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.