Fury of the Tempest
“You?” Rainbow repeated.
Rarity nodded. “The first time was back when I was stuck with those Diamond Dogs.” She visibly shuddered. “You remember, don’t you, Spikey-Wikey?” At his nod, she continued. “In hindsight, I suppose I brought it on myself. After all, I was going out of my way just to annoy them.” A small smile came to her lips. “They didn’t much care for my whining. Finally, the biggest of them, whom I’m guessing was sort of their leader, suddenly started strangling me, repeatedly telling me to shut up. Of course, not being very skilled in terms of magic, there was little I could do to fend him off, and so I was left to his mercy as he continued to choke me, continuing to demand that I shut up. By this point, of course, I had fallen silent due to him choking and shaking me. His companions attempted to help me by begging him to stop and trying to pry him off me, but he simply brushed them off as if they were nothing.” Her voice cracked and tears flooded her eyes as she continued. “The next thing I know he was on top of me, forcing himself inside me, laughing the whole time while he had his way with me. His companions could do nothing else except watch on as he brutally raped me. Then, at his suggestion, they took turns having their way with me, forcing me to . . . do things with them. I’d rather not get into the details, as you can well imagine.
“The next time was later that year, at the Grand Galloping Gala. You all remember that night fondly, I’m sure.” She cleared her throat while the others smiled as they reminisced about that night. “It was all supposed to go so perfectly. I was meant to find my one true love at that Gala, and he was meant to treat me like a lady.” She scoffed. “So much for that fantasy coming true. I got stuck with Prince Blueblood, if any of you need reminding. The guy I was with turned out to be a real jerk.” She shook her head. “I thought he liked me for me, you know?” She received a series of nods of understanding for her troubles. She continued. “Anyway, he invites me back to his suite for a little wining and dining. Stubborn bastard couldn’t even so much as hold the door open for me, so I ended up falling flat on my face while he just walked on, didn’t even bother to help me up. So, anyway, we go back to his place and we, uh . . . well, we start . . . doing typical things you do with someone that’s gotten your fancy. I know I should’ve just ditched him, but I kept telling myself to give him a chance, that his princely side was sure to come out sooner or later if I was just patient. It started out quite nice, the two of us kissing while he put his hooves on me, touched me, caressed me. Then he started to get a little rough, pinching and squeezing my rump, forcing his tongue down my throat, and all manner of other rough behavior. I told him to slow down, that he was going too fast. He ignored me. Before I knew it, we were both on his bed and he was beside himself as he roughly had his way with me. I begged and begged for him to stop, but he wouldn’t. Afterward, he got up and suggested that we go get something to eat, almost as if the whole thing had never happened.” She looked at Applejack. “And that’s when we ran into you, Applejack.”
“Land sakes, Rarity, why didn’t you say something?” Applejack asked.
“I didn’t want to make a scene or cause a fuss,” Rarity replied. “After all, he is the nephew of Princess Celestia herself. Can you imagine how damaging it’d be to my reputation if I accused him of rape? It’d be his word against mine, and Celestia’s ruling surely would be biased, seeing as how he is family and all. So, I decided to just put on a brave face for your sake.” She snorted indignantly. “Bastard couldn’t even be bothered to pay for my food, was going to make me pay if it hadn’t been for you, Applejack.” She shook her head. “Something like that isn’t exactly something you just get over. It stays with you, years later. You often find yourself reliving it in your dreams, and you’ll wake up with a jolt, screaming into the night.” These words were met with nods from both Rainbow Dash and Spike. She smiled as she walked up to Spike and, cupping his chin in her hoof, lifted up his gaze so that they were looking at each other. “I wish I could tell you that the pain eventually does go away, but I can’t. However, what I can tell you is that things indeed do get better over time. For you, things will get better. I promise.”
“So what did you end up doing?” Spike asked.
“I’m actually still going to weekly therapy visits. You’d be amazed at what wonders it does. Before that, I merely threw myself into my work, hoping that by keeping busy I’d be able to forget about it. But I never did. After several nights suffering from night terrors because of it, I finally broke down and told my parents what had happened, and they insisted that I seek some professional help.”
“Yeah, therapy’s not really my thing,” Rainbow said. “Not really into the whole talking-about-my-feelings thing.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “You really should give it a try, Rainbow. You’d be surprised at how much it helps.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass,” Rainbow replied.
“Hey, Trix, where are you going?” Spike asked.
Every head turned towards the entryway into the kitchen to see the blue mare making her way down the hallway. She stopped upon being called upon and turned. “I’m just heading out to run a quick errand. Shouldn’t be too long. I’ll be back soon. Just carry on as if I wasn’t here.” Turning back around, she continued to walk down the hall.
“You are so full of crap, Soarin,” Fleetfoot said with a chuckle.
“Am not,” Soarin countered. “Ask Misty Fly. Go on, ask her.”
Fleetfoot turned to the Wonderbolt in question and was about to question the mare before a blue mare entered the locker room and cleared her throat.
“What are you doing here?” Spitfire snapped. “No civilians are allowed to be back here! Why isn’t somepony on this?!”
Trixie ignored her. “My name is . . . Trucy, Trucy Gladmare, and I need to report a crime anonymously.”
“Okay, what’s the crime?” Spitfire asked.
“Well, I live in Ponyville,” Trixie continued, “and one of the residents is having sex with a minor.”
All of the Wonderbolts sprang to their feet and rushed over to Trixie.
“Oh, my Celestia,” Soarin cried.
“This is terrible,” High Winds said.
“You did the right thing by coming to us, Trucy,” Spitfire said, putting a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. “Now, where does this sicko live? Who is he? What’s his name?”
“Well, it’s not a guy, it’s a mare,” Trixie corrected.
“A mare?” Surprise asked, raising an eyebrow and rubbing her chin.
“But she’s ugly, right?” Lightning Streak said, grinning.
Trixie shook her head. “No, not really. Her name is Starlight Glimmer.”
“You mean that pony who’s always hanging around Princess Twilight?” Thunderlane asked.
“Yes,” Trixie replied. “And she’s been having sex with Spike.”
“Isn’t he Twilight’s pet lizard?” Soarin asked.
“No, no, that’s Pinkie Pie you’re thinking of,” Misty Fly replied.
“I could’ve sworn that Pinkie had a pet alligator for a pet,” Fleetfoot said.
“We’re getting off-topic here, everypony,” Spitfire barked. She turned back to Trixie and asked, “So, let me see if I understand this. You’re saying that Starlight Glimmer, the former student of the Princess of Friendship, is having sex with Spike, Twilight’s number one assistant, who’s a minor? Spike the dragon is having sex with Starlight Glimmer?”
“Yes,” Trixie said.
The Wonderbolts looked at each other and smiled.
“Nice,” Soarin said.
“Nice,” Thunderlane said.
Trixie groaned. “What!? No, you don’t understand —”
“You’re sure they’ve had sex?” Thunderlane asked.
“Yes,” Trixie replied.
“Has she performed oral sex on him?” Fleetfoot asked.
“I think so,” Trixie said.
Once more, the Wonderbolts glanced at each and grinned.
“Nice,” Lightning Streak said.
“Nice,” Thunderlane said.
“Nice,” Soarin said.
“So, wait, what’s the crime?” Spitfire asked.
“The crime is she isn’t doing it with me,” Soarin said, nudging Fire Streak, one of his fellow Wonderbolts, his comment being met with rounds of laughter from everypony in the room except for Trixie.
“Hey,” she snapped, glaring, “this isn’t funny! He’s underage! She’s taking advantage of him!”
“No, no, no,” Spitfire said, her laughter slowly dying down. “She’s right, everypony. We’re sorry. This is serious, everypony! We need to track this boy down and . . . give him his ‘Luckiest Dragon in Equestria’ medal right away!” This remark was met with another round of uproarious laughter from her teammates.
Seething, Trixie turned and left while the Wonderbolts rolled with laughter.
Only a couple of hours after leaving Manehattan, Twilight and Tempest stepped off the train upon arriving in Ponyville. Tempest stood, taking a moment to look around while Twilight retrieved her luggage from the train.
“This place looks familiar,” Tempest said.
“It should,” Twilight replied. “You laid siege to it when you were working for the Storm King. It took us over a year to repair the damage you did.”
“Oh, r-right.” She cleared her throat. “Well, then, shall we get going?” She pointed forward. “Lead the way, princess.”
Twilight nodded. “This way.”
As they walked, Tempest spoke. “So, tell me more about this Starlight Glimmer. What’s she like?”
Twilight exhaled deeply. “Oh, boy, where do I begin? Well, her story is eerily similar to yours.”
“How so?” Tempest inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, like you, she used to have friends until her friends up and abandoned her. She blamed cutie marks and eventually ended up starting a cult in a small village of her making, insisting that her followers give up their cutie marks if they wanted to be a part of her community. We ended up defeating her once before, freeing her followers of her tyranny, but she ended up coming back to seek revenge. I managed to talk her down and she, like you, reformed. Or at least that’s what I thought. Turns out it was all just a ploy just so she could get close to Spike.” She shook her head. “How could I be so stupid?”
Tempest chuckled in amusement. “You, Twilight Sparkle, are the farthest thing from being stupid, trust me. I don’t think I’ve ever met another pony like you. Your only problem is you’re too trusting, too quick to forgive. I’m a prime example of that.”
Twilight nodded. “You’re right about that. I won’t make that same mistake again.”
“Talk to me. Tell me more.”
Throughout their walk, Twilight told Tempest everything she wanted to know, answering her questions promptly. Tempest had been too busy sleeping and Twilight occupied with her reading for them to do any actual talking on the train ride, Tempest insisting that she get some rest seeing as how she hadn’t slept well the night before and Twilight had promised not to disturb her. Thus, they made up for lost time as they walked, Tempest listening carefully to everything Twilight said, storing it away in her long-term memory just in case she needed it for later.
“Well, here we are,” Twilight said happily upon finally reaching their destination. With her magic, she opened the double doors and gestured for Tempest to enter. “Guests first.”
Smirking to herself, Tempest made her way inside the castle, stopping in the foyer to survey her surroundings while Twilight followed. A chill ran through her. The temperature in the castle was bone-chillingly cold. Shuddering, she turned to Twilight and asked, “Sweet Celestia, Twilight, how do you stand it being so cold in here?”
Twilight chuckled. “Lots of blankets. Come on, the others should be expecting us in the throne room.”
Tempest raised an eyebrow. “The others?” She followed at Twilight’s heels, her head turning constantly to observe the castle, though there wasn’t much to see. Every corridor and door looked exactly the same, leaving her wondering just how in the world Twilight, let anypony for that matter, managed to find their way around this place. For her part, though, Twilight seemed to know exactly where she was going, as they soon came to a halt in front of a door that looked exactly like all the others. With her magic, Twilight pried open the door, revealing the throne room to Tempest, around which were seated not only her friends but also Spike and Trixie. Tempest entered alongside Twilight, who took her seat in her throne that was seated to the left of Spike’s.
“So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Twilight asked.
“Funny you should say that,” Pinkie Pie said, “because —”
Applejack stuffed a cupcake in Pinkie’s mouth. “Nope, smooth sailing, sugarcube.”
Twilight gave her a look of concern. “Are you sure nothing happened while I was gone? It looked like Pinkie was about to say something.”
Applejack shook her head. “Nope. Nothing at all. Just us sitting around talking, that’s all.”
Twilight sighed in annoyance. “If you say so, Applejack. You can all go now if you’d like.”
Applejack nodded. “Sounds good to me. Come on, y’all.” She led the group out of the room and down the hall towards the front door.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” Rarity hissed in Applejack’s ear. “Surely she’s going to know why the mirror in the bathroom is broken and why there’s blood all over the floor.”
“I don’t wanna get her riled up,” Applejack replied. “You’re worrying about nothing. I managed to replace the mirror and clean up the mess. Besides which, with Tempest here, Starlight doesn’t stand a chance against her. Everything will be fine.”
“Still, I say we got to the authorities,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll check in with the Wonderbolts.”
“Great idea,” Rarity said, nodding her head in approval.
“While I’m at it,” Rainbow Dash said, “I’ll alert the royal guard and Shining Armor too.” With a flap of her wings, she was off.
Back in the throne room, Spike and Tempest spent several seconds staring at each other before Spike spoke up. “I’m surprised to see you here, Tempest,” he said.
“Twilight insisted that I come provide extra protection,” Tempest said. “For the time being, I’ll be staying here if that’s alright.”
Spike shrugged. “Fine by me.” He stretched and yawned. “I think I’ll hit the hay early tonight.”
Twilight suddenly stopped him as he turned to leave, grabbing at his wrist and turning his hand towards her with her magic so she could closely inspect it. “Spike, what happened to you?”
Spike glanced down at the gash left from the shard of glass he’d been holding. “Cut it open while trying to get a jar of pickles open,” he said.
“That’s a nasty cut,” Twilight observed. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
Spike shook his head. “No. It’s just a minor cut. No big deal. I’ll be fine.”
“Alright. Well, just to be safe, make sure you put some disinfectant on that and a bandage. Trixie, could you help him with that.”
Trixie nodded her head. “Sure thing, Come on, Spike.” She led Spike down the hallway.
Twilight yawned and stretched. “I’m probably going to head off to bed soon myself. Tempest, feel free to make yourself at home. The kitchen is all yours.”
Tempest gave the alicorn a grateful smile. “Thank you, Twilight. I am feeling a bit peckish from the trip.”
“Well, we have plenty of food here. Just go in and get whatever suits your fancy.”
Some time later, as he was brushing his teeth, Spike noticed Tempest standing in the doorway watching him. His brushing slowed until he finally stopped and turned, his lips coated in toothpaste. “Uh . . . can I help you?”
Tempest shook her head. “No. I was instructed to watch over you throughout my stay here.”
“Oh, uh . . . okay . . .” He turned back towards the mirror, feeling relieved that Rarity had been able to replace the mirror that had been shattered in his fight with Starlight. He bent down, rinsing out his mouth after depositing the toothpaste from it before turning and walking down the hallway towards his bedroom, politely requesting that Tempest stand guard outside his room while he changed, allowing her to come inside soon thereafter. He crawled into bed with Tempest standing beside his bed.
“It’s okay,” she told him. “You have nothing to fear. Go to sleep. I’ll stand guard. I only ask that you do not make me smile. I’m forbidden to smile.”
Spike couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement at that. Surely she couldn’t be serious, could she? Given the serious expression on her face, he took that to mean that she wasn’t kidding around. He turned over onto his side, looking over his shoulder as he said, “You know if you’d rather go get something to eat, you’re more than welcome to. My bedroom is right next to Twilight’s. If I need anything, I can holler for her.”
Tempest shrugged. “As you wish. Suit yourself.” She walked out of the room, switching off the bedroom light and shutting the bedroom door as she went. Trixie had graciously given her a map as a means of helping her find her way around. She withdrew it from her saddlebag now as she stood in the middle of the hallway, studying it closely before making a turn and walking down the hallway, keeping her eyes on the map as she went.
It turned out that the kitchen was surprisingly close to the throne room and it, like seemingly every other room within the castle walls, was completely made of crystal. She went about looking through the cabinets and various other cupboards, quickly learning that Twilight had not been lying when she’d said that the castle was well-stocked with food. With three occupants living within said castle, it would naturally occur to Twilight to make sure that they had a surplus of food, especially when guests were over, which there usually were. To combat the cold temperature in the room, she went ahead and made herself some soup. The smell of it alone was enough to cause her to salivate, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, her lunch hour being taken up by her catching up on some reading that had quickly eaten up the hours.
Some time later she sat alone at the kitchen table, eating spoonful after spoonful of soup, mulling over everything that Twilight had told her during their journey to the castle. She had said that Starlight and Tempest were eerily similar, hadn’t she? The only similarities that Tempest could see, though, was their childhood and how they had each been bad guys reformed by the same Princess of Friendship. Twilight had told her all about Starlight, going into every little detail, and Tempest couldn’t help but imagine the battle that had been waged between the two during their escapades in the past. If nothing else, these mental images kept her mind busy and helped combat the silent atmosphere that filled the kitchen, aside from the telltale signs of her eating.
Later that evening, Tempest went about taking care of the dishes, if for no reason other than to be a good guest. Her military background training was still very much a part of herself, as the Storm King had insisted that the dishes be done after mealtimes. Back then, Tempest had often found herself doing them of her own accord, if only because she couldn’t sleep knowing that the kitchen was a mess. It was so now. She wouldn’t have been able to sleep knowing that Twilight’s kitchen was a mess. It was kind of pointless, really, especially since she doubted that she would even bother with sleep tonight anyway, seeing as how she was supposed to be serving as a sort of night guard during her stay here.
Meanwhile, in her own bedroom, Trixie sat at her desk, a roll of parchment placed in front of her and a quill resting in her inkwell. She sighed deeply, then, with her magic, lifted the quill from its home and began writing.
Twilight Sparkle,
There is something that has been on my mind for a long time now. It’s high time you get to hear what I’ve been meaning to tell you. I would have told you this in person, but I don’t want you to forget these words, ever.
You truly are one incredible pony. You never cease to amaze me. I have spent many nights tossing and turning wondering just how you do it. You were always ready to face the next challenge, even if it was bigger than you were. You’ve always been that way, ever since the day I first met you. When I first came to Ponyville, your magical abilities had increased so substantially since our days at school that it left me in sheer awe. If there was ever any good that came of that day it’s that my defeat at your hooves spurred me on to work harder and get better at my magic. Ever since that day I’ve lived with the sole purpose of surpassing you. However, in the end, I was unable to surpass you. Though I suspect I trained harder than you did, yet no matter how much I improved, your magic still exceeded mine in every way. You seem to have been born with a natural talent for going even higher than I. No amount of training could ever close the gap between us. No matter how much time has passed, that difference has not changed. I realize that now. It was made painfully clear to me watching you and Starlight spar with each other. It was a shock, Twilight. Imagine my shock to see the undeniable proof, to discover that no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to catch up with you nor surpass you, forever overshadowed, outclassed, and outdistanced by you, forever living in your shadow.
After you humiliated me by showing me up with that Ursa Minor, that’s when I secretly made up my mind and made my resolution. While at Celestia’s school, I recalled hearing about an amulet that could help a unicorn increase their power dramatically and I began to think. I knew that if I allowed myself to fall under its influence, what it’d done for others in the past it could also do for me. I knew that if I were to allow myself to be controlled by it, the gap between us might be closed. Looking back, I say that the result was just as I thought. I was quite pleased with the results, even if they did come at a price. I say that the end more than justified the means.
At first, I thought that it was because you had something to protect, because of your friends and loved ones, that it was your instinct to protect them, because you have a strong mind towards defending something that gave rise to some mysterious, hidden power within you, that spurred you on and pushed you beyond your limits. Yet if that were the case, then the same would’ve been true for me as well, yet even when I found myself with a family of my own, I noticed that my power didn’t increase at all. You could have if you really wanted to, but in the end, you never killed me. Instead, you went so far as to be kind to even me. Personally, I would’ve preferred it had you just killed me. When we last met, I felt I had failed to live up to what was expected of me as a magician. Broken and with nothing left to fight for, I was ready to abandon my walk down the path of show business. But you, Spike, and Starlight all had faith in me. Not just you three, but your friends as well. You all returned both my confidence and my faith in myself. All I had ever wanted was my revenge, to make you suffer. Yet, you came to my aid in my darkest moment, and I wanted to hate you so much for it, but I just couldn’t, because in my heart I knew that you were not some sort of obstacle to defeat. During my last duel with you, even when I was winning, I felt I was losing something infinitely more important, and now I know what it was. It was the realization that we are not enemies, you and I, no matter what I previously may have thought. In light of this, I am grateful to have you not only as my opponent, but also as my friend. Whatever happens, I will always be a magician and you will always be a princess, a Princess of Friendship. Even if we stand opposed on opposite sides on a large number of topics, we work towards a common goal — to help make Equestria a better world to live in. And to do that, we must have faith in one another. Never forget who you are and what you’re fighting for, Twilight Sparkle. I trust we will meet again someday. Until that day, I’m afraid I must say farewell to you. Thank you for everything you have done for me. It’s as if you knew that I would eventually come to have the slightest bit of a heart. Slowly, over the years, I became one of you, and I hated it! I hated how, before I had even realized it, I had become influenced by you and your friends and become so gentle. My quest for greatness fell to the wayside to make way for this life of mediocrity. Then I, of all ponies, awoke one day to find that I had settled down and formed a family. I had even become quite fond of them, and it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. I came to like this comfortable lifestyle as well.
I used to perform magic for the sheer pleasure of it, for the thrill of leaving my spectators in awe at the prowess of my magical abilities. I spared no expense when it came to putting on my shows. But you were different, Twilight. You didn’t use your magic in order to win a duel. You used your magic to push yourself to your limits, to help others, even going as far as to show mercy to your enemies, some of which were some of the most fiercest monsters Equestria has ever seen. You never worried about taking an opponent’s life. You never fought to win or kill or even for revenge, only to test your limits when it came to your magical abilities, to push yourself beyond them, to become the strongest you could possibly be.
How could somepony be that powerful yet so gentle and kind she wouldn’t hurt a fly? Oh, it makes me angry just thinking about it! It’s maddening! But, perhaps it is my anger that has blinded me to the truth for so long. I see it now. My defeat at your hooves has made it all too clear. I am absolutely no match for Starlight Glimmer. You’re the only one who can fight with her. You are better than me, Twilight Sparkle. You are the best.
Signed,
The Great and Powerful Trixie
Sniffling and wiping her eyes, Trixie put the quill back in its inkwell only long enough to retrieve an envelope. She carefully folded up the letter and slipped it inside before sealing it and turning it over. Then, once more grabbing her quill, scrawled Twilight’s name across the center. Getting up, she carefully and quietly ventured to Twilight’s bedroom. Luckily, the alicorn was sound asleep. Even so, she carefully made her way across the room and laid the envelope on Twilight’s bedside table. Then, bending down, she pecked Twilight on the forehead. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I love you.” Straightening up, she turned and walked out of the bedroom and down the hall.
It was soon after she’d finished washing the dishes and wiping everything down that Tempest heard the telltale sounds of trotting echoing off the castle walls. Drying her hooves on a dry washcloth, she walked over to the entryway to the kitchen and looked out into the hallway to see Trixie making her way towards the front door with a saddlebag strapped across her back. “Hey, you, where are you going?”
“Out,” Trixie replied without so much as turning to look at Tempest. “Don’t expect me back any time soon.”
Tempest nodded. “Okay, have fun. Be careful.”
Trixie merely nodded in response, then made her exit.
Tempest turned to go about drying the dishes and putting them away. In only a short amount of time, she’d already memorized where everything was. Twilight was such a stickler for details that she even arranged her silverware by size. Butter knives were on the left, large spoons to the right of those, followed by two separate trays containing small forks and large forks, respectively, Below the four containers was a separate container solely for small spoons. Smirking in amusement and chuckling to herself, Tempest went about putting the eating utensils away. She suddenly stopped, hearing the telltale sound of somepony teleporting into the room. Her neck creaking, she turned her head to see that Starlight had teleported into the room, her back to Tempest, looking around. As if solely just to get her attention, Tempest slammed several forks, spoons, and knives down on the counter, creating quite a loud racket, so much so that the sudden noise made Starlight jump, and the pony turned around to come face to face with Tempest Shadow.
“Hi,” she said with a cheerful smile and a friendly wave. “You must be Tempest. I’m —”
“I know who you are,” Tempest replied coldly. “Starlight Glimmer, A.K.A little miss child molesting pedophile.”
“I’m looking for Spike.”
Tempest’s nostrils flared and she snorted indignantly. “Do you have any idea how badly you hurt him? You’re not getting anywhere near that boy.”
Starlight chuckled in amusement at that. “I have my reasons for doing what I did.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Tempest said. “All I heard was blah-blah-blah I like to fuck little kids.”
“I have to talk to him. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
Tempest chuckled. “Oh, honey, there’s a lot that I can do to stop you.”
Starlight reared back her head and cackled in delight. “With what? That dinky little horn of yours?”
“I’ll tell you what, sweet cheeks.” Tempest grunted as she bent down, beginning to stretch her legs, eliciting audible pops and cracks from her bones. “You get by me, I’ll let you leave here with your teeth intact.” She pressed her left hoof against her left jaw, turning her head, cracking her neck in the process, then proceeded to do the same with her right hoof against her right jaw, cracking her neck even more, before rotating her head, eliciting more pops and cracks from her neck all the while. She rotated her neck in a quick manner then bellowed, “Whoo! Feeling crazy!” Then, smiling, she gestured towards Starlight with a come-hither gesture with her hooves. “Come to mama!”
Starlight bent low, bellowing out her nostrils as she pawed at the ground, then took off at a full sprint towards Tempest. As she leaped in the air, Tempest merely stepped to the side, then stretched out a hoof. She didn’t have time to react quick enough as her throat caught on the crook of Tempest’s hoof, knocking her flat on her back on the floor.
Tempest smiled down at Starlight. “I was a military commander for over ten years. You’re going to have to do better than that.”
Starlight reared back a hoof and slammed it against Tempest’s groin at least three separate times, resulting in Tempest letting out a grunt with every kick, then she guffawed. “What are you kicking for?” she asked as she laughed hysterically. “I don’t have any balls, dummy!” She seized Starlight with her hooves, then, lifting the pony above her head, began spinning around on her hind legs, laughing and whooping all the while, leaving Starlight with nothing to do but to helplessly beat against Tempest’s back.
“Put me down,” she shouted. “Put me down!”
“Whatever you say, sweet cheeks,” Tempest replied, proceeding to hurtle Starlight towards the kitchen table. There was a startled scream from Starlight, followed by a resounding crash and crunching of wood as the pony collided with the table, the force of Tempest’s throw being more than enough to render the table completely useless, its legs giving way, leaving the tabletop to fall to the floor with Starlight on top of it. Smiling and feeling quite pleased with herself, Tempest walked over to her and asked, “Had enough?”
Panting, Starlight got to her hooves.
Grinning, Tempest seized a knife and once again gestured for Starlight to come forward. “Bring your raping ass over here!”
Once more, Starlight sprinted towards Tempest. Rather than step out of the way this time, however, Tempest timed her attack just right and delivered a powerful uppercut to Starlight’s chin, knocking her backwards, resulting in the pony once again landing on the floor flat on her back. Her teeth rattled in her mouth from the force of the impact.
“We can keep this going all night,” Tempest said. “I can go for as long as you can. It could all be over if you’d just turn tail and run.”
Starlight once again got up, wiping a spot of blood from her mouth. “Fat chance of that,” she said.
Tempest merely shrugged her shoulders in indifference. “Suit yourself.” This time, she charged at Starlight, seizing her by the throat and pushing her backwards until the pony was pressed against the wall. Starlight feebly kicked at Tempest’s stomach, grabbed at Tempest’s hooves with her own. She charged her horn, and suddenly Tempest was sent flying across the room, slamming against the door of the stove before falling to the floor. She groaned, shakily getting to her hooves, only to be knocked back down to the floor as Starlight delivered a sharp kick to her ribs.
Panting and grinning down at her, Starlight said, “You might have strength, but I have magic on my side.”
Tempest gave Starlight a toothy grin. “Oh, you shouldn’t be so sure about that.”
“Wha —” Before she could get her question out, Starlight suddenly felt herself being electrocuted through the electricity coming out of Tempest’s horn. She fell to the floor, flat on her back, her body convulsing and jerking violently in response to the electric current coursing through her body. Tempest kept it going, being sure to put a lot of power behind her attack, but not so much that it would actually kill her.
“You want me to stop?” she asked, sneering down at Starlight, continuing to fire electricity at her. “Just say the word. Just say the word and I’ll stop, on the condition that you get the hell out of here as soon as I do. Get the picture?”
There was no possible way for Starlight to verbally give her answer, so she was left with no choice other than to nod her head to show that she understood. Immediately, Tempest ceased her attack and stared down at her while she struggled to get her bearings. Shaking, she got to her hooves.
“Now,” Tempest said, “get out of here before I decide it’s a better idea to kill you than to let you live with your teeth intact. Or do I need to make good on my promise of knocking your teeth out?” So saying, she raised a hoof and waved it in a threatening manner near Starlight’s face.
Starlight nodded. “Fine, I’ll go, but don’t consider this a victory.” She turned, slapping Tempest in the face with her tail before making her leave.
Tempest followed her, making sure that the pony was true to her word. Upon exiting out the front door, Tempest watched her go until Starlight was no longer visible, then turned and walked back in the kitchen to resume her task of putting the dishes away.
Twilight awoke the next morning, stretching her hooves and trying to get the crust out from under her eyes. The sun was barely up, but that hardly mattered to her. As she proceeded to get out of bed, pulling back her covers as she did so, she thought she saw something white resting on her bedside table, but thought nothing of it. She made her way to the kitchen. She wasn’t surprised to find Tempest standing at the sink, quietly sipping her coffee while she stared out the window. Letting out another yawn, Twilight made her way over to the coffeemaker and began making herself a mug of coffee. “Morning, Tempest,” she said.
“Good morning, Twilight,” Tempest replied, taking another sip of her coffee. “Sleep well?”
Twilight shrugged. “Okay, I guess. What was that racket I heard earlier?”
“Oh. A mouse scared the crap out of me and I was trying to kill.” She chuckled. “I ended up breaking the table when I tried crushing the little booger when he tried getting to my food. Sorry about that.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she turned with her coffee hovering just below her chin. “Really? I could’ve sworn I heard you talking to somepony.” She lfited her mug to her lips and took a sip.
“Trixie. We didn’t really get to introduce ourselves before she decided to go to bed. She came in here a little while after I finally caught the mouse wondering what all the noise was about, said she was in the mood for a midnight snack. So while she ate, we talked for a little bit.”
“Hmm, I see. I’ll have to look for a new table while I’m out today.”
“Again, really sorry about that.”
Twilight shook her head. “Ah, don’t worry about it. Nothing that can’t be replaced.” She cleared her throat. “Speaking of Trixie, have you seen her anywhere? Is she up yet?”
“I think she said she was going to get a quick shower before she got something to eat,” Tempest replied.
“I’ll check the bathroom.” She walked out of the kitchen, sipping her coffee as she went. While she originally intended to go to the bathroom straightaway, she stopped at her bedroom, being sure that she’d seen something white out of the corner of her eye as she’d gotten out of bed. It turned out that she had indeed seen something, for on her bedside table was a white enveloped addressed to her. Setting her mug of coffee aside, she pried open the envelope and pulled out the letter enclosed within, carefully unfolding it and begin to read.
Afterward, smiling, she carefully folded the letter back up and once more put it back in the envelope, silently mulling over what Trixie had said while she sat and drank her coffee. Tempest had lied to her, sure, there was no doubt about that, but she knew that Tempest had only lied to spare her feelings. There was one thing that was troubling her, though: How was she going to tell Spike and how was he going to take it?
Spike quickly found out that Tempest had not been lying when she’d said that Twilight had instructed her to protect him during her stay in Ponyville. Tempest was there when he got up in the morning and followed him wherever he went, going so far as to stand guard outside the bathroom door as he did his business. In a way, it was kind of cool, making him feel as if he had his own personal bodyguard; on the other hand, it was dreadfully annoying, making him feel as if he had no sense of personal space, much less privacy. It was incredibly awkward when it was just him and her in his bedroom while he merrily read his comics. To these she showed much interest, and he delighted in telling her all about the Power Ponies and all of the other comics he’d collected, his love for them starting back when he was very young. Shining Armor, serving as a big brother of sorts to him back in his younger days, had graciously allowed him to read some of his comics, and there were many a night in which the two of them would stay up late talking about their favorite ones. Tempest listened to everything he said, finally, albeit rather sheepishly, admitting that she herself had been into comic books in her younger years, long before her downfall had started. It was afterward that her comics provided her with a means of comfort during those dark times before she finally struck out on her own.
Naturally, when Spike told Twilight that he was going out, Tempest insisted that she come with, and no matter how much he tried, Spike couldn’t dissuade her. He could see her reasoning after all, especially given what had happened the day before, once again reminding himself to tell Twilight to beef up security around the castle to prevent such a thing from ever happening again. It struck him as odd that the others hadn’t bothered telling her about what had happened, but he decided not to question it and made his way out of the castle.
While he wasn’t entirely certain whether or not she’d still be in Ponyville, he went looking for Ember. Tempest offered up her services and, after getting an adequate description of what their quarry looked like, began searching for the seemingly disappeared dragon. He asked various ponies around town, only to come up with no answers. He finally found her at the local ice cream shop with Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be introducing the dragon to the frozen treat. The dragon stood, holding an ice cream cone in her hand, looking at the treat questioningly before leaning forward and giving it a tentative lick, tossing the flavor around on her tongue before nodding her head in approval and began to take several licks thereafter while Pinkie happily munched on her own ice cream.
“There you are,” Spike said, walking up to her. “I’ve been looking all over for you. You’re not still mad at me, are you?”
Ember didn’t answer. She was staring at Tempest.
“Oh,” Tempest cried, suddenly seeming to notice she was being watched. “Just pretend I’m not here.” She turned and busied herself with ordering some ice cream for herself, momentarily asking Spike if he wanted any and was taken aback when he declined.
Ember looked down at Spike. “I thought about it. If you don’t want to tell me, then I figure you must have a pretty good reason as to why? What do you want?”
“I was just wondering if you wanted to go out this evening,” Spike said.
Ember raised an eyebrow. “You mean like a date? You and me?”
“Aw, that’s so cute,” Pinkie cried.
Spike ignored her as he shook his head. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a date. We’re just two friends hanging out, that’s all.”
Ember shrugged. “Okay. What did you have in mind?”
Smiling, Spike withdrew two tickets from his saddlebag and showed them to her. “Rainbow Dash gave me two tickets to the Wonderbolts show this weekend. You want to come with?”
Ember nodded. “I’ve heard a lot about these Wonderbolts. They’re supposed to be pretty amazing.” She smirked. “But I’m sure not as amazing as us dragons, am I right?”
He smirked at that. “You’d be surprised.”
She took one of the tickets from him and inspected it. “Alright, I’ll see you around six, then?”
“You can count on it.”
“Hold on.” She pointed at Tempest. “She’s not going to be with you, is she?”
“Probably. Why?”
Bending down, Ember whispered to him, “It’s just that it’d be a little weird having her with us. What’s she doing here with you anyway? Didn’t she try to kill Starlight?”
“No, that’s Twilight you’re thinking of, and she was only after Twilight’s magic, but she’s reformed. She’s one of us now. As for what she’s doing here . . . well, it’s complicated.”
Straightening up, Ember replied, “Okay, if you say so.”
“I’ll see if I can’t talk Twilight into letting her stay at the castle tonight.”
“Okay. So I’ll see you at six, right?”
“On the dot.”
“Great. It’s a date, then!” She flapped her wings and took off.
“It’s not a date!” Spike yelled after her.
“Mmm, cookies and cream,” Tempest said, walking back over to Spike with a cup of ice cream. Smiling, she scooped up a spoonful and popped it in her mouth. Glancing down at Spike, she asked, “You sure you don’t want any?”
“Uh-huh,” Spike replied.
Convincing Twilight to let Tempest stay home that evening turned out to be surprisingly easy. Even so, Twilight insisted that she needed to talk to him, telling him that they needed to sit down and talk about something important. He brushed it off, saying that it could wait, that they would talk about it later, as he needed to get ready. He figured that the reason why Twilight was allowing him and Ember to go out on their own was because she must’ve thought that any trouble they might run into, Ember could handle on her own. As scheduled, the dragon princess arrived promptly at six and both dragons were all set to head out. Just before he left, however, Twilight requested that Spike do her a favor.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“As soon as you come back, promise me that you and I can sit down and talk. It’s about Trixie.”
“What about her?” he asked. He tapped his chin in thought. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her all day. She must be putting on one of her shows.”
“It’s important. And, well, if you see her, could please tell her that she’s more than welcome to come back home if and when she feels like it.”
He nodded. “I don’t know what you mean by that, Twilight, but, sure. Will do.” With that, he shut the front door.
“You want a lift?” Ember asked, bending down and stretching out her wings. “We can get there faster if we fly. Hop on.”
He clambered onto her back and gasped upon suddenly being thrown back when she took off. He smiled to himself, feeling the wind whip past him. He’d spent so much time riding on Twilight’s back during her many flights that he’d gotten quite used to the wind resistance, so it was easy for him to keep his eyes open. They soared past Ponyville. Down below ponies were beginning to close down their shops and head home for the night. Meanwhile, others were getting ready for a relaxing evening inside, putting the little ones away to bed and sitting down with a good book and a piping hot cup of tea. The little quaint village of Ponyville shined against the setting sun while the stars beginning to make their presence known against the blackness of the sky and the light of the moon. Spike chastised himself for never taking the time to truly appreciate the beauty of nighttime before. No wonder Princess Luna had gotten so pissed off and turned into Nightmare Moon.
They were soon in Canterlot, the city being much more lit than Ponyville was with its abundance of buildings and streetlamps. He directed her as to where she should go, and soon they were in the stands awaiting for the show to begin. Spike in particular was excited to see Rainbow Dash in action as a full-fledged Wonderbolt, seeing as how he had sadly missed on her first outing, thanks to Pinkie Pie. It was because of this that he didn’t bother going to the concession stand for anything, even when Ember went to go get something to drink and a snack and asked him if he wanted anything, which he declined. Even so, she came back with two drinks and a large bucket of popcorn for the both of them, and he gave her a grateful smile as he popped a handful of popped kernels into his mouth.
As expected, the show was amazing. Rainbow Dash in particular stuck out, seeing as how the Wonderbolts had graciously given her a routine all to herself as a means of making up for all that they’d put her through during her first week as a Wonderbolt. Regardless, she had gone the extra mile in incorporating the others into her routine, particularly with Spitfire and Soarin, the three of them coming off more as aerial ballerinas than anything else as they gracefully soared through the skies. Ember was left thoroughly impressed with the show, and joined the others in the applause after the show was over. Just before leaving, she stopped to get a refill on her drink and Spike went ahead and got a refill on his iwn drink as well, if only so he’d have something to drink on the journey home.
On the flight home, they talked animatedly about the show, discussing their favorite bits. Spike talked most of all about Rainbow Dash while Ember told him that she was impressed with all of them, but agreed that Rainbow Dash had stood out among the rest. She could clearly see why the Wonderbolts had been hoping and praying that somepony would resign just so they could get her on the team.
They quickly arrived back at Twilight’s castle. He hopped down off her back, thanked her for the pleasure of joining him, and started to head inside.
“Hold on,” she suddenly said. “There’s something every date ends with.”
He turned around and saw her bend down low, cup his chin in her hand, tilt his head up, and lean forward, slowly closing her eyes and drawing her lips closer to his. His heartbeat quickened and his breath became erratic. “No!” he screamed, beginning to hit and claw at her, leaving Ember to be taken aback by shock and bewilderment at what he was doing. As he continued to yell, his volume increased with every word he spoke until he was practically screaming at the top of his lungs. “No! I said no! Get out! Get out of my room! You’re not allowed in here! I said get out! Leave me alone! Get away from me! Get away! Get away! Get away!” Without fully realizing what he was doing, he reared back his claws and brought them down hard on the side of Ember’s face, slashing her cheek, leaving three decent-sized cuts along it, just as he’d done with Starlight.
She screamed in pain and immediately brought a hand up to the fresh wound, staring back at him in shock. It seemed her scream brought him back to reality and the scowl that had previously been on his face instantly vanished as he stared in horror at what he’d done while she continued to stare at him in shock, horror, and puzzlement. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His throat hurt. He tried again, only to come up short. When he finally did find his voice, he fumbled with himself. “I . . . Ember, I . . .I’m so . . . I’m sor . . . I need to go!” He hastily turned around and, in his haste to get away from her, fumbled with the doorknob before finally remembering that it turned the other way, and quickly made his retreat inside, slamming the door shut behind him without so much as giving her a parting glance back. Breathing heavily, his heart hammering against his rib cage, he stood with his body pressed against the front door, listening closely. He faintly heard Ember say, “I’m sorry. . . . What did I do wrong? I’m sorry.” He finally heard the telltale sign of her wings flapping, telling him that she’d made her departure. He stood there, silently taking in what had just happened. Drawing in a shaky breath, he completely sank down to the floor until he was curled up in a ball and he began to sob quietly to himself.
“Did you do or say anything that might have offended him?” Rainbow Dash asked Ember.
“No,” Ember replied.
“Did you touch him anywhere he might not have wanted you to?”
Ember shook her head. “No. All I did was try to give him a goodnight kiss, that’s all.”
“Wait, you tried to kiss him!?’ Rainbow asked, her jaw going slack.
“Yeah,” Ember replied. “Why? Is that bad?”
Rainbow Dash didn’t get a chance to answer, for right at that moment, Ember spotted Spike walking towards Sugarcube Corner. She ran after him, calling out his name. She caught up to him, saying, “Listen, Spike, about last night, if I did anything to upset you, I’m sorry.” When he gave no response, she grabbed his arm and forced him to stop and turn, facing her. “Would you listen to me for a minute?”
He glared at her, smacking her hand away. “Don’t touch me, do you understand me? I don’t like being touched. Is that clear?”
She nodded. “Perfectly. Can we talk about last night?”
“No! I don’t want to talk to you, alright? Leave me alone!”
“Spike —”
“I said leave me alone! I don’t want to talk about it, okay?!” So saying, he turned on his heel and dashed off, leaving Ember completely alone.
She heard Rainbow Dash trot up to her, the pony giving her a concerned look. She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know why he’s acting like this. It was just a goodnight kiss.” She turned to Rainbow Dash. “Do you have any idea why he’s acting this way.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “I do, but I’m not going to tell you. I think it’s best if you hear it from him.”
Ember scoffed and crossed her arms. “Fat chance of that happening.”
But, contrary to Ember’s belief, it did in fact happen, for later that day, as Ember was in the midst of pondering over what she should have to eat for lunch, Spike walked up to her and said, “Hey, I think you and I should have a talk.”
She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “You’re ready to talk?”
He nodded. “I am.”
“Is there anywhere we could go to get some privacy?”
“Yes, I know a place.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Ember asked, staring in disbelief at the clubhouse in front of her.
“No,” Spike said, beginning to make his way up the planks that led to the front door. “No one should bother us here. We should have complete privacy.”
Ember sighed and rolled her eyes, but nonetheless followed Spike up the planks and into the clubhouse. Naturally, there wasn’t very much room at all. The clubhouse in question was a perfect square, housing only three windows — two on either side of the room and another just above the front door. She watched as Spike pulled over a couple of beanbags and flopped down on one of them, patting the one beside him to suggest that she should do the same. She did so without complaint, and let out a sigh of content upon feeling how soft and comfortable the impromptu seat was despite herself.
“Ember, there’s some things about me I think you should know about,” Spike began.
“Okay,” Ember replied.
“Starlight and I, well, we have a complicated history.”
She nodded at that. “I’m aware of that. The two of you do seem to have a history with each other.”
He swallowed hard. “This isn’t easy for me to say.”
“Look, if you’re coming out of the closet, just so you know, it’s cool with me. I honestly couldn’t care less.” She had meant this comment as a joke, but when Spike didn’t laugh, her smile fell and the chuckle that had come along with it completely died in her throat.
“You’re right,” Spike said, seeming as if he hadn’t heard Ember’s quip or was choosing instead to ignore it. “Best friends should tell each other everything.” He cleared his throat. “Not too long ago, Twilight encountered this pony named Starlight Glimmer who ran this cult of sorts. Luckily, Twilight and the others were able to free her followers from her reign of tyranny, but she came back for revenge not too long after that. She went back in time and almost ended up destroying all of Equestria, but Twilight managed to talk her down. She became Twilight’s pupil as a means of helping her turn her life around. Or so we all thought that was the case.
“Starlight moved in with Twilight and me, and eventually Trixie was made an honorary family member. She became almost like a sister to me.” Here, he swallowed hard, fighting back tears as he remembered the talk he and Twilight had had the night before. “But she had to leave town often to put on a show somewhere. And Twilight and her friends would get called away on official friendship business, leaving me alone with Starlight. And when we were alone, she started to look at me in a funny way. It started out small. At first, she made me sit on her lap. And then she made me touch” — he swallowed hard — “touch it and . . . other stuff.”
Ember began to comprehend what Spike was getting at. Her mouth hung open. All she could say in response was, “Oh, my Celestia . . .”
“She said if I told anypony that they wouldn’t believe me and I’d just end up making Twilight mad at me. She told me that if I ever told anypony she’d kill me, my friends, and my family. She told me that I made her do it, that it was my fault.”
Ember’s knuckles cracked, her hands balling into fists, exhaling heavily through her nose. “But you were just a little kid.”
Spike went on as if he hadn’t heard her. “Twilight found out finally.” A small smile came to his lips. “And the best part was that she wasn’t mad. That’s why Tempest was with me all day yesterday. But anytime anypony, particularly girls, get too close to me . . .” He inhaled shakily, positioning himself so that he was lying on his side, his tail curled between his legs. “Most of the time I can forget, but sometimes I have these dreams.” His voice cracked as he continued, beginning to stroke his tail while his eyes brimmed with tears. “I . . . I-I can see her. I can see her coming into my room. I can feel her. She’s on top of me. She weighs so much. I . . . I-I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I feel so dirty. . . .”
Ember embraced him in a tight hug. “You’ve got to talk to somepony who can help.”
For the third time, it seemed as if her words had fallen on deaf ears as Spike simply repeated, “I feel so dirty,” over and over again as Ember rocked with him back and forth in her tight hug.
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Well, fuck you too!
Yeah, you might want to get your resignation letter ready. They're going to be as helpful as "No Smoking" signs in college.
10260539 To be fair, the Wonderbolts have always been assholes.
10261373
Yes, I mean the audience.
We all thought Starlight was doing bad things, then it turns out she didn't just do bad things but was unrepentant and sadistic.
A number of things strike me as a bit off.
One, Rarity has about as much emotion talking about her experience as she would complaining about a rude waiter. As well when the rest of them smile at the mention of the GGG it’s like they haven’t been paying attention to the matters at hand. Obviously people react to trauma differently and not everyone would just break down into tears at these experiences but the way Rarity speaks of it makes it seem like it had no effect on her at all.
Two, why would AJ not tell Twilight? Glimmer both tried to hurt people and came after Spike despite being discouraged violently before hand. I can understand then trying to get Twi not to go Commando on her but she’s risking people’s safety by letting it go unknown, also her lying with no problem seems to fly in the face of the element of honesty aspects of her character.
Three, why would Trixie bother the wonderbolts? They aren’t a police force and aren’t situated in Ponyville. It would be like reporting a crime to the Blue Angels.
Four, why is no one telling the town. Glimmer has revealed she is willing to violently seize what she wants, people should be told to make sure their foals aren’t out on their own. The guard should be called in as there is a dangerous child molester on the loose.
Five, Dash says she is going to go tell various people, but nothing is mentioned about what comes of it. Did she speak to anyone? She can’t have spoken to the wonderbolts as there would likely have been a brawl given their reaction.
Six, why does Tempest let her go and not tell Twi. She has been brought in to guard Spike. A body guard would hold the threat down or restrain them while the authorities are brought in. Doing otherwise puts their charge in danger.
Seven, Spike changes his mood a lot in this, which is a valid response to trauma or conflicting emotions, but we don’t stay with him through the changes and the time deletion makes it seem like their is no logic or reason behind any of his actions.
I apologize if this seems overly critical but no one is reacting in a way that implies they are taking this seriously.
10270946
A perfectly reasonable criticism. My feeling is that this takes place years after the Grand Galloping Gala and, as Rarity said, she's been going to therapy sessions to cope with it, so that's helping her immensely. How would you write this scene?
Understandable, but despite all of the mishaps that happened they still had a great time that night, so much so that they commemorated it with Twilight's castle. It's only natural that they would look back on this night with fond memories, especially in the midst of a crisis. But I don't think I'm fully understanding what your criticism is. Exactly what is the problem here?
I actually thought about this myself when I was editing and revising this chapter and decided to answer this in the story itself:
I apologize if that wasn't a sufficient answer for you. How would you have gone about it?
A valid point, but we've seen in the series that Applejack has no problems with lying, such as in "The Last Round-Up" and "Sparkle's Seven."
That's definitely true, but from my understanding (and anyone and everyone is free to correct me on this if I'm wrong), the Wonderbolts are more or less the closest thing that Equestria has to a military. They are also Celestia's personal acrobatics aerial team. They were first assigned to help protect her after the Celestial/Luna rift. It's only natural that if something like a sex-related crime were to occur that the Wonderbolts would immediately be alerted to it since they could immediately bring it to Celestia's attention. While Mayor Mare could certainly do something about it, I imagine that she only carries so much authority and would thus suggest that this crime is such a grievous matter that they instead go over her head straight to Celestia herself.
I always took this line from Applejack to indicate that everypony was already aware of the situation:
But if you would prefer a scene having Twilight making a public statement regarding this situation, I could do that if you'd like.
Again, I could easily make this a scene if you think that would make the story better. But we in fact got something like this in "Horse Play."
Funny you should say that given what happens in a later chapter.
Good point. But Tempest probably figures that regardless of whether Starlight is held captive in the castle or out in public, she'll get the stuffing beaten out of her.
Okay, so what could be done to make this better?
No apology needed, my friend. I absolutely love comments like this!
Okay, so how do you think the characters should be reacting, in addition to the points made above?
10322019
In regards to Rarity: Even with extensive therapy people will tend to have a bigger reaction when telling someone else of their trauma. Think back to any instance in your past where you felt truely miserable, alone, or enraged. Likely if you felt the need to recount it to someone you’d have some emotional response thinking back about the event. This would be especially complex if you were telling someone who is a close friend or family member that knew you during that time and hadn’t been aware of it. As well when I commented on everyone smiling when the GGG was mentioned it mostly has to do with proximity. She had just informed them of theoretically life altering trauma, friends would probably be more focused on that than a brief mention of a pleasant evening if it was brought up in conjunction.
When it comes to AJ I’m mostly focused on figuring out why she wouldn’t want Starlight apprehended with prejudice. She likely wouldn’t egg Twilight on but Starlight hasn’t really done anything that would make me think that AJ would want to spare her. She has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is unrepentant, more than willing to molest or attack other minors even with her being found out, and she has a history of being willing to use tremendous magical power to her own ends. Likely for the sake of both Spike and the foal/adolescents of the town she should want Glimmer apprehended or even buried immediately. If nothing else by not telling Twilight she risks her finding out in a less controlled environment where her reaction may be even more violent.
With the wonderbolts I imagine they would be less likely to be summoned than the royal guard. Twilight is a Princess and Spike is her ward. That would be more than enough of a reason to get them involved. Meanwhile the wonderbolts seem more likely to be used for extreme mobility or disaster relief efforts so they would likely only be called in if things were hitting the fan or a manhunt was called for.
When she said everypony knows I rather assumed she meant their group of friends was aware. If the whole town is aware it would make sense that they have gone to ground, called for the authorities, or possibly formed an actual lynch mob. Regardless I’d think the mane six would be concerned for the towns safety and wouldn’t just let Starlight walk.
The same goes for Tempest Shadow. Why would she assume that Starlight would be guaranteed to lose? Twilight literally traveled a great distance to ask for Tempest’s help, which at minimum implies that she needs someone else to ensure the situation is handled. As well while Tempest may respect Twilight she would likely not put as much faith in her combat expertise or in the ability of anyone else in Equestria for that matter. Tempest soloed three Princesses and managed to seize control of the entire country, the mightiest defenders of the realm continually fled from her. I would think she wouldn’t think anyone in town would have much of a chance against Starlight mostly because she was brought in to begin with.
With Spike I would advise more of a look at his thoughts during this. Even if his behavior is erratic by looking at his thought process it would come off as more that he is barely holding it together. A person can easily go from manic to depressed in the blink of an eye but unless we see the transitions it comes off as inconsistent as opposed to showing how bad things are for the character.
As for how I’d advise writing it I would say it would make more sense if everyone was actively pursuing Starlight. Starlight should have little problem initially evading them because teleportation is one hell of a trump card. As well Starlight comes off as unhinged enough that she might actively pursue Spike even with everyone on her tail. As well AJ and Tempest could be excused not letting Twilight know about it if they are actively intending to solve the problem themselves. It’s not necessarily smart to not inform her but it makes more sense to say that she doesn’t need to be bothered with it because it will be solved before it becomes an issue.
10585241 Maybe in "The Last Problem", but in the show prior to that episode he was a baby dragon, was referred to as such, and seemed to have the mentality and mannerisms of a young child.