//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: The Storm 
// Story: Fireteam Storm 
// by Lordvessel 
//------------------------------//

Hours passed and the sun had now risen, giving light and life to the city. Ponies ushered through the streets with activity and celebratory events abound. Despite the increased traffic, Fireteam Storm managed to stay out of sight and out of mind, observing the festivities, lying in wait for their allies to arrive so that a citywide invasion could begin. While his subordinates past the time with hushed conversations on their surroundings and the events that unfolded within them, Carter was wound up with anxiety, wishing that the attack would commence and rid him of his nervousness.

"Any updates for me, Sanchez?" Carter asked.

Sanchez had taken the opportunity to operate the heli-quad drone to scope out the area of attack. To prevent a panic by the locals, as the drone itself would stick out like a sore thumb if left as is, the small remote craft was implemented with experimental cloaking technology leftover from long ago. While not completely invisible, it did a good enough job at a distance that one could hopefully pass it off as a bird flying by or an eye floater evading away from one's pupil.
Carter had been doing his own surveillance with a set of binoculars, as did Jackson through his rifle scope while Green kept a lookout for nearby patrols. A standard routine for stakeout missions in the past, and they'd been at it for about an hour an half. In that time, fairly little of interest had turned up, at least in terms of their current mission. 

"Nadda. Though I did see a street magician. Think if we watch long enough we'll see her pull a rabbit out of her ass?" Sanchez quipped.

"Unless it's our backup, one of our targets, or a guard rotation, I ain't interested." Carter reprimanded.

"Ah, c'mon boss, maybe we can stop by, get ya a balloon animal. Will that make ya happy?"

Carter slugged Sanchez in the arm, an annoyed glare on his face.

"Hey, c'mon, I'm piloting this damn thing over here." Sanchez warned.

"Then focus on that instead of your dumb jokes." Carter suggested before placing a finger to his comm radio. "Jackson, you got anything on your end?"

"*Nothing so far, a few guard patrols here and there but nothing-..........wait.*"

"What is it, Jackson?" Carter asked anxiously.

"*Scratch that, I got eyes on one of our targets.*"

"What? Where?" 

"*Far side of the balcony*"

Carter directed his gaze to where Jackson had made his claim. After a few seconds of surveying the scene, sure enough there she was. Sporting both wings and a horn, light lavender coat and a dark violet mane with highlights, rear markings displaying two six-pointed stars, one pink overlayed on one white with several more forming a ring around. The target matched her visual profile to a tee. 

"So that's her, huh?" Carter said.

"*She's one of em'. Rest are hiding somewhere.*" Jackson explained.

"Well, not for long." 

There was a lull of silence as Fireteam Storm watched their potential prey go about her business, having some exchange with a few of her fellow peers. Carter could see a look of uncertainty in her expression, despite the colorful festivities around her, she seemed troubled. 
Carter then shook his head to diverge from these thoughts, it wasn't healthy to sympathize with the target, no matter how close to human nature it seemed. Carter valued his skills and expectations from his line of work, and no matter how much sympathy he could share for a victim, it never had an effect when it came to pulling the trigger or vice versa. He and his team had done many bad things leading up to this point, many things they weren't proud of, and he'd be damned before he'd let it all go to waste on some innocent and naive stranger. However, this period of said silence and its lasting effects were short-lived, when a sudden beat could be heard.

"Uh, do you guys hear music?" Sanchez asked.

"It's a festival, Sanchez, music isn't exactly unheard of at these sort of things." Carter claimed.

"No, no, no amigo. I mean, do you hear......that."

The group was silent once more before the audible beat of drums and tempo became overbearing, giving way to a plethora of ponies engaging in a symphony of song.



"Are-are they....singing in a fucking musical number?" Sanchez questioned. 

The men were stunned into silence as the ponies went on with their highly choreographed and almost professional level of singing as if they had just ran into a flash mob being performed by Broadway actors with studio level quality, they watched as with each note carried with it an almost flawless vocal delivery, leaving Jackson with only one thing to say.

"*Okay this place got gayer.*" Jackson mouthed. "*When is that invasion coming?*"

"Convenido. No wonder the Commander hates it here." Sanchez concurred. 

Carter was about to put a stop to the griping when he heard the unmistakable hum of Green's voice over the comms, matching the melody of  the ponies' tune. Jackson and Sanchez began to take notice as well, and Green, who was oblivious to the staring eyes of his fellow squadmates for a few seconds, continued humming to the song, eventually transitioning to whispering some of the words. 

"*♪It's the festival of friendship♪, a-*"

"Green, what the fuck are you doing?" Carter inquired with an annoyed inflection. 

Green soon noticed that his squad were staring at him, leaving an abrupt end to his tune.

"*What? It's catchy.*" Green defended.

"Green, you are aware that we're about to bring fire and brimstone to their front door in less than an hour, right?" Sanchez asked.

"*So? Doesn't make the tune any less catchy.*" Green claimed.

"*Thank Christ our track record and reputation makes us look professional.*" Jackson sighed. *Because if Green were the face of the squad, no fucker in the world would take us seriously.*

"Okay, enough." Carter stated loud over the comms. "I don't wanna hear another word until we see our ships."

"What about a large dark cloud of smoke screen?" Sanchez asked.

"Did I.......wait, what?" 

Sanchez simply pointed to the distance where a dark blotch on the horizon rested. Pulling up his binoculars, Carter saw the pluming dark cloud slowly gathering mass and gradually getting closer and closer to their position. All four of them had seen this tactic before, and knew its implications. The moment of truth had finally arrived, and the team wasted no time getting to work.

"Showtime, boys." Carter announced.





The lower decks of the flagship, the Bolt, were bustling with last minute activity as Tempest's main force were but mere minutes away from their destination. Storm Beasts had donned helms and hauberks, strapped on bracers and breastplates, and armed themselves with shields and spears. While they were no fireteam storm, these creatures knew battle, and knew it well. As the Storm Beasts took formations near the lower ramp, the Bolt's smoke screen measures were being worked to full capacity, leaving a thick plume of smoke in the ship's wake as a heavy blanket of mist vented and lulled within the confines of its interior. The latter was less obtrusive overall and only obscured one's vision slightly.
Tempest stood primed and ready. Armored, determined, and prepared for anything and everything. Weeks of anticipation and planning were about to be put into action, the end resulting in the conclusion of her life long ambition. She stood amongst her personal guard, Storm Beasts who proved their worth on the field of battle and bore the hot burgundy highlights and plumes that signaled their status. This attack would cement her future, as well as the Storm King's rule across the continent. Today, Equestria would fall.
As she stood in anticipation for when they would make landfall, a faint creak of springs intertwined with sounds of tiny pattering footsteps caused a slight twitch in her ear. Following the sound's source, Tempest gaze was met with the sight of Grubber, squeezing his way through the ranks to find a place by her side. In his hands was one of the great announcer phonographs. Usually heralding an impending attack before actually initiating it seemed redundant to Tempest, but today, it would play a pivotal role in drawing the Princesses out to their doom, a bait they would undoubtedly take without so much as a hint of hesitation.

"I got the big megaphone thingy like you asked, Commander." Grubber informed her.

"Very good, Grubber. You know what to do." Tempest said in neutral tone. "Make it.........noticeable."

"Oh you bet, Commander." Grubber concurred eagerly. "I practiced for the last couple of nights on what I'm gonna say! It's sure to make them tremble with fear. I can see it now!"

Tempest could only roll her eyes and rely on her iron will of a patience to ignore the babbling of the crew's most vocal subordinate. His task and the effectiveness in which he carried it out wasn't very important in truth. Grubber could fail miserably at his task and it probably still wouldn't matter. He was simply an outcry, a boast, a challenge to Equestria's leadership to come out from hiding and face Tempest in person. As she had shared with Carter before, her people were all but predictable at this point, so easily fooled that it was almost comical to a degree. But Tempest knew better than to underestimate her foes. As gullible as they may be, they still retained a power greater than anything Tempest could hope to match. A power, that if given the chance, could easily destroy the entirety of Tempest's forces. 
Suddenly the sound of thunder cracked, sending a seismic shockwave through the hull of the ship. It's source however was authentic in a nature, a war siren beckoning its call for one singular purpose.

"We've finally arrived." Tempest said. "Soldiers, take your positions!"

Those few Storm Beasts who were still prepping dropped whatever minor task they attended to and immediately formed up with the rest of their troop, awaiting both their landing and the order that would follow suit. A jolt through the hull signaled the slowing down of the engines as Tempest could feel the ship begin it's descent.





"*Mother Bird's beginning her descent.*" Jackson relayed.

"Copy, I have eyes on." Carter replied.

Fireteam Storm had watched as the great two-horned sigil of the Storm King glowed vibrantly through the thicket of storm clouds, The Bolt emerging forth as its bearer. The great flagship cast a foreboding shadow across those ponies that stood to bear witness to its arrival, either out of fear or curiosity. Carter and his team undoubtedly knew the former would soon take hold of them all. The team watched as The Bolt made its descent unto the grand balcony plaza, the side of its hull ramming and knocking down three architecturally grand flagpoles in the process, the rubble toppling a few tents and stands.

"*That's one way to make an entrance.*" Green stated.

"Think they'll bill us for the damages?" Sanchez asked.

"*Shut up Sanchez.*" Jackson mouthed.

Once the ship had settled, the left external ramp dropped with a heavy audible clank as a gasp echoed throughout the by-standing crowd. A few seconds of anticipation and uncertainty passed as the crowd huddled close, clearly unnerved by the sudden and unexpected arrival of this strange aircraft. Emerging from the dark interior of the ship came a small yet familiar figure, in his claws was one of the mega-phone like devices, one of the many creations courtesy of the Storm King. 

"*Carter, I have eyes on the remaining targets.* Jackson informed him. "*Tall building balcony above the plaza.*"

That immediately caught Carter's attention, as he averted away from the crowd by The Bolt and towards the directed sighting. Sure enough there they were. Three alicorns colored soft pink, navy blue, and serene white. These three were amongst the three most powerful beings this world had to offer, and here they were, playing right into their hands as Tempest had foretold. At this point, Grubber had set down the device and deployed it.

"Okay, all the players are here." Carter said. "Now all we have to do is wait for this babbling idiot to-"

Carter sentence was cut off by the sheer volume the voice emitted the minute Grubber began speaking.

"Ponies of Equestria!" Grubber announced with a booming tone. "We come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty............"

As Grubber paused for dramatic effect, three banners unfurled from the top of the ships main blimp. 

".....STORM KING!"

Two of the banners proudly displayed the Storm King's sigil, while the last one displayed the Storm King himself in the iconic "Uncle Sam" pose, thanks to the insistence of one "Eduardo Sanchez".

"Heh heh! Ah, that shit still cracks me up." Sanchez chuckled.

Carter simply rolled his eyes in slight annoyance as he watched the Princesses survey the scene from the balcony.

"And now, to deliver the evil, EVIL message, put your hooves together for COMMANDER TEMPEST!!!!"

At that moment, Tempest began her approach, mildly impressed by Grubber's introduction as it stood in stark contrast to the babbling she had grown accustomed to through the Bolt's intercom system. But she didn't dwell on his menial achievement for very long, as a much bigger prize required her attention. She emerged forward from the mist for her fellow ponies to see, horn sparking with energy as she came into full light. Another gasp of shock made its way through the crowd, as Tempest no doubt envisioned that her kind couldn't fathom that she, a fellow pony, would even remotely be associated with this sort of lot. The idea of hammering that fact home to them almost made Tempest smile, but her resolve was tried and true, and her demeanor did not change.
Fireteam Storm had maintained a visual on the four prime targets during the entirety of the Commander's arrival, and thus were aware the minute three of their targets took flight from the balcony and towards the crowd.

"Targets are on the move, approaching Mother Bird. Jackson, Green, move to secondary positions." Carter ordered.

"*Copy that, we're oscar mike.*" Jackson relayed.

As Fireteam Storm's sniper and heavy were moving away to the secondary position that would clear them of the blast zone, The Princesses of Night, Day, and Love landed in front of their subjects like one would shield a child from danger. Three of the four targets were in direct sight of Tempest.

"Well isn't this just perfect." Tempest thought to herself.

"Tempest, is it?" Celestia inquired. "How may we help you?"

The plan up to this point was playing out flawlessly, as every reaction and move she had anticipated from her prey had come to pass. Judging by the lack of a guard presence and the unexpected effects her arrival had on the crowd, it seemed evident that Storm had infiltrated with no problems. 

"Oh I'm so glad you asked." Tempest mulled with a smile of feinted pleasantness. "How about we start with your complete and total surrender?"

Several yards away, Sanchez and Carter watched and overheard the exchange, audio being transmitted through the drone, which hovered about 15-20 feet above the princesses themselves, cloaked and out of sight.

"Shit, amigo. Commander fucking called it like it is." Sanchez said surprised.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Carter suggested. "Trap hasn't been sprung just yet."

Back on the ground, Tempest caught a faint of lavender moving behind the three Princesses that met to challenge her. Emerging from Cadence's right revealed the last of Tempest's prime targets, Twilight Sparkle herself.

"Hi there! Princess of Friendship." Twilight greeted with an uneasy cordialness. "Not exactly sure what's going on, but I know we can talk things out."

The sheepish smile she gave out did little to endear her to Tempest, as she saw Twilight Sparkle as byproduct of Celestia's coddling rule. 

"Oh goodie." Tempest drawled with sarcasm. "All four Princesses."

Tempest began her approach down the ramp, posture and presence unfaltered in the slightest.

"Here's the deal, ladies, I need your magic." Tempest announced. "Give it up nicely, please. Or we make it difficult, for everyone!"

"And why should we cower before you?" Luna challenged. "There's one of you, and hundreds of us."

Tempest simply smiled with an amused chuckle. Suddenly, her personal guard emerged forth and into view, their electric blue eyes glowing vibrantly like monsters in the dark.

"I was hoping you would choose, difficult."

Suddenly the cry of war horns echoed through the sky, and emerging from the great dark clouds of the Bolt's smoke trail came the rest of the Storm Fleet. The armada of airships began to encircle the skies, cutting off any escape by air away from Canterlot. Shortly after the storm beasts descended from on high, forth from the belly of the Bolt, and over the railings of the grand balcony as they began their attack on the crowds around them, ensuring that a torrent of chaos and confusion ensued. It was at this point that Jackson and Green finally reached their positions in the building adjacent to the one they currently had charges on. Carter and Sanchez had stood by awaiting confirmation to cut off the first exit, leaving only the second, which would only be detonated if one of the targets made a run for it.

"*Carter, Jackson here! We're in position, waiting on you!*" 

Carter didn't hesitate as he reached a hand to his comms and practically yelled out his command. No one was escaping today.

"Blow it!" 

Without delay, Jackson clicked the detonator. The building they had once occupied but moments ago was suddenly engulfed in fire and debris. Each charge planted on each floor of the three story building did its job as the structure exploded out into a torrent of rubble, collapsing shortly afterwards with little effort.
The Princesses, already caught off guard by the sudden arrival of a fleet of airships and carried out afterwards, were nearly knocked to their hooves as a building behind them erupted in fire and seismic fury. Tempest wasted no time and  capitalized on the opportunity. With a quick succession of movements, Tempest leapt into the air and unholstered one of the pertrification orbs, launching it directly at Princess Cadence. Cadence, still recovering from the shockwave of the explosion, had no chance to defend herself as the orb shattered into a green mist around her. She screamed in terror as her body began to harden into some obsidian-like rock.

"CADENCE!" Celestia screamed.

"AHH! I CANT' STOP IT!!" Cadence pleaded in terror.

Those would be the last words out of her as her face was enveloped, leaving her as nothing more than a full-figure statue of her former self. In abject terror and knowing that there was little time to waste, Celestia turned to Luna.

"Luna quick! Go south, beyond the badlands!" Celestia instructed.

Upon making landfall, Tempest charged towards her targets. She transitioned into a slide, curving her legs around and up as she unleashed yet another orb. Lightly tossing it, Tempest used the momentum of her maneuver to kick the orb directly at the currently oblivious Princess of the Sun.

"Seek help, from the queen of the hippog-"

Celestia's sentence gave way to her panicked scream as the orb shattered upon impact, delivering the same fate unto her which had befallen her niece. This caused a panic in Luna as she blasted a nearby Storm Beast and took flight. Tempest however had planned for that. Unlatching another orb and tossing it into the air, Tempest unleashed a full force kick, sending the orb flying in a straight shot trajectory at Luna. Just like her previous two attempts, the orb found its mark as it shattered upon Luna a she was mid-flight. Her panic was immediate as her legs and wings hardened into stone and she began free-falling. Before she made impact with the ground however, Twilight caught her in an aura of her magic.

"Luna!" Twilight cried out.

The situation was devolving fast, and Twilight found herself alone and surrounded. Tempest let out a self-serving malicious chuckle.

"Like lambs to the slaughter." Tempest pondered gleefully as she leapt into the air, and with one seamless front-flip, launched what was hopefully the last orb directly at Princess Twilight.

Twilight's horn lit up, ready to defend herself from the encroaching storm beasts that surrounded her. But out of the corner of her eye came yet another dreadful orb, and this time it came spiraling towards her. Twilight's eyes went nearly white upon this realization, and did her best to ready a defense. But before she could, she heard a familiar raspy voice call out her name, along with a body barreling into her. The orb shattered into a green mist, and as it dissipated, the form of an alicorn could be clearly seen. Tempest beamed with satisfaction as she let out one last chuckle. The plan had been executed without a fault, and it suddenly felt as if the greatest burden had been relieved from her shoulders, though she had no plans to show it.

"Easy as pie." Tempest stated.

"Oh I love pie." Grubber stated as he came up beside her.

During all of this, Storm had witnessed the Commander at work, and found themselves utterly awestruck at her performance in the field. The physical prowess, maneuvering, and accuracy she displayed for a quadrupedal creature was unprecedented for them. 

"Damn. She got some moves." Carter said breathlessly.

"Some moves?" Sanchez questioned. "She took out a moving airborne target just by kicking a fucking magic baseball!"

"*Told ya' she was a good fighter.*" Jackson mouthed. "*But when does anyone listen to me?*"

Green was silent, mouth agape that the pony that he found so cute the day before had highhandedly turned four regal princesses into lawn ornaments. 

"Alright, Jackson. You got me. I was wrong." Sanchez admitted. "Guess this one can go down in the books as the easiest op we-"

"Wait a minute." Carter announced.

Carter continued to watch as their Commander reigned in her victory. But as he surveyed through his binoculars, he spotted something off through the green mist, as last he recalled, the princesses horn didn't have a string attached to it. Back on the ground, Tempest approached what was once the princess of friendship, with Grubber not far behind her.

"Oh you totally got the last princess!" Grubber congratulated.

Tempest would have afforded herself some room to be smug, did she not realize the very thing Carter had through his binoculars. When the green mist finally dissipated, so too did Tempest's confident composure, as clarity had revealed that the form she assumed was Princess Twilight was in fact just a simple pegasus pony with a lavender party hat.

"That's not the PRINCESS!" Tempest growled, horn sparking with rage.

Tempest slammed on the crown that Princess Twilight left behind with her iron hoof-boot, shattering it as her horn sparked into an electric fury, firing a pure bolt of unbridled energy into the air, where several feet above, it detonated into something akin to a firework. Fireteam Storm saw and instantly knew that this was the signal the Commander had mentioned to them earlier.

"Last Target's mobile!" Carter yelled over the comms. "

"*Anyone have a visual!?!*" Jackson inquired.

"*I do!*" Green roared. "*She's making a break for the bridge, Less than twenty meters from your position!*"

That was something Carter didn't want to hear, but under duress is when Carter worked best.

"SHIT!" Carter cursed. "Alright, Sanchez and I are moving to intercept! Jackson, Green, make your way to our position! Sanchez, be ready with that damn net of yours! I have the detonator! DOUBLE TIME IT, PEOPLE!"

Fireteam Storm pounced into action as if overcome by a second wind. Carter and Sanchez raced from their positions and down the stairs to get to the bridge. With luck they could cut her off in time. Detonating the charges then and there would have been helpful the moment she got away, but given the target's close proximity to the bridge, their was a chance she could get caught in the blast, something they couldn't afford.

"I hope that stupid fucking thing of yours works, Sanchez!" Carter yelled as he and Sanchez raced down the stairs.

Before Sanchez could utter a remark in defense of his creation, they found themselves on the streets, right next to the bridge where they could see their target making her way across with a group of her subjects. Without hesitation, Carter and Sanchez raced forward to meet them, Sanchez taking aim with his modified net gun. But before he could pull the trigger, two storm beasts fell down in front of their path, ready to meet the Princess as well but oblivious to Storm's presence. Carter went into panic mode immediately as their clear shot was blocked by friendlies. The Princess of friendship charged her horn to defend herself from her would-be attackers. The storm beast raised shields, but the moment before Twilight cast her spell, a roar from behind caught everyone's attention.

"MOVE GOD DAMMIT!!!" Carter roared.

The minute the storm beasts turned around and created an opening is when Sanchez pulled the trigger. The gun's net sprung forward at high velocity towards Twilight. The Princess of Friendship had no time to react as the weighted net ensnared her and sent her flying back towards the other side of the bridge. Two storm beasts who had given chase managed to dodge her trajectory as she slammed against the side of a nearby building. The net then began to distribute an electric shock to its victim, causing Twilight to scream in pain, much to her friend's dismay.

"TWILIGHT!" They all cried.

Seeing them as a detriment to the mission's success, Carter clicked the detonator without a second thought. The bridge crumbled from the middle out in the wake of the following explosion. Twilight's friends lost their footing and found themselves falling down in to the river below with the rubble that the charges left behind. Their screams of terror were soon drowned out by the rushing river, and Carter, Sanchez, and the Storm Beasts watched as they floated down and over the waterfall.
Then there was a silence, made evident by the fact that Carter could hear his heart beating in fury. A few more seconds passed before a word was spoke.

"Okay..............that was too close." Sanchez declared.

"No shit." Carter concurred. 

Carter watched as the two storm beasts on the other side gathered around the motionless form of Twilight Sparkle, and a slight panic once again found its way over Carter.'

"We need to get over there. Now." Carter informed.

Looking at the newly made gap in the bridge, Sanchez was surprised to see that only the middle portion had collapsed. For a pony without wings, The jump would be next to impossible. For two human special forces operators however, the gap could be jumped with a good head start. 

"We'll have to jump it."

Carter and Sanchez wasted no time, working their way back a few yards. Once reaching a good distance, they turned back around and sprinted towards the gap, launching themselves forward as they met its edge. Carter stuck the landing with a roll that ended with him on his knees while Sanchez managed to stay on two feet, though closer to the gap than he would have liked. Brushing the dust aside, the two made their way towards the still motionless target, just in time for Green and Jackson to regroup.

"Took your sweet ass time, huh?" Sanchez remarked.

"Ran into some trouble on the way here." Green informed them. 

"Couple of guards made the mistake of trying to jump us." Jackson explained further. "Did you guys-"

Carter simply pointed him in the direction that most likely held the answer to his question.

"Well low and behold." Jackson murmured.

The four went forward and approached the princess of friendship, just as she stirred back into consciousness. The sight that greeted her sent her gasping in panic. Surrounding her were two of the large imposing creatures that had attacked Canterlot, and four new ones that seemed utterly alien, bearing the same two-pronged sigil on the arm patches of their camouflage uniforms. They looked down onto her through electric blue visors and machine-like helmets that obscured their faces and in turn, any sense of emotion. One held the device that had shot the net that currently had her ensnared.

"Look who decided to wake up from her nap." Jackson taunted. 

Twilight tried to cast a spell to escape, but found her ability to cast anything suddenly weakened.

"Oh, having trouble there are we, senora?" Sanchez asked jokingly. 

The cold overtones of his comment sent a chill down her spine as she quickly figured out that something about the net was cutting her off from her magical abilities. But that concern gave way to another more pressing matter. She looked around frantically for any signs of her friends, any sign of immediate aid. Alas, there was none, only a gap in the bridge where they once stood, and this caused Twilight to transition into a state of abject terror.

"Where are my friends?!" she demanded. 

"Not here." Carter replied bluntly.

Twilight's eyes began to water as she became scared out of her wits. With no friends or allies to save her, Twilight quickly realized she was at the complete mercy of these malevolent creatures.

"W-what are you going to do with me?" Twilight asked.

Carter heard the tell tale signs of iron on tile approach. Turning his head, his gaze was met with a familiar figure.

"You might want to take that up with her." Carter suggested. 

He, his team, and the storm beasts stepped aside, revealing the sight of Tempest Shadow approaching with Grubber and her personal guard in tow. Tempest's expression transitioned into a malevolent grin upon seeing her prey once again. With her trapped, magicless, her fellow princesses turned to stone, her friends gone, and her nation's capital city under siege, any semblance of hope Twilight had left was shattered. The Princess of Friendship now squirmed in fear as the imposing unicorn approached closer and closer, before Tempest finally stood over her, her shadow casting a dark veil of terror over Twilight. 

"So, Princess Twilight." Tempest addressed with a sinister smirk. "Still feel like talking it out?"