//------------------------------// // Storms Rest // Story: Storm Vine // by zalla661 //------------------------------// The next morning Tempest awoke to the sounds of birds chirping outside the window. She noticed that she was asleep atop of Celaeno and the curtains had been drawn shadowing them from the bright sunlight outside. Celaeno was snoozing away and a heavy blanket was covering both of them. Tempest remembered the previous night. After taking more embarrassing photos of her and chasing her the two fell asleep and Chardonnay placed the blanket over them. Tempest loved this particular blanket. It was thick large velvet and fleece blanket that she used during the winters when she was a filly. She loved this blanket both for its use and the nostalgia it gave her. Fond memories came back when she would snuggle with her parents, or how they’d use this blanket when she was sick, or lonely. It was more valuable to Tempest than almost any object she could possess because of the sentimental value it had. Now, she was able to share it with Celaeno and that was something she looked forward to doing in the future again. For now though she had to take on the monumental task of getting up. With her plush pillow and warm blanket around her and Celaeno it was hard to find the motivation to awaken fully. She didn’t want to face the harsh cold she knew awaited her after she got up. Here she was warm, here she was safe from the harsh cruel world. Here she was in the embrace of someone she truly cared for and nothing could take that away from her. “Hey, you awake there?” Celaeno asked petting her mane back. The soothing voice of her friend awoke Tempest from her slumber. She was covered head to heel with a blanket and poked her head from under the cover. She peeked up at Celaeno and was greeted with a smile and a gentle head pat. Celaeno smiled down at her and pressed her forehead against the unicorns. “I am now dummy,” Tempest said with a gentle headbutt at Celaneo. “Now you have to take responsibility for what you’ve done.” “Oh, no, now I’ve gone and done it.” Celaeno replied, with a chuckle. The parrot female shifted her weight on the couch and allowed Tempest to lay on her like she was a body pillow. Tempest’s legs dangled off the side of the couch and her chin rested on Celaeno’s chest. “Should we get up now?” Tempest asked not wanting to move. “Eh, not really. I just want to stay like this forever,” Celaeno replied petting her mare. Tempest rolled slightly onto her side nuzzling Celaeno’s soft chest. “Mmmhmm. I don’t want to get up either, but eventually we have too,” Tempest said, snuggling up. “Until then, let’s stay like this for a bit longer.” Celaeno nodded in agreement and the remained like this for another hour or so. Then as the hour rolled by the two of them smelled the scent of coffee brewing somewhere in the house. The smell of the morning brew was enough to awaken both Celaeno and Tempest from their deep sleep. With disgruntled grunts and moans they forced themselves up drawn to the smell of the life giving brew. Throwing off the blanket they realized just how cold it was this morning. Tempest shivered and rubbed her shoulders to try and warm up, while Celaneo remained unfazed. Tempest first rolled off Celaeno and flopped over onto her hooves. The agility she showed was amazing for someone who was still half asleep. Celaeno followed with a little less grace. She sat up on the couch and stretched her arms overhead and groaned feeling her stiff joints crack loose. She then watched as Tempest unsteadily made her way towards the kitchen like a shambling zombie, drawn to the smell of the coffee that awaited her. Celaneo giggled at the slight sway in her step as she droned on, and perhaps a bit too long at the mares tone flank. “Now I know you’re not ogling my daughter now are you, miss Celaeno?” Said a voice form beside her. The parrot female turned to see Chardonnay in the opposite doorway. She was grinning like a troublesome teen who was about to pull a prank at any moment. It made Celaeno a bit nervous considering the topic that came up. Quickly she tried to deny the accusation made against her. “Oh! N-no ma’am! I was just stretching!” She said hastily, waving her hands defensively. The older middle aged mare laughed kindly. “Oh, don’t be worried dear. I was just teasing!” The mare said. Celaeno sighed in relief glad she wasn’t about to be told off by Tempest Shadow’s mother. She knew she had won the mothers approval but she still felt nervous around her. This was compounded by the fact they haven’t told her they were officially together. “Oh and don’t worry, I approve of you being with my daughter.” That shocked Celaeno to her core. How did Chardonnay know they were together? Did she accidently say something? No, it had to be the way they behaved around each other. The cuddling, the playful banter, it was so obvious that it now made Celaeno feel self conscious about it. How could she make such a fool of herself in front of Chardonnay? She would never live this down, and knowing how Chardonnay was with Tempest she knew she was in for a ride when the photos the mare took were developed. “Don’t worry, dear. I won’t tease you too badly,” The older mare said to Celaeno,patting her shoulder. “I may have wished Fizzlepop got a stallion, but truth be told I’m just happy she found someone to be with. She was always so lonely after she lost her magic. Never went out, never made new friends. Then one day she up and left. I was afraid I’d never see her again.” Celaeno just waited and listened to the mare. She had never known what happened to Tempest prior to her time with the Storm King. Now, hearing what her mother had to say it was obvious what Tempest’s motivations were and why she was so obsessed with impressing the Storm King. Chardonnay went on to tell Celaeno everything that happened to Tempest in her childhood and why she ran away from home. As Celaeno watched Tempest make her morning coffee she was surprised to see Berry Punch walking around. The mulberry mare greet her niece with her usual cheery disposition. Berry Pinch was standing next to her mother smiling up at Tempest and jumped up to hug her. Celaeno smiled when Tempest reached down to hug her cousin and kissed her forehead. From the pantry, Merlot came out with a large bag of flower on his back and bid everyone a ‘good morning’ before he went to make breakfast while everyone helped. “It’s nice to have the family back together,” Chardonnay said, standing beside Celaeno. “Yeah, it seems nice. I wouldn’t mind having a family with Tempest,” Celaeno said crossing her arms and putting her weight on her gem leg. “By the way, her real name is Fizzlepop?” Chardonnay nodded. “Mmhmm! Her original name was Fizzlepop Berrytwist. I should let you know it’s not uncommon for us ponies to change names either after marriage or leaving the house to live on their own.” “Really?” Celaneo was surprised by that notion. She’d known that some marry and change their names, that was common for most species in the world she knew. But to just change ones name on a whim? She wondered if there was another reason the ponies changed their names? Perhaps it might have something to do with the strange marks on their flanks, she wondered. Then she remembered Tempest didn’t have one like her parents, aunt, or even Pinch. Was that normal too? She turned to Chardonnay and asked, “Why doesn’t Tempest have a cutie mark like the rest of you?” Then there was a change I Chardonnay’s demeanor. Suddenly the mare looked rather sad as if Celaeno had just asked why a family member died or something tragic. Celaeno wondered if she was too blunt in her tone, or if asking about cutie marks was too personal? Perhaps the reason Tempest not having one was directly related to something bad like the loss of her horn? Worried she might offend the mare further she quickly kneeled down giving her a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me! I didn’t mean to upset you and-” “No, it’s not your fault, Celaeno,” Chardonnay said shaking her head and looking down. “Truth is a cutie mark is something that shows one specific trait you are good at or is a symbol with a different meaning. But that they can follow interests outside of their cutie mark and be just as good at it.” Celaneo must have had a dumb look on her face, because Chardonnay took one look at her and giggled shrugging casually and saying, “I know it’s confusing. Truth is a cutie mark doesn’t limit apony to a specific thing if you’re wondering. It just shows one particular trait or talent a pony is good at, what they do with that talent is up to them. If I wanted I could use my grape growing skills and expand to general gardening, or I could have become a grape seller at the market. A cutie mark is part of a pony and we see it as a rite of passage into adulthood for most. But when she lost her magic and she ran away we assumed she’d given up.” As she listened to the mares words the meaning of what it meant to be a pony was starting to sink in. Celaeno never understood why cutie marks were so important nor why Tempest had such an obsession with fixing her horn. In a strange way Chardonnay wasn’t wrong, Tempest had given up on her magic in a traditional sense. Instead she used her unbridled might and raw power from her horn to solver all her problems in one show of might. Admittedly it was one of the things Celaeno liked about the dark purple mare. She thought about what Tempest must have gone through all these years. Being alone with no others of her kind to comfort her. No family to turn to. No friends. Celaneo was at least with her own kind when the Storm King took over so she wasn’t completely alone. She had family back in the Badlands who loved her and she could go to anytime. Yet, Tempest felt like she didn’t belong. It made Celaeno glad she opened up to the mare the previous night, because it was truly magical. “Hey, wait a minute!” Celaeno suddenly yelled out. “What kind of magic can Tempest do without her horn?” Chardonnay looked at her with a curious look. She thought for a minute and gave her answer. “Most unicorns can’t use magic without exhausting themselves. Like my daughter a unicorn without a horn that uses magic expelled mana at alarming rates. If not careful a unicorn could exhaust themselves to death,” Chardonnay said to her. “Even the most common magics like levitation and light spells can’t be performed by unicorns without their horns. A horn is like a conduit that allows them to perform magic and control it. It’s what allows them to use various spells. My daughter can’t do that because of her broken horn.” Celaeno looked into the kitchen, leaning to the side to peer out of the corner and watched as Tempest stood on her back legs and opened a cabinet where the plates were. What she saw next made her tilt her head and look back at Chardonnay. “Are you sure?” Celaeno asked, as she used her thumb to gesture into the kitchen. Chardonnay tilted her head and walked past Celaeno to peer into the kitchen. Both looked in and saw what Celneho was talking about. “Fizzlepop!” Chardonnay gasped startling everyone in the kitchen. Tempest was levitating a plate with her magic like it was perfectly normal until her mother’s gasp made her drop the plate. The ceramic plate fell and hit the floor shattering it to many pieces. “Geez mom! Can’t you give me a little warning before you start screaming?!” Tempest scolded the mare. “Great, I broke one of the flower collection too! Geez, what’s got you all excited?”