Crimson, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle continued to walk around Ponyville showing Crimson around. The houses that were once burnt were still in the process of being repaired, and Ponyville’s citizens continued to look upon Crimson with suspicion and anger.
Crimson looked at the citizens that continued to whisper at his presence. “Even now, they murmur amongst themselves.”
Twilight and Fluttershy looked at Crimson as he looked in the distance at Ponyville civilians. “What’s that?” Twilight asked.
“The denizens of this place.” Crimson turned his head to looked at a Ponyville citizen, who suddenly hid in their house. “They whisper and hide like cowards with no honor. Have they learned nothing?”
“What did you expect?” Twilight looked at her surroundings, particularly at a burnt house. “You scare the hoof out of them.”
“But they don’t know you like we do.” Fluttershy said softly.
“Yeah. You’ll see. In time, you may learn to like it here.”
Crimson remained silent as the three continued to walk through Ponyville toward the edge of town. Crimson looked into the distance at something that caught his eye. “What is that?”
Fluttershy and Twilight looked to see what Crimson sees. They looked upon the castle that was attached to the side of a mountainside, and the waterfall coming from the side. “That’s Canterlot. Princess Celestia lives there.”
“Who is this ‘Princess Celestia?’”
“She rules all of Equestria.” Twilight answered. Crimson stared at the castle as he connects more and more similarities between the lands. “Come on. Rainbow Dash is waiting for us.” Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle continued, but Crimson stood still. Twilight and Fluttershy turned their heads and watched him stare in a daze,f lost in thought. “Crimson?”
Crimson blinked a couple of times, then looked to the two. “Oh, I apologize.” He caught up and continued to walk with them.
As the three walked outside of Ponyville, Crimson looked at Fluttershy, who was walking in between Crimson and Twilight. “Is there an opposing land?”
Twilight looked to Crimson confused. “A what?”
“As in is there another kingdom in your land that is of the same power and influence?”
The three stopped and looked at each other. “Well, there’s Cloudsdale, Manehatten, Troggingham, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus…”
Crimson looked over to Twilight. “And these lands oppose this land?”
“What?” Twilight looked at Crimson with more confusion. “No, no.”
“So this land runs unopposed?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t think it’s like that.”
Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other kind of worried as Crimson stared ahead. “Let us continue.”
After a short walk, Twilight stopped and turned around toward Crimson. “We’re here.”
Crimson looked around. He saw a the road that continued on, the grassy fields that surround the area, the forest in the distance, and Ponyville behind them turning around in a complete circle. He blinked in confusion a couple of times. “And where is ‘here?’”
Twilight looked straight up. “We’re under Cloudsdale.” Crimson gazed above him to the clouds. Then, he continued to look around for anything out of place. “Oh, right. Your wings are injured.”
Fluttershy started to hover in place. “I’ll get Rainbow Dash.” She gently started to fly up into the air into the clouds and out of sight.
Crimson watched as Fluttershy gained altitude. “Simply amazing.”
Twilight looked at Crimson. “You seem… Off today. What’s wrong?”
Crimson looked at Twilight as a gentle breeze blew through their manes. “Tell me about your matriarch.”
“Princess Celestia?” Twilight thought to herself for a brief moment. “She’s the most amazing pony I’ve ever met. The kindest, gentlest, sweetest…” Crimon just stared as Twilight rambled on about her mentor and idol.
Fluttershy slowly descended and landed near the ranting Twilight. “Rainbow Dash said to use the balloon and meet her in Cloudsdale.”
“Oh yeah! The balloon!”
Crimson looked at the two in question. “The balloon?”
“You’ll see. Come on!” Twilight turned and started to run back towards Ponyville. Fluttershy flew next to her as Crimson stared at the two, lost in translation. Then he trotted next to them.
Twilight and Fluttershy led Crimson to a large, pink basket lying on the ground with a soft looking, very large bulb-shaped pouch hovering above it. The pouch was pink with purple swirls, and a yellow accent at the bottom that was tied off to the basket with pink ropes.
Crimson looked upon the giant thingamajig. “What is this contraption?”
“This is a hot air balloon.” Twilight jumped in the basket and turned to Crimson. “This is how we’re going to get you to Cloudsdale.”
Crimson walked up and got inside the basket next to Twilight. Fluttershy flew to the tie-offs and released the balloon from the ground. The balloon gently rose off the earth and slowly gained in altitude.
Crimson went on his hind legs and rested his forelegs on the ledge of the basket, then stared off in pure amazement. “Remarkable!” Fluttershy flew up to the basket. The basket floated higher and further into the air with everything on the ground shrinking in size. Crimson looked around at the world astonished. “Your world is massive!”
Twilight put her forelegs on the ledge next to Crimson. “It is pretty big.”
Crimson stared at the horizon. “Has anypony fallen off the side?”
“I don’t know.”
“What about reaching the edge?”
Twilight looked at Crimson confused. “What? The edge of what?”
“Your land.”
Twilight lightly snickered to herself. “Oh. No, there’s no edge.” Fluttershy grabbed the anchor and put it on a cloud. “We’re here.” The balloon slowly moved to a cloud and lands softly. Twilight hopped out of the basket on the cloud and started to walk toward the white and blue kingdom high in the sky.
“Don’t worry. I won’t fall. I found spell a while ago to allow me to walk on clouds.”
“That is good to know.” Crimson looked at the semi-transparent white fluff. “What about me?”
Twilight turned around and looks at Crimson. “You’re a pegasus. You should be able to walk on clouds.”
He cautiously hopped out and lands on the fluffy white substance. “Your world is absolutely amazing!” Crimson lifted one hoof up at a time to feel the clouds under his hooves. He frowned for a moment, realizing that he felt no connection to the stone. His frown vanished as he looked up at the amazing off-ground land. “Another great kingdom.” He looked down at the clouds, then at Twilight who was standing straight on the soft looking material.
Twilight looked up at Fluttershy who was hovering above the two. “Fluttershy, do you know where Rainbow Dash is?”
Fluttershy looked down to Twilight Sparkle. “She’s supposed to be-“
Suddenly, a gust of wind hit the three as a rainbow shot past them. Twilight and Fluttershy closed their eyes and Crimson widens his stance to keep his balance from the surprising gust of wind. Rainbow Dash shot up into the air, curved around, and suddenly landed on the cloud in front of Crimson. Fluttershy and Twilight opened their eyes as the wind died down.
“Ah, there she is.” Twilight took a step forward. “Crimson, this is Rainbow D-“
“So you think you’re cool?” Rainbow Dash started to pace back and forth in front of Crimson as she continued. “You think you’re awesome? Strong? Super awesome?” She stopped and lifted her hoof in an arching motion toward her body. “We’ll you’re not as awesome as me.”
Crimson looked blankly at the odd wording of the pegasus in front of him. He then bowed his head. “It is an honor to meet another one of Twilight’s affiliates.”
“Yeah, yeah. Cut the crap. If you want my trust, you have to earn it.”
Twilight got back into the balloon. “I’ll be back later. I have to meet with Princess Celestia.”
“Farewell.” Crimson bowed to Twilight as the balloon lifted off and drifted toward the ground.
“I have to go too. I need to tend to the cute little animals.”
“Farewell to you too.” Crimson bowed to Fluttershy as she flew off toward her house. He looked up at her easily flying through the air, which still amazed him.
“Come on then.” Rainbow Dash flew passed Crimson. “Let me show you around.”
Rainbow Dash showed what parts of Cloudsdale she could, considering he was ‘grounded’ from his injuries. She showed him the snowflake making factory, the rainbow factory, the cloud factory, and the arena.
“You have a marvelous city.”
Rainbow Dash hovered next to Crimson. “Yeah, I know. You have to be super awesome to live up here.”
“So you are better than every other pony?”
“No, not better. Just more awesome.” Rainbow Dash continued to lead Crimson through the city.
“Maybe I am misunderstanding your phrasing,” Crimson looked at Rainbow Dash. “But are you not saying you have to be better than everyone else to live in this kingdom?”
Rainbow Dash hovered in place. “Well, kind of.”
“I am sorry, but I am only interpreting your words as you are saying them. Am I mistaken in ‘to be awesome’ meaning ‘to be great'?”
“Well,” Rainbow Dash looked upon Crimson flustered.
Crimson’s ear twitched, then he turned his head behind him.
An eagle/lion mixed creature flew up toward the same cloud Crimon and Rainbow Dash were at. She spread her brown wings and landed on her brown lion hind legs before landing on her front eagle talons. Her white feather head looked at Rainbow Dash’s companion as her purple tipped feathers rustled in the breeze. “Well now, did you ditch your lame friends?”
“Oh, hi Gilda.” Rainbow Dash said.
“Seems like you finally matured.” Gilda nudged her head to Crimson. “Who’s your friend?”
Crimson bowed to Gilda. “I am Ebon Commander Crimson Thull from House Thull, son of Galvis and Nolia Thull, brother to Scorch, Demi, and Temethyst Thull.”
Gilda looked at Rainbow Dash. “Wow, seems you’re moving up in the cool world, Dash.”
“What brings you to Cloudsdale?” Rainbow Dash asked, landing next to Crimson.
“I was in the area and I wanted to see if you snapped out of your lameness.”
Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof. “Now wait just a minute!”
“And I think you have.” Gilda looked at Rainbow Dash’s new friend. “You’re hanging around this bad ass pony who looks like he came straight from the bowls of hell.”
“You mean Crimson?” Rainbow Dash looked back to her red coated guest.
“Yeah! I mean look at him.” Gilda started to slowly walk around Crimson. “Check out his armor. It’s hard core! And his clothing. So rugged. And his hot red coat.” Crimson watched Gilda as she continued to walk around him.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes popped. “Who’a. He’s NOT-“
Gilda finished her circle around Crimson. “He is totally cooler than those lame asses before.”
“Now hold on a minute!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “My friends are not lame!”
“Oh, so you’re still hanging out with those losers.”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash looked at the griffon in anger.
“What about you?” Gilda lightly nudged Crimson. “You want to hang out with the cool crowd?” Crimson stood silent at Gilda’s request. “Come on, now. Don’t tell me you want to hang out with these lame-o’s.”
“That’s it!” Rainbow Dash zipped over to Gilda. “Nobody talks about my friends like that!”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “Psh, please. You’re still so lame.” She looked at the pegasus hovering in front of her. “I thought you’d have come over to the cool side.”
Rainbow Dash jumped up at Gilda. She too jumped up and dodged Rainbow Dash’s attack, then pounced on her, pinning Rainbow to the cloud. “Get off me!”
“I must have been out of my mind to think you were once cool.” Gilda put her talon against Rainbow Dash’s cheek. “Maybe you need a reminder on how cool I am!” She lifted her talon as Rainbow Dash’s eyes popped in fear. She went to swipe Rainbow’s face, but her talon gets stopped in mid-swing. Crimson held her talon from striking Rainbow Dash.
“That will not be necessary, Ms. Gilda.”
“Hey! Let go!” Gilda struggled and pulled back, trying to free her talon. “Let... GO!” Crimson released her talon and she fell off the side of the cloud. Rainbow Dash got up and hovered next to Crimson. Gilda’s head slowly rose from the side of the cloud as she flapped her wings. “You’re sooo going to get it!” She charged Crimson, ready for a fight, but Crimson lifted his right hoof, grabbed her head, then shoved her face into the cloud. As she lifted her head out from the cloud, Crimson grabbed her neck with his left hoof and pinned her to the cloud. He looked down with his calm yet deadly eyes as his climbing claw lightly dug into her flesh. She looked in horror at the demon before her.
“Where I am from, impotent fools such as yourself are punished severely.” He dug his claw deeper into her chest as his eyes grow colder and deeper. He stared into Gilda’s eyes as her horror turned into a life threatening fear.
“Crimson!” Rainbow Dash flew up to him.
Crimson looked at Gilda, then at Rainbow Dash. He lightened the weight on Gilda and lifted his hoof. Gilda panted, trying to catch her breath. Her fear turned to excitement and adrenaline as the cold and calm Crimson took a step back. “You are a BAD ASS!” Gilda jumped to her feet. “That was SO AWESOME! I have some friends I want you to meet!”
Crimson lightly lifted his head. “I hold no allegiance to you or your feeble ways.”
“What?” Gilda seemed flustered at Crimson’s reply as he turned around and started to walk away. Rainbow Dash looked at Crimson, then back at Gilda. “You’re just as lame as they are! Have fun in your lame… lame land!”
Rainbow Dash flew up to Crimson in silence, then landed and walked with him with Gilda yelling in the background.
Rainbow Dash smiled and looked at Crimson. “… You know, that was pretty awesome.”