The Island of Tambelon

by Rakoon1

The Unicorn With the Broken Horn

After what happened, they all returned to the farm, meeting at the cottage’s main room. Buttercup made everypony some tea and said, while placing herself beside Jonagold:

“I have to say you’re doing quite an impression.”

“Yeah, ya already dealt with two of the five witches that serve tha Dark Mistress” Jonagold said.

“Well, that’s good” Rainbow Dash said. “It means we only have to defeat three more.”

“I don’t know, Rainbow” Rarity said. “They really seem to be quite powerful.”

“Rarity’s right” Applejack said. “Have ya forgotten that the last one was defeat by those Generals.”

“About that, what just happened there?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Did they just attack us?” Rarity asked.

“Well, perhaps we misunderstood them” Pinkie Pie said. “Maybe they… Well, they wanted… Yeah, maybe they really attacked us.”

“Blue, you’re a General of Order” Twilight said. “What do you know about these Generals?”

“Not much” he replied. “Of course I already heard about them, mainly Bright Night. But, beyond commonly known facts, there is not much I can tell.”

“But, dad, whatever you know can help us analyze what they may be doing here” Star said.

“Well… much like Gentle Light, they are Generals that have their own purpose” Blue told. “They are the ones that guard the structure of the Lord of Order’s creation, being responsible for time and space. They even have separate domains: the Ocean of Time that connects both past, present and future and the Ethereal Divide that is the space between realms and universes. They are Generals shrouded in mystery. I never expected to meet them.”

“Perhaps we’re dealing with a far more serious situation” Twilight said. “If they’re here to stop the Lord of Chaos’ plan…”

“Then perhaps we can make friends with them” Fluttershy ended.

“Exactly” Twilight said. “They serve the Lord of Order, just like us.”

“Are you two forgetting what just happened?” Rainbow Dash asked. “They attacked us for no reason, including you and Star, Twilight.”

“You’re talking like I am a foal that can’t protect himself” Star replied.

“That may be true, Star, but don’t forget they attack’d us without a reason or explanation” Applejack replied. “We cannot consider them as friends, even if they are Generals of Order.”

“Yeah, what they think they are, just because their power comes from the Lord of Order?” Rainbow Dash said, looking then to Blue. “No offense.”

“None taken” he replied.

At that moment, Moonlight came in and said, looking to everypony’s faces:

“What happened? You don’t look well.”

“It’s a long story” Star said. “I’ll tell you later. Hey, where have you been?”

“I went for a walk by the lake” Moonlight told. “I even met somepony there.”

“What?” Fluttershy asked, a little worried. “And are you okay?”

“You don’t have to worry, mom” Moonlight said. “She wasn’t a stone pony. Well, at least, that’s what I think… She was a unicorn with a broken horn.”

“Ah, you met Tempest” Buttercup said.

“You know her?” Moonlight asked.

“Yeah, she runs a fruit stand at the capital” Buttercup told.

“We use tah make deals with her” Jonagold added. “After all, we are tha main producers of apples and pears.”

“Tempest is a sweet, but she possess a troubled past” Buttercup said. “Poor thing…”

“I can image, if she really has a broken horn” Twilight said. “There’s nothing more sacred in a body of a unicorn or alicorn than the horn.”

“Perhaps I can visit her” Moonlight said. “She loved my voice and maybe I can help her feel better.”

“That’s very dear of you, Moonlight” Buttercup replied. “I’m certain she’ll appreciate it.”

“And I’ll go with you” Fluttershy said. “I can’t let you go to the capital on your own.”

Moonlight nodded, agreeing with that.

The night fell and everypony went to sleep. While Jonagold and Buttercup were sleeping at their bed, the others were sleeping on the main room, with Rarity sleeping on the couch and Twilight at the armchair with Blue by her side. The others were lying on the floor with blankets.

Twilight was sleeping with Blue’s hoof over hers. At that moment, she had a dream that was the same vision she had have at the <i>Destiny’s Bounty</i>, about the mysterious figure. She woke up and Blue did the same. Looking at him, she noticed:

“You had the same dream I had?”

“If you’re talking about that figure, then yes” Blue replied.

“Could that be… the one that will bring destruction?” Twilight asked. “Maybe the Dark Mistress?”

“I believe it’s for the best to not estipulate” Blue replied. “We don’t know the meaning of this.”

Twilight nodded with her head, agreeing with him.

The morning started to break and the Dark Mistress was beside the fountain, seeing the reflection of Twilight and her friends battling Scarlet Burn and Light Fire.

“Those heroes are starting to be a thorn in our plan” she said. “Their mere presence is causing everypony in Tambelon to start to feel hope. We cannot allow that to happen.”

“Then let everything to me” a voice said, while the witch with light blue shades appeared. “I make sure Scarlet Burn and Light Fire’s mistakes are forgotten. With my power and my patience, I will capture the weakest of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony and use her dark emotions to feed the Smooze.”

“Interesting…” the Dark Mistress told. “Dark emotions from somepony with a great light… That will certainly speed up our plan. Do that, Crystal Frost… I don’t fail.”

“I won’t” the witch replied, bowing. “My plan is flawless.”

And she disappeared.

“Meanwhile, I must return to my humble disguise” the Dark Mistress said.

She disappeared.

Using their cloaks, Fluttershy and Moonlight went to the capital, hoping to find Tempest. They eventually found her at her fruit stand.

“Hello” Moonlight said, arriving. “Remember me?”

Tempest got surprised for seeing her, saying:

“It’s you… The filly I saw by the lake.”

“Yes, I am” Moonlight said. “And this is my mom, Fluttershy.”

“It’s nice to meet you” Fluttershy replied.

“It’s nice to meet you too” Tempest replied back.

“Buttercup told us about you and I thought I could make you a visit” Moonlight replied.

Happy to have visits, Tempest brought Fluttershy and Moonlight to her house, serving them some tea. While drinking it, they started to talk.

“Amazing…” Tempest said. “So, you really are from Equestria. I have to say I miss my former home.”

“Wait, you’re from Equestria?” Moonlight asked.

“Well, yes” she replied. “Some of the ponies that live here, like me, aren’t actually from Tambelon. They were taken by Grogar or the Dark Mistress, so…”

“I’m sorry to ask, but how did you…” Fluttershy started.

“How did I end up here?” Tempest said. “Well, that’s something I would never forget… maybe because it was shortly after my horn… You get it. I was just a filly and I was playing with my friends with a ball, until we lost it. I went to get it back, but I ended up getting in a cave where… an ursa minor was and… it broke my horn and scared me.”

“That’s terrible…” Fluttershy said, affected by Tempest’s story.

“After that, I and my friends grow distance, until I got so isolated that I decided to run away” Tempest continued. “It was at that moment that I saw him… Grogar. He took me. And now I’m stuck here… so my anguish can feed villains and their power.”

At that moment, Tempest started to feel a pressure in her head again. It was causing a great pain. Seeing her like that, Moonlight advanced, put a hoof over one of hers and started to sing to her, the same song she heard her sing. Her pearl emitted a slight glow inside her locket and that glow really eased Tempest’s pain.

“Are you better, Tempest?” Moonlight asked, after finishing singing.

“Yes… I think so…” she replied. “But what did you do… It was like yesterday at the lake.”

“Well, I am a prodigy, so I have a power over music” Moonlight told. “But I guess I was only able to help you with this.”

And she opened her locket, revealing the pink pearl to Tempest. She got amazed and also attracted by it. Its light, along with Moonlight’s voice, was a great comfort. A certain desire to get it took over her, but when she realized it, Tempest got the hold on herself.

“It’s… very pretty” she said.

“I know and it’s very precious to me” Moonlight said.

“I can understand why” Tempest replied.

The time came for Fluttershy and Moonlight to return to the farm. While they were heading to there, Moonlight asked Fluttershy:

“So, what do you think about Tempest, mom?”

“Well, she seems to be very nice” Fluttershy replied. “However, I do feel something off about her. But, having in count what she has been put up through, I guess it’s normal.”

“I can’t wait to end this mission” Moonlight said. “How long do you think it will take to release Tambelon?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, dear. But, knowing Twilight and Star as I know them, they will make sure they find a way to defeat our enemy.”

At that moment, they heard an evil laugh that caused them to stop and a voice said:

“You’re really naïve if you really think that.”

And, before them, Crystal Frost appeared.

“As if you have any chances against us” she added.

Seeing her, Fluttershy quickly realized that she should be one of the Dark Mistress’ witches, so she told to her daughter:

“Moonlight, run, now…”

“But, mom…”

“Do it now!”

Despite not wanting to leave her mother, Moonlight obeyed her and tried to run away.

“I don’t think so” Crystal Frost said.

And she charged her horn and released a freezing wind that froze Fluttershy and Moonlight’s hooves to the ground.

“Ice nature…” Fluttershy said, surprised to see another pony with that nature besides Queen Ingrid.

“That’s right” Crystal Frost said, with a cold smile. “My name is Crystal Frost and I’m here to do what the others two couldn’t.”

“And what’s that?” Fluttershy asked, a little fearful.

“Why, take down the threats to my master’s great plan” Crystal Frost said. “Starting with you…”

And saying that, she casted a beam that hit Fluttershy.

“Mom!” Moonlight shouted with tears on her eyes.

The spell elevated Fluttershy, involving her in a sphere of light blue light with shards of ice and causing her pain.

“That’s my Mosaic Sphere” Crystal Frost said, giggling. “It hurts, doesn’t it? Right now, my ice nature has entered your body and its slowly breaking from inside out. It won’t last until there’s nothing left but an empty shell, while all your suffering will be channeled to help our cause.”

Moonlight had to do something. She prepared to use the power of her pearl, but Crystal Frost, noticing she was up to something, made the ice cover her body.

“Don’t even think in making a single move, my dear” she told to Moonlight. “You will spoil my fun.”

And she continued to watch Fluttershy feeling the pain caused by her spell. But, suddenly, a combined magic beam was casted against Crystal Frost, forcing her to dodge. Twilight and Star appeared, followed by Blue who used his magic to free Fluttershy and Moonlight. Rainbow caught Fluttershy and brought her to safety.

“Are you okay, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I… think so” she replied.

“And you, Moonlight?” Star asked to his marefriend.

“You don’t have to worry about me” the young half-thestral answered.

Noticing the disadvantage she had now, Crystal Frost exclaimed:

“Stone warriors, come!”

And two big stone ponies appeared, ready to attack. The heroes were ready to fight, but then Time Turner and Bright Night appeared before them, with the former saying:

“Looks like it’s time to reveal ourselves to our enemy.”

“Well, not all missions must be done in the shadows” Bright Night said.

“Bright Night… Time Turner…” Twilight said.

The two Generals looked at Crystal Frost and their eyes shone for a moment with their respective color, what made the witch to flinch a bit. Then, Time Turner raised his hoof and proclaimed:

“My magical tool, come to me!”

And what appeared to be a glowing, spinning, metallic sphere.

“Chronosphere, my talisman, give me your power to defeat the ones who threat Order!” he exclaimed. “Forward Decaying Ray!”

Aiming the Cronosphere to the enemy, Time Turner fired with it a powerful beam that hit Crystal Frost and her stone ponies, what caused them an excruciating pain, while their bodies quickly deteriorated until they turned into nothing more than dust.

Everypony got stunned by what just happened, impressed by the ease Time Turner an Bright Night defeated that witch and her stone ponies. Beyond that, they got to see what was the second talisman: Time Turner’s Chronosphere.

Time Turner made the Chronosphere disappear and then he and Bright Night prepared to teleport away.

“Wait, Time Turner, Bright Night…” Twilight asked.

But it was too late, as they disappeared.