Guilt

by Nathan Hon

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Tempest Shadow, My Little Pony: The Movie, Slice of Life
Length: 8499

Tempest finally meets her old friends again. And the two sides have much regrets to tell each other.

If your friends came to apologize for a misunderstanding... Will you take it?

Even after all you’ve done... Will they forgive you?

Will you and your friends be the same, after being torn apart for so long?

This, was exactly what Tempest Shadow thought, when Twilight brings her friend some special ponies to visit.

Inspired by one of my favorite and heartwarming stories, I Hear The Stars. This story was written for Equestria Daily’s National Pony Writing Month 2018.

Published 2018-11-09 13:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2018-11-09 13:40:02 UTC

“We’ve changed. But can we start over?”

”*sniff* What’s the matter? Why are you so... So scared of me?”

Young tempest went up to her friends after they found out her horn was broken. The two were just playing with another filly in their village. As soon they saw her running up to them again, they were scared. The third ran away immediately, even.

“H-Hey!” Spring Rain, one of her old friends said. “Get away from us!”

Tempest frowned. “W-Why? I thought we’re friends!”

“Do you think someone harming their friends is a good pony? Really?” Glitter Drops, another one of her friends replied. “It’s unsafe to be around you. I feel afraid...”

“It... It was an accident,” Tempest explained. “I lost my horn when the Ursa Minor attacked me... I never meant to scare you girls like that!”

The two looked at each other.

“Glitter’s right,” Spring said, nudging Tempest away. “I don’t want to be around somepony that can cause us harm. I don’t want to be in trouble.”

“I’m serious! I didn’t mean to!”

Suddenly, Tempest’s parents came over to see what the fuss was about. They were just around the corner since they were out and about at the time. The moment they see Tempest’s fractured horn, they gasped.

And Tempest felt chills sending down through her whole body.

“*gasp* Fizzlepop!” Her mom cries, coming over to hug her. “Oh no, what happened to you?”

Tempest starts to cry a little bit.

“I-I... I was... *sob* I was playing with my friends, *sob* And then... They threw the ball so high and I couldn’t catch it... It rolled into the cave... And... *cries* It hurt me!!”

Tempest’s father comes over to join in the hug, as he gives her a kiss on her broken horn. But then, he wasn’t happy about her friends.

“What’s going on here exactly?” He asked. “Who made my daughter feel so hurt like that?”

The green and blue fillies just stared at each other.

“I-It was Spring!” Glitter said, pointing at him. “He’s the one who threw it, after all!”

“Wh-What?” Spring nudged her back. “You also encouraged her to go in, come on!”

As Tempest continues to cry and curl into a ball under her mother’s embrace, her father just sighs and shakes his head, disappointed. He knew- These two fillies are suspicious in the act in some way.

“I don’t like doing this in public,” He demands. “I’ll talk with your parents on a later day.”

Soon, Tempest’s mom follows her husband down the street back home. Little did Tempest know, that would be the last time her mom would kiss her goodbye.

In the meantime...

“*moan* Brilliant! Thanks a lot, Fizzle!” Glitter yelled.

“What do you mean, thanks a lot!?” Tempest shouted back. “You two started it!”

“Excuse me?” Spring asked, “You could’ve just let it be, and you wouldn’t have your horn fractured like this!”

“Yeah! *sigh* Spring, something’s up with her. She’s... So different now, without her horn.”

“Wh- I’m still me!”

“No, you’re not! You’re not the Fizzlepop Berrytwist we know anymore!”

“Well, if you’re going to be like that, then you’re not the friends I knew either!”

**SPARK**

Her friends both gasped in fear. Then, came a round of arguing between the three. Both sides were very angry at each other for saying those things. Differences between them devastated their friendship- It was a single misunderstanding, but it led to a big rift between them. Tempest, unable to take any more heartache, finally blew up in front of her “friends”.

It would be the worst decision of her life.

“*cries* I hate you guys!”

The two gasped.

“Then go away! We don’t want to see you!”

***********

“What I did then... Was I wrong?”

“Was it my fault they don’t trust me anymore?”

“I just wanted to help them for one little thing... I didn’t want to cause such a hassle... Is something wrong with me? No, that can’t be. It must be them!”

Tempest mutters to herself, being the commander of the Storm King’s Army years later.

“Friendship has failed me. This world... Constantly in the void of differences that tear ponies apart... Why did I try? There’s no good to be found... Friendship won’t be here to stay... It leads to so much heartache... And so many tears... But here in my position, I found what my calling is, even with my painful past... It gave me the strength to conquer. Once all is said and done... I’ll get what I’ve lost back.”

Her eyes, staring intently on her large battle plan in her room, was making her brim with fury and determination.

“When I do... Ponies will know, just what I’ve been through. They will know, why I’m not one to be messed with. They will all know... why friendship is a curse to our hearts.”

She stomps the ground loudly.

“In the name of the Storm King... Tomorrow, Pony History will bow at the face of our powerful ruler... Through my siege on the Friendship Festival, no one will dare to forget us. I’m no longer Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”

“I, am Tempest Shadow!”

*********

**Shuffling**

“No... No... NO!!!!”

Tempest woke up from her sleep, from the nightmare she just had. She’s back in Twilight’s castle, where she intended to sleep comfortably and stay snug under Twilight’s company. But it didn’t stop her from recalling the very moment that turned her evil and derailed her life.

**Hyperventilating**

“*cries* No... Glitter... Spring...”

Twilight opens her eyes the moment she hears her friend scream.

“*yawn* Tempest?”

“*screams* Shut up!”

She slapped Twilight in the face, before finally calming down and realizing what she has done.

“*gasp* Oh my gosh... I-I...”

Twilight touched the area of her cheek where her friend slapped her. But, instead of throwing a fit, she looked at Tempest’s face, which was about to burst into tears. With no hesitation, she opened her hooves wide for a hug. Tempest, crying, pulls Twilight into the hug.

“I’m sorry!” Tempest cried. “I-I... I’m sorry I hit you like that... Oh, curse that stupid memory!”

Twilight was confused.

“Fizzle... What is happening? Are you okay?”

Tempest stays silent, continuing to cry. Twilight smiles and nuzzles upon her shoulder.

“Come on, Fizz... Tell me. I wouldn’t judge you, I promise. Did you have a bad dream again?”

They part for a second, and Tempest nods her head yes.

“About your old friends, I suppose?”

“Y-Yeah...” Tempest cried. “The hurtful words we said to each other... I couldn’t forgive myself... And all that I’ve done just because of that one incident tearing us apart...” She buried her tear-stained face in her hands. “What can I do, Princess? I feel so... *sob* Guilty...”

Twilight smiles.

“Do you know where they live now?”

“N-No, we’ve lost contact ages ago. *sigh* Even if I did, and I went to apologize... What would they think when they first see me, after doing so much harm to Equestria?”

Tempest frowns. Twilight comforts her with a hug.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t hate you.”

“How? I even tried to steal the magic from you and three Alicorns for the Storm King!”

“Fizz, look at me.”

Tempest and Twilight made eye contact.

“Tell me, who are you?”

A bit stunned by the question, Tempest was also confused.

“I-I... Tempest Shadow, no?”

“No. You’re not. Who truly is you?”

“Fizzlepop Berrytwist? But... I’ve changed so much... That name doesn’t suit me anymore...”

Twilight smiled and gave her friend a small kiss.

“You may have done a lot in the past. You’ve changed into Tempest, somepony terrible. You captured princesses... Enslaved ponies... Fed power to the Storm King. But it’s not who you are inside, Fizzlepop. Admitting you’re wrong and facing the sins you’ve made is never easy. Surely, Glitter and Spring would never have wanted you to just leave. Matter of fact, they would never want to see you like that.”

Tempest sighed.

“But Fizz...”

“Huh?”

“Remember how I saved you back in the invasion?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“I’ve learned to Forgive and Forget. And I’m sure your friends will share the same lesson after knowing what happened to you. You said you went around Equestria notifying everycreature that he’s defeated, right? Perhaps... You have actually gone to where they were staying, but never saw them?”

A thought clicked into Tempest’s head.

“Actually... I might actually know where they are...”

Twilight nods after she whispers in her ear. “Thanks for telling. Listen, Fizzlepop, surely they would be sorry about everything they said back then. I'm sure they didn't mean it and if they really were your friends, they wouldn't have wanted you to bail off and leave the town. They feel guilty too, you're not alone."

"R-Really?"

Twilight nodded and put a hoof under Tempest's head.

"It happens. Friends can fight too. These kinds of misunderstandings will always get between even the best of friends. I've been there too. However, through time, friends will realize they were wrong to argue one way or another. So it is very natural for you, and them, too- To feel guilty about what you've said and done. No matter what, when it happened, that's it. You can't turn back. But, if you really miss your friends, rather than just moving on, and shadow the memory forever, it's best to apologize and tell them how you feel. You don’t have to let guilt control you, and allow it to tighten it’s grip on your aching heart.”

Tempest finally smiled at her words.

"Hey, you were brave to make such a decision to invade us," Twilight joked, giggling. "Surely you won't be ashamed to make up with them, right?"

"Twilight!"

The two shared a laugh.

Tempest has never forgotten how blinded she was in the past. So of course, had it not been for the fact Twilight befriended her and allowed her to see the beauty of friendship and reflection of the past, she would’ve zapped the princess into smithereens right then and there.

But no.

It’s been almost two years since the Friendship Festival invasion. Yet, Tempest never forgot the one moment where Twilight reached out to her, saved her, treated her just like a friend, and not an enemy. For the whole invasion, Tempest and Twilight could never mix. They both stood on opposite sides. However, when the situation became dire, Twilight was willing to take the risk and save her.

And her response was simple: ”Because this is what friends do.”

Since then, Tempest has done a lot of reflecting on herself. She knew- Twilight saved her and wanted to be friends with her, for a reason- Because the princess believed she could change. So, during her travels and after she returned to stay with the princess, the unicorn would always spare some time to clear her thoughts. For a few minutes, she would close her eyes, relax, and meditate. It wasn’t a normal thing for her, and it took a while to get used to it.

She started to see her tragic past differently. Rather a mortifying day of her miserable life, she sees it as a very, very important lesson. Tempest realizes: She may not have been a normal pony like her friends. She was different from the crowd. But, even so, she recalled who she was like back then- Charming, playful, and with a big heart. That’s the real Fizzlepop Berrytwist.

Despite all the joy she got, she had never forgotten how she got to the now. She still remembers how that experience changed her life forever. She may have gotten her horn back since, thanks to Twilight, but what truly made the hole she could never patch up was the fight she had with her friends over such a slight misunderstanding. She was never ready to forget it. She couldn’t bear to move on and pretend all of it never happened, because she always had the sense of guilt, reminding her every second that she committed what’s like a sin to them. The guilt started to cloud her mind, in sorrow, in fear, in desperation for mercy after everything she went through in her life. The answer was simple: She could not forgive herself what she had done. And if she can’t even forgive herself, why would they?

Nevertheless, Tempest smiles as she pulls Twilight into a loving hug.

“Sorry I hit you,” She giggles. “Didn’t want to hear my fake name.”

“Haha, it’s fine! It happens.”

“Mhmm, indeed. So... Let’s go back to sleep, shall we? Sorry I woke you up.”

“*hums* Stop being so apologetic. You know I’ll be fine with it...”

Tempest couldn’t help but give a chuckle at that. She looks at the now sleeping Twilight, burying her face and snuggling against Tempest’s body. She gives her a kiss on her horn.

“Thank you, Twi.” She whispers.

Twilight smiles in her sleep.

**Bang Bang Bang**

“Coming!”

**Creak**

“Ah, you’re here!”

A few days after that night, Twilight invited a very special pony over to her castle during the afternoon. The pony was a sky blue colored unicorn, with a short, blue mane, that curled to two sides at the forehead. He was about as tall as Twilight. His cutie mark was a sun shadowed by a rainy cloud, and that’s how Twilight knew this must be the pony she was looking for. He also brought saddlebags.

“You must be Spring Rain, Fizzlepop’s friend, correct? Here, let me help you with the bags.”

Spring Rain nodded in excitement. “I got your letter last night,” He replied. “I can’t believe Fizzlepop is still here! I thought she went missing!”

Twilight giggled as they walked down the halls.

“You must be really excited about today, Spring Rain. And I’m sure she will be so happy to finally see you again, she has been feeling so down lately. Just a few days ago, she had a nightmare about you and Glitter Drops.”

Spring stopped dead in his tracks, before moving on a few seconds later.

“O-Oh... She still remembers, huh...”

Twilight stopped and turned back. “Something bothering you? Please, do tell.”

Spring looked down at the ground and sighed.

“W-Well... I feel really excited to see my old friend for once, but I’m also... Very nervous. I... I haven’t seen her in over 20 years. We’ve been separated for a long time... Does she still think I’m scared of her? To be honest... I worry she wouldn’t forgive me for what we did to her. I just wanted to come and apologize to her about all that happened years ago. It’s been so long overdue. Every day... I wished I could see her again. She was a really close friend of mine.”

He started crying.

“But then... *sniff* Everything changed, when she broke her horn...”

Spring started to break down. Twilight, unable to see him feeling bad, went over to give him a brief hug.

“Spring, you’ll be okay. I promise.”

“*sniff* You Sure?”

“Very sure.”

Twilight lets go but kept a wing around Spring Rain to comfort him. They continue walking.

“I understand you have said hurtful words to her and you came to apologize when you got the chance. Trust me, she feels guilty too. I can see both of you are sorry for everything that happened. But... If you don’t go and meet her, and talk, then nothing will happen. You’ll continue to stay apart. It’s hard to admit your guilt to someone you’ve hurt emotionally. Truth be told, she had a lot of psychological damage done to her as well. I take the guess you’ll learn that from her.”

Spring frowned.

“We realized our mistake very early on. But we never got a chance to clean up the mess.”

Twilight nodded as they approach the library, where Tempest was.

“She’s in here. Listen, I know Tempest wants to see you again and you do too. But, if you’re uncomfortable with seeing her, I don’t want you to be overwhelmed. You can tap out now if you wish.”

Spring Rain took a deep breath. This moment has been long overdue for him. For 20 years, he has searched for her. For 20 years, has he missed his best friend. And for 20 years, he had been waiting, desperately, and in sorrow, to apologize to her and finally make up with his lost friend.

“No. It has to be done. It’s my fault, and I’m going in there.”

Twilight nodded.

“Good choice. Hold on, just let me give her a heads up.”

She opened the door to enter the library. Inside, Tempest was just casually reading a book on the floor. Her hoof supported her head, facing the opposite wall from the door. Twilight walked up to her.

“Fizzlepop?”

Tempest puts the book away, and turned to her, still lying down.

“Yes, princess?”

Twilight takes a needed breath, for what’s coming next.

“You remember how I asked you where your old friends are staying now?”

“*sigh Yes, Yes, I remember. But why would they forgive me, after all that I’ve done?”

Tempest continues to stare at the wall, a tear leaking out her eye. Twilight, giggling softly from behind, motions for Spring Rain to enter the room. The moment the stallion saw Tempest, he gasped quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment. She still looked almost the same... After all of these years... Though, her horn was fixed with no reason why. That’s the only thing that changed with her.

He started crying. He couldn’t control himself. Looking at her, and hearing her say that... Made his heart tear into two. She didn’t think he would forgive her. She must be thinking of apologizing- And she’s too scared to admit the truth. Spring started becoming scared- What if she still hated him? What if she never changed, and still remember the fight that tore them apart? What if... She doesn’t even want to see him?

But no. He did not let it stop him.

Walking slowly up to her, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, he took a deep breath. He has been waiting to say this to her, for a long time. He touched her back.

“Fizzlepop...”

Tempest’s ear perked up. She turned around and gasped.

“*sob* It’s me. I-“

“*Loudly* Spring Rain!!!”

With no hesitation, Tempest sprang up from her position and tackled her old friend with the sweetest hug she has ever given somepony. The two fell on the ground, as Tempest cried and cried while nuzzling him. Spring Rain, stunned by the welcome, just gave a big smile and returned the embrace. With utter joy, the two spent the next few minutes, lying down, and doing nothing but rest into the hug from an old friend of theirs. They didn’t want to let go- They were so happy to see each other again.

“*cries* I’m sorry...” Tempest cried after a few minutes, “*crying* I’m so, so, so sorry!!”

Spring Rain gave a chuckle to that.

“Fizzlepop... How you can blame yourself for anything? This is our fault. All of it. Whatever you did afterward... It’s undeniable that we played a part in you making those decisions in your life. If we weren’t so naive that day... All of this can be avoided. We’ll still be together, Fizzle. But it happened, and all we could do is accept what came out of it. Yet, I don’t want that. I want us to be friends again.”

“*crying* Really...?”

Spring Rain nodded, finally letting go so they can stand up.

“I promise, Fizzle. I’m sorry too, you know I am.”

As they’ve finally settled down, the two sat on the couch in the room to talk. Twilight, seeing everything go to plan, just silently left the room with a wink and a smile.

“How have you been?” Spring Rain asked.

For a moment, Tempest had no idea how to respond to that question- Everything she did after she left can only be described as chaos. For one, she joined the Storm King. Second, she tried to capture the four princesses of Equestria. And of course, she had just been newly reformed not too long ago, at least not as long as her being evil. All of that was the results of that simple, naive misunderstanding. She didn’t want to crush him by talking about it.

“It’s... It’s been hard.”

“*sigh* I knew it.”

He sighed once more.

“Fizz, were you a part of the Storm King’s army?”

She turned to him in a flash. Oh, crud. Looks like he knows...

“H-How did you... How did you know?”

Spring Rain continued to sigh like he was to blame (Because he technically is). “I never knew until the mayor of our new town notified us about him being defeated. I... I actually saw you, telling the news to her. But I never came up to apologize, because, at the time, I was so afraid you’ll be so angry at me for all that you’ve done. *sigh* Anyway... I know that we’re the reason you left and turned your back on friendship. That’s why you turned to the Storm King, right?”

Tempest was shy. “Y-Yes...”

“Day and Night, over and over for thousands of times in these decades... Not a single second did Glitter and I not feel sorry for what we have done to you. When your parents told us the next day that you’ve disappeared, we searched for you, for hours upon end. But we could never find you, not even a trance. Glitter and I cried. A lot. We never wanted you to actually go away. It’s just... *sigh* Everything came out of our mouths so quickly.”

“Speaking of which... Where’s Glitter Drops? She’s not here!”

Spring Rain looked at the ground. Tempest started crying out tears- Did she die...?

“She’s fine. Nothing more.”

Tempest gave a sigh of relief but was confused. “What do you mean, nothing more? Isn’t she sorry, too, maybe?”

Spring looked at her. “She is. But... She wouldn’t come. I wanted her to come along, really. But when I asked her, she got really scared and didn’t want to come to visit you. I begged her, but she still didn’t have the courage to come up to you after all these years just to say sorry.”

“*sniff* Why...?”

“Because... Because she’s guilty. About everything,” Spring replied. “The way she treated you... She never thought you would actually just run away like that. Neither of us did. *sigh* If only she didn’t know about what you did afterward. When she found out you’ve been working for the Storm King, and did so much harm... She nearly committed suicide.”

“Wh-What!?”

Spring Rain gave a pat on her shoulder.

“Relax, Fizzle. I calmed her down, and she didn’t do it. But, the thing is... our guilt of arguing with you got heavier and heavier year after year. The more we missed you, the more devastated we felt. My new friends back at town told me to get over it, but I couldn’t. It just couldn’t be done. You mean so much to us, Fizzlepop. How can I forget about you? I waited endlessly for a chance to meet you again. And in the process... Depression took over me for a good while. I don’t want you to feel bad, and I never had the courage to find you myself when I found out you’ve changed.”

Tempest’s ears drooped down.

“Spring...”

She was shy to go for a hug, and just sat there motionless, her hooves kicking in a rhythm. Spring also showed the same action, knowing he doesn’t have to say anything more. He knew- Tempest has heard enough confessions for a day. For all he’s done, he shouldn’t even be in this room. Tears slowly leaked out from his eyes, just like his name- Raindrops slowly falling off from clouds, reflecting in the sun shining behind it.

Fizzlepop pretty much shared the same feeling. She couldn’t bear to see him being so sincere, yet so heartbroken inside. Having driven apart for several years of tears, locked up feelings, and debts in the form of guilt needed to be resolved, had she not been reformed, and driven him out the room, who knows what he would do? The poor unicorn had been sorry for two decades, but she never even considered the possibility of forgiving him until she was reformed.

Both of them were sorry for each other being guilty.

At last, Tempest broke the silence.

“You should be lucky, Spring.”

“H-Huh?”

She turned her tear-stained face to him and held his hoof.

“A while ago, I invaded Canterlot with the Storm King. It had been the biggest mistake in my life. I succeeded, but I didn’t get I wanted back. I joined him, just to get my horn back. But he betrayed me. Yet, Princess Twilight went against the hatred we’ve built against each other and chose me over her instant victory. She saved me. Not only that, she somehow found my broken horn and fixed it with a magic spell. It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you another day. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking for the past few months. And... All of this, all Twilight’s done for me... Has all lead to one simple lesson and one simple question for you.”

Spring Rain, in curiosity, turned his just as tear-stained face to his friend.

“*sigh* We’ve changed,” Tempest said. “But... Can we start over?”

He gasped, using a hoof to cover his mouth.

“I know, so much has changed about us, Spring. Our friendship, our personality, our feelings... And we’ve grown to be wiser, stronger. You and Glitter, I’ve separated from you guys for such a long time. After everything... I don’t care whether it’s your fault anymore. It’s in the past. I... I just want my friend back in my life. I’ve been through a lot- I left you guys without a goodbye, I joined the Storm King, I invaded and enslaved ponies... All sorts of weird things. But I’ll never put the blame on you and Glitter. Of course, I feel guilty for all I’ve done. But keeping that knot in my heart tied forever will only hurt my feelings. The day we untie the knots of our tangled feelings, is when we learn to let go.”

“Wh-What? Fizzle... *sniff* You’re... Not mad at me?”

She shook her head with a grin.

“All of this has taught me a lesson I would never forget. The more guilt you bring upon yourself, the sadder you will be. That’s why when I was first reformed, I was so afraid of facing the world after my calamity. But Twilight, and her friends, too- Supported me from beginning to now. I realize the true magic that friendship can bring to me. Yet, they will never be able to help me fully fill the hole in my soul- And they can never untie the tangled knot representing my guilt. So I started to reflect on myself. Finally, I came to a conclusion- To let go of the past. And truth to be told... I’m still learning to do so.”

Now completely facing her friend, Tempest held both of Spring Rain’s hooves in sincerity.

“Letting Go is difficult. My experience was no exception, and neither will yours. When you lament about how something can be avoided... Why not move on from it? It’s history, you can’t change what has already happened. But, what you can do, is make up for it. And that’s when I understood- Sometimes in life, you have to let go of your guilt. It got into my head once. And I don’t want it to get into yours. If you let go of the past and focus on the future, sometimes... *chuckles* You’ll feel happy to forget about things you unnecessarily worry so much about. Relaxed... Calm... Even a sense of freedom. Twilight told her students at her Friendship School during a talk once, and I couldn’t help but feel her words were targeted at me.”

Spring was smiling in disbelief. She has changed so much.

“Forgiveness is what brings broken-up friends and old rivals back together,” Tempest said wisely, chuckling. “And... Through what I’ve done... After so long... I know it’s been something you’ve longed for.”

Finally, the moment of truth.

*breathes*

“Will you accept my apology, Spring Rain?”

Instantly, his eyes started to water. For the first time, his friend tried to understand him, care for him, and she even offered him a chance for them to make up and be friends once more. All the guilt he had prior to this conversation seemed to all wash away within a second- And he was persuaded, even- To finally let go of what happened between them, and the guilt that surrounded them both in fear. Years of being separated seemed to feel like nothing. He longed to be her friend again, and not only was she not mad at him, but she offered not just him, nor just him and Glitter, even- She offered all of them a chance to change, and be the loving friends they were long ago.

Finally, he was crying with joy.

“Only if you forgive me, Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”

“*sobbing* Of course I will... Oh, Spring...”

“Fizzle... I-I...”

*Hugs*

“I love you!” They both shouted to each other.

The two friends pulled each other into the most loving hug they’ve ever shared- A symbol of how sincere their apology really was. Joyfully, they rested into the hug, crying and crying endlessly together. Two friends who haven’t seen each other for years on end, sitting down and finally working past their differences. They couldn’t ask for anything else than to have their friend back in their hooves. Though only best friends, they once loved each other dearly as their companion. But one experience tore them apart. It makes them ponder, ”Why?”

“*crying* I missed you so much...” Tempest cried, “Spring... *sobbing* I loved you and Glitter so much... Why did we have to fight!?”

Spring let out a loud cry. “I don’t know! I’m so sorry! *sobbing* I never hated you, I promise! I would never, ever, trade you for anything...”

Hearing that only made them break down even harder. Tempest tightly hugged her friend in her hooves, refusing to let go for even a second. Spring squeezed so hard he even made them plop right down on the couch, his body under Tempest’s. He scoots over to let her rest beside him. They both snuggled and nuzzled each other here and there, wiggling in the hug. Soon, their face of tears started turning to smiles and giggles. The comfort brought by their friend was real- And the words they’ve said today were all sincere, and no word can describe their feeling of making up better than the word “Happy”.

Just nestling into the hug- Relaxed, glad, with a genuine and joyful smile across their face.

“Fizzle...” Spring Rain finally spoke after 10 minutes of them crying and hugging. “*sigh* I’m glad to finally make amends with you. Glitter would be, too.”

Tempest’s smile grew wider.

“*giggles* I feel so too, Spring. Truthfully... I’m so relieved you said yes. You know forgiveness is very, very hard. But when you do it sincerely, you wouldn’t regret it.”

“Very true, Fizz. So... Friends?”

“*chuckles* What do you think, silly?”

She sticks out a tongue at him. Spring giggles and nuzzles her nose. Tempest, feeling frisky, starts to fight back against his assault. Eventually, they started wiggling a bit more and pushing a bit here and there with their heads. Their muzzles were squeezed together as they let out a chuckle.

“All these years, Fizzle,” Spring Rain laughed, “But you’re still the silly filly friend I know.”

“Haha, I can’t say no to that.”

The two spent a good while talking to each other about life, and what they’ve been through. Although it brought them painful and heartbreaking memories, they constantly brought up their childhood ones, too. It really gave them a laugh in the midst of the tears. Of course, they also spent some time, silent, and focusing on their tight embrace.

And of course, bickering about leaving the hug.

“Fizzlepop... You know I can’t stay for too long. It’s already five and it’s a good while to get from here to where I stay.”

“Come on... Please?”

“*sigh* Fizz, please, let me-“

“Nooooooo~”

The two gave each other a pretty distinctive and annoyed eye contact at each other with a playful smile. Spring Rain was trying to finagle his way out of the embrace but boy Tempest would not allow it.

“I love you, Fizz, but I have a place to get to.”

“I only just met you again... Just for a bit longer...”

“Please?”

“*whines* Nuh-Uh!”

“Come on!”

“No!”

“Ugh, Fizz! Stop acting like a filly, for Celestia’s sake!”

“You stop acting like a filly, Spring!”

They continue bickering playfully, pushing their noses in annoyance and all that, until...

*Kiss*

“*muffled* Hey! Stop that! You’re embarrassing me!”

“*muffled* If you’re not gonna let go, I ain’t gonna break it either!”

At this point, these two have had enough of each other messing around them playfully and just gave in to what they’ve brought upon each other. Tempest, unwilling to leave the hug, cuddles Spring tightly as she pushes into the kiss. Spring, not planning to break the kiss, accepts her invitation of affection and pulls her close to him. Giggling and satisfied hums can be heard coming out the gaps of their connected lips. Closing their eyes, the two had no choice, really, but to comfort each other affectionately. Not that they actually do want to be in a couple, just being two very frisky friends.

Finally, after a few annoyed and muffled hums coming from Spring, Tempest sighed.

“Fine, I’ll stop.”

“Good girl.”

They release their kiss, and the hug they’ve been in for the past 30 minutes, surprisingly. Laughing with each other, they couldn’t help but give another little kiss to each other.

“I love you, Spring. Will you be my friend again?”

“Oh, of course. You should come stay with us, Fizzlepop!”

“Nah, Sorry. I’m with Twilight. She gets pretty cranky without me cuddling her for some reason, haha. Don’t tell her I said that!”

They let out a fit of laughter, before finally standing up.

“I can accompany you to the station if you want,” Tempest said as he got his saddlebags.

“Oh, sure! Just finding excuses to hang out with me, huh?”

“Mmmm, maybe.”

**********

Tempest and Spring walked down the street together happily, content with their best friend accompanying them. They shared bits and pieces of funny memories during their walk around town. It wasn’t sunset just yet, but they did see the sun starting to go down just a bit. The breeze of the nearby trees and ponies walking around Ponyville really gave them a taste of the past, where they would always play with magic until this time of day.

Then, something interesting happened.

As they approach the town hall, Tempest can see some fillies running around, playing with a golden rubber ball- Just like she did when she was young. Spring thought she would’ve never wanted to see that in fear of reminding her about the terrible experiences, but like she said, “We have to let go of guilt sometimes.” So all they did, was watch at a side, sitting down on the steps leading to the entrance of the town hall.

One of the fillies- Just like she did once, knocked the ball too high when she tried to pass it to her friend. It flew over their heads, bouncing on the ground a few meters back from the intended target. It stopped rolling under the hooves of another unicorn. Tempest recognized her at first sight. The mare had a slightly cyan-colored curly mane and was green colored. Her cutie mark was something like two shooting stars forming a circle or some sort. She picked up the ball, smiled, and walked over to the fillies.

“I believe this belongs to you?”

One of the fillies, who was pink and had a mix of colors for her mane and tail respectively, rolls the ball toward her. It happened to be Toola Roola.

“Thanks, Miss! Sorry I didn’t catch it, Coconut Cream here bounced way too high for me to catch it!”

Her friend Coconut, a creamy-white colored filly, just nodded shyly.

“*chuckles* This brings back memories,” The mare told them. “I was just like you girls when I was a filly. I was playing with my friends out in the woods with a ball, too. *sigh* But mistakes happened, and... Let’s just say I haven’t seen one of my friends in a while.”

“What is it?” Coconut Cream asked.

“It’s best you don’t know. Go enjoy your playtime, little ones, have fun and be safe!”

The two nodded with a smile and ran off. Yet, the mare sighed with sorrow in her heart. She was about to start crying when Tempest approached her.

“Hey.”

The mare turned, and like Spring Rain, she gasped in surprise.

“*gasp* F-Fizzlepop Berrytwist!?”

“*chuckles* Glitter Drops! Hey, come here!”

They both pulled each other into a hug. However, Glitter didn’t want to let go at the slightest. The longer the hug dragged on, the tighter her grip became. Tempest just lightly chuckled and patted her friend’s back. Spring Rain walked over to comfort the now crying Glitter Drops. Glitter was down on both hooves, and Tempest could only smile as she complied and sat down on the ground, so her friend can squeeze her, cry on her, and hug her however she wanted.

“*crying* Fizzle...”

“*chuckles* Glitter, I missed you too. I talked with Spring Rain about everything, and he told me how sad you are. Save your tears and guilty screaming, I know you’re here to say sorry.”

Glitter looks up at Tempest with large, puppy dog eyes.

“I-I... *crying* Fizzlepop... *sob* Can you ever forgive me...?”

“Please, my friend... Stop putting guilt on yourself. I don’t want to see you so crushed and defeated. I’m not mad at you anymore, Glitter. I know I’m wrong to leave without saying goodbye. I know I’ve done enough to hurt you to your core. But please... I don’t want you to feel sad anymore. I want you to be the happy filly friend that I’ve once known, not who you are ever since our fight, being so down for all these years.”

Neither of them wanted to let go at the slightest. Spring Rain, giggling, went over to Glitter, kindly rubbed her head and her mane, and the three had a group hug together. In each other’s hooves, the cold, breezy weather was no match for the warmth of the friendship they have mended. All of them cried. But they were all happy tears because all they wanted for so long was to make up for the fight that plagued them with guilt. Nothing more.

Finally, when Spring Rain left the hug, Glitter and Tempest broke the embrace and stood up.

“*sniff* Thank you,” Glitter dried her tears. “*chuckles* I... I’ve been thinking about this day for a long time. I never thought you’ll forgive us after everything. When I finally found out about your whereabouts... *sigh* I broke down. Spring reminded me to stay strong and keep fighting the guilt. But I can’t. I know I cannot have my tangled feelings stay tied to my heart forever.”

Tempest smiled.

“I’ve learned the same lesson too, Glitter. I don’t want us to keep holding onto the fact we never got the chance to apologize. I don’t want guilt taking over our lives forever. I want our memories of each other to be smiles. Just now, I said the same to Spring, ‘The day we untie the knots of our tangled feelings, is when we learn to let go.’ We have to move on, Glitter. I know what I did make you both hurt. But it’s happened, and nothing can change it. Not even magic. However... between us, although we’ve been separated for years, and by long distances... I can never not think of you both when I was reformed.”

She stood opposite her two friends and blushed. The other two blushed as well, fully aware of the piercing arrow of feels about to hit them straight in the heart.

“What I said that day, will never come out of my mouth again,” Tempest said, putting a hoof to her heart. “You both have my word.”

“We promise the same, Fizzle,” Spring replied.

Both parties smiled. Finally, a long overdue sentence was spoken.

“I love you guys,” Tempest said, smiling.

Glitter cried. “We love you too, Fizzlepop.”

Tempest shook hooves with both her friends, before she brought them in for a group hug, with a grin on her face like no other. She extended to her full height, pulling her two friends close with her front hooves and standing with the back hooves. Glitter happily nuzzled against her cheek in content. Spring Rain relaxed into the group hug, squeezing Tempest tighter. Tempest gave them both a kiss- Even though it would be weird.

“*chuckles* Fizz... You’re making me blush, come on!” Spring giggled.

“Yeah,” Glitter tittered, “You kissing me? *chuckles* That’s something new from you.”

All three of them had a laugh as they broke the hug.

“Seeing how my actions affected you both were the worst realization I’ve ever had in my life,” Tempest sighed. “And, truth to be told, before Twilight reformed me, I didn’t have a slither of a thought to forgive you both. Forgiveness never comes easy. I’ve wanted to apologize for a long time too. But I always feared that after all I’ve done... You guys wouldn’t even want to forgive me.”

Spring put a hoof under her head.

“Why would you put all the guilt on yourself?” He asked, beaming. “You know it’s our fault. All of us. We were all wrong to treat each other the way we did that day. Feeling sorry and not telling people how you feel... Sometimes... The heartache is stronger than when you actually admit it. True friends will forgive each other, no matter what happened between them.”

Glitter nodded. “There’s a saying I’ve once heard. ‘Friends fight and argue too. But, through time, they will always find their way back together.’ And I agree with that a lot. It’s literally the exact description of what we’ve been through. Why we forgive you, Fizzle, is because we know, that you’re our friend. And we wouldn’t want to have our best friend leave us, fear us, and shut herself out from the world, no?”

Tempest nodded her head yes.

“It’s been a very long day,” She giggled. “I really wish you could stay longer in Ponyville. I want us to get along again.”

“We do too,” Spring replied. “But, time won’t wait for us, now will it? Glitter, should we go now?”

“Yeah, sure. I just came after because I finally worked up the courage to come over and meet her again. Don’t worry Fizzle, now that we know where you are, we’ll be sure to write you letters whenever we’re free. If you want, maybe we can come over again to hang out with you for real? Or you can join us, perhaps?”

“That... That will be great, thanks,” Tempest said, a little sad to see them go. “Oh, one more question before I accompany you along... Nothing special, just wondering.”

The two looked at each other, then turned back to Tempest.

“During my time with the Storm King, I’ve developed a new name for myself: Tempest Shadow. You wanna call me that or Fizzlepop Berrytwist instead?”

Glitter laughed.

“Really, Fizz? Come on, you know exactly what we’re going to pick,” She laughed. “Why would we want to use a name you’ve given yourself when you’re evil, hmmm? Does that ring a bell?”

Spring joined in, and slowly, Tempest did too.

“I guess we can sometimes call you Tempest,” Spring said. “But, we’ll always regard you as Fizzlepop. Is that okay?”

“Of course, Spring."

“By the way, Fizzlepop,” Glitter glanced at her horn. “Nice horn you got there!”

“Oh!” Tempest said happily, touching it. “I forgot to tell you! Princess Twilight found the missing piece a year ago, and helped me fix my horn with magic!”

She activated her magic. “See? Now we’re all the same again! You don’t have to be scared anymore!”

Glitter chuckled. “That’s wonderful, Fizz!”

“I know! Hey, are you guys free tomorrow?”

Spring rolls his eyes, and Glitter chuckled as the two walked down the pathway.

“H-Hey! What about next week, hmmm?”

“Oh, come on, Fizzle, give us a break!”

“Come on! We just made up!”

“Haha, Spring’s right, give us time to settle down from our reunion first!”

“Pleaseeeee? We can talk about our feelings for each other and play together!”

“We already did part of that, Fizz!”

“*whining* Please please please? I wanna spend time with you guys...”

“*chuckles* Stop being such a filly!”

“*laughing* Seriously!? You too, Glitter!?”

The three continued to laugh and giggle with each other as they slowly walked to the station, ready to part ways. Only this time, they’re going home with smiles and wonderful memories. Tempest, perfectly happy with where she was in her life now, made the following statement to herself and her friends, to express how she felt about letting go, and finally making up with them.

”My tangled feelings are untied, and my soul is set free, thanks to your forgiveness.”

**Poof**

“*sigh* Look how she’s grown,” Twilight giggled.

She had been watching her the entire time through magic. Seeing her being so sincere and forgiving put a warm smile to her face. Truly, Tempest has learned to grasp the basics of the magic of friendship. It’s beautiful when you think about it- Over a year ago, she was devoid of its magic. But now, she gave up her own desires, to realize her wrongs and allow friendship to set her, and her soul free.

Guilt is one of the harshest feelings that, not just ponies, but all of us can possibly have. When we do something wrong, be it big or small, we’ll always experience it until we apologize for our wrongdoings. It’s always there- No matter how much you want to deny it. However, all it takes is the word “Sorry” to clear one’s mind. It may not be so simple, but when one has been going through much trauma as Tempest did, just a hint of forgiveness is enough to make them cry.

Forgiveness is beautiful. It’s the symbol of repairing a bond between two people. It surrounds us in our everyday life. When ideas of hatred and misunderstandings get between us, there’s no telling a fight can always happen, even between the best of friends. Hey, Twilight Sparkle has been there too- To know what it feels like to fight with best friends that have meant the world to her.

It is difficult to forgive and to let go. But when you can do it, you wouldn’t be ashamed of admitting at all.

Twilight, seeing Tempest so willing to seek for friendship, and being able to learn so much in the past year or so, was very proud of her. She had always been there to support and guide the lost pony. However, to see her making up with her friends, and putting the reasons behind all of this to bed on her own, is the bravest thing she has done. And she knew she will only improve in the future.

Sitting down at her desk, she wrote a letter to her mentor as a status report.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

When we first encountered Tempest Shadow, we’ve always viewed her as an enemy, and I could understand your urge to put her to justice after the friendship festival under the pressure of your people. However, today, rather than her learning something from me, it was she who taught me a valuable lesson that even I, as the Princess of Friendship, could take note of.

I’ve come to the realization- Justice, is forgiveness. Had we not let her go after the festival, not only would we be denying her the chance to change, we would’ve crushed her friends’ emotions of guilt. So truly, though we never executed her, forgiving her for her actions in the invasion was already enough to bring justice.

But more importantly, I’ve learned something about guilt. I don’t believe that there’s anypony out there who have never had to deal with the feeling of guilt. Everypony has once been guilty about something- Even you and I have made our mistakes. Princess Luna, Shining Armor, my friends, my students, the list goes on. It will only tighten the knot of our feelings. But when two past friends, separated by grudges and stored up feelings, confess and talk with one another, they’ll find that their guilt wasn’t just for them all along. Guilt is shared between everyone involved with the incident. And when they forgive each other for their mistakes, it’s very true that they will know to let go of their guilt, and move on.

I was watching her confess to her friends today for the first time in years. The crazy part, was that some of the things she said, came solely from her, and not from what I taught her. It brought me to tears. And the truth is, anypony can let go too, no matter how hard it would be to do so. I’m not targeting at you, Celestia, but I am rather making a statement here. Because it is really true.

I hope this inspires you. :)

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.”

Author's Note

“Forgiveness, is to let go of past grudges. And to let go, is to forgive yourself.”
~Nathan Hon

This has been one of my first third-person fics I’ve written in a while, so needless to say, I was rusty on this one. But, I had fun writing this from start to end.
Like I’ve mentioned, this was written for Equestria Daily’s National Pony Writing Month 2018 Event. Although I didn't come close to the lowest conventional goal of 10,000 words, sometimes, when I look back, I realise that quality is very important, because a story is not judged on how long it is- It is about what you’ve written, and how you express what you want to tell through said story. Now nearing 2 years of writing fanfics, I’ve always had fun writing. I didn’t care if it was good or bad in the eyes of others. If I think it’s good, then it’s alright.
What I’ve mentioned, is exactly what I’ve learnt for joining the event. I hope you enjoyed this story.:twilightblush: