ACT EIGHT
That night, as Lightning was settling into bed, Krysta was perched on his opened windowsill, still unable to believe what Lightning had just gotten himself into. “Look, there’s no other way.” Lightning said to her “We’ve already tried it our ways and we didn’t get anywhere.”
“I know all that, but I’m just worried.” said Krysta “All this extra work you’ll have to do and what about the timing? We’ll be cutting it real close before our time is up.”
Lightning gazed at the fading transport crystal and kept that well in mind, but he still had no other way. He couldn’t let the Rainbow Rod slip away from him, but he didn’t want to let the people in the play down either.
The next day he got his full and complete schedules, and lucky for him sports practice and play rehearsal were two hours apart from each other after school, and right after school Lightning met up with Rainbow Dash and the entire Canterlot Team, the Wonderbolts they were called, and Penny was there ready to test Lightning out.
They started out by first seeing how fast everyone could run, and of course Lightning did astonishingly well. He broke Rainbow Dash’s fifty-yard track record with only 3.21 seconds, much to everyone’s extreme shock and glee. He dribbled the basketball swiftly, and was able to leap right up to make a perfect slam-dunk into the basket, even Rainbow wasn’t able to keep up with him.
The team all huddled around Lightning, complimenting him and extending their excitement, feeling they were really going to win the grand game this year. “I hope we do.” Lightning said, and he meant that more than the others believed.
Penny, very curious about Lighting’s abilities, asked to see him in her med-office to give him a physical. She gave these exams to all members of the team every week, but when she examined Lightning she couldn’t really find all that much different about him, and feeling a tad suspicious she even asked for a urine sample and blood test to see if he was on any form of medication, but it checked out clean.
Penny had never seen anything like this, but she was still glad to have Lightning on the team. So were all the players themselves, especially Rainbow. “I don’t know where you learned to be so good, kid, but keep it up.” she said to him.
Lightning smiled and thanked her, and then he headed off to rehearse for the upcoming play. The students met up in the atrium to study up and practice their lines and choreography for the musical dance numbers. While at the same time others were preparing the stage with scenes and props for the show. Artie and Buddy were helping especially. Artie loved getting to paint sceneries, and Buddy helped arranging where things were, almost like arranging the flowers he planted.
Pinkie Pie, Applejack and her brother Big Mac were also helping them and even providing refreshments for everyone and the actors. Fluttershy was helping too, but her shyness made it hard to concentrate. She felt like people were watching her as if she were actually in the show itself. “Ah, buck up, girl. You’re not in the show.” said Applejack “No one’s really payin’ that much attention to ya.”
“I know, but I just feel so nervous. What if I mess up part of the sets and there’s a big accident.”
“Ooh, I know how you feel.” said Pinkie, and she spoke really fast “The feeling of butterflies in your stomach you get when you know that everyone will be watching you expecting you to be your best, when all of a sudden you forget your lines, or you trip over your feet and fall or bring down the whole set literally and everyone laughs and laughs at you.”
Fluttershy felt more scared and made weird faces of fear the more Pinkie yammered, and she could actually hear the crowds laughing at her, and she could see the accidents happening. She practically wanted to run away in tears… which she did. “Good going, Pinkie.” snapped Buddy.
Rhymey saw her run and wished he could go after her and comfort her.
“She might not even in the play
But I hate to see her sad that way.”
“She’ll be fine.” Lightning said. He and the others had their own work to worry about. “Where is Sunset?” snapped Twilight “She’s fifteen minutes late.” That’s when Sunset finally came in, and she was surpassingly in a cool and calm mood. “Where have you been?” snapped Starla. Sunset acted casual and snobby and said “Oh, sorry, I was so busy I completely lost track of the time.”
The others didn’t believe she was being sincere, but now that they were all together they could start rehearsing.
As the time went by they only just began to memorize a bit of their lines, and of course Sunset was being annoying as usual. She seemed to want to spend as much time with Lightning as possible as she had a few scenes to do with him, but Starla had just as many and was not taking kindly to Sunset’s attitude, but rehearsal ended quicker than anyone realized.
“Well, that certainly went well.” Twilight groaned in dismay. The others felt the same, except Sunset. “Oh, I disagree. I think we all did great.”
“Who’s we?” snapped Starla “All you did was fuss over your big scenes with Lightning. He’s not the only one in this play you know.”
The girls glared at each other as if there was about to be a catfight, but Principal Celestia and VP Luna saw them. “Ladies…!” Celestia snapped softly “Is there a problem?”
“No, Principal Celestia.” the girls answered.
“You know that I won’t tolerate roughhousing on school grounds, even after hours.” said Celestia and then she walked off alone. “See you all tomorrow.” said Sunset, and then she walked off too, but the others were very concerned about Celestia. Lightning turned to face “Vice Principal Luna, could you please tell us what’s wrong with your sister?”
Luna shook her head “I am sorry but I made a solemn promise not to. It’s a secret understood between us as sisters.”
“We want to know.” said Starla.
“I said no. It is understood between us!” said Luna “End of conversation.” Then she walked away too. “Well, that’s it then.” Starla said “We may never figure out what’s wrong with her.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t just as well.” said Twilight “I have to go.” then she was off.
Soon, Grandruler arrived and Lightning had to leave as well. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Starla.”
“Lightning…?” Starla called to him. He turned to face her, and noticed she seemed to look a little nervous. “Never mind…” Starla didn’t want to admit it, but in the short time she knew Lightning, she was beginning to see him as no ordinary guy, strange but different among others. He was a hard worker, he didn’t let people push him around, and he seemed to be always willing to help others, even those like Celestia who had severe issues.
As Lightning walked over to the limo he caught a glimpse of Flash and his rock band practicing music for the play out in the field, and Twilight passed by and she and Flash saw each other. He waved at her, and she waved back at him nervously. Lightning didn’t trust Flash a bit.
Unbeknownst to him, however, Sunset was also nearby and saw all that, and she wasn’t about to let that Twilight girl move in on her ex like that. She now added Twilight to her list of vengeance victims. “Watch your step Sparkle!” she hissed sinisterly.
On the way back, Grandruler asked “Are you okay there, Lightning? You seem awfully quiet.”
Lightning gazed over at him and asked if he knew what was up with Celestia, but Grandruler acted a little strange when he heard that; sort of sad. “I’d… rather not talk about It.” he said as he got out of the limo and walked around and into the garden rather than into the house. Unseen, having heard Lightning ask that question brought on bad memories to Grandruler, that he put his against the cold brick of the house and felt his head in shame as he sighed heavily.
As Chef Cookie Dough served Lightning his much needed dinner, he asked Lightning same question, if he was feeling all right. “I prepared your favorite; Prime Rib extra thick rare steak just as you like it.”
“It’s not the food. I just wish I knew what was up with Principal Celestia.”
“Ah, yes, she hasn’t been the same since.”
Lightning turned to look at him. “You know…?”
Cookie Dough nodded. He didn’t really make any promises, and decided to tell Lightning the story of how it all began; when he was still just an apprentice chef before he came to the island. He trained with his master at the Equestria Horse rider’s club on the mainland and saw it all happening from day one.
Celestia and her sister Luna were excellent horseback riders and both had dreams of becoming champion riders and jumpers. They practiced constantly, and got better all the time. Celesto worked as a stable boy, trying to earn money for college to help him become an astronaut, and one day they just bumped into one another, and it was practically love at first sight. Celesto would from then on watch Celestia ride and become so lost watching her that he nearly forgot to do his chores, but Celestia and Celesto always seemed to be seen together, walking and talking, and really getting closer every day.
By the time they had turned 18 and graduated high-school, Celesto, having earned a great deal of money making and investing had made his first small fortune, bought Celestia a special horse for her very own as a thank you for being such a special friend to him. Celestia felt ever so touched, that she named the horse Bud, as a symbol of their friendship, which only seemed to be getting stronger and deeper as time went by. Celestia tamed him well, and won several championships, but really she owed her inspiration to Celesto.
Cookie Dough could tell that it was no longer just friendship when he served Celestia her lunch at the club and she wouldn’t eat a thing but just gaze at Celesto as he continued to work. They went to college together at the same school, and everything just seemed to go up, and up for them, but one day Celesto had received word from U.S Air Force that his application had been accepted; his first step towards becoming a real astronaut, and he was transferring. He and Celestia were forced to part, and they never even got to tell each other they loved one another.
Cookie Dough, still employed at the Equestrian Club, heard the whole thing, and Celestia had changed. She was gloomy and miserable, but thought she was being brave by letting him go to achieve his dreams of being an astronaut. They still wrote to each other and talked over the internet, but still didn’t tell each other their true feelings, and worse, Celesto’s very busy schedule made it harder for him to send her letters or answer emails, and a few years later, his messages stopped complete. He had achieved his dream and went into space for the first time.
Celestia was very happy and proud for him, and even happier when years later he was selected to lead a mission to the moon, but she was still upset that he stopped messaging her, though it was understandable, especially how all the money he had made in his career, and he was also making vast amounts more in wise stock investments, and wise dealings in businesses, blossoming him into a millionaire hotshot.
Celestia just couldn’t get him off her mind. She missed him so much, but felt they had been officially silenced.
Then, one day, things went horribly bad…!
She was riding Bud and practicing some big jumps with him in front a few spectators, when suddenly as they were preparing for a really big jump, Cookie was watching from the kitchen window, when he saw something very tiny strike Bud, spooking him just as he was about to make the jump. He lost his balance and CRASH!!
Celestia managed to get up, her arm was badly sprained, but poor Bud had fractured two of his legs in the accident and was in a lot of pain. There was just nothing that could be done for him, and he had to be put down. Celestia was absolutely heartbroken and devastated. She loved that horse as much as she was in love with Celesto. So upset, that she quit riding or going anywhere near horses ever again. That’s when her mood swings started to take over. She would blow her top off even when she had no need to, or even when someone said a friendly “Hello” to her.
Luna decided the best thing for her sister was for them to move away from it all; start over someplace else and try to make new lives. That was the last Cookie Dough ever saw of them, until some years later when he became a master chef and was employed by Celesto, now an ex-astronaut but a wealthy businessman and living on Mystic Island, after the death of his parents and the start of his new life dedicated to helping poor people out.
As fate would have it, he met up with Celestia and Luna who were seeking jobs to become educators, but Celestia was still madder than ever, and Celesto didn’t like her attitude. She wasn’t the woman he remembered who was kind and caring. Luna explained to him what had happened and he felt terrible for Celestia, and believing that was the cause of all this, and she was struggling to try and get better. He let her and Luna have jobs out of pity at Canterlot High, a school he had recently had built and owned and ran as a member of the school district supervision.
Eventually the ladies became Principal and Vice Principal, but Celestia’s attitude only grew worse and worse as she struggled to cope with her life as it was. It also didn’t help that her anger issues irritated Celesto, the way she kept antagonizing students who did nothing wrong, and he checked up on her constantly and gave her real pieces of his mind which continued to worsen both their attitudes towards one another.
In all his years of working for Celesto, and hearing stories from him, even seeing Celestia a few times when he catered for school events, Cookie could tell that deep down they were still very much in love, but obviously were in no mood to just admit it to one another and were more occupied being at each other’s throats all the time. Even still, he was rich and her boss, which wouldn’t look good in the eyes of business folk and even public, for a boss to date his employee, and compared to Celesto and the things he had done over the years, Celestia saw herself as nothing more than a small potato, which only intensified her anger issues.
The rest was history!
Lightning felt very sorry for both Celestia and Grandruler. Krysta felt the same, having been sitting on the windowsill and listening to everything through the open window. She and Lightning had never heard of a love that seemed so insanely complicated and clouded by such nasty emotions and negativity, and all over things that happened years ago.
Still, Celestia had no right to just blow her top like that at everyone around her, and Grandruler really wasn’t making things any better always barking at her. Lightning had a very sickening feeling that if things got any worse, there was going to be trouble, and lots of it.