//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 – Crimson and the Trip West 
// Story: Fire and Brimstone, Book 2 
// by BluePhoenyx 
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Time passed as the wanted pony sat in in the shadows, out of sight at the train station.  He waited patiently for Twilight, hoping her mystery idea would work.  Eventually, Twilight arrived at the train station with Spike riding on her back, and Rarity and Fluttershy close behind - all of which were carrying saddle bags.  Crimson stepped out of his concealment to reveal himself to the girls.
Twilight turned and notices Crimson.  “Ah, there you are.”
Crimson walked up to the girls.  “Greetings.”
Spike’s eyes popped at the red pony’s brutal sight.  “Who’a.”
Fluttershy looked over Crimson’s seemingly crippled health.  “Oh, dear.  You look terrible.”
Rarity noticed his noble and knightly posture regardless the various wounds he had sustained since the last she saw him.  “I heard you were in bad shape, darling, but this isn’t what I imagined.”
Crimson looked over at the worried Rarity.  “Do not worry yourself with my injuries.  I have sustained worse.”
Fluttershy reached in her bag and started to pull out medical supplies to mend Crimson’s wounds.  “These should be bandaged up.  You don’t want to get an infection.”
Spike hopped off of Twilight’s back and Twilight looked at the tiny dragon.  “Spike, help Fluttershy.”
Spike saluted.  “Got it!”  He started to help Fluttershy bandage Crimson’s wounds as Rarity reached in her bag and started to pull out various articles of clothing.   
Rarity put a dress and a couple of other accessories next to Twilight.  “Twilight, these are for you.”  Twilight grabbed the dress and started to put it on as Rarity pulled out another outfit and set it next to Fluttershy.  “These are yours.”
Twilight finished putting on the accessories.  “How do I look?”
Rarity looked over to Twilight, then rose her hoof to her chin and thought for a moment.  “Well, it’s a start.”  She walked up and started to clean up Twilight, brushing her mane and wiping off the dirt that had collected during her time in the forest.  
Fluttershy and Spike finished bandaging up Crimson.  “There.  All better.”  She took a step back and looked the bandaged pony over.  
Rarity took a step back from Twilight and looked her over.  Twilight returned Rarity;s gaze.  “How do I look now?”
Rarity smiled.  “You look great.”
Crimson looked over at everyone putting on various outfits.  Twilight noticed Crimson’s questionable expression.  “Don’t worry.  It’s all a part of my plan.”
Crimson nodded as Rarity took out his outfit.  “Here, these are for you.”  She started to dress up Crimson while everyone else got in their clothes.  Then, she accidentally nudged an injury while putting on his coat.  She recoiled as Crimson lightly winces.  “Oh, sorry darling.”
Crimson looked over at Rarity.  “Need not worry about me.”   
She smiled.  “I’m sure.”  She took a step forward and continued to more gently dress up Crimson.
The train’s whistle blew in the distance signaling it’s approach.  Rarity quickly cleaned up everyone’s appearance.  She took a step back to look over everyone's appearance one last time.  “You all look fabulous!”  
Twilight turned and looked at everyone.  “Great!  Now let’s get going.  We haven’t a moment to waste.”  
“Umm, Twilight.”  Spike looked up to the princess.  “What do you want me to do?”  Saddlebags were tossed into his arms and he collapsed from the weight. 
“Take these back to the library.”  Twilight tossed her bag to Spike.  “We’ll meet you there.”
“Spike’s hand pops up from under the bags and saluted.  “You can count…”  The bags shifted, then crumble completely, burying the tiny dragon.  “… on me!”  He finished with a muffled voice.
Twilight, looking very noble and one with a prestigious title, started to walk toward the train station.  
Rarity, also looking like a noble of Canterlot, followed.  After a few steps, she stopped and turned toward Crimson and Fluttershy.  “Come on.”
Fluttershy lowered her head and started to walk with a feeling of a lack of confidence.  Rarity turned and looked toward the well-dressed yellow pegasus.  She walked up to her and put her hoof under her chin.  “Head up, darling.  For this to work, you must look confident.”  Fluttershy started to raise her head.  “Keep going…  There.”  
Fluttershy, almost looking straight in the air, struggled to see Rarity with the corners of her eyes.  “Like this?”
Rarity smiled and noded.  “Perfect.”
Fluttershy tried to look at Rarity, much less where Twilight is walking.  “A-Are you sure?”
Rarity smiled.  “Yes, just like that.”  She turned and walked beside Fluttershy.  “That means you’re high society and no pony can look down to you.”
Crimson took a couple of steps forward, his posture as knightly and noble as if he belonged in a life of luxury.  His dark suit hided his bandages.  A fake beard and glasses were placed on his face, and a tophat on his head to hide his notorious curved horn.
Rarity looked over at Crimson.  “Like that.  Perfect!”
Fluttershy peeled over to Crimson trying to see what she was talking about.  Her posture broke as she noticed him going about acting noble as if it were second nature. 
Rarity looked over at Fluttershy.  “Chin up, dear.”
Fluttershy snapped and went back to her posture.
Twilight turned and looked at the ponies in the distance.  She loudly cleared her throat, and the others quickened their pace to catch up to her as a train pulled up to the station.  The steam blew from the train as it came to a stop at the loading platform.  Guards stood at the doors watching all passengers due to the theft in the castle.  Twilight walked up to the doors of the first class car.  The guard’s eyes popped and they stand up straight in respect at the approaching princess.  Twilight walked passed them and boarded the train uneventful. 
Rarity started to walk on the train.  The guards stopped her.  Twilight poked her head out of the car.  “Is there a problem with my royal guests?”
The guards looked shocked and stood up in salute.  “Uh, n-no your highness.”
“Good.”  Twilight turned and goes back into the car.  She turned her head and nudged to gesture everyone to quickly get into the car.  With little hesitation, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Crimson entered the car.  Shortly after, the doors closeed and Twilight lets out a deep breath of relief.  “That was intense.”
Rarity broke her posture and looked at Twilight.  “You’re a genius, darling!”
Twilight sat down at a seat.  “I can’t believe that worked.”  She looked up at Fluttershy, who was as stiff as a board basically looking at the ceiling.  “Uh, Fluttershy? …  Fluttershy?”  Fluttershy peeked down to Twilight.  “It’s okay.  You can relax now.” 
Fluttershy let out a large exhale as she loosened up.  “Thank goodness.  I didn’t know how much longer I could have done that.”
Twilight smiled, then looked over at Crimson.  “You can relax, too.”
Crimson looked down to the princess.  “I am relaxed.”
Twilight lightly chuckled.  “Somehow I knew you were going to say that.”  The group slightly jolted as the train started to move. 
Rarity sat next to Twilight and they looked up at Crimson.  “Okay, what’s the plan?  And why west?”
“The filly.” 
Rarity and Fluttershy looked confused at Crimson.  “You mentioned the filly when we were running back from the Everfree Forest…”  Twilight remarked.
Rarity looked at Twilight.  “No wonder you were so dirty.  What were you doing with Crimson in the Everfree Forest?”
“It’s a long story.”  Twilight and the girls turned their attention to Crimson.  “Now tell us what’s going on and what this has to do with a filly.”
Crimson stared out the window, thinking before he started to tell the girls what he believed what was going on.  “Our race has been slowly dying out these past few seasons.  With our conflicts and the advancements in our magic, the number of casualties have been rising more and more.”  He looked at the girls.  “To put things in perspective, you have outlived the normal life expectancy of a typical soldier pony.  If you grew up where I did, you would all probably be dead by now.”  A chilled feeling ran down the girls’ spine at the thought of that realization. 
Twilight had a passing thought after the chill passed.  “But you lived so it couldn’t be that bad.”
“On the contrary, my brothers have sent me on countless missions which I was never supposed to make it back.  The only times a member of my family came along was to slaughter easy prey or accomplish easy or ‘fun’ tasks.”
Rarity recoiled.  “How dreadful.”
“Even then, my family would continue their internal power struggle in the houses just to be the top of the hierarchy of the city.  We have grown into a loathsome and fearful lifestyle.”  After a moment’s pause, he shook his head.  “Pardon, I digress.”  The girls leaned back in their chairs to listen to Crimson’s tale as he continued.  “I do not know why my family is here, nor why they have captured your magical relics.  What I DO know is that there is one filly in this land that may shed some light on the subject.”
“And why would a filly know what’s going on?”
“She will not know, but she will also know.”
The girls blinked baffled at the answer.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Because the young filly may have seen their intent.”
Again, the girls were baffled at the cryptic answer.
Fluttershy looked at Twilight.  “I-I don’t get it.”
Rarity chimed in.  “Neither do I.”
“Now hold on, girls.”  Twilight tried to put the puzzle everything together as Crimson continued.
“Princess, are you familiar with seers?”
The girls looked at Crimson as Twilight got a vague memory of something she had read.   “Seers? … I’ve read about them.  Something about being able to see the future.”
“You are a wise and intelligent princess.”  Twilight lightly blushed.  “They have the gift and the curse of sight.  They see one of many outcomes that involves their lives.  They can use their sight to track enemies, foresee ambushes, gain prior knowledge of an event in battle before it happens, or even plot an overthrow of entire kingdoms.  The more powerful they get, the quicker and clearer their visions can come to them.  They are a terrible affliction and a great boon for any military to adopt such a weapon.  They are never alone.  They are always watched.  And as of late, they are now hunted.” 
Twilight looked toward the girls.  “Kind of reminds me of Pinkie Pie.”  The girls chuckled.
“All seers are connected and they can interact with each other during their visions.  This filly must have stumbled upon Demi’s vision, which would explain her nightmares.  She knows what they are planning, and they will be hunting her and all she has told her vision to.”
Fluttershy expressed her concern.  “Oh my, we must save that poor filly.”
Crimson looked confused for a brief moment.   
“I agree, darling.”  Rarity turned to look at the girls.  “We have to rescue the defenseless child from those… those… savages!”  Rarity looked at Crimson.  “Uh, present company excluded.”
Twilight noticed the baffled look on Crimson’s face.  “What’s up?”
“You would risk your lives for an enemy?”
Rarity gasped.  “She is not an enemy.”
“Rarity’s right.”  Twilight added.  “We have to save the filly.”
“She is the only clue we have of my family’s whereabouts.  So long as we find her first, we can expect to eventually confront my family.  As they take care of the filly and her family, we shall have the element of surprise with a chance of victory.  Two goals completed in one fell swoop.”
Twilight’s eyes popped as she gasped.  “You mean you were going to use the filly as bait?!”
Rarity and Fluttershy looked at Crimson shocked.  “She’s just a filly!”
“Did you not hear my explanation?  She is dangerous!”
Rarity lifted a hoof while she closed her eyes and turned her head.  “That’s nonsense.  She’s an innocent girl, not a weapon.”
Fluttershy gently chimed her opinion.  “Besides, if she grew up around love and happiness, she wouldn’t be a bad filly.”
Crimson stared quietly at the three ponies across from him as Twilight leaned in.  “The girls are right.  Even if what you say is true, we have to give her a chance.  We have to save her.”
The girls agreed and they looked at Crimson.  He took slow, deep breaths then straightens his posture.  “Very well, princess.  If you wish for me to save the filly and her family, I shall do what you ask.”
The girls cheer and they started to talk about their plan the rest of the way of their trip.