Luna, Lightning and Celestia returned to the castle after visiting the casualties' families and telling them the bad news, (which is the most painful thing to do) they went back to the castle, while Master Yang goes employing troops for scouting.
In the bathroom, soaking in the warm waters in the bathtub, Celestia and Luna's conversation...
"*Sigh* I hope the families of the casualties could put their friend's or husband's death aside and move on, we don't want anypony trying to have revenge for them, they served well, and I wished I could have done something *sob*." said Celestia, tears coming out.
"Tia, we did our best, besides, all the families we visited were having positive feed backs, remember one family said 'We are proud of him, to sacrifice himself for the country, it's my honor, I just *sob* hope he can rest peacefully in heaven.' I think they'll be fine." said Luna.
"Maybe you're right Luna." Celestia wiped her wears. "So, how's it going? You and Lightning."
"Fine... I guess..." Luna lied, Celestia the look on Luna's face and said.
"Something's going on isn't it?"
"I guess... kinda..."
"Oh Luna, you know you can tell me anything right? You can't even trust your own sister?" said Celestia applying shampoo to her mane.
"No sister, it's just, it happened so... suddenly."
"Did you do that?"
"NO! We just...kissed okay?" Luna used her magic to tell her sister.
"Okay so what's the problem?"
"I... I... think I have a crush on him... and I just can't seem to say it... and... I just... you know."
"My little sister, you finally grown up haven't you?" Celestia hugged his silly little sister.
"Aw, sister the hell with that! I'm not a filly anymore, and that shampoo..." said Luna, amused.
On the other side...
Lightning was on his way to infirmary, he felt dizzy, but he ignored it and all of the sudden his amulet glowed. Pain roamed to his body, he fell to the ground, unconscious. In the pitch black world, voices came in, *Hey, this isn't you.* the voice whispered. The voice surrounded him, like an radio in the void.
"What isn't me?"
"You're stressed out aren't you?"
"Who are you? And why..."
"We're Xecio, goddess of the thunder, slayer of the Mytrarin, Amulet of Thunder." A few blur images appeared, shining like the colour of lightning.
"That's impossible, how can you speak? And most of all, why did you strike me out?"
"Oh, because when you're unconscious, you don't really speak, you think, now, you're talking to me, or, you're talking to Razor Bolt."
"Razor... father?"
"Well, not entirely, 'we' have different forms, this amulet has passed down generations, like some other amulets, we are the first."
"Okay, I get it, you're the creator of amulets."
"Gods basically."
"You haven't answered my question yet." said Lightning returning to the topic/question.
"You're straight forward, like I always known you'd be, okay, you're stressed out, why? Because you think, and you doubt yourself, you doubt yourself that you could defeat Dire, because you think, that because you're not an alicorn, you can't do anything."
"I.." Lightning was speechless.
"And that's the reason you can't feel our guidance, you can't feel the potential, you can't feel power. And without power, you're nothing."
Lightning said nothing, he thought, everything he done, every drop of sweat and blood was for nothing? Did he actually just thought that alicorns are actually better? Stronger? He did, and there's no turning away from the answer, he'd never win this, not now, not ever.
"So... all that preparation and training was for nothing?" Lightning said with anger.
"No, it was something, but you don't fully understand it, the power you have is so great that you can destroy worlds, your father had that, he knows the meaning, he destroyed kingdoms, he did what we asked, and earned eternal power... "
"Power huh? Power is nothing!" he raged. "If I have all that power but I can't protect my love ones, if I have all that power but can't see my parents again, if I have all that power and not be able to be with the ones I love, what's that even for?! Power... if I had to destroy all that innocent people to earn power, I'd rather destroy you!"
"You think with that single minded brain of yours can defeat Dire? An alicorn with magic? Face it, you're nothing, even if your father bared this amulet once doesn't mean you'll earn the power he had."
"Then... I will fight without your help, all I need, is my friends."
"Okay, you pass." the images became clear, and Lightning saw his father, sitting on one of the thrones.
"Dad..." he bowed.
"What are you doing? Stand up straight!"
"I don't understand..."
"You overcome the hunger for power."
"The hunger for power?"
"Yes, why do you think Cyberio is only ruled by one alicorn but not two? Why do you think your brother is an alicorn but not you? That is because we are testing you!"
"Why don't you say that in the first place?!"
"If you knew, would you still do the same?"
"I would. Because... well..."
"Oh Lightning, you have someone in mind?"
"Yeah, she's... the princess of the Night, Luna."
"You're finally at this stage huh? Well, let's not keep your 'princess of the Night' waiting."
"Wait! I have more questions to ask."
"Don't worry, we'll always be with you, like you always been there with her..." the voice slowly faded and Lightning soon regained consciousness. He saw Luna laying beside him, holding his hoof, and asleep. Lightning stroked her mane, the mane is like swirling like waves, but there isn't any wind there, suddenly, Luna woke up.
"Hey." said Luna still dozy.
"How did I ended up here?"
"You were laying on the ground, and we sense no pulse, no breath, I thought... *sob* I thought you're dead." Luna's eyes were red and puffy, Lightning guessed that she had been crying she found him.
"Oh, I uh, talked to Xecio, the Amulet of Thunder, I think that's the reason why I stopped breathing and yeah..." Lightning scratched his mane.
"The Amulet of Thunder? You talked to it?"
"Yeah..." Lightning continued telling her the story, how he fainted, who's Xecio, and the test he had been doing since he bared the amulet. And he told her about his father, his father was there with him
"I see, so, basically you past the test." said Luna wiping her tears off.
"You sure you're okay?" Lightning asked.
"Yeah... I'm... I'm fine."
"Luna, I wanna tell you something, I... uh... " Luna stopped him with her hoof.
"I know what you're gonna say, I feel the same here." Luna felt it, she knew he was gonna confess, and she did too.
"How...did you... *gulp*" Luna leaned forward.
"You forgot? I have magic." she giggled.
"Luna..."
"You don't... mind right?"
"I guess so...*uff*" Luna hugged him and nudged him with her nose.
Lightning stroked her mane softly and their lips met. They stayed in each other's hooves and slept.
Will this relationship last in a situation like this? Will the Amulet of Thunder bond itself with Lightning? Like it did with his father? And on the other side, will Volcano ( Dire's real name ) break out from this spell? Or will he remain as Dire, forever, until the amulet is destroyed?
To be continued...