Equestria & Beyond

The sound of a hammer and anvil echoed methodically through the cobbled square of a small town. Twilight followed the sound, wearing a rugged but effective brown cloak. Going out in public had only gotten harder, she now understood why Celestia and Luna barely left Canterlot, let alone their castle.

She came upon the source of the sound, a coal-fired forge adjacent to a cozy straw-roofed house. A unicorn mare with a tall dark pink mane, an even darker purple coat to match. Not that the specific color palette was common, but when she turned around there was no mistaking who it was due to several distinct features on her face.

Tempest Shadow briefly looked up as Twilight approached before turning back to her work.

"Figured you had something to do with this," she sighed. "No pony else would order seven custom gorgets with gem sockets... You know you could have asked any number of other smiths in Canterlot."

Twilight shrugged, "It's something friends do, we rely on each other."

Tempest smirked, "Anything else you came all this way for? If it's about the last piece being three sizes smaller than the others I just assumed it was a typo..."

"Oh, no-that one's for Spike."

Tempest leaned over her workbench, "Where is the little guy? He usually follows you around everywhere."

"I... gave him some things to get done at the castle while I'm gone, it's just us today."

The sound of a straw attempting to suck up the last dregs of a cup made Twilight turn her head, laying eyes on a dark-gray hedgehog with white quills coming around the corner.

"Oh hey, Twilight! How's it goin'?", Grubber asked.

"Make that the three of us," Twilight smiled.

Tempest squinted at the empty cup.

"Uh, were you saving this for later? My bad...", he said as he wiped whipped cream from his paws on the Storm King logo of the oversized hoodie he was wearing.

Grubber hopped up on a stool behind the counter, popping off the plastic lid to lick the inside.

"Well, I can see you two are getting along nicely," Twilight said.

"Hmph, he's just lucky I feel sorry enough to let him hang around."

"Ah, come on Tempest! I'm all sorts of useful, aren't I?"

"Like a spatula serving soup."

"Exactly! Wait..."

The two mares chuckled a little.

"You know, besides the metalwork, I do have a... proposition for you...", Twilight said.

"And what would that be?", Tempest replied as she pumped the bellows.

"Since my brother left for the Crystal Empire there's been a vacancy for Captain of the Royal Guard, and with Celestia and Luna retiring it's the perfect opportunity for a changing of the guard; both figuratively and literally."

Tempest put down her hammer, "Why me?" she asked.

"To be honest, you're one of the only ponies in the entire country with a decent amount of combat and leadership experience."

"But why I have those skills should be enough for you to pick somepony else. I was the Storm King's right-hand mare for years. I've done... terrible things, not to mention helping him nearly take over Equestria! Remember that time I literally colt-napped you?"

"We all make mistakes," Twilight said. "Some... more serious than others," she added when Tempest rolled her eyes. "Besides, that's all behind you! You even showed up to help us defeat Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow! That's gotta mean something deep down."

"Because you saved my life, that's all. I'm happy here, I found a way to use some of the skills I learned in the Storm King's army to help ponies. The last thing I want is to get wrapped up in military conflict again. I'm sorry Twilight, but I'm not that kind of mare, not anymore...", Tempest said as she turned her back.

Twilight sighed, "There's a war coming Tempest, regardless of what either of us wants. Bigger than the Storm King's reign, bigger than anything in recorded history. Equestria's gonna need everypony she can get. And there's no-pony else I'd rather have leading the front."

Tempest was silent for a while, "...Okay, I'll do it," she looked up, "if you can find a way to fix my horn."

"Alright," Twilight blinked and turned to walk away.

"Wait- that was a joke!" Tempest stopped her, "There's no actual way to repair a broken horn... right?"

"Not that I know of... but if that's what you want I'll gladly look into it."

"Why? Because 'we're friends'?"

Twilight nodded, "And so what's important to you is important to me. I'll see you in Canterlot!", she said as she flipped her hood back on, leaving Tempest alone to her thoughts, the slow crackle of her forge, and a certain annoying hedgehog.

"What's with that grumpy ol' mug? She's tryna be nice!", Grubber said.

Tempest sighed, "I've had "friends" before, Grubber. They'll be there when it's convenient and then turn saddle at the first sign of trouble. I can't trust anypony anymore. Between that and being the Storm King's lackey, I can't even trust myself. That's why I never hang around anypony for too long."

"But... Twilight trusts you."

"I don't know what she sees in me; a unicorn broken in more ways than one. She should've let go..."

Grubber put down his cup, "Tempest?", he asked.

"What?", she barked.

"I could've gone anywhere in Equestria after the Storm King, you know... But I chose to stick with you, wanna know why? Because you're one of the coolest, most talented ponies I know."

"I'm the only pony you know."

"I mean, yeah... but listen, you got some serious skills my mare. No creature can hold a candle to you when it comes to making smoothies, let alone in a fight. I mean, talk about a diverse profile. The whole broken horn thing with the eye scar? Totally bad-apple. And I dunno about you, but being captain of the guard for an alicorn sounds pretty sick. You got places you can go, things you can do, ponies who value you for who you are! Me? Well, I've got nothin..."

Tempest walked over to the hedgehog slumped on the barstool, "You have me, at least."

Grubber perked up, "Hey! Now we're talking! And we got each other, right?", he said while holding a paw out for a fist-bump.

Tempest left him hanging and doused her forge, then packed up the finished set of gorgets and walked out of the forge.

"Uh, where you going?", Grubber asked.

"Canterlot- you coming or what?", Tempest added behind her.

"I think gold looks good on you," Twilight said as they walked down the corridor.

"Speak for yourself, it's a bit big-" Tempest shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, it's not every day that there's a mare in the Royal Guard, especially as captain."

They came to a wooden set of double doors that led out into the courtyard.

"So... what do you want me to do?"

Twilight shrugged, "Just do whatever comes naturally! Ponies are probably a lot easier to keep in line than those storm-beasts."

Tempest collected herself and then pushed the doors open, coming into the field right before the city gate. A couple of dozen Royal Guards stood in rows. She cleared her throat as she approached them.

"Attention!", she shouted, the Guards instinctively straightening their lines out and holding their spears at the ready. "My name is Tempest Shadow, and starting today I'll be your new captain.", she said as she began pacing in front of them. "There'll be no lollygagging or slacking off on my watch. If I catch any of you staring at my flank you get yours beaten into the pavement, understood?"

"Yes... ma'am!", the Guards collective voices rang out, many of them having to stop themselves from saying 'sir'.

Tempest eyed one of the more nervous-looking pegasi. "Private! How many drills do the Guard run through every week?"

"Uh, two... Two ma'am!", he corrected himself as Tempest glared at his informality.

"Double it."

"What? There's no way we can-", a gray unicorn said in protest.

"Triple it!", Tempest interrupted him, "Do I hear quadruple?", as she eyed him down in close-quarters.

The unicorn broke eye contact and remained silent. A small snort followed by a chuckle came from further down the line.

"Excuse me?", Tempest said as she marched towards the outburst.

"With all due respect captain, how is a unicorn whose lacking what makes a unicorn a unicorn going to maintain order around Equestria?", a white unicorn wondered aloud.

Well that was slower than I expected, Tempest thought to herself, time to establish the pecking order.

She walked over to a nearby weapons rack and grabbed a spear. "Alright then, if you beat me one-on-one, I'll promote you to captain and immediately resign."

"You serious?"

"If you look at me you'll see that I just love to joke around," Tempest said, equipped with a stone-cold poker face Maud Pie would approve of.

The unicorn looked around at his fellow guards before stepping forwards to face Tempest.

They circled each other for a bit before the unicorn levitated his spear forward in a clumsy lunge. Tempest easily dodged it, going in close and knocking him to the ground with her shoulder. She rolled over him and brought her spear up to his neck while pinning his back with her knee, effectively locking him in a chokehold.

"Anypony else?", she asked the other guards who'd gathered around them.

Dead silence.

"Good. Now get back in line!", she snapped.

"She's perfect!", Spike gasped from the sidelines while he and Twilight watched the scene unfold.

"I know, right?", a popcorn-munching Grubber said from beside him.

Spiked almost jumped, "How long have you been here?"