One

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Princess Twilight Sparkle was lying down on her favourite couch reading yet another book from her library in the orange glow of the sunset. Unlike most days, the alicorn had the balcony door wide open, letting in the cool breeze from the wind that swept through the city and the evening songs that the birds were singing. Life had resorted back to normal once more in Ponyville since the attempted invasion of the Storm King months back, and at last, Twilight felt that she could forget about being a princess for the evening.

It had been a long day for Twilight and her friends. Earlier on, they went over to Canterlot to open a brand new bookstore that had previously been destroyed by some of the invaders. Of course, it was Twilight's dream to open a bookstore for herself, so she kept a big smile on during the whole event, even if the pony who was doing the opening speech did seem to drag on a little bit.

Of course, she wasn't alone. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy helped with the decorations, whilst Pinkie Pie and Rarity hosted the buffet afterwards for the rest of the ponies. Spike helped with a few notes that were written by Princess Celestia, and Starlight Glimmer welcomed every pony who went inside the bookstore. Twilight was extremely proud that every customer who came in always found the book they wanted, especially Rainbow Dash who had discovered that she was selling Daring Do books in the centre of the store.

For a very long time, Twilight had doubted herself for putting Equestria on the edge of destruction so many times. It may have been those who have attempted to rule Equestria a few times, but it was her who they were really targeting. She was the prize to evil itself. Even Tempest Shadow thought so too when she was working for the Storm King all that time ago, but then Twilight remembered that she was now working alongside them and no longer against.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, which made Twilight jump out of thought. She looked away from what she was reading and turned to look who was knocking. Twilight thought that it may be one of the guards who had decided to forget that she wasn't to be disturbed by an order from Princess Celestia, after suggesting to Twilight that she needed to have a break from princess duties.

"I'm busy!" Twilight said, trying to get her message past the door, "I can't answer at the moment!"

"Twilight, it's me." Spike's voice came out muffled from the other side of the door. Twilight quickly got up from where she was sitting and placed her book down on a nearby table. She went over to the door and opened it using her magic and stepped aside, allowing the baby dragon to walk through.

"Oh sorry, Spike!" Twilight said, "I didn't mean to offend you in any way." Spike rolled his eyes and then gave a playful chuckle.

"Twilight, you don't need to worry about that!" Spike replied, "I'm your assistance; I won't be offended. I'm sorry that I disturbed you from what you were doing." In response, Twilight blushed.

"It's fine, Spike," she said softly, "I wasn't doing anything important anyway. Was there something that you wanted to ask me?"

Spike coughed and scratched the back of his head as he began talking. "I was asked by Princess Celestia via letter to tell you that Commander Tempest is coming over to see us. She wanted to see you, Twilight."

Twilight blinked in response, leaving her expression blank with the element of surprise. It would be the first time that she really talked to Tempest since she rescued her from the power of her ruler, the Storm King. Her relationship with Tempest had changed from being afraid of her dark magic to becoming one of her most beloved friends. Would she be ready to even have tea with her yet? Twilight knew that she still had problems with friendship at some points, especially when it comes to asking a pony what they want to drink for their visit.

But Twilight knew that she was now a friend and that friends treat other friends at some points. Even if it was drinking tea and talking about their adventures. Tempest Shadow, though, would be an interesting experience. She never really told Twilight or anypony as a matter of fact what her past was. Still, a friend was a friend and it was important to listen to friends no matter what.

"Tempest?" Twilight repeated, "Oh, I see." Spike picked up on how Twilight responded to his comment. She seemed to be surprised. "I wonder what she'll like. I thought she would enjoy some tea and cake. Hopefully, Pinkie Pie doesn't eat it all!"

"Yeah! I bet she would!" Spike added. The pair of them laughed for a while until Twilight yawned. "You seem tired, Twilight. You should go to bed and get some rest. I'm considering the same thing."

"Yeah, I'm coming to that conclusion!" Twilight managed to say through a yawn. "Would you like to stay with us for the day, perhaps?"

"I would love to," Spike replied, "but perhaps not for all of it. I'm quite busy tomorrow anyway." Twilight picked up at this comment and tried to think why Spike would be busy on a restful day.

"What exactly are you thinking of doing tomorrow?" Twilight asked her assistance.

"Oh, there's a new doughnut store opening in Canterlot in the centre of the city! Every pony's going to be there, so I thought I would come along too!"

"I thought you would be doing something like that!" Twilight laughed, "Oh I just can't trust you sometimes, Spike!"

Spike laughed again at Twilight's statement.

"No, perhaps you can't always trust me!"

"Thanks for telling me, Spike" Twilight said, "I'll get everything ready for tomorrow. However, if you could, can you stay for the first five minutes of the meeting, please? I would like someone to take notes for me."

Spike sighed in disappointment.

"Fine. But, why not have the meeting today?" Spike asked. Twilight gave a stare and a smirk.

"I think it's getting quite late now," Twilight explained, "and every pony will be heading back to their homes now. Tempest will need some rest for tomorrow and I think I'll need some too. Is that okay, Spike?"

"Of course, Twilight."

Twilight smiled and gave Spike a hug. Afterwards, Spike left her and went off to see Tempest. Twilight watched him leave, before picking up her book with her horn and leaving the room. Soon, Twilight found herself yawning.

"Wow, I haven't been this tired for years!" she said, "Then again, being a princess is a tiring job!"

Two

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The Next Day

Hidden away in some of Canterlot's royal quarters, a crimson unicorn awoke from the blinding light that swept through her bedroom window. The light pierced into her eyes, causing the sleepy pony to stir up from a deep and restful sleep. She covered her eyes with her hoof in response, but by then her body had awoken from the deep sleep that she was in.

Tempest threw the bed sheets off her and climbed out of bed. After a quick stretch, she walked over to her mirror and looked at herself. In response, her tongue fell out in disgust seeing the face that looked back at her.

Her mane was a mess, covering her green shining eyes and scar that was still visible over her right eye. Deciding that it would be the day she would comb her mane, Tempest tried to pick up a small pink comb that sat on the table. She focused carefully on her object and soon her broken horn started pouring out the tiniest amount of magic that any unicorn could produce. Tempest groaned in frustration as she tried to pick up the comb.

"Come on!" she said through her teeth, "Just pick it up already!"

The comb was soon hovering in the air, just a few centimetres above the table. It wobbled and turned midair before it eventually came close enough to Tempest to use. In joy and excitement, Tempest smiled.

"Yes! Yes! Finally, my magic is-!"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door that made Tempest jump and lose grip of the comb. It flew into the air and landed on the floor. In anger, Tempest pushed everything on the table off onto the floor and then stood before Grubber, who was standing in the doorframe.

"What do you want?!" Tempest asked angrily. Grubber jumped in surprise and hid behind the door. Tempest looked at him with a confused expression on her face, with an element of disappointment. "Oh, it's you." Grubber waddled into Tempest's room and bowed as low as he could before falling onto his face.

"Commander Tempest, I have been asked to remind you that you have tea today with Princess Twilight," Grubber announced, "are you ready?"

Tempest eyed Grubber sharply like a tiger targeting its prey. The stare stabbed Grubber, making him back up. As many ponies knew, Tempest had a short temper and wasn't one to annoy.

"Does it look like I'm ready?" Tempest asked, "Could you tie my mane up for me?"

Grubber quickly came up behind Tempest and grabbed hold of her mane. He picked up an elastic band and tied up Tempest's long mane. His Lieutenant hadn't had a haircut since the week before they invaded Canterlot in the previous months, so in result Tempest had just let it grow without doing anything major to it. Grubber knew that Tempest was very stern on how she presented herself to other ponies, since joining along Princess Twilight's side and working along with her troops. In fact, there was to be a trip to the outskirts of Equestria very soon which was organised by herself and Twilight. It would be a big thing for Tempest, as it would be the first time she would be going back since she left her home to join the Storm King's army.

By the time Tempest had finished thinking about her situation, Grubber had finished on her mane.

"There you go, Fizzlepop," Grubber said grinning, "your mane is tied."

Tempest suddenly had a trigger that made her sweat and feel anger in her body. She started breathing quickly and memories started filling up in her dark and twisted mind. The memories of her hometown, the memories of her parents and friends who called her that name and the day that she lost her precious horn. Tempest thought that Grubber had learnt not to call her that name, but obviously, that wretched hedgehog didn't listen.

"That is not my name, anymore!" Tempest roared, pushing over the stall and facing Grubber, "I am Tempest Shadow now, remember that, Grubber!"

Grubber backed away in fear. He watched as Tempest's broken horn pour out dark magic and shoot out in different directions. Grubber had been Tempest's companion for years, so to see her mad at him was something on a totally different level. For a while, Tempest stared down onto Grubber, but eventually, she stopped and straightened up back into her upright position. She remembered that Grubber had been her only friend for a long time before the Storm King took both of them in. There was no point to throw all of her anger onto her lifelong friend.

"Is everything ready?" Tempest asked. Grubber scratched his head and then snapped his claws.

"Ah, yes Tempest!" he said, "Princess Twilight hired a coach to take you to her place. She said there would be refreshments."

"Good, you can then carry the bags for me."

Grubber sighed and then went to Tempest's room collecting her things. Since moving into Twilight's accommodation in Canterlot, Tempest had bought a few items including some hats and books that she loved to use in her spare time. Usually, that would be sitting next to her bedroom window and looking out at the sunset in the evening. She had witnessed such beauty that she hadn't seen in years, including that view. Tempest felt much happier than before and had respected Twilight's friendship since surrendering to her. She also learnt that Twilight had some amazing friends, including one who taught her how to farm, one who taught her to bake a cake and one who even chose a dress for her on her birthday. Twilight even lent her a book to read when she had finished using it herself.

Yes, Tempest was beginning to feel like a normal pony, even if she was a unicorn with a broken horn and a deadly past that included working for a dark supreme power who had been imprisoning ponies all across Equestria for quite some years now. Even some ponies waved her hello in the street when she went out with Twilight to go shopping or to visit some of her oldest friends, like Minuette and Lemon Hearts. Even Grubber was becoming a popular hedgehog, performing for the fillies that went on school trips, doing jokes and weird dancing in front of them.

Tempest was ready to go and so was Grubber, who was managing to carry all of her bags in his tiny grey arms. Despite groaning, Grubber was pleased to serve his beloved friend and Lieutenant, even if it included doing some hard work.

"So... where do you want me to take these, Tempest?" Grubber struggled to say.

"We'll go downstairs and wait for the carriage that Twilight has prepared for us," Tempest explained, "you can load the luggage where the rest of the cargo is."

"Of course, ma'am."

A grey unicorn in red uniform was waiting for Tempest and Grubber outside. It was a sunny day, so the unicorn felt that it would be sensible to allow the roof to be open for his passengers to look around. The unicorn was busy fiddling with some bits that other ponies had given him the day before whilst he was waiting. He looked around and noticed that the streets were packed with shoppers and commuters who were going about their daily business. No pony really took notice of him, so the unicorn then turned his attention to the main door.

Thankfully, the pony he was waiting for emerged along with her hedgehog companion. She was ready, so the unicorn went over to her and shook her hoof.

"Good morning, Miss Shadow!" he said, "Please, allow me to-."

"She has me to take her belongings, thank you very much!" Grubber said rudely.

Grubber walked past the unicorn and dumped all of Tempest's things into the cab. The unicorn then turned back to face Tempest and gulped.

"Ignore him," Tempest said, "thank you for taking us."

The unicorn then took Tempest's hoof and helped her into the cab. After that, he pushed Grubber in as well and then closed up the luggage compartment. Once that was all done, the unicorn hooked himself up to the cab and then begun his journey to Twilight's apartment.

The journey took longer than expected. Traffic in Canterlot was awful, with carts and ponies moving about without care and respect. Younger ponies kept playing hoofball on the roads and there was a nasty crash that involved two carts colliding with each other. This blocked some of the main roads and prevented some ponies getting past. Some unicorns tried to lift some of the rubble of the way with their magic but were constantly distracted by all the shouts and curses from other ponies who were stuck in the traffic jam.

"I apologise, Lieutenant," the unicorn said, "Canterlot does have a few problems with its roads. We are awaiting plans from Princess Celestia to improve some of the lanes for carts to use. I could always use a shortcut."

"If it gets Commander Tempest to her destination in time," Grubber stated, "then feel free to lend a hoof!"

"Okay then, let's do this!"

The unicorn took a right turn off the main road to Twilight's and started going through a narrow street. Luckily, there was no pony to be seen. The cart raced through the street without a problem and managed to find the road that went directly to Twilight's apartment. Tempest and Grubber were taken at great speed and even hung on for the ride became bumpy and quite uncomfortable.

"How fast are we going?" Tempest asked. The unicorn looked back.

"We are going at around 35mph. If we're going to get to your destination in time, we need to maintain this speed."

Tempest pulled an unsatisfied face, knowing that there was really nothing that she could do. If this was the fastest they could go, then so be it. Besides, they could be walking.

The unicorn kept up the pace all the way to Twilight's and stopped in time before missing the entrance to the front door. Two guards stood at the front of the door, keeping a guard on who entered the building. The unicorn unhooked himself from the cart and opened the door for Tempest and Grubber.

Tempest walked out as swiftly as possible, with a very wobbly Grubber behind her. Before he could turn around to help unload the cargo, he collapsed onto his face. The unicorn used his magic to pick up Tempest's luggage and took them inside. Tempest followed, along with a rather dizzy hedgehog.

"Come on, Grubber. Stop messing about!" Tempest snapped.

"I... see... three of you..." Grubber mumbled. Tempest shook her head slightly in disappointment and then continued walking into the building. Once steady, Grubber ran inside to stand alongside Tempest.

"Don't try to be stupid, Grubber," Tempest said, "it's bad enough as it is."

The unicorn took Tempest and Grubber into the reception area and then dumped their stuff next to the reception desk. After a tip from Tempest, the grey unicorn walked outside and then rode off with his carriage.

Tempest walked over to the reception desk to find that there was no pony there. In the true tradition of any guest, she tapped the bell for assistance. For a while, no pony arrived to come to her aid, but eventually, a green unicorn appeared from the Staff Only room and then went over to greet her.

"Good morning, ma'am" Lyra Heartstrings said, "can I ask, what is your name?"

"Lieutenant Commander Tempest Shadow," Tempest replied, "and this is my companion, Grubber."

Grubber waved from behind Tempest and put on a cheeky face. Lyra looked through the invitations list and then ticked off Tempest's name using a quill.

"Princess Twilight is ready for you, Miss" Lyra explained, "use the lift to head up to the top floor and then wait outside her room. A guard will take you in."

"Thank you."

One of the guards took Tempest's things into the lift and then asked the pair of them to step inside. Once in, Tempest couldn't help but find that the lift was very wide. She could easily move about inside without any problems. The guard then pressed one of the buttons and the lift started going up to Twilight's floor.

Lift music was playing during the time Tempest and Grubber were going up. Neither of them decided to talk whilst they headed up to Twilight's quarters, for there was really nothing to say. Both just prayed that no pony would walk in and witness two of Equestria's most well-known invaders and whom both worked for the sinister Storm King in their early days. If so, that would start a panic in the building and Princess Twilight would not be pleased to hear that ponies have been panicking over a unicorn with a broken horn and a short hedgehog who loves eating sponge cakes. And even if they were spotted, they really didn't have anywhere to go. They were, after all, going up in a lift.

Grubber began to move to the soothing lift music and soon enough he was completely lost to himself. Tempest looked at him, knowing that this was no surprise to her, but still questioned the matter.

"Just what do you think you doing?" she asked. Grubber immediately stopped moving about and chuckled in order to lighten the mood.

"Nothing, Commander!" he quickly replied.

Tempest turned her attention away from her companion and waited for the doors to open. Eventually, a ding was sounded and the doors opened to reveal the double set of doors to Twilight's room. Tempest walked out, with Grubber carrying all of their things following her from behind. They continued walking towards the doors and soon noticed that they were alone.

"Where is every pony?" Grubber asked.

"I'm not sure," Tempest replied, "I guess Princess Twilight wanted us to be alone."

Grubber walked up to the door and knocked. And then they waited. It didn't take long though for Twilight to open the door and appear before them.

"Tempest and Grubber!" Twilight cried, "Come on in!"

Looking at each other, Tempest and Grubber eventually came in and dumped all their stuff near the entrance. Twilight closed the door behind them and then shook hooves (and claws) with her guests.

"Oh, it's been such a long time, Tempest!" Twilight gleamed, "If we only had more time to catch up with one another! These visits need to be more often!"

"I do agree, your highness" Tempest replied, "I haven't had tea with anyone for a very long time now."

"Well, come on in!" Twilight said, "Spike has organised somewhere to sit."

Twilight took Tempest and Grubber to some comfy sitting room chairs and told them to sit down. Spike then came in with some refreshments, including tea and scones. Grubber clapped his claws with excitement and waited for Spike to place the tray of treats down onto the coffee table. Twilight then sat down, whilst Spike organised some of their guest's stuff.

"So, how have the pair of you been?" Twilight asked.

"Fine thank you, Princess" Grubber replied.

"Yes, we've been doing fine as usually!" Tempest added, "Your friend, the orange one. Ah yes, the mare known as Applejack showed us around Sweet Apple Acres yesterday which we both enjoyed. I found out that it was their family who truly discovered the place that is called Ponyville. I would love to meet her parents."

Twilight took a sip of tea and licked her lips.

"I'm afraid they died in a dreadful accident quite some years ago now," the princess addressed, "but without their family, there would be no Ponyville."

"Wow!" Grubber said with a mouthful of cake, "That's a fantastic story!"

"How very... interesting" Tempest added.

"Do you have a story to tell, Tempest?" Twilight asked, "You must have had many adventures across Equestria, shouldn't you?"

"Oh yeah!" Grubber exclaimed, "She should tell you about the home she used to live and her old name!"

"Grubber!"

"Her old name?"

Tempest sighed and then looked down at the floor.

"I guess that Grubber here has announced this, I might as well tell you Twilight," she said, "my name isn't actually Tempest Shadow. When I was a filly, I was raised to the name of Fizzlepop Berrytwist."

"Fizzlepop Berrytwist?" Spike repeated.

"You see, where I was born, the next filly to be born in my family would have the next letter in the Alphabet" Tempest explained, "for example, my mother is called Eleanor Berrytwist and my grandmother was known as Dandelion Berrytwist. Fizzlepop was the name that mother used to call me and those were the happiest days before you-know-what happened. She was always there for me."

"I see," Twilight said, "that's nothing to be ashamed of, Temp- I mean Fizzlepop- I mean... what do you wish to be called?"

"As you are now a friend of mine," Tempest replied, "you may call me Fizzlepop if you wish."

"Okay."

"So what happened next?" Spike asked.

"Well," Tempest began, "it all started about 14 years ago when I was just about 10 years old. I remember we all used to live in a small village and rarely did any of us younger ones leave that village. I believe it was a sunny day and myself and my friends were travelling home from school..."

Three

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Fourteen years ago

The school day was over at last for the fillies and colts in the village. The school gates were opened and all the students rushed out like wolves spotting their prey and chasing it down at speed. Many of the parents waited for their fillies and colts just outside on the cracked and damaged pavement, whilst others made their way home by themselves. Also, it was winter for the counties and cities outside Equestria, so there were piles of snow in certain areas and the roads were icy and dangerous.

A light blue colt and lime-green filly, both unicorns, trotted outside into the cold air whilst having a discussion. Both were carrying books on Equestrian history and unicorn magic inside their backpacks, and the little colt was bouncing a yellow and blue ball whilst walking down the path. They were laughing at a recent prank on another unicorn who was in the same class as they were and remembering how their friend managed to turn their mane from a light chestnut brown into a bright sickly green. The pony in question did see them on the way out and in response walked off in a huff, not bothering to look at the pair of them.

Another unicorn filly walked out behind the colt and filly from the main entrance and caught up with them. She was a shade of Indigo and had her blue-green eyes and crimson mane and tail, but her ponytail that tied up the back of her mane was not as long as other fillies in her class. No, this unicorn was rarely like any other unicorn filly. She was the smartest and the most intelligent unicorn filly in her town, however, this did mean she had very limited friends for other ponies were very jealous of her.

The lime-green filly stopped and turned around to face the other unicorn. Soon enough, the blue colt also stopped and waited for his friend.

"Come on Fizzlepop!" the lime green unicorn said, "What's taking you so long?"

Fizzlepop Berrytwist then galloped in order to catch up with the others. They continued on their journey home, trying to not slip on the icy surface or trip up on the cracked pavement. Luckily, they had become used to what winter had given them, so all three ponies managed to continue on their way safely and steadily.

They spotted some younger foals playing in the snow and making snow ponies in the empty fields. It was Hearth Warming's Eve after all, so the festive celebrations were coming in like a storm. Some of the ponies saw Fizzlepop and her friends and stared at them as if there was something off about them.

Fizzlepop and her friends ignored them and continued on walking. The blue colt held onto his yellow ball, knowing that any pony could steal it and keep it for their own. Also, with the slippery surface that they were on, it could go in all sorts of directions, he played it safe and kept it in his bag.

Soon enough, the three little ponies came across Fizzlepop's street and prepared to separate to their own homes. Fizzlepop turned to them and gave them a giant hug.

"Have a wonderful Hearth's Warming, guys!" she said to them.

"You too, Fizzlepop!" the two ponies said together.

After a wave goodbye, Fizzlepop walked on down to her street. Luckily, it wasn't too slippery to walk up, so Fizzlepop managed to head back up safely and happily.

She noticed that her mother was putting up decorations on their house and her father carrying a cart-full of Hearth's Warming food and presents. A group of earth ponies were using snow ploughs to tidy up the pavements and paths that led to each of the residents' accommodations, and then a gathering of unicorns followed up behind and used their magic to put the snow into large containers that were driven by very strong stallions. They would carry on along the pavement and they would leave a path that was assessable to the other ponies.

A brown unicorn mare was following up from behind the convoy and noticed Fizzlepop walking up towards them. She waved and called out to her.

"Hey there, Fizzlepop! How are you and your family?"

Fizzlepop caught her eye and waved back.

"They're fine, thank you for asking, Acorn Delight!" the crimson unicorn replied. Fizzlepop watched them walk on before walking onto her drive to her house.

Going up it required a lot of stableness and not rushing on the frozen ice that had come from a leaking tap a few days ago. A pony could easily land and break their legs whilst trying to work their way up the brick-layered driveway, so Fizzlepop took her own time and didn't rush the process.

By the time Fizzlepop made it to her door, she was exhausted. She used her horn to ring the doorbell and then waited for some pony to answer it for her. Fizzlepop never took a key with her to school, for some of the unicorns stole from other students and sold their most-beloved items to older ponies for a great deal of money. They did it right under the teachers' snouts, without them even raising an eyebrow.

The door opened to reveal a brownish red unicorn wearing an apron and a woolly hat. Her eyes were a dark red and her cutie mark was a black rose surrounded by white sparkles. Her horn was slightly longer than Fizzlepop's, but not as smooth and her tail was messy and dirty.

"Oh hello, sweetie!" Fizzlepop's mother said, "How was school? Come on in quickly, because I'm getting supper sorted."

Fizzlepop trotted in, hanging up her school supplies and cleaning off the snow from her hooves.

"School was fine," she replied, "I'm glad we've broken up though." Fizzlepop's mother went over and closed the door behind her.

"Oh," she said, "and why's that?" Fizzlepop went into the kitchen.

"Because I'm tired." The brown-red unicorn turned to face her daughter.

"I understand, sweetie. It's that new headmaster, isn't it?" Fizzlepop turned away and started helping on the dishes.

"Of course it's that new headmaster!" she exclaimed, "Ever since he took charge, he's just been piling work on us and he's already fired Mrs Pompeii! I hate him. Everyone there hates him." The other unicorn continued working whilst listening to her daughter. Mrs Berrytwist was a very wise pony and knew a lot about what sort of problems happened around town, even if she was inside all day long trying to do all the housework. Every morning, the post would come through with new information about what was happening in the town's council centre, so that she was up to date on what was going to go through. A lot of ponies went to ask the Berrytwist family for any wise advise that they could use to run their town, instead of looking through centuries worth of books on useless information.

Next door to Mrs Berrytwist's office was the village's library, where she went after her shift had ended for the day. She would spend from ten minutes to hours on end inside reading either fiction or useful information and would even forget to come home some nights to cook dinner and that would result in her husband to come and pick her up himself.

"Just remember, Fizzlepop" Mrs Berrytwist noted, "he's there to teach you and give you a decent education."

The little filly frowned and then sat down at the table.

"Come on, Sandals!" the unicorn called, "Your daughter has arrived. Dinner is serving!" The sound of heavy hooves coming down the stairs made the small house that they lived in a shake.

"But mummy, he's nice to all the other unicorns!" Fizzlepop cried, "He just doesn't like me!"

"I'm sure that's not true, sweetie pie," her mother said sweetly. She then raised her voice. "SANDALS?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The heavy hooves continued walking down the stairs and making a loud thud every time they landed on a step. Sandals then jumped from a step and landed with a loud thud on the floor. Both his wife and daughter wobbled as the ground shook from the force of the landing.

"Is supper ready, dear? Is Fizzlepop home yet? Is the table sorted at all-?" Sandals was talking at great speed, not giving either Fizzlepop or Mrs Berrytwist the chance to answer.

"Calm down, Sandals!" Mrs Berrytwist said, "Fizzlepop's here and supper is ready." Sandals Berrytwist went over to Fizzlepop and gave her a hug.

"How was school, sweetie pie?" Sandals asked. Fizzlepop was beginning to feel annoyed by all the attention and decided to push her father away so that she could answer this question from a decent distance.

"It was fine, thank you..." Fizzlepop groaned. Mrs Berrytwist laid out the table and then grabbed hold of her husband and daughter and dragged them to where they would be eating. Sandals Berrytwist looked around and simply watched his wife sort everything out on the table and then sit down on the spare chair. Afterwards, they began eating.

"Was work good, honey?" Sandals asked his wife. Mrs Berrytwist simply looked up, before returning her gaze to her food.

"Busy as usual," she replied, "but still as fun as it always has been." Fizzlepop turned away from the conversation and focused on eating some oats whilst looking out of the window. It was starting to snow again and it came all down very quickly. The wind got stronger and blew a wave of snow all over the village, including blocking more of the roads and pavements and landing on top of the roof of the Fizzlepop's family home. Soon enough, the snow was covering some of the windows and blocking half of the view of the road. It had become bitterly dark as well, consuming all of the light like a vacuum cleaner sucking up rubbish. The streetlights barely lit up anything, thanks to the engulfing fog that had landed on the town. No pony was out anymore, for they feared that something could happen to them.

Fizzlepop's attention came back to the sound of her mother putting some berries on her plate.

"Oh, err, thanks, mummy."

"You don't seem to be paying much attention, dear? Are you completely sure that you're alright now?" her father asked.

"Really, I'm fine. It's just been a very long day." The meal continued.

The Berrytwist family eventually finished their meal and after she had completed her homework, Fizzlepop headed up to bed.

***

Fizzlepop's room was not too big and not too small, but it was very dark. Only a small candle ignited the dim room which Fizzlepop was using to read a story, Pirate Griffons. It was her favourite and she had at least read it a few times before, but that still didn't stop her from relaxing with a good book. She then put the book down and began to tuck herself in, when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." The door opened, to reveal Mrs Berrytwist. Fizzlepop sighed in frustration and settled down into bed.

"Are you okay, dear?" she asked Fizzlepop. The filly sighed.

"I'll be fine tomorrow," Fizzlepop replied, "myself and my friends will go out in the afternoon and play hoof ball or something. I'll leave you guys to it." Mrs Berrytwist walked over to Fizzlepop and opened up her arms.

"Come here." Her daughter went into her arms and held onto a hug. Fizzlepop's book fell to the floor, but its owner didn't bother to reach down and pick it up. "Don't let today ruin your holiday. Your friends will be coming tomorrow, so you'll be doing at least something. Just remember that."

"I know, mum."

"Shall I turn off your light for you, then?"

"I've got it, thank you." Mrs Berrytwist blew out the candle and put Pirate Griffons near her daughter's bed.

"Goodnight, Fizzlepop."

"Goodnight, mum." Mrs Berrytwist closed the door behind her, leaving Fizzlepop alone in the darkness.

Fizzlepop always had trouble going to sleep. She could never nod off as quickly as her parents could do, plus, her neighbours were as loud as dragons on a bad day. There were just too many distractions. But eventually, when it turned completely black, the little filly fell into a deep, deep sleep.

***

The noises became louder and soon she could hear conversations easily. Fizzlepop could see ponies in strange looking armour marching across hundreds and hundreds of miles all over Equestria. They were huge, with long spears in their right hands and chanting some pony's name.

"Storm... Storm... Storm..."

Fizzlepop was confused. Who was this Storm? A Pegasus, perhaps? She had never heard the name of Storm before, nor did she know a pony called that. All she knew was that she could see them marching towards a city and they were preparing to throw huge boulders at the walls of the boundaries. There were torches of fire and horrible beasts being dragged along and whipped by a guard. What was this? A dream, maybe, but of what and when?

And then she saw it. Fizzlepop had been taught about this city before for many years in Primary school, but never had the chance to visit it. It was, of course, the most powerful city in all of Equestria.

Canterlot.

All of a sudden, a giant airship came into view, which had a giant marking on the front. The airship was being driven towards the city square at great speed and cannons were being armed, ready for an attack. The soldiers moved forwards quickly and soon reached the very edge of the city. The walls were soon damaged by the force of the attacks from the huge army.

One of the airships carried a female pony on board. She was at the front, watching what was in front of her and soon turned to face the driver of the airship. She said something that Fizzlepop couldn't understand and then saw the face of the pony.

It was her.

Why was she invading Canterlot? It didn't make sense. She loved Canterlot and always wanted to visit it. Why would she destroy one of Equestria's most famous cities to have ever been built? No pony from there had ever done something horrible to her or her family. It made no sense whatsoever.

"Storm...Storm... Storm..."

The chanting continued, along with the invasion. Fizzlepop tried to get away, but she found out that she was frozen in place, forced to watch this madness. Then, the worst happened.

Some ponies who were in the way of the soldiers were attacked and either killed or badly injured. The airships started bombing the area and turning the sky into a tar black colour. What she was witnessing wasn't a dream.

It was a vision.

Four

View Online

Canterlot, present time

Twilight dropped two lumps of sugar into a cup of tea and stirred the contents with a small silver spoon. The sugar lumps floated in the tiny pool of tea and were tossed and turned by Twilight's spoon. The tea was splashed about and mixed with the flavour of the sugar. Then, she grabbed hold of the jug of milk and poured it into the cup. Afterwards, she took a sip and sighed with relief.

Tempest remained sitting in the comfy chair that she had been sitting in for quite some time now. She was beginning to feel too relaxed, but that didn't stop her from talking about her story.

"Wow, Fizzlepop" Twilight said in awe, "it's amazing to hear about life outside of Equestria. I never really understood it when we were travelling around in the previous months, but I'm surprised to know that there were functioning towns and cities."

By this point, Grubber had fallen asleep on Twilight's sofa and was resting on her favourite cushions. His mouth was wide open, resulting in his saliva to pour all over the cushion and onto the floor. Twilight cringed at the sight and regained her attention towards Tempest.

"It was a town for local ponies only," the crimson unicorn explained, "we rarely had a visitors. Not even Princess Celestia ever came close to the area that we lived in. But then, it was an advantage from invaders looking for new land to conquer."

"Her town was famous for being a pit stop for travelling ponies who were walking long distances," Grubber added, "no royalty ever went there, but then again they didn't need to. Other towns were designed for tourists and had accommodation for them to use. Her town was really just any other town."

"Were there dragons in the area?" Spike asked, eating a gem cupcake.

"None whatsoever, Spike" Tempest replied, "no other beings. Only ponies."

"Being the only child, were you ever lonely?" Twilight asked.

"Never!" Tempest answered, "I had friends, remember. We would do things together, such as buying new furniture or just hanging about on the pavements. And there were the school trips around the wastelands of Equestria. I remember visiting Manhattan when I was eight. It was the furthest I had ever travelled and going to see Manedonna on stage at the royal theatre. The first artist that I fell in love with!"

"Her school was well known outside of Equestria, which was why they managed to raise enough funds to go over all the way to Manehatten and stay there for around a week or so" Grubber explained, "that was the first time in a long period when Equestria had seen that there was life on the outside, including in the wastelands."

Grubber grabbed hold of a small cupcake and tossed it into his mouth. He swallowed it whole and then burped afterwards. The rest of the group looked at him deadpanned.

"Do you have to be disgusting all the time, Grubber?" Tempest asked her companion.

"Ah, sorry boss. I'm just hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"Going back to the conversation," Twilight said, butting in, "you described your home being a pit stop in the wastelands. Did you witness any form of crime or disharmony?"

"Oh, where do I begin?" Tempest exclaimed, "There was crime nearly every week in the wastelands. There would be thugs awaiting for the inexperienced and slavery was, of course, popular not so long ago. It was really when you, Twilight, came to power when it started to fade away. Still, we needed to be careful who we talked to. You could tell who was a local and who wasn't, which was why we never left the village by ourselves. We had a guardian to protect us and let the village know when we would return home."

"Like a babysitter, then?" Spike asked.

"Well, yes, but with a sword or something like that."

"And there was rarely any contact outside the village?" Twilight asked.

"Barely. We were a village that depended on itself. No pony else."

No pony talked for a while, which gave Tempest a chance to sip her tea and grab a small cupcake that Pinkie had made the other day for Twilight. She bit the cake and tasted the rich raspberry flavour that came out. Tempest never had raspberry before in her whole life. She loved it.

"Pinkie's made loads," Twilight said, "just ask and I'm sure she can give you a box full of them."

"Thanks, Twilight, I would love that!" Tempest said, "Isn't Pinkie the one who believes that her tail can explain what is to come in the near future?" Twilight laughed.

"That's the one!" she replied, "Pinkie's one of Ponyville's friendliest residents."

"Well, I'm glad that there is indeed happiness in Equestria again!" Tempest laughed, "And I'm sure she'll spread it all around."

"We're going to be organising trips to the outskirts of Equestria," Twilight explained, "we want to spread friendship as far as possible and make every creature feel that they are at peace rather than at war with us. The concept is that we make sure we bring all creatures together and help grow the outside of Equestria with new advantages, rather than staying with old techniques that our ancestors used years previously."

"Princess Cadence has been writing to her officials in the Crystal Empire to come and join us to head back over to the places we visited not too long ago now," Spike added, "I'll also be joining with some of them so that we can talk about trade."

"Sounds adventurous!" Grubber exclaimed.

"Not really," Spike replied, "It's rather boring, actually."

"Anyway, let's not bore ourselves with Equestrian politics!" Twilight said, "Let's hear more about you fillyhood."

Tempest put her cup of tea down on the table next to her and started again on her journey.

"So it was Hearth's Warming Day and myself and my friends were heading out to play hoofball..."

Fourteen years previously...

There was a loud knock on the Berrytwist's door on the morning of Hearth's Warming, which distracted Sandals from doing work on the Hearth's Warming meal and Mrs Berrytwist from decorating the table ivy and red berries.

"I've got it, mummy!"

Fizzlepop called out to her mother as she ran down the stairs to the front door. She had just finished getting her mane ready to leave and she was wearing a dark blue dress over her crimson body. She was even wearing lipstick over her smooth, thin lips and had her eyelashes curled.

"Are you even ready, pudding?" Mrs Berrytwist asked her daughter. She blocked Fizzlepop from getting to the door and went over to her to check if she looked smart enough to go out. Fizzlepop's mother tightened her dress and horseshoes and cleaned off some of the grime that had landed on some of her jewellery. She brushed off some dust and pony fur that had stuck itself from previous fittings and checked if Fizzlepop's hooves were shiny enough to be presented.

"Have you washed?" Mrs Berrytwist asked.

"I have, mummy" Fizzlepop replied.

"Ok, go on." Fizzlepop walked her way over to the door and opened it with her horn. There on the porch were her two friends wearing winter clothing and holding some presents for the Berrytwist family.

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Fizzlepop!" the lime-green unicorn said, "I have something for each of you."

"Thanks, Avon, you're awesome!" Fizzlepop replied, "Please come in, both of you!"

Avon and the blue stallion walked into Fizzlepop's house and gave their presents to each of the ponies. Afterwards, Fizzlepop gave them each a present as well.

"Look mummy!" Fizzlepop said cheerfully, "Avon and Star Myth have given us presents!" Mrs Berrytwist smiled and went over to the unicorn fillies and colt.

"Why thank you, Avon!" she said, "That's so nice of you. You too, Star Myth."

"It was nothing, really!" Star Myth said, chuffed. "We just wanted to wish you a happy Hearth's Warming, that's all!"

"Aren't you kids going to spend the day with your families?" Sandals asked, coming in to join the group.

"They're alright," Avon replied, "neither of our families are doing anything that interesting, so we thought that we can spend the day with Fizzlepop if that's alright with you two."

"Don't worry kids," Sandals said, "we have talked about this with Fizzlepop. She can join you guys, but make sure you're back at your homes for your Hearth's Warming meals."

"We will, Mr Berrytwist," Star Myth said, "we'll be fine."

"Before you kids go off, we have some presents to give you two." Mrs Berrytwist said.

Fizzlepop's mother went off to pick up two large red presents from under the Hearth's Warming tree and gave one each to Avon and Star Myth.

"Wow, thanks, Mrs Berrytwist!" Avon and Star Myth said together.

"You're very welcome dears," Mrs Berrytwist replied, "now go out and enjoy yourselves!"

"Thanks, mummy!" Fizzlepop replied, "See you guys later, right?"

"Have fun!" Sandals said. Fizzlepop and her friends went outside and closed the door behind themselves. Mrs Berrytwist watched them leave and waved at her daughter. Afterward, the group of fillies were had left under her watchful eye, Mrs Berrytwist went back to sort out the rest of the stuff for Hearth's Warming and then back to cook the food.

"Are you sure that they'll be fine, honey?" Sandals asked his wife.

"I'm sure that they'll be fine," Mrs Berrytwist replied, "I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"

After ten minutes of trotting along the snowy path, Fizzlepop and her friends reached a field where they could play hoofball. Star Myth pulled out their favourite hoofball and started bouncing it along as they walked from the pavement to the field. Avon pulled out a blanket to sit on and Fizzlepop started making a snow pony. Soon, they were starting to relax and just do something that wasn't related to studying. Avon looked through her picnic basket and picked out a few treats to have and placed them on a tiny foldable table.

"Please do not tell me I've forgotten the cucumber sandwiches!" she exclaimed, "I swear to Celestia, if I have, I will be damned!"

Fizzlepop was just putting on the head of her snow pony when she noticed that it was missing a tail at the back. So, attempting to not get her beautiful dress covered with snow and ice, she leaned down and packed a log shaped pile of snow. Afterwards, with her magic, she attached it to the snow pony.

"Is your mother okay with you wearing that dress in the snow?" Star Myth asked. Fizzlepop turned her head round to face him, as well as holding the leg of the snow pony in place.

"Mummy does care too much on how I look in public," Fizzlepop explained, "so if anything, she would make sure that I had even more beauty to show off."

"I see..." the colt said, trailing off in thought. Avon got on all four hooves and then gave out some ginger beer to her friends.

"Thanks, Avon" Fizzlepop said to her friend, "I believe you made this by yourself, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Avon replied, "but your mum gave me the recipe."

"How does your mum organise so much in so little time?" Star Myth asked, pausing from playing with his hoofball. He discovered that the ground wasn't so good for bouncing his ball, so instead, he put it down on the blanket.

"She's just... very good at it, I guess?" Fizzlepop replied, "She's the most organised pony in our house. That's what she's talented most at."

"I can't argue with that," the colt said, "if you don't mind Avon, I always wanted to see how your school project for next year's going to be." The filly laughed.

"I'm afraid it's too early to say!" Avon replied, "That's also very out-of-the-blue, don't you think?"

"I guess."

"You're always saying things randomly!" Fizzlepop laughed.

"Thanks(!)" Star Myth replied, rolling his eyes like they were loose marbles. He restarted bouncing his ball and counted how many times he could keep the ball in the air.

Just as he was reaching 40 kicks, Avon threw a snowball into Star Myth's eye which caused him to lose control of the ball and let it roll down the snowy hill.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Avon cried, "I didn't mean-!"

"It's okay, Avon," Star Myth said, "I'll get it."

"I'll help!" Fizzlepop added.

The three little ponies trotted down the snowy hill to where the ball went off to. It was slippery and sometimes too difficult to stay on four legs, but that didn't stop them from getting to the bottom.

They stopped as they saw that their ball had gone into a small, dark cave that was surrounded by signs warning ponies that there was a large bear inside. Fizzlepop looked at the signs and wooden boards that covered the entrance of the cave, but that didn't stop her from walking in. But Avon had a different idea.

"Don't go in there, Fizzlepop!" she whispered, "There's a bear hiding in there. Maybe we should get an older pony to help us retrieve it."

"We can do this on our own, Avon!" Star Myth said to her, "We're not babies anymore!"

"There's a sleeping Ursa in there!" Avon warned him, "It's just too dangerous. The ball's alright, the bear will roll it out."

"Fine..." Star Myth snapped. Avon smiled and began to turn back. "Fizzlepop will get it then."

Fizzlepop and Avon froze still at the response to Star Myth's comment. They couldn't believe what he had just said. Their best friend was making them head into a tricky situation to just get a ball.

"It's too dangerous!" Avon added. Fizzlepop had a moment's though, before making up her decision.

"I'm going in," she said, "you don't have to follow me." The crimson unicorn walked on, leaving the other two behind her.

Fizzlepop looked around at the state of the cave. It smelt of faeces and rotting meat that the creature inside had eaten in the past. She didn't dare light up the cave, for she feared that the creature would wake up. After a feel around on the floor, she found the ball and picked it up.

"That wasn't so hard," she said to herself, "I don't know what Avon was talking about."

Fizzlepop began her way out of the cave, only to stop at the sound of an approaching a baby Ursa, a transparent giant bear. The bear walked right up to the little filly and raised its huge paw into the air. In fact, because the creature was so big, it's paw was scraping the ceiling as it swung forwards towards Fizzlepop.

The little pony gasped and then attempted to stop the beast with her horn. She attempted to cast a stunning spell that would prevent the Ursa from attacking her and throw it back into its cave. Then, she would escape. But that didn't follow to plan, as the Ursa scraped its paw across Fizzlepop's head and smashed into her horn, causing magical currents to light up the whole cave and frighten both Fizzlepop and the creature.

The Ursa screeched before rising up onto its hind legs and started waving its arms about. Too frightened to move, Fizzlepop remained lying on the floor. She watched as the creature went berserk and stomped on the ground in fear. The only hope that the little unicorn had left was her two friends.

"Sweet mother of Luna!" Avon cried. She and Star Myth had trotted into the cave to find out what the commotion was all about, to discover a baby Ursa attacking their best friend. Fizzlepop looked up from the floor and saw her friends.

"What are you waiting for, Fizzlepop?" Star Myth shouted in confusion at his friend. "You have to run!"

Fizzlepop got the message and ran towards the exit of the cave. She collapsed into the arms of her friends and was dragged outside into the open. Avon and Star Myth gasped at the sight of the unicorn's broken horn, before taking her as far away as possible from the Ursa. The damning creature roared like a lion and clawed up pieces of dirt while trying to catch the three little ponies.

"I think we're losing him!" Avon cried with joy, "Quickly, we need to get you to your home at once!"

After a short while, the two ponies galloped into a run and carried Fizzlepop all the way back to the village.

Mrs Berrytwist had herself distracted by hanging up the laundry whilst Mr Berrytwist was working around the back of the small cottage on some fencing that needed to be put up. They were both in different worlds at the time they were doing those jobs, so both forgot that their daughter and her friends were out on Hearth's Warming Day.

The winter breeze then swept through like thought and alerted Mrs Berrytwist to put her scarf on before she caught a cold. After she did that, Mrs Berrytwist continued hanging up the remainder of the laundry but soon realised that some pony wasn't where she was meant to be. She called out to her husband.

"Sandals? Do you know when Fizzlepop and her friends will be returning?"

Sandals Berrytwist stopped fixing the cottage's fence and looked at Mrs Berrytwist.

"They should be coming around now," he replied, "I'm sure they'll be back soon." Both unicorns continued working on what they were doing, with Mrs Berrytwist looking out every so often, just to have a glance at the street to see if her daughter was coming up. It wasn't until around midday when the couple soon saw a small group of three unicorns coming up, two holding one on each shoulder and dragging them as they walked towards the Berrytwist's cottage.

Mrs Berrytwist became concerned and walked towards the group to investigate. Once she was close enough to see, she sprinted towards her daughter like a gazelle and gave her a giant hug.

"Oh my gosh!" she cried, "Honey, what happened?" Fizzlepop couldn't answer, for she was in too much shock. Her expression had turned grey and lifeless. Only her friends bothered to answer.

"It was an Ursa, Miss" Avon explained, "It attacked Fizzlepop. We were playing hoofball and the ball went into its cave and Fizzlepop went inside and the creature sliced her horn off her head." Sandals Berrytwist looked directly at Avon like a still statue.

"Did you just say that there was a sleeping Ursa, here in this village?" he asked.

"That's correct, sir," Avon responded. The Berrytwist couple couldn't believe what they were listening to. "It was an accident sir, honest." Mrs Berrytwist sighed.

"It's okay, kids," she said, "you guys head home and spend Hearth's Warming with your families. I guess it looks like we'll be taking Fizzlepop to the hospital this afternoon." Sandals Berrytwist groaned and took Fizzlepop inside, whilst Mrs Berrytwist watched Avon and Star Myth walk home in embarrassment and shame.

The waiting room in the hospital was empty, for once, and the atmosphere inside was cold and very white. White indeed, for the walls were colourless and had no life. Fizzlepop found this a tad haunting as she waited on a tiny seat with her parents for her doctor to appear. No pictures of adorable cats or puppies, no colouring sheets, no books. Just a large fish tank placed directly opposite to around twelve or thirteen fish swimming about without a care in the world. Fizzlepop tried to focus on that rather than feeling the throbbing pain that was going through her horn and the sheer embarrassment that she was going through with her parents. Was she the first known unicorn to have lost her horn and have it shattered into pieces?

It didn't take too long for a light-brown Pegasus mare to come out of one of the surgeries.

"Fizzlepop Berrytwist?" she called out. The Berrytwist family went through into the Pegasus' surgery and sat down on yet another row of tiny plastic chairs.

"Wow," Mrs Berrytwist whispered to Sandals, "the EHS* is really going cheap this year!" The Pegasus went over to Fizzlepop and stroked her mane.

"Oh you poor thing!" she said, "Are you okay, Fizzlepop?" Her patient hissed as the Pegasus touched Fizzlepop's head.

"Yeah, I'm..." Fizzlepop groaned, "...okay, but my horn feels really weird. It's like a massive hole in my head and all I feel is my magic getting stirred up. I didn't know that unicorn horns are delicate enough to smash through." The Pegasus used a magnifying glass to look closer to at Fizzlepop's horn.

"I'm afraid so, dear" the doctor replied, "they are more vulnerable than the heart of a unicorn. They are what makes a pony a unicorn. I must say that I have seen damaged horns before, but never have I seen one that has been smashed to pieces. In order to know what I need to do, I must ask you how this actually happened."

For a short while, there was a bitter silence before Fizzlepop started her story.

"Well, myself and my two friends were playing hoofball, you see?" she began, "I was going to kick it back, but the ball rolled down a small hill and went into a large cave. My friends didn't want to go in, so I volunteered to retrieve the ball. Once so, I picked it up and saw a... a..."

Fizzlepop trailed off, which caught the doctor's attention.

"What did you see, Fizzlepop?" the Pegasus asked.

"A baby Ursa." The doctor froze.

"Sweet mercy..." she whispered, "...those creatures haven't been seen in the area in the last twenty years or so. Did you do something to wake it up?"

"No, ma'am, I just went in to get our ball back" Fizzlepop replied, "my movement must have woken it from its sleep."

The Pegasus started writing down some notes on some sheets of paper on her desk. The sound of her pencil was the only thing that Fizzlepop dared to listen to, instead of listening to other ponies walking and talking through the corridors of the hospital that made the place less peaceful than it should've been. But then again, were hospitals meant to be some sort of holiday resort? Not really. Deciding not to complain, Fizzlepop remained sitting still and waited patiently for the doctor to do something.

"Okay, Fizzlepop," the Pegasus said, "I'm going to bandage your horn up and stitch up your scars. In about a month's time, I'll take the bandages and stitches out. Is that okay with you?"

Fizzlepop remained silent for a while, before answering the doctor's question.

"That's fine, thank you." The Pegasus then left her and closed the door behind her.

Mr and Mrs Berrytwist waited on the tiny plastic chairs for their daughter to come out. They had distracted themselves with leftover magazines that previous patients had left behind, but their distraction soon ended when they saw Fizzlepop's doctor walk out. In response, both parents got up onto all four hooves.

"How is she?" Mrs Berrytwist asked. The doctor rearranged her glasses before replying back.

"She will live, but her horn is completely smashed" she explained, "I can't save that, unfortunately, but I can clean up the wounds and stitch up the cuts over her eye and face. She is lucky to live. I recommend that she stays at home until she's completely healed up again." Mr Berrytwist looked concerned.

"Does this mean she'll have to leave her school then, for unicorns?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so," the doctor replied, "but I'm sure that she can study somewhere else. I know that she's a smart unicorn; perhaps the library? She says that she has a taste for myths and spy stories."

"Oh, she sure does!" Mrs Berrytwist said, "It's about time that she got herself a small job. I think we could go for that. Can we see her?" The Pegasus shook her head.

"Not yet," she replied, "after the stitches are done and she's been cleaned up. We'll give her some new clothes to wear, as the ones she was wearing have been soaked with unicorn blood." The Berrytwist couple looked at each other, before turning round to sit back down on the plastic chairs again. They knew that it would be a long while until their daughter would be able to come out of the hospital. All they could do was just pray that their daughter would be fine.

Meanwhile, the Pegasus doctor was busy cleaning up Fizzlepop's wounds and had the stitching ready. She used a soaked sponge to wipe away the blood and had tweezers to pick out the broken shards of horn that had bedded itself into her patient's skin. Fizzlepop felt no pain, thanks to the medicine that her doctor had given her. It took around twenty minutes to get all the pieces of horn out of Fizzlepop's skin and lots of paper towels to put them in. The doctor distracted Fizzlepop by asking some questions.

"So, what do you want to be when you grow up?" she asked her. Fizzlepop thought for a moment.

"A travel writer or join the army," she replied, "it depends which army though."

"I see." The Pegasus poked some of Fizzlepop's flesh and worked her way through her head, reaching as far down to her skull. The pieces of horn and other debris were put into a pot for further investigation. Afterwards, the Pegasus then started cleaning more of the wound and stitched up the exposed areas of the head. Then, she cleaned up the scars on Fizzlepop's face and neck and started stitching them up as well.

"How do you feel?" the Pegasus asked. Fizzlepop breathed.

"Fine," she replied, "I feel no pain."

"That's good dear," the Pegasus said, "I promise, Fizzlepop, you'll be fine. In a week, I'll remove the snitching and everything will be healed. I promise."

You promise, Fizzlepop thought to herself, I trust you.

Five

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Black.

That was the only colour Fizzlepop could see. No source of light could break through it. The strange atmosphere had swept through the unicorn's mind like the ocean's waves crashing into some rocks. Fizzlepop could feel pain, but also something else that she seemed to feel was anger.

The anger she could feel was of course not towards the doctors and nurses who had stitched her up. It was the creature that took her horn away; the Ursa. If that stupid creature didn't attack her then she wouldn't be there. But then, it was also her fault that the ball she and her friends were playing with rolled into the Ursa's cave in the first place. She couldn't blame any pony, but herself. Couldn't she use her magic from a far distance and retrieve the ball from there? Or maybe she could've asked for an older pony to help her? Her mother, perhaps? Fizzlepop knew that the Ursa was just sleeping and she was the pony who disturbed it. No other pony's fault, but hers.

She also found out the reason why she couldn't see was that some pony had bandaged her eyes up. Fizzlepop remembered hearing a conversation from some of the doctors that she needed to keep wearing the bandages until the worst of the scars and the broken horn had healed up. She couldn't remember how long that would take for the damage to heal though, not to mention the mental damage as well.

The sound of a trolley became known to Fizzlepop and as the sound became louder, she turned her head towards the direction of where it was coming from and tried to listen for a voice of the pony who was pushing the trolley towards her. As she got closer, the pain then became stronger and Fizzlepop started to groan.

"It's okay, dear," the pony whispered, "I'm going to help you with your bandages."

Fizzlepop sat up, feeling around on her bed to find something to hold onto. She trusted this pony, but she still felt afraid and didn't know what was to come. At least she knew that what was blocking her sight though. Fizzlepop tried to relax as she listened to the pony's voice, as it was the only voice she had heard in the last twenty-four hours. The only other sounds she had heard were the hum of the machines that she was attached to and the odd conversation outside her room in the corridor. It was an advantage, being blinded by a bandage because that enabled Fizzlepop to use her ears to hear and listen to sounds that she would never hear.

The first strip of bandage came off from the top of Fizzlepop's head and was then rolled into a ball. It had soaked up her blood, which did seem a bit grim to look at, especially if it was none other than her own. But Fizzlepop retrained herself from screaming and just sat there watching the pony take off layer after layer of bandages. As there became fewer layers, Fizzlepop felt the weight lift from her head and could feel the pain sweep into the tip of her head. She groaned and placed her left hoof on top of her head.

"It will hurt for a while," the nurse explained, "I will give you something for the pain. Just keep looking at me, Fizzlepop."

Fizzlepop focused her light blue eyes at the face of the pony. She watched the nurse's arms move about in front of her view and the bandages coming off. They were then piled up into a massive ball and put in a medium-sized bowl, before being pressed so that most of the blood flowed out. The bowl of blood was then put to one side and out came a needle and thread.

The nurse went over to Fizzlepop with the equipment and then handed over a bottle containing a pink liquid inside. On the bottle was a label that had writing in red ink.

Pain-relief medicine. Only to be used by trained staff.

"Drink this..." the nurse said.

Fizzlepop didn't need to be told twice when it came to instructions. She leaned forward and allowed the nurse to feed her the medicine. It flowed down her throat like a waterfall and landed in the pit of her stomach. The crimson unicorn started coughing but soon relaxed again.

The nurse then put the needle up close to Fizzlepop's face and dug the needle into her skin. The thread went around the scar and closed up the most exposed sections. She couldn't feel any pain, but Fizzlepop knew that for a while she would look like some kind of monster from a horror story.

The pain was beginning to leave her body and head. It was replaced by the feeling to lie down again, but she didn't want to just in case the nurse wanted her to do something else. She tapped her hoof on the pony's back and then held onto the railing of the bed.

"You can lie down, Fizzlepop. I'll get you another pillow."

The nurse held Fizzlepop in her arms as she lowered her down in a horizontal position. She rested her head on the soft pillow that she already had and then breathed a relaxed sigh. The pain that she just had been through was beginning to fade away and was being replaced by the feeling of happiness. What she at least knew was that she was in a place where some pony was looking after her and caring about things that mattered the most.

Fizzlepop watched her nurse walk out of the room, before turning head to face the other side of the room. There was a window that was large enough to see what was happening outside. But really the only action that was going on was the odd pony walking towards or away from the building. The path to the hospital was split into two lanes by a red line.

Walk on the left. a sign said with an arrow pointing towards the cart park.

Fizzlepop guessed that there would be another one that instructed ponies to walk on the left when heading towards the hospital. It would make sense after all. The path was also lined up by lights that were embedded in the concrete. The lights led up all the way to the main entrance of the hospital. By this piece of information, Fizzlepop knew that she was near the reception area, which was useful because she was thinking of going over there to ask if her parents were here. Probably not though, it was a working day after all.

A mirror was sitting on the nearest table to Fizzlepop. Thinking it would be best to know what sort of state she would be in, the unicorn reached over and picked up the mirror with her two hooves. After grabbing hold of the object, she looked into it and saw the result of the Ursa attack.

Over her right eye, a stitched up scar was visible. It was a thin line that was about five inches long and was placed directly in the middle of her eye socket. When she was looking straight ahead, the pupil in Fizzlepop's eye lined up with the scar. The stitching almost went right up to her eyelid and at the very tip of the top and bottom rows of Fizzlepop's eyelashes, a "V" shape could be seen up close where the eyelid had been cut at. The makeup that Fizzlepop was wearing on the previous day had dripped down her cheek, like a black and dirty teardrop. Disappointed that even her makeup was ruined, Fizzlepop sunk her head into her pillow and looked up at the ceiling.

The door opened to reveal the nurse with the pillow her patient had requested. She tucked it behind Fizzlepop and then pulled the covers over her body.

"Is that everything, dear?" the nurse asked. Fizzlepop thought what she wanted else. Probably a drink that wasn't related to medicine.

"Just some water, please" Fizzlepop replied, "that's all I need now. Thanks."

Understanding her task at hoof, the nurse left Fizzlepop's side and walked out of her room.

Fizzlepop tried to look up at the ceiling, for if she rested on her side, the pain from the scar would sweep in again. She stroked the stitching around her eye. It was like touching one of her dolls that she used to play with. The similar feel of the thread that attached the arms to the body of the doll and the buttons for its eyes. Fizzlepop had learnt to sow from when stitching up her dolls every time they would fall apart and she could feel the plastic-type material of the thread bedding into her skin. For the first time in a long while, Fizzlepop couldn't understand what was meant to happen next. Was she staying at the hospital and if so, how long? This wasn't holiday season or half term, but a normal studying day.

But for just that moment, Fizzlepop looked up at the ceiling and made a wish not for her, but for some pony else.

"I wish mummy is okay."

A week passed and Fizzlepop was still in the hospital. She had distracted herself by reading some books her parents had brought in and, with special permission, her friends Avon and Star Myth came along to give her some company. They even tried to sow together as a group. However, the other two found that it wasn't their thing and struggled incredibly. They sometimes stopped and watched Fizzlepop glide her needle through her doll as if she had done it a million times before.

"Okay, so you thread the needle through the body and then pull it out and start again."

Avon managed to keep up, but the other unicorn found himself getting his needle tangled up with the doll and messed up the whole process. Star Myth frowned, which made Avon stop and look at him. Fizzlepop felt bad for him and put her doll down on top of her blankets.

"You're not enjoying this, aren't you?" The other two unicorns hid their emotions and looked at each other.

"No, it's not that, Fizzlepop," Avon said, "We're just not as good as you are at doing this. This is your thing and you enjoy it and we both respect that. You're the best at it in Year 5, perhaps the best in the whole school!"

Fizzlepop blushed at the compliment her friend had given her and then carried on sowing the doll together.

"How are the lessons without me?" she asked, cheerfully. Her friends were the next to turn a shade of crimson.

"Every pony misses you, Fizzlepop" Star Myth said, "even the teachers have set up a donation to pay for some of the medication that isn't covered by the EHS. So far, the school's raised seventy bits." Fizzlepop blinked in shock.

"Seventy bits?!" she repeated, "Oh you guys... they shouldn't have done that!" Star Myth scoffed in disagreement.

"Are you kidding?!" he exclaimed, "You're the coolest and bravest student there now. Every pony loves you! You fought off that Ursa like it was nothing." Fizzlepop suddenly then frowned.

"That's not really true, though," she said, "I had to get away from that creature. There was no way I could have faced it with a broken horn and a damaged eye. It would have been a stale fight."

"She's right, Star Myth," Avon added, "Ursa's are dangerous creatures, even if it was a baby one. Fizzlepop was lucky to get out there with just a few scars and a broken horn. No offence, Fizzlepop. She could have been killed."

"Touché."

No pony talked for a moment or so, but Avon broke the silence when she pulled out a brown paper bag from her rucksack and opened it up.

"Sweet, Fizzlepop?" Fizzlepop looked at the back and shook her head.

"No thank you," she replied, "I'm on a sugar-free diet, but thanks for offering though." Avon then passed the bag to Star Myth, who picked out an orange gobstopper and placed it in his mouth. After taking one for herself, Avon put the bag back into her rucksack. The two ponies chewed whilst sitting down next to Fizzlepop's bed.

"So when you're out," Star Myth said, "we're were thinking of going somewhere a little closer to the village where we could play hoofball and somewhere that is nowhere near any wild creatures that could harm us. Perhaps the day when you come back to school, we could go after lessons have finished. Besides, the majority of Year 5 would have gone on some trip."

"That's so kind of you," Fizzlepop whispered, "I love you guys."

The three of them went into a group hug, trying to avoid causing any damage to the machines that Fizzlepop was attached to. Tears of joy fell into the unicorns' eyes and they all laughed in embarrassment.

"Just remember, Fizzlepop," Avon said, "just because you've lost your horn, that doesn't mean you're no longer a unicorn at heart."

"Unicorns forever, eh?"

"Unicorns forever."

Avon then looked at her pocket watch and grabbed Star Myth's arm.

"We best be going now," she said, "we promised to the headmistress to do some extra work if we were allowed to visit you. We don't want to be late. Come on Star Myth, let's give Fizzlepop some rest."

Avon picked up her belongings and with Star Myth following behind her, exited the room.

Fizzlepop looked back down at her doll and the dolls that her friends were working on. She picked up hers with her hooves and looked directly into its button eyes. Fizzlepop always imagined since she first touched a doll that they always stared back at you and were trying to tell you something, but couldn't get their message across. They were a mysterious thing, dolls, which was what made Fizzlepop think.

Would they be her "imaginary friends" or just another toy to play with?

The thought, however, soon vanished as a wave of tiredness swept over her head. She laid her head down on the pillow and held the doll tight in her arms. Fizzlepop looked up at the ceiling and instead of looking at a light, she saw a shining star in the sky. The filly let her imagination take hold, as she fell into a relaxed trance and whispered something to herself.

"Please, Luna. I want to see you. Please see me in my dream tonight. Just this once..."

It was too difficult to understand at first, but soon Fizzlepop managed to understand why she was surrounded by a grey mist and could hear the sound of a mare singing. She knew that she was dreaming, but it was the first time Fizzlepop had a dream that felt so real. It was like she was actually there. The smell, the temperature, the singing; it wasn't a fragment of her imagination. She was actually dreaming!

Fizzlepop walked around where she was standing and every hoof step she took, her dream seemed to respond to it. She looked around to see if there was anything that could be of any use, but nothing came into the view. But after a few more hoof steps, a bright white light appeared in front of her, blinding her view. Fizzlepop raised her hoof over her eyes and turned away from the light. It was so bright, that she couldn't look at the figure standing in the middle of the light. Then, the place trembled at a recognisable and powerful voice.

"Who dares to stand in the way of thee?!" the voice asked. It was the voice of a mare.

"My name... my name is Fizzlepop, miss!" the filly replied, "Fizzlepop Berrytwist. I mean you no harm!"

"Fizzlepop Berrytwist?" the mare repeated, "Is thou Fizzlepop the unicorn who lost her horn to the Ursa?"

"Yes, yes!" Fizzlepop replied, "I am that mare that you speak of! I am the unicorn who was attacked by the Ursa back in my hometown!"

The mare then walked out of the shining light and stood in the way of Fizzlepop. The filly gasped in surprise and then went over to touch the hoof of the pony.

"Princess Luna*?"

"It is I, yes. Why does Fizzlepop question this?" Fizzlepop let go of Luna's hoof and stepped back.

"I'm dreaming, right?" she asked. Luna laughed and then raised her hoof in the air.

"I am the princess of the night," the alicorn said, "thus it is my duties to come into your dreams. I sense there is something troubling thou and I know that it is not me. I know when ponies lie, Fizzlepop, so be careful what you say to her highness."

Fizzlepop sighed and turned away in disappointment. She wanted to get away from her fears, not walk into them. Was this meant to be a dream or a nightmare? Was Luna helping or just being another obstacle to think about? But she did say that she knew when any pony was lying to her, even her own sister, Celestia.

"I'm not like any other unicorn, princess" Fizzlepop explained, "I have no horn anymore. What do I do? I can't remain like this forever, can I?"

Luna put her hoof to her chin and looked up in thought. She hummed something that Fizzlepop couldn't make out. Was she... thinking?

"Let Fizzlepop come forth!" Luna commanded.

Fizzlepop walked closer to the dark blue alicorn, so close that their muzzles were almost touching. The unicorn didn't say anything, for she feared that Luna would shout at her for questioning the princess' actions.

"Fizzlepop was blinded by bandages, was she not?" Luna asked.

"Yes?" Fizzlepop replied, gulping. The princess raised her left eyebrow in question to how her prey responded to her what she had just asked. Luna's pupils thinned and became tiny prim-pricks. Fizzlepop found her as terrifying as she was in her Nightmare Moon form, but she trusted her. Besides, she was the only pony who she knew to have felt in a way betrayed by other ponies.

"You and I are alike, Fizzlepop," Luna explained, wrapping an arm around Fizzlepop's shoulder, "we have witnessed defeat and have wept at ourselves for being different. But even if I do return to my sister's side, I will always be Luna, even if I am monster to pony kind, like Nightmare Moon for example."

"What do my bandages have to do with this?"

"The bandages that Fizzlepop wore not only blinded you physically but mentally. When blinded by hatred, ponies can stray far from peace and harmony and become a monster to others. Evil is strong and can hold onto like a fisherman's hook and never let go." Fizzlepop became confused.

"But, I'm not evil. Am I?"

Luna tried to think of something that would help Fizzlepop listen to her. She clasped hold of her hoof and lifted Fizzlepop up into the air. Suddenly, the location that they were in morphed into another setting, which Fizzlepop could recognise...

The filly was left speechless for a while, before eventually making a comment.

"My... my dream?"

"It is not a dream, little pony," Luna said, "the princess of the night sees it as a vision. Thus, it is the future of what Canterlot will look like. I see a figure following the footsteps of an evil king, seeing him as a second father and guardian, even if his heart is ice cold of pure hatred. She is lost and needs a wise pony, not myself, to show her what friendship really is."

Fizzlepop started breathing quickly and noticed that she was about to wake up. She was going to wake up in fear, a response to any nightmare and it wouldn't just be a nightmare, but a sign of what was yet to come. Fizzlepop turned to the princess one last time, before asking her a simple question.

"Who is this pony you speak of?!" she asked, crying her eyes out. Luna's horn began to glow a deep blue colour, before responding to Fizzlepop.

"You."

Author's Notes:

*I understand that Luna was sent to the moon for a thousand years, but I feel that she could still access pony's dreams whilst imprisoned. Besides, Twilight wouldn't have gotten worked up about Nightmare Moon if she didn't receive some kind of warning, even if she read a book about the matter. I think Luna is a role model to Fizzlepop/Tempest, because she's been in a similar situation to her. That's why I feel it was important to feature her in the story.

I did wish to make this chapter longer, but I felt that I wanted to give you something than nothing for a while. I hope you enjoyed it and please feel free to ask me anything or give me tips or ideas that can make this story better.

Just a quick update, I'll be back at college at the time I publish this chapter, so I will need to balance my time when I'm studying and writing.

Plus, anyone excited for Season 8? I have also heard rumors that Season 9's confirmed as well, but I'm not one to spoil anything. Stay awesome guys and keep on rocking!

Six

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The Next Day

The sound of the beeping from Fizzlepop's alarm clock woke her up with a start. Breathing rapidly, Fizzlepop reached her hoof for a glass of water, only to knock it on the floor and causing it to smash on the hard surface. The unicorn filly groaned in frustration, before lying down again on her bed. She asked herself how it could be so hard to reach for a glass of water. After all, it was her horn that was the problem, not her hoof.

The daylight creeping through the blinds of her window told Fizzlepop that it was morning. After looking at the rays of sunshine landing on her room's floor, the filly turned back onto her side and looked at her alarm clock.

8:12 am.

Fizzlepop threw the covers off and sat up straight. She tasked herself to call for assistance and ask for breakfast before she would nod off to sleep again. Fizzlepop would have got up to look out of her window and see the beautiful sunshine land on the hospital's garden, however, she soon remembered that she was attached to some machines and therefore couldn't leave her bed without taking the machine with her to the window. And also, she didn't dare attempt to use her magic to levitate the machine as she would walk around her room. The best thing was to just sit still.

Five minutes later, her nurse came in with a trolley with a tray of food and drink placed on the top. Underneath the tray of food was a tray holding a selection of cards, letters, flowers, chocolates, perfumes, lipstick, shampoo and fruit. Many of these gifts had labels, the majority saying the same thing:

To Fizzlepop,

Get well soon. We all love you.

Best wishes from your school.

These were all followed by other messages from hundreds and hundreds of students, including Avon and Star Myth. Fizzlepop was surprised. Her school had never done anything like this to her. At least she knew that there were other ponies from her school that cared as well. Then again, it's not every day that a unicorn loses its horn and lives to tell the tale, especially if the creature was none other than a baby Ursa.

Fizzlepop didn't rush reading each and every card that she opened. Each one was in different handwriting and from a different student from the infant section next door to her school up all the way to Year 6. Some were scribbled with crayons and others were beautifully designed by quill and ink. Some were covered with messy drawings and others were shaded sketches of her, all of which included her horn.

After reading each card and letter, Fizzlepop put them onto the table next to her bed and then threw away the envelopes. She then wrote on a scrap piece of paper to remind her to do something in return for the kindness and presents they had given her. Her year group, Year 5, were a large group, consisting of around 120 students of the three different species of ponies; earth, unicorn and Pegasus, so there was a large collection of presents and treats from them. Fizzlepop felt that they had been too generous to her since her incident with the Ursa, after all, she was just a student, just like the rest of the fillies and colts in her class.

Fizzlepop reached out both her arms to pick up a large, red present that was placed underneath the tray of other gifts. She shook the cube-shaped object to hear what sort of thing could be inside, but Fizzlepop could hear no sound. She wondered what it could be; something large, perhaps? The unicorn rattled the present again, to hear the same response to nothing. Giving up, Fizzlepop decided to unravel the ribbon and take off the lid of the present.

Inside was a collection of sparkly lipstick, ranging from pale white to a strong crimson colour, and a beautiful, large, dark blue dress. She took it out of the box and laid the dress over the sheets of her bed, seeing the shine of the sparkly gems that were embedded into the skirt, and as her eyes widened, Fizzlepop saw how stunning and breath-taking this dress was. She pulled the dress towards her and placed it on her chest, feeling the texture of the clothing over her skin. After sleeping underneath the thin and exposed hospital bed sheets, it just felt so good to have the material of a dress touch her skin.

The feeling of joy soon left Fizzlepop as quickly as a galloping gazelle, when her tummy had decided that it was the time for something to eat. As it was morning, Fizzlepop decided not to have some of the treats that were given to her, so instead, she called for room service from one of her nurses. Thankfully, it was early in the morning, so the wait was short for assistance.

A white pony, with a pink mane and tail, and blue eyes walked through Fizzlepop's door with another trolley with food and drinks. She parked the trolley next to her patient's bed, before leaning forward to place a hoof on Fizzlepop's head.

"Good morning, deary," she said quietly, "feeling any better?"

"I am, thank you" Fizzlepop replied, "I've been drowned with all these gifts from my school. I didn't know that I had so many friends."

Nurse Redheart picked up a thermometer from her tray and placed it into her patient's mouth. Fizzlepop kept her lips as tight as they would go to prevent the thermometer from falling out and also stayed perfectly still. She decided to lie back down again and rest her head on the pillow behind her and focused on looking at the ceiling.

"You'll have to keep that in your mouth until I've finished checking up on you," Redheart explained, "I'll let you know when you can take it out."

Fizzlepop stayed still whilst watching the nurse pick up and inspect some of the particular objects that were on her tray. Some included very long needles and others were glass bottles containing liquids of various colours. Nurse Redheart picked up a tiny magnifying glass and went over to her patient, holding onto the top of her head.

"Now hold still," Nurse Redheart said, "this won't take long."

Keeping Fizzlepop's head still, Redheart leaned forward with the magnifying glass and looked at the damage at the top of Fizzlepop's forehead. The nurse stuck her tongue out whilst inspecting the stitches and exposed cuts in Fizzlepop's head, including the remains of her broken horn. Fizzlepop had been given something to prevent the pain from getting to a point where she couldn't bear it, especially if some pony was going to be sticking a needle into her head.

The white earth pony slowly picked out the tiny pieces of horn out of Fizzlepop's crimson skin and put the pieces of horn into a glass cylinder. Once some of the pieces were placed into the glass, they gave out one final flash of magic, before going out for the very last time. Soon enough, every piece of horn had been taken out of Fizzlepop's head. The next step was to sow the wounds up.

Nurse Redheart quickly sowed her way through Fizzlepop's head, running through the cuts and open wounds. Luckily, during the stitching, Fizzlepop didn't feel any pain whatsoever. There was very little to do afterwards as well; only a quick clean up. For being brave, Fizzlepop was given something to drink after Nurse Redheart had finished on her.

After sitting up in the upright position, Fizzlepop starting drinking her reward; raspberry milkshake. She remained sitting down and managed to forget about the bloody scenes that she had witnessed whilst Nurse Redheart was working on her. The pony in question was busy washing up her equipment in a washing up sink, cleaning away all of her patient's blood and disinfecting them. Whilst doing that, Fizzlepop continued reading some of her Best Wishes cards and opening the remainder of her presents.

Many of the presents were Gusty the Great novels, legends of famous unicorns and translation books from Latin to English. Fizzlepop soon had a stack full of books and large collections of stories. For the first time in over twenty-four hours, she smiled in joy at how her friends had become so kind to her, even the ones that she didn't get on with. If she thought her tenth birthday was amazing, then receiving presents on the day afterwards was just unbelievable.

Nurse Redheart then went over to Fizzlepop and stroked her mane.

"You've been great, Fizzlepop," she said, "tomorrow, I'll be happy to discharge you from the hospital. I bet your friends and family will be pleased about that, eh?"

"That's great!" Fizzlepop cried, "Thanks. Besides, I have to catch up with school work."

"I'm glad to hear that you're regarding what you need to do when you go back to school," Nurse Redheart said, "many of my patients in Canterlot worry if their fillies and colts are catching up with homework when they're in the hospital. It's lucky that their youngsters have an older sibling to keep an eye on them. Do you have any sisters or brothers, Fizzlepop?"

"No, I'm the only filly in the house," Fizzlepop said, "mummy's never had any other infants. My friends Avon and Star Myth have siblings though."

"I see," Nurse Redheart replied, "have you ever been to Canterlot?"

"I've never left the town," Fizzlepop explained, "my parents have promised me that they'll take me to Canterlot for my thirteenth birthday. After school, I want to get a job so that I can pay to visit places in Equestria. I've always wanted to see that part of the world."

"Well, I assure you," Nurse Redheart said, "Equestria is the most beautiful place to ever visit. Many famous ponies have come from that part of the world. I have had the privilege to nurse Princess Celestia herself, believe it or not. And also her prize pupil, Twilight Sparkle."

"Twilight Sparkle?" Fizzlepop repeated.

"Oh yes, Twilight Sparkle is one of the smartest unicorns to have ever attended her school in Canterlot. Lavender coat, bright purple coloured star cutie mark and the brain of a genius. One of a kind, let's say. Hey, she seems similar to you in a way."

Fizzlepop thought for a while and the name of this particular unicorn remained in her head. The name of "Twilight Sparkle" played on her mind like a memory that she couldn't get out of her brain. Nurse Redheart said that she was Celestia's prize pupil. Celestia, the ruler of Equestria and pretty much the goddess of the sun, had a pupil? The princess had a pupil?

"Is she still in Canterlot?" Fizzlepop asked.

"Oh yes," Nurse Redheart replied, "she's always lived there. Her family have been based there for generations. I only know so much though; I can't remember anything else about her."

"I see."

"If you had to leave your town," Nurse Redheart said, "would you think of going to Canterlot?"

"My parents have thought about going there for work," Fizzlepop explained, "they have also asked me if I wanted to go to Celestia's school, but it's very expensive."

"That is true," the nurse pony replied, "it's like five hundred bits for the whole academic year. The education they teach though is worth the money. Only the really worthy ponies allow their fillies and colts to go study there, especially if the headmistress is none other than Princess Celestia herself."

Nurse Redheart then went over to her trolley of equipment and put all the blood coated bandages into a small metal bin. Afterwards, she pushed the trolley towards the door and prepared to leave.

"I'll be back in a few minutes to see how you're doing," she said to Fizzlepop, "try to get some rest now, dear."

After her nurse closed the door, Fizzlepop turned to her side and attempted to fall asleep. It took longer than anticipated though, as she was still recovering from the strange feeling of having bits of horn stuck in her head. The feeling, however, was losing the battle against tiredness and soon, Fizzlepop fell once again into a deep, deep sleep.

For the remainder of the day, Fizzlepop was asleep in her room with strict orders from Nurse Redheart that she wasn't to be disturbed under any circumstances. The nurse pony wandered down the corridor every thirty minutes or so, just in case her patient needed her aid. However, her job was interrupted at the arrival of Mr and Mrs Berrytwist coming through the main entrance of the hospital and heading over to the reception.

"Hello, we've booked an appointment to see our daughter, Fizzlepop Berrytwist," the crimson mare said, "is it okay if we see her?"

Nurse Redheart went over to the receptionist's desk and introduced herself to the two unicorns.

"Mr and Mrs Berrytwist, I believe?" she asked, "Hi, I'm Redheart and I'm your daughter's nurse. How are the two of you doing?"

"We just wanted to see our daughter before we went out to work today," Mr Berrytwist explained, "is it okay if we get to see her?"

"I'm very sorry, sir, but your daughter is sleeping off the effects of the stitching and medication she's received today. She would be up to scratch until this afternoon, only then we can allow visitors to see her. Besides, she'll be discharged tomorrow, so you can take her home anyway."

The couple frowned in disappointment, before turning around to head out of the hospital. They went through the main entrance and left the building. Mrs Berrytwist fell to tears, with her husband holding her in a hug as they walked through the cool breeze of autumn.

"Well, err, thanks anyway," Mr Berrytwist said, "see you tomorrow then."

Watching the two unicorns from a window far off was Fizzlepop herself. The feeling of guilt swept through her like the effects of a drug taking hold on her mind. It didn't feel nice to see her parents just walk away, but she knew that they had to get back to their jobs in the village. Fizzlepop reminded herself that they would be back tomorrow to pick her up from the hospital and everything would be all okay. Everything should be okay from then on.

Right?

The next day, Fizzlepop was woken earlier than anticipated by Nurse Redheart. Her alarm clock seemed to have reached the end of its career and what used to be a loud beeping sound was now a mere vibration. Before she could reach over to turn it off, the white unicorn simply lifted the alarm up with her magic, turned it off with her hoof and set it down again on Fizzlepop's table. The filly groaned with tiredness before covering her head with a pillow, turning to face away from her nurse. Nurse Redheart ignored her and continued working getting everything ready for her departure.

"Too early!" Fizzlepop murmured from underneath her pillow. The nurse pony simply smiled, whilst laying out the portable breakfast table and pushing Fizzlepop's gifts aside.

"Today's the day!" Redheart said, beaming a grin on her white face, "You're being discharged from hospital and be able to go home. Your parents are expected to collect you late morning, so I recommend that you get everything packed. The scars and damage to your horn should be completely healed within a month's time. If you have any problems, book an appointment with me and we can meet again in a private meeting. Sounds good?"

The only response that Redheart received from her patient was the muffled sound of her groaning.

"Excellent! I'll get one of our chefs to make some breakfast for you and then I'll help you pack your things. Fun, right?"

The filly eventually sat up straight with her pillow balancing on top of her head. She turned to look directly at Nurse Redheart, before grinning to say that she understood her task at hoof.

"I'll leave you to get changed for the time being."

The nurse pony walked out of Fizzlepop's room, closing the door and blind of the door's window. Fizzlepop then turned down the blinds of the large window which showed the view of the entrance to the hospital and turned on the light. She then went over to the pile of gifts that she received yesterday and pulled out the blue dress. After making sure that the dress was her size, Fizzlepop pulled the dress over her head and allowed it to fall down her body. She then tried to grab the zip on the back, but that was easier said than done when you had hooves and no horn. Eventually, Fizzlepop gave up and decided that she would get Nurse Redheart to help her get zipped up into her dress.

Fizzlepop pressed the button that requested help and within a few seconds, her nurse arrived and went over to help her into a dress. After that was achieved, Nurse Redheart picked up Fizzlepop's stuff and followed her out of the room, walking over to the reception.

Mrs Berrytwist was waiting on one of the small plastic chairs that were all placed in a line against one of the walls. She was watching a long queue of ponies waiting to be served at the prescription desks, as none of the beauty magazines were to her taste. She looked at her pocket watch and tutted at the disgraced waiting time.

"What's taking them so long?" she asked herself.

Suddenly, Fizzlepop came round the corner along with Nurse Redheart. Mrs Berrytwist went over to Fizzlepop and gave her a hug.

"You've been so brave, Fizzlepop!" she said, "I must thank you, Miss Redheart. How can I ever repay you?"

"No need," the unicorn replied, "if you ever need anything, call me at this number."

Redheart gave Mrs Berrytwist a small white card with her name and cutie mark on. It was reflective and had a shine to it.

"Thanks for everything," Mrs Berrytwist said again, "come on, Fizzlepop. Time to go."

"Thanks, Redheart!" Fizzlepop said, waving goodbye to her nurse.

"Anything for you, dear!" Nurse Redheart replied, "Anything for you."

Fizzlepop and her mother walked through the entrance to the hospital and started the long walk home.

There was a cool breeze that was sweeping through the town, gentle and not too cold. It was yet another busy day, with every pony out and about, shopping, travelling, going to work, taking fillies and colts to school; just another day in a town outside Equestria. The pavements were blocked with ponies selling food and expensive beauty products to the rest of the citizens, along with the odd entertainer performing a talent of some sort. Ponies were consuming all the available space that was left, leaving none for others like Fizzlepop and her mother to get past.

Once among the crowds, Fizzlepop put her cloak and hood on, covering up her broken horn. Her mother kept her close by, trying not to let any pony see her daughter's head or face. The only thing that emerged from the darkness of Fizzlepop's hood, were her two blue eyes, still sparkling with beauty and colour. Other than that, black was the only thing to be seen. Keeping her head down, Fizzlepop trusted her mother and followed her through the sea of ponies, trying not to give eye contact to any of them.

A very tall and thin yellow unicorn, with a green mane and a blue star for a cutie mark, was being guarded by two large grey stallions whilst walking down the street past all the market stalls and groups of civilians. Every pony noticed her, all except for Fizzlepop, who couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.

"Mummy, who's that unicorn?" Fizzlepop asked. All of a sudden, Mrs Berrytwist started giggling with excitement.

"Who's that unicorn?" she repeated back, "That's Diamond Delight, the biggest pop star outside of Equestria! What's she doing here, though? This is just a small town, with no history of any sort."

The grey stallions marched their way to the centre of the town, holding back the crowds to give Diamond Delight some space. The yellow unicorn simply walked through the crowds without a problem whilst blowing kisses to her fans. Lots of ponies waved her by, cheering and crying in delight.

As the convoy carried on down the road, Fizzlepop and her mother tried to squeeze their way through the last of the crowd. They were almost there, until suddenly a black Pegasus stallion stepped back, tripping Fizzlepop up and made her land face first onto the floor, right in the way of Diamond Delight.

The cheering stopped and there was complete silence throughout the town. The guard ponies stepped right next to Diamond Delight, stretching out an arm each in front of the celebrity's chest. Fizzlepop looked up, holding onto the hood to prevent it falling down and exposing her to the crowd. Diamond Delight leaned forward and presented an arm to the filly. Accepting her kindness, Fizzlepop held onto the hoof and lifted herself up back onto all four hooves. After a quick smile, Diamond Delight carried on walking and the convoy continued following her.

Mrs Berrytwist was left speechless and didn't dare move a muscle. Her daughter had just fallen in front of one of the hottest celebrities out there, but thankfully the secret of her condition wasn't discovered. The mare went over to Fizzlepop held onto her for a while, whilst both of them watched the celebrity walk off into the distance.

"Are you okay, dear?" Mrs Berrytwist asked Fizzlepop. The filly didn't respond for a while, for she couldn't believe that she almost gave away the identity of a unicorn with no horn.

"I... I am..." Fizzlepop replied, "I think I am anyway."

"Come on," her mother said, pushing her along the path, "let's get out of here."

Five minutes later, Fizzlepop and her mum arrived back at home, to be welcomed by Sandals Berrytwist at the front door. The smell of bacon travelled out of the window and into the street, which drew in the two unicorns without hesitation. Fizzlepop ran up to Sandals and jumped into his arms, still with her hood on.

"How is my angel today, eh?" Sandals asked Fizzlepop. He gave her a nuzzle, before letting her go.

"Fine thanks, Dad" Fizzlepop replied, "I'm feeling better already."

"That's really good to hear, sweetie" Sandals Berrytwist said, "I heard from Avon and Star Myth's families that they're available to spend the time you after tea. They were wondering if you would join them in the park, this time away from any possible disasters."

"That sounds great!" Fizzlepop said. She went inside and dumped her stuff on one of the sofas, before lying down in a reading chair.

"You're lucky to come out of the hospital in time for the weekend," Mrs Berrytwist said, "otherwise you'd have to be getting ready for school again. Tomorrow's Saturday, so you have the whole day. Again remember, don't-"

"Get involved with any disasters," Fizzlepop finished, "I know, mum."

Mrs Berrytwist gave one final nuzzle, before walking off to do the dishes. Fizzlepop, however, just remained sitting in the chair, looking through the window as she watched the chaos outside die off. It was beginning to become very chilly and soon, too cold to be hanging around outside. Sandals started up a fire, laying it with newspapers, logs, pieces of wood and coal. It lit up the room, giving it a dim orange glow and a relaxing heat. The smell of burning coal went up Fizzlepop's nostrils, causing her to sneeze every so often, but it still made her feel sleepy.

After sitting around for a while, Sandals and his wife had a quick glance at their daughter, noticing that she had fallen asleep. The pair of them smiled and went over to pick her up. They crept up the stairs as quietly as possible, before placing her back into bed, covering her crimson body with the devout. Afterwards, they began to leave, giving one final look at the unicorn filly one last time that night.

"Goodnight, Fizzlepop" Mrs Berrytwist whispered, "we love you, so much."

Seven

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Canterlot, present day

"Woah, woah, woah!" Spike said, interrupting Tempest's story. Twilight was just about to dip a chocolate chip cookie, but thanks to the sudden outburst from her trusted companion, a piece of her delicacy fell into her cup of hot chocolate and began dissolving into tiny pieces of crumbs. Twilight frowned, but soon came to her senses when she wondered what made Spike interrupt what Tempest was on about.

"What about your friends? What about leaving town? What about-?"

Tempest raised her hoof in the air, causing Spike to halt his collection of questions.

"I can assure you, that I will get onto that very soon."

Twilight lifted up the stand of trays that held scones and jam buns and placed it near to her, where she picked up one of the scones. She started eating the tasty treat, whilst listening to Tempest.

"There were many other days that I can't remember or were just like any other day that I experienced before I lost my horn to the Ursa," Tempest explained, "probably because those were days doing homework or just studying back in school, with a hood on all the time. Thankfully, no pony knew about the loss of my horn, apart from Avon, Star Myth and the headmistress of course."

The group were already on their third cup of tea and Twilight had to turn onto the fifth page in her notebook, for she was writing down notes about the history that Tempest had given in her story so far. She wanted to, at a later date, to reference the notes on history on the outside of Equestria twenty-five to thirty years ago. Even though both she and Tempest hadn't lived that long, the description Tempest gave was what it still would have been before she was born. There were history books in her library, including the one at the Castle of the Two Sisters, which proved this. After all, Tempest didn't lie anymore.

"You should get to the bit where I come in!" Grubber said, nudging Tempest. The unicorn sighed, before placing an arm over her assistance.

"Yes, I will," Tempest said, "I would never forget about you, Grubber. But I'm still talking about my fillyhood home at the moment. I'll save the adventures for last."

"I'm sure you've had many amazing adventures across Equestria, Tempest!" Spike added, "And I also can't believe that you met Princess Luna as well, but I thought that she was banished during that time?"

"Luna said that she could still access dreams for a short period of time," Tempest explained, "she is an alicorn princess after all."

"Celestia can only use her magic in Equestria, so that meant the outskirts of the land was an easy target for her younger sister," Grubber added, "besides, she was one of Tempest's only friends back then."

After a quick scowl from Tempest, Grubber stopped talking, allowing a chance for the others to eat more of Twilight's delicacies.

Twilight then put the tray of scones onto another table and then pulled out a box of colourful cupcakes, which had a stamp placed on top of the lid.

Delivery for her majesty and royal highness Princess Twilight Sparkle. With love from all at Sugar Cube Corner.

"Let me guess, Pinkie Pie?" Tempest asked. Twilight grinned in response, along with a chuckling baby dragon sitting next to her.

"Yep, probably the nicest and friendliest pony in all of Equestria!" the princess replied, "Here, have a cupcake or two."

Tempest reached out both her hooves and picked up a pink cupcake. She smiled, for she hadn't seen food that had been presented so beautifully. The Storm King rarely lived on fine food back in his ruling days, except when he invaded a wealthy part of the world, like Canterlot for example. In fact, Tempest had never seen a banana before either.

The unicorn leaned forward towards the yellow boomerang shaped fruit and gave it a sniff. She picked it up and tried to see how she would eat this peculiar fruit. Tempest started biting the banana with her teeth but found the taste disgusting. She gave it to Twilight, who happily peeled the skin off the banana, before giving it back to Tempest.

"What do you call this thing?" Tempest asked.

"We call it a banana," Twilight replied, "you eat the stuff inside, not the skin."

Tempest gave one bite of the banana and then spent a while chewing on the same piece of fruit for a while. She licked her lips, not noticing the pieces of fruit getting stuck on the outside of her mouth. Spike cringed, before nudging Twilight to tell Tempest about her eating habits. Being a good friend, Twilight picked up a napkin and wiped the mess off from Tempest's lips. Tempest blushed, turning a shade of bright pink.

"I like this thing that you call a 'banana'," she said, "remind me, Grubber, to visit the market later today to buy some on the way back to our quarters."

"Will do, Lieutenant."

Twilight then pulled out her notebook again and started writing more notes. Spike noticed that she was struggling to read what she was writing and then picked up her glasses case and handed it over to her.

"I don't like wearing them, Spike!" Twilight snapped, "They make me look like a nerd!"

Spike pulled a blank expression, before becoming deadpan.

"You're already a nerd, Twilight."

Twilight giggled and then placed her glasses on her nose. Immediately, her vision became better and she went back to writing. Her quill wrote at great speed, too quickly for Tempest to keep up on. She didn't bother to ask Twilight what she was writing about, so she remained sitting down and eating more of Pinkie's cupcakes. Another cup of tea was required to help her finish the cupcake she was eating, before continuing her story.

"I have more to say," Tempest said, "more about my hometown. The last day over there."

"Of course," Twilight replied, "please continue, Tempest."

Tempest cleared her throat and took another sip of tea before she carried on her story.

"So it was the next day and my friends asked me if I would join them for another picnic, but this time away from any Ursaes. My parents agreed, as long as we stayed in the village, so I packed my things up in my bedroom and got myself ready in a plainer dress than the one I wore before..."

Eight

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Fourteen years ago...

The next day, Avon and Star Myth started walking up the same hill that they always walked up to reach their favourite picnic site. Avon carried the basket of food and Star Myth carried the blanket, along with some books on Latin and the collective works of The Four Pillars of Equestria, all written in old Ponyish. Both Avon and Star Myth looked up; even though the sky did look dark and gloomy, there wasn't a drop of rain to be seen. The blue colt had decided to do some homework whilst having lunch with his friends. He pulled out his golden pocket watch and looked at the time. Star cringed at what the two needles were pointing at.

Twelve minutes past one.

Star Myth sighed and looked over towards Avon. The only response she gave was a lazy shrug, followed by her simply continuing getting everything out of the picnic basket. Thankfully, on this occasion, she remembered the cucumber sandwiches. Avon pulled them out of the basket and put them all on a large plate. Afterwards, she took out some pink lemonade and dandelion wraps and placed all of them on the blanket.

Meanwhile, Star Myth was bouncing his toy ball whilst on the lookout for Fizzlepop. He couldn't believe that she was this late; Fizzlepop was never late. Star Myth looked at the time again.

Fourteen minutes past one.

"Where could she be?" Avon asked her friend. The colt shrugged, before returning his focus to what he was doing. Star Myth did have other matters on his mind, including homework and other pieces of work that needed to be completed by next week. After all, the Hearth's Warming holidays were nearly over.

Just then, Star Myth caught sight of a unicorn filly running towards him very quickly, this time not wearing a dress or even a hood. They knew who the filly was as soon as they saw her horn, or rather, what was left of her horn. Avon waved her hoof in the air and in response, Fizzlepop sped up her pace and halted before she ran into her two friends.

"Where in Celestia have you been?" Avon asked her friend, "We were beginning to worry what had happened to you? Why did you take so long to get here?"

Fizzlepop panted and breathed heavily, before falling face first onto the fall.

"I... was finishing... homework!" the filly panted, slightly muffled, "Lot's of... catching up... to do. Going to school... tomorrow."

Avon and Star Myth looked at their friend with a confused expression, both raising an eyebrow in response. They had never seen their friend so unfit before. It must have been the treatment that she was receiving at the hospital or even the fact that she rarely went out, in case anypony saw her horn.

"Well, at least you're here now," Avon said positively, "Star Myth's brought along his ball, so we can play with that. Also, that's great news to hear that you're going back to school!"

Fizzlepop was given a helping hoof when her two friends lifted her up from the ground and got her back onto all four hooves. The crimson unicorn wobbled about, before balancing herself again into the normal position. She then went over to the picnic blanket and inspected the food.

"This all looks lovely!" she said to Avon, "Did you make all of this by yourself?" Avon blushed.

"Well, I did have some help from mum," the green unicorn replied, "but the idea did come from me. The pink lemonade was mostly done by her."

"I think you did amazing anyway, Avon!" Fizzlepop complimented, "Remind us two to do something in return, like a trip to Klugetown, or even...!"

The filly held her breath, before sighing romanticly.

"Canterlot!"

The other two sighed as well before all three ponies started laughing away.

"If only we were that wealthy..." Avon said, giggling, "...if only."

"Well, if we ever have the chance, we could always get into Celestia's Royal School for Gifted Unicorns!" Fizzlepop added, "And after that, the University of Canterlot!"

"Oh, think of all the books they have in their library!" Star Myth cried out, "Thousands and thousands of books like old pony language, historic figures, Equestria's records and classic novels! They're all there, waiting to be read!"

"Cucumber sandwich, anypony?"

Thirty minutes later, the three fillies had a rest from eating and chatting and lay down on the picnic blanket. Star Myth kept throwing his ball in the air and balancing it on the tip of his hoof, whilst watching the clouds moving and shifting in the sky. It was a sunny day, but it was still bitterly cold and there were still patches of snow around, especially on higher ground. The colour green was not to be seen, only a shade of white and grey. The snow was deep, especially in some places where the residents had just dumped snow from the roads and pavements. Snow piles were getting bigger each day and soon they were becoming taller than some houses.

Star Myth sighed.

"I'm bored."

Avon looked down at him. Where Star Myth was looking, it looked like Avon was upside down. This made him laugh, before reverting to his frowny expression.

"Then why we play a game then, dumbo?!" she asked, giving him a poke.

"Okay then, let's play some hoofball!" the colt suggested, "Everypony on their hooves once! Fizzlepop, are you playing?"

Fizzlepop gulped and hesitated for a while, before getting onto all four hooves. She walked over to the other two ponies, shying away slightly from the idea of playing hoofball. After all, it was the reason why she lost her horn to the Ursa.

"Erm, perhaps we-." Fizzlepop began but was cut off from Avon grabbing hold of her hoof and pulling her towards the ball.

"Oh, come on, Fizzlepop!" the green unicorn said, "We're nowhere near any Ursas where we're sitting. Plus, you need to get out more. Don't let your horn stop you from doing the things you're good at."

Avon placed her friend on a flat piece of surface, right in front of the goal. Then, Star Myth prepared himself to shoot but was distracted by Fizzlepop constantly shaking. She seemed nervous, so Star Myth didn't kick the ball.

"Are you okay, Fizzlepop?" he asked, "You don't seem yourself today."

Fizzlepop started sweating and shaking like a rattlesnake on a bad day. Her vision became blurry; from where she was looking from, it looked like there were three of Star Myth rather than one. But soon, it died off and Fizzlepop reverted back to normal.

"Yes, I'm fine!" Fizzlepop replied, "Give me your best shot!"

Star Myth backed up, taking ten hoof steps back before stopping. He eyed where he would be shooting, before digging the ground with his hoof. He stirred up the ground, grinding up the mud into a small pile. Star Myth made his target and then, he swung his leg into the ball and kicked it as hard as he could.

The ball flew into the air like a cannonball firing out of a cannon. It headed towards Fizzlepop like a bullet firing out of a gun or an arrow being propelled from a bow. Fizzlepop gasped in surprise, for she didn't have time to duck out of the way. The ball was going to hit her in the face wherever she liked it or not. Fizzlepop prepared to face the pain from the impact of the force the ball was going at.

Suddenly, the ball stopped just centimetres from her face midair and hovered steadily in front of Fizzlepop. After opening her eyes, Fizzlepop saw that the ball had stopped flying towards her and had, in fact, stopped midair.

The ball was frozen in place where it was hovering, with colourful magic surrounding it. After jiggering about, the ball was beginning to stretch and twist in unnatural positions. It looked like a rugby ball for one moment and then something else the next. Fizzlepop started breathing heavily and tried to stop her magic from destroying the object, but it soon became too much for her to even control.

"What... what are you doing, Fizzlepop?" Avon asked.

"I don't know!" Fizzlepop replied, "I can't control it! It's the horn, not me doing this, I swear!"

Avon and Star Myth stepped away from their friend, before hearing a loud bang, along with a bright flash. The rest of what came happened so quickly that no pony could tell what was going on. All they knew was that the ball had exploded, with the material and pieces flying about all over the place. Dark magic swarmed around Fizzlepop like a snake suffocating its prey by wrapping its body around it. The magic travelled around Fizzlepop, before going straight into both her eyes. The whole process was horrifying for her friends, as they watched metres away in fear.

Eventually, the magic stopped and Fizzlepop landed on the ground again, opening her eyes to see her friends. They were shaking like maracas, for they had fear crawling their bodies. Avon tried to reach up and grab Fizzlepop, but the dark magic gave her shock, pushing the green unicorn back and making her land on the floor.

"What's happening to Fizzlepop?" Avon asked Star Myth, "Why is her horn doing this?"

After another bright light, Fizzlepop landed on the floor along with the destroyed ball. The magic had vanished into thin air and Fizzlepop had reverted to her regular self. Avon and Star Myth looked down on her, both who were afraid of what she would do that. Fizzlepop opened her eyes and looked up, seeing the upset expressions of her friends. They looked as if they had become tired of her strange magical abilities.

"I... I thought they fixed you..." Avon whispered.

Fizzlepop scoffed, before getting on all hooves again. Her horn was still buzzing electrical magic energy. Even if her eyes had reverted back to their natural blue colour, it was really too late for Fizzlepop to hide anything from her friends at that point onwards.

"They have!" she cried, "I'm better, I just need to practise my magic, that's all! I'm not that ill anymore, I swear!"

Avon raised her eyebrow but was halted after Star Myth turned her head to face him.

"It's a one-off, Avon!" he said to her, "Fizzlepop's fine. She just needs to practise to control it, that's all!"

Avon growled, before slapping Star Myth to the ground with her hoof and then grunted.

"I am sick to death with every pony calling us names, being mean to us, treating us like dirt and refusing to help us anymore, because our friend here no longer has a horn!"

"You're being silly, Avon!" Star Myth replied back, "Everypony's different. You're different to me and I'm different to you. We're her only friends, remember? I can't believe you just slapped me! What's happened to you?"

"Damn it, Myth! When will you get it? We're freaks, all three of us! It's not just her!"

"I'm sorry, Avon..." Fizzlepop said, "I didn't-."

"Never mind!" Avon cried, cutting her friend off, "I'm going home! I'll leave you two to clean up!"

"Avon!"

The filly didn't listen. She simply stormed off, stamping her hooves as she left the park. Fizzlepop and Star Myth didn't dare to do anything, apart from just watch. The filly went over to the colt and put her hoof on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered. A tear dripped down her cheek. Star Myth put his hoof on her shoulder, before drawing her into a hug.

"I know." Star Myth looked over at the abandoned picnic blanket and then smiled. "Let's go home, shall we?"

Fizzlepop nodded, before going over to pick up everything. Star Myth put the picnic basket on his back and then followed his friend on the way back home, walking along the path that was lined up with tiny winter honeysuckles and the odd blade of grass that poked through the surface of the snow. Star Myth cleared the path with his magic, including melting the icy gravel path. He took Fizzlepop all the way down, heading towards her house.

Fizzlepop continued wiping away tears of sadness. She took out her handkerchief and soaked up the dirty liquid that was pouring over her face. The day she lost her horn had lost its place at the top of Top 10 Worst Days Ever. The day she lost one of her best friends was now officially the reigning champion.

The atmosphere in Fizzlepop's living room was crestfallen. There was an awkward silence between the three residents of the cottage, with a hint of tension lurking around each and every being. Even Mrs Berrytwist hadn't said a word since she came in from work. She knew her daughter was having a painful time, judging by the growing wrinkles across her eyes and the dried tears attached to her cheeks. Her make-up was ruined. It had stained Fizzlepop's face and dripped onto the living room's carpet, creating a pool of black blobs sinking into the material of the floor. Mrs Berrytwist went over to her daughter and stroked her hoof over her back. The little filly sobbed quietly, folding her front legs over her eyes and hiding her head underneath one of the sofa's cushions.

"It's all my fault!" Fizzlepop wailed, "I should never have gone into that cave! I should never have tried to get Star Myth's ball! Avon hates me now and so does the whole school! I'm screwed!"

"It wasn't anypony's fault, Fizzlepop," Mrs Berrytwist whispered, "it the Ursa that attacked you. Your horn's magic has just become faulty, that's all. I'm sure, when you get used to it, your horn will no longer explode with magical sparks that can cause damage to anypony. We're here for you anyway."

Fizzlepop frowned and folded her front legs again, but this time covering her chest.

"My friends aren't, though!" she replied.

"Your friends understand differently," Mrs Berrytwist explained, "family thinks what I think. Each and every single pony will have a different opinion of you, Fizzlepop. If there were no opinions in the world, then nothing will happen. We would all just be doing the same thing every day and there would be no fun. Think about that? Nothing fun to do!"

Fizzlepop sniffed, before looking up at her mother.

"Really?"

"Of course! Your father and I do very different jobs, remember?"

Fizzlepop then smiled and moved closer to Mrs Berrytwist, closing in for a hug. Her mother stroked her head gently and slowly. The stroking calmed Fizzlepop surprisingly and soon drifted her into a deep sleep. Mrs Fizzlepop noticed that her daughter had nodded off, so she decided to take her up to her room. Using her magic, Mrs Fizzlepop lifted Fizzlepop into the air and went upstairs as quietly as she could and then went into her room. She tucked Fizzlepop into bed and gave her a soft kiss on her horn.

The horn suddenly ignited, blowing off a hint of green magic that shot into the air, before vanishing into thin air. Mrs Berrytwist smiled, before getting up and walking over to the door. She began to close it but stopped to look at Fizzlepop one more time.

"Goodnight, Fizzlepop," Mrs Berrytwist whispered, "we both love you very much. Remember that."

Mrs Berrytwist then closed the door behind herself and trotted downstairs. Sandals Berrytwist walked over to her and gave a kiss.

"How is she?" he asked. Mrs Berrytwist shook her head.

"Upset," she replied, "very, very upset."

Sandals sighed. He rubbed his beard softly with his hoof, before walking over to the sofa and lying down. Mrs Berrytwist sat in the armchair and started reading the newspaper quietly. The stallion had started a fire only a few moments ago and the roaring flames warmed up the tiny living room. After a quick glance through the window, Mrs Berrytwist saw that it was snowing outside again and that the snow level was rising rapidly.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Mrs Berrytwist asked, "I mean when she grows up, how will ponies accept her then? She'll be treated differently, I'm sure. Oh, why did this have to happen to us, Sandals?

As it got warmer, both Mr and Mrs Berrytwist started nodding off to sleep. Despite trying to keep their eyes open, they soon found themselves too tired to stay awake and they both eventually dropped off happily without a problem whatsoever. All was soon quiet in the Berrytwist's cottage and, soon after, the whole village followed afterwards.

All was quiet once more in a small town outside Equestria.

When she heard her parent's grandfather clock chime midnight, Fizzlepop got out of bed and grabbed a large saddle bag. She put the bag on her bed and started filling it with stuff; make-up, clothes, tools, books and a photograph of herself and her parents standing together in front of her home. Then, Fizzlepop grabbed a very dirty black cloak and threw it around her, pulling the hood over her head.

She looked into her mirror and made sure that her face wasn't visible. Only her green-blue eyes appeared from the blank space that was filled with an inky black colour and the odd glow of her broken horn. After she was satisfied, Fizzlepop grabbed her saddle bag and opened her window.

The filly climbed out of the tiny window and grabbed hold of the drain pipe that went along the side of the cottage. She slipped down steadily, before dropping onto all four hooves. She then started trotting down her parents' path that led up to the cottage. Afterwards, she jumped over their gate and found herself no longer on their property.

Fizzlepop stood on the pavement and turned around to look at the place where she was brought up for the very last time. Whilst looking, a single teardrop dripped down her left cheek. All the memories suddenly came back to her, as she remembered all the happy moments she had in that cottage. The time she used her magic to levitate in the air for the first time, the time she turned her mane green by accident and the time she managed to turn her parents' tiny dead rose bush into a magnificent apple tree. All of those moments made Fizzlepop feel like she should stay, but before she could change her mind, Fizzlepop began her long journey into the unknown and stepped out of the village for the very last time.

Nine

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The glowing orange sun rose above the horizon right in front of Fizzlepop as she continued walking on in the silent desert. The only sound that could be heard for miles was the "trot", "trot" of her swollen hooves, which were turning from their strong crimson colour to a disgusting tar-looking black. The pain couldn't sweep through the filly's body though, for the heat and sweat were the only things on her mind.

Fizzlepop wasn't wandering the empty desert without knowing where she was going. She looked up and saw the sun. This meant she was heading East. That was something that Fizzlepop knew at least, but she had no idea how long it would be until she would reach civilisation. Besides, why would ponies be living in a desert? There was nothing, not even water. Even if there were paths that led to places, the sand would surely cover up the paths when it was windy, right?

It did seem pointless walking through an exposed desert, but Fizzlepop had come all this way and was at the point where she wasn't going back. She pulled out her water bottle and took a sip. She then looked at how much was left. The bottle was already half empty. If Fizzlepop was going to make it out of the desert alive, then she was going to have to keep an eye on how much water she was consuming. If she ran out before she had left the desert, then she would simply die. And with no magic on her, Fizzlepop was defenceless.

It may have been the first full day of her epic adventure, but Fizzlepop had already walked at least twenty miles. Sheknew that she was a good walker; she had been walking on epic treks since she was an infant, so it wasn't really a problem. But she had never walked this far, though. The sand was also difficult to walk on, as it did collapse, causing Fizzlepop to fall down. She sank into the loose sand and started to panic, as Fizzlepop could feel herself falling into the sinking pit. The ground seemed to give way and was replaced by a large hole.

Fizzlepop was walking on quicksand.

The young filly tried to look for something to grab on, but could only see a dead bush with very long and thick branches. However, looking down on how deep she was in the engulfing sand, she had no choice but to bite hard on the branch. Fizzlepop groaned as she pulled herself out of the sand and collapsed on her tummy on a patch of solid sand. Sighing with relief, Fizzlepop got back onto her hooves and continued her epic trek.

The pain from her infected hoof was starting to drive Fizzlepop insane. Desperate to try and ignore it, Fizzlepop tore off a piece of her cloak and wrapped it around her hoof. Immediately, there was a noticeable change in the throbbing pain. It decreased slowly, even though it still caused Fizzlepop to moan whilst she was walking. She continued her journey into the unknown once more.

For three more days, Fizzlepop didn't see anything in front of her. Nothing appeared on the horizon for a long period of time, apart from more sand. Fizzlepop didn't even know if there was a road that led anywhere; if there was, then that would be where she was going. The only sign that anypony was here, were the skeletons of deceased travellers who clearly didn't make it to their desired destinations. Some even still had their travelling equipment on them. Fizzlepop went over to some of the corpses and investigated their belongings; some of them were clothes, water bottles, weapons, bits and currency outside of Equestria. Deciding that all of this would come in handy at some point, Fizzlepop grabbed hold of what she could carry and put all the stolen goods into her saddlebag. She even stole a compass, that was hanging around one of the skeletons and placed it around her neck instead.

The needle on the compass turned East, giving Fizzlepop the urge to keep on going. The filly walked on, trying not to slip on the loose sand and try to walk on compressed sand instead. Fizzlepop looked up where she was walking towards and down again at the compass, every ten steps or so. She was now on a mission; to find a road, or even better, a town. A place where she could sleep and even possibly live. She could run her own business, perhaps, or even become an apprentice to another pony. But then, who would work alongside a unicorn with no horn?

No pony would. Ever.

Fizzlepop came out of thought when some sand was blown into her face and went down her throat. The filly choked, coughing up the sand, along with tiny blobs of blood. The blood landed on the solid sand and sizzled in the fearsome heat of the sun. Fizzlepop gasped at the horrifying sight and kicked herself into a gallop. She ran on, keeping her eyes straight ahead. Her saddlebag banged against her side as she ran, but that didn't stop Fizzlepop from getting to her destination. Any destination in fact, as long as it wasn't in that ghastly desert.

Another hour passed by and Fizzlepop felt that she would surely be close to somewhere civilised, at a place where ponies lived. It didn't even need to be as glamorous as Canterlot or even the legendary Crystal Empire; just a place where nopony cared who lived there or who did what. There, she would be safe and nothing would get in her way. She would find somewhere to rest her scared head and sleep under a roof. Nothing appeared for a further three miles, but then, Fizzlepop's luck struck gold.

A very tall tower appeared in the distance. It looked like a watchtower from where Fizzlepop was standing. She could see a reflective mirror shining brightly from the light of the sun and also an empty pit, where presumably the fuel for the fire would go when it was dark. Fizzlepop smiled at the sign of life and continued on galloping towards the town. She didn't stop running, even when she went through the border of the town. Fizzlepop made sure that her hood was fully up, covering the whole of her head. The only thing that could be seen underneath her hood was the pair of her two green-blue eyes, just bright enough to see. Keeping her head down, Fizzlepop didn't make eye contact with anypony.

The town was huge. It looked more like a little city, but the houses and flats weren't as big as ones that were normally in cities. There were ponies everywhere, doing their laundry, going to work, selling slaves, fighting, gambling or just walking around. Many ponies wore armbands around their front-right legs with a symbol that Fizzlepop had never seen before. It looked like two light-blue lightning bolts, pointing opposite each other. The ponies who wore those armbands looked like they had been in some form of conflict and had seen some haunting images whilst fighting.

Fizzlepop worked her way around the town, one street at a time. She noticed a large grey circus-looking tent, which also was covered by the strange symbols that Fizzlepop saw on some of the ponies. The entrance was large and was constantly guarded by two large strange looking creatures holding very long spears in their right claw. They were wearing masks and the only sign of their face were two blue pinpricks appearing from the eye holes. Every time they breathed, a deep growl came from their mouths, a growl that could scare a timber wolf or even a large, fierce bear. The spears that each guard held pointed directly up towards the blue sky. They looked sharp and dangerous, so Fizzlepop stayed away.

As she kept on walking, Fizzlepop came across a lot more civilians. Some were ponies wearing masks covering their muzzles and others were strange creatures that Fizzlepop had never seen before in her life. One of which was a very tall, brown cat, wearing what seemed to be a large red coat and had a dull purple bandage around his long tail. He had pale green eyes and the smile of a creep. This strange creature seemed to be sitting at a table just outside a cafe, talking to a beautiful white unicorn with an orange mane and a green pear for a cutie mark. The unicorn laughed at every bizarre joke that this cat was saying to her, which caught the interest of Fizzlepop.

Fizzlepop crept closer to the strange couple, trying not to grab their attention. She hid behind a box containing very smelly fish, but it was the only place where she couldn't be seen by them. With her ears targeted towards the conversation, Fizzlepop leaned in to listen.

"Oh Capper, you're so dreamy!" the unicorn said, "I never knew that I would admire a cat as yourself! When did you ever become so handsome? Why am I the only pony who thinks you're the one?"

The anthropomorphic cat gave a scheming chuckle, before admiring his sharp claws in the bright sunlight.

"Well, Little Pear," Capper replied, "I was on the road to fame along with my other pony friends. I remember the days when we became famous gipsies, travelling all over Equestria. It wasn't until that wretched Storm King took over this part of the outlands that I'm now nothing but just a poor, disgraced, charming cat who just loves to find time with the mares out there!"

Capper reached over and stroked Little Pear's mane, making her blush and giggle uncontrollably. The unicorn soon laid on the table, with Capper scratching her muzzle. As soon as she saw that, Fizzlepop rolled her tongue out in disgust, before continuing her walk through the town.

Little Pear and Capper bid farewell to each other, before turning in opposite directions and walking through the congested streets of the town. Capper squeezed his way past the guards that patrolled the streets, trying not to make himself look suspicious. Fizzlepop watched the strange looking creature walk down the busy street, passing many creatures of all kinds, including ponies, griffons and other species that Fizzlepop had never seen before. Avoiding the continuous piles of faeces from ponies, Fizzlepop continued following Capper.

Fizzlepop found it difficult to keep up with the elegant, fast and silent cat. Capper looked like he knew what he was doing. He crept past all the guards and patrol parties, without a single suspicious thought going through their heads. Fizzlepop followed Capper's moves, as she crept up behind him. Capper then jumped onto the wall of a building and started climbing up to a tiny balcony. He climbed up and then walked into the building, closing the balcony curtains as he did so. Fizzlepop stopped in her tracks, seeing that there was no possible way to climb up. Then, she spotted a set of stairs that led up to the top floor of the building and started walking up.

Capper, of course, had no idea that there was a hornless unicorn walking up to his home. He was too busy admiring himself in his mirror, talking into space and at animate objects. Fizzlepop watched from the balcony and couldn't help but chuckle silently at this strange cat.

"Hello, handsome," Capper said, "my, my, you did well with that filly, didn't you?"

Fizzlepop gagged silently. She wasn't a romantic pony. Seeing ponies or other creatures become lovey-hubby wasn't to her taste, nor the sight of seeing a creature talk to himself awkwardly. Fizzlepop stayed as quiet as she could, whilst watching Capper perform to himself.

He does seem a bit dreamy, though, Fizzlepop thought, maybe he could help me.

Before Fizzlepop could get down from the balcony, she stepped on a loose tile and slipped, causing her to fall to the ground. A loud thump sounded from the impact, which caught the attention of the cat. Capper scratched, hissed and clawed at the air in shock, before turning around to see what had caused him to lose his attention on himself.

"What in Celestia's name was that?!" Capper cried.

Capper ran over to the balcony and looked out. He gasped, seeing Fizzlepop lying down on the dusty ground. Her eyes were crossed and a stunned expression appeared on her face. Capper jumped down and lifted Fizzlepop. He didn't notice that Fizzlepop had no horn, for her hood didn't fall down when she fell.

"My, my, my!" Capper said, "Little pony, you okay?"

Fizzlepop looked up at Capper and smiled cheekily.

"Yes, thank you!" she replied, "Sorry for scaring you."

Capper then squinted closely at Fizzlepop. He noticed something glowing underneath the hood; presuming it was a horn and that his guest was a unicorn, Capper didn't think anything of it. But it did play at the back of his mind. Trying to be polite, Capper jumped down in front of Fizzlepop and offered a paw. In response, Fizzlepop blushed and gave her hoof to Capper and stood up.

"Wow, I've never seen a unicorn before in my whole life," Capper said, "tell me, little pony, what is your name?"

For the first time, Fizzlepop couldn't think on how to reply to this question. Usually, whenever a stranger asked her name, her mother would say that she didn't wish to give her daughter's name away or make it up. Make it up, of course! Fizzlepop looked around the room, trying to find something to make a new name for herself.

"My... my name is..."

There were posters and newspapers attached to the wall, mostly about the invasion of its new ruler and the change of cargo timetables. All of which seemed to have been stamped with a red design; the same design as the symbols on the armbands and banners. Some were scratched and others were torn, probably by Capper. One newspaper was on about a roaring tempest that almost destroyed the city from existence. It included black and white photographs of ruins of the city walls and buildings that never survived the storm. This gave Fizzlepop her first new name, a name that would surely hide her true personality.

"...Tempest..."

She then trailed off to find another word. Fizzlepop looked all around the room, but couldn't see anything. There didn't seem to be anything that would relate to a name But then, her eyes captured something. Fizzlepop stared at Capper's pitch-black shadow, that pointed directly towards where she was standing. It was as tall as the peculiar talking cat and was as sinister as well. But, it was perfect for Fizzlepop.

"...Shadow."

Capper blinked in surprise. He never met anyone a name like that; not even a pony. It was so... dark. So toxic, like a deadly poison. Tempest Shadow? Why would anypony call a filly Tempest Shadow? A pony named after a storm and something darker. Strange.

"Yes, that is my name. My name is Tempest Shadow, sir."

Capper then grinned.

"Well now, Tempest. It's an honour to meet such a fine filly as yourself, I dare say so myself. Capper's the name, charming's my game."

Capper then moved closer to Fizzlepop (or Tempest as she was now known as) and squeezed her adorable cheeks. Tempest frowned, pulling an expression of disappointment. Capper giggled with joy, seeing how cute that his new friend was, even when she was angry. Tempest couldn't be bothered to push Capper away, for she knew that this was how many creatures treated others; without thinking before doing something.

"Aren't you so cute?! Yes, you are! Yes, you are, Tempest-whempest!" Capper continued.

Tempest-whempest? the unicorn thought to herself. Why, that sneaky, little sh-.

Suddenly, Capper drew Tempest into a huge hug, squeezing the life out of the tiny unicorn. Tempest tried to breathe, as she was hugged tightly by her new friend. At least there was someone in the world that who didn't care who or what she was. Even if he liked squeezing her cheeks like she was some sort of pet or doll.

"So, erm, Capper. This is where you live then?" Tempest asked.

Capper dropped Tempest to the ground and ran around the room like an excited child on Hearth's Warming Day. He laughed, whilst prancing around and throwing pieces of paper all over the floor.

"Welcome to my litter box, Tempest!" Capper cried, "Finally, I have a roommate! I haven't had a roommate since my circus days! I'll make you a room and some dinner. Gosh, you look so hungry and thin! You need food right away!"

Just before Tempest could thank him, Capper grabbed her hoof and took her upstairs to the dining room (and also the living room). He then clapped his paws together and out came from another room was a fat and very short grey creature, that looked like a pug-faced hedgehog.

The creature had a white stripe of hair lining the top of his head, which looked like a hairbrush that had been torn to pieces and glued onto the creature's head. Never, ever, had Fizzlepop seen a creature that didn't care about its beauty and health. It looked like he had spent more time digging out mountains of dirt, rather than taking care of himself. But then again, did this city cared to look after its residents that much, especially if it was run by a dictator? No. Not really.

"Miss Shadow, I would like you to meet my assistance," Capper said, "this is Grubber. He's the one who has helped me escape the continuous interruptions from the Storm King's soldiers and has helped me stay out of debt, for now. So I understand that you're not from these parts, aren't you?"

Tempest Shadow looked around Capper's apartment whilst listening to her new friend. She noticed that Capper had received a pile of letters from the city's council, ordering all residents to pay a new enforced tax. It seemed that Capper wasn't really taking it seriously and instead just left the warning letters somewhere out of the way. All of which had included the signature of the demon-like Storm King, who added something to the bottom of Capper's letter in red ink.

You have been warned.

"Care for any food, miss?" Grubber asked.

Tempest pulled her gaze away from the heap of letters and looked back at Grubber. He was holding a tray of tea and dried cake, that looked like it had gone past its Best Before date. But Tempest was hungry, so she accepted Grubber's offer. She leaned forward and grabbed a cake with her mouth and gulped the whole thing down her tiny throat. The cake squeezed its way through into Tempest's stomach, feeding her tired and exhausted body. It was so good to taste food again, especially if it was cake.

"Is she staying with us, Capper?" Grubber asked. He performed his puppy eyes towards his master, which made Capper sigh and purr with thought.

"Do you have anywhere to go, Tempest?" Capper said to Tempest.

Tempest shook her head, before dumping her things to the side of the room.

"No sir," she replied, "I am homeless."

Capper thought to himself, before grabbing Grubber and having a conversation with him. Tempest tried to listen, but couldn't hear what they were talking about. Eventually, the conversation ended, when Capper turned to face his guest.

"Dearest Tempest," Capper began, "would you care to stay with me for the time being. Just for a while, until we can find you a place to stay... and a job, I must add. Anyone who is not in education must be either doing an apprenticeship or working somewhere. I cannot stress it enough!"

Tempest's eyes lit up and she smiled for the first time in days. She started bouncing up and down with hoy, giggling and laughing, before going over to Capper and giving him a hug.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Tempest cried, "You're the kindest creature I've ever met! Thank you so much!"

Capper blushed, before returning the hug to Tempest. He squeezed her gently, before lifting her up in the air and swinging his new roommate about. After all, Tempest wasn't a heavy pony.

"You're... welcome... please, allow me to take you to your room."

Capper took Tempest's belongings and led her towards where she would be sleeping. Tempest was still jumping about like a mad kangaroo, laughing and smiling like she just didn't care.

Who knows, Tempest thought, maybe it was a good idea to leave home after all.

Ten

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Capper carried all of Tempest's things into her new room, before dumping them next to an empty bed. Dust was flown about, from the force of the items landing on the floor. Bright sunshine came through the bedroom's window, which was covered by a pair of white, torn curtains. Despite looking like it hadn't been slept in for years, Tempest's new bedroom looked like the right place to stay.

Tempest went over to the bed and stroked the sheets, feeling the material and the texture. It just felt so good to be somewhere, that for once, she could feel like a normal pony, just staying in a stranger's house. Also, this was the first time that Tempest had slept somewhere that wasn't at home. This would be the second bed that she ever slept in, instead of sleeping on her tiny filly sized bed. What an adventure this would be! She would work alongside Capper and do the greatest things with him. They would be partners in crime. Yes! Tempest could see it already; the Great Capper and his Trusty Companion. A double act, that would take on the world.

"This will be your room, for now," Capper explained, "I'm sorry it's not glamorous. I run very cheaply."

Tempest looked around the room and saw posters of Capper along with other companions of his. Some were ponies and others were bizarre creatures that Tempest had never seen before. It was just amazing to see the past of Capper stuck on a wall, just to be looked at by pretty much anypony. To have been painted as well was astonishing. You had to be pretty wealthy to have yourself painted by another pony or creature. To be painted in Canterlot, for example, would cost a fortune. Very few ponies had been painted over there.

After sitting herself on her bed, Tempest looked at Capper.

"Thank you, Capper," she said, "this is lovely."

"You're welcome, Miss Shadow," Capper replied, "tomorrow, I'll find someone that could offer you a job. Sounds fun?"

Tempest nodded in reply. She started unpacking her belongings and clothing after Capper had left her, starting with her carrier bag. She took out her dress, make-up, food, Identification Papers and books on foreign languages. Tempest put everything near her bed, apart from her I.D., which she hid in the pocket of her cloak. She may need to use it when walking around town, especially if was under occupation of the Storm King's army. There would be soldiers wandering around the streets for the whole day and night. Twenty four hours the town would be under guard. Tempest could easily be asked for identification by an officer.

Tempest pulled out the photograph of herself standing next to her parents and placed it on her desk table. She then tilted the photo frame, so that it faced her when she would sleep on her bed. Tempest could almost imagine them lying near her, like what they used to do when she was younger, but she could still feel the large gap that separated the three of them. Tempest was miles away from home now, so what was the point of thinking of going back now? Besides, she didn't belong back at home.

All of a sudden, Tempest's eyes soon became droopy and she eventually fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Tempest was in town with Capper, still with her hood up. She didn't want anyone, including Capper, to know about her condition just yet. Besides, it was just too early for her true identity to be learnt about. Tempest wondered secretly if Capper was asking himself why his new friend would be covering up her head, without revealing what was on top. However, this didn't stop Tempest from enjoying the walk around Kludgetown.

It was busier than usual, with all sorts of bizarre creatures walking around, with masks covering their faces from the sand. The wind was getting stronger all the time and the sky had turned a dark orange, making the clouds look like that they had been set alight. Sand was being blown about and soon it was almost impossible to stand against its unforgiving force. Tempest pushed on though, as she followed Capper through the blinding streets. The locals didn't dare allow anyone to get past or move to the side for an older resident. The only thing that was on their minds was to get to the city's council, where there was slave sale going on, in which the residents would gamble to buy the best slave they could possibly get.

Capper guided Tempest closer to the council's court building. Tempest was confused though, for she couldn't understand what Capper wanted her to do.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked him. Capper didn't respond until they turned left to go down another street, just missing one of the Storm King's guards.

"I'm taking you to the council," Capper explained, "there's a job that they're offering at the moment. You can work there and get enough bits to buy your own place. You can go to school, get an education and perhaps even find a coltfriend or something. I don't know. Look, we're nearly there now."

Tempest suddenly felt concerned about what was happening. Capper was onto something that didn't seem right. Go to school? Find a coltfriend? But, what about she had now? She was happy staying with Capper. There was no need to leave just yet. She just arrived at his yesterday, so surely she couldn't be leaving just then?

"But... what about the things we were going to do?" Tempest asked, "Wait, why are you sending me away?"

Capper started to run, picking up Tempest and tucking her underneath his furry arm. He dodged past the residents like a rabbit running through a sea of trees, trying to get away from its predator. Tempest couldn't do anything, but just allow Capper to take her where he desired to go. All she could see were flashes of colours from the different clothing that the residents were wearing around town.

Eventually, Capper slowed down when he reached the entrance to the council. He sneaked inside, trying not to make too much sound. Capper then snaked his way through more creatures, still holding tightly onto Tempest like she was a toddler trying to get away. His grip and sharp claws were beginning to dig deep into Tempest's front leg, causing it to bleed tiny drops of blood. Before Tempest could smack Capper to try and make him let go of her, they made it to the centre of the room, where there stood four of the strange guards and a figure under a silver cloak.

The figure was tall, about six foot seven inches. The silver cloak it wore seemed to look expensive and royal, like what a king would wear, and the hood that covered his head exposed nothing of his face. In his right claw was a staff and in the other was a piece of paper with writing on. It looked like a list of names, along with signatures. The list was long and scrolled all the way across the floor. The guards standing next to the creatures looked at the list and grunted as they remembered who was on that list.

"Okay then," the hooded figure snarled, "let's get started. Get ready for your names to be read out, slaves!"

Slaves? Tempest thought. This is a slave sale?

"Ladies first. I mustn't forget my manners, should I?" the figure continued, "Captain Celaeno. Parrot-thing? I don't know. Where are you? Show yourself!"

The parrot-thing was carried over to the front by the two guards and then thrown to the floor. Tempest saw the creature land on her belly and cry out in pain. Her green feathers soaked up the dust that was on the ground, making Celaeno look scruffy and dirty. Celaeno tried to get up but was kicked in the stomach, which caused her to fall again. The figure walked up and inspected the parrot, before laughing out loud.

"You're a captain, eh?" the figure asked, "Well, that's about to change, parrot! I'm in charge of you now! She's good enough for manual labour. Take her to my ship at once!"

Two guards picked Celaeno up and dragged her towards the exit of the room. Before she completely left, Celaeno turned round to the figure and spat towards him.

"Go to Tartarus, asshole!" Celaeno swore.

The figure gave a loud burst of laughter, before stretching out his arm towards his slave, ordering his guards to take her away. After Celaeno was gone, the figure continued looking at his subjects, giving them all a snarl like a hungry wolf. The crowd shivered nervously, backing up as far as they could. They watched, as the Storm King then looked across the room and looked over to the furthest corner.

"Bring the princess here!" the Storm King ordered.

Another pair of guards came in, carrying a battered creature that looked like something between a griffin and a sea serpent. It had pale yellow skin, a wavy blue strip of hair and a pair of big, beautiful eyes. The creature was dragged in and was then thrown to the ground just like how Celaeno was treated. It cried out, after landing on a large bruise that spread across her back. Covering her face and arms were lashed by a whip, which seemed to have dug itself into her pretty skin, along with smudged makeup and mud.

"Ha! Whose the ruler now, Skystar?!" the Storm King roared.

A roar of laughter came from most of the crowd and the sound of glass smashing against the walls of the building, from where the citizens threw glasses around, one of which hit Skystar in the face. Another round of laughter followed, before being silenced by the Storm King.

"So, who wishes to buy this slave, eh?" the Storm King asked his supporters, "Or is there someone who will kindly take her place? No? Should someone treat the princess nicely? Come on! Bid, all of you!"

The citizens started lifting their arms in the air, holding money and bank slips, some ranging from 50 to 500 bits. Later on, some even rose up to a thousand bits and some even threw jewels in the air to pose as money in some way. Tempest watched in anger at what she was seeing. The poor creature started crying at the embarrassment from the creatures that were in front of them.

Tempest couldn't bear it anymore.

"We've got to do something!" she said to Capper.

The smug creature grinned, before grabbing hold of Tempest's arm again.

"Okay then. I will."

Capper raised Tempest's hoof into the air to try and get the Storm King's attention.

"This pony will take her place!" Capper shouted.

Everyone stopped talking over each other and turned to look at Capper. Tempest remained quiet, trying her hardest not to argue with Capper.

"Her?" the Storm King asked, "She will take a princess' place?"

Tempest snorted in anger, before trying to get herself out of Capper's claw, which didn't seem to work as she thought to have. The Storm King pointed his staff towards Tempest, alerting the guards to go over and grab hold of her. Before Tempest could run off, the guards grabbed hold of her back legs and dragged their prisoner back over to their ruler.

The Storm King leaned down and stroked Tempest's face as if she was some sort of pet. Seeing the scars and broken horn made the Storm King think why he would ever take this pony to replace a stronger and more important pony, just like Princess Skystar. But then, something clicked in his head, and the Storm King changed his mind.

"Release the princess and return her to Queen Novo!" he ordered to his guards, "I'll take this pony instead. Tell me, slave, what is your name?"

"Tempest, sir..." the unicorn whispered, "...Tempest Shadow. I'm too weak to work alongside you, your majesty. Please, have pity on me..."

The Storm King thought for a moment but still remained strongly towards his previous intentions. Tempest seemed to be the pony to do the job...

"If you work for me, Tempest," the Storm King replied, "then I will set Princess Skystar free."

For just a moment, the complete atmosphere in the whole room had become crestfallen. Nopony really knew who was to be trusted anymore; Tempest, the princess, their ruler or the anthropomorphic cat. Tempest then turned to look around the room, before returning her gaze towards the Storm King.

"I will serve you, your highness," Tempest replied, "as long as you set the princess free."

"It's a deal," the Storm King said, "I will do so. Guards! Release the princess and give her back to Queen Novo. After you've done that, then tie up this unicorn and take her to where the others are being kept! You brought this upon yourself, Tempest. Prepare yourself to follow my orders for the rest of your living days!"

The guards untied Princess Skystar and took her outside of the building. Afterwards, they returned and went over to Tempest, kicking her in the stomach and placing a mask over her face, covering up her muzzle and broken horn. Despite the odd groan, Tempest didn't cry out in pain or anger, for she didn't dare give it to the Storm King. After they had finished on her, the guards took Tempest by the front legs and dragged her outside, to where Tempest saw the most slaves she had ever seen in her entire life...

Eleven

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Behind the building that Tempest had just been dragged out were hundreds and hundreds of ponies all tied up together wearing masks over their muzzles. They were all lining up to board onto parked skiffs that had the Storm King's logo plastered all over its main body and were being patrolled by many of the Storm King's frightening guards. The ponies and creatures that were attached to the long line of chains couldn't look up, due to the fact that their masks were attached to the chains.

The ground of the Storm King's harbour was covered with pony faeces and rubbish that had been blown by the wind, throwing away all traces of colour. The cries of ponies being separated from their loved ones and best friends haunted Tempest, as the Storm King took her to his skiff, that was parked ready for boarding. He grabbed hold of Tempest's hoof and dragged her onto the skiff, who was then followed by gangs of the Storm soldiers and the rest of the slaves. Tempest could only look back and see the scared expressions of the slaves, who could only look back at her.

The Storm King led Tempest through the inside of the skiff until he reached the control room of the skiff. Inside was Celaeno, the parrot pirate, who looked as if she had been badly beaten by the guards. She was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall and watching everything that was happening around her. There were chains around her ankles and cuts all over her face. Tempest was thankful that Celaeno wasn't blinded by whatever type of blade attempted to scar her completely, but before she could call out to say hello, the Storm King placed Tempest into a large chair and then sat down in his thrown.

"So, Miss Tempest Shadow," the Storm King began, "I hear that you are not from Klugetown, the central market town outside of Equestria. You seem very educated to be a non-equestrian. It says here on your documents that you've been taught Latin, Ponyish, English, Equestrian and Icelantic; that's impressive, as many of my troops can only speak English or, very rarely, Equestrian. Where exactly are you from?"

Tempest breathed in some air whilst thinking of an answer.

"I'm not from Equestria, your Highness," she replied, "I'm from a tiny village with no name. It was lost in translation years before I was born. My parents are also unicorns and I'm the only filly in the cottage."

"I see," the Storm King said. He rubbed his long white beard whilst thinking of what to say next. He glanced over at a globe that was sitting next to his desk, which was torn and ripped by what seemed to be claws. Eventually, he looked back at his guest. "Many of those who have worked for me are not so... clever. For example, that hedgehog of Capper's isn't the brightest, but he sure knows how to talk to the lower classes of ponies. I do want a pony to help me order my army to attack in ten years or so the land of Equestria and even the grand city of Canterlot."

Tempest gasped, before falling to her knees.

"Your highness, Equestria hasn't even attempted to invade your land!" the crimson unicorn cried, "You can't invade it. Princess Celestia wouldn't allow it!"

The Storm King burst into laughter before banging his fist on his desk. Tempest backed away, before falling onto her flank. The fury soon came into the Storm King's voice as he got to his feet and snapped his jaws at Tempest.

"There is no creature in Equestria that can tell me what to do! You are one of those who dares attempt to get in my way. I will take you to one of my training camps, which I'm sure will drill some sense into you and turn you into a great soldier of mine!"

Tempest gulped. She was no match for training camps, especially if it was going to be run by a complete maniac, such as the Storm King. Shouting, manual labour, weapons, blood, sweat, tears and the like.

"But sir, I am merely a student. I'm no match for your training camps."

The Storm King laughed loudly.

"Oh, Tempest! You can make me really laugh, you know that? Every creature that has worked for me has overcome their weaknesses and have become great leaders such as myself. Soon, every stretch of land will be ruled by me and together, we will become the most powerful creatures to have ever lived and we will get rid of Celestia once and for all!"

Tempest opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

"I think that you will make a great soldier in my army," the Storm King continued, "however you will need to be trained by my Commander and other squadrons. So far, judging by the injuries that you possess, I think that you are no match for what lies ahead. You will be taught to defend yourself, but as you are only ten years old, I will go easy on you... for now."

The Storm King looked through piles of paperwork, including Tempest's identification documents. Tempest managed to completely change her identity in the last few days that she had been living in Kludgetown with Capper. The photograph clearly showed her broken horn (which Tempest first refused when asked to remove her hood for the photo) and the scar over her eye, which was healing very slowly. Tempest was thankful that the EHS managed to cover the costs for her treatment back in her home village, but she would still feel the odd burn of flesh when she was exposed to the sun.

"You will have disability cover costs whilst training with me," the Storm King explained, "I will alter the training as well. You will have a partner to work with, which will be Miss Celaeno, the anthropomorphic parrot. As you took the place of the hippogriff princess known as Skystar, you will take her role as a private in the army. Who knows? Maybe I could promote you."

"If you promise not to hurt my family," Tempest said, "then you have my word."

The Storm King then looked up in thought, thinking of something that came to his brain. He then looked down at Tempest and grinned.

"I can promise you another thing as well, Tempest," the Storm King said, "if you help me attack Canterlot in the near future, then I will use the magic that I possess there to fix that horn of yours, so that you will become "whole" again like any other unicorn. However, this will be a long-term event, one which will involve some work that will go towards this. You will be given a magic mask, just like the other unicorns training alongside me, and you will go through the different stages of training at one of my camps."

"But I have no magic, sir."

"You are still a unicorn and you will have to wear the mask."

Tempest wasn't in the mood to argue with her leader. Besides, she had gotten this far. She couldn't go back home now, surely? Not after what had happened.

"Then it's a deal, sir."

The Storm King grinned, before getting back on his two feet. He walked over to Tempest and grabbed hold of her mane, which made the unicorn yelp with pain. The Storm King's claws dug into her skin, causing a small amount of blood to pour out of the tiny holes where his nails dug into. He simply, without a struggle, dragged Tempest along the floor over to his office door, where he walked through the sea of Storm guards and prisoners.

Because Tempest's hood was off, she did grab lots of attention from the other ponies who were being led onto the skiffs ready to be transported to the central base of the Storm King Armada. It was also rare to see the Storm King out of his office helping his troops gather up prisoners.

The Storm King dumped Tempest in a small pen, which contained unicorns and other non-pony creatures. Celaeno was also sitting down, slumped up against the wall. She was badly injured, with scars and scratches. But alive at least. Tempest was thankful that she wasn't dead and rotting in a pit somewhere. She was about to ask Celaeno if she was alright, but then she was grabbed hold by the neck and a unicorn mask was placed over her muzzle. Tempest groaned but soon gave in, as her magic was no match for the mask or the Storm King's magic. She was then thrown into the pit and tied up against the wall by one of the guards.

"You will hold great power," the Storm King said to Tempest, "but first, you must ask yourself, are you a soldier or simply a pony?"

The gate closed behind the Storm King and the room was fallen into darkness.

The tiny glow of a unicorn's horn only managed to light up the eyes of their own and another's next to them. When they understood the message, they too lit up their horn. Soon, every unicorn (apart from Tempest, of course) had their horn glowing dimly, allowing Celaeno to look at Tempest.

"What... what are you doing here?" she asked her.

Tempest could only sigh at first. She was so tired and barely had any energy to talk. Her horn sparked a few flakes of magic, but she just didn't have the strength to produce any spells. Not just yet.

"I took Princess Skystar's place."

There were gasps and murmurs across the room. Tempest could tell that they were the voices of various ages and sexes. One of which was a little filly and the other was an older stallion. Celaeno edged a little closer, trying not to put too much pressure on her chains. The raw metal was digging into her flesh and the smell of old blood lifted the room. But no one dared to be sick, as that would make the situation that they were already in even worse.

"You... didn't..."

That was all Celaeno could say with her scarred mouth. She coughed up some blood, but nopony attempted to help her. No one was a doctor or knew what to do. Celaeno then looked back up and looked into Tempest's eyes.

"Open up your eyes, Tempest. Who's side are you on?"

Tempest couldn't answer that question. Technically, she was still on the rebels' side. However, she saw what the Storm Armada could do; they had the power to torture and enslave those who got in their way. She had a choice to make; join the Storm King and live in harmony, but yet torture her friends or be tortured alongside the innocent, but yet die painfully as nothing but a mear slave.

"I... I just wanted to help the princess..."

Tears started to fall from Tempest's eyes. They were dirty and salty, nothing like what they were back when she was still living in her home village. The pain from her scars and hurtful feelings attacked Tempest like a storm, battering against her without caring where it hit her. All she wanted to do was find someone to help her get her horn back and now she was a slave to a fearless ruler, who seemed to only care about taking over Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria.

"You did help her," Celaeno added, "but you didn't help yourself. You don't seem to be as heartless as I originally thought you were to be."

Tempest looked directly at Celaeno, fury coming to her senses and the urge to swear back at her was uncontrollable.

"Well... I didn't want to go back to that hell-hole, anyway! Quit being an ass, will you? We're going to be helping the Storm King, aren't we? At least we're not being executed!"

The room fell silent from her outburst, which made Tempest regret her actions towards Celaeno. There were a few mumbles and grumbles from the other prisoners, which made Tempest hideaway in the corner, crying quietly.

"I miss my mummy..."

Canterlot, present day

A tear came to Twilight's eye after Tempest finished her sentence. Grubber and Spike were both doing the same, pulling out hankies and wiping their eyes. Twilight was on her third cup of tea and was trying her hardest not to take another cookie, as she was on a strict diet from her doctor after she was reported to be going obese.

"That's... awful..."

Twilight's words were tangled up with her sadness and fear. Spike tapped Twilight on the shoulder. Twilight looked at him and smiled, before picking him up and sitting Spike on her lap. Spike laughed and grabbed hold of another cookie and started nibbling on it.

Tempest raised her hoof and smiled.

"I know it was hell for me and everypony else," she replied, "however I was trained by some of the best ponies and monsters in citizen service. The army did me good and at least I was trained to kill... oh wait, that's not something that friends do, right?"

Twilight froze with a frightened expression on her face.

"No, not really," the alicorn said, "however, Tempest, by judging that you're still here talking to us, you survived the training at the Armada. What is that anyway?"

Tempest and Grubber looked at each other and gave each other a grin before Tempest began explaining.

"The Armada is the futuristic army which was originally going to rule Canterlot and the rest of Equestria in ten years time or something. They were the future of Equestria, turning everywhere into an industrial state. Despite the defeat of the Storm King, there are a few still roaming around Equestria, who are still to this day planning to destroy Canterlot and it's monarchy, replacing it with a president."

Twilight and Spike looked at each other again.

"Is this true?" Spike asked, "So, what happened next?"

Tempest put down her cup and saucer and then sat up straight.

"Okay, so I'm going to skip some years here. I think I was about eighteen when myself and Celaeno were promoted by the Storm King himself. He also told me, in secret, his real name..."

Twelve

View Online

Armada Occupied Kludgetown
Eight years after Tempest's arrival

"Faster, you miserable lot! Get those skiffs loaded, damn it! The Storm King didn't give you somewhere to stay for you to work slowly! You lot; run for Celestia's sake! You call yourselves ponies? Keep working!"

The Storm Guard swung his whip around in the air, before slashing it at the queue of ponies. The slaves were loading boxes and dangerous weapons onto the hundreds of different skiffs that were all lined up in a row, in the blazing hot sun. The unicorns, who had to wear the spell-prevention masks, suffered from their muzzles sweating underneath the burning metal of the mask.

One teenage colt was busy building a wall along with his older sister, constantly being watched by a scary-looking Storm guard. The colt and teenage mare were both pegasi and had to use their own hooves to lift up the heavy bricks that the Storm guards had provided with them. The colt kept looking at the guard, afraid that he would snap and do something harmful towards, which of course would increase the constant pain of the two ponies. They had to be careful when they were loading the bricks onto the wall, as some bricks would fall to the floor and smash loudly onto the concrete floor.

It was loud and busy in the loading bay. The sound of chains, skiffs taking off and cries from tortured ponies destroyed the silence from what the historical market town used to be. There would be skiffs constantly arriving and leaving in the parking bays, waiting to be either loaded or unloaded by the slaves. Crates, containers and large metal boxes were collected and moved around in the airport. The sound of the engines would drown anything the guards would say to the slaves, making it difficult for the ponies to understand and result in them getting beaten even more.

Meanwhile, in the entertainment building, about three hundred metres from the main loading bay, a crimson unicorn was being walked through crowds of slaves, attached to a chain on her mask, by a Storm guard. The mask had two tiny eye-holes, which glowed light blue. She was covered with scars, bandages and light but strong pony armour, which covered her main body. On her hooves were aluminium boots, that made a clanging noise whenever they would hit the ground, and her tail was all knotted up, along with her mane which had been shaved and cut short, however, a tiny ponytail still remained at the back of her head.

"Make way! Make way! Private coming through!"

The Storm guard pushed aside the slaves using his giant arms, not caring what sort of reaction he got. Ponies yelped from when the Storm guards moved past and stepped on their hooves and chains. They continued waving their way through the busy port of the Armada, towards the entertainment arena, where hundreds and hundreds of ponies were waiting for the fight to begin. Many of the those who were sitting on the benches watching what was happening had most of their manes shaved off and metal pieces embedded into their skin, where some of their flesh had been taken out, either from torture or the element of fighting in wars and battles. The environment was noisy and the chanting of ponies made the situation even more intense for Celaeno, who was waiting in the arena.

She was older now and had grown in height. Her feathers had grown back and on top of her head was an Armada trademarked bandana. A giant scar which started from just above her eye, that went down her face, over her beak and ended at her feathery chin. Her claws and feet were covered with metal armour and wiring, that covered all areas of skin. Her eyes were filled with water and the element of fear. There was no happiness inside Celaeno anymore. The many years of slavery had taken a toll on her mind, causing her to suffer from nightmares and see things which others couldn't. She had even been seen by a mental health doctor, who could only give her some advice for her condition.

"Try not to work too hard, Celaeno. You're killing yourself slowly at the moment. The Storm King should immediately put you into intensive care and education as soon as possible... otherwise, you will die."

Tempest gasped underneath her mask and turned to head back, but the Storm guard pushed her further into the arena, causing the unicorn mare to fall flat on her face. Tempest got back on her hooves and tried to look clearly through the tiny eye holes and target Celaeno, her opponent. Her horn lit up in anger and rage. All of a sudden, for the first time since she lost her horn, she could feel great power through her horn. It was like an addiction, ready to burst from its limit.

Without warning, Tempest rammed into Celaeno, throwing her to the ground and punching her in the chest. The crowd screamed, cheered and roared in admire for Tempest and chanted along whilst watching.

"Tempest! Tempest! Tempest!"

Celaeno scratched as much as she could all along Tempest's mask, making an ear-piercing sound when she dug her claws into the damaged metal. Tempest screamed, as the metal squashed against her skin and Celaeno's claws went into her cheek, causing another injury.

"Celaeno! It's me. Your friend, Tempest!"

But Celaeno didn't listen. She jumped into the air and kicked Tempest in the jaw. The force of the kick made the mask on Tempest's face shake and press further into her skin. The metal was slowly digging into her flesh, like a sword slicing against someone's chest in combat. Tempest screamed at the top of her lungs, making the crowd stamp their hooves and shout louder in admire.

"Get on your feet, bird-brain!" one stallion cried, "Are you a parrot or a pigeon?"

Celaeno spat in disgust on the ground, before getting back on her feet and looking back directly at Tempest, who was backing away slowly.

"They've... they've changed you... listen to me Celaeno!" Tempest cried, "LISTEN TO ME!"

Celaeno then sprinted towards Tempest like a runner on a race track. The unicorn could only shake her rotting body like a rattlesnake in response but then thought of an idea. If she could only manage a way to get the mask off her face, then she could use it as a weapon and win the fight somehow. Perhaps banging her head against the floor or when ramming into Celaeno like a bull in a Spanish bullfight. However, Tempest only had a few seconds to make up her decision, as Celaeno had just leapt into the air and was heading straight into Tempest. If she could get her mask off, then Celaeno would stop fighting her.

Celaeno landed right on top of Tempest. The force made Tempest bang her head again on the ground. In fact, the force was so strong that it made the back of the mask split in half, making it hang from Tempest's face. Her broken horn poked out from a tiny hole in the mask, which then buzzed with an electrical magical current. It glowed a blue-green colour each time it sparked again, becoming more powerful each time.

"What's happened to you?" Celaeno asked Tempest, "I thought we were friends?"

Tempest could only stare at her friend. She gasped for air, before falling unconscious.

Two Storm guards went over and picked Tempest up, carrying her out of the arena and through the sea of slaves crying out for more entertainment, only to be ignored by their masters. Celaeno soon regretted her choice of words and decided to get up and go over and talk to her only friend.

"Tempest!" she cried, "Tem-!"

But Celaeno was soon cut off when two more Storm guards grabbed hold of her and dragged her out of the hot, sweaty and very loud building...

Tempest was led to the Storm King's giant apartment that was plonked on top of the skiff-port. It was the second-biggest building in the Armada camp, just slightly smaller than the Canterlot castle, and was continuously patrolled by Storm Guards twenty-four hours a day. Over time, the camp had grown in size to fit its slave capacity and had become an industrial estate. It was like a little city, plonked in between the desert that led to Equestria and the lands beyond, and even had its own nationality.

The Storm Armada.

It even had its own motto in Latin;

Si tamen plures sunt, unum sumus.

When translated to British-English, it said the following;

"Though we are many, we are one."*

Tempest noticed this on the walls of almost every building, wall, house, entertainment block and slaughtering house in the city. The words were placed underneath the Armada symbol and were lit up by blue LED lights. Over the years, the Armada had stolen magical electricity from other civilizations, including its base in Kludgetown. Even though scientific technology had caught up, some of the poorer states in Equestria and other countries were still running on centuries-old machinery.

The guards dragged Tempest along the floor as if she was just a mere corpse. They went past the restricted section of the apartment and eventually reached the front door of the building, where the sounds of a tantrum from the Storm King could be heard from outside. A loud smash followed, of which it sounded as if a chair had just been thrown against the wall and smashed into pieces of wood. Tempest couldn't see a window or a keyhole to look through into the Storm King's office, however, she didn't need to, as one of the guards knocked on the door, which was followed by a short silence.

Suddenly, the sound of the Storm King settling back into his throne was the next thing that Tempest could hear and knew that she was indeed expected.

"Bring her in here!" the Storm King ordered.

The guards opened the heavy doors, which revealed the beautifully decorated bedroom of the Storm King. Two thrones were placed directly opposite each other, of which one was ready for Tempest to sit down on. Before she could say or do anything, the Storm guards pushed her further into the room and placed her on in the chair. They then waited for further instructions from their leader.

"Take the mask off her."

The other Storm guard obeyed the Storm King's instructions and unlocked Tempest's mask off her face. When revealed, Tempest's mane had been shaved, leaving what looked like a Mahican, and a small strip of mane that poured down the back of her head, which was tied up into a ponytail, just like what she had as a filly. She had more scars on her face, but no one could match in size compared to the first scar that she got in the Ursa attack. There were stitches all over her body from training and fights that she had gotten into whilst training with the Storm King. Of course, her only "friend" was Celaeno, but after remembering what had happened back in the arena, it seemed unlikely that she was anymore.

Tempest didn't say anything at first. Her mind was full of hurtful things, including the time she was once ordered to execute an innocent civilian and torturing a mare for theft. The only thing that kept her sane were the memories of her family back in her birth village, however, even that seemed like it was only a dream. All Tempest could do was sit and wait for her sinister ruler to begin their conversation.

"Tea, perhaps?" the Storm King asked.

A grey, pegasus maid walked in with a tray of drinks and biscuits. Tempest hadn't seen food like that for the past eight years; she had been living on a diet of oats, pies and other disgusting types of meals, so to see a cookie was like seeing a banquet. The tray was parked next to the Storm King's desk and the maid then curtsied before the satyr before waiting for further orders.

"Bring a robe for our guest. She is cold and tired."

The maid left, allowing the Storm King to begin his discussion with Tempest.

"So, here we are then..." the Storm King began, "...eight years later. You and I have changed a lot, Tempest. You've become a proper mare, I am quite certain of that. Please, eat and drink. You may never have another chance..."

Tempest picked up a collection of treats onto a cake plate and scoffed down the food. She then found a bowl of milk with a straw and started drinking from that. She was so hungry and tired. The food felt so good in her body; it was a change from eating porridge and oats every day. Tempest also picked up an apple and munched into that along with her cookie, sucking in all the apple juice and taste that came with it.

The Storm King watched Tempest eat her way through the treats before he continued.

"Since I succeeded from my father, King Azagon, I have always wanted to make a powerful nation outside of Equestria. I am as old as Celestia. I have lived for centuries and have seen Equestria and its wastelands change dramatically. This land has had hundreds of rulers, including myself. However, there are a few things that I can't do anymore. I can no longer lead invasions or fight in my battles anymore, for I am old and badly wounded. You see what I'm saying, Tempest? I have to lead a hundred armies, all of which under the fierce power of the Armada!"

Tempest continued listening. The Storm King then stared at her, before rising to his feet and banging his fist on the desk in fury, which made Tempest jump back.

"DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING?!"

In response, Tempest nodded quickly. The words were lost from her mouth. She could only listen. Her mouth only begged for more food. Tempest leaned down and ate more from her plate.

"So, I've decided that I must step down as commander, and replace myself with a second-in-command whilst marching through the fierce lands of Equestria. They will lead the army through valleys and cities such as the famous Canterlot. I will be stationary in the Armada, whilst my army is destroying everything in their path, ready for my new empire. That commander will be seen as the most powerful creature in this miserable, stinking world, and I will, as King of the Armada, bow down to them as my leader."

"And... who might that be, my king?"

"You, Tempest."

There was nothing that Tempest could say. Her body had become numb and she had turned as white as a sheet. Nothing could compare to how she was feeling, even the day when she lost her horn in that cave whilst trying to get her friends' ball didn't match the amount of stress and confusion that was going through her brain. The power of a thousand armies was close to being in her hooves. She would become the most powerful creature to ever step hoof in Equestria and she would be worshipped as a god. The only thing that she would have to do, was to agree to what the Storm King was offering.

"Me?!" Tempest asked in shock, "But... I've only been training for eight years! I'm nowhere near as experienced as your other soldiers! What... what will I even be?"

The Storm King pointed to a mirror. Tempest got out of her chair and walked over to the mirror, where she stopped and stared at herself. Tempest couldn't understand what the Storm King was on about until he appeared behind her.

"I see a great leader in that mirror. I can see that this young mare has... talents, which I think anypony would find fantastic. Including, myself. I've known you since you were just ten years old. for eight years, I've found you to be a fantastic pony. I regret my actions towards you; you aren't like those weak ponies, are you?"

All of a sudden, all of the kindness and love had left Tempest like an illness that had been cured. Replacing those things were new thoughts of darkness and sinister memories. For the first time since they first met, the Storm King's heart had become warm again and so had Tempest's. It was replaced by something else.

Joy.

"I will promote you."

The Storm King was just about to leave, but was stopped by Tempest.

"To what?" she asked. The Storm King gave a cunning grin and turned around to face Tempest.

"To my Lieutenant."

Thirteen

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The Next Day
The sun rose over the horizon the following day in Armada-Occupied Kludgetown. Its bright orange glow covered the city like a bed sheet, reflecting onto the dull-looking buildings next to the brilliance of the Armada apartment, which of course stood out in pride against its neighbouring buildings. Its windows allowed the sunshine to travel through the stained glass, reflecting a ray of colours on the floor inside the complex. Not a cloud was in sight, giving the "all clear" for the Armada airport, where many skiffs were flying out to patrol the skies and the ground from above.

Hundreds of ponies and soldiers were gathered up in front of the massive building, waiting for their leader's speech. It was loud and noisy again, but every creature who was a tortured slave could be thankful that they wouldn't be working today, for today was a special "holiday". The Storm King had ordered for every slave to work twice as hard the following day, as everything would be behind by one day. Everything had to be perfect, including the decorations and the special guests who would sit next to the Storm King, while he was on his throne. One of which, was for Tempest herself.

Inside the royal apartments, Tempest was waiting quietly for the Storm King to begin his speech. She was all alone, with very little ponies around her to talk to. The odd nurse pony, however, would come round with their trolley and say hello to her, but other than that Tempest was all alone. She was lying on a very stylish coach and was wearing her royal robes and was very thankful that she didn't have to wear a blasted mask which smelt of old flesh and blood that had poured all over the inside of it. One of the mares who dressed her up had sprayed perfume all over her body. It was the smell of honey and coconut, a smell which Tempest had never smelled before. It was a nice change from smelling sick and faeces when she was a slave to the Armada.

Forty-five minutes later, three maids came into Tempest's room and bowed before her.

"Good morning, Tempest," the first maid said, "the Storm King wishes to see you now."

Tempest turned her head around to face the maid with a pair of menacing eyes. Her blue-green eyes reflected by the light that sparked from her broken horn, giving off a terrifying appearance towards the mares. They backed up. For a while, Tempest and the maids looked directly at each other like it was some sort of Mexican stand-off or something.

"I am ready," Tempest replied, "to attend his... little party that he's made for me."

The magic inside Tempest's horn died away and the glow of her eyes reverted back to what they were previously. She got up and allowed her robes to drag along the floor. Two of the unicorn maids, deciding to be generous, used their magic to pick up the robes and started following Tempest towards the event. The maid not holding Tempest's robes closed the door behind them and then caught up with the group, making sure that they didn't leave or dropped anything whilst on their way to the ceremony.

The group went through various corridors and rooms until they eventually made it to where the ceremony was taking place. Outside, the sounds of ponies and slaves cheering and chanting could be heard. They were all crying out for Tempest to come out.

"Tempest! Tempest! Tempest!"

"You will go out there first."

Tempest turned around to see the Storm King standing behind her. In response, she nodded. She waited for one of the commanders to give her the signal to come out. The wait was thankfully not long though, as a black stallion with no mane and a skull and crossbones for a cutie mark walked back in from the stage and waved his hoof at Tempest to get her attention.

"They're ready for you, Miss Shadow."

With that, Tempest trotted slowly towards the pair of giant doors, that opened without any command, and then walked into the sunshine and into the view of the crowds before her. The atmosphere was loud and dusty, but that didn't bother Tempest whatsoever. She was loving the attention of the ponies in front of her. It felt so good to be praised and worshipped as a goddess and to have all this power in front of her. She had all the power outside of Equestria in her hooves and nopony could stop her.

"AND HERE'S YOUR KING!"

Oh yeah, apart from him, Tempest thought to herself.

All of a sudden, the whole crowd fell into a deadpan silence. Not one creature celebrated the appearance of the Storm King, which did annoy the terrifying looking creature. All he could do was ignore the rudeness of his subjects and carry on with what he was talking about.

"Fillies and gentlecolts," the Storm King bellowed, "I have gathered you all today to welcome in a new era of the Storm Armada! Today, I will present to you all your second-in-command, who will rule you all and you will give her all the respect that she deserves, and you will see her as the deputy leader of the Armada! Not one of you will turn your tounges against her and if so, you will suffer the worst of all consequences! She will decide all the fates of each and every one of you, and help us turn this miserable city into the greatest industrial estates in all of history outside of Equestria! She will even lead the upcoming invasion of my prize city... Canterlot!"

Tempest, who was still standing next to her leader, had turned a shade of red all over her face. The silent response from the crowd was making the situation even the more embarrassing. No one had bothered to respond to what the Storm King had just said. The Storm King then quickly thought of an alternative.

"And now, here's Tempest Shadow, who will speak to you all now!"

The Storm King moved out of the way of the microphone and allowed Tempest to walk forwards to face the crowd. At first, Tempest didn't know what to say, so she allowed anything that came into her head to go into her speech.

"I was once like you..." she began. There was a pause. "...I was a slave who was working at the very bottom, tortured and beaten daily. I was nothing. I am a unicorn with no horn, who left my home village and came to the Armada to find somewhere to stay and be seen as a normal pony. I'm nothing special, but I am still a unicorn, even without my magic. The Storm King, our brilliant ruler, has opened his home for me out of his pure generosity. And now, I can promise that I will turn this wasteland and its residential area into something new and healthier for you all! I believe that the Armada can become something that Celestia's army can't match. There will be nothing that can stand against us and if they ask for a fight, then we will squash them like bugs! Today may not be the day we invade Canterlot, but one day, our nation will become the most powerful in the world and everyone will know that the Armada will forever be at the top!"

The crowd started cheering again and waving their hooves in the air.

"As second-in-command, I will lead you all to victory, and destroy the ponies who destroyed my life, as well as yours! I leave you all to follow me, IN THE NAME OF THE ARMADA!"

And then the biggest cry roared all over the estate. Tempest could feel the hunger for revenge travel through her body, turning and churning inside her stomach. It felt so good to feel all this power inside of her. She had lost it eight years ago, but now it was all coming back. The Storm King was going to help get her horn back.

Just then, someone tugged at Tempest's royal robes, which caught her attention. She looked down and recognised it to be one of her old friends.

"Grubber!" she cried. Tempest leaned down and gave Grubber a big, squishy hug. It was the first time in a long time that she had done something so friendly towards another creature. Grubber blushed in response.

"I thought that we would never see each other again!" Tempest whispered back. She smiled.

"Neither did I..." Grubber replied, "...but at least the Storm King has allowed me to join you in the invasion of Canterlot. I'm so happy to see you again, Tempest. I love you."

Tempest squeezed more tightly around her friend.

"Oh, I love you too, Grubber! What would I do without you?"

The Storm King then went over to the pair and directed Tempest to the front of the stage. Tempest understood and went up to the front, where the Storm King joined her.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, I give you your future leader. Commander Tempest; the Lieutenant of the Armada!"

Another roar from the crowds followed. Soon enough, the only thing that could be heard was Tempest's name, being chanted again and again and again.

"We will take Canterlot! We will have Celestia's head! And we will rule the rest of Equestria forever!"

It was then so loud that Tempest couldn't think straight anymore. She just stood next to the Storm King, experiencing the feeling of being worshipped. The rest of Tempest's memory was a blur as well as for the next six years, which just washed past her while being the Lieutenant of the Armada.

Canterlot, present day
Crestfallen.

That was the atmosphere in Twilight's apartment. The sunset glow was already filling up the room, reflecting on the glasses that they were drinking out of, and it had gone to show how much Tempest had to say to everyone in the room. The whole meeting had taken up the entire day, without any of them realising it.

"So, you were like their second leader?" Spike asked.

Tempest looked at him. Her eyes looked tired, with the odd electrical glow appearing in her pupils. She underestimated the time that she would be spending with Twilight and Spike, but then again, her life involved a lot in it.

"In a way, yes," Tempest replied, "he cheated on and lied to me. I was merely a marionette on strings. I have been a slave for eight years and a Lieutenant for six. I may be only twenty-four, Twilight, but I feel that I've lived a lifetime."

Twilight could feel that there were tears coming out of her eyes and she wasn't afraid to show her sadness.

"Tempest..." she began, but struggled to talk, "... I'm so... sorry."

Tempest waved her hoof back at the princess.

"There's no need for that, Twilight. Don't forget, I also tortured you when I was trying to capture you for the spell."

Tempest finished drinking her cup of tea and wiped her face with a napkin. She felt full from all the treats and drinks that she had with her friends; there was barely any room for supper that evening, but she knew that Grubber would still be hungry, so there was no bothering arguing about that.

"I forgive you for that, Tempest," Twilight replied, "that's what friends do. We forgive. We move on. It's a new day tomorrow. As the Princess of Friendship, I cleared your crimes towards Equestria and the royal crown of Princess Celestia herself. And you know why?"

Tempest looked directly into Twilight's eyes.

"Because you're my friend."

Tempest smiled back. She decided to get up and get ready to leave but was stopped by Twilight, who gave her a big hug. Tempest returned the favour and was joined by Spike and Grubber. The hug soon departed and Tempest and Grubber began their way out.

"See you tomorrow, eh?" Twilight asked Tempest.

Tempest looked back and winked.

"You betcha!"

And with that, Tempest and Grubber went through Twilight's door and closed it behind them.

"You see, Spike," Twilight said, "that wasn't so bad!" Spike gave a shocked gasp, before pulling an expression of anger.

"Hang on a minute, Twilight!" he snapped, "It was I who said that!"

"Oh no, it wasn't!"

"Oh yes, it was!"

"Oh no, it wasn't!"

"Oh yes, it was!"

And for the next few minutes or so, the two lifelong friends argued and argued. Still, even the Princess of Friendship struggles to understand what friendship is all about as well! Then again, she was arguing with a baby dragon!

Epilogue

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Canterlot

The oncoming storm was swallowing the skies like a vacuum cleaner. Its black colour was winning the battle against the light of the sun. The sky was soon not only swarmed by clouds, but by the Armada's skiffs. They were coming in quickly, like sharks on a rampage to kill fish for their meal, and there were hundreds of them, preparing to destroy whoever or whatever got in their way.

The skiff in front was the biggest and waved the flag of the Armada, and had its motto on again:

Si tamen plures sunt, unum sumus.

Though we are many, we are one.

Through the raging storm were the two blue lines attached to the front of the skiff, shining brightly in the darkness. They were flickering when the skiff flew past the giant bolts of lightning, that were so big that they could completely blow up an unexpected pilot's skiff without mercy whatsoever. The biggest skiff blew its horn loudly, warning a tiny little airship to move out of the way. Ignoring the warning, the airship remained moving at its usual speed. In response, the skiff advanced its speed and smashed straight into the airship, and then continued on its maiden voyage. It blew its horn again to alert the other skiffs about the crash.

At the front of the biggest skiff, the Lieutenant watched her path through the storm, without flinching at the menacing looking lightning bolts that appeared close to her. She was in the latest armour and was carrying the magical orbs that would turn anything into marble and stone once thrown from its user. The unicorn held one up in her hoof and looked deeply into it. She tutted sadly.

"Poor little ponies," she said to herself, "they were having so much fun. It's such a shame that we have to ruin the party for them. If only they invited us... but of course, we're nothing like them, are we?"

Her short and chubby companion looked up at her and gave a slight chuckle.

"Heh, heh, but we're gonna make the party better, eh?" he asked.

The unicorn looked down and sneered an evil smile on her scarred face.

"All this power... wasted on parties... when there are far greater uses. We were doing too many small, little, pathetic things. But now..."

She gave an evil chuckle.

"...we have all of this to look forward to!"

The henchman looked down at his tiny claws and fiddled with them for a while. He then looked back up again.

"So, you want me to introduce you then?"

The Lieutenant looked up at the black sky and wondered for a moment. She could see the other skiffs hovering above her head, loaded with hundreds of soldiers who were ready to invade. It was quiet, but not silent. Everything was ready for the invasion. Nothing could surely stand in their way now. Could there?

"What if they're prepared?" the henchman asked. The Lieutenant looked back at him.

"Then we'll kill them all! Including Celestia and her little sister. And if there are more... then I'll deal with them. Are the harpoons ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," the henchman replied, "ready for your command."

"Perfect."

The Storm guards started running about the skiff, carrying dangerous weapons and magic spells that they would be using for the attack. The guards loaded themselves with spears and shields, along with whips and other deadly weapons that they could grab hold of. Soon, the whole deck was covered with guards and cannons, ready for the invasion. Thanks to the storm, the skiffs were blocked from Canterlot's view, but would soon be emerging from the clouds. Thunder crackled in the background.

Tempest's skiff was the first to appear. It blew its horn, before lowering itself down to where it could park itself. A pink earth pony started jumping up and down with bizzar excitement.

"Oooooooooo, I bet that's the clowns I ordered!"

After lowering itself to the ponies' level, the skiff knocked over some of the pillars that went around the edge of the grounds. The pillars collapsed onto the grounds and smashed into pieces. From the skiff, sirens started going off and then fumes started appearing from the back of the vehicle. The pink pony then looked back up at the skiff, pulling a concerned expression on her face.

"Or definitely not the clowns I ordered..."

The skiff parked on the side of the grounds and then stopped moving overall. A plank then pronged out and landed on the floor, squashing a pink balloon in the shape of a pony. A pony cried in despair.

"Brian! No!"

Then, everypony looked up and saw a short pug-faced hedgehog walk out, carrying a box that was almost bigger than he was in body proportion. Every step he took, a clanging noise came from under his feet, where he was stomping on the metal plank whilst carrying the box.

From high up in the Canterlot castle, Princess Celestia, her sister and niece watched the strange creature walk down the plank and onto the grounds of Canterlot. Princess Celestia didn't pull a face of fear, but instead the expression of seriousness.

Eventually, the pug-faced hedgehog dumped the box onto the floor and opened it up. Out came a large megaphone and in his right claw was a microphone. He then stopped walking, coughed and then began his speech.

"Ponies of Equestria!" the creature began, "We come on behalf of fearsome, the powerful, the almighty... Storm King!"

Some of the ponies started crying out in fear. Three banners poured out over the skiff; two were the Armada's symbol and the other was a portrait of the Storm King himself, pointing towards the city of Canterlot.

An orange earth mare walked a little closer in curiosity of the portrait, but with a frown on her face. A yellow pegasus stood next to her, but instead of showing no fear, her face was drenched with it. And just a few metres away, a purple alicorn princess looked at a small baby dragon, also with the face of worry and dread.

"And now..." the hedgehog continued, "...to deliver the evil, evil message... put your hooves together, for Commander Tempest!"

Just seconds later, emerging from the smoke inside the skiff, out came a crimson unicorn, wearing Armada armour and with a broken horn, sparkling with deadly magic and greed.

"Is that a... unicorn?" the purple alicorn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I think so," the baby dragon replied, "but... what happened to her horn?"

Before anypony could question any further, the three other alicorn princesses flew before the skiff and presented themselves before the crimson pony and the giant skiffs that were hovering quietly in the air.

"Tempest, is it?" Celestia asked, "How may we help you?"

The Lieutenant gave off a sinister smile, before replying to the princess' question. She replied quietly to start with, beofre slowly raising her voice.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked!" she hissed, "How about we start with your complete and total surrender?"

To Be Continued

Acknowledgements

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Note: this isn't part of the story!

Sorry for adding this chapter in so late! I would like to thank some of the following people for this story.

Firstly, I am blessed with the support that people have given The Lieutenant. It's mad, but I adore it. This story, at the time I have published this "chapter", has received over 800 views and 37 likes, which is beyond belief and I would never think of getting! It has opened my eyes to writing fiction, especially fanfiction for My Little Pony. I can't believe that I now have 98 followers and those people have followed me for what I've done! I haven't even been on FiMfiction for a year and I'm already near 100 followers!

Secondly, I would like to thank some people. I would like to thank Jade Dawn for being there from pretty much when I started writing The Lieutenant. He has also helped me with spelling and the lore of the MLP universe, especially connecting to the movie. I would also like to thank Twilight_Schwifty for helping me spell "Canterlot". I'd like to thank Coaldust, NicLove, Raistlin Phantom, Lakeguy for questioning my logic (as my idea for the term "logic" is not what people think! No hate to anyone!), Scourge the yellow cat for explaining the different languages that are used in and out of Equestria, Texus for commenting near the end of the story and for helping me proofread my writing for the sequel and lastly to BloodyKhan for being with me since the beginning! God bless you, buddy!

Thirdly, thanks to my friends, including Gallop Crush, for the surport and my family for always believing in me.

I thought I might as well say thank you for my first story, as I didn't have the chance before. Also, close to 100 followers, so thank you, everyone, for the love and support! I owe all of you one!

TheMysteryMuffin

Bonus Chapter - Tempest's Patrol

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Armada Occupied Land
A few months before the invasion of Canterlot

The sky was thick with fumes and black fog, looking like nothing but a sea of darkness. It was noisy, busy and was a death trap for inexperienced of drivers who were flying through the maze of clouds. Every minute or so, an Armada skiff came into view and traveled into a clear section of the sky, making it visible for the hundreds of Storm guards that were constantly patrolling every inch of the area. There would be a ship that would occasionally appear as well, but would quickly vanish away into the thick, black clouds before any Storm guards could stop it. There was never a slow moment for those who were traveling through the blinding maze of dangers which could easily take them down if they ever made contact. Everything was fast and almost nothing but a mere glance to those who were watching everything from tall watchtowers which were standing from the ground below.

A skiff appeared from the thick fog. It blew its horn and continued its journey through the blinding labyrinth, alerting any ships that were traveling towards it. It had a red coat of paint, almost crimson, a black roof and the logo of the Armada plastered to its front, along with two horns built into the face of the skiff, pointing in the direction of travel. Two large banners were hung from the sides, showing the sign of the Armada. The horns would blare every one hundred metres or so. There were the top of buildings that were just in the way of the skiff, which were knocked off after the skiff made contact with them. The driver of the skiff had only one purpose; to find some bounty hunters and catch them.

There had been reports of rebellious gangs of ponies who were taking down cargo ships that were carrying military equipment to some of the other camps that the Armada had across the outskirts of Equestria. The skiff that was traveling through the fog was especially important; it was carrying the plans for the invasion of Canterlot which was to take place within a few months or so, just in time for the official Friendship Festival, ran by Princess Twilight Sparkle. Once conquered, Canterlot would be the Storm King's new headquarters, along with some of the most wanted criminals which Equestria had ever known. It was all essential; the plans couldn't be lost. And that there were some ponies out there trying to prevent the Armada, it was one of the most important missions that the pony who was driving the skiff ever had to take.

Suddenly, a small shuttle ship appeared from the fog very quickly, failing to notice the skiff that the soldier was driving and banged into it at a force that caught the attention of the skiff's driver. The shuttle dragged along the front of the skiff, creating sparks of light when it made contact with the paintwork. After twisting and turning in the air, the shuttle fell into the path of the skiff. The skiff then opened a hatch and shot a harpoon into the woodwork of the shuttle, drawing it in until it became eye level.

After the shuttle stabilised, the skiff stopped moving altogether. The crew on the shuttle, all shocked and confused, emerged from inside and stood directly in front of the skiff, all armed with weapons and anything that their could grab in time before they were dragged in. They waited for whoever had snatched them to emerge from the mist of the skiff.

"Who goes there?!" the first crew member asked, "Show yourself!"

A figure appeared from the mist. It was a unicorn, certainly a mare, standing on the floor of the skiff. She was tall, with a long mane in the shape of a mohican, that was placed on top of her purple-red head. In the light, the crew could make out a scar across her face and a broken horn on top of her head, almost completely sheered off. The crew gasped; they knew who it was immediately, without having a second guess.

Tempest Shadow trotted slowly towards them without saying a word. The crew all froze in place; no one of them could move for their feared what this particular pony could easily do. She had nearly all the power she could ever have and easily with one signal, Tempest could bring down a whole army. As she stepped forwards, the ponies all stepped back, until they were on the very edge of the skiff.

"May I ask why did you crash into me, exactly?" Tempest asked, in a low and sinister voice, "And what are you doing in these parts?"

Neither of the crew would reply at first, but eventually the captain of the shuttle, a light-blue stallion with a black mane and a pair of wings for a cutie mark, walked closer to Tempest.

"We didn't see you... er... Commander Tempest..." he said, nervously, "...we're merely delivery ponies."

Tempest remained still for a moment, but then walked back and forth the front of her skiff, looking at each of the ponies. She noticed that they were all in some kind of brown uniform which was scruffy and dirty. There were six ponies; three stallions and three mares. All of them looked as if they had been in conflict; there were scars and bandaged parts of their bodies. One of which was a Pegasus, who had her wings wrapped up. Tempest had a look deep into her frightened eyes and grinned.

"You all seem to be doing your job," she said, looking back at the cargo on their shuttle, "and you have a permit to transport goods? As in a permit that is officially approved by the Storm King himself?"

The stallion pulled out their delivery papers and presented them to Tempest, who looked very carefully at them. She then handed them over.

"Everything seems to be in order; I apologise for my quick arrival."

Tempest began to turn away and return to her skiff. The crew returned to their shuttle and started to leave. After their departure, Tempest continued on her way through the fog that was engulfing her surroundings at full speed.

Then, Tempest was interrupted by a call coming from someone who she knew very well and wouldn't be too happy to hear what had happened. Tempest pressed the answer button and listened away to the caller on the other end.

"Is that you, Tempest?" the voice at the other end asked. Tempest sighed.

"Yes, it's me, your Excellency," Tempest replied back, "is everything okay?" There was a loud cough that replied back to Tempest's question.

"I want to know where are you?! Aren't you meant to be gathering my army to help invade Canterlot?"

"I'm in the middle of nowhere at the moment. I'll shortly be arriving at the next checkpoint soon. Your army is fifty miles away from the city, awaiting my orders to invade. I'm expected to arrive by nightfall. I'm apologise, but due to certain circumstances involving some civilians getting in the way, I've been pushed behind. Everything is ready for the invasion."

"Good, Tempest. I expect this and more from you. I'll see you after the invasion."

The communication switched off and went silent. Immediately afterwards, Tempest turned the skiff around in the air and went back in the opposite direction. Tempest drove the skiff back to where the shuttle was still stationary and continued driving towards it. The captain gasped and started the engines.

"Everypony, all stations! Quickly! Hurry! We need to get this thing moving before-"

Just when the stallion was about to finish his sentence, Tempest's skiff crashed straight into shuttle without slowing down, making it explode into lots of different pieces of material. Tempest ignored the impact and continued towards Canterlot at great speed, before chuckling to herself quite peacefully.

"Silly little ponies."

The Armada Trilogy I: The Lieutenant

by TheMysteryMuffin

The Armada Trilogy

One

Two

The Next Day

Three

Four

Five

Six

The Next Day

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Epilogue

To Be Continued

Acknowledgements

Note: this isn't part of the story!

Bonus Chapter - Tempest's Patrol