//------------------------------// // Prologue (1) // Story: Ascended // by BlackWing //------------------------------// Prologue "Damn! I almost had it this time!" Shouted Firebolt, a yellow unicorn with an orange and crimson mane. "Why can't I make this work? It's possible! I've seen it happen, at the best young flyer's competition." The mare shouted. Another attempt had her horn glowing brilliant red. Flames appeared at her back, singing her, before fizzling out. Firebolt was a unique pony. Although she was a unicorn, she had a special ability that was not magic. It's known as pyrokinesis, or flame manipulation. Every time she get's angry or frustrated, she would burst into flames, like a certain purple unicorn when she couldn't figure something out. Her cutie mark was an arrow of fire, further exemplifying that her true talent was being a hotheaded little ball of napalm. For as long as she could remember, Firebolt had been enamored and entranced by all things with wings. She would dream of flying, soaring through the clouds, but she would always wake up, back on the ground. Ever since she saw Rarity at the best young flyer's competition 5 years ago, she worked endlessly to try and create her own pair of magical wings. Not just any wings though, stable, sturdy wings, that could lift her with strength and grace, and would be, most importantly, permanent. She has tried these past 5 years endlessly to create a pair of wings, but every attempt went up in smoke, literally. Firebolt was not particularly gifted in magic, but possessing a natural ability, like the hero Nightshade of two years past. It didn't require her magic to use, and any magic she tried always ended up catching things on fire. She was living in a run down apartment in Fillydelphia, which although it was not very opulent, it was fire proof, which was absolutely required when you burst into flames at least 3 times a day. "Why was I born a unicorn? I should have been a pegasus. I've always wanted to fly, and I'm useless at magic, except burning things. My magic can't even give me the wings I've dreamed of for my entire life! Stupid horn! Why can't anything go right?" Living alone since nopony could handle her incendiary nature, Firebolt had a rather nasty habit of talking to herself when she was frustrated. After all, nopony could hear her, so what did it matter? "Nightshade, you had a gift, like me, something that makes you different from everypony else. Maybe if I had known you... maybe." Firebolt mused. Nightshade was a national hero, but more than that, he was her idol. An alien, from a different world, with an amazing and mysterious power? He was as different as it could get, and yet he lived a good life while he was in Equestria. He met with the elements of harmony, became friends with the princesses, wrote a best selling survival book that catered not only to ponies, but to griffins and dragons and every other creature that could read. He started up the famous Shade and Shy Sugar Shack, Equestria's sole producer of maple sugar. He saved a student and teacher from a school fire, then paid to help rebuild it. "You were so different, and life here must have been hard for you. How did you do it? You were brave enough to fight the princesses to a stand still, determined enough to overcome Nightmare which even princess Luna could not defeat, and kind enough to sacrifice yourself to seal it away. Why? You gave and gave and never expected anything in return, and for some reason the world saw fit to give to you anyway. Is it karma?" The emblazoned mare had so many questions, and no answers. Perhaps she should go to Canterlot, to the gardens, and see his statue. It wasn't just a carving of him, a replica, it was his actual body, turned to stone. Maybe seeing him would give her some insights. Firebolt traveled to the capitol, and entered the garden. It was open today, as often times it had tours come through. She moved along through the green rows, passing statue after statue. "Discord 'Q' Draconequuis, Spirit of Disharmony, turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony, 2 AL (After Luna, referring to the time of Luna's return), may you never wake." She said, passing the frozen spirit of chaos. "Phalenx the Conquerer, Griffin Warlord, defeated in 415 AM (After Moon, referring to the time of Nightmare Moon's banishment) With his defeat by his own pet cockatrice, Equestria and the griffin alliance finally overcame their differences, and war was avoided. May you never wake." She read, passing another statue, this one a griffin, carrying a rather large sword, almost the size of his body. "Marigold Stem, friend to all, turned to stone by a basilisk *date obscured* May your rest be peaceful." This time, a unicorn, carrying a pot of stone flowers. She met an unfortunate fate, and was placed within the garden as a reminder of the dangers that all ponykind face. Firebolt passed many other statues. Some were actual creatures that had been petrified, and some were simple statue replicas, carved in memory of someone. It was easy to tell the difference, the ones who had been turned to stone always ahd a look of panic, fear, or pain on their faces. She knew Nightshade had been turned to stone, so where was he? Then she saw it. She almost missed him. With two legs, kneeling, arms stretched in an unmet embrace, wings forward to provide comfort to whoever was within his arms. Taking a closer look, she saw that his face was not wretched in pain or fear like the others, who had been turned to stone, but smiling. When he had been turned to stone, he went willingly. "Here stands Nightshade, friend to all. He came from a world far worse, but made ours far better. Gave his life to forever bind the ancient Nightmare, standing watch forever, guarding us from it's return. May his rest be peaceful." Firebolt read with a tear in her eye. He gave his very life, taking Nightmare into his body, then allowing himself to be turned to stone so he could forever serve as it's prison. She took a closer look at the pedestal. She saw a microphone, a dragon's scale, a pressed Nightshade flower, a paintbrush, an apple, mysteriously not rotten, a black cloak which she had seen in many photographs in the news paper, a book she recognized as 'Forest Survival: Life in the Everfree', a bottle of maple syrup, one he no doubt created, a plaque reading 'Trottingham Shade and Shy's Sugar Shack', and a Wonderbolt member's pin. These were rather unremarkable. What caught her eye was a necklace he was wearing, not petrified, a small bottle, and a sword. Looking at the bottle first, she saw it had a shaped cloud within it, spelling out 'dad'. "He was a father? But he's not a pony! He couldn't have had a child. That and the time frame is way too short. Unless he adopted. That's right! I remember reading in the paper that he adopted a young pegasus filly. She must have made that for him." Firebolt said yet again to herself. Her long list of his known achievements just had one added to it. She wrote it down on a piece of parchment that she had enchanted to be fireproof, like the rest of her belongings. Then she took a closer look at his sword. "Odd, he was never depicted as having a sword. He always fought without weapons, using his powers. I wonder if it was added later for aesthetics?" She said, before finally looking at the necklace. "Strange design. A ring, with a spiders web of string woven in it, and 3 feathers hanging down. It looks like something that would have been made by the buffalo tribes, but there's no record of it. It must have been placed here after he was petrified though. It seems to have a strange black shine to it. Probably part of the design. What I don't understand is why he has wings. There was never any record of him having wings, he doesn't have them in any pictures, when did he get them? I have to know." Firebolt was determined to find out who he was, where he came from, everything he did in his life, how he died, and most importantly, how he got his wings. She looked back at the statue again, and was compelled by some unknown force. She reached up to the necklace, took it, and put it in her saddlebag. "Nopony will notice if I take a little keepsake of my idol." Firebolt laughed to herself. With that, she headed off to Ponyville to get some answers. Well Firebolt, you happy? Here ya are! I know I had to take some creative license with your character, but hey, my fic, my rules. There's going to be some more intro, meeting the mane 6, and a little bit of explanation coming up in the next chapter of 'Ascended'. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy: *yay.wav* Nightshade! I missed you so much! It's only been 4 hours in the real world since you turned to stone, but it felt like 2 years to me! Applejack: *nope.pny* It was 5 hours, and it's gonna be like 2 weeks for the audience, cuz BlackWing's making em wait for it instead of givin it to em right away. Rainbow Dash: Why are you punishing us like this BlackWing? We want it NAO! BlackWing: You always were impatient, Dash, a lot like me. I want things right away, but I don't mind making everyone else wait. I could be REALLY mean and write the whole thing before posting any of it, and then everyone's track boxes will have 20+ notifications! I won't do that though. I'm not that cruel. Still, I'm gonna get ahead writing this fic before I release it, that way it takes some of my self imposed pressure off. Pinkie Pie: Ooh, Firebolt's coming to town? Should I throw a welcome party? Or maybe a 'Don't Burn Down the Town' party? We'll have cake and candy and sasparilla, and MAPLE SYRUP! Discord: Well, It's the sequel, and the star has finally arrived! That's right, moi, the most handsome spirit of disharmony there ever was. When is the scene where Celestia professes her eternal love to me? Celestia: You're sick. Aurora: That's my daughter you're talking about. You don't have the Black Law anymore, and so help me, once you die and come to the afterlife, I'm going to kill you again! BlackWing: Well, I'm gonna stop this before Aurora kills Discord and takes away one of the story's villains. See ya in the next chapter!