//------------------------------// // 187. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 4 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// The Cloudsdale Construction crews had their work cut out for them, as the battle had taken quite a toll on the city. But thankfully, aside some cuts and bruises from all the panic and mayhem, nopony was seriously hurt, and all knew it could’ve been so much worse. The proper authorities and experts had the Thunderbird well-restrained onto an Olympumice-platform, and they were already planning to have it relocated to the mountains south of the San Palomino Desert. Despite everypony running away, there had been plenty of witnesses to the events that followed, and once the excitement had died down, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Lightning Dust, Rainbolt, and the foals were all swarmed with cheering gratitude for their incredible bravery. Before long, they were all checked over by the medical teams, and all of them had come out alright. Although Rainbow was given some treatment for her lightning burns and Thunderlane for the bruises he got from his epic flight through town to keep the Thunderbird distracted. Just hours after the incident was over, the Mayor of Cloudsdale, a plump stallion with an outrageously large mustache, had arranged a ceremony. Almost everypony in Cloudsdale stood before city hall, where the Mayor stood before a podium and microphone upon a platform, where their saviors all stood behind him, as he began. “Fillies and gentlecolts! As Mayor of Cloudsdale, and a humble pony of Equestria, I am certain I speak for us all when I say to these brave and clever heroes standing up here with me, ‘thank you’. Were it not for their courage and their ingenuity, I shudder to think how many could have been hurt, or of the dire consequences of having our beloved weather factory destroyed. “We are here to honor these amazing ponies, and thank them for saving us all! Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Lightning Dust, Rainbolt, and of course young Scootaloo, Rumble, and Hotshot! From the bottom of my heart, thank you all!” Everypony cheered as the Mayor invited their heroes up, one by one, so that he could place around each of their necks a Flying Nimbus Medal of Valor. Once they each had their medals, Rainbow whispered something to the Mayor, who nodded, allowing her to stand at the podium. Clearing her throat, Rainbow announced, “Cloudsdale is a city I am proud to be a product of, and I hope one day to make it proud of me and my friend Thunderlane, for when we become Wonderbolts. Among us however is a pony that didn’t start off on that dream the right way. But today, she showed a whole new side of her that I believe is a new promising start! This moment and this outcome would not have been possible without her truly awesome strategy, along with a certain somepony knocking me off my pedestal and listening to reason. So sure, we all had a part, but really? We owe this day… to Lightning Dust!” Everypony whispered at Rainbow’s words while Lightning Dust look to Rainbow with a stunned expression. “I haven’t completely gotten over the history between us, Dust, but if you’re willing to accept my apology, then I’m willing to start over.” Rainbow stepped down from the podium and approached Lightning, holding out a hoof. Lightning was truly touched, and for a moment unsure of what to do, until she noticed a smirk on Dash’s face, which she mirrored, and met Dash the rest of the way with a hoof-bump, causing everypony to applause. Rainbolt then stepped up to say something. “I cannot express my relief that this turned out okay, for the destruction of the weather factory could’ve meant great disaster not just for us up here in the City of Clouds but for all of Equestria. Furthermore, I would like to express my thanks to Lightning Dust, not only for her stepping up and her strategy, but for saving my daughter. And baby-girl?” Rainbow looked to her father, who returned it with a loving look of pride. “What you did just now for Lightning Dust, I know your mother would be so proud of you, because I know I am!” Rainbow smiled at her dad, and in that moment she just didn’t care about her image, as she went up and gave her dad a big hug, causing several mares in the crowd to ‘aww’, while Lightning Dust and Thunderlane gave their little brothers a hug, and Scootaloo went up to join her big sister and Rainbolt’s hug, which they gladly included her in. Finally, Thunderlane stepped up to say something. “I don’t know what else to say since these guys have pretty much beaten me to the punch, heh-heh! But… there is something. Like Rainbow, I had my own reservations about Lightning Dust due to our history. But in times of crisis, like what we all just went through, you can’t afford to let your feelings get in the way of doing what needs to be done, for the good of everypony. “I chose to place my trust in Lightning Dust, despite what had transpired between us and Rainbow before, and it paid off with her excellent strategy and making full use of all of us playing our part in her plan. “It is oftentimes necessary to give somepony an opportunity, even if you have misgivings about them. Sometimes we count on others even if we don’t know them, but regardless of who they may be, nothing is guaranteed. Even so, it’s a special thing to be relied upon, to know that somepony relies on you and believes in you enough to not let them down. There are times you may even have to count upon somepony you’re not sure deserves it, but if you’re willing to give them a chance, then you may very well be surprised by what they can accomplish!” It started out light, but it quickly grew into a booming eruption of cheers and applause as everypony couldn’t help but be moved by Thunderlane’s words, and Thunderlane and Lightning Dust shared a look, where she smiled at him with deepest gratitude and mouthed ‘thank you’. Suddenly, at that moment, Thunderlane’s wings felt tingly, as though he had a case of static electricity, and he suddenly had an idea of what was going on when a pillar of electric yellow erupted from behind the platform, rising up to the sky to confirm his suspicions! Several among the crowd screamed but most watched, stunned as the pillar of light quickly dimmed into a tiny sparkle floated gently down towards Thunderlane! “My Element Jewel…!” Thunderlane whispered in awe as he looked at it, radiating and crackling with small sparks of electricity, that he cautiously reached out to touch it… ...causing a booming CRACK of thunder as the jewel flared a blinding electric yellow, silvery-blue, and stormy black! Thunderlane felt himself become clad in armor, colored silver and black with electric-yellow accents, as a helmet with a silvery plume appeared on his head, and as quickly as a strike of lightning it was over, as the light from the jewel dimmed. Everypony was in awe to see Thunderlane in his own suit of Harmonic Armor, the emblem on his chest mirroring his thundercloud and lightning bolt cutie-mark, and the jewel was still in his hoof. But now, Thunderlane realized, it carried a magic all its own, a magic just for him. “Thunder…!” Thunderlane looked up to Lightning Dust, and around to see everypony gazing at him in wonder, as Lightning Dust asked the question on everypony’s mind! “What is that...?!” Thunderlane looked at his jewel, and then smiled victoriously as he raised it over his head and flapped up so all of Cloudsdale could see and hear, “It’s the Element of Trust!” As the crowd cheered for the now full-fledged Guardian of Harmony, watching from afar on the highest point of Cloudsdale, three mysterious pegasi, two mares and a stallion, all adorned in black, purple and yellow suits with sinister golden flight goggles over their eyes took it all in. “So that one’s one of those Guardians of Harmony we’ve heard about…" “...The protectors of Harmony and those who bear the Elements.” “Which means him and Rainblowhard would never see eye to eye with us. So by process of elimination, that leaves Lightning Dust…” “I must say, the way she took charge and came up with that plan to stop the Thunderbird was real impressive!” “We’ve definitely gotta keep an eye on that one; her talents and potential are too promising to be wasted on the Blunderdolts...” Then one of them, one of the mares looked to the other, “Captain, while the objective was reached, was summoning the Thunderbird really necessary?” “Are you questioning my authority…?” the other mare said with a tone razor sharp. “Just your objectivity, ma’am!” the mare said when she felt something sharp at her throat, and she froze but still saw the stallion. On his wing, stretching towards her neck, was a Wingblayd, the legendary signature weapon of the Ancient Pegasus Empire’s military. All it would take would be one move and she'd bleed to death quicker than any hope of saving her life. “That won’t be necessary, my friend,” the captain said. “The noob was only trying to understand… While the Thunderbird was a bit… over the top, it made a big enough mess to show Cloudsdale, perhaps even all of Equestria, that their admiration in our blissfully-ignorant rivals is misplaced... We have scarred their home, and soon we will scar their name beyond redemption. As for the objective, Lightning Dust certainly has the right stuff and has the right… disposition, but let’s delay meeting her for the time being, until we’re certain she has the vision to join our ranks. Time to go home.” The stallion retracted his Wingblayd and took flight, followed by the noob, while their captain took the time to place the key to their success away in her saddlebags. A beautiful silver flute with glittering fragments of gems embedded around the hilt, with a truly flawless stone set in the section just below the mouthpiece. To the unassuming eye, it was nothing but a basic trinket, but to those with the right perception, they could see it was an object of great power. Before long, the team of shady pegasi vanished into the cloudy sky, the faint powers of ancient magic flitting away in their wake. Upon returning to Ponyville, Midnight accompanied Thunderlane to the mysterious chest, where he proudly added the Element of Trust to the next panel, and they marveled as it flashed and changed to reflect Thunderlane's cutie-mark! "Heh, looks like Soarin owes me that lesson in the Sonic Blast-Off after all," Thunderlane smiled but Midnight noticed a look in his friend's eyes. "You okay, Thunder?" he asked. "...Midnight, what is the purpose of these new elements?" Thunderlane gave Midnight a concerned look. "There were originally seven, and now these five new elements, along with yours, part of this weird chest... what does it all mean?" Midnight was quiet for a long moment as he looked at the panel that held his Element of Faith, "I don't know, Thunderlane. For a time, there were only the seven, mine added because of my journey through the past in my old life. Then the Sisters lost their right to wield the Elements and they were inert for a thousand years. "Now, this is happening... and I agree that it indicates something is coming. What that something is, I can't be sure. But one thing I am sure of..." Midnight extended a wing and pulled Thunderlane in close in a brotherly sort of embrace, "As long as we stand together, I am sure everything will be all right." Thunderlane felt Midnight's optimism and cracked at the enthusiastic smile Midnight had and replied, "I trust that you're right, Blaze." Midnight chuckled before pushing Thunderlane aside and taking off, shouting, "RACE YOU TO PEPPER PONY'S!!" "NO FAIR!!!" Thunderlane quickly pursued, leaving the Element of Trust to flash with Thunderlane's own restored confidence.