//------------------------------//
// Chapter 22 - Crimson and the Loss of a Seer 
// Story: Fire and Brimstone, Book 2 
// by BluePhoenyx 
//------------------------------//

Three hours passed and the group gathered at the edge of Ponyville.  They all carried saddle bags full of supplies while Rarity carries a saddlebag and a large hat on her head.  Demi and Crimson spent the time resting for the events to come.  The group greeted one another, then started their trek toward where Demi last saw the Elements of Harmony.


* * *


A couple of hours pass with very few words spoken.  The tension caused by Crimson’s sister made every pony feel a little uncomfortable.  Demi reached into her robes and grabbed a snack while they all walked.  She looked at her brother and offered some of her rations, as he hadn’t eaten much lately either.  Crimson bowed, then started munching on the dried herbs.
Applejack watched the transaction and saw an opportunity to break the ice.  “Hey yall, let’s take a small break.”
Rarity collapsed.  “Please!  My hooves weren’t built for this kind of travel.”
Twilight turned and protested the decision.  “But we have a long way to go.”  
Applejack stared Twilight in the eyes.  “Let’s take a small break.”  She said in a stern yet awkward tone.
“Okay, okay.”  Twilight stopped and sat with the group.
Applejack reached in her saddlebag.  “Demi, have ya ever tasted an apple from my farm?”
Upon hearing that phrase, Twilight understood where Applejack was coming from.  “Yes, they’re really delicious.”
Demi turned her head.  “Your offerings are not wanted.”  She continued to snack on her dried fungi.
Applejack shifted her sights to Crimson.  “How about you, Crimson?  You want an apple?”
Crimson bowed.  “I shall be grateful for your gift.”  Applejack tossed Crimson an apple with Demi watching from the corner of her eye, acting uninterested.  He took a bite into the apple and leaned back with a hint of satisfaction.
“Brother, how can you eat this poison?”
Crimson shook his head.  “This is far from poison, my sister.  Perhaps you should trust my friends as I trust them.”
“Well…”  Demi thought to herself, then put her dried herbs away.  “You there, I have rescinded my decline.  I accept your offering.”
Applejack reached into her saddlebag, grabbed another apple, then tossed it to Demi.  “Here ya go.  I hope you like it.”
With caution, she lifted the apple to her snout and she sniffed the strange, red sphere-like object.  Then she brought the apple to her mouth and licked the outside.  She heard the satisfied crunch of her brother beside her, then decided to take a small bite.  Her teeth chompped through the skin and into the moist apple as the juices seeped down the sides of the fruit.  Demi refrained from showing her physical amazement at the strange snack bestowed upon her, even though she had never tasted anything as delicious as her gift.  “Well now, I suppose your offering shall suffice.”  
Applejack smiled.  “Yer welcome.”  She started to hand out apples to every pony, and they snacked on the delicious fruit for the remainder of their rest period.


* * *


Hours passed and the sun started to set behind the horizon, darkening their route.  Twilight turned to the group.  “We should rest here for the night.”
Demi shook her head.  “Nonsense.  This is the perfect time to move.  We’re but a short distance from the other side of the range.”
Rarity rubbed her hooves.  “My hooves are tired from all of this walking.  I’m all for a good night’s rest.”
Demi huffed and walked to the group.  While everyone set up their resting place with shelter and bedrolls, Crimson and Demi just laid on the ground.  
Rarity noticed the two on bare ground and walked up to them.  “Why don’t you take my tent.  It’ll be much nicer than on the dirty ground.”
Applejack overheard the conversation.  “Yeah, you can share my tent tonight.”
Rarity smiled.  “A marvelous idea!”
Demi lifted her head to look at Rarity, then put her head back down.
“Come, darling.  I insist.”
Crimson looked at Rarity, then at his sister.  “Ms. Rarity insists.”  He rolled over and stood up.
Demi sighed, then stood up too.  “Very well.”  She walked up to the tent and peeked inside.  Crimson walked up beside her and patted himself down, getting the dust off of him prior to entering the tent.  Demi did the same, and the two laid down on a much more comfortable surface than the hard ground.
Rarity looked with near disgust at her decision.  Applejack put her hoof on Rarity’s shoulder.  “Good idea, hun.”
“Yes, a good idea.”  Rarity silently remarked.
“Come on.  Let’s get some shut eye.”  Applejack and Rarity went into their tent and got ready for the night’s rest.


* * *


Before the sun was seen from the horizon, Rarity awakened to get ready for the day.  She brushed her mane quietly to not wake up Applejack, and groomed her coat.  She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a portable makeup kit, and started to prep herself like she did on a daily basis.  Applejack rolled over mumbling something in her sleep.  Her mumbles alarmed Rarity, causing her to cover the light from her makeup kit with her hoof.  Feeling she would wake up her friend, she started to quietly relocate outside where she could work without distractions.  She quietly opened the tent and silently snuck out with her bags.  When she turned around, she saw Demi outside, staring into the darkness of the forest.  Rarity looked around, trying to figure out what she should do.  Finally, she decided on talking to Demi to try to relax the strong tension between her and the girls.
Rarity walked up and sat beside Demi.  “Good morning, Demi.”  After a brief pause, she turned to notice Demi’s eyes strangely white and cloudy.  She waited for a moment, then stood and started to turn around.
“So tell me, what do you think of my brother?”  
Rarity paused, then turned to see Demi’s eyes back to normal, but her gaze continued to look into the forest.  She paused for many more heartbeats, thinking about the reply she should give.  “He’s a noble pony of great stature and honor.”
“That he is. ...  What do your friends think of him?”
“The others?”  She turned to look toward the tents.  “I’m not sure.”  She turned back to Demi.  “Maybe the same as me.”
“Do you and your friends know who he was before he fled to this place?”
Rarity shook her head.  “No, and it matters not.  I feel what he does now is who he is.”
Demi turned her head to look at Rarity.  “And what about me?”  
“You?”  Rarity thought for a moment.  “I suppose it’s the same for you.”
Demi looked back toward the darkness.  “My people have a saying in the old tongue.  It roughly translates to, ‘your every action will carry the weight of you and your house’s honor.’  My brother and I don’t have your luxury of forgetting the past.”
“Darling, it’s not what you’ve done that matters.  It’s what you do.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that I almost slit open your throat in front of your friend?”
Rarity lifted her hoof and rubbed her throat.  “Well, that was different.”
“Do tell.”  After a pause, Rarity stood speechless.  “I thought as much.”
The two went quiet for a moment before Rarity smiled.  “Speaking of that dreadful night, did you still want to trade secrets?”
“Secrets?”  Demi looked up at Rarity.  “What secrets?”
Rarity turned her head and fluffed her mane with her hoof.  “Why, beauty secrets.  You did say you wanted to trade secrets.”
Demi looked down for a moment, then she looked back at the tent which Rarity offered to her the night before.  “Do you think it’ll help?”
“Are you kidding?  You’ll look marvelous!”  She reached into her bags and she started to pull out various portable beauty kits.  
Demi looked at Rarity and the various knick knacks she pulled from her bags.  “What use are these tinkers?”
“Your mane is awfully dry.”  Rarity lifted her hoof to touch Demi’s mane, but her hoof was swatted down from Demi.  
“Did I give you permission to touch me?”
Rarity rubbed where Demi swatted her hoof.  “Now now.  There's no reason for that kind of attitude.  I’m not here to hurt you.”
Demi stared at Rarity, then took a deep breath.  “Very well.  You may proceed.”  
Rarity slowly and cautiously reached and touched Demi’s mane.  “Now, like I said, your mane is very dry, but strong and beautiful.”
Demi smiled from the compliment.  “As it should be.”
“Here…”  Rarity reached in her bags and pulled out a bottle.  “This is a special conditioner to give extra moisture to dried hair.  I figured I’d need this since I wouldn’t be getting my bubblebath any time soon.”  She handed the bottle over to Demi then she pulled out a hair brush.  “And this is a specialized brush made from a well renowned craftspony from Manehatten.”
Demi lifted the bottle up to her face and she sniffed the oil.  “This has a very… peculiar scent.”
“Those are the special minerals and herbs I was talking about.”  Rarity walked behind her with the brush.  She lifted her hoof to brush Demi’s mane, but stopped herself just before touching.  “Uh, you mind if I brush your mane?”
Demi brought the bottle close to her eyes and she inspected the mixture.  “Very well.”
Rarity started to gently brush Demi’s mane with her custom brush.  “Now, this brush is made of rare ivory and shells found at the bottom of the oceans.  It’s designed to soften hair and remove icky things that get in your hair - like leaves, dirt, and gross bugs.”
“I’m always getting things in my hair.  So difficult to get them out.  I’d have to spend hours in my quarters to get them out - a requirement for a pony of my stature.”
“Well, with the proper moisturizers, grooming, and care, you won’t have such a hard time.  Just you watch.  I’ll make you radiant and magnificent before everypony wakes up.”
Demi smiled at the thought of that and the two went on with their Rarity’s morning routine as they talked about various beauty tips.


* * *


When the sun started to creep on the horizon, Crimson exited the tent.  He looked around, his body adjusting the cold air.  With ease, he leaned over and started a campfire with his magic, then sat and waited.  He turned his head at the tent in thought, then got up and walked to the tent.  He peeked his head inside to notice his sister isn’t in the tent.  He started to look around to notice a clutter of various gadgets near the edge of camp, and the tracks of two ponies going away from the camp following the mountainside.  After a brief thought, he started to follow the tracks.  After a quarter mile, he came across a magic circle burned into the ground just outside a small clearing with a large stream cutting across the clearing that led to a lake.  He closely looked at the circle.
“A circle of stone pushing?”  He continued to walk around the mountainside to find Demi and Rarity sitting in a makeshift jacuzzi.  The jacuzzi was shaped from Demi’s magic with Rarity’s design.  The river supplied the fresh water, which Demi used her fire magic to heat at Rarity’s request.  Steam emanated from the hot water as the two sat and soaked in the relaxing waters.  He stared, stunned, at the beautiful bathing mares.  Demi noticed Crimson standing and looking confused.  
“Do you mind?”
Almost turning red at the cheeks, he turned around embarrassed.  “I-I am sorry.  I did not know you were here.”  A wet towel was launched and hit Crimson on the back of his head.
“Return to the camp, brother.  I expect you to be well groomed and ready to go by the time we get back.”
Still stunned at what happened, he started to walk back to camp.  


* * *


By the time Crimson returns to camp, the rest of the girls were awake and sitting around the campfire.  They looked to see Crimson approach the camp.  
Applejack stood up.  “There you are.  Where did ya go?”
Twilight tiltted to look behind Crimson.  “And where is Demi and Rarity?”
“I, uh…”  He turned his head to looked behind him.  “Ms. Rarity and Demina are…  bathing.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes as she noticed the towel around his neck.  “And how did you figure this out?”
Crimson looked back at the girls with an embarrassed look.  “I accidentally intruded on their privacy.”  
The girls laughed as Crimson reached and grabbed the towel off of his neck.  
Applejack lifted a plate.  “Come on.  We made some breakfast.”


* * *


After a short time, Rarity and Demi finally returned to the camp.  The campsite itself was almost completely broken down and ready to move out.  Applejack noticed their return.  “There yall are.  We’re gett’n ready to go.”
Rarity lifted her hoof.  “Oh come now.  Demi and I needed some girl time.”
“Where is my invasive brother?”  
Twilight slung her bags on her back.  “He said you two discovered a lake so he and Rainbow Dash went to get some water for the plan.  They should be back any minute now.”
Within a moment, Rainbow Dash flew up with waterskins on her back and landed in the middle of the campsite.  “We’re back.”  She turned and look into the forest.  “Well, I’m back at least.”
The girls started to grab the waterskins from her back and put them in their bags.  “We’re going to need more.  
“I wouldn’t worry about that.”  Rainbow Dash said.  “Crimson’s hauling a hoof load to camp like we talked about.”
Applejack walked over to where Rarity’s tent was.  “Rarity, we took care of yer stuff, hun.”
“Thanks, Applejack.”  Rarity walked up and started to put her stuff on her back.  Then, the finishing touch - her hat.
Demi looked at the girls, then back toward the forest.  “Which way did my brother go?  I must speak with him.”
Rainbow Dash looked up at Demi and pointed into the forest.  “That way.”
“Don’t be gone long.”  Twilight said.  “We have to go soon.”
Demi looked at Twilight.  “Don’t presume you can give me orders, underling.”  Then she turned and walked into the forest.
Twilight staired blinking at Demi.  “Girls…”  She nudged her head back gesturing for the girls to group up.  They walked up to Twilight and form a circle.  “Rarity, what did you find out?”
“It’s hard to say.  Her mane and tail were extremely dry, but she brushed them daily so they weren’t knotted and messy.  She also tried to take care of her coat, but that heavy yet elegant leather robe she always wears can be rough on any pony’s skin.”
“I mean about Demi!  What did you find out about HER?”
“Oh.”  Rarity cleared her throat.  “She didn’t say much.  Her questions were usually about what we thought of her brother.”
“She was asking about us?”
“Yes.  Especially about you, Twilight.”
Twilight pointed to herself with her hoof.  “Me?”
“Yes.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she feels threatened by you.”
Twilight looked down in thought.  “Yeah, I kind of got that impression too.”
“Do we trust her?”  Rainbow Dash asked.
“I think we should give her a chance.”  Fluttershy silently said.  “Wasn’t this how it was when Crimson first came to us?”
Twilight nodded.  “You’re right, Fluttershy.  But still…”  She turned her head and looked into the forest.  “What does she have against me?”
“I don’t know, hun.  But if she tries anyth’n, we got’chyer back.”
The group nodded at Twilight.  “Thanks girls.  Come on, let’s finish packing up.”


* * *


Crimson, hauling massive amounts of water through the forest, stopped and closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  He stood in silence, taking in the peace and quiet around him.  The rest period was cut short as his ears twitched at a distant sound.  He opened his eyes and looked into the forest.  
“Ah, there you are.”  Demi said walking through the forest toward Crimson.
Crimson looked at Demi in a bit of surprise.  “My sister, you look… You look lavish.”
Demi stood up straight.  “Is that so?”
“Indeed.  I have not seen you look this exalted since…  Since the Upper Rings.”
Demi tried not to blush.  “It has been a while since I’ve been properly treated.  This world doesn’t treat their superiors very well.”  She looked back to Crimson.  “Tell me, what do you think about your friends?”
“My friends?  What do you wish to know?”
“Tell me all about your Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
“I have yet to meet an intellect equal to Princess Twilight Sparkle’s.  She is brave and thoughtful.  There is no pony where we came from like her.”
Demi felt her anger rising, but kept it contained.  “So that’s what you look for…”  Before Crimson could ask, Demi continued with her questions.  “Do you trust them?”
“I do.  I trust them with my life.”
Demi looked shocked at his answer.  “Maybe this life has made you senile.”  After a moment of silence, Demi walked up to Crimson.  “We can vanish, you and I.  Just live our lives how we want to.  Leave these fools and their suicide mission behind.”
Crimson put his hoof on Demi’s shoulder.  “My sister, there is more than our lives at stake in this mission.”  He looked into her eyes.  “Do you really think my brother will let us walk around living on with the goddess’s power at his hooves?  With this world’s relics in his possession, and the young seer at his side, there will be no place where we could hide.  And when he found us, I do not think he would give us the mercy of a quick and painless death.  We will not be safe until he is stopped.”
Demi looked down in sorrow and sniffs.  Then, she looked angrily at Crimson and smacked his hoof off of her shoulder.  “Stop with your petty magics.  They won’t work!”  She turned away from him.  Crimson stared in total confusion.  “Hurry up, weakling.  Your pathetic friends are waiting for you.”  She left Crimson to carry the entire load of water himself as she walked back towards the camp.
Demi fumed to herself as she walked through the forest.  “The fool.  Who in the hoof does he think he is?”  She looked at the path before her.  “That Twilight Sparkle, she’s the reason.”  She bucked and kicked a tree in rage causing it to lightly shake.  “How dare he!  I should never have agreed to serve his house.  I never should have…  I-”  Finally, she looked down feeling a deep sensation of defeat and loss.  She let out a deep sigh.  “... fine.  You win.”  A tear droped from her eye onto the ground.  She recoiled in surprise and wiped her face with her hoof.  She turned her head toward Crimson.  “Fool.  Enjoy your demise.”  She whiped her head around and started to walk away from the camp taking the effort to leave no tracks behind.