Bloody Snow

by BaronofCrimson

Like a Bloody Stone

The next day marked the end of the storms and the start of clear skies, the morning was crisp once more and the few snowbirds were chirping in the cold air. Freezing dew covered the tent and the pines of the tall evergreens. Brimstone took a deep breath, it reminded him of his winter home where every day was like this but he thought that he was starting to like this a little bit more. Brimstone guessed that it must have been his soldier instincts kicking in, the feeling of being on the march and finally arriving at his destination. He stretched out his wings and legs his eyes and mind felt sharper and he felt attune with the land. He decided to do some flying exercises; the air was cold and thin and offered some challenge. He loved it, he had such little opportunity or excuses to fly that he almost forgot about it, but his embarrassment yesterday made it clear that he needed some practice again to help supplement his natural advantage in this environment.

He had to try and remember his drills he used to do all those years ago but after a while he managed to cobble together a workout plan that left him winded but definitely feeling well stretched and exercised. Crimson had already gone out for the start of the patrol and had left some of their usual breakfast for Brimstone with a rough map explaining where he was and a few of the natural landmarks to orientate himself with. Brimstone worked to memorize the map of the area as best he could; it would be bad form for him to be flying all over the place like a lost bird just staring at a map almost flying into a mountain or a tree. Finished with his breakfast and map reading Brimstone beat his wide wings quickly ascending above the tree tops and glided over them keeping a watch on movement from the mountains. He didn’t notice anything as he descended to the rendezvous point where he found Crimson waiting for him, buried into a small snow embankment overlooking the large glacial river bed that came from the mountain pass.

Crimson greeted Brimstone as he approached “I’m glad to see you were able to find this place and you got my map. Did you notice anything on your flight over here? Any sort of camp remnants or hoofprints? ”

Brimstone saluted and let himself play the part of a scout “I did not see anything, sir. If I may I am confident that the have moved either east or south and out of those possibilities I am guessing on that they either have headed east or have not arrived yet. If they are a true military unit like I have been led to believe they would not travel in a river ravine as it would be too exposed.”
Crimson raised his eyebrow a little willing to play around “Very well soldier, good report. Your next assignment…should you choose to do it, is to investigate any movement from the east. If you are to encounter the enemy contact me with this device.” Crimson handed him a small metal device which he placed in Brimstone’s ear. “I will arrive shortly in the event of you calling me, don’t engage them without me, that’s an order. Do you understand Major Brim?”

Brimstone saluted “Yes, sir!”

“Then I wish you luck, if they arrive here I will send you a message through that device, so don’t be alarmed if my voice comes from nowhere. It won’t be loud enough for anyone else to hear. In order to use it all you need to do is tap on your ear and it will record a few seconds. Include as much tactical details as you can, I need to know how to engage the enemy. Now go and I will see you in a few hours.”
Brimstone left the snow fort and walked for a ways down the river bed before taking to the air, not wanting to give away the location of the hideaway in case unseen eyes were watching. He quickly rose into the air feeling the icy wind on his muzzle as he went. On his right side stretched a vast forest thick and green, the smell of the pine resin was refreshing and it kept him invigorate for his long flight. On his left side was the icefields of the lower mountains it was all so white that it looked like a foam ocean with the rare grey stone looking like an island. Occasionally another small stream or river bed would cut across the two bodies, most were frozen but there were one or two that were still flowing that must have been hot springs. Whenever he came across these rivers of steams he would mark them in his map for later, especially the hot springs. He flew for hours to the east staying low to the trees and yet he found nothing, not a single indication that the soldiers beyond the mountains had made a camp anywhere along the forest or mountain’s edge. Brimstone knew that even a small party of soldiers would need more water than just what they could melt and unlike Crimson and Brimstone if they needed to keep their existence a secret they couldn’t just start chopping down trees to maintain a fire, combine this with the lack of felled trees in the area and Brimstone was confident in his theory. Brimstone stopped for lunch on the border of the forest and mountains were they finally thinned out, stretching out in front of him were hundreds of square miles populated only with the occasionally tree and small mammals.

This was the start of icy road to the Crystal Empire; only a well-supplied army could make the trek across it to the arches of the Crystal Palace so Brimstone knew that the soldiers had to be behind him or hadn’t made it over the mountains. Brimstone made a short report of his findings while settling down for lunch, he grabbed several pine needles from a nearby tree to make tea with and sat to enjoy the view while the water boiled and the tea steeped. Brimstone relayed his theory about the hot springs and he finally got a crackle in response of Crimson’s deep steady voice telling him to investigate and once again warning to not engage them alone. A soft whistle marked that the water was finally ready and after a few minutes Brimstone was drinking his tea and left with his thoughts. He contemplated the Crystal Empire before it’s disappearance along with his father, before his father had even arrived there. What was it like? Brimstone knew that only what was left in the traditions as the crystal ponies had lost almost all of their scholars and historians those thousand years ago and the other crystal ponies hadn’t ever been taught any of that. It was just the way of the crystal ponies, their longevity left them with nothing but guilds, when a pony got his cutie mark he joined a guild and stayed there. Brimstone could barely remember getting his cutie mark, it just sort of happened in a flash of light and searing pain as he was training under father’s orders one day, knowing what he did now it must have been the right time for Sombra to imbue him with his essence and it struck like a bolt of lightning leaving Brimstone collapsed and unconscious for days afterwards stuck in the cave of the Primordial Crystal. It must have been a resonant chamber for magic for that was the only way Sombra could have put so much magic into him.

Brimstone finished his tea and packed up his gear before heading back to check out those hot spring streams for any sign of habitation. This time Brimstone flew high to get a larger picture of the streams as all he was looking for was either a pool or diverted course of water or if he was lucky just any other pony. Or perhaps it would be unlucky to find the ponies themselves, Brimstone hesitated a bit. Brimstone made sure that he stuck real close to the trees now, the sense of danger dawning on him more as he became surer of his theory. Brimstone flew the entire length of the last hot spring river he had seen and saw nothing of note as it came to an end in a big crescent pond. Brimstone landed to investigate the clearing skirting around the edges of the trees with his hair standing on end. He had psyched himself out on his flight and he was starting to get paranoid at even the smallest sound from the babbling of the stream to the swaying of the trees. A rustling from the small shrubs making him cower behind the trunk of the nearest tree and he almost called for Crimson when nothing but a small northern squirrel bounded across the clearing and began digging at the ground near the edge of the pond. The squirrel emerged victorious with pawfuls of nuts and Brimstone released a small sigh of relief. Brimstone buried his head in his forelegs trying to settle down his nerves, Brimstone had wound himself up so tight that he was sure the sound of silence could make him snap. There he sat sitting for several minutes just practiced his breathing exercises.

After his butt had gotten suitably cold enough Brimstone took to the sky trying his hardest to keep calm and collected, he knew better then to worry. A paranoid soldier after all was as alert as possible but very easily distracted. Brimstone was better trained than that so he steeled himself going forward, making a promise to himself to show his stone face. Brimstone found the last of the marked hot springs two thirds of the way back to the main camp and began a now well trained technique of low flying with the trees. He had managed to relax a little and he was almost at the end of this streams length and he was very confident that the enemy soldiers hadn’t made it past the pass. That was until he saw what he though was a blood red flank, Brimstone instantly dropped to the ground as quietly as he could and began to crawl ever so slowly to where he thought he saw that flank disappear into the trees once more. On his belly he went moving slow enough to make him look like a harmless snow turtle to the most observant of sentry. Eventually the harsh, ragged, and icy voices began to play in Brimstone’s ears chilling him to his core, Brimstone was used to the evil inside him but he felt something more sinister and cruel in these voices. He didn’t want to take any chances and decided to call Crimson; he knew that these were the soldiers they were looking for. As quiet as he could Brimstone relayed his message to Crimson who only responded with the sounds of gritting teeth, a soft “stay hidden”, and the rush of air as Crimson made his move.

Brimstone moved to a small berm he saw near the sources of the voices, and as he approached he saw the soldiers, one pegasus was wielding a weird weapon perched in the trees and acting as the lookout Brimstone guessed. Six earth ponies, stallions big and strong, sat in the center of the small opening around a magic fire pit and Brimstone saw the blood red flank he had seen at the stream. At the center of this gathering was a unicorn who was obviously the leader both in his mannerisms and look, he was chanting in a language that alluded Brimstone but it was his voice that was filled with icy daggers. Most of the stallions were either a deep red or an ashen grey wearing light blue armor but the unicorn seemed to be made of ice because it looked like there were ice shards growing up from his hooves, his mane was a snow white, and his eyes were like glass staring unblinking into the fire. As Brimstone listened more he began to understand some of it, whether it was some passive magic within him or the unicorn was actually changing language he couldn’t tell.

“…The darkness was defeated but I sense…will come back…he has lived…close…only one stallion in our way...” The ice unicorn began to rise “Visitors from the past…come to clean away…” The unicorn began to raise his hooves “Our Master will not come…war. We shall join…seems he is not ready…” A chilling wind began to circulate around the unicorn swirling snow and ice all around him. “The Lord and…must reach their full power…join together. We will become unstoppable.” A cold fire ignited in the wild wind and with a terrific flash the wind died and the cold fire burned within the glassy eyes of the unicorn staring straight at Brimstone’s location “ARE YOU READY TO LEAD US ONCE MORE, SON OF THE LORD OF SHADOWS?” A bolt of cold magic raced toward Brimstone along the ground glowing with its cold fire.
Brimstone leaped to his hooves and pushed as hard he could with his legs and beat as hard as he could with his wings. Brimstone flung into the air high above the trees and he fly as fast as he could away from the demon of a unicorn. Two loud bangs followed by a sharp pain in both of his wings as two bullets tore jagged holes in his wings thin membrane and ricocheted against his plated saddlebags. Brimstone dropped from the sky as the shock from the pain overtook his mind crashing hard into the stream bed. The moment Brimstone could get up he ran as fast as he could along the stream bed his heart pounding as his hooves splashed against the water and his mind screamed to run. Brimstone breathing grew more and more ragged as the water and snow behind him were stained with his blood. The sound of the chase broke the quiet winter scenery as the guttural yelling of the enemies erupted from somewhere behind Brimstone. He thought he was going to get away until a dark grey pegasus descended from the sky and rammed into Brimstone sending him sprawling into a tree with incredible force.

The pegasus stood over Brimstone his smile crooked and full of sharpened teeth, it was not one Brimstone had seen at the gathering, but his voice was full of rust and hate. “Where are you going Prince of Shadows? You are running from your destiny. It looks like we are going to have to reteach you.” The pegasus lowered his weapon to Brimstone heart. Brimstone’s face was drained of everything but pure fear and he could only manage small noises. Brimstone closed his eyes and not a moment later a thunderous crack echoed out across the forest.
Blood and bone spilled out onto the snow from the stallion as ribs gave way and the lungs ruptured under the tremendous force. Brimstone opened his eyes to see Crimson standing on two legs his forelegs in a fighting stance of the griffons. His face was no longer obscured by his hat and high collar, Brimstone could fully see his scared face and long flowing sanguine mane. His eyes were an inferno and his mouth was in an angry snarl. Crimson hauled Brimstone to his hooves. “Fight if you want, but don’t get in my way.” Crimson left without another word racing toward the other soldiers at breakneck speed. Brimstone was suddenly alone with adrenaline pumping through him and out of wings and not wanting to leave the enemy soldiers uncompensated for their attacks against him he flew into the air blocking out the pain from his wings as best he could. Despite his injuries he managed to catch up to Crimson who was busy chasing the icy unicorn who was gliding across the ground like a wisp. Several of the earth ponies were splayed behind the rampaging Crimson, their bones crushed and ferocity demolished. The two remaining ones were trying to support their unicorn leader with large slabs of metal mounted on a yoke but if the clangs and dents into the metal were any indication they wouldn’t last long under Crimson’s almost rabid flurry of punches.

Brimstone spotted out of the corner the pegasus that he had seen at the clearing who was preparing to shoot Crimson and so he banked down and cut into the weapon with his wing blades and the force of his descent. Like lightning the pegasus dropped the weapon and dodged out of the way of Brimstone’s second swing with his other wing. He grabbed a knife from his leg with his knife and faced Brimstone, refusing to yield. Brimstone now ready to fight flowed right into his combat maneuvers jumping in and out of the other pegasus’ range and dazzling him with a wing blade dance quickly overwhelming the enemy leaving him wide open as Brimstone plunged his wingtip in between the other pegasus’ foreleg and chest, disabling him or so Brimstone thought as the pegasus suddenly jumped onto Brimstone his teeth snapping wildly like a wolf searching for Brimstone’s supple neck. Brimstone gave him a heavy kick sending him careening back to the ground before Brimstone pounced and planted his wing blades into the pegasus’ heart ending the savage life as quickly as he could. Brimstone quickly searched for Crimson and found him standing over the icy unicorn, the two metal shields with a large bloodstained hole punched through each of them flat against the snow.

Brimstone landed next to Crimson dipping slightly as a surge of pain traced through his leg alerting him to a cut in his right foreleg. The icy unicorn curled into a smile as he saw Brimstone approach. “Ah I see The Master has found a disciple and the Prince of Shadows no less. Master it seems you wish to take back our old home for yourself. When the rest arrive I’m sure they will pledge their loyalty to you, forgive me for my transgressions Master.”

Crimson’s voice was filled with something beyond anger as he yelled back at the unicorn pinned underneath his hooves, “MASTER!? YOU DO NOT CALL ME THAT WORM!”

The unicorn bowed his head a bit, “I am so sorry, My Lord. You are royalty after all.”

Brimstone could hear the sound of ice cracking as Crimson pushed harder into the unicorn. “YOU DARE? YOU DARE! I AM BEYOND THAT.”

The unicorn began to have a look of panic across his face as Crimson shoved harder and harder “Forgive this lowly servant of yours Your Worship, your our everything, our God. I am most sorry for my transgressions against Your Holiness.”
Crimson’s pressure loosened and the unicorn relaxed a little, “Your God? Your GOD?! I AM NOT YOUR GOD! YOU ARE MY ETERNAL PAIN!” Crimson roared as he slammed both forelegs through the pony’s crystalline body making him screaming in supernatural agony as a spirit escaped the soul cage.

The spirit hovered for a bit in front of Crimson’s eyes, still burning with hate. “I see that you have really changed. What made you stop the path of the conqueror? Or was it…Who?” Crimson roared at the last word as the spirit flew away into the great beyond. Crimson began attacking the icy shell crushing it into shards and the shards into dust. When he finally calmed down Brimstone went over to him.

“Are you okay Crimson?” Brimstone was very careful as he placed his wings across Crimson’s shoulders.

A few droplets of water melted the snow at Crimson’s hooves dripping down from his mane. He rose his head to meet Brimstone’s his eyes filled with those tears. “As long as my friends are in danger because of my past mistakes…I don’t think I can really be okay.” Crimson quickly went back to his old self after a minute of standing their next to Brimstone. “Now, let’s clean up these misguided fools and patch you up.”

The rest of the day was spent gathering up the bodies, giving them their funeral rights and Crimson seeing to Brimstone’s injuries. They didn’t speak until they got back to the camp and even then it was just to check up on Brimstone. It wasn’t until after dinner that the silence was finally lifted.

Brimstone hesitated to speak, “So…Crimson, I know I might be overstepping my bounds as a companion to talk about it, but those ponies seemed to know me. That unicorn was staring into my very being and that ice cold fire in its eyes. I need to know why they want me so bad and you seemed to know them! They knew you for sure; I know they called you their Master. What was that all about?” Brimstone was starting to get heated rising to his full height and started to jab his hoof in the air at him. “Crimson I almost died back there, I need to know.” With an accusatory glare on his eyes he pointed to his patched wings. Crimson lowered his hat and leaned back facing toward Brimstone, pain and discomfort was slightly visible in his posture. Brimstone took a step back and calmed himself “I didn’t mean to be so accusatory, I could see in the fight today that whoever those ponies were that they were someone you have a lot of bad history with. And whatever that unicorn…shell was must have been someone from your past with the way he was addressing you. I didn’t think about how it was all affecting you. You just seemed like a stalwart and stoic stallion of war and when you were fighting you were a fiery engine of battle. When it was all over you seemed to just return to your old self. I’m sorry Crimson, I just really wanted to know about all this, about you, and about everything I can. I just need to know.”

Crimson slowly took off his hat letting his long mane run down his shoulders, his eyes glistened with the same expression of deep rooted pain they had these past nights. “Crimson I know you want to know about your past and history more than any other pony in this land. Yours has been a life shrouded in the shadows of your father, and I think I can really keep it hidden from you, well at least my part in it. I’m sure if I don’t tell you about it then the soldiers that come across that ridge will be more than willing to shout out the litany of my misdeeds and of my failures.” Crimson settled into his chair gazing wistfully at the ceiling trying to recollect his memories from all that time ago. “I guess I should start at my beginning, tell you who I really am, it was back then that all this started. I am assuming that is the question you want answered, right Brim?”

Brimstone nodded and was preparing to listen as well as he could, he was finally getting Crimson’s unabridged story. “Hang on a second let me grab some paper.” Brimstone rifled through his saddlebags finding his nature journal and his wing pencil holder. “All set to go.”
Crimson smiled as he lost himself to his history, “Well it all started millennium ago, long before the emergence of chaos, the ice of the Windigos, or even the royal sisters birth. Equestria was a raw primordial ball full of energy and magic but lacked the life that could use it. As life continued to grow the magic began to form dense pockets and occasionally they would be granted life. These ponies were known as Smiths and they helped guide ponies to master the mysteries of the new world: the magic and life among them, the fire and technology that supported them, the seas and oceans that drew them, the air and sky above them, and the earth beneath them. It was through the guidance of these Smiths that Equestria was populated and the creatures of this land began to live and grow on their own. This was still before the Royal Sisters were around.” Crimson paused to prepare himself something to eat before he continued on.
Brimstone was taking careful notes and he took the pause as a time to clarify a few things. “So where did these Smith’s go? This is the first time I’ve ever heard about them and I can only guess why that would be. Did they disappear or did something stop them?”
“The five Smiths that manifested where able to bend the world of their respective teachings to their every whim, they helped shape the lands of Equestria to shelter all its creatures from the trade winds that move great storms to the streams that flow through the towns and the life of the oceans to the fires that helped ponies survive winter and the inventions that followed. When there job was over they disappeared back into the magic they had been formed from, their magic returning to the land if it should ever need pool together to defend itself or the life of its creatures. The Smith in charge of magic and the land remained for longer, to help ensure the natural order was maintained in all things. That is where I come in.” Crimson stood up in an elegant bow “I am the Gaian Smith, the fifth smith, the mover of land and shaper of mountains, the king of the first kingdom of Creatures United, and partner to the first smith.” Crimson demeanor sharply fell as he ended “That’s what I was once. That once was many lifetimes ago and now I’m just Crimson…a battered old soul trapped by a promise from returning. Crimson the name shouted in horror and arrogance by the ponies I once knew. If you wondered how I could have lived so long and how I could have known all I do, then there’s your answer.”

Brimstone was stupefied, part of him did not believe Crimson, it just all seemed too bizarre and wild and…impossible. He had never once even heard of these Smiths and yet this stallion claimed that he was one of them, an all-powerful being capable of bending the land to his whimsy. “Now I know you are pulling my leg, if you were really all powerful or this manifestation of magic as you call it then how come your face is so scared up and why don’t you have wings and a horn? If you were really a being of magic you would have those.”
Crimson sighed, he knew Brimstone had good reasons to doubt but it still hurt. “Brim do you really want to know why I lack those symbols of magic and why I am in this form, I warn you the answer is not pretty.”

“Of course I do!”

“Then I’ll show you” Crimson pushed his hair out of the way to reveal a jagged scar the shape of a circle in his skull where a horn would be, a small shard of the horn could be seen jutting out a tiny bit. The horn was shattered and sharp, but as Brimstone looked at it longer he started seeing things much worse. The horn was scorched with dark magic and he could see some of it still festered. Brimstone was starting to believe Crimson’s story more and more as he knew that the only one capable and evil enough to do something like that was Sombra.

“By Celestia! I had no idea; I can’t believe my father did this to you.” Brimstone was almost in hysterics over learning that that evil spell his father had concocted was actually used on another living thing.

“Don’t worry Brim; this is a wound that I received all that time ago when your father corrupted himself in the perversion of the first smith’s work. It is the price for my negligence of Sombra and my kingdom as a whole. I bear this form as a penance for my failure as a guide of this land. The story is far from finished but I believe it is time to retire for the night. The only thing I need to tell you is that these soldiers are the descendant of a group of cultists that begun praising the spirits of the land making them the Windigos, they went with Sombra as he was hurtled across Equestria, but they have technology from the peak of united society so be careful when we see them next. And Brim, you remember to keep yourself together, okay?” Crimson put his forearm around Brimstone as he came down from his hysterics.

“N-n-o...P-problem, Sir.” Brimstone was silent for a while occasionally shaking and sniffling as he came down from his sadness. Eventually a snoring emanated from Brimstone letting know that he had fallen asleep in Crimson’s arms after not too long, and so they spent that night next to each other, both feeling guilty for things they would give anything to change. Crimson did not fall asleep for a long while but Brim did quite quickly as he cuddled in Crimson’s chest.

“Maybe someday, you can change it Brim…” Crimson whispered into his ear before dozing off himself.

Morning found Brimstone curled up against a patient Crimson only covered by his clothes and blanket with his sleeping bag sitting unused. His slow breathing puffing out small clouds and a thin layer of melted dew had accumulated on his eyelids running down his muzzle. It wasn’t until the morning light had broken through the trees and trickled into the tent did Brimstone finally wake up. For a few moments he didn’t really remember where he was after all falling asleep with the warmth of another pony was usually reserved for a very different situation and location. Once he remembered where he was he shot bolt upright and almost fell completely backwards as he quickly tried to disengage unaware that Crimson was awake.

Brimstone covered himself up to try and hide his shame. He usually didn’t worry about situations like, after all most ponies would jump at the chance to get close with royalty and especially one as good looking as Brimstone, but this was not the usual case. Now it was he who wanted to get close to somepony, a feeling that he rarely felt much less gave into. Usually it was a case of his predilection for his dark magic. It came out more easily when he was…caught up in a single emotion, worse if it was a strong desire and when it came out he gained the cruelty of his father. It usually ended in more horror and tragedy than in bliss with the unfortunate pony ending up in medical care when he succumbed to it.

Crimson broke Brimstone’s train of thought “Brim, I didn’t know you were always this way when you woke up in the company of another. The redness in your face betrays that very clearly. You did sleep very soundly last night and that only leads me to believe that you made peace with what I told you last night. Today we will not be doing any scouting, but prepare yourself for combat. The soldiers we encountered yesterday mentioned more soldiers to come across that pass and even if there are more scouts out there, they are of little concern to us now with a forward assault group. I know it sounds pretty impossible for just the two of us to take on what you can only imagine as a well-supplied and well trained army of deadly soldiers. Trust me when I say that we can do this and that no matter what they pit against us we can win. Now enough about that, we should eat.” Crimson moved over to the stove and prepared their usual breakfast which he ate in silence before heading outside. “I’ll be waiting at the pass, you can take your time if you wish. I will notify you if anything comes through before you arrive so stay alert.” With that Crimson left the tent leaving Brimstone alone with his half eaten breakfast and the simmering stove.

Brimstone finished off his breakfast ponderously, mulling over all he had heard the night before again. He was still astonished at the small glimpse he got of his companion and a little guilty about what had happened to his horn. However he decided that it would be best if he could separate himself from his father’s evil and become his own stallion once again, like he had as a colt.
It wasn’t long until Brimstone finally managed to pony up and leave the tent where he prepared himself for his new flight exercises and stretch out his wings. He also made a mental note to himself to not cuddle before he might have to preform acts of rigorous flying. Although with the events of yesterday he had to be more careful to make sure he didn’t tear into the holes in his wing and at the same time he pushed himself to try extreme turns and spins to get his wings accustomed to the much harsher and extreme evasive maneuvers he concocted up. It took several hours and several undignified spirals into the snow with a few close calls with some trees as he persevered with steadfast determination. Fortunately even though he crashed a couple times and was doing high g maneuvers he avoided injuring his wings at all, in fact he was astonished that he didn’t feel much pain besides the usual pain associated with crashing. After he had thoroughly tired himself out Brimstone decided that he deserved an early lunch and while he was at it he might as well make some for Crimson. The main part were these large sized dumplings that Brimstone had read about in a Yakstani cookbook Princess Twilight had given him on the last Hearth’s Warming Eve. He guessed that she knew about his winter retreat and wanted to give him access to some hearty and warming food, she had even included ratios for meat which made him wonder for a good week after he started cooking from it about how she could have known. Brimstone had made these plenty of times before hand; they were filling and could be packed away easily if anytime called for them it would be this time. He quickly chopped up all his ingredients and in a few minutes he was ready to finally head for the pass, dumpling in his mouth and in his pack.

He was in high spirits as he lazily glided to the pass doing a few of his practice maneuvers but at much slower speeds all the while whistling a short little shanty, he really did look and sound like a giant clothed hummingbird at that moment. He made his meandering way to the little fort in front of the pass where Crimson was waiting. The fort looked a little different and as he landed he knew what it was, the weapons that the pegasi were wielding had been mounted into the fort wall and the armor and plates had been camouflaged and used to reinforce the wooden logs of the fort.

“Been busy, Crimson?” Brimstone asked as he landed finishing off the last of his dumpling. “Looks a little different.”

“Does it now? Guess I didn’t camouflage it enough” Crimson gave him a bemused expression “What was that you were eating? I hope you brought some for me, it’s been a full morning’s work getting all this prepared so come on what’s in the saddlebags?”
“Well you’re in luck I did make some extras…well I cut up too much filling and I didn’t really want to waste it.” Brimstone riffled around in his pack producing two of the half-moon dumplings. “Twilight gave me a book with all sorts of recipes for this sort of stuff. She can be one of the biggest weirdoes in Equestria but she also knows her books. There is a few more for later as well.” Crimson and Brimstone decided to retire to the fort for lunch. Crimson was took big bites out of his dumplings as he looked out onto the pass. Brimstone started nibbling on his second dumpling like a squirrel as he watched Crimson. He felt like today was going to be a good day. As the afternoon wore on Crimson began to inform Brimstone on the nature of the weaponry that the enemies had wielded and told him of the plan of attack should the enemy show up.

“So these weapons here are much like bows and arrows but instead they use something called gunpowder or a magical powder that fires a metal ball, known simply as firearms. These specifically are rifles, meant for long range and accurate shooting, but are slow and hard to reload for the untrained.” Crimson reached down and pulled something out of a bag on the ground; it was a brass tube with a cold iron tip. “Now this is the self-contained version, a bullet. Both of these things were a technology that Celestia thought was best kept suppressed whenever she rose to guide ponykind after the return of order. Now I don’t have to tell you that these small things really hurt but there is something more sinister in these bullets.” Crimson retrieved another of the bullets from the pouch and turned it to show the very tip. “You notice anything different with this?”

Brimstone stared intently at the tip “It looks like there is a liquid in the tip, what is it?”

“That is quicksilver, a blood poison and you should count your lucky stars that they didn’t hit you in the body. Without a unicorn to here to help with healing you, you would be out of commission for quite some time. To make matters worse it was enchanted by that unicorn soul to start to freeze the body as the poison flows. It didn’t break on impact with your wings which kept your blood from getting even colder than it already is.” Crimson was lost in thought as he started to play with the bullet in his hoof.

Brimstone who was very familiar with that expression knew something was disturbing him. “Crimson what is it?”

“It’s just…these ponies are monsters and even though this seems so cruel, I know that they are capable of cruelty much worse and their technology much more horrifying. The only thing I can take peace in is that they have long lost the ability to manufacture the most hideous of their war machines and the only ones they have would be relics. So they would only send them in a large all-out assault, where defeat is a major possibility. We will still have to watch out for these firearms so make sure you maintain awareness at all times and try to get rid of enemies that have these.”

“You can count on me Crimson, I was practicing a whole new set of maneuvers all this morning before I cooked lunch.”

“Brimstone...you’re a good pony, you know that.”

“Uh, ex-excuse me?”

“You’re reliable, you think for yourself and you’re a great fighter. I don’t know if this is making me sentimental or something, but it feels nice.”

Brimstone blushed a little bit, “Well thank you sir. It’s nice to be with you…but what does this have to do with the enemies?”

“Ahh yes that, I thought that I should give you a little bit more information about them. They used to be known all that time ago as the Cult of the Windigos and they formed sometime after the other three Smiths disappeared back into the magic of Equestria. They founders of the cult were a group of deeply spiritual unicorn explorers and cartographers that discovered the Windigos on a journey to the northern expanse past these mountains. They brought back tales of these mystic creatures never before seen in any form in Equestria up to that point. They began to theorize that it was the magical residue of the other Smiths and thus the worship began. They let the Windigos into their hearts and souls and it began to fester and pervert their idolatry into fanaticism. They grew powerful and as many followers were from the capitol of the Smith of fire and technology, they grew very advanced as a collective. At first it was harmless and fairly dispersed but it grew to be a rather frightening and large militia in a short while. They were of course loyal to the Smiths and served as our specialist fighting force against other splinter factions and creatures that had grown vicious and jaded against ponykind, like the dragons or a large faction of corrupted griffons or lawless bands of wild ponies that preyed on the growing villages and towns outside of the capitals. They were scary to utilize as soldiers given their temperament but they proved loyal for the longest time. Until they suddenly assaulting the capitols denouncing me and my partner as Smiths instead they claimed we were heretics and that we had taken the mantle of the Smiths and were leading everypony astray. They called themselves the Children of the Windigos and demanded my immediate surrender and death, I refused of course. As I later found out as I started the campaign to push them out of our land that it was Sombra in his fall to dark magic that he had engineered their betrayal and convinced their highest leaders of this lie. They were the beginning of his army and with them he laid waste to several settlements until we finally tracked him down and stopped him. The rest of his troops fled to the north with the shards of their new master and there they bided their time until the day arrived when he would return and then again they were banished away when Sombra was sealed along with the Crystal Empire. I guess they are sick of waiting and are coming to deliver retribution for their master. It seems that some of them have forgotten who their master is and have either remembered who I was and believed or they confused me for the King of Shadows. Given how long it has been since they’ve seen him I guess it’s a reasonable mistake. That explanation doesn’t make it any less infuriating to me though.”

They sat in silence for a bit before Brimstone cleared his throat, “Crimson, I appreciate the history and all but I’m not sure I understand how this made you feel nostalgic for that time.”

“Oh right! It’s nostalgia from the war, despite how horrible it was I did get to meet a lot of ponies and fight alongside them. I was the strongest warrior so I was on the front lines as often as I could and every couple of nights I would bunk with different soldier and get to know them. We would become battle brothers and I got to know my soldiers. Although I never had one cook for me.” Crimson chuckled and hit Brim on the shoulder.

“Well, I’m glad you I could give you something special.” Brimstone shot back with his eyebrows wiggling.

They both shared a hearty laugh and enjoyed the last of the meat dumplings before getting back to watching the pass. Not even ten minutes passed before a sharp crack filled the air and the thud of a high speed impact was heard from outside. Rushing to the windows they saw the forms of twelve ponies with four of them being pegasi one of which held the smoking gun.
Crimson snapped to attention, “BRIMSTONE! BATTLESTATION!” He bolted out of the fort and charged the enemies across the open ground. Brimstone was stunned for a few moments and then he remembered what Crimson had said and picked up one of the rifles and aimed as best as he could and fired at one of the pegasi that were being to perch and take aim at Crimson. He fired his shot remembering to hold his breathe as he pulled the trigger; it was a direct hit with the pegasus’ shoulder making him drop his own firearm and fall from the tree. A wave of grey smoke filled the fort that stung at Brimstone’s eyes and the deafening boom of the discharge left Brimstone’s ears ringing. Undeterred he picked up the second rifle and took aim at another pegasus he was faster to take aim and fire this time around. The smoke in his eyes and his rapid heartbeat following the shock of firing them for the first time made him shoot wide and he only managed to hit their wing making them shoot wide at Crimson. Brimstone cursed himself and reached into the bag for more bullets and hurriedly tried to reload the weapons.

Meanwhile outside Crimson rushed through the shallow snow galloping at full tilt as he weaved side to side dodging the bullets from the remaining pegasi. This time their leader seemed to be a large and self-important pegasus about the size of Brimstone and covered with the crystalline armor of the Children, he wielded a lever-action rifle and was taunting all the while. Pegasus blood was quite prideful Crimson thought as he narrowly dodged his shots. The other ponies except for two were big earth ponies wielding the large shields that the other war party had been wielding except these were covered in spikes and through the gaps two unicorns were holding spears ready to run Crimson through. They began to charge him shouting in a blood rage as they ran. Crimson did not flinch and only put on more speed and stopped weaving meeting their charge.

Brimstone had managed to reload the rifle as Crimson closed in on the ground troops and this time he made sure to take careful aim this time at another pegasus and with another crack his bullet found it’s mark right in the heart of the pegasus. Brimstone gave up trying to reload the rifles as it took too long and Crimson looked like he was going to be in trouble very soon so he dropped the weapon and flew as hard he could toward the pegasus he had shot in the wing. Flying high to get the sun at his back he plunged like a stone with his wings folded, it wasn’t until he was seconds away from the pegasus that he unfurled his wing blades and sliced the pegasus from shoulder to flank on his stomach. As Brimstone recovered from his dive he heard the screams of glory as the pegasus praised that their leader would be so gracious as fight him. This cry unnerved Brimstone a little bit as he went to find the last pegasi in the sky.

Crimson had finally reached the charging infantry but right before they clashed he kicked a stone into the air and in one swift motion moved to stand on his rear legs and punched the stone through the shield directly in front of him going into the head of the pony. Crimson then slid on his two legs jumping on the now overturned shield and riding it toward the two unicorn who he quickly dispatched with a single punch to the side of the body making them crumple instantly into a neat pile. The rest of the earth ponies roared as they turned about face and charged again. Crimson quickly tossed up the spears and kicked them with tremendous force impaling them through the shields. When they finally closed in they only were only 4 in number and this time Crimson did not move as they boxed him on all sides. They were all snarling and grunting like feral animals, but it must have been some way of communication because after they stopped they begun a coordinated attack trying to crush and skewer him. Crimson leapt into the air to avoid the attack and as the four clashed shields he descended upon one of them breaking his back and leaving two of them open to his graviton gauntlets which reduced them to ragged piles of steel and fur in a blink of an eye. The last one stood his ground in the face of the engine of war that was Crimson who began to walk slowly with the intent to destroy written deep in his eyes. The soldier started to retreat as Crimson advance but the stalemate was not fated to last as the crack of a rifle and the cackling of a pompous pegasus filled the air. The soldier collapsed blood pooling out of his head staining the snow and melting it. Crimson scanned the air for the pegasus and saw that he had retreated back to the mountain pass’ entrance.
“It looks like the trash really couldn’t take out such a marvelous warrior such as yourself. But tsk tsk, what’s this I see, two against one? Now that’s just unfair, two great warriors against just one other great warrior, this can’t stand. I guess we will have to just even out the playing field.” The pegasus tapped on something with his hooves and flew back towards the trees where Brimstone made a charge for him.

“Brimstone! Stop!” Crimson yelled out as loud as he could.

Brimstone stopped short and retreated to a position opposite the other pegasus on the other side of the pass. “What is it, Crimson?”

The pegasus looked a little defeated “You just had to go and ruin my little plan didn’t you now uhmm…Crimson Smith is it now?”

“It’s just Crimson to you, and what do you have hidden in that pass.”

“I’m so glad you asked. READY!” The pegasus roared. Crimson could see dim red lights appear in the tunnel.

“AIM!” A quiet but gut churning whine could be heard and Crimson knew immediately what it was.

“Brimstone get down now! Evasive maneuvers now!” Crimson roared over the whine as it got louder and louder.

“FIRE!” The pegasus brought their hoof down and the whine stopped for less than a second before being replaced by a roaring like the sound of buildings being torn asunder as a bright beam began to trace its way to from Brimstone’s previous location toward Crimson. Crimson broke into a sprint toward the source of the beam as soon as it fired trying to get inside its firing arc as it traced its way through the terrain. He managed to get inside but then he heard the hiss as projectiles were fired out of the machine, half went toward Brimstone who saw them and was already in his evasive maneuvers while simultaneously trying to get closer to the pegasus captain. Crimson managed to dodge the beam and his half of the missiles but their explosive blast caught him and threw him sprawling right close to the source of these weapons. Brimstone also managed to dodge the missiles coming after him and was flying toward the captain when the beam suddenly stopped firing and a loud explosion fired off behind him and then another and another. Everywhere the laser had traced began to explode in the same order that it traced and try as he might Brimstone couldn’t get away from the explosions and he was caught from below and flung out in the open.

For a second everything fell silent as Brimstone and Crimson laid face down in the snow and then the creaking of a large mechanical monster roared over everything as the thing inside the pass began to move. Crimson escaped being crushed by a giant slab of metal as he dodged out of the way at the last second but he could not dodge the slab when it flicked at him catching him full on and throwing him out of the darkness of the cave several meters. The creaking continued as the beast made its way out of the pass stopping when it was halfway exposed.

When the machine stopped a loud burst of static filled the air before being replaced by a slightly distorted but powerful and imposing voice “Well if it isn’t false king. I thought you were unbeatable, indomitable, and most of all unmatchable. But now all I see before me is the crumpled body of a usurper and a traitor to the land that gave us life. Would the Gaian Smith really fall to the power of Ignatius’ creations, and to one as old as this? I must say you put up quite a wonderful display dodging most of the weapons of this holy machine.”
Crimson was getting aggravated “You dare profane his name with your evil ambitions, your cruel nature, and empty words. The technology of the Crab Walker are not yours to slaughter the innocent people of this land.”

“My…my…you certainly seem to remember something about that lie you live, you actually cared about another Smith, and I’m impressed. You would almost make the title of Gaian Smith proud, but even if you were him you have abandoned us, you betrayed all of us. We revered you as gods and what did you do? You drove us out of your land and destroyed all that we held dear. Burned our lush land into nothing but a hell blasted wasteland and sent us to suffer in the frozen north for millennia blocking out our communion with the Windigos, the True Smiths.”

“It was you that drove me to banish you to the North and the Windigos are not the Smiths they are creatures of magic that you perverted and turned against ponies. Your ancestors are to blame for your own demise” Crimson stood tall and yelled the fire in his soul burning in anger.

“LIES!, you forsake us and then what do you do, you disappear from the homeland, go and put those Princesses on the throne that rightly belonged to the Smiths and disappear into the aether never to be heard from in anything but whispers and rumors of the Gaian Smith’s true return to. So we hold onto that hope and pray that maybe he has returned and was going to lead us back to our rightful position as the hammer of the Smiths. Now I see that it was all lies you are nothing but rusty trash, the only thing I can congratulate you on is that you managed to steal enough life essence from the ponies around you to keep you alive this long, just how many ponies have you drained to heal your mortality?”

“That’s it! I will not listen to you slander me and spread your lies any further! You will fall this day I promise that in memory of all those your misguided belief has killed.” Crimson thundered as he sprinted toward the machine.

Brimstone was now one on one with the churlish and egomaniacal captain who had dropped his rifle and brought out his own wing blades and blades on his forelegs. “I guess I get to fight the son of our true lord, I hope you aren’t just one of his bastard offspring that claims that they are better than everyone else every time one of his mixed bloodlines gets enough self-importance to make noise about the connection. His children can be such weaklings and turn into such submissive little foals when a little pressure is applied.” The captain licked his blades while staring straight at Brimstone “I wonder how much you’ll squeal. I hope I don’t kill you quickly, I need some fun after all this.”
Brimstone ground his teeth and his eye started twitching but said nothing, he let himself indulge in the anger.

“Not the talking type then? I guess I’ll just have to make you learn.” The captain cackled as he lifted his head high.

Brimstone charged without hesitation trying to cut him down in his moment of weakness only for the clang of blades to meet his ears. “Did you think it would be that easy? There’s a reason I’m a captain boy.” On the last word spit flew onto Brimstone’s face making him even angrier. Brimstone and the captain disengaged and clashed blades on the ground and air as Brimstone’s ballet of blades met with the captain’s discordant display of daggers. The two styles were at odds as the captain’s volume of blades nullified Brimstone’s precise and agile stabs.

Crimson’s battle was not as much of a delicate display of technique and finesse. The walker’s legs were like giant shovels digging into the ground and throwing up a shower of boulders and stones and they were also trying to bisect Crimson with a direct hit. Crimson was being tossed around in the debris and shockwaves from each foot fall. It was grueling but he managed to clamp onto on the legs and he started to climb it as it thrashed the leg around and tried to crush him against the walls of the pass. Crimson’s plan was foiled as the leg folded to face the ground and prepared to plunge into the ground. He detached just in time and thinking quickly he jumped on the head of the walker and setting his rear gauntlets to keep him stuck to the top as he started laying blow after blow of punches to the hatch of the machine, causing it to lurch and stumble around as the vibrations shook and rattled the control circuits, but the harden shell remained unyielding to the shower of blows.

Brimstone and the captain were at each other’s throats, they both decided that their short ranged fury wasn’t going to solve their battle so they distanced themselves apart and began charging at each other in an aerial joust. Sparks flew as they kept grinding the entire length of their blades at such high speeds. Brimstone was getting winded and his adrenaline was wearing thin so on his final pass he aimed the sparks toward the captain and dived as fast as he could to hide beneath the trees.

The captain began circling ahead after he noticed his disappearance. “So this is what passes for honor among your misbegotten kind. I knew you half breeds were cowards and dishonorable bastards.”

Brimstone pushed off as hard as he could from the ground and pushed with the limit of his strength in one final strike, all or nothing. “I am my father’s son and you will obey me! Now die!” The captain brought down his wing to try and deflect Brimstone’s charge but missed and Brimstone’s blades sliced right through the wings and went on through to spear the heart as the blade went all the way through. Brimstone sighed in relief which quickly turned into distress as the full weight of the other pegasus pulled him straight down to the ground breaking and pinning his wing. The pain of Brimstone’s injuries finally came to him in shocking resolution but he was content in his victory and he just decided to lay there in his exhaustion on the edge of the forest.

Crimson was still hammering on the hatch his frustration mounting higher and higher making his blows harder and harder. “ENOUGH!” the machine roared suddenly an electric pulse covered the entire surface and electrocuted Crimson and deactivated his gauntlets sending him arcing in front of it again. “I’ve had enough of you, you imposter! I’m going to settle this with you once and for all.” From the hatch came a sharp hiss and it open to reveal an elaborately dressed stallion unicorn. Covered in silver robes and adorned with a whole cave’s worth of crystal of perfect clarity shining like lanterns in the afternoon sun. His long robes and headdress were obscuring something in the other seat. “I am a high shaman of the Children, I am one of the most powerful men in my land. I came here to crush you and destroy your profane memory. Once a little soul told me of your presence here I decided to lead the first assault into your lands. Now to bring you low I will use the one thing I know that the real Gaian Smith would take pleasure in as told by the scrolls of the Old Ones. To all others it will break their soul. Behold you arrogant fool!” The shaman revealed what he had been hiding. It was a mare, pure and innocent, her eyes full of terror and her body covered in robes. She was affixed to the hatch immobilized and atop her head was a circlet that was cutting into her head making bloody trails down her amethyst coat. “The death of innocence was the pride of Gaian Smith if I recall, let’s see how valid your claim is.” In one agonizing motion the shaman slit the mare’s throat.

Crimson blood froze and he stopped dead in his tracks. His knees gave way and he collapsed on the ground unresponsive.

“Yes, you cannot deny it now it is for the whole world to know. It is you who is the betrayer and you shall have your retribution.” The whine of the laser once again buzzed through the air.

Brimstone saw from his pinned position and struggled to get free “Crimson! Move! Snap out of it!”

“Enough out of you bastard, you are not worthy of the blood of The Lord of Darkness. You betrayed your father.” The shaman entered a few more commands and then the hiss of missiles joined the choir of the machine and this time they were all focused on Brimstone. Green smoke began to leak from Brimstone’s mouth as the missiles neared, he was facing death and a little corruption was better than death. He started to channel the energy within him to blast them away.

“STOP!” It was Crimson’s voice, he was fully upright. His was head down with his mane covering his entire face. He raised his hoof and the missiles stopped their course and exploded on the spot. “Brim! Stand down…I will defeat him.”

The shaman laughed “Beat me? You think your weak mind can withstand the might of the Children.”

“You dare…” Crimson said barely audible.

“What are you saying, turncoat? Are you surrendering?” The shaman taunted

“You dare!” Crimson yelled advancing toward the machine

“I do, you deserter.”

“YOU! DARE! I am the avatar of destruction and you think that a simple machine can lay me low…I will make you see oblivion I will make you feel the pain you have caused!” Crimson bellowed at the shaman. Brimstone could sense a drastic change in Crimson, Brimstone had just felt it himself when he was about to surrender himself to his dark power. Crimson took off his long duster revealing his skin. Brimstone was shocked at what he saw, scars covered his whole body and on his back were too large wounds were wings would be. On all of his legs there were crimson colored cracks that ran up his the grey legs and they began to pulse and light up like magic was being conducted through them. Crimson’s skin began to change it looked like it was hardening into rock and the veins looked like they were turning into magma. Crimson’s whole body got larger and started shedding off slabs of this stone skin revealing a bubbling and boiling mass of molten rock.

“I am Volcanic Ash, I am your precious Smith, but you are not one of my precious ponies. You will be destroyed.” The monstrous creature that Crimson had turned into was still shaped like a pony but was bigger than the crab walker. Volcanic began his assault on the machine, pounding its legs in and snapping them off. The walker fired off all of its weapons and explosions quaked all over Volcanic’s body but it did not phase the monster as it plunged its molten hooves deep into the heart of the machine tearing it apart piece by piece before lifting up the entire machine and shoving it into mountain pass causing it to collapse into the walker burying it and the shaman.

Brimstone managed to free himself and started running for Volcanic, what he planned to do he didn’t know but he ran all the same. Fortunately for Brimstone, Volcanic dissipated as soon as he had appeared and Crimson’s body soon emerged as the magma and rock disappeared back into his body. Brimstone ran up with Crimson’s hat and duster, but he was out of it for a few minutes while Brimstone stood there where he could finally get a good look at Crimson’s body. Brimstone was first drawn to Crimson’s hooves which he could barely see under the gravity gauntlets, the hooves were cracked and a deep scarlet to match his main mane color. From the hooves came those cracks that traveled up each leg almost the entire length and when Brimstone tapped them he didn’t know what to expect but them being as hard as stone was not one he had considered. Brimstone reached out to touch the scars on his back but was halted as he felt a hard rush of air in his lower stomach and the sound of the air as he was laid out on his back in a flash. Crimson stood above him his face conveying his surprise and bewilderment which was replaced by apologies as he returned to his senses and let go. Brimstone sheepishly offered him his duster and hat which he gladly accepted and together they limped back to base. They barely made it to the tent before they collapsed into a pile of hooves and winter clothes.