Dusty

Tempest grunted with sweat as she rolled the hay bale into place. It was an utter pain in the flank too move it all the way from the fields in to the orchard but with it in place she had a perfect perch to sit and watch the wedding. Safely away from the cordoned off zone where all the gusts were hoarding up like a flock of sheep. No place for a wolf. Laying out a blanket over the hay for more comfortable laying she made herself at home for a long day. She had no real love for weddings; they seemed pointless to her. Why gather such a host just to say you loved some pony? She’d want it more small and close. At most a few of her most trusted friends and have it… oh she knew a few places. Wonderful views in lands untouched… Line it up early, early in the morning so when she makes the vows the sun will just be rising! Oh that’d be perfect...oh! And it MUST be on an airship! Yes! She smiled at such hopeless dreaming. She’d never get married, such a thing was unbelievable to happen. Yet she did dream of it… what was odd. She never did that before… she never even dreamed of love before. What in the buck was going on with her as of late. “Bleh. Needs more airships… And cannons.” She says looking over at Glitters. She had to tag the mare along, when she told glitters about this the mare begged her to come along. How can she say no too Glitters? Well maybe by saying no but the puppy eyes! By Lunas flank the puppy eyes were just evil. “Hope we can steal some cake at least… and drinks. Heard they will have kegs of AJ’s cider out. Going to try and grab a full keg. You got to try it, trust me.”

“I’d be deeply shocked if in all of history no pony ever did tame one. We tamed wolves… Even the skies.” Tempest with a small glance up at the remark before fixing her eyes back on fluttershy. “But I am open to other paths. We shall see. Thank you.” She gives a small nod then trots past fluttershy and makes her way after the Filly. Odd that a filly may know more but then how can she juge? She learned much as a filly as well. Life has ways too make the young know much about this world. Sometimes unwillingly. Stopping at the chicken coop she sat down and stayed outside. Chickens can be rather early spooked by strangers and she really was not in the mood too go running after chickens that she scared. Or being attacked by some. But she did nock on it and spoke up so the filly knew she was outside. “Apple Bloom, when you have a moment I wish to speak with you. No need to rush.” She called out. With that done she looked about the land fluttershy had. It was a cute place. Too cute honestly but she did love how… out of the way it all was. Tied in to the land. She did like that a lot. One thing she and fluttershy did seem to share in full was dislike of being too close to urban life.

As much as Tempest wanted the moment to last forever it like all things must end. So with one last nuzzle in to glitters mane she got up to cook, only to see glitter spring up and take lead in the cooking. It was a shock and made her worry seeing the mare rush to move like this, but soon took it as a blessing. Glitter was clearly feeling much better and stronger. Maybe the moment they had together helped more than she knew. “I have some dates, very good travel food.” she offered to add in the meal, then looked out too the cave entrance. The storm did seem to be dying off. She trotted closer to the entrance and peaked out to see the clearing skies. She sniffs at the air a few times then walks back inside. “After we eat I will head out and try to work out where we are. I think I can get up the cliffside. Give me a good view to work off.” She explained as she sat down by the fire. “Then we make ready for the trip back to the city. We can’t be too far, at most half a day. But if we get lost… Well, I hate to be stuck in the open if another storm hits. Dying as some ice sculpture is not on my list of ways too go.” She says with a small smile and wink.

“Easly.” Tempest says back, a cold bluntness in her words. “Like so many others. Turn around and leave me to suffer. You have every reason to do that and nothing to grain from this but pain.” she added before moving, pushing herself closer to Glitter as she embraced the mare in a wordless hug. After a few moments she pushed her nose against Glitters forehead, gently nuzzling the mare with it with deep breaths. She can’t explain why she did it. Just that in the moment it made so much pain fade away. A tiny glittering moment of something that may have been. Another world and place where she was happy, peaceful and had some pony that loved her. A world that can never happen now. Can it? How can something good ever come from this wasted life in this worthless world? It was the day dreaming of a filly. Yet she did not want to toss out such dreams. No matter how hopeless they may be it was a dream worth holding on to with all four legs. “I don’t want to leave.” She whimpers, finly admitting the truth. “I don’t want to run away again. I’m a broken mutt of a pony. A stay dog with no hope left but you seem… to have a thing for taking in such things.” She says still embracing the mare. Glitter was many things. And just maybe one of them can be a way to a better life. Just maybe. Burnt bridges can be replaced with new ones. Well the old may be forever lost, the path can be remade, maybe even better. Maybe she can do the same with Glitter. Her stomach fussed again, sounding like a starving wolf. “I think I need to make food.” She says learning her hug relaxe and freeing the mare from it. She did not want to let go yet. She was scared the moment will be gone if she did. Lost like tears falling in a river. For one beautiful moment she did not feel alone in this world and in it she felt a smile on her lips. She was happy. True happiness. Even if it was fleeting… that feeling was a rush of life she so deeply needed and with it, for the first time in years… she felt like she took one step out from the pit her soul was in.

Tempest’s ears twitched as she looked down at the passing filly. Apple Bloom. She was a nice filly and well behaved. Mostly. She didn't mind her all too much whenever she was crashing at AJ’s place. “I’m here to learn.” She says to the filly before looking back at Shy. “I wish to have a pet. I have a need for companionship on my travels. One that can keep pace and is fine living outdoors much as I do. As such I wish to tame a Timberwolf, they have held a place in my heart for some time. Even as a filly. But I wish to take the utmost care of it. So I hope you’d know something about them to help me.” She explained in her deadpan tone. Her face blank and not betraying much in the way of how she felt.

Tempest marched down the dirt road to the sound of clanking metal and her own humming as a song hung in her head. It was a song not fit for singing in such public places yet she can’t help but hum along to the beat in her head. It was good for long walks and benefited her good mood. Things have on a full, been well as of late. She may even go so far as too call things ‘good’. She just can’t shake such feelings as of late. And acting on this… upward feelings she was going to talk to a mare that in most ways she found unbearable yet fluttershy was vastly better in every way to some others… Say the pink one. Be it the one with wings and a horn or nether. Both were utterly dreadful and made Fluttershy seem like a glittering beacon of enjoyment. And maybe that can be more true today. For some time she has debated about owning a pet and after much thinking felt that she’d be better off with one. She needed companionship. Stopping at the gates she eyed tham. Open now. About time. She’s cheeked four times already. Did this place really just open midday? Fluttershy it seems was no moreing mare. But it was open and that is all that matters. Walking past the open gates she looked for the yellow mare. Looking down she saw fresh tracks and just followed them until she found the mare and called out. Softly. “Fluttershy.” She says in a flat soft voice, hoping it will not spook the mare. Last thing she needed was to get her down from some tree.

“Six drinks! Let slip the dogs of war!” Soon as they walked in it was show, pony, giffin and more all drinking side by side as one unicorn mare stood on a table with a dozen mugs floating about her as she drank and sang. “I’m gonna start a buckin' riot til I’m tossed out the front door! Eight drinks! Maybe I’ve lost count?! I can’t remember what I drank, or the amount!” She then fits three mugs to her muzzle and chugs all three as the onlookers go nuts cheering. “Twelve drinks!” She yells before falling off the table. Draco just walked over her as he looked for a table, but he did flip her a coin. “Make it Thirteen lass.” He says before sitting down at the table she just fell off and slams his fist down two times. “HAY! THREE ROUNDS UP AND TWO ROASTS!” He had too scream over all the sound of the bar for the female giffin to hear him. She nods and runs off to fill the order. “Ah, smell that?” He asked, sniffing the air. Ever all the smells of a dozen or more unwashed sailers one can pick up the scent of roasting meat. “Mm, smells like duck?” He wonders before looking over at his two crew mates as they sit down. “And Akairo you eat meat? Got a favorite prey?” He asked with a grin and a click of his beak.

With a clash the two meet again, more driven than ever she pushed hard on the attack. That one small slip up was… worrying. Not world ending. Far from it. In the heat of battle it's easy to miss something like that. She hoped. But she can not worry long, her focus taken by the battle at hoof. This time it was much faster. Pushing in hard she forced the block she wanted and locked the hook of her ace over the handle of the aposeing weapon and forced it upwordes more. She did not think the bull would lose his grip and he did not. but she had no aim to disarm him with this move. All she needed was him to focus on keeping his axe as she let one hoof slip free and strike with the leading edge of her hoof at his neck. He reeled back while wheezing, losing the grip on his weapon. She let go of her own unleashed a storm of blows on the bull as he fell down. Wearever he failed to block she hit. Chest. Nethers. Neck. head. It did not matter where so long as he was not blocking. When he stopped she continued to rain blows on him, unrelenting in the onslaught until finly it registered in her mind that he wasn't moving. She felt… weird. wrong. She lost control of herself and felt ashamed in some deep part of her soul. But she has won. What did she do now? Looking up to the battle it seemed to be in the winning strokes now. They won. Looking back at the bull she saw his chest moving. He was alive still. She was ordered to kill him. Kill and take his helm. Easy. She picked her axe back up and chewed on the handle in her muzzle as a small part of her protested what she was about too do. She’s killed before. So why was this so daunting? “Sorry.” She whispers, unsure why as she swings the weapon down one last time. ---- Holding the helm by its straps she made her way back to the Jarl. She’s done what he wanted, killed the bull and got the helm. Yet she felt wrong about all of it. Was this really what she was doing? Why WAS she doing this? Why did she feel so much need to win even a glance of respect from him? Did she crave that feeling of self worth this much? But for all the protest her mind gave her she kept walking to him. She can go home whenever. Leave. Just a few days more of this will not hurt. Will it?

Tempest did not protest against Glitter and the snuggling or magic. She wanted it to last forever in a way. This tiny ember of something so lost warmed her in ways nothing has ever done before. It was terrifying in a way yet she was even more scared to let the ember go, fearful it would die out the moment she did. And so she laid unmoving for what felt like hours. But she was not sure if it was. Time felt slow, like a crawl yet to fast all the same. She only broke her unmoving silence when her stomach made it very clear it was done with all this laying around and lack of cooking. But she did not wish to move yet… she did not want Glitter to let go. So words were all she let slip. “I’m… I’m sorry. For everything. I missed you so much I… I hated you. But I… Never really did. I hate it. I hate myself. I hate what I am.” She felt like an old door was being forced open. One locked up for far, far too long. “I’m a monster. I have done awful things and look at me. Look where I am. I’m not happy. I’m no better than when I was a filly running away so long ago. All I have done. All the suffering. Pain. And… Nothing. I’d have died just like that filly so long ago. Just… Why did you do it?” She asked, she had too ask. She did not know why she did. She knew what glitter would say. ‘Too save you.’ but that’s not what she wanted to know. She just did not know how too ask what she really did want to know. She was too scared to ask what may destroy this moment.

Niilavin rolls his eyes with a groan at Blues remark. He was still regretting that trick he pulled with them it seems. “[The spell may stop me from harming you but nothing says I can’t change you forever in to a sphinx master.]” not that he had a way too do that at all. Or knew where to start. But he was not about too take such teasing laying down! “[Even if that is more of an upgrade then downgrade if you ask me.]” He added with a chuckle. Looking back at Star he nodded his head. “Yes, that sound… Good. Need talk more. Help me do better. Pony talk… is… Weird. Like a song spoken.” He explained before watching blue talk about something with… A Ponyville. That is where the master goes to do some work from time to time. Were they moving there? Did not matter, he had too go wherever the master whent. He just hoped it had more open space, this city was not fit for a growing sphinx. Let alone a full sized pride king that he’d be some day.

As Glitter slumped down next to her Tempest felt her heart sink, she could see the pain in the movement and reached out, placing a foreleg over the mare without thinking. She felt lost as to what to do about this, how too act with Glitter laying down so close looking at her. So Tempest did nothing, just looking down at the mare she cared about and missed for so long. For the briefest of moments she felt younger. Pain free without a care in the world with her best friend. But realty never let her daydream for long. “Glitter… You know I have too. I… We…” She trailed off, the blank cold face of hers twitching as it barely held back the feelings it masked. Every time she tried to speak the words seemed to die before they left her muzzle. She felt helpless and clueless as to what too do. What to say. How many pointless things have she used to fill in this hole? Mares, violence, drinks and so much more. All to fill that deep gash in her soul that she inflicted on herself and blamed others for. And none it worked. She let out a deep gasp as air rushed in to her lungs, leaving her panting from how long she held her own breath without knowing. It left her sputtering and spitting out her cigarette before she dropped her head down on the cold stone floor and covered it with a leg as the mask shattered. She can’t keep it up any more. All of this was too much. She was miserable, hopeless and aimless. Just spinning in place hoping to never wake up again and face the fact her life was a joke. Worthless. Pointless. She can’t burden glitter with it, how can she? How can she come back after so long and dump this dead pony walking on Glitters doormat. She needed to remember Flizzy, happy and brave. Not Tempest. Not this broken, scared, hopeless mare. Everypony just put up with her. Acted like they enjoyed her out of some pity for the sad state of a mare she was. All she did was destroy. All she can do is destroy.

She has seen much in her life in a dozen war zones as she made one kingdom after another drop down and beg for mercy in the name of the Storm King. Yet in all that time she’d never seen something so insane as to drop ships out of the sky with troops on them. It left her standing with a dumbfounded look of shock at the sheer audacity of the move. Yet her shock was broken as the red Jarl grabbed and pulled her in close, his words booming in her ears forcing herself back to reality and the beast of a bull yelling at her… and she loved it. Orders were not given but delivered with force and fact. She nodded her head, eyes unflinching before the bull as he aimed her at the pray and pushed. She did not need more motivation to rush ahead at the loyalist warrior, grabbing her own poleaxe in muzzle. Her charge was not blinde as she leaped over spear and axe with the grace of a leopard on the hunt. Her heart beat like a drum as she saw the wolves in the corner of her vision. Constructs of her imagination born in her harsh youth. Friends and foes all in one. Ever taunting her, ever pushing her to be more. Monsters to keep in the cage well heading their advice. Yet they did not speak as the hunt was on and in this they can be united with her and let free. She was the hunter now. And without a word she made contact, axe swinging as the loyalist warrior barely had time to react. Sparks raced in to the sky as she let the axe go, pushing onward with a hoof strike at his face. The bull stumbled over his down flank from the blow as the two clashed in a close and deadly wrestling match as both pushed and hit the other for the fallen axes. He was on the back hoof a first, taken back by the raw aggression and speed of her blows. She held nothing back even as a tiny voice cried. The wolves just laughed at it. This is what she really was after all. Forcing her back hooves to meet the bulls stomach she kicked him off. Pulling herself up she got her axe back as he rolled to his hooves and jumped up, yet he backed off from her. Everything was. She was confused as to why for a brief moment as it clicked. Her antlers were shimmering with rolling magic electricity. She never used magic before when disguised like this, she did not know if it was possible and that blindness to it let her slip up. It was easy to stop it, as soon as she thinked about it the magic was put back in its place. Yet others saw it. Gripping her axe harder she cussed underneath her breath and pushed in to a charge at the bull with the rage of a berserker, it was his fault that happened and he must die for it. She can work out what to do with the others that saw it later.

“Important meetings tend to make us have to go to rather dreadful places. Leave it to the rich and powerful to have some of the worst tastes possible in decor and food.” Tempest says with a roll of her eyes and snort, she was never at home in such settings. Even city life punished it for her. But these meetings were the worst. Well she never had to talk, she was there after all to just look tall and scary, she still had to hear them talk. She felt sorry for Ice having too speak to them and deal with that madness. But such matters were not at hoof. Good food is too be had. Leaning her head to the side she thinks about what they say and shrugs. “Fine, I think I know of the place. It's a favorite for the techies, they get it too go all the time to eat here. Will give it a try and just stick clear of noodles. Heh.” With that she trots for the door and holds it open for the other two mares.

before she joined the Storm King's army. She did so many times after. Cooking over an open fire. She can still think back too the first few times. The raw joy of starting a fire and the many, many failed attempts too cook food. Yet she did. She trained herself to cook. To live. Yet for all of that she was alone. Ny her own wishes many times. Yet now she had Glitter laying there, watching her every move. Somehow it felt… like this was the way it was supposed to be. “If I knew what it was, I’d have taken some TNT.” She says with words dripping with utter hatred for the best. She’d kill it. Without blinking an eye she’d wach it be blown into a red mist. If they even did that… What does a bear made out of stars blow up in to? “Sooner or later it has to be dealt with. It will only get more brave and soon you will have more than missing livestock.” She added looking over at Glitter, eyes forced the still fresh wounds on the mares body. She pulled her eyes away, shaking her head. “Glitter…” She trailed off soon as she spoke as she gazed in to the fire. She had to say something. “Glitter I… I missed you.” The words felt painful to even say. It was the truth yet it felt like chewing on glass to say it. There was so much missing from it. How can she even explain it? She was just some bucked up mare that can barely function in a social setting. But she can't keep danceing around this.

Niilavin lets out a deep chuckle as blue explains things. It seems this is one of the guards Blue is rather close with. Well the act of… laying with a guard is still very odd for Niilavin to think about it was what it was. Now if only was another sphinx about. “[You gather an odd host master. I feel not so out of place with such a peculiar line up before me! Shame you have yet to pick up another of my kin to join in this pride of oddballs.]” He says with smirk. He then looked down at the large mare as she talked to him. He did now bow back, such is not the way of a sphinx. But he did give her a respectful nod of the head. “Helloo…” He trailed off as a flying maid whispers in his ear. “Star.. Cra-Say-Dar. Good… meeting yes. Talk… Not good. But I am of… I do wellcome… Talk… later.” He struggles with the words and grammar. But he was not doing half bad with this language given how new he is to it. His severts being the true heros in his learning as they helped and nuge him to speak in it more and more every day.

Niilavin looks over at the new faces, wavering a paw at them before puting his maid/toy down. Rolling over onto his belly he gets up, stretching and yawning showing off his teeth and claws before walking over to blue and eyeing up the other ponies. He’s never seen them before. But he is still very new here so that was not shocking. “Hee… He-low.” He says struggling some with the word. “Ti-ga-blood.” He gets some nooding from his maids as one flies close to his ears and whispers in them. “Helow… hello!” He says with the help of the maid whispering to him. They were doing much of the teaching and he was teaching them his dead language back. It helped make learning more fun as he got to teach them as well. At least he did not have this struggle with Blue, thanks to the magic that made him spell bound to Blue they both understand another perfectly. His eyes then fall on Captain Star Crusader. She was big! Biggest pony he’s yet seen. Leaning down to eye her up he speaks in his dead language. “[Master, why is she so big? Is she a hunter as well? What prey?]” He asked, just assuming she must be a predator to be so strong and big. Then he looked over at Dunnie and her mask. Why did she have that on? “[Why must this one hide her face? Is she a leper? Don’t think it is wise to let one walk if so. The curse loves to spread to others and trap them in its dark magic.]” the last for him to inspect was Tiger. “[And this one looks wild, from the lands far away. Or not so far now. They do well in the gladiator arenas of the pegasus lands I am told. Is he for that? He looks strong and fit for such use.]” He remarked looking at Blue to see what all of this was about.

“Good, that’s about all we got.” Tempest says after blowing smoke out of her nose. She loved doing that trick as it made her feel like a dragon. She got up and started to look for the oats when she was called for again. She looked over at glitter as the mare talked, then chuckled before walking over and using her head and neck to help left glitters up, then letting the mare lean on her as they gently walked closer to the mouth of the cav. “Hay… Glitter. Can. Can you do something. I hate asking you to do anything. But please don’t call me… The F name. I don’t like it. I really don’t like it. It hurts. Just call me… Temtem. Temy. whatever. Just not the F word.” She asked well they walked, feeling ashamed to even ask it. But she had to do it. Every time Glitter spoke that blasted name it felt like a dagger was being twisted in her chest. It was a dad name for a dead filly and it needed to be kept that way. He can never be that filly again. But she can be something more than Tempest. Leaning her head away from Glitter she let out a huff of smoke. She hated that she had even more vices nowadays. But at least this one made her relaxe. A small window of peace from the howling darkness sitting just out of view but always following her. Ready. Wanting. All for her to slip and allow it inside. That worry fades away in the smoke. For a time. As they reach the opening and the screaming storm outside she keeps looking away from Glitter, but stays by her side to not let the mare fall down. “Well, do what you got to do. I’m not looking.” She says rolling her eyes, even if Glitter can’t see it.

As the door opens the sound of a mare shouting can be heard. Yet, not a scream of fear but enjoyment as an unicorn maid can be seen shooting up in the air. Below her laying on his back was the beast known as a sphinx. Far larger than a yak or even the royal sisters it was juggling the main in the air. Launching her skyward with his paws as two pegasus maids stay close just in case. Yet his aim was true, every time she came back down a large powerful paw met her to send the mare skyward again. And it seems she wanted this given her cries of enjoyment and waving at the two flying maids. And like all maids given to this sphinx they were dressed oddly. Not like modern maids like the servants of ancient times. They even had on makeup styled after his ancient homeland to match the clothing. A small taste of his lost home to make the sphinx more relaxed in this odd modern time. “Hello! … Blue!” He spoke in a very heavy accent, his words heavy hoofed. Yet he was getting better at speaking to others in this new language. A useful skill as nopony but Blue can understand him otherwise. “Day… Very good. Yes?” He added as the maid landed on a paw and he did not toss her again. His focus now on speaking in the new language he was learning.

--------------------------- “At least I don’t run away from every single problem!” The ‘Twilight’ yelled back slamming a hoof down that seemed to shake all the room. “Where would you even be without me? Some oh so evil overlord of some school? And then what? I have seen fillys with more threatening plans and power than that. I don’t run away from my problems Sunset. Even if I panic. Even if I’m scared I turn and face them head on. So don’t you dare drag my name in the mud and act as if you of all ponies are better than me. I never ran away to hide with humans than try to take them over out of some petty anger at how unsocial I am!” She added as her horn glowed with power, eyes focused on Sunset. Tempest just stands on the side looking utterly confused as to… Everything. What was a human? Was… oh. Sunny did say something about them in passing. Tall hairless things… well some fur. It was weird and they sounded creepy. “Hay uh, Twi. Ya she’s not the most good at the social thing but she’s doing better than me. I mean she was my first friend so… that has to count for something? She even put up living with me in a tiny-flank wagon for over a week! That alone is pretty… amazing given how abrasive I am.” She explained to the tall Twi. Twilight looked to her side at Tempest with a confused look, as if she’s never even seen the mare before. “Stay out of this as you are hardly better. At least Sunset didn't run off into the woods like some run away do to her filly friends leave…” she blinked. “Do I seriously know three ponies that ran away from home and became evil JUST because they suck at dealing with social situations?” Tempest just blinked in shock and looked at Sunset. Well that didn't go as she planned. ---------------------------