“Why!?”
Tempest shot out of the bed, head drenched in cold sweat. What in Equestria? She froze and waited for a sound. Any sound. Any signs that something was wrong. But after a few tense seconds, she didn’t even hear a peep.
Maybe the nightmares are just driving me crazy.
“Argh!” Twilight’s terrified screams echoed through the halls.
In one swift motion, Tempest lept out of her covers and raced towards Twilight’s room. Her horn was alive with magical energy, blue swirls sparking at the broken end. “Twilight, I’m coming! Hold on!” Tempest screamed. Once she had reached, she bucked the door open, sending it careening against the wall. She channeled all the magical power she could muster, ready to fire it at any unsuspecting intruder. In the darkness, she spotted two pairs of eyes staring back at her. Tempest reeled her head back and—
“Wait wait wait! Tempest, calm down!”
Upon hearing Sunset’s voice, Tempest opened her eyes only to see Sunset’s frightened visage under the dim glow of her horn. Tempest diffused her dormant magic into the air, creating a cloud of swirling cyan light. “What happened!? I heard Twilight scream, where is she!?”
“S-she’s right here,” Sunset moved to the side, granting Tempest sight of the alicorn, whose face was buried in her pillow. Her body was jumping ever so slightly every few seconds, and muffled sounds came from her obscured face.
“I-is she crying? Or… laughing?”
“L-laughing!” Sunset swiftly replied with a grin. “All that happened was I told Twilight a really funny joke! Right, Twi?” She nudged Twilight, who gave a weak nod in return. “See?”
“B-but she was shouting ‘why’!”
“It was a… bad pun she was trying to get me to stop telling.”
Tempest furrowed her eyebrows in doubt. She wanted to raise an objection or accusation, but she had no reason to do so. She continued darting her gaze between Sunset and Twilight for a few seconds before speaking once more. “A-alright. You two just… had me worried, that’s all.”
“Sorry, Tempest. Won’t happen again. Promise.”
Tempest nodded. “Good night, Sunset.”
“Night.”
“You too, Twilight.”
There was no reply.
“T-Twilight?”
“Night!” Twilight shouted with her face still planted firmly into the pillow.
Tempest arched her back high. She wanted to prod deeper and talk to Twilight, yet, a part of her knew that she was not welcomed at this moment. You’re still new to this whole friendship thing, better not intrude on their alone time.
As she strolled down the moonlit corridors back to her room, Tempest looked out the windows and into the night sky above. She allowed her mind to wander, wondering if her thoughts would land on the nightmares she had been experiencing, or perhaps on the worries of tomorrow. But none of those entered her thoughts. Instead, her mind had only four words which repeated endlessly.
Twilight, please be okay.
Even as she sauntered to her room and laid beneath her warm wool blanket, the thought lingered. It sent chills down her spine and twisted her stomach. Her instincts told her that something was wrong, but she couldn’t even fathom what it might’ve been. So she begged to whoever was listening in her mind even as she drifted to sleep.
Please. Be. Okay.
Tempest lurched out of her bed in a daze. She shuffled down the spiral steps towards the kitchen, hoof pressed against her head in an attempt to calm her splitting headache. As she approached the door, a delicious smell wafted to her nose. One that conjured images of crispy pancakes and light, fluffy waffles drenched in maple syrup.
With a light push, the door swung open, increasing the intensity of the aroma tenfold. She spotted Twilight at the stove, squinting at a cookbook as several pancakes sizzled away on the flames. Sunset, meanwhile, was seated beside the window overlooking Ponyville. Though her eyes were not focused onto the snowy town below. Instead, they were locked onto the book that was laying in front of her, occasionally forking in a slice of pancake. Both of them seemed oblivious to Tempest’s entrance, much to her irritation.
“Morning you two.” Tempest greeted.
“O-oh! Umm, morning,” said Twilight, who didn’t even turn to face the pony she was speaking to.
Sunset, meanwhile, remained silent. Tempest took several steps towards her. “Sunset?”
“Huh!?” Sunset jolted, turning to face Tempest. “O-oh, morning Tempest. When did you trot in?”
“Just a few moments ago. Are you okay?”
“Yeah!” Sunset yelled with an odd amount of enthusiasm. However, the smile that accompanied the yell quickly melted into a deep, troubled frown. “Y-yeah…”
“Okay, what’s wrong? Is this about what happened last night?”
“Shh!” Sunset lifted a hoof to her mouth and gave a quick glance to Twilight. “I-I mean, no! Of course not.”
Right. Tempest growled. This situation did little to alleviate her pounding head and she knew pursuing this subject would be unwise. Sunset seemed adamant about avoiding the topic while Twilight was here. So she decided to wait till she could ask the source of her worries.
With a huff, she took a seat across Sunset, glancing out at the bustling streets of Ponyville. From here, she could spot Sugercube Corner and the queue that was leading out of it. She had considered going there for some more Windigo cookies, hoping that the sugary treat could help take her mind off her worries. But the idea of dealing with more fiery gazes from the townsfolk on the way there made her quickly discard that option.
She turned back to Sunset, who had returned her attention to the book. Tempest strained her head, spotting several pictures of rocks on the two pages.
“Rocks?” Tempest asked.
“Yup. Geodes, minerals and more,” Sunset said in an unfocused tone. She flipped the page and forked another piece of pancake into her mouth.
“What’re you doing researching rocks?”
“I’m hoping Equestria’s books has something on the rock I have back at home. It’s a… special geode. One that gave me the magic to do the whole ‘memory reading’ thing,” Sunset’s explanation took awhile for Tempest to process. And even when she did, she wasn’t sure she understood all the points Sunset had raised.
“R-right. Of course.” Tempest considered asking for clarification. But her head was pounding enough as it was. “So did you find anything?”
“A few things. Apparently unicorn magic can impact certain kinds of rocks.” Sunset finally turned her head up to look Tempest in her eyes. “Depending on the spell and the rock in question, it could have different effects,” she explained, her eyes lighting up with every passing second. A bright, hopeful smile had also began to appear on her face. The same expression Twilight wore when she would discuss a particularly interesting, though more often than not, dangerous, theory regarding a spell. “So in theory, with the right magic and my amulet, I could do some pretty interesting things.”
“I’m afraid you’re losing me.”
Sunset giggled, turning the book to face Tempest. She flipped a few pages back, pointing towards a brilliant blue crystal. Even though it was only a picture, it seemed to shine under the glow of the morning sun. “For example, this is a Starshard Crystal. It can store dormant magic from a unicorn and pass it temporarily onto another pony.”
“And this is supposed to help you?”
“Well.” Sunset retrieved her book, shutting it close. “Not that one exactly. I’m still researching on other methods I could use to help me. But that’s just an example of how rocks and magic can work together!”
“Sounds interesting!” Tempest said, smiling wide. “If you find out more, let me know.”
“Will do!” Sunset nodded.
“And… ta da!” sung Twilight as she placed a plate filled with pancakes on the table. Tempest leaned forward to take a whiff of the scrumptious aroma. For a moment, it drove away any pain Tempest had in her head, giving her the clarity of thought to reach one single conclusion:
She was starving.
“These look delicious, Twilight.”
Twilight responded only with a nod and a smile. Tempest forked several onto her plate at a time, drenching them in thick maple syrup. As she began slicing large pieces off and placing them into her mouth, she spotted Twilight’s empty plate and vacant stare. Wherever her mind was, it was certainly not in the room. And from her frozen gaze, Tempest wouldn’t have been surprised if it wasn’t in Equestria.
“Bit for your thoughts, Twilight?”
“H-huh?”
“Is everything alright?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine!” Twilight forced a smile. Sunset shook her head upon seeing the plastic expression.
“Are you sure? Last night-” As soon as Tempest spoke those two words, Twilight’s eyes grew wide with worry. Then with fire. She slammed her hooves on the table, causing the plates to clank as they jumped and landed.
“Why won’t you just leave me alone!? I said I’m fine, Tempest!” Twilight shouted with a sparking horn. In the next moment, she disappeared in a bright purple flash. Leaving Tempest dumbfounded. She turned to Sunset, hoping for an answer.
“I… that’s…” Sunset gave a tired groan.
“What did I do Sunset? I don’t know what I did wrong.”
“Nothing. You did nothing wrong,” Sunset muttered.
“Then why would Twilight scream at me?” Tempest spoke with a trembling voice.
“It’s…” Once more, Sunset seemed unable to find her words. She paused for a second, covering her eyes with her hooves and letting out a long sigh. “I’ll talk to Twilight.”
As Sunset stood and trotted out the door, Tempest sat in silence. She fixed her gaze on her pancakes where two large pieces had been taken off. She attempted to find the appetite she had just a moment ago, but simply pushed the plates away a moment later.
Why does everything you say or do end up hurting someone else? Tempest could only imagine how Twilight was feeling. She thought back to the look Twilight shot her. The daggered stare was unlike any she had seen before. This was the pony that gave her a second chance. The mare that granted her a place in the castle when she knew she should’ve been living on the streets, or maybe even rotting in a jail cell.
And she had sent that same pony teleporting off in a rage. All while she sat here, moping and feeling sorry for herself.
I can’t just sit around here. I made a mistake, I need to own up to it. Tempest pushed herself onto her hooves and galloped out the door. She raced down the corridors, past several doors and up the steps. She’s probably in her room. ...Hopefully.
In just a minute, she was on the same floor at Twilight’s chambers. The door was in sight. However, as she approached it, she heard Sunset’s voice from within.
“Twi, you know I don’t do that,” Sunset spoke in a deathly serious tone.
“I know!” Twilight shouted. “I know. I’m sorry, I’m just…”
“Stressed. I understand.”
“I just don’t know what to do anymore,” Twilight said.
Tempest waited outside the doors. She waited for Sunset or Twilight to continue the conversation, but the few seconds that followed was in silence. Slowly, she made her way forward, giving several knocks on the door with her hoof as she entered.
“Hey,” Tempest’s voice drew Sunset and Twilight’s attention towards her. Twilight was seated on her bed and quickly turned away the moment her gaze landed on Tempest.
“Hi, Tempest.”
“Twilight, I’m sorry if I made you angry with what I said. I didn’t mean to.”
Twilight sighed. She tossed her sheets aside and trotted towards Tempest. “I know. I really shouldn’t have acted the way I did. I’m sorry too.”
As Tempest hugged Twilight, she felt her shoulders fall in relief. She held the gesture for a little while longer than she would normally have. For what reason exactly, she couldn’t say. All she knew is that it felt nice, and it assured her that whatever wrong she did at least didn’t harm their friendship permanently.
“Nice of both of you to make up. Saves me a ton of trouble!” Sunset joked, drawing smiles from both Twilight and Tempest. “Now, I’ll be off back to my world to get that amulet I talked about.”
“The one that’ll help with the memory reading?”
“Yup. I’ll also be doing research on any spells I could use to reduce the chance it could, well, misfire. Considering I’ve never used it in Equestria before.”
“But you’ll return, right?” Tempest asked.
“Yeah! Latest will probably be tonight. And maybe we can help you with your nightmares again, Tempest.”
“Maybe. Or maybe…” Tempest trailed off. She remained quiet for a second before shaking her head. “Nevermind. I’ll see you tonight then.”
“Mmhm! Maybe you could help out with the Hearth’s Warming preparation one of these days.”
“I’ll try my best!” Sunset winked before heading out the door.
“Speaking of that, we should probably get started. Aren’t you expecting your friends in just a few hours?”
“Nope! Rainbow and the others are due to arrive…” Twilight swung around to catch a glimpse of the clock. And when she did, her eyes grew wide and she raced out the door. “Oh no oh no oh no! We’re off plan!”
“Twilight, wait!” Tempest yelled out as she trailed behind.
By the time Tempest had caught up, Twilight was already in the main hall. Seemingly endless lengths of ribbons were shooting out of the few cardboard boxes on the floor, attaching themselves to the walls and balconies.
“Twilight, you need to relax.”
“We’re already behind schedule!” Twilight’s horn lit even brighter, sending streams of red and green ribbons throughout the castle.
Tempest rolled her eyes. Same ol’ Twilight.
“Oh! Right, before I forget.” Twilight galloped to one of the boxes and whipped out a small brown bag from within. “Pinkie asked me to give you these if you didn’t have time to drop by the bakery.”
“Oh?” Tempest grabbed the bag, unfolded the top and peering inside. She giggled softly, reaching in and retrieving a small blue cookie. “Windigo cookies!”
“Those are the cookies Sunset keeps raving about!” Twilight exclaimed. “She loves them!”
“She has good taste.” Tempest opened her mouth to bite down on it when she saw Twilight’s smiling face just a small distance from her. She gave a soft roll of her eyes and extended her hoof. “Would you like one Twilight?”
“Well, with the sugar content I really shouldn’t. ...But yes!”
“Oh, are you sure? I thought you were behind schedule. And oh so busy,” Tempest teased.
“Yes. But busy ponies need energy too!”
Tempest couldn’t help but smile as Twilight swiped the cookie from her hoof, bringing it softly to her face. Both of them found a seat under the tree, staring out the nearby window to the streets in the distance.
“You know, these are statically bad for you?”
“What do the they say about how delicious they are?”
“They say it’s due to the sugar.”
Tempest smirked. “I can live with that.”
The next few minutes passed by in silence. Tempest didn’t say a word, hearing only Twilight’s soft chews of her treat. In the stillness, Tempest felt strangely at peace. For the first time in two months, Tempest didn’t have any intrusive thoughts. No bad memories. No guilty visions of her past actions.
The only thing Tempest felt was the warmth of the moment. One that she had experienced only once before. It burned like a fireplace on a cold winter day. It made Tempest feel confident. It made her feel safe.
And even though she knew it would not last, the moment gave Tempest some much needed respite from her racing mind. Was it the cookies? The decorations? The weather? Tempest didn’t know.
And she didn’t care.
She turned to Twilight and watched as she happily munched away at her frosted biscuit. Her pure, wide smile made Tempest’s heart flutter ever so slightly. She thought back to everything Twilight had done for her. Despite all the disastrous decisions in life, Twilight still stood by her. She had saved her life, not once, nor twice, but countless times. By all accounts, she should be on the street, starving and shivering. Yet instead, she had a roof over her head, food and good company.
No.
Great company. Tempest couldn’t help but grin at the joy she felt in this moment. And just as Tempest was about to take another bite of her cookie, she felt Twilight’s hoof stop hers. “W-wait, I…” she blushed, turning back. “Nevermind.”
“What? Twilight, is something wrong?”
“N-no. I was just about to ask about that cookie cheer thing Sunset said you did. What’s that about?”
“Oh. It’s something little fillies do in Equestria. They take the biscuit they’re eating and…” Tempest lowered her half-eaten cookie, knocking it lightly against Twilight’s treat. “Cheers it with a friend.”
Soft chuckles echoed through the main hall. “I really did miss a lot of things when I was a filly.”
“You and I both,” Tempest added on instinct. However, as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the air around them grow heavy. Her mind wandered away from the present and back into the past. Back to her friends. Back to the Friendship Festival. And back to the fateful incident that one day.
When she spotted Twilight knocking her cookie lightly against her own, she felt her focus return to the current moment. She turned to look at Twilight, who had already tossed the cookie in her grinning maw.
“Come on. The girls should be here soon. Let’s at least try to get this castle ready for the celebration in two days.”
Tempest nodded, chomping down on the rest of hers before moving off.
“Ready, Fluttershy?”
“Umm… no?”
“Go!” Rainbow zipped upwards, circling the tree in an instant. Fluttershy attempted to keep up from the other side, but quickly found herself encircled by the string of bulbs.
“R-Rainbow Dash-”
“And… done!” Rainbow stood at the top, hoof pressed against her chest. “No no, you don’t have to thank me. Unless it's in cider. Right Fluttershy?”
When Rainbow received no reply, she glanced down, spotting Fluttershy pinned to the trunk.
“U-uh huh. Right,” Fluttershy meekly answered.
“Need some help?” Tempest asked with a smile. A nod was all she needed to start untangling the pegasus.
“Everything’s going great girls! Keep it up and we’ll have this castle decorated directly as I planned!”
“Of course there’s a plan,” Applejack chuckled.
“Well how else are we going to keep to schedule!?”
Rainbow zipped down to lend a hoof to Tempest. “How do you live in the same castle with her? She probably plans your days for you.”
“Well, only a specific few days. I get every other day to myself.” Tempest pulled the last knot and Fluttershy dropped to the floor.
A scowl appeared on Rainbow’s mouth. One made up of both confusion and disgust. “I… I was joking.”
Tempest stared back at Rainbow with wide eyes, only managing to mutter out a soft “...oh.”
Oh, if only Spike wasn’t away in Canterlot, he could just deal with this mess in an instant!” Rarity spoke from outside. “Rainbow, may I have a hoof with this snow?” she called out from the main door. “This pile around my beautiful snowmare is just much too thick!”
“Sure thing Rares!” With a single flap of her wings, Rainbow blasted straight through the large doors, disappearing from view.
Reached into a nearby bag, Tempest pulled out several colored glass spheres. One by one, she hung them on the tree, making sure to space them as evenly as she could. Let’s not give any reason for Twilight to twitch. The thought of Twilight measuring the space between every single bulb made her giggle. It’s totally something she’d do.
“What’s so funny?”
Tempest shot up in the air so high she wondered if she grew wings. “O-oh! N-nothing, Twilight.”
“I don’t know Tempest. You’re not a mare who would laugh at ‘nothing’.” Twilight levitated one of the waiting orbs onto the tree.
“You’ve only known me for two months Twilight. How exactly do you know what I laugh at?”
Before Tempest had a chance to answer, she heard a loud scream echo from behind her. She whipped around, horn sparking blue and eyes locked onto the source. Pinkie was seated on the floor, face covered entirely in white powder. Above hovered Rainbow, who was clutching her stomach as she bellowed out in laughter.
“Hehe, good one Dashie!” Pinkie sprung up. And with one swipe of her tongue, she wiped the snow clean off her face.
Tempest allowed her magic to dissipate once she had confirmed no danger was present. “Rainbow does this often?” She turned to Twilight.
“Every Hearth’s Warming Eve…” said Twilight through tightly clenched teeth.
“Hey Twi! Catch!”
The words caught Tempest’s attention. She turned up just in time to see the snowball being flung from Rainbow’s hoof.
And suddenly, Tempest felt a deep fear grip her heart.
She blinked, and the main hall had warped into the Canterlot Castle’s balcony. She could hear the crack of the balcony as the Storm King attempted to scale it. And see the obsidian orb in his claw, moments before it was flung towards Twilight and her friends.
Fear robbed her of any sense she had. Tempest allowed her instincts to take over, and she galloped for her life. Or more accurately their lives.
“No!”
Tempest jumped from one pile of rubble to the next. There they were. Like they had always been. Aiming the staff at her, faces twisted in anger. But as Tempest landed on the last piece of rubble, she knew something was different. The one second she had spent staring at her surroundings had meant that it was going to be different.
The same mistake.
Tempest leapt as hard as she could. She soared through the air just as the obsidian orb flew towards them. Time slowed to a crawl as she landed right in front of Twilight, heart racing with adrenaline and fear. The next thing she felt was the impact of the orb to her chest. But this time, a feeling spread throughout her body she wasn’t expecting.
Cold.
And then pain. Tempest shut her eyes and forced her teeth together. Her focus was that on protecting her friends. Protecting Twilight. She endured the creeping rock’s rapid growth. And swiftly, she felt her hooves stolen from her. Her muscles seized and her breath grew short.
No. No no no… She wanted to take it all back. She didn’t want to feel trapped. Not again.
But it was too late. The stone had fully encased her, sealing her consciousness in a body that would not respond. Imprisoning her with a voice she could not use. Fear she could not temper.
And then she felt it. The wind rushing through her solid body.
I… I was on the balcony! I was safe! She screamed in her mind and attempted to voice her fear, but not a single sound came from her frozen muzzle. In a moment now, she was going to crash. Shattered into pieces, her actions sure to paint her as a villain in history.
She braced herself for the impact.
Her end.
No… no! Please somepony save me.
She felt the ground hit her frozen hoof.
Please
And she felt herself shatt—
“Tempest!” A desperate cry reached her ears. Tempest drew a deep breath to fill her deprived lungs. She shot panicked glances to her surroundings. A… tree? C-crystal walls? Tempest took several swift steps back, eyes wide with fear.
“Where…”
“Tempest. Tempest, look at me.” Twilight galloped up, placing both of her hooves on either side of Tempest’s face. “You’re in Ponyville. You’re safe.”
“T-the obsidian orb! He... threw it! I saw him throw it!” Tempest cried, a tear streaming from her eye.
“It wasn’t real, Tempest. You’re safe. With us.” Twilight gestured to the five confused ponies standing a small distance away.
Slowly, the memories of what had happened reached Tempest’s mind. She glanced down, seeing several bits of white snow on her chest. Raising a trembling hoof, she dusted it off and stared up to her friends, who were each staring at her like some sort of animal. Like she was a freak in a circus. Their terrified expressions were the same ones Tempest saw on everypony’s face when she first conquered them.
You knew it all along. That what they say is true. Tempest felt more tears push their way through her eyes. You can’t change.
She could take it no longer. Tempest broke through Twilight’s grip and ran forward, up the steps and into a nearby hallway. She didn’t know where she was going, but she didn’t care. Anywhere! Tempest begged in her mind.
Please… anywhere but here.
Tempest couldn’t remembered how, but she had found her way back to her room. Her mind was in utter chaos. Scenes of the past and present played constantly, competing for time in her mind’s eye. Even though they were all different, they shared one similarity.
None of them were pleasant.
Each one tightened the cord that had wound its way around her heart, Threatening to pull it tighter and tighter till it could beat no longer. Occasionally, she would think back to the snowball Rainbow threw, but it would immediately lead to the obsidian orb. Then the pain. The fear.
The faces of her friends.
Tempest pressed her hooves harshly against her head, attempting to push out the thoughts. Her sobs echoed off the crystal walls and back into her ears, while the tears she cried matted her coat and the mattress beneath her.
“Tempest!” Twilight called out from outside of Tempest’s door. “Please, let me in!”
Tempest didn’t reply. She buried her head in her hooves and gave a growl through her gritted teeth. “Why? Why can’t I change? Why can’t I get better?”
“Tempest!”
“I just want it all to go away. I made mistakes. I deserve this, I know. I just… please…”
Tempest heard the faint click of her lock and the squeak of her knob. Galloping hoofsteps were followed by a hoof around her body.
“I’m here. Tempest, I’m here. Breathe. Slowly,” Twilight spoke in a slow, calming tone.
“Why, Twilight? I know I have demons. But I thought they would stay in my dreams.”
Twilight pulled Tempest closer to her
“But now…” Tempest tightened the grip on her head. “Now I can see them while I’m awake. I just want to be normal. I just want all of this to go away. I don’t want to cause misery! I’m not that pony anymore!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “I just… don’t want to be hated or feared.”
“No one hates or fears you.” Twilight floated a box of tissues over.
“Everyone does. Did you see how your friends reacted to me?” Tempest stammered, the memory stinging her like a hot iron. “The ponies in Ponyville all look at me with disgust. And why shouldn’t they? After what I did... I deserve all of this. Nobody should give me a second chance.”
“That’s not true!” Twilight held up Tempest’s face with a hoof. “You’re trying your best-”
“But it’s not enough, Twilight. It will never be enough. Nothing will ever make up for all the things I’ve done.”
“...It’s enough for us.”
Tempest wanted to argue. She wanted to scream a million phrases. She wanted to prove to Twilight that it was an impossible task trying to get everyone to accept her. All this pain was something she deserved. And Twilight should be nowhere close to her.
She’ll run away from you too. All this trouble you’re causing, you aren’t worth it.
Yet, as much as she would’ve liked to speak, she found no break in between her sobs. Whatever words she attempted to say came out a garbled mess.
The two mares sat together for some time. How long exactly Tempest didn’t care. Perhaps it was ten minutes, or two hours. Perhaps it was ten days. To Tempest, all that mattered was the company beside her. She still recalled the months after she had ran away from Equestria. How the beating sun of Klugetown drove her desperate for even a few drops of water. Or the biting frost of the Snowcaps left her trembling in a carriage. Even though she eventually adapted to the brutal environments, the first few months were spent alone.
And in tears.
There wasn’t a pony to comfort her. To tell her that everything would work out. She had to tell herself that every single day, so that she could push along just a bit further. She reminded herself of the incident with her former friends, to ignite that fire that kept her moving. Rage had fueled her for years. Yet now, here she sat, surrounded by her friends but still in tears. She wasn’t alone.
But she was worried she would be.
In time, her spastic cries reduced to stray sobs, allowing her to regain her composure. At least enough for her to gather what shattered thoughts she could.
“Feeling better?”
“E-enough. Thank you, Twilight.” Tempest lifted several tissues, wiping away a few stray tears. “You didn’t have to stay with me you know?”
Twilight chuckled, releasing her grip on Tempest and shuffling to the other side of the bed. “I did.”
Suddenly, a knock on the door drew both ponies' attention. When Tempest turned, she spotted Rainbow hovering lightly at the doorway.
“H-hey, how’s it going girls?” Rainbow spoke with a forced grin. When neither mare replied, she dropped her head with a sigh. “Okay look, I’m sorry. For throwing that snowball.”
Tempest gave a faint smile to Rainbow. “No need to be sorry. You… couldn’t have known.”
“But now I do! So no more awesome snowball fights!”
“Rainbow,” Twilight interrupted. “Could you tell the girls I’ll be down in a bit?”
“We’ll be there,” interjected Tempest, drawing an odd stare from Rainbow and a deadly serious one from Twilight.
“You sure? I mean, we could just handle the decoration. With me there we could get it done in seven seconds flat!”
“I’m sure Rainbow. But…” Tempest turned to Twilight, who was wearing a deep frown upon her face. “It’ll be a good distraction for me.”
“Alright then. Take your time!” said Rainbow before she sped off.
“Tempest. Don’t go,” Twilight spoke with a heavy weight on her words.
“I’m okay, Twilight. I’ve been through worse,” Tempest pushed herself to her hooves. However, she immediately stumbled upon touching the floor.
Twilight didn’t say a word as she held Tempest up.
“Just… need some energy.”
“What you need is rest,” Twilight said sternly. “And time away from what happened. You’re tired and you’re dealing with enough as it is. I really think you should—”
“I said I’m fine,” Tempest muttered with restrained anger.
Twilight scowled and headed for the door, swishing her tail dismissively. At the doorway, she gazed outwards and spoke. “You know, you don’t have to prove anything to us. We know you’ve changed.”
“I know.”
Twilight paused for a second before trotting out. Tempest shut her eyes, drawing a breath before stepping out as well.
It's not all of you who I have to prove to.
“Whew!” Twilight slammed the main door closed. The bright afternoon sun had been replaced with darkness. Though the brightly lit halls of the Crystal Castle ensured not a trace of it would enter her home. She breathed a sigh of relief, turning around to face the only other pony in the room.
“Tired?”
“Yes. But, the important thing is that some of the decorations are up!”
Some!? Tempest glanced around the main hall. Strings of multicolored bells had been twisted upon the railings, while thistles and flowers hung from the walls. Around each crystal pillar spun a spiral of beautiful red and purple ribbons. To Tempest, it resembled pieces of candy cane. And seeing how Pinkie was in charge of that portion of the decoration, she could only assume she wasn’t too far off. The fireplace, along with the top of each door, had been decorated with a beautifully woven red silk ribbon.
And the tree.
Oh Celestia the tree.
Tempest took a step towards the tree just to get a look at its grandeur. Glittering gold fabric had been wrapped softly around the tree, twisting upwards to the currently bare peak. Powder white snow (enchanted with a non-melting spell) laid at the base and on the tip of each of its thin leaves.
“There’s more?”
“Of course! We don’t have the cauldron. Or the decor for the tree itself. Or even the star!” Twilight clapped her hooves together excitedly. “That’s my favorite part. We always get a different pony from Ponyville to put it at the top! It’s such a big event. I dare even say it’s a tradition that I happened to invent!”
“Sounds like fun,” Tempest spoke. “I’m going to head back to my room first. Maybe take a warm shower and just… relax for the rest of the night.”
“Sounds great!”
Tempest started her trot, when Twilight spoke up once more. “Hey, Tempest?”
“Yeah?”
“...How do you deal with your nightmares?”
Tempest’s ears perked up. She spun back around with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I just… you know what? Forget I asked. It’s not important.” Twilight trotted forth, levitating several groups of mistletoe up to the ceiling.
“Well, I suppose the answer is that... I don’t.”
The soft ringing of channeling magic ceased.
“So what? You just… live with it?” Twilight stuttered.
Tempest wanted to answer immediately. But soon found that every answer she wanted to give felt wrong. What was she supposed to say? Yes? True, it was the truth. But Tempest had a feeling it was not the answer Twilight wanted to hear. There didn’t seem to be an answer.
So she simply didn’t reply.
“That’s what I did for the longest time.”
Both Twilight and Tempest turned to the source of the voice, spotting Sunset standing at the stairway just behind the tree.
“I attempted to tackle the nightmares alone. Of course, it didn’t work.” As she approached, Tempest could see something hanging around her neck. It looked like a pendant in the shape of her cutie mark. Though from the way it glimmered under the bright lights of the castle, Tempest could see it was no ordinary gem.
“So how’d you get over them exactly?” Tempest asked.
“Why don’t you ask Twilight? She taught me the lesson I needed.”
As Twilight floated the final mistletoe up to the ceiling just above the tree, she gave a small huff. One that was audible enough for Sunset to hear.
“Twilight, you need help.”
“Help? What does she mean, Twilight?” Tempest questioned in an increasingly concerned voice.
“Ugh,” Twilight growled. “Fine!” She spun around, facing the two mares. “I’ve been having nightmares too alright?” Tempest recoiled at her sudden increase in volume. “But I’m fine!”
“No you’re not. You need help.”
Twilight shot a sharp stare towards Sunset’s direction. But Sunset seemed unaffected and kept her eyes locked squarely onto Twilight.
She needs help? Is it… is it really that bad? Tempest had wanted to think of a reply, but one had already found its way to her mouth before she could consider other things to say.
“I can help.”
The castle fell silent for a few long seconds. Sunset had a small smile drawn across her face, while Twilight had a deep frown.
“No, you don’t need to. I can handle this myself.”
“You know, Twilight. You keep telling other ponies to accept the help of others. This is where I can prove I can help you.”
“I asked Sunset to come so she could help you, Tempest. Not so I could be the focus. Whatever I’m experiencing isn’t as important as you,” Twilight stomped her hoof, no doubt hoping to shut off the conversation with her last word.
“Twilight, this isn’t up for argument. I’m helping,” Tempest replied. Her words drew another daggered stare from Twilight. However, when she stood her ground with a determined and unwavering face, Twilight’s expression of anger and fierce resolve melted into a broken frown. Her shoulders dropped and her head hung low as she took a step back.
“Tempest. Please. Don’t help me.”
“Sunset, how do I...?”
“I’ve spent the entirety of today researching on magical techniques.” Sunset descended the steps. “I found a spell that will allow other ponies, not just me, to view someone’s memories. All it takes is for us to be gathered together, preferably on a bed as we’ll be viewing dreams, and this geode right here.” She lifted up her necklace for Tempest to see.
“Then let’s go,” Tempest demanded.
Twilight’s mouth had started to tremble. Her eyes were shining softly under the castle lights. “Tempest, are you sure you want to do this? You might not like what you see.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to help you solve this.” Tempest raised her head in determination. “No matter the cost.”
Tempest had found a seat on Twilight’s bed; right across from her and beside Sunset.
“Alright, both of you ready?” Sunset asked. Tempest was the first to give a nod, with Twilight following shortly after. “Great. Alright, take my hooves.”
With confidence, Tempest grabbed Sunset’s waiting hoof, watching as Twilight shakily placed hers. The instant she did, a bright red aura surrounded Sunset’s horn. The sparkling necklace hovered softly between the three, somehow glittering even in the darkness.
“Twilight, anything you want to add before we go in?”
“You can still say you don’t want to do this, Tempest. You really, don’t have to.”
“After all you’ve done for me, Twilight. I’m afraid I do.”
Twilight didn’t speak another word.
“Alright!” Sunset exclaimed. “Let’s go in!”
Sunset shot a small concentrated beam towards the necklace. And the moment it touched the geode, it fractured into three glowing beams. Each one struck the chest of one of the mares. The moment one had hit Tempest, she felt her consciousness fade. Her vision grew darker with every passing second and soon, her thoughts felt like they a thousand miles away. Before her sight faded to a harsh black, she heard Twilight’s voice call out from the distance.
“I’m sorry, Tempest.”
“T-Twilight?” Tempest muttered out.
She opened her eyes and was quickly blinded by a bright light. Through her blurred vision, she could barely make out shapes. Grey blobs hovered in her sights as she turned, eventually spotting one large black shape with something moving in the middle.
“Don’t do this!”
The panicked tone which those three words were spoken with immediately sent a piercing fear through Tempest’s heart.
She knew where she was now.
When her vision returned, she could see her assumption was right. She was back in the Canterlot Castle’s throne room. Dark, clouded light shone through the stained glass windows, casting what would normally be a beautiful array of colors on the ground. But instead, the glow gave the room a sense of foreboding. Residual magic crackled in the air, no doubt thanks to the three petrified Princesses.
Though it wasn’t the sight of them, nor the smell of burning rubble, that filled Tempest’s heart with fear. No. It was the sight of the thick black bars all around her and the feeling of cold steel underneath her hooves that truly froze her heart solid.
N-no. Tempest attempted to take a step back, but found that she was trapped. She couldn’t move, nor could she turn her head. In fact, she couldn’t control any part of her body. Only when her vision turned upwards, did she see why.
“Don’t give the Storm King—”
“Your magic? Did you think you’d keep it all to yourself? Time to share.”
Tempest, at least a copy of her, strolled past her vision.
I’m looking through the eyes of…
“I’d love for everybody out there to know what I can really do.”
“Ooo, fascinating! What can you really do?” The Storm King growled from the balcony door.
Tempest felt a wave of despair flow over her. But she wasn’t feeling it. It was the pony she was in. The pony that she trapped and forcefully subjected to this horrifying moment.
She was Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight swung around just in time to watch him stroll through the doorway. Even though Tempest couldn’t control her movements, she could still feel both her own emotions as well as those of Twilight’s. And in this moment, she felt no difference in either’s heart. Both were filled with the same crippling fear. Fear so intense that it froze her on the spot.
“Y-your bidding, of course!” Grubber shouted moments before showing himself out.
The earth shook with every step the Storm King took. “Bidding’s good. I like bidding.”
As the scene continued to play out in front of her eyes, Tempest heard her mind scream at her. Do something. Do anything! She knew what was coming next and attempted to move her hooves, but found no control given to her. It was like she was petrified by the obsidian orb once more.
“Speaking of problems, this place. It seems a little too, oh I don’t know, cute!” The Storm King’s voice resonated through the throne room, shaking the very floor that they stood on. “I don’t like cute. I never did like cute! Doesn’t really go with my whole big bad magical guy thing!”
Free Twilight! She spotted herself outside the cage, regarding the Storm King with a roll of her eyes. What were you thinking, Tempest? You should’ve known. You should’ve seen this coming...
“Deliver the punchline, Tempest,” the Storm King bellowed out in anger.
Do anything!
“Because this…”
Don’t let him do this!
“Has got to be a joke!” He raised the staff high above his head.
Stop him!
And in the next moment, had slammed it firmly into the recess in the ground. The moment light began to grow from the middle, Tempest began to struggle with all her mental might. She could feel Twilight’s petrifying fear slowly overtake her own. The despair, sadness and pain was unlike any she had felt before. Images of Twilight’s friends flashed through her mind’s eyes, blinding her to the events of the present. And slowly, the hopelessness began to seep into her as well.
Even if she could somehow gain control of Twilight’s body. What would she do?
She had built the cage so that it was impossible to escape. Nopony could unlock it from the outside, neither could any magic pierce through it. She ordered the cage to be built to a near indestructible form for this exact purpose. And feeling Twilight, the one pony who had almost managed to escape her grasp, be overcome with such resignation, she knew that it was all over.
Tempest could only watch in horror as the light crept up to the cage. Once it reached its metal base, she felt Twilight’s hooves get bound forcefully to the cage floor. All the magic in her body was forced into her horn. It collected and built, coalescing into a point that was nothing short of pure power. Magic the likes of which Tempest hadn’t felt in a long time.
It was clear to her now just how hard Twilight was attempting to hold her powers back, but the staff’s powers soon overwhelmed her. The moment she released her grip on her magic, searing pain shot through Tempest’s body. Tempest attempted to scream out loud, but found herself unable to mutter a single word.
“No!” Twilight screamed in agony, forced to watch her magic being drained. Forced to feel every last drop of her energy get sucked away against her will. The cocktail of fear, sadness and despair in Twilight’s heart grew with every passing second, and soon, it became far too much for Tempest to bear.
Get me out! She screamed in her mind, hoping that Sunset could hear. Get me out, Sunset! Please! But she received only silence in return. Get me out, get me out, get me out… Tempest repeated like a mantra. Just when she could take no more and seconds away from snapping, she felt the vision end. But not before one of Twilight’s thoughts echoed in her mind.
Tempest was right. My friends aren’t coming for me. And it’s all my fault.
Tempest shot up from her bed in cold sweat, blue light crackling from her horn. Her eyes were wide and her body was shaking violently. What’s more, she could still feel the fiery heat of draining magic burning through her veins.
“That’s… that was... ” Sunset stammered out, but was unable to finish her sentence. Tempest stared at Sunset’s dropped jaw and speechless expression. She, too, seemed lost in the memory. When Sunset finally turned to Tempest, she muttered out a terrified response. “I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t pull you out easily. I tried, but the moment was so intense I just…”
“M-my fault.” Tempest muttered under her breath.
“Tempest, take deep breaths,” Sunset reached her hoof out cautiously, eyes locked onto her rapidly sparking magic.
“A-all this while, Twilight’s been having nightmares…” Tempest gulped at the realization. “B-because of what I did.” In an instant, the magic from her horn vanished. The rage and confusion quickly being replaced with an overwhelming sadness. It muted all the magic in Tempest, and bit by bit, she felt her composure falling away.
Twilight was the next to rise out of bed. Though she did so with a trembling form and tears streaming from her eyes. “T-Tempest. That wasn’t…” she said, but quickly cut herself off. As if she was about to say a series of forbidden words.
“Twilight,” Tempest muttered through a tearful gaze. “I’m so sorry.”
With that, Tempest raced out of the room. She heard both Sunset and Twilight call out to her, but she didn’t pause. As she galloped back to her room, the memory of Twilight’s nightmare repeated endlessly in her mind.
I should’ve known. No one will forgive me for what I did, no matter how much they say otherwise.
Tempest attempted to stifle her sobs, though she could not hold back the pouring tears. With a slam of her hoof, she punched the door open and slammed it behind her. For a moment, she had silence. And in it, she hoped to find calm to her chaotic mind.
But the memory refused to stop. The paralyzing fear that Twilight experienced as she was captive. The searing pain and shattering despair that consumed her when her magic was being drained. It was all due to her.
“I just want to stop causing pain,” Tempest tearfully muttered as she collapsed to the floor.
But I can’t.
Two knocks came from the door.
“P-please, Twilight. I just… want to be alone right now.”
“This isn’t Twilight.”
Tempest sat dead still. A part of her wanted to open the door. To have someone beside her in this trying moment. She never thought there’d come a day where she craved company, yet here she was. However, as she reached to crack the knob, a thought resonated softly within her mind.
For so long, you’ve made it alone. The moment you attempted to have friends, you cause nothing but misery.
Tempest’s hoof froze in mid-air.
Just like what happened earlier today. Your nightmares are there to tell you that they will never forgive you. They will never forget.
Trotting back to her bed, Tempest pulled the sheets to her neck.
Maybe it’s better off you have no friends. Not for your sake… but for theirs. The thought stung her heart like poisoned thorns. It infected her, but yet, she could not deny the truth in its pain. How was she ever to face Twilight again? The one pony who had told her that she was not to be feared, had been haunted by her very actions. She didn’t know what magic Twilight thought Sunset had, but Tempest knew at this moment, no magic could help.
As Tempest closed her eyes, she knew what the night would be like. If by some miracle, she managed to even fall asleep, she knew what awaited her in her mind. But compared to the memory of Twilight’s nightmare, she’d much rather take her own.
Perhaps she could find some peace in her pain. In a realm where she could not remember such events. In a place where her past actions could be punished through a repeating, paralyzing nightmare. As she drifted off to sleep, one thought accompanied her through the vision of Canterlot Castle.
You were better off alone.