//------------------------------//
// Part IV 
// Story: Falling from the Sky 
// by RD-loves-RA 
//------------------------------//


(I own nothing but the plotline and characters. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Any attempts to sue me or my affiliates will be met with crying, pleading, and with negotiation, a written apology.)


Falling from the Sky


By RD-loves-RA


Chapter 19: Innocence Lost


"Uhmmhndmheet!"

The unfamiliar sound echoed in my ringing ears. My head felt heavy, and the world around me sounded muffled. Bright lights seeped through my closed eyelids, tickling my retinas with a hint of consciousness.

"Thumhervohmt!"

I recognized my name amidst the strange noise, and made an effort to open my eyes. A heavy stupor hanging over me, I opened my eyes to a stark white background that stunned my vision. In the center of it was a familiar cyan smudge. It was from this smudge that the odd sound came from, so it made some sense to answer it.

"What's going on?" I asked, the world slowly coming into focus around me. Before my eyes, the cyan smudge hardened into the form of my brash cohort. "Did the spell work?

"Sure looks like it." Rainbow Dash answered, surveying our barren surroundings. "Not much decoration around here. We could sure use some of Pinkie's touch to liven the place up."

"At least it's not the forest." I said; anguish still fresh in my memory. "Why haven't we seen anything yet? Weren't things supposed to flash before our eyes?"

"Maybe this is where some of the less important memories fill in?" Rainbow Dash speculated. She turned her head to the right and her eyes widened with curiosity. "Whoa, what is that?"

I turned towards where Rainbow Dash was pointing and asked myself the same question. A small rectangle had appeared about fifty feet from us, becoming the only thing in the white space besides us. Normally, I would have objected to wandering over so carelessly, but seeing as how we were under a spell, it was probably nothing to worry about.

As we approached the strange object, we noticed that it didn’t seem to be an object, but an opening. I looked behind it, and discovered that it was completely flat. The odd floating rectangle looked to be a sort of portal.

“So what do we do? This thing is just sitting here. Do we… you know, jump int”—

Rainbow Dash halted her sentence as she poked the portal, causing its surface to ripple like water in a small pond. We gazed at the surface of the portal, watching it turn from black, to an image of what appeared to be a building in the clouds. As the rippling began to settle, the structures image became clearer.

I saw a sign on the front porch that read ‘Tempest Orphanage’, and a wave of familiarity washed over me. I looked at Rainbow Dash and she looked back. She wore the same look of recognition on her face, causing us both to worry.

An orphanage? What’s going on here?

“Follow me.” I said, pushing my hoof through the image. I stepped into the portal, and felt darkness wash over me.

There was a sudden flash, and I was standing outside the orphanage in the portal. It was dark, and rain poured around me. My head instinctively darted to the left at the sound of other ponies. Bearing down on me was a pony-drawn chariot. I had no time to move, so I curled into a defensive position and awaited the hit. Braced for impact, I opened my eyes and found that the chariot had passed through me; or rather, I passed through the chariot.
"That was so cool!"  Rainbow Dash cheered. "You just got ran over and didn't feel a thing! You didn't feel anything, did you?"
"No, I didn't. So much for flashing before our eyes, it looks like we have to find our memories ourselves." I said, fixing my eyes on the orphanage. "This place is important, I just don't know why. Let's start here."

"Sounds"--

Rainbow Dash was cut off as the entire world flashed white for a moment. The intense light forced my eyes shut into a momentary blink before subsiding and allowing me to see.

Rainbow Dash and I had been moved inside the orphanage. The building, though made of cloud, felt dingy and poorly taken care of. The tightly packed cloud walls were a depressing grey, and the floor was a dirty yellowish color punctuated with throw rugs.

There were very few windows, and the few that existed had broken blinds that let in the sound of inclement weather. There were some stairs on either side of the room, leading to what appeared to be bedrooms. There was a curious lack of pegasi around, the only one being a blue pegasus mare with a dark grey mane. She looked to be fairly young, a little younger than twenty.

The mare sat behind a desk, looking over some paperwork with a troubled expression evident in her bright blue eyes. She put the documents down and let out an exhausted sigh, glancing up at a clock that read midnight. She lowered her eyelids and yawned, clearly exhausted.

"Sweetie, you should really head to bed. It's not good for you to stay out here all night." The mare said soothingly with an air of concern. She was looking directly at us.

"Is she talking to us?" Rainbow Dash said in a hushed whisper.

"No. She can't see us." I turned around and I suddenly felt a thousand pounds heavier. "She was talking to...him."

A small colt sat on the floor near the corner of the room, motionless and silent. He was a bright white, and had an electric blue mane striped with yellow. His flank was blank, and his wings were barely developed enough to carry him off the ground. A look of sullen depression was evident in his golden eyes, and he didn't so much as blink when spoken to.

"Volt...that's you. What are you doing in an orphanage?" Rainbow Dash asked with concern.

Much to my surprise, I had the ability to answer her question.

"I never knew my parents. I was told that my mother was alone when she had me, and that she died in childbirth. I was too much for her small frame to handle, and there were complications. I was brought here as an infant." I said as if the information was something I had always known. "That mares name is Coldfront. I just called her Coco. She was the closest thing I had to a mom for years, though we were never too close."

"That's not too surprising. You don't exactly look social."

"Something happens tonight." I said, recalling a fuzzy memory. "Right now."

*Jingle Jingle*

Right on cue, the door opened behind us, letting in a burst of cold air and rain. An older looking pegasus stallion came into the building carrying a basket.
The stallion was bright red, with a short, dark black mane accented with light gray, most likely due to his age. His face looked strong, and his lavender eyes were focused from experience, and possibly hardship.

The basket he carried began crying, which caused my young self to look over with reserved interest. I walked over to the basket and looked at the filly inside. The thousand pound weight was back.

A small, cyan filly of about a year lay in the basket, voicing her discomfort through wails. She had a rainbow mane, and deep magenta eyes, currently filled with tears.

"T-That's! That's me!" Rainbow Dash was now panicking beside me. "Why am I in an orphanage!?"

I couldn't answer her question, though it seemed Rainbow Dash was about to learn anyway. She had an understanding look, and her worry lessened significantly.

"I was abandoned here. I don't remember anything about my parents. And you..." Rainbow Dash trailed off, turning her attention towards my younger self who was now walking towards the basket.

"I found her on the porch just now. She must have been dropped off sometime before I got back. I guess they didn’t knock on the door." The red pegasus spoke up. "The note on the basket said 'Rainbow Dash'. Judging by the mane on this one, I'd say that's her name."

"Figure that out on your own did you?" Coco said, trotting around the desk to take a look. "She is the cutest little thing! Why would anyone give you up, cutie pie?"

"Good question." Rainbow Dash grumbled irritably.

"Well, it's always nice to meet a new face, right Thundervolt?" My ears perked up at the stallion’s statement, until I realized who he was actually talking to. "Come here and meet your new friend.

'Thundervolt' hesitantly walked over and looked upon the crying filly. Much to his surprise, she immediately ceased, fixing her infantile gaze on him. The two stared at each other for just a short moment, then 'Rainbow Dash' broke the silence. She blew a raspberry and started laughing hysterically.

"I guess she thought you were funny looking too!" Rainbow Dash said, punching my arm for comedic effect.

"She likes you, Voltie!" Coco said enthusiastically. "What do you think of that?"

Thundervolt just continued looking at the filly, unaware of anything else going on around him.

The red pegasus set the basket down gently next to Thundervolt and took Coco aside.

"Keep him around her. He doesn't know it yet, but that little filly is going to be his best friend. I have a feeling she’ll be the one to put that colt right."

"You really think so? I don't know if I see it." Coco glanced over, and witnessed something she had never seen before. Thundervolt was smiling. "…Never mind."

"So you think you can manage that?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Tempest, sir!" Coco said, saluting in a militaristic, yet mocking fashion.

"Did I ever tell you how much I dislike that?"

"Yes, yes you did."

"Well then why do you keep doing it?" Tempest asked, already seeming to know the answer.

"Because it's fun of course!" Coco was grinning madly.

"Very well then, carry on. I'm going to bed. You'd be wise to get some rest as well." Tempest looked towards filly dash. "I suppose I’ll put the little one to bed before I turn in."

"Can I do it?" Thundervolt asked hopefully, surprising both adult pegasi.

"Of course you can, sweetie. I'll go with you and make sure she’s comfortable." Coco sent a smile to Tempest before picking up the basket and leading Thundervolt from the room.

The scene was abruptly taken away from us as another flash of white light encompassed the world around us. My eyes were once again momentarily crippled, trying to find something to look at in an effort to see again. I looked around, but saw nothing but white. I thought that my vision had actually gone bad, but when I saw Rainbow Dash beside me, I realized that we had been sent back to the white room.

Rainbow Dash seemed just as disoriented as I was, looking around in the same way I was. The past few minutes were very eye opening and stressful. They also gave me a million questions. Questions that I hoped would be answered by more memories.

I looked around again, this time straining to find another rectangle-like portal that would initiate another memory. Nothing had appeared yet, so I turned my attention towards Rainbow Dash.

“So we’re both orphans. That’s fantastic, isn’t it? I mean, no parents to tell us what to do! Sweet, right?” My poor attempt at humor still managed to force a smile out of Rainbow Dash.

“You aren’t funny. Funny-looking, but not funny.” Rainbow Dash said, smiling at me. Her smile faded as her next thought entered her head. “We met when we were just kids. Why don’t I remember any of this? I recognized you, but I didn’t know you…”

“Maybe you moved out of the orphanage before you really got old, or maybe I did. Coco could have just…” My sentence stopped. Information from nowhere poured into my head, and my eyes went fuzzy.

There was so much to take in, so many experiences. Sights, smells, everything. Rainbow Dash recoiled in front of me, going through the same agonizing process. This must have been what Twilight meant by memories filling in during breaks. She never mentioned how much it would hurt.

I saw myself growing older, slowly becoming a happier pony. I learned how to fly, slowly but surely gliding around the town. Always by my side, though not in the air yet, was the young version of Rainbow Dash. Much like Tempest had said, Rainbow Dash had become my best friend.

I watched us grow up together, spending day after day learning, playing, and bonding. We lived in the orphanage together for over nine years. Pegasi orphans would come in, and go out frequently. Some were adopted, others grew old enough to leave and make their own life. Rainbow Dash and I were the only ones who didn’t get adopted.

We had grown so close to each other over the years that Coco and Tempest refused to let a family take us unless they took us both. Adopting two children was a daunting task for most couples, and so we went without adoption. Coco and Tempest became like parents to us, though they weren’t romantically involved. Coco was a young pegasus looking to make a difference in a filly’s life, and Tempest was an old, hardened stallion who had seen too much suffering to let children go through a life on the streets.

I felt myself falling in love with all of them. Coco, Tempest, and Rainbow Dash especially. Over those nine years, she had become more than a friend. She was like my sister, and I was like her brother. We were inseparable and much too overprotective over each other, and this resulted in the perfect duo of trouble making pegasi.

Pranks were soon running rampant around Cloudsdale, never getting tied back to us. We were much too good at pranking to get caught. At least, that’s what we thought. Coco was well aware of our shenanigans, and her idea of discipline was to prank us even harder around the orphanage.

So much unconditional love was present in our relationship. Coco had grown to truly love Rainbow Dash and I, and we loved her. The three of us only needed each other to be happy, and with Tempest handling the orphanages finances, we were well off for a long time. 

My heart swelled watching all of these images, and I couldn’t bring myself to tear away from them. I wanted so desperately to be back in those times. Life wasn’t easy, but it was simple and happy. What more could a pegasus ask for?

Nothing, you were happy back then. It’s time to remember those days and get it all back.

The memories didn’t fade, but they slowly crept back into the recesses of my mind. They became just that. Memories. I looked over towards Rainbow Dash, but only saw a foggy looking blur. I thought that something had been happening in the spell, but I was mistaken. Tears had formed in my eyes, obscuring my vision. I wiped them away and found that Rainbow Dash was crying as well. She looked up at me, and rushed over to give me a hug.

We embraced, finally recognizing each other for the first time in over twelve years, and just then it felt as though all was set right. I was with my best friend. My sister. The only family I had ever had. Our heartbeats accelerated with pure joy as we squeezed each other with amazing force. Tears streamed down our faces, and our smiles had never been wider.

“I missed you so much, Voltie.” Rainbow Dash said, fighting to express herself through the tears.

“I missed you too, Dash.” My words came with just as much turbulence as hers did.


“So you design clothes for just about any occasion, right?” Aurora asked curiously.

“Why of course, dear. Weddings, parties, fashion shows, casual dates… You name it, and I’ll design it!” Rarity stated with pride.

“Ooh, how about tree dresses?” Aurora said, gaining my attention, and piquing Rarity’s interest.

“Tree dresses?” Rarity inquired. “Whatever do you mean?”

“You know, like a dress. But a tree wears it. You could make any tree look amazing! You could even do seasonal dresses for when the seasons change!” Aurora said excitedly. Rarity looked at her very curiously, unsure of what to think of the eccentric idea. “What do you think, Twilight?”

“About tree dresses?” I asked hesitantly, thinking of how to let her down easily. “Uhhh…well…”

“Magnificent! Tree Dresses! Why didn’t I ever think of that?” Rarity asked herself. “I already have designs in mind for the willow near Fluttershy’s house!”

“Ugh!” I brought my hoof to my face.

Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt better be done soon, because I’m not going to last much longer on the outside with these crazy ponies…


About a half hour had passed since mine and Dash’s key revelation. Memories had been filling in here and there, but nothing major seemed to happen. I learned that my favorite food was Hay Fries, and that a certain cyan filly deemed them to be the best food ever as well. I was amazing at Hide n’ Seek, but I always threw the games to make Dash happy, until she actually started beating me. Then, no mercy.

Dash learned that Coco had tried to civilize her to an extent, dressing her up, teaching her manners, and how to carry herself as the beautiful lady she was. Not surprisingly, after a short time, Coco settled for Dash eating at the table and not insulting random strangers.

Thankfully I had stayed manageable. When Coco couldn’t handle Dash, I would step in and alleviate the pressure. I was an easygoing colt, which made Coco treat me more like an equal than a mother figure would have. Towards my teenage years, she became more akin to a big sister, while she remained a pseudo parent to Rainbow Dash.

Tempest had apparently served in the Equestrian Navy for a few tours of duty before he settled down and opened the orphanage. The Equestrian military was more like a roving guard squad, seeing that peace was almost a worldwide condition. His previous job had made him very reserved, but also very confident in his leadership abilities. He had achieved the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged for stellar service. At the very least, this explained why Coco mock saluted him so often.

Rainbow Dash adopted this tradition, and soon began coming up with new and frightening ways to torture Tempest while he was around. From jogging next to him and singing marching songs, to assaulting him with random bugle recitals, Dash had quite the repertoire of pranks. I once again took the role of moderator and kept her in check. Though I could never find where she hid the bugle…

That was how our relationship worked. I kept her out of trouble, and she kept me from being a sad sack. On that dynamic, we soared through years of an otherwise empty life. All of these memories however, did not answer the one question we still had.

“What in Equestria separated us and took my memory?” Rainbow Dash asked for the eleventh time in an hour.

“Hey, guess what?” I asked excitedly.

“What, what!?” Rainbow Dash mirrored my excitement.

“I don’t know!” I said, immediately wiping away my fake smile, causing Rainbow Dash to slump to the ground and pout.

"Why hasn't anything happened?"

"I still don't know! We're still getting memories, right? Maybe we have to wait for a bit." Something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. "Or maybe we just have to complain enough..."

Rainbow Dash looked up and followed my gaze, finding another strange manifestation in the stark white room. Wordlessly, we walked over to the black portal and touched it, exposing an image with the ripple.

The portal settled and displayed a white room made of clouds. Rainbow Dash and I stepped through the opening, and were greeted with another powerful flash of light.

Our eyes adjusted, and just as before, we were standing in the room we had seen just moments ago. It took us a moment to get an idea of where we were, but a voice from the other room gave us a strong hint.

“Wake up lazy! You gonna sleep all day!?” A filly's voice yelled impatiently.

“Calm down, I’m coming!” A familiar colt’s voice spoke up to our left.

We looked over and saw the young Thundervolt lying in bed. He looked to be aged to about thirteen years. He rolled out of bed and walked towards a small pool of water in the corner of the room, presumably to check his features for the morning.

“Thundervolt! We’re gonna be late!”  The filly's excitement grew.

“Ok, ok! I’m up!” Thundervolt responded, moving into the adjacent living room area.

"Dash, this was my dream!" I said, realization hitting me. "This has to be when everything changed!"

"What do you mean? Look at them!" Rainbow Dash gestured to the two kids now wrestling in the living room. "How does this change anything?"

"How are my favorite little angels doing today?" Coco said, entering the living room which we now recognized as a section of Coco's home. We had been living with her for a while, though we spent most of our time at the orphanage across the street. "Rainbow Dash, what did I tell you about wrestling with Voltie? You know you're too strong for him!"

"It's okay Coco, I can take it!" The cyan filly beamed at Thundervolt's response.

"Oh really? I guess I'll have to jump in too!" The blue pegasus mare dove into the fray and playfully fought with the young ponies. 

The ensuing tickle-fest lasted a few minutes before Coco began to usher the two children out the door. They were going to the orphanage to check in on Tempest before taking Rainbow Dash to her first day of Flight Camp.

The memory skipped forward a bit, and we were standing outside the building, Thundervolt, Rainbow Dash, and Coco all about to enter. Coco pushed the door open, noticing that it wasn’t locked. Her cheerful demeanor instantly hardened.

“Tempest? Tempest, are you in here?” Coco called out worriedly.

There was no response. The orphanage was totally dark. This wasn’t a new occurrence, considering the majority of orphans that once resided here were moved to Canterlot. The Tempest Orphanage had run into some troubled times, so the actual orphanage was shut down. Due to his status, Tempest was allowed to keep the building in case of future need.

What was odd however was the fact that every door in the main lobby was closed, and it was unusually silent for the time of day. The door closed behind them, causing the filly Rainbow Dash to squeak. Coco and Thundervolt moved into defensive positions, unsure of what was going on.

Suddenly, a huge object fell onto the floor in front of the group, producing a loud thud even on the soft cloud flooring. Coco hesitantly moved closer to examine the object, and no sooner had she laid eyes on it did she back away in revulsion.

“Celestia’s Sake, don’t look kids! We have to go!” Coco said in a panic.

“But what is”—

“It doesn’t matter, we have to go, now!” Coco said, forcing Rainbow Dash to the door. She did not see that Thundervolt had moved towards the object out of curiousity.

“Tempest!? Wha-What happened!?” Thundervolt cried out, terror evident in his immature voice.

The object that landed on the floor in front of them was Tempest. His neck was broken, and he was bleeding from numerous lacerations across his chest, back and legs. Bruises were evident all across his blood-stained body, indicating that he had put up a fight. The combination of darkness and the smell of blood painted a gruesome scene that would no doubt scar the both young ponies forever.

“I think I’m gonna be sick…” Rainbow Dash said, holding back the contents of her stomach.

“Thundervolt, we have to go, now”—

“Leaving so soon?” A relatively deep voice echoed throughout the orphanage. The door slammed shut and locked behind the group. “I don’t think your friend there would appreciate you leaving without paying your respects.”

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?” Coco screamed, tears streaming down her face.

“Isn’t it obvious? I brutally murdered him. Honestly, was it that hard to figure out? Maybe I’ll make your bodies more obvious, that way nobody asks such a stupid question again.” The voice spoke with venomous intent.

“Why did you hurt him?” Thundervolt spoke up, eerily calm for the situation. “Why would you come into our home and… and murder Tempest? What did he do to you?”

“Dear boy, he didn’t do anything. I’m just a violent sociopath who happens to like blood…” The voice became tied to an actual source as a figure stepped out of the dark recesses of the unlit building.

A dark grey unicorn with a blood red mane, and an exploding star for a cutie mark stood menacingly before us. He planted his hoof on Tempest’s body and pressed down, causing blood to ooze out onto the floor. His face turned to pure joy, a testament to his disgusting nature.

“*Sniiiiiiff* Ahhh, doesn’t the smell of blood just make you…tingle with excitement?” The sickening dark grey unicorn glared directly at Thundervolt, who hadn’t flinched during this exchange at all. “Explain yourself, boy. You don’t seem too broken up about your loss. Maybe you’re just as sick as me…”

“You’re filth. You have no right to be here. Leave. NOW!” Thundervolt’s young voice boomed, causing the already shocked Rainbow Dash to flinch in Coco’s arms.

“You’ve got some spunk, boy. I think you would be useful for my latest project. Believe it or not, I did have a reason to come here. Mutilating your friend here was just a perk. You’ll be happy to now that he put up a fight at least. All that training in the Navy didn’t really help though…”

“Shut up!” Thundervolt rushed forward, hooves extended in an attempt to take on the murderous unicorn.

The blood red maned unicorn anticipated this and fired off a powerful bolt of magic. Thundervolt barely dodged it, sending the bolt careening into the door of the orphanage, blowing it open.

Before he could correct his flight path the unicorn dropped his hoof, stomping on the head of the white pegasus, knocking him out.

“No!” Rainbow Dash and I both yelled out, heard by nopony but ourselves.

“THUNDERVOLT, NO!!!” Coco’s voice was bloodcurdling, filled with extreme terror.

Magic bolts were sent flying towards her and the young Rainbow Dash in an effort to silence them. Coco was quick to react, her protective instinct kicking in. She moved away from bolt after bolt, the cyan filly in tow. The murderous pony scooped up the unconscious Thundervolt and put him on his back.

“The colt is coming with me, you’d be wise to leave before I decide unleash my creativity on you and the child!” The dark grey unicorn said, exhibiting a misplaced example of mercy.

“I won’t leave him!” Coco yelled, slamming into the unicorn while shielding Rainbow Dash in her arms.

“I’ve no time for this!” In a flash of light, the unicorn unleashed a wave of magic that pushed Coco and Rainbow Dash to the wall, knocking the filly unconscious, and stunning the mare. “You dared to lay a hoof on me, and you shall reap the consequences. You’ve until I return to be gone from here, and if you value your life, I’d best utilize this opportunity to its fullest. I will spare no expense in hunting you down, you worthless mare!”

In another flash of light, the unicorn vanished, taking the young Thundervolt with him. Coco had no idea what to do. She had just lost what might as well have been her son to a psycho pony that murdered her best friend and mentor. Coco broke down crying, her entire life uprooted in an instant. The room soon filled with the sound of her sobbing, and nothing else. Then, the entire room flashed white.

“No, that can’t be it!” I screamed, blindly flying around the white room in a state of rage. “I’ll kill him! That unicorn won’t make it another day!”

“Thundervolt!” Rainbow Dash flew up towards me, restraining me. “You have to calm down, it was just a memory! You can’t do anything about it!”

“Horsefeathers I can’t do anything! I’ll bucking find him! I’ll find… I’ll find…” I couldn’t reach his name. That part of my memory was still locked, and I aimed to tear it open.

“Thundervolt, I’m remembering more.” Rainbow Dash let go of me and held her head in pain.

“What? What do you remember!” I said anxiously, hungry for information.

“I…I repressed everything… The whole incident with that monster locked it all away.” Rainbow Dash was almost brought to tears recalling the tragedy. When you were taken and Coco was threatened, her only option was to get away. She learned that I had suppressed my memory, so she entrusted me to her friend in the Flight Camp staff.”

“Where did she go?” I asked, eager to know if she was ok.

“I-I don’t… I don’t know. I had forgotten everything. I only knew my name, and that I was supposed to be in Flight Camp. Everything from then on I know. I struggled with my memories for a while, but eventually forgot.” Rainbow Dash said, tears streaming down her face. “All the feelings came back to me when you showed up again, that’s why I thought you were dangerous. It was all because of HIM!”

Before I could respond, Rainbow Dash began convulsing, shocks heading through her body. Her screams soon became inaudible as she faded out of existence, leaving no trace behind.

“Rainbow Dash!” I yelled, grabbing at the air in which she was flying. “Rainbow Dash!?”

My cries fell on deaf ears. I was alone.


This is it. This is where I die… I won’t live to see Rainbow Dash ever again. There’s just…no chance.

I felt gravity press down on me, as all of my energy drained from my body. I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone cast any spells. My entire body was useless, from my horn, to the end of my purple striped tail. I looked around me, watching as my friends fell one by one, succumbing to their own conditions. 

Applejack and Rarity lay slumped in the corner, helplessly leaning on one another for support that made no difference. Fluttershy was sprawled out on her back motionless, Spike draped over her like a ragged blanket. Aurora crawled helplessly around the library, attempting to find a way out. But there was no escape. Pinkie Pie, the most plagued of us all was in the kitchen sink, upside down and unconscious.

I tried to imagine what terrible force brought this upon my friends, but the mere thought brought a pain to my stomach and made me shudder in fear. Contemplating its supreme reign over our lives was futile, as I knew there was no stopping the wrath of…

Applejack’s Famous Apple Fritters…

“Why did we eat so much?” I said, groaning as my full stomach gripped me.

“It’s because mah cookin’ is downright scrumptious, Twi. The only flaw is that ya can’t stop eatin’ once ya start...” Applejack said miserably, a victim of her own creations.

“Your so called cooking is always the death of my diets Applejack. Celestia forbid a lady keep her figure in this high calorie world we live in.” Rarity grumbled, rubbing her now engorged stomach.

“Don’t give me that, you love mah cookin’. And you look mighty fine tah me.” Applejack retorted, attempting a smile.

“Applejack, are you coming onto Rarity?” I asked in disbelief.

“Now wherever would you get that ridiculous idea?” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Yea, I don’t right well appreciate them allegations ah yours, Twilight.” Applejack added.

“Oh dear, did your accent just get thicker?” Rarity asked, looking surprised. “I didn’t even think that was possible.”

“Her accent gets heavier when she gets defensive, or when she tries to lie.” I said, grinning at Applejack who turned a deep shade of red.

“Hush up Twilight, I don’t remember askin’ you a gosh darn thing!” Applejack was getting seriously irritated.

“Darling, she’s simply trying to get under your skin. Calm down and go to your happy place. You know the one.” Rarity said, attempting to calm the tan earth pony.

“Ahh, now that makes me feel right as rain.” Applejack said, practically melting onto the ground.

“This conversation has managed to raise so many questions, but I’m not going to ask anything for fear of having to mop that one up.” I said, pointing at the distracted farm pony melding to the kitchen floor.

“I think that would be wise. Good chat, Twilight.” Rarity said, closing her eyes and snuggling into the wall.

Something was going on between Applejack and Rarity, but too much was going on elsewhere for me to pry any further. They seemed to have whatever it was together, so I would find out about it if it was important.

My food coma slowly began to dissipate, and I decided it was time to check on the dome again. Rainbow Dash and Thundervolt had been in there for about an hour at this point, though it would feel like much longer for them. I didn’t envy their position, considering how much strain reliving memories involved.

I stood up and began walking towards the stairs, which caught the attention of a defeated looking cream colored pegasus. Fluttershy lethargically rolled onto her hooves and started following me.

“Are you going to check on the spell, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked meekly.

“Yes I am Fluttershy; would you like to come with me?” I asked, already aware of her answer.

“I-If that’s ok.”

“Come on, let’s go.” I said with a chuckle.

Fluttershy and I proceeded down the stairs into the study, and saw that the white dome had remained white and dome shaped in our absence. If it had turned orange and pyramid shaped while we were gone, then I would have worried, but white and dome shaped was good.

“Well everything looks alright, I can’t really say specifically considering they’re both still in there, but they should be fine.” I said, eliciting a sigh of relief from Fluttershy. A thought then popped into my head, and I couldn’t resist voicing it. “So what’s the story with you and Thundervolt, Fluttershy?”

“W-What do you m-mean?” Fluttershy’s nerves came roaring back.

“You know… I know you two like each other, but you didn’t really say much when he got back, and I haven’t really heard anything from you for a while.”

“Well, we haven’t really had a chance to talk… Everypony’s been so busy, we can’t really get together to do anything.” Fluttershy’s gaze shifted towards the dome. “Can I ask you something? Twilight?”

I sensed the apprehension in Fluttershy’s voice. “Of course you can. What’s going on?”

“If you didn’t know if you could be with somepony who really liked you, would you tell them so? Or would you keep it to yourself?” Fluttershy seemed very troubled as she asked her question.

“What do you mean?” I was unsure of what she was getting at.

“Well…” Fluttershy trailed off, unsure of what to say. “Thundervolt and I did have a chance to talk. We just didn’t talk about what I thought we would.”

“Go on.”

“While you were alone with Rainbow Dash during the storm, we were talking about where we were going. He looked at me with those golden eyes of his, and all I saw was him loving me. It made my heart melt.” Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile, though it faded with her next thought. “He told me that he wanted to stay with me, and make me happy… But once he gets his memory back, he doesn’t know what the situation will be.”

“Fluttershy, he wouldn’t just leave because of a few memories.”

“That’s what I told him, but then he started talking about it, and it made sense. What if he already had someone…? What if he has to leave?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you.” Aurora spoke up, standing at the top of the stairs. “I didn’t mean to pull a Twilight, but for a shy pony you do speak loudly.”

“Pull a Twilight?” I asked, waiting to see if I should be offended.

“Listening in on somepony’s private thoughts or conversations.” Aurora said smugly, causing me to glare at her. “Seriously though, if you even think that colt is in love with you, he’s already yours. He’s letting his fears and insecurities get in the way, and I’m sorry you’re being put through this.”

“I’m s-sorry, but how do you know this?” Fluttershy asked suspiciously.

“I’ve known him for a long time, and I know what makes him tick. He is a very headstrong pony and he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. That’s why he takes precautions, sometimes when they aren’t necessary.” Aurora smiled genuinely. “I can’t promise you he’ll stay, but I can promise you this: If he loves you, he will never stop loving you.”

Without warning, the dome pulsed with light and sent out a bolt of light that struck the wall of the library. The loud crack startled everyone in the study, and we stared in the direction of the bolt for a few seconds, until we realized something had been thrown from the dome.

“Rainbow Dash!” I saw the cyan pegasus lay huddled on the ground, right under where the bolt had hit. She wasn’t moving at all, which cause me to panic. “Dash! Dash, come on! Say something!”

“Fi… Five more minutes.” The cyan pegasus whispered, alleviating my worries.

“You’re okay!” I gripped the pegasus in my arms and squeezed her tight, almost killing her in the process. “What happened? Did you”—

“Twilight, I remember everything… He took him away from me.” Rainbow Dash said, tears streaming down her face.

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“They took Thundervolt away from me. I… I lost him…”

“Where did he go? Is he ok?” Fluttershy said, all her worries rushing back to her.

“He didn’t go anywhere.” Aurora spoke up calmly. “Rainbow Dash simply knows what happened years ago.”

“What are you”—

“Rainbow Dash’s memories are back. She remembers everything, and from what Thundervolt told me, that’s a heavy burden to bear.”

“Well if she’s done remembering, then why isn’t he?” I asked, desperate for an answer.

“Because he has more to experience.” Aurora started, shifting her determined gaze towards the dome. “It’s time for him to remember me.”


Chapter 20: Captivity


The stark white room had gone from mysterious, to foreboding. With the absence of Rainbow Dash, it felt as though things had taken a turn for the worse. I wasn’t sure what happened to her exactly, but I had to assume she had completed her time in the spell. Imagining any other alternative would be far too distracting given the current task at hand. Regaining lost memories is stressful enough without wondering about a friend’s fate.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t just my friend anymore though. She was more than that. Knowing what I did now changed things considerably. Nine years of memories bring a sort of attachment that can’t be broken, no matter how long you’re apart. Rainbow Dash was family, and she always would be.

Thinking about her almost lifted the burden of being in this now cheerless room. My freedom was conditional however. I had to remember everything to get out, and that was what I was going to do. Memories didn’t just appear one after the other however. They always seemed to be triggered by emotions, or at least a deep desire to know.

The result of the last memory Rainbow Dash and I had relived was an abundance of questions that needed to be answered. Why did that murderous unicorn disrupt our peaceful lives by killing Tempest? What happened to Coco? The most important piece of information I was after however, would result in even more questions.

“Where was I taken to, and why?” I said calmly, and adamantly.

A portal popped up right in front of me which was a bit disconcerting, but considering it was my intent to find another one, the occurrence was welcomed. I moved through the almost familiar motion of waving my hoof across the surface of the portal, exposing an image hidden in the dark black rectangle.

The image itself was almost as dark as the previously black rectangle, though I could make out a faint light in between vertical lines. It reminded me of something unpleasant, though I couldn’t quite place the feeling. Deciding all would be explained soon, I walked forward into the unknown.

A flash of white light blinded me for a moment, and my body was transported to the next stop on memory lane. I looked around the memory’s start and immediately took in the feeling of dread and hopelessness. The vertical lines I had seen were the bars of a cage in some unknown place.

I looked around the cage and saw myself huddled in the corner wearing a look I’d seen before. It was the same look on my face before Rainbow Dash had come into my life. This one however, was even more heart wrenching. I knew exactly how he felt. To love someone so profusely, and then to have them ripped away from you was a fate so bad that the cage ‘I’ was in may as well been a living hell.

I empathized with my younger self, feeling his pain from an onlooker’s perspective, and then again as the memories roared back. Even now, I wasn’t the same as I had been. This experience would stay with me forever, haunting me for the rest of my natural life.
“You look rather sad. As much as I love to feed off the pain of others, this simply won’t do. If you’re going to work for me then you have to at least want to live.” A voice spoke suddenly, sending a chill down my spine.

I turned to see the dark grey unicorn with the blood red mane standing on the other side of the bars, looking in at ‘Thundervolt’ with an oddly resolved look about him. It was still the murderer, but he seemed to be…normal.

“I know this must be hard for you, but there was simply no other way.” I ignored his blatant lie and continued listening. “I needed some ponies that would be able to handle the process and show some results. You were the only other I could find that showed any kind of promise.”

“…other?” ‘Thundervolt’ hesitantly asked. I could tell he was worried that other ponies could be in his situation.

“You didn’t notice your roommate, did you? She can be a bit quiet at times. I’m sure if you get her to open up, she’d be happy to fill you in about the details of our contract.” The grey pony began walking away, but turned around to add something. “To avoid confusion, you may address me as Nova. I’ll be back to process you within the hour, Thundervolt.”

With that, Nova was gone. ‘Thundervolt’ and I both looked around the cell, eager to lay eyes on the roommate Nova mentioned. It took a moment, but in the corner of the cell was another prisoner. A light pink earth pony about his age with a forest green mane striped with blue sat motionless, observing ‘Thundervolt’ with her neon green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark cell.

Before ‘Thundervolt’ could speak, the mare spoke up almost sarcastically. “Hey there, Thunderdolt. My name’s Aurora. Welcome to the rest of your life.”

“Aurora!?” I yelled, blinded by yet another pulse of arresting light.

I was thrown back in the hub of my adventure, and years of worth of memories pounded my skull without mercy. The introduction of Aurora brought forth a seemingly endless river of experiences flowing into my mind. I couldn’t even hope to control my own thoughts, as they recounted innumerable tales for me against my will. I could only writhe in pain as I remembered a life lost in a day, and another forged over twelve years.

What do you mean?

I mean you’re stuck here. You can’t escape. You’ve been chosen, and he’ll find any way to keep you here that he can. I learned that the hard way. You have any friends or family?

Yes. Well, sorta…

He knows who they are?

Yes.

Then if you don’t cooperate, he’ll kill them. If you make him angry, he’ll make you wish he just killed them. Stop crying! The sooner you get it, the better off you’ll be.

So…So what do we do?

We train. We learn to fight, to protect. To survive…

Will you help me?

That depends. Will you help me?

I’ll do everything I can.

Then we’re in it together…

Thundervolt.

That’s a stupid name.

No it isn’t!

Imprisoned together under the reign of a maniacal unicorn. I suppose captivity breeds friendship. So we agreed to stick together and try to get away from Nova any way we could. We were naïve back then. The hope of escape was quickly washed away over the years. The best we could hope for was leading a fulfilling life at the service of a mad stallion.

He put us through rigorous training exercises, and tested us on survival skills and advanced tactics. We couldn’t figure out why he did so, but we could only assume we were being made into his personal weapons. The Canterlot Royal Guard went through training of their own, which eventually involved sparring with us.

Aurora and I under the close watch of Nova became proficient in hoof to hoof combat, and though neither of us ever wanted it, we couldn’t deny that we were good at it. Guards that sparred with us never won, though they learned how to take a punch. Maybe even a kick or head-butt here and there. It was a long while before we realized how much we enjoyed what we did, considering our worries at the time.

We aren’t any closer to getting out than we were two years ago! What’s it gonna take to get out!?

Thundervolt, calm down.

Why!? Don’t you wanna be free? Or have you developed Stockholm’s?

Just…Just shut up…

Aurora, I’m sorry… I’m just stressed out. I didn’t mean—

Just drop it. I want to get out too, but he’s threatening us with the lives of other ponies. Do you want their blood on your hooves? Because I don’t!

No, you’re right. Then what are we supposed to do? We can’t just go tell someone. They’d never believe us, not with the amount of precautions that psycho has taken.

I hate to say it, but I think we just have to make the best of what we have here.

What are you saying!?

Just for now! You’ve heard him say it before; we aren’t nearly strong enough to oppose him. He wants to change that though. What good is a weapon if it isn’t strong after all?

You mean…?

Yes. He’s been working on that serum for years now, long before we got here. Maybe we should stop fighting and just let him use it.

But what if it doesn’t help us? What if it makes you somepony else? What if you… What if you don’t make it through the change?

Thundervolt, I know the risks… But honestly, what choice do we have? We’re never going to get out of here if we can’t even protect ourselves against him. This could give us the edge we’re looking for!

But I could lose...

What? You could lose what?

…I’m not going to lose you. I can’t lose another pony to him.

Volt…

Nova’s serum was supposed to be something of a miracle. He designed it to augment a pony’s natural abilities and make them a sturdier combatant. I didn’t know the specifics at the time, but I did know that if we willingly agreed to take part in his sick experiment, he owned us. We could never forget his influence on our lives. Not that we could anyway.

Aurora and I vowed to stick together, and so we told Nova that we would accept his serum. Interestingly enough, he was overjoyed to hear us say that, and began preparations to inject us immediately. Warning after warning was issued, and the whole process was explained.

Injection of the serum, multiplication of its converters, adaptation of our internal systems, alteration of our bodies, solidification of the final product. That was the summary we received, and that became our mantra for the month it took to reach a perfected serum.

Are you ready? I would love nothing more for you two to transform, but if you aren’t prepared, I can’t guarantee you’ll survive the process. I wouldn’t want to lose my favorite accessories to my favorite experiment.

Can it Nova, we’re ready. And after we’re done here, we’ll be strong enough to take you down.

You’ve become feisty over the years Aurora, it’s quite amusing. And we’ll test that theory in time. Your sparring partners are no longer strong enough to test you, so you’ll be sparring with each other and even yours truly. It shall be interesting to say the least. And what of you, Thundervolt? Are you ready to become better than you have ever been?

I’m not leaving Aurora to this fate alone. We’re in this together.

How quaint. Loyalty is hard to come by these days. I only know of one other pegasus with such devotion, and I understand she’s rather close to your heart Thun—

Buck you!

Very well, I can see you’re both done talking. I’ll begin the process immediately.

Injection. Pain. Nothing but searing, intense, unbearable pain. I tried to keep the process in my mind in an effort to ignore the pain, but the agony shot my thoughts to hell as I writhed in misery. The only consolation to this process was the promise that we’d be stronger, that we could finally stand up against our vicious captor, that we could go home.

The pain didn’t subside. It carried on for days. The process which Nova had loosely explained apparently took a long time. Five days into the process, the searing pain which crippled us had not let up. I didn’t get used to it, and from the painful expressions Aurora made, I assumed she didn’t either.

Another day passed, and the pain finally began to subside. It was not comfortable by far, but I began to be able to focus on other things. I noticed Aurora looked sick. She was the toughest pony I had ever met, but her small frame was having difficulty handling the process.

Aurora? Aurora, talk to me, what are you feeling?

…

Buck… Aurora!

The most painful thing I had ever experienced. All the searing pain came roaring back as I attempted to stand. I collapsed onto myself and almost passed out. Aurora was still unresponsive. I had to reach her.

Hold on, I’m AH… I’m coming!

My body screamed as I again attempted to stand. My muscles buckled under their own weight, lifting myself off the ground being the hardest thing they’d ever done. It seemed like an hour before I did it, but I managed to get on my hooves and begin to hobble over towards Aurora’s lifeless form.

Come on… I’m not… doing this alone!

…

Inching closer, I saw that Aurora wasn’t breathing. My heart almost stopped beating, and I forgot all the pain in my body. I moved over to her as quickly as I could and with great effort, flipped the small pony onto her back.

Stay with me, stay…with me!

I put my hooves on her chest and began compressing in a uniform up and down motion. Ironically enough, I was partially grateful to Nova for giving us access to anything in the Royal Library. That book on CPR would have its chance to come in handy.

I put my ear to her chest, but didn’t hear a heartbeat. Taking in a deep breath, I put my mouth to her lips and began attempting to resuscitate her, but nothing seemed to change. My breath pushed her chest up and down, but she was still unresponsive.

One one thousand, two one thousand… No… Come on!

I began another round of CPR, starting to get desperate.

One one thousand, two one thousand… Dammit!

Tears streamed down my face and I knew that it was hopeless. She had been lost to the serum. The only pony I knew for the last two years just died at the hands of a mad stallions experiment, and I let it happen. It just wasn’t fair.

No… No, no, no!

I pounded on Aurora’s chest, unleashing all my frustration, pouring my emotions into her lifeless body.

Why did you leave me? Why!?

Her death brought forth a wave of emotions. All of our bonding over two years, shattered in an instant. Then feelings about Dash filled my head, crippling me with guilt.

I couldn’t save either of them. I’m alone… and it’s all my fault…

I reached down and scooped up Aurora in my hooves, holding her close to me. She was still warm, and it felt as though she was at peace. I gripped her tight, unwilling to let go of my only friend in the world. As I held her close, I could feel her heartbeat fading.

Wait, a heartbeat!

I rushed to put Aurora back on the ground, and I administered a few more breaths in a last ditch effort to bring her around. I pumped her chest and exhaled, praying for a sign that she would be ok. That I wouldn’t be alone again.

*Cough cough*

Aurora! Speak to me! Are you ok?

 I picked up the small pink pony and cradled her in my hooves. Her eyelids began clenching shut, then started to open.

What… was I…?

You’re fine now… You’re fine…

Tears again streamed down my face, this time motivated by happiness.

What happ…eh, happened?

You woke up, that’s what happened. And you’ll wake up every day for the rest of your long long life.

What’s wrong with you? *Cough*

Flecks of blood came from Aurora’s mouth, splattering onto my white chest.

What’s wrong with…me?

I might have hit you a little hard, haha.

You’re…dumb. I need sleep, I feel really tired…

Alright, I’ll let you rest.

 Though I was reluctant to let her go, I set Aurora down gently, happy to have her among the living. I began to stumble over to the other side of the cell when her voice called out, sounding hopeful if not nervous.

Thundervolt?

Yes…?

Could you actually…nevermind…

Aurora looked away, but I had an idea. It was risky, and I may have gotten hit if she had the energy, but it seemed like a good plan. I staggered over to the small pink pony and lay down beside her, putting my hooves around her in a spooning position.

I just… wanted you closer, in case something happens. You didn’t need to do that.

I’m sorry… I’ll move.

No, don’t… Stay. It’s…

It’s ok?

Nice. It’s…nice.

With that exchange, I stayed wrapped around the small pink pony and closed my eyes. The sound of her breathing and strong pounding of her heart against my chest put my mind at ease. I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t alone.


Fluttershy paced back and forth in front of the bright white dome, wearing a rut into the floor of the study. Twilight had gone upstairs with Rainbow Dash to give her some bandages and get her fed, leaving Fluttershy downstairs alone with Aurora and the dome.

Aurora sat on the edge of the room, silently watching as Fluttershy wore down her hooves to the bone walking back and forth. After all that had happened prior, Aurora was glad to have some quiet time to think if nothing else.

“Oh, when’s he going to be done? I hope he’s okay. And poor Rainbow Dash, she looked positively terrible. Maybe I should go check on her. No, Twilight’s handling it, and I don’t want to leave in case Thundervolt comes out.” Fluttershy said to herself in a worried panic.

“You’re aware that you’re talking to yourself, correct?” Aurora spoke up, her peaceful demeanor shattered by the babbling yellow pegasus.

“What? Oh, I’m sorry… I’m just”—

“Worried. I know.” Fluttershy’s head sank at Aurora’s almost snide comment. “It’s fine to be worried, but you shouldn’t let that control you. Come over here and take a seat. You look tired.”

Fluttershy obeyed the pink pony’s suggestion and moved to the edge of the room, taking a seat next to her. Aurora wore an understanding look, and moved to comfort the distraught pegasus.

“I know that nothing I say could stop you from worrying, but I’ve known Thundervolt for a long time, and there isn’t anything he can’t handle.” Aurora smiled. “A little memory spell wouldn’t hurt him.”

“I’m-I’m not sure if that’s what’s bothering me…” Fluttershy stared intently towards the center of the room. “I’m more worried about him remembering something bad…”

“Yea, me too…” It was Aurora’s turn to look miserable. “All of his bad memories made him a better pony, though he’d never admit it. Neither of us really wanted to remember our hardships.”

“Well then why did you?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“If forgetting was an option, neither of us would have. Though Thundervolt came pretty close I guess.” Aurora said, chuckling at the irony. “You could say the only good thing I got from my worst memories was him. He made them livable.”

“I’m so sorry. It sounds like you both had a rough time.” Fluttershy sympathized with Aurora.

“Rough is putting it lightly, but I appreciate your concern. In reality, we’ve both healed from our wounds for the most part. Only now, we’re both being forced to relive them. I just don’t have a fancy spell to help me do it.” Aurora said flatly, shying away from the conversation.

A few minutes passed as the two ponies sat adjacent to each other, watching the white dome containing their friend pulse steadily. Fluttershy soon became more curious than normal, and fidgeted noticeably. Aurora took notice of this, and once again jumped back into the conversation.

“You seem restless. I can only assume our previous exchange didn’t give you all the answers you were looking for.” Fluttershy nodded in affirmation. “Well, Thundervolt should tell you most of what you want to know.”

“I’m not sure about that. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but”—

“You want to know if Thundervolt and I are more than just friends.” Aurora’s brow hardened, and she looked a bit unsettled.

“Well I just”—

“Don’t look so apologetic, if I were in your position I’d want to know to. After all, he can’t tell you if he doesn’t remember.”

“Okay, so did anything happen between you two?” Fluttershy widened her eyes and leaned in expectantly.
“Have you ever been friends with someone for so long, that you became insanely close to them?” Aurora asked flatly.

“Yes, I have.” Fluttershy said, thinking of Rainbow Dash.

“Ok. Did you ever have passing thoughts that that same pony may be someone you’d be romantically interested in?” Aurora asked in a more varied tone.

“Y-Yes…” Fluttershy turned red, going back to her conversation with Twilight.

“And did you ever tell them about it? Did you ever think that you could make your best friend your significant other?” Aurora sounded irritated now.

“I did.”

“And did they…shoot you down?” Aurora’s frustration dissolved, and she spoke more calmly.

“Yes, she did…” Fluttershy’s head sank slightly.

“She? Huh…” Aurora caught herself and changed the subject. “Never mind. But you know exactly how I felt. I thought that he was something more than a friend, and to be fair I was right. He just wasn’t what I thought he was, and I know that now.”

“I’m sorry. Was it bad? Getting…rejected?” Fluttershy asked.

“To be fair, he didn’t straight out reject me. He wasn’t sure what to think, and so we gave it a shot. We both decided that it wasn’t what we thought it would be, and went back to being friends. The whole thing blew over in under a month, the only side effect being…Manehattan.” Aurora shuddered at the city’s name.

“Well at least you tried. If it makes you feel any better, I’m still the best of friends with mine too. And what happened in Manehattan to make you so repulsed by it?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“That’s true. And… Manehattan is where I met your friend Pinkie Pie. I went there to reconnect with a friend and take a break from the failed relationship, and ended up in a world of trouble thanks to a pony who shall go unnamed for safety reasons.” Aurora sounded annoyed just thinking about it.

“That doesn’t sound fun.” Fluttershy said, motioning for Aurora to continue.

“It wasn’t. The story’s too long and painful for me to recount on my own, so you’re out of luck for the time being. I never even told Thundervolt all the gritty details of that excursion.” Aurora exhaled, pushing away the apparently traumatic event. “So, who were you into? I can’t really see you with any pony other than Voltie.” Aurora rolled her eyes at the pet name.

“Would you believe it was the rainbow one?” Fluttershy said, almost ashamed.

“Seriously? Jeez, you’ve made some bad decisions in your life haven’t you?” Fluttershy was taken aback, and Aurora moved to correct her harshness. “I mean, really? I don’t see it.”

“Nopony ever does with her. Rainbow Dash isn’t the romantic type, so any time she’s even around love she looks uncomfortable. Twilight is the one to change that though, and I’m more than happy for them.” Fluttershy smiled, genuinely cheerful.

“Well then I’d say everything worked out for the best, didn’t it?” Aurora said, devoid of emotion.

“There’s something else, isn’t there? Something you’re not telling me.” Fluttershy pried. “If something’s bothering you, I could try and help.”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I just thought of someone I haven’t spoken to in a while.” Aurora smiled through her sad expression. “After all this is over, I may have to look her up.”

“Oh, so it’s like that.” Fluttershy grinned. “You have somepony els”—

“I don’t think so. Though I owe her a visit, and I owe it to myself to see her at least one more time.” Aurora said, eyes glistening.

“Well then I think you should go.” Fluttershy said, attempting to cheer up the saddened pink pony. “If you want, I could even go with you for moral support.”

“Thanks Fluttershy. It’s nice to know someone so kind.” Aurora looked at Fluttershy appreciatively.

“It’s not a problem. It’s nice to have a new friend to be kind to.” Fluttershy returned her smile.

“I can see why he fell for you. You two are both selfless and have good hearts. I don’t know how he’s managed to stay like that his whole life. I know I couldn’t have done that.” Aurora smiled to herself. “I guess he’s just incorruptible.”

Fluttershy merely nodded, allowing the dialogue to fall silent once more. The two ponies sat together in peace watching the magical dome pulse with light, leaving each other to their own thoughts.

“Fluttershy?” Aurora said hesitantly, gaining her attention.

“What is it, Aurora?” Fluttershy responded expectantly.

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

“I’m not sure. Being there for Thundervolt when I couldn’t be? Treating me like a friend, and not a stranger? Take your pick, I appreciate them all.” Aurora said, sounding truly grateful.

“You’re welcome, Aurora.” Fluttershy beamed at the small pink pony.

“One more thing,” Aurora started. “Once he remembers me, he’ll tell you I’m unapproachable and too serious to be any fun. Don’t listen to him, I’m just...focused and driven.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Fluttershy giggled, smiling at her newest friend.

With that, the two ponies reveled in each other’s company, bathed in the curious light of the dome positioned in front of them.


Chapter 21: Wings of Change


After weeks of recovery, and another month of testing and observation, Aurora and I had finally completed the process. Nova’s serum, painful as it was to deal with, was a total success. The first thing we noticed was the passive effect it had on our bodies.

Finally, there's something other than searing pain to come out of this stupid experience.

I’m not sure I’d call it good though. I feel…tingly…

I thought you felt tingly all the time, Thundervolt.

Funny, very funny. But seriously, what’s with—

The sensation you’re referring to is your body’s new regenerative capability. The amount of stress your bodies were put under during the procedure was staggering, and so you are just now repairing the damage you sustained.

Regenerative capabilities? So we heal faster.

That is correct. My creation enhanced your nervous systems response to external and internal stimuli, boosted the efficiency of your t-cells recognition and cataloging ability, and doubled the number of white blood cells available to your body.

So we heal faster.

Thundervolt, I expected better of you. Your new gift isn’t something so ridiculously simple. You regenerate cells faster, your already honed reflexes react even faster, your resistance to disease has increased ten-fold, and your cognition has been sharpened like a razors edge.

So we heal faster.

Attempting to bait me by feigning ignorance? I see my serum has done nothing for your trivial sense of humor.

That hurts Nova. That hurts more than when you stole me away from my loving family and injected me with strange, body altering liquid.

It seems I spoke too soon…  

The effects Nova described began showing themselves over the next few weeks, surprising Aurora and I immensely. Besides cuts and bruises healing in a matter of minutes, we were able to retain much more information. We browsed the Royal Library’s selection and educated ourselves at an even faster rate.

I studied up on a variety of subjects, finding I had an interest in Physics and Biology. Aurora wasn’t intrigued by the major sciences, so she spent most of her time reading ‘practical’ things such as Equestrian literature, geography, foreign languages, and anatomy.

Satisfied with our greater learning capabilities, we soon decided to put our rejuvenated bodies to the test and compete against each other in sparring matches. We would have fought the guards, but we had been able to take on 3 or 4 at a time before the improvement. And that was on a bad day. Aurora proved to be a more difficult sparring partner than I would have expected.

You know, for a pony with wings, you aren’t very light on your feet!

Said the pony with the sarcastic tongue and bruised body.

You want bruises? Try this!

Gah! My eye! Why is it always the left eye!?

Because it’s not on your good side, Stupid.

I have a good side?

Yes, and it’s the right side, hence the left hook. You’re welcome, handsome.

I don’t think my eye will thank you when it eventually falls out…

Nova played a very minimal role in our training, only providing direction when necessary. We were granted loose freedom to roam the castle, knowing full well that if we left, ponies would suffer because of us. He knew we planned to overtake him, but for some reason it didn’t seem to bother him. 

Whether he thought he was more powerful than us, or if he just didn’t care was the question. Either way, it was worrisome. A captor that gives his captives freedoms has to be confident in his ability to keep them from getting away.

On one of the days Nova supervised us, he told us of our next major step in the transformation.

You two have become quite the warriors. For two and a half years you’ve trained, and you’ve received all the chemical assistance I plan to give you. It’s time for you to become the ponies you were meant to be, and complete your training.

What are you talking about?

I believe the term fillies use these days is ‘Blank Flank.’ If you haven’t noticed, you’re lacking your Cutie Marks.

Well I doubt my special talent was being locked in a cell.

Very true, which is why for the duration of this next stage in your training, you’ll be set free.

What!?

Explain yourself!

You’ll be set free. You have to go out into the world and find what your special skill is. Believe me, if there was another way I’d jump at the opportunity, but traditions are hard to erase.

You just trust us not to leave?

Considering the nature of my leverage, yes, I do. You’ll have six months to achieve your marks, in which time you’ll report back here for your first assignment.

Assignment?

Why breed weapons if you’re not going to use them?

Nova’s wicked purposes still lay hidden under a layer of fog. Naturally we were still suspicious of his intentions, but the temptation of freedom, even as a temporary circumstance was too appealing to let pass.

The following day, Aurora and I embarked on our quest to discover our talents, a small amount of supplies on our backs. The six month journey started out slow, the first few weeks acting as the best vacation of our lives.

A portal opened up in the white room I’d almost had the pleasure of forgetting, causing the flow of memories to cease for the time being. My head was splitting, and I was tempted to take a seat and let the portal hover in front of me until I felt better. The temptation of knowledge got the better of me however, and I stood up.

“Twilight would be so proud of my thirst for information.” I mused to myself, as I swiped my hoof over the portal.

An image of a small campsite at the base of a mountain materialized. I wasn’t particularly excited to see more mountains after my previous adventure, but I went ahead and stepped into the portal, welcoming the familiar white light.

I looked around the campsite and saw myself sitting in front of a fire, stoking the embers with a stick I held in between my hooves. Night was falling, and judging by the trees located south of the campsite, it was sometime around autumn. Being cooped up under the reign of a monster makes it surprisingly difficult to stumble upon a calendar.

“How’s the fire?” I turned to find Aurora emerging from the lone tent in the campsite. “The sleeping arrangements have been…well, arranged.”

“The fire’s fine. It should last us the night. You alright? You seem a bit odd.” Thundervolt said, eyeing Aurora suspiciously. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you…I dunno, happy.”

“Well I wonder why that could be. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the hostage situation we call our lives, in fact; it was probably that tree we passed earlier. It was so beautiful. But that’s beside the point. We’re out in nature, free from that psychopath. Why aren’t you happier?” Aurora asked out of curiosity.

“Because it’s temporary. I want to go back home. I want to see Dash, and Coco, and Tem…” Thundervolt trailed off, pushing the image from his mind, and sending it to me.

“I’m sorry… I know you had a lot of ponies to lose. I can’t imagine that kind of burden.”

“I thought you had somepony too.” Thundervolt said, unsure of what Aurora was implying.

“The only pony I had from before… I lost them before this started, and it was my fault.” Aurora’s head sank and her eyes clenched shut. “Believe it or not, I viewed our imprisonment as some sort of repentance for how things turned out between us. I grew out of that thought process pretty quickly.”

“I’m sorry… Can I ask you something?”

“You know that’s a stupid question.” Aurora said flatly.

“What’s keeping you here? If you don’t have anypony for Nova to threaten, then why haven’t you taken this opportunity to get out?” Thundervolt said, genuinely curious.

“I... I don’t know.” Aurora turned away uncomfortably. I could feel the tension from my ghost-like state, and luckily, ‘I’ changed the subject.

“So what are we going to do? I’m not really an expert on Cutie Marks…”

“Nova gave us six months for a reason. We’re supposed to stumble upon our talent, our defining interest or trait, which will magically spawn an image on our flanks representative of said talent. I can’t believe it’s considered normal for this to happen.” Aurora said, rolling her eyes.

“It seems like an unnecessary step towards puberty…” Thundervolt said sarcastically.

“Volt, we’re seventeen years old. We’ve been going through puberty for years now. If anything, we’re late to this step.”

Something clicked in my mind that made me seriously uncomfortable. There was something about this memory that was important, and for once it wasn’t someone being kidnapped, dying, or writhing in pain on the floor of a cell.

“What other steps are there? I didn’t notice anything change!” Thundervolt said in confusion.

“Well, obviously there was the growth of our bodies. We’ve gotten bigger, grown into our frames.” Aurora started. “I’m sure your attitude was basically formed before you met me…”

“Just about.”

“The only other thing going on is the start of our reproductive cycles and the output of hormones in our bodies.” Aurora stated a bit uncomfortably.

“Is that why you were calling me handsome a while back?” I said with a laugh, expecting a joke or a playful insult. Instead of her usual quip however, I looked up to see Aurora blushing heavily and fixing her gaze on me. “Wait, you meant that!?”

“Well, yea…I guess.”

“I-I…” Thundervolt was at a loss for words, and suddenly I remembered the entire night. It was the most embarrassing night of my life, and I was here to relive the whole thing.

“Just…drop it, Thundervolt. It was just an observation. You don’t need to”—

"Is that why... Is that why you're staying? F-For me?" My past self was guilt-ridden, and currently blaming himself for Aurora's situation. "I don't want to keep you here out of pity!"

"Pity? You think I pity you? Thundervolt, are you insane!?" Aurora burst out in anger. "How could you possibly think that after all this time that I hold any negative perceptions of you?"

"I didn't mean"--

"Didn't mean what? Implying that I stay here with you out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness? It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Aurora's face reddened further.

"Aurora, you're sacrificing your freedom for me."

"Well what good is freedom if you aren't there with me!?" Aurora said, full of emotion. "Volt, I can't leave you. Not now, not ever. You're my new family, you're my best friend, and I don't know why, but I think..."

"What?" Thundervolt asked suspiciously.

"I think I might be starting to like you. I don't...want to see you like this, but I can't control my feelings as of late. And you know what, this is your fault!"

"How is this my fault?"

"You're attractive you dolt! Hormones suck." Aurora's eyes began glistening.

“I think you’re very pretty too!” Thundervolt blurted out loudly, unable to control the volume of his voice. "I guess I did notice you a little."

“That’s…nice?” Aurora said, confused by my past self’s outburst. “What do you…What do you like? I mean about me?”

“Oh buck, here it comes” I said to myself, all my shame falling on deaf ears.

“Well…you look like you can handle a few stallions by yourself.” I slapped a hoof to my face, humiliated by ‘my’ words.

“Thundervolt!” Aurora looked shocked, and turned even redder than before.

“I meant in a fight! Like you’re really strong! I like your eyes too! Oh, jeez! I-I didn’t mean to”—

“Oh for buck’s sake, come here!” Aurora stood up suddenly and advanced aggressively towards the reddening Thundervolt.

“What are you”—

Thundervolt’s sentence was cut short as Aurora’s lips pressed against his. A wave of warmth, apprehension, and confusion washed over the both of us, and a familiar white light spared me from reliving the rest of that evening. Much to my dismay, my mind brought forth an onslaught of imagery anyway, ensuring I recognized all the gritty details.

“I could have gone without remembering any of that…” I said sullenly, as months of bittersweet memories poured into my head.


"Ahm tellin' you, it ain't right! Ahm sicka lying tah all our friends, and mah kin!" Applejack said irritably.

"Darling, you can't expose us! You promised!" Rarity said, starting to panic.

"A promise is a promise, but that don't mean it's right."

"I don't understand, you've never objected to this before!" Rarity said, sounding hurt.

"Because Ah never took the time tah think 'bout it before!" Applejack deflated. "If Dash and Twi can do it, why can't we?"

"I-I..." Rarity was speechless.

"You can’t even answer. Yer ashamed of me..." Applejack's head sank as she walked idly towards one of the library's many book shelves.

"Don't be daft! I could never be ashamed of you! I'm just not...used to the idea of having somepony to be with like this."

"We've been seein' each other fer months now. Try again." Applejack looked away indifferently.

Rarity frowned, unsure of what to do. She looked around, and a spark of inspiration flashed in her head. Her horn glowed, and a book removed itself from the shelf above the tan earth pony's head. Rarity brought the book down, and nudged Applejack in the flank with it, gaining her attention.

"Unconditional Love: Compromise, Devotion, and Sacrifice?" Applejack didn't see the point. “What’re you gettin’ at?”

"Applejack, I'm sorry... I don't know why I would ever think our relationship should be kept a secret." Rarity said, sounding remorseful. "I've grown to truly enjoy your company, and if telling our friends about our relationship would make you happy, then I see no reason not to do so. I love you Applejack, and I hope you can find it in your heart to"--

Applejack planted a kiss on Rarity's lips, halting her speech, and causing the normally composed mare to abandon her grace and melt in the country pony’s hooves.

"Ah love you too, Rarity." Applejack said sincerely, eyes gleaming with happiness

"Aw, shucks!" Rarity gushed, her cheeks warm and red.

The two ponies embraced, sealing the writ of their affection and trust.


And so there I was, reminiscing so heavily about a puberty driven mistake of a colt that I didn't pay any mind to the point of the original memory. Apparently my subconscious prefers dwelling on awkward moments in my teen years, and doesn’t like viewing my transformation into a weapon.

And that's really what it was. A transformation. It all made sense once Aurora and I got our Cutie Marks. The serum modified the magic inside our bodies as well, or at least how it was focused. What should have been a talent by normal standards became a powerful ability, amplified by our own passion.

Aurora was always practically one with nature, always energized and happy around plants. It was no surprise to see her Cutie Mark as a leaf. What did surprise us both however, was what it unlocked in her.

Aurora stumbled upon the ability while tending to a dead flower near one of our many campsites, much like she did in the forests below Canterlot before her imprisonment. She focused all her efforts into making it grow, and to her delight, it did. Instantly.

As it turned out, about a third of Aurora's body had taken on the traits of plant cells. Traces of chlorophyll and the existence of cell walls confirmed this. She was absorbing sunlight for food, which explained her recently thinning rations. In addition to feeding off the sun, she could transfer her energy to plants around her, growing them well beyond their normal capabilities.

When she did so however, she became hungry, and sometimes even weak. It seemed that the more energy she used to grow a plant, the more she expended. If she was to use her power frequently, Aurora would have to continue to eat a balanced diet. Thankfully, her power worked in the reverse as well. She could give plants her energy and she could take theirs, meaning in an emergency she could get nourishment, and possibly even life force.

For weeks she practiced with her new ability, all the while we both marveled at how unbelievable it was. Considering the world we lived in revolved mostly around magic and its practice, we probably should have been less skeptical.

Her new power served as a welcome distraction, pushing thoughts from our heads of our exchange around the campfire. After she had finished kissing me we both fell silent, unsure of what to make of the situation. We both had urges, but for one reason or another, we decided that acting on them now would only complicate things. Agreeing to put off any kind of relations, we followed our instructions for lack of a better idea.

My cutie mark was earned in much less organic manner, basically amounting to me being too lazy to set up a tent one night. Thinking about the ridiculous affair caused the white room to spawn yet another portal, and for once I knew exactly where it led.

I went through the normal portal entry procedure, and after a short moment, found myself near a small cave next to a clearing. It was midday, but the inclement weather above me darkened the area considerably. I had flashbacks to the storm back in Ponyville, and a small chill ran down my spine.

“Thundervolt, I don’t know if this is a good idea.” I heard Aurora’s voice and saw she was speaking to my past self at the opening of the cave. “You’re not usually this stupid. I’m a bit worried.”

“Look, I’m sick of caves. I’d like to sleep outside, under the stars. As a pegasus, I can manipulate the weather enough to give us a clear night.” Thundervolt looked up at the menacing sky and smiled. “This will be fun.”

“Fun? You’re not stupid, you’re crazy! And I’m not going to let you”—

“Wings!” Thundervolt teased as he flew up into the sky. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry!”

*BOOM*

Thunder cracked in the sky above, wiping the smile directly off of the white pegasi’s face.

“You’re going to die!” Aurora yelled from below, as if stating fact.

“Jeez, did I really look that stupid?” I said, looking upon my irresponsible self with disappointment. I flapped my wings and followed myself into the air, ready to watch the ensuing event.

The wind was picking up as the altitude increased, though it passed right through me. My past self however, was not so fortunate. The gale force winds sapped away his strength at an alarming rate, and I could almost remember the fatigue just watching him. Lightning struck all around, and thunder boomed almost immediately afterwards. The bolts were far too close to be safe.

“And yet I continue to fly into the storm.” I said sarcastically, watching myself move around clouds.

“This is easy; I don’t know why Aurora was so worr”—

*CRACK BOOM*

“Whoa!” Lightning shot past Thundervolt, grazing his flank. “This is getting dangerous. Maybe I’d better get down there.”

As ‘I’ went to fly down to the cave, another bolt of lightning struck, hitting my wings dead center. Thundervolt let out a sharp gasp, but nothing else. The lightning had hit him, but it hadn’t hurt him. Without warning, more lightning bolts struck, all converging on the white pegasus.

He ducked, dodged, and rolled, avoiding bolt after bolt, desperately trying to be free of the electric menace of the storm. Lightning bolt after lightning bolt cascaded from the clouds above, as if some enraged deity had it out for the pegasus, but they missed him one by one.

Thundervolt was just about free of the clouds when a stray bolt shot out, catching him in the back. To Aurora’s horror, Thundervolt began to fall from the sky, completely limp and with no signs of life. The stunned pegasus opened his eyes mere feet from the ground, and started flapping his wings vigorously.

I followed close behind, anxious to see the landing. Much to my surprise, ‘my’ wings started to crackle with electricity. I had seen my cutie mark do something similar before, crackling with energy, and then settling when enough had built up.

Thundervolt hit the ground, albeit softer than if he had been limp, but hard enough to cause serious discomfort. Aurora was on the spot in a second, and I stood next to her in my ghostly form to observe the situation.

“Thundervolt! Are you ok!?” The worry in her voice was apparent.

“Ugh…” Thundervolt rose from the ground, sore all over. “Am I ok?”

“Buck… Look at your wings!” Aurora said, dismissing his question.

I turned my attention towards the white pegasi’s wings, and saw the birth of my power. His wings that had once been crackling with electricity and energy now glowing yellow with a hint of blue. A small buzzing sound could be heard coming from them, indicating a heavy electrical current.

“What in Equestria?” Thundervolt said, unsure of what to do.

“Your wings! They’re covered in electricity!” Aurora was in awe of the spectacle.

“Look at that, my flank!” Thundervolt called attention to a newly formed image on his hind end. A dark grey cloud, crackling with electricity was now present and accounted for. They had achieved what they had set out to do.

“Well now we’ve both got our Cutie Marks. Where does that leave us”—

“Hello there. It seems six months was a bit of a stretch.” A familiar voice cut through the surrounding noise.

“Nova!?” Aurora and Thundervolt said in unison, shocked to hear from their captor.

“Why yes, it’s me. I’m glad to see you haven’t forgotten about me over the past two months. And lo and behold, you both listened so well and unlocked your talents… It brings a tear to my eye to see such obedience come from free will.” Nova’s voice said, seemingly from nowhere.

“Where are you?” Aurora asked.

“Telepathy is a wonderful thing, is it not?” Nova said, his voice echoing from nowhere, though technically inside of our heads.

“What do you want?” Thundervolt asked irritably.

“I want the same thing I’ve always wanted. I want my weapons.” Nova said, venom on his tongue. “Since you’ve taken the liberty of finishing your task early, I can only return the favor and accelerate my end of the bargain.”

“What do you mean?”

“All in due time. Take a month to get used to your powers, and then return to Canterlot. I won’t have you running into battle without practice.”

“You aren’t offering up any useful information!” Aurora said, getting mad at the unicorn projecting in our heads.

“Fine, I might as well tell you two. It will give you time to dwell on it, perhaps fill you with even more pre-meditated guilt…” Nova said sarcastically, clearly wanting to withhold the information. “You two are going to assassinate your first targets.”

“Assassinate!?” Thundervolt said in disbelief. “We aren’t killing anypony!”

“You’ll learn that the ponies I have in mind are scum, and don’t deserve to inhabit this nation. Regardless of my methods, you’ll agree that they need to be stopped, and that we don’t have the resources to do so. Until now.” I could practically see Nova’s dastardly smile as he finished his sentence.

“We aren’t going to kill”—

“You’ll also learn soon enough that you still don’t have a choice. Your current freedom is merely circumstance, and can easily be revoked. The more you cooperate, the less this will feel like a jail sentence, and the more you’ll get out of it.”

“You disgust me…” Aurora said, cringing at the thought of openly cooperating with the monster.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Aurora.” Nova said, most likely wearing his previous smile. “Don’t worry, you’ll be given time to observe their evil and decide for yourself. I’ll even throw in a choice. You can take them dead, or alive.”

“It’s better than nothing. We’ll have the displeasure of seeing you in a month Nova. Keep our beds warm, would you?” Thundervolt said sarcastically.

“You’ll be happy to know that you actually do have beds now. The cell seemed a bit cramped, and quite frankly, depressing. Besides, how could I possibly show you off to anypony in that fashion?”

“It’s about damn time.” Aurora muttered under her breath, clearly having been waiting for some form of mattress softer than the floor.

“Yes, it is about time. Just be aware that you’ll be in separate beds. We wouldn’t want another hormone fueled outburst like the last time you two were alone together.” Aurora and Thundervolt both turned red, and looked completely stunned. “You two truly are my favorite romantic comedy...”

And with that, the voice dissipated, leaving the two ponies alone to their own devices until they became the weapons they were destined to be. The weapons Nova would use to shape Equestria from behind the scenes as he saw fit.


Hours had passed, and still nothing. Memories had finished flowing a while ago, but there was still more. Much more. To be fair, I wasn’t sure how long hours translated to outside the dome, but I hoped it wasn’t close to 1:1. If that were the case, the rest of my friends would have been waiting for a day and half now.

Friends. It’s still odd saying that. I know that each and every one of them is friendly, and is willing to put aside their own needs for a while to help me, but for some reason I find it hard to believe I actually have friends. Being alone with one pony for so long can make you forget that socializing is generally a good thing.

I thought of Fluttershy, and what she would be doing right about now. If I was correct, she’d be somewhere close by, waiting for me to emerge from my elective prison and embrace me. It was humbling, knowing how much I was willing to give for that moment to come. Regardless of the circumstances, I would have to spend some time with her alone once I got out. If not for my own selfish desire to hold her and hear her speak, to let her know how I truly felt, if it weren’t already obvious to her.

Despite my happy thoughts, more pressing concerns hovered around me. I knew there was more to remember, but I had a nasty feeling that the next memory would be the one to trigger the final step. There would be one more experience, and then a flood like no other. I would remember it all, and whatever it was would stay with me for the rest of my life.

At least that’s what I had to guess. For all I knew, I could be stuck in here for a few more ‘days’. As if to taunt me further, a portal opened up a few meters away, confirming the fact that I wasn’t finished. I got up to walk towards the magical opening, and stopped, thinking of what questions had been left to answer.

I focused intently on the remaining gap, trying to grasp what I could before entering what I hoped to be the final memory. Nothing came however, proving without a doubt that my only option was to follow the portals path. I quickly trotted over to the portal, and swiped my hoof over it, revealing another dark scene I could barely make out.

It seemed my life was lived mostly in darkness, making me wonder whether or not any of my past adventures had taken me to a majestic field of flowers, or another similarly cheerful location to contrast the depressing locales I’d seen before. I digressed, realizing that I would have plenty of time to visit such vistas once I was done.

I greeted the flash of light and attempted to get my bearings in the newfound darkness. Much to my surprise however, I found I did not possess the ability to turn my head. In fact, I wasn’t able to control any part of my body. I was about to panic when I heard somepony speak.

“In and out, nothing fancy. I don’t want any surprises this time.” Aurora said in a hushed whisper. I turned to look at her, but not of my own free will.

“Agreed. Let’s try not to kill this one.” I felt my vocal chords vibrate as ‘I’ spoke up. Apparently I was experiencing this memory hoof first in every aspect.

Looks like I’ll be walking a mile in my own hooves…

A pang of realization hit me just then. 

Kill? What was I talking about?

Training, preparation, observation, execution, surprise, blood. I remembered everything from before this moment, and I felt sick. Aurora and I learned to use our powers, and we began following Nova’s targets. The disgusting part however, was that we became machines for him. After that first assignment, things changed. A huge weight rested on our shoulders, and now I remembered enough to carry it too.

Things hadn’t gone the way we hoped the last time, most of our plan getting thrown out the window under fire. We’d been tasked with the removal of two ponies from Fillydelphia who were trafficking children as slaves out of the country. Before our assignment, we weren’t even aware such revolting activities had even been a problem. City life was very different from the Royal Grounds, or a peaceful town such as Ponyville. City ponies were a different breed all together.

Darryl and Joseph Sten. Two ponies with some of the strangest names I’d ever heard were the ones spearheading the operation, and thus were our main objectives. Taking them down would keep the children of Fillydelphia safe long enough for the local authorities to wrap things up and prevent further incident. We were to be quick, quiet, and decisive.

Though hesitant, loud, and bumbling was the result.

After watching their routine for a few days, we got into their hideout and managed to knock out Joseph fairly easily. For a large earth pony stallion, it was surprisingly easy. The real trouble came when his older unicorn brother wandered in to find his sibling being tied up. All hell broke loose as the stallion fired bolts of magic at us, spraying the wall behind us as we dove for cover.

Aurora caught his attention, and I moved in to restrain him. I was too fast for his magic to track, however a misstep on my part gave him time to wind up a strike with his hoof that impacted directly into my chest. He knocked the wind out of me, opening me up to a heavy blow. Right before he brought his hooves down on me full force, a knife embedded deep into his chest, halting his movement.

I reached up, pulled the knife from his chest, and watched as he fell to the floor without any more fight. Aurora had added knife throwing to her long list of things she was better at, and this time it ended up saving my life. We both tried our best to stop the stallion’s wounds from taking him, but without any magic or medical supplies, he succumbed to his wounds.

We were killers. Aurora struck the first blow, and I sealed his fate. We took a life…and we did it together.

That night weighed heavily on our souls, and unfortunately it didn’t feel like that would be the last time lives were lost to our hooves. As the memories continued flowing in, I could only wish that we hadn’t ended Darryl’s life. That event began the downward spiral of fulfilling Nova’s every goal with blood. 

Back in the moment, I watched as my body followed Aurora’s lead. I was galloping behind her as we made our way to our next assignment, the first of many in what would most likely be a part of a depressingly long line. 

We moved quietly, Aurora being very light on her hooves, and myself gliding just above the ground. Our target was located on the outskirts of Las Pegasus, about forty kilometers from the strip. We were approaching what looked like a mansion looming over the edge of a plateau. It was overlooking a small forest, and we paused for a moment to get the lay of the land.

“It looks like he’s fairly secluded, and the drop on that plateau looks like a good staging area.” I said, looking over the space with critical eyes. “I’m thinking you flush him out and over, I bag him.”

“That sounds good to me. Risks?” Aurora asked.

“Death by bludgeoning, falling… any other assorted deaths I don’t care to name.” I said with a smile. “You’ll be fine though.”

“Of course I will. Ok, wait for my signal at the bottom of the drop, and be ready to catch a pony!” Aurora galloped off towards the mansion rapidly.

I flew in a different direction, setting myself up below the cliff face. I checked my supplies, making sure everything was in place. My combat gear was locked in place snugly and securely. The vests were ingeniously designed to absorb magic and blunt trauma, making us much safer. I never knew who made the vests for us, that is until Rarity shared that detail with the group. I’d have to remember to thank her more appropriately the next time I saw her. 

With my gear ready, I waited patiently at the bottom of the cliff, listening to the sounds around my position. I could hear small woodland creatures around me, the forest concealing their locations. The desert around the area produced an eerie calm that was unsettling to say the least. It was like a quiet that ate away at you, daring you to make a sound and risk getting swallowed up by the deafening silence.

Sudden crashes up above made me jerk my head towards the mansion. The cliff face was about thirty meters above me, so I could hear most of the scuffle. A stallions voice echoed, filled with rage, and more and more crashes were audible. The echoing quality of the noises disappeared and the sounds became clearer. Aurora had led the target outside.

“You’re not getting out of here alive!” The stallion’s voice boomed with rage.

“Try it, bitch!” Aurora’s language was getting more colorful by the day.

I heard the stallion running towards Aurora with ferocious speed. If I was correct in my thinking, Aurora was going to move out of the way, sending him plummeting over the cliff and towards me. I took off to a height of about ten feet and readied myself to grab him. Much to my surprise, I heard a feminine grunt. Aurora had just been hit hard.

“Aurora!” I took off at frightening speed, unaware that my body was capable of such a feat.

Aurora’s screams carried far, furthering my motivation to catch her. I pushed myself harder than I ever had in an attempt to reach her before she hit the tree line. My wings started to crackle, but I kept going, ignoring the buzzing sound that became noticeably louder. Aurora turned to me, and I thought I had her, but in the blink of an eye I flew past the pink pony at speeds I couldn’t control.

I attempted to come to a stop, which took far too long for a normal flight. My wings were now covered in electricity, and carrying me at almost triple my normal speed. I looked down and saw Aurora getting closer to the ground by the second, but I couldn’t do a thing about it. My wings were too powerful to control, and I’d end up smashing into the ground. I could only watch in horror as the body of the petite pink pony struck a tree, and landed hard in the forest.

“Good riddance!” The stallion responsible said with a cruel laugh.

Rage boiled to the surface, and the Thundervolt I knew was gone. Unaware that Aurora had survived the fall, this Thundervolt was not in a good mood. I looked through his eyes, seeing past the hate now rising to the surface of his usually kindhearted eyes. At that moment, the good in Thundervolt was dead. No compassion, no rationality, and no mercy.

*CRACK*

All my energy went to my wings, and I practically teleported to the stallions position I was moving so fast. I landed on all four hooves hard, leaving a small impact crater. Nova’s serum gave us resistance, strength, and reflex, and I planned to use them all on the bastard who killed Aurora.

“What the hell!?” The stallion was shocked at my speed, and made the mistake of going for a punch.

I blocked his hoof with mine, and brought my other hoof up onto his joint, snapping it. Pain shooting through his body, the stallion attempted to head butt me. Taking it as a personal insult, I brought my hoof up to his chin, dislocating his jaw with a powerful strike.

I let him fall, watching as his crippled body impacted on the ground in front of me. My wings felt warm, still heated by the raw power of electricity. I flared them both, almost eager to try the violent thought that entered my mind.

“I’m…I’m not done with you!” The stallion said foolishly. His stubborn attitude only served to make me angrier.

“Well, I’m done with you!” The harshness of my voice surprised even me.

I rushed forward towards the stallion, slashing at his chest with both electrified wings. He didn’t even have a chance to move before I completed my quick strikes. His eyes looked disconnected from his body, as if he was already gone. Just then, blood sprayed from the wounds now showing across his chest, covering my entire left slide. He collapsed, the second pony to die at my hooves. The first of which I enjoyed.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, carrying me through a vicious high. As I came down, I began to realize what I just did. I looked at the stallion’s mangled body, and at the amount of blood seeping into my skin. My stomach clenched, and I found myself vomiting profusely. The ground was soaked in the blood of the stallion, and now the contents of my stomach.

The world around me began to fade to black my vision receded. I almost fell over, barely keeping myself standing. The amount of energy expended by my wings and the burst of speed had drained my body almost entirely, leaving me to stumble away from this despicable scene.

“Aurora!” I had completely forgotten about the pink pony.

I used what little energy I had left to glide down to where she fell, scanning the ground for her mangled corpse. A fall from that height was sure to kill her. The least I could do was find her and give her a proper burial. The weight of the event had yet to hit me, which was lucky, looking back on it all.

Aurora was alive. Not well off, but alive. I found her in a small clearing, almost all of her bones broken, and barely breathing. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she was enveloped in pain. Her smaller injuries were beginning to heal already as she drew life from the grass below her. I noticed a small knick in her ear, and a wave of guilt washed over me.

The electricity from my wings took a piece of her ear off when I flew by her. The supercharged electricity was powerful enough to offset the serum’s effect in the surrounding cells, leaving the knick in her ear as a constant reminder that I’d put her through so much pain. The fact of the matter was however, that she was recovering. In a few hours, she would be able to move somewhat again.

“I must say, I never expected such violence from you Thundervolt. You always manage to surprise me. Medevac is on its way as we speak…” Nova’s voice echoed in my head, letting me know that he was aware of the situation. 

Nothing quite like one of Nova’s spies watching things fall apart and hiding away in the shadows while it happens.

I looked down at Aurora, tears forming in my eyes. Her full recovery would take weeks. She would be living in pain and discomfort for the time being, and every second she was would be a second that I lived in guilt. I still carry this experience, and it weighs me down considerably. The burden on my shoulders at that point however was lifted, allowing me the liberty to collapse. My eyelids snapped shut and the world disappeared around me.


Chapter 22: Remembrance


I don’t remember much of the ride home from Las Pegasus, other than being woken up by a severe bout of turbulence. There’s nothing quite like tremors in the sky to liven up a trip in the medical chariot. True to Nova’s word, Medevac had arrived shortly after I passed out, and loaded Aurora and I onto the chariot. If nothing else, he was efficient. Nova had a lot of resources to work with, but he never spent too much on anything. I wouldn’t want him in charge of Equestria, but if he was, the last thing we’d have to worry about would be a budget crisis.

Some of the worst days of my life began when we finally touched down in Canterlot. Though our bodies were capable of great feats of recovery, Aurora’s was very slow going. In all rights, she should have died right then and there. Because she was so resilient however, she would have to writhe in hell as her body reconstructed itself. In the meantime, I relished in my own personal torture.

Guilt, regret, and depression set in. It was my fault Aurora was like this. I didn’t catch her. Sure, she got pushed over the edge by our target. And sure, she chose to be the one flushing him out instead of the one apprehending him. And sure, Nova kidnapped her all those years ago and is the very reason she’s here. But none of that mattered. When she was falling, I didn’t catch her. It was as simple as that.

The memories didn’t stop. Once I was up and moving, I was sitting and watching. Aurora was in agonizing pain. The remorse piled on as I did nothing but watch Aurora suffer. Her bones were breaking all over again to realign correctly, reigniting the discomfort that had since faded. It was as if the accident was happening all over again in slow motion.

Nova had denied the use of anesthetic, claiming that it wasn’t necessary for the situation. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy.

What do you mean no!? How can you let her suffer like this!?

How could you let her fall like that? Last I checked, you had a perfectly good set of wings on you. You could have caught her.

Buck you! I know this is my fault! Letting her suffer doesn’t change anything! Give her the anesthetic!

I’ve had quite enough of your tone. My decision stands. Now take your leave, please.

RAAAH!!!

*THUNK*

Arh… Good thing I’m so tough… or that might have hurt…more.

Quite. Let this be a lesson to you, Thundervolt. My will is not something you may openly defy. You aren’t in a position to make demands…

You sure…know how to bring a bucking smile to my face…Nova.

Your sense of humor never fails to amuse me. I do have one criticism however, and I’ll speak it clearly. If you intend to keep swearing, do so as if you mean it. The world is a scary place, and it will fuck you if you let it.

The harshness of his statement stung. I had truly forgotten how terrifying Nova could be. His normally calm demeanor lulled me into a false sense of security and for a while I truly believed that we could get out of our bondage unscathed. Ironically, it was Nova’s own advice that kept me going. 

If Aurora and I were ever going to be free, we would have to sacrifice our morals and bend our own rules. The little bit of virtue we had left would be purged, and born from the ashes of our old lives would come two ponies ready to do anything we could to survive.


Darkness fell steadily over Canterlot. The royal city on the mountainside gleamed in the twilight, reflecting its majesty towards all of its beholders. As the moon began to rise from below the horizon, the princess of the night quickly followed in its wake.

Princess Luna stepped out onto the veranda of her bedrooms tower, and looked upon the majesty of the night. Her night. A thousand years exile in the moon had only fueled her love for the starry view. The days of Nightmare Moon had passed, and only Luna was left to appreciate and comprehend the dark tranquility she presided over. Knowing full well that ponies other than her appreciated the shadows was enough for the alicorn.

With the moon steadily rising in the distance, it was time now for other tasks to fill the nocturnal princess’s schedule. She was royalty, after all.

“I suppose it’s time to check in on Twilight.” Luna said coolly, knowing that the studious mare may still be up at this late hour.

Luna closed her eyes, and her horn glimmered in the soft light of the moon. She focused on the lavender mare’s essence, and allowed her thoughts to travel to Ponyville. Luna could see Twilight clearly, speaking with Rainbow Dash. Much to Luna’s surprise, the two embraced, locking lips with one another.

“It seems our little introvert is not as withdrawn as she once was.” Luna said with a smile, her midnight blue cheeks reddening slightly.

Luna saw nothing useful about Twilight at the moment, and so she shifted her thoughts to Aurora, one of two traitors to the monarchy. Nova had told Luna of their escape, and how they had stolen secrets from the research and development department he commanded. Thundervolt and Aurora presently held sensitive information that could not be trusted in the wrong hooves, and Luna intended to bring them to justice. She would do it herself if she had to.

Nova was very adamant about avoiding direct confrontation however. The two were crafty, and without a second thought would compromise the information if they felt threatened. For the time being, she would have to trust Nova to handle the situation, just as he had been doing for years before.

Luna didn’t like the situation one bit. Though many wouldn’t believe it, Luna was always the one taking action. Celestia had the best intentions for Equestria, but she was never motivated to pursue anything too risky. That was one of the many reasons Equestria had remained at a standstill for the past thousand years. Had Luna been present all that time, things may have been very different. Just another regret she would have to live with.

Luna turned her attention to the scene before her, and noted Aurora’s vest still made tracking her very difficult. At the present moment, Luna could tell Aurora was speaking to Fluttershy. Out of all of Twilight’s friends, Luna liked Fluttershy the best. Fluttershy had a beautiful heart, and was very passionate about her friends. Though she was very shy, she could open up to just about anypony that gave her the time. Fluttershy reminded Luna a bit of herself in that respect, though she shared the majority of her traits with Twilight Sparkle.

“To see a traitor amidst my friends is most troubling…” Luna said, concealing the worry in her voice. “What is this…?”

Luna noticed the dome in the center of the room, casting its magical light on the two ponies. Luna immediately recognized the memory spell, noting it was considerably stronger than it should be. No doubt the work of Twilight. The young mare didn’t realize how powerful she truly was. Luna could confidently say that Twilight had the potential to grow just as powerful as the monarchs themselves, given the right motivation.

Luna began analyzing the dome, and what she found pleasantly surprised her. She quickly turned from the balcony, and trotted out of her room into the hallways of the castle.

 “This development is most intriguing. I believe Nova would appreciate an audience.” Luna said, heading for the chambers of the night guards.  


“Nova, show yourself at once. I bear good tidings…err, news.” Luna said, tumbling over her naturally archaic speech. “Nova?”

“Here, Princess! Just a…moment.” Nova’s voice echoed from across the room. The dark grey unicorn crawled out from under a large device, covered in what appeared to be grease. “Yes, your highness”

“Rise.” Luna commanded softly. “I have news of the traitor, Aurora.”

“Is this so?” Nova asked absentmindedly, glancing up and down at the machine he had crawled out from under.

“Truly. She has integrated herself further within the ranks of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. It appears she has earned most of their trust, and has proceeded to converse with”—

“Forgive my interruption princess, but if that is all you have to say, then I’m sure we can move on.” Nova said impatiently, again looking eagerly towards the machine.

“If you’d be so kind as to let me finish.” Luna said curtly, shooting a mildly annoyed look at Nova. “Twilight has cast a powerful memory spell in her abode, and upon further inspection, I managed to sense a presence inside its magical field.”

“Was it”—

“Yes. It is as you expected. His memory was damaged during his escape, no doubt a side effect of the invasion.” Luna glanced away, thinking back to the day of the royal wedding.

“This is most fortunate.” Nova said flatly, levitating a small washcloth towards him to remove the grease on his body. “Once he’s regained his memories, he’ll no doubt return here to finish what he started.”

“You’ll be ready this time, I assume?” Luna asked sarcastically, wearing a look of irritation. “I don’t want another incident on our hooves.”

“Of course not, Princess. The last issues were merely circumstantial. Had the invasion been handled a bit better, Thundervolt would have never made it into the castle, let alone to the bio-lab.” Nova’s words sounded venomous at the very mention of the labs southern section.

“I trust you with this task Nova. I want the two traitors in custody and restrained, and Twilight and company are to remain unharmed and unaware. The less they know, the easier it will be for them to forget.” Luna said, keeping steady in her composure.

“Of course. You will not be disappointed.” Nova said, bowing to the Royal so deeply, it was almost sarcastic.

Luna took her leave from the laboratory and went back to overseeing the sleeping kingdom. Nova turned away from the exit, and looked back towards the machine he had been working on. A small grin formed on his lips, and a malicious look flashed across his blood red eyes.

“Magnificent.” Nova said, turning away machine, seemingly satisfied for the time being.

Soon enough they will be back and I can finish my project. Nova thought cheerfully as he walked to the back of the small laboratory. The dark grey unicorn reached a small, unassuming door and pushed it open with his magic, stepping inside and locking it behind him.

The sensors present in the room activated two floodlights which filled the chamber with a bright white glow, illuminating a small staircase. Without so much as pausing, Nova trotted forward and down the staircase in front of him. The steps themselves weren’t anything special, but the inconspicuous set of stairs quickly proved to be much more.

After a few hundred steps, the staircase reached another small door, the same dimensions as the last. Nova opened the door and stepped through, revealing a huge cavern. The walls were brightly lit from small tunnels leading to the outside, and shone as the luminescence bounced off the multiple crystalline surfaces. The entirety of the cavern was covered in said crystals, making the cave a natural maze of mirrors.

As Nova began to navigate the winding halls of the complex cave, he began to think to himself to pass the time.

Now that everything is coming together, I’ll finally be able to relax and push some labor onto the lesser members of this organization. I was growing quite tired of being the only one down in this lab doing work. All it will take for the princess to get off my back is one good success. One good success and a metric ton of embellishment in the right places…

Nova, being as intelligent as he was, was able to make things happen. He had realized from a young age that the unintelligent masses would easily bend to ones will if they heard what they wanted too. Coupled with his intellect, Nova’s silver tongue got him into many favorable situations, including a comfortable position aboard the Pegasus troop carrier, RMS Haven, in the Equestrian Navy.

Ah, the Navy days… Those were good times… Nova thought, now reminiscing.

Nova walked into a military outreach center one day, and somehow convinced the recruiter to grant the dark grey unicorn an audience with Commander Jetstream, the high ranking officer of the Haven. The aqua skinned, white maned pegasus was in charge of all crew on the ships flight deck. Just as he had convinced the recruiter to let him speak, Nova convinced Jetstream to put in a strong recommendation for the unicorn, so that Nova could land a well-paying, relatively safe position.

After a few weeks of basic training, the dark grey unicorn was combat ready. Between his position as the decks head technician, and the lack of any real conflict around Equestria’s oceans, Nova wouldn’t be seeing much combat. During training exercises however, he couldn’t help but step in, exercising his hoof-to-hoof prowess in the ring. Nova gained the attention of many of the toughest sailors on the boat, and one by one he put them down, throwing off everypony’s bets considerably.

When asked about his combat aptitude, and its connection to his support role job, Nova merely shrugged and said it was the luck of the draw. He knew better though, attributing his physique to hard work and dedication, and his position to his wit and fortitude. Yes, life was going well for Nova. He literally sailed through it for seven years, living off the hefty paycheck he had previously…negotiated.

One of those lazy days, Nova had decided to tweak some systems on the deck of the Haven, if only to pass the time until lunch. After about twenty minutes of diagnostics, the crude Radar dish of the Haven was functioning at 140% efficiency. A voice spoke up from behind him, gaining his attention.

“So, you’re the techy making this ship like new, aren’t you?” The voice said, strongly but softly. It came from a bright red stallion, with a short black mane and lavender eyes. “I have to say, I’ve never seen a pony so dedicated to his work before.”

“Considering the lack thereof, I’m fortunate to be doing as much as I am.” Nova replied nonchalantly. “I’m Nova. One of the many Ensigns aboard the Haven. And you are?”

“Junior Officer Tempest Torrent, 1st Detail of the 48th Squadron of the Equestrian Air Force.” The bright red pegasus said, sounding official. “You can call me Tempest.”

“Nice to meet you, Tempest.”

Oh the simple days… I almost miss them now. Nova thought, as he continued walking towards his destination. Hard to believe we were ever friends…

Nova thought back to the many days he spent training with Tempest. The two became fast friends, doing most of their daily tasks together when they could. Nova had found that despite his appearance as another one of the hotshot fliers in the 48th, Tempest had quite an intellect. He was polite, well spoken, and could break up the monotony of sailing with a sustainable conversation. Tempest was everything Nova loved in a friend.

As the months went by, Nova and Tempest became much more than Navy buddies. What began as a way to pass time, had become the only real friendship Nova had ever had. He had always used his wit to manipulate other ponies, but he could not manage it with Tempest. Whether he was too smart, or whether Nova was getting soft was up for debate. Nova thought back to one of the many times he had failed to get Tempest to budge on an issue, wearing a half-cocked smile on his face.

“So what you’re telling me is…?” Nova started, clearly confused.

“Yes?” Tempest asked expectantly, smiling like a madcolt.

“So what you’re telling me is that you won’t help me?” Nova was completely baffled.

“Yup.” Tempest smiled mischievously.

“And why not?”

“I didn’t find your argument very compelling.”

“My argument was nothing but pure fact and reason!”

“I got bored. You should have tried to sway me.”

“I did. You’re just so thick that none of my techniques worked.” Nova grumbled irritably.

“When have they ever?”

“*Sigh* I think it’s a good idea…”

“I’ll tell you what; you convince Jetstream to let you disconnect the engines from the Haven’s power source, and I’ll ‘borrow’ the dangerous materials needed to make your little modifications.” Tempest said slyly, beaming at Nova.

“He’d have to be mentally disabled, or I’d have to be Celestia herself to get him to agree to such a thing. It seems we’ve reached an impasse…” Nova said disheartened.

“Well, the good news is it’s lunch time. Let’s eat!” Without stopping for his reply, Tempest flew off towards the Haven’s mess hall, leaving Nova alone to shake his head.

Tempest wasn’t the most ambitious pony Nova had ever met, which explained much of his behavior. Tempest wasn’t a slacker, not even close. He just found that the simple things in life were worth more than anypony could ever realize. Nova did not share this view, which ended up pushing the two friends apart. At the end of their respective tours of duty, Nova and Tempest both had very different goals.

“Hard to believe it’s coming to an end, isn’t it?” Tempest asked, smiling in the same thoughtful way he always did. “It’s been so long…”

“Four years is nothing considering the lifetime of opportunities it provides us with from this point on. In another year or two, I could be off of field duty and into the labs where I belong. And you could be commanding an entire ship! You’ve always wanted a boat.” Nova said, his blood red eyes wide with excitement.

“I guess so, yea.” Tempest’s smile didn’t fade. Instead, it began to look more thoughtful. “Nova…have you ever considered… have you ever considered leaving it all behind?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like leaving the Navy. Leaving and doing something else with your life.”

“No, of course not. Why would I sacrifice everything I’ve worked for to become average like the rest of our country?” Nova said almost scornfully.

“So you could live your life without worrying about the endless deadlines, the faceless commands… You could do anything you wanted to do!”

“Exactly, so why waste it? I knew you were relaxed, but I didn’t think you had the intention of becoming worthless.” Nova’s tone was harsh.

“Worthless? What gives you the right to decide what’s worthwhile or not? Just because I’d like to leave the hustle and bustle of the Navy, doesn’t mean I’m not worth something.” Tempest’s calm demeanor held true, but his irritation began to show through his furrowed brow.

“If that’s what you must tell yourself, then so be it. I intend to make use of all the time I have. You won’t find me wasting any opportunities on frivolities.” Nova said venomously, regarding his friend with impersonal expressions.

“What the hell is your problem!? I decide to live out my life in peace, and you jump all over me as if there’s something wrong with that!” Tempest yelled, unleashing his anger for the first time in years.

“It’s only wrong to someone with the intelligence to realize its impact. I’m sure you’ll be very happy wherever you end up. I’ll be here, pushing the Equestrian Navy into the future.” Nova turned away from Tempest and walked away, effectively ending the conversation, and their friendship.

After the heated argument, both ponies went their separate ways. Nova would go on to develop many successful technologies for the Equestrian Navy, all of which garnered him significant attention from his superiors. Within a year, he became the head technician in the Office of Naval Technology and Outlying Research. His position would be short lived however.

In year 981 of Celestia’s Reign, the Equestrian Armed Forces and all of its subsidiaries were disbanded, in favor of private sector security. It was yet another pig-headed decision from the so called ‘Goddess’. Ever since he’d known of her, Nova watched Princess Celestia driving her brilliant nation into the ground, trying desperately to find a way to fix it.

The answers to his efforts would lie, of all places, inside a small tome about myths and legends. Many texts seemed to refer to a lost leader, one equal to Celestia in almost every way. The only name given to her in such references was ‘Nightmare Moon’, indicating that something had clearly gone wrong. Upon further research, Nova managed to dig up a dusty page torn from an old book.

The page looked to have escaped a fire, most likely the last piece of a mass burning of books. The only text legible on the page was ‘Princess Luna: Ruler of the Night, Bringer of the Moon. Nova had determined that Princess Celestia was part of a matching set. She raised the sun and the moon herself but at one time, she had an equal to share the responsibility.

Cross referencing this information with the legends book, Nova made the connection very simply. Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon were one in the same. The monster that had been banished to the moon almost a thousand years ago was actually the tainted form of Celestia’s sister, and fellow ruler. The tome also told of her impending escape, on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, year 1000 of Celestia’s reign.

Nova made a resolution right then and there. His entire future began to plot itself out in his head. Joined the Navy in 972, Became Head Technician of ONTOR in 975. Navy dissolves in 981. That leaves another nineteen years until the Night Princess returns. Looks like I’ll be over forty by the time I can officially start. Ideas were formed, and Nova set out to set himself up for a long wait. A wait in which he would be productive.

By year 982 of Celestia’s Reign, Nova had managed to obtain a position on Canterlot’s Public Council, the direct result of some well-placed words and a half a pound of opiates in the previous council-members office. From there, Nova commissioned a small number of construction ponies to assist in the manufacturing of a laboratory approved by the council, and Princess Celestia, for the research and advancement of Equestrian medical technology. Year 983 of Celestia’s Reign marked the birth of Nova’s personal R&D Department.

Tempest went a different direction with his life. Though he was a top flier of the Navy for four years, Tempest was never one to push his luck. He’d seen small amounts of combat on a few missions in his career, prompting his decision to leave the armed forces in favor of a different kind of excitement. Tempest traveled the world for another four years, living the life he’d always dreamed about. He met new people, discovered new places, and even spent a few nights with some less than innocent mares along the way. All of Tempests adrenaline came from saddle-bagging around the planet, instead of risking his life in the service of the royalty.

One day in Cloudsdale however, Tempest’s usual plans were put on hold. The reason for the pause was a three year-old colt wandering the streets alone, with only his name to define who he was. A few days passed and Tempest knew that he had to stay with the colt until he could be placed a good home of his own, but the small place he had at the time wasn’t nearly big enough for a child.

It didn’t take long for Tempest to find it. A small orphanage near the edge of town, dilapidated and untouched by ponies hooves for decades, was the only suitable option that he could afford. With his military money, and some honest work, Tempest made the orphanage livable. Though it was never his intention, civic duty, and the growing love for a little colt kept Tempest at the orphanage for twelve years. It would have been longer, but…

A small smirk escaped onto Nova’s face, as he continued to trot forward. Memories flowed through him, filling his frame with a renewed sense of vigor. Nova’s past only served as motivation. All of the striving, the work, and the manipulation were culminating into the end result, and all he had to do was follow his own set of instructions. Nova’s plan had not deviated in the slightest, unless modified ahead of time. The serum was entering its second stage of testing two years into the labs formation, certain relationships were established, and of course Thundervolt and Aurora managed to escape right on schedule…


“You ready for this?” Aurora asked, neon eyes determined and unwavering. “We have to be sure that”—

“It’s a little late to be mulling it over now. We’ve already made it this far without alerting any pony. We can make it out of here alive without having to sacrifice lives. So let’s go.” Thundervolt said coolly.

“Alright, here goes nothi…” Aurora trailed off, her brow hardened and her eyes went wide.

Standing in the darkened hallway of Canterlot’s main hall was a tall, sleek figure bathed in the moonlight. Standing at over twice the height of a large pony, the figure appeared to be a part of the night itself, glistening vibrantly in the moonlight, but blending into the shadows. A flowing mane attached to the figure rippled without a breeze, simulating a starry night reflecting in a turbulent pond. It was the princess of the night, ruler of the darkness, Princess Luna occupying the space in between them and their escape.

“No guards…” Thundervolt said with a disappointed sigh.

“Shit, we’re slipping. We should have noticed something was off when they weren’t coming around for shift change.” Aurora said, commenting on the situation.

“Thou have yet to match the high standards to which your mentor spoke.” Luna said calmly, looking completely blank. “I’d have thought better of ponies to pass under his leadership.”

“I’d have thought a scientist would treat his experiments as ponies, and not as objects.” Thundervolt said, snapping angrily at the princess. “This whole department needs to be brought down, for the good of the ponies who would come after us!”

“Tis the same as dooming them all.” The ruler of the night shook her head, dismissing Thundervolt’s statement entirely.

“Volt, what’s the plan? We can’t fight her.” Aurora said, leaning in close.

“When I say go, you run. I’ll distract her, and then follow you out to our rendezvous point.” Thundervolt’s eyes narrowed, focusing on Luna

“What!? No!” Aurora’s wide eyes matched her now panicked expression.

“Your loyalty was unmatched, your talent great.” Luna was disappointed, and wanted answers.

“It still is. I’m not letting you stop us, not here, not now.” Thundervolt’s wings began to crackle intensely.

“Stop it! You’re going to get yourself killed!” Aurora lost all her composure. “Don’t throw your life away for me!”

“Is it worth it? Is it worth her?” Luna said, playing off of Aurora’s statement with ill intent.

“She’s worth every last effort.” Thundervolt stated with resolve. He turned his head back to the pink pony. “Get ready.”

“You better catch me this time.” Aurora said with a defeated smile, imparting her thoughts to Thundervolt instantaneously.

“You may run, you may hide, but thou shalt always remember. These burdens rest upon your shoulders, they fester within your heart. There is no escape!” Princess Luna flared her wings and took an aggressive stance.

“GO!” Thundervolt’s voice boomed, echoing throughout the marble hall. Aurora took off to the right, and Thundervolt shot forward on his wings.

“FOOL! You know not what you do!” Princess Luna’s horn lit up, and a large magic barrier shot up in front of her.

Thundervolt’s crackling wings were sparking with electricity, imbuing his wings with energy. With a single pump, he dodged the barrier and flew behind the Princess, drawing her attention behind her. Before she could react, Thundervolt slipped under her legs and ended up on her other side as she repositioned herself. It became a heated exchange, Luna attempting to step on Thundervolt, who in turn dodged her stamping limbs with haste.

*CRASH*

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what the sound of shattering glass meant. Aurora had chosen to jump out the window of the main hall, and was currently in free fall along the city’s mountainside.

She was always a brilliant strategist…

Dodging Luna’s limbs one last time, Thundervolt leapt away from the Princess and out the shattered window. With a few pumps of his wings, Thundervolt was speeding down the mountainside in pursuit of the petite pink pony falling below him. His wings began to crackle even faster than before, glowing with a light gold aura as he sped faster and faster.

Ladies and Gentlecolts, attempt number two!

With an incredible burst of speed, Thundervolt’s wings erupted with energy, now completely enveloped in electricity. The pink dot that was once a good thirty meters away was now rushing towards him, increasing in size by the second.

“Thundervolt!” Aurora screamed, fear evident in her voice.

Just before impact, Thundervolt’s wings flared, slowing his descent significantly. Right at this moment Aurora was within his grasp, and the pink pony’s hooves met his. A split-second later, the two ponies became a blur, once again traveling at an alarming rate. Minutes passed, which turned to hours and the duo was still flying, albeit much slower than before. With Canterlot far behind them, words could be exchanged safely.

“Thundervolt, you have to rest. You’re pushing yourself too hard.” Aurora said. “Come on, touch down there. We can stop for now.”

“Only for…only for a bit…” Thundervolt was completely exhausted, having flown at full speed for a long time, not to mention his previous display.

The two ponies touched down, and Aurora got on her own four hooves. “I’ll admit it; it feels good to be on the ground again. Doesn’t it?”

“Yea… ground… nice…” Thundervolt was tumbling around, and I could feel my own head getting hazy. “Nap time!”

Thundervolt collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted, and I in turn was thrust into darkness. My head began to pound, and it felt as though memories were pouring into my head. But something was different. The white room wasn’t coming back, and it felt as though I was being moved. Before I could think of an explanation, my hooves hit solid ground, taking me by surprise.

My vision was quickly fading, but I could make out what appeared to be the library. As the world once again faded to black, two figures rushed to my side, one pink, the other a creamy yellow. Sure enough of my surroundings, I let myself slide into unconsciousness, realizing for the first time in hours just how tired I was. In attempt to comfort the two blobs beside me, I managed to mumble a few words before temporarily slipping away:

“Nap time…”


The events that transpired were best part in Nova’s eyes. He hadn’t let them escape. He had planned for them to escape at some point during their time with him; he just couldn’t let them leave. In order for them to be a suitable distraction for Princess Luna, they would have to be able to hold their own in a fight, learn the ins and outs of the mercenary trade, and lose the innocence that held them back. Most importantly, they’d need an edge. Serum injected ponies trained, princess resurrected, daring escape initiated.

It was all too perfect. Just a few loose ends and all could be set into motion. The task Nova was performing at the moment however was not necessary. No, this was a personal errand. An errand that always brings great joy to the dark grey unicorn, even in the direst of circumstances.

“It’s all about to unfold. I’m happy to see you were able to last long enough to enjoy witnessing it.” Nova said out loud, as he stepped into the end of the long crystalline hallway. “Even you have to admit this is quite an accomplishment.”

Silence responded, allowing Nova to survey the room in peace. The only part of the room that stood out was the rack of spare combat vests, and single prison cell. Nova turned his attention towards the cell and smiled.

“You can’t tell me that after all this time, you can’t even muster up a rebuttal. Where’s that famous fighting spirit of yours?” Nova said mockingly, as if to challenge the silence.

Nova walked in front of the bars, and stared deeply into the cell. He looked at every part of the small room, from its bright walls, to its unforgiving floor, and the small chamber in back for personal luxuries, with deep scrutiny. His gaze however, quickly shifted to the cells lone inhabitant.

“Give me something you stubborn mule. It’s the least you can do considering I’ve spared your life and fed you all this time. That money could have easily funded another batch of my serum, or a death ray! Ooh, I could have finally redone the bathroom of my quarters with that tile I forced you to help me pick out.” Nova was getting slightly off track, prompting the prisoner to finally speak up.

“You arrogant bastard. All I’ve left to say is that you’ll get exactly what you deserve. No more, and no less.” A strong, yet soft voice emanated from the cell. Its tone showed signs of wear and neglect, but the words it spoke rang with defiance.

“How noble of you to impart such a tired cliché. Your sedition however, remains as strong as ever, Tempest.”

Nova’s eyes fell upon the large, bright red stallion, who was still trying to look confident despite being held prisoner for over a decade. Tempest’s lavender eyes were fixed on Nova, exuding disdain, contempt, and disgust for the unicorn. Desperate to be able to do anything in retaliation, Tempest merely shook his head as Nova left the room laughing, leaving a sinister echo in the chamber.


Their memories have finally been returned, which brings about the end of Part IV of Falling from the Sky. Leave your comments and questions, and await the next update coming soon!