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// Route two: A True Stallion 
// Story: Stare Down 
// by IcePony 
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Apple bloom burst into tears knowing she couldn't win. She looked down and cried her life out. Crimson grinned a wide grin as a big eye with a red star like twilight sparkles cutie mark appeared above his horn. 

He laughed like a mad pony and asked "What is your last wish?" His voice like an angry dragon.

Apple bloom softly said "I wish to know how my parents died."

She paused realizing what she had asked. Whenever she asked Apple Jack or Granny Smith or even Bigmac, they would either tear up or say when your older. The shadow pony seemed to smile but a sad one. 

"Apple bloom" he said with a hint of sadness. 

She looked up with teary blood shot eyes "Say it or just get it over with and make me exist already!" 

Crimson lowered his head and walked towards her. The figure was clear now, a tall stallion with a flowing mane and tail like lunas only the whole body was still covered in black mist. A long horn and the same symbol that was above his horn was his cutie mark. 

"Apple bloom did you know your parents?" Asked Crimson. 

Her head lowered again and said "No, they died before I got a chance to meet them, I was only a baby when it happened but I've but kept in the dark of how it happened."

Crimson sat down and patted her head he seemed to shrink in size to a normal grown pony and the mist started to clear, showing a light brownish gold coat. His eyes returned to a normal pony's eye, the color was chocolate brown. 

'He's quite handsome without all that black stuff.'  apple bloom though.

"I was there when they died...and I'm sorry." His voice was smooth but deep. 

Than the tar started to pool around him and the misty mane returned but the stallion seemed to fight it this time. His head thrashed and his hooves were stomping, a determined look on his face. He grunted and snorted and foamed at the mouth. One eye grew deep red but the other teared up a little. His horn glowed bright red mixed with brown as the horn itself turned black. Half his body was being engulfed in black smoke and tar. 

"I will let you live, ask Granny Smith...how it happened!" His dulled voice was mixed with that deep, malevolent voice as he struggled. 

He pointed his horn to her and shot a beam of light. It wrapped around Apple bloom and she heard the stallion say "Your friends can be saved!"

As the voice of a struggling pony became more distant and her vision became completely engulfed in white.
Apple bloom floated down into the tree house as she was brought back to reality. Her hooves touched the wood and she collapsed. Than she remembered Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. Apple Bloom gently nudged them, they were both like rag dolls.

'It's that mark that the Crimson had on his flank' she thought. 

Sweetie had a black horn but was in the same state scootaloo was in before this all happened.

"Your friends can be saved." She said out loud, smiling and tearing up.

As day broke along the horizon, she didn't know how, but she was going to save them, and maybe save Crimson.