroking the filly's mane and humming contently to her. The filly was in the middle of another nightmare, shivering and crying beneath the covers when they'd gotten back and the off white mare immediately went to work trying to sooth her with humming.

It worked rather well, Scootaloo was smiling now, having turned her body and embraced Krystal's barrel, the older mare drooping a lazy wing over the filly as she hummed. "This always helped with my brothers when they had bad dreams. Momma Gem said it's part of my special tallent."

Sin agreed, her voice and humming was quite soothing and comforting, he'd never say it out loud, but he wished she'd do it more often.

'Sin, outside, NOW!' Critic snapped.

What? Why-

'Don't argue, just get away from her humming, NOW!'

Sin stood from his place, telling Krystal he needed to step out for a bit and closed the door behind him.

Alright, what the fuck was that?

'Luna was inside Scootaloo's dreams while we were away, she knows where Scootaloo is!'

Sin furrowed his brow.

Yea, I kinda figured she would be, probably in Krystal's dreams too, why is this a problem again?

"She's never been inside Scootaloo's dreams until tonight." The Nightmare replied.

Sin was surprised to hear this, he figured that it was due to Scootaloo that Luna had found him and sent her agents to collect. This, however, was contradicted by the Alicorn, stating that she had been circling about both Krystal and Scootaloo, protecting their minds from Luna's invasion. 

Wait, you're just telling me this now?!

"As you have a tendency to say, Sinbad. What would you have done with this information if I had given it to you?"

Sin growled under his breath, he really was not in the mood to have his own words used against him. He was tired, and already he could see the slight shift in the east of sunrise. He wouldn't be getting much sleep, if any, tonight.

Alright, fine. What's the point of telling me this now? And why were you so insistant on me leaving the room?

"Because, Sinbad, that mare's voice... her song, I do not know why, but it weakens me at your proxy."

Sin wasn't sure what she meant by his proxy, but it sounded as if Krystal's voice had some kind of counter-affect against the Nightmare, something that both intrigued and unsettled him.

How about right now? Are you still able to shield their minds from her even though she's humming?

The alicorn replied in the affirmative, so long as Sin himself wasn't hearing her song, the nightmare could adequately guard against her creator's invasion. It was an odd specification, the Federalist would have figured the humming itself would have weakened the Nightmare, but he was more than happy to have the advantage.

Wait, I thought it was Scootaloo that told Luna we were in Dodge City.

"No, that was not her. My creator had managed to breach and see slightly into her memory, but that was before Dodge City, back in Trottingham. How that welp's minions discovered we came to Dodge, I am uncertain."

That did not comfort Sin to know. Soarin knew he was in Trottingham, so why hadn't they attacked then? Speaking of which, chances were they'd been tracking him since then, yet only once had they made a move, why was that? 

'I don't know, dude. But I think you're safe for the time being. Best to get some sleep, you've got three ponies to interrogate tomorrow.'

He planned to, right after Krystal finished her tune. 


> The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. IV)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. IV)










Sin stood alone outside Professor Cook's home, Krystal and Scootaloo electing to both stay at the inn for the morning. The filly's mood was still pretty sour, she didn't speak too much to either of them when she woke up, and still wouldn't explain what had her so bothered yesterday. Krystal, being the motherly figure she was, decided to stay with her and see if she could help cheer her up, leaving the Federalist to handle the investigation.

'Hope she'll be alright. I've never seen Scootaloo like that.'

She's been through a lot, she just needs some time.

The stallion listened intently for anything on the inside, not wanting a repeat of what happened last time, yet he couldn't hear anything.

'Maybe they're just relaxing?' Critic suggested.

Or maybe they're in the middle of another experiment or some such and want absolute quiet.

After another couple of insufferable seconds of silence, Sin internally shrugged and knocked, gently at first to ease the broken silence, but becoming increasingly more intent with each hit.

"GAH! Bucking plebeians!" Professor Cook shouted in irritation. "Seedy, just keep up the spell, I'll be right back."

Shortly after, the door opened, revealing the alabaster earth pony, this time, an apron covering his chest and forelegs, with some odd green substance staining the front. He didn't look happy to have his work interrupted, and demanded to know what was so important.

"Hey, wait, you're that stallion who stopped by yesterday!" 

Sin nodded and reintroduced himself, remembering to address the stallion by his title. "If you have a moment, I'd like to ask you and your assistant about any-"

"Hold that thought." Professor Cook held up a hoof, his brow furrowing before turning back. "Seedy! Try stimulating the madulla with Devil Pollin!"

Sin quirked a brow as a few seconds of silence passed, he hated it when he was trying to talk to someone and their attention was directed somewhere else. 

Suddenly, a long, whiny groan came from within the confines of the home, sounding as if it was meant to be communicative.

"Dammit." Cook cursed. "Alright, just... never mind, just don't let it hit the ground! We've only got one of those! So sorry, but as you can see, I'm in the middle of something, perhaps you could stop by at another time?" 

Sin pressed his lips, that was not the response he was wishing for and informed the white earth pony that he didn't have time to continually come back at his own convenience. Cook, nonplussed by the demand, reprimanded the stallion for his behavior, citing an allegory that it was much more effective to catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

"Professor Cook, I'm going to be frank with you. While I can appreciate scientific advancement and research, I also have my own interests to pursue that lay outside the boundaries of this town. I've been hired to fix a problem, a problem that you, sir, seem to be directly involved with. Now, you can either speak to me now, willingly, or I can come back with the sheriff and a warrant."

Cook's indignant expression compounded as his hazel eyes constricted ever so slightly. While Sin wasn't a fan of Government intrusion, and it did go against his principals to use it, seeing Puddinghead slip through his grasp yesterday had pushed the stallion's patience passed giving a husky fuck. All he wanted now was to get results, with all of the time he'd invested in this little endeavor, he planned to get a return on that investment.

After a quick internal debate, Professor Cook asked for a moment to clean up and put his experiment on hold, Sin granted the request and waited a full ten minutes outside.

Finally, he was inside and was offered a seat on a rather luxurious looking green bean bag chair, Sin elected to stand however. Cook did take a seat, now free of his protective apron and gestured for Sin to begin his questions.

"I'll need your assistant out here, as well." The Federalist pressed.

Cook's ears splayed and he made a face. "Umm, Inquisitor, I can assure you, Seedy will be of no help in your questions."

Quirking a brow, Sin asked for why that would be, to which the white earth pony gently tried to explain that his assistant was a... simple pony, very simple. The Federalist refrained from rolling his eyes, he couldn't be that simple if he was helping the professor with biological experiments, what kind of idiot did this guy take him for?

Despite his reluctance, Cook called his assistant in from the other room.

Sin's once again had to restrain himself from reacting, but this time from disgust. 

"Seedy! Put your mask on! We have company!"

But it was too late, the Federalist already saw the poor pony's face, and he wished he hadn't. The assistant was a hideously disfigured unicorn stallion, his left eye brow bulging grotesquely from his face, part of his lower lip protruding slightly, revealing oddly decent teeth beneath. Though the worst was his twisted and malformed muzzle, the nostrils mismatching sizes and off set in a way that made it almost impossible to ignore.

Sweet Milliki, what happened to that poor bastard?

'Sin, be nice.'

I'm not going to say anything, but... fucken-a, dude.

The assistant, Seedy, slumped a little, and he let out a groan of disappointed apology before leaving to fetch his face guard. Sin wanted to tell Cook that it was alright, that he was mature enough to handle the disfigured look, but that would be a lie. 

Sin found the fact that he was perturbed by the pony's appearance to be immature and a character flaw on his part, but that didn't make it any less of a fact. 

Seedy returned, his face concealed behind a brown cotton sack, with one eye hole cut out to reveal his good eye peering out to the world. Had he not already seen the stallion's face, he'd have found the bag's placement just as unnerving. 

"Seedy, this is the Inquisitor. He's come to ask us some questions about those times we tried to take the apples to the buffalo. We want to be honest with him, okay?" Cook cooed, speaking softly.

"Guu-huh." Seedy groaned in reply.

Pulling out his notepad and pencil, Sin began his rounds of questioning. Starting from the obvious, if either of them had seen anything suspicious while transporting the apple cargo.

Seedy shook his head and groaned in the negative, while Cook began the tale from the beginning on both accounts. Twice the trio of he, Braeburn and Seedy had traveled outworld to the tribe, and twice the scales had shown the cargo in want...









Krystal flew about a small distance away from town, Scootaloo firmly held within her forelegs. The filly's mood had improved dramatically since taking to the sky, despite her initial protests and forceful removal from the bed.

The wind blowing through her mane and face felt exhilarating,  as foot after foot of air and space passed by, only for more to welcome them both. Krystal wasn't moving as fast as Scootaloo would have liked, but a little bit of flying was a great welcome to the constant walking. Plus it also let her mind wonder, not to the nightmare or the conversation with princess Luna, but to the future.

Her mind replayed a couple of stunts and tricks Rainbow Dash had preformed a few weeks ago, aerial loops, barrel rolls, constant spinning, banking, all complete with a Sonic Rainboom. Scootaloo's smiled as she imagined herself doing the same stunts, adding in her own original moves. The adrenaline, the speed, the world zooming by in a blur, that's was what she wanted. The exhilaration, the competition, the uncertainty and control. The constant challenge of pushing higher, faster, stronger... 

Scootaloo may be stuck ground bound for now, but she knew that, in time, she too would grow to fly like her idol and the Wonderbolts Rainbow aspired to join.

"Feeling better?" Krystal asked, slowing her pace to a casual glide so the two could talk.

Scootaloo nodded happily. "Mh hmmm. Much better." She looked up. "Thanks for taking me flying, I appreciate it."

Krystal giggled and expressed her own gratitude for the chance, she used to do this with her brothers all the time, but they hadn't wanted to fly with her for years. It was nice that somepony was willing to allow her the opportunity again.

"Wait, your brothers didn't want to do this?" Scootaloo asked in bewilderment. "What kind of pony doesn't want to fly?!"

Krystal's happy smile dropped a little. "Obsi said they were getting too old for it, and Scoria just went along with what ever Obsi told him. It made me kinda sad when my brothers stopped wanting to play with me."

Scootaloo felt a pang in her chest, Krystal looked so forlorn in that moment. The rock farm was isolated from most of the outside world, the family didn't even even attend a proper school, just home schooled by Sandy. It didn't seem there were too many travelers that came by the home, either. Scootaloo could only imagine how lonely she must have been in terms of peer interaction. For all of the filly's own suffering at home, at least she had friends who she could go to school and play with. 

Scootaloo motioned that she wanted to land and, with one final roll to liven the mood, the blue maned pegasus brought them both down on the outskirts of Appleloosa. 

"Are you okay?" The filly asked. Krystal wiped her eyes and forced a smile.

"Sorry, just having a little trip down memory lane." The mare said cheerfully. Scootaloo was half wanting to press the issue, but Krystal didn't seem all that sad. Not really, anyway. She was a sensitive sort, kinda like Annabelle and Fluttershy were, but she also bounced back quickly enough. 

"Momma Gem told me that living in sadness isn't living. That the best way to be is to have a good spirit and a positive attitude." 

Scootaloo studied the smiling pegasus, she'd been told the same thing many a times, but seeing how happy Krystal was really made the message hit home. 

"How about you, Scootaloo? What was your family like?" Krystal asked.

"They... weren't around much." The filly said, her own eyes becoming downcast. She missed her parents, she really did. She loved them as any child would love their caregivers, but she'd long since gotten over it. What made her depressed now was the feelings she had for Macintosh and Annabelle. The former more so than the latter...

What if Luna was telling the truth? What if they never did intend to send her to foal services for more than a couple of questions? And how did she know Islander? Was she lying about him too, or was he really a bad pony? He said he wasn't a good pony, and he constantly tried to dodge helping others, but he saved her, didn't he? Even if he was a bad pony, there must have been some good in him, right?

Krystal turned bleary eyed as Scootaloo recounted the story of her parents untimely demise in the Griffon country. The filly cracking a little herself when she'd reached the part where she was told about the accident.

She knew it was coming, but she still couldn't stop a small squeak of surprise when Krystal snatched her up into a crushing embrace. Even if Islander wasn't a good pony, Krystal was.

"And that's when Islander came and picked you up?" The older pony asked. Scootaloo nodded.

"Yea, I was sad, but there was other stuff too." Scootaloo offered. Things like The Cutie Mark Crusaders, where she and her friends would get into all kinds of trouble and hilarious situations in an attempt to find their cutie marks. Like that one time where they'd spent an entire day going over all kinds of things: Like mountain climbing, trying to make taffy, checking if they could be mind readers and even tried to be librarians.

That seemed to liven the mood, Krystal explained her own endeavors to find her mark. Some of the activities were dull, like roofing, gardening and rock juggling, but some of them Scootaloo kicked herself for never thinking of. Things like gymnastics and water boarding surfing by propulsion with wings on a board around the ravine. It was similar to what Scootaloo used to do with her scooter.

"But then; one day when Papa was in Twin Springs, he brought momma Sandy home." Krystal's expression darkened. "Sh- she was hurt very badly. Her leg was broken and her eye was swollen and black. She didn't talk to either me or Momma Gem, I didn't understand why, though, not at first. Me and momma were nice to her, very nice. We fed her, smiled, nursed her as best we could, but no matter what, she always acted afraid and wouldn't say anything. She'd only talk to Papa, and he said it wasn't his place to say what happened."

Scootaloo felt herself drop at what she'd heard next. It took a while, but Sandy eventually opened up. She was in a homosexual relationship with a very abusive mare. One who constantly took her frustrations out on the small earth pony. Whenever Granite would visit the town market every other week, he'd notice the earth mare was sporting a new injury of some kind. Finally, one day, he'd seen enough and asked her why she put up with the abuse. 

Sandy first denied that it was her lover's doing, but Granite was smarter than that. When that didn't work, Sandy moved to justification and saying she deserved it, but the reasons given weren't satisfactory either. Talking to other mares while out and about and visiting a certain store her lover forbid her from going to. Finally the truth came out and Sandy said that it was because she was afraid, because if she left her marefriend would hurt her worse, she felt like she didn't have a choice.

"That's when Papa told her that there was always a choice, that no matter how bad things may be, that no matter how dire the consequence, there is always three options. To accept, to fight, or to escape. Momma Sandy accepted her old marefriend's abuse long enough, but she didn't want to fight, so she ran away with Papa."

That's was the day Krystal found her tallent. Sandy's old lover found out where she'd escaped to and tracked her down to the house while Granite was out in the fields. Krystal was still relatively young then, about Scootaloo's age, but she could still remember the event like it was yesterday. 

Krystal was reading in the living room while Gem was cooking, Sandy was on the couch, also reading. She was getting better, not flinching or hold up in the spare bedroom anymore. Though, once Krystal's mother unknowingly invited the Sandy's old lover inside, all of the grey earth pony's progress suddenly reversed and she began begging and pleading not to be hit again, as if her past lover was holding her hoof at the ready.

The other earth pony mare acted calmly and kindly, saying that she had no idea what the terrified pony was talking about, but Krystal could hear the dishonesty in her voice, and so could Gem. Seeing Sandy like that terrified Krystal and while Gem ushered out the mare, decrying her presence unwelcomed, Krystal began singing to Sandy to try and sooth her, much like her mother did for both of them. Her song calmed the distraught mare and a sudden flash gave way, revealing Krystal's cutie mark.

It was a startling revelation, but it did have a happy ending with Obsidian and Scoria being born from Sandy. She must have gotten better after that, Scootaloo saw her smiling and acting pleasantly enough. Still though, it bothered her to think mares could act that way, weren't they supposed to be the kinder and gentler sex? Stallions were the aggressive ones, after all.

"After that, she tried to come back one last time, but this time, Papa was home. He made her leave and never come back." Krystal said. The former lover's second appearance was not a peaceful one. She behaved aggressively, cursing and saying hurtful things about the family. She forced her way inside and tried to get to Sandy, Gem wouldn't deter her this time, but Granite did. He didn't waste time asking her to leave, he just hit her and forced her outside of the house.

Krystal didn't know exactly what happened next, she was too busy trying to comfort Sandy with Gem, but when Granite returned later that day, he said she wasn't going to bother them ever again.

Krystal closed her eyes sagely "He protected his family, like a good father and stallion should."

The implication unnerved Scootaloo a little. Granite was a very intimidating sort of stallion, much like Islander was. Strong, imposing, capable and very protective. The filly's mind wondered a little on the possibilities, but stopped when the ultimate conclusion over took the hope of her just going to jail.  

Scootaloo was happy enough to know a little more about Krystal and how she'd gotten her mark, but the story did beckon a change of topic. One more relevant to the current moment in time...









"You can ask in as many ways as you can think to word it, but I'm tellin' ya. Neither Seedy nor I saw any food disappearing." Professor Cook groaned, pushing his glasses up and rubbing his eyes in irritation.

Sin was trying to word his questions carefully, find any inconsistency with the good earth pony's story and exploit the ever loving shit out of it. His initial plan of interviewing the two separately was an impossibility. Seedy was absolutely incapable of communication outside of groaning in the affirmative and negative, and his mental impairments made him little more than a bit of muscle. 

Both ponies had been in town for at least two years, so their establishment in Appleloosa wasn't probable cause. Sin still suspected that Cook had something to do with it, but his mind just couldn't piece together how. He was missing something, things just weren't adding up.

Seeing that the questions weren't going anywhere, Sin switched to the credibility of others. Scales in particular, though that also lead to another dead end. Scales used his display weights in order to judge the weight of the cargo, and Sin had already tested those for accuracy himself.

"I'm sorry, Inquisitor, but there's nothing more I can tell you. I know for certain that the cargo was two hundred and fifty pounds when we weighed it in Scales' shop. All four of us can attest to this fact. I can also assure you, and you may ask Seedy and Braeburn as well, that there was no food taken in transit. The only problem came about when the buffalo weighed the food themselves. If you want my honest opinion, I would look to them." Cook declared before standing. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my assistant and I must return to our work. Good day to you, sir."

Sin, seeing nothing else he could ask, stood from his place and thanked both ponies for their time before taking his leave.

'Could be a conspiracy between all four of them.' Critic suggested as Sin walked down the early afternoon Appleloosan thurofare. 

Not likely, Braeburn is a local farmer pony, and Scales sells balances and weights. Both are producing capitalists, and harming profits are the last thing any business owner wants. Disrupting the transport of goods is the quickest way to hurt any profit motive.

'Ulterior motive?'

That also didn't add up to the stallion, money was a big incentivizer, and he didn't see any gain for either of the workers. 

According to the Professor, the last time the ponies trifled with the buffalo, it lead to the battle of Appleloosa. Which, much to Sin's bewilderment, resulted in hundreds of bits worth of pies being baked and used as projectiles, property damage to the town and using good lumber to make barricades. Wasting all of that: product, time and money for no other reason than... a fucking food fight.

Okay you know what? I take it back, there might be an ulterior motive. These ponies clearly aren't the most intelligent bunch. A fuck ton of angry buffalo come charging in threatening their lives and they defend themselves with baked goods? Yea...

'Any guesses?'

With that kind of stupidity, anything is possible.

'My suggestion? Let's pretend they learned from their mistakes and give them the benefit of the doubt.'

That wasn't going to be easy, but Sin would do his best to manage. While the profit motive didn't cross off Braeburn or scales as suspects, it did make them less prime candidates. That left Professor Cook and his assistant, which pretty much left the alabaster pony, considering his unicorn assistance less average mental status.

'Don't forget, the buffalo might also be intentionally weighing the cargo.'

Sin didn't think that was the case, but all evidence pointed to that. If the cargo was true in its agreed weight and nothing happened in transit, than the only discrepancy was on the natives. The Federalist didn't want to admit it, he was certain Cook was culprate, but he had nothing to convict the stallion with it.

'Sin, I know you like the buffs and trust them, but you've gotta face the facts, dude. They are where the problem begins and ends. Nobody in Appleloosa has any reason to tamper with the cargo, but the bison do. They have the motive to lie to gain more food and they don't lose anything if Appleloosa's trade routs are disrupted.'

Yea, but neither does Professor Cook. 

Sin's counter was met by a growing tension between the races, resulting in a hostile work environment for the sociologist and putting his life in danger for his work. Cook may have been a little conceded and short, but he wasn't stupid. 

'Gotta face the facts, dude. The bison are looking pretty bad right now.'

The oaken pony shook the voice off, he knew it wasn't the buffalo, he didn't know how he knew, but he was convinced they weren't the party responsible. There was something else... there was something he wasn't seeing. What's worse, NOW it felt like it was staring him right in the face. A glaringly obvious answer to the question that was just outside of his reach.

'You can try talking to Braeburn, but it'd be a waste of time.'

That's right, he still needed to do that. Sin stopped by the Sharif's office and asked where he'd be able to find the stallion in question, learning the earth pony spent some of his time in the local salt saloon. The oaken pony bid his thanks and found the place in short order, his senses becoming immediatly bombarded by the stench of salt and trace smells of alcohol, appealing to his inner lush.

He found Braeburn in the corner of the establishment among his fellows, sucking a salt like and having a good game of cards. 

'Cards, eh? Might be best if you avoid him, you know how you are with-'

GAMBLING!

Sin had to restrain himself from running over to join the fun, he hadn't gambled in so long, it was almost painful to know the cards were on the table and he couldn't indulge his guilty pleasure.

"Howdy, Inquisitor!" The flamboyant stallion greeted, holding the Federalist off for a moment while the current hand finished. Sin took note of the lack of bits on the table, or anything for that matter. He felt a little relieved, the game was all in good fun.

The hand ended and Breaburn returned his attention. "Sorreh, had a good hand. What can Ah do fer ya?"

Sin requested to speak to the pony in private, but Braeburn cheerful refused, stating that whatever the two would talk about, his friends would hear about anyhow.

Sin informed the young stallion about his dealings with Cook and his assistant and had come to ask Breaburn about his side of the story. He'd already spoken to Scootaloo, but there was a topic in which Sin wanted to expand upon a little bit.

"Sorreh, partner, but Ah already told that little filly o' yers everythin'. Nopony messed with the shipment n' it was weighed smooth n' lawful like." Braburn said. 

"Alright, from my understanding, the last successful apple shipment to the buffalo came through two months ago, can you tell me anything that might have been off or different for last month's shipment? Since that was the one that was rejected?"

Breaburn rubbed his chin. "No' really. Only difference was that Professor Cook brough' along Seedy. Poor pony finally got up the nerve to wonder out intah town. Ponies try to be nice to 'em though."

'Different, but hardly relevant.'

Sin jotted down the notes and opened his pad to a marked section. "Sco- er Angel Wings tells me your orchard suffered a raid two weeks ago. Can you tell me anything about that?"

"Ah can." Said one of the other stallion, taking a sip of meed. "Them buffalo came to collect, that's what happened."

"Now Apple Core, we don't know that it was them." Braeburn countered, but Apple Core reminded the pony that more than one farm hoof saw the bison near the perimeter of the orchard on the stampeding grounds that very afternoon. 

"Ah'm tellin' ya, Brae, it was them dirty natives that stole 'em. Why would anypony steal from the orchard? Buffalo said they was gonna collect their dues one way or another, didn't they?"

Sin quirked a brow as Braeburn slumped and admitted as much. That was new information, information that condemned his theory on Cook being the perpetrator some how... first the balance, then the motive and now theivory? Maybe the bison were the party responsible. It wasn't often that Sin's gut feelings were wrong, but all evidence pointed to them.

'Told ya, dude.'

Well, fuck me.

"Oi! You!" Somebody called out, Sin turned around and groaned as Scales walked over to the table. "Somepony broke into my shop last nig- wait, are ya still goin' 'round n' askin ponies 'bout the delivery?"

Sin nodded his head and Scales' groaned in frustration. "Why are y'all still harassin' us? It's them buffs that's the problem, not us!"

Murmurs of agreement from the surrounding patrons permeated Sin's ears. The stallion didn't want to admit it, more on account of him being wrong than anything, but the evidence was pretty damning. Never the less, hopefully his presence at the next delivery would offer better results.

Tentitivly, he breached the subject of making another delivery to the buffalo tomorrow to see if the issue could be quelled and peace reestablished on behalf of his non-existent employer.

Scales, predictably, was thunderstruck by the suggestion. "Are ya serious righ' now? They steal from us and intentionally try to extort us, n' y'all wanna give 'em more food?!"

"Would you rather continually have your own profits decline because you can't sell your goods outside of Appleloosa?" Sin countered, eying the pony with skepticism. 

That sent the earth pony into a fit of sputtering, but Sin knew he wouldn't have an argument for it. 

"He's right, Scales." Braeburn sighed. "Buffs maya jipped us, but they've already raided the trains more 'n once. Until Celestia sends us some muscle, it'd be fer the best we just give 'em what they want."

Sin asked if the delivery would be ready by tomorrow and requested that he and his own assistants accompany the troop. To which Braeburn replied in the affirmative, stating that his family was already working on some apple fritters as well as apple pies. Watering them down a bit for added weight, of course.

"This is ridiculous." Scales spat before turning and walking away. Sin didn't care for how the pony was behaving, usually that kind of self righteousness was meant to cover something up... maybe it wasn't the buffalo's ballance that was off after all?

'I don't think so, but he is acting pretty suspicious to say the least.'

Braeburn stood from his place and stated that he and his friends needed to head back to the farmstead and ready the wagon, informing the pony where the wagon would be and when they planned to depart. Sin bid them all good by and made way out of the establishment. 

Sin pushed his way into the inn room and locked the door behind him, doing a quick sweep about to make sure he was alone before putting down his notepad and reviewing the information there in. Yet, no matter how many times he reviewed the material, no matter how he looked at it though, it was clear who the culprits were.

With every last avenue exhausted, the cloaked pony sighed and resigned himself to the facts as he saw them. The buffalo were in the wrong some how.

The door to the room unlocked and Scootaloo and Krystal walked in, the former looking to be in a much better mood. In Krystal's mouth hung a bag with a delicious aroma of baked goods and stir fry.

"Hey Islander, we brought you food!" Krystal said, depositing the bag on the desk.

Sin's stomach growled and reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything all day. Between the hours of grilling Cook and last night's little ordeal, the Federalist had worked himself famished.

"Sounds like he needs it too." Scootaloo added helpfully.

Krystal chuckled and unwrapped the bag, giving the stallion access to the deliciousness within.

Oh delicious bell peppers, how I have missed you.

As Sin indulged his hunger, Krystal asked if he'd found out anything about the case. He sipped down a bit of noodle and swallowed before replying that he had one of two theories, but nothing concrete just yet. While the evidence did point to the bison, there was still a small shred of doubt over Scales' recent behavior.

"I'm not ready to make a proclamation just yet, let's see how things go during tomorrow's delivery. By the way, you two are coming with me."

"What?!" Krystal shrieked, her amber eyes shrinking to pinpricks as she looked between him and Scootaloo. "Are you honestly going to bring a foal to that... that... den of beasts!"

She did have a point, if things went arry once again, things could get ugly very quickly for them. Krystal could likely get Sin out of there if need be, but he wasn't sure she could support both his weight and her and still be able to maneuver properly. Alas, Scales' knew where they were staying, and it sounded if he knew about his little appropriation of the stallion's weights. If he decided to go to the Silverstar about the matter there was potential for Scootaloo to be rounded up and identified. He wasn't about to let that happen, plus he didn't plan to stay another night.

Word must have gotten to Celestia by now, and it was only a matter of time before her own agents arrived to investigate the matter for themselves. Sin wanted to be a memory in the Appleloosan ponies minds by the time they got there.

"So, we're leaving tomorrow?" Krystal said a little dejectedly. "Aww, I wanted to see the orchard."

Sin smirked at her luck, the orchard was where the baked goods were being accumulated for transport, and the off white pegasus gleefully hopped in place at having her wish granted.

"Let me guess, we're going to Manehatten, aren't we?" Scootaloo half asked, her eyes narrowing skeptically.

'Shit! She's catching onto you, dude!'

"Yea." Sin replied with equally as much skepticism. "I am. You two are free to do whatever you please."

The two grounded pegasi continued eyeing each other. One daring the other to challenge in question and one daring the other to elaborate. Sin knew Scootaloo was smart, but that intelligence was just about to become a liability.

"Well of course we're going with you to Manehatten!" Krystal pointed out. "Why wouldn't we go with you? What else are we supposed to do? Stay here? Besides, you two said you'd give me an explanation on why you lied once this was cleared up, and I want that explanation."

"Yea." Scootaloo agreed, her eyes baring holes into Sin's own. "I think we all want an explanation."

The Federalist pressed his lips, there was no other way to explain it, Scootaloo caught him looking intently at Puddinghead. She knew Sin was chasing him.





> The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. V)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------













The Appleloosa Extortion (Pt. V)










Dawn came quickly, and Scootaloo found that, for the first time in the time she'd known him, she was actually up and about before Islander.

She eyed both he and Krystal's sleeping forms for a moment, taking in the contrast between them. While the mare slept peacefully and with a serene smile, the stallion's ears continually twitched and his face contorted in a grimace of either pain or pleading. She briefly wondered if Luna was torturing him, demanding he take her back to Ponyville by ruining his sleep.

The filly hoped not, despite the fact he lied alot and refused to tell her why they were traveling to specific towns so quickly, she didn't want him to suffer like that. She'd experienced terrifying dreams, images that would haunt her for the rest of her life, she didn't want that for him.

She slowly trotted over and began tapping him on the shoulder. "Islander? Islander, wake up." She coaxed.

The stallion's breathing quickened and became erratic, his hoof moving in slow jabs. "Zell..." He whispered pitifully.

"Islander, wake up!"

The pony twitched and twisted in a violent spasm, a stray hoof striking Scootaloo in the chest and sending her scuttling backwards. Her indignity over the assault was short lived however. Her words died in her through and her lavender eyes shrunk as an indescribable sense of terror and panic overtook her, bringing every inch of her form to freeze in a sensation of ice.

The only thing worse was what she saw. Islander was awake now, panting heavily and glaring at her with eyes not his own. His typically ice cold retinas and rounded pupils were gone, replaced by a pair of teal eyes, the pupils thin slits like a dragons.

The fears she'd experienced before, the pink pony, finding out her parents had died, being chased by timberwolves, looking up into the jaws of death itself as they came down upon her. They all paled in compassion to the unbridled fear and sense of impending doom his eyes forced her to endure. It was a second, only a second before she lost all thought, but it was the single most horrifying second of the filly's young life.









"Scootaloo? Scootaloo, are you alright?" Sin asked, feeling himself starting to panic.

He didn't mean to do it, it was an accident! One second he was dreaming about Zell's death, the next he was glaring at a paralized foal. He hoped he hadn't done to her what he did to Sickle, but the look of terror on her face, it was the same look the earth pony had right before he died...

"Scootaloo, Scootaloo, talk to me, kiddo!" Sin barked in a whisper. He checked to make sure Krystal was still asleep and silently asked the filly's forgiveness.

TWACK!

He smacked her across the face. Not hard enough to send her to the ground, but hard enough to get her back to her senses.

"Owww." Scootaloo complained, rubbing her now stinging cheek. "What the hay, Islander!?" She shouted, rousing Krystal from her slumber in a confused daze.

Sin made a split second decision and hoped he'd made the right one. "Kiddo, you've been sitting there like that for the past thirty seconds. You were like a statue, you alright?"

Scootaloo quirked a brow at him and suddenly found that she didn't know what was going on herself. One second, apparently, she woke up and the next, she just got slapped.

"What's going on?" Krystal demanded, jumping down from the bed. 

Rolling with the foal's response, Sin suggested that Scootaloo might have been sleep walking. "She was just standing there, she looked pretty out of it, so I work her up." He shrugged. 

Sleep walkers had a tendency to be violent if awoken, gently poking and prodding them was a bad idea, snapping them out of their trance was always the best way to go. Considering all the emotional trauma she'd undergone, accusing Scootaloo of sleepwalking made sense to him, but Krystal would need to be put into the loop once the full explanation came to task.

Said pegasus mare, none too pleased with his methods, escorted Scootaloo to the bathroom to help clean the little filly up.

Critic, get me the Nightmare, NOW!

'Got it.'

"Good morning, Sinbad. I trust-"

What. The fuck. Was that?

The Nightmare chuckled coyly, compounding Sin's already frazzled nerves.

"Oh Sinbad, haven't you figured it out yet? Despite your little plan with that inner child of yours, I still am a growing power within your mind." She said in a casual and conversational tone of voice. "It's your own fault really. I'm not the only deamon you have in here you know. You lie so much, you have done such terrible things and are, yourself, a terrible pony. Had you been more virtuous and bound to the light, you would last longer against me. But you are a being of darkness, such as I am. It was foolish of you to willingly harbor me within yourself with the presumption you may exploit my magic to your own ends as you pleased."

Yes, I do harbor you, and if you ever do anything like that again, I'll drop my Occlumency and let Luna rape your ass with her two foot fucking horn! All I have to lose is her knowing where I am, a knowledge she already has by her lackeys tracking us anyways. 

Instead of recoiling in horror at his threat, the Nightmare merely laughed again. "Oh please, Sinbad. How quickly your fearful bravado makes you forget. How many times has it been by my power that you have survived or continued on uninhibited? The airship, the Timberwolves, those foal slave runners in the Everfree, escaping those two stallions after the mine collapsed. And not even three nights ago, you were once again begging at my fetlocks, taking comfort in my power as your only means of escape. You know my words true, Sinbad. You wont hand me over to Luna, you need me now, you've had a portion of my power, and you've grown to appreciate the taste."

Her last words came in a seductive whisper, tantalizing Sin's mind in a way he had no love for. She was right, he was relying on her power too much. The Nightmare offered him an edge, a power that nobody else had... but it came at a cost and a risk. 

Yet as cunning and clever as he fancied himself to be, the Trotski were equally intelligent. They'd already lured him into two traps, both of which he'd have died in if it wasn't for the Alicorn... 

For living in my head, you don't seem to understand me very well.

"Oh? Care to elaborate?"

I may die without you, but I'd rather die on my hooves than live on my knees. Your assumed control over my mind is the worst form of enslavement. Perhaps I would carry on chasing Puddinghead after handing you over, or maybe, I'll tell Luna everything I know, and have her track down the Trotski for me while I kick back in prison. Macintosh is my primary concern, it wouldn't be too difficult to arrange some kind of protection for him now, not that it would be necessary anyway. Luna's guards would find and dispose of all of the heads of the Trotski before they even realized he was alive.

"Luna cannot exercise me from such a distance, she would need to-" The Nightmare stopped, too late realizing her mistake.

Good to know, so it looks like I've got one of two options then: One, I keep going, believing what you say and having you slowly but surely take over my mind, with all the nuances and inconveniences that to go with it, there by taking a risk in ending Puddinghead while holding small fragments of dwindling freedom, or two: I go back to Canterlot, turn myself in, have your happy ass sucked out of my brain like blood work and allow both Celestia and Luna handle the situation while I rot in prison.

Both limit my freedom, aye, but one does so in a conventional way while one takes it to a far worse extreme. Care to guess which one I'll do?

Sin smirked as he heard the Nightmare stutter for a response. Of course he'd rather kill Puddinghead and the rest of them himself out of revenge and vengeance for the wrongs they'd committed against him personally, but he wasn't willing to allow himself to fall prey to her will as the cost. 

"And what of your precious little Scootaloo? If you turn yourself in, she-"

Will be fine. I have connections in Ponyville and a certain high government office holding orange unicorn mare who owes me one hell of a favor. It'll be up to Scootaloo what she ultimately does, but I'll see if I can have her stay with Macintosh or something. Granny Smith may be a bit of a bitch, but between Mac, Anna, Applejack and her friend, Applebloom, I think that would be the best place for her to go.

Silent contemplation, but ultimately, the Alicorn's next question would be the biggest test of his will. 

"And if she runs away again?"

I'll be frank, I like the kid, I really do, but I've already risked my ass for her twice. I think I've done more than enough for her to justify quitting now. She's done nothing in return for me, and with that little bit of snark last night, I'm really half tempted to stop caring all together.

So, Nightmare, here's the deal. Unless you're ready to meet your literal maker, I suggest you start playing nice. 

Silence, the silence of incomprehensible befuddlement. The Federalist took pride in his ability to shut her down.

A small clapping was heard as metal covered hooves banged together in a sign of submission. "Well played, Sinbad. Well played indeed. Though, understand this, it will only be a matter of time until I'm strong enough within your mind to control your little mind barrier, and when I am, your body will become my vessel."

Sin wasn't sure how to take that, part of him said he'd just allow the Luna to take the Nightmare after that, but another part of him urged the pony to take his crossbow and end his life.

The choice between allowing one Alicorn or the other power over his person was an inevitable one. The only way to escape one was to submit to the other... 

Scootaloo and Krystal returned from the bathroom and Sin asked the filly once again if she was alright and hoped that there we no hard feelings. 

"Yea, I'm fine. Next time, can you just... shove me or something? That really hurt." She complained, rubbing her cheek.

Sin chuckled. "Noted, you guys ready? I think we'll be leaving as soon as this is over."

Scootaloo nodded and donned her saddle bags and brown scarf. Krsytal was also packed up and ready to go, having refilled everyone's canteens last night. 

"Seriously, do not strike her again." Krystal warned, prodding Sin's chest with her hoof. "Family isn't supposed to hurt one another, they're supposed to love and comfort. Understand?"

Sin refrained from rolling his eyes. "Yes momma Krystal."









"Ohmigosh it's so pretty!" Krystal gasped, standing in awe as she took in the apple orchard from the small hill that over looked it, Scootaloo by her side.

Sin was more interested in the pounds and pounds of baked goods being loaded onto a well sized crate, ready to be moved to the scale house and then taken over to the buffalo's encampment. He hoped things would go more smoothly this time.

"Isn't it pretty Scootaloo?" Krystal swooned.

The orange filly shrugged. "A friend of mine lives on an apple farm, you should see her orchard. This is nice, but you can't even see the end of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Think this'll be enough?" One of the loading mares asked. Braeburn chewed over the rather sizable display crate before nodding in satisfaction. 

Sin agreed, he didn't know what two hundred and fifty pounds of baked goods looked like, but the rows and rows of pies and fritters sitting before him did seem to make the cut. Hell, he'd have guessed that the whole thing was overkill, but it was better to give too much than too little in this case.

Once the wagon was loaded and ready, Sin had to pry Krystal away from her beloved sight, practically dragging the mare away from the orchard. "But... but the pretty!" She complained, trying to look back.

"C'mon Krystal, we've got a job to do, remember?"

The off white pegasus mare pushed out her lip and looked at Sin with pleading amber eyes. The stallion was touched by the emotional display, but emotional manipulation was just that, emotional manipulation. "Quit being such a child, there are other pretty things to look at later."

Grunting in annoyance, Krystal stomped her hoof in a pout and reluctantly accompanied him with the wagon to the scale house. Professor Cook and his masked assistant. 

"Mornin' Professor, Seedy." Breaburn greeted cheerfully.

The alabaster earth pony repaid the kindly hello and spat out another for Sin and his companions.

"Ah still can't believe y'all 'er goin' through with this." Scales declared, unlocking the door to his shop.

Braeburn gently reminded the stallion of their intents and the blue earth pony shrugged apathetically in reply, finding the battle not worth fighting any more.

Sin observed the weights he grabbed, using the display weights he'd used himself. He was sure they were the same, not that it mattered, since there was easily more food than the two hundred and fifty pounds necessary.

"That'll be enough." Cook declared happily, seeing the scale balance itself out.

Braeburn rubbed his chin, looking over the remaining two pies and ten fritters, an extra fifteen pounds of food by Sin's judgement.

"Naw, let's just take the whole thing to 'em."

"WHAT!" Scales shouted. "Braeburn, if'n ya do that, you'll be playin' right inta the buffalo's hooves!"

The yellow stallion sighed. "Ah just wanna be able to move our trains without them all tryna steal from us, Scales. If'n we gotta give 'em a little more to make sure, than dag nabbit we will."

The business owner scoffed and shook his head before walking out of the shop, too disgusted with everything to even help them reload the wagon.

Sin watched as every single pie and fritter was loaded, taking a count at the end to make sure. There was absolutely no chance of a the food stuffs not making weight. The remaining three stallions, one filly and one pegasus mare made way out of the shop, closed the door behind them and out into the badlands.

"Krystal, take to the sky, let me know if anything is coming to greet us." Sin whispered.

"Okay." She answered before flapping her wings and circling overhead, while Sin himself watched the crate like a hawk.

Professor Cook walked up with Braeburn, chit chatting about how he thought things were going to go, while Sin walked behind the wagon with Scootaloo and Angel. 

"Hey, Islander." The filly called in a harsh whisper. "What happened this morning?"

Sin kept to the story, but Scootaloo's accusatory glare told him she wasn't buying it. 

"I remember what happened, I wasn't sleep walking. I tried to wake you up and you did that thing where you scared me! Your eyes went all weird like a snake! What's going on!" She demanded, making Sin grimace. He was really hoping she was serious about not remembering, but apparently that was just so Krystal wouldn't ask questions. If anything, he had to give her credit for that.

"Look, it's complicated, alright? Can we talk about this later?" Sin whispered.

Scootaloo wouldn't let the topic drop, though. "Does it have something to do with that yellow pony on the train? The one you were glaring at before we got here?"

FUCK! 

'Damn, dude. You'd better choose your words very carefully.'

"Yes and no." The Federalist spat, continually looking up at the tarp covered crate. "I'll explain everything when this is over, okay?"

Scootaloo cut infront of him, barring his path. "Just like you're going to tell Krystal everything?" 

Sin smirked. "Oooh, low blow, kiddo." He lowered his head and looked her in the eye. "Or maybe I'll tell her the truth. How do you think she'll take that, a stallion traveling with a filly he doesn't know after saving her from a pack of timberwolves in the middle of the forest? If you weren't there, would you believe that story?"

"Yes!" The filly shot back. "I would, because unlike you, I don't lie to ponies!"

"HA! Yea okay." Sin laughed passing the filly by. "Whatever you say, Ms. Angel Wings."

Sin's attention returned to the crate, which looked no worse for his lack of attention. Scootaloo took a few minutes to think over his words before catching up and walking along in a tense silence. She wasn't happy, but to be fair, neither was he. And now he risked having to tell her some very disturbing truths about himself...

All of them made good time to the camp with no incident, Krystal giving them more than fair warning about the distance to them.

"Braeburn, Cook, hooded one. You came." Chief Thunderhooves grunted. Little Strongheart by his side and the entire buffalo clan at his back.

"Howdy Chief." The wagon baring pony greeted. "Got yer tithe here, made sure to add extra pies this time to make sure it made weight."

The large bison grunted, along with a few of the dozens of natives behind him. "We shall see, little pony." 

Cook whispered something to Seedy, Braeburn gulped, Scootaloo stood and gawked. 

Sin jumped onto the wagon to inspect the cargo one last time to find every single pie and fritter in its proper place, not a single baked good was missing by his estimate. Though he felt himself grow tense as a team of buffalo carefully removed the cart and carried it to their balance. He had a bad feeling, like something that shouldn't happen was about to. It shouldn't though, he saw the cargo loaded in, and weighed for himself. Krystal was above, and she would have spotted anyone trying to tamper with it, so not only should the scales be at least even, the added food should give favor to the tribute.

So why was he feeling so nervous?

"We are ready, load Soft and True." Thunderhooves boomed. A single bison stood on the other end of the scale to counter the supply weight while two other natives loaded up the stones. 

Sin broke off from the troop to inspect the stone for authenticity. Both had the same marking as the ones who'd seen a couple of nights ago, both had the same shape, color, and looked to be the same size. 

'Looks right to me.'

Yea, me too, still, keep the Nightmare on standby. Something tells me this isn't going to end well.

Sin returned and everybody watched with baited breath as the last buffalo on the scale slowly and carefully removed himself from it. Immediately, the balance began shifting, moving the stones high and the apple goods down. Just when Sin thought everything was going to be okay, a collective gasp told him otherwise.

It was inconceivable, a physical impossibility. Yet, there was no denying that it was happening. The balance, it was slowly lowering again in favor of the weights! How?! How was this happening?!

Sin felt his stomach drop as the rock weighted end of the plank gently touched the ground, solidifying itself as the beginning of the end of all things sensical.

"What's the big idea here?" Braeburn demanded. "Ah know fer a dad gun fact we have more n' enough food fer ya. What are you tryin'a pull?" 

"Him?!" Little Strongheart asked in indignation. "Soft and True have never changed, the only reason they'd be heavier than the tithe is because you didn't bring enough food!"

The world around him began to liven up with the growing sounds of angry bison. Sin felt his heart rate quicken. "Krystal, get Scootaloo out of here, now!"

"What? No, I'm not leaving you!" The pegasus mare shot back.

Grunting in irritation, Sin turned away from her and back to the scale. He didn't have time for this, he needed to figure something out. How? How was that possible? He watched it, he watched it the entire way! None of the food was taken out!

'Because, Sin, the buffalo likely used different stones. What other explanation is there?'

No! No, those were the same stones, you said so yourself!

'No, I said it looks right to me, big difference. Different rocks have different masses, c'mon, you know that. And unless some of the food disappeared like magic, I don't see how the weight would be off.'

Wait a minute... magic? Magic could have... No... no it couldn't be that simple... could it?

He turned around and saw the only unicorn present looking intently at the balance, his hood inconspicuously covering his horn. 

In a flash, Sin rushed past both Krystal and Scootaloo, and gently placed a hoof on Seedy's shoulder. Immediately on contact, a faint pop echoed from the pony's head and a loud crash came from behind, with the food suddenly slamming to the ground and the stones flying upwards.

The crowd was silent now, all looking at the new result.  Sin, though, was far to busy eying the deformed pony, who was both nursing a feedback headache while trying to resummon his magic.

"Seedy! Are you alright?" Professor Cook asked, rushing to his side. The stallion groaned, pointing to his head and wincing. 

"What in the name o' Celestia?" Braeburn called.

"The balance was being pushed down by magic!" Sin answered, releasing his touch and allowing the mental degenerate to resume his spell. He heard Cook try to stop him, but Seedy was determined and in short order, the balance once again favored the stones. Though, the sudden usage revealed something, something the day light would have concealed had it not been so abrupt. A small aura, a perfect mix of tan and yellow, was hanging on to the crate. It was just a shade darker than the wood itself, but now it was quite visible.

"You can't prove that!" Professor Cook decried, pointing an accusatory hoof. Sin reached up past his cloak and pulled out a large purple scale, informing the pony that it was that of a dragon, and as such, had anti-magical properties.

Sin once again, placed his hoof upon Seedy's shoulder, and the balance fell hard on the side of the tribute. 

"The food was all there, I made sure of that. Scales' balance was right on the money and both he and Braeburn had vested interests in seeing the conflict resolved peaceably. The buffalo also had an end in peace, getting their own cut of the apple products. Their constant attacks and raids would have lead to imperial law enforcement at some point, and that was just bad news all around." Sin pointed out, looking at each of the addressed respectively.

"Cook and his assistant? Both had very little to loose in this regard, but I still can't figure out what you have to gain." He looked down at the struggling unicorn. "Seedy is mentally impaired, he doesn't understand what he does. Which means that he was told to do this by you!"

Professor Cook's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped, but he did not reply. He did not deny responsibility and as damning as the evidence was against him, he'd be a fool to try.

Suddenly, the white pony began to laugh and clopped his hooves together in applause.

"Professor?" Braeburn asked.

"Very clever, Sinbad." The white pony said, his veneer of pleasantness and his southern drawl disappearing. "The said you were good, but I didn't think you'd figure me out this quickly, for that, I have to give you credit."

"They?" Sin asked.

"Seedy! Teleport over there." 

The unicorn abandoned his efforts and in a flash, both ponies were suddenly gone, reappearing ontop of the food crate. "No, you lumax, I meant over there! Gah, why didn't I point?" Cook groaned.

"Who are you!" Sin asked, running over and pulling out his crossbow. "And how do you know my name?"

Professor Cook cackled aloud. "Well, I suppose since I know yours, it's only fair you know mine." The white pony cleared his throat. "My birth name is Cook, but you may call me Smart Cookie, second in command of the Trotski's earth pony cohort."

Sin gasped, there were a pair of Trotski under his very nose?! Wait, they knew where the others were!

"I believe you saw my grandson, Puddinghead, when he was leaving town?" He asked, casually inspecting his hoof. "Boy's got not tact to him. Shame too, Commander Hurricane was the only one of 'em with any sense of vision, but the dumb broad was so convinced that we were finally high enough in numbers for our revolution. Main reason I stepped down as the Chancellor and gave it to him, if I'm being honest here, of course..." He paused, looking at Sin with a smug smile. "Word has it that you know all about her disappearance, don't you?"

"Am I correct in assuming they told you why I'm chasing after him?" Sin demanded. Smart Cookie chuckled and nodded his head. 

"Oh yes, and I have to say, I really don't blame you. First they trick you into getting locked up by Celestia, after you help them escape wrongful imprisonment, threatening a pony you loved to do so. Then they try to have you killed while you're locked up, and then they kill your best friend?" The elder stallion whistled at the mouthful. "But if it helps, I don't condone what they did. Stupid horse crap like that was the reason I stepped down from the head of the earth pony cohort in the first place, ya know?"

"Spare me!" Sin spat, lining up his shot. "You Trotski are all the same as far as I'm concerned. Tell me where Puddinghead is, and I'll consider putting you down painlessly."

Cookie looked back and whispered something to Seedy, the pony replied in a grunt and the Trotski groaned. Though it was another pony that intervined in the situation.

"Islander no!" Scootaloo yelled, jumping up and pacing her forelegs onto his chest. "Don't shoot him, you can't jus-"

A surge of anger coursed through Sin, and he acted before his brain could process the fact.

"Get off!" Sin yelled, pushing the orange filly away and sending her to the ground. Krystal quickly came to her aid, shooting Sin a glare before checking to make sure the filly was alright.

"You have no idea what they've done to me." Sin glowered, his icey blue eyes exuding pure hatred and malice into the lavander orbs of pleading and hurt. Scootaloo may have been his friend, but the Federalist had no qualms about tossing her, or Krystal, aside to get his vengeance now. Not when he was so close...

Cookie cleared his throat. "To be fair, I haven't done anything to you. And I kinda just told her and everypony else here everything, so yea. And really? Did you have to push her down like that? I mean, she's just a filly, guy, jeez-"

"Shut up!" Sin shouted, realigning his bow. "And tell me where the rest of the Trotski are!"

Seedy picked himself up and groaned, making Smart Cookie smile. "Tell you what, since you've figured me out, I'll tell you where my grandson is. He told the ticket pony to tell you, a cloaked brown stallion looking for him, that he boarded a train to Manehatten, yes? But that isn't the truth. Truth is that my grandson's actually headed to a small safe house in the outskirts of Baltimare, no need to worry about time, they plan to stay there a while."

Sin's eyes widened. Baltimare? That was much closer, that was only a week and a half walk from here, and a few hour long train ride!

"Professor! What's goin' on! Why are ya doin' this?!" Braeburn asked, finally free from his stupor.

Cookie chuckled and explained that, while he had no love for how the current Trotski leadership may operate, he still despised Celestia and the diarchy that she and Luna used to rule over them even more. "They lied to us Braeburn, they lied to us on so many levels. Their right to rulership, Equestria's founding, the Windigos, it was all a lie to gain power! Their dictatorship over the ponies is illegitimate, as is their empire. So, seeing as I wanted no part in their little communist Canterlot co-op, I decided to buck the system here and strain relations with the buffalo. Much easier to misrepresent a pair and get the world to hate them rather than try to get their beloved subjects to do so."

Sin, feeling a little curious, pointed out the stallion had exposed himself as an enemy of Celestia, and that all of his work here had become fruitless with the admission. 

Smart Cookie thoughtfully rubbed his hoof against his chin. "I suppose I just did, didn't I? Hehe, oops. Old age must be catching up with me." He chuckled, obviously not concerned with his blunder. "Though, I have to admit." he said casually, looking down at the bufallo and scowling. "I've wanted to get these savages off our lands ever since I set eyes on them."

"Savages!?" Chief Thunderhooves roared at the insult. "ENOUGH talk, get him!"

Buffalo began to enclose upon the white pony and his assistant. "Yes, there has been enough words." He gave one last look to Sin. "Maple Wood forest, follow the path leading out of town and a right at the lake." 

As the bison began to close in, a larger buff pushed into his line of fire, blocking his shot. Cookie elbowed Seedy. "Come my friend, I believe we have worn out our welcome." And before Sin could do so much as demand they wait, both disappeared in bright flash of light.

"Where did they go!" One bison shouted.

Sin looked around, but the Trotski didn't appear within his line of sight, they were gone.

"FIND THEM!" Thunderhooves boomed. "Scour the land! Find them!"

The entire tribe was in an uproar, a cacophony of trampling hooves and disgruntled yelling, some pushing into tents while others began stampeding out of the encampment in a rage. Sin barely dodged a trio of charging bison and made way back to the girls. "We need to go."

Neither moved, both simply sat and looked up at him in shock. Even Braeburn was was reluctant to follow his order.

"What the fuck are you doing? GET UP!" The stallion shouted, garning nothing more than a flinch from both of them. Seeing that yelling wasn't working, Sin reached out to grab them, but Krystal's hoof interecepted his, holding off Sin's advance.

She didn't say anything, she didn't need to. Her destraught and confused eyes said it all. Krystal was angry with him, angry and confused. She had every right to be, Sin was about to commit murder as far as she was concerned, and the things she'd learned then and there probably shook her confidence in him.

"Look out!" Sin acted before he could think and tackled both of them, barely dodging another trio of bison who trampled the ground where the two lay not two seconds ago.

'Sin! You need to get them out of here, NOW!'

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!?

"We need to go!" The stallion shouted.

That seemed to break the mare of her stupor, and she grabbed Scootaloo and took safely to the sky, giving Sin one final glare before doing so. Now that those two were in the clear, Sin pushed Braeburn and urged the yellow stallion to follow him.









Sin stood outside the town's jail, watching as the sun descended into the late afternoon. He and Braeburn had explained everything to Silverstar. The reason for the misweighed tithe, the Trotski, Professor Cook, everything. No details were spared, save for Cook's deceleration to Sin, his real name, and the weapon he carried, not that Braeburn seemed to remember those things anyway.

It would take some time, but he figured it was a mission accomplished. Though, there was a price to be paid for it, always was, it seemed. His companions had been gone for the two and a half hour long debriefing, and he had no reason to think he'd see them again.

'Aren't you going to find Krystal and Scootaloo?' Critic asked.

Why? Clearly they want nothing to do with me.

'... Yea, you were kind of an ass back there.'

Sin admitted as much, it was probably for the best anyway. The Nightmare was right, he was a terrible pony, and he'd warned both of them of the fact. Hopefully they wised up and were halfway back to the rock farm by now.

"Well, no point hanging around here anymore." Sin whispered to no one in particular. He walked down the steps and out into the main street, contemplating his next course of action. Baltimare wasn't too far away, he'd need to consult the map, but if he remembered correctly, it was a coastal city like Manehattan, with a few villages and a couple of small towns along the way. Better yet, it was going north, away from the harsh red and dead of the badlands. It would be a nice change of scenery.

The stallion patted both side of his saddle bags to make sure he had everything and made way due north alone.

'You're seriously going to leave them?!' Critic gasped in disbelief.

What do you want me to do? Track them down, apologize and hope they're stupid enough to continue following me?

'YES!'

Wow, Critic, you're pretty selfish, you know that?

The inner voice stuttered in disbelief. 'Uh- pft, ya- Ah- I'M SELFISH!? Are you fucking kidding me right now?!'

YES! Critic, you're being fucking selfish! Tapio's beard, did you hear nothing the Nightmare said this morning? Did you forget what I did to Scootaloo? How long until something worse happens? How long until I end up really traumatizing her or worse? Huh? I'm dangerous, I'm a dangerous psychopath, and you fucking know it, but you're too concerned trying to fix what's wrong with me to consider their safety and well being.

Critic argued that it wasn't just that, but that they relied on him as well, but Sin was quick to point out that finding the Rock farm wasn't hard, and Krystal was more than capable of following the train tracks. If she flew there, she'd probably be able to get there in a couple of hours max. That being concluded, Critic appealed to what would happen once Scootaloo was found by Luna, to which Sin didn't have an answer.

Sin wanted to believe he didn't care, that he'd more than done enough for her, and as far as he was concerned, that was where it ended. The small prickling of emotional contradiction be damned.

"Islander!"

Sin froze.

No, it couldn't be, there's no way she'd be that stupid.

He turned around and felt himself in a mix of disbelief and relief. There, running from the opposite side of town, was a little orange filly, naked her scarf and running towards him, accompanying her was an off white, blue maned pegasus mare.

The stallion stood his place, waiting to see what two wanted. 

"Where are you going?" Scootaloo asked neutrally, Krystal standing beside her and taking only sparing glances at him.

"Baltimare." Sin replied. Maybe Smart Cookie was lying, maybe he wasn't. It was one the way up to Manehatten, so, there was no harm in checking it out... unless it was another trap.

Scootaloo frowned for a second, though her harsh eyes soon softened and she looked down at the ground. "Is... is what that white pony said true?" She asked. "About that yellow pony trying to... you know..."

Sin took a breath. "It is."

Sctootaloo flinched, the truth obviously causing her pain. "I see."

"I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me." The oaken pony declared turning back around, though he was stopped once again, this time by a tugging on his cloak.

"Don't go!" Scootaloo cried, Sin turned to look down at her. "Please, don't kill them. Violence is never the answer."

Sin refrained from chuckling at such youthful naivety. Violence is never the answer? In a perfect world maybe, but this wasn't a perfect world. "And what would you have me do, kiddo?" He asked.

Scootaloo suggested telling the law, to tell Silverstar so he could tell Luna and Celestia, as expected.

"You do realize that I'm on the run from them too, right?" Sin pointed out, loudly enough to make sure Krystal heard him as well. "Why do you think I was so reluctant to tell the guard about the that house back in Trottingham?"

Scrambling for a response, the filly looked back at Krystal for some kind of help, but the pegasus was no use at all. Sin had to admit, though, it was nice finally getting the air cleared up.

"Who was it?" Krystal asked, finally speaking. "The friend they... you know, killed, I mean."

Sin pressed his lips and looked down at Scootaloo, she had to know Macintosh through Applebloom. He wasn't really dead of course, but that would require an even bigger explanation. An explanation he wasn't really in the mood to give.

"He was a good pony, but I'm not really in the mood to talk about it." The stallion stated calmly.

That topic reaching a dead end, Krystal began her own line of questions, starting off with Smart Cookie calling Islander by the name Sinbad. Sin shrugged and told her that was his real name, his first name anyways. Islander was his last name, so that wasn't technically a lie she could begrudge him for, and he had a good reason to go by it.

The next question was a big one, a hurdle Sin saw coming and looked to Scootaloo before answering. "Are you and Scootaloo related? Or was that a lie?"

Scootaloo's ears drooped around her face and she looked down, leaving Sin to answer the question himself. "The truth of that matter is far less believable. But yes, that was a lie."

Krystal shook with a small tremor of anger, but took a few calming breaths before asking for the truth. A truth she was hesitant to believe from Sin, but had no choice but to accept once Scootaloo confirmed it.

It took a full hour for Krystal to be brought up to speed, and while she'd occasionally need both of them to stop speaking in order to process what she was hearing, the off white pegasus took everything in stride. Though, that was pushed to its limit when Scootaloo brought up what had happened earlier that morning. Between that and how he'd managed to chase of an entire pack of timberwolves alone, Sin had no choice to quickly come up with something to explain away his abilities.

"I don't know exactly what it is, I just woke up and had it one day." He answered honestly. That is what happened, technically, but he wasn't about to talk about hearing voices in his head or having disturbing nightmares. These two probably already thought him certifiably insane enough already.

Scootaloo asked if it was part of nature magic, like an advanced form of the aura. Sin shrugged, it was a possibility. He wasn't one of the first ponies to learn how to use it, but the utilization of nature magic to such a degree had never been tested on ponies before. It's not like any of the initial members of Alpha Squad, those who first learned it, would speak of such power.

'Interesting theory, though. Too bad we already know Luna was the Nightmare's creator.'

Stick to the story.

'More lies it is, then.'

"Alright, one more question." Scootaloo said, looking Sin in the eye. "Was it Zell?"

Sin fell silent, blinking repeatedly as he looked down at Scootaloo, trying to figure out what Zell had to do with any of this. "Was what, Zell?" He asked, barely above a whisper.

The filly gulped, the realization dawning on her just how touchy the subject was. "I um... I heard you say his name in your sleep..." She replied shakily. "W- was that the friend who they killed?"

Sin made the connection in his mind and shook his head. "No kiddo, Zell died long before I came to your country. The Trotski took someone else."

"I see..."

Krystal cleared her throat. "They said... that they used somepony you loved against you... Who was it?"

Sin cringed at the question, that emotional wound had only festered with time. "They- she..." he paused, unable to finish. "I'm don't wanna talk about that either." He turned away. It still hurt, but the scars of betrayal always did.

A long silence passed between the three of them. "Why are you asking all of these questions, anyway?" Sin asked, unable to take the tension.

Scootaloo tilted her head, giving him a look. "Because I want to know why you're trying to kill somepony."

"Well there ya go." The stallion shrugged. "Now what?"

"Stop."

"What?"

The filly sniffled, looking up at him. "Stop trying to kill them. Please." She implored.

The Federalist regarded her for a moment, her eyes were misty and full of genuine care. He didn't understand why she did, though. Yea, he'd saved her life a couple of times, but it wasn't like the two were emotionally connected or anything. That should have been clear to her the minute he tossed her aside to get to Smart Cookie.

Without warning, Scootaloo walked up to his leg and hugged it, begging for him to stop and imploring him that he didn't have to kill them. That killing never solved anything and that violence only begot violence.

"Exactly kiddo." Sin agreed in a whisper. "Violence begets violence. To allow their violence to go uncontested sends the message that there is no consequence for it. Their violence has begotten my violence, and I plan to make sure they suffer for what they did."

Scootaloo's grip tightened around him and she went quiet.

Sin looked up at Krystal, who looked genuinely afraid and sympathetic. He could only look at her for so long before again looking away. Things were tense and would soon become awkward, but that was the way it had to be.

"You- you're just trying to stop bad guys, right? Evil ponies?" Krystal peeped.

Sin resisted the urge to chuckle. Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, childish concepts created to justify and comprehend, to unify and rally. One group believing they were rightious because they were  "good" and "of the light" and another was "evil" and "of the darkness". He didn't believe in these things, to him, there were only interests and goals that served a mix of pains and pleasures. It was rare that anyone actually acted in the interests of "evil" to do bad things for the sake of unearned suffering.

As he'd come to understand it, the Trotski weren't "evil". They were just a group dedicated to over throwing the empire due to the belief in ponies ruling themselves rather than be ruled by alicorn princesses. A goal that, Sin himself, should actually empathize with, their assasination attempt at Mac was just revenge for his interference with that goal.

The stallion had forgotten all about his curiosity on the matter a while ago, but now that he had a moment to dwell on it, he was reminded of the convenience of the Windigos showing up to the Equestrians and, conveniently, disappearing around the time Luna and Celestia became rulers of the land...

"Yes." He answered. As much as it left a bad taste in his mouth, condemning the Trotski as the "evil ponies" was much more convenient. Most adults wouldn't be willing to listen to his reason and logic, what chance did these two have of understanding it?

"Then I forgive you." Krystal sniffled. "You're doing bad things, but you're doing them for the right reasons."

"No he's not!" Scootaloo shouted, turning to her. "He's not killing anypony else! I wont let him! And you shouldn't either!"

Sin quirked a brow. "You think you have the authority to stop me?"

Scootaloo turned back to him, frowning in determination. "Killing is bad, you're not a bad pony. You act like you are, but that's because bad things happened to you. You're hurt, I can understand that, but you don't fix hurt by hurting others!"

Sin's eyes went wide for a moment, that was surprisingly profound and he didn't have an argument. 

"Why do you care so much, kiddo?" He asked, finally getting to his own question. 

"Because you need somepony to." The filly replied. "You've done alot for me, and even though you're mean and a grump, you still took care of me and made sure I was safe when nopony else did." She lifted her head, looking up at him. "I wanna help."

Sin didn't know what to say. This was not what he was expecting this to go at all. He figured Scootaloo and Krystal would have seen him as a monster, a killer with a cause and abandoned him for his callousness, yet here they were, hearing out his story and trying to stop him from his quest. And even worse yet, part of him wanted to obey. Scootaloo was right, hurting others didn't fix hurt.

"Besides." The filly sniffled, giving him a smile. "I've got no where else to go, remember?"

And with that, Sin couldn't help himself. He laughed, he laughed a soft, sad little laugh. "You... seriously want to still come with me? Knowing what I'm going to do?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "You're not killing anypony, I'm going to make sure you don't." She replied in cheerful sadness.

Insanity, the orange pegasus was absolutely insane!

"You think you can stop me?" Sin smirked. 

"Mhmm!" Scootaloo chirped. "I don't know how, but I'll figure it out."

"No, we will figure it out." Krystal asserted, stepping up and joining the filly in her affection, hugging Sin around the neck. "At least now I know why you're such a grump."

This is fucking unbelievable! I'm surrounded by mares more insane than I am!!

'Bwahahahah YES! Oh man, this is great! You've got a filly and an attractive mare trying to save your soul! Isn't it great, Sin?'

I hate... the fact I have no idea how to feel about this.

Sin tried to deter them, reminding the two that his travels around Equestria would still be dangerous and he would still be chasing the Trotski, but neither Krystal nor Scootaloo minded. They'd "let" him chase the Trotski, since they were the bad guys and needed to be brought to justice, but neither would allow him to kill the ponies himself, or anyone for that matter.

It warmed him, in his chest. It felt nice and a little comforting to know they cared like that. Of course they couldn't actually stop him from killing Puddinghead, but it was nice to know that they cared enough to try to stop him.

"HEY! INQUISITOR!" Cried a voice from town. Silverstar was rushing out towards them, halting and painting upon stopping. "We of Appleloosa would like to extend our greatest hospitality to ya for yer help!"

"Thank you, sheriff, but we don't want to impose."

Silverstar dismissed Sin's humility and offered them one more night's stay for free at the towns inn, a free dinner, and three train tickets to anywhere in Equestria when the express came in tomorrow morning.

Sin considered that for a moment. It would save them a good week and half of traveling... maybe staying another night wouldn't be a bad idea.

  
> Apple Visit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Apple Visit






Big Macintosh Apple sit in the Ponyville Express, watching the harsh landscape pass by outside the window as his mind contemplated everything that happened in the past few days.

Annabelle was besides him, a peaceful expression upon her beautiful face as she leaned her head against his shoulder in slumber, both of her hooves wrapped around his free one, the other massive red fetlock propped under the crimson stallion's chin.

It didn't get any easier with time, knowing he'd failed somepony he loved. It had been a while since he'd had a night of binge drinking, or the day after spent being drunk. But that was the thing with drinking, to some, it helped numb the pain, but to others, like himself, it just made the memories all too vivid and hazy at the same time.

Had it not been for the mare beside him hiding the cider, he'd probably still be drunk. He missed Scootaloo, all of them did. Even so, though, life had to go on, even if it was minus one very special family member. Annabelle had done it when Soarin was arrested and disowned by her father, if she could suffer that and the same loss he did now, Macintosh decided that he could too.

Though that wasn't the only thing on his mind.

He turned his attention to Spike, who sat alone across the isle. The drakes arms were folded, a look of concerned contemplation controting his face. 

"Please, Mr. Apple. I need you to-"

"AH TOLD YA NO! AH TOLD YA IN CANTERLOT AH DIDN'T WANNA SEE Y'ALL AGAIN!"

The scene replayed over and over again, Uppity had come to the farm to request his presence in Canterlot as a whitness against Cupid Protector, as well as the detained Trotski and Communists for the crimes of Treason and Conspiracy to Commit Murder.

Macintosh was livid as soon as he set eyes on her, knowing what she did, that she was partially responsible for Sin's death. Had it not been for the massive hangover from the ethanol escapade the day before, she wouldn't have walked off the farm that day.

The audacity, the gall, how shameless was she to come right up to his family home and ask for his help after what she did?

That was all he saw in that moment, though, he didn't see the shame in her eyes, the suffering, the pain. He didn't want to see it, he didn't care to, especially not after what she said.

"Please, I know you don't believe me, but I loved him too. Please, this is the best we can do for Sin, to give him justice for what happened."

Macintosh grunted and shook his head, the train rocking slightly from it's rushing through the badlands. Uppity. Uppity was had a hoof in so much suffering in Ponyville. Between her selling out Sin and bringing that... bitch who took Scootaloo here, Macintosh grew to hate the orange unicorn mare, and in that moment, he made sure she understood his loathing.

Sin's note coming to mind, and Macintosh forced away the bubbling anger in his stomach. It was his last request for the apple stallion, that he not be angry with her, that Uppity herself had suffered enough. Mac wanted to not be angry with her in honor of that, but it was hard. How could Sin expect him to not be livid knowing what she did? How could she do that to him? Yea, Sin may not have been the nicest pony in the world, but he didn't deserve that! And the question that plagued him worst of all, why? Why had she done it? 

Another look at Spike aided in the stallion's soothing. 

Twilight was in Canterlot now, she needed to be to help with the prosecution now, considering Uppity couldn't do it herself since she was now hospitalized.

Macintosh was almost happy to hear about it, until he'd heard what put her there. Attempted suicide, she tried to hang herself with nothing but two notes left behind to explain herself to the world. One addressed to her family and a second letter addressed to him that now sat in his room, unopened and hidden away in his dresser.

If the stallion was ever going to forgive her for what she did, her showing her remorse by trying to end her life was the first step in... something. 

Annabelle told him to read the letter, but Mac's emotions were far too conflicted. He didn't want anything to do with her, not right now. Sin's death was still a sore spot for him, and Uppity was the last pony he wanted to hear from for a good long while yet.

And despite Justice's transport to Canterlot, her legacy of bull crap still lived on. The pink pegasus had, prior to being arrested, set up a provision to allow new arbiters to act in her stead if she was incapable of filling the role. Her lackeys, one of which Mac didn't mind too much, were now Co-arbiters of City Council.

Mask was alright with him. The mare made a lot of sense in how stallions were treated in society, what with only stallions being put in the dangerous position of being royal guards and what not. It also kinda bothered Macintosh about how little diversity there was in the council, as well as Ponyville in general. He liked to think the small town was a happy and accepting place, but then he remembered instances of biggotry and exclusive behavior. Like with Zecora, and how the entire town, even Mac himself, was terrified of her for no other reason than the fact she was... different.

Mask explained to him why that was, a culture bias. Ponies were all that Ponyville had ever known, besides some well announced appearances by famous beings like Alicorns, draconequus, a cranky griffon, and a particularly rambunctious, seminar hosting minotaur. A zebra, while not rare in Equestria, was unheard of in Ponyville until Zecora. 

Ponies weren't dumb creatures, they had knowledge and the means to accumulate knowledge and dispel ignorance. They claimed to be the most tolerant and loving species on the planet. It was a grave and disgusting disservice with the way Zecora was treated by the town, needing a small filly like Applebloom to expel their ignorance, all because she was different. Jumping to conclusions about her being a witch who hurt others, Ponyville deserved to be ashamed of itself.

When Mac had it all explained to him like that, he agreed with Mask, alot. It wasn't anypony's fault the races were different, they were all still creatures of light and good, so to treat them poorly for differences was stupid and wrong. Sock, on the other hoof, Mac had absolutely no love for. Word had it that the rose marked stallion was in the process of lobbying the city council to revamp the tax system, citing farmers and labor workers rights for extra regulations in pay and security.

The Apples were a self sufficient farm, so they didn't need to worry about the pay aspect, but added on safety regulations? No. Why should he need a hard hat to buck apples? Or safety glasses? Yea, it would be nice for added safety to his head and eyes, but the stallion didn't want to wear those things, and he had a right not to if he pleased.

But that was the thing with mares, wasn't it? Mares were all about safety and compassion, being the gentler sex that they were. What could he have expected when the city council was monopolized by the gender? Stallions, like Mask said, understood the importance of freedom and risks more than mares did. That wasn't to say that males didn't understand compassion and didn't hold it in regard, it was just that they had a better understanding of individual integrity vs collectivized compassion... or so Mask had explained, even if she was a little too forceful in making others see her point of view.

The door to the next cart opened, giving entry to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and his elder sister, the offensive noise causing Annabelle to stir slightly in her slumber.

"Well be arrivin' in Appleloosa soon." Applejack whispered softly.

Mac nodded his head and returned his attention to the window. 

With Twilight gone, Applejack had taken charge of the current mission. Since the girls had experience dealing with this particular issue, Rainbow Dash and Spike were sent to speak with the buffalo while AJ and Macintosh came along to talk to the ponies. Apparently there was some kind of trade dispute between the natives and the settlers, and they were all sent to investigate the matter.

Mac didn't really mind, getting out of town for a while seemed to be in order. Annabelle seemed happy enough about it. The same with Fluttershy, who'd been sweeping the farm daily to find her lost white rabbit, Angle. Mac didn't want to say it out loud, but he didn't hold much hope of her finding the creature, but who was he to deny her her search?

"Thanks." Spike muttered, also returning his gaze outside the train. 

Seeing there was nothing left to say, apparently, the three mares took there leave.

A good twenty minutes passed before the small town finally came into view. Mac now thuroughly bored and out of touch, absently took note of all the things he saw as he passed. There was Braeburn's house, cousin Apple Fritter's house, the local saloon, a pair of ponies walking by, the large clock tower, a bunch of ponies gathering around the train platform to greet them, cousin Braeburn, a green earth pony mare with a brown stetson, a dark blue earth pony looking more than a little miffed, a brown, hooded and cloaked pony, a small orange filly with a scarf, an off white pegasus pony with a light blue mane, a bunch of buffalo... 

Mac shook his head in shock of the familiar sight and craned his head to look back intently out of the window. He narrowed his eyes to where he thought he saw her, maybe even them, but the cloaked and scarved ponys were no where to be seen. 

That... that couldn't have been what he saw. It must have been a trick of the mind, right? Yea, yea of course it was. They couldn't have been here, they were both dead. So...

The stallion shook his head again, trying to get his mind right and surpress the false sense of hope creeping up his shoulders. It was a false hope, even if they were alive, what possible chance was there of finding them here of all places, and together at that?

'Trick of the mind, Macintosh. You've got both of them on the brain.'

He did, after everything, how could he not? Still though, both looked so vivid and real...

The train came to a stop, and Macintosh gently woke Annabelle from her sleep, electing a squeak ending yawn from the mare before she rubbed her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"Eyep."









Spike walked out of the train behind the Apple family. The dry air already irritating his scales something fierce as he took in the subtle hints of apple goods among the stench of dead desert and sun cooked wood.

There were ponies gathered around the train station as if the greet them, which was odd, considering there was no forewarning of the troop's arrival in town today.

"Cousin Macintosh? Cousin Applejack?" Braeburn called in shock. "Well Ah'll be, what bring's y'all to our fair little town?"

Applejack strode up and explained that they had been sent by Celestia to investigate the issue between the ponies and the buffalo, apologizing for not bringing the rest of their friends to help out.

"Well shucks, cuz. Thanks fer comin' out n' all, but we got all that figured out already." Braburn chirped, earning a slight cheer from the rest of the town.

Spike was floored by the assertion. Figured it out by themselves? What do they mean they figured it out by themselves? Any time he and his friends were called in, they always had to fix the issue. Every. Single. Time!

'Meh, for the best if you ask me. Aren't you kinda tired of helping fix everypony else's problems?'

I guess.

"Spike! Rainbow Dash!" Called a soft and feminine voice. 

Spike smiled as Little Strongheart raced forward and embraced him in a hug. It was good to see her again, though he would have been even happier if she was holding a bowl of topaz.

"Wait, so what's going on here?" Rainbow asked, looking between the few buffalo representatives and the group of Appleloosans. "Celestia said you guys were stealing from these guys again." She pointed to each party respectively.

Chief Thunderhooves nodded. "That is true, we have been disrupting Equestrian trains and stealing apples from their orchard."

"WHAT! So it's true?!" Rainbow shrieked, flying into the air and scowling down at the bison.

Sharif Silverstar stepped forward, calling for the prismatic pegasus to calm down and explain the situation. As they were already informed, there was a dispute about the amount of apple products given to the buffalo as compensation for allowing the trees on their sacred stampeding grounds. Though, it wasn't that the Appleloosan's had given too little food, but a unicorn had used his magic to off set the scales the bison used in order to weigh it.

"Wha'? Why in tarnation would anypony wanna do that?" Applejack asked.

Braeburn furrowed his brow. "When the Inquisitor asked him, Professor Cook said it was 'cause he didn't like Celestia, and... well..." He cast an unsure glance at Chief Thunderhooves, who was already shaking with rage.

"He called us SAVAGES!" The mamoth of a buffalo roared, stomping a hoof and blowing steaming air through his nostrals.

Rainbow scowled. "Really? And where is this Cook guy now? Sounds to me like he needs a good old fashioned butt-kicking."

"Well, he ain't here no more. After the Inquisitor found him, he n' his assistant hightailed it outta town." Braeburn informed, adjusting his faux leather vest. "Well, Ah guess he might be headin' tah Baltimare, said somethin' 'bout the rest of 'em headin' that way."

"Them?" Applejack asked before halting everything. "Alrigh' Sugarcube, can y'all start from the beginin'? And who's this Inquisitor guy ya keep goin' on about?"

Spike's interest was caught the moment his description was given. A hooded oak colored stallion in a dark brown cloak and dull icy blue eyes. 

He looked over to Macintosh who looked like he'd seen a ghost, the red stallion's face was a few shades lighter for the description. It couldn't have been the same pony they were thinking of though, Celestia swore up and down he was dead. The tale became even more off putting when Braeburn added in that the stallion had two companions with him, one of which being a small orange filly with a deep purple mane going by the name "Angel Wings".

The name caught Fluttershy's attention, but the color scheme caught Spike and Mac's.

Apparently this Inquisitor had began investigating the situation a few days ago, he didn't tell anypony what he was doing other than interviewing Braeburn and Professor Cook. According to the former, he was hired by some rich pony out of Canterlot who sold apples outta Appleloosa.

"Don't know too mucha what he did 'sides interviewin us n' lookin' at Scales' ballances. Boy was Scales' mad 'bout that, but that's what he said he had to do. Then yesterday Ah went to deliver the apple pies n' fritters like Ah said, n' that's when the Inqisitor went n' figured out that the assistant was usin' magic to tip the buffalo's balance to make it look like we weren't given' 'em enough food. At first we thought it was cause they were usin' heavier rocks for weighin', tryna get more food from us, but that wasn't what was goin' on at all."

"Indeed." Thunderhooves said, looking apologetically at little Braveheart and then to the yellow stallion. "On behalf of the natives of this land, I apologize for our behavior and rush to judgement. It was dishonorable of us to... how do you ponies say? Make a hasty generalization?"

Braeburn blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Aww, shucks chief."

As touching as that all was, Spike peeped up and returned to the subject of Cook, since he seemed to be the main problem in all of this. 

"Oh, right. Well, after the Inquisitor found him out, both had this argument about findin' someone named 'Trotski' er some such."

Spike's eyes immediately went to Macintosh, who was already glaring at him in a show of knowing.

"Professor said somethin' 'bout Celestia tellin' us all a bunch a lies, n' that she ain't fit to be a princess. Went into a big shpeal about the ol' Hearth's Warming story after that. 'Course it wouldn't be right callin' professor Cook no more, since he said his name was Smart Cookie."

Spike gasped silently. From what Mac had told him, the Trotski used the names of Equestria's founders in their higher ranks. Commander Hurricane, Prince Platinum, and Chancelor Puddinghead being their leaders. It stood to reason that thier seconds would use the names of the minor heros, which meant they likely had a Private Panzy and a Clover the Clever.

"Pst." Mac made a motion with his head and the two walked away from the girls, all to enthralled by the story to notice their departure.

"Ya thinkin' what Ah'm thinkin?" Macintosh asked, once they were a good distance away for privacy.

Spike bit his lip and shook his head. "That'll depend. What are you thinking?"

Mac cast a skeptical glance back to the group. "Ah'm... not sure. Ah don't think it's a coincidence that this Inquisitor guy is who he says he is. Ah think we were bein' lied to back in Canterlot."

Taking a breath, the baby dragon could see where this was headed and didn't want to hear it. Sin was dead, he had to be. Celestia said so, Macintosh had his bloodied goggles, delivered by Uppity herself.

"Ah don't think he's dead." The apple stallion said skeptically. "'Ah mean, Ah never saw his body er nothin' did you?"

Spike hadn't, not that he wanted to anyways, still though, if Sin wasn't dead, than why was he keeping being alive a secret? That... okay, that would be like him, but still, what was the point? Didn't it matter to him how much pain they were all put in because they thought their friend was dead? Didn't he care?

"Cause he escaped jail?" Macintosh offered. "He was arrested before he was supposed a' been killed right? Maybe that's why?"

Small prickles of hope mixed with rage filed into Spike's chest. That was right, Sin was arrested for releasing the Trotski in the first place, but they turned on him for some reason and sold him out. Still though, that hope and rage died as quickly as it came when the drake had argued that there was no way their friend could have survived. Cunning as he was, he was still in a prison cell.

"'N how do ya think he escaped?" Mac asked, a small smile creeping onto his face before immediately dropping. The stallion slumped and sighed. "Now, Ah feel real low, Spike. Uppity saved him, n' Ah treated her like crap..."

"Don't you think you're making some pretty big assumptions here, Mac?" Spike countered, finding the pony's conviction in Sin being alive a little bit disturbing. "I mean, yea, the description Braeburn gave us does kinda match up, but there are a lot of brown ponies with blue eyes. Like Time Turner back home."

Macintosh looked down at the drake with eyes dark enough to stop Spike's heart. "Because Ah saw him."









Sombra huffed as he and Soarin continued walking, keeping themselves far enough behind their prey so as not to be seen, but keeping close enough to act just in case.

His off blue pegasus companion walked in silence with his ever present scowl. Sombra had done a little reading on the pony prior to their dispatch from princess Luna. Soarin was supposed to be his ideal travel companion. Cheerful, carefree and very much a mare's stallion. The pony walking beside him now was anything but what was promised. 

This mission should have been over by now, the two had so many chances to take down the target and return him to his mistress over the past few days, but Soarin wouldn't allow it. The pegasus was too concerned about the target's potential to take hostages, projecting his own worst case scenario onto the situation. They almost had him a couple of nights ago, but that blasted pegasus mare just had to go with him to the buffalo camp.

And so, here he was. Walking through the badlands. Dick thoroughly dry and starved of female attention, body as untouched over the millennia as was a rouge guardspony's regulation scroll. The fell king could still remember the times before he had fallen to the darkness. He could remember his youth, his strive for knowledge garnering the attention of a very special mare. The carassing, the tender affection, the cute faces she made when he rutted her silly...

Alas, Sombra was not one to be tied down. Even before he was king, the unicorn's sexual apatite was nigh insatiable. Mares for miles, he used to say. To expect one to be able to handle his needs was asking too much from anypony, even Celestia he'd guess. It was a cursed existence, but such was the way for males like himself. A curse he was this close to killing his companion in order to indulge.

"Sorain." Sombra said, breaking the silence between them. "Upon the next settlement we arrive in, I shall be parting ways with you for a time. Understood?"

"Why?" The former Wonderbolt intoned.

The black unicorn eyed the pony. "I have needs, Soarin. You may obsess with catching this Sinbad, but I do not. I have interests and demands of the flesh that must be tended to."

Sombra expected the pegasus to contest him, to groan, roll his eyes and explain why the red eyed pony's idea was a bad one. 

He didn't. The off white stallion just gave him a small shift of the eye and shrugged. "Do whatever. So long as you're there when I need you, I couldn't give a buck less what you do."

It didn't sit well with the fell king just how serious and emotionally fixated his associate was on this. While he could understand it, such behavior and drive was indicative to a strong will and determination. Though, it was also the same behavior his mistress had in looking for attention in her efforts before her own fall from grace. 

That look of utter hatred, of eyes infallible in their search. It was unsettling how familiar they were to him.

"Must you be so callous? What have I done to earn your ire?" Sombra asked, glaring accusingly.

Soarin didn't reply, he just did what he always did when Sombra got confrontational and kept his mouth shut, eyes forward and one hoof in front of the other.

Sombra didn't know how things were a thousand years later, but back in his day, to ignore somepony's question was considered quite rude. Typically, such things were punishable by castigation or challenging one to a physical duel to defend honor, but Soarin acted as if his honor in regards to such things was non-existent. Outside of the chase, there was nothing to him. 

It was all sleep, eat, and walk. No talking unless it was absolutely necessary to coordinate a plan of tracking or a plan of attack. No talking about friends, no talking about the past, no talking about love or the arts. Just, the chase.

The fell king would hold his tongue for now, but if this kept up much longer, he could not guarantee the safety and well being of his compatriot.









Luna sat in the garden, her gaze constantly being drawn to the palace clock tower, waiting for the designated meeting time. It had been two weeks since she'd dispatched her agents to track down Sin and bring him back to her, and she could only hope that Conno would remain stay his impatience with her. The lunar princess still had trouble comprehending what he'd done, and how he'd done it. 

She looked back and down at her now healed ethereal tail tip. Such pain, physical pain. She'd experienced pain before, living for thousands of years had given her plenty of opportunity for it, but that was different. It felt lasting, as if it would never heal. It did, of course, but it felt like it wouldn't, it felt like it wouldn't and that's what scared her. What was worse was that was only the prototype, she could only dread the potency of the final product.

What was she supposed to do, though? Telling Celestia wasn't a viable option this time, not without putting her own self in danger. The Triple M. were dangerous, they'd subdued her once already when she defied them. How would Celestia fair? It hurt to admit, but even her most trained of guards ponies would be little match for the corporate agents. The black clad griffs were willy, resilient, coordinated and cunning, they had seen combat, real combat. Equestria, for all of her flaws, was the most peaceful land in the nation. The most potent threat she faced currently was a group of violent reactionaries who wanted to return to the old way of things.

Aside from the occasional supernatural, and typically powerful, beasts like Chistalys and Discord -whom were handled mostly by a group of six mares and one baby dragon, mind-, the lands were peaceful and didn't require beings too hardened to govern and maintain order. The insufficient strength of the guard was a thought on her mind all too often after how quickly Canterlot fell to the Changelings. Security had been beefed up something aweful, hundreds upon hundreds of guards ponies over looked the city during the wedding, yet even so, they fell within an hour of the invasion.

This idea only farther worsened when blame couldn't even be given to the element of surprise. The insectoids had been assaulting Shining Armor's bubble shield for a good ten minutes before it finally fell. Ten minutes of knowing a threat was coming, ten minutes of time to prepare, and the guard still fell so quickly.

It wasn't hard to figure out who would come out on top if Luna's forces were put against Conno's, and she'd made enough mistakes with the lives of others already. The lunar goddess wanted to do better by others, and if she had to suffer alone and in silence for her mistakes, she would gladly do so to protect the ponies she loved.

"Greetings, beast."

Luna's eyes shot wide. That voice.

She turned around and flared her wings, eyeing the golden eyes smirking pony before her as he casually leaned on the wall of the castle. "Star Shade."

"That's my name." Shade chirped, pushing himself off and calmly walking towards her, coaxing Luna to lower her head and charge a spell. 

"Calm yourself, Luna. I haven't come to fight you. This time, anyway." The stallion declared in a disturbing amount of coherency. 

Wait, did he just call her by her name? Shade never called her by her name, ever since she'd met the insane bat pony, he'd always referred to her as "beast". What was going on?

"Why are you here?" Luna growled, keeping her horn charged and at the ready.

Shade's smile dropped, and he eyed the alicorn princess with a scrutinizing gaze. "I've come to do a couple of things, actually. First off, I'm her to help you with your little, mercenary problem."

Dumbfounded, Luna accidentally let the spell in her grasp fade as he mouth gapped. "Y- you're here to help us? Wait how is it you-"

Shade raised a hoof and gave her a knowing look. "You'd be surprised what I know." He turned his attention to the clock tower before turning to her again. "There isn't much time, listen to me. Soon enough, he will come to you and he will come of his own accord. When he does, you will have a choice to make."

Luna furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of what the pony was talking about.

"You will hold his life in your hooves, but he'll have planned for it and he will have your salvation. You will not like it, but he will help you if you let him. I'm here to ask you to help him in return." Shade finished, eyeing the lunar goddess with every bit of somberness he could muster.

"Who will help us? What salvation? What are you talking about?" Luna barked, becoming irritated with his lack of specifics. "And how do you presume to know all of this?"

"Let's just say that I know who Discord works for." Shade said, closing his eyes and smiling. "And he's not going to be happy about me telling you all of this."

Luna's eyes widened. Who Discord works for? What manner of madness was this? No, no he was an insane madpony, she'd do well to disregard his pseudo-prophetical proclamations.

"Looks like you've got friends." Shade said, looking at a trio of black covered figures as they silently flew into the castle garden. Luna motioned for Shade to stay his place while she handled the situation, though, while they were clad in the black leather of Triple M. the beings coming to greet her were not the griffons she expected to see.

"Princess Luna." Said the lead, a mare by the sound of her, but the black helm covered her face and distorted her voice enough that Luna wasn't sure. Her entire body, aside from the wings, were covered in black, with only the red of the visor being any difference to speak of. "We are here to your progress report on the target."

Luna wasn't about to give that information to anypony other than Conno, seeing as he was her main point of contact and demanded to know where the lead griffon was. 

"Conno is no longer your concern." The icy and metallic voice answered. "He has been relieved of duty, now, tell me what you have to report on the whereabouts of the target?"

"Do not make demands of me Federalist!" Luna spat. She didn't know this pony and wasn't about to let the pegasus order her around with such importance. 

The pony beside the mare in black cleared his throat. "Princess Luna, we are the relief of Conno and his squad. This is our superior Tribune. Would you kindly tell us of your progress with the target?"

Appreciating the polite gesture, and pushing aside her own pride, Luna calmed herself to answer the blue stallion's inquiry. Unfortunately, all the lunar princess could report was that she had yet to find their target. The dream walkers honestly couldn't find his mind in the dream scape, but they did find somepony who did know his location. Oddly, and happily enough to her, Scootaloo's mind was found, and her thoughts revealed where Sin was in Trottingham, but the Nightmare was preventing her from getting an exact lock.

She was sad that she couldn't return the filly home, though. The poor thing had suffered so much and was under so many wrong impressions, Luna only hoped that the filly would come to her senses in time. As much as she wanted to help Macintosh in any way she could, for the terrible acts she'd committed against him, it was best for her agents to sweep up the stallion without his friends knowing he was alive. Luna herself could have gone after him, but she knew that she was always being watched, and the Triple M. agents would likely not let her retake the Nightmare before assaulting her person to get to him.

"Unfortunate." The lead mare declared taking a few steps forward. "My employer demands results, Equestrian, and so do I."

Luna's eyes narrowed and she took in the three ponies before her. Three pegasi, and she saw no other agents around, but that didn't mean there weren't any, she learned that the hard way last time. Still, she saw no reason she couldn't take care of the three ponies before her if she needed to.

"I shall make this clear." The Tribune intoned, reaching a few feet away from her and stopping. "Conno was relieved of his duty for his lack of substantial results, he was too lenient on you for your failures, I shall not be."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "You presume to threaten us, little pony?"

"She does." Shade interjected, walking forwards to join her side. "As I've said, I'm here help with this."

The black clad mare turned her attention to him. "You may try."

Shade gave her a an antogonizing smirk and the result was immediate. 

Before he could even process what was happening, the red vizored figure was infront of him, he hoof buried deep into his chest in a deep and downward thrust, cracking and crushing the bones within. Just as he registered the force and pain, she moved again with ungodly speed to his side and proceeded to jab at his ribs. Not only were the jabs painful and too quick in succession to properly quantify, they hit areas that caused him more pain than they should have.

And even then, he barely had time to cough once before she was at his front again, diliving a final attack in form of a sweeping hoof to his face, sending the stallion spin flying through the door of the castle, the wooden barrier exploding into splinters and shards as he crashed through.

Luna was frozen in wide eyed horror at the speed and ruthlessness of what she'd just seen. Shade... a pony who managed to hold his own against her in one on one combat, a stallion who single hoofedly took on an entire changeling army and was capable of fighting dragons... was just dismissed and tossed aside like a rag doll. 

This mare, this... thing, it wasn't pony, she didn't know what it was, but such brutality with nothing of provocation but a smirk? How anything could be so carelessly destructive was simply inconceivable to her.

"We shall return in a month." The mare said calmly, showing absolutely no indication of her aggression. Luna's eyes trailed to her, watching as the Tribune slowly made way back to her fellows.

"Farther lack of results shall be met with consequence." She informed, passing by her neutral compatriots and making way for the garden exit.

The cobalt stallion from before released a breath and visibly relaxed at her departure. "Princess-" The stallion said, approaching her slowly and causing the alicorn to tense. "Easy, I'm no threat. I've just come to warn you. The Tribune doesn't like non-results, I hope you will get some for her soon."

Luna forced herself to reply, still partially in shock from what she'd just seen. "W- we are doing all that we are able to."

The blue pegasus' ears pinned to the back of his head and he cringed. "I was really hoping you wouldn't say that..."

And with that, both of the remaining pegasi turned around and followed their leader, leaving the distraught Alicorn to her thoughts. 

After a few seconds of processing, Luna quickly turned around and made way into the castle to tend to Star Shade, though, to her great surprise, the battered bat pony was no where to be found.

  


  
> Rockfarm Reprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Rockfarm Reprise









"KRISTI!" Cried her younger brother.

Sin watched impassivly as the the younger colt leapt forth and threw his forelegs around his elder sister's neck. This one was called Scoria if memory served.

Scootaloo and Angel held back with him, allowing the family reunion to take place with relative privacy.

Since the train rout had been barred by some rather... familiar faces, the troop had to sneak out of Appleloosa without being seen by Spike and Macintosh, or any of their friends for that matter.

As soon as he saw the passangers of the train, Sin's heart skipped a beat. Macintosh saw him, he fucking saw him! Granted he had his hood up, but still, the stallion saw him. 

The Federalist couldn't believe how stupid he was, Appleloosa was an apple farming town, it was in the fucking name! Spike had told him about an adventure to help sort out an issue of this like before, of course it would be them who would come to investigate the matter. 

No help for it now, the damage was done. He and Scootaloo had managed to hide away before being seen again. Though, Sin had to fight the temptation to out himself on the spot. He wanted to send the young filly with the stallion, to ask him to look after her and give her a place to live and call home, but his own selfishness got in the way.

Now the pony was pondering if he'd made a mistake. 

Macintosh and Spike may have understood his predicimate, oh they would have a few choice words for him, sure, but they would likely have kept his none-death a secret. Though, the way she was looking at him while they were hiding, waiting for the chance to bolt out into the desert did give Sin pause.

She looked... conflicted for some reason. A little misty eyed and hurt mixed with reluctant longing. Sin originally figured it had something to do with their aquaintenceship through Applebloom, but looking back on it now, the way she was looking just didn't feel right to him. What really aroused his suspicions was how standoffish she was after they'd finally managed to escape the small town when the Ponyvillians went into the local salt bar.

Krystal didn't help much in her constant questioning, finally resulting in Sin pulling her aside to inform the mare about the possible ramifications of Scootaloo being caught and sent into foal custody. The result was immediate, and the off white mare dropped the issue then and there, though she'd cast worried glances to the foal every so often as they walked.

Scootaloo was so upset over the issue, she didn't even console Angle Bunny, who had elected to hop along with them at a slower and more depressive pace until Sin finally grabbed the rabbit and put him on his back. As much as the stallion didn't care for the critter, he could sympathize with him. Fluttershy also just had to be there, and seeing her had sent Angle into a small depression of his own.

So now, here they were. A disgruntled stallion, a depressed rabbit, a standoffish filly and a saddened mare, standing at the bottom of a ravine. 

It defied his desires for travel, but Sin wasn't about to begin moving from a safe haven until moral improved amongst them. Food and water were all fine and good, but it was strive and motivation that kept a group alive in survival and travel situations. Baltimare was a long way off, and if he was reading the map right, a straight shot to the city would require going through some rather hectic terrain. He needed the three to be at their best if they were going to make this trip work, even if that meant wasting a day or two relaxing.

The pony just hoped that the tip Smart Cookie gave him was right and the Trotski would still be in Baltimare by the time he'd gotten there. Scootaloo may think she could stop him from killing, but... really? What was she going to do? What was her two foot, seventy pound self going to do to a stallion easily three times her size?

'Wonder if Golvec thought the same way right before Shade went up and kicked the snot out of him.' Critic mused.

Okay, that was different. That was Shade and a fucking dragon.

'You're right, that was different, he was easily fifty times Shade's size.'

You know what? Shut up.

'Speaking of Shade, I wonder what he's up to?'









"NOOOOO!" Star Shade cried, struggling against the uncomfortable chair he was bound to as a plethora of painted white faced ponies danced in front of him to a jaunty tune of carnival music. He pulled and pushed on his restraints, adrenaline and his fight or flight instinct pushing him to struggle with everything he had to escape his torment, but it was no use. The way he was sitting, the lack of leverage, he had nothing to work with.

"Aww, what's wrong little colt? Aren't ya havenin' fuuuun?" One of the clowns asked with a goofy laugh, the others turning to face the surrounding crowd who laughed and giggled, completely unaware that Shade's entire existence within the act wasn't voluntary.

"NO! You're not funny! You've never been funny! You're horrifying creatures sent from the deapths of tartarus to make me piss myself at any chance you get!" Shade screamed in frustration and horror.

The clown, finding the sour puss pony's behavior unacceptable, proceeded to pull out a long balloon and blow it up.

"No." Shade whispered, ceasing his struggle and watching with wide, almost teary eyes. "Not the animal balloons, I'm begging you! Not the animal balloons!"

"Let's turn that frown, upside down!" The unicorn clown beamed, begining to bend and twist the balloon, making one of the most irritating and disgusting noises the bat pony had ever heard in his life. Tough, he'd have gladly taken that insufferable sound for hours over what the balloon eventually turned into. "Here ya go, little boy. It's a human!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"









Probably worshiping Discord or something.

Krystal called the duo over and gave her brothers a proper greeting.

"Scoria, Obsidian, you two remember Islander and Scootaloo." Krystal said.

They were exactly what the Federalist expected, a chipper younger colt and a more subdued and intelligent elder. Apparently they were both twins with Obsidian being the first to birth. Both gave him a forced hello, but immediately turned their attention to Scootaloo, who pulled a little closer to Sin upon their gazes.

"It's nice to meet ya! We don't see too many young ponies around here." Scoria declared with interest, Obsidian nodding his head in agreement. Upon a few words from Krystal, both gave a small apology for their behavior from the initial visit, siting their acts to be very undignified and brash.

The apology was accepted, and all three were lead to the house to be met by a very happy Gem.

"Momma Gem! Momma Sandy! Kristi's back!" Scoria cried, running upstairs. Sin and Scootaloo stayed outside, letting the mare have another moment.

"KRISTI!" A happy light green pegasus cheered, running forth and embracing her daughter as she walked through the door. "Oh my sweet, sweet little girl. How have you been?" She looked past her. "Why are you two outside? Come on in!"

The group made way to the living room, Sin and Scootaloo keeping to a couch with Angle in between while Sandy, who'd also given a hug and affectionat nuzzle to her daughter, fetched everyone some tea. Granite was out in the fields currently, and both the younger colts had been sent out to fetch him.

"So, how was Appleloosa?" Gem asked, giving Sandy a greatful smile as she took a cup of tea.

Krystal beamed. "Oh mama, it was so beautiful! First went into town and I had to remind Islander to speak to the shariff at the train station!"

"I was going to do that." Sin interjected, but to nobody's notice.

Krystal continued on with her recount, about how all of them had worked hard to judge the weight's with Sin doing the math to make sure each of the weights was proper in it's measurements. Scootaloo gave him a look when she'd heard the part about the two heading to see the buffalo that night, both neglecting to mention the fear they were both in.

"I was so scared, but Islander told me that... you said I was strong, and that I shouldn't dissappoint you." Krystal said, both she and her mother giving Sin a look.

"It wasn't that intimidating." Sin mumbled.

"Are you joking?" The off white mare scoffed. "There were so many buffalo that I couldn't count them all, big ones, momma. Easily three times as big as we were!" She held her hooves up in an attempt to visualize their hight," they could have trampled us without a second thought. But Islander didn't look scared at all. He actually said that it was times like those that I needed to be strong the most, and I was!"

Krystal beamed with pride, puffing out her chest slightly while the Federalist turned away as her mother made a few comments of praise. It wasn't all that bad, not really. She could have easily flown away if she wanted to, Sin didn't know what she was acting so proud over.

'Because she's never had to encounter anything like that before? I mean, you understood that well enough when you were there.'

Yea? So? Common sense should dictate-

'Common sense to you, Sin. You've done things she probably couldn't imagine in her worst nightmares. She's not as desensitized as you are to threats like that.'

"And there were trees!" Krystal swooned, her eyes going stary and a small, almost dopey smile gracing her muzzle. "So many trees, they had apples!"

The tale continued onwards, right up until the part where the mystery was solved and Professor Cook revealed himself as the culperate. Of course, Sin told her to keep his little revenge chase a secret, and they'd agreed to stick to Cook's declaration in hatred of Celestia and the restoration of pony rule. 

Her story telling abilities were something to behold, her detail and way with words was something the Federalist had to internally admit he admired. Vivid, captivating, and sublime. He suspected he'd find more than a few books in her room if he looked, likely a story or two of her own in the works as well.

"My goodness, that sounds like something right out of a suspense novel." Sandy pipped up.

"Yes it does." Gem agreed. "Why did he do it, though?"

Sin cleared his throat, reminiding the bandana wearing mare to mind her details. "He said that the princess lied to all of us. I mean, more so than politicians usually do. Well, he said that his name was Smart Cookie and he was in command of the Trotski, and that-"

CRASH!

A collective gasp from all around was heard, green tea spilling out onto the floor from the shattered remains of Gem's tea cup as it hit the floor. Sandy was also taken aback by the names, looking over to a wide eyed, pale pegasus.

Krystal looked down at the broken ceramic and then back up to her mother with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, momma Gem?"

"T-Trotski?" 

Her words were a low mumble, barely audible even by the deafening silence that gripped the room in the moments after the fall of the cup. He wouldn't have been surprised if nobody else heard it, but Sin did, and he knew that she knew who they were.

"Momma?"

Gem broke from her stupor and brushed off her prior moment with a light chuckle. "Sorry dear, I was just... having a moment. Oh goodness, clumsy me."

The teal mare stood from her place but Krystal was already one her way to the kitchen, telling her mother not to worry and that she'd clean it up.

Sin took note of Sandy as well, noticing that she too looked a little disturbed. This bothered him for obvious reasons and he made it a point to speak to both of them later on.

"So, anyways." Krystal said, after cleaning up the mess and fetching her mother another cup of tea, double checking to make sure she was alright. "After that, Islander shouted at him, demanding to know where the rest of the Trotski were."

"AHEM!" Sin asserted forcefully, trying to hault Krystal's excitability. She slowed down her speaking and gave him her attention, noticing the slight shake of disapproval he was giving her with a mild look of confusion.

"What? I wasn't going to tell them about-"

The Federalist interrupted her words as a rush of frustration and panic pushed through his limbs. He wanted to yell at her to shut up, to tell her to stop talking before she ruined everything. Somehow, despite his wash of emotion, Sin maintained his calm and politely, though forcefully, requested to speak with her in private outside.

He was angry with her, and as he closed the door behind them, he planned to let her know why.

"What do you think. You're doing!?" He seethed through clenched teeth.

The off white mare took a step back. "I- I was just telling momma the story."

Sin was half tempted to smack her then and there for her idiocy. "I told you not to tell her about that!"

Rubbing one leg with another, Krystal stared down at the ground. "I wasn't going to tell her that part, just the-"

"No!" Sin whispered harshly, making the object of his ire step back in fright. "You aren't to tell anyone about what I said about the Trotski. Not your mothers, not your brothers, not your father, not anyone."

Tears of confusion began to well in amber eyes at Sin's wrath. Krystal tried to peace together what she did wrong. She followed his direction well enough, she didn't understand why Islander was so upset with her. "But I- I wasn't going to... I didn't mean to... You never said I..." She sniffled, looking as if she was about to break down in tears.

"Dammit, mare it was implied!" The Federalist scolded. "If I tell you not to talk about something in particular, it's best you just not talk about it at all! Got it?!"

"But I-"

"Not. At. All!" Sin pressed lividly. It was at this point, Krystal Melody began to tremble, her eyes threatening tears at any moment. To anybody else, she would seem genuinely sorry and guilty for what she'd done, but to him? In that current moment in time? Sin felt absolutely nothing resembling pity or sympathy for her. All he felt was irritated at her attempt to, once again, emotionally manipulate him.

"Do it again, and I'll le-"

'STOP!' 

But the Critic's call came too late. Krystal was already an inch away from collapsing into an emotionally wracked mess, knowing all to well what the stallion was going to say. Sin only now finding himself, realized just how unnecessarily harsh and cruel he was being. For a moment, he'd forgotten how fragile and vulnerable the pegasus before him was in her emotional maturity, and regret was quick to kick him in the stomach for it.

So what if her parents knew what he was doing? What were they going to do? Stop him? Report that he was on a mission to hunt down a wanted reactionary group? Take Krystal and force her to stay at the farm?

'Fucking Bearking, Sin, what the fuck is wrong with you?! Why did you do that?!' Critic exclaimed.

I... I don't know. I just... got really angry all of the sudden. 

'And you think that gives you the right to make Krystal cry?! Poor girl. You should be ashamed of yourself.'

Feeling himself cooling and his rage turned inwards, Sin said a pair of words he reserved for only the worst of blunders. "I'm sorry." He breathed, wincing as Krystal wipped her eyes with a folded fetlock. "That was out of line on my part. But I want it understood that the Trotski are not to be spoken of unless I tell you to. Do you understand?"

Krystal sniffled and shook her head. "I- I don't."

Another surge of irritation at the poor mare flashed, but Sin managed to keep any urges to act oppressed. It was worrying how such a small thing managed to set him off so quickly.

"Because, Krystal. The Trotski are dangerous, and the more ponies who become aware of them, the more ponies they could target." He bit his lip and sighed, cooling his frustrations once again. It was a sad admittance, but one he hoped would salvage his image. "If they hear about your parents asking questions, there is a possibility that they could become targets, and I don't want that for them or for you."

It was a half truth, but one that made the mare recoil more in shock than anything else. The Trotski didn't know who she was, but if they found out and used her parents as leverage, Sin couldn't guarantee their safety. Scootaloo and he didn't have this problem, but Krystal did. The more in the dark they were about the organization, the better.

"If you want to stay here, I'll understand. I don't think you fully comprehended what I was telling you back in Appleloosa, but your family is in potential danger so long as you are with me and-" Sin cringed, a spike of pain shooting through his head. Krystal reached out, asking if he was alright.

"Fine, just a headache. Anyways, think carefully about what you're doing, that's all I ask." Sin finished. 

Krystal regarded him for a moment, blinking rappidly to clear the tears from her eyes. Then, she did something he didn't expect. She reached out and hugged him, making the stallion stiffen up in shock. It wasn't a full on hug, just a single foreleg around his neck and placing her face submissively into the side of his shoulder embrace.

"I understand." She whispered, burring her face into his neck, making Sin's breath catch in his throat. "Thank you for caring and worrying about me and my family. Ever since I was a small filly, Papa always said that stallions all wanted one thing, but you didn't. Even though we were alone and you could have taken advantage of me so many times, you didn't... I was scared about that when I left the farm."

Sin felt her cling a little tighter, making his stomach churn with guilt. He felt low, lower than he had in a long time. What right did he have to harbor resentment against Krystal for her emotional manipulation when he was no better? Here she was thanking him for being considerate of her family when... okay, maybe he was a little worried about them, but truth be told, he was more worried about himself.

"Momma Gem," the pegasus continued, her voice dripping with emotion, "she said I could trust you. That you were a lot like Papa was when she'd met him. When you went to the buffalo camp, I was so confused and worried. I didn't understand why you were going alone so late at night, but you were so intent on the truth, in knowing things for what they really were, and not what you wanted them to be. You took the hard way, and were willing to carry two hundred and fifty pounds such a long way and risked being turned away by a buffalo tribe or worse, all by yourself."

Sin's heart crashed at the sentimentality. Is that why she was so willing to go with him? Because Gem said he was like her father? Yea, she told him the story about both having the "dead eyes" and all, and both had no love for government, but the teal mare didn't know that.

Looking down at her, the Federalist felt like he was looking at her for the first time. Not as just another mouth to feed or another annoying companion he'd need to look after and take care of, but as a... pony. A pony who was expressing something, something that made him feel as though he'd finally found what he wanted for a very long time.

Genuine appreciation.

It was odd, Sin usually hated shows of emotional appreciation, favoring monetary compensation instead, though this was different. This wasn't the superficial "thank you for your help" like he was accustom to. The fake and dismissive lip service that he knew nobody would remember in a week or so, but real, honest gratitude for his efforts.

He didn't know what to do. Throughout all of his years, this was the first time anybody had made him feel  so... admired.

A small tint of red tinted Sin's cheeks as a disturbingly comforting warmth crept along his body. Reason and socially acceptable responses conflicted with obligation on how he should reply. Was he supposed to compliment her back? Saying "thank you" didn't feel like enough, should he stay silent and just let the moment pass awkwardly?

'Wow, that is... I cannot believe what I'm seeing right now.' Critic gushed.

Critic, need help, what do?

'You're on your own, just be nice to her.'

"Yes, well-" The Federalist cleared his throat. "I said I'd help, so... yea. Stallion of my word, or I try to be."

Krystal laughed lightly, nuzzling into his neck. "That means you really are a good pony. Just like momma Gem said you were."

Sin would have laughed at the assertion if his mind wasn't so compromised by the situation at hoof. It felt good to hear what she had to say, like he'd accomplished something worth while in pleasing her. It was just a small feeling, a light, golden warmth that made his shoulders feel just a tad lighter, but it was there. Krystal was happy with him, and Sin enjoyed the fact more than he should have.

Critic?

'Yea?'

What's this feeling? 

'Not sure, kinda reminds me of how you were with... you know.'

It couldn't be that, after what happened last time? Was the kid really doing this to him again?

"What are you doing with my daughter?"

Sin's eyes shot wide and Krystal immediatly pulled away. Both ponies looked to find a gruff, salt and pepper earth pony stallion standing not ten feet away, watching Sin with vengeful eyes that only a father showing disapproval had any right to bear.

'Oh come on!'

With all the shit that's gone wrong in my life, does this honestly surprise you?

"Papa!" Krystal exclaimed, looking between herself and Sin fretfully. "I- it's not what you think, Papa! I promise, Islander was-"

Granite held up a hoof to silence her, his eyes still firmly on Sin, who returned the gaze with his own look of defiance. The Federalist could imagine how angry the pony must be at seeing the hug, but to be fair, he'd never actually hugged her back, so he was just the victim of circumstance.

'Yea, great defense there, buddy. Let's see how that works out for you.'

"Go inside, Krystal." Granite said, his tone neutral and commanding. The off white mare began to protest but a gentle hoof upon her shoulder silenced her.

She gave Sin one last look before returning inside, leaving the Federalist to handle the situation alone. Luckily, Granite had no intention on sticking around. "You stay out here." He commanded, following his daughter inside before Sin could so much as nod.

'Well, this'll be fun.'









'I don't know, and again, sorry to jumping on you like that, but you made her cry.'

Sin sighed, a full thirty minutes having passed since Granite had taken her back inside. Between trying to figure out what it was that made him so angry before and waiting for the stallion to return, Sin felt like a colt, sitting outside the principal's office and waiting to be put "in trouble".

He licked his lips to find them dry and slightly chapped. Dehydration had always had the affect of irritability and head aches, so maybe that was it? He was feeling thirsty for a good while now. Kind of hungry too, now that he took a full status report of his body.

All wounds sustained were healing well enough, they weren't bothering him much anymore, the cavities in his mouth were acting up a little, but that was to be expected. 

The stallion looked up and shielded his eyes from the sun. He missed his goggles, the sun was always so bright to him and he wished the black tinted eye shields were with him again. Probably for the best they weren't though, Macintosh surely would have recognized him if he'd had them on. 

He knew the apple pony saw him, while the rest had gone into the salt bar, Macintosh began inspecting around town. Sin and Scootaloo used Krystal to move about and keep an eye on him while they jumped from hiding place to hiding place, evading the stallion entirely, but it only served to confirm what Sin suspected.

Something else was bothering him more than any of that though. The feeling he had when Krystal hugged him, when she said what she had. It was driving him crazy trying to analyze what made it come about. It felt so nice, so warm and gratifying. Why didn't he hate it? He always hated feeling nice and gushy, and flustered if nothing else.

Why was this having such an emotional impact on him? 

'Because that's what you've always wanted but weren't willing to admit to because it wasn't something you could give to yourself?'

What?

'Admiration, appreciation, genuine compassion. Hate to say it, but most everybody else always saw utility for you and showed you little appreciation. Even Macintosh, Spike and Uppity before she betrayed you. They cared, sure, the former two may have even admired you, but none of them showed you that kind of genuine appreciation like that. You only ever got that from one pony before, and that was Zell.'

Sin rubbed his head, the headache returning in full. His mind felt heavy and strained.

This doesn't make any sense, Critic. Mac and Spike showed me appreciation.

'Appreciation yes, but not the raw, genuine and vulnerable appreciation like Krystal did. Or maybe they did and you were just too emotionally closed off to see it. Regardless, that's what's happening here.'

Emotional things, Sin had no idea what to make of them. He had no idea what to make of them and it was driving him crazy to try to figure it all out. Critic advised him that feelings were just feelings, and didn't always have logic to back them up all the time, but that only farther compounded the Federalist's irritations.

A squeak from the door made the Federalist looked over to see Granite exit the home. He gulped and the two stallions locked eyes once again. Wordlessly, the elder stallion's eyes narrowed and he motioned with his head to be followed. Sin was hesitant but took after him at a matching pace, always staying behind him just a little.

Sin wasn't sure where they were going, but he knew to keep his guard up. It was obvious Granite didn't take well to his family being messed with, and seeing his daughter in tears made what he planned to do very difficult to predict. Sin didn't want to have to use violence, but he would if he had to.

The elder pony reach the water front and looked over the calmest part of the river. He took a seat and gestured for Sin to do the same beside him.

The two sat in silence for a minute, the air becoming thick with anticpation. Sin's head was forward, but his eyes were locked onto Granite's face. The stallion looked lost in thought, giving the air before him a thousand yard stare. Sin wondered what the pony was going to ask him, or tell him, really. It was kinda obvious where this was going to go.

"Your name." Granite paused. "Your real name, what is it? And don't lie to me."

"Sinbad." The Federalist replied, keeping his calm. "Sinbad Von Islander, sir."

Granite hummed, listening to the trickling and washing of the stream before them. Another few moments of silence passed before the elder stallion commented on the oddness of the name. Sin explained that it wasn't Equestrian, that he was from another country entirely.

"Is it custom in your country to lie to others when you meet them?" Granite asked.

Sin smirked and made a comment about how it actually kind of was, and that was one of the reasons he'd left his country in the first place. "Ponies claiming they want things to get better, yet doing nothing to make it happen? Yea, I'd say so."

Granite quirked a brow and gave Sin a side long stare, obviously not expecting such an answer. Of course, the Federalist took pride in his ability to do that.

"My wives tell me that you are involved with the Trotski." The elder growled, dropping one topic for another.

Sin gulped, how could they have known that? Krystal understood they weren't supposed to speak of that.

"Is this true?" Sin wasn't sure just how much he knew, how much Krystal had told him, so he owned up to it and answered in the affirmative. "For what purpose?"

"They hurt someone I knew." Sin answered blankly. 

"Revenge, then?" Granite said solemnly, allowing another few moments of contemplative quiet to pass before speaking again. "And you planned to drag my daughter into that, did you?"

Sin pressed his lips and sighed in annoyance. "It was her decision to follow me, Mr. Melody."

"Sediment." The older pony barked softly. "My family's last name is Sediment. Krystal's last name is Melody, only because Gem insisted she be allowed to choose it."

Sin made the correction but maintained his stance. He planned to continued hunting the Trotski regardless of whatever Granite had to say about it.

To his surprise, the stallion beside him began to chuckle. "You've got a chip on your shoulder, don't you, colt?" He said, smiling slightly. "I knew that the minute I saw you. A proud sort, the kind who thinks he knows it all."

Then it was Sin's turn to chuckle. "Nobody knows it all, things change every day. Anyone who thinks they know everything becomes stagnant and complacent."

"Well, you might be smarter than I thought." Granite complimented, turning his head and giving the cloaked pony a look. "But you still think you do, I know those eyes. The eyes of a pony who thinks he's got it all figured out, thinks he knows how life's going to go, cause he's already given up on it."

"You presume much."

"Am I wrong? Be honest, I know how you Federalist types like to lie."

Sin couldn't help letting out yet another chuckle, he'd set himself up for that one. "Aye, I guess you aren't."

Another moment of silence, the two ponies just sitting, enjoying the early spring breeze and the sounds of running water. Sin felt oddly at ease, despite the fact he had every reason not to be. It was nice speaking quietly again, and something about Granite just felt... familiar to him. Kinda like Big Macintosh, but much older and a fair bit wiser.

"Am I safe to assume my wife, Gem, told you about what happened to me in Stalliongrad?" He asked out of the blue. 

Sin nodded. "She told me you were injured and left to yourself by the government. Nothing passed that, though."

Granite grunted irritably and took a breath before explaining the remainder of the story. Apparently there was some kind of verbal altercation in the streets where he was stationed. When Granite had gone to check it out with his partner, the two had found the conflict to be between a two large groups.

"Apparently one group had set up a march through the city to demonstrate against the government, and the second group came in counter protest to show support. One of them, a protesting pegasus mare I think, pointed to us as we approached and said something along the lines of 'there, go lick their hooves if you love them so much'." The old pony chuckled for just a second before his eyes glazed over once more.

"Anyways, despite me and my partner trying to calm them all down, both sides got worse and worse. I did what I could to stop them, but simple shouting and screaming matches turned into pushing and shoving, and finally fighting."

Sin listened quietly, wondering if his deduction about this story was correct.

"Trotski, was the protesting group." He looked down at his foreleg, Sin followed, noticing a nasty scar that traveled from the base of his hoof all the way up his inner leg to his shoulder. The Federalist hadn't noticed it before, but it was pretty gnarly to say the least. 

"Knife." Granite said, lowing his leg. "Bastard Trotski was going on and on about how the Princess wasn't our rightful leader. It upset me more than I care to admit now, but back then, I thought the Solar Empire was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Hearing those voices, condemning her, calling her a liar and a thief, it made me see red." He confessed, his leg digging into the ground. 

The grey earth stallion trembled, elaborating on his own part in the fight. He was green, fresh out of the academy, and had quite a bit to prove. Though, in his youth, zeal and commitment to maintaining Celestia's rule, he was also reckless and arrogant. The press turned what had happened against the guard. The Stalliongrad Tribune printed an article on the front page, condemning him as the instigator of the violence, convinced by the pro-Celestia protesters to silence the anti-government rhetoric.

Sin gritted his teeth, knowing all to well just how easily public opinion was swayed. Apparently, the Trotski had a friend inside of the news outlet, and all other media sources followed the Stalliongrad Tribune's lead.

"I hadn't established myself in the community yet, so it was easy enough to turn my own superiors against me. Just some dumb rookie with a chip on his shoulder who'd gotten in way over his head." Granite chuckled a mirthless laugh, his eyes hardening as he observed the reflection of the sun upon the flowing water and sighed. "After that, I was taken to the hospital and dishonorably discharged from the guard. Tried to plead my case to Captain Mace and the courts, but they didn't believe me."

Granite's face darkened, his eyes narrowing to pinpricks and trembling with anger. "They didn't believe me... I got stabbed and cut up for those bastards, and they didn't care. They just took the story those lying little-"

He stopped himself and took a few calming breaths. Sin watching calmly all the while.

Now it made a bit more sense why he hated government so much. Granite was abandoned by them when he was injured and then vilified as the bad guy in the court of the media. Using the public to condemn the crown and vilify a young guard who was just trying to do his job. 

"Trotski or Celestia." Granite continued, turning to face Sin properly. "In the end, neither one of them care about the individual, nor the sacrifices that we whom commit violence on their behalf may suffer. Despite all of the lip service the Equestrian commons give, in the end, the only thing anypony has in the world is their family."

Sin could understand that, before the Federation's protection services had become privatized, there was a single war the nation had participated in; barring domestic disputes. One war, against Griffonstone. If the books were correct, after the war was over, one in five of the veterans were homeless, and more were killed in suicide than in actual combat. Yet despite all of this, there was a propaganda phrase back then called "support the troops", which was more meaning: support the government's actions, rather than supporting the soldiers themselves.

"Do you think I work for her?" Sin asked, turning himself to get face to face with Granite. "Because I don't."

Granite humphed, looking the stallion up and down most unashamedly, not in a sexual way, but in judgement. He asked of Sin's reasons for doing what he did in Appleloosa, if not to defend Celestia's right to ruler-ship, to which the Federalist answered that it wasn't so much for the Alicorn, but against the Trotski.

"I see." Granite smirked. "It's not important she wins, just that they lose?" His smirk dropped. "And what would have happened if you had died? What would have become of that orange filly of yours? Or do you even care, considering she isn't related to you?"

Sin's eyes darkened a little. He didn't have a reply to that, if he did die, she'd be on her own, that was just the fact of the matter. Granite asked the Federalist again, and Sin stated the fact as it was.

The elder pony tensed, his own eyes hardening at that callous indifference he displayed. "And that's it then? You'd just leave her alone? Alone to starve out in the streets or worse?"

Sin turned away, the words digging into his soul. When he justified it in his mind, it didn't sound so bad, but when Granite said it, it just made him feel terrible about himself. Scootaloo wasn't going to starve, she would certainly not be happy, but she wouldn't go hungry... or so he thought.

"To be a stallion is to be relied upon." Granite growled, stepping forward until he was face to face with the Federalist. "To protect and provide for the ones you care about. To be the rock and pillar of support for those you take care of and see to. I do not know how you came to be her care taker, but I know that you are now. As such, it is your obligation to take care of her, do you understand?"

Sin's own eyes narrowed at the commanding tone spat in his face. "I have no such obligation to her-"

In a blink, Granite was upon him, strong, tested forlegs grabbing onto his cloak collar and pulling him forwards, a pair of livid hazel eyes bearing down into his at a hairs breath of distance. "You do!" Granite seethed, sending small shivers down Sin's spine. "She's a helpless foal, a filly who's placed her trust in you as well as her life!"

Sin was caught off guard by the sudden act, but stayed any attempt to push the pony off by the sheer look of conviction in the pony's eyes. He wanted to strike the stallion, to yell that he was no slave and had no obligation to Scootaloo just because he was in her proximity, that just because she was a filly, she was still not entitled to his labor or care... but he didn't.

The way Granite was speaking to him, despite the aggressive nature of it, felt... compelling. Imploring, respectful and somehow guiding. It was sick, it was stupid and wrong on so many levels, but it appealed to something in Sin, something childish. He actually wanted... the pony to keep talking.

"You are strong, I see that in you. You're also intelligent, you've experienced things, but you've got along way to go before you've earned your right to die. Promise me. Promise me that you'll always come back for her, that you wont let your foolishness get you killed and leave an orphaned child to be abandoned like her own parents did." Said the desperate earth pony. 

Sin blinked a few times, staring into Granite's before he made the big mistake of looking away.

Once again, Granite pulled the stallion closer, pressing their foreheads together and glaring down, demanding Sin promise to care for Scootaloo, as well as Krystal. 

Again, Sin's throat betrayed him, stopping the stallion from countering the emotional appeal with logical reason. Krystal wasn't his problem! If this crazy pony was so concerned, than he could keep her here! Both of them! They didn't control him, they had no right to make him live! If he wanted to die, he should be able to! What the fuck gave them possession over his life?

"Alright."

Sin internally gasped, unable to believe what his mouth just said. 

"I promise, I'll keep an eye on her."

No! No, I don't! Why am I saying that!? Critic! What the fuck is going on!

'Huh, kid's plan worked? Very nice.'

"From one stallion to another." Granite said, his grip loosening. "You promise, your word as a stallion."

This isn't a fucking joke! I'm about to give my word on this bull shit!

'Yep, and it's about time too, you've carried on too long as a broken pony, and now it's time you finally begin to fix that.'

Sin felt like his body was on auto pilot, like any action his brain dictated was resolutely ignored in favor of some other command structure. Helplessly, his conscious mind watched as his fetlock reach up and grabbed Granite's. "As a stallion, I promise. I'll take care of both Scootaloo and Krystal."

Granite's looked at him, judging the stallion's resolve. Eventually, he released his hold on the pony and placed a hoof upon the Federalist's shoulder, smiling for the first time since Sin had met him. "Thank you, Sin."


>  Elaboration Revelation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Elaboration Revelation
 







Sin opened his eyes, finding himself in the typical confines of, what he refereed to as, the black room. He looked about for either the Critic or the Kid, but neither were in view yet, so he called out to them, reminding the former of his warning that the longer he stayed here, the more of a chance the Nightmare had for a full on possession. 

Now, as much as the Federalist didn't want that to happen, he wanted answers more. What happened with Granite had disturbed him, deeply. Never before in his entire life had he ever felt so powerless and used as when he'd spoken those words. And when confronted on the issue, the Critic just told him to think about what he'd said and that if he hadn't figured it out by tonight than to come here and see him. 

Critic hadn't said anything the rest of the day, despite Sin continually hounding him for answers.

So here he was.

'Sin.'

The stallion turned to find Critic, looking much more like himself than he had so many weeks ago. Almost a mirror image of the pony with only the slightest of indiscernible details distinguishing them.

"Answers, now." Sin commanded.

Critic furrowed his brow and tilted his head slightly. 'Really? You haven't figured it out yet?'

That was not what the pony wanted to hear, especially in such a petulant voice. "If I'd figured it out, would I be asking?" He countered, already annoyed.

The metaphysical construct quirked a brow, silently eyeing the stallion as if to determine if his statement was a joke or not. Finally he let out a sigh and shook his head with a tisk.

'Sin, what am I?'

"A manifestation of my... superego?" Sin offered.

Critic pressed his lips and tilted his head from side to side. 'Sorta, but not really. Let's try this another way, do you know what the purpose of my being here is?'

Sin was quick to speak. "You were here to help re acclimate me with my emotions."

Again, the other stallion tilted his head from side to side in a so-so manner. That was true in some respects, but not entirely accurate. Upon some more coaxing, Critic elaborated that his function was to help the stallion heal from what he'd become upon his Schism when Sin had raided the Fire Cult and came to terms with what he was becoming.

'You remember, right? When you saw your partner break down into tears?'

Did he remember? How could he forget? Sin wasn't with Triple M's mercenary division for long, a few months or so, including the boot camp training. It was his first major mission under the company, with some minors before it, and his last mission ever. What he saw that day, the things he felt, the realizations he'd come to, the smells, the fear, the following mental breakdown. That was the day he'd made a choice, a choice to no longer be the monster he was becoming. The choice to reject his alleged "destiny" in favor of something else.

Critic nodded with a sad smile. "Yea, you did make a choice that day, a choice for the better in my opinion. Sad it took seeing someone you admired have their own break down before you finally realized it, though." He turned, waving a hoof in the air, a small, translucent pink and black heart shaped thing appearing in front of him. "Do you know what this is?"

Sin groaned and placed a hoof over his eyes. "Really, Critic? Don't you think this is a little too childish?"

The mirror image shook his head, siting that this was how he'd always thought of the stallion's mind and psyche, through a small heart tainted in darkness.

The Federalist had to bite his tongue, this was not one of Critic's proudest moments to be sure. A heart? Seriously? Taking all of the subtle and not so subtle nuances of the pony psyche, memories of past events, traumatic experiences, behavioral and thought patterns and process, and so many more uncountable factors; only to have them all add up to the ultimate childish concept?

Critic let out a slow, controlled breath. 'That, right there. You've always got something to say to the way I try to help or understand you. Everything's a battle, everything's a fight, everything's is something that you have to push back against.' He turned to look at the Federalist, his face a neutral, if not slightly irritated, mask. 'And I'm getting pretty fucking sick of it.'

Sin shrugged. Critic had been tired of his criticisms and abandoned him before, it wasn't a long abandonment, but Sin had gotten along well enough without him. It wasn't easy, it was one of the few times in his life the pony actually felt lonely, but he managed to survive the few weeks of silence.

"Tell me something," Critic sighed, turning back to the small, floating prism, 'What is it you want, Sin?'

Quirking a brow, the stallion answered with what he usually did: Freedom. Though, that answer didn't seem to please the metaphysical construct. Apparently, freedom wasn't the correct answer.

'Alright, let's try this another way. What is it that will make you happy?'

Quirking a brow, the stallion didn't answer right away. Speaking honestly, he didn't really remember what happiness felt like, and didn't feel qualified to give an accurate answer. Critic suspected as much, though.

'Do you think freedom brought you happiness, Sin?' He asked, turning to the pony once more, eyeing him with a demanding glare. 

"I... don't understand what you're asking." Sin replied, his eyes trailing about the blackness of the void.

Sighing again, the reflection shook his head. 'It's not a hard question, dude. Were you happy when you had your definition of freedom? When you didn't answer to anybody but yourself? When you lived in the Everfree forest, outside of Celestia's control. When you came to Equestria at all, and were free to roam about as you pleased. Did you feel life was worth living because you were finally away from the toxicity of the Federation?'

Sin racked his brain, was he happy? The answer was no, no he wasn't, but why wasn't he? He had what he wanted, in a sense. He was able to do whatever he wanted in Equestria as opposed to the old country, especially in the Everfree forest. Yet... that was one of the most miserable points in his life. It wasn't a revelation by any means, but it was something to think about.

'No, you weren't.' Critic answered for him, turning his attention back to the . 'But I do know when you were happy.

Resisting the urge to groan at the display, Sin watched as black ichor encasing the heart slowly receded from it, leaving the glowing prism much more beautiful and vibrant than what it was before. 'For all of your bitching and complaining about others, it was when you were in Ponyville that you were the most happy. This, if you'll indulge me, was how you looked back when you lived there. Still a little twisted and filled with malice, but you were happy with your life for the first time since you were small.'

'Spike, Macintosh, Uppity, Shady Oaks, the Council, the guys at the woodmill. These relationships, despite how much they annoyed you at times, made you feel pretty content with yourself. You enjoyed them, you had so many things going for you. Yea, you were still a little confused, trying to figure things out for what they were, but you had direction and a support system of ponies who cared about you, not just what you could do for them.'

Sin scoffed lightly. "The Council made me happy?"

Critic, rather than becoming indignant at the strawman, merely chuckled. 'You like fighting, what better to fight for than keeping the government bureaucrats in line?'

Both of them shared a chuckle, Sin remembering his old life in the small town. Shooting the shit with the guys at the mill, the time he'd helped Mac around the farm when needed, the secret meetings with Bonbon and the Cakes to coach them through combating Colgate's anti-candy legislation, the meeting's he'd set up between Shady and the Inquiry in trying to keep the red market out of Ponyville, constantly butting heads with Leaf Spring, explaining new legislation to Mayor Mare, the debates between he and Uppity...

In a wave of emotion, Sin felt his lip begin to quiver at the happy memories. There was no way he could deny it, Critic was right, despite the lack of solitude he was able to get, Ponyville was the only time in his life he looked forward to waking up in the morning. Even when he was stuck in Golden Oaks with Twilight, he still looked forward to how the day would play out. 

Back then, he didn't feel dead inside. No, he felt alive, he felt... not numb anymore. Warm, excited, compelling, like he had a purpose that wasn't wasted.

A small sniffle escaped his muzzle and the pony took a calming breath. "Alright, you've got me. I guess I was pretty happy there, but what does that have to do with what happened at the ravine?"

Critic's jaw dropped and he gave Sin one of the most incredulous looks he could manage. 'Seriously? Y- you don't see the connection?'

Sin shook his head, honestly confused as to what the construct was getting at. Critic groaned and rubbed both forelegs against his face. 'Wow, dude. For being as smart as you are, you're pretty fucking stupid sometimes, I swear to Tapio.'

All the warmth in his body drained at the insult. "Quit beating around the bush and just come out with it."

The mirror image grunted in annoyance and resolve. 'Alright, why aren't you back there, yet? Ponyville was the one place you found peace in your life, where you had friends and healthy relationships. Why aren't you back there yet?'

Now it was Sin's turn to look bewildered. "And you're calling me stupid? Seriously?"

'Yes, and I'm calling you stupid, again, for not seeing why you're stupid.'

Sin hissed through his teeth, now thoroughly agitated before calling upon sarcasm. "Alright, you want me to spell this out? Alright, alright, okay! So there's this little group of ponies running around who wanted to kill Macintosh called the Trotski, right? Nasty group, I'm trying to stop them from, you know, finishing him off? And then there's the fact I'm kinda wanted by the crown for, you know, setting them free? Oh and they all think I'm dead, so there's that too."

'And you don't see the obvious solution here?' Critic asked before holding up a hoof to cut off any answers. 'That was a rhetorical question, I know you do. You've already used it as a threat, so don't tell me it's about keeping Mac safe when it's not.'

Sin sputtered, his eyes wide and giving the reflection the most dumbfounded look he'd ever given anybody in his entire life. It wasn't about keeping Macintosh safe? Was the critic loosing his shit? How was what he was doing not about keeping his friend safe? Though, what was said next quickly made Sin feel like the imbecile the construct made him out to be.

'If you're sooo concerned about Macintosh's safety, than why haven't you dropped the occlumency and told Luna about it?' Critic asked. 'You said so yourself, she could easily find the Trotski in the dreamscape, have them all locked up in no time, and Macintosh's life would be out of danger for good. Yet you have spent weeks chasing these fuckers around, risking them finding out about him being alive with each passing day and finishing what you stopped at his wedding. Why?'

Taking a step back in shock, Sin sputtered and started for a response. "I, uh, I..." He lifted a hoof but quickly brought it down. Why hadn't he done that? That was... a fantastic point against Sin that he had absolutely no excuse for not thinking of. Especially considering he did think of it and decided to just not implement it.

"Huh." He grunted in revelation.

'Yea.' Critic agreed. 

"I umm... have no excuse." Sin admitted, realizing just how stupid and thoughtless he was being.

Nodding sagely, the reflection spoke up once more. 'No, you do, you just don't want to admit to it.'

Sin, now much more open and less defensive, asked what Critic was talking about.

The reflection turned to the heart once again and tapped it, the vibrant glowing pink was once again covered in ichor, though not as bad as it once was. A bigger difference was that part of it was missing now, a small chunk of the upper right quadrant was broken off. 'You're afraid, mainly.'

"Afraid?"

Critic nodded. 'You're afraid of happiness, you've always been afraid of happiness, mainly because you've always lost it when you've had it barely in your reach. You're jaded, spiteful, and came to Equestria in one last ditch effort to find a better life. Between a pony you loved betraying you and the fact that fear came to pass, you've decided to run away from it, rather than fight against an outcome you see as a foregone conclusion.'

That much was true, every time Sin had done anything before coming to Equestria, it was always one step forward and ten steps back, politically speaking anyways. He learned about the way the world worked and offered solution? The world laughed in his face and made excuses. He tried spreading awareness about the virtues of liberty and capitalism, the world condemned him as a heartless monster who hated the poor and down trodden. He ran for the senate to try to impose more regulations and restriction on the government, his best friend ended up dead and he was jeered for his efforts.

'Well, I'm not letting you run anymore.' Said the construct with conviction. 'I've tried doing things your way, through argumentation and voluntary implementation. That hasn't worked out too well, you continually deny and fight everything I tell you, letting yourself be miserable and jaded to the world. The only times you were ever happy was when you had relationships with others, when they gave you the one thing you couldn't give yourself. Appreciation.'

Critic stepped away from the heart, allowing the prism to dissipate into the void. He approached Sin, making the unsure stallion take a few steps backwards.

'You want to know what happened at the water front? That was called an emotional response. You think you're tough shit, and most days, you are. But even you have weaknesses, Sin, weaknesses that are psychologically ingrained to authority. Granite intimidated you, but he also appealed to you. He spoke to you respectfully and told you things you wanted to hear, not as an equal, but as a subordinate. As a father would speak to his son, and you liked that. Don't deny it, I know you did. It was small, but you had a bit of admiration for the way he stood up to your logic and put you in your place on a subconscious level. In the ways that Mandylion and Gemini never did, and nobody else ever dared try.'

Sin began shaking, his eyes trailing all over the void, trying to figure out what he was hearing. Was that it? Was that why he felt the way he did when Granite was speaking to him? Had it been anyone else, Sin would have seen the behavior as a violation of the Non-Aggression Principal and reacted with violence. What had happened yesterday was different though, but he couldn't explain why, not until now anyways. It was a huge contradiction, one of the biggest in terms of logic. After all, logically, what the elder pony did was a violation, but... Sin remembered back to his time with Mandylion in the mountains and how irritated the colt was when his grandfather never challenged him on his assertions unless factually wrong. It felt like he didn't care, on an emotional level, even though he was logically consistent.

Sin knew better than to think the world ran on pure logic, though. Ponies were emotional creatures, it was how they communicated and interacted with one another. Maybe that's what it was, a shameful, secret longing to be spoken to by a father figure who felt like they actually cared.

"There was Spike, when he chewed me out for how I treated Uppity." Sin replied meekly.

'Yea, we'll pretend you see him as a superior to you.'Critic chuckled. 'Back to the point. The Kid saw a chance and I didn't stop him. You need relationships to be happy, sorry, you may not like it, but that's the fact. Krystal is good for you, so is Scootaloo. That's why we've stuck you with them both. You don't want to go back to Ponyville for fear of imprisonment? Fine, but you're getting the help you need, like it or not.'

Critic's words were spoken with resolution and left no room for debate. Sin wasn't going to argue anyways, what ground did he have to stand on? With everything he'd been told so far, and all the obvious mistakes he'd made, there wasn't a single thing he could say in contest to the deceleration. Though, that did still leave a few problems, one in particular. 

"What of the Nightmare?" Asked Sin." She's heard all of this and will likely act against it. You heard her threats against me."

Critic shrugged. 'You'll need to figure that out for yourself. If I were you, I'd talk to Luna and strike up a deal. She doesn't seem as lenient as her sister, especially since you threatened to tell Celestia about Luna's involvement with Triple M. but I'm pretty sure she'll be willing to work something out. If nothing else, I'd still talk to her just to get some added security to Macintosh.'

Seeing the soundness of his consciousness's logic, the stallion nodded his head. "Alright, I'll do that. And Critic," Sin stated, turning around. "Thanks, you were right, I was being stupid in all of this."

The reflection gave him a smile. 'Don't thank me yet, but whatever you decide, just remember that Scootaloo and Krystal are your responsibility now. Keep that in mind.'

Sin gave a solemn nod before the black room slowly swirled around him and he entered the white void of the dream scape.

"Stop!" Cried the Nightmare, now standing before him. "Sinbad, you know why this is a fool hearty endeavor! I am the only thing protecting you from Luna's minions now, should you lose me, they will take you!"

Sin regarded the black alicorn before him with pause. She was right, despite his anti-magical abilities and crossbow, her power was his main saving grace. Still though, this was for Macintosh's safety as well as getting some answers, there was nothing written in stone as to what he was going to do.

With some mental work, the stallion's thoughts began to grow lighter and freer as he slowly deconstructed the mental barrier that surrounded his mind. The Nightmare protested, decrying that Sin's actions would be his undoing, but he was resolute.

"If I were you, Nightmare, I'd make sure nothing enters my mind past this plane. Occlumency is kind of an all or nothing deal." Sin smirked, the alicorn sneered down at him.

"Fool!" She barked before disappearing in teleportive blink.

And with that, Sin took a seat and waited. Nothing happened for a while, and then it hit him. The Nightmare had the power to block Luna from entering the other's minds, she was likely doing the same to him. With a few words, he asked the Critic to have the kid put her away for a moment and force her magic to stop entirely.

It brought on a headache, even to his mental self, but the results were instantanious. Two bat ponies clad in black and purple armor appeared in the void besides him, each looking around until both found the oaken pony sitting. "Tell Luna I wish to speak with her." Sin commanded.

The two pegasi looked at each other for a moment before nodding and disappearing in another blink. A few minutes later, the dark blue princess of the moon herself finally appeared, looking as imposing and majestic as she always had.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise." She commented, glaring down at him. "We did not expect you to be the one to reach out to us."

Sin pressed his lips. "Been figuring some things out. Hope you've been well."

"We have... not." Luna admitted, furrowing her brow and looking away nervously. "Sinbad, we implore you to return to the castle at once. You're mind has played host to a creature most foul."

Again, the stallion nodded. "I am aware, though, I'm afraid I'm not willing to give her up just yet. Not until I have some stipulations that are met."

Luna quirked a brow. "Stipulations? You dare to make demands of us?"

It wasn't so much a demand, just an agreement for trade. Luna wasn't surprised to hear the Trotski had taken a dislike for Big Macintosh for his part in disrupting the protests in Canterlot, but she did find the attempt on his life more than a little shocking.

"The Trotski... assassinating?" Breathed the lunar alicorn. She placed a hoof to her forehead. "Does their evil know no limits?"

"Probably not now, considering I've killed two of their leaders and Mac ruined one of their plans." Sin pointed out. 

Luna gasped, eyeing Sin in wide eyed horror. "Y-  two of their leaders?!"

The stallion nodded, it was his mistake letting them go, and he wanted to try to make it right. That, and some vengeance was well enough in order.

Luna slumped a little, looking at the pony in pity. "Sinbad, vengeance does not lead to satisfaction, it only leads to emptiness and despair. We speak from experience of this, little pony."

"It's not a matter of satisfaction, Luna, it's a matter of retribution. It's a matter of holding the aggressive party to account for their actions. But I'm not interested in debating about morality here. I'm here to put my pride aside in this matter and ask that you take the Trotski down before Macintosh is hurt."

Luna closed her eyes in silent thought before finally answering. "No."

Sin's eyes went wide at the word. "No? Why not?"

"We... cannot say." Luna answered, her brow furrowing and tail flicking back and forth. "It is a complicated matter, Sinbad. We are sorry bu-"

"Spare me!" Sin shouted. "I know what you did to Macintosh after my trial. I didn't think anything of it when you took him away, but I had no idea you were going to have sex with him practically against his will! You raped him, I think the least you can do is bring down an organization bent on killing him, don't you?"

Luna flinched, her ears splaying as her head lowed. She knew what she did was wrong, that she was terrible for it. Had she even apologized to the Apple pony for that? 

She claimed she had, and that the reason for her inability to act as Sin's requested was due to the Trotski's affiliations. 

"You are not the only one who's able to interfere with my abilities, Sin. We have had agents within the organization since we learned of its existence."

Agents? What purpose would she possible have for needing infiltrators in the Tortski? Especially since she pretty much had the power to invade ponies memories? On that matter, how was there any unsolved crimes? Or anything of that like? Couldn't she just enter minds, find the truth and convict on the spot? The right to privacy obviously didn't mean much to her, so that wasn't an excuse.

"We do not just go around invading ponies minds at a whim!" Luna barked back at the assertion. "Believe it or not, we do respect ponies wishes to privacy."

"When it suites you." Sin snarked.

Luna's eyes darkened and the Federalist dropped the issue with a small apology. "Sorry, just something that bothered me for a while."

The lunar alicorn humphed and cleared her throat. "As we were saying. There are some minds that have found ways to counter our abilities. Making false memories, using false names, manipulating and editing memories with spells in a way we are unable to interpret correctly. The Trotski you've encountered are the leaders and the most loyal members, but there are hundreds more, perhaps over a thousand whom believe our sister and I are false rulers."

A thousand? Sin couldn't believe the number. Yea, the Alicorn's coming to power was suspicious and all, but to have over a thousand ponies as part of an organization to it? That was... impressive. 

Apparently there were some very famous and influential ponies suspected to be among their ranks. It wasn't a crime to be a Trotski, of course, since having a belief would be a thought crime, but it did warrant some observation on the part of the crown. Especially since the organization has proven willing to use advanced mob tactics and violence to it's ultimate end goal. 

"We apologize, we are unable to bring Puddinghead and his ilk to justice just yet. There are those within their ranks we continually monitor in respect to their dreams for our own interests. We will, however, be sending added security to Ponyville to overlook your friend." She sighed, looking more than a little ashamed. "That much we do owe for the sins we have committed."

Well, it wasn't what Sin wanted, but it was better than nothing.

"Now, we ask that your abandon your vengeful crusade and return to Canterlot immediately. Your mind is in grave danger, and you place those among you at risk."

"I can't do that, Luna." Sin replied calmly. "If you're not willing to put down the dogs, than I will."

Luna stood at her full height, looking down her muzzle at the Federalist. "Is that so? We are of the understanding that you are traveling with Scootaloo, who we am speaking with right now, as well as a mare named Krystal Melody. Are you truly able to put their lives in danger for your own selfish ends?"

As much as he didn't want to let it bother him, the oaken pony answered in the affirmative with great reluctance. He still wanted revenge for what the Trotski did, and he wasn't above putting them in danger for it.

"What if we were to tell you that she was the adoptive daughter of a stallion by the name of Big Macintosh Apple?" She asked, her eyebrow raising to it's fullest. Sin's eyes shot wide, Scootaloo was Macintosh's adoptive daughter? What? When did that happen?

"I'd say I'm skeptical of your claim." He replied with a smirk. "I'd say you might be willing to tell me anything in order to stop me from going after your precious informants."

Luna smirked and looked left, a translucent pair of ponies appearing within the white void of the dream scape. One another lunar alicorn, this one sitting and speaking with a very angry Scootaloo.

"Scootaloo, please." The translucent Luna pleaded. "Macintosh is worried about you, so is Annabelle and Rainbow Dash."

The filly pouted and crossed her forelegs over her barrel. "If they're so worried, than why did he hand me over to the pink pony? Huh? Macintosh didn't seem too worried about it then."

Sin's breath caught in his throat. No... no this couldn't be real.

"Did he not take you in when you needed a home once your parents died?" The other Luna asked kindly. "Did not Annabelle bring you back to the farm when she discovered you living within Whitetale Wood out of a tent? Alone, and working for food?"

Scootaloo glared at the lunar pony, her kind and coaxing words. "Yea? So? When it mattered, they gave me away. I have ponies who really care about me now. Ones who wont hand me over to foal services because it's 'convenient' like he did."

Luna's image sighed and explained that it was for proper procedure that her handing over was done, that she'd blocked out what Macintosh had told her right before she was taken but Scootaloo wasn't having it.

"I don't care!" The filly shouted, making the Luna image step back. "Macintosh can suck apples for all I care! He didn't care enough to protect me, so why should I care about him?!"

That hit a button with Sin and he prepare to grab the filly and give her a dressing down she wouldn't forget, but the image disappeared just as he made a move, reminding him that it wasn't real.

Macintosh was one of the best ponies he knew, he was a quite and caring sort, the kind of pony who was loyal and sturdy. Willing to fight and die to protect those he loved, to hear Scootaloo speak of him in such a way made the Federalist's blood boil.

"That was what she said right after we asked her to go back to Sweet Apple Acres." Luna said softly, her eyes dropping in sadness. "She refuses to believe us, convinced Macintosh gave her away. He's in pain, Sinbad. Macintosh is in a great deal of pain because she ran away. He looked for her through the Everfree when you found her. He looked for days before giving up hope."

She looked at him, her eyes begging and imploring. "He misses you as well, he blames himself for your death, as well as hers."

Sin pressed his lips, looking down at the ground. This was not how he'd expected this conversation to go. Macintosh? Scootaloo was involved with him too? He was her adoptive father and thought she was dead? That was aweful, that was twisted on so many levels.

Twisted and manipulative...

"And why should I believe these images true?" Sin asked, raising his head. "You've already proven you can manipulate the landscape, how do I know that wasn't a lie you're showing me so I'll just give Scootaloo to you?"

Luna looked at him for a moment. "If you do not believe us, ask her yourself." She said, turning away. "We know you will get the truth this way, and we hope you will do the right thing and bring her back to Ponyville, to a family who loves and misses her. The life you offer is not fit for a filly, you know this Sinbad. The path you are on is not fit for any, and we hope you see reason before it's too late."

Sin watched as the alicorn faded from existence, his head felt heavy, like it was trying to comprehend every logical fact he'd ever known suddenly becoming topsy turvy.

Of course he was skeptical about Luna's claim and what he'd seen, but what if it was true? What if Scootaloo was Macintosh's charge? It made too much sense not to be true. Applebloom being her friend, bringing the filly back to the farm after finding her living in the woods? It explained how Scootaloo did so well with him and why she didn't complain too much. Macintosh being a good natured sort, along with the entire Apple family, would take her in...

If that was all true, what would he do? Would he force her to go back? Did he have the right to? She was a foal, so her agency in the matter was still premature, not to mention she'd be under a false assumption. But still...

Sin sighed, he was ready for a lot of things when he dropped his occlumency, but he wasn't ready for this.
   
> Neo Confrontations (IV)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Neo-Confrontations (IV)








Scootaloo sat at the dinning room table to an early morning breakfast, poking at her hashbrowns absently with a fork. Despite the warm bed she slept in, last night's sleep was anything but restful. 

Her eyes continually trailed to Islander, or Sin, or whatever his name was now, who would continually look over at her with a look of accusation and inquiry.

Yesterday, after Krystal was escorted in from talking with Islander, Granite and his daughter shared a loving and heartfelt hug that drove Scootaloo insane with jealousy. Despite how angry the stallion was, and how sad the young mare appeared, the hug he gave her was pure and unadulterated love, complete with small words of the two missing each other and the father happy to see his daughter home safe.

Each and every word bombarded Scootaloo's chest with an intense sense of longing. She tried so hard to convince herself she didn't want that, that her feelings against Krystal were immature and wrong, but with every second that passed between the two holding each other, Scootaloo felt her resolve against the matter crumble.

The filly envied what she saw, her body grew uncomfortably longing and needy for such tender intimacy. It was almost painful how much she wanted it, and it was painful to see it, like the universe was torturing her by holding what she wanted directly in her face and laughing at her suffering in its absence.

Granite called for a private family meeting after that, it didn't last long but the conversation between he and Islander did. Scootaloo could only imagine what the two spoke about, but the cloaked pony seemed... shaken by it. His typically stoic and contemplative glare turned somewhat introspective and subdued after that, something that worried the filly slightly for reasons she didn't understand.

Luna told her to speak with him in the morning, that he'd tell her how wrong she was about Macintosh and hopefully convince her to go back home. 

Scootaloo thought the lunar goddess a liar, that she was just saying that to get on her nerves, but with the constant looks between the two, it was clear that she wasn't.

"So, everypony have a good night's sleep?" Gem asked, taking a bite of radish. "We've got a big day ahead of us, don't we dear?"

Granite, an eater of efficiency more so than social grace, finished off his radishes and nodded. "I didn't ask yesterday, but how long do you three plan on staying? With Krystal gone, we've gotten a little behind in terms of chores."

All eyes turned to Islander, who was pulled out of his thoughts and requested the question repeated.

"Um, I am unsure how long the stay will be. Whenever Krystal's ready to go, I suppose." The cloaked pony declared absently.

The off white mare smiled. "Really?"

Islander nodded, saying that the trip west was going to be a long one, and that being mentally ready was important for traveling in harsh terrains. Fact was that there were going to be times where they wouldn't hit a town for days at a time, and moral would need to be at it's peak before he was willing to start.

"Days? Oh dear, are you sure you can't just take another rout?" Gem asked, slightly concerned.

Krystal gave her mother a smile. "Don't worry momma Gem. Islander's a very capable pony, if he can stand up to a bunch of buffalo, I think we can manage a few days in the wild."

Scootaloo nodded, she had played witness to the pony's abilities herself, but that was an awful long time to be without civilization and conveniences.

The topic shifted over to Islander, who gave some vague story about his time in survival-ism and his experiences there in, primarily the forest and grasslands, which was good since that was the terrain out that way before they'd hit the eastern seaboard. The explanation seemed to placate Gem and impress Granite well enough. Though, his harsh eyes would continually trail to the orange pegasus through out the explanation, promising a conversation at the earliest convenience.

Breakfast finished with good spirits for everyone, save the non-familial members, and chores were distributed. Scootaloo and Islander were assigned to help Krystal with the rotation of a few of the cobble stones down at the ravine and check the stones for smoothness after checking on the garden outback. 

Scootaloo could see the writing on the wall, and as much as she didn't like it, she knew what would happen as soon as Islander got her alone.





 



"I have no idea... what I'm doing." Sin stated, looking at a small, grey stone in his grasp. The early morning sun glimmering as it reflected off of the rushing water from his spot on the shore bank shallows. His cloak was high enough that the shallow water wouldn't soak into the material, but the coolness of the morning made him take special care not to allow it wetted. 

Krystal smiled and looked down at the stone, informing the pony that he was just looking to make sure it would be smooth enough to step on. The bits of earth were to be sent to different areas around Equestria in cobble stone roads and the like, so as long as he'd be comfortable stepping on them, they were ready to be loaded and shipped out.

Sin shrugged, he wasn't a geologist, or whatever it was that studdied rocks, but it looked right to him so he called it good.

"No, silly. You're supposed to stand on it and see if it's comfortable." Krystal said, taking the stone from him, putting it into the shallow water and placing the frog of her hoof onto the top. She shifted her hoof around on the top, her eyes closed as she worked her way around it. 

Sin watched the contemplative smile on her face and felt himself momentarily captivated. He didn't know how to explain it, but something about her expression was enticing to him. How serine and peaceful her face was in that moment, framed ever so perfectly by the strands of electric blue mane she always wore so loosely. Krystal was always a pretty mare, that much he knew, but she looked positively radiant in that moment.

"Hmmm. A few more days, I think." She declared, gently placing the rock back into it's place in the ravine.

Sin's ear twitched, her voice was so soft, so delicate and sublime. He'd never taken the time to really hear it before, but just listening to the tone, the pitch, the softness, it sounded so soothing, loving in a way. Thinking back on it, even when she was pouting or angry or scared even, she still maintained the subtle pitch of femininity and kindness. An ability and tune truly deserving of the last name Melody.

She leaned down and picked up another rock before carefully placing it back into it's place, her slender shoulder peaking out from the dark turquoise banana scarf she wore around her neck as she reached down, restarting the process again.

Sin cast a glance to Scootaloo, who was more interested in visually inspecting the rocks to deterimine if they were suitable for shipping before he too went about the process. 

Both he and the filly would constantly ask Krystal's opnion on certain stones they were unsure about, and she was always happy to be a judge on if their assertions were right or wrong. Sin noticed Scootaloo wouldn't take well when a stone she thought was right wasn't up to Krystal's standards, her growing annoyance over the rejects adding to Sin's own. 

With each irritated grunt or ugh the filly gave, a flash of discouragement would capture Krystal's features, but somehow she managed to bounce back into her happy state and continue working. 

Sin maintained his calm neutrality, often casting a disapproving glare at Scootaloo for her behavior, but the filly would just return the scowl no wiser for the wear. 

"How about this one?" Scootaloo asked, after a good few hours of work. Krystal looked at the stone and frowned before taking it and gently lowing it into the water. It wasn't necessary, Sin could easily tell just by looking at it that the stone was too rough to be acceptable.

"Umm, no, this one isn't ready just yet." Krystal said meekly. Her softness didn't help, as Scootaloo let out a petulant groan of frustration. She snatched the rock from the white mare's hoof with ferocity enough to make Krystal flinch before taking it back to where it belonged.

The elder pegasus gave Sin a concerned look, but didn't activley speak her mind, it was obvious what she was trying to convey though. 

Sin looked to see the wagon about half way full and asked if Krystal would mind taking it back to the farm and unloading the cargo herself.

"Umm, it's okay, really." She smiled encouragingly. "I can wait until-"

"Krystal." Sin interjected, giving her a look. "Take the wagon back to the farm." He cast a look to Scootaloo, raising his voice so she heard him. "I need to talk to Scootaloo for a little bit in private."

"Islander, it's okay, I know she's been-" She was cut off when a soft brown hoof found her shoulder, Sin's eyes bearing down into her own, telling her that his command wasn't up for discussion. Her ears splayed in submission, and the off white pegasus slumpled a little and nodded, requesting that he not be too hard on her for her petulance. 

"I wont be, now get going."

He watched as she made way to the wagon and lifted the tail gate before hitching herself to the front and made way back to the farm. She stopped and gave him one last glance. Sin smiled and gave her an encouraging nod, promting Krystal to continue onwards, leaving the two alone once again.

Any last second advice, Critic?

'Nothing to say, dude. It's all up to you.'

And so it was.

"Scootaloo." Sin said once he was sure Krystal was far enough away not to hear.

"What?" The filly shot back, still looking through the rocks.

The stallion gave her another look of disapproval, reprimanding her for her callous behavior. "Why are you being such a brat right now?"

The filly humped, muttering under her breath that he knew well enough why she was behaving as she was.

Sin was about to give the foal a dressing down about how her being irritated didn't give licence to share that misery with a mare who was nothing short of loving towards her, but thought better of it. Fact was, that the filly was a flight risk, and he was already about to broach a very sensitive topic. He didn't need Scootaloo to be any more volatile than she already was.

"I take it Luna paid you a visit last night too?" He asked, tactful as he always was.

"Maybe." She shot, slamming the rock in her hoof back into the water.

'Okay, I take it back, I advise patience. Lots and lots of patience.'

It was good advice, advice Sin decided to stay quiet for a minute to exercise. He didn't want to start a shouting match off the bat, but he also didn't have too much time to waste trying make this endeavor fully peaceful either.

Finally he settled for a frontal, but very respectful, confrontation on the matter. Sin walked over to the filly, his hooves shifting lightly through the water until he came face to face with her. "I'm going to be frank with you, kiddo. Are you big Macintosh's adoptive daughter?"

Scootaloo glared up at him, her eyes narrowing as he stood in wait. She didn't need to answer anymore, the look on her face said it all.

Sin couldn't believe it, what were the fucking chances?! It made sense well enough, but to find someone so important to his friend? Saving their life looking after them as he had? He just couldn't wrap his mind around how convenient* the entire ordeal was.

"Scootaloo."

"So what if I was? What do you care?" She turned away. "And I was never officially adopted anyway, so the answer is no."

"But you were supposed to be." Sin countered,  Scootaloo rolled her eyes and shrugged, mumbling under her breath about how she didn't want to be his daughter anymore anyways.

"Why wouldn't you? Macintosh is a good stallion, one of the best I've come across."

"Didn't Luna tell you he gave me away? That he just handed me over to the pink pony to be put in foal services?" Scootaloo shot back, dropping her current activity to give the stallion her full attention.

Sin glared down at her, carefully forming his next choice of words. "I heard something of the like, but I wanted to hear your side of the story. What exactly happened that lead up to this?"

At first, the foal didn't reply, she just went back to working on the rocks, but Sin wouldn't have it and continually interfered with her work. It was a grave violation of his libertarian philosophies to do so, but this was about Macintosh. He was willing to damn near start a courtroom battle on behalf of Spike, pressuring a filly on behalf of Mac was almost an obligation.

"Stop!" Scootaloo jeered, trying to push passed Sin only to have her way barred once again by the bigger pony. "I'm not going back, so there's no point in talking about it."

"Bull shit there isn't." Sin countered. "I want to know what happened."

It was at that point Scootaloo stopped moving and just rested her angry gaze upon him, demonstrating her iron will and resolution in silence. Sin usually saw her will for silence and determination as an asset, but in this instant, it was a huge liability. It was a low blow to take, but he reminded her of the two times he'd saved her life and called upon those as favor to her honesty. Scootaloo sneered at his ploy and decided to give a quid pro quo, asking why he was chasing the yellow pony from before in exchange her recount.

Sighing, the stallion looked to make sure Krystal wasn't on her way back yet before explaining who Chancellor Puddinghead was. What his organization was about, and the ultimate endgoal of the Trotski. 

"So... you're chasing them to help Celestia? Wait, I thought you didn't like the government, why are you helping them?" She asked, her defensiveness shifting slightly. "And what does any of this have to do with Macintosh?"

Sin gritted his teeth at the idea of how conveluted this story was going to get, but if she wanted the truth, than she'd get it. "Fine, I'll be blunt. Macintosh thinks I'm dead."

The filly's eyes shot wide. 

"The pony from before? Puddinghead? His organization sent someone to kill me, and they sent someone to kill him for what he did in Canterlot." Sin stated bluntly, the force and weight of his words making the filly gasp. "That was how we met in the Everfree that day. I was at his wedding and intercepted the assassin before she could kill him. That's half the reason I'm tracking them down now, to make sure he survives."

He could already see questions arising in the foal's eyes and explained himself in full. About how he'd traveled with Macintosh and Spike, which earned him a small interjection from Scootaloo over how depressed Applebloom was over he brother's absence, his employment to the crown in stopping the Trotski, the name he'd made for himself through the communists dispersal before that, his resulting arrest that made Macintosh take up the task of handling the Trotski manipulated Communists, everything relevant. Sin had managed to answer Scootaloo's question's before she could even ask, through common sense deduction of course.

It was clear the filly was having a small bit of cognitive dissonance, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to process everything she was being told. Sin knew it was going to be difficult for her to accept and thought over all the ways she'd undoubtedly deny it.

"I- Is... is that the truth? Y- you're not lying to me, are you?" Scootaloo finally asked after a few moments.

Sin nodded, it was and it felt good to finally have it come out. "It's a long story, but that is the jist of it. I escaped imprisonment and now everyone thinks I'm dead. And between Mac thinking I'm dead and you being gone, the poor guy's probably devastated. Now, tell me why you don't want to go back. I kept my end of the deal, now it's your turn."

At first, Scootaloo tried to wiggle her way out of the explination, but she soon found the Federalist wouldn't let her off the hook. As it turned out, it was after the wedding that the event took place. She recounted how she'd seen half a dozen guards lead by the 'pink pony', a mare Sin had no recollection of, asking where Scootaloo was.

"Me and my friends ran behind the house, trying to get away. Macintosh found us back there, he told us to run, that we needed to get away before they found me. But they did find us, that's when Mac..." She paused, her eyes welling with emotion at the memory.

"Can you elaborate a little more?" Sin asked, knowing there was more to the story. "I want a play by play details on what happened when Macintosh showed up. Details are important."

Unfortunately for him, Scootaloo was fuzzy on the details in her state of horror. She was scared, and he could understand that, but he needed to know exactly what was said, what happened, who was there and such.

"I- I was so scared... I didn't wanna go into foal services. They're bad to foals, they send them to orphanages and foster homes! They'd have put me in a bad place with mean foster parents!" Scootaloo exclaimed, her voice growing in volume and speed with each word as he body began trembling. "They'd have taken me away, I didn't wanna go! I was happy where I was, and she was going to take me away!"

"Scootaloo!" Sin interjected, stopping the filly's psychologically destructive tirade. "It's fine, breath, you're okay."

He placed a wet hoof gently upon her shoulder, hoping some contact would put the filly at ease. Her hyperventilating began to subside a little, and he waited out the panic attack until Scootaloo finally broke down into tears.

"I didn't wanna go with them, but they took me. Macintosh let them... why did he do that!? Why did he let me go!? Why didn't he stop them? Why didn't he protect me like he said he would?!" She cried, latching onto Sin's hoof, mumbling about how betrayed and abandoned she felt.

Sin steeled his nerves and pulled the filly in for a hug, allowing her tears to flow freely. He felt bad for her, he honestly did, but he needed to know what happened before she was taken. "What was said, Scootaloo? Did he just stand back? Did he not try to protect you or anything?"

She breathed, regaining her composure. "He... tried to at first." She admitted, making Sin well a little with hope.

"He held me and... yelled at her to leave, that she couldn't have me. I don't remember what was said after that... there was shouting, screaming, and then things got quiet, I... I was so scared Islander, I just wanted them to go away and leave me alone." Scootaloo sobbed into his chest..

She didn't remember what was said? Fuck! What he wouldn't do to get that information right now, details like that were always the most important. Regardless, unless he could talk to someone who was actually there, the words would be lost to him. The way it sounded now, though, was that Macintosh didn't just "give her up" like Scootaloo had first made it out. He did fight, he fought and held her. Something was said that made him give her up, but what? Shining Armor was at the wedding, Sin recognized both he and Cadance, why hadn't they helped? Did they even have time? 

The Federalist was really kicking himself for not sticking around, damming Panzy thrice for making him miss out on these important details.

'Well, Macintosh fought, so that's something. Maybe you can set something up to get the two to meet eachother and get a full explination?'

Yea, and have Scootaloo think I betrayed her trust? The kid ran off into the Everfree forest because of what happened, I wouldn't put it passed her to run off again. Besides, Mac thinks I'm dead, remember?

'Yea, and you think he'd be willing to keep the fact you're alive a secret, yea? There's no reason he needs to keep thinking your dead, dude.'

Sin wasn't sure he'd agree to that sentiment. As committed to the Kid's plan as he was, a small doubt in his mind was still present: Malich.

If what Mandylion said was true, and his brother was, somehow, accumulating Changelings, Sin would have no choice but to go back to the Federation and stop whatever destruction Malich had planned. Maybe it was just him demonstrating avoidant behavior to happiness on a subconscious level, or maybe it was a legitimate concern for the potential totalitarian power such a threat posed to his nation. Regardless, the concern itself was legitimate, and Sin would rather keep his options open until he knew what he was dealing with in that regard.

'And how do you intend to find out? Even if the Liberty Syndicate knew you were alive, it's not like any of them know where you are.'

And if I did return to Ponyville, they would. 

That much was true, it was an impossible situation. If the stallion stayed hidden from Mac and Spike, he'd be free to return to the Federation, but wouldn't know when to go. If he did return, he wouldn't be free to go, despite being able to be informed.

'You're not going back to the Federation. I wont allow it.'

Critic, we're talking about fucking changelings here. You know what happened during the Orvalian infection, dozens of donkeys and ponies died because of that, and that was a contained infection. Imagine a coordinated attack! We're talking millions upon millions of lives ending in the span of months. You're really willing to put my happiness, the life of one stallion, over the lives of millions?

Critic didn't reply, what could he say? What possible argument was there to be made? Especially considering how much of a hypocrite he'd be for condemning Sin's looking forward to the collapse of the economy and the due destruction it would bring his state. Though, unlike an economic collapse, which was self inflicted destruction on the part of the citizen's apathy and lack of preventative action, the changeling infection was an outside force, an aggressive force. Sin was willing to let the former happen, since it was deserved, but the latter? That he took exception with.

Face it, I likely wouldn't survive whatever I had to do to stop that. Macintosh and Spike, either wouldn't let me go, or would try and help me stop it if they knew, and die along side me. I could say I'd be back, but how would they take me dying a second time?

Again, no response. Sin hoped it was a bit of misinformation, but apparently the information came from Tapio himself. He wasn't sure if the Centaur could handle the infection themselves, but was kinda hoping they would. Part of him hoped the infection was happening as he spoke, just so that he could tell Macintosh he was alive and wouldn't have to go back and try and stop it, but another part of him was disgusted at his own selfishness.

He didn't care much for the citizens of the North New Equine, nore the Federation as a whole, but a changeling infection? That was a hell he wouldn't wish on his worst of- Okay, maybe Puddinghead.

"Islander?" Scootaloo asked, breaking Sin from his train of thought.

Sin discarded the train of thought for a later time and tried to think of something to say to the foal. He wouldn't betray her trust and force her to go back, but he did owe it to his friend to at least try and convince her to go on he own.

"Scootaloo, I've known Macintosh for a while now. You were scared and blocked a few things out while he was yelling, emotionally distraught, yea?" Sin asked, Scootaloo nodded up at him. 

"I think you... I think you should talk to him and figure out what exactly is going on." Sin stated pressing his lips.

As expected, Scootaloo's hopeful expression turned into one of fear and hurt, he quickly followed up that he had no intention on forcing her to do anything, but only said so because of how hurt and how terrible Macintosh must feel over losing two ponies close to him.

"NO!" She yelled, tears falling down her cheeks as she pushed off of him and backed away. "No! I'm not going back!"

"Scootaloo, be reasonable here. It sounds like Macintosh loves you, but the circumstances-" He was cut off by yet another desperate cry of rejection, the filly chanting her answer over and over. 

It irritated him just how willing she was to disregard Mac's pain. "Kiddo, you understand he's hurting over losing you right? That pain you feel right now? He feels it too, maybe worse because he feels like he's failed you and it's his fault. From my understanding, he wasn't giving you over to her permanently, just for a little bit for the sake of legality."

"That's what Luna told you to say!" Scootaloo shot back, her petulance returning in full. That was true, but Sin asked why Luna would lie? What reason would she have for wanting her in foal custody? 

His arguments died before they even came out, what Scootaloo said next nearly threw him into a rage. "Besides, if you care so much about his feelings, why don't you go back and tell that plot hole you're alive. Huh?"

This close, the filly was this close to getting her head knocked clean off and she didn't even know. She didn't know until a sudden and familiar sense of impending doom befell her, bringing Scootaloo to her knees in horror. Sin's eyes had changed with his emotion, becoming sleek, turquoise, serpentine orbs. He controlled the aura before it became to sever, but he allowed it to stay.

"I'm going to say this once, and only once." Sin growled, taking a few steps forward, glaring down at the shaking mass before him. "You will not insult Macintosh in my presence again. I'm disappointed in your decision not to go back, but I'll respect it if that's what you want. However, that stallion is one of the best ponies I know, and any farther insults against him will not be tolerated, am I understood?"

Scootaloo looked up at him and nodded vigorously. Sin dissipated the aura allowing the oppressive atmosphere to return as it was. A sudden splashing was heard from behind and blure of grey and blue shot passed, snatching the orange filly up and pulling her into an embrace.

"What did you say to her!" Krystal snapped, giving Sin a seething glare before consoling the filly.

"We came to and understanding." Sin replied cooly, giving Scootaloo a look and gazing into the firey amber eyes of Krystal. She was mad, the mare had given him his fair share of glares before, but the look in her eye told him that her current anger was far more genuine. "If you wanna tell her everything I've told you, that's fine. I don't really care at this point." 

Sin's words were spoken with finality and the stallion turned to leave the two to themselves while he found solitude. Scootaloo may not want to go back, but that didn't mean he couldn't give Macintosh and Annabelle some peace of mind.
> Decisions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Decisions







Sitting by herself a good distance from the farm, Scootaloo breathed in the cool, refreshing air of the ravine. She turned her head skywards and observed the moon, watching the gigantic, glowing slab and momentarily contemplating it's magnificence to distract herself from the matter at hoof.

Though, the moon only served to remind her of it's manipulator and the words she'd spoken to the filly last night. 

"Did Macintosh and Annabelle not take you in and treat you as their own?"

Of course they did, Scootaloo knew they did, and she believed they loved her and... that she loved them. It wasn't a long time to get to know them, hay, Islander was giving Mac a run for his bits now, but unlike the cloaked pony, Macintosh made an effort to know her on an emotional level beyond just trying to comfort her distress. He, and Annabelle, wanted a relationship with her.

So why wasn't she giving them the chance? 


Scootaloo cared about them, she wanted them back, honest she did. The hugs, the comfort, the emotional closeness, the feelings of protection and security, these were things she wanted. These were things all children wanted, right?

...

...

Maybe Islander and Luna were right? Maybe she was just being stupid and stubborn by not considering the context... Macintosh didn't just give her up, after all. He did try to fight, if only briefly, but he did. Annabelle wasn't even there, so giving her any blame wasn't fair either. Though, that did add on to the filly's anger at the mare's lack of presence when she was needed most. She hadn't really done too much sacrificing in the wake of Scootaloo's time on the farm, just attended a Parent Teacher Confrence. So, what real proof did the filly have that either of them-

Scootaloo shook her head, she was tired of seeing the worst in the two. They were good ponies, both of them. It wasn't fair how she was thinking about them, but how could she not? They- No, Annabelle wasn't there! Macintosh let her go!

But why?

The question had been haunting her every night since it happened. He didn't look happy to see her go, he looked miserable and sorry. Was he afraid? Was he remorseful? Did it matter?

No, it's like Islander said, results are what matter in the end. The results are that she was taken. She was taken and Macintosh stood by and let it happen.

Had Scootaloo not acted, she would have ended up in foster care or worse, an orphanage.

"And what would have happened after that?"

Scootaloo gasped and looked around, her eyes trailed around the rocky terrain around her, but she couldn't find the voice that had spoken.

"What is the point of a foal going to an orphanage?"

So they can be abused and-

"Wrong answer!" It snapped, the tone dry, slightly scratchy and reminiscent of Scootaloo's own. 'They go there because nopony wants the foal, right? Well, let's say that you did go. Don't you think Macintosh  would have gotten you out as soon as he could have?'

Scootaloo frowned, realizing the voice was coming from within her own mind.

Who are you?

"Me? Oh, I'm just a part of your mind. You know, the part that calls out the stupid things you do when you do them? You can call me the voice of reason, I guess."

Scootaloo rubbed her head, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. Voice of reason? Since when did she have one of those?

'Everypony has a voice of reason, Scootaloo. Nopony talks about them much, but whenever somepony's making stupid or irrational decisions in their lives, this is where we come into play. To tell you ponies how stupid or selfish you're being and try to correct it.'

Scootaloo didn't take well to being called stupid or selfish.

Look, weird voice in my head... thing. I don't appreciate you insulting me.

"And I don't think Macintosh appreciates all the heart ache you're causing him. Yet, you don't seem so concerned with that."

Scootaloo gritted her teeth, it wasn't fair. Why was everypony so worried about Macintosh? Why were her own feelings in all of this being treated like they didn't matter? Didn't they care how she felt? How scared and tramatized she was? Even this so called "rational" part of her brain didn't understand that.

"Scootaloo, I do understand, and I believe that you are making a mistake by not going back." Reason replied. "Where you are now is not a good situation. You have no real home to speak of, you've no schooling, no real structure, and the closest things you have to friends are an unhealthy pair of polar opposites: A stallion who ignores you and a mare who coddles you. Does this not seem worse than going to an orphanage for a week tops to be back with Macintosh and Annabelle?"

Scootaloo bit her lip as she considered the argument. Her current situation wasn't ideal at all. She missed home. She missed her school, her friends, her fa-... her fam...

In a small fit of frustration, Scootaloo shook her head. 

NO! No family does not give their own away! They don't abandon eachother like that! No matter how anypony cut it, Mac let her go. He failed to protect her when she needed him most. That's what mattered, not the reason. What would happen the next time he had a "reason" to abandon her? Would he do it again?

So Islander may be a little cold and distant, and Krystal may be a little overbearing, but she knew the former would protect her at any cost. He'd proven that much! In a way, Islander had done more for her than Macintosh had!

"Yea, and even he wants you to go back." Scootaloo flinched, feeling more than a little hurt at that. "He wants what's best for you, and as you've acknowledge, you don't know the full story of what happened to make him give you up. You are blowing it out of perpotion, assuming you're custody to be long lasting, yet you don't know that. I think you should listen to Sinbad's judgement. At least talk to Macintosh and Annabelle and see if what Luna said was true or not."

Scootaloo wished she could, she wished things could go back to the way they were before. But deep down, she still couldn't forgive the red stallion for his betrayal. It hurt how scared she was that day, and until she was ready to forgive him for his misdeeds, there was absolutely no chance of her returning to Ponyville.

So Macintosh and Annabelle and all of her friends were in pain, that sucked, it did and Scootaloo felt genuinely bad about it. But she wasn't ready to have anything to do with them, not yet. Not until she had time to sort out her feelings.

"But you will go back at some point, Correct? You are considering the idea?" 

With no small amount of conflicting emotion, the filly acknowledged that she would give the matter more thought than she had before. 

"I don't suppose you'll know when-"

No, I don't, and I'd appreciate it if you left me alone right now.

"Very well."









Hidding in wait, Sin watched as Scootaloo rubbed her head in frustration, her facial expressions changing in rapid succession, as if she was having some kind of silent argument with herself.

'You sure this'll work?' Critic asked.

No, but it's the only trick I've got that can help this situation. 

'Fair enough, but don't you feel a little bad that you're doing the same thing you hated your family for doing? Using manipulation tactics to get what you want?'

Of course he felt a little bad, but this was for good consequence and reason. If Scootaloo wasn't willing to listen to him, than maybe the Nightmare posing as her own "inner voice" could convince her.

'Lucky for you she came up with that idea.' Critic quipped.

Not really, she knows I'm serious about throwing her back to Luna now. It's only the Nightmare acting in her own better interests to snuggle up to me and make my life a little easier. 

The two sat in silence for a time until Sin felt the small chill in his head, announcing the return of the Alicorn of Insanity.

'How'd it go?' Asked Critic.

"I could not convince Scootaloo to return to Ponyville." Nightmare Moon informed. 

Disappointing.

"I was, however, able to convince her to consider the idea of speaking with Macintosh, it will not be any point in the near future, but it is something."

Sin nodded his head and began making way back to the farm house, allowing Scootaloo to contemplate her thoughts in silence while he gained a full report. It wasn't fantastic news, but it did make him feel a little glad to know that his efforts weren't wasted. The foal's answer went from a resounding "no" to "maybe at some point", he could live with that.

As he walked, the stallion stumbled accross Krystal sitting with her back to one of the larger rocks on the farm. Her usual tranquil appearance once again in full effect, save a few wrinkles of her brow. Sin knew she'd likely have a few choice words for him after what happened earlier and debated if he wanted to get the coming lecture out of the way now or later. 

With a shrug, he approached the mare, deciding it was better to clear the air while they were alone rather than involve anyone else.

"Miss Melody." He said.

Krystal let out a "hmm" and turned to look at him with wide eyed curiosity. At least until she saw who'd addressed her, at that point, her curiosity turned into disapproval and she turned up her nose with an audible humph.

'You're in trouble.'

Am I ever not?

"Did Scootaloo tell you what was bothering her?" Sin asked, garnering no reply from the off white pegasus, save her continued silence. "Okay? So you're just not going to talk to me, then?"

Yet again, no reply. Sin pressed his lips, his mind wondering on if his intimidation of Scootaloo was the straw that might have just broken the camel's back on the girl's patience. There was a lot of deception against her between both he and the filly. The air was clearing up well enough now, but it was clear she wasn't used to being lied to as much as she was. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to continue on with them, after all, he hated liars too, but the situation called for deception. To be honest with her, prior to knowing how she'd take the truth, would be a foolish decision on his part.

Shrugging, Sin began walking away once more but he was stopped upon Krystal finally saying something. 

"Why?" She asked, he turned. "Why did you do that to her?"

Sin watched her for a moment, noting the single, open amber orb that was locked onto his. 

"She insulted a good friend of mine." He admitted. "A stallion who is honestly one of the best ponies I've ever met. A guy who'd offered her a better life, despite the fact she isn't his child."

Krystal uncrossed her forelegs and asked the stallion to elaborate, he explained everything he felt relevant. That a stallion by the name of Macintosh was willing to adopt her, and that he was hurting knowing she wasn't with him now. As expected, the pony mare demanded that she be returned home immediately, chastising Sin for his lack of effort already, as expected.

"I wish I could do so, but with as volatile as she is, it would be unwise to force her to go back, Krystal."

"She's a filly though!" Krystal countered. "Filly's don't always do what's best for themselves, that's why they have guardians, to make them do what's best for themselves."

"As true as that is, she's a flight risk. If she's willing to run into the Everfree forest to get away from her problems, it's not unreasonable to assume she'd run away from you or I to avoid them as well."

That was not what the mare wanted to hear and she scrambled for a response, though she found nothing to say one way or the other. At least, nothing but the typical 'father knows best' rhetoric, but that was easy enough to dismiss by Scootaloo's lack of adherence to such a belief.

"Ugh! This stinks!" She pouted, slamming her hoof onto the ground. "It isn't fair that she's doing that to him, though. Doesn't she care how her... you said he wasn't her Papa?"

"No, but she was almost his adopted daughter."

Krystal remarked on how dishonest it was on the filly's part to leave out that little detail when they'd spoken back in Appleloosa, but such was the way of secrets and half truths.

"Doesn't she care how he feels in all of this?"

"I believe... she does, but she's been betrayed, and she's still hurt over that. I think I can get her to go back in time, but not until she's ready." Sin said, giving Krystal a serious look. "Which is why I am asking you now: Do not press this issue with her."

"But-" The mare began to protest, but Sin cut her off, reiterating his prior point of Scootaloo's instability and trust issues. Neither of them wanted her to run off into the badlands on her own. She was lucky to be found before she was mauled by wolves before, Sin couldn't garentee such fortune moving forward.

Begrudgingly, Krystal accepted her lot in life and let out a depressing sound of misery. It was never fun to feel helpless toward those you cared about.

"If it helps, I don't think I'll need to intimidate her again." Sin offered, trying to lift her spirits. The opposite effect was had, Krystal giving him a disapproving glare and reminding him that he was in the wrong for doing so.

Thinking back on it, maybe he was, but Sin didn't like hearing condemnation towards what few good ponies there were in the world, especially those he cared about.

"Hey guys." Both turned to find Scootaloo standing before them, looking somber. 

Sin nodded his acknowledgement and Krystal stood from her place and approached.

Scootaloo's eyes trailed between the two for a moment and she sighed before speaking. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, to both of you. Krystal, you didn't deserve how mean I was to you. I hope you aren't mad at me."

Sin flinched as a blur of grey and blue shot past him, Krystal snatching the filly into her grasp and hugging her tightly, an embrace that Scootaloo happily reciprocated. Of course, Krystal had already forgiven her for her misdeeds, but Sin waited for his own apology.

"And I'm sorry for what I said to you, about... you know." The filly trailed off, now back on the ground with a comforting grey wing around her back. "I... I think you're right. Maybe I'm just being foalish about this whole thing. I'm not ready to go back just yet, but I think I will be soon."

Sin also approached and lifted his hoof, pausing as he observed Scootaloo flinch as if he was going to strike her. He looked at Krystal for a moment then gently placed his frog upon the filly's shoulder, making the orange pegasus look up at him. "I'm glad you're considering it."

The filly nodded elaborating on details Sin already knew, she was smiling again, which was good. It was a sad smile of acceptance, but it was better than seeing her with the constant scowl she'd had since Appleloosa.

'Can't believe I'm saying this, but good job, Nightmare.' Critic mused.

Bitch though she may be, at least she had her uses.

"Hey, it's almost supper time, let's get back to the farm house." Krystal suggested. Everyone agreed and slowly made way back to eat.









Let's see here, after Dodge is the Lunar Plains... Towns to stop by: Carrotshire and Fleet Springs... Hollow Bastion is too far south to be feasible... good two days between each at a slow pace. And then we'll hit the Haysead Woods, nothing much there, but I'll have pleanty to bush craft with, so that shouldn't be an issue. Might wanna get some books in one of the towns to figure out the edibles and dangerous plants.

'Should be about a week in the woods, another day or two on the planes and then you'll hit the eastern coast off of the Celestial Sea, Horse Shoe Bay looks promising, only a little south of Baltimare. Critic added in.

Sin looked over the map by candle light, plotting out the course and estimating the necessary provisions, Scootaloo did well enough for herself, but Krystal was a different matter entirely. The mare wasn't a little miss priss or anything, but she couldn't go a fucking day without complaining how much she needed a shower or other hygenics. Bathroom breaks were also an embarassing matter for her as well, it took he and Scootaloo pretending they were asleep before she'd finally relieve herself, after doing the "gotta go" dance, as she called it; for the better part of three hours.

He dreaded to think how humiliated The blue maned pony would be when the other aspect came to pass.

With a sigh, Sin jotted down a few more things to pick up once they hit Dodge City. Mainly things that revolved around toiletries. 

Trip planning always served to help him relax, to be in control, to plot, to anticipate and prepare always made him feel better. The Federalist never liked unknowns, unknowns were dangerous and unpredictable, it was unknowns that usually got you killed. Between being tracked by Luna's lackeys -a term he'd affectionately given them- the Trotski, and the Nightmare's influence on his emotions, he'd had enough of those to deal with already.

Everyone was asleep now, Scootaloo and Angel taking refuge once again in Krystal's room, leaving Sin to himself for the night. He asked both of them to take inventory of their supplies, but Gem and Sandy had both offered to restock their food and water prior to leaving, which Sin was thankful for. By his estimates, they should have enough to get out of the Badlands easily enough, hopefully they'd run across some rivers or lakes along the way, but the Map wasn't detailed enough to tell him about anything so small. 

'If worse comes to worse, you can just tie the tarp around a tree and let the excess pool.'

That was a thought, but that wouldn't be enough for all three of them, especially considering how much time it would take to gather that much water, as well as purifying it. Funds were tight enough, and between three canteens and a gallon camal pack, getting between the two towns would be easy enough, but once they hit Haysead Woods, they'd be cut off from fresh water for a good few days, assuming it was as devoid of water as the map suggested. 

'Could dig for it.'

Again, another thought, but Sin was skeptical about the wasted time. Hopefully Carrotshire or Fleet Springs would have a more detailed map of the area. And hopefully it wouldn't be as bright and colorful as this one, Sin swore the thing was drawn up by a foal! It was detailed enough, even having mile markers and a grid, but was it really necessary to draw little buildings and trees like this?

"Can't sleep?"

Sin looked up to find Krystal standing in the door way that lead to the stairs, looking at him curiously in the dancing flickers of the candle light. Her typical ponytail and bandana were missing now, allowing her long, flowing mane to fall freely around her delicate neck and back in a cascade of electric blue locks, some of it nearly reaching down to her hooves. Her golden eyes were a mix of obvious exhaustion, but timid and calling curiosity.

After a moment of him doing nothing but staring at her in the new light, the mare tilted her head and asked what Sin was looking at. It was only then that the stallion realized he hadn't said anything for the past ten seconds, too busy gawking at the brilliant display of beauty to speak.

"Trip planning." Replied the Federalist, blowing a small bit of overgrown hair from his eyes before casting his gaze back to the map and scratching down a few notes in his note pad. He'd need to get a new one soon, between keeping a log of his memories vs the dreams and all of the activity it had received over the past few days, the pad was becoming a little too full for his liking. "What's going on?"

The pony mare didn't say anything at first, but slowly drew into the room, taking a seat on the couch opposite him. "I, um, I actually wanted to ask you something. Well, a couple of something, really."

"Shoot." He shrugged.

Looking down at the parchment, Krystal noticed the thin lines plotted on the map and gasp with glee. "We're going to Horseshoe Bay?!" She gushed with a big grin. "Ohmigosh! We're going to see the ocean!?"

Sin smirked at the enthusiasm and explained the rout to take, pointing and elaborating on a few things along the way. Krystal asked a few questions, mainly pertaining to bathroom breaks and showers like he'd expected, and was non-plused to hear about the lack of accommodations for her.

"Such is the way of woodland travel." The stallion remarked.

The mare rubbed her hooves together nervously. "Would it be alright if we took the train then? I see it go by all the time, but I've never been in one before."

As much hope as she had for the prospect, Sin reminded her that both he and Scootaloo were fugitives from the law. Wondering into a towns and cities were bad enough in terms of pushing their luck, riding on trains, where others had little else to do but gawk at each other for hours on end didn't really appeal to his sense of conspicuousness. 

"Awww." Krystal whined quietly. The display making Sin feel low for his rejection of her idea. He was almost tempted to reconsider for the sake of bringing a smile to her face... almost. Though, he wasn't completely without a heart and, once Puddinghead was dealt with, offered to return to Dodge and ride with her between there and Appleloosa.

"Really?!" The off white pony beamed, raising from her depressive slump.

Sin nodded. What was the harm? He knew both towns, and neither posed much of a risk to his capture.

Krystal bounced up and down in her seat, excited to finally be a passenger on the steam powered locomotive like it was a foalhood dream she finally got to indulge. Sin couldn't help but give a genuine smile under the typical, exhausted bags of his eyes. After all the drama and revelations that had happened lately, seeing some happiness and giddiness warmed his heart and made the heavy burdens of the world just a little lighter on his shoulders.

"Wait, you promise, right? Papa said he was going to ride the train with me years ago, but never did." Krystal said, her giddiness haulting.

Granite promised her that and didn't deliver? Knowing how disappointed she would be to hear a dream go unfulfilled? 

'Dick.'

"I promise." Sin answered, only to have Krystal extend her wing.

"Make it a pegasus promise, If you make a pegasus promise, you have to keep it. Kay?" Said the pony, looking Sin square in the eye with uncharacteristic seriousness. "I've wanted to ride a train ever since I was little, and if you break your promise I'll never forgive you."

Looking down at the offered appendage, Sin felt an unease to the obligation. He'd never made a promise to Krystal before, and refrained from them at all. He didn't see any reasons why he couldn't acquiesces the current request, and hoped nothing would come up to disappoint her yet again.

He slowly put out his hoof, but found that it was his wing Krystal wanted to touch. It took a bit of effort, and a lot more discomfort into his shoulder blades than he'd have liked, but Sin managed to extend his own wing to meet hers. The primary feathers of Krystal's appendage tickling the sensitive feathers on his own made Sin bite down on his cheek to keep from laughing as they crossed together, shaking like hooves to seal the deal.

Silence decended once again and Sin returned his attention to the map. Though he noticed his companion remained seated in her place, watcing him work with keen interest. "Something else?" He asked

Krystal cleared her throat, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I was just thinking, you know so much about Scootaloo and I, but neither of us really knows anything about you."

Sin furrowed his brow, reminding her of what she did know, about him being a politician and survivalist, but Krystal was quick to point out that such things weren't what she meant.

"I know about what you do already, but I don't know who you are as far as... um, oh darnit, how did Momma Sandy explain it? Like, I'm a rock farmer, but that's not who I am." Krystal explained in the best articulation she could manage. It was both a simple and difficult question, with an equally difficult answer.

"I'm... not sure what you're asking." Sin said, honestly a little confused as to how he was supposed to answer the question.

"Well, liiiiike, you're wings for instance. You have them, but you would rather me carry you around than use them. Why is that?"

Sin groaned and looked away. He was still deciding if he ever wanted to fly or not. Part of him felt like he was betraying the memory of the relationship he and Malich used to have for even considering the idea. Though, another part reminded him of the hatred he had for his brother and argued that it was okay to fly like he was meant to. 

"It's complicated, I'm not really interested in talking about it." He answered, much to Krystal's chagrin. 

Though, the mare didn't lose hope and pushed for another topic to get to know him better. Asking about his childhood, which she had absolutely no experience in aside from home schooling. Though, again, Sin didn't give much of an answer. Honestly, there wasn't much to tell. He was a book worm who read up on the heavier topics like economics, philosophy and politics; finding his country's "education" system a complete and total joke.

"Aside from it being full of reading and thinking, there wasn't much to it."

"Okay." Krystal said, shifting uncomfortably from the total lack of connection she was able to get from him. "Well, what else was there?"

"Else?"

"Well, family for instance." The pegasus mare offered with a smile. "You know my brothers Obsidian and Scoria, as well as my mothers Gem and Sandy, but I don't know anything about your family."

The topic gave Sin more than a little pause, causing his expression to darken a little before bouncing back to neutrality. 

"That's because there's nothing you need to know." Said Sin, giving Krystal the closest thing he could to reassuring dismissal. Though, she wasn't content to let the issue drop. Her questions weren't offensive or all that prying really, it was just the kinda things you asked friends and acquaintances you were trying to get to know a little better.

"Can you at least tell me about somepony in your family? Anypony? Please?" She asked in a timid, foalish voice.

Sin opened his mouth to reply in the negative, but made the fatal mistake of looking up at her prior to doing so. Her wide, doe like eyes were imploring him to open up, to give her some kind of connection to him besides his usual objective and standoffish analysis of whatever topic they spoke of. He felt conflicted over his answer, but ultimately settled for the truth of the matter.

"My family isn't really something I like talking about. Sorry."

Hoping that would be the end of that train of talk, Sin went back to the map.

"That's what you say about everything, though." Krystal mumbled, sinking in her seat. "Every time I wanna talk about something other than what we're doing, you don't wanna talk about it."

That was accurate to say, Sin was a private and secretive sort though. It wasn't anything against her as a pony, he just didn't like talking about himself.

With a sigh, the mare glumly pushed herself from the couch, her eyes downcast and partially obstructed by her hair. "Alright, I understand." She said softly before wondering to the door. "Good night."

Sin watched her go, a small pit forming in the bottom of his stomach as he watched the depressed mare slink away, leaving him alone once again. 

'Dude, I think you should seriously consider just talking to her.'

And what would you have had me say, Critic? That my grandfather is a manipulative bastard who's trying to stop consequence? That my father's a negligent and vengeful ass hole who killed my best friend? That I misguided my own brother into being a corporate anarchist who uses the government for his power to, allegedly, accumulate infectious changelings? That my mother... Gah! See, this is why I don't like talking about this kinda shit, nothing but depressive emo whining, and you know I can't stand whining.

The debate continued, Critic imploring his charge be more open with those close to him, claiming that the Kid would greatly appreciate it if he would; with Sin countering that such a thing would only make them all more depressed if he did. It moved on from there to emotional appeals, Critic slowly poking away at Sin's sanity by spouting ridiculous ideas about how it wasn't really complaining, so much as an explanation and connection.

Finally, the Federalist grew tired of arguing and dismissed the voice, settled back into trip planning, the crestfallen mare's expression burning holes of guilt into Sin's concentration. The Kid's emotional manipulations picking up where Critic left off.

Sin hated feeling confused, and he really hated wondering if he might be wrong. Between the fact he was keeping both Krystal and Scootaloo in the dark, the fact he knew a great deal about both of them, the talk Granite had with him earlier, and the revolations he'd come to with Critic, the stallion wasn't sure what the best course of action was.

One one hoof, his past was depressing as all fuck, but on the other, proximity and interaction did bring him some a sense of satisfaction. It felt good when Krystal expressed her appropriation... especially physically. But would she be able to accept his actions back in the Federation? The things he looked forward to? If he told her about his family, there wasn't a doubt in his mind he'd be questioned about all of the relivant details.

Yea, Krystal was a Life Worshiper, but so were Macintosh, Spike and... Uppity. Of course, none of them knew exactly what he did or the way he thought either, would they have accepted him if they had known? Would he even be allowed in this country if his honest consequentialist views were admitted to? That he loved consequences for actions rendered, regardless of whatever toll they took?

Well, Spike did know of his views on account of that one little encounter, and his reaction was nothing short of disgusted and horrified to the point he couldn't even stand Sin explaining it.

Rubbing his eyes with his hooves, Sin slumped back into his chair and slowly let his mind drift to sleep.

It was an odd feeling, not knowing what to do. Maybe a good nightmare would help him clear his mind.

  

   
> Masculism & Socialism
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  






Masculism & Socialism








Reading the letter over and over again, Macintosh used every last bit of his knowledge and interpretation to find something, anything to confirm his suspicions.

Uppity's note was relatively straight forward, little bits of rambling here and there from the desperate mind of a soon to be suicide victim, confessions of her part in the assassination of Sin, her betrayal, the threats against her brother, the Trotski keeping an eye on them all in Ponyville before congregating in Canterlot, and almost every single paragraph had some form of apology in it.

What Macintosh didn't see was anything indicating that Sin was alive.

He flipped the paper over for the twentyith time and rubbed his head, allowing the parchment to drop to his desk. Mac didn't understand, this was her final moment, her last will and testimine, why wasn't there any confession to his friend's being alive? There should have been something there, but alas, there wasn't.

Rubbing his eyes in quick succession, the apple pony picked up the tear stained note again and read it over one last time:





Dear Macintosh Apple

If you are reading this, than I am dead, and wanted to give you what small bit of closure I could.

I'm writing this in hopes that you will understand what I've done, not in hopes of forgiveness. After everything I've done to you, between my part in Sin's detainment and Scootaloo's death, I don't think I'll ever deserve that.

I'm sorry for deceiving you, it was never my intention to harm you or Sin. I did love him, despite everything that had happened. I had a difficult choice to make, and in hind sight, I chose very poorly.

The Trotski threatened to kill my brother, Downer, and had even gone as far as to kidnap and deprive him of basic necessities. They said the only way I could get him back was to bring Sin before the Royal Pony Sisters. I swear, I had no idea what they were planning to do, they never told me they were going to... I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry, I knew he'd be arrested, but I thought I could help him there, get him out of jail after the mess was sorted out. His aiding in the release of a notorious trio of high profile reactionaries hit me hard. I know he doesn't agree with the law, but that didn't give him the right to break it. As much as you may not like to hear, I saw his imprisonment as justified. His views on the law don't make it void, but for what it's worth, understand that I would have worked myself sick to get him out, even if it meant stepping down as Celestia's personal prosecutor and maybe settle down in Ponyville if that's what it took to be with him again.

Sin was a very caring pony, a genuine one. He may have been callous and blunt, but beneath that, he was a soft heart who just wanted the world to be a better place. I didn't protect him like I should have, and I hope that you'll be able to accept my apology for my failure in this regard.

Good bye.
Uppity.





He placed down the paper and began nursing a coming migraine. There was nothing to it, nothing at all besides Uppity apologizing, explaining the situation, confessing that she'd have sacrificed her position for Sin's benefit, and even more apologizing. Nothing about if his friend's death was a lie or not, though.

'Mac, I'm telling you, you're looking for things that aren't there. In every single sentence addresses him in the passed tense.'

But I saw him!

'No, you didn't. You'd had both him and Scootaloo on the mind, you saw a couple of ponies who oddly resembled them, but not really.' His voice of reason countered. Macintosh didn't know what to think of that, he would have bet the farm that... well, maybe he was just seeing things? No! No, Braeburn described both of them! How could that have been made up?

'Mac, there are millions of ponies in the world, billions even. To think they hold exclusivity on their appearance isn't very honest. Take Uppity, for example. Remove the horn and add a pair of wings, cut and ruffle the hair a bit and she could be an adult Scootaloo.'

Mac didn't take well to the comparison, but he also couldn't deny the validity. Still, it was just... too convenient. 

Regardless, the letter didn't hold what he hoped it would and resigned himself to stuffing the parchment back into it's envelope and placing it along side the other letters he'd collected before making way down stairs to get his sister. Winona hadn't been doing too well lately, but thanks to Spike in breaking down Social Justice before her arrest, Fluttershy had been re-granted her exemptions to care for animals again and had taken care of the poor pup for the last three days. 

While in Appleloosa, much to AJ's dismay, Fluttershy had left the pup in Discord's care. Of course, Applejack had a few things to say about that, but Fluttershy swore up and down that the Draconequus was capable, and practically pushed the cherryblossom maned pegasus out the door. Apparently, he was of the mind that the pegasus needed to get out for a while after Angel's disappearance, considering her consequential depression. 

The fact gave Macintosh pause for any kind of castigation, Fluttershy had searched for hours upon hours all over the farm trying to find the little bunny, yet night after night, Applejack would need to go out and tell the worried pegasus to go home and get some rest. It took Annabelle going out and speaking with the pegasus for her to finally come to terms with the prospect that Angel might not be coming home with her.

Heartbroken, Fluttershy secluded into her house until Winona had grown too complacent and tired for even Granny to shrug off, the poor colie was getting thinner and nopony knew why. Finally, both he and Applejack went to Fluttershy's house to ask for help. Surprisingly, Discord himself was with the timid pegasus, doing what he could to cheer her up. Ever since his reformation a few months ago, the god of chaos had chosen Ponyville as his favorite spot to be. 

During their time in Appleloosa, Fluttershy seemed better, happy to be out of the confines of her cottage, and told the Apple's of the dog's recovery. To all of their horror, Winona was diagnosed with Cestodiasis, a tapeworm infection. Applejack contested the diagnosis, citing that the collie's symptoms were regulated only to subdued behavior and minor weight loss, with no indication of her showing rectal irritations, but Fluttershy was certain of her diagnosis and treatment plan. 

It didn't matter at that point, as far as Winona was concerned. Fluttershy was sure her treatment was administered properly and the dog would be well enough to go home today.

"Hey Mac, ready to go?" Applejack asked, standing from her place on the couch and flipping the trademark stetson onto her head.

"Eyup." He answered.

Both made way out the front door and onward into town. 

Ponyville, once so full of life, warmth, and good cheer, was slowly accumulating a dark cloud above that just didn't want to go away. Smiling faces and joyful laughter were becoming less and less common place now adays. Many minds still simmering with rage over the small revolt against the City Council and the large guard presence that occupied the town until Twilight Sparkle petitioned Celestia for a withdrawal. 

Though, the bigger problems lied with the new Arbiters of City Council.

The two passed by Town Hall to discover a small crowd had begun to congregate in front of it. Fearing another riot was imminent, Applejack and Macintosh shared a look and made way for the crowd, though, the object off the small groups attention wasn't the building, but a well sized informational board.

Outside, a pink and white bulletin board was now erected a few feet from the Hall's entrance. One side of the board was labeled "Rumors and Fact" which detailed a few rumors floating around town and labeled them as such vs legislation that was actually being proposed. A small subtext beneath the title explained that the board was put up for the sake of transparency in an attempt to re-earn public trust and move forwards with an open and honest commitment to the common good.

The other was simply labeled "Communal".

"Wonder wha' this is?" Applejack asked, politely pushing past a few ponies to read one of the only two fliers under the "Communal" side. "Ummm, what in tarnation is a diversity educational seminar?" She thought aloud, moving down to the smaller, more elaborate subtext. Mac began reading along with her and quickly discovered that it was a pointless endeavor. The words... they were all so big and sophisticated with an air of unintended elitism for the author and belittlement to the reader.





It has come to the attention of this judicial branch of the Ponyville City Government that the prejudice and insulated culture of the Ponyville citizenry has lead to an unacceptable bias and exclusionary attitude towards non-equine races, as well as equine races of non-conformity appearance and appeal. (Ponies of Difference)

Under the Imperial Non-Discrimination and Fairness Act, the lack of racial diversity and inclusion observed within Ponyville present day, is inexcusable and unacceptable. It has been determined that the primary mainspring for these discrepancies in diversification are perpetuated and rooted in a culture of insulated, normalized xenophobia and a lack of comprehensive consciousness of the struggles of ponies of difference within Equestria.  

Due to the lack of representation and a racially motivated event perpetuated against minorities, by the citizens, a cultural diversity seminar is being hosted by Arbiter Sock within the Ponyville park next Friday during Spring Break. Adults and Parents are welcomed to attend, but for students within the Ponyville School district municipality, attendance is mandatory and will need to sign in upon arrival as part of a new initiative to break away from preconceived fear and structural racism. 

Special guest speakers whom shall be in attendance: Zecora, Bronze Star, and Banita StarKesian.

As disconcerting and disheartening as it may be to acknowledge, the underlying privilege enjoyed by the Citizens of Ponyville has shaped an attitude shifting between indifference and condemnation to beings of difference. In the age of progress and the land acclaimed to be for "love and tolerance", isn't it about time we behaved as such?





While Applejack couldn't really understand the language of the flier, Macintosh could get the basic jist. It appeared Mask's views weren't just limited to gender, but race as well. Applejack asked him what he thought of it, and the pony gave her an honest analysis while he himself tried to understand his own position on the matter.

"What?! That's a load of hooey." The farmer mare dismissed. "Ponyville is acceptin' ta all kinda a ponies n' creatures. Why, don't ya'll remember that one minataur that came to town n' turned Fluttershy meaner th'n' rattle snake?"

Macintosh did remember that, a large, purple beast named Iron Will, if memory served, but he was quick to point out the undue treatment Zecora had endured. Treatment that Applejack, herself, had indulged in and had no immediate response for.

Of course, it was Applebloom and Twilight who showed them all how foalish and stupid they were being, but still, it didn't change the fact that Ponyville was a very closed off and backwards place sometimes. 

Beneath the flier was a petition, which was the primary reason for the crowd's gathering. Unable to see the petition himself, Macintosh turned to a pony mare waiting her turn and asked what it was that cased such a crowd.

"It's a petition for emergency election!" A pony he recognized as Berry Punch decried. "To get the current, corrupt city council out of office and elect new representatives!"

Macintosh's brows shot wide, he knew the townsfolk were sore with the council, but to want to vote them all out of office and hold an emergency election? 

Well, he was kinda happy about that, what with the bad things having happened under the current administration's watch, but they were kinda under orders from the Arbiter, right?

'No. Remember what Sin said: the Arbiter hasn't all that much power. Even when he wrote up exemptions, they needed to be approved by both the executive and legislative branches, and that only happened when he was willing to sign off on some of their proposals in exchange for them signing off on his exemptions. What was done was voluntary on their part, not forced by her.'

As tempted as he was to grab the clip board and add his own name, Macintosh decided to refrain from acting in emotion and dragged his sister out of the throng. She was happy to hear about the petition, but something about it just didn't sit right with him. Yea, the current council made a few mistakes, but they weren't the only ones to blame. Social Justice was the primary reason for what happened with Scootaloo, not the council's law itself. 

He didn't know how to follow through with that logic, but something told the stallion that the solution wasn't to replace politicians.









"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!" Leaf Spring spat in disgust, slamming the letter of grievance onto the table.

Spike stood with his back to the wall, watching with keen interest as the scene before him unfolded. Leaf Spring gave no protest to the drake's presence this time, mainly on account of the earth stallion Sock personally inviting him to the city council meeting. When asked for the reason of his presence, Sock didn't give any real reason aside from saying that he deserved to see what was about to happen.

And boy did the pony deliver on that.

All three of the council members were present and each holding their own letters of grievance... letters demanding their immediate and unconditional resignation from office as a response to, what was being known as: The Scootaloo incident.

It was a bitter sweet satisfaction for him to observe. While the drake had no love for Leaf Spring, he didn't like seeing the utter horror on Colgate's face. Though, he couldn't give her much sympathy either, her Candy legislation was voted down publicly, but she still pushed it through upon her earliest convenience once she was able to reword it and present it as new legislation.

Emotional manipulation was the name of the game today, though. All three of the mares were in varying degrees of distress and disbelief, not because of the letters themselves, but because of who they were from. Mask and Sock sat together on the opposite side of the table, both looking as professional and neutral as they could manage, arguing that the loss of public trust would ultimately lead to a citizens undermining of the overall government structure. An undermining that neither of them found to be in the better interests of Ponyville proper.

"This... this can't be happening... you can't do this!" Colgate yelled, desperately trying to defend her position.

"We are well within our rights to petition for your removal, councilpony." Mask retorted. "In light of the incompetence and corruptibility of this council, it is this arbitration's opinion that you are of ill ethical repute and questionable moral fiber. You, least of all, have any ground to stand on, considering your gross misuse of the system to pass a bill when an almost identical statute was voted publicly against by the majority."

Colgate cringed, it wasn't something she could defend and Sock made sure she knew it. The stallion had pulled out a book during Mask's speech and opened up to a marked section.

"Indeed. Under the Articles of Ponyville Subsidiary: Article Six, Section Nine, Sub-Section four. "Restrictions and regulations shall not be dual imposed within one year's time of the initial veto, and shall not again be considered for a time of no less than five years if a general vote is cast."

'Ohhh, might wanna get some ice for that burn.'

The cobalt unicorn tried to argue her case, but the combined intellect of Mask's rhetoric and Sock's intricate knowledge of the law shut down any possible protest. Colgate looked to her fellow councilmares for support, but found Leaf Spring too emotionally charged to form a coherent thought, and Rain Drops sniffling, small tears trailing down her cheeks as she looked over her letter, as if rereading it one more time would change its contents.

"A- and what about your friend? Wasn't it Social Justice who lead the guard to take Scootaloo into custody? What about her, huh!?" Colgate shot, desperate to cling to any straws she could find.

Spike's head turned, his mind already seeing the logic at work. Sock was quick to point out that the two had absolutely no part in Justice's act, both had even spoken out against her course of action, decrying her decision as brash and counter productive.

"Justice's actions were well outside of her authority of power. Her actions do not represent either Sock nor myself, Councilpony Colgate." Mask declared dismissively, brushing off her shoulder with a hoof. "As of this moment, there is a petition demanding the resignation of all three of you, these letters of resignation are nothing but a formality."

"WHAT?!" Leaf Spring exclaimed, her eyes shrinking to pinpricks.

Spike had to stop himself from smirking. He'd seen the crowd himself, Sock had told him about what was on the new bulletin board outside with a petition for such a thing. If that was the case, he estimated it was only a matter of time before these three crooks were out on the streets.

"This... this is an outrage! As chairpony of legislative affairs, I will not stand for this!"

"Then you may sit for it." Sock snarked, his face never changing from the emotionless mask it always was. Spike found the stallion rather creepy in regards to his lack of facial expression and emotions, but his dead panned humor was on the bits more often than not.

"Though," he continued, "I would advise you use your time more efficiently to clean out your offices. The very fact this town needs and Arbitration commission, mixed with recent events exposes your lack of competence and inability to hold the interests of the Citizens in which you serve to heart. It would only take a fifty-one percent majority to initiate an emergency election, and if my calculations are correct, taking in the over all population of Ponyville, it would only take a head count of five hundred and seventy six votes to enact the election. Last I checked, over half of that had already signed the petition yesterday, with a sizable line coming to pledge their own signitures earlier this morning, and I don't find it likely that any of you would win your seats back."

Colgate's jaw hit the table, Leaf Spring began to tremble with rage, and Rain Drops finally burst out into audible tearful sobs. Spike didn't know how Sock was getting his numbers, but the stallion had proven himself more than a capable sort. With his forward confidence and expression, the drake didn't doubt his claim for a single moment.

The three council ponies put up a few bits of resistance, but each were annihilated before any were finished speaking by the logic presented against them by Sock, with Mask adding in emotional appeals and shame for good measure. By the time all arguments had been addressed and rebuked, all three of the mares could do little but hold their heads in defeat before slowly skulking out of the chamber. 

The drake shook his head as the last mare left the chamber. "Serves them right."

"Spike, if you wouldn't mind waiting outside for a moment. Sock and I need to speak in private." Said Mask, casting a look over to her associate. The aforementioned shrugged and wondered out of the chamber, but didn't dare miss the ensuing conversation.

Leaning against the wall, he strained his ears in hopes of figuring out what the next move would be on their part. He didn't care much for city council, but he really didn't take well to the new Arbiters either. The stallion of the two was more a concern than the mare was.

"We did a bad thing, Sock." Said mask, her veneer of confidence dropping to pained whisper. 

"Nonsense." The stallion replied icily. "What we did was in the best interests of the Ponyville community."

"A bad thing?" Spike asked to himself, straining his ears as a small clop of hooves echoed from inside.

Mask let out a sigh. "But... you lied. You said that we spoke out against Social Justice's plan when we didn't. When she came to you to ask about the law and your opinion, you told her to do it. You told her it was a good idea to confiscate the foal, that it would inspire confidence in the government if she was seen caring for it's most vulnerable of members."

Spike gasped in horror, placing his hand over his mouth. Sock pushed Justice to do it?

According to the stallion, he had, and what's worse, he anticipated something of this like happening as a result!

"If memory serves, Mask, you had agreed with my analysis." Sock countered. "Besides, Social Justice was a buffoon, a fool who tried to inact overt changes into the citizens directly. Our time in Canterlot University, studying psychology, gender studies, class disparity and sociology made one thing very clear to me: social change doesn't come from the present, but future generations. Capitalism and the current Matriarchy will not be undone by trying to convince those in the current system of their inequality and unfairness, Justice had no intention on dismantling either of these institutions and cast us in a bad light by trying to force the change through government law. True equality will never come from those alive today, only through the children whom make up the next generation willingly embracing these virtues."

A shot of ice tore through Spike's spine. Children? Foals? What was he planning to do with foals?

"I know that, Sock. But... it just doesn't feel right. I didn't like her either, but Justice didn't deserve to-"

"Justice was a necessary sacrifice." Sock interjected, his voice lowering to an unusually soft pitch. "With her catering to Spike, her ideals were  compromised, Justice began bowing to the a single oppressed rather than the greater inequality faced within this society. She was a liability, Mask. A liability who changed face on the dragon's word. Evidenced by her granting of Fluttershy's exemption in animal caretaking. I'm all for the representation of ponies of difference, but he is a perpetrator of the current system. Justice needed to be done away with and I took the opportunity to do just that and leave us in positions of power to make Ponyville a better and more open minded place. Isn't that what we wanted?"

Unable to comprehend the callousness and cunning he was hearing, Spike let out a silent sigh. He thought the three of them were friends, that despite their misguided and almost benevolent authoritarianism, they at least were good ponies trying to do good things, but to hear that Sock and Mask had just used Social Justice as a tool to farther their own gains?

He had no love for the pink pegasus either, but... this was just twisted.

"Besides." Sock continued. "She was a mare of privilege. A pegasus mare who's family is well connected in Canterlot. She will never understand the real struggle that earth ponies like us, and ponies of difference go through. She will be out of jail in no time, unlike us who have no such advantage, a little time behind bars will be a good time to reflect on all of her undue self rightious prattling, and abusing the power she gained through advocating on behalf of the marginalized and discriminated."

Unable to listen any more, Spike walked away from the conversation sick enough to puke. 

How? How could they so carelessly throw away one of their own like that? Didn't they care that Justice was on their side? That she wanted the same things they did? And what was up with that comment about foals and future generations?

'Foals are impressionable,' His inner voice offered as the drake walked out into the afternoon overcast sky. 'Adults are pretty set in their ways, but young children, not so much. Impressionable young minds thirsting for knowledge and drinking in information as fast as they can. Education may be boring for kids, but learning isn't.'

Spike was surprised at how profound that last part of that statement was. Foals did like to learn about things that interested them, mathamatics, magic and science explained how everything worked on a logical level, it was only when there wasn't any basic utility for the knowledge that children didn't seem to care about education. 

And while it was kinda embarrassing to admit, Ponyville was extremely limited on it's racial diversity outside of ponies. Only five residents could be classified as "non-pony", but three of them were still equine in nature, with, one Draconequus breaking the mold and of course, Spike himself.

He'd been around the country and knew of the different races, yet the town remained... surprisingly pure. 

Canterlot, Hooftrot, hay, even Cloudsdale had some form of diversity with griffons, but Ponyville? It's diversity in comparison to the surrounding areas was absolutely pathetic. Even if it did hold a unique, almost extinct being... Wait, was Discord even part of a "species"? Or was he a being made of Chaos magic? 

Bah! It didn't matter, what mattered was that they'd learned from their mistake with Zecora and had taken steps to be more accepting. Gilda and Iron Will being welcomed into Ponyville was proof of that. Unless there was some kind of secret pact among the townsfolk to keep out the other races, Spike didn't understand what all of this "diversity" talk was about, nor why it was necessary.

"Spike." Said a voice he recognized. The drake turned and greeted Detective Inquiry as he approached, commenting on how good it was to see the stallion again.

"You as well, and thank you again for helping me get out of jail." The dark brown stallion greeted. "If you have a moment, I'd very much like to speak with you in private."

Spike scratched the cheek beneath his lost eye and shrugged. Twilight wasn't going to be back in town for Celestia knew how long, and he had nopony else who needed his attention, so he agreed and followed the stallion back to the small diner they'd spoken in when the two had first met.




> A New Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









A New Day









Big Macintosh awoke to a sound he hadn't heard in a long time, a sound he'd missed without even realizing he'd longed for it.

Barking, the chipper barking of one recovered border collie named Winona.

His wife shifted within his grasp, snuggling her head deeper into his neck in protest of the concious world. He smiled, looking down at the most beautiful face his blurry vision had ever beheld. A firm and hot headed earth pony who had his undying love and affection. She wasn't showing yet, but the early morning sickness had started a few days ago. Luckily, Granny Smith had just the thing for her, an old family secret that was hardly a secret.

Hot Toddies.

Macintosh was reluctant to allow Annabelle to consume even a drop of alcohol, but Granny swore up and down by the remedy. That both she and Macintosh's mother had used the drink to cure the ailment during their own pregnancies to help ease the burden.

'Which explains alot.'

I know you're not talking about Pa.

'Nope. Just you.' His inner voice said jovially.

But in all seriousness, the marshmellow green elder assured him that the foal wouldn't be affected. The liquor in the drink was no where near strong enough to cause harm, but even at her word, the stallion was still worried. Alas, it was Annabelle's decision to make, and while she shared his concerns, she trusted Granny's judgement.

Mac leaned down and kissed Annabelle's forehead, earning a kiss on the neck for his efforts.

"Morning." She said drearily.

"Mornin'." Mac replied.

Dawn had yet to approach, but with winter over, spring time care and inspection would begin. All of them would need to scour the orchard and investigate all of the trees, looking for diseases and pests, including the dreaded vampire fruit bats. The very thought was enough to send a shiver down Macintosh's spine. He remembered only once having to deal with the winged varmits, and once was more than enough for him.

Letting out a long winded yawn, Annabelle streched out and gave her husband a proper good morning kiss, causing them both to grimace and comment on morning breath before sharing a laugh and readying themselves for the daily grind. 

It was kind of impressive how well the cream colored mare had taken to farm life. Even Applejack had no complaints to be made about her, honest sort that she was, Mac didn't dare attribute it to not wanting to hurt feelings.

The two made way downstairs to find Granny up dark and early like she usually was, readying the family morning meal of eggs, hashbrowns, oatmeal and the ever present glass of hot toddie.

"Well, look who's up?" The older mare commented, Winona conspicuously sitting besides here, and eyeing a lone, unassuming dog treat in Granny's hoof. "Thought y'all we're gonna sleep till noon again."

Annabelle chuckled. "Nope, lazy time's over. Right Macintosh?"

"Eyup." The stallion replied with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He was still a little confused about everything, about losing Scootaloo, Sin, Social Justice, all of it, but Annabelle and he had talked about it alot lately. Scootaloo was gone, there was no help for it. He'd turned to drinking and that didn't help at all, he was still going through the grieving process, but each day was getting a little better thanks to the support of his family, especially his newly wedded.

He'd thought about ending his life more than once, and if Annabelle hadn't been there to pull him out of the dark places his mind had gone to, he was certain he'd have gone through with putting the cross bow bolt through his brains.

"Well, breakfast'll be ready soon. Applejack was feelin' a spell under the weather after the trip tah Appleloosa, said she'd be takin' the day off today, so you two r' on yer own."

Annabelle's brow furrowed in concern. "Oh my, I hope she's alright."

Mac did as well. It was the oddest thing, she seemed just fine during the train ride up, but ever since they'd gotten on the train back, Applejack constantly looked as if she was in deep thought. Yesterday was the first time she acted like her old and usual self, how could she have been sick?

Well, it wasn't so odd. His sister had apologized to both of them too many times to count for her part in Scootaloo's disappearance. Annabelle saw her as responsible, since she was the one who pushed and convinced Macintosh to hand the filly over, but that was one of the things Macintosh and she had talked about. 

The apple stallion saw it as his own fault. How could any of them have known Scootaloo would react like that? He should have. He should have made sure she understood what was going on, he should have asked her again, instead of assuming that she knew, he should have been a better guardian, he should-

'Macintosh! Bring it back, you're trembling again!'

And so he was, the memories of his failures causing his entire body to stress and muscles to stiffen up. The stallion let out a few slow breaths, relaxing himself away from his rage. There was no point in getting upset or angry now. Dead or not, Scootaloo wasn't here and if she wasn't lost to the elements, Mac had absolutely no idea where to look for her. He'd have a family to take care of soon, his own family. A family that would need him to forgive himself for his short comings and be the best father and husband he could be, to give his foal a good life and happy upbringing.

A wave of depression filled the void that the rage left behind after it ate away at his small amount of contentedness and acceptance. Macintosh put on his bravest smile to hid his feelings, but the phrase "fake it till you make it" just didn't hold up to its hype.

He knew it would take time to heal properly, but he'd made a commitment to the process. Annabelle was strong enough to lose everything and trusted in him to carry her through until she was made to feel secure in a home she'd never known, and he planned to honor that trust as best he could.









Spike sat alone in the Library with none but Pee Wee to keep him company. In one claw a cup of strong coffee, and in the other the morning paper. He'd been staring at the page for the past ten minutes, but retained not a single word printed on the page. His single eye staring in the middle fold of the thing as the conversation with Inquiry played in his head over and over again.

Inquiry wanted his help.

With Justice gone and the guards recalled to Canterlot, a few of the detective's old contacts began to approach him again. If what the stallion was hearing was true, than there was going to be a protected influx of red market products coming into Ponyville within the near future.

A criminal organization known as the "Black Talon" had been trying to muscle their way into Ponyville for a while, according the pony. For years, Inquiry had managed to keep the organization from infecting Ponyville, the low population making the organization's efforts less than admirable, but after the Changeling attack in Canterlot, mixed with the breaking of the Blackmarket/police pact, a slew of activity came to the town. 

Mainly folks just passing through, but some had stuck around as refugees until Canterlot was restored enough for their return, and with that influx of ponies, a few new "demands" had propped up, and with demand came "supply".

According to the sources, many of the Black Talon's customers had settled in Ponyville, and were in the market for more than a few illicit items. Weapons, drugs, pornography, illicit goods, and worst of all, sex trafficking. All things that were in the works that Inquiry had no way to stop when the time came.

The detective tried to find Shady Oaks once he was out of jail and the heavy guard presence had been lifted from the town to devise some kind of plan to keep the Talon out, but she and the other black market leaders had long since abandoned the small settlement with only lone dealers and sex workers to pass on the message: Ponyville was on its own.

'Bucking cowards!' Spike's inner voice spat. 'Cowards, the lot of them! They were supposed to protect Ponyville! How could they just abandon us like this?!'

Spike wanted to be angry, but he really couldn't be. Ever since his talk with Brute, the drake had noticed that his mind was coming to analyze things in a much more objective way than he had before. Shady Oaks and them were ponies of business and risk vs benefit analysis, not guardians. He'd seen the guard chase down multiple ponies around town, ponies suspected of racketeering and soliciting prostitution and other illicit work. If they had stayed, they'd have been fighting a war on two fronts, one against the guard, and another against the Talon. It only made sense that they would abandon Ponyville when the risks became to great and the costs just didn't justify the benefits.

The drake took a sip of coffee, the warm brew burning as it made its way down his throat.

Though he didn't like it, he could understand. It wasn't like the citizens they were "protecting" would care if they were hurt or not anyways. Cynical though it may be to say, the Ponyville population would be just as happy to see the black marketeers locked up as they would the Talon. Really, it makes more sense to question why they should be loyal to the town...

'Why they should- Spike, you're starting to sound dangerously like Sin did...' The voice warned.

The drake took another sip to keep himself from cringing.

Maybe he was... but what the stallion had told him the day he had his break down had bothered the drake far more than he cared to admit. 

Sin had abandoned his country because they didn't appreciate his work and turned their backs on him, the black marketeers weren't in too much of a dissimilar situation. 

He'd thought long and hard about drug use and prostitution, and while he didn't agree with them, he didn't know if using force and violence against them was the right thing to do. It was voluntary, right? It was hard to push past the idea of sex without marriage or emotional attachment, but he'd somehow managed to see it. Ponies didn't get hurt in the transaction, and what happened as a result was chalked up to personal responsibility. 

He was always told that drugs ruined the lives and families of the user because of the dependency and erratic behavior drugs caused. But... alcohol had similar effects, and yet that was perfectly legal. And didn't long jail time and harsh punishment ruin lives just as well? Why wasn't there concern over that? He'd been lectured on the detriment of drug use: Financial burden, dependency, addiction, bodily destruction... weren't these things punishment enough on their own?

He'd come to see alot of things in a new light lately. Weapons, for instance, prior to meeting Sin, the drake wouldn't conceive of owning a crossbow, he believed such things only belonged in the military and police force. Yet now, he had one sitting in his house, and he had no fear of it what so ever.

True he had no need of it... today, but against Sombra's shadow? It may have been the only thing that bought them the time they needed to reach the barrier erected by Cadance. The girls complained about it, condemning his decision to bring "death machine" on a train where it wasn't legal, but that was the thing: not everypony had "legal" means of protection. Had it not been for the unicorn magic of Twilight and Shining and the Alicorn Cadance, all of them would have been completely defenseless.

What then? Would Rarity's complaining about "legality" have spared them from the shadow's wrath? Would Fluttershy's lecturing Sombra about how hurting others was "illegal" and "immoral" have stopped him from covering them all in blackened crystals? Would Applejack's bucks have been able to hit smoke? Spike was not inclined to think so... Yea, it was the dragon scales that helped more than the crossbow, but still...

Morality was slowly losing it's black and white dichotomy to the drake. It used to be so simple, but now? He didn't know.

On one claw, the black market ponies provided services that he didn't find ethical, but on the other, their business was at least voluntary and they helped keep out even worse business practices. Inquiry said there was an influx of criminal arrests, some being taken to Canterlot to face imperial charges for large drug smuggling. The stallion did what he could for many of them, under the books, but Ponyville itself wouldn't dare stand up for them... despite the good they did.

If the citizens of Ponyville weren't willing to protect the good side of the underworld, what reason did the underworld have of protecting them?

'Because it's the right thing to do!' His inner voice cried in frustration.

Spike would like to believe that was the case, but... how could he? How could he find it in himself to say it was right to protect those who'd would throw you in jail at the first chance they got? All because they didn't like the things you did, despite the fact you didn't hurt anypony in the process.

Sin had once asked him if he'd save a pony from walking into a mantacore den because they were too stupid to stop and see that they were walking into it. Spike immediately answered that he would have helped the pony, despite his or her stupidity. He still liked to think he'd help out of a sense of altruistic good, though, he was becoming more and more thoughtful over the scenario. Adding in the variable of his being hated by the pony for doing little wrong and hurt as a result of his trying to help.

A couple of knocks came from the door, breaking the dragon from his thoughts. He stood from the table and shooed away Pee Wee from trying to look through the peep hole.

"Hey Spike." Applebloom said glumly, Sweetie Belle behind her. "Can we come in?"

Frowning, the drake nodded and allowed the fillies inside. He hadn't seen the two often, but when he did, both looked absolutely miserable ever since Scootaloo...

Yea.

He offered the two a seat before making way to the kitchen and fixing up some hot coco. "How are you two holding up?" He asked, dispensing the drinks.

"No so well." Sweetie Belle answered. "Rarity kicked us out of the the botique, she said we need to get out and about for a while, that sulking wasn't good for us."

Spike nodded in understanding, making no farther comment. "So, what brings you here?"

The apple filly shrugged and said that there wasn't anywhere else they wanted to go or could go. With the ban on sweets to minors, Sugar Cube Corner wasn't an option, and without Scootaloo around to interject more dangerous and extreme ventures for crusading, neither of of them was particularly fond of the idea of crusading today.

"We haven't crusaded in a while, actually." Said Sweetie, taking a sip from her cup. "It's... it's just not the same without Scootaloo here."

Spike could empathize, he didn't know the filly all that well, but he did know what it was like to lose somepony close to you. 

Applebloom sniffled, her mug completely untouched. "It's not fair..."

"Applebloom." The unicorn filly sighed.

Her ears drooping and the giant pink ribbon deflating along with them, the apple filly cringed her eyes and sniffled again. "Ah'm sorry... it's jest... Everypony 'round the farm's been actin' strange n' Ah know it's cause O' Scootaloo... Ah, Ah jest don't understand why she ran away..."

A small pang hit the drake in his chest, added pressure by tugs at his heart when Sweetie Belle hugged the tearful filly, doing what she could to offer her friend comfort.

"I wish I knew how to help, but..." Spike stopped, realizing there was no words he could say that wouldn't sound bad one way or the other. It was just like with Twilight and Rainbow Dash a few days ago, he didn't need to offer advice, just show that he understood and was there.

The three sat in silence for a time before Spike finally realized that the two were sulking again. Rarity had kicked them out to get them to stop, and his allowing of it only encouraged them. As insensitive as it may be, he didn't want to let them continue indulging their own pity and misery. 

He offered to take them to Sugar Cube Corner so they could discuss a few cutie mark ideas.

"But... yer not an adult, Spike." Applebloom pointed out. 

"Yea, we need an adult to buy sweets now." Sweetie agreed.

Spike, seeing an opportunity, placed a claw to his chin. "Well, I have a job, I have my own house and buy my own food. So... how am I not an adult again?"

Both girls brightened up slightly at the revelation. Spike, while not yet matured to the point of teenagerdom, let alone adulthood, could easily argue the cakes or Pinkie into allowing him to purchase their goods. Besides, he'd seen the legislation with his own eyes, the law applied to "ponies", not dragons.

"Come on, guys. Let's go and have a milkshake." Spike offered with a smile.



    

   
> Corporate Summit (Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Corporate Summit








"Could it really be true?"

"How could this have happened?"

"My reports suggest no possible escape from the Hades gate, it must have happened at the Tartarus Gate."

His icy blue eyes shifted around the dimly lit meeting room, Malich took stock of the ponies, griffons, dogs, and minataur present, about fifteen in total. Small murmurs and whispers could be heard among almost all of them, discussing the validity of the meeting and if the reason for it's call was true.

Every single high ranking Triple M. official and administrator from the entire country was present, all called together by Gemini himself in an emergency meeting to discuss some very disturbing news.

The Dark Centaur was upon the earth once more.

Had the news not come from Sparhawk himself, who called in the vice president and his father to his private chambers, Malich wouldn't have believed it. Tirek, a name taboo and unspoken within the Federation, had somehow escaped the confines of Tartarus and was now running about somewhere on the planet. 

They all knew the stories of the dark half breeds' might. How it took the combined efforts of both the Alicorn sisters as well as Tapio himself in order to render and banish Tirek. Luckily, the god's power was very weak, weak enough to go undetected by most organization looking to capture him, though, that also meant he would accumulate magic without disturbance with each passing day.

While he could be anywhere, Malich suspected the fell god to be in the one place where his displaced magic was in abundance, the pony homeland of Equestria.

Equestria was not friendly to the corporation, especially after that little stint with the Judgement entering the country's air space. Of course they had secret operatives all over the world, spying on all governments in the Federation's defensive interests. However, thanks to a mass letter memo, each and every single operative would be pulled from their assignments and, with absolute discretion, informed to hunt down the centaur.

According to Sparhawk, Tirek's power had been drained to lock him away. His power too great for even the powers of all three layers to hold at full. Unicorn magic was his primary power source, so each unicorn operative was to carry a dragon scale and ordered to not engage. Unconventional magics, like Pegasus flight, and the aura weren't able to be collected, though caution was still advised.

"Mr. Vice President." Whispered a suite clad husky-esqu diamond dog the pony recognized as the chief executive of the Canim branch. "Is it true? Does the Dark One walk among us again?"

Silence descended upon the entire room, the attention of the entirety of the Corporate heads turning to listen to the pony's answer, despite the fact said dog's words could barely be heard.

Malich pressed his lips and let the tension build for a moment as he looked around. The degrees varied from citizen to citizen, but there was one common theme between each and every one of them. 

Fear. Fear ranging from moderate concern to muted terror. 

All of them had seen the street preachers before, individuals holding signs, proclaiming the end of times coming, professing that the fall of the earth would come upon the Dark One's return. Doom Sayers proudly pontificating that avarice and indulgence of the Federation and the world would resurrect his wrath to punish and condemn the entirety of sentience for their hubris. That all the governments of the world would be powerless to stop him, and even the powerful immortals themselves would fall to apocalyptic catastrophe that would be his reckoning.

Of course, Malich didn't believe in such things, but he knew that some of the ponies and minotaur did. Potential fanatics and splinter risks who might just use the power of Triple M. against itself out of fear, or maybe even the misguided belief they may curry favor with Tirek by aiding him. He needed to take stock and plot around that, and the first step to halt any potential rebellions within his ranks started her and now.

"Yes."

In a split second, Malich's eyes took in the entire room's reaction. The dogs didn't react much outside of the understandable fear, the griffons acted more defeated than anything, but the centaur and ponies were his primary interest. Only one acted suspiciously, a Vain minatuar who's eyes continually shifted from side to side, the gesture of quick analysis and decision making.

Malich made a mental not to have her followed and looked into a little more closely than the others.

The Dark One, while not currently present in the Federation, was a powerful force, even without his being here. While Malich didn't believe in prophetic and religious non-sense, he couldn't deny the psychological influence of the god's mere existance. 

Tirek was a capable foe, but through Project Mortality Malich was reasonably confident that he might just have the solution to handling the centaur. He hoped he would, anyways. 

Truth of the matter was that Malich wanted to be somewhere else, away from these horror filled cowards and corperate leeches. He wanted to be back at the research facility with the changeling queen: Imperatrix.

Despite Elsa's continuous demand for her owed payment, Malich wasn't about to give up the changeling queen. He said she was necessary for the scientists to tap into her magical communicative wave length, but the truth was that the executive was growing... fond of the changeling.

It was unethical and unprofessional, but Imperatrix... knew things about him. With her telepathic prowess, which had concerned him, and rightfully so, the changeling queen had grown to understand him in a way that the executive was terrified of. She knew his pain, the pain he felt when his brother had proclaimed his misplaced hatred, she said that he didn't mean it, and that Sin would see his way of things in the end.

Affirmation. Something Malich had so little of, it made him feel happy that somebody believed in him. Yea, sure, she may just have been feeding him what he wanted to hear, manipulating his emotions to farther her own better interests, but he didn't believe that. Somehow, it just felt like Imperatrix was... genuine in her affections for the stallion. 

'She's prodding in your head, I've felt her in here. I'm telling you, be weary.' His inner critic warned.

Malich understood that it was likely the changeling was only playing on his emotional isolation, but still... it felt good to be reaffirmed, especially when those closest to you beat you down, either physically or emotionally. 

The door to the office opened, revealing the dark brown, black suited president of the Triple M. corperation himself. "Gentle-cens." Gemini declaired with confidence as he marched to his seat at the head of the table beside his son. "Thank you all for coming."

Light murmors answered the stallion, the tense air around redoubling itself in anticipation for his coming briefing.

"As you have no doubt heard, Tirek, the Dark Centaur, has returned." Gemini stated gravely, eliciting complete and total silence. "According to our investigation and recon teams, we believe we have found the venue and time in which the Dark One had escaped the bowls of his imprisonment."

The name drew hisses of pain and fright from all around the room. 

"Where?" The female minitaur from before asked a little too hastily.

Gemini regarded her for a moment, no doubt having the same train of thought Malich himself had for her.

"Some time ago, the guardian of the Tartarus Gate in Equestria, the three headed giant dog, Cerberus, had abandoned his post and besieged a small village of the nation. While his capture and return to his post was swift, we believe that it was during his absence that Tirek had escaped."

Another bout of hisses and cringing. Malich found it rather immature, but some believed that just saying the name was enough to give power to the being.

"So, the Equestrians were responsible!" A unicorn proclaimed. "I should have known, we must-"

"Consider the possibilities and consequences of any action. Mr. Valentine." Gemini interjected, giving the outspoken stallion a disapproving glare. "Granted, the pony motherland has played host to many international issues over the past year, but we must bare in mind that Equestria's military and defensive capabilities surpass our own for the time being. We would be better served to offer peaceful and diplomatic relations with Canterlot, at least until the problem has been dealt with."

Small murmurs of agreement followed, shaming that unicorn stallion into silence.

"Mr. President." Said another pony, this one a pegasus stallion. "There are rumors that the Centaur themselves will be handling this matter, can you substantiate this?"

Gemini nodded and elaborated that during his meeting with Sparhawk, it was learned that an entire legion of centaur had been dispatched to Equestria upon a small frigate on loan from the Triple M. Corporation. Tapio Bearking himself would be leading the search, but no other information on the centaur's actions were known at the current point in time.

Malich was disappointed to hear this, he knew that there was a ship on loan, but he didn't know the extent of Triple M's knowledge on their tactics. 

"Though, this may be a centaurian matter, The Dark One is a threat, not only to the Federation, but to the world as a whole. A co-op coalition between the Centaur, the Liberty Syndicate, the Triple M. Corperation and smaller groups has been established for the time being, with couriers being sent to the other nation's leaders and immortals to inform them of the threat. It is our hope that Tirek will be dealt with without involving the international community aside from those already gathered, but the option is still open if necessity calls."

That didn't sit well with most present at the table. Both the syndicate and Centauren had been at odds with the corporation for a long time. The liberty organization leading multiple lawsuites and demonstrations against their board members for years, while the elder beings did little to nothing to hold their charges accountable when violence on their part came to pass. Allying with them to combat the undead was one thing, the results readily observable, but a foreign threat that none of them could see? That was another matter.

The meeting continued on, questions being asked about if Princess Celestia and the newly returned Princess Luna were informed, the actions of Crown itself, if there was any cooperative measures between they and Triple M or the Federal Government to investigate and capture Tirek and so on. With all of the nuances and collaborative bull shit that went with it, dragging out, what should have been a fifteen minute lecture, into a full hour and a half question and answer session.

"That will conclude this meeting, a more comprehensive action plan will be sent to all of you as soon as more details come to light. This meeting is adjourned." Gemini declared. Slowly, the administrators made way out of the board room and pooled outside. Malich was the last to stand, but was called to stay his place.

"Have a seat, we need to talk." The president told his son, retaking his own seat.

Malich did so and watched nervously as his father pulled out a briefcase and opened it. "I must say, son, I'm a little surprised at you." He declared, pulling out a few sheets of paper. "I didn't think you believed in these superstitions."

Quirking a brow, Malich asked what the dark brown pony was talking about. To his utter surprise, Gemini smiled at him and produced documents pertaining to Project Mortality.

"I was wondering why you would be delving into ways to kill immortal beings, wasting over a billion bits of money on the endeavor, but I believe I've finally figured it out." He smirked. "The changelings, your grown obsession with dragons and larger and less conventional means of combat, finding ways to subdue immortals... It all makes sense now. You were preparing to go to war with Tirek."

Malich's eyes widened, completely caught off guard at both the problem of his father finding out about yet another of his secret projects, and the unintended solution to not only that problem, but the other.

"You're lucky you were right." Gemini continued, looking over the paper work once again. "The labs say they haven't perfected the potency or mixture to kill the immortals completely, but they are making leaps and jumps in progress. Though, I am a little concerned, did you have... alternative uses for this?"

Malich pressed his lips. "It would be a lie to say it's uses were purely for Tirek." he admitted. "The same with the changelings."

"Oh?" Gemini quirked a brow. 

Malich nodded and built the narrative in his head. Fact of the matter was that the Federation had no real way of dealing with the immortals or semi-immortals like the centaur. Should Celestia or Ario or Tapio himself declare war upon them, the entire Federation would be at the beings mercy. Malich found investment into combating these deities to be of interest to national security.

"And the changelings?"

"The changelings were... to be used in place of actual Triple M. agents." 

Gemini's eyes widened with interest. "Really?"

Seeing his chance, Malich connected the changelings having no autonomy to that of automated arms in the slowly creeping automotive industry. Automotive arms were a promising prospect, where engineers used magic and proper proportions to create arms and other mechanism to do the work of actual individuals and replace them with a more efficient and, often more accurate, machine that came with a myriad of superior benefits. 

The automation didn't need breaks, it didn't need pay, and most importantly, it wasn't alive.

Changelings were similar. They followed the orders of the queen with absolutely no regard for their personal autonomy or detriment. To fight Tirek head on with Triple M. agents could be expensive in terms of capital and life, to mitigate the life aspect by controling and using the queen to distract the immortal would save real life agents.

Gemini frowned and placed down the documents before walking forward and doing something he hadn't done in years. He hugged his son. "Malich, you are a fucking GENIUS!"

Malich sat in shock. Praise? Honest praise? And affection? From his father? From Gemini Islander? The stallion of stone? The most cut throat of busienss ponies? What?

"Th-Thanks, dad." He managed, roboticly lifting a foreleg and returning the hug.

Just as he was starting to really appriciate the first sign of love he'd ever recieved from his father, Gemini pulled away and gave the pony a smile. "It's been a long time since I've been proud of you, but you've done it, my boy."

Malich bit his tongue to make sure it was real, that this wasn't just a dream. 

It was real, this was really happening! 

All the resentment, all of the anger, all of the hatred he had for Gemini evaporated in that moment of love and Malich returned the smile, constructing yet another narrative. "Thank you, father. The... the queen is cooperating now, and we're working on means to ensure that cooperation continue."

"Hmm, I suppose ending her life would be detrimental." Gemini mused thoughtfully before giving his son yet another smile. "However, I suspect you already have an idea on what you plan to do to ensure her cooperation, so I'll leave you to it."

Nodding once, two pairs of blue eyes met in mutual respect and admiration. Gemini walked past, pausing to place a proud hoof on Malich's shoulder with yet another few words of praise.

"I expect great things from you." Gemini proclaimed as he walked out the door.

Malich slumped a little, remembering the real plan he had for the changelings. Assuming things went as he hoped they would, Gemini was probably the biggest threat to his over all plans. He needed his father alive for the current time, but... if he ever discovered what Malich was truly planning, the vice president would have no choice but to end the stallion's life before he had a chance to expose him.

Though, in the end, the result would be the same anyways. 

It wasn't something Malich was keen on thinking about, after all, he owed his father a great deal. Gemini was there for him, he cared for both Sin and himself after their mother had abandoned them. It was selfish and ungrateful on so many levels, but if vice president was to attain his goals, there was no help for it.

Gemini Islander needed to die. 
   

   
> 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.

   



   
> Carnivorous Pride
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Carnivorous Pride







Walking a little ways behind her associates in the calm, cool of the early spring morn, Scootaloo contemplated her life and her latest decisions as she took in the luscious and aesthetically pleasing green of the trees, grass, and brush around her. She was happy now, happy that she'd finally made some kind of resolution to end her time away from her friends and... Macintosh and Annabelle.

Though, a thought continually pestered her happiness, a nagging feeling of irritation and frustration that just wouldn't leave her be ever since Islander had asked her about it. 

Why couldn't she remember what was said before she was taken away?

She thought back to the wedding day. The recalling of the even sent her mind into a frenzy of terror and pain, barring her efforts to find the truth time and time again. She remembered the growing sense of dread, upon seeing the approaching guards from the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres, she remembered the churning of her stomach at hearing her name called by the pink pegasus pony. She remembered with vivid clarity the anger and hatred she felt slamming her hoof directly into the mare's face, and she remembered the feelings of urgency and adrenaline that pushed her through to the Everfree.

And yet, despite all of her remembrance, she could not recall all of the details of what had happened. First her and the girls were having a good time, and then the guards came, they ran behind the house, and Macintosh found them first, with Applejack next and the guards soon after. She clung to her almost-adoptive father, saying she didn't want to go, and then... nothing. Nothing until she found herself being taken away. She knew time had passed while she was in his forelegs, he was yelling, and then he spoke to her, kindly, gently. The filly didn't know what he said, but he said alot.

Pushing past her fears, Scootaloo crinkled her brow in concentration. "What did he say?" She chanted, over and over, desperate to re-hear his words. Her companion was right, what he said was important, but no matter how hard she tried, her emotional connection to the event would viciously scramble her train of thought.

With a resigned sigh, Scootaloo gave up on thinking on what she couldn't remember and turned her gaze to the far off river. They'd be leaving soon, Krystal and Islander had promised her that much.

Scootaloo was happy to go, despite her knowing it was wrong, seeing the rock family together brought her feelings of longing and jealousy. It wasn't their fault that they were happy, of course, but even so, the filly couldn't deny her resentment, and she didn't care for the way it made her feel about her friend.

Though, if there was one memory that Scootaloo could take away from this place fondly, it was the image of a soaking wet Islander being chased down by a trio of mares to give him a bath.

Scootaloo couldn't keep the smile from her face as the recent memory played over and over again in her head. It was simple at first, Krystal told Islander that she was going to preen his wings, Islander said no. The rock farmer mare tried anyways, calling in the assistance of her mothers once the stallion's strength proved too much for her, resulting in the pony being wrestled into the tub and scrubbed down by all three of them. He put up a fight all the while, but eventually resigned himself to the cleaning, promising Krystal retribution for her plot and ploy, as well as the filly for laughing at his expense.

The filly broke through a tree line and found Islander sitting in place on the beaten path, patiently observing Krystal as she rolled around in yet another patch of grass. This was the primary reason Scootaloo had taken to falling back and allowing her companions to go forward. The rock farmer gone traveler had taken to pointing out everything new to her as if it was new to them. Trees up-close, red wood, woodland creatures, all things that Scootaloo had taken for granted for years, Krystal acted like a foal seeing it all for the first time, with the emotional maturity to match.

"She's rolling around again?" Scootaloo asked blankly to the stallion sitting besides her.

"Yep." Islander replied. It really didn't help that Angel Bunny would continuously commanded the mare from time to time, seeing as Scootaloo had placed her hoof down against him. Though, his tactics of aggression and anger were used sparingly, as his fluffy cuteness was all he needed to bend Krystal to his every whim.

He wanted to stop, she stopped. He wanted to go, she went with him on her back. It was actually kinda sad, but Islander made it a point to let her suffer for her decisions when Scootaloo brought it up a few days ago. This was an issue that he and Scootaloo had clashed heads on, one being of the mind of the proponent of the behavior suffering for the consequence of said behavior while the other advocated education and introduction of alternative choices to the rabbit's aggression. 

Though Angel might be rolling in the grass with her, Krystal didn't need any goading or encouragement for the expeirence.

Scootaloo was tempted to join her, the grass felt soooooo good to roll around in. The small tickles of the blades against her pelt, the fresh smell of morning dew that clung to her nostrils all throughout the day, the small dampness that cooled her skin in just the right way. Honestly, it was a morning ritual for her ever since they'd escaped the badlands, but Krystal took it to an extream, stopping almsot every hour to indulge the itch.

"Miss Melody, must you stop at every clearing we reach?" Said Islander, his patience obviously waning.

"But it feels so goooooood." Krystal purred, rubbing her back into the grass with vigor.

With a silent sigh Islander turned to the filly and gave his tell tale shrug of defeat. Ever since they'd returned to the rock farm, Krystal had changed. Where once she was submissive and overly eager to please, she'd grown a little more stubborn and selfish when it came to the cloaked stallion. However, she'd also become much less over bearing in regards to Scootaloo, allowing the filly to be much more independant of her doting. 

The two found a tree and leaned back to take a break, Scootaloo deciding to break into her newly purified water while Sin broke out one of the books he'd bought from Fleet Springs. Where once the stallion would advise her to steady her drinking pace to conserve water, the orange pegasus found he didn't need to. The naturally purified water tasted absolutely disgusting to her, the small, sandy taste made her want to gag, with loose remnants of charcoal that made it past the cloth filter making the liquid almost unbearably potent.

It was a necessary evil, though. Krystal had, against their guardian's advice, tried to drink water straight from the stream. The poor mare spent the better part of two days complaining about stomach problems and throwing up enough to drive her to tears. Islander, being the oh so merciful sort, allowed whatever germs and parasites to plague Krystal for a few hours before giving her some medicine and lecturing her on listening to him when he told her not to do something.

She was fine after that, but there was a few verbal skirmishes about his with holding of the medicine and letting her suffer. Sinbad saw it as a learning experience, while Krystal saw him as being unnecessarily cruel. Of course, it didn't help that the Scootaloo would catch the stallion snicking at her illness from time to time, so Scootaloo would always take her side in the debates.

Taking another swig, the filly forced the water down her throat and grimaced.

"It'll get easier when you get used to the taste." Islander said absently, turning the page in his book.

"I guess." Scootaloo shrugged. "Hey Islander, why do you keep reading that book? Every time we stop, you've always got your muzzle in it."

Sin looked up at her. "We're running low on food," he explained, "trying to figure out which plants around here are edible, and I'm looking to see pasterns of dangerous predator siting and alternative routes to avoid them."

Scootaloo thought on the logic for a moment and nodded in understanding. That made sense, the next town wasn't going to come until they were out of the Hayseed Forest. It didn't sit well with her that what she was drinking would likely mirror what they'd be eating, but she wasn't about to complain either. Hunger wasn't a foreign concept to the foal, and she knew just how desperate she'd become if push came to shove, though, she held little hope for their other female companion, nor the small rabbit who traveled with them.

"Yea, well don't read too much. You're pretty cool and all, but reading like that is fore egg heads." Scootaloo teased, feeling a little brave.

"Egg head?" Sin smirked, though his smirk turned contemplative for a moment. Scootaloo pressed her lips, him thinking like that after she spoke was never a good thing, it usually ended up with her having to do something.

To her dread, he pulled out another book and handed it to her, decrying how it was a crime Scootaloo hadn't had any proper education in the basics during their travels.

"Crap." The filly cursed, reaching out and taking the book. Apparently her first lessons would be in the form of geography, since the tomb was titled Maps of the Western Sea-bored.

"Language!" Krystal chided, walking up to them, her entire back covered in a mix of white and green. "Honestly Islander, I don't know why you allow her to speak with such vulgarity!"

Islander regarded for a moment and gave his trademark smirk. "Personally, I guess I just don't give a shit."

With barely enough time to give the pony the stink eye, Scootaloo felt herself snatched away and held aloft with Krystal chiding and lecturing him for his words. Of course, the stallion took everything she dished out with a dismissive apology.

That was the game, she'd insult or tease Sin, he'd wait until an inopportune or surprising moment, and then say something to make Krystal snatch her away and give her a five minute lecture about how inappropriate the language was and offer alternative words to express displeasure. 

Of course, she'd play annoyed and irritated, but Scootaloo actually liked it. It was one of the few bits of fun she had that included the two of them, and the only time Islander was ever any fun at all. Yea, the two would often gang up on Krystal and tease her own delicate sensibilities, but the mare just didn't take the joke as well as Sin did.

"So, how far are we from the coast?" Krystal asked, beaming with excitement.

Islander flipped a few pages in the book and then closed it, informing the others that they were only another few days walk. "That's the good news, the bad news is we're almost out of food."

Krystal's smile drop and she asked if he was joking, to which Sin replied that he was not and that they would need to find food along the way. Luckily, the book told him that the Cattails they'd been seeing around weren't poisonous and that, when boiled correctly, the roots of the plants tasted somewhat sweet and tolerable. 

"Plus there is amaranth and dandylions all over the place, enough so that I didn't even bother gathering any past the first few bushles I saw. May taste pretty bland, but it'll hold us over until we get to the coast. Kinda wishing I'd restocked on seasoning back in Fleet Springs."

Of course, the reason they didn't was due to how broke they were. Islander tried to hide it, but Scootaloo could tell their funds were running low.

With the break over, the trio plus a pet, continued on. Islander walked with a purpose at a steady pace reminding Krystal to keep close and not to stray to far ahead and for the filly herself not to fall too far behind. She wouldn't, Scootaloo never fell far enough behind for Islander to get out of sight, but wanted some space to herself for a while.

Scootaloo's mind began to trail as she walked again, pondering how things were going very everypony back home. She wondered how school was going for her friends, or if Rainbow Dash made any strides to more awesome tricks yet or not, or if Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had either gotten their cutie marks yet. It was a bit of a melancholy thought, but with time, Scootaloo began to let go of her depression when thinking about home in favor of curiosity and anticipation for when she went back.

When she went back...

She smiled at the thought. There would be plenty of catching up to do when the time came, she'd share her stories of adventure, of course. The buffaloo, living out in the wilderness, getting involved with a plot to overthrow Celestia... how did any of that not sound awesome? Of course it wouldn't all be good and happy, she imagined how everypony would react to her return, especially if she was thought dead. Crying, hugging, giving thanks, lectures about how terrified and...

Suddenly her thoughts darkened to guilt and shame. What was she going to tell them all when she went back? Oh, sorry guys, didn't feel like coming back for a while, hope nopony's too upset about you all thinking I was bucking dead. Wow, what a piece of work she was.

"OH! Islander look!" She heard Krystal yell from ahead. "It's a kitty!"

"Krystal, don't move!" Scootaloo stopped midstep and waited, she saw both ponies standing frozen stock still for some reason, the stallion of the two whispering something to the mare about keeping as still as possible. Scootaloo didn't know what was going on but followed their lead, making absolutely no motion what so ever.

Her ears twitched as a sense of dread began to permeate through her form, her breathing grew shallow, and muscles tensed. Suddenly, a small rustling came from the bushes that lined the pathway. They parted, allowing a giant, black, cat like creature with sharp, pointed fangs jutting out of it's closed maw a good foot and a half passed it's lower jaw. It's jet black coat sleak and shiny, catching the sun in a way that nearly blinded Scootaloo upon sight. Eyes a deep shade of green that trailed over the two ponies infront of her, casting a terrifying glance to the filly enough to almost make her lose her bladder then and there.

Those eyes... that glare... it was familiar to her. The eyes of a predator, taking in it's prey, analyzing, judging, determining the best way to kill. It was the same stare the timberwolves had given her when she'd almost been mauled back in the everfree.

A small bit of movement caught everyone's attention. Not the movement of anypony, but that of a horrified white rabbit who was just as bad at listening to directions as Krystal used to be.

"Angel." Scootaloo whispered, eyeing the rabbit as if her stare would shield his quivering form. Though, there was no such protection she could offer, the black cat slowly began to circle around Sin and Krystal, making way to the rabbit.

"Islander, do something." Krystal whispered in pleading.

Scootaloo felt the entire area around grow a little heavier, a lingering sense of impending doom similar to the predator's gaze washing over her in a much more concentrated and crushing sense as Sin called upon whatever magic he had to intimidate the beast.

The cat stopped and lifted it's head back to him, eying the stallion in a show of intimidation.

Scootaloo felt hopeful, all Islander needed to do was raise his crossbow and shoot. Problem was, he wasn't wearing the crossbow, and what was worse, the panther like beast wasn't terrified. If anything, it acted intrigued by the power Islander was using, approaching the stallion with it's sharp ears pressed forwards in a mockingly slow circle.

It wasn't working?! Why wasn't it working! It worked on the timberwolves, so why wasn't it working on this... thing?

"Islander, what is... this..." Krystal whimpered, her voice on the verge of tears.

"Some kind of saber tooth panther." The cloaked pony whispered calmly, his mind working a mile a minute to find a solution to the problem. 

Scootaloo grimaced, she wanted to do something, she wanted to help them, to save them, but what could she do? She was a flightless pegasus with no weapons or combat training. If she tried to rush forward and attack, she'd be torn apart in no time. Hay, if she even tried to run away, she was certain that the panther would catch her and rip into her like a freshly cooked apple pie... She knew what the best course of action was, but it injured her pride and sense of loyalty to adhere to it. 

She hated feeling so helpless, especially when her friends were in danger.








Critic! What the fuck is going on!?

'How the fuck should I know?! It's not working!'

The saber tooth had done a full circle around the three of them, leaving Scootaloo out of its line of sight for the time being. A small pink tonge licked the dagger like teeth protruding from the feline's mouth, a gesture quickly followed up by, what the stallion could only describe as, a delighted smile.

Kicking himself for leaving his crossbow on his hip, Sin contemplated the options. The aura, even nightmare enhanced, wasn't working on this thing. Why didn't matter, as much as the question tore at his chest, what mattered was all of them escaping the beast alive. He knew she wouldn't listen to him outright, but hopefully appealing to Scootaloo's safety would make Krystal more compliant.

"Krystal." Sin said, the panther locking onto his eyes. "Listen to me, the aura isn't working, and I don't have my bow. I need you to take Scootaloo and get out of here the second I rush him."

"What?!" Krystal barked in a harsh whisper. "No, I'm not leaving you."

"Dammit mare you'll do as I fucking tell you." Sin shot back, taking a slow step forwards to maintain the creatures attention. "I don't plan to die here, so relax."

A second circle was completed, the sabertooth's path narrowing closer and closer, causing Sin to slowly begin backing his way to Krystal's flank. His gaze shifted to Scootaloo who was paralyzed in fear. Down to Angel, who's hind foot was thumping in anticipation, to Krystal who's terror filled face did little to comfort him.

"Grab Angel and Scootaloo." He growled.

Though, his order went unheeded yet again. It was frustrating how rebellious she was being, but Sin should have expected as much, considering her prior displays of loyalty as well as what her mothers told her right before they left.

"Stand by your friends, even if it means getting hurt."

Great in theory, not so great in practice.

The panther did a third circle, his attention no shifting a little between Sin and the white ball of fluff he was slowly resolving to be the things true pray.

It wasn't stalking them for the ponies, it was stalking them for Angel. 

Now Sin was torn. On one hoof, he could simply appease the feline and hand the rabbit over, but on the other, Angel, despite him being an overly pushy and manipulative little shit, was worthy of his protection. If it hadn't been for the rabbit, Sin would have lost Scootaloo to fates worse than death.

Suddenly, the panther stopped mid step, it cold, calculating eyes slowly glossing over Sin, then Krystal and settling on Angel. It licked its fang, eyes narrowing in casual attraction as it locked onto it's soon to be meal.

"No." Krystal begged lightly, standing over the bunny. "Please, you can't..." Though, the feline didn't seem to agree, beginning to circle in the opposite direction, it's body much lower to the ground as it skulked, much more ready to pounce than the casual walking it had done before.

Sin watched with a growing feeling of dread, between the foot long, jagged and render inflicting fangs, the undoubtedly razor sharp claws, and the ineffectiveness of his aura he didn't see any of them walking away from this... without a sacrifice. 

No, no he'd need to think of something else. He'd need to find another way to beat this thing without putting himself or the others at risk, he'd need to-

A small, soft humming interrupted his thoughts, bringing a small sense of peace and calm to the ponies mind and muscles, a calm that was the absolute last thing he needed at this point in time.

"Krystal!" He barked in a harsh whisper. "This is no time for singing!"

Though, the mare continued her song, humming a soft, soothing tune from her place besides him. Sin was just about to smack her to get her to stop, but then noticed that the panther had stopped moving. To his egregious shock, it was now looking at the singing beauty, it's head slightly bobbing at first, but going more and more in depth as time went on. It's predatory eyes now growing placated and sleepy.

'Clever girl.' Critic complimented. 

Sin was a mix of awe, sleepy and a little bit peeved. Krystal was singing to the panther, and she was slowly putting it to sleep with her soothing melody... Her magic was succeeding where his had failed.

Turning his attention, the stallion watched as the sleepy eyed feline's hind legs began to shake from under it. It put up an impressive fight, though it's efforts were ultimately futile as it succumbed to the tune, slowly lowering itself into the sitting position and finally resigned to lie down.

Seeing his chance, Sin slowly reached for his crossbow. Careful to make no noise, the stallion strapped his Ragnerok to his forleg and loaded an arrow bolt. Just as he was about to take aim at the beast's head, Krystal stepped forward to protect the creature. Her eyes, as well as song, grew hard and harsh, demanding that Sin stay his weapon. 

He saw the beast's ear flick in irritation and an eye open at the sudden change in Krystal's tone.

"Alright, alright." Sin conceded, lowering his bow. The act pleasing Krystal enough to return to her former soft and calming melody. 

Sin, feeling his body relaxing a little too much now, turned to find both Angel and Scootaloo passed smooth out on the trail. He rubbed his eyes to regain his bearings and cautiously crept to the filly, picking her up and placing her on his back before collecting the rabbit as well and gesturing Krystal to follow him. 

The beast was now sound asleep, but he wanted to make sure that they were all as far away as possible before she stopped.









With Scootaloo on his back, Angle on Krystal's and a sleeping sabertooth panther a good mile behind them, Sin finally felt he could allow himself to relax a little. The amber eyed pegasus beside him walked with a tranquil smile and a sense of grace that betrayed the mare she was before. He'd steal a glance here and there and find it absurd that it was the same pony who was rolling around foalishly in the grass, exposing herself to the world, not ten minutes before singing all of them out of a dangerous conflict.

It was as astonishing to him as it was frustrating, especially with that smug look of satisfaction on her face. How was it that he was useless in a situation and she wasn't? How was it that Sin: The Inquisitor, Survivalist, Ruiner of Ponyville City Council, Destroyer of Movements, Tamer of Star Shade, The Trotski Slayer, had been rendered all but insignificant? Yet this... sheltered little upstart managed to save them all?

'Wow... does your ego need a bandied?' Said Critic, more so as a criticism than a joke.

Fine, alright, it hurt his pride. Sin could admit that, but seriously! Anytime there was an issue, especially a life threatening one, it was usually he who found the solution! That was his thing! Since when was he relegated to the sidelines letting others handle the problem? Not only that, but she stopped him from fixing the problem outright! Who knows if that fucking monstrosity would find them later on again in the forest? What if it tracks them down and kills them?

"So what do you think?" Krystal asked, small bits of arrogance breaking through her trnaquility. "I think we handled that situation very well, if I do say so myself."

Sin, not wanting to let his ego create tension, pushed a smile to his face and nodded. "Yes, very well done. Ms. Melody."

Krystal beamed at the praise. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yes, Ms. Melody. You acted calmly and in a manner that incapacitated a threat in a peaceful manner. Tapio knows how you did it, but you did."

Barely able to contain herself, the off white mare giggled. "See, not all problems need to be solved with violence."

Great, and now she was rubbing it in his face with rhetorical questions? YES! You succeeded in soothing the savage beast through song! Give it a rest!

Instead of saying that, though, Sin nodded and despite himself, humbled himself to gratitude. Krystal's chest puffed out with pride and her her trotting turned into prancing. The display of ego filling Sin's heart with rage and irritation, but he wouldn't speak, he wouldn't let his petty ego get the better of him, no matter how badly it screamed to knock his friend down a few pegs.

Krystal succeeded where he could not, things may have been different if she wasn't there, sure, but that didn't change the fact of the matter. The mare deserved to feel a little proud, she'd just subdued a dangerous carnivore and saved the lives of her friends, risking drawing attention to herself and being killed. 

She was ready to sacrifice herself in order to save his life, and what kind of stallion would Sin be if he met that with anything but humility and appreciation?

   
> Market Captialism Contemplation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Market Capitalism Contemplation








Her face flush with humiliation, Krystal threw a few dead leaves over the spot in which she'd done her business for good measure.

The pegasus didn't know how the other two did it, both Scootaloo and Islander acted as if using the restroom out before the moon and stars was no big deal. To Krystal, it was one of the most humiliating things she had ever done, and what was worse was the building preassure in her abdomine, warning her that the inevitable number two would need to pass.

She couldn't do it, she couldn't allow herself to do it. It was... far too much of an affront to her delicate sensibilities.

Shamed beyond report, she threw on another few leaves and made the quarter mile trip back to her companions. Krystal was worried about Scootaloo, the filly hadn't woken up for a good four hours now. Granted, she had terrible nightmares almost every night that usually left her awake before Krystal was, but still...

And what was up with Islander? Or, Sinbad, since that was his first name. He seemed off ever since the cat attacked, and Krystal couldn't figure out why or how. She was worried that he was mad at her, but that didn't make any sense. He said she did good, that her actions were well done, so why was he acting even more cold and distant than he usually did?

Shaking the negativity away, the mare lifted her head and smiled. He was just being a grump, that was all. It was like momma Gem said: Islander was a lot like papa was, a good pony who was disappointed and hurt. Stallions often acted cold and distant, but it was their actions that belied their true character.

Papa took in Sandy when she needed him, he fed her and cared for her until she was better, just like Sin did Scootaloo. He was willing to sacrifice himself for the pegasus mare before, which meant he did care. Maybe that's all he knows how to do? Just protect and provide for those he cares about. Gem said that Papa had done the same for her and that it was she that needed to show the first real signs of affection before...

Krystal's trotting slowed to a walk and then she stopped as the implications of the thoughts hit her.

Why was she thinking like that? Affections? Providing and protecting? No no no, she didn't see him that way... did she? No, no of course not.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Krystal chastised herself for being silly and continued her trot. Of course she didn't like him, not like that anyways. She barely knew the pony, not for lack of trying of course, but still: Papa always told her not to fall in love at first si....

Stopping again, the off white pegasus mare groaned as the internal debate came to a screeching halt in her mind. 

L- Love? Wh- what on earth had come over her to make her even thing such a thing?! Of course she didn't love him! After all, like she thought before, she didn't even know him! So why was she blushing crimson right now? And why was her heart beating so fast and her breathing so shallow and heavy at the same time? Why did she feel so nervous and...

"No!" Krystal scolded herself. "No, bad, bad heart. You can't just do that to me!"

But it can, and it was. Part of her mind told her that it was okay, that Sin was a good stallion, and despite his few slip ups, had treated Scootaloo very well. Yea, he may have done a few mean things to her from time to time, but he made sure she was safe, he had reading now to advance her education and that she always drank and ate first before he did, as well as Krystal herself.

Just like Papa did...

Though, another part of her mind was her papa, telling the young pony to tread carefully, that other ponies were dangerous creatures that would use and abuse if given the chance.

Thing was, that he'd had the chance, and didn't take it. Sin had many chances, and didn't take them. He teased her a little with his constant vulgar language, but never pushed it to the point it really irritated her. Truth be told, Krystal kind of liked it. Oh sweet Celestia, she'd never say it out loud, but she did grow to enjoy and admire his bluntness and calm. The calm of a pony who could handle anything, a pony who bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and never once complained about it.

The fact both impressed and saddened her. Sin was a good pony, and she didn't like to see good ponies in pain. She wished he'd talk to her a little more, share his burdens and pain, but he didn't. All he did was tell her that things were fine or that it wasn't something she needed to be concerned over. Somehow, his cryptic nature only made her want to know him even more.

"Why are you being like that?" Krystal sighed in relief, happy to hear Scootaloo was finally awake.

"Because I'm fucking petty and immature."

Petty and immature?

Krystal broke her head through the treeline, finding both of her companions looking at each other, neither taking note of her presence.

His words were blunt as usual, but held an underlying depressive, reluctant honesty to them. Krystal stayed her place, waiting to see where this conversation would go. 

"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked, keeping her voice neutral yet assertive. 

Islander shook his head. "Fine, like I said, just being petty and immature."

"Yea, why though?" 

"I'd rather not talk about it, just need to get my head out of my ass is all." Islander admitted.

Humphing, the filly crossed her forelegs in a pout, mumbling how it wouldn't kill her associate to be a little more sensitive and non-vulgar.

"What can I say? I don't like lying." Sin teased with a smirk.

Scootaloo uncrossed her legs and gave him a look. "Seriously? You're really going to say that after everything you've done?"

Krystal felt herself  tense as Sin also sat up. "Just because I've done it doesn't mean I like to do it. Lying is never just a one time thing, kiddo. If you lie once, you have to remember both the lie as well as the truth, the lie requires more lies to keep going, becoming a giant web of lies where the smallest truth could unravel the whole thing and make you look either manipulative or like an idiot."

Krystal gave the matter a bit of thought and realized that it was a verbal acknowledgement of something she'd figured out a long time ago. Lies did need more lies to continue, and those lies needed even more lies. As painful as the truth may be, it was far simpler and less stressful to stick to. It was a good lesson for him to teach her, even if it wasn't in the "lying is just wrong" sense.

The two continued to talk and Krystal decided to stay back and just listen to the lessons Sin was espousing. Obviously he didn't care much about hurting feelings, but there were times he bent the truth, or sugar coated it to soften the blow. To which Scootaloo called him to account for hypocracy. Islander countered this assertion by admitting to it, but elaborating that good relations and confidence being maintained. That lying, while a moral negative, was necessary.

"What? How can lying be necessary?" Scootaloo squealed.

Sin chuckled. "Well kiddo, what if I told you that one of the ways I often think about crumbling any civilization revolves around removing ponies ability to lie?"

Krystal furrowed her brow in confusion. Taking away ponies ability to lie would destroy socioty? How was that possible? The truth was a good thing, wasn't it? Scootaloo shared her beliefs and demanded the stallion explain himself.

"Politics," the stallion started wit ha wry smirk. "In my country, the lies the political class tells everybody else is the only thing that keeps my country going. If they were ever to come forward and admit to the lies they tell, my entire state would go into a panic. You see, a single pony is smart, but get a group of ponies together, herd mentality kicks in, which is driven more by emotion rather than logic. Fear feeds fear, not just in the sense of the consequences of the failings of the governments policies, but in the reaction of the irrational unto the rational to said failings."

Krystal wasn't entirely sure what that meant, her vocabulary was well to do, or so she liked to believe, but the concepts put forth were a little confusing, but she placed that on the back burner and listen on.

It wasn't just politics, but the subtle nuances of the day to day grind. Companies that were hurting in profits had to lie to maintain investor and consumer confidence, mothers of foals and younglings who might not belong to the named father, needed to lie to maintain relations with said father -A notion Krystal took heavy exception with- and then smaller fibs like: Good deeds are always rewarded, to keep everyone on a path of virtue, even though society has more of a tendency to reward those who may manipulate the system better than those of higher moral fiber.

"Wait, so you're saying that it's better to be a manipulator rather than be a good pony?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Better?" Sin asked, placing a hoof to his chin. "I suppose you'll have to elaborate on what you mean by 'better'. Are you talking about being an overall decent and moral individual? Or are you talking about acquiring money and getting rich?"

Scootaloo rubbed her head, sharing in Krystal's confusion at the stallion's ideas. "Umm, being a decent pony, I guess."

Sin raised his hoof to elaborate but paused, he furrowed his brow in thought and lowered his hoof, taking a moment to think about what he'd say. "Well, umm, I can't really use Equestria as a standard of measurement. Unlike where I come from, moral fiber is taken much more seriously here than back in the Federation. Here: you guys actually punish the immoral, regardless of the sacrifices necessary, which is one of the reasons I like your country. Back in the Federation, most of the citizens run much more on greed than anything else, morals and ethics are cast aside in order for ponies to stretch their bills as far as they will go. Blame is never on the citizenry, but on the entities larger than themselves like the banks and government. Hell, the citizens will do everything in their power to remove responsibility from the citizens and give them a free pass to do whatever suites them. But the problem there is it's ignoring reality, and while we may be able to ignore reality, we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality."

Scootaloo's only form of reply was a tilted head and a look that screamed "dumbfound". Good thing too, because Krystal probably had the same look about her.

The stallion scratched the back of his head before elaborating that Scootaloo would first need to put her sense of "good and evil" aside for a moment, since that was the primary bar in holding others from seeing what he was saying.

"The world runs mainly off of individuals pursuing their own self interest. Now, this fact goes against the notion of altruism being the universal 'good'. After all, selfishness is usually seen as a bad thing, right? But that's not usually, and hardly ever the case, really. Since most selfish actions must be met with acceptance from others, especially those whom you wish to gain money from. After all, who's going to pay someone to do something that hurts them, right? So, in order to accumulate capital, ponies need to do things that help others. Selling food, for instance: Everyone likes food, it's kind of a basic necessity of life, right?"

The filly nodded, gaining some kind of grasp on the situation.

"Now, most don't like to think that the farmer has money and self interest as his or her primary motivator to grow food. They just like to think: They're doing what they enjoy doing, or that they're doing a good thing by providing for others, while his or her gaining of money is merely a consequence of their labor. Now, the farmer thinks to him or herself, yea, I like helping others, but it's incentive that drives them to produce so much. After all, what reason has a farmer to produce so much when they can just do for themselves? Right?"

Krystal was a little confused by that, since there were so many types of farms. Rocks couldn't be eaten, but they did bring in money. Money was needed to buy food that the family's garden couldn't provide, so that made some sense. 

"So, it's not purely a sense of altruism and helping others that the farmer produces so much, but a selfish incentive to get money." Sin finished.

Scootaloo nodded her head, getting some sense of understanding of the essence of market based capitalism, but pointed out that it didn't answer her question on why it was better to be a decent pony rather than a pony who manipulates the system to their advantage. The point digressed, Sin bit his lip, attempting to relink the two.

"How can I put this: the lie is that ponies do good things because they're good things to do. Well, that's not really a lie, but more of a half truth. Yes, individuals are usually 'good' at heart, and in order for a society to run, having a morally just or 'good' population is paramount. But the problem arises when that 'goodness' is taken for granted, that it should just 'be there' regardless of incentive or discouragement. The world is an imperfect place, and no matter how immoral it may be, there will always be those willing to take advantage of the 'good' ponies without reciprocating the gestures. If we full on acknowledge the selfishness of others, without taking into consideration the concept of good, and the lie that most everyone is 'good', than socioty develops paranoia and toxic selfishness. The selfishness in Equestria isn't nearly as toxic as in the Federation. That and you... you have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"

Grimacing, Scootaloo reluctantly shook her head, apologizing for her ignorance and inability, to which Islander stood from his place and patted the filly on the back.

"Don't worry, these are deep and heavy concepts, ideas most adults wouldn't understand." He said, paraising the filly for listening to what he did say. Scootaloo felt a little bad that she couldn't fully appreciate the lecture she was getting but Sin told her to just think on the concepts for a little bit and if she had any questions she should feel free to ask.

It warmed Krystal's heart to see, the stallion was genuinely smiling now. Not his usual empty smirk that intended smug confidence, but a genuine smile of joy. She could tell that he liked teaching others, it always brought out the best in him when he did. She thought about him being a school teacher, and chuckled at the thought.

"Well, actually there is something I've been wondering." Scootaloo admitted curiously. "Why do you keep saying some 'body' instead of somepony?" She asked him.

She heard the stallion sigh. "Because, back home, only pony supremacists used that phrase."

Scootaloo sat up and tilted her head. "What a 'supremacist'?" 

Sin chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, I keep forgetting how young you are. A supremacist believes that their own race is better than every other race. Pony supremacists believe that all other races, dogs, minatour, buffalo, that they are all inferior to ponies."

All of her annoyance melted away like butter on a hot skillet, replaced by horrifying confusion. "What? W- why would anypony think that?"

Islander shrugged. "Ponies can fly, control the weather, grow food, use magic, legends even say that it was the unicorns whom raised the moon and sun before Celestia's time."

Scootaloo conceded the point, but argued that didn't mean that other races were lesser to ponies just because ponies did and could do great things. Griffons could fly, did that make pegasi grater than griffons? Besides, didn't his home country kind of add all of the different races together?

"Yes, the Federation does have many of the different races present within it." Sin explained, giving Krystal some in sight into his nation: The North New Equine Pegasi/Unicorn Consortium, the South New Equine Earth Ponies, the Vain Minotaur, the Columbus Griffons, the Diamond Dogs of Cania, Rovin Republic Buffalo, the Orval Donkeys and of course, the Northwood Centaur. 

Scootaloo recalled when he'd first told her about the different states, it boggled her mind a little just how closely linked all of them were. Where in Equestria, most of the different species would congrigate together, in the Federation, the different states meant little in terms of segrigation. Ponies, dogs, bison, minataur, they all lived together and interacted, so how could prejudice arise if they were all together like that?

"Because: many are stupid and like to install ideas of hate and prejudice into their foals." Sin spat, his face contorting in disgust. "Teaching them that difference meant inferiority."

Scootaloo nodded her head. It sounded an aweful lot like the way that Ponyville treated Zecora before. "Is that why you left? Because you didn't like the pony supremicists?"

The stallion looked down in thought and gave the so-so shake of his head. "Ehh, that was one of the reasons, yea."

"What were the others?" Krystal asked, her sudden and unannounced return having startled both of them.

A slight shift from her presence was made apparent by Islander's sudden lack of interest in talking. Scootaloo also pushed the question, making the pony shift with discomfort before Krystal reminded him of what her parents said before they'd left the rock farm. That traveling together would only work if they were all honest and willing to share things about each other, a notion Scootaloo agreed with.

"Ehh... I was also kinda run outta the senate." Admitted the pony, a sly, reminiscent smirk taking his face.

Okay, now she had to know about that.

To both of their surprise, the pony had been kicked out of office for lobbing a chair at a fellow senator. What made it even more surprising, and a little disturbing, was how much pride Sin took in the fact. He chuckled as he told the story, mentioning how he'd always remember the face some griffon named "Sycon" made as the wooden plot holder made contact.

"Hehe, awww, good times." Sin finished, watching both for a reaction. "What? It was funny!"

"Sinbad Von Islander!" Krystal scolded, glaring at him. "That is not how we deal with ponies who disagree with us! Bad pony!"

"Bah!" Dismissed Sin, waving his hoof. "Sycon had it out for me ever since I was elected to the congress. He had it coming for months."

"Speaking of the political, don't most ponies- er- beings in your case, need to be older? I mean, you're so young. How did you get involved with making such big decisions?" Krystal asked. Scootaloo also wondered the same, Celestia and Luna were very old ponies, they didn't look it, but they were, and Papa always insulted the young for their ignorance. Sin was very young.

Sin bit his lip, looking around uncomfortably. "Well... umm, I-" He paused, his face contorting into something else, something new that Scootaloo had not seen on the pony ever since she'd met him. 

Shame.

"Islander?" Krystal asked in concern. 

Sin looked between the two and the ground, struggling to make a decision, or how to word his next statement. "I... had some help." He answered lightly, forcing a small smile, one that fought a loosing battle to the shame he tried so desperately to hide.  

"Well of course you got help, but from whom?" Krystal asked lightly.

She must have said something wrong, because the smile he forced fell faster than a piece of marble in the river. Her sense of curiosity slowly died as the stallion became conflicted in her words, she was about to apologize and drop the issue, but Sin beat her to it.

"I got in because I was backed by one of the richest ponies in the nation." Sin whispered shamefully. 

"What?" Krystal asked, tilting her head.

"I... I wanted to change things in the only way I saw that I could." Said the stallion, his guilt ridden words spoken barely above a whisper. "I... did what I hated the rest of them for doing... I used money to influence politics to fight the Gods and..." he trailed off again, his head and body lowering with each passing pause.

"Sin?" Krystal said gingerly, lifting a hoof and placing it on his shoulder. Upon contact, Sin jumped back and she retracted her hoof in fright.

Realizing what he'd done, the brown clad pony chuckled nervously. "Sorry, guess I'm just a little tired." He stood up and stretched out, his back. "You girls get some sleep, I'll keep first watch for the night."

Krystal asked if he was alright, to which he did as he usually did and brushed her off with reassuring comments. It was unsettling and disheartening for her, to see the stallion look so small and fragile like he was. What did he do? Why did he take money? And why was he so ashamed of it? 

It disturbed her even more to think about when she realized that he'd shown no such shame in killing. What could he have done that was so terrible that killing others was nothing in comparison?

Deciding she'd pushed him far enough for the night, Krystal took her place by the slowly dimming fire and curled up to protect herself from the cold night air, it wasn't long before Scootaloo also laid down beside her and snuggled against the mare's ribs with Angel held firmly in her forelegs. She had a lot on her mind, but the blessed gift of sleep soon found the mare and took her in it's loving embrace.
> Night-terror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

      







Night-terror








The harsh and frosty winds blew in a gale of winter's wrath and fury. The make shift shelter Sin had set up upon the Vention Peak mountain side already having been decimated by the monstrous storm that had overtaken his position, forcing the stallion to wrap himself in his cape, forgoing the long extinguished fire that sat in the middle of the shelter. He was unsure of the time of day, the darkened sky above a grey and dismal overcast between the flurry of piercing snow and cold.

The stallion didn't dare move, the makeshift splint on his broken hind leg already dug into his flesh in the most uncomfortable of ways, exacerbated enough by the piercing cold. Beneath him sat his essentials, anchored beneath his hooves. One cast iron pot, a knife, a crossbow, fire starter, and canteen being amongst the most valuable.

The make shift tomahawk was gone now, lost to the cascading winds that assaulted him, as were the few wicker baskets he'd made. The water containers he'd constructed from birch bark and tree sap were stolen by the torrent and destroyed. He looked around for the cords of thin roots he used for makeshift lashings, but they were nowhere to be found. There was nothing but the branches and bark of his shelter, darkness, and of course, the pummeling snow flurries that blasted in through the ever growing number of holes in the walls.

Weeks worth of work... weeks of careful carving, honing, harvesting, lashing, constructing, digging, anchoring... all the blood, sweat and tears over the past countless days of his life, all of the toil he'd gone through, all of the cuts, splinters, blisters, hunger, pain and stress, all of it was being undone. Just when Sin had thought he'd gotten a handle on things, just when he thought he'd be able to make it out of this nightmare alive, the universe just had to prove him wrong and kick the shit out of him while he was down.

But it always did, didn't it? Him? The flightless pegasus, the pony who failed to find any meaningful way to fight the gods of government, the stallion who'd given up on the world. Abandoned the Triple M. corporation after they'd offered him a position more suited to his sociopathic tendencies, making him see what he was becoming... 

Sin hated it, he hated the world for all of it's wrongs, for all of it's talk of wanting to be better, for all of it's lip service, for, despite all of his work, it just constantly came back to bite him in the ass.

Worst of all, he'd hated who and what he was. How his mind couldn't stop thinking, how the desire and thirst for knowledge would never leave his consciousness at peace. How different he was from everyone else in his search for data and comprehension over feelings and relationships. How his family's lack of involvement in his life had deprived him and emotionally stunted him. His obsession with politics and economics, hatred for knowing the truth, failed attempts to fight the enemy it felt like only he could see...

But what could he do? 

What was there to do? Change? No, as nice and easy as the normal folk had it, he could never ignore society and the constant lies they told themselves. That they "cared" about something, yet constantly didn't show any substantial effort to try and change the perceived "problems". Of course, Sin was of the mind that, unless a solution was being utilized, there was no problem to begin with. He'd grown tired of the "but what can we do" excuse.

What could they do? Something? Anything? But no, he'd given up on that a long time ago. It didn't matter what they could do, for he knew what they would do, the citizens would bitch, whine, moan and complain as the world burned around them... that's all they could do, that's all they were capable of, now. Gone were the ponies, dogs, griffs and others who had back bones and were willing to suffer for the creation of the "better world". Now, all that were left were the victims, those who demanded the very devil they complain about fix the hell it created, only to have it made worse by the day. The elites didn't need to worry, though. After all, what were the victims going to do? Cry out for more protection?

No, the oaken stallion was a doer, he didn't complain about problems unless he intended to solve them, or try to at least. If there was one thing he could thank his father for, it was instilling a mindset of consequentialism and perseverance into him. To know that talking and complaining didn't fix problems or garner results, only action did.

A strong wind blasted forth, the small whistles from before growing in pitch as winter's wrath stole even more of his shelter. Sin buckled down on his supplies, desperately hanging onto one of the structural branches of his deteriorating dome, hoping beyond hope that it wouldn't come crashing down on his head.

Sniffling through teary, painfilled eyes, Sin adjusted himself to get somewhat comfortable. The pain in his leg taking a priority over his leverage on the hut. In a way, he was proud, proud over how strong he'd managed to make the shelter and how well it was fairing against winds that had to be upwards of forty-five miles an hour.

Sin fancied himself a stubborn bastard, or maybe it was just that he was too dumb to know when to quit. The raid on the Fire Cult, during his time with Triple M. had shown the pony just how emotionally detached and willing he was...

While others ran away from the flames the ponies and minotaur produced, Sin and his griffin partner ran forwards, dodging, jumping, pushing, shooting, clawing, punching, looking for places to hide, drenching the floor with the blood of broken snoots or slashed necks... In those moments of terror, Sin didn't feel fear. All he felt was a burning desire to kill. To end those whom committed aggression and induced suffering onto the world. 

It didn't bother stallion just how willing he was to throw his life away so easily. 

What did he care? If he died, he was dead, can't really feel pain or irritated when you're dead. Funnily enough, what Sin did fear was the pain that came from not dying. Burns, bruises, blisters, cuts, stabs, things he'd acquired during the raid were what he feared most, yet his sense of terror might as well have not existed.

What did exist was the ritualistic Celestial sacrificial alter that lie in the very heart of the compound, and the dozens upon dozens of charred and burnt remains of younglings there in. Foals, hatchlings, pup, no race was discriminated against in that dark and disgusting place. Each one dangling lifelessly from the walls by nails that held their legs in place, their burnt bodies, almost unrecognizable had it not been for the basic shapes he'd come to know each race by, were hung on a grotesque and disturbing ritualistic display.

His partner, who'd been specifically chosen for how stoic and imperturbable he was, threw up with the horror the two had found that day. It was a terrible sight, to know that anything was capable of sacrificing younglines, many of which looked still in their infancy and had to be some of the cultists own offspring.

He could remember the horror with vivid clarity, the looming and chard corpses baring down at him, the foul stench of seared flesh and bowl evacuation, the putrid scent of burnt blood from some sick ritual involving it's burning and boil. Yet, throughout all of that, aside from the physical sickness, Sin felt nothing.

His mind didn't care about the dead foals other than the fact of the matter for what it was. His feelings weren't disturbed, his mind didn't real with disgust or horror, all he saw was victims of a depraved group that would need to be identified and processed. To him, it was just part of the job and more evidence of the heinous acts sapient species were capable of.

Though, that's when he saw it... His partner, one of the few griffon's Sin had ever come to respect, was on the cold, stone ground, puking his guts up and more importantly, he was crying. Whimpering like a hatchling as the eyeless deceased loomed over them in silent pleas of immortalized agony.

That was when it hit the pony, his partner was... not a sociopath. The griffon was a feeling and emotional creature, so why didn't he? He should have felt something, he should have felt sick, or sad, or angry or... something. 

He didn't, though. He saw the display as casually as if he'd seen the luscious pastures of the Vale. 

But seeing the griffin he'd come to trust as his equal, crying and whimpering, that gave him pause. It made him feel nervous, nervous over the fact that his partner wasn't without emotion as he'd always portrayed himself. Sin contained the feelings like he always did, but he considered indulging it. His logical mind screamed at him not to, that emotions were nothing but dangerous distractions, but another part of his mind demanded he let the mental barrier go, that his calm indifference to such a situation was indicative to a mental sickness, that if he didn't react to this, then something inside of him would die, something imperative to his own moral fiber.

Sin defied the logical part of his mind and released the restraints he'd had on his fear.

So many things happened to him when he did, that he couldn't remember them all. What he did remember was wanting to scream, that he wanted to cry, to laugh, to fight, to die, and to do so many things it put his mind into a state of shock. 

After that, the stallion was placed in intensive care as his mind slowly began to sort through everything he'd been suppressing. All of the guilt, all of the anger, all of the sadness he'd been ignoring for so long ran rampant. Sin didn't know what to do with it all and desperately wanted to stuff it all back into the small little corner of his mind... 

Guilt for his transgressions against Zell, shame for the cold and harsh ways in which he'd taught the brother he should have been protecting, anger at how dismissive he was when talking with Crasus about how happy he'd be to see the world suffer for it's apathy, sadness for so many things that would soon come, and hopeless... so very hopeless...

That's when he first heard Critic, calmly telling him that everything would be alright and instructing him to take everything slowly. He was the reason Sin's empathy came back and helped the stallion relearn how to apply emotional responses. Yet now, Critic was gone. He'd abandoned Sin when the pony began to argue him about how he shouldn't feel guilty about the sufferings of others if they were self inflicted. Critic claimed that such an enjoyment was psychopathic and callous, Sin merely saw it as just deserts and darwinism.

Another gale hit, and forced Sin's mind away from his thoughts and to grip tightly onto the support. He felt the branch digging uncomfortably into his shoulder, but he wouldn't let go. He knew that it's support was the only thing keeping the structure up now, and that if he stopped maintaining it, the entire thing would come crashing down upon him.

It didn't matter, not really, this was just how the world worked. He made effort and worked for something, the world came forward to kick it down or laugh at him about how pointless all of his sacrifice and time really was.

Maybe he deserved it though. Sinbad never considered himself, what most thought to be, "good". Yea, he always tried to avoid inflicting pain onto others whenever he could, but he didn't help others when they needed it either. He was also a manipulative bastard, much like his father, and admittedly, grandfather before him.

Maybe this was the world's way of punishing him? For manipulating Zell's gullibility like he always had, using the poor maroon unicorn in his experiments in sociology and herbology. For all of the hateful words against the world shared between Crasus, Malich and himself. For all of the pleasure he took in the suffering of the perceived idiots of the world...

Was this curse of constant failure and rejection the world's way of telling him he was wrong? To release the curse that was the Islander bloodline in it's despicable ways?

The wind died down for a moment, just long enough for the pony to relax and regain his bearings. 

Feeling able to finally relax a little, the Federalist let out a small chuckle. It was funny, here he was, fighting to maintain the hut, the only thing keeping him alive upright, and he was throwing a fucking pity party for himself. Funny how bad times make one reflect on their lives...

Suddenly, a force the stallion could almost taste slammed down. The gusts that were barely held off by the hut attacked him head on as the front half of his shelter was ripped apart in an ear shattering cacophony of snaps, rips and arial howling. Sin covered his head, grunting painfully as a well sized support branch crashed onto his back.

Already, the stallion could feel the wind ripping away his body heat faster than before, his cape doing nothing to protect nor preserve.

Sighing, Sin pushed off the debris from his body and looked up to see the damage.

His breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

There, standing just outside the hut, completely unfazed by the weather, was the maroon unicorn stallion Sin had come to know all to well.

Zell's eyes were wide and blank, the usual twinkle of light they held now vanished and withered, they peered into Sin's own, judging the pony for his sins and misgivings.

"Zell..." Sin whispered in a tired, ragged breath.

The pony didn't reply, he acted as if he hadn't even acknowledge Sin's distress. The oaken pegasus reached out a hoof, as if to grab at the phantom, but he was no where near close enough.

Suddenly, another figure strode forth and joined beside him, this one striking terror beyond terror into him. Another pony, drenched in white, with an expressionless mask and blood stained apron appeared behind Zell, an ungodly large butcher's knife in his fetlock. A knife he slowly, almost mockingly so, lifted behind the maroon unicorn's neck.

Sin felt his adrenaline spike and tried to push himself up, but the pain in his leg dropped him back down. All he could do was watch, helplessly as the Reaper raised his tool, and readied it to claim Zell's life.

"Zell..." 

"It's your fault."

SHING!








Sin jolted up right, gasping for breath.

He looked around, noticing the environment had shifted from extreme cold and exciting to cool and calm. No wind, no snow, nothing but dead of night and his own labored breathing.

The stallion righted himself to check his leg, his body still quivering from the nightmare. He'd been seeing Zell and the Reaper in his dreams a lot lately, and his guilt over the unicorn's death grew with each encounter. Sin could easily justify the sacrifice as holding to his principals, but to see the look of muted betrayal and hurt in the pony's eyes cut the argument's reassurance with every passing day.

Taking a moment, Sin reminded himself that it was just a dream, that the real memory was of Zell finding him after the blizzard had ended and brought him seven miles back to civilization for treatment of both his hypothermia and broken leg, along with various other injuries and ailments.

Seven miles... seven miles that dark red pony had dragged his battered, sorry ass through the Vention Mountains. Seven miles he had to hike through snow and frozen terrain. Seven miles... north of eleven hours... and that didn't even account for the hours, days even, he'd wasted searching for Sin.

And when Sin finally woke up in the hospital, for the umpteenth time, the unicorn made sure he knew just how much fear and anger Sin caused. It was the first time Zell had ever struck Sin, it was the first time Zell had ever insulted him, calling him stupid and stubborn, and it was the first time he'd ever seen the pony cry, tears of relief over the prospect of almost losing his best friend.

Sin closed his eyes, guilt beyond guilt bombarding his chest and eyes for how selfish he was.

Zell didn't deserve what had happened to him. He was a great pony, easily one of the best the world had to offer, right beside Macintosh, he was a kind and caring soul, one who loved to laugh and make others laugh, often poking Sin with a stick just to get a comical reaction from him. Zell had done so much that oaken stallion had never appreciated. Ever since the two had become friends, the unicorn had made it his personal mission in life to try and get him to smile.

It wasn't fair that he was dead, Sin wished that the world had claimed his life in the unicorn's place. He wished that his friend would have left him on the mountain side that day to die. Zell would have gone on in life to be happy, to make a great writer, and a damn good husband and father.

The stallion gripped at the grass beneath his fetlock, fighting the tears he knew would soon come.

Why did things have to turn out this way? Why didn't Zell run when he had the chance? Why didn't that idiot have the good sense to know his courage was misplaced? Even back then, Triple M. was a growing and powerful entity, one not to be trifled with. Sin knew this and was fully ready to accept the consequences of his decision in the senate, he was ready to die to make a point.

'You'd taught him a little too well, I suppose.'

Fuck you, Critic... don't you dare make light of his death...

'I'm not making light of it. You were always the one who said that ponies needed to have a backbone and fight for what they believe in, didn't you?'

But at the cost of his best friend? A pony who didn't have a malevolent or cruel bone in his body? To sacrifice a stallion who's existence made the world an objectively better place... was that... really what he wanted?

It must have been, it had to have been. When Gemini had come forth and threatened Zell's life if Sin didn't vote yay on the bill that would allow Triple M to use more lethal measures against immigrant Zeboricans, the oaken pony stuck by his values. Yea, Malich may have tried to help, and promised Sin that Zell wouldn't come to harm, but that was a lie... Malich let Zell die, just like Sin did, and the stallion would never forgive either of them for that.

"Islander?" He heard Scootaloo say. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, just, bad dream." He sighed and laid back down. "Get some sleep, kiddo."

Scootaloo shifted a bit. "Are you sure? You were whimpering an-"

"Yes!" Seethed Sin, forcing a pleasant and reassuring tone. "I'm fine, thank you, goodnight."

He heard the filly shift a little more, as if indecisive on if to adhere to his demand or not, but ultimately settled for an irritated groan and a few words about how she was "just trying to be nice".

Sin didn't want her to be "nice", he wanted her to be quiet. Almost a full months he'd been traveling with Scootaloo, and each and every night the night terrors grew worse and worse. It felt like he wasn't getting any sleep at all for the past three days. The Federalist had tried to request that the Nightmare to stop her infractions, but she could not. That it was just another price the stallion would need to pay for harboring her and using her powers.

Even the Kid wasn't able to do anything about them, well, he could, but trading terrifying nightmares of one sort for a good life that he knew he'd never have wasn't much better.

Sighing in reluctance, Sin closed his eyes and readied himself for the next nightmare, hoping his mind would ease enough to feel at least somewhat rested before they continued walking tomorrow.









Sombra sat in silence, watching the lone filly sentinel as she stood watch over his target.

Soarin lay beside him in the brush, sleeping soundly. Sombra worried about the boy. Perhaps it was just that the times had changed, but the alabaster pegasus had made it a purpose to avoid anything pleasurable in life. While in Carrotshire, Sombra indulged his urges for sexual release, charming a pair of mares into bed and having his way with them. The first was for himself, but the second was for his companion, and despite her flirtatious and suggestive advances, Soarin remained stoic and unyielding; if not a little disgusted.

Sombra shook his head. He understood why the stallion was so miserable, he did, and he knew Soarin felt genuine anger at himself for his actions. However, dwelling upon those mistakes in such a manner was almost as bad as making the mistakes themselves, at least when it came to living life.

It was disturbing to Sombra just how narrow and single minded his companion was. Even when they were at the small ravine for a few days, Soarin wouldn't tear his eyes off of the house unless he was sleeping. The pony was absolutely obsessed with catching the target and returning him. Though, at least he wasn't completely foolish either. They'd caught Sin alone many times, but each was when he was in broad day light and in too spacious of an area for them to take him down effectively or safely.

During thier travels, Sombra had been consulting Luna upon how to best deal with the foreigner known as Sinbad Islander. He was a dangerous foe, capable, resourceful, and well endowed with his abilities. Sombra knew them well: A crossbow able to fire two shots instead of one, a tactical and tenacious mind capable of combating multiple enemies stronger than he, including a full grown dragon, Anti-magical properties, yet able to use what his mistress described as unconventional magic intertwined with the power of the Nightmare. And most interesting of all, companions who sheltered him from an at will assault from the duo.

The latter was the primary problem, Soarin only prolonged his torture by constantly avoiding any and all tactics to separate the target from his companions, citing his fear of a hostage situation. He didn't want to take any risks, nor chances, yet constantly watched the group like a hawk.  Sombra thought he could help by conjuring up one of his favored animals from years past, the fanged panther, to try and scare the target into pushing away the females and leave himself exposed.

He didn't have his crossbow on him at that time, and Sombra was hopeful. Yet that girl... the blue haired one, her song had set his summon to sleep somehow. Though, if nothing else, Sombra did learn that the target's fear inducing magic didn't affect his conjuring, not enough to yield it in fear anyways. Of course, that's why the fell king favored the beast so much, the fanged panther did not know fear, it only knew desire. Alas, that was it's ultimate undoing and ran the entire race to extinction, once a predator more mighty than they had come forth and the cat hadn't the good sense to avoid conflict.

Regardless, it did give the unicorn insight into his prey. The target was a threat, but the white pegasus with them had her own unconventional magics to account for. That was the thing about cutie marks, the latent power of what most called 'talents' weren't just skills of the mind, but of the subtle magicks of nature upon the equine being.

Sombra chuckled and shook his head, remembering a debate he'd had with Star Swirl the Bearded many years ago about the intrinsic nature of the Cutie Mark. Star Swirl believed that the marks were what gave non-unicorns magical properties, citing their very existence as evidence to this, while Sombra dismissed the principal as a simple coincidence and rite of passage.

Looking back on it now, the blackened unicorn figured that maybe the old bastard was onto something.

Digressing back to the point, the stallion sighed and turned to his younger companion. Soarin wasn't happy with his little summoning stunt at all. Sombra defended his actions, of course, but the pegasus was so consumed by holding to Luna's word that he wouldn't even hear of it.

As much as the fell king did admire and respect the wisdom of Luna, her mistake with the Nightmare had made her far too cautious in his opinion. Observing the three of them for as long as he had, Sombra deduced that the target held great affections for his companions and was honorable enough not to use the three as a means to shield himself from capture. His mistress and Soarin, however, were not of the same mind.

It was a pointless chase as far as the Crystal stallion was concerned. There was no reason he couldn't have just blinked in, grabbed the two females, and blinked out, leaving Sinbad by himself, ripe for capture. But no, no that would be... how do the kids say? Too easy?

Not that it really bothered him all that much, Sombra was happy enough as he was. Now that he'd finally gotten some sexual gratification from towns larger than small settlements, the fell king could allow himself to enjoy the countryside in which he dwelled. Even with Soarin's cold behavior he did make for an excellent tour guide and proved insightful, explaining all of the different contraptions and innovations that occurred during the former king's thousand year absence. Electricity, pluming, modern-day conveniences the unicorn dared not even dream of in his day, were suddenly reality, and he'd have had no idea how to acclimate were it not for pegasus stallion.

Unfortunately, brothels and the oldest profession was, for some reason, made illegal in this day and age, but fortunate for Sombra, his charms had not dulled with the times.

If projections from Soarin were correct, Sin and his associates were headed to a place called "Horse Shoe Bay". As much as Sombra was wanting to full fill his mistresses wishes, as well as end the melancholy of the pony next to him, a few days on the beach did have its appeals.

He turned back to the sleeping pony beside him and smiled. "Maybe a few days amongst the sand and water will do you well." He whispered, silently thankful for his conjuring's failure.
> Interlude (Spi, Sha, Mal)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Interlude








Sitting half hidden behind a pair of stacked barels in the warehousing district, Spike gave yet another quick scan of his surroundings before returning to the latest edition of Power Ponies.

If he had known that stake out were so boring, he'd have brought more reading material, a mistake he would only make once. He'd read the comic six times now, and his shift was another hour from ending. A unicorn stallion by the name of Vigilant Sentinel would give him the pass word and allow Spike off home to get some well deserved sleep. That's the thing you never hear about with police or protection work, the long, boring periods where absolutely nothing happens and the guard or officer suffers an almost tear educing boredom. 

Alas, this was all he could do to help protect the town of Ponyville from the slowly creeping grip of the Black Talon. 

With the black market protectors now gone, it fell onto the small task force of ponies -and single dragon- who were willing to work outside the law for the greater good.

This frustrated Spike to no end, mainly because this should have been the problem of Ponyville's entire police force! Yet, due to Ponyville's small population, the funds and interest for protection of this sort just wasn't viable. According to Inquiry, the chief of police wouldn't give his concerns the time of day, saying that Ponyville was a peaceful and quite little village and that, despite the evidence, didn't warrant the extra security.

Which made no sense to Spike. Inquiry had told him about the bodies found in Warehouse 7 that were burned and mutilated by the black market forces. To him, that alone would call for a more methodical approach to crime, but the chief thought differently. Citing the lack of criminal statics in the town, which, thanks to the combined efforts of Inquiry to turn the other cheek on reports and arrests and the underworld leaders to keep their work secret and untraceable, was stunningly low.

Spike never thought statistics would work against him, but such is the way, especially considering the mutilated bodies was never followed up by the press and all but swept under the rug. He'd thought about approaching the mayor about the issue, but with all the drama going on with city council, Mayor Mare was a disheveled mess all her own, fretting over if her position was under threat as well.

And so, here he was. A drake on the look out for potential red market criminals bringing in foals for sex sales. At least he wasn't alone, supposedly there was another troop standing guard at the pathway to the Everfree to watch for incoming sex traffickers and Black Talon thugs. Spike hoped that their night was just as boring as his.

Like Inquiry said: No news is good news, and the only news to get was news of violence and pain.

Putting down the comic book, Spike took a drink coffee and checked the time. With a sigh, the drake stood up, stretched out and prepped himself for another patrol walk. If nothing else, walking about did help to stave off the boredom.









Screams of horror and fright echoed through the flickering, hellish landschame around him. Star Shade sat atop one of the few tents he hadn't lit on fire yet, basking in the carnage and destruction of the circus as it burned around him.

For days he'd been subject to their horror, hours upon hours he'd been strapped to the chair, forced to endure clowns, pies to the face, three ring acts flirting the line between boring and deranged... It didn't do much for his volatile sense of newly found sanity... but watching the terror and fear below sure did.

"Burn." He whispered, eye twitching sparatically as he saw a clown fail to escape after returning for his precious red nose, "burn mother plucker."

He felt the urge to laugh overtake him, but the bat pony maintained his reserve. He knew that's what he was supposed to do, that he was compelled to chuckle for a reason. 

Shade wouldn't do it though, he'd maintain this small window of sanity for as long as he could. He had to, he felt the compulsion tugging against it, but he could also feel a slight ease and acceptance. Rationality and reason could go buck itself, consequences for his lack of adherence would come anyways.

Steeling himself with a calming breath, Shade spread his wings and took to the west, leaving the small, demented fair to suffer and gleam in the night.

He couldn't stop the small smile that slowly crept onto his face, a mix of both pride and anticipation. The night stallion had resisted and perserviered the torture meant to break him, and now he was on his way to inform a pair of griffons where their charge was going to be in a few weeks time. 

It was a patience game, but Shade's will and newly found appreciation for longer term gains and planning was resolute. Knowing that, in the end, it would all be worth it. 

And before everything was said and done... that bucking Triple M. bitch who beat him down would choke on her own teeth for what she did.









Frowning in thought, Malich blankly looked at the closed elevator doors before him as the lift slowly descended the lowest bowls of the medical research facility.

His mind was heavy and conflicted. So much was going on now that it almost put the vice executives brain on overload. Conno's team had returned from Equestria, but the team lead himself was no where to be found. When questioned, the agents just said he'd stayed behind to take care of a few things. 

Malich didn't care for that kind of insubordination, though, it wasn't like Conno to disobey direct orders, he must have had a reason to stay behind, but for what? During the debrief, it was revealed that he didn't take well to his station being relieved, but company policy dictates that six months is the longest any agent could be out in the field, eight being the law. Of course he could wiggle the numbers around if need be, not like it was even an issue, but it was more on the psychological effect. Being too close to a case was never a good thing, emotional investment and involvement became almost inevitable if exposure lasted too long. Malich wouldn't let most handle a case for over a month due to this fear, but due to Conno's track record as a field commander, he trusted the griffon to handle himself on a professional level beyond most others...

Apparently that trust was misplaced.

Not that he had time to dwell on that, what with the fact over three fourths of the international agents of Triple M. were suddenly being pulled off of their respective assignments to begin searching for the Dark One who threatened to bring death and destruction across the globe.

That, and his father now knew about Project Mortality and partially about Project New Wave... He'd thought well enough on his hooves how to explain away both of these issues, but Malich knew it was only a matter of time before Gemini called him to task on both of these issues and their benefit to the company, though, he could at least take solace in the fact such a call wouldn't come until after Tirek was found and returned to Tartarus... or killed.

Centaurs were funny creatures... many believed the half breeds were unkillable, immortals as it were, but a small sliver of knowledge contradicted this. One... one centaur was killed before, during the Running of the Centaur that happened to begin and end the Reformative Strife all of those years ago. The skeleton was hidden by a group of diamond dogs, the remains kept secret from the public for reasons unknown, but served as evidence to counter the notion that the high born were as strong as they affronted themselves to be. Had Malich not seen the bones for himself during an interrupted mining expedition, he would not have believed it. 

Yet, who the body belonged to, allegedly, was what had shaken the volatile country to the core. According to the documents found buried with the centaur, the bones belonged to none other than the sitting chair of the Federation: Arbiter Sparhawk.

How? How was that possible? Unless it was a lie, of course, but why would they lie about the identity of the body? Or that they'd killed a Centaur only to hide the evidence? And if it was true, if Sparhawk was killed in the small battles that took place before the country was officially reformed, than how was he alive now? 

Speculation, of course, likely it was probably a case of mistaken identity, the important thing was that a single centaur had been killed. They were not immortal beings like many thought, trouble was nobody knew how the dogs had killed the high born. The bones were in pristine condition, despite the passing of time, giving way to know that blunt force trauma wasn't...

Shaking his head, Malich pushed the thoughts from his mind, looking on the bright side.

It wasn't all bad... Project New Wave had made some excellent progress. Thanks to Imperatrix's cooperation, they'd finally found the wave length in which the queen had controlled her brood. According to the documents, from what the ashen earth pony could discern, the supersonic sounds, while similar, was little more than a side effect. A kind of... opening channel opening, if you will.

The real communication came through a psychic link through the queen's horn, acting as an output and input antenna. Which explained why every single changling drone had one along with wings. Both for receiving orders, sending feedback and casting magic. Taping into this psychic feed was going to be difficult, even with the queen's cooperation, but Malich was hopeful.

Some more good news was that a heafty supply of Zeboricans had arrived to help feed the Changelings fear needs as well as a method to regularly cut off communication between the queen and the drones... Unfortunately, neither one appreciated this. The drones, when cut off from Imperatrix, would go crazy in thier cell, slamming themselves against walls and acting as enraged and farrel beasts!

One had even slammed itself so hard against the wall that it had destroyed its own exoskeleton skull. This knowledge disturbed Malich a great deal, if the psychic link to the drones was ever lost or cut off, who knew what kind of havoc they'd unleash? Not to mention how uncomfortable Imperatrix became. She was almost born down to tears when her "babies" were torn away from her.

Sighing, the stallion bit his lip. He was getting emotionally attached to her, there was no point in lying to himself about it. Part of him told the pony to drop all interaction with the queen and set up a process to filter out the more weak minded scientists to prevent the same. Though, if he did leave, there was no one to assure Imperatrix's cooperation in the matter. She would only talk to the scientists when he was present to encourage her, the poor thing was a terrified and isolated wreck without him.

'Or so she'd have you believe.'

Or so she'd have him believe. 

Another bit of good news was that a perfect spot was found for farming, an abandoned diamond dog mine none too far from the research facility. It would take some time to get the cavern ready, see to the structural integrity, see to the power and what not, but it was a fitting start to the final stages of the stallion's plan for the Better World.

The doors opened and Malich gasped at who he saw.

"Mr. Islander." Elsa said, her blackened face holding absolutely no emotion to it. "A word if you would."

How did she know he was coming? 

Seeing no reason to deny, the stallion nodded and began walking with her, checking around the steril white halls to make sure nobody would eaves drop on the conversation. He knew this was coming.

"I've done everything you've asked of me." Elsa declared neutrally, a wry eye cast sidelong to the stallion. "I've discected the changelings, figured out their biology and discerned the glands of the brain that controls the psionic link between the two, and I want what you promised me."

Of course... Fuck.

Malich cleared his throat and opened with the typical shpeal that one would expect of him. "Of course, you have preformed admirably Elsa, and your efforts are appreciated-"

With unbelievable, almost imperceptible speed, Malich found a pair of razor sharp scalpels levitating mere inches from his throat, both held in a black magical aura and aimed directly at his major arteries, injuries that would bleed him out in a matter of a minute with Elsa's skills.

"I've been around here long enough to know the 'but' is coming, Mr. Islander. And for your sake-" She pushed the scalpels a closer, allowing the blades to make contact with the tender flesh of his neck, "- I hope you don't intend to give me the run around."

Malich gulped but kept his stone face. Elsa was an unstable psychopath, an excellent discretionary artist, but a psychopath. It was actually a wonder he'd had her for as long as he had with only a limited number of complaints, of course she mainly kept to herself from what he'd gathered, and it wasn't hard to see why the other staff didn't interact with her much.

"But." The stallion continued. "Getting you your queen will take time."

"Not that much time." Elsa countered. "I know you have a means to sever the connection from primary queen, and the hypothisis is that if a queen is undetectable to a parasite, than the parasite itself will become a queen rather than a drone. If an infected pony is severed and doesn't register the primary, it can hypothetically be used to grow a new queen. I also know that the facility has recently gotten an import of Zeboricans, many likely infected, so here's what's going to happen: You are going to construct a room in which one of the parasites cannot detect the primary and you're going to grow me a secondary queen."

Malich was surprised, and his face must have showed it, because Elsa was now smirking.

"Do this, and you get to keep the 6.8 litters of blood in your body and spare a janitor a messy cleaning job. Are we clear?" She asked, punctuating her sentence with sligh press of her scalple into his flesh. It must have been the broad side of the object, as Malich felt it's push on his throat, rather than it slicing cleanly into him.

The stallion, his pride and honor now threatened, contemplated having the mare killed for her threat, but he knew what she was capable of. She would fall if he gave the word, but how many subordinates would he lose? Even with the dragon scales to counter her magic, Elsa's precision with weapons of medicine could easily kill a dozen of his subordinates before she was finally subdued.

Besides, a secondary queen could proove useful to him somehow... Along with insightful.

"Alright," the stallion said with a smirk. "Since you seem so knowledgeable about the matter, I'll give you authority on the project."

Elsa's smile faded and a rare look of shock took her face. "Authority?"

Malich nodded, happy to feel the sting of metal absent his neck now. He couldn't garentee that a changeling queen would be created from her experiment, but it was an interesting proposition. Of course, since she'd be using his facility for her endevors, she'd be expected to report any and all findings to him, keeping all else confidential for the time being.

The blackened unicorn agreed, but raised her scalples once more in threat. "If you betray me on this, Malich, you will not live to regret it."

The stallion's smirk redoubled itself. This bitch was testing his patience, but her abilities were well worth a little threat. "Of course."

  
> New Destination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









New Destination








"Ow." Complained Scootaloo, rubbing her soar rump for the split second she allowed herself before running to catch up once again. Her wings were aching something fierce on account of the unprecedented and continuous strain she had been putting on them.

It was their fourth day walking in the slowly greening woods space and the glamour and enticement of said travel had long since evaporated. It also didn't help that the conventional food stuffs they'd carried from Krystal's home had run out two days ago and the three were introduced to the culinary blandness that was: boiled amaranth, asparagus and dandylions. Krystal, bless her heart, had tried to uplift the sad excuse of a meal by adding in some salt, but failed to give it any substantial flavor.

It was edible, but barely just. Even Angel, one of the pickiest and most stubborn of eaters, had bowed to the wims of nature and consumed the tasteless, texture deprived vegetable swath. 

It was only made worse by by the chef himself, who, while they were eating, watched with that that smirk of faint amusement he had if his eternal scowl wasn't present. Curious, Scootaloo had asked what he was smiling about, but the stallion just told her "wait for it."

It had confused her at first, but the stallion's cryptic message made all too much sense later that day. Tears were shed, holes were dug and closed, and the excess supply of toilet paper suddenly made all too much sense to her. Krystal didn't fair much better, nor did Angel. Both of them demanded to know why Islander didn't outright tell them of the fowl and disgusting effects that consuming that kind of food would have on their bodies, to which, Islander replied that it wouldn't have accomplished anything other than making them worry about it. 

Apparently, boiling the plants was a good way to cook and preserve the nutrients within them, but the first couple of meals would deliver a shock onto their digestive tracts. Bellies that had become accustomed to an assortment of food suddenly being regulated to leafy greens and only leafy greens without the breads, fruits, nuts, oats and all other foods to counteract? It really shouldn't have been as surprising to Scootaloo as it was, Or so Islander said.

The sudden change in diet was not only noticeable on their bowls, but also upon their energy levels. Scootaloo felt... not so much lethargic as she did subdued. Not tired, but... not excitable either. It was a weird feeling of calm. Or maybe that was just being bored in the forest? She didn't know, but Krystal had undergone a similar change. All Scootaloo knew for certain was that she'd be willing to do almost anything for a cupcake at this point.

Wiping away some sweat, the filly steeled her nerves and against the growing pain in her spine before sending her small wings into a buzz once again. She felt her body become lighter on her hooves and even left the ground momentarily again, but the tired and soreness in both her spine and appendages beat out her will and deposited the filly back to the earth once again.

Sighing, Scootaloo looked up to find Krystal giving her an encouraging smile.

A smile Scootaloo was growing to hate each time she saw it. No matter how much she tried, no matter how much effort she expended, she just couldn't get off the ground for long.

"It's alright Scootaloo." Krystal said gently, compounding the orange foal's frustrations.

"You just need to practice more and-"

"Krystal." Sin interjected from ahead and motioned her forward. Reluctantly, the mare approached, leaving the filly to her thoughts. Scootaloo was grateful for Islander's constant interruptions and getting Krystal off of her back. Not that she wasn't appreciative of the amber eyed pony's concern, but she just wanted to deal with this in her own way and didn't need the constant support Krystal offered.

After a few more hours of attempted flight, the sun began to set to twilight and Islander suggested setting up camp for the night. Each of them began their rituals of setting up for the night's dwellings, and by each of them, Scootaloo meant that Islander would pretty much handle everything in terms of finding food, water, a suitable place to set down for the night, and collect firewood while the girls sat back and unpacked everything. Krystal would always offer to help, but the cloaked pony declined every time, not even having the decency to give her a reason for his rejection.

She wouldn't allow it to show for very long, but Scootaloo could see the growing disappointment and dejection Krystal went through with each attempt. 

Once his saddlebags were off, Islander grabbed his camal pack and canteen and made way into the forest to find a water source. 

"I have no idea why he does that." Scootaloo said, pulling out her canteen and having a drink of the charcoal flavored water. 

"What do you mean, Scootaloo?" Krystal asked, genuinely confused.

The filly chugged down her last few sips and stared skywards. "I mean, I guess I understand, since he doesn't fly and all, but you can. Why doesn't he just ask you to go get us a cloud for water?"

Krystal frowned and then looked up at the sky, questioning what the filly meant by her words.

"What do you mean? All pegasi can control the clouds." Scootaloo explained, her mood turned even more dubious when her companion expressed her ignorance on the matter. 

"Wait, didn't your mom ever teach you how to move clouds and make it rain?"

"Nu-uh." Krystal shook her head. "We didn't have many clouds in the desert."

Of course, the entire trip through the badlands, shrublands and desert scapes didn't have much in the way of clouds. However, they weren't in the desert anymore.

"You see that cloud up there?" Scootaloo pointed to a nice, fluffly white bag of fluff. "I've seen pegasi move them around all the time, if you can go up there and bring it down here, I think we can find a way to get water from it that doesn't taste like a camp fire."

Krystal looked at her own canteen, shuddered and nodded in agreement before taking flight up to fulfill her task. Now, if memory served, clouds could only dispense in rain, rain that would come out far to sparatically to go into a canteen or pot. What Scootaloo would need now was a way to collect the falling water...

She opened her bag and searched for anything she could use to funnle the liquid, nothing suitible popped out to her until she reached a well sized tarp that Islander had gotten her back in Trottingham. She took in the size of the white tapastry for a moment and looked around for a way to make it bowl shaped to collect the water. A pair of tree branches caught her attention, and with a little bit of foalish ingenuity, used the branches plus a few sticks to craft a make shift bowl.

Smiling in pride at her work, Scootaloo turned to find Krystal now atop of the cloud, laying on it and inspecting the mass of condensation for all it was worth. "Mmmm, it's made of water!" She cheered, giving the cloud a lick.

The display caused a disgusted shiver to run up Scootaloo's spine, but clouds were supposed to be the purest form of water there was, so it shouldn't be too bad, right?

"Alright, bring it over here!" Scootaloo called.

"Okay!" Krystal shouted back. She stood up and stared blankly at the white fluff for a moment, uncertain of what exactly she was supposed to do. Figuring pushing was worth a shot, she flew beside it and began to force the cloud downwards to the ground, surprised at how easy the thing was to push.

"Now, be careful!" Scootaloo cautioned, "clouds break very easily if pushed to hard."

Heeding the filly's advice, Krystal manipulated the cloud with all the care of a new born and lowered it to a foot off the ground, following the filly's instructions, she placed the thing over the tarp and waited.

And waited...

"Ummm, Scootaloo? How do we make it give us water?"

The orange filly pressed her lips in thought. "Well, Rainbow Dash would just jump on it and make it rain, so I guess you could try that." She shrugged.

"But, I thought you said that pushing to hard would break it." Krystal reminded.

Scootaloo looked at the sky and back at her companion. "Well, just give it a try. If that doesn't work, we've got more clouds to work with."

Seeing the filly's logic, Krystal hopped up onto the cumulus and gave a few ginger jumps, looking at Scootaloo for direction when nothing happened. 

"Harder."

Krystal jumped again, adding some needed pressure to her jump. The results were odd, the cloud didn't break, but it did grow slightly darker in color, as if becoming irritated by the bouncy assault.

"Hmmm..." Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin. Darker clouds meant more water, so it must be getting ready to rain. "Keep jumping, I think it's almost there."

"If you say so." Krystal kept bouncing, and the cumulus took on a dark and menacing shade of purple and grey.

Scootaloo beamed when she heard the first drops of rain hit the tarps surface. "It's working!" She cheered. Krystal, now with vigor, jumped on the cloud with vigor, causing a down pour to emit from the slowly shrinking mini-nimbostratus. 

POOF!

"EEP!" Krystal squeaked as the cloud poofed out of existence, bringing the mare crashing down into the whetted tarp, breaking the foundation and depositing both her, and the gathered water to the grass below. "Owwie. Oh gosh, I am so sorry!"

Scootaloo wasn't mad, she wasn't mad at all. It took her, like, two minutes to construct the water collector, and now they could have water on demand! She forgave the mare quickly enough and sent her back to get another cloud while she reconstructed the bowl, finding some new sticks to hold it in place.

Returning with a much bigger cloud, Krystal repeated the process, stopping when she'd thought the cloud was ready to break and taking it back to the sky and bringing a new one in.

Once Scootaloo felt a sufficient amount of rain had been collected, she slowly went to the edge of the tarp and carefully pulled it down, allowing a small stream to the edge of her canteen and collecting the precious, life giving liquid.

She took a sip and savored the delicious, fresh and pure water as it flooded her mouth. No sickly charcoal after taste, no micro-minerals getting stuck to the back of her throat, just delicious water.

"Mmmm. That's so good!" Krystal purred, refiling her canteen and downing it again. "This was a great idea, Scootaloo, thank you."

The filly blushed a little from the praise that came from something other than just failed attempt. This was an idea that worked, and she felt she deserved to be proud of.

They'd used the tarp to have their fill and replenish both canteens as well as fill the cast iron pot for dinner. If the last few days was any indication, soup was going to be the main dish for the evening.

With the water collected and nothing else to do, the two ponies decided to relax until Sin returned.









Hiding in some dense brush, Sin rubbed his freshly tackled side and glared at the pony responsible. Soarin stood ahead of him atop a tree branch, the white stallion scanning the forest for his Federalist prey.

Sin knew it was risky to wander off too far from his companions, that Luna's lackies wouldn't attack while he was with them. He wasn't sure why, but that seemed to be the case. Even so, water wasn't found easily in this part of the woods, and he had three others depending on his provision for them... And now, here he was. Pinned down by a pair of stallions looking to capture and detain him.

At least he knew where Soarin was, but where was Sombra? Soarin had attacked him head on and directly, without the unicorn's aid. More importantly, why was Soarin out in the open like that? 

Bait, bait to lure him out, to lure him out and have Sombra ambush him once his location was discovered. Or maybe he was just stupid enough to be exposed like that? Maybe? No, Soarin was a Wonderbolt, a special agent of the crown... or, formerly, anyways. He couldn't be stupid enough to go after Sin alone... Right?

Prying his eyes off the pegasus, Sin did his own scan of the forest, but was unable to locate the blackened unicorn pony. He had no idea how the pair worked, no knowledge of their tactics, nor capabilities. The aura was less than effective, due to Sombra's ability to teleport, and assuming the worst of the worst, the unicorn was watching the stallion and offering magical support. So if Sin was to do anything, it would need to be immediate and lethal.

Slowly, navigating the brush carefully to make as little noise as possible, Sin lined up his Ragnerock and locked onto the pony hunter's chest. 

Sixty five feet, no wind, no obstructions... a clear shot.

Steadying his breathing, Sin placed his hoof upon the make shift trigger mechanism, pinned his ears forwards and did a couple of figure eights to hold his steady... and didn't shoot.

He wanted to shoot, this bastard was hunting him! He was a piece of shit who'd used a love potion on Applejack to hurt Macintosh! He intentionally forwent diplomacy to hurt Spike, assaulted Macintosh, threatened the stallion with treason, worked for Luna and should have been in a prison cell for Tapio's sake! So why couldn't he shoot?

'That's obvious.' Critic replied. 'He saved your life.'

So what? As if saving his life was really redeeming of all the atrocities he'd committed! Hell, he should be shot just for bucking Sin in the side like he had! 

A sudden wave of exhaustion caused the stallion's vision to blur and his foreleg to go weak. Temporarily abandoning the shot, Sin slowly retracted his hoof to regain himself, cursing the Nightmare for the fatique and sleep deprivation hitting him at the worst possible time. 

Taking a breath, Sin summoned his will and slowly regained his shot, this time aiming at the pegasus pony's neck. 

It didn't matter. It didn't matter if Soarin had saved his life! The pony was a piece of shit and a threat! Threats needed to be neutralized! Who cared if Sin was tired and guilty? Life didn't care, the Nightmare didn't care, Soarin and Sombra didn't care, the hungry and thirsty stomachs of Scootaloo, Krystal and Angel didn't care, and most importantly, Luna wouldn't care as she ripped the Nightmare out of him and threw him in a dungeon to rot!

His anger giving him strength and will, Sin found the crossbow much lighter, and his mind much clear. The oaken pony felt a small tingle of joy rush up the back of his neck, the knowledge that he held Soarin's life in his hooves eliciting a long forgotten thrill. 

"Kill him."

Very much without meaning to do so, Sin's eyes went serpintine and the subtle pressure of the aura was strong within his mind. Soarin's ears perked and before the oaken pony could shoot, the predator gone prey spread his wings and dashed off into the tree line.

FUCK! What the fuck! Nightmare! What the fuck!

"Oh, I apologize, that was... not my intention."

Silently groaning at his lost chance, Sin lowered his crossbow and turned about to see if he could find where the green eyed stallion had disappeared to, but the slowly budding spring trees were to dense to follow.

You stupid idiot! I had him! All I had to do was pull the trigger and I'd have had him! Do you want to go back to Luna, you fucking retard!?

A sudden, brain splitting pain coarsed through Sin's mind, bringing the pony through the rustling brush to his knees. 

"I've warned you, Sinbad, you will not dare to insult me again!"

'ENOUGH!' Critic exclaimed, his proclamation bringing with it relief from the Alicorn's wrath.

Exhausted, hungry, paranoid and now with a small head ache, Sin turned worked his way out of the brush and made way back to the camp. Looks like they wouldn't be replenishing on water tonight. The cloaked pony could only hope that the girls hadn't wasted any of their reserves while he was gone.









"Hmmm, Islander's going to be so happy that he wont have to cook for once!" Said Krystal, using a wooden spoon to stir up the small pot before her.

Scootaloo nodded, proped up lazily against a tree to allow her tired wings and spine a rest. "Yea, I guess. Hey, speaking of which, has he seemed, I don't know, more crabby than usual lately?"

Krystal frowned, the final lights of dusk cast upon her before the sun began to disappear behind the western horizon, bathing them in a light pink glow. "Yes." She admitted reluctantly. "I know it's because he's tired though, but I don't know what to do about it. Stallions are always so stubborn."

"Most stallions aren't like that. Islander's just... I don't know. But most stallion's are actually really nice." Scootaloo countered. "Like Macinto-"

Krystal noticed the filly's pause, but instead of pressing the issue on who the pony was, she asked about what his behavior was like. Back on the Rockfarm, the closest town was Twin Springs, and most of the stallions there, while nice, were still grizzled and hardened veteran types.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but I would like to know how other ponies behave outside of just what I do know."

Scootaloo thought about the stallion for a moment. "Well, Macintosh is... umm, well: He's nice for one, alot nicer than Islander is."

"Really?" Krystal asked, more than a little interested.

Nodding, Scootaloo elaborated on a few of the experiences the two had shared. About how he used to walk her to school and check up on her in the middle of the night when he thought she was asleep, or how he'd help her with her math homework, or ask her if she was doing alright with chores... and then there was one embarrassing night where she'd had a bad dream and asked him to stay up all night with her... The two ended up doing coloring books together.

Krystal smiled, contemplating the events that Scootaloo espoused with gentle regard. "He sounds like a very nice stallion."

"He is..." Scootaloo smiled, her momentary happiness fleeing under a profound sense of guilt.

He was a nice stallion, a nice stallion whom she'd left heartbroken and to wonder the woods looking for her...

A slight rustling from the trees broke the two from their reminiscing, Islander strutting out from the brush line.

"Welcome back! Sin! Guess what? We have water!"

Scootaloo watched with faint amusement as the stallion quirked a brow. His skepticism turned into full on shock as he observed the bountiful water being used within the cooking cast iron skillet. His shock continued onto all out amazement when Krystal recounted the story about how the water was collected in the first place.

"And it's all thanks to that little filly right there." The off white mare declared, pointing directly at her.

Scootaloo's orange cheeks tinted red and she rubbed the back of her neck in embarassment. "It wasn't that hard."

"Don't sell yourself short, kiddo." Islander said, garning the foal's attention. He pressed his lips and sighed. "You thought of something I didn't, and because of that, we have water tonight, and likely wont have water problems again. So, take some pride in that, you deserve to."

It was hard for him to say, Scootaloo could hear it in his voice. Especially the part where he admitted that he didn't think of it. Maybe it was how difficult he was to please, but she took an extra bit of pride in the stallion's praise. Islander giving her a compliment was a seldomn thing.

The filly wondered up to him, snatched away his water canteen, and despite his protest, poured out the somewhat blackened liquid within. The canteen was surprisingly full, she hoped he was drinking from the camal pack. Though, after she'd replenished it with water collected from the tarp, his chugging of the entire thing lead her to believe he'd rationed the liquid far more than the other two had.

"Wow, somepony was thirsty." Krystal chuckled, watching Sin gasp for air between swigs. It did kinda worry Scootaloo how little he was drinking, she'd noticed him sneaking water from his own canteen into theirs a couple of times when he thought they weren't looking, but decided not to say anything, since water would no longer be an issue now.

"Little bit." Islander replied.

The three sat down to enjoy the bland dinner for the eavening. Islander pointed out that the vegitables hadn't been boiled to the point they were little more than mush, but Scootaloo, Krystal and Angel found that the food having a little bit of chewyness to it made it a little more bearable.









Using clouds for water...

'Sin...'

Critic, she used clouds for water. Clouds! The fucking things that have hung over our fucking heads for the last five fucking days... The solution to our water problem was, fucking literally hanging over my head, and I didn't see it.

The inner voice sighed. 'Yes, it was. I didn't think of it either, but I know you're mentally kicking yourself over this. You shouldn't though. You're exhausted, dude, you're mind's not right. Take it for what it is, Scootaloo showed some initiative and intelligence and just be alright with that. You know, like you said before?'

Sin stared down at his half eaten soup. He was proud of Scootaloo for thinking outside the box, but he was also angry that he hadn't thought of the idea himself. It was basic, basic enough that a foal could think of it, so why didn't he? How could that be anything less than utter retardation on his part? Sleep deprived? Who cares? That didn't make his failure to see viable solutions, excusable. What would have happened if Scootaloo wasn't there to figure it out? Would he and Krystal have died from dehydration? He was already not in his right mind, how much worse would that have been made if he hadn't any water to go with it?

No, no there was no excuse. It was a oversight, a mistake, a total fuck up on his part. A fuck up that made him want to slam his head into a tree. 

'Maybe you should try sleeping on it for tonight?'

Sin internally sighed, sleep sounded nice, sleep was peaceful and regenerative. Science had no explanation for why ponies did it, only to the consequences for it's deprivation, but he was happy they did. Unfortunately, he knew what awaited him in the dream world... Nightmares, nightmares horrid enough to keep him from the proper rest of sleep. It was getting bad, so bad he briefly considered asking Luna for assistance. Of course, the Alicorn of Insanity had a few things to say about that, though; mainly this weird thing about how it wasn't her causing the night terrors, but something called a "tantibus".

Yea, the Alicorn of Insanity who went by the name Nightmare Moon wasn't the one causing bad dreams. Yea, he was totally buying that.

A small squeek in the distance caught the pony's attention. He shook the tiredness from his head and looked back. The squeaking was heard again, accompanied by the well time trotting of hoofsteps.

"I wonder who that could be." Krystal asked, peering into the dark road.

Sin readied his crossbow as a silhouette came into view around the bend. A single pony wandered forth, carrying a single, well sized wagon behind them.

The pony grew closer and closer, Sin's attention blurring from time to time as they approached. Finally, the pony was close enough to be exposed by the light of the camp fire. The pony, a lighter blue unicorn stallion clad in a light tanned suite stopped a good distance away. A small stripped grey tie hung professionally around his neck, the ensemble complimenting the professional, slicked back hair of his slightly graying mane, as well as an immaculate, thin mustache that hung from his lip.

"Good afternoon." He said politely. 

"Umm, hi there." Krystal greeted. 

Sin and Scootaloo shared a glance before the new comer cleared his throat. "I do apologize for interrupting you fine folks, however, I've been traveling through this forest for a few days now and was ill prepared for the trip." The blue unicorn smiled a winning and charismatic smile. "I do not wish to impose, but might you have some water to spare? I'll happily compensate you for your troubles, of course."

Before Sin could stop her, Krystal answered cheerfully in the affirmative and offered the stallion her canteen. He took the container in his aura and retrieved a flask from his suite pocket, pouring a small amount into it, chugging the flask down and asking if he might refill it again, which Krystal agreed to.

"You're very kind, kindness is to be rewarded." The stallion said, retrieving a coin purse and and offering a few bits to Krystal. The off white mare reached out to retrieve the money.

Sin watched the transaction with skepticism. Maybe it was just a bias on his part, but something about this pony set him on edge. His politeness, the way he carried himself, the slick and suave appearance... out in the middle of the woods...

'It's like looking into a mirror, isn't it?'

Hey, hey, hey... I don't look that nice.

'No, but the politeness and way he carries himself? That's alot like you, and don't even try to say it isn't.

True as that may be, that only lent farther credibility to Sin's skepticism. "What brings you out into the middle of the woods?" The cloaked pony asked, matching the intruders polite tone in all ways.

"Ah, yes. Well, you see sir, I am on my way to Bliss, a small city on the coast not so far from here. My wagon bearer, against my knowledge, held favor with a mare in Canterlot. This lead to him quitting and leaving me without both a wagon puller and a guide through the wilderness." The stallion explained. 

"Oh goodness, that wasn't very polite of him." Said Krystal sympathetically.

"No. I suppose it's not." The unicorn agreed, giving her another smile. "Though, that is life, I'm afraid. So, here I am, wondering through the forest and stumbling upon my saviors, for which I am greatful."

Sin's eyes narrowed a little. Bliss? He studied the map of the area, especially the coast line, intensely and had no recollection of any city by that name.

"You wouldn't have, I'm afraid." The unicorn said with a small, light hearted chuckle. "Bliss cannot be found on any map or compass, only those who are supposed to know where it is may find it."

Now that just didn't sit right, what was that supposed to mean?

"Wait, are you saying Bliss is a secret city?" Scootaloo asked, finally finding a voice for the conversation.

Rubbing his chin, the stallion looked thoughtful. "Hmmm, secret isn't a word I'd use for it, little filly, I would use the phrase: exclusively known of."

Feeling memories begin creeping into his mind, Sin thought about the last "secret city" he'd encountered, one that involved a bunch of beings who worshiped fire and indulged sacrifices.

The conversation turned from him unto them, and the blue pony asked where the three of them were heading. 

"Manehatten." Sin answered before Krystal could. "Our business there is our own, if you kindly."

"Of course, it's not my business to pry into other's privacy." The intruder said before placing a hoof to his chin. "Say, Manehatten isn't that far off from Bliss, if you'd be willing to accompany me to my city, I'd be very grateful for the guidance." He paused and gave Krystal a wry smile. "As well as the company."

The mare blushed from the flattery and brought forth a wing to hide the uncontrollable giggle. Sin refrained from cringing at the obvious come on, as well as the hint of jealousy he felt... It was a nice tactic, making one person in the party feel good and then having the ability to use that to wiggle ones way in, and condemn the other for being jealous should they refuse... or maybe the cloaked pony was just reading too much into it.

"I'm afraid we'll have to deline, sir. We are hard pressed for time as it is, and a trip outside of the rout is out of the question." Sin declared.

"Aww, C'mon Sin." Krystal stated, "can't we take a day to see him home?"

The tan suited unicorn nodded. "I must insist that you come with me." He said cooly. "Bliss is unlike anything you have ever seen before, ponies, minataur, griffons, diamond dogs, all coexisting together in one place. Living together under the idea of freedom."

"Freedom?" Sin asked, his attention now had.

His smile intensifying to satisfaction. "Yes sir, freedom. I can tell that you are a stallion of self sufficiency and self protection." He said, motioning to Sin's crossbow. "I believe that you may appreciate the same ideas and protections that we of Bliss agree to."

Sin was interersted now, a place that encouraged self sufficency and self protection? That sounded almost too good to be true...

"Let me ask you this? Is not a pony entitled to the full sweat of his brow and the fruits of his own labor?" The business pony asked with a small smirk. "And if not, how much of his labor does he owe to others? Celestia in Canterlot says we owe her money in taxes. Rex in Rabble says we owe he and the dog dynasty, and Monin in Laberinth demands we owe it to everypony. I reject all of these answers, and chose a new way. A way where the denizens of this earth may be free from the theivory and imposition of the state and the liberation from the masses who'd seek to control them."

Sin's eyes widened at the propostition... No state? Capitalism? and anti-mob rule? What?

"I can see I have your attention, might you reconsider accompanying me?" The stallion asked, the small tinkle in his eye now burning brighter than before.

No, no it was impossible! This had to be a joke, a bad prank, there was no way such a place actually existed. A place free from government rule that endorsed market based capitalism... They were in Equestria! Surely Celestia had... some kind of hold on this place!

...

...

But what if she didn't? 

What if everything this pony was saying was true? What if... Anacapistan was real?

"Who are you?" Sin asked, conflicted beyond reason from everything he'd heard.

"How rude of me, allow my to introduce myself." He declared with a deep sense of charm. "My name is Scyan, Value Scyan."

  

  
> Clash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Clash








Sin yawned for the umpteenth time in the past five minutes as he walked. Sleep had denied him it's comforting embrace once again last night, the stallion to weary of the new unicorn companion to get any sleep at all. Fortunately, Value never emerged from his wagon through out the night, but if that was because of Sin's vigilance or not, he couldn't say. He still had no idea what the pony's motives were for approaching them last night, aside from what the stallion said. Though, something about that just didn't sit right with him. Granted, he wasn't one to talk since they were also having water trouble, but still.

His mind blanked as yet another yawn over took him. The ground had been his scenic view of choice today, his head hanging low feeling far more comfortable than looking straight ahead. Conventional wisdom and common sense be damned, he was sleepy.

He peaked a glance up to see the wagon getting a fair bit of distance ahead of him. Groaning, the cloaked pony picked up in speed to catch up. Scootaloo was inside the wagon with Angle, and Krystal was up front, speaking with Value about something or another. Once their conversation began descending into sea life, Sin's interest in listening fell to the way side. Still though, Bliss...

Bliss sounded too good to be true, it sounded like this Value Cyan guy had just popped into his mind and took all the things the stallion wanted to hear... Though, that was almost litterally impossible, considering the Occlumency. 

It did sound interesting though, Bliss. Of course he wanted to kill Puddinghead and end the Trotski threat and all, but... what was the harm in postponing the encounter for a day or two? Besides, maybe he'd find something useful in Bliss? Something to help him sleep, or a new weapon, or, dare he to think... a home.

'You'd want to live there?'

Well why not? If the city really was without government, a notion the stallion was hard pressed to believe, since Pony-nature was still a thing, especially if it was as divers as Cyan said it was, than wouldn't that be the best place for him to live? Maybe? Assuming he survived that long?

'Well, it's an goal. A goal that doesn't end up with you getting ripped apart by changelings, or bludgeoned by Trotski fucks, or dying for any reason other than old age most likely, so I guess that's good.'

Yea, that was good, at least it was something to look forward to, assuming it's true... hoping it was true.

"Mr. Islander? Is it true that you're not from Equestria?" He heard from ahead. The blue unicorn pony was looking back at him in interest.

Shooting Krystal a glare, Sin answered in the affirmative, wishing that she hadn't revealed that detail and hoping she hadn't revealed much else.

"Really, what country are you from? If I may be so bold, sir."

"The Federation." Sin answered bluntly.

"The Federation of...?" Value asked.

"It was never given an official name, but it's the landmass the Centaur inhabit." 

The wagon stopped and Value turned to face him wide eyed. "Hold on, you mean to tell me you're from that Federation?" 

Surpsied to meet anybody who knew about his homeland, the Federalist nodded in the affermative. Value's shocked expression turned excited. "I knew you were different, tell me, since you and he share the same last name, might you be related to an individual by the name of Gemini Islander?"

Sin's body stiffened at the name... his name. It took all of his will to keep the horror from his face, but he tried his damnest to maintain a look of neutrality and thoughtfulness. "I am sorry, but no. I know who he is, but I'm not related to him." 

His voice started out a little shakey but he played that off with a yawn in the middle of the sentence. 

Cyan silently looked at him for a few seconds, blankly studying the stallion's face and features, searching for a single trace of dishonesty. "Pity." Value said, breaking his scrutiny gaze. "I've met him once, while dealing with some international business expansions from Bliss. Something about you just... reminded me of him for some reason."

"Head of the Triple M. Corperation, I guess I should be flattered." Sin chuckled, forcing the situation into comedy.

Krystal, much to his chagrin, decided to pursue the topic of the Federation and asked what Mr. Cyan knew about it. Fortunately for Sin, Value didn't know much, aside from his dealings with Triple M. and Gemini. "I know that they are a very robust and industrial country, taking technologies and magicks from all walks of life and cultures. Hay, it was where I'd gotten the idea for Bliss."

Where he'd gotten the idea for Bliss? What did...

A sudden wave of bleary exhaustion knocked Sin's thoughts from his mind, sending the stallion staggering a little. He began to worry about how much longer he'd be able to stay awake or what would happen if he fell asleep.

"You seem tired, Mr. Islander." Cyan stated matter-of-factly. "And take it from a stallion who knows tired, if you'd like, you're welcome to crawl into my wagon for a nap."

Sin, being the stubborn and proud sort, of course refused the offer and the repetition of him continually falling behind and running to catch up played out a few more times before Krystal asked Cyan to stop the wagon for a moment.

"Why'd you stop?" Sin asked.

Krystal approached, her face a worried mask. "Because you're tired and need to sleep."

Scoffing and shaking his head, the oaken stallion dismissed the mare's concerns and tried to walk past her, though, a white wing fluffed out, barring the stallion's path. Sin looked at his companion and told her to get out of his way, but an uncharacteristically solumn and serious expression plastered on the pegasus mare's face told him that she had no plans of adhering to his demands.

With his lack of sleep making him more aggressive than usual, and the fact his way was being barred, a form of aggression mind you, Sin's glare hardened a little and he contemplated summoning the aura to aid him.

"Krystal, your concern is appreciated, but we don't have time for this."

A small crack appeared in the off white mare's resolve, but it disappeared as quickly as it came and she closed her eyes in a sagely manner. "Then we are going to make time. You can't keep carrying on like this, Islander. You've been acting weird ever since we left my house, and I think it's because you're not getting enough sleep."

"Well, someone has to keep watch at night." Sin countered, his mouth moving faster than his brain. "I know you have a tendency to fall asleep during your time."

Krystal visibly flinched from the verbal assault, despite the calm in which it was presented. Sin knew she couldn't deny it, on more than one ocassion he'd watched her fall asleep during her shift at night. Of course, nothing happened to put them in any danger, but still, it was a blunder on her part. Most night's she'd startle awake and pretend she'd never fallen asleep at all, but Sin knew better.

Her sad and hurt expression uplifted itself back to the sagely look of tranquility. "I have, and I am sorry, but I'm not like you. I'm not used to this kind of pressure and life style. I do try to stay awake, I try to do my part..." she said, her words trailing off into a small wimper, her attempt at stoicism failing extraordinarily.

Sin saw the fruits of his labor and suddenly felt very low for the shot he'd taken. Well, it was true, so he couldn't feel too bad, but now wasn't the time to address the issue.

"Look, I'm sorry." Sin said with a sigh. "That could have been said better, but when we're in the woods, out in the open like that, precautions need to be taken, alright? It's dangerous out here, we don't have walls to protect us from the dangers that lurk here. Wolves being the primary threat."

Krystal sniffled and nodded. Satisfied that that little conflict was resolved, Sin made way forwards again, though barely got a step before a white wing, once again, fluffed out to stop him.

Sin bit his lip, seeing his psychological manipulation ploy not working out as he'd intended. Krystal, despite the imposition of guilt and the faux resolution he'd created, wasn't detoured from the actual issue at hoof. 

"You're not getting out of this that easy, you need to sleep." She pressed.

"I will later." Sin growled, barely able to keep eye contact. "But right now, we need to keep walking."

Frowning, Krystal took a moment to think about something before mirroring Sin's own ever knowing smirk. "We will, the only pony keeping us from going is you."

Sin frowned, his mind taking a bit more time to process and interpret information than normal. His frown evolved to a scowl as it dawned exactly what Krystal was doing. Clever girl, using her concerns over him to make him out to be the perpetrator. She was learning.

"Really? Because I'm trying to go walk forwards." Sin countered with a tired smirk that just wouldn't stay in place. "And you're the one who isn't."

The desired effect wasn't had and Krystal's own smirk intensified. "Yes, because you're slowing us down."

Body tensing, and anger flaring, Sin began to deepen his breathing and called upon every last bit of his will to refrain himself from smacking her across the face. Those words, those words were never ever spoken to him before. He said those words to others, they were always the ones slowing him down. He could always keep going, but had to stop for them and now she fucking dared to say the same to him when he had not?!

His pride would never allow him to use this argument though, despite how true it may have been. It was an admission of defeat, that he really was slowing them down. Which, to be honest, he was. Though, his pride and ego had suffered a few too many blows lately, and he was getting pretty sick and tired of it.

His glare persisted on the unyielding mare, until Sin finally acknowledge that her closed eyes prevented her from seeing it. He tried to walk around her, but found the task intentionally sabotaged, Krystal side stepped, blocking his path, and did so again when he truged to move again. 

"Krystal, you're testing my patience." Sin seethed, his temper coming to capacity. Ahead, Cyan began to unhook himself from the wagon.

"I'm sorry, but you are not 'fine', and I don't like that you're lying to me again. You look aweful, you can't walk straight, you're barely able to focus at all, and you look like a right mess." The mare stated. Sin frowned at her, but the more he tried to focus in on her eyes, the more of a blur his vision became.

"Kiddo, I'm warning you- woah!" Sin stumbled sideways from the small push Krystal gave him, the shove no where near hard enough to justify almost putting the stallion on his side. Regaining his bearings, Sin glared with every bit of pre aura malevolence he could muster. That was aggression! That was aggression and assault! By the non-aggression standard, he was fully within his rights to retaliate.

And with the deep, stupid look of concern on her face, Sin was inches from indulging that right.

"If you're not going to let yourself get some sleep, than I guess I have to make you." Krystal declared.

Sin took this as a threat and lowered himself to intercept whatever she planned to do, but her assault wasn't a physical one, and by the time he'd registered the soft, soothing sounds that she sang, it was too late. Like a fast moving dial, the energy levels in Sin's limbs quickly began to drain away, stolen by a soothing desire to sleep.

He reached out to cover her muzzle with his hoof, but it was like time had slowed down for him. His hoof and leg were far too slow and heavy to stop her, and  by the time he made contact at all, it was a gentle hoof upon her cheek. 

Falling to his knees, Sin spent what little energy he had left to look up at Krystal in one last look of defiance.

Maybe it was just the sleep deprivation, maybe the it was the slow feeling of ease and goodness he desperately longed for finally taking him, but the mare looked so much more beautiful than usual in that moment. Her smile aiding the song's warmth and submission to sleep.

His head dipping to final reserves, Sin felt something touch his mane. Something that slowly stroked his scalp in a slow and soothing motion. It was the final straw, and the stallion collapsed to the earth, no longer able to keep himself awake.









Allowing herself to relax, Krystal continued to hum softly and stroke Islander's mane, promising him that things would be fine while he slept. She'd seen momma Gem do this alot with Papa when she wanted him to calm down or sleep. 

"Quite a talent." Value said from behind. He yawned audibly. "About put me to sleep." He chuckled.

Krystal giggled. "Singing is my talent, after all. Hey, Mr. Cyan, is it still okay if I put him in your wagon?"

Value Cyan nodded his head, and Krystal gently picked up Sin in her forelegs and waited for Value to open the door before flying in and gently setting him down on one of the rugs. 

"He finally pass out?" Scootaloo asked from her place on one of the cushions.

Krystal nodded her head, taking a loose pillow and propping up the pony's head. 

"That's good." The filly said, going back to the book she was reading. "Maybe now he'll stop being such a plot hole."

Krystal felt the wagon begin moving again and stayed her place inside, as well as any scolding for the insult. "Whatcha doin' Scootaloo?" She asked, absently stroking Sin's mane to make sure he stayed relaxed and asleep.

The filly put down the quill and looked up again. "Well, after using the tarp to collect water, I got to thinking about other things I could make." She reached over and pulled up a book. "I asked Mr. Cyan if I could read this and he said yes. It's a book called Conventional Contraptions. It has all kinds of neat ideas for things to make."

Krystal's eyes widened, the tome the filly had was a simple one, with a picture of some kind of giant balloon carrying a small wooden bowl shaped structure on the front. She had no idea Scootaloo was interested in building things like that.

"Honestly, I just wanna make a scooter again." The filly admitted, scribbling down on the paper. "I miss it, alot."

Krystal had no idea what a "scooter" was, but it did sound appropriate for a filly named "Scootaloo." She briefly wondered forth and looked at the paper and found that it held a picture of some kind of structure that slightly resembled a wagon, though much flatter, and with a long pole at the front, with two bars jutting perpendicularly from the apex of the pole. What was even more odd was that there were numbers all around the structure. Numbers indicating height, width, and if memory served, circumference for the wheels.

On the other side of the paper was a bunch of calculations, along with a few mathematical formulas at the top for reference, a reference Scootaloo made continual notes of.

"Wow..." The off white mare breathed. "I didn't know you knew all of this stuff, Scootaloo."

The filly chuckled in embarrassment and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I really don't. I mean, Macintosh helped me alot with my math homework, so I know how to multiply and divide, but using decimals and fractions is still pretty hard, luckily this book teaches everything from the basics."

It was still pretty impressive, especially to Krystal who didn't care for math in the slightest. It was then that she noticed the lack of hesitance in Scootaloo speaking about the stallion meant to be her father, and Krystal felt hopeful that the filly was finally coming to terms with how things were and planned to continue moving forward.

A slight, unnatural twitch brought Krystal's attention back to Sin, who was softly cringing in his sleep. 

He was having a nightmare? Well, that just wouldn't do.

She lowered her head to his ear and began humming to him again, the soft sound making the stallion go still and peaceful once again. Satisfied with that, Krystal turned to Scootaloo and asked if she would keep an eye on him for a while so she could get back to being Value's promised company.

"Sure, I guess." Scootaloo agreed.

"Thank you." Krystal said before exiting the compartment and walking besides Cyan. "Sorry about that."

The blue unicorn gave her a knowing smile. "No worries, a stallion's pride and will can get him many things in life, but it can also be the thing that ends his life. The ego is a funny thing that way."

The thought of dying sent a rush of worry through her. Krystal didn't want Sin to die, she didn't want anypony she knew to die...

Seeing the obvious worry on her face, Value apologized for his words. "It wasn't my intent to-"

"No, no it's alright." Krystal interjected, looking down at the ground. "I'm... just worried is all."

Cyan regarded her for a moment and nodded before changing the topic to something more lighthearted, mainly Bliss, and a small little cafe' within that he invited her to...





  

   
> Odd Delusion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Odd Delusion
 







Dreams.

Funny thing dreams were. Some theorized dreams to be the subconscious mind's attempt to force the concious mind to come to grips with some repressed memory or traumatic event, others believed dreams were manifestations of the mind's eye. Showing the brain organizing it's own thoughts and memories from the day or two before, emphasizing the memories that caused severe emotional responses and impressions, and forced the sufferer to relive the events...

And some believed... they were gate ways to alternative dimensions, showing what was possible outside of the world of logic and reason. With Sin's current dreaming, he was inclined to think that the last theory was the most accurate.

He'd had nonsensical dreams before, dreams that were like a picture show movie, but instead of it being a continuing sequence of events all linked together in a coherent manner, the movie was "cut up" at five second intervals and randomly scattered about, leading to a sense of disconnect from reality and reason.

It was a mental torture unlike anything the Federalist had ever experienced. It wasn't horrifying, nor terrifying nor did it elect any sense of fear. It was disturbia, a disruption of the sequence of logical events that brought forth the worst sort of irritation that made him wish for the Reaper's spine chilling sight.

Nightmares, for all of their disturbance, were at least coherent and offered some form of rationality and predictability. The worst he could think of that could even come close to this was a continuous "waking up" and thinking himself safe, only to see something horrifying again and bolting awake again, for no other purpouse than to lull him into a false sense of security for yet another disturbing image.

As he'd thought before, though, this was different. The land scape around him continually changed between the white mountains of his home to the gentle greens of a field he did not know. Instead of his conscious mind muddling itself between realizing the dream and living in it, he was merely a casual observer, knowing the terrain around him would change between a harsh blizzard and soft summer.

He was confused by the event but not to the point of irritation. Instead of confounding the presence within his mind for her tampering of his peace, the stallion felt an odd sense of ease at the sight, even a little amused. Though, he did soon grow bored with the events and, with power he hadn't realized until then, willed the dreamscape away, leaving not but the eternal void of the white room.

"Well, this is inconvenient." Sin stated to himself. He knew how he'd gotten here, and he was a little thankful for Krystal for doing it. His only reservation was the hopes that she and Scootaloo were alright. Cyan seemed like an alright type, one of the few decent business ponies he'd ever met. He flirted with Krystal alot, but that was to be expected, she was an attractive mare after all, and it wasn't like he'd... yea.

"You always did have a problem with the fillies, Sinbad." Came a slightly nasaly but sophisticated voice from behind.

Had it been under any, any other circumstance, Sin would have jutted around in disbelieving shock in response to a voice he had not heard in years. A voice to a pony he knew long gone, a life taken of his own volition and choosing.

Slowly, a dull red unicorn stallion stepped beside him, his expression was that of a pony who'd worked too hard for too long in spite of his youth. Brilliant grey eyes that had long since lost their luster, a spirit crush and grinded against the harsh whetstone that was the experience called life.

"You're one to talk, Crasus." Sin remarked casually, as if the meeting was not between a shadow of a dead friend, but a chance encounter after a week of absense.

"Fair enough." Crasus replied, taking a seat and joining the oaken pegasus in his staring into the white plain. Neither spoke for a time, both just enjoying the silent stillness of their existance. 

Crasus Glass, a pony Sin had met during his first year of high school was the second and only friend Sin had back in the Federation aside from Zell. Yet, the two unicorn ponies were different in every way. Zell held an appreciation and love of life, while Crasus held not but contempt for it. Zell thrived on emotion and attempting to uplift others at any chance he got, while Crasus remained cynical and grounded in the darker parts of reality.

He wasn't a complete nihilist, the stallion had confessed to Sin that he wished to be happy, that he wished to find something fun that would make him feel alive and would make the pains of life worth the torment and suffering it had put him through on a daily basis. Alas, be it his cynical youth catching up to him, or his inability to fight it, it was his inability to sate this urge that ultimately lead to his self imposed demise. 

Whilst part of Sin loved Zell for his upbeat personality and buffoonish behavior, the stallion respected Crasus as one of the few ponies in school who he thought rivaled him in intelligence. Granted, most of their talks centered around the hatred of sentient beings for their inability, hypocrisy and fakeness, as well as the lack of need for emotion in the dark, cold and cruel world that laid beyond the sheltered halls of their alleged "education system". Mocking the ponies around them and taking smug satisfaction the suffering their idiocy and hope would endure when the real world came to crush their spirits like it had their own.

Though, one thing both Crasus and Zell had in common was their belief in the necessity of a state. Unlike the latter, whom Sin could easily confuse with abstract concepts and four sylabol words, the former could easily match his rigor and counter him in the arena of debate in a way nobody else could. Crasus had often called Sin out on matters of intellectual dishonesty, giving words to the concept the Federalist had struggled to voice for years. 

Crasus was also one of the few ponies that Sin was ever afraid of, that had ever made him feel like an intellectual inferior. Of course, it was that fear and resentment that drew the oaken pony to the unicorn. He knew there was much to be learned and gained from him, and while he couldn't explain everything Crasus had taught him, Sinbad knew that he wouldn't have the mind he had today had it not been for the challenge that the pale red stallion had given him.

"Heard you had a marefriend." Crasus said casually.

"Had being the operative word." Sin countered, matching his friend in tone.

The dim red pony gave Sin a side long smirk, a small curve of the lip Sin had given to anyone who amused him. He wasn't sure which one of them had done it first, but the smirk was a type of inside expression between the two, a show of understanding and respect. "Fair enough. So, I'm guessing you didn't get laid."

Sin turned his head, giving a flat stare to his companion. It was a little hypocrisy on his part, but Crasus did have a small side to him that loved to gossip, especially about sexual endeavors.

"It was just a joke, dude." Crasus dismissed.

Dude... another thing Crasus had said that rubbed off on Sin.

"Why are you here, Crasus?" Sin asked.

The dim stallion shrugged. "Fuck if I know, it's your mind."

Sin took a moment to think the answer over. "Fair enough."

Another round of silence, both ponies looking forwards again. Though, Sin knew his friend, and if he made the first move, the unicorn would just string him on and on in a guessing game he'd rather not play right now.

"I guess that's all the prying you're going to do, isn't it?" 

Sin turned and smirked at his friend. "Only way to get you to talk is to act disinterested. You never could stand being dismissed."

Crasus chuckled lightly, his face holding it's small sense of comedy for only a moment before darkening to grim reluctance. "You've accepted you're emotions, haven't you?"

"Yes and no." Said Sin, his tone expressing the clear weight and nuance associated.

"And have you gained anything of substance from this?" The dream asked.

Sin pressed his lips. He could argue either way of yes or no, but to do so against the stallion beside him was a dangerous gamble without intellectual honesty and data to back up his claim. Crasus didn't pull punches, and even when the truth was known and universal, he'd hound anyone for details and consistency if he smelt even a wiff of uncertainty.

"I've taken too long to answer, so either way you'll argue me." It was a non-answer, but it was the best he could come up with. As expected, the unicorn didn't take the answer for anything less than what it was and lightly demanded Sin give him a real one. 

"I believe I have?" Sin stated assuredly. "Honestly, I have no clue."

"No clue, huh?" Crasus asked skeptically. "Well, let's think about this logically then. Where do you want to go?"

Sin quirked a brow of inquiry while his friend quirked one of amusement, another habit he'd picked up, or had given. "To go?"

The unicorn nodded wearily. "What do you want to have and where do you plan to be in ten years?"

The pegasus humped and shrugged, he hadn't given the matter much thought, and no matter what his friend would say, nor how he rephrased the question, the answer did not change. The dream was surprised to hear this, mentioning how Sin was never one to act on a whim without a larger end goal in mind. 

"Dead or in Equestria, I guess."

Crasus tilted his head "You wish to be dead or in Equestria in ten years?"

"No, I figured that's where I'd likely end up."

Crasus shook his head with a light chuckle that sounded both forced and sincere. He turned the conversation onto a few other things that Sin would imagine the dark pony would say and how he would react. He wasn't mocking about the experiences Sin had gone through, the unicorn and pegasus had too much respect between them for their words to devolve to petty insults, but Crasus did show disapproval for many choices in Sin's life, mainly how often he'd given of himself in order to protect others. From his time inducted in Triple M. to the Federal Senate, assisting shakily founded criminals from escaping prison, traveling about with Spike and Macintosh, befriending and becoming vulnerable with Uppity, to all political favors on behalf of Celestia.

"For someone who claims to be an anarchist individualist, you've become quite the lap dog to others." Crasus finished.

Sin wasn't going to deny the small sting his friend's word broguht. Compared to the colt and young stallion Sin was back home, his associate was right on the bills to criticize him. 

"Ponies change over time, I guess."

Crasus chuckled and shook his head. "So, I take it you've left the sheep to their own devices back in the Federation, then?" The red stallion asked.

Sin groaned, here we go. "Yes, my friend, you were right, you were always right about them."

Crasus smiled smugly. "I know I was, and you were too, why you decided to go against what we both knew to be true and try anyway, I'll never understand."

His words were hauty and smug, but he had every right to it. How many times had the two spoken about how the majority in the Federation were nothing more than common sheep? Incapable of seeing or acting for longer term consequences? Unable or apathetic to the growing economic threat that loomed over them? How many times had this been affirmed and reaffirmed any time they'd venture out into Northwood or Unitas and just watch the citizens scuttle about, whining their songs of complaint and never doing anything to fix their little problems?

"Because I wanted to at least try. I wanted to do everything I could to at least fight what was coming, what's almost here." Sin said solumnly.

"And it all counted for nothing, just like I told you it would." Crasus declared with finality. "Now that my ego is appeased, back to what's important. You've got no clue where you're going to be in ten years, do you? No aspirations or goals or anything."

Sin shook his head. "I suppose I don't."

Crasus narrowed his eyes. One thing about the stallion was his hatred for the lack of efficiency or purpose in things. It had been a major point of contest between the two, one respecting the other's opinions of course, but still a sever disagreement. Purpose, after all, was something assigned, not something inherent. Crasus thought differently, that in order for something to exist, a purpose must be given to it. Asthetical pleasures like arts and crafts without utility, in his mind, were one of the greatest of wastes the world had to offer. So to was a pony who had no goals or reason... This fact only made what he said next, as well as his own death, a tragic sort of ironic.

"How disappointing, and I had such high hopes for you." The dim red pony said standing, the tone of the conversation shifting dramatically, it was not what he wanted to hear and his tone of voice made it clear that he held angry disapproval. The act gave Sin a shot of urgency and he turned to call out to Crasus as he ventured into the white expanse.

"You've got some choices to make, Sinbad." The unicorn declared halting his steps and turning a little, a brilliant grey eye giving the stallion a serious, side long glance. "You've sacrificed many a pony to get where you are now. You've forsaken that oaf Zell, cast away Windmane to whatever your brother will do to him, abandoned me-"

A hot spike of indignation shot through him and Sin was unable to stop the words that flew from his mouth. "You killed yourself, do not blame me for the choices you made."

The mask of impassive fact grew dark and menacing, Crasus turned to face his friend full stop. "And you walked away after I told you I'd do it."

Sin felt the guilt well up inside, but the better part of himself stood his ground, condemning the unicorn for trying to guilt him for the decisions he had made. What could he have done? Crasus was a miserable excuse of a pony, intelligent, but miserable. What was he supposed to say? 'Oh don't give up? Keep waking up and maybe you'll find what you're looking for? It's always darkest just before the dawn? How many cliches would he have to have uttered only to prolong his friend's suffering?

"So, you're still going to justify your lack of action, then? I suppose that lines up with your views of non-aggression, doesn't it?" Crasus spat venomously.

"And what would you have had me do? You hated life, you hated living! You hated everything! Ever since I'd met you, any time you opened your mouth, you never had anything positive or constructive to say. It was all 'everything sucks', 'that's stupid' or my personal favorite 'you're a Tapio damned retard'." Sin shot back with growing anger. "So spare me your moral indignation, your dying was the best thing that could have happened to you and we both know it."

A deep, tense silence past as the two ponies stared each other down. Sin meant it, he meant every single word he'd said. Crasus was a cynic, a true cynic. A hateful, contemptuous pony who created nothing and accomplished nothing. All because nothing gave him reason nor pleasure, nothing in the world made him feel alive, nor reprieve from the stone of life that continuously grind away at his will and resolve. Others tried to help, Zell had tried to do for Crasus what he'd done for Sin, but the bright unicorn's efforts were wasted. Crasus was too far gone, the spark in his eye extinguished beyond re-ignition. He was a dead pony walking, waiting for the day he'd finally be buried.

And Sin knew it.

Though, what came next wasn't something he'd expected, let alone defend against.

"Luckily for you, Macintosh and Zell didn't feel the same." Crasus growled, making Sin shake with rage. "Nor the two you have with you now. You condemn me as a lost cause, as you surround yourself with ponies who care about you and keep you sane."

Unable to defend this on a logical level, Sin took the emotional approach. "Yea, do you know why, Crasus? Because, unlike you, I attempt to let them. I attempt to improve their moods and their lively hoods, I don't spend all of my time fucking looking for the worst in the world!"

"Since when?" Crasus demanded. "Since when did you give a husky fuck about the good in the world? Since when did you care to see the lighter side of things? To care about the pathetic life forms who forgo reality for the sake of happiness? Since when did a wolf wish to walk amongst the sheep he'd hated so much?"

Sin pressed his lips, the answer formed as quickly as his friend had spoken his first words. "When I didn't want to be like you anymore." In a low tone of absolution. "When I realized that misery and anger wasn't the only things this world had to offer. When I discovered real, honest ponies in the world, ponies better than myself. Ponies I was willing to serve and protect."

Crasus' eyes narrowed. "Not the same way you wanted to serve and protect Zell, I hope." The Sin's gritted teeth only fuled his venom. "He was better than you too, you know."

"He was better than both of us." Sin shot back. "As is Macintosh and Spike. We're both cynical little ass holes who'd be better off dead than in either of thier lives, and I'm glad they'll never have their lives tainted by someone like you!"

Before he could even register the act, a dim red blur charged forward and tackled the brown pegasus onto his back, a pair of grey eyes glaring down at him. "You bastard!" The unicorn snapped, struggling to keep his place. "You abandon me, and then you have the balls to tell me I'm a blight!?"

"YES!" Sin shouted back, lifting his hindleg between the two and kicking his old associate off. "You're a hypocrite of the worst kind, Crasus. You complained about the bitching and moaning of others when that's all you ever did!"

"Graa!" The unicorn pounced again, but Sin was ready this time and intercepted the pony, pivoting his hips on instinct and throwing the unicorn onto the blank white ground.

"I complained because I felt nothing else!" He cried, charging again, faking left and catching Sin as the dodged right, wrestling the stallion to the ground. "I tried to find something, but I couldn't! You know that!"

On his back, Sin violently pivoted his hips, pinched Crasus' fetlock between his upper foreleg and barrel, and twisted his body to roll upon the pinched apendage, bending the unicorn down to his side and in another twist of the body, forced himself on top again. "Because you were too focused on misery and seeing the worst, you fuckwit! Like that was all there was in the world!"

"BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THERE WAS IN THE FEDERATION!" Crasus shouted back, struggling to get up, but it was no use. Sin had his body locked in place, compliments of the non-lethal training he had from Triple M. "You only found happiness because you left the Federation! I never got that chance!"

"BULL SHIT!" Sin shouted, silencing the resistance. "You could have left as easily as I had, and the only difference between us in that regard is that I failed in killing myself!"

That got a new response, a response Sin had never seen from his friend before, neither the real dead, nor the dream living. It was a glare, a glare of equal parts revulsion, begrudged acceptance and accusation.

"Maybe you're right about that, Sinbad. But unlike them, I know you. I know who you really are, where your mind really aligns... They will never accept you as you really are, and that's why you will never become vulnerable. This little facade of yours wont last forever, and when the truth does come out, the truth of the sick and twisted psychopath you really are, do you think any one of them will have anything but contempt for you?"

There was only one answer to that, Sin knew that there was... it was the reason he didn't like being emotionally vulnerable to Life Worshipers, despite the majority of good ponies being as such.

Even from his place on the ground, the smirk Crasus gave was as superior and smug as if he was the one holding Sin asunder. "Deny it if you want, but the way we're alike is more important than the difference, isn't it?" He leaned forwards, his dim red ears pinned to the back of his head, giving him the appearance of defensive cat. Venomously, he whispered: "We're both dead ponies where it matters, you just haven't been buried yet."

"I've changed from who I was in-"

Crasus laughed, a mocking and disturbing laugh that had no place in humor but the darkest and most morbid comedy. "He's changed, he says. Then tell me, 'changed pony' why do you still get a joy out of killing others?"

Sin did not answer.

"You still hunt and kill for the same reasons now that you did then, to protect others. That hasn't changed. You partook in a government structure in Ponyville to make life better for others, just like you had in the Federation. That hasn't changed. You deny closer friendships, offering only material provision and lectures, That hasn't changed. So, tell me, what has changed?"

His stoic face slowly turned into a small smirk, Sin answered: "Just as you've said, Crasus, I care about others, now."

What he'd expected to be the armor piercing reply to end this conflict only served to confound and irritated the pegasus more. Crasus didn't stare in blank silence, but let out another raging, mirthful laugh.

"Do you? Then why did it take you so long to ask Luna for help in eliminating the Trotski or protecting Macintosh? Fuck, it took the Critic telling you to do it before you finally had." That was a bad wound to touch, but that's exactly what the unicorn was counting on. His burning eyes and knowing grin made that obvious. "He lives now because of luck, because of a pair of voices in your own head who made a plan that you had not." His head lifted a little more, moving next to Sin's ear. "Just like you hadn't thought of a way to save Zell."

The words sent Sin into a momentary sake of shock, a split second of being caught off guard to hear something so cruelly, almost pleasurably whispered. That split second cost him his advantage, and he found himself flung away from the the unicorn.

"You keep trying to turn this on me, so you don't have to look at yourself and your own lack of consistency and truth." Crasus declared, now standing upright. "You knew that walking away from me was wrong, but then justify it as part of your little non-aggression principal. Zell, a stallion who risked life and limb for you, was killed because you had to stick to your morals and values, we're dead because you didn't do what was right."

A wave of guilt washed over Sin like a tsunami. The words made him feel fatiged and warry, and his will to continue the physcial wrestling match was lost with the objective facts as they were. Crasus and Zell were dead because of his decisions, granted it wasn't just his choices that lead to their deaths, but-

"NO! Stop justifying what you did!" Crasus bellowed, reading Sin's thoughts. "You're such a proponent of consequentialism, right? Well, the consequences of your actions and lack of actions has lead to this. You can say it was my decision to kill myself, or Zell's decision not to run away, but you could have protected us. You could have come back and stopped me, or physically gone to Northwood where Zell was and physically stopped the mercenaries from killing him! But you didn't, you placed more value on your political actions and principals over the lives of your friends. You abandoned us when it counted, when we needed you the most. You're the miserable excuse of a pony. You're the wretch who works off of his own twisted form of logic to suit his own needs and agenda. You're the one willing to sacrifice the lives of others for personal gain!"

As he lay there, hearing the truths he could not deny, Sin felt himself grow slightly cold. It was impossible, impossible to explain how a mix of libertarian, consequentialism, and change could be made into a coherent argument. If he argued on the basis of change, he'd be called inconsistent and chastised for mistakes counter to the change. If he argued on the basis of consistence, it would only be smacked down by his own failures as a result of that consistency. The same with the individual choice and life worship, granting Crasus self determined suicide, and protecting his life from that same self choice.

There was no winning here...

And there was only one thing he could say to such an impossible situation. "I guess you're right."

Crasus scoffed and turned away. "I know I am. Just like I know that, when it counts, you'll abandon Krystal and Scootaloo, because that's just the kind of stallion you are." he declared in victory. Faint clops echoed about, announcing the stallion's departure, leaving Sin to his thoughts.

He wasn't angry nor depressed, nor full of despair and hopelessness. The dark brown coated pegasus didn't feel any emotion as he lay there on the ground of the silent white expanse around him. The only thing Sin felt in that moment was tired, tired and introspective.

Consistency... it had been something that plagued Sin's mind ever since he'd met Macintosh and Spike over a year ago. He'd never had traveling companions before, aside from a brief week or so with Star Shade once he'd gotten him out of that tower prison. Sin always considered himself the type who didn't need others, who couldn't need others. That such a notion of reliance was a type of weakness to be exploited or a crutch to make up for incapability that needed to be snuffed out.

And yet, when he tried to handle everything himself, neither of them would let him. Macintosh didn't even bother to ask if Sin wanted his help or not. After a few days of Sin doing everything, the red pony just up and set up the rigs to collect water, same with Spike gathering firewood and getting a flame going. 

This bothered Sin at first, those two doing something that saw to his needs instead of doing it himself, but what really bothered him was how okay he was with it after a while. He didn't feel betrayed, he didn't feel like a leech or like they were insulting him by doing things on their own for his benifit... all he felt was a small sense of pride and resigned gratitude. 

It, in and of itself, was a huge contradiction to his core principal of self sufficiency, the principal that took exception once Scootaloo and Krystal had infringed on it the same way that Macintosh and Spike had. 

He'd never say it out loud, and his mind would rally to all justification when it he felt the words needed to be said, but it hurt to know that he relied on Scootaloo and Krystal in the ways that he had. Of course he'd done more for them than they had for him, but that was just another justification, yet a secondary idea to protect the ego and pride the pony had for himself that in no way negated the fact for what it was.

And then there was the contradiction of his consistency in allowing others to suffer for their idiocy while simultaneously discouraging any meaningful action from being taken by those willing as "a waste of time". It was a small itch that nagged at his ear ever since he'd told Macintosh to abandon his mission against the communists out loud.

Wasn't that how stuff like this usually started? Small groups rallying and pro-porting their entitled ideas to the state and condemning conditions as "oppressive"? Then why had he condemned Mac's actions, when it was those kinds of actions needed to make better change or stop bad change? That wasn't consistent at all.

Yea, his life was at risk, but inaction also risked the commies gaining more power... So what was the right thing to do? What decision aligned more with his principals and ideology? Before, he'd chosen the risk of losing a friend to uphold principal, but that day, he'd chosen the friend over the principal... Which was right?

With a sigh, the stallion closed his eyes, taking no notice of the creeping blackness that consumed the white void around him.

Right and wrong, as if these things had any objective or true meaning to them outside of one individuals own perceptions. Sin had held to the idea that principals and values surpassed life in importance. That the phrase "dying for ideas" was one of the greatest truths he knew. It was in that belief that he did away with the conflict of such things by placing a value on it before it became an issue solving all dilemmas and black mail of any kind. It was a common enough occurrence, he was warned about prior to entering the Senate, a threat he'd never dreamed would come from his own family though. It was this fundamental tenate to his mind that lead him to sacrifice Zell, and to show Gemini that Sin would not be bent by threats of the killing of his friends.

Was he wrong for doing that? Was he right for holding to the principals he'd run on to his constituents? He liked to think the latter, mainly because if he was an onlooker, he'd have condemned himself for bending to threats of violence... One life wasn't worth becoming a liar and a charleton... But now, reflecting on everything, on the loss, the anger, the suffering, he wasn't sure anymore.

"Fuck me." Sin said with an audiable sigh.

'Woah, didn't know you felt that way.'

Sin's eyes burst open to see the smiling face of Critic staring down at him. 'You alright? Crasus gave you one hell of a tongue lashing.' He said, his mouth never once moving like it never had.

With a sigh, the stallion pushed himself up and observed the stallion for a moment. "Yea, just... figuring stuff out. Hey, do you know what's going on?"

'You mean the lack a nightmare? You've got Krystal to thank for that, the Nightmare's in her hold right now. Usually she can't stand it in there, but she can't get deep enough into it now.' Critic replied with a chuckle.

Sin shuddered. The Alicorn of Insanity couldn't get deep enough inside him, that was just all kinds of wrong.

'Sicko.' Critic jabbed playfully. 

Sin looked past the stallion and observed the Kid, who was laying down, curled up into a small ball on the ground, a dumb and oblivious smile upon his face. "What's up with him?"

Critic looked back and smiled. "He's happy."

Stunned by the statement, Sin asked what Critic had meant by that. The abstract lead the stallion over the colt and pointed. 'He gets like this whenever you're getting affection. When Krystal started Singing you to sleep, he became really dopey and acted kinda love drunk. When you passed out, so did he. Been like this ever since.'

Sin frowned and looked over the fallen colt with a scrutinizing gaze, half tempted to kick him awake for no reason. He didn't like seeing the colt so peaceful and content, he had no idea why, but it just irritated him for some reason.

"I guess that's good."

'Better than you know.' Critic replied, staring down at the child with small affection. 'You have no idea how happy it makes me to see this, Sin. He hasn't been this way since you were with Uppity, it finally feels like we're going in the right direction again.'

Sin nodded, regarding the colt contemptuously. "If you say so, Critic."

'He was trying to help, you know.' Critic whispered, a small tone Sin could never recall him using before. 'You've put so much expectation on yourself, and then have to go against that expectation to find happiness. The contradiction never ends.'

Sin knew that, it was just he never wanted to think about it. In a small, sadistic way, it was what kept him on a better path, or at least as he saw it. To cast out the sociopath he hated but also to maintain a sense of emotional containment to avoid falling into the toxic sympathy trap... It was a difficult thing to wrestle with, but it wasn't something he could avoid thinking about for much longer.



   
> PC Calling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








PC Calling








Allowing a massive yawn to exit his maw, Spike wondered about the streets of Ponyville. His mind was a bit murky still from last night's four hour watch shift, the overcast sky muting the typically vibrant and jovial town in color and scope. Yet ponies seemed a little more lively today than they had in a while, many smiling and trotting around with a pep and purpose.

He sighed and tried to rub some sleep from his eyes as he passed city hall, large group gathering around the bulletin board. He didn't notice, however, Spike's mind was too jumbled by the lack of sleep and the thoughts of a mare he missed, Twilight. The letter he'd gotten from her stated exactly what he'd expected, that she'd be in Canterlot for a while longer and wouldn't return in the foreseeable future. Part of him wanted to take a trip to the capital just to check up on his mother and make sure that everything was alright, but the way the letter was worded, it sounded like she'd be swamped for a while.

Twilight was a smart mare, he knew that, but he also knew she wasn't well versed in Equestrian law. Uppity's condition had somewhat improved, she was awake now, but she wasn't talking to anypony. According to the letter, all she did was sit in bed all day, looking at the wall and eating when she was made to. It was depressing to think about, and Spike could see more than one tear stains on the parchment. 

It sucked, it really did. As good as friends as the others were with Twilight, Spike knew that very few could ever meet the mare on an intellectual level in a way that she could really appreciate. When it came to Rainbow Dash or Applejack, the mare constantly had to reduce her vocabulary in order to hold a conversation, the same for all of her friends to lesser degrees, and almost none of them were interested in magical theory or sciences. Uppity and he were the only two who could meet her on that level, and sad for him to admit, he didn't give her all that much attention either.

He'd just stopped by Golden Oaks to make sure Owlicious and Pee Wee were fed and watered when he'd noticed a new book delivery. The new Daring Do book was finally out and he knew of one injured pegasus fan who could really use the read. 

Whilst passing through the Ponyville Park, a peculiar sight caught the drake's eye. There, sitting on the bench, were two ponies he recognized but did not expect to see together. Blade sat upon a park bench, looking very uncomfortable as Pinkie Pie sat beside him, speaking in a subdued and quiet fassion. Spike decided to approach.

"SPIKE!" Blade yelled, happily, eagerly standing from the bench and making way for him. "Boy, am I glad to see you."

The drake grinned tiredly. "Hey Blade, what's going on? You on a date with Pinkie finally?"

The dark green earth stallion cringed, he gave Pinkie a smile and a wave, a gesture she returned, before allowing both to drop immediately. "Spike, I can't take it dude." The pony confessed. "This mare, there's no emotional consistency with her! One minute, she's all happy n' stuff, and the next she gets extremely depressed! It's driving me nuts!"

That was odd, usually ponies wanted to get away from Pinkie because she was always too happy, but apparently Sugar Cube Corner was undergoing one hay of a thrashing in profits, worse than the drake had thought. The financial strain had placed alot of stress on the establishment owners and made what was once a happy and loving business home into a battle ground with constant bickering and fighting. Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake were at constant odds on how to rejuvinize the establishment, with the former wanting a more practical approach in offering non-sugary baked goods and the latter believing that a delivery service was a better option, and that their lack of experience in low sugar snacks would ultimately work against them.

"Why don't they just do both?" Spike asked quizzically. It seemed like a smart enough solution.

"That's what I said, but Pinkie says they both have their reasons why not. One is that delivery would take Pinkie out of the kitchen and the other is that they wouldn't be able to bake well enough to justify the lost costs." Blade answered. "I feel bad, dude. I really do, but this is my lunch break, the last thing I want is to have to put up with this..."

That was not something Spike wanted to hear, Pinkie's life was falling apart, and she trusted Blade enough to tell him this, and his reaction to complain about being to tired to hear it? That just didn't sit well with him.

"Hey dude, chill out." Blade replied with a raised hoof. "I feel for her, I do, but with all the crap that's going on at the mill right now, I just don't have the patience, alright?"

"What's going on at the mill?" Spike asked.

Unsurprisingly, Sock was going on at the mill. The rumors about implementing stricter safety regulations were confirmed as of three days ago. 

What was worse was that Sock wasn't alone... A new pony had come to town, well, a griffon apparently. Sock, while a sponge of stoic and lawful knowledge, was far too busy to be in surveillance of Jacker's mill. As such, he'd sent yet another subordinate to oversee the town's safety regulations, which officially had yet to be signed into law, but eventually would be.

Blade rubbed his head. "And that's not even the worst part."

"Really?" Spike asked, fearing for the answer he might receive.

"Nope, worst part is that-"

"Bladie?" Pinkie asked, walking up to the two. "Hey Spike, umm, what are you two talking about?"

"Just stuff at the mill." The earth stallion answered. 

Pinkie frowned lightly. "Oh, I didn't know anything was going on, but umm, I need to get back to Sugar Cube Corner. Lunch is almost over."

Holding back a sigh, Blade nodded and bid Spike a goodbye. The drake wanted to know what "the worst part" was, but with how down Pinkie seemed, it was obvious which individual took priority.

Continuing on to his task, the drake passed Bon Bon's shop to find said two tone maned pony outside with a small group of ponies. What drew his attention was the lack of solemness the mare usually had when he saw her. Matter of fact, she was actually smiling, giggling even. The two weren't that close, so Spike continued on without giving the matter much thought.

That's when yet another face halted his litterary quest. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom wondered forth with a grayish unicorn filly Spike had seen wondering around town a few times. Each were carrying books of their own, a sight Spike was very unaccustomed to seeing, though the looks of perplexity was nothing new.

"Hey guys." Spike greeted with a smile.

"Hey Spike." Sweetie said, tearing her eyes away from the book held in front of her by her magic. The book, well, more of a small pamphlet really, read on the front: "A Social Justice guide to Inclusivity and Acceptance". The drake didn't know why, but the fact filly as young as they were reading something like that just didn't sit well with him.

"Mornin' Spike, umm, can ya help us out with somethin'?" Applebloom asked. She looked over Sweetie Bell's shoulder, her eyes searching through the page until she found the words she was looking for. "What does... In... inter... intersexteoin-" The fill grunted in frustration and gave the booklet to him.

His finger trailing the page, Spike was surprised to find just how advanced and confusing the vocabulary was within the text, this was a book meant for children, right? 'Systematic continuity of equine-centric and hetero-normative power structures'... what the hay did that even mean!?

"Umm... wait what?" Spike frowned, rereading a few paragraphs over and over. Many of these words he'd never seen before, and many of them he had seen, but were used in a context that baffled him. Like the phrase "inheirent problematic gender disparity in rulership". He knew what each word meant on their own, but put together, the concept stopped his mind cold turkey. Even when put into context of the full sentense, which was something about how females held the primary political power in most major offices, including the two highest thrones in the country, he didn't understand how this was an issue, though. Celestia was a great ruler, okay yea, sure, she'd made mistakes, but she was still a great princess... Sin had said so himself at one point, and he hated government...

Sin... Spike wished he or Twilight was here, they could probably explain this to him.

"Spike?" Applebloom asked, snapping the dragon from his reading and thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, umm. Yea, I really don't understand it either, sorry guys." Spike said, handing the pamphlet back. "Hey, who's your friend?"

Forgoing the reading, Sweetie and Applebloom presented the newest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Dinky Doo. The presented filly blushed and shyed away a little, but Spike gave her a friendly greeting all the same. 

"So, what's this all about anyways?" The drake asked. Apparently, the pamphlet was in preparation for a group of speakers who'd be presenting a "cultural diversity" seminar in Ponyville Park, and it was mandatory for all three of them to attend. Spike wasn't sure how that worked, considering most adults wouldn't understand the reading material and explain it to them if he wasn't able to. Not to brag or seem egotistical, but he would bet bits to gems he was much more learned and well read than most of the ponies in Ponyville, with only Twilight Sparkle herself surpassing him.

"Is Twilight back yet, maybe she'd know." The white unicorn filly suggested, but her hope fell when she learned of the mare's lack of presence. Still, he was interested to learn more about this "cultural diversity" thing. If it was required of the Ponyville youth, than it should concern him.

He offered to take the girls back to the library and help them to understand what all of this was, if not for their sake than for his own. He remembered what Sock had said during his talk with mask about the older generations being out of reach for their aims and how their appeals to the youth was a much better strategy. This must have been part of that strategy.








Munching on a few red delicious apples, Big Macintosh relaxed against a tree deep into the orchard with a pair of sheers beside him. He rubbed his stinging eye where a small partical of branch had shot in, happy that Annabelle was too busy on another part of the orchard to give him the "I told you so" look.

Be it a bit of bad luck or the universe conspiring against him, the stallion had suffered an unprecidented amount of orbital assaults during his time trimming the trees. As if the cosmose had launched a campaign against him in order for his beloved wife to be proven right in her concerns over safety. He was half tempted to indulge her methods, after all, it was a might dangerous to be cutting trees and having branch matter scatter about near one of the most sensitive places on his face... common sense dictated anyways.

Finishing his apple, Mac looked down at the sheers again and shrugged. 

"Ah'll get to it in a bit." He said to no one in particular as he stood and began wondering to town. There was another matter to think about now, tomorrow was the diversity seminar that Applebloom was mandated to attend by her school, and Mac had a few questions about it.

In short order, the stallion found himself in Ponyville proper, on his way to the elementary school house to speak with Ms. Cheerilee. The slightly dower mood the stallion had was hard maintained, for some reason the town seemed much more lively than it had in quite some time. He was wondering why, but wouldn't allow himself to be distracted from his aim.

It was as he approached the building that the fact dawned on him that Spring Break meant that there would be no teacher present and that he had no idea where to find the plum colored mare. Still feeling somewhat hopeful, he approached one of the windows of the school house and peaked inside to a strange sight. 

Not only was Cheerilee present in the small building, but she wasn't alone. Five ponies stood around her, one of which he recognized as Zecora and another as Mask.

Hesitant to join such a crowd, Macintosh tentatively knocked on the door.

"Oh, hello Macintosh." Mask said cheerfully as she opened the door. "What brings you here?"

"Mornin' Mask, Ah was meanin' tah speak with Ms. Cheerilee 'bout tomorrow's event."

Mask beemed. "What a coincidence, we were just discussing that, please come in!" She opened the door a little wider, allowing the stallion in. The emerald eyed stallion took a few steps inside, internally shivering from all the eyes that watched his movements. Zecora gave him a happy greeting in the typical ryme she always did. along with Cheerilee, minus the word play.

The other three, however, while smiling, didn't seem as open or friendly. Especially the sole stallion of the room. It was a pony he'd heard about from Spike a few times and aroused less than friendly feelings. The orange earth pony stallion with a black fist holding a red rose, Sock.

Introductions were given between them: Banita StarKesian was an... off kind of earth pony, Macintosh wasn't really sure how to address the... mare? stallion? It wasn't him being rude, but the off green pony was just... androgynous. Though, it eagerly, almost condescendingly, dispelled any questions the apple pony had. Apparently the pony didn't identify with either male or female connotations, claiming she existed "outside of the gender binary" whatever in tartarus that meant. 'Xe', a pronoun Banita wanted to be addressed by, spoke in a manner of superiority and dignity. The creases on her face cold and impressed, giving her a more aged appearance than what she really was.

Next was a unicorn stallion by the name of Bronze Star. A darker yellow pony with an odd sense of mane grooming. Half of his mane was shaven off, yet the rest of it was left inexplicably long on the left side. Mac didn't get too much of a bad vibe from the stallion, but he also couldn't maintain the pony's glance for more than a second before the unicorn found something on the ground to look at.

The last pony barely gave Macintosh a sole nod of acknowledgement besides his name. Sock, the second, or first in command, of the Arbiters of Ponyvile City Council. Unlike the others, the orange earth pony didn't smile, his appearance was much more dignified and proper than the others, a black man neatly trimmed and eyes as cold and calculating as... he didn't know what, all Mac knew was the didn't like him, and had plenty of reason not to.

"What brings you here, Macintosh?" Cheerilee asked, her smile forced and small beads of sweat falling from her face.

As odd as the display was, Mac pushed passed it and explained his reason for coming.

"Oh yes!" Mask interjected, giving a brief recap of Ponyville's sins against the idea of social justice. "And that's lead us to put on the ceminar with the three speakers you see before you."

"Yea, Ah got that, Ah read through yer pamphlet n'... honestly, Ah couldn't make heads er tails of it." Macintosh replied.

A small shift in tone took the room, mainly from the outsiders of Ponyville. The smiles became strained and much more empty in their existence, like the upturned lips were hiding vicious scowls of indignation and malice.

"Like what?" Mask asked eagerly, her smile the only one offering no discomfort.

Mac cleared his throat and asked if they'd had a pamphlet on them, to which Banita, Bronze, and Mask each pulled one out as if they were just waiting for somepony to ask. Mac took one and opened up the booklet. "What is... systematic matriarchal beauty standards?"

"Matriarchal beauty standards are the social construct pervasive within Equestrian society as well as all other societies that hold capitalist and anti-divergent values and oppress those whom deviate from such standards." Banita said in a droll, slow tone. "Including, but not limited to, the idea that males must be tall, muscular, and subservient to female desires in accordance to the problematic trope of "male bad, female good" as well as the concept of the smart and strong female and dumb and recessive male. The male of the equation being systematically handicapped in order to farther the competence of the female by comparison, giving her an air of superiority and strength at the stallion's expense within such a dichotomy."  

Mac pressed his lips as the information processed into his brain, Mask had used a few of these words before and he'd become somewhat accustomed to the language, enough so to make out a little bit of what Banita was saying. He wasn't really in a place to disagree either, after all, he knew what it was like to be on the short end of the stick in regards to females giving him flack through virtue of his gender.

"Alrigh, n' what about the: Introduction of affirmative action to combat the normalized equine-cent-er-ic" he pronounced, "views prominent to the den- den-izens of Ponyville."

A cleared throat caught his attention, it was Bronze this time. The unicorn stallion explained that Ponyville was a sheltered place, and that such sheltering gave the town a sense of close minded normality and anti-diversity. Through the lack of interaction with ponies of difference as well as other races, the towns attitude was problematic in regards to accepting a more tolerant view of the world. Evidence by the fact that the only pony of difference that the town had to offer was a reclusive "Zeborican-Equestrian" who was uncomfortable with living in Ponyville and chose instead to isolate herself by living in the most dangerous forest the country had to offer.

"I choose to live in the Everfree, because the desire is up to me." Zecora countered, a little off put by Bronze's generalization. "Even if Ponyville did accept, my presence there, I would not reject."

"I can understand that, Zecora." Bronze replied. "But that doesn't change the fact that you were discriminated against upon your arrival to Ponyville, does it?"

The zebra frowned and answered in the negative, but was unable to follow up her answer.

"And that is the problem, Mr. Macintosh." Sock interjected. "The fact that Ms. Zecora was unwelcome into the town could be seen as the reason she secludes herself within the forest. This is why affirmative actions is being pressed, for socioty to be diverse and accepting of difference and not bias against it."

Mac grimaced. That... made sense, but it also didn't feel honest. Zecora just said she lived in the forest because she wanted to, and yet it was that lifestyle that was the problem? Well, it was because it appeared like she didn't want to live in the town because of the way she was treated, but that wasn't the case.

"But we also have Cranky and Matilda." Cheerilee pointed out, finally adding her own voice.

"Two token donkeys do not make for a divers society, Ms. Cheerilee. To believe as such is a show of ignorance and a subtle form of racism." Banita pointed out, giving the plum mare a look. "You're not a racist, are you?"

The accusation sent Cheerilee into a fit of head shaking and decorations of not being a racist, as well as condemning the mind set in general. It was a disgusting sight for Macintosh to behold, but he also couldn't voice an argument against it. Two donkeys didn't make for a diverse society, but to call someone a racist for point out the fact as it was? That really didn't sit well with him.

Cheerilee quieted down and stared at her desk in shame at the accusation, leaving Bronze to explain another aspect. A griffon had come to town at one point and was reported to have stormed of in a huff over the treatment she'd endured during her stay in Ponyville during a visit to a friend.

"Yea, 'cause she was bein' rude n' very aggressive to mah sister's friends." Macintosh said pointedly, the memory of Gilda the griffon pushing its way into his thoughts. 

"If her reception was anything like Zecora's, I can't say I'm surprised." Sock countered dryly.

"It weren't." Macintosh deadpanned, the tension between the two beginning to grow. "Mah sister n' her friends, as well as the town was quite welcomin' to her. It was her behavior that made ponies not like her."

"Were you there, Mr. Macintosh?" Bronze Star asked innocently. "Can you explain the events that occurred prior and during the catalyst that lead to the griffon's departure?"

Mac bit his lip for a moment. "Well, Applejack said-"

"No, no, sir. I'm asking if you were there and can give us a first hoof account of the matter." The unicorn interjected.

Frowning, the apple pony replied that he could not, as he was not there for the events himself. That it was a the recount of his sister and her friends that lead him to believe Gilda's behavior was anti-social and unacceptable.

"Unacceptable?" Bronze Star asked quirking a brow. "You do know that griffons have an enlarged medulla oblongata and are more prone to aggressive behavior, correct? To insinuate that their cultures and customs are not acceptable based on traits that they cannot control is a form of racism, correct?"

Mac was floored by the implied accusation, a feeling of urgency against the label pushing his heart rate to spike. "Ah ain't no racist, n' Ah'd appreciate it if'n ya'd not use the term."

"I didn't say you were a racist, Mr. Macintosh, merely that such a mindset is problematic and indicative to subtle racism." Bronze stated calmly.

True as that may have been, Mac didn't agree. It wasn't a direct accusation, but it might as well have been to anypony else in the room, just like with Cheerilee.

"What he's saying, Mac," Mask interupted, seeing the look of rage Macintosh was getting. "Is that since griffons are different from we ponies. That their more aggressive behavior doesn't make them bad, but it is a factor to consider in their integration into pony society."

"Fine, Ah understand that, but Ah'm not talkin' 'bout all griffons, Ah'm talkin' 'bout her in particular." Mac clarified. His frustrations growing with each passing moment.

His mood was non-plused when Sock added in that it was a characteristic of her race, and that with Ponyville's attitude towards difference, the orange earth pony summized that it wasn't as clear cut as her mere aggression that lead to the departure. "And since you are unable to give a first hoof recount of what happened, how are you so sure that what your sister told you is what happened?"

"I have seen griffons respond very kindly and openly to ponies who greet them in kind." Banita said before Mac could speak. "I have friends who are griffons, and none of them acted aggressively or unkindly to others unless it was others who had started it" Xe finished.

Mac understood what... xe? Was getting at, but they weren't talking about Banita's friends, they were talking about a single griffon who he'd been told by a reliable source that-

"Mr. Macintosh, is it possible that, due to your sister's Pony and Mare Privilege, she may be mistaken in her assumptions?" Mask asked innocently. "You remember our conversations about Mare Privilege, right? What you said when your grandmother and sisters ganged up on you and had no idea how they were treating you was wrong and acted scared when you spoke out against them? Isn't it possible that the griffon may have had a similar experience? Leading to the same conclusion you had to leave the town?"

Mac was left stuttering for a response, his mind going into overdrive over the fact as it was. No, no that was different! It wasn't... but many ponies saw Gilda acting... wait what?

"No, no that wasn't... she-"

"You said your sister was personally involved during the griffon's stay, correct? And that the event transpired prior to your leaving?" Mask said soothingly. "Your sister, Applejack, had already shown signs of discrimination and oppression, is it really so hard to believe that maybe she held company with like minded mares and unintentionally oppressed said griffon in the same way she oppressed you?"

Seeing Macintosh unable to reply, Bronze placed a comforting hoof on the confounded stallion's shoulder. "That's what were here to fight against, so what happens to you and her doesn't happen again." He said, his voice dripping with heart wrenching compassion. "I understand you love your sisters and mother and grandmother, but you must see the privilege that mares and fillies enjoy when compared to stallions, colts and different races. Mares are assumed to be good by virtue of their gender, that's not right, is it?"

His body betraying him, Macintosh shook his head. No, that wasn't right...

"Discrimination based on race isn't right either, is it?" 

Again, Macintosh shook his head. It was simple to say racism and sexism were bad things, and he liked the simplicity of that, that made sense to him, he could easily argue it. He didn't think stallions were bad or dumb by virtue of their sexual organs, far from it in fact, and he didn't think ponys should treat others badly because of their race either... nor did he think they should be given preferential treatment.

But that's what mares did, wasn't it? They gave preferential treatment by virtue of their privledge and in group preference... Mayor Mare, the entire city council, Celestia and Luna, they were all mares! That was how they'd gotten office wasn't it, because mares were seen as good and smart while stallions were seen as dumb and bad... NO! No, that's... well, it's kinda true, but there's more to it than that! There had to be! Simple was easy, but the world wasn't simple! Truth and facts weren't that simple!

Feeling a headache coming on from everything he was trying to figure out, Macintosh excused himself from the school house. 

"Are you okay?" Mask asked in concern.

"Fine, jest, gotta migrain." Mac replied. he felt a hoof on his shoulder and halted. 

A pair of lavander forelegs engulfed him from the side. "If you ever wanna talk, I'm here for you, okay?" Mask whispered into his ear. A shot of hot discomfort shot through the stallion and cleared his throat, the gesture making the mare relase him. 

He thanked her for her concern and trotted out of the door, his head now even more a mess than what it was before. 

The entire ordeal punctuated perfectly by the Mask calling out to him and stating that she looked forward to him attending the seminar tomorrow. 

Mac didn't even want to think about that, his head was too full at the moment. Concepts of mare privledge and how what had happened to him might have happened to Gilda. She was female, so they probably treated her better, but she was also not a pony, did that mean AJ and her friends automatically treated her differently like she had him? Did that stand to reason to think? Spike said she was acting insufferable, but... what if he'd just said that to keep favor with Applejack and Twilight? Mac had observed how Spike was treated like little more than a servant and secretary under Twilight's hoof prior to leaving. He didn't think much of it before the two had departed Ponyville, but looking back on it now... How much more had the two unconsciously put up with on virtue of their gender? And how much influence had that mindset of normality played on the way AJ and her friends had interacted with the griffon?

Maybe... maybe there was a bit more validity to Social Justice than the stallion was willing to give credit for...
> Enter Bliss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Enter Bliss








The subtle jostling of the moving wagon rousing him awake, Sin's opened his eyes slowly.

He lazily lifted a hoof and rubbed his eyes before allowing a massive yawn to escape his maw. The first thing he noticed was how terrible the inside of his mouth tasted, along with the fact that it was as dry as the desert. Though, a fact that would usually put him into a state of irritation felt like nothing more than a barely registered inconvenience. Matter of fact, that small to moderate sense of irritation he'd been fighting for the past few weeks was no longer present either. There was no energy dedicated to keeping him awake, (for obvious reasons) no nagging annoyance, no sense of urgency or anything.

Just a small sense of contentment, a calm the stallion hadn't felt in quite some time. Hell, even the fact he was put to sleep against his will and placed in a wagon he had absolutely no clue about, wasn't as alarming to him as he felt it should have been. If he were asked, he'd have told someone that he didn't even feel like standing up. It was childish beyond words, but his place on the floor, wrapped in his own cloak felt sublime with toasty comfort, like that of a child who'd awoken to a cold night and didn't want to get out of bed to close the window.

Sin looked out the window, taking stock of the sun's place in the sky, it must have been a pretty long nap, the sun was starting to descend to the ground now. 

The stallion, dismissing his body's protests, pushed himself to his hooves and stretched out in an almost feline fashion, a series of cracks and pops in his neck and back erupting into a choarus of satisfaction and relief.

He took a quick search to find his saddle bag and took a nice swig of water, wetting his parched throat. He felt the cold liquid travel down his throat all the way down his esophagus and into his stomach. Odd, he didn't remember going to sleep hungry enough to justify feeling lukewarm water in his abdomine...

He stretched out again and entertained a pleasing feeling of light headedness, it was funny the wonders a good night's sleep could do for one's mental state and mood.

He opened the door and jumped out of the moving wagon, not caring at all that Soarin and Sombra were somewhere behind. 

The first thing the stallion noticed was the distinct lack of trees around him, replaced by the long expanse of greening, yet slightly still brown, grass and rock lands. There was a slight mountain scape off in the horizone to the north and the slight sting of salt in his nostrals. 

He quickly found Mr. Cyan  at the front of the wagon and approached. 

"Finally awake, Mr. Islander?" Value asked, offering the pony a polite smile. "Odd, I didn't even feel you leave the wagon."

"Yes, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to sleep and apologize for lugging around the added weight." Sin answered looking around. 

"Ms. Melody and Scootaloo are flying about somewhere." Said Cyan in answer of his unasked question, apparently Scootaloo had been spending time inside the wagon with the stallion doing some concept work for her scooter and asked for a flight for some enjoyment. 

'Not surprising.' Critic commented.

"That little filly is quite the little innovator." Value commented. 

Sin listened with mild interest to hear about the foal's doings while he was asleep, apparently she was studying some of the books in the wagon, reading over some basic construction and engeneering material. When asked about it, she just said she wanted to reproduce the scooter she had back in Ponyville. 

That made some sense, Scootaloo's name pretty much conveyed that much, but since when did she like reading? Making her keep up on her geographical studies was like pulling teeth. 

'Maybe because she likes math and engineering?'

A female interested in two of the STEM subjects? Really Critic? Since when were you a feminist?

'Watch it, Sin.' Critic growled. 'Even a broken ideology is right once a day. More to the point, she has shown an affinity for engineering useful contraptions and utilizing abstract thought. I don't think it's surprising she'd be dedicated to something she cares about.'

Perhaps it was just Sin's own disinterest and even aversion to mathematics and engineering, at least the mathematical portion of it, anyways. Bushcraft required an engineering mind at times, but he was more a fan of trial and error rather than using numbers to try and work out the specifics before hand.

Feeling a little guilty for his laziness, Sin asked Value if he'd be permited to pull the wagon for a while and give the pony a rest. Cyan declined the invitation with a well meaning rejection, but Sin pressed that he wished to pay for the time he'd spent in the back. A few hours of walking with a passenger was surly taking a toll on the pony's body.

"Poppycock, Mr. Islander." Value declared with pride. "I may be a business stallion, but I assure you that I am more than capable of my fair share of manual labor."

"Not a matter of compitence, Mr. Cyan, it's a matter of repayment for services rendered." Sin countered with a smirk, eyeing the tan suited pony. "As a business pony, compensation and adherence to the laws of economics are part of your life view, are they not?"

Cyan returned Sin's smirk with his own. "Like you and your companions, Mr. Islander?"

Sin didn't know how to take that, most of their travels relied on his labor imput for the group's survival and comfort and he placed as little stock as possible on their own participation. Cyan's words did hit a little bit of a soft spot on the pony's pride and sense of responsibility, but if he took offense to that, Krystal and Scootaloo would be forgiven for calling in the same debt against him. 

"Come now, Mr. Cyan. Surely you might allow me to repay the kindness you've shown me in a time of need?" Sin declared, matching the unicorn's pitch and polite tone of voice. Though, Value wouldn't have it, sighting that their destination was much too close to justify switching off the wagon now. By his estimate, they'd reach Bliss before nightfall, which pleased Value well enough. Apparently the twilight was the best time to approach the city and get a full appreciation for the city.

"Though, you're demand to compensate me for the labor I've expended upon you is happily noted, Mr. Islander. It has become a sad rarity to come upon ponies with strong moral principals to their obligations. I feel vindicated in my request of bringing you to my city, and if you wish to repay your debts, all I ask is that you indulge my company for the rest of the trip."

All he wanted was to talk? Sin honestly felt bad about that, he did. Value was obviously a pony of purpose with strong moral convictions that deeply aligned with his own. The worst he'd feel was mutual benefit in such a conversation, hardly a suffering the like the unicorn himself had endured.

Though, he wouldn't dare speak as such. Labor didn't need to equate to suffering or negative feelings at all. Labor merely needed to be assessed as such, the value of that labor was for Mr. Cyan to decide, not him. If Value was willing to accept simple conversation as payment for his services, who was Sin to object?

"So, what is your primary guiding moral principal?" Value asked as the two walked on.

One didn't usually start of conversation with such a heavy handed topic, but Sin could respect forgoing small talk and getting to the deeper and more meaningful subjects. He answered with the Non-Aggression Principal and voluntary association above all things, citing coersion of any kind, save the enforcement of the NAP and agreements made, as what they were. Immoral.

As expected, Value was extremely pleased with this answer, giving his own words of agreement to the concept. Violence was the primary problem in the world, as far as he was concerned. He asked Sin what he thought was the root of violence.

"In terms of?" Sin asked, multiple answers entering his mind.

"In general." Value clarified.

Sin took a moment to think over the question, it was one of those inquiries that was so easy to over complicate and give answers too specific to be generally true. Violence was caused by so many things: Some out of a sense of anger, some a sense of fear, some a sense of entitlement and others out of need. Self defense, protection, resource acquisition, cohesion, war, honor... what did all of these have in common?

"I suppose all violence stems from existence." Sin said bluntly.

"Existence?" Value said, quirking a brow.

There were too many variables to count or to find a common denominator. Scarcity of resources, which was a primary theory in the cause of violence, could account for many instances of violence, especially larger scale conflicts like war and civil unrest. But scarcity didn't account for things like honor or conflict where dignity was infringed. What material wealth was to be gained through such a conflict? None, yet it was still a source of violence.

What such a thing did attack was the ego and the sense of self existence. 

Sin had thought often about universal peace. Not to be confused with world peace where nations would no longer war with one another, but a universal peace, where violence of any kind was elemenated from the sentient condition as he knew it. A world where aggression didn't exist, where defensive violence wasn't necessary, a utopian planet where all crimes like assault, murder and rape were no longer actions taken in their entirety. 

He found that there was only one realistic way to achieve such a world, and that was the annihilation of the entire sentient population of the planet.

Even if a post-scarcity world was reached, and every single organism of sentience was provided for in terms of food, water, medicine and other basic essentials to their life, the subjectivity of morality, things crimes for honor or desire would still take place. 

There was an interesting study done in the Federation a couple of years ago that many folks committed theft in general stores, despite the ability to pay and that payment having no suffer-able notice on their finances. Those caught and turned over to Triple M. mercenaries, were offered a pardon for their crime in exchange for an interview with a third party psychological research company as to why they'd committed theft in the first place.

This was in the higher end part of Unitas where only the upper echelons were permitted access, and as expected, each one of the shop lifters were from a family of means and ability, yet despite this: ponies, griffs, bison and dogs each still committed theft. While diamond dogs were the highest percentage of offenders, there was no other indicative or correlating variables to consider. Each had the money to pay, they simply chose not to. When questioned, almost every single one of them could give no explanation as to the reason for their kleptomania. All they could say was "I don't know" or "I felt like it".

Would kleptomania remain pervasive in a post-scarcity society? The evidence he'd seen would presume as much, and if crime of that kind would transcend a lack of need, why should he believe that the others wouldn't as well? Perhaps the larger scale conflicts would cease, which was a good thing, but if one was caught stealing in a post scarcity society, would the punishment for such an act not be met with violence?

Value nodded his head in contemplative understanding. "I see, that is an interesting perspective, Mr. Islander." 

Krystal flew over head with Scootaloo, preforming a graceful arial stunt before speeding off again.

The conversation continued on, settling on a subject that was mostly taboo amongst all but the most hard core of libertarians: Moral punishment and disciplinary clauses for failed agreements upheld. 

It was seen as the ugly side of contracts, the part that nobody wanted to acknowledge existed because: Well why would you make an agreement you didn't plan to uphold it? Sin wouldn't be the first to give his two cents on the matter this time and asked Cyan what he thought of such punishments should entail.

"Prisons are such an ugly thing with the most reprehensible of unintended consequences, at least as far as the public is concerned." The unicorn stallion said, his face a stone, emotionless mask. "All they do is gather the immoral together to reinforce their beliefs of entitlement and disrepute, a house of association for larger scale acts of theft, coordination and leadership. Removal of an individual from society is well and good for his crime, but sooner or later, that individual will return to society. Incarceration does not make his mind more socially cohesive and amicable, but more anti-social and deceptive, thus running counter to the reintegration process. In order for a crime to occur, a victim must suffer. In Bliss, we do not believe in jails or prisons, the victims of the crimes are the ones who suffer, and it is for them to decide what the proper punishment and compensation must be."

It was an eloquent and cohesive speech that voiced how Sin felt about prisons for the longest time. Prisons did not rehabilitate anyone and served no purpose aside from wasting years of life and drenching individuals in cultures of violence and anti-social behavior. Not anti-social in terms of not liking to socialize, like Sin himself, but anti-social in the disruption and aggressive counteraction against the norms of society. There was only one entity that benefited from the existence of prisons, and that was the state. Incarceration was almost a garentee of repeat offenders and money generators, the offender likely upping the severity of his crime, turning the small time, non-aggressive drug dealer into a being willing to kill to defend his "territory".

The state benefited greatly from this. Showing the monsters it created as justification for its over all existence. Who would protect the common citizen from the horrible monsters the government had created through its breeding grounds called "prison" if not the government itself? Of course, crime occured outside of the influence of the cell and concrete complex, but Sin suspected that the majority of first time offenders were either petty offenses, often victims of arbitrary and pointlessly trivial laws that existed for little purpose other than revenue generation, or mentally ill individuals who were better off in a mental ward than prison.

Not to say that there weren't criminally minded individuals in the world, organizations like the Trotski being a prime example. They did require violence to keep in line or death to fix the problem once and for all. The thing was "why"? Why were the Trotski willing to kill for their goals? Why did Soarin use the love potion to harm Macintosh? Why did Sickle threaten Uppity into betraying him! They must have known that doing these things was wrong, but something in their lives corrupted their senses of morality to the point killing innocent ponies became okay. As much self loathing and anger as Sin had for himself, and as much as he understood their anger and malice towards him but the organization and individuals who wanted him dead, he was still an innocent from wrong doing... In Equestria, anyways... Okay, aside from letting the Trotski out of jail, a mistake that would only be made once.

It took a certain sense of... depravity to desire the death of one whom had not committed no acts of violence against them.

The point was that prison was a short term solution to a long term problems, a short term solution that caused more problems than it solved. It turned petty offenders of illicit substance solicitors who conducted business peaceably in the privacy of their own homes into aggressive and violent criminals, often adding in racial bias as the result prison culture and the segregation of the races, who use violence in order to enforce their turffs and protect their consumer base from compeition.

Prohibition of alchohol had been a short standing experiment in the Federation, with violent crimes and gang activity tied to it almost disappearing completely once it was lifted. The drink was a contributing factor in many crimes, sure, but it was a smaller agent to crime when leagalized than it was illegal. Sin wondered how long it would take for the Senate to get their heads out of their asses to realize that the same could be said of all drugs...

Not to mention it was the biggest insult to the victim of the offense. For a father to know that his daughter's murderer and rapist was kept alive in prison off of the money taken from him in taxation? Was there any worse feeling than to know that the fruite of your own labor was used to preserve one who'd done the worst sort of harm possible?

"No, in Bliss, we've taken a stance of compensation and restorative measures for what little crime we have. What purpose does placing a pony or grif or dog in prison serve? What benifit is given to the victim for their sufferings? None." Said Cyan in disgust. "It is a rarity in Bliss, but certain aspects of slavery have been used in order to hold-"

"Slavery?!" Sin said interjected in shock.

Both ponies stopped, Cyan giving Sin a serious look, more so than the stallion had given him previously, adding a few years to his face and more authority to his coming words. "Yes, Mr. Islander, slavery. Slavery only in the recompense for the victim. In order to compensate that which was taken, which is the right of the victim for time and property lost, damaged, or destroyed by the thief or assailant."

The Federalist stood in a uncertainty of how to reply. Slavery... a practice all but abolished in the modern world. Of course, if done right among those disinclined to abuse of the system, it would be a better alternative to incarceration and destructive disciplinary actions... but if done wrong...

Sin voiced his concerns, which were many. If the victim had become a slave owner of his assailant/looter, what was to stop them from accumulating slaves? Granted, violation of the non-aggression principal was an act against another individual, but how was the standard measured? How long was the punishment? How stringent were the rules for what constituted aggression? Could slavery be imposed for the most mundane of crimes as well as the most severe?

As if the situation couldn't be any more surreal, Mr. Cyan's response wasn't one of dead panned explanation suited for such a topic, or even a humble, if not reluctant apology and justification. No, the unicorn had done the most disturbing thing he could do when faced with the idea of slavery.

He laughed. He laughed in deep, roaring mirth as if he'd just heard the most comedic joke of his lifetime. 

"No, no, no. Mr. Islander." He said, catching his breath. "I assure you, you're concerns are completely unfounded and, and I mean no offense when I say this, completely ridiculous."

Sin didn't feel that way, he didn't feel that way at all. Slavery was the very deffinition of oppression, it stood contrary to the fundimental concepts of libertarian principals and anarchy. 

Once the unicorn regained himself, he proceeded to explain that Bliss was not the run of the mill city. It wasn't the dwellings of the, as he put it, commoners dedicated to naive ideals of altruism and "the public good". Bliss was a city of values and morality, of intelligence and individual progress, where the individual did what was best for himself or herself and lived in accordance with that belief. 

That was all well and good, but it still didn't answer Sin's concerns.

"Mr. Islander, you're a pony of reason, are you not?" Cyan asked, prompting the Federalist to nod. "Tell me, if you were to observe a gross amount of time passed by a victim unto their aggressor for slavery and recompense, how would you react within my society?"

Caught off guard for a moment, Sin placed a hoof to his chin in thought. 

"I... suppose I would... umm..." It was a unique thing for him to be stumped in a libertarian ideological conundrum, but for all of the stallion's thought, for all of the scenarios and ideas that ran through his head, this was one of the few he had never once considered. It was a little invigorating, a new idea he could entertain and mull over, but for the present, he had no answer to give.

Fortunately, Cyan did. Apparently, the system worked out rather well. Most thieves were disenfranchised workers who stole to get by, with their slavery terms being mutually beneficial. Not only for them, but for their masters, who usually either hired the aggressor or recommended someone for them to work under. 

Slaves could not be traded or sold, their penalty could only be served to the victims of their crimes and to nobody else under any circumstances.

Cyan went on to claim that Bliss survived without government because of it's moral beliefs, that only those of principals were allowed access. Morals encouraging productivity and constructive competition, a culture of forgiveness and attaining the best in others, not exploitation and oppression. A society that encouraged free thought and individual rights above all things. And since was the culture, thus was the citizens.

Sin grimaced in skepticism. Yea, it sounded nice in theory, really nice, like utopian paradise nice, but in actuality? In practicality? He couldn't believe it. Which was a funny thing, considering it was his ideal society. So why was he having such a hard time believing in Cyan's words?

"Perhapse a story will help clear your mind." Value said, begining his trot again with Sin in tow. "There was a pony who did exactly what you are afraid of, a unicorn mare by the name of Violet Pearl. A young minataur who'd lost his job at the Fountain Fisheries had mugged her on one of the walkways between domes, he didn't make it ten steps before every magical horn, crossbow and spear was holding him in place by the citizenry. He confessed to his crime and Violet Pearl demanded he serve ten years of slavery to her in compensation. Many spoke out against her for the severity of the sentence, but she demanded he give the longitude of service."

"And?" Sin asked, genuinely interested.

Cyan gave him a smirk. "And not only would nobody commit trade with her for anything, but her boss threatened to fire her the day after he'd heard of her demand, reprimanding her for her abuse of the system we use for compensation and maintaining order within the city. She lowered the time of service to the more acceptable term of six months the next day and life resumed as normal for her."

Sin slowed his trotting again until he stood stock still. With holding of voluntary trade for immoral actions? That... that was the ideal reaction! That was the best way he could think of that didn't involve retaliatory violence as a result of abusing victimhood... But just because it sounded ideal didn't mean it was true. Ponies... all races were greedy bastards in the end. They had to be, resource accumulation was a imparative of all species able to plan and think long term. This, this was too good to be true, it had to be, there was no way what Cyan was saying was possibly true, it just couldn't be.

'You mean much in the same way you didn't believe Equestria was a better nation than the Federation was? Or how utopian Ponyville was prior to living there and observing just how calm and tranquil the place was, despite the government's incompetence?'

I... you can't just... that's a false... it's not the same!

'Isn't it, though? Look, I'm just as skeptical as you are, it sounds to me like there is a government in Bliss, a strange kind of... anarcho-governance based on individualism and stuff... I don't know, but the point is is that I'm not buying any of this either, however I do think it would be a good idea to check it out for yourself and see what he's talking about before jumping to conclusions about calling him a liar outright.'

"I can see you are not convinced." Said Cyan, noticing the stallion's deep look of skeptical contemplation.

"Yea, sorry, but with all the time I've spent around the different races, as well as pony-kind in general, I find it hard to believe that your city works as well as you claim."

Value chuckeld again. "These are not the ponies and beings in which you are accustomed to dealing with, Mr. Islander. These aren't the types whom believe themselves entitled to the work and sweat of others, by virtue of need. Nor believe in the distribution of wealth via practice extraction via state sanction taxes. The citizens of my city are a different breed, a group whom understand the value of individual integrity and consequence, who are willing to fight and protect themselves and each other, as well as handle issues pertaining to the criminal element rather than sit idle as a government body comes and takes care of the problem for them. They are a group dedicated to themselves, for themselves for the sole purpose of their own pleasure. Though, it would be much easier to show you rather than try to convince you with words."

And with that, the topic, as well as the conversation, dropped to nothing.

It was a peculiar position for Sin to be in, being the one whom was lectured on the finer and more intricate points of a libertarian socioty, instead of the one doing the lecturing. It made him feel small and inferior by comparison to the unicorn, yet it also gave him a small sense of realistic superiority. He wasn't sure what to make of Cyan right now. Part of him genuinely hoped that he was telling the truth, but another part of him was resigned to cynical realism, and dare he even to admit, some small semblance of fear.

Yet despite his fear and reservation, he was excited. Maybe it was his overall good mood that made him feel this way, but he looked forward to seeing the city, if for no other purpose than to observe his values in a socioty put to the test, even if they weren't spot on directly.

Not long after, Krystal and Scootaloo returned, which brought Sin an odd sense of relief. Both greeting him with mixed responses. Scootaloo with chipper joy and Krystal with tranquil concern.

He asked if they had a good time flying, which Scootaloo answered in the affirmative before scuttling off back into the wagon, with Cyan's permission of course, to jot a few ideas down she'd had while flying.

"How about you? Have fun?" The Federalist asked the off white pegasus.

Krystal also answered in the affermative, saying that flying had always made her feel good. "How about you? Are you feeling better? You seem to look alot better."

Sin nodded, he was.

Krystal beemed. "Well, of course you do. You've been asleep for the past day and a half."

Wait, what?! Sin looked to the unicorn as if to gain some kind of rejection to the statement.

"Oh, did I not mention that?" Value mused aloud. "We're almost to the coast line, you were asleep for the better part of thirty six hours, I believe."

"Did you eat yet?" Krystal asked.

And it hit him like the engine of the Ponyville express, a couple of pressures in his abdomine and loins that required his immediate attention for relief, and one preasure that demanded food. He'd been so preoccupied and enthralled with Value that he hadn't even noticed the callings of nature...









After a couple more hours of walking, with the sun setting ahead of them, the powerful sting of sea water became almost unbearable, and not long after, the sight of the ocean came into view. 

Krystal gasped and looked from horizon to horizon, unable to believe the size of the water front. "Oh. My. Gosh!" She squeeled in delight before taking to the sky for a better vantage point. "OH MY GOSH!" She squealed from her point in the sky.

"I take it she's never seen the ocean before?" Value whispered in ammusement. 

"No," Sin answered.

In a blur of white and electric blue, Krystal shot back down, pointing and speaking in discombobulated noises of happiness and excitement. "It's so big! I've never seen so much water before!"

Mr. Cyan chuckled. "Well, the planet's covered in the stuff." he looked ahead again. "We're almost there, not much longer now."

Sin frowned. Maybe it was just the fact his eye sight wasn't the greatest, but with as dark as it was, he figured he'd see the lights of the city by now, yet there was nothing ahead of them but a long and winding pathway and the ocean. Well, there was a structure ahead, a sole spire he assumed to be a lighthouse, but Cyan surely couldn't mean that that was Bliss...

The stallion's suspension of disbelief was called to task as they all approached the, from a distance, unassuming structure. 

Upon closer inspection, the light house was a thing of architectural beauty, and much more complicated than any light house Sin had ever seen. A giant tower of a building, made entirely out dark stone and metal trim that shined and glimmered in the fading sunlight. Patterns that the Federalist found almost reminiscent of his home's architecture engulfed the structure, a modernized look of marvel that had no place in Equestria.

Meticulously chizzled stone steps upon the cobble stone path clashed in a culture shock that lead up to a well to do wooden door with a metal ring grab, small pillars of stone held a well chizzeled roof stop over the doorway, with a metal plate on it's front of a symbol holding a simple letter "a" with a small number 3 to it's right.

"'A' cubed?" Scootaloo asked, scratching the back of her head.

"Agorism." Sin answered, catching the Filly's attention. "A to the third power."

"What's A to the third power?" Scootaloo asked.

"Agora, Anarchy, Action." 

Sin and Value spoke in unison, looking at each other. Smiling as if vindicated, Mr. Cyan asked them to wait for a moment and took the wagon up the shallow ramp incline to the back of the large light house. He returned a few minutes later and stood with the trio of ponies infront of the door.

"Umm, Mr. Cyan? Not to be rude, but when you said city, I thought you meant an actual city." Krystal said. "I mean, the lighthouse is big, but it's not, you know..."

The unicorn gave her a sly grin. "Oh, I assure you, Bliss will... drown your expectation, Ms. Melody. This is just the entrance."

Sin wasn't sure what to make of that, but before he could comment, Cyan's horn ignighted and and through a complex series of spells, opened the door to the structure, revealing a blackened darkness awaiting them inside.

Something happened when the unicorn opened the heavy wooden baracade, as if all the hesitation Sin felt had compounded itself ten fold onto his shoulders. Something told him he didn't want to go in there, something primordial and defiant of all logic save the most primitive fear of all, fear of the unknown.

He felt Krystal beside him, her body pressing hard against his side as if to draw comfort. Scootaloo was beside her as well, doing very much the same.

Value told them to wait while he went and turned on the power.

"I- Islander, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Scootaloo said, staring up at tower's apex as a gathering fog began to consceal the structure slightly, giving it an almost ghostly atmosphere in the deminishing light blue of the twilight.

"Yea." Krystal agreed. "Maybe we should just keep going to Manehatten."

Sin took a breath and released it, no, no they weren't going to be cowards and run away from something that presented no obvious danger. Granted, he didn't know how far he could trust Cyan, but even if there was a chance the unicorn's promises were true, Sin knew he'd regret not going in for the rest of his life.

Scootaloo pleaded, her venear of tom coltishness melting like butter in a hot skillet. She was afraid, terrified of what lay beyond the vail of darkness that stood not ten feet away from them. All of them were afraid, but Sin was going inside, and told the others they could wait out here until he returned if they wanted to.

"Sin, this place is scary, and it's dark, and damp and EEP!"

The power turned on, and the blackened room before them erupted into a fantastic and comforting glow of gold and orange light. Summoning his courage, Sin double checked his crossbow and gave his companions the closest thing to a look of reassurance as he could before pushing the door open and wondering inside.

He froze, his eyes trailing up to a large statue of a bronze unicorn pony holding a large, magificent red velvet banner, within the banner, in gold trim, read: "No Gods, No Kings, Only Individuals."

The sight captivated them all for a moment, each of the ponies reflecting on the banners words in their own way before turning to admire the inside of the building.

Pale gold and bronze plate art pieces littered around the ground floor of the light house, depicting what Sin could only describe as hyper invention-ism. Unicorns reading what were, presumably, spell books. A griffon and minotaur worked together on some kind of machine, a pair of donkeys pushing forward on a log.

He noticed three in particular that stood larger and more detailed than the rest, one depicting a group of dogs, with one holding a small vial above the rest in a show of triumph. Beneath them read the word: 'Science'. Another was of a pony who sat in contemplation, his brow furrowed in deep thought with the word 'Reason' etched beneath. Finally, the last plate depicted a pair of devices crossing over each other, one a rod with three plates going around it, ending with a small sphere at the top, and the other a well defined, hexagonal wrench with the word 'Industry' beneath.

"Wow." He heard Scootaloo breath, taking in the subtle touches that the builders and artisens of the building had placed. Plate are wasn't the only thing present, statues of ponies, griffs, bison, minotaur, and even a zebra lay scattered about on plaques with various accomplishments ascribed to them. Each looked proud and admirable, not completely arrogant, but definatly not humble.

"Marvelous, no?"

They all turned to find Mr. Cyan standing near a downward starcase, watching them all with the amused smile of an adult watching a child open their presents at Hearthswarming. 

"This is incredible." Sin admited in awe. It was, even to a pony like him who didn't put much stock in asthetic appeals over utility, his mind couldn't help but appriciate everything around him. From the plates of praise to the larger pieces showing avian like creatures surounding the globe of the planet. 

"Well, as much as I do like seeing others enjoy themselves, I'm afraid we must continue on." Cyan declaired, turning about and beckoning them to follow. 

Sin convinced Scootaloo and Krystal to pry away from the forign architecture and follow the unicorn down the stairs.

The clopping of hooves on stone echoed throughout the massive structure as the quartet descended, even down here, the walls weren't without something pleasing to look at. While the style had remained the same for the creations, each held their own sense of identity and individuality that distinguished each piece from the other.   

Reaching the bottom, Sin found a most unusual thing. A small sphere sat in the middle of the room, a door to the inside open and inviting them in with a warm and comforting interior.

"Now, before we go into Bliss, I'll need each of you to read over this and sign your names." Value said, picking up some thick pamphlets and handing them to each of the guests.

Sin took his small stack of papers and began reading it, shocked to discover it was a, literal social contract. A contract of adherence and conduct for the duration of their stay in the city, complete with disciplinary clauses and behavioral perimeters and specifications of those perimeters. 

"If you wish to enter the city, these are the rules you must abide by and the rules in which you agree to adhere to in terms of moral conduct and acceptance of ethical imposition. We do not believe in moral subjectivity in Bliss, and in signing this contract, you agree to adhere to our values regardless of if you agree or not."

Sin couldn't believe it, this completely destroyed the moral relitivism argument that held against the concept of a stateless society. This... this justified voluntarily agreed to violence, it allowed for the denizens of Bliss to hold an aggressive party accountable for their actions with no reprieve in the realms of subjective beliefs. Had every single citizen signed this contract? Did they all understand it? It would take him the better part of an hour to read this, did Cyan somehow trick-

"And now, I shall read the full terms to ensure that each of you understands the restrictions you will be under during your time here." He cleared his throat and began.

The process was almost mind numbing, but the small presentation was full of small jokes and other things to keep the audiences interest, and he'd continually take a break to ask questions and ensure that each of them was paying attention. Bliss was a place of responsibility and accountability. The citizens present weren't there only because they wanted to be, but because of a system of checks and balances that allowed only those whom would fit the mold to be allowed access.

Krystal and Scootaloo had a few questions that both Sin and Cyan answered as best they could, like the fact that there wasn't really a government structure, and that all places were private property, private property that was allowed access by the creator of the city in order to commit commerce and socialization. Obvious things like no aggression, don't commit theft, no allowance of sexual conduct in public view, the expectation that they understand the meaning of these things prior to being allowed inside

The only thing Sin held much of an issue with that there was a certain part of the city in which none of them would be allowed entry. A district refereed to as Lowtown. Apparently there were some issues pertaining to some kind of water damage and they weren't allowed access. Seemed easy enough to adhere to, not like he wanted to wonder around too much, they were on a tight scheduled, after all.

"So, umm, once we sign it, then what happens?" Scootaloo asked curiously.

"Oh, well, after you sign the contracts and agree to the terms, we're all going to get into that little pod and be dropped into the water, which we will ride until we reach Bliss."

"Dropped into the water?" Krystal asked in shock. "I don't know about this, Sin..." Krystal said, looking over the finally read contract. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Not that I mean to offend you, Mr. Cyan." She added hastily. The unicorn moved his hoof in a dismissive fashion, fact was he could understand her reservation, this was a new experience, the kind that few others had ever even concieved of. It only stood to reason that a pony would be a little nervous.

"He's right, we're all a little nervous." Sin said, giving her a side long smirk. "Besides, it was your idea to come here, remember?"

'Umm, being dropped into water and sinking to the ocean floor doesn't sound like the best idea, dude.' 

Mr. Cyan said we were all going, him included. He doesn't seem like the sort stupid enough to allow himself to be killed, Critic.

With excited nervousness, Sin took the pen provided into his mouth and signed his name. It took a little time, but Scootaloo signed soon after, with Krystal reluctantly following their lead.

Cyan took the contracts and read over each and every page with mythodicism, checking each page to ensure that a signiture was present. Satisfied that they were, he lead them each into the "Hydropshere" and closed the door. "Alright everyone, hang on tight." He motioned to the lever beside Scootaloo. "Would you mind, my dear?"

Scootaloo pulled the lever.

The pod slowly began to fall below the surface, water claiming the large window that offered sight outside of he vessel.

It was a terrible time to find out if anybody here was claustrophobic or not, Sin certainly hoped none of them were. Luckily, neither Scootaloo nor Krystal began hyperventilating, instead, both's fear of the fall was soothed by the words of Value and he turned their attention to the window looking outside.

"Fishies!" Scootaloo beamed, cautiously stepping to the window and watching the aquatic creatures outside swim by lazily. 

The submarine continued to go down deeper and deeper, and a sudden jerk stopped it's decent and pushed them outwards to sea. "Relax, it's only the track." Value soothed. The feeligns of movement quickened somewhat and the ocean depths shifted from the rocks to be seen to the inky blackness of the ocean void.

The sight wasn't to last, however, as a white screen shot up infront of the window, with classical music playing from the small noise horns surrounding the sphere.

"Hello." Said a familiar voice. "My name is Value Cyan. Let me ask you question? Is not a pony entitled to the full sweat of his brow and the fruits of his own labor?" The voice asked, repeating the same speech Value had spoken to Sin. "And if not, how much of his labor does he owe to others? Celestia in Canterlot says we owe her money in taxes. Rex in Rabble says we owe he and the dog dynasty, and Monin in Laberinth demands we owe it to everyone. I reject all of these answers, and chose a new way. A way where the denizens of this earth may be free from the thievery and imposition of the state and the liberation from the masses who'd seek to control them."

"I chose a way that rewards the industrial and the hard working. I chose a way that cut the world free of the parasite and their looting arm of enforcement, I chose to create at the bottom of the ocean that which could not be created above."

"I chose... Bliss."

The white screen retracted back down to the floor and revealed a sight that nearly stopped Sin's heart in his chest. The traveling trio stood with gaped maws and disblieving wide eyes.

There, outside of the window, amongs the oceans depths, lay a gargantuan, illuminated conglomerate of enormous glass domes and walkways. Buildings large and small lay within them, some even using the glass as part of the structure. There, a large neon sign could be read as "Drippers Drink" another sign read "Hellion's Hair."

And as if that wasn't enough, they saw ponies and beings of all races walking among the walkways, giving the submarine not but a passing glance of interest. Others sat inside the domes, some chatting away, others committing business commerce and some eating, and there looked like... no, no it couldn't be... was that an underwater forest?! It... it was! 

'By Tapio's beard...' Critic managed.

It was enormous, it was impossible, it... it spat in the face of physics and the realms of all things conceivable! Yet there it was, no matter how much time Sin looked, no matter how long he waited to see even the slightest hint of some kind of illusion magic, the city only continued to grow and expand, more and more bio-domes containing what had to be thousands of ponies, griffs, zebra, minotaur, diamond dogs, and all else was present. It was the most magnificent thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

"... and with the sweat of your brow." Cyan said in unison with the recorded voice. "It can be your home, too."

Scootaloo looked back at him in utter shock and disbelief. It took her a moment to push past the shock but eventually she managed to say: "Was... was that you speaking?" She asked in a whisper.

Cyan gave her an encouraging smile. "When I said it was 'my city' I meant that it was my city."

  
   
> "Cultural" Diversity Seminar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








"Cultural" Diversity Seminar








Sitting amongst a growing crowd in the bright light of the early spring afternoon, Macintosh shifted his eyes around between his youngest sister, his younger sister, his wife, his dragon friend and the well sized crowd around him. He didn't like crowds, they always made him feel cornered and uptight, not like somepony was going to actually hurt him, but just the presence of others made him feel a slight sense of revolting discomfort.

Having Annabelle and his family around helped a bit, but it couldn't distract him from the gnawing feeling of nervousness and discomfort that all introverted ponies suffered while in the presence of a large number of ponies. His nerves were taxed even more for the reason of the gathering. This was the diversity seminar that Applebloom was mandated to attend, he hoped that things would remain civil here. If the ponies and zebra were really coming to talk about what they said they were going to talk about, the mares in the audience were going to be more than a little miffed.

"It'll be over soon." Annabelle said, placing a comforting hoof on her husbands back and smiling reassuringly. It was a nice attempt, and it did make the red pony feel better, but still, the nagging sense of impending doom only worsened with each passing second, as if counting down to the inevitable catastrophe the stallion could do nothign to prevent.

"Is this gonna start soon?" Applebloom asked impatiently.

Sweetie bell shrugged to her left with the filly known as Dinky wordlessly shifting her eyes to the stage and sighing. The seminar was supposed to have started five minutes ago, and the crowd was already getting anxious.

"Now girls, this is the first ever event of this kind in Ponyville." Rarity reminded from her place beside her younger sister. 

"Yea, N' we've gotta big day tommorah fer cleanin' out the pig pen n' gatherin' up the bad apples fer the cows." Applejack replied with a frown. With winter gone, the cows and bulls would be going back into their usual nomadic cycle and, like clock work, would arrive in Ponyville near the end of march like they always did. Nopony liked to think about how Ponyville got its milk, and even less cared to take on the task, but the Apple family had been collecting milk from cows in exchange for apples for generations, and the last thing anypony wanted was to have to go without baked goods because fresh milk wasn't available in a timely manner. Or worse, having to use a powdered substitute.

"Ugh, I simply cannot understand how those cows allow you to... do what you do, Applejack." Rarity commented with a slight shudder. 

"Cause it brings in money." Applejack said proudly. "Farm folk like us been doin' the dirty work fer years. Hay, if it weren't fer us discoverin' the over abundance o' milk cows produce, we'da never discovered how to make pies, n' cakes n' such."

"YEAH!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "And with the ban lifted on selling sweets to foals being lifted, Sugar Cube Corner is going to need all the milk we can get!"

They all turned to the sparatic pink mare, looking at her as if she was a grape growing on an apple tree. 

"Uh, Pinkie?" Applejack said tentitivly. "What are ya doin' here? You ain't gotta be her fer this."

Pinkie giggled. "Oh, I know that, silly. But after the Cakes got the news of what happened, they got really emotional. Like, really emotional. Like, they started hugging and crying, and then they started nuzzling and smiling, and then they started kissing each other and then they got really quiet and stared at each other, smiling. And then they kissed again, but it wasn't a quick kiss, I mean it was a really really deep kiss, like... super duper deep, and then they fell to the floor and Mr. Cake got ontop of Mrs. Cake and then he hmph!"

"That's quite enough, dear." Rarity interjected, her face slightly crimson as she held her hoof over Pinkie's mouth. "I think we can forgo the details, thank you.

Odd way of bringing it up as it was, If nothing else good came from today, it was that. Mask and Sock had revoked the ban on sweets to minors, citing individual integrity and the rights of children as their platform for redacting the bill, along with claim of over reaching of government policy and disenfranchize those overweight with something called "fat shaming". Macintosh wasn't sure what was meant by that, but if it allowed Sugar Cube Corner to stay open, he was all for it.

Finally, the stage was became occupied and Mask spoke out to the crowd. "Good afternoon, everypony." She greeted with a smile. "My name Is Masculism, but you may call me Mask, and I'd like to welcome you all the very first Ponyville Cultural Diversity Seminar!"

A few stomps of approval came from the crowd, the sound over powered by somepony's inability to hold in a cough.

"Alright, so then. I'd first like to say thank you to miss Cheerilee for allowing us to educate and introduce her class to the concepts and ideas of tollerance and understanding this seminar is ready to produce, giving not only the foals, but everypony present the skills and tools to make Ponyville a more divers and culturally accepting home for all of us!"

"Yea, more like indoctrination." Spike spat under his breath.

"Indoctrination?" Mac asked, ignoring Mask's continued speaking in favor of a private conversation. 

Spike gave his friend a side long look. "Yea dude, haven't you read the pamphlet?"

Macintosh grimaced nodding his head in a so-so fashion. "Kinda, but Ah couldn't understan' much of it."

Scoffing angrily, Spike recounted the time he'd spent with the crusaders in the Library to try and figure the rhetoric out. He'd gained some understanding during thier time together, but it really started to hit Spike just how they were doing things once the girls had left for home. It all felt really fishy to the dragon, yet also really familiar. The vocabulary was border line scholarly in it's complexity, the tactics used set up a dichotomy of oppressor and oppressed, leaving no room for opinion in between, declaring one class "privileged" and another class "disadvantaged" depending on: Race, national orientation, sexual orientation, social status, gender identification,-

"Wait, wait, hold up." Mac spat in disbelief. "Sexual oreientation? They was teachin' my sister 'bout sex?!"

Spike nodded his head. "And so much more. It's messed up stuff, Macintosh, messed up stuff. It was saying how there was inheirent inequalities in our socioty based off of the sole fact that this is Equestria, with Equestrian beliefs and cultures. Basically, because we believe in things that other cultures don't believe in, and because we're ponies, we're automatically bias, bigoted, racist, sexist, and xenophobic. No arguement, no legitimacy, no proof, just... You're Equestrian? You're racist and you should feel bad about it. But you can't change it, because you're a native Equestrian, and all native equines are racist."

"What?!" Macintosh asked incrudiously. He wasn't a sexist or racist! How could they declair him and all other Equestrians sexist and racist like that? By what right had anypony to cast such a disgusting aspersion onto, not only him, but the entirety of his countryponys? 

'Wait, isn't that kinda racist itself?'

Yea, hey it was wasn't it?

He told Spike of the contradiction in world view, but the drake pulled out the pamphlet and pointed to an entire section dedicated to "reverse racism" decrying the concept as non-existant since racism was "Prejudice plus Power" and since all Equestrians were privileged and dominearing in their own country, no other species or race could be racist against them.

'Dude, what the buck is this?' The inner voice asked in bewilderment. But it was no use, the words... they just didn't make sense to him outside of what little the apple pony could understand through his talks with Mask.

"... and now, I'd like to present our first speaker, here to speak of her experiences in Equestria as well as her home land of Zeborica. Please give a warm, friendly round of jazz hooves to Zecora!"

"Jazz hooves?" Rarity asked, looking to the rest of them for any confirmation, an ignorance that each and every one of them shared with her.

Zecora made her way up onto the stage, sporting her typical mowhawk and golden hooped rings around both her neck and through her ears. "Hello my pony friends, I'd like to thank you for the event you attend." She started, using the constant rhyme she always used when speaking. Zeborica, according to her, was a tropical and wild place, full of beauty and danger. 

Macintosh felt himself relax a little as the zebra's poem speak went on, he was afraid she was going to talk about how terrible and dangerous her home country was, since that's what the pamphlet hit on most, but she didn't. She mentioned how dangerous it was, but spent more time talking about the culture of the tribe in which she belonged. How the traditions of her family extended beyond countable generations, some of the customs like mask dancing and potion brewing for healing the sick, and how gaining a zebra cutie mark was acquired through a rite of passage instead of discovering a "special talent".

Her speech wasn't long, a good five minutes or so, to which her conclusion aroused a healthy and well meaning applause from the crowd. 

"I didn't know zebras got their cutie marks from taking tests." Sweetie Bell said thoughtfully.

"Yea, me neither." Applebloom agreed with a grin. "Guess what's why things like this presentation happen, so that we can learn 'bout it. Maybe we could do somethin' like that n' finally get our cutie marks!" 

A small smile crept onto Macintosh's face at the foalish display. It was pretty interesting, everypony knew who Zecora was before coming here, but nopony knew who she was. The stallion was actually a little saddened that her speech wasn't longer.

"Thank you for that display of bravery and assertion, Zecora. Our next speaker is a young pony of androgyny, that means they don't identify as either a mare or a stallion, please welcome: Banita StarKesian!"

As the... mare? It looked more feminine than masculine if he was being honest, Macintosh felt his stomach sink. 

'And here we go...'

"Hello, everypony and thank you all for coming." Banita said, her dry tone and slight grimace still keeping it's hold on her face. "My name is Banieta, and I run and chair an organization called Masculine Message. I started Masculine Message because I felt as if the ideas of masculism was trapped in intellectual spaces and politically radical spaces. We talked about systems of oppression and privledge, but it was in a language that was really difficult to understand, and I wanted to create a way to make masculism easy to engage with."

Spike broke out into quiet snickers, doing his best to keep his mirth quiet.

"To this end, we've theorycrafted a set of comprehensive vocabulary suited to the common laypony and for younger foals. During this segmant of the seminar, I'll be delving into the: Subject/object dichotomy and how it pertains to stallions within the cultural normalcy, and elaborating on the way society views and reinforces the notion that stallions are objects to be acted upon while mares are subjects whom may act."

Macintosh grimaced and shared a knowing look with Spike. 

This was supposed to be vocabulary suited to make understanding them easier? How in the name of Celstia was anypony supposed to understand a thing she was saying? Especially the young ones?

He stole a quick glance to Applebloom and Sweetie Bell to confirm his suspicions, both looked just as confused as he suspected most of the ponies in the audience did.

"How many stallions in the audience had made mistakes in the past two days, and had their wives or marefriends either verbally lecture them or give them a condescending look?" She asked.

A few hooves raised in response, with a few female murmurs justifying themselves quietly.

"This is what is refered to as the "stupid male/smart female dichotomy" a cultural inclination pervasive throughout Equestrian socioty." Banita continued in monotony. "Through the entitlement of privledge offered by matriarchal norms of female superiority, stallions are raised with an all too common sense of idiocy, where in mothers, sisters, aunts and females of authority come to accept and even except male foolishness as apart of being a stallion. The phrase "boys will be boys" lending evidence to this assertion. Fillies are taught that, by virtue of their gender, they must be the more responsible and appropriate sex, while stallion's are not educated, but excused for their own mistakes and shortcomings."

"In this attitude, stallions and males are continually bombarded with negative behaviors perpetrated by the mares within their lives. This can manifest observably where mares give stallions the "look" of consternation, or care for them like a mother might care for her child, subconsciously believing that stallions are inherently less able to care for themselves, and subsequently reinforcing the "male mother need" all to pervasive within our culture."

"I don't think males are stupid!" Cried a mare from the audience.

A ghost of a smile took Banita's face. "Of course, mares within such a spectrum as Equestria's, where tollerance and a notion of equality is primary inclination, feelings of hostility would be aroused against pointing out the aspects of our socioty that contradict the basis. However, just because it is painful to look at the reality of the values we hold as a socioty, it doesn't mean we need to be hostile towards them, if anything, accepting that these views are problematic is the first step necessary to take in order to rectif-"

"But we don't think stallion's are stupid!" Cried out the same mare again. Mac stood from his place to get a good look at who the pony was, the voice sounded familiar and now he could see why. 

"You can't just generalize all mares like that! I know plenty of mares who treat their husbands and coltfriends like adults!" Cried Lyra Heartstrings.

Banita's lip twisted in disgust as she caught sight of the upstart mint green unicorn. "I'm sure you do, however, you are a unicorn mare. You live within both the bubbles of unicorn privilege and mare privilege, and therefore, are unable to assess objectivly the struggles and oppressions of not only males, but earth ponies and ponies of difference. The fact you felt compeled to speak out against somepony trying to convey and advocate on part of stallions and other marginalized classes is an expression of sexism and racism."

Lyra stuttered for a response, but the gauntlet was cast. The assertions of racism and sexism, Macintosh didn't understand how Banita could toss those words around so flippantly and frivolously. Those were extremely bad accusations to face, that aroused strong feeling of shame and disapproval. The same shame and disapproval he felt yesterday must have been burning inside of Lyra right now as well.

'And it's a double wammy for her.' His inner voice declared. 'According to what Banita is saying, since Lyra is both a mare and unicorn, she's the most "oppressive" and "privileged" type of pony there is.'

It wasn't right. Macintosh knew it wasn't right, that Lyra, Rarity, Twilight, Uppity... they didn't "oppress" him just by being unicorns, and Anna, AJ, Pinkie, and the rest of them didn't make him feel lesser just for being mares. Well, he didn't feel beaten down anymore, anyways. Yea, sure, back before he left the family home, things weren't exactly great between all of them, especially a year ago when he'd first left and Applejack's friends all came over to try and figure things out. Still, it wasn't all that bad... right?

Well, he couldn't say that either. Applejack, Granny, and Applebloom did gang up and brow beat him alot, and he was treated differently by virtue of him being a stallion... So... and even now, Annabelle did mother him quite a bit, lecturing him at times and what not; which he'd be lying if he said he minded it all that much, but that was... that wasn't right, was it? He was a grown stallion, she was his wife, not his mother...

Lyra found her voice and tried to fight back. "I- it's not sexist to say I'm not sexist!"

"Actually, miss, yes it is." Banita countered. "As a unicorn mare, you have special rights granted to you by socioty. With mare's being the dominant gender in society, and female in group preference, mares are much more likely to advance in their careers and be included in boardroom meetings than stallions are. Mares are also given preferential treatment in political prospects than stallions are, take Ponyville politics, for example. The entirety of your political leaders were made up completely of mares, reinforcing the idea that mare's rightful place is head of the society instead of an equal show of both stallions and mares."

"Yea, well, that's because... umm..." Lyra began, only to have the words die in her throat.

Macintosh cringed, it was obvious she didn't have the mindset to argue against this, and she was only going to either embarass herself and strengthen Banita's position.

"But... but we have Filthy Rich!" Lyra declared, finding the richest pony in town standing besides her. "He's both an earth pony and a male, and he's the richest pony in town!"

Macintosh felt himself grow slightly hopeful, that was true, Mr. Rich had a few accounts with the Apple family. The small flame of hope wasn't to last, though. Banita pointed out that this was a small town, and one exception to the rule didn't disprove the rule, citing the numerous rich mares all throughout other areas of society. 

"Statistically speaking, mares outnumber stallions in terms of wealth in a ratio of seven out of eight. Mares are the dominant force of consumer power within society, spending 85% of overall consumer capital. As well as the overwhelming holders of political power, with mares making up 75% of those in political office at least in the past six decades, down from the 81% it was last year. Through the evidence presented, it is clear that there is an intrinsic bias against males in Equestrian society where pertinent power is concerned, with 100% of all cities and towns headed by ponies, with no power being given to ponies of difference."

"That's because those ponies were elected into office by a democratic process!" Spike shouted, no longer able to contain himself.

"Precisely." Banite replied with a triumphant smirk. "The mares were elected into political office and supported by capitalism into systems of power by a primarily female pony base. There by marginalizing stallions and ponies of difference. This inequality of representation is just that, evidence of inequality, and is in need of rectification. Equality is the hallmark of any great society, and the lack of effort put forward to bring equality to Equestria is an injustice that must be worked against. Misandry and racism are extremely pervasive within our society, perpetuated by our own intrinsic nature of bias and we must all work to deconstruct these structures."

"I'm a stallion, and I don't feel like things are unequal at all!"

"That's because of internalized misandry." Banita pointed out matter of factly. "Due to your conditioning to accept how mares treat you as being normalized and conforming, you've accepted things as "equal" because you're told their equal. How can there be equality when so much evidence points to the contrary?"

"How can acting motherly to my husband make me a sexist? That's how I show him I love and care about him!" Asked a another mare from the audience, her voice neutral and lacking hostility.

"Acting motherly towards your spouse or significant other, while not outwardly bad, is a micro-aggression. It gives him a sense of inferiority helplessness and foalishness." The earth pony mare answered quickly. "I'm betting that he doesn't speak out against this, despite the emasculation it does to his ego and sense of self worth. This is because of internalized misandry and it's pervasiveness through out all stallions, whom are, once again, taught that mares know best by our matriarchal society."

She paused, looking at the crowd with a serious and determined look. "This is why Masculinism is important for Equestrian society. To deconstruct the notions of traditional and toxic femininity, to liberate stallions from the belief that they are helpless children in need of female guidance, from the mayor of Ponyville to the Princess of Canterlot, and allow them their rightful place of social, political, and economic equality and representation. Stallions deserve equality, and it's time Equstria lived up to it's pride and gave it to them."

And with that, Banita began to walk off the stage. 

A few stomps of applause seeing her off. Macintosh looked around to try and find the ponies stomping, only finding a few stallions slowly being silenced by glares from more than one disapproving mare... completely reinforcing Banita's entire presentation.

"Inequality?" Applebloom said looking a little guilty. "Is... is that why we ain't got no colts in the cutie mark crusaders, cause we think colts 'r stupid?"

She turned her attention to Macintosh in inquary, but just as soon as the red head filly's eyes landed upon him, her gaze was averted in utter guilt and shame, her shoulder slumping and the bow attop her head falling along with her ears. Macintosh didn't need to ask, he knew exactly what she was feeling and why.

"Do you oppress Macintosh, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity gasped in shock. "No! Of course I don't, Sweetie Bell! That... that mare didn't know what she was talking about... I mean, granted she made a few points about our political system, and how the country is ruled mostly by mares. But... that... that doesn't mean that I oppress him." 

She shared a brief look to Macintosh and then to Spike, her demeanor shifting from indignant to guilt for exactly the same reason Applebloom's had. The apple stallion looked over to find Applejack, who looked contemplative and thoughtful, and then to Spike who was merely shaking his head in disapproval. Pinkie was the only one who didn't show any expression what so ever, nothing but a vague and curious look, as if trying to piece together all she was hearing without casting any kind of moral judgement.

The third speaker came forward, the dark yellow pony Macintosh recognized as Bronze Star. He gave his own introduction and thanked Banita and Zecora for their presentations before delving into his own speech. He introduced himself as one of the organizers of the Earth Lives Matter movement up in Canterlot, a movement that had gained a lot of steam ever since the Communist protests had self destructed and involved the royal guard's "brutality".

"Earth ponies are a very important aspect to Equestrian socioty, yet they are also the single most marginalized group. Nowhere in all of Equestria has a male earth pony held office in the past two decades, despite the fact we are the primary workers on farms and production. Pegasus have also maintained their roles as the primary defenders, overseers and weather control operatives of all society, both have been confined to their tribal roles through the confinement of necessity of nature. Though, there is a single group that is no longer constrained, the unicorns."

Macintosh felt himself tense up, he knew the story all to well, and he could already see where this was going.

As expected, Bronze elaborated that Celestia and Luna had freed the unicorns from their responsibility of raising the sun and the moon. Liberating them from that which constrained their time and energy to be used for other pursuits. 

"Yea! But Unicorns have also used alot of that time to making life easier and safe for both pegasi and earth ponies!" Somepony, likely a unicorn, pointed out. "Great Innovator created both the anti-electricity suite and discovered steam power! Making it easier for earth ponies to work and safer for pegasi!"

"Yea!" Declared another pony. "And Star Swirl the bearded developed the methods for nitrogen rich fertilizer! Making crops growth much easier and efficient!"

That was true, and in that truth, Macintosh felt himself relax. Why were these guys trying to divide everypony? Well, they weren't really 'trying' to divide them, but they certainly used decisive and accusatory language. 

"Yes, but how many more innovations and theories could have been made if earth ponies and pegasi were released from their own roles?" Bronze countered with expert charisma. "How fair is it to give credit to the unicorns for theories and progress that could have easily come from earth ponies or pegasi if they had the time? It was only because unicorns were allowed out of their constraints and social roles that they were allowed the time to develop such skills and abilities. Unicorns are also given preferential treatment for special schools and have free reign with their magic, while pegasi and earth ponies require certificates and licences for flight and farm."

It was at this point Spike stood up and stormed past the crowd. Macintosh, was tempted to stand and walk after him, but everything that Bronze had said so far wasn't wrong. The Apples continually needed to renew their certificates and leases for farming like every other farmer, and pegasi did need to go to flight camp in order to get their fliers lisences... as far as he knew, unicorns were under no such constraint, save the restriction in Ponyville that Twilight had caused a while ago... And even that wasn't really enforced much.

That wasn't very fair... Why should he and Rainbow Dash be required to have a certificate and licence to utilize their abilities and purpose, and when Twilight and Rarity didn't? That wasn't equal nor fair.

'That's a government issue, though, Mac. That's not an issue of unicorns having privilege by intrinsic nature, but by government force.'

It's still not equal though, and they are right, Equestria does pride itself on equality and tollerance.

'Yes, Macintosh. Tollerance, that also means tollerating inequality and difference. Unicorns and Earth Ponies are different, neither should be constrained by government forces for thier abilities.'

No, we shouldn't, but we are.

'And that's an issue to take up with government, not to go against unicorns.'

Raising a hoof to his head, the apple pony struggled to make sense of everything he was hearing. 

What he was being told was true, there wasn't really anything wrong with what Bronze, Banita, and Mask had said so far, but it just didn't seem right either. Something was wrong with it, but he just couldn't find the words to figure out what. Yea, it was true that mares did have a tendency to look down on stallions and treat them like children, and yes, unicorns were let out of their tribal roles, but did that really make the rest of them less privileged? Did that make him oppressed? He didn't want to think so, but what if it was true? That it was just his internalized misandry making him think that way? Applejack and his family treated him better now, but there was still the subtle jabs of gender difference between them... was that a Micro-aggression?

Were micro-aggressions a form of aggression? Well, they were irritating and made him feel stress a little embarassed, but were they really that big of problems, or were they just differences that would need to be lived with? 

He looked over at his wife and Annabelle looked back at him with uncertainty and hope. She slowly reached a hoof out to his and grabbed his, her eyes brightening with love and encouragement.

Unable to keep the smile from his own face, Macintosh clenched his fetlock around Anna's own. The doubt was still there, the memories of what had been done to him, the treatment he and Spike had endured at the hooves of the mares in their lives, but that... that was a choice on his part. A choice he'd broken himself free of, a choice that had gotten him the mare beside him, and the foal in her belly now.

Mares and stallions were different, how they expressed their love was different, and even if it was a little embarrassing to deal with, the benefits of the relationships of love were well worth it as far as he was concerned. 









Frustrated beyond words, Spike slammed the door to the Library behind him sending Pee Wee squaking and flying upstairs in fright of the enraged drake. The look of shame on Sweetie Bell's innocent face was too much for him to bear. Why? Why did she need to feel shamed and blamed? It wasn't her fault, she didn't deserve to feel so miserable for the diatribe spouted by those idiots! Neither did Applebloom or Rarity, or Applejack.

Seething through clenched teeth, Spike sat down at the table and placed his clawed hands over his face. His mind raced all over the place, trying to put an arguement together as to why what they were saying was wrong. 

It was a difficult process, considering that what they were saying wasn't objectivly untrue. Yea, mares had a tendency to mother stallions and colts, and there was a higher percentage of mares in public office and who made the majority of money... but so what!? That didn't mean males and non-ponies were oppressed! It just meant that they weren't elected and didn't get the higher paying jobs! That wasn't "internalized misandry" or "ingroup preference to girls"... okay, maybe the electorate was, but so what?! If the citizens want a female representative, why shouldn't they be allowed to have one?! Maybe stallions weren't as fit to run in office! Maybe-

"Gah!" He grunted, fighting the anger induced cold stream from shooting through his blood, the cold that indicated his primitive inclinations. He couldn't deal with this right now, he knew plenty of males capable for serving in public office. Sin was in there for a while, not on city council, but still.

The drake pushed the thoughts from his mind and focused on his breathing. He needed to keep calm, he needed to focus on something else. Though, any time the words of Banita or Bronze, or the disappointed looks of the girls entered his mind, Spike would feel himself grow emotional and aggressive.

'Spike, you need to calm down!' The voice of reason soothed. But it was no use, Spike couldn't think straight, he couldn't think at all. He had to force his mind to be blank, nothing but the seething breaths that he pushed in and out through clenched teeth.

He wished Twilight was here, or Uppity or Sin, somepony who could help him explain to himself why they were wrong, to explain how they were blowing things out of proportion in a way that countered their words. He hated it, he hated seeing the effect of their words on others. How they morally condemned everypony, calling them  racists and sexists... it was crap, it was all absolute crape. They were the sexists and the racists! Didn't they see that? Didn't they see the very things that they were implying were racist and sexist itself?

With a deep and depressing sigh, Spike resigned himself to bafflement and tried not to think about it. 

They were wrong, he knew they were wrong, he didn't know how or why they were, but he knew they were, and when Twilight came back, he'd figure out how to articulate it and put an end to all of this madness.

He took a look up at the clock and pushed himself up from the chair, his shift in the warehouse district would start in a few hours, and he was going to need all the sleep he could get.

  
> Rapture Pt. I
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Rapture Pt. I









Bracing himself for the slow, yet somehow violent docking of the sub-sphere. Sin took a few calming breaths while Krystal and Scootaloo eyed the door.

Value gave them all a smile and watched as the door opened, flooding the enclosed space with the golden light of the dome it was docked to.

"Good evening, and welcome to... Mr. Cyan!" Cried a unicorn mare in surprise. "Umm, good evening sir!"

"Good evening, Miss. Twolip." Mr. Cyan said, strutting passed her like he owned the place.

Which, apparently, he did.

"We have new arrivals. It is my pleasure to introduce: Sinbad Islander, Krystal Melody, and Scootaloo." He gestured to the three. "Please, have passes written up for them immediately."

The mare bowed her head repeatedly and scuttled off down the main hall of the terminal in acquiescence. 

'Passes? Sounds kinda like work visas to me.'

Anarchy is without rulers, Critic, not without rules. It was in the contract we signed that I'd need a pass to show my presence acceptable, otherwise it'd be trespassing.

Which was true. Anarchy had a negative connotation with being associated with chaos and lack of order, when the fact was that, theoretically, any society that survived without a state needed to be orderly in order to exist. Of course, this lead into a debate of what constituted a government. If this was Cyan's city, which in and of itself was disputable since most of the domes were private property of others with he holding a ownership of the walkways and 'public' domes, did that make him a monarch? He made the rules on his own property, so the case could be made that he was the ultimate authority and, therefore, the government. Which was why Syndicalists declared Capitalism to be intrinsically incompatible with Anarchy. Though, Sin could never understand how they didn't view democracy and the montra of "From each according to his ability to each according to his need" without the exact same argument being made. Instead of one ruler of his own property, it was many over all.

Which, if taken to this extreme, did question the valid existence of anarchy as an over all concept. Neither the Libertarian Left nor the Libertarian Right ever wanted to talk about this, though. Kinda hard to run a Liberty Syndicate when everyone was too busy fighting over which economic ideology was even legitimate. Even Sin himself didn't like to dwell on it too much, mainly because Critic would always point out how something was a "government" in the softest sense of the word.

The three of them walked out of the sphere and took in the walkway with a gasp. It shouldn't have been surprising, it really shouldn't have been with what they'd seen already, but it still was.

All of the walls were made of clean, unobstructed glass, giving all of them a view of the ocean outside. Fish, fish of every kind and like were swimming outside. From the small schools of thousands of tuna, to the monolithic mass of sperm and baluga whales that challenged even the largest dome in size. 

Scootaloo began trembling as a large, terrifying, megalodon shark approached the bridge of the docking station on which they stood. Sin felt Krystal push up against his side for comfort as the thing approached, and he himself found his breath caught in his throat. It was getting close,  the razor sharp teeth of it's slightly stretched maw glistening in the warm glow of the dock, a mouth big enough to eat any one of them whole in a single bite. Black beady eyes as dead as the depths from which it came, promising a merciless and unyielding ravishing upon it's arrival. Sin braced his muscles, ready to bolt forward the second it came into contact with the glass...

But it didn't.

At just the last second, the aquatic leviathan veered right, trailing along the entirety of the walk way and disappeared into the murky void of the ocean once it broke away from the city's view.

All three of them let out a collective sigh of relief, much to the amusement of their guide.

"No need to worry." Value declared righteously motioning them along. "That particular megaladon's been scaring arrivals for years, all the glass is infused with an arch-tech lightning spell that only activates on biological intrusions. Heh, he learned real quick not to touch it."

"Good to know." Sin breathed, leading the charge forward only to be stopped by Cyan as soon as they'd hit the main walkway.

"Oh, before I forget. If any of you have any anti-magical property items of enchantments on your persons, I'll need to know now." He turned to them. "As well as any arch-disruptions, spirit seals, electric enchantments... basically, anything to do with magic that cannot be disarmed."

Sin frowned and looked down at the dragon scale that hung around his neck. "Why?"

Value saw his eyes trail and smirked. "Because, they are not permitted in certain areas of the city, and if you're going to keep it, you'll need a special marker to show that you're holding such an item."

Krystal and Scootaloo looked back at him curiously. He had never told either of them about the significance of the grey scale necklace, whenever they'd ask, he just said that he liked it as a purely cosmetic trinket.

He told Cyan what it was and declared to keep it, what did it matter? They weren't staying long anyways, not like he was going to miss out on too much because of it.

Value shrugged and they turned the corner down the main path, went down a flight of steps to approach the main part of the city. Sin couldn't help but take in the sight once again. It didn't matter how many times he looked at it, it was absolutely astounding to him to see. Domes of light littered all over the sea bed, following the roving ways of the terrain, lifting some domes up higher up and some lower to the earth, all of varying sizes and continents, but all supported by thick glass and strong steel support arches and linked together by numerous bridging walkways. There was dozens of them, and even more fought to light up beyond the murk and fog of the sea beyond.

"Where is everypony?" Scootaloo asked, looking around. Sin had been so caught up in the sights outside, that he hadn't even noticed that there was nobody else within the area.

Cyan answered that this was the docking and inspection area of Bliss, that since there were so few arrivals from the outside world, nobody had any reason to wonder within this area, save Ol' min Bovo, who'd designed the sub-sphere transport system when he felt nostalgic about his work and a few others waiting for family to return.

As they traversed the corridors and pathways to the main reception area, they passed numerous light posts holding elongated light bulbs held in protection cages that gave of a more orange-ish glow than the conventional bulbs on the surface. This lead Sin to question what powered the city below water.

"Geothermic energy." Cyan answered. When pushed for elaboration, the unicorn explained that the city's location wasn't an accident, as power was one of the primary factors in it's placement. Under ground was a dormant volcano filled with magma below the sea bed. While that was concerning, Cyan was confident that there was nothing to worry about, some how or another, he had some scientists come out to examine the area and they concluded that the volcano's dormancy made the area safe, but they did caution the amount of pipe and heat taken from it, lest a rupture reaction develop.

They turned a corner and the glass translucent archways gave to industrialized, grey metal plate walls with numbers and arrows, they followed on that said "Main Terminal" and soon found the unicorn mare from before, three booklets in her magic. Cyan informed her to grab a restriction badge, and told Sin, Krystal and Scootaloo to write down their information into the booklet. 

It wasn't a long pass, and it was actually a little considerate to have. It asked to list name, date of birth, race/tribe, handicaps, allergies, mental stability -Which Sin, shamefully, was very dishonest in filling out- and other important information. Miss. Twolip returned a moment later with a red card badge in her aura, the word "Anti-Magic" labeled accross the front. He handed the card to Islander and asked him to place it upon his cloak, which the Federalist complied with. 

With that done, and a few more forms filled out, each Sin reading and advising the others on himself, of course, Cyan took them down yet another hall way to the largest dome of them all.

"Welcome to my city." Cyan said proudly as the doors opened.

Sin's eyes nearly popped out of his head as a sick sense of deja vu side swiped him. 

The first thing he noticed was the presence of every single race he'd ever seen in the place. Diamond Dogs, Ponies, Zebra, Minotaur, Donkeys, Buffalo, all of them. Hell, there was even a few deer around. 

The architecture inside was also familiar, while not exactly like the Federation, it was clear that a lot of inspiration was taken, especially from Unitas. A mix of light and dark oak wood was the primary choice of display, with wood planks and deep brown rugs serving as the main ground, lined about with velvet red carpet walkways, gold trim and bronze complimentary art littered around in a tasteful and elegant display, contrasting heavily against the black void of the ocean outside.

Value lead the way inside, approaching one of the bi-level market structures with the travelers in tow. Anyone and everyone who's view settled on Cyan offered the stallion a greeting of some kind, always respectful, but never overly eager or zealous. This Sin found a mix between strange yet sensible. Looking between the beings present, they all lacked the slightly blank and unpresent stare that most ponies had. They had a slight sense of warryness and amused interest about them, as if they were just waiting for something odd or off to happen.

'Wow, I think we've finally found you're birth city.'

Another unique aspect to Bliss was the fashion sense. It was like some kind of mix between formal wear and... to best describe it, industrialized clothing for the sake of impractical yet strangely appealing aesthetics. Everybody was wearing something down here, elaborate and sophisticated bow tie neckwear, odd and frilly corset style gowns, stylish yet taste-neutral gold/brass rimmed goggles, unconventional top hats of all shades of color, wing covers, belts, watches, straps, and there was odd obsession with gears... Seriously, what was up with all the gears?

'You know what it is.'

Nooo...

'Say it.'

No.

'SAY IT!'

NO! It's corny!

"So pretty." Krystal whispered to herself. "I've never seen anything like it."

Sin pushed past his reservation to offer a reassuring smirk. "The product of free trade, Krystal. Capitalism at it's finest."

And it was, maybe he was just the higher end of the city though, but if this was how the normal and average everyday Blissian lived and appeared, he couldn't imagine the slums were all that bad.

"Good evening Value. I suspected that would be you on the sub-sphere." Said one blue suited stallion whom strutted forward, adjusting the green tinted monical on his eye. He was a sophisticated, maroon unicorn with an air of business and competence that demanded respect and attention, his authority emphasized by lack of mane upon his head, shaven almost to baldness.

"Mr. Fountain. It's good to see you again. How's the business?" Cyan greeted, returning the greeting by straightening his tie with a hoof.

"Oh you know, the future is ever approaching, yet never here." Fountain said as an inside joke. "Also, you and Doctor Weigh-In were correct about the Plasmid Project. Third party testing and observational companies documented the trials and found that the required molecular components lead to startling bouts of undesirable genetic mutations and negative behavioral alterations. Needless to say, word of the results spread through Bliss like wildfire, and nopony in their right mind would touch the stuff even if it went to market. Not even for it's medical and restoration properties. If you'd like to see the data, I'd like to get the big 'I told you so' out of the way."

Cyan shook his head. "Of course, though it'll need to wait, I'm a little busy at the moment playing tour guide." He turned his attention back to the outsiders. "Fountain, may I introduce you to a few friends of mine. Sin, Krystal and their associate Scootaloo, Sin, Krystal and Scootaloo, this is Mr. Fountain, head of Fountain Fisheries and Fountain Futuristics."

Fountain offered a small bow, which Sin recognized and returned in depth, but not an inch more. 

"It's always nice to see worthy new faces in Bliss." The maroon unicorn noted. 

Cyan and he did some catching up, making plans for later on to speak on the genetic mutations in depth before Fountain departed. Sin was a little off put by the prospect of altering pony tissue on such a level, he'd read a little bit about genetics and how they were, on a microscopic level, the building blocks of what made up a biological organism. Tampering with that didn't sit well with him, but it sounded as if they were taking the necessary precautions to ensure nothing too bad resulted from it. 

Though, he wasn't here to explore things of that nature, he was here to observe the free market in action, and he liked what he was seeing so far...









Krystal's eyes trailed about, taking in the strange surroundings before her. It was like something out of a dream. An underwater paradise that she couldn't concoct in her wildest imagination. The contrast between this and everywhere else she'd been recently was overwhelming, nopony took stock of her struggling to comprehend it all, but it was easy enough to keep in, mainly on account of her nervousness and reservation.

All around her, beings she'd never seen before. Dogs she'd seen once or twice passing through Twin Springs, but every thing else was absolutely alien. Some things didn't scare her as much as the others, like the stripped ponies, donkeys and bison. The former being equine enough not to cause alarm, and she'd seen buffalo before, but those large creatures walking on two legs with the horns? They were more than a little unsettling. And what were those things with the bird heads and back paws? Were those griffons? She'd heard about them from Papa, he said they were a bad tempered lot if pushed.

Though, everypony else was just going about acting like everything was fine, so she told herself that she didn't have anything to worry about. The curious looks that some of them gave her didn't help that statement seem any more truthful though. The same could be said for the fact that she was a long way under water and realized a sudden fear of drowning.

But that was okay, she wasn't alone, and in not being alone, she could turn her attention away from that which frightened her and take some reprieve in knowing she had friends. Even if she didn't know what they were talking about. 

"Sin, what's Genetic Modification?" Asked Krystal, genuinely confused about what she was hearing.

As he always did, Sin used larger words and ideas that the mare had never heard before to elaborate on her inquary. Though, he was never mean or angry about education, and patiently explained it to her as best he could. Apparently, genetic modification was tampering with something that made a pony a pony. She knew about cells and genetics, but she didn't know that such things could be altetred, nor did she care to think about it. Ponies were the way they were supposed to be, they didn't need to be made different. Gadgets and gizmos were one thing, they were inventions and outside contraptions that could be removed, but to change fundimental components of the equine form? No, that just didn't sit right with her.

"That's disturbing." The amber eyed mare said with a grimace. "And the government just lets them do that?"

Sin quirked a brow. "Krystal, there is no government here."

Krystal's eyes widened. "What do you mean there's no government? Isn't Mr. Cyan the mayor?"

The Federalist opened his mouth, but then stopped for some reason. "Umm." Krystal watched perplexed as his face controted into a thoughtful grimace as they walked. "Well, from my understanding, this is his city. By that, I mean he'd paid for it's construction and owns all the glass and walkways, making them a kind of public property, but it's still his private property. He doesn't have a government title per say, but he still calls the shots on the private-public property and is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep."

That was a difficult concept for her to swallow. Krystal may have been sheltered, but she wasn't uneducated. Mama Gem and Papa had taught her alot about law and governence. That Public property was owned by the community, paid for by taxes for maintenance and upkeep in the interest of serving the public good. If that's what Mr. Cyan was doing, how was it that he wasn't the government?

She voiced her concern on the matter, and Scootaloo was quick to agree, much to Islander's chagrin. 

"Because, he doesn't take his money through state enforced violence." He answered with a smirk. 

"How do you know that?" Scootaloo asked. "And how does he pay for it if not in taxes?"

Again, Sin opened his mouth to speak, but fell short on an answer, giving a half explanation on how Bliss was full of individualists who'd not put up with violence and probably had some kind of sponsorship program, but failing to give any concrete facts. Krystal suspected he might be making a few assumptions without getting the facts straight, which was odd for him. Besides, even if there weren't taxes involved, that wasn't all government did. The crown also kept the peace and punished criminals, if Mr. Cyan didn't do that, who did?

When Krystal asked, she was shocked to hear the answer. Slavery? imposed by the victim with no judge or jury? It sounded dangerously like mob justice to her, and if Papa's stories about the old world mintaur were true, than mob justice was the worst form of justice there was.

Scootaloo shared in her reservation. "I don't know how I feel about that... It doesn't sound like a good idea."

"You'd be surprised." Cyan said knowingly from ahead of them, hearing every word. "Our judicial system doesn't need to be as hard or bureaucratic as that of the world above. We're a much more honest and forthcoming lot down here, the freedoms we enjoy are as such because we're responsible enough to have them. The domes and glass is maintained through multiple service companies, one of whom constructed them, and are funded by most corporate entities down here."

"Corporations pay for it?" Krystal asked.

Cyan nodded sagely as they ascended the steps to the second level of the shopping center. "Indeed, as most all companies offer things like medical insurance and dental insurance, they also offer, what I like to call, preservation insurance. Though, instead of getting medical care, the money is used to upkeep the domes and walkways."

"And, what happens if a company opts out of this?" Sin asked.

"Then the domes they own don't get maintained." Cyan replied with a smirk, turning around. "They can pay out of pocket for the maintenance, sure, but It's cheaper for them to pay into the insurance. Companies get an idea of income security, and the dome owners get security of mind in knowing that if there's a crack or leak, they'll have the issue fixed in an expedient manner."

"But what if the company raises it's prices?" Scootaloo asked. "Greedy ponies could do this and charge a bunch of money."

Krystal nodded in agreement, she didn't know much about economics, but she did know what essential services were, and government needed to make sure that those services were provided for due to the price gouging.

Cyan and Sin shared a knowing look. "Because of competition, the cornerstone of capitalism, my dear."

Sin nodded. "If one company raises it's prices needlessly, they will lose customers and the other business whom provide the same business will be used as a cheaper alternative."

Krystal frowned, yea, she knew about that. "But what if they all get together and raise their prices at once? Agreeing to keep prices high on everypony?"

Sin's face dropped a little, giving her a guilty pleasure in knowing that she'd finally stumped him in something. 

"Oh, they've tried that already." Cyan chuckled. "The other corporations saw it happen and sent out news letters to all of their employees about it. A new option was given for insurance provision and they all subsidized a new start up maintenance company between them and dropped all the unionized entities. Damn near put Ol' min Bovo out of business two weeks in, and made an example of two others by not hiring them again. They learned quickly that pulling that kind of stunt wouldn't work out too well. The story serves as a reminder to the air and ventilation providers, they aren't dealing with idiots down here."

Sin quirked a brow. "A different breed of honest individuals whom utilizes shameful tactics to gain a union monopoly?"

The small jab didn't escape the businesspony's notice and he gave the stallion a smirk. "A different breed that knows how to successfully fight a union monopoly. Utopia is not for this world, Sin. Even moral individuals will commit immoral acts if the adequate incentive is present. What's important is to have only those smart, responsible, and willing enough to combat it when reality rears its lovely little head."

Krystal tilted her head but before she could ask any more questions, Cyan excused himself for a moment to speak to the shop keeper of the store they stood in front of for a moment, requesting they stay outside for a moment.

It was odd, companies voluntarily paid money to have all of the domes and walkways maintained? Well, it made sense since they had a vested interest in keeping their income base, you know, alive, but then again it kinda didn't. What about the ponies and what not who didn't want to pay? Weren't they free loading? Well, there were a bunch of free loaders back on the surface, so she supposed that might be unavoidable.

"What the?" Scootaloo asked, approaching a window display. Her attention so concentrated on the matter of governance, Krystal had only now taken account of her surroundings. She gasped at what was in the display case. A beautiful light saphire, black black trimmed gown was adorned upon a blank pony mannequin. Unlike most of the female outfit's she'd seen about, this one was much less elaborate and constraining, the neck opening up a little with a small black bow choke collar and a tiara upon it's head.

Krystal never much considered herself one for frivolous aesthetically appeals, finding her simple white and teal bandannas much more to her liking, but the dress was placed just so that the glass caught her reflection, and made it appear as if on her own form. She gave herself a smile and turned about a little, her head about a little, imagining how it would look on her. 

A sudden crash of breaking glass interjected itself into her dream before it became to deep, startling her with a slight squeak.

"CITATION NEEDED!" Cried a gnarled, slightly high pitched male voice that came from a teal figure that charged out of the broken window to her left.

"GET THE BUCK OUT OF MY WAY THERE'S SOMEONE WHO'S WRONG ON COLLEGE HOLIDAY AND THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE HOW WRONG THEY ARE, THEY'RE JUST SPOUTING A BUNCH OF OPINIONS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION TO BACK UP ANYTHING THEY SAY! THEY JUST GO ON AND ON AND ON, DEPOSITING THEIR OWN SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS AS IF THEy're objective fact, and extrapolating their own unique  experiences apps to the general public as if that's in any way valid. And then ignoring objectively true statistical generalizations..."

Watching as the teal quadruped rushed through the market plaza in a rapid succession of clopping hooves and beings of every type watching with interest, Krystal stood awestruck. Not over what it was saying, but over the loud and manner manner in which it had entered, er, exited, the establishment.

"What in Equestria was that?" She heard Scootaloo ask, who was now pushed up against her leg.

"That, young filly, would be an old associate of mine." Declared Cyan as he walked out the door, his face alight with the most amused grin Krystal had ever seen. "He loves debating, and putting his wits against others, he considers it a love to destroy the illogical and unreasonable with facts and statistics, and it just so happened that next week was college spring break. All of the pseudo-intellectual brats will be in Neightona for the week trying to impress mares and stallions, he likes to go there and ruin their good time."

"That's fine and all." Scolded a voice from within the shop, a bi-color red and tan deer poking her head out of the broken translucent barrier. "But must you rile him up so much when you come to deliver the news, Mr. Cyan? You know how abrasive and worked up he gets."

Value chuckled a deep, mirthful laugh and promised to pay for both the new window and clean up, apologizing to the shop keeper for his transgression against her. Even promising a few bits for her trouble.

After that, he asked all of them to resume their trek once again through the city. Krystal spared another glance at the dress, her eyes lingering a little longer than she intended. She and Scootaloo began walking but she noticed Islander hadn't. When she turned to ask him what was wrong, she noticed what had caught his eye.

There, sitting on another mannequin, was a Blissian male outfit, but that's not what he was looking at, Sin was looking intently at the goggles upon the thing's headpiece. They weren't as complex as the other pieces of eye ware she'd seen around, but she thought that's what attracted him to them. They were just a pair of oval, black rimmed goggles with a slight dark gold pattern on the band. The only thing of real note was that the lenses were a fine, sapphire blue, many shades darker than his eyes.

"Islander?" She said cautiously.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry." He cleared his throat, trying to play off his enchantment. "Just lost in thought for a second."

She giggled and beckoned him forward, taking note of his last glance back at the eye ware.









What was suspected to be a small tour, turned out to be an escort to a small inn establishment a little ways into the city. Scootaloo wasn't sad about that, as exciting as the entire advent was and as intriguing as the stuff down her was, she was tired. All she wanted to do was eat something NOT amaranth and asparagus based, curl up, and pass out. 

Krystal felt much the same, doing an hours worth of paper work and considering the time, it wasn't surprising.

Passing through another walkway, their guide introduced them to a cozy and much more down played area. A few inn themed signs stood about this dome, each promising a good night's sleep, a few luxury comforts and a complimentary breakfast with each stay. Cyan lead them to one in particular, a building made of dark oak that stretched up to the top of the shared dome.

They were greeted by a smiling diamond dog, who, like everypony... thing, else here, had an attitude of superiority and knowing not unlike Islander. The uniform behavior was off putting to the filly, they didn't seem mean or under-hoofed or anything, it was just... made her feel really naive and foalish. Like they had everything figured out and knew she didn't. Their eyes were so calculating and analytical, it felt like they could read her entire life just by looking at her.

Again, she didn't suspect malevolence, just... she didn't know how to explain it.

Cyan spoke briefly to the owner of the establishment and then called Islander over to speak in private for a moment. Once their conversation was done, Value placed a few bits onto the counter and informed them that he would be speaking with the oaken pony alone for a while and the other two were welcomed to stay in the room he'd gotten for them.

"You're leaving us alone?" Krystal asked alarmed.

Sin gave her a smile. "I've been asleep for a while, not really tired and I'd like to discuss a few things with Value about Bliss. He said you guys will be safe on your own here, so long as you behave yourselves."

Krystal didn't like that at all. Ever since she'd left her family's farm, she'd always stuck by Islander's side, or at least had him somewhere close by. She knew she didn't have much of a chance if anything happened to her or Scootaloo, but he was convinced that nothing wood, giving her that warm smile of encouragement that helped set her mind at ease; the same smile he'd used to calm her down when they were surrounded by buffalo back in Appleloosa. 

She wished he smiled like that more often...

"Right this way, please." Said the owner as she lead the two to a door down the hall. Krystal spared a last look to find Cyan and Sin speaking before they disappeared around the curve of the hallway. The diamond dog guide opened the door to the room, revealing their compliment. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple room with a pair of beds, a few lamps, and a desk and dresser.

"Thank you." Krystal said, taking the key.

Once the door closed, Angel Bunny poked his head out of the saddle bag on Krystal's side and looked around in irritation, though once his eyes landed upon the window outside he slipped right back into the bag and refused to come out.

"Aww, don't be scared, Angel." Krystal cooed, reaching into the bag with her hooves and pulling the terrified vermin from the confines. He tried to get back in, but found his only recourse was to cling tightly to Krystal's neck once he could get a hold and bury his face there in a futile attempt to escape the school of dastardly tuna who'd passed by the window.

She smiled at his contact, feeling a little better for it.

After a few minutes of admiring the inky depths of the ocean outside, Scootaloo broke the silence.

"Hey Krystal?"

"Yes, what is it, Scootaloo?"

The filly lifted her head from her place on the bed, her eyes showing signs of fighting sleep. "What is it you wanna do with your life?"

That was an odd question to ask, but one thing Sin had pointed out was that Scootaloo had a tendency to ask alot of questions when she was afraid or nervous. Coping Mechanism, he said it was.

She tilted her head in inquisition. "What do you mean?"

"Well, like I wanna be a Wonderbolt when I grow up, but you've never said what it is you want to do with the rest of your life." Scootaloo replied.

Odd question indeed, no reason to ask it, but no reason not to ask it either. 

"Umm, I don't know." The amber eyed pegasus replied thoughtfully. "I guess I'd never thought about it before."

"Never?" Scootaloo asked.

Krystal shook her head and voiced that she'd never thought she'd leave the rock farm. Honestly speaking, she figured she'd meet a stallion in Twin Springs, and take over the farm with her brothers when the time came. To be out and about in the world like this? It showed her a whole host of oppertunities for her life, though, none that she was particularly interested in.

"I think you should be a singer."

"A singer?" The off white mare asked with a slight curve of her brow.

Scootaloo nodded and complimented her humming voice, it was a beautiful and relaxing tune, one that kind of reminded her a little of Annabelle's but even more smooth and a little higher pitch. She'd need to work on not putting ponies to sleep with it, but she saw some serious potential in her talent.

Thanking her with her usual humility, Krystal turned away from Scootaloo and back to the ocean. Though, her mind was anywhere but looking at the well sized sharks swimming menacingly outside.

Her shoulders slumped and her eyes stared guiltily down at the black abyss outside. Singing... Singing used to bring her such joy when she was younger, to see the different tones and tunes her voice could create, all the different compilations and continuations she'd come up with. Songs of joy, of life, of kindness and... selfish desire and escape. Escape away from the rock farm, venturing off into the wild wilderness of the country free from the work and turmoil she didn't care for but only did because she wanted her family to be happy.

It was during one of these songs she sang when she thought she was alone out in the ravine, unbeknownst to her until later, Papa had over heard her. He'd witnessed her harsh words of the farm, of her resentment towards the place, of the feeling of being trapped by her family and wanting more. 

Guilt beyond guilt consumed the filly when she found out that she was discovered, seeing the stallion she called Papa looking as if he'd failed in giving her a good upbringing. She could barely hold back the tears when he'd told her of what he'd sacrificed to give her a stable home, even if it was out in the middle of no where.

It was one of the few apologies he'd ever given her, but he was sorry that she wasn't happy, and it broke Krystal's heart to know that she had broken his. The earth pony's look of disappointment was etched into her memory stronger than any flank wooping ever could be.

It was only made worse when she'd come to another revolation, that it wasn't only her words that had cut him, but her entire song. Krystal's voice wasn't just meant to sooth and calm, it could also influence and garner other emotions depending on how she hummed or sang. Soft and soothing songs brought soft and soothing feelings. Discouraging and wounded songs brought...

After that day she swore that she'd never sing or be ungrateful again, that no matter what happened, she'd always listen to the stallion and mares in her life who gave up everything so that she could have a home. 

Krystal let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

Even that promise she couldn't keep. Mama Gem and Mama Sandy were alright with her leaving, and even though Papa said he was too, she knew he didn't want her to go... but she did want to and she did go. She left the farm because she was selfish, and despite Mama Gem telling her it was okay to be selfish at times, Krystal couldn't help the crushing guilt within her chest, knowing that Papa was sad because she left.

Both Krystal and Scootaloo decided to retire for the evening, discovering the odd sensation of a water bed. The novelty didn't last long before both were snuggled together with a wary yet content rabbit seeking shelter between them.









Back in, what he assumed, was one of the market districts, Sin sat outside of the shop next to some broken glass, his eyes continually shifting to the goggles on display.

Though, his mind only gave them a spare millisecond of thought, too busy considering one of the things he'd done his best to never consider.

Was the concept of an anarchic society redundant?

Once the two were finally alone, Sin began to ask the hard questions, the questions he'd had for any capitalist society that didn't have a state. The "muh roads" argument was easy enough to dismiss, there were more walkways down here, not roads. Tolls were a rare thing to come across, since the property owner was held to account and others would refuse trade with them until they'd lifted their tolls. Walkways were a necessity down here, and as such, understandings were reached quickly and issued dismissed with expedience.

Another issue was law enforcement, or order enforcement. The very crux of the entire anarchist debate.

Their method of handling issues of crime was about what he'd expected them to be, private protection and insurance agencies. There was a lot of insurance down here, mainly filling the role of taxation and understanding the free market solution to public problems. Oddly enough, the protection firms were made up more of investigation teams more so than order enforces. The companies were small, small in that they were hardly utilized at all, but Sin was certain that as time went on, and younglings were birthed whom differentiated from their parents convictions, usage of those protection firms would grow with time.

"Nobody, not pony or immortal, can predict the future." Cyan told him. 

Which was true... the free market itself couldn't predict the future only act and react in accordance to public demand. Yet still, was that lack of certainty good enough? Well, that was another issue all it's own, collectivists hated uncertainty and gave a false sense of it by thinking the government would fix any issue it said it would, which it usually did at first, but the bigger it grew, the more problems it caused.

But this all lead to the issue of enforcement: Was there a government in Bliss?

Sin wanted to say no, he wanted to believe that his dream of a truly free market society was realized, but how intellectually honest would this be without taking the time to consider it in all aspects and not hold it to scrutiny? 

What was a "government"? Since there was no centralized chain of obedience, nor tax collecting via force of violence, he could argue that there wasn't any present, that the order enforces were, infact, not law enforces but enforces of non-aggression. But wasn't that a type of governance in and of itself? Anarcho-communists and other syndicalists believed so, but then again, they too had their own mode of enforcing moral behaviors. If enforcement of any code of conduct was considered "government" than that lead to the conclusion that Anarchy was redundant.

Was the owner of his own private property the monarch of that property? Did that constitute a "government"?

Some argued that governments were only publicly recognized entities or elected representatives, but Sin didn't believe this, seeing warlords and drug lords whom use force of violence against those within their "territory" as a dictatorial or feudalistic government all their own. During the alcohol prohibition, the bootleg mafias implored all kinds of "government" ideals. Protection money (taxation) violence against those whom didn't pay or adhere to their demands, (Law enforcement) and would clash with competing gangs to maintain dominance and control territory. (War)

Even minarchy governments, the smallest government type there was where only the judicial system existed in the sole effort to protect the rights of the individual, were still governments. Yet, they took their money via taxation, money taken at threat of being put in a cage. Bliss, to Sin's knowledge, didn't have that kind of stipulation. The contracts read that only those with a subscription to protections services would receive advanced protections and that all others would be on their own.

So, Bliss didn't have a tax system, it didn't have a central chain of publicly funded governance, it didn't have politicians who'd vote to change laws or a feudal lords who'd impose his whims via the violence. But it did have Value Cyan, a pony who, on his word, could easily change the rules of engagement on his property if he pleased. He'd chosen not to do so now, but he easily could if he wanted to... Did that make him not a government now but a potential government later? Or did that just make him a passive governor? He was rich, he had to be to have this built, but was it honest to say that his power constituted government power just because it could be perceived as such?

Sin wished he could answer these questions, he really did, but from an honest standpoint, he could not. The words of the Anarcho-Syndicalists still resonated within his mind that enforcement of property rights was antithetical to the concept of anarchy, despite the fact those very words destroyed their own anarchic legitimacy. If not by property rights, than the rights of democracy and tyranny of the majority.

The door to the shop opened and Value wished the shop keep a thank you and good night, a neat, red ribbon constrained package in his magical aura.

"Sorry about that, had to pick something up." Cyan explained, looking at the package. Sin wasn't sure what it was, but he'd be lying if he said he cared either.

"Yea, it's fine." Sin said absently.

The two began making way down the stairs to the ground level and Value lead them on a different path of walkways. 

"Still a little skeptical of my society, Sin?" The unicorn asked with a quirked brow. 

Sin nodded reluctantly. "I'm trying to figure out if you guys really are without a government."

Cyan stopped and gave him an odd look. "Without a- well of course we have a government." he said with slight shock. 

Sin's mouth gaped. "B-but you said-"

"We have a government, but we don't have a state government." Value interjected, emphasizing the difference. "The governing principal is individualism and autonomy, Sin. These are our laws and rules down here, we're all our own governors, governing each other at times when need be, but only when need be. That is an unavoidable truth of the world, ponies and others will always require some form of behavioral curvature when placed among others. It is the effects of social interactions that require governance, consequences against individuals and their rights that must be examined and determined for their benefits and detriments. Without these sources of order and control... well, we'd just have unbridled anarchy."

"I mean, consider for a moment that we didn't hold reason and longer term thinking for a moment." Cyan stopped in a walkway and pointed to a glowing dome outside. "That's Fountain Futuristics. They've been working on a secret project involving a sea slug with properties that can rewrite genes in order to grant special abilities. Fire and electric casting without magic for example." 

Sin's eyes widened, how in the Tapio fucking hell did they manage to do that?!

"It's true, they were working on experiments on mice for quite some time, and sadly, a few more sentient volunteers. As I'd expected, the modification did have unintended consequences: genetic instability, substance addiction and abuse, enhancing aggressive and risky behaviors, and all manner of other issues. If we didn't have the minds for longer term thinking and behavioral controls against introducing such a substance into the public realm, well, who knows what would happen? Fountain could introduce that substance into Bliss and the public could easily become addicted to it, there by creating a distopian, underwater tomb full of aggressive assault junkies with flame and electric powers going about and killing each other to get more of his plasmids, feeding into a cycle of drug addiction and killing to maintain that drug addiction."

Sin stood wide eyed at the prospect, that's what that was? Why would anybody make something like that? Okay, granted, having power over fire and lightening did sound pretty advantageous, but at the cost of unstable genetics and addiction? Who in their right mind would do that?

'The mouth breathers back in the Federation would.'

Sin asked for the purpose of the plasmids and was relieved to learn that they were actually a off shot of a medical experiment dedicated to pioneering into technologies of nervous cell restoration to heal crippling ailments like paraplegia. The plasmid project was just an inadvertent failure of that, but the scientists saw serious marketing potential, putting non-magic users on equal offensive footing with magic users.

"Back to the point, though." Cyan declared, dropping his jovial tone for a far more serious one. "As preposterous and rediculous as it may sound, down here, that is a very real threat. A very real threat that is only staved off by the moral compass and rationality of the individuals hoof picked to be responsible and intelligent enough to come down here. We love money, and addictions are money drains. This is known, and is why I have no problem with Fountain developing his substances, because I know that the residents of Bliss would not indulge things of that like."

Sin nodded his head, this made a lot of sense, but there was one serious issue with Cyan's logic. "And what if Mr. Fountain had never had third party observations and took the product directly to market?"

Cyan smirked and said simply. "If you were sold an untested vial of stuff that claimed it could give you power over fire, would you take it?"

"And if he paid off the third party companies to say they tested it, but didn't?" Sin countered.

"Pandora's Box has already opened, then." The business pony stated, turning his attention back outside to the lab dome. "Morality and self interest are the only things that could prevent the things we've discuss. Be it the morality of the testers, the morality of Frank Fountain himself, and the morality of Fountain's scientists. Government is much more susceptible to corruption than third party testers are, especial since government does its best business with those whom don't care for respecting the rights and integrity of others. There is no perfect solution to prevent the negative sides and aspects of progress, there are no great and grand solutions to this that government can magically conjure up and hold itself to. Between government regulations and the regulations of the free market, I'll take the free market any day of the week and twice on Sundays in terms of efficiency."

"Utopia is not for this world, and allowing the never attainable idea of "perfect" to be the enemy of chasing "superior" is the ultimate infraction against, not only technology, but the concept of progress as a whole."

Sin stood speechless, he'd never considered the aspects of superior vs inferior before. Whenever libertarianism was discussed, it was always in terms of absolution, as if government necessity was a game of perfection when pitted against the free market. He hated that, ponies knew that the government was inefficient at it's job, but would rather take the knowledge of that inefficiency to heart, rather take the uncertainty of freedom.

He'd been pitted in the absolution discussion so much, that even arguing in terms of simple superiority of the market services over government had been expelled from his mind.

"Well, that's enough of that." Cyan declared beginning his walk once again. "Come, there are some things I'd like to show you."
> Elder Reunion (Mal, Lun)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   







Elder Reunion








Furrowing his brow in deep concentration, Malich scrutinized the small wooden contraption before him. It was an odd little device, a wooden box with a large phonographic speaker attached to the top and a smaller one attached to the side, resting on crude hook by a short black wire. The executive had seen phonograph records made before, but this wasn't meant to make records. The purpose of the device was to broadcast something called a "radio transmission" via electromagnetic radiation waves.

"And you're sure this works?" Malich asked.

The inventor of the device, Doctor Ino Vation, a pudgy, bright orange unicorn, one of the scientists called into tap into Imperatrix's communicative wave lengths, gave a confident smirk and words to match. "I've already tested it." Ino declared. "A minor issue with delay, and interference could be a problem, the transmitting antenna would also need to be enhanced a little, and an adapter for power is called for, but if you don't believe me, just pick up the microphone and see for yourself."

Whilst the unicorn held and air of competence and certainty that Malich respected, Ino's slightly nassely voice was quick to wear on the vice-president's nerves.

He picked up the wire connected black box from the end, as instructed, pressed a button on the "radio" and spoke a few words into it. Odd sounds came from the box before him, but Malich was aghast to hear another voice cut through the static and respond to him. Feeling a little testy, Malich decided to ask the voice a question. "To whom am I speaking?"

A few moments of silence dragged on with only the crackling and fuzzy sounds to fill the void.

"This is Doctor Ventas, Mr. President." Said the same voice from the box.

Malich's eye brow shot up in muted surprise. 

It wasn't a bad prank utilizing a gramaphone and miniature record. The voice was a little distorted, and the crackling of the speaker was irritating, but he'd grilled the pegasus enough to recognized Ventas' voice, and it answered him! He asked a few more question to make sure, each one answered by Ventas with precision enough to eliminate all doubt of authenticity.

The look on his face must have been more flabbergasted than he thought. Ino's smile grew almost earsplittingly wide as he took in his superior's stupor. "And the best part? He's on the opposite side of the wing."

Opposite side of... that was a good two hundred feet from here! This was incredible! This... this was instant communication almost! 

"I can tell your interested." Ino said, proudly rubbing his hoof against his lab coat. 

Interested? Malich was entranced! The possibilities of this device were endless! Even if there was a longer wait time for response and reply, with this... radio, two ways talking, thing, couriors and letters would become a thing of the past, Malich maintained his compusre, but praised Ino for his work and gleefully listed off the possibilities that had come to mind.

"Two way?" The orange pony asked before laughing aloud. "Oh no, Mr. President, you misunderstand. Yes, it can be two way, but it's so much more than that."

More? What more? How could there be more?! What other feats of astonishment was this little brown box capable of?

In answer to his superior's silent question, Ino stood from his place and wondered to one of the many boards in the confrence room. He picked up a piece of chalk in his magic and drew one square directly in the middle of the board, surrounded by three circles. "If my theory is correct sir," he stated, pointing to the square, "the transmission may reach between point A and point B for the purposes of back and forth communication." He drew a line between one of the circles and the square.

"However, if in the proper frequency..." He drew a few more circles and drew one way arrows from the square to the circles, turning to face Malich with no small sense of pride. "One voice could reach every ear within, not only Unitas, but the entire Federation as a whole where ever a radio is present."

Malich's jaw dropped, his mind working over time to fathom what he was introduced to, and failing miserably to catch on the instant he heard it like he usually did.

"Think about it." Ino said, his voice big and wistful, despite no noticeable change in tone. "A radio inside of every single home, loud speakers all throughout Unitas, Northwood City, Colipso Bay, everywhere! Everybody, from the ponies of North New Equine to the griffons of Columbus, to the minotaur of Vain, hearing the news while they sat down to breakfast, instead of reading the newspaper!"

It took a few moments for the executive earth pony to regain his bearings, but when his state of disbelieving shock wore off, a million and one possibilities immediately sent his brain right back on the frits. To hear the news rather than read it? That would be bad for his news papers, but that would be a laughable loss to Triple M. profits. Hearing the news as opposed to taking time to read it... it sometimes amazed him that the idiotic masses could read sometimes, hearing it, though? That was convenient, and convenient things were much easier to sell... News Papers were a bill for two, a radio he could easily rake in, at least, a 2,000% increase on for sales alone!

It was one of the many perks of industry and pioneering. It was amazing how many innovations came from mistakes and failed attempts at other endeavors; the pencil, the single strike match... project Thanatos' expansion, and now the newest to be added to the list, the radio. Of course, it wouldn't go down in the history books as being discovered through attempting to intercept changeling communication waves, of course.

With his mind running through all of the prospects of capital gains, Malich didn't even notice Ino walk over to the device and pick up the microphone. 

"And the best part?" he beamed before saying something into it.

Malich reluctantly tore himself away from his thoughts to listen to what the pony was saying, though what he heard next confused him a little, at least for a moment. The radio's audio was on now, crackling a bit like paper being lightly crunched in the background, but he could hear something else coming from it, a steady sound that he could almost recognize as something.

All to suddenly it hit him and he couldn't keep a rare, bewildered chuckle from escaping his throat.

Music, Ventas was playing music on the other end of the radio. A jaunty, beat heavy, swing like tune that made Malich want to tap his hoof in rythem. The audio quality was absolutely terrible, constant cracks and moments of dead noise, but he figured that the signal and devices could be refined to fix the issues. He was never much one for music, especially of this kind, but in this moment, standing on the precipice of a new innovation bordering on the slowly forming idea of a media revolution, Malich could think of no sweeter sound to hear.

"Hmmm, say what you want about the zebra, but you gotta love Voodoo Daddy." Ino said, lightly bobbing his head to the beat.









Sitting beside her sister in the Canterlot throne room, Luna forced her face to remain stoic and her body regal and royal, despite the torrent of emotions fighting to escape her body. They had a special guest in the castle now, a guest none of them had expected to come. She'd wanted him to, it had been so long... Of course, the scouts had found them... found him long before he was announced.

How he'd entered the country or gotten as close as he had without them knowing was a mystery, no reports of any activity from the western sea board had come in, but the events of today should have sent the entire country into an uproar, especially considering what happened the last time a foreign vessel had entered Equestrian territory.

Still, the knowledge had done nothing but allow time for the churning in her stomach to worsen with each second that passed without him  being present. The consequences for this were numerous: a hidden race finally making outside contact, public opinion, his entire reason for coming, and worst of all, the bad blood between he and Celestia, if what said sibling had said about their last encounters were true.

"You seem nervous, sister." Celestia noted calmly, her visible pink eye looking directly at Luna. 

The lunar sister took a breath and nodded. "It has been over a thousand years since I have seen him, have I not a right?"

Turning back and closing her eyes, Celestia offered a small, almost indistinguishable smile of reassurance. "I do not know why you are nervous. Between the two of us, it is I he has no favor for."

The solar alicorn turned her attention back forward, her smile dissipating and eyes hardening to their typical regal glare of competence and knowing. Luna's mind didn't have too much time to wonder about the events that may unfold, heavy hoofsteps the likes of which she could scarcely remember back in the old castle began echoing through the new one. It wasn't the sound that sent the chills up her spine, though, it was the small, almost unnoticeable quivering of the floor beneath them that shook the structure to it's very foundation with each step he took.

The closer he drew, the more violent the small shifting in the floor became. Each step sending Luna's heart a jolt until it moved in rythem with the clopping. 

The door to the throne room opened and Captain Nocturnal let himself in. The newly appointed Captain of the Guard marched up to the princess, his eyes wide in disbelief. 

"Was he seen in the city?" Celestia asked calmly.

Nocturnal stuttered for a moment. "N- No your highness, he... they... I- I don't know how they, uh. One minute they were on the mountain side, the next they were in the garden!"

Celestia closed her eyes. "I see, thank you, Captain Nocturnal. Raven." She turned down to her earth pony assistant. "Please record everything that is said."

Raven retracted the pencil she kept behind her ear, grabbed her clip board and dutifully awaited.

The doors opened a little more, and the golden clad guards present stiffened as a full compliment of royal purple cloak bearing Centaurian legionnaires marched forward in perfect unison of two lines down the red carpet that lead to the throne. Luna could feel a small sense of inexplicable dread radiate from the centaur as they marched forwards, they were larger than she remembered, the peak of her horn maybe touching the mid of their chests, each brandishing a single spear and shield for combat, none of the weapons looking anything less than a full century of usage.

The marching pillars stopped in perfect sync a polite distance away from the princess's, but still in the room far enough to be a considerable force. The lead centaur grunted and every other legionary turned away from the red carpet to watch the guards ponies while the rest faced the walkway.

Luna took a silent breath and used every bit of her will to maintain her forward gaze as a centaur, larger by a good two feet than the legionaries before him, marched into the throne room, flanked by two more of the highborn.

His hard and scared face was a pale, almost deathly shade of lavender. A naked, strong barrel chest covered in ribbons of ritualistic tattoos held strong below the centaur's proud head. Pupil-less, glowing yellow eyes that showed no emotion glared forth, burning holes into the lunar princess's soul. Green hair pushed back with minor strands falling over his face, leading down to the darker forest green of his coated pony like body. Cloven hooves slammed unforgiving against the velvet red walkway with enough force Luna feared the marble beneath may crack and chip from his walk.

Tapio looked different now, much colder and more judgmental than he did a thousand years ago. The only solace the lunar pony could take was the great, big, bushy beard that hung down to the being's waist. Forest green like the hair on his head, bushy, and held in twin braids at the bottom. 

The facial hair that had spawned a legend.

He stopped before them, staring at the diarchs expectantly, the staff in his right hand gripped tightly by four fingers and two thumbs. Slowly, Tapio Bearking blinked his eyes, his head turning with a painfully slow methodism as he took in the throne room. He looked left and right, his gaze sending each of the pony guards that stood in the room, judging them with a contemptuous look.

Silence descended upon the room, save for the subtle sounds of shifting skin and controlled breathing from the forest emperor. A thousand years had changed him from the centaur Luna had known, she remembered him being smaller, and much more forgiving. The sickly feeling she felt radiating from him now was an abomination that she'd only encountered from him once during their battle with Tirek. 

Luna suddenly remembered what that feeling was called, the nature magic, the 'eyes of the predator'.

"Hmmm..." Came came a low drone of acknowledgement from the ancient being. His tone was gravelly and odly patience, considering his irritated appearance.

"Welcome, friend Tapio Bearking." Celestia declared, her voice a mix of matter of fact and genuine enthusiasm. "It has been some time since-"

"You are no friend of mine, sun bearer." Tapio answered softly, the slowness of his words only serving to accentuate their authority in silencing the Alicorn. His gaze shifted from the death glare at her sister directly to the lunar alicorn and his eyes softened a little. "Luna, it is good to see you again. I have heard... you returned, Milikki sends her compliments."

"Tapio." Luna answered with a slight bow, one he returned with only the faintest nod of his head. "You honor us with your presence, and we are grateful that you have come."

Luna hoped her act of respect would slowly bridge the gap between Canterlot and the Northwood. Centaurs were powerful creatures, quasi-immortals who's secrets to life were hidden from most every living being on the planet to the point many thought their very existence only a myth. It wasn't their raw muscle or magical abilities that made them formidable, but the collective knowledge that such ancient beings possessed. Hundreds of thousands of years of life, of thought, of reason and experience, held by the few thousand or so centaur in existence.

A set number that could never grow, if what the lunar princess had come to understand was true. The highborn, like Alicorns, had a particular method to their creation and sustenance of numbers. Where Alicorns must be chosen and ascended, Centaur had long banned the breeding and creations of new highborn into the world. The conditions to bear a youngling were stringent and only for the purposes of reincarnation, at least that's how things were a thousand years ago. Though, if Tapio was as hard as he'd looked, Luna suspected that the practice had not changed during her absence.

"The Dark One returns, ancient pacts are to be honored." Tapio replied, slowly folding his massive arms over his barrel. "The highborn search through your lands, Tirek is weak, too weak to be found by my eyes."

"He will be found." Celestia said. "I am confident that-"

Tapio scoffed, his next words coming with no shortage of disgusted venom. "I need no reassurance from you, Kin-slayer."

Luna internally cringed, centaurs were not the most forgiving of creatures. Even one thousand years later, Tapio still held Celestia's acts against her. He was not going to make any ties between their peoples easy.

Despite the sun goddess's stone exterior, Luna could see the discomfort and helplessness, she took the opportunity to salvage her sister's dignity.

"Tapio, please." Luna began, both her and Celestia knowing that the white pony would get no where with him. "What our sister did, she was right to do. Calling her kin-slayer is much too harsh."

Any warmth his eyes, for her, had disappeared and Tapio's gaze hardened upon Luna, a quick to grow feeling of dread creeping over her, though she would not be dissuaded.

"We have reflected our actions that day." Luna continued allowing neither; his magic, nor her pain of memory, to intimidate her. "We wished to bring about eternal night for our land, to rule as a tyrant with absolute supremacy and authority. And as you can see-" she gestured to herself "-I am very much alive and un-slain."

Tapio did not reply at first, giving the moon pony a small bit of hope for triumph, though the centaur's face showed no sign of submission to her words. After a short period, he closed his eyes and crossed his massive arms over his chest, his staff resting on his shoulder, before finally speaking.

"Outside of the immortals, both true and like." He stated sagely, as if telling a story. "Of ponies, and dogs and all, one hundred years is considered a very long life, a number of years most never get to see. I have observed these past thousand years, these ten fortunate lifetimes that were denied you, and you, moon bearer, were forced to endure the silence of the stars, or worse, the lone sufferings of a demon."

Luna cringed, knowing that each and every word was slicing into her sister's heart like a hot knife.

"Despite knowing of your suffering before the conflict, Celestia elected to bask in her arrogance and cast your plight to the way. She has admitted as much."

Luna stole a glance from her sister, who's ever present mask of calm was tested to the point of visible strain.

Tapio opened his eyes, staring blankly at them both. "She chose omission over aid and then violence over inconvenience."

Luna's jaw almost fell to the floor at the accusation. Inconvenience? Is that how he saw it? She nearly put Equestria into permanent night, thus rendering tens of millions of crops without the needed sunlight, dooming millions to die of starvation before the year was out, and he had the gall to call such a thing an 'inconvenience'?

Her own patience tested, she lent voice to her indignation, politely as she could. As much as she valued Tapio Bearking's friendship, she valued her sister's peace of mind and lack of guilt more so.

Though, centaurian memories were just as endowed as their stubborn nature. "The night would have lasted longer than it should have... for a time. Mistakes have consequences, this is true." Tapio admitted solemnly before his voice took an accusatory edge. "Though, Equestria was not without allies, moon bearer. Allies whom owed a debt to her. Rather than seek the aid of these allies, the sun bearer elected your banishment over redemption."

"Banishment so we may never harm our subjects!" Luna countered swiftly.

"And this is why we highborn recluse from you." Tapio growled. "Your worship of life's convenience and interference, it makes your... subjects soft... weak... dependent. Complacent in their ignorance to self protection and preservation. Instead of guiding them as you should have done, you lord and rule over them, shelter them, demanding obedience and subservience."

Luna scoffed in indignation. "Now see here! We... we do not rule as... tyrants! The happiness and quality of life is of the utmost concern to our subjects, and they are quite capable and strong!"

Tapio's sneer turned slightly upward as a deep, bellied laugh escaped his throat. It was terrible sound, a frightening chuckle that shook her in the worst of ways. Tapio was always hard and harsh, but this was an unprecedented display of iron and cruelty. She was about to speak, though the diplomat's words beat her to it.

"Quality of life." Tapio snickered cruelly. "Quality of life is your justification for their weakness?"

Celestia interjected herself on Tapio's question, answering that that was the point of rulers, to protect and to aid those they ruled over, to give them guidance and lead them to a place of prosperity and happiness. Equestria had strong diplomatic ties with the surrounding nations, Griffonholm, YakYakistan, The Crystal Empire, the Diamond Dog territories, Zeborica... there was no need for their ponies to be hard and battle ready, the time of war had passed and a new age of peace was finally beginning to emerge within the world. The only nations who'd rejected ties with Equestria were those ruled by Dragons, the lost merponies, and the Centaurlands Federation; none of which was due to lack of trying on Canterlot's part.

"I see no reason to subject my little ponies the brutality and battle, Tapio." Celestia finished.

Luna closed her eyes, already dreading the coming reply. Progress had been made during the past mallenia, so much progress. War was such a common thing back in her time, before Equestria had come into her own as she had. Griffons and ponies were constantly in strife, over the water territories of the, now Celestial Sea. Back then, both Luna and Celestia were in full agreement with Tapio Bearking's philosophy, that ponies needed to be hard and ready, ready to fight, ready to kill to protect themselves and their lands...

But things were different now, and Luna still did not know how to feel about it. Of course, there was always some little strife going on, like the small revolutionaries and reactionaries who'd constantly challenge their rules as diarchs, demonic returns, draconequess revolts, changeling attacks and such, but for the most part, the ponies of Equestria didn't need to waste their lives and talents on such things. They could study other things, peaceful things, ideas for better crops, or new innovations to enrich the lives of themselves and those around them.

"I have seen your... strength, sun bearer, as well as that of your... guard." He spat in faint amusement, his glowing yellow eyes trailing about, looking at the stoic forms of golden clad ponies all around.

Through the nature strewn about Canterlot, he'd seen the ease of the changeling invasion, he'd observed how quickly the city had fallen, how little meaningful resistance the Equestrians had put forth in her protection and felt nothing but contemptuous disgust for its weakness. 

"Disorganized, undisciplined, untested." He continued, shaking his head in disapproval. "Your over reliance on your Elements of Harmony have spawned a nation of ineptitude, of cowards and weaklings, this I have seen. Days of knowing an attack would come, hours to observe your foe and prepare. Hundreds of your most faithful recalled for your defense. And even then, Canterlot folded with ease. Even you, yourself have fallen from grace in a battle you would have easily won a thousand years ago. In single combat, the changeling queen felled you just as easily as her... subjects did yours."

He paused to chuckle, though his laugh was not of mirth, but pity. "Had it not been for a single pegasus, one rejected from your world, half of your country would now be dead while the other half enslaved and used as cattle."

Luna had just about enough of their guest's rudeness, but a slight clearing of the throat from one of the legionaries drew Tapio's attention from the guilty/livid Equestrian royalty. The lead legionary gave the ruler of the forest a look before lifting a soft blue cloth in his massive and calloused hand.

Tapio audibly gritted his teeth, looking at the thing contemptuously, as if it reminded him of something he'd have rather forgotten. "I digress." He spat, turning his attention back to the sisters. "Rather than allow your... subjects, as you call them, to live a time of suffering and strengthen themselves whilst she sought aid for your salvation, she stole ten life times from you, one thousand lost years is more than adequate to earn the appropriate title of kin-slayer!"

Luna was on the verge of losing her patience now, the words cutting deeply into her own heart for the pain they undoubtedly caused her sister, but what Tapio said next was what sent her over the edge.

"You cast away your own flesh and blood for the sake of your ill begotten and false crown."

"ENOUGH!" 

Luna's eyes were glowing white, her shriek of a word emphasized in the feared Canterlot voice. Her mane whipped and lashed about in an a magically induced torrent of wind that radiated from her. Glowing alabaster eyes locked onto the yellow of the centaur, the air becoming thick with tension and the threat of violence almost coming to climax. 

A loud and singular shift was heard as both the guards ponies and the legionaries forwarded their weapons at one another. The pony sisters, alicorn bodies stronger and more tested than simple ponies, noticed the room become more heavy and tense. This was not their first time encountering the might of the Eyes of the Predator, but the guards, the unicorns and pegasi whom they commanded, began to shiver as the weight of their thin allies glare bore down upon them, slowly withering their moral and resolve, breaking the stoic faces of the stallions to reluctant anticipation.

"Enough." Luna whispered, her teal green eyes fading in as the glowing white subsided, her calm bringing back the tense peace of the room.

Even if Celestia and Luna did have the power to defeat Tapio here and now, it would take time, much time. Even a thousand years ago, the Ruler of the Forest was a formidable force to be reckoned with, and she doubted time had done anything but make him even more powerful. It wasn't he that would need to be worried about, however, it was his legionaries and the countless ponies they would slaughter so easily... 

It wasn't a fair fight by any means, the centaur, for their love of peace and the calm of nature, were brutal fighters. Borderline savage on the battle field, believing that it was only through the strength of their own that they could protect themselves from the dangers of the world, they trained and fought just as well as they could meditate and maintain tranquility. Despite the show of authority here today, Luna knew that the entire centaur race bowed to none. Many times had she wandered the Northwood, observing the highborn in their natural state of primitive anarchy. Tapio's title as the Ruler of the Forest was in name only, that each centaur was a free one in accordance with their own peoples philosophy, banding together only when necessity called for it and for no other purpose.

It was a misleading title for him to have, he was a leader, not a ruler. A leader, his position gained through being the eldest of his race, his body standing the tests of the ages and surviving when the other highborn had fallen and been reborn by the only true authority the centaur knew.

As much as it pained her to admit, the difference between the ponies and the centaur was self evident. Even the youngest, and thus weakest, of the centaur were still capable fighters in their own right. A single one of them could easily hold his or her own against all of the guards present in the room today, and still come out victorious. There were only a half a dozen non-alicorn ponies in the entire empire who would stand a chance in single combat.

"Centurion," Tapio said, turning away from the sisters, and addressing the head of his escort, "we have wasted enough time on Milikki's errand."

Upon the second in command's word, the legionaries abandoned their battle position and, in uniformity, turned their backs to the princesses and began marching out of the throne room.

Luna called out to him, halting Tapio in his place, along with his guard.

"We have addressed you, as my shala has asked. There is no more reason for my presence among life worshipers." He declared factually, dismissing the princess of the night before continuing his march out of the throne room.

One would find the entire display, complete with an outright dismissal of the Equestrian royalty, a maddening insult of the worst kind worthy of the highest contempt and rage, but Luna did not have either.

The centaurian did not know the pain of loss that the other races had. They did not know true death, true loss of life. If ever one of their own fell, they did not stay gone. What they condemned as "life worship"; the dedication and commitment to the preservation and enhancement of life... they would never know its significance and how precious it was.

How could they? They, the alleged "highborn", the quasi-immortals, hidden away from the world on their island in a constant state of stagnation. Luna had found it a mystical thing a thousand years ago. The philosophy, the methodical dedication and consistency in how they lived, but upon her return, seeing the industry and progress her ponies and the world had made, she found the centaur ways little but crippling and callously inhibiting. Time might as well have stopped for them, there was nothing to gain and nothing to lose. All the centaur cared for was their freedom, free from the concerns of loss and war, free from anything that would harm their nature and traditions, free from all change and progress...

For all of their power, for all of their brute force and capability, for all of their experience and years of life, the only thing Luna felt for the elder centaur, as well as his entire race, was a staggering amount of pity.
> Making Deals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  






Making Deals






Sitting in Cyan's office, Sin looked about the numerous graphs, charts and quotes that hung about the wall while his host was out of the room to retrieve something or another.

Business numbers showing the correlation between capital and time were numerous, but the primary subject present wasn't about money, but about psychology. The correlations between weapons sales and a higher presence of sharks and other aquatic predators, a decline of acceptance for something called the "Milgram Experiment" by some psychological testing company. A loose correlation between "sex drives" and water temperature... strange things. Well, not so strange, sex sells and Value was a business pony.

A few quotes littered about the room, two that continually caught Sin's interest in particular. One that read: "An individual chooses, a slave obeys" and another "there is always a choice, even if that choice is between action and inaction, between death and bondage, there is always a choice. Only those whom refuse their own agency would deny their choice".

He found a lot of truth to those two, obviously both were a shot at the phrase "I didn't have a choice". A phrase that had always bothered him due to the psychological effect it had. To omit action, or worse submit to an aggressor's demands, based off of fear of the outcome. To justify that lack of action, or an immoral act, and declare victimhood there in. 

Victimhood had become something of an alter back in the Federation, one of the many reasons Sin had left over a year ago. Victimhood was praised, becoming a kind of virtue in the eyes of the public. 

As much as the Federalist may have disliked his family, Malich, Gemini, Mandylion and Sinbad himself, agreed on one solid belief: Victimhood was equated with failure. Failure in self preservation and protection, a badge of shame to show incompetence and a lack of foresight and proper planning. 

To those of the cult of life worship, those whom believed that respect was a right; victimhood was an alter, an alter that sucked in compassion and pity like a sponge in water, and believing such pity would somehow bring with it respect.

"Respect the victim"... 

It was an odd paradox, even for the dictionary definitions one and two. The first definition of respect was to give admiration and favor due to accomplishment and competence, not really something victims were known for. The second definition was to "treat someone like a sentient being". Problem there was that, while question and advice were meant in the interest of ascertaining the truth and preventing farther  instances of prey, any form of non-affirmation towards the victim was deemed "disrespectful". To ask what preventative measures were taken to mitigate becoming one was deemed heartless and cruel, based on the misguided notion that the world should be without victims, and that criminals should just "not commit crimes".

Fuck, there was one slogan he would never forget over just how absolutely retarded it was: "Teach males not to rape".

What did that even mean? What? Did a rapist see the news paper after a night out and think to himself: 'Oh, wait... rape is a bad thing? Well, golly gee wilikers, I'm glad they set me straight.'

Of course, when this argument came up, it was quickly deflected to the muddled issue of drunken sex and issues of consent. Leaving the entire argument of aggravated and aggressive rape, the act most everybody imagined when the word "rape" was used, cast to the wayside. 

It wouldn't have been so bad if so many hadn't bought into it. Entire organizations had sloganized the concept, making such an absurd notion a point of social dogma to be jammed down the throats of the citizenry, and publicly shame and condemn any whom dared to call out the lunacy for what it was. 

Sin had long given up in any capacity of hope for them. They valued weakness and incompetence, calling it "vulnerability" and "truth".

"The strong must protect the weak" they say, even at the expense of the strong. To demand purpose or reason for this expended energy, or even consider rejecting it at all, is akin to the worst blaspheme... Selfishness, they called it.

So long as one didn't need what they had, such a thing should be given up for the "greater good", damn the effort and energy the individual may have gone through to get it. Or better, the bodily harm or pain that may come to them as a result of the loss.

Sin's mind went back to the argument he'd had with his Grandfather back in Canterlot, about seeking the aid of Celestia for when the crash finally came. Granted, Equestrians weren't all that strong in the militaristic sense, but they had an amazing economy and socio-political hegemony. 

Why should Equestria be asked to get involved? The Federation was primarily isolationist, no trade deals, no mutual interests, nothing to be gained by the homeland for its aid... Yet how many of the Equestrians would suffer? And for what? A bunch of ingrates who'd just as soon tell them to fuck off and only use them for the resources to maintain their lives before returning to their complacent and accepting lives, holding a small sense of pride in survival yet falling back to the very complacency that had ruined their world before?

No, no that's all it would be. A bunch of victims thinking their being victimized by the big bad corporations and government, casting their own agency in the affair to the wayside and seeing themselves as helpless little by standards. Meanwhile demanding that everybody and everything else look after their needs and avert their suffering for them.

Selfishness of the worst sort, believing themselves selfless

But Bliss wasn't like that... While walking about, even this late, most every single individual down in Bliss held some form of self defense. Everyone walked with confidence and reasonable safety because they knew they were safe. None had that sickening sense of entitlement or victimhood about them, they all knew that respect and a place was earned in life. That "feelings" didn't determine rights, but action and the willingness to act did.

"There we are." Cyan said, pushing the door to his office open and wondering in with a box on his back. He walked passed Sin and placed the item on his desk before taking his seat proper and offering the stallion a smile. "Sorry about that, anyway, let's discuss a trade."

"A trade?" Sin asked.

Value nodded and opened the wooden box he'd brought in, revealing a plethora of bolts the likes of which Sin had never seen before. One bundle was a set of normal bolt arrows, a strong looking type, but nothing all that special. 

Though the other two bundles were a great deal more odd and interesting. On the second bundle, the first half of the shaft was glass with some kind of glowing red solution inside, not a lot, but still quite a bit. The third really puzzled him, the shaft was entirely bronze with a small claw hook protruding from the top that looked like it was meant to catch something... what was he looking at?

Value explained what each bundle was, apparently the first bundle were regular steel tipped bolts, nothing too special other than reinforced shafts for longevity of the projectile.

"Now these are very exciting. These are called Incendiary Bolts." he declared, picking on up in his magic. "This liquid is a compressed hydrogen compound mixed with oil extract that will ignite upon impact, creating a nice little explosion and using the force of that explosion to send the burning liquid nitrogen flying around, covering anything within the target area with fire hot enough to reduce almost anything to a crisp in a matter of seconds." He smiled genuinely before placing it back into the box, "not something you want to use close quarters, obviously."

Sin was a little disturbed by that, but it was interesting to know the technology for such a weapon existed.

"These are my own little creation." Value declared, picking up the last bolt type. "I call this the Trap Bolt."

With no warning what so ever, he launched the small arrow up and slammed it into the wall of the office. A moment later, the small claw in the shaft jutted out with surprising force, carrying with it a thin line of wire as it latched onto the side wall, small archs of electricity coursing over the wire. It wasn't hard to deduce what the effects of touching the wire would be.

"Is it lethal?" Sin asked, looking at the wire in muted awe.

Mr. Cyan shrugged. "Depends. To the healthy and well sized? Not very lethal if they only touch it for a short time. Now, if they run into it and the wire gets wrapped around, say, a leg? There's very little chance their heart could withstand prolonged exposure to sixteen volts carrying a full ampere behind it." The calm and casualness of his voice while discussing what was, for all intents and purposes, a very painful death, was a mix between disturbing and slightly refreshing in bluntness and honesty.

"Not something I'd let Scootaloo get near, though." He joked, the wire letting off a few more electrical arcs before looking at Sin expectantly. Here came the price.

"This entire box will be yours if you'll do me a service." He said.

Sin furrowed his brow and contemplated the offer. He was running dangerously low on ammunition for his Ragnerock, and the trap bolts could be extremely useful in making escapes or traps... if the incendiary bolts didn't  burn his enemies to ashes first, but that was much less humane than what he was accustomed to.

But, he hadn't handled Hurricane in the most humane way either, so why spare Puddinghead?

"What service?" The Federalist asked. There was nothing to debate on a moral level, Puddinghead, along with now Clover the Clever and Private Panzy were going to die. He was going to kill them, why not have a more efficient way to do it?

Cyan leaned back in his chair with a knowing smirk. "Well, first of all, lessons on how to use the incendiary and trap bolts. Have to make sure you're safe  and knowledgeable of the weapons of course." He reached for one of the steal tipped bolts and lazily chucked it at the wire, upon contact, as slight as it was, the claw released from the wall and with the force of the retraction, quickly coil around the steel tipped projectile, sparks of electricity fuming and smoking as the trap attempted to full fill it's function on the lifeless piece of metal.

Sin couldn't help but smirk at the prudent efficiency of the weapon. "Of course."

"And second," Cyan said, his smile vanishing completely. "I wish for you to teach me the Eyes of the Predator."

The aura? Why did he want to know about that?

When questioned, Value, casually as always, explained that he'd experienced the psychological weapon while in talks with Gemini Islander in trying to set up some trade deals. To a business pony like him, Mr. Cyan saw some great potential in it's usage in the same way the Federalist had used it. 

"It's always the little things, you know. Closing deals, the small bits of confidence and a minor touch of intimidation." The light blue unicorn said. "Psychology and philosophy, ponies consider these things too complicated or too irrelevant to pursue, yet it's what drives all of us. To understand psychology is to understand the minds of others, to know how to get what you want from them, or to understand what they want from you and what is willing to be traded or influenced. I don't think I need to explain why something like that would be an asset to future business ventures for me."

Sin's eyes narrowed upon the pony. The aura was meant to be used to deescalate violent situations, to assert dominance in a potential conflict from the one using it to avoid physical confrontation and bodily damage. It wasn't physical aggression, but it was the epitome of psychological aggression. Still though, Value hadn't given him any indication that he was an untrustworthy sort, if anything he'd been an exemplary individual. One of the few whom might be worth teaching the technique to... but to use it for business ventures? That just didn't sit right with him.

'I say don't.' Critic chimed in. 'He's not using it for what it's supposed to be used for.'

And neither have I.

'No, well, ummm...'

I've been hypocritical enough, to deny him the power for the potential for misuse, while I have misused it isn't really fair, is it?

'Two wrongs do not make a right, Sin.'

As true as that may be, Critic, those bolts would be insurmountably useful. The Trotski are onto my tricks... the Nightmare, the aura, trick shooting, magical immunity, I'm out of cards to play to throw them off. These new bolts might just be what I need to tip the scales in my favor. Luck's gotten me by this far, but I don't think I can rely on it anymore.

That's when a fact hit the stallion, the fact he'd never demonstrated the aura to Value before.

"What makes you think I know anything about it?" Sin asked skeptically.

Cyan's smile turned a little more menacing as he looked the stallion up and down. 

"Oak brown coat, dark brown mane, dead blue eyes, a crossbow being the favored weapon of choice and a love for liberty..." He paused, his eyes locking onto Sin's with intense scrutiny. "And I suspect that if you were to remove your cloak, there would be no cutie mark present, would there, Sinbad Von Islander?"

Muscles tensing, Sin's mind went into a frenzy of thought. His eyes watching Cyan's body for even the slightest jut of undue motion, ready to pounce and subdue the stallion, and if need be, permanently silence him. 

'Fuck.'

As quickly as the thoughts came, the logical side of Sin's brain kicked in and he relaxed himself. These were peaceful talks, and if he was being trapped, that would have been the perfect one liner to send in the Triple M. mercenaries. Yet here he was; unmolested. 

He should have known, he should have known Value was too smart not to have figured it out... well, no help for it now.

"They change?" Value whispered, awestruck at the new serpentine retinas peering into him. "I was not aware that they did that."

Noticing the lights in the office had become a little bit brighter, Sin shook the unintentionally triggered aura and the Nightmare's eyes away, happy to have stopped it before the head ache sat in. He really needed to figure out a way to disassociate the two at some point.

"It's... an advanced version." Sin lied, not wanting to answer the coming question about it. "Only comes through experience."

Value nodded in infatuation, trying to suppress some small shivers that took his body. Though, if the shivers were out of fear or anticipation of the aura, Sin was not sure.

"How?"

If he wanted to learn, it could not be here, so Sin asked Value to lead him to the underwater forest. Nature magics could only be broken into through being in nature...









"Hello Scootaloo." Luna greeted, happy enough to finally be able to commune with the filly once again. "We hope you have thought on what we have said during our last visit."

Scootaloo still reluctant towards the night princess, but much less so, nodded her head as the two stood in the dream scape of her mind. "I guess..." she answered unassuredly. 

"You seem uncertain."

Scootaloo nodded, explaining that she had an inclination to return but with heavy reservations. 

"Then why have you not? And where are you?" Luna looked about, as if seeing passed the dream and into her memories. "We had much difficulty following you here, we are expending much more concentration and magic to maintain than we should be."

Which was true, the Nightmare had made keeping tabs on the trio a difficult matter, and impossible to interact with them. She wasn't with Scootaloo or Krystal now, but there was another interference, something that Luna had never encountered before. Sombra and Soarin had lost all of them upon entering some sort of light house off Horse Shoe bay.

The Alicorn's attention wasn't to be held on the interference, however. Scootaloo's reluctance wasn't about foal services as it was, but now locked onto the guilt of her abandonment of her family and friends.

"How can I show my face there?" Scootaloo asked quietly. "I... I just ran off. I didn't give Macintosh a chance to explain, or Annabelle a chance to help... Even Islander's mad at me..."

Luna restrained herself from using that to push Scootaloo to return home all the more quickly. She was happy that her plan there had worked out, but now there was a new issue to deal with. Luckily, guilt was an emotion the lunar princess was familiar with. Gently, she prodded that her family and friends would be relieved at her return, that any and all anger would be removed with blame. She was just a small foal after all, a foal in a bad situation? How could anypony blame her?

"No." Scootaloo shook her head. "It was my fault, though. Just because I'm a filly doesn't mean I can't accept responsibility."

Tilting her head, Luna gave the pegasus a puzzled stare. "What ever do you mean? It was a terrifying situation, Scootaloo, how could you expect yourself to remain calm and rational in a moment when you thought you'd be taken away?"

To this, Scootaloo answered in a manner the night princess hadn't forseen. 

"Bad things happen all the time, not terrible like that, but bad things do happen. Instead of standing and fighting the bad thing that happened to me, I ran away..." Scootaloo sniffled. "I ran away and... and Macintosh might have gotten hurt because of it."

The filly lifted her head and glared with fierce determination. "Macintosh may have gotten hurt because I was scared. That's not right, he did everything he could to protect me, and now he's hurting because of it..."

Luna opened her mouth to reply but no suitable words stood out in her mind. She knew all to well how it felt to inflict undue pain on a loved one.

"He's okay, isn't he?" Scootaloo asked after a moment of silence? "He and Annabelle?"

Thankful for the change in topic, Luna nodded. "Yes, Scootaloo, they are both alive and well. Though, I do think they'd be much happier if you would return to them."

Scootaloo agreed, but she would return in her own time. 









"Starting off, we'll go over the basics of nature magic." Sin stated as he lead Cyan through the small forest. To call it surreal was an understatement. It smelled right, but it didn't feel right. Sin could feel a slight, bleak resemblance to the feeling of nature. The feeling that needed to be embraced and internalized in order for any sort of nature magic to be realized. 

"Such as?" Cyan asked.

"The eyes of the predator or the aura as I like to call it, is exactly as the name implies. It's the feeling you get when facing down a predator, the intimidation, the sense of impending doom. It only affects those whom hold the instinct of fear and can only be exuded from those whom command dominance." Sin gave the pony a smirk. "You've already got the dominance part down, though."

Cyan returned the smirk. "Trying to butter me up?"

"More like recognizing a strength." Sin clarified. "Sorry to say, this place might not be sufficient in order to tap into the magic of nature. There's no animals, the trees are too uniformed, the instinct to prowl isn't pronounced... I can barely feel it at all."

Cyan frowned and asked if the two would be better served to venture out of Bliss for a more suitable location.

Sin wasn't about to say no without testing it first. Triple M. had a specific "ritualistic" training ground to gain the aura. Technically, it took weeks and weeks of severe conditioning in a way that many in his homeland would consider "barbaric". Nature magic couldn't be found in the metroplitine and advanced, it did not come through comfort and convenience. 

Nature magic came through percervierence and survival, a rite of passage through defeating nature in all of her brutal, honest horror and cruel indifference. 

It came through a strong will to live and fight, to never submit; even when nothing but the rejection of death was the only aim. It was a thin line, the precipice of hopelessness; the mental state where one walks the emotional razor wire of losing all hope of survival, and demanding the impossible of their bodies and minds to do whatever was needed to ensure they saw tomorrow.

Only through facing the wilds and proving one's self capable and worthy of living, were betrothed the gift of nature magic, so long as they knew what it was. 

But that was merely how one discovered nature magic, utilizing it was another matter entirely. 

Sin only knew of a few nature magic... "spells". Occlumency and the eyes of the predator being two of them.

The aura was the more difficult to acquire of the two for one specific reason. To gain the ability, one had to destroy any and all subconscious reservations against committing violent acts.

Many liked to think that committing acts of violence was easy, like empathy was some kind of switch in the mind that could be clicked off at any given time. Like the lessons and social engineering away from violence at every conceivable turn in the given youth could be undone without the need of a traumatic event of some kind.

No, there was a huge difference between unintentionally going too far in a fight, and intentional, calculated violence. Ponies, being primarily herbivorous, were especially hard pressed to push into it. Lessons taught from birth needed to be unlearned, sayings like "violence is never the answer" needed to torn up, spit on, and stomped out like the garbage they were. While violence wasn't always the answer, and should never be a first resort, only a pacifistic fool would dare to remove it from the table completely. It was a painful process for many, even those whom had successfully survived the trials to tap into nature magic.

The aura was a minor mix of anger and command on it's emotional side, using the mind's focus and stress to harness a slight, unspecific feeling in the brain that was amplified and exploited through the eyes, or eye, of the caster. It required the destruction of an innocence and naivite that many found essential to what made a pony a pony, but all things came with a price. 

Occlumency, technically, was a form of nature magic. It was the opposite of the aura, to refuse the influence of intimidation and infiltration of the mind. To remain hard and grounded, not to be dominant and assertive, but to be calm and steadfast. To refuse to submit and be dominated.

The eyes of the predator required the opposite, in the extreme. The willingness to maim and maul, the willingness to inflict honest pain, the desire to inflict pain... the desire to kill. 

Not kill and inflict pain with reckless abandon, bare in mind, but a restrained desire that bordered almost on sadism or just a step before it. 

Sin was pleased to see Cyan observing and listening without casting judgement, his mind objectively analyzing the explanation without considering the morality of the concepts. He asked what Occlumency was, with Sin giving him a brief and simplified explanation of how it resists mental infiltration and things like mind control.

"Really?" The unicorn balked slack jawed. He closed his mouth and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Alright, now that is interesting. Though, I have to ask: that necklace is a dragon scale, is it not? An item that negates all magical properties? How is it that you can wear it but still use magic? If I'm understanding this properly, shouldn't it stop you from using the eye?"

Looking down at the necklace for a moment, Sin answered in the only way he could... with a shrug.

Truth be told, he had no idea why the dragon scale didn't stop his own use of, what was technically, a form of magic.

Pegasi had no right to fly, none what so ever. Their wing spans, in proportion to their body and mass, were no where near big enough to justify them being off of the ground for any length of time. Yet all -well, almost all- were all able to flutter about to and fro as they pleased with insulting ease. 

This had befuddled biologists and those whom studied aerodynamics for hundreds of years. Birds, most of which were smaller than any given pegasus, had gigantic wings by comparison. The birds needed them larger to support the weight of themselves, most of which couldn't maintain flight with a smaller span. Yet a larger creature that weighed more and had smaller wings could soar along side them, and also be faster and more agile? 

How was such a thing possible? The same question was asked with the intrinsic connection earth ponies had to the ground. To farming and cultivating life.

The primary theory was nature magic, discovered a few decades ago when Spar Hawk had agreed to some observation trials by the Federal Institute of Magical Inquiry. Sin couldn't recall exactly how it all worked, but between his nature magic and the fact both Rainbow Dash and Krystal had carried him while he was wearing the dragon scale, he could only conclude that there was a difference between the to schools of arcane. 

The concept intrigued Cyan and he'd made some mental notes to look into the concept later on.

"Right, now that I've got a feel for it, this most likely wont be adequate." Sin admitted, taking in the, now much smaller and more open wood work. "We would need to head into a proper forest, where your will to survive and live would be tested. My apologize, Mr. Cyan."

The unicorn hummed in thought, considering the Federalists words. "So, the perimeters are to venture out into the wilderness, get almost to the point of hopelessness, struggle to survive and then just force myself to live?"

Sin pressed his lips. "Kind of. All that will need to happen, but on the precipice of hopelessness, when you're feeling like there's no hope, you'll discover a new feeling you've never had before... It's hard to explain in words, and more word savvy individuals than myself have tried, but I'm afraid it's just that. A feeling. I can tell you that it'll feel cold, like you're too tired to go to sleep, or too hungry to eat. Paradoxical, terrifyingly so. But once you've got it, hold onto it."

"Hold onto it?" Value asked.

"When you've experienced the feeling, you'll immediately want to push passed it, the discomfort and sense of dread will send your mind into a crippling panic. Don't let it. Wrangle that feeling, make it yours, tame it to call on your terms. Umm... Control it and don't let it control you, is the best way I can put it, I guess. Once you have the feeling tamed, access to nature magic will be yours."

Watching the desperate attempt to wrap his mind around the concept, Sin offered to escort Cyan out into the woods and give him some pointers on woodland survival.

"No." The unicorn said quietly. "If I'm understanding you correctly, it'll need to be me and me alone to do this. To tap into this 'nature magic', magic, I'll need to fail in survival until I reach that catalyst."

Catalyst, that was a good word for it.

"And besides." Value said with a smile. "This sounds like fun. Been a while since I've had a good challenge like this, my associates will think I've gone mad, though."

"Yea, about that... don't tell them, any of them." Sin cautioned. 

The unicorn didn't need it explained, as expected he understood the Federalist's reservations.

"On that note, Mr. Islander, I'd say it's about time I got some shut eye." The unicorn said with a yawn. He lead the two back to the main reception dome, finding most of the domes about to be either with dim lighting or no lighting at all. It was such an odd sight to behold, but then again, who'd ever heard of an underwater city before?

The two parted ways with a good night between them and a promise to meet again tomorrow to go over the new bolts, and Sin made way back through the walkways to the dome his companions were staying in. 

'I hope you're right about this.' Critic said in a tone of foreboding. 'He may seem alright, but you know what they say about power.'

Sin was relatively sure Value wouldn't abuse nature magic, minus some small reservations, he didn't feel too worried about it.

'And if he does, it's your responsibility. And don't give me any of that "it's his choice" crap, because it was you who taught him how to use it.'

Well Critic, I don't happen to see it that way. Mr. Cyan is his own pony and a reasonable one at that, from what I've seen. If he does use the aura for naufarious purposes, how is that my fault? That's like blaming the cross bow seller for an individual being shot.

'That because the seller IS responsible for the shooter getting the weapon in the first place. Besides, this isn't a free market concept where he could just go to someone else and learn nature magic, it was hidden away by the centaur for a reason. Also, he blatantly told you that he was going to use it for financial gain purposes, not to detour violence.'

Sin entered the last walkway and made a thoughtful sound.

Fact of the matter was that Sin wasn't opperating off of pure ignorance or even plausable deniability. Mr. Cyan did say that he'd use it to help close deals. That was a kind of form of psychological terrorism to those whom didn't understand the aura. It would be kinda like selling a crossbow to a pony after he'd said he was going to shoot someone with it. Maybe not the most moral of reasons to have it, but it... wasn't technically aggression on his part, he was just the supplier.

'Yea, so that does leave you slightly responsible.'

Ehhhhh, I suppose it does, but I-

Sin froze, breath caught in his throat before snapping his head right. 

He saw something, something in the reflection of the glass. It looked like... no, no it couldn't have been.

'You alright?' Critic asked.

Sin's eyes trailed up and down the walkway for any signs of life, only to find himself alone in the glass corridor before they were locked onto the reflective glass once again, at the area where he'd seen the phantom reflection. A maroon phantom, sitting in the glass, looking directly at him for all of a split second.

Yea... yea just tired I guess.

   
> Thought Experiment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Thought Experiment







Mac's mind raced about as he hammered down upon the rails on posts of the fence surrounding the Sweet Apple property.

Today's project was to restore some sections of the miles long barrier between his property and the county land besides, but all the stallion could think about was how sad Applebloom looked that morning during breakfast.

He lifted the mallet in his fetlock and slammed it down upon the well driven nail, making the world around echo with his hammering. 

The poor thing looked as if she hadn't slept last night, eyes red and puffy as if she'd been crying. Any time she'd dare steal a glance, it was immediately followed by her eyes going straight to the floor in a look of unforgiving guilt and depression, a mask she wore the night before during that diversity seminar...

That Celestia dammed seminar... if he wasn't thinking about how bad he felt for Applebloom, he was trying to figure out what those ponies on stage were trying to say. He and Annabelle had talked about it last night while they were in bed, and the only thing either of them could come to was that: It was on the part of stallions for putting up with such treatment in the first place.

Macintosh was a perfect example of this, most of what that Banita character had said was... right on the money with how he was. How he used to be.

Okay, granted, the treatment he'd received from granny and his sisters wasn't all that great... being bullied into silence, punished worse than his sisters for the exact same offense, constantly expected to do the heavy lifting and more dangerous work around the farm... all of that was garbage double-standards. Though, it wasn't without reason, well the heavy lifting anyways.

Stallions were stronger than mares more often than not, that was just a fact of life. If a mare wasn't strong enough to do a job, it naturally fell to a stallion to do it because the job needed to get done. Fact was fact, nature was as it was. Nopony was to blame for that, not mares or stallions.

The Pony sisters were Alicorns, more powerful and well lived than any other pony alive, that Macintosh knew of, anyways. It made sense that they'd be the ones to rule the country, their wisdom and experience did give them a fair bit more credibility and right to rule when compared to even the oldest of ponies. School taught that Celestia -and to a minor extent, Luna- were responsible for the prolonged peace Equestria had enjoyed for so long.

Politics and money ran along the lines of simple population ratios. There was simply more female than male ponies, and by logic of probability, it only made sense that there would be more mares with money and in politics than stallions.

That wasn't oppression or putting stallions down, and the real issues stallions and other males faced was trivialized by saying it was. It made it sound like stallions had a gripe with just about every aspect of society and were treated as second class citizens with no agency of their own. That wasn't true, of course, and to tartarus with all of that "internalized misandry" crap they were touting.

Though, that brought on an issue he couldn't explain away, not even with Annabelle and his inner voice's help.

'Institutional gender roles and cultural conditioning.'

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, be it the typical subservience of males to females or females domineering over males, stallions acting... well, whipped, was a wide spread phenomena. Macintosh wasn't sure how it happened, but there was no denying the way males were treated and the fact they accepted it.

It wasn't the greatest of respectful treatment, but it wasn't oppression as Bannita had said. It wasn't for one simple fact, there was a choice to be made to avoid it.

Stallions could walk away from those whom behaved as if they were children, yes. They simply chose not to, and chose to indulge the treatment. If there was one thing the past year had taught Mac, it was that there was always a choice. Decisions had consequences, to be sure, but there was always a choice.

So why? Why did stallions act so pathetic and... how did Sin call it? Simp like, when it came to mares? 

The stallion had thought about it a few times in his life. Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Shining Armor and Cadance or Twilight, Mr. and Mrs. Harvest... most of the relationships he'd seen revolved around that dynamic.

But why? It couldn't be because mares really saw stallions as incompetent, right?

Was it a misunderstanding between the sexes? A maternal need to henpeck and maintain order like a mother duck? A complex that had infected most every mare into playing a stern care giver role and lord about over her perceived "ducklings" both foals and mate? Maybe not as a form of disrespect, but an odd expression of love and affection?

That made sense, but at the same time, it was also a little strange to think about. 

Macintosh thought back to when he was once like that, why he had expected it from Applejack and, more recently, from Granny Smith. 

Granted, he didn't like being spoken down to, or threatened, but a small part of him appreciated the gestures. Setting aside the more humiliating and enraging scoldings, as well as his own emotional biases, the actions and effort his kin had put forth did come from a place of caring and love, right?

Looking back on it, despite it being the very thing that had driven him away, Applejack's words did come from a place of care and love. She was afraid of him leaving the farm and abandoning the family, just like Granny Smith was. They wanted him to stay because they loved him and valued him. Yea, sure, they needed to utilize his strength and contribution for the chores and apple bucking season, but that didn't negate the fact they loved him and cherished his presence like he did theirs.

Maybe it was stereo-typical to say that a stallion's pride kept him from admitting to weakness and pain, but there was a lot of truth to it as well. Sometimes stallions did let their pride and disgust with their own weakness prevent them from taking measures to ensure self preservation. 

Mac looked down at the small bandages around his chest and forelegs where Platinum had scored upon him and frowned. 

Annabelle and his sisters' were very much against the prospect of him putting himself to work until he'd fully recovered. The small throbbing pain that reminded him of the injury, flaring whenever he'd move in the wrong ways, making work a bit more difficult. 

Yet here he was, outside in the late spring morning, pounding away at the new fence for no other reason than it was a job that needed to be done. He knew he was being watched from time to time, be it Applejack or his wife coming to see, but despite their attempts to stay hidden, he knew they were there, checking up on him and making sure he was alright.

That was a gesture of appreciation and care, right? Was he stupid for forcing himself to work despite his injuries? Likely, but it felt good to know someone was looking after him in a way he'd be unable to if he needed them. Yet that was the paradox, wasn't it? Not wanting to need others, but needing to be wanted...

'It's not all that paradoxical, not when you really think about sexuality and mate selection.'

Mate selection?

His inner voice grunted in acknowledgement. 'Mares get vulnerable in pregnancy, right? Think back before modern times, like back in the days of the three tribes of the old world. Predators were abundant without the empire and food was scarce before mass agriculture. A pregant mare, even a well to do one, isn't to be as likely to do for herself as an unburdened stallion. But stallions would need to be able to do the hard work, even putting their lives and selves at risk in order to feed the pregnant mare, yea?'

Mac could see the logic in that and nodded.

'So, it would stand to reason that only the most willing to work and provide stallions would be the ones to be chosen to make foals, yea? Though, as time went on, and food gathering became easier by making farms and walls were built to protect, the preferred behavior of stallions became less and less about the willingness to fight and compete for food, but more for family life and cooperation. Maybe, in response to stallions natural inclination to competition and physical actions, mares adapted to try to wrangle that behavior?'

Macintosh's eyes shot wide at the perceived epiphany, half in righteous indignation and half in utter awe. He didn't care for the implication that stallions, by their very nature, were violent creatures, but at the same time, it made sense. Foals did have similar physical characteristics of both of their parents, so it would make sense to have similar mental ones as well; and it was no secret how aggressive and frustrated colts became during their teenage years... 

If anything, though, that ran directly counter to stallions acting in submission to mares.

'Not really. That behavior is for anything but mares. Not too many foals would be born if stallions acted in hostility to the other half, now would they? I don't think they always acted in submission like they do today, though. And before you get all in a tissy about it, things were very different way back when, stallions needed to be aggressive and competitive in order to survive. To judge the actions of yesteryear by today's moral standards is just asking to be offended all around, not to mention, completely missing the point.'

Mac's brows furrowed as he considered the concept before asking what that had to do with the current state of affairs for the sexes.

'An over correction, perhaps?'

An over correction to curb stallion's natural inclination born thousands of years ago? How was that possible? Wouldn't that much time naturally change stallions minds? 

'Maybe, but that would lead to the idea of nature vs nurture. How much the social environment influences male behavior and how stallions would behave if they weren't exposed to said influences.'

The apple pony considered the concept for a bit but found that he had very little points of reference. Psychology was a funny thing that he'd never taken the time to appreciate nor look into.

'Or, if you want to get really out there, maybe it's all just some kind of fantasy.'

Fantasy?

'Yea, okay, okay, follow me on this, alright? You've just admitted to liking the feeling of being looked after by the mares in your life, right? That it makes you feel loved, cared about, and wanted? Well, consider for a second that maybe other stallions do too. Healthy or unhealthy for partner relationships aside. You've seen numerous instances of this same behavior over and over again, with all the social consequences to go with it... Now, what if they know, and they don't do anything about it because they like it?' 

Macintosh wasn't sure what to think of that, but decided to hear his inner voice out.

'What if all of it was manufactured, not by mares, but by stallions? Think about it: Who's the first female that any stallion meets in his life? His mother. The unconditional loving care giver. The reliable and immovable rock of love and comfort, hooves that would never hurt nor betray. Embraces that give emotional safety and can sooth even the most unfathomable fear.

Now, and this is important, set aside the actual mother and the oedipus complex, and apply the same kind of concept of maternal love to a lover. The constant looking after, the firm tones, the gentle kindness... it makes sense that stallions would want that, yea? That kind of devotion? That kind of desire to be understood, protected and accepted? If you'll notice, that is kinda the basis for many a romantic relationships. With the mare acting more as a maternal figure and the stallion submitting to it in a kind of... male mother need? Don't tell me that doesn't make some sense to you.'

Grimacing, the red stallion considered the idea and shivered at the disturbing implication that came to mind, but he was hard pressed to deny the viability of it. 

Umm, alright, but what makes you think stallions were the ones to make it?

'Statistics.'

Statistics?

'How many mares are there in pony kind as opposed to the number of stallions?'

Mac figured the numbers were heavily in the female's favor, but wasn't ready to give an approximate estimate. Probably about 3 to 5, he supposed.

'Exactly, which means stallions had the pick of mates. What if maternal behavior was the preferred behavior for mares to have towards stallions? That such behavior was the primary motivator for stallions to take them as wives and have foals with them? If it worked best, it would only stand to reason that that behavior, rewarded via sexual selection, would be the prominent female inclination, yea? Mothers teaching their daughters that stallions respond positively that kind of treatment, and advocate for it if they want to land a husband.'

Ehh, that made a little sense, but it didn't answer why stallions wanted it in the first place.

'They're the ones who benefit most from it? Makes life easier for them? I don't know, but what benefit do mares get aside from a power trip and a feeding into their own maternal ego? I'm not saying it's right or entirely factually correct, I'm just saying it's a possible theory.'

Before the pony could force his mind to trepidly expand farther into the dark nuance of the concept, a continuous dinging chime from back at the farm echoed around him, saving him from the train of thought.

Lunch time.

  

> Exit Bliss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   





Exit Bliss






Walking alone on the grass a few dozen yards inland, Sin cast a squinty eyed glance to the sea shore to check on Krystal and Scootaloo as they flew around the water, and then to the tree line to his left for any looming threats to his person. Angel lay perched atop his back, laying back, munching a provisional carrot they'd gotten from one of the shops back in town, and enjoying the mid-day sunlight and slight stinging salt-smell of the ocean.

Sin didn't much care for the beach, nor the wasted time that following the zig zag of the coast would cost instead of taking a straight shot directly towards Baltimare, but considering the two had agreed to forsake the flying lesson breaks in exchange for Scootaloo to have some soft water to crash in when she fell, he figured it was a good trade off.

The filly was becoming a little more ambitious with her flying now, Krystal had noticed that she responded better to instinctual callings to the mechanisms of flight while in the air as opposed to trying to take off from the ground and the two agreed that the orange pegasus would benefit more in her efforts if this method of learning was employed.

Sin watched and internally gave a sympathetic cringe as Scootaloo spread her wings and was gently released from Krystal's grip, glided for a few feat and crashed unceremoniously into the water.

Scootaloo had guts, nobody could ever deny that. Sin mused.

Even if she did follow the crash instructions to breath out her nose hard on impact, hold out her legs to break the water, and duck her head, it wouldn't save her from the pain such a "landing" promised.

'Guts indeed.'

Bliss was a good day or so behind them now, with Mr. Cyan giving the trio welcome passage at any time they asked. 

Sin looked down at the crossbow on his foreleg and the two bolts held strung, the first being one of his old bolts, and the quick load holding one of the incendiary bolts Value had given him. He was thankful for the lessons on the usage of the new projectile, the splash radius of initial explosion was much farther than he'd anticipated, and he wasn't all that sure that a field test of his own would have ended well, much less a combat test outside of a controlled environment. 

The real downside was the slight weight difference between the steal tip and the flame arrow. 

It was heavier... a lot heavier... It took him about ten bolts into practice, and an incinerated steel backdrop, to finally figure out the needed adjustments to his aim in order to score anything close to mark. Granted, the splash variable made perfect aiming much less necessary, but at the same time, it made precision even more important. 

This wasn't just some small arrow who's damage would stop the second it made contact with something, it was fire. Consuming flame that wouldn't stop until it was forced to stop. The flames were nothing special, simple oxygen deprivation put them out, but the hazards and dangers of fire was what concerned him, almost to the point of finding the weapons impractical for anything other than arson and slaughter.

This lead to a ethical dilemma on if Sin should use them at all or not. Not just in the sense of the uncontrollable and insurmountable property and collateral damage that he'd be directly responsible for, but the killing, nay the slaughter, of ponies who'd personally done him no wrong. 

As much as he may dislike the Trotski, most of them hadn't done him any harm, not really. Hell, there were even a few ponies within that he liked, that one pony he'd met in the cafeteria area of the compound during his infiltration of the Judgement and his wife were alright, and he'd suspect that the majority of the Trotski were more like them and less like their ruthless leadership... guilt by association set to the side.

'Not to mention that their desire to free themselves from Celestia and Luna's Matriarchal rule does line up a lot with yours.'

Ehh, yea. Though, Sin wasn't too much to criticize Celestia's ruler-ship capabilities... Well, aside from the obvious, anyway.

Yea, Sin may not have liked the Trotski, nor appreciated their aggressive and manipulative tactics, but they did walk the walk of wanting to be free of perceived oppression. Albeit through bad actions, but they were still taking active steps rather than sitting around bitching about it, so credit where it was due.

They were doers, doers with bad leadership. Fact was that, aside from Puddinghead, Clover the Clever and Private Panzy, he hadn't really too much reason to kill the other members. They were willing to riot over his incarceration and death, after all. Granted, it was all a ploy by their leadership, but with those he wanted to kill getting more wise to his tactics, the Federalist had forced his blood lust down for a moment to consider alternative means of his goal.

The lower members of the Trotski probably didn't know who Sin Islander was aside from the pony who'd freed their leaders and "died for their cause"... Those few he'd spoken to on the Judgement only knew him as "Goliath" and would dismiss the truth of his identity and the actions of the Trotski Leadership against him...

As usual, lying put him in a bad spot, but it did give him potential access if the ponies he'd met before could be spoken too... what were their names again? He couldn't remember for the life of him. Hot Wheel or something like that...

'I'm proud of you Sin.' Critic praised. 'Instead of going in and killing them all, you're thinking about using more peaceful tactics to save lives.'

Yea, but the three higher ups were going to die, painfully.

'Well, yes, I'm sure they will, but they are responsible for killing or attempting to kill, so I have no problem with that.'

Three higher ups... There wasn't three, there were four, but Sin wasn't too sure on what to make of the last higher up he'd met, Smart Cookie.

With the way he was acting in Appleloosa, it was clear the pony wasn't the the most diverse and tolerant, but Sin had the brain cells to understand that the stallion's "slip of the tongue" to lead him to the other Trotski was anything but an accident. Not to mention his last bit of telling him where to find the Trotski outside Baltimare... 

Oh, the Federalist didn't trust him worth a damn, but he still couldn't figure out why he'd exposed his comrades location like that. 

'A trap, maybe?'

Possibly, but why be that elaborate? They had the numbers to ambush him at any time, yet they went all the way to Baltimare and tried to throw him off having the Appleloosa ticketmaster tell Sin that they'd gone to Manehatten. If he was supposed to go to one city, why would they lay a trap in another?

'Possible they knew you'd figure out the truth? But if that was the case, why lie in the first place? Hmmm...'

Hearing a twig snap behind him, Sin quickly spun about and brought his cross bow to bare. Nothing lay behind him aside from the trail he walked and the greening forest beside him that he could see. 

But it was what he couldn't see that concerned him, Sombra and Soarin were still tailing them, but he couldn't figure out why they had yet to act. He knew they wouldn't move while he was awake and alert, but they had many chances to get to him while he was asleep, surly they must have seen the numerous times Krystal had passed out while it was her shift, so what were they waiting for?

Grunting, the stallion turned and began walking again, his eyes casting to the sky to find Krystal carrying a very wet Scootaloo in her forelegs.

"I hate salt water!" The filly complained, rubbing her tearful and, no doubt, burning eyes. Krystal brought her gently down, a sympathetic smile on her muzzle.

Sin smirked and returned the scarf he kept on his neck back to the filly. "I told you not to open your eyes in the water." He teased.

Scootaloo stopped rubbing long enough to give the Federalist an, admittedly cute, scowl, it wasn't to last before the burning sent her hooves right back to giving what small relief they could offer.

"Why do you have to be so mean to her?" Krystal asked sternly, placing a hoof onto Scootaloo's shoulder. 

Sin shrugged. "Because you coddle her too much."

"I do not!" The pegasus mare shot back.

Tilting his head in an uncharacteristically emotive display, Sin quirked a brow and a knowing grin... And said absolutely nothing. Though, the snickering rabbit on his back said everything that needed to be said. If there was one thing Sin could count on Angel for, it was to send a message.

"What?" Krystal asked impatiently.

Sin remained silent, and Angle's laughing shoulders hiccuped that much more.

"What!?" The mare barked, somehow even more petulantly.

It was so easy to get under Krystal's skin, Sin made sure to keep himself from pushing too far, but seeing her get riled up was always amusing. She was one of those ponies who always wanted to know what was going on, and aside from insulting her family or the prospect of cheating in a relationship, nothing annoyed her more than to be ignorant to the goings on around her. Especially when she was directly involved.

'You are such an ass hole, dude.'

"Never mind." Sin declared turning his back and continuing on the trail.

Walking and thinking quietly to himself as he went.









Slamming her hoof down in a display, Krystal Melody watched one of the most insufferable stallions she'd ever met walk away from her.

She hated how Islander was able to get to her like he did, usually she wouldn't care what other ponies thought about her, but her brain made a special exception for him. An exception that was driving her absolutely nuts! 

Usually everypony was so nice to her, they'd tease her from time to time of course, back at the farm and when she'd venture into Twin Springs. Though, she'd always find something to say in kind, a nice and light hearted jab in response. Sin was different, his jokes were never simple or... shallow? Was that the word? It sounded right.

His jokes and teasing was always smarter than she was used to, and she wouldn't figure it out until she'd already fallen for it or until it was too late to give a good comeback. Like what just happened, she figured out it was meant to just get under her skin, and she fell for it hook, line and sinker by acting petulant... 

Though, it was also that kind of treatment that she liked about him. He didn't treat her with foal shoes, he didn't treat her like she was a delicate flower easily broken, something most every stallion who'd ever tried to court her did constantly.

"You know, you do try to baby me alot." Scootaloo said, finally getting enough of the salty water out of her eyes to squint into the morning light.

Krystal turned her attention down to Scootaloo and tried to stutter out a response. "Well that's because... I mean no offense, but... oh darn it, he's right, isn't he?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "He usually is. I don't think he said it to be mean, though."

Sighing, Krystal frowned sadly. "I'm sorry, I know you're big enough to take care of your self, but I... I just can't help it, you're just so cute and... ummm..."

Restraining the eye roll, Scootaloo smiled awkwardly. "Uhh, thanks, I guess."

Watching the filly walk away, Krystal lifted a hoof in hoping she'd stop so the elder mare could explain, but Scootaloo just continued walking on. The pegasus sighed in slight despair. 

She had more to say... 

Krystal hated that about herself, that she couldn't articulate the things she wanted to say in a way that others would fully listen. Instead of giving her time to get her thoughts in order, they just took her initial attempt at an opening explanation, along with the awkwardly honesty she carried about it, and went with that as all her words were worth.

She may not have been with the others long, but with everything that they had all been through, Krystal had come to see her companions as close friends. She was grateful to both of them for accepting her as part of their group, though it was clear that there really wasn't much of a "group" mindset to them.

Sin may have acted protectively over Scootaloo, but only when she was in danger or doing something wrong. Aside from that, the stallion didn't pay the filly much mind at all. He'd speak to her if she had questions, but reluctantly so, as if her words of inquiry were not but irritating nuisances that needed to be put up with and answered.

It was obvious that the filly was trying to find some kind of bond with him, but Sin just wouldn't allow it. Hiding behind sarcasm and half truths that he could easily wiggle his way out of when he needed to. 

As Krystal trotted ahead to get caught up, she couldn't help but be reminded of Mama Sandy, and how the earth mare's past had played a part in the interactions with both herself and Mama Gem, leading Krystal to conclude that Sin had some kind of similar experiences...

Krystal's eyes glazed over as her legs went on auto pilot.

She wondered how her parents and brothers were doing, she missed them terribly. Not enough to go back home just yet, but enough to know that the farm was still home to her. She missed the Ol' Pony Prospector, and Mr. Keep, and the folks from the trading post. Every day was surrounded by the smiling faces and warm conversations, where everypony was open and kind... not at all like it was with traveling...

This was how it was most days. Wake up, eat, walk, do flying lessons, talk a little, and more walking in silence, leaving everypony to their own thoughts and observations. Scootaloo would speak with her well enough, but the lack of mutual interests kept anything from coming of it, along with the filly's aversion to speaking about her family. From what Krystal gathered, she was more interested in finding her Cutie Mark and running away. A trait, it would seem, that Islander had as well. He tried to hide the fact, and the off white mare never asked about it out of politeness, but she'd seen his lack of a mark more than once.

Krystal looked behind her and then looked forward again.

She'd noticed he'd looked around alot, getting especially jittery around forest areas and demanding they walk in clearings whenever possible. When questioned about it, Krystal never got a satisfying answer.

Best she could figure was that they were being followed by somepony. Somepony who was very patient and very good at sneaking. At night, she'd sometimes hear rustling or odd noises from a good distance, but they were far and few between to the point she'd just come to accept them as general noises that happened at night.

But what if that was the reason Sin wanted a night watch? If that was so, who was chasing them and why? Well, that was kinda a stupid question, wasn't it? Scootaloo was a run away and Islander's quest obviously made him less than reputable with the law, as well as the Trotski.

"Perhaps you should reconsider traveling with them?" A voice in her head told her. "Maybe that dream you had about Luna was right, where she told you that he was dangerous and that you should stay away from him?"

Krystal frowned and answered that, it was because he was dangerous that she needed to go with him. To protect others from Islander's obvious lack of restraint and regard for life. That, and Scootaloo needed somepony to look after her. Krystal didn't care what the filly said, traveling with somepony who offered no emotional attachment or support at such a young age was just not healthy.

"At risk of your own person?" The voice countered. "You've seen how he is, manipulative, emotionally distant, on a mission to end lives... what do you think you may do to stop him if he decides he doesn't care about your opinion?"

Krystal didn't have an answer, well, not a logical one anyways. The voice wouldn't dissuade her from following, it was clear the two ahead of her needed her and she was going to be there for them.

"Why?" It replied. "You've been treated less than well by both of them. The foal pushes away your attempts at affection and the stallion is a dangerous murderer. What possible reason would you have to 'be there' for them?"

Because she cared about them, and it was the right thing to do, of course.

The cold voice went quiet for a moment, leaving Krystal to feel a slight sense of triumph. She was slowly beginning to wonder about why there was an icy cool speaker in her mind, but the next question derailed the thought where it was. 

"And if he turns his wrath upon you to get to his aim?"

Krystal dismissed the idea outright, laughing at it at first, but then she began thinking about Appleloosa. About the murderous look in Islander's eye as he barked at the old pony and the hooded unicorn. That same look he had when he'd seen the train pass by before running to find where it was going... the same look he had when he'd pushed Scootaloo into the ground without the slightest bit of concern for her safety...

Her canter slowed to a soft walking, and from a soft walking to a full stop.

"What if you get in his way to stop him from killing and he chooses to kill you?"

Krystal swallowed nervously. 

In her books back home, the ones about adventure, about a group of companions getting together and setting out on an adventure, the troop would have slight problems. Some ponies who didn't get along, or a leader who'd get a little too full of him or herself, sometimes even betrayal. Though, there was always some kind of reconciliation, a point where everypony would come together and get along... an event that would show that unity and togetherness was the best way to handle whatever challenges life had to throw at them...

Even for the anti-hero types... the ones who'd always been cold and brooding, would always realize that it was better to be part of the group than on their own.

It was a hope Krystal had, a deep and secret one that she dared not speak of, that she'd be part of such a group. Where everypony would accept her into the fold and through a sense of community, would have adventures and travel about, an almost familial sense of care holding the group together.

However, a scene of Islander looking upon her with hard eyes, standing between he and the pony from before, her begging him not to shoot, and him loosing the bolt into her neck... that tested her hope for a literature inspired adventure.

He... he wouldn't do that! Sin- Sin said he'd protect her! He gave her father his word that he would!

"Yes, because he's been honest so far, hasn't he?" The voice pointed out smoothly. 

It reminded Krystal of all the immoral instances the pony had committed during their travels: Constant lies about his name, breaking and entering back in Appleloosa to steal a scale and some weights, cold and calculating manipulations, an attempt to abandon Scootaloo with Krystal should he die...

"And let's not forget the fact that he doesn't act in any sort of moral good." The voice reminded. "He only does the right thing when somepony else pressures him into it. Or have you forgotten that it was only through Scootaloo that he helped you with your wagon?"

Trembling to find her thoughts, Krystal's eyes drooped from terrified stupor to thoughtful concern as she tried to push passed the images that plagued her mind's eye.

W- would he kill her to get to the Trotski? He said they had hurt someone close to him, badly. Badly enough that he was willing to travel hundreds of miles in order to get revenge. What if... what if he would do it? What if Islander would kill both her and Scootaloo if and when they tried to stop him like they said they would? Sin had said so himself that they wouldn't stop him... How far was he willing to go to prove that statement?

"Krystal?" Scootaloo called. "Earth to Krystal, hellooo~!"

The amber eyed mare broke from her thoughts with a start, just now taking notice that both Sin and Scootaloo were standing infront of her.

"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked. "You've been standing there for a few minutes with that weird look on your face."

Krystal flushed, her dark thoughts dropping to a dark corner of her mind and she chuckled awkwardly in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry, I was just thinking."

Her awkward smile faltered a little as her gaze shifted from the filly to the Sin, the questions becoming more pronounced as he looked at her. They flared from terrified curiosity and concern to a burning warning and demand to know.

"Are you alright?" Scootaloo asked. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Krystal shook her head, giving a half truth that she was just thinking about home and how she'd missed her family.

"Oh..." Scootaloo said sympathetically, her eyes going sad for a moment.

Seeing the filly looking glum broke Krystal from her sad mood and she nuzzled younger pegasus encouragingly. 

It was clear the rockfarmer's family wasn't the only one she was concerned with, still, it was nice to hear the filly express concern for her.

With that, all three continued onwards. The warmth Scootaloo's action brought dissipating after only a few yards of travel before the disturbing ideas from before resurfaced to plague the mare's mind once more.

Though, she realized one thing that helped put her mind at ease: She wasn't as powerless as she felt. She'd bested Islander before, and she would do it again if she had to.









Walking along besides Islander, Scootaloo's mind ran over the feelings and instincts that were required in flight. The preassure on her wings, the feelings of feathers tickled by wind, the subtle shifts for banking and gliding. She'd learned in school that most of flying was instinctual to the avian part of the pegasus brain, and it shined through alot more when she was being carried through the air.

Ground bound, she just didn't have the motivation to continue trying, but the prospect of crashing and falling was a one hay of a way to get the instincts going. Not to mention, much more fun.

She was getting the hang of it, despite her multiple crashes in the water. Krystal was seeing it too, and giving little tips and pointers that made more sense when in the air.

Though, knowing the mechanics and feelings of aerial flight wouldn't do much for her if she couldn't build up the wing muscles to take off. Maybe it would serve her to start doing those wing exercises Islander had showed her earlier? The constant burning and pain she felt was one of the reasons she'd get discouraged and give up, sooo...

"Getting the hang of it?" Islander asked besides her.

Scootaloo nodded and smiled. "Yea, I think I am. Krystal wasn't needing to hold me a whole lot when I tried gliding, but my wings are pretty sore. I'm thinking about those wing exercises you taught me."

Sin gave a light hearted smirk. "Good for you, I think those will help you out a bit getting off the ground."

Scootaloo gave an enthusiastic nod but her mind began to slowly pull her thoughts in another direction. She had spoken to him about it before, and it didn't sound like a topic worth breaching, but maybe a lack of interest on his part wasn't the full story. Things were still a little tense between them after what had happened at the rock farm and she decided to use the opportunity to push passed it.

"You know, if you asked her nicely, I think Krystal would be willing to teach you to fly too."

The stallion's smirk dropped and, with his face still forward, he cast an accusatory eye at her, warning her to drop the subject where it stood.

Scootaloo sighed and looked forward again. "Still not  talking about that, huh?"

"No." Islander answer, keeping his tone neutral and flat.

He never did. Her decent mood and hope deflating, Scootaloo was beginning to wonder what the point of asking him anything was. Most any time they'd talk, she'd always end up feeling either ignored or ignorant.

Ignored in the fact he'd never talk to her unless there was a reason to do so, a reason that revolved around her being wrong, of course, or if she forced him into it. Where in he'd give short and precise answers in a voice that dripped with irritation, making her feel like a nuisance to him. 

She was sorry for what she'd said about Macintosh, honest she was, but it appeared he had yet to forgive her for it.

"He is quite irritable, isn't he?" 

Scootaloo nodded. Yea, it's getting kinda annoying.

"And yet you choose to stay with him."

The filly had already had this conversation before, and as concerning as it was to hear the voice once again, she wasn't in the mood to debate the points.

"All that was implied is that your suffering is self brought."

This she knew, of course, but what choice did she have? Between the contrast of Krystal's over affection and Islander's standoffishness and going back to Ponyville, staying where she was was the only way to go. As bad as they were, at least they didn't beat her or let her starve. 

"How much farther to Baltimare?" Scootaloo asked.

"'Bout a day or so." Islander answered. "No idea what it's going to be like, but it's best to assume the same of them as we did in Trottingham."

Scootaloo shuddered, remembering being put in that wooden cell by that jerk pony before.

The filly made a few more attempts at casual conversation, but as usual, they all landed flat on their face with Islander giving short and pragmatic answers that didn't invite farther elaboration. 

Soon enough, she decided to give up conversation and walk in silence.

Walking and quiet thinking... it never changes.
> Baltimare Beach
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










Baltimare Beach









Sin smiled as the slow anticipation in his belly grew more and more with every step he took.

The trio of pegasi, and single rabbit, reached the top of another bluff and looked down to the city in the not to far distance, Baltimare.

Buildings littered to and fro all across the coast line, a good mile or so of nothing but concrete, stone and buildings made of varying types of smooth and pleasing to behold metals and glass, with suberbian style homes reaching beyond what the eye could see. Many sparkled as they caught the light of the sun, giving the entire area a certain sense of industrial awe and wonder. 

"Wow..." Krystal and Scootaloo said in unison, taking in the vastness of the first city either had ever seen. 

Sin had to admit, he was rather impressed with everything he saw. It was different from Unitas, what with the buildings being much smoother and more, for lack of a better phrase, new age than the robust and rustic towers and buildings of his own country's architecture. Though it did make him long a little for the Federation capital... just a little.

He looked around to find the wood work near the city and smiled, that was where he needed to go, now he just needed to figure out a way to keep these two busy while he took care of the Trotski.

Between deciding if he'd try a more friendly infiltration method or simply sneak in an assassinate the room entirely, he'd given the matter less thought than he should have, and nothing substantial came to mind. From the map index, nothing much was here that he deemed suitable to keep these two entertained. There were bars, clubs, some more adult entertainment industries... but that was okay. The map index was no indication for all of what the city had to offer... they'd likely find something to do.

Sin and Scootaloo began walking down the bluff to the city proper, but stopped when they realized that their newest companion failed to move forwards.

"Krystal?" Scootaloo asked. "C'mon."

"Ummm..." Krystal said reluctantly, her gaze lightening with obvious nervousness. "Umm, do... do we really have to?"

Scootaloo tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

The white mare took a breath and looked as though she was about to explain herself, but quickly shook her head and frowned in determination. "Nothing." She declaired firmly. "N-nothing's wrong."

She strutted with a little too much forced confidence and the trio began marching down the hill. 

'What do you figure that was about?'

Beats me. Anyrate, enough about that and help me figure out something for them to do.

Sin knew Critic didn't want the two to see what he had planned any more than Sin himself did. As they approached the city, the dirt path they followed curved in beside a road and, with the greatest of luck, tourist attraction signs with them.

'Hmmm, let's see here.' Critic mused as they passed by a few of the wooden information holders. 'Fire Circus? Krystal wouldn't like that, I don't think. They've been underwater for a few days, so the aquarium is out. Hmm...'

What about that one? The city tour?

'Oh yea. Let's just send two ponies who have no idea about city life to just wonder about with some stranger. Fucking brilliant idea, Sin.' Critic snapped with flippant sarcasm.

Sin found the hostile response off putting, but it wasn't an over reaction. It was a stupid suggestion on his part. As much as he wanted these three out of his hair while he slaughtered Puddinghead and company, Krystal and Scootaloo getting mugged or worse wasn't exactly on his list of things he wanted to have happen today.

That was when he saw it and nearly kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner.

Down by the waterfront, beach goers were playing about. Splashing in the water, playing some game that involved putting a ball over a net, relaxing on the beach side. Hell, there was even a few stands that allowed for, what he assumed, were beverages and other business endeavors.

Along with a familiar face that made Sin smirk with anticipation.

"Perfect." He said under his breath before turning to them. "Hey, what do you two say to a nice off day at the beach?"

"Off day?" Krystal asked.

Sin nodded and pointed, explaining that they'd either been walking or exploring for the past few weeks, but none of them had taken time to relax and enjoy some much needed downtime. 

Scootaloo answered that she wasn't interested in swimming, on account of her spending enough time in the water, but Sin quickly pointed out that she didn't have to go swimming. This was a lazy day, a day where they would "all" simply kick back and unwind for a little bit. Spend all of today and tomorrow to recharge and then pick up again afterwards.

When put that way, the orange filly seemed much more open to the prospect. 

"Well, we have been walking an aweful lot." She said.

Sin felt himself well up with hope a little, though a quick look of realization popped that bubble faster than a Fatchitaz stock after a bank run.

"Hey wait a minute! That pony from Appleloosa said that the ponies you were looking for were here." Scootaloo said, pointing an accusatory hoof at him. 

'Clever girl.'

"Yea! You're just trying to get rid of us so we wont stop you!" Krystal agreed giving him a scowl. "You're trying to fool us!"

'Clever girls. Welp, now what?'

Honesty is the best policy.

"That would be correct." Sin replied with a knowing smirk. "You guys caught onto that pretty quick. Well done."

Amber and magenta orbs of accusation clashed with icy blue knowing. Soon, the accusation slowly turned to skepticism as time continued to pass without anything being said.

"Well." Scootaloo asked.

"Well what?" Sin replied, his smirk only growing.

The filly frowned in confusion. "Well... we're not gonna let you do it!"

"Is that right?" Sin asked.

"No." Scootaloo answered with absolution.

Sin hummed to himself and shrugged before wordlessly turning and marching down to the beach front. Scootaloo and Krystal were reluctant to join him at first, but slowly began to follow, both keeping a keen eye on the the stallion for any indication as to what he was planning.

'What are you planning?' Critic demanded, not liking the fact he had no idea what his vessel was contemplating.

It was simple really, if he couldn't get them to leave him alone willingly, than he'd just need them to want to be away from him. Perhaps the temptation of relaxing at the beach wasn't enough for them, but the prospect of listening to a teal colored deer chastising a group of college ponies about their idiocy might just do the trick...







Krystal flinched as the hot sand of the beach prodded at her her delicate under-hooves. She kept pushing forward to keep pace with her associates, but took note that they too felt the slight burn of the minerals.

She was happy to come to the beach for a day off from traveling, especially since she didn't need to go into the massive city. 

She didn't know why she felt so unnerved by the huge conglomerate of buildings. What were they but massive slabs of stone and metal... that were extremely big? Really, really big. Massive, enormous buildings that dwarfed her and every other thing she'd ever seen in her life! They looked higher than the canyon to her farm was tall, for Celestia's sake!

Okay, it's okay. She didn't need to go in there. But what if Sin planned to and... she had to to stop him.

Krystal didn't care for that idea one bit. And the closer they got to the beach, and consequentially to the city itself, the less she cared for it. 

She'd rather clean the bathroom for a week after Obsi and Scoria were ill than go in there, and those two were absolutely disgusting when sick.

"What's your game here, Islander?" Scootaloo growled.

"Game?" Sin asked casually. "I have no idea what you mean."

He did the thing with his voice where he raised it slightly to indicate he was only saying that, Krystal noted. It was something she didn't like that he did. He didn't really lie, per say, just... said the words of the lie while his voice conveyed he wasn't serious.

Krystal was curious as to their guide's trickery, but also remained guarded. He'd fooled her more times than she could count, but the mare figured that if she was vigilant, she could figure out his game and counter in kind. She wasn't as smart as he was, but she was starting to catch on and be less surprised by his strategies.

That's when she noticed a nice wooden shack not too far from where they were headed, and a familiar deer standing outside with a couple of ponies. She wasn't sure, but they looked to be arguing over something.








"That would be factually incorrect." The teal deer snarked at the pink earth pony before him. "According to the latest data from the Imperial Department of Commerce and Labor: Earth Ponies earn no more or less than unicorns or pegasi whilst entering the same jobs with the exact same hours, exact same experience and exact same qualifications."

"No they don't!" Cried the earth pony before him. "Earth ponies earn less on average, 27% on average to be precise, by the very same institute you've listed. How can there be such a pay discrepancy on average if all jobs are equally paying for all tribes?!"

Sin smirked and pushed through the small crowd around the two.

"Because," the deer replied, "Earth pony jobs are not in requirement of magic nor flight. Meaning their job prospects are more limited as opposed to the more specialized fields that require flight or magic in order to be efficiently completed or completed at all. Where both unicorns and pegasi are able to do earth pony jobs, for the most part. This is the simple result of supply and demand. When there are more capable workers for basic labor intensive jobs, the price of that labor is diminished due to others being willing to work for the cheaper prices."

"No it's not! It's because of institutionalized and systemic racism against earth ponies because they haven't the ability to fly nor use magic. It's discrimination and you're a racist for implying otherwise!" Countered the mare with a scowl.

The deer groaned. "Resorting to name calling and slander already?" He tisked three times. "Alright, provide your evidence for this alleged systemic racism and bias of yours."

Sin smile widened as he watched the mare bare her teeth and admit that she didn't have any evidence. "I don't need it anyways, it's self evident."

"Self evident how, exactly?" The deer asked wryly before searching through a few files he was holding and retrieving a document. "Because I have my source right here, if you'd like to take a look."

Sin could already see how the conversation would play out. Teal would provide evidence and sources to support his argument, thus giving himself more credibility and standing, while the pink pony would only argue from a place of emotion and flimsy statistical data at best, manipulating the existing data to support her own ends. Though, if the deer was as clever as the Federalist suspected, he'd quickly put all of that to rest by placing it into context.

And so, as expected, that's exactly what happened. 

The two argued back and forth a little more, with a stray stallion or mare taking the side of the pony with words of agreement or helpful input, though each and every one of them was slammed down in one of the most brutal intellectual bitch slaps Sin had ever born witness to.

There was a wage gap between earth ponies and pegasus and unicorns? Yea, because most anything an earth pony could do a unicorn or pegasus could do. Though, earth ponies couldn't really fly nor cast magic. 

Food supplies were necessary? Yea, and all races could do them while only pegasi could move around clouds and produce the needed weather, thus making them more in demand for such jobs and giving them higher pay.

Earth ponies connection to the earth made them more adept at farming and cultivating, but pegasi and unicorns could just as easily harvest or water/fertilize plants.

Earth ponies strength made them more adept to hard labor, but pegasi and unicorns could use their magic and wings to compensate.

It wasn't said in a way or as a means to degrade earth ponies, it was just the facts presented as they were. As any employer looking for labor would see them.

Honestly, it was pretty fun to watch on Sin's end. He had no idea what brought all of this nonsense about, but dammit if he didn't get a serine sense of pleasure from watching a throng of self righteous college punks get knocked down a peg or two. Colleges had expressly denied him any platform for speeches or rally's during his campaign for the Federal senate. Their "liberal" beliefs deemed his rhetoric and ideas "toxic" and "harmful" and "ruining their safe space."

All of the Feminist and Social Justice bull shit his country had fallen into seemed to have infected Equestrian Academia as well, though, unlike his home state, it was being thoroughly challenged here.

Tapio's beard did he wish he could see the looks on their faces when they'd realized he'd won the election. All of those self rightious infantile little shits whom protested his campaign, complaining how he'd "let the elderly and sick die" and "didn't care about mare's issues." 

Charity and compassion, apparently it was only possible at force of violence.

Sin looked to find Scootaloo and Krystal watching with furrowed brows and bored expressions. 

After what had to be a good hour of debating the finer points of multiple farms and food sources falling under single company jurisdiction of weather services, and why the weather pegasi were paid more for their more expansive duties, the pink pony finally had enough and let out a loud groan of frustration before she stomped off from the argument. Though, another pony, this one a light blue male pegasus, stepped up to continue where she'd left off.

"Can we go now?" Scootaloo said, taking the retreating pony's example. "This is boring."

"Hell no." Sin shot back with glee. "This is amazing, you guys go... lounge around or something."

Sin retrieved his saddle bag and took a few bits from within. "Here, go get something to eat or drink or something. Go have fun, I'm gonna stick here for a bit."

The filly, too happy at the idea of getting away from the dull and boring ideas, quickly took the coins and strutted off with Krystal in tow. Neither realizing they'd played right into Sin's hooves.

'Well done.'

Yea, now the question is: how do I distract them so I can leave and make sure they stay here? Tapio knows how long this is gonna take.

It didn't take him long to realize that there was no way he could comfortably say to keep them at the beach, nor how he'd even find them if they did stay. The shore stretched for miles upon miles... It would take him a good day and a half to comb it if they decided to wonder off from their current location

That's when another thought struck... 

Krystal was an attractive young mare. 

An attractive young mare with little sense and inclination towards the behaviors and dangers of the city, even out here on the beach... Stallions all up and down this place would be drawn to her like a moth to flame. Her kind nature, innocence, and homely submission would be an allure all it's own. And she was far too nice to turn them down if they pressured her...

Maybe leaving them here wasn't such a good idea after all...

"Sinbad, I'm surprised at you." The icy voice of Nightmare Moon tisked. "You've come all this way to get revenge and protect your friend Macintosh, a stallion you've known for months. And you're going to let your concern for a couple of ponies your barely know stop you now?"

Sin grimaced, as much as he didn't want to admit it, the Alicorn had a point... Every day he failed to stop them, the higher the chance the Trotski had to stumble upon the Apple farmer and kill him.

Still, what was he supposed to do? Just leave those two to the wilds of the dubious and hormone charged spring break goers on their own? The Federalist may not have gone to college, but he knew more than enough about the culture. Drugs and alcohol, general debauchery and experimentation... He was college age, with all of the hormones and sexual desires firmly repressed and suppressed. If these kids were in anyway as sexually charged as his body wanted him to be, he didn't trust a single one of them to behave in anything resembling an appropriate manner.

"So, you're willing to let Macintosh die because you can't trust you're associates to stay out of trouble?" The Alicorn cooed.

An unprecedented terror shot through the stallion's spine.

Sin didn't say that, of course he didn't say that. Macintosh's life was very important to him, it was just that there was a sever conflict of interests here and he didn't know what to do to handle the problem.

A slow feeling of inadequacy crept into the pony...

He didn't know, why didn't he know? He had to know. Sin had to know how to handle the situation, he had to. Who else would if he didn't?

So why didn't he? Why couldn't he know? Why hadn't he prepared for this? This was his life and his mission to accomplish, this was his business, and he needed to take care of it, yet he couldn't. He couldn't let Macintosh die, but he couldn't let anything happen to Scootaloo or Krystal either. 

Sin felt his breathing quicken as he wracked his mind for some a plan, for something, anything he could do to ensure both of their safeties, but no matter how hard he tried to think, the escalating sense of fear and inadequacy clouded his mind from finding a solution. Nobody around here he could trust, no safe house he could keep them in, nothing.

No, no this was unacceptable! How stupid was he? How fucking retarded was he to think he could just so easily slip away from them and be certain of their safety now that they knew what he was planning? He was stupid, an absolute fucking idiot! Fucking useless failure, worthless, an affront to all things rational and intelligent.

Taking a breath, the stallion told himself he was over reacting, that what he was thinking may happen was simply his mind running to impractical extremes. This was Equestria, after all, a much more innocent and kind place than the Federation, so why wouldn't college culture be the same?

Though when the cloaked federalist looked around, what he saw made his stomach drop and his heart beat faster. Dozens of ponies making out on the beach, ponies and a few griffons dancing on top of a wooden building in manner one would find closer to mating than dancing, a stallion and mare exiting the same restroom at the same time, both looking much too satisfied with themselves...

He cast a look to Scootaloo and Krystal, both holding newly purchased beverages of pineapples with straws sticking out of them, with Angel perched on Scootaloo's head. They were looking out and observing just like he was, but by the innocence and wonder in their eyes, it was clear they weren't seeing the same things he was.

A sickening image enter Sin's mind, one of Krystal panting and whimpering while she was bent over with a stallion on top of her, having her drugged up or drunk to the point she wouldn't protest his advances. Or a mare, maybe, promising her the relationship of her dreams and all of the love she could offer, and then of the white pegasus sobbing and broken form afterwards when the mare left her to find the newest conquest she could lay, devastating her concepts of monogamy and exclusivity.

And that didn't even take into account the trauma that Scootaloo could endure.

No, no, he couldn't leave them here. Sin might as well drop them off into the local brothel and say "have fun". No, not here, but where then? What else was he supposed to do with them?

The thought of just allowing them along entered his mind more than once, but he couldn't let them. He didn't want them to see him commit slaughter, to see him endulge his sadism at the expense of others suffering. Or even worse if they were captured and held hostage...

And that didn't even take into account if they did try to stop him like they claimed. 

Sin... Sin didn't know how he'd react if they did that. It would make him angry, but angry enough to do something he'd regret? Something he knew he'd never be able to fix? Would he kill them over it? He didn't know, he honest to Tapio didn't know...

Milikki dammit all! Why couldn't he think of anything? When did he become this incompetent? When did he lose his ability and capability? This shouldn't even be an issue for fuck's sake! He should have thought ahead, she should have prepared for this, he should have-

"Perhaps I may be of assistance?" The Nightmare interjected, derailing the stallion's internal self loathing tirade.

A small wave of relief pushed through the fear, and Sin cautiously accepted the bit to get his head on straight.

How?

The Nightmare hummed. "Well, as you've said: The Trotski are aware of your tactics with me. Yes? So would you not be better served if I was watching over these two and steering them clear of the fears you hold?"

Sin found some sense to this, the Nightmare did help to convince Scootaloo to go back home. Maybe not right away, but she still managed to do more good than Sin himself had.

As he found the idea more and more appealing, the sense of dread and self loathing began to leave him in subtle doses. She was everything he needed. The Nightmare could find him and relay their position, she could influence and guide them away from harmful situations, and she could distract them while he made his escape into the wood work.

This could work. As much as he hated the bitch for what she was, the Alicorn had proven herself trust worthy in keeping Sin's friends safe before.

And why should I trust you with this? Why shouldn't I think you'll poses one of them as you have me?

The Alicorn chuckled. "Sinbad, you insult me. I am not so foolish as to believe myself safe with either of them should Luna decide to interfere." She stopped chuckling, her voice losing all amusement. "But you must be quick. While I am out of your mind, I do not have the protection of your mind. I have regained enough of my power to shield my presence from Luna, but I will only be able to do so for so long before her dream walkers come for me. You need me and I need you, it's a... mutually beneficial relationship. If not against the Trotski, than against her underlings whom follow you."

That much was true.

"And if you intend to return home, against your father."

And that sealed it. The Alicorn's logic was sound, she had every reason to keep Krystal and Scootaloo safe, and Sin had every reason to keep Macintosh safe. 

"Remain here, once I've gotten them sufficiently distracted, take your leave so they wont follow."

With reluctant confidence, Sin agreed to the deal and the Nightmare's cold presence left his mind.









Taking a sip from her pineapple drink, Scootaloo watched the beach goers with vague disinterest, casting a weary eye to Islander from time to time. 

He thought he was so smart, trying to bore them into leaving him alone. It wasn't a hard ploy to see through, even Krystal had figured it out while the two purchased drinks from the snack shack.

It was a little insulting, really. How stupid did he think they were? Did he really think they wouldn't be watching him? That he'd just walk away and commit murder that easily? Scootaloo had half a mind to give him a lecture he wouldn't forget. But that would cause a scene, and that would make ponies ask questions and potentially get the guard involved.

The filly wasn't dissuaded from dressing him down though, it wouldn't be here, nor now, but it was going to happen.

"Think he'll try to slip away soon?" Krystal asked, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Not while he knows we're watching him." Scootaloo replied.

Of course, maybe it would be prudent to pretend not to watch him and just sneak along? It was clear he was going to go, it was only a matter of time, really.

"H-hey Scootaloo?" Krystal asked, pressing her lips nervously.

"Yea," Scootaloo asked, casting another glance.

The elder pegasus cleared her throat. "Umm, what's the plan if we do end up having to stop him?"

The filly turned her attention to her companion with a glance. "What do you mean, Krystal?"

The off white pony clarified that she didn't know exactly what they were going to do to stop their associate from killing. Like, what specific actions they were going to take to prevent death... "Are we going to, you know, tackle him or stand in front of him, or..."

Scootaloo opened her mouth to reply but quickly realized that she didn't have one to give. What were they going to do when the time came? Yea, she was resolved to stop him, but she'd never given much thought on the actual how aside from believing that their presence alone would deter it.

What if it didn't, though? What if he completely ignored them and went to kill anyways?

"The better question is, why do you care so much about him when he doesn't care about you?"

Scootaloo internally groaned. Great, that was back.

Look, we've been over this, Islander does-

"Let us put it to rest then, shall we?" The voice said, cutting her off. "If you're so certain he cares about you, than he wouldn't abandon you here, would he?"

Scootaloo's brow furrowed. Islander wasn't "abandoning" them, he was just doing what he came to do.

"That's not what I was referring to." The voice said cooly with a slight chuckle. "Keep on ignoring him, and then follow him when leaves. He's going to slip away from you at some point anyway, and you know it. If he really cares about you, than let us see if he's willing to put your well being over his petty revenge. That will settle once and for all if he cares as much as you claim, will it not?"

Scootaloo grimaced.

That... that would settle it once and for all. But... but what if she was wrong? She trusted Islander with her life, he'd done alot for her over the month or so they'd traveled together. 

Though, she'd never really gotten in his way before, not in the sense that she would here. She knew Islander wasn't the most patient of ponies when it came to inconveniences, and what she planned to do was to become the biggest inconvenience to him she could think of...

The doubts crept forward now. Thoughts of Islander turning his wrath upon her should she successful interrupt his endeavors. He'd treated both Krystal and Scootaloo as if they were well meaning children so far, but that was because he didn't take them seriously, and he was a pony to place emphasis on asset and liability...

What would he do when he realized that they may be more capable of stopping him than he realized? Would he abandon them? Would he kill them?

A small feeling of dread and cold crept up the foal's spine in a painfully slow sliver right up to her stomach. 

The thought never crossed her mind before, but she was so focused on stopping the killing that she'd never considered the consequences before.

What would they do if Islander did abandon them? Scootaloo's survival skills were coming along well enough, but she wasn't confident she could do for herself longer term. Especially when winter hit later in the year...

"Feeling some doubts now, are we?" The voice said cruelly.

"Scootaloo." Krystal whispered, her voice trembling a little. "M- maybe this isn't such a good idea..."

Gritting her teeth, Scootaloo tensed her muscles and relaxed in an attempt to drive away the dread and uncertainty in her body. 

No, no, Islander was better than that. He wouldn't abandon them, they just needed to have faith that he'd forgive them and see their actions as from a place where his own best interest were in mind.

"If you're going to do it, you'd better go now. He's leaving."

Scootaloo tilted her head ever so slightly to see that Islander wasn't in the crowd anymore. She saw his retreating cloak though, keeping the crowd between himself and them while he walked.

"Don't be a scaredy pony, Krystal." Scootaloo said, giving the mare a hard look. "It's scary, and I get that, but he's being stupid about this.  I know Macintosh, and I know Macintosh wouldn't want other ponies killed for him."

Krystal shook with emotion, obviously more distraught over the issue than Scootaloo herself. "But what if he... what if he decided to kill us?"

"He wont." The filly shot back, more with anger than reassurance. "Krystal, you have to believe he cares about us. He said he'd look after us, didn't he?"

Seeing her words merely make her friend more conflicted, Scootaloo reached out and hugged Krystal's leg, hoping the squeeze would offer the mare some kind of strength and resolve. 

With a few calming breaths, Krystal slowly relaxed and agreed.

Though, it appeared that a third opinion had yet to be heard. 

Angle Bunny jumped off of Krystal's back and began ruthlessly shaking his head in protest of the decision.

"Aw, C'mon Angle. Sin's our friend." Scootaloo cooed.

But the rabbit wasn't having it. He pointed to where Sin was walking and then pointed to Scootaloo before lifting his arm like Sin did his bow, lifting it as a sign of shooting recoil and the falling over and playing dead before standing up again and pointing at the two ponies with firm finality.

The display did hit at Scootaloo's confidence, but she wasn't about to give up on a friend because they were being difficult. She didn't care what the bunny thought, Angle was wrong to think it, and so was the voice in her head. Both were wrong, and she planned to show both what was what.

Once he was far enough away, the two stood from their place, dropped their expended pineapple drinks in a trashcan, and began to follow. 

  
> Red Flag
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  






Red Flag







A twig snapped.

Sin's head jerked back to give a paranoid look at the greening brush of the Maple Wood forest behind him, he shivered from the uncomfortable feeling he was being watched. Even the fact he was hidden well within the treeline off the beaten path, just far enough that he could still see the road he followed, under the hidden overcast sky of a spring day, offered him no comfort from what lurked within the depths of the forest.

He knew what it was, Soarin and Sombra were still hard on his tail, getting a little more careless with their sneaking. It was the third dead give away to being followed, but all things considered, it was a bitter sweet discomfort to know they were there. The two stallions had pulled his ass out of the fire before, and if things got too dicey with the Trotski now, they'd likely do so again. 

Though, it was a double edged sword and a risky gamble. The two would likely allow his attack on the Trotski to wear the Federalist down so they could strike the tired Sin themselves. They didn't know he was without the Nightmare now, which was also bitter sweet. If he didn't have the demon, they would have no reason to bring him to their master, but they probably wouldn't believe him unless he was brought before Luna for inspection as proof, and by that time, he'd already be in custody for his other crimes.

What was worse was that, without Scootaloo or Krystal present, Sin had no guarantee that they wouldn't strike prior to his confrontation of the reactionaries. All he could do was act as paranoid and jumpy as possible to dissuade the two from attacking should they chose not to wait.

Or even worse, wait until after, when he'd be drained of energy, resolve and likely injured. 

This was a delicate situation that Sin needed to exercise the utmost care with.

After a few more minutes of walking, the stallion found the Lake that Smart Cookie spoke of and stopped in the brush for a moment to double check his Ragnerock. 

The primary shot was loaded with a steel tip bolt, while the quick load held a small, glowing red incendiary. 

It was a tough decision to make, one he still wasn't sure he'd regret or not, but if his shakey "plan" to slowly turn the Trotski against each other failed, the slaughter of all of them at once was preferred to the death of Macintosh and the countless others who'd likely fall to their interests.

Taking another breath, Sin prepared himself for the moments to come, pulled down his hood, called upon the non-Nightmare enhanced aura and began his slow advance forwards.









"Sorry!" Krystal whispered loudly after stepping on yet another twig. 

Scootaloo knew Islander's ears were good, but she didn't think they were that good. Though, she could see the stallion's cloak off in the distance of the forest stop at the sudden sound. His head shot about and both of them ducked low to stay out of sight.

Had it not been for sending Angel ahead to keep tabs on the pony, Scootaloo was sure they would have lost him a while ago. his cloak and pelt blended in perfectly with the surroundings, but despite Angel's reluctance, the rabbit had still agreed to venture ahead and lead the two, acting as eyes by proxy to two mare's who's white and orange appearances would have stood out in the woodwork like a black cloud on a nice sunny day.

"Did he see us?" Krystal asked.

"I don't think so." Scootaloo replied, lifting he head up to look for Angel. The rabbit stood frozen, looking ahead past a tree he hid behind.

Despite the hour and a half of walking, Scootaloo still didn't know exactly what they were going to do once they confronted Islander, and the uncertainty of the whole thing chipped away at the filly's nerve. She was trembling from anticipation and fear, hoping beyond hope that something would come to her or Krystal soon.

The current "plan" was to just play it by ear. Scootaloo may have been young, but she wasn't stupid. She figured that if she'd exposed herself and Krystal, the ponies Islander was chasing would likely attack them and use them against the stallion as leverage. They were bad ponies, after all, it wouldn't surprise her if they used such cowardly tactics to win.

Still, that only made the filly feel more helpless. Maybe if they captured the Trotski first, before Islander did, maybe they could turn them over to the authorities and avoid the killing?

"That was a joke, correct? Please tell me you aren't seriously considering such a foolish course of action." The voice said in severe astonishment. "You two? A filly with mild survival experience and a timid mare with motherly tendencies, neither having any combat nor infiltration training are going to lay waste to an organization that has no opposition to killing?"

Scootaloo grimaced, okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea she'd ever had, but still. Something needed to happen.

The two waited a little longer for Angel's signal, but something held the rabbit up.

"What's he waiting for?" Krystal asked in a shaky voice.

Angel turned around, lifted his right arm and drew a large "D" on it, taking two fingers and pulling from the back of his hand to his elbow.

Scootaloo flinched as Krystal turned to her, her eyes questioning what the rabbit meant by his actions. Islander wasn't waiting, he was preparing.

They'd arrived to where the Totski were hiding.

The hour of thinking was over and a decision needed to be made.

They were out of time.









His gaze going between Islander and the two fillies behind him, Soarin grunted from his place high above. He and Sombra sitting perched in a tree a good ten feet above the ground. They'd flown above to avoid leaving tracks, Sombra using his magic to make the pegasus' flapping wings silent, and to rebound the air flow to avoid any rustling of the trees around.

Why did they have to follow him? Why? 

Soarin bemoaned his misfortune, this was the perfect opportunity to strike, to take down Islander and bring him into Luna. This was the perfect opportunity for him to regain his legal freedom, but no. No, no, no, those two just had to tag along, didn't they? They just couldn't stay behind and let their prey be handled.

Sombra had suggest on multiple occasions that he teleport the two away before they became hostages, and then come back and help Soarin take their charge into custody; but the problem there was that Soarin didn't know if the same magical immunity Islander had was also affecting his companions or not. If it was, and they were to reveal themselves, Islander could easily take them hostage and force Soarin and Sombra out in the open at threat of their lives.

Though, as time had gone on and observations taken, Soarin wasn't sure if that's what would happen or not. 

Islander had behaved in no way that indicated such a worst case scenario. When Sombra had sent his summon to attack the trio, the stallion didn't use either of them as a shield to hide behind, he'd actually done the opposite and told them to flee while he could fight the summon alone.

Maybe he needed to reconsider the Federalist's willingness to use the other two to preserve himself.

"What do you think?" Sombra whispered to him.

"Not sure, maintain position." Soarin replied sternly.

He... he wasn't sure what to make of the pony now. All of the files indicated the stallion to be a resourceful and pragmatic type, ruthlessly so, with his freedom superseding all things in interest. Yet he had, on multiple occasions no less, shown little to no regard for his own life in protecting his companions.

It was a confounding contradiction, one could not have freedom if they didn't have life. Right? So why was he so willing to embrace death when it meant losing that which he cherished most?

The buffalo, the summon, the Trotski, all were in ample position to kill him, and the target did nothing with his companions that would have assisted his self preservation when he was fully capable of it. If anything, he'd taken steps to ensure they were the ones protected over himself.

Maybe... maybe the friendship between them was more than just a facade, more than just a couple of shields for him to protect himself with against them. 

The thoughts were conflicted with another pair of memories. One with Islander glaring down at the orange filly while Soarin kept watch from the Canyon wall, and another with him glaring at Soarin himself. Both times holding the wicked eyes of the Nightmare, used only for the purposes of intimidation and fear induction.

The autopsies of the green pony killed in Canterlot castle showed that the asphyxiation that hanging would have caused was not the the reason of the pony's death. 

The doctors and thanatologists who's studied the corpse were perplexed by the findings. What they'd found wasn't asphyxiation or anything physically external that killed him at all. What they did find was a massive amount of internalized bleeding that filled up his abdominal cavity. 

When traced, the doctors were stunned to find that it wasn't an aortic aneurysm or a conglomerate of veins that had popped by some unmarked trama, but the heart itself. The stallions own heart had ruptured at the lower left quadrant, allowing blood to escape in mass and kill him almost instantaneously.

What was even more remarkable was that the tearing of the organ didn't come from the outside in, but the inside out.

Something terrible had happened to him, something so terrifying happened to the green pony that it made his heart beat escalate and become so powerful that it tore at the cardiac walls and ruptured in his chest.

Hospital staff who'd been on the job for years, decades even, didn't know what to make of the phenomena. He wasn't an old pony, and was in great shape, to great for such an unprecedented cardiac anomaly. Never had any one of them seen a case like it before, nor offer an explanation for it's occurrence... but Soarin could.

He felt the stallion's gaze on him not once, but twice. He knew the fear inducing property that the target could give, the unbridled horror and adrenaline. When Islander had stopped outside his own cell that day, Soarin was afraid his heart would beat out hard enough to break a rib. The green eyed pegasus wasn't really afraid of him, but something... happened, something he couldn't explain, all he knew was that it was related to Sin's eyes upon him. It made his entire body quake with unbridled terror and excruciating dread.

And Soarin saw Sin use it upon the filly down there, the orange one. He'd used it upon her back in the canyon for some reason. 

Soarin would never forgive him for that. That he'd use such a horrific technique upon such a young pony. There was no justification for it, none what so ever as far as he was concerned. 

That power, it had the potential to kill or to permanently do psychological, emotional and mental damage, and to use it on one so young? No, no the stallion wasn't a good sort. He was evil, an evil pony pretending to be a lover of freedom and protector of the weak. No good pony in their right mind would ever commit such an atrocity onto another, even somepony whom deserved it. It took a special kind of sick and twisted to wield that kind of power. 

If what he'd been told by Luna was correct, the Nightmare should have possessed him immediately, yet she hadn't. Islander seemed fully within his own mind, able to control the Nightmare's powers as he pleased.

The Nightmare had to respect him in order to allow such a thing, and if that wasn't a testimine to the pony's evil nature, Soarin didn't know what was.

Maybe the two down there did care about him, maybe not. But they were in danger of the target, and their safety couldn't be guaranteed so long as he was around.

Soarin's eyes narrowed as Sin stopped before reaching a near by lake and took stock of his weapon. He looked back to find the other two staying still as well, a good hundred and fifty feet or so away, before returning his glare.

The target was preparing for something, something likely having to do with that organization he was following. 

"Sombra." Soarin whispered looking at his associate. 

"He is getting ready." Sombra acknowledged before the pegasus could finish. "Which means he'll be distracted."

Soarin nodded. "Once he's either engaged in combat or entered an area where he'll be unable to see them, teleport us down. We'll grab those two, and put them somewhere safe." He growled, eyes trailing back to Sin. "Once they're out of the way, we'll take him on his own. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss."

Sombra smiled at him. "And should they be as immune to magic as he is?"

The pegasus stallion glared at him with emerald eyes. "Two fillies against two experienced and tested military ponies, I doubt they'll put up that much resistance, so long as you cover the older ones mouth and prevent her from singing again."

Sombra nodded in agreement, it was good to know the capabilities of potential hostiles, even if they weren't enemies and collateral damages. Fact was: both were loyal to the target, and both needed to be out of the way.

Today would be the day, the day that Soarin not only took back his freedom, but the day he'd removed one of the most foul creatures he'd ever seen. A creature worse than himself.









Sin walked through the treeline, keeping an eye out for any sentries or patrols that might be on the lookout for him. Yet there was nothing to see, nothing but the golden grass, trees and dirt littered about.

He fought to maintain his breathing and his resolve. If he found a guard who'd seen him, he'd have only a moment to react in silencing the guard. Killing was his only recourse in that regard, as much as he may not want to, he couldn't risk even a scream reaching the others to warn them and ruin the element of surprise.

He saw something off in the distance and slowed down a little, veering right into the density of the forest a little more for cover. As he grew closer, he came to find that the thing was actually a small wooden building. Nothing special, just a small shack no bigger than a small house.

Sin gulped and crouched low before slowing to a creep, keeping an eye on the structure while also maintaining his sweeps around. That's where they were...

He moved a little closer and eyed the cottage with a smirk. 

All wood.

He could shoot the incendiary through the window and burn it down from the tree line, forcing the Trotski out, snipe his targets during the confusion, and escape with virtually no risk to his person.

No heroics, no unnecessary recklessness, no mistakes.

It was fucking foolproof!

'Simple, yet deadly. So, I guess we're not going to go with the whole "don't kill unnecessarily" thing, then?'

Sin internally humphed.

I said I would consider it. Besides, there's no guarantee I'll kill anyone. The plan is to lure them out with the fire, unless they're retarded and stay in there while the building burns, no one will die.

'Yea, okay. So, before you go destroying private property by arson here, let's take a second to look at the obvious for a moment.'

Sin sighed, his seemingly foolproof plan being put to question already. He'd regret hearing it, but Critic usually did have a point when stopping him.

'How many of the Trotski were there left? A good two dozen or so last time you counted, correct?'

Yea?

'That's twenty four fully grown pony bodies, right?'

One would assume two dozen ponies would equal...

Sin's thought's trailed off, already knowing where the conversation was going.

'And how big is that building? Hmm? Not big enough to hold twenty-four ponies, well not comfortably, anyway.'

Sin's anticipation and hope took his stomach and slammed it through his small intestines and down into the ground. No sentries, no warning system, not perimeter patrols... nothing at all. He should have known the second he laid eyes on the house that there wasn't anyone there, but some small bastion of hope in him pushed him to believe they were. He wanted so badly to believe they were there, a little too badly.

Though, much to his dismay, they wasn't. Even now as he took a closer look at the building, he could see through the freshly cleaned windows that there wasn't a soul to be found. No movement inside what so ever, nothing but the white painted walls and shadows beyond.

Had Smart Cookie given him false information? Had the Federalist fallen for, what should have been, an obvious trap in a desperate attempt to think he was out thinking his enemies? Had he really come all this way for nothing?

A flash of hot anger shot over Sin. Again, he'd been foolish. It was such an obvious trap. How stupid was he? Believing that one of the Trotski's own would betray them and give him the rundown of their next safe house? How fucking dense did he have to be to believe that? A moron, a fucking failure that couldn't see past a lie that should have been clear as-

"Well, well." Said a familiar voice from ahead. "Look who finally decided to show up."

Sin's breath caught and in a flash, he raised his crossbow with a excitement and hope.

There, standing a few feet infront of him, was Smart Cookie, accompanied by the sack covered unicorn from Appleloosa, Seedy.

The earth pony leaned against the tree trunk, sighed and motioned with a hoof. "You know, when I said that you didn't need to be in a hurry, I didn't mean to take two bucking weeks to get here!"

"Where are they?" Sin barked, having no patience for the older pony's snark.

"Gone." Cookie replied flatly. "They left yesterday."

Sin gritted his teeth. No, not again. Not again!

"Now, would you mind not pointing that-"

"ISLANDER, NO!"

Suddenly, and almost to their detriment, both Scootaloo and Krystal ran forward. The former standing between the three stallions while the latter gingerly moved to his right and gently tried to push his crossbow down.

What? WHAT? What the fuck?! How... when... what?! How did they- NIGHTMARE! 

'Oh boy.'

"You can't k- kill him!" Scootaloo stuttered, her fierce attempt at bravado utterly annihilated by the obvious terror in her eyes. Krystal murmured her agreement, timidly requesting that he put down the bow and let the authorities handle the situation.

Sin growled and retraced his crossbow to the ground, but kept it ready. He had no intention on killing Smart Cookie, not yet anyways, but he was going to get some more answers.

"Thank you." Smart Cookie said pleasantly. 

"Now where are they?" Sin asked.

"Not here, obviously." The earth pony answered. "They went to Manehatten."

Another shot of anger. 

"You said that was to throw me off!" Sin shot.

Cookie nodded his head sagely. "Yes I did, it's about two hundred miles north of here, passed Fillydelphia. So, it's really no time lost on your part, now why do you suspect they told you to that while they were actually in Baltimare?"

Sin's eyes narrowed and he didn't answer, though the answer felt like it was staring him right in the face.

The answer was simple, he wouldn't be looking for them in the closer city, but they would be looking for him, giving to them, completely, the element of surprise.

Cookie continued on that the Trotski predicted he'd stick to the woodlands along the coast line, and had set up their numbers to keep an eye out for him. Using the shack as a base of operations to mobilize the real attack force once one of the scouts reported back Sin's location in the forest. However, two weeks had passed since Appleloosa, when the projected time of his arrival would only be a week and a four days at max. Once almost two weeks was up, Puddinghead figured that, instead of shooting east for the coast line and moving north from Horse Shoe bay, their pursuer had taken a straight shot from Appleloosa to Manehatten over the Foal Mountains.

With this assumption being the case, Puddinghead recalled all the Trotski followers and made way north to scour Manehatten, looking for Sin and dealing with him there. Leaving Smart Cookie and his assistant behind to warn them if he'd just taken longer than expected.

The icy eyed stallion gritted his teeth and cursed himself. He missed them, he missed them by a single day. A single day because he wanted to go in and look at the pretty underwater city...

"Sinbad. They know you have companions." Cookie stated, gesturing to the two girls. "My grandson knows how dangerous and capable you are, and not only that, but is convinced you're traveling with two other stallions, one of them being King Sombra and another pegasus. Their plan isn't to take you on directly, they know they can't now, but by taking them hostage and using them to lure all three of you out."

Scootaloo and Krystal's mouths dropped in horror at the claim. "Us? Wha- What?"

Sin looked at the off white mare and tensed, not knowing what to say. 

"Two other stallions?" Scootaloo repeated, her nervous eyes narrowing as she looked at Islander.

Figures, they can't beat him head on, so they go after the two closest to him. 

As far as Sombra and Soarin went, Sin didn't know how to account for them. It was an asset for the Trotski to fear him having back up, though, even if they had no idea that the two stallions were just as much a threat to Sin as they were.

Though, all of this did bring up a rather blaring question.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Sin asked, quirking a skeptical brow. "I'm planning on killing your grandson, and friends of yours. Why help me do that?"

"No you're not!" Scootaloo shouted, earning herself a silent look of disapproval.

The elderly white earth pony looked at him with scrupulous eyes for a long drawn out moment and shrugged. "Am I helping you? Or am I using you?"

There was a thought, but using him for what?

"Not that hard to figure out." The older pony said before turning away from them. "If you'll excuse me, I have a train up to Manehatten to catch and a grandson to inform."

In a shot of nervousness, Sin raised his crossbow and ordered the stallion to stay his place, though both Krystal and Scootaloo were quick to impede any shot he had.

"If I don't tell them I saw you, they may move on from Manehatten before you get there." Cookie called over his shoulder. "Base is located in the south western pier, Dock 21, Warehouse six. Try not to take so long this time." 

The two ponies took a few more steps before Seedy whispered something to the Trotski leader and both stopped. "Oh, and be weary wondering north between here and Fillydelphia. Stray Changelings from the failed assault on Canterlot have been spotted around and about, and you don't wanna get caught in one of their traps." He paused for a moment. "Well, those two don't, they'd probably starve to death on you, Sin."

The Federalist stepped forward in pursuit, but found his way barred by Scootaloo, glaring up at him with firey determination. "You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself! What did he mean that two other ponies were with us?!"

"Y-yea!" Krystal chimed in, following her youngers example. "A-and we're not going to Manehatten, and that's final."

Sin closed his eyes as a strike of lighting shot from overhead, soon warning of the rain to come.

Anger, rage, disappointment, frustration, self loathing and despair all cascaded through Sin's being as the two fillies made demands and scolded him. The emotional rush tested his patience almost beyond his rational mind, and the stallion had to force himself to calm by ignoring them both, focusing on his breathing, tensing his muscles and relaxing, forcing his mind blank, every single trick in the book to keep himself from smacking his head into a tree or worse.

Part of him was relieved he hadn't found the Trotski, his estimation as to the Nightmare's effectiveness in keeping these two occupied overshooting the reality. 

They'd done it, even following him covertly, they'd really jumped out to stop him like they said they would. Scootaloo had even placed herself directly infront of his bolt. 

The Federalist wouldn't have expected that from her. Had he pulled the trigger, had the release hold lost it's power, had he even flinched the wrong way, the small filly would have gasped her final breaths only moments ago. 

Sin found that idea much less horrifying than he'd originally thought he would, shamefully so. To kill her, a filly who only stopped him because she didn't want him to put himself in danger or harm others, it made him disgusted with himself to think how little it bothered him. The same with Krystal, had she been the one to take the bolt instead.

But that was something he had to consider now. If they were going to fulfill their threat to stop him and prolong the threat against Macintosh, a firm decision needed to be made.

It was quiet now, neither of the girls spoke.

Sin opened his eyes, his thoughts in order, relatively speaking.

Calmly, with a freezing cold indifference, Sin looked down his muzzle at Scootaloo contemptuously, meeting her angry glare with his own. He didn't speak, there was no point in it now. Though, a sickening feeling in his mind told him that the Kid had other ideas.

"We're being followed." Sin said, his mouth going against his conscious mind. 

WHAT THE FUCK!? 

'Sorry.'

You said this only happened as an emotional response! I'M FUCKING CALM!

'Clearly.'

Sin pushed everything in his mind out, trying to regain his typical stoicism before the Kid used too much of the emotional response time to... He didn't know, but he knew he had to stop him.

"Followed?" Scootaloo asked, tilting her head and looking around. "By who?"

"Two stallions." Sin replied, somehow even more calmly than usual. "One unicorn named Sombra, the other a pegasus named Soarin, both working for Luna."

TAPIO DAMMIT! CRITIC! DO SOMETHING!

'No. It's about time this all came to light.'

NIGHTMARE!

"Soarin?" Scootaloo gasped, recognizing the name. "The Wonderbolt Soarin? Wait, isn't he supposed to be in prison for what he did to Applejack?"

The Federalist gave a curt nod. "He's out, now. Luna's likely using his fugitive status to ensure he tells nobody else I'm alive."

Sin screamed inside of his own head at the sensitive information the Kid was leaking. He'd worked so hard to keep all of this under wraps. All of that work, all of the precautionary measures, everything: fucking wasted before his eyes.

"Is that why you wanted a night watch?" Krystal asked, her question and tone much more friendly than Scootaloo's. "Because you knew this "Soarin" and Sombra were following us?"

"Correct." Sin's mouth stated. "To ensure they didn't sneak up on us and overpower me while I slept."

Scootaloo asked how he knew it was those two, making Sin recall the trap he'd fallen into back in Dodge City while he'd left her in the inn. He described the attack in no real detail, but did explain how Sombra and Soarin had interfered before the cave collapsed in on itself. 

"That would explain why Luna's been in my dreams so much lately, but why did she send only those two after you?" Krystal asked.

Sin felt a spike of fear run up his spine and fought with everything he had, he couldn't let the Kid answer that question. He couldn't let them know that truth.

"I will not answer that." The stallion's voice replied with just a twinge of regret before casting his eyes downwards. "I wish I could tell you the full story, but it's not something I'm comfortable sharing with you, not yet. What I can tell you is that Luna doesn't want the Trotski harmed for her own reasons, but she'd sent Soarin and Sombra after me for another reason entirely."

With a sigh of relief, Sin's conscious mind relaxed a little. At least the Kid had sense enough to know what information not to give.

At that point, Krystal demanded to be brought up to speed, since she didn't share Scootaloo's explanation back at the rock farm. It took several minutes to explain, and many a faces of horror and bewilderment on both Krystal and Scootaloo's parts for the instinaces the filly wasn't present, but soon enough they knew everything there was to know, discounting the Nightmare.

Both Krystal and Scootaloo were quiet for a time, taking in everything they were hearing.

Meanwhile, Sin's consciousness had finally calmed itself to the point he could end the emotional reaction and once again control himself. It was a good few minutes too late, though. The Kid had told them almost everything, which was probably for the best now. Not like he had a good lie to give anyways.

'Kid says be honest, Sin.'

Again, not like he had much of a choice.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Krystal asked, looking hurt and betrayed. 

Sin sighed. "Besides stressing you out, what would have been the point?"

"Well, so that would could have known. So that we could help, of course." The off white mare answered compassionately. 

"Help?" The stallion laughed. "Help what? You've already said you'd stand against my end goal. Why should I think you'd help me in getting to it?"

Krystal visibly flinched from the first word and retreated away at the explanation, obviously having no answer to give.

Everyone was silent now, Krystal sat looking dejected, while Scootaloo looked thoughtful. 

Sin took a few more calming breath, waiting until he felt as calm and devoid of emotion as he could. No snark, no anger, no guilt, no pain. He knew what he needed to do, but he needed to be as sure as possible that the Kid wouldn't interfere again. If his inner child wanted to set things into motion that Sin couldn't undo, then fine, two could play it that game.

"Nothing's changed." Sin stated flatly, his mind resolving itself to do something he knew would cause them both emotional pain if they followed. "I still plan to kill them. You were lucky he wasn't the Trotski I was looking for." He pushed passed Scootaloo, but the filly reached out and grabbed his leg in an attempt to stop him.

Seeing his trap set into motion, Sin whirled free of the foal's grip... and aimed his crossbow in the dead center of her forehead. His steely blue eyes promising his threat. 

Scootaloo froze, her magenta retinas constricting as soon as she realized what was happening.

"Islander!" Krystal gasped.

Sin bore down with the aura into Scootaloo. He forced himself to be calm, to rip all most all emotion from himself and actions save the bare minimum for the aura. 

This was the one course of action he didn't want to take.

He couldn't allow this kind of thing to happen again, what if it was Puddinghead he'd come across instead of Smart Cookie? Had these two pulled the same stunt, both would have become hostages and likely died right along side him. He tried to be peaceful about this, he tried hoping they weren't as brave as they let on to be, giving them the benefit of that doubt. He'd tried to appeal to their sense of logic and understanding, to Scootaloo's sympathy and guilt in protecting Macintosh.

All to find them both willing to protect the Trotski, those willing to kill others, for their fool hearty notions of life worship.

No more, this was going to settle the issue. 

'SIN! What the fu-

Sin tuned out the Critic, as well as the growing headache that was coming on from the returned Nightmare. The Kid, Critic, and Alicorn could suck a dick, he tried things their way, now he was going to solve the problem once and for all before it got them all killed.

"You. Will. Not stop me." Sin glowered, his voice tinged with the Nightmare's. "I don't know what your fascination is with trying to protect them, what part of me you're trying to 'save' or whatever, or maybe you really don't give a flying fuck about if Macintosh lives or dies. But I do, and I'll see you dead before I allow them to bring harm to him. Is that understood?"

Scootaloo's chest expanded greatly as her breathing became deeper and more quick, she gulped but made no answer one way or the other. 

Krystal made no movement what so ever now, completely frozen in shock over what was happening.

They'd probably think him a monster, evil even, but they'd left him with no better alternatives. 

He wasn't going to shoot, of course. Sin's hoof wasn't even on the trigger for the crossbow, and his leg was very much ready to dart right in case either of them made a move, to discharge the projectile safely away. This was nothing but a ruse, a last resort bluff to get them to end their interference, and he hoped it would work.

Though, it served another purpose. It served to erase all doubt as to a decision that needed to be made on what Sin found more value in. Scootaloo's life or Macintosh's life, on which would need to be potentially sacrificed in order to save the other. He needed to make sure he would shoot Scootaloo if he had to.

Either they would obey, or they would abandon him. Despite his word to the Kid and to Krystal's parents that he'd look after both of the fillies, Sin was very much okay with either at this point. 

The stallion couldn't rely on the off chance that the Trotski wouldn't return to Ponyville and find him again. Luna said so herself that there were thousands of Trotski members all over the country, and how long would it be until one of them had found him? He may have been protected by Luna's agents, but Sin had the chance to ensure, once and for all, they would never threaten him again.

It was a hard and gut wrenching choice to make, but Macintosh mattered to him more than the filly did, and the Federalist wished Scootaloo hadn't forced him to make that decision. 

Swallowing, Scootaloo slowly raised her head up and down in a sign of understanding, keeping her eyes firmly planted on the weapon trained at her head.

Sin nodded in return and slowly lowered the crossbow before turning his back to them and following after the trail Smart Cookie and his associate had gone down. 

He heard the small sobs escape Scootaloo as she broke down from the ordeal, as well as Krystal's attempt to offer her comfort. Small ebbs of guilt gnawed at Sin's mind with each whimper the filly failed to stifle. Though, he knew he'd made the best decision for his ultimate goal.

'Best decision, huh?' Critic asked dryly. 'Threatening a small filly's life and cruelly guilt trip by asking if she cared about someone she clearly does care about. That was the best decision?'

Had I not, potential is we all end up dead once I do find the Trotski because they couldn't back off and let me do what needed to be done. You know that as well as I do, Critic.

"He's right, dear Critic." The Alicorn of Insanity cooed. "They said they'd do it, and neither of you took them seriously. You still do not."

Critic was about to reply but a sudden flash and pop of magic from behind drew Sin's attention back to the girls and found the worst possible thing he could think of.

"Get them outta here, Sombra."

With a nod, the red eyed stallion cast a hateful glare to Sin and popped out of existence with Krystal and Scootaloo before Sin even had a chance to speak.
  
> Shedding Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------








Shedding Light








Sin stood in wide eyed shock.

It happened so quickly, over the span of just a few seconds. It took him too long to register what was happening, and before he could coordinate his body, Sombra had teleported them both out of sight. They were gone now, Krystal and Scootaloo were gone... 

A small droplet of water struck Sin's muzzle, and then another atop his head. The overcast above had fulfilled its promise of rain, putting the small cherry on top of the cupcake that felt like the melancholy of his life.

He... he felt... cold inside. Like the slow fall of rain that crashed upon him completely bipassed his pelt and skin, applying itself directly to every inch of his muscles and organs. Sin couldn't believe what he'd just done, the threat he'd made, the fact he was fully intent to follow through with it.

How could he have done that? What... what the fuck was wrong with him?

Soarin gave him no time to ponder the feelings though and with a flap of his wings, the hostile stallion darted straight for the him. Sin barely had time to dodge left, the wind stream of the attacking pegasus sending him rolling with force enough that a direct impact would have likely killed him.

He came to his hooves and took aim with his crossbow, calling the Nightmare enhanced aura to task. All the anger he'd suppressed from before suddenly called to task. It claimed his muscles, his thoughts, his senses, everything. Soarin had made a mistake sticking around, and he planned to make the pony suffer for it.

Though, Soarin was nowhere to be seen, taking the advantage of flight and swiftness by hiding in the trees, away from where the stallion would be caught in the Federalist's gaze.

"Monster." Soarin's voice echoed about, reverberating off the trees, making it sound like it was coming from everywhere at once. "Threatening a little foal like that, threatening to shoot her in the face. You're a sick freak, you know that?"

"Coming from the stallion who used a love potion on an unsuspecting mare to get back at her brother." Sin snarled back with a little more venom.

He heard a grunt from behind and turned just in time to dodge an incoming white blur, this time to the right. Sin immediately came up and took aim, but once again, the stallion had disappeared into the thick tree line beyond his aim.

Fuck!

Sin instead of being more cautious and joining the stallion in taking cover, allowed his rage to override his reason. He turned his head around, teeth peeled back to reveal teeth. He ran to one of the trees and turned his head about, teal serpentine eyes scanning for wherever his foe had gone. He heard a sharp slam above and turned his head up. A slight crack of strained wood followed soon after and the Federalist stepped clear of the heavy, falling branch.

The thing was massive, almost as thick as he was tall!

The split second he took to admire the attack cost him dearly. Soarin, using the falling branch as a distraction, swooped down from the left and slammed into Sin, forcing the air from the Federalist's lungs. 

Pain shot through Sin's spine and barrel as the former Wonderbolt slammed Sin into a tree, making the stallion's mouth open in a silent cry, failing to suck in a breath that his lungs didn't have the needed space to take.

A new, righteous anger flashed within him, and Sin brought down his bow wielding hoof onto Soarin's back, directly on the stallion's withers between the wings joints.

He pushed off Sin and cringed from the pain of the assault. Sin collapsed to the ground and couched for breath, the rain having sent water down his open throat. 

In a flash, Soarin had regained himself and once again assaulted Sin in a devastating tackle before the pony could get a lock with his eyes. However, Sin wasn't caught off guard this time, and positioned his forelegs to intercept, making sure his crossbow would impact into his assailant's face and muzzle.

The blow hit home, striking Soarin in the muzzle and drawing blood, but the follow through with the attack had pushed Sin onto the ground with Soarin flying over him and darting back into the safety of the trees.

Things were quiet for a moment as Sin regained his bearings and looked about. This wasn't good, he was beyond angry, and that emotional reaction was making him sloppy. He took a few seconds to regain some semblance of battle calm and forced himself to breath and think.

He strained his hearing to listen for anything indicating Soarin's position in the treeline, but the stallions aviation training had trained his movements to be silent, leaving the pony to hear nothing but the falling rain all around him.

"And who are you to judge me anyway?" Soarin barked, voice dripping with self righteous anger.

"I am myself, the only one who can judge for myself." Sin called out, his ears finding the point of origin a few decibiles higher than the reverberation around. 

A soft, but sudden flap told Sin his foe was coming from the left. He turned his glare and saw Soarin coming down for another violent charge. 

Despite being caught in the Nightmare's eye, Soarin continued to rush forth, forcing Sin to flinch and dodge once again, losing the stallion for a forth time.

"You're scum!" The ex-Wonderbolt called. "A fake! A liar, a cheat, and an abuser!"

Sin narrowed his eyes in a show of calculating thought. He wasn't the only one angry here... "Going to pretend raping an unsuspecting mare is much better?"

"I DIDN'T RAPE HER!" Soarin yelled, calling the stallion to yet another predictable diving swoop.

Sin heard the pony and dodged once again.

This process rebuffed itself a few times, the two continuing to taunt each other to lure their foe into a berzerk, a frenzy where rational calm was cast aside in favor of unscrupulous and wrathful blood-lust. Though, between the military training the two had received, neither pony was willing to allow themselves the indulgence. 

Another taunt from Sin caused Soarin to give another swoop, and Sin dodged as needed before taking a chance and loosing the steel tipped primary projectile after the pony.

He heard it woosh through the air, rustle past a brush, and hit a mark of tree off in the distance. The bolt didn't hit it's mark.

Sin didn't have time to reload, he didn't dare try. It would take him precious seconds of concentration and effort to restring the primary and fetch a bolt to replace. The shot was a mistake, but the Federalist needed to make something happen and soon.

He'd seen this tactic before during his time in Triple M. The tactic Soarin was using wasn't meant to end a battle quickly, it was meant to wear him down. His dodge rolling was much more taxing on the stallion's body than Soarin's constant swooping in and exit. He'd make a mistake the stallion would capitalize on soon, a hit leg, or worse.

Between that and the slowly growing headache the Nightmare was giving him, it was only a matter of time until Sin was at a greater disadvantage.

Sin took a split second look at the incendiary bolt on is crossbow, it's dim glow more than enough to give away his position in the darkening, rain soaked forest floor. He'd have liked to have been rid of it, for no other reason to make his person harder to find, but a discharge would lead to the bolt's activation, and spring hadn't been here nearly long enough to make the surrounding forest anything but a tinderbox.

Still, that did leave him with an idea.

Sin allowed the anger in his body to resurface a little, not to cloud his mind, but to take his body. His form began to tremble in rage, but to Soarin, it was meant to mimic the trembling of fear.

"Y-You don't have to keep doing this!" Sin called out, forcing his voice to sound more nervous than it was. "Give me back my friends, and we can both walk away!"

"They aren't your friends!" Soarin shouted back. "I've seen how you treat them, continually ignoring them, berating them, threatening them. That's not how friends treat each other! That's how abusers work!"

Sin pressed his lips and allowed himself to look down, his display of thought half exaggerated and half genuine. 

He'd be lying if he said he found anything but truth to the pony's words. He didn't know how to logically follow through against it though. He wasn't a good pony, he knew that, they knew that and so did they.

"A manipulator! Tell me, does it feel good? Preying on ponies younger and more ignorant than you? Trying to indoctrinate them into following you? Talking and using words and rhetoric that makes it sound like you're saying more than you really are? Knowing that you're smarter than they are? I bet it does, to a sick slive like you."

Sin had to fight a cringe at the accuracy of the words. That was how he worked, he gained admiration through his intelligence, and through that admiration, utilized his companions. He never put them in harms way, though, quite the contrary really; so the insult didn't hit him nearly as deeply as it could have. 

Soarin didn't need to know that, though...

"I don't use them like that..." Sin said, desperation lining his voice. 

His eyes looked up and he scrutinized the treeline infront of him, his unarmed hoof traveling to the buckles that latched the crossbow to his other foreleg. He needed to time this perfectly if it was going to work.

A flap from behind and Sin tensed all of his body, he saw the stallion out of the corner of his eye and dodged in another roll. His timing was off, thanks to both fatigue and the headache, and the stallions scored a hit on his right hind leg, sending a soaring pain there in. 

Sin's recovery wasn't as graceful as it needed to be, and he found his standup a little hindered by the hurt appendage. Still he used the recovery time to reach into his quiver and carefully retrieve a bolt from it. 

He recalled the training with the Trap Bolt, his foreleg gripping the thin air cylinder that made up the first half of the shaft, the air pressure used to getisen the hook claw. The last half of the bolt, the one that held the wire, was made up of a copper alloy that worked to conduct the small electric battery in the core of the shaft.

Mr. Cyan had made him touch a a fully armed trap bolt, to show Sin what it was like to feel the pain he wanted to utilize on others. To make him respect and understand the cruelty of the device. It wasn't long enough to do any long term damage, but it was more than enough to singe the hairs of his pelt where he touched.

A split second of contact was painful, especially to his more empty and hollow pegasus form. Hopefully, Soarin would offer the same susceptibility to it.

He didn't like it, being as close to the wire as he would be, especially since the rain fall had grown and had the potential to short circuit the electricity. Though, it couldn't be helped, Soarin was too quick for him to get a proper shot on, and his rush past was also too quick for the aura to effectively lock onto him. 

Slowly, Sin limped towards a tree, exaggerating his injury to inspire his foe's confidence and positioned himself just so. He gripped the bolt tightly and cringed as the Nightmare's headache escalated to a painful migraine. 

This needed to end.








With a pop, and slight feeling of nausea, Krystal popped into existence in the woodwork, Scootaloo held in her forelegs, looking at the the blackened unicorn with fearful eyes as he stood besides them.

Krystal's grip on the foal tightened, fear coursing through her veins at the blackened pony's intimidating form.

"You're fine, you're safe." Sombra cooed, lifting a hoof and trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. Krystal saw his hoof raise and she fluffed out her wings in response, trying to appear bigger than she really was.

"You just stay back!" She barked, body tensing. She looked about, keeping herself ready to take flight at a moments notice. "Where are we? Where's Islander?"

She was a little surprised at her tone and command. Krystal never considered herself a confident mare, nore the type to bark at others when they obviously had the upper hoof on her. But she also knew that Scootaloo needed her to be strong and protect her.

"He's gone, away from here." Sombra answered.

Krystal frowned and looked around, not liking at all what was happening. She threw down her wings and took to the sky, but a red aura of magic engulfed her, freezing her wings in place and stunting her escape.

"Let us go!" Krystal said, struggling in Sombra's grip, Scootaloo's tightened grip on her neck driving the mare's desperation.

Sombra brought her back down and looked at her. "I shall, once I know you shall not go to him."

Krystal looked at him in defiance, though, she wasn't sure that was her plan. Not after what Sin had just done. Truth was, she didn't know what she was going to do, or where she was planning to go.

"I am not going to harm you, but I cannot let you go to him. He is dangerous, as you have, yourself, born witness."

Her face locked into a glower of disapproval, Krystal slowly allowed herself to relax in Sombra's grasp, all but her foal bearing forlegs anyway. 

With a few more coaxing words, the two fillies slowly came to accept their fate, partially grateful for the separation from Islander now. Though, between whispering calm and soothing words to the filly in her grasp, and continually checking to make sure Sombra didn't advance upon them, Krystal's mind was frantic trying to figure out what had just happened.

Sin... he threatened to shoot Scootaloo in the head! He threatened to kill her, just like she feared he would!

How? How could he do that?! That wasn't like him, that wasn't anything like him. He'd gone to such extreme lengths to protect both Scootaloo and herself before!

Krystal felt herself well up with emotion as she tried and failed to understand the stallion's behavior. 

Her vision became blurry as tears welled up in the pegasus mare's own amber orbs, and she slowly found herself sobbing with Scootaloo. 

It was terrible, the feelings she was having. Terror, incomprehension, betrayal... She thought... she thought he was a good pony, a pony like papa, a harmed but good soul, like the ponies in her books. The kind who, when they needed to make a hard choice, would choose to do the right thing and cast aside their vengeful ways when those they cared about placed themselves between they and the one they wanted to take vengeance upon. 

That's not what happened, though. That's not what happened at all, Sin made the wrong choice. He chose vengeance and anger over love and forgiveness. He... he wasn't a good pony after all, no good pony would have done what he did.

Despite the filly in her legs, Krystal took a moment to be selfish. She felt so worthless right now, she felt abandoned and vulnerable in the worst of ways.

Didn't he care? Didn't he care about how much trust and faith they'd put in him? How could he betray them like that? After everything they'd been through, after everything they'd done for one another? She... she felt things for him, things she'd never felt for anypony else, and he just... like he didn't even care about the two of them. She could see from the look of resolve in his eyes that, had Krystal been the one to stop him, she would have been just as likely to be at the wrong end of his weapon as Scootaloo was.

Scootaloo mumbled something into Krystal's neck and the filly pulled away. "I- I'm sorry, Krystal." She uttered.

The amber eyed  mare felt her throat tighten from the words, the look of utter defeat on Scootaloo's face. Both forgetting about Sombra's presence.

"Shhh, it's... it's not your fault, Scootaloo." Krystal cooed, or tried to. It's hard to comfort others when your voice is in the middle of crying. "I- it's not your fault at all."

"Yes it is." Scootaloo sniffled. "I... I thought that he... if I had known he would... I... I-" She hick-uped and began bawling again. 

Cringing, Krystal redoubled her efforts and hugged Scootaloo as tightly as she could. It wasn't her fault, how could she think Krystal would blame her? How could either of them known about what would happen?

Flicking her eyes up, Krystal took note of Sombra for just a moment before turning back to Scootaloo. While her gaze wasn't long, she could see the stallion looking sympathetically at the two.

Things were quiet now, no more words could be said, no excuses given, no justifications grasped for. 

It had happened, Islander had threatened to kill them, either of them, and as sickening as Krystal may have found it, she couldn't find it in herself to deny. He was a bad pony, a very bad pony that they needed to keep away from.

Her ear twitched as something light struck it, and then something else, and another. Rain.

Rain fell atop of them, and Krystal hugged the filly tight.

Slowly, but surely, the rain continued to fall. Escallating from the few dropped sprinkle to a low drizzle. It wasn't lost on Krystal just how appropriate the weather was.

Though, as suddenly as it had come, the assault on her pelt had ceased. She could still hear the rain around her though, and she looked up to find Sombra now standing beside them, a dim umbrella of magic sheltering all of them.

The stallion cast a side long look at her, opened his mouth and... let out a breath. He looked like he had something to say, but Krystal didn't dare ask.

After a while, the black unicorn licked his lips and finally spoke. "I am sorry, for what has happened to you." 

The pony looked genuine, hurt even over what he had to say. 

Krystal sniffed, finding a small comfort in the pony's presence. 

"It... it's not your fault." She heard Scootaloo say weakly. "Th- that's why you're after him, isn't it? Because he's a bad pony?"

Sombra opened his mouth again, but pressed his lips in reluctance. "It is... more complicated a matter than that, I am afraid." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "I should not be telling you this, but I cannot bare to see such pain before mine eyes. Your friend, he is unwell in the mind."

Krystal sighed, she knew that already.

"No, not in that way." Sombra clarified patiently. "Has he told you? About that which afflicts him?"

Scootaloo scoffed in a hateful simmer. "I don't care why he did it, I'll never forgive him for that."

Krystal was of a different mind, but only just so. She wanted to hear the black unicorn out, they didn't know Islander all that well, maybe... Sombra was it? Maybe he could shed some light on why Sin had done what he'd done.

"I am not surprised he wouldn't say what ailed him." Sombra declared turning his gaze skywards. "Mine mistress hadn't either. Pride is such a destructive thing, sometimes."

Things went quiet again as those words hung in the air, no sounds could be heard but the melancholic sound of rain all around them. Even Scootaloo's gentle sobbing had ceased to listen to Sombra's words.

"Your friend's mind has been tainted by a demon most foul." The stallion said sagely, turning his attention back to them. "A spirit of the Nightmare that had infected mine mistress, Princess Luna a thousand years ago."

Krystal felt he jaw drop a little. She'd heard about Nightmare Moon before, and the dark alicorn's return when Princess Luna had come back.

"Nightmare? You mean Nightmare Moon?" Scootaloo asked timidly. "But... but I thought she was destroyed by the Elements of Harmony."

Sombra nodded. "Through mine mistress's dreams, the demon found new life. With the aid of another bit of magic I do not understand, something called the Tantibus, the Nightmare escaped mine mistress and fled her. We believe that it has taken refuge inside of your friend's mind. Tainting his thoughts, draining the goodness within him as she had mine mistress before."

Krystal asked about the Nightmare, feeling a small hope that it wasn't Sin that had turned his weapon, but the Nightmare. 

"It is a dangerous creature." Sombra spat, anger taking his face. "Mine mistress cannot enter your friends dreams without his willingness, she is unable to combat the Nightmare, and with each day, she grows more and more powerful. It is only a matter of time before your friend has succumbed to her."

Krystal felt a sting of fear for Sin. "Wha- he can't handle that. Why didn't he come back to you for help if it's that bad?"

Sombra shook his head, explaining that Sin had used the Nightmare's powers on more than one occasion. "His eyes, you've seen when they changed. He uses the Nightmare's powers as his own."

Krystal gulped, not caring for that notion at all. Though it made sense, Sin was using her power to his advantage, and with what he was doing, the quest he was on, it only stood to reason he'd do anything to get every last advantage he could reach. It also explained why he'd become so irritable and broody all the time. Possessions, from her understanding, tested ponies wills and patience at all times.

It didn't help that, with more explanation, Sin had to have known what was happening to himself, what was going to happen.

Krystal felt angry when she'd realized that ignorance wasn't the reason for his silence. Didn't he know how stupid and dangerous this was? That he wouldn't be able to fight her forever? That she'd eventually consume his mind and life?

Thankfully, Scootaloo spoke on her mind's behalf, asking the questions for her.

"We believe he knows." Sombra said. "He is chasing the Trotski for his own reasons, and is willing to risk his own life and mind to see them fall. Your friend is desperate to stop them, to stop them from killing one he cares about, and is willing to go to extreme lengths to stop them."

The stallion gestured a hoof to Scootaloo. "Lengths with consequences that have twisted him to acts beyond terrible."

Another round of silence befell the trio, allowing the revelation to sink in. Krystal couldn't believe all of what she was hearing, it was hard to accept. Even the books she loved so much hadn't prepared her for what she was being told. Possession and negative influences beyond what Sin was able to control... how long had he been fighting that thing? How much of an influence had it had on him? How long would he last against it before he was consumed?

"Why?" Scootaloo croaked, fixing a steely gaze. "If you know all of this, so does Luna. And if Luna knows why he's doing all of this, than why isn't she doing anything to protect Macintosh so Sin doesn't have to? The Trotski are bad ponies, they want to kill my... somepony I l-love... If you arrested them, Sin wouldn't be doing all of this."

Krystal nodded her head, Luna could enter dreams, she'd done so many times. If she could do that to them, why hadn't she done it to the Trotski to stop them?

Sombra's compassionate gaze matched Scootaloo's in hardness, he turned away and looked ahead. "I do not know why. I wish I did." The stallion closed his red eyes and sighed in resignation. "I am in agreement that the Trotski are a threat. I did not fight for mine mistress and brave the wilds of Equestria for mine mistress just so she might throw it away as she threatens. Never the less, I am obligated to her, and must adhere to her command, senseless though they may be."

It was clear that Sombra was frustrated with the situation, his calm demeanor a mask to how angry he was. Krystal didn't know how she knew, but she felt that he was much more angry with Luna than he let on.

The pony stood and beckoned them to follow him to a near by tree, trying to get the two out of the rain. "I am sorry, but I must leave you now. I've been away too long."

"Wait!" Scootaloo cried reaching out a hoof and gulping. "What you're saying, about the Nightmare, it... it was her fault, right? When Sin was..." She took a breath and cringed, forcing out the memory, "holding his bow at me, I heard another voice, one talking along with his. A female one. It was her right? She was controlling him and making him do it... right?"

Krystal bit her lip, finding the desperate hope in Scootaloo's voice heart wrenching. She wanted to agree with the filly of course, but still...

Sombra stopped and regarded the two for a moment, his eyes shifting slightly in thought. Suddenly, he gave them both a confident smile. "He's done nothing to indicate he'd have done it himself, has he?"

Krystal felt herself well up with hope at the revelation. It wasn't him! It wasn't Sin's fault! He was just being used and manipulated by the Nightmare! He didn't do it because he didn't care, he didn't have a choice!

The stallion disappeared in a wink of light, leaving the two fillies alone. 

"It wasn't his fault." Krystal said, looking down to Scootaloo. "Did you hear that, Scootaloo? It wasn't him that did that."

The filly looked up to her and nodded, but instead of expressing any kind of relief or joy, Scootaloo frowned in a look of thought, making Krystal worry over if she was still holding Sin's actions against him.

"Now what, though?" Scootaloo asked.

"What?"

Scootaloo turned to her, whiping the tears from her cheeks. "It doesn't change anything really. I don't know how to stop her from taking over Sin's mind, do you?"

Krystal's smile slowly fell from her face, and all the hope it represented went with it.

Sin may not have been to blame, but if he was falling to the Nightmare, and she was slowly influencing his mind against them, how long would it be before Sin was fully consumed? How long before he actually pulled the trigger?

Though, Scootaloo was wrong on one thing. Something had changed, they knew now. They knew what was wrong with him, and knowing a problem existed was the first step to solving it.

Scootaloo listened to Krystal's argument and considered it for a moment. 

"C'mon Scootaloo." The mare said. "Sin's our friend, he's done alot for us. We can't just let the Nightmare have him. You know he'd help us if we needed it."

A cross look crossed the filly's face, but she was quick to push it down again. Scootaloo knew Krystal was right. She sighed, "yea, I know." She looked up at Krystal with a hesitant, if not hopeful, smile. "I guess someone's gotta go get Islander's head out of his plot."

"Language." Krystal chidded lightheartedly. "Just because he's got the mouth of a sailor."

The two shared a laugh and a hug before the alabaster mare took to the sky to figure out where they were and then deciding where they needed to go.







Soarin landed upon a tree branch for a moment and rubbed the blood away from his forehead where he'd been struck by his enemy's crossbow. He'd landed a clean hit on the targets leg and left him limping. Soarin smirked, seeing the oaken pony he hunted limping backwards and shivering.

The white pegasus was only too happy to inflict the fear and pain upon him that the target had inflicted on others. Peice of crap deserved every last bit of it for what he'd done.

Soarin looked around and scoffed, Sombra still hadn't returned, inconsiderate, useless jackass. He knew the unicorn would be usless, always more preoccupied with enjoying himself and indulging his baser urges. 

It didn't matter, Soarin could handle this scum on his own.

"Tell me, did it feel good?" The target asked with smug snark. "Taking advantage of a vulnerable mare? Ruining her trust in stallions like you had?"

Soarin gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. This little piece of crap was going to pay for that.

He pushed off the branch and dived directly for the stallion, hooves outstreched to slam directly into him. As expected, the cloaked pony saw him and dodged again, though he was slowing now, and dodging earlier to compensate. Early enough that Soarin could bank to at least catch one of his appendages as he passed.

A sting in his hoof told him he scored. He'd managed to get his back, not terrible damage, but it was progress in a war of attrition. He couldn't kill the target, least the Nightmare leap away from him. He needed Sin whole and alive, but he also couldn't risk being caught in the stallion's gaze. Not again.

"Feels about as good as threatening foals!" He yelled while he flew around, positioning himself behind the pony again. This time would be the last, this would be the final attack, with the damage he'd done to the pony's legs, there'd be no chance he'd be able to dodge in any meaningful way.

That meant he'd also be desperate to stop the pony from making contact. Soarin wasn't worried though, he was too fast for the pony's sight, let alone his crossbow.

He landed and turned his attention downwards, smirking to himself at what he saw. The target was holding his crossbow at the ready, instead of preparing to dodge. The brown pegasus looked around sporadically, panicking, losing his calm and ability to think and reason.

Rather than waiting for the opening he needed, Soarin flew down to the ground, picked up a stick, and flew back to the treetops. Smirking, he threw the stick on the opposite side of Sin and braced against the branch. He waited until the stick struck the tree, making the paranoid pony turn away from him and leapt forth in a dive directly at him.

His heart pounded and his vision tunneled as the wind whipped past his wings and mane. This was it, all those weeks of tracking and planning, he was finally going to get him! He was finally going to complete the mission and take back the freedom that was his!

The target turned and to him and time slowed to a crawl, but much too late to make any meaningful difference. It was too late now, even if the pony could jump, he wouldn't have enough time to jump and avoid the stallion's blow. Soarin resolved that this would be the last swoop, after contact, he loop around and slam ontop of the battered pony's body and the knock him out.

This would be the end of it.

Sin darted as expected, and Soarin banked to intercept.

Suddenly, and without any warning, the former Wonderbolt felt something long and thin catch his wing, and then electric pain shot through him, sending his well coordinated swoop into a graceless crash into the ground. He cried as searing white filled his vision, and a buzzing jolt made every muscle in his body clench in on themselves.

Every nerve in his body cried out from pain, his sensitive areas being the worst of all. The thin thing on his wing slipped off, ending the source of the pain for the whole three seconds it was on, but the damage was already done. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, his bowls had evacuated themselves, and his limbs were too numb to respond to his commands.

Breaths coming in labored force, Soarin opened his eye to see the stallion who'd bested him standing over him, smirking down at him in triumph. The battle Soarin was so sure was his for the taking, the confidence he had, all of it gave way to equal parts terror, rage, and an unyielding sense of incomprehension.

"Trap bolts." The cloaked pony said with a cruel smirk. "One full amp directly to your body, supposed to kill, but I guess I get to finish you personally."

Soarin's nose crinkled from the smell of his own refuse and singed feathers. It had only gotten him on the very top of his wing bone, not enough to hold on, but enough to incapacitate him. 

he screamed at his limbs to move, commanding with every last bit of will he had, but they wouldn't respond with anything other than curling into him. It was no use, he was completely helpless.

"G-g-go on th-th-then." Soarin barked defiantly. "G-g-g-get it over with."

It was a small, but quickly growing resignation. This monster was a ruthless and murderous sort, Soarin knew he was going to die, the least he could do was face death head on.

The pony looked down at him for a few seconds, his eyes looking thoughtful, as if he was considering the stallion's threat level. 

To Soarin's mystification, Sin retracted his hoof and turned around before walking away, leaving the stallion alive, if in pain. The pain wasn't to last, however, as the tunnel vision the pony had soon engulfed the entirety of his vision, leaving him to deep unconsciousness. 
> Reflection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 






Reflections








Sin limped through the rain. Cold, soaked, sore, and drained in more ways than one, with only a single thought on his mind.

Keep putting one hoof in front of the other. Keep walking forwards, well, limping forwards.

Soarin was behind him, a good mile or two away and still very much alive.

The cloaked pony hadn't killed him, he was in the perfect position for it, yet even with the Nightmare reminding him of the danger Soarin posed, Sin didn't raise his leg and bring it down onto his enemy's throat.

He wanted to deny the small reason for his mercy, to say that it wasn't the thing that had stopped him, that Soarin's continued existence would serve him for his own interests later down the line. That the death of Sombra's partner would make the unicorn act in unpredictable ways, that he'd rather fight the devils he knew rather than the devil he didn't.

But the fact that Scootaloo and Krystal wouldn't want him to do it was the real reason.

Sin couldn't understand how the idea had stopped him. How the guilt from it had made him so timid to doing one of the things he was best at...

He'd threatened to kill Scootaloo directly, and Krystal indirectly. He'd said it bluntly, no plausible deniability to it. He'd tried to maintain his calm in it, to say it simply as the fact he wanted them to perceive it to be. He knew they'd hate him for it, yet he still did it, and now he was a massive hypocrite.

So why? Why did he give such a shit about what they wouldn't approve of now, after the fact?

This was supposed to be the part where Critic spoke up and gave him some kind of introspective view into his subconscious, to answer the questions Sin couldn't -or wouldn't- dare to answer for himself, but his voice of reason had yet to utter a word to the pony ever since he'd threatened his companions.

The stallion continued walking through the wood work, not caring about where he was going. He was too tired and confused to care now. Well, long term anyways, what he wanted now was to find a nice, dry, safe place to sleep the past few hour of his life off like a bad hang over.

He turned his warry eyes up and beheld a cave in his line of travel. He sighed in relief and made way directly for it.

Once inside, he removed his cloak and gave a futile look around for anything that could be a potential danger. The cave was deep, too deep for him to see what was inside.

Though, he was too tired to care now.

Sin settled down against one of the walls of the cavern and began to settle himself down. He saw something red and moving out of the corner of his eye, a red foreleg. 

He didn't want to look up and see what he knew to be there. He was too tired for any phantom delusions today...









As expected, Sin found himself in the blackroom of his inner mind.

He anticipated to be verbally lambasted and harassed by both Critic and the Kid upon his arrival, but the eiry and deafening silence persisted. Sin looked forward, knowing that they were behind him. 

He didn't want to do this, he didn't want to talk to them, either of them. What good would it do? He speculated why he felt as guilty as he did, it wasn't all that hard to figure out. He'd grown attached to the girls, he'd grown attached to them and then hurt them. Now, he was hurting as a result.

There, mystery fucking solved.

"And yet, you still struggle." Sin heard the Nightmare's mocking voice from behind him. "For what reason you torture yourself, I shall never understand."

Sin slowly turned around to see the demoness in all of her smug and self satisfied glory. Critic and the Kid were present, but both sat a good distance away, their backs firmly placed to him.

"It was a bad situation all around with a hard choice that needed to be made." Sin intoned, finding looking the Alicorn in the eye surprisingly difficult. "I take no pride in what I did."

The Nightmare made a small sound of approval. "You did what you needed to do, Sinbad. To protect your friends and yourself, surely there is no shame in that."

Sin's eyes dropped to the floor for a moment then came up passed Nightmare Moon to look at Critic, silently begging the construct to answer her question. He wanted to hear it from Critic, to hear that what he did was for the best, that it was the right thing. It was the most pragmatic option available, it saved everyone's life who mattered to him. 

So why did he feel like he'd done the wrong thing?

"Poor Sin." The Alicorn of Insanity cooed, now behind him and wrapping her forelegs around his neck as she usually did when feigning compassion. "You work so hard, put so much thought into everything you do, and yet you just can't figure out what the right thing to do is."

Sin felt himself lean back on her a little, finding the pressure oddly comforting, if a little cold. He knew she was a manipulative bitch who was just saying what he wanted to hear, but... it did feel good to be acknowledged. For his sacrifices, his pain, his suffering. Even if it was a ploy, it felt good to feel some manner of sympathy and support.

Sin basked in the feeling for a time, not noticing that his eyes were slowly beginning to droop in the Nightmare's embrace. It felt so easy now, to relax. 

"Let go." She whispered into his ear sweetly. "You have suffered enough. You are tired, and you need rest. Ease your mind and surrender."

Sin gulped, a small sense of urgency telling him to disobey, to stop relaxing and push the Nightmare away. 

But the stallion didn't want to listen to that small sense of urgency anymore. Every day of every hour of every minute that sense of emergent need had run his life. It had driven him to do so much. From curiously examining his first scrap of money, all the way to threatening Scootaloo's life, that sense of urgency was there; pushing him and wearing the stallion to exhaustion.

Sin didn't want it now, not anymore. It ruled him for so long, ruined any chance at relaxation and enjoyment as much as his own psyche did. Always looking for the next problem that needed to be solved, the next precaution to be taken, the next threat to be evaluated and mitigated. It was his ultimate drive, always making him think, giving Sin no reprieve nor rest.

And just as quickly as she was there, she was gone, the small sense of urgency returned to him, along with his faculties.

Sin looked to see the Kid standing in front of him now, the young colt's eyes glaring daggers at the Nightmare behind him. 

"Leave." The Kid said. His voice calm and smooth, somehow a harsh bark at the same time.

The Alicorn bowed her head slightly and disappeared.

Sin looked down at his younger self, unsure of what to expect.

"You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" He asked.

Sin pressed his lips. "What would you have had me do?"

The Kid didn't reply, he just continued to glare at the pony with a hateful glare.

"In the options I had, which one would you have taken had you been in my position? I want an answer."

It took a moment, but eventually the Kid just shook his head.

"'I don't know' isn't a good enough answer." Sin replied calmly. "'I don't know' means that you'd have made no decision, and allowed things to continue as they were. 'I don't know' means that, when I did confront the Trotski, Scootaloo and Krystal would have done there what was they did here. They'd have been capture, used as hostages, and likely killed.' I don't know' would get them killed, along with me, and likely Macintosh in the end."

The Kid trembled with rage now, and Sin prepared himself for be tossed around like a rag doll again.

"Now, perhaps I'm mistaken, but I consider the deaths of all four of us to be the worst possible outcome, don't you?"

The Kid didn't answer, nor could he. He knew Sin was right, that he'd made the best decision that could be made in such a situation. He didn't like it, Critic didn't like it, and Sin himself didn't like it, but that was the way of things.

"You broke our agreement." The Kid stated matter of factly. "You broke your word to me."

Sin suppressed a snarl. He had broken his word only in the sense that he wasn't looking after the two. He'd protected both fillies as best he could, and he considered that more important.

Kid shook his head, his bright eyes never breaking contact. "You should have stopped. You should have stopped chasing the Trotski the second those two had put themselves in danger."

Sin quirked a brow at the implication. "You find their lives worth more than-"

"NO!" Kid shouted, his eyes shifting teal. "No, no, no! Those weren't the only options! Those weren't even the best options! You could negotiate something with Luna! Give up the Nightmare in exchange for a pardon, and go back to Ponyville to protect Macintosh yourself! You could have just stopped chasing them and gone off to do something else! You could have just gone back to Bliss and lived life there. You still can!"

"And let Macintosh die in the process?"

Sin flinched away as Kid let out a primordial scream of frustration. "Tapio dammit! He's being protected! Luna gave her word he'd be fine! Why can't you trust her to do that?! The Trotski think he's dead, the chances they'll find him again are small. Too small. You're acting like it's a for sure thing he'll be killed when it's not!"

"Out of all of us, he's the most safe! You've hurt Krystal and Scootaloo to protect a pony who doesn't need it! You've done real damage where it didn't need to be done because you're so focused on revenge that you'll make a mountain out of a molehill! You'll ignore every single mitigation and precautionary measure that can be taken because it doesn't solve every problem outright! It's not good enough to you! Nothing ever will be short of brutal absolution for the sake of sating your Milikki damned ego and paranoia!"

Sin growled and tensed his leg, ready to smack the little shit for his petulance. This was partially the Kid's fault, had he not divulged as much information as he had, Sin wouldn't have felt pressured to gain such an iron grip on the situation in the first place. 

He was about to tell the kid off, until Critic finally stood from his place and turned to join them.

'He's right, Sin.' The mirror said resolutely. 

Sin's jaw dropped. "Et tu, Critic?"

Critic nodded. 'I care about Macintosh too, you know I see him as the friend you'd always needed when you lost Zell. But after that? After seeing just how far you're willing to go? I think it would be best to stop chasing the Trotski, turn over the Nightmare, and demand a pardon.'

Sin's eyes shifted between the two in disbelief. This... this was really happening right now? They were really choosing Scootaloo and Krystal's feelings over the potential for Macintosh's life?

"How can you two say that?" Sin asked indignantly. "You know what they are capable of! Even with Luna's protection, they number in the hundreds or  thousands! Not only that, but with only a few of their numbers, they've managed to manipulate a group larger than themselves into helping an attempted overthrow of the government! They could just as easily manipulate someone else to kill him if they found out!"

Critic frowned and sighed. 'That's not all. You're... changing, Sin.'

Sin groaned in frustration of having is argument ignored. 

'Don't dismiss it!' Critic snapped. 'Soarin wasn't all that far off from the truth on the shit you've been pulling lately. Brutally intimidating Scootaloo, that outburst at Krystal back at the ravine along with the jokes at her expense, the growing delight you're taking in suffering...' He gave the stallion a hard look. 'Any of that sounding the least bit familiar?'

Sin's eyes narrowed upon his mirror, though he didn't say a word.

'The Nightmare's changing you back to the way you were. The Kid's seen it, I've seen it, and you know it.' Critic closed his eyes and sighed. 'You'd kept her in check well enough, better than I thought you would, but you're losing it. You're losing your resolve to maintain what small moral sense you have left. We had hoped that keeping those two around would help, that they would keep you grounded, but it looks like the two just forced her to work more subtly. I'm sorry, but the Nightmare's become too much of a threat to us.'

His mind raced for something, anything to try and argue the point, but it seemed his inner self already had all the arguments and bases covered.

Macintosh was in danger, but that danger was mitigated well enough as far as they were concerned. The Nightmare was a constant and growing threat to his person, attacking him in a way he could only resist for so long. He was becoming more irritable, more paranoid and stressed out over Sombra and Soarin, and the thoughts of ending his own life were creeping back in too.

He was seeing things now as well. Things he shouldn't be seeing, delusions and hallucinations out of the corner of his periphery... How long until that turned into something more?

Maybe these two were right. Maybe... maybe it was time to cut his losses while he was still-

A sudden boom erupted, breaking the calmness of the black room as Nightmare Moon burst into existence.

"Do not listen to them!" She bellowed, flapping her wings to stay in flight. "They lie! They are just trying to beat you again!"

Sin furrowed his brow. "Beat me?" What was that supposed to mean?

"Playing dumb does not become you, Sinbad. Surely you may see their obvious ploy against you." The alicorn declared righteously.

'Oh, this'll be good.' Critic smirked looking up at her.

Sin sighed. It was already a shit show, might as well let speak her piece.

"These two do not speak out of love for Scootaloo or Krystal, nor even love for morality and compassion." She said, giving a cool smile. "They try to dissuade you out of a petty sense of self preservation, and are willing to sacrifice Macintosh in the process. They act in cowardice!"

Sin quirked a brow. Cowardice?

"No, we're telling him to stop because it's the better option. For everybody involved." Kid said.

'Well, almost everybody.' Critic amended, giving the Nightmare an equally cool smile. 'Speaking of acting in self preservation. Hello, Nightmare.'

The Alicorn snorted elegantly in response.

Sin found the words too true, of course she'd be against him handing her over. She's the one that gets destroyed here, but still, she might have a point. Question was, did her point really supersede the Critic and Kid's point? 

Sin didn't much care about his own life, not really. Part of him still had wanted to die, to escape all of the bull shit and stress life had to throw at him, but by the same token, it was all self inflicted. Most everything wrong, everything he hated about life right now could be ended by just doing as Critic said and turning the Nightmare in, not to mention all of the mental stress she herself had caused.

It was a pointless question, if her point was greater than theirs.

Though, that didn't mean that any hasty decision about giving up needed to be made here today. The Nightmare was dangerous, of that there was no doubt, but even assuming he did go back to Ponyville to watch over Macintosh himself, he'd need her to protect him. Fact was that the Nightmare had pulled his ass out of the fire more times than Sin cared to admit. 

As dangerous as she may have been, all assets had risks and costs associated with them. Her power was great, beyond anything he'd ever experienced before. 

Even if it was through her influence, the decision was ultimately his to make. In hindsight, it was a poor decision, but it was his responsibility to take.

With a renewed sense of calm and clarity, the stallion was ready to hash out the discussion. "I acted rashly." said Sin, gaining three pairs of eyes to him.

"Rash? I think threatening to kill a friend is a little beyond rash." Kid spat.

"You're right." Sin admitted. "I saw their interference as a forgone conclusion when I failed to take steps to ensure  both of them would be preoccupied."

Critic shook his head, already seeing where this was going.

Sin cast his eyes to the Nightmare. "You were supposed to keep them safely on the beach while I handled the situation, and you've proven either incompetent or simply unwilling to do so. As of now, you're staying in here until I say otherwise."

Nightmare scoffed and looked away.

'This doesn't sound like we're handing her to Luna.' Critic pointed out.

Sin wasn't 100% on which course of action he'd be taking as of yet, so submitting the demoness to Luna was still very much on the table. However, when he'd made the decision to threaten both of them, his judgement was impaired in a false dichotomy, and he saw that now.

"If I may remind both of you: Luna hasn't exactly proven herself the most capable of leaders. Between her dealings with Triple M, her protection of the Trotski, the fact that this thing exists," he pointed to the Alicorn, earning him another glare "and the fact that Luna's word for a pardon in exchange could easily be withdrawn at her convenience and landing me in prison, I find it more pragmatic to hold off on the decision you're suggesting."

Kid's jaw dropped in shock, and Critic shook his head.

"That being said." Sin continued. "It was a... failure on my part to plan ahead. I had failed to find a means to distract Krystal and Scootaloo, and acted as if the same situation was inevitable in the future, when it isn't. I underestimated them, a mistake. As long as I am more careful, this will be a mistake made only once."

'I don't believe this!' Critic cried in frustration.

Sin closed his eyes and allowed the ensuing tirade to come. Critic could go on and on about how stupid he thought Sin's decision, but the pony had a laundry list of why he couldn't trust Luna, nor her word of Mac's safety. 

His view hadn't changed, he found more value in the earth farmer's life than he did in either Scootaloo or Krystal, and Critic could suck a dick if he didn't like it.

Another fact was that he may have been in too deep for the Trotski to just let him go. Sin had done them damage, alot of damage. Feelings of revenge on their part were no doubt astronomical, and once they'd figured out he wasn't following them anymore, chances were that they'd go after him. Thus putting any and all of his associates in harms way anyways.

Seeing nothing come of his longwinded speech, Critic cast a pair of angry glares between the Nightmare and Sin. 'I... I can't even look at you right now.' The mirror disappeared into the blackness, with Kid following close behind him.

"Well done, Sinbad." Nightmare praised, slowly lowering herself to the ground and walking to him. "You have made the intelligent deci-"

Her words were lost in a sudden gasp, Sin's hoof slamming hard into her face and sending the alicorn to the ground. He didn't wait a tick before he was ontop of her, planting his hoof into her abdominal and pushing up into her rib-cage.

The mask of smug calmness the pony usually wore melted into an expression of shock, fear, and excruciating agony as Sin's hoof found the sweet spot he usually irritated when he wanted to inflict pain. It felt good to wipe the that smug smile off her face.

"Now, I am not going to say this again." He pressed up, making the alicorn cringe and breath through her teeth. "Quit. Fucking. With. My head." He punctuated each word with a shift of his hoof, sending pain beyond pain into her.

Sin was opposed to giving the Alicorn up, but that was only as long as he had his own faculties about him enough to go after the Trotski. If he couldn't find them and end them, having her was nothing but a liability, and before they were done here, he would make sure she understood that.

  


> Capture
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------









Capture










It was funny how words that conveyed feelings, even the most extreme words, just couldn't do them justice.

Wrathful frustration. Wrathful frustration was the closest thing Soarin could think of to describe his current mood as he lay upon the soaking wet ground, a particularly useless unicorn stallion sitting beside his weakened and vulnerable form.

Soarin was so close, sooo bucking close. He had him, Celestia knew he was this close to claiming the target, to securing his own freedom! All of that work, all of that wear down, all of that pain to be thwarted by a... a Sun dammed bolt!

He couldn't understand it, the two had observed the Islander for weeks, and never once had they seen anything like the bolt he'd used to subdue the former Wonderbolt. Electricity didn't sit well with any non-electric resistant creature, but pegasi were especially susceptible to the effects. 

The question was how? How did he manage that? How did he get it? How did it work? Never had Soarin even heard of such a device being tested, let alone weaponized as it was. He wasn't a unicorn, so he couldn't of enchanted the item, and Soarin couldn't see him creating i-

"GAH! CELESTIA'S ALL MIGHTY FLANK!" Soarin yelled. A red aura surrounded his muzzle, a pair of crimson eyes bearing down on him in warning.

"Be silent! Do you wish us exposed!?" Sombra glowered.

Soarin gave the unicorn a look of contempt as the ex-king's magic continued his work through the pegasus' body, working the electrically charged muscles to relax.

Sombra, the bastard, where was he when Soarin was engaged? The plan was that he'd teleport the collateral's away and then return to assist. Instead, he'd disappeared with the civilians and stayed gone the entire conflict, leaving Soarin to handle Islander on his own.

Typical, it was just like his lot in life to be stuck with a useless partner. Just like how Spitfire would always set the schedule for the rest of them to do hard core endurance drills while she went to Trottingham for her little errands, and then come back the next day to fly circles around the rest of them.

It caught up with her in the end, the lost time in practice to meet up with that little coltfriend of hers. So he could take solace in that, at least.

"That should do it." Sombra said, his magic dissipating. "It will take time for the effects to wear off completely, I have made sure there were no lasting effects."

As much as it would make him feel better, Soarin didn't voice his irritation to the Unicorn's incompetence. What would have been the point? He knew what he was supposed to do and chose not to do it. Besides, it wasn't like he could break contact with Sombra even if he wanted to. Luna had stuck the two together, and like it or not, the emerald eyed pegasus was stuck with him.

At least the unicorn had his uses, if nothing else.

Some time passed, and the painful cramps began to subside to the slow tingle of numbness and normalcy. Soarin spent the time allowing his anger to subside and consider what would need to happen next. They'd lost contact with the target, they'd need to get back into contact with Luna to find out where he was. After that, Soarin would need to consider a new strategy to subdue him.

"Soarin, I would like to apologize. For leaving you on your own." Sombra said.

The pegasus sighed and said dismissively. "Yea, okay."

Alright, so swooping and making quick engagements and exits did well against countering that staring thing the Islander did. It also did well against the crossbow. The electric wire bolt was another matter, though. The wire was thin, too thin for him to see while going as fast as he needed to. Hmm, how could he counter that?

"Soarin?"

The stallion gritted his teeth. "What?"

Sombra gave him an apologetic look. "The fillies were in need of assistance, and I found it prudent that I remain to offer."

"Uh-huh." 

Hmmm, maybe Soarin should get a crossbow of his own? Or some other projectile. A rubber flight suite might be in order, they'd protected the Wonderbolts from lightning in the sky well enough. Maybe a net to pin the target down? He was pretty stationary the entire time, and nets wouldn't dissipate against the stallion's magical immunity. 

"What is on your mind?" Sombra asked, breaking Soarin's train of thought yet again.

Soarin gave the unicorn a level look. "How to catch the target, what do you think?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Sombra was about to say something to the spiteful comment but thought better of it. 

As he should, Soarin mused. The great and terrible king Sombra. The terror of the north, the enslaver of the Crystal Empire, one of the greatest threats to Equestria, was a stallion more preoccupied with indulging the hedonistic and pointless enjoyments life had to offer. Honor, duty, and obligation to responsibility taking the secondary role.

It wasn't all that surprising, considering Soarin's luck of associates. Reputations really were an overblown joke, sometimes.









Sighing, Krystal looked out the window of the house that stood on the path to the lake, the one Sin had approached. Angel stood guard there, watching out side the portal with vigilance. 

Night had fallen not long after the incident, and both she and Scootaloo had taken shelter after a fruitless search for their... friend.

Despite the declaration of what happened being the result of Nightmare Moon plaguing him, Krystal still wasn't sure about how to get a handle on everything. It was so far out of her control, out of her relm of comprehension. Stopping Sin was difficult enough on it's own, but now they had to stop him and the demon whom influenced him?

The former rock farmer didn't know how to feel about that, how to approach it, how to do anything for him. 

Scootaloo lay by her side, snuggling into Krystal's side to stave off the cold chill of small draft in the walls of the cottage. This house wasn't built to be a home, it's construction made more for a type of meeting ground or storage than long term or even short term living.

The filly stirred and and panted a little in her sleep, another nightmare. Krystal leaned down close to her ear and did as she always had when the filly was troubled. She sang a sweet and wordless hum.

And as usual, the power of her song, her cutie mark, slowly soothed the filly to rest.

Poor thing, she'd already been having fretful sleep as it was. After what she'd just gone through, her life threatened like that, Krystal couldn't even imagine how terribly plagued her mind must be.

Of course, the elder pegasus could sympathize herself. As tired as she was, she didn't dare go to sleep. Even awake as she was, she could still hear the threat Sin had spoken, that distorted, dual-voice that he used, and it made her shudder to think about.

"Maybe you really don't give a flying fuck about if Macintosh lives or dies. But I do, and I'll see you dead before I allow them to bring harm to him. Is that understood?"

The words replayed in her head like scratched record.

It was hard to understand such a thing being said by him, said by a pony who'd gone so far out of his way to help others like he did. Yea, he wasn't the nicest pony ever, very irritable and prone to anger more than anything, but he was still good, or so she believed.

Sighing, Krystal thought back about home, about what Mama Gem would want her to do. She said that Papa was an angry and irritable sort too, still was, but that she had to see the good in him, the potential greatness that all ponies had inside them. Granite had made a huge mistake in past, and both Mama Gem and Mama Sandy had to help him push passed it to make him the father and husband he was to them.

Sin did what he did because he cared about somepony, somepony so important that he was willing to hurt others and he was being foolish with how to handle it.

Question was if it was a mistake worth forgiving or not? Yea, it wasn't his fault, but that didn't make it any easier for her to deal with.

Angle squeaked and drew the mare's attention. The rabbit was hopping up and down, pointing outside.

Krystal's heart leaped into her throat and she nuzzled Scootaloo awake. "Scootaloo, Scootaloo, wake up." She pressed, but the filly wouldn't budge. Poor thing being too tired to stir.

Standing, careful not to disturb, Krystal made way to the window. Though, her dreadful anticipation slowly fell away to hesitant confusion. It wasn't one pony approaching the house like she'd hoped and dreaded, but two.

Lighting flashed and she could see the two ponies as they were. A light pink pegasus pony with a shabby mane and a lilac unicorn sporting a short cloak and hood, approached. Krystal didn't recognize them, but a sudden thought sent her mind into a panic.

Was... was this their house? Oh goodness, how was she going to explain their presence here?

"Scootaloo! Scootaloo wake up! We need to..." Krystal said, not knowing exactly what to do. They couldn't be found out, if those two got the guard involved, the orange filly would be in trouble.

"Wa, wha? Wha'sgoin'on?" Scootaloo said groggily.

Angel jumped down from the window and pointed frantically to the door. "Somepony's coming." Krystal warned. 

Scootaloo groaned and stood up before making way for the back of the house... to discover there was no backdoor!

The two looked about to see if they was another way out, but to no avail. The windows weren't large enough for Krystal to fit though and the only other exit was the front door, and those two would see them for sure.

"Okay, okay. Listen, I've done this before." Scootaloo explained, calming their anxiety. "Back in Ponyville, I was caught in somepony's house once. All we have to do is explain that we were just trying to get out of the weather."

Krystal bit her lip and looked at the door in earnest. She'd heard stories about what happened to ponies who were caught trespassing back in Twin Springs, they always got a good lashing from their folks. 

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, just follow my lead." Scootaloo said confidently.

Krystal gulped and nodded.

"... believe I let you drag me back here." A voice said behind the door.

"I'm telling you, Panzy, we just didn't wait long enough."

They heard footsteps on the porch and then the door opened, allowing the two mares entry.

Scootaloo cleared her throat to let the two know they were present and a yellow aura emitting from the unicorn's horn bathed the room in a golden glow.

"Who's there?" The pegasus asked, her eyes catching on the two. "Who are..." She fell silent, eyes widening as she took the two in before her.

Scootaloo stepped forward, looking as guilty and sorry as possible and apologized. "We- we were just trying to get out of the rain..."

Neither of the other mares moved, both looking too bewildered by Scootaloo and Krystal's presence to speak. The amber eyed rock farmer was about to elaborate on Scootaloo's story, but the unicorn nudged her associate and the two forced themselves back to the present.

"You two..." Said the pegasus, a smile slowly taking her face. Though, the hooded unicorn used her magic to cover her mouth, shaking her head.

"Is there anypony else in the house?" The unicorn asked sweetly, looking around.

"Umm, no, it's just us." Scootaloo said, watching Angel standing by the door frame, out of sight of the mares.

The unicorn pressed her lips and nodded. "I see, well then, I suppose I cannot fault you for being her to get out of the rain. Quite the bad storm this evening. Wouldn't you say, Panzy?"

Krystal noticed the harshness the pony put on her words, but didn't know what to make of it. All she knew for certain was the she didn't like it.

The aura around Panzy's mouth dissipated and a knowing smile split the pink pony's lips. "Yes, Clover." She said, her voice making Krystal more than a little uncomfortable. "A very terrible storm."









A shooting pain in his hind-legs brought Sin stirring from slumber, he groaned and lifted a foreleg to his head to sooth the migraine in his head. 

The sound of some kind of jittering entered his ears, and even more pain as his legs were suddenly dropped. He cringed as a bolt of lightening lit up his place in the cave and groaned.

Realizing that he was being moved, Sin immediately shot up right and fought to keep himself from throwing up. Two ponies stood before him in the blackness, both illuminated by a sickly green light emitting from the horn of the stallion.

"Are you alright?" One of them asked, a stallion by the sound.

Seeing no immediate threat, Sin lost his rigidness, swallowed a few times in a futile attempt to stop it, and then proceeded to throw up on the floor beside him. 

He hated the Nightmare, he really, really hated her.

"Yea." He groaned, spitting out a last bit of bile. "Yea, just, sick I guess."

He took a few moments to regain himself, allowing the migraine to subside a little before collecting his thoughts. "Who are you?" He asked. "And why were you moving me?"

"Sorry." Said the male again. "We have a camp farther in the cave and, and when... um, Far Seer went out to get water, she found you and we were bringing you back. We tried to wake you up, but you didn't and we were bringing you back to see if you were hurt."

Sin nodded and nursed his head.

"Do you have head trauma?" A mare asked, Far Seer, Sin supposed.

"No, no I'm fine. Just a little... yea. Anyway, sorry to interrupt you two." Sin stood on wobbly legs, he wasn't sure if muscles could be bruised, but the fire in his hind legs where Soarin had struck suggested he win a bet if he dared.

"Oh don't worry about it." Far Seer said with a nod. 

The two began speaking in whispers to each other, too quietly for Sin to hear them.

He took his cue to leave and made way for the cave's mouth. It was still storming, but he needed to find the girls as soon a possible. To at least offer some kind of apology.

The two ponies behind him seemed to have other ideas, however. Well, one of them did. The stallion asked for him to stay, telling him to wait out the storm and not make his sickness any worse.

"Umm... Blister, maybe it would be better if he went." Far objected. "He isn't as we thought he was, you can see that now, can't you?"

Blister gave his companion a glare. "Yes, but he's still a hurt pony, and hurt ponies need to be looked after." 

The mare wanted to argue the point, but Blister silenced her, making his decision final. 

"If mother were here, she'd want him gone." Said Seer.

"Well mother isn't here, now is she? Which makes me the elder, and puts me in charge. Now, if you're going to act like this, why don't you stay at the mouth of the cave and wait for... uh, Typer to come back." Blister seethed, his tone commanding and imploring. "That way, there are no surprises when he comes and sees our new friend."

Sin watched the exchange and felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Something is wrong." Nightmare growled. "They... feel wrong, somehow."

Sin could see that easily enough, but the fact the Nightmare sounded disturbed by them made the entire scene just a little more creepy. 

"Thanks, but I'm fine." The Federalist declared before moving slowly for the cave's entrance, keeping a wary eye upon the two, cautiously reaching over to...

Sin's eyes widened in alarm when he finally noticed his crossbow was not secured to his foreleg. 

"Where is my bow?" Sin asked calmly.

"Uhh..." The two said in unison, both looking at the other for help to answer his inquiry. 

"Umm, well, you see... the thing about that is, um- GET HIM!"

Sin's muscles tense and he called upon the aura, only to collapse onto the ground as the mind splitting migraine returned in force terrible enough to almost push his eye out of it's socket. He grunted as both ponies pilled on top of him, moving to restrain his hooves.

"Don't let him look at you!" grunted the stallion, his hoof pushing down on Sin's head.

"I know!" replied Seer, her voice taking on a slithering, serpentine like edge to it.

Sin struggled for all he was worth, but between the pain in his head and the throbbing in his forelegs, he didn't have an honest chance against the two assailants. 

The struggle was over as soon as it had begun, and the stallion found himself being dragged once again into the cave's entrance.

He didn't want to go too quietly, struggling to move as much as his body would allow, but it was ultimately a fruitless effort. 

The roar of rain outside grew fainter as he was pull into the cave, the roar of the rain and light outside completely gone at one point as he was pulled. 

A shimmer of light was seen farther in, a light that grew more and more pronounced as they approached. 

A small, dome like cavern was converted into a makeshift hide out for the two. A pair of bedrolls under an oil lamp that hung from a tree acting as makeshift lamp post. 

Sin's heart froze at what he saw once he was in far enough to see the cavern entirely. Green... sickly green pods stood next to the entrance. Black coated, bug like constructions. He didn't know what they were for, and a sickly feeling in his stomach told him he didn't want to know...

"This was a poor decision." Seer spat, the two dropping Sin in a heap onto the ground.

"Yes, we should have just killed him when we had the chance." Blister spat, before taking on a mocking, childish tone. "But nooo, you wanted to let him live. Hmph, this is why mother doesn't allow your kind any free will. Foolish idealism like that."

Wait a minute... No free will, the green and black pods, the disturbing, insectoid typed voices, sickly green magic... Sin's eyes widened as the horror he wanted to deny began to set in.

"Hopefully, Thirty-Three will bring a more suitable candidate for us to feed on."

A sudden flash of green light erupted from the pony mare, engulfing her in flame for a single moment.

Then Sin's heart dropped at what he saw, and he swore he'd have wretched again from pure terror if he'd had anything in his stomach to vomit. 

Where the mare once stood was now a blackened figure, covered in hard, bug like chitin plating, peering at him with pupil-less sky blue eyes. Long fangs protruded from it's mouth in a wicked and hungry smirk, promising it's indulgence. It's legs were full of holes going through the thing's limbs entirely, even where the bones should have been. All completed with a curved horn atop it's brow and translucent, insect like wings that stood on end on it's back.

Very few things in the world legitimately scared Sinbad Von Islander, and even fewer terrified him. 

Changelings were at the very top of that list, and being at their mercy was his worst nightmare made flesh. In this terror, Sin had done something he hadn't done ever since he was a young foal afraid of the dark.

He coward and whimpered.

  
> A Valiant End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







A Valiant End






Sin lay naked upon the cold ground of the cavern floor, shivering uncontrollably in the crude, stick and wood constructed "cell" he was currently being kept in. His quivering wasn't brought about by anything to do with cold, but fear. Fear that Critic tried desperately to sooth but had virtually no experience in doing.

No matter what the inner voice said, no matter how inspirational, comforting or encouraging he tried to be, none of it could pierce the vale of terror that consumed the stallion.

He'd gone against changelings before, Canterlot wasn't all that long ago, but this was a different matter. Here, Sin was defenseless, absolutely vulnerable with no means to combat his enemies. His crossbow was being guarded by his captors, the migraine halted any attempt to use the aura, and his hind legs were still barely shape enough for him to walk, much less enter into combat.

'Hey buddy, it's okay. At least they didn't put you in the pod.'

That was true, if there was anything in this entire horrid situation the Federalist could take resolve in, it was that he was spared the pod. He didn't know what it did exactly, but he overheard the changelings talking about how he was "unfit" for such a resource, and that anything he could provide could be taken as he was.

He didn't imagine the parasites were introduced through this method, but then again, nobody knew how the changelings infected their victims. All they knew was that the equine-insectoids sustained themselves off of fear. Well, the Zeborican changelings did, anyways.

According to the Canterlot Doctors, Equestrian changelings didn't feed off of fear, but love. How the entire thing worked was an absolute mystery, raw emotions offering physical sustenance was a slap in the face to physics as it was known. Sin didn't care about that right now, though, what he cared about was getting out of here alive...

"Pathetic." Nightmare spat in disgust. "The Great and Glorious Sinbad, felled and left whimpering like a foal to a group of changelings. Disgusting."

'Yea, we'll pretend you aren't part of the problem.' Critic snapped back in Sin's defense.

Sin lifted his head and forced himself to look at his captors. He knew it was all psychological, that it was a fear he would need to be desensitized to in order to over come, but no matter how many times he looked at them, he just couldn't get over what they were. The vile and horrid capabilities these... things had to them. Especially their queen. 

It was a an affront to the most basic of equine rights, the desolation of the individual autonomy and mind. Controlling mindless drones was one thing, but to do what she did to that one pony? The Red Mage? 

She didn't just make him obey, she made him want to obey... 

It was the worst fate Sin or any libertarian minded individual could ever conceive of. A fate worse than death.

Clopping was heard from the caves entrance, and soon, a pair of ponies walked into the view of the light. One a sooty grey earth pony stallion and the other...

Sin's eyes widened as they locked onto the red of the crimson stallion before him. He thought it an illusion at first, but as he blinked repeatedly to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks, a small hope and dread crept into his heart. 

The stallion's own eyes widened for just a moment as he saw the Federalist, but quickly sank back to the dead and depressed scowl he wore when he walked in. 

Crimson pelt, red eyes, a white mane, and two belts that criss crossed over the pony's back and chest, both belts holding a variaty of small stones about the size of an orange within their pockets. It could only be one pony, and even even as he took in the changelings with no hint of fright or even acknowledgement, Sin couldn't stop himself from hoping.

"Thirty-Three." The changeling called Blister said, his disguise dropped long ago. "Is this whom I think it is?"

The earth pony shifted in the way changelings do and smirked. "An old friend returns. Our mother's favorite toy, Valiar." He tapped the stallion on the back a couple of times. "He came willingly, he wishes to return to the queen's side."

Sin's mouth dropped a little, his hope flying away like a butterfly on a disturbed branch. Valiar had abandoned Canterlot after the changeling invasion out of shame. 

The pony acted so disgusted and angry with himself once Chrysalis' spell was broken, Sin had tried once to speak with him, but the oaken pony was too late to catch him before he fled. He couldn't believe the unicorn was seeking her out again.

"Yes." Valiar mumbled, his eyes going from one changeling to another. "I need her. Nothing makes sense without the queen's guidance. All of this thinking, all of this uncertainty, it's driving me mad. Please, take me to her."

The newly arrived changeling smiled with glee. "See, he wants to return to the fold and become one with the hive like we do. The queen will be very pleased with us if we return with him."

"Can you tell me where she is?" Valiar asked monotonously. 

"Oh, right. We do not know the current location of our matriarch." Said one of the changelings.

Sin might have been wrong, but he could have sworn he saw Valiar's jaw clench a little at the admission.

"We do believe, that she might be in the swamps south of here." The dominant changeling declared, his own glee matching that of the other two. "We have established communication with her only three times since the invasion, she wishes us to stay here and give reconnaissance on the city for a secondary invasion."

Valiar nodded blankly. "I must return to her, she needs my protection."

"Do not worry. She is well protected."

Valiar's head tilted. "Well protected?"

The changeling nodded. "Yes, hundreds of our number rallied to her upon our retreat. She is fortified, and able to hold her own against an attack force of over five hundred should the need arise."

The red mage nodded. "Take me to her."

"Give me a second, and I shall let her know." The changeling closed his eyes, and ignighted his horn for a moment. The room was quiet as the thing communicated with it's superior.

Finally, after a good minute of gut wrenching silence, the dominant changeling broke the connection. His face gave away the bad news before his words did, however. 

"Mother has declined your services, she said that your fall to another pony demonstrated your incompetence. You are not welcome among us."

Valiar stared for a moment, his hollow eyes slowly morphing into an annoyed and disgusted scowl. "If you are not going to take me to Chrysalis, than you are of no use to me."

Sin made the terrible mistake of taking that microsecond to blink, in the time his eyes had shut, all of Valiar's stones burst from their belt. Three of them slamming into the changelings and sending all three sprawling. The one closest to him met his end as the stone smashed through the bug like armor of his neck, and then out the other side, leaving the drone to fall and grasp at it's neck in a fruitless attempt to cling to live.

The other two, having a split second longer to react, dodged as best they could from the fatal blow. Though they weren't killed by the initial attack, neither had escaped unharmed. Each sporting heavily cracked dents on their flanks.

One growled and reared on it's hind legs in preparation for a spell, but the crack in it's armor gave way at just the wrong time and it fell over in a howl of pain, the attack sizzling to nothing as concentration was lost.

The last changeling, the dominant one, spread his wings and shot directly for Valiar, it's horn aimed for the unicorn's throat. 

Sin's breath caught in his throat as the unicorn held his ground, making absolutely no movement to dodge. Was he out of his mind?!

The changeling closed the gap in no time, and just before he'd reached Valiar, the single stone that Sin recognized to be his personal protection stone rushed for the to intercept the insectoid head on.

Sin cringed from the impact and small clanking in front of him drew his attention to a moderately stubby and black curved piece of chitin that had some kind of foul green liquid dripping out of it. The changeling's severed horn.

'Tapio's beard.' Critic said in awe of the brutal display.

Sin could also hear the Nightmare cooing with admiration as well, complimenting the crimson unicorn on his performance.

All the while, Valiar stood exactly where he was the entire time, never once moving to engage the enemy himself. His eyes trailed about the room, observing each of the fallen changeling's around him with cool disinterest, as if the small skirmish was nothing more than an inconsequential inconvenience. 

The red stallion's eyes trailed to Sin and he quirked a brow, apparently surprised to see the Federalist here.

The contact wasn't to last, however, as a few coughing sounds revealed that the second changeling to fall was still very much alive. Injured, unable to right himself onto his hooves, but alive.

Valiar broke away from Sin and marched to the fallen changeling. "You." He said, placing a hoof on the things leg and pushing down. "You heard where the queen was. Tell me where that bitch is so I can repay her for what she did to me."

The changeling hissed in pain and tried to pull free, but the more he thrashed, the more weight Valiar placed on the limb. Sin was a little surprised to the extend of weight that he hole filled legs could suppor-

Crack. Crunch.

"GAAAAHHHHHH!" The changling cried, it's voice a mix of hisses, clicks and howls of agony. Sin covered his ears to get away from the sound.

"Where is she!?" Valiar barked.

No reply came, save the changeling reaching over to hit his hoof in a futile effort to get him off.

Sin couldn't believe he was feeling sympathy for a changeling, but his method of torture was much more quiet and restrictive than Valiar's was.

"We told you! We told you already! She's in the swamp! She's in the swamps!" The thing cried.

Valiar twisted his hoof, bringing down new cracks and more than a few squishing sounds that sent his prey into another fit of screaming.

"I was just there." The unicorn proclaimed after the cries subsided to breathless hashes. "I wondered Froggy Bottom Bog for the better part of two months looking for her and saw nothing. Care to try again."

"She's there! I swear it!"

Valiar humphed. "That's what the last changling said too." He summoned his stones and four of them broke off from the rest. Three of the stones formed a triangle, red electricity arching and humming between them, growing in concentration until finally it was a full and constant connection that bathed the entire cave in an a brilliant red light.

The forth stone set itself behind and in the middle. It glowed a bright crimson and shot forth energy into the middle of the three stones, the beam condensing as it passed through, and contacting the ground a foot or so away from the changeling's head.

"Your kind are independent thinkers. You respond to pain and incentives that go against your queen." He pointed to the beam that was now, inch by pain staking inch, approaching the changeling's head. "This is going to kill you in less than thirty seconds if you don't tell me what I want to know."

Sin cringed at the threat, even from the distance he was away, he could feel the heat that radiated off of the pin point beam.

The stallion was also kind of hoping the changeling would tell him where the Chrysalis was. Sin had his own score to settle with that manipulative bitch himself, but no matter how close the laser point came, the changeling swore up and down that the Froggy Bottom Bog was where his matriarch resided.

As promised, twenty seconds was up and the beam made contact with the changeling's webbed ear. He screamed, he screamed and jerked his head away, but it was a pointless gesture. A mere second or so of reprieve from his ultimate end.

"IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" It cried, the beam cruising slowly onto it's head. 

That lead to the final scream and beg for mercy. One quarter of the way across, beneath the ponies eyes, but over the muzzle, the beam seared the changeling's head in half, forcing the stink of burnt chitin and organs to take to the air, an odor so pungent that it almost made Sin gag.

The spell dispersed and the cave returned to it's gloomy and darkened state, with nothing but the untouched lamp post to illuminate the place.

Valiar turned away from the corpse he'd made and looked to Sin, eyes twinkling in the dimness of the candle light. "It's you." He said dryly. "The magically immune pony from Canterlot."

Sin swallowed and forced some sense of composure. He had taken on that?!

"Yea." Was all he could say.

"Hmmm." Valair appraised, looking as if in thought. He summoned a stone and destroyed the cage in one fell swoop, making Sin cover his face and head with his legs.

Once he'd brushed off the debris, the Federalist stood up on wobbly legs. "Thank you." He said.

Valiar nodded in response.

Sin quickly found his cloak, Crossbow, and saddle bags he'd been carrying and reattached them. In the time he took doing this, he'd have figured Valiar would have left to be on his merry way to hunt down Chrysalis, yet when he'd finished, the Red Mage was still very much present, looking at the stallion with scrutiny.

"Did you want payment?" Sin asked, figuring he owed Valiar something for his rescue.

Valiar shook his head. "No. If I remember correctly, you're name is Sin, right?"

The Federalist nodded, secretly stringing his crossbow with two bolts... Never hurt to be safe.

"Captain Shining Armor said you're a survivalist. Am I correct in assuming that means you're also well versed in tracking?" 

Sin froze, already knowing where this conversation was going. He could track in the wilderness, it wasn't something he'd admit to if question by anyone else. Master Tyken, as a griffon, had taught him how to track game as part of his training regiment, which wasn't something most herbivores considered "good form". Still, tracking had saved his life when the stallion had resorted to the ultimate taboo in order to survive, and he was glad he knew the skill.

"You want me to help you track down Chrysalis?" Sin asked, preparing himself for what might just be the thing that finished him off. He waited for the nod of approval and said. "Sorry, but I've got revenge of my own to carry out."

Valiar's eyes flashed and he was upon Sin in a breath, his stones falling upon the pony and stoping within one foot of contact. Sin stood with his crossbow at Valiar's chest, his hoof resting on, not the primary trigger, but the secondary. The one that would activate the incendiary bolt.

The two weren't far away from each other, a foot or two maybe. Not enough time for the red mage to recall his stones to protect him if he felt the need, not that it would help, considering the damage wouldn't come from the contact of the bolt, but the explosion of firey liquid within.

Sin had seen the stallion's personal protection stone intercept single and solid attacks well enough, but he doubted it would be able to save him from the liquid that would burn him alive. Neither of their deaths would be pretty or painless, but both of them would die.

"This isn't about petty revenge." Valiar growled, his eyes looking down at Sin's own. "This is about eliminating a threat to Equestria, an abomination that was never fit to exist in the decent world."

Sin pushed past the pain the pressure in his hind legs caused and sneered. "Indeed, is that why you demanded to know where she was so that you could 'pay her back'?"

The stones around Sin began to hum, red electricity bounding off of them at random and bathing the cavern, once again, in a hellish red glow. He pulled down slightly on the trigger, hitting to within a millimeter of release. 

"I'd rather not get us both killed, Valiar." Sin said, trying to sound confident. "But I think you should also know that I'm more of a die on my hooves rather than live on my knees kinda guy. Threats don't work with me."

The red lighting overhead intensified, it's hum and slight flicking giving way to a full and steady light and sound.

"You think I care what you want?" The mage declared in foreboding voice. 

"If you want me to help you track down Chrysalis, I think you'd better start." Sin replied.

Valiar quirked an interested eyebrow. "Really?"

Sin saw an opportunity here, one he wasn't sure if he'd regret or not in the long term. Valiar was a powerful unicorn pony, a very powerful unicorn pony. One of the most capable he'd ever seen. Brutal, efficient, deadly and most of all, he knew how to get the job done. 

Unlike Krystal and Scootaloo, Valiar could prove to be a valuable asset to the Federalist. If not in countering Sombra or Clover the Clever, than in distracting the girls from interfering. 

"I am currently tracking another threat to Equestria." Sin explained, recalling the events of the protest of Canterlot and the damage caused by the Trotski organization. He also recalled his own mission to eradicate the Trotski, to both protect the nation as well as for his own personal reasons.

This piqued Valiar's interest, and slowly, the thunderous hum and hellish glow of the lightning began to dissipate, allowing Sin to lower his crossbow.

"They seek to dethrone Celestia and Luna?" The Red Mage asked. "Do they not realize that their leadership and guidance is all that has kept our empire together?!"

"No, they don't." Sin said. "Here's the deal. You help me get rid of the Trotski, and I'll help you find Chrysalis. We both get rid of two threats, we both help each other, and we both get what we want." He held out a hoof, his non crossbow bearing hoof.

Valiar looked down at the offering for a moment and then looked down in thought. Sin hoped he'd take the offer, Valiar was just the variable he needed to tip the scales and throw the Trotski off. Soarin attacked alone a few hours ago, but Sin could barely stand against the stallion alone. The next encounter wouldn't go in his favor if Sombra was with him.

"Very well, I shall first help you in dealing with the Trotski, and then you help me in ending Chrysalis. So long as you give me your word."

Sin bit his lip in shame. No, this time would be different, this time he wouldn't break it.

Valiar connected hooves with him and the two shook. 

"You have my word."









"WHERE IS HE?!" Panzy spat.

Scootaloo cringed in sympathy but didn't dare speak. Not after what had happened last time.

"I don't know, please, stop..." Krystal cried, holding her hoof over he head, attempting to protect herself from the assault the pony mare was putting her under. "Please... Please, I'm sorry."

The pink pegasus ground her teeth and stomped on the mare's shoulder, making the battered pegasus whimper in pain. "I know you know where he is!" She yelled. "I saw you with him in Appleloosa! He's here, where is he! Tell me you stupid little-"

"Alright Panzy, that's enough." Clover said sweetly, her magic restraining another slap from the pony's hoof. 

"Pft, whatever. I need a smoke." Panzy spat. She stroked her bloodied hoof over Krystal's side, ruining the mare's prestine coat in a tainted crimson, and began walking. She paused, giving a contemptuous look back at the two before grunting in disgust and leaving the room.

Clover pulled up her chair and sat down infront of Krystal, using her magic, she pulled the pegasus from the corner she was cowering in and turned her to speak.

"This doesn't have to be this way, deary. Just tell us where Sin is, and this all goes away." Clover said, that fake and disgustingly rich sweetness in er voice making Scootaloo sick to her stomach.

The filly struggled against her bonds, but not matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wiggle free. She wanted to, even though she knew she'd be useless, she couldn't stand watching Krystal being beaten like she was.

Her muzzle was worse than bloodied now, the hot liquid having fallen down to her chest from her nose and mouth where Panzy favored hitting her. One of her eyes was blackened and going puffy...

Scootaloo looked away before she could see more of what was becoming of her friend. She couldn't stand what she was looking at. Krystal... the nicest, kindest and sweetest pony she'd ever met, right up there next to Fluttershy, was being beaten and tortured for information she just didn't have. 

She didn't deserve it, nopony could have deserved it less than her. Scootaloo gritted her teeth in contemptuous hatred and frustration. He angry eyes going to the door the pink pony had gone out of.

These were the ponies... Oh how wrong she and Krystal were in trying to protect them...

The filly looked back to her friend and felt bile coming up her throat.

These were the ponies Islander was after, Scootaloo wished she would have known, she wished that she would never have stopped him, or threatened to have stopped him. She thought he was just being cruel, that Islander was just trying to take out frustration where they didn't need to be taken out, and hurting others in the process.

She didn't know just how cruel these pieces of trash were. She didn't know they would do... this to get to him.

She didn't know, but she knew now.

"Please, I don't know where he is..." Krystal sobbed, wanting the hurt to stop.

"Tisk tisk, you don't want me to go get Panzy again, do you dear?" Clover said gently.

That was it, that was the last straw. Scootaloo couldn't take it anymore, if that meant she was the one to get the beating, than so be it!

"Leave her alone!" The filly yelled. "She said she doesn't know, so just stop."

Clover cast a side long glance at her, her gentle eyes twinkling with horrible mischief.

"Scootaloo, no..." Krystal wheezed, opening her good eye and looking at the filly imploringly.

Scootaloo held the pony's gaze, her stomach gurgling at her in protest, her mind screaming at her to stop in the interests of her own self preservation. 

She ignored the protest and the screaming, Scootaloo had been nothing short of useless for too long, and even if it bought Krystal only a few minutes reprieve, the foal would be dead before allowing that kind of abuse to continue.

"Oh Panzyyy!" Clover called aloud. "I think you might want to come in here."

Scootaloo gulped, hoping beyond hope that Angle had found Sin.









Angel scurried through the storm, his heart pounding in his chest as he scanned the wood work for the stallion he desperately wanted to find. 

The brown pony was on his list, but new mama needed him. It was infuriating that Angel couldn't help her himself, but he knew what he was capable of doing and what he wasn't. Those horned ponies were bad business, they could move things without touching them, and Angel was very much a thing they could move and dismiss easily.

He slipped on a patch of wet grass and slipped to the ground, sliding and rolling over himself as he tumbled down a hill. The rabbit lay there, panting and squinting at the sky as the rain assaulted his pelt. He'd been searching for a good hour, scuttling about the area, wanting to find the help he needed to find.

It was so dark, he could barely see where he was going. How could he hope to find the brown pony? How could he get the help new mama needed? To save her, how could he do anything? How could-

Angle smacked himself and forced himself to his feet. No, no he couldn't indulge his self pity. New mama needed him, and he was going to help her.

Straining his ears, Angel listened for something, anything he could hear. Usually, his ears were great and he could hear anything he wanted, but all he could hear now was the falling of rain all about, when the lighting didn't deafen him for a brief moment.

He gritted his teeth and jumped up and down in frustration. 

This was hopeless! It was too dark to see, too loud to hear, wet rain was all he could smell... Gah!

Not knowing what to do, Angle pronked off into a full sprint north, up yet another hill. He had to keep going, his lungs may burn, his sides and paws may ache, but he had to do something, he had to find him, he had to-

The rabbit froze, his right ear twitching in the rain.

He thought he'd just hear-

He perked up and turned left, a sudden flash of lightening giving him just enough illumination to see the brown cloak off in the distance. He strained his ears, just to make sure and smiled as he recognized the sounds of talking, a voice he knew.

He jutted forth as fast as he could.









"So these friends of yours." Valiar said, loudly enough to be heard over the rain and slight wind. "Will they be alright with what we intend to do?"

Sin bit his lip as the two walked down the bluff. "No, but I need to find them. I gave my word I'd look after them."

Valiar gave Sin a quizical look. "You promised you'd look after them, even though they don't approve of what you're doing?"

Sin's eyes went distant for a moment, thinking carefully how to answer that question. He didn't want to start his relationship with Valiar off on a lie. "I did, and I've made a terrible mistake." He yelled looking around. "We need to find them, I don't like the idea of them being stuck in this storm."

Lighting flashed and Sin looked out to see something approaching them, something small, fast and white. 

The Federalist felt his heart leap as Angel ran forward to greet them. "Angel!" He greeted, happy to see the rabbit. "Tell me where Scootaloo and Krystal are, I need to talk to them!"

The rabbit nodded but did something Sin had never seen him do before. The rabbit began punching himself in the face for some reason and then pointed down the bluff.

Punching himself in the face? What did that mea... Oh no.

"Angel, are... are the girls at that house by the lake?" Sin asked tentatively.

To his horror, the rabbit nodded.

Sin's stomach dropped and he turned to Valiar. "Get ready for another fight!" He bellowed before taking off full trot. Or as close to a trot as pony with a limp could go.








Scootaloo scurried as quickly as she could, a crash of a vase shattering in the corner she was just in.

"You missed again, Panzy." Clover said, holding Krystal in her magic besides her on the couch. "Maybe you should have just left her bound, you wouldn't have wasted so much time."

"Shut up, this is stress relief." The pink pegasus replied, grabbing another vase and tossing it, this one hitting the wall just behind Scootaloo. The filly failed to watch her footing and stumbled as a few shards of previously broken ceramic embedded themselves into the tender part of her hooves.

The game was simple, Scootaloo wouldn't be beaten outright like Krystal was. Apparently there was no sport in hitting a foal like that. Instead, she was to play a game of dodge vase. The dodging part was simple enough, but where the torture lied was in dodging the vases while simultaneously avoiding the sharp and pointy shards that were already on the ground.

Using her wings, Scootaloo took the weight off her hooves a little and just avoided another delicate piece of houseware, this one a glass wine bottle. The filly cringed and looked back, her nose crinckling as the stench of the watered down alcohol hit her senses.

"Breaking things does help relieve stress." Clover said non nonchalantly. "Just make sure not to hit her on the head. Don't want to make her too loopy."

"Don't worry, I WONT!" Panzy answered, her final word emphasized with the effort of throwing a larger wine bottle.

Scootaloo tried to dodge, but just as she was leaning down to leap, a stray piece of glass found it's way into her hoof, and the filly buckled down from the pain. Another round of pain hit her as the wine bottle scored on the very top of her back, shattering on impact and covering her in both the old drink and glass.

Scootaloo fell to the ground and curled around herself, determined not to scream.

"Scootalo- gah!" Krystal wheezed, her call cut off as a fine golden aura surounded her delicate throat, crushing down into her windpipe. She struggled for breath, pawing uselessly at the magic.

"So sorry dear, but I'd rather Panzy not be distracted. She's finally gotten her first hit." Said the lilac unicorn.

Scootaloo opened an eye and then closed it again.

It was unbelievable how surreal this all felt to her. She could barely process it all, she would think herself in a nightmare if it wasn't for the fact the pain in her hooves and sides from broken pieces of glass told her she was awake.

How? How could ponies be this cruel? This mean? This hateful? Why were they doing this to them? Scootaloo and Krystal had never hurt them, they'd never done anything to them. Then why was this happening to them? What did they do to deserve this kind of depraved treatment?

"You might wanna let go, Clover. I think she needs air." Panzy said.

Scootaloo's eyes opened in horror.

"No." Clover said plainly. "I grow tired of this little game. I believe it's time we finally got some answers. If pain will not suffice for our needs, than perhaps a more... permanent sacrifice shall."

"No..." Scootaloo whispered. She needed to do something! She needed to stop them before they... they...

"NO!" Scootaloo screamed, forcing herself upright, not caring about the pain shrapnel digging into her hooves.

Krystal's desperate wheezing and struggling became more frantic as the unicorn's grip began to lift her off the couch. "I'm sorry dear, no what?" 

"Stop it!" Scootaloo cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stop it! Please, you're killing her!"

Clover gave her a pleasant little chuckle, as if the filly had told her a rather humorous joke. "Yes dear, that's the idea. Tell us where Sin is, and I'll stop."

"I don't know! I don't know! If I knew, I'd tell you! Please just let her go! PLEASE!" Scootaloo begged, all defiance and anger now gone, replaced by an impending sense of doom and dread.

"Gah uh, ahh... H- help... me..." Krystal's struggling began to slow, bit by bit, her forelegs began to slowly inch away from her throat.

"Hmmm. Wrong answer." Clover said shaking her head.

Scootaloo watched with wide, pinprick eyes as Krystal's hoof slowly fell to her side, her body going completely slack. 

BANG!

The front door slammed open, drawing the filly's bleary attention and hope.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Sin charged in, his crossbow already firing off a shot. 

Alot of things happened after that, there was another pony with Sin, there was yelling, shouting, magic casting of red and gold, somebody screamed, threats were made.

But through it all, through the fighting, the yelling, the spells, Scootaloo's focus was transfixed on the unmoving, lifeless body of the pegasus mare she'd just lost. 

Silent tears fell for her, the... the closest thing she had to a mother in the past few years. Scootaloo felt numb, her mind subtly denying what she was looking at. She wanted Krystal to start coughing, to cough, sit up, and give her a reassuring smile. Yet, as the seconds dragged on, Krystal did none of those things. She did nothing but lay there, not moving, not even breathing.








Sin loaded and reloaded his crossbow, taking a final pot shot at Private Panzy's retreating form as she carried her wounded companion away. He didn't see the pain he inflicted, he didn't care if they screamed, he just wanted them dead, dead and fucking dead!

But it was too late, they were too far gone, now. Even Valiar's magic wasn't hitting close to their position.

Shaking with rage beyond recognition, Sin turned back to the couch where he'd seen Krystal, all his anger suddenly turning to dread and dispair.

He ran to her side and placed an ear to her chest. He gasped, no heart beat.

"No, no, no, no!" He denied, his chest heaving with desperate effort. This couldn't be happening, no, no, not this. Anything but this!

'Give her mouth to mouth!' Critic screamed in desperation.

Sin searched his memories on the specifics. He quickly undid the teal bandana around her neck, took a breath and then pressed them down onto Krystal's, forcing her lungs full of two breaths and then pressing down on her chest for fifteen heartbeats.

"C'mon. Come. On!" Sin grunted which each thrust. "C'mon Krystal, stay with me!"

He gave her two more breaths and went back to her chest. "No, no you can't die here. You can't die! I- I owe you a train ride, remember? I promised you a ride on a train."

Still no response. He checked her heart beat again and grunted in frustration before continuing his motions. Two breaths, fifteen heart pumps. Two breaths, fifteen heart pumps. Two breaths, fifteen heart pumps...

He didn't know how long he'd been doing that for, long enough that he was out of breath now. He checked her pulse again and grew increasingly distraught.

"Scootaloo, get over here and say something! Say something Tapio dammit!" Sin barked, but nothing came of it, the filly was frozen in place.

"Fuck!" Sin shouted, turning back to Krystal and giving her two more breaths, desperate to breath life back into the pegasus.

"Dammit Krystal don't do this! Don't you fucking die on me! You're stronger than this, be strong like your mom said you were! I promised your parents! I promised you! And... and you promised Scootaloo! You promised to teach her to fly, to take care of her! She needs you..." He cut off, leaning his head down to hers and said very softly: "I need you."

Still nothing, nothing at all. 

Sin's mouth began to quiver, dread, defeat and loss pulling at his stomach. 

He gritted his teeth and fought the tears that threatened to come. How could this happen? How could he let this happen to her? To them!? How could he be so careless?

The stallion lifted a foreleg and slammed it down onto his aching hind leg to break him from the thoughts. He needed to keep going, he needed to keep her blood oxidized. 

"Don't die, don't die! C'mon Krystal! You're a fighter, you're tougher than this, I know you are. Just like your mom said, right?" 

Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.

"C'mon kiddo, you're stronger than this. You wanted to be a singer and a mother! You need to be alive for those things!"

Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.

Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.

Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.

Sin checked for a pulse again and gripped the mare's lifeless hoof for a quick second before giving her another pair of breaths.

This couldn't be how it ended for her, this just couldn't be it. Krystal Melody was so full of life, so full of youth and innocence, a mare who was too good to go like this... And yet, no matter how many times he'd given her breaths, she just wouldn't wake up.

Two breaths, fifteen heart beats.

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

Sin kept going, his own body and it's pain and needs be damned. This was his fault, this was all his doing. And he'd be six ways of damned before he gave up on her.

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

The stallion took a second to catch his breath, his eyes going to the still pony's face. She looked peaceful now, no pain on her face, no hurt, no anguish or suffering. A few stray hairs of her electric blue, bi-colored mane covered her beautiful face, caught on the swollen eye.

Sin's jaw quivered over the peaceful state and he began to sob in guilt. This was a terrifying peace, the ending peace, a rest he didn't want for her to have. A rest she would never wake up from.

Again, he went back to his work. 

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

Two breaths, fifteen beats.

He didn't know how long he'd gone on for, minutes or hours? The stallion's adrenaline pushed him to continue, to give her the chance to recover that she deserved, that he owed her.

Two breaths, fifteen beats

Two breaths, fifteen beats...
> Requiem for a Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------







Requiem for a Dream








Sin entered the white space, having fully surrendered to sleep. 

He was exhausted beyond exhausted, too tired to hold anything anymore. Anger, rage, fear, dispair, there was nothing left now. Nothing but a cold and honest frankness to complete a task.

He was alone here, the Nightmare didn't speak out against what he was about to do.

She knew better.

Sin felt his mind ease as the Occlumency dropped, and as expected, the two lunar ponies from before had pushed into the dreamscape, each looking around earnestly until they'd found the Federalist standing below.

"Get Luna." Sin commanded. Not in a demanding tone, but one that left no room for question nor debate.

The pegasi regarded eachother for a moment, nodded, and flew out the unseen portal they'd come in on.

Sin closed his eyes and waited. 

Luna would see, she would see what her failure to act had done.

In a few moments, the princess of the night had pressed her way into Sin's mind's eye, looking upon him with hesitation for a moment before slowly lowering herself down.

"Sinbad." She said carefully, eyeing him with expectantly. 

He didn't reply at first, simply stared at her with a cold, distant gaze that made the lunar goddess more than a tad uncomfortable. It wasn't anything to do with the Nightmare, nor the power he'd acquired from the Centaur. It was the intense, condemning stare of a pony who's hatred for her couldn't be denied.

"You." Sin whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "You just had to let them go, didn't you?"

His voice was calm and iron, but it also held a small tinge of something else. Something that pushed passed the stallion's ever present tone of knowing and stoicism. 

"What has happened, my little pony?" Luna asked, forcing her anticipation down.

Again, she got no reply. Luna's mind began to suddenly grow anxious, Sinbad wasn't the kind of pony to waste time like this.

"Pull up last night's memories." Said Sin blankly. 

Luna quirked a brow. "Your memo-"

She was cut off by Sin raising a hoof. What was it he wanted her to see?

"Pull them up, I know you can." He said simply. "I want you to see..."

Luna's eyes widened a little and she cast her magic. Allowing her to his dreams was one thing, but allowing her to his memories? This was not good.

As it had the last time she was here, a moving picture scene played out to their left and Luna's stomach dropped. Sin punched through a door to an old wooden building and saw something that made Luna's heart leap into her throat.

"No..." The Alicorn whispered in desperation, seeing a pair of fillies in pain and worse before her. Scootaloo lay on the floor, upon a plethora of broken shards of ceramic and glass, and Krystal... sweet, poor Krystal was...

The memory Sin shouted an obscenity and loosed a bolt, a red unicorn Luna remembered as Valiar brought up his flank and cast a spell from one of his stones. The bolt hit a unicorn mare in her shoulder and she screamed. 

Luna knew these two ponies and Sin's statement and genuine hatred suddenly made sense to her.

As the battle raged between Sin, Valiar, Clover and Panzy, Luna's eyes were transfixed on Scootaloo and Krystal, the trauma each had sustained at the hooves of their captors, breaking her heart to watch.

The fighting didn't last long, a minute at most, if that, and Sin fell to Krystal's side. 

It hurt, it hurt on so many levels. The desperation in his voice, the fragile hope and callings he'd given to her to awaken. Luna gulped as the memory showed Sin preforming CPR, trying to force the mare to breath.

""No, no you can't die here. You can't die! I- I owe you a train ride, remember? I promised you a ride on a train." He cried hopelessly.

Luna closed her eyes and looked away, it was too painful to watch. 

Though, a slight pressure on her cheek pushed her head up and she opened her eyes.

"No." Sin stated. "You will see," he tilted her head to watch him give her another few breaths. "You will watch the consequences of our failures."

Luna didn't want to watch, she didn't want this at all. She'd visited Krystal many times in her dreams, and despite the appeals Luna had made to her, the amber eyed mare stood beside Sin and Scootaloo. And while her desire to travel about was a factor, her decision to continue with him was not for selfish gain, nor for any personal benefit. Krystal didn't have a selfish bone in her body, she was far too kind a mare who wouldn't hurt a fly, for that. 

All she wanted to do was travel around and try to make life a little better for Scootaloo and Sin. And as Luna watched her lifeless form, she felt a small bit of herself wither with each passing second.

Time passed, the memory continued, and Luna felt all hope drain from her as Sin's actions became more and more frantic and desperate. His pattern of two breaths and fifteen beats had wavered a little, giving her three breaths and twenty beats one second, checking her heart and then one and a half breaths and ten beats.

He wanted so desperately to save her, to rectify the terrible thing that was done. Again and again he'd preformed the procedure, but no matter how many times he'd done it, the fallen pony just wouldn't breath on her own.

"Dammit!" The memory exclaimed, slamming his hooves down on Krystal's chest. "Tapio Dammit all! Not again! NOT AGAIN!"

Luna paused the memory, unable to bear it anymore. She tore away from Sin's hoof and wept for just a second, taking a moment to be selfish and indulge her pity.

Blame, they were both to blame for this. She was to blame for not stopping these psychopaths, and he was to blame for dragging those two into his sick and twisted revenge crusade.

Because of him, and because of her, a mare too kind for her own good was now lost from this world. Tortured, in pain, and likely begging for her own life.

"It's not over yet." Sin growled. 

"We... we can bare no more!" Luna exclaimed, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Sin walked forward to her, speaking with barely restrained anger. "And you think I could? I didn't have the luxury of pausing it, of making it stop because it was hard." He gripped her shoulder, spun her around, gripped tightly onto her other shoulder with his other fetlock and squeezed Luna to attention. "I didn't get to stop because I knew it was my fault. Now you will take responsibility and suffer as well!"

Luna's lip trembled under Sin's steely gaze and commanding tone and nodded.

She owed the white mare this much at least.

The memory started up again, and Sin returned to his works. Luna didn't know how much time had passed, her emotions were too busy screaming at her, condemning her for the actions and inaction she'd taken against the Trotski, actions that held desasterous consequences.

Luna's heart couldn't take anymore and her gaze shifted downwards, a pair of tears falling from her cheeks to the ground.

This wasn't what she'd intended in letting the Trotski live, but life wasn't about intent, it wasn't about what was wanted or needed. It was about consequences, results, the ends tha-

A slight cough.

Luna's ears perked.

Another cough, a feminine cough and gasp.

Tearing her eyes away from the floor, Luna's heart jumped with hope.

"Krystal?" Sin whispered, looking up to find the mare's once blank face now contorted. Her chest expanded roughly, and her breathing came in forced wheezes, but it was clear that she was breathing.

Luna let out a slow sigh of relief. Krystal was alive.

"We were lucky." Sin's intoned voice said, piercing through the Alicorn's solace. "CPR like that could have made her lungs explode or collapsed her chest. I think I'd gotten to her quickly enough to avoid any oxygen deprivation that would have damaged her brain."

Luna nodded in bleak understanding. The entire event wasn't nearly as long as it felt. Looking back, the whole memory start to finish was ten minutes or so. Ten painstaking minutes of Luna watching a pony she'd come to know more than most others, fight for her life. She'd visited Krystal's dreams most nights, usually to check up on Scootaloo and Sin's progress and relay information to Sombra and Soarin. 

The pegasus was reluctant at first, not holding much care for the message Luna had to offer, but she was never nasty or unpleasant about it. Krystal's dreams were typically very happy and uplifting, and Luna enjoyed her company, as the sweet pony had come to enjoy hers.

It was a little sad in a way, that Luna found more of a connection with those who's mind she'd enter than those in the waking world, but then again it wasn't. Between all her royal duties, tasks, responsibilities, and obligations, it was nice to be somewhere such things didn't need to be considered. A serine place, away from the cold and harshness of a reality she fought tooth and hoof against every day.

"We need to get her to a hospital." The memory Sin declared, breaking the alicorn from her thoughts.

"No..." Krystal coughed, her breathing coming in strained wheezes. "No, no hospital. Scootaloo...."

The dream panned to find Scootaloo still standing dumbstruck where she was, blood littered her pelt and hooves, but Valiar was slowly removing the glass with his magic. 

As the memory Sin tried to argue taking both of them to the hospital, the dream faded from view, leaving a silence in the empty void about.

"She's refusing to go and get treatment." Said Sin. " Valiar and I have them both bandaged, but she says that the ponies there will ask questions, and that Scootaloo might be taken away because of it."

Luna grimaced. Even now, just returned from the brink of death, Krystal's thoughts were on her friends and loved ones. Truely she was a remarkable mare. But she suspected that just showing her this wasn't the only aim Sin had for allowing her here. 

That's when something else hit the alicorn, that entire scene was not anything like how she'd expect Sin to behave. 

Luna narrowed her eyes down at the pony. That entire display was extremely uncharacteristic of him. Emotional, exposing genuine care and worry over safety, exertion and effort to save a life. She was convinced the stallion was stone hearted and narrow minded, what with the things he'd done to accomplish his goals; and yet the contrary was just demonstrated for her to see. 

Even with the Nightmare within him, he still cared deeply for his companions. Desperation and genuine fear at losing one of them.

Then again, she'd been in his mind, she understood that he knew the pain of loss. She knew his darkness, and sympathized with it.

As expected, she was very much correct in her thinking. Sin wanted her to see the consequences of their mutual failures and demanded something of her that the Lunar pony had half heartedly expected, but knew she couldn't give.

"I want you to erase these memories from their minds. Both Krystal and Scootaloo. I don't want either of them to remember this."

Bitting her lip, Luna struggled with the idea. On one hoof, this was a terrible, traumatic tragedy. Something no well adjusted pony could go through and live a happy life after experiencing. On the other hoof, how many minds had she altered? How many memories did she have the right to change or expunge? It wasn't an ability she liked using, erasing memories. Not since Sin, Macintosh, Shade and Spike had she used it.

Such a thing was a very thin line in terms of morality, and not only that, but in terms of her own bounds and limits. She had the power to manipulate others through their psyches, yes. But ability did not grant right...

"After that." Sin continued. "I want you to erase me from their memories as well."

That drew Luna's attention. He wanted them not to remember him? Well, that made sense enough. Still though, that kind of memory alteration would take alot of time. Even the last month or two that the mare had been traveling with him, he was a constant in her life. 

To remove Sin's existence from Krystal's mind would be easy enough, but erasing somepony completely while simultaneously keeping the memories in tact and sensical? That was much more difficult. It would require new memories to be created for every bit of time the memory holder knew or thought about them. An entire story to fill in the gaps with a narrative the memory holder would believe and would make sense in regards to the outside world. Otherwise, there would be a bunch of gaps of understanding, various experiences in life that would make absolutely no sense, and drive the pony mad trying to figure out why the influences and impacts were there.

Luna tried to explain this to him, to inform him about how long it would take to create that kind of chain and link both ends of the altered memories to the unaltered beginning and end, making the transition smooth as possible. To do that, not only to Krystal, but Scootaloo as well? Luna had never done anything like that before. 

The closest she'd ever come was to drowning memories and stealing their emotional impact and overall relevance, or erasing the entire memory outright. For the span of a few hours at the most. To do that for a month? She couldn't see that ending well.

Sin wouldn't accept the answer, though.

"You realize what's happened to them, right?"

Luna nodded. "We do."

"And you're not going to help them? You're not going to correct the mistakes you've made?" He asked coldly.

Luna's teeth gritted as a fire rose in he chest. "The mistakes we have made. This was just as much your fault as it is ours."

Sin bore his teeth in a snarl, yet he didn't speak. They both knew the blame game wasn't a constructive one. Still, that did leave a problem to be fixed, and they both knew there was only one of them whom could help it.

This left the lunar pony in a very difficult position indeed, but one thing was certain, this was not something she would stand for. Krystal was too good for this, and Scootaloo already traumatized enough. She seriously considered erasing the night that both of them had suffered .

She wouldn't erase their memories of Sin, but Luna also wouldn't allow them to live with this kind of trauma.

"What lead to this?" Luna asked, setting aside her emotions for sake of objective build up.

Apparently, Sin had confronted one of the Trotski leaders outside that house and asked where the others were. This lead to a detailed, albiet reluctant, explanation on the fillies trying to stop Sin from doing any harm to them.

Sin lost all respect and righteousness with Luna the second she'd heard what he'd done to them once Smart Cookie had left. 

"You... you monster!" Luna shouted, glaring down at the pony in anger. "How could you do that to them!?"

Sin pressed his lips, ears drooping slightly in guilt. "Yea, I guess I am a monster. A monster who did it to avoid this exact situation." He shook his head and looked away. "Failure that turned out to be."

Luna wanted to scream at him, to yell and rant and rave about how much of a hypocrite and manipulator he was to repremend her lack of actions to protect his companions while he had outright threatened to kill the very same ponies. 

Alas, it was clear he understood the severity of his crime. No good would come from indulging anger now.

What happened next stole her moral authority right from under Luna's hooves. Soarin and Sombra, having seen the display had interfered, Sombra taking them away and leaving Soarin to engage Sin.

"I don't know what happened to them when Sombra took them away, but my guess is they made way back to the house where Panzy and Clover found them and..." Sin cleared his throat. "Sombra took them from me. I couldn't watch over them, I couldn't protect them because of him."

Luna gritted her teeth.

"I want you to make sure he sees that memory too. I want him to understand the consequences of his actions, and how I hold both he and Soarin just as responsible for this as I do the two of us." Sin said, the sharp point in his voice demanding obedience.

As much as Luna didn't like that idea, she also couldn't argue it. Sombra had a hoof in this, as did Soarin, but they were only doing what she'd instructed them to do... They both had to know that Krystal and Scootaloo were innocent bystanders in all of this. 

She'd show them both the memory, but only for the sake of them both knowing be more careful with where they'd left the fillies, or any other collateral. 

The explanation finished with Sin's capture by the Changelings, Valiar's rescue, and the deal the two had made to help one another solve each other's problems. Luna kept the changelings in the back of her mind for later use.

"But enough about that." Sin dismissed. "I want you to do whatever you need to do in order for both Scootaloo and Krystal to forget about all of this."

"Sinbad, we cannot just-"

"Yes. You. Can." The Federalist pushed. "You've done it before, and you can do it now..." He gulped, his cold eyes softening and easing to a submissive plea. "Please, both of them deserve better than this... Please, don't let them live with the worst life has to offer... Don't let them turn out like me."

That was a scary thought. Anypony turning out like Sin was the worst case scenario, even before he'd contracted the Nightmare.

"If." He continued, looking down at the ground. "If I turned myself in, right now and handed over the Nightmare, with the stipulation of a full pardon, would you do it?"

That was a tempting offer, still though, Luna couldn't accept for one simple fact, Sinbad, himself, was a grave threat. A threat to the interests of national security, a threat that would be in her grasp in due time. Sombra and Soarin had failed last night, but they would try again. As formidable as Valiar might have been, he had been bested by Captain Shining Armor, who had been bested by Sombra.

This also didn't even mention that Triple M had an interest in his return, an interest that would compromise her own life should it not be fulfilled.

"I'm sorry, but I will not."

"You bitch!" Sin shouted.

"BE SILENT!" Luna boomed, her eyes glowing white and sending forth a sudden gale of wind, making Sin stagger back a few steps. "Thou hast insulted us too oft! Now hold thy tongue, knave!"

She held her dominance for a few seconds longer, her resolve and confidence returning at the power she demonstrated. She wouldn't rewrite the memories of what happened for the past few months, for neither Krystal nor Scootaloo, but that didn't mean she had no intention to help ease their suffering.

The wind died down, slowly and the princess of the night's eyes returned to their normal teal. Her sense of desperation and guilt now repressed, Luna took control of the situation. 

"We have given thy charges much pain, of that there is no doubt. Though, it is thou whom are just as responsible, and shall not so easily slither from thine obligations." Luna bellowed. She'd lost the Canterlot voice, but still kept to her olden tones. "If thou wishes to pursue the Trotski and jeopardize our aim in the protection of our country, than thou shalt face risk and consequence!"

It was a terrible ploy, one she'd not wanted to resort to, but the Trotski were a dangerous threat. If Sinbad cared about Scootaloo and Krystal as much as he let on, than she hoped trapping the two with him would force him away from the crusade, or slow him if nothing else.

Even after two months had passed, ponies remembered the changeling attack in Canterlot and whispers of doubt over the abilities of Luna and Celestia to protect them where wide spread. Every day, more and more ponies were listening to them, hearing their slander against the royal sisters over duties and responsibilities that few of them could ever hope to understand, let alone take upon themselves.

Ruling an Empire was anything but easy: the egregious and daunting decisions that impacted millions, the decisions that had potentially disastrous consequences, the burden of considering so many variables for economic oversight, the political and social impacts of policies that would please some and displease others. Decisions that could bring to ruin the entire country because intent was what was considered, not consequence.

National Security, international relations, the raise in criminal enterprises, managing large scale but local disasters. And those didn't even include the more supernatural events like an escaped draconequess or the return of an entire empire that was ruled by a maniacal tyrant bent on domination and submission!

None of them had a moon begotten clue about what they were asking for. Be it through pure democracy, an oligarchic republic, or a slow to crumble confederation.

It was in this volatile state that Luna could not risk losing the heads of the Trotski. She had sent infiltration agents to stop a few of their plots already. Plots that would have brought much harm and suffering to Equestria, plots that were foiled only by her knowledge gained through her proximity to the planners. Be it economic sabotage or outright violence, the Trotski were becoming more and more emboldened to move against her, and she couldn't let them get out of hoof now.

Despite Sin's nipping at their heels, the Trotski had been very busy these past few weeks with a rigorous campaign of sabotage. Disrupted trade routs with massive fires in imperially maintained forests, mixing rain clouds with salt water to ruin crops from government run cloud producers, attempts to infiltrate the guard and demonstrate incompetence and excessive force, and so many more potentially destabilizing and undermining conspiracies.

Part of her even suspected that the Trotski had a part to play in the Changeling invasion.

All of that, all of the pain, the potential famine, the burning land and ruined lives... all for the selfish purpose of undermining Celestia's rule in their foolish belief in ponies ruling themselves.

The Buffalo conflict back in Appleloosa was one of the more mild forms of terrorism and manipulations the group had been pushing for, and Luna wouldn't allow the horrors that befell the few to override the pain of millions.

Even if those horrors were life rendering.

It was a hard choice she had to make as a leader and ruler, but it was she that needed to make it. It would be pointless to explain this to the Federalist, he was a believer in the Centaurian ways. That strength was gained through pain and hardship, that she would need allow these acts of terror for her little ponies to become hardened to them, and act for themselves in accordance.

But allowing suffering was not something a ruler and leader was permitted to do.

"We shall do what we can to help ease the suffering of Scootaloo and Krystal." Luna said, glaring down at Sin. "But we shall not take them from you. You may not believe that our allowing the Trotski to live right, but we have spared hardships beyond your comprehension because of it, and we will continue to do so. If having them at your side deters you from giving chase, than they are yours."

Sin didn't reply to that, he merely looked at her with a snarl of loathing.

"We have a contact in Baltimare, a healer of great skill. She is able to repair flesh and muscle damage with ease, and we shall send her to tend to your friends."

A small wave of relief went over Sin, but it was quick enough to almost miss.

"And what of their memories?" He asked.

"We shall do what we are able and permitted." Luna replied, and she would, but she would not erase him. "Now, as foolish as it may be, we must ask again that you abandon your quest and return to Canterlot. Even from here, we can sense the growing vile stench of the Nightmare and the Tantabus upon you."

Sin looked up at her slack jawed, as if she'd just smacked him in the face. "After this? After what they've just done? You'd honestly ask me to stop?"

Again, sympathy reared into the lunar pony, but she saw an opportunity with it. 

"Sin." Luna said, forcing all hostility away and speaking in a gentle voice. "We know you are angry, that you are hurt and afraid. That your fear for Macintosh's safety and the well being of your friends is another goal that you strive for-"

"Then why aren't you stopping them?" Sin asked, his face just as terrified as hers was gentle. "You've seen how brutal they are, how can you let them get away with this?"

Luna's eyes hardened for a moment, long enough to explain that she had no intention to let them "get away" with what they've done. In truth, she wanted hold them down in one place and allow Sin to do as he wished. Unfortunately for him, that was not how the rule of law worked. Vigilante justice never brought anything but a continued cycle of retaliatory violence. And even if she did allow their deaths, new Trotski, perhaps even more ambitious ones, would arise to take their place.

"It would be pointless to explain to you." Luna said, her tone flat. 

Sin clenched his teeth in frustration, his body trembling with emotion.

"You care about them." Luna said, expecting some sort of snark about how the words pointed out the obvious.

But the off handed comment didn't come, nothing came but a small sigh of resignation and a nod from the brown pony before her.

"Tell me, Sinbad. What happens after you kill Puddinghead?" Luna asked.

The stallion frowned and looked up at her. "What?"

"When they're dead. Puddinghead, Panzy, Clover and Smart Cookie. What happens then?"

Sin looked down in thought for a moment. "Umm, I don't understand what you're asking."

Luna brought up the point that, when the leaders fell, somepony would step up to take their place. Somepony who'd likely desire vengeance against Sin himself for what he'd done. If not other members of the organization, than family or friends of those slain by the Federalist's hooves.

"You may kill one yes, but then another comes. Fueled by the rage of your actions."

"Then I kill them." Sin stated.

"And then more come, and so you kill them, and then more come to avenge that lot, and then more for the lot you'll have to kill again. And this shall continue on until, eventually, they kill you." Luna said, before looking left and summoning the picture of Krystal and Scootaloo again, "or those close to you."

Sin's eyes widened a little as he took in the picture for a moment and ground his teeth.

In spite of her own words, Luna had allowed some of her influence to spread into the pony's mind. She released magic to force him to ease his defenses, a small, psychological influence that would chip at his reason and bare himself in a way that would make convincing him to stop easier.

He'd sacrificed others before to do what he thought was right, it was Luna's hope that, if she could play on that, he wouldn't do so again. It was a painful struggle to see, one Luna herself had dealt with for so long. Trying to balance fairness with doing what was right. Balancing justice and mercy, long term interest and short term gains. 

While he may have acted foolishly, Luna wasn't about to make the mistake of thinking the pony a fool. There was common ground here, and an understanding could be reached.

"You were a politician in your country," the alicorn stated sagely, earning Sin's weary eye again. "You know what it is like, having to sacrifice to do what is right, to be in the position of power and responsibility, to be pushed back against time and time again by the very citizenry you're trying to protect."

She rose her head to look down on him squarely. "I have seen your memories, I know the decisions you had to make, the sacrifice that haunts you." She placed a hoof onto his shoulder. "But I ask you now, my little pony, don't you believe you've done enough?"

Sin had flinched at her mention of the sacrifice, knowing whom she meant by it. She watched with sadness as the stallion seemed to wither a little under her touch. 

"I'm tired, Luna." Sin said, barely above a whisper. He looked up, revealing his eyes to be sunken in far too much for a pony his age. "I've been tired for longer than I can remember." 

"Then you must rest." The Alicron replied somberly. She'd managed to keep the small bit of pain from her voice. He may have been a threat, but he was still a pony. A pony whom she ultimately planned to betray. She didn't like it, she had no right to do any of this to him, but that was what needed to be done.

"Yea." Sin answered. "Maybe I do."

Silence befell the two, each holding to their own thoughts for a moment. Luna wished she knew what Sin was thinking, but in order to do that, she wouldn't be able to be here to keep him company. He was a crafty and clever sort, easily capable of feigning emotional consciousness if he needed to.

"I shall let you think on this for a few days." Luna declared, spreading her wings and taking flight. "I must see to your friends."

Luna turned about and made way for the edge of the dreamscape to see to Krystal, but a sudden thought struck her and she turned back. "Oh, and Sinbad." She called. "The healer we shall send is, how shall we say, eccentric. We ask that you temper your patience."

Sin gave her a quizical look, but the Alicorn didn't answer his silent question. Instead, she gave him a small smile and, in a blink of light, disappeared from the white room.

    
> Madam Feelgood
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   






Madam Feelgood










"And you are sure about this?" Luna asked. 

Krystal nodded, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "Yes ma'am. I'm sure."

Looking down in disappointment, the lunar princess chewed her lower lip. "We wish we could understand why you have chosen this, my little pony. However, if this is the choice you wish to make."

Nodding again, the off white pegasus sniffled. "If... if that's the kinda ponies he's chasing, then I need to know about it."

Luna mirrored the nod. "We have already erased the memory from Scootaloo, she shall have no recollection of the terrors you nor she faced that night. Bear that in mind upon your awakening."

That earned a slight thanks and an appreciative smile, one Luna could barely stand be offered to her. "Very well, we shall begin the process of disassociating the emotional trauma of the memory, let us do this, at least."

Krystal was pensive for a moment, her eyes looking down at the covers of her bed back at the rockfarm. "Alright..."









Sin trotted about the house, his eyes shifting equally between his two charges, and the two windows they lay directly besides, out of sight of any potential in lookers. 

Krystal was breathing, her face was bruised, and her breathing was still a little wheezy, but the stallion had cleaned the crimson blood that had once stained her coat. Her turquoise and white bandana's hung besides Scootaloo's scarf on the couch.

The filly was in a little worse shape, injury wise anyways. Three of her four frogs had glass stuck in them, one going pretty deeply, Sin worried about if there was internal bleeding, and was hoping there wouldn't be any infection to worry about.

Sin had asked Valiar to head to a store near Baltimare to get them something to eat, as well as some orange juice and cookies for the girls. They'd need to get their blood sugar in order after last night, as well as something to uplift their spirits. The red mage was reluctant, but went all the same after he was promised an allowance to get himself something.

Sin didn't plan on leaving this place for a while, so he threw in a few extra bits for some cards and other basic amenities. This shack had nothing, nothing at all in terms of entertainment, he was amazed to find the place had pipes and electricity. 

The girls needed time to recover, and he planned to allow for that, even if it did mean that the Trotski were that much farther away.

It wasn't an easy thought to consider, but the Federalist had been giving quite a bit of thought to what Luna had asked him, about what happened after he killed the heads of the Trotski. 

He didn't know, he hoped that killing them would demoralize the organization and, in his brutality in dispatching the trio, dissuade them from ever crossing him again.

But would that work? Or would it only embolden their revenge and put them into even more brutal retaliations?

Sin shuddered at the thought. If they were already willing to sink to torturing the innocent and foal abuse to get at him, what worse would they do? What other extremes were they prepared to go to? They knew he was associated with Spike, would they go after him next? Or maybe Uppity? And where the hell was that damned healer Luna promised!?

'Sin, dude, chill, alright? Getting worked up like this isn't helping.'

Critic was right, of course. Sin wouldn't usually allow something so far out of his control bother him like this, but something had changed last night. Something inside of him that he couldn't pinpoint. An odd and ongoing paranoia about losing his friends, again.

Again... 

As if the paranoia was unfounded. 

Sin had made the sacrifice before, in doing what he believed needed to be done, and truth be told he didn't trust himself to make the better decision this time around. Zell was someone Sin cared about too, and the Federalist had cast the maroon unicorn to the dogs. 

He'd already threatened them both with death, what right did he have to promise that he'd watch over them after that? Especially when he didn't watch over Zell?

'That wont happen again, I wont let it.'

Didn't exactly have the power to stop me from threatening them before, Critic.

'No, but you realized  that was a mistake, right?'

Sin pressed his lips. He wanted to say it was a mistake, one he regretted, but he couldn't say it was. That entire thing was supposed to make it so that last night didn't happen, and yet it still did. So it was a pointless ventrue, if nothing else, but he wasn't prepared to really call it a mistake.

'But you know why it was wrong, right?'

Ehh, that was bit muddled too. He'd done it to protect them, but then again he'd never really explained just how dangerous the Trotski were. Fuck, he didn't understand just how dangerous they were. This was a new low, even for them.

A groan from behind drew Sin from his thoughts.

"Owwiiiieeee." Krystal complained, rubbing the side of her head. "That smarts."

"How're ya feelin' kiddo?" Sin asked, waling to her side.

"My head hu- YIP!" Krystal squealed as he hoof touched her swollen eye.

"Woah, easy kiddo." Sin stated, gently leading her foreleg back to her side. "You took a pretty bad fall yesterday. Just rest for a little bit."

Krystal cringed but obeyed, her remaining eye looked ahead, unfocused. She in took a breath, caught something in her throat and coughed, leading to a violent tremor of her head, and farther groaning in pain.

Sin cringed in sympathy and reached down by the couch for her canteen. "Alright, little sips, okay?"

Tilting the container just so a small amount of liquid was given, Sin watched with absolute pity as the mare drank. She was so vulnerable now, delicate and weak. It was painful to watch her cringe with each gulp she took. It also didn't help with the typically lose ponytail she wore having come undone, her long, electric blue hair spilling out around the pillow, like blue blood from a cracked skull.

He was rewarded for his efforts with the mare sighing in relief and smiling faintly. "Ah, much better. Thank you."

With a satisfied nod, Sin lowered the canteen and took a seat by Krystal, forcing himself to look much more calm than he was. 

Alright, stick to the plan. After Sombra took her, she and Scootaloo were going thought the forest and got hurt, all the lacerations Scootaloo had were from a thorn bush she'd fallen into.

'And Krystal ran into a tree and struck her throat on a branch. Yes, we've been over this.'

Alright, good.

Krystal looked out the window, one golden eye staring out into the mid morning sun to the east. She didn't look tramatized, so it was a safe bet that Luna had fulfilled her end of the-

"I remember." She said suddenly. "What happened last night."

Sin's jaw dropped.

Aaaaaand nevermind.

"What do you mean you-"

"I told Luna not to erase my memory." Krystal said somberly, her remaining eye sparkling with reserved knowing. "She... she was about to do it, but I stopped her. I... I didn't wanna forget how dangerous they were, what they did to me," she gestured to the filly on the chair, "what they to her. I... I just-" She broke off, a slight hiccup of a sob.

Sin couldn't keep himself from cringing. How could Krystal keep that memory? What could have possibly possessed her to make her want to keep it? 

He felt his foreleg tighten, only noticing too late that it was still laid upon hers in a protective gesture.

"Why?" He whispered, his eyes lowed to her leg. "Why would you want to remember that?"

There was a moment of silence, of Krystal slowly gaining her thoughts. 

With a steady sigh, the mare replied: "So that I can know not to stop you again."

Sin pressed his lips and looked up at her. To his astonishment, Krystal was smiling. It was a sad, mild curve of the lip, but he was certain it was there.

"I... I didn't want to think that ponies could, you know, be so bad. That there had to be something there worth protecting for them. That there was another way besides killing them." Krystal closed her eyes. "I... I was foolish, foolish and wrong. They were evil ponies, Islander. Evil ponies, and Luna said she wouldn't stop them, she said that they needed to keep going! That such awful ponies like that even existed is-"

Sin lifted his hoof and softly shushed the mare from her growing emotional fit. She didn't need that right now.

"It's alright, it's over." Sin cooed.

Krystal sniffled. "No it isn't. You're still going to go after them, aren't you?"

Sin pressed his lips again and fell silent. He didn't know how to answer that just yet. He was still determining the new aspects Luna had presented to him. If he killed the Trotski, they might retaliate against him, more enraged or desperate than horrified by his actions. Then again, it might be too late to back down now. Even if he did stop, they'd certainly send someone after him in a fit of revenge.

But that didn't mean that Scootaloo and Krystal needed to be put in danger for it.

"I'll be taking you back to the rock farm as soon as-"

"No."

Sin frowned in surprise looking at the white mare who'd just interjected her will.

She shifted to sit up right, making small noises of discomfort as she did. Once up, she looked at the Federalist with an assuming gaze. "I can't go back home, not until I know that you and Scootaloo will be alright."

"Scootaloo will be taken back to Ponyville." Sin stated, looking back at the filly. "Kicking and screaming if need be."

"And what about you?" Krystal asked.

Sin shrugged. "I'll be fine. They haven't killed me yet, have they?"

What was meant as a light hearted joke was anything but. Krystal's breath caught in her throat, her fetlock clutching Sin's own with strength the stallion was surprised to find she had.

"That's not funny." She said seriously, glaring into him. "That's not funny at all."

Sin held his tongue, not knowing how to respond to the distubia he'd just caused. Dark and deadpan humor was his way of coping with things, Krystal didn't seem to appreciate that.

"And it's not just about the Trotski." The amber eyed mare said, her gaze softening.

It wasn't? What else could she be referring to?

Sin had to fight to contain his surprise when Krystal explained that she'd been told about the Nightmare that dwelled within him. Sombra, it would seem, had become very liberal in his divulging of information about why they were chasing the Federalist.

That was something Sin hadn't expected. Why would Sombra tell her about that? Was that part of a deal to let her escape? He decided to ask and see.

"It doesn't matter why he told us." Krystal answered.

Us? US?! He told Scootaloo too?! Tapio dammit all! 

"What matters is that you didn't tell us." 

For some reason beyond Sin's capacity to understand, that struck him hard. Yea, he could easily logic away why he hadn't told them, but the disappointment and disapproval in her voice slammed against him like a sack of bricks. Guilt being the primary emotion present, but there was also a burning sense of frustration to go along with it.

"What point would there have been in telling you about that?" Sin asked, keeping his tone level. 

Krystal looked at him for a moment, trying to find something to say. Though, even in all of this unprecedented confidence, she didn't answer his question. Not because she didn't want to answer, but because she just didn't know how to. 

Sin became aware of her fetlock clench on his, her grip somehow growing more tight than it was before, enough he could almost feel himself losing circulation. Her other foreleg reach out a moment later, and the injured pegasus did the only thing she could do, she pulled his foreleg into her chest and clutched it as tightly as she could. A small, desperate squeak escaping her throat.

Sin felt himself grow a little slack as Krystal clutched his leg, warmth coursing through the appendage and into his body. The guilt crushing any frustration from before. She couldn't do anything, but that didn't mean she didn't care. 

Was there any worse torture than seeing something you cared about suffer and being powerless to stop it?

It hurt for some reason, acknowledging the fact she cared like this. It caused him pain, irritation, confusion, depression... all around unpleasantness. It wasn't the fact she cared, it was the fact he had to acknowledge it now. He couldn't dismiss it for the life of him, to throw the discomfort of the associated emotions into the back of his mind and leaving them there to rot. To deny the responsibility of her concern by keeping his mind focused on the Trotski.

Sin wanted to pull his foreleg away, to say that they didn't have time for this and that they should be moving on to get the Manehatten. Or to set his mind to planning the next attack, or running moral conundrum scenarios or anything! Anything to get himself away from where he was, to not have to deal with what he was seeing or how he was feeling.

Yet his mind wouldn't let him retreat into thought, it wouldn't let him lie and say any of those things. It cleared itself, forcing Sin to stay in the one place Sin hated most of all. The present.

There was nothing now, nothing but a young mare desperately clinging to someone she cared about.

It was just like when she'd hugged him back at the rockfarm all those weeks ago.

More for her sake than his own, Sin forced himself to move forward, allowing her head to rest on his chest, his other foreleg coming up and gently placing itself upon Krystal's head, minding her eye and the cuts on her forehead. He sighed and gently stroked her mane, hoping the motion would sooth her distress a little.

Slowly, the grip she had on his leg loosened a bit, and she reached one foreleg out and wrapped it around his neck, pushing her face into the sensitive space between his neck and chin.

Sin didn't know how long the two stayed like that for, but with each passing second, he slowly became aware of a few things. Such as the scent of earth and pine within her mane, accented by a slight hint of aqua mint. The softness of her velvet, almost alabaster pelt, the odd mix of comfort and discomfort of her hooves around him.

It almost felt like-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

The both stiffened at the sudden noise before Sin cleared his throat. "That'll be the healer."

"Oh." Krystal said, her head still firmly pushed into under his chin.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Came the sound again, after neither of them had decided to move. Sin would have liked to blame Krystal for his lack of answer, but that would be a narrative that ran counter to the fact he failed to retract his own hooves from around her just as much as she did him.

"Madam Feelgood doesn't have time for this!" A voice from outside barked in a rough baritone before bursting in.

"Madam Feelgood is here! Where is the pa- sweet Celestia have mercy! Give Madam Feelgood warning before indulging your perversions in front of her eyes! What ya'll trying ta do? Give her a heart attack?!" Said the new arrival quickly, covering her face.

The intruder was an older, dark, charcoal black lunar pony. Her mane a ragged mess of dark blue that held generous wisps of silver, a testament to her age. The oddity was the fact that she was a lunar unicorn, something Sin had never seen before. 

It took him a second to realize that there was nobody else accompanying her, leading to the obvious conclusion that she was referring to herself in the third person, the articulation almost comically overdone, the words coming in quick succession.

"Are y'all done yet? Madam Feelgood was told to come check on a mare called... called... Oh horse apples, give Madam Feelgood a minute." She said, reaching into her saddle bag and retrieving a piece of paper and a pair of half moon glasses. "Krystal MyLady? Odd name, but Madam Feelgood ain't prejudice."

Sin pressed his lips, sadly, Krystal's name was one of the few he'd come across he didn't find overly cutesy or comical.

The two let each other go and Krystal lifted a hoof, half to gain attention and half to hide her blush. "That's me, ma'am. My name is Krystal Melody."

Madam looked back and gave a winning smile. "Aww, sweet child. You don't have to call Madam Feelgood 'ma'am'. Makin' her feel old and such." 

'Yea, because the hair and deeper urban drawl wasn't an indication.' Critic snarked.

The unicorn mare marched forward and dropped her saddle bag before examining Krystal's head with a scrutinizing gaze. She turned her eye between Krystal and then Sin, her eyes narrowing upon the stallion for a moment. "Krysta-bell. Be honest with Madam Feelgood, does this stallion here have a bad temper?"

Sin's eyes widened at the accusation, surely Luna told the healer what had happened, right?

Krystal tilted her head in confusion. "Umm, well, he kinda does, but I don't understand what that has to do with-"

Madam Feelgood reared around and stood stiff legged. "I knew it, stallions hitting mares and giving them black eyes and such. What the hay is wrong witchu?!"

Sin deadpanned, he and Luna would need to have a serious talk about exposition.

"I didn't touch her." He said.

"Uh-huh." The healer replied with just as much dryness. "And Madam Feelgood isn't abouta put her horseshoe upside your head!"

Eyes narrowing at the back handed threat, Sin fought to keep his tongue in check, lest she use his retort to justify her claim against him. "Look lady, that wasn't me, it was-"

"Don't you sass Madam Feelgood! Madam Feelgood will become Doctor Pain right now!" She accentuated her last two words with a pair of prods into Sin's chest. She turned back to Krystal and her entire demeanor changed to one of gentle coaxing. "Alright, sweet chil', if the bad stallion hurt you, just tell Madam Feelgood, she'll make him apologize and never hurt you again."

"Oh! Oh no, no, no Madam Feelgood. Sin didn't do this." Krystal exclaimed, trying to absolve her friend of blame. 

Though, it appeared that the unicorn healer wasn't having it. "Madam Feelgood seen this kinda thing before. Innocent young thang with an abusive and manipulative coltfriend, using her sweetness and kindness against her to feed his own ego, sayin' nopony else will want her and she'll put up with his garbage." She tisked and shook her head.

"No ma'am!" Krystal squealed desperately, crimson tinting her cheeks. "You've got it all wrong!"

Feelgood turned to Sin and lowered he stance. "Don't you worry, Krysta-bell. Madam Feelgood gonna take out the trash."

Sin, seeing this alleged healer ready to pounce, shifted his footing to lean back and intercept. He was too tired for this shit, after taking on Soarin, getting captured by changelings, and then a small melee with the Trotski, beating the shit out of this ol' granny would give some much needed catharsis.

Madam jumped, and Sin leaned back onto his haunches to catch and roll. Unfortunately for him, the injuries to his hind legs made him buckle, and the stallion fell backwards, hissing from in pain as he landed.

As if the entire situation wasn't humiliating enough, his aggressor, who'd landed to his left, just had to put salt in the wound.

"HA! Madam Feelgood didn't even touch you yet, and already you on your back n' cryin' like a foal!" The lunar unicorn declared smugly. "Typical abusers, can't handle a real challenge and roll over as soon as somepony come along willing to put you in your place."

"Sin! Are you alright?!" Krystal exclaimed, lifting herself from the couch to the floor. 

"Yea, fine." He growled through gritted teeth. He vowed to Milikki that Soarin would pay for making him look like a fool here. Sin tried to stand up, but the sudden and sharp spike of anguish that the tweek in his leg had given, quickly brought him back to meet the ground. 

Quickly, and with only a slight limp, Krystal put herself between the two and looked down at Sin in concern before turning her gaze to the lunar unicorn with reprimanding eye. 

"What?" The lunar pony asked before realization hit her face. "Oh, Ooohhh, oh, so you gone play the victim now, huh? Turn the sweet chil' against Madam Feelgood because you know you can't handle her yourself!" Madam declared triumphantly, though, she deflated a little as soon as she realized the implications of her words. "Huh, Madam Feelgood was not prepared for such crafty trickery."









"Wait a minute, let Madam Feelgood see if she got this straight. You're saying that he didn't do this to you? That somepony else did?" Madam asked, looking at Krystal skeptically.

"Yes ma'am, a pair of mares." Krystal answered, back on the couch, Sin sitting on the floor besides her.

The unicorn healer looked between the two for a moment and let out a deep, roaring laugh. "Well why didn't you tell Madam? Madam thought he was a rotten colt-friend! She was about to turn cold, bold and ugly there to paste!" She threw her hoof in Sin's direction.

"Are you just going to let her talk to you like that, Sinbad?" The Nightmare asked, making no effort to hid the amusement in her voice.

'Ohohoh, you know I don't usually agree with the Nightmare, but she's asking for it, Sin. It's not aggression if she's asking for it.'

First of all, Nightmare, shut your whore mouth; you've lost speaking privledges. Second: Freedom of speech, Critic. As much of a fucking bitch as it may be, she's allowed to conduct herself in any fashion she wants to, provided she doesn't try to pounce me again. Besides, she's giving a free service, and as we both know, nothing in life is ever really free.

"Alright, sweet chil', let's have a look." Madam studded Krystal's head again and asked the pegasus mare to give her a list of symptoms and pains. Krystal did so, focusing mainly on her throat and head. The healer pulled out a stethoscope from her saddle bag and listened to Krystal's heart, as well as taking note of her lungs.

Madam made a few thoughtful noises and shook her head. "Bit of a wheeze. How's your throat hole? Open up and say ahhh."

Krystal did as she was bid and Madam looked down her mouth. She grimaced as she looked down the pegasus mare's esophagus and lit her horn, a bit of magic aura going down her mouth and then coming back up. "Damaged trachia, I'm assuming that these mares choked you?"

Krystal nodded and Madam Feelgood grunted in acknowledgement before asking the mare to relax while she applied another spell to her throat. This one meant to repair any damage it came across and sooth any pain or discomfort. Once that was done, she moved to Krystal's head injuries. It wasn't anything too bad, it looked worse than it was, if the healer's word was to be believed. She cast another spell, engulfing Krystal's head in a dark blue aura and smiled.

"There, pain should be gone. Took a look at your muscles and tissue, no lasting damage. Just make sure you get plenty of rest and drink plenty of liquid." Madam said then pause and waved her hoof. "Except soda-pop, Madam Feelgood don't want you touchin' none of that."

A look of relief washed over Krystal as the spell finished itself and she offered a warm, more genuine smile. "Ahh, the pain's gone! Thank you Madam Feelgood!"

The unicorn closed her eyes and smiled bashfully, humbly. "Anything for you, Krysta-bell. Well, Madam Feelgood work here is done, she'll just be- Oh Luna save the stars, who is that?!"

Sin watched her pointed hoof and then gave the mare an incredulous stare. She was pointing at the sleeping, and apparently unnoticed, form of Scootaloo who was still laid on the chair opposite the couch. 

Did she seriously not realize the pegasus foal was there? Wait, did Luna even tell her about Scootaloo? 

'With as shocked as she is, I'm going to say no.'

Wow, what the fuck, Luna?

Feelgood asked what happened and why Scootaloo was dressed to resemble a mummy. She was sickened to hear the horrible fate that had befallen the filly. The healer charged her horn and began examining the foal's body in her magic. "Hmmm, poor thing, so much pain." She shook her head. "I can sense Luna in her dreams, she's also got a budding infection in her left hind hoof. Give Madam Feelgood a second."

She dove back into her saddlebag and retrieved a needle, the sight making Krystal gasp. "Is that really necessary?"

Madam turned back to her with another winning smile. "Don't you worry none, sweet chil'. She wont feel a thing, but infections are nasty things, the sooner they're treated, the better."

Sin hoped she was right about Scootaloo not feeling anything, because the mare was anything but delicate with her administration of the medication. She didn't slowly inject the needle, as was orthodox, she didn't even carefully penetrate the flank, but stabbed it like a tough piece of bread and forced the liquid into Scootaloo's left flank.

"There she go, good as new." The lunar pony declared proudly.

Now, neither Sin nor Krystal were doctors, and Sin only had basic first aid training from both his time with Triple M and Master Tyken, but he was fairly certain you weren't supposed to stab patients in the flank with such reckless abandon. Somehow, Scootaloo hadn't woken up from the medical assault, but she did stur and whine a little.

She did another magical scan of the filly's form, ensuring she hadn't missed anything, smiled in satisfaction, and began saying her goodbyes again.

"Madam Feelgood." Sin said, knowing he was going to regret stopping her, but he had to be sure. "Before you go, would you mind doing a scan of my person as well?"

Feelgood pressed her lips and looked Sin up and down. "You insult Madam Feelgood and turn the sweet chil' against her, and now you gonna ask her for her help?"

What? When did he insult her?

Sin removed his dragon scale and placed it on the ground, making a determinant mental note of it's absence. "If you would, please." He said, keeping himself as pleasant as possible.

The mare rolled her golden eyes. "Madam Feelgood guesses, she doesn't need to scan to tell you you ugly, though."

Instead of acting on the insult, Sin saw the words as an opportunity to keep her from scanning his Nightmare infected mind and even laughed at the joke. The last thing he wanted was for her to see the Nightmare and suddenly feel vindicated in her anger of him. "You can just keep it from the neck down."

The mare shrugged and cast her magic, basking Sin's form in the warm tingle of her magic. The experience didn't last long, but she'd found enough to give the stallion a pointed stare.

"One broken rib, half way healed, flesh of the chest is having a tough time healing from a prior surgery, left shoulder muscles are bruised, left hind leg muscle is moderately bruised, right hind leg muscle is slightly torn, minor tendon damage in both." She said flatly. "Honestly, Madam is surprised you're able to walk at all."

Sin's eyes widened at the extensiveness of the list, he'd heard of others having worse and carrying on, but he took a little pride in his ability to shuffle through. "Alright, was there anything in there that... shouldn't be in there?"

"Shouldn't be in there?" Madam Feelgood asked, recoiling slightly and thinking. "Like what? You ain't one of them freaky stallions who enjoy sticking things up his bum, is ya?"

Sin's eye twitched, his pleasant demeanor and patience becoming dangerously strained. It really didn't help that the Nightmare was bellowing in laughter within his mind at the blunt and, too be fair, not intended to be insulting question.

Rather than risk anything more coming from it, Sin explained that he'd been captured by a group of felled changelings a mile or so away and that he wanted to make sure that he'd left the cave just as he'd been dragged into it.

"... Well of course you did, dummy!" Feelgood said with a roll of her eyes. "Changelings only take love from ponies, they can't give them nothing. Nothing except a deep sense of regret and shame... they can give plenty of that."

Sin felt himself slump in relief, the Doctors in Canterlot had told him the same about Equestrian changelings, but he had to be sure. He'd seen the photos of the bodies that held parasites within them. The chest cavities ripped open so the matured drone could escape and feed off the flesh of it's victim. There was no safe way to remove the changelings that he knew of, but that didn't mean Sin didn't want to at least know if he was infected or not.

'Regret and shame...'

Don't think too hard on it, please don't.

"Now, if you'll excuse her, Madam Feelgood will be on her way."

Sin watched her leave, half happy that she was going and a little miffed that she didn't offer some kind of treatment for his injuries. 

Just as she reached the door, it slowly opened and the red form of Valiar came striding through, a small train of brown paper bags trailing him as he walked. He paused, taking in the new mare for a moment, seeing things weren't tense at her presence, and continued. "Excuse me." He said, passing her. "Alright, Sin, I got what you asked for. Wasn't cheap though, barely had enough bits to cover it all."

Sin quickly replaced his necklace and smirked. "Thanks for doing that for me." He said, digging into one of the bags and pulling out a a bag of sugar cookies and a quart of orange juice. Perfect, and all Valiar wanted in return was a few packs of oatmeal bars.

"Wellll hellooooo handsome." Madam Feelgood said, her wrinkled lips turning up as she took in Valiar. 

The crimson eyed stallion looked at the healer and furrowed his brow. He looked at Sin in askance, but the Federalist busied himself opening the bag of cookies and offering them to Krystal, deliberately ignoring Valiar for two reasons. One: he wanted to see how the stallion would handle himself in this kind of situation, being as he didn't know the unicorn very well, and two: one way or another, it was going to be freaking hilarious.

Suddenly, and without warning of any kind, Valiar found a charcoal black foreleg around his neck, the healer at his side. "Would you like to know why they call me Madam Feelgood, my little Ruby?"

Sin and Krystal watched, the former with a wry smirk of amusement and the latter with a smile of more concerned endurance. 

"No, thank you." Valiar replied, politely removing the healer's leg from his shoulder. "I take it this is the doctor Luna sent?"

"Oh, Madam Feelgood does love it when they play hard to get." The mare answered, her grin becoming predatory and wolfish.

"Aye, she is." Sin answered. "Seems to have taken a liking to you."

Feelgood slithered up to Valiar in a fluid and feline manner, her eyes lidding themselves into a sultry gaze. "Yes she does. If you'd like, she and you may leave this place to get acquainted more..." She paused, looking at the stallions eyes and licking her teeth, "intimately."

The red mage stood for a moment, looking down at the elder mare who had to be at least thirty years his senior. His expression was blank, if not thoughtful.

"Sin?" He called.

"Yea?"

"Are her services still required?"

Sin shook his head. "No, she's served her purpose here."

"Good." Suddenly, three of Valiar's stone arose from his belt and a red aura engulfed the unicorn mare, raising her up from her hooves. She chuckled mirthfully, growing excited.

"Well now, Madam does enjoy when a stallion establishes dominance." She said, her eyes trailing to the stones around her. "And with toys too? You are a naughty colt."

Valiar didn't reply, instead he simply walked to the door, opened it with his magic, and proceeded outside of the shack with the mare trailing behind him.

Sin and Krystal watched with faint interest, though, Sin's amusement slowly grew to mistrust and disgust. Surely the stallion wasn't seriously considering intercourse with her, was he?

A sudden splash of water and cry of surprise answered him, Madam Feelgood calling after the pony as Valiar confidently made way back to the shack and closed the door behind him, seeming no worse for the little visit he'd taken to the near by lake.

Shocked, Krystal asked if he'd thrown her into it, and Valiar replied in the affirmative. 

"That was mean." Krystal said, frowning in disapproval.

Valiar quirked a brow. "I don't take harlotry well." He intoned.

And it was at that moment, Sin knew he'd found a stallion that would quickly earn his respect and liking.
> Tensions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    






Tensions







Nodding off while walking wasn't something Spike thought possible. There was movement, the heart was beating faster, his mind had to work to coordinate his steps, one would think that falling asleep while doing it was all but absurd.

However, after spending the past few days playing sentinel to the warehouse district of Ponyville, and having that sickly feeling of falling out of no where hit him for the third time, he'd come to discover that reason and logic could go to the crows.

His eyes drooped again as he was walking to... somewhere to do... something?

Oh crap, what was I doing again?

'Taking a nap would be a good start.' His inner voice replied, giving a yawn of it's own. Which made absolutely no sense, considering it didn't have lungs.

Oh yea, a nap, a nap sounded good, but there was some reason he hadn't taken one during the day for so long. Something to the effect of some kind of tension in the town over... Oh for pete's sake, this was getting ridiculous.

'Dude, take a nap. You've been up for three days straight!' The voice scolded, but Spike had a deep knit feeling that he couldn't do that. There was something happening in town, something that had prompted him to disregard sleep. Something that had brought him to the... market district? Where the markets intersected with the town's park.

Through a bleary eye, the drake looked around and rubbed at his sole remaining orb. He looked around and took stock of the town to try to orient his thoughts. Immediately he saw that the usual, chipper atmosphere of the place was absent. The smiling and inviting faces of both and stall holders were strained and forced, the musicians who usually played in the park were far fewer than usual. Spike recognized one to be Lyra Heartstrings, her usual melody of deeper joy and minor sadness was flipped in favor of the depressions her instrument could offer, the sadness contrasting heavily to the untroubled and clear sky above.

The drake's stomach rumbled, pushing through the drowsiness to bring to mind of how hungry he was. 

Looking around, Spike felt himself smile as his eyes landed on Sugar Cube Corner. That's what he needed, a good, old fashioned, sugar rush.

He walked into the ginger bread like establishment and smiled at the returned life of the place. Sock and Mask had made good on their withdrawl of Colgate's regulations that barred underage ponies from purchasing sugary goods, and the small business was showing the benefit. 

As much as Spike didn't like them, at least they'd accomplished that.

"Morning Spike." Greeted Mrs. Cake from the counter. "Hope you're having a good Saturday."

Spike covered his mouth in a failed attempt to stiffle a yawn.

The blue earth mare chuckled. "Looks like you could use some energy, dear. What would you like?"

The drake looked at the display case and picked out a few cookies and piece of cake. Once his treats were collected, and the fare paid, the dragon was thanked for his patronage and was handed something he didn't expect.

A pamphlet, a pamphlet that served two purposes. One as a order menue for Sugar Cube Corner's budding delivery service as well as it's promotion for the lower glucose products. Spike took a seat at an empty table and opened the thing up for something to read while he ate.

He didn't like what he saw there in, but the drake would be lying if he said he wouldn't have expected it. The sugar free menu was full fruits and fruit salads, still holding sweetness in regard, but playing towards the healthy side to work around the regulations. The downside? The things were priced beyond reason! A one pony sized salad was priced almost as much as a four pony shared cake! 

Spike understood though, he'd talked with Macintosh about it when the Cakes had put in larger orders to the Apple farm for more fruit, which put more strain on the farm's production. The apples that Sweet Apple Acres produced already had places to be, mainly in Canterlot, Vanhoover, and a few of the smaller surrounding towns. 

While apples weren't as in demand as apple cider was, the orders in town jumped higher with the sugar ban. Apple's still had a quality of sweetness to them, and that put a strain on the apple stockpile that the earth pony farm had withheld for the soon to come apple cider season. Macintosh and Applejack always tried to keep their prices reasonable, but the fact of the matter was that if they'd maintained sales at the usual rate, they'd take a net loss come cider season. 

To keep up with this loss, the fruit sold had to be sold at a higher price, and the consumer passed prices of the fruit salads were showing the concept of supply and demand quite well.

'Good thing Sin taught you that, otherwise you'd have no idea why the prices were so high.'

True. The idea of scarcicty wasn't taken into account when the simplified version of supply and demand was observed. Most just thought "the higher the supply, the less the cost" and "the lower the supply, the higher the cost", which would, if the lack of anything not baked on the tables around, suggest that the prices would drop on the salads. However, that wasn't the case.

Spike looked around more closely and found that the only salad in site was on the plate of a rather irritated looking mother, watching her foals eat their less expensive sugary treats.

The demand was low for the salad, yet the prices were extremely high. The unspoken scarcity tax.

'Think they'll keep it on the menu long?'

Now that, Spike wasn't sure. It wouldn't make much sense, since this was a bakery and all, but he could see it catching on if there was demand enough for it. Everypony knew that the foods the establishment put forth weren't all that healthy, but ponies also valued convenience and professional creations. Adults also lost their sweet tooth in time, and to give them an option, as well as the younger ones, Spike could see the fruits working out. If marketed and campaigned properly, of course.

Spike tossed a cookie in the air, opened his mouth and chomped down as soon as it hit his tongue and frowned.

It wasn't his usual way of thinking, he realized. Sin, Macintosh and himself had discussed economics a few times on their travels. This was back before Spike had really gotten to know the red pony, and was flabbergasted to learn how knowledgeable Mac was about the concepts. He never talked, ever. Nothing but the occasional "Eyup" and "Nope".

To hear him answer Sin's questions about the economic side of running an apple farm? Sweet Celestia, the pony could go on for hours and hours! Which Spike didn't mind, of course. Apparently, he had handled all the money there. Purchasing all the fertilizer, the rejuvinizer, the taxes and sales prices. Apple farming was his life, so it made sense he knew almost every aspect of it.

'Dragon maturity is doing well for you.' His inner voice reasoned. 'Mind's becoming more analytical, like Brute said.'

Spike frowned and nodded, he was glad for that. Things in life were no where near as simple as most liked to think. Spike was young, and it felt good to know that he knew more than his peers in an immature and self gratifying kind of way. It wasn't a superiority complex, or he didn't think, but just a bit of due pride.

"Hey Spike." Greeted a raspy voice.

Spike turned and found a plate weilding Rainbow Dash behind him. She wasn't hovering in the air anymore, but standing behind him, both of her hind legs in casts.

"Hey Dash." Spike said, smiling tiredly. "How're your legs doing? C'mon, have a seat."

Rainbow set down her plate and slowly walked to the the chair opposite Spike, her hind legs not bending, he noted.

"Ugh, doctor said I'll be wearing these stupid things for another two months." She bemoaned, settling into her chair, carefully. "Said I shouldn't be walking on them too much, but you know me. I'll take what I can get. You alright? You're eye is bloodshot." The speedster commented.

Spike nodded and dismissed her concern, saying he hadn't slept well last night.

"Anyway, what's going on?" Spike asked, flipping another cookie into his mouth.

Rainbow looked around conspiratorially for a moment and asked. "Hey, um, okay so you're smart and stuff, right? Have you been... I mean, what those ponies said at that stupid "seminar" a week ago, you don't think that's actually true, is it?"

Spike groaned and placed the thumb and forefinger of his claw on the bridge of his nose. "Why?"

Rainbow mentioned something that Spike hadn't not noticed, but just didn't pay any mind to. He looked around the establishment of Sugar Cube Corner and observed how... segregated the ponies were being today. Oh, it wasn't full on tribalistic separation, but there were a lot more unicorns keeping with unicorns, same with pegasi and earth ponies. Also, aside from the colts, there were no males present in the establishment. 

Aside from Mr. Cake and Spike himself, of course.

Spike's eyebrows shot up when he saw a pair of ponies sitting apart that he knew held association. Sparkler, the town's former organization specialist, and Berry Punch, a mare who made excellent fruit punch by day, and was a suspected distiller by night. He knew, for a Celestia begotten fact, that both of them were in closer circles with Derpy Hooves, the town's mailmare, yet both were sitting with their own kind today.

Well, that wasn't good. Had Mask and Sock made more of an impact than he'd anticipated they would?

'Or the pony Sparkler is sitting with is, Ballad. A well known associate of Sparkler. And Berry Punch might just be having a business outing, judging by the papers and folders in front of her.'

Spike rubbed his eye and took a closer look. Sure enough, the lilac coated, straw maned pony Sparkler sat with was, infact, Ballad. Berry also had papers in front of her, showing them to her associate, the firm and confident smile of a business dealer on her face.

The logical side of his maturity may have been a good thing, but the cynicism was certainly something he needed to keep in check.

Just because the ponies appeared to be more segregated, didn't mean it was because of their likened tribes that they were hanging out together. There were still plenty of intermingled groupings, like the unicorn Fly Wishes was sitting with the pegasi sisters, Cloud Chaser and Flitter. Or Carrot Top and Blossomforth. And, of course, the school foals intermingled. Maybe not by sex, but that was to be expected, really.

Spike voiced the logical aspects, mentioning how it appeared the ponies were tribalized, but he didn't think it was due to anything the seminar had done.

"Yea, well..." Rainbow said, grimacing in thought. "Okay, maybe not here, but haven't you noticed around town? Ponies aren't talking to eachother as much anymore."

Spike quirked a brow. He wasn't sure if he bought that, or if Rainbow's paranoia in this building was just being projected outside. Honestly speaking, the flyer had a tendency to blow things out of proportion, kinda like Twilight did. Though, her neroticism was only triggered by the withdrawal of attention from her awesomeness, while the former's was triggered by distress.

"How do you mean?" The drake asked, keeping his mind open. 

"Okay, so, like, the earth pony stallions, right? They don't talk to anypony anymore. They talk to other stallions, but are starting to avoid talking to mares. I saw Carmel walking yesterday and decided to say hi, and the guy completely brushed me off. I said hi and, you know, tried to be friendly and ask how he was, right? And he said hi, and just kept walking!"

Spike looked at the mare for a moment, waiting for her to continue on. Though, it appeared that was where the story ended. 

"Well, have you, you know... talked to him before?" Spike asked awkwardly.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to answer but then slowly closed it, donning a thoughtful expression.

Spike already knew she didn't. The orange earth pony and she had little interaction prior to this event taking place, as far as he knew. Surely she didn't find it so surprising that Carmel would be less than receptive to what was, for all intents and purposes, a random encounter.

"Okay, fine. I didn't talk to him before, but he didn't need to keep walking and acting like I was annoying him, though." Rainbow countered.

Now that, Spike could agree with. That might have been influenced slightly by the seminar. Still, it was anecdotal evidence at best, one unfortunately standoffish encounter was hardly indicative to a town wide problem.

The door to the establishment opened, and Pinkie entered, pulling a thoughtful looking Blade behind her. "Don't worry Bladey, all you need is some sugar in your tummy and you'll be right as rain. Oh! Look! It's Spike!" The pink mare declared.

The green earth pony looked up from his thoughts and gave Spike a light nod of the head, a gesture Spike returned. Blade was lead to the table and sat down by his... fillyfriend? Good acquaintance? Spike wasn't sure if the two were an item or not.

'Hehe, item? Don't you mean their going steady, dude?' His inner voice snarked.

"There. Just stay here, and I'll get you your favorite! Don't move!" Pinking said, giving the pony a quick peck on the cheek and disappearing behind the counter.

Well that... cleared it up?

The table was quiet for a moment, with Rainbow's skeptical look giving a slow to raise tension. Blade didn't say anything, he just sat in his place, eyes fixed firmly on the table below him.

"Careful Blade," the dragon commented, trying to lighten the mood. "Keep that face, and Pinkie will start throwing parties for you every other day."

Sad thing was that wasn't an improbably threat.

"Huh." Blade grunted. He nodded in comprehension, but the deep concentration spoke to his distracted dismissal. Rainbow cast a look to Spike and gestured to the pony with a hoof, as if her concerned had finally been vindicated. 

While the stallion's behavior was off from his typical sarcasm and feigned arrogance, Spike didn't see it as the begining of a town wide split between earth stallions and everypony else. Besides, anypony who was... romantically involved? With Pinkie Pie would likely be much more subdued and emotionally drained. 

Excusing herself to other obligations, Rainbow bid farewell to Spike and Blade before flapping her wings and making way out of Sugar Cube Corner. It was just as well, Spike suspected the following conversation would be better done in private.

"So, everything alright, buddy?" The drake asked.

Blade looked to where Rainbow was sitting and nodded. "Yea, fine, just thinking is all."

"Thinking about?" Spike asked.

Blade shrugged. "I guess I'm just thinking if stallions really are oppressed or not."

Spike pressed his lips and restrained a frustrated sigh. Of course, most of the guys down at the mill were earth stallions. Though, they weren't really the types to consider this kind of thing, especially Blade, the borderline mysoginistic bastard he was.

"How so?" 

Blade pressed his lips. "Well, I mean, like how nervous I was to ask Pinkie to be my date to the wedding or even approach her."

Again, Spike had to restrain himself from expressing his frustration. Really? He was considering approaching a mare and facing potential rejection to be "oppressive"? Seriously?

"I didn't say that was oppressive, just an expectation on stallions I've noticed. And it's not just that, dude." Blade said, seeing Spike's flat stare. "Stallions have to work, all the time. Eight hours a day at least to support themselves and their families. Mares have a choice not to work, if the stallion can support her. Stallions don't have the choice one way or the other. I mean, doesn't that sound pretty privileged to you?"

Now that, Spike didn't have an answer for. Yea, that did appear rather privileged, but that didn't mean it oppressed stallions... Well, he supposed it did come at the stallion's expense in the relationship. "Well, that's what stallions were supposed to do, husbands were supposed to be providers and protectors to mares and foals."

Blade nodded pensively. "That's what Fiona said. But why? I mean, if a mare's capable of working herself, than why should it be acceptable or even expected that a stallion should support her and her not have to carry her own financial weight? And as far as protection goes, you know the greatest defenders of the empire are all mares, same with the rulers. Soo..."

Again, Spike found he couldn't give an answer. Twilight and the Elements of Harmony had been evoked to save the realm more than once. The rulers being a diarchy between a pair of royal pony sisters.

"Not to mention," Blade continued, "all of the royal guard ponies are stallions, I haven't seen one female guard. Ever. I used to have a friend in the guard, a few years ago before I came here from Shady Hallows. Nice guy, but everypony just took him for granted. Like he was just supposed to protect them and receive no thanks for what he did."

"Well, that is kinda what the guard is supposed to do." Spike said simply.

Blade's eyes shot to the drake, a dangerous frown upon his muzzle. "He died there." Blade said quietly. "Feral lurkers."

Spike opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Spike had read up on lurkers before, nasty and savage lizards who became more vicious the larger their prey or threat was, most as long as a pony, but substantially shorter. They usually didn't bother anything bigger than themselves, but it wasn't unheard of for lone lurkers to wonder into settlements. 

The large lizards were nothing to treat lightly, even alone. The book he'd read about them likened their brutal efficiency in killing up with timberwolves. The poor stallion's death must have been pretty gruesome and brutal.

Still, that's what the guard did, they risked themselves to protect others. That was, quite literally, their job.

"Sorry, to hear that." Spike settled.

Blade's eyes went back to the table. "Sorry... that's all that can be said for it, isn't it?" He mused darkly. "Sorry doesn't bring him back, he's still dead. Dead because he was expected to die to protect others, because that's what guard stallions do, isn't it?"

The drake's brow furrowed at the dark turn this was taking. Well... no... stallions weren't supposed to die to protect others, it would be better if nopony died at all, but if ponies are in trouble...

Spike eyed his friend warily. Where was all of this coming from? Ax, Spike could see this kind of talk from, but Blade? The stallion wasn't a deep thinker like this, not on this kind of dark stuff. It's not like guards dying is a common occurrence, right?

"You'd be surprised." Blade answered when Spike voiced his question. "Heard at least twenty guards are killed a year in Equestria. Each on of them stallions."

Again, stallions in the guard, but that did leave an opening. "Where did you hear that?"

The answer made Spike's claw clench. Mask was the one who'd told him, she'd also asked him if he thought it was worth it, pressuring the idea that most guards weren't honored long nor remembered for their sacrifices. That only a few passing words were given at a funeral service, a plot in the ground, and two weeks of gossip. Wives would move onto new stallions, children to step-parents, and they'd soon be forgotten as time moved onward.

Was it worth ones own life to protect others when it meant so little to them? When the consequences ultimately made it meaningless to the one who died? Oh yea, sure, the stallion would be called a "hero", but what was a hero? And what was such a title to a dead pony? If one critically analyzed it, the word "servant" would come up. A servant of greater accomplishment and prestige. A tool to be utilized and then discarded when the challenge proved too great.

Spike took the diatribe with growing contempt. 

This was wrong, this wasn't how he was supposed to think of any of this! Hero's were loved and revered by those they protected! Okay, fine, they were servants. Fine, fact was a fact. Twilight and her friends were, technically, serving the empire whenever they answered the call of her defense.

"Okay, hero's are servants." Spike acquiesced. "But to say that they go unappreciated isn't fair."

"Your mom and her friends have saved Equestria and liberated the Crystal Empire." Blade said solumnly before looking the dragon square in the eye. "What did they get as a reward for the risks they took?"

Spike smiled and opened his mouth, right up until his mind drew a blank. 

After taking on Nightmare Moon, Discord and assisting in the liberation of the Crystal Empire, what had they been given as a reward? 

"Um, well how about the fact we aren't living in permanent night." Spike answered.

Blade shook his head. "A selfish interest to them just as much as to the others, the desire to live. I'm talking about repayment? Where is their appreciation from everypony else?"

Spike saw the answer immediately, but took a few seconds to calm his frustrated thoughts. "They didn't do it for appreciation, Blade. They did it because it was the right thing to do, and Twilight and them knew that if they didn't, nopony else would or even could."

Blade's eyes trailed to the drake again, his gaze softening to accepting skepticism. It wasn't the look of acquiescence to another's argument, it was the look of disagreeing, but not knowing how to articulate the disagreement.

"I guess." The stallion shrugged, obviously not convinced.

The stallion's attitude bothered Spike greatly. With what he was doing at night lately, it didn't warrant any thanks, nor any material reward. Hay, alot of crap he put up with in life, especially when he lived with Twilight -Which he was not doing anymore- how much thanks did he get besides the occasional passing word? Late nights staying up with her because she needed a research partner, tolerating her treating him like a working child, left to do the heavy labor of cooking and cleaning.

'And those expectations bothered you to the point you were willing to leave town with a stallion you barely knew.' His inner voice pointed out. 'Same with Macintosh, if memory serves.'

Spike's brows furrowed. That was different.

'How so?'

Well, first of all: Lives weren't at stake in terms of me fulfilling my responsibilities.

'We both know that's not true. Since you're so closely linked to Twilight and her friends, who have saved the world twice now, including all the lives there in, I believe it fair to say that your works with them did help save quite a few lives. Your research within the Crystal Fair being the most prominent example.'

Yea? Well, that was a one time thing. Besides, it happened after I left, remember?

'True, but a minor and irrelevant detail, Spike.' The voice said before taking an edge. 'The reasons you left weren't all that different from the issues that Blade is talking about now. A lack of meaningful appreciation for hard born expectations. The major difference, if anything, is that you did abandon those responsibilities instead of just questioning them like he is. So I'd be cautious about casting stones from this glass house of yours.'

"Here you go! Sorry it took so long." Pinkie declared, popping up with a plate of freshly prepared caramel bites, breaking the dragon's inner debate.

Blade gave the mare a small and word of thanks before popping one of the treats into his mouth. Pinkie offered one to Spike and the three spent some time on more light hearted conversations. 

While Pinkie rambled about some party she had planned for somepony or another, Spike's mind was occupied with quiet rationalization.    The more he thought, the more angry he became. He didn't want to admit it, but then again, fact was fact. He had abandoned his responsibilities to Twilight and them... but how he was being treated felt unfair. He felt like they were taking advantage of him back then, he felt limited and bossed around. Told to clean up messes he didn't make, to do hours upon hours of research for topics that didn't interest him in the least, to do the dishes and... other mundane things that really couldn't hold a candle to the self sacrifices of ones own life.

What right did he have to criticize Blade's second guessing of such a thing? What right did he even have to criticize Mask? As sick as it made Spike to admit, he'd be a complete hypocrite to condemn her for what she was saying. 

Why was it okay for Spike himself to break away from his responsibilities, but demand others hold to theirs? The protection and preservation of life? Obviously that wasn't a good enough answer, not without setting up a double standard. So either they were all wrong for wanting out of the expectation, or Spike would find himself in the skin crawling position of agreeing with a pony he held in contempt...

Selfish though it may have been, Spike was happy Blade hadn't caught on to his hypocrisy. Consistency can be a real bitch sometimes, and he really needed a nap...
   

  

 
> Emotional Connotations 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------










Emotional Connotation











"Day 45

3rd day of assimilating with Sin and his companions, 3rd day of being stuck in the same place. 

As usual, I've grown impatient with time lost. Killing the three changelings to liberate Sin was satisfying enough, but Chrysalis is the only one who matters. I can kill one hundred drones and the rot will be no less, she will just make more in whatever hive she continually crawls back to. I can still smell the disgusting stench of hatching eggs and the sickeningly squishy croach they used to line the birthing chambers that she kept me in. Letting her young sap the love from me...

I want to burn it, burn it all away and remove this particular bit of rot from the world once and for all. To hear the burning shrieks of dying changeling larva, the drones wings simmer as they burn, Chrysalis scream and cry, to hear her beg for her life for what she'd done to us in Canterlot. The purity, the goodness, the innocence; tainted. Tainted by her claim on love.

And I shall, she took me by surprise last time, a mistake I shall not allow to happen again.

However, this must take a secondary position for the time being. There is a new rot to be dealt with, a rot that has targeted a foal of barely a decade and a mare of great innocence and kindness. 

According to the information I was able to gather, the known anti-imperial political group "Trotski" has moved on from small time protests to more aggressive and violent methods of attaining their goals. Glad I took the initiative to research outside of the temple of Anti-arch, the sages would have left me completely in the dark to my purpose in life in removing the rot.

As much as I would like to get back to hunting the Queen, these pieces of filth are of a higher priority. Mainly because I haven't the ability to meaningfully track her down and nopony with any brains would dare play tracker for me, once they discovered whom I was hunting.  

Luckily, Sin isn't a coward and has agreed to help me find her if I assist him in putting the Trotski dogs down.

Cutting out two large pieces of rot from society. I can wait a few days to accomplish that."




~Taken from the Journal of the Valiar, the Red Mage of Anti'arch. 









"Mine." Sin declared, yanking a hoof full of blueberries from a bushel he'd discovered a day ago. After verifying his mark on the bush to make sure the fruit was the one he'd tested and popping them into his mouth. He buckled a little as his weigh was shifted to the back of his body, completely forgetting how sore and weak his hind legs had been the past few days, and was careful to put his weight forward again.

"Careful, Sin." Krystal said from her place beside him. The white mare having decided to join him on this particular excursion out from the shack. She was healing very well, all that remained of her injuries from that night was her slightly discolored, though no longer swollen eye. "Madam Feelgood said your legs were in pretty bad shape. I wish you'd listen to her and just rest for a while."

Sin swallowed the berries and gave Krystal a look. "I'll be fine, Krystal. I've walked off worse and gotten better."

The amber eyed pony gave him a disapproving glare. "And you shouldn't! It'll catch up with you when you're older. Bodies aren't tools you can just push like this and think it'll be alright in the long run. That's why Papa has that limp on his right side."

Sin internally cringed, remembering the scar the old pony had. His face showed no discomfort though. With the way Krystal had been behaving lately, he didn't dare do so. He merely shrugged and gave his usual response of: "Meh, I'll be fine."

He grabbed another hooful and chewed thoughtfully, glad that spring had sprung. Bushes of berries and fruit trees would be much easier to come by now, even if some of them were premature... and other poison. Though, the Federalist had spent more of his life outdoors than indoors, and had multiple methods for identifying poisonous vs edible flora and fauna. 

He'd smeared one of the berries onto his lip and left it there yesterday, to see if his lip would have a negative reaction or not, after checking to make sure the stem and fruit didn't produce any milky juice, of course. Blueberries were a particular for him as far as taste went. Potato were filling, but lacked any redeeming flavor.

Three days had passed since the quartet  -plus Angle-  had set up for a longer term encampment. 

Scootaloo was doing well, having no memory of what Clover and Panzy did to her and convinced that she'd run into a rose bush. The filly was happy enough to relax a little, but couldn't sit down for long, complaining about a slight ache in her flank. An ache originating where Madam Feelgood had jammed the syringe. 

Krystal was hard pressed to agree with the lie, but went with it. The off white pegasus mare herself was... different now. Not in anything really discernible, not glaringly so anyway, but Sin could see that she'd changed. She was still the sweet, intrusive and mollycoddling mare she was, but she'd lost the starry-eyed look of innocence and wonder she used to have.

It was a subtle change, but one Sin would miss if she never got it back, which he was pretty sure she wouldn't.

Now, a more overt change was her startling lack of meekness. Before they'd come to Baltimare, Krystal rarely ever spoke out against Sin's decisions and leadership. Yea, she'd get on him about his language or treatment of Scootaloo, or get distracted or tired and ignore his instructions from time to time, but she'd always be more apologetic than anything, even if she didn't like it. Lately, though, she'd become much more vocal about her dislike for some of his actions and decisions. 

Mainly those that revolved around the troop's lack of hygienic accommodations and interaction costumes. Bathing wasn't much of a priority for him at any point in time, unless there was a reason for it, of course. Krystal, on the other hoof, seemed to want to bathe at every single chance she could get, and had been harboring a "secret" revulsion for the nomadic methods of toiletry. 

The interaction time, or lack there of, was the reason she was here now. Usually, the three would be in silence, each going off into their own thoughts through out the day. Krystal saw this as a major problem, a problem that had lead to the issue that caused all of them to be injured in the first place. Sadly, Sin wasn't really in a position to argue her.

Trust was in short supply between all of them. Krystal wanted to trust Sin, but between the secrecy and the fact that she and Scootaloo had been actively plotting against him, there wasn't really much to be had nor given. The matter wasn't made much better by Sin introducing a new member to their ranks without consolidating either of them.

Valiar wasn't the nicest of ponies in the world, he was more on the anti-social side of the spectrum. He wasn't a talkative sort, but he did have an intimidating presence about him. Not the aura but an air of instability and arrogance. Another thing was his obsession with, what he called: "rot". Or the immorality and negative aspects of society and pony nature as he saw it, from what Sin could discern.

Sin, curious about if he would fall under such a category, decided to explore the issue. Valiar explained that his thought process was about on the same lines as Sin's own, but seeing things from a much more... conservative standpoint. Throwing things like drugs and prostitution into the category of immoral and punishable offenses.

Punishable... yea, that might be a problem. The pony was also a little bit of a fanatic, he went on about how the innocence of the world was one of its leading virtues and that all things of the sinful rot needed to be carved out of the world in their entirety. Lust, hedonism, general degeneracy, all of these things were an affront to all things good, pure, and righteous and needed to be snuffed out in order to protect civilization.

'Replace rot with government, and what do you get?'

Hey Critic, here's an idea: shut up.

Besides, it wasn't like they ever saw the mage. Valiar kept to himself mostly, approaching the trio only when he had something to ask or report. Well, approaching Sin, anyways. He didn't seem to care to speak with the others, going out of his way to keep out of sight of both Krystal and Scootaloo.

He didn't even partake in the groups food and drink pool, which Sin didn't mind in the least. As far as Valiar was concerned, they weren't "companions" so much as "two camps working in mutual benefit". If he was willing to provide for himself and keep an eye out for the Trotski with no burden upon them, all the better.

And as such, Sin could look the other way if the stallion decided to break the non-aggression principal in favor of upholding his stringent values.

"Are you sure those are safe to eat?" Krystal asked, breaking the stallion from his thoughts.

Sin nodded in the affirmative. "Yea, and if it's not, I've got some charcoal on hoof to bind the poison until it passes."

Krystal gave him an unsure look before grabbing a single berry from the bushel and gingerly tossing it in her mouth and chewing. She smiled and made a small sound of delight before grabbing another one. "Mmm, it's good."

Well, that was good. She trusted him enough to take his word on the fruit being good enough to eat.

"How did you find it?" The mare asked, taking another berry to munch.

"Foraging." Sin replied blatantly. Krystal inquired if there was anything more to it, wondering if there was some kind of special skill he'd learned from his time in the woods to just find food bushels like this, since he'd come across things like asparagus and amaranth so easily. Alas, he could only answer as reality permitted.

Suvivalism didn't really have keen methods on finding bushels and trees, aside from looking around streams and ponds. It was, for the most part, trial and error for that which could not be keenly identified. Of course, Sin knew a blueberry bush when he saw one, but he wanted to play it safe in any case. Last thing he needed was to be rendered a complaining and useless lump because he was too eager to eat without taking the proper precautions.

"What kind of precautions?" Asked Krystal curiously.

"Well, first off, when checking for potentially poisonous plants, you never actually touch it." Sin said in a conversational tone. He pointed to a broken bit of the bushle. "I'm a little hypocritical in this, but I broke that part of the bush to see if there was anything inside the stem. Like any parasites or illnesses the plant may have that would infect the berries."

Krystal was just about to pop another berry into her mouth but stopped, her eyes wide, full of hesitant alarm.

"Don't worry." Sin chuckled. "It's safe."

Krystal gingerly placed the berry into her mouth and requested he continue. 

There were a few things to look for in plants like that, all of which he'd done with Krystal and Scootaloo being none the wiser for it. Every bit of asparagus or amaranth he'd come across had been inspected prior to consumption, with small bits of them finding his way either onto his lips or snoot to check for any effects suggesting poison. 

He wasn't trying to hide what he was doing from them, it was just second nature to the Federalist to preform these kinds of experiments.

Technically, one was supposed to fast for eight hours before doing it, but Sin had developed an accute sensitivity due to all the exposure he'd placed his body under to find if the flora caused: Burning, irritation, numbing or general discomfort. Years of this had proven to circumvent the fasting to a mere two hours, or so he liked to judge.

"Oh, so that's why you never let us eat anything when we find it." Krystal said.

Sin nodded. It was also why he kept activated charcoal on hoof. Inducing vomiting to remove toxic substances was all fine and good, but the toxic chemicals already present in the body could prove to be detrimental. It also stressed him out that he didn't have the means to make more, with as quickly as he was pushing the tests and pushing forwards, it was really only a matter of time until he'd slipped up and they ended up eating something not fit for consumption.

But coconuts were heavy and bulky, and unfortunately, a very necessary ingredient in making more activated charcoal. 

"Activated charcoal?" Krystal asked with a tilt of her head. She gave it a bit of thought and then frowned. "Hey, wasn't that the stuff you gave me after the river water I drank from made me feel really yucky?"

The Federalsit smirked. "You mean the river water I told you not to drink and you did so anyways?"

"Yes, that stuff." Krystal paused, her nose crinkling in memory. "What is that stuff anyways? It helped make me feel better, but it also made my..." She trailed off, color tinting her cheeks.

"Activated charcoal is... medicine." Sin said carefully, not wanting to let her finish and assault what was left of her delicate sensibilities. "Been around forever, and hospitals still use it for all kinds of ingestion poisonings. We think it came about from the old world, before Equestria. I don't know the science behind it, but when you eat it, the chemical agents in the charcoal bind the poisons in your stomach and allow them to pass out of your body without affecting you as badly."

Sin popped another berry into his mouth and cast an eye to his associate, observing her facial expression. Usually when she was interested in a topic, she'd be deep in thought of his words or looking at him intently, right now though, she looked more distracted than anything. She may or may not have found primitive survival methods and medicine interesting, but that would need to wait.

"So, what's on your mind? I don't think you came out here with me to ask about poisons and medicines."

Krystal looked up at him and her eyes went wide with shock before she began stuttering about how she did find such things somewhat intriguing in an attempt to not offend him. Though, Sin's soft and accepting gaze quieted her ramble and the mare came clean about her intents.

"I wanna know if you've decided on what you're going to do?" 

Sin quirked a brow, though any confusions was quickly dispersed. 

None of them had spoken on what the next course of action would be ever since Sin and Valiar had intervened against Krystal and Scootaloo's attackers three days ago. The Federalist didn't want to bring it up, not to the girls. After what they'd gone through, he didn't want to think about them moving towards the Trotski by any measure. 

Krystal, it would seem, was interested to know what he planned to do once they began moving again.

Even after three days, Sin still wasn't sure what he planned to do. Both of the fillies were doing better, and the Red Mage was getting anxious to start moving. He wasn't sure how long he could use their injury to justify his lack of action.

The only thing the Federalist could see working out was to go with his original plan of turning the Trotski on eachother with the hope of one of three outcomes. One: that they'd be too preoccupied with internal strife to mess with him, Two: cause enough strife via mistrust to fracture the organization's coherence, maybe even cripple and disband it outright, or Three: help install new leadership.

It was clear that, as much of a racist bastard as he may be, Smart Cookie didn't care for the violent ways the heads were handling things. The elder earth pony said he was using Sin, and by betraying the other members of the Trotski and telling the Federalist about the trap being set, Sin deduced his part in Cookie's plan was to eliminate his grandson, Clover the Clever and Private Panzy so that he could assume control.

And if Smart Cookie was telling the truth in saying that he was once Chancellor Puddinghead, and that his dislike for the Trotski heads made him step down to the second in command role and allowing his grandson to step into the role of the earth pony head, than the Trotski subordinates might be willing to follow him without much fuss. Whatever their rules were for such a thing.

That only left the uncertainty on if Cookie was really any better than the current Puddinghead. The young earth pony was a ruthless and cunning sort, much more so than Sin was lead to believe on their first encounter on the Judgement all those months ago. The golden earth pony's kin seemed very much the same, in the sense of his ability to manipulate and scheme.

Another issue was the aspect of succession. Even if Cookie was willing to lay off of the violence after the heads fell, that wouldn't mean that the new Commander Hurricane and Prince Platinum would. Sin wasn't sure how they appointed new members to their executive roles. Was it democratic? Appointment by existing members of the heads? If memory served, the heads needed to have a blood tie to the real founders, and he also remembered Hurricane had mentioned how her own kin were in her position before. 

He hoped it wasn't just hereditary, because if it was, he might have just made some life long enemies. Though, if Smart Cookie and Puddinghead, as well as Hurricane were any indication, that might just be the case.

"I have a few thoughts." Sin replied, pressing his lips.

Krystal frowned sympathetically, she didn't care for violence. "Like what?"

The Federalist decided to hold off answering right away, wanting to organize what he was going to say before saying it. 

He didn't like putting that much trust in others, but out of all the options present, turning the Trotski in on each other was the only one that could accomplish the goal he needed. 

There was a bright side to that, though. If peaceful means wouldn't suffice, there was always sneaking into Puddinghead's room and giving him a few nightmares about his subordinates speaking ill of him, or giving him a really lucid dream about someone coming in and telling him something important, having him wake up, rave like a lunatic about the important information that the rest have no idea about, and foster mistrust and a lack of confidence.

Sin couldn't stop the devious little smirk from taking his face.

It was just a little notion, a toy in his head for his mind to chew on.

Sneak into Puddinghead's sleeping quarters, feed him a dream where Clover or Panzy came in to tell him about another country invading or Discord going on another rampage. Keep the dream going to where it felt like an entire day had passed and end when he goes to sleep, and then let the dream really end. He'd wake up thinking the whole day was real, and wake up to continue in the real world where the dream world had left off.

Oh yea, sure, it wouldn't work at first. His companions would probably tell him the facts and dismiss the bad dream for what it was, leaving Puddinghead to shake off the entire attempt as a bad sleep... But what if it happened again? And again, and again. 

Sin's smirk deepened to a sinister hue. To continually fuck with Puddinghead's mind, to blur the lines between fiction and reality, to drive him mad with both lucid dreaming and constantly questioning his own life. Tip toeing over if what had happened the previous day was true or not. 

His eyes glazed over as his thoughts deepened, the Federalist let his mind wonder a little. Maybe it would better serve not to be so obvious at first? Maybe start out small, give him little conversation here and there that didn't actually happen. Things that both he and the other Trotski could brush off, but that would annoy his subordinates. Tiny, almost unnoticeable things like choosing a specific mare he had his eye on and giving him the false impression that she shared his feelings. Have her flirt with him in the dream a little, and have her express absolutely no interest in reality.

Nudge the earth pony on with small influences, pushing him to become more and more bold with his flirting when she failed to return the affections. 

Then, when she'd pull away, put Puddinghead through the ringer of an emotional turmoil by putting it in his mind that she'd went into his room and slept with him in secret. Making the sweet dream all too lucid for him not to believe it happened.

Confused by the constant shift in reality and fantasy, along with his real life actions making him look like a delusional sexual predator, the Trotski would slowly turn on him, questioning his mental state! Yes, yes that would do nicely. Turning his blissful dreams into nightmares of the worst sort. 

Suffering, suffering in his own mind. It was the perfect plan! Not only did it serve to fracture the Trotski and make Puddinghead pay for what he did, it would take away his martyr status but removing Sin from the equation! None of them would have any indication that it was his doing, how could they? Nobody beside the Federalist knew about the Nightmare's ability to manipulate dreams.

Hell, even if it didn't fracture the Trotski, it would certainly throw them into chaos.

And why stop at Puddinghead? If Panzy and Clover were there, he could just as easily turn the unicorn and pegasus against each other! Maybe go with the same sexual thing and have them both develop feelings for the same stallion... maybe even Puddinghead himself, just to add a little drama to that mix. Make them have dreams of little fights between the two, throw around some racial slurs, have them talking shit about each other...

Yes, yes Sin could see it now. The two mares fighting over the affection of a stallion who's mind was slowly being driven to insanity and madness. Him taking no notice of the two and chasing another mare who constantly tugged between loving him and being disgusted with him, his perception of reality going utterly haywire as his dream fictions conflicted with reality's fact.

He could play that so many different ways. He could end up just making all three of them kill each other! It was fool proof, there was no way that-

"Sin, what's so funny?" Krystal asked in reserve.

Sin stopped what he was doing, all his thoughts, all of his scheming. His mind felt sublimely cruel and callous, the unmistakable influence of the Nightmare.

"Sorry." The oaken pony apologized, turning the cynical chuckle into a light hearted one. "Just thinking about it makes me laugh."

Krystal's eyes widened and her mouth parted in shock and slight disgust. "I don't think I like that."

That did not come out right. Well, it did come out truthful, but not as he wanted it to.

'Laughing about hurting others. Great way to build trust there, big guy.'

"Good. Shows you've still got a heart." Sin replied. "I don't plan to kill them anymore, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh thank Celestia!" Krystal sighed, visibly relaxing.

Sin eyed the pegasus mare for a moment, "you don't want justice?"

Krystal visibly flinched from his question but was quick to steel herself. "No, of course I do. It's just that..." She paused for a moment. "Umm, I- I don't know how to explain it. I want them to pay for what they did, of course. I just... I don't want anypony to die. I- I don't like suffering, and..."

She trailed off, her eyes darting around to and fro as she tried to put words to her conflicted mind. Typically, such life worship would annoy Sin, but with her? It made him feel a small sense of relief. Revenge was a terrible thing to want, it twisted minds and turned good ponies into monsters. He was glad she wasn't resolutely tainted by it.

Though, something that was troubling to him was how quickly emotional Krystal was becoming.

The lack of absolution itself was causing her distress. Tears of conflict began to well in her eyes as Krystal stuttered and frought with her mind's idea of mercy and justice. "I don't... I don't wanna be the kind of pony who wants others to suffer." She said in a voice barely above a whisper and sniffled.

Sin felt concern welling in his chest, but understood. Near death experiences were traumatic things, and Krystal's resolve against expressing herself about it was starting to crumble. It was going to be a delicate next few moments, but the Federalist called upon every last bit of his psychological knowledge to deal with it.

"Why not?" Sin asked. "After what they did, nobody would blame you."

Another flinch from the amber eyed pegasus. "I would."

Sin felt himself grow a little heated. "You shouldn't. Krystal, after what they did to you and Scootaloo-"

"NO!" She barked, making Sin take a surprising step back from the suddenness of the outburst. He'd seen Krystal happy, he'd seen Krystal sad, but he'd never seen Krystal angry. And as much as he expected the emotion, no amount of preparation could make him ready for seeing the sweet pegasus speak in anger. 

"No! I don't want to think like that! I don't want to be that kind of pony! Revenge is wrong! It's wrong and it's ugly and hollow and... I shouldn't want it! It's stupid! It doesn't make anything good! I don't want to be angry anymore!" 

Sin swallowed as he watched the trembling mare huffing and fighting to keep herself under control. He could see she was angry, angry, scared, frustrated and very, very ashamed. Sin knew emotional turmoil when he saw it, Krystal wanted revenge. She wanted the Trotski to pay for what they had done, and she was absolutely disgusted with herself for wanting it.

Setting his own irritations aside, Sin turned to her and sat down. He'd need to pick his words carefully. "It's okay to want revenge-"

"No it's not!" Krystal insisted through bleary eyes. "Mama Gem said-"

"Please let me finish." Sin interjected, his voice gentle and soothing. "It's okay to want it. It's okay to be angry. They hurt you, almost killed you."

Krystal's breathing deepened and her lip began to quiver, but she held her tongue.

Seeing she would allow him to continue, Sin took a breath. "It's okay, Krystal. It feels bad, I know. Hate and anger are ugly emotions, but they are natural to feel after being hurt like you were. Did Gem and Granite tell you that feeling angry like that is wrong? That all things should be forgiven and accepted?"

Blinking rapidly, Krystal's mask of anger crumpled to desperate thinking. She didn't need to answer, the fact her eyes kept trailing to the left and looking up at Sin in guilt told him he'd hit the nail on the head. 

Such a thing was a double edge sword. One one hoof, forgiving, accepting and moving forward did help the healing process and sending ponies forward to live their lives for the better. On the other hoof, when taught as an absolute, the idea gave off the impression that forgiveness could be given without the other party facing consequence. Making a pony's desire for closure collide with their sense of  confused justice.

Sin lifted a hoof to place it on Krystal's shoulder, though the mere movement of his body made her flinch and tense as if he was going to hit her. 

The action struck him in the chest, apparently the emotional aspects of what had happened weren't as suppressed as he had hoped. Slowly, but with predictable speed, he lifted his hoof and placed it on her shoulder. "It's okay to be angry. It's okay to feel angry and to want them to pay." He said softly, "what they did to you was wrong, and you have every right to hate them."

"N-no I can't." Krystal said in a quivering voice. "H-hate is bad, and- and Papa said-"

Sin silenced her by squeezing his fetlock on her shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to give a sense of comfort and command. "I don't care what your mothers or father said, I care about you. Hate is an emotion, it's a feeling. Feelings are not inherently good or bad, they are reactions to things that happen. You can't control how you feel, but you can accept it for what it is."

Silence descended, Sin could feel Krystal's trembling increasing beneath his hoof. It killed him to see, hear, and feel her like this. He cared about her feelings, he wanted to see her smile again, almost painfully so. However, he knew this needed to happen. The emotional conflicts were there, and he knew what would happen if she tried to fight them for too long. He wouldn't let that happen to her.

Funny, all that time studying psychology to figure out what was wrong with himself ends up being useful to helping others.

Suddenly, and without warning, Krystal lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around him, burying her face into his neck just in time for the first unrestrained sobs to be muffled. 

Sin shivered from the raw, unabashed pain and hurt in those sobs. Even muffled as they were by his coat, he could hear the mental anguish and desperation in the mare's break down. 

Sitting himself back on his haunches, Sin did the only thing he could think to do in that moment. He let his forleg on her shoulder travel around her neck and held her close, while the other forleg began absently stroking the top of her head. "It's alright, you're alright." He cooed.

Krystal said something but if it was argument or acceptance, Sin didn't know, it was lost between her muffled sobs.

For some reason, Sin felt like crying with her. He wouldn't, of course, she needed him to be strong now. He needed to be confident in his convictions, to show her that she could place her faith in his words and to accept her feelings in order to move past them. 

After a good five minutes of her bawling it dawned on him how much Krystal may have been repressing her own emotions throughout their time together, as well as her whole life. 

Smiling.

She was always smiling, always cheerful, always pleasant and kind. Was that the real Krystal Melody? Or was that who her parents wanted her to be? With as much as she mentioned her parents and what they said, it was clear they had alot of influence on her; more than he thought they should. 

Gem and seemed like the sort to allow her self expression, but Sandy? He didn't know about. 

If what he was told was true, the earth mare was abused by another female, and maybe Krystal kept up a happy face to try to set her at ease. Also, and more importantly, what of her father, Granite? Krystal had an obvious fear of him. Not an abused kind of fear, but the kind where his disapproval aroused the worst kind of dread within her. 

Was that a daughter who loved her father and family a great deal, or was there something more to it than that? Krystal was a pony pleaser, she always wanted everyone to be happy and comfortable. Maybe that was another part of the problem, maybe-

'Maybe psycho-analyzing her can wait? Sin? Maybe you can just be there for a mare who obviously needs you without trying to fix her right away?'

"It's not just that..." Krystal mumbled. In his thinking, Sin hadn't even noticed that her trembling and crying had subsided. "Why I'm crying."

"What else?" He asked, his psychologically inclined brain eager to absorb a little more data and information.

Amber eyes turned up to look at him, and her foreleg tightened as they met the icy blue of his own, their muzzles a scant few inches apart. "I'm scared of losing you."

Another small pang hit Sin in the chest, compounded when he remembered the joke he'd made when she woke up about him not being dead yet.

"Don't be." Sin reassured. "The Trotski aren't-"

Krystal shook her head and sniffled. "Not them, I mean the other thing." One of her forlegs went up to the side of his skull. "The Nightmare in here."

Sin let out a soft sigh and his eyes found the ground. Of course, that. He remembered how terrifying he must have looked and sounded to her and Scootaloo. The things he'd said, the Nightmare's possession tainting his eyes and voice. 

What was he even supposed to say to that? He didn't want to lie, but the truth would be just as damaging. The Alicorn's powers grew every time Sin used them, and if he followed through with turning the Trotski against each other through her dream manipulation...

"I'm sorry about what I said, I was angry and afraid about what would happen if you guys did that when it could have gotten you killed." 

Finally, the mare offered him a smile. A small and sad one, but it was still better than the anger and desperation he'd seen on her for the past few minutes. "You should apologize more to Scootaloo. She's the one you said that to, silly."

Yea, he did.

Krystal's smile didn't last before her face turned serious again. "Is... is there anything I can do to help? With the Nightmare, I mean."

Sin shook his head. He didn't know of any way she could, and honestly, he didn't want her to meddle with the creature any more than what was necessary. As far as he was concerned, the amber eyed pony had suffered enough.

"Oh, okay." She said, shrinking a little. Sin was about to tell her it was alright, but was cut short. "Promise me." She said looking up at him again with imploring eyes. "Promise me that if it gets too bad, you'll tell me."

The Federalist had no idea what she planned to do if he told her, but figured it was just for her own peace of mind. He could agree to that for her.

"I promise."

Krystal smiled again and leaned up to plant a quick kiss upon his cheek.

Once she settled back down, reality suddenly caved in upon both of them and they realized where they were in terms of proximity and body positioning. Krystal immediately pulled away, her entire head turning a light shade of pink as began twirling her forehooves.

Sin felt his own cheeks heat up a little and he already missed the comforting sense of Krystal's body against his own... despite the memory of his last loves betrayal against him.

"Umm, we should get back to the cabin." Krystal suggested, smiling bashfully.

Sin agreed and grabbed a few berries for the filly. Things were going to need to change between all of them, if this was going to work. Scootaloo was still angry with him, and that was an issue needing to be dealt with.
  
> Sin's Sin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



  "I find the phrase 'the ends justify the means' to be a misrepresentation of the Consequentialist world view, for it seeks to demean the agent's views on the means as if they hold no influence upon the ends. A more accurate phrase to embody the philosophy would be this: 'The ends had better justify the means'."

~ Excerpt from the Consiquentialist Libertarian book: Why is Life? Chapter nine: Facts over Feelings











Sin's Sin








Sin took a breath and opened his eyes, his orbital receptors greeted by the typical black and blue emptiness of his mind's blackroom.

He looked around to see if he could find Critic or the Kid about, but neither of them appeared to greet him and offer advice or council on his current predicament.

Three days had passed since he'd gone out with Krystal into the wilds and resolved himself to apologize to Scootaloo for the threat he'd made against her life. Three days since he'd made said apology, and three days since the filly had given him a look of suspicious contempt and muttered out a half hearted and begrudged acceptance.

The glare she gave the ground and huffing, pouting expression she wore gave Sin the full understanding that his apology had gone unaccepted. 

The Federalist knew it wouldn't, he knew damn well that what he'd done would scar even an adult with a full understanding of the situation, how could he ever expect her to forgive him? How does one even apologize for threatening to kill you?

Sin didn't know, but for some reason or another, Scootaloo's rejection of his apology enraged him to the core.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't right. How could he be angry with her? Sin knew how it would play out, how unlikely it was that she wouldn't be receptive to his attempts at mending things between them... but the look on her face, that look of utter contempt, of loathing and begrudged acceptance, after everything he'd done for her.

It made his blood boil, forcing him to walk out the door to cool off before giving her a tongue lashing she wouldn't forget.

He wanted to say things, things he knew would cut her deeply. Things that offered nothing but pain and hurt. To make the foal suffer for her insolence, to make her pay for forgetting the times he'd saved her life. Who did she think she was not accepting his apology?! That little bitch would be dead three times over if it wasn't for him! That fucking littl-

"TAPIO DAMMIT!" Sin shouted into the void, slamming his head against the floor.

He didn't need to ask why he was so angry with her. It wasn't her fault, but then again, it wasn't his either...

A small chill ran through Sin's spine and he took a breath to steal himself against the new presence in the void.

Raising his head, the stallion found himself no longer in the Black Room, but in the White Room, where his dreams and mind's eye would torture him once again.

"Why do you deny it?" A cold, almost lifeless voice asked from behind. Sin's eyes shot wide. That wasn't the sound of the Nightmare, but it was a voice he'd heard before.

The stallion slowly turned his head and fear gripped his chest at what he saw. 

The Alicorn of Insanity, while intimidating and formidable, was something Sin had dealt with for many months now. She he could handle without much fear or need of courage, she had a game Sin knew how to play, and she would have been a welcome sight compared to what stood before the pony now.

Swallowing the bile that threatened the back of his throat, Sin tensed himself as he gazed upon the white robed stallion before him. His entire body was covered in ivory, polyester hooded cloak, the tight apron in front coated in a mix of bright red and brown blood that betrayed the violence and gore the pony had committed. Yet, the most striking and horrifying feature had to be the lifeless, plastic mask that hid the stallion's face. The expression of absolute neutrality and indifference to the cautious Sin as he looked into the black and unassuming eye holes.

The Reaper tilted his head and repeated the question. "Why do you deny it?"

His voice was cool, smooth and void of any emotional investment whatever, speaking as if he were asking about a boring summer's day. Considering the horrifying image the being displayed, and the deadly threatening aura he exuded in dreams past, the calm, almost lifeless words were a bone chilling in contrast.

Sin took a breath and lowered his head in defiance. "Deny what?" He snarled in contempt.

Regarding him for a moment, as a curious cat would it's prey, the Reaper answered. "You're desire to kill her."

"What?!" Sin barked a little too loudly. "I don't want to kill Scootaloo!"

"Oh?" The white clad pony asked wryly. "I think we both know that's not very true."

Slowly, the Reaper slowly turned and began circling Sin, his steps somehow stiff and commanding, but casual and relaxed at the same time. "After all, she could have easily gotten you killed, couldn't she?"

Eyes narrowing, Sin should have spoken right away about the moral aspect against what the Reaper had said. He should have told the construct that he'd made a commitment to help and protect her... that it was the... right thing to do... but he didn't.

Instead, the Federalist simply stated: "The kid has made his decision on her. It's out of my hooves."

"The kid." The Reaper spat in a voice that almost showed some sliver of emotion. "The Kid and the Critic. They make life difficult, don't they?"

Sin's jaw gaped just a bit. Never, ever had his subconscious mind ever spoken against the Critic nor the Kid. The fact that this... thing did both intrigued him and more importantly; horrified him.

And yet... the white clad figure spoke truth, no matter how much Sin wanted to deny it. As terrible as it was, had Kid not forced Sin to investigate the incident back in the Everfree and save the foal, she wouldn't have been his concern. Even if it did mean her own death. Slowly, the stallion laxed himself, if only just. "Yes, they do." He admitted before pressing his lips, finding the statement in need of defending. "But their hearts are in the right place."

"Hearts?" The Reaper spoke, his voice taking a contemplative edge. He stood for a moment, as if chewing the word over in his mind. He slowly turned and looked Sin directly in the eye.

"Their hearts are what might get Macintosh killed. Might have gotten you killed."

Muscles tensing, the Federalist bit his lip as anger and indignation coursed through him in an unprecedented display of rage. Not at the Reaper himself, but at his words. It was true, he knew it was true ever since he'd started this little quest of his... but to hear it out loud like that just made his blood boil something fierce. 

"Factually true." The stallion conceded. "But an acceptable risk."

"Is it?" The Reaper asked, once again beginning his slow, purposeful circle stride. "Are ponies who actively seek to impede your mission an acceptable risk to take on? Seems to me they're just as much an enemy as the Trotski you hunt."

Again, another wave of irritation and anger forced Sin to halt any immediate retort, settling instead to begin his own circling in order to keep the pony in his line of sight. 

The Reaper spoke truth again, and for a second time, Sin found he had no logical response. Logically speaking, it would be easier to abandon the girls and hunt the Trotski all his own. Not to mention he was just as much a threat to them both...

"They wont do it again, not after what happened with Panzy and Clover." Sin stated, finally calming his mind.

"Perhaps." The Reaper said simply. "Perhaps they'll be more rational and stand aside next time... but did they not say they wouldn't allow you to kill? Do you think their Life Worship will end simply because they've suffered pain? Krystal has already shown she didn't want to sever ties to her emotional connection to forgiveness and acceptance, and Luna had all but erased the entire ordeal from Scootaloo's memory." He paused his walking and turned to eye Sin directly in challenge. "What's changed, exactly?"

For the third time, Sin was argued into silence. What had changed since last time? Nothing really. He suspected Krystal would be a bit more receptive to his mission after her experience, but even if he told her he wouldn't kill the Trotski leaders, it didn't guarantee either of the girls would allow him to go off on his own to deal with them. Their own ideas on stopping him being for his own good for... some reason or another. Valiar was a new addition, maybe he could be of use in keeping them busy. It wasn't like he planned to stop-

Sin's looked up and his breathing and mind went on overdrive as the white mask of the Reaper now sat a mere three inches from his face. The stony and unexpressive features of the mask even more disturbing up close. 

"You can't stop them." It stated matter of factly. "They are a pair of liabilities, loose ends that will get you and Macintosh, and who knows how many others killed out of their own foolish notions of Life Worship. You know this, Sin. They are no different from the idiots in North New Equine who seek to protect the welfare rats from rightful starvation through their hatred of suffering. You're harboring the very behavior you claim to hate."

Sin's eyes widened, but he couldn't will his body backwards away from the threat, he couldn't move at all. His heart began to thump in his ears as the intense, black slits in the mask's eyes bore down into him like the aura on it's most oppressive. 

And again, the Federalist couldn't reply. It... it was true.

Krystal and Scootaloo did protect the Trotski like the Life Worshipers in New Equine protected the incompetent and unfit. They were a burden to him like the parasites were a burden to the productive. Ordered about by the governing body of the country, just like was ordered by the governing body of his mind. And... it was likely he'd be ended by them the same way the welfare rats would end the entire state.

It was a contradiction in values...

"Your hypocrisy isn't your own. It's because of the Critic and the Kid. Your emotional acceptance has made you vulnerable and complacent. It is because of them that you refuse to kill, or at the very least abandon, that which makes you weak..." The Reaper raised his head, forcing Sin to look up at him. "But I can help with that."

...

Sin blinked, and then blinked again as the words sunk in.

"What?" He whispered.

With methodical grace, the Reaper slowly turned and began walking passed Sin, leaving the stallion free from his gaze and to slowly turn and find a sight that almost made his heart stop.

Behind him, the Kid and the Critic both stood, looking at him with passive faces as the Reaper came between the two. "Despite how much you claim to love Anarchy and Libertarian virtues, you comprehend the importance for order and hegemony. Things that, even with or without government, are required for any society or group to function." The blood spattered pony turned. "For without these things, a group of individuals will eventually turn on each other and eat each other alive or worse. Too much chaos of inconsistency in thought and culture will ultimately lead to irreconcilable differences and the destruction of any civilization or... small group."

Both Krystal and Scootaloo materialized from the either, both with faces just as passive and none expressive as the Critic and the Kid. 

The Reaper stepped forward and raised his hoof to reveal something that had just appeared in the dreamscape, or Sin simply hadn't noticed until just now. 

A long, razor sharp butcher's knife was slowly raised to Scootaloo's throat.

"Diversity of thought for the expansion and challenge of ideas is one thing, but to protect those who wish to kill you is regressive and self destructive. An idea that leads ultimately to needless suffering and death. Unintentional to be certain, but consequences don't care about intent." The white clad pony pressed the blade firmly into the filly's neck and Sin felt his stomach churn as the sound of slipping metal and parting flesh echoed through the void, the smell of iron assaulting the pony as red blood began to pour out of Scootaloo's throat. Her blank stare never once changing in show of the deadly wound before her body simply collapsed onto the floor.

Sin's eyes widened in horror at the filly's limp and lifeless form, but his respite in movement kept him from doing anything to help her.

The Reaper turned to Krystal. 

"No..."

"Even those who understand in full the intent to harm and murder would rather cling to their Life Worship and endanger those who seek to protect them." He raised the knife up to the off white mare's throat. 

The sound of metal slipping as it dug into her throat made Sin cringe and the second mare fell into a heap just like the filly before her.

Sin's breaths came deeply to him now, his mind a mix between emotions of horror, dread, anger, disappointment, guilt, and an emotion that superseded them all... relief.

Relief that he'd not need to look after them anymore. That he wouldn't need to worry about protecting or feeding, or keeping any promises to either of them anymore. Yea, he was still angry that the Reaper was killing them, but it was like the emotion was in the back ground, a small nagging at the stallion's overtly forced sense of calm and acceptance.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" The Reaper asked, cleaning the blade against his already bloodied cloak. "To be rid of them and the constant frustrations they've caused? To know that their differences will no longer be a factor in your mission to save Macintosh? That order in self-determination has been restored in its rightful place to you and you alone?"

Sin tried to move his mouth to answer in the negative. That he'd had no right to take any pleasure in their loss, that he'd made a promise to both of them to care and look after them, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he answered in the only way he could, with a helpless shake of the head.

"No?" The construct questioned before a mirthless, cynical chuckle escaped it. "Of course not. How could you feel better?
They were not the problem, no. They were merely symptoms of a much greater disease."

Again, the white figure turned, his attention fixed upon the Kid and the Critic. He stood and began to approach them, the blade in his hoof drawn to bear. "A disease in which I shall be the cure."

"NO!"   

With every last will of his being, Sin finally found his agency and charged forward. He leapt forth and slammed himself hooves first into the back of the unsuspecting white construct with the full intent to break the thing until there wasn't a pair of bone pieces left to rub together.






"SIN!"

THWAK!

Sin gasped and bolted up, his eyes darting around to find the threat he'd just assaulted. But the blood covered Reaper was nowhere to be seen, nothing but a heavily breathing Krystal standing beside him.

Critic? Critic!

'Sin, Sin calm down. It was just a dream.'

The stallion's chest heaved as he stared at the ground. It was... just a dream? No, it couldn't have been, it felt so... vivid. His feelings of anger, of rage, of loss... they were just as real now as they were when he'd watched the mare standing before him murdered before his eyes as she stood in the low illumination of the fireplace.

"Sin are you okay? You were crying." Krystal said, fear and worry permeating her voice.

The Federalist looked up at her and had to restrain himself from reaching out and taking her in a bone crushing embrace. He lifted a hoof to his cheek and found tears hadn't just wetted the pelt of his cheek, but fully dampened it. 

He forced an awkward chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, just had a bad dream."

How's the kid? Is the kid okay?

'He's fine, Sin.' Critic responded calmly. 'We're both fine.'

That's good.

"What was the dream about?" Krystal asked, after another round of questing if the disturbed pony was alright. Sin dismissed her inquiry, stating that it was nothing to worry about. After all, it wasn't really like telling her would do any good, matter of fact, it would probably scar her more than anything.

"You know, if something's bothering you, we can talk about it." She offered.

A sudden spike of irritation and anger shot through Sin's spine like a red hot bolt from a crossbow. He bit his tongue to keep his words in check. She couldn't know about it, it wasn't his place to harm her like that, not after everything he'd put her through.

"Thanks, but it's nothing." He managed through the best smile he could force.

Unsatisfied, but accepting, Krystal went back to her place on the couch to stand watch for the night while Sin turned away from her to pretend to go back to sleep. But with the new monstrosity that he knew awaited him in the white room, sleep was the last thing the stallion ever wanted to do again.
> Fillydelphia Runnings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Fillydelphia Runnings






"Hey, Sin? How much farther to Fillidelphia?" Krystal asked as the trio, plus Angel, wondered down a lightly wooded path due north.

Sin cracked his neck, and recalled the map. They'd left the cabin by the lake a few days ago, once Sin had found everyone in company to be fit for travel once again.

"Should be another day or two, assuming we keep up this pace." The Federalist replied. His eyes trailed up ahead, watching Scootaloo flutter her wings to power her makeshift scooter along the trail, the white rabbit of their troop standing behind her and clinging to her leg for dear life.

At first, Krystal was against the filly even having the contraption, convince that it would eventually lead to some kind of injury. However, once Scootaloo had expressed the logic of how it used her wings to power the small vehicle, the alabaster mare relented in her dissuasion of use. Hell, there were a couple of times the two had watched the filly actually take to the air with the scooter, if only for a short flight before coming back down.

It was beyond impressive for Sin to know that Scootaloo had spent her recovery time making it. He'd kept them all at the cabin for about 5 days, and since it only took her 3 to heal completely; thanks in no small part to Madam Feelgood, Scootaloo had elected to use her time to put her engineering and mathematical research to use and create her favored mode of transport. Some of the parts were purchased by Sin, of course, but that was for the finer tuned things like nuts and bolts. Everything else, the filly had scavenged from the cabin. Piping for the handles and body, wheels from a small red wagon, a wooden frame from one of the floor boards... all things considered, it was quite a spectacle to behold in both it's utility and durability.

'It's good she's using that time with Value to be productive. Honestly, I was afraid nothing would come from that. Especially after that air balloon issue.'

Sin internally nodded. It wasn't that which worried him, though, for their entire time of travel since the incident with Sombra and Soarin, Scootaloo hadn't said much of anything to him. He'd tried to initiate a conversation with her on multiple occasions, but the filly would just give him a death glare before turning away and proceeding with whatever she was doing.

She did thank him for financing her endeavors, but that was about the extent of it, which Sin would accept. The nightmare he'd had about the Reaper slicing her open had stolen any and all desire to push back against her rightful anger. The same with Krystal, if he was being honest. 

Ever since that night, he'd put alot of effort into being nicer to the two mares, hoping that the pony in white would leave his mind be. While yes, the stallion did see them as a bit of a burden to his plans, they... were nice to have around in their own way. He'd grown to appreciate the slowly developing dynamic between the three of them. Hell, even Angel had taken it upon himself to be helpful with assisting Sin in searching for food.

Valiar was another matter, though. His presence, while scant and reassuring to Sin, put off both Scootaloo and Krystal. The trio would see him maybe twice a day if they were lucky, and he only gave the Federalist any mind. Scouting ahead for any potential dangers they might face.

The only thing that made Sin a little unnerved was how pleased the Red Mage seemed to be about learning that Soarin and Sombra were tracking their troop. Apparently, the stories about the Fell King and his powers were well known to him, and Valiar relished the challenge of engaging Sombra in a magical duel.

Sin, much to Valiar's chagrin, requested that the duo not be engaged unless they initiated it. Though loathed, the red stallion accepted the terms, but deemed to keep a quiet eye on the two.

"Woo hoo!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she jumped a hill, taking herself about four feet off the ground with the help of her wings.

"Careful! Don't get too far ahead of us!" Krystal called before shaking her head. "My goodness, she's going to hurt herself one of these days."

Sin smirked. "Yep, and like a big girl, she'll get right back on an go even faster."

Shooting him a mildly disapproving look, Krystal humphed and continued her trot beside him in silence.

'Hmmm...'

What's up?

'Alright, so here's another one for you.' Critic said, another scenario cooked up in his head. 'Picture it: a hurricane just struck a coastal city. Large population, some citizens are stocked up in preparation, but most aren't. The food stores, seeing themselves running out of product, raise prices and-'

Price gouging, Critic? Really? You're throwing that one at me?

'Well, I'd just like to hear your opinion on it, it's one that the two of us have always had as a given, but never really talked about.

You know my opinion on it.

'Yea, but I wanna fight about it.'

Sin sighed. Of course his position on "price gouging" was that it was a ridiculous notion. It was supply and demand taken to it's ultimate conclusion in a sharp incline of demand to a diminished supply. It was a way to deter hoarders and ensure that more ponies could get something, even if at a heightened price, as opposed to a couple claiming everything for a cheaper deal. Not to mention, incentive the producers to expedite the item to places in need, thus offering more to customers, and gradually lowering the price later on. 

When not allowing the price to go up, producers have no incentive to maintain supply to that demand outside of their own good will. And only a fool would rely on the good will of strangers in a time of desperation.

'Alright, but the ponies are suffering here and now, they can't wait for the new shipments to be delivered, nore can they afford to purchase adequate quantities of the item in question. What about if the shops limited the quantity of the item? Say one pony, one thing?'

Again, that was relying on the good graces of the shop keep instead of him or her acting in their own better interests. It can be a viable solution, with also relying on the good will of the producer expediting the item to said shop. However, the issues lies, yet again, in relying on the good nature of others to handle your necessities, and that just didn't sit right with Sin in the least.

"Perhaps the ruling authority may interject her own will upon these shops for these items." The icy voice of the Nightmare interjected.

Where once Sin had found the sound of her voice an enraging experience worthy of a head-to-stone exorcism, he'd come to expect the demon's input to he and Critic's conversations and debates. He'd even toned down calling her a bitch and other unpleasant names.

And what would you have the government do that we haven't already suggested?

"For one, we would make it mandatory that those in the city hold three weeks worth of provision in their dwellings for such an occasion. If not, had them forcibly taken from their homes and relocated to a safer destination with provisions already in place." She paused with a tisk. "Honestly you two, I shall never understand why you must make the most simple of problems have the most difficult of solutions."

Sin sighed internally... again. The Nightmare was your stereotypical dictatorial fascist Queen. In her mind, everything in the world could be solved with a whole lot of magic and a whole lot of violence. 

Despite already knowing the answer, Sin asked: And what would you have those do who'd refuse to leave their homes to your lovely emergency camps?

And to Sin's utter shock, the Alicorn of Insanity answered his question with another question. "Why would they not?"

...

"The pegasi responsible for creating such a storm would give adequate warning of the storm to come, of course, and as such, shelters farther inland would be erected to house the denizens of the hypothetical city. Shelters that would provide the basics such as food, clean water, medical assistance, and protection of my subjects. So why wouldn't they leave their homes to come to my camp?"

'Okay, now imagine you were one of your subjects and ask yourself that question again.' Critic snarked, only to be met with a scoff of indignation from the Nightmare.

Sin, however, kept his thoughts to them silent.

Any real reason he gave her wouldn't be one he could defend should she choose to get technical. Even if she wasn't a dictator in the works, some ponies would refuse to flee their homes simply because they would rather chance the event as opposed to chancing her care. While her refugee city might offer a better alternative... okay, it had a very high chance of offering a better alternative, some would stay. Would it be wise? That was the question.

They would say no because they wouldn't trust your ability to care for them, and they'd rather chance the storm.

"They... would rather chance a hurricane that will destroy their dwellings rather than stay in a camp I provide?" The Nightmare said flatly. "A camp that would have all they need to survive, and you expect me to believe they'd rather chance death in a natural disaster."

Many would, yes.

The Nightmare hummed to herself for a minute and made a dismissive sound. "And I suppose you and I would be in agreement in calling those citizens unfit for survival, Sinbad?"

Personally, I'd have left for greener pastures prior to the storm's arrival. However, those who stay behind and would chance the storm? ... Dammit I do not want to agree with you.

"But do you?!" The Alicorn asked with enthusiasm.

'Siiiiiin...' Critic said with an inflection.

Hey, you're the one who brought it up. Not my fault the Nightmare is as cynical as I am about the idiots of the world. Any way, back to before we were derailed. Price gouging is not a thing, it is supply and demand equilibrating in a time of-

Just as the pony's thoughts were getting started, a sudden feeling haulted both them, and him, right in their tracks. 

"Ugh, Islander!" Krystal said taking a heavy breath. "Why are you doing that again?"

Sin looked at the mare and shook his head. This pressure and sense of dread wasn't his aura's doing. He looked around, feeling the fear in his back grow. He drew his crossbow and turned about, searching for who ever was using the eyes of the predator. It couldn't possibly be Sombra or Soarin, could it? Had either of them discovered how to use it? No, they were too well connected to experience the hardship required. It wasn't Krystal. Valiar maybe? Would he betray them?

A sudden clopping of hooves on earth drew his attention behind them, and he lifted his crossbow at the ready.

What the stallion saw damn near made him drop the crossbow just like he dropped his jaw. It couldn't be... there was no way that... all the way out here?!

There, emerging from the bushline, standing a good chest, head and shoulders higher than himself, was none other than a brown, leather clad Centaur. His dim blue eyes gleaming pupiless down at the pony, the majestic golden coat of his lower body partially obscured by a quiver of arrows complimenting the mighty re-curve bow he held in his hand. A bow that Sin had only just noticed was nooked and trained directly at him.

"Listen to all." The Centaur spoke, his eyes hard and demanding.

It took Sin a second to respond, but in his stupor he found the response phrase. "Follow none."

Seeing the code answered in kind, the Centaur slowly loosened the strain on his bow and lowed it. "Greetings, pony. I see you wear the cloak of the Syndicate."

"S-Sin? What's-" Krystal began, only to have Sin raise a hoof and silence her. 

Her talking right now, or drawing any sort of attention to herself, was not something he needed right now.

"I do, as I am a member of the Liberty Syndicate, Sir." Sin replied with a slight bow of the head. The Centaur almost never ever leave the Northwood, let alone the Federation island. So from one Federalist to another, he was curious to know what could possibly warrant this highborn's presence in Equestria.

"You look... stupid?" The Centaur commented.

"Confused." Sin corrected. "Forgive me, my name is Sin, I was born in the Federation."

A look of genuine surprise overtook the highborn and he relaxed even more. "A Federalist in Equestria? Interesting indeed."

"The same could be said for you, Mister..."

"Nemo will suffice."

"Nemo", Sin corrected, dropping the mister. "If I may be so bold, what brings a Centaur to Equestria?"

The relaxation in Nemo's eyes slowly hardened once more, looking around as if he'd just been reminded that he was looking for something before returning his gaze to the pony. "We seek the Dark One."

Sin's muscles tensed and his breath caught in his throat. The Dark One? He can't possibly mean... the one those street prophets were always going on about, could he?

"W-w-who's the d-d-dark one?" Krystal stuttered, earning a reprimanding glare from Sin.

"Hmmm?" The Centaur's gaze shifted to the pegasus and regarded her for a moment. Sin noticed that the aura was still very much in effect, and was still making the poor mare tremble. "His name is Terik, the false Lord." He tore his eyes from the two and looked back to the thin forest. "The Ruler of the Forest believes the Dark One roams these lands, in search of easily consumable pony magics."

Sin pressed his lips for a second. 

'Oh joy, yet another bad guy to add to the list.'

But Sin knew better. Legends had it that it took Luna, Celestia AND Tapio to end Terik's rampage. The Nightmare, Soarin, Sombra, the Trotski, Chrysalis... none of them compared to the Centaur Lord. 

"Fortunately for your kind," Nemo continued with an almost contemptible tone to his voice "Terik is weak from his defeat and imprisonment in Tartarus. After inspecting the other two gates in the Federation and Minos, and finding them strong, we can only assume that it was the Gate in Equestria that he'd managed to escape through."

Sin nodded in comprehension, betraying nothing of his baleful thoughts to Equestria dropping the ball again. "But Equestria is full of nature. Shouldn't Tapio's eyes have found him?"

Nemo smiled and then chuckled condescending mirth. "Oh the innocence of mortals. Terik is diminished, but not powerless. He knows his usurpers' powers well and is more than capable of hiding himself from them."

Nonplussed by the insult, Sin bit his tongue and nodded. "I see."

"Do you?" Nemo asked, his glare bearing down on Sin as the aura intensified upon him. "Do you truly appreciate the threat the Dark One presents, little mortal?"

Steeling his resolve against the sense of dread, Sin nodded his defiance to the Centaur's challenge and question. He wasn't fond on being on the receiving end of the aura, and initiated his own, minus the Nightmare, to show that, while he wouldn't disrespect Nemo, he'd certainly not be pushed around by him.

"Resilient." Nemo said with a slight amount of praise in his voice. "Armed and not only able to resist the eyes of the predator but use it." His small smile dropped again. "However, little pony, understand that such weapons would not save you in an encounter with Terik."

Sin was no fool, if half of the stories about the fell Centaur were true, he wouldn't dare try to challenge him.

"Understood." Came the stallion's reply.

Nodding at the response, Nemo gave a small bow of his head and turned to 

With the oppression absent, Krystal let out a breath. Sin followed suit, his legs trembling from the amount of force he had to strain his muscles to stay upright under the highborn's gaze.

The highbron were here, in Equestria. That was incredible enough, but they were hunting a recently escaped demi-god who's power surpassed the sister Diarchs of this land, plus Tapio himself. Sin hoped, silently prayed that they would find Tirek soon, otherwise the Trotski would become the absolute least of his problems.

"You alright?" Sin asked, turning his head to see Krystal had regained her bearings and finally calmed herself down.

"I think so," the mare answered, her eyes looking at the place Nemo had walked off into, the Centaur having disappeared without a trace. "So, that was-"

"Not our problem." Sin interrupted, making the mare's mouth shut in reply. "This isn't something we can do anything about, so we're going to forget it happened." He began walking again, his steps far more stressed and robotic than they should have been. Sin swallowed as his eyes scanned the forest around them, his crossbow still firmly on his leg and loaded.

Sin told himself not to worry about it, he told himself that he would only stress himself out by thinking about Terik and his return. What were the chances of him running into the fell demi-god anyways? 

"Hey guys!" Scootaloo called, riding back down to them with a frown. "I've been waiting for you for like, ten minutes. What's taking you so long?"

Krystal was about to answer but Sin beat her to it. "Nothing worth discussing, just listening to the forest creatures is all." He said with a dismissive smirk.

Schootaloo quirked a brow, her eyes trailing down to the crossbow on Sin's leg. "Uh huh..." She said skeptically before shrugging and turning about, knowing that he wasn't going to tell her anymore, and taking point once again.

Krystal followed her stopping only momentarily before being encouraged by Sin to follow while he stayed back, knowing there was another he'd need to speak with. 

It didn't take long for Valiar to emerge from the tree line, his protective stone in a slow orbit around his body. "So, not our problem?" He asked simply, giving Sin a sidelong glance.

Sin shook his head. "Between the Trotski and Chrysalis, we've got enough to deal with." he turned to face the mage. "The Centaur are to be avoided at all costs. They aren't an enemy, but they will not hesitate to destroy those whom do them harm. Part of the Centaur creed is to react with overwhelming and devastating violence to any sort of aggression."

Valiar smirked. "So that's where you get it from. This Liberty Syndicate?"

Sin didn't reply to that, electing instead in taking a few steps forward. "We need to keep going."

And with that, the Red Mage took his place back in the treeline, leaving Sin to catch up to the others. 

'You're still thinking about it.' Critic stated matter-of-factly.

Yea.

He was, despite his reasoning, Sin couldn't help but let part of his mind be occupied by the Terik. He had no plan, nore inclination to deal with it, so it was only his own paranoia and search for self inflicted infuriating that brought Sin the pressure and stress he subconsciously wanted. Even if he shouldn't, he liked knowing there was something to worry about and prepare for.

'No point.' Critic said. 'The Centaur already search for him, and when he's found, less powerful than he was; he'll have the pony sisters, Tapio, likely Twilight and her friends, and one more weapon in Celestia's arsenal that she didn't have during their first fight."

And what would that be?

'Discord.'
> Individual Control
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Individual Control



His saddle bag full of a happily naturally grown asparagus and dandelion flowers, Sin trekked back to camp in the cool morning air and purple hue of the morning twilight. He took a moment to appreciate the the slowly brightening sky line and the gentle chirps of the early birds on their flights to find food.

Sleep hadn't come easily to him last night, though the Nightmare had seen fit to allow what little sleep he had to be undisturbed. Come to think of it, since the appearance of Nemo, the Alicorn of Insanity hadn't spoken a pip. Sin found the quiet a little too comfortable and was about to let his mind drift back to that conversation before Critic steered him away.

'It's nice, isn't it? The tranquility of the morning calm?' 

Sin agreed, it was the reason the twilight dawn was his favorite time of day. Still early enough to avoid the sound of other ponies and creatures, save the short to wake animals, but late enough to have a sliver of light to see and act by. A time for himself to wake up as well as work in peace.

He'd grown used to his companions over the time he'd kept their company, but it was a tolerance for them he had, not a general acceptance. Sin was an introvert by nature, and sought solitude by choice. This was the one part of the day where he could be alone. To not have to answer questions, or keep an eye on others, or worry about their choices that would eventually come to bite him in the ass.

With a sigh that spoke both to the peace he felt as well as his reluctance to relinquish it, he continued on his way back to camp, knowing that either of the girls would be up soon and begin their own task in finding a cloud to supply them all water.

He came to the camp to find the fire restarted, the cooking utensils present for use, and Krystal attending a cloud for harvest while Scootaloo did her daily wing exercises. 

Krystal bounced a little more on the cloud, coaxing a little rain out that fell into Scootaloo's rain collector which deposited the liquid into the cooking pot. The two had made quite the team on the front of water collection, especially Krystal, who'd learned just the right amount of pressure to put to get the cloud to harvest it's pay load without agitation to storm, or dissipation.

He'd heard them talk and stopped moving, deciding to hang back and let them have some light hearted time before coming in and douring the atmosphere as he always did.





"So this Applebloom, she was the one who tried to be the voice of reason, I take it?" Krystal asked between jumps.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "What? Because she's a farmer, she's automatically the voice of reason?"

Krystal stopped jumping long enough to check on the water in the pot and to give the orange filly a slight smile. "Pretty much."

"Ugh." Scootaloo groaned, half from the mare's response, half from the effort in pushing herself off the ground. "Sometimes it's alright to just have fun and be stupid, you know."

"I don't think so." Krystal retorted, jumping off the cloud, satisfied with the water, and gently pushed the cloud away. "Being stupid, while fun, is how ponies get into trouble."

"So what?" Scootaloo replied with her final rep, taking to her legs on the ground. "Having fun and getting into trouble isn't a bad thing all the time. I mean, so long as nopony gets seriously hurt, or property is damaged, why not have a little stupid fun?"

"Because it's stupid?" Krystal half asked. It was amazing how she didn't come off with being condescending with it.

"YES!" Scootaloo said with a big smile. "It's being stupid, maybe a little dangerous, and a whole lot of fun!"

By her expression, it was clear Krystal was having a difficult time understanding the concept. It was a little funny, how similar the rock farmer and her apple farmer friend were. Both very cautious, morally coded, reasonable, and placing sensibility on a pedestal.

Scootaloo understood how important those things were, of course. Don't be so stupid you hurt yourself, or others, in a way they can't easily heal from, but come on! Life in Ponyville was so boring! Well, most of the time it was, discounting the notorious incidents of malicious magical involvement, but again, that's more for Rainbow Dash and her friends! 

Before she'd been found out by Annabell and invited into the Apple home, Scootaloo's life was... dull. Between school, maintaining her tent, or her empty family home before that, working odd jobs after school for dinner, and sleeping; the filly didn't do much in the way of fun. She had her old scooter and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. That was the extend of high energy in her life.

Maybe it was the lack of a family and the fulfillment that such a thing offered to her, that she was supposed to have, but she was tired of how boring things were. Scootaloo's involvement with Applebloom and Sweetie Bell wasn't so much about her getting her cutie mark as it was about just having fun with the two. To laugh and play and have somepony to do those things with! Apple Bloom and Sweetie's ideas were generally safer than her ideas were, but she'd go along with them because they were her friends, and even if what they did wasn't the most exciting things in the world, they were a million times better than sitting in her dwellings and counting the grains of dirt beneath her hooves.

"I'm sorry, Scootaloo, I just can't see how being stupid and such is fun." Krystal finally admitted after a few moments of thought.

Scootaloo sighed. "Whatever, Islander will agree with me."

To that, Krystal stifled a chuckle. "You think Islander will agree with being stupid as a way of having fun?"

"Hey, don't let him fool you." Scootaloo shot back playfully. "He may be a stick in the mud on the best of days, but Islander is a smart pony. He'll know what I'm talking about."





Seeing his cue, Sin smirked to himself and decided to make his entrance.

"I'm afraid Ms. Scootaloo's assessment is correct, Ms. Melody." The stallion said as he waltzed from his hiding place, taking both of them by surprise. Krystal much more than Scootaloo. 

Krystal balked at the statement. "B-b-but you hate stupid and pointless things!"

Sin pressed his lips and raised his eyebrows, his head nodding in a slightly defeated manner. "That's true, I do hate both of those things. However, i am also aware that my way of thinking isn't the only way of thinking. I may be a stick in the mud, as I've been accused-" he paused to look at Scootaloo who merely gave him her version of his empty and knowing smirk, "-however, I can understand, and dare I say, even appreciate the concept of doing something idiotic for the sake of stress relief and fun."

Scootaloo smiled triumphantly and crossed her forelegs over her barrel in a smug display that Sin felt no love for.

"Now, do I agree with it? No." He said, causing the filly to glare at him. "But I do understand it."

Sin deposited the greens into the partially boiling water and added his seasonings as the sun slowly crested the horizon, a now offended Krystal already reading off a list of retorts that Sin could see himself saying. That stupid and pointless actions had little merit in their results and was the ultimate waste of energy and time. 

To which, the stallion didn't even need to reply as Scootaloo was more than willing to interject her beliefs in counter. Claiming that not everything needed a point, or that the point didn't need to have creative results. He sat content to let the two go at it. Actually, it was an impressive debate for him to watch.

Scootaloo could be outspoken about her opinions when the fancy stuck her, but she'd never push to far with Sin because of just how hard he could shut her down with his own logic. With Krystal, however, she wasn't stonewalled in the least, matter of fact, Scootaloo was clearly the dominant voice in the conversation.

'Well, it's not like she didn't have a lot of practice with someone who molded her mind these past months.'

Sin smiled at the thought.

The debate died down after an "agree to disagree" statement was made, and they all ate in relative silence before cleaning up camp and setting out once again.

They were off to a good start for the day, their clean up and packing well practiced and honed for efficiency. Scootaloo had elected to pack in her scooter on her saddle bag this time and hang back with the adults. Things were quiet amongst them until Krystal spoke up.

"Hey Islander?"

"Yea?" Sin replied.

"What's the Liberty Syndicate?" She asked timidly, knowing she wasn't supposed to bring it up.

Sin pressed his lips as he did when being asked about things he'd rather not, his eyes trailing over to Scootaloo who'd looked to Krystal for her inquiry and more intently looked at Sin for his response. Even Angel Bunny, who was upon Scootaloo's back, was looking at him with interest.

Sin was about to dismiss her question, but Critic cut him off before he could.

'Kid says you have to tell her about it.'

WHAT! WHY?!

'You shut her down when she asked about your family and any other way she asked to get to know you. The Syndicate is one of the few things in your life you're proud of. And honestly, both he and I don't see why you wouldn't want to talk about it.'

But Sin knew why, he was a private pony and he didn't like to give anything away outside of his own philosophy. To give away his personal details, that was ammunition for anybody to use against him later. 

However, that was that whole "emotional connectivity" thing, wasn't it? To share your past with another being and have them understand you a little bit more. To have someone get to know you and empathize with the choices you've made. He'd told the two about the worst of himself, his indirect killing of his best friend, his walking away while another committed suicide, his violence that got him kicked out of the Senate and self imposed exile from his homeland, and his mad quest to kill those who'd seek to do his friend, Scootaloo's adoptive father, harm and death.

Maybe a little more of a positive light would be a welcome change of pace.

"The Syndicate is... kinda like a militia in the Federation." Sin said, trying to find a layman way of answering it. "Accept, it's more of a philosophical collective of individuals who hold libertarian ideologies and the will to use violence in order to resist authoritarian government tyrant."

"Malitia?" Scootaloo asked, "what's that?"

Again Sin took a moment to piece his words together. "Umm, well, think of it like a bunch of normal citizens, ponies in the case of Equestrian and North New Equine, who go about their day to day lives as normal, but will draw their weapons and be ready to fight and kill if the need should ever arise. Not a standing army like the Royal Guard or Triple M. but regular ponies. Teachers, farmers, business ponies, plumbers, electricians and what not."

Scootaloo eyed him for a moment then turned back forwards. "Inflicting violence on others? Yea, that sounds like you, alright."

'Ouch.'

"Sometimes you've gotta do what needs to be done, Scootaloo." Sin replied. "And alot of the times, when hard choices need to be made, you're not going to make everyone happy."

"You mean like setting a crossbow to my face?" Scootaloo shot back with a scowl. 

You know, that should have hurt alot worse than it did, but after so much thought had been given to it, Sin didn't even flinch at the comment. His stride never faltered, his eyes shown neither malice nor contempt. His only reaction at all was a deep breath to say what needed to be said. Luna had undone her memories of what Panzy and Clover had done to her, but he'll take her scorn over her remembering exactly why he'd done what he'd done.

He gave a look to Krystal, making sure she knew not to speak before continuing.

"Yes, like threatening you and making sure you knew that me stopping them was more important to me than your life."

This made the filly's eyes narrow and she turned away from him.

What would have have done differently? What incentive did she have to stay away from them, now if not for his own threats? She didn't remember what they did to her, how they almost killed Krystal. 

'Guess that peacemeal before is over.'

"Okay, so about the Liberty Syndicate..." Krystal said, breaking the tense silence. "Where did it come from?"

Happy for an out from the ensuing argument, Sin explained about the origins of his country, about the multiple Serf States that lay around the entirety of the Federation, encompassing all kinds of species and creatures. He explained about the Running of the Centaur and how the highborn had gone from each providence, assisting in the rebellion and eventual over throw of the serfdoms, eventually leading to the slow to form Republic of the Federation in the Capital City of Unitas.

"It was from the Centaur's philosophy that the Liberty Syndicate was born. That freedom and individual action yielded the better outcomes for all involved. That government structure, while perhaps well intention ed, always attracted the worst sociopaths and power hungry busy bodies to its ranks. Influencing the world through regulation and restriction, giving favor to their buddies and leaving everybody else to rot."

"The Syndicate's creed was that you were the first and last line of defense in your own life. That you couldn't count on someone else coming to save you, and that you were to treat life, as with all things, as something that needed to be done and done correctly."

"Done... correctly?" Krystal asked with a tilt of her head.

'Done correctly?' Critic parroted.

"No room for mistakes or failure." Sin stated, his eyes growing in intensity. "When it's your life, or your mission, it's on you to see it through and take full responsibility for the result. No room for entitlement that wont be honored, no room for demanding the benefit of others who'll disappoint you, not hope in the good nature of your fellow citizens. Everything is on you and you alone." He snarled, thinking about his multiple failures in stopping the Trotsky, and the failure of Luna to lend him aid. 

"That... sounds like a very depressing way to live life." Krystal replied solemnly. "I couldn't imagine having to do all of the farm work by myself. Without Papa, Momma Gem, Momma Sandy, Scoria and Obsidian? I don't think I could do it all on my own..."

"You wouldn't have to do it all alone, assuming you could find labor to help you out."

'Ohhhh boy.'

What?

Scootaloo turned to look at him with a quirked brow. "Wait, didn't you just say that everything is all on you yourself? How the hay does it work to have someone else help you with that mindset?"

Ah, I see what you meant, now.

"Hey yea!" Krystal agreed. "If you believe everything should be done on your own, then getting others to help is hypocritical!"

"Well, no, not really. You've both misrepresented something pivotal in this complex web of beliefs." The stallion replied. "I didn't say that you had to do everything by yourself. I mean, the whole point of the Syndicate is just that, right? To not be alone? Now, what I said was that, ultimately, you're mission and lively hood is on you and you alone. A minor difference at face value, but taken to the mindset the Syndicate tried to present and install, it has a greater distinction than you realize."

Scootaloo stopped her walk, making the other two stop as well, and turned. "Oh yea? Alright, explain the difference."

"For the Libertarian, the hard core individualists of us anyways, all the blame for how our lives turn out is on us. We make our own choices, we must adapt and overcome the world around us, as did our ancestors before, and their ancestors before them. And-"

'Let me stop you right,' Critic intoned. 'I hate to say this, but it might be a better approach to explain what the Liberty Syndicate doesn't do, as opposed to what it does do.'

Seeing the reasoning, Sin shifted gears. "And we are the only ponies that we can control."

"Control?" Scootaloo asked.

"Control," Sin answered. "You can only control yourself. The muggers, the rapists, the murderers and all of those people who do bad things for whatever reason. They know they are doing bad things, harming others, ruining them, traumatizing them, but they do so anyways. The Syndicate teaches that you are responsible for dealing with those threats, that counting on others to handle the situation is not only foolish, but detrimental."

Scootaloo and Krystal both grimaced at the aborhant crimes he'd listed, the former speaking. "Okay, I kinda get it, but isn't that common sense?"

Sin shook his head. "Some seem to think it's the job of government to handle criminals. That citizens shouldn't take measures of self defense and preservation, as they'd merely be, and I quote: 'using violence to show that violence is bad' and labeling self defense hypocritical." A thought came to him from his past. "In school, did anybody ever use the phrase, violence begets violence?" 

Scootaloo rolled her eyes but nodded, recalling Ms. Cheerilee saying that whenever she'd engage Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon for picking on her and her friends.

"And how did that work out for you?"

Scootaloo was silent, remembering all too well how their teacher's attempts at scolding the two bullies ultimately yielded nothing but getting them even more angry at her. It was irritating and kind of humiliating to be placed in the "wrong" along with those two just for sticking up for herself and her friends.

"It didn't." The filly replied, her scowl going down to the ground. "Any time I'd try to stand up to them, Cheerilee was just as unhappy with me as she was them."

"Exactly." Sin nodded. "Cheerilee I'm assuming is your teacher, she did what she thought would bring peace in the short term, which was to get everybody to shut up in the moment. It worked, for the moment, but it just pushed things back. Your attempts to shut down a bully were thwarted and you made out to be a bad guy with them." Sin began moving again. "It's an authoritarian approach that creates dependency on the authority for protection as opposed to individual protection. Bullies don't care either way, but the good ponies do and try to obey the authority even to their own detriment. It's a victim complex in the making, and victimhood is something the Syndicate detests above all else. Because, much like you submitting to the authority of your teacher for the sake of avoiding punishment, citizens of a nation do roughly the same thing when it comes to the law and their own self preservation. Especially when self defense initiatives are punished as being part of the problem with sayings such as: 'it takes two to tango'."

Scootaloo's frown deepened as she walked, taking in Islander's words.

"But," Krystal spoke up. "Wouldn't, umm, wouldn't that kind of escalation lead to worse injuries if ponies just went out and fought like you're saying?"

"It would." Sin replied. No justification, no farther elaboration, just the cold hard truth of the matter. If a bully, of whatever kind, decided to escalate a situation with violence, and appeals to authority failed to dissuade them, then there was only one option left.

Krystal frowned at him. "And you think it's acceptable to allow that to happen?"

Sin chuckled, give her a sidelong glance. "Well, I am after the lives of ponies who'd seek to do my friend harm after the government admitted they had no intention of stopping them."

"That's not the same thing, and you know it!" The off white pegasus accused.

"It is." Sin said. "Just on a larger scale. They are the bullies, reactionaries, who wanted to hurt, kill, my friend. I've told the teacher, the government, and they have decided they weren't going to do anything of substance to stop them." Sin explained with a inflection of tone that was almost too happy for his liking.

Krystal stopped and stared at him with a quirked brow. "I feel like you're oversimplifying a relatively complex concept. But at the same time, making a simple one more complicated."

"Yes and no!" Sin called over his shoulder. 

'Now you're trolling them?'

Meh, they started it.

'Real mature.'

"Okay, I kinda get what you're saying." Scootaloo said. Seems involving her own personal experience in the matter made her a little more receptive to his logic.

"You know, honestly, I'm a little surprised that you haven't accepted it whole heartedly." Said Sin, genuinely confused by her resiliance.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, you're personified exactly what I mean." He quiped. "You were left out on your own, and instead of bemoaning your lot in life and giving into despair, you ponied up and survived on your own. You took responsibility for your life at an extreamly young age, and managed to survive in the woods prior to living with the Apple family. Right?"

Scootaloo frowned. "Yea, that's true, but I shouldn't have had to." She looked up at him. "I did it because my family abandoned me."

'Tread carefully, Sin.'

No.

"No, it shouldn't have had to." Sin admitted. "You shouldn't have had to be on your own as you were. It sucks that your parents left you, and even worse that no other family would have you, but you managed with no assistance, if I recall. You worked for everything you had. You took the ultimate in individual control and accountability into your own hooves and made life work for yourself. You didn't sit and stew in blaming others, or demand other people take care of you like many other victims would have. Despite having more right than most to do so."

While his words were controlled and factual, he could see that being reminded of what happened to her parents, and life back in Ponyville, did upset Scootaloo. However, he did catch a small smile on her face at the end when she turned away.

"Life can suck sometimes, but you should take pride in your want to not be a burden on others. Even if it may be a little too much at times for your own good."

Scootaloo didn't respond, but Sin said all he had to say on the matter, hoping his creed had been established enough as to answer any questions.

The walk lasted a while longer before the troop finally reached Fillydelphia. It wasn't quite as metropolitan as Baltimare was, there were a few taller buildings in the presumed down town area, but they were far more rustic and art deko than the brutalist skyliners of the other city. The town that surounded it, too, held to a less modern and more Renaissance-esqe asthetic.

Sin smiled, Fillydelphia was the half way point to Manehatten, and it only took them a few days to cover the distance. Sin felt himself well with anticipation, the Trotsky wouldn't get away this time, he wouldn't let anything hold him up and give them the chance to escape.





Celestia stood along with her sister and Princess Cadance along a square table among one of the more secretive meeting rooms of Canterlot Castle. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to have this meeting, that Tapio and his brethren would have found Terik in the days since he'd arrived. However, when she'd heard reports of the highborn still scoping the lands of her kingdom in search, she'd been left no other choice but to call in a more drastic measure to bring the feel Centaur to heel.

"Thank you for coming, Cadance." The white princess said with a polite smile.

"Thank you for inviting me Aunti." Cadance replied with a smile of her own. "But, what's this about? Your letter said this meeting was urgent, but didn't explain any details."

"I know," Celestia said. "And I will tell you everything as soon as our fourth guest arrives."

Cadance tilted her head. "Fourth? But we three are the only Alicorns in Equestria. Who else would be joining us?"

"Oh dear sweet Candy." Said a voice that echoed through the white chamber before a smiling Discord dressed in ill fitting blazer and tie materialized in the air above the table. "Alicorn magic isn't the only stronger element this world has to offer, you know."

"Discord." Luna spat with no small amount of venom in her voice.

"Ah Lulu, keep up with that scowl and you'll give yourself wrinkles." He said before bending his serpintine body backwards and whispering in her ear. "And I think you'll get enough of that from those leather clad ponies and griffons, don't you?"

The look of sheer terror on her face was short lived, short enough that she hoped her sister wouldn't catch it, but it was clear that the trickster had her number.

"Ah, Celestia." Discord said with faint amusement. "I'm so glad you invited me to the this little soiree. Especially since you're still trying to play damage control after your unfortunate mishap with the Changelings so many months ago." He snapped his tallons, appearing on the open side of the table with a changeling plushy of a changeling in one paw, and a bat pony in his other. "Of course, I was happy to help you regain control once you'd lost it. Seeing as I'm such a good friend to the crown."

Again, Luna's patience was tested in seeing the plushies, knowing full well that the one in the draconequus' tallon wasn't one of her guards.

"Of course." Celestia said with as much grace as she'd ever had, either oblivious to his implication, or genuinely thankful for it. "And thank you for coming, Discord."

Discord shrugged, the plushies thrown to the way. "Well what can I say? Fluttershy herself asked me to come. And what's worse, she threatened our precious tea time together if I refused!" An empty tea cup with a yellow pony and pink mane appeared in his hand, he took a sip only to find it empty before slumping grumpily and tossing it, too, to the way.  

"So, out with it already. What is this about?"