//------------------------------// // Shock and Awe // Story: The Legend of Lightning Ace 2 : Rise of Storms // by LightningAce7 //------------------------------// "All of the ponies in this town are CRAZY!" Twilight said as she and Spike entered the library, expecting Moonlight to welcome her in. Instead they found only a very dark room, that was unnaturally quiet. "Well...I just need time to figure out the prophecy and-" "SURPRISE!!!!!" Everypony in the room shouted as the lights came on. Twilight jumped out of her fur as confetti and streamers came raining from the ceiling. Pinkie then appeared out of a cloud of confetti in front of Twilight. "Isn't it amazing?!" The pink party pony said. Twilight only responded with a deadpan. "Remember when you first got here and I was like: GAAAAAASSSSSSSSSP! I then realized that you were new in town and therefore I had to throw you a party because that's what I love to do!" Pinkie kept going. Meanwhile Derpy had just finished off the punch with one chugging. This saddened her...so to replace the empty bottle she placed a bottle of hotsauce in it's place. With an oblivious smile of a job well done she returned to the party. Without thinking Twilight then poured herself a glass of what she thought was a drink. Pinkie thought about stopping her, but then reconsidered, thinking to see what would come of it. After all, she could easily down it herself. Twilight then drank it. Flames then erupted from her mouth as she rushed upstairs to the bedroom floor, causing many ponies to watch. Spike then discovered the culprit: The hotsauce. "Hotsauce?" The little dragon said, followed by Pinkie forcing his hand to pour more of it onto a cupcake. Lightning and Flash bore witness to this. "Uh...Pinkie...that's hotsauce..." Flash said. "What...this is good..." Pinkie said. The others shook their heads. "Hey Flash," Lightning said, finishing a cupcake of his own. "I heard you literally blew up a massive storm to save the town." "Yeah...I still don't know how I managed it," Flash said, taking a drink from his punch. "It felt natural to me. But I usually can only do small stuff, like cook food and start up a fireplace. You know, small things. It's like what ever power I have knew that I really needed it." "Well thanks all the same. I don't think anypony even saw the storm until you blew it up." Lightning said. "Do you want to try my new muffin flavor?" Derpy interrupted, shoving a muffin into Lightning's mouth. He chewed for a moment then swallowed. "Mmmm...What was this?" Lightning asked his wall-eyed friend. "It's a new flavor! I mixed a cinnamon muffin and a chocolate muffin!" She exclaimed with glee. "Let me try one..." Flash said as he took one from Derpy. He then ate it, and his reaction was the same, causing Derpy to smile more, then trot off. "Well...I'm gonna go find my mare Flash, later," Lightning said before trotting off. Flash then went over to the buffet table. ////////////////////// Twilight had retreated to the bedroom, hoping to escape the noise and distraction of the party. Only she wasn't alone. She then heard what sounded like a muffled groan coming from the closet. She cautiously approached the door as the muffled noises got louder. After listening for a moment she got enough courage to open the door, only to find a pony bound and gagged within. "Hmmmpphh mmmpph mmmMMM!" The dark purple unicorn stallion muffled. With that Twilight promptly ungagged and unbound him. "WHEN I GET MY HOOVES ON THAT PINK BITCH I SWEAR TO CELE-" Moonlight yelled before Twilight used her magic to zip his mouth shut, electing a moan of annoyance from him. "Now...I'm going to open your mouth, and you're going to CALMLY tell me what happened, and why you were bound in your closet...and why you didn't properly welcome me in," Twilight said. Moonlight nodded. "Good, now hold still," Twilight said as she undid her spell. "Now, what happened?" Moonlight collected himself, then brushed his mane out of his face. "That party obsessed pony tied me up and left me up here to keep me from interfering with the party." "Well, anyway, do you have a copy of 'The Mare in the Moon?" I really need to see it," Twilight said. "The fate of Equestria, no...all of Equis depends on it!" Alright I have it! Just take it easy!" Moonlight said, still annoyed that he was trapped in a closet. He used his magic to levitate the tome off of the shelf and into her magic. "Just be careful...that book is very old. And what do you mean by 'the fate of Equis depends on it?" "Well," Twilight said, opening the book, "On page three hundred seventy two paragraph two it says something about a prophecy that foretells the return of Nightmare Moon on the eve of the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration." She then turned to the page in question, while taking a seat on Moonlight's bed. "It says here that on the eve of the one thousanth Summer Sun Celebration, the Mare in the Moon will escape with the aid of the stars." Moonlight then sat on the bed next to her. "Well that's rather...obscure..." Moonlight said. It was then that he finally got a good look at the mare sitting next to him. Her finely cut mane and tail were a darker purple like his coat, and had a bright magenta streak running through both, and her curves...he then started to turn red as his weakness set in. But for the sake of learning more about the prophecy he pushed his bashfulness aside. "A...any i...idea what it means?" He stuttered lightly. He then hoped she would think his stutter was caused by fear, and not a sudden crush. "Well...I really don't know what it means," Twilight said as she closed the book and looked out the window and up into the stars. "I just hope for once I'm wrong." Spike then entered the room, with his head adorned with what looked like a lampshade. "Hey Twi! You really should lighten up and come join us...Pinkie's started a game of pin the tail on the pony!" He then noticed a still blushed Moonlight. After that he then realized what time it was. "Oh! Come on you two! It's almost morning! Time to get to the city hall to watch the Princess raise the sun!" He then went back downstairs. "Ah...Spike's right," Moonlight said, getting off the bed, "Maybe we shouldn't worry. Com'on, let's get to town hall." Before Twilight also left the room she looked up at the sky once more. "I hope you're right Moonlight..." She looked for a few seconds as four stars almost looked like they were moving towards the moon. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, and saw no movement. With that she then joined the others in going to the town hall. /////////////////////// Everypony in town was filing into to the town hall as the nighttime was coming to a close. Lightning was distressed though, as was Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight. Something felt off, like, usually the horizon starts to get a slight glow to it at this time. Such feelings were short lived as they entered the mane central chamber of Town Hall. It was glorified further with many large tapestries and long curtains hanging from the ceiling above. Then a light came on over the stage as the mayor of Ponyville, Mayor Mare, who was a light brown earthpony mare with a grey mane and tail, beckoned the crowd. "Ladies and gentlecolts..." The mayer began, "Thank you all for coming to this year's Summer Sun Celebration. For this is the 1000th celebration. And in honor, Princess Celestia has chosen our fair town to host it this year. So without further a due, I present to you, Princess Celestia!" With that Fluttershy's birds started the royal welcome fanfare as Rarity opened the curtain...to everypony's sudden fear. Nopony was there. The whole audiance gasped as Rarity simply said, "She's gone!" "Now everypony stay calm," Mayor said, "I'm sure she'll be here any minute and-" "Ahahahahahaha!" A wicked laughter rang through out the chamber as a thick, star sparkled cloud of darkness began to form on the high platform next to Rarity. Everypony's eye's grew wide as it began to take the shape of an alicorn like the princess. Armor, black as the void itself materialized on it's hooves and flanks as it came to shape. Once the armor formed it lightened into a midnight blue, as pitch black fur filled the gaps between. Flowing, bellowing clouds of darkness flowed from It's head and flank as It's mane and tail formed. A pair of ravenlike, dark wings then unfurled as it finished taking shape. "Ah...my little ponies..." The dark alicorn said, with the end of her words dipped in venom. "It's soooo good to be back among you..." She was only met with stares and fear. "Have you not heard the tails? Do you not know who I am? Does my crown mean nothing to you?" Twilight stepped forward. "I know who you are!" The unicorn said, "You're the Mare in the Moon! Nightnmare Moon!" This drew many a gasp and wimper of fear from the crowd. "Then you know why I've returned." "You're here to...to...gulp," Twilight sputtered in fear. "Remember this day my little ponies for it was your last...the night will last FOREVER!AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Nightmare Moon laughed as dark storms brewed from her mane, showcasing her power for all to see. Then Rainbow hovered up. "Where is the Princess?!" Rainbow demanded, then started to rush Nightmare as Applejack stopped her by pulling her tail. "Seize her!" Mayor said to the guards, "She knows where the Princess is!" With that twi guards flew up at Nightmare, who was still displaying her power. "Stay back you foals!" She bellowed as she struck them down with her raw power. Lightning had enough. He stomped a step forward and challenged the alicorn. "Lightning are you crazy?!" Flash said, "Look what she did to those guards!" Lightning defiantly then flew up to Nightmare and assumed a fighting pose from the martial arts that he learned along side Rainbow Dash. "What's this? Another foal who needs to learn their place?" Nightmare stabbed at Lightning with her insult. "Very well welp. Learn who your master is." Lightning then charged her and tried to land a flying spin buck to her face, only for her to deform and then reform with him in her grasp. With a wicked grin on her face she whiped him down at the railing of the balcony hard, causing it to splinter from the force. Lightning managed to get free and land a hoof into her gut. Unphased, she returned the favor into his gut, then suspended him in the air with her dreaded magic. She twirled him side to side like a rag doll, as several cracking noises came from him as he let out a cry from the pain. She began to laugh as she used her magic to stretch out his limbs till they nearly dislocated. She then pulled him in close and began coursing the lightning from her storm overhead through his body, causing even more pain. The others could only watch as she then dragged him through several support beams around her, and then she deformed, flew across the room and reformed just inches behind him. "Had enough, foal?" She whispered as she then used her mane to hold him in place as she started repeatedly punching him. Every punch got worse as she intensified each hit with a little more magic. After five minutes she finally stopped, and then just hovered while holding Lightning with her magic. "Anyponyelse want to challenge me?" She grinned as she started to choke the life out of Lightning with her mane. Then a red spark jumped across Lightning's mane. She continued to crush him while more and more sparks started to arc across and around him. "No...it can't be..." Nightmare said as she watched him start to glow red with power. "No...NO...NOOOO!!!" She then tried to finish him off, but instead his body tensed up as even more energy built up within him. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lightning yelled as he let out a wave of red lightning, much to the surprise of everypony in the room. The energy knocked him loose from Nightmare's grasp as he renewed his attack. He then found himself almost evenly matched with Nightmare now, matching her blow for blow. Until she grinned again. After witnessing his newfound ability Nightmare Moon then stepped up her fight, by sending a flurry of lightning and hooves into his gut from seemingly every direction, causing him to lose his concentration and ultimatly his ability to sustain his new power. She then held him up once more. "What a waste." She then threw him down to the ponies below and then deformed again, then took her leave. "GET BACK HERE!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she broke free from Applejack's grasp. She then flew out after Nightmare a short distance before losing sight of her. "Lightning! Y'all okay!?" Applejack said with worry as she helped Lightning up. "Ow...that wasn't a good idea..." Lightning said as he winced at his pain. Thankfully nothing was broken, as if she spared him on purpose. "Wait a minute...where's Rainbow and Twilight?" "Ah saw them heading to the library! Let's go!" Applejack then motioned for Fluttershy and Rarity to follow. Pinkie had left after them as well. They then hoped to get some anwsers from Twilight, as she seemed to know what was going on. They galloped under the still stary sky as they made for Moonlight's house, hoping to find out what was going on...