My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition

by SuperPinkBrony12

Chapter 176: Tempest's Plea

Tempest found herself feeling incredibly nervous as she approached Mount Aris. Despite the fact that it seemed to have rebounded from the invasion stronger than ever, being so close to the source of her past as a merciless, heartless commander did nothing to lift the unicorn's spirits. "I'd rather be dead!" She thought to herself. "How can I even begin to look Queen Novo in the eye after all I did? Tell her that she can trust me? This has to be the dumbest thing I've ever agreed to! Even dumber than siding with the Storm King just because I wanted my horn back!"

Tempest was about to do just that, when several hippogriffs descended and surrounded her at spear point. "Don't move," Captain Sky Beak coldly hissed. "You're coming with us. And you'd best hope Queen Novo has mercy on you, for your sake."

"But isn't she sick with the flu?" Tempest questioned. "Wouldn't I just contract it too?"

Captain Sky Beak shook his head. "Nice try. The flu for hippogriffs isn't the same as the flu for ponies. She couldn't make you sick even if she wanted to. Now come on, we mustn't keep Queen Novo waiting."

With armed hippogriffs surrounding her and silently judging her, Tempest didn't dare to make a move on her own. She reluctantly cooperated as she was led through Mount Aris and up to the summit where Queen Novo's throne resided. The queen's face appeared drained of color and an ice pack rested atop her head, but aside from those details you never would've guessed that she was sick.

Novo immediately locked eyes on her visitor and was anything but pleased. "I recognize you. The Storm King's second in command. Come to finish what you started all those years ago?"

"Even you must know the Storm King is nomore," Tempest shook her head and let out a sigh. "Look, Novo, I know you don't trust me..."

"-You're right, I don't," Novo immediately retorted. "After everything you've done, give me one good reason why I shouldn't imprison you and place you on trial for your crimes? And don't say it's because Prince Shining Armor sent you. I respect him but he has a tendency to be a little too idealistic in wanting to see the good in others. Not everyone can be saved."

The unicorn struggled not to let the harshness of the queen's remarks get to her. If she lost her temper, Tempest knew that there was no hope for her. "I'm not the same cold, cruel pony I was when I served the Storm King. The armor I now wear is proof enough that I'm a different pony. One who wants simply to wipe the slate clean and start anew," She pleaded. "I've had a lot of time to think since the Storm King was defeated and his remains deposed of. I'm come to realize that the past can't be changed. Nothing can bring back what's already been lost."

Novo nodded. "Very true. You all of ponies should know what I lost because of the Storm King. The sacrifices made and the price paid simply to ensure the survival of my kind," Her tone of voice became bitter and tinged with regret. "Not a day goes by where I don't wish the invasion had never happened, that we would've continued to live in peace here on Mount Aris. Of course, I know that's wishful thinking."

"For the longest time I felt the same way about my horn," Tempest explained. "I told myself I'd be willing to pay any price and bear any burden if it meant I could have it back. I allowed myself to do terrible things because of that. But you know what I've learned now?"

"What?" Novo questioned.

Tempest let out a sigh. "It wasn't worth it. My horn would've never been worth all the pain and suffering I dealt out to others. It took everything I had to look deep into that abyss and realize what I'd become. And now, you're about to cross the same threshold."

"So the prince has sent you here to discourage me from searching for my niece, has he?" Novo retorted as her eyes narrowed. "Well you can tell him to forget it! I won't rest until my niece is safe and sound, and I don't care what I have to do to get her back."

"Even war?" Tempest questioned. "Do you honestly think your niece would be okay with that just because you wanted to find her? Is all that pain and suffering going to be justified if your niece is the only one safe and sound? I would hope not."

"And what would you have me do, Tempest?! If I have the power to save my niece, why shouldn't I use it?!" Novo demanded as she pounded a claw. "If I just sit around and wait for others to save me, I'll have learned nothing from the Storm King's invasion!"

"But don't you see? You're becoming just as bad as the Storm King!" Tempest protested with a shake of her head. "War is not the answer, no matter what you might think! What if you go after the wrong guy or fail to find your niece despite ripping up the entire world?! What happens then? You've already made everyone either fear you or despise you, when you could've had a chance to show restraint," She then added. "Please. I know you're upset. I know your niece means a lot to you. But getting Silverstream back isn't going to be worth the pain and suffering you'll cause if you go to war over her. Think of this as your chance to be better than your enemies, to show that you don't answer one act of aggression with another. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Novo was silent for several minutes, seemingly deep in thought. Tempest spoke not a word, in fact she began to slowly step back.

But before Tempest could even think of fleeing, Novo threw up a claw and answered. "You make a valid point, Tempest. Silverstream wouldn't want this, no matter who might have taken her. The world may be cruel and unforgiving, but that's no reason for me to be the same. Maybe I can't completely change how the world works, but at the least I can try to lead by example. Show how things should be, not how things are."

Tempest bowed her head, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh thank you, your majesty!"

"But," Novo added with caution. "I will not negotiate with a hostage taker unless all other options are exhausted. While I may rule out war, I can't rule out the threat of violence as a tool to strengthen my position. If any demands are made and I feel I have a chance to rescue my niece before something bad happens to her, I won't hesitate to take it. So you and the prince had better hope you can find my niece and the other students before it's too late. You were entrusted with their well being, so it's time to show you take that responsibility seriously."

Tempest gulped but still nodded. "I understand, your majesty."

---

When Tempest returned to Ponyville a short time later, she got some good news and some bad.

"With some help from Cadence I was able to discourage the yaks from attacking, at least for now," Shining reported. "Unfortunately, the griffons and the dragons are still quite insistent that unless we can find the missing students and rescue them safely within the next couple of hours, they'll take action on their own regardless of who gets in their way. And Thorax fears that when they learn Chrysalis is behind all of this, they'll blame him and attack the changeling hive which has no way to defend itself against such an invading force."

"It's all my fault!" Terramar complained. "If I hadn't drank all that kelp juice, I would've been with them and I could've prevented them from being abducted. Now my own sister's a prisoner."

But Gilda nudged Terramar with a claw. "Hey, you can't be thinking like that, kid. There was nothing you could've done. Had you been there with them, you would've been taken as well."

Terramar looked back at the griffon. "How can you sound so calm about all of this? I thought you and Gallus were close!"

Gilda nodded. "We are, kid. But I've learned that it doesn't help to get all emotional at times like this. The old me would've already lashed out at others, and that wouldn't have helped at all. In situations like this the key is to remain calm, then you're not as likely to make mistakes or rash decisions."

"But my sister is out there, somewhere, and I have no idea where she is." Terramar glumly remarked.

"Don't worry, kid. I know these ponies well enough to know that they'll find a solution soon enough!" Gilda firmly declared.

And sure enough, Twilight arrived a moment later with a smile on her face. "Good thing I saved the blueprints for the school," She showed them off to everyone. "Apparently, there are crystal catacombs inside the mountain this school was built into. Catacombs that are vast and magical, or so they say."

"Sounds like the perfect place for an ex-queen like Chrysalis to hide," Shining realized. "But how do we gain access to said catacombs?"

"That... I don't know. There must be a secret passage or something somewhere in the school though," Twilight commented. "So we'd better start looking for it! We've only a short time left before it's too late!"

Author's Note:

Not much to say aside from the fact that I wanted to include the scenes that appeared here. Tempest's apology in particular.

Comments

[Comickook]

Excellent job on the latest chapter. Tempest's chat with Novo was excellent, as was Gilda trying to calm down Terramar. And, at least Twilight managed to find SOME clue for the heroes to go by before the deadline ran out. All in all, the exchanges, characterizations and climax set-up in all the right places.

[starponys87]

It’s as though they wasted a perfectly good moment between Tempest Shadow and Queen Novo. Here are some other possible talking points:

“How much do you care about your own people? Why do you want to endanger them? Do their families mean less than yours?”

“What if Silverstream gets caught in a battlefield? Your soldiers could kill her by mistake.”

“What if Silverstream hates you because you endangered her friends?”

“What if you get defeated? Your kingdom could be ruined, and your people may blame you. Then they might turn against you.”

Another thought: Maybe Seaspray’s wife scolds him for endangering his family and his fellow hippogriffs. Realizing she is right, he gathers the hippogriffs to protest Novo’s disregard for her own people (which he had been parroting for far too long).

[Yoshifan30]

Well at least fizzypop got the chance to apologize to the hippogryphs but not much but its a start but now they need to found the kids