Starlight, Sunset, Tempest Team-up Extravaganza

by crazyredemu

The Phoenix Filly

With Celestia setting the sun it was time to make camp for the night, luckily Tempest had spotted a small clearing on a cliff edge, in the woods beneath them, that only took them a few minutes off corse. The decent was slow until Starlight got impatient, grabbed the entire balloon with her magic, and rushed it to the ground while unloading everything including herself and the other two.
“There done!” She proclaimed proudly as she folded the deflated balloon up.

“Hey girls, look over here.” Sunset was pointing at an ashy pile nearby. “Looks like we weren’t the first to camp here.” She took a few steps closer to the tree line. “Here are some wagon tracks, and I think there is a trail in the woods, couldn’t have been easy for them, it’s so overgrown I couldn’t see it from the air.”

Starlight was currently setting up a lavender tent, the pile next to her included an orange tent and a purple one. Tempest on the other hoof had joined Sunset to examine the trail.

“Looks like it was a small one pony cart, if they are still in the area I don’t think they will pose a threat to the three of us.”

“I was more thinking we could meet a new friend.”

“I suppose that’s also an option.” Tempest didn’t sound enthusiastic about it. “Either way it’s moot, that trail is at least a day old.”

Sunset looked down at the trail, she had no idea how old it was, but she believed Tempest. “Oh well, I’ll collect some firewood.” “We can have smores!”

Tempest looked over at her. “Some more what?”

“No no, I said smores.”

“We haven’t had anything yet, how can we have some more of nothing?”

“You’re killing me Tempest!”

It took about a half hour for Starlight to finish setting up the tents and now the three of them were sitting around a unlit pile of wood.

“Just give me a second, I got this!” Sunset said, her brow furrowing in concentration. “Fire magic is my thing.” Still nothing from her horn. “You know they use to called me the phoenix filly? in Celestia’s school.” She was starting to shake as she gritted her teeth, sweat forming on her brow.

“SUNSET SHIMMER!”

The yellow and red pony jumped, startled at Tempest’s yell.

“Do you want know how to reconnect to your magic?”

“You know how I can do that!?”

“I think I know something that will help, it’s what I learned after I lost my horn.” “Close your eyes and clear your mind.” Tempest waited for Sunset to comply, and once her breathing slowed and she looked calm Tempest continued. “A unicorn’s well of magic is centered around our emotions, focus on that, pick an emotion and grow it.” “I used anger, but lets try happiness.” “Let your magic become one with your emotion and-”

“I already know all that, that’s what Im doing, but it’s not working!” Sunset snapped eyes glaring for a moment before filling with regret. “Im sorry, that was uncalled for, it’s just so-“

Tempest held up a hoof stoping her. “Trust me I understand“ “When I say grow your emotions I don’t mean a little bit or even a strong feeling, I need you to be overcome with that feeling, consumed by it, with your magic connected,, a large emotional outburst will force the magic to come out regardless of the condition of your horn or mind.”

“Ok, let me try again.” Sunset focused, she remembered all the fun times she had with her friends, the adventures at camp, winning the battle of the bands, and of course paying with Ray. “I think it’s working!” Sunset focused, her horn starting to glow, pointing at the wood the glowing increased when suddenly *pppthhh* “OH COME ON!” “WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!”

“Nothing, it’s not your fault!” Starlight jumped in.

“It took me a while to get my magic back, we will keep practicing, I know you can do this.”

“Thanks.” “You know, you’re more supportive and encouraging then one would expect.”

“There are two ways to lead an army, fear is easier, but Im trying to be a better pony, so I’ve had to adapt.”

Sunset snickered. “There are three ways, you forgot about mind control!”

Tempest stroked her chin in thought. “Maybe, but complex orders and conflicts on multiple fronts would put an end to that real quick.”

“Hmph, it might have worked.” Sunset grumbled.

Starlight quietly started the fire with magic.

The fire fought back against the dark night as the three sitting around it finished dinner and started on desert.

Tempest’s eyes lit up as she bit into the toasty smore. “MmmMmm Mmmm mmm!” She mumbled with her mouth full.

Sunset leaned over to Starlight, “I think she liked it.”

“Some more!” She demanded spitting crumbs.

“Yes those are smores, that’s what I said.” Sunset shot back jokingly.

Starlight was about to magic over fresh marshmallow when she dropped it, covering her nose with her hoofs. “WHAT IS THAT SMELL!”

Tempest looked over and before she could stop herself. “She who smelt it, dealt it!” “I have been spending too much time with Grubb-OH GOOD GRAVY THAT IS RANK!”

“That is pretty bad.” Sunset who had been forced to be around high school boys wasn’t as affected but she still had her nose plugged.

That’s when they heard something coming from the woods, it sounded like somepony was shaking a bundle of sticks and breathing heavy. The three stood up, one and a half horns lit up as a pair of glowing eyes walked out of the underbrush, no wait, it was many eyes, to the left and right, no were to run. Tempest kicked a burning log towards the darkness, landing half way between throwing light on the unknown monsters.

“Timber wolves!” Starlight yelled in shock as the creatures were cast the fires orange glow. “They shouldn’t be here! They are only found in the Everfree Forrest!”

“What are they?” Tempest asked, never taking her eyes off of the encroaching threat.

“When a source of dark magic is left to fester it will create monsters, Timber Wolves are one of many examples of this.” Sunset had given the text book answer.

Starlight followed up. “Hard to destroy, they can piece themselves back together from splinters!”

“So what you are saying is, I can cut loose.” Tempest had a mean smile as she took the initiative and fired at the closest wolf, it had the gaul to look surprised at being attacked before it blew up into tiny fragments.
The pack charged as Tempest threw more firework like explosions at them, Starlight cut them down as fast as she could with beams of magic, however Sunset was stuck levitating a burning chunk of wood and trying to swing at the snarling beasts. From a distance it looked like one sick rave and Tempest at least was enjoying herself as she chained blasted three more wooden monsters into oblivion. Starlight had one in her magic grasp and was beating the others with it. Sunset backed up, something wasn’t right, despite all the damage the others were doing they were still being forced back to the cliff’s edge. She tried to look past the pack into the woods when the truth hit her, they hadn’t stopped coming, the new wolves were walking over the fallen before they could even reform, this wasn’t a pack, this was an army.

“Girls!” Sunset yelled out. “They keep spawning!” “Something in the woods must be creating them!” And that is when things went from bad to worse, the downed Timber Wolfs started to recombine into their gestalt forms. Starlight formed a bubble shield just in time as giant paw tried to crush her, but as Sunset turned she realized something was wrong with Tempest.
Tempest craned her neck up as the giant monster loomed over her, but she didn’t see a timber wolf, her legs started to shake as her mind betrayed her, visions of the Ursa flashing before her eyes. All her years of traveling, of training, of fighting, all of it was gone, she was the little filly again foolishly going into the dark cave. The scared unicorn could see the beast lifting it’s paw to swipe at her but there wasn’t a darn thing she could do about it, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breath, coul-*WHAM* She suddenly found herself knocked down, but not by the creature, in her place stood Sunset Shimmer but only for a moment as the clawed paw connected with the red and orange pony and sent her flying off the edge of the cliff. “SUNSET NOOOOOO!” Tempest screamed as her friend disappeared into the darkness.

The world seemed to slow to a craw for Sunset Shimmer as she was thrown into the abyss. “So this is it, this is how I meet my end.” She thought to herself. “At least I saved Tempest…” Thinking of Tempest reminded her of what the armored unicorn had tried to teach her. She closed her eyes, she had to build up an emotion, fortunately she had one filling her mind, fear. Lots of ponies say fear is a bad thing but if you have been on enough adventures you know that fear is what keeps most of us alive. It wasn’t just the fear of death, Sunset feared what would happen to her friends, the ones fighting and the ones back in her other home. She wasn’t going to let anything happen to them, she was Sunset Shimmer, the Phoenix Filly, no flea bitten log dog was going to stop her! She felt it, her magic connecting to her horn, the sound of a striking match, the feel of the heat as fire appeared around her horn. She was back. *WOOOOSH* the fire traveled down her horn and along her sides, what should have been deadly burns was a comforting heat to the pony. She could see the ground coming up fast now so she stretch out the fire at her sides and formed them into giant fiery wings, with a flap she slowed her self down mere inches from the ground and with another beat of her wings shot back up.

Seeing her new friend sacrifice her life had knocked Tempest out of her stupor, with a rage filled scream she blew the gestalt wolf to bits. “STARLIGHT!” “SUNSET FELL!” She yelled but Starlight was in her shield fending off two of the giants. Tempest bit back tears, she wouldn’t let her friend die in vain, she put a hoof forward towards the Timber Wolves and fired blast after blast taking another step then another, wood splinters flying through the air. Then the strangest thing happened, the sun rose again, but it seemed very close, very warm, right behind her. Jerking her head around she almost didn’t believe what she saw. “You died and became an phoenix!?” She blurted out, looking at the fire pony flying in the air.

Sunset laughed “Not quite.” As she said this she drew back one wing and used it to swat the two big ones attacking Starlight away. “All right girls, Let’s light it up! up! up!” Starlight’s magic laser joined Tempests blasts as Sunset took a very deep breath.

She held it as a small ball of magic fire formed in front of her mouth, then she exhaled. With a mighty *FOOOSH* the tiny ball became a stream of sun fire that she used to rake the battlefield left to right burning the wooden beasts to embers in seconds. She landed as the wolfs kept coming, her wings formed into giant flaming hands, batting the Timber Wolfs aside. “We need to find what ever is spawning these things and destroy it!” A fiery fist slammed into a gestalt leaving a burning hole in it’s chest.

“Agreed!” Starlight nodded. “Sunset you take point, we will guard your sides and flank!”

With the Phoenix Filly leading the way they could make their way down the forest path. Fortunately Sunset could also put out fires by absorbing them other wise they would have burnt the forrest down, as it was they still ended up blasting a few trees to bits. The forest quickly became to thick for the giants and Tempest could blast the horde behind them as they got stuck in the bottleneck.

“Look!” Starlight pointed at a previously fallen tree that was starting to mutate into a Timber Wolf. “I think we are getting close, be on guard!” She froze that one in a crystal then levitated it out of the path.

As they fought their way deeper into the woods they came across more and more of the half formed wolves making the battle a bit easier. “I see something up ahead.” Sunset pointed with one of her fire hands, sure enough there was an ominous purple glow coming from a ring of trees. The three sped up squeezing between the trees and finally finding the source of all their critter problem.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sunset asked, shocked.

“Yes, I’m afraid it is.” Starlight confirmed.

Tempest looked at them then back at the thing. “Well what is it?”

Before them standing nearly twelve feet tall was a crystal of pure dark magic, so pure it was glowing. “Dark magic is incredibly dangerous, even when I was evil I didn’t mess with that stuff.” Starlight shook her head.

“I wasn’t as smart, you don’t want to know what that stuff can do to your mind.” Sunset added.

“How do we destroy it?” “The wolves are starting to form again!” Tempest started to charge her horn.

“NO!” Starlight yelled. “If you charged that crystal you would turn it into raw energon!” “It could blow this entire forrest to Canterlot!” Tempest powered down as Starlight continued. “I can dispel it easily, thankfully, I’ll just hit it with some positive magic.” She lit up her horn one more time and fired a beam of “happy thoughts” straight into the dark crystal shrinking it down until it vanished completely. The half formed Timber Wolves around them suddenly fell to pieces, their source of magic gone. The three mares breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The walk back was quiet as they realized all the damage they had done, Fluttershy would have been horrified at all the burnt and broken trees along the path. Once the reached the clearing Tempest spoke up.

“Sunset, I’m sorry, I froze up and nearly cost you your life.” “I’ll find a way to make us even.”

“It’s ok, the fall gave me time to think about what you had said, so in the end you saved my life.” “Honestly being knocked off a cliff was worth it to get my magic back, besides, we’re friends now, and that’s just what friends do, we stick our necks out for each other.” Sunset put a hoof around Tempest and gave her a hug, Tempest stiffened up but after a moment returned the hug, but not for long. “You’re still going to look for a way to make us even aren’t you?”

“We must already be friends if you know me that well.” Tempest smirked.

“You know.” Starlight interrupted. “I was there too, where is my bonding moment?”

Sunset stuck a tongue out at her. “Don’t worry Im sure something will come up, maybe a song and dance number.” That wasn’t a joke.

“Ladies.” Tempest held up some sort of torn and tattered cloth in her hoof. “We’ve got a problem.”

She was holding the shredded ruins of the hot air balloon

Comments

[Ri2]

9304474
You don't need to do it to every single sentence spoken by the same person in the same paragraph.

[IkraErilis]

Sunset laughed “Not quite.” As she said this she drew back one wing and used it to swat the two big ones attacking Starlight away. “All right girls, Let’s light it up! up! up!” Starlight’s magic laser joined Tempests blasts as Sunset took a very deep breath.

Is that a fallout boy reference?

[crazyredemu]

9304729
That depends, when the rules say no song lyrics does that incude references? If so its just a random quinka dink that it matches up with a song called phoenix...

[crazyredemu]

9304729
And it was at that point he realised he had the wrong song...

[IkraErilis]

9305250
You weren't too far off, my songs know what you did in the dark is a similar title to Phoenix, also I have no idea on the legal side of the song lyrics thing, but since it differs from the original lyric you should be fine, I think.

[Wanderer D]

9304475 It is very, very distracting.

[crazyredemu]

9309770
Crazyredemu was willing to admit he makes a lot of gammer mistakes, but was sure it was right this time. "These things go around spoken dialogue, and while I am tying to be less choppy I am still doing it right!" He had picked up a book to check and even asked a nerdy coworker who reads books all the time. "Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you two are referring too?" He included an example in the comment just to be sure, but damn if it wasn't weird, felt like he was RPing on a neopets board again...It made him cringe.

[Sunset Awesomness17]

Come on! When is your next update? I am loving this fanfic! I can’t wait to see what more you come up with for this fic! It’s awesome!