Depression
Twilight squeezed Fizzlepop’s hand.
“How much further is it?” Twilight asked.
“We’re almost there,” Fizzle said. “I think.”
“You think?” Twilight looked around in alarm, stopping in her tracks and pulling Fizzlepop to a halt. “Are we lost? We should have stayed on the trail! You know Shiny is gonna be mad if we aren’t back at the campsite before dark!”
“We’re not lost,” Fizzle said. “Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close your eyes,” Fizzle pleaded. “Trust me.”
Twilight closed her eyes. As she expected, instead of making things clear, it made them exactly as opaque as her eyelids.
“So what now?” Twilight asked.
“It helps if you’re quiet,” Fizzlepop whispered.
Twilight sighed and fell silent.
Over the distant birdsong and the rustle of leaves, she could just hear it, burbling water rushing over rocks.
“Is that it?” Twilight asked.
“It has to be right over that hill!” Fizzlepop gave her a gap-toothed grin. “Come on!” She pulled on Twilight’s hand before the smaller girl was ready, and Twilight stumbled over her feet, the forest floor rushing up to meet her.
Sunset caught her as she stepped through the statue. Barely. A burlap sack of books wasn’t as lucky and hit the ground with the kind of total disrespect for literature that would have made Princess Twilight send a pony to the Book Dungeon alongside ponies with extensive late fees and who kept making jokes about certain vampire literature despite the signs she’d posted in the castle library.
The fact the Book Dungeon didn’t yet exist was a mercy to Ponyville, and ironically the reason funding for it had dried up was because Twilight hadn’t been able to collect the late fees from outstanding borrowers.
“Woah, you’re… bigger than I thought you’d be,” Sunset said.
Tempest Shadow was a full head taller than most of her friends and could have stepped off the set of a movie, as long as that movie involved barbarians on some kind of post-apocalyptic rock and roll tour with a lot of black leather and metal studs.
“The Princess didn’t say how disorienting this was.” Tempest tried to steady herself on two legs, which weren’t configured quite the way they should have been. It like she was resting all her weight on her ankle instead of her hoof. Actually, she didn’t even seem to have a hoof.
“Let me guess,” Sunset said, looking up at her. “She told you more about how to use card catalogs than about how you’d be changing shape?”
“I see you’re familiar with her methods.”
Tempest found her footing and looked at her hands for a moment.
“It takes some getting used to,” Sunset said. “The fingers are the strangest part. Princess Twilight still can’t use them very well.”
“I’ve had to get used to a lot of things,” Tempest said, forcing her hands to open and close purely by force of will (and also the usual things one used to open and close their hands like nerves and ligaments).
Sunset gave her a long, appraising look.
“You’ve got a dark, tragic backstory,” she decided.
“Princess Twilight warned me that you could read minds.” She took a step back, narrowing her gaze suspiciously.
Sunset held up her hands defensively. “Woah, woah! I swear I didn’t read your mind! I don’t do that without permission. Not after I saw inside Pinkie Pie’s head.” She shuddered.
Tempest winced. She’d only very briefly met Pinkie Pie and then spent considerably longer trying to avoid the pink monster. In the end, she’d only succeeded after she promised to let Pinkie Pie plan an apology party, planned for once Tempest was ready to face the ponies she’d temporarily enslaved and ask for forgiveness.
Then, once Pinkie Pie was looking away, she’d told Princess Twilight she was going to spread the magic of friendship outside of Equestria and skipped town. Pinkie wasn’t the only reason she left, but it certainly made her decision easier.
“The truth is, I sort of conquered Equestria,” Tempest admitted.
“That’s not a dark and tragic backstory.”
“...I had this sort of song that explained it,” Tempest muttered.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay,” Sunset said, putting a hand, carefully, on her shoulder. “But if it helps, I mind-controlled this school and turned into a demon after I stole one of the Elements of Harmony.”
“A demon, huh?” Tempest thought for a long few minutes, then nodded, impressed. “That’s not bad.”
Sunset smiled. “Want a hand with those books?”
“I can’t read her hornwriting,” Sunset said, holding the scroll at arm’s length just in case that somehow made the letters pop into focus. Stubbornly, they refused to turn into words. “Not all of it, anyway. I’m pretty sure a few of these are titles I recognize, but the rest…”
“I believe a few of these are descriptions rather than book titles,” Tempest said. She took the scroll and held it an inch from her eyes. It didn’t help, but it was a novel sensation not having a snout there. “Something about… electrum?”
“Pretty sure she either wrote or meant electronics,” Sunset sighed. “Or electricity. Or maybe electrons. Or elections? Equestria really isn’t big on democracy. Hope she’s not stupid enough to try and get ponies to vote…”
“I can go back through the portal,” Tempest offered, though it felt like admitting failure.
“Actually, I have a better idea.” Sunset pulled out her phone.
“What’s that?” Tempest tilted her head to look at it, putting the scroll down.
“Cell phone.”
“Can it translate her writing?”
“No, but I can call someone who almost certainly can,” Sunset said, tapping the glowing screen. Tempest watched with interest as the display changed.
“How does it work?” Tempest asked.
Sunset held up a finger and put the phone to her ear. “Hey, Twilight! I’m running that errand at the school library, and I think we need some help--”
“You’re talking to the Princess?” Tempest leaned in closer, trying to hear.
“No, I’m-- one second, Twilight.” Sunset sighed. “It’s sort of a parallel universe thing. Well, not really parallel, because that usually means alternate worldlines instead of different dimensions and--”
“Princess Twilight gave me this speech already.”
“Oh.” Sunset frowned. “Darn. I wanted to be the one to explain it. Anyway, I’m talking to the version of Twilight from this world. I figure if anyone can read Princess Twilight’s awful hornwriting, it’s the local version.”
“That makes sense,” Tempest agreed.
“How about you look for some of the books we can actually identify while I try and get a translation on the rest?”
Tempest nodded. “This mission is as good as done.”
Sunset gave her a thumbs up and adjusted the way she was holding the phone, walking away as she spoke. “Twilight, you there? Sorry about that. So like I was saying, you remember how bad the Princess’ writing was? Yes, I know she was holding the pen in her mouth that time…”
Sunset’s voice was cut off when she walked outside, the librarian (still sorting through the sack of books that had been dropped on her desk and occasionally muttering darkly about damage and fines) glaring at the noise and shaking her head.
Tempest was alone. Not that it bothered her. She was used to being alone. She’d even boast that she was quite good at being alone. That wouldn’t seem like a skill to most races, but ponies didn’t handle isolation well and sometimes went crazy. And evil. Tempest had, of course, never been evil. Just pragmatic and determined, and if anyone disagreed she’d teach them the error of their ways.
In a friendly, non-evil way.
She reached for a book, having spotted a title that looked promising, and another hand intercepted her own.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the intruder said, in a vain attempt to avoid the justice that was due to him.
Tempest turned on him with the fury of a storm.
“Did you want that book?” He smiled, brushing back spiky blue hair and trying to look casual. He pulled it from the shelf and offered it to her. “My name’s Flash Sentry. I haven’t seen you around here before.”
“Tempest Shadow,” she replied, taking the book, evaluating the dozen ways she could crush him even without a weapon.
“If you’re new, I’d be happy to show you around,” Flash offered. “Canterlot High is the best school around if you want to meet new people and find a place to fit in.”
“Is that so.” She said, eyes sliding away from Flash and to the shelves, searching for another book.
“Yeah! We’ve got probably the best soccer team in the country. At the high school level, I mean.” He laughed. “You look like you’d be a pretty good athlete.”
“I don’t do sports,” Tempest said.
“That’s cool. I play guitar.” Flash gave what he thought was a winning smile. “If you’re not doing anything this weekend, maybe we could go out together. I’ll buy you dinner if you’ll let me show you around town.”
Tempest frowned, pausing with her hand on the bookshelf. She’d thought she’d spotted her prey, but it was just a close impostor.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” she asked.
“Well, I mean…” Flash looked away, trying to find the right words. In his mind, they’d not only allow him to avoid any kind of impending physical harm but also convince the Amazonian beauty in front of him to meet him around seven for disco fries and karaoke.
“I’m not from around here,” Tempest said. She was trying to let him down gently.
“That’s okay! You can tell me all about where you’re from!”
An angel appeared between Tempest and Flash, saving Tempest from one of the ten most awkward situations in her life, most of which had happened after meeting Twilight Sparkle.
“Hey Flash,” Sunset said. “I see you’ve met Tempest. She’s just here to grab some books for Twilight.”
“Really? How do they--”
“Princess Twilight,” Sunset specified.
Flash blinked and tried to work through his emotions. He was having several at once, like the realization that you’d been hitting on someone who was actually a horse. The list of people who’d ever had that particular feeling could be summed up as: cowboys who had spent too much time alone on the range, farmers who distilled their own moonshine, and Flash Sentry.
“Why am I never attracted to human girls?” he muttered.
“Flash, you’ve just got a thing for exotic women,” Sunset assured him. “And ponytails.”
“Ponytails.”
“It’s a euphemism,” Sunset said, patting him on the back.
“I know it is,” Flash sighed. “I got the joke.”
Sunset gave him an apologetic smile, which was the only type of smile he’d gotten from a girl in a long time. He turned and started walking away, hands in his pockets.
“I heard one of Pinkie’s sisters is single,” she offered to his retreating back. “I could set you two up.”
“The quiet one, the weird one, or the angry one?” Flash asked.
“The angry one.”
“...Nah. Thanks anyway, Sunset.”
Tempest watched him go. He had the body language of a dog that had been kicked by life one too many times. A weight settled on her shoulders. It was too much like the looks of the ponies she’d enslaved. It wasn’t much compared to the weight that was already there, but it was a burden she’d probably never be able to put down, something she’d never have a chance to make up for.
“You okay?” Sunset asked.
“Hm?” Tempest’s frown deepened.
“If you really want, you can go out with him,” Sunset said. “I can vouch for him not being a pervert. He never made a move on me when I dated him.”
“It’s nothing,” Tempest said. “Were you able to get the list translated?”
“I sent Twilight a picture, and she was able to read most of it, but she said not to bother.”
“Not to--” Tempest growled. “I came here for a reason!” She slammed a fist into a bookcase hard enough to send a copy of The Encyclopedia of Fishes tumbling to the floor, the first time it had moved from its shelf in decades.
Sunset picked it up and put it back before the book could start entertaining hopes of being checked out.
“What I mean is, we were right about some of these being instructions instead of titles,” Sunset said. “She’s going to help us pick books out.”
Tempest’s fury was quenched with embarrassment. “Sorry. I just thought--”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Sunset said. “I know what it’s like when people are dismissive. I used to get into screaming matches with Princess Celestia.”
“I still haven’t really apologized to her,” Tempest muttered.
“It takes a while to work up to it,” Sunset agreed. “I spent years fretting before I pulled that band-aid off. I just went and had a nice heart-to-heart with her since our problems were really about not talking to each other but in your case…” She tapped her chin, thinking. “...I bet you’d feel better if she gave you some kind of quest.”
“A quest?”
“You know, like finding the Philosopher’s Stone.”
“I’m informed that Daring Do already found it and put it in a museum. Miss Dash mentioned it in passing alongside descriptions of various traps and collapsing ruins.”
Sunset hesitated for a long moment, then patted Tempest on the back.
“You’d know better than I would,” Sunset said. “I think I spotted Twilight at the door. Let’s go say hi.”
Tempest nodded tersely and followed Sunset, spotting Twilight herself once they were going in the right direction. If she hadn’t been looking for Twilight, or at least some version of her, she never would have made the connection. Species aside, the differences between the two added up quickly. Body language, the way they wore their manes, a pair of glasses.
The not-Princess was staring down at the glowing phone in her hands, tapping on it intently and not bothering to look around her. Flash opened the door for her and she didn’t even acknowledge his greeting, nearly colliding with another person who was forced to step around the oblivious girl.
“Twilight!” Sunset called out.
The librarian hissed sharply and pointed at a sign.
“Right, no yelling, sorry!” Sunset stage-whispered.
“One moment, Sunset,” Twilight said, holding up a finger, continuing to type with her thumb. “I’m making a list we can check against the card catalogue. I have a few books that might interest her, but they’re my personal copies, and I was wondering if we could arrange some kind of trade?”
“I’m sure she’d be happy to trade books, Twilight,” Sunset said. “This is Tempest Shadow. She’s one of Princess Twilight’s… friends?”
“Former enemies,” Tempest said.
“That describes most of her best friends,” Sunset assured the larger girl.
“Right, sorry, I just get caught up in--” Twilight looked up.
Her eyes widened until they were as big as dinner plates that were the size of Twilight’s eyes. She went as pale as a ghost and was halfway sure she was looking right at one.
“Fizzlepop?”
Twilight shielded her face as Fizzlepop plunged into the ice-cold stream, splashing her and everything on the shoreline, nearly soaking the shoes and socks they’d left on the rocks.
“Come on, Twilight!” Fizzlepop said. “Jump in!”
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, looking suspiciously at the flowing water. “I heard all kinds of things live in streams.”
“I think I saw a fish,” Fizzlepop agreed.
“There could be crawfish, and snakes, and frogs--”
Fizzlepop giggled. “It’ll be fine, Twilight. If there’s stuff in the water it means you know the water is safe. They couldn’t swim in it otherwise!”
“But they’re so gross,” Twilight mumbled, curling her exposed toes at the thought of stepping on something squirming and slimy.
“I promise if you see anything, I’ll protect you.” She held out her hand, and Twilight took it, letting Fizzle pull her closer, splashing through water cold enough to make her shiver.
The gravel shifted under her feet. Twilight stumbled. The hand she was holding kept a firm grip, and instead of falling into the water, she fell into her friend. Fizzlepop’s free arm wrapped around her, dropping the stick she’d been holding to keep Twilight on her feet.
She looked up at the same time Fizzlepop looked down.
Their lips brushed against each other.
Twilight’s cheeks burned red and she scrambled away.
“I’m sorry!” She gasped. “I didn’t mean to--”
Fizzlepop giggled. “It’s okay. We just bumped into each other.”
“You wear too much lip gloss,” Twilight mumbled.
“My lips get dry if I don’t,” Fizzlepop reminded her. “Besides, I let you borrow it.”
“I like the flavor. Mom only buys the beeswax kind.”
Fizzlepop giggled and let go of Twilight’s hand. “Help me find my stick. I wanna make sure I can fight off any fish that try and nibble your toes.”
Behind the older girl, the brush parted.
Twilight pointed wordlessly.
“Did it land all the way over--” Fizzlepop turned. “--there?”
The bear stepped out of the shadows, big enough to blot out what was left of the late afternoon sun.
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Oh shit.
Thank you for not glossing over the fact that sunset has indeed been inside pinkies mind and one can only imagine the amount of psychological damage that kind of thing would leave behind
Omg, it wasn't spontaneous, she rehearsed it didn't she? Adorable, absolutely adorable.
You know, Sunset's usually the one Twilight has a traumatic past with...
Also, Flash, you need to either give up on women, set your sights on horses, or move to Equestria.
The comedy in this chapter is magnificent. I'm generally actually quite fond of Flash Sentry and not keen on treating him like a punching bag, but I can make an exception when you do it with such superb lines as this. And the opening paragraphs about the Book Dungeon were so good I showed them to my wife.
In which context the weird tragic backstory seems rather out-of-place, but I'm prepared to see what you do with it.
Yep. Bears. Poor Tempest. Though...equestrian Tempest isn't missing any bits (that she's noticed) so either it was psychological or...she's dead?
This is such a strange mix of comedy and drama, loving it.
So, if I am reading this chapter right. Then i'm absolutely sure that the next chapter is going to be unbearable.
9207822
BOOOOOOOO!
riperonni
Obligatory
Well, fuck.
9356016
... Well put.