Your life, my life

[Syron]

Year 4, November 23rd, directly after For Freedom of Mind

I suppose you want to hit something? Shade said once they were in proper distance to Silvern's shop. Hitting things usually helped in venting the anger, especially if those things were griffons. But in Scrapper's case, a pony was the target of his wrath, and since it wasn't night, she wasn't planning to search for a living punching bag. What else to use though? Shade had often used the next wall, but hooves didn't like such harsh treatment. Wooden debris would be better, and it was possible to find it down here, even though splinters were a little problem as well. Well, better some splinters than a constantly cooking Scrapper. So far though, nothing appropriate had caught her attention.

[Scrapper]

"I wanna do a little bit more than just hit something, las" He said in reply. He would put it graphically if he could without mentally scarring Shade. But let's just say that 'Hitting' something would involve strangulation, decapitation, Loss of limbs and/or Genocide. That's how he felt at least.

"It'll just... take a while to get over this, I guess." He said in a bitter tone. His hoofsteps were heavier, and his whole body language in general radiated anger.

[Syron]

It may seem silly, but trust me, letting your anger out on something, even if it's only a piece of debris, it helps, Shade said softly as she took a look into a tunnel she hadn't taken before. Or an old shack for that matter. A quick look into the structure pressed against the tunnel wall revealed it as abandoned. Just imagine it was that pony, Shade added to possibly build some enthusiasm for beating old wood.

[Scrapper]

Mindless destruction? Always satisfying to him. This shack though, looked far too flimsy too withstand a good powerful kick from him. He shouldn't need to calm down at all, but all this emotion was locked away from when he was younger. Now that it finally got released it came all together. Even the emotions he was feeling before he was just a test subject. All of it came back in one go.

He did take Shade's advice, though he didn't have to imagine anything. The memories were coming through with such force that if he stopped trying to block them out he started feeling like he was hallucinating. Seeing things, and upon letting himself go, He went right for the old shack.
He made kicks, he made swings and he even headbutted some of the old pieces of wood in half. But to him, they weren't pieces of wood.
He kept at it until the former shack was nothing more than either rubble or debris, throwing it around and bending any old metal far out of shape.

He just stood there for a good few seconds, trying to regain his thought process. To be honest, he never showed that much compassion in destruction before but, some part of him was satisfied, and he actually didn't feel as angry as he had done when he started.
He turned back to Shade, and made his first joke since he went to Sil's. "I don't think that's going to be salvageable for anything anymore, not even a little table to keep your teacup on." He said smugly.

[Syron]

Shade was lost in thought while she was watching Scrapper reducing the shack to rubble, the feeling of uselessness from earlier still present. Two times she had now failed to protect her loved ones. She didn't blame herself for Skylight's death, but the others... The griffons killed them, because they had been the ones to provide Shade with information and help whenever she had needed it. Often to kill somebody. That seemed to be all Shade was really good at. Causing death. Not very surprising, considering that her special talent boiled down to "assassination".

She had her eyes closed and only noticed the end of destruction when Scrapper spoke to her. She collected herself as fast as she could, but their source of light being located on Shade's forehead Scrapper could have noticed the depressed look she showed for a moment before covering it behind a smile. It could be used to make a fire. But I suppose that has no real value. She stood up and began slowly walking towards the hideout. Do you want to talk about it?

[Scrapper]

"I don't mind talking about it if you don't mind talking back." Scrapper said with slight unease. He just got his thoughts back to himself and then he was asked to talk about them.
Shade was the one pony he would talk to about them, but this soon, and the fact that he had questions of his own, prompted the little trade. If you can even call it that between lovers.

[Syron]

The suggestion caused mixed feelings... Not that Shade would even think about saying no, Scrapper deserved knowing about Shade's life. But it would be painful for her. I suppose it's time we learn a bit more of each other's past, she said thoughtfully. But I'll most certainly start crying, so maybe we should go back first.

[Scrapper]

Scrapper nodded in agreement, and walked most of the trip back in thought of Shade's reaction to her own past. He was never one to let negative emotions cloud his judgement, when he thinks back to all he has done before, he has never shown any emotion because he just knew that crying over it wouldn't help. Whats in the past is done, it's right now that matters.
He knew Shade had lost everything, he couldn't imagine what it felt like considering he has lived with no one truly there to support him. But somehow he had the idea it was a lot similar to how he felt now, his past just made him feel angry, very angry. Whilst hers brought her down to tears.

It was the first time his emotions broke through as much as they did. As he entered their hideout, he couldn't help but hope that Shade didn't end up doing what she did before when she as angry.

With a still uneasy voice, he said, "So what do you wanna know, Las?" he said as he put his bag on his workbench. Next to a few small buzz-saws and metal sheets.

[Syron]

Shade settled down on their cots, inviting Scrapper to lie with her. That's the wrong question. What do you want to talk about?

[Scrapper]

Scrapper accepted the invitation and lay next to Shade, the only thing keeping him calm at this point. Although he wasn't going to be as bad as Shade's previous anger moments, it was still a strong sense of deja-vu.

To be truthful, he wanted to talk about none of it. He knows now that ever since he was able to stand up and walk his life has been hell. Shade was obviously not expecting sunshine and happy rabbits. But what happened, and how it forced his life to be nothing but a struggle to survive, made him so angry he wanted to break somethings neck. The only thing stopping him was his common sense and the thought that if those things never happened he'd probably be dead.

After a few moments of thought he lowered his head a little and said, "I want to tell you las but... I don't think I can just 'Tell' you everything... It isn't a nice story, from beginning to present time. There are things I... want to leave out is all. I don't think I even want to talk about it."

[Syron]

Shade silently nodded, apparently she had to begin. Her demeanor changed instantly from mostly thoughtful to the sadness of loss. Thanks to my friends my life was actually mostly happy, but I never really felt content. Not since Skylight was killed, she began, her voice carrying her sorrow, but no anger welled up. She was the first I ever accepted as friend. And thinking back at it, she was even more than that. We were only foals then, going on one adventure after another, practically inseperable.

Shade's body rested against Scrapper, making him feel her trembling. Going through this story again was nerve-wrecking, she could hardly keep herself going, but though her voice was weak and broken by sobs, she brought it to an end. We were thirteen years old when the griffons attacked. Two foals hiding from then in a warehouse... When Blackwing found Sky... he killed her on the spot... I tried to save her, but I had no chance. After that, Shade fell silent,trying not to break down even more and let the tears grow stronger.

[Scrapper]

Scrapper leaned against Shade a little to let her know he was there, and listening. She had revealed a part of her past, now he really thought it was fair to do the same.
"When uhh... The Griffon's first attacked I was part of the Royal Guard. Not willingly, mind you, considering the profession I had to take to. But a while before the griffon attack, a higher up saw some potential in me and took me on as an apprentice. Taught me everything I know about close-up combat." He said first off, looking forward as if daydreaming or reliving those events.
"I think, I year after they attacked I just left the guard. Again, I wasn't mean't to, but I didn't feel like dying because I was ordered to do something stupid. Not too long after that, I was captured by the Griffon's and taken to a place called Fort Frostbite. That's where I... Got that scar." He continued, he was seemingly calmer than he expected. Probably because he was actually willing to talk this time rather than being forced to.
"I got out, obviously. Had a partner in the escape. But she was caught. I had to leave her behind, that's when I broke my first promise but I... didn't have any options left. Not only did I leave her but... I had a chance to free thousands from their cells, at least give them a chance. But..." He stopped. Obviously he was reluctant to even say why he was forced to leave them. But he got it out after a moment.
"I waited too long on the decision and a group of guards saw me. If I didn't leave when I did I wouldn't have escaped... They raised the alarm and the whole Fort was on alert. I barely made it out myself."

[Syron]

Shade calmed down a bit while Scrapper spoke, concentrating on his story instead of her own memories. She didn't want to, but she found herself imagining how she would feel if she had to leave a friend behind in the claws of a torturer. She wouldn't be able to stay as calm as Scrapper. After a minute of silence she softly asked, What was her name?

[Scrapper]

"Her name was... Her name was..." He took a few moments to himself, had he ever caught his partners full name? Because for the life of him he couldn't remember anything more than what he thought was a nickname.
"I didn't catch her name, we kinda met in that hell-hole. But I remember calling her Sky"

[Syron]

If it had been possible for the shadow-hued mare, she would have turned pale at that. But even with her face staing as dark as always, her shock was clearly visible. Sky...

This was impossible, how could she have survived... No, Shade knew what she had seen, Skylight was dead, this was just a coincidence. She closed her eyes and called her thoughts to order, but they didn't want to be put to sleep without another hint. What... What did she look like? she asked slowly.

[Scrapper]

Scrapper took a few moments in thought, it was so long ago he could hardly remember an exact description. But he remembered the colours at least, "I think her mane was a light blue-ish colour, like the sky. And her mane was white."

[Syron]

Scrapper might as well have told her to stop breathing, because that's what Shade did. Light blue coat, white mane...
Scrapper had called her Sky...

But she died! How could she...

Scrapper met her during imprisonment. Caught by Blackwing. Her supposed murderer. So even if she didn't die back then (she had gotten a spear right through her body for pony's sake!), she would have been captive of a torturer. That was even worse!

But... she might still live! A bit of hope broke through the mask of horror that was her face, but was unable to hold itself there. Shade was still unable to grasp what she had been told. All those past years she had believed her friend had died, this believe was the reason for the life she had led. Skylight had survived? It left her in cold shock.

[Scrapper]

"I'm getting the feeling that you think it's the same pony you knew, and It could be but... You said she died, the partner I had failed to escape a deathtrap of a place. The odds are slim." He said to Shade calmly and honestly, putting a hoof around her to comfort her thought if he could.
"A chance is a chance, even if it is small."

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