Earning Freedom

by Daxisle

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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?'

Author's Note:

Yea, these last two chapters aren't all that great. Give me a break, I've got three jobs to work on here...

Comments

[DARKPHANTOM13]

Sin sighed. 'Tomorrow will be better, I mean, it can't get any worse, right?'

Never say that Sin, it can always get worse and saying that will just make it more likely to happen.

[zsewqthewolf]

Sin you just kicked yourself in the nuts

[Godiswithus3]

I'm growing to hate this Shade character. He is the kind of character that needs to be put down or he will hurt someone real bad, like Sin and Luna.

[Daxisle]

6284024 You can't prove anything.