Crimson Fist

Chapters

Raging Fire
Crimson's Duty
Crimson's Tale
The Task
Crimson's Squad
Crimson's First Day Part 1
Crimson's First Day Part 2
Twilight's Visitation
Crimson's Forge and Impromtu Mailmares
The Crash
The Monsters of the Night
Last Visits Part 1
Crimson's Demons
Dash's Goodbyes
The Departure From Ponyville

Raging Fire

Fire…Fire of all kinds, it is the most destructive force know to pony-kind. Its force is unstoppable and its reach unending. In its simplest form it ravages forests and cracks the air. In a more refined form it melts cities, crushes countries, vaporizes thousands, and cracks Equestria. The invisible fires of radiation scar Equestria, mutate existence, and destroy pony-ity. The reign of fire is a terrible thing and only when the world is bathed in nuclear fire will it reach its end. The day of eternal fire may never come, but the fires of war keep burning on because war… never dies. War…war never changes.

“Hope…there is no hope” screeched a flaming raider pony before his miserable life was cut short when a bullet pierced his skull and exploded inside, spraying his grey matter all over his similarly dead companions. Fifteen bodies embraced his as the pony fell and the silence that had been broken reformed. The bringer of the death stood high on a knoll, he stood his two legs and held an anti-material rifle in his hands which he quickly field stripped of its scope and barrel before stowing on his back. He wore a dusty brown duster, a scarlet wide-brimmed hat, and on his back were a bag, the rifle, and a large black scabbard with a sword. On his waist there hung a crimson colored katana and an auto-pistol. The pony boarded a skeletal-framed trophy truck and rode down the knoll to the building down below. He stopped the vehicle on the first carcass he encountered, crushing it underneath his tires. The pony got out and walked through the field of bodies, he then began to pile the corpses and when he was finished he lobbed an incendiary grenade in the pile and the bodies went ablaze.

As he looked on he began to speak, a response to the last pony dead “Yes…there is no hope for you but now there is hope for those you torture”. He then removed his pistol and went into the treacherous bowels of the scrap heap structure.

Inside the metal tomb it darker then the night without Luna’s light, but the pony was undeterred and simply walked forward as if he was in Celestia’s glow. The standing pony soon found a band of raider pony taking hits of psycho and buffout around a fire. The stallion brought his hand up and suddenly the fire went out and an eruption of gunfire slew all the ponies and the stallion gather the bodies around the fire and lifted his hand and a ball of fire sprouted out of his hand and he threw it at the bodies and they burned like their companions outside. The stallion continued on walking through the darkness, as undeterred as ever. Inside the darkness bodies stirred, the alarm had been sounded and ambushes were set and still the stallion walked. He reached an open arena and when he reached the middle ground gates closed down on all openings and a voiced boomed “Welcome to the Slaughter Trotter, it time for you to die little filly.” Lights inside the arena flared open and the shouts of drug addled fiends filled the air, the gates opened and people poured in. The stallion holstered his gun and pulled out his smaller sword, his hand glowed for a moment and suddenly the sword was ablaze and all the fiends hesitated, his stature increasing his fear factor over the raiders.

“How he cas magik witou horn?” a fiend gibbered. The understanding of that fiend was lost on his companions as several rushed the stallion. His response was a beautiful sword dance, the stallion nimbly sidestepped each attack and countered with a decapitating swing, his sword cutting effortlessly through metal and flesh in the end he left six weapons in pieces right next to six heads. The death of their compatriots angered the fiends who all rushed the stallion, but still he was not afraid. As the first wave hit the stallion moved his body with super-pony speed into the first fiend, the force was so great that pony died instantly and the entire line behind him was pushed back. The stallion then rushed forward taking advantage of the break in the surge; his sword became a solid wall of slashes spraying blood onto fiends and walls alike. The carnage was unrelenting, bodies, armor, and weapons littered the ground and the floor was cleansed in a slippery coat of sticky blood. Screams of pain and prayer echoed in the arena put all were soon quieted. The only sound that broke the newly birthed silence was the crackle of flame and the steady dripping of blood off the stallion’s sword. The stallion then like before piled the bodies and set them aflame with a grenade, wanting to hide his abilities despite his use of a magic enchantment on his sword. After he finished he placed his sword on the gate blocking the path further in and pushed, the blade’s superheated edge melted the metal of the gate and soon there was a human sized hole (since the stallion stood up). Thus he ventured on encountering few people, fewer trying to attack him the rest just holding their ground, but he slew them all quickly and simply. His path took him through a complex of outer courtyard and shacks diminutive in size to first.

His final destination soon appeared before him and unlike the intermediate shacks; it was a cathedral and a castle of junk. It was here the stallion encountered stiffer opposition from the leader’s veteran guards. They, like the stallion, could stand on both legs and wield complex melee weapons unlike the previous raiders who used simple magic, wings, or modified saddlebags. Two veterans were there to meet him and they rose to assume a battle position, one was flying and was wielding a rifle the other was not capable of flight and was wielding a fire axe, the stallion sheathed his short sword and produced a shiny box with a metal knuckle piece with attached wires that he put around his hoof. The earth pony charged him with astounding speed considering his metal armor but the stallion nimbly dodged just before contact and spun around delivering a powered and thunderous punch, hitting the back, that threw the pony into a wall, stunned but not dead due to his armor. The pegasus had reached a formidable height and stood on a cloud in the meantime and began opening fire. The stallion zigzagged with unnatural speed, for an earth pony, until he was right under the pegasus where he went down on all fours before he shot up into the sky and landed on the cloud. The pegasus looked in awe at the stallion, shocked by his pegasus’ abilities despite his physical lack of wings or horn, and then he suddenly remembered the situation a second to late as a deafening punch contacted with his stomach and shot him high into the sky before he plummeted back down and died upon the ground. From his high vantage point the stallion saw his previous opponent get up from the rubble and so he jumped off the cloud and accelerated faster than gravity allowed and aimed to land on top of the guard. He landed with ground shattering force but the guard had feigned his prolonged stun and managed to retreat from the strike before delivering a strike of his own that cut the leg of the stallion, but the stallion was unfazed and delivered and booming uppercut that sent the guard up and back down to join the same fate as his friend.

The stallion piled the two bodies together and set them alight before moving to the final compound, he switched his power fist for a large revolver with hollow point rounds, and headed into the dark recess for one more time. More of the elite guard inhabited the darkness but the stallion simply unloaded his revolver and its large .44 magnum round easily tore through their armor and their flesh with ease and for every pony that died a fire crackled into existence. Before long the compound began to reek with the odor of incinerated metal and skin mixed with the foul stench of diseased blood. The stallion was now on the threshold of his goal; his target lay in the final room of the compound. The stallion placed the magnum in the bag and received C-4 explosives, which he quickly fixed to the reinforced door, and a detonator whose purpose was obvious. The stallion detonated the C-4 and the whole frame of the compound shuttered, he looked round the corner and did not even see the door or doorframe, he withdrew an odd looking sledgehammer out of the bag and approached the room. As he passed what would have been the threshold a spear flew at him and lodged itself into his shoulder, the stallion ripped it out and ducked right as a second one raced past. The leader had fortified his room significantly to prevent this eventuality but the stallion was unhindered by these obstacles as he swung his mighty sledge and it crushed the defenses like tin foil, only the spears proved troublesome but the stallion was well aware of their presence and he managed to dodge all of them only receiving minor scratches when he faltered. This game continued for a good while but finally the stallion was through and face to face with the leader.

The leader was a yellow unicorn, standing upright, who was wearing a very unique set of armor; it was a set of stripped hydraulically powered armor, patched here and there with scrap metal. On one of her hooves she had a hydraulic scissor-fist and suspended by magic were two smgs the stallion had a split second to roll backwards into a pile of scrap for cover before laser beams and bullets began spraying at his general direction. The stallion put his sledgehammer into his bag and removed his rifle from his back. Before he could reload his rifle, a missile impacted the cover destroying it and throwing the stallion into a bunch of tangled scrap. The stallion was now covered in cuts thanks to the sharp metal and his duster was in tatters, he heaved himself out and moved even further back, he removed his duster and reloaded his weapon. The leader had just resumed firing, pinning the stallion down, and he knew after the bullets a missile would be heading his way so he waited until the firing stopped. He stood out of cover and fired a shot; it reached the missile half way between the stallion and the mare and detonated the missile but still flew on its way to the right eye of the mare and into her brain. She slumped down and fell off her tower. The stallion walked over to her corpse and removed her armor; it did not belong to her. The stallion placed the armor in his bag and pulled out more explosives, which he planted at key structural points throughout the compound, the stallion then walked back through the entire complex returning to its entrance, repeating the planting in each structure. He finally arrived outside to an unexpected sight, hordes of fiends not affiliated to the ones he just killed stood around the entrance and their leader stood front and center. A terrible roar of voices rose from the ground.

Author's Note

No where near done, although I have more stuff written. Any suggestions would be appreciated. This is as cannon as I can make, only a few are bipedal it will be explained.

Crimson's Duty

“Well, well, well, look who’s here boys; it’s the hero of the wastes Crimson Fist” the leader snickered causing his underlings to break out in laughter. They were all silenced when a series of explosions leveled the buildings and by the shouldering remains they saw Crimson’s armor, the armor of the Royal Guards but Crimson’s armor gave off an aura of doom and death. His armor had splashes of scarlet scarring the surface and the rest of the scaled and sleek pieces were a deep black. Crimson drew his broadsword; a hiss like a hydra filled the air putting each fiend on edge. The leader, a heavy set elephant named Ground-Stamper, quickly composed himself and hurled another insult at Crimson, “You don’t scare me with your sword and your armor and your stupid explosion. I’ll tear out your eyes and suffocate you with them”

“What a shame…” Crimson whispered, Crimson placed his hand on his sword and moved it to the point. As he moved his hand the powerful pull of magic filled the air, Crimson’s hand glowed brighter than the sun, lightning began to jump from the sword, fire surrounded the blade, and wind swirled around the blade, when Crimson finished, the effects died down and the sword glowed bright and Crimson stood motionless.

Ground-Stamper smirked and shouted “Nice tricks but they won’t save you, now my brothers. ATTACK!” The sea of fiends shuddered and surged forward, flooding the area around Crimson but they never lashing out until they completely surrounded him. The biggest one of them all, a dragon, pulled back to strike with a mighty swipe and it was now that Crimson moved. He rushed forward at great speed dragging his sword behind until he reached the dragon and leaped dragging his sword through the dragon, the swords bright surface was now aflame and lightning sparked from the wound. Behind the dragon the ground came asunder and a wave of wind cut the fiends behind into pieces. Crimson flew in an arc after reaching the dragon’s head and landed were he began plunging his sword deep into the ground creating a shockwave of lightning and earthen spires. A second passed, and then flaming pony fiends began to fall from the sky like rain bursting upon impact. Crimson rushed at the remaining fiends quicker than a Wonderbolt his sword disintegrating bodies on contact. He worked until only one was left, Ground-Stamper. Ground-Stamper was no coward, but even he realized that Crimson might just be the scariest and strongest thing to travel the wastes so he ran before his forces were demolished and he ran into his bunker hoping that Crimson would forget about him, he did not. Ground-Stamper heard an explosion above and began to feel an intense cold and he saw the ceiling had turned to ice. There was a great boom and then a crash as Crimson landed in the bunker. He squared himself and then punched Ground-Stamper, accompanied by the force of a shotgun, into wall and pinned him there with even more punches before delivering a punch straight to his head exploding its contents all over the wall. Crimson now gathered up all the unburned bodies and corrected their status. His work now done Crimson made his way to Canterlot, but to Ponyville first, his wounds had finally settled in and he knew he would never make it to Canterlot since he had no knowledge of healing.

Crimson’s path to Ponyville was a long and tedious one, he managed to fly with his ethereal wings, they were without physical form but they still could keep him aloft, for a good while. It was much faster than walking but it caused his scabs to peel and his wounds to stay open. Faced with certain death in the air, he resigned himself to the slow torturous journey on the ground. The winds of the waste howled at his wounds, never giving then rest, but the lack of self-straining prevented worrying blood loss. Crimson slept where he was when night fell usually out in the open, but no desert beast dared approach him and he was left to his painful and unsatisfying sleep. He traveled on for days and just when he thought he could not go another day further the small dusty buildings of Dodge Junction came into view. Crimson was delighted by the site and pushed onward, on the outskirts of town he found a duster much like his previous one and dressings for his cuts which he took and left ample money to cover it, and he found a well outside the city which he took advantage of. So by the time the first ponies saw him he looked like an ordinary wanderer. In town he made his way to the train station to go to Ponyville inside two ponies were talking.

“Did ya hear that they’re building a quarry around here apparently this desert rock is really something back in Canterlot?” started the first.

“Yeah well I hope our town doesn’t get called Quarry Junction,” joked the second. Both had settled down when Crimson walked in. “Well what can I do yer for, looking to procure a ticket to Ponyville”

“How much?” Crimson asked

“Well, we can’t sell tickets for the soonest train to Ponyville, since the Equestria Royal Guards has ordered it to be private, apparently their transporting some books for Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“So where is the time schedule for the trains?” inquired Crimson.

“It’s on the platform just east of this building” responded both.

“Thanks for the information” spoke Crimson as he made his way to the platform. On the platform he saw that the reserved train was to leave in two hours so he decided he would have to stowaway on the train since he needed to keep his cover. He needed to get to Ponyville fast or his wounds would begin to get infected, without the desert wind renewing the callous skin, and require him to be hospitalized for a long while, endangering the outer towns. Crimson hid at the platform and waited the nearly two hours, he had observed the goings-on of the guards, waiting for an opening to get on but there was none, so he had to risk flying in order to catch the train after it left the station. Luna’s glory was just peaking over the horizon when Crimson chose his moment to fly. He leapt into the air a minute before the train arrived and reached a low lying cloud where he lie in wait. The train’s steamy hiss was heard first and then the thunderous engine roared into the silence. Crimson waited as the first cars came and then he leapt off the cloud flying fast and steep to avoid detection but when he tried to pull up and slow himself his ethereal wings stuck to his body and he crashed into the train. Crimson scrambled to stand up and stay on the roof of the train. Underneath Crimson heard the exclamations of Royal Guards and he knew he must get off the roof; he quickly ran to the rear of the train and slipped in the gangway and ran into an open car and hid behind a large pile of covered things. After Crimson was sure the guards had reached the conclusion of all clear he began to look around the room. It was almost completely filled with boxes and anonymous cloth-covered piles. Crimson approached one of the piles and pulled off the sheet, underneath he found a book on advanced magic by Twilight herself. He decided to read it since he had forgotten how to do advanced magic and hoped there was a healing spell in it. He started to read and could not find a healing spell, but he didn’t care he just kept reading. Crimson would have more than happily kept reading but he was found by the guards and brought to the head of the platoon who happened to be Shining Armor.

“Guards report, who is this stallion and why is here?” shouted Shining.

“We don’t know sir, we just found him in the storage car, and he was the one that fell on the train. He was reading a book by your sister” Two guards reported.

“Well who are you then?” Shining asked, silence, “who are you?!”

“Just a no one” Crimson finally replied.

“You’re an assassin aren’t you, admit it. You thought Twilight was going to be on this train and you planned to kill her or kidnap her.” Shining accused.

“No, I am not!” Crimson shouted “I just need to get to Ponyville as quickly as possible. Besides Twilight is on a train to Ponyville from Canterlot”

Shining grabbed Crimson and lifted him off the ground “Do you expect me to believe that. Why do you need to get to Ponyville so quickly? Why did you attack this train? How did you know about Twilight?”

“I am just a royal envoy”

“If that’s true then why did you not simply ask? Where is your royal emblem?”

“I can only answer that in private.”

“Guards leave us. Okay, answer me.” Instead of answering, Crimson simply showed his armor. “For Celestia’s sake Crimson! Why did you not say that in the first place? I was going to have you detained. Why are you here?” Shining asked, shocked by his own ignorance.

“My mission came from Celestia herself and suffices to say I defeated wasteland evil, but I got injured, so I need to get to Twilight or a magic healer.”

“I can heal you. Where do you need it?”

“I sustained several lacerations on my limbs” Crimson answered, removing his duster.

“Celestia and Luna! How did you come back from the Badlands with that?” Shining taken aback, and remembered he should be helping.

“Painfully” Crimson joked through the pain.

“I can heal most of these, but some of these cuts are too large.”

After the procedure Crimson continued “I need you to not mention this to your men. Just keep me in detention or escort, preferably under your watch, and drop me off at the Golden Oak Library when we get there.”

“Didn’t hear the library is destroyed, Twilight now lives in a crystalline castle in the middle of Ponyville.”

“Sweet Celestia, who did it?

“An ancient evil, a centaur-baboon thing that could absorb a pony’s power. He almost destroyed Equestrian. Lord Tirek was his name he was nigh unstoppable.”

“I’m glad he did not find me, but I am ashamed I couldn’t stop him,” Crimson sighed.

“You would have been useless, just like me.”

“Don’t be so sure, I am no normal pony, but enough about me, just get me to that castle.”

“Fine I can do that, but why the secrecy?”

“If word got out of my disappearances then it would put a lot of ponies in danger.”

“I am not going to ask about that, but will you at least beguile me with some stories or something.”

“I think I can do that.”

So for the rest of the trip Shining and Crimson had a plethora of discussions ranging from Cadenza to the new training regime for Royal Guards.

The day was late when the train trundled to Ponyville; Shining disembarked with Crimson and took him near enough to the mayor’s office to make it look like he had delivered a prisoner. “I trust you know where to go, so I will see you off. Until we meet again.” Shining said as he waved goodbye. Crimson repeated the goodbye and made his way to the library. In route his leg wound began to pain him immensely, so he went off into an alley and saw that it was in fact poisoned. Crimson worried that he might not make it began to sprint as fast as possible to the castle. He ran so fast that he formed a wake of dust-devils behind him. He reached the castle and he crashed through the door just as his legs failed him. Inside the halls was dark and quiet, Crimson was slowly blacking out.

“Twilight, I need your help,” Crimson screamed aloud and sent a faint signal in every direction hoping that she would pick it up. Twilight, miles away talking to the princesses, heard his plea. Crimson vision was tunneling down when a flash of light marked Twilight’s arrival. “Poison, I’ve been poisoned” Crimson yelled out weakly, before finally blacking out. When he woke up he was lying in Twilight’s spare bed, his duster was off, but his armor was still on, his large cuts were wrapped and bandaged. His duster, weapons, and bag were lying next to the bedside table, and on the tabletop there was a note from Twilight. Crimson began to read it, but was stopped by Twilight when she entered the room; she flew up to the landing and hugged him.

Author's Note

Again, any suggestions are welcome.

Crimson's Tale

Author's Note

This chapter is more focused on Crimson's past dealings with mercenary groups. The chapters get less serious for a while after this. If you have an comments about this chapter or story, your free to write them down. Sorry about the abrupt ending but there isn't a clean ending for a while.

Crimson's Tale

“Where have you been? I don’t hear from you for weeks and then I suddenly felt that you were in trouble and I find you bleeding and dying on my floor. How did you sustain those injuries and how did you get poisoned? Zecora said that the poison was Mother Nightmare and that it needs white horsenettle which only grows in the Badlands,” Twilight said accusingly. “You’re a poor excuse for my Royal Guards if you can’t keep yourself alive without my help,” she teased. “I wasn’t able to take off your armor while you were asleep so I am going to need you to remove your armor to heal you up.” Crimson, out of modesty was reluctant to do so but eventually gave in and removed his armor and let Twilight mend his sores and broken bones. When Twilight first saw his body she was speechless, despite his wounds he was still a sight to behold. His coat was a dark grey but from his hooves grew tendrils of crimson that streaked across his body and his cutie mark was most perplexing as it had a fist sheathed in fire with flanking guns. After a few minutes of silence, only broken by the twinkle of magic, Twilight finished “Okay I…I’m done.” She was blushing.

“Twilight I am going to have to see Celestia in Canterlot soon, do you want to tag along?” Crimson asked.

“Let me think about it…sure! Do you want to teleport there now?” she responded hurriedly with a nervous smile, her cheeks burning.

“No teleportation, we can just take the train, plus I think I have some explaining to do.”

“Fine! …and you do.”

“But first I need to rest.”

“You would be crazy not to.”

Crimson and Twilight made their way to the train platform around noon the next day and boarded a private cabin. Twilight soon asked her deserved question she drew herself highly and stared at Crimson in her most regal way “Celestia recommend I have at least one Royal Guards and when I asked her, Shining, and Cadence, among others, about who was the best I got your name. What did you do before you became my Royal Guards to gain such notoriety?”

Crimson drew his hooves across his calves, “how I became so notorious…it started a while back, I was part of a mercenary team of three official members but this one horse, Faithful Patriot was his name, sometimes tagged along and acted as leader. He was a rugged stallion and never backed down from larger enemies, even fought a basilisk and won. The main team was I and two other stallions: Muso Shinken (don’t ask me what that means I don’t know) and Merciful Pain. Muso was a martial arts master and fought with no armor or weapon only fists, but I never saw him get hit. His fighting style was awe-inspiring, and he only fought those who were evil. Merciful was the de facto leader and one hell of a shot. When asked for his motive he just said “I’m just delivering a package, I’m just waiting for the recipient”. Our team acted as a mercenary unit under Celestia, except Patriot who had his own mercenary group oddly enough, we acted much like I do now but we had no restrictions. Despite this we kept to humane practices for most mission, but there was one mission were something went wrong…terribly wrong. Our mission began like most; we received a letter from Celestia giving us the location and target and part-payment in advance. The target was a farm out near Las Pegasus that was a front for changeling activities, we had to disable the factory’s surveillance equipment and retrieve or destroy the accumulated records. Since you had to be able to fly to get to the Las Pegasus plateau, we were at a lost on how to get there and so we contacted Patriot who said he had a way. He asked us to meet him in a clearing next to the old castle in the Everfree Forest at 1200.”

“We arrived slightly before noon, since being late was not a wise move with Patriot, and waited. At five minutes to noon we heard a distance sound it was a whopping sound, it was quite unnatural, and four minutes later the source of the noise was hovering above us. The thing we beheld still confuses me today, it was a shaped like whale with a tampered nose and a long thin tail with a series of fins at the end and on the top of it were six long blades that spun on a central axis. I believe Cherry Berry has made or borrowed such a device. When the blades had stopped, a hatch on the front hinged open and Patriot jumped out. He then walked over to the middle of the thing and slid open another door which had seats and weapons aplenty. He ordered us on board and to arm ourselves, I asked what the thing was and got a custom Hind-D Helicopter in response, inside the beast we found a variety of weapons shotguns, LMG’s, AMR’s, and explosives both hand-held and launchers. Patriot climbed back into his cockpit and his voice came over speakers in the ceiling, informing us of our ETA and of our plans. We were going to hover high above the target and jump out and deploy our parachutes or wings. Patriot said that it was a method of discreet infiltration that he devised, high altitude low orbit jumps, the helicopter had been modified to reach the required height. We were going to land a ways away from the plant for two reasons, we had to avoid alerting the air patrols in order to allow our chopper to give us support and we were going for a loud and long range attack method.”
“From what I can recall it was the most awesome feeling I have had in my life, we were falling toward the ground with reckless abandon and we reached speeds only Rainbow is capable of. At a thousand feet we slowed ourselves and proceeded to clear and secure the area before Merciful signaled Patriot. When he arrived he landed and pushed out three large crates and instructed us to open them, inside these boxes was armor whose equal I have never seen. There were separate pieces for the forelegs, hind legs and torso. The metal was black and sleek with bulletproof fabric providing a base layer and the helmet bore a slight resemblance to birds of prey or big cats. Then Merciful started unloading his own weapons from the helicopter in large wooden crates, a large tube which turned out to be a rocket launcher, his personal AMR, and large spinning machine gun. Patriot suited up a different looking suit and when he was done he activated it and he disappeared before our very eyes. His weapons included sapper things, you know like: pulse, chaff, and smoke grenades. My armament was handled by Merciful, he handed me two large assault rifle each equipped with an array of attachments, a large shotgun, and a set of grenades. It took roughly fifteen minutes and all the while Muso just sat amused at our armor and weapons, he never carried any of either.”

Suddenly the harsh squeal of an air brake and the loud roaring of the conductor filled the air, interrupting the story, “Canterlot Stop on the Cadence Express. Next stop is the Crystal Empire Line.”

Crimson began to leave the car when Twilight began to sigh, exasperated “Ahhhhh…now I will never hear the rest of this story.”

Crimson motioned his hoof for her to approach and he said “Don’t worry I can finish the story on our way back.” That seemed to calm Twilight since her frown dissolved and she walked with higher shoulders. Crimson and Twilight walked out of the train onto the platform and much to Twilights shock they bowed and greeted her. The look lasted until Twilight remembered that she was a princess and that in Canterlot the princesses were given the highest courtesy. Crimson laughed at Twilight’s awkwardness and her cheeks went a bright red in embarrassment. “Did you not grow up in Canterlot, you have to be used to it,” He continued to joke.

“Well, all that time I was not a princess,” she retorted indigently.

“Okay, I will let it slide.”

Jeers and taunts aside, Twilight and Crimson continued their journey through the heart of the Canterlot and continued talking but Crimson refused to continue his story on the grounds that it was a personal matter and it was an unreleased and under the table operation. Instead Twilight asked about all the different places in Equestria that he had been to. “I have walked from the hot unforgiving wastes of the Badlands to the cold unrelenting lands of the Crystal Empire, before its salvation. I acted as a forward scout, spy, or sapper; working to defend the kingdom and its peace. I was usually alone and if I wasn’t I was with another high ranking guard, like Shining, who has accompanied me on several occasions.”

“Shining has gone on missions with you! Why has he never mentioned this before?” Twilight blurted out, almost yelling.

“I guess you never asked” Crimson answered sheepishly

The Task

“That’s no excuse…nevertheless what happened? Where did you go?”

“Just a few scouting missions on the Crystal Empire before him and Cadence established the Sombra shield. “We had a few close calls: Shining almost froze…and almost fell into a gorge…and almost started an avalanche. To be honest ‘he’ had a few close calls.”

“That isn’t surprising, he was always so accident prone,” she chuckled. “I’m sure glad he has Cadence. Who knows what trouble he would have gotten into without her?”

A cry pierced the afternoon sun, shattering the serenity of Canterlot, “I think we have our own trouble to deal with,” Crimson spoke straightly and started a full tilt run to the source. The cry rang for a second time and he was on the scene, just in time to see a pegasus fly away with a large pouch and leaving an injured flying Royal Guards on the ground whilst several unicorn guards were casting magic to subdue her. Crimson in one swift motion pulled out a shotgun from his bag and loaded a single shell into it, he waited for the pegasus to stop moving if only for a second and fired. The pegasus dropped to the ground and the calmness of the city was broken for a second time
.

“You killed her!!” Twilight shrieked after she turned the corner.

Putting the shotgun up Crimson responded, “No, I did not.”

“But…you shot her.”

“I did but not with a lethal round it was just a rubber slug, she is just stunned, not dead. Despite my reputation I only kill the unredeemable, those who live to prey on the weak, the redeemable I spare. I was taught to temper my judgment with mercy, which is why I keep rubber slug rounds anyway.” Crimson turned to the guards “Now guards send her to the jail and give her ample nutrition for three days and then release her on parole for two weeks, dismissed.”

“Yes, sir; Crimson, sir” the guards responded. As Crimson and Twilight were going to leave a guard approached them and offered the bag saying that it was a package for Crimson. “Sir, this package was in the bag it is addressed to you.” He quickly added it to his bags and reminded himself to check it after he got to the castle.

“Well that was quite an adventure;” Crimson mused.

“What was with her punishment, how did you come up with it?” Twilight asked.

“She had assorted foodstuffs in her bag so I assumed she was stealing to eat” Crimson explained and added sharply “I don’t suppose you know much about my weapons?”

“Sure I do, I know all about…uh what are they called?” Twilight admitted.

Crimson let out a sigh. “They’re called guns...and they originate only from the Badlands and from changeling copiers. Celestia has banned them and enforces that edict magically in Equestria, only a few ponies can have them inside the border. Come to think of it my old company is the only one allowed to utilize guns, although I use other weapons as well, but let those be a surprise,” Crimson answered. “I think we should hurry along before any more trouble finds us.” Twilight shook her head started humming as we walked.
Not long after the incident they arrived at the gates to the great palace and entered unquestioned with many bows, ‘sirs’, and ‘my princess’. The Hall of History lay before them and at its end awaits Celestia, standing vigil for the day and helping those that came before her. The sunlight came through the storied and stained windows painting the hall like a kaleidoscope and the light was reflected by Twilight’s crown adding gold to the already dazzling display. Crimson and Twilight walked through the glamorous hall and arrived before the princess.

“My Princess I have returned from the Badlands in triumph and with the stolen armor. The fiend and thief is dead killed by my hand, she was too far gone to be saved, her compound lies in ruins…there is nothing left…her followers lie burned.” As Crimson finished is expression grew deep and sullen

“This news is regrettable but unavoidable, anything more to report?” Celestia declared

“Yes, as I left the complex I encountered Ground-Stamper,” Crimson paused the light in the room seemed to darken surrounding him, “I slew him and every single one of his gang.”

Celestia was visibly shocked, meanwhile Twilight looked on concerned, “I thank you for your service Crimson,” Celestia said after composing herself “I hope you suffered little injury.”

“I’m afraid I can’t say no, I was poisoned with Mother Darkness which almost proved fatal, but Twilight was able to save me,” Crimson continued.

Celestia finally relaxed after holding her breath, despite her better judgment, through the whole sentence, “well thank you once again, if you would can you bring the armor to my private quarters I will join you. Twilight, Crimson and I will need to discuss this alone.”

Twilight stood gaping in indignation for a moment and then took on the expression of great sadness and dejection. Crimson spoke up, “My Princess, I require Twilight’s assistance to help me with the armor, I only trust her with it.” Twilight’s face lit up at this,

“Very well, if you insist.” Celestia smirked.

Celestia walked ahead to her room while Crimson carried the armor to her room with Twilight in tow. All the Royal Guards bowed as Celestia walked passed but they almost cowered as Crimson’s heavy hoof-fall sounded through the hall. When they arrived Crimson arranged the armor on a stand. “I suppose you would wish to refurbish this piece?”

“Yes” Celestia responded.

“And I assume I have another mission?” Crimson asked knowingly,

“Yes”

“I’m taking Twilight with me.”

“What!?” Celestia and Twilight exclaimed in shock and disbelief.

“You heard me, Princess,” Crimson said slyly, “she had to take on the whole of Alicorn magic beside m--, never mind, she almost died fighting Lord Tirek and countless other beasts. I think my job might be safer.”

Celestia prepared a response but she saw the admiration in Twilight’s eyes and the adamancy in Crimson’s. “Very well, I will respect your wishes. Prepare to be briefed in the throne room in ten minutes.” Silence fell as Celestia walked out the door, her hoof steps slowly fading.

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay, I am incredibly lazy.

Crimson's Squad

Twilight broke the silence in a flurry of questions, “How do you have so much authority? How can you just negotiate with Celestia like that? HOW did you know I wanted to go with you? I’m just so excited! Squee!”

Crimson broke into a smile, “calm down. Let’s just say Celestia and I have a special arrangement, and technically I am not a Royal Guard so she can’t simply order my wishes away, she asks for my help. As for your inclusion, it was just too obvious, you lit up the moment I asked you to accompany me and you were so unhappy when you thought I was going away alone.” Twilight’s face went flush. “Now let’s not keep the Princess waiting…my Princess.”

Crimson finished adjusting the armor and proceeded down the corridor with Twilight in tow. Twilight was nearly bouncing off the walls and doing aerial tricks in the hall, she could barely contain her excitement. By the time they reached the throne room she had calmed down and sat patiently as Celestia began their briefing. “Your mission is to investigate rumors of a secret weapon being developed in the Hidden Valley of the Badlands, and should the rumors be true you are to destroy the weapon or weapons and all of its research data. If at all possible destroy the facility, but avoid collateral damage. This mission will be extremely dangerous, but I believe that together you two will succeed, you will leave by train to Dodge Junction in five days, after that it will take you about four days to reach the assumed location of the valley. I recommend you arm Twilight, her magic is great but she is not the fiercest of foes.” Celestia pulled Crimson aside “I know this is a personal matter for you Crimson. I need you to keep your personal feelings out of this, they only stop your revival. I also beg you to keep good watch over Twilight, I don’t know what I would do without her help.” Celestia pulled away and addressed them both, “I hope you succeed in this mission, you must find that weapon and destroy it. Now go with the blessing of the sun, the moon and the heart, I would wish you the blessing of magic but you’re taking her with you,” Celestia smiled and waved them good-bye.

Crimson and Twilight walked out of the palace onto the sun-glazed plaza, the plaza was symmetrical except for a circular emblem in the center. On the four corners were mosaic walkways the shape of blooming flowers with paisley branches that touched the circular frame. Each branched ended with one of four flowers, a sunflower, a moonflower, a crystal rose, or a heliotrope each glistened in the light of the noon sun. Inside of the frame, crystal green vines entwining a circle of gold were ultimately encircling the center image. The center image was separated into two pieces by a‘s’, a pair of nesting circles. One was bright orange the color of a mandarin sunrise and Celestia was depicted chasing the sun, the other was dark violet the color of a deep night and Luna was chasing the moon and stars. Crimson walked under the shade of an apple tree and sat down on a bench, landing with a sigh. Twilight trotted over to him, “what are you doing? We need to get ready.”

Crimson looked at her, “correction, I need to get you ready.”

“What!?” Twilight gasped indignantly.

“You don’t have any armor or any training with these weapons, I will have to craft them. I need you to gather some specific materials, bring some of your friends and get them to the forges under the Castle of the Two Sisters. I need: a small amount of gold and silver and an assortment of gems the color of your cutie mark. There are some rarer materials that I would enlist the help of all your friends to obtain, they are all heavy and treacherous things. I need around a hundred pounds of wolfram and cobalt, a few quarts of quicksilver, a fair amount of aurum, and a filly sized meteor. When payment is mentioned just inform the merchants of my name and they will accept graciously. I will be preparing the forging equipment and drawing up designs in the meantime.”

“Okay,” Twilight said cheerily before doing a double take, “a meteor, where am I going to find a meteor? And are you meaning to hustle these merchants?”

“Shouldn’t Celestia and Luna know how to get a meteor? And I mean to pay the merchants personally and in full.” Crimson remarked.

“I guess…So let’s go to Ponyville so I can get my friends and you can finish your story.”

“Fine, I don’t want to keep you waiting too long, with all your excitement I’m afraid you might turn into Pinkie Pie.” Crimson and Twilight walked down the sunny vista and through the marble maze of Canterlot major. The sun was still standing high when they arrived at the train station and boarded the private carriage.

Once they had gotten underway Crimson began his story once more, “Patriot and Merciful had finally finished their preparations, the plan was simply Merciful and I would destroy the factory after the initial barrage, Muso would secure documents and prisoners in an underground bunker, and Patriot would deal with the officers. Once we had done our jobs Merciful would guide the prisoners, and we would plant charges to level the factory. Finally we would ferry the prisoners to a pre-determined landing zone while Muso, Merciful, and I fought off reinforcements. To be frank it didn’t go as planned, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The air was tense and silent as we waited for the signal, Muso had just disappeared into the lower factory when the signal was given. Patriot fired his weapon and an explosive warhead sheathed in fire furiously flew into the factory wall. A plume of smoke arose and was quickly engulfed as Merciful began firing a salvo of rockets each encased in a bright red glow bombarded the factory wall, thirteen in total. Each rocket compounded upon the next creating a deafening crescendo. Patriot and Merciful continued their barge whilst I prepared our infiltration weapons, a specialized handgun and knife, a large six-barreled cyclic machine gun called a galloping gun after it’s inventor, for Merciful. A ludicrously huge shotgun, the Prancing Jackhammer, was set aside for myself. I had barely finished when the launchers had finished their dirge, I retrieved three high powered rifles and brought them over to Merciful and Patriot. We began to pick off the guards that scrambled outside the factory like ants. Three by three they fell each with one bullet right between the eyes, dead instantly.”

“After the waves of changelings ceased we made our way to the helicopter. Patriot retrieved his gear and activated his stealth camouflage turning completely invisible, he radioed in and made his way to the barracks. Merciful grabbed his galloping gun and I grabbed my shotgun, we placed our helmets on and started our walk. The high pitched whistle of rotating barrels announced our arrival and the solid stream of bullets introduced us. Merciful never let go of the trigger, the gun’s course was written in the walls with the enemies providing any interruptions. Meanwhile I ran to the factory floor to set up the thermite charges, thermite being a volatile powder that burns like lava when aflame. On the factory floor guards were trying to salvage some of the equipment, so I burst out into the main floor with the jackhammer pounding and cut them down. Shot after shot left the barrel of the jackhammer and all found a changeling to change. Soldiers that had been waiting in the wings began to open fire with bullet and magic alike. I held my ground and all projectiles bounced off with a sharp clang. I reloaded my shotgun with solid rounds—called slugs--and returned fire. Upon impact they flew back several feet into the corridor wall, slid down in a heap and slumped down with giant holes and dents were their death messages lie. Hostiles neutralized, I began using the thermite grenades and soon the factory was nothing more than a room of molten slag, each machine a pile of red-hot liquid. I began my secondary task, planting the leveling charges, when my earpiece crackled to life. It was Patriot, he informed me that Merciful had descended to the bunker level already to help Muso who was trapped. I was order to do the same and help Muso. I ran to the central elevator and called it up, but it was locked on the bunker level and would respond only to direct commands. I pried open one of the adjoining elevator shaft doors and looked down the shaft, it must have been a hundred feet down and I would have to jump. I know a hundred feet does not seem much to a pegasus or Alicorn like yourself, but I would have definitely broken my legs had I not worn that armor. I took a deep breath and jumped, bracing for impact mid-fall and landed with enough force to lift the dust on the ground to head height. I pulled myself onto the bottom floor landing and wrenched the doors apart, but these took much longer as they were heavily reinforced. I prevailed eventually and wrench the doors off their rails and threw them into the elevator shaft.”

“The bunker was bathed in sterile white light, huge science theaters were flanking the corridors protected by reinforced glass. A chill went through my spine either the cold recycled air or the sight of the bunker itself I don’t know. There were decontamination checkpoints that formed the entrances to each room, where stainless steel and porcelain met in sharp corners and ruthless efficacy. The entire wing was so clean one felt that it was made so clean only to hide the deplorable things committed within. After reaching the main corridor I began my scanning for my teammates and soon found them in a far off section of the bunker. I began making my way to their position when I turned the corner to see a camera operated gun and a motion activated magic turret, needless to say I quickly retreated. The turrets were locked onto my position so I threw a chair into their line of sight and then disabled them with brute force and a chaser of lead. This process repeated several times through the unsettling halls before I made contact with my companions. Muso had gotten trapped in the checkpoint that led to the prison cells, the checkpoint had gone into lockdown and had raised the blast doors. Merciful was working tirelessly to lift the lockdown which he estimated would take several minutes, but that this delay could jeopardize the document retrieval part of the mission. Muso had discovered the location of the documents and he relayed detailed instructions to get to their location. I began to run full speed through the facility, my arms and guns locked onto the automated defenses as I hurled past with a burst of fire indicating my presence. I weaved my way through the maze of disturbing halls at a headlong sprint until I neared my destination and slowed down so as to not miss the office they were secured in. I would have gotten severely injured if I had not stopped I realized as I peeked around the corner of the next corridor. Around the corner was a sheer turn and beyond that turn lay a makeshift fortification with heavily armored troopers wielding rocket launchers. As I quickly considered my options I heard the gibbering of a changeling commander trying to call for reinforcements. Luckily Patriot had deployed a scrambler that blocked wireless and delayed wired transmissions. Unluckily, the commander was using a wired connection so I quickly came up with a plan that’s genius was matched by its ludicrousness and its efficiency by its insanity. I took a running start and jumped into the curved wall with astounding force, the wall strained under the tremendous force before it rebounded as I leapt off the wall with my hydraulically augmented legs and a timed explosive made of my shotgun magazine propelling me, front hooves first, at the barricade. The troopers opened fire but did not hit me before I crashed into the barrier. I had so much momentum that after my hooves slammed into the commander’s skull I burst through the wall into an adjoining lab as his body slid in front of me. Before the debris and glass could settle I erupted into gunfire and emptied my assault rifles into the fumbling troops working the shots from bottom to top. I lay breathless for a second from shell shock and from surprise that my plan had worked.”

“I picked myself up and began to search for the documents which I quickly deduced to be in a large integrated safe behind filling cabinets. I tried to look for codes for the safe but I gave up after a few seconds and decided on a simpler plan. I drew my hooves back and punched with all my might into the corner of the safe and caved the safe and the wall in. I continued my relentless destruction of the safe and it surrendered after eight blows and I quickly retrieved the documents before beginning my dizzying backtrack back to the prison cells which I was informed Muso and Merciful had breached. After hearing this news I ran faster than ever eager to finish this mission. Several times I turned a corner to see changeling combat engineers working on the automatic defenses and I kept running, hooves extended, and ran them into the walls leaving a foot wide holes in the wall. I arrived at the place where Muso had been trapped and saw that Merciful had, true to his word, fixed the problem, but as I walked through the prison corridors looking for my partners, a violent pounding rang through the air and floor followed by a terrible wail. The voice belonged to Merciful, my blood ran cold when I recognized his voice. I put on a burst of speed and slid to a halt as I found Merciful, he was slumped over with something bundled into his arms and next to him lie Muso in an unconscious heap. The prisoners were pressing against the corners of their cells trying to be as far from Merciful as possible. I slowly walked up to him and attempted to get a response from him when he suddenly roared in anger, dropped the thing in his arms, picked up his galloping gun and disappeared. I ran to Muso’s side and began checking for life when he gave out a snort and picked himself up. He told me that he could get the prisoners out but that I needed to stop Merciful and cover their escape.”

“I was wondering what in Tartarus had happened and Muso gave me the news. Merciful and Muso had broken into the prison and split up. Muso freed the prisoners in the cells and Merciful would save those in other areas. Muso had finished his task when he heard a wail of sorrow from the depths and went to check on him. He was standing stock still, guns hung loosely from his hooves, in front of Merciful was a table with a swiveling arm that ended in a gruesome and bloodily mess of torture implements. Merciful wasn’t looking at the arm, he was looking in despair at the body on the table, it belonged to Whiskey Rose. Evidence of her prolonged and inponane torture was transcribed on her body, suffice to say it was a revolting sight. The sight of her lifeless form caused Merciful to snap and Muso went up to Merciful to try and console him and Merciful went berserk and had knocked him out.”

“I was horrified myself when I heard the story for the first time. I went over to Whiskey Rose’s corpse and slowly removed my power armor. I quickly affixed the armor to Whiskey Rose’s body and sent the armor to autonomously make its way back to the helicopter. Confident that she would receive a proper burial, I made my way to the factory floor in pursuit of Merciful”
The rule of the air-brake and the decree of the conductor interrupted the story once again, “Ponyville Stop on the Twilight Express, all off for Ponyville. Next train to Dodge Junction in fifteen minutes.”

Twilight’s frustration mounted “UGGGGGGHHHHH, will we ever be free of this time table, and will you ever not finish on a cliffhanger.”
Crimson laughed, “One way or another I promise I will finish this story.”

Author's Note

Laziness, mediocrity and cheap cliff hangers what will I come up with next!

Crimson's First Day Part 1

Twilight and Crimson walked off the metallic steps onto the old creaky wood of the Ponyville platform and into the hot and dusty heat of the afternoon sun. Twilight inhaled the air as if she had not been in Ponyville for years. Crimson smirked, “you get homesick that easily…or do you just need a reminder of how to breathe?” Twilight shot him a dirty glance and he broke out into chuckles. They began to make their way to Twilight’s castle to gather her friends, but as they entered the main plaza Pinkie Pie appeared jumped out of nowhere and grabbed Twilight.

“Ohmygosh! Where have you been? We have been worried sick. Well Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and I have been worried, Fluttershy and Applejack haven’t been worried. They kept saying that you had gone to Canterlot, but I was like, that’s a problem what if a Hydra attacked the train or oh maybe a shark with an eye patch and peg leg…a pirate shark. That would be so cool. Or, or, or an Ent attacked you would have to be all ‘chop, chop, you should leaf’ that’s the best one-liner. Oh and what if Celestia banished you or worse, made you wave. That would be awful.” Pinkie rambled as she bounced around all over the plaza, before Twilight used her magic to bring Pinkie down to the ground and put her hoof on her flank.

“PINKIE! I’m okay and nothing was going to attack the train nor was Celestia mad at me. I went with my personal guard, Crimson, I don’t think you two have met.”

Pinkie looked around as she hadn’t noticed Crimson due to Twilight. When she ‘found’ him her whole body shook, a shiver went through her spine, and her hair became flatter. She had looked at Crimson as a gust of wind billowed his trench coat and mane displaying his battle scared armor and face. He was an awesome sight. Pinkie let out a series of OH’s and AH’s and for a moment was speechless and when she finally spoke she was tentative, “H…hello, my name is, uh, Pinkamena Diane Pie, it is nice to meet you. D…do you want to be my friend, I have lots of friends. I guess I’m in the business of friends you could say, but I’m really in the business of pastries,” Pinkie chuckled nervously at the end and gave a weak smile.

Crimson broke into laughter after a few moments and Pinkie’s face fell and then to her surprise she was lifted into the air. Crimson had grabbed her and pulled her up to his face like a kitten. “Ha-ha, is the famous Pinkie that intimidated by my obvious partying skills that she is too scared to give me a smile or a cupcake. Pinkie, of course I’ll be your friend, don’t be a goose. Now I want you to give me a big smile, a warm welcome and a red velvet cupcake, you can do that right?” Crimson had a large grin on his face and his voice was low and jolly and he nodded his head as he finished. Pinkie’s head bobbed up and down with Crimson’s and he let her down and stood still for a second. “You can go now, I’m waiting for your song and dance.”

Pinkie’s head perked up “you got it!” she said with a confident fist pump. Pinkie leaped from building to building and put on a royal class welcome for Crimson who gave a bellowing laugh and arborous clapping to the whole shebang. Pinkie finished her welcome with a grand flourish of a coordinated dance with all the plaza-goers, a pegasus fly-by, and a massive fire work flurry. When she finished, she sung the last note of her song and stood on her hind legs in a deep ‘V’, her arms raised in victory, and her head went down. She was smiling for miles and was thoroughly tired, collapsing on the ground.

Crimson went over and knelt by her “…and my cupcake,” he said with a playful smile. She made a weak attempt to get a cupcake by failing her arms which made Crimson laugh. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get one personally, I thank you so much for your effervescent welcome. I do have a task for you if you’re interested.” Pinkie nodded. “Good, now need you to tell me where Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack should be and I need you to meet us at Twilight’s castle in this evening.”

Pinkie picked herself up, still visible exhausted, “Well Rainbow would be at the Wonderbolts Training Course. Rarity should be back from a trip to Manehatten in a few hours so you should be able to find her at her boutique then. Fluttershy and Applejack are usually at their respective homes. Quick question, should I bring snacks for tonight? Are we having a sleepover?!”

Crimson answered in good humor, “Don’t worry about bringing snacks, and for its purpose that’s a secret,” he gave a wink and Pinkie went wide eyed. “Twilight lets go before, twilight comes.” Crimson magnificent pun caused Pinkie to cry laughing. He gave a final grin and wave before he and Twilight trotted over to Sugarcube Corner where Crimson ordered his red velvet cupcake. Before he left he turned to the Cake’s and pulled out a long package from his backpack and gave it to them. “Give this package to Pinkie when she returns, tell it a new friend sent it to her,” he instructed and then he left for Sweet Apple Acres.

It was only fifteen minutes to Sweet Apple Acres and as they approach the sound of apple-bucking and falling apples greeted them. The sound of apple-bucking thundered through the orchard and Crimson and Twilight quickly found Applejack working. They waited patiently in the afternoon sun under the shade of an apple tree until Applejack was finished. “Well howdy, I didn’t see yer there. What brings you to my humble orchard, my princess?” Applejack’s smirk was a mile wide.

“AJ, don’t we such a teaser. I didn’t come for anything, it was his idea.” She pointed to Crimson who had just finished placing a bird back in its nest and had turned around to face Applejack. “Crimson this is Applejack and AJ this is Crimson Fist.” Applejack had a similar response to Crimson that Pinkie had, she stopped short and a shake went through her back.
Crimson responded first, adopting an accent a near match of Big Macintosh, “It’s a pleasure, I hear you’re the best apple-bucker in the country.”

Applejack collected herself faster than Pinkie had “yer darn right I am, for several years.”

Crimson issued a challenge “Well I have a task that needs to be down, and I need to be sure your strong enough, so I challenge you to an apple-bucking race as it were, we split an orchard I two and whoever finishes first wins, only for posterity of course.”

Applejack looked dubious “Well I hate to see a fella disappointed but if y’all are insisting I gotta accept. So you see that hill over there, all you have to do is remove all the apples from the trees that are facing the sun and I’ll get all the trees on the other side. Deal?”

“Deal” Crimson and AJ hoof-bumped

“On your mark, get set…go!” Applejack and Crimson ran full sprint into the orchard meanwhile Twilight played referee by flying high above the orchard keeping track. She checked on Applejack first and she was doing her trademark two-hoof buck and was making exceptional progress she then hurried to check on Crimson and she saw he was almost dancing between the trees delivering a hit with his forelegs or back legs without knocking an apple down.

When he stopped she flew over to him and said “You know you’re supposed to knock the apples down right.”

Crimson chuckled “Just go tell Applejack that I’m done, you’ll see.”

Twilight shrugged and went to get Applejack and she was indignant “You didn’t knock off any apples, you’ll pulling my lariat. Do you give up?
Realize it’s harder than you thought?”

Crimson just smiled and said “Just watch.” He clapped his hands resulting in a disproportioned clap and a moment of silence passed before the distant, but distinct sound of falling apples slowing got louder before a wave of falling apples reached the end of the orchard.

Applejack’s and Twilight’s jaws dropped “How did you do that?!” they both exclaimed flabbergasted.

Crimson grin bloomed “I just hit the trees in a certain way that made them want to lose their apples, the clap was just the signal.”

Applejack was paralyzed in surprise and she only recovered when Crimson pushed and she fell over. “Well I guess I should pay you for all your hard work, that’s the right thing to do.”

Before Applejack could get anywhere, Crimson stopped her, “Forget about that, remember that I had a task for you, you could repay me be meeting at Twilight’s castle this evening and please take this, you can open it right now if you want.” Crimson reached into his pack and retrieved a package like Pinkie’s.

Applejack took the package and ripped it open and pulled out four oddly thick horseshoes. She frowned “what are these for? They seem pretty clunky.”

Crimson picked up one of them, “these horse shoes are unique, and they are the perfect apple-bucking devices. They may seem thick, but they are lighter than regular horseshoes and more importantly they apply twice the force of your kicks on their own and don’t hurt the tree as much. I made them myself, if you need help getting used to them I can show you how to use them.”

Applejack’s jaw dropped for the second time that day, “how did you come by these? I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything”

“Alright, I’ll be there tonight and I don’t think I’ll need help with the horseshoes.”

“We’ll be on our way then, bye” Crimson and Twilight waved goodbye and went along the forest edge until they approached Fluttershy’s cottage and as they made their way up the road they spotted her in her garden. She didn’t notice them until they had crossed the bridge into her garden. She quickly dropped what she was doing and addressed them. “Uh…hello Twilight what brings you here, I didn’t forget something did I? And who is this you brought with you?”

“Oh you didn’t forget anything it’s just that…aren’t you going to run inside or something?”

“Oh heavens why would I do anything like that? Should I?”

Twilight shook her head, “no you should, it’s just that Pinkie and Applejack were visible scared by him and I just thought that you would be for sure scared.”

Fluttershy laughed “oh Twilight don’t be so silly anypony could see that he is that he means no harm to them. They might have just been intimated by his handsomeness.” Twilight shot her a dirty glance and she gave a sheepish smile and a squee.

Twilight continued, “Well anyway Crimson my personal guard wanted to meet all of you and ask you to meet us at the castle this evening.”

Crimson came over and hugged Fluttershy. After the hug Crimson continued in a soft mellow tone “Fluttershy, it’s good to see you, your skills over nature have been well spread, I myself am interested in natural regeneration of the soil and have wanted to discuss it with you, however that must wait until later. In the meantime I do have a gift for you.” He pulled out a gift like the two before it and handed it to Fluttershy, who slowly removed the wrapping. Inside the box was a strange looking whistle. Crimson perceiving her confusion explained its purpose, “It’s a selectable whistle, all you have to do is twist this wheel near the end and it will act as a different animal whistle. Anyway we will be seeing you tonight, right?”

“Right.”

Crimson's First Day Part 2

Crimson gave a soft smile and then he and Twilight left for their penultimate visit, to the Carousal Boutique. Twilight went first through the door and caused the bell to ring meanwhile Crimson had to duck down a little in order to get in. The main storefront was empty besides Sweetie Belle who was practicing singing arias for an upcoming competition behind a curtain. Crimson intrigued by the singing made his way over to the curtain meanwhile Twilight trotted over to Rarity’s inspiration room and knocked on the door.

A voice came from the room, “hold on a minute dear, I will be with you in a second.” True to her word Rarity appeared in a few seconds and spoke with a start, “oh Twilight to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, perhaps you are looking for a new coronation dress, your current one is just too much like Cadence, you need a more silver and gold approach. I do have several designs ready.”
Twilight, slightly perturbed, reassured Rarity. “No I don’t need a new coronation dress, I am just running around with my personal guard because he wanted to get to know my closest friends.”

Rarity perked up, “A royal guard, huh. Are you sure he doesn’t want to get to know you better, I bet he’s a catch.”

Twilight was astonished “Rarity, that’s not very lady-like, I never expected that kind of talk from you.”

Rarity smiled “I was only teasing, now where is he? I’d love to meet the stallion chosen to protect our dear princess.” Almost if it was timed to answer her question, the singing from the curtain erupted into a glorious duet and ended in a tremendous crescendo. Rarity rushed to the curtain and pushed it back and started blindly berating Sweetie Belle. “Is there a colt in there? You know what I have told you about that sort of activity, I will not allow you to bring in colts to fraternize…” Rarity stopped dead when she opened her eyes to see Crimson holding Sweetie aloft and she retreated a half step overwhelmed with fear and…something else. When the moment based Rarity adopted a quieter tone “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to insult a royal guard like that. I’m so ashamed, this is the worst possible thing.”

Crimson set Sweetie down and addressed Rarity in a sophisticated tone. “Rarity, it’s okay. I’m technically not even a royal guard. Nevertheless apology accepted, you can get up, it’s unbecoming of one with such skill and prestige. If you have time, I’d like to talk to over tea.”

Rarity was shocked by his compassion and was speechless for a second. “Yes of course I would love to host tea with you.”
Crimson removed his duster and set it upon a mannequin. “Twilight, I might be a while and I still need to talk with Rainbow if you could tell Pinkie to prep your hot air balloon I would be most grateful.” Twilight, not wanting to hear any of Rarity’s dress suggestions, was quick to agree.

When Rarity come out of the kitchen to call Crimson for tea she gasped in awe, “your Crimson Fist of the Royal Guards, you must be, I would remember such dazzling armor. I can’t imagine why Celestia believes Twilight to be in such danger, unless of course some ancient evil comes again.”

Crimson sat down for tea before asking his question, he was puzzled by her knowledge of his armor, “you’ve seen this armor, where?”
“Oh when Luna had recovered most of her power and had an influx of guard applications for her, Celestia decided to try and redesign their armor. I was asked on my opinions and so I had to get a baseline of all the armors used and I saw yours in particular which I loved beyond belief, but I realized its uniqueness and decided against it. I did however choose the perfect color for their armor. And now for my question, how did you learn to sing like that, Sweetie has been looking for a duet partner for a while.”

Crimson laid back in his chair, “A close friend mine was a fantastic singer and I learned to honor her memory.”

Rarity’s face deepened, “I’m sorry, if you don’t mind me asking what happened to her?”

“…She was killed, I brought her defilers to justice and have been carrying on her legacy since.”

“Oh my...I'm sorry…If it’s any consolation, I believe you do her legacy justice.”

“That’s very kind, but enough about the past, I want to give you this,” Crimson removed a small golden needle from his pocket and placed it on the table, “it’s a magically activated sewing needle that will bind to thread on command and let go on command as well. I hope it’s enough to garner your good favor, because I need to know how you reinforce your dresses.”

Rarity broke into a smile, “that’s so kind. Yes, I will happily give you some of my blueprints, is there anything else?”

“Yes, if you can I need you to meet us at the castle this evening.” Crimson finished his tea gave a polite good-bye hug and found his way to the hot air balloon launch pad.

At the pad was Pinkie riding on her hover board-the gift left by Crimson-and Twilight was laying down reading a book on combat techniques. Crimson greeted Twilight as he approached “I see Pinkie is enjoying her gift and I see you are prepping for your journey.”
Twilight smiled up at him, “of course, what else would I do? Are you ready to go up, I’ll need to cast the pegasus feet spell on you.”
Crimson shook his head “I’m ready to go, but I don’t need you to cast the spell. My armor has a cloud walker enchantment, I’ll be fine.”
Twilight was surprised, but didn’t ask further, “let us go I’m sure Rainbow is anxious to see me.” Crimson and Twilight boarded the basket and released the ground ties. The balloon began its ascent. After the balloon had cleared the town hall Twilight turned to Crimson her face creased in thought, “Crimson throughout today you have changed your voice several times and what is with the gifts and the challenges? Looking for a friend?”

Crimson broke out laughing, “No, I can’t be my royal self around them they’ll be hostile towards me because they can’t trust me. The last time they trusted a stranger unrelated to you from Canterlot it turned out to be a changeling and if a changeling was on the right hand of their best friend and they didn’t do anything about it they wouldn’t forgive themselves. The gifts are for fun, I read up on everyone and decided to do something nice for them that’s all.”

“Wow, you’re quite the strategist I had forgotten about the changelings.” The rest of the balloon ride was spent in quiet contemplation, but soon the balloon broke free of the cloud layer. They disembarked and made the rest of the short journey on hoof. When they arrived they didn’t see any sign of Rainbow Dash who was hiding in a nearby cloud. Twilight began calling out for Rainbow when a cerulean blur tackled her and pinned her to the ground.

“You always have to be aware when you’re flying so I want no excuses on why you could see me coming” Rainbow’s straight face gave way under an invading smile and she broke into laughter. “You should have seen your face, you were all worried. And when I tackled you, you gave out the cutest little squeal.” Twilight gave her a grumpy look which went away when Rainbow gave her a peck on the cheek. “Anyway what brings you up into my domain, wanting to lose in a race?”

Crimson spoke before Twilight could respond, “well I don’t know about you but I came here to win. I’m Crimson Fist, Twilight’s royal guard.
Rainbow laughed, “are you serious you don’t have any wings what do you plan to do beat me in a losing competition…oh wait your serious okay, be my guest you choose were to go.”

“We do a lap around the Wonderbolts obstacle course and then we end on the ground at Twilight’s castle, any objections?”

“Seems fine to me.”

“Twilight, if you would do the honors.”

Twilight was jolted from her puzzlement, “Yes, uh 3…2…1…Go!” Twilight starting making her way home.
Rainbow began to ascend with mind-blowing speed and once she reached optimal height started to accelerate towards the first hoop. Before she got there she thought she saw Crimson jump from clouds and through the hoop. Surprised and angry Rainbow pushed herself harder making her blur even more indistinct. She looked down and saw Crimson run across the clouds at impossible speed and make leaps a maximum of fifty feet and land in a roll unhindered. Rainbow and Crimson left the obstacle course neck and neck and began their journey through the heavy cloud cover around Ponyville. Rainbow blew through the cloud layer like a fighter jet, her contrail leaving a bright rainbow behind. Her wings strained and she kept pushing herself, but it was all for not as she constantly caught glimpses of Crimson as he jumped from cloud to cloud and ran with ungodly speed over the clouds. Rainbow took advantage of flight and began using up and down drafts to increase her speed. Again they were neck in neck on the final stretch, a straight down fall to Twilight’s doorstep. Rainbow smirked, since she knew that he would be limited by gravity and he needed a parachute to not die. She didn’t. She slowed to make the ninety degree turn and saw Crimson jump from a cloud and jump head first with his arms flayed beside him toward the ground. She quickly followed expecting to easily pass him but to her surprise he was running down on the air and going faster than he should have been, fast enough to break the speed of sound. He quickly outpaced her and when he reached the ground he slid a few feet and brought his hooves up and Rainbow felt a wave of pressure pass by her. It was now she realized she had descended too far to make a safe stop and she was going to hit the ground…hard. Her body froze she was too panicked to do anything. As she approached the ground Crimson got underneath her and in a fluid motion he cradle her and flung himself with her to the side to drain the excess speed. They bounced in increasing short intervals, Crimson’s armor holding firm under the intense strain. They came to a complete stop a long way from the castle, Crimson had taken all the force and was cradling Rainbow in his forelegs. Rainbow was still paralyzed with fear and surprise her eyes were glazed, while Crimson was winded from the force to his back. Rainbow’s vision soon cleared and she escaped Crimson’s grasp, who quickly righted himself and wiped himself off.

Rainbow was the first to respond, her voice started shaky but soon gathered strength as she remembered who she was. “You saved me I’m…I don’t know what to say. I mean…How did you do that? That was impossible…wait that isn’t right oh I got it. You just caught me an off day…but you’re pretty good.”

Crimson smiled at Rainbow’s pride, “Don’t worry I didn’t just save your life, or just beat you in a sky race, you won handily for all I care. Anyway let’s get to Twilight’s the others will be waiting for us.”

“The others, you mean Twilight and the gang, what…what’s this?” Crimson handed her a series of packages each of varying size.

“They're gifts, you open them. Remember.”

“Of course, I know that,” Rainbow stuck her tongue at him. Since opened one of the packages and found a first edition Daring Do: QftSS. “Oh my god how did you get this? There is only one in existence! You know what, I don’t care how you got it. What’s in the next one?” Dash
quickly tore open the next package to reveal a pair of metallic wings connected with a motor. “What’s this?”

“That’s for Scootaloo, it’s one of my own design it is meant to augment a pegasus’ wings in the case of inadequacy or injury. Now open the last one it’s for you.”

Rainbow did not have to be told and she pulled out two larger-than-ear sized objects that looked like wings attached to circles.

Crimson prepared for Rainbow’s question cut her short. “Those are special devices that go over the ear, they increase hear ability, flying awareness during white outs, and they extend out into a mask that makes you unbelievably aerodynamic.”
Rainbow went wide eyed and placed them around her ears and Crimson pushed the center of one of the circles and a magical barrier constructed itself around Rainbow’s head, turning it into a sleek surface. “This is so awesome, it measures things like wing-speed and location, wow.” Crimson pushed the button again and the helmet slowly dismantled itself.

Twilight's Visitation

Crimson began the debriefing, “Now I know that it’s very strange for you all to be asked to meet up in the castle at the will of a stranger you don’t know, why suddenly shows up one day. Let me assure you I intend only the best for my princess and boss, Twilight. That is why we are here, I am going on a dangerous mission to the Badlands…and Twilight’s coming with me of her own volition.” There were outcries of disagreement, most of all from Rainbow who almost burst into tears on Twilight’s shoulder. “Do not worry I have a plan to help ensure her protection, I just lack the proper materials and designs, I am going to make Twilight personal armor and custom weaponry. The designs are almost done and its trials will take a day or two so in the meantime I need you all to gather the materials. Can you do it?” There was a collective cheer from everypony. “Alright then, I need around a fifty pounds of wolfram and cobalt each, a few quarts of quicksilver, a fair amount of aurum, some specific gems, and a filly sized meteor.” Everypony besides Twilight lost their jaws to the ground, but agreed once they reclaimed control of their mouths. “Do not worry about payment, I will simply transfer the funds to the merchants through Spike whenever you need it. We have five days to do this after daybreak, it will take me two days to finish her armor so I need the materials before then, can we do it?”

“Yes!” they shouted collectively.

“Well then I suggest you sleep well tonight here. The map for venders will be ready for you tomorrow, I wish you all good luck I will be lodging in the forges of the Castle of the Two Sisters by tomorrow.”

With the meeting dismissed the girls retired for the night each in their respective rooms. The tree of harmony had sanctioned out several rooms specifically for the bearers of the elements. Each room was located in separate wings and floors, Twilight occupied the central tower and thus made way for the balcony to fly up there. Crimson followed her to the balcony and sent her off, thus beginning his patrol duties. Twilight waved good night and made her way up to her room. As she got out of eye-shot of Crimson, Rainbow Dash came out of hiding from
behind a cloud.

Despite their isolation Rainbow whispered, “I don’t think Crimson is normal. You remember that race we had he…won.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide, “are you sure you’re thinking clearly, you never lose one-on-one. Are sure you’re feeling okay. Plus he was on hoof not wings. I thought he was racing on the ground.”

Rainbow Dash started speaking in a normal volume but in an exasperated tone, “I know that’s what I thought, but he…he didn’t get to the ground he jumped up onto the cloud layers and then he ran. He was faster than anything I have ever gone or seen, he performed a sonic boom when he fell.”

“No way, that was probably yours. What about the dismount from the clouds he must have had a parachute or something.”

“No he had nothing of the sort, he did a swan dive before I head for the ground and when I saw him again he was running on the air and when he landed he just brought his forelegs together and released a shockwave upward. Well I was so shocked I was paralyzed and I would have d…died if he had not caught me. I was going fast enough that when he caught me we flew sideways totally far.”

Twilight was at a loss for an explanation. “He said his armor was magically enhanced, I didn’t give him pegasus feet. Maybe it enhanced his abilities, gave him near flight. His armor seems to have an aura of power around it. Yes that must be it, I’m sure of it.”

“Maybe…but that speed. I could have sworn it was natural. I mean the level of speed was unnatural but its… origin, no, that’s something was natural. You know what I mean.”

“Sure I do, just get some sleep it’s going to be a long day tomorrow and I don’t want to get injured on my mission.”

“I couldn’t live with myself if it did,” Rainbow nuzzled Twilight, “I’m probably overreacting, thanks.” Rainbow flew back to her hiding place and then back to her suite on the top floor of the castle. Twilight flew to her room the conversation a nagging thought in the back of her mind. She pushed that thought away as she got ready for bed. She had just finished bathing and was preening her wings when a knock came at her door.

“Who is it?”

“Applejack, I got a surprise fur yea.”

“Come in then I’m just preening.”

Applejack came in with a confused face, “preening, what’s that?”

“It’s something winged ponies have to do every day, keeps the wings clean and organized. Without it, rain would fowl up a pegasus and they would not be able to control the weather.”

“That’s enough sugar cube, I just wanted to bring you a thank you present, since I can’t find that tall feller.”

“Crimson?” Twilight offered.

“Yeah, that guy. It’s a little box of apple infused chocolates. I had so much free time, you know between Crimson’s wager and his gift I was able to finish that orchard in an hour. Anyway I had been experimenting with chocolate making, but I always started too late.”

“About that wager, did you know what he did to those trees?”

“Sure he just…” Applejack frowned “come to think of it I don’t know.”

“He kicked and punched each tree, never left a mark or dropped and apple but when he clapped they came down like rain.”

“An odd way I’ll admit but I don’t care as long as he did it.”

“Okay, I just though it is was weird.”

Applejack put her leg on Twilight’s side, “don’t worry about it, he seems fine and well-mannered enough, plus he ain’t a bad view and he ain’t no stick in the mud. Anyway give him my regards.” Applejack left for bed having put Twilight’s nagging thought to a light sleep. Twilight continued preening her wings until she was satisfied with the results. She began to do magical exercises. Another knock on the door interrupted her, this time it was Rarity.

“Dearie I was just dropping by, you see all the excitement had given me a very ladylike hunger, she I made my way to the kitchen and who was there? None other than Crimson Fist, he had prepared these little pastries. Apparently they are gingersnaps with candied orange peel, I must say I was ready to eat the whole batch when Crimson suggested that I should go and see if anypony else wanted any. Needless to say I offered them to everyone, who were utterly enthralled by them. Now here I am giving the last few to you, enjoy and good night.”

“Wait Rarity, doesn’t Crimson seem almost too skilled.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Well he is an amazing fighter and craftsmen, you saw his singing talent and his baking talent. He is a great negotiator, a scholar of magic, world-class apple bucker and an undefeatable racer from what Rainbow says. He seems too good to just be a guard.”

“You are worrying over nothing, think of it this way. Your guard is not only a marvelous protector, but he is someone who matches you almost point for point and excels where you are weaker and vice-versa. Although I don’t know where he is weakest.”

Twilight thought about it for a moment before responding “Thanks Rarity, you’ve put my mind at ease, good night see you in the morning.” Rarity shut the door behind herself and Twilight continued her magical exercises with increased vigor her mind clear. She soon decided she was good when she went through a large chunk of Star-Swirled the Bearded expert spells. She then nestled into bed and began to read another volume of combat tactics by her brother. She quickly remembered the cookies and was amazed by their deliciousness. Twilight soon finished both her nighttime reading and snack and was about to fall asleep when a third knock came.

Twilight tired and content swung the door open with magic and was about to yell for them to leave when Crimson appeared through the doorway. “Crimson this is unexpected…what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well in the goings-on of today I forgot your gift, here it is.” Crimson opened a box and inside was a long silver chain with an emblem inscribed in gold. It was a six point star made of amethyst with a smaller diamond star shaped like the first.

Twilight was at the edge of tears, “Oh Crimson it’s beautiful. How did you even come across this?”

“I made it a long time ago, never knew why I made it until now. Anyway, like most things I have it is enchanted, specifically with a fail-safe spell. Very powerful and very useful. It would make me job a lot easier if I had more of them. Anyway…good night, sweet princess.” Crimson let himself out and in his absence Twilight sensed his wake, a feeling of loss. Twilight was again puzzled by her resourceful and enigmatic guard. She looked at her gift, it was more intricate than anything she had ever seen. It was past even Rarity’s ability, who was a master jeweler. The centerpiece was defiantly made of several gems, but there wasn’t a gap to be found as if it was only one gem. Twilight held up to the candlelight and noticed faint writing, too faint for her to see. She surmised that it was the enchantment and placed around her neck, it fit just right. Twilight blew out the candle and put away her book, she slept better than she had since she had been the vessel for all Alicorn magic, which gave her uneasy sleep even after it was removed. A sense of calm hushed the wisps of magic cascading into her subconscious, she felt nice.

Nighttime ruled the sky and the moon, its eternal sentinel, careened through the empty backdrop. Under its watchful eye the town grew silent and restful, each pony being carried away into Luna’s realm of dreams to be bewitched by a dazzling display of their desires. All but one who matched the moon’s eternal patrol, down on the ground the lone silhouette of Crimson made its way to the mountains. The silhouette continued up the mountains until it reached the highest summit, upon this high vista Crimson began to move. His hooves moved in a fluid rhythm and soon the rhythm picked up to incredible speed. Then came the guns which flowed into the movement perfectly. As the moon traced its way across the sky, Crimson did not let up his practice. It was not until the night was nearly done that Crimson left the mountain and glided back to town.

Dawn came with more beauty than Twilight had ever seen. It was a gorgeous array of bright oranges and yellows with a corona of deep red. Twilight stretched her body out displaying the full span of her wings. Today she felt that lighter than usual, ready to fly. She stepped onto her balcony scanning the horizon, inhaling the heavy air, she soon spotted what she was looking for, Rainbow Dash preforming her early morning exercise. Twilight flew from her landing in a hurry. She was a bit surprised at her own speed, she was faster than usual, and she blamed the good night sleep. Twilight quickly and stealthily flew to a cloud near-by Rainbow who was doing laps around a makeshift course made of loose clouds. As Rainbow jetted across a corner Twilight flew in front of her and magically attracted two clouds to surround Rainbow. Suffice to say Rainbow was quite tangled in the clouds.

As she finally orientated herself to the present situation and escaped she eyed Twilight evilly. “What was that for? I was flying here!” Twilight responded with a cheeky raspberry and flew off. “Don’t think you’ll get off the easy!” Rainbow exclaimed as she activated her flight helmet and zoomed after Twilight’s contrail. Twilight flew with all her might trying to get rid of her nervous energy, but Rainbow with her new gadget was faster than she was and had quickly caught up with her. “Gotcha!” she exclaimed as she tumbled into Twilight and rolled into a cloud. Twilight released a grunt as she fell through the air and hit the solid, but soft surface of the clouds.
“Rainbow how did you catch me so fast?” Twilight asked, “Wait, when did you get that?”

Rainbow’s visor retracted revealing a smirk, a wing long, “Your guard gave it to me. It’s almost as awesome as me don’t you think. He said it made me even faster. I wonder if you can make a full body suit like this that would impress everyone for sure.”

“Well I definitely can say it makes you faster,” Twilight’s gaze changed to a flirtatious one, “but…I don’t think anything could be as awesome as you.” Rainbow turned bright red and backed off a little embarrassed by Twilight’s compliment. Rainbow was about to speak but was silenced by Twilight pressing her mouth against hers forcing a long kiss. Rainbow was resistant at first out of surprise but soon reciprocated the kiss. They held that position for a long minute before breaking for a breath, a string of saliva bridged the gap between them. After the long kiss a long silence held between them each wanting to embrace each other more.

Rainbow spoke first bordering on being hysterical, “Twilight I’m so worried about, I don’t know what to do with myself if I don’t see you for
weeks or if the worst occurs. This Crimson guy, he is definitely a real badass. I’m worried you might be in over your head, he seems like the sort of pony that just attracts danger. I’m just…………scared for you and me, I just don’t want anything bad to happen.” Rainbow broke into tears and fell onto Twilight

Twilight put her hoof on Rainbow’s muzzle and brought her wings around Rainbow’s body, calming her. “Rainbow, you say that like I or any of us never attract danger. Rainbow I’m no longer the unicorn I once was, I’m the princess of magic and friendship an Alicorn who has vanquished great evil. I will never leave you, I promise…but if something happens Crimson will make sure I make it back and protect you as best he can.” Twilight and Rainbow laid on the cloud in an embrace for a long time and watched the sun rise from the ground and bathe them in its warm and reassuring gaze. They stared into each other’s eyes and were lost in their depths before kissing once more. After this kiss they broke away and flew back to the castle where Crimson was waiting in the kitchen along with everyone else, just awoken for breakfast.

Calls of good morning welcomed them as they entered. Crimson was behind the counter preparing breakfast for once on all fours, Twilight was astonished by how big he actually was, bigger than her it seemed. “Good morning to you early birds, you’re just on time for breakfast prepared by yours truly,” Crimson then turned to address everyone, “breakfast is served!” All the ponies crowded around the breakfast table while Crimson, now on two legs, passed around bowls filled with oatmeal and specific plants to each pony.

“Oatmeal, I expected more exquisite food for a stallion of such expertise,” Twilight teased.

“Oh how can you say that, you haven’t even tried it,” Crimson retorted trying to sound annoyed and hurt. At his suggestion she tried it and was amazed as each bite was crisp and crunchy despite its soggy appearance and tasted of fresh cut oranges, a favorite of Twilight. Crimson grinned in victory after she finished, “Now that you are done with your breakfast the hard work begins. I want to extend my gratitude to each of you for helping me, it’s a big favor to ask. I have prepared saddlebags with food, water and a map for each of you to find the suppliers. In addition I have assigned some guards to meet you when you call with these whistles-Crimson showed a small golden whistle-they will help you bring the materials back. Now the best way to do this is to split up, Applejack and Pinkie Pie will be group one. Rarity and Fluttershy you will be joined by Spike to form group two. Finally Twilight and Rainbow you will be group three. I do hope that will do”

Crimson's Forge and Impromtu Mailmares

Everypony shook their heads, but then asked collectively “What are we picking up?”

“Group one you will locate the wolfram and cobalt and due to the volume of the request you will have six royal guards assigned to you. Group two you will get the aurum and, due to Rarity’s spell, the gems; the specific gems are included with the map. Group three you will need to find quicksilver and the meteor. I wish you all good luck and I know I can count on you.” At that the ponies dispersed to grab their bags and went on their separate ways. AJ and Pinkie to the frozen mountains in the crystal north. Rarity, Spike and Fluttershy to the cities of Vanhoover and Manehatten. Finally, Rainbow and Twilight to Canterlot, to see the Princesses and the alchemists. Crimson began his journey after the others had left, slowly making his way to the ancient forges of the Two Sisters.

As Crimson stood on the threshold of the Everfree Forest he sighed, the natural beauty of the forest was too good for him. He had long resigned to facilitate the beauty of the world, but to never truly indulge in its splendor. Beginning once again, he trudged through the mulch covered and overgrown path not that it mattered if he could follow the path he had long memorized it. The air was thick and heavy, filled with magical purpose it seemed, it energized Crimson as he entered into the depths of the forest. He began to hike through the forest at a much brisker pace, almost floating above the ground, taking huge strides until he decided that he was alone enough and the invisible and ethereal outline of wings unfurled to their full extent. He soared into the forest canopy dodging large branches and tree trunks, the thrill of a daring course barely exciting his heart. His rare flights were a freedom he took solemnly, their primordial enjoyment and liberty harkened back to his long gone and much more carefree days. It served as a double-edged reminder of what he has to redeem.

Crimson continued his midnight flight through the treetops until he arrived at the clearing surrounding the castle. He approached the aged structure, still strong but in need of fixing, and placed his right hoof and head against the wall. He stood there a minute in silence and motionless in memory of the history the stones had seen. He, at last, relented his connection to the wall and delved into its many basement layers until he came upon the forge. A corridor ringed the whole structure, separated into several rooms and each had an opening from which to observe the forge. The forge was deep underground, a consequence of it being hewn out of the living rock, its floor was composed of thousands of embedded crystals making the floor twinkle like the night sky. Its roof never ended, the roof was open sky and the perfectly circular barrel of the room was inviting light to flow down into the forge. Bricks of dazzling alabaster and depthless obsidian composed the barrel, the pattern they were in focused light onto the forge. The forge occupied the room in a horseshoe shape and at its center it bulged to form a circle. The bellows were located in the corners formed by the bulge. From the center and the two ends extended sculpted hooves holding an oculus above the center. The forge bed was dark and cold a reward won by its lack of necessity after the Banishing of Luna, but it was not broken or damaged instead it felt ready to burst into flames again always ready to defend its kingdom. Crimson was more than prepared to oblige its wish and began his ritual.

The relighting of the forge was a ceremonial process so Crimson abstained from using any magical abilities and his incendiary technology. He retrieved a small glass sculpture upon a circular glass stand, this he fit into the oculus, and began to clean the forge before placing logs of magic crystalline wood into the troughs. By the time he was finished the sun was at the cusp of noon and the reflected rays of sunlight were beginning to tighten together and move toward the oculus, so he began working the bellows in preparation for the ignition. The minutes slowly yielded and soon the sun reached its zenith and then the glass sculpture began to glow a blinding white and suddenly three beams shot out and ignited the three sections of the forge and soon the fires were roaring and the coals were burning. Crimson stopped working the bellows and left the forge as it began to heat up to its maximum temperature. He made his way to a small room located in the same corridor as the forge, inside was a bed and an escape ladder for quick access to the ground floor; more importantly a large wooden writing desk, larger than the bed, stood on one half of the room. Crimson retrieved several large sheets of paper and laid them upon the writing desk. For two days these room were his life, the papers became filled with elaborate equations and alien designs. The adjoining empty rooms became filled with perplexing prototypes that served as proofs of concept and as practice for Crimson. The forge burned with zealous impunity. The flames of the fervent furnace danced in time with the ring of a relentless hammer. The flames of war were released once again.

As the forge’s heart burned bright, other fires took their first breaths. Far to the north in the frozen lands around the Crystal Empire two ponies having taken shelter from an unexpected, world-wiping afternoon blizzard. They sat a comfortable distance away from a meek but fierce fire. Applejack was checking the map while Pinkie was preparing an early dinner, a simple cabbage stew not appealing but hearty option.

“How’s dinner coming along there, Pinkie?” Applejack inquired, having finished fiddling with the map.

“It’s going A-Okay AJ, here have some,” Pinkie’s voice trailed off, “but I don’t think my tummy is going to be okay.”

Applejack gave an amused smile, “Pinkie sometimes it’s better to eat the simple foods instead of those fancy sweets you’re so fond of. Besides in weather like this it’s good to get some heat in your belly.”

“I guess you’re right,” Pinkie admitted dejectedly, “but I still wish I could eat something else.”

“I think I might do you some good if you stopped talkin’ about food and thought about something else.”

“Well what else am I supposed to think about? We’re stuck in this dang cave until the storm blows over and I’m not like my sister, I can’t talk to rocks. Do you have any ideas?”

“Well I got one thing on my mind.”

“Ooh what is it? Let me guess, is it about apples? Is it about The Apples? Ooh…ooh are you thinking about how to expand your apple distributers and gain more prominence in bigger cities.”

“None of that stuff Pinkie, although you bring up a good point anyway, it is about that guy, Crimson. I mean we barely know him, he calls us together, tells us that he and Twilight are going on a dangerous mission, and asks us to do this. Why?”

“Why…what?”

“Welp, why are we doing this? Why is Twilight going with him and without us? It doesn’t seem right.”

“The answer to the first one is easy, it is because we’re her friends and would do anything for her.”

“I guess that makes sense.”
“The second one thought is a real brain teaser…maybe because Celestia sent them on a secret spy mission, or maybe a date. Rarity said that ever since Shining got married and Twilight became an Alicorn that there has been pressure for her to find the stallion of her dreams.”

“Pfft, as if, how does Rarity know anyway? I don’t think so. Even though he seems really happy I can’t shake a feeling that he is trouble.”

“Now you’re the one making the crazy theories.”

“It’s not crazy…what do you think then?”

Pinkie opened her mouth and raised her right foreleg but stopped, “I…don’t know. I just know he is super cool and won’t let anything bad happen to Twilight.”

Applejack started at the opening of the cave, “I hope so…I really hope so. Wait a second the blizzard is gone. The town on the map is only a few miles from this cave, if we hurry we can make before nightfall. Let’s get those materials, Crimson can’t make Twilight armor without them, right?”

Pinkie put a determined look on her faced and raised her hoof again, “Right! Let’s go!”

The two mare strapped on their saddlebags and raced across the white, flat expanse that had formed in the aftermath of the storm.

AJ’s shouts and hollers filled the air for miles around. The two mares galloped at breakneck speed, sliding on snow dunes and ramping off their lips. The sky was aglow with cool, calm pastels as the town came into sight. The streaks grew longer and thinner until a deep lapis lazuli color dominated the celestial stage. When they reached the town they both were awestruck as they saw the players enter the stage, long snaking lines of otherworldly light. The aurora borealis.

They stood motionless for minutes, forgetting the weariness in their hides and the cold of the night. It wasn’t until a gruff voice from the open door of the tavern beckoned them inside, into the warmth of a fire. They quickly ran inside getting one last view of the sky before disappearing into the tavern. In the tavern, to Pinkie’s joy, they secured barley cakes, berry crostatas, spiced cider, and a warm bed. They also got information about their material needs. After finishing their food, almost too beyond bloated, they retired to the room, an add-on to the tavern, to discover that there was only one bed.

“Pinkie you should take the bed, I’ve slept plenty of cold nights in the barn this will be no different,” Applejack said adamantly.

“AJ you’re being silly. There is plenty of room in the bed for the two of us, come on.” Pinkie hopped into bed and beckoned for Applejack to join her.

Applejack was beyond reluctant, “Fine if you insist.” She dropped her saddlebags and got into the bed, her back to Pinkie. Pinkie prepared for Applejack’s reluctance quickly tugged on the sheets turning Applejack over, she turned bright red. “Hey, what was that for?”
“We’re going to freeze if we don’t snuggle, even under all these covers” Pinkie lay in the bed on the interior of Applejack and whispered, almost into the covers, “You can wrap your hooves around me…if you want,” her tone wasn’t one of passion, it was caring. This made Applejack turn scarlet, but after a moment of hesitation she complied and they both closed their eyes, smiles on their faces. The comforting warmth of each other cut through the arctic cold, a fire through the night.

A long way away a single candle burned releasing a soothing scent throughout the room it lone light high above the city’s glow. Rarity stood in the middle of her high-rise penthouse and looked out upon the city, its symmetrical arrangements of street lights creating a maze network in Rarity’s eyes. She looked up into the sky and, due to Luna’s magic, saw the stars in their seemingly disorderly fashion, but soon the constellations Rarity knew by heart began to pop out at her. She put her hands on the glass wishing to be among the stars, but remembering her unfortunate accident was glad she was on the ground. Rarity began unpacking her suitcase, she had only brought one small one at Crimson’s recommendation. It had been a long day, they had gone to Vanhoover first and had secured a half of their shipment of aurum and had taken a train to Manehatten dropping off the shipment in Ponyville and also searched for the gems while the train arrived. Rarity and Fluttershy had left Spike in Ponyville to help coordinate with the delivery of the goods. They had arrived in Manehatten to order the shipment today so they went to Rarity’s private penthouse, courtesy of Photo-Finish. Rarity was snapped out of her train of thought by Fluttershy, who had returned from dinner. She had ordered a desert. Rarity hadn’t the desire for desert tonight so she retired to the room early.

“Oh Fluttershy, good to see you. Wasn’t that desert absolutely scrumptious? I’m sorry I couldn’t stay, but I wanted to see the city at nightfall. It just inspires me.”

Fluttershy slowly made her way over to the window, “yes, thank you. The desert was really good. It’s okay you couldn’t stay, it is a pretty sight.”

“Fluttershy I know you will enjoy this, come here.” Rarity pulled out a small knitting circle and showed it Fluttershy. It was a picture of Fluttershy and Discord enjoying a fictional tea party. Despite its static nature the picture seemed to move, Discord was in the middle of offering sandwiches while simultaneously tickling Fluttershy causing her to spread her wings, you could almost hear Fluttershy laughing.

“Rarity, you didn’t have to do this, I should probably make you something.”

“Fluttershy…Fluttershy look at me, you don’t have to anything in return. It’s just a gift, now I’m off to the washroom to enjoy a wonderful and well-earned bath. Today has been a frightfully labor-intensive day and I don’t think I could take one more minute of it today. Now do feel free to join me, the bath is plenty big and I need someone to wash my back.”

“Okay, I just prepare my bed and join you then, if you want of course.”
“Fluttershy, I would most enjoy, it will be like our biweekly spa day, which we missed due to this royal task.” Rarity made her way across the penthouse and into the bathroom.

The bathroom seemed larger than the main bedroom and was covered in luminous alabaster, whiter than Rarity’s coat, with complex and elegant silver chandeliers with hundreds of crystal teardrops suspended beneath casting a rainbow upon the polished walls. The light was warm as was the air, as Rarity made her way towards the tub a perfectly subtly and pleasing scent of lavender filled her breath. In the center of the room rose a large tub inset into the stone, it was the size of a swimming pool, and the water was milky with added minerals and perfumes. Rarity prepared a small floating bowl with various shampoos, conditioners, and soaps and sent it sailing in the flat waters. She sat on the deck of the massive bath and slowly lowered herself into the tranquil waters. Her legs went first, testing the waters, and finding that the water was perfectly warm she quickened her descent and soon she was floating on her back gazing at the endless plane of white above and around her. Her mane flowed in a perfect arc around her giving her head a violet corona. As she floated on the surface of the water she could feel the exhaustion of the day slowly melt away and be replaced by the invigorating lethargy of night. Rarity stood upright in the water, her mane flowing down like a cloak, and searched for the flotilla of floating toiletries. She saw Fluttershy on the deck, trepidation on her face like a two best friends.

“Fluttershy what’s the matter, just slide right in the water is simply divine. I could do with your company, there are a few things on my mind.”

“That sounds like fun,” Fluttershy approached the edge with her usual trepidation before placing her hooves into the water. Her diminutive form almost slipped beneath the surface, her head tilted to the ceiling, surprised by the waters hidden depths. Rarity gracefully glided through the water to reach her side and lifted her out of the water.

Rarity cracked a smile, “Fluttershy, dear, you will have to be careful now let’s talk. Today has absolutely drained my strength and now my mind has gotten so skittish.”

Fluttershy picked up the soaps and began to help Rarity clean off the dust, mud, and grim of the day. “Well what should we talk about?”

“I have a few ideas, but what about you? I’m sure you’ve much more interesting topics.”

“No…not really”

“Really, dearie? In that case I’ll start. Now as you know the day has been tasking, but I despite the task I always returned to one thing.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t keep my mind off Crimson, he after all is near enough the sole reason we had this little planned excursion. I hold nothing against, but he is quite the mysterious type. I’m sure he has good intentions, but I just…I guess I’m a little jealous of and intrigued by his abilities.”
“He seemed really nice and knowledgeable, but what abilities does he have? He didn’t seem so amazing, but I guess he was really friendly.”
“Oh Fluttershy you should have been there, when Twilight and Crimson visited. Sweetie was practicing her singing in the side room and he had joined her in singing a marvelous duet which I didn’t notice until its final flourish. I at first was angry at Sweetie Belle for bringing a colt into the house. Imagine my surprise to see the great stallion towering over me, my face was quite red. Now that I think back on it his singing was of better quality than any I’ve heard here in Manehatten, it was absolutely heavenly.”

“That sounds nice, I hope he sings when we get back.”

“That would be most enjoyable, speaking of back, come here Fluttershy its time I return the favor.”

“It’s quite okay I can handle it.”

“Not on my watch, I will wash your wings and back whether you like it or not.” Rarity had quite a bit of experience with feathered wings despite her lack of them, her colorful roster of varied celebrities had kept her well informed on proper wing preening as well as the two’s spa trips. “Now doesn’t that feel nice?” Rarity tickled Fluttershy on her down feathers, making her go into a laughing fit. Rarity quit her shenanigans after Fluttershy recovered and finished their mutual bath. Feeling all squeaky clean Fluttershy and Rarity retired to their respective beds sleeping under the warm covers on the cold Manehattan night. “Fluttershy, despite the absolutely trying trip, I’m glad that we did it. Good night Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy gave a warm smile, “I’m glad too, good night Rarity.” Rarity magically extinguished the scented candle before closing her eyes for the day.

Author's Note

It gets real ship-tastic and I'm almost sorry

The Crash

Author's Note

Warning this next chapter contains blood and a large amount of unwanted knowledge of metals, like that mercury eats away at aluminum. Not sorry

The Crash

The clouds around Canterlot had moved in quick and fast, a seasonal storm had been scheduled and had unfortunately caught two ponies trapped in its cover. Twilight casted a magical glow from her horn causing the clouds around to glow silver while Rainbow Dash flew in front with a burning flare nestled in one of her saddlebags. The day had been slow and painfully boring for Rainbow. They had gone to Celestia and Luna about the meteor and had found out that they could get to the moon, after sufficient explanation, but the spell would need to be dug up and that it would be best to do the next day at twilight. Then they made their way to the alchemist’s and had to remain there for hours as the alchemists gave warnings and explained how to transport the dangerous liquid. Even for Twilight the experience was dull and grating, but finally they were reckoned sufficiently warned and sent off with the quicksilver. During their stay the bright noon sun had given way to a stormy and cold evening darkness. The density of the quicksilver in addition to the storm slowed them down significantly, almost to a crawl, as they made their way toward the high parapets of the palace. They flew nearly blind their lights barely piercing a hundred feet in front of them. The thunder and relentless rain filled the air drowning out all but yells between the two. The whole situation was close to being a hostile one for flying but that didn’t discourage either of them.

Rainbow enjoyed the challenge and felt like she was competing with the forces of nature…and winning. Twilight meanwhile, being fairly new to flying but not inept, enjoyed the opportunity and the feeling of the rain despite its aggressive downfall. Twilight was tempted to close her eyes and focus on the feeling of each drop as it bounced off her oily feathers and soaked into her mane, but knew she would get lost in the storm. Pushing aside those thoughts, she scanned the sky for Rainbow’s flare. It was hiding behind a large storm cloud that had risen up through the others to gather more rain. Twilight stared at it transfixed by it as much as she had been by the rain not seconds before, it was almost magical. Twilight had assumed it was Crimson’s and had followed its instructions after Rainbow had showed it to her before they left. Twilight didn’t understand how the open flame kept burning even in the rain, or how it kept burning without consuming itself like a candle. She was torn from her thoughts once more as she saw the flare descend, but not like it had been dropped. Twilight strained her wings and followed the flare pushing through the buffeting cloud layer to do so. Soon the Rainbow came into visual range and she was dropping like a stone, her wings barely moving and her whole body stiff. Twilight rushed to get under Rainbow and sudden felt her weight on her back, it caused her to fall several feet before see adapted to it.

“Rainbow, Rainbow…speak to me!” Twilight shouted behind her shoulder, but received no response. Panic rose in Twilight, she frantically searched for an escape route through the storm and onto the ground. Twilight saw the palace gardens as she scanned the ground and began a nearly uncontrolled dive toward it. Her flight got more and more erratic as they descended and soon the ground was approaching at an alarming rate. In a final effort Twilight folded her cramping wings and concentrated on making a bubble shield around Rainbow and herself. Rainbow bounced safely to a halt while Twilight’s shield burst and she slammed into the courtyard. Blood dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes and clouding her vision. Through her restricted vision she saw guards burst out of the front gates and began to swarm her.

“Get away…help her, help Rainbow Dash.” Twilight ordered, blood dripping from her mouth with every syllable. The guards were hesitant with leaving the Princess in such a state but that only annoyed Twilight more. “I mean NOW!” a magical shockwave pushed the guards away who quickly scrambled to Rainbow Dash’s aid. They carried her inside and Twilight slowly picked herself up and with the added exertion blood began to clot patches of fur. The rain soon washed away the blood from her fur but didn’t heal the cuts which hindered her progress through the courtyard and up the stairs into the main hall. The hall was dim but busy with guards scrambling to the unexpected visitor’s aid. Twilight laid down watching the scene in shocked horror, unable to do anything. She slowly tuned out all the commotion and fell into her own thoughts, a flurry of idle concern and panic.

A few minutes passed in this fashion before light like the sun bloomed forth into the hall, “What is going on here?” Celestia and Luna had arrived.

Their quick, but calm walk turned into a horrified sprint when they saw the scene, “Guards, secure her and move her to the infirmary, we haven’t much time, an unconscious pony is a fragile one.”

Meanwhile Celestia rushed to Twilight, “Twilight! What happened?”

Twilight inhaled deeply several times before starting in a faltering voice, “we were on our way from the alchemists and we were in the storm when suddenly…Rainbow just started falling and falling. I flew as fast I could to her aid and I caught her but she was unresponsive and stiff as a board. We crash landed outside in the gardens and then the guards got us inside. What happened to Rainbow, please tell me. I won’t go on without her!”

Celestia was as calm and patient as ever, “Twilight, I have no idea what could have caused it, maybe you might help. What were you carrying?”

“Quicksilver.”

A flash of dread crossed Celestia face, “Oh, no, then she might have quicksilver poisoning. We must tell Luna and the doctors.”

“Let’s go!” Twilight stood up quickly causing her wounds to bleed even more profusely and drip into a pool of blood that had formed underneath her, soaking her underfur into a dank scarlet knotty mess.

“Oh my…Twilight you’re bleeding everywhere, we need to get you to the infirmary now.”

“Don’t worry I’ll be alright. I don’t want priority over Rainbow and I don’t want to be attended to until she is alright.”

Celestia beamed she knew Rainbow was special to Twilight, but she was still a paragon of friendship. “Let us be off then.” Celestia and Twilight raced down the hall, every few feet marked by a drop of blood, and nearly crashed into the infirmary. Celestia began talking with Luna while Twilight trotted off to a first aid station and bound her a large cut on her flank. As she finished she was once again approached by Celestia, “Twilight, to be honest, Rainbow is in bad shape we need refined bauxite to act as a catalyst for the poison, with that she will be alright.”

“Great, how do we get some?”

Celestia grew silent and Twilight became horrified, “Bauxite although common is very specifically located, there is none that I know of in the city. Our fastest flyers have been dispatched to locate some, but they will be cutting it close. I suggest you await by her side and maybe inspect your quicksilver.”

Twilight nodded crestfallen and on the verge of tears, she walked passed Celestia to Rainbow’s side and laid a hoof on her friend’s forehead, it was boiling hot and stiff. Before she could call for a nurse one appeared and doted upon Rainbow. Twilight walked back to the main hall and inspected their saddlebags. In Rainbow’s she saw the culprit, one of the iron jars holding the quicksilver had cracked in the storm and had leaked through and absorbed through Rainbow’s skin. Twilight collapsed on the spot and began weeping. She cried, something she had not done in a long time. She was supposed to be strong, but she didn’t want to be there and now. She grew angry at the task at hand and began to hate it and then she thought of the taskmaster and she stopped. He was always strong even though he had seen loss on a truly terrible scale, he didn’t back down, he chose to rise up and solve the problem. Twilight stopped crying and went through her collection of spells that could help her and then she remembered Rarity’s spell. Although it was attuned to crystals, it could be changed and now that she was an Alicorn the range would be increased exponentially. It was a jury-rigged plan but she had to try it even in futility. The magical pulse rung out throughout the land and Twilight received a ping back, not from far away, but in her saddlebags. She scrambled over and dug through her saddlebags discovering a long metallic rod with a note attached.

This is a bauxite rod, if any of you come in contact with the quicksilver you will need to go to a competent unicorn physician of the Princesses. It will act as a catalyst to the quicksilver. Quicksilver poisoning will cause you to stiffen and make your blood feel like its boiling. You must act quickly if such occurs.
-Your Personal Guard, Crimson.

Twilight silently thanked Crimson for his preparedness and rushed headlong towards the infirmary. She almost drifted into the room her hooves struggling to grip the worn marble and made her way to the sisters. “Here take this rod its bauxite. It’s from Crimson he sent it with us.”

Luna grabbed the rod and remarked, “Apparently your guard had enough forethought to prepare for this eventuality. She will be saved.”
Relief flooded over Twilight, and she nearly collapsed from the good news. Luna walked over to Rainbow and began to perform the transfusion process, usually it would take hours but alicorns speed up the process. A glow of midnight blue cloaked her, Rainbow, and the rod. Luna rose on her hind legs and let the magic flow. Rainbow levitated off the bed, her back arched, and silver droplets began to arise out of Rainbow until there was a cloud of it hover above her. The shimmering cloud condensed around the rod into a dull silvery snake that
moved around until it found its way into an iron jar held at the ready by a nurse. The rod had been dissolved, but Rainbow had been saved.

“What happened? Where am I?” Rainbow asked groggily slowly coming to her senses. “AHHHHH!” Rainbow spotted Luna, ”Princess Luna, what are you doing here? Am I dreaming?”

“Don’t worry you are in the realm of the waking, luckily. You have been afflict by severe quicksilver poisoning, if it wasn’t for the actions of Twilight Sparkle and the forethought of Crimson Fist you might’ve not made it.”

“Twilight is here? Where?”

Twilight rushed from behind Luna and hugged Rainbow, “Rainbow, I thought I lost you, first you fall out of the sky and then you almost die of poisoning. You should probably rest, I still hope to go to the moon tomorrow with you in tow.” She placed Rainbow’s hoof in hers.

“Okay egghead, I’ll get some shuteye…Twilight you don’t look so hot. Are you alright?”

Twilight’s injuries had been suppressed by the adrenaline of the situation, but were now back in full force. She coughed harshly spraying blood on Rainbow’s sheets and then a deafening ringing in her ears quickly grew worse becoming church bells in her eardrums and then she collapsed unconscious on top of Rainbow Dash, her lacerations dyeing the bed a bright red.

Rainbow’s eyes stared unblinking at Twilight’s body, she grew more and more hysterical, “Twilight…Twilight…TWILIGHT! Wake up Twilight! Wake up…just wake up…Please.” Tears started to swell in her eyes. Ponies swarmed over Twilight and moved her to the adjoining bed. The infirmary was filled with magic light as every magic abled pony poured their power into saving Twilight. Rainbow Dash was in shock and disbelief. All she wanted to escape this reality, but she felt drawn to Twilights side. She left her bed and sat at Twilight’s side, hoof in hoof. The evening hours passed in trepidation and eventually weariness overcame her and she fell into an uneasy sleep with all her feared scenarios playing on loop.

Morning came later than usual, but not by much. Celestia had had a restless sleep as well, but Twilight and Rainbow had recovered fully. They had left by dusk with Luna, Celestia hadn’t given a proper send off and was reminded of her forced banishing of Luna. She felt that Luna still resented her, despite its past necessity and Luna’s present revival. Celestia shook her head in an effort to forget these things, they smeared into a vague image that remained in her mind unsettling her until they got back.

The Monsters of the Night

Meanwhile in the north, two ponies woke up from a bone chilling night, their unconventionally sleeping arrangements saving them from a lethal freeze. They didn’t speak to each other for a while until they both realized they were hungry and decided to look through their saddlebags. Finding an array of (now) thawed fruits and vegetables they chowed down. They borrowed winter gear from the inn and traveled to the refinery where they obtained their materials and called their royal contingent. The guards had brought sleds and spare winter wraps to facilitate the transportation. Applejack and Pinkie put themselves in front and so their convoy marched steadily through the peaceful tundra, reaching a train station by afternoon and then arriving back home in the early hours of the night. Rarity and Fluttershy arrived soon after Applejack and Pinkie, their day had gone smoothly.

“Glad you two made it. How did y’all’s mission go? Ours was a breeze, although there was quite a big freeze.” Applejack greeted them as they entered with their guards in tow.

“Are you trying to emulate Zecora, Applejack? Because that was spot on. Anyway our trip was a pleasant one. I even managed to squeeze in some spa time with Fluttershy since we missed our usual appointments,” Rarity responded.

“I guess all we have to do now is wait for Twilight and Rarity. I vote we have a late dinner, courtesy of us,” Pinkie shouted pulling Applejack to herself shoulder-to-shoulder.

Fluttershy and Rarity agreed and also offered to help make the dinner. The dinner was slow to come out, but the activity lifted up everyone’s spirit and soon everyone was laughing and having fun. They had finished preparations when a noise like a sonic boom erupted from the sky, followed by a solid thud from the doorsteps outside. They all ran to the front door and opened it to see Rainbow, Twilight, and Luna staring at a small indention a few feet from the door. The cosmonauts soon realized they had an audience and broke out in near-hysterical laughter to the point of falling on the ground and crying. The audience was confused beyond reckoning and waited behind the doorway until the laughter subsided and they had fully recovered.

“Now what is so funny?” Applejack demanded.

“Oh nothing it was just getting this meteor was a job and a half and we were so happy we managed to bring it down. It was, ha-ha, just a wild ride,” Twilight turned to Luna “Anyway thank you so much Luna it was a pleasure.”

“Thank nothing of it, it was nice to revisit the moon and see how Nightmare has gotten along. She is as bitter as always but who knows she might have a change of heart. She is part of myself and therefore must know she is not hated anymore. Someday…now let us move away from such despairing topics. The night will not watch itself, goodbye.” With that Luna shot up into the sky, a contrail of constellations slowly faded in her wake.

They all waved goodbye as she roared into the sky and toward Canterlot. Those waiting by the doorway crowded around Twilight and Rainbow immobilizing them in a pile of hugs. Rarity was the first to speak. “You two really gave us quite a shock I must say. What a marvelous entrance you two made.” Rarity then noticed their slightly weaker and gaunter frame, their smiles were almost pained, and their shallow breathing. “My word what happened to you two? You seem a bit weak in the knees, and this time Crimson isn’t to blame.”

Twilight leered at Rarity, “We just had a close call that’s it, plus have you ever tried to move a meteor, it’ll wear a girl out.”

“Well don’t be a stranger in our own home, come on in!” Applejack shoved the door wide open and gestured for them to get inside. Rainbow and Twilight, relieved, trotted on into the kitchen and half collapsed half sat in their chairs. The meal was served soon after and they all began to eat and discuss about random goings-on in Ponyville. A knock on the door soon interrupted their dinner. Twilight and Rainbow both found an excuse to answer the door, their traumatic experience had left them less than lively and talkative with the other girls. The knock came again and they hurried to the door. Twilight absentmindedly opened the door still facing Rainbow. When she looked towards the pony on the doorstep she almost slammed it closed. It was Crimson standing tall in his armor complete with glowing red eyes from his helmet.

“Crimson! …by Celestia you almost gave me a heart attack, that armor is scarier than Nightmare Moon. Do you have to wear all the time, especially at night? Anypony that doesn’t see you coming is going to have their cutie mark scared off.”
Removing his helmet, Crimson went inside, “It’s good to see you too, Twilight. I’m glad to see that all your friends got the materials, and I am here to report that I am finished with my design and ready to forge your armor.” Crimson stopped for a second, his eyes scanning Twilight and Rainbow, seeing the remnants of the accident, hidden bandages and matted fur, “…Twilight what happened?”
Twilight hesitated for a second, deciding to try and not make Crimson worry, “What do you mean? When?” Rainbow just stayed silent, still intimidated by Crimson’s nighttime appearance.

“Twilight, don’t try to avoid it, something went wrong when you went to Canterlot,” Crimson gaze grew incredibly stern.
Twilight sighed, she spoke softly “When we went to Canterlot we were stuck at the alchemists for hours and when we left for the Palace a huge storm had formed and w-we…flew into it. I used magic and she used flares. It wasn’t too strong but then Rainbow…she just fell. I thought she was...dead, struck by a lightning bolt” Twilight paused as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Rainbow walked over to Twilight who collapsed onto her, breaking out into a sob.

“Well?” Crimson voice was cold as slate and authoritative like Celestia, “I need to know what happened.”
Twilight braced against Rainbow, her memories were vivid and she was reminded of the pain, but she continued on the verge of tears. “I caught Rainbow in midair, but I wasn’t strong enough for both the storm and Rainbow. I started descending, slowly at first but soon it became uncontrollable. We were going to crash land in the terrace. In a last ditch effort I used a bubble shield spell, Rainbow’s held…mine didn’t. It popped after I landed a-and I was bleeding and cut up. Guards, followed by Celestia, emerged from the Palace and got Rainbow into the infirmary. She had quicksilver poisoning, a leaky container was to blame. We managed to find a piece of bauxite and she was saved and then…then I…I don’t remember.”

Rainbow picked up were Twilight left off, holding back her tears, “then Twilight began spitting up blood and went unconscious…I’ve never been that afraid ever. She just fell over in a pool of her own blood.” Rainbow trailed off into tears.
Rainbow and Twilight hugged tightly, their eyes closed afraid to see the past in front of them. Their tears poured over their cheeks. The stayed that way for nearly a minute before letting go and opening their eyes, bloodshot from the rivers they had made. Around them huddled their friends having heard the commotion and had gone to investigate. They all moved back inside and sat close together while Crimson ate silently. After he finished he joined them and broke the painful silence, “I’m sorry, but your trips were not just an exercise in pain nor was it in vain. All the materials are here, and the design is finished. I will now retire to the castle, I shall return in three days with the armor finished. Now that doesn’t mean I can’t see you for three days, I would enjoy a visit and with that I must head back, I wish you all a good-night.” Crimson gave a conservative smile and wave before disappearing into the darkness.

Back at the castle the group remained silent, each determined that they would visit Crimson, despite their assignments being less than safe or convenient. They bid each other farewell and left for their respective homes.

As Rainbow left Twilight stopped her, “Rainbow, thanks for being there for me, I’m glad I can count on you.”

Rainbow shrugged, “Twilight, I couldn’t do anything to help you, it should be me thanking you. What do you need?”

“I need to think something over and your house is a good distance away.”

Rainbow smirked, “It’s nice to know I’m needed, come on it’s a wonderful night.” Twilight returned her smile and together they lifted off, kicking up the dust as their powerful wing beats propelled them into the overcast and inky night. Their flight was smooth and fast, they weaved through the clouds moisture gathering on their fur and shimmering off their wings. Rainbow looked over at Twilight as she breached the cloud layer. She was silhouetted in the moonlight, her moistened fur reflected the light giving her a flawless silvery frame with her raindrop contrails tracing her gracefully path through the sky. Rainbow was impressed and began her own path through the clouds, bursting through the nimbuses and flying circles around Twilight leaving a tunnel of iridescent droplets. Rainbow and Twilight continued their midnight game weaving in between each other and performing dazzling aerial maneuvers, but they arrived at Rainbow’s house in time and they had to finish their game.

They landed at the doorsteps, the cloud-cathedral soared above them, and Twilight give Rainbow a peck on the cheek, causing her to blush. “That was fun, I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight.” Twilight took off back toward her castle.

“Same to you egghead, don’t stay up to long reading!” Rainbow yelled and remained outside until Twilight had gone out of sight, she then retired for the night.

Now that she was without a companion Twilight’s eyes and mind wondered through the landscape. Through the clouds she caught glimpses of activity, Sweetie Belle and Button Mash were playing around the Carousal Boutique before Rarity got back. Applebloom was waiting for Applejack on the road toward the Apple orchard. Berry Punch was taking Scootaloo to Rainbow’s house on her helicopter. Spike leaving a house dressed up in wizard garb and making his way back to the crystal library. Twilight’s eyes eventually left the Ponyville and moved to the eerie canopy of the Everfree forest where she sought out the clearing indicating the ancient castle. She quickly found it and saw the unmistakable glow of the forge burning hot in preparation for its usage. She saw it only for a moment as she started her descent but it lasted for much longer. Her wings ached from the day’s flying and she almost landed in a lump. Even as she got in bed, the knowledge that Crimson was working on her armor and all that implied kept her wide awake. She lay in bed for a while, physically exhausted, wishing for sleep but her mind would not rest. In desperation she cast a spell to put herself to sleep and finally she rested.

In her dreams she only saw an urban landscape that slowly revealed more and more of its self. The small image turned into a grand city full of busy ponies and life, all indistinct but there, then a roar of anger was unleashed by a hunched figure and then there was a brilliant flash. When the flash faded the city was destroyed, fires raged everywhere, there were no ponies walking the streets. Where the pony who had roared there stood a new figure and they began fighting before the original figure bested the other. The other figure ran off and the original gave chase. The scene began to skip through time, the city became a desert and then a new silhouette appeared holding a rifle, he aimed at the ruins of the city and fired, again and again the shots rang out through the empty desert followed by distant screams. Soon the rifle was pointed at Twilight’s view point, time slowed and she heard the trigger click, the hammer hit, and the explosion as the bullet shot out.
Twilight’s eyes shot open, her ears rung from the dream, she had never heard something so loud. She was confused by the dream, it was obviously a sign or divination. She had had them before but she the only thing she recognized was the last figure, it was Crimson. She was unsure if that meant he was going to shoot her, but she did not want to sleep further, she felt extremely vulnerable. She wanted to see Crimson, she didn’t doubt his loyalty and despite the dream she was sure she would feel safer around him. She grabbed her pre-packed saddlebags and ran out the door toward the forest. Ponyville was dark as she trotted through it and the moon was covered by thick clouds, but she paid no heed to the darkness. Twilight didn’t slow her pace until she had gotten well into the forest. Her weariness soon caught up with her and she laid down next to a tree. As she looked around she realized, to her dismay, that she had gotten lost and cursed her haste. Despite her fears she knew she would never find her way at night and as utterly exhausted as she was so she fell asleep, and this time her dreams were calm.

Twilight awoke before sunrise, but not where she had fallen asleep. She felt royal linen instead of the frosty morning air and the tree and ground were replaced by a resplendent violet canopied bed. She bit her lip to dispel the thought she was dreaming. She sprung out of bed, still unsure of her current location and hurriedly surveyed the rest of the room. The ceiling was fairly short, only slightly higher than the bed and, like the whole room, was made of very thick stone. Opposite the bed was a stout oak door, Twilight pushed it, fearing it might be locked, but to her relief it opened. The door led to a long dimly light hallway that had excessive light coming in from both ends. Twilight choose one direction and began to work that way when a silhouette appeared from her end. The silhouette and Twilight stopped dead in their tracks, before Twilight galloped as hard as she could in the other direction. She didn’t get far before the silhouette got in front of her after leaping off the side of the wall. She skidded to a stop and stayed completely still, ice in her veins. She then noticed the figure had cracked hooves.

Author's Note

TwiDash, the Reading Rainbow That is all

Last Visits Part 1

The silhouette grabbed a torch of a sconce and held it near his face, it was Crimson. “Twilight, by Celestia you look like you were trying to escape Sombra’s clutches. You can stop being so frightened. You’re in the Castle of the Two Sisters, not some dingy dungeon, or treacherous trap, nor in any kind of peril at all.”

Twilight exhaled and took a moment to catch her breath, “thank Celestia it’s you Crimson, I fell asleep in the forest and I wasn’t expecting to wake up somewhere…else. I didn’t recognize it for the longest time.”

Crimson grew slightly stern, “About that, how did you find yourself in the Everfree Forest in the middle of the night?”
Twilight hesitated on answering, “Well, I had these terrible dreams of a city on fire and it turning into a wasteland, then someone appeared and I watched them as they took aim and shot me. Suffice to say it made me feel vulnerable, and I guess I was a little worried that you might be lonely.”

“Me…lonely, don’t be ridiculous. Anyway I got a message from Spike that he had seen you run for the forest I thought that it might behoove me to find you.”

“Thank you Crimson, honestly. There is no telling what danger could have found my in that forest.”

“It’s nothing, I just finished with breakfast, left some for you, and now I am beginning the first smelting process. My offer from yesterday still stands, your welcome to watch my craft. Although I suggest you get something to eat first.”

Twilight realized she hadn’t eaten since early yesterday evening and that it was about noon. She bid Crimson bye for now and went upstairs to find a modest table lined with vegetables and treats. She ate her fill and took several for Crimson and herself to snack through the day. She guessed that he would get little free time in the next three days. She descended into the inner depths and followed the rhythmic sounds of the hammer and bellows.

She left the food in Crimson’s drafting room and circled around until she found an unused room that looked onto the forge. Consequently this was the only unused room around the forge and it was located opposite the entrance to the forge itself. Twilight unpacked her hastily filled saddlebags and spread the contents throughout the room. Several notes and books as well as her assortment of alchemical regents and miniaturized devices she placed on the desk in front of the window. Meanwhile her princess garb and saddlebags were placed in a wardrobe. Once she settled in she began to go through her papers first. Several were pertaining to her duty as a princess, most of them were on construction permits, and soon they wore on her, their tedium became all the more frustrating with each document. However, through raw determination she finished the impressive pile. She toyed with her alchemical set for a while. Her movements unknowingly matching the rhythm of the hammer now that her mind was free to wonder a bit. She had finished an experimental salve mixture that ended up failing and with that she let out a sigh and gave up. Too mentally exhausted to do much else she stared out the small window to the forge. The sun was shining straight down onto the forge and the whole forge shined brightly. Twilight’s attention shifted from the brilliant walls and floor to Crimson. He was on two legs and was without a duster, helmet, or his armor. He instead wore a smock and a long brown coat, but seemingly much more protective as the sparks bounced harmlessly off. He was working tirelessly on an ingot of pure white. He was striking the ingot with finesse, but also frightening power. The small brick slowly morphed under the authority of the hammer into a something resembling a rib. She stared at it perplexed; she had seen armor many a times but could not recall ever seeing an armor designed in that shape.

Twilight ruminations were cut short as she felt the familiar pitter-patter of delicate hoofsteps and the face of Fluttershy appeared at the entryway of the forge. There she stood for a little while as Crimson finished cooling a rib shaped piece. After he carefully placed onto a table in the nearest room he turned his attention to the new arrival. Fluttershy was frozen for several moments before she finally returned his greeting and stated her intention. From what Twilight overheard, it sounded like Fluttershy was dropping off an assortment of medical supplies. Twilight felt glad that her friend had her safety in mind, but at the same time felt anxious that she might need to use them on her journey. Once Fluttershy had deposited the supplies she promptly left still a bit scared of the castle after the last time she had been here. Soon the now familiar ring of Crimson’s hammer and the roar of the forge filled the air and Twilight resumed her medicinal alchemy with renewed vigor. After an hour or two she had successfully managed to create the salve several times and effectively memorized the process. She was quite exhausted now and turned to the books she had brought with her. They all pertained to certain survival skills like edible flora and fauna, or hiking guides. She picked up the one she thought was most important, the one on desert plants, and began reading through it.
Twilight had read halfway through the impressive volume when nighttime fell and another guest had arrived. This time it was Rarity who stood in one of the rooms staring at the forge’s moonlit drum and Crimson as he work furiously for several minutes before approaching Twilight.

“Oh, hello Rarity, what brings you down here?” Twilight inquired as she laid her book down.

“I brought you a little present and good thing Fluttershy told me you were here. I would have gone insane trying to find you otherwise.”

Rarity produced a long tan piece of clothing from her saddlebags. “Do you like it; I modeled it after Crimson’s.”

“Uh…what is it?” Twilight asked tentatively.

Rarity answered not at all put off by Twilight’s lack of understanding, “It’s a duster, meant to keep the harsh dust out of your fur as well as cacti and such. I personally do not like wearing them, they are very intimidating and all too serious but some people can pull them off very nicely and I think it’ll make you and Crimson have the team look.”

Twilight put on the duster and it covered her very well, she felt surprising cool underneath the thick fabric. All in all she loved it. Rarity chimed up “Now I hope you enjoy it, I unfortunately have to attend to Opalescence tonight. Wish you luck, dearie.”
Twilight held her hoof off to stop Rarity before she ran off. “Thank you Rarity, I know it’ll see its use.”

Rarity smiled back, “the joy of a designer is to see their work being worn. I know it’s not the most important thing for you to worry about in that inhospitable place, but I’m glad you do.”

With that Rarity walked off into the corridor, but not before stealing another peak at Crimson. Soon the sound of the forge once again asserted its dominance on the air and the noise of the hammer filled Twilight’s head. She lay on the bed listening to the sound. Clang… clang… clang… then a steaming ‘hiss’ followed by the heaving of the bellows before the clang continued. Twilight listened for a while before it lulled her to sleep. Her dream were nice and pleasant for once, her night terrors held at bay by the unrelenting hammer. Her worries melted and for a while she felt at ease.

Twilight woke up to the sound of Crimson’s constant strike. The sun had just peaked over the horizon and the drum was slick black. Twilight eased herself out of bed and used her magic to make the bed. She surveyed her room, it was small and cluttered but Twilight felt at ease here. Twilight picked up the book she hadn’t finished the night before and walk toward the great hall in search of breakfast. Twilight meandered through the halls of the ancient castle, looking for the secret passages and rooms left by its royal designers, Twilight’s journey through the past came to an end as she found the terrace kitchen and settled down with her breakfast and book. She began reading, the early morning sun warming the cool marble around her, in the sunbeam she knew Celestia was there and the thought dissipated some of her fears. She was nearly done with the book and our later when she came upon the chapter of desert poisons; she cringed as the thought of Crimson’s limp form lying on her floor asserted itself into her memory. She hesitated, afraid of the poison’s reality, but who she feared for the most…she didn’t know . Soon after her rationality returned and she came to terms with the poison and realized ignorance could not save anyone and read it through and then again and again, until she was confident to the point of paranoia that she was intimately familiar with the topic, from identifying the plants, identifying if somepony is poisoned and with what kind, however the part she reviewed over and over again was the list of antidotes. A huge compendium of antidotes was listed as well as the plants they are derived from. She memorized them all.

Finished with her work, Twilight closed her book and sat up, before quickly falling back down. She had been so intently studying that her legs had gone to sleep and her muscles had all gone stiff. Twilight sighed in irritation, before setting about stretching each muscle until she could stand again. She looked up to the sky and saw a bright spring sky, just beckoning for her presence. Twilight, always courteous, could not refuse such a perfect invitation. She walked out onto the windy terrace and inhaled deeply as she stretched her wings out wide, the sunlight shining through the delicate lattice of feathers. She held her breath until her wings were fully outstretched, then she released her breath and beat her wings with a mighty effort as she shot up into the sky. Her headlong charge through the atmosphere didn’t end until she burst through the cloud layer like an amethyst tipped spear, with her wings cocooned around her. From the lavender cocoon she emerged and fell back onto the layer of clouds. There she lay relaxing in the brilliance of the sun, lost in the moment. Twilight turned away from the glorious sun and looked through the clouds onto the forest. She stared intently at the river of emerald green, at the flourishing forest, as it swayed in the morning breeze. All the valleys and hills, clearings and canopies were arrayed below her. And then a speck of orange and pink intruded on the green ubiquity. Twilight knew who it was immediately and flew back to the castle to meet them. She had taken a stealthier way down but still arrived minutes before they arrived, which she used to tidy the kitchen and foyer that she had unknowingly throw into disarray with her rapid ascent to the heavens.

All was neat and tidy when Pinkie and Applejack walked through the door. Applejack greeted her from the doorstep. “Well, I reckoned that Fluttershy must’ve been fibbing about you being here, but here you are. Pinkie and I were just thinking that would should come and visit and check up on you, we figured you’d be alright with it.”

Twilight motioned for them to come in and closed the great oak doors behind them. “Don’t worry girls, it’s alright. I spent the morning up in the clouds and was really needing someone to talk to. Crimson is a bit too busy to carry on a conversation.”
Applejack and Pinkie Pie placed several boxes on the kitchen table, “well we came to bring you guys some good eats but I guess we can stay a while, can’t we Pinkie.”

Pinkie nodded vigorously, “We sure do, and the Cakes gave me the day off so I can spend the whole day here!”
“Don’t worry we won’t take up the whole day, I need to be getting back to the farm before dinnertime, and I’ll take Pinkie with me.” Applejack reassured Twilight, “so what have y’all been doing around here, haven’t seen it since it was all fixed up.”
Twilight, eager to connect with her friends, took them on a tower through the newly renovated parts of the castle. Twilight took them all across the castle from the restored library to the once destroyed throne room where they had once saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon and had all found each other the second time they had ventured in. They travelled through the ancient tunnels and hallways that had all been secrets if not for Pinkie’s accidental detective skills. Through their grand tour they talked about the journey ahead and like Rarity and Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie each showed concern and worry over the prospect of the Twilight’s journey. Pinkie’s worry was soon soothed over by the rediscovery of the piano room. As Twilight walked the halls with her friends she couldn’t stop thinking of her crystal palace and how it varied so much from the old stones that towered around her.

She realized just how odd her appointment as princess had been compared to the appointment of Celestia and Luna. The difference was even apparent in the castles. The stone of this castle carried with a physical need of the people, a need for security and need for regularity and reliability in their lives. It was built in defense to the chaos and hap-hazard care of Discord’s reign. Her own castle stood as a monument to her accomplishments, a savior and a protector of the ponies of Equestria but she represented a different form of service. She was a symbol of rebirth and the disperser of evil long festering and growing restoring that which once was and protecting that which is. Even her castle was reborn and renewed after evil’s destruction. Twilight had never really realized the weight that her fore-princesses had borne for their kingdoms, she felt unworthy in the light of their glory. She soon realized that she had confronted and beaten the powers that had nearly defeated Celestia and Luna.

Twilight's deep introspective was interrupted by her friend’s emergence from the music room, one of Luna's favorite rooms. Pinkie and Applejack, having practiced more ditties then an average Pie family reunion, wanted to see Crimson. Both were intrigued when Twilight told them that he was set up in the basement forge.

“A forge, I haven’t seen a castle forge, only forge I ever seen is the old one in Appaloosa I wanna see.” Applejack announced with a boisterous “ME TOO!” from Pinkie Pie. So Twilight once again descended into the cool earth with friends in tow. The sounds of pounding met them as they descended and eventually grew to a mighty din that Twilight had to erect a noise field so that they could speak amongst each other. The three of them stood for a several minutes watching Crimson he had moved from his simple pieces and had moved into forging an intricate circlet. Crimson having finished the basic shape of the circlet begun to forge a story into the crowning and the coif pieces, embossing images of vines and war in gold and silver across the entire helm. Applejack was so amazed at the mastery of what to her was a very simple and old art. She had never seen such an exquisite piece made with such strength and durability. Pinkie was unusually quite awed by the amount of energy and the extreme level of precision two things she never thought possible. After several minutes of gawking at the tireless stallion Twilight snapped into reality and lead the others into one of the side rooms to continue their conversation.

Once they entered one of the spare room Twilight started again “That’s the full tour of the castle from tallest tower to deepest dungeon or forge in this case. How did you like it?”

Pinkie was the first to respond “I thought it was wonderful my favorite was the kitchen oh wait…It was definitely the garden, or the main hall so unlike yours. You know it was all my favorite.”

Applejack followed up “I got to agree with Pinkie although the forge is definitely the most interesting feature I mean look at the walls. They're hewn from hooves not magic there is a lot history in these walls and not to mention It’s got the strongest and most skilled smith in all of Equestria at its helm”

Twilight then asked “I know you guys didn’t come all this way for a tour, There must be something else you girls wanted to say to me before I leave.”

They both looked around sheepishly before Applejack admitted “It’s just that we are worried about you I mean we fought countless dangers some almost cost us dearly but we always stuck together as a team and we prevail, I’m just worried about you even though you are a princess and everything I still worry for you.” Pinkie Pie agreed with a solid “HURUMPF”

Twilight started to tear up but composed herself and placed a hoof on Applejack’s flank. “You know you girls mean so much to me and it’s a friend’s right and duty to worry about each other and you know if you were in my place I would do the same. It’s just Crimson, he is so strong and invested and…a…and alone. He has done so much behind the scenes and been alone the whole time I feel that he needs me just as much I’m going to need him. I know it’s dangerous but it’s the only way, he is a stallion on a mission. I feel like he has taken a vow to never fail anyone. I couldn’t do that to him.”

Applejack nodded slowly “I understand sugar, and in that case Pinkie and I pulled together and got you a little something to remind you of home while you are away.” Applejack reached into here workbags and pulled out a small shiny harmonica. Twilight inspected the harmonica seeing too was of simple construction, but once she flipped it over she saw engraved into the metal a little ditty that she recognized. It was the melody of Applejack’s first song of welcome to Twilight. The notes and lines were crooked but Twilight knew it at once. She looked back at Applejack who was smiling holding back a tear. Twilight embraced Applejack as the tear finally broke loose from its austere owner.

Pinkie Pie non-too-subtlety broke the moment by jumping into the hug causing the three to careen into a nearby stack of hay. Once they got up from their little tumble Pinkie Pie zoomed off only to return with a bandolier of spices and reagents. “So I thought that you might get hungry on your trip, I mean it would be pretty silly of me to think you wouldn’t get hungry on a trip and so I thought I know how about I get you something so you can eat like you do back here so I realized the best way to do that is with spices so I gathered up as many as I cold and made this awesome spice belt.” Pinkie then continued to point out and talk endlessly about each spice. Twilight and Applejack listened patiently having heard all this before on one of their many visits to her shop. However Twilight perked up when Pinkie got to a few herbs she hadn’t spoken about before. “So these three herbs right here are super special because they are used to purify water and clean food, you see these herbs once boiled create this paste that you ca rub into food or drop into other water and it kills all the germies and stuff, it also taste like lemon, yum.” Twilight took careful mental notes after this and a good thing too as all the spices after this were completely new to here. Once Pinkie was finished explaining her herbs the three of them chatted idly for several hours. Their idle chatter was interrupted by Crimson as he walked into the room towering above on his charcoal hind legs, his duster like an iron curtain around him. In his fore hoof he held the detailed circlet its immortal stories having been finished being told across its length. Crimson gave a hearty smile as he entered but said nothing as he walked over to Twilight and sized the circlet on her head, and to Twilight’s surprise it was a perfect fit and despite its ornamentation it sat balanced on her head.

“Try walking around and moving your head quickly in it, I need to make sure I fitted it correctly” Crimson instructed. Twilight did just that moving at various speeds around the outer rim and then did all sorts of sporadic head movements in an effort to shake the crown off but to no avail as the circlet stayed firmly attached to her head. “Good, good I was sure that was going to be perfect” Crimson commented as it became clear the circlet’s hold was not hampered by the ornamentation. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had been mesmerized by the decoration as Twilight was running around the rim, the light from the sun had bounced off the obsidian walls and as it shined onto the circlet the scenes looked as if they were alive and moving, the light also created a dazzling array of colors as it reflected the sunlight.
Once Twilight was finished with her laps they finally spoke up about it wishing to congratulate Crimson, “wow… I ain’t never seen a circlet quite so pretty, I’d hate to see it get all scuffed up and dented,” said Applejack.

This made Crimson smirk in amusement almost making him chuckle before responding “If you think it might get damaged I can assure you it won’t, here try.” Crimson laid the circlet down and gave a hammer to Applejack who looked nervously at the prospect but at the urging of Crimson swung at the circlet with her full strength. When the hammer met the circlet it stopped dead before falling from Applejack’s hoof. The circlet was as pristine as ever, now this made Pinkie’s mouth drop. She pulled out her detective’s hat out of thin air and investigated the hammer and circlet which only her more confused see thought for sure it was a trick. Crimson denied it showing that the hammer and circlet were not a result of trickery. She eventually gave up and turned back to the girls.

“Well in that case I have only one thing,” Pinkie’s expression turned to a softer more sincere expression “to say I wish you the best and the safest journey.” Pinkie ran up to Twilight and embraced with a final hug before Applejack and Pinkie left for the night. As they left Crimson’s usually grin was tainted by a small drop of something unhappy, but only Twilight noticed it as he returned to the forge with the same tireless vigor.

Author's Note

A bit longer then usually but whatever.

Crimson's Demons

As the sun sank down to allow the audience of stars to shine forth, Twilight descended once again into the forge. Crimson had returned to his post at the forge along with his usual expression. Twilight made her way back to her makeshift bed, unusually tired from the day’s activities; she was unable to read even a page of her books before drifting off to sleep. Her dreams were few and far between but pleasant, she dreamed of herself and Crimson looking upon a barren land and helping the locals, showing them medicine and farming. Breaking the soil and leading life back into the land once more. Fire and raiders threaten but he beat them back exhausted and worn but diligent he stood a morose guard.

Outside the realm of sweet realm of dreams Crimson once again appeared under the eye of night making his way toward the towering summit. This time there waited a shade of him, a mere façade but still ready for battle. Crimson was taken aback by the shade’s presence but steeled himself and drew his sword.

“So you are finally here, you have finally tracked me down. You torment me no longer foul creature, you may have been able to best me but I have found something to put my resolve into and you shall fall!” Crimson pointed his sword at the shadow, the shadow did not respond until Crimson prepared a strike. The shadow’s blades met Crimson’s in a shower of sparks that bounced across the flat ground bursting into flames surrounding them. The two danced around their arena each blow only adding more sparks causing the flames to grow hotter and higher. The shade wore an eternal smirk as he clashed with the stalwart guard; both said nothing only using the sound of their swords to communicate. Crimson fought composed and tactically like he always had the shade came at him with flurries of devastating attacks which Crimson was able to parry but unable to respond in kind. The fight lasted for hours Crimson getting worn down as they continued, sweat formed on his brow and his limbs got heavier and heavier as his strength flowed into the shower of sparks. Eventually he started panting and the sweat had made it way to his eyes blurring his vision a little, the heat of the flames was getting close to uncomfortable and was threatening to sap his strength even more. His shade however had not waned in strength and was relentless in his assault landing several glancing blows to Crimson along his armor. As Crimson was pushed further and further back into the pillars of flame, the heat making its way through his armor he consolidated his energy for a final strike. Drawing his blade back into the flames Crimson caught his sword alight charging it with energy before bringing it to bear against the shade’s sword. Crimson’s blade flared and glowed with its new found energy it started to glow white and melt throw the shade’s sword. Crimson was straining under the force of pressing the attack his veins popping and his face distorting, he released a great cry as he cleaved through the remainder of the sword and brought it to bear against the shade’s form where a great bolt of lightning crackled throughout the shade’s form. Crimson sat down his enemy defeated and he exhausted from the struggles of the day and night. He trotted his way back to the forge through the oppressive Everfree forest a little lighter of step but still with a heavy weight.

The shade of his anger and hate was stronger than the last he had appeared, a relic of the past and a product of the present, it was the biggest pressure on his psyche. The walk back was uneventful the creatures of night afraid of his presence and dark demeanor, his head hung low until the sun evaporated the remnants of this shade from his mind and he looked toward the future; his heart finally a little lighter too match his step. He entered the forge just as the sun fully broke the horizon and began its slow course across the waiting sky. The forge beckoned to him draining his fatigue and energizing him with a dutiful spirit. He grabbed the tools and material he had been working with for days now, the smooth alloy cold without the heat of the forge. He moved more carefully than before, the pieces he was working on now requiring master precision to both attune the magic they needed to have and to make them the catalysts of powerful magic. Crimson exhaled heavily and dived into his work the fires of the forge lighting to a bright flame begging for the feel of tools of bloody work. Crimson’s work resounded with a familiar ring spreading throughout the forge, a joyous melody of steel and fire.

The sounds of the forge, now becoming a familiar reminder of morning, woke the sleeping form of the princess of friendship. Twilight stretched in her bed the gifts of her closest friends pushed on the edge of her bed requiring her to fly to avoid tripping on them. She stretched she didn’t need to as an alicorn she was always growing but her old habits had yet to die, she noticed Crimson at the forge and made her way to the kitchen and balcony to survey the Celestia blessed morning and to get much needed food to settle the butterflies in her stomach. The amber colored sunrise reminded Twilight of her friend she had left in a world beyond and how she was holding up after fighting a great evil. Twilight finished her breakfast of leafy greens and hurried downstairs to see if the book that allowed them to communicate was among the ones she had brought. Her haste in descent caught Crimson’s attention for a moment, but he returned to his work just as quickly, leaving Twilight to search among the piles of tomes for her friend’s book. She searched until she believed she was certain that it wasn’t located in the multitude of survival books she had brought, with this revelation in hand she raced back up to the open plaza of the castle. Without skipping a beat she unfurled her powerful but untrained wings and took to sky with a mighty gust of air propelling her straight into the air exceeding the recommended air speed velocity in her growing desire to communicate with her friend staying in relatively magic-threatened area. Clouds disappeared as she careened through the air fast as she could; she was compelled by a mix of fear and shame for not thinking of her. Her wings had grown stronger since Rainbow and her accident almost as if it was strengthened in response to the accident. She winced as the thought passed over, the gasps for air feeling all the more precious since they weren’t filled with blood. The grip of fear quickly passed and Twilight’s mind focused on the task at hand, returning to the crystal castle probably for the last time for a while. She broke through the cloud barrier between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville she emerged covered in water droplets, some frozen. She fully rotated, a trick she learned from Rainbow the first day she had gotten the wings, releasing a shower of water that caught the sunrise’s delicate rays, covering the clouds behind her in a beautiful rainbow, lighting up Twilight’s face with a smile. She continued dipping in and out of the clouds performing the trick lost in its simple wonderment she was almost saddened as she descended upon her castle. She landed lightly stumbling a little on the landing but keeping on her hooves, she had been working on her quick landings and she had finally got the hoof of it.

She turned her attention to the room around her and saw she was in the kitchen; her stomach quickly reminded her that she had not eaten since the night before so she quickly fetched some food from the cupboards before making her way to her personal library inside her bedroom. She laid the plates on her bed as she went to search for the book among all her ancient gilded tomes of long gone ponies that lined the bookshelves. She trotted past the colorful and vibrant covers of the countless history and magic books that she had read cover to cover no less than twice. She almost got lost in the memories of wonderment so had while reading the stories and spells contained within, but she snapped out of her daze long enough to locate the most plain book in her collection, a simple brown bounded book with the only adornment being a yellow and red sun, it glowed slightly green. She took it off of its pedestal and returned to her snacks and her bed. She laid back down and used her magic to retrieve a quill and ink and wrote an almost too apologetic apology about her absence. Twilight closed the book when it dawned on her that she had no idea when she would get a response back, however the book soon pulsed with a green hue and came Sunset’s response assuring Twilight that since the incident with her Nightmare double they everything had been smooth sailing. Twilight was relieved that she hadn’t missed some magical disaster in the other world and had left Sunset on her own like she had before. With a lighter conscious she continued the conversation going so far to mention her trip keeping a fair amount of the details a secret. After all she didn’t want to make her friends in the other world losing sleep over her. As she wrote her goodbyes she pondered on the idea of her nightmare form, it was a frightening concept and one she highly doubted would come true. She had theorized that the Nightmare comes when a pony lusts after power and is willing to take on that form to gain it, but Twilight never really considered her status of princess as a right to power more as a right to authority, which she was able to use on most occasions to help expedite the solution of problems. Despite this reasoning she still feared that if her counterpart had become a Nightmare then maybe she could too. She shuttered at the thought of what that would entail both to her friends and to her fellow princesses, then she thought of Crimson and she felt of tinge of fear about the consequences of becoming a Nightmare. This quickly cleared any thoughts of it from her head as she descend from her tower back to the kitchen as it had become lunch time and she was still hungry, not fully accustomed to the calories needed to fly fast.

The noon sun shined through the crystal skylights in the kitchen illuminating the room with an array of warm colors. Twilight felt energized and nostalgic as she walked slowly around the kitchen. She started humming a childhood song to herself as she made a sandwich, reminding her of the lunches her mother would pack for magic kindergarten. Her flight and talk with Sunset had put her in high spirits her musing on becoming a Nightmare ebbed on the back of her mind. She was lost in thought and she mindlessly started to prepare the kitchen, hoping to improve her rather weak culinary skills with pinkies recipes and cookware. She had always wanted to have a try at baking; she reasoned if Pinkie could do it she should be able to do it too. She hummed the tone swearing to herself that there were words to it and that she know where it came from, but nothing came to mind. Twilight read through Pinkie’s rather expansive pocket book of her on-the-range recipes, albeit in very small font. She picked a hardy looking and seemingly easy meal, chili. Twilight pranced on her way to the extensive castle pantry and greenhouse embedded into the elevated castle walls, the crystal windows were clear and simple and the room was heady like being deep in the Everfree Forest, Twilight came here in her downtime during the winter or after incredible high altitude flights. Although she had a staff of gardeners to choose from Twilight preferred to create a series of spells that maintained the greenhouse and collected the harvest. Twilight had left a small patch that she would take care of herself and it was to this patch that she walked down to and with delicate hooves she pushed into the soft dirt loosening the vegetable bulbs before carefully collecting them with her mouth and placing them into a wicker basket beside her. She preferred the manual labor of gardening to the magical way of doing it, reminded her of Applejack and her dedication to the land. By the end Twilight’s immaculate hooves and coat were tangled and caked with the soft and moist soil, but she had full baskets of all she needed, enough to make plenty of mistakes. Twilight returned to the kitchen and washed off her hooves and got to work, spending the rest of the afternoon perfecting her cooking method and getting more acquainted with the concept of cooking. She had prototype multiple recipes all of them far too bland to be enjoyed on the road. She ruled out the ingredients as ruining her dish, and she was stuck on what to do next until she remembered the stocks of herbs and spices. She was stunned by the realization, how could she be so thick. In her defense she had never thought of them as simply herbs but reagents in assorted potions and as catalysts for her earth magic. After raiding her impressive stockpile she set again to the labor of cooking and with a couple alchemical hints Twilight found a wonderful combination. She set up a tray and gathered together all the odds and ends of the meal. She was meddling with some cornbread when she felt the pressure room change and heard the sound of a bowl spinning on the ground. She whipped around only to find empty air greeting her, after a second she noticed splashes of the chili going down toward another wing of the castle. She ran cautiously toward the trail of stolen food going through the list of possible intruders and what they may want. She hoped it was just a homeless pegasi but she feared it might have been a more malicious entity hoping to draw her out. She blamed nerves for her more extreme fears, but she kept her guard up all the same as she galloped further down the corridors. Outside the sun was setting, casting long shadows on the walls making nightmares in Twilight’s mind. She finally found where the trail ended, into one of the innumerable bedrooms of the palace, the door was fully open and Twilight could hear the sounds of very loud eating and she relaxed a bit. She peeked around the door from and involuntarily shouted, “DASH!!!”

Dash's Goodbyes

Rainbow Dash nearly smashed into the ceiling out of surprise, the rest of the chili flew in all directions, however most ended up all over Dash. Twilight was the first to speak, “Dash you nearly gave me a heart attack. I was prepared to zap you into oblivion…but your ludicrously loud eating assured me that you were harmless”.

Although she was covered in chili Dash was in high spirits, “Harmless! How could you say I Rainbow Dash, the terror of the dark skies, IS HARMLESS! I don’t believe the nerve of you Twilight.” Rainbow crossed her hooves in angry and blew a raspberry at Twilight. Twilight in response just picked her up off the bed with her magic.

Twilight levitated Dash so that they were face to face except Dash was upside down “The dark skies, really? Weren’t you the one knocked out in the storm?”

Dash turned scarlet and got indignant before pecking Twilight on the cheek which made her blush quite embarrassingly. “I guess this terror just found an even greater one.”

Twilight sighed at Dash’s hammy-ness “Stop that, we need to get you cleaned up your covered in vegetable stock”, Twilight carried her over to the crystal baths with her playfully complaining the whole way there. The crystal baths were sparsely adorned in comparison to the rest of the castle. The baths were built down from the floor and sloped gently down into the optimal depth. Crystals glowing a gentle orange were impeded into the sides heating the water and giving it a welcoming aura. A crystal of transposition kept the water clean and circulating. The room as a whole was awash with a dark blue giving it the appearance of everlasting twilight. Obscured by their flawless craftsmanship cabinets the entire perimeter which Twilight began opening searching for the right shampoo for pegasus coats covered in foodstuffs before she unceremoniously dropped Dash in to the deep end and began trying a combo of all the more promising concoctions. Twilight looked down at her own fur and was taken aback by the amount of dirt from her gardening was still on her fetlocks and all the debris of smelting had caked onto her own coat. Unlike Dash’s entry Twilight slowly descended into the warm water and felt all the energy from her limbs get sucked up by the heat so by the time she reached Rainbow she almost melted into her hooves, nearly asleep.
Dash looked down on the floating alicorn and her eyes teared up a little, reminded of how Twilight had risked everything for her on some many occasions and how she had betrayed Twilight’s faith on too many occasions. She carefully outstretched the large alicorn wings and saw the still fresh creases and damaged feathers from their midair collision, Dash began to correct and straighten out the wings and meticulously preened each row of feathers. Twilight began humming a simple tune as if she was purring when Dash started going through her coat removing the accumulation of heavy metals and dead embers. Once she was finished did Twilight open her eyes to meet Dash’s
“Thanks Rainbow, I guess I haven’t been taking good care of myself in all the excitement and trepidation in this journey into the dangerous unknown. It means so much to me that you made the time to visit even if you did come only for the food.” That got a chuckle from Dash.
“Don’t be silly egghead, because of you I didn’t even get any and now I have to preen my wings for the third time today, so the least you could do is offer me some of that stuff it smelled good at least.”

Twilight gave her a sarcastic smile, “I guess you deserve some food for putting up with bath”.

“I deserve seconds, letting you bathe me. I could charge ponies for the privilege. I guess I can wave the charges for a princess and a friend.” Rainbow retorted sidling up to Twilight. Twilight just gave a humored looked to Rainbow as they meandered through the vaulted halls back to the kitchen. The chili had been simmering all the while so it was still warm when they came back and it was still warm as Rainbow devoured most of it barely pausing for conversation or breath. Twilight looked on bemused while protecting a bowl for Crimson.
Only when Rainbow had finished her third bowl did she speak, “so what’s the deal with this red stallion, where did he come from and why did he have to take my place as the best guard of Ponyville?”

Twilight whipped away some chili from Rainbow’s muzzle as she answered, “now Rainbow my dear friend I wish I could tell you about him, but even I don’t know that much about him. He says he used to serve alongside Shining Armor but was never formally enlisted, used to be a soldier for hire for a bit, and I guess he goes on expeditions for Celestia now. Also Ponyville doesn’t need any guards; if anything we endanger Ponyville more than the Everfree Forest ever did although unintentionally. If you’re so curious why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Rainbow hesitated after the last question, letting her true feelings come forth, “Twilight…I just couldn’t live with myself if you didn’t come back. You have shaped me to be a better pony more than anyone, I used to think all I wanted was to be a Wonderbolt and be the best, and I still want be that, but…I know that that’s not going to be enough. There have been very few things that have kept me in Ponyville, mainly how lazy I could be. That all changed when you arrived, you gave me a reason to call this place home and a reminder of why I wanted to be the very best, to make all those around me better. I know it sounds cheesy but I’m not the speech writer.” Twilight reached in for a hug which Rainbow quickly fell into, almost out of her chair, after a little while Rainbow spoke again “Yeah…let’s go down and see him.”
Rainbow and Twilight untangled from the hug which caused Rainbow’s chair to slip out from under her and she fell in a heap her wings quick to hide her face a defense against Twilight’s snicker. Twilight helped pick up Rainbow Dash and the descended in the deep of the castle leaving the cold of the encroaching midnight for the warmth of the furnace embers. Rainbow seemed more hesitant as she went further and further down in the indigo depths of the castle. Twilight began hearing the now familiar ring of the hammer and realized that she hadn’t seen Crimson for almost the entire day and she felt a little bad about leaving him with only the lonesome stone. The embers of the fire slowly filled the stairway with a warm orange glow finally revealing the imposing silhouette of Twilight’s head guard. Crimson had seemingly finished his work as he rose from his station of three days and approached the two, his hooves creating a soft thud and a slight scratching sound.

“You two came at the right time, I just finished the last piece of your armor and I believe it to be one of my best works,” He looked toward Rainbow at this point “Although it helped that so many brave souls helped by getting the best materials. Now I do believe you have made something to eat, I’m beyond hungry at this point.”

Twilight was a bit confused about how Crimson knew that but she didn’t dwell on it and handed him the tray she had brought down which he quickly downed in a single go. “Crimson I had no idea you were that hungry, you eat like you haven’t had anything in three days.”

“Guilty as charged”

Twilight was visibly hurt by this, she searched for the right words to scold Crimson with but Rainbow beat her to it, “Are you crazy I’m not letting you go hungry for three days, you need to be well fed otherwise Twilight is gonna have to look after you and then you won’t be much of a guard would ya.”

Crimson laughed at Rainbow’s scolding and patted her shoulder, his unexpected weight throwing her off balance, “Twilight’s safety is more important than my own life but I have a promise to someone important to not die before I’m finished, so worry not. Plus I have gone much longer without food, although I try not to. Now Twilight I do believe it’s time to fit this armor, I think you’ll like it”. Crimson brought out several pieces from beside the forge and beckoned for Twilight. Rainbow sighed in relief Crimson’s hoof on her shoulder had unsettled her and she made her way to the outer circle to watch as Twilight’s ensemble took shape. The metal was an unnatural black at its heart but shone a shimmering silver in the moonlight and gold in the forge light. Rainbow couldn’t help but stare entranced as each piece covered Twilight’s lithe alicorn form, Rainbow was confused at first as it looked like a set of spines and ribs almost if a metal spider had grabbed Twilight. It wasn’t until Crimson slid plates in between each of the ribs that the armor became believable. Finally, Crimson pulled out the helm which he placed over Twilight’s head with the utmost ceremony. Kneeling before his princess he presented the engraved black helm with gold etching trailing all around the faceplates telling the story of her ascension and a thick silver circlet imbedded above where her horn stuck out telling her feats after it. Twilight turned to face Rainbow and they meet eye to eye. Now Rainbow had been eye to eye with Twilight many a times but this time there was an otherworldly authority and fire that was drawn out and burned brightly. Rainbow for one of the few times in their friendship was scared of Twilight and something inside her was screaming to look away from her gaze but she just could not. Rainbow felt her inner fears filling her head and luckily Crimson removed her helm before Rainbow fears overwhelmed her. Rainbow collapsed behind the low wall feeling completely drained. She sat huddled there until Twilight’s muzzle pressed on her sensitive back between her wings. When she opened her eyes she was face to face with Twilight but the usual soft eyes had returned, but still she jumped, scrambling into a mess of wings and rainbow mane.

This elected a snicker in Twilight “What’s wrong Dash I thought you loved my eyes.”

Rainbow now blue and red responded quickly, “Of course I do…I mean they’re my favorite eyes...maybe except mine own, but that’s only because I need those. Where’s Crimson?”

“Dash, slow down. Crimson went upstairs to get food. What’s this about my eyes?”

Rainbow breathed deeply before continuing, “When you had that helmet on and looked at me, it felt as if you were looking through me, bringing up my darkest fears and making them come to pass in my head. There was enough fire in your eyes to burn the Everfree to a crisp.”

“You sure you didn’t just faint at the sight of me in my royal regalia.” Twilight pointed to herself still clad in the skeletal carapace which
combined with the shadows of the forge gave her the look of a nightmare cursed queen ready for battle. It was a look that Rainbow secretly loved ever since seeing Nightmare Moon’s Shadowbolts.

“No it wasn’t that, but it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that armor, I’ve never seen anything like it but I love it.” Rainbow gave it a quick jab to test it and was caught off guard as it didn’t give a hair. “Holy smokes, that’s strong.”

“Yep, and I think it looks great.”

“A bit conspicuous don’t you think though.”

Twilight saw the meaning behind Rainbow’s words “You would only bring that up if you have something to solve that, right Dash?”
Rainbow again turned red and hesitant as she pulled out a long sand colored duster, very much like the one Crimson’s, “Here, I though this might help you keep a low profile in the desert and the badlands, I had to ask a few favors and do some work for the right people to get this. It’s a Wonderbolt recon standard issue desert armor, I thought since the Wonderbolts haven’t been a military fighting force in years that I could acquisition one and get it to someone it might save.”

Twilight was on the verge of tears as she hugged Rainbow for the millionth time that night “Thank you Dash, I love it.” After the exchange Rainbow made for the stairway but Twilight stopped her “Where are you going?”

“Home I guess.”

“Stay with me for tonight, I miss you.”

“You drive a hard bargain Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The matter settle the two retreated to the warm solace of their bed, the fires of the forge keeping the area homely, its work now done leaving it nothing more than a comfort and a companion through the long night.
Twilight was sound asleep and the night was almost half over when Rainbow Dash slowly made her way out of the bed and onto the cold cobblestones. Crimson was nowhere in sight which Rainbow took to mean he was sleeping. She quietly made her way to Twilight’s study and in the light of the warm embers she wrote a chicken scratch message for Twilight and left it tucked in her down feathers. She made her way upstairs back to the landing almost tripping over herself in the now gloomy staircase. As she reached the top she could hear the sounds of breathing, slow and large, she assumed that it was Crimson and he had just fallen asleep eating his food. “That stallion is driven by something mad,” Rainbow whispered under her breath.

“You aren’t wrong Rainbow,” Crimson’s voice responded. Rainbow let out a small squeak worried that she had just messed up in some way. “In fact I think you have a knack for knowing things like that, a bit Twilight has definitely rubbed off on you…or perhaps Twilight is stealing some tricks from you.”

“Okay dude it’s a little creepy when you speak from the shadows like that.” Crimson gave a low whistle to alert Rainbow to his location on the edge of the porch gazing at the stars. Rainbow immediately regretted looking over there as Crimson was without any of his usual attire and from the angle all she could she was two large scars running the part of the length of the back. Rainbow’s body ached in pain as she looked upon them, the jagged edges and exposed flesh reminded her too much of pictures she’d seen of clipped pegasi. “Crimson! By Celestia what happened to your back who clipped you? I demand to know!”

Crimson broke his stare with the stars and looked over toward Rainbow, perplexed for a moment, “What are you talking abo…oh you mean the scars, Rainbow your concern is surprising but these are scars are long since inflicted they just never healed.”

“The sight of them pains me.”

“Just like the sight of Twilight pains you?”

Now it was Rainbow’s turn to be confused, “What are you talking about?”

“Rainbow you are leaving in the middle of the night, leaving your best friend. I know you can’t stand to see her go and you worry for her…I do too. Is this really what you want to do right now?”
Rainbow sat in silence for several long minutes, leaving only the sound of Crimson’s ponderous breathing and the gust of the wind to fill the empty air. Then came the soft sound of crying and the tears as they hit the smooth floor. Through the tears and snivels Rainbow continued, “She’s the only one who b-b-believed in me even when I-I-I didn’t. She’s taught me so-so much. I feel like she made me a mu-much better pony even when I didn’t want to. What f-f-friend would I be if I di-didn’t do everything to help her. But I can’t do anything now!...so I shouldn’t be allowed around her, I feel so guilty.”

Crimson had made his way to Rainbow and sat down in front of her, “Rainbow I know she cares about you too and she would never want to make you feel guilty. She wants you so she will remember this night and I think if you really want to do all you can for her, you will join her .” Crimson stayed there comforting Rainbow for about half an hour until she regained her composure and with a silent smile and a wave of the wing she descended to find Twilight still asleep. Rainbow plucked the note she had placed and stashed it in one of the many pockets of Twilight’s duster which hung from hook in the wall. Rainbow then snuggled alongside Twilight and smiled to herself confident she had done the right thing.

Author's Note

It's even in the title

The Departure From Ponyville

Their dreams were their night received the blessing of the night’s mistress who weaved them together so that they might share a few more hours together. A familiar scene of clouds greeted them in their dreams but unlike their previous adventure they had no weight upon their backs and could freely feel the dew as it coalesced upon their fur and feel the rush of air as it glided over their wings. Naturally their tandem flying quickly gave way to a high speed chase which Dash managed to keep in the lead but the princess had grown much stronger and her wings were much larger due to her magical growth. She began to blot out the sun like a hawk going after its prey and she quickly managed to swoop down and crash with Dash through a huge cloud and into a nice puffy nimbus. Twilight sat on Rainbow’s back panting and with beads of water dripping from her body. Dash slowly turned around to look back at Twilight, herself in much the same condition.
“You finally got me egghead, I bet you have been training for a whole year to try and be as awesome as me. I wasn’t even flying my best anyway.”

Twilight gave a knowing smile before pecking Dash on the cheek making her go a little red, “You just don’t know when you’re outclassed do you Dash. Nor do you know when to shut your big mouth.” Twilight pecked her again. “Now I’m tired so no talking.” Twilight fell onto Dash and Rainbow embraced her as best as she could, being pinned underneath her and all. The dream ended and they both slept soundly next to each other, free from nightmares and other horrors of the night. Twilight awoke to the sound of a softly snoring Dash and light blue primary feathers covering her eyes, the sun’s light was pale and faint from the forge’s central column.

“Dash?...Dash?” Twilight whispered. Rainbow did not budge or even respond in the slightest. Twilight sighed a little and snuggled deeper into Dash before nodding off to sleep once again. When she awoke again the sound of hoofsteps coming down the stairs and the sweet scent of sugars and fruits and this time Dash was stirring as well most likely from Crimson’s heavy hooffalls.

“Good morning you two, it’s been a good days work but I think it’s time you get a breakfast when you wake up, instead of first having to go all the way up those stairs.” Crimson chuckled obviously thinking he was being clever.

Rainbow was quick to call him out even in her half sleeping self “Don’t you think you’re a bit old to be learning comedy?” It was only after she remembered who she was talking too after waking up that she offered a slight apology but Crimson laughed it off all the same.
Crimson left breakfast for them before pulling out armor pieces and setting them down on a large table, arranged like a violet skeleton with an armored circlet as the skull, he moved with solemn purpose but Twilight and Rainbow were too distracted by their morning rituals to notice. Crimson got their attention when he was done and motioned for Twilight to come over. Crimson like a devout squire quickly and firmly placed the armor on Twilight and in between the ribs were a new addition, plates made out of the same material took hold in the empty space completing the shape, the armor now looked as if a beetle had grabbed onto Twilight and was protecting her body. Crimson did not put the circlet on her head; he said it was the going to be a surprise.

Rainbow gave a low whistle as Twilight emerged fully armored, “You know they say mares love a stallion in uniform but I think you’ll make believers out of anypony.”

“Rainbow! Don’t talk like that…Although I must admit I feel so much…more” Twilight began looking over her body unable to find the word.
“Well you should feel attuned to yourself, a shard of the alicorn amulet is in that armor and the other materials naturally resonate with your power, it’s no coincidence that it’s such a deep violet. That armor is meant for you.” Crimson chimed in. Twilight flexed her wings which had their leading edge armored as well, and all of her limbs. She felt so limber and full of energy. She tried her magic by levitating an object, she didn’t feel much different there but she remembered she didn’t have the helmet on. “Now come on, it’s time for you to address your friends and subjects.”

“Yeah Twilight, let’s go address your subjects you can be a real princess now.” Rainbow joked. Twilight shot her a glance before making her way up the forge steps through the castle past the kitchen and finally onto the pavilion where the mid-morning sun awaited their arrival, its brilliant rays reflecting the field of green that surrounded the castle as the forest canopy extended in all directions except for along the banks of the clear and babbling river that ran down toward Ponyville. The sunlight seemed to be swallowed by the armor which glowed its own light after a while. Rainbow Dash joined here soon breaking Twilight out of her infatuation with the morning light in the forest as she scanned across the sky.

“You ready Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked as she put on her new pair of goggles and the wings on her ears.
Twilight stretched out again just for good measure, she felt more alive than she had in a while, “I’m more than ready leadwings.” Twilight didn’t know why but she felt like teasing Rainbow.

“Leadwings? That’s new for you egghead, you’re on!” Rainbow announced as her visor extended from her earpieces and she took off with a violent beat. Twilight was in pursuit immediately the smooth and oiled metal gliding effortlessly over each other as she unfurled her wings. She felt a power flow through her wings as she beat them compensating for the weight of the armor, which wasn’t overly heavy in the first place. In a matter of seconds she had reached Dash and with a head of steam. Rainbow Dash was surprised by Twilight’s agility but she was determined to not lose this race. She pushed herself and managed to stop Twilight’s advance and even managed to gain something of a lead. The joy was short lived as a shadow fell over Dash and she knew exactly what was going to happen next. Like a hawk out of the sky Twilight zoomed right in front of Dash, her tail lightly brushing up against Dash’s nose. Dash instinctively braked herself as her blood froze for a second before she continued and caught up with a beaming and cruising Twilight. Twilight, usually good at repressing any signs of smugness, had a sly grin on her face and circled around Dash once when she caught up.

“Dash I feel so fast in this armor you wouldn’t believe it. When I was the center of all alicorn magic I felt stronger, but this is still amazing.” Twilight was buzzing with energy some from the nerve ripping stress and trepidations she was having but she was also done waiting, she was finally going on a grand adventure again. She felt relieved to not have Equestria resting on her shoulders this time as well. Even though they had both slowed down they were still flying through the sky at a fast pace and the castle came into view quickly. Twilight took this opportunity to land as a Wonderbolt, landing with her one fore hoof hitting as her rear hooves hit, the Hero Landing. The crystals underneath her vibrated in response to her weight but did not crack. Rainbow landed next to her although she ate a little humble pie and decided to just land normally. Twilight and Rainbow made their way to the map room, Twilight’s shimmering armored hooves making a sharp click as she walked down the crystal halls. Twilight and Rainbow decided to take a long route through the castle; they reasoned that they should give Crimson some time to get to the castle and even more time to get ready for whatever announcement he had planned. They took a walk through the crystal greenhouse, Rainbow who had been unprepared gulped down the humid and thick air, Twilight pushed against Dash when she saw her drinking in the air teasing her.

“Are you really that worn out, Rainbow?”

Rainbow was indignant as usual “No, it’s just that…uh it smells bad so I had to breathe through my mouth. Yeah!”
All this excuse did was give Twilight a chuckle and make her shake her head. “Whatever you say Rainbow, now let’s get you out of here.” Rainbow and Twilight continue with the grand tour of the castle, up and down the dazzling crystal halls they walked. Neither one wanted to end the conversation nor did they really want the day to end. Unfortunately for them their time together was not decided by them but by Crimson, as he knocked on the door and his arrival announced, Twilight knew she needed to go and this would be the time for farewells. She sighed deeply, her expression melting into a face full of sorrow cut by the pain of going away. Rainbow Dash just stood not really sure what to do, finally she decided to put her wing on Twilight and walk with her to meet her guard. Assuming correctly they made their way to the map room, and there they found Crimson dressed in what appeared to be his old armor, but on closer inspecting the mares noticed that it was trimmed in black and gold and his scaled armor was shone brightly and glistened in the light with gemstones dotted throughout the whole plate. On his breast lay very large and very important looking metals but they were all off center and surrounding a small and immaculately maintained gold star shaped like Twilight’s own cutie mark. At its center was a dark piece of amethyst. It seemed old but Twilight guessed Celestia had gifted it to him and had made in preparation long ago. His large bag that swung across his back was missing, likely far from the formal attire and in its stead Crimson had two large holster toting equally large weapons. The holsters were decorated like his duster but the weapons had been given more embellishing, the handles were dark wood and on each there was a carving in gold the faces of each royal princess, Twilight included. On the body of black steel Twilight could see, there were more gilded etchings and these seem to match the one on Twilight’s circlet. Crimson’s face was also exposed; no helmet or cap, his long deep red mane draped over his shoulders with a few grey hairs breaking up the pattern. He was smiling and Twilight could see the long jagged scar that covered the bridge of his nose starting from the center of his forehead and the scar he had across his muzzle, Crimson seemed oblivious of it. He carried a the armored circlet of his holster belt, it was covered by a cloth but Twilight could see the engraving very slightly.

“Twilight, it is good to see that you made it her and without crashing or hurting yourself…it seems.” Crimson let the hint of doubt come out intentionally. “But in any case I think it’s time you give a decree from your castle and announce your Grand Adventure. I think you’ll find it empowering and you will be more confident yourself for the trials to come. From this adventure or whatever adventure you must take to save Equestria.” Crimson turned to Rainbow at this point, “I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know you will be joining Twilight on the balcony as well, but you will have to wear something, Rarity has something prepared in your room.”
“You should know that I hate having to dress up, but I’m doing it for Twilight’s sake. But still yuck!” Rainbow Dash half heartily flied off to her room a short distance away.

“Twilight I think would be a good time to write a speech, while everypony arrives and your friends all make it here.” Crimson suggested.
“Huh…oh yes,” Twilight snapped out of her gaze and accidently clicked her heels together like she used to do as a student of Celestia, “I should be making use of this time. What will you be doing though?”

Crimson took a formal bow before responding, “I will be serving your Majesty in the fullest to my ability” Crimson’s smile was still there when he looked up at her.

Twilight rolled her eyes jokingly, “I guess I don’t need your help for the speech, you can go as you please then.”

“My oh my what did I do to deserve such a kind and benevolent princess as my liege? If that is your orders I will take my leave for the next hour until such time I will accompany you to the balcony.” Crimson gave an exaggerated bow and went off to find somepony.

Twilight shook her head a little at the disappearing stallion and then set her sights on the speech, she know a lot about speechcraft but she rarely had to give a decree, a lecture she could do, but a decree, she was understandably coming up with blanks until her eyes caught the collage of the friendship lessons she had wrote to Celestia and wrote in her journal, she began to think of all the lessons Celestia had taught her. Celestia had more experience than anypony Twilight could think of in making a decree; after all she had at least a thousand years of experience in that department. Twilight got to work trying to emulate Celestia’s speeches, at least in tone she was well aware that this speech needed to be personal otherwise no pony would remember it or pay attention and considering this was a declaration of absence that was the last thing she wanted. Twilight didn’t finish a line until she had made sure it flowed and was meaningful to her and she hoped to the audience.

Twilight became so engrossed in this task that the hour quickly passed and Crimson’s knock almost made her jump out of her skin.

“Twilight, your ponies are waiting for your word.”

“Oh yes of course I’m coming,” Twilight jumped out of her desk grabbing the mostly memorized draft. Twilight caught Crimson on the grand staircase and walked with him to the grand balcony which now had a decorated and grandiose entrance to it. Crimson motioned for Twilight to proceed ahead of him. Twilight went through the blue curtains and was shocked to see Celestia and Luna on either side of her and as she walked by she was even more surprised because they bowed before her. Past the royal sisters were Cadence and Shining Armor, Shining had a proud smile on his face and was on the verge of tears, they too bowed. Even further down Twilight’s friends were lined up with one spot missing on the right at the end, they bowed covered in sparkling crystals courtesy of Rarity and it was then that Twilight saw the mass of ponies, who from far and wide as she would later find had come to see their princess. Before she could begin Crimson came up to her and delicately placed the circlet on her head before moving into the empty spot. As soon as the circlet was placed on her head Twilight felt a great surge of clarity and focus and the familiar feeling of power within, see felt she could be heard for miles and that she could cast the most masterful of magic without channeling at all. The ponies below here bowed as it place on her head and it was followed by a throng on cheers.

Twilight cast an amplification spell on her voice before she spoke “My Friends! The ponies that welcomed me when I was but a simple unicorn, alone and without a single friend, you invited me to join in your festivals and your homes even when I showed utter failings to keep this city safe in my paranoia. I cannot thank you enough for helping me get where I am today. I know most of you just think that my closest friends are the source of my success and they are my support, but I am indebted to all of you for showing me what was so important to you, to show me the error of my sheltered ways. I thank you all.” The crowd cheered another time, there were some ponies sobbing out of the kind words and others were chanting Twilight’s name.

Twilight used her magic to get everypony’s attention “Now I know that you probably are questioning why I am talking to you like this, some of you are probably wondering why I’m wearing this armor, and others might be wondering why this stallion that has been following me the last few days,” Twilight pointed to Crimson who approached and took a bow. “The answer lies in the news I have for you all…I am leaving for an adventure not like the ones I’ve had to take as an element of harmony but one much more dangerous. I know this comes at a surprise but rest easy knowing that my guard will be going with me and he is one of the best in the land. I ask you to wish me luck and I wanted to everypony to know that they can ask any of my friends if they have trouble. Thank you all so much, good night.” Twilight turned away as the crowd underneath roared for the third time and the sound of conversations and surprise folded into the noise. Twilight was sweating from the speech; she had never made anything like it to so many especially about this subject matter. Spike met her at the doorway back from his journey to the dragon lands; he had heard the whole speech and provided a much appreciated vote of confidence calming Twilight’s nerves. The other princess, Shining Armor, and her friends did the same and so it came that the excitement of the day passed and Twilight was alone with Crimson as they prepared to go in the morning.

The sounds of hoof steps alerted the two to the arrival of Celestia, “Twilight, It brings back old memories to see an alicorn in such armor, and I see that Crimson has done some of his best work” Celestia sighed her face troubled before recomposing into her usually royal smile, “I just needed to come down and say…Good luck Twilight Sparkle I know you will succeed and that you two will make a great team. Good night”
“Good night Princess” Twilight and Crimson responded. Celestia walked back into the shadow of the hallway but not before looking back one more time.

Morning came and all their friends were lining the path to the train and some bowed as they walked past, some cheered, and most wished her good luck at the very least. Twilight looked back from the train as she was getting on, her journey had begun.

Author's Note

Okay it's finally done...with Act 1. Who knows I might get an editor this time and maybe I'll come back and edit this, but I upload this stuff at like 4 AM so I don't have the mental fortitude to do it now. thank you all for reading and staying with it through my massive procrastination spirit.