Fire and Brimstone, Book 1

by BluePhoenyx

Chapter 5: The Interrogation

The next day, Twilight Sparkle paced around the library, thinking about the armored stranger. She didn't feel right about what happened and how it happened. She felt like part of the story wasn't told, as if she was missing a page of a book.

Spike just watched her like a ping pong ball. “What’s up, Twilight?”

Twilight stopped pacing for a second and looked up in thought. “Something about that pony doesn’t seem right to me.”

“What do you mean?” Spike asked.

She rubbed her chin with her right hoof in thought. “I don’t know. There’s something about that pony...” Then, she started to trot toward the door.

“Wait, Twilight. Where are you going?” Spike asked.

Twilight opened the door. “To get some answers.” She replied and she trotted toward the Ponyville jail.

Two royal guards standing at the entrance when she arrived. Twilight walked toward the entrance when the guards stopped her. “Sorry, no admittance.”

“I want to see the prisoner.” Twilight requested.

The guards stood firm. “By order of Captain Shining Armor, no admittance.”

“Shining Armor? He’s my brother. I’m sure he would allow me to enter.”

A guard shook his head. “I don’t care who he is to you. No admittance without his permission.”

“Gah!” Twilight turned frustrated and saw Pinkie Pie hopping around in a circle, smiling and singing to herself. Twilight walked to Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, what are you doing?”

Pinkie Pie started to hop around Twilight Sparkle. “Bubble ring!”

A look of confusion filled Twilight’s face. “A... bubble ring?”

“For bubbles.” Pinkie Pie poured bubbled water in the circle she created. Twilight lifted and eyebrow as Pinkie Pie grabbed a large ring that fit in the circle.

“What’s that for?”

“Bubbles!” Pinkie Pie dipped the ring in the circle, then waved it around. A large bubble formed and morphed out of the ring, then floated gently in the air towards Twilight. Twilight watched the bubble as it slowly and gently touched her horn. The bubble popped soaking Twilight in bubble water.

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Pinkie!”

“Wee!!!” Pinkie Pie started to float away inside one of the bubbles.

Twilight shook her head as she used her magic to pop the bubble and levitate Pinkie Pie to the ground. “Pinkie, stop for a moment.” Pinkie stopped her happy hopping as Twilight continued. “Is there anything about yesterday that’s bugging you?”

“Hmm…” Pinkie Pie thought to herself for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right! I didn’t have any punch to drink.”

“No, I mean about that strange pony.” Twilight corrected, slightly frustrated.

“Hmm… Come to think of it, what happened to all of the string?”

Twilight sighed. “Nevermind.” Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes with her hoof, Twilight looked over at the guards with the corner of her eye. “Pinkie, I need to talk with that pony from yesterday.”

“You mean the creepy one with the red skin?”

Twilight put her hoof down and nodded her head. “Yes, that one.”

Pinkie’s eyes widened with drama. “And the strange, shiny armor?”

“Yes, that one.”

“And the curved horn?” Pinkie almost shouted in horror.

“Yes, that one!” Twilight turned to the jailhouse. “But I can’t see him because the guards are blocking the entrance.” She turned back to Pinkie, who was now dressed up in an ice cream sales pony outfit and an ice cream cart. Baffled, Twilight blinked for a moment as Pinkie Pie walked up to the guards. The guards walked to the cart and started to pick out some ice cream. “I guess that’ll do.” Twilight quietly snuck toward the jailhouse.

One of the guards pointed at a picture on Pinkie Pie’s cart. “And what is this one?”

“This is an ice cream cone with cake inside with brownies on top!” Pinkie Pie said in excitement.

“Wow. And what about that one?” The second guard pointed to another picture.

“It’s a cake covered brownie with delicious chocolate ice cream cake on top!”

With the guard’s attention diverted, Twilight started to slowly open the door to the jailhouse. One of the guards looked up and Twilight held still. She quietly took a deep breath as she watched the guard.

“... What about a mix of this one and this.” The guard pointed to two separate items on Pinkie’s cart.

Pinkie’s eyes widened with a hint of amazement filling her face. “Why didn’t I think of that?!” She jumped up in happiness. “Oh, and what if…”

Twilight sighed in relief as Pinkie Pie talked about all sorts of combinations. Slowly and quietly, she snuck inside the jailhouse.

Crimson sat in a cell in the back of the jailhouse. His hooves were shackled to the ground in heavy chains. His skin was littered with scars from the countless battles he fought, and his wings were leather instead of feathers like normal ponies. Twilight walked up to the pony and looked at him through the cell bars. Crimson saw the visitor and stood up.

“Who are you?” Twilight asked.

“I am Ebon Commander Crimson Thull from House Thull, son of Galvis and Nolia Thull, brother to Scorch, Demi, and Temethyst Thull.”

Twilight looked at the stranger in a confused manner. “Wow, that’s a hoofull.”

“May I inquire the name of my captor and vanquisher?”

“My name? I’m Twilight Sparkle. Err, star pupil to Princess Celestia.” She added as to not feel so awkward to this stranger’s unusual reply.

“Ms. Twilight Sparkle, star pupil to Princess Celestia.” Crimson bowed in acknowledgement of his guest. Twilight looked strangely at the prisoner as he continued. “May I ask another question?”

“I have questions of my own.”

“My apologies.” He said with a humbling tone. “I mean not to upset my captor.”

“Captor?” Twilight mumbled to herself. She looked at Crimson. “Why did you attack us?”

“I did not mean for my visit to be such an insult to your land. However, I am not the provoker.”

“What?” Twilight lightly recoiled at the reply. “What does that mean?”

“The ones who reside here, they are the ones who attacked first with their stares and chatter.”

“Really?” Twilight turned toward Crimson’s possessions.

“I did not know this civilization was hostile towards wandering travelers.”

In shock, Twilight turned toward the jail cell. “How do you get that idea? Ponyville is a great and welcoming town.”

“I am inclined to disagree for it was them who stared at a distance and talked amongst themselves.”

“I think it has to do with your armor.” Twilight said as she put her hoof on his breast plate of his armor. She looked closely at the magnificent and elegant etchings on the armor itself. “I’ve never seen this kind of work before.”

“Your soldiers wear armor.”

“Soldiers?” Twilight asked as she touched the jeweled knife with her hoof.

Crimson’s eyes widened as he noticed Twilight’s attention on the knife. “I am sorry. I did not mean to speak out of turn.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight turned around confused. “They’re more ‘guards’ than ‘soldiers.’” Twilight noticed the prisoner looking very uptight and tense. She looked away in thought. “What pony doesn’t know about the Royal Guards?” She asked herself as she wondered off in thought.

“I must commend your knowledge in the properties of minerals.” Crimson complimented.

“You mean the gem?”

“Yes. I have not met many ponies who know about a mineral’s properties, much less the power to utilize them.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks. I study a lot of magic.” She turned back toward Crimson’s armor. “I noticed a lot of gems on your armor and accessories.”

“They have been vital to my survival.”

“Against what?”

“They have defended me and kept me alive in countless encounters.”

“Yeah, I can see you’ve been through a lot.” Twilight turned back toward Crimson.

“May I inquire to what rank you hold?” Crimson asked.

“My rank? I don’t really have a rank.”

Crimson lightly leaned to his right. “Your rank mark.”

Twilight turned her head trying to see what Crimson was looking at. “You mean my cutie mark?”

“Is that what your kind calls it?” Crimsons asked straightening himself.

“Uh, I guess.” Twilight looked at Crimson toward his flank to see what mark he had. “You have a strange cutie mark. Wait…” She leaned her head forward and lightly squinted. “Are those… Scars?”

Crimson turned his head toward the pattern on his flank. “This represents my rank and affiliation.”

“That’s not a cutie mark.” Twilight gasped as she looked on the other side of Crimson. “It’s not on the other side. It’s a different pattern.”

Crimson looked to his other flank. “This represents my military history and my battle record.”

“Oh.” Twilight quietly replied. She noticed a fresh wound on his flank that continued with the pattern. “What’s that one for?”

Crimson looked at his self-inflicted burn. He lightly frowned from the mark he made just before leaving the massacre that had him decide to run away. “My desertion from House Thull.”

Twilight looked shocked at Crimson. “Why would you do something like that?”

Crimson looked down with a depressed look about him. “I did not like the life I was forced to live, the fear I was forced to spread, the pain and the suffering I was forced to inflict.”

She looked sympathetically upon the prisoner. “It must have been terrible.”

Crimson looked at Twilight after a brief pause. “May I ask a question?”

“You don’t always have to ask permission.”

Crimson looked confused for a moment at Twilight’s reply.

“Yes, yes. You can ask a question.”

“What magic caused the water to fall from above?”

“Magic?” Twilight thought to herself for a moment. “You mean the rain?”

“Rain magic?” Crimson asked.

“There was no ‘magic’ about it. It was just rain.”

“Very well. I understand. Every pony has their secrets.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked in total confusion. “Don’t you know what ‘rain’ is?”

Crimson shook his head. “I do not.”

“That’s ridiculous. Every pony knows what ‘rain’ is.” She sighed then looked at the stranger. “Okay, rain is the water that collects into clouds that form in the sky.”

“Thesky… A powerful demon?”

“A what? No.” Twilight said baffled. “The sky isn’t a demon. It’s… How can you not know what the sky it?” Frustrated, Twilight looked away and started to think to herself.

“Am I to assume that this ‘Thesky’ is what the bright ceiling was?”

Twilight, almost totally baffled and dumbfounded, stared blankly and speechless at the stranger.

“And was this ‘Thesky’ overpowered by another? Or did this creature have to rest?”

“It’s not called ‘Thesky.’” Twilight said, starting to understand his unusual line of questions. “It’s just named ‘sky.’ It’s not a demon.”

“Oh. Where did your sky go? It turned dark with a strange chill. And why did it come back?”

“… Are you serious?” Twilight asked in disbelief.

“And what are the glittering lights in your sky? And the white objects? And the orb of light? What is that second orb when the ceiling turns dark?” Crimson stared up in wonder. “Why do the orbs disappear? Why did it get colder?”

“… You are serious.” She looked awkwardly and confused at the strange pony as he ranted on.

“And where does all of the water come from? I have never seen so much water in my life.” Crimson says as he looked out a small window.

“Where are you from?” Twilight asked baffled.

Crimson snapped back into reality and repressed his natural curiosity like he was trained. “Oh, I am sorry. I did not mean to be so disrespectful.” He bowed in humility.

“Where are you from?” Twilight asked again.

“I come from beneath your lands. Where I am from, it is dark, cold, murderous, traitorous, and very dangerous.”

“Beneath us?” Twilight looked at the ground.

“I escaped the dark pits below to this brilliant land of yours.”

“Escaped? Wait, you came from the crater!” Twilight exclaimed. Just then, a unicorn pony comes in.

He held his head up high as his decorated coat gave him a sense of title and respect. His white coat and his blue shield cutie mark were clean and spotless. “Twiley? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Shining Armor.” Twilight said looking upon her brother.

“You’re not supposed to be in here.” Shining Armor looked to the prisoner. He nudged his head behind him to the door. “Come on, Twilight. Let’s go.”

Twilight walked toward the door as Shining Armor followed her.

Crimson bowed at the leave of his guest. “Farewell, Ms. Twilight Sparkle, star pupil to Princess Celestia.”

Twilight looked back at the prisoner bowing to her presence.

The two guards stood at full attention as Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor exited the building.

“So what’s going to happen to him?” Twilight asked.

“I’m going to hold a trial tomorrow.” Shining Armor replied. “After that, I don’t know.”

Twilight seems lost in thought at that comment.

“Twiley, I’d love to stay and talk, but I have a lot of work to do.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” Twilight said. “Will any pony be speaking for him?”

“The prisoner?” Shining Armor looked back into the jailhouse. “Doubtful. He isn’t a very popular pony.”

Twilight frowned, then looked toward the jailhouse.

“I’ll catch up with you later. Maybe we can grab a bite to eat after everything is done?”

Twilight gives a faint smile and nods her head.

“Okay, until then.” Shining Armor turned and entered the jailhouse, leaving her outside.

Twilight turned around and started to walk toward the library in thought. Pinkie Pie fell from the sky and landed in front of her with an ice cream cone in her hoof. “Why the long face?” Pinkie Pie smiled. Twilight just stared at her. “You look like you could use ice cream.”

“Uh, thanks, Pinkie Pie.” Twilight slowly took the ice cream cone from Pinkie Pie’s hoof.

“Why the frowns?”

Twilight just stared toward the ground. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t seem right.” She licked the ice cream and Pinkie Pie tilted her head. Twilight’s eyes widened up. “Wow, Pinkie. This is terrific!”

“You like it? The guards and I created it just a few minutes ago.” Pinkie started to float in the air. “I’m glad you like it!” She said as she floated behind a building and out of Twilight’s sight.

Twilight sat down and snacked on the ice cream while looking at the jailhouse, reflecting on what her brother said. Her eyes widened as she snapped her head up. “I got it!” She stood up and trotted to the library.

Comments

[BluePhoenyx]

Author's Note - Chapter 5: The Interrogation
Twilight questions more and more on what happened and finally goes to seek answers.

This section includes parts of Ponyville that were never really shown or discussed in the show - mainly the jailhouse. In addition, we see how Crimson is vs. how he was and the shell he's engulfed in.

Chapter 6 should be posted on 11/30 or so. Thanks for reading.

Edit: 12:12p pst, 12/3/12
Added the chapter number to the author's note.

[Vash_ts]

1689048
Will await for the next chapter!
this is getting awesome...

also, ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY THESKY

[BluePhoenyx]

1689897
Hah, I had some fun writing that. Cheesy, I know. But for someone who doesn't know something as simple as the sky, sun, clouds, ect... I was cackling while writing that part.