Lighting Can Strike Twice

by Lightning_Colt

Chapter 16: And into the... Gravy?

Spike ran towards me through the wreckage of the tree, his short stubby legs throwing up ash and burnt paper. He was clutching a blue box with gold edging; gems were glowing on the sides and lid of the box, its contents rattled around from the dragon's erratic run.
"Got 'em" he announced as he stopped in front of me.
"Right, okay now to find Twilight and the others. Last time I saw her, Discord had already changed her, she thought I burnt down Ponyville and she then teleported away." I lowered my head in depression. "She could be anywhere." I finished hopelessly.

I tried to think of where Discord could be instead; maybe that search would prove more fruitful.
"Where do you think Discord would be?" I asked Spike "He wouldn't go back to my house, that's too much of a cliché".
"Hey don't count that out so quickly! That's the kind of thinking that Discord relies on!" Spike reassured. "But how are we gonna use the Elements of Harmony without the others?" he asked himself.
"Well that's the thousand Bit question" I answered. "But I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." I finished as I turned around towards the road, the road home.

The walk to Hoofington was long, I sensed something within me, down in my heart, there was a strange feeling, and it ached and itched at me to do something spontaneous. To make it worse, an unbelievably awkward silence hung over us both. Neither Spike nor I spoke at all but when our eyes met every so often I knew we both thinking the same thing. How the heck are we going to defeat discord with just us two?
As we were getting closer to Hoofington the feeling became stronger, more alive and more chaotic. Wait a minute… Chaotic? That's it!
"Spike!" I yelled out, making the dragon jump and accidentally letting out some green flames.
"What?" he yelled back after checking that he hadn't burned his precious cargo.
"I still have some Chaos magic inside me," I said smiling, Spike looked at me with a confused look.
"Err, how is that a good thing?" he asked.
"Well it seems that Chaos magic is attracted to other sources of Chaos magic, almost like they empower each other, it's acting kinda like a compass" I figured out.
"How does that work?" Spike wondered aloud.
"I dunno, it's chaos magic, the normal laws of magic don’t apply to it" I blurted out.
"Oh great" Spike finished sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he continued towards Hoofington. As I turned down the dirt road, the dark brown dirt morphed into grey sludge, as I started to sink, I could feel it getting thicker, as it did it started to dry out and crack from the movement of my legs, I sunk a little further before realising what the substance was.
"Spike!" I yelled, as he turned his head, his eyes widened upon seeing my situation.
"Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed as he ran towards me. I quickly brought up a hoof for him to stop.
"Don't come here!" I ordered. "If you get stuck, then we're both doomed!” Spike immediately stopped and looked all around to assess the situation. He rubbed his chin with a claw, thinking of a solution.
"I remember reading up on quicksand but I can't remember how to get out of it"
"Well it doesn't feel like quicksand" I urged as I started to wriggle trying to escape. However these efforts were for nothing as I sank in further until my legs were completely submerged.

Spike came to the edge of the grey sink-hole and dipped a finger into the goop and brought it to his mouth.
"How is tasting it going to help?" I demanded.
"It helps because it's not quicksand, it's porridge!" Spike announced, licking his lips as he brought his hands together and dived into the sludgy mess, chomping his way through it. After ten minutes of munching and slurping down on porridgy sludge, Spike lay at the edge of the crater with a look of content on his face, rubbing his overly stuffed, round belly. It was quite astonishing how he ate all of the porridge, and in such quick timing. Right now the amount of porridge was at the stage of a puddle, but it still provided some resistance as I waded through it.
"Are you okay?" I asked the rotund dragon.
"Yeah," he said, in a daze, He stopped rubbing his belly to try and push himself to his feet, however his full stomach limited his movement, and he rolled backwards onto his back.
"Uh, I'm about to slip into a food coma at any second, I'm sorry." He said as he passed out. I patted him on the head
"Thanks Spike, don't you worry, I'll get Twilight and the others back." I promised, bucking the box of Elements onto my back and trotted towards Hoofington.

As some houses started to come into view, so did Discord’s changes. There were several gingerbread houses dotted around the village. The bell tower swayed from side to side, the huge bell making quiet tinkling sounds. However the entire village was surrounded by a moat of a thick brown liquid. I dipped a hoof in and gave the thick liquid a lick… gravy? I shook my head to clear my confusion, and waded into the gravy moat, clumps of mashed potato floating around the brown moat. As I cleared the moat, I laid the box on the ground and shook myself clean, hoping no-one saw me clean myself like a dog. I brought the box back on my back and headed into the town square.

The town square was a complete disaster. There were arrows firing archery targets at bows which were nailed to trees. Orange juice was falling from green clouds. Confetti erupted from the clouds as a loud barking sound erupted in the sky. I stopped as I saw what the brick road led to. The road ended with a huge amphitheatre made from bones. A chill ran down my spine as I saw the horrible, monolithic building. I gulped, and stepped through the large archway.

The amphitheatre had a round stage in the centre and rows of seats ascended up above the entrance, the seats wrapped around half of the stage and capped and the very centre of the top row was a throne which looked distinctly like the one in Canterlot castle. And sprawled across the arms, napping was...
“DISCORD!” I shouted at the creature angrily. He opened his eyes wearily as if he were exhausted, he stretched his arms and yawned as he sat up in his throne.
“Well well well,” he said as three wells popped into existence around me “What do we have here? Aww, has whittle Whitening come to wescue his pwecious fwiends?” he mocked, with a pouting face.
“Yes”, I announced sharply and I knocked the box off my back. Discord’s eyes followed the case as it fell to the ground and grinned menacingly.
“Really? You plan to defeat me, the spirit of chaos and disharmony, with the elements of harmony? Considering that the six ponies who can wield them all can’t stand to see each other” he laughed. “You’ve got no chance”.
He was right, even with six ponies using the elements, he managed to escape. And here I am wanting to take him on by myself…

No, I’m not going to let him win, I thought as I opened the box. I strapped the element of kindness onto my right foreleg, the Element of honesty onto my back right leg, the element of generosity onto my back left leg the element of laughter onto my front left leg. I fastened the Element of loyalty around my neck and put the big crown thingy on my head. I began to think of how the use them, I’m pretty sure it’s easy for them. Before I thought of an idea, I just charged up the stairs towards Discord. He looked at me with a look of disappointment.
“You’re kidding right?” He said just before he snapped his eagle claw, summoning a huge block of cheese right above me. As it fell, Discord smiled.
“Goodbye Lightning. You’re no longer entertaining.” He said disinterestedly.

However as the cheese fell it started to slow down and the colour started to fade from the world until everything was back and white and no longer moving. I looked at the huge dairy block above me, it was close enough for me to reach up and poke it with a hoof.
A bright light erupted to my left and Princess Celestia appeared.
“Princess Celestia?”
“Why are you doing this?” She asked.
“I want to defeat Discord.” I replied simply.
“No, that is what you are doing.” She said looking around “Or rather not doing” she joked bluntly. “Whenever a pony uses the Elements of Harmony, they are trying to protect something, whether it’s their life or social status maybe a reputation, a loved one or for personal beliefs. The motives may be completely different, but in the end it’s the same desire to protect something. What are you trying to protect?”
“Equestria?” I asked.
“No, if you need to ask someone whether you are protecting something, you are not protecting it. You need to decide for yourself what it is you are protecting. Only then can one use the Elements.” The princess informed before she started to fade away. I started to think, why am I doing this? I came to help Rainbow and the others, I mean Rainbow is really the only one that can fully understand what it’s like, and she’s been so supportive…

As the world started to move again and the colour fade back in I decided what I am protecting. And As I did the Elements Exploded with light, which brought the world back into full colour and motion. The light streaked off in beams, one hit the huge block of cheese which immediately popped launching cheese everywhere. Discord stood there, his face filled with shock and confusion.
“But, what? That’s not possible!” He denied. The Elements heated up slightly and then started to reform around my body. After it finished forming, it cooled down, and as the glowing subsided the features became prominent. All over my back was the elements, which acted like armour, a small band from the back looped around my neck, and on the front of the neck piece where the six element symbols around a large green heart.
“I know what I want to protect.” I said looking at Discord, no longer filled with fear or doubts. I thought for rainbow and the others to be here and all of a sudden they popped into existence in front of me.
As I walked over to them Twilight looked at me, slightly confused.
“Lightning?” She asked.
“Don’t worry; I’ve reversed what Discord did to your minds.” I said still staring down Discord.
“Stay Here” I ordered them just before I turned to stare down Discord.
Discord still looked at me confused.
“What? but how can this happen? You’re just one pony! No-pony on their own can wield the Elements of Harmony!” he screamed.

“That’s where you’re wrong” I replied. “Every thousand years there is one pony with enough magical potential to use all of the elements by themselves.” I explained, suddenly breaking into a gallop towards him. “So I’m going to defeat YOU!” I shouted, thinking about my parents and their smiles. “And I’m gonna take Pinkie Pie!” I proclaimed as thoughts of Pinkie ran through my mind, the party, her bounciness, her laughter.
“And Rarity!” I shouted as I thought of Rarity, asking me to pose for her, her giving me the saddle bag, her generosity.
“And Applejack!” I snarled, thinking about applejack by my bedside, her reassuring me, her honesty.
“And Fluttershy!” I yelled, thinking about Fluttershy looking after me, being brave and her kindness.
“And Twilight!” thoughts of her friendship, her intelligence, her magic,
“I’m going to take Rainbow Dash!” I roared thinking about her, staying with me through all of my problems, through all the crap I did to her, her loyalty.
“All of My friends! And bring them home safe with me!” I thundered “I won’t lose to you!” I finished as I leapt forwards and butted Discord in the face with the Elements Symbols on my front. The moment the elements touched his head, His eyes widened as his body started to freeze and his feet started to turn to stone. My eyes also widened as they glowed white at the peak of the Elements power as a green wave exploded out of the connection and spread out quickly through the surrounding area. As it did the alterations that Discord made disintegrated into nothing revealing the original scenery. An intense white light enveloped us both before I lost consciousness.

I opened my eyes and saw nothing but white, there were no discerning walls or floors, but I was standing on something, it was strange. A something rested on the back of my neck, I looked to see Celestia, or at least it looked like Celestia, with her hoof on the back of my neck.
“Well done,” the Celestia congratulated. “You found what it was you wanted to protect most.”
“It was less a matter of what, more like whom.” I corrected.
“Very well, through your want to protect someone dear to you, you’ve created the element of love” she said raising a hoof to point at my chest. I looked down to see a necklace much like the original elements of harmony, except the symbol was that of a green heart.

“And we couldn’t be more proud” chimed two voices behind me.
I turned around, and my entire body and soul was lifted by who I saw
“Mom! Dad!” I cheered as I galloped to wrap them in the tightest hug I’ve ever given. “You’re Okay!” I cheered, as I grabbed my mom’s hoof and started to walk away. However, my mom’s hoof tugged in mine, I turned to see both of my parents, smiling at me, but with a slight sense of discomfort behind them.
“You know we can’t come with you, no amount of magic can resurrect the dead” stated my dad.
My heart dropped like a stone after hearing those words, but it also brought confusion with it.
“But, wait how are you here?” I asked.
“You brought us here, you’ve replaced the mistaken guilt of our death, with the will to protect your friends” my mother said calmly, “Because of this, all three of us can continue on our journeys.” They both finished, as they enveloped me in a warm hug, before walking slowly off into the vast whiteness.
“Wait! Wait!” I yelled, holding out a hoof, but they had already faded away.
“Lightning spirit” started the Element Celestia, “You need to continue, there are ponies that need you” She said as she raised a hoof to my head and poked my forehead, sending back into reality.

As I opened my eyes, I could see another pair of magenta eyes inches from my own. They teared up slightly when meeting mine.
“Thank goodness you’re okay” sighed Rainbow Dash as she clambered off me. As I sat up, Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy all breathed a sigh of relief.
“What happened?” Asked Twilight.
“Well, Initially, I wanted to take revenge on Discord for killing my parents, however, the elements of harmony made me realise that revenge wasn’t what I wanted, instead I defeated discord for you guys, I wanted to protect my friends.” I explained. When I told them this their faces lit up, but after a second Rarity’s face, altered as if she’d just remembered something.
“But darling, where’s Discord? You didn’t… you know” she said, making a beheading motion with her hoof.
“What? Oh no! I took a leaf out of Celestia’s book. I thought a thousand years in the moon may do him good.”
The moment I finished the last word, Rainbow’s eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, the others were shocked, and I was straight to her side, holding one of her hooves in mine.
“Rainbow?!” I shouted, using my spare hoof to try and shake her awake “Rainbow?!”

“Rainbow!!”

Comments

[Rainbowblitz]

fuck you author and your suspenseful cliff-hangars they are to good
love the story though great job