//------------------------------// // Midnight // Story: In the Heart of the Night // by BirbNerd17 //------------------------------// When Nightmare Moon Was banished to the moon, the Elements of Harmony created strange effects on the land. And in a particular lake it created a strange sort of barrier. Though all around it was warm, the lake was frozen, almost as if the Elements had done so on purpose. Time passed, years went by, ponies lived and died, and Equestria grew large and beautiful. “Do you know why that lake is still frozen even though it’s summer?” A Pegasus asked his coworkers. “It’s called everfreeze lake for a reason, but no, nopony knows why,” the coworker responded. “Has anyone ever tried to break the ice?” “No point.” “But what if something is down there?” “If you wanna go digging in a magic frozen lake be my guest, but if there was something of value down there I assure you it would already have been dug out.” “I will then,” the Pegasus retorted, grabbing a couple weather jars and a shovel. The stallion glided down to the ice cold lake and set down his supplies. he smacked a shovel in the ice and it cracked It took hours, almost a full day to break through the ice, but by the time he’d finished a small crowd had gathered. The Pegasus heaved a large chunk of ice out, encased in the ice was a small colt. A little Pegasus. “There’s a pony in here!” The Pegasus shouted, stepping back. “Someone get some heat on them!” Another shouted “They may still be alive.” The ponies scraped the ice away, heating it with fire and the light of the sun. Eventually they broke through. Stormcloud hit the ground with a thump, his body beginning to shiver as it warmed up. He coughed a couple times, blinking his eyes open and looking around. “Huh? Who are you strange ponies? Where are my friends? Where is my mother!?” He asked, he had a slight accent, strange to the ponies around him. “Clam down little colt,” the Pegasus who pulled him out said, “you’re safe.” “Where is my mother?” He asked again, nearly demanding the answer. His purple eyes glowed with passion and worry. “Little colt we don’t know who your mother is, but that lake has been frozen over for a thousand years, how did you get so deep in it?” “I was skating,” he said, “see.” He lifted a hoof, showing off long rusted skates. “These were brand new! How’d they get rusted so quick?” He whinnied. “Little colt… do you know what town you are in?” “This town hasn’t a name yet,” he replied, “it’s a market town, it only comes around when the weather is warm,” he said. “No little fella, this is Ponyville.” “Ponyville, we’ll I’ve never heard of that. Perhaps they built it to surround the castle?” “What castle?” “The castle of the two sisters, my home.” “Little colt the castle of the two sisters is in ruin, it has been for years.” “I don’t understand.” “Little colt I think you may be living in what to you would be the future. What you speak of is a time far before this one.” “…the future… the castle… where is my mother? Princess Luna, I’m sure you must know her, she is one of your rulers after all, she is an Alicorn, even if this is ‘the future’ she would still be here.” “I don’t know of such a pony colt, the only princess we have is Princess Celestia.” “Always forgotten, how dare you all. Well where is Princess Celestia then, she is my Aunt, she will know where Luna is.” “If you say so colt, she lives up in Canterlot, but that’s a far fly from here.” “I can make it, my wings are strong and they carry me well.” “Not when they are wet little guy, sit and rest for a bit, we’ll call a chariot.” Storm grumbled, his ears and hooves ached from the cold and he felt as though he’d never feel warm and dry again. Eventually the chariot arrived carrying the young Pegasus to the new canterlot castle. He stared at it’s towering spires, with awe and wonder. “It’s so much bigger than the old castle…” he thought aloud. It took a while making it though the snow speckled sky, but eventually he reached Canterlot, landing on the castle grounds with an awestruck gaze. The gaurds led him to the front gate of the castle, and opened the doors. There stood his aunt, her mane… looked different, and she was so much taller. She spoke to a gaurd or two, but Storm didn’t seem to care to wait for her to finish. “Aunt Tia…” he said softly, and Celestia almost seemed to shake with fear, she turned slowly to look at him. “Aunt Tia where’s mom?” Celestia stared at the colt, “…Storm?” She asked, her voice shaky and confused. “Where’s mom?” He asked again. “She… she’s gone Stormcloud.” Celestia said. Storm’s heart seemed to shatter as it dawned on him. Then anger filled his gaze, blazing in his lavender eyes, with fury so bright it could kill. “What happened to her?!” He shouted, his words cut like knives, his tongue sharp and his tone deep and accusing. Celestia stared at him, soft golden eyes holding back centuries of tears. “She was banished…” the princess managed to let the words escape her lungs. Storm stared at her with shock and pain in his eyes, and all the princess could do was stare back at him with a saddened gaze, eyes full of sorrow and regret. “What did she ever do?” Storm wailed at his aunt, and she could barely stand seeing the distressed expression that painted his little grey face. “She tried to kill me, to turn the world to an infinite night… I had no choice.” And though Storm stared with anger and agony for a moment, his eyes quickly softened, seeing the pain in Celestia’s own eyes. “I…I understand…” he said softly, he hung his head close to the floor, the near inaudible sound of dripping tears piercing the quiet air as they hit the marble tiles. “I’m so sorry storm… I-I don’t know what to do for you.” Storm looked up at eyes so dark they seemed like infinite holes of sorrow. “It’s okay auntie Tia… I’m sure you tried your best… I just need a place to stay, that’s all.” He said. Celstia sighed sadly, “you can stay with me Storm, the castle has always been and will always be your home.” Storm nodded, and the guards brought him to a room, where he sat on the balcony for a while, before spreading his fluffy wings and fluttering to a soft cloud above, as the sun set and the moon became visible on the horizon, Storm stared, tears in his eyes. “Hi mom…” he whined softly, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen… you told me to be careful.” Storm fell asleep on that cloud drifting far from the castle. when he woke he looked around to find a place entirely different from the one he had fallen asleep in. He stared up at towering structures made of cloud, rainbows and rain, lightning and wind all rushed around him. The weather factory sat before the young colt. He fluttered off the cloud he had slept on and landed on the soft surface of the weather factory yard. He trotter forward, looking at all the different machines and buildings. “Wow, is this how we produce weather now?” He wondered aloud, “it’s so huge! And complicated. He placed his hooves on a window and peered inside, Pegasi of all shapes and sizes working in a metallic sort of rhythm. Storm looked over at the door beside him, and he took his hooves off the window, he placed a hoof against it, and gave a small push, sneaking his way in. He crawled under conveyor belts of clouds, and past huge tanks of water. A couple ponies walked close and he ducked into a room. He felt his fur stand on end, but not in fear. All around him were different bolts of lighting, in all kinds of colors and types. Each one in a specialty jar made just to hold it and it alone. “Woah…” he stared in awe, and set a single hoof against one of the jars, sending a small shock through him. Just as he reached for another he heard the door creak, he turned fast and his tail knocked a jar off the shelf. In an instant Storm felt the shock pulse through his body, streaking blue lightning illuminating the room in a flash. As the pony at the door held a hoof up to block the light. Storm fell to the ground, not injured somehow, and still feeling jittery. “Woah kid! How did you get in here?” *the pony at the door asked, looking down at Storm, he was the same Pegasus who had found him in the lake. “Wait, I recognize you, you’re the princess’s nephew right?” He asked helping Storm up off the ground. Storm nodded. “Well you’ve created quite the shock, huh kid?” He asked, “have you messed with Lightning before, or is that cutie mark of your new?” He asked. Storm looked down at his flank in shock, “‘ No, that is new.” He whinnied. “Well congrats kid, but I am required to ask why you are even in here?” Storm gave a guilty look, “well I mean… it just looked really cool and I…” “You snuck in?” The stallion asked. Storm nodded, and the stallion laughed, “alright, well normally I would kick you out, but since you’ve impressed me how about this, I’ll give you a tour of the factory then a free ride to the Summer Sun Celebration so you can meet back up with your aunt, how about that?” He asked. Storm smiled giddily, “okay!”