Reformation... It's a Pony Thing

Chapters

Part I --- The Empty Ship
Reformation Ritual
Back in Action
Rainbow Phoenix
Part II --- Cat Out of the Bag
A Matter of Prestige
Reconstruction
Mark of the Tempest
Part III -- Desert Assault
Trouble and Strife
On the Southern Shore
A Shared Apology
Part IV -- The Die is Cast
The Encircling Fins
The Castle of the Deeps
Part V --- The Power of the Tempest
Reformation... It's a Pony Thing
Apology Accepted
The Return of Tempest Shadow
A Game of Dragon Whispers

Part I --- The Empty Ship

The hold of the ship was bare, dark, cavernous, and still, apart from the occasional creak of timber or wash of late evening breeze outside. Which was surprising, to say the least. Half an hour ago there had been a small army imprisoned within it.

A sudden tramping of hooves shook the deck above, accompanied by swift orders. A rattling of cord in locks, and the main hold door was hauled up and dragged aside.

A ladder-ramp was carefully lowered into place. Watchfully, a pair of gold-armored unicorns from Celestia's Royal Guard descended and took up station, lighting the space around the base of the ramp with the gleam of their horns. Following them were two dragon-winged, glowing-eyed nightmares from Luna's Night Guard, who flapped overhead, their gleaming gaze sweeping the shadowy chamber.

A moment's tense silence followed.

WHUMP. A pony dropped straight through the hold door, landing foursquare on the deck: a tall, maroon-coated unicorn with large, heavily-lashed blue eyes. Her berry-red mane and tail were styled in warrior plumes, her horn was a broken stump. She had a scar running across one eyelid. And her face was set in an intimidating scowl.

Noting the irritated glares from the guards around her, she smirked.

"Don't get jumpy, boys."

Glancing about appraisingly, she nodded, and then looked up through the hold door. "It's empty. You can come down, Your Highness!"

More cautiously, a lavender alicorn trotted down the ramp. "Are you always like that, Tempest?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Just dive in, hooves first?"

"I find surprise generally works in my favor, Princess."

"Twilight, please? I'm only called 'Princess' by ponies who want something."

Tempest leaned closer. "I'd oblige you," she whispered, "but given who's waiting for us up there, I feel like I need to be on my best behavior!"

"You'll be fine," Twilight reassured her. "Now... where the hay did all those Storm soldiers disappear to? Any ideas?"

Tempest Shadow shook her head. "The Storm King gave me all the authority I wanted, but he kept most of his secrets to himself. Didn't want me distracted by details. Or so he said." She snorted. "If we're going to find anything, it'll be in his cabin up front."

A regal voice called down from the deck above. "Everything all right down there, Twilight?"

"All quiet, Your Highness!" Twilight called back.

Tempest glanced at her. "Now who's being needlessly formal?"

"She's my mentor. I'm allowed." Twilight turned to call up through the hold door again. "We're going to head forward, see what we can find!"

A lime-crested avian head poked down through the hatch. Captain Celaeno glanced about, reassuring herself of the hold's safety. "All right if I tag along? Purely out of curiosity?"

"Absolutely, Captain," Twilight said, smiling. "The more the merrier!"

Gripping the edge of the hold door with a claw, Celaeno swung down. Her emerald peg-leg thunked loudly on the deck as she swept her pirate's hat back onto her head and drew a small dagger, all in one smooth movement.

She exchanged a brief glance with Tempest, the two of them silently acknowledging they had unfinished business. Then Celaeno smiled breezily and faced forward again, nudging her hat to a more rakish angle.

Tempest eyed her a moment longer, then shrugged. There'd be time enough to sort things out.

Twilight led the way over to the forward companionway doors. "I'm glad you decided to stick around, Captain," she said. "I wish Capper hadn't left so soon after the party. I never got a chance to thank him properly for all his help!"

"I wish I knew where Grubber disappeared to," Tempest said. "But I can't say I blame him... probably didn't feel like hanging around to face the music after the Storm King fell."

Twilight swiftly undid the magic lock on the doors. And then, with the Royal Guard ponies in the lead and the nightmares bringing up the rear, the party moved through and along the ship's main corridor.

They carefully searched each of the storerooms and cabins along the way. All were empty, apart from basic furnishings, mere living space with little attempt at decoration.

The captain's cabin at the end of the corridor was another matter entirely. The doors were solid, intricately-carved oak. The knobs gleamed with gold. Even the wood of the deck was of a distinctly higher quality.

"He liked everyone to know who was in charge," Tempest said dryly. She suddenly rapped a hoof on the deck. "Hold up!"

The guards paused and looked back.

"He was also a self-styled comedian," Tempest went on, "with a mean streak. The door's likely booby-trapped."

The guards glanced at each other, then glared doubtfully at her.

Tempest sighed. "Fine. Don't believe me. See if I care!"

With a side-sweep of a forehoof, she caught a burnt-out lantern hanging on the corridor wall, sending it into the air. Then, almost too fast to see, she swiped viciously forward, sending the lantern whistling between the guards to shatter on the deck right in front of the doors.

And the entire space in front of the doors was briefly limned in arcing, sizzling bolts of dancing electric energy.

It died away quickly enough, but the point had been made. Tempest nodded smugly. "It'll be safe now. The Storm King didn't believe in backups. If the first trap could fail, it wasn't good enough, was his view."

The guards carefully brushed aside the glass fragments, then cautiously opened the doors and peered inside. Then they led the way in. Tempest followed, and then Twilight and Celaeno. Behind them, the nightmares turned about and took up station outside, silent and watchful.

Inside, they found an opulent captain's cabin with a grand oak desk, a chart-table, an elegant four-poster bed with a candelabra reading-light, and several large trunks. On top of one of the larger trunks there was a barrel-sized chunk of finely cut black crystal, illuminated from within by a tenuous, steadily fading glow.

And seated next to the trunk, leaning against the wall, was a single white-furred, black-masked Storm soldier. He looked half-asleep. As they approached, the mask-like face lifted, the glowing blue eyes slipped open. One arm slowly raised, as if in greeting.

The glow in the crystal flickered and went out. And so did the soldier. He was suddenly not there.

Startled, Twilight trotted cautiously forward, reaching out a forehoof to gently tap the crystal. "Okay..." she said. "Now we know why the Storm King was so into old relics... and the magic to power them!"

"And why he never left garrisons behind," Tempest said, equally surprised. "Just tweaked the existing power-structure and moved on... otherwise everyone would have known his army was an illusion. Projected by this!" She jabbed a forehoof at the crystal.

Twilight nodded. "It must also be why he was on such a tight timetable." She peered into the crystal's black depths. "He had to charge up the Staff of Sacanas and gain its power, before the store of magic powering his army ran out."

Tempest shut her eyes, shook her head. "That's just so him. Building up an entire empire based on nothing but intimidation... and lies!" Her voice grated; the stump of her horn crackled dangerously.

"We'll move this to the Archive," Twilight said gently, "along with any other relics we find. They'll be out of harm's way there, trust me!"

Tempest forced herself to calm down, and nodded. "Good plan, Princess." She looked around the cabin. "And as long as we're here... let's just see what else my lord and master was hiding from me!"

She trotted across to the other side of the room, to the leftmost of three heavy trunks set side-by-side. With a swat of a hoof she threw the lid open. Inside, the trunk was filled to the brim with treasure: glittering bits and gemstones, pearls and gold jewelry, even a gem-encrusted crown or two.

"Hmph. Pretty flashy!" Tempest tilted her head with a puzzled expression. "Not really his style. He tended to operate on a leveraged shoestring."

The next trunk, when she opened it, held a pile of weaponry: swords, daggers, axes, slings, and other implements of professional disagreement.

Celaeno whistled. "I've seen crates packed like that before..." she said, peering over Tempest's shoulder. "... when I was running weapons!" She glanced around self-consciously. "Er... former life, you understand?"

Twilight smiled reassuringly. "We're not judging you, Captain. But are you saying this might have been an arms shipment?"

The parrot captain shook her head. "More like appeasement. For Klugetown, probably Verko. A carrot... just in case it took the Storm King a while to get his mitts on the stick to go with it."

Tempest looked over at the third trunk. "So... what's in here?" She flung open its lid.

Her breath caught.

The trunk was filled with horns. Of all shapes and sizes, a pile of curved, ridged, and edged ivory, filling the trunk to overflowing. Thankfully most of them appeared to be cast-off animal bone, or fossils taken from some museum. But there were a few that were a little too straight, a little too smoothly spiraled, a little too... well maintained.

Twilight gasped at the sight. "Who," she asked, tensely, "would want something like that?"

Having explained the vanished army, and finding nothing else of substance in the rest of the forward compartments, the party returned to the hold and then climbed back up onto the main deck, emerging into the cool, starlit air. Waiting for them on the deck were the tall, regal Princesses, Celestia and Luna, surrounded by more of their respective guard ponies.

Tempest let Twilight lead the way, and carefully avoided meeting the quietly stern gaze of the Princesses. She felt distinctly in excess of requirements as she listened to Twilight summarizing what they'd found.

"That is disturbing," Celestia finally said. "Very well, Twilight. Once the rest of the ships have been thoroughly searched, we will give orders for the relic you found to be moved to the Archives, as well as any other items that seem to be of importance." She glanced around at the battered airship, and the others like it still hanging in the night sky over Canterlot. "And then I very much think we should have these monstrosities dismantled and scrapped. It will help with the healing process for our subjects."

"Ah, excuse me? Your Highness?"

"Yes, Captain Celaeno?" Celestia raised an eyebrow at the parrot. Celaeno had removed her pirate's hat, and she held it in her claws as she went on one knee before the Princess.

"Do you think Your Majesty might be persuaded to avoid scrapping, let's say... that ship over there?" Celaeno pointed to the airship parked a stone's throw away to the left.

"Of course, Captain! Any particular reason?"

There was a sharp whistle from the other ship.

Celaeno leapt to her feet and swept the hat onto her head with a proud smile. "Because my scurvy crew and I have just commandeered her!"

From over the top of the other ship's balloon an arrow flew, trailing a rope behind it. It arced down and thunked into the railing. Leaping to it, Celaeno grabbed the rope and swiped at the end with her dagger, cutting it cleanly. With a cheery wave, she swung across to the other ship.

On board, a lantern had been lit to guide her in. In its glow the heavy-set parrot Boyle was visible at the helm, turning the ship about towards the west. A rousing cheer went up from the other pirates, still emerging from their hiding places, as Captain Celaeno landed neatly on the foredeck and smoothly took over the wheel.

The Royal Guard hurried to the railing, as did Luna's nightmares, waiting tensely for the word of command to go after the rapidly departing airship.

But Celestia merely looked on with a knowing smile. Then she turned to Luna.

"I think we shall put that one down as... on extended loan, perhaps? Do you concur, Sister?"

"Well put," Luna nodded. "And we concur, Sister."

"And unless anyone else feels like borrowing an airship," Celestia went on, "we'll continue with our plans for the rest of them. Twilight, could you let us have your usual written report, as soon as it's convenient?"

"Of course, Princess!"

Nodding to her, Celestia turned away without another word. Accompanied by Luna, she crossed back over the improvised gangway leading to the celebration area in front of the palace.

The guard ponies, with a few dark glances at Tempest, all trotted or flew after their respective Princesses.

Leaving Tempest standing unguarded next to Twilight, and feeling very confused.

"So... what happens to me, now?"

Twilight smiled reassuringly at her. "If you've no other plans, why don't you come back to Ponyville with me? We can put you up at the castle while you're finding your hooves here."

"You really don't have to put yourself out like that, Princess."

"Ahem... Princess of Friendship?" Twilight reminded her. "It's kinda what I do!"

Reformation Ritual

Late the next morning Twilight was sitting at the map-table in her palace, making a start on reviewing all the paperwork resulting from the Friendship Festival... as well as from its unexpected interruption.

There were summaries of expenses, and consequent boosts to local trade; reports on the ongoing cleanup work, both from the Festival itself as well as the remaining damage to Canterlot from the Storm King's invasion; reports on the emotional impact endured by the citizenry under his short-lived tyranny; and seemingly endless other memoranda besides.

And happily, there was one other category amongst the documents and scrolls that she was reading, which by itself made the entire task worthwhile: the thanks and congratulations rolling in from the attendees. Apparently even with the Storm King's invasion the Festival had been a rousing success. The accolades kept rolling in.

"... and I really hope you're considering doing it again next year," Twilight read proudly to Spike from the scroll in front of her. "I know Mother and you didn't part on the best of terms, but I'm pretty sure she won't mind making the trip again, now we don't have to stay in hiding. And I know I wouldn't, assuming I'm ever un-grounded! Sincerely, Her Royal Highness, Princess Skystar of the Hippogriffs!"

Spike nodded, as he grabbed the tray of empty breakfast dishes from the table. "Sounds like you made a good impression on them, Twilight!"

"I hope so, Spike! I really do. I still feel so bad for trying to trick Queen Novo and steal the Pearl. I hope she'll eventually forgive me."

There was a sharp rap at the door. Twilight and Spike looked up.

Looming in the doorway was Tempest. Somehow the maroon pony could manage to loom in a doorway three times her considerable height.

She started to stroll casually into the room, then suddenly stopped with a hoof still in the air, looking uncertain. "Uh... excuse me, Princess. Do you have a few minutes? I need to ask you something."

"Of course!" Twilight motioned for Tempest to come in and have a seat. At the same time she gave Spike a look that said Tea... and hold my calls, I may be a while! The purple dragon hurried off.

Tempest stalked over to the table. That was the exact word for it: every step precise and careful, eyes ever-watchful. Eschewing a seat on one of the chairs she simply sat down where she was. Even seated on the floor, she was eye-level with Twilight sitting on her own chair at the table.

"Okay, straight up..." Tempest began. "Why am I not under arrest? I'm not in prison. I haven't been executed -- I'm sure I would have noticed! I'm not even under observation. I've been allowed to walk the streets of Canterlot -- and now Ponyville -- completely unquestioned. I could just keep right on going, walk away from here, catch a train or something, and I don't think anyone would stop me. Ponies I talk to aren't particularly friendly, but they're not unfriendly either. And I don't hear them gossiping behind my back when I move on. I might as well be any random pony who just walked into town!"

"And... that's a bad thing?" Twilight asked gently.

"It doesn't make sense!" Tempest fumed, her eyes glaring. Then she sighed, and went on more calmly. "I led the invasion... I helped imprison the Princesses... I frightened and hurt a lot of ponies, pretty severely! Why aren't they holding that against me?" Her expression shifted, becoming nervous, even fearful. "I keep expecting the hammer to fall at any moment... to be accused, locked up, tortured for what I did. And the longer it doesn't happen, the more it worries me!"

She looked at Twilight, helplessly. "What is the deal here, Princess?"

Twilight nodded. "You've been away in the Southlands a while, so it probably seems strange. But... it's just the pony way. It's how ponies handle things like this. At least, in more traditional towns like Ponyville. And even in Canterlot, underneath all that high-class snobbery there's a remnant of the same tradition."

"Tradition? This kind of thing happens a lot?"

"Not invasions, so much. But... situations that go beyond a simple disagreement between relatives or friends, which could be sorted out by discussing it. And it happens more often than you might think. But ever since the original Hearth's Warming Eve, pony society has been based on friendship and trust. We just don't do prisons, except in extreme cases, since that just postpones the issue. And particularly since the return of Princess Luna, she and Princess Celestia have established an unwritten rule: we accept and help anypony who has done serious wrong and wants to atone for it. It's called reformation, for want of a better word."

"After all I did?" Tempest asked, amazed. "They're willing to just accept me? Just like that?"

"Well..." Twilight admitted, "I'm not saying having the Princess of Friendship speaking up for you didn't help! Ponies trust me, and they accept my word, even when they don't always agree with it. I saw what you did to save us at the end. I saw how you felt about it. And knowing your past, I understand why you did what you did. I just let other ponies know that."

"And the Princesses? Celestia and Luna? And Cadance? They're okay with this too?"

"You know, funny thing about being a Princess... you almost say more by what you don't say than by what you do. Since neither Celestia, Luna, or Cadance have said a word either way, that means they tacitly accept my word as a fellow Princess."

Tempest smirked. "So... they've basically decided to let me be your problem."

"Uhh, yeah!" Twilight smiled, a little embarrassed. "I suppose you are my jurisdiction... because I'm the Princess who spoke up for you."

"And I appreciate that, I really do." Tempest nodded. "So please don't take this the wrong way, but... it just doesn't seem right. No punishment, not even a harsh word. Just... nothing!" She hung her head sadly. "I don't deserve that. There's no way I can make up for what I did!"

Twilight put out a forehoof to touch her shoulder. "Actually, there is... but it's not easy!"

"I can handle anything," Tempest said quietly, not looking up.

"Eee-yeah. That's what I thought, too, when I went through this."

"You?" Tempest stared at her.

"Uh huh! Not proud to admit it, but I once put a compulsion spell on most of Ponyville. I didn't intend for it to happen. It... kinda got away from me. But the first rule of spellcasting is think before you cast! Still... I was a little freaked out at the time, and I really wasn't in my right mind, so..."

She came to a halt. "No. Wait a sec. I'm doing it wrong. It was like this..."

Quickly she sketched out the circumstances: putting the Want-It-Need-It spell on a doll in order to create a Friendship problem to solve, because she was late submitting a Friendship report to Princess Celestia. "It was wrong of me," Twilight said flatly. "I didn't think out the consequences. A lot of ponies could have gotten hurt in the resulting havoc. And afterward I felt like you do... like there was just no way I could make up for what I'd done to everyone. I walked around town for a while thinking what you're thinking right now: that no one ever would or should trust me again. And the whole time, no one went out of their way to talk to me... or to reject me, either. But it wasn't personal. I didn't realize it at the time because I'd spent so much time cooped up in my library. It's just how ponies do things."

"So... what happened?" Tempest asked.

"Applejack explained the reformation ritual to me, and how it's done. And I went through it... and it helped, it really did! I belonged again. I could get on with my life. And if you want to do it, I'll be happy to walk you through it. That's part of the deal, actually. Once you've been through this, you take on explaining it to the next pony who needs it."

Tempest nodded. "I'll do anything, just to feel like I belong again!"

"Like I said, it can be hard. And the chief reason is, you don't really have to convince anyone else you want to change. The one you really have to convince is yourself... so it shows in everything you say and everything you do. So everypony can see it."

"Alright, Princess, I'm in. How do we start? I mean..." she corrected herself quickly, "...how do I start?"

Twilight smiled reassuringly. "The first part is pretty straightforward. We just need to find the right time..."

Fortunately Ponyville's annual Flower Festival was the following week. And that was just about right, because Twilight needed some time to coach Tempest on what to say and how to say it.

At the opening ceremony, Mayor Mare stood at the podium on the platform in front of Town Hall and gave a few brief administrative remarks. And then:

"Before we officially open the Festival, there's a pony here who would appreciate a few brief moments of your time!"

She nodded, and Tempest Shadow strode up from the crowd, then climbed onto the stage next to the podium. She was wearing a simple black bodysuit in place of her armor. She carefully kept her expression neutral as she turned to face the audience. Clearing her throat, she spoke up, her voice carrying easily across the assembled crowd in Ponyville Square.

"Good morning, everypony. I'm... really not a great speaker so I'll keep this short."

She looked around, at all the ponies watching her silently.

"I... apologize. To all of you. I led the attack on Canterlot. I willingly made it possible for the Princesses to be captured, for their powers to be stolen and abused. And my orders directly led to the imprisonment and humiliation of many of you..."

Remember, she told herself. Keep it simple. You are saying you are sorry. No excuses. No evasions. No buck-passing. No hiding behind someone else's actions. And especially don't ask anything of them just yet. You're apologizing... telling them that you're aware of your actions, and the results of those actions. And telling them what you, personally, are going to do about it.

"What I did was wrong, and hurtful. I deeply regret the suffering and damage that I caused. And I want to make things right... with all of you. I don't have a clear plan how just yet. So I'm going to devote myself to finding one. And I will not stop until I find it... that's a promise!"

Tempest bowed her head to the crowd. "Thank you all, for your time and attention."

Without looking up she trotted away from the podium, back to where Twilight was sitting nearby. She was afraid to look up, afraid to look at the crowd, afraid to hear what they might be whispering to each other.

But Twilight was nodding. "Nicely done, Tempest!" she said, once the Mayor had finished the opening ceremonies. "You should have heard me when I did this part. I was rambling all over the place. But you hit just the right tone. Are you sure you're not a good speaker?"

"Only when demanding unconditional surrender." Tempest said uncomfortably. "Not really appropriate here, is it?" She glanced around. "This is really all it takes to start with? A public apology? And this is just Ponyville. What about Canterlot? And the ponies from other cities who were visiting the Friendship Festival? When do I apologize to them?"

Twilight nodded, understanding. "One thing at a time. You have to start somewhere, and there's nowhere better than Ponyville for this kind of thing. And word gets around, you'll be surprised. Once you've made your peace with ponies here, it'll be that much easier for their friends and relatives elsewhere to do the same."

"I imagine that'll take some time..."

"Are you in a hurry?" Twilight smirked. "But it might not take as long as you think!"

"Uh, pardon me? Tempest, right?"

Tempest turned to look. It was the owner/manager of Hooves and Hammers, the construction company, a muscular, tan-coated earth pony wearing a hard hat. "I really liked what you said there, about making things right. Reminded me of some dumb things I did, when I was a colt. I just wanted to ask if you're lookin' for a job. We can always use strong backs for moving supplies, and for demo and cleanup."

"Thanks!" Tempest said. "I'm still finding my way around here. Is it all right if I come by later, and we can talk about it?"

"Sure thing! Mornings and evenings are best, we're usually on call during the day. But, if you see me around town workin' on a project, just flag me and we'll chat!" He waved a hoof and trotted off.

Tempest turned to look at Twilight, who was smiling.

Then Tempest felt a gentle tap at her shoulder. It was Bon Bon. When Tempest looked her way, the beige pony stepped back a pace, but then she nodded affably. "Hi, Tempest," she said, introducing herself. "I just wanted to ask if you'd found a place to stay yet."

Tempest was about to reply... and then Twilight spoke up. "Thanks for asking, Bon Bon. Tempest's staying as a guest at the Friendship castle, at least until she decides what she's going to do while she's here."

Bon Bon smiled understandingly. After chatting briefly with them for a bit, she excused herself to see where Lyra had gotten to.

Tempest gave Twilight a curious look. "Missed your chance, Princess. You could have let me move out."

"It's not a problem. It makes sense, actually, if I'm gonna help you with the next part."

"Which is?"

"You said it yourself: figuring out what you're going to do."

Lacking other plans, Tempest took the job with the construction crew part-time, to help earn her keep. It was a little mind-numbing, mostly fetch-and-carry and occasionally helping to buck down a wall or wrench apart beams, or salvage materials from already-dismantled structures. But it was solid work and kept her in trim, so she could throw herself into it with a will. And the other ponies on the crew clearly respected her strength and judgement, even if they didn't say much to her directly.

After a few days she found herself settling into a routine. A quick bite at Sugarcube Corner, early in the morning before the crush, then work until lunch, and after lunch she'd return to Twilight's castle... and think.

What can I do? How can I show other ponies they can trust me again, that they can rely on me again?

Left to herself she might have simply hidden away in the guest room Twilight had given her. But the Princess had pointedly suggested that she get out and wander around town while she planned. Window-shop, if need be, or if she felt the need to be useful, maybe grocery-shop to help out Spike.

"Not sure I see what good that does," Tempest objected.

"You need to let them see you, get used to you," Twilight explained. "They need to see the real you, the one who's trying to make amends. Little interactions, like buying a meal, sharing gossip, even just walking around nodding to other ponies. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up to social capital. And that'll pay you back in the long run."

Tempest wasn't entirely convinced. But she'd committed herself to making it work so she toughed it out. It felt silly... doing ordinary things, like trotting down to the Marketplace to buy apples or sugar because the castle's kitchen had run short. Yet after a while she could see the wisdom in it. The ponies she spoke to at the stalls began to recognize her and greet her each day, and that gave her a chance to greet them in return, and get to know some of them.

And then, one morning, just as she was trotting out of Sugarcube Corner heading for the site the construction crew was working on, she saw a familiar face... a very familiar face.

She'd have recognized the squat, white-maned hedgehog anywhere. But seeing him here was a surprise. He was ambling up the road, a cupcake in one paw, glancing quickly around at everything. His large grey-and-blue eyes never rested anywhere for very long.

"Grubber?" she said, trotting up behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"Woah!" He turned and stared up at her, startled. And then he smiled, honestly pleased to see her. "Hey, Tempest! Long time no see! Wondered what happened to ya after the Friendship do!"

"I'm still figuring it out myself. Princess Twilight has me doing this 'reformation' thing to help me get back into pony society." She lofted her head intimidatingly, giving him a suspicious glare. "What are you up to, Grubber? I know that look. You're up to something."

"Me? Eh, well..." He looked uncomfortable for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm looking for a new job actually. Tried lookin' around back south, couldn't find much, not with my background. And... I'm not really liking what I'm doin' right now either. Gopher work, ya know? Takin' orders, not really knowin' what's goin' on, everything has to be done yesterday."

He sighed. "I miss the old days. The two of us together, knockin' about, takin' on the world, armies at our beck and call, bringin' the pain..."

He came to a halt, seeing the frosty look she was giving him.

"Ehhhh... yeah, right," he said. "Not like that anymore. Still... ya maybe still got an opening for a hench-hog, boss? I got references!"

"I think they call the job assistant around here."

"Hey, I'm flexible! I can assist just as good as I hench."

Tempest sighed. Despite her better instincts, she wouldn't mind having the little hairball around again, just to have someone to talk to.

"Well... stacking lumber and doing knock-throughs doesn't take much in the way of help," she finally said. "But... I don't know, Grubber... if you're still looking in a week or so, check back with me, huh?"

"All right, will do! Er... ya planning to be around here that long?"

"Who knows? I don't even know how long this 'reformation' ritual is supposed to take."

"Huh. They got a ritual for that?"

"Apparently." Tempest shrugged. "It's a pony thing."

They chatted for a bit longer. Then Grubber wished her well and waddled off to keep looking for Help Wanted signs... or so he claimed. Tempest was half-inclined to follow him, see what he was really doing. But she had to get to work. And by himself it wasn't like the little troll was capable of getting into any real mischief. Worst he might do was knock over a pastry cart somewhere.

And, Tempest realized, if she wanted others to trust her, it made sense to start doing it herself.

So she let it go... for now.

After a solid morning's work, followed by a late lunch, she returned to the Friendship castle. And there she found Twilight pacing back and forth in front of the map table. There were a number of scrolls floating in her magic, and a number of small markers set out on the table, at various points on the southern region of the map of Equestria.

"Planning an invasion, Princess?" Tempest asked dryly. "I could give you a few pointers."

"Oh! Hi, Tempest!" Twilight said. "No, I've just been reading some really unsettling reports Princess Celestia passed along. They're from Appleloosa and the Badlands. Apparently a number of ponies have gone missing. And it seems to be moving steadily northwards."

"Any clue who's behind it?" Tempest asked, stepping closer to examine the map herself. "Apart from the Storm King, I don't recall anyone else from down south who might be after ponies."

"Nothing so far," Twilight said. "There's just one connection: all the missing ponies are unicorns."

"I see." Tempest's eyes narrowed. "That does want looking into. You want me to do it? Head back to the Southlands, and ask around? Rattle some cages? We both know I'm good at that."

"That might help. Let me finish going over these reports first. Then we'll have a better idea where to start looking."

"Whatever you say. Just let me know when you need me."

"I will. Thanks, Tempest!"

Tempest nodded to her, then trotted onwards to her room.

There, she threw herself down on the bed, head resting on her crossed forehooves. For once, she didn't feel like taking her afternoon stroll around Ponyville. She didn't feel like leaving her room in fact. Seeing Grubber again had brought the past all back to her, forcefully. And the worst part of it was... it wasn't entirely unwelcome.

The memories unsettled her, made her feel like she was just wasting time here. Like Grubber, she missed the old days. Back then she'd been doing something, accomplishing something with her life... even if it had only been the Storm King's dirty work. And Grubber had put it well. It was nice being in charge, even of an army of shadows... having one's word be law.

She sighed. It would be soooo easy to go back to all that.

I have to come up with a way to convince everyone I'm not that kind of pony any more, she thought, when I'm not really certain myself.

The feeling persisted, even after a desultory dinner with Twilight and Starlight in the map-room, and then another long stretch of sitting by herself on her bed.

Finally, Tempest's eyes slid closed, and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Back in Action

Several hours later, Tempest came awake. Sharply, all her senses alert.

There had been a familiar knock at her door.

As she watched, the door creaked open. A blue eyeball peered in. It was Grubber.

Seeing her awake, he yanked the door wide and all but fell into the room. Then he wasted precious seconds figuring out how to say something he really didn't want to say.

He settled for all-out panic.

"Tempest! Ya gotta move fast! These guys I came with... they're after Twilight!"

She glared at him. "Duck."

Grubber threw himself flat on the floor. And Tempest left the room in a single standing leap from the bed. She landed in the corridor outside, pirouetting with a single hoof thrust against the opposite wall. Then she came about and dashed away up the corridor.

"Woah, yeah!" Grubber picked himself up, amazed. "She's still got it!" He realized he was suddenly very much alone. "Uh... right behind ya, Tempest!" He hustled out of the room as fast as he could manage.

Tempest slowed as she neared Twilight's door, keeping to the carpeting to muffle her hoofsteps. The door was standing slightly ajar. Quietly, she pushed it open and slipped into the room.

In the moonlight falling through the window she could just make out Twilight's bed, with the slumbering alicorn gently dozing under the covers.

And there were two other shadowy figures in the room. One was carrying a sack. They crept closer to the bed, glancing at each other as if uncertain of their next move.

Amateurs, Tempest thought grimly. She stalked forward, making use of their footfalls to conceal her own. In only a few strides she was standing right between them. Smirking, she leaned down to put her head even with theirs.

"Going somewhere?"

They froze, turning to look at her. She allowed a slight play of power to sparkle about the stump of her horn, mostly for the implied threat, and because the light would help screw up their dark-adaptation.

"Oh, and by the way..." she added lazily, "that wasn't a question. It was a prediction!"

A leap in the air, and her hooves lashed out to both sides. One of the invaders was booted clear across the room and crashed heavily into the wall. The other was knocked squealing right out from under her helmet and into the wardrobe... straight through its unopened doors.

Tempest let off a crackling electric blast from her horn, stunning the first of them even as he stood up, shaking his head. He collapsed in a smoking heap where he stood.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other one thrash her way out of the tangle of cloaks and hangers, and then draw a knife. But the idiot didn't even try to throw it. Instead, she turned toward the bed again, as if determined not to leave empty-hoofed.

Stupid move. Tempest's forehoof stomped the rim of the helmet still spinning on the floor, sending it into the air. A swift leap and spinning kick sent it flying square into the head of the knife-wielding attacker.

CLONG.

The knife clattered to the floor. Its owner joined it with a heavy, permanent-sounding thump.

A gleaming illumination spell lit the room, revealing a very startled-looking Twilight sitting up in her bed. She stared in amazement at the unconscious forms of her would-be attackers, and then at Tempest.

Who snorted in disgust. "You really should think about locking your door at night, Princess. These two were able to just walk right in here." She arched an eyebrow, thoughtfully. "So was I, for that matter."

"Look out, Tempest... behind you!"

Tempest didn't even have to look around.

"It's all right. He's with me. I think."

Grubber had finally wandered cautiously into the room. Surveying the damage, he pumped a fist enthusiastically. "Ohhh, yeah! She's back in action! Would ya give it up, please... for the one... the only... Tempest Shadow! Yeahhhhhh --"

He froze in mid-cheer. And then quailed, as Tempest swung fiercely on him, her ruined horn fizzing dangerously.

"-- uh oh."

After a hurried message sent via Spike-post, a small army of Royal Guard ponies arrived to take charge of the still-groggy intruders, sitting trussed like turkeys on chairs in the map room. They were a gray-scaled fishman and a heavy-snouted sow, both dressed in battered, nondescript armor that had the grimy, hand-me-down look of everything in Klugetown.

And then the Lieutenant in charge of the guards tried to take in Tempest and Grubber as well.

Twilight quickly stepped in. "Ah... that won't be necessary!"

"We think it's a wise precaution, Your Highness," he replied smoothly. "Just until we have all the facts straight about what happened, and what connection they have with all this. Come along, you two!"

"Ahem!" Twilight said, putting herself forcefully in the way. She pointed a forehoof at her mane. "Do you see this crown? Uh... I mean, the one I would be wearing if it wasn't still safely in its box in my room? I am the Princess of Friendship, and this is my castle!"

"But... Your Highness..."

"And besides," Twilight went on, brightly, "you can't possibly arrest my bodyguard!"

The Lieutenant looked astonished. "Excuse me?"

"I recently appointed Tempest here as my personal bodyguard." Twilight feigned surprise. "You mean, you didn't you get the memo? And I've put her in charge of this investigation, based on her experience with the Southlands. I trust her to get to the bottom of things."

She glanced significantly at Tempest. Who didn't miss a beat.

"I'm not offended, Lieutenant," Tempest said smoothly. "You were just doing your job. To show there's no hard feelings, you can take these two with you, just so you're not leaving empty-hoofed." She waved dismissively at the two captives. "I doubt we'll get much out of them, in any case!"

She rounded on Grubber. "As for this one," she snarled. "He knows something. And I'm going to find out what!"

She glanced back at the guards, smiling sweetly. "Oh, and don't worry... you'll get a full report."

She eyed Grubber angrily again. "I'll make him write it!"

Grubber put up his paws, trying to look small and compliant. "Works for me!"

Eventually the guards left, grumbling but placated. And then Tempest asked if she could use one of the castle's audience chambers to interview Grubber... alone.

Twilight looked about to object. Then she nodded. "All right, Tempest. Let me know what you find out."

In short order, Grubber found himself sitting on a hard chair in a large, empty room. Tempest stalked angrily around him, her horn sizzling.

Grubber didn't need a bright light shining in his eyes to feel nervous.

"I'm waiting," Tempest finally said. "Oh and believe me... this had better be good."

Grubber shivered. He recognized that dangerously soft and languid tone. It usually preceded someone hitting the ground at high speed.

"Okay, so, it's like this... after the Friendship party, I headed south looking for work. Didn't find much, like I said. And then, well, I ran into these guys. They wanted a lookout, someone to wander around, case the neighborhood, report back. They didn't tell me much about the jobs they were pulling. The less I knew, right? And I was okay with that. I mean, the pay wasn't great, but it was easy work."

He sighed. "And then we came here. I started wondering what we were doing, so close to the Princesses again. And then I ran into you as I was walking around. And seein' ya again, Tempest, well, kinda brought it all back. Made me think about what I was doin', ya know?"

"Oh, do let me guess..." Tempest said sarcastically. "You suddenly wanted to turn over a new leaf, right?"

"You kiddin'?" Grubber looked positively offended. "I wanted in! A piece of the action, right? Or at least I wanted to know what they were doin', so I could feel like I was part of something again!"

"Go on..."

"Yeah, right... well, they went off to get some supplies. And I went through their stuff. And I found this..." He reached into his hair and pulled out a scrap of grubby paper. "They're poachers. There's some kinda ivory trade thing going on down south. They had standing orders to bag anything with a horn on it... especially magic users, like unicorns."

Tempest came to a halt, swung about, and lowered her head so she was eye to eye with Grubber. Who swallowed and hurriedly went on.

"... and uh... well, when they headed out this evening, I followed 'em. And when they headed for this castle-tree thing, I had a pretty good idea which pony they were after. And then I remembered you were here, so I hurried to find you."

Tempest blinked at that, momentarily puzzled. "How did you find my room, Grubber? All the doors in this place look the same to me."

He looked skyward, and scratched his ear nervously. "Ehh, old habit. I just looked for the doorknob with the scorch marks around it. You never give up tryin', I'll give ya that!"

Tempest frowned at that, then nodded.

"This ivory trade," she went on, intently, "who's behind it?"

Grubber shrugged. "Search me! I only know what those guys knew. And they didn't know squat!" His shoulders slumped. "I wanted to be a part of something again, Tempest. I just ended being up part of a big nothin'. And I meant what I said, earlier. When you and me were workin' together, that was the best time of my life, best time I'd ever had!" He shrugged hopelessly. "I just wanted somethin' like that again..."

Tempest eyed him silently, her horn still sparking.

Grubber hunched worriedly, grimacing. "So... what happens now? You... gonna fry me one more time, just for old time's sake? Before you kick me out the door?"

Tempest glared at him a moment longer.

Then her horn fell silent. "No. I'm going to do a lot worse. You're going to be my assistant."

His eyes went wide with hope. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I'm still working on this whole reformation thing myself. You can join in, help out if you like."

"Just like that? You willing to trust me again?"

"It's what ponies do, apparently." She smirked. "That is, if you're okay with working for the good guys for once."

"Hey, you know me! If there's three squares in it, I'm in!" He eyed her stern expression. "Not good enough, huh?" He stood up on the chair and raised his paw. "Ahem. I solemnly swear not to do bad stuff." He looked at her. "Still not doin' it for ya? Okay, how about this: I solemnly swear not to do bad stuff... 'cept when you tell me to do it!"

Tempest finally smiled.

"Better. It'll do for now, anyway." Then she sighed, and looked at the door. "Now we just have to square it with the Princess."

But it turned out that Twilight was totally okay with the arrangement, particularly once she'd heard what Grubber had "volunteered" about the intruders he'd been "following", based on his suspicions about them. "And I'm proud of how you handled this whole thing, Tempest. Particularly the way you leapt into action to protect me. I know I said you were my bodyguard just to get the guards to back down, but I'd be happy to make the post official, if it appeals to you."

Tempest eyed her, amused. "Would you be at all offended, Princess, if I said it's high time you had some kind of defense around here?"

Less straightforward were the other occupants of the castle. Starlight Glimmer had finally wandered downstairs to find out what all the excitement was about. She expressed her feelings succinctly and diplomatically.

"Like, seriously? Do you need me to spell out how many ways I think this is a bad idea? You're going to trust a pony who put you in a cage to be your bodyguard? And I'm saying that as a pony you decided to befriend after I nearly destroyed Equestria's timeline trying to get back at you!"

She glanced at Tempest. "It's a long story."

"Sounds like a good one. You should tell me sometime." Tempest rolled her eyes. "Look, ladies, considering how lax security is around here, if I actually wanted any of you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. So let's take my allegiance as given for now. And I'll be responsible for the groundhog... because he knows if he steps out of line he'll answer to me!"

"Ooh, loud and clear, boss!" The hedgehog gave a sloppy salute.

"Spike," Twilight said, "Grubber here is going to be Tempest's assistant. Would you mind showing him around, helping him get used to the place?"

"Uhm... okay..." Spike eyed Grubber with suspicion.

"Hey, Spike!" Grubber turned to the dragon, and stuck out a paw. "Tempest says you're Numero Uno Chief Assistant First Class around here, so I should take my cue from you. Annnd... I'm kinda new to this whole assisting thing. Can ya gimme a few pointers?" He added a grin like a hacksaw blade.

"Riiiight..." Spike cautiously shook with him. "Well... seeing how everyone's already up, should we run up an early breakfast, Twi?"

"Good idea, Spike," she said. "Tempest and I have to make some plans... for a trip to Klugetown to find out who's behind this horn trade."

"Okay, sure. Uh... you like pancakes, Grubber?"

"Ohhh, I love anything with the word 'cake' in it," he replied, as they wandered out of the room together.

"Well, I'm going back to bed," Starlight said. "Maybe this will all make an ounce of sense in the morning... though somehow I doubt it!"

Twilight was already using her magic to summon charts and books to the table, plus paper and quills for the first of several checklists. Then she suddenly came to a halt, and spoke without turning around.

"Tempest... please don't make me regret this!"

"Right at this moment, Princess, that's the very last thing I'd do."

Rainbow Phoenix

By late morning, word had gotten around about the assault, and Twilight's friends had come to the castle, at first just to make sure she was all right and then to kibitz on the plans for the trip to Klugetown.

"We should just talk to Princess Celestia," Applejack said, "and ask for the borry of one of them airships. That'd get us there in no time!"

Rainbow snickered. "With the Storm King's emblem on it, thirty feet high? Yeah, real subtle, A.J.! I thought the idea was to keep a low profile?"

"More importantly," Twilight put in, to stave off an argument, "it would mean having to tell Celestia about my plans. Annnd... I'm not sure I want to do that just yet. I know what she'd probably say, that as Princess I should leave this to somepony else."

"And she'd be right to say it," Tempest said. "I know you don't want to hear that but... bodyguard, remember? They tried for you once. You don't want to make it easier for them the next time."

"Oooh... you think there will be a next time?" Fluttershy quavered.

"Oh, yeah!" Grubber put in, slightly muffled by the slice of cake he was devouring as a late mid-morning snack. "Those guys weren't the only ones prowlin' around..." He glanced about. "Er, that is... from what I heard."

"We have to find the source of this," Twilight said, "and put a stop to it. Whatever's driving this trade in horns."

"Maybe it's a clown convention?" Pinkie suggested. "They always need horns!" She produced one out of nowhere and blew an earsplitting honk.

"More practical-like," A.J. said, "maybe it's some kinda industrial thing, like grinding up bones for fertilizer and such?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not to be gruesome, but you'd need much larger quantities to make that practical."

"Well, maybe it's for quack cures, then." Applejack grimaced. "You wouldn't believe some of the crazy stuff folks will believe horn-powder can do."

"But the poachers were looking for magic-users in particular," Twilight said. "Like the unicorns that have been disappearing lately."

"Say what now?" Applejack said, sitting up in her chair.

"Yeah, what's this about unicorns disappearing?" Rainbow demanded, flapping closer.

Fluttershy dove under the table and shivered.

"Oh, sorry! I hadn't gotten to that yet." Twilight reached for the message scrolls sitting on the table. "There have been reports from down south of unicorns being --"

"Kidnapped!"

Spike burst into the room, nearly out of breath. "Twilight!" he shouted. "Rarity's missing! I went over to check on her like you asked, and the door was open and she was gone! And nopony's seen her anywhere in town this morning! They must have got her! What are we gonna do?"

For a few moments there was complete bedlam, everyone talking or shouting at once. Twilight tried to raise her voice, tried to calm things down, but no one paid her any attention.

RAP... RAP... RAP...

Tempest's forehoof smacked the map table like a gavel. Silence fell.

Then she looked to Twilight, who smiled thankfully. "Okay, let's stay calm," Twilight said. "This just makes the trip that much more urgent. They can't have gotten far with her yet."

"I take it we're leaving immediately, then?" said Tempest. "Grubber, go get my armor!"

"Woah... really, boss?" He saw the look in her eye, and hurried off, his voice disappearing down the corridor outside. "Onnnn it...!"

"We're all with you, Twi," Applejack said. "You're gonna need all the help you can get." The others nodded agreement.

But Twilight sighed. "Not this time, girls. For two reasons: one, until we sort this out there may be other attacks on unicorns here. I'll need the rest of you to stay here and help organize a defense for Ponyville. And two, obviously we can't all go... I mean, how's that going to look? Tempest gone, and all of us too? Everyone will blame her, think she planned all this."

"Urrgh!" Rainbow grumbled. "Can't we just leave a note? Or have Starlight tell everyone where we've gone?"

"It'll be more convincing if it comes from one of us directly," Twilight said. "Sorry, Rainbow!"

Spike suddenly made a face and belched green fire. A scroll materialized. As he reached for it, Tempest put up a hoof.

"Just a hunch, Princess, but you might want to pretend that scroll never got here."

Spike looked crestfallen. "The spell is foolproof. She knows it got here!"

"Then you didn't have time to read it."

"I can't do that!" Twilight objected sadly. "She's my mentor! Spike, what does she say?"

Spike unrolled the scroll, and skimmed it. "You were right, Tempest! Celestia says with everything that's been going on, she'd prefer that Twilight stay put here where it's safe. Aw, geez! And she's put the remaining airships off limits to everypony, until the Princesses have agreed on a plan of action." He looked heartbroken. "But maybe she hasn't heard about Rarity! I'm sure she'd help if she knew! You think maybe I should send her a letter? Maybe she'd change her mind?"

"Or send half the Royal Guard to keep watch on me?" Twilight thought furiously. "No. If we're going to go, we need to go now! It's more important than ever. Rarity's my friend... I can't just sit around here!"

"Then don't," Tempest said.

Twilight looked up at her, surprised.

"Two questions," Tempest said, calmly. "Out of all the ponies in this room, which one is the Princess? And when you've figured that out, here's an easier one: which Princess do I take my orders from?"

She leaned closer, and stage-whispered: "Here's a hint: which Princess took it on herself to speak up for me?"

"Ponies around here are fiercely loyal to Celestia," Twilight warned. "It could really hurt your reputation."

"Princess, right now you have a reputation to worry about. All I have is a history. And we're wasting time."

Twilight nodded. "You're right, Tempest." She turned to the others. "Okay! Let's do this! Now, we need some kind of air transport to get to Klugetown fast. Any ideas?"

"What about Captain Celaeno?" Applejack said. "She's got an airship."

"But we have no idea where she is," Fluttershy moaned from under the table.

Rainbow looked smug. "Well, guess who just happened to be talking with Soarin' yesterday, when he happened to mention that the Wonderbolts had seen Celaeno's ship docking in Cloudsdale to pick up supplies."

"Well, that's just dandy," Applejack grumbled, "but it still don't tell us where she is now!"

"Ya know..." Rainbow said craftily, "if I left right now I could blast on over to Cloudsdale and find out exactly which way she was headed. And then catch up with her, persuade her to pick you up on the road heading south."

"You think you can do it, Rainbow?" Twilight asked.

"Just watch me!" She wound up for a quick takeoff.

"Rainbow!"

"Aw, geez, Twilight, don't worry. I'll be careful and everything!"

"It's not that." Twilight's horn flared, and the window that Rainbow had been aiming at swung open.

"Ah. Heh heh!" Rainbow scuffed her mane with a hoof, embarrassed. And then she was gone, in a streak of rainbow contrail out the window.

"One problem down," Twilight said. "Now the next is, how do Tempest and I get onto that road heading south?"

"Ah may have an idea 'bout that!" Applejack motioned Pinkie over to whisper in her ear. Pinkie listened intently... and then giggled like a maniac.

A couple hours later, just after sunrise, the main doors to the Friendship castle swung open, and two figures emerged. One was tall and thin and pony-shaped. The other was short and squat, waddling along beside it. Both were dressed in black all-obscuring robes with dark hoods.

As they started up the road through town, a small phalanx of gold-armored guards emerged from the bushes and side-streets to confront them.

"Tempest Shadow?" the Lieutenant said smugly. "We'd like you to come with us, please."

The taller figure tossed its head, flipping back the hood.

"Oh!" Fluttershy asked meekly. "Is there some problem, officer?"

"Ain't no tempests nor shadows 'round here!" said a voice from the robe underneath her. "No sirree!"

The smaller figure raised pink forehooves to push back its own hood.

"Hi there!" Pinkie Pie said gleefully. "We're on our way to a costume party! You wanna come? It's Dress-Like-An-Evil-Dark-Lord-Day! Hee!"

From the bushes behind the castle, Twilight and Tempest watched as their friends talked their way past the guards.

"Your friends can definitely keep it together in a pinch," Tempest said. "We should get moving. I'd prefer not have to knock out any guards getting away from here... no matter how satisfying it might be."

They rejoined Spike and Grubber, who'd been hiding in the underbrush with their supplies, and set out on their way.

By keeping off the main paths, crossing over fields, and skirting through the borders of the Everfree Forest, they managed to get onto the road heading south towards Dodge without issue.

And Rainbow was true to her word. After only a couple hours walk along the road, they heard a horn blast from the sky behind them. They turned to see the pirates' airship slowly descending toward them. But it was very different from the grim, spartan warship Celaeno had appropriated. The upper armor had been repainted a bright walnut shade, though the glowing double-bolt emblem was still visible on it. And it was rigged with makeshift, rainbow-hued plumage sails on the sides and aft, which folded away as the ship lowered itself to boarding height.

A winch platform cranked steadily down to collect Tempest and the others, but Twilight lifted off on her own wing-power and flew up to the main deck.

There she found Captain Celaeno and her crew assembled to greet her. The pirate parrots were all present: tall, red-crested Mullet, round and pink Lix Spittle, and googly-eyed Squabble. Only Boyle was missing from the welcoming committee, because he was still at the helm holding the ship steady.

Captain Celaeno made a show of drawing her blade and presenting it, hilt-first, as Twilight landed.

"Welcome aboard the Rainbow Phoenix, Princess Twilight!"

"Thank you so much, Captain!" Twilight said. "I really appreciate you going out of your way to help us."

"Thank your colorful friend. She talked us into it," Celaeno replied tartly, though the smile on her beak said it hadn't been a hard sell. "We certainly can't have some scurvy ivory trade making ponies suspicious of hard-working, honest privateers like us!"

"Did Rainbow make it back to Ponyville okay?"

Celaeno smirked. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Two points off the larboard quarter!" called a scratchy voice overhead.

"Rainbow!" Twilight called up angrily.

"Oops! Heh heh," Rainbow swept into view and hovered overhead, wearing a tricornered hat and cradling a spyglass in one forehoof. "Hey, Twilight!"

"What the hay are you doing here!"

"Duh! What's it look like I'm doing? I'm on lookout duty!"

"Urrhh! I thought I told you to stay and protect Ponyville!"

"Meh," Rainbow waved a hoof. "They'll be fine! Soon as we sort all this out they won't have a thing to worry about." She looked up. "Three points aft of starboard! Oh wait, just a buzzard. Never mind!"

A door opened behind Twilight. "Snack time! Anypony want a cupcake?"

"Pinkie!"

"Oh hey, Twilight! Did we just find you? Great! Now we're all here!"

"All...?" Twilight said, disbelievingly. "How did you even get here?"

"Wayall, you see," Applejack said, climbing out of a large coil of rigging rope, "after we talked to Mayor Mare and got her to put Ponyville on lockdown to keep folks safe, and asked Starlight to take charge at the castle in case they needed her magic, we hopped the train to Baltimare, then yanked the emergency cord just past Rambling Rock, and went overland to pick up the road to Dodge, and Celaeno came across us first on her way south. Oh, and don't worry... we made sure everypony understood we was all away on Elements of Harmony business. 'Course we didn't say 'zactly what business... but that's neither here nor there!"

Twilight facehoofed. Then she glared at a barrel sitting next to her on the deck, looking suspiciously out of place. "Okay, Fluttershy. I know you're here. You can come out too."

The lid lifted slowly, and the yellow pegasus peered out from underneath. "You're not... too mad at us, are you?"

"How could I be mad?" Twilight groaned. "I have the best, most wonderful friends anypony could have -- who never listen to a word I say!"

"Eeep!" Fluttershy dove back out of sight, and the lid thunked down again.

And just at that moment, the platform came level with the deck, carrying Tempest, Grubber, Spike, and their travel gear.

Celaeno redrew her sword. She glared at Tempest.

"I never said anything about giving her a lift," she snarled. "Last time that pony came aboard my ship, we all ended up in the drink... including the ship itself. Not havin' that again!"

"Ohhh, this does not look good!" Grubber cowered behind Tempest.

"Please, Captain!" Spike called out nervously. "Tempest isn't like that anymore! She's helping us get Rarity back!"

"From where I stand, she looks exactly the same, armor and all."

"But she's changed!" Spike persisted.

"Yeah?" Celaeno stalked forward to stand at the edge of the deck, sword still raised. "Prove it!"

Tempest stood silently for a moment.

Then she unlatched and shrugged out of her body armor, and stepped out of the armored shoes. She crossed to the edge of the lift platform, facing Celaeno and her sword unflinchingly.

"Captain Celaeno," she said. "I apologize, to you and your crew, for the loss of your ship and for the hardship I've put you all through. It was wrong of me to treat you the way I did. I've been working on making up for that... as well as for a lot of other things I regret. Could I ask you to allow me aboard, just so I can help Twilight rescue her friend? I'll walk back if I have to, but..."

"Hold it." Celaeno put up a claw.

Then she smiled.

"You do know you had me at sorry, right?"

She pointedly put up her sword. "Best be puttin' that armor back on. Gets a mite breezy aloft." Then she swung back to her crew. "All right, look alive, you scallywags! Let's get their gear stowed and shove off! We've been hunting around for something brave and bold to fight for... and we've got a rescue again!"

A relieved cheer went up from the pirates. With their help, a reclad Tempest and the others were soon watching from the foredeck as the Rainbow Phoenix lifted away into the clouds, heading southwards.

To Be Continued...

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Author's Note

I tried to make Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy stay home this time, I really did... but they were having none of it, they snuck along anyways! :twilightsmile:

Next week, Capper joins the party... plus a visit to Abyssinia...

Part II --- Cat Out of the Bag

After a lengthy flight over rolling sand dunes, the terraced knock-together piles of Klugetown began to emerge from the yellow desert air like a junkyard fever-dream.

"The first thing we should do," Twilight said, "is locate Capper, and see if he's learned anything about what's been going on since he came back here."

"Makes sense." Captain Celaeno nodded. "If anyone would have an ear to the winds, it's him. An Abyssinian always lands on his feet."

"Agreed." Tempest turned to face them both. "But until we've found out how things stand, Princess, I suggest all of you stay aboard ship and below decks. We don't want to advertise we have a group of ponies aboard. Folks around here are money-hungry. They might grab first and think later, if at all."

"All right, Tempest. I trust your judgement. But you'll need at least one familiar face with you."

Tempest eyed Spike. "Preferably someone small and inconspicuous."

"Who, me?"

Twilight looked uncomfortable, but nodded. "Spike, would you go with them? Let Capper know Tempest is on our side now?"

"Well... okay..." he said doubtfully.

"Hey, don't worry, Spike!" Grubber beamed, slapping Spike's back with a paw. "You're with us! And besides, now it's my turn to show you the fine art of hench-hogging. Trust me, you'll love it!"

Spike looked worriedly at Twilight. He hoped it wasn't for the last time.

Celaeno brought the Phoenix into the upper airship dock. Then Mullet and Boyle trooped down the gangway and began arguing loudly and gruffly with the dock's excuse for a harbor master about how long they could stay and how much it would cost. And while the three of them were so busy shouting at one another, no one noticed as a tall cloaked figure, accompanied by two smaller shapes, stepped out from behind some crates farther up the dock and casually walked away into town.

"So, how are we gonna find Capper?" Spike asked.

"We can start by following the trail of damage," Tempest said, looking up the street.

Given that Klugetown was such a ramshackle dump to begin with, it wasn't surprising that they hadn't even begun cleaning up the collapsed timber and stone left behind during the ponies' escape. The trail of destruction led right up the main street, to the ruined grain mill at its height.

They climbed the hill toward it, then worked their way around to the street-level door at the top. And then they grimly looked through the still-open doorway, at the unoccupied room beyond.

It was a mess, thoroughly trashed.

"Okay..." Spike said worriedly. "Now what?"

"Now," Tempest replied, "we ask around... nicely!"

"Ohhh, I love this part!" Grubber rubbed his paws eagerly.

They strolled down to the marketplace and among the various stalls. The trades-creatures all had a pretty good memory, and one and all they gave Tempest and her friends a wide berth as she casually wandered from stall to stall, browsing, asking questions, making a show of not being in any hurry.

They quickly established a few things. Yes, Capper had come back to town. And Verko was still after him to pay on his debt. And no one had seen Capper at all for the last day or two...

... not since he'd last been seen arguing with Mong the fishman.

Just past the bird vendors they saw the familiar scaled, finned back. Tempest stalked up to him, and cleared her throat. Mong swung around, angrily. Then he froze, staring at her with a pop-eyed, choked look.

"Oh, you remember me!" she said sweetly. "I'm so glad!" She appeared to suddenly notice he was shivering in fright. "Oh, don't worry, big boy, nothing's going to happen..." She lowered her head, eyes narrowing. "So long as you can tell me where they've taken Capper!"

"And use lots of words," Grubber advised. "She's really into detail like that!"

As Mong stammered through a reply, Grubber smirked, and leaned toward Spike. "Ya see, Spike? This is what being a hench-creature's all about. Tempest is an artist, believe me! And every artist needs an audience, and a rooting section. The trick is to wait until after she delivers the tough line. Then ya follow it up... give it that extra punch!"

He looked up, surprised. "Uh oh! Looks like we're on the move again. Hey boss, wait up!"

He and Spike hurried after Tempest, who was rapidly disappearing down a side-street.

As back rooms went, and Capper had seen one or two, it was all right. Nothin' you wanted to write home about.

It had the chair in the middle, with himself tied to it. It had the heavy-set, pig-faced goon in a suit keeping watch to the left of the door, and the equally ugly-looking backup goon on the right. And dust and old crates and broken bottles and large, disquieting dried stains on the floor... because there was nothing like a little suggestion to help put guests in a talkative mood, right?

Above the single door there was a broad transom window. And any minute now the sun would rise just high enough so that the light falling through it would be right in Capper's eyes. And considering that the ropes binding him gave him very little slack to move, wouldn't that just be grand?

As he looked, a face suddenly appeared at the window. A small, familiar dragon face. Spotting Capper, the dragon waved urgently, then pointed from his eyes to the two goons.

Keeping his expression calm, Capper nodded smoothly, making it look like he was just resettling himself a little less uncomfortably.

And then, glancing from one guard to the other to make sure he had their attention, he started to sing:

This townnnn is not a nice place,
for little fillies all alonnne...
There's lots of twists and corners,
that can lead to the unknownnnn...

As he hoped, the goons were staring at him with a mixture of annoyance and disquiet. Probably thinking Capper had lost it. Which, hey, was all good. He went on...

Let me guide your wayyyyy,
and I'll be sure to see you through...

"I could really use a friend right now..." he added, as the guards got up and moved towards him, looking ready to gag him to keep him quiet.

A small, scratchy voice sang from outside the door, slightly off-key:

And luckily for youuuuu...

The next few moments were a bit of a blur, but thinking back, Capper could recall several things happening, practically on top of each other.

First, the door was smashed off its hinges, dropping toward the floor. Over the still-falling door a maroon pony came flying in midair, one rear hoof extended. She connected heavily with the skull of the goon on the right, who fell to the floor, poleaxed. The pony used the hit to relaunch herself at the other goon, grabbed his vest in her teeth and used the momentum of passing over his head to flip him, launching him upward to crash into a beam overhead, knocking him out.

She rebounded off the wall beyond and flipped back, landing on all four hooves on the fallen door... just as it hit the floorboards.

And not even breathing hard.

Capper blinked. "Tell me this is a nightmare. Is this a nightmare?" he asked. "'Cause if it is... I don't wanna wake up."

Grubber leaned around the doorframe, surveying the damage. "Oh yeah!" He shook a fist. "They are not gettin' up from that one! That's what I'm talkin' about, Spike!"

Spike looked in from the other side of the door. "Capper! Are you okay?"

"Well, hey there, little flamethrower dude," Capper replied casually. "How's it goin'?" He nodded his head. "Big scary pony here, she with you?"

"We came to bust you out!" Spike said, trotting over. "We need your help. Rarity's been kidnapped!"

Capper looked offended. "Well, now that's just not right, not right at all! Now you know, normally I'd be jumpin' up to help you but..." he shrugged his shoulders, then looked embarrassed. "Sorry, just gotta say it... I'm a little tied up!"

"Grubber, untie him!" Tempest snapped, turning to the doorway. "I'll keep watch."

"Gotcha, boss!" The hedgehog hustled into the room and around behind the chair. He whistled. "Wow! Would you look at this? These guys must be ex-Scouts or something. I mean just look at this! This is a double-overhand-stopper carter's knot!" He leaned around, peering up at Capper. "You're not goin' anyplace with a knot like this!"

"Thank you, little bro," Capper said drily. "I kinda figured."

"Grubber!" Tempest called.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, boss!" He struggled with it for a few moments, then grunted in disgust. "Urhhh! I hate knots like this! Hey Spike, c'mere and see if you can burn through it!"

"Oh, hey, I like my paws lightly sautéed. Just so you know." While the two of them worked on it together, Capper looked up at Tempest.

"So... how things goin' up north? How's Princess Twi, by the way?"

"She's fine. She's here to see you, actually." Tempest smirked at him. "And I'm her bodyguard."

"Really?" Capper said calmly. "She know about that, too?"

"I'm so sorry about your house, Capper," Twilight said.

The rescue party had returned safely to Celaeno's ship, and they had regathered in the storeroom belowdecks where Twilight and her friends had been hiding.

"Actually," Capper said, brushing some stray dust off his red coat, "I'm kinda glad they didn't bother cleaning up after they grabbed me. I'd just about got everything where I liked it. Don't want nobody comin' in and straightening up the place while I'm away. 'Cause they never get the knickkacks back where they belong, you know what I'm sayin'?"

"We could always help you fix it up again," Applejack offered sadly.

"Or if you want," Fluttershy said, "you know you're always welcome to come back to Equestria with us."

"I appreciate that, y'all. I truly do." He sighed. "But... as rough as this place is sometimes, I've come to like it. It's honest. A little harsh sometimes, but at least folks here tell you what they think to your face. And I'd thought I could make some progress here. Like talkin' to folks, encouraging them to change things for the better? From askin' around, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way about it."

He cautiously peered out through the storeroom's porthole. "But it's worse than before. With the Storm King gone, Verko has free reign to be twice as nasty." He looked momentarily cross. "And that's just holdin' this place back. If it wasn't for Verko and his paid heavies keeping everyone here at each other's throats, this place might actually amount to somethin', you know?"

He forcibly relaxed, then smiled around at them, apparently at ease again.

"But y'all didn't invite me here just to catch up on small talk. Let's keep our eyes on the prize: getting Rarity back, and figurin' out who snatched her."

"Have you heard anything about an ivory trade?" Twilight asked. "Right now that's the only lead we have."

Capper put his paws together sagely. "Word on the street is, with the Storm King out of the picture his territory has been split up by the Big Three amongst themselves. Now Klugetown and environs, that's Verko's patch, obviously. And some bigshot prince over in Saddle Arabia has grabbed up the eastern regions, out past Abyssinia. Now, I don't see him as the type to be into scrimshaw. He's more into tribute, and lots of it!"

"Which leaves?" Tempest asked.

Capper shrugged. "Now there's the problem: no one knows... for real, this time. Whoever it is has grabbed up the southern and western regions beyond Klugetown and pulls all the strings third-paw, so no one's ever seen them. But, given how little contact we have with anyplace west of us, my money says it's from the south that this ivory trade of yours is comin'."

"But the only major nation south of here," Twilight said, "is Seaquestria... the hippogriffs."

"Queen Novo?" Applejack asked, disbelievingly.

"No! It can't be her!" Twilight objected. "The hippogriffs have been hiding out ever since the Storm King invaded. They'd have no reason to do something like this."

"Someone else, maybe?" said Rainbow. "Some big baddie running things out of their turf? Wouldn't the Queen put a stop to it if she knew?"

Capper shrugged, with a sad, cynical look. "Kings and Queens and the like, they don't always know what's goin' on in their own back yard. Or care much either, most times!"

"B-b-but," Spike cried, looking panicky, "that means we don't have a clue where they've taken Rarity!"

"Now hold on, Spike old man," Capper said reassuringly. "Keep it together. So happens the reason ol' Mong turned me in to Verko, and you had to come get me, is because we'd been having a heated discussion about whether or not I'd brought in another cartload of ponies to try to run my little pastelus coloritis number on him again. And the reason this fact particularly sticks in my mind is, he'd seen them being put on a ship... which I know for a fact was bound for Abyssinia." He shrugged. "I would've tried to get word to y'all, but right after that Verko's goons nabbed me. They've been keeping me on ice since, until the boss gets back from some meetin' or other."

Captain Celaeno, who'd been listening quietly the entire time, stood up. "So it's Abyssinia then? Any particular port of call?"

Capper looked distinctly uncomfortable. Then he shrugged. "Panthera," he said. "Might as well go straight to the top on this one. But... word of warning, I make you no promises once we get there. We'll have to play it by ear."

With a glance at Twilight, Celaeno left to give orders to her crew.

Twilight put a hoof on Capper's shoulder. "If it brings up unhappy memories, you don't have to come with us. We could always swing back this way, pick you up when we return."

Capper shook his head. "Nah! You might need my dazzling charm with the locals!" He smiled. "And... after being tied up for a couple days, I really feel the need to stretch my legs a bit. Y'all can count me in!"

As the Phoenix undocked and came about, turning steadily towards the southeast, Tempest and Grubber sat down near the tip of the long foredeck, watching the dunes and yellow dust clouds sweeping past before them.

"You know," Grubber said, "you were really somethin' out there. Takin' charge, takin' no guff, takin' no prisoners. That's the Tempest I remember!"

"An artist, you said?" Tempest eyed him, amused.

"Oh, uh... you heard that, huh?" Grubber tapped his paw-tips together. "Yeah, well, I meant it. I mean, I could never deliver the smack-down the way you can. Bein' able to tag along and watch a professional in action... it's a privilege! You're really good at this, ya know?"

"A little too good," Tempest sighed. She rested her head on her forehooves. "I'm supposed to be putting this kind of thing behind me. I mean, even playing bodyguard for Twilight, I should be keeping her out of danger, not leading her straight into it. And it's hard... precisely because I like it too much. Show me a thug in a dark street, I'll make him eat dirt. Put me in charge of an army again, I'll be right back at it, tossing out orders and not caring where they land. It's what I like doing... it makes me feel really alive!" She eyed Grubber crossly. "And you're not helping by encouraging me."

"Oh." He looked downcast. "Sorry 'bout that, Tempest. Um, I suppose I could just be proud on the inside, if it would help."

"I didn't say I wanted you to stop." Tempest smirked. "Because you're right. I do appreciate having an audience. And a rooting section... even if your material could sometimes use a little work!"

"Hey, that's what I'm here for!" Grubber beamed, showing his bear-trap teeth. "That and a slice of cake every now and then, that'll do me!"

Tempest was silent for a long while.

Grubber looked at her worriedly. "You're... not really thinkin' of giving it all up, are ya, boss?"

"I don't know." she replied. "Tell you what, Grubber. We'll get Twilight's friend back, and put a stop to whatever is behind all this. And then... and then we'll just see how we feel about it, okay?"

"Now that," Grubber said happily, "is a plan I can get behind."

A Matter of Prestige

The ship ghosted low over the rolling ocean waves, the better to be unobserved from a distance. And so when they finally came in sight of the coast of Abyssinia it came as something of a surprise, a sudden sweep of green hillsides and stone dwellings, surrounded on all sides by endless parched desert.

Captain Celaeno, seeing no advance air or sea force coming out to challenge them, ordered a higher altitude as they came closer to the seaport docks of Panthera, so they'd be out of longbow range. But again, nothing challenged their approach, either warships or guards. At Twilight's suggestion, the pirates had slung one of their rainbow sails slantwise across the Storm King's emblem on the ship's prow, to help emphasize their friendly intent. But they might just as well have sailed right into the city itself, with cannons rolled out and boarding parties clinging to the rigging, for all the notice the city took of them.

Capper shrugged when they all looked at him in surprise.

"Not putting too fine a point on it," he said, "we're pussies, really. Any warlord or invading force comes to town, we pretty much roll out the welcome mat, 'cause we've nothing else to stand in their way. We've survived this long mainly by being far enough away from everyone else that no one feels the need to come all this way just to get ugly with us."

"And the Storm King only came here because he was looking for magic artifacts..." Twilight said.

"... and left, once he'd pilfered the treasury and sacked the place," Capper agreed.

The ship slowed to a halt above the docks. From here they had an excellent view of the city's walled core and palace grounds... and of the devastation that was still evident in both. The palace was particularly hard-hit, with spires knocked down, grand cathedral windows shattered, roofs staved in and anything flammable burnt to cinders. The central walled city wasn't much better off, with burnt out hulks of homes alternating with merely damaged structures, hastily and inexpertly patched...

... and outside of the central city, the rest of Panthera, outskirts and suburbs and farmlands alike, looked pretty much untouched.

"It doesn't look so bad from up here," Fluttershy said.

Capper nodded. "Normally I would agree. But somethin' you gotta understand about this place is, it's not how much of it got hit, it's where." He pointed. "That's the Abyssinian royal palace down there. Looks pretty beat up, and not much has been done to put it right. I hate to break this to y'all, but our monarchy tends to be a little weak-willed and self-centered. In actual fact, we only have a monarchy because we couldn't come up with a good reason not to. They're going to be a little focused right now on what's right in front of them: a palace with a big hole in the roof."

"Well, not to worry," Rainbow said, putting a hoof around Twilight's shoulders. "We've got royalty of our own along. Twilight here can majesty with the best of 'em. She'll talk some sense into them!"

"I don't know if I should, Rainbow." Twilight shook her head. "I mean, this is hardly an official diplomatic visit. If the Princesses even knew we were here, they'd be more likely to want us extradited! It doesn't seem right, pretending to be an Equestrian envoy."

"Well in a way ya are, sugarcube." Applejack smirked. "You are a Princess, and this here is an international crisis, of a kind. It makes sense for you to be payin' a call on the local nobility. We should just go in there, tell 'em what's what, ask for their help. Official-like of course, with all that royal hoo-hah frosting on top."

"Mmm... frosting!" Pinkie Pie said, drooling.

"Well... all right," Twilight said. "But let's not overdo it. Capper, would you come with us?"

"Absolutely." Capper nodded. "Just don't y'all say I didn't warn you."

For an initial diplomatic party they had Princess Twilight, wearing her rebuilt Friendship crown, with Capper serving as her cultural attaché, and Tempest Shadow as bodyguard and Minister of Ground Forces. Captain Celaeno offered to come along as nominal Minister of Sea Forces, and Rainbow Dash quickly volunteered as Minister of Air Forces. And Grubber and Spike of course came along, as aides-de-camp for their respective ponies.

Twilight had to call a halt then and there. Otherwise, they would all have been trooping into town together. As it was, the winch platform was fairly crowded as they were lowered down to the dock level.

They walked up the main street of the central city, past its scratching-post houses and milk-bottle storage towers, and the occasional ruined street-vendor's kibble-cart. The destruction was pretty disheartening up close. There were ruined homes and storefronts everywhere, and a few miserable-looking feline inhabitants making fitful attempts to patch up damage, or just scrounging through the debris, looking for something to eat.

"This is horrible," Twilight said, staring around uneasily. "Just leaving the city like this, in such a state. Why haven't they even made a start on reconstruction?"

"Told you," Capper said, unhappily. "Around here the will to do comes from the top. And there ain't much of it to go 'round."

A lengthy walk brought them to the epicenter of the destruction, the ruined Forum Square, right in front of the palace itself. And here it seemed to take forever to get Twilight announced as a visiting royal potentate... or even to find any inhabitants who looked likely to pass along word that she was standing there. Eventually they trusted to luck, and simply walked up the main steps and through the ruined front doors.

By a navigational sixth sense Twilight had picked up from roaming Celestia's palace in Canterlot, they found their way to the main audience chamber. There was a red carpet, and guards stationed somewhat distractedly along the walls, beneath what few windows were left unshattered. But there wasn't a throne, merely a raised dais at one end, with some comfortable pouf seating and several rolling chart panels bearing maps of trade routes, disorganized planning calendars, and pinned memoranda.

And standing before the chart panels were two lanky, jet-black felines, wearing royal purple robes and gold regalia. Their attention was entirely focused on the boards, and they muttered at each other in heated argument.

Twilight's party waited for what seemed like a decent interval. Then, glancing at Twilight for permission, Tempest stepped forward. Her armored hoof rapped the tile floor thrice, sounding like gunshots in the ruined hall.

"Presenting," she intoned loudly, with an annoyance she didn't bother to conceal, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Friendship Princess of Equestria!"

The two felines turned to look, and blinked wordlessly at them.

Capper stepped smoothly into the picture, bowing gracefully to the royals, and then to Twilight. "Your Highness!" he purred. "Permit me the great honor and privilege of presenting Her Royal Majesty Queen Moon Whiskers, and His Royal Majesty King Dark Claw the Third, together the rightful rulers -- by popular consent -- of the sovereign nation-state of Abyssinia!"

Twilight trotted forward a couple steps, and smiled confidently at their Majesties, hoping to get off to a good start.

The black-furred faces simply stared back at her silently, blinking a few times.

Then they peered at Capper, with equal blandness. "Prince Cappadocio?" the Queen asked. "Is that you?"

Capper looked uncomfortable. "Uh, yeah... long time no see, huh? I know this comes as a bit of a surprise to y'all... I mean, I would've written, but things have been hectic lately. Y'all know how it is." He quickly recovered. "But that's neither here nor there. Her Highness Twilight Sparkle is here because of an urgent matter that affects both our nations. Your Highness?"

"Your Majesties," Twilight took over, as smoothly as she could manage, "we have come on behalf of all Equestria to seek your assistance. A grave injustice has been perpetrated upon our citizens. Several ponies have been kidnapped. We believe their abductors have concealed themselves somewhere within the sovereign territory of Abyssinia. We ask your Majesties' kind indulgence in helping us to locate these missing ponies, and helping to bring their abductors to justice."

Twilight took a relieved breath. There, that puts it nicely, she thought. With just the right amount of diplomatic icing. Maybe I am cut out for this sort of thing after all.

But the felines simply stared at her, blinking, for long enough that Twilight began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. She wondered if there was some fine point of local protocol she'd missed.

Finally, the Queen spoke again. "We are very sorry to hear that, your Highness," she said. "I wish that we could be of help."

And with that, both of them turned back to the trading chart, and began arguing with each other again.

Rainbow stared, disbelievingly. "Hey! Didn't we make it clear this is Princess Twilight? Of Equestria? You know, big important princess, big important nation, all that jazz?"

"Rainbow!" Twilight hissed, embarrassed. Then, remembering her role, she raised her diction a few notches. "Our Minister of Air, you are out of line. Kindly restrain your judgement. Their majesties seem a little preoccupied at the moment... perhaps with issues of their own?"

She turned the last part into a hopeful question, thinking if she could at least get them talking, things might move more smoothly. But for a moment it seemed to fall on deaf ears. The feline rulers kept debating with each other, paying no attention to her.

And then, just when she was considering turning Rainbow loose on them again, the Queen turned to stare at her. And then spoke.

"Our apologies, Highness," she said. "Indeed we have been rather preoccupied of late, with the ongoing reconstruction efforts. We have made so little progress. The Storm King, in robbing our coffers, has deprived us of the resources we need to either rebuild our great city, or trade with other nations for the resources we need to serve our citizens."

She sighed. "We are afraid the needs of our people must come first. Until such time as we can rebuild our capitol, we can be of little assistence to others, even for the most worthy of causes. We ask you to not judge our response too harshly. It is not for lack of sympathy. We simply lack what we need to be able to freely offer assistance."

She spread her paws helplessly. And then turned back to arguing with the King again.

Thwarted, Twilight's party withdrew a few steps to consult amongst themselves. "Well, this trip's pretty much a bust!" Rainbow grumbled, crossing her forehooves. "Though fair enough, if they lack the bits to feed their own people..."

"Ahem," Capper interrupted. Then he seemed reluctant to go on.

Twilight looked at him. "Something to offer, our esteemed cultural attaché?"

He smirked back at her. "And I thought I was the smooth talker around here! I was just going to say it's not about money. It's about prestige." He gestured around them, at the ruined palace. "Like I said, our royalty isn't entirely hereditary. It's more a matter of who doesn't get out of the way fast enough. Their Majesties rule by popular consent -- and right now, with the palace still a wreck and the central city a shambles, they probably don't have a lot of pull left with the local nobility."

"Speaking of their Majesties," Twilight said, smiling at him, "you never mentioned you had royal connections... Prince Cappadocio!"

Capper looked briefly smug, and then his expression turned sour. "It's not as big a deal as it sounds, the royal family's a bit on the large side. Yeah, I'm in line. Might even manage to still be on my deathbed when my number comes up. But leaving my title aside for the moment -- 'cause I never like to name-drop -- it's clear we have a quid-pro-quo here: we quid, they quo."

Rainbow frowned doubtfully. "You're saying... if we could somehow help them rebuild the palace and the city, enable them to impress the locals again, they'd be more likely to help us out?"

"Again, no promises. But it sure wouldn't hurt," Capper agreed.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Twilight said. "We're hardly in a position to rebuild an entire city. Not even with my magic!"

"Yeah!" Spike nodded. "You'd need an army to do something like that!"

"An army..." Captain Celaeno looked thoughtful. "Well..." she said cautiously, "what about that hunk of magic crystal we found on our ship? You know, like the one the Storm King had in his cabin?"

Tempest Shadow stared at her, wide-eyed.

Celaeno looked guilty, and shrugged. "We honestly didn't know what to do with it. I mean, none of us are any good with magic. We thought about junking it, but I'd seen how important and potentially dangerous a relic it is. We were actually hoping there'd be a good point where we could just give it back to you, Twilight, because..."

"Where is this crystal now?" Tempest demanded impatiently. Then she drew back, looking apologetic. "Uh... sorry. Old habits die hard. Please, Captain?"

Celaeno nodded. "We kept it safe in the hold. Any chance it might help?"

"Only one way to find out," Twilight said. "Take us to it... right now!"

Reconstruction

They all returned to the Phoenix and waited tensely on the foredeck as Boyle and Mullet carefully lugged the crystal up from below.

"There must have been one of these on each ship," Tempest said. "Hidden below decks in some hold or other where I never went. That explains how the soldiers were able to accompany Grubber and me when... well, when we went ashore."

"And why those guys never wanted to get too far from the ship," Grubber agreed. "You know, there were times I'd tell one of them to go do something, and he'd just refuse, for no reason I could see..."

"Probably because if they got too far from the ship they would have simply vanished," Twilight said. "I bet the Storm King ordered them to avoid that."

"That fits his style," Tempest agreed. "And also explains why Grubber and I never discovered they were an illusion..." She shook her head, annoyed yet again at her own willful blindness under her former overlord.

The pirates gently set the crystal down on a cushion of empty sacking they'd spread out, and Twilight examined it closely, from both a magic and a geologic point of view.

"Well...," she finally said, "Rarity would be the expert here, but it's clearly not naturally formed. The internal geometry is too irregular, the facets too precisely aligned. It's made this shape to serve its purpose. And there don't seem to be any obvious control mechanisms. I think all we need to do is power it up, and then whatever spell or enchantment it embodies will be active again."

"Like, just hit it with a blast of magic?" Rainbow asked. "You can do that, right, Twilight?"

Twilight paused. Then she looked at Tempest. "Maybe you should try. My magic is too focused. We need quantity, not precision. You're also familiar with how these soldiers behave, so you'll be able to tell if we've got it right."

"I don't know, Princess," Tempest warned. "My magic's pretty unstable. I might just shatter the crystal... and we don't have a spare."

"Start small, then. We'll learn as we go."

Tempest nodded. She motioned with a forehoof, then waited until the others had stood well back. Then she faced the crystal, powered up her horn, and gently sent a flicker of power at it.

The ink-black mineral simply absorbed it.

Twilight approached, examined it closely. "Good. It's designed to store up magical energy, like a battery. Try again, a little more this time."

Tempest did. And now a soft, flickering tawny glow began to form within the crystal. Gritting her teeth, Tempest unleashed a stronger blast of power into it. The crystal ate it up hungrily, as much as she fed into it.

And then, like a magic trick, there was suddenly a furred, masked soldier standing beside the crystal, carrying a spear. But instead of the off-white fur of the Storm King's soldiers, this one's fur was barred with alternating bands of maroon and berry-red. The soldier looked at all of them, then focused on Tempest. And came to alert attention.

Tempest didn't hesitate. "The Storm King is no longer in charge. I command the army. You will take your orders from me."

The soldier saluted smartly, and stood waiting.

Tempest thought quickly. "We're going to need a fairly large force, say a hundred to start with. Armed with hammers and chisels. Believe it or not, we're going to be doing some repair work!"

The soldier looked at the spear in his paw. In a swift flicker of magic, it became a hammer, and in his other paw was a chisel.

"Wonderful." Tempest said drily. She glared at him. "Now where are all the rest of you?"

The soldier bowed meekly, and gestured towards the crystal.

Rainbow laughed. "Never been very good with Strawberry Yeti, but I think he needs us to top up his tank first!"

"I think I can manage that," Tempest said, with a smirk.

Then she stared at the crystal, as it sunk in. "Wait... I can manage that, easily! Even with my damaged horn, my out-of-control magic, I could power an army like this... indefinitely!" She shook her head, amazed. "Now there's the real irony... if the Storm King had only trusted me, he wouldn't have had to rush. I could have powered his army for as long as he liked. And I would have done it willingly!"

She looked uncomfortably at Twilight. "And then he'd still be in charge of Equestria. Maybe it's a good thing he was such a self-centered jerk, huh?"

Twilight nodded. "I'm just glad you learned about Friendship before you found that out."

"Don't worry, Princess," Tempest said. "I'm not getting any ideas here. If we're creating a magic army here, it'll serve the cause of Friendship this time. How about it, Your Highness? Ever thought about having a standing Friendship Army stationed at your castle?"

"Somehow... it's never come up," Twilight said, uneasily. "Let's focus on one thing at a time. Like, how do we even fit a hundred of these guys on the deck of this ship?"

"Oh, don't worry 'bout that!" Grubber said. "We just tell them where to show up and they do. I always wondered how they managed to get to places ahead of us." He came to attention. "Hey, if you want, Tempest, I can take the lift down to the docks, and organize them as you magic 'em up."

"All right, Grubber. But just remember who's in charge here."

"Loud and clear, boss! Hey, Spike," he added, "you wanna come help me wrangle some mooks?"

"Sure!"

"I can help, too," Applejack said. "Be just like herding cattle back home. Uh... no offense!" she added to the soldier standing before them. "The cows back home are quite talkative, really!"

The soldier blinked, and then simply shrugged. No fur off my hide, the gesture seemed to say.

"All right," Tempest said, her horn crackling. "Let's get this army started!"

She fired a blast of energy straight into the heart of the crystal.

In the Forum Square, feline heads jerked up at the sound of approaching tramping feet. Worried, they drew back towards the palace steps... and then recalled how that had been the Storm King's main target the last time. They quickly redirected their retreat to other buildings around the Square, and then peered out from the doors and windows in fearful curiosity.

As they watched, the strangest invasion they'd ever seen took place: a force of hundreds of scarlet-furred soldiers, marching in formation, carrying hammers, chisels, lengths of rope, boards, buckets, and dozens of other construction items. Soldiers without tools or building materials simply acquired them as they went, gathering up the disorganized detritus of the inhabitants' own fitful attempts at repair.

As they marched up the main street, the soldiers began peeling off rank by rank, stationing themselves at ruined houses and burnt out storefronts, or fanning out along the cross-streets to position themselves in intersections and major thoroughfares, forming natural supply lines.

Overhead, the Rainbow Phoenix hove into view, positioning itself so it had a good vantage point over the entire ruined capitol. And on its prow, the double-bolt emblem blazed a bright berry red.

As the last of the army entered the square itself, their numbers parted to reveal Tempest Shadow in full battle armor, complete with a mask-like helmet that had a slot at the top and back for her plume-like mane. She was accompanied by Princess Twilight, wearing her crown, and Capper -- or rather, Prince Cappadocio -- dressed in the finest finery they'd been able to scare up from the Phoenix's restocked treasure chests. Accompanying them were Spike and Grubber, dressed in a couple of Grubber's old tunics with the double-bolt emblem on them.

Twilight's party crossed the Square, then mounted the steps to the doors of the palace. And this time, they had something approaching a proper welcome: the Queen and King themselves peered out through the ruined main doorway, blinking owlishly at them.

Tempest completely ignored the monarchs as she came about smartly, facing the Square and the remaining soldiers, who smoothly formed up in squads before her. But Twilight and Capper motioned to the timid monarchs with encouraging smiles. As the imperial couple diffidently stepped foward to stand beside them, Tempest glanced at Twilight, and then spoke... with Twilight's remote-projected Royal Voice amplifying her words so they blanketed the city:

"CITIZENS OF PANTHERA! OF THE SOVEREIGN NATION-STATE OF ABYSSINIA! CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE?"

All around them, worried faces peered out at her, and at the waiting soldiers.

"DO NOT BE ALARMED," she went on. "THE FORMER ARMY OF THE STORM KING... IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT."

Grubber grinned. "What'd I tell ya, Spike? An artist!"

"WE'RE HERE AS REPRESENTATIVES OF A LAND KNOWN AS EQUESTRIA. PERHAPS YOU'VE HEARD OF IT? IT'S A LAND OF PONIES. AND WE DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THERE...

WE DON'T SEEK LAND OR TREASURE... WE SEEK NEW NEIGHBORS...

WE DON'T MAKE ENEMIES... WE CREATE LASTING FRIENDSHIPS...

WE DON'T IMPRISON... WE REFORM...

AND WE DON'T OCCUPY... WE REBUILD!

Making sure all eyes in the square were on her, Tempest made a show of bowing before Twilight.

"BY YOUR LEAVE, PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE?"

Twilight nodded graciously. "THOU HAS OUR LEAVE TO COMMENCE, COMMANDER TEMPEST."

Standing, Tempest turned back to the assembled squads before her. And then she felt Grubber nudging her foreleg.

"Oooh, oooh! Can I do this bit, boss? Pleeeease?"

Tempest glanced down at him, eyebrow raised.

"All right, Grubber. Just remember -- as our former taskmaster might have said -- stay on message!"

"Gotcha, boss!" He glanced at Twilight, who nodded indulgently. Then Grubber stepped forward, sucked in a tremendous gulp of air, and shouted:

"SOLDIERS OF EQUESTRIA!" He punched the air, exhiliratedly. "LET'S RAISE THIS CITY!"

And the furred soldiers immediately fanned out and set to work, clearing, repairing, and rebuilding. The sound of a thousand hammers filled the air, a busy hum of industry. The citizens of Panthera watched in amazement as the damage to their city began to swiftly disappear before the furious onslaught of reconstruction.

Tempest and Twilight strode down from the stairs and began touring the various work sites. Tempest occasionally snapped out an order to her soldiers, but always with a glance at Twilight for tacit permission.

Accompanying them were the Queen and King, padding along silently beside Twilight, and glancing about. After a while, they began to relax a little. Soon they were striding along, tall and regal, nodding indulgently to their subjects... and trying desperately to look as if the entire thing had been their idea all along.

After a while, when it was clear the tide of popular opinion had swung firmly in their direction, Twilight gently cleared her throat and drew the Queen aside for a private chat.

"Now, your Majesty..." she said, hopefully, "about that small matter of Equestria's missing citizens? Hmmm?"

Mark of the Tempest

They sat in the Captain's cabin of the Phoenix, around Celaeno's chart table, poring over the detailed maps the Queen and King had provided. The maps showed a series of landmarks, extending far out into the empty desert.

"So lemme get this straight," Applejack said. "These kidnappers we're after are holed up in some kinda moldy old temple?"

"It's the temple of Bastet," Twilight explained, "the Abyssinian goddess. It's located in the ruins of Bubastis, her sacred city, which was swallowed up by the desert centuries ago."

"Apparently," Capper said, "the dudes we're after have appropriated it as their base of operation. The Queen and King aren't too happy about that obviously, but there wasn't a lot they could do. If we could encourage these guys to leave, it'd help everyone."

"Hmph," Rainbow snorted. "Sounds like we're just doing their dirty work again. Somehow they've managed to get us to head out to this temple and kick out these bad guys for them. Somepony remind me why they're the ones wearing the crowns?"

"Sometimes the job of a sovereign," Twilight observed, "is to get out of the way of those who can actually do the work. At least that's what Princess Celestia's told me, on more than one occasion."

"And don't get me wrong," Capper added. "Queen Whiskers and King Claw may seem like distracted bureaucrats, but they're actually pretty decent as monarchs go around here. The ones we had before..." He rolled his eyes. "Woulda had us filling out forms just to breathe twice. Yet even the current royals, nice as they are, can't make a move on their own." He shrugged. "That's pretty much why I got out, gave up the royal life. 'Cause I saw how useless it all was. I started living on the streets, surviving by my wits. It meant I could do something, make things happen. Even if it was just picking pockets or running the occasional scam." Capper suddenly looked guilty. "By the way, have I mentioned how sorry I am for trying to sell y'all?"

"More than once," Twilight reassured him. "And we don't hold it against you, Capper."

"And we don't have to do everything for the royals," Applejack observed. "We just need to go to this temple, free whatever ponies they've taken prisoner." She smiled. "And if we happen to disrupt whatever criminal operation they've got going... wayall, that's just a bonus!"

"This is all assuming that temple is even there," Tempest called over, from where Grubber was helping her out of her armor. "Those charts looked as old as the palace itself. Who knows if they're even accurate about known landmarks?"

"Now, let's not sniff at a gift pitcher of cream," Capper warned. "It's still the best lead we've got."

Captain Celaeno was examining the chart with a practiced eye, working out headings and distances. "You know," she said, "we really don't need to zig-zag around like this. We could just head straight there." She pointed a claw at the final marker. "And be there in a couple hours."

"I don't know," Twilight replied. "The high priest was pretty clear about the importance of following this route. It's possible the landscape has a distorting spell on it. If we go any other way, we'll just end up going in circles."

"Not sure how a spell on the land could bollix up dead reckoning in the air..." Celaeno said doubtfully. Then she shrugged. "But, no big deal. It'll just take longer. We could still be there by nightfall, easy."

"If I may, Highness?" Tempest said. "We should delay and arrive there at daybreak." She met Twilight's unhappy look with a stern one of her own. "I know you want to help the ponies who've been captured as quickly as possible. And I don't want to leave them imprisoned any longer than we have to. But in this case it makes sense. It'll be easier to see what we're up against in daylight. We'll have more time to prepare, and our army will have time to finish up the core repairs to the city center. And remember, our soldiers aren't bothered by the heat of the day. That'll work against whatever force we're up against."

"Unless they've got a magic army of their own," Rainbow said. "Yeesh, what kind of fight would that be like? One magic army battling another? When either side runs out of soldiers you just magic up more? How could you ever win a fight like that?" She looked thoughtful. "'Course, I'm not saying it wouldn't be cool to watch..."

Twilight sighed. "I suppose you're right, Tempest. No, what am I saying? You've been in more battles than I have. You're the expert here."

"Not by much," Tempest admitted. "I did have the advantage that anyone we assaulted wasn't really able to put up much of a fight. Uhhh... present company excepted, of course." They exchanged a smile.

And then Grubber finally helped Tempest extricate herself from the black linen bodysuit, so it could be given a quick wash.

"Hey, boss..." he said, staring at her flank. "Was that always there?"

"What?" She looked. And then practically leapt in a circle trying to get away from it. "Oh, you have got to be... are you kidding me?"

It was a cutie-mark. The double lightning bolt mark, the same one that she'd always worn on her battle armor. But now the mark was on her flank. And it was a livid berry red, like an open wound.

And before that afternoon, it hadn't been there.

"What is it, Tempest?" Twilight asked, concerned.

Tempest simply turned wordlessly, and bolted from the room.

Twilight eventually caught up with her, simply by following the trail of bowled-over pirates and ponies. Tempest had hidden herself away in the farthest corner of the farthest hold, the aft ventilator room with its glowing grid floor, through which waste heat from the ship's engines was vented.

Twilight shivered. It wasn't that long ago that she'd been locked in a magic-proof cage hanging in a room much like this one.

The engines were at idle now so the room was quiet... quiet enough that Twilight could hear the sobbing.

"Tempest..." Twilight called, softly.

The sobbing stopped, but there was no reply.

"Getting your cutie-mark isn't a bad thing," Twilight went on, as she came down the steps to the main floor of the room. "It's supposed to be a really happy time in a pony's life. Even when it comes as late as this."

A pause. And then Tempest spoke. "How long have you known it was there?"

"I noticed the glow earlier today, while you were addressing the crowd in the Forum Square. You seemed so alive, so sure of yourself and who you were, I was pretty sure that's what it was. But I didn't actually know for certain until I saw it just now."

Tempest slammed a hoof on the metal decking. "This is just great! I lose my horn, and screw up my magic. I'm so desperate to get them back I let myself get caught up in the Storm King's little reign of terror. And then, after trying so hard to reform myself in everyone's eyes, I get carried away by the power trip, the ego-trip, of having my own private army again. And now this... my cutie-mark finally appears... and it's the Storm King's emblem!" She flung her head down on her hooves, humiliated. "Fitting punishment, I suppose, for everything I've done!"

Twilight shook her head. "It's not a punishment," she said, calmly and reasonably. "And the mark isn't the Storm King's. Well, he appropriated it, put his own spin on it, but it's not original to him. It's actually a rune, a very old Ponish rune. I looked it up in the Archives when I had a spare moment. I was curious about it, and what it might mean."

She trotted over and sat down beside Tempest. "And I found out what it means."

Tempest looked up, warily. "Go on."

"It represents power, intelligently applied... applied with precision, not brutality. It's two lightning bolts striking the same spot at the same time. And you know how uncommon that is. Power and precision, at the same time."

Tempest considered that. "Then me getting my mark like this..."

"... means you've found your true calling. There was a reason you became the Storm King's commander: because you could organize and command an army in ways he could never hope to do on his own. And then you learned about Friendship... and now you've taken over his army and made it your own, powered by the unfocused magic of your broken horn. That's why the mark is your mane color, that's why the soldiers you conjured up have your colors... because they belong to you now. Because this is where you're meant to be. It's where you're able to be yourself, at your greatest level of potential."

Tempest snorted. "So much for becoming a reformed pony. How are folks back in Ponyville and Canterlot going to react to me showing up there with an army following me around again?"

"It's not the army that matters," Twilight reminded her. "It's what you do with it. That's still the task ahead of you. What are you going to do with the gifts you've been given? When you walk back into Ponyville, with or without this army, how will you show ponies that you've changed? What will you bring with you that you didn't have before?"

"Well... Rarity, alive and well for one?" Tempest suggested.

"That would be good, certainly."

"And this ivory trade shut down... at its source?"

"Also good."

"Princess, you say that like there's something else, something I'm missing?"

Twilight shrugged. "That's because I think there is something else, but even I don't know what it is."

"I thought you Princesses knew everything."

"And I used to think Celestia didn't eat... that she lived on dew and moonbeams."

"Where'd you get a crazy idea like that?"

"It's what I was told, when I was little." Twilight smiled ruefully. "I had to learn not to place too much stock in things like that, start figuring out what to believe in myself."

Tempest frowned, still looking doubtful.

"Remember the reformation ritual," Twilight said, putting a comforting forehoof on her shoulder. "You don't need to convince anypony else. How do you convince yourself? So it shows?"

Tempest thought about it. Then she looked up, nodding. "I hear you, Princess."

"Good. Now c'mon... I need the Commander of my army to help plan an assault on an ancient and mysterious temple."

"All right. But give me a few minutes, first. And then send Grubber down here. I plan better with my armor on, anyway."

Late in the evening, Celaeno returned the Phoenix to the airspace above the docks. Under cover of night the soldiers gradually returned, congregating near the ship to mask their numbers. Then one by one they slipped behind a pile of packing crates, and simply evaporated, returned to the crystal's powerbase.

Leaning on the railing of the ship, Fluttershy peered down anxiously, wincing whenever one of the soldiers disappeared. She wasn't sure it was right, just treating them like, well, like clothing or dishcloths, tossing them back in the cupboard when they were no longer needed.

She became aware she wasn't alone, and looked round. One of the soldiers was standing nearby, peering down at her curiously. Tentatively, it waved at her.

"Oh, hi!" She turned to look up at it. "Are you the soldier I talked with, back at Canterlot?"

It nodded. Its gruff, fluting voice rumbled and hooted at her.

"Oh, you're very welcome. I'm glad I could help you get in touch with yourself. Though I'm not quite sure I understood everything you said."

It rumbled, and then held out its large arms.

"Why certainly!" she replied, and hopped up into its grasp. It gently hugged her, and she was amazed at how comfortably warm its fur was.

"You know," she said to it, "I'm really glad I ran into you! I was kind of worried you might have been one of the others... you know, the ones who've already disappeared?"

It looked at her, puzzled. And then suddenly it turned about.

"Uh, wait... where are we going?"

The soldier brought her over to a group of the other soldiers. Who all looked up, and as one, waved at her.

"Oh!" She stared at them, and then at the one holding her. "You mean, you're really all the same soldier?"

They nodded, and all began talking at once. Then they stopped, and looked at each other, abashed. Then the one holding her spoke.

"I see. But it still doesn't seem quite right, just making you all disappear when you're no longer needed."

The soldier shrugged gently, and hooted at her.

"Well, it's very noble of you to say that. And I want you to know we all appreciate the hard work you've been putting in today on rebuilding the city. It's really going to help us in getting Rarity back."

The soldier rumbled at her, curious. The others leaned closer as well.

"Oh! Um. Well, she was kidnapped by whoever it is that's hiding out in this temple we're going to. And we really need to get her back safely. It would help everyone a lot!"

The soldiers looked from one to another, and then suddenly came to attention. They rumbled and hooted affirmatively.

"Oh, you will? Oh, thank you ever so much! I really appreciate that. Is there anything we could do for you in return?"

The soldier holding her looked bashful, then murmured quietly.

"Well, of course! I know Twilight must have brought a book with her. I'd be glad to read to you so you're not lonely." She smiled kindly. "It's the least we can do!"

She turned and stared out across the night-shrouded desert. "And I do hope Rarity's safe, wherever she is..."

To Be Continued...

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Author's Note

Next episode... a battle in the desert, and a visit to Hippogriffia... and Queen Novo...

Part III -- Desert Assault

The desert beyond Panthera was a vast, near-trackless wasteland, endless sand rippled with dunes, and dotted with rough hillocks of rock. It was already baking under the hot morning sun.

At the peak of one of the higher dunes, three pony heads cautiously raised over the edge, and peered down at the ruined city of Bubastis.

"No one in sight," Tempest said, "But my guess is that won't last long."

Broken walls, crumbling stone blocks, and a few stalwart wrecks of buildings were all that remained, half-buried by the encroaching sand. And directly before them was the temple itself, standing broad and stolid on what was once an artificial island, but was now surrounded on three sides by dry depressions filled with drifted sand. Even at the front, where a ruined causeway led to the main entrance, there was merely an expanse of low rippling dunes offering little visible cover.

Tempest was sweltering in her battle armor under the hot sun. "With all that open ground," she went on, "we're not going to have the advantage of surprise. We're going to have to try a frontal rush, attempt to overpower them before they can really organize against us."

Twilight, sitting next to her, held a discolored washcloth over her head to ward off the sunlight. "I haven't got a better plan," she agreed reluctantly.

Then she looked to her right. "Rainbow, what are you doing?"

Rainbow was wearing a sand-yellow keffiyah on her head, multiple agal cords holding it in place. She was squinting into the far distance, chin held high. "Shhh! I'm reading the lay of the land!" she whispered mysteriously.

"Why are you acting like Lara of Saddle Arabia?"

"C'mon, Twi! Let me have this! It's just so cool being part of an actual desert assault!"

"Just remember Rarity's in there somewhere," Twilight pointed a hoof at the temple. "And our goal is to get her and the other captives out safely."

"Yeah, okay. I get it!" Rainbow stared around. "Hey! I bet Yearling would love to write about this in her next book, huh?"

Tempest sighed disgustedly. "If you can manage to stick in a bookmark, Rainbow," she said curtly, "get back to the ship, and have Celaeno circle around to bring her in behind that rock ridge over to the right." She gestured with a forehoof. "She'll be able to pull around that quickly, and that should give us sufficient coverage of the entire temple grounds."

"On it!" Rainbow skulked back down the dune behind them, then darted away in a flash of rainbow contrail.

Tempest glanced at Twilight. "You're not going to be talked out of coming along, are you?"

"I know it would be safer not to," Twilight agreed. "But you may need me in there, or at least my magic. The high priest wasn't too clear on what we'd find. There may be more than just thieves or ponynappers... the city and temple may be in ruins, but Bastet still has followers."

"Princess, if you're injured or captured, that's going to look real bad on my resumé."

"Don't worry. I'll hang back, let you lead the charge. But I'm not staying behind. You're a friend, Tempest, just as much as Rarity is. So I've got your back."

Together, they snuck back down the dune, and then recrossed the dunes beyond to the descending wadi where the advance force of Tempest's soldiers were crouched waiting.

With them was Fluttershy, sitting in the arms of the frontmost soldier. She was wearing a poorly-fitted helmet that kept threatening to slip down over her eyes.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight asked, amused, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh! We're just providing encouragement and support to our troops," she said matter-of-factly. She pointed to where Pinkie Pie, dressed in her cheerleader's outfit, was giving one of the soldiers a knee rubdown, and then to where Applejack was attempting an inexpert back massage on another.

"They're not just chesspieces, you know," Fluttershy added. "They need kindness just as much as the rest of us, so they know they're valued."

Tempest rolled her eyes. Then she shrugged, and looked at Twilight. "The soldiers do seem more pumped up for this fight with them around. But remember, Fluttershy, you three are non-combatants, so keep your heads down back here. And if things do start to go south, I want you back on the ship. Understood?"

"Understood." Fluttershy saluted, then belatedly caught her helmet and shoved it off her face again. "But I'm sure our furry friends won't let us down. Will you, Fred?"

The soldier holding her rumbled assertively.

"Fred?" Twilight asked, bemused.

"I had to call them something," Fluttershy explained. "Their actual name is kind of hard to pronounce. But they don't seem to mind if I call them Fred... do you, Fred?"

The soldier shook his head.

"And just remember, Fred," she went on, "we're here to rescue Rarity and the other ponies. So there's really no need to hurt anypony if you don't have to!"

Tempest facehoofed. "If I survive this day with my sanity intact, I'll count that as a minor victory." She looked at Twilight. "Come on, Princess... let's get in position for the charge."

The initial rush, when Tempest finally gave the signal, was swift and decisive... and also a little confusing.

When the scarlet-furred soldiers leapt over the dunes they'd been crouching behind, and charged en masse down the plain leading to the temple's entrance, the sand quickly came alive with hidden figures, desert fighters who'd been hiding in wait for them. A number of them were clearly mercenaries, in Klugetown armor and from a variety of species. They leapt up from concealed holes and trenches, swinging weapons and yelling battle cries. And the furred soldiers met them with unrelenting force, swatting them aside, grabbing their weapons and knocking them out, or simply stampeding them and leaving them trampled in the gritty sand behind them.

Tempest faced several of the mercenaries herself as she led the charge. She leapt and spun, knocking enemies cold, or grabbing them with her teeth and hammer-tossing them away to either side. And more than once she clobbered or spin-kicked enemies who were trying to grab Twilight and Capper, as the two of them scrambled along as best they could in Tempest's wake.

From their vantage point in an abandoned trench on the far edge of the plain, Fluttershy cheered excitedly. "Go get 'em, Fred! You can do it!"

Pinkie waved her pom-poms and cheered. "Go Fred! Go-go-go! Whee!"

Applejack smiled. "Shouldn't we be cheering for Twilight and the others as well?"

"Nah! They'll be fine," Pinkie replied. "Tempest has totally got this!"

Applejack nodded. "I'm just glad them soldiers are fightin' on our side this time. It's amazing we're still in one piece after fightin' them ourselves!"

Behind them, there was a loud, asthmatic grunt. Nervously, they turned to look. Facing them was a huge, long-tusked, and very hairy boar, armed with a sharp-edged sword and a serrated dagger.

"Ooooh!" Fluttershy squeaked, cowering.

And then a large paw tapped the boar's shoulder. He turned, and found himself looking up at a scarlet-fringed, mask-like face. With a squeal of terror, the boar found himself grabbed up, quickly stripped of his weapons, and then flung headlong out of sight over the next dune.

The soldier dusted his paws. And then waved meekly at them.

"Why thank you, Fred!" Fluttershy told him. "I don't know why I was worried... I knew we could count on you!"

But the Klugetown mercenaries were actually in the minority. The greater part of the defending force -- Abyssinians every one of them -- simply sat where they were and did nothing as the soldiers charged at them. And Tempest's soldiers, seeing no fight from them, simply raced right past them. Which meant that in almost no time at all Tempest and her party had stormed across the causeway and secured the temple entrance.

It was over so quickly that even Tempest was astonished. She found herself looking back across the plain in utter bafflement, trying to decide what to do about the significant enemy force now positioned to their rear.

Capper put up a paw. "Allow me, Commander?" He looked to Twilight. "Uh, Princess, would you mind?"

Twilight nodded, and remote-projected her Voice spell.

"MORNIN' Y'ALL," Capper said, looking around at the feline faces peering at them over the sand dunes, "NOW, IT'S LIKE THIS. WE DON'T LIKE THESE HERE DUDES WHO'VE INVADED YOUR TEMPLE ANY MORE THAN YOU DO. WE'RE HERE TO ROUST 'EM OUT, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. AND FUNNY THING ABOUT US, WE'RE EQUESTRIA'S ARMY... SO WE DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. IF Y'ALL AIN'T DEAD SET AGAINST US... Y'ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME WITH US!"

The Abyssinians looked around at each other. And then as a group, they climbed out of their trenches and dugouts and trotted over to join Tempest's force.

Tempest regarded them doubtfully, then shrugged. "Best fight in the world," she said, "is the one you don't have to have. And that's me saying it. All right... let's see who's home."

They advanced into the dark, chilly interior of the temple, and then along its central corridor, which was lit by small oil lamps high on the walls. Ramps to either side led down to a floor below. At the far end, a broad archway led deeper inside.

Tempest silently pointed twice with her forehoof, and two contingents of her soldiers advanced down the ramps. They were accompanied by Rainbow, who returned quickly looking both excited and worried.

"We found the ponies they captured," she said, "but Rarity isn't with them! They were being held in cages downstairs. The soldiers are working on busting them out."

"Get them out of here, Rainbow," Tempest ordered. "Take a couple squads and lead them back to the ship, fast and quiet. Get them aboard, and tell Celaeno to be ready to cast off."

"Got it!" Rainbow saluted, and darted off.

Twilight looked at Tempest. "So... we keep going?"

Tempest shrugged. "We haven't got what we came for."

They moved on through the far archway, into the broad, low festival hall beyond. Crossing it, they passed through another doorway, into a vast chamber lined with immense pillars. It was like walking through a forest of intricately carved and heiroglyphed petrified trees. Here and there a crack or gap in the ceiling allowed spears of brilliant sunlight to cut through the dust-swirled air.

They came to a final set of doors. "Okay, this should be the main temple chamber," Twilight warned. She shut her eyes, and concentrated. "I'm getting a strong magic signal coming from inside. Let's take it slow, until we find out who's in there."

Tempest positioned soldiers to either side of the door, put Twilight and Capper behind her, and then nodded.

The soldiers hauled open the heavy doors, then moved through. Tempest followed, and peered ahead into the lamp-lit gloom beyond. More soldiers followed her in, together with Twilight and Capper.

The chamber was wide and deep, with thin fluted columns supporting its roof, and doorways leading to smaller chambers on all sides. The walls were inlaid with a patchwork of massive carvings and furiously intricate heiroglyphics. Though chipped and pitted, the stone still held traces of the original bright painted colors. Steps led down to a sand-floored ceremonial area in the center of the room. At the far end of this there was a raised dais, upon which stood an ancient throne shaped from dusty, chipped obsidian.

And gathered in the center of the room, around incense burners and tables laden with scrolls, was a small army of Abyssinian priestesses, berobed and ornamented with finely-wrought regalia, glittering with gold, green turquoise and dark blue lapis lazuli. Unlike the temple's guards -- who had held back, cowering, in the hall outside -- these felines eyed the new arrivals with angry, unwelcoming glares. A few bared teeth and hissed. Some raised gold scepters, others simply bared claws. And Tempest could sense the tingly, staticky feel of magic building up in the air all around them. Things were about to get seriously ugly.

And then a voice spoke, seemingly out of the air all around them... dry, wispy, and intimidatingly confident.

"Who are these intruders, who have desecrated the holy place of all-wise Bastet, goddess and protector of Abyssinia?"

The priestesses turned as one and knelt facing the throne. Hovering in the air above it, surrounded by a nimbus of tawny light, a bizarre-looking creature had appeared. It strongly resembled a cross between a small storm-cloud and a desiccated raisin, with glowing eyes set in a skull-like face, and thin, wispy arms to either side.

"Whoa... hold on now..." Capper whispered, looking puzzled.

Tempest glanced at Twilight. "I think this one's yours, Princess!"

Twilight gulped, and then stepped forward to stand beside Tempest. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, of Equestria," she called. "We mean no offense to your goddess, or to her holy temple. We came in search of several of our citizens who were taken here against their..."

"Yes we know, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" The creature's chuckle was a disquieting death-rattle. "The goddess's designs are not for you to question, nor to interfere with. The ponies are needed, so they must be supplied. The goddess demands it!"

The priestesses arose and turned back to the intruders, snarling and hissing.

But Twilight wasn't intimidated... she was offended.

"This makes no sense!" she snapped. "Bastet is the protector goddess of the Abyssinian pantheon. She protected the ancient Pharoahs of this country during the Middle Dynasty, then gradually transitioned to being a protector of households. There's no way a protector deity would demand ponies be kidnapped in her name!"

Tempest looked at her. "You're sure about all that?"

Twilight looked smug. "Hamilton's Mythology of the World! It never lies!"

"You blaspheme the sacred name of Bastet!" the creature thundered. "And you trifle with her plans!"

"Oh, really?" Twilight stared back at him. "And who exactly are you to be saying that? You don't look much like a Abyssinian goddess!"

The wrinkled cloud blinked. For a moment it looked uncertain. Then it rallied. "I am the High Intercessor of the holy Bastet! She passes down her commands through me. And the priestesses of all-wise and all-powerful Bastet see to it her commands are carried out. Show these blasphemers who it is that they challenge!"

The thrum of magic in the air was rising again, the priestesses readying themselves to cast. Around Twilight and Tempest, the crimson-furred soldiers pressed closer, ready to defend them.

"But first, let the blasphemers stand alone!" The raisin-like creature snapped its fingers. One of the priestesses waved a claw and chanted...

... and suddenly the soldiers had all disappeared.

"Uh oh..." Capper whispered.

Rainbow Dash hurried through the door behind them. "Hey, where'd our troops go all of a sudden? Is it over? Did we win?"

Tempest looked at Twilight. "Okay, Princess... what just happened?"

Twilight was tipping her head left and right, eyes half-closed. "They've thrown a magic shield around the inner temple... It's interfering with the projection from the crystal."

"Can you punch through it with your magic?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not without more time than we've got."

Tempest set her jaw. "Then we do it the old-fashioned way." Her horn fizzed angrily. "Get behind me, Your Highness!"

"Tempest!"

"Now!"

Suddenly, they both felt the light touch of Capper's paws on their withers.

"Now hold on a mo, ladies," he said quietly. "Let's just take it down a notch here. I've been trying to figure out where I've seen this dude before. It was a while back, but I believe his name is Strife. He used to be the Storm King's right-hand creature, back when he invaded Abyssinia. He's no more High Intercessor than I'm Princess Celestia... uh, beggin' your pardon, Princess!" he added, with a nod to Twilight.

Tempest frowned. "Tell that to the priestesses about to blast us. They seem to believe him!"

"Maybe that's the deal," Capper suggested. "We show them he's a fraud, he's got no cards to play!"

Strife had been watching their whispering with uncertainty and increasing impatience. "We shall begin with their leader!" He pointed at Twilight.

A priestess lifted her scepter. And Twilight was suddenly engulfed in a shimmering cage of magic, which lifted her struggling into the air and away towards the group of angered mages.

"Princess!" Tempest's eyes narrowed, focusing on the scepter in the priestess's paw. Her horn blazed and crackled. Her aim had never been all that great, but right now she wasn't too concerned about accuracy...

Then suddenly she felt a hoof prodding her shoulder. It was Rainbow, grinning like a lunatic. "Hey, Tempest! Got a great idea! Ever play buckball as a filly?"

"What? Yeah! Is now the time for this, Rainbow?"

"What'd you play as, huh? I'm a natural catcher!" She waggled her eyebrows.

Tempest stared at her...

... and then she suddenly smiled, light dawning. "Oh... I always wanted to be the kicker!"

Rainbow grinned. Then she turned and called out across the room.

"Twilight! Buckball! Need one!" She nodded significantly towards Strife.

Twilight looked puzzled... and then she got it as well. Her horn flared as she summoned up a bubble of magic. Trapped as she was, she could only weakly attempt to fling it in their direction, but Rainbow darted up into the air and quickly fielded it. Then she slung it downwards towards Tempest...

... who leapt into the air and put all her considerable strength behind a vicious forward flip-kick, sending it screaming across the room almost too fast to see, straight at Strife. The creature barely had time to react as Twilight expanded the bubble into a sphere of containment magic, which engulfed him, cutting off the nimbus of light around him. The sphere flew onwards, rebounding with a ringing smack from the back wall of the chamber, and then came flying back across the room...

... to land with a thunk in a reed basket that Rainbow had swept up from a corner of the chamber.

She quickly slapped the lid on it. "Game point! Ponyville wins! Ha!"

"Listen to me!" Twilight called out to the astonished priestesses. "This creature was not what he claimed to be. He does not speak for your goddess, and he never did! Please allow us time to explain! There is no need for this to go any further!"

The priestesses looked at her, and then at each other, wide-eyed, released from whatever hold Strife had on them.

And then completely ignoring Twilight still hanging in midair, they turned and prostrated themselves before the throne, wailing and mewling piteously.

Rainbow looked ready to object, but Twilight furiously waved her to silence. Capper put a paw on her shoulder. "Let 'em have a moment, Rainbow," he said. "I imagine right now they're kinda worried about their goddess being really cross with them!"

Trouble and Strife

When the winch platform finally brought them back up onto the Phoenix, Tempest and Twilight found themselves walking straight into a party. Pinkie had somehow decorated the rigging with bunting and crépe, and tied balloons everywhere. And while there wasn't much in the way of food and drink, there was plenty of company and lots of excited conversation going on.

Seeing Twilight and the others stepping onboard at last, the freed ponies immediately crowded around to greet them.

"Oh, thank you, Princess!" said a curly-maned mare who'd been grabbed in an alley in Dodge City. "We thought we'd never see home again!"

"It was real fine of y'all to come rescue us," said a lanky, dappled Appleloosa stallion. "Real brave, too!"

"How can we ever thank you, Princess Twilight?" said many of them, sometimes overlapping each other.

Twilight gestured to Tempest, standing tensely beside her. "You can thank the real architect of this rescue: Tempest Shadow. She planned and executed the entire operation. I just helped wherever I could. It's Commander Tempest you have to thank for your safe rescue today!"

This astonished everypony, but they quickly crowded around the maroon pony, peppering her with questions. At first, Tempest seemed nervous and reserved, facing all the enthusiastic attention, but then gradually she relaxed. And once Grubber had managed to squeeze through the crowd to help her remove her helmet, she was able to chat more freely with the rescued prisoners. A cautiously relieved smile began creeping onto her face as she saw how the ponies surrounding her, one and all, saw her as the pony who had just rescued them, and not as the commander of the Storm King's invasion.

"Boy howdy!" Applejack said, when Twilight managed to sneak out of the crush and join her in a more open area of the aft deck. "Looks like Tempest is the pony of the hour! Wait'll word of this gets back home! I'd say she's got nothin' to worry 'bout!"

"That remains to be seen. Even so, I'm glad for her." Twilight smiled proudly. "She deserves the attention. Especially the way she kept it together throughout this whole thing."

"Yes, indeedy!" Applejack's face turned solemn. "But we still didn't find Rarity in there, raight?"

Twilight shook her head. "The priestesses couldn't tell us anything about where the ponies were to be sent. As far as they knew they were to be sent off to Bastet's heavenly realm, somehow. None of the mercenary guards were clued in either, even those who brought the ponies in from the docks." She sighed heatedly. "And this Strife character sure isn't talking!"

"Ah say we let Rainbow and Tempest play buckball with him some more, until he changes his tune!"

"Applejack..." Twilight warned.

"I know, Twi! But Rarity..."

"It's not a place we should go," Twilight said. "This is supposed to be an army of Friendship, if there can be such a thing. We're not doing ourselves any favors if we sink to that kind of retaliation, even against a fraud like Strife!"

"I guess you're right, Twi. But then what do we do?"

"We need to find out where Strife was going to send the captives, because presumably Rarity's already there. I don't know... maybe I should go back to the temple, see if the priestesses will tolerate us searching for any records or messages Strife or his hired thugs may have left behind... something that would give us a clue where to go."

"We pretty much know: Seaquestria."

"But where and who?" Twilight objected. "I mean, I can't just walk up to Queen Novo and as much as accuse her of harboring kidnappers! I'm already trying to figure out how to make up for our last visit." Twilight groaned, and shook her head. "And I certainly can't think clearly with all the partying going on up here. I'm going to go below for a bit, find a quiet spot, see if I can come up with a better plan. Let everyone know where I am, huh?"

"Sure thing, Twi!"

Twilight politely nodded to everyone, as she made her way across the deck to the companionway door and then slipped through. It was relatively quiet belowdecks, and she trotted back to the captain's cabin to sit down at Celaeno's chart table. She stared at the map of the southern coast, at the marker showing Mount Aris.

"What if it is Queen Novo?" she said to herself, worriedly. "What do I do then?" She shook her head. "No, that makes no sense! There must be someone else... some other player here. But who?"

"Excuse me, Princess?"

Twilight looked up, startled. It was Tempest.

"Saw you heading down here," Tempest said. "If now's a good time, could I have a word?"

Twilight nodded. Tempest stepped into the room and shut the door.

"Princess, you know I consider myself and this army of mine as operating under your orders and your authority. And I know you always want to find the kinder, gentler, Friendship way. But time is of the essence here. We need to find Rarity. And there's one party who can tell us where to look. We need to give him a reason to start talking. I know you don't like the idea..."

"I don't! I just got through lecturing Applejack on the subject. If we start roughing up prisoners to get information out of them, then what did we get rid of the Storm King for? Or Tirek... or Sombra... or even Nightmare Moon, for pony's sake?"

Tempest paused for a moment, eyeing her. "Not where I was going. If you'll let me finish?"

"I'm sorry, Tempest. Go ahead!"

"I do have a suggestion, Your Highness. But to make it work, I need you to let me do this my way."

"Why? What are you going to do?"

Tempest smiled coldly. "What I do best... rattle the cage!"

Strife considered the prison, coldly and dispassionately: a cage, resistant to magic from its occupant, hanging from a chain in what appeared to be a venting room repurposed as a hold. Only a single door, in the gallery at the top of the stairs. No one on watch, so no idiot guards to dupe.

Clearly, the way out was to work on the sympathies of his captors. And thankfully, this would be easy. The Storm King had been a challenge, mainly because he could only be manipulated by appealing to his overblown self-image, his single-minded desire for power and status.

But this one, this Princess Twilight... Strife smiled inwardly. She had so many motivations she could hardly keep track of them. She was a whirlwind of anxieties, all looking for an escape route. Manipulating her would be child's play.

The Princess herself was standing anxiously before the cage, eyes wide and pleading. "I just want my friend back," she said. "I know we can work something out here! Like, were you being paid for the ponies you captured? We could pay you whatever it was you were offered instead. Or is there someone putting pressure on you? Making you do this? We could help you. Can't you just tell us where they've taken her? Please?"

Strife folded his thin, smoky fingers together. "I'm so sorry, Princess. I want to help, truly I do. But I'm merely a middle-creature here. I deliver a cargo. I don't ask where it comes from, or where it goes."

She looked downcast at that, hopeless. Good. Now for the play... "But perhaps if I showed you where I was taking them?"

Her eyes lit up immediately. "Could you do that?"

"Most assuredly," he said. "But... you see, it's a little difficult from where I currently am. I didn't use a map, I went by landmarks. They'd be impossible to describe to you if you're not from around here. If you could just let me out, up on deck, I could show you the way there..."

"I wouldn't listen to him, Your Highness."

It was Tempest, stalking casually, almost haughtily down the stairs from the gallery, her armored shoes ringing on the stairs. Strife's blue, point-like eyes swung in her direction, annoyed. This one, he could tell, was not so easily swayed.

And Princess Twilight... she seemed positively terrified. She almost backed into Strife's cage as she turned to face the commander of her own army. "Tempest," she said, her voice quavering. "If we can just persuade him to help us..."

"Once he's out of that cage, Princess, you know he'll use his magic on us." Tempest glared at Strife. "And we've seen how he used it before!"

Strife hunched in on himself, attempting to look humble, pitiable. "Merely in my own defense! I was lost in the desert, and stumbled upon the temple. The priestesses would have had me executed, had I not assumed the role of spokesbeing for their goddess."

"Oh, please," Tempest rolled her eyes. "You merely pretended to be an agent of a supreme being to win over the impressionable locals. Why didn't I think of that? You had no other choice, clearly!" Her tone turned snide. "You want me to get out my violin and play it for you?"

"Tempest..." Twilight said, her voice shaking, "I... I just want to get Rarity back. There's no need for this to get harsh..."

"Is he still being difficult, Princess?" Tempest thundered, sneering at her. "Perhaps you're being too kind with him." She glared at Strife, with a measuring look that made even him feel distinctly uncomfortable. "Maybe it's time for a different approach... something a little less... subtle."

"Tempest..."

The maroon pony rounded on her, a wild look in her eyes. "Your Highness, this is my ship, and my army! You put me in charge here! I think it's about time you started letting me conduct this interview... my way!"

Twilight looked about to object. Then her shoulders hunched in defeat. "All right, Tempest. Just... just get Rarity back for me. Please?"

Turning, she fled past Tempest and ran up the stairs, almost in tears.

Tempest smiled as she swung toward the cage again. She rapped a hoof on the metal floor to get Strife's attention. Then she glared levelly at him.

"You can see how my Princess feels about all this. She's not happy. And when she's not happy, I'm not happy. And you know, that's not good for me! I tend to keep that unhappiness corked up inside. It's a bad habit... I've been warned about it, actually. All that pent-up aggression... no place to go..." Her horn sizzled threateningly.

Then she smiled easily. "Thankfully, there are outlets in a job like mine. I just have to be a little... creative in finding them."

She called over her shoulder angrily. "Snap it up, Grubber! We're not getting any younger here!"

"Uhh... right away, Commander Tempest!" Behind her, Grubber came down the stairs carefully, step by step, lugging a large box. Piled high in it were gleaming crystal spheres, each filled with a poisonous green shimmer.

The hedgehog stumbled a bit at the bottom of the stairs, catching himself just in time. His breath hissed in his teeth at the fragile clinking sound coming from the box.

"Careful, Grubber..." Tempest said languidly, not even looking at him. "You petrify yourself with one of those, we'll use you as a birdbath!"

Grubber winced. "Yes, Commander Tempest! Sorry, Commander Tempest!" He gently set the box down near the base of the stairs. Then he huddled behind it, peering around at her anxiously.

Tempest swung away from the cage, strolling back towards the box. "Now, Strife, I believe we have you to thank for these little gems. Wonderful little devices. A petrification spell in gas form? With a shield-piercing outer shell? They made capturing the princesses of Canterlot such a breeze!"

"Oh... um, yes..." Strife tried to sound unworried. And failed. "We acquired those for the Storm King some time ago. We were going to load them into the catapults. But, unfortunately it turned out they were not the right size..."

Tempest tsk-ed softly. "Oh, that must have been disappointing..." She turned back to Strife with a commiserating look. "... for the Storm King. And I remember how when things didn't work out... he really didn't take it all that well." She shrugged. "Still, it's nice we had a few left over. I was going to chuck them but, nah! I suspected a chance would come up to make use of them."

She smiled at Strife. And then motioned with a forehoof.

Grubber cringed, then reached up and gently plucked one of the spheres from the pile. As he brought it down it nearly slipped out of his grasp. He desperately juggled it back and forth, finally getting it under control. Heaving a sigh of relief, he carefully tossed it to her...

... and Tempest neatly caught it on her upturned forehoof.

"Now... if you don't start telling me things I want to hear -- like where you were planning to send those ponies -- I start using you for target practice!"

"Point of order, if I may," Strife said, coolly. "If you use those on me and I'm petrified, I won't be able to tell you anything." He spread his hands calmly, feeling he'd scored a solid point.

"So true!" Tempest said, shaking her head sadly. "I'll have to ask the Princess to undo the spell for me. But that shouldn't take long. And then we can start again... and again... and again, as often as it takes!" There was an unpleasantly unhinged look in her eyes now. "And I've been hit by one of these, actually, so I know firsthoof how unpleasant it is. You can't move... you can't breathe... in the end, you can't even think! You have no way of knowing when... or even if... someone will release you. And when they do... oh, doesn't it hurt like blazes! I wouldn't wish that on anyone..."

Her head lowered. Her horn sparked.

"...unless they were foolish and stubborn enough to give me reason!"

"But..."

Tempest suddenly bounced the sphere in the air. As it came back down, a vicious swipe of her hoof belted it across the room. It whipped past the bars of the cage with inches to spare, smashing against the wall beyond. The venemous green cloud it released spread slowly, oozingly, down the wall and across the floor. With a brittle crackling sound, black nacreous crystal condensed and spread in its wake, inching towards the cage.

"Er... you've made your point," Strife said, woodenly. "Now, can we..."

But Grubber had already lobbed another sphere into the air. With a fast roundhouse kick, Tempest sent it screaming past the cage on the other side, to smash into the wall and release more of the roiling green cloud.

Strife was about to speak, but Tempest didn't even seem to be listening now. Grubber had tossed two spheres into the air, and Tempest somehow managed to get both of them with a single spin-kick. They passed the cage low to the right, and a bit higher on the left, smashing into the floor just beyond it. The rivulets of condensing crystal advanced even closer.

Strife stared at her.

"You're insane..." he whispered.

"Ohhh, not nearly," Tempest smiled nastily. "I'm just getting started!"

This time, when Grubber tossed a sphere, she swept her forehoof upward, sending it high into the air. And then with a standing leap she launched herself after it. A forward flip-kick sent it speeding down, right over the top of the cage, to crash into the floor directly behind it.

The green smoke inched nearer to the cage on all sides, the crackling of the forming crystal a sinister chorus all around it.

Tempest paused, one more sphere resting on her hoof. "You know... sooner or later, my aim's going to improve. Sooner or later, one of these is going right into that cage. And then we'll just see whether the unpetrifying spell even works on a creature like you." She smiled to herself unpleasantly. "I really should have bothered to find that out first!"

She bounced the sphere, eyeing Strife coldly.

"Where were the ponies being sent?" she demanded. "Sooner or later, you're going to tell me!"

Strife stared at her levelly. And smiled. "I think not. I've been watching you, you know. And I'm not fooled for a second. You serve Princess Twilight. From what I can see, you're desperate for her approval. Unlike me..." He examined his wispy fingernails. "I never concern myself with what my superiors think of me, only the goal at hand. You're not going to do anything to turn her against you. And if your Princess were here right now, if she knew what you were doing, she'd be reining you in... and you'd go right along with her!"

Tempest's eyes lit up. And she smiled... proudly and evilly. "Ohhhh, that's where you're so very wrong!"

She raised her voice, looking upward to the gallery near the door. "Am I right, Your Highness? Any objections?"

Startled, Strife looked as well. And he saw that Princess Twilight hadn't left the room. She was standing there, looking down on the proceedings. There was a lofty, cold expression on her face.

She exhaled once, with an air of having reached a decision. "Do as you think best, Tempest," she said flatly.

Tempest turned back to Strife. "You see?"

The sphere went up. She leaped and spun. And this time, her roundhouse kick sent it directly at the cage.

With a smash, the sphere exploded against the bars in a cloud of green vapor, enveloping the cage. Black crystal began forming all over the bars. Strife huddled back into himself, eyes wide. He could see that Tempest was already motioning to Grubber for another sphere... and the look in her eyes said this would be the last one.

"The ponies were to be sent to a stretch of beach!" he cried. "Just north of Mount Aris!" He held up his hands pitiably, as if to ward off the heavy green vapor that oozed steadily into the cage. "I'll show you where! Give me a map and I'll show you! Just don't let it touch me!"

Smirking, Tempest executed a standing backward leap, which took her to the wall by the stairs, where there was a large lever. Her forehoof landed on it, jammed it down. With a roar of fans the blowers beneath the floor kicked in, dispersing the roiling green vapor and sending it upward through vents near the ceiling.

She kicked the lever back up, and the blowers shut down. A last few ticks and clicks from the patches of crystal on the walls and floors and the cage sounded, and then all was silent.

Tempest trotted forward, and came to a halt by the cage. She smiled in at Strife, who cowered on the cage floor, hands over his eyes.

"Thank you for your cooperation!"

After obtaining the location of the beach from Strife, and passing the marked-up map to a waiting Captain Celaeno, Tempest strode calmly, assertively, up the stairs and out of the vent room.

And when the door closed behind her, she lowered her head and exhaled wearily.

"Nicely done, Grubber," she said quietly, "thanks. And you too, Princess."

"No problem, boss!" Grubber beamed. "You were beautiful in there! You'd have had me talkin' even before you got started!"

"Great."

Grubber stared at her, concerned. "You okay, Tempest?"

She shook her head. "That could have gone wrong, in so many ways..."

"Yeah, well, it worked -- that's what matters. Anything I can get ya, boss?"

She looked up, sad and tired. "You got any more of that sponge-cake, Grubber?"

"Seriously, Tempest?"

"Yeah. Some soothing tea might be nice, too."

"Hey, you got it! Be right back!" He padded off toward the galley.

Tempest just stood where she was, staring straight ahead. "Princess," she said, finally, "I know you're not happy with this. I know it's not how you do business. And if that means that we can't be friends then... I'll just have to live with that. Because I'm in charge of this little army now. And sometimes it's necessary to do unpleasant things, when there are lives at stake."

She felt Twilight reach up to put a hoof on her shoulder. "You're still my friend, Tempest. That's not going to change. And you're right. I need to let you do things your way, because this is where you're meant to be. It's just... sometimes, watching you... it scares me! I see someone I could never be! And when I find myself having to rely on that, rely on you to do the unpleasant things... it makes me uncertain of who I really am." Twilight sighed unhappily. "I mean, I'm not even sure I could reverse the petrifying spell. At least, not without the Staff of Secanas and the other Princesses' magic backing me up!"

"You wouldn't have had to," Tempest said.

"But... if you hadn't hit the blowers in time..."

"You mean I fooled you too?" Tempest looked at her, disgusted. "Come on, Princess! You're supposed to be the bright one here. A petrification spell, applied to a magic-proof cage? Sure, the smoke could pass through the bars. But the spell wouldn't. Even if I did send one of those little gems straight into the cage, it would have been deactivated. I'm just lucky I managed to keep Strife on edge the whole time, kept him from thinking too clearly. He might have seen it himself."

"You mean... you were bluffing?"

"Oh, yeah. Big time!" Tempest nodded. "I meant what I said about that petrification spell, Princess. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But I didn't have to use it. I just had to convince Strife that I'm still the kind of pony who would. And like Grubber said, that worked... which is what matters."

She smirked at the look on Twilight's face.

"You think I make you uncertain about who you are?" she said. "Try a day in these shoes, Princess! Besides, I said my little army was serving the cause of Friendship, right? And in any friendship, little white lies are allowed, aren't they?"

Twilight just stared at her, astonished.

On the Southern Shore

The late-morning sunlight shimmered brilliantly on the vast expanse of White Bay, on the southern coast.

Sam the Basking sat beneath an overhang of basalt cliffs, looking out on a small bend of sandy shore and the rolling gray-blue ocean waves beyond. He hoped his relief would arrive soon. The sand blowing in the wind made his fins itch. His gills felt like parchment. He would have given anything to go take a plunge in the waves for just five minutes. But Bruce would not like that. And one did not make Bruce the Toothed unhappy... even a land-shark like Sam knew that. The Great Whites had connections inland. There wasn't a place Sam could go that would be far enough away from them.

Where was this Strife character, anyways? He'd arranged for a dropoff, then hadn't shown for days. That was another thing Bruce didn't like: he expected punctuality, professionalism. If Strife didn't come soon, Bruce was liable to take out his anger on the only targets available... like Sam himself. Sam wished his relief would show up. Then it wouldn't be his problem any longer.

Movement up the beach made him turn to look. Finally, he thought. Here was the promised herd of ponies, roped together and hobbled. They were being driven steadily along the shore by two tall parrots and a squat hedgehog. Which was troubling to Sam, as Strife had always been accompanied by a couple of boar enforcers from Klugetown. And where was Strife himself?

Still, it wasn't Sam's worry, so long as the goods got delivered. Though why it was a requirement to deliver live magic-wielding creatures was beyond him. Wouldn't it have been simpler to just deliver their horns?

"Took you long enough," he groused, as the ponies and their captors came closer. "And where's Strife anyways?"

"Something came up, very last-minute," the hedgehog said. "Some kinda side-deal he needed to wrap up. He paid us to bring these ponies here for him. Now what do we do with 'em?"

"Put 'em in the cage over there." Sam pointed a fin at a small cave beneath the overhang, which had been fenced in by driftwood bars lashed together with sturdy sea-cord.

"And then where do they go?" The hedgehog stared around at the sandy beach and cliffs. "As far as I can see there's nothin' around here for miles!"

"What do you care? Strife's paying you, right?"

"Yeah, well... I always like to have the whole picture, ya know? Just so I know Strife's payin' me enough, right?"

Sam shrugged. "When the ponies are all here, I send a message by gull to Bruce, and Bruce sends the pickup crew for 'em."

"Oh yeah, Bruce..." The hedgehog said, nodding. Then he looked puzzled. "Uh... Bruce who?"

"Bruce the Toothed?" Sam replied snidely. "Only the top loan-shark of the entire White Bay?" He gestured with a fin at the sweep of ocean beyond the shore.

The hedgehog stared at the ocean, wide-eyed. His small shoulders drooped. He seemed suddenly at a loss.

Sam stared suspiciously at him, and then at the group of roped ponies. "Hey, aren't there supposed to be more of these ponies? I only count five of 'em."

The hedgehog didn't reply. Instead, the lead pony of the group looked up. And Sam suddenly noticed the pony wasn't just a unicorn. It was an alicorn... and it wasn't wearing a suppression ring on its horn.

As he watched, the horn lit up, gleaming a brilliant magenta.

"Oh, you counted right!" Twilight said. "And now I'd like to know exactly what message you were to send to Bruce to request this pickup crew."

The five ponies all rapidly shrugged out of their rope bonds. The pink one in back stotted happily in place, completely unworried.

Feeling trapped, Sam glanced around and started backing away. "Uh... oh yeah? And what if I don't feel like talking?"

He heard a loud WHUMP behind him, followed closely by a pair of heavier thumps. Turning, he found himself facing a tall, maroon pony in full battle-armor, accompanied by two hulking, furred soldiers, who had all just leapt down onto the shore from the cliff edge above.

"You know..." Tempest's broken horn fizzed and crackled dangerously, "Strife didn't feel like talking either." She gave Sam a vicious-looking smile. "Trust me... you don't want to make the same mistake!"

Sam sighed unhappily. Why me?, he thought.

Shortly afterward Twilight and Tempest stood at the edge of the beach, staring out across the ocean.

"Okay, Princess," Tempest said. "Now what do we do?"

"Now..." Twilight replied unhappily, "we go to the Hippogriffs, ask to speak with Queen Novo. We're going to need their help if we're chasing kidnappers who live under the sea."

"And if it turns out Queen Novo is behind all this... or is simply looking the other way?"

"Let's... just hope it doesn't come to that."

Tempest was silent for a long moment. "You know the Hippogriffs aren't going to be happy to see me and Grubber again. They might just imprison us on sight."

"I'm not sure Queen Novo will be happy to see me either," Twilight said. "But look, we're both going to have to face the music sooner or later. Might be easier if we do it together."

"Whatever you say, Princess. I'm your bodyguard... I'll go where you go."

"You're a friend, Tempest," Twilight corrected her. "And thanks."

"Hey, Twi!" Applejack called. "Looky here! This cage ain't empty!"

One of Tempest's soldiers had torn open the cage door, revealing a dirt-smudged and frightened-looking hippogriff with a pink coat and pinions and a light-blue striped mane. She looked up in amazement as the ponies untied her and helped her up.

"Um, hello?" she said, looking around at them all uncertainly.

"Don't worry, you're safe," Twilight said. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, and..."

"Omigosh! The Princess Twilight? That is so amazing! You know, Princess Skystar talks about you all... the... time! It is so cool to meet you for real! I just can't even...! Wow!"

"Uh... thanks?" Twilight said, "And you are...?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot you don't know me. I'm Silverstream. I've been a seapony most of my life, but I just started living on land as a hippogriff -- long story -- and it's a-ma-zinnng! My aunt's going to be so pleased you rescued me!"

"Your aunt?" Twilight asked, a little unnerved by Silverstream's near-breathless enthusiasm.

"Queen Novo, of course! I thought everyone knew that!"

Tempest and Twilight exchanged a glance.

"Well..." Tempest finally said. "That might help..."

A Shared Apology

They all stood on the rocky isthmus, gazing up at the immense stone monolith of Mount Aris.

Applejack sighed. "As Rarity might say... did we really need to land at the bottom of the mountain again?"

"We can't take Celaeno's ship to the top," Twilight reminded her. "At least, not until the hippogriffs understand it's no longer the Storm King's. We don't want them thinking they're being invaded again."

"Oh, yeah!" Silverstream agreed. "That would completely freak everyone out. You know, a lot of us didn't even want to come back to Hippogriffia and rebuild? Even Queen Novo spends most of her time in Seaquestria. She just comes up here now and again to oversee things."

"I really hope she's in today," Twilight said.

"What is today? Tuesday? Yeah, she's here today!" Silverstream said confidently.

Rainbow crossed her forehooves, annoyed. "Walking up there is gonna take forever! I could just fly up there in no time. So couldn't Twilight and Silverstream. Even Fluttershy could! Why don't the four of us go talk to the Queen?"

"Twilight's not going anywhere unguarded," Tempest said flatly. She was wearing her body armor and shoes, minus the helmet. "We're too close to whatever's behind all this. We'll walk up. I don't mind a hike."

"All the way up there again, boss?" Grubber peered up at the seemingly endless staircase.

Tempest snorted. "You think this is a cushy job? Time to work off some of that cake... assistant."

"Don't suppose I could get a lift, huh?" He flinched at her look. "Okay, okay, fine! Right with ya, boss."

"Maybe Fred would give us all a lift?" Fluttershy looked up at the soldier in whose arms she was sitting. "Would you mind, Fred?"

"Sorry, Fluttershy," Twilight said. "Again, we don't want this to look like an invasion. I think it should be just us this time."

"Oh. All right. Sorry, Fred!" She hopped down to join the others as they reluctantly started towards the stone staircase. The soldier waved dispiritedly after her. And then, at a curt gesture from Tempest, he disappeared.

As they began climbing, Twilight looked over at Silverstream. "You know, you could go on ahead if you'd like. You don't have to wait for the rest of us."

"Oh, I don't mind!" she said. "It'll help if I'm here to speak up for you." She glanced nervously at Tempest. "I mean, I totally get you're working for Twilight now. But a lot of the older 'griffs might not. And wow, this is all just so exciting! Being with all of you, when I've heard so much about you! And ohmygosh! Look... stairs! You know we don't have these in Seaquestria? It's all just too much!"

Twilight just smiled back at her, grateful for any positive note.

"Hey!" Pinkie called from where she'd been stotting along at the back of the group, "I've got a great idea! Why don't we just wait for those guys to get here?" She pointed skyward. "Maybe they'd give us a lift?"

The others looked up. They saw a flying wing of hippogriff guards, armed with spears, rapidly descending towards them.

"Uh oh!" Spike said. "Time to beat a hasty retreat?"

"No." Twilight stood her ground. "We're here to see Queen Novo. There's nothing we need to run away from."

"If you say so, Princess." Tempest moved to stand next to Twilight. The others nervously clustered around them both, and waited.

The guards swung down, landed, and quickly encircled them, standing tall and proud, wings spread, spears held ready in their foreclaws.

"Good afternoon!" Twilight said, taking a pace toward the blue-coated, golden-armored hippogriff who appeared to be their leader. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. My compliments to her majesty, Queen Novo, and may I request the indulgence of an audience? It's to discuss a matter of some importance..."

"Your Highness," the guard interrupted, coldly. "I am Stratus Skyranger, head of Her Majesty's personal guard. At her request, we have been dispatched to escort you... and your party." He cast a distinctly frosty look at Tempest and Grubber, then returned to looking down his beak at Twilight.

Twilight glanced uncomfortably around at the other guards. Their expressions were neutral, neither friendly nor unfriendly. But she got the sense they weren't exactly an honor guard. "Ah... right. I understand," she said sadly. "Come on, everypony."

"So, uh..." Rainbow grumbled. "we're still walking up the mountain?"

"Quit yer yappin', Rainbow," Applejack said mildly. "And let's get a move-on. Sooner started, sooner there."

"Whee! Who's up for a climbing song?"

They all groaned.

"What?"

"Not helpin', Pinkster!"

The climb was long, slow, and depressing. The guards shadowed them closely, flying in formation around them, not saying a word. They didn't object when Rainbow hopped into the air and flew along with them, but did if she got too far ahead of the group. Which meant she had to fly the entire way at a walking pace, forehooves crossed impatiently.

Finally, they reached the top of the stairs and passed through the massive eagle-head gate, into the mountaintop city of Hippogriffia. Twilight was pleased to see that unlike in Abyssinia, substantial progress had been made on cleaning up the damage and restoring both the city and the mountainside around it to something approaching their former beauty. The streets and paths had been swept clean, arborists had repaired most of the damage to the trees, and here and there new grass and flowers had been planted.

And all about them, the hippogriffs, now back in their land forms, were gathered in small groups and talking and laughing... and looking on the new arrivals with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

They eventually reached the city's Great Hall, which was serving as a temporary palace during reconstruction. Soon they were ushered into its audience hall, and finally stood facing the throne... and Queen Novo herself. The ivory white hippogriff monarch was sternly examining a scroll held in her foreclaws, occasionally muttering an order to the secretary at her elbow. And apparently paying no attention at all to Twilight's party.

Happily, there was someone else in the room who did feel like welcoming them. "Silverstream!" Golden-flanked Princess Skystar galloped over from where she'd been standing to one side of the throne, and the two hippogriffs hugged each other warmly. "Omigosh! When Mother heard you were missing, you should've heard her... she was like this close to sending out the entire guard to find you!"

"Princess Twilight and her friends rescued me!" Silverstream replied eagerly. "It was so unbelievable. I'll tell you all about it!"

"Twilight!" Skystar rushed over to hug her, and then each of the ponies in turn, including a somewhat bemused Tempest. "It's great to see you all again! Shelly and Sheldon say hi, too! I'm so glad you came to visit. So much has been happening around here. We should totally have lunch or something, so I can fill you in..."

"Ahem." Queen Novo looked up from the scroll. "Princess Skystar, I'm wondering if you recall whose throne room this is?"

Skystar rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mother!" She winked cheekily at Twilight, and then the two hippogriffs withdrew to stand to the Queen's right, whispering and giggling together. Queen Novo smiled indulgently at her daughter and niece.

Then the smile disappeared as she turned her attention to Twilight. "So... Princess. To what do I owe this visit?"

Twilight took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I wish to formally apologize for attempting to steal the Pearl of Transformation. It was wrong of me to do so, and I fear it has seriously damaged the relationship between hippogriffs and ponies. I wish to make amends for my actions, and I hope you won't think they in any way reflect the proper behavior expected of a Princess of Equestria."

The Queen was unmoved. "Uh huh," she said coldly. "And what about your friend there?" She stared pointedly at Tempest. "Cherry Pie, wasn't it?"

Tempest cleared her throat. "If I may, Princess?" She stepped forward to stand beside Twilight, and bowed respectfully. "Queen Novo, my name is Tempest Shadow. And I also wish to apologize, to both you and your citizens, for attempting to steal the Pearl myself... and for the damage that I brought upon your city in the process."

The other ponies gasped in surprise. Tempest nodded to them. "I'm the reason the Hippogriffs were forced into hiding." She looked up at the Queen again. "My actions while in the Storm King's service have brought serious harm to both Hippogriffia and Equestria. I wish to make amends for that, if I can. To that end I have placed myself in Princess Twilight's service, and have been assisting her in locating several of Equestria's citizens who have been kidnapped, as well as pursuing their captors. If there is anything I might similarly do for Hippogriffia...?"

Queen Novo stared at her, sternly and silently, for a long moment. Then she looked at Twilight.

"Princess," she said, "you still trust this one, knowing everything she's done?"

Twilight nodded. "Enough to make her my bodyguard, Your Highness. Tempest has proven herself on more than one occasion. She's already helped us recover most of the ponies who were taken. And I believe she honestly wants to redeem herself... to everyone she's harmed."

"Hmph." Queen Novo looked displeased. She shook her head. "Why is nothing ever simple?" she asked. "I mean, really! It would just be so easy to have 'Cherry Pie' here and her associate imprisoned... and the rest of you shipped off back home! Where you belong!"

The ponies all held their breath tensely.

Then Queen Novo smirked. "But nothing's ever easy, is it? And it seems to me the Storm King cast a pretty deep shadow... leading more than one pony to make some pretty serious mistakes." She glared at Twilight.

Twilight winced, and bowed her head. "Yes, Your Highness. Mistakes that Tempest and I both regret."

"Hmmm... now, as I understand things from Princess Celestia, the two of you working together pretty much brought the Storm King down."

Twilight glanced at the rest of her friends. "We had a lot of help, Your Majesty!"

"I'm sure you did. And in taking out the Storm King, it's fair to say both of you have already done the hippogriffs a great service. It'd be pretty small-minded of me not to acknowledge that, at least to the extent of hearing you out... because I very much doubt you showed up on our doorstep merely to say you were sorry!" She held up a claw, to forestall Twilight's explanation. "Now, I'm not sayin' it's all water under the bridge, mind! But..." She shrugged. "...well... what say we put it in the past for now? See if it stays there, hmmm?"

Twilight let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Don't thank me yet," Queen Novo warned. "Because you might just be able to render us another service. You mentioned ponies being taken captive? A number of seaponies have also gone missing over the past few weeks... and now it seems hippogriffs are being taken as well. In fact if it wasn't for you, Silverstream here might be one of them!"

"Yay for Princess Twilight!" Silverstream cried. Then she looked around sheepishly. "Oops, sorry! Talking out of turn again!"

Queen Novo glared her into silence, then looked to Twilight again.

"Our relations with our neighbors in Seaquestria are a little... "fins-off", you might say. We don't interfere with the sharks, and they don't hassle us. Which basically means we have no idea who's behind these disappearances, any more than you do. So... while you're looking for the ponies who've been captured," she went on, "if you could also locate our missing citizens... well, it would go a long way toward mending any damage to relationships between hippogriffs and ponies... if you take my meaning?"

"Not a problem, Your Majesty," Twilight said quickly. "It'll be a pleasure!"

"It'll be our pleasure," Tempest added, bowing respectfully.

Queen Novo looked from one of them to the other, clearly uncertain whether to smile or frown in response. Then she sighed, and sat back in her throne. She gestured with the scroll in her claw. "Now, before you arrived, I was reading this very nice letter," she said, "from your Princess Celestia. Among other things, she let me know that you might be turning up here at some point... possibly looking for our help."

Twilight exchanged a relieved look with the others. At least Celestia's not mad at us for running off!

"And she requested, as a personal favor, that I provide the Princess of Friendship -- and her associates -- such aid and assistance as I deem appropriate..."

Queen Novo leaned forward again, staring Twilight straight in the eye.

"So tell me... Princess... exactly what aid and assistance should I deem appropriate?"

To Be Continued...

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Author's Note

Next week... swimming with the sharks, and the true power of the Deeps...

Part IV -- The Die is Cast

The sunlight was shimmering on the broad expanse of White Bay, over which the Rainbow Phoenix was holding station at dive height.

Sitting on the railing near the extended gangplank was one of Tempest's soldiers. He clung tight to the rigging with one huge paw, peering down at the water below. Beside him was Fluttershy. She patted his arm consolingly. "Now, I know the water makes you nervous, Fred," she told him. "Because you're used to fighting on land. But you really needn't be worried. Swimming isn't all that different, really. It's just like flying! Oh. Well, I suppose that's more helpful if you're a pegasi or a hippogriff. But even so, once you get used to the water, it's a lot of fun! Especially if you're transformed into a seapony, like we were."

She pointed down to the water, where Applejack and Rainbow Dash, already transformed, were racing each other under the waves, occasionally breaching the surface and then splashing back.

"I mean, we've been all the way to Seaquestria and back, and the transformation spell from the Pearl made it no trouble at all." Fluttershy smiled at the memory. "I actually got to like having fins for a while. And I don't usually take to new things myself, so that's saying something."

The soldier rumbled and hooted dispiritedly.

"Oh, don't think like that. You'll do fine. Just do what Tempest tells you, and look after Twilight and the others. Oh, and get Rarity back safely for us! I'm sure everything will work out..."

He gave her a plaintive look, and mumbled worriedly.

"Well..." She glanced at the water nervously. And then she nodded. "Of course I'll come along, if it helps. Tempest may need me to translate for you, in any case." She looked around. "I wonder where she is? It's her turn next..."

Captain Celaeno peered intently at the crystal, which they'd moved to the enclosed rear compartment of the main deck. "So... as long as it's glowing steady like that, everything's fine? We just need to keep anyone from messing with it?"

"That's right." Tempest nodded. "I've topped up the magic so it should be self-sustaining for however long we're down there." She gave Celaeno a grateful smile. "And do I appreciate you and your crew staying up here, to look after this end of things."

"It's not a problem." Celaeno shrugged. "I might like the look of parrot-fish... doesn't mean I'd ever want to be one. Besides, we need to make sure no barnacle-bitten marauders run off with our new ship!"

They turned and headed out through the bulkhead door to the main deck. "Now, my other question is," Celaeno went on, "how are we going to stay in range of you while you're down there? I mean, the entire bay is shallow enough that we don't have to worry about the depth. But how will we know which way you're headed?"

"I may have a solution for that," Fluttershy called to them. She was hovering beside one of the soldiers, carefully draping a pirate bandanna across his mask-like face. Then she gently prodded him with her hooves, so that he spun round in place.

"Ooooh! Pin the Tail on the Pony!" Pinkie shouted, stotting happily. "I call playing winner!"

"Now, Fred," Fluttershy said gently, "point at Tempest."

The soldier was currently facing away from them and to the right. He turned slightly, and then stuck out a paw without looking around... pointing straight at Tempest.

"All of you, I mean."

Every one of the soldiers standing on the deck pointed directly at Tempest, making her take a worried step backward.

"See?" Fluttershy beamed. "Fred always knows where you are. He has to, so he can appear wherever you want him to be."

Tempest trotted up to the soldier, who was already removing the bandanna from his face-mask. She eyed him appraisingly. "So... uh, Fred..." she said cautiously. "A squad of you will stay up here, to guard the crystal and the ponies we've rescued... and also give Celaeno a bearing to follow." She looked around at the captain. "If that's all right with you, Captain?"

Celaeno nodded. "A good sailor trusts her compass. Doesn't matter what it looks like! We'll stay as close as we can."

"Then I think we're all set here." Tempest squared her shoulders, and crossed the main deck...

... to where Queen Novo and her guards were standing near the port-side railing and the gangplank. Twilight and Spike were standing next to the Queen, and Twilight gave Tempest a reassuring smile. Queen Novo by contrast simply glared disapprovingly. In her claws was the Pearl, shimmering with arcane fire. She held it nervously, protectively, as Tempest approached and then bowed.

Tempest looked up, meeting Novo's gaze uneasily. "You know, Your Majesty," she said, conversationally, "you might not be so worried about someone stealing that Pearl's magic if it was... I don't know... spread out somehow, rather than concentrated all in one place. Uh... just a thought."

Queen Novo arched an eyebrow. "I'll take it under advisement. Are you ready?"

Tempest blinked at that, surprised. "Sorry... I don't normally get asked that." She nodded. "I'm ready!"

She unlatched and stripped off her armor and shoes, let Grubber pack them safely away in a handy sea-chest. "How about you, Grubber? You still can wait up here, if you want."

"Nah, I'm with ya, boss!" He looked up at her nervously. "Just so long as I don't turn into a clam or something..."

"No promises. On three, then... one... two... three!"

She galloped toward the gangplank. Grubber hurried along after her. Queen Novo projected the Pearl's spell at them, transforming them both as they jumped from the end and plunged towards the waves. There was a loud double splash from below.

Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie hurried to the railing, staring down at the water. They saw Applejack and Rainbow bobbing in the waves below.

"Is she all right?" Twilight called down.

"Don't know," Rainbow called up. "She hasn't come up yet. Whoa!"

With a massive splash, Tempest rocketed out of the water, launching herself astonishingly high in the air. In seapony form she seemed to be all streamlined body and tail, with broad, shimmering berry-red fins. She arced up and over the top of the ship's balloon, coming down on the far side and knifing smoothly into the water.

"Now that's awesome!" Rainbow crowed.

"Ah'd say she's doin' all raight!" Applejack observed with a smile.

There was a smaller splash behind her. "Hey, check me out!" said Grubber. "This is cool!"

Applejack turned, and jerked back in surprise. Grubber had been transformed into a large gray eel, with a snow-white crest and needle-sharp teeth. He gazed around, beaming toothily. "Hey, look! I can tie knots in myself!" He disappeared under the surface. Then he reappeared after a moment, looking slightly choked. "Glk! Uh... a little help?"

Tempest resurfaced close by, treading water easily. Her head turned about as she admired herself. "This is really nice! Though without my armor, I feel... I don't know... naked!"

Applejack laughed at that. "Been like that all my life, hon. Never hurt me!"

Tempest scowled, not sure if she was being ridiculed or not. She turned her angry look toward the ship, and the soldiers standing at the railing. "Why haven't they changed yet?"

Rainbow smirked. "I think you need to tell them to get in the water first!"

Tempest rolled her eyes. "Give me a minute, Rainbow. I've only been in charge of an eldritch army again for what, a day or two? It'll come back to me." Raising her voice, she shouted up. "The rest of you... down here! Now!"

The soldiers looked at each other uncertainly. Then they leapt en masse from the ship's railing, splashing heavily into the water around her... where they began floundering helplessly, struggling just to keep from sinking.

Tempest rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! You must have some sort of aquatic form! Find it!"

Twilight called down to her. "You might need to reset the spell, Tempest. Just dismiss them and resummon them!"

Tempest shrugged. "If you say so, Princess. Here goes... company, dismissed!"

In the cabin of the ship, the soft amber glimmering of the crystal suddenly increased in intensity, as the energy sustaining the soldiers was returned to it. And then the glow flickered briefly, and went out. And then it snapped alight once more, back at its original intensity.

And in the ship's aft vent room, Strife suddenly found himself sprawling on the glowing grid floor... outside the cage.

Glancing around in surprise, he lifted from the floor, finding his magic back in full working order. Wasting no time he sped away upward, straight toward the entry door. Prying it gently open, he peered out and then darted through, slamming it behind him.

In the water around Tempest, there was suddenly a school of large dolphins... or something very like them. The soldiers' aquatic form was long and grey, with maroon-and-red striped crests, broad fins and tails, and the familiar masked faces above their dolphin-like snouts.

"That's better," Tempest said. "Now we find out if the rest of this still works." She looked up to Twilight. "It'll take me a little while to get used to managing them like this. But you're welcome to come down whenever you're ready, Princess!"

"Okay!" Twilight replied, watching as Tempest and the others dove under the waves. Then she turned back to Queen Novo.

Who frowned doubtfully at her. "Just... have a care not to start any wars, while you're down there," she said. "Remember, we don't interfere with the sharks, they don't hassle us. At least I thought they didn't, until they grabbed Silverstream."

"I'm sure that was just a misunderstanding, Your Majesty," Twilight said. "We only want to ask them where Rarity's been taken, and then go find her. That's all!"

"Right. Well... look after yourself, now. Don't want to be sending any unhappy letters back to Princess Celestia!"

"I will!" She looked around as Pinkie and Fluttershy joined her. And Capper as well.

"Fluttershy? You're coming along?"

"I told Fred I would," she replied, shrugging. "This is new to him, too. He might need someone to talk to."

"And Capper? You're willing to go?"

"On one condition, y'all," he said, warningly. "No catfish jokes, all right?"

"We promise." Twilight nodded. Then she turned back to Queen Novo.

"Okay... let's do this!"

The Encircling Fins

On the surface, White Bay had been just an broad expanse of glittering waves. Beneath, it was an endless panoply, a near-riot of living things. Mountainous coral beds, covered in waving green fronds and leaves, neon-colored anemonies, clams and oysters, long-whiskered and spikey crustaceans, skulking octopi and eels, and colorful fish -- and that was just the seafloor. All around, darting through the deeps, were huge schools of fish, swirling about in formation, turning on a whim unpredictibly. They were like huge, living shimmering clouds in an endless warm, sunlit blue sky, through which Twilight and her party swam determinatedly ahead, looking for a particular ravine near an underwater peak.

"I wish we were here under better circumstances," Fluttershy said. "I could just stay here and look at everything for hours!"

"It shore is purty!" Applejack agreed. "Wouldn't mind a vacation here myself!" She looked at Twilight nervously. "You think the sharks will come meet us here?"

"I tried to word the message as diplomatically as I could," Twilight said. "We just have to hope they're willing to talk with us."

"And let us go, afterward," Rainbow muttered. "Seriously? If these guys are involved in this ivory-trade thing, you really think they're going to let us leave knowing what we know?"

"That land-shark said they were after live magic-users, not horns," Capper pointed out. "It still sounds suspicious, but... maybe we don't have the whole picture. We should at least let them tell us what they think is going on."

"And if they do get disagreeable," Tempest said, "we're not exactly undefended!" She gestured to the soldiers, swimming in formation around them.

"Remember what Queen Novo said," Twilight warned. "Our actions reflect on the seaponies. We should avoid a confrontation, if we can."

"Understood, Princess." Tempest glanced around. "Although speaking of Queen Novo, there's something important you should know."

"What?"

"Princess Skystar is following us."

"What?"

Twilight turned, looking to where Tempest had pointed. She spotted the gold-flanked hippogriff, now back in her seapony form, peering at them from behind a nearby coral formation.

Realizing she'd been seen, the Princess abandoned cover and swam eagerly over to join them. "Hi, there!"

Twilight facehoofed. "Are you kidding me? Skystar, do you know what your mother is going to think when she finds that you're missing... again?"

Skystar drew back, looking sad. "I'm sorry, Twilight! It's just... well, I was getting so bored, being grounded. Mother won't let me go anywhere!"

"So... you run away to follow us," Rainbow said, "which is basically what got you grounded in the first place. That's... actually pretty gutsy, when you stop to think about it!"

"I know, right?" Skystar giggled. "I mean, what's Mother going to do, ground me twice? And I just couldn't pass up the chance to spend some time with all of you again! Especially you, Pinkie!"

Pinkie Pie beamed happily, and hugged her.

Twilight sighed. "Look, it's great seeing you, Skystar," she said. "But right now we're heading into what may be a dangerous situation. So the best thing to do would be for us to take you back home right now!"

"Awww, do you have to?" Skystar and Pinkie said, almost in chorus.

"We'll have plenty of time to catch up later," Twilight reassured her. "And if we move quickly enough, maybe your mother won't even notice you've gone."

"Uh, Twi..." Applejack said nervously, glancing around. "I don't think we're gonna be able to do that!"

"We have to!" Twilight objected. "Things are delicate enough with the Queen as it is, and..."

She suddenly paused, looking where Applejack was looking. And saw, circling in the distance, a slim, streamlined shape. Looking around, she saw more of them, just on the edge of visibility. More were appearing all the time, on every side.

"Gulp. I think the sharks are here!" Spike said. Then he hiccuped, and inflated into a spiky ball.

Tempest motioned with a forehoof, and her soldiers swam into a protective ring around their party

"Princess, do me a favor."

"What?"

"Keep everyone together -- and out of the way!"

"Tempest!"

Even as Twilight spoke, one of the circling forms turned about... and arrowed straight for them.

Tempest gestured again, and a soldier intercepted the shark, side-swiping it and slapping it hard with its tail. The shark veered off and swam away. But another was angling in from the other side. It was met by two soldiers who converged on it, one swatting it with a fin, the other whacking it with its snout.

More of the sharks were closing in, all around them. The soldiers met them head-on, turning them aside with swats, swipes, and jabs. It was rapidly descending into a general underwater melee all around them. For the moment the soldiers were able to keep the sharks at bay without seriously injuring them, but it was only a matter of time before it turned bloody.

Tempest herself simply hung in the water, directly above her friends, glancing about from side to side, searching...

"Where are you...?" she whispered. "Come on! Where are you? Where..."

And then she looked up. And saw a single, streamlined shape circling directly above. "There you are!"

With a slap of her tail, Tempest launched herself upward, straight at it. The shark belatedly attempted to escape, but she shoulder-rammed it and gave it a pummeling tail-slap that sent it tumbling. The shark ended up floating upside down...

... and hung there, helpless.

Tempest cautiously approached it. And saw it was shivering.

Grubber darted up and around her, staring at the shark. "Woah! Could ya teach me that move, boss?"

"Not sure what I did!"

"Tonic immobility, Tempest!" Twilight called up from below.

"No thanks, Princess. I'm trying to cut down."

"I mean, for some creatures, putting them on their back paralyzes them temporarily!"

"Oh. Would have been nice to know that earlier!" Tempest called back.

"Sorry, my encyclopaedic knowledge doesn't come with an index."

But the shark wasn't entirely paralyzed. "Please," it whispered, "make the kill quick, O Holy One!"

"Oh, really?" Tempest's eyebrows went up. "And just who do you think I am, exactly?"

"Great Selachia, have mercy!" the shark replied, clearly terrified almost out of his wits. "Do not send your dolphin armies to destroy us! We serve the Great Whites, but we do not worship them! Spare us!"

All around them, the other sharks had broken off their attack, and were staring up at their leader. And at Tempest, with awestruck, humble, placating expressions.

Tempest glanced down at Twilight. "Oooh, so tempting, right?" Then she turned back to the shark.

"I... think you may have me confused with somepony else. My name is Tempest Shadow. And I'm actually not here to harm anyone... provided no one gives me further reason!" She gave the shark a narrow-eyed glare that made him shiver even more. And then she reached out a hoof and flipped him back upright again. Before he could dart away, she threw a forehoof across his back and then gently but firmly steered him downwards towards her friends.

"And," She went on, smiling brightly, "you really should be talking to the pony in charge. May I present Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle?" She gestured with her other forehoof.

Twilight smiled brightly.

"Hi there! Princess of Friendship. Do you happen to know where we could find Bruce the Toothed? It's kind of important!"

Queen Novo gazed down on the ocean passing steadily beneath the ship. "Hmmm... looks like they're on the move again. Which I suppose is reassuring. Captain Skyranger!"

"Majesty?" Already standing proudly at attention, the blue-coated hippogriff somehow managed to stand an inch taller.

"I'll be taking this back to where it's safe." Novo gestured at the gold chest containing the Pearl. "I'm leaving you in charge of our squadron here, and as my liason with the Princess and her friends. When she returns, send word to me at once."

"Majesty!" Skyranger bowed compliantly. "But, if I may, do you think this is wise? Entrusting our relations with our neighbors to this... Princess Twilight? And especially to those with her?"

Queen Novo gave him a look. "From what Celestia tells me, that little pony has a knack for winding up exactly where she's needed. And if I can't trust the Princess of Friendship to avoid making enemies, I'd like to know who I can trust." She frowned. "As for the others... well. We'll just have to see how reliable they turn out to be!"

Motioning to the guards escorting the Pearl, she spread wings and lifted off from the deck. The guards followed, carefully toting the chest between them.

Skyranger watched them go, shaking his head. "I do hope you're right, Your Majesty!"

"Excuse me... Captain Skyranger? Might I have a word?"

Skyranger turned, and then took a step back in surprise. Hanging in the air before him was a disturbing looking creature, something like a cross between a stormcloud and a dried apricot. And yet its voice was quietly cultured, its bearing smoothly diplomatic. It was somehow... reassuring... even as it spoke in hurried urgency.

"My name is Strife," it said. "I've just managed to escape from the prison I was being held in below. And I need to warn you about Princess Twilight and her associates... and their plans for your Queen Novo and the Pearl!"

The sharks quickly -- though somewhat reluctantly -- led Twilight's party across the sea floor and down into a broad sunken basin. In the center of which was...

... a ruined city. Granite and marble walls, broken spires, and endless open-roofed and enclosed chambers littered with relics and pottery... the city's structures stretched on and on across the seabed. Every turn of a corner or stretch of street revealed something new. And even as they were, furred with sea-moss and draped with weed, the ancient towers were imposing and intimidating. Carvings and statues and mosaics depicted armored hippogriffs contesting with creatures of every description. And there were more contemplative touches as well: brick-edged garden plots and broken fountains and sheltered seating areas.

Twilight and her friends gazed about in silent astonishment. "There are legends about sunken cities," Twilight said. "But I never thought I'd actually see one! This must be why the hippogriffs have such strong connections with the sea. If they once lived here..."

"It'd explain why they were so comfortable with becoming seaponies again," Applejack agreed.

"Thing I wonder, y'all," Capper said, "is what happened to this place? To put it this far under water?"

The shark leading them suddenly came to a halt. Turning towards them, it nervously gestured with a fin towards a broad doorway to the right, which opened onto a roofless building that might once have been a grand meeting hall.

"The Great Whites will see you now."

Tempest sent a couple of her soldiers through the doorway first, then accompanied Twilight through. The others followed along behind. And when the soldiers in front swam to either side to be out of the way, Twilight came to a quick halt.

Facing her were not just one, but five Great White sharks, ranged in a loose half-circle facing the doorway. And if Twilight had thought the streamlined, dusky-finned sharks who had escorted her were intimidating, these monsters were heart-stopping. The largest of them, in the center, had to be at least twenty-five feet from nose to tail. The sheer number of razor-edged triangular teeth facing her was chilling all by itself. Any one of the sharks could have taken an entire pony in one massive gulp.

The large one in the center, huge and imposing, was staring in her direction. The gaze of its depthlessly black, marble-like eyes was distubingly cold and soulless, piercingly sharp. But the creature wasn't staring at her, she realized... it was glaring at the smaller shark that had ushered them in.

"What is this, Smokefin? What is it I'm seein' here?" The large shark growled. He glanced at the sharks to either side of him. "I don't believe it. I told them! Did I not tell them? Don't mess with the seaponies! We don't want them comin' down here and complaining, 'cause we'll never hear the end of it! And what do they do? They bring me seaponies. Unbelievable!" He rolled his eyes. "And just look at you! You had to try to rough them up, didn't ya? I send you out there to do a simple pick-up, you turn it into a free-for-all. And bad enough you start a fight, looks like you got the worst of it, didn't ya? Now tell me, how does that make me look, huh? We're supposed to be a professional organization here. Right?"

"Sorry, Bruce. We... uh, kind of got carried away."

"You got carried away." The large shark scowled. He deliberately sniffed at the water around him. "Do I smell blood in the water? Do I? Huh? Try again, shrimp-brain! Or better yet, just don't! Just... get outta my sight!"

Smokefin cringed, and quickly darted away.

"Now I gotta pick up the pieces here!" Bruce shook his head. "So where do I start?" Then he stared at the group of seaponies. "Oh, for the love of..." He grimaced. "Princess Skystar! Somefish tell me they didn't bring me Princess Skystar! 'Cause that's just about gonna bring the sky down on us! Your Highness," he said to her genteely, "a thousand apologies for this insult!"

"Um... it's okay!" Skystar replied nervously. "It's my fault, actually! I came along on my own, just to be with my friends."

"Very obliging of you to see it that way, Your Highness! And, er... just who is it we are welcoming here with you?"

Capper beamed. "Allow me to start off the introductions, y'all!" he said smoothly. "Now we have Princess Skystar of the hippogriffs, who I see you already know. And may I present Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Friendship Princess of Equestria!"

Bruce nodded his huge head respectfully. "Princess Sparkle! I am Bruce the Toothed, at your service. But I understood Equestria was pony territory... up north, on the land?"

"That's right, sir! It's, uh... a long trip, and a long story," Twilight replied. She quickly introduced the other Element bearers and Spike and Grubber as well. "And this is Tempest Shadow. She's my bodyguard."

"Huh! I imagine she's the reason Smokefin and the boys were lookin' so much the worse for wear!"

"Eee-yeah... sorry about that!"

"Don't apologize, Your Highness." Bruce grinned. "I consider it a learning experience for him."

"And last, but certainly not least," Twilight finished, gesturing with a forehoof, "the very charming Prince Cappadocio, who is here representing the sovereign nation-state of Abyssinia."

Capper smiled, and with a flick of his tailfin managed a smooth bow.

"Well!" Bruce said genially. "We are deeply honored, to be hosting such a royal gatherin'. Are we not honored?" he asked his associates. "Shut up, of course we are! Now, Princess Sparkle, the message we received said you wished to discuss the abduction of a number of ponies from Equestria, am I right?"

"We're... following up on that, yes," Twilight said cautiously. "We wondered if you might... possibly..."

"Please, Your Highness!" Bruce interrupted. "I am a business-fish. Let us speak plainly. Yes, we had a request to obtain a number of magic-using creatures... alive and unharmed, our instructions were very clear on that point. So we put out the word, and our contacts in the sea and on land obtained some for us. I understand this is distressing, both to them and to you, but they'd have been returned safely when they were no longer needed."

"I... see." Twilight grimaced. "But it isn't just ponies that have been disappearing. Apparently seaponies have been taken as well. And Skystar's friend Silverstream was grabbed on land, so someone's going after hippogriffs, too."

"I am very disturbed to hear that, Your Highness," Bruce replied flatly. "Our associates have strict instructions to leave the seaponies and 'griffs alone. Of course, it is possible some of those they worked with did not get the message. I shall look into this, I promise you!"

"It's more than just not gettin' the message!" Applejack broke in angrily.

"Yeah!" Rainbow added. "There are poachers out there right now, in Equestria, huntin' ponies for their horns!"

Twilight frantically waved them to silence.

"I had not heard of this." Bruce frowned darkly. "Your Highness," he said to Twilight. "Have any of your citizens been harmed as a result?"

"Thankfully, no!" Twilight said. "We've... actually recovered most of the ponies who were taken."

"I am relieved to hear that."

"However," Twilight added, seeing an opening, "there is one pony that we're still looking for. Her name is Rarity, and --"

"White pony, dark hair? Acts like she's surrounded by mirrors all the time?"

"Yes, that's her!" Despite herself Twilight couldn't help smiling. "Is she all right?"

"She was unharmed, yes, when she passed through here," Bruce said. "Apparently she was intended as some kind of initial sample of the other ponies, who'd would be delivered later. We already sent her on, as per Mama's request."

Twilight stifled Spike's angry retort with her hoof. "Uh... Mama?"

"Mama Orcina, of course!" Bruce nodded, understandingly. "You probably have not heard of her. That's the way she likes it. She prefers to keep to herself. Does most of her business through us, as well as the other sharks in the southern bays."

"And she's the one looking for magic-users?" Twilight said. "Do you know why?"

"Not our business, Your Highness." For once, Bruce looked uncomfortable. "We have a simple rule down here: whatever Mama wants, Mama gets. It don't pay to get inquisitive."

"Oh..." Twilight fell silent, thinking hard. Then she looked up at the shark.

"We still need to find Rarity. Now, you said you were requested to provide magic-using ponies to Mama Orcina? We'd like to go in place of the ponies who were to be sent to her."

Bruce looked surprised... and more than a little relieved. "That is most generous of you, Your Highness. It also enables me to avoid falling through on a contract, for which I am very grateful. Is there anything the Great Whites might do for you in return?"

"A couple things. First, get the word out through your... associates... to stop capturing creatures for their horns?"

"Consider that already done! I believe in honorable exchange, Princess. Poaching, I do not tolerate!"

"And could you also stop them from bringing in magic-using creatures in general?"

"Hmmm. I can only halt things temporarily. If Mama should ask for more..."

"I understand. And one other thing?"

"Name it."

"Could you see to it that Princess Skystar gets home safely?"

"Twilight!"

"Skystar, you shouldn't be here in the first place!" Twilight told her. "Your mother would never forgive me if you were harmed. Don't worry... we'll tell you all about it when we get back, trust me!"

"I'll go with you, Skystar!" Pinkie Pie offered brightly. "We can chat on the way!"

"Thanks," Skystar said quietly, looked broken-hearted. "I just... well... I just wanted to be with all of you again. Having adventures, saving the world, that sort of thing? It's so much more exciting than sitting around doing crafts with shells." She glanced around, and then whispered, "Don't tell Shelly or Sheldon I said that!"

"My lips are sealed," Twilight assured her. "And we'll see you when we get back!"

"I admire your confidence, Princess. I truly do." Bruce said. "But as it happens, I am afraid I will not be able to return the Princess for you."

"What?" Twilight stared up at him, anxiously.

Then she realized the shark was staring at something above and behind her, his eyes wide and fearful. Turning, she looked. And saw three immense black-and-white orcas peering down at them all, like looming thunderheads.

"Remember what I said, Princess..." Bruce said quietly, not taking his eyes off them. "Whatever Mama wants, Mama gets!"

The Castle of the Deeps

On the foredeck of the Phoenix, the scarlet-furred soldier standing beside the helm suddenly perked up and pointed.

Celaeno considered for a moment. "Three points to starboard, then hold her steady, quarter-speed."

"Aye, Cap'n." Boyle adjusted the wheel. "They're on the move again. You think we're getting close now?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Our job right now is to stay in range of 'em... and hope!"

Boyle glanced at her. "We're gettin' close to the edge of the shelf... the drop-off to the Deeps. What happens if they head down into that?"

"Then we see if this ship can actually float. Until then, steady as she goes!"

"Aye, Cap'n!"

Turning, Celaeno saw Lix Spittle approaching. "How are our guests doing, Lix?"

The pink cook shrugged. "Well, the city ponies are a bit stressed out. But the ones from Appleloosa and the Badlands are fairly self-sufficient. They're helping keep things calm down there."

"Thank heaven for that. Wasn't looking forward to dealing with complainers."

Lix waved her spoon. "I'm gonna make a start on supper. Gonna need the large pot to feed this crowd. I really wish we had better grub to offer 'em, though... some of 'em look half-starved!"

"With any luck, this'll be over soon. We can send them all home for a solid meal. But you can break out some of the fresh cornbread that's left, we need to use that up anyways. How's Tempest's crystal doing?"

"Mullet's on watch, with those other soldier fellas. He said it's steady as an oil lamp."

"Good to hear. Carry on, Lix!"

"Aye!"

As Lix Spittle waddled away, Celaeno noticed the hippogriff captain, Skyranger, standing aft on the deck near the starboard railing, in heated discussion with one of his guards.

Hmm... that looks like trouble... she said to herself, and started towards them.

Across the deck, the lieutenant of Skyranger's guards was having a hard time accepting what he was hearing.

"But are you sure, Captain?" the lieutenant whispered. "Her Majesty seemed to have full confidence in Princess Sparkle and her friends!"

"It's not for you to question, Ragefeather!" Skyranger hissed back. "Just get back to the city, alert her Majesty. Then get back here with the full wing, including the mages. We may need them... no telling what other allies these traitorous ponies may have!"

"Yes, Captain. At once, sir." Reluctantly, the lieutenant flung himself over the railing and took wing, heading back towards the distant spire of Mount Aris.

"That looked... intense. Something up, Captain?" Celaeno said as she approached.

Skyranger turned about to face her, and glared down his beak at her. "Nothing that concerns you for the moment, Celaeno!" Brusquely, he swept past her and crossed to the far railing.

"Sorry I asked!" Celaeno muttered, glaring after him. Then, with a thoughtful look, she turned and headed toward the rear compartment door, to have a word with Mullet.

It was like a royal procession, almost. Twilight, Tempest, Skystar, Capper, and the others swam in line by twos, escorted to either side by Tempest's soldiers. And fore and aft of their party were two of the orcas, swimming with easy, powerful fluke-strokes. The remaining orca swam escort, to one side of the line or the other. Now and again the escort would swim to the surface to breathe, after which it swept down and took the place of one of the other two, who then became the side escort in its turn. It was all done with a smooth, confident choreography and it sent a clear message: if you give us any trouble, we'll have no difficulty giving it right back!

Twilight glanced at Tempest. She could see the maroon pony looking at the orcas with a measuring eye, working out whether she could take on even one of the behemoths with her soldiers... and not coming up with an answer she liked.

They were all steadily ascending a massive, coral-frosted slope in the seabed, getting ever closer to the shimmering ocean surface above. And at the top of the slope there was a massive, multi-spired hillock of jagged coral, almost like a palace set atop a mountain peak, its topmost spires all but brushing the water's surface. As they neared it Twilight could see there was a large natural cleft running through it. The lead orca swam straight into it, unhesitatingly. Twilight's party followed...

... and it was like suddenly entering a massive cathedral, made entirely of stained glass. Gemstones of every color encrusted the floor and rose up the coral spires in frond-like streams of color. These were interspersed with inlaid gold and silver, swirling lines of pearls, and dark onyx accents. Under the brilliant sunlight streaming down from the surface, the entire cleft glittered breathtakingly. The cleft swept downwards to a large intersection with another shorter one, like a transept, and beyond that it flattened out, terminating in a broad circular space with an open rear wall, like a huge balcony.

And beyond the open balcony there was... nothing. Nothing but blue shimmering ocean depths. The coral castle was right on the lip of an immense dropoff. Beyond, the sea floor simply plunged away into a dark, shadowy abyss.

Displayed on the walls of the space, and standing on plinths around its edge, were works of art: delicate carvings, massive amphorae, and fine jewelry draped on coral-tree display stands.

The missing seaponies and hippogriffs were there too, floating to either side of the open space, looking tensely frightened. Each wore a gilded collar from which a fine metal chain ran down to an elegantly sculpted deadweight block. The hippogriffs all had self-renewing air bubble spells cast about their heads.

And in the center of the balcony area, looming huge and implacable, was a massive orca. She easily dwarfed the others, at least thirty feet long and twenty in circumference. She was gently sculling in place with her broad flippers, peering myopically with tiny, deep-set eyes at an elegant golden vase set on a circular stone table before her.

And as they got closer to the orca Twilight saw, to her very great relief, that Rarity was there too, floating nervously alongside the orca's snout. The violet-maned fashionista was still in pony form, an air-bubble bobbing about her head. She clumsily floundered through the water, trying to stay level with the orca's eyes. Her efforts weren't helped by the gilded bracelet on one hind leg, chained to a steel deadweight ball a few feet behind her.

The orca looked up sharply at the approaching party. Then she suddenly smiled proudly. "Ah, my boys! You bring Mama ponies at last! Is good!" She waved a flipper dismissively. "You wait, ponies! Mama want finish this!" She jabbed a flipper-tip at the vase, looking at Rarity. "You say picture of coral is not good? But palace is coral, so matches palace, da? Mama not see!"

"Well, dahling," Rarity replied, in full fashionista mode, "it's all in the accents, really! You have to develop a feel for when things shouldn't match their surroundings... so they catch the eye, prompt conversation, start trends! It's not enough for your home to merely fit together, like a jigsaw puzzle. You need to be a trend-setter, a fashion-forward leader, someone everypony... err... every orca should know!"

Rainbow snorted, her hooves crossed in disgust. "Seriously? We come all this way to rescue you, and you're trading home-design tips?"

"Well, of course, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity replied haughtily. "Mama Orcina has such good taste in her living space. She simply needed an expert opinion, to help make it even more fabulous!" Seeing Mama was momentarily distracted, Rarity rolled her eyes at the gaudiness of the decor. Get me out of here, please! she silently mouthed. Then she quickly got her smile back in place as Mama looked her way.

"Fashion pony have good ideas!" Mama said, gesturing toward her. "She help Mama make home better. Mama like listen, maybe learn things." With a casual sweep of her flipper Mama Orcina batted away the vase, which drifted over and landed with a clink in a pile of assorted glittering treasures to her right. "But back to point of discussion! Pony still not tell Mama about magic. Mama get impatient, want to hear about magic! Ponies tell Mama! That is why boys bring ponies to Mama!"

The three orcas behind Twilight's group crowded around them threateningly, forcing them to approach closer. Tempest glanced about at the orcas angrily, but for the moment was forced to hold her peace.

"Such good boys! They look after Mama!" Orcina said proudly. "Mama want fish for dinner, they are rounding up nice fish for her. Mama want pretty gems for walls, they are getting sharks to deliver pretty gems, and crabs to put up on walls. Mama want learn about magic, they are bringing magic ponies for Mama to talk to." She gestured at the seaponies chained up to either side of her. "Mama hear tell of how ponies of sea have magic, and Mama want learn magic from ponies. But Mama not need to go to ponies, Mama have ponies brought here. Much simpler, yes? Mama not like to travel!"

Twilight desperately waved her outraged friends to silence. And struggled to stay calm herself as she replied. "So... you had ponies brought here... because you wanted to learn about magic?"

"Da! Da! Mama hear all about spells seaponies know. Like bubble spell, so Mama not need to go to surface for air." She nodded upward toward her blowhole, around which an air-bubble spell bobbed about. "But Mama want learn about special magic spell. Ponies from sea not know magic Mama looking for. But... maybe ponies from land know different magic, yes?"

"We can try to help," Twilight said cautiously. "What... kind of magic spell did you mean?"

"Ah! Is good story!" Orcina gestured with her flippers. "Gather close, be comfortable! Mama tell!"

Uncertainly, they gathered closer, in a semicircle around the table. Mama swung round and rummaged in the pile of trinkets to her right, coming up with a jewel-encrusted box. She brought this back over to her table and set it down proudly, then gently tapped one of its gems.

Nothing happened.

With a grunt, Mama picked up the box and hammered a corner of it on the table a few times.

"Is not always working," she said. "Mama know how to fix!"

Part V --- The Power of the Tempest

Aboard the Phoenix, the battle was becoming more intense by the second. More and more hippogriff guards were landing on the deck all the time. Celaeno and her crew were being steadily driven back across the deck, toward the aft bulkhead door.

Still, even in a corner, Celaeno's crew fought like dynamos, and Tempest's soldiers swung their spears unceasingly, managing to hold back the increasing wall of guards facing them. Celaeno yelled excitedly, leading strike after strike against the ever-increasing numbers, proud of how her crew, her team, her family, fought so steadily and unreservedly.

But then finally the hippogriff guards gained an advantage. Boyle took a spear-swipe to the head, sending him to his knees. Even with Mullet and Tempest's soldiers leaping to his aid, the hippogriffs managed to drive a wedge through their defenses, splitting the pirates up.

Skyranger, seeing his advantage, suddenly dove through his guards, got behind Celaeno, and pinned her by the throat with the edge of his ceremonial blade.

"Drop your weapons!" He called to the other pirates. "This ends now!"

Silence fell, the guards and pirates watching tensely. "Cap'n?" Mullet called, worried.

Celaeno glanced around, considered the odds. Reluctantly, she nodded.

Dispiritedly, the pirates set down their weapons, allowing themselves to be taken by the guards. Mullet and Lix moved to help Boyle stand up. There was no sign of Squabble.

Strife smiled confidently. "And now, Captain Skyranger, I think it's time we inspected the device they were keeping in the aft compartment. I believe you'll find it quite interesting."

Having disarmed Celaeno, Skyranger handed her off to a group of his guards, then approached the bulkhead door. He nodded to the contingent of griffs standing to either side of it. Cautiously, they moved to the door, and hauled it open.

The compartment beyond was empty.

Celaeno smiled craftily. "Still certain you should trust Strife's word, Skyranger?"

In her coral palace, Mama Orcina laughed hugely.

"My boys rough you up a bit now, ponies. Teach you lesson. Then Mama keep you all here until you give what Mama wants! You not leave until you tell Mama spell to give Mama horn!" She laughed again. "Is only rule down here... what Mama want, Mama get!"

"No."

Everyone, including the three looming orcas, stared at Tempest.

Mama glared at her, head tilted, as if baffled that anyone could contradict her.

"Who are you, pony, to speak to Mama like that?"

Tempest eyed Mama Orcina unflinchingly. And smiled.

"Oh, I am sorry," she said, languidly and unhurriedly. "We haven't been formally introduced yet. I am Commander Tempest Shadow, personal bodyguard to Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria." She gestured grandly with a forehoof towards Twilight. "And do you know what Twilight's the Princess of? Friendship! She can be the very best friend you'll ever have, trust me on this. She's kind and understanding and forgiving... often to a fault."

Tempest's expression darkened. Her horn sparked.

"But if you can't accept that... if she's not your friend... then you have just made the very worst enemy you'll ever make...

... me!"

"Tempest..." Twilight said, worriedly.

"Princess. Do me a favor..."

"Ummm..." Twilight gritted her teeth, and then nodded. "All right, Tempest. Do as you think best!"

With a flick of her tail, Tempest darted upward, to hover level with the three orcas.

"Okay, boys, because this is the Friendship Army, I just want you to know that it's nothing personal..."

She smirked. "You're just in my way!"

Grubber swam up next to her. "Uh, you sure about this, boss?" he whispered uneasily.

"When I say break... break," she whispered back.

"Oh, boy... here we go..."

Tempest flung up a forehoof. And every one of her soldiers launched in a different direction, darting and rising and diving through the water all around her, obscuring both her and Grubber from sight. Then she darted off in one direction, and Grubber fled belatedly in another. The grey-flanked soldiers neatly split up into two groups to accompany them.

The orcas glanced about, annoyed, trying to spot them. Then they launched after the two clouds of soldiers, trying to keep up as the soldiers rose and fell, swerved and dived. They attempted to swat the soldiers aside with massive blows from flippers and flukes, but somehow their strokes always failed to connect, throwing them off balance; they kept having to recover and catch up. Annoyed, they gave chase, spinning and wheeling and dodging, faster and faster, unable to keep up. Soon they were blindly, furiously pounding the water, snapping at the grey, darting forms with their teeth, determined to land a killing blow.

Tempest kept dodging and swerving agilely, just fast enough so the two orcas trailing after her never quite fell behind... and just erratically enough so the third one never quite caught up with Grubber.

"Tempest!" Grubber shouted, "I can't get away from this guy forever!"

"Grubber..."

"Yeah, boss?"

"Break!"

Grubber darted left. Tempest went right. The two clouds of soldiers simply passed through each other like smoke.

The orcas were not so lucky. Two of them collided thunderously, almost head-on, with a horrid crack of bone on bone. One fell steadily to the coral floor below, unconscious. The other shook its head, momentarily stunned.

And the third came after Tempest and Grubber, now hotly furious.

"Uh, I got nothin' boss. Whadda you got?"

"My horn," she said. "... and my capable assistant!"

Grubber was suddenly grabbed by a sweep of her forehoof. "Gluk!"

Timing it exactly, Tempest let loose a blast from her horn straight up... and then darted straight down. The orca ponderously turned and dove... and found Tempest rocketing past again, upwards this time. The orca attempted to come about...

... and was clobbered by the massive tree of coral that Tempest's blast had just knocked loose, through which Tempest had quickly and neatly threaded herself. The orca ended up pinned to the gem-studded floor, out cold.

"Nice one, boss!" Grubber said, once she'd released him. "Uhp! We still got one left!"

The remaining orca had recovered, and was turning towards them. This time, it wasn't about to be fooled. It glared at them narrowly. And advanced on them, steadily and relentlessly.

"You know, Grubber..." Tempest said, softly and languidly, apparently completely at ease, "I've been pretty gentle with these guys so far. Wouldn't you say?"

"Uhhh... if you say so, boss..."

"And I've always wanted to show everyone what I can really do, given a reason..."

Her horn crackled and sparked, boiling the seawater around it. Her head lowered, her eyes narrowed evilly.

The orca came to a halt. Tempest's absolute confidence was unnerving even him.

"And all I need... is one clear shot..."

She stabbed a forehoof, straight at the orca.

And every single one of her soldiers descended on him, grabbing hold of flippers and tail flukes with their teeth. Enraged, the orca attempted to fling them loose, or turn to bite them, but the extra resistance made it impossible for him to move very fast, no matter how forcefully he attempted to thrash about.

And Tempest suddenly shot upwards, high overhead... and then came down like a bullet. Her horn flared, and released a tremendous blast of energy... right at the orca's blowhole. And a moment later her forehooves smacked down on it, hard.

The orca jerked, then thrashed his head about, eyes rolling in increasing terror. Suddenly panicking, he sped away frantically towards the surface, and the open air.

Tempest watched him go, carefully.

"He should be alright," she said, casually. "Once he clears his sinuses a bit. But if he thinks it might be permanent, maybe he won't be in such a hurry to return... and maybe he'll be a little more polite from now on!"

Grubber wriggled up to swim beside her. "Okay boss, that was cool, I'll grant you! But I get an extra slice of cake as hazard pay, huh?"

"I'll bake it myself." Tempest grinned. "Better yet, we'll ask Pinkie Pie. She might do a better job."

"Woo hoo! Yay Tempest!" Pinkie cried.

"Nicely done, y'all!" Applejack called. "You showed them what's what!"

"You bet! That was somethin' else!" Rainbow crowed.

Tempest smiled thankfully, looking little embarrassed by the praise. She glanced at the two still-unconscious orcas, and saw that Princess Skystar had thoughtfully already applied the air-bubble spell to one of them, and was working on applying it to the other.

Nodding, she turned her attention back to Mama Orcina. "Well, Mama? Have your boys finished teaching me a lesson?"

Mama Orcina stared up at her, astonished. "Ha! Pony fight excellently! Mama impressed!"

"Oh," Tempest replied dryly. "We're so glad you approve."

"But pony's magic flawed," Mama shook her head derisively. "Pony's horn broken... pony need soldiers to fight for her!"

Tempest tensed, glaring hotly.

Grubber, hanging next to her in the water, hunched in on himself defensively. "Uh... oh..."

"Do you want to see what my magic is capable of?" Tempest snarled dangerously, her horn gleaming. For a moment, it looked like she was going to attack Mama herself.

And then Fluttershy spoke up. "Um, Tempest?" She was listening intently to the soldier floating next to her, and she was looking more and more worried every second. "What was that, Fred? Oh, my! Um, excuse me, Tempest, but Fred says the hippogriffs are attacking Celaeno's ship... and it's not going well up there!"

Everyone looked upward. Through the rippling water's surface, they could see the Phoenix holding station overhead. And they could also see the wing of hippogriff guards circling it, several still flying in towards its main deck.

"What's that, Fred?" Fluttershy went on. "Uh, what? Oh, dear!" She looked around, confused. "Fred says not to worry, though... the rest of the ships have just arrived!"

"The rest of the ships?" Rainbow objected. "We left them all behind in Canterlot!"

Twilight's eyes went wide. "The other crystals!" she cried, shocked and amazed at the same time. "Tempest! You said there must have been one of them on each of the ships!"

"So..." Tempest said, astonished by it herself, "when I used my magic to power one of the crystals... I was actually powering all of them?"

Looking up, they could see now that there were a dozen more of the black airships, the gleaming berry-red double-bolt icon on their prows, already closing with the Phoenix.

"Woah..." Grubber said, eyes wide. "I am really glad I'm on your side, boss!"

The pirates were as surprised as the hippogriffs at the sudden approach of the armada of black ships. But when they saw the railings of the ships were bristling with more of Tempest's soldiers, they let up a rousing cheer.

"This fight's not over yet!" Celaeno cried. She ducked and rolled, bowling over the guard holding her sword. She came up, sword in hand, and beat back the guards holding her crew, allowing them to reclaim their own weapons.

Some of the soldiers on the arriving ships were in winged form. In tandem the soldiers launched from their ships and converged on the Phoenix in pairs, winged soldiers carrying ground troops. The hippogriff guards still in the air attempted to hold them back, but their spear thrusts and swipes simply passed through the incoming soldiers.

Soon the soldiers were landing on the deck of the Phoenix, and quickly trading spear-swings with the hippogriffs. The griffs found themselves rapidly overpowered and outmatched by the soldiers' bizarrely efficient ferocity: the furred soldiers swung and shoulder-thrust and clubbed their way through the melee without hesitation, yet the moment a hippogriff guard was down or disarmed or incapacitated, they were simply ignored, the soldiers pressing onward through those still fighting.

In swift order, Tempest's soldiers took Skyranger and his lieutenants captive, and brought them over to Celaeno and her crew.

Who put up their weapons at once, seeing the fight was over.

"Now this is more like it!" Celaeno said breezily. "Sometimes it really pays to surrender, huh?"

"Pony use magic to bring other ships here?" Mama Orcina eyed Tempest speculatively. "Perhaps Mama speak hastily. Mama have need of strong pony magic. Maybe Tempest willing to work for Mama?"

Tempest eyed her sardonically. "I'm listening. What do you have to offer?"

"You work for Mama, you have power, authority! All the sharks in south bays bow to Mama!"

"I already have an absolutely loyal army," Tempest replied. "Seems powerful enough. What else have you got?"

"Mama make you wealthy, respected -- you be well-treated by Mama!"

"I already have a pretty nice working relationship as commander of Princess Twilight's Friendship Army. She understands me, and she lets me get the job done... my way."

"Ahem," Twilight interrupted. "Friendship Army?"

"The name's a work in progress, Your Highness." She returned her attention to Orcina. "And you know... the funny thing is... I've never had much use for wealth and riches myself. I've really always wanted just one thing..."

"Da!" Orcina interrupted quickly. "Da! Da! Mama know how to fix! When Mama get horn-spell, Mama fix pony's horn! Pony's magic be all better! Pony have everything she wants!"

There was a lengthy silence, from everyone. The look on Tempest's face was terrifying to behold.

"Oooh," she finally whispered, her voice silky-soft, "big mistake, lady. Big!" She darted forward to glare at the orca, her horn sparking madly.

"You see, I've been offered that promise before... AND I NO LONGER BELIEVE IN IT!"

Mama Orcina actually flinched, drawing back from Tempest's ferocity. Her flipper swept out, caught the chain pinning Rarity's hind leg. She hauled the terrified pony close, then motioned with the tip of her other flipper toward the air-bubble around her head.

"You no threaten Mama! Mama pop bubble! Pony drown!"

Reformation... It's a Pony Thing

For the moment, things were peaceful on the Phoenix. Yet Captain Celaeno knew it couldn't last. It was like a sword balanced on its point. She struggled to remain calm, while coming up with a way out of the situation.

"Captain Skyranger," she said. "I should by rights be very cross with you. But that's not how we do things, serving under Princess Twilight. You've been given some bad advice, that's all, and I can't hold that against you." She gestured around to her crew, and to the scarlet-furred soldiers. "We're not after your Queen... or the Pearl. We never have been. We're here to help Twilight recover her citizens, as well as the seaponies and hippogriffs who've been taken. And that's it!"

"Do not listen to her blandishments, Captain Skyranger," Strife warned. "Just look about you... she and her crew have merely been fighting a delaying action, until their main force could arrive. With that, they will attack Mount Aris, and take the Queen and Pearl by force for the Princess."

"You know," Boyle said calmly, "I'm really getting to hate him."

"Bit of a blowhard, if you ask me!" Lix agreed.

"I say we chuck him back in the brig," Mullet growled. "Soon as we move that crystal thing out of it. What say, ye, Cap'n?"

Celaeno strode forward to stand eye-to-eye with the hippogriff leader.

"I'd say it's up to Captain Skyranger to decide who he trusts," she said coolly. "Strife... or us."

Skyranger scowled at her darkly. "I make no treaties under duress. And right now all I see is a well-armed, well-trained force in a position to attack our city... just as they did before. I'm going to need proof of your good intentions, Captain!"

"Proof." Captain Celaeno said, thinking furiously. "You want proof?"

"Um, Tempest?" Fluttershy quavered nervously. "Fred says the hippogriffs are under control for the moment... but they're demanding proof that we're not here to capture Queen Novo and the Pearl."

"Proof?" Tempest turned to look at her, suddenly calm and collected once more. "They want proof?"

Then she looked at Twilight. "Princess, you know the most important thing a soldier ever does?"

"What?" Twilight asked, worried.

"She stands down... with the task accomplished."

Turning back to the Orca, she smiled breezily. "Mama Orcina," she said breezily. "If there's one thing I've learned working for Princess Twilight, it's that it's never necessary to resort to threats to get what you want."

She turned, darted away from Orcina, then turned to face her again, spreading her forehooves.

"And, just to show that I mean what I say..."

She gestured with her forehooves, at the soldiers all around them.

"Fred..." she called out. "Dismissed! ... all of you!"

Startled, the grey soldiers around her all swept about to face her, then came to attention... and vanished.

On the deck of the Phoenix, things were suddenly a lot less crowded as well. The hippogriffs stared around, astonished by the disappearance of Tempest's soldiers.

Before they could react, Celaeno moved quickly to capitalize on their surprise. "There's your proof, Captain Skyranger!" she said, grandly. "Tempest's army is a projection of her magic. And when there's no need to fight... there's no need for the army. She's dismissed them, so we can hash this out like civilized creatures!"

"I'm listening..." Skyranger said cautiously. He was glancing about, clearly readying himself to give the order to attack.

"Just as Princess Twilight convinced Tempest to side with the cause of Friendship, so she persuaded me and my scurvy crew to sign on. Because the cause is a just and honorable one, and as much as we pirates like treasure, we value a good fight in a noble cause even more! Princess Twilight also persuaded Prince Cappadocio and the Abyssinians to pitch in and help. And she's done the same with pretty much everyone she's met on this trip... including your Queen Novo. Because Twilight is the Princess of Friendship... and that's what she does for a living: she makes friends!"

Glancing up, Celaeno finally saw Squabble, hanging from the riggings overhead. In his free claw he was holding a wicker basket, the basket they'd used to capture Strife before... and it still held a trace gleam of the containment ward Twilight had used to snare the little smoke-cloud. Celaeno fervently hoped it would be enough.

"So... now that you know why we're here, I'd suggest you ask your new-found 'friend' there, your oh-so-kind 'informant'," she sneered, gesturing at Strife, "exactly what he's here for. What does he hope to get out of all this?"

She glared straight at Strife.

"I'll bet my hat he won't be able to give you anything like a clear and honest answer!"

Strife looked back at her, momentarily at a loss for words.

BWAAAWWWK!

Squabble plummeted from the riggings, clapping the basket over Strife and ramming it down onto the deckplates.

The effect on Skyranger was immediate and startling. He blinked, and looked round, astonished. "Oh, my! Oh my word! What was that creature doing to us... to me!"

He glanced around at his guards, and raised his voice. "Stand down, all of you! It would appear that our fight is not with Princess Twilight and her associates, after all... but with those they are after!"

He bowed his head to Celaeno, ashamed.

"My apologies, Captain Celaeno! Under that... creature's influence I've said a great many things that I now regret. May I now demonstrate that regret, by asking if there is any way our forces may aid Princess Twilight's endeavor?"

"I'm not sure, yet, Captain!" Celaeno crossed over to the railing and peered down at the waters below. "But I am sure if there is anything... she'll let us know!"

Mama Orcina was equally surprised by the soldiers' disappearance. Speechless, in fact.

Tempest didn't waste a moment. "As I was about to say... the one thing I've really wanted all along, is the one thing that Twilight and her friends gave me... friendship. I wanted to belong again, to have a place among ponies."

She smiled sadly.

"You see, I'm not a nice pony. I'm not a gentle pony. I'm not even always an honest pony. And I'm not sure I ever will be. I have too much history for that. But I'm exactly the pony my friends need me to be. They don't need me to change. They need me... Tempest Shadow. And so they've made a place for me, a place that suits me as I am... flaws and all!"

She swam a little closer to Mama Orcina. "And if they can do that for me, they can certainly do that for you. You don't need threats, any more than I did. You can have what you want, without them!"

"Mama not see!" Orcina replied doubtfully. "How pony manage this?"

"Well..." Tempest replied, "let me tell you an interesting story. It's about reformation... it's a pony concept. Basically, you acknowledge what you've done, and then work to make things right. And everyone around you trusts you and supports you in that. Because without that support, without that trust..." she shrugged, "why should anyone care, really?

"Take me, for instance... I willingly served the Storm King, helped him subdue entire nations, all for a misguided dream, a dream of power and fixing my broken horn. And after I helped bring him down, I turned from running his army to helping others... though along the way I've found I didn't need to abandon the army, I just needed to change its purpose. And in the process, I found the friendship I was looking for... I got what I truly wanted, all along.

"And if you want to do the same, Mama Orcina... we'll all help. That's a promise!"

Twilight swam forward. "Mama Orcina, I'm one of the four ruling Princesses of Equestria. I can speak directly with Princess Celestia herself on your behalf, work with her to open up trade and diplomatic relations with you and with the Deeps, just as we've done with Seaquestria. You'll always be able to know what's going on up on the land."

Capper swept forward. "And I can speak with folks back in Abyssinia about doing the same. And by the way, on a personal note, I wonder if y'all might be interested in teaming up and standing up to Verko in Klugetown? Without his thumb on the scales, we might turn that place around. And then it'd be one more place that'd be grateful to open up diplomatic relations with y'all!"

"And..." Princess Skystar said hesitantly, "I can talk to my mother, Queen Novo. I'm sure the seaponies -- and hippogriffs -- would want to be friends with you, too!"

Mama Orcina still looked sour and doubtful, still clung to the chain pinning Rarity at her side. "Is all nice pretty words! But if Mama cannot visit land, what point is there in Mama helping land nations?"

Skystar bit her lip, trying to make up her mind. Then she felt a gentle nudge at her elbow. It was Pinkie Pie.

"Go on!" Pinkie stage whispered. "Whaddaya got to lose?"

Skystar cleared her throat. "Mama Orcina... the seaponies don't have a horn spell, that's true... but we do have a transformation spell, which might be able to let you visit the land. Now I'd need to check with my mother to be sure it would work, but... if it does..." She took a deep breath. "Then we seaponies and hippogriffs would be happy to share it with you!"

"Woo hoo!" Pinkie cried. "Go Skystar! Uh huh! You know it!"

Mama Orcina simply stared at Skystar... openly, and hopefully.

"That is... very nice of seaponies. Da. Very nice."

Then she looked at Tempest again. She shook her head, looking baffled. "This reformation... it is very confusing idea!"

"So I've noticed." Tempest shrugged. "It's a pony thing."

"Indeed," Mama Orcina replied. "Nevertheless... we approve!"

And she let go of the chain holding Rarity.

Apology Accepted

After working out a few arrangements with Mama Orcina, they swam up to the surface and signaled for the Phoenix to come collect them. And they found that in the meantime, Queen Novo had returned. Despite her misgivings at the anxious report delivered by Skyranger's lieutenant, she had brought the Pearl back with her, and once she'd reassured herself of the situation, was able to transform them all back into their land forms... including a nervous and cringing Skystar.

"Princess Skystar!" Queen Novo glared at her daughter. "You seem to be making a habit of running away and putting yourself in danger. I think we need to establish some clear ground rules here!"

"Yes, Mother." Skystar hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to be with my friends."

Movement in the corner of her vision made her look. It was Pinkie Pie, gesturing frantically. Go ahead, she mouthed.

"But I was going to give it to her later!" Skystar whispered back. "When she wasn't so cross!"

Pinkie shrugged. "What's wrong with now?"

"I suppose." Skystar motioned to Grubber, who came over and handed her a corroded metal box. Which Skystar then placed before Queen Novo.

"What's this?" the Queen asked.

"It's something Mama Orcina asked me to give you. You see, Mother... I had to tell her about the Pearl..." She winced at Novo's astonished expression, then hurried on. "... and I promised her we'd share its magic with her, so she'd be able to come up on land and see everything. That's all she really wanted, you see, this whole time. It's why she asked for ponies and seaponies and hippogriffs to be brought to her, so she could find a way to visit up here. Everything else was just a big misunderstanding... by everyone!"

Skystar gestured to the box. "Mama Orcina asked me to give you this as a gift... to thank us in advance, sort of, for being willing to share our magic with her..."

Cautiously, Queen Novo opened the box's lid. Within, resting on the tattered, rotted remnants of the original cloth interior, was a large, perfectly round, ink-black pearl.

At the sight of it, Queen Novo gasped. "Princess Skystar! Do you have any idea what this is?"

"Um... no?"

"Well... this is only the Black Pearl! It was taken from us generations ago. It's a twin to the Pearl of Transformation. In fact, that's why we keep the Pearl so carefully guarded... because it's the last one we have."

She glanced toward the Pearl itself, sitting in its own casket beside her. "And... if I remember rightly... well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Taking up the Black Pearl in one claw, she reached over and took up the Pearl in the other. She carefully brought them alongside each other. The iridescent inner fire of the Pearl shone brilliantly, then leapt the gap... and suddenly Queen Novo was holding two Pearls, each gleaming with the same brilliant inner fire.

Skystar gasped. "Omigosh! That's amazing! Oh! Oh! Mother! You know what we could do? We could divide this one up," she said, pointing to the Black Pearl, "so that everyone -- including Mama Orcina -- would be able to use the transformation spell! And we'd still have the original Pearl for safe-keeping! We wouldn't have to worry about anyone stealing it any more! Yay!"

"Yes, indeed," Queen Novo looked across at Tempest. "Seems that splitting up the Pearl's magic wasn't such a crazy idea after all!"

Tempest nodded gratefully.

Then Queen Novo's gaze shifted back to Skystar... and Skystar's face suddenly fell.

"Oh... right. Sorry. Got a little carried away there. Still grounded, I know."

Queen Novo gazed at her thoughtfully.

"You know, Skystar... I've been thinking it's high time you started taking on more responsibility around here. Like learning the fine art of diplomacy? Now, let me see if I understand all this correctly... you not only helped Princess Twilight locate and retrieve our missing citizens, you also helped her establish peaceful relations with the Great Whites, and you also managed to speak to the most reclusive and powerful member of the Big Three, and persuade her to agree to opening up formal relationships with... well, pretty much everyone in the world, near as I can figure! Which... is something that none of my finest negotiators and diplomats has managed to accomplish to date."

Skystar stared at her in surprise. And Queen Novo smiled proudly.

"I might just be inclined to look upon that as your very first lesson. Well done, Skystar!"

"Really, Mother?" Skystar blushed. "Well, to be honest... I had a lot of help!" She glanced at Twilight and her friends.

"I'm sure you did." The Queen replied. "And we are grateful to them... all of them. Princess Twilight!"

"Your Majesty?" Twilight stepped forward.

"On behalf of Seaquestria -- and the rebuilt city of Hippogriffia -- I formally accept your apology, and I look forward to doing business with you in the future... whenever our paths may cross again."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Twilight bowed her head.

"Tempest Shadow!"

"Your Majesty?"

"I also formally accept your apology. Just... don't do anything to make me regret that, huh?"

Twilight nodded. "At this moment, Your Majesty... that's the last thing I'd do."

"Princess Twilight," Queen Novo went on, "Now that you have your friends back, I'm assuming you'll be heading back home, but is there anything else we can do for you while you're here?"

"There is one unsettled item of business," Twilight said. "What to do with Strife here?" She gestured with a forehoof at the bubble of containment magic in which Strife was again imprisoned. "Now... manipulating your armed forces and attempting to start a war could be construed as an act of aggression. You might feel the need to prosecute him on that basis."

Queen Novo made a disapproving face. "To be quite honest, Princess, I'd rather just be rid of him. I think I'll leave his fate in your capable hooves."

"Um..." Fluttershy glanced between the Queen and Twilight nervously. "I really hope we don't have to be too hard on him. After all, he is homeless, you know!"

At Twilight's inquiring look, she went on. "He's a Fred, you see. Well, not our Fred, but the same thing, almost. It was a long time ago, long enough that he learned how to exist outside the crystal. But over the centuries all the crystals that housed him have been lost or destroyed. Since then he's had nowhere to go, and no purpose to serve. Sure, he's done some harmful things, but... well, I suppose any of us might do the same if we felt like we had no home of our own to go to."

Twilight nodded. "So... what do you suggest, Fluttershy?"

"Well... I talked it over with our Fred -- that's how I know all this by the way -- and he says he's willing to share. To make room for Strife, let him be one of them. So long as Strife agrees to play by the rules, of course."

The various furred soldiers standing about rumbled and hooted determinedly.

"Well, that's very generous of him," Twilight said. "But that means it's not my decision." Twilight looked to Tempest. "I think this one is yours, Commander."

Tempest strode up to the containment bubble. "Strife? Are you willing to follow my orders? Completely, to the letter? And do you understand the consequences if you step out of line? I can be fair, but extremely unforgiving!"

"Hey, that's no joke!" Grubber put in. "Trust me on this!"

"Quiet, Grubber." Tempest stared at Strife. "Well?"

Strife bowed. "I have done wrong. And I will do right from now on. To have a home, a place again... I wlll do anything to prove myself worthy of it."

Tempest looked doubtful, but nodded. "It'll do for now. We'll see how it goes."

She turned to the nearest soldier, who came to attention. "Fred?" she asked. "Are you okay with this as well? More importantly... can you keep an eye on him? Make sure he stays on our side?"

The soldier nodded.

"Then I think we have a deal." She looked to Twilight. "Princess, if you would?"

Cautiously, Twilight removed the containment ward.

The soldier crossed over to stand before Strife. It held out a paw. Strife nervously touched it with one of his spindly arms. And in a whirlwind of transformation, he became another furred soldier... though with a yellow-and-black fur pattern, like a Pharoah's crest.

Amazed, he lifted his restored paws to examine them. "This is wonderful!" he said. "I feel like I once did, back in the day." He looked around at the other soldiers. "And I belong again!"

Tempest stalked up to him. "Since you still appear to have language skills, I hereby provisionally appoint you as my official translator, since I don't happen to speak 'Fred', myself! Not that I haven't appreciated everything you've done in that department, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled. "I do need to get back to caring for my animals! But do be sure to drop by, Fred, whenever you're all in town."

"Speaking of which," Rarity said, "isn't it about time we went back home ourselves? Really! I'm going to have to visit the sauna for a month just to bake the stink of seawater out of my coat and mane."

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I thought you liked being gift-wrapped in seaweed and smeared with sea-salty mud and stuff."

"When it's part of a proper treatment regimen, Rainbow!" Rarity huffed. "I'd hardly call a week underwater chained to a steel ball anything approaching that!"

"Well, I'm sure gonna miss swimmin' underwater, with the fins and all..." Applejack said. "Say, Twi, I wonder if we could organize some kinda international underwater rodeo or somethin'? Maybe invite the seaponies to compete?"

"Oooh, oooh! I'm in!" Pinkie said. "Pick me, pick me!" Then she turned to Skystar, and her face fell. "Well... G'bye, Skystar," she said sadly, hugging her. "Be sure to write!"

"Bye, Pinkie," Skystar replied. "Be sure to visit!"

"Oh yes, in-deedy! I've got a hundred cake recipes to show you... now that the hippogriffs are living on land where the cake doesn't get soggy! I'll even bring my own party-cake cannon! Hee!"

Twilight shook her head, smiling at her friends. Then she turned to Tempest. "Ready to head home, Commander?"

Tempest grinned. "I like the sound of that, Princess! Uh, home, I mean!" Tempest looked over at Captain Celaeno, standing nearby accompanied by her crew.

"Captain, I want to personally thank you and your crew for all your help. And it goes without saying... though I'll say it anyway... you're more than welcome to keep the Phoenix as recompense for the loss of your own ship!"

"Thank you, Commander." Celaeno nodded. "We'll return that magic crystal to you, though, just to be on the safe side. We tend to lead a rough life. Don't want it getting lost or stolen on one of our adventures!"

Tempest smiled. "Once I've picked a ship to serve as my flagship, I'll bring it alongside and we can move the crystal over. But... you're sure I can't convince all of you to stay on as well? I've... kind of gotten used to having you watching my back!"

Celaeno smiled. "We prefer the open skies, Commander, and we set our own rules. But... if you should ever happen to need a band of scurvy, no-account swashbuckling treasure-hunters for a noble and just cause, put the word out for us... we'll be there!"

The Commander and Captain nodded courteously to each other. Then Tempest turned to look at the ships hanging about them in the sky. And sighed in annoyance.

"What's the matter, boss?" Grubber asked, staring up at her.

"Funny thing, really," Tempest muttered. "I can make decisions easily in battle, but I just can't make up my mind when there's nothing at stake. I dislike having too many choices!"

"Don't visit Sugarcube Corners, then," Pinkie warned her. "We have fifty-six kinds of muffins, and fourteen flavors of ice-cream!"

Tempest glanced at Pinkie, a smile on her face. "I never said I didn't want to learn. We should totally have an ice-cream party when we get back."

"Oo-oooh! I'm buying!" Pinkie beamed.

The Return of Tempest Shadow

The next few days were a bit of a whirlwind. Tempest's fleet made several quick stops in the Badlands and Appleloosa, returning the ponies who had been taken. Or that is, they would have been quick stops, save that it seemed like every pony had friends and a large extended family, all of whom insisted on celebrating both their safe return and the ponies responsible for it. And word did get around, somehow... by the time Tempest's ships were approaching the southern border of the Everfree, at their final stops the townsfolk were already gathered in advance, ready to welcome their arrival.

And then Tempest's flagship finally touched down in Ponyville, in the meadowlands beyond Twilight's castle. As the ship lowered its landing ramp, silence fell over the crowd of ponies waiting nearby. And when Tempest, clad in her armor with the mark repainted berry-red, and Grubber, wearing a new Rarity-designed tunic with Tempest's berry-red mark on it, nervously stepped down the ramp together, the silence was broken... by a rousing cheer and a thundering of hooves, and the waving of a large banner, reading "WELCOME HOME, TEMPEST!"

"Yeah..." Twilight admitted later, "I did ask Spike to send a message on ahead, to let Celestia know we were on our way back. I felt I owed her some kind of advance warning, in return for her being so understanding!"

The heroes' welcome quickly became an impromptu parade up through town. Twilight, Tempest, and Grubber were in the lead, followed by Rarity and Spike, then the rest of the Element bearers. Behind them marched a small honor guard of Tempest's soldiers, with Strife at their head.

Mayor Mare gave a grand welcoming speech on the platform in front of Town Hall in Ponyville Square, followed by Twilight giving a heartfelt speech of thanks to Commander Tempest, not only for her role in Rarity's safe return, but in the rescue of all the other ponies and seaponies as well.

And then Tempest herself took the stage... and everyone could see how differently she held herself: calmly, easily, knowing she was among friends. "As I said, I'm not a good speaker, so I'll keep this short. Thank you, everypony... for supporting me and believing in me, even though you had little reason to. And rest assured, my work's not done yet. I'm going to continue to make the best use I can of the generous chance you've given me... to be the very best pony that I can be. Thank you!"

After that, obviously, there was a party, which Pinkie Pie had organized in record time, even for her.

And then, in the midst of the celebrations, the Royal Golden Chariot swept down out of the sky and touched down in the landing area near the river. The Chariot platform was empty, save for a single Royal Guard. He stepped down from it, marched up to Twilight, and bowed formally. His voice rang out across the silent Square.

"Her Majesty Princess Celestia, Her Majesty Princess Luna, and Her Majesty Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, request the favor of an audience from the Princess Twilight Sparkle... together with her bodyguard, Commander Tempest Shadow."

"Wow... um.. thanks!" Twilight gritted her teeth worriedly. She looked at Tempest.

"I don't think we can get away with going by ourselves... and I doubt everyone's going to fit on the Chariot!"

Tempest nodded understandingly. "Would you like a lift, Princess?"

Once again, the black airships approached Canterlot. However this time, only the flagship descended toward the royal palace, to lower its ramp onto the upper landing platform. Twilight, Tempest, Grubber, Spike, and the other Element ponies all trooped down the ramp and into the palace, passing along the main corridor and then left into the throne room...

Where all three Princesses stood waiting for them, on the dais.

"Twilight!" Celestia called. "It's wonderful to see you all back here, safe and sound!"

"Thank you, Princess," Twilight replied, nodding. "Um... sorry for running off. It just seemed urgent that we get after Rarity, and I just couldn't stay here and do nothing! I hope you're not too upset with me?"

Celestia looked amused. "Twilight, as I've told you before, no one tells a Princess of Equestria her business! You acted as you thought best, without hesitation. No one here could ever hold that against you."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Celestia smiled in return. And then her head lofted, and her tone turned sternly formal.

"Tempest Shadow! Will you please step forward!"

Tempest advanced nervously, and knelt in respect. "Your Highness?"

"Based upon the advice of the Princess of Friendship, and in recognition of your loyalty, diligence and service in the recovery of Equestria's citizens, as well as those of the Hippogriff nation, it is the unanimous decision of the Princesses of Equestria, that you be given custody of the remaining ships of the former Storm King's fleet, together with their projective crystal relics, so that you may continue to fulfill your destiny as Commander of Princess Twilight's 'Friendship Army'."

"Excuse me," Princess Luna asked, "but... Friendship Army?"

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "The name's still a work in progress, Princess!"

"Indeed." Luna looked briefly skeptical, then shrugged acceptingly.

"My thanks, Highness," Tempest said. "And I promise I will put the forces I command to good use... subject to the oversight of Princess Twilight, of course!"

"We would expect nothing less of you, Commander," Celestia replied, with just a hint of steel in her voice. "Did you have any initial plans along those lines?"

Tempest nodded, having thought about it on the way. "Since we have the spare projector from Celaeno's ship, I thought we might install that at the Friendship Castle, in order to provide security for the Princess when I am not physically present. And then, with Princess Twilight's permission..." Tempest glanced at Twilight. "... I thought I might see if I can assist Prince Cappadocio and Mama Orcina in their efforts to reform and rehabilitate Klugetown. And then I'd make a brief tour of the other southern lands oppressed by the Storm King, to spread word of his defeat and to offer what aid and assistance I can, in the name of Equestria and the Princess of Friendship."

"I think that's an excellent idea!" Twilight said. "Though... I do hope you'll remember to swing back here and visit, whenever you can. There'll always be a room at the castle for you, whenever you're in town!"

"Absolutely, Your Highness," Tempest replied. "After all, I am still your bodyguard... and your friend. And it's nice knowing I have a place like this to come home to."

"Then we wish you good fortune," Celestia concluded proudly. "And an interesting journey, Commander Tempest Shadow!"

It was Thursday in Klugetown. And as everyone knew, Thursday was payday... as in, the day Verko expected payment on debts owed. The dapperly dressed mole-rat was seated behind his desk, grinning his gilded, gap-toothed grin at the cowering land-shark sitting in the uncomfortable chair in front of him.

"It's Thursday, Sammy-boy!" Verko chuckled. "And I'm still not seein' the money you owe me! You said last week you'd pay me double... so where's the bucks, fin-face?"

"The deal I was working fell through!" Sam the Basking clasped his fins pleadingly. "A bunch of crazy ponies attacked me! I was lucky to get away with my life! Please, Verko! Just give me another week... I'll get the money I owe you!"

"Sorry, Sammy-boy!" Verko replied. "I can only extend credit so far. Don't want the other bosses thinkin' ol' Verko's getting soft, now do I? Besides, the missus has been after me for a nice shark-skin handbag! Beats the heck outta me why, but I always aim to please, don't I?"

Sam shivered, as Verko's goons closed in from either side, reaching out for him...

And then a cheery voice called from the doorway. "Mornin' y'all!"

"Capper!" Verko jumped up from his seat, and pounded his fists on the desk. "You got nerve showin' up here! Well, this time you're not skippin' town on me! This time you're gonna pay on your debt! This time... uh... erk..."

Verko's voice ran down as he saw the huge black-and-white shape that had crouched down to step through the doorway behind Capper. "And it is my very great honor and privilege," Capper said smoothly, "to introduce y'all to the Mistress of the Deeps... Her Majesty, Mama Orcina."

"M-m-mama Orcina?" Verko squeaked, in a choked voice.

"That's right, Verko! She heard so much about life up here on the land, she just had to come up here and visit!"

"V-v-visit?" Verko looked as if he was clinging to reality by his claw-tips.

Capper nodded. "Now, Verko, old man, she's been hearing some very disagreeable things about how you've been treating the land-fish here in town. And in her wise and considered opinion, that's gotta change. So, we're here to talk with you about a plan for running things a little different here in Klugetown. About making this a kinder, gentler, friendlier place, you know what I'm sayin'?"

Verko's outrage momentarily outweighed his fear. "Now just a bone-gnawin' minute here! Who are you to think you can come in here and..."

He fell silent, as Mama Orcina strode up to the desk, casually swatting aside the two goons standing beside Sam's chair. She reached across the desk with her massive flippers, and plucked Verko up like a doll. The mole-rat found himself uncomfortably close to a mouthful of peg-like teeth, as Mama Orcina smiled broadly at him.

"Of course..." Verko whispered, scared out of his wits, "... everything's open to negotiation..."

Mama Orcina laughed hugely.

"Mama so pleased," she thundered, "we are seeing eye-to-eye so quickly, yes?"

In Ponyville, Twilight and her friends were seated around the table at Sugarcube Corner, having a quick ice-cream and cake send-off party for Tempest and Grubber, before the pony and hedgehog headed south to join Capper and Mama Orcina in Klugetown.

"This is great ice-cream, Pinkie Pie," Tempest said. "I'm really going to miss this while I'm down south. I may have to personally introduce the locals to the concept of magic chillers!"

"Thanks, Tempest!" Pinkie replied happily. Then she suddenly looked puzzled. "Hey, Tempest, I've been wondering something... why are we still calling you Tempest, huh?"

"Well, it is my name, Pinkie."

"But... I thought you said your name was Fizzlepop Berrytwist?"

Tempest blinked, startled. Then she shook her head in amusement.

"Oh, I don't believe it... you've got to be kidding... I was trolling you, Pinkie. Couldn't you tell?"

Pinkie Pie froze, eyes wide, her mouth hanging open. The silence stretched out, unnervingly long.

Tempest leaned towards Twilight, worried. "Uh... Twilight, did I just break your friend?"

"Wait for it..." Twilight replied knowingly.

And then Pinkie Pie's face lit up with a blinding smile. And she very nearly exploded with excitement:

BEST...
TROLL...
EVERRRRRRR!

The End

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Author's Note

Before you rush to remind me, I'm aware of the comics, etc. that treat Tempest's other name as canon, and all I can say is... lemme have this one, because it's just too perfect a Pinkie closer to pass up!

In writing this story, I wanted to do two things:

Tell a story about a Tempest Shadow who wasn't either (a) helplessly desperate for approval or (b) a psychotic emotional basket-case... just a very tough, smart pony, who due to an unhappy past wound up in the wrong place and then had to find her way back from it
Tell a story where the villain wasn't a simple, cut-and-dried, power-mad lunatic like the Storm King, but was instead the unintentional outcome of the ever-present threat posed by isolationism, indifference, and simple miscommunication.

Let me know how you think I did in the comments! And thanks for reading!
:twilightsmile:

A Game of Dragon Whispers

Captain Celaeno had returned to the helm. She watched the soldier, who seemed to be peering down through both ship and ocean at something only he could see.

"I think we're getting close," Boyle said hopefully.

"Maneuvering speed, then," Celaeno ordered. "And stand by all stop. We don't want to overshoot!"

Boyle nodded. "Aye, Cap'n."

"Captain Celaeno!"

She turned, and found Captain Skyranger storming proudly up to her, several of his fellow guards behind him.

"It's time for some answers, Celaeno! We've been put wise to your little scheme!"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Then you have the advantage of me... Skyranger. This is the first I've heard of it."

"Don't play innocent! Your Princess and those thieves working for her are plotting with the Great Whites -- and the scum from Klugetown -- to take our Queen hostage so they can finally get their traitorous hooves on the Pearl!"

"Is that so? Really? Hmmm." Celaeno pretended to consider it for a long moment. "Nope, still sounds like bilgewater to me. I know the Princess is trustworthy... and if she vouches for Tempest, that's good enough for us!"

"I was told you would defend her! That you're working for her as well! How much is she paying you? What price buys the loyalty of pirate scum like yourselves?"

Celaeno's eyes narrowed. "A civil tongue wouldn't be a bad start!" She casually dropped a claw to the hilt of her sword. "Just who's been feeding you this line of week-old bait?"

Then she caught sight of the small, cloud-like shape, lurking behind the hippogriff guards. "What! Strife? How did that poisonous sea-snake get loose?"

"He managed to escape from the brig that you were holding him in," Skyranger replied, "because he was likely to tell us the truth about you and your accomplices!"

"Captain Skyranger!" Celaeno said sternly. "That mendacious little smoke-puff was clapped in irons for good reason! Anything he's told you is a self-serving lie. And what makes you believe you can trust him, anyways?"

Skyranger drew himself up haughtily. "I can see I'm not going to get the truth from you. I'm afraid I'm going to have to impound your ship. And then when Princess Twilight and her friends return, we'll get answers from them!"

"Cap'n?" Boyle called tensely, glancing around.

"Steady as she goes, helm."

"Aye!" Boyle called.

Captain Celaeno turned back to the hippogriffs.

"Skyranger," she said levelly, "you are welcome to try!"

The hippogriff captain simply stared back haughtily. Then he gave a short, sharp whistle.

And as one, the hippogriff squadron circling the Phoenix wheeled about and came barreling in towards the deck.

Celaeno, with a loud shout, drew her sword and leapt forward, putting her in striking range of Skyranger and his guards, who drew back, readying their spears. She danced backward as they swung at her, then she whirled about and began blocking and dodging spear after spear with quick swipes and sidesteps. Step by step she circled the guards, attempting to keep them bunched together, so they were constantly in each other's way. For once, she was grateful for the low overhanging ceiling beneath the airship's balloon -- it kept the hippogriffs from being able to use their wings to advantage against her.

At the wheel, Boyle ducked as one of the aerial squadron swept past, nearly raking him with its talons. He came up... and found another one diving straight for his face.

The diving hippogriff suddenly met hard steel in its path. CLANG. It fell to the deck, stunned.

Boyle glanced at the soldier beside him, in whose paw the spear had just appeared. "Thank ya, matey!"

The soldier nodded silently. Then it pointed past him. Boyle ducked again as it clubbed another guard who'd just landed behind him. Boyle hooked the wheel with his metal claw, drew his short sword with the other, and parried a blow from another attacking guard. Then the guard was whacked by the soldier's spear and fell hurriedly back.

All at once, the soldier hooted urgently, pointing down toward the deck.

"Looks like we're there, Cap'n!" Boyle called.

"Then lock down the helm!" Celaeno replied, still darting about. "And come join the party!"

"Aye, Cap'n!" Boyle swiftly lashed the wheel and throttle in place, while the soldier kept back attacking griffs. Then drawing his short sword, Boyle and the soldier fought their way aft to Celaeno's side. Once they were together, the soldier swung its spear in broad, powerful overhead arcs, which somehow kept missing the two pirates standing right beside it, yet kept the griffs from getting too close. Celaeno and Boyle danced forward to block blows, back to avoid swings, and in between attempted to club or bowl over the guards where possible.

Glancing toward the rear of the ship, Celaeno saw Lix climbing up the gangway from the deck below. She had a cast iron cookpot in one hand, and a rolling pin in the other. She immediately closed with the guards nearest her, and set about with the pin, smacking spear-tips downward, then simply stepping on the shafts and using her weight to drive them out of the griffs' weaker grasp. Then, seeing an opening, Lix wound up with the cookpot and bowled it across the deck, dropping several of the guards like ninepins.

Mullet appeared from the rear bulkhead door, along with another of Tempest's soldiers, and the two began tag-teaming the guards from that end, making short work of them.

And with a mad squawk, Squabble came swinging down on a rope from his hiding place up on the balloon's riggings, crashing into the guards and sending even more of them sprawling. Ducking blows and dodging spear-thrusts, Squabble danced excitedly about through the melee, creating havok simply by being constantly underfoot at the wrong moment.

Whether from the hippogriffs' lack of recent training in land- and air-based combat, or simple home-turf aggression from the pirates, the battle seemed to be going their way... the numbers of groggy or incapacitated hippogriffs on the deck was rapidly increasing.

"How long do we pull our punches, Cap'n?" Boyle asked cheerily, dodging as a griff spearhead jabbed a little too close for comfort.

"As long as it takes! Until the Princess sorts this all out!"

"Aye! Uh...Cap'n?"

"Yes?"

"What do we do about those guards?"

Celaeno threw a glance the way he was pointing. And saw an entire wing of hippogriff guards descending on them from the skies to the east.

"That... could be a challenge!" she admitted, parrying a blow that nearly took off her hat.

"If I may, Mama Orcina?" Twilight said cautiously. A magenta glow surrounded the gilded box, lifting it from the orca's grasp. There were a couple of clicks and sparks from inside it. The jewelled box suddenly hummed, and projected a sphere of shimmering light into the waters above it.

Twilight smiled. "There, just a loose connection. There'll be no charge!"

"Ah! Pony magic very good! Is working now!" Mama Orcina took the box as Twilight's magic released it, and set it on the table again.

Within the shimmering sphere above the box, dim images swam into view... spectral and fragmented with age, but clear enough still: large, whale-like, speckled creatures swimming through the sea. And each of them with a spear-like horn projecting from its snout.

"Long time back... before even Mama's great gran'mama... there were magic creatures of sea, with horns and great power. Power to control elements: water, air, lightning! Power to make things appear and disappear! Power to heal... and power to kill, if they were threatened. They rule sea, for generations. Then one day, puf! Gone, all of them! No one know why."

"Narwhals!" Twilight breathed. She glanced at the others, shrugging. "What? I've read about them. They did exist, though it's not known whether they're still extant. The horn isn't a horn, actually. It's basically just a single large, asymmetrical tusk. And because of it, they're rather fancifully called the unicorns of the sea."

"Da!" Mama Orcina nodded. "Unicorn of sea! With great magic. And perhaps..." she hinted, "even magic to change form? To live above surface, on land and in sky, like ponies do? Mama hear of this, from seaponies, want to know more. Mama want to find spell to give Mama her own horn -- like how you say, narwhal's -- so Mama has magic power to change shape. Then Mama visit land and sky, above the sea! Would be wonderful! Even more wonderful than Mama's beautiful home! Mama would want to travel, to see such things!"

"So all this," Applejack said, in disbelief, "havin' ponies dragged from their homes and all the way down here... is just so you can ask them about a magic horn spell?"

Orcina shrugged. "Mama not hurt ponies! Ponies talk to Mama, then Mama send ponies home. Maybe even go with ponies, to visit!" Orcina added. "Trade ideas about decorating home, and about fashion!" She smirked at Rarity, who smiled back uncomfortably at the thought. Then Mama shrugged, indifferently. "Horn-spell is all Mama needs."

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight said, shocked. "It's like a game of Dragon Whispers! Uhh... no offense, Spike!"

"How can I be offended?" Spike stared at her. "I don't even know what it is!"

"It's a game we used to play at school. You get a group of ponies, and line them up. You whisper something to the first pony in the line, a random sentence or two. They whisper it to the next pony, who whispers it to the next, and so on down the line. And when you get to the end... even with the best will in the world, every player trying their best to pass along the exact message they hear, the end result is usually so badly garbled it bears little relation to the original!"

"Huh. Yeah, right!" Spike frowned. "Now I'm offended!"

Twilight pointed at the orca. "Mama Orcina requests magic-using ponies, so she can talk to them about a horn spell. And then, through all the intervening layers -- the sharks, the Abyssinians, the peddlers in Klugetown, the poachers -- it morphs into a demand for the horns themselves!"

Tempest nodded. "And our friend the Storm King, he simply added to the problem. He likely heard of a demand for horns coming from the south, so he bought up a trunkful of them to use as appeasement, creating even more of a market for them... not even realizing there was no one who actually needed them!"

"Mama Orcina," Twilight said urgently, "I understand you wanted to learn about magic. And we'd be happy to teach you, if we can. But don't you see that your request has put ponies -- and other species -- in danger? There were poachers roaming through the streets of our town in Equestria, capturing unicorns to be sent down here! Maybe even taking their horns outright!"

Orcina looked sour. "Why should Mama care?"

"Excuse me?" Rainbow said, disbelievingly.

"What Mama care what happen up on land? Mama cannot go there! Mama cannot find out what happen there, even if Mama want to know. If Mama could go, could see... then maybe Mama would care. Else, what Mama care what creatures of land do to each other?"

"But that's the whole problem!" Twilight objected. "You make a request from the sharks, they put out orders to their associates, who make deals with creatures from Klugetown and Abyssinia... and because each group acts on their own, not talking with the others, or understanding the whole picture, there's very real harm done! Unwitting harm, but harm nonetheless!"

Orcina scowled darkly. "Again, why should Mama care! No one ever talk to Mama, all Mama's life! No one care about Mama. Why should Mama care about others? And... if whatever Mama wants happens anyway, why should Mama care how it happen? Especially when so far away!"

Applejack shoved her hat forward with a forehoof. "Reckon we might need to explain this to her a little more clearly!"

"Applejack!"

"Yeah, a little one-two action will get the point across!"

"Rainbow!"

"Oh dear, I can't look!"

"Fluttersh... uh, look after her, Pinkie!"

Orcina just laughed hugely.

"Ponies no threat to Mama! My boys, they teach you to behave!"

The orca who'd most recently been to the surface to breathe swiftly returned. And then all three glared at Twilight's party, their peg-like teeth bared in nasty-looking grins, as they crowded in threateningly.

To Be Continued...

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.

Author's Note

Next week... the conclusion... and the true power of the Tempest is revealed...