//------------------------------// // Chapter I: Storm of the Gods. // Story: Lightning Bolt of Rome // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// Be it poor planning, a misunderstanding in scheduling, or Celestia’s last minute decision to change course, the Solar Guards found themselves over a massive storm cloud. Clouds of darkness rumbled and flashed beneath the Sun Princess’s gilded chariot and the pegasi guards guiding it, their white wings adding to the swirls and smoky patterns to the storm beneath them. Among Celestia’s guards was a stallion near the head of their formation, distinguished from the others by the plumage on his helmet and his red tail, while the others’ had blue instead. He slowed his flight to fall back to the chariot’s side. “Your Majesty, are you certain that this is wise? Flying over a storm is a little risky, isn’t it?” “I understand the concern, Captain Thunder Bolt,” the Princess told him. “Yet, given the sudden circumstances, this shortcut is our only option if we’re to get to Prance in time for the summit.” “But over a storm?” Bolt questioned as another distant thunder rumbled the sky. “I know how important this summit is, but doing this is a bit too dangerous for all of us. Every piece of metal we have on is a potential lightning rod.” “I’m aware of that, yet it seems unlikely as long as we stay above the clouds. This isn’t the first time I have ridden through a storm and I know what I’m doing.” “And I trust you on that, but…” “Captain Bolt?” “There’s something odd about these clouds,” he pointed at the clusters of dark masses underneath. “Don’t you think that the way they’re all positioned and even collected looks a little strange?” Celestia looked over the side of her chariot. “Hmm… wild clouds perhaps. I guess that means we’re getting close to our destination.” “I hope we get there soon, this place is just giving me all sort of bad vibes.” With that, the Captain of the Guard flew back upfront once more to lead the entourage. As they passed over moving hills and valleys of the storm, the white pegasus wouldn’t let go of the notion that there was something off about this weather. Not only was there no hint of any thought or organization involved, but the whole cloudscape was also chaotic. Going by the standards of Cloudsdale, this was nothing but a huge- To the Captain’s horror, his hair started to stand on end as he felt huge amounts of electricity instantaneously build up between his armor and his coat. Before he knew what happened, he blacked out. The entourage could only stare in shock as a thin, jagged light pierced him and produced a deafening explosion of thunder. _*_ The stallion awoke to the sensation of falling, spotting clouds and lightning speeding by him. Quickly realizing that he was falling, the pegasus tried to flap his wings to get himself upright but found difficulty with the random winds and rain pelting his armor. He finally managed to slow his fall into a partial glide, allowing him to take a quick look at his surroundings. One of the first things he’d noticed was how quiet it was, barring the fast-paced tapping of rain against this armor and helmet, the roaring winds, and the occasional thunderclap. Any light that managed to pierce the dark clouds was significantly dimmed, leaving him trapped in a world of shadows. “Princess Celestia?” he called out with no reply. “Sergeant Javelin? Private Sharp Wing? Anypony?!” No answers. How far had he fallen? Where was everypony else? Where did he end up? “Okay, priorities Bolt,” he told himself, “start with your exact location.” The only way to get that bit of info was to dip down and see where the storm was hovering over. With much difficulty, the Captain kept his balance and descended, trying to steer clear of the clouds that teemed with electricity. It became difficult to navigate with the strong winds trying to throw him around and the rain soaking him. Then, he finally spotted a hole in the tempest, eyeing land underneath him. Bolt sped towards the exit and saw, to his relief, a large city. However, upon further inspection, the Solar Captain paused. He had flown too many places since he joined the Royal Guard, being by the Princess’s side while they escorted her to distant places beyond Equestria’s borders. Yet, this city was unrecognizable. He saw miles upon miles of tiled roofs and white marble below him. Stadiums and public squares dotted the city with flickering lights keeping it all illuminated. All in all, it looked extremely… foreign. Had the storm they were flying over covered a country he wasn’t familiar with? He shook his head; maybe the rain was playing tricks on him. Besides, the storm got him completely lost and seemed to be getting worse, so he could probably find some directions and shelter in the city. He continued his descent, but the wind didn’t give up in trying to throw him around. Even for somepony with his training, the unpredictable wind currents were taking a toll on his stability. Unfortunately for the Pegasus, the superior weather had finally won its battle of attrition, sending him screaming out of control. He tried to keep stable, but everything was already spinning around. The city went from being below him to above him, and then to the sides, then back to being above him again. The last thing he saw was a vegetable stand and two figures moving out of the way before he swiftly crashed into it. Splinters and smashed vegetables were splattered against the marble pavement, following the equine’s path of destruction straight into a concrete wall. “What in the name of Hades was that?!” a voice cried. The two figures reemerged, looking over the destruction. One of them took a torch off a nearby wall to get a better view of what caused it all. “Oh lord Jupiter!” exclaimed the torch-wielding figure as he saw the battered pegasus. “Get the guard! Tell the Emperor!”