Chapter 4: You'll Know
“Enjoy, Fizzle!”
“Thanks, Pinkie.” Tempest smiled.
She turned down to the plate of warm cookies that sat in front of her and sighed. As she picked one up, she gazed out the window to the bustling streets of Ponyville. Decorations were up everywhere now. Thistles hung from everypony’s door, while the side of the walls were wrapped in twisting wires of colorful lights.
In the distance, she could see the Crystal Castle towering over Ponyville. She wondered if Twilight and Sunset were still asleep.
Maybe I should’ve checked. Tempest thought back to when she awoke in the morning. The nightmares felt less intense than usual, though they were still very much there. She had managed to save herself from shattering, but the fear didn’t feel any less intense. When she awoke with her head on the windowsill, she made her way to Twilight’s room. Her hoof hovered over the door for what felt like forever, but in the end, she chose to leave her be.
She’s been through enough as is.
Yet, there was one thought that was more invasive than the rest. One memory that plagued her ever since Sunset had shown it to her last night. Tempest bit down on the cookie, her mind still filled with images of the Friendship Festival. The parties and ponies she met. But more importantly, of that moment with Twilight, when the sky was alight with rainbow explosions. Every time she went back to that moment, a feeling appeared in her heart. An emotion she couldn’t place. Though she did know it was positive! It was like joy.
But oh so different.
Tempest lifted the cup of hot cocoa to her lips and sipped it softly.
“Tempest!”
Tempest shot her head up, spotting Rainbow Dash rushing towards her. “Oh, good morning, Rainbow Dash. I-is everything alright?”
“Oh yeah, everything’s great!” Rainbow grinned. “Except…”
“What is it?”
“Okay so you know how the whole Hearth’s Warming Eve festival is tomorrow at the Crystal Castle?”
“Yeah?” Tempest stared curiously at her friend.
“Okay so I was planning this whole amazing air show thing for everypony to see! It would feature cloud sculpting, and a whole bunch of other air tricks. Ending with me doing my signature Sonic Rainboom!” Rainbow pointed to herself with a proud smirk.
“Yes. I helped plan that, in case you forgot.”
“O-oh, right,” Rainbow laughed sheepishly. “Well, you know those fireworks you did back at the Friendship Festival? I was hoping you could do that just as I do the Sonic Rainboom! It’ll look so. Awesome,” she said with glittering eyes.
Tempest’s eyes grew wide. She almost leapt on the opportunity. To be able to do such an act of awe-inspiring magic, and to see the faces of all the ponies around her, it would make her happy beyond reason. But when she opened her mouth to answer, she remembered something that trapped the words at her throat.
She needed joy to cast that spell.
And not just any joy. She needed the same one she had felt on that night. One that she currently couldn’t place. Not to mention the fact that Twilight was still suffering from her nightmares. Combined with the fact that she hadn’t had a chance to help Twilight like Twilight had helped her, and Tempest soon realized just how much was still left in the air.
“R-Rainbow, I’m sorry but I don’t think I can.”
“What? Why not?” Rainbow asked, leaning close with concern.
“I’ve just been… trying to solve some things out.”
“You… want to talk about it?” Rainbow sat down on the seat across her. Her confident smile having been replaced with a worried frown. “Wait, is it those ponies looking at you funny? Cause if so—”
“It’s not that Rainbow. Well, that’s just a small part of it.”
“So what is it?”
Tempest had wanted to tell Rainbow everything that had happened the last two days. Her fears, the nightmares and the pain she’s caused to everyone around her. But it was that very last thought that stopped her.
Hearth’s Warming is supposed to be a time for joy. And here I am weighing all my friends down.
“I-I’m sorry, Rainbow. I just don’t want to talk about it right now.”
Rainbow nodded. “Say no more. I completely understand. Well, whenever you’re ready, you can talk to Pinkie, me or anypony else! Got it?”
“Of course. Thank you, Rainbow.”
Rainbow turned and was about to take a step forward, when Tempest’s voice caught her. “Rainbow, can I ask you something before you go?”
“What’s up?” Rainbow spun back around.
“Do you trust that I’ve changed?”
“Is… that a trick question? Because of course I do!” Rainbow answered almost instantly. “You saved us from the Storm King. If it wasn’t for you, Equestria would be doomed!”
Tempest shot Rainbow a wide, beaming smile. “Y-yeah. I suppose so. Thank you.”
“No prob!” With that, Rainbow soared out the doors.
Once she had disappeared, Tempest returned to her meal in silence, her thoughts occupied once more by the memories of the past. She attempted to distract herself with occasional stares outside, but found herself automatically returning to her daydreams. With all that was happening, she had forgotten about the hatred the citizens of Equestria still harbored for her. And tomorrow, she would be forced to be in the same room as them.
There’s so many things! Tempest sighed at the thought. But no matter how many things she attempted to run through her mind, her thoughts would revert back to one vision.
“Do the fireworks again…” Tempest muttered under her breath in a monotone voice.
“Do what again?”
Hearing Sunset’s voice immediately caused Tempest to jolt in shock. She turned back, spotting Sunset seated across her with a smile.
“When did you come in?”
“About two minutes ago,” Sunset said nonchalantly.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“You look like you were thinking through some stuff!” Sunset reached over to Tempest’s plate and snatched a cookie. “And I didn’t want to interrupt you!”
Tempest rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Are you always so good at reading other ponies?”
“Maybe.” Sunset winked. Her playful expression soon melted into one that held more weight. “Hey, Tempest, I wanted to apologize.”
“What for?”
“For cutting that happy vision off and leaving so suddenly.” With a swift twist of her hoof, Sunset snapped the cookie into two and offered one half to Tempest. “I was just… overwhelmed with a few things.”
A sigh escaped Tempest’s muzzle as she grabbed the Windigo treat. “Sounds like that’s happening to all of us recently.”
“How was your sleep? Did what Twilight do help?” Sunset asked through her chews.
“Yeah, it helped.”
“So no more nightmares!?” Sunset gasped.
“L-less intense nightmares. I think. I don’t really want to remember.” Tempest's words evaporated all traces of excitement on Sunset’s face. “And Twilight?”
“R-right, Twilight.” Sunset paused. “Tempest, Twilight had a… bad night.”
Tempest dropped her treat and her eyes ignited with fire. “Tell me she’s okay.”
“She’s okay,” Sunset said, though her tone made it sound like even she didn’t believe her words. “But with the stress of the celebration coming up and her nightmares, it’s taking a toll on her. I’m… sorta scared for her. Would you mind keeping an eye on her today as we do the final touch-ups?”
“I was going to do that even if you didn’t ask me to.”
“Right.” Sunset gave several small laughs.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
The two mares shot each other a knowing look and it was clear to them what the next topic of conversation was.
“So, when can you send me back into Twilight’s nightmares? I need to help her.”
“...Tonight.” Sunset tapped her cookie nervously.
“Is Twilight okay with that?”
“...I don’t know. But we’re going to need to try to convince her. She needs help.”
Tempest spotted Sunset’s faraway gaze and troubled eyes. She lifted her cookie, knocking it softly against Sunset’s own treat. The act did exactly what Tempest hoped it would do, and drew Sunset’s attention back to Equestria.
“Then let’s help her after the decorating portion of the day.” With that, Tempest tossed the treat back into her mouth and leapt off her chair. Sunset allowed the action to catch up with her for a moment, before mimicking Tempest’s action and headed towards the door.
“Hey, Tempest?”
“Hm?”
Sunset held the door for Tempest, smiling and speaking as Tempest trotted past. “...Thanks for being there for her.”
“Now this is what I call a castle fit for Hearth’s Warming!” Rainbow bellowed out as she slapped one last mistletoe above the main hall’s entrance.
“Oh most definitely. What say you, Twilight? Does it meet your standards?” When Rarity received no reply, she turned to face her.
“Huh? O-oh, yeah! Just… hold on…” Twilight muttered as she flipped through the papers on her clipboard.
“Twilight, dear, what’s been up with you? The past few hours you’ve seem distracted.” Rarity trotted over to a candlestick, pushing the slightly slanted candle back in place. “Even putting a candle off center? That’s unlike you!”
“Sorry, Rarity.” Twilight dropped her board with a heavy sigh. “It’s just with so much to do and the things going on, I’ve been a little… stressed.”
“Oh dear, would you like to talk about it?”
Twilight shook her head. “Not particularly.”
“O-oh.” Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, regardless, tomorrow is Hearth’s Warming Eve. I do hope you’d be able to enjoy the festivities.”
“And the parties!” Pinkie hollered from across the room.
An audible gulp resonated through the main hall. “R-right,” Twilight stuttered. “T-tomorrow’s the party.” Her face grew as white as a ghost and she looked as if she had wanted to scream. “C-can’t let down the citizens of Equestria!”
“That’s the spirit!” Applejack swung her hoof forward as she spoke.
From a small distance away, Tempest gazed at Twilight. She locked her eyes onto Twilight’s face. Watching for every twist of her lip, every dart of her eyes. For the past few hours, Tempest’s mind was on her conversation with Sunset. It didn’t take any mind reading powers for Tempest to tell that something was off with the princess. Something beyond the sudden fear regarding the scheduling problems. Her closest theory was the nightmares, but she had no way to prove it. Especially with Sunset being as cryptic as she was.
She trotted closer, hoping to catch any clue she could as to Twilight’s insistence of hiding her nightmare. Yet, as she stood studying Twilight, a voice startled her from her left.
“You okay?”
Tempest turned, spotting Rainbow hovering just beside her. “Me? I’m… better. But Twilight…”
“Yeah, Rarity was right. She seemed so out of it today!”
“Yes, she is.”
“Do you know what’s going with her?” Rainbow landed on the ground and tapped her chin.
“No. She’s probably just… tired.” Tempest had wanted to go into more detail regarding Twilight, but she knew that that decision was not hers to make.
Neither pony spoke another word for a few seconds, until Rainbow piped up, “Tempest? Look, about that fireworks thing—”
“Sorry, Rainbow. Like I said, I’m still not sure I can do it.”
“I know.” Rainbow sighed. “But I just wanted to let you know that there’s no pressure in it alright? If you can’t do it, the show’s still gonna be so. Freaking. Awesome!”
Tempest had barely caught Rainbow’s words. She saw Twilight lean against her friends as they surrounded her, laughter filling the air. Yet, Twilight never met any of them eye-to-eye. For a moment, she thought she saw Twilight give a quick glance towards her. But the movement was so swift, Tempest wondered if she was just seeing things.
“Hey, Rainbow!” Sunset called out.
“Sunset, hey! Done with the fireplace?”
Sunset gestured to the ornate brick fireplace. Ribbons of green and red thread wove around the mantle and down its side. In the middle sat a bubbling cauldron of cider, the smell of which quickly drew the attention of Rainbow, even though they stood across the room.
“That. Looks. Amazing!” Rainbow did a somersault in the air, landing back on her hooves.
“What’s next?” Pinkie chirped as she bounced up towards Twilight.
“I think…” Twilight flipped a page over the clipboard. “Wait, no. Maybe it’s time to… no wait a minute,” she muttered to herself. Her movements had started to become more frantic and more nervous. “Where’s the page? I planned for this!”
“Tempest…” Sunset started, but her voice trailed off. Though Tempest didn’t need any clarification for her name being called.
“I’ll… be right back! Just keep on decorating!” Twilight anxiously shouted before galloping up the steps.
“I’m guessing what you meant when you said that Twilight was having a bad day was…”
“That. Exactly that,” Sunset answered as the two of them followed Twilight’s path to the upper levels.
“Got to prep the tree topping ceremony… and then…” Twilight’s words trailed off into an incoherent mumble.
“Twilight?” Tempest called out, but Twilight didn’t seem to acknowledge her presence. She trotted closer, until she could make out the clearly disheveled mane, spastic movements and wide, stressed eyes. The room echoed the clip-clop of her hooves as she paced in front of her desk, which had been loaded by papers and several cups of, what Tempest could only assume to be, coffee. “Twilight—”
“Ah!” Twilight screamed and darted her eyes towards Tempest. Her horn was alight with sparking magic, though it quickly dispersed once her eyes landed on Tempest and Sunset. “O-oh, hi, Tempest!”
“Twilight, what happened? It looked as if you didn’t sleep last night!”
“Yes, I did!” Twilight shouted as she waved the piece the paper in her hoof wildly around.
“Did you get more than three hours of sleep last night?” asked Sunset with a worried tone.
“That’s… not important right now! What is important is the amount of work we could be doing! We need to get everything ready for tomorrow and my organization slips are all out of order!” screamed Twilight, who picked up several more scattered pieces of paper on her desk. In a shaking voice, she began to read off each one. “We need to make sure each bell is aligned just right, and the tree needs to be wrapped with exactly two point four meters of ribbons! And they need to be color coded to represent the earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns! And we need to accommodate possible visitors from outside Equestria. And—”
“Stop.” Tempest spoke in such a commanding tone, that it not only shocked Twilight into silence, but Sunset too. “Twilight, we’ll do them, but you need to give yourself some time to rest.”
“We can’t just do them! We need to make sure they’re perfect!” Twilight picked up a few more pieces, but soon, allowed them all to fall on the ground. “I need to make sure I’m busy…”
“Because of the nightmares,” Sunset muttered.
Twilight didn’t acknowledge Sunset’s words, even though it was clear they could be heard. However, she didn’t deny them either. Instead, she gathered her papers and turned to the door. But as she attempted to trot forward, Tempest intercepted her path.
“Twilight, these nightmares are going too far. You need to let me help you.”
“I said I’m fine!” Twilight shouted in anger. “Would you stop trying to find out what’s going on and just let me be!?” However, the moment the words left her mouth, Twilight’s eyes softened with regret. “I… I didn’t mean to shout. I’m sorry. I just… there’s so much going on I can’t deal with this right now.”
“It’s because you’re not getting enough sleep.” Tempest placed her hoof underneath Twilight’s chin and pushed her head up ever so slightly. She stared into Twilight’s shining purple eyes with a frown. “Just let us help you. Please. I can help make these visions go away.”
“...What makes you so sure?”
“What made you so sure when helping me?”
Twilight shut her eyes and shook her head.
“Come on, Twi,” Sunset urged. “Let Tempest see it.”
“...You’re going to hate me,” Twilight spoke, a tear trailing down her face.
“That’s not going to happen.”
Twilight took a step back, breaking away from Tempest’s soft grip. She placed her papers gently back onto the table and wiped the tears away. “So what, you want to do it now?”
“No, not while the others are here,” Sunset said. “Let’s just finish up what we need to and we’ll do it the moment they’re gone. At night.”
“...I’m not sure I can last till then,” Twilight admitted in an exhausted tone.
Taking a step towards her desk, Tempest gathered the remaining papers as neatly as she could in a small stack. She then picked them up and shot Twilight a comforting smile. “You’re not the only one good at organizing. Right, Sunset?”
“But—” Twilight attempted to interrupt. But Sunset gave her no chance.
“Right.” Sunset plucked a few pieces of paper from Tempest’s grip and made her way to the door. “Let us handle the planning and decorations.”
“But—”
“You trust us, don’t you?” Tempest asked.
“Yes, but—”
“Good. Let’s go, Tempest.” Sunset and Tempest trotted out the door, giving each other a wink as they entered the hallway. “We got work to do.”
In the next few hours, both the exterior and the interior had been covered in countless decorations. Any and every Hearth’s Warming symbol, be it bells, thistles, ribbons or flowers, had been placed all around. To say that the place looked exquisite would have been an understatement. And to say that Tempest felt a little proud would have been a great disservice to the effort she saw everypony put in to make it happen.
Her friends had headed home to prepare for the big day tomorrow. And Tempest, Sunset and Twilight were doing so as well. The three of them were gathered in Twilight’s chambers, seated on her bed. Soft moonlight peaked through the windows, bathing the room in a calming glow.
“Tempest, again, you don’t have to do this. In any sense.”
“And again, I’m telling you I want to do this. I must do this for you.”
Twilight gulped. “You’ve already seen my nightmares once.”
“And I want to see it again to see if I can help.”
Sunset placed her hooves on either pony’s lap. “Come on, let’s get started,” she urged, giving a knowing glance towards Tempest.
Tempest nodded and placed her hoof upon Sunset’s, with Twilight following suit. As swiftly as she could, Sunset levitated her amulet, shot a beam into its center and watched as three fractured rays pierced into each mare’s chest, putting them fast asleep.
Tempest expected to wake up to the Canterlot Castle hall. To see through Twilight’s eyes the magic-resistant cage door. Yet, to her confusion, she opened her eyes to see the last pony she expected:
Herself
There she was, standing with her back turned towards Twilight. The sky was filled with twinkling stars, ones that shone brightly through whatever was going on. Tempest could even hear laughter coming from a small distance away. But not just any laughter. The sound of happiness caused something to nag within her.
I know where this is. Her inner voiced attempted to shout, but she still could not place the venue.
“I guess that’s one thing that never changes around here. The parties,” the Tempest in the vision spoke in a crestfallen tone. At first, the words didn’t register as anything special to Tempest. But as the seconds ticked by, something clicked within her mind and she gasped in horror.
N-no. This is… this is supposed to be Twilight’s nightmare. Why would…?
“Well, I do hope you’ll stay. More friends are always welcome.”
“But… my horn.” Tempest spun around, meeting Twilight’s eyes with a pained look.
Upon hearing those words, there was now no longer a doubt in her mind as to the moment they were at.
The Friendship Festival is Twilight’s… nightmare?
The implications of that thought made Tempest sick. She wanted to back out immediately, but gathered enough of her strength to stay.
“You know, your horn is pretty powerful,” Twilight spoke, a feeling of joy rising in her heart. “Just like the pony it belongs to.”
“Well, I did tell you that I wanted to show everypony in Equestria what I could to do, right?”
I wonder what she has to show me. Twilight thought as she watched Tempest strut to the middle of the crowd. She lowered her head, pausing for just a moment before shooting a sharp blue trail into the sky. Suddenly, the sky found itself alight in explosions of wondrous colors and beautiful effects. The sight stole Twilight’s breath away, and she watched the spectacle with a wide, open mouth. N-no way.
Somehow, Twilight found the energy to trot towards Tempest, taking a seat just a few inches from her. The magic Tempest had shown was amazing. Yet, there was something else that was equally bright. One that brought a smile to her face.
She turned to Tempest, spotting her wide smile as she watched her own magic work the air. As she watched the ponies around her gaze up in awe. Twilight’s mouth softened into a warm smile.
I knew you had it in you, Tempest.
When Tempest turned and met her eyes, Twilight had wanted to turn away. But she didn’t. Instead, she shot Tempest a grin, hoping that she could see just how proud she was. And that’s when she felt it.
That deep, warm feeling she had felt only one other time in her life. The feeling of pure distilled happiness as she watched the rainbow of explosions give her face a soft glow. The innocent look in Tempest’s eyes, hiding a pony whose want to change was stronger than any creature Twilight had ever met.
Tempest darted her attention away, but not before Twilight spotted a faint red blush on her cheeks. A second later, Tempest turned attention back to Twilight, and Twilight had wanted to open her mouth to tell Tempest so many things.
She wanted Tempest to know that she would be there for her. She wanted her to understand just how grateful she was. And she wanted Tempest to know… she wanted her to know…
What’re you thinking, Twilight? After all she’s been through, you can’t tell her that. These thoughts sent a feeling of dread through Twilight’s heart. She doesn’t feel that way about you. Why would she? You just met her. And how can you be so sure about your feelings anyway? She attempted to reason that this wasn’t the case. But found little evidence to suggest otherwise. She needs time to carve her own life. You can’t tell her this. You can never tell her this.
With these thoughts circulating in her mind, Twilight forced a smile and gestured her head forward. She hoped that Tempest would get the gesture, to simply continue on in her life. But as much as Twilight hoped that Tempest could not see her true feelings, a part of her wished that she could.
Because maybe, just maybe, Tempest felt the same way.
But it’s better if she doesn’t. She’s been through enough already.
Twilight turned back up to the fireworks and forced a smile to her face. Was Tempest still staring at her? She didn’t dare check. Instead, she continued gazing at the colorful explosions painting the sky.
She doesn’t need me.
“What…” Tempest muttered on instinct as her eyes fluttered open. She blinked several times to clear her blurred vision, eventually catching sight of Twilight hugging herself softly.
“I guess now you know.”
“Know…?” Tempest’s voice trailed off. She knew she should’ve been asking more questions. But she didn’t know what to make of what she had just seen, much less what to ask.
“I’m… I’m really sorry, Tempest.” Twilight’s face pulled into a grimace as she spoke, as if she was feeling a sort of invisible pain.
“I… I don’t…”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to feel the same way. Look, we have to wake up early to setup the party tomorrow. Maybe it’s best we get some sleep.”
“Twilight—”
“Maybe.” Twilight spoke through gritted teeth. “It’s best we get some sleep.”
Sunset was rubbing her head softly. She patted Tempest on her back and gestured for her to follow. “Twilight’s right. Come on. Let’s get back.”
Still overwhelmed by what had happened, Tempest did as she was told. Her mind felt as if it had short-circuited, unable to process anymore information. As she left, she heard Twilight lock the door behind her.
Why was Twilight’s nightmare different? What… what’s going on?
Before she could ponder anymore questions, Sunset opened the door to Tempest’s room and gestured for her to take a seat. Sunset, meanwhile, leaned against the nearby table, sighing and shaking her head. “I guess you know Twilight’s deepest fear now.”
“...Me? I’m the fear?”
“Not exactly.” Sunset trotted to the foot of the bed. “Do you… honestly not know? Or do you… not want to know?”
“Know what?” asked Tempest in frustration. “I thought I knew what was going on. What my nightmares were about. What Twilight’s nightmares were about. But every single day that passes I feel like I know less.”
“Yeah, well, that’s emotions for you.” Raising her head, Sunset took a deep breath. Her eyes closed shut and her body held still. Tempest knew she was pondering a thought and she was just about to push, when Sunset spoke up once more. “Both you and Twilight have allowed me to see your memories. I think it’s time, I show you some of mine.”
Sunset strolled towards the bed and lightly took Tempest’s hoof in hers. With a glow of her horn and a zap of the amulet, both of them fell into a slumber…
Tempest couldn’t see anything but black at first. But soon, the image filled her eyes. Or more accurately, Sunset’s eyes. Almost like a film projector that had been readjusted back on a screen. And in front of her, she spotted Twilight, pushing herself up from the bed with wide, hurt eyes.
“W-why?” Twilight muttered through her tears.
“Twilight, that nightmare” Sunset’s eyes furrowed almost in anger, but mostly in confusion.
“Wasn’t for you to see!” Twilight shouted back.
“Twilight,” spoke Sunset with a trembling voice. “You… like her?”
Twilight didn’t reply. The words only caused her to cry harder and she dove into the pillow for comfort. Even though Tempest couldn’t see the tears and the pain, she could hear it clear as day.
Reaching forth, Sunset began to stroke Twilight’s back ever so slowly. Neither mare spoke a word for a time, leaving only Twilight’s sobs to fill the dead air between them. Tempest swore that she saw traces of tears appearing at the edge of Sunset’s eyes. However, she lifted her hoof and wiped them away seconds before Twilight turned her head up.
“Don’t tell her,” muffled Twilight.
“I… I won’t. But you…” An audible gulp stopped the words cold. “...you should,” Sunset spoke in a tone of regret and pain.
“I can’t! Tempest is going through too much right now!” She raised her head and her pained voice filled the room. “Her nightmares have been taking over her life! She’s been dealing with her own problems, dealing with the ponies of Ponyville, her past and so much more! I just… I can’t add on to that!”
Twilight’s words caused Tempest to seize up. She attempted to turn away from the vision, but much like seeing Twilight’s nightmares, she found no control given to her. The emotions inside her raged and stormed the likes of which she had never felt before. Even though things were starting to become clear, her emotions were getting pulled deeper into chaos.
“What do I do, Sunset?” Twilight asked.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Why did this have to happen to me? Why!?” Twilight screamed, causing Sunset to quickly shoot up and gesture for her to lower her volume. “Argh!” she released a loud shriek into the sky, diving face first into the pillow.
“Shh!” Sunset desperately shushed, but suddenly, a boom echoed through the hallway. She darted her gaze hurriedly between Twilight and the bedroom door while wiping away as many of her tears as possible.
Before she could make a move, the doors slammed open with a frightful force. And blue lightning crackled through the air, swiftly moving towards Sunset.
Tempest had recognized the magic instantly, and the realization froze her hooves in place.
It was her.
The next moment, she could see herself looming over Sunset, face twisted into a fierce grimace. Sunset stared back in frightened shock before raising both of her hooves.
“Wait wait wait! Tempest, calm down!”
Before Tempest had a chance to adjust to what she had seen, the scene changed. This time, it showed Twilight and Sunset sitting at the kitchen, a plate of three Windigo cookies in front of them. From the corner of Sunset’s vision, Tempest could see the window and the moon hanging high above.
“She didn’t come out?” Twilight asked as she wiped her stray tears with a tissue. Sunset shook her head, causing Twilight to sigh and crumple up her tissue, throwing it onto a pile of them nearby.
“I don’t blame her. After what she saw, she—”
“Thinks it’s her fault.” Twilight lifted her hooves up to her eyes and began sobbing once more. “This is a mess, Sunset. Everything’s a mess.”
Sunset threw herself back in the chair and turned towards the door. As she lifted her cup of cocoa to her mouth, her mind flew through ideas quicker than a pegasus’ wing. So quickly, in fact, that Tempest could barely keep up.
“Maybe… it’s time to tell her.”
“No!” Twilight screamed. “This is an even worse time than before! She’s beyond hurt and it’s my fault!”
“Twilight, you need to—”
“No,” Twilight spoke with fierce command. “It’s not right. Why did that moment come out? I haven’t thought about it since it happened!”
“What was on your mind when I was casting my magic?”
Twilight didn’t answer.
“Twilight?” Sunset leaned forward, placing her cup gently back down on the table. “What was going through your head?”
“...I was wishing that Tempest didn’t see my nightmares. My… real nightmare.”
Upon hearing Twilight’s answer, Sunset groaned. “That explains it.”
“What? What happened?”
“All nightmares come from a fear of… something. It could be stress, a memory or something else entirely. Much like how Tempest’s visions are from her fears of the past, your fear of Tempest finding out the truth created the nightmare we saw tonight,” as Sunset explained, she saw Twilight lower her head to the table.
Created… a nightmare? Tempest muttered in her thoughts.
“I just wanted to not hurt her. To keep our friendship intact.”
Lifting her hoof, Sunset picked up a cookie and placed it on Twilight’s plate. “Twilight, you brought me in to solve both of your problems. But neither of you are willing to let yourself be helped first. One of you needs to relent.”
With sluggish movements, Twilight lifted the cookie, breaking apart a small piece of it in her hooves. “You need to help Tempest first.”
“Twilight, I don’t think you get it,” said Sunset as she bit down on her cookie. “There is no ‘you’ or ‘I’. ‘We’ need to help each other. ‘We’ need to help Tempest. She’s not going to do this without you, and you’re not going to get over this without her.”
Twilight didn’t reply. Not immediately. She chewed softly on her cookie, eyes staring straight out the window and onto the snowing vista below. “She comes first.”
Twilight… Tempest felt herself on the verge of tears.
A deep frustration grew within Sunset. She gave a guttural groan but soon realized that this argument would be endless. She had seen that stubborn look in Twilight’s eyes before, though this time, it was accompanied by crushing sadness. “Fine. But when we help her, you better allow her to do the same.”
Twilight snapped off another piece of her treat and ate it in silence. It’s as close to consent as I’m going to get, thought Sunset.
“Do you think Tempest should take a break tomorrow?” Twilight asked, catching Sunset off guard.
“What?”
“A break. Tempest might be better off without me for a day. All I’m doing is complicating things for her.”
“Twilight, no,” Sunset stated with fierce conviction. “Don’t think such thoughts. Tempest is not better off alone.”
Once more, Sunset received no answer. I’m going nowhere. Feeling exhaustion creeping up on her, she placed her remaining cookie on the table and stood up. With a swig of her mug, she downed the rest of the hot chocolate and began to trot away.
“Good night, Twilight. Don’t stay up too late, alright?”
She heard Twilight’s chair squeak. And when she turned back, she saw Twilight staring at her with furrowed brows and an odd frown. Though what made it odd, Sunset couldn’t say for certain. She decided to use the opportunity to state something she felt needed to be said.
“You need to watch over Tempest.”
“I was going to do that even if you didn’t tell me to,” Twilight answered without a moment’s pause. For the first time since the night had fallen, Sunset felt a smile cross her face. Though it was a small one, it was still a faint star in an otherwise empty sky. She was prepared to turn and continue her trot back to her room, when Twilight spoke up again.
“Sunset, promise me you won’t tell her. Not until we get all this sorted out.”
“I…” Sunset hesitated. A part of her screamed not to make this promise. Yet the other part screamed equally loud for her to say yes, as it wasn’t her place to make this decision.
“Sunset, please,” Twilight begged, eyes wide with fear.
“F-fine. I promise.” Sunset spun around and trotted towards the door. But at the doorway, she turned back around, catching a sight that both warmed and chilled Tempest’s heart simultaneously.
At the table, Twilight lifted her treat and stared at the one remaining cookie on the plate. With a light swing of her hoof, Twilight knocked her small remaining piece against the large one of the plate, giving a sigh as she did so...
Tempest’s eyes shot open, granting her a view of her room once more. She pushed herself upright and was greeted with a soft smile from Sunset.
“Do you get it now?”
“I…” Tempest stuttered out, she placed her hooves on the wall to keep herself from collapsing on a bed. Countless thoughts and numerous emotions were running through her at this point, sending her into an utter mess. Even simple sentences felt impossible to form. She had wanted to cry, yet scream. She was happy, yet devastated. She didn’t know what she was feeling, and she turned to Sunset with pleading eyes, hoping her friend could solve it all.
“Twilight likes you. A lot. But all this time she refused to tell you, because she just wanted you to be happy.”
“I…”
“And you like her too.”
“I… don’t know,” Tempest admitted, lowering her head to consider Sunset’s words.
“That wasn’t a question, Tempest. I still remember yesterday, when I took a look at the happy memory of yours. Where you were underneath the fireworks with Twilight. The feelings you felt that night, that was unmistakable. You felt a very strong affection for her.”
Tempest gazed at her hooves, unsure of where to even place the words she wanted to say. What did she want to say?
“That… weird feeling I felt that night. That’s love?”
“I wouldn’t call it love just yet, but it might be the beginning of one.” Sunset sat beside Tempest, placing a hoof around her. “Don’t feel so bad about not knowing it. After what happened in your fillyhood, you probably never got a chance to explore these emotions. Nor understand what they are.”
Tempest buried her head in her hooves in an attempt to shut herself from the world. Nothing made sense to her at this point. All this time, she thought she understood the world and the ponies in it. But now it was clear that she didn’t even understand herself.
“W-what do I do?”
“I’m going to be honest, I have no idea. I never went past this stage before,” spoke Sunset plainly. “Though I wish I did.”
Tempest didn’t reply, instead she attempted to sort out as much of her thoughts as she could. Though to no avail.
“But…” That single word drew Tempest’s attention back towards Sunset. “Pinkie said to always follow your heart, as it somehow knows what to do in situations like these.”
That definitely sounds like Pinkie, alright.
“Do you believe her?”
Sunset giggled softly. “It hasn’t let me down since I’ve arrived. So… yeah. I guess I do.”
The tick of the clock kept the two mares company in the night. Tempest had phased out completely from the present time. Instead retreating into her mind to make sense of what was going on around her. Was it true that she liked Twilight? How could she be sure? Never in her life had she acted on an action without knowing full well the consequences of her actions. All except the time when she pledged servitude to the Storm King. And that event eventually became her worst regret.
She could not afford to jump blindly once more. Not again.
“I know it’s a lot to work through, but don’t keep yourself up okay? Tomorrow is the Hearth’s Warming party after all!” Sunset opened her hooves for a hug. One which Tempest gladly obliged. After a few seconds, Sunset broke the embrace with a smile. “I won’t force you to tell her. You tackle this at your own pace, and your own way.”
“I’m not sure I know what the right decision is,” Tempest admitted in shame, turning away.
The next thing she knew, something was prodding at her hoof. Looking down, she spotted the photo of Twilight and her at the Friendship Festival with a red glow surrounding the frame. It was the same picture that was hanging on her wall a couple of days ago. The same picture Sunset had taken just last night. Tempest turned up, spotting Sunset standing at the door with a smirk and her horn aglow.
“You’ll know.”
Tempest grabbed the frame, staring wistfully at the bright, fearless smiles both she and Twilight were wearing. Slowly, the memory of that moment with Twilight returned fresh into her mind, painting a wide smile onto her face. She could hear the sound of the mass of ponies dancing and cheering. She could smell the baked goods and countless treats. But most importantly, she swore she could see Twilight’s soft, knowing smile for a moment. One that took on a whole different meaning with the things she knew now.
She turned up to Sunset with a wide smile.
“Thank you, Sunset.”
Sunset nodded and returned the bright expression. “Good night, Tempest.”
“Good night.” Tempest greeted, watching as Sunset left the room. She turned back down to the photo in her hooves, feeling two words run through her mind continuously. Ones that cleared up her thoughts one tiny bit at a time. Though it was slow, Tempest could finally hear herself think again. Somehow, the events of the night had filled her once heavy heart with an almost soaring lightness. If Twilight and Sunset had wanted to help her, they had done it. And now it was her turn. She wasn’t sure what the course of action would be, but the doubt was cleared by the same two words running through her mind. Even as she fell asleep, they did not relent.
I’ll know.
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"Intact" is what you want here, "intact" means to keep something whole, unbroken, or unsullied. "In tact" means to act tactfully, to socially interact with consideration, kindness, or delicacy.
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And thusly we hopefully avoid my least favourite part of any romance story, the pussyfooting about when two characters like each other, but neither want to heap the problem of a relationship onto the other. Together we are strong and this burden, when shared, is a burden unmade.
8628028
Fixed! Thank you! And I won't say anything about the upcoming chapter. Have my lips sealed :)
"Her closest theory was the nightmares, but she had no wy to prove it."
I think there's an a missing in there somewhere lol. ah this is such a good read though. and right before Christmas, its like an early present!!!
8628100
Fixed! And yes, I was hoping it would be! Merry Christmas Eve! :)
Oh Sunset, you poor thing. This has to be harder on her than anyone.
Man, sunset is really taking one for the team, trying her best to get both tempest and twilight together despite how she herself feels.
Helping set up the girl you like with someone else must be a hell of a heartache.
The fact that neither Twilight or Tempest has cottoned to Sunset's dilemma kinda makes me think they need somepony to backhoof them. Or a rolled up newspaper.
8629142
A newspaper is a solution to many of life's problems. Particularly when wielded by Sunset herself!
I'm quite late, but that should be a "she", no?
9433602
Fixed! Thank you!