“Okay, let's stop and rest for a moment.” Tempest said after making sure they were in a safe place.
Not that it mattered much as they were surrounded by sand and the occasional rock.

“Ugh……Finally!”
Twilight was the first to fall to the ground panting.

Tempest mentally admitted that the little alicorn had done well to resist up to that point, they already had a dead weight and having another one certainly wouldn't improve things.

Speaking of dead weights, Tempest took a look at the sled they were pulling.

Princess Celestia showed no signs of waking up and it was starting to worry her.

What would have happened to the sun if the one who had the task of making it move had died?
Would it stay there until the earth literally caught fire?

Tempest looked at the sky and as she had feared the sun seemed to be still at the same height as six hours ago.
This was REALLY VERY WORRYING.

“Miss Sparkle.”
“Twilight!”
Tempest was promptly interrupted by the purple alicorn.

“Please, you can just call me Twilight.” she added, making her intent clear.

"Okay Twilight." Tempest said..
“I wanted to ask you if you knew what would happen to the sun in the unfortunate event that Princess Celestia was 'unwell'.

Twilight stood still for a few seconds as if she hadn't heard the question but then her eyes widened.

“OH NO!”
“OH NO NO NO NO NO!”
the purple alicorn had begun to scream in panic.
“THIS IS A CATASTROPHE! A CATASTROPHE!”

“THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO END! EVERY ECOSYSTEM WILL BE DISTURBED AND NO FORM OF LIFE WILL REMAIN!”

The group of ponies looked at each other perplexedly while Twilight didn't seem to want to calm down.
The only ones who had guessed what it might be about were Tempest and Captain Ryker.

“Turns out I was right.” Tempest whispered in the ear of the captain who seemed to be equally worried.

The Empress turned back to Twilight who was taking a series of deep inhalations and exhalations.

“From your reaction I can deduce that the sun will remain in the sky until your princess awakens.” she said, letting out a sigh.

"I'm afraid so." Twilight replied dejectedly.

Now not only did they risk dying in the desert but also the rest of the world with them.

Really excellent!

"Commander!"
From above came Ensign Cooper.

Tempest had made him go ahead to try to find a place to shelter from the scorching sun and to spend the night.
Even if it seemed that the night would not come.

“About two hours' walk south there is a wreck of a large airship that crashed some time ago but the hull is still intact enough to provide shelter.”
The ensign said the sentence in one breath as he had flown quickly to report the discovery.

“Thank you ensign, rest and take a sip of water. You did a good job.”
Tempest congratulated Cooper who responded by nodding his head and then went to get his canteen to drink.

"Captain!"
The gray griffin was talking to the equestrian soldiers but he turned away as soon as he heard his empress call him.

Ryker approached quickly and stood at attention.
Even though he wasn't young, he seemed to handle the fatigue and the heat well,
“In five minutes we will set off again to reach the wreck indicated by Ensign Cooper. Make sure everyone is ready.”

“Of course Commander. However..." the griffin stopped uncertain.

“Speak up, captain.” Tempest urged him to speak, if there was one thing she wanted it was that the soldiers to be honest and not hide possibly vital information.

“I'm afraid those two are exhausted by now.” he continued as with a movement of his eyes he pointed to the two stallions in golden armor.

Indeed it was true, they looked hot and tired but she couldn't blame them as they were carrying a pony twice their combined weight.

Tempest approached the two stallions but as soon as they noticed it they stiffened and straightened their posture.

“Rest soldiers.” she said, trying to calm them down even though it had little effect.

“Take off the ropes, the captain and I will relieve you.”

The two stallions looked at each other perplexed as if they had never expected something like this.

“We don't have all day.” she added, trying to encourage them.

The white one decided to speak for the first time since they had met.
“Are you sure?” he asked in an uncertain voice.

The one next to him nodded in agreement with him.

Tempest rolled her eyes, were they afraid a mare wouldn't make it?

“Of course soldiers! if you pass out from exhaustion we will find ourselves with two more dead weights and then we will be in more trouble than we already are.”

Meanwhile Twilight had finished resting and hearing what was happening she approached to intervene.

“That's okay, you did a great job, do as Commander Tempest says.”
Immediately the two stallions bowed and responded in unison.

“Certainly your highness.”
Then they stood up and took off their makeshift harnesses.

On the other hand, Tempest was a little shocked.
"Your highness?!" she exclaimed, underlining her doubt.

Twilight looked at her and smiled awkwardly.
“Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself properly.”

She took a step back and cleared her throat.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia, wielder of the element of magic, ruler of Ponyville, and princess of friendship.”

Tempest listened intently but when she heard the last title her eyes widened.

Princess of Friendship?!

So she was the famous princess of friendship?!

The first thing that crossed Tempest's mind was to burst out laughing but her common sense dictates that she restrain herself, both out of respect and to preserve her dignity.

Thinking about it, she should have foreseen it since only the princess of the sun and the moon were represented on the Equestrian flag.

MOON?!

Tempest grabbed Twilight by her shoulders and pulled her closer.

“If I'm not mistaken, Princess Celestia has a sister, is that correct!?”

Twilight was taken aback but she responded immediately.

“You mean Princess Luna? that's correct but why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”

“Isn't it obvious? Now that the sun is still, can't Princess Luna lower the sun like her sister did?!” Tempest explained hopefully.

Twilight mentally processed the question but her response wasn't very positive.

“I honestly don't know, Celestia has had many years to learn how to move the moon but Luna has only recently returned from her exile, plus I think if she could do it she would have done it already.” she concluded as she lowered her ears.

Tempest wasn't happy about this at all.

“I understand, thanks anyway for answering me.”

Apparently the problem persisted and they should have found a solution ASAP.

With that she dropped the purple alicorn and put on the harness so she could pull the sled. Ryker was already ready to her left.

The group of seven continued their march with Tempest and Ryker leading the way, towing the sleeping body of Princess Celestia.

“Since we have nothing else to do, can I ask you some questions?” Twilight said suddenly.

They had been walking for over an hour but it felt like much longer.
The temperature had risen more and even she was starting to feel tired.

Tempest looked up into the sky and saw that the sun was still fixed in the same spot.
She did a couple of mental calculations and estimated that it was probably between seven and eight in the evening but it still felt like midday.

“Perhaps it would be better to save our energy.” Tempest replied trying to avoid an annoying interrogation.

“In fact you are right, but it is also said that by talking you don't notice the time passing and you also lighten mental fatigue.”

Apparently the girl was curious and there was no way to persuade her.
Tempest looked to her left and saw that Ryker, though also tired, was focused on what to do.

“Okay, what do you want to ask me?” Tempest said as she started looking forward again.

“Why don't we start with you?” Twilight said smiling.

Tempest wasn't honestly ready to talk about herself, certainly not with someone she'd known so little, yet she knew she couldn't help it.

“Okay, but don't expect me to answer every question.”

“Yay! At that time…. What are you?" she asked immediately, apparently the topic had been in her head for a while.

Had she perhaps guessed that Tempest was an alicorn too?

"Why this question?" she tried to clarify to avoid misunderstanding.

“Well… from the first time I saw you I couldn't help but notice the shape of your pupils and the fact that you are abnormally tall for a unicorn.” Twilight explained as she moved slightly closer to her.
“So I wanted to ask you if you were some kind of hybrid between a pony and some other species.”

So she didn't suspect Tempest was an alicorn, good.
Luckily she wasn't the first to ask and she already had a story ready for the occasion, it would have been enough to omit a few things.

“You're right, in fact one of my ancestors was a dragon and I inherited my eyes, height and a couple of other things from him.”

“WOW!” Twilight cheered like a little girl.
“It's the first time I've seen a hybrid like you! For millennia Equestria has been isolated and therefore there are only ponies.” she said, explaining the reason for her joy.

“So you've inherited some draconic features?” She asked as she refrained from prancing around like one of her party-loving pink friend.

“Maybe you should calm down a bit or you'll end up using up what little energy you have left.” Tempest warned in the same voice her mentor sometimes used.

Twilight suppressed her enthusiasm and assumed an attitude more worthy of her role.

“I can see in the dark, breathe flames, eat gems, I have stronger skin and bones and greater tolerance to heat and cold.” she said, listing the first things that came to mind.

Twilight's eyes lit up like when a child gets a beautiful toy.

“IT'S ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! I must take note of all this as soon as I can!”
Twilight's mouth was starting to drool making Tempest and Captain Ryker who was standing next to her worried.

The purple alicorn was starting to rave, talking softly about how she was going to write a book, do research and experiments, and how proud Celestia would be.

Before Twilight went too far Tempest decided to interrupt the train of thought that was taking on an almost perverse connotation.

“Do you have anything else to ask me?” Tempest said loudly.

Twilight shook her head and resumed the conversation.

“Forgive my indiscretion but what happened to your horn?”

And here's the fateful question that she certainly wouldn't have answered.

“I'm sorry, but I won't talk about this.” Tempest's response left no room for further speculation on the matter.

“Oh… I see.” Twilight cringed slightly as she lowered her ears.

If there was one thing that Tempest had understood, it was that the girl was very expressive and he could hardly suppress her emotions.

“Oh, I have another question for you.”
The little alicorn's enthusiasm was back in no time.

On the other hand, Tempest was already tired of this interrogation.

"Who are you?"

Twilight's expression became more serious, this time the little alicorn was looking for more "strategic" information.

“You'll have to be more precise than that,” Tempest said, as she glanced at Captain Ryker as if to say “DISCRETION!”

Captain Ryker was a perceptive griffin and immediately guessed by returning the sign.

“You explained to us how you crashed with us but beyond that we don't know where you come from, what nation you belong to or who you work for.” Twilight specified, waiting for an answer.

Tempest was about to respond but before she could, Ensign Cooper landed in front of them.

“Commander Tempest! We have arrived at the wreck.” he reported pointing to a spot in front of them.

In fact they could see the hull of a ship which as Cooper had said was still intact enough to provide refuge.

“Great, let's move!” Tempest ordered, ending the argument they were having earlier.

In a few minutes they reached their destination.

The ship was very old because the paint had completely disappeared and the wood had been sanded smooth.

The seven entered the hull through a fairly large hole found in one side.

As soon as they entered they noticed that the ship had been completely sacked and the only thing left was the wood that made up the bulkheads and the floor.

Other than that there was nothing else and no life form.

“Alright folks, this place seems safe enough to camp. Search the area and then return here to rest.”
With that the Equestrian Guards and Ensign Cooper went on patrol while Tempest and Ryker untied their rope harnesses.

Twilight went to see how her princess was doing. At first glance she seemed fine, she was breathing and the wound was healed, however she did not wake up.

"How is she?" Tempest asked as she approached.

“As before, she doesn't wake up.” Twilight replied shortly, making a disconsolate face.

The situation wasn't improving at all.
Taking into consideration the fact that the sun was still high in the sky then it was safe to assume that her sister was unable to move the sun.

She didn't even try to ask Twilight since she seemed to be even more inexperienced and would have lowered the sun long ago if she had the skills.

Tempest sat down to think.

Why Celestia didn't wake up? What was the reason?

An invisible wound?
Certainly not since if it had been that serious she would have died, otherwise she would have recovered as quickly as the one inflicted by the stake.

Was she in a coma?

Tempest approached Celestia's body and gently lifted one of her eyelids.

Her pupil contracted indicating that her brain was functioning and communicating with the rest of her body.

Was she simply sleeping?

Tempest gave a mental laugh thinking about the fact that perhaps they had gone through all that effort when instead it would have been enough to give her a shock or throw water on her.

Tempest brought the horn lightly to the great Alicorn's butt and gave it a shake.

Suddenly her leg moved but Princess Celestia didn't open her eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

Tempest had forgotten that Twilight was there.

“I'm trying to figure out why she doesn't wake up.”
Tempest explained as she thought of further possible causes.

"Do you have any idea?" she tried in the hope that the purple alicorn had an intuition.
However she shook her head no, she didn't know what to do either.

Tempest let out a sigh and straightened up.

“The last thing I could think of is a depletion of magical energy.” she also speculated if it seemed strange to her since they were still talking about an alicorn.

"YOU ARE RIGHT!"
Suddenly Twilight screamed making Tempest's hackles stand on end.

“Before we crashed, Princess Celestia had erected a barrier to protect us from the impact, which is why she is now without magical energy!”
“HOW DID I FORGET THAT!? STUPID STUPID STUPID!”

Twilight slammed her hooves on her head to highlight his anger at his ineptitude.

“That's fine! there's no use crying over spilled milk." Tempest tried to calm her down as she pinned her paws with hers.

“You have to focus on the here and now, we can't afford any more mistakes.”
Tempest's gaze was locked on Twilight's eyes.

“Sorry, you're right, I did it again.”
This time it took Twilight less to recover even though she was on the verge of tears.

“Clop-clop-clop.” hooves could be heard.
Cooper and the other two Equestrian guards had returned to report that the area was safe.

Tempest stood up and assumed a commander's pose.
“Great, we found out why Princess Celestia doesn't wake up.”

Tempest later explained what ailed her and the soldiers were slightly relieved to hear this.

“And how do we treat it? There's no way to get her energy back quickly." Twilight said rightly.

“There is actually a way: our bodies contain magical energy as if they were batteries and when needed they release it in the form of spells to obtain magic.

However, just like batteries, our body does not produce magical energy but collects what is in the environment."
The group listened intently to the impromptu magic lesson. Even Twilight, who knew the principles of magic thoroughly, was interested in understanding where she was going with this.

“So following this theory it is possible to transfer magical energy from one body to another.” concluded Tempest.

The spectators were ecstatic to learn that Commander Tempest had found a solution to their problems. Everyone except a certain purple alicorn.

“Your theory might work but where do we find someone with so much magical energy? Even though I am an alicorn, I certainly cannot make up for the princess's shortcomings."
She retorted as she touched her chin in confusion.

“You don't have to worry about this, I will provide the magical energy.”
“And now enough arguing, we have no more time to waste.”
With that she approached Princess Celestia's head to make contact with her horns but was interrupted by Ryker and Twilight.

“Wait a minute commander! What will happen to you if you transfer all your magical energy?”
Ryker was the first to express his concerns.

“I'll probably fall asleep too. I know it's not an optimal solution but it's the only one we have if we want to prevent the surface of the planet from being completely burned."
Tempest responded in a firm, resolute voice.

Ryker understood that his empress was determined and his duty was to follow her will. He bowed and then stepped back.

“Do you have anything to tell me Twilight?” she said, turning to the alicorn who was still struggling to understand what was happening.

“How do you have enough magical energy?”

Tempest smiled playfully.
“I have my tricks.” that was the only thing she said before touching Celestia's horn with her hand and releasing as much magical energy as she could.

Within seconds she began to feel tired and drained but she couldn't give up.

She gritted her teeth and released everything she had.

When she felt that there wasn't a shred of magical energy left in her body she let go and fainted and fell to the ground.

The last thing she heard was Twilight screaming her name.

Author's Note

Reference image for wreck in which they took refuge.
The representation is not identical to how it is in the story: the sail masts must be replaced with the remains of the frame of the balloon containing helium.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
As always, I remind you that there may have been syntax or grammatical errors so I ask you to report them in the comments and if possible to interpret the events.

Thank you.