//------------------------------//
// Ch.4: Meeting General Tempest Shadow 
// Story: Marching Towards Harmony 
// by TrackdNTraild 
//------------------------------//

As the ponies walked down the hall, Mystic lifted her crown with her magic and threw it off to the side. When its edge collided with the wall, it disappeared in a flash of bright teal sparkles. The fading sparkles showed that the crown had only teleported to Mystic's magic pocket dimension, and not been destroyed. Rarity sighed as the last of the sparkles vanished into the air.
"Why, you remind me of Twilight when she first became a princess," Rarity said to start a conversation.
"Do I?" Mystic looked at Rarity with a raised eyebrow. "How so?"
"Well, she hated wearing her crown," Rarity chuckled. "Despite being a princess, she never wanted to be treated as one. Hated being called Princess Twilight, was not a fan of the crown, and she could barely handle when your everyday ponies would call her Her Highness! You've already shown your extreme... dislike of princesshood, and discarding your crown is something Twilight had done before as well."
"She was nicer about it I bet," Mystic snorted. "It doesn't seem like she'd get irritated over it like I do."
"Well, that is true," Rarity said. "But, I digress. You've never once shown interest in being a princess, even though you are the rightful heir to the Equestrian throne. Despite whatever I or Twilight might say, it seems like you just... hate the idea. Despise it, one might say."
"Because I do!" Mystic snapped, her wings flaring out on either side of her. "If I liked the thought of being a fucking princess, do you think I would've canceled your yearly coronation attempts a hundred times? It took you 15 years to finally get me crowned, and Twilight had her coronation the day she earned her wings!"
"Twilight was... a different situation," Rarity mused quietly. "She earned her wings, so she was destined to be a princess from that day forth. You were born an alicorn just like Lapis and just like Flurry Heart. Ponies like Scarlet and Skyla had to earn their wings, they were not worthy from birth. You and Lapis, however, are different. Even though Lapis no longer has her horn, she is still a princess from birth, it is only official once we have your coronations. Despite your dislike of the title, you were born with it, darling."
"Fantastic," Mystic grumbled, her ears pinning back against her mane and head hovering a foot off the ground. "So basically what you're saying is even if I canceled my coronation forever, I'd still be fucked?"
"Well, I would not put it so vulgarly..." Rarity laughed nervously. "But essentially, yes, you could not avoid the title forever. Alicorns from birth are naturally royal, regardless of their lineage. Why, do you think Twilight was born into a royal family?"
"No," Mystic sighed, rubbing her head. "But when you think about it, she was royalty the day her brother got married to that crystal princess."
"Yes yes, your aunt-in-law Cadance," Rarity hummed, swishing her tail. "You know, you could have just an ounce of respect by using her name."
"I always forget," Mystic said with an eye roll. "It's not like I see her everyday."
"Still, she is your family," Rarity spoke with a firm tone. "If you had to ask for her name in front of the other ponies back there, that would've been quite embarrassing."
"Okay I get it!" Mystic groaned, lifting her head and picking up her pace to out-trot Rarity. "I'll be more 'respectful'. Now, can we change the fuckin' topic? I'm sick of talking about all this royalty and princess shit."
"Alright alright, please calm down," Rarity said gently as she sped up to catch up with Mystic. "I won't push you any further, darling. We'll get your medicine and we'll go see Tempest. I'm sure you'll be much happier then, right?"
"Much happier," Mystic emphasized, passing a brief glare to the white unicorn. When she blinked, her expression softened, and she faced the hallway ahead of her again.
Though she seemed slightly more relaxed now, irritation still flickered in Mystic's pupils, and she didn't slow her pace. Her focus was back on the task at hand. With each moment her hooves collided with the ground, Mystic could feel her heart beat, and waves of agony wash over her body like the waves of a high tide. She hated being able to feel her own heartbeat; it made her incredibly uncomfortable. It was one of the few things that she hated just slightly more than her pains. She slowed her pace, lifting a hoof to her chest over her heart.
"Are you alright?" Rarity slowed down, and moved to stand in front of Mystic to stop their walk.
"I'm fine," Mystic huffed. "I can just... feel my heart beating."
"Does it hurt?" Worry etched its way into Rarity's tone. She stepped forth, resting a hoof over Mystic's, and blinking rapidly.
"No," Mystic said. "It just... makes me uncomfortable, y'know. I can't tell if it's anxiety, a sign I'm gonna get sick, or part of this stupid condition. Whatever it is, I am not a huge fan."
"Well, if your condition is the cause, the medicine should help," Rarity said with a small smile. She moved to stand by Mystic once again. "Come now darling, the room is just up ahead. If you'd like to sit down, I'll let you. I'm more than happy to fetch things for you so you can be comfortable."
"Thanks Rarity..." Mystic mumbled, putting a hoof around Rarity and giving her a brief hug, which was happily returned. Thankfully, for fear of aggravating Mystic again, Rarity had the sense to refrain from correcting her.
The two fell into silence as they trotted ahead into one of the small dorms that made up this section of the castle. Mystic climbed onto the bed close by, burying her face into the pillow and sprawling out. She was trying to get as comfortable as she could, though it was hard. She didn't pay attention, but she heard Rarity's faint hoofsteps in the room, and figured there was a bathroom somewhere. Mystic sighed, rolling onto her back and staring up at the periwinkle ceiling. She let a yawn escape her, and her tail thumped against the bed. She heard the sparkle of magic, and looked at the cracked door leading into what should be the bathroom. Rarity was humming something while she was in there, and Mystic recognized it, she just couldn't remember where it was from.
"Here we are!" Rarity sang out as she trotted back into the room. She set down a glass of water and two pills on the stand beside the bed. "Once those are down, we can go see Tempest. So, be quick."
"Got it," Mystic said as she threw herself to her hooves, and hopped off the bed.
Her horn glistened with magic as she lifted up the glass and both pills. She popped a pill in her mouth, tilting her head back to drink some of the water and get it down. She popped the second in, and took a big gulp. The pill was caught for a moment, making her cough, but she was able to swallow the rest of the water in the cup and get it down. It left an uncomfortable feeling in the back of her throat, but she would get over it if she kept swallowing for a little.
"God, I hate taking pills," Mystic complained.
"At least they're down, right?" Rarity laughed, gently patting Mystic's back. "We should get going, we never know when Tempest may be busy."
"Right," Mystic sighed. "If we're gonna hurry, shouldn't we just teleport there?"
"Well, we could..." Rarity mused. "But the exercise would be good for you. It's important to keep your body fit if your magic is to work properly. Unicorns are typically known for being slender because magic is channeled easier through our bodies that way."
"Explains a lot for you," Mystic snorted. "But I'm not exactly 'slender' by any means, so thanks for insulting me."
"Oh-!" Rarity covered her mouth as she gasped. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that Mystic! I apologize, truly."
"I know, I know," Mystic sighed, lightly tapping horns with the mare. "I guess I'm just sensitive."
"Well, that isn't so bad," Rarity hummed, returning the tap. "But... if you'd like to teleport, we can do that. I'd rather you not feel forced into walking after what I just said."
"Thanks," Mystic hummed, waving her hoof in front of her chest. "I just barely feel like standing right now, so I want to get all this over with so I can go home. Let's try to make this quick."
Mystic's horn glistened back to life, and sparked at the base. She shut her eyes to envision Tempest's training ground. Her teleportation skills weren't always the best, and sure she could've let Rarity teleport them both... but Mystic needed the practice. She was never going to get better unless she kept trying. Bright teal burst at their hooves and enveloped them both. Where they once stood was a collage of sparkles, and as Mystic opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that they had made it to their destination. She rubbed at her horn, feeling it hot after that spell. Well, best she doesn't use any more spells for the time being...
"I'm amazed I actually got us here," Mystic said. "My teleportation is usually pretty shit."
"Convenient, is it not," Rarity said. "But, this place is empty. Tempest and her guards must not be here."
"Well, this is the training ground, not the guards' quarters," Mystic said, rubbing the back of her head. "I uh... I guess I figured that since we were in a rush I might as well just bring us straight here."
"It wasn't a bad thought," Rarity said. She patted Mystic on the back. "I suppose we can afford to wait for them. They always warm up before they begin training, so if we be patient, we can catch her before she begins."
"Right," Mystic nodded curtly. "We can just chill out on the benches until they show up."
"Absolutely!" Rarity nodded happily.
The two mares trotted to a set of benches on the other side of the grassy field. Mystic flapped her wings to hop up onto  the bench. She sat down, and curled her tail over her hooves. Rarity sat down beside her, but let her forelegs fall beneath her after a moment so that she could simply lay on the bench. Mystic glanced around the field, wondering how long they'd be waiting for. She began to think of potential conversation topics to help appease her boredom, but nothing was particularly interesting. Sure, they would pass time, but she wanted to talk about something she actually cared about. She almost thought about going back to their earlier conversation, but decided against it for her own sanity.
Mystic chose to lay down like Rarity had, resting her hooves over her puffy tail and using it as a sort of makeshift pillow for her forelegs. She sighed, happy that she wasn't able to feel her heartbeat anymore. Rarity glanced at her, and Mystic saw that despite the calm silence around them, worry still glistened in the mare's eyes. Mystic shook her head, choosing to cast her gaze elsewhere. She hated how worrisome Rarity was, but she'd never say it out loud. Maybe deep down she appreciated the mare's concern. She shut her eyes, finally sick of looking at the bright green grass and sunlight. It didn't hurt her eyes, she just chose to revel in the blank darkness behind her eyelids instead.
She let time pass in silence. Every so often she could hear Rarity's lighthearted hums, and the faint sparkles of magic. Since her eyes were shut, she didn't know what Rarity was doing. She tried to make a game out of it, thinking up scenarios in her head of what Rarity might be doing. Her biggest thoughts came out to be between knitting, reading, or flower picking. Though, Mystic didn't remember seeing any flowers around this area, most likely because of all the training ponies trampling the ground. She didn't hear any flower stems snapping either.
Mystic finally opened her eyes when she heard hoofsteps. She glanced to the mare beside her, wondering if she was the one that had gotten up. Rarity had just sat up, and hopped off the bench with a smile. Mystic looked forward, blinking idly as the Canterlot army began to march into the training ground. At the head of march was Tempest Shadow herself, body cloaked in very different, but very familiar, jet black obsidian. On her flanks and breastplate, the emblem of the royal Sparkle family was rooted amongst the rock, crafted out of fuchsia spinel. Mystic could only recognize her because of her armour. She was a dark beacon against the bright silvers and golds of the rest of the pony armada.
"Tempest!" Rarity sang out, waving a hoof to the battalion leader.
Tempest held out a hoof to force the march to pause. She turned her helmeted head in the pony's direction. Mystic hopped off the bench to stretch out her wings and limbs, while Tempest pointed her hooves at various locations on the field. Each measure was a silent order to few sections of the army, who spread out in large groups. They stood together, muttering amongst themselves as they awaited further orders. Once the last group had scattered, Tempest made her way across the field to the two, now standing, ponies.
"Lady Rarity, and the new princess," Tempest spoke through the visor of her helmet, offering a brief grin to the chetwode blue mare. "What are you two doing here?"
As she awaited an answer, Tempest lifted a hoof to her helmet, pushing it up past her head to take it off. She set it on the ground beside her and shook out her mane, which was beginning to drip around her head and neck as it grew longer.
"Mystic requested to come," Rarity explained, looking at the pony in question. Mystic felt nervous having eyes on her, but she cleared her throat and swallowed down her feelings.
"Did she?" Tempest asked, her eyes sliding to the side to gaze at the alicorn mare, whose feathers were always naturally ruffled by Tempest's half lidded, piercing stare.
"I did," Mystic said, trying not to let her nerves get to her.
"Well, that's a surprise," The dark orchid general hummed. "Sorry I couldn't come to the coronation, by the way. Empress Twilight is... extremely paranoid, so I was put on high alert until the crowning was over."
"Makes sense," Mystic snorted. "Typical Twilight."
"Indeed," Tempest chuckled. "So, Princess Mystic, why'd you need to come see me? Some pony sass your glamour?"
"First of all, never say that again," Mystic grumbled, feeling her cheeks tint with pink. "Secondly... just call me Mystic, none of the fancy princess stuff. And, lastly... mom and I came because I want to wear my armour instead of a dress as I meet my... subjects. I want to have it refitted because I've, well, put on a little weight, one could say. We can only organize that through you sooo, here we are."
"Easy enough requests," Tempest said with a shrug. "Yeah, I can organize a pony to get that sorted for you. By the way, Mystic, if you're able-bodied for it, I'd like you to start coming back to practice. I heard that a few years back you finished college, again, which explains why you weren't attending practices."
"Actually I was avoiding being crowned," Mystic explained. "I've been canceling coronations yearly since I was 21, and the only reason I was going to college was so I could have a full schedule and avoid everything. I was really lucky to be able to avoid being crowned for 15 years."
"15 years?" Tempest's eyes briefly widened, but they lowered as she blinked and shook her head. "I didn't realize you hated the idea of a coronation that much. Or that they were being planned for that long."
"I just didn't want to be a princess," Mystic sighed. "But I couldn't avoid it this time, they surprised me with it when preparations were almost done. Regardless, I don't want to look like some fancy-shmancy filly toy when I walk through the crowd. If I'm gonna make public appearances, I want to do it as a guard and not a princess."
"I can get behind that," Tempest laughed. "I'll promote one of the guards to take over the training temporarily, and we'll find a pony that can fix up your armour. Rarity, if you'd like to sit this out, me and Mystic will head off for the fitting. You're more than welcome to go back to Twilight, or you can stay and watch the training play out."
"Oh I wouldn't want to trouble you." Rarity waved a hoof and giggled. "I'll go back with the other princesses to help entertain the crowd until Mystic is ready. You can bring her back before you continue your duties."
"I could walk back myself," Mystic grumbled with pinned ears. "Or teleport."
"Sorry Mystic," Tempest said lowly. "It's more professional if you go back with an escort, and that way ponies won't start assuming things. You've already got plenty of food on your table, so you should at least let this slide by."
"Fine," Mystic groaned in annoyance. "Let's just make this quick then. If I get any more irritated, the medicine I just took isn't gonna do shit."
"I'll leave you two alone," Rarity hummed as she turned around. "Though, do try to hurry please!"
Tempest and Mystic waited in silence as Rarity engulfed her figure in blue light, and vanished into the air. Her teleportation was much better than Mystic's, so she didn't even need to wait before her horn sparkled, and she was gone. Mystic sighed, envious of Rarity's magic control.
"Hey Tempest, could you ever teleport?" Mystic asked, looking up at the mare.
"I used to do it a lot," Tempest hummed, beginning to walk back to the tunnel leading under the training ground; it was the tunnel she had used to bring the army to this location. "I was never the best at it, but I could do it."
"Even you weren't good at it?" Mystic spoke with surprise in her tone as she trotted to catch up with Tempest. She had longer legs, so it was hard to keep a pace with her. As they passed the tunnel entrance, Mystic's horn lit up with bright teal, acting as a lantern in the infinite darkness.
"Not really," Tempest said sheepishly. "I'd spend hours training myself to get it just right, but I always had hiccups. Your parents have both always been better at it than me, but I'm sure even they mess up every so often."
"I can't help feeling shit about it, I guess," Mystic said with a shrug, her tail swishing against the concrete they walked on. "Flurry Heart practically mastered her levitation and teleportation skills when she was just a few months old, and I've barely been able to use my magic for 30 years! I didn't even have any magic spurts when I was born."
"Every pony is different, Mystic," Tempest said. She glanced up, the remains of her horn crackling with deep blue and white light. "I can sort of control my magic even now, but it's still barely functional with my horn like this. And think about your mom; until she earned her cutie mark, she could barely turn the page of a book. She wasn't always a magical genius. Just because you have a hard time teleporting doesn't mean anything. Even with my hours of practice, like I said, even I struggled. You not being a complete master of magic doesn't mean anything either."
"But, I'm--" Mystic started.
"Shut up," Tempest snapped, covering Mystic's mouth. "I know what you're going to say, and don't get me started echoing what your parents keep telling you. Your negativity is going to kill you someday, bottom line."
Mystic couldn't deny that she flinched when Tempest snapped at her. She liked to say that she was used to Tempest's harsh attitude, but it always surprised her. Her ears pinned back, and she glared up at the mare as she spoke.
"You might be an alicorn, but being magically proficient is not as big of a deal as you think it is," Tempest continued, staring at Mystic with an icy glare. "You should stop spending your entire life complaining about things you can't do or how bad you are, regardless of your practice and experience. You sound like a pitiful foal. You're a grown mare who still believes in the idea of 'if you can't do it on your first try, why bother?' Plus, when something doesn't go your way, you throw a huge hissy fit and don't try to do anything about it. Buck up and face reality, and that doesn't mean being a miserable bitch about everything that goes wrong. Shit happens, and living is hell; get over it already."
Mystic fell into silence, ears drooping at Tempest's advice, which really came off as an order. She wasn't hurt by it, but Tempest had a point. She was known to be a bit of a whiner, with a horrible personality to top it off. It had been this way ever since she had her diagnosis as a filly. She had always been bitter and miserable, and it all boiled down to her condition. It was difficult to live with her condition, but maybe Tempest was right; her personality shouldn't be dumbed down to her bitterness. Tempest saw that look in Mystic's eyes, and must've known right away what she needed to hear.
Mystic heard her sigh. She forced her eyes to lift from the ground, and her ears to raise just briefly. That look hadn't completely faded from her expression, but Tempest's eyes had softened. She shut her eyes and shook her head.
"Listen," Tempest said lightly, finally dropping her hoof from Mystic's muzzle. "I know how you are, because I've been training you since you graduated from your homeschool program. I may not be in your horseshoes so I can't truly understand what you experience every day of your life, but I used to be like you when I lost my horn. I thought I was completely useless because I was a unicorn who couldn't even use magic, and it was the only thing about me that I or any pony else cared about. But, as I grew up, I learned to live with it. Even when I worked with the Storm King, while I only did so to get my horn back, I didn't make it the only thing about me. Not every pony looked at me for my broken horn, and not every pony looks at you because of your pains or how many spells you've mastered in life."
Tempest paused their walk to put a hoof over Mystic's shoulders. She pulled her in close, the mare opening her wings in surprise. Mystic stared up at her with newly widened eyes, and lifted a hoof completely unsure what to do with it. Her ears still drooped, but her eyes had a little more life in them once more.
"You should be able to live life like any pony else," Tempest said, her tone soft but her stare a harsh glare. "I know that you can do it, because you're a smart mare. There's more to you than how good you are at magic, or how much pain you go through, so quit focusing on it, and prioritize living your life, okay?"
"...Yes, General Tempest," She spoke softly, forcing her ears to stay upright, and her mind to focus on the distance they still had to travel.
Tempest blinked her eyes to melt away the ice that had turned her gaze to a glare. She stared down at Mystic, and the alicorn mare was able to watch the irritation empty from her stare, like sand in an hourglass. Mystic easily returned the stare, but her eyebrows pressed back to showcase her upset. Tempest chose not to comment, instead turning and lifting her head to focus down the dark tunnel. She removed her hoof from Mystic's back, and began to trot ahead. Mystic fluttered her wings to adjust their position, before she too broke into a trot to catch up with the long-legged mare ahead of her.