Fire and Brimstone, Book 2

by BluePhoenyx

Chapter 16 - Crimson and the Lonely Trek

“My King.” Scorch walked into the damp cave with the young filly tied up on his back rendered unconscious. “I have returned successful.” He sat the filly down to present her to his king and gave a deep bow at the large pony’s presence.

The large pony turned, the metal clanking in with his movements. He took a couple of steps forward and looked down at the offering. His voice boomed deeply as he spoke. “Good. Secure my new weapon.”

“As you wish, my King.” Scorch stood and lifted Ellena on his back. He started to move to the back of the cave and began to tightly shackle their new resident.

A short time passed before The King looked up at the entrance at a weak, limping pony entering the room. Scorch turned around to see who found their secret cave. He took a few steps forward and looked down at her sister. “So, you survived.”

Demi collapsed from exhaustion. She looked up at the large pony. “I’m here, my King.” The King stayed quiet, looking down at the beaten pony. Her eyes turned white, then her face turned pale. “No, I’m your loyal surv-” She started to choke and was lifted off the ground.

The King’s voice boomed and echoed through the halls. “Demina, your failure brings you to the epoch of your death.” Demi choked and gasped, her eyes still white. “Suffer and perish.”

Demi’s horn lit up and a blast of fire shot from her horn, hitting the ceiling above the large pony. Rocks start to fall around the king, but he put up a barrier protecting him from the falling boulders. With the slight shift in focus to the barrier, his telekinetic grasp on Demi weakened and she fell on the floor. She tried desperately to quickly catch her breath. Scorch started to trot to help his king from the rubble. Demi used that time to get up and started to run out of the cave. Suddenly, the rocks surrounding the king exploded all around him in a shower of stone and boulders. Scorch flew back and was knocked into a far wall, then fell to the ground in a staggered daze. The king looked down toward the entrance at the fleeing pony. He took a deep breath as his horn lit up. Then, with a deep exhale, blue fire spewed out of his mouth, engulfing the cavern. Demi looked behind her and saw the enormous flames rushing toward her. She trotted faster to win the race for her escape. Once at the entrance, she dove to the ground as the massive amount of shooting fire burst out of the compact space of the cave and engulfed the entire area in the magical blue flames. Demi slowly got up, then started to flee the area fearing for her life.

* * *

Crimson and Twilight meet with Fluttershy and Rarity at the hospital where the Duchess Vanderoof was kept. They waited in the waiting room as medical ponies worked hard to stabilize her critical condition.

They sat for hours before a doctor came out. He looked tired and worn out from his hard work. “You’re the ones that brought the Duchess?”

The girls stood up. “Yes. How is she?”

“We’ve done what we could. She’s in ICU for observation while she rests.”

“Can we see her?”

“No visitors until she’s stabilized. You’ve done all that you could. Go home and get some rest.”

“Oh… Well, thank you doctor.” The group turned and headed out of the hospital only to be stopped at the door by a police pony.

“You there, I have some qu-” He noticed that one of the ponies in the group was a princess. He gave a shallow and quick bow. “I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t know you-”

“It’s okay.” Twilight replied. “You have some questions?”

“Yes.” He started to question the girls about their role in the attack on the Duchess’s mansion as he wrote notes in a notepad. They explained that they were her guests as well as the filly and mare. “Yes, we’ve discovered the mare and the butler. Perhaps you could explain how a large chunk of the wall was found over thirty meters from where it was supposed to be?”

“That’s who we’re trying to find.” Twilight answered. “A very dangerous pony who kidnapped the daughter of the mare.”

“Some pony said…” The officer started to flip back in his notes. “... that you and your group attacked the guard post the day before the incident and destroyed the gates.”

“Well, yes. But-”

“And this was after the guard said, ‘no admittance.’”

“See, that was just a-”

“Much less the Destroyer being in the same place as the incident.”

“Wait, you’re not accusing Crimson, are you?” Twilight asked.

Rarity shook her head. “That’s impossible because he was with us the entire time.”

“So you’re saying the Destroyer, a pony who has a reputation of carnage and destruction, was not a part of the death of a mare and colt, the hospitalization of one of the most important ponies in town, and the destruction of private and prestigious property?”

“Yep.” Twilight nodded.

With a brief pause to analyze the situation, and with a flick of his hoof, the notepad closed and he put it away. “Well then, thank you for your time.” The officer turned and walked away. After a few steps, he stopped and turned around. “Just to be safe, I suggest you stay in Van Hoover for a while. There may be questions that need answering.” Then the officer once again went about his business.

The group turned to one another. “Geez, it seems that every time we’re around Crimson, there is some sort of legal issue that we need to take care of.”

Crimson gave a slight bow. “I am sorry I-”

Twilight lifted her hoof to stop Crimson from talking. “And no, you’re not a burden or whatever you were going to say.” Crimson stood speechless. “Ah-hah, I thought so.” She smiled victorious.

Rarity looked at Twilight. “What do we do now?”

“I…” Twilight looked at Rarity with a stumped expression. “I don’t know.”

Fluttershy gently and quietly chimed in. “We should go back to Ponyville and check on Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight nodded. “You’re right, Fluttershy. But we’re not supposed to leave. I can’t even report to Princess Celestia about what’s going on.”

“With the young seer in the possession of my family, I feel that they have the upper hoof. We need to act quickly.”

“Then lets go back to the Duchess’s mansion and try to find where they went.”

The group agreed and they made their way back to the scene of the crime.

* * *

Police ponies scoured the area looking for every trace of evidence they could find about the scene. The entire property was closed off, sections were taped off, flashes of light blinked from the camera flashes, chemical kits took samples from various elements of the area, and every pony in a large radius were questioned by the law enforcement. Newspaper crews stood outside the scene just hoping to get their ear on any bit of news to beat the others in publishing the breaking news. Shoulder to shoulder, flank to flank, the journalists themselves blocked any way to get in close to the gates of the once illustrious property. Outside that layer were the ponies looking from beyond - citizens of the city looking from a distance wondering what was going on, and talking amongst themselves with their own odd, and sometimes completely outrageous, theories and accusations. There, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Crimson stood looking on with the other ponies around them.

“There goes that idea.” Twilight said.

Rarity looked over to Twilight and at her wings. “You could always fly over the crowds.”

“Not with them.” Twilight pointed to the pegasus patrolling the area, preventing any unauthorized pegasi to wander in the closed off area.

“Then how can we get in?”

Crimson shook his head then turned and started to walk off. Twilight looked over to Crimson. “Hey.” She trotted next to him with the girls close behind. “You have an idea?”

“Our investigation will prove to be futile.”

“What do you mean?” Rairty asked.

“The scene is flooded and tainted with local investigators. The possibility of locating Scorch’s tracks are slim to none.”

Rarity quickened her pace to look at Crimson’s face. “So again, what do we do now?”

“After my incarceration and my witnessing of your justice system, I took the time to research your laws of your lands during my travels.” He turned a corner on the main road and started to head toward the train station. “No pony here has been officially charged of any crime, nor have they legally arrested any of us. Therefore, we have the right to do as we will as per your rules and laws.”

Twilight’s eyes popped with that realization. “Holy hoof, you’re right!” She started to quicken her pace. Fluttershy and Rarity looked at each other, then trotted to catch up. “We have to hurry! Princess Celestia must be told what’s going on.”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight as Crimson trotted behind them. “What about Rainbow Dash?”

“You two check in on her. And tell Pinkie Pie and Applejack what’s going on too.”

“And what about Crimson?” Rarity asked.

Twilight started to think to herself. “Let’s figure that out when we’re on the train.”

Rarity looked ahead, then back to Twilight. “Will they even let us on? We don’t have our dresses this time.”

Twilight came to a stop with the group following suit. “You’re right. How can we get Crimson on the train?”

“Princess, my wounds are in a manageable state. I shall find my own way to Ponyville.”

“But that will take too long.”

“Your Princess needs to be made aware of the events that have transpired.” A brief pause ensued as the girls thought about what Crimson said.

Twilight nodded. “You’re right. Come on, girls. Let’s go before we miss the next train.”

“I shall meet you at your library.”

Rarity looked at Crimson. “Do you know how to get to Ponyville?”

“I have spent a lot of time traversing your lands. I have grown familiar with navigation on the surface.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“You all as well.” Crimson said looking over the group.

The girls turned and started to make their way toward the train leaving Crimson in the city alone. He looked up at the sky to get his general bearings, then turned and started to make his way to the city limits.

Author's Note:

Edit: 10/17/2017, quick reread and tense corrections.

Comments

[BluePhoenyx]

Author's Note: Chapter 16 - Crimson and the Lonely Trek
With the devastating assault on the Duchess's manor, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Crimson regroup and figure out their next step.

Thanks for reading. Chapter 17 will be posted next weekend. Enjoy!