//------------------------------// // Open up your eyes // Story: The Little Pony legend: The Guardians of Harmony // by MaggiesHeartLove //------------------------------// Open Up Your Eyes Despite being trapped inside a cage, Iris and Akari refused to give up without a fight, but when their magic proved useless they resulted to physical strength. They should have expected it, since Chrysalis did say these cages absorbed magic much like her old throne did. They were just hoping they would get lucky somehow. Akari kicked the bars with her front and back legs, while Iris continued kicking and trying to chip the bars with her bare hands. The material was far too thick for them to break on their own. Despite their best efforts, no amount of magic or physical strength could break the cage. All Akari managed to do was chip one small pebble shaped piece, but that was it. It would take them hours just to break it all apart, and they didn't have that kind of time. From a row of stairs inside the airship's dungeon, Tempest Shadow approached them. There was a light spring in her step as she walked around their cage, smiling in satisfaction at their helplessness. "Aww, the "Princesses of Friendship". With no friends!" The broken horned unicorn chuckled, "And no way out." Akari refused to bend to this unicorn's taunts. Both she and Iris kept their brave faces on throughout, but Tempest only found their naive attempts at seeming brave adorably useless. Tempest stopped for a moment, her smile morphing into a sinister frown. "Finally, you'll get to feel the same helplessness your parents inflicted on me all those years ago." "What are you talking about?" Akari asked, "What do you have against our parents?" "Everything!" Tempest lunged towards the girls. The princesses backed away, yelping in fear when Tempest slammed her front hooves against the cage bars. Her horn sparking with magic that became caught on the sides of the cage. The magic clung on like metal to a magnet. "You and your mother are the reason why I'm like this!" "What?" Akari asked, visibly confused. What did Tempest mean by her and her mother being the reason for her deformity? "We barely even know you!" Iris snapped "You can't blame Akari for something she didn't do. She didn't break your horn." "My horn…" Tempest sneered. "Is nothing compared to what your parents did!" Tempest snapped, glaring at Iris. This winged human girl resembled Korra so strikingly except for her eye color, and she caught catch subtle traces of Mako, especially in the shape of her nose and the way her eyes narrowed in a firm yet compassionate expression which somehow only the firebending chief of police king was capable of accomplishing. "You don't know our parents!" Akari exclaimed. "Or maybe you don't know them as well as you thought." Tempest said as she continued walking around their cage. "Everyone sees them as these picture perfect saviors who can do no wrong. But I know better. I've seen them for what they really are. A bunch of manipulative hypocrites! Your family has taken everything from me! Everything I ever cared about!" Tempest's voice trembled, as if she were about to cry. "Leaving me to rot like the worthless, powerless pony they turned me into!" "That can't be true." Iris said knowingly. Tempest should have expected this kind of foolishness from a child. Well, if she wanted to know the truth so badly… so be it. Tempest: It's time you learned a lesson  It's time that you understand  Don't ever count on anybody else  In this or any other land  Tempest turned away from the girls, not wanting them to see the hurt in her eyes. She wanted these princesses to fear her. To cower in her presence. She wanted them to feel as helpless, alone and broken as she once did. I once believed in friendship  Trusted someone with my heart He left me for something 'better' And tore our bond apart Steam rose from beneath as Tempest turned around to the girls, her eyes cold and distant as she spun their cage just to frightened them, but the girls didn't flinch at all. Open up your eyes  See the world from where I stand  Me, among the mighty  You, caged at my command  Tempest lifted Akari's chin up with her hoof, but the princess pulled away in anger. Tempest only smirked. These girls were still so confident their mothers and fathers were innocent. Well, they were in for a very rude awakening. Open up your eyes  Give up your sweet fantasy land  It's time to grow up and get wise  Come now, little ones  Open up your eyes  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. We all start out the same Wishing to find our place But there is a harsh truth That at some point we must face A young Tempest, a few years or more younger than Iris and Akari, wandered the towns of Canterlot, kicked out of Celestia's school for gifted unicorns for her explosive potions which caused the lab to explode and would go into heavy reconstruction.  Tempest was a fearless magic user, anyone who met her knew that much. She was a gifted alchemist, but she was a wild card. Tempest loved experimenting, but her skills frightened many ponies who believed the young unicorn's ambitious projects would eventually lead her down a dark path. But Tempest loved going by the beat of her own drum. She didn't think anyone would understand. She didn't care about fame, or money or even becoming a famous unicorn like StarSwirl the Bearded or even Twilight Sparkle. She just wanted to use her magic the way she wanted to. But no one else understood her, and she was foolish to believe anypony would. When others don't understand you They all think you don't belong But it's that very power That's made me this strong  Leaving Canterlot, she explored Harmony City, then called Republic City, and encountered a group of men who sought to steal from her. Tempest impressed them with her magic, and even managed to get herself and them to escape the police, leaving no trace of their presence in the street corner.  One young man, Tadashi, a handsome human male, a few years older, coaxed the men, who were Triads to let Tempest join them. Tempest impressed them more with her skills, and together they organized heist after heist without getting caught. The thrill of it all was unlike anything Tempest had ever felt. For the first time in her life, she was free. She found a place where her magical talents were appreciated. Treasured, even.  But best of all, she found something else. Something she didn't even realize she had been searching for. She found a friend in Tadashi. While Tempest was on very good terms with the rest of her fellow Triad members, Tadashi was the closest thing she had to a brother. They shared secrets, childhood memories. They were inseparable for the longest time, and were an unstoppable team. Tempest loved Tadashi, to her he was her family. Even if other Triad members of their left to join other gangs, Tadashi never left her and she never left him. She thought they would always be together. I was the one who had it all I was the master of my fate I let him inside my melancholy heart  I learned the truth too late That night when Tempest was ravishing in her triad members chanting her name, Tadashi walked in and left without saying much. He had been acting strange over the last few months. In fact, this transition began at least a couple years back, but the changes were so subtle she had missed them almost entirely. But the more she thought about them, they became more evident. Tadashi wasn't as interested in their heists anymore, which troubled her. They were still fun and wild like she always liked them, but without Tadashi it felt… empty. Until that one day, where her entire world came crumbling down. He swore he'd never leave me But as the days turned to night He kept on coming, going, fading Further from my sight   That was the moment That simple truth I had to face If you depend on others  You'll never find your place  Tempest walked down town, using her potions to disguise her coat and mane colors, looking for anything pretty to take for herself. She walked by the corner of a small cafe, a sickeningly sweet one which sold all sorts of candy drinks and food. Just looking at it gave Tempest a cavity. Her heart tor in two when she saw someone inside the cafe, sitting opposite an attractive looking couple. The man was tall, muscular looking wearing a clean police uniform with a royal aesthetic, and the woman beside him was equally muscular, yet her feminine features were heightened by her supernatural beauty… as well as the wings on her back. King Mako and Queen Korra were having a seemingly lovely conversation (judging by the happy smiles on their faces), with a man who was smiling as well…. It was Tadashi! Tadashi was having lunch with the two people Tempest deprecated the most in this world. Little Miss and Mister perfect royal goody-goodies with their fancy cloths, and perfect hair and teeth and healthy-looking bodies that made people either envy or love them.  They were constantly everywhere, on newspapers, posters, the radio, and everyone practically worshiped the ground Avatar Korra walked on. Her and the rest of her pretty pony friends. Ever since the worlds united, they acted like they were the ones who practically owned the rules of Friendship. They told people what was the "best way" to live, or how people can change for the better, even this insanity that one would need to give up certain parts of their pasts or even what they valued in order to have a "better life", as said so many of the reformed villains. Give up what Tempest loved most? What kind of hypocrisy were these people talking about? They preached uniqueness and special talents, yet when it didn't fit to their ideals of how they viewed friendship then it was a problem? No. Tempest refused to ever be a part of that. Why would Tadashi be speaking with them? That night, Tempest bursted into Tadashi's room within their hideout, where she angrily punched the side of his door.  "Is this what you've been doing all this time?!" Tempest demanded to know. "Having lunch with those spoiled brats?!" "Tempest, let me explain!" "Explain what!? You betrayed me! You betrayed the Shadow Triad! Are we not good enough for you, anymore?! Am I not good enough for you?" "No, no! Tempest that's not it! I'm just…" Tadashi gripped his hair and grunted in frustration. "I'm just sick of all of this! I'm tired of constantly hiding and doing the same thing over and over again! And you!" Tadashi dared to take a single step forward. "I know you can be so much more than this, Sis. You're incredibly gifted, I know that better than anyone. You can use your magic for so much more than just petty crimes. Don't you want that? To use your magic to the fullest instead of wasting it?" Wasting it? Did he really believe she was wasting her magic on all of this? The Shadow Triad was her greatest accomplishment in life, in a world where nobody but them appreciated her gifts, and now Tadashi was actually asking her to change just so she could be like everyone else? No. No, she refused to roll over and succumb to such nonsense. "Get out." "Tempest--" "Get. Out!" Tempest's horn sparkled with magic in a way Tadashi had never seen before. It was so powerful it nearly knocked down his night lamp. Knowing there was nothing more he could say that would get Tempest to understand, he left. The unicorn broke into tears that night. But, she refused to let Tadashi's betrayal keep her down for long. A few weeks later, Tempest and her gang readied for yet another heist. This time, they would strike something even more than just a few stores. They were going to steal a truck in which would arrive to Harmony City with a collection of priceless Water Tribe jewelry in which they were made of incredibly rare underwater gemstones known as Water Diamonds. If they could get their hands and hooves on them, they could sell them in the black market and make a bundle. So far, everything was going according to plan. They managed to knock out the driver and Tempest used her magic to open the back of the truck and take the items they desired. But when they opened it, all that was inside the trunk were five female ponies, all in their anthro form, looking disapprovingly at Tempest and her Triad members. "Looking for something?" The rainbow-haired pegasus said. The driver who was supposedly knocked out, sprung back out of the driver's seat, removing his hat and revealing to have been Flash Sentry using a human-shaped mask which doubled as one that blocked the knock out gas's effects. Before long, Tempest and her gang were surround by Team Avatar Harmony, with Mako ridding on Naga, and Korra flying downwards from the starry night sky alongside Twilight Sparkle and more of the police force arrived to apprehend the triads. Metalbenders wrapped their cords around the triad's wrists, dragging them forward and placing metal plates on the unicorn's horns to prevent them from using their magic. It didn't take away their magic, but the thickness of the metal was enough to keep it contained.  "But--How?!" Tempest asked, baffled and horrified at how they knew of their plans. Then, it all became clear when she saw someone step forward. Someone who had been riding alongside Mako and stared at Tempest with eyes of regret, but also hope. "Tadashi?! How did you know about this? I never--" "I knew once word got out of the Water Diamonds you wouldn't be able to resist." Tadashi said, but rather than sounding angry he sounded calm, as if this were a normal conversation. "I know you're mad, but--" "Mad? Mad!? You ratted me out!" Tempest's voice was loud and cracked every two words as stinging tears ran down her eyes. "You want me to rot in prison!" "No, I don't!" "You!" Tempest pointed an accusing finger at Mako, "You did this to him!" she spatted, her eyes wide in malicious vengeance. "You filled his head with your twisted ideas!" "Tempest, try to understand." Mako said, trying to reason with her. When one of the officers came to apprehend her, Mako rose his hand, telling him to stop. "We're not here to arrest you." "We're here to help you." Korra said, speaking in the same compassionate tone as her husband. Only rather than ease Tempest's rage, it only served to fuel it.  "Tadashi has told us so many great things about you. We only want to offer you a chance." "Tempest…" Tadashi spoke, getting her attention. "It's my fault, I'm the one who dragged you into this life in the first place. But I don't want you to keep making the same mistakes I made. I want to start my life over, and I want to give you the life you deserve." He reached out his hand for hers.  "Please, little sis… come with me. We can start over, together. You and me until the end. Like I promised." Tempest stared at his hand, eyes wide and hands trembling. Her fingers curled and uncurled in an uncertain manner. His hand remained outstretched, his eyes staring directly into hers, begging her to take it. If she took it, she would be spared a life in jail, but if she didn't, then she'd be giving up her entire life. A life she treasured alongside Tadashi.  But it was clear he didn't want this life anymore. The Tadashi she had known and loved had been soiled by the mindsets of these people who dominated everything else in the world except for Tempest's own life. She refused to let them get away with any of this. Her horn sparked with magic and rather than aim her ball of magical energy at Tadashi, she spun around and aimed it at Korra. The Avatar shielded herself, but her magic never activated on account of Twilight, who jumped in to block Tempest's blast. Both anthro ponies pushed harder on their respected attacks, trying to overpower the other. For a moment, it looked at if Tempest would win, until something peculiar started happening to Twilight. Her magic began to change from it's typical magenta color, to a shimmering cyan blue, converging with that of her beam. The intensity became too much and it knocked Tempest so high into the air she landed ten feet away from the others. Her magic was weak, and her horn kept on unleashing sparks of magic against her will. Twilight Sparkle sunk to her knees, the blue fires diminishing and she felt like her life force had been drained. Korra and the others rallied around her. Terrified, and unwilling to look back at her former best friend, Tempest ran off into the night, ignoring the cries of Tadashi that echoed on in her ears even long after he disappeared from view. The rain poured down hard that night, soaking Tempest to the bone. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her horn was still sparking uncontrollably so she couldn't teleport herself away. Finally, she could go on no further. She had a good enough distance between herself and Team Avatar Harmony. Tempest leaned her back against the wall of a building in a darkened alley, hearing the sound of squeaking rats scurry across the floor, splashing into the small rain puddles that had formed. Tempest tried levitating a simple squashed soda can from the floor, but to no avail. Her horn refused to obey her orders. Her heart raced when she heard the sound of a small crack. Followed by another, and another until finally… her horn snapped right off, rolling onto the wet ground. The sparks of magic ceased and all that remained on Tempest as a lagged lump where her majestic horn once stood. Her breath became haggard, tears merging with the raindrops as her fingers traced over the sharp edges, poking at her skin but she hardly felt the pain. The only pain she did feel was the one in her chest. Her own heart breaking just like her horn. The unicorn let out an agonizing wail that resembled that of a weeping wolf or a woman giving birth. She sunk down to the ground, hugging her legs and burying her face into her knees, sobbing loudly and without control. Her nose became so stuffed she had to breath through her mouth, which was difficult with all the sobbing. Her sobs morphed into angry snarls, clenching her teeth tightly as the heartbreak fueled her unquenched anger. This was all THEIR fault! They took Tadashi from her, and now they had taken away her magic! Tempest Shadow had become a broken unicorn… In more ways than one. (~) The next morning, Tempest returned to her hideout, hoping her other friends would still accept her despite her new deformity. After informing them what had happened, they asked if she could still do magic. Tempest tried levitating a single cup of water. She did exactly as she always did when using levitation, but rather than lift up the cup all that came from her horn was a lethal spark of electricity that bounced off the walls of the hideout, frightening everyone.  Rather than feel sympathy for her, they grabbed Tempest by the arms and threw her out. She grunted once her body collided with the coldness of the underground floor. "What are you doing?!" "Sorry, Tempest. But, we can't have a unicorn with crazy magic like yours around here." "Yeah. You're a walking fireworks display. You'd just get us all caught like Tadashi did." Tempest's anger flared. "I am not like Tadashi!" she yelled, and her magic reacted to her mood. More sparks of energy same shooting out, breaking the underground lights above. The triads closed the door and locked it. Tempest ran up and started banging on the door. "Let me in! You guys can't kick me out! I created this Triad! You need me!" "Not anymore, ya freak!" Tempest kicked the door once more before changing into her pony self and galloped out of the tunnel. She had lost her best friend, her horn, and now her entire Triad. She had gone from being at the top of the criminal underground social ladder, to the bottom of the barrel in the span of one night.  Alone, powerless and defeated, Tempest wandered the streets, her face covered in a hat and trench coat until she stopped at a newspaper stand. It had only been a day, and already the city was abuzz about the news.  Twilight Sparkle was pregnant! Tempest crumpled the piece of paper and threw it angrily into a nearby trash can. So, that's how she was able to break her horn like that. Unicorn horns are nearly impossible to break, it would take a great amount of magic, at times unstable magic, in order to do so. If Twilight Sparkle was with child and only found out today, then that could only mean that that magical blast was not only infused with her own magic, but the magic of her the already growing child within. Nothing was more dangerous than unkept alicorn magic, and an infant alicorn's magic was known for being both the most powerful and most dangerous of all.   They were not going to get away with this. Tempest swore, one way or another, somehow, someway, someday, she was going to make them pay. But first, she needed to get out of the city. Without her magic, she was powerless against them, and no doubt the cops would be out looking for her thanks to Tadashi. She was an outcast in Equestria, and now she had become a fugitive in Harmony City. The pony who had everything she had ever wanted, was now left with nothing but a growing seed of vengeance that remained within her until she sought up the opportunity to strike them again. Only this time, she would do so without trusting anyone to be by her side like she did with Tadashi.   And as you take that first step  Upon a path that's all your own  You see it all so clearly  The best way to survive is all alone  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. Akari and Iris's original feelings of anger and resentment towards the one horned unicorn melted away. After hearing her entire life story, it all became clear to them. Tempest blamed her parents for having taken everything she held dear, even if they knew her desires and ambitions weren't morally sound, Tempest didn't care. She merely wanted freedom, and believed she had friendship, but when someone who actually cared about her tried to lead her down a better path, she turned away from him, and in her anger, she provoked Twilight, and she had unintentionally broken her horn. Akari knew her mother would have never done anything like this on purpose. It was merely an accident, and if she had known, no doubt Twilight would have done everything in her power to make it right. But Tempest was gone before Twilight could do anything to help. Tempest was no longer a mad, evil, wicked unicorn in the princess's eyes anymore. She was a broken, angry and even envious pony with a twisted view on how things went down and how her life should have been. Korra's attempt at reasoning with Tempest when she first arrived now made more sense. But Tempest didn't see what the princess's saw. She still believed she had been wronged, and Team Avatar deserved to pay for everything. Open up your eyes  See the world from where I stand  Me, among the mighty  You, caged at my command  Tempest pulled on a lever and the cage carrying the princesses rose upwards, where Tempest grabbed it by the bars and laughed at the girls's faces. Now they knew the truth, and seeing the distraught look in their eyes made Tempest's day. Open up your eyes  And behold the faded light  It's time to grow up and get wise  Come now, little ones  Open up your eyes  Open up your eyes!  The doors above opened, letting in the sunlight, which temporarily blinded the girl's vision. Once they adjusted, they saw that the airship was heading back to Equestria, which was still rather far, but they could already see the thick cloud looming overhead. A cloud that no doubt spread far and wide from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire. The Storm King may not have invaded those lands as of yet, but no doubt it wouldn't be long now. Tempest walked out, overlooking the view, her expression stoic. "I'm so sorry you felt so alone." Iris said sympathetically. "I saw the truth. My "friend" abandoned me when I needed him most." "No, Tempest." Akari voiced out, getting the older unicorn's attention. "Tadashi never abandoned you. He knew you were capable of so much more! He wanted to save you from a life of crime. He gave you a choice, but rather than stay with him you choose to turn away!" "Don't act like you know me!" Tempest snapped, but Akari didn't flinch. "Your so called "Queens of Friendship" don't really care about any of the things they preach. They didn't care about how I felt. What I wanted. What made me happy! They only care about keeping their perfect little world as it is, and anyone who isn't like them is cast out. Looks like I'm not the only one who found out the hard way." Iris and Akari shared the same distraught look and both sat dejectedly inside the cage. Tempest gave them a ghost of a smile. A smile of satisfaction. "Face it, Princesses. Friendship has failed you, too." "Friendship never failed you, Tempest." Akari said, "You failed friendship… just like I did." The alicorn princess hung her head in shame and Iris wrapped her arms around her. Akari still felt the heavy weight of her mistake back at Queen Novo's palace, and with Hozu. Iris's warm embrace was the only thing that could ease her worry, even if at this point it couldn't do much else. They didn't have their friends, their magic was useless now, and now they had no way of stoping the Storm King. Even if Iris had forgiven her, Akari knew this was all her doing. Like Tempest, she acted selfishly and it cost her everything. As the princesses held one another, an ache in Tempest's heart started to form. She turned her eyes away, trying to push away the once heartfelt memories of her old best friend. *(~)* 2 Peter 3:9 ~  The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. *(~)*