Every Cloud has a Red Lining

The Views of Sanity

///

         Crimson woke up to find himself in a giant plain. It seemed to be noon, but he couldn't tell. Wherever he looked he only saw the tall grass flowing through the wind. So, he started to walk forward. Hours seemed to pass as he walked through the plain, yet the sun stayed at the same place. The plain seemed to be flat and the only change in the landscape was a hill that was about half a mile away. Walking there took what seemed like another half hour, and when he got there he saw someone was already sitting there. Whoever it was wasn't a pony it wore a gray robe with a hood that covered the top of his head, a blue shirt that matched Crimson's fur, and pants that covered his hind legs.

         "Who and what are you?" Crimson asked. The creature only turned his head, still covered by the hood, showing only the end of brown hair that covered his eyes.

         "Isn't that obvious dumbass, you know who I am!" His voice belonged to Viceman, "What I am, however is another story. Now, don't you want to know our origin and learn, or do you want to stay in the dark?" Crimson didn't think about finding his past since he met Myst, and if he learned it would he be the same pony?

         The only thing that ran through his mind was of it was a choice to remember so he asked him, "Do I         have to remember my past, and if I do will the previous personality take control of my body?"

         Viceman just laughed and simply said, "No. I would never do that, we would share it. My time is over and yours has begun." Crimson was confused by him saying they would share their existence and that he wouldn't take control.

         "What do you mean you won't take over? I thought that you were all rage and insanity."

         "Didn't you listen, he was just that, a split piece of me." Viceman explained, "I had to separate that piece to escape that damn cell. I can only separate pieces certain pieces of myself, let me show you." He got up and stood on two legs and just stood there then his rage split off, then sadness, jealousy, and last of all happiness.

         "You see this is what I meant, I split off a piece of my emotions and had it take consciousness of our body," Viceman continued. Then each piece went to the original and fused together with him.

          After that they talked about what he was.He called himself a human and they continued to talk  until Crimson asked, "Why are you so calm, I mean you lost everything you don't even know if you family's alive or not."

         His smile faded at the question, "You're right time works differently here I don't know what day or year it is at home." He said tearing up then from his sadness turned into anger, "YOU DON'T THINK I  TRIED TO FIND A WAY HOME! I MISS MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS. EVERYONE I KNOW AND LOVE IS THERE!" Crimson felt sympathy towards him, when he arrives here he had no one except for the ponies who took him in.

         "Look, the past is the past, we will find a way to get you home, but this is my home and there are ponies who love us here."

         "They love you, they only know me as the psychopath with a bloodlust," Viceman said wiping the tears on his sleeves, "and what'll you think will happen to us when this mission is done? You think         we'll just stay here all cozy and live happily ever after? I've seen this one too many times in games and books, we do what we have to do, then we'll end up having to leave this world forever." Hearing this Crimson went back a couple steps.

         "No, that's not true! That can't happen I-,"

         "Face it! We're disturbing the balance of this world if we stay here we may end up destroying it." he said , "I'm not as excited about it as you are. I hate humans, many of them are filled with greed. Individually they can be consider good, but altogether as a whole they have nothing but greed in their hearts."

         "Those are only your views, your opinions, humans cannot be as evil as you think," Crimson said as Viceman laughed throughout his sentence, "What's so funny?"

         "I don't want to do this but left me no choice," He said as he walked toward the pegasus, and put his hands on his head then Viceman's eyes emitted a white light, and Crimson saw images that were gruesome and disturbing. Pictures of humans that were unnaturally thin, weapons that slaughtered hundreds, nuclear bombs that mowed down cities making them uninhabitable for decades, and murderers that killed for pleasure. When he saw Viceman again, Crimson collapsed and cried.

         "I know it's painful, but that's not the only side of humanity. There is ugliness, but like it there's beauty too." Viceman put his hand on Crimson's head and the pegasus saw images of forests, mountains, a couple in love, children playing, and the atmosphere of a tranquility everywhere.

         "How do your people, live on from all this

death," Crimson asked still crying.

         "We do just that, live on. We keep living because our ancestors want us to. We all fear death, but some search for immortality. Only, they don't realize it brings nothing but sadness." Viceman explained with no expression on his face, "Your 'princesses' are immortal, and they may not show it but they are filled with grief. All of their loved ones are gone, and they know the ones that live will wither away."

         "But they will never forget them," Crimson said wiping his face with his foreleg, "No matter how much time passes they won't forget them." Then they remained silent for what seemed like an eternity.The silence broke when Viceman removed his hood to reveal brown hair that covered the back of his neck and curled halfway at the end.

         "You know there is only one way I still exist  right," Viceman asked

         "How?"

         "Magic, dumbass!" Viceman yelled annoyed at the pegasus, "How else could I have gained the attributes of each race. Whoever dropped us here didn't give it to us, it would've made us to powerful, and power always has a way to corrupt ones very soul. How we got it is because you've been exposed to one type and I, another. Take a guess if you're like me you won't be stupid and get it wrong."

         Crimson just sat there for awhile, the answer never came, magic came in many types. Then when he gave up he shrugged, and Viceman yelled in frustration.

         "Look there are four types of magic in Equestria normal magic which unicorns can use, alicorn magic which, of course, can only be used by alicorns, the Elements of Harmony which can only be used by your friends, and finally chaotic magic, the magic only used by this worlds entity known as Discord." Viceman explained said as he created images to represent each class of magic.

         He continued his explanation by saying, "You got the Elements magic when you landed at the Castle of the two sisters. There was still magic radiation when you landed and that made part of us."

         "But what about the chaotic magic?" Crimson asked, "Discord was defeated a thousand years ago."

         "Oh, you have been studying," Viceman said while clapping then he obnoxiously added, "but one thing, he was defeated, not destroyed. But close enough."

        "You don't have to be a complete prick about that."

        "Sorry, force of habit, I had a little brother back home and we'd tease each other about what we got wrong."

        Crimson wondered what the brother looked like, then blurted out, "Sounds like a pain in the ass."

        "Yeah," Viceman said hiding his pain, "but he's family and I love him. We'd always fight as children and we'd never get along, but before this happened, we're weren't fighting as much. Sure we'd get into arguments now and then, but we always apologize for it." They continued to talk about what Vicemans' world was like and how humans didn't have magic but relied on technology and science.

        "Welp, our time is up time for you to go home." Viceman said

        "But, what'll happen to you?" Crimson asked

        "I'll just sleep most of the time, but I will take control,or give advice every now and then," Viceman answered walking away, he only got several steps before turning around and threatened, "But if you ever become corrupt I will take total control. Since I don't want power, I'll share it with you." Viceman walked back toward him and put his index finger on his forehead. Then everything when black and Crimson woke up to see Myst lying her head on his bed asleep.

///

        It was the middle of the night when Crimson woke up, he didn't know if it was the same day or if several have passed since he fell asleep. He decided to walk outside and look at the night sky. He couldn't  get back to sleep thanks to those awful images Viceman showed him still were in his mind. The only thing that he wanted to think about was what gift Viceman gave him. He carefully got out of the bed and walked outside without waking anyone. The only thing he wanted to do was to figure out how to use what Viceman gave him. He went to the hill out where he and Myst were the day he asked her out. When he got to the top of it he sat down, closed his eyes and meditated.

        An hour passed and he still sat there. The one thing Viceman told him was how to use magic to increase muscle strength when magic was applied, but it only lasted when magic was applied. This was what made him unique, but it could corrupt him and make him power hungry.

        'Geez, I should have asked him how to use it properly,' Crimson thought, then heard the grass rustle from behind him, "Who's there? I can hear you, so just show yourself."

        "Somethings always stay the same about you," a voice said from the brush behind him, "Always on the defensive." Twilight appeared and continued to say, "You think you can get away so easily you are sorely mistaken."

        Crimson just chuckled, and said, "I never really changed in the first place, I just wanted some time to think."

        "Well your thinking time will have to wait. Somepony is pretty angry at you for waking up and leaving her all alone," Twilight said smiling at him.

        "Hey Twi,"

        "Yes?"

        "My time here is limited, when what I have to do is finished there is a chance I may have to leave," he said facing the purple unicorn.

        "Why are you telling me and not the princesses or Myst?" she asked astonished that his time would end at any moment.

        "Twi, there is a saying in my world, 'ignorance is bliss'. I'm pretty sure you know what it means." he said looking back toward the town, "And if I go I want you to be there for Myst."

        "Fine, but she'll be mad at you for not telling her about this."

        "Let her. I just want our time together to be happy. Let's go back I need to get that scolding from Myst." He said laughing when he finished.

        Twilight asked as he started walking away, "Aren't you worried, what if the next day was your last? What would I tell Myst?"

        He stopped, looked back and said, "There's a chance I would go, it's not absolute yet. If I do however, tell Myst I'll always love her, promise me that."

        On their way to the library Crimson told Twilight about his conversation with Viceman about the magic that was inside him.

        "He said he didn't know where the chaotic magic came from though," He finished looking at Twi who had a puzzled look on her face.

        "Well, I've never heard of the Elements doing that, but no pony was around when they were used so it could happen." she said still with the puzzled look, "I still have no idea how he knows so much about magic for, what was it he called himself... a human."

        "I never really asked how he knew it. The question never really came to mind." Crimson said wondering how Viceman knew so much about this world. "Oh, by the way, how long was I asleep?"

          "A few days, we were all worried about you, Myst never left your side." Twilight said, "You're very lucky to have her."

        "I know. I think that to myself every time I see her," Crimson said half-smiling, "I can't believe she'd even go out with me, I mean I'm a hopeless amnesiac who can't even tell her what he likes and dislikes."

        "You're not hopeless look at what you've done," she said trying to cheer him up, "You have an apprenticeship, friends, and a marefriend who loves you, that is far from hopeless."

        "Yeah you're right. Thanks Twi I needed that." he said as approached the library.

         When he went inside he was slapped by Myst who yelled, "Do you know how worried I was? I thought you left me again." Then she started to tear up as Crimson pulled her toward him with his wings.

        "Don't worry Azure, I'll never leave," he whispered as he held her, "I'll have nowhere else to go if I left."

///

        The next several days Twilight gave Crimson lessons for the uses of magic as he recovered. He understood a portion of her lessons, but he still didn't understand the majority of them. Viceman wasn't much help, he still remained silent since they had their chat in his dream state. He was probably was still working with the lessons in his own way.

        During first lesson he asked, "Hey Twilight? If magic is one of the foundations of life here doesn't every living thing have it?"

        "Yes they do," she replied, "Most creatures that are considered magical have magic in their bodies one way or another. Every pony race even has magic in their bodies as you already know, and only unicorns, and alicorns, can use magic outside of their body thanks to their horns." She finished the explanation by levitating a piece of chalk and writing 'Magic 101' on the board. Crimson tried to do the same by extending his right wing, and focused the energy to move another piece of chalk of the board. He failed miserably though, so instead he used one of his feathers as practice until he could move it with ease.

        It was the same for Twilight. Crimson, or Viceman, would teach her their ways of using magic as payment for the lessons. It was hard for her because she was used to using it externally, but not internally. The magic also stained the muscles making them push themselves past their limits, and because of that Twilight practiced every other day. Crimson, however, used it everyday and never seemed fatigued from it the next day. Twilight never really understood how he could be fine, unless he was hiding the pain to not worry anypony. During the time he needed to recover he was working, he usually went before his magic lessons. This should have made him feel worse, but he still worked. When they asked what was so important that it risked his health he just answered 'You'll see in due time' for the past week. This lifestyle was uncommon to him and it worried his friends thinking that he might getting an injury that would affect his work or life. Then after a week and half this lifestyle he finished his work. He arrived to the library with something wrapped in a cloth away from view. He asked Twilight to get the others here in an hour after he got a needed nap.

        "This is what I've been asking you to wait for." he announced when everyone was there at the library. He put the parcel on his back on the floor and it landed with a loud thud. Then he removed the cloth to reveal a sword like the one he drew several weeks ago.

        "This is the fruit of my labor," he finished. The sword was simple but seemed more complex the blade was a light gray and reflective, the handle was wrapped with several layers of cloth, to prevent deterioration of the teeth, and at the end of the handle was a ruby that was red as Crimson's eyes.

        "Oh darling, it's simply magnificent," Rarity said observing the sword, "Your craftsmanship is remarkably better for it being your first blade."

        Crimson looked at her and said, "I didn't know you admired blacksmithing Rarity."

        "Any form of art ," she replied, "Each one holds their own form of beauty and elegance."

        "I agree completely," Spike said with affection towards Rarity.

        "I believe everything has beauty and elegance," Crimson said, "Even the ugliest of things, like war and death." Everypony looked at him, shocked and terrified.

                "What? Death can have a sort of elegance in somepony else's eyes, but not mine." Crimson said, with everyone giving a sigh of relief, "Do you really think that I enjoy death? Viceman has an extremely dark sense of humor not me. Those jokes are mainly from his world so you won't get a large portion of them." He nervously smiled and everything was normal again. Then he placed the sword in its sheath and placed inside his room by the door.

///

        Steel agreed to Crimson's apprenticeship after saying, "You're either a prodigy or had dumb luck. Anyway, you'll be a great student."

        "Great, and I know it's asking too much, but could I get a few days to learn magic?"

        Steel laughed as hard he could coughed for a few moments and asked, "Why learn magic if ya can't use it?"

        He just chuckled and said, "Well there are exceptions to that." He showed Steel why he was gone the past week and a half. His lessons with Twi have improved his magical skill. To show that he conjured a blood red flame from the tips of his wings.

        "Didn't believe it at first now," Steel said astonished then he calmed after a moment, "and honestly I'll never get used to it. This better be worth it and show in your work."

        "Don't worry it will Boss. I'll promise it will show in my work.