Nuzzles and Cuddles
Tempest slept like a rock. Comfy and nestled by her aunt she enjoyed feeling the warmth of her aunt for the first time since she was a filly. However something was amiss. There was something digging into her side. A heavy weight that normally wasn’t there.
She opened her eyes to see what was there, but somehow she managed to get her head under the covers too. She managed to see her aunts back in her face. She scooted up and poked her nose from under the covers. Her jagged horn caught the edge of the covers and snagged. She shook her head to get them off. She was thankful her aunt didn’t wake up as she looked over the covers at the dead weight that was on her side.
There snuggled up on her was Berry Pinch curled up like a cat. Snuggled in a pink blanket the filly was snoozing away quietly with Tempest Shadow's old hedgehog plush toy in her arms. Tempest shook her head smiling at the filly.
She watched as Pinch rolled over on her back, but fell off Tempest’s side and nearly fell off the bed. Pinch was now on her back, still snoring away, exposing her fluffy underbelly with the plush toy on her midsection. The chest fur was puffed giving it a fluffy look. Tempest couldn’t help but admit how cute she looked. Then she looked down at her own chest seeing the same thing was happening to her fur. A large patch of fur was standing making it look like she had chest fluff too. She wondered if she could use this to catch someone's eye. Her thought was interrupted when Berry Pinch rolled over again and fell off the bed.
Thanks to her quick reaction speed, Tempest managed to catch the filly mid air. The sudden fall and jolt from being caught didn’t even awaken the filly. This surprised Tempest, She must have been tired. The mare pulled the filly close holding her against the soft fur of her own chest. Tempest rested her chin on Pinch’s head then nuzzled her. Pinch responded by giving a smile in her sleep and gentle rubbing the mare back with her nose.
Tempest let out a soft giggle. Her grip on the filly tightened slightly as she rolled on her back keeping Pinch on her chest. Pinch rolled on her side and used the plush toy as a pillow. Curled up once again she continued to sleep undisturbed by what happened to her.
Tempest ran her hoof through Pinch’s soft rosey two toned mane. The silky smooth feeling of it felt nice on her aching hoof. Tempest made a mental note to try and remember to get a hoof massage at some point in the near future. That aside she pulled the blanket to cover Pinch which made her tiny smile grow wider.
“Thanks, Tempest,” She said lazily in her sleep.
The dark unicorn nodded feeling her eyes grow heavy and she laid back and rested her head against the pillow. Just as sleep was about to claim her she felt a wet sensation on her right cheek and something warm. She opened her right scared eye to see her aunt smiling at her. Her bandages clear as day, but she was happily smiling nonetheless. Tempest turned her head to face her aunt fully.
“Morning sleepy head.” Berry Punch said to her. “Sleep well?”
She nodded. “I did, Auntie. How are you feeling?”
Tempest rubbed a hoof over one of her aunts bandaged legs. The older mare smiled at her and nuzzled her cheek and ruffling Tempest’s mane with her good hoof.
“I’m doing fine you rascal. Always looking for trouble.” Berry Punch said jokingly to her niece.
Tempest growled playfully and pushed her aunt back against the wall form under the covers. She took care not to disturb Pinch who was nestled in her legs and was purring?
Tempest lifted the covered to see Pinch indeed was purring in her arms. Tempest smiled warmly at the sleeping filly Berry Punch nuzzled Tempest looking at her daughter. She reached under the covered and gently stroked Pinch’s mane with the edge of her hoof. The ruby filly rolled on her side like a cat, smiling and wagging her tail.
“Aww, my little ruby loves her cousin. Aren't you two just precious?” Berry Punch teased her niece with a nudge of her elbow.
Tempst wanted to reply with a witty comment, but because it was early in the morning she didn’t care to. So, she slowly rolled out of bed and was careful not to drop her cousin. Once free from the bed sheets she gave Pinch one last nuzzle and gave her to her aunt. Berry Punch took her daughter in her arms from Tempest kissing her forehead and petting her mane.
Tempest recovered both of them and adjusted her Aunt’s pillows for her to which Berry Punch smiled and reached her hoof with her own. Tempest stopped and allowed her Aunt to stroke her hoof. She returned the gesture by holding the mulberry hoof between hers and stroking it.
“Thanks for helping save the town, Tempest.” Berry Punch said softly to her.
“Don’t worry, Auntie. It wasn’t anything to write home about. It was a team effort.”
Berry giggled wincing from a slight pain in her chest.
“Well, in either case I’m just glad you made it back this time. I was afraid I’d lose you again; or worse I could have lost my little filly,” Berry Punch said behind teary eyes. “If you hadn’t face that,” She sniffled and tried to regain her composure. “That beast, I could have lost… I could have lost it all. My daughter, your mother, father, or I could have lost you…”
Tempest felt her heart sink. It was as if someone took lead and forced her to drink a whole gallon of it. She felt a tightness in her chest and she too felt a slight buildup of tears in her eyes. She shook her head trying to be strong and wiped her tears away. No, I won’t cry in front of anyone! She thought steeling herself. But seeing her broken Aunt holding her daughter in her arms was almost too much for even a hardened veteran like her.
She may have toppled kingdoms, scowled in the face of danger before punching it in the face, and used her raw power and strength to force her will unto others, but even she couldn’t deny the deep feelings of her heart. For so long she caged up her emotions and kept her cold heartless demeanor. All of it was a shield to protect herself from the harshness of the world, to avoid being hurt. To this end she never tried to grow attach to anyone or anything, other than her obsession with getting her horn back.
For so long her one obsession was to become whole by getting what she lost all those years ago. But now, at this very moment, she realized what she truly lost; and what she really needed was what she left behind all those years ago. It wasn’t her horn she needed, it was her family. Her friends. Family that she turned her back on. Friends she shunned and loathed for her deformation. In this one moment in seeing her Aunt break down before her, and holding her foal in her arms, it broke the walls she built around her heart. With the toppling of these cold hard wall came clarity of heart and mind for Tempest.
She truly had everything she needed and she left it all behind for the wrong reasons. Seeing her aunt in such a broken state she couldn’t help but try and comfort her. Slowly Tempest slid back on the bed and scooted close to her sobbing aunt. She reached for her but stopped just short of touching her, when Berry Punch suddenly lunged forward and hugged her. Even in her emotional state Berry Punch was careful not to crush Pinch between them.
To Tempest’s amazement the filly didn’t even bat an eyelash despite her mother's sobbing. All Tempest could think to do was wait and hold her aunt for the time being. It was good too. She needed this as much as she did.
Once more they shared a bond that only grew with this rollercoaster of an emotional encounter. After a good minute of crying in her arms, Berry Punch pulled away from her niece and nuzzled her once more. She then laid back down resting Pinch on the bed next to her. The filly grunted in her sleep and kicked her legs like she was running to scoot closer to her mother's side.
Tempest and Berry Punch watched the filly press against her mother. Berry giggled at her daughter, even Tempest managed a girly laugh. Tempest gave once last nuzzle and a kiss to her Aunt’s forehead and covered her under the blankets before leaving the room.
Careful to close the door behind her she stepped down the hall and down the stairs to the living room area. She found her mother and father sitting together on the couch, a bottle of wine open sitting on the end table and two used but empty glasses around it. There was a small red spot on the dollies on the table, and a plate with various cheese and crackers on it next to the glasses and bottle.
The two older ponies were talking quietly as Tempest approached from behind. The creaking of the old floor boards alerted them to her presence and both turned to see her approaching.
“Oh, good morning Tempest!” Her mother greeted her.
“Sleep well, kiddo?” Merlot added in his usual chipper voice. “Hungry? Need me to make breakfast?”
“Nah, I’m not hungry right now,” Tempest said sitting in a second couch near her parents.
The two older ponies nodded together at the same time.
“Well, it’s good that you’re awake dear. You little friend was just telling us about his little venture in Canterlot before coming to find you” Chardonney said with a smile.
“Friend?”
Tempest then noticed her parents were looking at her. No, not at her, but past her. She turned to see a familiar figure sitting right next to her. Grubber. The small hedgehog was munching on some bread and to her disgust it was now all over her fur.
“Ugh! GRUBBER!!”
Tempest leapt from the couch and quickly rubbed the crumbs on the floor, thus earning herself a scolding from her mother.
“Fizzlepop Berry Twist! What are you doing getting that mess on my carpet!?”
“Mom! Really!? The guys a slob! Look at how he eats! It’s all over my fur!” Tempest snapped back.
“Young lady we don’t wipe crumbs on the floor.-”
“Now, now, dear remember not to be so controlling. She’s a grown mare,” Merlot said to his wife, then observing Grubber with disgust himself. “Also, he is getting food on the carpet as well.”
Yay, dad! Someone just earned himself a bunch of brownie points. Tempest thought seeing her father wink towards her. Chardonnay sighed looking at Grubber with a glint in her eyes.
“I think he’s cute! What did you say your relationship was with my daughter, Mr. Grubber?” The older mare asked wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Both Tempest and Merlot sighed, facefooved hard, and each got a glass of wine and down them in on gulp. Merlot set his glass down and glared at his wife, who for her part was either completely ignoring him or oblivious to his intense stare. He assumed the latter.
“So, Mr. Grubber? The mare interrupted her husband.
“Our relationship? Oh, yeah! She’s my commanding officer! Or, at least she use to be until the Storm King was defeated! Now, I’m not sure. I guess she’s still in charge,” Grubber said contemplating his position.
Chardonney’s eyes gleamed and her cheshire smile grew wider. She glanced at Tempest who was now giving her mother a death glare. A short spark from her broken horn confirmed Chardonnays suspicions that her teasing was working.
“Oh? Commanding officer you say? Does that mean she’s very demanding? Or would you say, dominating?” The older mare asked the obvious hedgehog.
“Oh, yes, very dominating. She always zaps me with her magic when she gets mad and sometimes she stomps on my head. Oh, there was one time she even threw me off the ship once! Good thing I landed on a ship with lots of vegetables!” Grubber laughed eating the last bite of his food. “Oh, this is good.”
Chardonnay gave her daughter a smug teasing grin that she just wanted to punch. Tempting as it was, Tempest held back the urge. She would never strike her mother even if she was the worst mother in Equestria. Still, that smug grin she was getting and Gruber's idiocy left Tempest feeling annoyed. She received a gentle pat from her father on her back and she smiled at him. They knew Chardonnay was only teasing, but the underlying reason was still the same.
She wanted Tempest to settle down and have foals. While Tempest herself wasn’t ready for that she also didn’t have anyone in mind on who she liked. Despite what her mother wanted, it wasn’t something Tempest herself was ready for. She still needed time to sort things out for herself. First she needed to get herself situated.
Just when she thought her mothers teasing would never end Grubber got up and wiped himself clean. The little guy hopped off the couch and waddled over to Chardonnay and shook her hoof and Merlot’s too.
“Thanks for breakfast, it was great! We’ll be in town a while but the others want to head back to Ponyville as soon as possible.”
Tempest watched as the little fuzzball waddled off, giving one last wave to them before disappearing out the door. Tempest shook her head and sipped her wine, but just as the glass touched her lips she realized what he had said. Ponyville. Did he just say they were going back to Ponyville?
Chardonnay smiled knowingly and poured herself another glass of wine.
“He received a letter from Ponyville via dragonfire,” The mare said. “He and the guards will be security for Princess Twilight from now on.”
“Ah, I see.”
Tempest stared at her wine glass observing her reflection on the dark red liquid inside. She swished the wine inside her glass and began to think about life as a guard.
“The pay’s good. Living in a castle. Serving the Princess of Friendship. I don’t know about you but that sounds like quite a challenging career. I hope the poor little guy can handle it.”
Tempest rolled her eyes sighing loudly getting a cross look from her mother. “He’ll be fine. Give the glutton cake and he’ll move the mountains for anyone.”
Once more both Tempest and her father sensed an ulterior motive behind the older mares tone. There was a hint inside the meaning of the words. They both knew what she was getting at. This time they didn’t have to guess when the mare spilled the beans herself with a unusually direct question.
“Sweet heart, do you still want to live with us and work on the family vineyard? Or would you rather work for Princess Twilight as her personal Guard?” Chardonnay asked.
“What do you mean, Mother?” Tempest asked.
The older mare silently reached for a rolled up parchment with said Princesses Royal Seal. Tempest broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. Inside was a short letter that read:
Dear Tempest Shadow,
I hope your journey home wasn’t too difficult. My student Starlight Glimmer has recently sent a letter regarding your heroic actions to save your village from an Ursa Major. I hope all is well.
When you receive this I would like you to consider becoming Commander of my own personal guard. Should you wish to accept you can send this letter back with your response attached, just see Starlight Glimmer and she’ll send it for you. Otherwise you can come back and tell me personally.
Hope this letter finds you well. Hope you family is okay.
Your friend forever,
Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Tempest stared dumbfounded by what she’d read and could only roll up the parchment and lay it down. She then proceeded to try and drink her glass of wine, only to set it aside, reach for the whole bottle and chugged it in one go. After which she gasped for breath slamming the empty bottle down hard shaking the table it sat on with her parents looking on her with bewilderment.
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That hit her a touch harder than I had expected.
All important chest floof
9252875
Well she did have a stressful day fighting the ursa.
9252958
Never underestimate the power of the chest floof.
9252965
True but a letter like that is about as unobtrusive a way to make that kind of offer as I could imagine. I’d think she would have been driven to drink by Grubber’s or her moms antics first.
Too bad Tempest's voice actress would never "lower" her self to working on kids show or the show could take the idea the fandom thinks make sense, Tempest becoming Twilight's captain of the guard. But you know film celebs, animated movies are fine, but regularly voicing a character on a "mere television show" unthinkable!
9253149
It is too bad, cause Tempest in the show would have been great! I would have liked to see how she intereacted with the mane cast in the show if it ever came to be. But alas., no such luck!
Normally I never was getting to much into the parent's teasing to much because of foals I think, but what you did with Grubber and her mother there, that looked pretty nice and funny for a change.
How is that meant?, a little bit this sounds again as if she was reading her mind and thinking much more into it as there is.
Hmmm I'M not sure if that means something good or not for Tempest, the letter I mean. For some reason I image this still could be pretty difficult for Tempest since she isn't very long in her home town after a long time.
Oh and I nearly wished Grubber would have given her a hug or somethign to make the whole scene worse for Tempest.
9253149
Does that means, it's because of that "voice actor", that we don't get to see her in the show? Oh man, Grubber and Tempest would have been nice to see there, if they wouldn't have been changed to much and if they only came back after a while. I just imaged they had stuff to do.
9253372
Not mind reading, but just showing that Chardonnay knows her daughter so well she doesn't have to see or say anything to know what's going on in her head. ^^ Nothing more. Just a mother trolling her daughter.
Indeed, she wants to spend time with her family, but that will be tackled later. Don't want to spoil too much for my readers. But the letter is important to a certain degree. It is a huge honor to be a personal guard for a princess after all. ^^
Grubber, oh Grubber.
Thanks for the cliffhanger but now I’m worried myself about what tempest will decide and also it’s a shame that she didn’t appear in the show after the movie
Also I was thinking if possible before the new year could u do tickling stories with tempest, her parents and childhood friends please. I’m glad that you are giving us great stories about tempest I hope there will be more coming up
9287028
LOL, don’t worry too much. Tempest isn’t gonna be gone forever. She just needs a nap between seasons.
9253149
alright I'm gonna disagree with this one
did you forget Emily Blunt is married to John Krasinski a.k.a. Jim Halpert - she's not biased about television m8, I honestly think you're assuming too much of what actors think of kids stuff in general considering she has kids, enjoyed being Tempest and was super thrilled to be Mary Poppins, and I'm sure if her schedule was free enough (and if the legal cross-country stuff was clear) she'd absolutely reprise her role for the series itself, she's not stuck-up like whatever you're making her out to be m8 - British =/= snob
don't forget we've had John De Lancie as the voice of Tirek since 2012 - when it comes to getting bigger names like Weird Al or William Shatner or whoever to come back on the regular, it's more a matter of scheduling and availability than it is not wanting to do TV/cartoons in general, and also on another note most cartoons these days have celebrities in regular recurring (and sometimes lead) roles, i.e. most cartoons on Netflix