Fire and Brimstone, Book 2

by BluePhoenyx

Chapter 1 - Crimson and the Cloaked Pony

All was dark - so much so that one couldn't see a their own nose. A faint sound of crackling was heard all around. “W-Where am I?” The pitch black blurred to a dark red as it slowly got warmer. “Hello?” The dark red distorted as flames started to appear on the horizon. She looked around to witness the shadows of buildings aflame. No color, just black and red with six very bright stars overhead. “What’s going on here?” Then, a dark shadow started to mold before her. The heat grew more intense as it started to take a shape. “Who… who are you?” The shape formed into the silhouette of a very tall, very powerfully built pony. A large, curved horn formed as the flame’s color desaturate, and glowing red eyes popped from the silhouette. Smoke emergeed beside the entity and morphed into another figure. The second figure, a tall and petite silhouette, looked down as glowing yellow eyes opened. The two looked down at her intimidatingly.

The yellow eyed unicorn figure leaned forward. “Can this one see?” Her voice, soft yet controlling, gentle yet overwhelming, made her drop to her knees.

The large figure groaned as its red eyes squinted. “Burrrn.” The figure’s dark voice chilled to the bone as the heat became too intense to handle. He reared back and spread his large wings, blocking all light, and making only the eyes of the figures visible.

* * *

The sun crept through the drapes into Twilight Sparkle’s face. The morning light woke her up as she cracked open her eyes. She blocked the light with her hoof as she sat up in her bed. She rubbed her mane and forcefully blinked a few times. “What a weird dream.”

Spike’s head popped up from his covers. He yawned and looked at Twilight Sparkle. “Good morning, Twilight.”

“Good morning, Spike.” Twilight rolled out of bed as Spike shifted his weight on his own mattress. “I had the weirdest dream. I had a dream that we were all flat and simple, created only to amuse other worldly beings.”

Spike rolled on his back and sat up. “That is a weird dream.”

“Come on, Spike. We have a lot of work to do today.” Twilight started to walk passed Spike.

“Right!” Spike jumped out of bed, ready to go.

Twilight bumped a table with her right wing. She looked back to see a book falling from the hit. Her horn flowed and she telekinetically caught the book. A light outlined the book, and it moved back onto the stabled table.

“Nice catch!” Spike remarked.

Twilight smiled at Spike. “Thanks.” She tucked in her wing as she looked at her new appendages. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to these.”

“Sure you will.” Spike walked up to Twilight as she turned her head. “I’m sure the Princess wouldn’t have given them to you if you couldn’t.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Twilight straightened her pose. “Now what’s on the to-do list?”

Spike grabbed the daily to-do list and started to read tasks for the two to do. “It looks like your daily meeting with Princess Celestia has been pushed back again.”

Twilight thought to herself for a moment. “Probably because of what’s been going on with the western coast.”

“What’s wrong with the west?”

“Well…” Twilight turned and leaned to Spike. “You didn’t hear this from me, but there is some sort of pirate activity going on.” Spike gasped as she continued. “The pearl divers and other sea traders have been attacked a lot these past few weeks.”

“Wow, that’s odd.”

“Yeah.” Twilight turned around and started to head toward the door. “So my princess meetings are not such a high priority.” She looked down saddened.

Spike walked beside Twilight. “But you still see her every day, right?”

“You’re right, Spike.” Twilight perked up a little. “Let’s get some work done before the meeting.”

“Right! First up on the to-do list, organize the to-do list...”

* * *

“Blast!” A hooded pony stood on the beach, looking into the sea, thinking to herself. The sun beat on the dark hooded cloak as the tall pony’s face lie hidden in shadow. “The letter read, ‘from the yellow grounds to the endless water.’ I was sure he was here!” She turned around to face the San Palomino Desert just as a hot, sandy breeze hits her face. The cloak rustled in the wind as she stared off in the distance. She then drew her attention to the neighboring city of Los Pegasus. She looked at its tall buildings and bustling streets. She stomped a hoof to the ground in frustration and let out a deep sigh. “Where are you?” She said to herself.

* * *

It had been a number of months since Twilight Sparkle has heard about a letter from her friend, Crimson – the strange pony savior from the underworld who was exploring the surface. Each letter was cryptic and illegible. The only one who was able to read it was Princess Luna, and she’d only summarize the scriptures for Twilight and her friends. From the letters, Crimson had been traveling a lot and seeing the new world. From the Crystal Mountains to Unicorn Range all the way down to the Badlands, and more. As seasons passed without a word, the more the girls would worry. And as time move on, so did their feelings.

* * *

Dusk approached as Luna walked into the castle. “Hello, sister.” Celestia walked up to Luna. “You look tired. Didn’t you sleep?”

Luna looked up with tired eyes. “Alas, no. My tasks have been keeping me busy as of late.”

“I’ve noticed.” The two started to walk down the halls of Canterlot and up the tower for the daily ritual of the sun and moon. “Why don’t you take the night off? You look like you could use a good night’s sleep.”

“You’re very generous to offer such a boon, but I shall be able to keep up with my duties.”

“Just thought I’d offer.” Celestia smiled at her sister. Though looking proud and strong, Celestia noticed that Luna lightly drug her hooves from exhaustion. Celestia stoped as they neared the top. “Good night, sister.”

Luna looked back to Celestia. “Good night.” She opened the door to the tower and steped on the balcony as Celestia looked at her with suspicion. She then turned and started to head downstairs to her quarters for rest.

The moon was dimmer than usual that night. Regardless, the mid-summer season kept the air warm, and the breezes were comforting on any pony’s coat. Luna, exhausted from her seemingly endless tasks, stood atop the tower and watched over Equestria with tired eyes.

Away from Canterlot in a grassy field on a hillside, the ground started to split open and the earth gave way to a hollow void underneath. The split ground gave an opening, and an armored pony emerged from the depth. His black coat hid him in the dim moonlight with only a feint glow emanating from his curved tip horn. Behind him, a dark purple pony donned in leathery robes stood forth and walked up beside him. Her curved tip horn emanated a feint glow as well.

The dark coated pony looked around with his red eyes. “We found it.”

The soft spoken purple coated pony looked at the armored warrior beside her. “Yes we have, my lord.”

“Tell The King that we’ve found the source.”

“Yes, my lord.” The robed pony bowed, and went back into the cave. The armored pony looked up at the night sky, staring into the hypnotizing depths of space.

* * *

Days pass as the cloaked pony looked around the docks of Los Pegasus one morning. She looked at some of the boats in the dry docks for repairs, as well as some of the other boats getting ready to set sail. She watched the ponies, pegasi, gryphons, and other races work together in a tense harmony as they loaded their assigned ships for their travels ahead. The cloaked pony turned around and started to walk to the city when she perked her head up. A memory of something that briefly caught her eye had her turn around. She looked at a boat as it starts to drift away from the dock for its departure. She took a couple of steps forward and leaned in to look closer at the boat. “There you are.” She caught a glymps of the red skinned pony with the curved horn. She galloped to the boat try to catch it, but she was too late. The boat had already taken off the docks and was heading out to sea. She looked around for the dockmaster and quickly rushed to him. “You there, where is that boat going?”

The dockmaster looked at the cloaked pony, his left eye in a permanent squint. His head cocked to the left as to look dead on at the cloaked figure with his good eye. “Who be ask’n?” He asked in a gruff voice.

The cloaked pony reached under her robes and pulled out a hooffull of bits.

The dockmaster looked down at the hoof of bits. He looked back up as he pocketed the bribe. “That be a pearl vessel. She be go’n out to the middle of the sea.”

She looked over at the boat as it sailed away. “When will it return?” After a brief pause, she looked back at the dockmaster, who was now holding out his hoof. Again, the cloaked pony reached under her cloak and gave him bits.

The dockmaster pocketed the bits with a yellow toothed grin. “Mid-fall be her scheduled return. Two months I recon.”

She turned again toward the boat.

The dockmaster looked at the sea, then the cloaked pony. “Anyth’n else be ye fancy?”

The cloaked pony ignored the dockmaster and walked toward the dock.

* * *

The night drew near as Crimson stood on the bow of the boat. His long, dark mane blow in the wind and his loose clothing that hide his scars and his wings rippled in the breeze. He watched as the endless water continued to be as it sounds – endless. Splashes of salt water hit him in the face as the wind rustled his cloak. The cloak hides the scars he received from his past life, and the unusual leathery wings that were tucked in close and tight. An amulet given to him by Princess Celestia, was bound around his neck and under the cloak. It fell from the cloak and dangled around his neck from the sea’s wind.

A griphon walked up to Crimson staring off into the sea with him. With his white feathery wings held close to his body and his tail low on the deck, he turned his eagle head at him. “You’re the passenger, right?”

“I am.” Crimson replied.

The griphon looked back at the sea. “It’s sundown. Food will be served in the mess hall.”

“Very well.”

The griphon started to walk off to the lower decks. He stopped and turned his head. “Be careful out here. I’m not sure why the captain agreed to your… whatever, but it’s dangerous out on the sea.” Crimson remained silent as the griphon walked away.

Crimson remained at the bow of the boat as the sun set. He stared in amazement, as if hypnotized by the mystery and beauty of the setting sun.

A cloaked pony, who was watching Crimson from the shadows, walked up beside him and stared off into the sea. The two remained silent for a short time before the cloaked pony spoke. “Why would one such as yourself be out on the sea?”

Crimson stayed, looking at the sea. “My business is my own.”

“Your attitude has changed from what I’ve heard.” The cloaked pony looked at the dangling amulet around Crimson’s neck.

Crimson stared at the cloaked pony. “Who are you to claim to know me?”

“So you are him.” She looked up at the red coat pony. “We shall meet again.” She turned and walked away as he stared at the stranger. “Don’t forget about dinner.” She went under the deck and out of sight.

Crimson stared at where he last saw the stranger, then went to follow. When he got under the deck, he looked around to see that the stranger was nowhere to be found. He went to the nearest sailor. “Pardon, did you by chance notice a strange, cloaked pony come by?”

The sailor shook his head. “Sorry, lad. Didn’t see a thing.” He walked off to continue his work.

Crimson looked around thinking to himself. He noticed the amulet over his cloak and tucked it under to keep it out of sight. Afterwards, he head to the mess hall.

Author's Note:

Edit: 11/29/13 - Fixed a small error in the description of Crimson.
Edit: 10/16/17 - Re-read, tense corrections.

Comments

[BluePhoenyx]

Author's Note: Chapter 1 - Crimson and the Cloaked Pony

A brief summary of what's been going on since Crimson meet with Princess Celestia. Twilight Sparkle, a newly crowned princess, tries to live the life of royalty, but trouble starts to arise that can shake the very foundation of Equestria.

I plan on releasing 1-2 chapters a week in coordination with the new pony episodes. The drafts have already been written. I just need to proofread the story.

Again, this is book 2. Book 1 is located here...
Fire and Brimestone, Book 1

Enjoy chapter 1. :)