A small cabin in the snowy reaches of the Northern Expanse, a stream runs behind it frozen in these early days of winter, a rack of logs cut and covered along the edge of the cabin, and a great pine and maple forest extends past the river bank. It looked like a trapper lodging or the perfect getaway location if it were not for the stallion that inhabited it. A jet black stallion woke up from his large fluffy bed the daylight had barely broken and yet he was up, not to get a head start on his work but to get himself looking nice. The stallion went to great lengths to style his mane and make sure his hair was looking its best, despite the fact that he was completely alone out there. Taking a deep breath of the sharp frigid air as he opened the door to the pristine wilderness outside the stallion shook himself and pressed his clothes in tighter with his wings. The usual morning routine followed with the stallion checking on his buried larder to make sure not critters had made their way in to it in the night and to check that none of the food had spoiled or gotten mites in it. The smell helped invigorate the stallion, the smell of food preserved and shaped by his own hooves, it only made it all the more satisfying. Finding everything in good order the stallion retreated back into the cold and headed for the forest to check on his traps and snares he had set yesterday. After a hearty trek through the snow the stallion returned from his hunting grounds with three rabbits swing from his mouth, all in all a good catch but he might have to set up a fishing barrier for the later winter months, he thought. First he had to skin these rabbits and add then to his larder, humming a mournful dirge as he did it. If someone had asked him why he had to hum such a sorrowful song he would’ve just shrugged, it just felt natural. With the meat preparations finished he now moved to setting up that fishpond, he walked out into the cold to the larder and picked up reeds and bailing line after hanging the meat to finish preserving. Using his dexterous wings he methodically bound he reed until he finally had a strong lattice, satisfied with its strength he carefully made the squares smaller before he was confident the adult fish wouldn’t get through.
The stallion sighed as now the laborious part was next, heading outside he grabbed a shovel and began excavating a large pond area next the river, the work was hard but by the end of it, he had a good sized space and depth for his fish pond and he had done his exercise for the day, he returned with the net and finally connected the pond with the river. Water poured in and filled up the hole and once it had settled he affixed the net to the sides of the river downstream. He looked at his set up and smiled, it was good work and as his stomach reminded him at that moment good work deserves a good lunch. Brimstone drew a bucket of water from the stream and set it to boil in a big stew pot, grabbing one of his good rabbits from the larder and several carrots and onions and began slicing them all up, it felt like a stew day. Tossing in a few logs into a potbelly stove, he stoked the fire carefully and then brought the water to a boil before throwing in all his prepared ingredients and left it simmer. As he waited for his stew to be ready, the stallion picked up a small piece of would and began carving it into a face he saw in his dreams, it was a stallion’s face rough and rugged, he had a strong jaw but tired and pained eyes, and scars to match those eyes. As the carving took shape he realized that not only was it definitely the stallion in his dreams but he was a dreamy stallion. The hissing of water and smell of a hearty stew from the pot brought him back to reality so he hurriedly took it off the heat and got out his bowl. Then came a knock on the door and before the stallion could move over to it, it flung open and large stallion covered in a long leather coat from his neck to his hooves a large brimmed hat covered his face.
“Brimstone, I presume. The cabin checks out, the coat checks out, the face checks out, and if I’m not mistaken what you are about to say will check out.” The stallion looked up to reveal his face.
Brimstone stared a little confused by it all but then it hit him and as he stared at the stallion’s he finally made the connection, “Y-you are that stallion from my dreams…but how?” Brimstone ran over to his carving and showed it to the stallion “This is you!”
The stallion smiled at Brimstone’s finally realization, “Yes indeed, I’m Crimson, mercenary and Twilight’s royal guard, and under orders from Princess Cadance and Celestia to find you and bring you along with me.”
“Wait WHAT?! What do you need from me?” Brimstone was still a bit shocked and had to take a seat.
Crimson took in a deep breath before he continued “Brimstone I know of your past and I have come here under orders for one reason, Equestria needs your mind and skill, the skills your father taught you. The Princesses have strong reason to believe that the reawakening of the Crystal Empire has awakened another threat that your father had subjugated and sequestered beyond the mountains in order to overwhelm Equestria proper should his forces ever falter or fail. Well if my presence is any indicator, there is a fear that they are starting to come over the mountains and possibly lay waste to everything unless an organized resistance is established. Due to your knowledge of this land, your combat indoctrination, and martial prowess you have been chosen by The Princesses and I am to be your companion for this journey. I know this is sudden but we need to begin by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!? But I haven’t even finished lunch yet. I don’t think I can do this and I don’t know if you have the right person!” Brimstone was quite rattled by all this and he almost just completely shut down and just started eating his stew.
“I understand you might need a minute, if you don’t mind I will just have lunch with you, it was a long trek from the crystal palace. We can work on it today, if you need any help around this place I would be happy to help.”
After some deep thought and two bowls of stew Brimstone spoke once again, “How long would be out there?”
Crimson answered almost immediately, “Depending on the situation on the mountain between two and three weeks, we are a scouting party not a two man army, and despite our capabilities we could not engage such a large force. The journey there will take 3 days and the rest will be spent patrolling and getting reconnaissance about the area for future staging grounds and other such militaristic information.”
Brimstone sighed “Fine I guess I can spend the rest of the day securing the cabin and preparing as much as I can.”
Crimson allowed himself to smile warmly “Wonderful, what do you need me to do?”
The work was hard for Brimstone, there was much he needed to do as he had never really left for this long and he had expected to stay the entire winter here. He sent Crimson into the woods for more wood as to fortify the house in case of heavy snowstorms, meanwhile Brimstone set upon undoing all of his traps and hunting devices as he was not going to need them set up. There was one medium sized fish that had already gotten shored into the fish pond. Brimstone getting playful decided to catch it with his own teeth and while this worked he did just dunk his muzzle into ice cold water. Luckily he had to head inside to prepare the fish and as he finished he heard the cracking and splintering of wood as Crimson was going to town on a fresh tree. Brimstone was impressed by the ferocity but still a little restless over the whole situation; a strange stallion just showing up in the middle of the day in the middle of nowhere carrying with him a royal edict asking for him specifically and even though he was pretty hot it was just too strange an event to gloss over. Despite this the fact that all this could possibly be the work of Sombra, his father’s plans for domination coming back from the dead, was enough to make him place his faith in this stallion’s story. Brimstone was not adverse to his royal blood but his father’s tyranny was a stain on his life and his dark power was a stain on his soul ever gnawing at the edge of his mind.
“Brimstone? Are you okay there?” Crimson’s voice snapped Brimstone back to reality as he stood over the counter, the filet of fish half salted.
“Yes, yes of course I was just thinking of…uh how it was so kind of Celestia to send along such an amiable companion.” Brimstone tried to put up his royal façade of suave and collectedness, but his contemplation left him a little off beat.
“Indeed it was Brimstone.” Crimson said flatly before he closed the door and started stacking chopped logs. Brimstone finished up his salting the fish and moved it to the larder which he spent the rest of the day hiding and disguising in addition to his house as a whole. Brimstone wanted to keep this place as much of a secret as he could, it would spoil his winters if the soldiers that would eventually march on to fight the threat discovered this place. Together Crimson and Brimstone turned the once obviously lived-in area into a slightly misshapen snowdrift from afar or an abandoned and dangerous cabin if inspected up close. All in all it was a well done job but it had taken all the rest of the day so they retired into the cabin for dinner.
“Do you want anything special Crimson? I am known in the royal circles as a fairly good cook.” Brimstone called over from his stove trying to reconstitute his stew and added a bit more into it considering he wasn’t going to be here for quite some time.
Crimson held up his hoof up to decline, “I came prepared with food for two for the duration of our journey, although we might have to ration it if it goes to 3 weeks. Although I’m sure your trapping skills are sharp enough to get us through.”
They both sat nursing their food in silence for a few minutes with Crimson breaking the silence this time, “Do you have any other questions, Brimstone? And do you need any saddlebags?”
Brimstone finished his bowl before answering “I have so many questions, but I’m afraid of the answers I might get for some of them and for the others I really don’t think they’re necessary. And for the second question yes I do need those, my other ones are either too flashy or too loose for scouting.”
“Understood, Brimstone” Crimson moved to go outside “I hid the rest of my gear nearby. I will return in a little while”
“I know most ponies call me by my full name but I’d really like if you called me Brim.” Brimstone quickly interjected before Crimson had made it through the door.
“As you wish…Brim.” The door lightly hit the frame covering up Brimstone’s sigh.
“Good job Brim, you really played that one smoothly” he said to himself. Taking another deep breath Brimstone got up and cleaned up his kitchen quickly before ponderously making his way to the bedroom and to his dresser. He opened the dresser and pushed back all of his clothes, from his one royal outfit to his several pairs of winter and work clothes. He picked out his hardiest of his winter clothes, which happened to be white, his most durable boots, a large winter hat, and his prized brass goggles. Having set all those aside he reached into a secret compartment built into the back of the dresser and pulled out a pair of wing blades, made of silver from base to wingtip and jointed twice more than regular models to accommodate for Brimstone’s large wingspan. The blades themselves were razor sharp black crystal slivers a hoof in length and paper thin and they seemed incredibly fragile from afar but up close anyone could see the magic coursing through them, reinforcing them beyond the abilities of steel.
“I see you have a set of Sombra’s royal guard wing blades, makes me wonder if they were a gift or just an heirloom Brim.” Crimson was standing at the doorway a pair of matte metal plated saddlebags at his hooves and a smirk on his face.
“My father helped me make these, or he made me make these. He believed that a strong warrior needed to know the ins and outs of his weaponry and that he can only trust the blade made by his own hand. I’ve practiced with them since I was strong enough to land and dive, although, this pair weren’t made until I had finally mastered the art. I would say I’m still a master but to be fair it has been quite a while since I’ve trained with them, but at least once a year I try them on and make sure I’m still used to them.” Brimstone explained while messing and fumbling with the blades and joints. “But how did you know what they were, I’m certain no one has seen these in action since his banishment a thousand years ago.”
“I’m sure it’ll make an interesting story, but we have a long trek tomorrow and I would rather not keep you up with my war stories, I bid you good night Prince Brimstone.” Crimson turned to leave but was stopped by Brimstone’s hoof on his back.
“Crimson are you sure you wouldn’t rather keep me company in my sleep? It’s rare I get another body to fill the bed with and truth be told I think you would fill it very nicely.” Brimstone was laying it on thick, his usual princely instincts taking control for a second.
“Brim I bid you good night and although I am flattered by your offer, I will be staying out here for the night. I will wake you in the morning and don’t you worry, food will be waiting for you.
“Well you can’t blame me for trying, Crimson. I guess this is good night, then.”
“Yes, good night.”
Brimstone slowly started packing his clothes and tools into the saddlebags, his mind was busy trying to process this weird day. The more he thought about what Crimson had said the more he questions he had and the more confused he got. He only snapped out of it when he was trying to strap in a small shovel with a sock, facehoofing at the realization. He quickly finished up his saddlebags after that and started his nighttime routine of preening his feathers and making sure his coat was all smoothed out. As he looked himself in the mirror he contemplated what other strange things could possibly happen before shooting his reflection a devilishly good look and going to bed.
The morning came like it usually did in the snowy north, crisp and cold but this time with the scent of fruit and oats. Brimstone picked himself out of bed and did his morning routine as usual, remembering yesterday’s events like a dream and not really sure if it had really happened or if he hadn’t just imagined it all in the fit of a fever. I mean who could blame him, a stallion just showing up on the front doorstep of his secluded and secretive cabin saying he has a mission for him somehow knows all about his past and all the while hinting that he knows even more then he was letting on. It all sounded like some fillytale and Brimstone would have continued on believing that if he did not trip over the saddlebags into his door. Brimstone shook his head looking at the saddlebags, “Where did these come from? I don’t remember getting any-”
“Good morning Prince, I was wondering when you would finish with your morning ‘fancying up’ as Celestia put it. I do believe I’ve finished preparing breakfast at the perfect time. I don’t think it’ll win any awards back in Canterlot but I’m sure it’s good enough.” Crimson placed two bowls on the table, simple oats topped with fresh berries. Brimstone picked himself up off the floor and dragged his saddle bags into the kitchen before plopping himself down in a chair and eating the oatmeal in front of him. He had to admit the taste of nature had grown on him the past few years since he had lived at the cabin, there were times he enjoyed it almost as much as the food served at the grand galloping gala each year, one of his few public appearances each year, the other being whenever Celestia or Cadance needs his help with some ceremony or commemoration of some new event, those all seemed to be in honor of some brave deed Princess Twilight did and Brimstone was thinking some were starting to overlap. Crimson ate his oatmeal opposite Brimstone adopting his initial stoic demeanor and staying silent until they finished.
“Thanks for breakfast, Crimson was it? ...I guess this means that yesterday wasn’t a dream and that I am really am coming with you…on a dangerous mission to ensure the safety of all Equestria did I miss anything?”
Crimson shook his head “I think you got it all and thanks I’ve been trying to pick up cooking under my service to Twilight, she says I’m coming along nicely. As much as I would like to dote upon the joys of cooking it’s time we head out, I brought a white cloak for you just in case you need it, and it also makes a fine blanket. I’ll be waiting outside.” And with that Crimson left to make final preparations with his gear.
Brimstone stroked his hooves through his hair mentally preparing for his journey ahead. He got up and began a well memorized routine of affixing his wing blades. He did so with great pomp and circumstance as he adorned his mantle as if he was at a royal event, rhythmically popping in each of the joints and ridges in a fluid motion and finally spreading his wings as far as he could in an extravagant display of his plumage. Brimstone closed his eyes and imagined himself the star of the gala or the centerpiece of a military parade, he relished in the attention, in the glory, in the majesty of it all. Brimstone slowly came back to reality as he realized his wings started to hurt for being in such an unnatural position all fanned out as much as possible. He threw his saddlebags over his back and strapped them in tight jiggling himself to test the hold of the straps, satisfied he took one final look in the mirror and headed outside.
“Well it looks like Prince Peacock has finally decided to join me, or was it Prince Wiggle Butt?” Crimson playfully punched Brimstone as he left the cabin, “Now you count yourself lucky, my jokes only come once a month.” Crimson gave a big smile and barely controlled his chuckle. Brimstone turned a little red in the face as he locked his cabin up and said a silent goodbye to his vacation home. It soon became a nothing more than a stream next to a big snowdrift as the large snowfields and icefields of the great northern mountains came into view. The icy expanse extended for a hundred miles before it even touched the foothills of the mountains. The pair traveled along giant ravines hundreds of feet long stopping at frozen kettle lakes for the night going ice fishing and telling tales of the royals and equestrian legends from Twilight’s ruinous appearance at the grand galloping gala to the legends of the North. On these occasions Brimstone would try and get Crimson to tell more about his past hoping to find out why he knew so much about Sombra, but to no avail as Crimson simple gave the same two excuse, ‘I wouldn’t want to bore you’ or ‘There isn’t enough time for that’. It was starting to irritate Brimstone although he would forget about it during the day; the scenery was just too spectacular for his frustration to linger. On the fifth night they made it to the foothills of the mountains. The sky was shimmering in a magical display, all the stars twinkling like droplets of silver, the icy ground looked like an endless ocean of satin, and it was in this moment that Brimstone remembered why he loved the Northern Expanse, he wistfully thought that maybe that that too was what brought his father here in the first place, it was a fantasy but he wanted to believe.
“Brim why don’t you come inside the tent, the wind is picking up and I would hate for snow to fill up this tent to our bellies.” Crimson motioned for Brimstone to join him by their little stove in the middle of their tent.
“Huhh? Oh fine Crimson, but will you finally tell me something about yourself or about my father?” Brimstone’s tone was tinged with a mixture of desperation and frustration.
“Alright I’ve been waiting till we got here, mainly because I didn’t want you to lose sleep over anything I said considering we needed to make good time here, but I guess we have time to relax, I’ll let you ask one question and don’t complain if you don’t like the answer.” Crimson set a pot of water to boil on the stove.
“Way to be a tease, Crimson”
“All in a day’s work, so what do you want to know?”
Brimstone eyes lit up and he pointed at Crimson dramatically “How do you know King Sombra, my father?”
Crimson took a deep breath and poured some of the hot water into his mug of tea, taking a long draw he started “That one is easy to recall but painful to remember. Your father used to work for me, he was one of my greatest advisors and one of the most powerful unicorns I’ve ever met, well that was before you were around let’s just say he had a bit of a dip when he turned when he first got defeated. Anyway he was my head of statecraft and there wasn’t a better statesman in land. A real tactical genius he was, I could always count on him, until well I couldn’t. He was always so brimming with life and the star of any party or conversation, a real Casanova. He never did marry while he was serving, the reason for which he never gave, I can only assume he didn’t want to have to step down from his position. I can’t really blame him, he had one of the most important and at times demanding jobs in the kingdom but yet he always looked and did his best. It was a true loss when he fell to his pursuit of dark magic. So enthralled by it he gave everything so that he could to understand it more and be able to use it more that: he gave up his position, his kingdom, and his life to achieve secrets that no unicorn should ever dare to discover. It was this that led him into his downward spiral of power and insanity. It took more than all of my strength to bring him down and even then I couldn’t track down every piece of his malignant energy. This of course leads us to his takeover of the Crystal Empire when he managed to reform, his plans for you, and his interment outside of reality, his return, and finally his defeat. All of which I believe I was there for except maybe the interment outside of reality. That’s really all I’ve got to say about Sombra and I’s relationship, it really went downhill in his search for knowledge didn’t it? I wish I had known what he was spending his time searching for before he found it, to lose a friend like that, to do nothing to stop it, to fail to protect someone I...” Crimson trailed off leaving the cabin in silence apart for the slurp of tea and nervous shuffling of Brimstone’s hooves. Despite being in the small tent Brimstone felt as if he was a thousand miles away from Crimson, it felt like an ocean of sadness that had been bottled for so long. Brimstone was a little concerned to say the least.
“Crimson, are you okay?” Brimstone reached over and put his hoof on Crimson’s shoulder.
Crimson composed himself again “Yes, yes I’m fine. It’s just that I haven’t really remembered that far back with such precise focus. It’s been hard for me to recall with detail, but it’s something I owe to you and to your father. I bet you have a bunch of questions don’t you?”
Brimstone had to force himself to stay calm “Well of course I do. You just spoke of history I’ve never even heard of, I don’t know if I can even believe any of it. I mean how long have you been alive? I won’t even try and ask about how that’s possible considering I don’t even know how I’ve been alive all these years. My burning question is about my father’s dark magic and his transformation, I’m sure you know about my own worries over the magic that festers inside of me. Celestia has kept a watchful eye on my power and when my father returned, she had me guarded day and night, her warnings constant and grave. I want to know why my father left me with this and what he intended with me.”
Crimson looked down at the ground, “I’m sorry Brim, I just can’t tell you that yet. All I can tell you I’ve been around for much too long, seen too much war and fighting, seen too many good ponies come and go, and failed to save so many. I can only give you my word that I am telling the truth, because I don’t think anyone from that time would talk about it, either because they don’t want to remember that time or they are too busy trying to kill you in their fallen savagery.” Crimson spaced out again his mind lost in a land far away, being brought back by Brimstone’s hoof once again. “Thank you Brim, I think I will retire now, good night.” Crimson got into his sleeping bag leaving Brimstone alone with his thoughts.
“Thanks for answering me Crimson, it means a lot. Hopefully, we get another chance to talk like this again.” Crimson turned downed the stove and got in his own bag. His mind was moving at a million miles an hour, but he was able to find peace in the new knowledge that his father was once a pony to be proud of.
The morning came with a foot of snow, an overcast sky, and a freezing wind. Brimstone was up first and began his new morning routine of cooking up a small breakfast of oats and snowberries he had picked up the previous day. Crimson was up not much later, fully dressed and ready to head out the moment his eyes opened. He happily took a bowl from Brimstone and ate it all down quickly so he could get to packing up everything. It was like watching a machine so deliberate and precise were his movements. Brimstone had gotten the impression a while ago that Crimson had done this for a long time and probably in a variety of life or death situations, but the conversation last night confirmed that that was the truth and just a long time was probably an understatement. Crimson went to look at Brimstone when he finished, his head tilted “You okay, Brimstone. I know I asked you to watch my flanks and back but I didn’t mean my butt.”
Brimstone has been absently mindedly eating his oatmeal as Crimson had been packing and he had been gazing off into space at Crimson’s rear, for the most part accidentally. “I’m so sorry I was just so distracted thinking about what you said last night and I guess my gaze has a mind of its own to find the best looking thing around.” Brimstone was trying his best to play it off but the redness in the tips of his ears gave him a way even if they blended in his with his hair pretty well.
Crimson gave him a sly smile “Oh is that the case? Well how about you finish that oatmeal so you can stare at it some more when you are following me.” This only made Brimstone blush harder; he kind of liked the teasing. It helped him feel more relaxed around Crimson. The two of them made their way to outer edge of the forest that hugged the edge of the foothills and finally the full majesty of the mountains could be seen. Brimstone didn’t want to admit it but those mountains scared him a little: the peaks pierced the heavens making them feel impossibly high even for his wings, the currents up there were equally harsh and ragged sure to slam any hubristic pegasus into the jagged outcroppings and the giant glaciers that populated the sides could crush anything in their way. The only blessings was that everything was either not where they needed to or slow enough to not be that much of an issue, it still didn’t make Brimstone feel any better when he imagined himself getting knocked out in the path of one of those glaciers. Crimson brought his attention away from the mountains and back to the job at hand; all they needed to do was investigate one of the only passes through the mountains and check for any disturbances.
Brimstone hoped there wasn’t any, not to say he was scared or anything. He was no stranger to fighting after all, it was just that he would rather try to avoid a direct fight with enemies that he know nothing about and if it required Crimson’s attention it must be dangerous business. Brimstone could only guess on Crimson’s prowess but he knew by the look in his eyes that he was definitely something, that and he was the only guard posted to Twilight, the danger magnet of Equestria, so there must be something to him. The day went by mostly uneventful besides an encounter with some less than passive wolves and foxes that tried to stalk them all morning. They quickly ran when Brimstone spread his wings out wide or when Crimson shot them a gaze and snorted, deep and angry. At noon they encountered a large glacier that had made its way right in front of them forming a 100 foot tall wall of ice a mile thick. Brimstone offered to carry Crimson across and he hardly gave him a chance before he grabbed him, unfortunately for Brimstone Crimson was much heavier than he expected and in hindsight Crimson’s body was all muscle and he was bigger than Brimstone but Brimstone decided to follow through with his rash decision and just barely made it to the top of the glacier leaving him sprawled and panting on the ice.
Crimson “I guess I should have warned you not to that unless I asked for it. Otherwise even the best fliers in Equestria would have a hard time lifting me up in air, if my size wasn’t a big enough issue the amount of gear I carry is. Although I must say I am very impressed by your strength and endurance.” Brimstone could barely manage a wing up for a second. Crimson shook his head and laughed a little before he walked over to Brimstone and threw him over his back to carry him over the glacial expanse. Brimstone had managed to recover from his fatigue by the time they arrived to the other side although he was a little bit sleepy from Crimson’s rhythmic march, another artifact of his military background. Brimstone got off Crimson, a little reluctantly but Crimson helped him by tipping him over onto the ice. Brimstone picked himself up and offered to take Crimson down the edge of the glacier, slightly less serious this time. Fortunately for Brimstone’s wings and back Crimson refused, getting a sigh of relief from Brimstone, until he saw Crimson just walk over the edge. Brimstone ran over to the edge ready to grab Crimson only to get a face full of Crimson’s tail.
“Brim, I’ve heard you’ve always been a bit forward but this is getting a little ridiculous” Crimson then started descending the wall as if it were level ground. Brimstone just gave up at this point and sat on Crimson’s butt all the way down. “So how was the ride Brim? I hope it was pleasant. I guess I should explain that it’s my gravity gauntlets, it’s a new device that the Princesses dreamed up.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Brimstone was a bit more delirious then before and he was barely listening and just kept nodding on his way down. Crimson unceremoniously bucked Brimstone off his butt into the deep snow leaving a near prefect spread pegasus impression in the snow.
Crimson then hauled him straight out of the hole. “You ready to go?” Brimstone nodded in agreement picking himself up and shaking himself off. Night time found them without any issue and they settled down again. This time a little bit more permanently as they had gotten within an hour or two of the mountain pass and the rest of their time here was going to be spent exploring the mountain edges and the forest. Brimstone and Crimson spent the rest of the evening setting up their little outpost, setting up snares, traps, alarms, cutting down a few trees and gathering any winter spices or berries they could scrounge up. The tent was now easily big enough for three and their stove turned fire pit but still Crimson and Brimstone stayed as close as they did when they were in the smaller tent. Brimstone felt it was just more usual at this point not to mention he kind of enjoyed being close to other stallions, oh and the biting cold digging into the tent. They decided on carrots for the night with a few potatoes on the side.
As the food was cooking over the stove, the smell reminding him of his own home, Brimstone spoke up a little nostalgia in his voice. “I know you said I can only ask one question and that was yesterday, but…I really enjoyed our talk yesterday even if it did leave me with so many more questions. Sooo I was wondering if just maybe we could have another night like that. I know I don’t have any way to make you answer any of my questions, but I don’t think I have any way of finding these answers out myself unless my father himself reappears before me taking me on a father foal bonding trip.”
Crimson looked up from turning the carrots his face illuminated by the fire giving him the appearance of a grave prophet. “Well you can ask away but there are still questions that I won’t answer. Although I must warn you again that there is somethings that are better left unknown, so pick your question carefully. And just to be a tease you only get one this time as well, so what’s your question? I’m all ears.”
Brimstone thought for a moment, he had so many some he really wanted to know but was afraid they would be in the off limit zone which made him fear the answers even more questions were much less burning in his mind but he was certain he would get a full answer. Brimstone racked his brain for a good balance; he didn’t know how long he had with Crimson so he wanted all his questions to be meaningful. After several minutes of contemplation he finally decided. “Okay I think I’m ready, what I really want to know is how old are you and how are you that old?”
Crimson breathed in “Sorry, but that’s one of the questions I won’t answer until I have to answer to my crimes. However I can answer why you have lived so long if that interests you.”
Brimstone looked a little defeated at first but he quickly regained his inquisitive and happy demeanor, “Well of course I do, not even Twilight has information on that and she would love to bore me with all sorts of theories.”
“Well then, I guess I should begin with your father and his mad desire. As I said before he had an insatiable lust for power and in his lust for power he knew his rule must be absolute and forever if he was going to conqueror all of Equestria. So in his mad raving he managed to find a cure to for aging, it cost the lives of scores of villages but finally he managed to secure his agelessness. However despite his eternal youth he was not immune to the artifact of Equestria or mystical armaments, like the weapons I wielded all those years ago. So he planned for a way for him to come back even if his body was destroyed, that plan was you.” Crimson jabbed his hoof at Brimstone and handed him a bowl of food with the other. “Now eat, I still have more to talk about, so his plan is the reason you exist. You know why you have that dark power that claws at the sides of your mind and you can feel it gnaw at your soul every time you slip? It’s because he put that there. Even after his defeat at my hooves his souls was still strong, but it took him millennium for him to reform and it was then that he decided he need to act fast to enact his plan before his retribution came on wings of fire and without mercy. I had stopped him before he could do it the first time, but I was busy with my own penance in my homeland when he reared his head for the second time. He implanted into you that dark power although he would have to rely on you to exploit that power for yourself, maybe even become an evil tyrant yourself in order to use you to return. To make sure you made it that long he granted you his secrets of life everlasting, I know you don’t know them but that dark power does, that’s why no Princess has ever tried to remove that stain from your soul lest you waste away on the spot. I’m afraid that I really don’t know how to fix it and my only suggestion is to learn to control that power because as long as isn’t used to corrupt or take control over others you might not lose yourself to him.” Crimson stopped for a minute before continuing again “I’m afraid there might be another part of him still around and even closer to the rulers of this land, if you would indulge a stallion with his theories…”
Brimstone was a tad overwhelmed to fully understand what Crimson asked but said yes nevertheless.
Crimson began his voice low and even more serious “You know that new royal baby, Flurry Heart, that alicorn baby. Alicorn are not born unless there is a dire need for stability in Equestria, enough latent power in Equestria, and that was only with the Royal Sisters as far as everypony knows. I believe that baby wasn’t going to be an alicorn but instead something powered it up during Cadance’s pregnancy. Now most ponies would point to the crystal heart defeating Sombra, but the power of that heart dissipates everywhere but quickly returns. The only other sort of power anywhere near Cadance was Sombra’s dark presence. As you can guess by now I believe that Sombra used Cadance’s massive latent magic potential as an alicorn to store his essence and from there began empowering the foal. It did shatter the Crystal Heart and almost bring about a cataclysm to the Crystal Empire that only the likes of Sombra’s offspring could survive, ponies like you and if my theory is true, her. I believe that Sombra intends for both of you to fall to his influence and together bring about his return. He is making you an evil bride to make his kingdom. I guess even in death he is a pretty good father at least that’s the theory anyway. I urge you to be conscious of your powers and even if I am at death’s door, DO! NOT! SUCCUMB TO YOUR DARK POWERS!” Crimson pushed his hoof deep into Brimstone’s chest fluff. “My soul is forfeit, yours is not. You still have a life of freedom and a chance at love and friendship. I have lived a full life like that and all I have to look forward to is the opportunity to safeguard all of Equestria. I want to make it so everypony can pursue that life. I know it might be difficult to contain it but you must try if not for Equestria but for me and your father.”
Brimstone was filled with determination he was ready to make a promise and ready to solidify their friendship in an oath of their tinted souls. “Alright I’ll do it but I want us to make an oath together, please for my own peace of mind.”
Crimson was curious and raised his hoof “For you? What is the oath?”
“That no matter what, if either of us falls to the darkness nesting in our souls that the other makes sure they don’t threaten the peace. I ask not expecting that I will have to try and stop you, but after what you have told me, I fear for my own willpower and strength. So what do you say?” Brimstone held his hoof out his eyes closed.
“Brimstone you are one brave stallion or just one of the brashest, I’ve meet good ponies on the verge of complete mind control that didn’t make peace with themselves like that. So you know what Brim, that’s a promise. However, I expect that we will be seeing more each other before that day dawns, can you make that promise to me?”
“It’s a deal!”
“Then it’s a deal! Till the end and for the good of everything Equestria we are brothers in battle and soul.” The two locked hooves and put their heads together. “Shall we live to see peace triumph once again.” They both looked at each other, a glistening in their eyes and a smile on their faces. Both finally felt that they had found someone they could rely on.
Brimstone was overjoyed he believed he had finally found the missing piece of his father that he had been yearning for, his history. Brimstone wished so much for the Sombra of Crimson’s tales to come to him, to be his father again, to teach him all he knew, and to inherit his father’s positive legacy. He knew all he had was memories, the memories from another stallion of his father and that made them all the more to cherish and to enjoy. He couldn’t let Crimson leave and disappear like dust from his life. He needed a promise to keep them together and now all he had to do was keep living.
Crimson turned down the stove and shuffled around getting himself situated comfortably before he drifted off to bed. Brimstone sat up for a moment more, although his father’s plans for him had been intended for an evil purpose, he was happy to be his own stallion, to see Equestria in all its beauty and to be able to find such good ponies. Brimstone laid down to rest his heart felt warm and his mind was happy.