//------------------------------//
// 32: Epilogue 
// Story: The Dark Crusader 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
//------------------------------//

	-Two days after Darkstar's invasion, Canterlot-

Celestia, free from her morning duties thanks to her niece Nightfury volunteering to take over for once, strolled through the streets of Canterlot, a smile on her face. She was heading for the hospital, where her son had been admitted after his battle with the dreaded Princess Darkstar in the skies above the capital. She had received a letter from the staff saying that he was ready to receive visitors, which was thanks to the fact that he hadn't been terribly injured in the fight and that his alicorn blood could heal him quicker than most ponies did. She wanted to be the first one to speak to Crimson after the ordeal, mostly so she could apologize for nearly erasing every mention of him from history in an attempt to keep her enemies from discovering his existence.

It wasn't much, that much Celestia knew for sure, but it was a start to reestablish a bond between the two of them that might eventually let him stop so angry with her so much.

"Ah, Princess Celestia," one of the nurses said, welcoming her the moment she walked into the building, "What can we do for you today?"

"I'm here to see my son, Crimson Flare," Celestia happily replied, "I was informed that he was willing to speak to ponies this morning and I came the moment I was able."

"Crimson Flare eh?" the nurse commented, pulling over her records while she searched for his folder, "I have to say, he was quiet most of the first day, keeping to himself for the most part, though he did ask me once if he could leave for an hour or two to get one of his 'smokes'. To his disappointment we had to keep him here, but he complied and has remained here the entire time..."

"Which is no longer the truth," another pony, a doctor, said, approaching the two of them, "Princess Celestia, it seems that, before your arrival, Crimson Flare decided to leave his bed and took off, though one of his attendants recalled that he mentioned the ruined castle in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Does it mean anything to you?"

"Yes," Celestia sighed, knowing exactly what he was referring to, "I know exactly where he went."

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Celestia flew into the ruined castle and landed outside the main entrance, noting all the lumber, stone, and tools that were scattered around the immediate area. The workers she had commissioned to repair the castle so that her son and niece could rule the Everfree Kingdom, as they had planned to do well over a thousand years ago. She sighed and took a deep breath in, noting the familiar scent of fireweed, the main ingredient that her son used when he was crafting a new batch of smokes. He was also the only one who knew where to find his special ingredient, which he would never share, because he knew that if she knew where the stash was she might destroy it all.

She followed the scent into the ruins, twisting through the rotting tunnels and passing many of the chambers she was familiar with, before she passed by the courtyard. It was then that she glanced down at the courtyard, noting the white cloud with an ashy coated alicorn laying on it, recreating the scene that Twilight described when she found her son. She wished that whatever magic her son had used had worn off by now, as the ashy color reminded her of Darkstar, the evil version of herself that wanted to destroy their world. She cast a slow fall spell on herself and leapt out of the window, silently falling to the courtyard floor and touching the ground without her son even moving one bit.

"I was waiting for you to show up," her son said, pulling the stick out of his mouth and releasing a puff of smoke, "Ah, its good to have one of these again. I missed them when I was in the Darkness, gathering allies to defeat Darkstar."

"And gaining a new power I see," Celestia commented, surprised that her son had heard her when she had made no noise, "excellent work by the way. I was positive that you had some sort of plan for dealing with that Shadow."

"She had it coming," Crimson replied, staring up at the cloudy sky, "turning her own sister, her student, and the rest of her allies against her so they could save their world. Truth be told I had no idea what that gemstone was going to do when I shattered it, so I have no idea how long these effects are going to last. I guess there's a price for gaining the power to defeat someone of Darkstar's caliber."

Celestia walked up to the cloud and took a seat next to it, casting a look at her son, who sighed and turned his head towards her after a few seconds. She wished that she knew more about the Darkness and its magic, so she could figure out what happened to her son and figure out a way to reverse the changes. What worried her was that he didn't seem to mind having his coat change color, his mane and tail changing to a different type of fire, and his eyes shifting to blood red. It was almost as if he had accepted the changes and was going to live with them for the rest of his life.

"You know, I truly am sorry for anything I've done to you over the years," Celestia said, realizing something as she spoke, "and you do realize that you shattered one of the Prime Sigils as well?"

"It was a necessary evil," Crimson replied, sighing as his hoof moved to his neck and touched the empty place where he had carried the Sigil of Fire on his royal necklace, "I'm sure that the Sigil is out there somewhere, reforming itself so it can balance all of Equestria. If you desire the four Prime Sigils back where they belong, sealed away in Canterlot, than maybe Twilight, Nightfury, and I can see where they ended up."

"Right now I just want to spend time with you," Celestia said, draping her wing over her son, "I love you son."