A few days later, in the east of the deep snowy forest around the morning. In a small old broken little cabin that is far away from the Crystal empire, there lived a poor soldier. The soldier is a tall dark orchid slender mare with a broken horn who was called by the named of Tempest Shadow. Tempest lived with her small hedgehog companion, Grubber. Tempest and Grubber use to go to war in order to protect the innocent ponies and other creatures from danger. Tempest was the fearless and trickiest soldier ever in the battlefield.

But after the war was done, she was left jobless. Her parents were dead from the plague, and she can no longer live in her old cabin anymore. Tempest did go to her sisters in the nearby town and asked them to support her until there was another war. But her siblings reject her offer and refuse to let her live with either of them. Tempest still remember her sisters tease her a few days ago. Thinking back at those painful memories.

“Tempest, as a soldier you the best and strongest in Equestria. But as unicorn with a broken horn, you are quite useless to work with an unstable magic,” said the aqua green sister.

“You tell her Glitter Drops! Not to mention that you might scared our future hubby and our friends, little sis,” said the blue unicorn sister.

“But if you want to go find a job, I suggest you so like go to the Crystal Empire.”

“Yeah, I heard they should give a decent job for a pony like you.”

“So like, don’t ever ask us again about living with either of us.”

“We are finding ourselves a rich husband to live a better life.”

“Now go scram and don’t comeback!”

“Unless if you are more decent and lady like!”

After hearing those harsh words coming from her own sisters’ mouth, Tempest stood up and walk away along with her hedgehog friend. They head toward the door.

“Come on sister Spring Rain, only that fat rat will cry for her.”

“HAHAHA good one,” Spring Rain finish laughing and slam the door behind Tempest’s back.

“I’m not useless,” Tempest mumble to herself as one tear from her eyes fell to the ground.

“And I am not a fat rat, I am a hedgehog!” shouted back Grubber.

“Come on Grubber, let’s go home,” Tempest said with a calm voice.

Tempest and Grubber starts walking back to their old cabin.

“Tempest, Tempest, Tempest, Tempest!”

“Huh.” Tempest’s flashback was interrupted by Grubber when he saw Tempest spacing out.

“Are you ok?” said the worried hedgehog.

“Not really Grubber. Let’s finish packing our things, so we can head out immediately.”

While packing up their belongings, Grubber ask another worry question.

“Tempest, do we really have to leave our cabin.”

“Yes, I’m afraid so Grubber.”

“But why can we just fix the house by ourselves? We have lots of tree outside to fix it back.”

“We can’t afford to pay off the taxes for this place. There is no choice but to look for work and a new place to live.”

Grubber sigh. “Huh, alright. But I still can’t believe your two gold-digging sisters are so mean to you. They can’t even give us a scrap of food or bits for Celestia sake. “

“Now Grubber, there is no point. Let’s go to the Crystal Empire. I’m sure we’ll find a better job and a better place, “said Tempest with her hopes.

“Did you pack all of your stuffs?”

“Yep, ready as I’ll ever be. I’m going to miss this place,” said Grubber with a sad face while wearing a backpack.

“Me too.” After finishing pack their belongings, Tempest and Grubber walks to the broken cabin door and left their old home for good.

Around two hours later, Tempest and Grubber finally made it to the Crystal Empire after walking in the snow very long. As they enter the gate to the Crystal Empire, Grubber look around with an admiration look. He saw crystal foods in the markets, crystal clothes in a boutique and even the houses are made of crystal where all the crystal fillies are playing.

“So, Tempest is the Crystal Empire that great?”

“I don’t know Grubber. Let us hope we can find a job soon……,”

Tempest pause as she heard a racket above one of the crystal houses.

“STOP!”, cried out the little yellow earth pony guard with red hair.

“Get back here, you vermin thieves!” the orange earth pony shouted.

Seeing the view from the crystal roof, Tempest saw a pale earth pony, an orange dragon and a cerulean griffin with ragged clothing, who are running away from the guards.

“If I ever catch one of you y’all, I’ll have my lasso around y’all heads! You no good hooligans!”

When the three guards trying to surround the three young thieves, the pale pony look at his comrades.

“Do we have to steal a basket of cupcakes?”, asked the pale young earth pony to his comrades.

“A basket of Crystal berry cupcake! And yes, because I am hungry and dragons like to eat gems and crystals,” answered the orange dragon.

Looking back at the guards, then down at the basket of cupcakes. “Pffft, that guard is just making a fuss over those cupcakes,” said the cocky griffin.

“Hey guys, we better jump if we want to ditch these guards now,” the orange dragon demanded.

“Alright, let’s jump now!”, shout out the griffin.

As the pale pony is holding on the basket with his mouth, the dragon and the griffin holds the pale pony by two of his front legs while flying all the way down to the ground. The two flying thieves drop their pony friend safely on the street.

“Thanks guys,” said the young colt. When they heard the guards shouting at them, they look up.

“There they are,” said the little guard.

“Come on, let us catch these vermin. They won’t get away so easy!”

As the guards quickly went to the stairs in the house, the three thieves immediately hide inside a wagon filled with crystal vase.

As soon as the guards came out from the Crystal house, the orange mare command the other soldiers to split up.

“Hey you, the one with a broken horn, have you seen a pony, a griffin and a dragon anywhere,” the serious orange mare asked Tempest.

“No ma’am, why?”, Tempest said with a calm but serious tone. While the poor little hedgehog stays behind Tempest to be away from the aggressive orange mare.

“If you ever find these hooligans, tell us immediately. They are criminals for stealing food.”

As the orange earth pony finish with her question, she saw her comrades with a disappointed look.

“Any sign of them brother?”

“Nope,” said the tall strong red stallion.

“Aww man, these thieves are good!”

“Don’t worry Applebloom, will fine these criminals soon. For now, they gotten away. But we will meet them again. Come on y’all let’s head back to our position.” As the three soldiers runs back to the castle, Tempest waits for them to be far away, until they are out of sight. Tempest heads toward the wagon full of crystal vases and tap her hoof on the vase where the three thieves are hiding.

“You can come out now, little ones!”

“Is the ghost clear?” ask the dragon.

“Yes,” answered Tempest.

“Thank you so much,” said the happy pale colt.

When the three little thieves came out of the vases, the griffin gave Tempest curious look.

“Why did you save us,” asked the griffin with concern.

“You do realize we just stole these foods from a bakery?”, the orange dragon confesses.

“I just know what it is like to be poor. And since you guys are getting into trouble this early in a morning. My guest is you have a family to feed and to take care of. Am I correct?”

“You can say it like that,” said the blushing griffin.

“So, what brings you to town?”, asked the dragon.

“Just looking for a job.”

“And an empty house to sleep tonight,” the hedgehog added.

“There aren’t any empty homes in this place Miss umm…” The pale pony pauses as he trying to know her name.

“Shadow, Tempest Shadow young one.”

“And I’m Grubber it nice to meet you um?”

“Oh, my bad. The named is Sandbar. The griffin is Gallus and the dragon is Smolder.”

“Well since you save our life from those guards, you are welcome to our place,” the dragon offered.

“Well I…,” Grubber cut off Tempest and he ask them with an excitement look.

“Really, you guys have a place for us to sleep?”

“Sure, you save us from trouble. So, it’s fair enough to save you some trouble,” said the griffin.

“Come on, let’s go before the guard find us again,” said the pale pony.

After they finished their conversation together, the three thieves lead the two new guests to their hide out. Making sure no pony else is following them.

On the west side of the lower part of the crystal empire that is almost near to the snowy side, there lived a young yak, a changeling and a hippogriff. They lived in a magical treehouse that is twice as large than the crystal houses. While the changeling is on a look out for her friends or an intruder, the hippogriff and the yak preparing plates in the dining room.

“Are they here yet,” ask the hippogriff.

“Not yet Silverstream,” said the changeling.

“Yona hope the others can make it in time,” said the yak.

“Yeah me too, these guards now a days are very aggressive and strict!”, Silverstream point it out.

As the changeling is almost getting bored, she spotted her comrades with two new strangers.

“Hey guys they’re back and they brought two new faces! “, the changeling called.

“Really, what did you see Ocellus,” Silverstream asked her excitedly.

“A tall red violet unicorn and a small spikey hedgehog.”

“Is the new pony and hedgehog dangerous?”, asked the yak.

“I don’t think so, they don’t look like enemies. Oh, they got food!”, Ocellus respond their question.

“Food? What kind?”, asked Silverstream.

“Crystal berry cupcakes!”

“Cupcakes!”, said the excited yak and hippogriff.

With so much joy with Yona and Silverstream, they head toward the door and stairs to exit the crystal treehouse.

“Cupcakes are best cake!”, Yona yelled.

“Hi guys! Hi new friends!” Silverstream also yelled.

As the two head toward their comrades. Sandbar pause as he saw two of his other comrades are coming to him.

“Woah there, Yona! Silverstream!”

When Yona and Silverstream almost reach their friends, Gallus and Smolder stop them by holding their tails until they stop. Lucky Yona and Silverstream didn’t touch Sandbar, Tempest, and Grubber by four inches away.

“Thanks, Gallus and Smolder,” said the gratitude Sandbar.

“We just save the food!”

“Right!”, said Tempest with a smirk.

“Glad your all back!”, yelled Silverstream.

“Hey Sandbar, can you introduce us to your two new strangers?”, asked Ocellus.

“This is Tempest Shadow and Grubber, their new from town.”

“Tempest, Grubber, meet the rest of our comrades, Yona the yak, Ocellus the changeling and Silverstream the hippogriff.”

“Hi. is nice to meet you. Where you from? What is your favorite color? Are you a soldier? No are a warrior…..”

“Woah Silverstream they just have a long journey. Let’s head in the treehouse and we’ll talk inside the dining room,” suggested Sandbar.

“Sounds good to me,” shrugged Smolder.

So the thieves and the former soldiers went straight to the crystal treehouse. When Tempest and Grubber enter inside the thieves’ home, they were amazing of how the six young thieves can live in a treehouse filled with everything they need, except for food and clothing supplies. The sofas are cover in gems. Furniture made in crystals with different colors. The structure inside of this tree house is very nifty. There are even eight crystal chairs in the dining room. Sandbar and Smolder walk toward the kitchen and preparing veggie stew for their old and new friends.

“Go ahead, make yourself comfortable,” Ocellus offered. Tempest let herself in the dining room and sit on a nice-looking chair with red crystals for decoration.

“I’m impress. So how do six young thieves like all of you can afford to build this tree house out of scrap?”

“This treehouse wasn’t really built by scrap.”

“What do you mean?” Tempest stares at the young thieves to hear any answers from one of them until the yak spoke.

“Yona saw crystal seed thingy grows on the grounds quickly. Then boom a treehouse!”

“What Yona is trying to say is this treehouse was kind of given to us,” said worried Sandbar while stirring the soup.

“So you got this treehouse for free?! that is awesome!”, asked Grubber while sitting in the blue crystal chair.

“No, we got it by trade!” said Gallus.

“What did you mean by trade?” questioned Tempest.

The six young thieves gave each other a sad expression. Then Sandbar broke the silence moment to explain how they got the treehouse for a trade.

“A few days ago, our former unicorn thief named Trixie found a piece of a blue crystal in one of the jewelry stores. The six of us steal food to eat.”

“While that lazy Trixie, steal only trinkets and jewelry to make herself look rich and pretty,” complained Smolder.

“Yeah, she even refuses to sell this item in exchange for food! And we’re hungry,” Silverstream added.

“Or even giving the gem for a snack,” said Smolder.

“We even have a hard time finding a house for ourselves. And all of us argue with Trixie about the gem must either be sold or return it to the store until the night we meet a strange mare,” said Gallus.

“How strange?”, Tempest asked.

“This mare pony is tall creepy in a green cloak with holes on her legs. Gives Yona the chills”, Yona explained.

“She offers us money in order to exchange for a piece of crystal, but that greedy Trixie refuse and asked why it is so important,” said Gallus.

“So that hooded mare convinces Trixie about find a treasure as for reward that she can keep it to herself,” explained Ocellus again.

“We ask her how we can be sure if that’s all she wants,” stated Sandbar.

“Creepy pony gives us magic seed, and said plant the seed, and we have house for us thieves!” Yona explained again.

“After we accept the trade, Trixie travel with the hooded mare and never returns,” Silverstream said.

“Before Trixie left, she told us she doesn’t wants to hang out with us anymore because she claim that we are useless creatures with no future. She never came back to us, the seed we planted immediately transform into a treehouse in just one minute?”, Sandbar said.

“That’s very rude of her. She shouldn’t have said that and treat you so horrible!” Tempest stomped her hoof in angered if she ever sees this mare alive. Tempest asked again.

“Did the black hooded mare and Trixie ever came back.”

“No, thankfully. I admit she gave us a home but why after this broken piece of crystal,” Smolder said with a thought.

“And you huh…,” Tempest stop when she heard horn music playing outside from the window.

Grubber sees Tempest stood up from her seat and walking to the daylight window, looking outside far away where she can see the castle. The other thieves follow Tempest as well. Tempest sees a tall white stallion with golden blonde mane in a blue sapphire clothing, who is trotting on the main crystal street heading to the castle.

Grubber saw him too, outside the window and points at the white stallion. “Who is that?”

“Oh, that is Prince Blueblood, from another kingdom,” explained Ocellus.

“Looks like he is on his way to the castle,” said Sandbar.

“Yeah, another prince for the princess,” said Gallus.

“OOO OOOO, I hope the princess will like that suitor!”, said Silverstream with excitement.

“I doubt that,” said Smolder.

“And why is that Smolder,” asked Tempest.

“I heard that Princess Twilight doesn’t get along with the other suitors very well,” the dragon replied.

“Ever since the old king pass away, his son was only in charge half of the kingdom,” said Ocellus with a sad tone.

“So princess pony has to be married in order for her to gain other half of the kingdom,” said Yona.

“Why can the Prince marry any other princess since he older?” Tempest is seeing something suspicious about why the princess must be forced in arranged marriage.

“Because any royal daughters must rule with a king. If you’re a prince in the next in line, they can, or they don’t need to be married. Also, if she cannot find a prince to be married, she must marry the king’s old friend from the other kingdom,” answered Sandbar.

“That’s just sexist and cruel,” stated Tempest while waving her hoof.

“Every prince enters the castle. Then tomorrow, they will be out of the castle with a sad or angry impression,” said Sandbar.

“I bet he will be rejected by tomorrow at eight in a morning,” Smolder said.

“Pfft, he be out by nine to noon,” claimed Gallus.

“You’re on,” Smolder determined staring right at Gallus eye.

“Hey guys supper ready,” yelled Sandbar holding the pot of veggie stew.

So the eight of the creatures gather around the table. They ate their stew and cupcake for the night. After finishing their meal. Six of the thieves wash the dishes and head straight to their bedroom. Silverstream show Tempest and Grubber to a bedroom they can sleep for tonight. Grubber and Tempest put their backpacks on the floors.

“Here is your room! I hope you like it! Anything else you need!” Silverstream cannot stop talking when it is comes to meeting new friends.

“Thank you very much, will talk in the morning tomorrow Silverstream,” Tempest shows gratitude to the young hippogriff with a sincere smile.

“OK, goodnight!” The hippogriff left while the two former soldiers pick a bed to go to sleep.

“These young creatures are very nice; I’ll go to sleep in this short bed.”

“Ok Grubber, tomorrow will go to find food near that snowy forest and then find a job to work. Understand?”

Grubber yawn as he covers himself with a blanket. Looking back at his friend and nodded yes. “Ok, goodnight Tempest. I hope we’ll find snacks in this kingdom.” The hedgehog slowly covers his eyes until he is knockout.

Tempest smile at her friend with relief and turn her head to the window. She stares at the window while she lay down on her bed, wishing for a better day for tomorrow.

“Someday Grubber, we will find a way to survive and a home we can live in.”

After staring at the castle, Tempest slowly we to sleep and starts dreaming about her and Grubber living in a comfortable life.

Author's Note

So for this chapter, Tempest was forced to leave her home since none of her own family can help her. She met six young thieves in the kingdom. Tempest didn't rat them out since she already know they have no where else to go. Sorry if it took me so long.