Foxhunt! (Invite-Only)

[Dusty]

Tempest felt like time itself stopped as she stared up at the roaring monster. Fear. Pain. Fear. She was never strong enough to stop it. Her horn failed. Her legs gave out. She was never strong enough. Unmoving she watched it come down, jaws wide swallow her in to the pit of darkness…

 

-Tempest!- Her ears flick. -Are you alright?!- She was alone… so alone… what was talking? She felt hooves… Than her eyes opened for real. 

 

Scrambling up on her hooves she trips over herself in a panic, panting hard as her eyes darted around. Sitting on her flank she stays put gasping for air as her heart pounded. She looked at Sunset, eyes focusing on her as Tempest remembers where she is. This was Sunsets falt! Sunset betrayed her! She… She took the magic. Tempest’s rage held back. Her magic… With a shaking hoof Tempest touches her own horn. “M-magic… Give… give it back.” she mutters, her voice shaking with fear. For all her rage and lust for battle the mare in front of Sunset seemed more like a scared filly than a battle hardened veteran. So lost in her own fears she did not know her magic was back already.

[Bellosh]

 

If a normal pony had been watching Tempest Shadow’s meltdown, it was highly likely they would dismiss this behavior as a case of excess melodramatics. But not Sunset Shimmer, whose own memories of her less-than-ideal were even now being brought back to the surface;

“This isn't Canterlot. Where am I? Princess Celestia? What's happened to me? Somepony, help me!!!”

Sunset Shimmer didn’t require any special empathy powers to take pity on Tempest. Clearly, the broken-horned unicorn suffered from an unresolved traumatic issue vastly more severe than the loss of magic she was experiencing now; one which Sunset inadvertently triggered. Although done with good intentions, Sunset now felt extremely guilty about snapping at her counterpart with a Fail-Safe spell.

Miss Shimmer took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment as she gathered up the courage to attempt comforting the emotionally volatile Tempest. “.........You were stripped of your magic once before,” Sunset trepidatiously stepped up in front of Tempest; “And it left you vulnerable..... didn’t you?” Although the ex-apprentice knew from Twilight Sparkle about Tempest's abandonment issues, she lacked the full story behind it all..... 

[Blueblood]

As Hanabi came in close, Feng returned the embrace, nuzzling the fuzzy fox's furry neck.  It was a very furry hug, especially once the kitsune's tails entered the game.  He was reminded of being wrapped in a soft rug, during one of his undercover missions to infiltrate a black market bazaar.  Boy, had that smuggler been surprised at what rolled out of his carpet...  "Well, it is good to see that you are alright then."  Stepping back, she could see Feng's smile turn somewhat sheepish.  "Also, sorry if we scared you.  I just wasn't sure what was going on, and wanted to catch up."

 

His air of friendly concern may well have been contagious, as Hanabi's next thought was not for herself, but for Tempest, last seen on a rooftop.  She wasn't there now, which boded ill.  Following her, Feng was relieved to find the broken-horned mare relatively unhurt, though she did not seem to be in the best of shapes mentally.  "Sunset, can you tell me what happened?"  The longma asked, looking between the two unicorns.

"Oh, and I suppose I should introduce you.  Hanabi, this is Sunset Shimmer and Tempest Shadow.  We met at the pavilion.  Sunset, Tempest, this is Hanabi, a talking fox that was my foalhood friend, and who is also known as Yanhua, the Imperial Chef.  It's, um, a long story."

[Pretzelparty]

 

Sunset's words struck a cord inside Hanabi. Memories of her time in the forest, her magic excised from her by the monks. Alone and vulnerable to the elements and bigger things for so many years. Cold nights and long days with noone to talk to for so, so long.  She had to fight back a sniffle as she grew misty eyed. The fox stepped forward behind Sunset, "... Um... I know you were chasing me earlier. I can smell it... you already have your magic back... in fact it was never gone. Just slowed to stopping and going again."

 

When Feng took a moment to introduce her to the rest of the group, the talking fox dipped her head in greeting reflexively. "It is a very long story, yes." She looked to Sunset a moment, seeming very curious of her. Both her and Tempest were unusual specimens of their kind... and this land was all kinds of odd already. 

 

Sunset had a very unusual magical scent. An unquestionably strong smell that Hanabi could see was the mark of a master spellcaster... but why would someone so skilled in the arcane arts trouble herself with something so strange as chasing a fox? Granted, this was no ordinary fox, but weren't wise mages supposed to be held up in towers creating spells? Or  maybe that was what they did in the distant past. Her uncle told her stories of unicorn mages in the ancient past. From those stories she thought they'd all have beards. Sunset's lack of one proved especially interesting. 

"Is... um Tempest okay?"

[Dusty]

Tempest was not ok. Now with three closing in on her the extremely scared and still panicking mare backs away, eyes jumping between all three with growing alarm. They were all in on it. All betraying her. This was a trap. She was trapped. All planned. Just to get her! They wanted her vulnerable! Sunset just said so! They can’t trick her again. She had to run! But where? She was trapped! Her heart felt like it was going to explode as she backed up against a wall. 

 

She had to get away. She had too! Fight-or-flight. She had no hope for running. She had to fight! “Y-you liars! Betrayers!” She yelled, pushing away from the wall she leaps at Sunset. She had to get her magic back. This was all Sunsets falt! Sunset made her vulnerable! Sunset must be the leader! She’d take down all three of them if she must! She will not fall today!

[Bellosh]

 

Feng couldn’t have picked a worse time to waltz in and mostly carry on as if everything was normal. Couldn’t that oaf see that Sunset Shimmer was in the middle of an obviously delicate situation? Really??? The grimacing unicorn tried to signal the longma to shut up by sliding a hoof against her hoof, but it did no good. Feng kept yapping, agitating the reeling Tempest Shadow beyond safe levels.

A cry from Tempest was all the warning Sunset got before noticing the panicking broken-horned mare was charging right at her! With only a second to react, a startled Sunset twirled around and assumed a bucking position as fast as she could, hoping she could brace for impact!!!

[Blueblood]

It wasn't that Feng was totally oblivious to social cues.  When alert, the Watcher could pick up on many delicate nuances of interpony relations.  As of 15 seconds ago, said alertness had been suspended from the sheer joy of meeting an old friend, and finding out they were alright.  Which, in turn, blinded him from realizing that his new friend was not alright.  Very far from alright, as a matter of fact.

 

"No!"  Feng shouted out, partly in answer to Hanabi's question, and partly in answer to the situation in general.  With the lightning-fast reflexes of the Empress' elite, he sprang to intercept Tempest before she reached Sunset, her single-minded pursuit of the unicorn giving him an opening to apply a submission hold.  He took care not to try and hurt her, and knew that he would have to calm her down soon.

"It's alright!  Situation contained.  Stand down!"  Breathing heavily, still attempting to keep a hold of her, he stroked the back of her neck with his wing in an attempt at a comforting gesture.  "Nothing's hostile.  Relax..."

[Pretzelparty]

 

At this point, Hanabi was in no shape to try and help out a traumatized tempest. There might be some spells she could use to help with the situation, but it could just as likely make things incalculably worse. Trying to physically aid Feng was certainly doomed to fail: She may have beaten the rock climb but she was no athlete.  Between the long run and harsh climb today, there was no chance she could stop Tempest with raw strength. 

Instead, she stepped back warily, watching how this played out to see if she would have to act at all.

[Dusty]

Rage was in many ways the most powerful feeling for Tempest. Rage is what allowed her to live where others have fallen. Rage pushed her on past pains that made lesser willed turn back. Yet it was her biggest weakness as well. In times of stress, fear or pain it roared to the top and holding it back was almost pointless. And when she was not in the mindset to hold it at all the feeling blinded her. And that blindness was the opening Feng had as Tempest jumped for Sunset like a hungry wolf.

 

Flailing and kicking out she struggles in his grasp, still trying to reach Sunset like some feral beast. “Traitors!” She screamed in her struggles to break free, pushing at Feng to make him let go. But his hold was strong and he made no move to harm her. None of them did. But his words did the most to reach Tempest. His commands managed to get past the blinding rage as her struggles slowed. 

 

Peace by peace everything that happened started to fit together. Details she missed, words blocked out. They all came together to show one thing clear… She bucked up. They were not trying to hurt her. Did her mind make up all of it? She did not know and that was even more horrifying on a truth to swallow. What if Feng did not stop her? How far was her blind fear and rage willing to go? 

 

With that she stopped struggling and looked away from all three of them. This. This is why she can’t have friends. And she knew it. “I…” She trails off, the rage in her face and words gone. After a few moments of deep breaths she spoke up again. “Standing down’ Sir.”

[Bellosh]

 

The collision of bodies that Sunset Shimmer braced for... never happened. Feng used his warrior reflexes to intercept Tempest Shadow beforehand, managing to put the broken-horned mare in a submission hold. Slowly but surely, Tempest abandoned her drive to have at Sunset, and she was able to calm down and follow Feng’s order to stand down.

Breathing a sigh of relief that Feng’s plan worked, Sunset poked the longma to let him know that he was free to let Tempest go. As Feng got up, Sunset sat down next to Tempest and proceeded to continue their conversation as if it was never interrupted. “Back when I was a filly,” Miss Shimmer explained to the other unicorn; “I used to believe that being the best at Magic was all that mattered. If I couldn’t be better than the rest, then nobody was going to care about me.”

Sunset averted her gaze towards the ground; “But one day, I got mad at my mentor. I chose to run away from it all, and in the process, I trapped myself in a place where Magic didn’t exist. It’s... sort of a long story that you’ll probably think I’m making up, but’s true that for quite a long time, I believed I’d never be able to use unicorn magic ever again. It... wasn’t pleasant to cope with.....”

[Blueblood]

Feng breathed out a sigh of relief as his instinct was proved sound.  He could sometimes let his passion get away from him, but the rigors of discipline and training were like iron bands in his soul.  Reliable, as long as one didn't let them rust.  And no one could accuse Feng of letting himself rust...

 

Once the rage was fully drained from Tempest's visage, Feng relaxed his hold and slid off the mare, allowing her to stand on her own.  Dusting himself off, he gave a reassuring smile to Hanabi as Sunset gave her own perspective on the issue of magic-less-ness.  That... wow, that must have been like being grounded.  Injuries had made Feng familiar enough with that, but he wasn't quite sure if the parallel really worked.  Sure, he'd been unable to fly, but he'd also been safe in an infirmary, rather than in combat.  Except on one occasion, in the mountains...

 

"I'm not... sure the worst part is losing access to magic as it is losing access to magic when you're in danger.  Or wings, in my case.  It's happened before, but what got me through is that I wasn't the only one who was on the mission at the time.  It's why solo missions tend to be discouraged... and why I get yelled at every time I go and take one on anyway."  He gave a sheepish grin at that.  Experience had not quite educated him out of certain gung-ho habits.  "But you weren't solo, remember?  You don't ever have to be again, if you don't want to.  It's not being powerless that kills you, it's being alone."

 

And even during this speech, his thoughts were drifting back home, to a beautiful qilin mare he'd once said the very same thing to...

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

Hanabi stepped out from the corner and carefully approached the group. Their own tales of powerlessness resonated with the anxious fox... It hadn't been that long ago she'd felt completely powerless.

"... I made a selfish mistake a long time ago. As a punishment for my actions I was stripped of my own magic and left alone in a forest for almost a hundred years alone until..." She glanced over to feng, "...Until someone started visiting towards the end of my punishment. Before he came along I was alone for all that time... noone to talk to except random wild animals that couldn't speak. Sometimes the rain was heavy and the thunder got so loud when storms rolled through. I couldn't even go see my family for help." 

The Fox bowed her head to the group and to Tempest, "... Thank you for Chasing me."

 

 

[Dusty]

Tempest hated this. She hated every moment of it. Every single word. Act. breath. And yet it was not their fault. They were helping her. Reaching out in forgiveness to try and understand. Yet they did not understand. None of them can or will. She did not hate them. She hated herself. Her weakness. Her failings. She was never strong enough. She never will be. She will never be whole again. She did so much wrong that can never be forgiven. She wanted them too shut up. Too leave her alone. But so much was belding up inside of her. The dam was braking and she was powerless to stop it.

 

“Do you ever just look back on your life… and ask yourself... where did it all go wrong?” She asked, looking at the three of them, her eyes glaring as much as her words. “Can you? Do you even really know what it is like? I wasn’t always the pissed angry mare I am today. I did not drink myself to sleep or go running off in to danger just to feel alive for a few faint moments all my life. Back in the day I used to be… different. Happy. I had hopes, I had dreams! I had plans for my future! Friends! I was going to be the captain of the guard. Fang is living the dream I had… and yet you act as if is meaningless. In the way you talk and act… you want something you can’t have while having what I can only dream of touching again.”

 

“I had it all laid out. I was ready to work hard, make it big, earn bits and get popular… I’d be the %#$$ Spitfire of unicorns! You know the story. Pretty much what every ambitious pony is dreaming of during their filly days. They’d be the best at whatever there talent was. And then… Well…” She trails off, shutting her eyes. She can hear it again. Smell it. Feel it. That hot breath. The pain. Claws. “The world is not fair. We all live blind. We think peace is forever, hope and dreams come true and friendship is magic. Ask the filly crying underneath a news paper from a thunderstorm how wonderful this world is. Ask the filly running for her life how friendship is magic. Ask the filly eating out of the trash how fair life is. Ask the filly watching a town being sacked how peace lasts forever. Ask the filly that found love, just to learn it was was too use her, how love beats all. They say You can only go up when you hit rock bottom. That may be true but you can fall back down, screaming as everything you worked so hard for falls out from underneath you. You three know nothing. You speak of loss on top of the wall of hope.”

 

With that she opens her eyes, staring at them. Even she was… somewhat taken aback at all of that. It was like a flood of feelings she had no power to stop. It felt good to say it all. To speak about how she felt openly yet she knew it did not matter. They'd just say something about friendship with blank smiling faces. No pony can understand. Sometimes she wondered if she even was a pony. It did not feel like it at times. She sighs standing up. “You two look after the Fox. She’s your friend Fang. She just tried running away. She is the one that needs talking to. Not me.” She then turns away from them, walking away.

[Bellosh]

 

...........................

 

.................................................................

Sunset Shimmer was at a complete loss of words as Tempest Shadow laid bare her innermost emotions. This went FAR beyond a simple phobia of losing one’s magic. Rather, it sounded like Tempest despised everything about the path her life had taken. Evidently, turning her back on the Storm King had basically did jack all at changing the broken-horned unicorn’s view of the world.

And honestly, what could a girl like Sunset SAY to things like what Tempest described? How could anybody who once benefited from Friendship — and then lost it all — ever be persuaded to give it another chance when they’re hyper aware of every possible rotten thing life could throw at you? Miss Shimmer wasn’t even sure if offering her personal friendship would help; Tempest Shadow was a proud unicorn afraid of showing weakness, and the ex-apprentice guessed that any attempt at befriending her counterpart that could be perceived as being done out of pity would be categorically rejected.

Unable to immediately form a counter-response to Tempest’s assertions, Sunset merely stood there with a blank stare as the other unicorn started walking off. True, Hanabi attempted to flee from the group several minutes ago... but here she was now attempting to provide gratitude, while Tempest Shadow herself was in the process of retreating from the area after going on a heartfelt tirade. It was doubtful though whether talking to the mare would have any result at this point, but Sunset Shimmer couldn’t bring herself to let her counterpart go without a fight. At the very least, Tempest deserved to know she was worth being chased after.

“.....We’ll see you guys in a little bit,” Sunset informed Feng and Hanabi after several moments elapsed. At this juncture, it was probably best if Tempest Shadow didn’t feel surrounded by strangers. Resolving to get through to her on a one-on-one level, Sunset broke into a relaxed but brisk canter in hopes of quietly catching up to Tempest.....

[Blueblood]

Tempest's response to their encouraging words left Feng... shaken.  Not so much the revelation of what she had gone through, though that was harrowing enough.  No, what really got to him was their marked similarities, so much so that Feng and Tempest could have been the "before" and "after" pair of a warning PSA.  "You're right... I don't know what that's like.  But if I had to give an honest answer to where I saw myself in five years...  That would be a real possibility.  Everyone who knew me growing up certainly expected that.  Probably still do."

 

He didn't know what else to say, besides that.  The longma didn't want to let Tempest go, but sensed, similar to Sunset, that a crowd would not help the situation any.  All he felt that he could do was sit next to Hanabi, and sigh as the adrenaline energy drained from him.

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

This fox was... unsure what to make of this. On some level, This unicorn was right about her. She didn't know what Tempest had gone through and the only thing that she could say for sure gave them common ground was having lost the ability to perform magic for a time. Being a yokai, she was never terribly interested in the bits. In fact, if she found herself ever needing to leave the palace she could leave her restaurant in capital in the hands of whatever next up and coming chef was around and go back to her old ways of wandering about and doing whatever she pleased. 

She did know a thing or two about being vulnerable. The magical power she had wasn't without it's conditions, a clever enough pony could  take the focus of it at any time.  She'd never quite understood this 'friendship magic' that Equestrians spoke of: as far as she could tell it wasn't very different from the Harmonious path of Long Guo. Even in all her time in that country she never quite cared for the monks. The only follower of the path she recalled fully liking was Prince Hei lian. 

 

If anything this told her... how truly different she was from these three. From Feng, himself. Suddenly, she felt worried. Hearing Feng voice that possibility brought up something in her. As Tempest and Sunset walked off, the sullen fox put a paw on Feng's shoulder, "I promised you. That I'd help and cheer you on in every dream you have... I will not let you end up like that, Feng." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dusty]

Sunset hopes of quietly catching up to Tempest were dashed as the mare turns back to face her, as if she heard every hoof step in a tiled room with no other sound. But she did not glare or look angry. Tempest just looked tired but she did not stop walking down the road sayiong nothing. letting Sunet catch up more she starts speaking. “Whatever you are selling, I don’t want it. Friendship speech? Seen at least seven so far.” She says with a shake of her head, looking back down the road.

 

She did not have much more to add. She knew Sunset will keep at it. She had the look. That hopefulness. From what it sounded like Sunset was down in the pit… so was Fang. maybe even Foxy… But they all got out. She never got close it feels like. Every time the rim was in reach. One stretched hoof to freedom she slipped and fell down to the bottom. She was never going to get free. She’d never feel happiness again. Not real happiness. How can she ever hope to fit in well missing something key to being a pony?

 

“Tell me about that… thing. The other world was it? With no magic? Tell me about it.” She asked, glancing at Sunset. She needed to distract herself. That was her life. One distraction to the next to stop herself from thinking too much. Why she loved battle so much. Pushing herself. A distraction to shut the past up.

[Bellosh]

 

The good news was that Tempest Shadow didn’t try shaking Sunset Shimmer off her tail. Whatever her negative thoughts on Friendship were, at least Tempest was accepting companionship at the moment. That was something Sunset could work with.

Suddenly, the broken-horned unicorn asked about... “over there”. Miss Shimmer took a few moments to consider what exactly could be conveyed about the realm without Tempest incredulously laughing in her face, then she spoke. “Honestly, life there isn’t bad at all if you get used to a lack of unicorn magic... and uhh, other changes. One plus of living in a magic-less world is that there’s no monster attacks to worry about... or evil overlords trying to take over the world with ancient relics. That’s something about Equestria I definitely don’t miss at all, teh heh heh!”

As the two unicorns kept walking side-by-side, Sunset glanced towards Tempest; “I should be more precise; Magic DOES exist in this other world after a fashion, but how it manifests is unpredictable, and can’t be reliably reproduced the way unicorn spells can. It took me a while to accept that uncertainty... but then I realized that actually, there’s something cool about not knowing what it’s gonna’ do next. After everything I’ve been through over there, I feel like not knowing something isn’t always so bad! It gives you something to work for.”

Sunset glanced upwards with a fond smile; “Equestria has a magic all its own, but this other world does too! Someone has to figure out how it works there, aaaand... it may as well be me, so..... that’s why I choose to live there.”

[Blueblood]

Well, Sunset had managed to stop Tempest from completely walking away, though the mare hadn't yet turned back to the group as a whole.  Feng still wasn't sure what the right thing to say or do was, but perhaps it would be best to make his attempts one-on-one.  In any case, the burgundy unicorn wasn't the only friend who deserved attention right now.  Hanabi was coming up beside him, and he raised a wing to let her come in closer.  Once she did, he draped it around the fox in a kind of hug, the first such hug he'd given since his sister left for Long Kong, now that he thought about it.  Appropriate enough, as he did view his kitsune friend as a kind of sister.

 

"Thank you, Hanabi.  It's friends like you that keep my hope alive... That must be what they mean in this country, when they say Friendship is Magic.  Powerful magic, indeed; more powerful than any ancestral curse."

[Pretzelparty]

While Hanabi could still make out what both Tempest and sunset were saying, but her attention was firmly fixated on Feng. She'd seen her friend like this before, back when he was younger. Still, that look of helplessness was far too familiar. It was a little different than last time. Back in the forest Feng's wings weren't so large that she could be embraced by them. Now... when she did get closer she found herself hugged up beside the goodhearted Longma.

 

Pressed up so close to the stallion she felt a rush of heat to her face, thank goodness for the fur. It hid the blush well enough but she wasn't too sure about her heart beating away in her chest as joy overflowed within her. To the recently exposed fox, she felt happier than she'd been in years. She wasn't aware of how Feng was feeling about this hug, just enjoying  the closeness and for once, feeling like her hopes with this stallion may not truly be in vain. Hanabi huddled in closer in the embrace, the eight tails starting to sway in content. Her ears perked when Feng spoke up once again... about friendship and the magic it had. Perhaps the Equestrians were on to something.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told you years back, you'll always have it in you to beat this curse you speak of... " She'd heard Feng speak of this family curse when he was young, "... And even if I don't have the power to dispel it now. Maybe I will soon."  With that, Hanabi laid her head against the Longma's shoulder. Happy to take the time to calm her nerves...

[Dusty]

“There's beauty in chaos.” Tempest says back, her eyes fixed on the road ahead as they walked. “And I don't mean the chaos of… say, Discord. His is more a from of disorder than chaos but really that is down to how one uses the word. But my magic is very unpredictable no two spells are ever really the same. Most don’t know that about me… but when I use magic it's bringing order to a storm. Pulling all the bolts together to aim them at something. I never know how they will move I just have to act on it.” She slowed her walk down and took in a deep breath as she relaxed more. 

 

“I can not say I fully believe you. But I can not dismiss it as well. We live in a world where what can or can not happen is often so easily broken with the flick of a horn. Pigs can’t fly until a unicorn gets bored and put wings on one. So some magic gateway to another land can not be dismissed. Just seems rather out there… But so are shape shifting bug-ponies and I…” She tails off, flinching as if something hit her. “I worked for a blasted… thing that walked on two legs and had… ‘fingers’ and may I say fingers are weird. They honestly creep me out. Ever watch something with fingers hold things? Bending them like dozens of tiny legs… It's just… wrong.” She added with a silver as she got back into a steady walking pace well making a turn down another path. 

 

“But let's… get back to you. You live in this other place… What is it like? Are there no unicorns? Just… Earth pony? Pegasus? Something like that?” She asked, finly glancing down at Sunny.

[Bellosh]

 

When Tempest Shadow looked back at Sunset Shimmer, Tempest would see a face with widened eyes, a forced grin, and sweat running down her brow. To her shock, Sunset had realized that in truth, the Mirror World would actually be a place of unimaginable horror for Tempest, as everybody depended on fingers for practically everything. Welp, time to get outta this conversation subject while they still could.

“Ye-yep!” Sunset awkwardly answered the question; “N-no ponies at all, in fact! You know, come to think of it, you’d, eh-heh, probably hate the place anyway. Alternate worlds ARE an acquired taste, after all. ...They’re not for everybody. I mean, besides, it’s not like most ponies can leave EVERYTHING they know behind because they’ve made almost zero friends in Equestria and disowned their fami-”

Miss Shimmer stopped herself, not wanting to inadvertently drown Tempest with her own petty problems. The amber unicorn faked a chuckle; “I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

[Blueblood]

Feng hugged Hanabi a little tighter to him, before relaxing his wing to allow a little airflow.  Las thing you wanted to do was hold a friend under a stinky wingpit.  Not that it was, but such things were a constant background worry for pegasus and longma alike.  "So it would seem, given the results I managed to pull.  Heh, I think I might have taken the Iron Pony title, to tell you the truth.  Not to brag or anything!"  He laughed, standing up to stretch, before looking down on his fox friend with a warm smile.  "Couldn't have done it without ya, thanks."

 

His attention found itself drawn to Sunset and Tempest; he was a little too far to hear what they were saying, and pondered if he ought to go over or not.  "I don't want to abandon them; Empress knows poor Tempest needs all the friends she can get right now, just maybe not right now.  Do you think it's OK to approach them yet?"

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

 

 

HAnabi smiled brightly at Feng's words. That feeling of glee filling her as she was hugged in tighter, and only deflating a little when Feng loosened his grip. Wingpit or no, she was happy to get some affection from this dear friend of hers.  "I wouldn't be surprised." She said as she got up alongside the stallion, "... I was in too much of a hurry to see how the roc climbing went. I'm sure it will be fine, I likely didn't place as high as I did in the cupcake eating." Given her true nature, Hanabi assumed that at this point she may as well have been disqualified. Having concealed her true identity and almost getting caught probably was some form of misconduct that necessitated retribution somehow. 

Feng's worries about Tempest hit a chord with the fox, "... Well, right now they seem to be talking about some other world with no ponies... apparently Sunset has been there before?" Sharp ears could be useful but with a conversation like Sunset and Tempests and no context, Hanabi was truly flummoxed.  She looked back to Feng, "... I would see if they wish to approach us first, but if you think we should. I'll follow."

 

"

[Dusty]

Tempest arched an eyebrow at how odd sunset acted before she just chuckled. “We it seems, are not like most ponies.” She remarked without slowing down her fast walk at all but she did keep her eyes on Sunset now with a glare of a hungry wolf. “You changed topics with all the grace of a drunken sailor spotting a hot mare. I shall take this to mean you worry the topic of this… land will upset me… Do they all have hands? Is that it? Must not walk on all fours than. Dreadful. A two leg species dominated that world yes? If you wish to hide something get better at topic changes and flow.” She added looking away from Sunset, done staring in to the mares very soul with her cold judging eyes. 

 

“It is not mine, so I care not. But do not take them too this one. The last thing we need is more verimen running about.” She says with snort and flick of the ears. “But let's dig into something more fanasting. I… Well, disowned works in some ways, my family as well. And friends… home. All of it. I have no wish to ever see them again save for maybe are servent. She’d be rather old now. But she was more of a mother than my own. And my friends? Some of them were in canterlot. Saw the names on the lists. Posted them for the hardest laber. My last ‘thanks’ for them tossing me to the side.” She frowns. “It did not make me feel better. Much of what happened did not not. So tell me outcast. Why come back? What force drove you to seek the lands you turned from?” She asked all of this without looking at Sunset one time, yet Sunet can feel that the taller unicorn was very away of every movement she made.