The Tale of a Storm

by Tempestus


Chapter 1: New Beginings

The Tale of a Storm

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Five years later.

Standing before me was a modest suit of armor, not too flashy, but by no means dull. Fashioned for a Griffon who had written me a letter about his son. A son he knew would be going to war soon against the Minotaur. Attached was a modest amount of currency, even if this armor would technically be worth twice that amount.

Truth be told, I had become nostalgic while working with the pieces. Razor sharp clawed gauntlets, smooth and articulated wing covers, and the combination of flanging with the rivets. Truly a masterpiece on its own, the metal craft was not the only reason so. Embedded within the armor plating I hid talismans with healing, endurance boosting, and even cleansing properties.

It would be my first suit of armor made for a Griffon since my return, regardless of the pay, it had to be perfect.

A sudden knocking at my oak door drew my attention away from the newly finished armor. I slowly approached the entrance to my humble abode, a two bed, one and a half bath house that I had attached a forge to the side of, and focussed on the door itself. Opening the antique style door, I was greeted by three young mares about perhaps fourteen if I were to guess.

"Hey! You’re the new blacksmith in town right?" The orange filly asked, an earth pony by the looks of it.

"You might be stressing the ‘in town’ portion of the statement, but I suppose I am." I replied, casting my gaze towards those she had in tow.

Literal tow, this little filly had two others, a white unicorn and a yellow earth pony in a wagon that had been tied to her with a rope, propelled via scooter.

"Anyways, we are hereby inviting you to Sugarcube Corner." She stated, waving at me to come outside.

I spared a glance at the armor, the order had not called for a weapon, but I had made certain that it would have a knife strapped to its side.

"Who would I be to say no to three younglings like yourselves? I will be along as soon as my package is sent out." I pointed to the suit of armor and all three of their mouths dropped open.

"Well that thar sure is a sight!" The yellow and red earth pony filly exclaimed.

"That isn't pony armor." The white and mulberry unicorn filly observed.

"No way, I think that’s Griffon Armor!" The orange earth pony filly with a purple mane shouted.

What surprised me the most was when the orange earth pony began levitating off the ground. Upon closer inspection I realized my folly, she was in fact a pegasus, though her wings were much too small for her age.

"I was contracted to construct it. It has been... nostalgic." I smiled as I untied the apron I had been wearing and hung it on a rack. 

The three fillies smiled happily and began to leave when a grey, wall-eyed, pegasus floated down from above.

"Pick up from one Dragon Forge to be delivered to War Wing?" She asked, landing with a sky wagon behind her.

"Yes, I was just completing the final inspection of the item, give me but a moment to pack it into the crate." I replied as I strode back to the armor on its stand and began placing each individual piece in the crate.

It did not take long, and the mail mare was patient. She took it without complaint and I gave her a small tip. Well, relatively small. At first she tried to say no, but I stated that it was not just my thanks, but to keep it quiet about what it was and its origins. With a nod, she took off at a brisk pace and slowly faded into the distance.

"Do this often?" The orange one asked.

"My first suit of armor in ages actually." I remarked as I closed and locked my door, "Now, shall we be off? I believe something was said about sugar and a corner?"

They all laughed as the pegasus propelled her scooter and raced away, the wagon hopping up and down with each bump. I couldn't resist smiling as I spread my wings, the appendages easily hid my sides when at rest, but when spread could envelope entire ponies beneath their span. With a beat I was in the air, with yet another I was pacing the racing pegasus. I opted to lazily follow at a sort of glide with occasional light beats of my dragon-like wings.

Two of the three fillies gawked at me, the pegasus merely smiled and flapped harder, gaining even more speed as she zoomed off into town. I gained slight altitude to avoid knocking anypony out in the streets and pumped my wings to keep up with the orange arrow ahead of me. It was not long before she stopped with an impressive drift. I flared my wings and came to a halt next to them, allowing my hooves to gently touch the ground before folding the leathery airfoils back to my sides.

 "That was a pleasant chase, but I am afraid we never did introductions." I commented as the unicorn filly untied the knot around the pegasus.

"Mah name’s Apple Bloom."

"I'm Sweetie Belle."

"Scootaloo, nice flying back there!"

      The fillies looked up at me, and I down at them as we turned the corner.

Pink!

"HimynameisPinkiePieandIthrewthispartyjustforyouawelcometoaPonyvillepartyletsbefriends!" What I suppose could be considered a pink demon had ambushed me and the fillies and was leading us to our deaths!

Wait, is that… cake?

Or maybe she was a pink pony with a strange cutie mark leading me to a party. One thing I have always been able to say about myself, I am not a party pony. However, one does not turn down cake, especially chocolate cake!

"So, ah, Lady Pinkie Pie was it?" I began, looking to my right where she had been, only to find Scootaloo looking past me.

"YES?!" Pinkie shouted as she shoved a plate into my hooves from my left and bounced away.

Wait, is she… no… is she made of rubber. Ahhh chocolate… WAIT!!!

I was suddenly tasting chocolate, my eyes were bulging out of my head as the pink one began her assault with the delicious treats. I tried to speak in between the goodies but every time I went to ask a question another sweet would enter my mouth.

Then it stopped.

"Umm… Pinkie? You should let him enjoy the party, otherwise you might scare him off." I heard a gentle voice practically whisper to the pink demon.

This mare was a pegasus with a butter yellow coat and light pink mane. She most certainly had a sweet aura about her, calming even, and had managed to calm the pink earth pony down enough that I was able to finally speak.

"Well then, that was perhaps the sweetest welcome I have ever had, coupled with the sweetest ambush I have ever received." I laughed, brushing off a bit of frosting that had found its way into my small beard.

I should have shaved.

"Hello. Welcome to Ponyville. My name is Twilight Sparkle." A voice behind me stated as I turned around.

And immediately bowed before an alicorn princess.

"Oh, please, ah, don't do that." She said, her lavender cheeks turning a dark red.

With a raised eyebrow I rose back to my full height, dwarfing most of the full grown ponies in the crowd that had gathered. This was indeed a proper ambush, if Steel Hoof saw me now he would no doubt have been disappointed. Everyone in the town must have been here to welcome me and enjoy the party. The three fillies having done their job of leading me here had vanished into the proverbial sea of ponies that now surrounded me.

"Ahem, setting titles aside, I am Tempestus." I returned her greeting, omitting that I was in fact the Lord of the Everfree Keep, which to my understanding fell to ruin in my absence.

"So if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" Twilight picked up a couple cups containing what I could only assume was a fruit based drink and levitated them over.

"Originally not far from here actually, though I have been travelling most of my life." I took the cup from her in my own telekinetic field using a cleverly hidden talisman that I had built into my saddle bags.

Her right eye twitched, "How are you doing that?"

"Family secret." I smiled, "Have you ever dabbled in talismans?"

"Magic stored in gemstones right?" Twilight guessed while tapping her hoof to her chin.

"Indeed, that is half of it." I took a sip and gave a look of approval towards the pink mare who seemed to be everywhere and yet nowhere all at once, "The other half being rune inscriptions to channel the magic to a specified spell."

She tapped her hoof to her chin for a few moments, "I don't think anypony has ever thought of doing that before."

"It is an uncommon skill, if you don't do it right then bad things can and will happen." I found myself drawn towards a splash of prismatic brilliance behind the alicorn.

"Ah, well, I suppose I should go and let you get back to your party, I do hope we can speak more about magic later though!" Twilight all but hurried away, but the color had already vanished in her wake.

After that, each pony at one point or another had come up to me just as she had and introduced themselves. The party lasted almost a full day before the Cakes, the couple who owned the shop, stated that they would be closing early to prepare for the storm that the weather patrol was setting up. Apparently it was to be a heavy one and everypony in town was worried about their properties. I met back up with the three fillies who I had discovered were known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, an apt title.

"So with the storm coming should you three not be heading home?" I looked the three children over and received unanimous nods.

With that we parted ways for the day, or at least I had thought we had. Upon my return to my forge on the outskirts of town I realized that I had left my saddle bags at the party and, subsequently, the keys to the oak door that led into my home. The building itself was of an old style construction, stone with a thatch roof, though I am uncertain as to whether a house meant for a fire breathing pony should have thatch anywhere within a mile of it. Looking to the sky I could see that the storm clouds had thickened and that the pegasi had begun to take refuge.

"Hmm, I could always break the door down I suppose." I muttered to myself before looking away from the sky.

On the ground and hurtling in my direction was an orange and purple blur. Scootaloo had strapped my bags to her body and was rapidly riding up to my position.

"Hey, Mr. Tempestus! You left your bag behind!" She shouted as she skidded to a halt next to me.

I smiled down at her as she slipped the saddle bag off and gave it to me. Taking the bag into my hoof I quickly fished out the key before looking back to the impending maelstrom.

"There is enough time to get back to town before that weather hits, do you need an escort?" I asked, figuring that a filly her age should not be left alone in weather like this while also trying to find a way to say thank you.

She paused a moment before looking to town, "Nah, home isn't too far, I'll be fine."

Her calm demeanour was quite mature so I gave a firm nod and bowed my head to her, "Thank you for your aid, now I must insist you run along."

"Anytime!" She chirped with a grin before she set off towards town.

I watched her get to the main road leading to town before heading inside and setting the bag down. I closed the door and went to shut the shutters when I spotted the young pegasus skirting around town and dipping off into the apple orchard closest to the Everfree Forest. Frowning to myself I left the window in deep thought.

As far as I know only the Apple Family lives that way, and their home is not near the forest.

Without realizing it I was standing in my personal chambers in front of my old armor, still battle worn as I had not seen fit to repair it. A standing testament to my failure. A haunting howl permeated the air followed by a shrill scream, it did not take long for me to discern the direction and take off out of my house, the scabbard holding my sword wrapped around my frame.

My wings spread wide, a flash of lightning and I took to the sky. Thunder rumbled intensely overhead as I beat my wings viciously towards the farm, and ultimately the forest. I saw them, surrounding the filly and her broken scooter. A small clubhouse sat nearby, it had most likely been her destination.

I landed with a mighty crash atop one of the twelve timberwolves and drew my seven hoof longsword, the talisman in the scabbard doing its job well. A quick flourish severed the head of my temporary steed before I leapt from it to the ground and spread my wings, insinuating myself between my prey and my charge.

"Well then, who shall be next?" I roared in a voice that I had learned to perfect over years of practice to sound as demonic as possible.

I must keep myself between the wolves and Scootaloo.

With that thought in mind I readied my blade for the next attack, two wolves pounced. I twisted the blade and slashed upward, splitting the head on the right while sidestepping the pounce on the left. Bringing the sword back down I cut diagonally from right to left and split the other head. In the moment, another had charged from my right, so I did the appropriate thing and thrust my fifteen pound sword into its chest. A pop and dispelling of magic later all three timberwolves dissolved and departed leaving me now surrounded by eight more: seven normal sized ones, and a larger alpha.

Letting loose a primal growl I flourished the blade again, the steel shimmering as lightning flashed and the rain began. This time four tried their luck, far left dug into my side and tore my wing while I impaled near right with a thrust to the chest. I slashed into far left while wrestling near left with my hooves and in the heat of battle I had neglected far right allowing the wolf to get behind me. Upon my realization that it was foregoing finishing me off in lieu of going after my charge I let off a guttural roar that would have made any dragon proud and sent a blast of flame over my shoulder before using my hooves to physically break the timberwolf that I had been entangled with. The scarlet fireball made its mark and the timberwolf detonated in a spectacular shower of embers and charcoal.

It was at this moment I had caught a look at my charge. Her eyes were filled with fear and she had shrunk herself down into a ball. The scooter she had been riding lay shattered against a tree, and I was fairly certain that she was crying. Turning my full attention back to the wolves who were now encircling me, uncertain how to proceed, I raised my head and locked eyes with the alpha.

"Leave, now." I stated, snorting flames out of my nose and baring my razor sharp dragon’s teeth.

The alpha caught the hint and with agility retreated back into the forest with its pack. I stood in the harsh rain for a full minute staring at where the four had left before sheathing my sword and walking to Scootaloo. She had, at this point, closed her eyes and was presumably awaiting her end, only it was not to come. I lowered myself down and ran my hoof along her back, shifting into a calm demeanor I had not used in many years.

"Hush now little one, the wolves have retreated, the danger has passed." Of course, as I said this it had been punctuated by a thunderclap, "Er, well… relatively passed."

She looked up to me, her magenta eyes piercing my own red crystalline and began sobbing anew. I frowned at the situation before lifting her off the ground and embracing the orange filly.

"If we stay out here we shall catch our deaths, cometh, let us get out of this rain while Faust still watches over us." I stated as I set her down and spread my undamaged right wing out to cover her from the storm.

"H-how did y-you know where I-I was?" She sobbed as we walked out of the orchard.

"Call it instinct, youngling." My reply was the truth, in all honestly I had worked off of instinct alone with nothing else to really go on, truly Faust had guided my hoof.

We marched through the storm and then through the oak doorway I had, in my haste, left open. The elements had done a number on my hardwood, but it would be fine. I motioned for her to sit on the couch whilst I moved to procure a blanket for her. Upon my return I found her curled up once more in a tight ball and practically absorbed into my seldom used red sofa. I gingerly placed the blanket upon her and lit the fireplace with a jet of flame from my muzzle.

"I will return shortly so we may talk, but hot cocoa is in order. I, for one, am chilled to the bone, you can't be faring much better." I stated as I left to enter my cluttered kitchen.

I really should keep this place more clean, but then again I hadn't expected company.

The cocoa took a good five minutes to make properly, I didn't really know how she liked hers so I added a little milk and marshmallows to it before bringing the two mugs out to the sofa. I didn't bother saying anything at first. She saw me bring them out and shoot her a warming smile. I sat down apart from her to give the space I knew would be needed for her to recover. She did say thank you as she picked up the mug, but it was nearly inaudible.

After a good ten minutes of silence I had had enough, "How are you feeling?"

"Better now, um." She looked up to me, "Thank you again, I… I don't know if I would still be alive if you hadn't jumped in… how is your wing?"

She made quick contact with my eyes as she spoke, but couldn’t hold a steady gaze, "I won't be flying soon, but my wing will heal."

She nodded before taking another sip, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I still hadn't stopped looking her in the eyes, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"You got hurt protecting me, a useless, flightless, chicken." She was crying again, though not quite bawling as it was more of a resigned fate type cry.

"You are hardly useless Scootaloo, don't ever think yourself less than you are." I found myself frowning in thought and decided to place it to voice, "Lady Scootaloo, where doth thou calleth home?"

My old Equish confused her for a moment before she shut her eyes and looked down, "An alleyway in Ponyville."

Abandoned then? No. Perhaps a runaway? Pegasi culture is to cull the weak, it would make sense.

"And that little play house was to be thine shelter for the night?"

She nodded unable, or unwilling, to speak.

"Thou may have the guest room, we… ahem, I shall not have you on the streets any longer." Her head practically shot up as her eyes searched mine for any deceit. 

"Do you really mean it?" She asked, almost whimsically.

I gave her a small smile and nodded my head once before getting up, "Cometh."

She hesitated for a moment before finding her voice, "Why?"

At the tone in her voice, my hooves suddenly felt heavier than they had in a long time, "Everypony deserves a chance, from what I see, you have yet to receive yours, now please, it is late and if I am not mistaken, a school night."

With that she hopped off the sofa and gave a glance towards the blanket. I, still wearing the scabbard, picked it up in a telekinetic field and brought it with us to the room. The guest bedroom itself was slightly cluttered, old paintings of friends from years long past adorned the walls. The Griffon Grimwing, the Minotaur Half Horn, and the Zebra Hecate being the three in this room. An old suit of pegasus armor lay on the floor half assembled. The bed was that of a queen size and was accompanied by matching maple furniture in the form of a dresser and nightstand. Behind the bed sat a painting I did so adore, one that showed my old keep at sundown.

"I trust this will do for the evening?" I turned my head to look at the filly who was staring slack jawed at her new surroundings.

"You're sure?" She asked, causing me to facehoof.

"Ask as many times as you would like youngling, my bearings shall not falter." I recited, and she hopped up to the bed and I tucked her in with the preexisting sheet and the blanket from the sofa, "If you need me I shall be in the next room over."

She had no words as I departed and gently closed the door. I spent the next two hours mending my wing with a healing cream and listening for any distress. Once satisfied she had fallen asleep, I made my way to my own chambers and spared a look at the twin paintings of my two daughters. Sylvann Dominatus and Nova von Storm, the former being an off white unicorn with a dark red mane she kept braided, and the latter a dark muted blue thestral with a glowing orange mane.

"Goodnight sweethearts, wherever ye may be, sweet dreams." I muttered before climbing into my own bed and quickly finding sleep.