//------------------------------//
// The Captain's Party 
// Story: The Princess's Captain 
// by PresentPerfect 
//------------------------------//

The Captain's Party
by Present Perfect

There were five banners above the party in Town Hall.  They read, from top to bottom:


WELCOME HOME TWILIGHT AND TEMPEST!

HAPPY CUTE-CEAÑERA TEMPEST!

CONGRATULATIONS CAPTAIN OF THE FRIENDSHIP GUARD!

THANKS FOR NOT BEING A BAD GUY ANYMORE!

WELCOME TO PONYVILLE FIZZLTEMPEST SHADOW!!!


Tempest was not sure what to make of any of it.  Granted, she was tired after her long weeks of adventure, and the night was late, but that somehow hadn't seemed to dampen the spirits of the ponies of Ponyville.  Sure, after the initial hurrahs, those with foals had taken their yawning children home to bed, but some had returned after.  There was a certain magic to this party, and it was keeping everyone lively and enthused well past when they all should have been asleep.

Sipping the punch, too sweet for her tastes, she wondered how the morning would look.

"Well, well," said a wet, smarmy voice from behind her, "if it isn't the mare of several hours!"

She turned to see a grin perched atop a long pole made of mismatched animal parts.  It held out a claw that appeared to have been stolen from a griffin.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure.  Discord, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, lately reformed."

Tempest cleared her throat and shook the appendage which, to her mounting disgust, detached itself from the creature's elbow.  Another grew in its place.

"Tempest Shadow.  I'm... charmed?"

"Oh, you should be." Discord chuckled and wrapped himself around her shoulders.  "I'm sure we're going to be involved in plenty of madcap shenanigans in the future, but for right now, I wanted to extend you an exclusive offer."

She tried to shrug him off and scowled when he stuck to her with honey-like viscosity.  "It wouldn't require the willing gift of my soul, would it?"

That got a hearty belly-laugh out of the beast.  "Oh, goodness, no!  I haven't traded in souls for millennia!" He wiped tears from his eyes, one of which morphed into a small index card.  "No, no, this is far less metaphysical.  Big fan of your work in Canterlot, by the way, wish I could have been there to see it myself."

He snapped his fingers and a little clay diorama appeared before them, replaying Tempest turning Princess Cadence to stone before making rude gestures at her.  Much to her own surprise, Tempest found herself wracked with chagrin.  She'd told Princess Twilight earlier that she had no regrets, and yet, watching the scene from another angle, her resolve shook just the tiniest amount, even if parts of said scene were obviously being fabricated.  No doubt she would be making a formal apology to this princess sometime in the future.

"But!" Another finger-snap and the diorama vanished in a puff of smoke.  "We, of course, don't do things like that anymore, right?  And that just so happens to be the reason our little club was formed."

He held the index card up in front of her.




SOCIETY OF REFORMED VILLAINS
Membership

Discord, Esq., S.o.C.&D., H.R.P.i.t.A., X.J.Q.11.V. (Handsome President for Eternity)
Starlight Glimmer (Second Best Pony)
Trixie Lulamoon? (Present By Default)
Sunset Shimmer (FORWARDING ADDRESS REQUESTED)
Darkscowl McEdgehorse (Prospective Newbie)
Princess Luna (Treasurer)




She did indeed scowl darkly as the second-to-last name hastily erased and rewrote itself as "Tempest Shadow".

"We meet on the twelfth Norsday of each month," he said, sliding the card into her mane.  "Plan to bring something for potluck.  Dues will be collected when you least expect them!" He chuckled.  "Support groups are all the rage these days, and coincidentally are good at helping control rage!  Anyway, give it some thought, won't you?"

He put two fingers in his mouth and blew.  A small horn emerged from his left ear, loosing a blast of noise and producing a little flag that read "AWOOGA".

"Oh, Pinkie Pie!" he cried, waving over at her.  "Don't you think it's time to kick this party up a notch?"

Tempest was glad she didn't know why he was suddenly wearing a chef's outfit as he said that.

"Discord, you are sooo right!" Pinkie hopped onto the little stage at the back of the room, the crowd turning to watch her.  "Twilight and Tempest, you're the ponies of the evening!  Give us a speech!"

The ponies cheered, stomped their hooves, and began a chant of, "Speech!  Speech!"

Twilight, across the room with her other friends, lifted into the air and fluttered over, waving to the cheering crowd.  Tempest allowed herself to be pushed on-stage by Discord, who was somehow able to keep a hand on her hindquarters all the way there despite not moving himself.  He gave her a little finger-waggle once she had met with Twilight and disappeared himself in a swirl of energy.

"Thank you, everypony, for coming out to a party thrown this late at night!" Twilight started.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world!" shouted a stallion near the front.  The other ponies cheered their agreement.

Twilight smiled.  "All I want to say is how glad I am to be home again.  It was a rough journey, and I'm sure you'll hear all about it in the coming days, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there really is no place like home."

More applause followed.  A sort of low-level panic began to seize Tempest's chest.  This speech was not going to be very long, and then...

"But of course, I wouldn't be standing here today if not for the real mare of the hour.  Won't you all give a warm welcome to Tempest Shadow?"

As the Princess stepped back, the crowd's reaction was scattered and varied.  Some cleared their throats, some gave little taps of their hooves on the floor, others did their best to look into their drinks.  A weight took hold of her muscles, and stepping up toward the edge of the stage was like trying to force her way through centuries of cobwebs in an ancient temple.

"Well," she said, and cleared her throat as her voice caught for a moment.  "My name's on an awful lot of those banners, isn't it?"

This actually got some chuckles from the assembled partiers.  Eyes and more than a few smiles turned toward her.  Tempest was momentarily aware of Princess Twilight being right behind her, a whisper of "Good!" in her ear.

"I... haven't been in Ponyville long enough to make many of your acquaintances," Tempest began.  "But I know a lot of you were in Canterlot... recently."

The reference was missed by none.  There were a few pairs of eyes in which she could see reflected the exact same fear she had reveled in as she stepped off that airship.  Her head sank.

"I hope none of you will let that stop you from giving me a second chance, as Princess Twilight has.  I know forgiveness is not always easy."

She paused, raising her eyes to the ceiling.  Colorful decorations hung from every nook and cranny of the spacious meeting room.  They marked this as a place of festivity and celebration, not gloomy recrimination and regret.

Tempest squared herself and took a deep breath.  "If you haven't heard, the Princess has seen fit to appoint me the Captain of her new Friendship Guard.  I have to admit, I'm not quite sure what that means yet, but... Well, the Friendship Guard starts with 'friendship', doesn't it?

"So that is where I would like to start, with all of you.  I would like to be your friend, if you'd have me." She raised her glass and gazed out over the crowd.  In the far corner, Twilight's friends were smiling at her, silently supporting her as she knew the Princess herself was.

"To friendship!" Tempest cried.  "And Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

"To friendship!" shouted the crowd, and the weight in Tempest's chest lifted.  "To Twilight!"

"And also to Captain Tempest Shadow!" shouted Twilight, bringing a glass around in her own magic.

"To Tempest!" the ponies responded, and Tempest was surprised to note that their enthusiasm had not dimmed.

As the company drained their glasses, Pinkie Pie appeared on stage between Twilight and Tempest, hugging them both.

"And now that all the kiddies have gone to beddy-bye," she yelled, "the real fun begins!  Line up for adult punch, everypony!"

A purple earth mare wheeled out a cart with another large glass bowl, sloshing with liquid that matched her coat.  Ponies lined up for a refill, and the music and chatter started back up, filling Town Hall will life and warmth.

"Not bad," said Princess Twilight as the two of them made their way across the floor.  "Not bad at all, Tempest!" Ponies patted Twilight on the back, welcoming her home, and though they tended to keep their distance from Tempest, she got just as many warm welcomes.

"I honestly don't know where any of that came from," Tempest said.  "But I decided to... roll with it, you might say."

Twilight gave her a huge smile.  "I keep telling you, you're a natural.  You've got as much potential for friendship as anypony.  Give it some time, and you might even stop being surprised at what you can accomplish."

She finished with a wink, and they came up to the little knot Twilight's friends had made.

"Welcome back, Twilight," said Fluttershy, greeting them with a soft smile.  "Hello, Tempest.  Those were very nice speeches you made."

"Hear, hear!" cried Rarity, mirroring her smile.  "Once Rainbow Dash gets back with more punch, we will simply have to have our own private toast for the both of you!"

As if on cue, Rainbow showed up, her arms full of cups, which she handed out to those present.

"Alright, gals, I got your refills!  Plus a little extra for yours truly!" She let out a bark of laughter and gave Tempest the side-eye.  "Tempest."

Tempest returned the glare.  "Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow let out a yelp as a bit of purple magic tugged on her tail.  "Hey!"

"Rainbow, don't be mean!" Twilight said, pulling her down to the floor.  "Tempest is trying her best to be friendly with everypony.  The least you can do is give her a chance!"

Rarity tutted.  "As much as it pains me to come to Rainbow Dash's defense, you'll recall she did take quite some time to warm up to Starlight Glimmer." She sipped daintily at her punch then added, "It's simply dear Rainbow's own style of making friends to be protective of those she already has."

"Yeah!" cried Rainbow, rubbing at her dock.  "What she said!"

"Not exactly," said Applejack, throwing an arm around Rainbow's neck with a shit-eating grin.  "As I recall it, you spent a lot more time takin' peeks at Starlight's butt than tryin' to get to know her."

"What?" Rainbow's face turned a vibrant shade of purple as she tried to wriggle free from AJ's iron grip.  "N-no I didn't!"

"Sure you did, Dashie!" cried Pinkie as she appeared on Dash's other side and joined in the hugging.  "'Cause you've always had a thing for older mares!"

Dash's face turned pink.  "Whu-- Uh-- Er-- No!" And with that, she zipped backwards out of the group hug, taking off over the party-goers as her friends had a good laugh.

As the laughter died down, Fluttershy piped up.  "I never realized Starlight was much older than us."

"Oh, sure!" Pinkie said, nodding emphatically.  "She'll be thirty-eight this winter!"

Pinkie's face turned a vibrant shade of purple as Rarity spit a mouthful of punch all over it.

"Mmm!" said Pinkie, licking it all off in one go.  "Tasty!  Catch you later, gals, gotta go party!" She bounced off, singing, "La la-la la-la!"

"Thirty-eight?" gasped Rarity as Fluttershy patted her on the back.  "She's thirty-eight years old and she needed our help?"

Twilight gave her a lopsided smile and rolled her eyes.  "It's never too late to learn about the power of friendship, Rarity.  Besides, Starlight's doing just fine now."

Tempest took a long draw of her punch, giving Twilight a sidelong glance.  "So just how much older than you is she, since it's such a shock?"

"Ooh!" Twilight grew animated.  "I remember we figured this out a year or two ago.  So, Fluttershy's the oldest--" Fluttershy nodded-- "and then it goes Rarity, Applejack, me, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash.  She and Fluttershy are two years apart, and Rainbow just turned twenty-six.  So the answer is ten!" She clapped her hooves together, while Rarity and Applejack shared a light chuckle.

"Why?" Twilight continued.  "How old are you?"

Clearing her throat, Tempest gave the question a bit of thought.  "Well, I haven't exactly kept up with birthdays for some time, you understand..." She tapped her chin.  "I suppose, looking back on it, I might be... twenty years old?  Twenty-one?"

She lifted her head after a moment's silence to see them all staring at her, open-mouthed.

"What?" she asked, taken aback.

Rarity coughed.  "You know, I think I actually felt my hip go out just now."

"All the stuff you done in your life, and you're maybe only twenty?" Applejack shook her head.  "I'll drink to that." She lifted her cup and took a long draught.

Pinkie Pie was suddenly in their midst.  "Did I hear somepony say she hasn't had a birthday in years?"

"Yes, Pinkie," said Twilight.  "Tempest said she's maybe twenty-one, and I have to assume the Storm King was not big on celebrating birthdays." She gave Tempest a sidelong glance, and Tempest nodded slightly.

Then she sputtered as Pinkie clamped her arms around Tempest's next and started chanting.

"Tempest is the baby!  Tempest is the baby!"

"I'm not a baby!" Tempest groaned, trying and failing to push her away.  "Get off me!"

"Don't worry, Tempest!" Pinkie gazed up into her eyes, grinning from ear to ear.  "Just tell me when your birthday is, and I'll make sure the next one will make up for all the parties you missed!"

And just as quickly as she'd appeared, Pinkie vanished back into the crowd.

"Does she do that often?" Tempest asked, rubbing her neck.

Rarity nodded.  "Give it a year or so, dear, you'll learn to stop questioning."

"Or just drink more," said Applejack, downing her cup.  Fluttershy offered hers, which AJ took with a tip of her hat.  "Much obliged, Fluttershy."

"No problem.  I can't drink much."

"Hey, Tempest!"

The five mares turned their heads to see Starlight Glimmer, Trixie and a large white pegasus coming up behind them.  The last stopped when Tempest turned, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"There you are.  Pinkie mentioned something about you not mingling much at your own party, and you said you wanted to make more friends, so I thought now would be a perfect time to make introductions!" She gave a hysterical little giggle, followed by a hiccup.  "Tempest Shadow, meet Bulk Biceps!"

Tempest took a few steps toward the pegasus, marvelling at how a pony so massive could seem so incredibly shy.  "How do you do?"

"Uh!" he said, in a voice that filled the space around him.  "Hi!"

Starlight sidled in between them, still grinning like a goat in a trash pile.  "He's the pony I told you about earlier!  I think you two have a lot in common."

She began rubbing her hooves together as the two ponies sized each other up.  Behind Starlight, Trixie swayed slightly.

Tempest narrowed her eyes.  "So tell me... Bulk.  Are you as strong as you look?"

A grin split the stallion's face, exposing a misaligned row of enormous teeth.  He reared back and flexed his forehooves, his biceps living up to his name.  "I sure am!"

Tempest shot a quick look at Starlight.  "Get us a table."

"The Great and Pofferful Trissie provides!" cried Trixie, horn guttering.  After a second, there was a pop, and a picnic table appeared between Tempest and Bulk.  They took their seats and placed their forearms on the table as the others crowded around.

They locked eyes.  Tempest grinned.  "You ready, big boy?"

"I was born ready!" he bellowed.

"Three, two, one!" they cried in unison, then began straining against one another.

The little crowd around them cheered and hollered, attracting more and more ponies from the party until just about everyone was in attendance.  Muscles strained and sweat poured from the combatants' foreheads as they pushed and struggled.

Then, with a loud thud, Tempest's hoof hit the table.  The crowd cheered.

"Yeah!" shouted Bulk, standing and lifting his hooves in triumph.  Tempest grinned at him and rolled her shoulder.

"Best two out of three?" she asked.  "I think I have your measure now."

Bulk sat back down, an eager grin on his face, and locked fetlocks with her once more.  This time, it was his hoof that hit the table, and after not nearly as much battle.  The crowd went absolutely crazy as she beat him a second time, almost as soon as they had started the round, and then once more for good measure, with their off-hooves.

When Tempest stood, it was to a cowed but smiling opponent, and a herd of ponies chanting her name.  She held out her hoof to Bulk, and he shook it.

"I've got a lotta raw muscle," he said good-naturedly, "but I don't get to use it much.  That was great!"

"Don't sell yourself short," said Tempest, smiling.  "You're easily the strongest pegasus I've ever met, by a league.  I think we could be friends."

"I'd like that!" Bulk stood, dusting himself off and accepting a cup of consolation punch from Starlight.  "But if you want a real hoof-wrestle, you should take on Maud Pie!" He gave a little shudder and glanced around, as though someone might have heard him.

How could anyone not have?

"Did somepony say Maud Pie?" Pinkie cried from somewhere in the crowd.  The ponies parted to reveal her pushing a grey earth pony mare with her head.  "Well, here she is!"

Tempest feasted her eyes upon the mare.  She stood, barely blinking, a placid, nearly gormless expression on her face.  She wore simple clothes that made her at once less impressive and considerably more intimidating, as though her true power were hidden beneath.

"Pinkie, do you know how late it is?" she asked in a flat, bored voice.

"Aw, just one teensy-tiny hoof-wrestle, Maudie?  Tempest would definitely like to make your acquaintance, wouldn't you, Tempest?"

"I suppose I would," said Tempest, sitting down again.  Maud blinked at her, then at Pinkie, then sat down with a small sigh.

"I don't really like showing off my strength," she said as she placed her forearm on the table.

"Understandable," said Tempest, keeping tone cagey.  "Just one round, then."

And as Tempest locked hooves with Maud Pie, she suddenly knew fear.

Bulk Biceps had been right about himself.  Raw muscle was no substitute for the talent and skill necessary to use strength well.  But Maud, who was considerably less impressive on the outside, had the body of a boulder.  Her skin sat upon taut cords the like of which Tempest had never encountered in her life, not even against the largest monsters that had been set against her.

This mare was a physical goddess.  She was a testament to the power and nobility of earth pony lineage.  Starlight and Trixie were counting down from three, but Tempest didn't even need 'two' to know she had already lost.

To her credit, she put up a valiant effort.  There was a split second where neither hoof moved, and the room held a hushed breath as though smothered by a blanket.  But in a trice, it was all over.  Tempest's hoof went partially into the tabletop, and she had to leap from her seat to avoid being flung end over end.  She lay on her back on the table bench, panting, her hoof pinned by the other mare, who showed no signs of exertion.

The crowd went wild.

Maud walked around the table to stand over Tempest.  Tempest's face was drenched in sweat, her chest heaving as she sucked in breaths.  Never in her life had she experienced such exquisite defeat.  Yet the other mare just blinked at her.

"This is why I don't like showing off," she said placidly.

"I think I could be friends with you, too," Tempest gasped, her cheeks flushed.  "Very good friends."

Maud looked away.  "We'll see." And then she just left.

The party didn't last too long after that.  With the main source of excitement over -- to say nothing of the punch -- and nopony else willing to see if they could best Tempest at hoof-wrestling, ponies found themselves drifting off to the realm of sleep.  Quite a few would spend the night in Town Hall, with Pinkie promising to get blankets for any who couldn't make it home.  Cleanup was a worry for tomorrow.

Tempest, for her part, made it home with no trouble, helping support a sleepy, tipsy Twilight while Starlight carried the Soused and Unconscious Trixie on her back.  They arrived at an unlocked castle, and Tempest accompanied Twilight in checking on Spike while Starlight made for Trixie's room.

They said their good nights and plummeted into a long, deep sleep.





The next day essentially did not happen.  Ponyville's older populace would later agree, the town hadn't had a hangover that massive since the Great Caramel Shortage of Eighty-Four.