//------------------------------// // Subject 65: Past Insecurities (We Choose To Fight) // Story: Interviews With Equestrians // by Jmaster49 //------------------------------// “Oh no! I didn’t mean any offense by the comment!” “Dammit! You idiot Fizzlepop! You’ve insulted his status as a hard worker! What has isolation done to you?!” A few beads of sweat ran down the side of her face, and she shook her head. “I meant that it was...a nice surprise to see a competent stallion lead a group for a change. I haven’t seen that in...forever.” I didn’t know how to accept the comment. But I did know that mares tended to have the spotlight most of the time in this world. Thousands of years ago, stallions such as Starswirl, Rockhoof, Clover the Clever, Flash Magnus and many others were important figures. But nowadays? Well, she had a point. Most stallions were content with being construction workers with the odd Royal Guard member here and there with the occasional outlier such as Thorax and Shining Amor. Meanwhile, mares like the Elements of Harmony, the Mayor, Cheerilee, Spoiled Rich, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Ember, and Autumn Blaze and of course the former Princesses--I suppose that mares did fill a majority of the important positions in the world of ponies. I couldn’t blame Ms. Shadow for her surprise, especially since stallions on the whole were way less common than mares these days. But that was neither here nor there. Who we are mattered more than what we are. “How...quaint. Thank you, I suppose? I’m just doing my job. No need for that.” I played it off with a casual shrug. “So, here I am. What exactly did you want to speak about?” Tempest used her magic to levitate the unconscious Blossomforth, and put her onto her back. “I...will explain everything if you follow me. Please excuse the intrusion, Ms. Blaze. I will take things from here.” The kirin mare took a bow. “Oh no, don’t worry! Go on! Oh but...we’re still good for that comedy club in Ponyville, right?” I nodded. “Absolutely. Right Cozy?” The pink pegasus mare had finally gotten free of the kirin crowd that showered her with praise. She nodded and fixed her mane with a nervous smile when she saw Tempest. “...Mm-hmm. I hope the kirins can make it and laugh with the rest of us ponies.” “Absolutely!” Autumn replied with a smile, “Now go. I’m sure you have business to take care of with Mr. Vestige and Ms. Shadow. But please come back and visit, okay?” “Of course I will, Autumn. See you all later!” We bid the kirins goodbye, and followed Tempest out of the forest. Overall, I’d say the meeting with the kirins was mostly a success. We managed to secure a time and day for them to meet with regular ponies. Given that they appreciated the comedic arts, it would be perfect if they could witness and experience what we ponies have to offer in the same field. Granted, there was no guarantee that they would even enjoy the show, but it was very well worth the attempt. And after Cozy took her time to help them out, it was nice of them to return the favor. For now though, we had to deal with whatever Tempest Shadow wanted to discuss with us. In truth, I was a bit skeptical. I knew she had taken the time to make herself a better pony, but I wondered just how experienced she was with Equestria’s culture if she still thought stallions merely did manual labor and not much else. Cozy, Guttersnipe, and I all followed her to another part of the forest near the Peaks of Peril. I noticed her gait and hoofsteps were strained. She didn’t look geriatric, but she certainly had an atmosphere of being worn out from constant bouts of combat over the last few years. I felt bad for the mare. After a bit of walking, we arrived at a secluded location. A cave of sorts that was at the very edge of the Kirin’s Grove. “Follow me,” she said before she went into the darkness. Guttersnipe and I exchanged a look of confusion. Cozy was still a bit concerned, but I knew that I would keep her safe no matter what happened. “It’s alright, Cozy. I’ve got you,” I assured her with a hoof atop her mane. It was like second nature at this point. For once, she didn’t swat me away, either. Instead, she offered a smile. “...Thanks, Pale. I trust you.” And she walked on, and out of my grip. Guttersnipe had a weird sort of smirk on her face. “You’re becoming more like a dad with each passing day with her.” “Faff off. We’re on a mission.” I rolled my eyes and stepped into the cave, Guttersnipe close behind. ZAP! In a flash of magic, we were teleported to a room that I saw as familiar. Small, a few boards, magical devices-- wait a minute... “Is this Moondancer’s place?” I asked as I looked around. Yup, that was the device she used to test on me and extract my DNA. Huh--come to think--I wonder what she did with that stuff I gave her. “...Correct,” Tempest replied, “She is...easy to work with, given that she tends to avoid conversation.” She turned her head towards the hallway at the end of the lab. “Hey, Moondancer! I have returned with what I was looking for.” “What?” The unicorn mare responded in a flat tone as she entered the room. Her mane was done up in a bun now, and she had on a vertical tiger-striped sweater instead of her usual one. When she saw who else was in the room, she rolled her eyes. “Hot damn. Bulletproof Detective. Back from the grave. I don’t know how you survived this long.” Tempest cut her off. “I found her. This was who we’ve been looking for this whole time.” She used her magic to levitate the gray pegasus mare, and the aura changed to Moodancer’s pink when she took hold. I also took note of the fact that Tempest seemed...very strained when she made use of simple spells like levitation. Her knees wobbled ever so slightly, and her heart rate increased by about 50%. How did I know this? It was due to my perception of her aura and how it interacted with her body as well as her damaged horn. Let me be the one to say it didn’t come across as a pretty thing to witness. “I see. And you brought them here, why?” Moondancer pointed her left hoof at my group and I. “...They were the ones that stopped her,” Tempest explained as she broke eye contact from the spectacled mare and looked down. “Believe me. They did their best, and stopped the stormbeast from causing anymore trouble. I think they deserve the right to know the details.” Was she really afraid of disappointing somepony like her? Curious. The light yellow unicorn paused. “Oh…I guess they do deserve to know, if that’s the case. Come out to the dining room for some tea or whatever. Tempest. Mind getting the tea?” “Oh...sure! I’d love to.” The purple mare trotted past Moondancer. “You guys can wait at the table where we can discuss things,” she said as she adjusted her glasses and carried Blossomforth out of the room with her magic. “I’ll be there in a minute, so hang on.” With that, she left and made a right turn down another hallway. I stepped forward. “Well then, let’s not waste time and keep our host waiting.” “I’m with you,” Guttersnipe replied as she followed me. “To be honest, I never would’ve expected these two to be working together. How about you, Cozy?” The pink mare must’ve been distracted. It took her a moment to answer back. “Hm? Oh? I...guess so? I’m not sure. But..I think I’ll go help Tempest with the tea.” We trotted past the messy living room which had Moondancer’s research strewn about. Huh. Everything was in its exact same place as it was when I was here last time. How daunting. I could respect that level of organization. Cozy went off to the kitchen. I deduced that she probably desired to speak with the mare, given their similar positions as former threats to Equestria who rejected their past in pursuit of new lives. Hopefully something good could come out of that interaction. Guttersnipe and I took seats at the table. It had a nice, dark brown finish. Was this oak? Or maple? The lady had class, that was for sure. “Alright, I’m done with that, for now,” Moondancer announced as she trotted into the room. “So essentially, that was a stormbeast. Or at least, that’s what we call ‘em.” She sat down with us at the table, her cheek rested on her left hoof. “Apparently the Storm King’s magic is still active in small fragments around Equestria, and it possesses whatever it can in order to cause destruction.” Aha! I knew something was off when those clouds appeared out of nowhere. “So that’s what’s behind all of this. I wonder why they chose to attack us in Kirin Grove…” Moondancer shrugged. “Beats me. Those things don’t strike me as super intelligent. Then again, I need to do more research on them to have concrete information. The idea that you were attacked on purpose is not impossible.” “Hrm…” I sat back in my seat as I thought about it. There were always lots of variables in a situation like this. It was at times like these where one should take a minute before they toss their cards on the playing table. Guttersnipe meanwhile, asked a more forward question. “So...whadda we do if we come in contact with another? Beat it up again, and bring the body back to you?” “That, or any evidence you find, yes,” the unicorn replied in a simple manner. “Uh-huuhhh...and you’ve really teamed up with Tempest, huh? How’s that going for ya?” the red pegasus asked. Moondancer sat upright. “To put it bluntly, she and I are mutual beneficiaries. She works in the shadows and I help her find whatever she wants to take care of. Not much else to it than that.” “Oh...okay then. Well consider our group on the job as well!” Guttersnipe offered. “Sure.” “Hmph.” My friend was put off by the unicorn’s short responses, and gave up on trying to get more out of her. The crimson mare slumped back in her seat as she waited for the tea to arrive. I knew of her based on some files, and it seemed that Moondancer had a case of self-isolation due to her friend, Twilight Sparkle, abandoning her. Even though she lives in Canterlot now, Twilight is still extremely busy, and is probably unable to meet with her as much as she’d like. As a result, you get a cold, bitter pony who wanted to speak as little as possible to avoid forming new relationships. Why? Because of their past experiences. Moondancer probably wanted to avoid somepony walking out on her again, so she shut down all attempts at friendship. From that, I could pretty much infer that her companionship with Tempest Shadow was strictly business related. I just hoped that she didn’t have any issues with her mental state. “Here we go,” Tempest called out as she gingerly levitated the teapot and cups onto the table. Cozy brought out the tiny dishes that the teacups would sit upon as well as a plate of muffins from the kitchen. “These look great. Dibs on the apricot one!” We all started to enjoy our little tea party. Cozy and Moondancer had started up a chat at the other end of the table, while Tempest and Guttersnipe conversed near me on my side. Though, it didn’t remain so casual for long. I noticed Tempest’s eyes, and the way they took a peek down at the side of Guttersnipe’s body. Unfortunately, I knew exactly what she had been staring at, and knew it wouldn’t have a pretty outcome. “Your wings…” the purple mare spoke in a low voice, “whatever happened to them?” As I suspected, Guts didn’t like that. She stopped drinking her tea mid-sip, and tension filled the air. The red pegasus looked away, and seemingly refused to answer. After a moment or two, both Cozy and Moondancer stopped speaking with each other to observe my friend. All she responded with was four simple words. “Wh...what did you say?”