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.