Something big, Twilight said. Capstone project, the last thing she’d ever do at the friendship school. Proof that Silverstream was ready to leave it behind.
Of course there were plenty of other things—but most of that had been with her friends, and they’d soared through with perfect scores and lots of approval from the princess.
But the capstone was something else, her chance to go out into the world and prove that she’d mastered the principles of friendship.
Silverstream’s capstone project leaned precariously over the railing, staring down at Mount Aris as they approached the docks. Even without the Storm King’s armor, Tempest Shadow still managed to look imposing. Probably it was her shattered horn, and the broken silhouette it cast in the afternoon sun.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, hurrying over. “Did you not enjoy the trip?”
“Not particularly,” the unicorn answered, stiffening at her approach. “I’ve done my best to avoid airships, since…” She trailed off awkwardly. “And this place. You’re certain they won’t just be waiting to arrest me?”
If they are, I’m about to be held back. Silverstream hadn’t just stumbled into this plan wildly—it was a matter of careful planning, of communication back and forth over weeks.
“You aren’t going to be arrested. Apparently you were never charged, and Queen Novo is—she’s optimistic about this idea.”
“That makes one of us.” Tempest had brought nothing along with her, not so much as a saddlebag of traveling supplies. But if she thought she was just going to get thrown in prison, why would she do it?”
Silverstream had learned on the trip over that her companion didn’t enjoy much company, so she left her to her solitude for the rest of the docking procedures. Silverstream waited near the railing, greeting dockworkers energetically and flying down to share gossip about her time in Equestria.
Eventually though, the Lavender Spirit was securely in its berth, and the other passengers disembarked. She could hear them whispering about Tempest as they passed, and the mood in the dock began to shift from friendly to suspicious.
So much for the ‘nobody remembers it was you’ theory. Good thing that wasn’t the only plan. Silverstream waited for the unicorn to disembark, but Tempest never appeared. She hurried back up the ramp, and found her lurking near the cabins.
“Did you change your mind about coming?” she asked, voice bleak. That probably would just mean she had to start over. But it also meant that Tempest would never get the closure she deserved.
“No.” Tempest turned back, shaking out her mane. Instead of military short, now it was long and wild, though there was no mistaking her for anyone else. “I just needed a moment to steel myself. This is the reckoning I deserve. Not all the harm I’ve ever caused can be undone. But at least I tried. I’m ready for my judgement.”
Silverstream led her back the way they’d come, only briefly interrupted while she yelled to the crew to put the ramp back.
“This isn’t about judgement,” Silverstream said again. “Look down there. No guards, no soldiers. You’re just a visiting pony, like so many others.”
She looked, skepticism obvious on her face. But Silverstream was right. At least so far, there were no soldiers. There didn’t appear to be very many other creatures either, just a single stallion wearing a courtly vest. While everyone else fled from around them, he took one look at Tempest and headed straight for them.
Where was the maintenance crew? Boxes of cargo were abandoned by the open hold, and Silverstream couldn’t see even one of them emerging from within. “I see you made the trip safely,” said the stallion, nodding politely to her. “And your companion… this is her? The one who brought such terror to Mount Aris?”
Silverstream winced. “She’s past that now. Tempest is here to apologize for what she did. There’s no reason a creature should live their whole life burdened by their past, right? Gotta… move on sooner or later.”
“Right.” His tone remained entirely flat as he said it. “Well, I’m here to offer judicial notice to Tempest here. Her Majesty’s court expects and requires your appearance in three day’s time. Having set hoof on Mount Aris, you are subject to our jurisdiction and will be treated as a fleeing convict should you attempt to depart before that time.”
Tempest nodded, looking grimly satisfied. “I understand. You have my word that I will not flee your pitiful—your island.”
He turned to Silverstream. “This… visitor is your responsibility. Mount Aris has endured enough hardship over the last decade. If you brought more of it here, endangering the lives of birds everywhere—you will be held responsible as well.”
Then he turned, never offering so much as a name before he stalked back up the mountain. He slipped between a pair of cliffside warehouses, and vanished from sight.
“As I said,” Tempest began. “I don’t blame you for it, child. I know you haven’t cajoled me here to confront this. It’s right for me to face their justice after all I did to you.”
“Three days.” Silverstream took off, hovering there beside her and counting them out on her claws. “We can do a lot in three days! We should find some birds, start apologizing!”
They were already emerging, poking heads out of stalls and behind buildings. Maybe the appearance of an official creature who didn’t arrest her was the evidence they needed not to freak out.
Except then Tempest started laughing, and creatures scattered all over again. Silverstream could hear why—Tempest’s voice was cruel and her tone burning with pain. “Did you honestly think this would be a matter of bringing me here to… apologize?”
She advanced on Silverstream, a few faint sparks issuing from her horn. Silverstream saw no spells, and she didn’t expect any. But still, she quivered. “Kinda. Isn’t that how you resolve friendship problems? If someone makes a mistake, you say sorry and move on. That’s how it’s supposed to work.”
She laughed again, even louder this time. “You’re an adorably innocent creature, Silverstream. Product of the ponies you’ve been living with. The real world is a different place. Creatures don’t simply forgive because you ask them to.” She advanced away from the docks, into the packed market. Whispers spread around them, and more creatures fled. Though not all of them did. Unlike the dock, the birds manning their stalls didn’t leave them behind.
“I’m the reason your lives were put on hold, Silverstream. I’m the reason the Storm King knew to send soldiers here. I never hurt a bird directly, but I might as well have. My presence destroyed your way of life.”
It had been a very long time since Silverstream had thought about it. She didn’t really want to bring back any of those memories. But just a few words from Tempest were enough.
Buildings burned, soldiers fought out in the streets, while the citizens of Mount Aris flooded up the steps to the palace. The Storm King’s army let them go, thinking they’d been baited into a trap. High above, his fleet bombarded the castle’s defenses. It was only a matter of time.
Silverstream was huddled there with her family, far smaller than. But she could still remember the wounded huddled against the wall. Still remember the terror she felt that the soldiers would soon come, and drag her off to a distant mine.
Tempest Shadow stomped one hoof in front of her, sharp enough to startle her from her daze. “You see what I mean? I’ve affected all of you, even the one who wants to see me forgiven. How likely do you think it is creatures will let all that go?”
Silverstream didn’t have an answer for a long moment. She was right, obviously. The damage done was more than just a few broken windows and scared ponies.
“So we can’t just say sorry,” she declared, hurrying to catch up. “That doesn’t mean we have to give up! We can’t give up, not now.”
Tempest spun on her so fast she raised both her wings defensively, expecting an attack. None came. “Alright, Silverstream. What do you propose?”
She thought back to her lessons, far better than being trapped in the nightmares the Storm King had brought to this place not too long ago. “We just need to, uh… figure out how to make it right! Just telling birds you feel bad about what you did won’t be enough. But maybe if we find some of the things you broke, and fix it, maybe that would help?”
Tempest looked like she might be about to start laughing all over again, but she caught herself. “That is—that is why I’m here, to fix the damage I caused. I thought it would be with justice on my head, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t prefer not to rot in one of your prisons for the rest of my life.”
“So we need to find someone… willing to let you help,” Silverstream said. “That shouldn’t be hard!”
It was. The Storm King’s armies had rampaged over Mount Aris, beginning at the base of the mountain where they landed and devastating the city’s tiered heights. Much of that old infrastructure was still broken, along with many homes along the way. Anywhere creatures had hid or tried to fight, the Storm King had leveled.
Many were never rebuilt, though the situation wasn’t so grim as it might seem at first. These families weren’t gone, many of them had just chosen not to leave the water when the Storm King was finally defeated.
She tried to think of places a powerful unicorn could help, but they didn’t want her. The ironworks wouldn’t let her anywhere near it, since the weapons made there were too important for a known enemy to see. The broken hospital wouldn’t let her join, not after she failed to demonstrate a basic mending spell.
It was her horn, obviously—the break had somehow made her a powerful fighter, but robbed her of her precision.
Their first day ended in defeat. When the second dawned, she expected Tempest to want to give up, but the unicorn was up, ready to return to their heartbreaking work.
“Your endeavor is noble,” Tempest said, as they sat in the shadow of a ruined monastery to eat their meager lunch. “Taking me from place to place to offer my services. None of them want it, but can you blame them? I’m the invader. Perhaps those beneath the waves might’ve forgiven me, content in their new lives. But all these birds came back. They probably didn’t want to leave.”
“Yeah.” Silverstream stared glumly down at her sandwich. She didn’t really have an appetite anymore. It wasn’t even about her grades—at this point, a pony’s future was on the line.
“Tempest Shadow,” said a voice from behind them, rounding the monastery so fast that they hardly had a chance to react.
Silverstream dropped into an awkward bow. “Skystar, I didn’t know you were on the surface today!”
She waved a dismissive wing. “None of that, Silverstream. Come on, we’re cousins. I just wanted to see if it was true.”
Tempest hadn’t bowed, only lowering her head as Skystar approached. They locked eyes, and for one terrible moment, Silverstream thought she might attack again.
But she didn’t. “I’m not here to threaten your mountain, Princess Skystar. I’ve done it enough harm over the years. But I won’t be able to bury the past until I fix what I’ve broken.”
“So I hear.” Skystar paced past her, expression an unreadable mask. “It’s noble of you to try and make things right. Guess it hasn’t been working out.”
“Not really,” Tempest admitted. “I can’t blame the hippogriffs for not wanting to forgive me. I wouldn’t forgive me, if I’d led an army to destroy my home.”
Skystar’s face twisted again, apparently considering. Finally she stuck out a claw. “You still looking for something you could do? I have an idea. It’ll be hard work, but… maybe it will help birds see you’ve changed.”
“Yes,” Tempest said, without hesitation. “I don’t fear difficulty.”
“Not even gonna ask?” The princess raised an eyebrow. “It could be something really awful!”
Tempest shrugged. “Can’t be as bad as I deserve.”
Skystar turned, pointing up the mountain at the distant, ruined shape of the palace. “We’ve been trying to fix the castle ever since it… well, since the attack. Huge parts of it are still ruined, though.”
“That sounds perfect!” Silverstream barely restrained her excitement. “That’s like… everyone will see you working up there, Tempest! And they’ll know the princess invited you!”
“We all need to put the past behind us,” Skystar said. “Let’s show the creatures of Mount Aris it’s time to forgive.”