Out of place; inspired by the colab ponyfall

All I could possibly think of as my mind drifted was the thought Twilight. Feeling her was the single greatest thing I've ever done. Out of all the things I'd done in my pretty shit twenty-four years, she's the only thing to actually make things better. Others just pushed it off for a bit or numbed the pain. But when she finally came about and really helped me, that all changed. I felt a sense of love for her that I'd never felt for anything before.

The last thing to float about through my blanking conscious was being with her. Not as in sex or some meager relationship, forever.

"Look, he's coming to." A distant and feminine voice said happily.

A few coughs and a pain filled voice of a man came through. "C'mon Monkey, don't let up. We've gone this far, might as well be sure to finish the job, eh?"

My eyes groggily opened to see everything in a grungy smear. I felt cold, colder than cold. I could swear I felt dead. When my vision focused I was greeted by the sight of a relieved Margaret and Marrow near me. Marrow had a few bandages wrapped around him and he smiled a toothy grin weakly.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Think back, the woman, your fight."

The memories flooded and I remembered. S, the fighting, even what I said about Twi.

"How long have I been out?"

"Ten days time." Margaret answered. "Many were beginning to lose hope. You're our leader, what would they do without you?"

"Ten days, shit." I muttered. "What happened to-"

"The towns folk gave her a proper burial. She didn't deserve it but, it needed to be done."

"Alright." I looked down to see my shirt and jacket gone, replaced with bandages wrapped around my chest.

It gave off a stinging ache. There had been a sizable hole in it after all. Something else I had noticed was the markings. Before I saw they had been trimmed and cut along the edging from my arm. Only reaching from my shoulder to my wrist and stopping before they passed those points. Now they spread out further in an unkempt fashion. Reaching along my opisthenar and off my arm and along my shoulder. It spread out a bit across my pec, down my under arm and likely over the plate of my shoulder. Their red color and wisp like wavy ending gave them a similar appearance to fire.

"What's all this?" I asked confused and surprised by it.

"Ah, that." Marrow said stepping forward. "Before when I gave you this it was focused and weak. You've done something major, hit a point of surpassing weakness in a sense. That fight with the broad made you stronger. Give it a go, it's pretty rare for something like this to happen."

"Rare, what, there's been others?" I asked starting to feel irritated.

"Well of coarse. It's a gift of demons, and a bargaining chip that they can all throw in." He said in a tone like I should already know this shit.

"There has only ever been two others ever able to do this." Margaret stated. "From what I've heard, the marks adapt and reflect the recipient. Like it has you."

"Man, this is some bombshell." I thought sourly. "So what the chuffing hell does that mean?! I'm special or something? Yeah I thought that about the time I landed a girlfriend like Twilight."

"Don't go and get your knickers in a twist." Marrow laughed. "C'mon now, give her a try. This is somethin' to be seen."

"Alright." I said focusing.

Nothing seemed to happen. I concentrated and felt a strained pang through my arm. I concentrated harder, giving all I could. The markings glowed brighter and started to move. Instead of hovering, they ebbed and flowed in spiking waves, moving together. A warmth was given off and I continued to focus. The marks trailed down into the palm of my hand formed together.

The hilt was different. Instead of a carbon like black, it was a bright alabaster. It was curved and along the gripping points was ridge like. The hand guard was a flat solid piece in the shape of the Japanese character 'tora', tiger, made of what looked like gold. Underneath the guard was three red rings. the bottom end was rounded and it all had a smooth plastic like finish to it.

I gripped it tightly, no guide bar extend out just a deep green blade. It came out thicker near the base and thinned out into a curved point, the length of it in slight curve. It still flickered and hummed like it did, but something felt different about it. I waved it around and could swear I felt something to it, like it really was a piece of me. The blade's flickering started becoming wisp like as it blazed on.

"Wow." Marrow said nodding. "This is, wow."

"Quite." Margaret agreed.

The blade cut off and the hilt faded. The fiery marks died and resumed being simple body art.

I looked down at the marks with a look of solace. I softly spoke. "Tsubaki" I christened it.

I stood from the spot I laid and made my way toward the door of the small room. I stopped before it and walked back to where my belt and bags had been tossed. I opened the largest pouch and removed the flag from it. It unfurled and wavered. I grabbed the far corners along the top and brought them over around my bare shoulders like a poncho or cloak.

I walked back out the door to see a small crowd inside the tavern, waiting. I stood on the second floor and looked out from a walkways railing.

I pulled the flag from my back and held it up. "Freedom."

I was met by cheering and clenched fists in the air. Marrow and Margaret came out to stand by my side.

"This isn't just about my own problems anymore. When I finish this, it's over. All this shit."

I started this and knew I needed to finish it. I was tired of all this. I wanted my life to be lived in a real life, with the real love of my life. All I wanted was it to be over.