Repercussions

by Hiver


Chapter 2

Stomping my hooves, I kicked the snow off them as I entered the castle, fluttering my wings beneath the cloak to throw the snow off it the best I could. Stupid frozen water flakes!

Now, I get why snow was a good thing. It’s winter and all and it’s necessary and looks good and all, but did they have to make it howling snowstorms? Really?

“Commander.”

I looked to the side before I smiled, “Tempest. You’re up late.”

The former commander of the Storm King's forces scraped her hoof against the stone floor as she nodded, “I was studying,” she admitted and tossed her mane back, “I… have a lot to catch up on.”

She had not exactly been able to use magic much for most of her life.

I nodded, “How’s it going?”

Tempest shook her head and stomped her hoof, “...Slowly.”

“Go get some sleep, there is another day tomorrow.”

“I know.”

I looked at her for a moment before I sighed, “Tempest, I know it’s frustrating,” I told her quietly, “But you’re trying to catch up on a lot of years of practice and learning in a couple of months. You have already come a long way.”

Her ears flicked back for a second before she nodded and looked to the side, “...I know.”

“So go get some rest.”

Tempest nodded and then bowed slightly, “Good night, Commander.”

“Good night, Tempest.”

I looked after her as she left before I sighed softly. She was working herself too hard. I think she was trying to make up for what she had done.

But if she’s been working herself to the bone for the last four months. She was up before the sun and it was not exactly the first time I had run into her hours after midnight. It was actually the rule more than the exception.

...And she had kept up with her physical training too.

If this keeps up, I’m going to have to start ordering her to cut down on her outright insane schedule. Maybe ask Sunset to talk to her?

...Or maybe not. While they were polite enough, Sunset didn’t like her. Maybe I’ll ask Crysa…

I paused at that thought and then quickly shook my head. No. No, bad idea!

Maybe Glimmer. According to Twilight, she really had turned her life around, so maybe introducing those two to each other would be a good idea. I might not personally like Starlight, but to be completely fair to her, I had not actually talked to her more than a couple of minutes since she was ‘reformed’.

Shaking my head slightly, I frowned. Maybe that was an idea… maybe sending her to Ponyville wasn’t a bad idea. Under the excuse of learning magic from Sparky, that might actually be a good idea.

Get her away from the city she attacked, get her out onto the countryside as well as getting her in contact with Sparky and get her talking about things with Glimmer…

Might work. Going to have to send a message to Sparky and see what she thinks about the idea.

Hmm.

As for right now, I wanted to go flying. But that just wasn’t going to happen in this kind of weather. While I still had some of the cold resistance of an Alicorn, it turned out most of it came from the pegasus part.

Thestrals, nowhere near as cold resistant as a pegasus. Which meant I wasn’t either.

So while I could handle the cold better than a random unicorn, I didn’t want to try flying around in this weather unless I absolutely had to.

I hate being cold! Fucking Discord!

I suddenly stopped, my nose twitching twice before I looked down at the floor. There was a grape sitting on the floor between my hooves. I frowned and picked the grape up. Grape? Why the fuck is there a grape sitting in the middle of the corridor?

Did one of the maids drop it or something.

I looked around. There is another one!

I trotted over and picked that one up too before I looked around the corner. Another grape a couple of meters away.

I raised an eyebrow at that.

Really?

Really now?

“Amber?”

“Yes, sir?” my changeling guard answered from behind me.

“...You wouldn’t happen to know where Luna is right now, would you?” I asked as I brushed one of the grapes in my magic clean against my coat before popping it into my muzzle, each one getting the same treatment as I moved along.

“At the other end of the trail of grapes, I would say, sir.”

“That’s what I suspected. Because if there is a trap at the other end, I’m not sure what I would think about the villain’s sense of professionalism or their opinion of my intelligence.”

Amber trotted along next to me with a smile, “Well, to be fair, sir… it is working.”

“Quiet you.”