//------------------------------// // Prison // Story: Lightning Aura Strike // by Mischievous Blue //------------------------------// Prison “So, you are Lightning Aura Strike. I wondered when you would show up,” Celestia almost spat at the chained Lightning. The pegasus wore a magic restraining collar around her neck and a wing belt. The collar kept unicorns from performing any magic and the wing belt, which wrapped around the middle of the torso and had straps to hold the wings down, kept pegasi from flying. In addition to the magic restraints, Lightning also had shackles locked to her back hooves. She looked up at the goddess, who continued to glare at her. Lightning had been laying half-conscience on the floor of Twilight’s ruined library for almost half an hour before Celestia had appeared in her golden chariot. She used her magic to levitate Lightning’s limp form and deposit her next to her. She had summoned two more chariots where she used her magic to transport the two bodies of Twilight and Rainbow onto them. After this task, the Princess had sent the chariots off while she used a more powerful memory spell on Lightning. She sifted through Lightning’s life, starting with her birth and ending with just a couple hours earlier. Satisfied, she flew back to Canterlot with Lightning in her chariot. Once in Canterlot, Celestia had given the body of Lightning over to a couple of guards. She had told them to do what they wanted, but to keep her alive. Several tortures were carried out, from being pulled on a rack, to having her wing bones smashed, to attempted rape. Lightning had enough strength to fight off the guards during those scenarios, leading the guards to knock her unconscious and returning her to Celestia. “Yeah. So, what do you care? I’ve got things to do, so if you’d just-” Lightning’s words were cut short as Celestia smacked her hard across the face with a hoof. She landed hard on the ground and the collar made a soft clink on the stone floor. “You’re talking to the ruler of Equestria, you little brat. If you had a horn, I’d snap it off right now. Alas, I can’t break your wings as they are already beyond repair, and wouldn’t bring me any pleasure if I can’t bring you as much pain as you have brought to me.” Celestia levitated Lightning to eye level with magic. Lightning struggled weakly and choked as Celestia stared into her captive’s eyes. “You are a disgrace. You disgust me. I should have killed you that day 16 years ago.” She dropped Lightning, whose legs buckled under the impact of hitting the floor. “At least I had the pleasure if finishing off one member of your filthy family.” Lightning got to her hooves and glared at the Princess with the same amount of hatred in her eyes as the Princess did back. She lowered her head and spat out a small mouthful of blood. She raised her head again and a small drop of blood slowly ran down from her mouth to her chin. She raised her hoof and wiped the blood off. She slammed her hoof down to the ground. “You feel threatened by a single pegasus who just happens to be stronger than you. You’ve met me once and you already figure I killed those ponies at Canterlot during the Gala. Well, let me tell you something, Princess,” she sneered the last word, “Two of those ponies were my closest friends. But you wouldn’t know anything about friends, would you?” Lightning said this as more of a statement than a question. Celestia was so angry at this point that her horn was glowing with her yellow aura. Lightning also saw her body quiver slightly from suppressed rage. “Do not push me, Strike. You have already exhausted my patience and insulting me will not make this imprisonment any more pleasant. You know NOTHING of your past. You do not know why your mother died during your birth. You do not know why you have constant headaches, or why your father kept you away from other fillies during your fillyhood, or why other ponies treated you like a common thief. I know the answer to all these questions and more.” === Lightning had been laying on the cold stone floor for close to an hour. Celestia had just finished telling her everything about who and what she was. She still couldn’t believe it. There was a rattle in the lock and the door slowly swung open. Twilight walked in as the guard behind her told her to knock when she wanted back out. The door slammed shut and the two ponies were alone with each other; one pegasus and one unicorn. Twilight nervously scratched the floor with her hoof as Lightning’s eyes slowly moved from the purple mare to the floor and back again. Finally, Twilight spoke, “How are you doing, Lightning?” The red pegasus raised her head and stared at Twilight for a couple seconds before breaking down into sobs. “How am I? Look at me! I’m in a maximum security prison with a magic collar and wing belt and chained to a wall. I’m accused of the highest crimes, and will spend the rest of my life here. Plus, I’m 16, my wings are smashed and my forehead is killing me.” She rubbed her forehead with a hoof before continuing. “And it’s all your fault, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight recoiled a bit at this accusation. “My fault? All I did was send the Princess a note after you destroyed my house and tried to kill me and Rainbow Dash! She’s currently in the hospital in critical condition and may not recover. Her body absorbed too much of your magical lightning. If she dies, I’ll never be able to forgive you, and I’ll see to it that you’re executed.” Lightning just scoffed and turned away, chains sliding across the floor. “You aren’t the first or the last pony to bear a grudge against me. Ever since that fire at Canterlot Elementary School, I’ve been blamed for all strange happenings everywhere. That hydra attack, I was blamed. Dragon attacks, I was blamed. Misdelivered letters, I was blamed. I don’t enjoy living as a recluse, but everypony wants fresh air without all the residents of that town glaring at you and wanting to slide a sword across your throat.” Twilight looked down and started hoofing the floor again. She turned to leave as Lightning spoke up behind her. “Did you manage to see what the sign outside my cell said?” Twilight stopped and thought a moment. “Yes, as a matter of fact I did. It said ‘Alicorn Holding Cell.’” She seemed to understand what Lightning was talking about. “Wait a second, you’re not an alicorn, so why are you in here?” Lightning smiled bitterly. “I thought you of all ponies would know. Being Princess Celestia’s student, I figure you’d have been told this. Have you heard of the Alicorn Prophesy?” The purple pony turned to look at her. “It sounds familiar, but the Princess said it was more commonly known as the Double-Effect Sickness, where ponies were being born with twice as many appendages as they should have had. She and Luna had to go around to pregnant ponies and cast a spell to make sure that the unborn filly wasn’t infected.” Lightning turned back around and moved toward Twilight, chains dragging behind. “That is true, but only in part. There was an outbreak of pony pox, but that quieted down quickly. One pony was born with an extra wing, but he turned out to be an excellent flier. And the two Princesses did go from door to door to cast spells upon pregnant ponies. But it wasn’t because of a disease. Sit down, Twilight Sparkle. Your Princess told me the whole story. You should know the truth as well.”