In the topmost room of the tower adjacent to the library annex of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, a maroon-coated, plume-maned unicorn filly rested on her favorite seating cushion in the middle of the floor.
Watching the entry doors. Warily.
She listened to the sound of the wind blowing in the darkness outside, rattling the panes of the wall of glass on the far side of the library stacks. So far, the rain the pegasi weather patrol had scheduled for late evening had held off, but it couldn't be too much longer.
Tempest Shadow sat tensely, senses alert.
Something was out there... she could tell, even in this wind.
Behind her, she heard distracted hoofsteps and the gentle musical hum of horn-magic. A large book approached through the lamp-lit shadows -- at a glance, it looked like a reference work on transfiguration. And right behind it was a lavender unicorn filly, who despite her vision being completely obscured by the book floating in her magic, somehow managed to make her way around the piles of other books stacked about on the floor without collision.
"Hello, Twilight," Tempest said dryly.
The book lowered, revealing purple-irised eyes and a sheepish smile. "Oh! Hi, Tempest!"
In any other pony, that distracted air might have seemed rude. But Tempest had come to understand it. Twilight Sparkle simply threw herself into whatever she was studying so thoroughly that interruptions from the world around her came literally as a surprise.
But always a pleasant surprise, Tempest thought. It's what makes her such a good friend.
"This is late," Tempest observed, "even for you."
"Yeah... I had some ideas I wanted to follow up on, for when we start working on our independent project." Twilight trotted over and sat down on the edge of the cushion. The book landed softly on the floor beside her. "By the way, thanks so much for hanging around, keeping me company."
"It's not a problem." Tempest shrugged. "Not like I have anywhere else I need to be, really." Tempest glanced around, as a particularly heavy gust rattled the windows.
"Wow," Twilight said. "It's getting loud out there."
Tempest nodded. "Yeah. I was born on a night like this," she said idly. "Or so grownups always said, whenever they were trying to explain me. It's where my name comes from, actually: borne in shelter of the storm..."
"... the shadow of the tempest frets me not," Twilight completed automatically. "Shankspony, The Sorceror's Tale, Act I, Scene II."
Tempest blinked.
"Is that where that's from? Really?"
Twilight grinned. "Trust the pony with too many books."
Tempest nodded appreciatively. "Always wondered if it might be something like that. Never bothered finding out. Thanks."
She fell silent, and resumed staring fixedly at the doors.
Twilight stared up at her, concerned. "Tempest? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just..." Tempest frowned. "Unlocked doors bother me."
"Come on, Tempest," Twilight chided her. "This is Canterlot! No one worries about locking their doors here. After all, everypony here already has everything they need or want."
"I've yet to meet the pony," Tempest muttered, "who had everything they wanted. And with these unexplained disturbances at night..."
"Some trashbins knocked over? Probably just a dog, or a raccoon."
Tempest looked about to object. Then she lowered her head, nodding.
"You're right, Twilight. I'm being paranoid again. Old habits die hard, I guess."
Twilight smiled at her. "It's nice that you care, though."
"It's more than that." Tempest eyed her. "Twilight, you've done so much for me... being my friend, helping me with my magic... I just..." She sighed, her teeth gritted. "I just don't want to lose this!" She waved a forehoof, uncertainly. "This... whatever it is I've stumbled into here!"
"Why would you be afraid of that?"
"Because..." Tempest grimaced. "Because I'm not a nice pony, Twilight. Or at least, I'm a little out of practice. I've been on the road, on the run, for a while now. I've had to lie, to cheat, to steal, and... hurt other ponies." She shut her eyes. "And I'm sorry for that. I just never thought things could ever be any different."
Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder.
"They are, Tempest." She smiled. "They are different."
Tempest looked at her. How can she say so little, she thought, and then just stop... and have it mean so much?
"Thanks..." she whispered.
"Sure. And I understand," Twilight went on. "Things were tough. Nopony here would hold that against you. And you don't have to worry about losing me as a friend. I want to help, if I can."
Tempest nodded.
"Just hearing that helps, more than you know. But that's not enough, Twilight. For the first time in ages I feel like I actually have a place. I feel like I know who I am. And I'm grateful for that. So I want to give something back. I may not have my magic back yet, not fully, but at the very least I can use what I know to keep an eye on you, to help keep you safe."
"I'd like that." Twilight smiled. "You're a lot like my brother, you know."
Tempest looked at her, an eyebrow raised.
"I'm trying to read that as a compliment, Twilight. Really I am."
Twilight giggled. "I mean, when we were growing up, my brother -- Shining Armor -- well... he looked out for me. He kept me safe. He seemed to feel it was his job. And it wasn't because he had to. He wanted to, because he cared so much. And also, he was pretty much my only friend, growing up." Twilight smiled at the memory. "We did everything together. He was my B.B.B.F.F.!"
"B.B.B...?"
"Big Brother Best Friend Forever!" Twilight said proudly.
"Ah," Tempest nodded. "You might have said. Still... it sounds like you and he really got along well. Better than most families I know."
"Oh, we had fights," Twilight acknowledged. "And rivalries, like you wouldn't believe! But in the end, that never stopped us from caring about each other."
Tempest nodded. "He sounds like a nice guy."
"Oh yeah, he is!" Twilight suddenly looked sad. "And I really miss him."
"Why? Did he move away? Or... did he..."
"No! Not at all! We just... haven't seen much of each other. I mean, he's training for the Royal Guard, and I'm at school here, studying under Princess Celestia. We don't run into each other that often. Which makes me sad, sometimes. And you know, the one thing I really miss about him, was that he was always there for me. Always giving me good advice, always helping when things got tough."
Tempest smirked. "You don't strike me as the kind of pony who needs much advice, Twilight... or help!"
Twilight gave her a small, worried look.
"I do, Tempest. Sometimes, all this..." She waved a hoof, uncertainly. "Being Princess Celestia's personal student, trying to live up to that kind of example, working hard to do my best every single day... it gets to be a bit much. I feel alone... and kinda scared. And there isn't anyone I can really talk to about that -- pony to pony, I mean."
"Hmmph. I know what that's like," Tempest said.
She eyed Twilight for a moment. Then she hesitantly put a hoof around the smaller filly's shoulders.
"Any advice I have," she warned, "should be taken with a huge bucket of salt, but... if it helps, Twilight, I can always listen."
"Thanks." Twilight smiled gratefully. And then she grinned. "You could be, like, my B.S.B.F.F!"
"Uh... Big Sister...?" Tempest hazarded.
"... Best Friend Forever!" Twilight finished.
Tempest thought about it. Then she shrugged.
"Works for me. And thanks for trusting me, Twilight. I'll do my best to live up to it."
Twilight smiled back happily. Then, having apparently talked herself out, she picked up her book in her magic, flipped it open, and resumed paging through it. She skimmed through the lists of spell components, occasionally muttering to herself.
And Tempest sat beside her patiently, eyes closed, finally feeling somewhat at ease. The storm winds outside still rattled the window panes, but they no longer troubled her. Even the premonition of something lurking outside had retreated, replaced by a pleasant sense of... well, belonging. That was the best word she could think of to describe it.
Twilight kept on reading, her head gradually nodding sleepily, then jerking upright. Finally, she could repress it no longer and gave vent to a massive, gaping yawn. And then immediately tried to hide it.
"Um! I'm not tired!" she said, hurriedly.
"Twilight, either you just yawned or the top of your head nearly fell off." Tempest gave the smaller pony a look. And don't think for a second that you can fool me, the look said.
Twilight sighed, and reluctantly shut the book. "Yeah. I guess I should go to bed."
"Either that, or I'll wind up carrying you there," Tempest said. "One way or the other. Come on, I'll walk you back to your room." Getting up, Tempest moved to open the entry doors. She discreetly eyed the windswept balcony and stairs beyond as she did so.
Twilight doused the room's lamps with her magic, then followed Tempest outside. Together, they began trotting down the tower's spiral staircase.
The first light spots of rain began falling just as they reached the bottom. As the rain picked up into a light downpour, Twilight lit up her horn and cast a shimmering magenta shield over both of them, to serve as an umbrella.
Then she noticed the uncomfortable, downcast look on Tempest's face.
Smiling up at her, Twilight switched spells, and cast a cone-shaped shield over the broken stump of Tempest's horn.
Nodding gratefully, Tempest powered up her own horn... and a house-sized, crackling blue electric dome snapped into existence around them. The sound of the raindrops striking the shield was a gentle, effervescent fizzing as they walked along the shadowy hoof-paths towards the dorm wing.
Tempest cancelled the shield when they finally reached the dorm entrance. She then followed Twilight up to her room, and waited at the door as the smaller pony checked on Spike -- the baby dragon was already snoring comfortably in his basket.
Then Twilight returned to the door, sleepily smiling up at her friend.
"'G'night, Tempest. And thanks again!"
"Not a problem, Twilight. See you in the morning for class?"
"You bet!"
Twilight shut the door. Tempest waited for a few moments more, listening to make certain she heard the squeak of bedsprings as Twilight tucked herself in, and not the thump of her bookish friend conking right out on the floor. It had happened, more than once.
Then Tempest trotted back down to the door leading outside, and stared up at the falling rain. She considered going up to her own dorm room, but shook her head.
The feeling had returned -- the sense that something was out there, in the night, in the rain. Lurking and watching...
And there was only one way to find it.
Gritting her teeth, she trotted out into the downpour, and recrossed the campus paths, returning to the library annex. Her coat gradually became sopping and matted, her mane and tail soaked and bedraggled.
And her mood wasn't any better for it.
She was just about to start up the tower staircase when she heard a loud metallic clatter coming from around the corner.
Tensing, she crept quietly around the stairs, to the trash and recycle bins hidden beneath them. One of the larger bins had its lid knocked off. And there were grunting, rummaging noises coming from inside it.
As she got closer, she heard a voice -- a very familiar voice.
"Bleah!" it muttered. "Half-eaten daisy sandwiches, leftover hayfries... where's the cake? You'd think a place like this, they might throw out a slice of cake every now and then..."
Eyes narrowed, Tempest tensed, wound up...
... and delivered a cannon-blast hoof-buck to the side of the bin, pitching it over. The bin's contents spilled out onto the rain-slicked lawn...
...including a small, stunned, and very frightened gray hedgehog, with matted fur and a discolored, bedraggled white mane.
He stared up at her, blinking in surprise.
"Tempest?" he asked.
"Grubber?" she snarled.
Before he could even move, she stamped over to him and slammed a hoof down on him, pinning him in place. "You little self-absorbed weasel! What are you doing here? Are you tailing me, Grubber? Did they send you after me? To keep watch on me, let them know where I am?"
"No, Tempest! Not at all!" he wailed, in a choked voice.
"Who else is with you!" she demanded hotly.
"No one, Tempest! I'm here by myself! Honest!"
She snorted angrily.
"Why should I trust you? What do you even want here anyway?"
Then her eyes suddenly went wide. Her face set in a hideous scowl.
"Are you here to try to blackmail me, Grubber? Yeah... that'd make sense. Just when things are finally going really nice... you show up. And oh my, wouldn't it be such a shame if Tempest's new friends had to hear all about her shady past. Tsk, tsk! And such a small price to pay, for your silence..."
Her teeth gritted. There was a murderous look in her eyes.
"Why should I even give you the chance?"
Grubber stared up at her, his eyes wide and sad.
"You're the only one who ever did."
Despite herself, Tempest paused, staring down at him.
"I'm sorry, Tempest," Grubber went on, in a small voice. "I just... hoped we might hang out together, like we used to. I was tryin' to work up the nerve to ask you. It's been rough, since you left. Everyone kicks me around, makes fun of me. They never did that, not when I was hangin' with you. No one would dare."
He gritted his bear-trap teeth.
"I'm all alone, Tempest. And I just... don't wanna be alone anymore."
Tempest's face went blank, her anger draining away.
"I'm not tryin' to be trouble," Grubber added. "I'll go away if you don't want me here. And I won't tell a soul about you. Not a word, honest!"
Tempest stared at him for a moment longer. Then she sat down on the wet grass, a hoof pressed to her face.
"What am I doing?" she sighed. "I thought I was past this. I thought I was learning to think differently. But just look at me! One hint of a threat, and it all comes roaring right back."
She shook her head angrily. Then looked up at the startled hedgehog, an eyebrow raised.
"You actually liked hanging out with me, Grubber? I treated you horribly."
"Yeah, well." Grubber shrugged, as he got to his feet. "I could tell you were just trying to make me shape up. You cared, Tempest. And that's way more than I got from anyone else."
Tempest sighed.
"I don't know, Grubber. It's not how it used to be. I'm a different pony now -- or at least I'm trying to be. It's not... shakedowns and smash-and-grab anymore. I have a friend now -- a very good friend. And all I want to do right now is look after her, be there for her. Because that's what she needs from me."
Getting up, Grubber trotted over. He hesitantly put a paw on her foreleg.
"That sounds cool. Can I help? Please?"
Tempest eyed him, at length.
And then all at once Grubber found himself grabbed up and slammed against the side wall of the tower, with Tempest's scowling face inches from his.
"I'm only going to say this once, Grubber," she whispered threateningly. "So get it through your head. We have no past here! None!" Her ruined horn crackled dangerously. "You breathe so much as a word, just one word..."
Grubber swallowed, his eyes wide and frightened.
"What past, boss?"
Gradually, Tempest's anger faded again. She nodded, and then lowered him to the ground.
"Just making sure you understand," she said. "Now, let's see about making you presentable. Because to be honest, Grubber... you whiff!"
"Yeah, well... scrounging in trash cans will do that to ya."
"Easy enough to fix. See that ornamental fountain over there?"
"That one? Yeah, but... oh no, wait a minute, boss! Aaaah! Lemme go! Aw, come on, this isn't fair. I'm already soaked to the bone, and I just had a bath last Saturday. So really, I mean... WAUGHHH!"
There was a very loud, very liquid splash.
Grubber surfaced, rubbing his eyes and spitting a jet of water. He stared up at Tempest, annoyed.
"You enjoy doing that!"
"Oh, yeah. I sure do," she agreed.
Grubber considered it for a moment. Then he shrugged.
"Hey, works for me." Grabbing up a double-pawful of water, he splashed his face, and then began industriously scrubbing behind his ears.
The next morning, when Tempest arrived at Twilight's dorm room to walk with her to Light Magic class, the maroon pony had a dried, combed, and anxious-looking hedgehog standing beside her.
"Morning, Twilight," Tempest said. "This is Grubber. He's a friend I used to hang out with sometimes, when I was on the road. If it's okay with you, I was thinking he might sign on here, as my assistant. That way, I won't have to keep borrowing Spike from you all the time."
"Sure! That sounds great. Hi, Grubber!" Twilight willingly shook Grubber's hesitantly offered paw. "Welcome aboard! Any friend of Tempest's is a friend of ours. Right, Spike?"
"You know it, Twi!" Spike shook Grubber's paw as well. "Come on, Grubber," he added. "I'll show you round Twi's workroom. It's where we usually hang out while they're in class."
"Spike'll show you where everything is, Grubber," Twilight said. "Pardon me, I gotta run, we're late for class as it is!" She trotted off, with Spike close behind her.
Grubber stared after her. And then looked up at Tempest.
"You were right, boss."
"About what?"
"She's just automatically friends with everyone." He blinked, and looked astonished. "That's weird!"
"Yeah," Tempest agreed. "But it's a nice kind of weird." There was a hint of steel in her voice as she went on. "And you and I are going to make sure that nothing happens to it. Got it?"
Grubber nodded. "Whatever you say, boss!"
Tempest nodded in return, as the two of them moved to catch up with Twilight and Spike.
And Tempest smiled.
Big Sister Best Friend Forever, she thought. I like the sound of that...
... L.S.B.F.F, she added to herself.
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.
