//------------------------------//
// Ponyfeathers 1 
// Story: Radiance Rising 
// by nihilis3 
//------------------------------//

Radiant:
His horn felt funny, Radiant had never liked the darn thing. It got caught in his blankets made him stand out even more and it was too soft to be used in combat. 'Nope, my horn is totally useless.' He thought scratching at the base of his horn. 'What the hay is this?' He seethed as the odd tingling sensation returned.  He looked over to Spike who was absent mindly walking beside him. The baby dragon was overly eager to see his crush. Radiant sighed a little and looked to the sky. Which as he now saw was a fiery red with a very angry sun. 'I blame you.' He pointedly thought at his horn. His horn flared again. 'Yeah buck you too.'

Luna:
Luna walked down the dark oozing hall. She hated these kind of dreams, worse yet her sister was trapped in this one. 'Sister why must thou always be difficult.' Luna thought as her hoof made a squishing sound in the inky blackness that covered the hall. The darkness itself didn't bother her she was princess of the night. Another squish brought a shiver down her spine. Still she walked on trying hard to forget where she was. The corridor took a right turn and slanted downwards. Luna stopped wondering if she was heading the right way. Luna let out a loud squeak as a large dollop of the black ooze that hung from the ceiling fell onto her back. Shuddering as the goop oozed off her side, she decided it was time to turn back. That was when she heard it. 'Is that singing?' She thought as she strained to listen.

"You are my sunshine." Luna heard the soft song wafting up from deeper in the tunnel. The melody was soft and haunting as it drifted in the darkness. 'This will make a grand tale for the young ones next Nightmare Night.' Luna thought trying to keep back her own growing fears. As she continued following the disembodied voice of her sister. "My only sunshine."

Radiant:
The orange and red sun had grown slightly larger as Radiant had watched it. Long tendrils of fire arched across it's surface each one giving off a blast of heat to the planet below. But that did not worry Radiant what worried him was the darkness growing in the center of the angry celestial body. His instincts told that whatever was happening was bad. And his fears were confirmed when the darkness dripped to the ground. Forming a large puddle of the viscous dark fluid. At first nothing happened, then as if on some unknown cue the darkness began to boil and steam.

"What do we do?" Spike asked looking around as ponies all over Ponyvill panicked.  Radiant didn't take his eyes off the pool of shadows.

"Spike listen very closely." Radiant said calmly as he dropped into a combat stance. He waited a moment so Spike could give him his undivided attention. "Get you friends and go back to the castle. Twilight needs to know what's going on so she can send the guards." He was still calmly staring at the darkness as he issued the order. 'At least it will give me some time to evaluate what's going on.' Radiant thought watching spike take off. 'Not to mention it takes care of his friends before all Tartarus breaks loose.' He smiled knowing his sister would be proud of him using his head.

The bubbling pool erupted with life as. A clawed hand the size of Radiant's body came bursting out crashing to the street with a thunderous crash. Radiant watched as the creature pulled it's claws back a little leaving large gouges in the street. A large head came next. The monstrosity was almost bird like in appearance with a long hooked beak filled with razor sharp teeth. Looking the beast over again he noticed one very prominent feature. 'It has no eyes!?!" He noted in surprise and concern. No eyes meant less exploitable weak spot. The creature dug its claws into the ground and continued to pull itself out of the shadow pool. 'Welp, enough gawking might as well strike first.' Radiant thought readying his plasma breath.

Luna:
A sigh of relief escaped Luna as she stood before the somewhat plane door. Luna hated to admit it but she was truly confused by Celestia's aversion to the room beyond the door. The door this time was slightly open. Taking a deep breath the midnight blue alicorn pushed the door open. Most of the room was childish, the roof was painted to look like it was midday the walls depicted ponies at play. A large mobile consisting of Luna Celestia and their celestial charges hung above a small crib. Over all it reminded Luna of her and Celestia's old play room from when they were fillies. Celestia was standing in the center of the room she was shaking in  barely controlled rage.

"My sun, who stole my sun?" Celestia seethed casting her gaze left to right. "Where is my sun?!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Luna scanned the room till she saw a plush yellow ball in a toy box in a corner. 'Sister if thou hast made me do all this for a toy I swear thine banishment  will be far worst then ours.' Luna thought angrily levitating the plush sun over to Celestia. 

"Here, now let us end this foolishness." Luna said slight tapping Celestia with the plushy. Celestia turned toward Luna she had the look of someone at the edge. Luna felt like she was looking at herself right before she had changed.

"Foolishness!" Celestia raged, "I COULDN'T SAVE HIM. MY RADIANCE IS GONE BECAUSE..." She stopped holding back her tears. "Because I couldn't stop them." Celestia collapsed on the floor venting her grief. Luna looked at her sister in pity. Celestia's eyes shot open here tears dried forgotten as a wicked spell worked its power. "Nightmare Moon what are you doing here?!?" She said in shock and alarm. Luna balked at the sudden out burst. Celestia didn't wait for an answer instead she rushed to the empty crib, as if expecting to find someone. Celestia froze once more and she visibly darkened.  "Where is he Nightmare?" She turned toward Luna voice dripping with venom. Luna stared back utterly confused. "Where is my sun?" Celestia asked rage barely controlled. Luna tapped Celestia with the plushy once more hoping it was what she was asking about. "Not going to tell me Nightmare?" Voice dripping with contempt. "Then I will make you SCREAM IT!" Celestia roared as magic and heat rolled of her body. Luna fled the room for fear of injury.

Radiant:
He unleashed the stream of super-heated plasma onto the beasts clawed hand, hoping to halt its progress. Its skin boiled and flaked under the assault but the creature didn't seem to feel more than a slight discomfort. It had now gotten its torso free from the back pool it was creeping from. Radiant shook his head in exasperation. 'Of coarse that wouldn't work.' He thought sarcastically. He looked down at his claws then back to the creature. 'I'd be a be stinging a bear.' He heard a pony scream in fear. 'Oh fine!' He thought darting over to the extended arm.

Not giving it another thought Radiant extended his claws and sank them as deep as he could into the beasts arm. Instead of a roar or even a flinch the creature lifted its arm with Radiant still attached. It raised him close to its razor filled maw and Radiant noted its pungent breath that smelled of decay. It opened its mouth revealing a second one it the back of its throat also filled with razor sharp teeth.

"Ahehe, buzz buzz?" He said almost apologetic. 'Well that didn't work and look at those teeth.'  He thought analytically.  'Now what smart guy.' His horn tingled as if in response. "Yeah magic is right up there with flying." He muttered as the creature angled it's beak to snap at him. 'Wait my breath at least injured the outside right?' The idea dawning on him. He charged up his breath again letting the heat fill his lungs.  Once again he felt his mane and tail light up as plasma coursed through his throat mixing with his breath with a roar that was more dragon than pony he unleashed burning fury down the monsters throat.


Luna:
Luna felt the magic flare from Celestia calm. The ebbing heat and magic telling her it was relatively safe to check on her sister.  Luna hesitated at the door this time she feared what she would find in the room. Luna leaned against the door and took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she timidly poked her head back through the door.

"Hello Nightmare, are you ready to burn?" The site before Luna scared her. Celestia had changed, any trace of the beloved princess burned away by the transformation she had undergone. The mare before Luna was taller by a foot, with lean muscles rippling under her skin. Her horn was now curved and solid like a blade. Celestia's mane and tail had gone from her normal multihued etherealness. To blazing orange and red, her coat had taken on a slight orange color as well. Celestia's regalia had also changed.  Gone where the golden shoes, torque and crown. Instead adorning her head was a red and gold helmet designed to look like a phoenix head. On her chest she wore a breast plate of the same colors shape like the phoenix's body, its wings spread out in front of her shoulders. On her hooves she had four golden claws, each wickedly sharp. To her left floated her lance, solar flare. Her slitted yellow eyes focused on Luna and a razor filled smile crept along her face.

Luna was dumbfounded, never before had she seen Celestia like this. Celestia began to calmly make her way across the room. With each step the daymare left inch long grooves in the stone work of the floor. 'Didst she just impersonate our transformation into the Nightmare?' Luna thought watching the other mare approach. Celestia stopped only a few feet away from where Luna stood.

"I am high inquisitor Solara, and you have one chance." Solara said coldly. Luna shuddered Celestia was most certainly copying her now.

"Chance for what dearest sister?" Luna tried her best puppy dog look. Solara laughed dryly.

"To tell me where my sun is before I extract--" Solara raises one of her clawed hooves. "the information, painfully." Solara brought her hoof down leaving a long deep gash in the stone floor as a promise of real pain to follow. Luna swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and really started wishing she had taken the blue pill.

Radiant:
Air rushed past Radiant as he not so gracefully arched through the air. The monster which still had smoke radiating out of it's mouth, had flailed in pain. Which is how Radiant found himself in such a predicament. 'Ok, now I wish I could fly.' He thought looking back at the ground speeding towards him. His horn tingled again. 'You shut up, how would magic help at a time like this?' He thought at his horn. Looking back again he noted that he was headed for a small cafe where ponies still sat and ate. 'I hope no pony ordered kabobs.' He winced remembering pain. 

Octavia:
The grey earthpony mare was sitting down to one of her favorite meals, a tossed ceaser with red wine reduction and a large helping of baked ziti. Since she was in public she periodically made sure her black mane and tail were still presentable. She checked herself over again. 'Treble cleft cutiemark, check and pink as ever, no sauce on my coat check. Lets see mane still styled and glossy.' Her purplish pink eyes drifted over to her little sister Vinyl Scratch. The white unicorn mare sat across from her eating a hayburger and fries. Nopony had figured out that they were sisters primarily because Vinyl was mute. They had their former village to blame for that her family had been run out of town and left to the mercies of the Everfree Forest. Shortly after Vinyl got sick and lost her voice, she did however get her cutiemark. Two eighth notes connected at their flags. Vinyl eyed her back from behind large thick sunglasses. 'Vinyl how I wish you'd let me fix that mess you call a mane.' She thought looking at the wild blue mane before her. She was about to say something about it when she noticed Vinyl's confused face. 'Ooh priceless, where's my camera this needs to be a Hearts Warming Eve card.' She thought with a grin. 'Wait why is Vinyl confused?' As if in answer to her unspoken question a rainbow blur impacted several tables away. 'Why in all of Equestria does Rainbow Dash always end up crashing?' She thought as dust settled around her. 'Wait, was that Rainbow I didn't see her cyan blue in that crash.' Both Vinyl and Octavia left their table to check on the crash victim.

"Ow, I really need to rethink my plan of attack." The voice made Octavia halt in her tracks. Vinyl did the same but pulled down her sunglasses. 'It can't be him.' Again as if fate was toying with her Radiant stood up from inside the table ringed crater. Radiant stood and shook his head. "Oh its on now!" Radiant roared standing up. Octavia watched as he took up a runners stance, then took off like a shot from a gun. As he took off a gust of wind rustled her hair. 'That was Radiant, what's he doing here? He wouldn't have been allowed to leave.' Octavia thought looking over to Vinyl. Vinyl looked stunned she hadn't expected to him again either.

"That Radiant always to busy fighting or engaging in other such barbaric acts." Octavia said gauging Vinyl's reaction. Vinyl looked over at her sister with a curiosity. "Why don't we go see what the rash-stallion is up too." 

Monster:
The monster waited and listened for the annoyance that plagued its current existence. Soon his hoof beats came like a chilling staccato. Each time a hoof or claw hit the paved road it gave the creature a detailed picture of sound. It listened as its attacker got closer, the little demon of pain moving almost as fast as he was making it. 'Why couldn't master give this form eyes?' It lamented as a new set of fresh claw marks on its  flank. 'Bucking pain demon!' It roared getting a image off its attacker, who was most certainly the same alicorn from before. 'Why?!? Why does it have fire breath?' It winced still feeling the inferno in its gut. The creature swiped at its attacker who deftly jumped its arm twisted mid air and lashed out with it's claws. 'Ow Celestia damn it... wait is this Celestia?' The creature pondered unsure of which of the four it new about, it was fighting. 'If you want me to capture some one give me eyes.' It thought angrily.  'Wait, where's the demon?' It listened till the sound of claw and hoof gave away Radiant's position. 'Ah there you are little demon!'  It beamed with glee. 'Wait why are you...' It's thought was interrupted as Radiant who had taken up a position under it went into a handstand. Three shock waves blossomed from the creature as Radiant delivered three kicks to the creature's groin. Radiant then pushed off from the ground using his clawed hands spinning delivered a devastating round house kick to the same location. 

Discord:
Discord was home in his chaotic dimension.  Blissfully unaware of the monster plaguing Ponyville. Currently he was placing dirt back on his carpet with a vacuum. Suddenly he stopped and clutched his groin grimacing.  

"Ouch." He said feeling sympathetic for what ever poor sod took the actual hit.