//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: To Mount Aris (Part 2) // Story: Dadonequus Discord, But It's The MLP Movie (And still doesn't have Discord) // by CrazedLaughter //------------------------------// “Ok, so check this out Tempest, because this is gonna be a doozy.” You look at her with serious eyes, what you were about to tell her was not to be taken lightly. “A doozy? Hmmm…” Tempest had to wonder what a “doozy” could mean to a colt such as yourself. Was it really something that big? Considering how you conducted yourself thus far, especially with her reformation, she decides to take your words seriously “Alright, I’m listening.” You look her dead in the eye “I’m serious about this Tempest. Very few know this secret, so don’t go spreading it around, alright?” Tempest let out a sigh, her sharp mind and militaristic attitude causes your words to feel a little grating to her, but she remains polite. She didn’t want to overreact or put you off. “I understand how a secret works, Anon. So please, tell me.” “Alright..” You take a moment to collect your thoughts, then finally spill the beans “I’m actually a creature called a “human” who was brought in from another universe by my adopted father just to impress his best friend and annoy Princess Twilight. But, well, things have really evolved since then. Anyway, that’s my biggest secret, what do you think?” Tempest simply raised a single eyebrow “Are you serious?” You nod “Mhmm, why? It’s the truth” After all that crap, she doesn’t believe you? “What’s the problem?” “Er, well…” Tempest realized she may have just annoyed you a bit too much, something she didn’t want to do. But that secret was just too crazy to believe in. “Perhaps some proof? I’m the kind of pony who has to make sure all her facts are in order, you understand.” Ugh, dammit. Proof? Could you even produce any actual proof to it? “Well, it’s not like I have some truth telling machine or anything on me. How am I supposed to prove it? C’mon…” You started to get a little aggravated “Are you just trying to get out of telling me one of your secrets?” “What?!” Tempest took that as an insult. Perhaps it was because it was her way of bonding from when she was young that made her feel so offended, as in the fact it was a part of her life she fondly remembered;  But she would not let your words stand. “Don’t make accusations like that. I just want some proof, it’s as simple as that.” “C’mon Tempest, I risked my horn for you like...an hour ago. Why would I lie about something like that now? Why else would the spirit of chaos adopt me? You have my word as your friend that I’m not lying. I mean, that’s what it means to be a friend, y’know? You gotta trust one another.” Ok, maybe you pulled that out of your ass a little, but dammit. It was the truth. Tempest didn’t have any words for you after that, she instead pondered on yours as she went back to looking to the clouds. Could she really not believe you? “Tempest?” Come on… You just want a deeper connection with her. Not only for the friendship, but to help her be further at ease. “Fizzlepop” Tempest suddenly says, without breaking her stare Wut? “Come again?” “Fizzlepop Berrytwist…” Tempest slowly turns her head over to you as she looked rather defeated about saying those words “It’s my name, my….real name” WUT?! “So..Tempest isn’t your real name?” You let out a chuckle “That’s kind of cute, Fizzlepop Berrytwist. I like it.” “Mhmm, but it’s a name I don’t really deserve to take back….not yet. So don’t go spreading it around” Tempest says as she looks away from you completely. Her tone of voice however was both serious and worried. This secret was big to her because it was a name she forgoed only to want it back once she’s earned it. “So, does that mean you believe me?” You look at her with a big grin “Yes...Until something proves otherwise. If I find out you lied to me, I’ll make sure you won’t be able to walk for a week.” Tempest tells you, very adamant in her words. “Whatever you say….Fizzlepop” You grin at her as you adjust your captain’s hat. “C-can you not say that out loud?....Please?” Tempest let out a small gulp as she looked around to make sure no one was close by. “Ok….” But then you grin at her “But now I have the power to bring you down! All I gotta say is…” But you stop right there as you notice Tempest go from worried to suddenly flustered and agitated from your sudden shift in attitude. You use this to blindside her and kiss her right on the nose “bam!” “G-guh?! W-what? W-why are you acting like that all of a sudden? Why did you kiss me?” Tempest was taken aback, she had no idea why you were suddenly acting so weird. “What’s wong Tempest?You don’t have a thing fwor cwute cowlts, do ywou?” You give her an adorable smile as you wiggle your tail cutely. “I...don’t...even..I don’t...Uh…” She had never even been caught in a situation like this before. It’s not that she had a crush on you, she just didn’t know what to say or how to handle the situation. She was just totally caught off guard. You just point at her and let out a victorious laugh “Ha! Gotcha! I knew I could get you.” Tempest was completely confused “W-what?” She totally wasn’t used to this. “Like when you told me you could kick my butt, which you can’t now, I got you all flustered with my wicked trick! We’re even.” You tell her with a smug smirk. But Tempest was still confused. The kiss, what you meant by “All I gotta say is…”,  and you’re sudden moment of victory. It was just all so topsy turvy to her. “Ok then...I can say that you got me in a way that I don’t understand. Because that wasn’t in any way that I would call good bants. All that was just….weird” “I...uh….uhm” You started to think about it, and then realized she was right. All you really did was hold her name over her and try some ridiculously childish ways to get one over on her. Man, of course your wise man skills would leave you post reform. You thought you were being clever, but really you had nothing to go on for some clever banter. “Sorry...I guess I was trying to just get one over you. Truthfully? I have no idea how to roast you. You’re really kinda too cool for me to take down with words. I mean, there’s your real name and all. But that itself isn’t a bad name either, I think it’s really cute.” Tempest looked slowly away from you as she blushed a little in embarrassment “I er...Wouldn’t call it cute. It’s just a name…” Aww, she’s being modest. That’s pretty adorable.But given her want to keep it so lowkey, you refrain yourself from pursuing teasing her “If you say so….Hey Tempest, what do you think of my name?” “It’s alright.” Tempest said it rather plainly. But something was off, namely the fact that NO ONE ever thought that name sounded “alright”. “Seriously? What other pony, or rather, ANYTHING do you know of that has the name “Anon”? You really think my name is alright?” You look her right in the eye as you say this, trying to find a hint of dishonesty. “Yeah, actually…” Tempest suddenly gives you a sensual look with half slitted eyes “I think it’s kind of cute.” You were blushing from that. Holy shit, Diamond Tiara would kill you right now if she saw this. “T-that’s not fair! How come I can’t call your name cute?” You look away from her, a little flustered. “I never said you couldn’t,I just said it was a name.”She suddenly gives you a peck on the nose before you can even react “Wats wong Anon? Cawn’t hawndle a fwully gwon mare?” You felt light headed, goddammit. Now, even now, you still had a damn weakness to attractive horses! Fucking hell, you thought you were over this. “..I...er...uhh” Tempest lets out a hearty laugh. But when she realized she was laughing, she immediately stopped and cleared her throat. “S-sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I...ugh..” She sighs as she looks down, feeling foolish “It’s just, I’m trying to be a friend you’d like to have. But, I’m..I don’t know what to call it. And…” She lets out yet another sigh, aggravated with herself “I spent so much time being a commander, I forgot what I was like before that. I don’t know how I should be.” “Be yourself” You shrug, you didn’t take offense to her words now that she seemed to be troubled by how she should even be acting. “We’re friends, we’re getting used to each other. These things happen, y’know?” “Myself?….my...self” Tempest started to wonder to herself on that, wording her thoughts to you “Well, I remember I was outgoing, brave...Maybe too brave, I liked to play, laugh, and be with my friends.  That’s every foal I guess, but it’s better than nothing. I would guess I’d have to start somewhere, it might as well be there. It shouldn’t be too hard really….Ok….ok” Tempest nods and takes a deep breath before looking at you with an over exaggerated smile  “Here I am, the new Fizz-..erm Tempest Shadow. Ready for friends!” You start to laugh at that, now that was too adorable considering how she was before. “Why are you laughing?” Tempest tilted her head in confusion, worried she may have laid it on too thick. “Nothing...nothing.” You give her a genuinely warm smile “Well, Tempest. I’m glad I’m your friend. And you know what? Whether we tease each other or just do something stupid and random or we go and kick some butt together, it doesn’t matter because we’ll see it all through together, as friends. And as friends, I want to tell you that no matter what, I got your back.” Tempest, at first, seemed rather hesitant from those words. But given the conversation she just had with you, she puts on a smile and nods. “And you know what? I got yours. Maybe it’s a bit of an oddball friendship given who we are. But so what? It feels good, it feels right. And if anyone says otherwise, I’ll make them wish they were never born.” “Errr…” You slowly twist your hoof left and right as you lower it, that was a bit much “I mean, erm. You might want to tone that down a little. I’m all for making my enemies pay and all but that sounds like you’d do that to like, ANYBODY who had anything to say about it. Which again, is fine but...Y’know, I mean...you wouldn’t hurt like...a colt or filly who said something, right?” Tempest grimaced at those words. When she said anyone, she had actually meant it.  “N-no, of course not. I meant….Bad guys? Ugh…” Tempest groans “I need to get out of my old mental-” Tempest suddenly stopped when she felt a presence close by her “Hey, fellas, just want-OGHYAA!”  It was Capper, who now found himself inbetween Tempest’s hindlegs as she threw him to the ground, flipped in the air, and landed over him with her horn sparkling. Capper threw his hands up to cover his face. “H-hey! It’s me! I-I was just coming to tell you we arrived! Anon, do something!” “Tempest!” You rush over to her backside and pull back on her tail. “Relax, geez! It’s ok! It’s Capper!” Tempest, feeling the yank on her tail and the words from your mouth, backs off and profusely apologizes to Capper “So-sorry! I..I didn’t expect you to sneak up on me like that! It was muscle memory, I swear!” You hop towards Tempest’s side and look to Capper with an apologetic expression “Please Capper? Forgive her? I mean, you did just kind of sneak up on us.” Capper still looked bewildered for a moment before he cleared his throat, calmed down, and dusted off his coat as he laid there. “Man, you g-guys are assuming I was scared. I-I knew what it was. It’s just..” He does his best to give a cool look “A lady doesn’t usually pull those moves until after the date, y’know? I was caught offguard myself.” You started laughing out loud, that was actually hilarious. At least to you. Tempest was just confused. Relieved, but also confused. “So, what? You’re used to girls just smashing you to the ground after a date? Is that like, a thing? Or are you just that bad?” HOLY FUCK! That wasn’t even intentional! And it made you laugh all the harder as you found yourself having trouble breathing through the hilarity of it all. “No, it’s not like that” Capper said to Tempest as he slowly got up and gave you a miffed look “hmm, you wouldn’t understand, Anon. It’s too complicated for your young brain” HELP! YOU WERE GOING TO DIE! HOLY CRAP! No seriously, this was the best laugh you had in awhile. “C-capper! HAHAHA! C-capper! I’ve been sought after by two flippin fillies and had the fricken queen of the changelings, the master seductress herself, nibbling at my ears! HAHAHAHA! Do you even have a girlfriend?!” Capper said nothing as he looked over to Tempest, looking rather annoyed as he pointed to you “Sure you want to be his friend? Because he’s losing me right about now.” Tempest, finally getting the gist of what’s going on, starts giggling herself and decides this might be the appropriate time to pull the assist. “It’s just a bit of the “bants”. What, you can’t handle a colt? I can call back Grubber, he might be your speed.” Capper lets out a false chuckle “Ha ha, you two are really getting to know each other...heh” Capper smirks as he puts on a thumbs up “That’s good to know. Just..ease off, a little, y’know?” He rubs the back of his head as he felt a tad embarrassed. He then looks over the side of the ship and points over to Mt. Aris. “Anyway, our pony friends should be on that mountain island over yonder. The captain says she’s gonna bring the ship down and see if we can spot them. You’d think they would be easy to see considering they have to have that army by now. Hmm…” He pondered, scratching under his chin “Well, I’m sure they're ok.  Which kinda brings me to a favor I wanted to ask of you, Anon” “What’s that?” You ask as you do your best to catch your breath. Hot damn that was good shit. Capper looks over to you with a wide sorry smile “You mind smoothing things over a little with them? Last time they saw me, they thought I was going to sell them off. Which, I kinda was...but, y’know…” Yikes… “Yeah...I er...I can do something about that, speaking of which, Tempest you remember what I told you earlier? About them?” Tempest nods “Yeah, trust me. I’m used to being reviled.And, I feel I can do this with you at my side. I just hope they’ll really accept me. But...I can understand if they don’t. I have friends now, so even if they don’t accept me...I can live happily knowing that I was wrong after all this time.” She gives a tap at her horn, she had already found what she was truly looking for. All she could hope for is a chance to at least assist everyone to defeat the Storm King. To try to atone for at least that much. “Don’t get all depressive on me now, Tempest. Trust me…” You give her a confident smirk as you tap at your forehead “I know how to handle the situation. Just relax, I got this.” And with that, you could hear Captain Celaeno call out to everyone that she was going to lower the ship and circle the island for any signs of hippogriffs or the ponies. It was pretty misty around the lower parts of the island, but surely you’d be able to spot them somewhere. They are bright and technicolored after all.