It had been a week since The Storm King's defeat, and Tempest Shadow (better known now by her actual name of Fizzlepop Berry Twist) was going down the street one sunny morning in Ponyville. She gulped, looking down as ponies either gasped or walked around her. She sighed and thought to herself. “It's going to take some time for ponies to get used to me. At least that’s what Twilight said. I mean, Starlight Glimmer became friends with them almost too easily. Why not me?”She headed to the market while lost in thought, and came to one earth pony mare who was gulping and shaking all over as Tempest blushed and asked. “Uh... two oranges, please?”
The mare squealed. “Uh sure.” She hoofed them over without a word and Tempest asked. “Uh...shouldn’t I pay you?”
The mare squeaked again. “N-no need... they’re... uh... f-free.”
Fizzlepop gave an exasperated sigh. “Look I'm not evil anymore, okay?” She put a bag of bits down and hoofed them over to the terrified mare. “There! See? No harm done, nothing happened.”
The mare squeaked, taking the bits. “T-thank you.”
Fizzlepop sighed, putting her head down and trotting back to Twilight's castle, grumbling the entire time. She came upon the castle and slammed the doors behind her. The large mare stomped to the kitchen and started peeling the oranges when Twilight came in with a smile, unaware of what had transpired outside. “Oh, hey Tempest, how are you doing?” She innocently asked.
“Well everypony still freaks out everytime I go out so I guess other than that everything is just great.” Tempest growled as she began pushing the oranges into the squeezer, and Twilight sighed rubbing the back of her mane. “Look, you do realize that despite the fact you did turn good, it’ll take some time for ponies to warm up to you, right? It’s only been a week.”
The giant purple mare sighed, rubbing her broken horn. “Yeah, I get it. Not that my jagged horn and my freaky scar help,” She poured two glasses of orange juice and tried using her horn to lift them, only sending a few sparks with her growling. “Oh come on! Is it so much to ask for just a little bit of magic to be left?!”
Twilight rolled her eyes and helped take one glass, hoofing the other to Tempest. “Speaking about that, I've actually been looking in some spells and I think I found something that may help.”
Fizzlepop eyed Twilight. “Wait, you found a spell that can restore my horn?!”
Twilight took out a book and hovered over to Tempest as she explained. “It's a rejuvenation spell. It supposedly fixes broken things and restores them to their former state, depending on how strong the user is. And luckily, you have me to help.”
Fizzlepop was astounded, reading the spell over. “Wow, it’s amazing! Has it been done before?”
Twilight gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of her mane. “Uh sadly, no. There actually never been any record of it being used.”
Fizzlepop closed the book with her hooves and growled. “So how is this helpful? I mean it’s probably a dud or too dangerous it be used if there’s record of anypony using it.”
Twilight reluctantly nodded. “Understandable, and I agree. I have been practicing with it though and I almost have it down in case you change your mind. Meanwhile, why don’t you try walking around Ponyville and just act normal? Show everypony you're normal and just like them, that’ll really help them get used to the idea that you’re a good pony.”
Fizzlepop nodded in approval. “Okay, guess I’ll go to Sugarcube Corner. I’m sure Pinkie Pie can help me with getting acquainted with other ponies, since she seems to know everypony in this town for some reason.” She wandered off as Twilight went back with her book, reading it over once again.
Fizzlepop was grudgingly walking around town, as Pinkie Pie was pointing out everypony. “That’s Carrot Cake! That’s Bon Bon but she’s really a secret agent named Sweetie Drops, and that’s her mare friend, Lyra. Ooh, and that over there is Cranky Doodle Donkey, and his wife’s a mule, Matilda!”
Tempest just sighed. “Pinkie, not that this isn’t great, introducing me to everypony and all, but I was thinking more or less we just hang out to prove that I’m normal and ponies don’t need to be scared of me?”
Pinkie Pie smashed a hoof to her face. “Oh! Why didn’t you tell me?!” The pink energetic pony climbed a flagpole, took out a megaphone and took a deep breath before she then shouted. “Hey, everypony! This is Tempest Shadow here but her name is really Fizzlepop Berry Twist! She is a nice pony, so don’t be scared of her!” Everypony in the vicinity looked over in their direction as Fizzlepop slammed a hoof in her face, while Pinkie bounced down. “There, now everypony knows they don’t have to be afraid of you.”
Tempest rolled her eyes. “Thanks Pinkie Pie I...”
Just then, Starlight Glimmer came over and blushed as she asked. “Hey you’re uh... Tempest, right? The one Twilight told me about?”
Fizzlepop blushed and nodded. “Yeah but uh, I try to go by Fizzlepop, makes me sound less scary.”
Starlight took out a hoof. “Well, hello Fizzlepop, I’m Starlight Glimmer. I’m kind of a reformed pony myself.”
Fizzlepop gasped, taking Starlight’s hoof and shaking it fiercely! “You’re also a reformed pony?!”
Starlight nodded and explained. “Yeah, it’s a long story though. I was also a former student of Twilight Sparkle, but it seems like she finally found a new student though.”
The dark purple mare blushed. “Well she did ask me about that a few days ago. I guess I don’t mind being her student for the time being. I’m just not sure anypony else really wants to be my friend.”
Pinkie bounced over, shouting! “Hey, I'm your friend! Remember?!”
Fizzlepop smirked. “Yes, you and Twilight Sparkle are my friends. And so are the rest of your circle of friends. I meant, nopony else in this town really seems interested in befriending me.”
But Starlight just encouraged. “Hey, you’ll make friends eventually. Trust me, it’ll take time but ponies will get used to you and accept you. They did with me, and I did some pretty bad things.”
Tempest sighed. “Well, thanks for the encouragement, Starlight.”
Pinkie squealed in delight, clopping her hooves. “Oh how wonderful, one friend down! Now, what should we do next?”
Starlight giggled. “Well, how about a spa date?” She suggested.
Pinkie yelped in joy. “A spa date sound alike so much fun!” Then she plopped on the ground in a pout. “But I still have a lot to do at Sugarcube Corner, that stinks.”
Starlight giggled again. “Hey you can come later after you finish whatever you need to get done. I’ll take Fizzlepop, and we’’ll meet you there.”
Pinkie squealed happily and threw Starlight a hug. “Sounds great, see you two later!” She bounced off as Starlight cooed to Tempest. “Come on, the spa does wonders in helping you relax. And who knows, you might even make a new friend there, like I did.”
Back at her castle, Twilight was looking over the spell and was busy drawing the circle of power needed to perform it on the ground. “Okay, this spell doesn’t look too complicated,” She said aloud. “But I wonder why nopony ever used it before? Maybe I should test it out”
Twilight turned away to the circle and used her magic placed a broken clock inside it. She sighed. “Okay, one...two...three!” She lit her horn and the circle glowed, with tendrils of white wrapping around the clock and it poofed with the cracked face restored.
Twilight clopped her hooves together. “That was great! The spell works!” But then she stopped, gulping. “But, does it work on living things?” She then took out a small flower, snipped it in two, and placed it inside the circle. “Alright, again, one…two…three!” She lit her horn again and the tendrils wrapped around the flower, and with a flash the flower was restored. “Good, it works on flora. I think the spell is ready.”
Just then, Spike came in, commenting. “Wow! You think you can actually restore Fizzlepop’s horn?”
Twilight smiled. “I think so, Spike. Now we just need to wait for Fizzlepop to allow me to use it on her.”
At the spa Fizzlepop was relaxing in a hot tub filled with bath salts, and Starlight was relaxing right next to her. The pink mare lifted one eye open and asked. “So, what do you think so far?”
Tempest moaned in delight, soaking in the steaming hot bath. “It feels so good, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed in my life.”
Starlight giggled and patted Tempest on the shoulder. “See, you’re doing great on just being normal. And look, nopony is scared of you.”
Tempest looked around, seeing ponies walking around and going about their business, but none seemed aware of her presence. “Yeah, but I guess they just don’t see me.” She moped.
Starlight was quick to reply. “Well it's better than them freaking out and running away from you, so I think it's an improvement.”
Fizzlepop rolled her eyes and sunk back into her bath as Aloe and her sister brushed her mane and worked on her hooves. They were looking nervous and scared, which prompted her to comment. “Hey girls, it’s alright. I said I wanted the full treatment.”
Aloe sighed. “Yes but..um your scar. I was thinking we put makeup on it and shave your horn. I mean we need do something about that.”
Fizzlepop eyed the two and asked. “What's wrong with it?”
Aloe continued. “Well, it messes with your complexion and totally makes anything else less attractive, as one were to say.”
Fizzlepop growled. “Less attractive?!”
Aloe squealed in fright! “We..we didn’t mean to offend you!”
But Fizzlepop rose from the bath and shouted. “Is that it?! You ponies were not scared because I froze your princesses and tried to take over Equestria, but because my broken horn and scar make me look scary?!”
Aloe and Lotus both squeaked! “Y-yes?”
Tempest then looked around, seeing everypony looking at her in fear! She gasped! “Wait..I...I didn’t!” Fizzlepop took a long look at herself in a mirror and seeing herself among the normal ponies she sniffled and whispered. “I...I am a freak!” She teared up and ran from the spa as Starlight ran after her shouting. “Hey, wait up!
Twilight was busy reading when she heard the door slam downstairs, followed by loud shouting. She flew downstairs to see Fizzlepop sitting on a couch with tears running down her cheeks. She looked up and whispered in a raspy voice. “Hey, Twilight.”
The alicorn princess came over and asked. “Hey, Fizzlepop, what’s going on?”
Fizzlepop turned her head and whimpered. “Nothing, just realizing everypony in town is more freaked out by my looks then they are about anything I did.”
Twilight sighed sitting down next to the unicorn. “Sorry, sometimes ponies can be quick to judge. I mean when I first came here there was this zebra named Zecora, and everypony thought she was a witch. But eventually we told them that she was just a normal zebra who lived in the Everfree Forest, and they slowly came around. Like I said, it takes time.”
But Tempest turned and asked. “How about that rejuvenation spell you said you found, can't we try that?”
Twilight whispered. “We could but-”
Tempest interrupted and pleaded! “Please, Twilight, let’s do it! I was only unsure before, but I’m certain now that I want my horn back and my scar gone!”
Twilight gulped, seeing how desperate the mare was. Reluctantly, she relented. “Okay, I mean, it’s worth a try and I think I’ve nailed the spell.”
Fizzlepop squealed happily. “Thank you! Thank you! You’re the best, Twilight!”
Twilight blushed. “Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Then she got up. “Okay, come on. I have the spellbook upstairs,” She helped Fizzlepop upstairs and she drew a magic circle on the ground. “Okay, it’s simple. You just stay in the circle and I power it with my magic. If I did everything right, which I’m sure I did, then your scar will be gone and your horn will be back.”
Tempest nodded, standing in the circle as she closed her eyes and Twilight lit her horn. “Okay, Fizzlepop, hold still.” White tendrils wrapped around the big purple mare and as the light squeezed around her, everything turned white!