• Published 16th Jan 2018
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The Princess's Captain - PresentPerfect



Tempest Shadow has come to Ponyville to serve her sentence, or start her new life, depending on who you talk to. She's about to get far more in the way of life changes than she ever imagined.

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The Princess's Captain - Part 1

The Princess's Captain
by Present Perfect

Part 1

The sound of Tempest Shadow's armor-shod hooves echoed off Friendship Castle's towering ceilings as she entered for the first time.

"Aaaaand here's the castle!"

Princess Twilight Sparkle trotted up behind her, smiling despite the looks they had gotten as they disembarked the train and walked through Ponyville. Provincial though the town was, the Princess had been all too happy to point out its humble attractions and more notable ponies. None of this had served to make Tempest feel any more confident about her presence here, nor allay the suspicions of the tiny dragon riding on Twilight's back.

Tempest stood, staring at her new surroundings, and the Princess continued to natter.

"It's kind of impressive the first time you see it, but don't be intimidated." She giggled. "I mean, it's considerably less, shall we say, awe-inspiring, when you realize it's just me, Spike, Starlight and maybe Trixie living here. We hardly use more than seven rooms on a regular basis. Can you believe it?" She gave another laugh, forced, that petered out into awkward silence.

Tempest moved slowly into the center of the spacious grand hall. Her hoofsteps continued to echo, demolishing the silence. Colorful tapestries loomed, watchful, from the high walls. She did her best to avoid catching her reflection in the crystals.

"This is to be my prison, then," she intoned, her sonorous voice reverberating in the chamber.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Princess Twilight rushed up before her, shaking her head. "Don't think of this as a prison! It's the start of your new life!"

Tempest gazed into the princess's eyes. "I have committed grave crimes against Equestria. Though I have stated my genuine wish to atone, I neither expect nor deserve clemency."

"Fizzlepop." Princess Twilight put her hoof on Tempest's shoulder, which clanked. The dragon snickered. Tempest rued not swearing Pinkie Pie to secrecy during the train ride.

"Yes, Princess Celestia has remanded you to my custody for the time being, but it's for a very good reason." She smiled. "We're going to become friends! I promise you, if you learn to embrace friendship, you'll be able to give back to Equestria ten times what you took."

A small frown creased her face. "That sounded kind of negative, didn't it?"

Tempest shook her head. "The worst prison is the one the warden refuses to admit exists." She sighed. "What am I to do, then? It isn't as though I have anywhere else to go."

"You can start by picking out a room!" The Princess exchanged looks with her dragon. "Spike, would you get some fresh linens from the... Uhh, the place where those are? And then Fizzlepop and I will meet you in the main hall."

The dragon snickered again, covering his mouth with both claws as he hopped off Twilight's back. He pointed at his eyes, then at Tempest, then trundled off through a door and was swallowed by the castle depths.

"Just call me 'Tempest' for now, Your Highness," Tempest murmured. "It's the only name I've known for a long time."

The Princess put a hoof under Tempest's chin and turned her head so they could see each other. But a week ago, such a condescending gesture from anyone but the Storm King would have been met with a strong backhoof and a flurry of sparks. Now, Tempest was cowed, unwilling to retaliate, barely able to speak her mind, lest it draw any wrath from those who now controlled her life. Disgust wrote itself across her face as she recognized the gravity of her situation, and her helplessness to alter it. She wasn't a prisoner; she was a slave.

Had she ever been otherwise?

Twilight studied her face for a moment. "Tempest it is, then." The hoof dropped away. "It's going to take some time for you to get comfortable in your new life here in Ponyville. I promise I'll do what I can to help with that. But you have to promise me you'll give yourself the time you need as well. Don't let yourself get frustrated, okay?"

Tempest remained silent.

Princess Twilight took a deep breath. "All I'm asking of you for right now is to let me know when you want to leave the castle, and don't do anything... let's say, rash. Otherwise, you're free to explore the castle or Ponyville at your leisure. Don't force anything, let it come in time, and you'll find the ponies here are friendly and welcoming."

Tempest bowed her head. "I understand, Your Highness."

"And please, just call me Twilight. We're going to be friends, after all."


They turned a corner into yet another hallway, indistinguishable from the rest. So far, the tour had taken them to the map room, the kitchen, the dining room, the library, the other library, three different bathrooms, a room neither Spike nor Twilight could remember seeing before, and a closet. Princess Twilight had chatted away the whole time, while Spike walked behind them, a pile of sheets and a pillow in his outstretched arms, and mostly groused about how long they were taking.

"One corridor's more or less like the other," said Twilight as the hall began to bend to the right. "I don't know if you'd prefer one on the east or west side of the castle. Of course, there's also the north, the south, the various floors, and then you have your choice of near the end or closer to the center! I prefer sleeping nearer the trunk, myself. Less drafty." She giggled. "Anyway, there's only a seven-point-five percent chance you'll pick a room that's currently occupied, so go crazy!"

Spike grunted. "Yeah, but doesn't Trixie usually sleep in--"

"Trixie sleeps outside in her wagon," Twilight said primly, "because she's a bad influence. Also, it isn't polite to be nosy, Spike."

Tempest suppressed the urge to question and took the lead down the hall. Another bathroom was pointed out. Spike grumbled once more.

They stopped at the final door on the right.

"Does anyone else have a room in this hallway?" Tempest asked.

"Starlight's is three doors back that way, actually," said Twilight, pointing where they'd come from.

Tempest nodded. "This will suffice." She turned the knob with her hoof and stepped inside.

Like the rest of the castle, the room's walls were formed from haphazard growths of ornate crystal, but Tempest was somewhat surprised to see the interior already furnished. Opposite the door sat a small bureau. A bed lay against the inner wall, plain and uncovered. There was a waste receptacle, a lamp, and what looked like an armoire, and all of it was made of crystal of varying color and opacity.

"Ooh! This one even has a window!" Twilight bubbled. "Excellent choice!"

She levitated her saddlebags' contents onto the bureau. Tempest bit back familiar numb jealousy as she watched those few worldly possessions float across the room in the warm glow of magic.

"There." Twilight gave Tempest a wide smile. "You didn't bring a lot with you, so I'll leave it to you to organize things how you want."

Truth be told, almost everything she owned, aside from the tattered cloak resting across her shoulders, was officially licensed Storm King merchandise. No pleasant memory was tied to these objects. Her armor's decal had been easy enough to remove after the battle; no doubt she would end up throwing most of these other things away, too.

"Spike, please make the bed. I'm going down to the main library to get started on a new research project!" Nervous excitement flashed down Twilight's muscles and into her hooves, and she pranced in place.

Tempest raised an eyebrow. "Research project?"

"Don't worry about it! I mean, I'll want your help tomorrow, but for now, I want you to relax, make yourself at home, keep exploring the castle or just get some rest, whatever you feel like." Twilight giggled. "I'll probably be up all night, as usual. Ooh, I can't wait to get started! Call Spike or come down to the library if there's anything you need, all right? I'll see you later!"

And with that, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, fluttered out the door.

Tempest watched her go for a long moment, murmurs of emotion conflicting in her chest. When she turned back to the room, the bed was crisply made, and a small dragon glared at her from on top of it, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm warnin' you," he said darkly. "You may have Twilight's trust, but you don't have mine. Twilight's my friend." He jabbed a claw at his chest. Smoke puffed from his nostrils. "And I'm gonna keep an eye on you so you don't hurt her. We clear on that?"

Dragons were not a species Tempest had much experience with. Those she had met were the size of airships, presenting either obstacles to be steered around, or large targets for cannon practice. They could burn a squadron of ships to ash in seconds, summon lightning from storms, and swallow a griffon whole. It was said they nested in mountains they hollowed out with their own claws over the course of months, sleeping atop piles of treasure stolen from those weaker than them.

They were not nearly as intimidating as the little lizard standing before her.

"Crystal," she croaked.

"Good." He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes, hopped off the bed, and made for the door, passing under her legs. She didn't dare move. When he got to the doorway, he stopped, turned, once more pointed to his eyes and then to her, and left without another word.

She closed the door behind him. Turning to her room, she surveyed it once more.

Rest seemed a wise decision. She felt weak-kneed all of a sudden.


Twilight cast a deafening spell on herself as she reached the door to Tempest's room. The horrible clanging was coming from within.

Thank goodness Starlight hadn't made it into the castle since last night, thought Twilight. She wouldn't have gotten any sleep with all this racket.

Twilight opened the door, ready to demand just what in Celestia's name was going on. But she just stood there.

Tempest Shadow was busy doing one-hoofed pushups in the center of her room. Only that did not adequately describe the activity.

Tempest was fully clad in her armor, for one. For another, she would lower herself to the ground with one leg, the other held behind her back, then push up suddenly and switch hooves midair. The terrible din came when her hoof, or more specifically, her armored shoes, struck the floor on the way down. Her rear legs stretched out behind her, hooftips together, providing her only constant point of contact with the ground. At every point on her body, corded muscles twisted and bulged, making patent the efficacy of the exercise.

Twilight stared just a little bit longer.

Then she whipped up a Royal Canterlot Vocal Projection and shouted, "TEMPEST!"

Tempest stopped with both hooves on the floor, as if she'd planned to all along, and turned. It took a few moments of watching Tempest's mouth move before Twilight remembered to drop her spell.

"--arkle," Tempest finished. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you look somewhat, ah... upset?"

"Upset?" Twilight shrieked, but stopped herself before she went any further. She breathed in, put a hoof to her chest, and released both.

"Maybe, just a little. The walls of the castle aren't soundproof, you know. Or--" she cleared her throat-- "at least, I'm letting you know that they aren't. And that Spike and I are awake now. And breakfast is on. And that I didn't get much sleep last night as it was." Her eyes dropped to the side.

"My apologies, Twilight." Tempest bowed her head. "You did say to make myself at home, and this is my usual morning routine."

"Just--" Twilight rubbed her temple. "Leave the horseshoes off next time, please?"

Tempest looked down at her shoes. One by one, she stepped out of them, leaving them inscribing a neat rectangle on the floor. She never once looked away from Twilight, fixing her with the look of a foal earnestly trying to ignore her mother's chastisement.

"Thank you." Brightening, Twilight added, "Come on, let's go have breakfast!"

Breakfast was a humble affair of pancakes, honey, and one grumpy baby dragon. Spike levelled a bleary glare at Tempest the entire time, one which said "Now I have a reason to hate you."

The groggy morning silence was broken when Starlight Glimmer, also looking as though she hadn't slept much last night, stumbled into the breakfast room. She looked at the pancakes the way a pony lost in the desert looks at water, snatched two up in her magic, and bit into both without bothering to set them down on a plate.

"Mormim, 'Wi-ight," she said through the mouthful, then swallowed. "Trixie insisted we stay to help kickstart the Canterlot cleanup effort, and you know me!" She chuckled. "Not one to stand in the way of Trixie being altruistic."

She gave Twilight and Spike a knowing grin. Neither reacted. As she turned to Tempest, her grin never lessened.

"So it's true, then? You're staying here with us?"

Tempest nodded slowly, regarding Starlight with wary hesitance.

"You and I are gonna have a lot to talk about, I think," said Starlight, taking another bite of pancake. "I know a thing or two about trying to escape a villainous past." She laughed and grabbed a third pancake. "Let's chat sometime! Thanks for breakfast, Spike, great pancakes, I'm gonna go sleep for a year."

Open-mouthed, Tempest watched Starlight trot from the room.

"Oh, that Starlight!" Twilight chuckled and rolled her eyes. "She grows on you!"


"What is this research project, which kept you up all night?" Tempest asked as she and Twilight strolled into the library. Twilight's personal library, that was, not the one meant for public use.

"Glad you asked! Have a seat and get comfortable, we're probably going to be here a while!"

Tempest looked at Twilight askance, but obeyed, taking one of the high-backed armchairs in the center of the library. Over the next couple of minutes, countless books floated down off the shelves to join the few dozen already on the floor around the little coffee table. Princess Twilight followed soon after, holding quill, ink pot and at least three notebooks aloft in her magic. She settled into the chair directly across from Tempest and grinned at her.

"I'm researching the Relics of Sacanas!" She set the notebooks on the table, side by side, tops and bottoms even with each other, and laid the ink pot next to them. "I've only ever seen scant reference to them in my reading, and even when I heard the Staff of Sacanas called by name, it didn't dawn on me until much later that I'd ever heard it before." Her grin became wider. "So I figure, since you worked with the Storm King to get them and all..." Her enthusiasm waned a moment. "Well, I figured I'd shake you down for anything you know, if you don't mind, and maybe that will give me a better foundation to start a wider search."

Tempest blinked. "That sounds reasonable, I suppose." She shifted in her chair, frowning as it refused to conform to her larger frame. "I promise I will tell you as much as I can. What is it you wish to know?"

Twilight leaned forward, quill held humming in the air. "Everything."

With a deep breath, Tempest began to tell Twilight everything.

There were five Relics created by Sacanas, the mad satyr wizard. Of them, the Storm King had been able to claim possession of two: the Staff, and the Orb. The Storm King had sought the Orb after hearing tales of Sacanas and finding that his own thirst for power matched the old sorcerer's. With the Orb in his possession, he was given a modicum of Sacanas's power, but more importantly, was able to find the locations of the other Relics -- the Amulet, the Sword, and the Crown -- when he got close enough to them. After obtaining the Staff from the hippos, he set his sights on Equestria both because he could use its power to make a statement and because the Orb showed the next nearest Relic was somewhere within the kingdom.

"To be honest," Tempest continued, "I am unsure what the other Relics do. Only that they are powerful and corrupt. The Storm King never told me which Relic was here in Equestria, save that it was 'next'."

Tapping the feather against her throat, Twilight gazed up at the ceiling for a quiet moment.

"Both Relics were confiscated after the Storm King's forces stood down in Canterlot, weren't they?"

Tempest nodded. "Yes."

Twilight summoned a scroll and began to write. "I'm going to need hooves-on experience if I want to accomplish anything..."

Shifting in her chair again, Tempest tried to ignore the silence that had settled over the library while Twilight ignored her in favor of her missive. In the next few minutes, Twilight finished writing, read the letter, reread it, and yelled for Spike. The dragon appeared moments later and blew a plume of flame onto the letter. Tempest found herself enraptured; the sight was as fearsome and impressive as it was confounding.

But no, she had heard of dragonflame messaging before, even if this was her first time seeing it. Her mind set to work, analyzing the likelihood of being able to capture masses of dragon babies. A network of dragons raised to serve on airships would keep the fleet connected like never before, a communications boon that was sometimes desperately needed when--

Tempest swallowed. She took a surreptitious glance at Twilight, fearing the Princess might have heard her old habits dying hard. But Twilight's head was buried nose-deep in a book.

At least Tempest could take a hint.


Four hours and as many books later, judging by the crystal wall clock, Tempest sighed and collapsed forward on the table. Her eyes burned as though she'd been walking through a blistering desert sandstorm. Five minutes spent scanning and rescanning one page revealed she had been reading a treatise on seapony etiquette that wouldn't help Twilight's research in the slightest.

"Is this all you do?" she groaned, then sucked a breath in through her teeth. Had she really said that aloud?

Twilight blinked at her a few moments later. "I'm sorry? Oh, was there something else you wanted to do? I do tend to get caught up in my research." She gave Tempest a rueful half-smile. "I didn't mean to neglect you."

Tempest sat up straight and adjusted her armor, which clanked irritably against the confines of the chair. "Not what I was referring to." In truth, the idea of setting hoof into that town of ponies who knew who she was and what she had done made her stomach twist and her knees weak. Not something Twilight needed to know just yet.

"I mean all of this." She swept her hoof around at the books. "Sitting in a library all day, researching magical artifacts? I must admit, I've not spent time with many princesses, but I expected you'd be doing more..." She waved ineffectually at Twilight, who grinned.

"More princessing?" She chuckled. "No, not really. I mean, that's not who I am or what I do." Fluffing her wings, she added, "Sorry if I'm not quite what you were hoping for."

Tempest frowned. What she had hoped for, or at least what she had expected, was iron bars and gruel twice daily. Perhaps Twilight was not the vindictive sort, but even still, a sentence of drudgery in the kitchens or gardens or anything would be preferable to sitting here, watching letters swim together on a page.

"I get the feeling I've done something to offend you," said Twilight.

"Not in so many words." Tempest stared at the book on the table in front of her. "I am... surprised that you do not take your role as princess more seriously. You, for instance, have a kingdom, yet you do not rule it."

"Ponyville isn't a kingdom!" Twilight said, halfway between offense and amusement. "It's just my home. Well, I was born in Canterlot, so I guess it's my home away from home, really..."

"You have a castle. Has this town not become at least a fiefdom under your control?"

"No, no!" Twilight waved her hooves. "Nothing like that! Ponyville still has a Mayor, for one. She doesn't even officially answer to me!" She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Look, Tempest, I'm just the Princess of Friendship. I don't raise the sun or moon, I don't oversee light and love in Equestria, I don't rule any ponies. Anyone who has a friendship problem can come to me, and I'll try to solve it." She huffed. "Though it's more likely my friends and I will go to the corners of Equestria to find those problems ourselves..."

"You roam Equestria by yourself?" Tempest snorted. "Your castle does not even have guards!"

"The castle just happened, okay?" Twilight threw her hooves in the air, her voice growing steadily louder. "It's been maybe a year since I became a princess, and all I've been trying to do is live my life while figuring out what all these changes mean. And they keep happening! The castle literally grew out of the ground, did I mention that? Magical crystal castles don't come with guards!"

As Twilight caught her breath, Tempest turned her eyes to the ceiling. An entire castle, sprung from the ground, with only one or two ponies to fill it? Were she not sitting in it at that very moment, the idea would be so ludicrous as to be fantasy.

"Sorry," said Twilight, "for yelling. I guess I still have some princess angst left to get through, haha! The Friendship Festival was..." She blew out a breath. "I was hoping it would get more ponies to recognize me as somepony they could bring their problems to, instead of the other way around. Or at least, that's what my friends and Princess Celestia told me to think of it as. It was kind of a disaster, no offense." She hung her head. "I don't think it had any real impact at all, considering what everyone's going to remember about it."

She covered her face with her hooves. "Augh! I don't even know if I want ponies to know I'm a princess sometimes!"

The library rang as Tempest stood, her gaze resolute and her stance forceful. Twilight looked at her like she'd been slapped.

"It is clear what I must do." Tempest's voice was quiet, steady and firm. "If I am not to be a prisoner here, then I will make myself useful in the only way I know how."

She moved to Twilight's side. The alicorn gasped as Tempest knelt, bowing her head before the cushy armchair as though it were the most ornate throne in Equestria. In a deep, solemn voice, Tempest intoned:

"I, Tempest Shadow, do hereby pledge my life in service to you, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, as protector of your person and all that you desire of me."