Happy Tempest Shadow Day!!!
 
Today’s all about the Unicorn with a broken horn who told us to open our eyes. Besides Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer, Tempest Shadow, also known as Fizzlepop Berrytwist, is one of the best reformed antagonists in the series. :D (Big Grin) She may not be the first reformed enemy, she is the first pony to leave behind her home and her friends after losing her horn.
 
Tempest Shadow, when she was Fizzlepop Berrytwist, was once a bright-eyed filly growing up with her best friends Glitter Drops and Spring Rain. She dreamed of one day living in Canterlot and attending Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. One day, while the three friends practice their magic with a ball, Glitter Drops and Spring Rain accidentally lost it in a dark cave. Fizzlepop, the bravest of the three, ventured into the cave to retrieve the ball, but was attacked by a belligerent ursa minor, which cleaved off the top half of her horn and gave her a scar over her right eye. With her horn broken, Fizzlepop’s magic became uncontrollable energy that burns and disintegrates whatever it touches. Despite her friends’ patience and understanding, they were scared of Fizzlepop’s unstable magic and she felt the relationship between them has irrevocably changed after losing her horn. When Glitter Drops and Spring Rain were accepted into the School for Gifted Unicorns, Fizzlepop became distraught upon realizing her dream of attending the school would never come true, due to her refraining from using her magic. She then came to the fateful conclusion that without magic or her friends, there was nothing left for her in Equestria, and she left her home, travelling to the south beyond the kingdom, where there would be no possible friend in sight.
 
The life of a pony living in the egotistic southern lands can be hard, and as mentioned earlier, friends are a scarcity. First, Fizzlepop was forced to stay in Drunger, a small, rundown, impoverished desert city where the population of non-pony creatures express resentment towards the royals and upper-class ponies of Equestria, when she lost all her bits. Then, once she was finally able to move on from the acrimonious city, Fizzlepop discovered the burning wreckage of a crashed airship and found the Misfortune Malachite under the sand. Just then, Grubber and several Storm Creatures demanded Fizzlepop to hand over the gemstone, or else invoke wrath of the evil Storm King. She refused and fled into the desert. When she arrived at the free market desert settlement of Klugetown, Fizzlepop learned more about the Storm King and his continuing rise in power. Despite being warned by the Misfortune Malachite to be rid of it or face terrible misfortune, Fizzlepop held onto it, hoping it could restore her horn. Eventually, she was caught by the Storm King. Impressed by her skills and magic, he offered to restore her horn in exchange for her doing something for him. Fizzlepop gave the Storm King the Misfortune Malachite, but he crushed it to pieces, having no use for the bad luck that it brought. Her first mission was to steal the magical pearl of the Hippogriffs. Despite their hospitality being familiar to the ponies of her old home, Fizzlepop tried to steal the Hippogriffs’ pearl, but failed. What the Storm King told Fizzlepop changed her into the jaded, distrustful pony we saw in the movie: “Every creature for themself. That is the true law of the land. Learn it and live by it, and then maybe one day you will succeed.” Fizzlepop offered the Storm King something more powerful than Queen Novo’s pearl: the magic of the Alicorn princesses of Equestria. Intrigued by this, he tasked her with bringing him the princesses’ magic—with the promise of restoring her horn afterward. Fizzlepop, now filled with cold ruthlessness, became the Storm King’s second-in-command and chief bounty hunter, driven by the goal to gain back her horn, and she changed her name to one that would strike fear into everyponies’ hearts: Tempest Shadow.
 
When Twilight Sparkle prepared for the Friendship Festival, Tempest led an army of Storm Creatures to invade Equestria, where she used obsidian orbs to turn the princesses to stone. Twilight and her friends managed to escape and went in search for the Hippogriffs for help. The Storm King reminded Tempest their deal: He would restore her horn in exchange for the magic of all four princesses to empower the mystical Staff of Sacanas. Tempest, along with Grubber, chased after the ponies from Klugetown to an airship filled with pirates. After the Mane Six escaped again, Tempest learned where they went - to Hippogriffia. She managed to kidnap Twilight after her friends abandoned her during an argument, and delivered her back to Equestria. On the way over, Twilight gained Tempest’s sympathy when she learned about her sad story. In Canterlot, the Storm King absorbed Twilight and the other princesses’ magic into his staff. When Twilight’s pony friends and the new friends they made on their journey infiltrated the city and defeat the Storm King’s soldiers, he conjured up a giant lightning storm with the staff. Tempest reminded the Storm King of their deal for him to restore her horn, but the Storm King betrayed her, revealing that he merely used her for his own ends. The Storm King tried to destroy Tempest, who nearly flew off the balcony and into the cyclone, but Twilight saved her. The Storm King prepared to finish the ponies off, but the rest of the Mane Six saved them by using Pinkie’s party cannon to launch themselves through the cyclone and knock him over. Twilight reconciled with her friends, who helped her take the staff before the Storm King would, and ended the storm. The Storm King hurled an obsidian orb at the group to petrify them, but Tempest jumped in his way, turning them both into stone. The Storm King’s petrified body fell and shattered, while the group used the staff’s magic to revive Tempest, who restored the princesses and the damaged city by returning the stolen magic. Encouraged by Twilight, Tempest joined in the Friendship Festival by producing a fireworks display with her broken horn, and happily accepted the group’s friendship. Tempest, now Fizzlepop Berrytwist again, goes around making new friends while spreading the magic of friendship to lands beyond Equestria. She even reconciled with one of her old friends Glitter Drops while on patrol on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. And we all remember her taking part in the final battle against Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow, and being invited to Twilight’s coronation as the new ruler of Equestria. Tempest/Fizzlepop truly had quite a story.
 
Now before I wrap this up, let me express my thoughts about Tempest/Fizzlepop. She’s quite an awesome character, and the role she played out, her design, I can see why she’s a fan favorite. However, I didn’t like how she was the more active enemy, whereas the Storm King—the true villain of the movie—had less screen time. Makes me think like she should’ve been the main antagonist. But I digress. Tempest being a bounty hunter makes her enjoyable; I like bounty hunters. Also what intrigued me was how :icondeathfirebrony: theorized how she represented enmity, the direct opposite of friendship. She came to believe that friendship is meaningless, and everycreature is your enemy; In order to live in the world, you must only believe that everycreature is your enemy or else you open yourself up to betrayal and disappointment: “The best way to survive is all alone.” Quite a fitting opposing view for show that teaches friendship. And of course, she’s very beautiful. Love Despite her broken horn and scar, she’s actually a lovely sight to behold. Not to mention she’s voiced by the legendary Emily Blunt. She provided an incredible voice for Tempest. And even though she had only a few cameos in the series finale, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic produced quite the reformed character. Nod
 
For this pic, coming up with this pic came up instantly. I had the vectors provided and the style of the greeting. The real challenge was the background. I decided to meld both a background of fireworks and lightning to represent her. It took hours, but I believe it’s perfect. Nod
 
Well anyway, here’s to everybody’s favorite broken-horned Unicorn. Thank you Hasbro for creating her, thank you Emily Blunt for voicing her, and thank you for being such an awesome movie star, Tempest Shadow/Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Heart Heart Heart