//------------------------------// // Part Four: The Choice // Story: Two Worlds Intertwined // by LightningBolt //------------------------------// I was still sleeping, Rainbow Dash got up from the bed and said quietly "Lightning is still sleeping, I wonder if he has any Daring Do books around?" She looked around my room and found my bookcase, she hovered up quietly as to not wake me. She found a similar book to Daring Do called "Indiana Jones", she flew over to my desk-chair and sat down. She opened the book and started reading: "Indiana Jones trekked through the perilous jungle along with other treasure hunters and his side-kick, Satipo. Satipo was startled by a crow noise, thinking it was the native hunters about to ambush them. Indiana led the group, clutching a map of the area; Satipo spotted a poison dart stuck to a tree as they progressed further in the jungle, A native appeared in the shrub in front of them and shot a dart at Indiana, not paying attention to anything but the map; he swerved from it and hit another treasure hunter in the chest. No-one noticed the dead tresure hunter and they continued on....." She stopped reading as she heard me get up. She peered up from her book and saw me looking in her direction. "Don't stop because of me, keep going" I said She looked at me with concern "Is reading an egghead thing on Earth?" "No, it isn't; I may not be extremely smart like your friend Twilight, but reading is something anyone can do, so continue if you want...." I said back "This Indiana Jones guy reminds me of Daring Do back in Equestria" I said what she thought "Yeah, Indiana Jones is the human version of Daring Do" I said "Well, Daring Do had a broken wing, what was broken of Indiana's?" She asked "His plane broke down...." I said plainly "I'm going to keep reading this for a few chapters, what are you going to do in the mean time?" She said as she looked back down into the book "I'm probably going to tune my bike for a bit" I said, answering her question "Good book isn't it?" "Yeah, it's good" She said "You want to move into the lounge-room?, there isn't much light in here...." I asked, peering out the window "After I tune Shade, I'll make us some breakfast" "Alright, I'll be there after chapter three" She said as she walked into the living room and sat down "Ok, I'll be back in five minutes" I said as I started to walk out the back-door She stopped me as I was almost out the door "You mentioned a Shade? Who's that? She asked as she cocked her eye up at me "Shade is what I called my bike" Answering her question I walked outside to the backyard. I opened the garage and light spilled in the room as the sun hit the floor. I walked over to my bike, Shade. I had made her customised to my liking: several inhibitors to speed up the acceleration and a custom paint job- midnight black with a golden lightning bolt painted down the sides. I wheeled Shade out in the sunlight, it reflected off the paint and gleamed as bright as day; I pulled out a black tool suit-case and carried it to my bike. Rainbow Dash had finished the three chapters of the book and was inspecting my bike. I sat the case down beside Shade. "Shade looks pretty impressive, the paint-job looks good too" Rainboww Dash said to me "Thanks, been racing it for ages" I said as I ran my hand over the bike's paint "I've been thinking, since there is an old circuit track down the street. I've haven't ridden Shade in a while, she deserves a good run once in a while. What say you we have a race, me on Shade and you can fly? No speed limits, go as fast as you can go; Best of 4 laps." I explained to her "I thought you'd never ask, you're pretty quick on foot. But on your bike, you're more than a worthy challenge to me" She said competitively "On one condition...." I added "Shoot" she said "No complaining if I beat you, you've never seen how fast Shade really is" I said proudly, running my hand over Shade "Deal, but I think I can top whatever speed you're going" She said competitively, she eyes flaring up "I made breakfast while you were reading, lets eat, ey? I changed the subject as I finished tuning Shade "Yeah, I'm hungry... like real bad" She said, her stomach grumbling We both headed back inside, she sat down on a chair near the dining table, I walked into the kitchen and got the two apple pies I had made earlier. I put one in front of Rainbow Dash and put mine where I was going to sit. "You want some apple cider?" I asked Rainbow Dash as I poured a mug of cider "Sure, but humans have cider too?" She said as she ate her apple pie "Yeah, some food and drink you have in Equestria exists here too" I said to her, passing her the mug as I did" "Ever heard of the Blue Angels?" I asked her, drinking my OJ after I did "Blue Angels? Who are they?" She asked inquisitively "The Blue Angels are human jet-figher pilots, much like your Wonderbolts, they leave behind smoke and fire as they fly" I said to her I ate my apple pie, listening to Rainbow Dash as I did "Yeah, what about it?" She asked oddly "Think about it, our worlds are somehow intertwined, we share things in our own worlds, like Indiana Jones and Daring Do for instance." I explained "Yeah I agree, but I leave that intertwining-world-to-world portal stuff to Twilight" She said We finished eating and decided to go to the circuit for that race I mentioned earlier. I loaded Shade onto the back of my pick-up truck, Dashie got into the passenger seat. I secured the bike with straps and tied them down, after that I got into my truck and noticed Dashie was already there. I put my keys in the ignition and turned them, the truck's engine came to life. Rainbow got startled from the noise. "Relax, it's just the truck... you'll hear that same thing from my bike in our race" I comforted her "Yeah, I just got surprised that's all..."She added in her defence I put the truck into gear and drove down to the circuit track, we were silent during the ride. I started daydreaming about our race to come. After five minutes I had parked into the lot, I unhooked Shade and wheeled it down from the truck, I put on the parking stand and turned off the truck. Rainbow Dash got out and stand near my bike, I locked the truck door and took out my racing gear out of the back. I walked back over to Rainbow Dash and wheeled Shade through the competitors entrance, Rainbow Dash followed behind me. We got onto the main track and I put Shade on the white line and laid out my racing gear on the seat. I looked back at Rainbow Dash, she was curious as to what I was doing. "You can exercise for the race for a bit, I got to put on my gear..." I said to her as I put on a boot "Ok, but your gear?" She responded "On the slight chance I crash my bike, I want to make sure I am protected. Not in the hospital, all broken up like you were when you discovered reading was cool" I said to her, strapping on my full-length vest "Yeah, good idea..." She said as she started doing push-ups "Unlike ponies, humans have a longer healing rate, I could be in there for months" I added, putting on my gauntlets "Ok, you focus on your gear first, then we'll race" She smirked, still doing push-ups I secured my gauntlets and got my helmet, I put it on and lifted the visor up. I rotated my wrists a few times, making sure my reflexes were up to speed. I needed every factor to work with me to beat Rainbow Dash. I looked towards Shade, I knew it could put enough speed out to match and probably surpass Rainbow. "You ready?" Rainbow Dash asked "I'm ready, let's do this" I said, my competitive side kicked in, I knocked my visor down and got on Shade. I looked towards Rainbow Dash, she was in her starting position. I turned my bike on and revved Shade "Ok Shade, let's do this" I said to myself, I looked over at Rainbow Dash "On one, we race..." "Three.....two......one... Go!" I yelled and pulled the handle and kicked Shade into gear. Rainbow Dash sped off, Shade responded to my controls and shot off, I caught up to Rainbow Dash quickly, I sped past her and came to a corner, I pulled Shade into a slide and slid around the corner. I looked back for a split second and saw Rainbow Dash gaining on me, I still had plenty of tricks up my sleeve. I hit a button on Shade; hitting the nitrous lever, it kicked into gear and blue flames spewed out the exhaust pipe. I shot off even faster than before, putting losts of distance between us. She gave it her all and caught up to me, we rounded the corner as my nitrous tank had emptied. We were on a straight when I glanced to my right and saw Rainbow Dash beside me. "How you doing there, Lightning?" She mocked as she passed, her distraction threw me off guard and I lost speed for a moment. I remembered that pegasi can control weather, Rainbow Dash better not pull any storms on me. I throttled my handlebar and rounded the corner, sped past the finish line. Time to focus..... 3rd lap, if I can gain speed and stay in front for a lap and a half. I'll be home-free, I accelerated and pushed where Rainbow Dash was out of my mind, surprisingly I had matched Rainbow Dash's speed and caught up. I gave her a quick glance.... "Surprised to see me?" I mockingly asked as I kept on her level. We hit the finish line, 4th lap. I accelerated more and pushed Shade to it's limits, Rainbow Dash was quick but not quick enough to keep up with Shade, I slid around the corner and victory was in sigh, right now I was a blur of gold and black, like a black and gold pattern was trailing behind me. I throttled the handle even more..... then *crash* Somehting had happened as I flailed head over heels, passing the finish line and blacking out with Shade on top of me..... Total blackness, the last thing I saw was Rainbow Dash running over to where I had crashed.... she wouldn't use the weather to her advantage just to win, she was innocent.... "Lightning...." I heard Rainbow Dash as she shook my motionless body. "Rainbow Dash? What happened?" I said as I came to, Shade was intact as I looked around "You were about to finish the race, a black and gold pattern behind you, then a lightning bolt hit Shade and you tumbled on the ground onconscious" She worried as she saw my gear "Are you alright?" she asked I crawled over to Shade and took off my helmet, it was shredded to the base. "My armour is shredded, help me...." I said weakly The next five minutes was Rainbow Dash and I prying off my gear, I looked at the gear "Man, I hadn't worn that, I would've been killed" I said weakly "Talk about a close call" Was all I heard before I passed out again, little to my known mind. Rainbow Dash had dragged me to my truck I woke up, in my living-room; did Rainbow Dash carry me back home? My back hurt, like a brand had been pressed on it. I headed slowly to the bathroom, I took off my shirt and spun around to see what had hurt me. To my surprise, a cloud with a black and gold lightning bolt shooting down from it had been tattooed on my back. "Rainbow Dash!!!!" I weakly yelled Rainbow Dash flew to the bathroom near my mirror "You're up already? You took a nasty fall..." "Can you explain what this is?" I asked her, pointing to the tattoo "Cool, it looks just like mine, but do humans get cutie-marks?" She said "No, we don't. But how? Was it the lightning or something else.....?" I said "I know it wasn't you, you wouldn't stoop that low to win" "Yeah, I'm not that much of a sore loser" She said "But maybe, what if I'm becoming a pony?" I asked "Is that possible?" "You? Becoming a pony? I suppose, if I go back to Equestria, maybe you can come with me as a pony" She said excitedly "Sorry if I'm not all enthusiastic about it, but listen..... are we friends?" I said awkwardly "Of course, Lightning" she said "I....like you" I stuttered "Same here, Lightning" she blushed I heard a knock at the door, I went to answer it. I opened it to find Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing in my doorway. "Hello, can I help you?" I asked politely Twilight stepped forward and said "Hi, we're looking for Rainbow Dash, have you seen her?" "Hang on a second" I said to her "Rainbow Dash, some friends want to see you!" "Friends?" she said as she walked in and saw her pony friends "Rainbow Dash!, we missed you!" The five yelled and hugged Rainbow Dash "You're Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, right?" I asked them both "Yes, we are" Princess Celestia said "Can you explain this?" I said as I showed them the tattoo of the cloud and lightning bolt on my back "He has a cutie-mark" Princess Luna said "But humans do not have cuite-marks!" "Well....." Princess Celestia started "James or "Lightning" as Rainbow Dash called me" I interupted "Lightning?" The other five asked Rainbow Dash "He's quick, he almost beat me in the circuit race when... that happened" She explained as she pointed at my "Cutie-mark" "Well, James it seems that you have a choice here...." said Princess Celestia "You can stay here or you can come to Equestria and live there" "Isn't that cool?, Lightning you get to come with me back to Equestria" Rainbow Dash said excitedly "I'm human though, unless you have a spell that will turn me into a pony..." I said Twilight chimed in "We have.... infact" Princess Luna said "Well , human what's your choice" "If I come with you, what about this place, my things?" I asked "They will remain with you" Princess Celestia said "I choose...... Equestria" I said after I thought long and hard about it "If that is what you wish, human" Princess Luna said "Cool, Lightning you can stay with me until you make your house" Rainbow Dash said "Make my house? How do I know I'll be a pegasus like you or Fluttershy?" I asked "You'll have to be, you like being fast and competitive like me" She added "True, let's do this then" I said Twlight Sparkle, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna charged magic into their horns, creating a orb of light . it moved forward and engulfed me. My fingers, toes , feet and hands closed into round shapes creating hoofs. My form changed into a pony and my once pale skin turned into midnight black fur, two bones sprouted from my back and grew into wings. My black hair turned into a yellow and black mohawk mane and a tail grew and coloured yellow. The cutie-mark I had got appeared on both my flanks and my eyes turned rose coloured. I appeared out of the orb and looked at Rainbow Dash. I had also shrunk to the size of Rainbow Dash "Woah you look cool, Lightning" Rainbow Dash said "And you're a pegasus too" I looked at my new self "Wow, this is cool" "You can't use James anymore as a name" Princess Celestia said "Lightning Bolt, my name is Lightning Bolt" I said to her "When we get there, I'll introduce you to the others, Lightning" Rainbow Dash put her hoof on me and I did the same. "Let us go" Princess Luna said opening a portal "Come on, let's go, Lightning" Rainbow Dash jeered me We all walked into the portal and entered Equestria..... it was beautiful...... End of Two Worlds Intertwined