Lightning Bolt of Rome

by CrackedInkWell

Chapter XXX: Upon the Celestial Shores.

‘Ow.’ was the only word on all three of the ponies’ minds. Piece by piece, their senses started to come back to them, feeling the cold rain falling on their coats and armor. There was also the distant sound of thunder along with the ebb and flow of water.

Lightning Bolt was the first to open his eyes. He saw that they were on a long beach close to the sea. The sky was gray, but the light that penetrated through suggested that it was morning. He also spotted the twisted web of wires lying not too far from them, most of it has melted. His lazy eyes followed the wires to the golden eagle staff that he barely remembered holding onto.

“Wha… where..?” The pegasus sat up and felt sand shift under his armor. “Nurse Red Heart? Spear Head?” He didn’t have to look very far to see their unconscious bodies nearby.

He dragged himself over to the two ponies, shaking the unicorn. “Drill Sergeant? You alright?”

“Ugh,” Spear Head moaned. “Ow.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Sir… I don’t know, sir.”

The Solar Captain went over to the nurse and tried to wake her up as well. “Nurse Red Heart? Are you okay?

Her face scrunched up as she spat out some sand. “Yuck! ...what?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Wasn’t there some kind of battle going on?” the earth pony mare questioned. “That’s the last thing I remember.”

“I don’t really know, myself,” Lightning confessed. “I just woke up.”

“Well, at least we’re out of danger.” The unicorn slowly rose to his hooves. “Do you think we’re back to our own world now, or someplace else?”

“I really hope we’re home.” Red Heart got up, helping the pegasus to his hooves.

“Agreed.” Lightning looked around at the abandoned beach. “Let’s go find a road or something and find out where we are.”

The other two ponies agreed. Their group started to head up towards the tall wild grass, pushing their way through until they came to a clearing. Not several hundred yards away stood alone cottage with lights seeping through the window.

As they walked towards the house, each wondered if the being that answered the door would be a pony, a human, or something else entirely.

The mare was the first to knock on the door. There was the sound of movement before, to their relief, a filly opened the door.

“Oh thank Celestia,” Red Heart sighed in relief. “Hello there, little one. Are your parent’s home?”

The filly blinked.

“We were hoping that somepony might let us in to get out of the rain. Would you let us in?”

The filly tilted her head. “Désolée madame, mais je n'ai pas compris.”

Spear Head looked over to his superior. “Prench. Well, at least we have a good idea where we are now.” He stepped in front of the nurse, looking down at the filly. “Excuse-nous, est-ce que tes parents sont à la maison? Nous espérons nous mettre à l'abri de la pluie.”

The filly shook her head. “Pas en ce moment monsieur. Ma mère est chez mon grand-père et mon père est parti chercher des œufs chez un voisin.”

Both earth pony and pegasus looked at the crimson unicorn in surprise. Bolt was the first to break the silence. “I didn’t know you spoke Prench.”

“I learned it from somepony I was dating some time ago.”

“Do you know what she said then?” the mare asked.

“She said that neither of her parents is home. Her mother is away and her father is trying to get some eggs from a neighbor.

"Est-ce que vous êtes perdus?” the filly asked.

“Oui, nous le sommes Et nous avons très froid,” Spear told her. “S'il-te-plait, pourrais-tu nous laisser venir chez toi nous abriter jusqu'à ce que ton père revienne?”

The gray filly put her hoof to her chin. “Je pense que je peux,” she said as she stepped out of the doorway. “On dirait que vous avez été là toute la nuit.”

_*_

In a matter of days, the trio traveled from the northern coast of Prance to its capital to send a message to Princess Celestia of their return. The Sun Princess soon sent an airship over to pick the three of them up.

That is where Lightning Bolt, Spear Head, and Red Heart had currently found themselves. All three were sitting in the spacious observation deck, eating lunch as they flew back to Canterlot. The tall marble-like mare listened to the three’s stories of their trips while eyeing the broken-off piece of the eagle staff on the table.

“Rome, you say?” Celestia asked. “I don’t think I’ve even heard of it.”

“The only thing I could compare it to was Cloudsdale,” Lightning said. “Their architecture was similar in design, but made of white marble and much larger in scale. They also had a large sense of pride.”

“Their sports were particularly bloody,” Spear Head piped in before taking a bite of his hayburger, “especially their fights.”

Celestia nodded and turned to the nurse. “And you said that you were in this world for four years?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Red Heart nodded. “Although, I wasn’t in the Roman Empire. I was with a traveling tribe where I used my medical practice to help heal them. To be honest, they weren’t exactly any better than the Romans, and were pretty violent.”

“I see. So, now that you’re back, do you have any plans?”

The nurse shifted in her seat. “I was hoping that I could return to medical school, but since I haven’t been paying for my apartment’s rent, I’m probably going to be homeless.”

“For what you’ve been through, perhaps I could pull a few strings.” Celestia sipped her lemonade. “I could have you transferred to Canterlot or Manehattan’s schools so that you can further your education, and I’ll make sure that wherever you want to go, your residence shall be rent-free until you get your doctorate degree.”

Red Heart’s jaw dropped. “W-why… Princess, I don’t know what to say...”

Celestia smiled. “A simple thank you would do just nicely.”

She nodded. “Thank you, your Highness. At the moment, though, I just want to rest for a bit and enjoy Equestria for a couple of days.”

“I second that,” Spear Head agreed. “Besides, I’ve been missing my dates. I hope Orange isn’t convinced that I’m dead or anything.”

Celestia turned to her Captain of the Guard. “And you?”

“Just two things,” he said. “I want my family and my bed.”

“Understandable,” the white alicorn said before turning her attention back to her soup.

_*_

It was late in the evening by the time Lightning Bolt had set his hooves down in Canterlot. Looking around, he almost didn’t recognize it since he was away in a city of marble for so long. It was less crowded, much cleaner, and even more elaborate. There were equines -- not beasts of burden -- roaming the streets.

In a way, it almost felt like a dream as he tried to recall that particular place of the city. He’d nearly forgotten his neighborhood as he flew down to the place he called home. But like a lost memory, he spotted something familiar: a blue door with a crescent-shaped window. He landed and knocked on the door.

“Give me a sec,” a voice behind the door called out. There were a few clicks from the door before it opened to a Thestral mare with a yellow bandana tied on her head. “Can I…?” she trailed off when she saw who was on the front porch.

Lightning gave a soft, tired smile. “Hey, Midnight. Sorry, I’m late.”

“L… Lightning?” His wife suddenly flew forward and embraced him, her bat wings enveloping him. “I can’t believe it! You’re home! You’re actually home!”

The pegasus nuzzled her. “I missed you too. How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been busy, but we’re doing fine.” Midnight wiped a few joyful tears from her eyes. “Our daughter was worried sick about you, and so was I.”

“Where is she anyway?”

“Sleeping.” His wife took a step back. “By the way, what’s with the weird armor?”

Lightning kissed her for a moment. “It’s quite the story, but I’ll tell you later. I’m tired and could really use my bed.”

“Come inside then.” She stepped beside the door. “I guess we both have quite a story to tell, don’t we?”

“Quite.” And with that, Lightning Bolt stepped inside of his home.

Author's Note:

And so, after several weeks worth of writing, getting interrupted, computer getting repaired a couple of times, and kept running into a mental brink wall on several occasions, it's finally done!

So, with like all of my other stories, I have to ask, what did you think about it?

That is, if you don't mind.

Comments

[keys__]

Great job! I really enjoyed this!

[batran]

Wonder what the Romans are doing

[CrackedInkWell]

6663303 Do you think that Legion returned to Rome?

[Rocky Runner]

This was a great read. Short chapters, sure, but it kept me reading.

[batran]

6663410

Logically if the barbarians are desperate enough to get their god back. The romans only options were to surrender or flee/retreat (since the battle would be in close quarters). Eventually, considering chances. The romans would eventually return to rome one way or another... But not in one piece. Maybe half at most, considering the fact that they are also veterans.

That could be a controversey

[Colt Bolt]

6663410 I bet they all died

[batran]

6699539

I wish there is a sequel

Like it could take place 300 years later around Emperor Majorian (460), the last emperor in attempt to preserve (western) Roman Empire before it fell, leaving the East on it's own. I wanna see the reactions to how Rome changed

[Night Swift]

It was great but what about the senator accidentally got hit by one of the thunderbolt suddenly? I am saying this if you can make a new story.

[Peppermint N Swirl]

I loved it... could there possibly be a sequel sometime soon?

[CrackedInkWell]

7810005 I was thinking of a prequel to it, but at the moment, I've got enough on my plate as it is.

[Jordan179]

7857536

"Caesar" was used as a title to refer to Roman Emperors (the other major title being "Augustus"). Sometimes it was used to refer to the reigning emperor and sometimes primarily to his designated heir, depending on the period of history.

[Jordan179]

This is one of the best "historical Humans meet modern Equestrian Ponies" fanfics I've ever seen, because you had the Romans -- even the sympathetic ones -- be Early Imperial Romans instead of making them moderns in Roman garb.

The bane of bad historical fiction, too often not only committed by writers but enforced by editors who want characters to appeal to a modern audience and think the characters can't appeal if they are true to their era.

Your Titus is a good Emperor and a Reasonable Authority Figure, and within his limits he wants to see matters proceed to the best possible conclusion. But he is the product of a culture which sees slavery not only as the basis of its economy and society (and they're right about that) but as the only POSSIBLE basis for a civilized economy and society. And which takes for granted that there will be a lot of foes and rebels and criminals, and that they must be executed in some fashion -- so why not use them to entertain the populace, while hardening them to the sight of blood they must be willing to endure to be able to fight if necessary?

Thunder Bolt is the product not only of a more humane ("equine?") civilization, but one which has already had a Commercial and Industrial Revolution, and within which the first Information Revolution is stirring. They not only see slavery as barbaric and evil, but know that the basis of a civilized society can be the vast production which derives from talented industry and commerce, powered by combustion engines, and rendered even more efficient and made ever more wealthy by further advances in science.

Thunder Bolt is not well-equipped to explain this to Emperor Titus, even if Titus would listen (and he might!) because he is not an engineer or a technological historian. He is a military officer, and all he knows is that the culture he comes from scorns slavery and the torturous execution of prisoners as memories of a nightmare past. The same is true of Spear Head. Red Heart might be able to explain more (at least about the possibilities of advanced medicine), but they only meet her toward the end of their quest.

Emperor Titus shows his worth. He neither scorns Thunder Bolt as a fraud nor blindly obeys him as his master. He is obviously tempted to do him to death because of the threat to his authority, but he resists the temptation, even after the assassination attempt. But he is bound by the limitations of his political position. Though in modern terms an autocrat, his power is personal and his rivals know that if they can kill him they may be able to supplant him. And this means that he must fear things many modern autocrats would not, and do things he might rather not do.

Speaking of Titus, you've of course left a major caligae undropped. Domitian. Who is by no means as reasonable as Titus, if we can trust the verdict of history. And who might be willing to use Equestrians for all manners of wickedness.

This is a great fanfic.

[Starlight Nova]

If Lightning Bolt was voiced, what would he sound like?

[CrackedInkWell]

8246076
I don’t know.

[NicLove]

Before I read this, what is the Gore tag for ?
And how bad does it get ?

[CrackedInkWell]

8252654
Let’s see... Ancient gladiatorial fights mentioned along with Roman warfare. But nothing that would go over-the-top.

[CrackedInkWell]

8532408
If I had written it during the time of Nero or Caligula, this wouldn’t be rated Teen.

[BronyAirman2552]

This is really well written. I actually played the part of a centurion in a reenactment a few years ago.

[Winter Rosario]

8360641
UmU!

[3-tap]

9746810
Cool

[3-tap]

Now that i have re-read this story, i am only left with a a couple of questions,

What happended to the magic storm cloud after they escaped? Was it destroyed?

And the most burning of questions
Where there any other ponies struck by the magic lightning that weren't in the story? Because i have a feeling those 3 weren't the first or the last ponies to get teleported

[TheBadWriter]

this story was fantastic!

[Alex80]

You know I got an idea for a story. One in which a small male alicorn ends up in the ancient world and is raised by lions and learns to use the roar like that of "the lion guard" and then discovers Nero's Rome and when there is a fire he gathers the clouds in flight and makes it rain and unleashing fipulminisalvando the city and all prondonounce him for Jupiter learns the history and culture of Rome and proclaims him emperor, He learns to fight, defeats the Germans and consolidates a stable empire, goes everywhere from Alexandria, Britain, Galia, the Greek islands and even in new poslti as India and China. I know it's an alternative history of the Roman Empire but I think it could work and what do you think ?????????

[Alex80]

11103887
To clarify my idea was a mix between mlp/ ryse son of rome for the armor /and the settings of assassin's cree oddysey and origins.
Just search on artstation