//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Solstice // Story: Slumber of the Storm // by Deathscar //------------------------------// Don’t make the same mistake again. Tempest leapt upon the rubble, forcing every last bit of energy into her hooves. She could see the ponies now. All six of them huddled together, aiming the Staff of Sarcanas at her. She wanted to shout. To scream at them to turn around. Yet she found her voice missing, and her mind blank. Her eyes focused in on the glowing green orb in the Storm King’s claw, watching as he reeled back his arm before tossing it towards the group. “No!” Tempest sprung from her position, leaping over the group that still saw her as an enemy. She allowed her body to move on its own, adjusting every twitch of her hoof or sway of her tail to intercept the obsidian orb. Before she knew it, the orb had collided with her body, exploding into a thick green mist and causing a sharp pain to shoot through her veins. She gritted her teeth and refocused her gaze onto the Storm King. The creeping pain told her that the rock had already started to encase her body. With one last movement of her hoof, she sent as much of the mist as possible towards her betrayer, watching as black, jagged stone began to grow on his leg. That was the last thing Tempest did before all movement was stolen from her. The vicious infection creeped around her form, eventually encasing her face. The final sight she shared was that of the Storm King. Frozen. Horrified. Falling down to the land below. And then she saw nothing at all. Her body was gone, but her mind was still alive. She had a vague sense of sinking. Of plummeting through the air and she knew what was coming. Her heart raced. Her mind wanted to scream. Yet, her body didn’t respond. Slowly, she knew, it was reaching closer. The ground. Her end. At any other time, her mind would have been racing to find a way out. Thousands of options would be racing through her mind as she considered how best to approach the situation. But Tempest knew there was no hope. Not anymore. And the thought caused an overwhelming fear to consume her body. Someone. Anyone. She begged in her mind, hoping for a reply. But not a single voice gave her the comfort she seeked. It didn’t surprise her. All the actions she took, all the deeds she had done. This was what she should receive. This is what you deserve. Like the rest of her life, she was alone. No one will come for you. It was then that she felt the touch of the ground beneath her frozen hoof. And she shattered. Tempest jolted from her slumber with a loud gasp. She expected to be greeted with the heavy stench of Klugetown, or the dry, arid air of the desert. Instead, her nose was met with crisp, cold frost. For a second, it merely sent her heart racing even faster than it already was. But when she took a look around her castle room, she realized what had just happened. Just a dream. Tempest shook her head, wiping the sweat that was pouring forth. J-just a dream. I’m safe. Tempest shut her eyes, forcing herself to take slow breaths to calm her fraying nerves. Once she had gotten her hooves somewhat under control, she tossed her blanket to the side and left to the living area. At this hour, Tempest expected the castle to be lit only by the winter moonlight leaking through the windows. But to her surprise, she spotted an almost blinding amount of light pouring through the slightly ajar kitchen door. The squeak of the hinges as Tempest pushed it open drew the attention of the only other pony in the room. “Tempest?” Twilight frowned as she looked over her shoulder. Their gazes met for just a second, but it was clear to her just why she was awake. “Nightmares again?” Twilight’s question was met with silence as Tempest trotted towards the fridge. She pulled the door open with a swift tug of her hoof and surveyed the contents inside. “Tempest…” Tempest swiped a bottle of soda from the top shelf. A soft hiss filled the room as she twisted the cap open with the edge of her hoof. After taking a sip, she swung around, noting that Twilight was still staring at her. “Fizzlepo—” A heavy sigh escaped Tempest’s muzzle. “Yes, nightmares.” “What’s it about this time? The Ursa attack?” Tempest shook her head. “The abandonment?” She drew a deep breath. “...The sacrifice?” Silence. Twilight turned her attention back onto her book, flipping another page. “You know, I’ve been reading about nightmares. There’s a few methods here we could try out to see if it’d help.” “I don’t believe this is a problem we can just… fix. Especially not with lemon and sugar.” Twilight sighed, tilting her head up to meet Tempest’s eyes. “I’m just trying to help.” “I know. I just… I… I know.” Neither mare said a word, leaving only silence to hang between them. Twilight had her eyes glued to her book, the title of which Tempest couldn’t see. Though if it was anything like the other tomes Twilight had been reading, it was probably related to dreams and nightmares. Why is she willing to help me so much? After what I… As the thought crossed her mind, she lowered her head and let out an audible grunt. Upon returning her gaze to Twilight, she spotted her staring back with a concerned gaze. “So what’re you doing up so late? Reading?” Tempest attempted to change the subject with the first topic that came to her mind. “Yeah…” Twilight shut the book with a soft thud, placing it softly upon the countertop. “Just… reading.” Twilight said, turning her attention to the nearby window as her ears fell. Tempest lifted the bottle to her mouth once more, sipping the beverage without another word. “So, Tempest, Hearth’s Warming is coming up. Any plans?” Tempest tapped the bottle several times before setting it lightly onto the counter. “I… don’t know. Is it still the same since I’ve last experienced it?” “Well, what was it like the last time you had a Hearth’s Warming party?” “Food. Hot cider. Irritatingly loud happy music blasting in every shop I go into?” “Hey! Those songs are well-composed pieces of melodies that stood the test of time!” “For better or for worse,” Tempest joked, unable to suppress a smirk from appearing on her lips. It only grew when she turned up just in time to see Twilight give an annoyed huff. “To answer your question, no. I don’t have any plans. Honestly, I’m not even sure if anyone here wants to hang out with a unicorn that enslaved their entire race.” “Tempest, that’s in the past.” “Maybe so. But the past can still hurt the present.” Twilight gave a defeated sigh. “Whatever the case, I do hope you’ll join us for our annual Hearth’s Warming Party. I’m sure our friends would love to have you around.” “Thanks, Twilight. I’ll… I’ll think about it. There’s still a lot for me to take in right now. A lot for me to deal with.” Tempest felt a storm of thoughts racing through her mind as she spoke. ‘A lot’ felt like an understatement. Twilight nodded, levitating her cup to her lips. However, upon returning her attention to Tempest, she quickly released her magic and picked the cup up using her hooves. This action did not go unnoticed to Tempest, who felt a mixture of guilt and rage swirl in her heart. “Twilight, me being here doesn’t mean you have to cut off using magic, you know?” “O-oh!” Twilight’s face immediately went bright red. Her eyes darted down to her cup and she began to stammer, “I… I mean, I was just… trying to, you know. Make you feel more at home!” “Well, all it does is make me feel guilty. Just be yourself around me. Don’t stop yourself from casting magic just because…” Tempest moved her eyes up, spotting the cracked base at where her horn once was. She swung around, facing her back towards Twilight before taking a long, slow sip of her soda. The next thing she felt was a hoof on her shoulder. When she turned, she saw Twilight staring back at her with a frown on her face. “I’m sorry. I was just afraid of bringing up bad memories.” “It’s okay.” Tempest allowed a beat to pass. “Happens every night anyway,” she whispered under her breath. When it dawned on her that she had just voiced her thoughts out loud, she quickly gulped the rest of the soda in and headed towards the door. “Tempest!” “Good night, Twilight. Don’t stay up too late, alright?” The rest of the night passed by in a blink. Tempest didn’t even know she had fallen asleep. There were no dreams. Though from the past few days, she didn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. It felt as if only a second had passed, and the sun was already up in the sky, raining its light onto Ponyville. The blanket was softly pushed aside with a wave of her hoof. She propped herself up onto a hoof, making sure to take a glance out her window as she crossed it. The snow-covered streets of Ponyville were filled with ponies of all ages. Most of them were trotting along merrily, humming tunes or speaking to their friends. If the winter attire they were donning did not give the season away, the white specks falling from the sky certainly did. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen this sight. Tempest extended her hoof out the open window, catching a few flakes of snow. All through her self-imposed exile, she rarely felt the urge to come back. However, one of those strongest moments was during that of Hearth’s Warming. She had sorely missed the joyful air, the pouring snow and, most importantly, the comfort of her own home.  But snow had held a different meaning for Tempest for decades. It brought with it not joy, warmth or happiness. But instead, cold, loneliness and chilling pain. As the memories of her past threatened to intrude into her mind, she quickly leapt off the bed and exited her room, grabbing her coat on the way out. On the way to the dining room, she noted the array of colorful lights hanging in the hallways. Some were hung around the windows, placed an equal distance from each other in a perfectly repeating pattern of yellow, green, blue then red. While others, like those that trailed around the furniture, were more haphazardly placed. Though in its chaos, Tempest found a certain sort of charm that brought a smile to her face. It took her mind away from the nightmares and from her past. Something she treasured, no matter how brief the moment was. As Tempest entered the main hall, the grand scale of the single decoration present struck her dumb. The tree that sat in the middle of the room stood no less than two stories tall, towering over the balcony of the castle study rooms. It stood bare of any decorations, but its sheer size and perfect green pines left Tempest a little speechless at its sight. Tempest pushed open the door to the dining room. “Twilight? Is your tree always that big?” “Tempest!” Twilight’s horn lit up and she vanished in a flash of purple light, only to reappear in front of Tempest’s face. “Okay, I’ve solved it!” “Great!” Tempest forced a grin. After what felt like an eternity of silence, she proceeded to ask the most obvious question that was on her mind. “S-solved what?” “I know how I can get the nightmares to stop!” A loud sigh was Tempest’s response. She trotted past Twilight and headed towards her seat. “Twilight, I don’t want to keep repeating myself, but there is no ‘solving’ this nightmare problem. It’s something I’ll have deal with on my own.” “No, but hear me out! I know somepony who can help! She’s one of my best friends and she has a lot of experience with this!” “About… enslaving an entire nation which probably now hates you? And dealing with the personal worry that you’ll never truly be forgiven or allowed to forget your actions?” Tempest raised an eyebrow. “Well yes. Wait, no. I mean… sort of?” “Uh… huh. Well, I wouldn’t want to trouble anyone, but if you want to try, I suppose I have nothing to lose.” Tempest took a sip of her juice, then a bite of her pancake. “Plus, it might give me experience into this whole ‘making friends’ thing.” “Great! I’ll tell her and see if she’s free to come down! You two are going to get along great! I just know it!” Tempest couldn’t help but smile at Twilight’s unbounded enthusiasm. If there was one thing she had to give credit to the ponies for, it was their tenacity. Twilight’s in particular was something to be admired. It almost rivaled her own. Almost. “Well, while you do that, I’m going to take a walk through Ponyville. See if I can get some hot cocoa, or maybe some Windigo biscuits!” Tempest raised her voice to a joyful tone. The thought of biting into one of the delicious cookies and sipping thick chocolate made her heart soar and her mouth salivate. “You’ll want to stop by Sugarcube Corner for those! But go quickly. During Hearth’s Warming, Pinkie’s treats are legendary throughout Equestria.” Tempest gave a single nod before heading out the door and moving onto the streets of Ponyville. Stay strong. Keep walking. Hold your head high. Tempest repeated the words to herself like a mantra. She looked around at the ponies she passed. Watching as they avoided her at all cost. If she was lucky, all she would get is a dart of their eyes away from her direction in an attempt to avoid contact with her. Others would show visible signs of anger, disgust and rage. Wherever Tempest trotted, there was an empty circle forming around her. Almost like she was a diseased individual. The worst part of all was that Tempest knew these actions were warranted. After what she did, she didn’t expect to be treated any different. And if she were them? She’d probably react the same way. Slowly, the guilt and sadness built within her. It compounded with every passing second. Every whispered ‘look at her’ or ‘she helped the Storm King’ would only deepen the wound. They must’ve thought that Tempest couldn’t hear them. Or maybe they wanted her to. Tempest couldn’t help but drop her head with the weight of the air around her. The once joyful and light atmosphere seemed to disappear wherever she trotted, turning as dark as her coat. And yet, she continued her facade, trotting forward with her eyes locked forward onto the road ahead. It took only a few more minutes on the streets before Tempest arrived at Sugarcube Corner. And, just as Twilight said, there was a huge line out the door. Ponies, griffons and more were queuing around the block. Maybe I’ll just… come back when Pinkie’s less busy. Tempest turned to leave, when suddenly, a delicious aroma filled her nose. Taking a deep whiff, she smelled a buttery scent wafting through the air. Her mind was quickly filled with images of hot, crispy cookies coated in sugar and frosting. She could almost imagine that first bite, her teeth sinking into the crunchy texture, feeling the bits melt in her mouth. All downed by a sip of her favorite drink. Tempest shook her head to snap herself out of the fantasy. Well, I do have time. Tempest trotted past the line, feeling daggered stares being aimed at her. She tried to pay them no mind and resumed her trot, following the line of ponies until an empty spot was present, all the way at the back of Sugarcube Corner. To her left was a window that she could see led into the kitchen. From it, the smell of freshly baked Hearth’s Warming goods only grew more intense with each passing second. A smell that brought back memories of her at the local bakery, waiting patiently outside with the ponies she once called friends. Back then, her stomach would growl at that very smell. Something that had not changed. I didn’t know I missed Windigo cookies that much. Tempest took a few quick glances around, wondering if anyone caught the sound. When she looked forward, she saw a green filly staring up at her with wide, curious eyes. Tempest forced a grin to her face and gave a soft wave of her hoof. “What happened to your horn?” “O-oh! Umm… an… accident.” “What kind of accident?” “Y-you don’t want to know,” Tempest spoke with a tinge of sadness. “Does it hurt?” Tempest stared up at the shattered stub on her head. She tried her best not to think of the Ursa Minor, or anything about her past. “Y-yeah. It still hurts.” Before the filly had a chance to ask another question, the mare beside her grabbed the filly’s hoof, dragging her away from Tempest. “Don’t talk to strangers, okay honey?” Tempest raised her hoof on instinct. She wanted to tell the mare that there was nothing to be afraid of, that she had changed. Yet, as the words went through her head, she could only imagine what the outcome would be. They would probably shout at her, or bring up the incident she caused a couple of months back. She had no solid way to argue against those. For they were truths, and there was nothing she could say that would temper their anger after that point. Tempest lowered her hoof and stared down at the ground. She had never felt so helpless, nor unwanted. Why do I keep on making the same mistakes? Her mouth fell into a frown, and tears threatened to reach the edge of her eyes. Before she could continue her train of thought, a loud shrill voice called out from beside her. “Hello, everypony!” Pinkie Pie yelled from the kitchen window, giving energetic waves to the ponies in line. “Just wanted to let everypony know that the first batch of treats are going to be up in five minutes!” The crowd erupted into a chorus of applause and excited murmurs. Even Tempest felt her troubled thoughts seep away upon seeing Pinkie’s bright grin. She had read about magic for her entire life. Yet, nothing could compare to the joy Pinkie is able to spread just by speaking a few words. She knew Pinkie was no unicorn, but to her, it was magic all the same. “That’s what I like to hear!” Pinkie screamed out. “So just prepare, everypony! And—” Suddenly, Pinkie’s gaze locked with Tempest. And the huge grin that grew on Pinkie’s muzzle immediately caused Tempest to fill with worry. She knew what was coming next and in a vain attempt to prevent it, Tempest waved her hooves rapidly in a ‘no’ motion. “Fizzlepop!? You’re here!?” Tempest slammed her hoof so hard into her face, she feared a concussion. “Well what’re you doing there!? Come on up!” Tempest lowered her hooves, just in time to see every pony in the vicinity staring at her. Some had looks of utter confusion, while others had stared at her with looks of complete irritation. “P-Pinkie, thanks but, I’d really rather queue.” “Pssh, silly pony. I mean that I need your help in the kitchen!” “Oh. Umm, are you sure?” “Duh! Come on through the front door, I’ll open it!” Pinkie shouted before slinking back into the bakery. As Tempest made her way forward, she actively avoided making eye contact with anypony along the way. Though, even without looking at them, she could feel the stares being driven at her. Upon reaching the front, Pinkie allowed her in, shutting the door and locking it behind her. “So what do you need help with?” “I need your help… in taking a seat over there!” Pinkie pointed to an empty table. “O-okay?” Tempest pulled up a seat. She glanced nervously around her surroundings, even taking a quick gaze to the ceiling. “You’re not… going to release batter on me again are you?” “Psh no! That’s only for super special occasions!” Tempest locked her eyes on Pinkie. Watching as she zipped herself around the kitchen in a blur, pulling trays out while mixing more ingredients at the same time. It almost seemed like there was more than one of her. “Pinkie, did you just… call me in to sit down?” “Mmhm! You need the best seat in the house!” Tempest simply stared blankly towards the peppy pink pony. She attempted to piece together what Pinkie was talking about, but failed miserably. “For what?” “For having all those icky bad, non-smiley feelings. And for being hungry all this time!” The words slammed into Tempest like a carriage, stunning her for a second. “You… noticed?” “Well duh!” Pinkie flung her whisk upwards, tossing a splat of batter into her own face. “And I also heard your tummy growl!” A glow of red appeared on Tempest’s cheeks. “Was it that loud?” “Not important! What’s important is you just relax until Sugarcube Corner opens!” Pinkie cheerfully sung, bouncing forward and wrapping her hooves around Tempest. Tempest returned the gesture with a smile. Even though this had been one of the coldest days she had experienced, Pinkie’s hug warmed everything back up. “Now sit still until we open the doors!” It hardly took any time at all before Pinkie to swing open the doors and declare the store open. And even less time for the bakery to fill with excited customers. Tempest sat in her corner next to the window, watching as creatures of all ages were entranced by the display of treats. A small griffon had his beak pressed against the glass shelf, eyes wide at the array of frosted donuts and sprinkle-covered cakes. Another foal attempted to pull himself up onto the countertop, no doubt hoping to see what Pinkie was baking. Tempest gave the sight in front of her a wistful smile. All those wasted filly years. As if on cue, Pinkie bounced forth with a silver tray on her head. “Delivery!” “Delivery?” “Delivery!” Pinkie repeated with a grin, slipping the tray onto Tempest’s table. On it was a plate of piping hot cookies cut out in the shape of Windigos. Countless blue sugar crystals had been sprinkled on its top, covered by translucent white icing. It gave the treats an almost ghostly sort of hue. Beside it, Pinkie sat a cup of piping hot cocoa with an alarmingly large number of marshmallows and whipped cream atop it. “How did you kn—” “I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie responded before returning to the counter in a flash. “Wait! That… doesn’t answer my question.” Tempest shook her head and stared at the plate of items in front of her. For years she had dreamed of the day she could have her favorite treat again. Even now, with a full plate of them in front of her, it still felt like she was fantasizing. Let’s hope it’s as good as I remember it. Tempest picked up a biscuit, feeling the warmth spread through her hoof. When she took the long-awaited bite, a shocked smile immediately grew on her face. The faint smell of vanilla, the way it crumbled and melted, it was everything that Tempest remembered. Everything that she craved for. Instantly, a flood of memories entered her mind. She remembered the times as a filly where she would be sitting with her friends, eating the cookies together. Laughing. Smiling. However, the happy thoughts were suddenly shoved away with the sight of the Ursa Minor, raising its claw, seconds away from— Tempest swallowed and shoved away the memory. She decided to return her view to that of Sugarcube Corner. In the seconds she was absorbed in her memory, the bakery had somehow gotten more crowded. Everypony was vying for a chance to order, crowding the counter with enthusiastic smiles and eager grins. Tempest knew that any other pony would have faltered at dealing with the crowd. But not Pinkie. Pinkie never looked happier, zipping around the kitchen at a dizzying pace. She knew what everypony wanted before they could even say a word, and bags of treats were lined up ready for collection. But even among the thick crowd, there was one pony that caught Tempest’s eye. Her coat was that of a bright amber, while a brilliant red and yellow weaved her mane and tail, making it look like it was formed of fire. But it was the way she smiled when entering that truly drew Tempest’s attention. Her small sideways smile reminded Tempest of a pony who had just entered a place she hadn’t seen in years. “Thank you!” Pinkie pushed a box of treats towards an earth pony. She then scanned the crowd looking for the next customer. Suddenly, she let out an excited scream, drawing the attention of everypony in the room. “Sunset Shimmer!?” Pinkie leapt over the counter, diving into the orange mare’s hooves. “Heh, hi Pinkie!” “What’re you doing here?” “Just… paying a visit.” Out of town huh? Tempest lifted another cookie to her mouth. A part of her was guilty for eavesdropping onto their conversation. Yet, Pinkie’s volume made it impossible not to. “Couldn’t stay away from my cookies eh?” Pinkie prodded Sunset’s chest with her elbow with a playful smirk. “You could say that,” Sunset laughed, following Pinkie to the counter. With a few swift swipes of her hooves, Pinkie assembled a plate of various treats and placed it in front of Sunset. “Your favorites!” “Wow, you still remember?” “Of course! How could I forget?” Pinkie grabbed the few bits Sunset dropped onto the counter. “Enjoy!” “Thanks!” Sunset swung around and Tempest immediately threw her gaze to her table. She grasped her cup in her hooves, lifting it softly as she took small sips. “Excuse me? Is anybo— anypony seated here?” Tempest slowly raised her head, spotting Sunset staring at her. She gave a moment's pause, expecting Sunset to immediately catch notice of her and retract her statement. But when Sunset simply waited, Tempest stared back at her, perplexed. “N-no. Nobo- I mean nopony is. But—” Before Tempest could finish her sentence, Sunset took the seat across her. A few seconds of silence followed, where Tempest simply locked her gaze onto Sunset, who seemed more entranced with her food than anything else. “W-why would you want to seat with me?” “Hm?” Sunset cocked her head to the side. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide and she stood up. “Oh no, did you want to be alone? Do you want me to move?” “No!” Tempest cleared her throat. “No. It’s not that. It's just… you don’t hate me?” “Hate you?” Sunset’s eyebrows furrowed as she slipped a whipped cream-covered spoon into her mouth. “I just met you. Why would I hate you?” Never would ‘speechless’ be a word Tempest thought she would use to describe herself. Yet, here she was, truly and utterly lost of words. Who was this pony? And why wasn’t she acting like the rest? Like she should’ve been? Sunset turned her attention back to her tray. She pressed her hoof against a rose shaped cookie. However, when she lifted it, the cookie immediately fell back down onto the plate. “Oh come on,” Sunset muttered. She tried it again, this time with two hooves. However, the result was still the same. The third time even resulted in the treat springing up and falling onto the table as Sunset sighed in frustration.  Tempest gave an irritated groan, rubbing her forehead and taking breaths to calm herself. “Look, just because I’m here doesn’t mean you have to avoid using your horn.” “Huh? ...oh right! My horn!” As Sunset levitated the cookie with soft, red glow, an ecstatic smile was sprawled upon her face. Tempest stared in perplexed awe towards Sunset. She had a million questions in her mind, but when she opened her mouth to ask them, not a single one came to her lips. So instead, she sat in silence, watching as Sunset demolished treat after treat with reckless abandon. She had met a lot of odd ponies, no, creatures in her travels. Yet something about this mare struck Tempest as even more unusual than all of them combined. They continued sitting without a word between them for a couple of minutes. Though the only pony that seemed to mind was Tempest, as Sunset was much too entranced devouring her cookies to realize the air of awkwardness between them. “S-so, Sunset Shimmer was it?” “Huh? Mh! Mmhm!” Sunset nodded with her cheeks filled with Harmony Brownies. “I never got to introduce myself, I’m Tempest Shadow.” Tempest stuck out her hoof formally. Sunset took a moment to swallow her food before grabbing Tempest’s hoof and giving it a firm shake. “B-but you probably already knew that.” “Umm, not really,” Sunset gave a sheepish laugh. “Are you famous?” Tempest took a moment to register Sunset's question. How can she not know who I am? “W-well, not exactly. I mean, I don’t want to be famous. And...“ Tempest sighed. “Sorry, it’s better you didn’t know who I am.” “Oh?” Sunset cocked her head to the side. “I don’t really believe in that. I believe everyone is worth meeting!” There’s that trademark Equestrian enthusiasm. Hoping to find another topic they could resume their conversation on, Tempest turned her attention to the plate of biscuits in front of Sunset. “Windigo cookies? You have good taste.” Sunset’s face lit up with excitement. “You like them too!? Everyone tells me that they’re too sweet but I think the frosting adds just the right amount of flavor!” Tempest recoiled a little at the sudden barrage of words. She sounds exactly like Twilight when she reads a good book. “I agree.” Tempest smiled softly. “It was nice to be able to eat them again.” “Again? You didn’t have them every Hearth’s Warming?” “No. I was… away. For most of my life.” Tempest watched the falling snow create small shadows on the table. “This was my first plate of Windigo cookie since I was a filly.” Sunset ceased her eating, eyes focused onto Tempest. “Where did you go?” “Outside Equestria. Far away. Extremely far away.” Sunset exhaled a heavy breath, allowing her shoulders to droop down. “I know how that feels,” she said in a sympathetic tone. “R-really?” Tempest asked, almost in disbelief. “Yeah. I… sorta chose to run away. To a place further than you can probably imagine.” Sunset prodded softly at her cookie, mouth drawn into a frown. “That was one of the biggest mistakes in my life. In fact, I’ve… made a lot of mistakes in my life.” This was not a situation Tempest was prepared for. What did she know about consoling ponies when they were feeling down? She hardly even knew her. What would Twilight do? Slowly, she lifted her hoof and gave Sunset’s shoulder a soft pat. “But you know what? Life’s pretty good now!” “It… it is?” Tempest drew her hoof back. “Yup! I’ve got a tight knit group of friends, a stable job and I feel pretty happy about who I managed to become!” As Sunset listed the items, she tapped one hoof against another. Almost as if she was using it to count. “Well, I’m still trying to get past the ‘making lots of mistakes’ part.” The next thing Tempest knew, half of a Windigo cookie had been placed on her empty plate. When she looked up, she saw Sunset holding the other half with her magic. Before Tempest could form her thoughts into words, Sunset spoke, “It’s Hearth’s Warming. There’s no better time to change who you are, or to make up for those mistakes!” Sunset grinned, holding her cookie up in midair. “Come on, don’t you remember doing cookie cheers with your friends during Hearth’s Warming?” Friends... Tempest took a second to process what Sunset had just said. Lost for words, she silently lifted the cookie with her hoof and touched it lightly against Sunset’s. Both of them then tossed the biscuit swiftly into their mouths, chewing and swallowing in seconds. “Pinkie makes the best cookies,” Sunset complemented, giving a wave to the pink pony at the counter. “She really does.” “Actually, I should get back to Twilight now. She’s probably waiting sick.” Tempest stood from her seat and prepared to leave, when Sunset’s hoof suddenly stopped her. “Twilight? Like… Princess-Twilight-Sparkle Twilight?” “Y-yeah? Why?” “Like, obsessed with planning, overachieving and freaking out over the smallest things Twilight?” Sunset said with an expression of both joy and disbelief. “Yes. That Twilight.” Tempest cautiously stepped to the side. “Why so specific?” Sunset slammed her hoof against her face, mumbling something under her breath. “What?” “Are you that pony that Twilight said needed help with your… you know?” Tempest’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re that friend Twilight said could help me?” Still rubbing the base of her horn, Sunset gave several slow nods. “Twilight told me to go to Sugarcube Corner to find the ‘mare with the red mane’.” “You’re telling me that Twilight, Princess Twilight, failed to mention the scarred eye? Or more importantly, the broken horn?” Sunset could only nod her head in disappointment. Oh Twilight. “Come on, let’s have a chat with the princess.” Tempest gave one last goodbye wave to Pinkie. “Bye, Sunset! Bye, Fizzlepop!” Sunset froze in her tracks. “Wait, Fizzlepop?” “Long story, I’ll explain when we get more time.” “Twilight?” “Tempest!” In a flash, Twilight vanished from her seat, appearing across the library in front of Tempest. “You’re back! And just in time! Any moment now that friend I talked about will be here!” “Oh?” Tempest shot a smirk to the door. “I would love it if her coat was orange.” “Well, you’re in luck! Because she is!” A clap echoed through the library as Twilight knocked her hooves together. “It’d also be fascinating if she had a sun shaped cutie mark, had a curly mane and tail and was named Sunset Shimmer.” Twilight’s excited grin quickly melted into a look of confusion, then into wide-eyed realization. “You’ve met her!?” “Yes, I’ve met Tempest.” Sunset trotted in. “Thanks for telling her my best defining feature was my red mane,” Tempest said with an unimpressed frown. “Not my broken horn. Or the scar over my right eye.” “Eh heh, I was just… just looking out for you! Yeah! That’s it! Ha- hahaha!” Sunset trotted up to Twilight, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Twi, you’re still a terrible liar.” The laughter could not be contained any longer. Tempest burst out into small giggles, much to Twilight’s chagrin. “Ugh okay fine! So I slipped up! The more important question is if you two managed to become friends.” “Well, we did do cookie cheers,” Sunset spoke with a grin. “So…” “That’s a yes, Twilight.” Tempest moved past several long, wooden tables until she was at the end of the library. She sat herself down on an open chair. “That’s amazing! I knew you two would get along!” “Of course you did.” Sunset took several small steps forward until she was in front of both Twilight and Tempest. “But you brought me here to help with the nightmares. So, what can I do?” “Oh! Heh, well, it’s actually just Tempest,” Twilight gestured to the pony in question, who averted her eyes. “O-oh. Really? I…” Sunset gave several taps on her chin and a sideways glance towards Twilight. “W-well, alright then. What’s up Tempest?” “I’ve been getting some very… unpleasant nightmares recently.” “Uh huh?” Tempest bit her bottom lip. The words were right there. She knew what to say, what to tell Sunset. Yet, a thought continued to repeat endlessly in her head, stifling her voice. Don’t make the same mistake. “I… I… Sunset, may I be brutally honest with you?” “Sure! You wouldn’t be the first one.” “We just met. And it’s hard for me to talk about my nightmares to someone I just got to know.” Tempest kept her eyes locked onto Sunset, watching for the slightest hint that she was offended. “Ah, I gotcha.” Sunset smiled. “I’d honestly feel the same way.” “Maybe it’d be easier if you told Tempest about your past?” Twilight suggested. “What, the whole ‘enslaving an entire school and turning them into mindless zombies slaves’ thing?” A chuckle echoed through the room. Though none followed hers. “Wait, you’re… joking right?” “Psh, I wish. Turned into a demon, brainwashed my school, got corrupted by magic, the whole shebang.” Sunset’s casual tone made it hard for Tempest to take her seriously. “Really? Cause I…” Tempest stuttered. “Well… w-well, I—” The next thing Tempest knew, Twilight had wrapped a hoof around her body. “Tempest, I know it’s hard for you to trust ponies you just met. But you trust me right?” Tempest hesitantly gave a nod. “Then trust me when I say that Sunset is one of my best friends, and she’ll help you. But you need to tell her what happened.” With a deep breath, Tempest steadied her nerves. Trust Twilight. This is the only way you’re going to get better. “Two months back, I… I helped a power hungry satyr take over Equestria and enslave its citizens,” Tempest spoke with a crestfallen expression on her face. Sunset’s jaw fell so far down, it looked as if it was going to dislocate. “Twilight, you never told me any of this.” “At my request.” Tempest popped up off the chair to explain before Twilight could. “I’m still ashamed of my actions. I didn’t want it to get out to anyone that didn’t need to know. Twilight was kind enough to oblige me. So if you want to get angry at someone, get angry at me, not her.” “I’m not angry at anyone, Tempest.” Sunset moved to the duo. “If anything, I’m sorta relieved that you told me. Your situation sounds a lot like mine. Except, you know, the whole taking over Equestria thing.” “So how do you plan to help me?” “Actually,” Twilight interjected. “I was hoping you could use your special abilities, Sunset.” Special… abilities? An uncomfortable frown appeared on Sunset’s face. “Twi, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve only used it to see memories, not dreams. We don’t know what it’s going to be like.” See memories? “I know but… but this is serious, right Tempest?” Tempest gave blank stares to the other two mares. “I’m sorry but I have completely lost the topic at hoof. What are the two of you talking about?” “The more I hear about this situation,” spoke Sunset, clearly having not caught Tempest’s question, “the more I think Luna would be the right pony for this. Have you tried talking to her?” “I imprisoned the four princesses to drain their magic against their will. I… I can’t, well, I don’t want to face any of them right now.” She lowered her head in shame. “Okay. Well, I was definitely not expecting that answer,” Sunset admitted. “I think you see now why I called you, Sunset.” “Without my amulet here, I’m not sure how much I can help. I’ll probably still be able to view some memories. That is, if you’ll allow me, Tempest.” “By ‘view memories’ you mean…” Tempest trailed her words off, hoping Sunset would finish the sentence. “Oh right. It’s a... long story.” Sunset giggled sheepishly. “To cut it short, I have magic that allows me to dive into other ponies memories. But I’ve never tried using it to see someone else’s dreams before.” “And you think you can help me with that magic?” asked Tempest apprehensively. “I don’t see how I can make it worse. If you’re willing to give it a try, so am I!” “I… I don’t know.” Tempest retreated back into her thoughts. All this time she had hid these nightmares away from everyone, even her closest friends. Was she really going to let a pony she just met view her deepest fears? “Tempest, let her do this. She can help.” Twilight’s coaxing brought a small sense of comfort to her. What was so special about this mare that made Twilight trust her so much? What made her speak with such confidence that this one unicorn could fix all her problems? Tempest didn’t want to admit it, but curiosity was getting the better of her. Can’t get any worse. Tempest bowed her head as she resigned herself to what was coming. “A-alright. Fine. If Twilight trusts you that much, then I suppose there’s no harm in trying.” Twilight leapt into the air and tapped her hooves together. “Yes!” “Odd how you’re more excited for this than either of us, eh Twilight?” Sunset nudged her. Twilight’s cheeks glowed a faint red and she swiftly reeled back her enthusiastic behavior. “W-well, you two should settle on a time to do this.” “How about tonight?” Sunset suggested. “The closer it is to night, the easier it’ll be for me to access the dreams. ...I think.” Sunset’s horn lit up and a book floated into her view. She flipped it open, tracing her hoof on a ink-scribbled page. “Plus, it’ll give me time to research and see if I can find anything that’ll help this spell.” “Tonight sounds reasonable.” “Great!” said Twilight. “Oh, I’m sure Sunset’ll be able to help you a lot, Tempest! She has a certain kind of magic in her!” “Yeah,” Sunset chuckled nervously. “N-no pressure, right?” Tempest shot a soft smile to her. “No pressure.” “So, what do you need me to do?” Tempest asked as she sat on the bed. Across her, Sunset was pushing the windows open, allowing the cool night air to fill the room. She spent a second grinning up at the stars before taking a seat across Tempest. “Just sit down and relax. The more tense you are, the harder it’ll be for me to access your thoughts.” Tempest’s heart was beating quicker with each passing second. And she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to back out now. Yet, the fear of dealing with another round of nightmares as potent as the one she experienced last night outweighed the uncertainty. “Ready?” “No?” Sunset chuckled. Tempest didn’t. “Give me your hooves,” Sunset instructed. Tempest extended her trembling hooves, watching as Sunset took them gingerly in hers. “Now, this might feel a little weird. But let’s hope that this works.” Sunset’s horn lit up a soft red, bathing the room in its glow. The aura soon flowed down to her hooves, and the moment it touched Tempest’s, she felt herself get significantly more lethargic. It didn’t take long before her vision went black and her mind went silent for just a moment. Tempest awoke to the smell of burning rubble and thick smoke. She shot her eyes open, finding herself standing at the balcony of Canterlot Castle. She stood, frozen for a moment, her mind blank as to what was happening. But soon, the memories of this moment snapped back into her mind. She darted her head towards where the ponies were supposed to be and, sure enough, the Storm King was behind them, obsidian orb in claw. “No!” She knew this moment. Tempest leapt from the rubble, soaring above the group of ponies before landing right in front of the orb. It impacted squarely into her chest, causing a searing pain to coarse through her veins. She could feel the stone encasing her swiftly. Using the last of her energy, she sent the mist towards the Storm King, watching as he too began being engulfed in rock. There was an unsettling feeling in her heart as the bitter green mist filled her nostrils. It all felt familiar. Like she had been here before. Though she didn’t have long to consider it, for soon the stone had completely gripped her body, cutting off any freedom she had. But something was different this time. Because as she fell over the balcony, her vision was no longer blocked by stone. She could see everything around her. She could see the ground approaching swiftly towards her. The smoking ruins of Canterlot and Equestria, all a result of her actions. It drilled into her just how much she had left to make up for. How much she had to atone. But she knew she would not get the chance. She felt the wind rushing past her rock encased body. She attempted to scream, but no words came. She was helpless. Forced to watch her final moments approach. Forced to understand that for her, there was no way out. This was how she would be remembered in the annals of history: a villian. A pony whose actions nearly doomed Equestria. A pony to be feared. Someone. Tempest begged. Anyone. Please… help me. Those were her last thoughts before the ground touched her hoof and— Tempest shot up from her bed screaming, eyes wide with fear and cold sweat pouring from her forehead. Across her, in the darkness of her room and illuminated only by the moonlight peeking through the window, sat Sunset, whose hooves were over her eyes. She was panting harder than Tempest and when she finally took her hooves away, Tempest saw an expression filled with fear. It was the same look Tempest gave her ceiling every night for the past two months. “I… I’ve never felt that much pain before,” Sunset barely managed to eek out in a trembling tone. “Yeah, well, the obsidian orb isn’t a pleasant experience.” Sunset darted her gaze to a corner of the room, a deep frown on her face. “I’m not talking about the stone, Tempest,” she spoke through deep, ragged breaths. “That feeling while you were falling.” She shut her eyes and pressed a hoof against her chest. Tempest’s eyes opened wide. She couldn’t have felt it. “You aren’t scared of dying, are you? You’re scared of all the things you did before that point. You’re scared that you’ll never get to atone for all the mistakes you’ve made. All those wasted years.” Tempest didn’t reply. Instead, she turned towards the window, gazing out at the snow-swept town below. “You feel like this is something you deserve.” Tempest folded her hooves on the windowsill and rested her head squarely upon them. “How did you figure all that out?” “...Remember that demon thing I joked about?” Sunset’s tone had calmed slightly. Her panting reduced to deep, shaking breaths. “It wasn’t that funny the first few months after that incident.” “So you know how it feels?” Sunset fell silent. Tempest turned just in time to catch Sunset with her head bowed low and her eyes closed shut. “I… I need some time to recover. I’m sorry I couldn’t help much this time, Tempest. I’ll try again soon.” Sunset didn’t wait for an answer before galloping out the door. Tempest raised her hoof in an attempt to stop her, but when she disappeared from view, Tempest planted her face squarely into her pillow and let out a pained groan. Nice going, Tempest. You hurt the one pony that was supposed to help you. She drew a breath in an attempt to hold back her tears. You haven’t changed in the slightest. You’re beyond help. Tempest sat up and turned to stare at the photo on the wall. Even though it hung in the darkness, she could already imagine the photo in it as clear as crystal. It was a photo of Twilight and her at the Friendship Festival. In it, they were smiling wide towards the camera as a series of colorful explosions was present at the back. It was a moment that brought Tempest a little bit of joy every time she recalled it. And a lot of longing for a moment just like that to occur again. She pulled her hindhooves to her chest and rested her head against it, just in time for the first tear to be caught by her coat. And as she drifted off to sleep, one thought accompanied her all the way to her next nightmare. You deserve to suffer.