//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: The Lesson // Story: Fire and Brimstone, Book 1 // by BluePhoenyx //------------------------------// Twilight blinked, trying to comprehend what had happened. She lifted her hoof and covered her eyes as she squinted from the light of the sun. She started to cough from the dust in the air. The sound of her coughs sounded lower in pitch and muffled from the constant ring in her hears. She rolled on her stomach and squinted, trying to figure out what the blurry shapes were in front of her. After a few more blinks, she looked upon a beautiful scenic view from a very high ledge. She stood up and slowly walked toward the ledge to look upon Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, and Cloudsdale. “Equestria?” She asked, disregarding the muffled noises as she was lost in the confusion. “Am I…?” “Twilight!” A hoof touched her shoulder. She jumped and snapped out of her daze. “S… Shining Armor?” Twilight saw her brother unharmed, standing next to her. “Are we… dead?” Shining Armor’s eyes popped in surprise. “What? No.” Shining Armor smiled. Twilight’s eyes teared up as she jumped on her brother with a great hug. “I thought I’d never see you again.” “Aw, Twily.” Shining Armor put his hoof around his sister. “TWILIGHT!” The friends ran up to Twilight and Shining Armor. “You’re okay!” “Yeah.” Twilight looked at her brother. “I think I am.” The girls smiled as the sun hits their coats. “What happened?” “The Elements of Harmony.” Princess Celestia walked up to the friends and the Captain of the Royal Guard. “Princess.” “They freed all of the basilisk’s victims…” She looked at the devastation the shock had done and looked at the missing walls knocked out. “And apparently I have some remodeling to do.” Twilight frowned. “Ops. Sorry, Princess.” The princess stood on the ledge of the castle foundation, looked around at Equestria, then smiled. “It’s okay. I like this view.” Talking and confusion was heard in the distance as everyone who was turned to stone reverted back to flesh. Some guards walked up to the princess. The princess looked at the guards. “Tend to the victims and the wounded.” The royal guards acknowledged her request and rushed to help the others. Everyone started to talk amongst each other, looking at the scene. “Wait, what about Crimson?” The ponies turned around as a red hoof with a broken climbing claw stepped on a rock behind the chattering ponies. Crimson stood tall with his burnt leathery wings tucked in. The once diamond dust enchanted chest piece laid in pieces and dust, his magical trinkets cracked on absorbing so much magic, the climbing claws cracked and broken, and his leather garments tattered and torn. The wind from the missing wall flowed through Crimson’s long, black mane and tail as he stood proud, tall, and victorious. “CRIMSON!” The friends ran over to Crimson. Crimson looked at the six. “Are you all well?” “Are we well?” Twilight asked with a chuckle. “Wait, YOU!” Twilight glared at Crimson. “What gives you the right to go off on your own like that!?” Crimson looked at Twilight. “I only wished to save your lives.” “So you’re the one my star pupil spoke of.” Princess Celestia walked up to the scarred and battered warrior. Crimson’s eyes widened in shock as he gave a deep bow. “Your royal highness.” He said humbled. Celestia looked upon the unusual stranger in her presence. “You’re very brave to do such a thing. Why did you do it?” “Your royal highness, it is my fault your lands have been plagued by a demon from the underworld. I was the only one who was qualified to battle the demon.” Celestia stared at the still deep bowed and humbled pony. “True. But you didn’t really answer my question.” “Your highness?” Crimson asked. Celestia lightly lifted her head in the air looking down Crimson. “Why did you, a warrior who knows only of survival, risk his own life to combat something like this alone?” “Your royal highness, I…” Crimson paused and thought to himself. Then he barely lifted his head in confusion. “I do not know.” “Stand, young warrior.” Princess Celestia lightly smiled as the humble and civil stranger. Crimson stood up, but kept his head bowed. “No need to divert your gaze.” Crimson’s eyes looked towards the princess, then blinked and he looked away once more. “Now, now.” Crimson blinked a few times, then slowly turned his head at the princess, but then looked away. “It is not my place to gaze upon one of such royal blood.” Crimson commented. “Very noble of you.” A rock from the floor above fell and smashed against the ground, causing it to cave in destroyed the floor below in the shattered and devastated castle. “So, what would the savior of my home wish as a reward?” Crimson continued to keep his gaze diverted. “… I desire nothing, your royal highness.” The princess lightly chuckled to herself. “How about a job?” Crimson almost looked at the princess in question, but caught himself. “Your royal highness?” “Crimson, you have proven to me that you can be a great and powerful protector of anything your heart wishes to protect. And today, you have shown me that your heart wished to protect Twilight and her friends.” Crimson stood silent as the princess continued. “You have proven your unique abilities in combat and the goodness in your heart.” Crimson remained quiet. “So, how about it? Would you like to join my royal guard?” Shining Armor walked up in confusion after overhearing his Princess’s speech from afar. “Princess?” “I…” Crimson looked down in thought. “I am honored, but I must decline.” The princess looked a little shocked at the unexpected reply. “Walk with me.” She turned as Crimson lightly looked toward her direction, but still not directly at her. He paused as the princess turned her head to look at Crimson. “Come.” Shining Armor looked in question at the princess. “Princess?” Princess Celestia looked over to Shining Armor. “Twilight, you and your friends tend to Shining Armor. It looks like he needs the company of family and friends for a few minutes.” Twilight caught Celestia’s subtle request and the six went to her brother and push him away, letting the two be alone. Celestia looks over to Crimson who is standing in place. “Come with me, young warrior.” Crimson started to walk with the princess in the decimated and destroyed, but now a very open and remodel-in-progress hallway. Crimson walked behind the princess as she walked tall and proud with her hair waving in the air. “Walk beside me.” Celestia said. He briefly quickened his pace to catch up and walked side by side with the Princess. She looked down at the warrior who is still looking away. She smiled and looked up. “Given what I heard about you, I didn’t expect your answer.” “Your royal highness, I did not mean to offend.” “No, no. No offense. I would like to know why.” “Why?” “Yes. Why decline my offer? “Your royal highness.” Crimson thought to himself for a moment while walking with Celestia. “I made a personal vow - once I escaped the clutches of my family to never be chained down in violence and oppression.” “As I hear, this world is vastly different than the one you were from.” “… I do not wish to be rude.” The pause in Crimson brought a feeling of him hiding something. “Please, I’m not going to be upset.” Crimson, keeping his gaze away from royalty, started to think about his experiences. “Through your assumptions are true in some aspects, I regret to inform you that it is false in most.” “Oh?” The princess asked. Crimson lightly nodes. “I’d like to hear more. Tell me your story since you got to the surface.” “My story?” “Yes. I’m interested in what you think. Tell me everything.” Crimson looked up with a deep breath. “As you wish.” After a brief pause in thought, he started his story. “At first, I did not know where I was at nor what anything was. It seemed like a dream of false hope as I had found my escape from the tyrannical rule which my world lived in. The dream continued as I discovered my first lake. Though minor in comparison, I have never seen so much clean water in my life. Clean and drinkable water is a commodity where I am from.” The princess listened to his story as he continued. “Upon discovering Ponyville, I came to the conclusion that the town itself was a non-hostile civilization. I saw no defensive structures, military personal, or anything that showed a combat affiliated area. It was when I entered the town was when the similarities of the two worlds started to emerge. The fear of Ponyville’s citizens was a sign of fear and oppression. The arrival of the royal guards told me that this world was like the underworld as they attacked without question.” Celestia started to think to herself from what she had just heard. “A very interesting perspective on life.” “What surprised me was how kind I was treated when imprisoned. I never expected to be treated as kind as I was when Ms. Twilight Sparkle came to talk to me. It was even more surprising when she stood up for me in your strange judicial system. She assumed responsibility for me as I was released under her supervision. In my world, that means I am her servant. She never treated me as such. I have never known such genuine kindness that her and her friends have shown me. They have shown me the world I thought was a dream as they accepted me as not their slave but their equal.” Celestia smiled at the marvelous work her pupil has done for the stranger. “When I looked upon the castle, I realized that this land was almost exactly like the underworld. The rich live in luxury and wasteful lives. Every other pony lives with struggle and hardship under the nobles.” The princess’s eyes popped open as she wanted to say something against what he just said, but stayed quiet and allowed Crimson to continue. “However, something happened when Ms. Twilight Sparkle read a letter at her residence. She genuinely cared about the monarchy. It was not an act of loyalty, but compassion that drove her to make haste to the castle. What I saw at the castle was a nightmare that I have lived before and a nightmare I could tell was not even a thought in this world. Then, I feel… strange when it comes to them. I could not bear the thought of them getting hurt or killed. I felt a strange sense of… compulsion, I suppose you could call it, to protect them. That is why I did what I did. Because I knew I could protect them and I knew I was the only one who could slay the beast.” The princess stared at her lands from the open wall. “That’s an interesting story and a very interesting comparison.” She looked over at the young warrior. “However, I care a great deal about every pony in Equestria. We all live in harmony. Ponyville’s citizens are happy with their lives and have a more fulfilling life than a lot of other ponies I know. Most of them don’t care about status. They care about each other.” “You are a wise ruler, your royal highness.” Celestia smiled. “Only because my subjects taught me to rule this way.” “May I ask her royal highness a question?” Celestia nodded. “Of course.” Crimson walked to the ledge and stareed upon the lands of Equestria. “Is there more of the world than this land?” Celestia stareed off in the distance with Crimson. “Yes. The world is vast and plentiful. There is much to see.” “If it would be alright with her highness, I would like to see the world and learn from it. I hope to get from it as much as Ponyville has given me.” “I think it’s a wonderful idea.” She looked over to Crimson. “However, I have two conditions.” Crimson turned and bowed deeply to Princess Celestia. “What would her royal highness wish of me?” “Stand up and look at me without fear and without submission, but as a free pony.” Crimson’s eyes looked up, then looked away with a blink. After a moment of silence, he slowly lifted his head with his eyes closed. Then slowly opened his eyes to bear witness to the pure blood’s white and spotless coat and flowing pastel colored mane. She smiled at his accomplishment. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Crimson stared at the princess. “Her royal highness is a beauty of beauties. I have never seen your equal.” Celestia gently chuckled. “Now, on to your second task. I have Twilight Sparkle and her friends write to me whenever they learn something about friendship. I would like for you to write to me whenever you learn something about the world.” “Write to you?” “Yes. I’d love to hear about what you learned about the world. You have a very deep and interesting perspective I’d love to read about.” Crimson bowed to the princess. “It would be a great honor, your royal highness.” "And one more thing." Princess Celestia handed a necklace to her guest. Crimson bowed. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble." Crimson lightly lifted his head as Celestia placed the amulet around his neck. "I swear I shall do as you request." Celestia smiled. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.” The princess turned toward the buried throne room. “Of course, your highness.” “Until we meet again, I look forward to your letters.” The princess started to walk away from the humbled pony. “Yes, as do I.” Crimson said to himself as he lifted his head, watching the princess tend to her royal duties.