Episode 8
生家
Home again
I woke up on a cold stone floor. My head was hurting badly. I tried to get up, but as soon as I did, I fell on my butt. I looked around. I was in what looked like a dungeon cell. Then, I noticed something sticking out of my forehead. I lifted a hand to touch it, but as soon as my hand passed in front of my eyes, I realised I was no longer a human. I was a pony.
I let out a sigh as I got up, on all four this time. I walked around until I found a puddle. I looked at myself in it. My coat was a silvery green color, and my eyes were more grey than before. My eyes were also bigger than when I was a human. My scar was also much more visible than when I was a human. My mane, and my tail, was still short-and-always-messy as well as brown. However, there was also something new about my hair/mane. There was a white streak in it.
I then turned my head to look at the rest of my body. It was easier than I thought it would. My tail was the same color and style as my mane. I then looked at my cutie mark. It looked like three masks, each one with almost the same face. Anyone that knew my talent understood the signification of my cutie mark.
Then, I heard somepony unlock my cell. The pony was a young unicorn stallion. He was black and had a blue brushed-to-one-side mane and tail. He was wearing a golden armour.
"My name is Hard Skull. I am the Captain of the Royal Guard. I am here to ask you a few questions. What is your name?"
Hard Skull had a the voice of a young pony, perhaps the voice of a sixteen or seventeen years old.
"My name is Lightning Bolt." I said, remembering to say my pony name and not my human name.
"Lightning Bolt? Okay... What were you doing in the royal gardens?"
"I don't know. I was unconscious."
"Really? The witnesses just gained some credibility..."
"Why am I here? I think I can guess that I am in prison."
"You're right. You're here because you couldn't come at a worst time. The Princesses are meeting, and ever since the coup a year or so ago, the security in Canterlot has been increased."
Hard Skull then left my cell, locking it behind him. I went to one wall and I let myself down on my rump. I slowly fell asleep, drifting into a weird dream...
I was still in the cell, but I was back to a human. There was no sound, and the air itself seemed dead. Then, I heard a voice.
"You finally came back..."
"Who are you?" I asked.
Then, a dark blue winged unicorn appeared in front of me. Her mane and tail were flowing even though there was no wind and they sparkled like the night sky. Her cutie mark was a white moon crescent on a black background.
"I am Princess Luna."
I let out a sigh as I sat down.
"I am so confused. Why am I here? What happened to me?"
"I wish I knew the answers. At least you are back, Noah. My dear sister said that you would probably never come back."
"I am not the one that got me here..."
"My sister and I will soon meet you in real life. It is now time to wake up..."
I gasped for air as I felt cold water splash on my muzzle. I coughed repeatedly to clear my throat of the water I received in my mouth.
"Come. The Princesses want to see you." Hard Skull said.
I nodded quickly and I stumbled to my hooves. I felt slightly dizzy, but I could still walk around without much difficulties. Two white Pegasi guards, both wearing golden armour, then pushed my forward behind Hard Skull who was leading the way.
I followed Hard Skull to a small room located to the left of my cell. Hard Skull opened it and levitated shackles and chains out. The two Pegasi guards then restrained me while Hard Skull put the shackles and the chains on me. Once it was done, Hard Skull closed the door and went the other way, to the right of my cell.
Hard Skull led me through a maze of corridors. I had lost the count of how many doors we passed. I was lost. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, we stepped out of the dungeon and into a hallway. The hallway was richly decorated, with banners hanging from the high ceiling. Pillars were located on each sides of the hallway, and colourful windows depicting the sun and the moon decorated the walls.
Hard Skull tugged on the chains, causing me to walk forward behind him. While we walked towards god knows where, I was awe-struck at the magnificence of the decor. Every hallway was richly decorated with banners hanging from the high ceiling, and colourful windows decorated both walls, but most didn't have pillars.
We then turned into a smaller hallway. It was still richly decorated with some banners hanging from the high ceiling, but there were also tapestry hanging on each wall. Expertly carved doors were also decorating the wall on my right while the wall on my left was decorated with colourful windows.
At the end of the hallway was a huge double door. The doors were carved, and the intricate designs on them were only adding to the feel of royalty of the place. On each side of the double door were a single grey unicorn guard. With a single gesture of Hard Skull's head, both unicorns' horns lit up, and the doors opened. Hard Skull walked in, and I followed him.
As soon as I was inside, the doors shut tight behind. I gulped, and I looked around. The ceiling was high, so high that I almost broke my neck when I tried to look up. On each side were pillars, evenly spaced, and large windows decorated each wall. Some distance from the door through which we entered stood two thrones; one was white with golden highlights, a depiction of the sun at the peak, the other was black with silver highlights, a depiction of the full moon at its peak. A red carpet led to the thrones.
In front of the thrones were two winged unicorns. The one on the left had a seemingly white coat, but the more I looked at it,the more it looked pink-ish. Her mane and tail were light cerulean, light turquoise, pale blue and dark pink, and they were flowing as if there was a small breeze even though we were inside. The one on the right was smaller and her coat was midnight blue. Her mane and tail sparkled like the night sky, and were flowing as well.
Hard Skull forced me to bow.
"Princesses. I bring forth the intruder." He said in a monotone.
"Thank you, Captain. You may leave, now." The pink-ish winged unicorn said in a soft voice.
Hard Skull bowed slightly and left. I kept bowing, since I was in the presence of royalty. I heard hoofsteps approaching me, and the soft voice of the pink-ish Princess spoke near my ear.
"You can stop bowing. You are here as our guest."
I didn't move, too shocked to think. After a few seconds, I finally moved, going back to a more casual stance.
"I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister Luna, but you must already know that. After all, she visited you in your dream..."
My brain decided to shut down after Celestia's reveal. She then giggled. Luna came to me and her sister.
"Tia! 'Tis not funny! Remember that he was raised in another world."
Celestia stopped her giggling and resumed talking.
"Sorry... Here you are safe from those who seek what you hold."
"The Origin." I said in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Yes. You will also be trained in using both your natural unicorn magic and the energy given to you by The Origin."
"Trained?"
"Again, yes. Princess Twilight, my former student, will teach you on how to use your unicorn magic, and-"
Celestia was interrupted by a pink winged unicorn. Her mane and tail were purple, dark pink and pale yellow. She ran towards me, causing me to freeze on the spot. She came to a halt a few feet away from me.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I felt somepony was in love and wanted to go back to the loved one!" She said enthusiastically.
"Cadance!" A masculine voice called from the hallway.
"I'm here, Shiny! I am just helping somepony get back to a loved one!"
There was a moment of silence before the voice sighed. Cadance, the winged unicorn in front of me, resumed talking.
"Where was I? Right..."
Just as Cadance took a breath to resume where she had left, another winged unicorn came in. She had a lavender coat. Her mane and tail were navy blue with a magenta and a purple streak. She came to me, Cadance, Celestia and Luna.
"Cadance! Celestia and Luna asked us to not come in the throne room!"
"It is quite alright, Twilight." Celestia reassured the newcomer.
Twilight then seemed to notice me. Her gaze froze on my face.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes... What do you mean by..."
Realisation hit me as I remembered my scar.
"Maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Lightning Bolt here."
Twilight tilted her head to one side in confusion.
"Here?"
"Where I was raised, my name is Noah White. I am The Origin."
Twilight nodded. Celestia then spoke.
"Twilight, why don't you and your friends take Lightning Bolt around Canterlot?"
"Great idea. Now come Lightning."
"But before you go, I will free Lightning from his restraints."
With that, Celestia's horn glowed yellow, and the chain and shackles fell to the ground, freeing me. I gave a slight bow to Celestia as a thank you, then I went after Twilight.
I was sitting outside of a café in Canterlot, Twilight and her friends around the same table as me. It had been around three hours since I met them all, but I could already feel that they considered me their friend. Pinkie had already promised to throw me a party once we were back in Ponyville.
"Are you okay, sugar cube?"
I looked up, stopping my observation of my cup of tea. I nodded slowly at Applejack's question.
"Yeah. It's just that... That my other friends... I miss them..."
That got me puzzled looks. They all knew that I was not raised in Equestria, and that my friends were still on Earth.
"Don't worry! You've got all of us here to make you smile."
"Yeah. Pinkie's right, ya know. So stop brooding." Rainbow Dash added.
I smiled.
"Thanks. I never had that many friends before..."
Pinkie gasped one of her signature gasps. But something caused her to stop mid-gasp, her mouth wide open.
"What in tarnation was that for? Why did somethin' exploded 'ere in Canterlot?" Applejack asked as debris rolled in the street.
"HELP!" A stallion yelled from where the explosion came from.
I sprang up, ready to fight. Just then, three ponies wearing cloaks came out of a hole in a buildings side. One of them saw me and gave orders. The three then faced me, slowly coming closer to me.
"Ugh... River agents!" I heard Twilight say.
I then smirked. Even though I was not a human, I still knew how to control my energy without the help of hands. I squinted my eyes, focusing on the pony on the left of the formation. Soon, sparks flew out of my horn, and a lightning bolt left it. I kept focusing, visualizing the bolt's route and guiding it to its target.
The bolt hit the pony, and said pony fell to the ground, hooves kicking the air.
"That was AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash said.
I then felt dizzy and fell to the ground, exhausted. I then saw Twilight teleport in front of me, her horn charging a spell. It triggered, and the two remaining ponies were sent backwards several feet into a wall. Twilight then teleported herself and me somewhere. I blacked out at that moment.
I woke up covered with sweat. It was night, and I was still a pony. I sighed.
"Great... Even here I attract bad luck..."
As to show me how right I was, a cloaked figure entered my room. But when the figure saw me, it back pedaled into the wall, falling to the ground.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The pony didn't answer me as said pony ran for the window, smashing through it and vanishing in the night. Panicked hoofsteps then came in.
"What happened?!" Rainbow Dash asked, ready to fight whatever had come in my room.
"I don't know. The intruder just... Vanished..."
There was a collective "Huh?" Then, Twilight spoke.
"Tomorrow we are going back to Ponyville. As soon as we arrive, I will start teaching you how to use your unicorn magic. And I would like to know how you summoned and controlled lightning."
I nodded, then they went back to their rooms. I let out a sigh.
"Why do I have the feeling that that pony, whoever that was, will come back in my life one way or another?" I said as I went back to sleep.
Next episode: "Ponyville, here I come. I hope Twilight won't be too hard on me. After all, I have zero knowledge about unicorn magic. And while I take a break from my training, why not read a book? What is that? No books! Can somepony show me the way around the Everfree forest? And somepony else to protect me? Zecora and Rainbow Dash, thanks a lot. What is that book? And you again! Next episode:
Episode 9
水晶
Focus on the book
Don't miss it!"
(c) 2014 The master of the game
