My Little Mages: Amicitiae Tempestate

by Foxhelm

Open Up Your Eyes

Author's Note:

That came up comparatively sooner.
Song used:

And oh man does Emily Blunt deliver, this song alone justified her paycheck. Money well spent Hasbro.

Within a matter of minutes, Twilight et al managed to break the surface and breath. They soon spotted land and swam to shore. Once there they saw that they arrived at a land bridge between Mout Aris and the mainland. As they all started to catch their breaths and dry off as Twilight walked a little farther inland than the rest, Applejack stood to be in between her and the rest, “Now before anyone says anything..” Applejack started but was cut off.

Twilight turned around, “I had to get that pearl. It was the only way to save Mystica!” Twilight shouted.

Applejack shook her head as she looked at the ground. “ And someone said something” she muttered. She sighed before she looked at Twilight, “Now, look Twi-” the paladin started.

Pinkie then stepped to be in front of the others, “'Cept it wasn't!” Pinkie started.

“Now let’s not antagonize the si…” Applejack tried to defuse the potentially explosive situation she saw forming.

“The Queen was going to say yes! We did what you told us and that's what made her realize we were worth saving!” Pinkie cut off Applejack as she continued to argue. She then gasped as she had the revelation. “You didn't really want us to show her the best time ever! You just wanted us to distract her!”

“Pinkie, let’s not throw accu…” Applejack said as she continued her attempts to defuse this bomb.

Twilight looked squarely at Pinkie, “I never would have done it, but this isn't Mystica!” she pointed out with more force than needed. “We can't just buy into every sob story we hear,” she said as she looked at Applejack and then Fluttershy, “dance around with con artists who will sell us into slavery,” she said as she looked at Rarity, “make rainbooms in the sky around pirates.” she said looking at Rainbow, “and expect everything to work out!” she said as she looked at Pinkie. “We can’t use what worked in Mystica!” Twilight exclaimed. “It's not enough! We are not enough!”

Applejack turned back to Twilight, “Now there is some truth to that but now is not the…” the paladin tried to force some space between the exchanges as she saw things heating up.

Pinkie stepped around Applejack, “No, Twilight! We stuck together! We were gonna get the help we needed!” Pinkie shouted as she pointed to herself and then to the others. “The only thing that stopped us... was you!” she shouted as she pointed at Twilight.

Applejack tried to get in between the two, “Pinkie, sugarcube, please take a st…” the paladin pleaded.

Twilight then leaned forward to be in Pinkie’s face, “Well, I'm doing the best I can!” she shouted in Pinkie’s face. Twilight then turned away from Pinkie as she continued, “It's all on me. I'm the one Tempest wants.” She then started to walk away from the group. “I'm the last Princess!” she said as she looked towards the sky as she began to feel all the weight that Celestia must have bored for a thousand years

Applejack stepped in, “Now hold on a second, let’s not say something we’re gonna re…” she tried one last time to stop this from getting worse.

“You're also the only one who doesn't trust her friends!” Pinkie shouted at Twilight as she stepped around the paladin.

A cord snapped in Twilight’s mind. Her focus gem started to glow as she turned back to face Pinkie. “Well, maybe, I would've been better off without friends like you!!!!!!!!” As Twilight yelled her hair floated up like it was a fire with another set of her streaks in her hair. Pinke gasped as she fell backward in utter shock. As soon as Twilight saw Pinkie, her focus gem stopped glowing, her hair returned to normal. She realized what she was about to do. Twilight then leaped into the air and flew away tears falling like raindrops.

“TWILIGHT! WAIT!!” Spike yelled as he ran after her.

“Should we go after them?” Fluttershy asked.

“I can’t talk with her right now.” Pinkie said as she hugged herself and rocked as Rarity tried to console her.

---

A few minutes later Spike found Twilight leaning over a rock weeping, “Twilight?” he asked as he stepped forward. He then rubbed his claw on her back in an attempt to comfort her. “It's okay. You'll figure it out.” He tried to offer some solace.

Twilight could not look at Spike as she continued to cry. “I ruined everything,” she said through her tears. “There's no chance to save Mystica now.” She concluded. She then felt the absence of Spike’s claw. “Spike?” she asked as she got up and turned to see Spike was grabbed by a storm guard by both the dragon’s neck and arm. She gasped. Her eyes, focus gem, and hands started to glow. "Spike!" Twilight shouted as she stepped forward to free him, only for the Storm Guard to push Spike's back forward while pulling back on his neck; Spike screamed and Twilight froze. Magic flared in Twilight's hands as the face of ceaseless anger overcame her. "Put him down now, or I'll show you exactly why your leader is so fixed on stealing my magic." The Storm Guard only chuckled in what seemed to be confidence spawn from either arrogance or ignorance. However, before she could attack a cage fell from above and trapped her. The cage was then pulled up into a skyboat. “Spiiiiiike!!!” she screamed.

The storm guard released Spike, letting him fall to the ground, and hopped onto the cage and climbed up the chain. “Twiliiiiiight!!!” Spike cried as the doors in the underbelly of the skyboat.

After the cage was settled Twilight began to blast at the bars of the cage in a desperate attempt to break free. Blast after blast she sent, but to no avail. “It’s an adamantine-mithril-orichalcum alloy, it’s not gonna break any time soon.” came a voice that Twilight hoped to never hear again. She turned to see Tempest walk down a stairway and then along the floor. Tempest chuckled as she walked towards the trapped princess, “Aww, the "Princess of Friendship". With no friends!” she chuckled again. “And no way out.” as she spoke she walked around the caged Twilight, like an orca around a seal on a small sheet of ice.

“Why are you doing this?” Twilight asked. “You're a Mystican! A human! Just like me.” she tried to argue.

Tempest growled as she pretty much rammed into the cage as lightning cracked from her forehead and struck the cage with a zap. Twilight yelped in response. “I'm nothing like you!” Tempest declared. “I'm more than you'll ever be!” she said as she started to turn away. Tempest started to slowly walk away from the cage, “It's time you learned a lesson
It's time that you understand
Don't ever count on anybody else
In this or any other land
I once hoped for friendship
To find a place among my kind
But those were the childish wishes
Of someone who was blind.” as Tempest walked forward towards one of the ‘walls’ of the ship she sang.

Suddenly she turned to face Twilight, “Open up your eyes
See the world from where I stand
Me, among the mighty
You, caged at my command.
Open up your eyes
Give up your sweet fantasy land
It's time to grow up and get wise
Come now, little one, open up your eyes.” as she sang she slowly walked back to the cage. As she drew the end of the verse she took Twilight by the chin patronizingly.

Tempest’s eyes opened widely as she seemed to be casting a spell relating to sight. Twilight soon saw into Tempest’s memory. She was much younger, about the same age as Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, playing levitation ball with two other children, “We all start out the same
With simple naive trust
Shielded from the many ways
That life's not fair or just
But then there comes a moment
A simple truth that you must face
If you depend on others
You'll never find your place.” As Tempest’s voice continued to sing, the memory showed that the trio lost their ball, as it rolled into a cave that was boarded up. Tempest slipped through the planks and shortly found the ball but also found a small Stellar Ursula minor. Tempest dropped the ball and prepared to cast a spell to attack the bear in self-defense. The bear struck her across the forehead, shattering her focus gem, embedding some of it into her forehead and leaving the scar that she now processed on her face.

There was an instrumental as Twilight saw the two children playing levitation ball again, but then she saw Tempest walking as she looked downcast at the ground. Tempest tried to join her friends, but as she tried to levitate the ball electricity crackled and sparked and the ball exploded. The two friends began to step and then run away in fright. Tempest turned away and started to tear up before she ran away.

As the young Tempest began to run away, Tempest’s voice was heard a new, “And as you take that first step
Upon a path that's all your own
You see it all so clearly
The best way to survive is all alone.” As the younger Tempest ran she hardened her heart and never looked back.

Tempest’s spell ended as she started the reframe again, “Open up your eyes
See the world from where I stand
Me, among the mighty
You, caged at my command
Open up your eyes
And behold the faded light
It's time to grow up and get wise
Come now, little one, open up your eyes
Open up your eyes!”As Tempest sang she left Twilight and headed back up to the top of the stairway she descended and pulled a lever that opened the roof of the room and then a second on which caused the cage to ascend again. Tempest continued to sing as both she and Twilight arrived at the deck of the ship.

As Tempest’s song ended as the two looked at Chantalot and the gathering smoke and storm clouds. Twilight looked to Tempest from her cage, “I am so sorry you felt so alone.” Twilight said as she tried to reach out to her.

Tempest didn’t look to Twilight, her focus forward. “I saw the truth,” Tempest stated. “My "friends" abandoned me when times got tough,” she said before she finally turned to look at Twilight. “Looks like I'm not the only one.” Tempest then started towards the helm of her ship. “Face it, Princess. Friendship has failed you, too,” she said just as she was about to pass Twilight.

Twilight shook her head, “No, Tempest, you’re wrong.” she declared. “Friendship didn't fail me. I failed friendship.” Tempest paused for second and for a brief moment she was confused. But in the silence, she shook it off and continued on. Twilight looked forward as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

---

Back at the land bridge, shortly after Twilight was captured, everyone was at a loss of what to do. Fluttershy was the first to finally speak. She started with a sigh, “This whole journey was such a mistake.” she stated.

Applejack took a breath, “Ya think, maybe it's time we look for and talk with Twilight?” she asked as she looked at everyone.

“I’m ready.” Pinkie said with a slight spring in her step as she got up.

As everyone else got to their feet, “TWILIGHT’S BEEN TAKEN!!!” Spike shouted as he ran to meet the group. Everyone was taken aback at the claim. As Spike tried to catch his breath, “Tempest found us and grabbed her! And took her on her ship!” Spike informed as he finally collected himself. The girls gasped at the news.

Rainbow reached for her bow, “We gotta get her back!” Rainbow said as she looked to her wings and started to bet them.

Fluttershy placed her hand on the elementalist’s shoulder. “How? We'll never catch up and we don’t have a way to fight them.” Rainbow groaned as she had to remember that fact.

“Well, good thing I happen to know of a group of mighty heroes that could handle this easily!” came a familiar voice.

Everyone turned to see Capper looking down to them from atop a rock. Rarity partially shut her eyes, “Well! Look what the cat dragged in!” she exclaimed before she turned her nose up and turned to not face the con-cat, “Himself!”

Capper gave a guilty nervous laugh, “Should have seen that coming.” he muttered to himself. He then cleared his throat. “These heroes have faced the Storm King's army and escaped! I've seen them topple the streets of the roughest towns, break out of the tightest situations, and inspire others to join their cause!” He continued to talk about the heroes he met that could help them. Everyone, sans Applejack, ‘oohed’ in response.

Applejack gave a bemused expression, “Flattery will get you nowhere, you con. We know what we’ve done.” Applejack pointed out. Everyone took a second to think about what Applejack just said and then ‘awed’ in depression as they came to the same conclusion as the paladin.

Capper continued as he leaped from the rock to be right next to them. “They even escaped certain doom at the hands of Commander Tempest!”

Rainbow smirked and looked at her nails in an attempt to not look impressed with herself, “Yeah. That was pretty great.” she replied.

“Are you kidding me?!” asked another familiar voice. Everyone sans Capper turned to see Celaeno and her crew on the rock Capper was on. The five birds then jumped and landed right next to them “That was awesome!” Celaeno cheered as her crew cheered too. Murdock squawked as he pulled out a small arsenal of weapons.

Boyle then offered his hook hand towards Fluttershy, “Figured you could use a claw!” he exclaimed as Fluttershy shook it.

Celaeno drew her sword, “We're on board to help you fight the Storm King!” she proclaimed as every one of her crew held their weapons aloft. Celaeno then slowly lowered her sword, “Just not on board our... actual ship.” Celaeno confessed as everyone lowered their arms.

“That crazy Tempest Shadows sunk our,” Mullet informed. “But you got back our argh! And we're ready to kick some booty.” Mullet shouted as he beat his chest. Everyone gave a hearty laugh.

Just as everyone finished their laugh, they all saw bubbles near the surface as light yellow light broke the surface. In less then a second the light revealed itself to be Skystar in her Aasimar form. As she landed everyone was left utterly speechless at the sight. As Skystar landed. “Hellooooooo!!” she shouted. “Me again!” she giggled. She looked back to the water, “I'm gonna get so grounded, but I talked things over with Shelly and Sheldon,” she said as she pulled the shells out of her short’s pockets and put them back, “and they pointed out that you were just trying to help your friends and that what I really wanna do is help you. Especially ‘'cause ya know... one small thing…” she said as she looked to Pinkie. She then leaned in and whispered into the jester’s ear, “can make a really big difference!” she finished. Pinkie hugged her new friend and everyone welcomed their newest ally.

Spike, however, looked at everything and everyone that had been gathered. “That’s it?” he asked. “We didn’t make friends with anybody else?” he asked which made everyone else chuckle nervously. “Well, this is just gonna go over swimmingly.” He groaned.

Capper patted Spike on the head, “Remember, beggars can’t be choosers.” he mocked the dragon. Capper then looked to the north. “All right, Y'all! I think our course is clear. Y'all ready to do this thang?” he asked.

Pinkie jumped and landed on his shoulder, “We’re coming, Twilight!” she declared. Everyone cheered. “As soon as we think up a plan!” Pinkie shouted with the same degree of resolve. Everyone then groaned.

“That might be a lot easier than you think.” came a familiar scholarly male voice. They all turned to see Flash, Sunburst, et al as Twilight’s skyboat was descending.

“Now that’s more like it,” Spike said with a smile.

Comments

[Bumblebee16]

Awesome!

[Godslittleprincess]

Woohoo! Secondary characters to the rescue!