Starlight, Sunset, Tempest Team-up Extravaganza

by crazyredemu

The Summons

“So let me get this straight, this magical map summons ponies, sorry, creatures, and sends them out to solve random problems throughout Equestria?” Tempest question was rhetorical, they had just explained the map to her moments ago. “And you just follow along with out question?” “How does it know where to go and who to pick?” “Can it be controlled or corrupted?” She glared down at the crystal table, she didn’t like the idea of being ordered around by an inanimate object, the Storm King was bad enough but this was just degrading. Twilights’ answers to her questions were satisfactory, and she wasn’t going to abandon this quest, but nothing said she would have to like it.

Twilight smiled as two new ponies entered the room, tho the yellow one stumbled. “These two are the others the map picked out, let me introduce you.” “This is Starlight Glimmer, and she is Sunset Shimmer.”
“Hi!”
“Hello!” the two greeted her in turn.

Tempest regarded the two with a calculating gaze. “Greetings, I am…Tempest Shadow.” “I know of Ms. Glimmer, she is a very powerful unicorn who, after a showdown between the two of you, became a student of yours Twilight, I had tried to get magic crystaling bomb for her as well before the attack, but I had been lucky to get the four I did have.” Tempest mentioned Starlight’s past deeds not out of spite, but to judge her reactions, the ponys’ ashamed face made her feel bad, but she didn’t show it.
“Incase you are unaware.” She now turned to Sunset. “I helped a tyrant take control of Canterlot and imprison the four princesses.” “I was betrayed by the Storm King and was about to fall to my death but was saved by Twilight who gave up a chance to stop the Storm King, in return I attempted to give up my life to stop him.” “While I did succeed in putting an end to his rule, I was once again saved by Twilight.” “I surrendered my self to the princesses but instead of imprisoning me told me to go out and help the world be a better place, so me and some of the Storm Kings troops have been going around announcing his destruction and helping where we can.”
“However I don’t have any information about you Ms. Shimmer.” Tempest finished.

Sunset stepped forward. “Well I’ve been living in an alternate universe for so long I’ve forgotten how to use a pony body, so it’s no surprise you’ve not heard of me, I was a student of Princess Celestia, but I.” The pony sighed sadly, it was clearly time to share shameful pasts, but it didn’t make it any less painful.” “I let myself get filled with jealousy and hate and fled to that other world and tried to brainwash a bunch of kids to be my personal army, thankfully Twilight and her friends from that world stopped me and let me become their friend.” “Clearly that’s something the three of us have in common, makes me wonder what that means for this mission.”

“Speaking of that, where is the map sending us?” Tempest turned around and walked up to the magic table, the other two flanked her sides looking to the map as well.

“Well that just it.” Twilight was suddenly apprehensive. “It’s somewhere none of us have been.” “See where your cutie marks are?” “This is in the clear opposite direction of our journey to the Hippogiffs, according to the map it is mostly grassy plains.”

Tempest placed her hoof on the table in a subconscious show of dominance, her opinion of the thing worsened. “It’s a good thing I brought my troops and the blimp, we can make short work of it.”

“About that…” Twilight chucked nervously.

Tempest didn’t let her finish. “Let me guess, only the ones shown on the map can go?”

“That’s how we’ve always done it and none of us have failed yet, also your ship is very intimidating and might send the wrong message.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight is going to let us borrow her hot air balloon.” Starlight offered weakly, Sunset remained silent.

“Very well, I will follow the rules, but that means I will have to leave my troops here to wait for my return.” “I hope that won’t be a problem princess?”

Twilight wasn’t sure. “Who will be in charge, that little guy, Grubber was it?”

“Lets go outside I’ll let them know what is going on.”

The three of them followed her out of the room, having the location there wasn’t anymore the map could give them anyway. The blimp was anchored right next to the crystal tree casting it’s shadow ominously over the castle. After a shout from Tempest the troops poured out of the ship and stood in ranks, over fifty, with Grubber in front.
“What’s up Tempest?” Grubber asked eagerly, his face nearly split in half by his smile. “We going to save Equestria, or maybe rescue a new princess?” “It’s got to be epic if they are asking for our help!”

Sunset and Starlight could see Tempests face soften ever so slightly as she started speaking. “Im sorry Grubber but you and the rest of the team have to sit this one out, magic rules or some such, honestly I don’t care for them, but breaking them is a risk I will not take.

Grubber’s smile transformed into a sad frown. “What?” “But I’m your side kick!” “Was it something I did?” “I’ll make up for it!”

“I assure you, if I could take you I would, I promise.” Grubber still looked down but less so at her words, now addressing her army. “While I am gone Grubber is in charge, and Grubber, you are to obey Twilight Sparkle understand?” The army and Grubber saluted. “Good, now try to be as helpful as possible, earn your keep while you stay here in Ponyville!”

Tempest nodded in approval as her troops dispersed. “We might as well get started, have ether of you been on one of these friendship quest?”

Starlight raised a hoof. “I helped the princesses once.”

“Impressive, in that case you should be in charge, you have the most experience.”

“Ok-wait what!?” Starlight was flabbergasted. “I thought you would want to be in charge, you lead an army!”

“This quest doesn’t call for an army, it calls for someone good with friendship, you’re Twilight’s student and Sunset has been living in a different world and has forgotten how to be a pony, clearly the best choice is you Starlight.”

“When you put it like that, but still, well friendship problems are not something that really needs a chain of command so we should be fine ether way, alright I’ll be team leader.” “And as team leader I say we go to the balloon.” Tempest seemed to approve of this and motioned to one of her storm creatures to grab her bag from the ship.

Sunset watched the two walk off and only started to follow after a moment, Twilight was with her. “Hey Sunset, what’s wrong?” They were far enough away for the others to not hear.

“She’s right, I’ve forgot how to be a pony, I try to pick things up with hands that are not there, I walk like a toddler!” “What am I?”

“You’re just out of practice, it’s like riding a scooter, it will come back to you.”

“Don’t you mean like a bicycle?”

“What’s a bicycle?”

“Oh no!” Sunset continued to fret as they caught back up.

Tempest’s critical glare was back but she didn’t say anything as she threw her bag into the basket next to three other bags that were already there, she noticed one of the bags had her name on it and turned to Starlight with a questioning look.

“I packed a few things for each of us that I thought we might need, I hope that’s ok.”

“Good thinking, hopefully we won’t need it.”

Starlights’ excitement had lessened a little by now, Tempest maybe be good now, but it seem to have made her more stern and serious, no matter, she was determined to make them friends by the end of this journey no mater the cost.

Sunset only had her saddle bags so once she stepped on board they were ready to depart.

“Before you go.” Princess Twilight addressed them, behaving more regal now. “Remember you have friends here looking forward to your return so be safe, the girls told me to wish you all luck and to say sorry that they couldn’t see you off.”
With that Twilight untied the ropes and the hot air balloon slowly rose into the air, their fantastic friendship adventure had officially begun!

Comments

[Ri2]

Why is each spoken sentence put in its own quotes bracket? Even the ones said by the same person in the same paragraph?

[crazyredemu]

9304341
So you know that its spoken word.

[Vaguely Demented]

9304474
Usually you’re just supposed to have the entirety of spoken word in one set of quotation marks regardless of the number of sentences.

[Eris Dis Harmonia]

Sentences are separated by periods, interspersed with commas in natural pauses. Also, put your quotation marks around the entirety of what the character is saying, not every sentence they speak. And to check yourself on spelling and punctuation errors, try reading what you've written aloud; speaking while you read makes it harder for your brain to fill in the gaps.

All in all, it's a great concept that I would love to see fleshed out. So... on to chapter two!

[Switch Swap]

Just as good (if not better) as when the four former villains saved equestria from the changelings