Taming a Tempest

by XD-385

With the erasure of Ruin, Equestria is at peace once more and its heroes rest. But the shattered soul known as Tempest Shadow still searches for her place in the world in the wake of her crimes. The one who defeated her, and chose to help her, may be the only one to heal her scarred soul.

2. Braving the Storm

A week passed since I first really started to allow myself to relax around Tempest Shadow... Wait, she had her name changed, right? Violet Acai? Oh, right. Nightshade Holly. Still need to phase that old name out of my vocabulary. Regardless, I did promise I would stop by to visit her on Sunday since those are the days I have the most free time. Fluttershy helped work things around to insure I would not be needed that afternoon and evening. I decided to head out less than an hour after having lunch. I even made it a point to pick up a train schedule to make sure I would know when the next Canterlot train would be leaving throughout the week and at the most convenient times.

The weather today had me concerned. With autumn setting in, the weather is getting cooler and the weather teams are making the weather get wetter too. The clouds have been dark all day and the wind was picking up, forcing me to don long pants and a hooded jacket. I left on the train roughly around 1 PM and even brought along my DSi to help pass the time since I seldom get the chance to use it anymore. And it did. For roughly ten minutes. Then the rain started to come down on the entire mountain the train was climbing.

I put my little entertainment device away and just watched the horizon through the water cascading down the windows. It was much a miserable yet calming atmosphere that almost made me pass out for a nap. The conductor had to rouse me when the train pulled into the station up in Canterlot. Stepping out onto the train platform, I found the weather had not changed. Rain was pouring down at a reasonable pace, but it was not the kind of lukewarm rain that I enjoy taking walks in. This rain was unpleasantly cool and the dark skyline made it feel like it was much later in the day than it really was to the point where the streetlamps had turned on. I pulled my hood over my head and continued on my way with the intention of getting out of the rain as quickly as I could.

Unsure of where to go first, I decided to swing by Tempest's apartment first to see if she was allowed to stay home or if she had not left for work yet. I could not imagine her up on stage soaked to the bone since I know she does not own an umbrella. I reached the apartment complex without trouble with the streetlamps guiding me as their glow shone through the dreary storm. It almost felt like a bad omen which, knowing Nightshade Ho... Am I still calling her Tempest above? Drat. Focus. Nightshade Holly. Her name is Nightshade Holly. Get it right.

As I was saying, this storm left me feeling that I would find something wrong with Holly once I got there. Knowing her delicate sense of self right now, it would not surprise me. I approached the complex at the very edge of town as the storm seemed to threaten to send it sliding down the mountain in a mudslide and stepped inside. The lights in the tiny lobby were not even on with it being in the mid afternoon, lending to it an even more depressing atmosphere than I expected. No sound reached my ears aside from the storm outside as a thunderclap joined the pattering of the raindrops.

I lowered my hood as the rain soaked into my jacket and quietly made my way up the stairs with water dripping off of me. When I reached the first door, I tried peeking through the peephole. I know it is not really meant to be used the other way around, but I could swear I could see Nightshade Holly's color scheme somewhere on the other side. I reached for the doorknob and gave it a turn, surprised to find that it was unlocked.

Holly immediately turned her head to look my way when she heard the door open, though her look of alarm turned into a gaze of concern once she saw me. She began to climb down from her sofa before asking, "Are you all right? I didn't think the rain was going to be that bad, but..."

"Nah, it's cool. Well, the rain is pretty cool today, but I'm all right." I replied while unzipping and removing my jacket before hanging it on some confidently placed coat hooks mounted on the wall just to my right. The room's ceiling light was on, bathing the plain white room in a comforting glow as the storm raged outside.

The mare before me eyed me with concern and maybe a hint of guilt. My shirt and arms were somewhat moist since my jacket was designed to keep out the cold more than keeping out the rain. Had I known it would be that bad, I would have also brought an umbrella. She then muttered, "You did say you'd be here today... I almost forgot you were coming."

Still so melancholy. I stepped towards her and rubbed my hand over her head. "I wasn't going to forget about you. A little rain wasn't going to keep me away. Did you miss me?"

I saw a slight smile creep across her face while she leaned into my grasp. "Yes..."

I could not help smiling as well. "I missed you too."

The smile that spread across Holly's lips was one of the most sincere I had seen out of her in a while. And I was actually looking forward to seeing her again. After a moment more of just stroking her head, I noticed Holly back up and start to lean back on her haunches, but not quite to a sitting position. It looked like she was tensing up her legs for a jump. Her face showed caution, as if she was unsure if she should go through with it or not.

I could see what it was she wanted. She just wanted to be held by someone who cares for her. It must have been ages since being held in the arms of someone who loves her. I grunted in a suppressed chuckle before hold out my arms to catch her. Her eyes opened wider in some small delight as she recognized my invitation. With one great bound, she sprang up to me and into my arms as her hooves hooked over my shoulders and her hind legs clung to my sides. My right arm reached over her back while my left supported her hips. Once I had properly got a hold of her, she adjusted the positioning over her own arms to wrap around my torso in an embrace while her head rested on my shoulder. She let out a sigh of relaxation while I inhaled deeply with my nose touching her mane, picking up the faint natural scent of her hair. For as tall as she is, her weight is roughly the same as Rarity's. I soon whispered into her ear, "You're really cute when you want to be."

Her grasp on me tightened in response, but she remained silent. I could tell she was happy though. Or at least happier than when I last saw her. I carried her over to the sofa and took a seat before leaning back on it with her atop me. We just laid there for a moment, my hand stroking Holly's back all the way down to the base of her tail. She just sighed in relaxation as she still clung to me as if I was the one pillar of stability in her life. While my right hand stroked down the length of her back, my other hand rose to Holly's horn. I traced the thin spiraling grooves that ran up its length to the tip of her horn like a conduit, moving my finger around it to follow the spiral until it reached the very top. She sighed at my tender touch, calming herself just as much as she was calming me. She made me happy to have gone out of my way to see her.

I kept rubbing the tip of my finger up and down the spiraling grooves of that precious horn, rubbing it tenderly after Holly had gone so long without it. From the tip of her horn to the top of her forehead my finger slid. After rubbing my finger along that line from top to bottom three times, I got an interesting response. Holly's magic aura began to gently resonate through her horn. It did not billow like one would when channeling their magic to cast a spell. It seemed entirely passive to the point where she did not even seem to be aware of it. It surrounded her horn like a gas as I kept stroking her back to keep her placated and satisfied while I watched. A moment later, a shape began to take form at the tip of her horn and soon detached from it like a bubble that drifted over us and soon landed in my hand. It was a heart-shaped magic bubble composed of Holly's magic aura that was no larger than a cherry. Seconds later, it popped and dissipated like a real bubble would. Her horn's magic aura soon faded away as if nothing had happened. I could only smile. Whether she was aware of that little gesture or not, it was quite charming.

After letting out a sigh, I happened to look to my right and see what Holly had likely been doing when I first came in. And it was not what I expected. Sitting on the table beside us was a child's coloring book and a small box of colored pencils. Definitely not something an adult mare would be using for entertainment. I would have been less surprised to see her filling in a book of crossword puzzles. I stopped stroking her back and reached over to pick up the book and take a look at the pages. Definitely children material. One side was very finely colored in with fitting colors that displayed smiling flowers while the other side was only partially complete. It seemed to depict an umbrella. Oddly fitting considering the weather we were having. I then quietly asked, "Where did you get this?"

The calm and relaxation I felt from Holly instantly disappeared as she instantly tensed up. She turned her head to look at her art book and frowned. "I picked that up while going for a walk. It was part of a school bargain and..."

"OK... But aren't you a bit old for this? Or were you just bored?" I asked in return, somewhat puzzled by this choice in entertainment. She did not even have the phonograph playing music to help create a calming atmosphere while doing it.

There was a moment of hesitation before she let out a defeated sigh. "I was...reminiscing."

I said nothing for a moment. I tried to process that word. She was...thinking about the past? Or rather...revisiting the childhood she had lost. I set the book back down while she rested her head back on my shoulder, the sense of quiet joy having faded. I once more wrapped my arms around her and asked, "You missed out on a good portion of your youth, right...? Do you...want to talk about it?"

Holly let out a long sigh. "I spent more than ten years as a wandering vagrant. I didn't even complete elementary school... My own family didn't even step up to help me... I just gave up on finding anyone and left and never looked back... Maybe I was too hasty in giving up..."

She really did not seem willing to go into any of the finer details of the life she led. A dark time of her life that is likely best forgotten. Still, I was not feeling any disappointment in her. I know how nostalgia feels. Doodling in that book was likely a means to help her cope with the proper life she was denied when everything just stopped back then. I whispered right into her ear, "Well... If things turned out differently back then, you might not have found me."

I felt her grasp on me tighten once more. She whispered in a shaky voice, "Maybe... I don't know where I'd be right now, but... You're the best thing that's ever happened to me..."

I leaned my head against hers to let her know I heard and understood her words. Once more, her horn's passive aura reacted and released another one of those little heart bubbles. She still seemed oblivious. I suppose it was an emotional response to stimuli. My guess is that it was her body showing that she felt happy. Or at the very least felt gratitude for whatever was happening.

My eyes fell upon the book and pencils. How sad... The latter half of her childhood robbed from her entirely through complete neglect during a time where she was in desperate need of specialized treatment. Or at least someone with a caring heart to provide her with emotional support. With the clues I could put together, such as her parent's sheer indifference to her life-changing injury and her faint upper Canterlot accent in her voice, Nightshade Holly just might have been born to members of the Canterlot elite. I was curious if her parents, whoever they are, would take a second look at them the entire Canterlot elite was practically humbled by the destruction of the city a few years back, but I was not going to ask Holly if she wanted to cross that bridge again. She likely burned that to the ground years ago. That life is gone and she had no interest in returning to it under any circumstances.

I did not want her to dwell on such miserable memories, so I tried to think of something that could be done while we were stuck indoors even as the thunderstorm shook the complex with a loud thunderclap. It was then that I noticed a firmness in my pocket. My DSi was still there. A thought came to me. Perhaps I should let her play it?

Knowing that video games are excellent sources of entertainment, I decided to trust her with handling it. I scratched her ear with the tip of my finger to get her attention. "Hey... If you want to really revisit your childhood, I've got something with me that absolutely anyone can enjoy at any age."

Holly lifted her head to look at me, her unhappy expression now having a faint hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Like what...?"

"Well..." I muttered before pushing her off of me and to a sitting position. I then reached into my pocket and pulled out my DSi. Still completely dry. Tempest's eyes opened wider as she eyed the light blue device in puzzlement. "It's a little something from where I come from. And I think you'll like it."

I flipped the device open and pressed the button to turn it on while turning it towards Holly so she could see the screens. The startup jingle played as Holly's expression brightened into genuine interest as the system's menu screen came up. "This looks...beyond any sort of electronic device I've seen..."

"Yeah, the world I come from has Equestria beat in terms of technological progress. But that doesn't define what makes the better world. I just hold onto this as a keepsake and a source of entertainment on occasion." I explained before happening to notice that Holly's entire chest and belly was now smeared with some of the condensation that had leaked through my jacket. Not really wet, but her coat was now looking uneven. "Uh... Sorry about getting you wet there."

"Huh? You did?" She then asked before looking herself over and then brushing her hoof down over her chest to try and even out her moist coat. "It's nothing... So... What are we doing with this?"

"You're gonna play it, obviously." I said with a smirk. I then laid back down on the sofa and beckoned Holly to join me by lying on me. Well, I was still sitting up a bit so she would actually be leaning back into me. Holly showed a small smile and crawled forward before spinning herself around and falling back against me with her head next to mine. I then held out the DSi before her. "Go ahead and take it. But be careful."

"Um... All right." Holly mumbled before she reached up and held it between her hooves. She used her magic to press the buttons and D-pad to control whatever was happening on screen. "It can play music? And...it's a camera too?"

"Go ahead and check out the album if you want." I said with a smile. There were some memories on there she would like to see.

"Um... OK." Holly said briefly before selecting it. She recognized the first photo right away. "That's you and Fluttershy! And... That's a lot of baby bunnies."

"Mmhm. That was my fifth day in Equestria, if memory serves." I replied, thinking back to that day from so long ago without being that long ago at all. The start of something special that would lead to where I am now. "And it was the day Fluttershy confessed to me..."

Holly glanced at me and asked, "Really? That day was when the two of you...?"

"Well, we didn't get married until a couple of years later. But yeah. That day was where it all started." I said quietly while thinking back to that day. "She wrote a love letter, but chickened out on sending it, so Angel played cupid and delivered it himself. That little guy really does go out of his way to look out for her sometimes."

I heard a little giggle from Holly as she brought a wrist to her lips. She had begun to use her magic to hold my DSi aloft instead of her hooves by that point. "Well, it sounds like everything worked out well for you. You two always look so happy together every time I've seen you..."

I folded my arms over Holly's chest to hold her close to me. "Yeah... All things considered, I'm happy with the fact that she became my wife. She's such a good mom too. Anyway, keep browsing. You can see anything I've taken."

Holly kept browsing the many photos I had taken over the years. She adored all of the photos I took of Gladesong when she was still just a newborn. The photos I took with my friends also got some endearing smiles out of her. Finally, she then asked, "James... May I ask you a favor?"

"Sure. What's up?" I replied while she looked at me over her shoulder.

Holly paused momentarily as she seemed to juggle the question around in her head for a moment. She then asked, "Could I...take a photo of us together?"

I just stared at her for a moment. It was not a request I saw coming at all. Regardless, I saw nothing wrong with it. "Sure. You may want to use the inner camera so you can see what it's looking at. It's that little lens right in the middle of the hinge between the two halves."

"It has two lenses? Um... Oh, there. Now... Um... I think I think I see how this works." Holly muttered while exploring the rest of the camera function. She soon got it working as I soon saw us being reflected on one of the screens now that the camera lens was active and viewing us. I saw Holly smile cutely once she could see ourselves looking back on the screen.

"Just press in one of the buttons on the top corners. The shoulder buttons." I then said in an attempt to instruct her on how to actually work the camera. I realized that she had found the proper angle she wanted once the camera stopped pivoting. I leaned forward a bit to secure Holly even more in my embrace while looking up at the camera out of the corner of my eyes. She was smiling quite believably as I heard the camera click. It then drifted closer so we could admire the new photo. "Looks like you got a good one, Holly."

She said nothing at first. All she did was observe the photo in silence as my DSi floated before her. She seemed very happy with it. Almost to the point of being spellbound by it. Eventually, she did break the silence. "James... Could I ask you one more favor?"

"Name it." I whispered while bringing my head closer to hers.

She spoke her request without even looking at me. "From now on... Whenever we're together... Can you please bring this thing with you? So we can record more memories together?"

I was left at a loss for words. It was not what she requested of me that really shook me, but the words she used. She did not want to use my DSi's camera to take photos. She wanted to use it to record memories. To take photos specifically to look back on happy times. I quickly deduced why. She wanted to make up for all those wasted years spent wandering as an aimless vagabond by getting the most out of the years that followed and being able to look back on those new memories. I felt compelled to grant this request for her. And so I leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "I will. Always."

I felt her lean more heavily into me, turning her head and resting the side of her face against mine. "Thank you... It means a lot to me."

"Anytime. Now then... If you're done with the camera..." I then asked softly while turning my gaze up to the DSi before us. "How about starting on what this thing is really meant to do?"

"Huh? Um... Wait, this? Super...Mario 64 DS? Um... What is the 64 and DS for? And who's Mario?" She asked after returning to the system's main menu and scrolling to the left.

"Mario? He's the guy with the moustache and the red hat right there. As for 64... Long story. And the DS means it was made specifically for this system. And in case you didn't notice, the DS stands for 'dual screen'." I then explained before pointing to the bottom screen. "Speaking of which, do you think you could use your magic to apply a bit of pressure right there to select it?"

"You mean like...this?" Holly then asked while I noticed a sparking aqua green aura appear against the lower screen. Whatever it was she did, the game began to start up. It was like I suspected. She could just use magic to apply pressure to the screen to utilize the touch screen functions. "It worked?! Huh... I didn't know I could play by touching."

"Just don't use your hoof. That'll scratch up the screen." I explained in warning, wanting her to take good care of my little device since getting it repaired in Equestria was outright impossible.

"OK. I'll just use...huh?!" Holly then said right as a familiar whimsical voice came from the speakers. "Did it just talk to us?"

"Yeah, he did. The DS did a better job of supporting voice recordings. Might be a bit grainy, but it got better with later games." I explained as Holly closely examined the human face looking back at us with a comically oversized nose. She soon started to giggle adorably as the guy started trying to track a shiny golden star spinning around him until he got dizzy. I had an easy time watching the action from behind her since the screens' backlights made everything easy to make out.

She soon started the game up properly and even started a new game on the only empty save file available. Holly went silent as if she was watching a movie and was completely absorbed at the opening cinematic as the camera swooped all over the castle grounds. In a matter of moments, she started laughing as three of the main characters popped out of green pipes and started messing with each other as the one in green bounced off the yellow guy's head and ran right into the red guy and knocked each other down. They all scampered into the castle while Holly was treated to the sight of a camera being showed into her face. "Huh? I'm playing as a green dragon? And... Yoshi? Sounds...cute."

"Yeah, he is cute, isn't he?" I replied as Holly gained control over the little green fellow. She would grin whenever she heard his squeaky little voice, especially whenever he stuck his tongue out with a cute 'YUM' sound. Using the D-pad, she had Yoshi waddle around the castle grounds to the sound of soft ambience and tweeting birds, reading signs that were placed around that instructed her on how to actually play. She got the hang of things quickly, learning how to run, perform a variety of jumps, and even figured out how to have Yoshi do his hovering flutter jump. Pretty soon, she approached the bridge that led into the castle and was approached by the literal cameraman that let us see what was going on. He pointed Holly towards a wayward rabbit that did not appear until that very moment.

"A rabbit? I'm pretty sure that wasn't there before..." Holly muttered before having Yoshi run back over to it. Once she got close enough, the rabbit started hopping away while making squeaking sounds. It was slower than Yoshi himself, as if it was being weighed down by something.

"So, how do I do this? Do I run up to him? What if I...ack!" Holly then asked before trying to have Yoshi grab the rabbit with his tongue. However, this resulted in the little guy trying to eat the rabbit, who then let out a laughable sound of panic as text popped up with the rabbit begging its captor to not eat it. Holly even snickered at the bulges in Yoshi's cheeks before the green lizard spat the rabbit out, allowing the camera to zoom in and show how richly detailed the rabbit's 3D model was on the DSi, especially for its time. The rabbit then forked over the key to Yoshi, who did a little dance, much to Holly's amusement.

I would rather avoid turning this entry into a video game walkthrough, so I will generalize everything else that happened. Holly had quite a bit of fun exploring the castle and the worlds within the paintings. And she got quite a laugh when she found out Yoshi could swallow his enemies and turn them into eggs. Especially when she found out swallowing crates turns them into square eggs. She even got far enough to rescue Mario and play as him for a while. Once she had amassed a dozen of the 150 stars the player has to collect, she took a break from that and checked out the list of mini-games I had unlocked after extensively playing the game myself years ago. She really liked the various casino-style games with Luigi serving as the host. It always made her smile whenever she won and Luigi would applaud her in that stylish suit while still wearing his iconic green hat. However, the last game she tried out was one of the few parts of the mini-games that really was not even a game. It was something built around that little flower petal game. Loves me not? What do they even call that?

I think what caught her eye most was Yoshi facing the sunset while sitting on a bridge. Holly checked the game description and saw all she had to do was use the touch screen to pluck flower petals and see what she got left with. She stopped doing anything for a moment and I was left wondering why she was hesitating with such a simple game. Eventually, she got started after we sat there listening to the lullaby soundtrack that was playing over it. One by one, the flower petals fell as Yoshi himself seemed to pluck them and drop them into the brook below. The last petal ended on a happy note, with Yoshi raising his hands high in triumph. Somebody loved him.

A smile crept across my face at the cute little outcome there, but I then noticed Holly bring her hooves to her face as her cheeks became flushed red. She let out an adorable muffled whinny, but I could tell she was smiling. I leaned closer and held her tightly in my arms as I asked, "What's up? Know someone in town that you like?"

At that moment, another one of those heart bubbles floated away from her horn as her magic aura flared up involuntarily. It was only slightly bigger than the last one, maybe the size of a golf ball. She muttered through her hooves, "No... No... But still, it's nice thinking that someone out there loves me... Even if I don't deser..."

She caught herself there as I tightened my grip on her further to remind her of the promise she made. She knew to stop saying what she does or does not deserve since that is not hers to decide. Holly sighed as she whispered, "Sorry... Almost forgot."

"You'll get better. And you smiled a lot for a while now. I take you had fun?" I asked in return, finding it sad to see her smile fade so quickly now that she stopped playing. Even as the gentle lullaby tune of that mini-game continued to play.

"Yeah... I did... But I think I'm... Huh?" She muttered as she used her magic to close the DSi. But when she did, a little ring was heard before Mario's voice bid her farewell.

I looked at Holly with a smirk now that she had discovered a quirky little feature that was included in a lot of DS games. She then opened the DSi again as the same voice greeted her. "It's-a me! Mario!"

Holly began to snicker and giggle as she repeated the process maybe five more times in quickening succession. By the fifth time, she was laughing and smiling all over again. It felt good to see her happy. "Wow, that was cute. I needed that."

I reached out and took the DSi in hand before setting it on the table. "Yep. Funny little quirk a lot of those games have. Or at least the earlier titles. You don't have to turn it off. We can just leave it in sleep mode for now."

"Speaking of sleep..." Holly replied before being interrupted by a yawn. Now that the DSi had gone silent, we could hear the thunderstorm outside still raging. The muffled pattering of rain and the occasional thunderclap made the entire complex shake. What a gloomy atmosphere. But it looked like Holly knew how to deal with it. "I think I could use a nap now..."

I had forgotten just how much time we had spent just playing on that thing. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed that more than an hour had ticked by. I was starting to feel a bit lethargic too and released Holly from my embrace so I could reach out and stretch. "You know... That doesn't sound like a bad idea... Especially in this weather we're getting right now."

Holly climbed down from the sofa and rose up on her hind legs as she too let out a groan while stretching her arms out as far as she could reach them. She hunched forward suddenly after she got that out of her system, but did not return to a quadruped stance. Instead, she began to walk towards her bedroom in much the same manner a human woman would. I could not look away. The placement of her arms, the sway of her hips, even the swish of her tail. For having such a dark past, she oozed a type of regal sophistication that I felt I could only see in the most elegant of mares.

When she reached the doorway that led into the bedroom, Holly reached out and placed a hoof on the doorframe for support as she turned to look at me. The light faded as she used her magic to turn the ceiling lights off. "Are you...going to take a nap on the sofa now?"

I looked around a bit and saw that there really was no other place I could rest. "Looks like it. I don't see anywhere else I could recline on. Do you have anywhere else?"

Holly's hoof fell from the doorframe as she seemed to hesitate in her response. I saw her reach out with her other hoof and grasp her opposite shoulder in what was a clear display of nervousness. She finally looked towards me and said, "Would you...like to join me? My bed is probably big enough for both of us..."

Somehow, I had a hunch she was going to ask me that. With how gloomy the atmosphere had become thanks to the miserable weather Canterlot was experiencing, she probably did not want to be alone. With some hesitation, I let out a sigh while kicking my shoes off. "Sure... Sounds nice."

I saw an uneasy smile cross Holly's face. She was happy, yet nervous about this. I walked into the bedroom with her as I felt the cool hardwood floor through my socks. I watched from the doorway as she bounded up to the bed and lied down on it. She looked at me with a frown while patting the side of the bed that was closest to the wall. I crawled over the bed and rolled over until I was looking up at the ceiling. It felt...awkward finding myself in the same bed as another mare. Even though I trusted her, it was...hard to describe. Even now, I have a difficult time explaining the feelings going through my head at the time.

For a moment, I just rested there. Arms at my sides, eyes directed to the ceiling. I heard the door close as I felt a sense of secure confinement come over me. I felt the mattress and sheets shift as Holly adjusted her body placement. What happened next was something I did not expect. She draped her left arm over my chest and pulled herself closer to me with my arm just above her head. I looked at her while she looked at me from just inches away. I whispered to her, "Sweet dreams."

Her words mirrored my own. "You too."

I slept well, even if the nap lasted maybe an hour. When I woke up, I rolled over to my left and felt tempted to go back to sleep as the rain still splattered against the window behind. me. But that was until I noticed what I was not seeing. Nightshade Holly was no longer beside me.

I immediately sprang awake as a sense of fear came over me. Where had she gone? The door was still closed. Did she do something to violate her parole and was taken away by the royal guard while she slept? I reached for the lamp nearby and pulled the cord to turn it on, but got nothing. Something was wrong.

Very quietly, I climbed out of bed and opened the door just a crack to look out into the living room. There was still no artificial light, leaving the room dark and dreary. With no one with me, I felt very much alone and unsafe. I shuffled over to the light switch at the far end of the room and tried to flip it on, but there was still no light. Had the storm triggered a power outage?

"Holly...?" I called out to no avail. With how little light was coming in through the only two windows in the apartment, it may have well been the middle of the night during a full moon. I looked in the kitchen. I looked in the closet. I looked in the bathroom. The only place left to check was the tiny laundry room. I steadied myself and peeked inside.

There she was. Huddled in the corner like a frightened animal. She did not even respond to my voice, yet her eyes were open as if just frozen in a type of fright. I felt compelled to reach out to her and did so with my hand resting upon her shoulder. She looked up at me with visible tears staining her cheeks. "Holly...?"

"I don't wanna go back..." She muttered in a panicked whisper. "I don't want to be alone in there again... So dark and cold... A monster in chains... I don't want to be that again... I don't want to go there again..."

What happened to her when she woke up from her nap? Did she wander out of the bedroom right as the blackout occurred and the room went dark? While I am no psychologist, I suspected that being plunged into a dark confined area like that may have triggered a relapse of some sort from a couple of years back when she was first confined during her incarceration. She was frightened and just trying to hide from...herself, I suppose. I dropped to my knees and held my arms out to her in an attempt to coax her into my embrace.

Holly made no attempt to resist. Like a frightened child being welcomed into her parent's arms, she reached out and took hold of me while I wrapped my arms around her. I whispered softly to her while rising to my feet. "Shhh... It's OK, baby... It's gonna be OK... You're not a monster locked up in a dungeon. You're here and safe and sound with me, sweetheart... I won't let you be alone."

I carried her back out to the living room and sat on the sofa with her practically seated on my lap. With no other source of light, I reached out and flipped my DSi open so that the backlights could provide at least a little illumination. I reset it so it would return to the main menu, which had a lot of pale colors to provide a brighter glow with and a gentle ambience playing through the speakers. It was not much, but it was the best I could manage at that moment to provide a calming atmosphere with the phonograph not receiving power.

That mare clung to me like her life depended on it. What was she seeing? What was going through her mind? I whispered softly to her, hoping she would hear me and listen to me as the soft 'music' coming from my game system filled the room. "Holly... Everything's OK, beautiful... No one is going to hurt you. You're a sweet mare who just wants to be a better person than back then. And you are. You're not going back in that cell. I won't let you. You're staying right out here with me. With someone who cares about you. So please... Talk to me, baby..."

I think I was starting to get to her. I felt her grasp on me slacken a bit as she began to sniffle. I felt a few tears drip down my neck and onto my shoulder. I decided to hold off on speaking for now and just hold her. I rolled onto my side before settling on my back, allowing Holly to just lie atop me. She soon lifted her head to look down at me as her face was stained by fresh tears. The terror in her eyes was gone, replaced by an emotionally drained expression. I reached up with my left hand and traced my finger over her jaw and cheek, prompting her to close her eyes while letting out a long sigh. She did not need to say anything for me to see that my touch was being appreciated.

My fingers soon traced over the scar that lined her right eyelid. I began to wonder where she even got it. Was it during the years when she went completely off the radar and adopted the name of Tempest Shadow? There was only one way to know. "Holly... Where'd you get this scar?"

She quietly muttered a response without even opening her eyes. "From the same creature that claimed my horn..."

I froze upon hearing those words. I knew that an Ursa Minor claimed her horn somehow when she ventured into a cave to retrieve a ball she and her friends had been playing with. While foolish to enter an unexplored cave just to retrieve something that could be easily replaced, what was done is done. And the thought of that creature taking a swipe at her face with its paw made me cringe as I knew the size of those claws nearly matched her entire body at that age. "You're saying...a bear the size of a house...scratched that scar into your face?"

Holly did not respond. She turned her gaze away from me in what seemed to be a look of shame over having come that close to being blinded in one eye over something as insignificant as a lost ball. Rather than scold her over such a move, I instead cupped the side of her face with my hand. "I can't believe you managed to get out of that with just this scar... You're lucky it wasn't any closer. Any deeper and that claw would've plunged right through your eyelid and gouged your eye out."

Such graphic words made Holly grit her teeth as she could probably almost imagine the pain of having her eye destroyed. I then tried to smile at her and said, "Your eye wouldn't be anywhere near as pretty as it is now if that happened. It just would've been a plain white orb instead of these beautiful orbs of opal green. Right, opal eyes?"

At those words, Holly choked back a laugh as a quick splash of fresh tears came from her eyes with a sudden shudder. She spoke in a louder tone of voice than usual, stuck somewhere between bewilderment and amusement. "James, why are you so sweet to me?!"

"What? You got a problem with me telling you how beautiful your eyes are? I've always been someone who has an appreciation for beauty. Didn't Rarity tell you that at some point?" I retorted in an attempt to make her smile now that I was making progress in driving out her insecurities for the time being. Holly could only chuckle while squinting her eyes shut. Even in the depressing darkness, I was managing to make her smile. So much so that another one of those glowing magic heart bubbles floated off of her horn yet again.

I continued to gently caress her face with one hands until I began to use both hands to rub along Holly's cheeks and neck while she closed her eyes and crooned said neck for me to feel at will, the two of us faintly illuminated by my DSi's twin screens. I could not understand how Nightshade Holly could have been so imposing back when she went by the name of Tempest Shadow. She is quite beautiful in her own right. Even with that scar upon her face. Given enough time to recover and find herself, she would most likely find a good stallion for her in time once she has finished her sentence.

After a few minutes more of just savoring each other's company, I saw that smile starting to fade. My hands slid down to her shoulders and stayed there while her eyes glanced around the room. Even with that relaxing ambience coming from my DSi, the storm was still pouring rain outside with the occasional thunderclap. And the power was still out. With no light, the old worries were starting to come back. But not entirely so long as she was within my grasp. I then understood that it was not healthy for her to stay there until power had been restored. I had to get her out of there, but where would I take her?

My eyes fell upon the clock on the wall. It was being powered by its own battery supply, so it continued to function. I could make out that the time was around 5 PM even in such poor lighting. Dinner time. But I was not comfortable with the idea of cooking with such little light. Perhaps I could just take her out for dinner? And I knew just the place for it. "Hey. It's about time for dinner. Let's get outta here. This is no place for a happy meal."

By that point, Holly was in no state to really complain. I think she was desperate to get out of there and someplace livelier and brighter. She just nodded once, prompting me to sit up with her still sitting on the sofa. I kept the DSi on a bit longer just to keep some sort of light source on while I fetched my jacket from next to the door. When I saw that she was still seated on the sofa, I smiled and walked back over to her and lifted her up into my arms like before. She then protested while I briefly reached out with one hand to close my DSi, "Huh?! James, you're not really going to...carry me the whole way, are you?"

"Don't see why not. I think you could use a bit more rest anyway. Just make sure you get the door for me, OK?" I replied before approaching the door with her still in my arms. As I stepped outside, I felt something slide into my pants pocket once the door closed behind us. Maybe it was her house keys?

I carefully made my way down the stairs with Holly in my arms as the rain still poured outside. An awning extended over the doorstep, allowing me to step outside and get my bearings without stepping out into the rain. The thunder and lightning had let up, but the rain was still coming down at a steady pace. I could see that a very large chunk of the residential area we were in had gone dark, but the business district in the distance was still illuminated. That meant that the restaurants over there were not closed for the night. And maybe power would be restored by the time we returned.

I felt hesitant to step out in the rain. My jacket's hood would keep my head dry, but there was nothing I could do to keep Holly from getting drenched. I glanced at her and asked, "Say... How proficient have you gotten with magic? Do you think you could generate a barrier to keep the rain out?"

Holly pulled her head back from my shoulder and looked at me directly. "Um... I think I can. Hold on."

Her opal green magic aura engulfed her horn and soon generated a partial barrier over us. It was reminiscent of an umbrella, ironically. I stepped out into the rain to test it and found every drop that hit it would just splatter off of it like glass. "There we go. Just keep maintaining that until we get to where we're going."

Holly diligently kept the barrier projected above us as I walked along in the rain with no signs of life around us. Nopony wanted to get out in that weather unless they did not have far to go. I wasted no time in hurrying along as I knew my arms would get tired eventually. We soon came to the business district as the streetlamps let us know where power was still flowing. And I knew exactly where to go.

I did not have to search for long before I found it. While the overall design was different from the original, the familiar warm colors of yellow and orange made the Tasty Treat easy to spot even in such gloomy dreary weather. I could already smell the fragrant aromas wafting from the kitchen thanks to the low air pressure. "We're here."

My passenger turned her head to look at where I was facing. She did not seem to recognize the establishment, even with how much it clashed with Canterlot's general aesthetics. "Uh... What is this place?"

"Home of the finest cuisine that will ever grace your lips." I retorted with a smirk as I set her down. This resulted in Holly losing her focus as the barrier vanished. I quickly held the door open for her as we both hurried inside to get out of the rain before we could get soaked.

Much to my delight, I saw that the Tasty Treat was getting some decent business in spite of the weather. Gloomy cool weather tends to encourage people to go out to eat. Roughly half of the restaurant was filled with customers ranging from middle class ponies to the Canterlot elite. I then glanced at a podium beside me and saw a familiar stout stallion standing behind it as he looked up from his list of reservations. "Can I hel... Oh, Mr. James! Good to see you!"

"Evening, Coriander. Table for two, please." I replied as I was greeted by the host of the Tasty Treat. Coriander Cumin led Holly and I to a table nearby and left us with a pair of menus. He then disappeared into the back, probably to check on the kitchen. I looked over at Holly as her attention was directed to the very colorful and exotic interior design of the Tasty Treat. It was as if we were hundreds of miles away in a distant corner of Equestria. Even a sound system was playing a very different ethnic type of music you would normally not hear in the places I frequent. "Colorful, no?"

"Very... I never imagined I would see a restaurant like this in Canterlot..." Holly replied as her gaze scanned the vibrant dining room. It was something new for her and was a pleasant distraction. I too took a moment to take in our exotic surroundings while removing my jacket. My arms were very tired and I just wanted to let them hang freely after carrying Holly for a good long while.

She did not have long to stay focused since a familiar face soon emerged from the kitchen's swinging doors. A beautiful unicorn mare's eyes brightened upon seeing me before she trotted my way and into my arms for a delightful hug. "James! So good to see you, my friend!"

"Always a pleasure, Saffron." I replied while returning my friend's embrace as she momentarily spoke a few words in her native dialect. Possibly just from being overly stimulated. I then asked, "So, how's business now that you're back home in Canterlot? Looks like you're really capitalizing on the city's restoration."

She smiled brightly before speaking in her adorably thick accent, "Oh, it's like you would not believe! Everypony loves how exotic our cooking is compared to the few other places to eat in town right now. It's given them the perfect opportunity to mix up their routine and try something new. Business has never been better! Now, may I... Hm? Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even see you there! Is this your first time dining with us?"

We both directed our gazes to the mare seated beside me. She seemed almost apologetic that she had distracted Saffron from our conversation. "Oh, um... Yes. I'm Nightshade Holly..."

Hospitable as always, Saffron greeted her new customer with a smile. "Well, I hope you enjoy your time with us. I am Saffron Masala, the chef here at the Tasty Treat. Would you like to place your order?"

Holly turned her gaze back at the menu, utterly baffled by the items on it. She turned her gaze to me as if asking for help. Being more familiar with the menu than her, I took it upon myself to order something I was sure she would like. "How about you give her an order of your sag paneer? I think that's a safe place for a first timer to start."

"Oh, that's a good place to start indeed. All right, one order of that. And for you, James?" Saffron replied while using her magic to levitate a notebook and pencil to jot down our orders. I forget what I ordered, no small part to how hard it is to remember most of those names for the various dishes, but we also ordered some naan for an appetizer. Saffron then disappeared back into the kitchen while Coriander soon emerged and left us glasses of water for drinks before returning to his podium to serve as host to any other customers who would visit.

With that, the two of us were left alone. Holly once more began to observe her surroundings and the many colorful decor on display. The rest of the customer's were all engaged in some form of conversation with each other, adding a moderate clamor over the music being broadcast through the restaurant. She soon turned to me and asked, "So... You and Saffron have known each other long?"

I glanced at her and smiled. "Yeah, about the last six years. I found the place for the first time and dined in. She decided to spare me the bill if I reviewed the restaurant since I was her very first human customer. I'm guessing my review was pretty good since they got an increase in business after that. Everyone wants to know what you like when you're the only one of your kind, I guess."

"I guess that makes sense... But isn't Kendra human too?" Holly then asked as she mentioned the name of my friend from back home who was likely down in Ponyville as we spoke.

"Yeah, she is. But I was the first to visit." I replied before leaning in close to whisper to her. "And before I forget, her dad tried to marry her off to me around five years back."

Holly just stared at me with an amused stare. "He what? Like... In public?"

I rolled my eyes while trying to keep my voice down. "Yep. And right in front of Fluttershy, our kids, and Saffron herself. And then I introduced him to my wife and children while showing him my ring."

That got quite the reaction out of her. Holly brought her hooves to her face and tried so hard to not burst out laughing. "Oooooh lord, that's outrageous! Just... Hahahaha!"

"Yeah, that was really funny in hindsight. You should've seen Coriander's face when he realized he was talking to a married man. Rushed back into the kitchen without a word." I said with a snicker as I too tried to keep my laughter as muffled as possible. Not that anyone would really hear us over everyone else in there.

Our laughter soon ran its course as Holly turned her gaze to the nearest window as the storm raged outside, a flash of lightning illuminating the distant skyline. She let out a sigh while also glancing at Coriander while he tended to a few papers on his podium, a wistful expression settling on her face. "All joking aside, she's lucky to have a parent who tries to do what's best for her..."

"Well, I hear they didn't exactly see eye to eye for a while. Things were only just starting to improve when I first dined here. Or there, seeing as how the first establishment was razed with the rest of the city five years back. They..." I said before pausing when I noticed Holly was not paying me much mind at all. It was almost as if my words did not reach her at all. I knew that look in her eyes. Her mind was elsewhere. And it was not a happy place. With some caution, I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You OK there?"

"Just...thinking back..." She muttered quietly as she began to scoot closer to me as if on reflex. I moved a bit closer myself to allow her to lean on me while her gaze soon turned to the table before us. She then closed her eyes and let out a long sigh before gazing up at me apologetically. "Sorry... I didn't mean to worry you. We're supposed to be here to beat the gloominess of an autumn rainstorm, right?"

Even though she was trying to assuage any concern I had at the moment, I could tell that something she saw or heard just then must have stirred up some unpleasant memories. Rather than let them simmer, I decided to try and help her get them off her chest. So I did the only thing I could to let her know I cared enough to know what was on her mind. I gently took her hoof into my hand. "You can tell me what's really bothering you. You know I'll listen."

Those words seemed to trigger a look of great discomfort in my companion. Her eyes darted around as if trying to find the right response, but she stopped once her eyes locked with mine. As if a sense of calm and security came over her. With some hesitation, she spoke to me. "If I do, please promise me we will not discuss this topic again... I don't...want to have to remember this."

I immediately assumed we were digging up old memories about a time better off forgotten. By this point, it was too late to just discard the topic. Those memories had come to the forefront of her mind, so it would be best to get them out of the way instead of letting them fester. I nodded while rubbing my fingers over her hoof. "Agreed. We'll bury this once we're done and never revisit it."

"Thanks... Well... How do I say this..." She muttered before looking towards the nearest window as rain splattered against the pane. "Well... I did have parents...but I did not...know them, if that makes any sense."

I tried to comprehend exactly what that meant. Only one answer came to mind. "They...weren't exactly involved in your upbringing, were they?"

Holly let out a light equine snort without once turning her gaze away from that window. "Exactly... They generally left me to the servants who worked in our household... Though a part of me wishes I could have had the time to know them better... But the rest of me is glad it turned out the way it did..."

The way she described that... It sounded so cold. Having a child and then just only providing them with monetary aid and no actual love and caring interaction. My thoughts became ones of utter disgust as these two were most likely some of the worst the Canterlot elite had to offer. I turned my gaze away from her and tried to find some words of comfort to offer. "I...won't ask how you were raised..."

I noticed her look at me out of the corner of her eye before feeling her lift my hand and hold it between both hooves. "No, please... Don't drop it now... I need to get this off my chest... And you're the only person I know who cares enough to listen..."

My head turned to look into the pleading eyes of the mare beside me. I did not wait long before giving an answer. I pulled my hand free from her hooves, but then draped my arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer to me while my other hand grasped her nearest hoof. "You're right. I always listen."

Holly closed her eyes and leaned against me as if my very touch was enough to allow her to speak freely, no matter how painful the subject. "My father... He was an investor and was frequently out of the house... Often traveling to other big cities like Manehatten and Vanhoover... I seldom saw him when he was home since he was mostly catching up on sleep from his trips. The few times he actually spoke to me was during my birthdays and it was... Just those two words and a sum of bits as a gift... I... I think his influence was one of the biggest factors in what led to me developing nothing but disdain for the rich... Where wealth equals happiness when it's just superficial..."

Surprising wisdom for someone so young at the time. She never wanted riches. She just wanted someone to love her. My grip on her tightened as I muttered, "That was...very cold of him... What about your mother?"

Her eyes remained closed, as if she was doing all she could to try and project images from her past onto the lids of her eyes. "Her specialty was jewelry... She did raise me, but only until I could walk and think for myself... She was basically a workaholic who focused almost exclusively on her craft and working out the various aspects of the business that I couldn't be bothered to understand. She handled the cooking, but that was it. I usually had the run of the house most of the time..."

I stayed silent. What a miserable childhood. All the wealth she could ever want, but never getting what she needed. The memory seemed to draw out a rough shudder from her, but she became still when I tightened my grip on her hoof. Thankfully, she then revealed a part of her life that made me smile a little. "I had two friends back then who really made all the difference for me. Spring Rain and Glitter Drops. They were always there for me and even gave me endearing little nicknames like... Um... Yeah. Cheery Pie and Caramel Chip... That's what they would call me."

"Sounds like the two of them had quite the sweet tooth." I replied while trying to crack a joke at the abundance of sugary sweet nameplay she experienced throughout her childhood. Such a shame her life became anything but sweet after that to the point where she would adopt a brooding name like Tempest Shadow.

Holly actually got a bit of a laugh out of that as she let out a snicker. "Now that you mention it, it sure seems like that in hindsight. And I did indulge in a lot of sweet treats back then... They were there for me when I needed them most and I really did appreciate their company and companionship."

I noticed her fall silent. She opened her eyes before they narrowed to show a look of burning disgust. I tightened my embrace on her to comfort Holly the best I could. "And yet... After all we did together... They abandoned me when I really needed them most... When I lost my horn retrieving the ball we accidentally sent into that cave, they... They moved on to a school for gifted unicorns while I..."

She seemed so angry. So bitter. As foolish as it was to venture in a potentially dangerous cave just to retrieve an easily replaceable ball, I was not going to rub salt in the wound by pointing that out. She surely knew by then that such an action back then was a fool's errand. Her tone deepened in emotional discomfort as she said, "Part of me died back then... Died along with the name I had carried...

Holly then did something I did not expect. She took my right hand in her hooves and lifted it to her head while she lifted her head away from me. She pressed the side of her face into my fingers and palm, nuzzling against my touch directly as if to calm herself. "Tempest Shadow came to be and...the rest is history..."

I would have taken her show of anger to be a bad sign, but the sight and feel of her indulging in my touch assured me that she was not dwelling on the past and instead was focusing on the here and now. I was tempted to pull her completely back up against me, but chose not to in order to let her savor the touch of my hand even as I curled my fingers to properly rub against her head's contours. "If I had to guess... I doubt they could properly comprehend just how much that injury screwed you over. They were likely too young and naive to understand. Doesn't excuse not being there for you though..."

She nodded in agreement, but then spoke something I did not expect as she closed her eyes while pressing into my hand. She cracked a faint smile while turning her gaze towards the table. "The weird thing is... Even after all that... I feel like...things ultimately turned out for the best in the end... I wonder why that is..."

I already had a thought to why that was and smiled as well. "Well... If things turned out differently for you back then... We wouldn't be sitting here together right now."

"True... Even with years of mistakes on my shoulders and...so many regrets... I still..." She muttered before looking right at me. There was something she dearly wanted to say, but could not. I could see it in her eyes. We just maintained that long stare for a while before she held my hand to her chest while still clutched between her hooves. A look of fear settled into her eyes while I felt her chest shudder from a ragged breath. "James... You won't leave me like they did, will you?"

I could only give one response. I pulled my hand away from her and turned in my seat to face her. Holly looked like she was about to cry as she seemed to take that gesture as an act of revulsion. But I quickly put those fears to rest by taking her in my arms and embracing her. I spoke into her ear with her jaw resting on my shoulder, "Absolutely not... I'm not letting you go now... It's too late for that... You're...important to me."

Just like that, I felt something wet trickling right down my shoulder. I glanced at Holly out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes were just wide open as if she just heard something that shook her very soul, tears cascading out of them. She let out a gasp as her arms wrapped very tightly around me, eyes closing to squeeze even more tears out. I thought I vaguely heard a familiar sound from just above, but I paid it no heed. I just wanted to be there for her at that moment.

A moment later, I got the feeling that someone was watching. Holly had her eyes closed and could not be bothered to see, so I turned my head to see if someone was nearby. To my surprise, Saffron Masala was standing by our table while patiently waiting for us to notice her so as to not interrupt. A trio of plates floated near her while wrapped in her magic aura. She quietly asked once our eyes met, "Am I interrupting anything?"

I noticed Holly's eyes pop open upon hearing those words and looked at Saffron with a look of shock. But after a few seconds of her glancing around in embarrassment, she just closed her eyes and relaxed back into our embrace. She just did not care and wanted to continue this special moment between us. I responded to Saffron by just smiling and tapping the table with my fingers to let her know to drop off our orders. She did just that and was about to depart, but seemed to notice something on the floor. She used her magic to levitate it up and revealed that it was another one of those heart bubbles Holly seems to have a habit of producing at times with her magic. I just rolled my eyes with an amused smirk set into my lips and tapped the table again. Saffron could only smile and leave it on the table before returning to the kitchen.

After a minute or so more of holding that precious mare in my arms, I finally decided I should tell her that our food had arrived before it could cool. "Hey... Our meal has been served."

"Hm?" I heard Holly mumble before she looked to her left. Before us was a plate of yellow curry filled with a number of vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli, a plate of finely diced spinach paste with blocks of an exotic white cheese, and a round flat type of freshly baked bread cut into four segments. "Wow... That does look good. Which is mine?"

"The green stuff with white bits." I replied while I took my spoon in hand and began to help myself to my curry. Absolutely delicious. Especially when I started to sop some up with the naan. The bread, that is. "Try eating that stuff with the naan. It really compliments it."

"OK... But... Mm! I love the cheese in this." She exclaimed after taking a spoonful of her meal. She then took one of the slices of naan and spooned some of her meal onto it. She seemed to like that even more with the pasty substance being absorbed into the soft bread.

There really is not much else to describe about our dining experience. We were both quite taken with and focused on just enjoying our meal with only a bit of small talk. We even let each other sample the others' dish. I think Holly may have preferred my entree over hers, but at least she had a better idea of what to expect by then.

We left nothing to waste. Whatever we could not spoon into our mouths was sopped up with the remaining slices of naan. Holly seemed quite satisfied as she let out a sigh of satisfaction. I then asked, "Good stuff, right?"

"Mmhm..." She mumbled while Coriander Cumin passed by and used his magic to gather up our utensils and plates before carrying them back into the kitchen for cleaning. No sooner had Coriander departed did Holly start leaning against me again with her head on my shoulder. "That was delicious... I didn't know something that zesty was being served in Canterlot."

"Well, now you know where to dine next time you're in the mood to eat out." I whispered to her while finding myself leaning against her myself with my hand resting on her opposite shoulder. I rested my cheek on her head with her mane brushing against my face. I inhaled deeply, picking up her faint natural scent in the many rosy red fibers. I heard Holly let out a long sigh of contentment, as if she appreciated that little gesture.

I wanted to say something to her. Something sweet, but not overly endearing. It was hard finding the right words. I just felt...so drawn to her by that point. I questioned myself, almost in anger, over why I had waited so long to stop keeping an emotional distance from such a tender and delicate mare who only wanted me to acknowledge her as something other than the nihilistic demon she had once been. Two years... Two years since then. I found the words I wanted to say. "I'm sorry..."

Holly's eyes opened wide in disbelief as she turned her head to look up at me. She seemed like she could not comprehend why I had just said that as, until then, she had always been doing the apologizing. "Sorry...? Whatever for? You did nothing wrong..."

I turned my gaze away from her, feelings of genuine shame welling up in my heart. "I'm sorry...for making you wait this long... I never expected you to be...this sweet... To change this easily..."

A moment of silence between us passed. I felt genuinely awful that I had denied her such care for so long. And yet, after several times of caressing her face to comfort her, it was Holly who brought her hoof to my face and cupped my cheek in her hoof's groove. She looked at me with such tender concern and, dare I say, love in those opal eyes of hers. "I would not have trusted me easily either... You kept your distance...but you never repelled me... You waited patiently until you felt it was the right time... And you are a...very patient man."

I brought my hand to her hoof and held it where it was. This time, it was my turn to feel the urge to cry. I managed to contain myself enough to not sob, but a single tear still escaped each eye. Holly reached out with her other hoof and gently wiped each tear from my cheek. She whispered comfortingly as the tables were turned, doing her best to smile in my stead. "No tears, please... I know I've shed enough for both of us."

"That you have, opal eyes..." I muttered with a small smile of my own. Satisfied that her words had made me smile, Holly reached out and held me in her arms for another tender embrace. I held onto her as well, resting one hand on the back of her head. I did not want to let go. I felt the urge to shield and nurture this mare in my arms. To be there for her when I should have been there for her much sooner. To heal her. To make certain she would never regress to what she had once been.

I heard a voice whisper into my ear from just behind me. It was Saffron again. "Are you two all right tonight?"

I looked over my shoulder at my dear friend as she set the bill on the table. A look of sincere concern was upon her face. I tried to smile however I could and whispered, "We've...been through a lot over a long span of time and... We're just really finally connecting now. We'll be OK."

Saffron merely smiled and left us alone. I glanced down at the bill and was surprised by what I saw. Saffron always charges me at only half price, but she did not charge Holly at all. An act of kindness after witnessing her emotional fragility? Regardless, it was incredibly kind of her. I looked towards Holly and whispered, "You ready to go? Our bill just got here."

"I'd like to just sit here a bit longer, please..." She whispered back without budging at all. I merely sighed in quiet agreement and reached into my pocket to place the requested amount of bits on the table along with some extra as a tip.

However, it was then that I noticed the heart bubble she had produced earlier. I started to reach for it, but it just so happened to pop and disappear when I did. But no sooner had that happened, another bubble manifested from the tip of her horn and drifted into the air. This time, I reached out and caught it. I decided to gently confront her over it. "Hey. I think you dropped this."

"Hm? Drop what?" She replied before lifting her head from my shoulder to look at my hand. Her eyes opened wide while her pupils shrank with a look of shock setting into her face. "What... Is that...mine?"

"It's the same color as your magic aura. And you've been putting these out now and then today." I explained while holding the magic heart bubble before her.

She looked at me in an almost accusatory fashion. "Why didn't you tell me? How many times did this happen?"

I merely shrugged my shoulders and responded honestly. "Maybe five or six. I didn't think it was important since you were completely passive about it. What does it mean? Is there a reason you make these?"

Holly turned her gaze to the bubble once more and just stared at it in confusion and contemplation. She said nothing, even up to when it finally popped in my hand. She did eventually provide a reply. "I...don't know... I didn't even know magic could ooze out through my horn without my input... I don't know why... What do you think it means?"

My eyes fell upon Holly's horn. I know many unicorns and even some alicorns and I have never once heard of one projecting magical energy into shapes involuntarily. And the fact that they were specifically in the shapes of hearts could not have been a coincidence. I suspect it was her heart trying to tell us something. Maybe a physical response to my touch or company? I had always been hugging or petting her whenever she produced one. "I think...it's your body's way of saying you're happy."

"Huh... Yeah, that sounds like it." She muttered in return. Holly did not sound entirely convinced. It must have been perplexing to not understand something about herself. And I strongly doubt lacking the ability to use magic for fifteen years or so could have anything to do with it.

We stayed there in our seat while sipping the rest of our water. We did not speak much. Holly seemed to have a lot on her mind and was just lost in thought as she looked out the window across from us. I left her alone and just listened to the music being played and even listened in on some of the conversations the rest of the customers were having. I did passively place my fingers on Holly's hoof as it rested on the table just to let her know I was there and was always willing to support her. I felt her try to turn my hand over, which I allowed her to do, and felt her place her hoof in my palm. We did not even look at each other, but we remained constantly connected.

Maybe after another fifteen minutes, Holly finally began to scoot to the edge of our seat. She glanced at me and asked, "Are you...ready to go?"

"Yeah. I should probably get you home before I head out." I replied as Holly cast me a gaze of discomfort. Was it something I said? Regardless, I stood up with her and turned to Saffron as she carried some more dirty plates back towards the kitchen. "Everything was lovely, Saffron. I'll stop by again soon. Have a good one, OK?"

My delightful friend cast me her best smile and waved her hoof at me. "So good to hear. You two have a good night. Come again!"

Coriander Cumin provided a few parting words as well before Holly and I stepped outside. The storm had all but passed as I zipped up my jacket. All that remained was a very light drizzle to the point of being on the verge of turning into mist. I tugged on my jacket to straighten it out as I said, "Glad that downpour cleared up before we came out. Cool rain is just miserable to get caught it."

"Yeah, it is..." Holly muttered, now sounding melancholy all over again. I began to walk along to take her home, but she soon spoke up beside me. "Wait..."

"Hm? Something...eh?" I asked while starting to look at my companion. However, before I could even look at her, Holly caught me by surprise by lifting up my hand with her upturned hoof. She was no longer below me. She was standing beside me on just her hind legs while holding my hand up past my elbow as if she was trying to grasp it without fingers. "Um... Are you comfortable walking like that?"

I think I saw a weak attempt to smile on her face. "I feel...closer to you when I stand by you like this."

I was unsure of how to translate that line. It still sounded sweet though. I could only smile at her while grasping her hoof in my hand. "You're sweet. Let's get you home before it cools down further."

Holly made no attempt to converse with me as she walked alongside me, her hoof in my hand. She soon began to even lean her head against my ribs as her horn began to produce a whole trail of heart bubbles with one popping off her horn every half minute or so. She just seemed so happy right there while nestling her face against me. Almost like she was in love and was being escorted home at the end of her very first date. She stayed right by my side as she walked not like a mare, but like a woman.

We reached the apartment complex without incident and I led her inside. I reached for the light switch just beyond the entrance and found the lobby lit up now that the power had been restored for that district. Holly still insisted on maintaining her bipedal stance even as we climbed the stairs to her apartment, so I held her hoof as she climbed the stairs. She wobbled a bit on the first few steps, but soon figured out how to balance herself and began to ascend the stairs with no trouble. It was quite inspiring to watch, in all honesty. She used her magic to pull her door key out of my pocket and let us both in. A quick flick of the light switch beside the door bathed the humble apartment in light. I stretched upon letting go of Holly's hoof and groaned, "Home again..."

To my surprise, I felt my jacket get unzipped without any action from me and float off of me before being hung up on the coat hooks by the door. I noticed Holly giving me a smile while her horn was briefly coated by her magic aura for a moment. I smiled in thanks, surprised that she would take my coat for me. She then asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"Nah, I'm good." I retorted before going over to the phonograph in the corner and setting the only record she had on it and turning it on. Soft classical piano music began to play while I went over to the sofa and fell upon it with my face turned to the ceiling.

A moment later, I received a surprise. Holly climbed up onto me and just lied upon my chest with her head on a lopsided angle. She just looked at me silently, a calm smile set upon her lips. Intrigued, I then asked while tilting my head forward to look at her, "Can I help you, opal eyes?"

She stayed silent for a moment. Holly closed her eyes and seemed to just listen to my long deep breaths as my chest lifted her up and down with each exhale. She spoke softly to me without even opening her eyes, "I just...feel so happy when I'm with you like this... Like everything will be all right..."

Touching words. I sincerely wanted to kiss her, but resisted the urge. So I merely resorted to once more tracing my finger around the spiraling groove in her horn. I could tell she adored the attention. Especially when her horn began to resonate with passive levels of her magic energy again. A heart bubble the size of an apple began to form on the tip, but I reached up and caught it in my hand. Holly's eyes glanced up and opened wide in surprise, clearly not expecting her body to do that. I just smirked at her a bit and kissed the bubble, causing it to pop. That tender mare blushed furiously, but somehow made herself smile too. It was then that I voiced a proper response to the last thing she said to me. "You make me happy too."

Holly looked like she was about to start crying again in sheer joy, but managed to just grin beautifully while pulling herself forward and nestling her head in the crook of my neck. I placed my arms over her back and just held her there in blissful calm. I knew I would have to leave for home before long, but I was in no hurry to do so in her company. I did not want to leave my new friend.

Unfortunately, I could not let myself stay for too long. I looked at the clock on the wall and checked the train schedule that was in my pocket all without Holly noticing. With some reluctance, I whispered to her. "Hey... I need to get up. I gotta go home and the next train leaves in a half hour."

She immediately lifted her head to look at me as all that calm and joy just disappeared and was replaced by dread. "What? But... You could stay the night here... We can share the bed like earlier and... I'll... I'll cook breakfast..."

I reluctantly sat up and forced Holly up to a sitting position. "I know, but I've got work tomorrow. And I can't just stay the night without telling anyone down there that I won't be back until tomorrow. I'd have to tell them in advance. So... I'm sorry, but I need to get home. But I'll see you next Sunday, all right?"

Holly did not say anything. She just looked at me with a somber frown. Knowing I could not waste time or I would be getting home later than desired, I stood up, retrieve my DSi from the table beside the sofa, and went to fetch my jacket. But no sooner had I zipped it up did I hear the clopping of hooves behind me before feeling something grab me from behind. "Please... Don't... Don't go..."

I looked down and saw Holly's arms crossed over my torso with her hooves hooked over my chest. She was on her hind legs, pressing her head and chest against my back. I could not see her from where I was standing, but I was sure she had the same look in her eyes that she always does when she pleads me to not leave. The only problem was that I did not have a choice this time. I then asked, "What's wrong... Like, really... What's troubling you?"

My friend fell silent for a moment. It was as if even she did not know why she was so afraid. But I did feel her tighten her grasp on me as she managed to squeak out a response. "I don't know... It's just... Whenever I see you leave... I... I can't lose you... I just can't... You're the one person I can't do without..."

I placed my hands over her hooves and just stood there for a moment. I guess I was just trying to let her know without the use of words how much I understood what she was telling me and how much I appreciated it. I did not want to leave, but I knew I had to. And so I tried to reach a compromise. "Would you...like to see me off at the station?"

Holly let out a long sigh of resignation. She knew I could not stay, even if she dreaded seeing me leave. Very slowly, her hooves slid down my body until she fell back onto all four hooves. I turned and looked down at her while she looked at the floor. "All right... We'll go together."

Once we were outside, Holly once again rose to a bipedal state so we could walk hoof in hand. She was just so endearing the way she wanted to be as close to me as possible. It almost felt as if she was trying to tell me something, but I dismissed it for the sake of not giving into the temptation to remain with her throughout the night. I could only hope it would not cause her too much distress when I finally departed.

The rain had finally come to a stop as the cool still night air descended upon the recovering city. Streetlamps lit the streets with their somber glow with an autumn evening mist settling for the night. It was indeed a gloomy atmosphere, something I tend to loathe about early to mid autumn. Holly seemed to mirror my thoughts and leaned against me for warmth and comfort while also possibly worried her less steady bipedal gait might make her slip on the wet stone roads.

We finally reached the train station under the watch of the moon behind the cloudy sky. The train was already preparing to depart within the next five minutes, so I had to board immediately. And yet, Holly would not let go. When I tried to release my grip on her hoof, she would pin my hand between both of hers while still casting me a pleading gaze. As much as I would have liked to have her come along with me, taking her out of Canterlot without the consent of the royal guard could place the two of us in some very serious trouble. I know Shining Armor would probably be as lenient with me as possible, but I feared what would become of Holly herself.

"Holly... You need to let go..." I said softly yet sternly as I chose to not try and force her to release her grasp on me.

The fearful mare bowed her head as she lost the courage to look me in the eye. "I don't want to..."

I used my free hand to gently lift her chin until she was gazing up at me. "Hey... I swear I'll be back next Sunday. And... I'll come earlier. As soon as I wake up and get ready for the day, I'll head on up so we can spend even more time together. I'll be back. You know I won't abandon you."

Tears streaming down her face, her beautiful yet tired and puffy opal eyes gazing up at me, Nightshade Holly finally willed herself to release me from her grasp and sank back to the floor. "I know... I'll miss you..."

I dropped to one knee and held my precious friend in my arms. "I'll miss you too... Be good, all right?"

I could tell Holly was restraining herself as I entered the nearest train car not even a minute before the doors closed and the locomotive let out a whistle of hissing steam. I sat down on the side of the car that was nearest the train platform and could see Holly still looking at me from where she stood. Soon, the train began to lurch forward as it began its journey to Ponyville. But as it began to lazily roll forward, I glanced at Holly again and noticed that she was walking alongside the train without ever looking away from me. And as the train picked up speed, her walk turned into a trot before reaching a full gallop. She was chasing the train!

Fear gripped me as I wondered if she would leap off the train platform at the very edge of town. I placed my hand on the window pane while watching her as closely as she watched me. Thankfully, Holly was not so fixated on me as to ignore her surroundings. At the very end of the station, she pulled herself up onto the railing and watched me as the train rolled out of Canterlot and on its way to Ponyville. I only saw her for a second longer before she escaped my field of vision.

I made it home just fine, but I have not been able to get Nightshade Holly off my mind. Fluttershy made a little snack for me and we tucked Gladesong into bed and I said goodnight to Scootaloo. Still cannot believe that filly is going to be eighteen in a few months... Where did the time go?

Fluttershy has checked in on me as I have been typing this tonight. She has asked about Holly and can tell I am rather distracted. I do miss that mare already. She keeps calling her Tempest Shadow now and then out of habit, but she will get used to that new name soon enough.

I am impressed by how quickly the two of us have bonded over these two weekends... It is like we had wanted to reach out to each other for the past two years, but could not until now. It is true. I adore her. And she is definitely one of the most dear friends I have made in some time. I can now safely say that Nightshade Holly is a very dear friend to me without doubt. I know where her soul lies and that there is no chance of her relapsing. Tempest Shadow died some time ago and Nightshade Holly has taken her place. I just hope the rest of the world will come to understand that someday...

Well, time for bed. I need someone to hold me and make me feel like everything is going to be all right. And no one does it better than my wife.