//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Race // Story: Adventures of Blaze // by Lightning-Blaze //------------------------------// Over the next few days Lightning trained on his own in preparation for the race. It was the first time he had ever raced the fastest Wonderbolt in Equestria. What if he lost? What would Rainbow Dash say to him? What would happen to his spot in the Wonderbolts? He was so lost in thought he didn’t notice that Fluttershy had nervously entered his room and cantered over to him. ”Erm…Lightning?” Fluttershy asked. There was no reply because Lightning was still lost in thought about the race. Fluttershy said his name again, but louder. Lightning suddenly snapped out of his trance and replied, 'Yes, Fluttershy.' “I…I…I have just come to tell you that everypony has gathered to watch the race and it will be starting shortly. Even Princess Luna, her apprentice Aperture Pony, and Princess Celestia are here to watch the race.” “Who is Aperture Pony?” Lightning asked. “No one knows who or where he came from. I’ve heard he is strange but really good with magic’, Fluttershy answered. “Okay, I’ll talk to the Princesses and this Aperture Pony before the race. Thank you!” “Oh, ok…” Lightning went outside and was surprised when he noticed that everypony in Equestria was there. He spotted Princess Luna and Aperture Pony, who were talking to each other in the distance. Lightning casually made his way over to them. He bowed before Princess Luna and said, “It’s an honor to see you here Princess Luna.” Luna looked at the young Wonderbolt and said, “Lightning, I have heard a lot about you. I’m surprised how quickly it took for you to be in a show, I never thought you would be ready to do something like this." “Not ready?” Lightning asked. Luna replied, “It usually takes a few weeks for a pegasus to complete the advanced flying methods, but you completed them in half of that time. That is truly amazing.” “Thank you your Highness,” Lightning replied. “Please, call me Luna.” “Okay.” Lightning replied. ‘Before you go to start the race, I would like you to meet my apprentice; Aperture Pony," said Luna as she motioned to the unicorn behind her. Lightning noticed that the unicorn behind her looked very nervous. He had a light brown body, a red and black mane and tail and an unusual cutie mark. The cutie mark was unusual, it was a circular shape but the circle was made up of eight triangles. Luna turned to her apprentice; “Aperture Pony, I would like you to meet Lightning Whooves.” Aperture nervously looked at Lightning and approached the pegasus very slowly. It was quiet for a moment, before Aperture then found the confidence to say, “Hello, Lightning, my name is Aperture Pony. But most ponies call me Aperture. Will you be my friend?” Lightning smiled and answered, “Yeah, I will be your friend!” “Thank you, Lightning,” Aperture replied, looking more delighted than before. “I’d better be going, the race is about to start,” Lightning replied and braced himself to take off. Just as Lightning was about to take flight, Aperture shouted, “Hey, Lightning?”’ “Yeah?” Lightning replied. “Good luck for the race!” Aperture answered with a smile on his face. Lightning returned the smile. “Thank you, I hope we get to hang around with each other more in the future.” “I hope we do to,” Aperture replied. After that, Lightning quickly flew over to the start line where Dash was already ready waiting. “I was wondering when you were going to show up!” Lightning replied, “Well sorry! I was on my way; I just had to talk to Princess Luna.” Before Dash had a chance to reply, she noticed a pink pony started to bounce along to the start line. She bounced like a little filly playing hopscotch at school. Lightning looked at the pony Dash was fixated on and noticed that the really happy pink pony was holding a flag in her mouth. The race was about to start. The pink pony then raised the flag. Dash got ready. The pink pony then lowered the flag and Dash had zoomed off within a blink of an eye. Lightning just stood there and closed his eyes. Everypony was wondering what Lightning was doing when Aperture Pony shouted out from the crowd, “Hey! Lightning! You do realize that the race has started, right?” “Yeah I know!” Lightning replied. “Why haven’t you started then?” Aperture asked. “Watch,” Lightning said under his breath. The next 10 seconds felt like forever as everypony watched and waited to see what would happen. Then Aperture noticed something spark on Lightning’s wings. His amazement turned to shock. Princess Luna noticed Aperture’s sudden change in tone and asked, “what’s wrong Aperture?’ “Look at Lightning’s wings.” As they both looked at Lightning’s wings, they both gasped. What had started as a spark had turned into lightning that encased Lightning’s wings. They were both surprised at what was happening to Lightning, but he didn’t appear to be in pain. Then from out of nowhere there was a sudden lightning strike and Lightning’s eyes blazed open; but there were not his natural green colored eyes. Now they were bright yellow. In a split second, Lightning had taken off at a remarkable speed. When Lightning moved, he had left a golden trail just like Dash had left a rainbow trail at the beginning of the race. Meanwhile, Dash was just over the halfway mark in the race. She looked back and noticed that Lightning was nowhere to be seen. She started to think that Lightning had not even started the race. She smiled at how easy this race would be. Then she heard a noise behind her. She looked back and nopony was there. She thought she might have just heard something, but when she turned around, she nearly had a heart attack when she heard somepony say “Hey Rainbow Dash!” Dash was shocked. “How…how could you catch up to me this quickly?” Lightning smiled and replied, “I may be the fastest runner in all of Equestria but I am not a bad flier either!” “Wait…what’s that around your wings?” Dash asked. “It’s lightning.” “L…lightning, how have you managed to get lightning around your wings?” “I don’t know but before I set off, my wings spark and lightning forms!” Dash was baffled. “That is weird… but don’t think your light show will keep me from winning this race!” Dash zoomed off towards the finish line leaving Lightning in her dust. “Two can play at this game,” Lightning thought, so he sped up to try and catch Dash, but it was all too late; by the time he had caught up with her, she had crossed the finish line. He carefully lowered himself to the ground. As soon as he stopped moving, the lightning around his wings disappeared and his eyes returned to their natural green color. But before him having enough time to congratulate Dash, he suddenly started to feel woozy and he passed out just after he heard the sound of hooves coming towards him.