https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2pgwlPest8

John and Tempest departed the tram after it arrived at its final destination on the far side of Baltimare. At the edge of the city, they found themselves walking among scores of ponies on their lunch breaks or just enjoying a nice day off as the sun reached its precipice in the sky. The park just ahead was overflowing with ponies, filling the air with the sounds of laughter and joy in the beautiful sunny day.

Tempest limped beside John, her face mostly hidden by her hoodie as she occasionally glanced up at the gatherings of ponies in the soft grass. As they progressed on the sidewalk, she felt herself involuntarily slowing down to linger ever closer to the happy, gentle atmosphere beside her. Her hesitation did not go unnoticed, and after taking a few more steps ahead of her, John stopped and looked over his shoulder. He followed Tempest's eyes to the park, his gaze softening in realization, before he looked back to the mulberry mare.

"Hey, we need to keep moving." He called.

Tempest flinched slightly, as if startled from her thoughts, "O-oh, right..." She replied, slowly turning away from the sight before her and catching up with John.

John turned as Tempest reached his side and continued on toward the taxi carriages just further down the road. They reached the corner within a few minutes, finding no fewer than a dozen taxi's waiting and chatting amongst themselves. The burly stallions didn't notice John or Tempest right away, but after a few moments, one head turned, followed by another. Soon enough, the entire entourage of taxi's were looking at John and Tempest.

"You need a ride, sir?" The nearest taxi pony asked, tilting his head to the side as he gazed up at John.

"Yeah. We're heading to the Macintosh Hills. Do any of you think you could take us to the closest town on the way?" John asked.

"Well... there's Hoofenfield down south, but it's a bit close to the badlands. Those are dangerous parts and it's not going to be a cheap ride all the way out there." The taxi pony replied, scratching his chin in thought.

"That's fine. Bits aren't an issue. Can you take us there now?" John questioned.

"I sure can. For that trip, and the two of you... that'll be about four hundred bits." The taxi pony explained.

John unslung his duffle bag from his shoulder and reached into one of the side pockets. After searching through the pocket for a few seconds, John withdrew a large bag of bits. The golden currency jingled slightly as he held the bag out for the taxi to take.

"This should cover it." He said.

With his jaw slightly dropped, the pony accepted the bits and gave a thankful nod, "W-well alrighty then! Hop on while I get myself strapped in and I'll get you guys there before sunset." He cheerily exclaimed.

John picked up his duffle bag as the pony hurriedly set about strapping himself into the harness of the taxi carriage. Once the bag was resting on John's shoulder once more, he turned to Tempest and nodded toward the carriage. Taking the hint, Tempest made her way over to the vehicle and stepped up onto the cushioned seat in the very back. John patiently waited for her to set her crutch down before boarding and sitting down on the seat opposite of her.

Once they were both seated, the taxi pony finished attaching himself to the carriage and pulled them forward. The carriage jolted forward before settling back down and proceeding comfortably. John looked over his shoulder at the road ahead of them for a few moments before turning his head back to look at Tempest once more. He observed her as she looked out at the passing Baltimare scenery, finding her gaze to be slightly troubled.

"Something on your mind?" John inquired, earning the purple mare's attention.

"Not really. Just a dumb thought." Tempest shook her head.

John curiously raised an eyebrow, "You sure?" He pressed.

Tempest pursed her lips and looked down to the passing sidewalk beside them, "Well... it's more of a dumb question." She admitted.

"What is it?" John asked.

"When you left your world to come here... didn't you leave your entire family behind?" She asked, looking at him with a slightly nervous glance.

John's gaze fell to the floor of the carriage between them. For a few moments, he didn't say anything, prompting Tempest to speak up.

"L-like I said, it was a dumb question. Just forget I said any-" She began, before John spoke, cutting her off.

"No. It's fine. I didn't have any family when I left." He replied.

Tempest tilted her head to the side, "N-no parents? Siblings?" She questioned.

"All dead. That was a long time ago... before I was even ten years old." John answered.

Tempest's lips parted slightly as she took in John's past. She nervously swallowed before responding.

"I-I'm sorry. That must've been hard." She offered, averting her eyes.

"It's nothing I haven't come to terms with-" John answered with a nod, "-but thank you."

Tempest squirmed slightly in her seat, her face mostly hidden by her hoodie. A strange feeling welled up in her chest, encouraging her to continue her questioning. After taking a few seconds to debate with herself, she looked up at John once more.

"What... what about a marefriend? O-or whatever your species calls your mates? Did you have one of those?" Tempest asked, feeling her cheeks burn and her fur stand on edge.

John rolled his tongue in his mouth and leaned back in his seat slightly. He looked up to the sky for a few moments, a look of deep thought on his face as he thought over the question. With each passing second that he took to answer, Tempest felt more and more of her nerves faltering inside of her chest.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!! Why would you ask a question like that!? What the buck is wrong with you!? He's absolutely going to take that the wrong way!

As the thoughts in Tempest's mind raged with each other, driving her further and further into her hoodie to hide away from John's gaze when it eventually returned to her, the man in question let out a quiet sigh. He slowly looked back down at the increasingly nervous unicorn before him and shook his head.

"No, not really. Never had the time." He answered, plainly.

Tempest felt a wave of relief instantly wash over her at John's calm reaction, and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Why's that?" She asked, reflexively.

Another wave of nerves washed over her, prompting another screaming match with herself in her head as John thought the question over.

"Just never really had the time, I suppose. Met plenty of women over the years, but the job always came first. A relationship would have just gotten in the way." He explained, with a small shrug of noncommitment.

Tempest felt her entire body relax at the answer, before another strange feeling assaulted her mind: Disappointment.

What the buck is wrong with me? She thought to herself, shaking her head to clear her mind of those thoughts.

After taking a moment to collect herself, she leaned back in her seat, fixing John with an even gaze the whole while.

"So you're just married to the job, then? I suppose that means that it'd be pretty easy for you to leave your world and everything you knew behind at the drop of a hat." She gave a slow nod.

John let out a slow sigh, "It wasn't an easy choice, regardless." He admitted.

Tempest tilted her head to the side, "How's that?" She asked.

"Just because I didn't have anyone to call my own doesn't mean I didn't want to live in my own world anymore. It was just... complicated." John explained, after a moment.

"Complicated... how?" Tempest pressed, leaning forward slightly.

John slowly shook his head, "Too complicated to get into right now. Maybe once this is all over and if you stick around, I'll tell you." He responded with a smirk.

Tempest rolled her eyes, "Fat chance of that. Once we're done with this, I'm disappearing forever. You won't see hide nor tail of me in Equestria ever again."

"Shame," John shrugged slightly, "I was just starting to enjoy your company."

Tempest paused for a moment, her brow furrowing in scrutiny. Her mouth opened slightly to respond, but she quickly found her words drying up on her tongue. As she struggled with a response, John looked over his shoulder to the pony pulling their taxi along on the road leading out of Baltimare.

Lush greenery greeted his eyes, beckoning him closer as the taxi slowly reached the edge of the city. Off in the distance, he could make out the snowcapped tips of the Macintosh mountains. He looked down to the pony pulling the cart, finding him happily humming a tune to himself and seemingly unaware of the conversation happing behind him, or just willfully ignoring it completely.

John turned back to Tempest just as she managed to control her jaw and close her mouth. She quickly shook her head and gave him a hard look.

"So-" She started, but John spoke up.

"So what about your family? You must've had parents or siblings when you were a filly." John said, taking note of the pointed frown Tempest quickly sported.

"What... what brought that up?" She asked.

John shrugged, "You asked about my family. It's only fair."

Tempest sighed quietly to herself, "I... haven't seen my parents since I was a filly. After I lost my horn... I just couldn't bear to be in that town anymore, so I ran away just a year after it happened. They... they probably think I'm long dead, now." She admitted, a sad look crossing her features.

John cocked his head to the side, a sympathetic look in his eyes, "You ran away when you were just a filly?" He asked, softly.

Tempest gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, "Honestly didn't think about them for two decades... was too busy trying to just stay alive or find a way to fix my horn." She recounted, her eyes failing to meet his.

John thought about her answer for a few moments as the taxi continued along out of Baltimare.

"You're a very driven mare, aren't you?" He asked, already well aware of the answer.

"Only driven enough to abandon my family, live two decades in some of the worst places I can think of, and betray my own kind in the hopes of getting my horn back... Harmony's sake, when I say it all like that I sound like the worst kind of pony in the world." She mirthlessly chuckled.

"Did the Storm King actually show that he could keep to his promise to restore your horn? Or did he just say that he was going to once you gave him Equestria on a silver platter?" John asked.

"He... had a staff. With the combined magic of all four alicorn princesses, he could control just about anything. Day, night, and everything in-between would have been fair game for him to control. I just... figured that if he could control all that, then restoring my horn would be easy." Tempest elaborated, a sad look on her face.

John nodded, "Understandable assessment. Question is, do you think he would've actually held up his word?"

Tempest shook her head, "I honestly think he was going to betray me the second he got what he wanted. That's why I planned to beat him to the punch..." She trailed off.

"But I was there." John surmised.

Tempest nodded, "Yes, you were. You wiped out the army he sent me with and nearly killed me in just a few minutes," She chuckled, "Honestly, I think he was just sending me to probe Equestria's defenses, hoping I'd die and save him the trouble of killing me himself."

"He'll come to regret that soon enough." John replied, firmly.

Tempest gave John a thin smile, "You really are certain you can kill him? He's got an army about fifty times the size of my attack on Canterlot." She questioned.

John nodded, "He can have the largest army on the planet. It won't matter."

"I would ask what makes you so confident... but I suppose you've already shown me time and time again that you're more than capable," Tempest shrugged, before a thought crept into her mind. Before she could stop herself, she continued, "Out of curiosity, what do you plan to do after you kill him?"

John tilted his head to the side, "The same thing I've been doing this whole time." He answered.

Tempest pursed her lips, "Really? No retirement plan? Just... keep fighting and killing until you die of old age?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I told you, as long as I can still fight, that's what I intend to do." John responded.

"I get that, but I didn't think you... literally meant fighting Equestria's enemies until you're on your deathbed... heh, I guess we're both very driven, aren't we?" Tempest chuckled.

John smirked, "I suppose we are."

The duo lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence after that, both deigning to simply enjoy the passing scenery or purse through their thoughts. As they progressed toward Hoofenfield, the taxi pony continued humming his little tune to himself, content to simply pull the carriage and lost himself in his music. Soon enough, the tune was stuck in both John and Tempest's heads as well.

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The sun slowly crept down the skyline toward the horizon, bathing the world below in a blood orange hue that cast long shadows from the scattered trees and hills filling the valley below. Tall grass rustled back and forth in the evening breeze, almost giving the impression that the land itself was breathing and teaming with life. With the ever darkening skies approaching from behind, and the warmth of the fading sunlight to their front, John and Tempest arrived at Hoofenfield.

The small town boasted an equally small population of only a hundred and thirty, as indicated by the sign posted just at the entrance. As the taxi pony pulled the carriage into town, John and Tempest eyed their surroundings critically. Several smallish and medium sized buildings lined both sides of a single lane road leading toward a taller, three story building at the end of the town. From the outside, almost all of the buildings looked the same, save for a few small details such as outdoor furniture or paint color.

Only a couple dozen ponies were out and about at the twilight hour, but those that were, froze in their step as they turned to observe the newcomers to their humble village.

"Anyplace in particular you folks wanted me to drop you off? Hoofenfield is sorta small, so it's only a minute or two walk from one side to the other." The taxi pony asked, looking up over his wither.

"Here is fine. Thanks." John politely replied, before grabbing and slinging his duffle bag once more.

As the carriage came to a soft stop, John jumped down to the ground below with a small grunt. Once he was situated, he turned to Tempest and offered his hand as she attempted to get down without use of her broken foreleg. Albeit with a moment of hesitation, Tempest accepted his offered help and got down to the ground beside him. Together they headed toward the building toward the end of the single lane road while the taxi pony opened up a compartment on the carriage and pulled out his dinner.

As they progressed across the town, more and more ponies stepped out of their homes to observe the newcomers. Several tilted heads and hushed whispers filled the air as dozens of eyes followed the human and unicorn. While John simply ignored the whispers, or just gave them a sidelong glance, Tempest held her head low, instinctively hiding as much of her face under her hood as she could.

Soon enough, they reached the large structure at the end of the town and walked up the steps to the front door. John gave three polite knocks before waiting for a response, his eyes scanning over the ponies all standing around outside. Tempest felt a nervous feeling in her stomach as the seconds ticked by. More and more eyes fell on her and John, making her reflexively tuck her tail in slightly, as if to hide her ruby red hair color from the ponies that might recognize it.

Finally, the sound of hoofsteps on hardwood floors reached her ears, and the door opened, revealing an slightly middle-aged unicorn stallion with a mustard yellow coat. His blue eyes almost instantly lit up upon seeing the human standing before him, and he immediately lost any composure he may have been preparing while he approached the door.

"Oh my goodness... JOHN! The human!" The stallion excitedly exclaimed, slightly startling both John and Tempest.

Without waiting for a word of response from either the human in question or the unicorn standing beside him, the stallion rushed out onto his balcony and shouted to the entire town who, by now were all out in the street and observing the interaction with extreme interest.

"Everypony! It's him! It's the human! John is here!" The stallion announced, a beaming smile on his face.

"Really!?" A stallion questioned.

"It is! I knew it!" One mare shouted.

"He really is here!"

More and more voices cheered for the arrival of the human, prompting a questioning look to form on his face as he observed the crowd now cheering and celebrating his name. The stallion who began all the excitement quickly rushed over to his side and grasped his hand with both hooves, shaking vigorously as he beamed a wide smile up at the tall human.

"I can't believe it's actually you! I never thought we'd get to see our town hero!" The stallion enthusiastically explained.

John hesitantly allowed the pony to continue to shake his hand, "Uh, thanks. Wasn't sure if you'd heard of me." He said, giving a small nod to the stallion.

"Heard of you? Of course we've heard of you! How could we not!?" The stallion chipperly responded, "You saved the princesses from Chrysalis, Tirek, and we just heard word that you stopped that traitor, Tempest! You're a legend!"

At the mention of her name, Tempest buried her face further into her hoodie. Luckily, the movement went unnoticed by the excited stallion, as his attention was solely focused on John.

"Why, we've taken all of your teachings to heart here in Hoofenfield! We just killed a diamond dog last week that kept tearing up our land, trying to find some gems that we sell to the dragonlands." The pony explained, a wide smile on his face.

John slowly nodded as the stallion finally let go of his hand, "I... see. I imagine he was threatening your people quite a bit." John hesitantly replied.

"Oh like you have no idea!" The stallion exclaimed, "That dog was causing a whole mess of trouble for us. We must've lost thousands of bits in trade," He explained, before a look of realization hit his face, "Oh! right, how careless of me. I know who you are but you have no idea who I am! The name's Malt Hoofenfield! I'm the founder and mayor of this town." He proudly announced.

John nodded once, "Right... Thank you Malt. I hate to just cut straight to the point, but I'm in need of a place to stay and rest for the night."

Malt eagerly nodded, "Oh! We've got plenty of spare rooms that you can stay in. The Inn just a few houses down the road will get you all situated. Apologies for not having the sign put up yet, we only just decided that we would use that house as the Inn." He replied, pointing to a two-story green house down the road.

John gave a thankful nod, before turning to leave. Tempest quickly limped after him, ensuring to keep her head low and her face as concealed as possible.

"Oh John! One more thing before ya turn in for the night!" Malt called after them, making John and Tempest both freeze in their step.

"That Tempest pony. We heard word that you were going to have her executed but ended up sparing her. Any particular reason?" Malt asked, a curious look on his face.

John slowly turned to face the stallion. He rolled his tongue for a moment before responding, "We weren't done questioning her. It's... partly the reason I'm here right now."

Malt gave a slow nod, "Ah, I see... and, I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice that you're not traveling alone. Will you be needing a room for two?"

John hesitantly looked down to Tempest, finding that she was still frozen in place, her face still mostly obscured by the hoodie. Something was slightly off with regard to her posture. Even with all the eyes on her, her attention was focused on the spot of dirt just before her, as if she were contemplating something.

John quickly turned to Malt, "We would appreciate a room for two. It's been a long day and she's very tired. Not very talkative when she's tired, this one."

"Ah, I know the type." Malt replied, winking at John, "No worries at all, friends! We'll get you both sorted out at the Inn. Sea Breeze should be up at the front desk, so go ahead and head on in. She'll get you sorted for the night." He instructed, a friendly smile on his face.

"Thank you." John responded, before turning back around and heading toward the building in question.

After only a few steps, he noticed the lack of hoofsteps behind him, and turned around to find that Tempest hadn't moved. He immediately turned back around and walked over to the mare as she stood, still as a statue.

"Let's go." He instructed, receiving no response of any kind.

With a frown, John grabbed her wither and gently shook the mare, finally snapping her out of her trance. With a start, she looked up at him, a deep frown visible on her face in the dim sunset lighting. John opened his mouth to question the unicorn, but before he could get a word out, she limped past him, her eyes once more darting to the ground as she held her head low and hid her face.

A few ponies that were still watching from afar whispered amongst themselves as Tempest laboriously made her way to the Inn, John hurrying after her.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" John questioned as he caught up to her.

Tempest pointedly ignored him as she reached the front door of the Inn. Without waiting for him to speak again, she shoved the door open and limped inside. John rushed in after her, a frustrated frown forming on his face at her sudden attitude shift. Before he could question her further, the Innkeeper stepped out to the front desk.

"Good evening! How can I help... you..." Sea Breeze trailed off, her eyes focusing on John, "Oh my Celestia! You're John!" She exclaimed, a beaming smile on her face.

John gave a small nod, "Yeah. Sorry to just rush you like this, but it's been a long day. Is there any way we can just get a room for two?" He asked, as politely as he could.

The mare blushed in embarrassment, "O-oh, of course! My apologies, I understand you must be very busy and very tired. Here, take these keys to room three. It's upstairs." She hastily replied, grabbing the keys out from under the desk and hoofing them over to John.

"Thank you." John responded, giving a grateful nod and heading to the stairs.

As the mare gave a friendly wave goodbye, John reached the stairs, finding that Tempest was already at the top, and slightly out of breath. John quickly made his way up the stairs after her, finding her standing in front of the door marked with a '3'. John unlocked the door and let Tempest in first, before following in after and locking the door behind him.

Once they were alone in the modest room, he threw his duffle bag on the bed closest to him while Tempest made her way over to the other side of the room.

"You mind telling me what's got you all pissed off all of a sudden?" John questioned, irritation clear in his voice.

"You were the one that suggested execution." Tempest spat, her words laced with venom.

Author's Note

Uh oh.