Chapter One Hundred Twenty One
Chapter One Hundred Twenty One
"Well now..."
Rarity's brow furrowed as she scanned the note currently held before her, trying her best to make sense of it. Failing to achieve that, she made a second pass over it, this time reading more thoroughly, even squinting a bit as if the act would add some much needed clarity to exactly what she was reading.
This was certainly not what she'd anticipated encountering when she'd stepped into the library to ask Twilight if she was up to a luncheon date at the local cafe. But anticipated or not, it was still the situation she currently found herself in. And in all honesty, it wasn't a situation she was particularly willing to pull herself out of; not after seeing the state her friend was currently in.
"Well now," she repeated as she slowly took her attention away from the letter, and brought it back to Twilight who stood before her, anxiously holding the note aloft for reading. "So it would seem that happened."
Twilight nodded, before setting the letter back down on the library's central table, where it joined a number of other papers and writing supplies currently sitting in a state of assorted disarray.
"Frankly, darling, I honestly don't know what to say right now. Had it been anypony... anyone other than Ulquiorra writing to tell you this, I'm not certain I would believe it," Rarity stated.
"That makes two of us," Twilight replied, glancing between the letter and her friend. "This raises so many questions. I'm not even sure where to begin with all of them."
"Perhaps the simplest would be the best. How much sleep did you actually get last night after receiving this letter?"
"Would it do me any good if I tried to deny the merit of that question?" Twilight asked.
Rarity simply shook her head in response.
"I didn't think so," Twilight replied and let out a sigh, briefly closing her eyes as she did, before looking back at her friend again. "Very little, actually. I don't even want to think about what my blood/caffeine level is right now. Every time I'd close my eyes and try to rest even a little, my mind would just wander on its own, right back to the questions raised by the letter. After a while I just got fed up with it and decided to start writing stuff down. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Ulquiorra keeping me informed about what's going on, but his timing sucks. Why couldn't he write me this morning about this sort of development, after I had a full night of sleep to properly focus?"
"Would you have been able to wait if the situation was reversed? Could you have refrained from alerting us to the sudden arrival of another version of any one of us right out of the blue, even if it was in the dead of night?" Rarity asked.
"... No, I don't think I could have," Twilight reluctantly admitted and shook her head, knowing her friend had her there. "I just... I don't know. I'm tired, I'm frustrated, I'm confused, I'm scared, I don't know what to do! I feel like I'm on a treadmill right now, not getting anywhere."
"Hmm," Rarity quietly grunted in thought. "Perhaps a rest is in order then; try to make up for the lack of sleep you got last night."
Twilight shook her head in response, but only after sitting down on her haunches for some added stability.
"As much as I'd like to do that, I don't think I could actually rest. Even if I could theoretically get some much-needed shut eye, I have no idea when this meeting with the other me is actually going to take place. What if she shows up and I'm fast asleep? That would be incredibly rude. What if she gets offended and decides to declare war on our reality in response to being offended by my lack of decorum with regard to meeting her?"
"Oh pish posh," Rarity replied dismissively and waved her left hoof as if she were batting the very notion away like it was but a housefly. "I know you, darling, and you'd never declare war on anypony for any reason. You simply don't have it in you to do something like that."
"I appreciate that assessment. But, Rarity, we're not discussing me. We're discussing an alternate version of me," Twilight stressed as she stood back up again. "This could be a Twilight Sparkle who's actually a conquering warlord seeking to expand her domain, and has her eyes set on our Equestria to plunder for its natural resources to take back home!"
"Well then I wish her the best of luck. If she truly is a warlord, then she's in a very bad predicament," Rarity replied sternly. "First, Ulquiorra's letter makes it sound like she's stranded here, with neither a method for returning to her home, or even an idea of how to get there. Second, she's presently surrounded by three of the most powerful beings our reality has to offer. And third, we have a fully functional set of the Elements of Harmony at our disposal while she most certainly does not. Frankly I can't think of a worse set of circumstances for some would-be conquering warlord to find themselves in."
"... I really do need sleep, don't I?" Twilight eventually asked. "I'm drastically overthinking, underthinking, and wrongly thinking everything. I didn't even stop to consider those facts. I should've seen them immediately for myself. I haven't even met this mare yet, and already I'm suspicious of possible worst-case scenarios we might find ourselves in."
Rarity refrained from responding verbally to the question, as she saw no need for doing such since Twilight already knew the answer.
"It's just... I think I'd be able to rest a lot easier if Celestia would just respond to my letter, and explain what this development might mean for me. I have far too many questions, no answers, and my mind is reeling over all the possibilities."
Again, Rarity refrained from responding, but for an entirely different reason. Whatever her friend had to say was obviously important, and most likely needed to be voiced for her own well being. Interrupting her wouldn't do any good right now.
"Ulquiorra implied they don't know if time travel is involved, meaning there's the possibility this Twilight is from the future, or at the very least one possible future. Does that mean that I'm destined to become an alicorn as well? Am I going to become full royalty and be made responsible for an entire kingdom, just like Cadance and Shining Armor with the Crystal Empire? Am I going to have the same physical immortality as Luna and Celestia, and be forced to watch helplessly as everypony around me grows old and dies until I'm all alone? I-"
Twilight suddenly found herself being silenced as Rarity gently pressed her right forehoof against her lips.
"I understand your concerns, darling, I really do. Frankly you have good reason to be concerned. But Discord himself said that the future of our world is no longer set on a given path. What was to happen is no more. Wherever this other Twilight originated from ultimately means nothing, either for you or the rest of us. Her appearance here is no more indicative of whatever your future may hold, than the leaves at the bottom of a tea cup being read by some fortune teller."
The words weren't as comforting as Twilight would've hoped for, but they were at least something. Something she could at least smile about for what they amounted to.
"Now then," Rarity continued as she removed her hoof and set it back on the floor. "I've known you long enough, to know that alone isn't going to put your mind at ease. So instead I'm going to give you something else of reasonable complexity to focus on. A moment ago you said something about becoming full royalty. What exactly did you mean by that?"
"Oh. Ah," Twilight paused momentarily as she tried to figure out how to best respond to the question. "Well when Shining married Cadance he became a prince as a result. And as a result the rest of my family technically became royalty by extension as well. My parents, Spike, even I all more or less have official royal titles, even though we don't actually hold any type of public office. It's all kind of complicated and heavily technical. To give you a proper explanation I'd have to go in-depth into the whole royal hierarchy, and how it's directly affected and impacted by Celestia and Luna refusing to hold a position greater than Princess. It would probably take a couple of hours to adequately and correctly cover all the involved details."
"I doubt either of us have anywhere to be right now," Rarity replied in as supporting a tone as she could manage. "I have the time. And even if I didn't, I'd certainly make the time, especially for a friend."
"I know, and I really appreciate that fact," Twilight replied, unable to keep from smiling at least a little in response. "It's just... really complicated. Complicated and uncomfortable. It's not a topic that I like to discuss, much less even think about. Thinking about myself being royalty... just feels wrong in a lot of ways. I'd much rather think of myself as just Ponyville's simple librarian. Who just so happens to be Celestia's student. And even then, I don't really like mentioning that last part to new ponies. It's like I'm flaunting my status to them, as if it somehow makes me better than them, and just reeks of insecurity in my own self. Back when I was focused on my studies, to the point of excluding everything else, it was one thing. But after coming to Ponyville and making friends with you and everypony else, it put a lot of things into perspective, and made me realize I have a lot of regrets about my previous life."
"Oh, now, none of that," Rarity objected as she stepped closer. "Darling, there's nothing at all wrong in having a sense of pride in who you are, what you are, and what your accomplishments in life may be. You're certainly not ashamed of being Celestia's student, are you?"
Twilight shook her head in response, it more or less being the only thing she could actually think to do when faced by such a ridiculous question. There were certainly things in her life she wasn't exactly proud of, but that was definitely not among them.
"Never ashamed, just a little more conscious of the implications that go along with introducing myself as such. How it could give certain ponies the wrong idea, like I'm an easy mark for them to go about achieving their own goals through me. If you know what I mean..."
"Like the time we were all vying for your extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, and each of us for our own selfish goals," Rarity surmised.
"I didn't want to say it outright. But basically, yes, like that," Twilight replied.
Rarity simply nodded, now having a far greater understanding of what Twilight had been getting at previously.
"We really were horrible, weren't we?" she asked rhetorically, knowing full well that it was the truth. Perhaps it was fitting that their plans had been ruined.
"About as horrible as I was for not telling all of you how and why your plans never would've worked. So let's just call it even on that front," Twilight replied. "I've had to accept that a lot of interactions and business dealings basically boil down to how one creature can use another to benefit themselves in some fashion or another. And despite not liking it myself, I'll admit there are times I've had to do the same thing myself; like when those scientists from Canterlot were here gathering samples, and I "convinced" them to keep me informed of whatever they found. That was one of the things Celestia taught me; sometimes you have to know when to apply your weight with others. But now, in light of these latest developments, I can't help but wonder if lessons like that were because she was grooming me for a leadership position."
"Twilight, darling, you being in a leadership position is the only reason we've survived so many catastrophes around Ponyville. You convey an aura of having a level head and a plan even when everything has gone horribly wrong. If ever there was a pony fit for being in charge, it would be you," Rarity stated.
"That doesn't really make me feel any better. I'm just a single pony, and just as prone to errors as anypony else; Ulquiorra said it best when he said being intelligent doesn't mean you don't make mistakes and screw things up. What if everypony is counting on me and I make a situation exponentially worse because of that fact?" Twilight asked, a slight hitch popping into her voice in the process as she tried to breathe normally.
"Then it'll happen. Just as it's happened with countless other ponies who hold a leadership position, Celestia included," Rarity pointed out and huffed. "Twilight, if I may, I'm going to tell you something that I'm fairly certain you might not want to hear, but may need to hear right now. And I don't want you repeating it to anypony. Am I understood?"
Wordlessly, Twilight nodded in agreement.
"Good then," Rarity replied and stepped closer to her friend, leaning in until her lips were practically touching the lavender fur on her right ear as she spoke in a whisper. "For all of her centuries of supposed wisdom, her game plan for dealing with the second changeling invasion was the biggest, most idiotic fuckup that I've ever seen before in my entire life."
Twilight immediately pulled back in response, practically floored at hearing Rarity swear so freely.
She had long since come to accept Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and even Luna being prone to random bursts of swearing like sailors to differing degrees. But Rarity was a whole different story; one that she hadn't thought she'd encounter out of that one time in their shared dream. Hearing that slip past her friend's lips had hit with a much more precise impact than she was prepared for.
"I greatly respect Celestia, as much as anypony. But we've all learned for ourselves that she's far from perfect. She's just as prone to making stupid decisions as any of us are, and that incident confirmed such to be fact rather than theory. In hindsight there was so much room for error, so many ways everything could've gone horribly wrong for us, and the only reason that it didn't end in total disaster, was because Ulquiorra was there to keep everything on track.
"But, that questionable decision aside, Celestia doesn't let her flaws stop her from being a ruler. She hasn't let her lack of perfection get in the way of doing her best. Frankly, the risk of being wrong is just part of the burden being a leader carries. All that matters is you do the best you can under the given circumstances, and project all the confidence and certainty you can, even if you have to lie through your teeth in doing so. Often time being a competent leader is less about what one knows, and more about keeping others calm rather than panicking when things are going wrong, by keeping everypony's confidence up."
"... Are you trying to talk me out of being an alicorn? Or into it?" Twilight asked, now quite confused.
"I'm trying to lay to rest whatever latent fears you may be playing host to, that the appearance of this other Twilight Sparkle might've stirred up," Rarity clarified. "... Is it working?"
"... Strangely enough, I think it is," Twilight replied and nodded, not quite certain how, but still thankful nonetheless. "I never really thought about it like that before, but it does help put some things into perspective. I think I've known that even Celestia can screw things up, but it's been hard to reconcile that fact against the perfect image she's been cultivating for so long, even though I've witnessed it myself.
"But if she can't do a perfect job, then it's wholly unrealistic for me to expect myself to not do the same thing and fail occasionally; especially during the early days when I'd just be getting started, and getting a feel for everything. I'd actually be setting myself up for failure from the very outset without even realizing it, because of unrealistic expectations and ideals I'd be trying to hold myself to. Thank you, Rarity!"
"No trouble at all," Rarity replied as she reciprocated the incoming hug. "Now then, if it's not too much trouble, perhaps you could do something for me in return?"
"Of course! What is it?" Twilight asked.
"I know you said it's complicated, but could you please tell me what titles you and your family hold as royalty? You've managed to pique my curiosity and I'm having a very difficult time letting the matter go!"
Despite herself, Twilight found it hard not to giggle in response.
"Alright, I think I can do that," she replied and disengaged the embrace in order to better face her friend for the explanation that would follow. "Boiled down into the most basic, simplistic terms of our place in the royal hierarchy, Dad would technically be a baron, while Mom would be a baroness. I'm essentially a duchess, and since he was basically adopted by our parents, Spike is more or less a duke."
Rarity slowly, silently pulled back further as she looked at Twilight, before blinking equally slowly.
"Your... parents adopted Spike?" she asked. Twilight nodded. "Well now I... I didn't really see that one coming. I mean, I knew not long after meeting you that there was some measure of familial chemistry in your interactions, something that just went further than him being your paid assistant. I... guess, what with how you two act around one another, I just automatically assumed that you were the one who adopted Spike and was serving as the parent," she replied uneasily.
Twilight looked at Rarity, eyes wide with disbelief, before quickly shaking her head.
"No, no. Nothing like that. Although I have had to be the parental figure of our little duo, I'm still very much the big sister in this relationship," she clarified. "Although it very nearly ended up otherwise..."
She realized only too late that she'd said that next part rather than thinking it to herself. And now that it was out there in the open, she knew she once again had Rarity's attention, even though she didn't particularly want it.
"Might I ask how?"
The fact the question had been so polite, so simple, so unassuming, honestly didn't help matters. In anything it made the inquiry much harder to resist after everything else.
"Why not? After everything else we've shared this morning, I don't think it could hurt anything," Twilight replied and tried not to sigh too loudly as she prepared to give the explanation. "Do you remember how my entrance exam involved hatching Spike's egg with my magic? Well after he was hatched, we had to do something with him. So for the first two years of his life, Celestia oversaw his raising while I got accustomed to the academics of the School for Gifted Unicorns, although she insisted I tried to spend time with him every day to establish familiarity so he'd know who I was as he got older. I was taught about feeding, changing, bathing, and the rest of the basics that go into caring for infants.
"But after two years of interaction, and seeing how well I was thriving in school, Celestia had the bright idea that I was ready to take over on Spike's care and upbringing full time. At only eight years old. In addition to my schoolwork. Naturally, when they heard that I was going to be a mother at such a young age while still attending school, my parents were... less than thrilled with that idea."
"Yes, I can imagine they would be. Which just goes to reinforce my previous point about how even Celestia can make stupid mistakes," Rarity replied and nodded grimly. "But enough about that subject. We've already established -and quite firmly- Celestia's not perfect, there's simply no need to continue rehashing that particular subject. What you've gotten me more curious about right now, darling, is your current familial standing with Spike. Did your parents simply become his keepers instead of you, or did they actually adopt him in an official manner?"
"Well originally it was just going to be the former. But that idea eventually went south in favor of the current arrangement. It was eventually made official; we had papers drawn up and everything about six months before the Summer Sun Celebration," Twilight explained. "The details of it all are sort of a long, funny, bordering on downright fantastical type of story that sometimes border on being too absurd to take seriously; even in light of everything that's happened the past few months."
"I doubt either of us have anywhere to be right now," Rarity repeated. "If you're not up to sharing, that's perfectly fine. I won't force you. But if it'll help you relax a bit more so you can rest, I'll all ears."
Twilight visibly mulled over the matter, chewing at her bottom lip as she tried to determine just what she wanted to do. And how much of Rarity's generous nature she was willing to push.
"I'll... tell you later," she eventually replied, honestly just not feeling up to telling that particular story right now. "I need rest. But in order to get rest I need answers, so I need them both at the same time. And right now I really wish Applejack could be here. But that's not going to be until later tonight."
"Well... I may not be Applejack. But could I make do in a pinch?" Rarity asked.
Twilight slowly looked back at Rarity, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words. They sounded like it was something simple, but so help her she just couldn't grasp it! Why did she have to have her brain in such a haze when she was tired!?
"Huh?"
"Darling, you need rest, even if just for an hour or so. And if having a warm body close by is what's needed to help you rest easier, then I'd be lax in my generosity duties if I didn't do whatever I could to help," Rarity explained. "So... you just mosey yourself on upstairs and lay down for a nap you hear, sugarcube."
In a moment she wasn't particularly proud of, Twilight snorted in response before breaking into giggles.
"That's the worst Applejack impersonation I've ever heard."
Rarity frowned in response. Or at least tried to frown. Then she tried to pout. And then she tried simply to not succumb to her own amusement.
"I suppose you could do better?"
"Ah, not even to save my life," Twilight admitted. "Rainbow Dash is the only one I know that can pull off passable impersonations well enough."
"Yes, well, I believe we're getting off track. You need rest, and as your friend I'm going to do whatever is needed to help you with that. So upstairs you go, and I'll be right behind you," Rarity insisted firmly, all but physically nudging Twilight in the direction of the library's loft.
POP
The two hadn't even managed to set hoof up the stairs before being alerted to the sound and flash of a teleportation occurring inside the library. Bringing their attention to Celestia currently standing in the middle of the floor, just to the side of the table that sat there.
"So close," Rarity mentally grunted as Twilight abandoned the plan in order to dive towards Celestia to embrace her. That mare needed her rest, and now it was going to be even harder to get her to lay down and catch up on some much-needed sleep.
"I honestly didn't expect you to actually be showing up," Twilight stated from her current position as she loosened her grip around Celestia.
"In honesty, I wasn't exactly planning to, either," Celestia admitted. "But considering the subject matter, I felt it was best to address it face to face, rather than through back and forth correspondence."
"I really appreciate that," Twilight replied and set back down on her hooves again, grateful that the delay involved with writing and sending letters wasn't going to be a factor. "I have so many questions, I don't even know where to properly begin. This other Twilight, her future, my future... it's all making my head spin over the possibilities. And the possible possibilities."
"I understand your concerns, my young friend. And I'll do my very best to answer your questions," Celestia assured her.
And then she noticed they weren't alone, as Rarity was also in the room with them. Making her nearly frown in response.
"Rarity, perhaps it would be best if you took your leave for the time being. As I'm sure you understand, this is a very... difficult subject to discuss..."
"I have no doubt about that, Your Highness," Rarity agreed and nodded. "However, I'm afraid I can't leave just yet. You see, I have a friend who needs my help at the moment, and I don't believe it would be right to abandon her, just because the subject of discussion is uncomfortable. What sort of friend would I be if I did that?"
Once again, Celestia wanted to frown in response. She also wanted to explain why it would be in Rarity's best interest to leave them alone. She even wanted to point out that it was well within her authority to order her departure.
But one look at Twilight, who was all but silently pleading with her, made doing that impossible.
"Very well then," she reluctantly agreed and sighed in defeat. "I respect your dedication, however your timing in this case is quite rotten. What needs to be discussed is a very sensitive matter, and if you're going to be present, that requires reading you in on far more than I was prepared to discuss with Twilight. I must insist that whatever you hear not leave this room. This isn't something you can tell anypony about, am I clear?"
"Quite clear, Your Highness," Rarity confirmed and nodded. "Oh my honor as a lady, I can Pinkie Promise that not a creature shall hear from me, what will be discussed here today."
"I suppose it'll have to do," Celestia reluctantly acknowledged. "I just hope you're actually up for what you'll have to hear. If you regret it later on, there's nothing I can do about it."
Far away, far removed from the relative comforts of the Ponyville library, another matter was unfolding under vastly different circumstances.
The sound of wood creaking and groaning was almost constant, proving to be the most prominent noise that filled the still air, aside from the constant howling of wind blowing outside the safety of the airship, and thankfully dulled by the insulating qualities of the hull of the ship. Maybe not by much, but at least to some degree.
"Urp!"
Unfortunately those same insulating qualities that were masking the severity of the ongoing sandstorm raging outside, were doing nothing to lessen the swaying and shifting of the ship as it was battered by the forces it currently needed to weather. Nor were the anchors that kept it secured near ground level.
For the majority of the crew aboard the ship, the movements of the vessel weren't that much of an issue. Many were even able to sleep through it as if it were nothing. But not all were so fortunate when it came to the ability to tune out and ignore the swaying of turbulence and harsh winds.
"Uh, Boss? You really don't look so good," one particularly short, squatty little crew member of the hedgehog variety spoke up uneasily as he looked on, uncertain of just how to intervene in what he was watching within the confine of the ship's cargo hold.
"I'd be lost without your keen powers of observation, Grubber."
The degree of venom in the response was expected. But not the tone in which it was delivered; it was far too lacking, sounding both strained and tired. It honestly sounded like the very act of getting her gear on was going to be enough to floor her.
"What I mean is... are you sure you wanna go out there right now, Tempest? This sandstorm has been going ever since we arrived in the Badlands. Even before we got here! It doesn't look like it's gonna be letting up anytime soon," Grubber continued.
"That's exactly why I'm going out there," Tempest grumbled, her tone doing a lot to convey she was more focused on slipping into her desert robes for venturing outside, than she was on talking to him. "We've been rocking violently for the last eight hours. I've been throwing up for so long I don't even have any bile left to bring up anymore. I have to get off this ship and onto something solid that's not swaying every five seconds. The sooner we find what we came for, the sooner we can get out of this storm, and back into the clear skies."
Grubber bit at his bottom lip, uncertain if he should approach and help her wrap the coverings around her face, or let her do it by herself. Should he be a good underling and assist her so she could keep her balance, or let her prove that she wasn't helpless even though she was currently airsick and dehydrated?
"That storm's hitting pretty hard though. The gusts ripped the erator right off the bow of the ship," he stated. "We're currently "The Imp" at the moment. Do you know how intimidating that doesn't sound when we roll up on someone to pillage? I don't even wanna think what that storm's gonna do to flesh and bone if one of us sets foot outside."
Tempest's only response was an empty grunt as she sat down on her haunches to steady herself to better pull the goggles down over her face, ensuring her eyes would be safe from whatever debris was currently blowing about outside the safety of the ship's hull.
"If you're not coming then make yourself useful. Drop the gangplank and open the cargo bay doors so I can exit. And stay out of my way."
Gurbber winced. That one had hurt, even without her insulting him. Did she honestly think he'd just leave her high and dry like that, because he was scared?
Well... maybe in some circumstances, especially if his fuzzy hide was going to be directly at risk, but that was beside the point! After everything they'd been through over the years, to just suggest he'd cut and run like that, that was just dirty! Especially now.
If the leads they'd been chasing for the last month were right, then the staff of whatever, was located somewhere in the ruins of whoever, in the Badlands outside of Equestria's borders. And if that was the case, or even if it wasn't the case, she was still going to need him to know for sure. She was going to need him to carry the lantern and the chemical lights so they could see by, the spools of cordage for marking whatever path they took so they didn't wind up getting turned around, and frankly he needed to come along on this outing, in the event of there being a narrow passageway to scurry through.
The simple truth was that she was just too big and bulky to do that on her own. And the Storm Guards that made up the crew of the ship were even bigger and bulkier than she was, so they couldn't be any help even if they weren't resting at the moment! If she tried to traverse the ruins on her own, in her condition, and something went wrong... he didn't want to think about it. No matter how tough Tempest was, a cave in was still a cave in. And the thought of her being buried alive under a pile of collapsed rubble that was dislodged from her trying to traverse an area too small for her, all alone by herself, didn't sit right with him at all.
"Fine, fine, I'll come. Just... let's make sure there aren't any scorpios or sandworms out there first..."
He knew such beasts weren't in the area, as they would've attacked the ship if they had been. But even a couple minutes worth of delay might do them some good and let more of the storm pass.
And then there was a loud, thunderous boom echoing throughout the cargo hold that sent them both jumping in surprise.
Two more booms followed in quick succession, confusing -and scaring- them as they tried to figure out the source of the mysterious noise.
"Is someone shooting at us with a cannon?" Grubber asked.
"Too quick of a succession for cannon fire," Tempest noted as she pulled the cloth covering away from her face, her own nausea temporarily forgotten about in light of this new development. "You'd need an artillery battery to fire that fast."
Before there was time for discussion and debate about the issue of why an artillery battery being set up against them was unlikely, three more booms sounded. And this time they were accompanied by vibrations throughout the ship. Vibrations they could feel through their feet along the floor of the cargo hold. Vibrations that felt as if they were emanating from right around the doors that led to the outside.
Whatever was causing the commotion, was on the other side of the ship's bulkhead. And whatever was out there sounded like it was getting angry, as three more booms suddenly followed, this time significantly louder than the last, and causing even stronger vibrations to course along the floor.
"Grubber," Tempest finally spoke up, feeling if not actually hearing her voice crack in the process. "Get to the controls, and open the bay doors. And then get over to the munitions crates, and get an obsidian orb ready. Now."
"B... Boss?" Grubber asked, his head whipping around to look at her rather than the bay doors. "Shouldn't we be, I don't know, maybe weighing anchor and getting out of here as fast as possible instead of trying to fight!?"
"The gangplank never got deployed. Whatever's on the other side of those doors has to be massive to reach them from all the way down on the ground. And the engines aren't prepped for takeoff, it would take too long to try and flee; we'd be sitting ducks the entire time," Tempest pointed out. "Whatever is out there apparently knows what doors are, it wants inside, and it wants in right now."
Three more echoing booms quickly followed. This time with a degree of force that physically shook the ship like the winds themselves.
"It's going to breach the hull if we don't do something. Get over to the switches and open those doors before they're broken down!" she ordered as the adrenaline coursing through her system gave her a newfound strength to command and direct.
Grubber gulped anxiously, afraid of what they were actually going to be doing, but even more afraid of Tempest's fury if he didn't comply. Faced with such a choice he quickly booked it on all fours over to the controls on the far wall of the cargo bay, before putting all of his weight into throwing the lever to open the bay doors as ordered.
Even though the ship had been aimed into the storm's path upon landing, the howling winds and blowing sand had still found their way around to the aft of the ship the moment the doors had started to creak open outward.
Tempest would never, ever admit it to anycreature, not even willingly to herself, but she was honestly starting to feel scared of whatever was presently on the other side of the ship's hull. Scared to the point it felt like time was creeping by at a snail's pace as the gap slowly appeared and let sand seep in. Scared enough it felt like her chest was being constricted and the air squeezed right out of her lungs by an invisible force.
Scared to the point she was slowly backing away from the doors as she waited for them to open, while blue sparks began falling from her horn as she readied her opening salvo in case Grubber was too slow to get into position.
The bay doors had barely opened even a fraction of their overall size before... something... just casually strolled right through the gap. Something small, and pale, and stood on two legs, with a sword at its side as it wore clothes.
She looked at it. It looked back at her. And then it took its hands out of the pockets at its sides and started making gestures with both hands that indicated it wanted the doors to be closed. Something that Grubber was far too eager to comply with before Tempest could even respond and object to him acting without waiting on her.
Whatever this... thing... was that currently stood before her, it was proving to be far more off-putting than Tempest had initially thought. The way it stood was unnatural. The way it moved was unnatural. The way it was currently looking at her with those green eyes that conveyed conscious thought behind their slit pupils was very unnatural! Just being in its presence was enough to make her legs tremble as she tried to hold them rigid, fearful of what would happen if she actually showed any signs of fear. Even the air in the bay felt like it was bending and recoiling away from an influence that simply had no business existing in their world.
"Are you Tempest Shadow?"
In a less than dignified moment that she positively refused to acknowledge ever happened if she were asked about it, Tempest let out an involuntary yelp of surprise at suddenly hearing the voice of the thing that stood before her, and flinched away as a bolt of unstable magical energy discharged from her horn and exploded on contact in a shower of sparks and a puff of smoke.
It didn't move, didn't blink, didn't even flinch at being attacked. It just continued looking straight at her, with all the zest of somepony waking up on a Monday morning and getting ready to go to work. Dull, lifeless, disinterested in the fact it'd just been attacked and struck with what could've been a lethal strike, and entirely unharmed despite the direct hit!
And then it started advancing in her direction, slowly and methodically. If she could remember how to move her legs, she would've backed up, rather than standing there in shocked terror, with her heart trying to beat out of her chest, and everything seeming like it was moving at a snail's pace.
"Are you Tempest Shadow?" it asked again, as if the entire demonstration hadn't even happened.
"So what if she is!?"
Tempest's own efforts at trying to form coherent words, even getting her mouth to move in accordance with her brain's instructions, were halted from the sudden call behind them.
Looking up, she saw Grubber standing above them on a pack of crates currently strapped down to the bay floor, and clenching an obsidian orb in each hand.
"Bud, I don't know who you are, or even what you are, but we're really bad news, and you really don't wanna mess with us! You take even another step towards her and you're gonna regret it!" he yelled down as he gripped the orbs tighter and raised them over his head. "Do you have any idea just who you're dealing with right now? Who we work for? Do you know what we could do to mess you up!?"
"I know that if you try to utilize those weapons against me, your companion will be caught in the blast radius before she can escape, and will suffer a far worse fate than I will myself. You may wish to rethink your strategy of approach."
It was speaking again. Coherently, and logically. There was actual intelligence behind those eerie green eyes that looked like they could bore into her soul! That just made it all the more off-putting and terrifying, but at the same time it was slightly reassuring that this... thing... wasn't some sort of mindless abomination that had them cornered.
"G-Grubber, stand down!" she called out. "Y-you furry idiot, you just completely gave away the element of surprise! You should've just thrown them and been done with it..."
Grubber's attempts at looking more fearsome than he actually was, crumbled under Tempest's scolding, leaving him looking crestfallen in response. With little choice in the matter, he began climbing down from his perch.
"I grow tired of this inquiries. Are you, or are you not, Tempest Shadow?" the thing standing before her asked yet again.
"That depends on who -and what- is asking," Tempest replied, still trying to get her own nerves under control, which was now proving even more difficult with the thing barely being a pony's length away from her.
The subsequent resulting look she found herself on the receiving end of, was an entirely new sort of disturbing to experience; even worse than she'd seen previously. Just how many layers of disturbing did this thing have to it!? Was this some sort of mutant onion that they were facing!?
"Ulquiorra Cifer, the Primera Espada of Equestria. Currently tasked with protecting the overall well being of the kingdom from various threats," it replied in an all too calm -yet chilling- tone of voice. "You match the overall description that was provided. Your evasiveness in providing a straightforward answer one way or another, as well as the general overall hostility that has been demonstrated, would also strongly suggest you are indeed Tempest Shadow. As well as indicating there are those who are familiar with the name but not the pony behind it, and who would be inclined to engage in violence against yourself if presented with the opportunity."
"Let's... say for the sake of discussion that I am her," Tempest began cautiously. "What business does Equestria have all the way out here, this far in the Badlands? How did they even know where or when to start looking in order to find me out here?"
"Equestria is aware of the existence of the Storm King, and his plot to invade Equestria for the purpose of stealing its magic for his own immature purposes," Ulquiorra explained, getting straight to the point. "I was dispatched to intervene and prevent this development from successfully coming to pass, in an effort to prevent as much bloodshed as possible. It was determined the best way to achieve such, was to find his Lieutenant, and go from there."
Tempest was taken aback by this statement, unconsciously pulling her head back and blinking in response. Had she attempted to physically back up, she would've bumped into Grubber as he stood behind and just to the side of her.
"I don't know whether to be impressed, angered, or terrified by what you just said," she admitted and huffed. "I suppose the jig is up at this point, what with how much you seem to know."
"It is," Ulquiorra confirmed. "I can also tell, with a mere glance, that you haven't accepted the fact that this is over. I already know you're attempting to formulate a way to persevere through this development so that it amounts to a setback, rather than a defeat. You're trying to identify an opening that can be exploited so you can regain control of the situation and neutralize me, because you haven't accepted just how hopeless this present situation truly is for you."
Tempest gulped uneasily at just how thoroughly and effortlessly she was being picked apart. This thing knew what she was thinking now? Did it have mind reading powers or something? Was that how she'd been found out here, miles away from the nearest civilization?
"Whether you follow through on such an attempt, it's none of my business, as it will fail. I'm simply here to deliver two messages. The first, informing you that we know, and have already implemented countermeasures that will result in a great loss of life in the event of an incursion. The second, is as follows."
Neither she nor Grubber had time to scream before what happened next right in front of them.
"I still don't understand how all of this is actually going to work," Princess Twilight Sparkle stated as she uneasily shifted the majority of her weight from one hoof to another in the palace infirmary, as well as looking around the room much like a child would at a doctor's appointment in the moments leading up to their examination. "We're going to tell Ulquiorra what we know, and then he's going to go out and find Tempest Shadow using his, whatever his Hollow techniques are, and tell her what we told him? I'm sorry, but I just don't see how that's actually going to work. We tried talking to her back in my world, and it didn't do any good. She was convinced the Storm King would hold up his end of the bargain to the very end."
Over to her left, Princess Luna shook her head in response.
"Be that as it may, we are not using mere words alone. Rest assured, we are quite prepared on this matter. Ulquiorra has very unique skills, that allow him to share vast quantities of information both audibly and visually. If Tempest Shadow is found, she will not only hear what is being said, but see it for herself as well," she explained.
"Oh!" Princess Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, her reiatsu levels increasing much like they had done with this reality's counterpart. "I actually know the spell you're talking about! I used it to help a friend of my reality's Applejack realize she was being manipulated by her agent for his own, selfish purposes. That's another interesting thing I discovered in my time over in the mirror world. Humans have a technological equivalent of that as well, they call it a video camera. But if I get into the details about video cameras, I'll have to get into the details about cellphones, and every other technological advancement they've made that exceeds ours."
"I'm familiar with the concept of which you speak," he stated in an effort to bring the discussion back to the topic at hand. He knew it would do neither them, nor Tempest Shadow herself, any good to be getting bogged down with details relating to the digital revolution. "There will be time for discussing this later. Simply stay focused on what is needed right now."
Princess Luna nodded in agreement.
"I am certain it is an interesting topic, but Ulquiorra Cifer is right. I only have two hours before I need to turn in for the day, I do not wish to waste it getting sidetracked with other matters," she clarified. "The fact you know this particular spell is quite beneficial. Ulquiorra Cifer possesses his own version, which is what we will be using. She will be privy to this discussion as if she were here herself."
"This discussion, and a great deal more. Everything that is experienced from my perspective, she will experience as well. Sights, sounds, smells, sensations. She will feel for herself not only when you're being truthful, but also when you're being dishonest," he clarified.
Over where Doctor Mandibular Malar stood, there was a physical shudder from the stallion in response.
"That is honestly a disturbing amount of information to find out you can relate to others with ease. It could be a massive violation of privacy."
"You are not wrong, Doctor. But disturbing or not, it is something that must be done in this case," Princess Luna explained as she turned to face him. "When you are ready, merely speak to Ulquiorra Cifer as if you were speaking to Tempest Shadow. He will do the rest. Now then, Princess, if you would please begin."
It was at this point he decided to speak up, as only he knew how things actually needed to proceed.
"Before we begin, it's important to establish a baseline so Tempest Shadow can feel for herself you're being honest in your explanation. To do that I will need two truths and a lie from each of you, in no particular order. Make it a lie that even you don't believe yourself."
The three looked at one another in visible confusion, before Princess Luna nodded, and Princess Twilight Sparkle nodded in turn and looked at him again.
"Alright then. Once I didn't have a weekly friendship report to submit to Princess Celestia, so I panicked and sort of created a friendship problem in the process because I was afraid of being tardy. I absolutely love cheesy quesadillas. And I didn't have my first sleepover with friends until after I'd already moved to Ponyville."
The second one had definitely been the lie. If there had been a visible truth/lie at the time, it would've buried the damn needle in the dishonesty territory.
"I'm Doctor Augustus Manehattan. Raven Inkwell and I once discussed the idea of making Prince Blueblood believe the palace was under quarantine because we didn't want to deal with him. And on more than one occasion I've told Princess Celestia to her face to lay off all the cake she eats because she needs to lose weight."
This time the first one had been the lie. A simple lie, but it qualified regardless. Now all that was left was Princess Luna, and they could continue.
"I prefer coffee to tea. I detest poached eggs. And Celestia and I used to have a brother named Cosmos. But we did not particularly care for Cosmos while growing up. So one day Celestia and I conspired together, murdered him, disposed of the body, and then denied to Mother and Father that we ever had a brother to begin with."
The last one had most definitely been the lie. Along with being the one that sent Princess Twilight Sparkle into hysterics as she snorted with laughter and nearly fell to the ground.
"That was horrible!" she protested, despite her own ongoing amusement.
"And yet you are still laughing," Princess Luna replied with a smirk.
"There will be time for laughter and ridiculousness later. We have business to attend to now," he pointed out. "Princess Twilight Sparkle. Begin."
"Oh! Right!" Princess Twilight Sparkle exclaimed and turned back forward, before clearing her throat in order to start speaking again. "Hello, Tempest. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, although I still prefer "Twilight" myself, but that's not really important right now. I know that you and I haven't met, so this is probably real confusing to you. Believe me, it's just as confusing to me as well. Anyway, while I haven't met you specifically, I have met a version of you. I come from a reality that's alternate to this one. I don't know how I got here, and I don't really know how I'm going to get back home. But as long as I'm here in this world, I'm going to help its residents however I can, with the information that I have. We still don't know if time travel was also involved in my arrival here, but based on everything we've seen so far, it's a reasonably safe assumption that something like that might be going on.
"Anyway, let's start with the basics. I just hope the information I got from the Tempest Shadow that I know, applies equally to yourself as well. Although you go by the name "Tempest Shadow" now, your birth name is actually Fizzlepop Berrytwist."
"That is an adorable name!" Princess Luna interrupted with a wide smile.
"Princess Luna, please don't say that, you'll just make her mad if she hears that," Princess Twilight Sparkle stated, before again clearing her throat and turning back forward. "I apologize. Anyway, you were born Fizzlepop Berrytwist in a remote town, far away from either Ponyville or Canterlot. Growing up, two of your best friends were Glitter Drops and Spring Rain. The three of you dreamed of entering Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns together. But that dream was shattered one day when you went to retrieve a lost ball you three were playing with, and wound up losing your horn in an attack by an ursa minor sleeping in the cave the ball went into. After that it just sort of went downhill from there for you. You ran away from your home and your friends, and eventually fell into the service of the Storm King after he promised you he'd restore your horn if you did what you were told. He took advantage of you by offering you hope when you didn't have any for yourself."
Throughout the explanation, he could feel her reiatsu levels fluctuating with her emotional state. To the point she needed to pause and take a breath to better compose herself.
"I don't blame you for what you did, Tempest, not you specifically, or the other you that I actually know. But please believe me when I say the Storm King cannot be trusted. I can't emphasize that fact enough, Tempest, he'll betray you at the very first opportunity he has, once he gets what he wants from you. All your service and loyalty to him, it's going to be for nothing. I wish this wasn't the truth, but it is. And I know it's the truth because I saw it for myself. I was de-powered from having my magic stolen, helpless to do anything but watch as he did so. I know you don't have any reason to believe my words, but I have proof of this. Proof that you need to see before it's too late."
The explanation ceased as Princess Twilight's Sparkle's horn began to glow, and projected what looked like a large viewing screen, similar to what Princess Celestia had done previously. With an initial flicker of static, it began to display an image across its surface. The image of a large, white-furred, bipedal creature, its face covered in gray skin, framing two ice blue eyes. It wore some type of black armor on its body, with what might or might not be horns perched atop its head.
"I'm so totally over the cute pony thing! This! Ends! Now!" the beast on screen declared, before triumphantly raising a staff topped with a crystal towards the sky, and began cackling maniacally as it discharged blue magical energies in the form of what looked like lightning.
The darkened sky began reacting to the discharges of whatever magical energy was at play, with dark -almost jet black- clouds being drawn to the epicenter, as the winds began whipping and slowly but surely forming what appeared to be a tornado.
"Now I truly am the Storm King!" the beast declared boldly, its fists clenched triumphantly as it stared up in marvel of what was forming before him. "And the entire world will bow to my ba-ba-ba BOOM, baby!" it continued as it danced and flexed in place.
"Yes, yes, you are every bit as powerful as I promised, sire," the Tempest Shadow on the screen stated as she walked into view, her armored hooves clopping at the ground with each step she took. "Now, restore my horn, and I swear to use my magic to serve you!" she plead as she bowed before the Storm King.
The Storm King, in turned, laughed manically yet again, accentuated by a perfectly timed lightning strike behind him.
"Who cares about your dinky little unicorn horn?" he asked dismissively and easily swept her aside with his left arm, before walking right past her as if she were nothing.
The look on Tempest Shadow's face was one of utter disbelief, tinged with desperation.
"But... but we had an agreement," she insisted desperately as she ran around in front of him to cut off his path.
"Get with the program!" the Storm King roared, clenching his fists as he quickly bent down until he was at her level, his face right next to hers. "I USED you! It's kinda what I do," he finished dismissively, without even an ounce of sincerity or remorse in his voice, before quickly raising his staff to fire at her.
Tempest Shadow easily dodged the first bolt of magical energy, despite it being fired at such close range. The smoke hadn't even cleared from the burn mark cut into the stone beneath her before a second was fired in succession, which she also dodged. Followed by a third.
By this point it was evident she'd had enough and retaliated, discharging a bolt of unstable magic from her own horn at the Storm King, who blocked with another bolt from his staff. The two clashed in the middle, with an explosion that blew the Storm King back and into a stone wall, while also sending Tempest flying and desperately trying to cling to the stone railing to avoid being dragged off by the winds of the ever-increasing storm.
The point of view shifted from the temporarily downed Storm King and the staff he still clenched, and Tempest Shadow as she desperately clung to the railing with her right front hoof. And then it shifted again, closing the distance as two lavender hooves shot out and latched onto Tempest Shadow's foreleg just as she was pulled away.
"Hold on!" Princess Twilight Sparkle's voice implored from off screen.
"Why're you saving me?" Tempest Shadow asked, a look of pure bewilderment on her face as she stared back at the only one who was currently keeping her from being taken by the storm she'd unwittingly helped to create.
"Because this is what friends do," Princess Twilight Sparkle's voice explained in a soft, warm tone.
He had seen more ponies cry in his time here than he cared to remember to count. The look on Tempest Shadow's face strongly suggested she would be yet another he would have to bear witness to. But instead she smiled. It was a weak, relieved smile, but still a smile regardless.
Princess Twilight Sparkle then pulled hard on Tempest Shadow, bringing back to the supposedly relative safety behind the balcony railing, despite the ongoing storm.
"Aww!"
The point of view shifted away from Tempest Shadow, back to the Storm King as he got back to his feet, and regarded them with utter disgust and contempt.
"Isn't that just so sweet," he cackled mockingly as he stepped closer, before raising his staff to aim directly at them. "Yeah... See ya!"
And then the Storm King was bowled over as the rest of Princess Twilight Sparkle's friends came into view out of nowhere, slamming into him at high speed and sending him flying.
As this happened, the screen went black and disappeared as easily as it'd come into being.
"I know that you don't have any reason to believe me, Tempest. You don't even know me. But trusting the Storm King will only end in disaster for everypony involved. Even if he wanted to, he can't restore your horn, even with the combined magic of four alicorns at his disposal. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but that's just how things are," the Princess Twilight Sparkle that stood before him concluded, both looking and feeling defeated by what she'd been forced to say.
At this, Princess Luna stepped closer to the young alicorn, and extended her left wing for the purpose of rubbing her back in a comforting manner. And then she became quite serious as she turned her attentions towards him.
"Tempest Shadow. I am Princess Luna. You may or may not have heard of me, but that is not of any importance right now. I am deeply sorry for what you have gone through since a young age, and I am equally sorry we did not learn about your situation much sooner. And if you really are in the service of the Storm King like your counterpart was, I implore you to leave immediately, based on what we have come to know. Leave his service, come to Equestria with Ulquiorra Cifer, and we will see to it that everything in our power is done to replace your horn. You do not deserve the abuse and treachery that will come from serving this fucking idiot that deems fit to call himself a king!"
Princess Twilight Sparkle's mood was immediately disturbed by the sudden swearing on Princess Luna's part, making her pull back and gasp as she looked at her in disbelief.
"Was... was it really necessary to swear like that?" she asked uneasily.
"In this case it was most definitely necessary. One of our subjects has been stolen, mistreated, deceived, and she is destined for being stabbed in the back as payment for all of her years of hard work. I will not stand for such a travesty being allowed to transpire under my watch. It was bad enough when it was Nightmare Moon who was doing it. If Ulquiorra Cifer does not kill this bastard then I will do it myself for what he has done to her!" Princess Luna practically roared as her reiatsu flared, to a degree it was starting to prove painful against his skin.
Whether or not it would interfere with his readings, he didn't yet know. Only time would tell if he would be able to provide an accurate reading.
"Tempest Shadow, you deserve better than the secondhoof snake oil that is being peddled here. And you will receive it even if I must orchestrate everything myself! Now, Doctor Mandibular Malar, please take over and tell her what we can do to help her, before I end up losing my composure entirely!"
The stallion in question nodded where he stood, understandably uneasy after what he'd just witnessed, and presently still was witnessing as Princess Luna was still visibly fuming as she tried to calm down. But regardless, he cleared his throat, before stepping forward to begin speaking.
"Miss Shadow, Doctor Mandibular Malar, I've been in medicine for over thirty years and have treated all manner of ailments and injuries, ranging from the mundane to the severe. I'm sorry to hear about your horn, I know how much of a loss that can be for a unicorn to suffer. I don't know how much knowledge you may or may not have regarding the development of medical magic and science, so I'll spare bogging you down with the minute details for the time being, and get straight to the point. We can grow you a brand new, fully functional horn from synthetic crystal."
"Wait, what?" Princess Twilight Sparkle asking, her unease immediately forgotten about as curiosity exerted itself over her, bringing her focus and attention to the stallion. "You can actually do that? You can substitute crystal for horn material? How!? And what exactly is synthetic crystal? How does it differ from natural crystal?"
"Princess Twilight Sparkle," he spoke up, knowing that if he didn't intervene now, this entire discussion could last for much longer than was necessary. "The entire purpose of this meeting is to benefit Tempest Shadow, not yourself. You can inquire about the technical details of the process at a later point. She does not need to be subjected to a lecture at present."
In less than a second, her entire demeanor changed, and essentially deflated in response as her reiatsu levels dropped, and her ears folded against her skull.
Doctor Mandibular Malar frowned in response, giving a nonverbal growling of some sort in response, before turning his attention back forward again.
"Now that I think about it, Miss Tempest might benefit from knowing something about the process, just so she understands it's a valid procedure. We basically take a sample of a pony's blood, and inject it into synthetic crystal while it's still in liquid form. This basically custom tailors the finished product to that specific pony, and makes it as much a part of them as any other body part may be, just not organic. After that it's more or less just a matter of making a mold, and surgically attaching it to her stub to render it functional."
"And that actually works?" Princess Twilight Sparkle asked, her mood somewhat improved after what she'd heard. "Tempest would be able to cast magic again? The crystal won't just suddenly shatter or explode under strenuous magic use?"
"Well I can't say that it's not a possibility. But to the best of my knowledge, based on all we currently know, no unicorn has ever demonstrated the level of mana output that would be necessary to actually do something like that. I don't think the average unicorn even could do something like that without killing themselves through mana depletion in the process, which would happen even with a fully organic horn. But, yes, she'd be able to use her magic again, just like any other unicorn. Just like I've been doing for the past five years without issue."
Much to his own disbelief, this time it was his turn to be curious about what he'd just heard. This was a development he hadn't foreseen coming.
"Say what now?" Princess Twilight Sparkle asked as she stepped closer to the stallion, her reiatsu levels now alive with all the enthusiasm he'd seen on Pinkie Pie numerous times before, as she stood just inches away from being nose-to-nose with him, staring directly at his horn. "You actually have one of these crystal horns? Oh my goodness! B-but it looks so real, so natural! When you were describing the whole thing just a minute ago, I thought it was going to be something that looked like actual crystal, cut to a vaguely horn-like appearance, and secured to the horn base with gold wire wrapped around the spiral or something. If you hadn't said anything I would've continued assuming it was an organic horn just like my own. No wonder Princess Luna suggested I speak with you about this topic."
"The wonders of medical science and magic coming together in beautiful harmony. We've come a long way in the last ten years since the inception of the idea," Doctor Mandibular Malar replied with a wry grin, before taking an understandable step away in order to continue speaking. "I can fill you in on all of the finer details later on, Your Highness, along with her if she'd like to know them herself, and learn what went into getting the procedure to where it is currently."
"Doctor, if I may," Princess Luna spoke up, now that she was calmer than previously. "I know what it is like, better than anypony perhaps, to suddenly be confronted with modern developments that seemed impossible to even dream about. Could you explain, for Tempest Shadow's benefit, why she may not have known that this procedure even existed?"
"It would probably be for the best that I did, but at the moment I can only speculate," Doctor Mandibular Malar replied and nodded, before turning back forward to face him again. "Depending on when you left Equestria, Miss Shadow, the procedure might not've even existed at the time. We've only been performing it for about ten years now. At the time I went in for the procedure myself, most ponies outside the Manehattan area really hadn't even heard about it unless they were up on their medical journal reading. And even then I only learned about it from Princess Celestia. It's... just a matter of unfortunate timing. I'm sorry about that. I know it doesn't make up for it, but the point remains that the process exists, it works, and you can finally be helped, by those who actually want to help you."
Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, nodded in unison at the last point raised.
"I know it's ultimately your decision to make, Tempest, nopony can make it for you except you. I wish I could be there to meet you face to face for this, but sadly I can't. All I can do is trust Ulquiorra, and you, to do what you believe is best."
Tempest watched, unable to look away, and unable to tune out the information that was being forcefully inserted directly into her brain. This mist, these tiny shards of eye that Ulquiorra had practically thrown right in her face after horrifying them with what he'd done with his own eye, were making her see things from his point of view. She was seeing exactly what he had seen.
But it was doing so much more than that. She wasn't simply seeing what he had seen, but was also experiencing what he'd thought, what he'd felt, what he'd detected, and to what extent he'd detected it. She could feel the fluctuations in mana just as he'd felt them. She was experiencing input and sensations that she never even dreamed as being possible, just as he'd said she would.
She hadn't wanted to believe it. She wanted to deny that things couldn't possibly have been as simple as they'd all presented it to her. But deep down she knew it was all true, as she'd felt it for herself. She could positively feel the overwhelming honesty and truth in their words as they spoke about everything. From the doctor informing her about what the process involved, to the one princess who somehow knew details about her life that she hadn't shared with anypony, to the other princess imploring her to come back home like a mother would a runaway foal.
She didn't know precisely how she knew it was the truth they were speaking, she just somehow did. Not simply because they were what she desperately wanted to believe were true because they offered her a glimmer of hope and optimism. It... felt almost instinctual to her. Like their words somehow resonated down in the marrow of her very bones.
It was all more than a little overwhelming, forcing her to slowly sit on her haunches as she tried to process it all for herself.
Grubber could do little more than rest a hand on her back as he just stood there. He'd seen, heard, and felt the same things she had, due to the close proximity he'd been in when everything happened, but his takeaway from it all had been different from hers.
There were a lot of things he could focus on, a lot of things he could worry about. But at the moment, he had more important things to worry about, right in front of him.
"Boss? Are you gonna be okay?" he asked as he gently rubbed Tempest's back. Or at least the spot that wasn't presently armored.
No response. Not a scowl, or a growl, or a snarl, or even a cursory "leave me alone" zap to make him back away. Just... utterly nothing. She didn't even look like she registered he was even there at her side.
"You can finally get your horn back, just like you always wanted. This is good news, right?" he asked as he nudged at her back.
Nothing. Just absolutely nothing. It was like someone had come along and just turned the light off in her eyes. This wasn't the Tempest he'd come to know, respect, and even fear. This wasn't his Tempest at all. This was more like a broken, empty husk of her left behind in her place.
"What'd you do to her?" he asked as he looked to Ulquiorra for answers.
"I showed her what she needed to know. Not necessarily what she may have wanted to know," Ulquiorra clarified as he stood there with his hands tucked into his pockets, and his right eye completely restored as if it hadn't been ripped out of its socket just a few seconds ago. "What she chooses to do with this information, and how things may proceed from here, are entirely up to her."
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An update! This is a true blessing for a bored soul. Thank you
That's unfortunate, indeed.
yus, now I just need to wait another month or two. Well done. To note, I'm not being sarcastic, I understand writing takes awhile. I'm just eager
I do love this....very good~<3
Not gonna lie, I think it would have been funny if, as some of us thought, Tempest's life would have been different due to the difference in medical prowess from both reality and resulting in a hilarious derp moment. Oh well.
I'll just add that is a nice touch to have doctor Malar be one who went through this new procedure and giving him more back story.
Find a couple typos.
is
he
Always felt that Tempest had gotten short shrift in the movie. And desperation can easily blind one to the deceit of others. Here's hoping she decides to go with Ulquiorra to Equestria and get the help she's longed for.
Damn, a more serious chapter, i love all of them (and this) though!
LOVELY chapter, and delightfully long as well! Really filled a good chunk of my shift at work that would otherwise have been quite boring. X3
I love how this helps lock down my concerns from the previous chapter regarding their approach to Tempest and they invention of horn repair. Now I only have to point out one tactical detail: How to handle the Storm King. If they are going to try and directly counter him, they'll need to wait for him to make a move that is very obviously a selfish act against someone, or else they may accidentally ignite a flame they aren't aware of, metaphorically speaking.
Though take my words with a TINY grain of salt, since I haven't seen the movie and only saw a review of it instead, so I can't know for certain what political influence any of the Storm King's actions may have, if any. I'm just pointing out that if he does have some future value to someone, even as simply a nameless martyr, striking him down out of nowhere will NOT look good.
Thanks for the new chapter I liked it
Nice to see Tempest getting a chance to join Equestria once again. I hope the Storm Doofus makes an obvious mistake and reveals his presence and true colors soon.
Finally got around to this, and I gotta say I like how you handled Tempest Shadow and Grubber.
I have read HiE twice, and I love it so much!
All about it, the pace, the drama, the characters and their personalities, the gags, the dialogue, the events and the way that Ulquiorra over-analyze everything is so good and interesting and I haven't even read or watch BLEACH but damn Ulquiorra is such a badass. I love him.
Thank you for this amazing story, and I'm eager to read the next chapter. I can hardly wait!