The Coming Storm: Rise Of The Storm King And Tempest Shadow

by Slippin_Sweetie

Prologue: Stormo The Wise And Fizzlepop BerryTwist

Author's Note:

This chapter was written by just me.

Humiliation. Humiliation, noun, the action of humiliating someone or the state of being humiliated.

A word that Stormo had grown long accustomed to. He had lost his mother at a young age to scarlet fever, and his father had gone missing a few years later after getting lost in a blizzard. Leaving Stormo to fend for himself for many years, living off the scraps from hunts and harvests that his fellow tribe members donated out of pity. But young Stormo was determined. A sense of honor felt lost to him, what with his mother’s death and his father’s presumable death after he went missing in the Yeti Mountains on a foraging trip. The young Yeti set forth on making a name for himself and surpassing his ancestor’s humble origins.

Stormo, in his later years, dedicated himself to archiving his people’s vast history in the Yeti mountains in the far south of Zebrica’s ‘heart of darkness’ past the commonly associated zebras and among the coined “land of monsters” where Minotaur’s, Gargoyles, and the Yeti reside. The Yeti Kingdom was primarily tribal in nature, with central authority given to the king, but the kingdom itself was nomadic, the tribe moving among the peaks of the mountains in search of food or game to hunt and eat.

With his wit and thirst for knowledge, Stormo had found himself in the court of King Babur through his dedication to the preservation of history, fortunately, or rather, unfortunately, he was mistaken for a shaman or wisecreature initially. But through his consumption of knowledge and years of study, the scholar and archiver Stormo was a wise advisor, and through King Babur, the Yeti tribal Kingdom found prosperity and success.

But something didn’t sit right with Stormo. Deep within the depths of his soul, he craved more. The amount gained through harvesting produce and hunting was… trivial. Small. The world he resided in was small. The Yeti’s and the King were small. Worst of all, HE was small. This could not stand; Stormo couldn’t let the sands of time consume him. No one should forget the misery and struggle he faced throughout his life.

But the Yeti mountains provided nothing; it was a barren wasteland where only a few creatures could persist, and little could actually grow. It was a miracle by all means that the Yeti had cultivated any sort of agriculture upon scrutiny, there was no arable land, and it was never warm. The Yeti historically had to use caves and magical gems to provide warmth and sunlight to their caves full of wheat and grain.

One of the most grueling and tedious tasks was collecting water, hours of shoveling, and boiling snow. Only to water the pitiful-looking fields and provide water to every Yeti for one day. Stormo had grown tired of this, tired of the monotony and subpar living standards. Even among the King’s court, he was no better off than the average member of the tribe.

So one fateful day, he left. Packing his kit and traveling down the mountain toward the lands of the Zebra. Where he’d soon discover the knowledge of magic, he knew of magic before through the crystals in the Yeti mountains that provided natural heat and radiance, but nothing like this. Tales of horses with horns that bless them with a well of magical abilities.

Stormo was intrigued, and his nature as a scholar persisted despite abandoning everything else about his old life. He set forth on learning magic and everything about it, from trivial trinkets like charms and enchanted goods to more advanced summoning spells and incantations. But one problem revealed itself to Stormo. He had zero natural attunement to magic. Undeterred, he sought after an alternative, magical artifacts leading the Yeti toward the lands of Equestria.

---

Ponyville was an unremarkable village. It wasn’t anything wholly unique in comparison to the dozens of other small towns littered across Equestria. But for Fizzlepop and many other fillies and colts, it was home. Fizzlepop was an exceptional Unicorn gifted with a natural proficiency in magic. But aside from her semi-exceptional magical ability, she was a happy filly in a town full of happy ponies.

She lived in a modest home with her mother, Pinot Noir, and her father, Lemon Twist. Going to school and studying to join Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns. Practicing her magic and borrowing books from the library while still having room for fun and time for her hobbies. Fizzlepop was a responsible and mature filly who had the adoration and love from her family and a decent social life with a loyal group of friends.

All of that changed in one day…

“Alright, adventure time is a go!” exclaimed Cherry Cheesecake, “I say we explore the outskirts of the Everfree Forest!” suggested the cream-colored filly. Fluttering her cherry red mane with every syllable.

“You ALWAYS want to go to the Everfree Forest but never INSIDE of the forest.” scoffed Butternut Squash, the ember-colored colt rolling his eyes at his companion.

Fizzlepop cleared her throat, “Why don’t I lead our ‘expedition’ today?” suggested the filly innocently.

Butternut and Cherry looked at one another before ultimately shrugging, allowing their friend an opportunity to break the stalemate and lead their next adventure.

“Fine, if only to prevent Cherry Cheesecake from wimping out!” jabbed Butternut Squash.

“Oh puh-lease, you are such a diva!” laughed the filly.

“C’mon, you guys, let’s go. I know a cave on the outskirts of town that’ll be fun to explore…” gestured Fizzlepop with her head.

The group marched about a mile from Ponyville, laughing, smiling, and telling jokes as if it were any other ‘adventure’ through Ponyville’s forests and fields. Fizzlepop still distinctively remembered the last thing uttered by her old friend Cherry before they entered the cave.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?...”

That question haunted the mare. To think she lost everything because of a stupid foalish dare from some colt.

The mare rubs the scar on her face, replaying the origin of her permanent blemish. Staring off into nothingness as she remembered the massive Ursa Major tower over her, eyes full of rage and relentless hunger. She presses her hoof to her face more as she trembles.

The thundering roar rang in her ears as she remembered how terrified she and her former friends were…

“Run away!” she said, “I’ll save you; just get out of here!” cried the filly. Her words echoed in her mind’s eye as she remembered the bone-shattering crack and the cold feeling that rushed over her. It felt like she was knocked off her hooves by a sudden gust of wind.

She hadn’t even realized her friends had abandoned her, and the massive monster had taken her horn and a chunk of her face with one swift swipe of its paw. The warmth of her own blood spilling down her face as a chill crawled up her spine.

As soon as she got on her hooves, she bolted out of the cavern, crimson trailing behind her as the thunderous roars of the beast echoed throughout the cave and forest. Fueling Fizzlepop’s instinct to run, run and not look back.

A foreign force brought Fizzlepop out of her head as the bartender, a literal rat, peers over her. His large conical tooth jutted out from the bottom and top of his jaw as he spoke, “Yew, alright?”

Fizzlepop nodded, “...yes, how much for the drinks?”

The rat chortled, adjusting his stained white collar and suspenders, “Well, I wuz a bit worried tat yew forgot where yew were. It looked like yew was in la la land, lil pony.”

Fizzlepop had forgotten where she was, some sort of dingy-looking tavern in a trash heap of a city known as Klunge town far south of Equestria.

She rolled her eyes, sliding a few bits over, “Keep the change.”

A sudden gust of dry wind brushes against the mare as a new face emerges into the tavern, a tall white bipedal creature wearing a well-worn leather chest plate underneath an old worn cloak. Looming over every creature in the bar by at least a foot or two.

Fizzlepop quickly turned to face the bartender. She learned her lesson about staring at the oddities and freaks that rolled into these taverns once, and she'd rather not get into another fight.

The stranger soon sat next to the Unicorn, clearing his throat as he smacked his dry, parched lips, the ivory monster looking down at the pony for a moment before shifting his brow at her.

“Curious…I don’t mean to be rude…but what is someone like you doing so far out?”

Fizzlepop chuckled, “I could ask you the same thing….”

The creature grinned, “Hm…well, I suppose it’s in my nature to ask of these things…why don’t we discuss this over a few drinks.”

“...Sure, but…this isn’t a date or anything romantic, let’s get that squared away.” asserted the mare

The creature snapped a confused, bewildered look at the mare, “I-...well, I suppose that could come off like that. Heh, I can’t be mad at you for assuming I was making a pass at you. No, I’m more interested in your origins for research purposes…” explained the creature.

“Uh huh…so…what even are you?” peered the pony.

The creature laughed, “Here I am, thinking everyone around here is a freak. At least it’s good to know the feeling is mutual… I’m Stormo, and I’m a Yeti…”

“Yeti huh?... You’re a long way from home, I bet,” smirked Fizzlepop.

Stormo nodded, tapping his large fingers on the bar, “Yes, one whiskey on the rocks. I’m very far from home; it’s a long story… you’re not from Equestria, are you?”

Fizzlepop nodded, “....Yeah… it’s a long story….”

Stormo mused, “Sounds like I’m going to need to order you a few drinks then.”

The mare laughed, “Yup….”

The Yeti sighed, raising his hand, “Bartender, get the mare next to me whatever she wants!”

Comments

[Shady Nail]

I like the premise.