“Well, this is it,” Dusk Shine announced, coming to a restful stop beneath the immense shadow cast by his crystal castle. His absence wasn’t a long one, yet, considering recent events, the young alicorn stallion was thankful to discover his home had come out relatively unscathed. A sense of relief and return to some normalcy washed over him, once again climbing the crystalline steps to the entrance doors.

With one swift and practiced wave of his horn, Dusk unlocked and opened the doors, then stepped through them. He took a few steps forward before once again coming to a stop, giving himself a moment to let the fact that he was finally home sink in. Dusk was grateful to be allowed such a moment; he would not have been standing where he was were it not for his guest… Speaking of which, Dusk turned back to said guest, who was patiently waiting beneath the steps.

“Please, no need to be shy. I did invite you over, after all. If you're worried of somepony judging you in there, don't: Trixie wanted to put on a show for the foals back in Canterlot to get their spirits back up after we liberated it, and seeing as she's carrying, Starlight and Spike volunteered to stay behind and keep an eye on her for me, so nopony should be home.”

His guest, one Fizzlepop Berry Twist (formally known as Tempest Shadow, and ex second-in-command to the Storm King himself) seemed hesitant for a spell, though that then gave way to her adopting an assertive posture before accepting the invitation. She held her head up high as she moved up the steps, her armor clinking softly with her movements, and her stride calm and precise as she soon crossed over the entrance’s threshold. Dusk closed the doors behind her once she was in and Fizzlepop stood beside her host.

“So, what do you think?” Dusk then asked. “The place can be a bit… mm, overwhelming for newcomers, so I completely understand if you feel that way. Ha, I know I fell into that category when I first stepped in here. Still, I’d love to hear your opinion, Fizzlepop Berry Twist.”

“Tempest,” replied the former commander, a patient smile gracing her muzzle.

Dusk Shine’s ear gave a small flick, and he cocked his head in confusion. “Um… excuse me?”

“Tempest,” she repeated courteously. “My real name can be… a bit of a mouthful, so Tempest is just fine with me. It’s short… and it also happens to be the name I’m more comfortable with, given how long I’ve gone by it.”

“Ah.” Dusk nodded slightly. “Understood. Tempest is just fine with me, too. So then, Tempest… just what do you think of my humble little abode?” He then raised a hoof at her, adding, “Before you say anything, though, just keep in mind that I used to live in a literal treehouse before it blew up.”

“Hmm.” Her eyes half lidded, Tempest surveyed the large and expansive room she found herself in. Tempest had read the dossiers of each of Equestria’s four rulers prior to invading, so she already possessed somewhat of an understanding regarding Dusk Shine’s castle.

All the scouting reports--which had been carefully accrued over the span of years--stated that it was a large structure seemingly made entirely out of crystal. Tempest recalled noting that its construction must have been of the utmost secrecy, seeing how it just one day appeared on their routine survey, as if having sprung up from the ground like magic.

Tempest didn’t initially believe the first part, but that was before she found herself standing on an actual crystal floor. Building material aside, Tempest already compiled a number of things to say about Dusk’s home, most of which weren’t exactly positive. She was a pony of military background, so she knew very little regarding aesthetics, only tactics. Still, Dusk Shine wanted to hear her voice her thoughts, and that’s exactly what she aimed to do.

“To start,” she began, “I find it off putting that the entrance lacks any sort of locking mechanism. It’s as if you want assassins to feel welcomed as they help themselves in. Second, and I know that this is the foyer, but I can see that the halls to my left and right are largely devoid of any furnishings, so you have nowhere to hide weapons or a means to barricade doors should you ever need to defend yourself. And third--and this is the one that gripes me the most…”

Tempest suddenly half-lunged to Dusk Shine, grasping his head with her hooves as she forced him to look down the long, sparse corridor on one end, then the one at the other. Had she had done so any faster, and listened to old muscle memory, she would have risked accidentally snapping his neck.

“Where in all of creation is your guard!?” she shouted. “I understand my forces and I taking you by surprise during your friendship festival, where you were somehow foolish enough to give your troops the day off, but you’re a prince! This, this is your castle! There should be armed ponies at every major doorway! Instead, where your ever vigilant watch should be, I see only doily-topped tables!”

“So…” droned Dusk. “You’re saying I should have Spike knit new doilies?”

Tempest blinked, her worked up fervor visibly ebbing away as her expression went blank. After a silent pause, she gently released Dusk from her hold, then turned around three times before sitting down and rubbing her hooves over her temples.

“You know what, Dusk? Your offer was nice, gracious even, considering my actions, but maybe I’ll just stay in an inn instead before skipping town. Knowing that royalty is living so carefree… so recklessly, and with little to no regard for their own safety… it hurts me.”

Tempest moved towards the exit, which alarmed Dusk. Scrambling on his hooves, the stallion moved in front of her and quickly barred her path.

“W-wait, hold on there. Now I know my home isn’t the most… eh, defendable, but keep in mind that Equestria is a peaceful nation. Um, aside from the odd exception of an invasion here or there… or evil alicorns bent on world domination… or chaos spirits running amok… or treehouse-destroying centaurs, nothing really happens, especially here in Ponyville. Our day-to-day is quite tranquil and mostly uneventful here, so I’d feel guilting hiring a bunch of guards just to have them stand around bored all day.”

Tempest averted her eyes, her teeth clenched onto her bottom lip in a nervous-looking manner. If Dusk could interpret anything from that, it was that she was still thinking on leaving, something that he didn’t want.

Right then and there, Dusk recalled that Tempest was a rather… well, strict pony. If he had any chance of convincing her, then he’d have to speak to her in the manner of which she was accustomed to. With that in mind, Dusk straightened his posture and commenced with his gamble.

“One night stay, Tempest,” he put forth firmly, his tone carrying an air of authority behind it, “that’s all that’s needed. I send the letter by tonight, and the sky chariot should be here by tomorrow morning at the earliest to take you wherever you wanna go for your fresh new start. Sparing you from a long and possibly costly trip is the very least I can do to repay you for your help against the Storm King. Until then, defendable parameters within your acceptance or no, I insist you remain here as my guest for the night. It’s what friends do, after all.”

Tempest groaned just low enough for Dusk not to hear, her sights drifting away from the alicorn. Her surroundings’ blatant vulnerabilities pounded at the back of her skull, and immediately Tempest started to regret bestowing her airship to Captain Celaeno and her crew as an apology for destroying theirs. Had Dusk Shine not already made his offer shortly before then, she would have asked the sky pirates to drop her off somewhere.

Nevertheless, Tempest couldn’t help but to give in to her host’s wishes, albeit begrudgingly. Maybe it was the whole friendship concept she was still coming to terms with, but there was something in the way Dusk spoke to her that she found rather admirable. Very rarely would someone have the gall, the daring to speak to her with such boldness during her military career. Were it from one of her own subordinates, she’d stamp out such insurrection with swift and callous precision. However, to hear it from the stallion before her, the first real pony friend she’d befriended in years, it was… different... in the good sort of way.

After a brief moment of silent consideration, Tempest sighed in defeat, took a knee, and bowed slightly to Dusk. “Mm, very well. Who am I to argue with royalty, I suppose.”

“Oh. Well uh…” Dusk took a step back, his feathers ruffling. He rubbed his hoof along the back of his head sheepishly while scanning the room, the walls, the ceiling--everything but his house guest. “You can… argue with me all you want, Tempest. We’re friends. And as my friend, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t bow to me. Like, ever. Could you… get up, please?”

“Very well,” Tempest said, rising to her hooves. “And here I assumed that royalty liked all that posh and formality.”

“Maybe,” Dusk answered with a shrug, “but never when friends are doing it, especially in private. I’m a friend first, prince second.”

“Really now?” Tempest tilted her head slightly to the side, her curiosity obviously piqued. Her eyes proceeded to size up Dusk. “Hmm, how... interesting…”

“Uh, how so?” Dusk asked. He held a bit intimidated caught under her calculating gaze, but he made an effort not to show it.

The corner of Tempest’s mouth curled upward, and she gave her reply. “Oh, just… well when I previously envisioned royalty, I didn’t exactly think you. The way you are, I mean. ‘Friend first’; that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that, and already I like it. It’s strange. You’re strange.”

Looking away again, Dusk scratched at the side of his chin. “Is it really that weird? I mean, I--”

Dusk’s words fell short, as he was interrupted by a low growl. At first, he was unable to identify what the sound was or where it was even coming from, but that then changed when he turned back to Tempest. He discovered her expression to be frozen in part horror, part embarrassment; her eyes were wide and her cheeks burned bright red. The growl returned, only this time Dusk’s ears succeeded in pinpointing its origin--Tempest’s stomach. From there, Dusk’s mind formulated an educated guess as to what that was.

A coy smile formed on Dusk’s face. “Hm, well you know what I think is strange: the fact that a pony can go so long without any food in their belly.”

Matching Dusk’s smile with her flustered one, Tempest brought a hoof over her stomach. “Heheh… um, I suppose the train ride to Ponyville was a little longer than I thought, and it has been a while since breakfast.”

Dusk didn’t say anything; he merely pursed his lips and stared thoughtfully at Tempest. Seconds later he managed a small nod, motioned for Tempest to follow, then trotted down one of the corridors.

Tempest was being left alone in a vast, extensive space, and she realized that fast. Her one guide to it all getting further and further by the second, Tempest hesitantly stepped forward before hurrying along to join Dusk’s side. “Where are we going?” she asked.

“Well you’re hungry, so the kitchen, obviously. Come on. It’s not too far, and I could use a little grub myself.”

Author's Note

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