Chapter 3
Twilight Sparkle loved mysteries, especially those that challenged her scientific oriented mind, nothing quite felt as good as placing the puzzle pieces all together and solving a good mystery. But a mystery full of illogical, unbelievable and impossible puzzle pieces that did not fit together, Twilight hated those with a burning passion. That's why it was such a doozy when she accepted that she would never quite understand how the Pinkie sense worked, and now, Twilight was faced with another mystery in witch the explanation defied all logic.
After finding the missing fillies in the crash site of their mission objective the fillies quickly began telling stories if how an earth pony stallion had been the fallen object, that he fought off a pack of timberwolves and that he could summon lightning even though he was an earth pony. That made no sense. This. Needed. Investigating.
“Allright everypony we need to clarify what is going on here, first thing first.” Twilight faced the stranger who was standing there with his barrel bandaged by Fluttershy. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.” Twilight announced with all the royalty she could gather clearly emulating Princess Celestia. “What is your name noble stallion.”
“Princess of friendship?” Aioria though to himself. “What kind of title is that.” The title somehow felt odd, but he could feel a strong cosmo coming from the purple pony, additionaly since she had both wings and a horn, considering that then her claim of royalty had more weight to it. Nevertheless he needed information, if he wanted to learn more of his situation he needed to ask the locals so he decided to go with the flow.
Aioria gave a respectfully bow an said. “My name is Ai-“
“His name's Lightning Bolt.” Applebloom popped in between them interrupting Aioria mid-sentence.
“Lightning Bolt?” Twilight repeated the name given by the excited filly.
“Lightning bolt?” Aioria echoed confused, why would they think that was his name.
“Yeah.” Scootaloo popped right next to Applebloom. “He was like “I am Lightning Bolt”, and then he was like “You will not harm these damsels.” And then “Wham!”, and “Pow!”, and “Zap!”.” She began jumping around speaking in onomatopoeia and throwing punches and kicks in the air.
“Really?” Twilight questioned.
“Really?” Aioria echoed.
“An' he even has a lightnin' bolt cutie mark.” Sweetie Bell said point ting at something in his rear.
Aioria turned to see what the child was pointing at and saw something that he had not noticed about his new body, a yellow stylized lightning bolt could be seen in his flank, looking closer at the ponies around him he noticed that all the adult ponies had similar markings in the same spot, but the little ponies didn’t, but still he had no idea what any of this meant.
“Hey mister Lightning Bolt, is shooting lightning your special talent?” Sweetie Bell asked him as the fillies crowded to admire his cutie mark.
“Special talent?” Aioria by now was so confused he was only repeating what the ponies asked him.
“Don’t be silly girls, earth ponies can’t do magic.” Twilight said dismissively.
“Magic?” Aioria said hitting the pinnacle of confusion.
“But it’s true, he really did shoot lightning, honest.” Applebloom told twilight.
“Yeah, and he fought off the timberwolves while glowing.” Scootaloo joined in.
“And Applebloom found manticore tracks over there.” Sweetie Bell said pointing at the side of the crater.
“Well I won't believe anything until I see proof.” Twilight said stomping her hoof for emphasis.
“Uhh sugarcube, these really are manticore tracks.” Applejack said from over by the crater.
“What!?” Twilight immediately ran over to where Applejack was and examined the markings in the floor, there were manticore and pony tracks scattered all around. Confronted with the evidence Twilight frowned and stomped her way back to where he fillies and stallion stood. “Well, they only proves that there was a manticore around here, I still won't believe that an earth pony can do magic until I see it.”
The three fillies turned to their rescuer and proceeded to bombard him with the deadliest attack known to ponykind, a triple filly pleading stare. “Mister Lightning Bolt could you please show Twilight your magic?” Sweetie Bell pleaded with teary eyes. “She won't believe us unless you do.”
“Pleeeeease.” The other two fillies chorused.
“That’s not magic, and my name is not-…” Aioria protested but the entire ordeal had left him exhausted and vulnerable to the merciless assault from the children. “Fine, I'll give you a demonstration.” Aioria closed his eyes and summoned his cosmo.
“Hoooooo” A golden light began to emanate from him as his body was strengthened by the power of the stars.
“Whoa nelly'!” Applejack reared back from the stallion that now seemed to be burning in golden flames.
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash said hovering in the air.
“Goodness.” Rarity gasped while Fluttershy hid behind her.
“Wha-, but, but that’s, that’s.” Twilight stuttered failing to find the exact words.
“Sparkly!” Pinkie Pie said as she poked Aioria with her hoof.
“See, we told ya' he could magic” Applebloom proudly stated.
Twilight was at a loss for words, all the things the fillies said turned out to be true, this stallion fell from the sky into the forest and proceeded to fight off some of the most terrible creatures in the Everfree Forest. Some stray hairs shot out of Twilight’s straight mane as she analyzed this impossibility.
“How in tarnation are ya' doing that?” Applejack asked
“I’ve trained for years in the sanctuary to be able to manifest my cosmo energy” Aioria explained.
“Sanctuary?, Cosmo?” Twilight repeated not understanding what he meant.
“That looks awesome” Rainbow said as she flew around checking the glowing stallion with unrestrained curiosity. “But what about the shooting lightning stuff? Can you really do it?”
The triple death beam once again concentrated it's destructive force upon the defenseless Aioria. “Alright, I'll show you, stand back.” Aioria moved over to the front of the group while cursing his weakness against cute animals and children, cute animal-children was just unfair. Making his way over to the largest three on sight and prepared his attack feeling all eyes on him, judging, expecting, fearfully, skeptical. Taking a deep breath he pushed it all aside as he unleashed his attack.
“Lightning Bolt!”
The lightning bolt struck the tree with a deafening roar tearing it in apart and sending the ponies sprawling to the ground. When the dust settled the tree was split down the middle with each half collapsed at either side of the remaining stump,all the ponies had slaked jaws and pinprick eyes one of witch was twitching.
“That. Was. AWESOME!!!” Rainbow Dash cheered shooting to the air euphoric.
“Landshakes, that was mighty impressive, we'll imm' convinced how ‘bout you Twilight?” Applejack said adjusting her hat. Twilight in the meantime was speechless, it was impossible yet he did it, he conjured a lightningbolt without a horn or even a cloud, it merely shot out of his hoof like it was the most normal thing in Equestria, this was a new type of magic, it had to be, a new unknown type of magic ripe for study. Twilight’s mane seemed to grow even more disheveled by the second, her left eye twitched sporadically and a toothy smile crept on her lips. “A new type of magic.” She thought to herself, this was nothing like the Pinkie sense fiasco, she could study this unravel the mystery and get answers, glorious, scientific answers.
“So, what happens now?” Aioria asked the group of ponies oblivious of the sudden interest that Twilight had in him.
~~~~~
“I had to ask.” Grumbled Aioria who was strapped to a chair with cables stuck all over his body and a weird metal helmet on his head. After the demonstration of his power Twilight had hastily and somewhat aggressively led the group out of the forest, Applejack said her goodbyes and took the fillies back to the farmhouse not without reminding them how much trouble they where in. The rest of the group followed Twilight to her crystal castle where she proceed to attach her guest to every piece of equipment she had on hoof and bombard him with questions that just led to frustration when he didn’t answer in a way she could understand, witch was all the time.
“One more time, how do you conjure lightning without any medium?” Twilight interrogated her prisoner guest in an attempt to understand how he had done it.
“I already told you, I strike at the wind creating a vacuum and then pour a powerful electric current generated by my cosmo into it creating an electric discharge trough the void into the air.” Aioria explained for the umpeth time.
“LIES!” Twilight accused. “Nopony can move at the required speed to leave behind an empty space in the air much less to pour magical energy into it before it collapses, and what is this cosmo you keep mentioning? is it how you call this specific method?, is it how you call magic?, is it an acronym? Tell me! Tell me!!!” By this point Twilight was screaming her lungs out her mane a total mess and scattered notes covering every inch of the floor, Pinkie Pie even made a paper snowpony and paper angels.
Twilight dear, don't you think you’re being rather rude to the gentlestallion? After all he did save the girls in he forest” Rarity intervened on his behalf.
“But Rarity! We have a mission we must find out everything we can about him for science… I mean, for the princess.” Twilight defended herself throwing the princess card.
“Uhm, actually the princess only said investigate what fell into the forest and uhm, we already know that.” The snowpony said.
“Yeah Twilight, have you even sent a letter to the princess yet” Rainbow said throwing a scarf around the snowpony's neck while Pinkie placed a hat on its head and doodled a silly face on it.
“*gasp* The princess!! I completely forgot.” Twilight said in panic running out of the room. “Spiiiiike take a letter!” Came the shout from outside the door as Twilight scrambled for her number one assistant.
“Finally, I thought she would never stop” Said Rarity as she released Aioria from his restraints with her magic. “Please forgive Twilight, she gets a little carried away sometimes.” She said earning a look of disbelief from the stallion. “Why, with all this commotion we didn’t even had time for introductions, my name is Rarity and I must thank you for saving my sister, that was very gallant of you.” Rarity said with dramatic flare.
“And I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria, and this is Fluttershy” Rainbow said adjusting the knot to the snowpony's scarf, the snowpony just eeped and stood stock still. “Thanks for saving scoots, I can't have my number one fan eaten by timberwolves, by the way can you teach me to shoot lightning like you do, that would be super awesome.”
Before he could answer his vision was filled with pure white with two blue circles in the center. “ HI! I'm Pinkie Pie” said the pink pony that had once again appeared out of nowhere in front of his face.
“I remember.” Said Aioria managing to keep his calm this time.
As soon as you’re feeling better you are officially invited to your surprise “Welcome to Ponyville Lightning Bolt” party, and after that we can have a “thank you for saving the crusaders” party, OH oh and we can also throw a “I fell from space and beat up a bunch of timberwolves” party. Pinkie announced bouncing excitedly across the room spreading confetti and streamers as she bounced off the walls.
“Wait, how can it be a surprise party if you’re inviting me to it? Also my name is not-” Aioria but he was interrupted by the door slamming open revealing a heaving Twilight followed by a purple lizard looking creature.
“Girls, I have Princess Celestia's response.” Twilight levitated a scroll and began reading. “Dear Twilight Sparkle” She began with a genuine smile on her face. “Why didn’t you wait till morning, the Evergreen Forest is dangerous at night.” Her smile faded while Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie tried to hide their snickers, judging by Twilight’s angry stare they did so poorly.
Hearing this Aioria wondered if this Princess Celestia's was some relative of Twilight, after all she had introduced herself as “Princess” Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight continued. “I am glad to hear that found out the source of the commotion, I am sending a chariot in the morning to escort you, your friends and our mystery stallion to Canterlot Castle so we can have an audience with him. Sincerely Princess Celestia.” Twilight put down the scroll and addressed her friends. “Now all we need to do is wait till morning, I'm sure I can get some results by then.” The creepy smile once again began to form on her face.
“Twilight dear, don’t you think you should get some rest first, you don't want to let the princess see you in such a state now do you.” Rarity said floating a mirror to Twilight.
Looking at herself Twilight realized what their little adventure and consequent freak out had done to her appearance and had to concede Rarity's point. “You’re right, it's gotten very late and we should all get some sleep.”
“Why don’t you stay the night, we've got plenty of rooms.” Spike offered helpfully.
“Thank you Spikey-wikey I think I'll do just that.” Spike practically glowed from his deep blush and his eyes transformed into pink hearts just at the sound of Rarity’s voice. The mares began to make their way to claim a room for the night, Fluttershy still had some stray pieces of paper clinging to her mane, Pinkie hopped up and down like she didn’t need any rest at all and Rainbow took a deep yawn as they exited leaving Aioria behind.
“Come with me, I'll show you a room.” Spike called for Aioria to follow as he went put the door.
Following the purple creature Aioria pondered his situation, he hadn’t managed to get any usefully information from the ponies, he hardly even had any conversation with them thanks to the freak out of the purple winged unicorn princess. But that would probably change in the morning as they were scheduled to meet with another princess who seemed to be higher placed than Twilight. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, those seemed to be normal sounding names around here, no wonder they quickly adopted “Lightning Bolt” as his given name, it would be best to go by this name while on this strange place to blend in, or so he thought.
“Here we are.” Spike led Lightning Bolt to a room occupied by a bed a desk with a lamp and a bookshelf packed with books. “There’s not much stuff in here, we just moved Inn so we haven't furnished most of the castle, anyway you need something just call me.” Spike proudly signaled himself while puffing out his chest.”
“Thank you.” Lightning Bolt said walking into the room, glancing back at his host he asked. “Tell me, what exactly are you?, if you don't mind me asking.”
“Not at all, I'm a dragon.” He declared. “Never seen a dragon before?”
Lightning Bolt thought of Shiryu. “I've met one before.” He told Spike as he entered the room. “Manticore, hydra, timberwolves made of actual timber and now a dragon, I cant wait to see what comes next.”