Heir to Darkness

by Vivid Syntax

Chapter 16 - The Final Piece

One Week Later

The bell chimed above the door to The Crystal Cavern.

His muscles still aching, Brimstone walked inside and flipped the sign to "closed." As much as he appreciated how many ponies had tried to commission him on his journey back, he felt he had earned himself a break.

Izkael looked up, smiled, and jumped over the counter. "Lad! Yer back!" He sped up to Brimstone, grabbed him by the shoulders, and brought him in for a tight hug. "Ya lived! Yer alive!" He held Brimstone at arms' length. "What happened? How'd ye do it? I heard ye turned down the crown, ye mad bastard!" He playfully punched Brimstone's shoulder. "Didn't think ye liked me company that much."

Brimstone chuckled, his voice heavy and rough. "Somepony needs to keep you from eating the merchandise, my friend."

Izkael's tail wagged behind him, and he grabbed onto Brimstone's face. "Tell me everything! Was it like ye remembered? What'll happen to the citizenry? Where's ol' Rose? Oh! I heard Princess Cadance is already movin' in wit her family. That true?"

Brimstone laughed and casually brushed Izkael's claws from his shoulders. "I will gladly tell you all about it, Izkael, but first, I need some rest."

"Ah! Yes, o' course. Here I am, gabbin' away. Ye go down and rest yer head, lad. I'll brew ye the finest stew I can manage. Away wit' ye! Sleep, sleep!" Izkael shooed him away, and with another chuckle, Brimstone lumbered to the stairway and down into his workshop.

Though his hooves throbbed and his wings ached, Brimstone took the stairs slowly. He relished the familiar creaking of each step, noting that each had its own pitch. He breathed a sigh of relief as he looked around at the familiar glow of his all works. It felt like it had been so long since he'd been here, but all the same, it felt like slipping into a well-worn set of clothing.

As he stood in the middle of the beautiful lights, his smile faltered. His workshop seemed… smaller than he'd remembered it, and every piece he looked at reminded him of the Crystal Empire, especially a black statuette of a stallion with red accents.

Brimstone's heart ached. Slowly, he approached the statue and picked it up with one hoof. He turned it several times, admiring the black sheen and the small flashes of red. A tear rolled down his cheek, and softly, he closed his eyes, kissed the statuette, and said a silent prayer. Carefully, he set the statuette down on his workbench, where he could see it easily, and he turned to get some rest.

Just before he flopped into his hammock, though, his eyes caught a sheet draped over a nearly-forgotten work of art.

He paused, one hoof resting on the hammock.

Setting his hoof down, Brimstone shook his head and rolled his eyes, and with a quick motion, pulled the sheet off. The statue underneath looked as gorgeous as he remembered, and his chest swelled with pride and excitement as he imagined getting back to work.

The unicorn still looked beautiful, and her forcefield was still a masterwork of crystal carving. Still, his head cocked to the side, and realized with fresh eyes that it was yet missing something. The unicorn was protecting herself, but from what? For a moment, Brimstone frowned.

But then, he thought of Rosewood. He thought of all he had overcome. He thought of his father and the love he still had for him, even if he accepted that Sombra had needed to be stopped.

Brimstone nodded to himself. "A tool, like all the others," he said quietly. He blinked away a tear and whispered, "I'll make you proud." He closed his eyes and drew on the power deep within himself. He felt no fear as he crafted with only his mind, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a perfectly round sphere of dark crystal riding a wave of darkness, now affixed to his masterpiece.

Brimstone saw the little unicorn, how she fought defiantly against the darkness, how even though she knew she would never be completely rid of it, she needn't fear it, for she had what she needed to keep the darkness at bay. He liked this little unicorn, and though it could certainly fetch a high price, he decided he would keep this one for himself.

With a smile, Brimstone returned to his hammock for a long, long rest.

Comments

[Phoenix Flight]

Ahhh... that was great

[Vivid Syntax]

8628951
Yay! I'm glad you liked it.

[Joeyjambo122]

8640791
Forgot to mark this story complete.

[InlustriusGhost]

Wonderfully crafted story!

[Vivid Syntax]

10697099
Thank you kindly!