//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Ponyville // Story: A Dash of Serenity // by Golden Bolt //------------------------------// "Dad?" "Yes Bolt?" "Why did you call me Bolt?" "Your grand-father was able to wield lightning inside a storm engine. He was the best there ever was. He could throw lightning from his hoofs like it was a childish game. We named you after him. When he died. "Whats a storm engine?" "It's a sphere inside all clouds. Its allows skilled ponies to direct lightning. Like your grand-father did." "Like you?" "You know I can't fly anymore Bolt." "You mean you have to fly to direct lightning?" "Yes. You have to be in side the storm engine. Bolt you have to wake up to the fact that you were born to do this, its in your blood. I did it before my accident and my father before me and his father before him. We have always directed the lightning its our calling to do so and you are more well equipped than any other pony ever has been. Wake up Bolt, wake up!" Bolts eyes shot open, they were suddenly attacked by a bright white light that hung over head, causing his vision to be filled with black spots that danced over his eyes, his heart pounding like a drum against his ribs, around him he could hear other ponies, their speech a twisted array of white noise and vowels. He could make out a few words; Nurse Red-something, a word that sounded like clinic, broken bones, a sonic boom of some sort. Bolt tried to make sense of where he was and what he was hearing, trying to remember how he got here, but the only thing that stuck in his mind was a small dark leaf green filly, her mane a few shades lighter with a streak of bright yellow running through it, she like Bolt was a pegasus. Bolt tried to think of when he got to Ponyville, or if he was in Ponyville at all. Suddenly the air was filled with the sound of something falling, it sounded like it was made of metal. But his mind kept forcing him back to the small filly. Her head in her hoofs, as she shook. Bolt tried to think of the last time he saw his father. It felt like years ago since he last saw him. His mind shot back to the little green filly, she looked up at Bolt her body still shaking, she was saying something to Bolt but he couldn't hear her. Bolt thought of when he was flying, the cool air on his face the sun on his back. The laughing of ponies. As if he was slapped, his mind once again showed Bolt a memory of the little filly. Was she calling his name? It looked like it. Her body was still shaking and her hoofs were over her ears. *Crunch!* Bolt turned his head, the bright light leaving dark spots on his eyes every time he blinked. To his left he saw a dark shape, it looked like a pony, but Bolt wasn't sure. Maybe he knew who this little green filly was. *Crunch!* Bolt felt weird, it was as if his back was bending in a way it shouldn't, it wasn't hurting, but it wasn't the most comfortable position either. Bolt blinked his eyes again. The dark shape was holding something. It was a dull golden colour, it had feathers, and was extremely long, there was also a lot of this red running down the feathers, but Bolt couldn't tell what it was, the dark spots dancing in front of his eyes made it near impossible to make out detail. *Crunch!* Bolt let out a soft sigh. His back didn't feel so awkward anymore, in fact it felt even better than when he first woke up. He wanted to get up and try out his new back. But his body was heavy, and his hoofs felt like they weren't attached to his legs. So he decided he'd wait until his body wasn't so heavy. Where was his saddle bag? He wanted to open it up and take out his book. Maybe it would be able to tell him where he was. Bolt looked down and saw nothing. He thought again, trying to think where he left the book. His mind seemed unable to decide what to do; different images flashed through his head, some flashed by to quickly to identify, others didn't make sense, then his mind showed him something that made his take a short sharp breath. The little filly was on his bag! How dare she do such a thing, Bolt had made the bags him-self and was very proud of the fact that he made it, Wait... She was on his bag, but he could see how he was pulling the other side. It looked like he was dragging her. She was screaming now, her hoofs pushed tight against her ears. Her eyes closed tight. Was she scared of Bolt? Why would she close her eyes? Maybe she saw his wings and thought they were ugly? His mind drifted off into a blur. Suddenly Bolt felt something touching him. He looked down to where he felt the pressure. There on his leg was another dark shape, maybe it was the same shape from before? Thought Bolt, his mind shooting over to the first image of the little green filly. He shook his head, maybe he could shake the picture of the filly out his head. Bolt shook harder. It didn't work, he just felt dizzy now. He looked up the bright white light attacked his eyes once again, but then came a shape, it was dark at first, but slowly the image became clearer. He saw hair, a muzzle, a pair of eyes, teeth. Above him was a pony, not just any pony though, the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. Bolt tried smiling at her, maybe she could tell him who the little green filly was, but his mouth seemed to be made of stone. An image of a stone hitting Bolt on his head made him take a sharp breath. He tried moving his mouth, but it would not respond. He looked back up. The mare was still standing over him, but now he could make out her eyes. They were a deep blue, they sparkled like diamonds in the sun, but as Bolt looked longer and longer, he saw what looked like fear in her eyes. Was she also scared of Bolt? Like the filly who didn't like his wings? Bolt looked down to his leg where he saw the dark shape earlier. On his leg was something white, was it a marshmallow? Or a bandage? Bolt couldn't tell as his mind once again threw him back to the little green filly. He looked up at the mare. Here eyes were still sparkling like diamonds. Bolt blinked, the dark spots were starting to fade, allowing Bolt to see more clearly. The mare was indeed beautiful. She had a snow white pelt, and a light rose mane, her face had the curves of Celestia, but her eyes. They could best that of Celestia's with out even trying. Bolt felt his mouth start to move, finally he could say something! What should he say? Should he tell her his name? Ask her out? Ask her to marry him? He had no idea. He just stared into her eyes, He felt pressure against his fore leg, another marshmallow? Maybe he was at a party and this was some game? But the more Bolt thought the more his mind jumped back to the picture of a green filly on his bag as he dragged her somewhere. He looked up again, the blue eyes stared back at him. "Beautiful." It was all Bolt could manage, his mind was a mess of thoughts, images and voices. Maybe if he slept the images would leave Bolt alone. He was so tired anyway. He was sure the other ponies wouldn't mind if he slept for a little bit, he was so tired. Slowly Bolt let his eyes drift closed. His breathing becoming ragged and shallow. Maybe, this is all just a dream. Thought Bolt as he fell into a slumber, the sound around him slowly fading into nothingness. "Bolt? Bolt! Stay with me! I need you to wake up! Bolt, wake up! Oh Celestia, Wake up Bolt!" The shrill, scared voice of nurse Redheart Rang out. Today started like any ordinary day for the earth pony. Celestia had risen the sun like she did every morning. The morning rays flowed in through her window, slowly making their way up her bed, as they did every morning. She would wake up as the rays gently danced over her closed eyes. She would get out of bed, go down stairs make her-self a cup of tea, walk back up stairs and sit on her bed while she quietly drank her tea, as she did every morning, wishing she could make another cup of tea for a pony who would still be asleep in her bed. She would then take a long shower, the water slowly running off her back and dripping to the floor, while the steam from the hot water would rise off her body and her mane would fall to one side as she washed it. Hoping that one day, just one day she would get to share the shower with some one else, wishing that they would wash her mane while she closed her eyes, wishing that they would gently bite her neck as they washed her body under the hot water. She hopped for that something new every morning, but all she ever got was the same old clinic, the same town, the same people, the same examination room, the same symptoms, even the same hat and always the same lonely feeling. She walked outside her home, her body clean, her cup of tea, left on the bed side table, her hat on her head -as it was every morning, then something happened, something different, that something she had been waiting for for so long, finally happened. In the corner of the clinic sat a small green filly, a streak of bright yellow going through her green mane, on her hind leg was a bulky cast. She was awake, but her eyes were closed as she listened to the sound of beeping machines, ponies running and things falling. "Today was the worst day of my life." She said, her voice trembling as she spoke. She took a deep breath before speaking again, trying to hold back tears. "And it could have been worse." She stopped, trying to stop herself from crying. "Its ok dearie, accidents happen to everyone." The soft voice of Nurse Tenderheart said, as she gently put a hoof on the small filly's neck. The filly looked up at the nurse, taking another breath, she continued. "I..I was out by the cliff side, I was challenged by another filly; saying that I couldn't make it from the second cliff under the mountain to Ponyville with a single flap of my wings. I should have never do it! I should have told them to leave me alone!" The filly stopped, her lips quivering at the memory of standing on the cliff side. "I was up there, looking down towards Ponyville the other filly in the center of town. I thought I could make it. I walked back as far as I could, before I hit the rock face behind the cliff. I was about to run and jump off. I would have made it to Ponyville! I would have be safe!" She stopped again, taking a deep breath, before the tears she had been holding back were finally let free to run down her already wet cheeks. "I...I was about to jump...Then there was that sonic rain boom. I was so scared! I didn't know what to do! I just...I just froze. Then the shock wave from the sonic rain boom must have done something to the rock face, at first it was small stones that started to fall, but they got bigger and bigger...and all...and all I could do was put my hoofs over my head! I couldn't do anything! I was so scared...I was just so scared, all I did was scream as the rock slide happened around me...But then Bolt was there, I don't know how he got there, he just appeared on the cliff next to me. He was dodging the rocks as they were falling, but a few hit his head and he fell over...I thought he was dead! But then he started to get back up, he threw his saddle bag down next to me and he started to slowly make his way over to were I was rocks hitting his body and wings...His head was bleeding and the blood was running down his face, he couldn't even walk straight! He yelled at me to get onto his bag, but I couldn't move. That's when...when a big rock landed on my leg...It hurt so much!...I was sure my leg had broken off! I was screaming and crying but some how I got onto his bag, then he started to pull me towards the wall. Closer to where the rocks where the rocks were coming from!" She stopped, she couldn't stop herself from letting everything go. She just turned and held onto the pony next to her with all her might, and she cried. She didn't care if anyone could hear her, she just let go and gave huge sobs as she cried into the neck of nurse Tenderheart. The nurse understood why the filly was crying so much, it was a life threatening situation, but the worst part was that there was another pony who risked his own life to save hers and she felt responsible for anything that would happen to him. "After a bit...He managed to pull me against...the rock face. Then he stood...over me, and he wrapped his wings around...his body. It was dark under his wings, I could...hear the rocks falling and hitting the ground around us...then...then there was a rock that hit Bolt, I heard a snap, and Bolt screamed! I don't know what happened then...I think another rock hit Bolt in the head and then he fell over...he kept saying over and over again his name was Bolt, and that his dad, and his dad before him used to create lightning!" The filly slowly opened her eyes and looked up at nurse Tenderheart. The filly's eyes -one a deep blue, the other a dark green, spoke nothing but fear to the nurse. There was a sudden flow of light as door opened near where the filly and nurse sat. A pony slowly walked out, her pelt once a snow white, was now covered in crimson red, her light rose mane, tied up tight behind her head. Her blue eyes, tired. She looked at the filly who sat next to the other nurse. "Is..is Bolt...ok?"