Chapter 1
Hello, if you are reading this then you have some interest in the events of my life. My name is Storm Bolt, and I was recently fired from my job as Head Weather Colt in Phillydelphia, for..... Undisclosed reasons (fancy for I don’t want to talk about it) which really sucks, cause it’s my, you know special talent, and am currently wandering from city to city, or town to town, in search of a job. I am... shorter than most ponies, and they are very quick to point it out, It really annoys me. I was on my way to Canterlot when my story starts.
Rain poured down from black clouds above, as I walked, shrouded in a cloak, into the outskirts of Canterlot. The puddles splashed and rippled as I stepped through them, and the rain pattered off of my cloak.
“Stupid scheduled rain storm...” I grumbled as I continued up the pathway to Canterlot. “They always happen right as I’m arriving into any city or town every time!” Suddenly a carriage zoomed by knocking me over into a mud puddle, and raced uphill before I could even get up.
“HEY! Watch where you’re going next time, you almost ran me over! I shouted after the slowly shrinking carriage. “Stupid carriage’s, they never care about anypony that’s in front of them, probably take Celestia herself to get them to stop.” I half grumbled, half chuckled, as I stood up, shaking the mud off of myself. I’m beginning to dislike Canterlot already and I haven’t even gotten there... wonderful. After many more quiet ramblings to myself I finally reaches the top, and was thoroughly soaked to the bone. The two royal guards who stood attention at the top crossed their wings, preventing my access. “Um, could you maybe open the gate? I’d like to get in.”
“State your business.” The one on the left said.
“Since when did anypony have to have any kind of business to get in?”
“Since recent events,” the guard on the right said with a smug smirk.
“And those recent events are.....?”
“None of your business, now go before I have you arrested, shorty.”
“HEY! Whats your problem anyway you di-”
“Is there some kind of problem?” A hooded, marshmallow white pony asked as she walked up from the hill
“Well I was having a lovely conversation with these two geniuses over here and they decided I wasn’t important enough to enter the Great City of Canterlot!” I replied so sarcastically that you could practically see it emanating from me.
“Oh well, would you two please let us in?” She asked to guards, while batting her eyelashes.
“Well of course, for a beautiful mare such as yourself.” The guard on the right said winking at her. As we walked past the guards and the guard on the right and I glared at each other, before I ran off to catch up with the mysterious pony who helped me.
“Hey, thanks for helping me back Ms.?” I asked, as her ran up next to her.
“Rarity, and you are?”
“Storm Bolt, but you can just call me Storm... saves time.” I looked up, slightly confused, “Huh, it stopped raining.”
“It has? Oh good now I don’t have to worry about it ruining my hair.” She said relieved as she took off her jewel encrusted hood revealing her royal purple hair, neatly in several curls. “So what are you doing in Canterlot, Storm?”
How does she have a hood on and not even mess up her hair, especially with those curls like that, never happens to me? “I’m mostly just traveling, looking for a job, you?” I respond as I took off my hood.
“I’m came here for a fashion show, and I came here with my friend Twilight.”
“Are you in it?”
“Oh, no I just designed the clothes for it.”
“Well you look like you could fit both parts.”
“Oh! Well thank you Storm.” She says blushing and slightly smiling.
“So where is your friend Twilight?”
“She said she needed to go to her parents first, then she’d meet me at the show,” She stopped and squinted at the sign on the building next to her, “Ah, here it is! Well Storm it has been a lovely time talking to you but I must prepare for the show.” She replied, walking into the building.
“Well I hope it goes well.” I called after her. Now what was I going to do here again? Oh yeah, I was going to go and see if they need a weather colt...... why am I even bothering, of course they don’t. I might as well wander around town, I came all this way anyway. I walked off and soon found myself in a large market area surrounded by ponies of all kinds... which all of them turned up their nose’s at a “Commoner” or basically someone who isn’t as rich and stuck up as them. Eventually I realized, I had no idea where I was going, and sat down on the nearest bench.
I sat there thinking for a bit, until a purple unicorn came up and asked “Excuse me, but do you know where a fashion show is being held at? It’s being done by my friend Rarity if that helps.”
“Oh, yeah its back that way,” I said as I pointed down the street I just came from, I think if you take a left, it’s the third building on the right.”
“Thanks!” She said with a smile and started to walk off in that direction.
“Oh and say hi to Rarity from Storm Bolt!” I called off in her direction
She turned around with a slightly confused look on her face, and asked, “Do you know her?”
“Oh yeah, she helped me out earlier today... are you going to be in the show?”
“Yes actually, I’m helping model her latest dress.”
“Cool...” Sweet Celestia, this is awkward..... I better end this now. “Well I better get going, so bye...”
“Twilight”
“Okay then, bye Twilight, hope the show goes well!” I called back as I walked away. Phew, that was close, I hate awkward conversation. Lost in thought I didn’t realize I had wandered into a back alley. “Huh, how did I get here? I wondered aloud, when I noticed a broken down door. What the heck happened here, It looks like it was forced down? I cautiously walked in looking left to right constantly, when I saw a stairwell leading to a basement of sorts. Okay, only a complete and total moron would walk down there before reporting this to the Royal Guards... but... but... I really want to see whats down there. Okay it is decided, I’m a moron and am going down there. As I slowly and cautiously walked down the stairwell, a voice, (which sounded very over confident and pompous by the way), slowly got louder and so did some kind of chanting from some kind of group.
“We will storm the castle tonight! Then steal the elements of Harmony! Without them they will not be able to stop Discord!” The mysterious, mare shouted out at a small group of pitch black ponies. I peer out and see the mare talking.She was a fairly tall Alicorn, who was a dark grey color, with a dark purple mane, and was wearing pitch black armor up to her neck. Next to her was a not as tall but still tall, dark teal, pegasus (or at least I think he had bat wings), with very scary red eyes, and a grey mane, who was also neck deep in scary pitch black armor. I tried to be as sneaky as possible when sneaking through the doorway, but failed to notice the one foot drop between where I was and the floor.
“Oh shi-!” I say surprised, as I fall onto the ground. VERY LOUDLY. As in alerting everypony in the room to my exact position loud. I got up and looked around nervously saying, “Uhhh, I am the big scary basement... Inspector... pony,” slowly getting quieter with every word. The Alicorn smiled, an incredibly evil smile, while the group of below advanced towards me menacingly. “So... yeah.... I can see your in a important, not at all evil, meeting.... and stuff.... so yeah, I’ll be going.” I squeaked, slowly backing up until I hit the wall, making me let out a scared shout. The group closed around me with the Alicorn (still having an evil smile, which mind you, is very creepy at this point) at the front.
“So before I convert you, how much did you hear?”
“Enough, to know this isn’t some kind of religion.”
“Cute, now prepare to be apart of the rise of Discord!” She exclaimed, as her horn began to glow a blackish purple. As I was being lifted up panic spread through me. What did she mean by convert? What the heck was going on here in the first place? Most importantly I really freaking hungry, and I don’t think whatever is going to happen to me will allow for a lot of food time. Just then her horn glowed brighter and I felt myself losing control of my body, and felt my mind slowly slipping away.
~Don’t Resist~
I could feel her repeating that over and over in my head, while the ponies in the background kept chanting some incomprehensible gibberish.
~Don’t Resist~
It repeated, again and again slowly changing into my voice, then my whole body felt like it was being dipped in acid. I put my hooves to my head trying to resist it with all of my might, but both the Alicorn and I knew it was hopeless. I tried to think of anyway out, but both the pain and trying to resist, was to much. My mind was almost gone, when I thought of something, I could try to summon a cloud and if I could focus enough, I could break her focus with a lightning bolt. I collected all of my remaining energy and focused with all of my might. She saw that my focus was elsewhere, and pushed harder for the take over, and it was working. A small grey-black cloud formed several feet above her, and as I felt the take over complete, it fired a lightning bot which hit her square on the horn. Her focus completely disrupted she stopped to spell and I fell to the ground.
“What!?” She shouted confused at what just happened. I got up, not sure why that worked, or why I could still think freely, but didn’t question it to much, since there was a good 30-40 ponies ready to probably murder me. What was even weirder is that I felt full of energy, which I used to my full advantage and flew over the group, up the stairs, and out the door. Immediately into the alley wall. Which hurt. A LOT.
Okay, well my escape is complete... well unless they decide to follow me into the street. I waited for a few moments staring wide eyed at the doorway, relieved to find out, they weren’t. It was at that point, I realized that even if I did manage to get into the freaking Royal Palace, what reason would the Princess, or the guards for that matter, have to believe me. Defeated, walked out of the alley, and sat down on the nearest bench looking depressed. Wait a minute! I could possibly go to Rarity and what’s her face’s (I mean Twilight’s) show and see if they would maybe believe me and... wait that’s a terrible idea. Screw it, it’s easier that trying to get into the Royal Palace, I then ran as fast as possible to the show.