As the Friendship Festival echoed out across Canterlot, stars shimmered down upon the city streets, almost barren if not for the little market. There were almost no souls whatsoever that weren't attending the celebrations at the foot of the castle, save a few ponies who were trying to catch their breaths from over-partying.
Tempest Shadow, despite breaking free from the chains of the Storm King, still didn't feel like she deserved a part of the celebration after all that she had done, and was slowly trotting through the city she had once laid waste to with an army of storm guards at her beck and call. A part of her was intrigued as to how the ponies managed to rebuild all of the damage that quickly, but the rest of her was quite uncertain.
Once again, she felt alone. Isolation and loneliness was not new to her and she instead found it as a form of solace. Whenever she got involved with the world around her, it ended in misfortune for one of them. Be it for herself or that of the people she had met.
After emerging from the maze of houses and other structures, Tempest found a little edge that hung thousands of feet above the ground below. She slowly sat down on it and hung her back hooves. A small sigh escaped her breath as she turned towards the bright lights of the festival in the distance, the songs of Songbird Serenade quietly drifting over towards her, though not much of the lyrics were audible.
"Didn't expect to see you out here, Tempest."
She turned back towards the plaza and saw Capper gently walking down to her. His ragged red robes long gone, and now replaced with an elegant top hat and black jacket.
"I could say the same for you." Tempest stared at him. "I thought that you would've been enjoying the festival with those ponies."
"Well... festivals are only a temporary thing." Capper came over to the edge and sat down next to her. "It's what comes after that bites you hard." He coiled his paws and felt his tail gently sweeping the ground behind him. "Plus, I'm still trying to get used to ponies. Turns out, they have some crazy ideas."
"I wouldn't really know." Tempest just turned out towards the landscape beyond. "I haven't really seen many ponies since I ran away from home. Everything just seems a little bit strange."
"Well, you wouldn't be the first one," said Capper in his charismatic drawl, then exhaled and rubbed his fingertips on the platform. "I haven't even seen my home since I had to run away from it. You're quite lucky, Tempest. Ya know that?"
"I don't believe in luck." Tempest shook her head. "Luck is just a word everyone uses to disguise from the fact that there's a potential risk of failure. I only believe in what I want to believe."
"Hmm..." Capper looked towards Ponyville, then the castle, and then the stars. "Y'know, this place seems like something out of a postcard," he said, "The way the stars in the sky shimmer, coupled with the warmth of that festival and the reflections of that little crystal castle over there is a once in a lifetime view."
"Equestria does have a way of looking... presentable at times." Tempest eyed up Capper. "But... I suppose you are right there. It is a bit of a nice sight."
"And all I ever saw in my life was hardship, poverty, and sadness." Capper looked down at his coat. "No matter how many acts those ponies do for me, I don't know how long it'll be before I end up back at square one again. So it's nice to see something good that isn't just given to you or that you can take away."
"What do you mean by 'square one'?" Tempest hadn't been much for diving into someone's past after she had run away, but Capper's words had caught her attention.
"No matter how hard I try, everything just gets taken away from me." Capper stood up and hung his head. "Abyssinia, that airship, the Misfortune Malachite, the list just keeps on getting bigger. Next thing you know, I'll have to start stealing from ponies just to live happy."
"Capper, normally, I don't really enjoy meaningless stories, but I'm honestly quite curious now." She stood up on the platform, balancing herself on the stone. "Why are you telling me all of this now?"
Capper had found himself boxed into a corner, just as he had always been. He always did have a habit of finding himself in trouble, be it for stuff he had done or for things he had said. He didn't want to trust Tempest at first after the way she had treated him, but the more he looked deep into her eyes, the more he could tell that she wanted to know the truth.
"Because I know what it's like to lose everything, Tempest." He broke the silence and gently tapped the shattered shards of her horn. "And it's because of all of that loss and sadness that I am who I am. A con artist, swindling people out of their hard-earned money and lying to get himself out of any kinda trouble."
"Where did it all start?" Tempest asked.
"Back in Abyssinia, I was never really the cream of the crop back in my family." Capper bent down, feeling his coat shielding his body from the cold winds. "Even as a kitten, I was never really appreciated. The rest of my family used my stuff more than me and even my brothers and sisters would try and take advantage of it.
"Time was, when I eventually grew up and moved out of the house, I realized that the world isn't a very nice place." He curled his paws into fists. "Nobody ever gave me happiness on a silver platter like some of the ponies here in Equestria. In fact, there were quite a few devious cats in my home, trying to peddle their wares and lure me into a sale."
"Did you fall for any of it?" Tempest cocked a brow.
"No. No. I'd already grown wise to how they worked." Capper stood back up and flexed his fingers. "Sure, they said that it all looked good, but I could see right through 'em. Counterfeit watches that didn't have moving arms, balls with something weighing 'em down inside, even some food that looked good, but the smell and taste just seemed a little bit off-putting."
"Good," said Tempest. "It's nice to know that there are some people out there who know what to steer clear of."
"Not only did I know what not to do, I knew how to make a name for myself." Capper cracked a small grin. "I self-taught myself the ways of how to trick and connive people after watching a few scams from the background. I saw and heard every bit of it. Every lie, the charisma the tricksters use, and the ways they made their sales." He turned his head. "I just wished that it didn't have to be that way, though. I mean, yeah, it's the quickest way to get what you want, but it just didn't seem moral to stoop to their levels."
"But you did." Tempest trotted up to him. "The world had already hurt you, so you struck back, as anybody in their right mind would."
"Yeah. That much is true." Capper twisted his wrist around. "When the world's responsible for all the bad things that happened, naturally, you'll wanna get even." He pushed a fist into his hand and squeezed, hearing his bones crack. "So, I started the ultimate con act. I knew the tricks and how the public worked. Didn't take long for me to start making a good life.
"My work eventually caught the eye of another Abyssinian named Chummer." Capper started to breathe through his nose as his toes began to curl. "He was interested in my work and wanted a good life just like me. Was."
"You don't seem quite comfortable about this Chummer, Capper..." Tempest had taken notice of Capper's little twitches and curls. "Did something happen along the way that ruined your relationship with him?"
"You... could say that, yes." Capper, still shuddering slightly, turned his back to Tempest. "But for the time that we were happy and all buddy-buddy with each other, we made a good team. We both tag-team scammed our way to some good grabs. Gold, food, clean clothes, you name it, we had it."
"But, like all good things in this world, I'm guessing that it didn't last long." Tempest Shadow looked away.
"Yeah. The Storm King came to Abyssinia with a bunch of those giant gorilla friends of his." Capper turned towards the nearby dumpster and saw one of the king's flags, though it had been ripped to pieces and slightly torched in one corner. "He came for the kingdom's riches and left nothing in his wake. Needless to say, my people didn't stand a chance."
"The Storm King's soldiers were trained to be ruthless. Not one of them was allowed any sort of food unless they went above and beyond his expectations." Tempest Shadow trotted over to the flag and picked up what remained of it, thinking back to her time under the king's orders. "As soon as I joined the force, most of my time on the trip to Equestria was disciplining the storm guards into being even more merciless."
"Let me guess. Shock therapy?" Capper raised a finger nervously.
Tempest merely snarled quietly. "That wasn't funny or clever." Sparks started to fly out of her horn as she turned back towards him. "But you're right. My broken horn was just what the king needed to whip his troops into shape."
"Hey, hey, hey. I didn't mean to offend you, Tempest. I just thought that maybe now that you're... free, that you'd like a little laugh?" Capper backed up and pushed his paws out.
Tempest wasn't having any of it and fired a powerful bolt of unrefined magic at Capper, frying him from his head to his feet. Once she was finished, Capper fell to his knees and weakly glanced up at her. She bent down and whispered into his ears, "That was for Klugetown. Now we're even." She offered a hoof out to him and he hastily accepted.
"Ugh..." Capper groaned as he felt some of his singed fur rustling against his burnt clothes. "Guess that's what I get for tricking the almighty Commander Tempest, huh?"
"Oh, please. I gave up my title the second Twilight and her friends took down the king." Tempest just scoffed. "Tempest or Fizzlepop. Take your pick."
"Fizzlepop? With that chipped horn and scarred face?" Capper's brows shot up to the top of his head. "You don't really seem like a Fizzlepop to me..."
"Fine. Tempest it is." She started to pat him down and try clearing up any of the removable stains from his clothes. "Anyway, we're getting off topic here. Please. Feel free to go back to how you and Chummer stowed away on one of the Storm King's ships."
"Fine. Fine. And I promise not to get on your bad side again, Tempest." Capper turned back to the night sky. "When the Storm King left Abyssinia, me and Chummer spent a while in the cabin of the ship. It was dark, dank, and dusty to boot. But there was some pretty good stuff in it, I'll admit.
"Just as things were starting to settle down, we heard a lot of commotion going on from the top deck. We went out to check what was happening and we found those pirates. Captain Celeano and her crew, if I'm right." Capper looked back over towards the festival, which was still in full swing. "Right now, she and her fellow pirates are up there. Having the time of their lives with Princess Twilight and her friends."
"Those pirates are a bit of an odd bunch." Tempest stared up at the party as well. "One minute, they're all high and mighty. The next thing you know, they end up working for the Storm King once he tries stealing back from them." She just turned away and exhaled. "And then, they suddenly go back on it all and be pirates again. I may never know how those birds function."
"Anyways..." Capper rolled his eyes. "They promised us a place on the crew, but right before we were about to accept, along came a very angry Storm King and his fleet. Before we left, Captain Celeano gave us this treasure she swiped from him and let us use the escape ship. We made a clean escape, but ended up in the desert after all of that."
"And I presume that was when those feather-brained pirates sold themselves to the king..." Tempest Shadow put a hoof to her chin and began taking in the whole story. She didn't think that she would be able to gather so much information from talking to an Abyssinian, but she took whatever she could get if it got her any closer to the end of his story. "Go on."
"The two of us wandered around in the desert. We were tired, hungry, and thirsty. I didn't think anything'd be worse than that. And neither did Chummer." Capper went back to the edge and knelt down on it. "We did find a road that led to a town at the end of it all, though. You get three guesses on which town it was."
"Klugetown. A place where the residents survive on dodgy deals, aggressive sales tactics, and a very notorious black market." As Tempest looked back to the empty stalls, she already envisioned them being manned by the merchants from the town itself. Fish people, lizard people, and other such species popped into her head. "Not many ponies know about it. Most likely since they don't leave Equestria for anything that isn't serious."
"Yep. That's the one." Capper nodded. "Naturally, being a couple of con artists, me and Chummer quickly went back to our old bait-and-switch tactics. Since everything costs in Klugetown, according to the residents, we decided to cash in on that and take every opportunity we could."
"And you quickly became the infamous tricksters the town knows you for. I'm seeing the whole story unfold the more you tell me about it." Tempest pushed her front hooves together. "But I still don't understand why you say that it puts you in the same shoes as me. Unless this Klugetown is the final act in your little tale, that is."
"Oh it is, Tempest. I guarantee you that." Capper took his top hat and robes off and gently put them on the ground. "But this story won't have a happy ending.
"Chummer and I eventually found ourselves in Mayor Verko's office after all the little tricks and games we had pulled on his citizens." He sat down over the edge again and drummed his paws against it. "He was none too happy with what we had pulled on his people and demanded some of our earnings as a fee. A fitting fare for frauds like us, huh?"
"Verko. That creepy little weasel who wants to buy ponies..." Tempest growled and charged up her fractured horn again. "He's very lucky that my magic isn't strong enough, otherwise I would've REALLY shown him what I can do."
"Oof. That's a little bit harsh, ain't it?" Capper winced at Tempest's crackling magic. "I mean, Verko's not the nicest of weasels, but I'm sure that he doesn't really deserve to be hospitalized. He's just trying to lead a life, like all of us."
"If that life is him trying to sell ponies on a black market, then he really needs to rethink his life choices..." Tempest's horn stopped fizzing and she sighed heavily. "But I'm getting off-topic again. What did you do to get that little rat off of your backs?"
"The treasure that Celeano gave us was worth a lot. And I mean A LOT." Capper pulled his arms out wide to emphasize. "The Misfortune Malachite could've bankrupted Verko if it was in anyone else's hands, so he offered us the deal of a lifetime: A ton of gold and a free airship in exchange for it.
"But... that's where the whole 'sad ending' part comes into play here." Capper punched hard into his left paw "Soon as we were about to pay Verko, Chummer stole the ship and the malachite, leaving me stranded in Klugetown with Verko on my back..." He growled and sharpened his claws. "I swear, if I ever see that backstabbing little twerp again, he's gonna pay. For EVERYTHING."
"No-one can be trusted, Capper. That's always what I told myself after I lost my horn." Tempest came over and patted him on the back. "Chummer was clearly just trying to worm his way into your heart, all so that he could rip it all away from you right at the last second. You should never have taken him under your wing." She paced back and forth. "For one, you wouldn't have had to share your stolen goods with anyone other than yourself. Second, if he wasn't around, you would've been living a higher life right about now. And finally, you should've known that, as a con artist, a partner would've tried to play you for a fool at one point."
"Well, it's no use now, is it?" Capper just turned away. "Now, I've got a huge debt to pay to that little rodent Verko, and the second the party's over and I head back to Klugetown, let's just say that everything's just gonna go south for me. No pun intended."
"You know, you could always just stay here in Equestria." Tempest pointed out to the city. "The ponies here'll be happy to welcome you as one of their own. Given that you did save them all from me and the Storm King."
"That's a nice gesture, but it wasn't just me now, was it?" He let out a little chuckle. "It was a group effort. Me, Celeano, those pirates, Princess Skystar, we all chipped in when it came to the downfall of his Majesty."
"I don't know how any of you could trust anyone." Tempest just stared down at the ground. "You all had no idea who any of you were and yet you still decided to band together. Why? It could have ended in was your defeat, a rift in your potential acquaintanceships, and being forced into doing the Storm King's dirty work..." Her eyes widened. "Why take the risk? Why throw your lives on the line? Why get caught up in someone else's business?"
"I don't know." Capper tapped his feet on the ground. "When you've not got much left to lose, nothing becomes risky. I wanted to help the girls out because I didn't want them ending up in the same place as me. I mean, those poor dears lost their country's capital to the king. What kind of friend would I be if I said no to them?"
"A terrible one. Just like the ones who gave me up once I lost my horn as a filly..." Tempest turned her back to Capper and trotted over to the stairs. "You know, Capper..." A tiny grin appeared on Tempest's face. "We're not so different after all. We lost everything, our closest friends betrayed us, and we've been molded into terrible people because of it."
"I ended up becoming a terrible Abyssinian who tried selling six ponies just to get out of a debt. You, on the other hand, ended up serving the Storm King in his quest to conquer the planet." Capper pressed his fingertips together. "I... guess I see the resemblance there somewhere."
"It's good to know that there's someone in this world who understands my pain. And who has an equally tragic story justifying their motives." Tempest Shadow came up to Capper and gently stroked his chest. "If we were on different circumstances, I would ask you to be my friend."
"Who says we're not on those circumstances, Tempest?" Capper reached out for her hooves.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Tempest tilted her head.
"Look, I know that this is all a bit sudden for you," said Capper, "but here in this world, you're gonna need a friend to help you out. Even if you believe you can only count on yourself, it's good to have just that little bit of help for when you can't take on everything alone." His grin grew wider. "Plus, now that the king is gone, you're gonna need someone to help you readjust. I could be that someone."
Tempest took a few steps back from Capper's open paws and took a moment to drink everything in. After everything that she had done to the ponies of Equestria, how could she make any friends? Surely, all of this was deserving of some sense of punishment. But the more she looked at his hands and took his story into account and all of the events that transpired around the raid on Canterlot, she felt her stubborn nature slowly but surely begin to evaporate.
In the end, she reached out for his paws and said, "Alright, Capper. I suppose I could give this whole 'friendship' thing a shot."
"Good." Capper took Tempest's hoof and gently shook it. "Now, we should get back to the festival. I'm sure that Twilight and her friends are gonna be wondering where we are."
"Yeah. I bet they are..." Tempest blushed deeply and smiled back at Capper.
Both Capper and Tempest walked away from the edge and back up into the city. As they passed through the empty streets and came back to the Friendship Festival, a particular warmth crept into their hearts. They both gave each other a quick glance and smiled even wider, as they finally knew deep down inside that they had someone who truly understood them and could help ease their pain.