//------------------------------// // Tartus // Story: Lightning Wolf // by litestardt //------------------------------// Lightning was release from the hospital once he made a full recovery and went back to twilight castle. Twilight continue to train with Star Rush and Litestar, while Lightning and the other elites were looking for clues to find Fenrir. After a week of searching they found nothing on Fenrir. They stop their search and went back to protect the elements of harmony. One morning Lightning woke up to see Twilight wasn’t laying in bed. He sniffed the air to catch a scent that he was familiar with. He jumped out of the bed and ran towards the door. He open the door to see a familiar silver wolf laying on the floor of a cave dead. Lightning went up to the silver wolf with fear coursing through his body. When he got to the wolf body he saw there was blood coming from the wolf. The wolf than turned and looked at Lightning. "Why did you let me die Lightning? I thought you said you will protect me. That you wouldn't let anything hurt me. That you loved me." Said the dying wolf. "I'm so sorry Star Glimmer. I thought I was strong enough to protect you. I loved you so much." Tears coming down Lightning face from the pain seeing Star Glimmer in. Star Glimmer was now face to face with Lightning. "So why did you kill me?" Lightning looked down to see his paw through Star Glimmer chest and his eyes widen with fear and shock. "No no no. I....I.....I didn't mean too!" Looking back up to see Star Glimmer was gone and he was back in Ponyville in front of Twilight's castle. Lightning looked around confused went to the castle door. He slowly open it to see Twilight laying on the ground bleeding. Lightning ran up to her and held her in his forelegs. "Twilight. Twilight. Come on wake up. Please I can't lose you too." Said lightning has he kept shaking Twilight's body in his forelegs Than a voice came in that sounded like it was from everywhere. "I told you I would kill this one since I couldn't kill the last one you loved." Lightning recognize the voice as Fenrir's and was about to become angry when he felt Twilight's hoof on his foreleg. He looked down to see Twilight bloody face and her eyes open, looking at him with sadness. "I thought you were going to protect me. I thought you cared for me. You said you loved me, no matter what stands in your way you would be with me." Said a dying Twilight. "I promise I'll get you help just don’t talk and I'll grab Litestar as fast as possible." Said Lightning tears falling onto Twilight's face "It's too late for her just like it was too late for me. Everyone you fall in love with dies because of you." Said Star Glimmer as she appeared in front of Lightning now. "You will only bring death to all you love." "No that can't be true. I will protect everyone I careful and love. I will protect them from Fenrir and my enemies." Said Lightning tears rolling down his face. Twilight put a hoof on Lightning face. "How can you protect them, when you’re the one true enemy killing us." Lightning saw himself and saw his shadow trying to consume him. "No impossible I defeated you. No. No. NO!" A voice came from behind Lightning. "Wake up my son." Lightning shot up from the bed with his eyes wide open and breathing heavily. He looked around the room to see he was in Twilight's room. His breathing started to go back to normal. He looked to his left to see that Twilight was already out of the bed but recently. He can still smell her lovely scent on the bed and knew she went downstairs. Lightning thought back to his nightmare and remember the voice at the end of it. That voice belonged to him but why did he tell me to wake up. Did he know I was having a nightmare? Is he still watching after us? After all this time, are you still alive master? Lightning thought to himself before getting out of bed and heading into the shower. After his shower he headed downstairs to see Twilight in her living room on a couch, reading a book. Lightning went over to the couch and laid down next to her and nuzzle her. "Whatcha reading there Twi?" Asked Lightning Wolf "A book on a legend that your species believe in about three angels. It's called the legend of the fallen archangels of order." Said Twilight "Yeah that legend, is held high in wolves’ culture because it's about three archangels that were wolves and how they died." Said Lightning "Well I'm at the end of the book and it says here that their hearts were taken out of their body and placed inside a book. It says after that they were reborn to a mortal body that could only die by natural causes. They are also reborn to another body once that old body dies of age or disease, but what I don’t get is that they usually aren't born as the same species." Said Twilight "That’s because their power transfer to the next suitable body that’s able to handle their power." Said Lightning Wolf "So whoever has their power is gifted with their presence? I would love to have that kind of magic." Said Twilight "It's not a gift Twilight. It's a curse brought upon them for trying to help the mortals win the immortal war. It's their punishment." Said Lightning Twilight grew a confused look on her face. "What do you mean it's their punishment?" Asked Twilight "They betray the gods and abandoned their duty. They were also Archangels which means they were right below the gods and only the god they are under can give them command. So since they were so high up the God of Order, Ordo, their father, made sure to have a firm punishment so that kind of event can't happen again. So they are cursed to live with the mortals and keep being reborn to watch their loves one die while they continue to live." Said Lightning "Why would their father give them that harsh of a punishment?" Asked Twilight "It wasn't his choice. Even gods have a leadership council and that council forced him to take action against his sons." Said Lightning "That's terrible! How can you force a pony to do that to their own son." Said Twilight "First of all, Ordo wasn't a pony. He was a wolf. Not all gods are Alicorns. Each god has its own form and he had to do it to protect them." Said Lightning "How do you know he did it to protect them?" Asked Twilight "He was a great father that always cared for them. He never looked at them as villains." Said Lightning "What do you mean looked at them like villains? This book says they were always good." Said Twilight "They ate other immortals when they were younger since they had both light and dark magic in them and when the dark magic consumed them they ate their own kind." Said Lightning Twilight gasps after hearing what the three angels did to their own kind. "They really did that and their father just allowed it?" Asked Twilight "Their father didn’t allowed it but he could never stop caring for them and loving them. To him they were too important." Said Lightning "That’s amazing that their father cared for them that much. Even after everything they did." Said Twilight. "But why are there only good things about them?" "Well because they are......""Twilight you got a message by princess Celestia!" Spike said while running into the room. Twilight took the letter in her magic and started to read the message from princess Celestia. Twilight finish reading the message and got off the couch and headed towards the door. "What was that letter about?" Asked Lightning Twilight turned to face Lightning and gave him a smile. "It was from princess Celestia. She wants me in Canterlot to discuss some things." Said Twilight "Well than I shall grab my things and we'll be on our way." Said Lightning “Um she only wants me Lightning so you could have the day off to rest.” Twilight gave a kiss to lightning than left. In the Canterlot dungeons Celestia was walking to an isolated cell with Cloudhunter and Zone Hunter. The cell was in an area of the dungeon that no one was allowed to go to unless they were with Princess Celestia. The three made it to the area they were going to, they see a magical barrier as the only security. “Um isn’t this an issue to just have a magical barrier as the only security here.” Said Zone “This is your first time coming down here zone isn’t it?” Said Cloudhunter “Yes sir, it is my first time coming down to here at least sir.” Said Zone “Then you’re in for a surprise Captain Zone because this is where we keep the worst of the criminals. Isolated from everyone else.” Said Cloudhunter “So we came here to get Shining and you’re saying he’s behind this magical barrier?” Said Zone, Cloudhunter just nod his head. “Then wouldn’t it be easy for them to break out” “Captain this isn’t the only security measure. You will see once we go inside but you can never tell anyone what you have seen down here. Do you understand captain?” Said Celestia “Yes ma’am I understand.” Said Zone Hunter “Good now I’m going to lower the barrier.” Said Celestia Celestia used her magic to lower the barrier and what was behind the barrier were rows of cells filled with guards wearing black armor. One of the guards saw Celestia and her two guards. The guard came over to Celestia and bowed down. "Princess Celestia did you come here for the captain, because if you have he will not come in with the new prisoner." Said the Guard "No Sgt. Flare. I came here to integrate the prisoner. His sister should be here soon so I'll like to escort him to the room." Said Princess Celestia "Than this way Princess Celestia." Sgt. Flare said while getting up to show Celestia and her men the way. "So this is what's behind that barrier." Said Zone Hunter "Yes this is where we keep very dangerous creatures but these creatures aren't worthy of Tartarus unless we seem it deem to send them their." Said Cloudhunter "But I thought Tartarus was for the worst criminals!" Said Zone Hunter "Oh it is just these criminals can't all fit there or have done very dangerous crimes that can put them there but weren't." Said Cloudhunter "So this is like a second Tartarus?" Asked Zone Hunter "No this is Tartarus. That barrier you passed was a portal to here. It's the way we take every shift we take." Said Sgt. Flare "So we're in Tartarus right now!!!" Said Zone Hunter "HAHA yep your one of the few soldiers that get to be in here Zone." Said Cloudhunter "So why are we here, princess?" Asked Zone "You two knew him the best. I thought you two can tell me when he's lying to me." Said Celestia "We understand princess." Said both soldiers "Here's his cell princess." Said Sgt. Flare "Why is he in one of the isolation cells?" Asked Celestia "It's for protection princess." Said Sgt. Flare "For his protection? (Zone than looked around and saw all prisoners glaring at him) Actually on second thought that was probably smart." Said Zone "It's not for his protection, its for the prisoners." Said Sgt. Flare "What do you mean Sergeant?" Asked Celestia a little confused "He killed a couple of prisoners with his bare hooves. Even though they attacked him first, they didn't need to die." Said Sgt. Flare "I understand Sergeant. Now open up the cell." Said Celestia "I warn you right now princess he's not the same pony you bought in." Said Sgt. Flare "Dually noted Sergeant now open up." Said Celestia Flare open the cell to show two guard standing on either side of the inside of the cell. In the center of the cell chained up in chains was a prisoner with a magic inhibiter on his horn, his mouth had a muzzle over it. "Shining Armor the traitor of Equestria. You have some visitors." Said Sgt. Flare The prisoner lifted his head and his eyes stared straight into Celestia eyes. "Hello Princess Celestia, did you come here to set me free." Said Shining "Or just to watch me rot." "Shining, former captain of the royal guard and one of the most trustful guards I had." Said Celestia with sadness in her tone. "So many ponies trusted you, your sister, Cadance your wife, your parents, your friends, and fellow guards. To see you like this hurts my heart." "Really? Or are you saying that to be nice? After all its going around Equestria that your captain of the royal guard was really a dark lord in secret." Said Shining "No it's true. What I say I mean. That's why I'm going to make a deal with you." Said Celestia "You can't be serious Princess he's a traitor." Said Zone Hunter "I personally trained Shining myself and to see him like this hurts me too princess, but we can't make a deal with him." Said Cloudhunter "Thank you for your inputs captains but I decide what happens here. Now Sergeant Flare bring him to the integration room now." Said Celestia "Yes princess. Put his cuffs on and than release his chains and bring him to the integration room." Said Sgt. Flare to the two guards. The two guards nod there head and did as they were told. They put cuffs on Shining back legs and front legs and open the chains he was bind to and started to lead out the cell. Shining resisted at first put after a couple of pokes with the electric spear he started to move forward. As they moved the prisoners started to get angry at Shining. “A lot of prisoners hate you here Shining Armor.” Said Sgt. Flare “Yeah when you’re captain of the royal guard you get a lot of hate from prisoners. Especially when you, yourself is locked up here for a crime.” Said Shining though his locked muzzle. "Shut it prisoner!" Said a guard jabbing him with the electrical spear again. Shining cringe in pain. "Do that again and I'll remove your head from your body." Said shining in an evil manner.The guard was ready to jab him again but Celestia stop him this time. "This is not the way to treat our prisoners." Giving the guard a disappointed look. "Now make sure he gets to the integration room." "Yes princess Celestia." Said the guard. The two guards than lead shining ahead with them to a room. "Princess, will you be integrating him?" Asked Zone "No the integration will be left with Sgt. Flare and Twilight." Said Celestia "Is that a good idea princess? After all she is Shining Armors sister." Said Cloudhunter "I believe it might be hard for her but she's the only one that can get information out of him." Said Celestia in a sad tone. "Why do you say that?" Asked Zone Hunter. "Shining and Twilight have always been close. He was Twilight first friend and her big brother. He would do anything for his little sister." Said Celestia Back in Ponyville, Lightning Wolf and Star Rush were in the Ponyville pub. They were both sitting down in a booth having a drink. Rush was drinking the apple family hard cider while Wolf was drinking a 16 yr old scotch. "Man, Equestria has the best cider in the world." Said Rush as he put his mug of cider down. "I prefer my scotch over any of that stuff. Doesn't hit you as hard." Said Wolf taking another sip of scotch. "You mean cider doesn't get you drunk fast." Said Rush and Wolf only nod his head. "Now Wolf about Shining." "Are we going to break him out?" Asked Wolf "No not yet. We have to wait for the right time. For now we will wait and not try to talk about him." Said Rush "Fine so we wait to free him." Said Wolf "For now just keep your eye on Twilight." Said Rush. Wolf stayed quiet and continue drinking. Back in the dungeons Twilight arrived to the magic portal and went though it to see Celestia waiting for her. "Princess! You called you me here." Said Twilight "Yes I did and stop calling me Princess. Celestia is just fine, Twilight." Said Celestia smiling "and to why you're here. Well that's because you will be interrogating a prisoner." Turning around and started to walk down the hallway. Twilight followed Celestia down the hallway. "Which prisoner will I be interrogating?" Asked Twilight. Celestia stop at a door. "You will be interrogating former captain Shining Armor, your brother." Opening a door to show Shining in a chair behind a glass wind. Twilight had a face of horror and shock on her face to see her brother in hoof cuffs and having muzzle over his mouth. Shining head was down but he lifted it looking straight into Twilight eyes.