//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: The Punisher // Story: Fire and Brimstone, Book 1 // by BluePhoenyx //------------------------------// Twilight returned to the shop some time later. When she opened the door, a black plum of soot escaped through the crack in the doorway. Her head followed the escaping soot, then she cautiously entered the bakery. She looked down at her hooves as she steps in place in the soot covered ground. Twilight poked her head through the doorway. “Pinkie Pie?” She looked up to see Crimson and Pinkie Pie covered in soot with hoof marks all over their bodies. Crimson looked over to Twilight and quickly stood up. “Oh, I am sorry, Ms. Twilight Sparkle. I must look like a dirty peasant.” “For the last time, just call me Twilight.” Twilight started to walk toward the two. “What are you two doing?” “We’re trying out a new recipe!” Pinkie Pie jumped to her hooves. She handed Twilight a cupcake with soot all over it. “Umm… Thanks.” Twilight hesitantly grabbed the cupcake. Pinkie Pie stared at her intently as she took the cupcake. “What are you staring at?” “Aren’t you going to try it?” “Oh, um…” Twilight tried to think of an excuse, but nothing comes to mind. Her eyes locked in on the cupcake as she moved it toward her mouth. She closed her eyes, expecting the worst of tastes as she bit down. She chewed a couple of times, then her eyes lit up in surprise. “Wow, Pinkie. These are really good!’ Twilight continued to snack on the pastry, quickly finishing it off. Her eyes got diverted at the still bowing Crimson. She walked up to him with a confused look about her. “What are you doing?” “I did not mean to be disrespectful and I humbly beg for your forgiveness.” Pinkie gasped. “Did I disrespect you too?” She bowed her head as well. “Oh, piece of candy.” She chomped the candy and took a step forward. “Ohh, piece of candy.” She started to wander off, chomping on candy she found on the floor. Twilight lightly stomped her hoof on the floor kicking up a small cloud of black soot. “Will you stop that.” “Yes, mistress.” Crimson stood up straight. “Mistress?” Twilight looked at Crimson with a suspicious look. “What’s with you and your strange behavior?” “I do not understand.” “Of course not.” Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes, then turned around and headed for the door. “Come on. Applejack is expecting us.” “By your leave.” Crimson said. Twilight shook her head as she walked away. * * * On their way to Applejack’s orchard, Twilight looked over at the soot covered armored pony beside her. “Doesn’t it bother you to be covered in so much soot?” “Very much so.” Soot fell from his mane as Crimson shook his head. “I, however, do not hold the means or the way to remove this grime from my mane.” “Speaking of which…” Twilight turned around. “What is that in your mane?” Twilight lifted her front hoof to point at the trinkets in Crimson’s mane. Crimson’s eyes looked up at Twilight’s hoof. “They are enchanted hair pieces to help protect me against various types of magic. They have saved my life many times over.” “Really?” Twilight stared with curiosity in her eyes. Crimson nodded. “Yes. All of what you see upon me has been hand crafted by my own hooves and enchanted with my own magic.” “Wow.” Twilight looked over his shoulder at the once shining diamond flaked armor under his leather cloak. “I bet Rarity would love to see this.” Applejack walked up to the two. “Hi Twilight.” She looked over to Crimson. “Uh, hey… you.” “Hi Applejack. This is Crimson.” “It is an honor.” He said with a bow. Applejack looked at the soot covered pony. “What happened to ya?” “Ms. Pinkie Pie asked me to head up her stove and I kind of… Overheated it.” Crimson looked down in shame. “And when I found them, they were sitting and having fun together in the soot eating cupcakes.” “Fun?” Applejack asked. “Actually, the cupcakes they made were really good.” Crimson looked up at Applejack. “I have never had such a treat in my life. They tasted like nothing I have ever tasted.” Applejack turned around toward the orchard and looked back toward the two. “Well come on then.” She gestured the two to follow. “I’ll have you have something even better than cupcakes.” Crimson had a look of slight shock as he looked at Twilight. “Even better? What other foods do you have in this land?” Twilight smiled as the two follow Applejack. The three entered Sweet Apple Acres. Trees scattered the lands for miles as Crimson looked upon the strange plants in awe. “What are these?” Twilight looked over at Crimson. “Apple trees.” Applejack led them into the orchard. Applejack gestured toward an apple tree. “The Great Apple Festival is com’n up so I have ta pick off all’a these apples.” She walked up to a tree and turned around. “Like so…” Applejack bucked the trunk of a tree with her back legs. Apples fell down all around the trunk. She ate an apple, then put the rest into buckets and hauled them to large stock pile of apples that have already been harvested. Crimson walked over to one of the apple trees. “I have seen these on the way to your town.” He touched the trunk with his hoof. “However, it did not have these strange red artifacts attached.” Twilight walked up to Crimson. “You’ve never seen a tree before?” “Not until recently.” Applejack walked up to the two. “Seems like ya have a lot to learn. Why don’t ya give it a shot?” Crimson looked at the earth pony in question. “Go on.” Crimson turned around and looked over at Twilight. She smiled in reply. Crimson gave a light bow in compliance, lifted his rear legs, then kicked the tree. The tree uprooted and flew into another tree causing that to uproot. Twilight and Applejack’s face turned to shock as Applejack took a step forward. “The apples!” Applejack ran towards the domino effect of falling trees. Twilight rushed to help her contain the problem. Crimson started to pick up the apples and put them into buckets as Applejack did after the apples fell from her tree. He hauls them up to the stockpile and set them down. Crimson looked with curiosity at the strange red object. He thinks back to when Applejack took a bite out of one and starts to wonder. He leaned down and grabbed an apple with his teeth. The juices pour from the apple and into his mouth as he bit down. His eyes widened in total bliss as he leaned over and ate another. Twilight and Applejack finally repair the damage caused by the falling trees. With Applejack’s strength and Twilight Sparkle’s magic, the trees were finally replanted. “That mule can kick!” Applejack exclaimed as the two walked to the stockpile. Twilight looked at Applejack. “I know. I’ve never seen that before.” “What the…?” Applejack looked upon Crimson, who has eaten almost all of the stockpile. “Where are my apples?!” Crimson looked over at the two as they look unhappily at him. He bows to them. “I am sorry. I have never tasted such a food. I just could not stop eating.” Applejack’s eyes popped. “You ate’em all? That was my entire day’s work!” “I have done you wrong.” Crimson reached behind him and grabbed the decorated knife. He bowed deeply and hands the knife to Applejack. “Whut the?” Applejack looked at the decorated knife. “What am I supposed to do with this?” “I have done you grave wrong. I hand to you my Punisher.” “… I don’t get it.” Applejack looked at Twilight with confusion as she took the knife out of the sheath. “Will you look at that?” Applejack and Twilight looked upon the beautifully engraved blade, and the clean and crisp reflection of the finely crafted metal. Crimson took a deep breath and prepared himself. “Yeah, wow.” Applejack said. “But I still don’t get it.” She put the knife back in the sheath and handed it to Crimson. Crimson slightly looked up in surprise. “The blade must be paid for.” “The whu?” Applejack and Twilight looked at each other in total confusion. Crimson grabbed the knife and unsheathed it. Twilight and Applejack took a small jump back in shock. He once again presented the blade to Applejack. “The blade must be paid for.” Applejack looked at Crimson. “You said that. But what’chya mean?” Crimson lowered his head and nudged the knife closer. “I have wronged you. I am ready to receive my punishment.” “What? You want her to cut you?” Twilight asked in dumbfounded shock. “Wrongful deeds are to be paid for in pain and blood.” Applejack’s eyes popped in shock. “Who’a!” She gently pushed the knife back toward Crimson. He looked up at the rejected knife. “Look, suga. I’m upset and all, but don’t ya think you’re overreacting?” “Yeah, that seems a little… harsh.” Twilight added. Crimson stared at the rejected knife in confusion. “I do not understand.” Applejack grabbed the sheath from Crimson. “Tell ya what, you want to pay me back?” She put the knife back in the sheath, then walked up beside the humbled pony. “Then why don’t ya harvest the apples ya ate. How does that sound?” She extended the sheathed blade toward Crimson, who was baffled at their strange ways. Twilight looked at the two excitedly. “That sounds like a great idea! That way you two can get to know each other, you help Applejack with the apples for the festival, and no pony has to cut themselves today!” After a brief pause, Crimson grabbed the knife with a faint smile. “I would be more than happy to repay my debt to you in such a fashion.” He lifted his head and put the knife away. “Good!” Applejack turned toward the orchard. “Follow me and I’ll show you how to buck apples without uprooting my trees.” Twilight turned toward Ponyville and lookd back toward Crimson. “I’ll be back later to pick you up.” He smiled and bowed, then trotted next to Applejack. Crimson looked up at the Apple Trees. “So these are called trees.” He and Applejack walked toward the orchard. “And the red things are apples?” Twilight smiled as she walked away towards her next errand.