> Alone
>  by Quill of Filth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Incomplete
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tempest? What are you doing here?" The small purple dragon asked, his claws keeping the castle door open as he looked to the dark orchid mare standing in front of him.

Tempest averted her eyes before maintaining contact again as she spoke, "I wanted to speak with the princess if that's fine."

"Oh, sure," Spike said, walking forward to push the door further open to allow Tempest to pass.

Tempest stood, looking inside the castle for a moment perturbed at how she was being allowed inside so easily. But she didn't let it show as she sauntered past the small purple dragon.

"What do you wanna see her for?" Spike asked, letting go of the door as he followed after her.

"I just wanted to speak with her about some personal things."

The door closed behind them with a resounding thud.

"Uh, okay well she's probably in the library so it's straight ahead, third hallway on the left and then eight doors down to the right," he listed pointing his fingers parallel side to side in whichever direction he noted, "and it should be on your left. Or no is it right?" He said, touching a claw to his chin, looking up.

Tempest rose a brow.

"Neh, I'm pretty sure it's the left. Anyway," he chuckled, "I have to get going. I hope you find what you're looking for." He departed with a wave, jogging down a hallway leaving Tempest alone.

Turning, her eyes travelled down the long spacious crystal hall before she began forward. She found it strange how quiet it was but the thought came and went as she turned down the third hallway on the left.

Tempest continued walking for a few minutes when she had finally arrived at her destination. Or so she thought as she knocked her hoof on the double doors but no reply or greeting came. She decided to push the door open to take a peek. She only saw darkness. Shutting the door, she continued forward looking around for any signs manifesting from the vacuum of space that may lead her to the correct door.

It wasn't long before she found herself wandering, completely lost. Though she considered wandering is what she had been doing for months.

Finding interest in a door to her left that appeared to be aesthetically no different than the rest, she pushed her hoof against it.

"Tempest?"

Tempest's ears flicked upon hearing her name, turning her gaze down the hall.

Walking toward her was a lavender alicorn mare, with a dark blue straight cut mane with a purple and bright raspberry streak. Her smile was warm and welcoming. 

Tempest reciprocated but her features were more calm and subtle.

"Oh, or do you go by Fizzlepop?" Twilight inquired.

"Tempest is fine," she reassured with a hint of a chuckle.

They both stopped and stood a comfortable distance from each other, both examining the other for a few seconds.

"Well, it's good to see you," Twilight affirmed with a widening smile.

Tempest bowed her head in acknowledgment.

Twilight flicked her head, gesturing for her to follow as she turned around. 

She obliged, walking alongside her. 

"It's a good thing I found you. Otherwise you may have been walking these halls for a while."

"I'm grateful. But I think I could have managed."

"If it's in the morning when a particular baby dragon wakes up, I'm not so sure."

"He tried to point me in the right direction earlier but I guess I'm not good at following orders," Tempest said, looking up and around, surveying the architecture.

"No, don't worry. This place feels like a maze at first. I got used to it pretty quick since I live here."

"Living the luxurious life of a princess," Tempest noted.

"It's not canterlot levels of royalty and luxuriousness. But it's nice. Do you need a place to stay?"

Tempest's gaze fell to the floor. "No… I just- Tempest? Is that you, darling?"

Looking over her flank to the voice, she saw a familiar white unicorn mare with a beautifully straightened and curled indigo mane.

"Hi, Rarity," Twilight greeted.

Tempest was slightly grateful Twilight said her name because if she was being honest, she had forgotten.

Rarity trotted forward, "Hello, and Tempest, my has it been a while. Oh! Or do you go by Fizzlepop?" She asked, raising a hoof over her muzzle.

She gave a calm reassuring smile, "Tempest is fine."

"Well," Rarity started with relief, "how was your travels?"

"It was... solemn."

"Oh. Well..." Rarity's attention seemed to be captured elsewhere. "Is this what you wore?" She asked, scanning her clothes.

Tempest looked down at herself. She wore a dark poncho and a scarf that looked worn with loose and torn threading at the edges. She raised a brow. "Yes?"

"You should stop by for a visit. Not to say that these don't look good on you but I'd love to make you something more luxurious."

"I'm not really into fancy clothing."

"Oh, yes of course," Rarity said, waving her hoof. "But I would tailor it to your liking and I'd love to make you something. Even if it's simple. Perhaps I could make you a more pristine pair."

Tempest noticed a glint of genuineness in Rarity's azure eyes. Her face was blank for a second before she forced a smile. "I think I'll pass. Sorry."

"Oh, well, okay," she said, her tone slightly faltering. But she immediately grew confident again. "I'll be ready if you change your mind."

Tempest gave a courteous nod.

She gave Twilight a warm departing smile as she trotted ahead down the hall, disappearing from sight.

The pair stood in silence, with Tempest contemplating her offer.

Twilight continued forward. "Ever think you'll change your mind?" Twilight asked, as if knowing her train of thought.

Tempest followed alongside her for a few moments. "Probably not."

They sauntered in silence, traversing their own thoughts as their hooves echoed despite being on carpet.

Twilight's horn lit in a magenta aura before she stopped at a seemingly random pair of double doors which opened. 

The first thing that greeted Tempest was a large room with a tall curved wall that wrapped around the room's circumference lined with thousands of books. There were crystal trees dividing the walls, two of which pointed up toward a circular lime tinted window which had a tree on it. On either side of the window was a green banner with yellow sides which kept with the theme of tree imagery. The floor itself was purple with long black tracings of vines and in the room were five wooden circular tables.

Twilight ambled toward the central table which had various scrolls and stacked books atop it. "Sooo," she started, "why'd you come visit? Just to say hi?" At the table, she placed her hoof on an open scroll, skimming over it.

"I guess that's partly the reason. But I came back to see if there is anything I could do for you."

The quill held in Twilight's magic aura swirling at the bottom of the scroll ceased, as her violet eyes seemed to stare at nothing for a moment. 

It resumed writing.

"What for?" She asked, levitating the quill back into the ink cup.

Tempest's eyes faltered for a moment before she spoke, "I just wanted to know if you needed help with anything. Or if I could do anything for you."

Twilight magically rolled up the scroll, giving Tempest her undivided attention. "Like an errand?"

"I'd prefer it not be as miscellaneous. But if that's all you have…"

Twilight looked away toward the floor in contemplation. Seconds in the low double digits passed before she spoke again. "Have you been to the Frozen North?"

Tempest was surprised at Twilight's lack of prodding, leading her to take a moment to try and formulate a response. "I can't say I have. I've been mostly everywhere. Is there something there that needs to be done?"

"Well, not exactly. Do you mind exploring an area near the Crystal Empire?"

"Am I looking for something?"

"Again, not exactly. I'm more or less.. just curious."

Tempest tilted her head slightly and raised a quizzical brow as she recited her words but slower. "Just curious?"

"Don't worry. It'll be worth it. It might be dangerous though."

"I think I can handle myself."

"Well, I'm gonna send some companions along with you anyway if that's fine."

Tempest pondered who she could be referring to. "Are you suggesting guards accompany me?" Tempest wondered why she would need such drastic protection. But upon reflection, she realized she hadn't seen a single guard in the castle.

As if on cue, the double doors behind her opened. But instead of a guard of some sort, a familiar small purple dragon with green spines waddled forward, with a ruby shard in claw. 

"Hi, Tempest," he greeted, before biting the top of the shard with the side of his mouth.

Ignoring the shiver inducing crackle, Tempest connected a few dots. And she didn't like the potential picture.

"Spike, you're early. And aren't you supposed to be spending time with Rarity?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Yep."

"So did it not go as planned?"

"No, I just want to get this done now so I can hang out longer," he said, grabbing a few scrolls and tossing the rest of the ruby in his mouth.

"Well, how did you know I was done?"

"Because you're Twilight," he replied nonchalantly, his mouth still full of the ruby.

Despite it seemingly being a compliment, Twilight rolled her eyes. She looked back to Tempest who simply watched the scene. Looking back at Spike, the remaining pile of scrolls was encapsulated in her magenta aura before being levitated into a tall pyramid in his arms. When the corona dissipated, the pyramid wobbled as he tried to keep it balanced. The motion eased before he walked toward the double doors which magically opened then closed behind him once he passed the threshold by a few feet.

"He's not going with me right?" Tempest asked with worry and slight concern present in her voice.

Twilight chuckled. "Oh, no. I know exactly who's going to accompany you on your trip."

Tempest grew slightly irritated. She didn't like vague 'guess who' games. She preferred a straight to the point answer. Which she used to get through intimidation. But like the scrolls, that was completely off the table.

"Forgive me, Princess, but I don't believe I know who you're referring to. Do I know them?"

Twilight turned her head with a sassy smile. "You will."

Tempest wouldn't admit it, but the implications of her statement along with the possibilities perturbed her.

"I'm going to get in contact with them. You can relax here or explore the castle some more. I'll be back." Her horn was alight with a magical aura before a small circular pink blast enveloped her, leaving Tempest alone in the room.

After a few moments, Tempest examined the high ceiling again. She opted to stay instead of continuing to explore the castle aimlessly. Plus she didn't know how long Twilight would be and she didn't want her searching for her again. But it didn't help being in the castle evoked a strange feeling she couldn't understand.

She sauntered toward the center table, before sitting on a purple cushion. She examined the stacks of books and the white quill resting inside the golden embellished metallic ink cup. She found herself drawn to the stack of books which she extended her foreleg to and pulled toward herself. The stack was nearly as tall as her as she reached up and slid a book off the top. She held it in her hooves, examining it. The whole book was a dull blue with the title: "Magical Fluctuation and Strange Phenomena of Magic". 

Most would find the title amusing or disgustingly boring but Tempest seemed to be somewhat intrigued as she opened the book to a random page.

The nature of magic is an enigmatic field. It takes a bright mind to understand it's deep potential intricacies and what it connects to on a macro-scale. It's why the legendary Wizard Starswirl became so well known. He pushed the boundaries of knowledge on the nature of magic and understood certain elements most found hard to conceive or fathom. Part of the reason he accomplished this is because he believed magic held answers to profound mysteries and the nature of everything that exists. He believed it bound and tethered us all in some way.

Tempest's expression was blank as she stared at the table. Moments passed in a serrated silence. A small spark of blue electricity arced from her broken horn.

A pink flash abruptly occurred behind her, bringing her to the present with heightened awareness as she closed the book and turned to face it. It was Twilight.

"Alright! I got in contact and we made a small compromise. But they should be here soon. Which is a small miracle considering getting in contact with one of them is a roll of the dice."

Uncertainty welled inside Tempest.

"Anyway, they should be here soon, so if you want you could head outside. Or stay here. Either or."

In response, Tempest stood up and began toward the double doors. She stopped and spoke over her shoulder.

"Is there a specific place outside the empire I should be looking?"

"Don't worry. One of them should have a map and the area I marked. I know I've been extremely vague but everything should be fine. After a day or two there, you can report back to me what you find."

Tempest stood for a few more moments before pushing through the double doors.

"Enjoy you extended travel!" Twilight called as the doors shut.

Alone, Twilight looked back to the center table and noticed one of her books was not on the stack. After a few steps, she examined the book and its title. A frown formed.





Tempest continued down the lookalike hallways, trying to remember the direction of the exit. It was almost like a royal mirror maze, with the only thing keeping one not hopeless or frustrated being the pleasant architecture. Which led to Tempest asking herself a slight vexing and perplexing question. 

"How was this castle even built?" She muttered.

Tempest had been in regal locations before - from the Storm King's base to the Castle in Canterlot - but this castle seemed to have no intuitive direction. She felt as though it looped endlessly. 

She thought about turning around to ask Twilight for directions, but she quickly disregarded it because she knew the chances of finding the library again were slim. And she also didn't want help.

After a few minutes, she stumbled into a large hallway and looking down it at one end, she noticed a familiar large set of doors. She turned and began down the main hall. 

She was glad she didn't have to fight fate at the start of her journey.

Continuing down the hall, she began to contemplate her potential 'companion'. She hoped whomever they were they could carry their own weight. She loathed having to take care of someone else.

She pushed her hoof against the door, the sunlight blurring her vision and covering more of her form as she left the threshold of the castle. 

"I practiced countless hours to perfect this trick just to have some dumb brained klutz criticize it and be sarcastic. Of course I'm upset!" 

The first distant voice Tempest heard was shrill and sounded female and seemed evidently upset.

"It's not my fault you don't have as much talent as you thought."

The second voice was sardonic and sounded like an older male. 

"Can you two just get along?" The other voice groaned who also sounded female.

Her vision began to clear, as the blurry figures began to sharpen. The first figure that caught her eye, who she began to identify, was the levitating chimeric serpent dragon.

He had a brown furred body with a red scaled tail with a tuft of white hair at the end, along with a green lizard leg and a light brown goat leg. He had a purple bat wing and a blue pegasus wing, the arm and paw of a lion, and the arm and talons of an eagle. His neck and head were grey with a short  straight cut black mane traveling up and stopping just before his head, which had an antler and goat horn. His face was an odd shape of a stallion with white bushy eyebrows, a white goatee beard, and a single protruding fang from his lips. His eyes were yellow with asymmetric crimson pupils. 

Tempest knew who the legendary creature was.

She glanced at the other two with brevity.
An azure unicorn mare with violet iris' dressed in a lavender cape wearing a wizard hat with white and yellow stars that covered part of her curled silver and pale cerulean streaked mane. She was pulling a large purple and gold caravan. Beside her was a lilac unicorn mare with persian blue iris and a curled flowing dark purple mane with a slim aquamarine line. 

"Oh! Well, looky who we have here. The fierce and intimidating Tempest Shadow," The draconequus emphasized with a closed fist. "It's a shame I couldn't meet you sooner. Primarily when you tried to take over Canterlot. Not the most unique of plans but I guess all that matters is execution. Which ultimately failed. Like always."

"That is very bold of you to say, Spirit of Chaos," Tempest said coldly.

The draconequus chuckled, "That is indeed one of my many titles."

The lilac unicorn rolled her eyes before looking to Tempest with a smile. "Uh, hi, I'm Starlight. And this is Trixie and obviously that's Discord."

Discord's forearm detached and flew over to Tempest, gesturing for a shake. "Pleased to meet you."

Tempest simply looked to the talons and the draconequus with a callaced glare. "I assume you three are the ones who will be accompanying me on my trip?"

"Yep. That's us," Starlight affirmed in faux zeal and a bordline rictus smile.

There was a pause before Tempest descended down the stairs. "Let's head out while we still have time." At the bottom, she passed them without much thought. Except that it was going to be a bumpy journey.

Trixie watched as Tempest grew further away down the dirt path. "She's…"

"Intimidating?" Starlight finished for Trixie.

Trixie didn't respond but was jostled from her thoughts as she noticed Starlight turn around.

Discord slithered through the air alongside them. "The word I think you're looking for is edgy."

"Be nice, Discord," Starlight gently admonished.

"What? She didn't shake my hand."

"I never did," Trixie replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Hence why I'm not nice."

"What!? But you never even offered." 

"You never asked," he dismissed curtly.

Trixie glared. "Doubt it'd make a difference," she mumbled.

"I can be nice when I wanna be."

"It's probably been a millennia since those stars have aligned," Starlight deadpanned.

Tempest stopped, gazing over her shoulder. Once they were a few feet behind her, she spoke. "Are we taking the train?"

"Uh, actually, Twilight requested we go the long way. As in 'on hoof'."

"Oh, this'll be fun. Travel buddies for days." Discord slithered between Trixie and Starlight holding them. "Let the bonding comence," he sneered, pulling them close.

Starlight's pupils shrank in realization. Trixie upon realization began pushing him away with a glare. "Can't you just teleport us again?" She asked indignantly. 

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"Hearing you talk less."

"Hypocrite."

"Hypocrite?! Trixie is brief in her statements," she replied.

Tempest knew this was the catalyst for a headache. "Save your breath while we travel. At least until we set up camp."

Trixie raised a concerned brow. "Is that a - that's an order," Tempest interrupted on impulse.

Discord rotated his wrist in various circles and averted his eyes away as he spoke. "I fail to recall any point Twilight made you the leader of this trip."

Upon introspection, Tempest calmed her nerves before speaking again in a similar tone, but with a faint softness, "This trip is my task."

"Well, now it's our task," Starlight informed in kind.

Tempest contemplated for a moment before looking up to the sky. She noticed the sun was in the evening position. "We'll walk for a few more hours than set up camp at dusk."

"Do you know which direction it is?"

Tempest stopped. She turned her head to speak over her shoulder, "Do you have the map?" 

The three were behind her now when Starlight spoke. "Yep," she said, before a turquoise magical blast conjured a levitating sheet of paper next to her.

Tempest turned to face her when an awkward pause began to grow. 

Starlight glanced at Tempest's callaced features. She looked through her sharp cyan eyes for a moment and through them, she saw discipline.

Her smile slowly morphed into a rictus one with each passing second as she analyzed Tempest's features. Her sharp eyelashes. The scar over her right eye and cheek. Eventually, Starlight's gaze laid upon her horn. Broken.

She cleared her throat before magically opening the map. "So we're here," she said, turning the map to Tempest and touching a spot with her hoof, "And we should probablyyy," she drawled trying to think of the direction, "Go that way." She pointed adjacent to Canterlot, which rested on the side of the mountain in the distance.

Looking on, Tempest noticed they would have to cut through the small rural town. She glanced at the dirt path they were on and noticed it branched into it. She turned around and began forward again.

Discord chuckled ominously as he slithered through the air after her.

Starlight sighed before proceeding and Trixie reciprocated a moment later.

Tempest turned down the branching path, glancing ahead at the commotion of the town. 

There were quite a few ponies wandering around, and it gave Tempest a sliver of anxiety she couldn't identify. She didn't fear for her safety, she seldom did, but the fear though small was present. 

Her brows furrowed.

Entering the town, some ponies took notice of Tempest and the others, raising a brow, giving a glance, glaring, or gazing for a few moments from benches.

Lost in thought, Tempest instincts kicked in as she halted and bumped into something floating. The mass fell upon the collision and Tempest slightly dazed looked over at the thing responsible. 

Sprawled on the ground in a brown mailing uniform surrounded by letters was a grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane and comically crossed golden eyes.

Blinking a few times, she pushed her foreleg into the ground then the other before sitting up. She looked behind her in worry, her golden strabismus eyes still present. But as she looked to Tempest, her memory eventually clicked. Her eyes bulged with her mouth forcibly closed with a scrunched muzzle before she gave a sheepish smile. "Oops,"

She began scooping mail into her bag.

Tempest watched with a blank expression.

The remaining letters on the ground were encapsulated in a turquoise aura, making the grey mare's eyes widen before they were levitated into place in her bag. She looked up at Tempest in wonder. Her attention was drawn a few feet away from her as she noticed Starlight waving a hoof and smiling sympathetically.

The grey mare gave a brittle smile with a nervous laugh. Standing up, she turned her head behind her and lifted her wing before biting a leather strap to tighten the saddlebags. "Sorry," she said, dusting off the front of her uniform with a foreleg.

She waved in a quick tempo at Starlight with a nervous smile before she turned around and ran a few steps. Her wings unfurled and began to flap as she left the ground and flew into the air.

Tempest's eyes searched the sky. Her brows furrowed. 

A gruff voice spoke from beside her. "Wish you could fly? I can make that happen," Discord said, a wry smile present in his voice.

"We should keep moving." Turning, she began down the dirt road once more.

The draconequus watched for a few moments with a smug smile before he slithered after her.

Starlight and Trixie began forward, both with knitted brows.

Trixie spoke in a hush, "Why do you think she was staring like that?"

Starlight reciprocated, "I don't know."

"Trixie gets the feeling it wasn't good."

"Maybe," she whispered skeptically.

Trixie groaned. "Why did you ask me to come on this trip."

"I already told you."

"Yes, why did you come on this trip?"

Trixie jolted before she looked beside her with an indignant glare. The draconequus receiving the glare was floating alongside her, a paw holding his cheek with a smug snaggletooth smile.

"Because Starlight asked me to," she stated in a matter-of-factly tone. "Why are you here?"

"Because Twilight asked me to," he simply replied.

"Oh, yeah sure. You definitely wanted to go on this long boring trip because Twilight asked you to. Celestia knows why she did considering you wouldn't help her when Equestria depended on it."

"I could've but where's the triumph in that? In chaos is where true growth happens. Besides, Twilight's beaten every villain she's faced. Even if it's with the power of deus ex machina."

"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question." She repeated impatiently.

"Do you not believe it's simply because I want to spend time with some dear friends?"

"No," Trixie and Starlight deadpanned in unison.

"Clearly you must think I'm heartless," he replied, his expression flat.

"Clearly," Trixie replied.

Unamused, Discord snapped his talons, creating a flash of a star before he vanished.

Tempest was staring at the ground, when a flash appeared beside her.

"So, Tempest was it? It seems we've gotten off on the wrong hoof."

Tempest looked ahead, giving the draconequus little attention. "I'm in no mood for your games, Spirit of Chaos."

"It's awfully flattering being referred to in such a regal way, but I can assure you, Discord is fine."

Tempest continued walking with furrowed brows.

"You know, I never really liked the strong silent types. It's quite boring. Not to mention, some of them aren't even strong."

"..."

Discord's expression flattened again. He raised his paw with his pointer finger and thumb pressed together. He snapped, disappearing with a flash.

A somewhat decent distance behind, Trixie and Starlight were conversing.

"They would've said how amazing I was but they didn't need to. Their faces said it all," Trixie finished with a satisfied smile.

Starlight noticing Discord disappeared sighed knowing what was imminent.

A starry flash appeared behind them. They both looked over their shoulders.

Discord was laying on top of the carriage, his expression bored as his lower jaw rested just before the edge where his white goatee hung. "Why did I come on this trip."





The sunlight was beginning to dim, amplifying the shadow cast by the oak trees.

Along a dirt trail, Starlight was still alongside Trixie as she was still hauling the caravan. She glanced through the treetops to see the glow of the sun approaching the horizon. Looking ahead again, she gave a tepid smile.

Tempest was still walking, her strides calm and precise. 

"Hey, Tempest? Starlight called. "Shouldn't we set up camp?"

"We can travel longer. We still have sunlight to spare."

Starlight glanced at Trixie and noticed her expression was neutral as if awaiting a response. Their eyes met for a moment and through them she saw a shrug. Starlight made a decision. "Well, it'd be great if we can call it now. To get some rest and travel early tomorrow morning."

"We keep moving."

Starlight furrowed her brows. "Well, we're gonna set up camp," she stated with no animosity.

Tempest stopped. 

"Fine." She turned to face them, her expression cold.

Trixie examined her surroundings before looking to Starlight. "So, where are we gonna set up camp?"

"Preferably near the path. So we won't get lost."

"Is everyone forgetting that I'm here?"

"Who could forget?" Trixie mocked half-heartedly.

"No one. Especially considering how helpful I can be."

Trixie and Starlight rolled their eyes.

Starlight searched her surroundings, scanning for a potential area. She looked over her shoulder behind the carriage and saw a branching path that led up the closest mountain. "We could try going up that path. It looks like it might lead to a spot."

"Where?" Trixie asked, her vision obscured by the carriage. She briskly tip-hoofed to Starlight's side, peeking over her back. Upon seeing the path, her expression flattened as she let her cheek fall onto Starlight's back. "Uphill."

"Discord?" Trixie started, her voice muffled slightly from her scrunched cheek. "Can you just teleport us up there?"

A starry flash appeared in front of Trixie, revealing the draconequus levitating with a smirk and his chimeric arms crossed. "And what do I get in return?"

"Trixie, me and you have traveled way longer distances. We can do it."

Trixie lifted her head up. "You're right. There's nothing the great and powerful Trixie and her best friend and former assistant can't do!"

Discord gave a wobbly groan. "Oh, I was hoping to hear your desperate proposals."

"And why is that?" Trixie asked, her tone haughty.

He smiled. "So I could say no again," he gestured openly with his talons.

Trixie glared.

Discord continued, raising his pointer finger talon to make his point. "Because I will not be using my magic to shorten this journey in any way like I did before. I will only use my magic when absolutely necessary."

"I can only imagine what your definition of 'absolutely necessary' is," Starlight added.

Discord chuckled almost ominously as he slithered away behind them though the air.

Tempest watched the scene from beginning to end. She felt indifferent about the situation as her mind kept retreating and lingering upon what could be awaiting in the Frozen North.

"What do you think, Tempest?"

Tempest came to, staring at the source of the voice. The lilac unicorn was staring with a manufactured smile. She glanced into her persian blue eyes and saw apprehension. But deeper behind it she saw a hopefulness. 

"Lead the way."

Starlight frowned before turning to Trixie. "My turn?"

Trixie in response unbound her harness and magically lifted it up, allowing Starlight to get easily into place. 

Starlight turned away, the carriage turning with her and Trixie following suit. Behind the carriage, Tempest stood for a few moments watching it grow more distant before she began to follow.

Her eyes subconsciously scaned around, observing the forest for any signs of oncoming threats. Part of it was instinct, but the other part of it was an underlying fear, an element that was exposed to her and deeply seeded at a young age. 

Up the hill, Trixie found herself wondering how far up they were. She approached the edge of the path, lifting her head to see the drop. Her footing gave way.

"WHooOA!"

Hearing the cry, Tempest senses heightened, only to see Trixie falling forward off the cliffside. 

Instinct kicked in as she bolted forward, exerting as much energy as possible, but she could tell at her current speed she couldn't make it in time. She kicked her hind legs as hard as she could, extending her forelegs forward into a dive as she hit the dirt and slid forward.

Trixie trying to fix her mistake attempted to turn her body as her hooves left the cliffside. She reached up in hopes of grabbing anything to save herself only to find another hoof in her grasp. In an effort for more safety she immediately grabbed the mystery hoof with her other.

She looked up the foreleg to see Tempest looking down, wincing as she held her. Her expression shifted to more reserved as she looked down at Trixie with what looked to be irritation. But it was short lived as her face scrunched further as she attempted to lift Trixie up. 

In an attempt to aid Tempest's efforts, Trixie used her hind legs to try and kick up the cliffside, dislodging various rocks that fell below.

Tempest pulled Trixie to the edge before turning her body to an almost sitting position for more leverage as she pulled her the rest of the way up. Tempest fell to her side leaving Trixie's hind hooves hanging just over the edge. 

Laying on her side, Trixie looked over her body toward the cliff.

Tempest got to her hooves, exhaling her last exhausted breath before breathing normally. She gazed at Trixie who looked up at her before avoiding eye contact.

"Trixie!" Starlight called. She galloped to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Did you forget you have a horn?" Tempest asked.

Trixie's eyes searched the ground for something. "I- uh, yeah?"

Tempest continued to stare. "You have magic. You should use it."

Trixie stared blankly as she traversed her thoughts. She raised her chin. "O-of course! I know that!"

Tempest didn't respond and instead turned and began up the hill.

Starlight glared as she watched her depart before looking to Trixie. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Trixie replied, trying to sound nonchalant. 

Starlight peered over the edge seeing an approximate ten foot drop before the steep hillside. She looked back to Trixie with knitted brows as she laid a hoof on her back. "You could've gotten seriously hurt."

"I know. And I'm okay now. Besides I'm sure one of you would've saved me," she said, shooting Discord a glare.

Smirking, Discord simply raised his paw showing a giant safety net he seemingly had nit together.





The rest of the trek up the hill was uneventful with Tempest vaguely hearing some distant chatter as she trailed behind again. They eventually reached a plateau along the side of the mountain after a few minutes.

"This looks like a good enough spot," Starlight sighed.

Trixie pulled the carriage toward the rocky cliffside and parked it before beginning to unfasten her harness.

Tempest examined the spot. The carriage was parked alongside a steep rocky cliffside that had a jagged concave toward the bottom. And due to the mountain's position, it blocked the sun, casting a shadow that stretched just shy of the forest that led back down the mountain. The area itself was fairly flat and open.

Tempest turned and began toward the forest when Starlight called her attention.

"Where are you going?"

She continued without turning around. "I'm gonna need a fire to stay warm," she called back.

"Trixie?" Starlight asked, looking back at the azure unicorn as she magically pulled a drawer compartment at the back of the wagon. 

"Yeah, yeah," She replied, dropping it to the ground revealing a pair of stairs that led into the wagon.

The bushes crackled as Tempest crossed the threshold into the forest.

"Tempest!" Starlight called. 

She stopped, awaiting a response.

"Trixie has firewood!"

Tempest rolled her eyes. She turned back around and sauntered back toward the group. When she was at a somewhat close proximity, she decided to take a seat in front of where she imagined the fire would be, her eyes resting on the ground.

Starlight gazed at Tempest, noticing her solemn visage as she stared into the dirt.

"How much wood do we need?" Trixie called.

She looked back at the wagon. "Uh, six logs?"

"Small problem. We only have five."

"Wait. That's it? What about tomorrow?"

"We'll be fine," Trixie dismissed.

Starlight facehoofed and looked up to the sky. She sighed, looking back down. 

Exiting the carriage, three logs encapsulated in a pale pink aura levitated beside her. The logs floated away toward Tempest before being dropped a couple feet away. 

Tempest watched as another set of logs was dropped on top of them. "Do we have any kindle?"

"Probably not," Starlight informed with a smile, her tone laced with slight irritation.

"Nope!" Trixie called inside her wagon again.

Starlight's pseudo smile quickly fell as she glowered. Her demeanor lifted again as she called back, "Did you not think to check before we left Ponyville?"

"Don't blame me! Discord didn't really give us a chance to check!"

Tempest looked over where she saw Discord last and saw him lying in a sheet hammock between two trees that seemingly appeared from nowhere. He wore a relaxed smile with his eyes closed as his red scaled tail with a white tuft of hair at the end draped over the side of the hammock.

The eyes lingering on him seemed to take effect as he opened his lids. "What? Don't look at me," He refuted.

Starlight rolled her eyes before looking back to the wagon. "Do you have paper?"

"Maybe."

"What are you even doing in there?"

"Looking for my cards!"

Starlight rolled her eyes once more before looking to Tempest. "Are you hungry, Tempest?"

"Do you have food?" She asked.

"Pretty sure we do," she muttered. "Hey, Trix?" She called again.

"Ah, ha! Yeah?"

"We have food at least right?"

"We have some oats, apples, and some stuff to make pancakes I think."

"How much?"

There was a pause and some stirring in the caravan. "Not a lot."

Starlight groaned. "How am I just now realizing how poorly planned this was."

"There's good news though," Trixie said, no longer inside the caravan. She was walking toward Starlight with a card deck floating alongside her. "I just found my card deck."

Starlight turned, ambling past Trixie toward the wagon with her head hung low.

Trixie noticed Starlight didn't respond. She looked over her shoulder and watched as Starlight went up the steps into her caravan. Concerned, she turned and trotted toward the wagon.

Looking up, Tempest noticed the afterglow of the sun fading down toward the horizon past the cliff as its remaining light bathed the obscured side of the mountain. The sun was on the cusp of setting.

Her mind began to wander. She contemplated the amount of days it would take to get to the Frozen North. She needed a map to gauge her progress and to estimate how much longer the rest would take.

Looking back to the wagon, she saw Trixie exiting with the same expression as she entered. She approached the pile of logs before taking a seat a comfortable distance away with a blank stare.

"Do you know where the map is?"

Trixie glanced at Tempest in full attention. "Uh, I can ask Starlight to get it," she offered. But before Tempest could respond she began to shout into the air. "Hey, Starlight? Tempest wants to see the map."

"Okay!" Starlight called from inside the wagon.

Shortly after, Starlight left the caravan, magically floating an old brown bag, a small bag of oats, and a rolled piece of paper. The paper unraveled before floating over to Tempest as she approached.

She began to examine the map, looking at the various locations and train tracks. She recounted all the places she had been and the amount she had travelled. Most of her travels were in the south, where most would be happy to hear the fall of the  Storm King. Though some didn't take kindly to her anyway.

Her gaze travelled back up toward the north. Judging by where she saw Canterlot earlier, she deduced they were at the end  of the woods and just shy of a stretch of plains. It took them a few hours and they were just past Canterlot, and taking into account they had a full day tomorrow where she figured most of the distance would be made, she concluded it would take roughly two days to make it there. She also noted they would have to turn course slightly to avoid climbing mountains.

"Are we gonna start the fire?" Trixie asked.

Starlight looked up, noticing the residual glow still in the sky toward the mountain. "Well, the sun's still up. And we don't have much wood." 

"I can ask Celestia to hurry up," Discord proposed in jest.

Starlight magically lifted the bag of oats again while looking at Tempest. "Do you like oats?"

Tempest examined her gesture. "I'm not hungry."

"But I thought you said.. you wanted…" Starlight stuttered.

"I asked if you had food since we didn't have much wood."

She exhaled. "I guess that's a good point."

Trixie's horn lit with a pale pink aura before a card deck levitated out from her cape. She lightly smiled as she magically began to shuffle. "In the meantime, Trixie is going to be practicing some card tricks."

Discord flew over from his hammock, laying on the ground a comfortable distance between Starlight and Tempest. "Don't mind me. I'm just going to watch this abysmal display."

"I'm practicing. Not performing. Like you could do any better," she mumbled.

"At least I can play rock, paper, scissors with myself." Discord moved his body revealing another of himself as he began moving his lion paw up and down with the clone. 

On the forth shake, he stopped and stuck out his index finger which turned into a pair of scissors. His clone however had a paw that turned almost two dimensional and appeared to be made of paper. The real Discord cut at the paper before the fake one lifted his paw examining the damage and what was left.

Trixie and Starlight looked on in bewilderment as if they had no idea what they had witnessed. Tempest's expression was still tepid.

Discord snapped his talons, making the doppelganger disappear with a brief starry flash. "I doubt a measly card trick could outdo that."

Trixie levitated the deck over to Discord. "Care to shuffle this for me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, please." He grabbed the air with his talons, magically ripping the deck from Trixie's corona without much effort.

He opened his claws, causing the deck to explode apart, each individual card floating in air. He waved his talons in a circular motion, making the cards spiral like a tornado before closing his talons in a fist with ease, conglomerating all the cards back into a condensed shuffled deck.

The cards were enveloped in a pink aura before they floated back in front of Trixie. They were then fanned out from the middle. "Pick a card. Any card."

Discord plucked the air with his paw, causing a card to be teleported into it. "I assume I don't have a choice. Or perhaps you've cast a spell to read the cards." He held his card and glanced at it.

"Can you remember what card you have?"

"I remember things from thousands of years ago. Of course I can." Knowing where the trick was going, he levitated the card back toward her and into the deck.

"Tell me when to stop." Trixie began to shuffle, but it was obvious from the deck's slow meticulous movement that she hadn't done the trick very often or she wasn't very dexterous with her magic.

Seconds ticked in the tens.

"Stop."

She stopped shuffling, and then magically pulled a card from the top. Starlight leaned over to examine what the card was but wasn't able to sneak a peek before she showed the card with a smug smile.

A three of diamonds.

Discord started cackling to the sky. "All of that just to pull the wrong card? How hysterical!" He gave another almost maniacal laugh. 

Trixie was baffled. "What?! It can't be wrong!"

"How did you do it?" Starlight asked.

"I magically marked it when he gave it back."

"Oh, would you looky here," Discord said looking inside a large hardback book. "'How magicians ruin magic'," he read with a wry smile, holding up the book in his talons before it began to flap and fly away. 

"So you were lying!?" Trixie fumed.

"I never said that. You still failed the trick. Perhaps you should practice more."

"You changed the card didn't you?"

"Why would I ever do such a thing?"

"To laugh at me."

"While it was funny, don't you remember I'm reformed now?"

"Hardly."

"We saved Equestria for Fluttershy's sake. All of us villains on a spectacular journey together. Like now."

There was an awkward pause.

"Except that you and Trixie treated each other like an arch nemesis," Starlight noted.

"Arch nemesis? She's nowhere near my true arch nemesis."

"Then who is?" Starlight asked.

"It is he who shall not be named," Discord responded as if saying the name was distasteful.

"Something tells me he is not real," Starlight replied skeptically.

"He's very real," Discord denied. "We don't fight as much as we used to."

"Okay! Can you just say it!" Trixie exclaimed, waving her hooves.

"Perhaps I could show you." He snapped his fingers, which conjured a lavender wizard hat with various stars on it in his talons.

Trixie recognizing the hat glanced up and noticed her hat was missing. "Hey!"

"Now. Let's see if I can find him." He reached his paw inside her hat. He looked up in concentration. His face morphed into annoyance as he reached deeper. He rolled his eyes as he took his paw out of the hat, before he inexplicably put his head and most of his neck inside.

Starlight and Trixie wore peaked brows as they watched the display.

Discord's head was still inside the hat for longer than any of them anticipated. He pulled his head out with a devious smile as he reached his paw back inside once more. His expression seemed to suggest he was waiting for a specific moment. Until finally, he pulled his paw back to reveal a snow white bunny within his grasp, who appeared to be surprised as Discord thrust him forward. 

"Behold! The one who shall not be named!"

The bunny crossed his arms with a glare as he hung by his ears.

Starlight rose her brow again. "Is that.. Angel?"

The bunny in response glanced at Starlight, giving a jovial bucktooth smile and a wave before he practically began to ogle her.

"You said his name!" Discord exclaimed.

Starlight rolled her eyes, wearing a similar expression to Tempest's.

"That's your arch nemesis?" Trixie droned.

"Your acting surprised," Discord noted.

"It's a rabbit," Trixie deadpanned.

"Yes, and my arch nemesis. We hated each other before we knew one another. That was back when I was the old me. Quite the fun back in those days."

"I'm sure you wish you could go back to being an evil weirdo with freaky magic. Oh wait," Trixie sassed in faux realization.

"I'll have you know, I've been very well behaved in recent days," Discord contended, his voice carrying an underlying sarcasm. 

Discord looked back down at the now scowling Angel in his paw, and let go of the hat, letting it levitate before he conjured a cherry with a flash pinched in his talons. He held it in front of Angel who grabbed it and examined it curiously. But it was brief as he was thrust back into the wizard hat. 

Discord removed his empty paw from the hat before snapping his fingers, making the hat disappear and reappear with a flash on Trixie's head.

Trixie, noticing her hat vanished, looked up to make sure it was where it was supposed to be. She felt compelled to check inside of it but she didn't want to show interest. She only wanted to make sure the quality of her hat was intact. Or so she told herself.

Begrudgingly, she magically lifted and lowered her hat, glancing inside. There was nothing.

"You guys should do a show together or something," Starlight suggested.

"She won't allow that. She knows I'd just steal the spotlight."

Trixie placed her hat back over her head, her magical aura dissipating. "Like you did at that one Gala?" She shot. "Besides, the only reason ponies would go to the show is because of the great, and powerful, Trixie's magical abilities. It's in the title for a reason."

"At least I got a ticket to the Gala. Even if it's a boring, ritzy, lackluster event," he noted. "But what makes you so sure ponies come to your show to watch magic and not to laugh at you?"

"Because they don't laugh."

"Well, that sounds disheartening," he said with a wry smile.

Starlight groaned, "Why did I even say anything."

"They laugh sometimes!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Out of pity?"

"Can we talk about this later please," Starlight pleaded, her hoof placed on her forehead next to her horn.

Tempest rose to her hooves, making them go silent as she sauntered toward the logs. With brevity, she pushed three logs away from the center, arranging them into a rectangular pyramid.

"Should I go get some sticks or something?" Starlight asked.

"You'll have to make it quick," Tempest replied, gazing blankly at the logs.

In response, Starlight trotted past Tempest toward the darkening forest. 

A strange uneasiness overcame Trixie as she watched Tempest stare at the logs. Whether the cause was the awkward atmosphere, Starlights absence, Tempest's presence, or perhaps all three combined eluded her. She saw a sorrowful distance in her cyan eyes.

A turquoise magical aura holding various dead branches and sticks floated toward the logs in front of Tempest, swiftly organizing to aid in the fire's transition and combustion. The sight stirred Tempest back to reality as she examined the structure.

"I can start it if you want," Starlight offered.

Her broken horn began to spark. It began to discharge and arc as the log was encapsulated in blue electricity that travelled rapidly along the rough surface. But just as quickly as it started, it ended, as a small flame rose amongst the steam. 

"Oh. Nevermind!" Starlight exclaimed with a nervous chuckle. She ambled past and around Trixie before plopping down adjacent to her.

Unbeknownst to herself, Tempest's brows were furrowed as she stared at the flame. She turned away, taking her seat.

As the flames spread amongst the log, transferring to the dead branches, the steam grew greyer.

Trixie began busying herself by magically shuffling her cards as practice, and Starlight watched.

Starlight turned, looking for the bag of oats. Finding it, she magically floated the bag in front of her before levitating a couple into her mouth and resumed watching Trixie practice.

She swallowed before moving the bag toward Trixie as an offer for some. "Do you know any other card tricks?" She inquired.

"I know a few but I can't remember how to do them," she stated, magically tossing a few oats into her mouth.

Discord rolled his eyes, crossing his chimeric legs before snapping his fingers as he opened a newspaper beginning to  read while sitting in air.

The sun had fully set, the fire repelling the shade of night surrounding them. Crackling and popping of the fire alongside the distant army of crickets and the croaking of frogs filled the silence as an hour had passed.

The lilac unicorn brought her hoof in front of her muzzle as she yawned. "I think I'm gonna go to bed. You coming, Trix?"

"Yeah," She replied, her voice a lot softer.

"I suppose I'll be off then as well. May Luna bless all of your dreams with frolicking sheep. See you tomorrow!" he emphasized mockingly, before disappearing in a starry flash.

"Where is he going?" Trixie asked.

"Probably home in his own bed. Whatever that looks like. Who knows if he'll be back tomorrow."

"Good," Trixie stated.

"Wait, where are you gonna sleep, Tempest?" Starlight asked, her voice laced with concern as the implications dawned on her.

"I'll be out here keeping watch."

"You're gonna sleep out here? On the ground?"

The sound of the fire filled the moments of silence.

"I've done it multiple times. It's not that bad."

"Well, the fire will keep most of the dangerous animals away and we might have spare pillows in the wagon so you can at least sleep in there."

"I'm fine."

There was a heavy silence once more as the fire popped.

Starlight rose to her hooves and began toward the wagon, the two bags of food following her in her turquoise aura.

Trixie shortly followed suit, yawning. "Don't forget to put on the mask."

"Hopefully I don't asphyxiate," Starlight replied sarcastically.

"What does that mean? And why does it sound like a Twilight word?"

"It's not a 'Twilight word' and it means to die from lack of breathing," she informed blandly.

"As long as it helps Trixie get some sleep. No, but seriously, you better not die. Or I'll hurt you," she warned.

Starlight snorted as she entered the caravan, Trixie entering shortly after.

Tempest stared at the fire once more. She readjusted her posture, the flames' warmth absorbing in her poncho and continuing to spread across her face and neck.

Her gaze travelled up to the night sky and the constellations above, seeing a passing of a shooting star. She furrowed her brows as the weight upon her seemed to grow heavier.
> Open Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tempest's consciousness slowly began to fade in. Her ears flicked toward the sound of distant birds chirping and the singing of their melodies. Her eyes fluttered before barely opening, her retinas still sensitive to the bright light of the day. 

It vaguely occurred to her that she felt more comfortable than she'd remembered.

She began to stir, noticing her movements  were more lethargic than normal along with a feeling of something wrapped around her body.

Pushing her forelegs into the ground, rising from her chest, she noticed a pillow was below her. She looked over her back to identify what she felt over her body and saw she was inside a dark purple sleeping bag similar to the color of her coat.

Her mind was still hazy, aiding in her confusion as she tried to decipher how it got there. It was an enigma that was unsolvable in her current state.

The door to the back of the caravan opened, drawing Tempest's attention. It was Starlight.

"Tempest? you're awake?" she asked, a brown sack magically floating next to her. Ambling toward her, her expression shifted as she rose a brow. "And you're in a sleeping bag?"

Tempest's own bemusement soared as her only explanation for the sleeping bag's appearance was thrown into the aether.

"These aren't yours?" Tempest asked, her voice slightly lower from just waking up.

"No, we left some blankets and pillows for you on the ground in the wagon. You slept out here?"

"Are you blind?" Tempest replied, beginning to stand and pull herself out of the bag.

The caravan door swung open, revealing a familiar azure unicorn mare illusionist with bags under her eyes, a frizzled silver mane, and a glare.

"Hey, Trix," Starlight greeted, unfazed.

She sauntered toward Starlight, then past, taking a seat in front of the ashes and charred wood of the dead fire. 

Starlight glanced around the site. "I guess Discord's not here," she stated.

"Good," Trixie grumbled.

"Sounds like someone misses me," an old voice noted sarcastically.

Tempest glanced in the direction of the voice and saw the familiar draconequus laying on top of the wagon with a smug smile.

An apple in a turquoise aura levitated in front of Trixie, who noticed it and continued to scowl before it's aura was replaced with a pale magenta one as she brought it to her muzzle, taking a bite.

"You want one? Apples are a good natural way to wake up," Starlight informed, magically placing the apple in front of Tempest. "Or so I've been told."

The apple rested on the pillow for a few moments before Tempest extended a foreleg, grasping it in her hoof. She examined it as it rested on the frog of her hoof. She glanced at Starlight, noticing she was watching. Unperturbed, she looked back down, bringing the apple to her muzzle taking a bite. 

Upon chewing, it surprised her that the flavor was still so sweet and rich. But the texture was more on the softer side and there was hardly any juiciness, alluding that it was more aged.

Starlight swallowed her bite of her apple. "Are these Sweet Apple Acre apples, Trixie?"

"Probably. I rest around there sometimes," she replied.

Starlight looked to Discord, titling another levitating apple in front of her.

Rising from the wagon, Discord snapped his fingers, conjuring a steaming pie levitating in the air in front of him, along with a fork and knife in hand.

"Do you have to rub it in?" Trixie criticized while chewing.

"I was gonna share."

Trixie rolled her eyes.

"Where did you even get it?" Starlight asked.

"Magic. Chaos Magic to be exact."

It was Starlight's turn to roll her eyes before levitating the uneaten apple back into the bag.

Discord's pie tray was already empty as he dabbed a silk napkin over his mouth. He tossed it away before it began to fly. "That was quite delicious. I'll have to ask Pinkie Pie to make some more," he mused.

Sleep fog began to part, allowing Tempest to think normally. The first thought that came to her mind was the time of day, which she concluded by looking to the sky was approximately late morning. 

She tossed her finished apple away. "We should head out."

"Excellent idea," Discord said, snapping his fingers. "That's why you're the leader of this expedition."

Tempest glanced at him with a stoic visage before she picked up the map from the dirt. She approached Starlight, extending it toward her. 

She took it, her horn glowing as it disappeared with a small magical blast.

Tempest continued on, stopping at the top of the hill gazing down the path.

"I guess we better get moving," Trixie sighed, standing and tossing the fully eaten apple away before sauntering toward the wagon.

Starlight glanced at where Tempest had slept and found the pillow and sleeping bag had disappeared.





The evening sun's rays cut through the gaps in the pine trees. The faint aroma of dried cedar coated the air. Distant bird chirps filled the ambiance accompanying the sound of a carriage rolling across the dirt trail.

"Hey, Discord," Trixie said.

"Yes?" he replied, magically turning a page from the newspaper covering his face as he laid on the caravan.

"Can you get off my wagon. Trixie has been pulling this thing for hours and you're making it way more difficult."

"Trixie is not very nice," he replied, snapping his fingers causing the newspaper to disappear before he began to fly.

"Do you want me to pull it again, Trix?" Starlight offered, looking behind her.

"No. I can do it," she reassured, raising her chin.

"Okay, well just let me know if you need me to."

Further ahead from the group, Tempest was maintaining her pace as she was wrapped within her thoughts. Particularly about what Twilight might want her to find. And why she would send the three ponies behind her along with her.

She figured each must be a worthy ally in some way if Twilight chose them. The draconequus seemed obvious, though she detested him and his nature. But the other two she was still clueless about. The illusionist was the most peculiar to her since she didn't seem to offer much of anything as she just seemed good friends with the other unicorn Starlight who she knew the least about. Despite not having an answer, she didn't desire to seek it.

"You know, I've never seen you crack a smile one time on this trip. Is there anything you find funny?" Discord asked, floating alongside Tempest.

Tempest was silent.

"I tend to like irony, especially tragic irony. But there's a plethora of other things I find amusing."

She remained silent.

"I get the feeling you're into puns. Oh! Or perhaps mimes. You both share something in common."

"No, we don't."

Discord paused before groaning. "I'll need more fingers to count how many times I wish I didn't go on this trip. But of course 'earning trust' and all that stuff. Ugh, lock me in stone again."

Tempest was piqued.

"Discord? Can you come back here?" Starlight inquired, from afar.

The draconequus turned around, slithering away through the air.

Tempest contemplated his words. Locked in stone again? Earning trust? Was it hers? It would take a lot for her to trust him. She was surprised Twilight even did. Or perhaps she didn't.

A smile tugged at her lips.





The sun descended, on the verge of touching the horizon as an hour had passed. The four travelers had found a small clearing next to the path and were setting up camp.

Tempest kicked the last two logs they had together in the center of the site. She began propping various dead twigs and branches against it.

"I can't wait to get to the Crystal Empire tomorrow to eat some good food."

"What do you plan on getting?"

"I don't know. I'll have to see what they have. Trixie's never been to the Crystal Empire."

"You've never performed there?"

"Nope."

"Huh," Starlight mused.

"It's worth noting I've never been there either," Discord said. "I imagine it's probably crystal-ly. Judging by its name," he mentioned with a grin.

"Wow, astute observation," Trixie praised sarcastically.

"Is that considered a Twilight word?" Starlight asked, her voice monotone.

Tempest propped one last branch against the logs and stood up, getting ready to ignite it.

"I can light it," Starlight said.

But before Starlight could alight her horn, Tempest's broken horn sparked as magical electricity surged along the log and its branched ribs. It stopped, small flames rising from its sides, touching the branches and its pine needles.

"I can handle myself," Tempest replied.

The sound of rustling cloth captured Trixie's attention. Looking over, she noticed Discord stirring in a hammock which was connected to two trees that appeared from nowhere.

"It's hard to lay in these things when you have an immaculate body like mine," he said aloud to know one in particular.

Trixie rolled her eyes.

Starlight approached the parked wagon, stopping just shy of the steps. She opened the door with her magic before she began to search inside. Finding the item she was looking for, her horn channeled her magic as she began back toward the fire.

Tempest was laying down when she noticed Starlight was approaching with her previous sleeping bag and pillow. They levitated to her side and she glanced at Starlight, seeing she wore an apathetic frown. But Tempest paid little mind to the gesture, figuring she could sleep without it anyway.

Starlight didn't notice Tempest's glance as she stared at the fire, before then turning, walking toward Trixie and taking a seat adjacent to her.

A long stick poked at the fire. Holding the stick was a pair of talons which belonged to a certain draconequus who was laying on the ground staring at the flames.

"Would you like to poke at the fire, Starlight?" He asked.

"Uhhh, no?"

"I thought it might give you something to do even if it's mediocre entertainment."

"Normally I would be reading or maybe working on another kite right now. But thanks," she added, the compliment still flimsy.

"Have you ever flown a kite in a storm?" He inquired, his tone ambiguous to whether or not he was joking.

There was a pause.

"Uh, no?"

Tempest felt a smile surfacing, whether it was the image of lightning striking the kite destroying it and shocking Starlight, or the nature of the question and reply, she wasn't sure. But the smile barely showed.

Discord continued poking at the log and the forming embers, before he stopped, laying the stick at the ground, it's glowing orange tip emitting a slender smoke. Snapping his fingers, a sizable cup of water appeared in his free talons. 

The others noticed they also had cups of water in front of them.

Discord drank his water in a few gulps, throwing the empty cup behind him, but the sound of shattering glass never came.

Upon seeing the cup, Starlight realized she should have gotten more from the jug inside the wagon. But she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts.

Tempest studied the cup for a few moments. She grabbed it in her hoof before bringing it to her muzzle, tilting her head as she drank it all in one breath. She placed the cup back down.

"So," Starlight began, "you got any hobbies, Tempest?"

The fire popped.

Staring at the fire, she calmly smiled to herself, a small breathy chuckle barely escaping as she spoke. "I'm pretty good at combat."

"Did you train?"

She took a moment to respond.

"I trained myself and fought the Storm King's soldiers as practice."

"What's the biggest thing you fought?" Trixie asked.

"Probably a Manticore."

"Did it attack you?"

"It confronted me and we stared each other down. It was irate for some reason. I tried to walk away but as soon as I turned my back, it charged. So, I dealt with it."

"Did you..." Starlight began in insinuation. 

"No," Tempest replied calmly.

"How did you do it?" Trixie asked.

"I used magic until it couldn't stand."

"What's the biggest thing you've fought, Discord?" Starlight asked, curious as to why he was so quiet.

Discord was laying on the ground, looking down at his paw with intent. He held a flattened golden 'stick' of some sort, as he seemed to be tracing something or scraping something off with his talon. But upon hearing his name, he closed his paw, concealing the item.

He looked up with his trademark lidded smile. "I haven't fought anything too large but powerful, yes."

Trixie's brows slightly furrowed, anticipating a jab.

"I would say the most powerful foes I've ever faced would be Celestia and Luna. But in recent years, Twilight probably takes the cake," he chuckled.

"You didn't fight Twilight though."

"I suppose that's true," he replied. "I guess her friends also count for the confrontation. But I heard of her abilities when she was a mere unascended unicorn. Still somewhat strong but she almost lost that day."

"What about Tirek?" Starlight asked.

Discord's expression was blank for a moment before his brows furrowed. "He was just a scrawny centaur who got his power through my help. I hardly think that counts. I could've captured him at the start," he refuted.

"What happened?" Tempest asked.

"He used me to gain more magical power then he betrayed me, siphoned my power, Twilight fought him with all the Alicorn magic, then she gave up all the Alicorn magic to save her friends, and then they used a key to unlock deus ex box to defeat him which caused the castle to sprout from the ground, it's a happy ending, Discord felt guilty, blah, blah, blah," he finished listing off, clearly irritated. 

During his listing, Tempest's mind lingered on the events he listed and how similar they paralleled her own. She recalled hearing of Tirek's attempt at dominion and raw power but she didn't know Discord was involved. She wondered what Tirek could have possibly offered in order to deceive Discord. Then again, she didn't know exactly what made Discord want to join Twilight to begin with or if it was of his own volition.

"I'm not the only one here with less than humble actions," Discord continued. "Just ask great and powerful over here."

"Trixie would rather not get into that." Glancing around, Trixie noticed everyone staring at her. She growled. "OK fine!"

"I came to Ponyville as a magician, made up a story to make myself look good, got found out and Twilight showed me up. Then no pony came to my shows and I had to work on a rock farm so I came back for revenge, with a powerful magical artifact called the Alicorn Amulet, demanded a magic duel, which I beat her in then banished her, before she came back and tricked me into giving her the amulet for a more powerful fake one. Happy now?"

"I remember reading somewhere that King Sombra might have created the Alicorn Amulet," Starlight noted. "Did you use any dark magic?"

"I don't remember. All I remember is it made me power hungry. And slightly evil," she mentioned lastly as if it wasn't important.

"What was the story you made up?" Tempest asked.

"That I defeated an Ursa Major by myself. But the one trudging through Ponyville was an Ursa Minor apparently."

Visions began to flash through Tempest's mind. The dark cave. The blue blur appearing from the darkness. The roar. The paw. The pain.

"Tempest?"

When Tempest came to, she heard the ambiance of the thousands of crickets in the distant forest. She looked to Starlight who she could closest identify as the voice, and saw her looking at her with a raised brow.

"I'm fine," Tempest stated simply.

It occurred to her upon remembering the draconequus' earlier statement, that all her companions were former antagonists. Though she was skeptical of the draconequus still being former. She knew of Trixie's misdeeds, but she had yet to know Starlight's. She wondered how evil she may have been. Judging by her demeanor and attitude, she assumed it most likely was in the same vein as Trixie's or perhaps more trivial.

"Starlight?"

Starlight turned, her full attention on Tempest.

"What are your less than humble actions?"

"She became a control freak," Discord replied blandly.

Starlight shot him a glare to which he gave an impish grin.

She exhaled, looking down before she spoke. "Well, I, um, enslaved a village and took all of their cutie marks and replaced them with equal signs," she started with a nervous smile. "And then Twilight and her friends came to.. my town and stopped me. I escaped before they could catch me. But I swore vengeance and devised a plan to get back at Twilight. So I stole a Starswirl time scroll and added to it before I used the table map in Twilight's castle to activate it. I went back in time to stop an event that would give Twilight and her friends their cutie marks. And she tried using the scroll to go back further to stop me but I would always be just before the loop. She fought me and said we would be doing it for eternity but she realized she couldn't win so she convinced me by showing me the future that I had a chance to start over. I believed her and we went back to the present, where I became her student."

"You fractured the timeline?" Discord inquired. "The other alternate realities must have looked bleak and grim. Except for the one where I'm victorious," he stated, placing his talons to his chest.

"I thought you knew," Starlight inquired.

"Well, I heard of the time travel incident but I didn't know the details."

Tempest couldn't help but feel surprised upon hearing the story. Her earlier assessment was far from correct as the catastrophe she told was far worse than the magician's. It may have even surpassed her own misdeeds which led her to wonder what drove Starlight down such a path. "Why did you do it?"

Starlight glanced at Tempest before her eyes began to search for nothing in particular as she spoke with a nervous laugh,"I had a best friend who was really important to me - I was a filly at the time and didn't have a cutie mark. We both didn't," she mentioned, gesturing with her hoof as she spoke. "But um, one day he got his cutie mark in magic," she said, trying to sound somewhat elated, "then he left for magic school."

Starlight's ears flicked and her heart dropped as she heard Tempest chuckle.

"You enslaved a village and ruled over them and squandered their abilities before losing it and tried to get revenge on Twilight and her friends by time traveling, almost causing the end of Equestria. Because your friend got their cutie mark before yours."

Starlight furrowed her brows. "Well, sorry I'm not as strong as you, Tempest. How about you tell us your story."

"You know what," Starlight started, now standing. "You've been so stubborn and arrogant and until recently refused to talk when we've been making an effort to get to know you."

Trixie's eyes ricocheted between Starlight and Tempest, keeping silent.

"It's my choice whether or not to disclose my less than humble actions. And I didn't ask for any of you to accompany me on this trip but here you are," Tempest replied.

"Well, sorry we're such a nuisance and we're just getting in your way," she retorted. "If I would've known how much you disliked us, I would've declined Twilight's request," she stated, her seething beginning show. "But I guess it's too late for that. And here I thought ponies just weren't giving you a chance."

Tempest's broken horn sparked as her features were borderline livid. "You're on thin ice."

But Starlight didn't back down as Tempest held her glare with ire in her cyan eyes, the fires glow barely illuminating her face and the front of her poncho and hooves. But after a few moments, her furrowed brows lessened.

The fire popped.

"It appears we've struck some nerves," Discord said, "and while I love a good argument, how about we fight later."

"Yeah," Trixie agreed, her tone a little flimsy.

Starlight looked down at the dirt before taking a seat.

Tempest's eyes continued to rest on her for a few moments before her expression softened, her brows still slightly furrowed as her eyes also fell to the dirt bathed in the fire's shimmering glow.
> The Darkness is Revealing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The temperature had dropped and the chilliness had begun to nip at the travelers' skin. It didn't help that they were walking at a higher altitude.

As they took the last steps up the hill, the sight of the circular snowflake shaped Crystal Empire came to view. The tall spire and all.

"Wow, it's even more... grand than I imagined," Trixie noted.

"And it's all downhill from here," Starlight said. "Literally."

The excitement bubbled in Discord as he chuckled. "And metaphorically."

Wind brushed along Tempest's mohawk as she took in the sight before her, her visage still cold.

"Oooh," Trixie squeed, "I wonder if they'll like my magic. Who am I kidding of course they will. Trixie's well known for a reason."

"I'm fairly certain your infamy hasn't reached here. Unlike the rest of us," Discord said with a smirk

Tempest pondered if she would indeed get recognized. She figured it likely considering what she did to their princess.

"I guarantee if I asked one of the ponies here about my name they'd recognize me."

"You know, for some inexplicable reason I find that hard to believe."

"Just watch."





"Hello! I presume you are aware of the great and powerful Trixie's magic show?"

The crystal pony standing in front of the magician averted their eyes.

"Surely you've heard of me?"

"Uh, no?"

Trixie could hear Discords chuckle in her mind and feel his demeaning grin.

"Well, how about you find out? I'll be performing at, uh-"

"At the fairgrounds?"

"Yes! At the fairgrounds! Tell everypony you know to be there by seven P.M. tomorrow."

"Starlight!"

"Sunburst?"

Everyone except for Trixie looked in the direction of the voice. Trotting toward them was a gamboge unicorn stallion. He had a vermillion and orange-red mane and beard that pulling a comb successfully through would be a feat. He wore a dark blue wizard coat with various stars strewn about and spectacles on his muzzle aiding his cyan eyes.

Tempest couldn't help but be slightly intrigued.

"My goodness it's great to see you!"

She noted his voice was on the more frail side, and from what she'd seen her judgment of him had already been cast.

As Sunburst was trotting over, his expression seemed to diminish.

"Uh, is everything alright?"

"Yep. Just peachy."

"Life is indeed peachy," Discord said.

Sunburst looked up at Discord, adjusting his glasses. "Uh, hi, Discord. It's good to see you," he said, his tone displaying uncertainty.

"Is it?" He asked, leaning forward. "You seem uncertain of my presence," he said, his voice low and menacing. 

Sunburst gave a forced chuckle.

Discord quickly straightened himself, his tone more jovial, "I see you've been maintaining your beard."

"I see you have been too," he replied, his tone still flimsy.

"Oh, how nice of you to notice," he replied in jest.

Sunburst's eyes wandered over to the maroon mare who was taking in her surroundings, her gaze disciplined. His eyes were especially drawn to her face and forehead but the mare's eyes met his. The cyan eyes pierced through him, and he saw a glimpse of veiled ruthlessness, and in that moment his eyes quickly shot away, his piqued curiosity subdued. "So what brings you all here?"

There was a pause for a few moments from nobody seeming to take initiative.

"Tempest has an errand to run for Twilight," Discord informed.

"An errand?"

"Yes, like hanging dirty laundry."

"Well, it's some errand if you're around."

"I'm indeed a vital part of it," Discord said, placing his talons over his chest.

"It'd be great if he helped with the errand of saving Equestria when it mattered," Trixie said, walking over.

"I have saved Equestria. I got a necklace to prove it," he said, reaching into the air for a small starry flash to reveal a necklace hanging from his talons with a purple heart and golden wings swaying below. "Remember?" He asked, his voice dripping with a sneer.

"So how long are you guys going to be here?"

"A day or two?" Starlight offered.

"Well, if that's the case I can ask Cadance to give you guys guest rooms at the castle."

"I think we'll be okay at a hotel," Starlight declined.

"Are you sure? I'm positive Cadance wouldn't mind seeing you guys. Plus the room's are extraordinarily comfortable."

"We're okay."

Sunburst turned to Trixie, noticing her looking around. "Is this your first time here, Trixie?"

"Yep."

"Is it yours too?"

Tempest simply nodded.

"I can give you both a quick tour if you'd like."

"I guess I'll come along," Starlight sighed.

"I would say I have nothing better to do but I do. But I'll go because I have to," Discord said.

"Great! Well, uh, follow me!"

While at a steady gait, Tempest surveyed the city further, paying little attention to the others. Looking at the various crystal ponies which looked no different than others except the telltale glint in the eyes. She surveyed the crystalline architecture and the semi transparent surfaces which came with a gleam. The city evoked a feeling of purity.

Discord shivered.

"What?" Starlight inquired.

"Oh, it's nothing," he dismissed, swiping his paw through the air.

"It better not be some secret that will put us in danger," Starlight warned.

"It's not, it's simply the fact I can feel the harmonious, lovey dovey, putrid positivity energy all around me. That and the Crystal Heart sure seems to not like my existence here."

"Doesn't surprise me," Starlight replied.

"How do you know?" Sunburst inquired.

"It's complicated. But the best way I can explain it is imagine petting a furred animal against the natural direction their fur goes. Interlaced with a bunch more deep esoteric things."

Starlight was still a little perplexed but had a semblance of his analogy. 

Sunburst was consumed with newfound interest. "Interesting. You should tell me more about this later."

"That might be fun," Discord said to himself, the prospect and possibilities of saying things that wouldn't bode well with Sunburst making him excited.

"Actually," Starlight started, "do you think you and I could hang out for a bit first, Sunburst?"

"Uh, sure."

Discord's face flattened in unamusement.

The five of them sauntered toward the center of the city, the center spire growing taller and more steep.

"So down the street over there is where a lot of restaurants tend to be. There's a few scattered around but there's a cluster over there. Oh!" He exclaimed in excitement. "Down there is the main library. You can get lost for hours in there."

The building he pointed to had a more flourishing facade and appeared more grand in nature. Almost regal.

Tempest wouldn't have been surprised if he lived there. But something caught her eye as she noticed in front of the library  was what appeared to be a crystal statue. The figure looked like the small dragon she met at Twilight's castle. "Who's that?"

Sunburst turned his attention back at Tempest and followed her gaze. "Oh, that's, Spike. He had a statue built in his honor since he saved the Empire from King Sombra."

Almost astounded, Tempest pondered how in Equestria the little dragon could have accomplished such a feat.

"His ego must flare every time he's here," Discord noted.

"You could say that," Starlight replied.

They continued walking toward the center of the city when Tempest noticed a structure that looked like an enormous coliseum to which she wondered what it could be for. The morbid side of her offered gladiator type brawls. She doubted it.

"-and this straight ahead is the Crystal Heart."

Looking forward, her gaze traveled under the castle, noticing a sharp cyan crystal pillar sticking from the ground of a snowflake symbol as one also came from the high 'ceiling', and between them suspended in air was a crystal shaped heart. 

Another thing that caught Tempest's eye was a single patrol walking around. The guards appeared to be hoplites. The aesthetic of the armor appeared opulent with decorative engravings, three amethyst jewels on the chest, a silver crest helmet, and a grey-blue fade color for the whole set.

The five of them continued forward until they were under the massive castle and near the ancient relic.

It occurred to Tempest that they were allowed to be so close to the magical artifact. But she considered she didn't know how powerful or vital the artifact truly was. 

A feeling or energy seemed to be present in Tempest's chest. Almost like the smoothest hum or vibration. Though faint, it felt peculiarly pleasant and had an underlying strength.

She visibly stirred.

"Is the feeling stronger here?" Sunburst asked.

Discord turned away, grimacing with his forked snake tongue stuck out. "Ugh, yes, it's indeed more potent here but not by much. Why are we even here?"

"Well, to show Trixie and Tempest, and maybe to test out a little hypothesis."

Discord's expression was flat," First and foremost, I'm not your little guinea pig, if anything you're mine. Second, I'm not going to take responsibility for creating a cataclysmic event. And third, this is getting quite tiresome so it'd be fantastic if we could do something else."

"Right. So I guess I should show you where the best hotel is."

"Starlight!" A male voice called.

Sauntering toward them was a white unicorn stallion with a sapphire blue mane with cerulean and phthalo blue streaks. His figure was bulky but with hints of leannes in certain areas. He wore a piece of purple and gold body armor that was thinner at the curling of the chest but held a large shield insignia with a violet star at its center. It appeared familiar to Tempest but she didn't know why.

"Fancy seeing you here," he said before his face flattened when looking toward the draconequus. "Discord," he said blandly in acknowledgment.

He stopped in front of Trixie. "And you would be…?"

"You don't know who I am?" Trixie asked, putting a hoof to her chest for emphasis.

"Uh, no?" The stallion offered.

She sighed. "Trixie."

"Shining Armor," he replied with a smile and a hoof extended forward.

Trixie brought her own hoof forward and gave a shake.

He turned his attention to Tempest when his visage seemed to falter. "Tempest?"

Tempest found herself slightly surprised upon the recognition but figured he caught wind from Canterlot's military. She almost chuckled remembering how easy it was for her to take over Canterlot. She wondered what rank he assumed. "Yes?"

"So you're the pony who took over Canterlot."

"Yeah, that was me." She stared at his cerulean eyes. Beyond the window, she saw a test of will.

The air was serrated as seconds passed.

He smirked. "Shining Armor," he said, extending a hoof.

Tempest obliged with a shake.

"So what brings you out here?"

"I'm currently running an errand for Princess Twilight."

"You're running an errand for Twily?"

Tempest rose a quizzical brow.

Noticing, Shining Armor quickly replied. "She's my sister."

"You're her brother? What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Well, I'm a prince here, married to Princess Cadance - one of the Alicorns you captured."

Tempest's eyes widened a bit before she bowed her head toward the ground. "I truly am sorry. I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me."

"Well, you set things right in the end and you're doing something for Twilight. I won't lie and say I'm not a little bit bitter but it's fine."

"Sir?"

Shining turned his attention to two crystal guard ponies.

"We came to report that we're missing three units that are supposed to be at the south path."

"I'll see what it's about but don't be alarmed if you're still down three units. I don't think anyone is going to be invading the Crystal Empire anytime soon."

"Yes, sir."

"Are you a captain of the guard?" Tempest inquired.

"Yeah. It's usually a pretty simple job until a threat hits."

"How long have you trained?"

"A couple years. Have you trained?"

"Not official training but yes."

"Wanna have a small duel sometime?"

Tempest's interest piqued. "Like a one on one fight?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what a duel is."

Excitement swelled inside Tempest, and she didn't know if she liked it. But she hadn't experienced combat in a long time. She didn't like to accentuate that side of her anymore. It reminded her of the terrible deeds she committed and who she was. But the desire to feel that thrill, adrenaline, to hone herself, and to see if her skill had fallen rose above it all.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind having some old time fun. Gotta stay in shape to protect and serve."

"What if you get severely injured?"

Shining laughed. "I won't. Can't make the same promise for you though."

Tempest smiled.

"Well, I guess I can meet you down by the coliseum in an hour. Sound good?"

"See you there."

He nodded as he chuckled, beginning to walk away. He looked to the other four of the group who appeared to have stood by and watched the entire display. "See you guys around!" He waved.

"Wow. That was… interesting," Sunburst finished with a forced chuckle.

"I for one am ecstatic, " Discord replied.

"So where are the hotels?" Starlight asked.

"Oh! Right. Follow me," Sunburst replied, walking past the Crystal Heart.

The four followed after him for a short time before he stopped at a large building that appeared to be humbly grand. It had a small rhombus shaped statue on either side before the set of stairs leading up to the entrance which had a pillar on each side. The overall shape of the building was rectangular but didn't really have flat sides due to being made of an indigo colored crystal.

"This is it. Sapphire Suite," Sunburst said with finality.

He turned to face the others. "So any questions?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't happen to know where the fairgrounds are right?" Trixie asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

He adjusted his spectacles and looked up in thought. "Uh, I think it's not too far from here. I can show you if you want. Are you interested in the food? I honestly wouldn't mind going out to get something."

"Uh, yeah!" Trixie replied. "I did hear about the food. I kinda wanted to try some."

"I'd personally prefer it if we went to a restaurant but I'm not totally disinclined to have some fair food," Sunburst said. "But first you guys should probably book a room."

"Yes, indeed," Discord started. "And me and good old Sunlight here will have the utmost profound conversation about psionic abilities and effects on the corporeal realm and ethereal one and the essence within."

"My name is Sunburst."

Discord approached Tempest and extended his talons forward as if he was gesturing for her hoof.

Tempest didn't comply.

He rolled his eyes, placing a bag of bits into his talons, pinching it from the top strings that tied it closed, dangling it infront of her.

She lifted her hoof up to which he placed it onto her frog and gave it a pat. 

"And ethereal realm?" Sunburst asked.

"Yes, of course where time is non-existent and reality can be warped at will."

"Wait wha-" Before he could finish he disappeared with a starry flash along with Discord.

"Where should I park my wagon?"

"I'm sure next to the hotel is fine," Starlight replied.

"Like in the ally way?"

"If you want."

"If anypony steals this wagon, Trixie will hunt them down and… hurt them."

"I don't think anyone will steal it. And even if someone does, somepony else is bound to see it."

"What about at night?"

Starlight sighed before her horn glowed turquoise. A breath of magic left her horn and went into the wagon giving it a turquoise aura before fading back to normal.

"What was that?"

"A spell."

Tempest began up the steps, remembering walking up stairs with three legs was a lot more difficult.

She went to push past the door but found herself unsuccessful. She bit down on the top of the bag pulling the door with her now free hoof. Tempest entered inside.

What greeted her was a main lobby with a soft purple marble looking floor with a sheen, various pillars inside the decorated walls, a high ceiling with a crystal chandelier that looked like a crystal explosion. The first thing that came to her mind was the not so pleasant scene if it fell onto an unsuspecting pony. 

"Hello!"

She pushed the morbid daydream away.

Looking ahead, she noticed the pleasant and welcoming voice came from a light tan earth pony mare at the front desk wearing a sharp black tieless tuxedo.

Tempest continued forward, her hooves echoing across floor before she stopped at the front desk.

"How can I help you?"

"How much is a room with three beds?"

"A three bedroom? Let's see…" The mare looked down at the desk, her dark sapphire eyes scanning over the paper back and forth. 

The sound of paper being lifted occurred a few times before she spoke. "Well, I'm trying to find an available room but I can't seem to find one. It seems the only thing we have is a one king sized bedroom," she offered, her smile brittle.

"Do you have a two bedroom?" Starlight asked.

"Unfortunately not, miss, most of them are taken and one floor is undergoing maintenance," she said, forcing a smile.

Tempest internally sighed, dropping the bag of bits onto the desk. "What's the room number?"

"Room thirty nine, let me just get the signing paper here and- miss?"

Tempest was beginning up the steps past the receptionist desk.

A quill was encapsulated in a turquoise aura, squiggling at the base of the paper before being placed back inside the ink cup.

"Key?" Starlight asked.

The receptionist mare reached down, sounding the jingle of keys before placing her hoof on the desk. She pushed her hoof forward revealing a golden key with a heart shape at the back and a sapphire tag with the engraving of thirty nine. 

Starlight levitated the key in front herself, walking past the receptionist beginning up the stairs.

Trixie stood for second debating on what she should do. She decided to follow.

Tempest was beginning down the hall, getting minor flashbacks to the interior of Twilight's castle. It was similar but not as light and decorated. She passed various rooms until she found the next set of stairs, then the next, until finally, she arrived at room thirty nine.

She looked behind her and found Starlight and Trixie approaching from down the hall. Tempest held her hoof out. Starlight in response levitated the key ahead and dropped it on her hoof.

Opening the door, Tempest entered the hallway before the room.

A door to the bathroom was immediately to her left down the hallway. Inside the room was a single king size bed with a fancy embroidered blanket with two nightstands on either side. At the end of the room was a large doorway that led to a balcony.

"This is kind of… quaint?" Starlight said.

"Twilight word," Trixie noted.

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Can we stop with the Twilight words?"

"Well, you said it. And I've never heard you use a word like that."

Tempest placed her hoof on the bed. She glided her hoof across it, feeling it's almost silk texture. 

Tempest tried to recall the last bed she slept in, finding the only one in recent months she could remember being a rickety one that groaned and squeaked from moving a muscle.

Her eyes travelled toward the doorway leading to the balcony to which she began toward.

On the balcony, she looked across the city, with its various crystal buildings and the tall enormous spire to her right, diagonal from her. She took note of a few crystal ponies walking around, along with a chimeric serpent dragon and a gamboge unicorn stallion.

Discord's eyes met hers. He stared for a few moments before raising his talons with his point finger and thumb pressed together. A starry flash appeared below her then next to her.

"Can you stop doing that! You're making my head hurt!" Sunburst exclaimed. "Where are we now?" Sunburst's eyes widened upon seeing Tempest. "Oh, we're where Tempest is. And I don't know where that is."

"We're in a hotel room," Starlight informed.

Sunburst looked at Starlight, passing the threshold to enter the room. His eyes fell on the bed, making him raise a brow. "One bed?"

"Yeah, it's quite the luxurious hotel that's going through maintenance on an entire floor."

"So where will you be staying?"

"Probably in Trixie's wagon."

"Well, I… offered if you wanted to go to the castle."

"You know, this bed is quite large; it could fit all three of you if you wanted," Discord noted.

There was a deafening silence.

Trixie trotted over to the bed, lifted the sheet up, and slid under the covers. "Wow. The bed is pretty nice," Trixie praised. "It's like... foamy."

Her tone returned to its usual haughtiness. "But I don't need it," she said, leaving the bed.

Sunburst was rubbing his foreleg and staring at the floor.

"Well, in the meantime," Starlight began, "you wanna catch something to eat with me, Sunburst?"

Sunburst looked up from his stupor, adjusting his spectacles giving a nervous smile. "Uh, sure."

"What about the fairgrounds?" Trixie asked.

"Oh, right. I can show you where that is real quick."

Tempest found herself feeling a quick inward pull before a burst of energy dispersed around her. Assessing her surroundings, she found herself outside the hotel with all the others along with her.

Sunburst simply sighed, making Discord grin.

"So head straight that way. And don't be afraid to ask around," Sunburst said, his voice dampened into monotone.

"Splendid," Discord began. "Oh! And don't forget, Tempest is having her intense duel soon," he said, using his hands to gesture down at her.

Tempest glared at him.

"Riiiight," Sunburst drawled. "Well, hopefully we can make it. I guess."

"See you guys around," Starlight said, turning and departing with Sunburst following suit.

"I suppose that's our cue to depart as well."

"Yeah, let me just get my wagon ready."

Discord snapped his fingers, teleporting Trixie into the harness ready to depart.

"I'll have you know, Trixie is a grown mare and doesn't need help putting on a harness," Trixie lectured, raising her head.

"I'm just trying to be helpful," Discord informed. "Now. Shall we be off?"

"Well, if you wanted to be helpful you could find the fair and teleport us there. That rhymed," Trixie noted in amusement.

"Your rhyming capabilities are weak compared to that of a certain Zebra I know," Discord informed blandly. "And no I'm not going to teleport us there."

"Fine," Trixie said, beginning forward.

Tempest watched as she passed, contemplating whether or not she should follow.

"I sense chaos within you," Discord grumbled next to her ear. "And it's been there since the start. Care to share the inner turmoil?"

Tempest's brows furrowed further. "No."

"Well, you can't keep it bottled forever. Maybe if you had friends to share it with."

Tempest contemplated his statement and came to the conclusion the only friend she had was Twilight. They were pretty close. Well, in her terms. But she still struggled to convey herself.

She didn't have any other friends. And she didn't desire it. She'd concluded she'd rather have a single good friend instead of a bunch of fake ones. 

"If you think I'd share such information with you, you must be delusional."

"Ouch. That's the most I've heard from you and it's an insult. A false one at that. I'm more misguided if anything. But I wasn't referring to myself."

Tempest considered he may be referring to the other travelers. Or perhaps the magician. 

Looking ahead, she saw the wagon was a decent distance away from them now.

She wasn't avid about sharing her personal feelings let alone with a pony like her. Most ponies could care less or would exploit the weakness later.

But Twilight hasn't

She heard the thought manifest from the back of her mind.

Exhaling through her nose, she began forward.





The fairgrounds were not very busy with the only ponies present being ones checking out the food or just passing through. But some couldn't help but stare at a certain group passing through. 

Trixie waved while Discord simply smirked at them. Tempest attempted to ignore them.

"Do you see anything that would satiate your hunger?" Discord asked.

Trixie grimaced. "Ugh. Don't say it like that, weirdo."

"Do you see anything that would satisfy your appetite? Fancy your craving to eat a horse?"

"What the hay?! Can you stop?"

Discord chuckled.

Pushing the assaulting images out of her mind, Trixie continued looking at the various stands for food.

A lot of it ranged from fruits and vegetables with the occasional dessert treat. Most ponies seemed to be in the line for a veggie basket. 

It looked appetizing to Trixie, but she was a pony of lower patience than most. 

She gave an indignant grumble.

"Good things come to those who wait," Discord said. "Or at least that's how I think the saying goes. I wouldn't know," he shrugged casually.

Ignoring him, Trixie spotted a sufficient meal. Hayburgers.

"Hey, Discord can I borrow some more bits?"

"Borrow? And is that all I am? A favor pony?"

"I'll tell Twilight you were hindering our trip."

"Ignoring the childish threat, what makes you think she'll believe you over me?"

Trixie tilted her head with a raised brow and a smirk.

Discord sighed, snapping his fingers conjuring a small pouch of bits. He flicked the air, flinging the bits at Trixie who quickly alighted her horn, encapsulating it in her pink aura.

Tempest thought to ask where he was getting the bits from and if it was even legal but decided against it. She didn't want to argue logistics that went nowhere.

Unharnessed from her wagon, Trixie sauntered behind a pony, waiting in line. A few moments passed before she stepped forward, taking the ponies place. 

"Hi miss. What can I get for you today?"

"A hayburger with extra ketchup," she said, placing the bits on the counter.

"Coming right up."

While waiting, Trixie examined her surroundings out of entertainment when her eyes fell upon Tempest, who was simply looking off into the distance.

"Your hayburger, miss."

"Hang on," Trixie advised. "Hey, Tempest!"

Tempest's ears flicked, before she looked her way.

It was still difficult for Trixie to maintain eye contact. "Do you want one?"

"No thanks."

Turning, Trixie took her burger and began back toward the wagon. She was about to take a bite when a thought occurred. "Oh! And don't forget to come and see Trixie's magic show. Seven P.M. tomorrow," she specified.

"Uh, I'll see if I can make it," he responded, giving a forced smile. 

Satisfied, Trixie took a bite of her burger and proceeded to her wagon.

"Do you know where you're going to be performing?" Discord asked.

"Here," Trixie said simply, her mouth still full of hayburger.

"Where?"

Trixie swallowed. "Here," she affirmed again.

Discord rolled his eyes. "Where here?" 

"I don't know yet."

"Well, how about you find a spot while you're shoving that burger in your muzzle?"

"Hey. It's my show. I decide when I want to look for a spot."

"Tempest doesn't have all day here. She has a duel soon. And a quest to complete."

"Fine," Trixie relented.

Tempest thought about her quest and where she needed to go. She'd have to ask one of the mares for the map showing the designated location of interest.

Around a dozen stares or glances later Trixie wandered upon an open space of grass. She tried visualizing a scene of her show on it.

"What do you enjoy about being a magician?"

Almost startled by the voice, Trixie turns her head seeing Tempest standing next to her, gazing at the spot she was observing.

Trixie found herself caught off guard at such an introspective question but she quickly found her stride.

"Well, I won't lie, at first it was to try and be impressive. It still is," she mumbled. "But over time, I realized it wasn't exactly a healthy drive. And upon more thinking, I realized what I liked most about magic was the spectacle, the awe inducingness, and the subversion of expectations."

Tempest thought about her statements, relating to them to a certain extent. But she found her mind traveling to one of her own magical abilities few knew of, but some would consider a spectacle.

"Now I haff to shomehow find a proper shtage," she noted, her mouth full of hayburger.

"You have the bits for that?" Tempest asked.

"Not a lot. I have enough to go show to show. Sometimes extra."

Tempest pondered who she would even ask for a stage. But as she thought about it, a thought appeared that took priority.

"Princess Twilight mentioned she gave you a map with the designated search area," Tempest alluded.

"Starlight put it in my wagon somewhere," she said, taking another bite of her hayburger.

"Can you look for it?"

"I could but I'm not the only one with legs."

Tempest rolled her eyes. Turning tail, she began toward the back of the wagon. At the back of the wagon, she pulled out the stairs, walking up them before pushing the door open.

The first thing that struck Tempest was the mess of items scattered around, from props sitting on the ground, to multiple cardboard boxes full of items, to pots and pans dangling from the ceiling. She noticed the two hammocks at the back, realizing they must have been the 'beds'. She wondered how uncomfortable or claustrophobic they felt.

After her surveying of the inside of the wagon, it occurred to her that it might be next to impossible to find the map. She thought about digging through the organized chaos but she didn't want to snoop. 

"Did you find it?" Trixie asked, sounding closer.

Tempest looked next to her and saw Trixie standing by the steps. She walked forward in an attempt to search for it.

There was an audible sound of a magical repulse or bounce.

Tempest gasped as she felt her body repelled or flung back. Before she knew it she hit the ground landing on her haunches before falling to her side. She quickly pushed a hoof into the ground to get up.

"Whoa! Are you alright?"

Tempest didn't respond as she got to her hooves.

"So I guess that's what Starlight's spell did. When did she even learn that?"

Tempest's brows were furrowed in irritation.

Discord was floating outside the door when he pushed his talons through the threshold. His claws stopped as he began pushing on a turquoise fabric like force that glowed around where he was pushing. "You know, I wonder how many situations a spell such as this could've been used. I'll have to ask Starlight about the precursor and the limitations."

"Since when did you care?" Trixie asked.

"Honestly, I don't."

"I need that map," Tempest said.

"Right. I guess I'll find out now," Discord snapped his fingers.

Tempest felt a quick inward pull once more before it dispersed.

The first thing Tempest noticed was the sound of chatter as an ambiance that came to a slow stop. Examining her surroundings she found she was inside a restaurant that was on the smaller side and everyone around was staring.

"Why are you guys here?" The voice Tempest recognized as Starlight asked.

In front of her Sunburst and Starlight were sitting at a small table opposite of each other. Starlight appeared not too pleased and Sunburst looked indifferent.

The commotion in the restaurant resumed but on a lower level.

"Well, Tempest here wanted to acquire the map for her quest and unfortunately it's magically sealed inside Great and Powerful's wagon," Discord informed.

"Couldn't you get inside?" Starlight asked.

"Well, I could have, but I sort of wanted to know how the spell worked."

Starlight laid her forehead on her hoof and sighed. 

"It's a spell that prevents creatures from getting inside a space."

"Is it stagnant power and time based?" Sunburst asked.

"No, it's a hybrid. It's magical energy based and time based. So if a pony tried long enough the spell would eventually fade. Also the bigger the area the more energy is needed to cast it."

"Hm, thought I remembered reading that spell somewhere. I wonder if you could modify it and imbue it to a lock," Sunburst thought aloud.

"Then they'd destroy the lock," Starlight deadpanned.

Sunburst gave a sheepish smile and chuckle. "True."

"So what I've gathered is you can't retract the spell?" Discord asked, a grin forming.

"Yep. But you're Discord so you could probably get inside."

Discord crossed his arm under his chest, gesturing to himself. "While I appreciate the flattery, I'm also incapable of entering."

Starlight raised a brow, studying him.

There was a pause before Sunburst spoke. "I could try and find a spell to subvert it or find a work around. It'd probably take me an hour or so though. Worst case scenario I'd have to make one. How long does the spell last?"

"About five hours."

"Wait, you could teleport us here but not to the fairgrounds?" Trixie realized, her annoyance rising.

Discord snapped his fingers, causing Trixie, Tempest, and himself to be sitting around the rather small table.

"Is the food any good here?" Discord asked no one in particular while looking around the room.

Sunburst poked at his salad with his fork as if he was not paying attention. Starlight continued to glare at him.

Discord noticed her glare. "Is it really that bad? Sorry I asked," he said, looking around the room again. "Excuse me. Miss?"

A waitress's ponies' ears flicked before she looked in his direction. Her fuchsia eyes widened slightly. She trotted over. "Yes? How can I help you?" She said, her smile slightly forced.

"Do you happen to have any menus on hoof?"

"Oh, yes," she reached inside the black bag at her side and pulled out a few menus with black edges.

She placed a menu in front Discord, Trixie, then Tempest.

Tempest simply gazed at the menu.

"Let me know when you're ready," the waitress said before walking away.

The ambiance of the restaurant filled the silence between them for many seconds. Until Discord spoke.

"My, this menu is lacking. Peculiar considering the commotion and location. I suppose this must be a lower end establishment."

"I've seen lower end. This is not lower end," Trixie replied.

"What's the lowest you've been too?" Sunburst asked.

"I don't remember the name but it was a restaurant in the south. Place was awful. The seats felt bad and the place looked like it was cleaned once a month."

"I assume the food wasn't good?"

"Trixie tends to think she has a high standard when it comes to food- like fairfood?" Starlight interjected with a bland tone.

"Fairfood isn't that bad. You're just picky. Anyway, it tasted bland. Like the best thing on the menu was the hay but it'd take a lot to mess that up."

"Geez. I hope you didn't spend a lot," Sunburst said.

"I didn't. But I still sort of wish I got my bits back."

"So is there anything I can get you three?" The waitress asked, returning.

"You know, would it be too much to ask for a glass of water?" Discord asked.

"No, not at all. And for you two?"

"I guess I'll also get a glass of water," Trixie said, sliding the menu forward.

"I'm not hungry," Tempest responded. "Thank you."

The waitress nodded before taking the menus back from the table. "I'll be right back with those," she said departing.

"... so Tempest. What exactly is your mission out here?" Sunburst asked.

"I'm supposed to search a designated area for something."

"Something? Do you not know what it is?"

"The princess wasn't exactly expository."

"Odd. Twilight's usually precise about things. I've seen her have a scroll the length of a wagon."

"They can get way longer than that," Starlight informed.

"Here you are," the waitress said, taking and placing each glass on the table.

Tempest stared at the glass placed in front of her for a few moments.

"Let me know if any of you need anything else. Enjoy!" She said departing once more.

"So you don't even know the area you're investigating?" Sunburst asked.

Tempest brought the drink closer to her. "Tragic isn't it?" Tempest replied with an underlying sarcasm.

Glancing across the table, she noticed Discord was fiddling with something in his paw again but it looked like he was connecting two pieces of something together.

"I just think it's strange Twilight was so vague," Sunburst reiterated.

"She told me that we may not even find it," Starlight said, her tone gloomy as she stared at the table.

"From the sound of it, Trixie thinks Twilight's not very… caring."

Tempest weighed the assessment. She remembered Twilight's sincere warm smile. She doubted it was fake and if it was, she had a mask that rivaled most Tempest had seen. Plus if Twilight didn't care she wouldn't be here.

"Twilight cares," Sunburst denied. "I'm sure whatever it is, it's important enough for you four to travel up here."

"It'd be quite the long trek for nothing wouldn't it," Tempest said almost to herself in amusement.

"Wait. You all came on hoof?"

Tempest moved her glass in circular motions, passively mesmerizing herself with the surface of the liquid staying relatively level.

"Is there a specific reason for it?"

"Apparently it was Twilight's request," Trixie replied.

Sunburst scratched the side of his head. "This seems needlessly convoluted."

Tempest glanced up, noticing Starlight was sitting with her hoof propped into her cheek with a frown and slightly furrowed brows.

Tempest considered she may be annoyed at the circumstances but she thought it possible she was still bitter from their altercation. She thought to maybe apologize but she didn't believe she had anything to apologize for. She simply didn't want to share any personal information with ponies she didn't know well. It's not her obligation to share her story to be a part of a pseudo group.

"Tempest, my dear," Discord said, suddenly beside her. "It appears it is time for your duel," he finished, holding something below her

Looking down, she saw Discord holding a clock that was a part of a necklace she was apparently wearing.

Before she could discern any of its features, she felt a pull inwards and then a burst.

She blinked a few times, readjusting from the daze. She quickly furrowed her brows. "Now I understand the wizard's plea."

Her eyes began to survey her surroundings. She appeared to be in a large empty field that had rows upon rows of seats leading up beyond the walls. At the furthest end, she noticed four major seats that appeared to be suited for royalty with its cutie mark symbols.

"Why are you helpful in the most unhelpful way possible?" Trixie shot.

"Unhelpful is relative," he replied.

"Discord," Starlight stated, attempting not to fume. "We didn't even finish our food."

"Don't worry, I tipped if that's what you're concerned about."

Sunburst adjusted his spectacles as he examined his surroundings. "Why are we here?"

"Didn't you hear? Tempest is going to have a duel with the captain of the royal guard, prince, father, and Twilight's brother himself."

It occurred to Tempest Discord said father. Which wouldn't be noteworthy to her normally but she remembered he stated his affiliations with a certain Alicorn princess she captured. 

She decided to disregard the thoughts for the time being.

"Oh, right. I already forgot about that," Sunburst replied sheepishly.

"What kind of duel is this?" Trixie asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I don't make the rules."

"After this, you will be retrieving the map, Spirit of Chaos," Tempest said, not bothering to face him.

"Perhaps if you're victorious?"

"There will be no such terms."

There was a lingering silence. 

Sunburst spoke. "So, how long-"

"I see you've arrived early!" A voice called.

Arriving from the left side of the field was Shining Armor except he appeared to not be wearing any with only two guards accompanying him as protection. Tempest began toward him to greet.

"So, you ready to lose?" Shining said in jest.

"Depends on what the rules are," Tempest noted. "And even then I remain skeptical."

"Fair point. Well, the big question is if spells are allowed and if so, to what level," Shining looked at the broken horn at Tempest's forehead. "Can you cast spells?" 

"In a way. But that would increase the chance of being injured."

"I see. So a safety net wouldn't be a bad idea."

Discord who was next to Tempest cleared his throat. "I happen to know a handsome looking safety net who may volunteer."

Both Shining and Tempest looked at him with a raised brow.

"Fine," Shining relented. "And if you fail, be sure it will be reported to Twilight."

Discord groaned. "I despise this constant threat being used as a ploy against me."

"Now we have to decide the level of spells we should allow. I say we should use spells on the lower spectrum otherwise it may not be fair," he noted with a grin.

Tempest smirked to herself upon realizing what he was implying. "Oh, you definitely may be right," she said, flipping his assessment.

"How about we do simple spells like bubble shields or single shot beams?"

Upon hearing this, both Trixie, Starlight, and Sunburst looked on bemused.

"Fine by me," Tempest agreed.

Eyes widening, Sunburst shared a glance with Starlight.

Shining looked at both of his guards nodding before flicking his head gesturing behind him. 

The guards turned, walking away.

Shining ambled toward the center of the field, passing Tempest.

Tempest followed, moving to get into her own position.

Standing ten feet apart in the center of the field, Sunburst, Starlight, and Trixie stood at a safe distance between them away from combat.

Tempest didn't show it but her excitement was building with anticipation.

Shining gazed with furrowed brows and a smirk of confidence.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Sunburst called.

But no reply came as they continued to size each other up, the battle already beginning.

A starry flash of magic appeared next to Trixie, revealing a stand Discord was sitting at with a stack of sheets or cards.

Tempest put her hoof at her scarf, pulling it down. The scarf fell to the grass then the dark poncho, leaving Tempest bare of any clothing that may restrict her movement.

Tempest made the first move dashing forward. As she was sprinting, her horn began to spark. 

Smirking, Shining's own horn lit with magic, conjuring a magenta bubble shield around himself. 

Magical electricity arced all around the sphere. 

The distance closing, Tempest noticed his shield remained intact despite the energy she was putting out. She focused, increasing her efforts, the electricity growing more intense and rapid.

Tempest realized if she didn't break down his defense, she would be stopped in her tracks or lose the momentum for her assault. And she wasn't one to stop.

She continued her sprint, enhancing her magic. The shield showed no sign of breaking. But she decided to commit.

Turning and sliding across the grass, she extended her hind leg forward at high velocity. Everything slowed down for her.

The shield cracked. 

Her hoof hit the shield, shattering it, her momentum carrying her forward as her hind leg approached Shining.

At the last moment, Shining reacted by leaning to his right, the air brushing past his barrel as Tempest passed. And on quick thinking, he extended his hind leg out in hopes of tripping her. 

Tempest reacted, lifting the rest of her hooves off the ground for a moment before landing awkwardly and skidding across the grass a few feet. Keeping on the offensive, she quickly charged back toward Shining, cocking her hoof back.

Facing her, Shining stepped back, swatting her hoof away.

Tempest continued the assault, as she used the aid in her momentum to turn her body and swing her hind leg at his head for what would be a lethal blow.

But Shining ducked, the leg crazing his mane.

Spinning around attempting to use the last of her momentum, Tempest swung her foreleg again. 

But Shining leaned back before trying to use the opening for a hit of his own, aiming for her head.

Smirking, Shining prepared to stop his hoof just shy of her cheek and claim himself already victorious but was surprised when his hoof hit the back of her foreleg.

Putting her hoof down to regain balance, Tempest swung her other hoof at his cheek but her hit was blocked by his foreleg as well.

Putting her hoof down again, she decided to go for a lower jab at his chest to hopefully subvert his expectations and make it difficult for him to counter. 

She raised her hoof up toward his chest, noticing it was past the threshold for blocking. Tempest grinned, but it quickly disappeared as her hoof made contact with something solid that blocked its path and made an odd sound.

Looking down, she noticed her hoof had hit a small magenta shield just bigger than her hoof.

Shining smirked before he attempted a blow at her head again.

Tempest ducked and turned her head, feeling the air of the hoof passing by her cheek. She begrudgingly stumbled away a few feet before getting back into her stance.

Their eyes locked.

Tempest could feel herself on the edge of a rush as her heart rate was elevated, pumping blood through her veins as she was pushing her body to her limits. And to her delight, her opponent was putting her to the test and flexing a part of her she hadn't honed. Her endurance.

Dashing forward, Tempest approached with gritted teeth.

Shining stood his ground, maintaining his castle guard stance.

But as Tempest approached, she noticed his horn lit with magic. Attempting to decipher his intention, she realized it must be an oncoming projectile due to how early he telegraphed it.

She kicked her hindlegs hard, sending her into the air as a beam of magenta shot from Shining's horn passed below her. She cocked her foreleg back ready for a devastating blow as she sailed through the air, but to her delight once more, Shining dodged toward her as her hoof hit the earth.

Turning, she briskly brought the same foreleg back behind her for a backhoof to the head. 

He ducked before blocking her other hoof he knew would be coming. But she seemed to expect it as she swung again with her other hoof immediately. He resorted to magic again to block the blow to his side before going for a counter attack.

She crouched down this time to avoid his swing before she whirled around using her hind leg to sweep under his single exposed foreleg.

Shining reacted by lifting his leg off the ground and stumbling back a few feet on his hind legs.

Tempest attempted to use the opening and poor stance she'd made as her horn arced with magical electricity.

Shining noticing at the very last moment, conjuring a protective bubble shield that absorbed the electricity as it arced sporadically around him.

Tempest smiled. 

She found herself reaching the rush she almost guiltily felt deprived of. She was relishing the violent dance.

The shield broke and they stood a comfortable distance apart when Shining spoke. "You're pretty adamant, I'll give you that," he complimented, attempting not to show how close he just was to defeat.

Tempest chuckled. "I haven't fought someone who's lasted this long in a long time." She lunged forward.

However, Shining cocked his hoof back this time anticipating she would be too confident and overzealous to expect him to switch his tactics.

Tempest smiled. She leaned back and lowered her hunches before sliding under the blow. Surprised, Shining immediately turned and blindly attempted to block a strike but was surprised when he felt her… roll over his body?

Landing on the other side of him, Tempest swept her foreleg at his single exposed one, leaving Shining with no forelegs on the ground. 

He toppled forward, leaning his head back to protect his muzzle from the impact. He attempted to put his hooves in front of him to stop or soften his fall but his chest met the grass with a thud. Blinking rapidly a few times, he saw and felt a shadow standing over him. Looking up, he saw Tempest gazing down at him with a grin and hoof cocked back for a finishing blow that could've come long ago.

Tempest slowed her breathing down when the position she was in dawned on her. She glanced up at her observers as she gave her last labored breaths, a frown forming as realization was setting in. 

The observers looked on with a vast range of expressions, from astonishment, to disappointment, to excitement.

Tempest lowered her hoof down before extending it toward Shining.

His eyes scanned the grass for a few moments. Looking back at her, he reached up and locked hooves, using it as leverage to stand as she helped.

"I don't know about you three but my rating for that fight is a solid eight," Discord exclaimed, gesturing to another version of himself holding a card up with the bold number eight.

"I have some notes here about the choreography," another Discord said, looking down at the notepad in paw, and scratching just below the red cap on his head.

The original Discord snapped his talons making him disappear before he stared at the other with the card. The other Discord being put on the spot simply snapped his own fingers, disappearing.

"It's a miracle that that didn't go awry," Sunburst said.

"Can you imagine if one of you knocked each other out?" Trixie said, smiling to herself.

"The chance was small and we both agreed to the terms knowing the consequences."

"Small?" Trixie asked.

"We knew what we were doing and there were no ill intentions. Though I may have messed up once," Shining mumbled.

"The right hook that grazed my cheek?" Tempest asked, walking forward while wrapping the scarf around her neck over her poncho.

"Yeah."

Sunburst, Trixie, and Starlight looked to Tempest expecting her to be angry or become livid but Tempest laughed.

"That could have been unfortunate. Good thing I reacted quick enough," she said.

Shining appearing dejected, looked away.

"What's the matter, Shining?" Sunburst asked.

Shining lifted his head straight. "Nothing's the matter. I had a great time and it was a great duel," he said, but Tempest could detect his faulty tone. "Anyway, I have to head back to the castle. Don't be afraid to come up if you need anything," he said, before he turned and began toward the exit.

"I suppose I should be figuring out a way to retrieve the map," Discord noted. "Hm, give me a moment."

And with a starry flash he was gone.

"Do you think he'll come back?" Sunburst asked.

"He'd better," Tempest said.

Once a seconds in the twenties had passed, a starry flash appeared again, revealing the draconequus holding a sheet of paper.

"How did you get it?" Starlight prodded, raising a brow, demanding an answer.

"Don't worry. I didn't time travel. I did think about it but it's too much effort and I didn't want to risk fracturing space time and causing paradoxes for a piece of paper. Fluttershy would not approve of such a thing."

Starlight's glare softened before she looked down.

"But I did talk to Twilight and she marked this for me," Discord said, levitating the map in front of Tempest

The map showed the Crystal Empire with an area outside it toward the mountains circled.

"You talked to Twilight?" Sunburst asked.

Tempest considered he may be lying but he seemed to fear punishment of some sort from Twilight. And she considered also maybe from whoever Fluttershy was.

"Yes, it was brief with an eye roll."

Tempest considered the direction they had to go before speaking. "Then we should head there while we still have daylight and start the search."

"We won't have much left soon. Onward then!" Discord exclaimed beginning toward the exit of the coliseum.

Starlight looked to Sunburst while the others followed Discord. "See you later?"

"Uh, yeah. See you tomorrow," Sunburst amended.

Starlight's smile fell ever so slightly.





The walk through the grassy plains was short and uneventful with the four travelers reaching the edge where the radiating energy of the Crystal Empire dissipated and the harsh cold of the north mountains began. 

Tempest passed through the energy field bowing her head slightly. She immediately felt the cold air on her face. Looking ahead through the icy haze, she could barely see the mountains and a ravine passing through to the right.

"It looks like a snow storm may be coming," Discord noted.

Tempest continued, unfazed.

Eventually, her hooves stepped into snow. Which grew deeper the further up they travelled.

"It's so cold," Trixie complained.

"Ya think," Starlight said, gesturing to her bare chest.

Trixie looked up at her hat. "Do you wanna wear my hat?" She offered sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah. That'll definitely help."

Tempest looked down at her scarf and poncho. A moment passed before she continued through the snow.

"So how far are we heading up this mountain?" Trixie asked.

"At least halfway," Tempest replied.

"We don't even know what we're looking for," Trixie complained.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Tempest asked, continuing forward.

"Not trek up a mountain?"

Tempest tried to think of a solution herself with the only idea coming to mind being to split up to cover more ground. She wouldn't have to hear any complaining anymore either.

"We could split up. We'd cover more ground. We can rendezvous at the energy field in a few hours.

"Playing evil's advocate here," Discord started. "I'm certain splitting up is how bad things happen in many stories. Plus the snow storm is coming soon so getting lost in the blistering cold where you can't see very far may be bad for all of you. Perhaps if we chose a pair. Hm, yes I like that idea." Discord looked to Trixie with a snaggletooth smirk.

"Uh uh, I'm not going with you!" Trixie admonished.

Tempest thought about the draconequus' assessment and figured it was a fair point. But she didn't really desire to have a partner. Especially not the one standing adjacent to her.

"Would this suffice?" Discord asked, gesturing to a thick coat in his paw. "We'll also be able to get back faster."

Trixie looked at the coat but turned her head away. "Fine," she relented.

"Excellent," he said, snapping his fingers. "Cocoa on me when we get back."

"You sure you'll be alright Starlight?" Trixie asked.

"I'm sure I'll be fine."

Discord snapped his fingers again giving Starlight a saddle bag with gear on top and a sleeping bag. "The map is with you," he noted. "Now. Shall we be off?"

Trixie with the coat now on sauntered to Starlight. She wrapped her foreleg around her and brought her into a hug which Starlight reciprocated. "Be safe okay?"

"I will."

Tempest looked to the snow.

Trixie parted from her before beginning away alongside Discord.

Tempest turned, beginning up the mountain, Starlight shortly following suit.

As they trekked, the wind picked up and their vision grew more blurry, the snow began to devour more of their hooves, making walking more difficult.

Especially for Starlight, who struggled to keep upright with the extra weight she was carrying. She found herself giving a shaky exhale.

Tempest's breathing was more calm with the fog leaving her muzzle every few seconds.

"Of course he couldn't give me a coat," Starlight mumbled, her teeth threatening to chatter.

Tempest didn't respond, continuing up the slope as the brutal winter grew in ferocity and its unforgivingness. 

They both found themselves squinting as the snow spiraled, curled, and billowed in front of them, blurring their vision.

"W-we should h-head back!" Starlight yelled, the cold biting her skin and beginning to bare on her muscle and bone.

"We're almost there!" Tempest replied, raising her voice over the snow fall, feeling the effects of the cold.

"The storm is gonna get worse!" Starlight shouted, the wind beginning to howl.

Tempest didn't reply, ignoring the warning, willing to press on through the wrath of the winter.

There was a few dozen seconds of silence before Starlight spoke. "Well I'm going back!"

Stopping, Tempest turned her head over her shoulder seeing Starlight with a glare turn around and begin back down the mountain.

She glared back. Turning forward, she continued climbing.

After a few minutes she found herself angling her head down to avoid the onslaught of ice and snow hitting her face and eyes. She finished climbing the slope and looked ahead. 

In front of her was a cave.

A shaky exhale left her muzzle.

She wondered if she had to go into the cave. Perhaps what she was looking for was in it. 

The wind howled as a chill crawled up her spine.

Affirming her resolve, she entered the cave, the snow no longer bathing her body as darkness threatened to take its place.

Her pulse elevated. She stopped in her tracks. Looking and listening for anything other than the wind.

She pressed forward slowly.

Step. Step. Step. 

The light behind her began to fade.

Step. Step. CRACK.

In an instant, she began to fall. And almost a full three seconds later her body hit the ground.

She groaned as she got to her hooves, her body now aching from the fall. She attempted to take in her surroundings but saw only darkness. Looking up she saw a dim light from the mouth of the cave coming through the hole she fell through. 

The light of freedom was high above and out of reach. Now she was bathed in darkness. 

She weighed her options. She was stuck alone and lost. She thought about staying put out of hopes of someone finding her but who? She furrowed her brows and decided the only way she was going to escape was by herself. 

She began her descent, venturing forth in the dark and dreary bowels of the under earth. 

The darkness was thick and murky and almost felt like a liquid. The atmosphere  vibrated in an angry undertow, with the oppression of the darkness eliciting a sliver of fear that wanted to grow. She attempted to suppress it.

Her horn arced and sparked electricity which briefly gave her light for a few feet every few seconds.

She used it to her advantage, continuing forward as she felt her body growing colder. She briefly saw a branching path in the flicker of blue light. She decided to take it, hoping she didn't doom herself in the black labyrinth.

Following the curve of the path for what felt like a minute, she noticed she entered a room that felt heavy. And in a flicker of her horn, she saw the grey face of the icy wall that stood out. It looked almost crystalline in nature with ridged edges on its surface. What also made it stand out was the crystal mounds on either side going until the top which had an oddly shaped crystal structure at the top.

She steadily put her hoof to its surface. She found it was actually smooth despite its appearance. 

Looking further into it, she saw her reflection in its depths. 

But her mind was jerked away from her thoughts as her body jolted. Standing behind her was a shadow with glowing crimson eyes with red tracings flowing from them, bearing an oppressing presence.

In the same moment her mind was flooded with flashes of imagery. Imagery that yielded a revelation of brutal truth and what was and to be.

Horn sparking electricity fiercely with her brows furrowed, she swiftly turned to face the shadow and found it was gone. 

Her heart rate refused to slow despite the threat vanishing. Magical electricity crackled and popped every few seconds as she breathed aggressively. 

The images were burned and seared in her mind.

Cold. Falling. Stars.

Face contorted, she hissed through her gritted teeth. Her eyes glazed over and she squeezed them shut, but to no avail as a tear escaped, traveling down before falling below. The river began to flow as she let out a shaky moan. Her legs felt weak as the atmosphere's weight bore onto her being. She tried to fight but the battle she waged inside was doomed from the start.

She collapsed, giving in to the flood. 

The cold, existential, dreary vision she was presented with broke her. She was cold, hollow, and alone and it was her fault. While her surroundings and environment battered her in the beginning for a long time, ultimately she was the reason she was where she was now. She was the problem. A broken weak monster. And soon, she would die. Alone. 

"Tempest?!"

The distant echoing voice made Tempest's ear flick and her sobs cease. 

Her horn shorted and flickered with magical electricity.





Looking down the hole, Starlight could hardly see anything. There was a faint light from the mouth of the cave touching the ground below, but around it was darkness.

Starlight knitted her brow further realizing no response had come yet. Her pulse quickened. Horn alight with a turquoise glow, she disappeared and reappeared with a small turquoise blast down in the hole, the light from above faint.

"Tempest!?" She called again, hoping for a response waiting for a groan or a scream.

Her horn glowed again, but instead brighter, enough to illuminate her surroundings.

But she soon found her horn wasn't as bright as she thought as it faintly illuminated her surroundings. She still couldn't see the edges of the cave but she could see that there was nothing around her in the radius. The darkness around her looked almost black now but she could see faint motions. It looked like the darkness was billowing or undulating. 

She pressed forward, or what she imagined forward would be when she noticed a figure was standing in the darkness. They were barely visible but she could see the faint outline and shape. She stopped, her turquoise light just shy of the figure. 

She took a few steps.

The figures' forelegs, chest, neck and face were now touched by the blue light. The figure had a dark coat along with a scarf wrapped around their neck.

"Tempest?"

Starlight could barely see her face but couldn't distinguish any features. She just looked like she had a blank expression which made Starlight more uneasy. She couldn't get a read or a feeling from her stare, just a growing pit of unsettlement. 

The thick silence hung heavy as her worry grew heavier. 

But Tempest finally moved, stepping forward.

Starlight expected to see a glare or a callaced blank expression but what she saw was worse.

Tempest had furrowed brows with dark cheeks residually stained from tears. Her eyes were vulnerable, and hurt.

It shook Starlight to her core. She immediately rushed forward in a trot, the light fully bathing Tempest.

She stopped just before her and tried to think of what to say as she searched her cyan eyes. But instead, she opted for a bold move that she felt she needed to do.

She moved her head past Tempest and wrapped her foreleg around her, holding her.

Moments passed before Tempest reciprocated the embrace, wanting something to hold for comfort. Her face contorted once more, "I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes beginning to well up.

Starlight didn't respond, still trying to process it all as the apology was the last of her concerns.

Tempest shakily whimpered. 

"It's okay," Starlight tried to gently soothe.

Tempest began giving short inhales with long exhales. 

The pair held each other for a while before Tempest's breathing returned to normal.

Starlight pulled away looking at Tempest. "Are you okay?"

The question itself seemed obvious but  upon reflection Tempest truly didn't have an answer. She considered she wasn't having a breakdown anymore but she still didn't feel okay. She felt exposed, wanting to reinforce and hide her heart. An undertow hatred was relit as it burned. 

"I'm fine."

Starlight's eyes fell to the dimly lit ground.

Moments passed before Starlight spoke, "Let's get out of here." She looked up to the hole with rays of light faintly passing down. "Ready?"

Tempest gave a single nod.

They both disappeared and reappeared with a small turquoise blast next to the hole. In front of them was the bright mouth of the cave. The wind howled as some snow pushed into the cave.

Tempest pushed her hoof under the scarf and pulled it away from her neck with some effort. She held it out in front of Starlight.

Starlight gave a smile as thanks, taking it and then wrapping it around her neck. They both began forward, exiting the cave, and entering the raging winter.

The cold instantly began to oppress their bodies, with gusts of wind cutting down to the bone. 

Tempest felt sapped and drained. Her emotions were dampened but also her body. She figured it was due to the duel and the climb but it still didn't feel right. She felt more lethargic than she's ever been.

They stumbled down the mountain until they were at normal elevation but the snow hardly lessened, with their vision still blurred.

They were approaching the shield of the empire when Tempest suddenly stumbled and fell.

"Tempest? What's wrong?" Starlight asked immediately at her side.

Tempest slightly strained to get up. "Nothing. I just tripped."

Starlight didn't pry as she followed alongside her.

They passed through the energy field, a warmth instantly surrounding them.

"There you two are," Discord greeted. "And it seems you've come empty hoofed."

Trixie's eyes darted to the scarf around Starlight's neck.

"So anything of note?" He prodded.

Starlight stared at Tempest.

"I didn't find anything," Tempest replied.

"So what's the plan? Are we coming back here tomorrow?" Trixie asked.

"We'll do one more day of searching," Tempest stated. "For now I think I need some rest."

Discord seemed to study her for a few seconds before he snapped his fingers.

Reorienting herself, Tempest found they were in the hotel room they booked.

"Thank Celestia," Trixie said, "I really didn't want to walk all the way back."

"Celestia isn't the one you should be thanking," Discord replied.

Tempest found herself walking out onto the balcony. The sun was descending toward the horizon, foreshadowing the night to come.

Commotion of the city seemed to have died with a few crystal ponies here and there. 

Tempest felt a nagging feeling trying to force its way to the forefront of her mind. It felt like a distant plate being clawed by a fork and she blocked it out.

But the feeling of an untimely demise prevailed. And she could almost hear the faint tick of a clock as it echoed.

"What took you both so long to come back?"

Looking behind her, she saw Discord holding a strange clock. 

"It was a difficult trek up," Tempest replied.

"It appeared so. I thought something may have happened. But of course, if something did happen you could just call my name," Discord moved his talons over the clock and began magically making the hands spin, passing its time in endless loops.

"Is this an attempt at getting me to call you by your name?"

"No. I'd probably prefer being called the Spirit of Chaos all the time and having my ego stroked. But my friends tend to call me Discord."

Tempest said nothing and continued to stare blankly at the horizon. After what felt like a half a minute she turned to see if the draconequus was still accompanying her. He was sitting in a chair at the corner of the balcony, holding what appeared to be some sort of wooden rectangular tower. He pulled two sticks away from it, one golden with fancy engravings over it with a butterfly end, and another that was silver and double jointed with a purple ball at the end. He let the two sticks go, the first stick beginning to sway back and forth while the double jointed one spun around at random intervals as it swayed back and forth.

"What is that?" Tempest asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's just a gift to someone close to me," he answered, making the pendulum disappear.

She began to ponder who he was referring to but she vaguely remembered a name mentioned a while ago. Though she found it sort of difficult to believe he cared about anyone.

"What's their name?"

"She's one of Twilight's friends."

"The white unicorn?"

"Rarity? Oh heavens no. She dislikes me just as much as the rest. The pony I'm referring to is Fluttershy."

Tempest tried to recall but found her mind drawing a blank. She remembered the pink earth pony, cyan pegasus, and Rarity. But she couldn't remember the others.

"She's the pegasus with the long pink mane she likes to hide behind, with positively delightful cyan eyes, and an adorable shy and timid personality brimming with compassion."

Upon hearing his description, Tempest raised a brow. "Are you joking?"

"Why is it so hard for everypony to believe?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you're an immortal being who seems to thrive off of nihilism and get a kick out of misery."

"Well no need to be so poignant. After all, you seem to have quite the dark mind."

Tempest recalled all the terrible things she'd done. How she actually enjoyed the violence. How she enjoyed the thrill. The drastic lengths she was willing to go to feel whole again. But scars never heal.

She should be locked in Tartarus for what she'd done. Yet, she walked free. A desolate path. And now she was doomed.

"Hey, Discord, you promised hot cocoa," Trixie said, passing through the curtain.

"Yes, of course," he replied.

A table appeared in the center of the balcony, on it were three mugs of steaming cocoa.

Trixie levitated a mug to her muzzle as she examined it. Satisfied with what she saw, she brought it to her lips taking a sip.

Starlight continued to examine the liquid. "Where'd you get this from?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, I'd like to know if what I'm drinking is actual cocoa or some illusionary chaotic energy or something."

"It's as real as reality," he replied.

Starlight dejectedly sighed before bringing the mug to her lips.

"And would you look at that," Discord said. "The sun is about to touch the horizon. That's my call for some shut eye. Toodles!" He exclaimed, disappearing with a snap.

"He seemed to wanna leave in a hurry," Starlight noted.

"Fine by me," Trixie replied, turning and entering back inside.

Tempest stood, examining the sky and the fade of the sun's light. Her ears flicked to the sound of something humming next to her. Looking beside her, she saw a steaming mug levitating in a turquoise aura and behind it was Starlight.

Starlight gave a gentle smile. "It's getting cold."

Tempest in response gave a very faint smile, snaking her hoof through the hole and around the mug before the aura faded. She held it but continued to stare at the city.

"So," Starlight started, her voice just above a hush, "what happened in the cave?"

Tempest knew the question was going to be asked eventually. But to share it was another matter.

She took a few moments before responding. "I went into the cave and the floor collapsed. Then I went deeper to try and find a way out… I saw a mirror. Or something. It was embedded in the wall and had a strange crystal structure at the top. But in the mirror I saw something."

"What did you see?"

Tempest took another few moments. "I don't know."

Attempting to take her mind off of it, she looked to the mug in her hoof. In the steam she could faintly see the brown liquid that had an almost damascus pattern appearance, and floating in it were two small marshmallows.

Noticing nothing out of the ordinary she brought it to her lips taking a sip. 

Smacking her lips lightly to enunciate the taste, she found it had a pleasant earthiness to it and an element of creaminess with the sugary marshmallows that wasn't overbearing.

"Thanks for letting me wear the scarf," Starlight said.

"Don't mention it," Tempest replied.

They both stood in silence for a few minutes before Starlight spoke again. "Wanna head inside?"

"Sure."

Inside the room, Trixie was sitting in a chair staring at the table.

"What's up Trix?"

"I'm just bored," she said simply.

"Why don't you practice some magic?"

"My stuff is in the wagon," Trixie replied.

"Oh, right, my bad," Starlight said sheepishly.

"Speaking of that, where are we gonna sleep?"

"I assume you don't have any bits for another room."

"Nope."

"Yeah, me neither. If only there were a certain draconequus around." She sighed. "Well, I guess we'll have to share the bed," she said, looking over at Tempest.

Tempest looked minorly concerned but she also appeared to be exhausted. Thinking about it, she felt like her whole body was begging for rest.

At the side of the bed, she threw the heavy blanket back before climbing into it. 

"Going to bed early?" Starlight asked.

"Yeah," Tempest replied, bringing the blanket back over herself as she laid on her side.

"I guess we should join you,"Starlight replied.

Tempest felt the other side of the blanket lift behind her before someone entered the bed. They scooted near Tempest but they didn't make any contact. There were a few moments that passed before the last pony entered the bed as the blanket fell.

Tempest closed her eyes, before realizing she would have to get up to turn off the light. But before she could move, she heard the sound of a horn shimmering as the lights went out.

A few seconds of stirring occurred before the room settled.

It felt a bit awkward but the comfort of the heavy blanket and the heat being generated under it started to lull her into a calmness. Her mind trailed off as thoughts began to already disappear. Letting go, she felt herself gently fall away into the depths of sleep.
> Foreshadow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of the lonely wind perturbed Tempest as she continued through the empire. It was the dead of night, and there wasn't a soul in sight, but there was an underlying feeling as if she was being watched. Or hunted.

Her eyes searched around for the potential threat when she heard a scuffle somewhere. It validated her feeling, meaning that someone or something was around.

"Hello?" As soon as it left her lips she scolded herself. She had not no idea why she opened her mouth. It gave away her position and emotion. But it felt like she didn't have control saying it.

Her eyes continued to scan when she saw it. In one of the black alleyways was crimson red eyes staring at her. Looking through them, she saw rage, despair, and evil. 

She wanted to get prepared to fight but her body remained still. She attempted to move or charge the force but her body did not move. Paralyzed and anchored, fear began to rack her body. 

The eyes seemed to glow more as the tracings grew longer and moved like a red smoke away from the eyes.

But fear transfused into anger. She bared her teeth as the influx of energy began to well in her. She attempted to use all her amplified power to move, her horn beginning to spark.

The eyes grew in intensity, almost like a fire.

But she was still frozen, her horn beginning to arc and discharge. 

Surrounding her, a dark chuckle reverberated the entire space.

Somehow she gathered that it wasn't from the shadow standing before her. Something darker was lurking. And it was just born or awakened.





Tempest's eyes shot open. The first thing that greeted her was something in the darkness rising up and down rhythmically with a loud sound assaulting her ears. Looking further up, she saw Starlight's face pointed up, mouth open, snoring into the air as her hooves held the blanket she was also under. 

Wanting to get up, she found her foreleg was wrapped around Starlight. She lifted and withdrew it as quickly and quietly as possible, before scooting away and out of the warmth of the bed.

Her hooves touching the floor, she heard a bit of stirring but it ceased as Starlight's snoring continued.

The room was bathed and coated in a faint blue moonlight coming through the balcony. She approached it, passing through the curtains feeling the cold night air vanquish any residual warmth leftover  from the blanket.

It was still late at night, with little to no commotion happening in the city.

Tempest felt the chilling breeze pass her before she looked to the sky. She saw the void of space but sprinkled around were  bright stars. But what most would view with hope, beauty, or awe, led to remnants of hurt for Tempest. Repressed old memories. And now a new pain that accentuated it. The weight was almost unbearable.

She gazed at the moon. It's silver and white surface gave off a feeling of purity and enlightenment despite the darkness. Despite the beauty of the night, Tempest found herself contemplating the enigma of the dream that was crystal clear in mind.

She presumed it was just memories coming back and nothing more. She just hoped they wouldn't continue. 

"Hello?"

Internally startled, Tempest turned to the voice. 

It was Trixie with heavy bags under her eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" Trixie asked, itching under her eye.

"I could ask the same," Tempest replied, looking back out at the city.

"I'm out here because you are."

Tempest conceded the point. "Fresh air," She said simply.

"Fresh air? In the middle of the night?"

"... sorry that I woke you," Tempest replied.

"It's fine. Starlight's been waking me up on and off anyway with her loud snoring. I usually make her wear a face mask but it's magically locked in the wagon. I don't know why she can't use a spell or something to magically shut herself up."

Tempest couldn't help but chuckle. "There's probably laws preventing that."

"Silencing yourself?"

"Well if you wanted to interrogate someone and they magically silenced themselves then yes."

"Couldn't they just find a spell to undo it?"

Tempest couldn't think of a rebuttal. She knew little about complex magic, with a few exceptions. She had no idea about it's boundaries. "I wouldn't know. I don't know a lot about magic."

A silence began and lengthened between them. 

Tempest mused about the wizard they met earlier. He seemed very knowledgeable in magic. Perhaps he would know. She wondered if he could help her with her own problem.

"What happened when you and Starlight went up the mountain?"

Tempest figured Trixie was somewhat observant. But she didn't think they appeared to act different. "What do you mean?"

"You and Starlight sort of acted differently and she was wearing your scarf."

Looking down at her chest, Tempest noticed the scarf was missing. She heavily debated whether she should share what happened. She already exposed herself deeply to Starlight. She sighed. "I found a strange mirror in the mountain which led to an occurrence. She helped me out."

"A mirror?" She asked, awaiting a response. "Do you think it's what Twilight wanted you to find?"

"I don't know," she answered again.

"Did the mirror do something?"

"It showed me things. And I couldn't handle it," Tempest said lightly. She attempted to discard the slew of thoughts, not wanting to think about it.

Trixie's eyes fell to the ground in thought for a few moments before she looked up. "So Starlight and you are good now?"

"Well, we're sleeping in the same bed aren't we?"

Trixie laughed. "True. I mean, would you sleep outside if you hated her?"

"Depends."

"That's some dedication."

Tempest's ears flicked upon the sound of a distant scream.

"You heard that, right?"

Tempest didn't respond as she continued to listen. The pony continued to scream and she could faintly hear a select few words like "run". A few more screams took place while some yelling began to occur.

Tempest turned and trotted past Trixie and through the curtains. Looking for her scarf, she saw it laying at the side of the bed. She began to put it on.

Trixie went to Starlight's side and shook her while yelling in a whisper. "Hey. Starlight. Get up."

"Wha-? Kites?" Starlight asked in her sleepy stupor as she squinted.

"Something's happening in the Empire."

Starlight's eyes eased open as she porcessed what was said before immediately attempting to get out of bed.

Tempest opened the door and left in a hurry with Trixie and Starlight shortly following after.
> Fallen One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Screams and yelling echoed through the night. Crystal guards were running down the streets toward the commotion with spears at their sides.

Tempest followed them, figuring they would have a higher chance of leading her directly to the cause.

"Tempest! Slow down!" Starlight called.

But it fell on deaf ears as Tempest continued forward like she was possessed.

The screaming and yelling got closer as she reached the end of the street. The sound of some sort of explosion filled the air, followed by various rumbling as the ground shook. She went in the direction of the sound with the Crystal guards charging ahead. 

But as they continued down the street, a crystal guard appeared limping toward them. He fell to the ground as the guards rushed to his side.

Tempest caught up and moved between the group, pushing them aside.

The guard was on the ground wincing and groaning in agony as one of the others held his foreleg. They moved it and he cried out.

"Yeah, it looks like you might have broken it," the guard said.

Starlight and Trixie caught up and moved between the other guards as well.

"What did this?" Tempest asked, her tone stern.

The guards around looked at her realizing she wasn't one of them, but they remained silent.

He held his eyes closed and breathed, shaking his head. "Shadow," he uttered, mid swallow.

Tempest's mind raced.

"One of you needs to escort him to medical aid," a guard commanded.

"What about the threat? There may not even be a city to come back to."

"Captain Shining is setting up a huge defense at the castle. It should be a safe haven until further notice. And we should be fine with one less."

"It won't matter," the injured guard said.

"Serration, escort him back."

The guard nodded and helped the injured one up before guiding him away.

The guard who appeared to be the leader of the unit looked to Starlight and Trixie. "I suggest you two get the castle where it's safe."

"I think you'll find we're fully capable," Starlight replied with a sly smirk.

The guard scanned her but seemed to not bother asking anything as he turned toward the others. "Alright. Let's go," he affirmed as he trotted away, becoming the leading point of the unit

Tempest followed, Starlight alongside her.

"What do you think it is?" Starlight asked.

"I don't know."

"I think we should regroup with Twilight's brother," Trixie proposed, next to Starlight.

"I need to see what it is," Tempest stated.

A yell sounded with another rumble of the earth.

The guards ahead of them rounded the corner, most of them stopping to observe what was down the street. Their eyes widened.

Tempest caught up, her expression closely matching the guards.

A large amorphous cloud of shadow crawled down the street, it's height nearly matching the buildings and its width taking up the whole street. Inside the shadow, a curved crimson spike began to poke through the top. Near the spike, eyes opened, revealing glowing green eyes with piercing crimson iris with purple smoke trailing behind them. A muzzle formed with a sadistic grin.

"Sombra?" Starlight muttered in bafflement.

The leader of the guard unit charged forward, giving a war cry before hurling the spear toward the shadowy undulating mass.

The shadow parted as the spear passed through it.

The guards expression fell as Sombra gave a malevolent chuckle.

His curved crimson horn bubbled and sparked unstable purple and green energy. It seemed to increase in intensity before a bolt of dark energy left the horn toward the guard. He jumped away, dodging the shot but the blasts shockwave knocked him further, causing him to roll a few times down the street.

The dust settled as the guards watching the scene began to back away. 

Sombra chuckled again before slowly crawling toward the fallen guard, his horn beginning to charge again to deliver the fatal blow.

Magical electricity surged and arced around the shadowy mass, causing Sombra to groan and recoil back in pain. When the electricity stopped he immediately looked for the assailant. His eyes met Tempest's. He smiled. "My pawn," he noted, his voice low and almost demonic.

"What are you talking about?" Tempest commanded, her horn arcing electricity.

He chuckled, its echo unsettling to the core, "You sprung my ancient snare. Your fear and essence were the final components needed to conjure me."

Tempest's mind reeled. Components? Her essence? Despite her falter, she affirmed her resolve. "I suggest you go back into the cave you belong."

The cloud of shadow began to move inward as Sombra's face disappeared. The shadow shrunk before a smaller curved crimson horn pushed through, revealing the tall grey stallion in silver armor walking out - the shadow flowing behind him before being absorbed into his form, leaving him with a flowing slick backed mane and tail, with long sideburns. He wore a red royal mantle complimenting his piercing eyes. "This kingdom is where I belong. And because of you, it will be mine."

Her horns' electricity became more violent as her furrowed brows deepened.

"Not if we have anything to say about it."

Looking over, Tempest saw Starlight glaring him down alongside her, her horn charging a turquoise energy. "Sombra I don't know what led you down this path but you can come back."

His eyes fell. 

The icy abyss of betrayal lingered. The desire to power and to fill the void within. He was always hungry for more. He glanced back up, the glint in his eyes harboring hatred. "No," he said, his voice dark before flowing like wind.

A spear flew past the duo.

Sombra glared, his own horn beginning to bubble and arc before he swiftly stomped his hoof down causing the ground to quake as a large shard of gray crystal erupted from the ground in front of him. There was a cracking sound as the spear stuck into its surface.

"All of you! Fall back to the castle!" Tempest commanded.

"Come on, let's get him out of here!" A guard exclaimed.

The shadow the crystal cast made others grow like in a malignant infection.

Sombra sauntered around the crystal, his gaze deadly as he prowled, studying them.

The crystals began to bubble before each shot a beam of dark magic. 

Starlight teleported away and Tempest dodged as the beams left carvings in the street.

Using the sudden change in positioning, Starlight lit her horn, sending a beam of turquoise at Sombra. 

Sombra bowed his head with his horn charged before flicking his head up, sending a C shaped blade of dark magic at the beam. On collision, the blade sliced it in half, causing the beam to pass both sides of Sombra.

Starlight, noticing the oncoming projectile, charged her horn before disappearing just in time as the blade of dark magic hit the street. She reappeared next to the dust cloud coughing a bit.

Sombra stomped his hoof again, but instead crystals sprouted at his hooves, elevating him above ground. His horn bubbled and arced again before half a dozen orbs of unstable dark magic sailed at Starlight and the area adjacent.

Starlight teleported again just as the orbs collided with the ground causing a chain of dirt clouds and many craters.

Dark beams shot from the crystals again, making Tempest dodge and duck away.

Tempest seeing Starlight reappear nearby called out to her. "Starlight! Focus the crystals!" She commanded, tilting her head toward them.

Starlight nodded before shooting a beam that cut a line through a few of them.

She glanced to Sombra who stood above. Now was the time she wished she still had her orbs of petrification, even if she did like things to be difficult. Anger flaring, she discharged her horn, causing magical electricity to arc along the crystal he stood on. He cried out as electricity began to cover his body. 

His horn charged before a burst of darkness dispersed like a wave of mist.

Tempest felt the repulse push against her as she maintained form, but the electricity surging through the crystal ceased as the connection was severed.

Sombra's horn bubbled and arced again, its energy growing more intense upon him noticing Starlight's efforts. He jerked his head back, standing on his hind legs before slamming his hooves down, causing the crystal he stood upon to vibrate and hum with distortion. More dark crystals began to sprout from the ground around him, each growing smaller as the frequency subsided. 

Seeing Sombra getting ready to attack, Tempest waited with bated breath.

But the beam of dark magic that came didn't aim for her and instead carved the land around her.

Tempest was confused until she saw more crystals beginning to grow from the scars.

The crystals that remained around Tempest arced purple and black electricity before multiple beams shot at her.

She dodged around, lifting her hooves and legs just out of the beam's trajectory almost causing her to lose balance.
She furrowed her brows upon noticing one beam swiftly approaching her from the front in an upward motion. She charged forward and dodged right before snaking back up from under the beam to the left. 

Tempest's heart sank as she heard a cry of pain.

Looking over her flank, she saw Starlight on the ground, her face scrunched and teeth gritted.

"Starlight!" Trixie screamed, sprinting over to her side.

Sitting next to her, Trixie put her hooves on her for reassurance.

"Get her to the castle! Now!" Tempest shouted, her horn violently generating unstable magic.

Trixie saw Tempest's furious features before her eyes gazed past her and at King Sombra who watched with a fiendish grin. She glared as their eyes met. But she quickly knitted her brows, looking down at Starlight. She extended a hoof out in front of Starlight showing a gray ball resting on her frog. Despite Starlight's eyes being barely open she saw what it was. Trixie's horn glowed with a magenta aura before she threw it to the ground, a puff of smoke erupting up, enveloping them before slowly clearing, revealing they had vanished.

Tempest stared at King Sombra, trying her best to suppress her ire. 

"You could be so much more powerful," he said, his voice a ghostly hiss. "If you help me, I can fill the emptiness and give you that power."

Tempest's eyes flicked to the crimson horn above his head. "You're not the first king I've destroyed."

Sombra's grin was unwavering. "Soon I won't be a king."

She internally queried but decided it didn't matter. She darted forward as Sombra began to form crystal platforms for him to descend, looking not the slightest bit concerned as he continued to smile. Tempest's horn sparked as she neared. When she reached striking distance, she cocked her hoof back for a high velocity punch. 

Swinging, she missed her target. She pivoted back for another hit but Sombra was half a dozen feet away, his horn bubbling.

An unsettling energy surrounded her before swirling into her.

"You're not worth my time. And now you'll meet your match," he said, turning away.

Tempest was perplexed, wondering what he had done. Her question was answered when she noticed movement out of her peripheral vision. 

The shadow she cast had begun to move, it's hoof reaching out from the street before gripping it. It pulled itself up from the earth as if it had come from Tartarus itself, it's eyes opening to reveal a wrathful crimson glow with no pupil or iris.

Now shadowless, Tempest backed away, it's overpowering aura emitting vengeance, and despair. 

The street lamp did nothing to its deep black wispy form as it stood before her.

Tempest mind reeled, bewildered at the dark reflection.

Before she could ground herself, the shadow lunged forward. Tempest managed to barely duck the oncoming right hook, before stepping back to avoid the swipe back. The shadow used the momentum to go for a left hook which met Tempest cheek. The impact jerked her head away as a trail of residual black mist stained her face for a second.

But she quickly got her bearings and lifted her hoof to block the oncoming roundhouse kick. The shadow didn't let up as it cocked its hind leg back before jabbing up into Tempest's muzzle, causing her to stumble a few steps back.

Tempest's brows furrowed as her horn began to spark.

The shadow lunged forward again, not letting up on the aggression.

Tempest blocked the blow and immediately counter attacked, but when her hoof hit the shadow, it merely stopped as it dispersed the kinetic energy through it, a splash of black mist coming from the blow to the face as the shadow was unfazed. She didn't let up and jabbed again, but it was again null and void.

The shadow swung up into Tempest's chest, causing her to abruptly exhale and lose her reserved breath. She was struck across the face again, sending her stumbling back. 

Tempest grit her teeth before magical electricity began to create a current and swirl around the shadow. She didn't let up as it crackled and popped. But the shadow remained unperturbed.

When she stopped, it appeared the shadow got darker as its oppressive presence grew more intense and foreboding. Tempest simply stared, her brows slowly raising.

A jolt of pain came across her cheek again making her dazed.

Blow after blow. Jab after jab. She became it's punching bag as she stumbled back, struggling to stay upright. The shadow's broken horn sparked purple and green electricity before it cocked a hoof back and swung forward, the electricity going down its own body through the forleg and into its hoof which collided Tempest's chest at her heart. The impact sent Tempest flying back half a dozen feet before rolling a few times as she hit the ground.

Desecrated and in delirium, she could hear faint explosions as the ground shook. She attempted to get up, her body straining and shaking before falling back down. She tried again, this time succeeding. 

An odd sound met Tempest's ears, it occurred at the rate as if someone was chuckling but it was low like a growl. Her eyes met the glowing crimson ones.

Her horn started to discharge, as she decided to try one last time.

Electricity arced sporadically over the shadow, refraining it from much movement. Tempest put all her might into constant pressure not letting up as she moved toward it. Face to face, she pushed herself even further as she grit her teeth. 

Its form appeared more misty before it suddenly began flowing into her chest like a breeze of wind. Until it was gone.

Her breaths still labored, she saw her shadow extend, going back to the way it used to be.

Deep down it didn't feel like she was victorious. 
 
Another explosion sounded in the distance, causing the ground to shake. Tempest started toward the castle but her body immediately scolded her as she went into a gallop.

The explosions continued, raising the inner tension before they eventually stopped, which made Tempest strain as she attempted to pick up her speed.

Along the way, she noticed the statue of Spike had been destroyed as dark crystals continued to spread. But after a few minutes, she finally arrived in the clearing at the base of the castle, where various dark crystals had grown with craters and giant carvings along the earth. Spears were stuck in the ground along with guards either helping others that were injured or standing with blank expressions, but one guard was talking with a familiar gamboge unicorn wizard.

Tempest tried to recall his name but her mind drew a blank. "Hey!"

Sunburst turned, his expression dire. "Tempest?"

"What's going on?" Tempest asked.

Sunburst's eyes ricocheted around as he attempted to speak. "I-I don't know. Apparently Shining Armor and Cadance tried to stop Sombra but he got up into the castle. Then some guards came down and took the Crystal Heart and- where's Starlight and the Trixie," Tempest interrupted.

"I thought you would know," Sunburst replied, his worry beginning to rise.

Tempest looked to the guard next to Sunburst. "Have you seen a pink unicorn mare with a light green strip in her mane?"

"Tempest!" A voice called.

Approaching from the castle was Trixie with Starlight holding on to her for support.

Tempest approached, her brows knitted. "Is Starlight okay?"

"I've been better," Starlight replied.

"King Sombra has Shining Armor's and the princesses' baby! And he's holding them captive!" Trixie exclaimed.

"We need to get the princesses and Twilight here!" Sunburst panicked.

"Where's Discord?" Tempest asked.

"Who knows!" Sunburst replied.

"If you call out to him, he'll sometimes show up," Starlight offered.

"Discord!" Tempest called to the sky. "We need you here! Right now!"

"Shouldn't we have done this an hour ago?" Trixie asked.

All of them were silent, waiting intently, each second ticking adding to the weight of desperation.

"Of course he's not showing up. He's probably asleep! We should just get out of here and leave it to the princesses!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Hey!" Behind Tempest, a crystal pony was talking with the guard. "We can't leave the city! Where's the princess!?"

The guard appeared stupefied.

"What do you mean you can't leave," Sunburst asked, raising his voice so she could hear.

"There's a magical barrier blocking the way out!"

"Are we in a magic dome?" Sunburst asked aloud. "But I'm pretty sure only Shining or Cadance could cast that."

"He could be forcing one of them to cast it, using their child as leverage," Tempest replied.

"Cadance and Shining are in a crystal dome," Starlight informed. "And it was unaffected by my magic. I doubt they can use magic inside."

With his hoof to his beard, Sunburst's eyes scanned the ground for nothing until his expression shifted and dawned a look of horror. "Or he made one of them cast the spell, anchoring it to the Crystal Heart itself."

"Wait, what? He can do that?!" Trixie exclaimed again.

"I don't know. Hypothetically he could but he would need someone powerful enough to bind it to an ancient relic. And Cadance is an Alicorn."

"Then what do we do?!" Trixie asked.

"We can't destroy the magical barrier since it's using the power of the Heart and who knows how long that'll take with how limited our power is. Our only real option is to hope the Princesses come or word gets out somehow."

The gears in Tempest's mind turned. Until a thought manifested itself. "What if we destroy the Heart."

"Are you crazy? Without the heart, the winter of the north would close in on us!" Sunburst exclaimed.

"But without the barrier, Discord could enter inside and we would have a powerful ally," Tempest replied.

"You're putting that much faith into him?" Trixie asked.

"...Well, someone has," Tempest replied, in minor reminiscence.

"He's helped us before," Starlight added, her voice weak. "And with Sombra out of the way we could repair the Crystal Heart. Again."

"I really don't like this plan," Sunburst said. "We're relying on Discord to show up. Because he needs to defeat Sombra and then needs to be the one to get the other princesses here to repair the heart. Not to mention, do we even know where the heart is?"

"Our only other option is for us to try and defeat Sombra ourselves," Tempest stated.

"That didn't go very well," Trixie replied, looking at Starlight with curled up brows.

"I say we commit," Tempest asserted. "If all else fails it will allow us to evacuate the city with the barrier destroyed."

"...do you remember how to cast the spell Sunburst?" Starlight asked.

"I think I do, but how are we gonna get the citizens here? Let alone the shattered Heart?"

Tempest turned toward the guard behind them. "Hey!"

The guard's posture stiffened as she approached. 

"I want you to brief every guard about getting the civilians to this sector. We're going to need them for the Crystal Heart. It's our only chance."

The guard nodded but still looked concerned as he trotted away.

Tempest turned looking up at the castle. "I'm going to find it."

"Trixie's gonna go with you," Starlight added.

"I am?!" Trixie exclaimed, for third time.

"Trixie. Go with her," Starlight demanded quietly.

"But Trixie isn't very savvy when it comes to things like this," she explained, with an undertow of anxiety.

"Go," Starlight said with a wince, sauntering toward Sunburst with a wobble.

"Oh, for Celestia's sake," Trixie whined.

"No, for Equestria's sake," Starlight corrected. "Come on, Sunburst, let's go."

Trixie looked up at the castle and gulped.

Passing Trixie, Tempest made her way toward the entrances. Making her way up the stairs, she immediately lowered herself and tried to lighten her steps as she focused on her senses.

She found herself entering a hallway that upon glancing down each end was vacant of anyone. But her ears flicked to the sound of repeated tapping coming from behind her. Looking over her flank, she saw Trixie running in place while biting her lip. 

"You'd think after doing this twice I'd be used to it by now."

Tempest raised a brow but continued forward.

They continued through the spacious crystal halls, with Tempest focusing on her senses to try and locate a point of interest. Peeking down a hall, her eyes noticed a room at the very end that looked large and had dark crystals inside. Tempest crept toward the room, noticing what appeared to be a vacant throne. 

She gingerly entered the room, her eyes scanning for any traps, guards, or Sombra himself.

"Hey!" A voice whisper yelled.

Looking at the crystal dome, Tempest saw a familiar alicorn mare- a pale cerise coat, a long curled violet and rose and pale gold streaked mane with light purple eyes. 

She approached the obsidian dome at the gap she was looking through.

"What are you doing here?" Cadance asked, her voice weak.

"We're looking for the Crystal Heart," Tempest informed. "Is there any way to free you?" She asked, looking at the structural integrity of the dome.

"It would take a lot of power and a pretty high level spell to break this," she said, her optimism low.

"Where's your husband?"

"He's here. But he's... upset," she said, peering over at him.

"Where's Sombra?" 

"He left a bit ago with Flurry Heart. I don't know where he is. But he's planning something big."

"Do you know where the Crystal Heart is?" Tempest finally asked.

"He hid it at the top of the castle again. You have to use dark magic at the top of the throne to project the entrance."

Tempest's internally cursed, loathing the fact she lacked the ability to cast such magic.

"What do we do now?" Trixie whispered to her, trying to suppress the panic.

Tempest's face dawned a look of realization before she swiftly turned toward Trixie. "You have a horn!"

"I don't know how to cast dark magic!" Trixie denied, with a hoof to her chest.

"You've done it before haven't you?"

"I don't remember and even if I did, it was with an ancient amulet!" She exclaimed, waving her foreleg frantically.

"Search yourself of fear and hatred," Cadance said, "then concentrate on it and use it with the spell.

"Fear and hatred?" Trixie asked.

"What makes you angry?" Tempest asked.

"I don't know! Discord being annoying? Twilight?"

"Just try to find something!" Tempest insisted.

Trixie raked her mind, searching everywhere, feeling the pressure of the situation weigh on her as sweat began to form.

"Hey!" Tempest said, lowering her head to meet Trixie's gaze. "Focus. You can do it," she firmly asserted.

Trixie saw the piercing motivation in Tempest's eyes before her eyes fell to the floor as she searched deep. Closing her them, she explored many derelict places she repressed and smothered. One manifestation of emotion was recent. 

Her face contorted and twitched almost as if she was in pain. Her horn was alight with a magenta aura but as she tensed further, it faded into a transparent black. Flowing purple streams of mist leaked from the corners of her closed eyes before her horn began to bubble with dark energy. Then a beam of dark magic left her horn and hit the top of the throne which led to a shadow extending outward, revealing a hidden rectangular hole in the floor.

Opening her eyes, Trixie stared in awe.

"At the bottom of the stairs there will be a door that you need regular magic to open," Cadance informed. " Don't try to open it until you use the spell at the top of the door. Hurry! Before he gets back!"

Looking down, Tempest saw the stairs spiral into what looked to be an endless darkness. A magenta glow emanated beside her and she looked to it, seeing a small light glowing from the tip of Trixie’s horn. She nodded in affirmation before beginning the descent while Trixie followed after. The light from above began to fade as they rounded turn after turn, the darkness becoming more oppressive. Soon the only source of light was the magenta one coming from behind Tempest as she continued down toward the blackness.

“How much further do we have to go?” Trixie asked.

“Turn the light out,” Tempest stated, stopping.

The light dimmed, letting the darkness bathe them. Her eyes adjusted as everything was a low blue and black hue. She peeked over the edge of the stairs, seeing just a black hole 

“Do you see the bottom?”

“I’m sure it’s close,” Tempest reassured.

The pink glow relit as they continued, their hoof steps gently echoing. After a minute or two, Tempest’s hoof finally hit the bottom. In front of them was just as Cadance informed, a door 

Trixie craned her head, seeing a small circle of light directly above.

“You need to shoot magic at the top of the door,” Tempest said.

“Right,” Trixie affirmed. Her horn charged before a beam of energy hit the top crystal of the door, the magical energy spiralling before being absorbed.

Tempest’s heart sank.

“What? Why didn’t it open!?” Trixie exclaimed.

Tempest’s mind raced as she tried to think of some solution. And a wisp of thought manifested. “Love. Try putting love into the spell.”

“Love? Why would that work?”

“Just do it.”

Trixie contemplated before she exhaled and closed her eyes. Her horn lit again with a wispy hum as seconds ticked by.

Tempest wanted to ask her what she was doing but didn’t want to break her concentration.

A squiggly curved beam of magic left her horn, almost fiery in appearance as it connected to the crystal, causing white light to emanate from its edges before extending down the outline of the door, making it open.

But before either could extol one another, a livid monstrous roar echoed from above.

Tempest looked down at Trixie, seeing her terrified expression as she continued to stare up. Tempest knitted her brows as certain emotions weighed on her. "Hide."

"What?" Trixie asked.

"Hide!" She repeated.

"Why!?" She whisper-yelled.

"Find a way to save Shining Armor's and his wife's child. He'll be distracted with me while I destroy the Crystal Heart," she said, turning toward the door.

"What? No! What if he kills you!"

"... at least he won't have leverage." 

Trixie was bewildered as she attempted to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Do you have your smoke bombs?" Tempest asked.

"Yeah?"

"Good. Hide behind the stairs." Pushing her hoof against the door, she passed through into the bright light.

She gazed around and found whiteness until she noticed pale crystal stairs to her left which spiraled up the crystal tower behind her. 

She mentally growled before beginning up the stairs with haste.

After a while her lungs started to burn, but she pushed on, until finally she saw a platform above. Stepping on the platform, she felt the wind brush alongside her, her mohawke mane ruffling as she gazed out at the city. A darkened trail from the outskirts of the Empire trailed toward the castle, with more spots and crystals sprouting off from it like an infection. On the horizon there was a faint yellow glow, alluding to the coming rise of the sun.

Looking away, her eyes looked to the center of the platform, where above a cyan circle with a five pointed star insignia was a levitating Crystal Heart.  

As she approached it, she felt its energy pulsing as it humed.

She lost control of her body as a powerful force hit her in the side, sending her soaring through the air and into an outer pillar, cracking it, before hitting the floor.

"Your endeavor and act of rebellion to bring the Heart to the slaves will fail."

Tempest grit her teeth, pain radiating from her side as she struggled to get up.

"You couldn't have gotten up here alone."

Standing, Tempest faced the amorphous shadow, seeing Sombra's sadistic grin. "Well, your eyes must be deceiving you," she replied. 

The head retreated into the black mass, before a smaller crimson horn poked through as he emerged from the shadow. "I will snuff the imaginary light of your soul," his voice hissed, as the shadow went into his mane and under his crimson royal mantle.

Sombra's horn charged, a large ball of dark magic growing above his horn, before it launched at Tempest. But she dodged away, the shadow almost touching her as a small blast of dark magic erupted from where she was standing.

Tempest charged at Sombra, ready to exemplify her physical fighting prowess.

But Sombra grinned as his shadow consumed his form before it fell to the floor. A trail of dark crystals sprouted from the platform, traveling past her.

She pivoted back, her horn sparking as she grit her teeth. Magical electricity spiraled and arced over the dark cloud that erupted up, causing Sombra to cry out. 

He gave a beastly growl, sending a repulse of dark magic out, making Tempest look away as she braced from the blow.

A triple burst of dark magic left Sombra's horn, but Tempest ducked and lunged forward.

But before she could make contact, shadow encapsulated him and fell to the floor once more, as a reverse domino effect of crystals sprouted from the ground past her.

The shadow erupted before he appeared again, his crimson horn channeling dark magic.

Tempest's eyes flicked to it, it now becoming her primary target. 

She charged forward again, waiting for the counter attack as she closed the distance. Lifting her hoof, she aimed for his head and jumped as she propelled it forward.

The momentum was negated by an even more powerful blast of dark magic, sending her flying backwards through the air.

Hitting the floor, pain shot through her hind leg as she rolled to her side. She winced, her exhaustion and pain now taking its toll. Her hind leg flared searing pain as she attempted to put weight on it, causing her to fumble, but her hardened endurance allowed her to get up.

Sombra's glare deepened at her lack of submission. "You think standing makes you strong. It doesn't matter. You will be eroded and devoured by the arrow of time."

Tempest tasted iron. She began formulating her next attack. Her gaze moved to the Crystal Heart before returning to Sombra, her horn sparking unstable magic.

"I can feel your fear."

"What do you fear?" Tempest asked.

Sombra's expression fell slightly as he leaned back. But he slowly leaned back forward. "I fear nothing," he hissed.

Tempest's glare deepened. She charged forward again, aiming for his horn again, but prepared to miss and readied herself to turn quickly.

Her hoof met nothing, leading her to pivot and see a beam of dark energy heading straight for her. She ducked out of the way, but she felt a slash of pain hit the top of her head next to her horn. Crystal shrapnel from the pillar behind her hit the floor, one shard with blood at its end. 

With little time to recover, she noticed another beam of dark energy heading her way.

She jumped away and looked for her target to see he had stopped his assaults, as he leered.

Her breath labored; she couldn't help her gaze as it fell. Her eyes closed, feeling the pain along with the warm liquid falling down her head. A deep emotion welled inside of her. It began to climb.

She was losing the battle, her chest feeling small, and her body growing hot. She began to shake, as the feeling continued to crescendo.

Blood was pouring.

"You're weak," Sombra said.

Her chest rapidly rose and fell as her heart rate increased. Flashes of images assaulted her mind in vicious remembrance. Pain. Hatred. 

Her horn began to spark. Her blood began to boil.

Her eyes opened her visage one of fury and irate. She bellowed, a bolt of magical lightning arcing to the heart as she unleashed everything. The power caused a faint humming and crackling sound as electricity spiraled all around the heart.

Lightning then shot up to the roof from Heart, sending electricity gliding along the tip of the spire before launching into the sky. Electricity was spreading along the magical dome as the brilliant cyan bolt of lightning continuously jittered and wiggled up from the tip of the crystal spire.

Despite exhaling everything from her lungs, the torrent and sheer power didn't cease and instead increased in intensity.

The Crystal Heart began to crack. Further. And further.

But Tempest was violently flung away, her body hitting the previously damaged pillar, shattering it as she flew off the platform.
> Meteora
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The horizon was glowing orange, presenting dawn. Crystal shards sparkled in the light, like falling stars that surrounded her as she fell in slow motion. Unstable cyan magic sparked and discharged from her horn.

Images the ancient mirror showed her flashed. It seemed to her it was correct in its prophecy and judgment.

She was lost. Broken. But she just wanted to heal.

Was she searching for something she didn't deserve? Was she ignorant in trying to find it? Arrogant? Selfish? Blind?

Each day she fought a vicious cyclical war. A battle alone that never ended. But she limped and bled her way to where she was and yet, she still carried on. Why?

Was it instinct? 

What drove her before was vengeance and resentment. Now she was hollow, the oppression of the void smothering her. With no one else to blame or fault. Left with the deep down guilt slowly eating away at her that she suppressed.

Now she walked a desolate path of sorrow. And her gift of a second chance, a chance to walk a path of atonement and redemption was gone. 

Images of Twilight manifested in her mind. The one who saved her from the winds of a fateful demise. The one who gave her the gift of a second chance despite the evil and pain she inflicted. The one who cared enough to offer her a place to stay. She wouldn't mind seeing her again just to say thank you.

Her mind traveled to Starlight. Her comforting embrace. Her forgiveness. It then traveled to Trixie, who shared her story of unpleasant actions. Then to Discord, who offered an ear to her for some reason, that seemed more compassionate than cozen despite her disregardment.

She smiled.

If only she could fly…

But now she was rapidly approaching the existential truth.

She wondered what awaited her. Perhaps nothing at all since she would no longer exist. She would fall into 'space'. A bottomless abyss. But maybe there would be something waiting for her beyond. After all, magic exists…

Her body hit the ground. But somehow, she was semi conscious. Enough to hear and feel a giant burst of energy as she faded out. Her horns' magic ceased.
> Fallen One Pt. II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lightning bathed the dawn struck sky, generated from the crystal spire. A giant pulse of magic boomed away from the tower, causing the magical dome encapsulating the Empire to fade. 

King Sombra stared at the shattered pieces of the Crystal Heart on the platform, his gaze one of ire, not due to the Crystal Heart's destruction, but of his plan being under threat.

"You know, I've always disliked control freaks with the exception of one."

Sombra swiftly turned to the voice, seeing a chimeric serpent dragon levitating in air with his arms crossed.

Sombra was perplexed at first, but his expression shifted into a fanged grin. "Discord? Have you come to join me?"

"That's a bit quixotic of you isn't it? No. I've come to put an end to your little reign."

Sombra's visage morphed into one of irate.

"Where's Mrs. Better Edge?" Discord asked.

"Where you'll be," he growled, shooting a beam of dark magic at Discord.

Unfazed, Discord snapped his talons, causing the beam of dark magic that was no more than a few feet away to dissipate into bubbles.

"Alright lygophile, first hurting an acquaintance of mine, now failing to tell me where Tempest is, not to mention attempting to enslave an empire, your time is limited," he noted, a clock floating out from behind him.

"No. I will become beyond lawless. I will become a God! And I will rule this kingdom as I bask in my glory."

Discord guffawed. "Oh my, the vanity. Trying to evade entropy? For what? To feel power. To control. To avoid the greatest fear above them all. Well, you won't be avoiding the last reason for much longer."

In response, Sombra's eyes widened, the fury evident. His horn bubbled and charged dark magic, as the winds began to pick up, causing his crimson mantle to undulate. He roared, shooting a large continuous beam of dark magic at the Spirit of Chaos.

Sombra finally let up for energy replenishment and a status on his target. 

Discord had his paw held out in front of him, and appeared unscathed, his gaze one of annoyance. "Times up."

He lifted his arm and held his talons out as if he was pinching something from below. A small ball of dark purple energy appeared between his talons, it's form chaotic and rapidly expanding, almost cosmic in appearance. The ball expanded until it was double the size of his hand, it's form flowy like water. He lifted his paw up as if he was gripping something from below while a yellow glow emanated from it.

Sombra felt his posture stiffen. He attempted to use dark magic but felt as if it was being stifled. 

"Enjoy the darkness where you belong."

The dark magic grew in intensity as he grit his teeth, his eyes displaying a fiery a hatred.

Discord flicked his wrist down pointing at Sombra, sending the ball of chaotic energy at him.

The last thing in Sombra's beastly crimson eyes was fear.

A violent swirling purple explosion sprouted from the platform, creating an odd sound. The energy slowly dissipating revealed Sombra had vanished.

Discord scanned his surroundings, his eyes locking on to trails of crimson. Starting at the blotches and puddle, he followed it toward the destroyed pillar. Hoof and claws just before the edge of the platform, he peeked over the edge, his eyes widening.

He saw a maroon blur on a platform far below, it's form motionless. His eyes flicked to the edge of the city, seeing a cloud of relentless winter approaching.

He snapped his fingers, disappearing and reappearing in a starry flash on the platform far below.

Tempest's body was laid on her side, blood dripping from a wound next to her broken horn and pooling on the platform, with no signs of life.

Discord hurriedly scooped her up, her body sprawled in his arms. He leaped forward off the platform, slithering through the air down toward the enormous crowd gathered below.

Seeing her head sagging over his arm, he moved it, covering the wound with his talons, lessening the dripping of the blood.

Crystal ponies were stricken with fear, until they noticed the flying chimera above and the body he held.

Not knowing where a medical center was located, Discord scanned the crowd for a familiar face or some sort of medical team, paying no heed to the looks of concern or wonder. Guards at the far edges of the crowd appeared to have stretchers, with limited medical supplies on a table. 

At the stretcher, he briskly laid Tempest on it. "Take her to the hospital. Now."

The threat broke their concerned and perplexed gaze as they quickly came to her aid.

Discord's gaze fell to his open hands, his talons soaked with blood. He focused on it, his expression solemn as a deathly chill passed with the howling snowy wind. He gently closed his talons.
> Rebirth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tempest's eyelids fluttered as she opened them into slits. She could feel a dull headache and she could faintly feel that she was laying down but she didn't know where. She attempted to move to reorient herself, but her sore body scolded her, especially her head and spine.

"Tempest?"

Her ears flicked to the voice as she glanced to her side.

She could faintly see a lavender figure sitting in a chair but the sunlight rays bathing the figure from the window behind them made it difficult to see. The figure got up from the chair and sauntered toward her, becoming more clear. She could see the lavender mare's face of exhaustion, her violet eyes glazed with concern.

"Hi, Princess," Tempest greeted, her voice creaking.

Twilight didn't respond immediately as she seemed to contemplate her words. "Are you feeling okay?"

"My body hurts," she informed, wondering if it was a sufficient answer. She didn't exactly know why her body hurt. Her mind was still in a haze.

Twilight's gaze fell.

"What happened?"

"You fell from the top of the Crystal Castle while fighting King Sombra. You landed on a platform where Discord found you unconscious. He brought you to a medical team which took you to the hospital where they managed to resuscitate you. It's a miracle you made it."

Everything flooded into Tempest's mind, the shadow, King Sombra, the Heart, and the realization dawning on her that she had died.

With minor trepidation, she looked away from the sun shining through the window to next to her. Her shadow was still present.

"Hello there ma'am," a voice greeted. "I see you've finally woken up."

At the end of the bed in the doorway stood a mare with a nurse hat hugging a clipboard. She approached the side of the bed.

"So how are we feeling?"

"Like I fell from the top of a castle," Tempest replied.

Standing next to her, she grabbed a pen in her mouth. "Ouch. Is the head okay?" 

"It hurts but it's not unbearable."

She scribbled things on the clipboard. "What about the leg? Can you move it?" She asked, her voice sounding as if her teeth were bared.

She attempted to move her legs and found her left one did hurt but she was still able to move it around without any sharp pains. "Yeah."

"Back?"

"Hurts."

"How bad?"

"Bad."

Finishing writing, she put the pen on the board and sighed. "Okay. I'll take these back and a doctor will be with you shortly. Do you need anything?"

Tempest shook her head.

"Okay. Take it easy now," she said, leaving and shutting the door.

"...Tempest. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"What did you want me to find?"

"I wanted you to find friendship."

Upon hearing this, Tempest's mind was struck with bafflement. It should've been obvious to her. It's why Twilight chose the other three, the reason for her requesting they go on hoof. There was only one detail that stuck out that seemed contradictory.

"Then why did you give me the map?" Tempest asked.

"I thought you may be able to find an ancient artifact said to be in the north. I didn't know what it was or if it even existed and I didn't plan on you finding anything. I just wanted you four to bond along the way."

Her mind recalled the mirror on the mountain. She realized the fate it disclosed to her was now false. But the images it showed her still happened and were true. It perplexed her.

"I truly am sorry, Tempest," she almost whispered. "I'd understand if you don't forgive me."

Glancing over, she noticed Twilight's head hung low. She felt a strong urge come over her and she decided despite her hesitation to fulfill it. 

Wincing slightly, she leaned over before wrapping her forelegs around Twilight, bringing her close. After a few seconds of being rigid, Twilight gingerly returned the gesture, wrapping her foreleg over Tempest. 

They held each other silently as Tempest attempted to convey and share her love and forgiveness in the embrace.

Time ceased to exist for them. They basked in the moment, both breathing calmly as they held each other. 

Tempest's vision blurred and her eyes stung, causing her to squeeze them shut. Magical electricity sparked and flickered from her horn...

Eventually, the embrace came to an end, as the sound of the opening door caused both to gently pull away.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," the nurse apologized, "but you have some visitors that would like to see you."

She opened the door fully, stepping aside to prop it open to make way for the visitors. Three tall Alicorn mares sauntered into the room, the oldest sister who raised the sun, the youngest sister who raised the moon, and the princess of love herself. But following shortly behind them was a familiar azure unicorn illusionist and a lilac unicorn.

The three rulers stood at the end of her bed, their presence grand and ethereal as Tempest awaited the strike of the gavel. 

Celestia took initiative. "It took a lot of courage to do what you've done today."

"We've come here to thank you personally for your heroic deeds," Luna informed.

There was an awkward pause as Tempest processed what she heard. She glanced at Starlight and Trixie who both sat on chairs next to the sun bathed window. Trixie appeared mildly concerned while Starlight looked exhausted.

"I didn't do it alone," Tempest said.

"This is true," Celestia said. "And all of you will be rewarded accordingly. I guess for now, we'll leave you to recover and recuperate. Until next time," she nodded.

"Thank you," Cadance said, her eyes displaying a glint of sincerity. 

The door shut, leaving Tempest, Twilight, Starlight, and Trixie in the room.

"You should come stay in the castle in Ponyville for a few days," Twilight offered.

"Can we take the train back?" Starlight asked.

"What about my wagon?" Trixie asked.

"Discord can teleport it back," Twilight said.

"Where is he?" Tempest inquired.

"I don't know," Twilight replied. "The last time I saw him he brought the pieces of the Crystal Heart below the castle for the repair. I don't think anypony's seen him since."

"You'd think he'd show up now that you're awake. That is assuming he even cares," Trixie noted.

Tempest pondered if he would even know she was awake. She couldn't say for sure, especially whether he cared about her or not. But he did save her life. And from what she's seen and heard, he definitely cared about someone else.

"Well. I guess I'll leave you be. See you soon?" Twilight asked with a hopeful gentle smile.

Tempest smiled and nodded.

Twilight's smile widened a bit in response.

The door shut, leaving Tempest, Trixie, and Starlight in the room. 

"Before we leave I have to perform at the fairgrounds," Trixie said. "Has the spell worn off?"

"Probably," Starlight answered.

"Great. Now I have to go make sure nopony stole anything," Trixie said, trotting toward the door.

"Wait," Tempest blurted. "Before you two go I wanted to apologize."

Trixie and Starlight gazed at her, giving her their full attention.

"I treated you both with little respect and I was being arrogant. I'm the one who's…" She sighed. "Anyway, I'm sorry for the way I acted."

Tempest stared at their expressions, the silence lengthening causing the tension to thicken.

"...Well, I never got to thank you for saving me from that fall," Trixie noted. "So I appreciate it."

"I think after what happened yesterday, we can definitely put that behind us," Starlight replied. "But maybe we can start over and get to know each other better."

Tempest reciprocated her smile.

"Also, if you don't mind, I have a question. I understand if you don't want to answer but... What did you see?" Starlight asked hopefully.

Tempest could only assume she was referring to the mirror at the mountain. "It showed me… my bad side. And it showed me glimpses of things to come. Of my fate. Of dying."

"Did you see anything?" Trixie asked softly.

She assumed she was talking about death. It was like she woke up from sleep. But she couldn't say if there was anything. For all she knew it could've been like a dream like she was somewhere but her mind wouldn't let her conceive it.  "I… can't remember."

She gazed back at them again, Starlight giving a hopeful smile again.

"Well, we're glad you're okay," she replied.

The door shut, leaving Tempest alone. Her mind wandered as thoughts began to plague her, a weight growing again.

"Apology accepted."

The voice stirred Tempest out of her thoughts as she glanced next to her where the voice came from. No one was there, only the wall, window, and the nightstand next to her with a lamp and lit candle on it. 

She raised a brow, staring particularly at the candle that appeared out of place. It was specifically a golden chamberstick.

The candle morphed a pair of yellow eyes with asymmetric crimson pupils and white bushy eyebrows.

"How does it feel being responsible for saving a city, hero?"

Tempest's gaze fell. "...I'm not a hero."

"Is it because you fought with hate? You know, there's a saying I remember hearing: you fight because you love what's behind you, not because you hate what's in front of you," he replied.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The wisdom struck a chord deep inside of her. And it rang true. 

But what did she have to fight for? Herself? She persevered and carried on out of rancor. That's all she did until recent memory. And she almost met her demise.

"Is there something after?" Tempest asked.

"Death? Maybe. Maybe not," he replied, before blowing upward, snuffing the flame above his head, leaving only a transparent trail of smoke that flowed up into the air.

She didn't know if he even knew or not but she realized she should've expected such a vague answer from him.

With a white starry flash he disappeared and reappeared in his normal form by the side of her bed. "Though Tartarus is quite the peculiar place isn't it?"

She knew very little about Tartarus except that it was used by Celestia and Luna as a prison for certain wicked or evil creatures, and that it was a miserable place to explore or reside. It was a place she thought she would have been sent to after what she'd done. But she wasn't.

"Thanks for saving me," she replied.

"Think nothing of it," he dismissed with a wave of his talons. "I find death to be somewhat repugnant."

She stared quizzically.

"Nevermind that. Well, I have something important to attend to. Until next time, ta-da," he said, wiggling his fingers at her before disappearing with a starry flash.

Before she could really think further, a knock sounded at the door.

A stallion with a white lab coat and a circular mirror on his head sauntered into the room. 

"Hello," he greeted before pulling a chair forward to sit next to her bed. "How are we?"

She was slightly off put by the genuineness of his question and his posture. "I've been better," she replied.

"I can imagine," he replied. "Do you mind if I get some vitals?"

"Sure."

He lifted the stethoscope off his neck and  clamped it into his ears while holding out the circular end before leaning forward and pressing it gently to her chest against her hospital gown.

Seconds passed as he subtly readjusted it in a few spots. "...strong heart," he noted.

He wrapped the stethoscope over his neck again. "Do you think you can walk?" He asked.

Tempest took the opportunity to slide out from the sheets, her hooves touching the ground as she winced. She proceeded to take a step but her hindleg still gave a dull pain causing her to limp.

"How bad is it?" He asked.

"Not that bad," she replied.

"That's good to hear. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"You've already asked a few," Tempest replied in jest, giving the go-ahead.

He chuckled. "True. Well, how about your name?"

"... Tempest."

He scribbled on his clipboard, "What city are we residing in?"

"The Crystal Empire?"

"What's today?"

"Thursday?"

"Can you tell the time?" he asked, gesturing toward the wall with his pencil.

She looked forward adjacent to the door at the analogue clock. "Three-fifteen."

"Alright then. I would recommend staying away from vigorous activities and also taking it easy on the leg. It'll take up to a week or more to fully heal. And you can remove the bandage off your head tomorrow. But with that, surpisingly, I think we can actually get you out of here," he said making his way to the door. "Your clothes are a little tattered and torn but they're in the nightstand drawer. Don't hesitate to come back if anything else occurs," he departed with a smile, shutting the door.

She limped toward the drawer and pulled it open. The black poncho had various cuts and singes, along with her scarf showing a few more loose threads.





Tempest exited through the main lobby doors, the sun's warmth covering her body.

"Hey."

Tempest looked up and saw Starlight approaching her.

"I was just coming to see when you'd be let out."

"Guess they think I'm able," Tempest responded. She stepped down the stairs wincing at the pain flaring in her leg.

"Really? That's surprising… Trixie is setting up for her show. Do you wanna go somewhere?" Starlight asked, beginning along the street.

"Is anything even open?" Tempest asked, still limping alongside her.

"Yeah, probably not," she sighed.

They walked for a few minutes down the road when something caught Tempest's eye. Down a street, she could see distant carnage, from craters, scars, and rubble, all retelling the massive fight hours ago.

"How are you holding up?" Tempest asked.

"I'm alright. I have a bit of a burn and pretty bad soreness in my side but luckily no dark magic infection."

"... I'd say you handled yourself pretty well."

Starlight chuckled. "My side disagrees."





The stage was set, and adjacent to it, crates were levitated and set down on the grass next to the caravan. 

"What tricks do you plan on performing, Trix?" Starlight asked, approaching the caravan alongside Tempest.

"I don't know yet!" Trixie called, her voice muffled from being inside the wagon. "I have a few ideas!" She poked her head out to give Starlight a knowing look. "But it'll require the help of my great and powerful assistant."

"Well," Starlight drawled worriedly, "I do wanna help but I'm still really tired and kind of hurt. I don't know if I can do a full show."

"You could have Discord help you," Tempest proposed.

"Discord?" Trixie asked as if it was ludicrous.

"Yes?"

Looking toward the voice, they saw sitting on the stage the Spirit of Chaos himself with a snaggletooth smirk.

"Ugh," Trixie grimaced. "There's no way I'm doing a show with you."

"I've been nothing but helpful on this trip, have I not?" He replied.

"Helpful is a strong word," Trixie countered.

"Is it really worth not being able to perform all because your silly pride won't allow it?"

"Do you think anypony will even show up," Starlight mused.

"Somepony will," Trixie replied. There was an awkward pause as Trixie took a sidelong glance at Discord. "Okay, fine!" She relented, before walking back into her caravan with a scowl.

"I guess I'll sit backstage," Starlight said, walking ahead.





On the stage, Trixie peeked from behind the curtain. Letting go of it, she turned, her eyes wide.

"How many?" Starlight asked.

"A lot," she replied.

"She can't count that fast," Discord responded.

"What's the biggest crowd you've performed for?" Tempest asked.

"This one."

"Are you nervous?" Starlight asked, with a raised brow.

"The great and powerful Trixie never gets nervous," she replied, trotting away with closed eyes.

Starlight rolled her eyes.

Tempest was peeking through the curtain to get a glimpse of the crowd. There were easily over fifty ponies who all were talking with each other or idling while standing in front of the stage. She wondered why so many showed up considering no pony seemed to recognize Trixie. "I guess no pony has anything better to do," Tempest replied, letting go of the curtain.

"I guess so," Starlight agreed.

"That and perhaps they want something to take their minds off of the catastrophe that transpired last night," Discord replied.

Trixie surveyed her set pieces. "You remember your job, right Discord?" She chided.

"Yes, to sell the lie. Except the one about you vanquishing an Ursa Major."

The dark mouth of the cave flashed in Tempest's mind.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Just don't turn my show into a repeat of you at the gala or when you were helping Tirek," she deadpanned.

Tempest sighed. "I guess now is the time," she mumbled. "So about before," she started, "when we were around the campfire."

They all stared at her, giving her their undivided attention.

 "I didn't share my past. And I guess after what's happened… I was a filly, living in a small village. I lived a carefree lifestyle, naive, and innocent, with a few ponies I called friends. One day, we were playing together, with a small ball that we bounced and threw to one another. But on a missed pass, fate rolled the ball into a cave. I went to retrieve it when I encountered an Ursa Minor that attacked me, giving me this scar and a broken horn."

Trixie averted her eyes.

"Luckily I survived, but a part of me didn't that day. I was left hornless, then friendless, and abandoned. My world was shattered as I was exposed to the brutality of nature and life. I ran away from home, knowing what I thought was the truth, that friendship was pointless and made me weak, and that the best way to survive was alone."

"You've been homeless since you were a filly?" Trixie asked.

"I don't want your pity," Tempest mumbled.

The three shared glances.

"Did it at least make you feel better telling the story?" Starlight offered, gesturing with a hoof.

Oddly Tempest recalled actually feeling slightly better after hearing their stories. Until the fight with Starlight. But now, it just reminded her of that and what happened. It changed nothing. She still felt a hollowness inside herself along with the nagging guilt. 

"Not really," she replied.

Discord flicked open a pocket watch. "It appears we have sixty seconds."

Trixie's eyes widened. "Shoot!" she said, galloping away to get into position.

"Break a leg!" Starlight called sauntering away.

"Done," Tempest replied, limping behind her.

Starlight winced. "It's not actually broken is it?"

"No. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to put any pressure on it."

They both stopped a few feet away from the stairs on the grass behind the stage, both listening to Trixie's grandiose cadence. On a good note, they could hear various points of cheering and awe as the show progressed.

Tempest's gaze traveled to the night sky. Her eyes scanned the various stars, 
causing the weight to grow again, but this time, she noticed a particularly bright star. It spoke to her somehow. 

There was something twinkling inside of her. A small borderline unfathomable spark of hope, triumph, and potential.

"... So why did you visit Twilight?" Starlight asked, breaking the extremely prolonged silence between them.

"A lot of reasons. I felt like I needed to see her for them."

"Do you mind sharing?" Starlight asked.

"One reason was I wanted her to give me something to do."

"Because you still felt guilty?" Starlight asked, unsure of the implication.

"Partly."

Starlight bowed her head. "... One of the best things Twilight ever told me was that guilt can be one of the worst feelings a pony could have. But she said in a way, it's a gift because it shows that deep down, they still have compassion or a heart."

Tempest mulled over the statement, her eyes staring blankly at the earth...

"Sunburst?"

Tempest eyes flicked up to see the gamboge unicorn stallion approaching on the grass.

He adjusted his spectacles giving his typical nervous smile. "I saw you two back here on my way to the show," he said, stopping in front of them. He looked at Tempest in surprise. "Wow, they really let you out of the hospital?"

Tempest sighed. "Yep."

"I guess the good news is you're here."

Hearing the statement made Tempest reflect. Perhaps she was overthinking, but she wondered if he truly meant it. Was it a good thing she was still here? She didn't desire death, but it could've been the thing to set her free.

No. She still had things to do. And a friend to be with.

"I think Trixie's show is about to end," Starlight noted, listening to her performance.

"I'm that late? I was so busy taking care of Flurry Heart and talking with Cadance…"

"Is she fine?" Tempest asked.

"Yeah, Trixie found her thanks to you," Sunburst said. "I just can't believe you managed to destroy the Heart," he noted lowly. "The whole sky lit up. You must have pretty powerful magic."

Tempest recalled hearing a similar statement before, memories of the party at Canterlot manifesting. "You can thank my anger for that," Tempest replied.

"Do you usually get angry?" Sunburst inquired.

Tempest found the question a little odd but decided to humor it. "Partly. But I tend to have good control of my emotions. Most of the time."

"I'm not the greatest," Starlight admitted, with a sheepish smile.

"But there's other ways I can light up the sky," Tempest replied, listening to Trixie's final statements.

"And remember! There's more to life than meets the eye!" Trixie exclaimed, with cheering erupting afterwards.

Electricity sparked from Tempest's horn before a burst of magic left into the night sky with a whistle. A spherical explosion of vibrant blue boomed in the purple vignette starry night, while a line of magic shot away from its center before exploding again in a different color.

Tempest noticed both Starlight and Sunburst looking up in awe, making her smile.





Tempest raised her hoof to the castle door, knocking a few times.

Both her and Starlight listened for any rustling or signs of somebody approaching.

A pitter patter approached before the door opened, revealing a small purple scaled dragon. "Oh, you're back. How was the show?"

"We didn't really watch it," Starlight admitted, passing Spike, entering the castle. "I mean I've helped run it multiple times and I've helped write some of the lines so..."

"Fair," Spike said, shutting the door behind Tempest.

"Where's Twilight?" Starlight asked, beating Tempest to the question.

"Last I checked she was still in the library."

"Of course she is," Starlight replied, wondering why she didn't assume that. "Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. See you guys tomorrow. Hope you feel better, Tempest," she said, departing down the hall, out of sight.

"Twilight told me to take you to a guest room. So follow me!" Spike said, waving Tempest over.

She obliged, limping behind him.

"I heard you got lost," Spike said, waddling down the hall ahead of her. "Sorry I couldn't help you before. I sort of was in a rush."

"It's alright," Tempest replied, trying to take in her surroundings in hopes of finding the exit again if need be. It proved futile.

Her thoughts traveled to why he was in a rush and how she recalled it was to see the white unicorn. She had already forgotten her name. "Hey, um," she paused for a second, realizing she didn't know the dragon's name either.

"Oh, right," Spike said, realizing her dilemma. "Name's Spike."

She noted it to herself to remember. "Do you know where that one unicorn mare lives?"

"Rarity? The most amazing fashionista in all of Equestria?" 

"Yeah?"

"Of course I know where she lives. That sounds weird," Spike noted, putting a claw to his chin. "But did you wanna see her?" He asked, getting back to the point.

"Yeah."

"I'm pretty sure she's still in Ponyville. I can take you there tomorrow."

"That'd be helpful," Tempest replied.

Turning down a hall, they continued for a bit more, until Spike stopped at a seemingly random door.

"This is it. If you need me I'm five doors down the hall. Or just call for me. I hope you feel better soon," he said.

"Thanks," she replied.

He waved before waddling down the hall.

She limped forward and pushed against the lime green double doors, revealing a room with a neat bed at the end. Entering she took in its interior further, noticing the walls were a cold blue and the floor being a grey blue. The bed itself had cerulean sheets, a simple nightstand with a lamp next to it, and a window to the right of it with cerulean curtains which were drawn, giving a peek of the night outside.

She limped to the bedside, pulling the scarf off her neck and setting it on the nightstand. She pulled the poncho over her head, ruffling her mohawk a bit before she placed it on the nightstand as well. All that was left was her spandex suit that she used to wear under her armor. 

Pulling the blanket up, she crawled into bed, attempting to get comfortable. Despite the bed itself being comfortable compared to most, she couldn't relax, leading her to stare at the crystal ceiling.

She considered it could've been simply aftershocks that still lingered from the events of the day. Or her mind still trying to understand what the mirror showed her, or an undertow of anxiety about being alive despite her fall. Or the homesickness she'd felt most of her life.

She turned to her side, blankly staring at the wall. But with time, she forced her eyes shut, waiting for the calmness to wash over before gently falling asleep.





The double lime doors opened. Tempest peeked her head into the corridor.

There was distant chatter that sounded like multiple ponies talking. Taking a glance at the room behind her, she looked back out down the hallway. She shut the door behind her, venturing forth, limping down the corridor attempting to follow the source of the voices. She hoped the circular nature of the hallways didn't obfuscate her attempt at triangulating their location. 

The voices got louder and more definitive, with one pony having a more raspy somewhat feminine voice, another having what sounded like an accent but still had an element of femininity, and one which sounded borderline shrill and definitely feminine.

It wasn't long before she stumbled upon a pair of large lime double doors that practically tripled her height that appeared to be where the voices came from.

She lifted her hoof before knocking, causing the voices to hush. Within a few seconds, the door opened, revealing a flying cyan pegasus with cerise eyes and a semi unkempt rainbow mane. "Oh, hi, Tempest," she greeted, opening the door further to allow her to enter. 

She did, taking in the spacious and tall room. She immediately noticed the large circular crystalline slab in the center of the room with some sort of magical projection over its surface. Then she noticed the thrones surrounding it, with an orange farm pony with emerald eyes and a blonde mane wearing a brown stetson in one, and a pink pony with light cerulean eyes and a brilliant rose cotton candy mane that arched forward in another.

"Hiya, Tempest!" The pink pony exclaimed, standing in her seat waving enthusiastically.

Tempest gave a brittle smile. "Forgive me, but it's been a while and I've forgotten your names."

"What!" The cyan pegasus exclaimed. "How could you have forgotten our names! Especially mine!"

"She said it's been a while," the farm pony replied with a southern accent, "cut her some slack, Rainbow. Name's Applejack, over there is Pinkie," she said, gesturing to the pink pony.

"Pie!" Pinkie finished.

"-and behind ya is Rainbow Dash," she motioned behind her.

"The one and only," Rainbow added.

The names sounded familiar to Tempest, and she made sure to find a space to engrain them in her mind.

She limped forward, just before the slab, which upon closer examination appeared to be a magical overhead view of Equestria.

"How are you feeling, Tempest?" Pinkie asked, causing Tempest's eyes to widen before looking next to her to see she had somehow appeared beside her. The question sounded warm and laced with concern and she could see it in her eyes.

"I'm okay," she replied, without thinking.

"We heard about what happened at the Crystal Empire," Pinkie informed.

"Yeah, we heard that you kicked King Sombra's butt," Rainbow affirmed.

"It was more of the opposite," Tempest admitted.

"Well, it was mighty brave doin' what you did," Applejack praised.

"I didn't really do it because I would be a hero," Tempest replied.

"Then why did you?" Rainbow asked, flying idly upright with her forelegs crossed.

Tempest's mind recalled the mountain and the dream she had about the evil shadow and the bigger entity that she heard beyond it. Who happened to be King Sombra. "I don't know exactly. To stop the evil and…" She was at a loss for words. She knew the feelings but the explanation eluded her. Perhaps she simply projected the Storm King onto him. There was the obvious element of stopping him from hurting anyone and taking over but it almost felt like in a way, her fight with King Sombra was more personal and on a deeper level. But she didn't know why.

"To be a hero?" Rainbow finished.

"I don't think being a hero means you fight someone out of anger or hatred," Tempest replied.

"Anger is an emotion we all feel, sugar cube. I'm sure Twilight would have a good reason or analogy for it but what I do know is it can get dangerous and should be kept in check. But I'm glad you're being honest."

"You should come to the cider festival, Tempest!" Pinkie exclaimed. "We were just talking about it and you deserve the down time and I'd absolutely super duper love to get your opinion on the food I've baked! There'll be cinnamon rolls," she alluded using her hoof to block the side of her voice while her brows bounced.

"Maybe?" Tempest replied.

"Oh, come on! It'll be great! I'd love to hang! We could even find a place where nopony is."

"I'm actually going to be heading over to Rarity's soon," Tempest responded.

"Wait," Rainbow said, "before you go, I wanna have a push up face off!" She said, flexing her foreleg.

Echoes of what the doctor told her appeared in her mind. But seeing Rainbow's face and searching within herself, she felt compelled to oblige.

"Is there a trashcan somewhere?" Tempest asked.

"Here," Pinkie said, a couple feet away seemingly holding a basket.

Tempest approached and unwrapped the bloodstained bandage off her head, throwing it in the trash. Not feeling anything warm traveling down her head, she considered it fine and approached Rainbow. She pulled her scarf off and dropped it to the floor along with her poncho, leaving on only her black spandex suit. She kneeled down with some effort and got into position.

Ecstatic, Rainbow swooped down in front of her with a look of determination. Tempest reciprocated her look but with more subtleness and calmness.

Applejack approached from the corner of their vision. "Alright, I'll be the judge to make sure no funny business happens here," Applejack said, giving Rainbow a knowing look.

"Don't strain yourself too much, Tempest," Pinkie warned kindly.

"Are we doing each push up at the same time or just counting who does the most?" Tempest asked.

"Same time," Applejack confirmed.

"Hey! I didn't agree to that!" Rainbow exclaimed indignantly.

"It's only fair we do it like we did before," Applejack asserted.

Rainbow growled but maintained form.

"I wanna see clean push ups ya here? On your mark, get set, go!"

Tempest let her chest fall with control just above the ground before pushing back up with ease.

"One!" Applejack called.

And again.

"Two!

And again.

"Three!"

With time, she found the weight on her growing, causing her to strain further, but her face remained intent and displayed little signs of struggle. Eventually her forelegs began to shake ever so slightly.

Rainbow kept her visage of determination and appeared similar in her struggle, with a slight wobble in her push.

Sweat began to form at the top of Tempest's head, as her forelegs began to shake and the strong burn she learned to withstand appeared. 

"One hundred and one!"

"C'mon, Dashie!" Pinkie cheered.

Rainbow had begun to grit her teeth as she put all her effort into maintaining her strength and integrity.

Tempest had begun to wince as flares of pain were enough to crack her composed visage every few push ups.

The pause between each number increased.

"One hundred and five! ...One hundred and six!"

The pain was immense but she steeled her will and continued her fight against gravity.

"One hundred and seven! ...One hundred eight!"

Rainbow's face was scrunched, her eyes squeezed shut as she wobbled. She collapsed. Laying on the cold crystal floor, her breath somewhat labored as her eyes squinted open.

"One hundred nine! ...One hundred ten! ...One hundred eleven!"

Her eyes snapped open.

Tempest shook, her face contorted, sounds of strain barely audible, as her eyes were squeezed shut. With all her might, she pushed up one last time. Her forelegs reaching full extension she abruptly collapsed.

"One hundred twelve!"

Tempest took the time to catch her breath before looking at Rainbow who had a sour  expression with her eyes averted elsewhere.

Pinkie darted to Rainbow's side, wrapping a foreleg over her. "You did great, Dashie!"

"I would've won if we did wing ups," Rainbow replied.

"I'm proud of ya, Rainbow," Applejack said.

Tempest shakily got to her hooves before standing above Rainbow, extending a hoof forward. Rainbow accepted it, and pulled up to her hooves, she flapped her wings, allowing her to hover above the ground.

"Maybe that wasn't the best idea," Tempest noted, now finding walking to be more difficult, especially with a limp. She put on her poncho and wrapped her scarf around her neck.

"You have a while to recover," Applejack noted.

Tempest limped back toward the table, scanning it again.

"What're ya lookin' for?" Applejack asked.

"I just wanted to see if I could find my old village," Tempest replied.

"Have you been back there?" Applejack asked.

"I've thought about going back," Tempest answered.

"What's stopping you? You should go back. I'm sure you've got family or friends that'd be happy to see you again," Applejack replied, with sincerity.

"There you are Tempest." Spike stood at the double doors holding one side open. "Did I miss something?" Spike asked with a raised brow.

"Spike, could you do us a big favor and get some water?" Pinkie asked.

"Uh, sure," he said, leaving.

"The Running of Leaves is soon, Rainbow," Applejack said. "You gonna be there?"

"Of course I will!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"You're not gonna have to ask for the day off?" Applejack asked.

"I'm sure Spitfire will let me," she dismissed casually. "I am the Element of Loyalty after all," she said, hovering down and sitting on her throne.

"Where do you work?" Tempest asked.

"I'm a Wonderbolt."

Tempest raised a brow.

"Oh, come on! Do you not know who the Wonderbolts are either?" Rainbow asked.

Tempest didn't reply and maintained her raised brow.

Rainbow growled. "Oh, forget it."

"Here's your water," Spike said, waddling forward with a tray of a few mugs. "Didn't know how many you wanted," he said, holding it out for Tempest.

Tempest grabbed one, and watched as Spike walked in front of the others, letting them grab their own. She tilted her head before bringing the mug to her lips, downing it all in one go. Tempest gestured to Spike with the mug, placing it on the tray.

"Do you need more?" He asked.

"No thanks. Could you take me to Rarity's?"

"Oh, yeah!" Spike said, his eyes lighting up upon remembering. "Do you wanna go now?"

"Yeah?" Tempest replied, confused why he asked after what she'd said.

Spike looked around before handing the tray to Pinkie, who took it. "Okay, cool. Let's go!" He exclaimed, waving for her to follow.

"See you later, Tempest!" Pinkie called.

Turning, Tempest waved her goodbyes, with a semi forced smile, before exiting through the double doors.

She followed Spike down the corridors until they reached the giant double door exit. They left the castle, beginning down the path toward the town, the sun near it's highest point in the sky. It wasn't long before they entered the town and eventually arrived at Rarity's boutique.

Spike knocked.

"Be with you shortly!" A voice called.

A few moments later the door opened, revealing a familiar white unicorn with a curled indigo mane and azure eyes.

"Tempest, darling! It's so good to see you-" her eyes snapped down to Tempest's chest. "Sweet Celestia! They look like they're hanging on by a thread! Come in, darling," she said, opening the door wider for her to enter. "Let's get this sorted."

Tempest passed Rarity and entered the building, Spike following after.

Tempest took in her surroundings, seeing many pinks and shades of purple with various curtains and mirrors everywhere. The room was circular and appeared lavish but had a few elements of ruralness. There were a few mannequins, most having some sort of outfit or a half outfit on. What caught her eye the most was the yellow circular slab with three mirrors angled behind it. To its left were tan saloon doors with flowers and a heart leading to a dark room.

"Follow me, darling," Rarity said. "We'll head up to my room and get right to work." She sauntered ahead before beginning up the stairs, with Tempest following shortly behind.

At the top, she took in her room, which also was circular with white and pink checker pillars surrounding its circumference. At the end there was a large window, another small window with a simplistic purple ivory embroidery extending from both sides at the top to the left, a wardrobe and dresser to its left, and a desk with a sewing machine and rolls of various fabrics to the right of the large window with another small window above it. On the left side of the room there also was a crimson blanket bed that had a royal appearance with its own dark pink curtain. And laying on its side on the bed, there was a fluffy white cat, which had a purple collar with a flower insignia at its center, and a long tuft of hair coming off its head with a purple bow tying it off.

Rarity's horn lit with an azure glow before a pair of crimson glasses floated onto her muzzle. "Alright then. Oh, Spike," Rarity started, turning around, "could you be the best dragon assistant ever and get me my measuring tape that I left downstairs," she asked, her eyes lidded.

Spike immediately pivoted and bolted away down the stairs.

Rarity searched her desk, examining various thread rolls.

Spike soon came up, extending the measuring tape forward, with excitement in his eyes. 

Rarity took it in her magic aura, letting it fall around her neck, "Thank you so much, Spike."

Tempest saw Spike's expression form into a lackadaisical smile. Looking at Rarity, she realized he was giving her the goo-goo eyes. She internally mused with a 'hm' out of its oddness. She figured it was simply lust out of her appearance, especially considering she wasn't facing him, but the differing species and age gap- or what she assumed was an age gap- threw her for a loop. Perhaps it was love? Probably not.

"Actually, Spike, do you mind giving Tempest and I some alone time?"

Spike shook his head breaking from his trance. "Uh, yeah. Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"You help me all the time, Spikey," Rarity gently reminded, "I'm sure I'll be fine today."

"Ok," Spike droned, defeated, his hands practically swaying as he turned and headed down the stairs. The audible sound of a bell jingle and a door shut signified his exit.

"Could you take off your clothes for me?" Rarity asked.

Tempest's eyes widened and ears folded as a blush threatened to appear. But she immediately rationalized the reason and calmed herself realizing she still had her spandex anyway. She gingerly pulled the scarf off and took off her poncho, picking them up before offering them forward.

Rarity turned with a carefree smile holding them in her aura before she noticed her spandex. "Oh, I didn't know you still wore that. It appears they're ripped as well."

"Actually, I'd like to continue wearing it," Tempest shyly replied.

Rarity appeared perplexed but seemed to not pay it too much mind as she turned and placed the clothes on the desk.

A few minutes passed as Rarity seemed to be examining the cloth while holding various thread rolls, leaving Tempest to stand awkwardly in the center of the room.

"May I get some measurements?" Rarity asked, turning and beginning toward Tempest, magically floating the measuring tape.

"Sure," Tempest replied, raising a brow, wondering why she would need it but figuring she knew nothing about the craft.

"How are you, darling?" She asked, taking one end of the tape, putting it to the bottom of her chest, and taking the other end and putting it to where her jaw began.

"I'm alright," Tempest replied.

"Are you sure? I heard from Twilight about what happened. Surely you must be a little shaken?" She asked, measuring across her chest.

"I'm actually a little better after it all. A little more appreciative too in a way."

"But?"

"... I guess I was shown that I'm not as strong as I thought I was, even after everything that's happened. And that I'm still not the greatest pony."

"There's many forms of strength, darling. I think the fact you made it this far and you're here is impressive. And that you also want to be a better pony. To put it simply, it's admirable to be as indestructible as a diamond. But you must be soft sometimes too. Otherwise the pressure can make you crack. Or worse. And I don't want that. You understand what I'm trying to say, right, darling?"

Tempest didn't respond as she mulled over her assessment. Was she already cracked? Broken. It felt like she shattered long ago. And was left with a mark to show it.

"But I presume you have deeply nestled pains or conflicts despite your fortitude. So I imagine it's difficult," she noted.

Tempest's eyes traveled to the right of the room, her eyes meeting her own in the mirror.

"So, you're not really into fashion or beauty?" Rarity asked, stirring Tempest from her rumination and memories.

"I'm not into fancy clothing," she replied.

"Fashion isn't just that. While yes it can be used for deception and more.. insidious means, fashion is an art and can display beauty. And I believe you undervalue beauty. It can represent or show something beyond and be.. well, divine. It can be fierce. And in a way, intimidate, like you," she noted, with a big smile, taking the measuring tape away from her

"This sounds like you're deceiving me," Tempest replied, half in jest.

"I'm not, darling! You have beauty. And I think you should embrace the scar," Rarity noted with a smile, her voice low and her eyes locking with Tempest's.

Tempest saw genuineness. She let her gaze fall to the floor as Rarity continued taking measurements behind her.

"But remember, it's what's on the inside that matters most," she asserted.

Eventually, Rarity sauntered past Tempest with the tape resting over her neck. She took a seat and magically floated a quill, and it's ink cup and a piece of paper over, writing things down. Pushing the paper away, she magically lifted the scarf, thread roll, and needle. 

"This may take an hour or two," Rarity informed. "But I heard there's a small festival going on if you'd like to keep yourself occupied. Afterwards you can come back and I'll give you your clothes."

Tempest contemplated whether she should go, but making up her mind, she turned and with some effort, limped down the stairs.

Hearing the bell of the boutique ring, Rarity smiled, levitating a sheet of paper in front of her that had a mare outline on it. She levitated her quill, beginning to mull over ideas for a design of something new as she began threading.





Tempest wandered Ponyville, searching for the aforementioned festival. She figured to listen for any commotion but she couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. So instead, she decided to search for the town's center and work from there.

"Hey, Tempest!"

Looking up into the afternoon sky, she saw a familiar cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane. 

Rainbow Dash dived down, floating in front of her. "Are you done hangin' with Rarity?"

"She's working on my clothes."

"So that's where they went," Rainbow noted. "Well, if you want, I can take you to the festival after we go get Fluttershy."

"Sure."

"Cool. Follow me!" She exclaimed flying ahead.

Tempest followed after at a steady gait. It wasn't long before they left the town, and began on a path on the outskirts. Sure enough she could see a small house with a grassy roof up a small hill. Deviating from the path, she walked on the small bridge over a stream, noticing the few small trees with many bird houses, before stopping in front of the salmon colored door with Rainbow. 

Rainbow knocked a few times. 

It wasn't long before the door opened a crack. 

"Oh, hi, Rainbow," a soft voice greeted, beginning to fully open the door.

The door opened fully to reveal a butter colored pegasus with a long flowing pink mane and cyan eyes. But her face faltered for a second when her eyes met Tempests. 

"Oh, and Tempest too," she corrected, avoiding eye contact. 

"Hey, Flutters. So we-"

"Oh, Angel! Don't do that!" Fluttershy called, her voice still not very loud or bold as she turned away.

Rainbow groaned before flying into the house.

Tempest gingerly followed.

The house had a lot of lime greens and wood material. 

Fluttershy flew over to a small white rabbit named Angel who appeared to be attempting to climb up a countertop for something. Tempest recognized the rabbit as the same one Discord showed a few days ago.

She scooped him up into her arms. "It's not time yet," Fluttershy told the rabbit.

The rabbit appeared indignant with its arms crossed.

"What is this?" Rainbow asked. 

She was hovering above a wooden pendulum sitting on a counter between a chair and a couch. The pendulum was familiar to her, with its golden leg with vine embroidery and a butterfly at its end, and a silver double jointed leg with a smokey unstable purple ball at its end.

"Oh, Discord gave that to me," she replied.

"What is it?" Rainbow asked again.

"Honestly, I don't really know. I think it's some sort of pendulum."

"Weird."

"I like it. Even if I don't exactly know what it is," Fluttershy said sheepishly.

Rainbow grimaced, "anyway," she drawled. "We were wondering if you wanted to go to the festival."

"Um, I don't know," Fluttershy trailed off, putting Angel down.

"C'mon! You gotta get out every once in a while. And how else are you gonna get more assertive," Rainbow replied. "Me, Applejack, and Pinkie are gonna be there. Tempest too," she added, upon noticing her. "But it'd be awesome if you came. You don't even have to be there for very long."

"I guess I'll go."

Angel appeared not amused with the answer.

"Sweet!" Rainbow exclaimed, pumping a hoof. "Let's go!" She waved with her hoof. 

Tempest followed Rainbow, leaving the cottage she just entered, with Fluttershy following shortly behind.

They walked, limped, and flew in silence. Entering the town, they eventually ended up toward the open center, which had various tables with balloons set up in front of the town hall. The tables closest to the building had a myriad of foods and desserts, and some ponies were still placing more while the rest were examining the food or dishing up.

"Come on, Fluttershy, let's get some cider!" Rainbow exclaimed, getting behind her and pushing her forward.

Despite her pause, Tempest limped forward toward the plate table. She held a paper plate in her hoof and began down the line, examining the options available. Most of it was sugary sweets, which she wasn't too keen on consuming. 

"Hey, can you move!" A stallion scolded.

Looking over, Tempest noticed a stallion glaring at a grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane and golden skewed eyes.

"Oops," the pegasus said, noticing some of the ponies food was on the dirt. "Sorry," she said giving a nervous laugh rubbing the back of her head.

"Seriously, go to the back of the line or something," he chided.

"Is there a problem?"

The stallion look over to see Tempest with a callaced expression, her cyan eyes piercing into him, daring him to say something rash.

He quickly averted his gaze. "S-sorry, I just got frustrated," he stuttered.

"I'm not one who needs an apology," Tempest replied.

He turned to the mare, "Sorry."

The stallion passed her, allowing Tempest's gaze to soften a bit. 

"Hey, aren't you the pony that tried to take over Canterlot?"

Tempest winced. "Yes. Sorry I trapped you in stone."

"It's okay. You seem like a way better pony now."

Tempest quirked a brow. "How do you know?"

"I can feel it."

Tempest was stunned.

"Anyway, the names Muffins but my friends call me Derpy."

"Tempest," she replied.

"Hi, Tempest. Well, I hope to see you around," she said waving, walking away.

"You too," Tempest said under her breath.

Tempest limped to the back of line. She picked up a bagel, an apple, and some fries before she attempted to find a seat. Many of the tables were full or had a group of ponies, except a few empty tables at the corners of the group. She made her way to one, figuring it was secluded and isolated enough to not be bothered.

She took a seat, noticing many ponies happily dining. She took a bite of the bagel.

A plate and mug was placed in front of her, drawing her attention. "Not very many sweets, huh?" Rainbow said, noting her plate. "Gotta stay in shape."

Tempest nodded.

Fluttershy placed her plate and mug next to Rainbows, which had only a single apple compared to Rainbows which had a variety of healthy items.

"Wait," Rainbow began. "You didn't get cider!?" She exclaimed.

Tempest noticed she indeed didn't have a mug.

Rainbow flew away, before coming back in a few seconds, holding a foaming mug out to her with a big smile. "You've gotta try it!"

Tempest extended a hoof, snaking it through the hole before bringing it below her muzzle. Tipping the mug, she brought it to her lips, taking a drink.

The fizzy fluid sparkled in her mouth a bit and immediately presented itself as a strong but not unpleasant apple flavor. The residual taste was almost creamy and had a pleasant sweetness that didn't beg for more and instead was content with itself.

Bringing the mug down, she noticed Fluttershy giggle and avert her eyes, hiding her face with her mane.

Tempest figured she must've had a pseudo form of facial hair from the cider. Smiling ever so slightly, she wiped her muzzle.

"How was it?" Applejack asked, now taking a seat beside her.

"It was good," she replied.

Rainbow slammed the mug down, foam on her lips. "Good? This stuff is amazingly awesome!"

"I'm always glad to hear it," Applejack replied. "And don't go drinkin' a lot, Rainbow. Ya hear? There's not that much until cider season."

"Can't make any promises," Rainbow replied.

Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Hi! Sorry I'm late!" Pinkie was approaching while balancing a plate that was piled with sweets that went so high, a single breeze would knock it all over. She sat next to Tempest, the pyramid wobbling.

Pinkie looked at everyone around the table, giving a borderline seductive grin as she bounced her brows, "I got the stuff."

Everyone raised a brow.

She pulled something from her stack of sweets like a jenga tower before presenting it. In her hoof was a cinnamon roll. "You gotta try it, Tempest."

Tempest lifted her hoof, allowing Pinkie to slide it on. Past the transparent glaze, it had the signature spiral, but it's shape and quality made it extremely presentable. She could faintly smell the spicy cinnamon aroma, almost making her mouth water.

She took a bite. The flavor was immediate and warm but not overpowering. She hadn't had many sweets in her lifetime, but it tasted like it was made with effort.

"Huh? Huh?" Pinkie coaxed, ecstatic to hear the results knowing it was probably amazing.

"It's really good," Tempest replied.

"Aw, thank you!" Pinkie exclaimed, wrapping her forelegs around Tempest, giving her a quick hug

Tempest's eyes widened for a second before she let go. She cleared her throat, regaining her composure, "you made it?"

"Yep! I helped make all the baked goods over there. It's what I do," she said casually shrugging. She then somehow shoved a large portion of said baked goods from her plate into her mouth, the tower still miraculously standing.

"Come to think of it," Applejack began, "I forgot to ask what work you might be lookin' for, Tempest."

"I'm not sure," Tempest replied.

"What's your Cutie Mark?"

Tempest frowned. "It's nothing special."

Applejack averted her eyes but quickly spoke up, "Well, I, uh, I'm sure you'll find somethin'," she said with a rictus smile while punching her hoof to the side for emphasis.

"I'm gonna get more cider," Rainbow said, flying away.

At the mention of cider, Tempest took a drink from her mug.

"So how was the trip with others?" Fluttershy asked.

"It didn't go very well at first. But I'd say we grew pretty close by the end of it."

"Was Discord being really mean?" She asked.

"Not exactly. He did talk about you though," Tempest informed.

"Really?"

"Of course he did, Fluttershy!" Pinkie exclaimed. "You're like the only pony he really cares about! Like really-really cares about!"

"I'm sure he cares about all of us," Fluttershy denied.

"Doubt it," Applejack deadpanned.

"Alright, I'm back," Rainbow said, holding a full mug. "What are we talking about?"

"Discord," Pinkie informed.

"Unfortunately," Applejack sighed.

Rainbow groaned.

"Do you all hate him?" Tempest asked.

"Yep," Rainbow replied.

"I prefer dislike," Applejack replied.

"He can be fun sometimes," Pinkie replied.

"I like him," Fluttershy said.

"We know," Rainbow and Applejack replied in unison.

Tempest found the responses interesting. "Why did you set him free?"

"We didn't," Rainbow informed, "Princess Celestia had us free him to reform him or whatever."

Tempest found it odd. But she considered the Princesses did forgive her despite all she did. Why? She still didn't know.

They all continued to eat and drink while Tempest mostly kept to herself.

But eventually, she figured it was time to go retrieve her clothes.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to go," Tempest said, standing up.

"Take it easy now," Applejack replied.

"Was fun hangin' out," Rainbow replied.

"Bye," Fluttershy said.

She left the table and began down the road when a voice called out.

"Wait!"

Looking over her flank, she saw Pinkie chasing after her before stopping a comfortable distance away.

"I hope we didn't make you feel uncomfortable. Or lonely," Pinkie said. "Sometimes it can feel even more lonely being around certain ponies than being alone."

Tempest chuckled. "You didn't, Pinkie."

Pinkie smiled.

Tempest continued forward.

It wasn't long before she found the boutique again, to which she knocked at the front door.

The door opened to Rarity who smiled. "Tempest! Darling! Come in," she said, opening the door wider for her to enter.

Tempest entered, with Rarity shutting the door behind her before trotting ahead. Her horn lit with an azure aura, a black poncho and a scarf levitating forward. 

Falling on her foreleg, they appeared borderline brand new, with no evidence or any damage remaining. Tempest put the poncho on and wrapped her scarf around her neck. "Thanks. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"Oh, psh," Rarity waved dismissively. "You don't have to pay. Consider it a gift."

Tempest figured she could find a way to pay her secretly.

"But if insist on paying me you could stop by Sunday."

"For what?"

"Oh, just to help organize the boutique," Rarity said dismissively.

"I'll be there," Tempest affirmed, turning to leave.

"Excellent. Take care, darling!" Rarity waved.

With Tempest's departure once more, Rarity finally decided to get to work on her new design.





"Hey! You're back," Spike greeted, opening the castle door.

Tempest entered inside.

"How'd it go? The clothes look amazing," Spike complimented.

"It was good."

"Great! Oh, Twilight also wanted to talk with you," Spike remembered.

Tempest's mind halted. She began to wonder what it was for. 

"Do you know what for?"

"She didn't say," he replied.

Tempest followed Spike until he took her to a pair of lime double doors. "She should be in there," Spike said.

Tempest pushing through, entering into the library. Twilight was at her usual table, with a city of books and piles of scrolls. Her mane appeared a little disheveled and she had slight bags under her eyes.

"Hi, Tempest!" She greeted with a wide smile despite her tiredness.

"If you're asking me about living arrangements, I plan to leave as soon as I can," Tempest informed.

"It's not about that, and you can stay as long as you want," Twilight replied. She sighed. "So, the princesses and I have been talking, and with their help, I've managed to create your reward."

Tempest raised a brow.

Twilight opted to grab the item with her hoof, before holding it close to her chest. Sauntering toward Tempest, she waited until she was just in front of her to reveal it.

In her hoof, there was a small cyan crystal that was cone shaped, and at its base were three bronze metal pieces with silver etching holding the crystal that spiraled down widening in circumference.

Tempest's eyes widened.

"I was thinking I could maybe give you what you really wanted. If it is what you desire."

Tempest's gaze met Twilight's. She saw compassion and genuineness in her eyes. Memories manifested. Tempest smiled.