He was in a dark forest within an equally dark temple structure. There upon a pedistal stood a strange statue that had five strange stone orbs adorning it. For some reason he couldn't help but approach the statue. But before he could reach it, there was an evil presence in the room. Before him was an amorphous black-as-night form that had an erie similarity to it. Before he could do anything, six lights of various colors entered the temple. The darkness then said some undissernable things and vanished with the orbs. He was then in the forest again, though he was in control of his body now. Before him now was a vaguely famililar pony among three other pegasi that were wearing darkened, twisted versions of what the Wonder Bolts wore. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he found out soon enough when all four of them attacked. He tried his best to fend them off but he was eventually overwhelmed. As they reared for the final blow, he began to scream. Everything became a blur as their hooves came down on him.
Lightning woke up to Derpy's hoof in his mouth. Somehow her hind hoof found it's way into his mouth in the night. He got it out and fell off the bed, which proceeded to wake flash. "Wha...huuhh...what? Lightning..." Flash mumbled, sitting up. "Lightning what in the hay?"
"How did her hoof get in my mouth?" Lightning asked.
"How am I supposed to know?" Flash asked.
"Hhrrrmmm...mmmm..........m...mmmufffinn..." Derpy mumbled as she turned over. It then dawned on them what the cause of her invasive hoof.
"Ha ha ha haaaa!!! She must of thought you wanted a muffin!" Flash said.
"Ohh shut up." Lightning said, crossing his forelegs in annoyance. This only made Flash laugh harder. Lightning left the guest room to preen and heard what sounded like crying coming through Applejack's door. He approached her door. "Hey Applejack, are you ok in there?" he asked.
"I...I...come in y'all..." Aj said between sobs. Lightning trotted in and found her looking out the window, staring out into the horizon.
"Are you ok?" Lightning said as he joined her at the window.
"Ah'm really homesick Lightning." Applejack said as she wiped some tears out of her eyes. "Ah just left them..."
"Who did you leave?" Lightning asked, as he now also was looking out to the horizon.
"Mah family. Big Mac and Granny Smith...all so Ah could come to live here..." her sobing returned. She looked at Lightning with tear filled eyes.
"I...I..." now Lightning was sobbing. He then hugged her, which caught her of guard. But after the initial shock she embraced him, sensing the honesty of his emotions. After 5 minutes of embracing eachother, there was suddenly an extremely loud explosion that rocked the entire country. Both Aj and Lightning looked up as a massive shockwave of seemingly every color of the rainbow issued forth from over the horizon. Soon after a very bright, almost neon rainbow streaked accross the sky in the direction of Ponyville. Both Aj and Lightning were speechless as to what had just occured. Aj now had a look of newfound determination.
"Let's go to Ponyville, mah home town." Aj said, a tear going down her cheek. "Ah now realize what I really wanted all along."
"I'll get the others." Lightning said as he started towards the door. He felt happy for Aj, but he knew what that explosion likely was. It was a signal that Cloud had done it. He had succeeded in training Dash in the legendary Sonic Rainboom. He wouldn't go home now. He couldn't go home now. Dash will be a legend now, and Cloud would use it to smother Lightning's name. His home would now need to be Ponyville.
"Guys," Lightning said as he entered their room, "We're going with Applejack to Ponyville. I obviously can't fly, and Aj seems determined to return to her home. Not a one of us knows how to get there, so I think we should tag along."
"I need to go back home" Derpy said. "My parents will be worried about me."
"I'm not letting you go this alone, Lightning. Count me in." Flash said.
"You're leaving Derpy?" Lightning asked.
"We'll still get to hang out, my family often visits Ponyville." Derpy happily chirped.
"Then let's get going, I'll get Aj." Lightning said as he trotted back to Aj's room. He entered to find her packing her bag. "We've decided to come with you, Applejack. Though Derpy is returning home. I wasn't going back home anyway."
"Y'all are gonna continue yer father's work, aren't ya." Aj said.
Lightning nodded.
They then left the Oranges' place and started for Ponyville. Derpy said her goodbyes and left for Cloudsdale. They were not, however, traveling alone. In the shadow of the trees a shadow of a pegasus was following at a distance...
to be continued...