Fizzlepop Berrytwist walked along the foot of a barren mountain. On her back she carried flowers in a clay pot. The flowers themselves, while varied in color, were very dull in their hues, with the brightest color of the bunch being a darkened yellow. She looked up the face of the mountain and at the very summit, was her makeshift dwelling. Sparks of electricity flared up from under her hooves, and soon, all four were covered in condensed electrical energy. she placed her hoof on the mountain, and began to defy gravity's force as she walked upward and to her destination.
She could never pinpoint when they began, but she started to see the same things in her dreams, and her imagination always seemed to take her back to her childhood days. The days when she had far less worries in life. The days when she could still see her friends on a daily basis. The days when she had magic. She began to have these thoughts once more, and like every other time, she repressed them. She told herself they didn’t matter to her. That was the past, events that have already taken place. Events that she can no longer change. Ones that she can’t forget, no matter hard she tried every single day. Ones that…could've been different.
And once again, her repression did little to keep her thoughts stable. At least she had reached her destination before her mind could wander any further. She needed to be focused on the here and now. She climbed to a large platform on the side of the mountain that led into the one thing that changed her life: a cave. Before she could even walk inside, she saw it. The tragedy that took away her every right to be called a unicorn. She envisioned every second of it so vividly. From the ball rolling into the cave, her declaring to get it with such boldness in her voice, and that boldness eventually making like her horn and being painfully ripped from her body like a band-aid. Again, she attempted repression.
Ironically enough, Berrytwist wasn’t afraid to step inside. She focused lightning into her hoof and shot small bursts in four directions. Each one struck a wooden club held up by metal scaffolds, sparking a fire. With the cave lit, Berrytwist made her way to the last remnants of the Storm King. It was a dark, and barren graveyard that consisted of his, and other notable soldiers that fell during their fight with the Elements. While some died in the midst of battle, others couldn’t handle the mental strain that came with war. She placed flowers on each of the graves, and placed the most on the makeshift shrine of the Storm King. It was a statue made frail by years of degradation, and mossy overgrowth. Nonetheless, she paid her respects to each of them. She then sat down on the cold but soft grass that surrounded the Storm King's statue, closed her eyes, and paid a moment of silent grace to her former ruler. It was only minutes, but it felt like hours to her. She stood up, and exited the cave to create a nice ambience for herself. Electricity jumped from her ears, and she shot a large bolt in the sky. The bolt dispersed a group of clouds, and seconds later, it began to rain. The droplets peppered her whole body and before long, she was soaked. Not that being soaked bothered her anyway. Berrytwist always had a history with rain, but unlike most ponies, she loved whenever it did. It was one of the few things that brought her peace and would allow her to sleep peacefully. And sleep peacefully she did.
Her time of peace was short lived, as the once light rain turned into a howling storm with lightning cracking down on the surface below. Berrytwist rose with urgency to the situation. She knew she hadn't used too much lighting, and yet a hurricane could be forming with how fast and hard the wind was blowing. She looked to the cave behind her, and saw that the torches she once lit had gone out. It was pitch black.
"Quite ironic that you shelter yourself in a cave Fizzlepop. I once ventured you'd learn from your mistakes." Sombra said.
Berrytwist whipped around as electricity surrounded her body. "Who the hell are you!? And why would going in a cave be a mistake?"
"I'd much rather skip the formalities until later. Then again, you are the Tempest Shadow. The one that lost something very dear to them in a cave." Sombra responded smugly.
Berrytwist's electricity declined in intensity. "That isn't who I am anymore! I left that life for good!"
"You may have left that behind, but your past stays with you in some form Fizzle." Sombra said as he pointed to Berrytwist's forehead.
"...How do you know so much?"
"Hm. The amount of tales I heard about the Storm King's battle with the elements was nearly uncountable. Most of all were tales of you. while others looked at you as a tragic traitor, I saw your power, and potential."
"Potential? What potential do I hold anymore? I wield no magic to grant me such..."
"I see.... I find your little shrine to the Storm King quite comical. Aren't you glad you have no master to order you like a sheep?"
Berrytwist figured there was no point in trying to hide anything. "I served him well, as he served me well. I owe him for the second chance he gave me." she said softly.
"Serving his people. One of the few things he did right as a monarch." Sombra said jokingly.
Berrytwist immediately retorted "And what would you know about being a king?"
Sombra stepped out of the shadowy cave, to reveal his form. "While he could've taught me a few things, I'd like to think my rule had many things over his."
The moments in which Berrytwist was genuinely shocked was few and far between, but this was certainly among those moments. She looked wide-eyed at Sombra, almost taking a step back. "I-it's...you. You're...him." She stammered
Sombra laughed in response. "I see you know of me Fizzle."
"How could I not? You once tried to overthrow Cadence and the Crystal Empire."
"To reclaim what was mine, not overthrow."
"Where have you been? Everypony thinks you're dead. Wait...all this time you could've attempted to 'reclaim your throne'. Why haven't you?" Berrytwist asked
"Simple. I need ponies like you. Of all the stories I've been told about you, y'know what you showed me. You showed me that even without magic, you can prove a challenge for those who wield it. I believe you'd make a valuable asset to my cause. My key to victory is a gem called the Vertia. Its abilities are capable of granting you something that once belonged to you. Help me obtain it, and you’ll be able to use magic once again.” Sombra explained.
Berrytwist pondered the possibilities. On one hand, she didn’t know if she could fully trust the dark king, but on the other, she would finally be able to be a unicorn again, to rewrite her story. She’d finally be able to catch up with Glitter Drops and Spring Rain again, and she’d even be able to surpass those who once shunned her. The thoughts of revenge and redemption would’ve been questionable to any other pony, but to Beerytwist, it was all she cared about at this point.
“Are you willing to join me Fizzlepop?” Asked Sombra
“Call me Tempest Shadow.”
Cozy Glow laid flat on the meeting room couch with empty bowls covering just as much as the blankets were. Not even the sound of Sombra and Tempest walking in was enough to wake her.
“So, this is what infamous Cozy Glow does in her spare time?” Said Tempest.
“I assure you she carries herself far better around others.” Sombra responded.
“Well, what’s our next move? Getting the Vertia?” Tempest asked
“Not right now. See the Vertia is inside a pony/changeling hybrid and his ‘mother’ is Chrysalis. All we have to do is wait until he fully rejects her, and then our time will come. In the meantime you should prepare yourself. You and Cozy will be out for recon tomorrow, so rest yourselves. Your quarters are to the right, Cozy’s is to the left, and mine are on the upper floor.” Sombra explained.
With those parting words, Tempest went straight to her room. She looked around. It had most of what made a room, a room, but also had other small things that made it look like a place for planning and preparation. She looked out her window to a pleasant surprise that the storm was still producing the rainy ambience that she loved. She looked out the window before bringing herself back to peace
“I’ll finally show you two what I can really do…”