//------------------------------// // A Tempestuous Will // Story: The Island of Tambelon // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// The clouds above the castle were getting even darker and thunders were getting louder, while the sky was being ravaged by lightning. With all the power that was coming from the Smooze, Bright Night was able to sense one thing… “I can feel a space anomaly” she said. Looking to the Dark Mistress, Twilight said: “I can’t believe… that’s Tempest… No… That’s somepony else!” The Dark Mistress dropped one of her evil laughs and then a powerful shock wave destroyed the central tower completely. Fortunately, the bubble that Bright Night had created protected them all, but they could nevertheless feel the tremendous power it was emanating. It was then that, from the smoke of the tower’s destruction, a piece of the secret chamber containing the fountain immerged in the end and floating around it were… “No…” Twilight said with tears on her eyes. “Rainbow! Applejack! Rarity! Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie!” Her friends seemed to be unconscious… like they were losing their life force. Without able to contain herself, Twilight exclaimed: “My friends… Hang in there!” And she got out of Bright Night’s bubble, flying then to where her friends were, only to find a barrier preventing her from advancing and pushing her back to the edge of Blue and the others. “No…” she said. The Dark Mistress then appeared near Twilight’s friends. Seeing her and sensing no light in her, the alicorn princess said: “That thing… is no longer Tempest.” Tempest’s evil persona laughed evilly. Bright Night could sense the space around them becoming even more distorted in a way she had never seen before. “But what’s this?” she asked. “I can feel something trying to get in by ripping off the fabric of space.” Time Turner could also feel the future changing quickly before his eyes. The outcome of that battle was now an uncertainty. “This is bad…” Time Turner said. “The future of this world is now at the edge of ruin.” “Yeah, I can also feel the imbalance that is forming” Blue told. “It looks like they have succeeded in enacting their plan.” And, from the ruins of the central tower, a giant purple blob started to sprout. “But what is that?” Twilight asked, not knowing what that thing was. “The moment is here!” the Dark Mistress shouted to the air. “At long last, the Smooze had accumulated enough power to break free and cover this world! The time has come to bring the chaos and destruction to everything that exists!” “To bring chaos… and destruction?” Twilight repeated. “The Smooze’s essence is made of pure darkness and chaos” the Dark Mistress said. “He carries the destruction that comes from Discordia itself. It won’t last for the Pony World and all this reality to belong to the Lord of Chaos!” Twilight couldn’t believe that was happening. If they didn’t do anything, that thing would cover Tambelon and then all the Pony World, possibly then advancing to other realms. It was then that Blue, Time Turner and Bright Night advanced quickly and landed each one at the top of one of the other three towers. “We will use our powers to put a stop on this invasion!” they all exclaimed at the same time. And the three Generals raised up their respective talismans that started to glow. “For the Lord of Order and this reality…” Time Turner said. “For Twilight Sparkle and all the ones she love…” Blue continued. “We must protect them from any evil” Bright Night ended. “That’s our mission!” the three exclaimed together. “And we will not fail!” They all emanated light that come together to form a pyramid of light from which a barrier was created, preventing the Smooze from advancing. Seeing that, the Dark Mistress said, not very pleased: “Trying to seal us, hein? Well, you’re wasting your efforts.” And she tried again to get rid of that body where she was, while saying: “The Smooze will cover everything and I won’t need this disgusting body!” A crack appeared on her back from where big spikes emerged. Twilight couldn’t believe what was happening. If that continued, Tempest’s body would be destroyed. Suddenly, the Dark Mistress could feel her control over the body disappearing, as the spikes started returning to the inside. “What’s happening to me…” she asked, as her eyes moved like the ones of chameleon. “I’m stuck… I can’t move… or break free!” “I won’t let you escape!” Tempest’s voice exclaimed inside her head. “You!” the Dark Mistress exclaimed, while sensing Tempest’s spirit above her preventing her from getting out. “You don’t control this body” Tempest told. “It still belongs to me. And I don’t have any intension in letting you leave it. While I’m here, you’ll never get out!” And the Dark Mistress could feel the spikes continuing to return to the inside. Despite the pain she was feeling, the Dark Mistress started laughing manically and then said to Tempest: “I never thought you would become this troublesome. I thought you were now just a little speckle wandering in my darkness without knowing where she is. But somehow you managed to break your way through.” It was then that hooves made of darkness appeared and grabbed Tempest’s front hooves, much to her shock, and the spikes started to get out again. “Swallowing that pearl had made me much stronger” the Dark Mistress said. “A puny little host like you couldn’t possibly keep control over me!” And the dark hooves started to stretch Tempest’s, causing her to scream, until she just disappeared. Twilight got shocked when she saw that. “This is bad” the princesses said. “If I do nothing, she will destroy Tempest’s body.” And a determined look appeared on Twilight’s eyes and she prepared to use her magic to defeat the Dark Mistress. Charging her horn with as much light magic she could hold, Twilight was able to cast a very powerful magical beam against the villainess. The attack hit her strongly, but it didn’t cause any effect on the Dark Mistress, despite being able to anger her. “How dare you!” she shouted to Twilight. And she casted powerful dark lightning from the broken heart that hit Twilight and caused a lot of pain and pushed her back. “My full power…” she started. “It didn’t work” Blue, Time Turner and Bright Night exclaimed, not wanting to believe. “I refuse to let anypony get in my way” the Dark Mistress said. “I’ll get free of this body and tear it into pieces!” She started to tear Tempest’s body apart again, but, to her frustration, she couldn’t do it. The truth was that Tempest, feeling her spirit starting to fade away because of the Dark Mistress’ attempts to destroy her body, extended her hooves over Moonlight’s soul and pearl, while saying: “We’re running out of time… My body is being ripped apart… But still…” And she got hold of the soul and the pearl, saying, while putting them close to her as possible: “I have to protect Moonlight’s soul and her magical pearl. No matter what happens, she won’t get them! Do you hear me? I’m not going to lose!” Outside, before her inability to get out of Tempest’s body, the Dark Mistress asked: “What’s happening? I can’t draw power from the magical pearl anymore.” Realizing what was happening, she said: “Your little troublemaker… You’re not going to interfere.” Extending the hooves over Twilight’s friends, she said: “I need more power… so I’ll have to take the power of these elements!” And a dark light started to flick over them. Seeing that, Twilight, still recovering from the Dark Mistress’ last attack, said: “Rainbow… Applejack… Rarity… Fluttershy… Pinkie Pie…” From their bodies, their souls containing the power of the elements linked to them got out and headed towards the Dark Mistress who got hold of them. “No!” Twilight exclaimed, flying to the fountain, as her friends’ bodies fell on it. “Girls, please wake up!” But they didn’t do that. They were exactly like how Moonlight was. “I can’t believe it…” Twilight said, turning then to the Dark Mistress, who devoured the souls. “She actually extracted my friends’ souls…” Watching the villainess licking her lips with satisfaction, Twilight said: “You monster…” Inside the Dark Mistress, Tempest was able to see Twilight’s friends’ souls and asked: “Are those… Princess Twilight’s friends’ souls?” Noticing they were really their souls, she exclaimed, while advancing and extending her hoof to them: “I have to save them!” And she grabbed them, holding them tightly along with Moonlight’s soul and pearl. The Dark Mistress was able to sense that and her rage just increased. “That’s it, your annoying little bug!” she exclaimed. “Hand over those souls to me right now!” And she made her hooves be covered in darkness and penetrate her body, trying to reach Tempest. Despite the suffering she was having, Tempest remained holding the souls. “I can’t hold on their souls!” she said. “Her power is too much for me! I want to protect everypony so badly… but I may not be able to…” At that moment, she bit her lower lip, realizing one thing: “And yet, it’s strange… My physical body has been taken over. At this point, I’m nothing more than a soul. That means… I’m already dead, right? So why am I still fighting so hard? I have no family or friends, so… what’s left for me to fight for? So how is that I have power to fight at all? Where does it come from? I don’t remember ever being this strong before.” It was then that Moonlight’s image appeared before her, with her warm smile and docile eyes. That caused tears to appear on her eyes, while Tempest said: “Moonlight…” She also could feel another presence with her, somepony greater and more powerful, telling her to use all the strength she had left to help everypony. Even though she was now only a soul, Tempest knew she could still save all those souls and the magical pearl with them. “I’m going to take them out of here!” she exclaimed. “Right now!” Holding the souls even tighter, Tempest emitted a strong light. The Dark Mistress could feel Tempest abandoning the body along with the souls and the pearl. “What?!” she exclaimed. And light came out of her. “She left and took all the souls…” the Dark Mistress said. However, despite having lost all that power, she smiled and said: “That’s fine… because now I can finally be free.” And she started to get out of Tempest’s body. Twilight’s friends’ souls returned to their respective owner and it was with great joy that Twilight saw them awakening and starting to get up, a little confused. “You’re awake” the princess said with a smile. “Your souls returned to your bodies.” The six of them then looked and saw Tempest’s spirit, smiling at them and holding Moonlight’s soul and her pearl. “Tempest…” Twilight said with a smile, happy to see her. “She’s the one who rescue us” Rarity told. “She saved our souls” Fluttershy said. “All of them” Pinkie Pie added. “From tha hooves ov tha Dark Mistress” Applejack told. “I’ve never seen such bravery” Rainbow Dash commended. Tempest gave them a last smile and then turned into a ball of light and started to move away. “Tempest, wait!” Twilight called, but to not avail. At Applejack’s parents’ house, Star, still holding Moonlight, could feel something. “What is it, Star?” Thorax asked. He then looked and Thorax, Jonagold and Buttercup followed his look and saw Tempest’s spirit, smiling. “Tempest…” the young prince said. “I can’t believe it…” Buttercup said, with tears on her eyes. “Can it be really her?” Jonagold asked. Tempest released Moonlight’s soul and her pearl and they advanced to her, going into her body. When they did that, Moonlight took a deep breath and woke up. “Moonlight!” Star called, hugging his marefriend. Thorax, Jonagold and Buttercup couldn’t help but be happy with what had just happened. “Star…” she said, while being hugged by her coltfriend. The two traded a passion look and then a kiss. Star told her: “I thought I had lost you.” “Thank goodness you’re okay” Tempest said to Moonlight. She looked at her and said: “Tempest!” “I’m so glad I was able to save you, Moonlight” Tempest said. “I really am. I’ve been thinking, Moonlight. It may sound strange, but I believe destiny brought us together.” Smiling with her cheeks a little blushed, the young half-thestral said: “I do too. I feel exactly the same. It was destiny.” Tempest nodded to her and then the two of them tried to touch each other. But when they were about to give hooves, Dark Mistress was able to get out of Tempest’s body, destroying it. She now had the front half of a pony made of solid darkness with spikes covering the place where the mane should be, with some on the shoulders and the foreleg. The lower part looked just like a bloomed dark flower, also with spikes. With her body now destroyed, Tempest’s spiritual form started to dissipate, with her giving a little scream of pain. “Tempest!” Moonlight called, while trying to catch her. “It’s okay, Moonlight” Tempest told her, still smiling. “I’m so happy because we could be friends. You were… best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you… for everything. Goodbye…” And she dissipated before Moonlight could hold her and tears came to her eyes. “Tempest, don’t go!” Moonlight called. But there was no response. Star, Thorax, Jonagold and Buttercup watched quietly. “It’s not fair…” Moonlight said, while tears went down through her cheeks. “Why does her fate have to be so sad?” Star wanted to comfort her, but he knew that was not the time. So, he said: “Moonlight, my parents, your mother and the others need help. We have to help them. Are you up to it?” Despite the sadness she was feeling, Moonlight knew the best way to honor Tempest was to stop all that evil once and for all. She then cleared her tears and got up, saying: “Yes, I can fight. I have to. Tempest gave her life to save me. I owe her.” Star smiled at her and nodded, proud of Moonlight for getting to that conclusion. Moonlight took the light that involved her pearl and it appeared, along with the locket. She placed the locket with the pearl around her neck and then said to Star: “Let’s go.” And the two then got out of the cottage and took flight. “Good luck for you!” Thorax said, as he, Jonagold and Buttercup watched them moving away. At the castle, the Dark Mistress was now stretching, as her power increased after having freed herself from Tempest’s body. “It’s just me or that thing is getting bigger?” Rainbow asked. “Well, it’s that or we’re the ones who are getting smaller, what I think is improbable because I’m certain we still have the same size” Pinkie Pie said. “Pinkie, I don’t think this is the best time for jokes” Rarity said. “She’s now just bigger” Twilight told. “Her power is also increasing too.” The Dark Mistress, sensing the great power in Twilight’s star seed, said, looking at her: “That power… The power of the original star seed of this reality…” Knowing she was targeting her, Twilight kept a defensive position. “Give it to me now!” the evil being shouted, while advancing towards Twilight. Her friends placed themselves to protect Twilight, but then the Dark Mistess was hit from behind by sonic waves and a powerful beam. Before that attack, the six mares looked up and saw, to their delight, Star and Moonlight. “Impossible…” the Dark Mistress said, while starting to fall into the Smooze. “Moonlight!” Fluttershy called, with a smile and tears on her eyes. “You’re okay!” “You don’t have to worry, mom” Moonlight replied with a smile too. “I’m okay… And it’s all thanks to Tempest. She saved me.” Tears returned to her eyes, while she continued: “She protected me… by giving everything she had… including her life.” That caused a lot of sadness to Twilight and her friends. “So… Tempest… is gone?” Fluttershy asked. “No, Tempest is not gone!” Moonlight said. “She’s alive in our hearts.” “In our hearts…” Twilight said, as she and the others took their hooves to their hearts. “In this way, she’ll always be with us… forever” Moonlight continued. That did bring comfort to everyone that was listening and the sadness disappeared. Suddenly, a great bang happened and the Dark Mistress emerged from the Smooze, shouting: “I will never, ever forgive you!” And she roared in a way that caused the barrier created by Blue, Time Turner and Bright Night to crack much to everyone’s shock. “The barrier is failing…” Star observed, turning then to his mother. “We have to act fast, mom, otherwise the enemy will invade the Pony World.” She nodded to him, saying: “You’re right, Star. We can’t let Tempest’s sacrifice be in vain. She saved us and we will save the Pony World.” “And we’re here fer ya, Twilight” Applejack told to her friends. The others nodded and her elements started to shine, along with Twilight’s that reacted with the others and got super charged. Inside his mind, Star asked to Kurama: “I’ll need your power, buddy, if you don’t mind.” “All right, but you won’t be able to use full power after serving as life support” the tailed beast replied. “Just don’t die. I wouldn’t like having to gather my energy to regain my physical form.” “Yeah, I love you too” Star teased. Star then was covered with Kurama’s energy and he and Twilight rose in the air. “Are you ready, Star?” Twilight asked. He nodded to her and the two then turned to the Dark Mistress, ready to face her. The two combined the tip of their horns and started to charge their magic together, ready to attack.