Dear Tempest Shadow,

It's me (Twilight Sparkle) again. I'm just wondering how you are doing since you haven't written back after you left. I'm fine, by the way, and so are the other girls. Fluttershy made socks that I think you will like. They are dark and broody in design, but comfortable. Applejack finally decided to hire more ponies for her orchard; Rainbow Dash is going on a six month tour with the Wonderbolts; Rarity's boutiques are doing well and she is thinking of opening up another one in Las Pegasus; and me? Well, I said I was doing fine, but that is not entirely true. I am actually on the verge of a panic attack since I found out that Pinkie Pie escaped the Canterlot Institute of Psychology. Security found blankets and sheets tied to a rope that went out the window (she was on the fifth floor so there was no way she was able to get down), but that is not important. What is important is that her treatment isn't done, and I got a feeling that she went to find you, so if she does happen to cross your path, please let me know so I can pick her up.

Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Spike says “Hi” to Grubber.

Tempest stares at the letter. Specifically the part where it says that Pinkie Pie escaped the Institute, and her baggy eyes slowly look at the pony in question. She is eating the last of the cherry pie out of the pan and meeting her expression with an innocent look, cheeks puffed and crumbs clinging to her face.

“You got a lot of explaining to do,” says Tempest.

Pinkie Pie swallows. “About what?”

“Don't play dumb.”

The glow in Pinkie's eyes dim. “You aren't happy to see me?”

Tempest rubs her face, groaning. “Don't dodge the problem. Just explain why you thought it would be a good idea to escape the Institute and travel almost a thousand miles to get to me. How did you even know where I was?”

“I have my ways.”

“Uh huh. And the mental ward?”

“They were a bunch of jerks, so I left.”

Tempest shakes her head and goes to her saddle. There, she rummages around until she pulls out a roll of parchment, a sealed inkwell and a pen. With careful use of her magic she flattens the paper, unseals the inkwell and dips her pen in the black liquid. Seeing this, Pinkie's ears perk and she hops across the bed and lands next to Tempest, peering over her shoulder.

“What'cha doing?” asks Pinkie Pie.

Tempest gently pushes Pinkie Pie back. “I'm letting Twilight know that you're here so she can pick you up and put you back.”

“Don't do that!”

“Give me a good reason why I shouldn't,” says Tempest, now writing with slow strokes. But even then the quill pen still wobbles, making what should have been eloquent strokes shaky, much to her annoyance.

“That place was a prison!” says Pinkie Pie. “Twilight doesn't know what it's like in there! She thinks its a hospital, but it is a mean, evil place with bad energy.”

Tempest sighs and puts down her pen to look at the Element. “One, its not a hospital. It is a mental rehabilitation facility. Two, hospitals are not supposed to be nice, anyway. You go to hospitals to die, and you aren't dying.”

Pinkie's muzzle scrunches. “Wow, that's dark.”

“Its the truth. Now sit still and stay quiet so I can get this letter out.”

Tempest and Pinkie Pie stare at each other for a few seconds before the Element retreats to the kitchen, and the former Commander watches her until said pink ball of fluff digs into the pie pan. With Pinkie Pie distracted, Tempest shakes her head and resumes writing.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I got your letter (and the fifty three others) and I am writing to inform you that I have Pinkie Pie with me at San Palomino. The address is-

CLA-SPLAT!

Tempest shrieks and reels back, tripping over herself in the process as the inkwell flies off of the table, splashing her note and her orchid fur in ink. The little well rolls off the table and clatters to the floor, where it rolls for a few feet before falling over, leaving a trail of black streaks. On the table, the black liquid drips off the edge like a drying waterfall while the rest spreads on the top, consuming the paper, the pen and the mail tube. As for Tempest, the ink is all over her barrel and face and hoof, and with eyes wide and body shaking, she looks at the inkwell and sees the cherry pie pan flattened with crumbs and cherry sauce still covering it. She then looks at her hoofs and barrel and sees the blackness all over her body, which took forever in a day to groom for her preparations of ruining that wedding. All that hard work to look presentable, all that hard work to look somewhat pleasant, all the hours she took to get the hotel room cleaned, ruined by a pie pan.

“Oh darn, that really sucks,” says Pinkie Pie.

Tempest closes her eyes and inhales slowly, and then she exhales just as slowly and a ball of light blue energy crackles at the nub that is her horn.

“Oh... Uh... Are you okay?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“I'm going to count to three. You better start running because I'm going to hurt you,” says Tempest.

“We don't have to get violent. I mean, it was just a joke.”

“One.”

“What if I helped you clean up?”

“Two.”

“You aren't really going to hurt me, are you?”

“Three.”

Tempest opens her eyes and stands up, eye twitching, horn sparking bright and muscles tense, and she stomps towards Pinkie Pie, who is now peeking behind the counter, ears drooped and eyes wide.

“Time's up,” says Tempest.

Before Tempest can zap Pinkie Pie, the door opens and along comes Grubber's voice and steps.

“Hey, I'm back. They didn't have any bat soup, but I did get you a monster hayburger with horseshoe rings,” says Grubber. “Also, low carb like you... like... Whoa...”

Tempest snaps to Grubber and sees him staring at the ink mess, holding a large plastic bag with a smiling mustache star and carrying a tray of three drinks. Her eyes zero in on the three large drinks, and then she looks at the bag and sees three outlines of boxes, and she slowly lifts her eyes to Grubber.

“Grubber,” says Tempest.

“Yeah?” says her companion.

''Did you know about her coming?”

Grubber looks past Tempest, and after Pinkie Pie waves to him he looks at the handicapped unicorn and flashes a nervous smile.

“Maybe... But I got you a low carb monster hayburger, so we're good right?” says Grubber.

Tempest's horn fizzles out, and in a state of no emotion, she gathers her armor and jumpsuit, walks to the bathroom, locks the door and turns on the bath. Hot water gushes out, splashing all over the tub, gurgling and sputtering, and Tempest puts her suit on top of the toilet. She then lays in the tub, letting the hot water beat against her, breaking down the stiff muscles and weakening the ink all over her. When the steaming hot water is up to her shoulders she shuts off the faucet, closes her eyes and rests her head against the tub's incline, where the water is slowly polluted with a dark gray fog, and she hopes all of the noise outside will soon fade so she can have a moment of peace.

Pinkie Pie stares at the bathroom door, eyes wide and unblinking, and Grubber pulls out a fat hot dog, dripping with mustard, chili, cheese and onion.

“That went South fast,” says Pinkie Pie.

“You did throw a pie pan at her and covered her in ink,” says Grubber, now pouring a large order of fries on a plate.

“That was a joke! I thought she would take it better than that.”

Grubber removes another burger from a box and puts it and a large order of fries on another plate.

“And I thought she would be happy to see me, too. I thought we were friends. Or kinda friends,” says Pinkie Pie.

Grubber slides the plate to her.

“Thank you,” says Pinkie Pie.

“No problem,” says Grubber, grabbing a handful of fries from his plate. “Look, I've been with Tempest for a very long time. I know her better than anybody! If there is one thing I know about her, it is that she is a mare... And these fries are cold.”

Pinkie Pie raises a brow. “Really? All you got out of everything you did together was her gender?”

“Not what I mean. What I mean is that she's got two sides to her. She's got her Tempest side and her Fizzlepop side. Fizzlepop comes out when her guard is down and O-M-F it is funny... Just like these fries being cold even though I waited twenty minutes! Only, Tempestpop is actually ha-ha funny but these fries are sarcastic funny.”

“I kinda figured.”

“It's just... Taste the fries! They are cold!”

Pinkie Pie licks up one of the fries on her plate and slowly chews it. They are definitely old. If she did not know any better, she would guess that the stale, crunchy potato slices have been redunked in hot oil a few times before sitting out for a while.

“This is ridiculous,” says Grubber. He stands up and grabs the receipt. “I'm getting a refund! Nobody gives me cold fries! Nobody!”

Pinkie Pie holds up her hoof, but before she can formulate a sentence, Grubber has stormed out of the hotel and slammed the door shut, leaving Pinkie Pie alone in the room. So now her only company is the ceiling fan and her hayburger. Sighing, she takes a bite of her burger and chews in silence.

In the bathroom, Tempest Shadow keeps her eyes closed, with her head partially submerged in the grayed water. The hot water has cooled down some at this point, but not to the point where it is luke warm. It is still hot, but at a comfortable level, and with her head tilted, the hot water rubs against the inside of her ear and brushes against her nose and lips. But despite the hindrance of the water in her ear, she can still hear the conversation outside.

“That went South fast,” says Pinkie Pie.

“You did throw a pie pan at her and covered her in ink,” says Grubber.

“That was a joke! I thought she would take it better than that. And I thought she would be happy to see me, too. I thought we were friends. Or kinda friends.”

Tempest's eyes open and she lifts her head to look at the door with one of her eyes covered by her soaked mane.

“Thank you,” says Pinkie Pie.

“No problem,” says Grubber. “Look, I've been with Tempest for a very long time. I know her better than anybody! If there is one thing I know about her, it is that she is a mare... And these fries are cold.”

Tempest rests her head on the tub's edge and stares at her armor.

“Really? All you got out of everything you did together was her gender?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Not what I mean,” says Grubber. “What I mean is that she's got two sides to her. She's got her Tempest side and her Fizzlepop side. Fizzlepop comes out when her guard is down and O-M-F it is funny...”

Tempest's eyes mist over and she shifts in the water, splashing some of it on to the tile.

“Just like these fries being cold even though I waited twenty minutes! Only, Tempestpop is actually ha-ha funny but these fries are sarcastic funny,” says Grubber.

“I kinda figured,” says Pinkie Pie.

“It's just... Taste the fries! They are cold! This is ridiculous. I'm getting a refund! Nobody gives me cold fries! Nobody!”

Next thing Tempest hears is Grubber storming out and slamming the door shut. There is silence after that, and she closes her eyes and drifts into the dark. With nothing but an endless black void, the sounds of the real world fade away, until all that is left is silence. A dark, comfortable silence where there no troubles, no disappointments, no unfulfilled dreams or a life too far to change. Just a blank canvas for her to enjoy.

Then a ball bounces past her, glowing faintly in the void, and rolls into a boarded up cavewith water flowing out of it. Tempest stares at the cave entrance, muscles too stiff to move, and the ball's glow is just a dot in the water filling the rocky mouth. Her throat becomes tight and she inspects herself, seeing that the water is covering her hoofs and she is without her armor. She backs up, her legs trembling and eyes watering from lack of air, but when she looks up she sees the cave is right in front of her and the water is now up to her knees.

Tempest tries to back up, but she goes nowhere. Her hoofs move, but all it does is bring the cave closer and closer, and Tempest shakes her head, tears flowing and horn sparking. Then a large, watery paw shoots out from the cave and slashes Tempest's face. She screams and-

Scrambles out of the tub, hyperventilating with thick streams of water pouring off her body and splashing to the floor. Her eyes are red and wet and her mane hangs over her face. Her knees can barely hold her up and she keels over, coughing out globs of water and wheezing for air. She collapses on the floor, still coughing and wheezing and eyes too fogged up to see anything. As she lays there, trying to quell the burning in her lungs and get air back into her, the door is forced open and Pinkie Pie rushes in.

“Fizzles!” says Pinkie Pie. “Fizzles, are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” wheezes Tempest. “I'm fine... Thank you.”

Pinkie Pie pulls Tempest in and hugs her tight, forcing her to partially stand and squeeze out what little air she reclaimed.

“Thank goodness for that!” says Pinkie Pie. “You were quiet for so long and then next thing I knew there was a commotion and the door was locked and I had to break it open and you were soaked and coughing out water and on the floor and I was thinking the worst! Like, CPR worst. Which would have sucked because I failed the CPR course like five times. But don't worry sixth time was the barely passing charm.”

Tempest looks at the door, which is barely hanging on its hinges, and then she pries Pinkie Pie off of her. “I didn't need to know the last part.”

Pinkie Pie pulls off a towel from the rack and begins rubbing Tempest's mane, which honestly feels good for her and her scalp. It is like a head massage. Not that she will ever admit to it.

“But in all seriousness, are you okay? Like, okay-okay? Or are you just saying that so I wouldn't worry?” says Pinkie Pie.

“I already said I was fine,” says Tempest.

Pinkie Pie moves down Tempest's neck, the combination of hoof-work and the soft towel doing miracles for alleviating the new tension.

“If you say so... By the way, if you want to get Twilight over here, I fully understand,” says Pinkie Pie, now moving down the unicorn's spine. “She must be worried sick about me.”

Tempest sighs. “That won't be necessary. You still have to go back, but you did come all this way to see me and kicked open a door to see if I was alright.”

“You would do the same for me... I hope.”

Tempest smirks. “I would. I would do it for Twilight, too. Not so much your other friends.”

“Don't be like that. They would storm a castle for you.”

“Can Fluttershy even see a shadow without freaking out?”

Pinkie Pie wraps Tempest's tail with the towel and points at her. “Hey, don't underestimate Fluttershy. She will mess you up if you push her far enough.”

Tempest rolls her eyes. “I'll pretend to believe you.”

“That answer will do for now.” Pinkie Pie lays next to Tempest and looks into her eyes. “By the way, you said I had to go back, but you aren't messaging Twilight, so what's the deal?”

“The deal is that I will take you back to Ponyville. If the shrinks aren't working then maybe your friends can help you. Besides, Twilight has been bugging me with her stupid letters, anyway, so maybe if I tell her face-to-face to only write to me when its important she will do that.”

Pinkie Pie grins. “I like the way you think. When are we leaving?”

“As soon as Grubber gets back.”

Pinkie Pie's grin drops. “Oh... That's kinda fast.”

The hotel door opens and slams shut.

“Guess who's back with hot fries and a pie!” says Grubber.

“Really fast,” adds Pinkie Pie.

“And the pie is cold!” cries Grubber.

Tempest smirks. “Time to pack up.”

Author's Note

Cold fries are the best. Grubber is just a hater.