Canterlot has been liberated...the Storm King has been defeated...but the war is far from over.
The Siege of Canterlot is over and the Storm King defeated but Tempest Shadow, unofficially the new leader of the Storm King's army and antagonist turned protagonist, realizes there are other nations still under the former tyrant's iron fist. Redemption on her mind, Tempest takes off to put an end to this conflict, but not without help from some new friends. But as she and the others soon find out, war is more complicated than it seems and may prove too much a challenge, even to the Princess of Friendship.
It was hard to imagine only a few hours ago the city of Canterlot had been in a state of ruin. A city that had been ready to celebrate its first Friendship Festival had suddenly been reduced to almost nothing, even more so after the Storm King had unleashed the true power bestowed in his staff. Alicorn magic was a mysterious thing; in the right hands it was a force of harmony, in the wrong hands it was a force of complete chaos and destruction. The same magic that almost destroyed Canterlot was able to bring it back to its radiant state.
For the longest time, Tempest Shadow was certain that friendship was a flawed practice and the whole “friendship is magic” nonsense was exactly that. But she saw it first hand and her doubts were swept away. But even as she accepted this, still she hung back, avoiding the many ponies (and others if you included pirates, a certain alley cat, hippogriffs and most surprisingly her former underlings) that were enjoying themselves amidst the celebration.
Princess Twilight Sparkle had made it sound so simple; that those led astray could find the right path and be redeemed. But it wasn’t simple at all. She had come here and attacked not only these same ponies, but their leaders as well. She should be in a dungeon, awaiting her final sentence. Instead, she was sitting on the sidelines watching ponies eat cake and drink punch.
But there was another reason for her hesitation. She knew this was her home and while it would take time to adjust, there was unfinished business left to attend to. The Storm King may be gone, but his empire still remains and while she may not have been witness to them, she was aware many lands were currently under his control. Many of his subjects didn’t even know he was gone. An empire without an emperor is like a pillar of salt. In due time, it’ll just erode away and everything will come tumbling down, and that’s what worries me the most.
Tempest finally turned around and headed towards her skiff which she hoped was still intact. She’d find Grubber and take some of her former subordinates, assuming they were willing to follow her, and-
“Tempest?” Tempest froze in her tracks. Of course, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get away that easily. She looked back and saw her former adversary staring at her.
“Are you turning in already?” Twilight asked, a slight look of concern on her face.
Tempest held back a chuckle. Either the mare was naïve or perhaps she didn’t want to straight out ask the question. “I don’t think parties are quite…my thing,” she replied.
“You sure? Everypony here sure is enjoying themselves,” Twilight said. “Look, I know it’s hard to look many of these ponies in the eye, considering what happened but that doesn’t matter now. Friendship doesn’t happen right away either, I know from experience, but if you just take the time to talk-”
“Twilight,” Tempest in a gentle yet strong tone. “I appreciate the thought but…I’m not staying.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Isn’t Canterlot your home?”
“It was,” Tempest replied. “But I’m not ready to come back. Not yet. There are still things I need to do…wrongs that I need to right. The Storm King may be gone now but…this war isn’t over.”
Twilight wanted to say something but couldn’t. Instead, she only sighed in defeat. “Well, at least spend the night here at the palace. I can imagine you’re exhausted.”
She wasn’t wrong about that. And knowing Grubber, he was probably too busy eating cake and punch. I guess it couldn’t hurt to let him have his fun…and get some rest as well. “I appreciate your generosity.” She then turned around and again made her way towards the palace.
“One more thing Tempest.” The mare was surprised the princess wasn’t using her given name. It’s probably appropriate…I’m no longer that mare anyway. “I never got to say this before but…thank you. For what you did.”
Tempest could remember that moment rather vividly: seeing the Storm King appear on the balcony, ready to petrify the princess as a last act, and Tempest suddenly running towards her, shielding her, or rather her and her friends, from harm. Tempest smiled slightly. “You saved me as well, twice in fact. So technically I owe you one.” She walked off and even Twilight couldn’t help but smile slightly.
It turned out Tempest was more exhausted than she thought since the second her head hit the pillow she was out. She woke up feeling refreshed, more so than she had in a long time. Queen sized beds weren’t something the Storm King had offered her.
She looked at the set of armor sitting next to her bed, the insignia of the Storm King still very apparent. It quickly reminded her of what needed to be done. With slight reluctance, she put on her chest piece before putting on her iron shoes. Her plan had not changed, but there were a few ponies she had to see first.
It was rather quiet in the castle, save for the sentries that were posted around parts of the castle. Many cast her with suspicious looks and she couldn’t blame them. Maybe she should’ve waited to put the armor on her ship.
She finally found her destination which was currently guarded by two of the Royal Guard. “I’m here to speak with the princesses,” she said casually. She was expecting them to either do nothing or ask her to leave. To her surprise, they both nodded and let her pass. The doors opened to a room Tempest recognized rather well.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were sitting at their thrones and they seemed to be surprised by the unicorn’s visit. At least they hadn’t tried to attack her; Tempest hoped to keep it that way. “Tempest,” Celestia said, addressing the pony. “This is a surprise visit. What can we do for you? I hope you were able to enjoy yourself last night.”
Tempest looked at the two alicorns in slight confusion. She wasn’t sure if they were playing a game with her, but if so, she wasn’t having it. “I don’t understand you two,” she said calmly. “Considering I attacked your city, imprisoned you and your fellow princesses, and unintentionally almost contributed to having said city completely destroyed, I shouldn’t be addressed so warmly nor given a warm bed to sleep in!”
The two princesses glanced at one another before the two of them burst into a fit of giggles. Tempest could stare in utter disbelief. These were the rulers of Equestria? “Tempest, I understand your guilt about what happened but honestly…it’s not the worse thing we’ve ever seen.”
“And believe us, we’ve seen plenty,” Luna added. “We’ve forgiven Discord for worse things, honestly.”
“You may think we’re not taking this seriously, but we are,” Celestia said and the smile on her face disappeared. “We did have our opinions on the matter but Twilight Sparkle came to your defense and explained what you did. The selfless act that you did speaks volumes, despite what you did prior.”
“I…” Tempest was at a loss for words. The Princess of Friendship was certainly living up to her title. “I realized the Storm King was using me and…considering that Princess Twilight helped me I returned the favor.”
“Interesting, I’d say that’s the beginning of a true friendship,” Luna mused. “But forgive us; I’m sure this isn’t the real reason why you are here now.”
At that moment, the door to Tempest’s right opened and a small group made their way inside, one she recognized right away.
“I must say, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Equestrian cuisine but it definitely exceeded expectations,” Capper said. “Definitely better than anything from Klugetown.”
“Ha! Anything is better than Klugetown,” Celaeno said. “All it is is a place of slavers and slaves.”
“Oh we’re aware, especially since ol’ Capper here almost ended up trading us away,” Applejack said sharply.
Capper sighed. “You’re not planning on letting that go anytime soon are you?”
“Not a chance darling,” Rarity said sweetly.
“Oh hey Tempest!” Pinkie said happily. “Wait, are we still calling her Tempest or are we going by Fi-?”
“Tempest is fine,” Tempest said quickly. It wasn’t as if she was embarrassed by the name, but she didn’t want to bring up the subject.
“Are we interrupting something?” Twilight asked.
“Not at all,” Celestia said. “We were having an interesting chat. Tempest here is a little behind the times is all.”
“But do tell why you’re actually here,” Luna added.
Tempest glanced at the two princesses before turning her eyes on the motley crew before her. The only one missing was Skystar but she recalled that she and her mother had to return home to, well, fix their home. Considering what I did, maybe it was best not to approach the queen.
“I’m here because while Canterlot is free of the Storm King’s reign, this war, crusade, whichever you’d like to call it, isn’t over. Across the ocean the Storm King has claimed many nations and they are still under his control officially.”
“Wait…are you saying…?” Rainbow began.
“Yes, as the Storm King’s former second-in-command, I am now officially the leader of the Storm King’s forces.”
“That means you have an entire armada at your disposal,” Celaeno said, clearly impressed.
“I suppose that may be true but the point is as acting leader I can officially end this reign of terror.” Tempest sighed. “I may not have been there when these lands fell but I still feel I bear some responsibility.” She had noticed that Capper was studying her quite closely and it was making her uncomfortable. “With that being said, I will depart Canterlot at once with whatever forces that still remain. You have my word that Canterlot will never be invaded again.” Without another word, she turned around and was on her way to exiting the throne room.
“Wait.” Tempest stopped and looked back, seeing it was Twilight who spoke. “If you’re leaving, then we’re coming too.”
“Huh?”
“What, did you think you were gonna do this all by yourself?” Rainbow smirked.
“I know it’s probably going to be dangerous so…you might need some help,” Fluttershy added.
“I dunno, she does have an entire armada on her side,” Celaeno pointed out. “But my crew and I are coming along cause technically you owe us a ship.” Tempest grimaced slightly.
“Hmm…” Capper said, something on his mind. “Now that I think about it, a certain pony pretty much did trash my residence in Klugetown.” He then smiled. “However, since you seem to be going to Abysinnia…”
“Alright, alright you made your point,” Tempest groaned. “But is having all of you come really necessary?”
“Actually, I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Celestia said. “I believe Twilight and her friends would serve greatly as representatives of Equestria. We’re always open to building new relations. We wish you luck in your endeavors.”
Tempest knew at this point she should’ve just left unannounced but it was too late now. “Fine, you can all come,” she said. “Not that I expect much out of this…”
“Oh, you know much is going to come out of this,” Pinkie winked.
“Right…well get your things and-” Tempest was suddenly interrupted as a long roll of parchment was almost thrust into her face. “What is this?”
“Oh just a list of damages regarding our former ship,” Celaeno said. “It’s all in the fine print of course.”
“Damage fees…loss of food fees…airship insurance…” Tempest stared at the avian in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh don’t worry, I figured the Storm King has a couple things that are worth quite a fortune and just enough to pay for a new ship,” Celeano grinned. “So no worries.”
“…You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”
“Oh you have no idea.”
“Fine. Whatever. My skiff is nearby so-” She then paused as she realized what was missing. “Actually…I’ll meet you all there momentarily. My new second-in-command is lying somewhere in town passed out from cake…”
“Grubber! Grubber where are you!?” Tempest groaned in exasperation as she looked around the city caught in the aftermath of last night. Most ponies had turned in to pass out from last night although there were a few of those that never made it inside. She was the only out here at the moment; the others had already made their way to her airship.
Luckily, she didn’t have to look too far: the pile of passed out beasts was enough of a clue. In the midst of the bodies sat a small black figure. Typical… Tempest took a deep breath before shouting out, “ON YOUR FEET SOLDIERS, NOW!”
The snow beasts were used to reacting at a moment’s notice and it was slightly humorous to see Grubber fall onto his face. “W-What’s happening?” he asked groggily as he rubbed his head. “Ugh…sugar migraine…I overdid it again…”
“Glad to have you back with us Grubber,” Tempest said. She then looked to the others. “Now listen up, I’m not going to ignore the obvious: the Storm King is dead and while he may not have formally announced it, I have technically assumed control of his armies and fleet. However, I can be lenient and if you wish to leave now and go on your own way, I will not stop you. But I will need your help. We’re pulling out of the territories that the Storm King has conquered. All of them. Again, if anyone wishes to stay here and be done with all of this, step forward.”
However, not one of them stepped forward. Tempest smiled slightly. “Very well, let us be off then. Send word to the other ships, we make way for Abyssinia.” She turned around and marched forward, the others quickly following in step.
Grubber settled for sitting on her back, not that Tempest minded. “So uh…we’re really going through with all this?”
“We have to make things right,” Tempest said. It almost felt strange to say now. “Not just for me, but for everyone…”
It felt strange to be boarding a ship that only two days ago was constantly giving chase to them, more so standing next to the snow creatures that pretty much tore up much of Canterlot, but Twilight and the others were used to this kind of thing now, working with former enemies. Crates were being loaded onto the ship, some which Twilight suspected contained belongings from Celaeno’s former ship. Other supplies, like food and water, were being loaded up as well. At Pinkie’s insistence, baked goods and lots of baking supplies were being loaded as well. Hopefully Celaeno and her crew don’t mind the lack of…whatever it is they ate on a regular basis, Twilight thought.
“I must say, while the architecture of this ship is simply astounding, the color is a bit…intimidating to say the least,” Rarity commented.
“Well yeah, that’s kind of the point,” Rainbow said. “Nothing says ‘I’m big and scary’ like black…though I have to admit I can’t believe the Storm King had such a large fleet.”
“Honestly, I’m surprised none of the princesses knew about him or his entire invasion plan, especially Princess Celestia,” Applejack said.
“Well, Abyssinia is pretty far off, on the other side of the ocean,” Twilight said. “Unfortunately, even my knowledge outside Equestria is pretty limited.”
“It’s a good thing you have an expert then,” Celaeno said, tipping her hat slightly with a grin. “Even when we weren’t the Storm King’s delivery boys, we’ve done enough sailing all across the continent, from Abyssinia to Zebrica.” She then glanced at Capper. “Must be nice to visit home huh?”
Capper suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Uh…why do you say that?”
“I’ve been to the capital plenty of times so it’s kinda easy to tell where you’re from.”
Capper chuckled. “Oh Captain, don’t you know it’s not nice to stereotype? Sure, most felines do come from there but our race pretty much spans all over the continent. But yes, Panthera was my home at a time. I haven’t been there in awhile as you girls probably could tell.”
“Ooh, now I’m very excited to see it,” Rarity gushed. “Going out of Equestria is one thing but to see a whole other continent, oh I simply can’t wait. Tell me Captain, is it anything like Canterlot here?”
Celaeno and Capper’s eyes met. She had seen plenty of the capital and while it has been awhile since she and her crew had last been there, it wasn’t under the best circumstances. The Storm King had a tight grip of most of the land, setting up puppet governments that answered to him. She had a feeling Capper was aware of this as well. “It’s…something alright.” As vague as it was, her answer seemed to be enough for the filly.
It wasn’t long before Tempest and Grubber showed up. “Sorry to keep you all waiting,” Tempest said. She then looked at the other mares. “I suppose there’s no way to get you girls to change your mind? This could be dangerous.”
“Like we haven’t faced danger before,” Rainbow scoffed.
“Rainbow is right,” Twilight said. “However, I believe a third party will be needed for talks…if there are any. Also, this gives us, and all of Equestria, a chance to have a voice in world affairs.” She then grinned. “After all, I’m not the Princess of Friendship just by name alone.”
After all that’s happened, and those six mares are the same as they’ve always been. Maybe I am underestimating them, Tempest thought. Or maybe they’ve truly seen their own share of hardships… “Very well, we’ll be on our way then. Half of the fleet will be returning to Bleak Valley. As for the rest of us, we’ll be heading to the capital city of Panthera in Abyssinia. Captain, how long do you think the journey will take?”
“Only about half a day, depending on what direction the wind blows,” Celaeno replied. “Out on the ocean the weather can be unpredictable too.”
“Then we should depart immediately if we want to reach the capital before nightfall,” Tempest said. She then addressed the storm creatures, telling them to take to their stations. The procedure was common practice for them and it wasn’t long before the ship was lifting off the ground. As they soon departed, many of the airships turned towards the south, while Tempest and the others maintained a course east.
It felt good to be in the air again. Tempest knew she wasn’t the only one since Celaeno and her crew had a certain gleam in their eyes. This was their life, their passion. As for Tempest, this was hardly a pleasure cruise…though she admitted once this was all done she could use a proper day of relaxation.
She paused in thought as she stared out on the main deck of the ship, looking towards the ever-continuing blue sky. It had only been a few hours since they left Canterlot and they were currently making their way across the Badlands. Everyone for the most part had settled down while her crew made sure the voyage was a smooth one.
As she was staring, a thought suddenly came to her. What was going to happen afterwards? It’s not like she could just go home…she hadn’t been home in…it felt way too long.
When she had left home, she knew her parents would’ve been upset and somehow it never bothered her. Perhaps they looked for her, but maybe in the end they had given up hope. As far as they knew, Fizzlepop Berrytwist was gone.
Every time she said that name, it felt foreign to her. Tempest Shadow was a name many knew (well, outside Equestria that is) and many feared. So why doesn’t she just get rid of it?
Because that filly is gone, she thought. Whatever was left of her was destroyed by the Storm King’s hand. Tempest is all that remains of me now, even if I’m no longer a cold-hearted pony. And yet, she wasn’t fully convinced of that. Tempest closed her eyes and once the wind died down she picked up two individuals in a discussion nearby.
“I have to say Captain, this truly is a mighty fine ship.” The voice belonged to Celaeno’s second-in-command, Mullet. “Though I have to admit, the Storm King’s choice in color is less than impressive.”
“Hmm…you may be right about that,” Celaeno replied. “But this is Tempest’s ship so we’re gonna respect whatever color scheme she likes. Still, maybe if I manage to butter her up a little, she might be willing to sell it off for a good price.” Tempest couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Begging your pardon ma’am but…you’ve been a little anxious almost all morning about something.”
Celaeno chuckled. “My facade is slipping again huh? Then again Mullet, how long have we been doing this?”
“Not long enough to settle down comfortably.”
Celaeno let out a sigh. “I think all of us are aware what happened to Panthera, well aside from those ponies.”
Tempest’s eyes suddenly shot open. What is she talking about?
“And we didn’t say anything why?”
“I think it’s better if they find out themselves…”
Tempest couldn’t concentrate on listening anymore and quite frankly, she was both confused and apprehensive. What did the Storm King do? She quickly made her way towards the cabin.
At that exact moment, the door opened and out came Grubber, helping himself to what appeared to be a scone. “Hey Tempest, have you tried that pink mare’s baking it’s-oof!” He was suddenly dragged towards her, scone still in his paw.
“We need to talk,” Tempest said.
“Uh…right now?” The hedgehog could tell the unicorn was upset and, from experience, that always meant a painful ending.
“What happened in Panthera?”
“…You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific.”
“The Storm King said he invaded the capital and plundered all their treasure. But that wasn’t the whole story was it?”
Now Grubber was starting to look uncomfortable, more so than usual. “Well…no.”
“I’m waiting.”
“He uh…you know that malachite you found?”
“Oh no…”
“Yeah, that’s where it came from. And once he got what he wanted, he just left…but not before burning the entire city down to the ground.”
Tempest couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She knew the Storm King could be unsympathetic, and sure stealing priceless artifacts was one thing, but to destroy an entire city? She felt like she was going to be sick. If the capital even still stood, the people there were going to run away in fear to avoid another onslaught.
“Why didn’t you tell me this!?” Tempest kept her voice down but the anger in it was quite clear.
“Because he made me not tell you.” Grubber sighed. “Look, I was just an underling when it all happened. I had nothing, but you already know this story. I didn’t understand it all at the time.”
Tempest had to take a deep breath to control herself. She couldn’t blame him; he was only following orders, what choice did he have? Unfortunately, the situation was much worse than she had planned. “A change of plans then,” she finally said. “We’ll have to keep the fleet back, mostly to avoid scaring off the residents. “If it’s only one ship, perhaps they won’t feel threatened.” Or so she hoped.
“And the others?”
That was another issue. If they found out the truth, would they blame her? Would they think twice about forgiving someone who once supported such a vile monster? “We say nothing…for now.” To be honest, she thought it better to speak to Twilight one on one about it. Surely she would understand…
Coincidentally, it was her that happened to come through the cabin door. “Oh there you are Tempest!” She then happened to notice the two of them were in discussion. “Um…am I interrupting something?”
Don’t just sit there Tempest, do something! “Oh uh, no!” She suddenly grabbed the scone out of Grubber’s paw and took a big bite. “Grubber just wanted me to try this scone! It’s…very good!” That last part wasn’t a lie, the scone was extraordinary.
Twilight giggled. “I’m sure Pinkie will appreciate hearing that. She made enough for the entire crew!”
“…Seriously?”
“Yeah, that mare works like crazy fast,” Grubber chimed in. “Not that I’m complaining though…”
“Well free to come in and have some,” Twilight said. “Of course, Pinkie isn’t just a good baker, she can make all sorts of things.”
Tempest was kind of hungry, even though the news before kind of soured her stomach. “Well…since you offered…”
“Great! Actually, I did want to talk to you Tempest. Capper filled me in a bit about Panthera and Abyssinia in general. I figured we should figure out a strategy on how we can help the people there and of course build relations.”
Tempest almost put a hoof to her face. Of course the cat would know about all that. But did he tell her what really happened? “Uh…when you say help…?”
“Well, I’m not sure if the Storm King had left any of his forces there to keep the city secure or not, but Abyssinia is a large country so I’m sure it’ll be an issue getting all of those troops out of there in such a short amount of time.”
So he didn’t tell her. Was everyone trying to avoid the issue or did they just not want to traumatize these girls? Tempest didn’t care anymore, she had to tell Twilight, but not here. “Very well, how about we discuss it in my personal quarters?”
“Great! I knew this would be a great idea. I do appreciate your help of course Tempest. I know it may be not be easy to convince everyone that you don’t support the Storm King’s actions but I promise I’ll do everything I can to put a good word in for you.”
“I appreciate that Twilight…” And I’m going to need it because we’re going to get nothing close to a warm reception…
There were two things Tempest noticed as soon as she and Twilight entered her quarters. One, the princess for some reason decided to rearrange everything in her room, from the small book collection she had near her bed to everything on her desk (which actually wasn’t much, aside from from some documents and half-melted candles). The second was that Twilight had somehow boiled a pot of tea and two cups were currently at her desk. “Princess Celestia always says to start your day with a warm cup of tea,” Twilight beamed as she sat in the chair opposite Tempest’s own. “I hope you don’t mind peppermint.”
“That’s fine.” Tempest sat down in front of her and finally her annoyance showed through. “Were you messing with my stuff?”
Twilight giggled slightly and blushed. “It’s…kind of a bad habit of mine. I didn’t look at anything I promise, just performed a simple rearrangement spell. It was kind of…disorganized in here.”
Tempest sighed. If it had been anyone else, she would’ve thrown them overboard in an instant. Well, at least the old Tempest would have. “When I was a filly, I knew a pony just like you. She was so obsessed with organization if you moved one book out of place she’d have a panic attack.”
Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. “Come on, I’m not that bad.” There was a small pause in the room. Honestly, she had expected Pinkie to burst out of somewhere to contradict her but surprisingly she didn’t. “Anyway, I finally managed to find a book about some of the neighboring countries and it says that in Abyssinia the kingdom is ruled by a king and queen so obviously we need to make a good first impression. For starters, I was thinking of sending one ship down instead of the entire fleet being seen. You know, that way we don’t send everyone the wrong message.”
“Um…right,” Tempest said. “Listen, Twilight-”
“Also, I thought it would be best to give the king and queen a gift, to symbolize our new alliance between Equestria and Abyssinia.”
“That’s wonderful, really, but Twilight…”
“Oh, sorry I kind of got ahead of myself again, what is it?” Twilight asked.
“Well the thing is…I wasn’t aware at the time, since I wasn’t with the Storm King at the time…”
“…Yes?” Twilight looked slightly confused.
“Look, what I’m trying to say is, the entire capital has been-”
Suddenly, the sound of a horn filled the room, which to Tempest only meant one thing. It took everything not to groan right in front of the princess. This was not going the way she had planned; she had to tell her now. “Twilight-”
“Oh, we’re here already, that was fast,” Twilight commented as she started heading out. “We might as well take a good look before we make our descent.” She hummed to herself happily, leaving Tempest in her quarters. The unicorn could stare in bewilderment as she finally let out her frustration.
Once Twilight, got to the deck, she could see that the other mares were already looking out, though judging by their faces they seemed confused. “Hello girls, how’s the view? We should getting a good look of the capital from here right?”
“Uh…what capital?” Rainbow asked.
“Don’t be silly, these are the exact coordinates where the capital is located.”
“Um Twilight…we don’t see anything that resembles Panthera,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah…no buildings at all…though I’m seeing what look likes a lot of tents,” Applejack said.
“Oh c’mon girls, nice try but-” Once she looked out, the words got stuck in her throat. All that she could see were hundreds upon hundreds of white tents, usually the kinds that held refugees. All around them were ruins and scorch marks, which immediately told her what had happened. “Panthera…it’s completely-”
“Gone.” Tempest had finally joined them on the deck. “Like anything else in the Storm King’s possession, once it was no longer needed, he disposed of it. He burned the entire kingdom to the ground.”
Twilight turned to her. “Tempest…don’t tell me…”
“I didn’t know about it til just recently and this was before the Storm King recruited me.” Tempest then turned to Capper, who was standing near the barracks. “You were there, weren’t you? And yet you never thought to tell them? None of you?”
“It doesn’t really matter does it?” Capper asked. “Whether we told them upfront or not doesn’t change the severity of it, we all know that. Now you’re seeing exactly what the Storm King was capable of.” Though it wasn’t obvious in his tone, Tempest could tell that was a slight jab towards her and not seeing through the Storm King’s empty promises.
Twilight took a deep breath. Now was not the time to point hooves. “Okay, it’s not like we weren’t expecting this…” She paused for a moment. “Alright, we’ll continue as planned. We’ll set the ship down and meet with the king and queen. Capper and Tempest will come with us. Captain, you and the rest of the crew will stay behind and keep an eye on the ship.”
“It’s probably for the best,” Celaeno said. “Despite our intentions, pirates kind of have a bad reputation no matter what part of the world you travel.”
Tempest looked slightly uncomfortable. “Are you sure bringing me along is such a good idea?” In reality, even though she wasn’t involved in what happened here, it was going to be difficult to look at any of these victims in the face.
Twilight nodded. “I know it’s not easy but as the leader of this army you have to take charge. Show them that you’re not anything like the Storm King.”
Tempest looked up at her horn which suddenly zapped with magic. A leader…
The airship landed about a hundred meters from the perimeter of the camp. Naturally, a small group of citizens approached the ship, some of them armed. “Twilight, darling, I’m starting to think perhaps we’re only, what does Applejack call it? ‘Kicking the hornet’s nest?’”
“No, they have every right to be suspicious,” Twilight said as they descended down the ramp. “The only way we can settle this peacefully is through words.” Once they reached solid land, the group stopped and Twilight stepped forward. “Greetings, citizens of Panthera. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria and I’m here-”
“Did the Storm King send you!?” One of the citizens yelled.
“I recognize that ship anywhere, that was one that set fire to our entire capital!” Another yelled.
“The whole fleet is up there! What else does the Storm King want from us!?”
“Oh dear, I guess they’re still pretty angry,” Fluttershy whispered.
“And obviously rude, interrupting a princess like that,” Rarity scoffed.
“Now hold on everyone!” Capper said, stepping forward with his paws in front of him. “Let’s just take it easy for a moment. My friend Twilight here, see her land was invaded by the Storm King as well but, with a little help from friends abroad, we were able to defeat him once and for all. Now, I know it seems hard to believe but don’t underestimate these little ponies-”
“Oh come on, how were you able to defeat the Storm King and his entire army!?”
“Well that definitely calmed them down,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes slightly.
“Please listen!” Twilight almost yelled. “I understand what happened here, what the Storm King did for the same thing almost happened to my home. Working together, my friends and I did in fact defeat the Storm King. But that’s not why we’re here. We’re here because Equestria wants to extend aid to every country that was affected and as Ambassador, I hope Abysinnia and Equestria can work together not just to rebuild but to better understand and improve relations.”
The group was silent for a moment and at this point, an audience was growing near the perimeter as many citizens had stopped what they were doing and looking outwards towards the scene before them. Finally someone spoke up. “How do we know this is all true? How do we know this isn’t just some ruse the Storm King came up with?”
“Because currently the Storm King is in about twenty different pieces.” Tempest was the one who spoke up as she stepped forward next to Twilight. “And before you ask, yes it was I that put him in that state.” The crowd looked slightly unnerved and even some of the mares looked concerned. “As such, I’ve taken command of the Storm King’s remaining forces but as Princess Twilight already said, this is not some raid but rather Equestria extending its arm to help those in need. If you have the need to vent out your frustrations, do them at me for I too was deceived by the Storm King and committed acts that…I’m no longer proud of. With that being said, all we want is to speak to your king and queen. And if not, we’ll be on our way then, just like that.”
The crowd was silent again, many of them looking toward one another. The girls on the other hand looked at Tempest in surprise though Twilight was having a hard time concealing a small smile.
Finally, a feline stepped forward from the group and judging by his attire, he looked to be part of the Royal Guard. “If it is aid you wish to give us, then the King and Queen will no doubt want to speak with you. I will bring you to them at once.” With a nod, the rest of the large group dispersed, returning to their daily duties while Twilight and the others followed the guard.
“So uh…Capper,” Rainbow said, walking alongside the feline. “I’m guessing you used to live here.”
“For a time,” Capper replied. “Though I guess ‘living’ is kind of an odd choice of a word. I was an orphan growing up. Lived on the streets, no home or shelter to look forward to. Things weren’t so bad though, at least compared to now.”
Tempest was looking around the large camp. Many children were either helping their mothers cook what looked like large pots of stew or helping their fathers building infrastructure with what materials they had. Many of the older folk were either knitting or sewing clothes or blankets. No doubt it got cold each and every night.
“I was there when the entire city burned to the ground,” Capper continued. “These people have a right to be upset: they got caught up in a war they never asked for. I can imagine its the same for many other countries.”
His words only stirred anger inside Tempest, who could only watch in sadness. All of this for one treasure, something that she had tried to steal and in the end the Storm King found worthless. Well maybe not entirely, she thought somewhat bitterly. After all, it did end up doing the Storm King in…
Finally, they reached a large pair of tents, larger than the ones that surrounded the camp and was in an assortment of different colors. “Wait here one moment,” the guard said before going inside one of the tents.
“Twilight, I have to be realistic here,” Tempest said suddenly. “If most of the country is in this state and if many of the neighboring countries are in a similar crisis, how in the world is Equestria going to be able to afford all of this?”
“I admit that…doing all the calculations that the amount of money needed will be…astronomical but it will take years regardless what we do to rebuild everything,” Twilight said. “But don’t forget we have friends just outside of Equestria who would be willing to help. But as far as that goes, I think I’ll leave the planning to Celestia herself.”
Tempest sighed. “I don’t understand how you can always be so optimistic.”
“It comes with being a princess,” Twilight said. “It’s also a good way of spreading confidence among your subjects. By the way, thanks for the save before.”
Tempest smiled. “Well, I didn’t think you would be so willing to explain how the Storm King died. Plus, I’m kind of owed the credit.” The two mares giggled slightly.
“You know, I have to admit, I didn’t think those two would hit it off so easily,” Applejack chuckled slightly. “Considering one was trying to capture the other.”
“Well, Twilight does have a sense of seeing the good in others I suppose,” Rarity said. “And honestly, Tempest isn’t the worst villain we’ve faced…”
“Even though she did imprison the princesses and she blew up an airship,” Pinkie pointed out.
“Eh, I think we’ve forgiven worse,” Rainbow added.
Finally, the guard came back out. “The King and Queen will see you now.”
