The Night Before
“~I can see a rainbooow in your tears as the sun comes ooout!~” With a sway of his hips and a twirl of his whisk, Spike spun on his heels as he gave the pan one more flick, catching the eggs with the skill of an experienced chef. “~As the sun comes ooout!~”
“Booo! Booo!” Grubber hollered from the fridge, jumping up to grab a carton of milk from the top shelf before using his hip to slam the fridge door shut. “Get off the stage!”
“Everyone’s a critic,” Spike muttered dismissively as he carefully divided the eggs across four separate plates. With perfect timing, several slices of toast popped from the toaster in time for Spike to catch them in mid-air and set them next to the eggs. Sprinkling a final dusting of salt and pepper over each plate (and a claw full of crushed topaz and emeralds over his own), he grabbed two in each claw and hopped down from his stool before setting the plates on the table. “And… perfect.”
“Mmm, something smells good in here!” Twilight said as she walked into the kitchen. The Royal Suites were a noticeably lavish affair given that they were commonly reserved for visiting dignitaries and royal guests visiting Canterlot. Fine silk curtains lined the windows looking out into the city, while individually carved red oak furniture sat around the room, all lined with velvet cushions lined with the fluffiest of pegasus down.
And, true to Spike’s word, the suite also included a fully stocked kitchen with everything a chef could ever want or need.
Taking a seat at the table, Twilight pulled one of the plates closer to her, taking another whiff of the freshly cooked eggs. “This looks and smells delicious, Spike.”
Beaming under the praise, Spike bowed at he put on a fake Prench accent and said, “Bon Appetit, Mademoiselle.”
“Geeze, it’s just eggs…” Grubber mumbled as he took a long chug directly from the carton of milk in his paws. He was rewarded with a swift whack of a whisk against his head, nearly spilling the carton. “Hey!” he snarled, whirling around to find Spike glowering at him with his claws on his hips. “What was that for?”
“For drinking straight from the carton!” Walking over, Spike swiped the carton from the hedgehog’s paws before whacking him again with his whisk.
Grubber growled, glaring defiantly at the young drake. “Don’t think just cause the Storm King’s gone, you can just boss me around. I won’t be pushed around by—”
“Grubber, shut up,” Tempest grumbled as she walked into the room, dragging her hooves across the kitchen floor. Fresh bags hung under her eyes as she stared ahead with a glazed look in her eyes. A damp towel hung across her withers, her mane and tail both noticeably damp as well. Groaning, she plopped her flank into a chair before tilting forward and slamming her face against the table.
“Whoa…” Grubber whistled, eying Tempest’s run-down state. “What does the other guy look like?”
“That was fast,” Twilight remarked, guessing that the mare couldn’t have been in the shower for more than five minutes. “Still hungover?”
Tempest mumbled something into the table, unwilling to bother with lifting her head up.
“I’ll take that as a no. Spike, would you mind?”
“On it.” In no time, Spike had poured a tall glass of juice and slid it across the table towards Tempest. “Here, this should help.”
Lifting her head up, Tempest eyed the glass dubiously, suspecting any number of foul tasting liquids mixed in. After a moment, she grabbed the glass and took a long drink, gagging slightly at the unexpected taste of cranberries. Slamming the glass back down on the table, she glanced at Spike out of the corner of her eye and muttered a quick, “Thanks.” Turning her attention to her self-proclaimed “sidekick”, she added, “Grubber, get out.”
“What? Why?” Grubber argued, crossing his stubby arms over his chest.
“Cause I just want to enjoy a nice and quiet breakfast with Twilight, and you’re not helping my headache in the slightest.” Glaring down at the hedgehog, she tempered her voice and again commanded, “Out. Now.”
Grubber looked like he wanted to argue further, but paused as he glanced at the two mares. “Oooh, I see how it is,” He said with a smirk and a wiggle of his eyebrows. “I can take a hint, you just want to spend some time together with your special some—Yow!” Grubber jumped almost a foot in the air as an arcane bolt struck him in the tail.
Tempest chuckled as she watched Grubber scurry away, a thin trail of smoke coming off his tail fur. Turning her head, she noticed Twilight frowning at her from across the table. “... What?”
“That wasn’t very nice.”
With a dismissive hmph and a shrug of her shoulders, Tempest replied, “Keeps him in line. I wasn’t Commander because I let others walk all over me like cobblestone. Strength and loyalty were the only things that mattered in the Storm King’s army.”
Twilight sighed as her gaze softened. “That’s all in the past. You don’t have to be that kind of pony anymore, Tempest.”
Tempest said nothing as she skewered a pile of eggs on her fork and stuffed them into her mouth. An awkward silence settled over the pair as they ate breakfast. Occasionally, they would catch the other’s eyes as they glanced up from their plates briefly, only to glance away just as quickly.
Pushing her empty plate forward, Twilight crossed her forehooves in front of her. “So…” she began slowly, glancing at the mare seated across from her. “How much of last night do you remember?”
Tempest paused mid-bite, thoughtfully chewing her food as she tried to think back to last night. Luckily, her headache had finally let up enough that the big ball of fuzz clouding her head had diminished. “Well....”
***
Last Night…
Excited cheering filled the streets of Canterlot as ponies ran back and forth, catching up with old friends and making new ones as they enjoyed everything the Friendship Festival had to offer. After being held prisoner by the Storm King’s forces, no pony had been opposed to extending the festival an extra day or two in celebration of being freed from their restricting shackles. Songbird Serenade had graciously agreed to highlight the festival no matter how long it lasted, right now singing a duet with none other than Coloratura. Everywhere you looked you were met by smiling and happy faces.
But there was still one pony who was anything but happy.
Sulking in the shadows of the festival, Tempest Shadow did her best to stay out of sight as much as possible. Every so often a pony would notice her, but one look at her scowling face and shattered horn and they would just as quickly scamper away in fear.
Tempest sighed as another pony did just that, turning away from the crowd to glance up at the starry night sky.
“What am I even still doing here?” she muttered, filtering out the loud cheers of the crowd behind her. It had already been made abundantly clear that nopony were willing to give her a second chance, especially after everything she’d done to assist the Storm King’s forces in taking Canterlot as their own. The only reason she was even standing here and not locked away in the deepest cell in the castle dungeons was because of the good graces of the princesses, all thanks to the good word of one princess in particular…
“There you are, Fizzlepop!”
Speak of the Discord… Turning around, Tempest noticed Twilight running up to her, a smile on her face.
“I’ve been looking all over for you!” Coming to a stop, Twilight took a second to catch her breath. “I couldn’t find you anywhere, and I was starting to worry that you might have left without saying goodbye.”
“I was just… thinking,” Tempest said, avoiding Twilight’s gaze as best she could.
“About what?”
“Just… things…” Tempest muttered, suddenly feeling strangely self-conscious. Pull yourself together! Taking a deep breath through her nose, she collected herself before asking, “Was there something you wanted?”
“Oh, I was wondering if you wanted to join me for some cider,” Twilight replied. “I’ve been so busy with the festival that we haven’t had a chance to enjoy it together. I thought this could something nice we could do together as friends.”
Friends. Even now the word still felt alien to Tempest, like it was another language altogether. Twilight had said they were friends, but did she considered Twilight a friend? She had leapt in to protect Twilight and her friends from the Storm King’s attack, but that was just repaying Twilight for saving her from being swept up in the Storm King’s hurricane earlier… Right?
“Fizzlepop?” Twilight wilted as Tempest winced slightly at the sound of her real name. “Sorry...”
“No, it’s just… it’s been so long since I’ve gone by that name that I’m still not used to hearing it again. It might be a long time before I start to feel comfortable being called ‘Fizzlepop’ again. Could…” Glancing away nervously, Tempest asked, “Could you just call me ‘Tempest’ for now?”
“Of course, Tempest. That said, you still haven’t answered my offer yet. Come on, it’ll be fun!”
Biting her lower lip, Tempest was torn on whether to accept Twilight’s offer or not, her mind drifting back to her still lingering doubt as to whether the two of them even counted as friends. I shouldn’t, I’ll just be getting in the way and end up ruining her good time.
“I don’t—” Tempest’s breath hitched in her throat as she glanced at Twilight, the alicorn mare looking up at her with big pleading eyes that made Tempest’s argument die in her throat. Suddenly the prospect of saying no to that face was as terrifying as staring into the maw of an enraged dragon.
“Please?”
“... Fine.” You win this round, Princess.
Twilight squealed excitedly, clapping her hooves together. “Oh, thank you! Applejack’s waiting for us, so follow me.”
Resigned to her fate, Tempest trailed behind Twilight as the princess weaved through the crowd. Twilight seemed oblivious as ponies gave the two a wide berth, darting out of their way at the mere sight of Tempest. She said nothing, loudly grinding her teeth together in frustration.
It felt like an eternity before they came upon a set of picnic tables around together to form a food court, each one filled with ponies engaged in any number of conversations over a bevy of succulent food. From one of the tables, an orange mare wearing a cowpony hat waved them over, a large barrel with a turn spout behind her. “Looks like you managed to find her, Twi. I was startin’ to think I’d have to send out a search party.”
“I wasn’t gone that long, Applejack,” Twilight replied as she sat down at the table, Tempest taking the spot next to her. Glancing around, Twilight quickly noticed the lack of a certain pony. “Huh… Where’s Rainbow? She was here when I left, and I can’t imagine her missing out on cider.”
Applejack chuckled, glancing over her shoulder as she filled a pair of mugs to the brim with cider. “Oh, she was first in line, no surprise there. I think she already had a cup or two of her own while we were waitin’...”
“I swear to drunk, I’m not Celestia!”
“... Or seven.” Slamming a pair of mugs onto the table, she slid them over to the two mares. “There ya go, fresh Sweet Apple Acre’s Hard Cider, straight from the tap! Drink up!”
Tempest glanced beside her as Twilight wasted no time in downing the mug of cider. Lifting up her own mug, Tempest took a tentative sniff of the brew before taking a sip. The sweet taste of apples danced across her tongue, accompanied by the hot bite of alcohol mixed in.
“Well?” Applejack inquired as she watched Tempest drink. “What y’all think? Pretty good, huh?”
Lowering her mug from her lips, Tempest licked the remnants of cider from her lips. “It’s… good, but it’s still missing something…” Cupping her hoof over the mouth of the mug, she began to vigorously shake the mug up and down.
Applejack stared on in horror. “What in the name of Granny Smith are you doin’!?”
Ignoring her, Tempest continued shaking the mug for another moment or two before removing her hoof. Frothy foam immediately began to spill over the rim, as Tempest took another sip of the bubbling liquid. A content sigh escaped her mouth as the bubbling cider hit her stomach. “Ah… much better.”
Applejack could only shake her head. “That just ain’t right…” Glancing at Twilight, she saw her looking at her with pleading eyes. “Go ahead, Twi,” Applejack replied with a sigh, “I won’t stop ya…”
Grinning, Twilight mimicked Tempest and shook up her mug of cider as well. Once the cider was good and fizzy, she took another sip, giggling as the bubbles tickled her tongue.
Tempest smirked, the sound of Twilight’s laughter like music to her ears. Looking to Applejack, she slammed her mug against the table and proclaimed,“I like this. Another!”
***
“... And, that’s about it.” Having finished eating while recounting her memory of last night, Tempest had pushed aside her empty plate and crossed her hooves in front of her. “Everything gets fuzzier and fuzzier around the third or fourth drink or so.”
Twilight nodded, having been silent the whole time. “Yep, that sounds about right.”
“It still doesn’t tell me how we ended up… uh… sharing a bed last night.” A blush spread across Tempest’s face at the mention of earlier, making Twilight giggle.
“Luckily, I think I can help fill in the blanks,” Twilight said, meeting Tempest’s eye. “See, I remember noticing you loosening up more and more as the night went on, but I could never have imagined just how loose you would get…”
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Oh, do tell, Twilight! I am SO into this right now! Can't wait for the next update.
Why not cast a spell to remember what happened?
Uhm... you accidentally left off a sentence here. Twilight wasted no time in downing the what?
okay if everything is just okay now, I hope they figured it out and the talk that follows is good, I don't expect Tempest to just go with it to be honest.
Ahhh okay they just wanted to be alone for the talk.
No matter what others like to believe, I like it that Tempest is or was supposed to be a Mare that can keep up with a princess, especially when they don't train and expect stuff like that to happen.
I like to think the drink is strong and she isn't a lightweight. Sometimes the Alicorns can't get drunk thing get's old, however this was just Twilight not getting a hangover right?
I really hope they go about it more or less slowly and Twilight isn't acting overly confident about it. I still image her as the slightly antisocial bookworm. Yes she got better, but she didn't had a relationship before and she can still fear that she would mess it up, as soon as she realize they maybe aren't really together since Tempest doesn't remember anything.
Not sure how to say it, but I just don't want it to feel unnatural, like she would just go with it and they just enter a relationship because of the misshap. I actually hope not everyone knows about what happens and that they can still suprise many ponies with it if Twilight should tell somepony about it because she thought it was obvious.
edit:
I kind of like it, but since it's Twilight I somehow don't want her to act like it was the most normal situation for her and like she was used to the whole dating thing. If she got drunk she has to have some sort of feelings coming up suddenly, no matter if they are giddy or whatever.
I had read a character description somehwere, where a girl character couldn't stop but smother another in their love for a while when they entered a serious relationship.
edit:2 maybe I'm just tired to see Tempest as the insecure and shy one just because she changed and Twilight to act like she is the unfazed goddes, that Celestia is being shown as in some stories.
Hey, a Thor reference! I think.
Hmm, very good so far.
Hope for an update soon
This is pretty good so far i have no real complaints please keep going friend.
How's the chance for a sequel? I'm not exactly happy with the recent story I was reading about them and would like to see this to continue.
Not sure what I image about how they ended up with each other, but I hope it meant more to them or at least to Twilight now that I see the real reason still needs to be written. Not sure if even much happened, depending on how you have written her, Twilight might have just gotten really cuddly.
It wouldn't be so bad, but I would like to read about something like Twilight already having a crush on her and maybe missunderstanding some signals?, I'm not sure "how much" beside an certain interesst Tempest could feel for Twilight in her drunken state.
I think in most(?) romance stories I miss the aditional thoughts of the characters in certain situations.
I noticed it a few times that the author things differently of the situation than we maybe understand it.
My imagination goes a bit to far again and now I want Twilight to be into her while Tempest is trying to develop some real feelings there.
I mostly image that in an adoption scenario but I also hardly see any romance stories in which only one person really wants the relationship in the beginning.
I saw I had pretty much described it not to badly in my last comment for this chapter.
edit: Not sure how to say it, but I just don't want it to feel unnatural, like she would just go with it and they just enter a relationship because of the misshap. I actually hope not everyone knows about what happens and that they can still suprise many ponies with it if Twilight should tell somepony about it because she thought it was obvious.
edit:
Was that a Thor reference I spotted?
9526102
All it was missing was (Insert Name here since I can’t figure out who’s drinking) slamming the mug onto the ground and it shattering.