//------------------------------// // The Story of Shade. // Story: Earning Freedom // by Daxisle //------------------------------// 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.,,