Tides of Change

by Lightning Haze

9 Project Radiance

[Arctic Radiance's POV]

"Follow me, we need a place that is quiet and discreet enough to talk." I led Stella and her sister to a spacious supply cabinet. I enchanted the room with a sound proof spell for a little extra security.

"It's time I told someone the real story behind Project Radiance." I said. I took a deep breath and decided it was time to tell someone the secret that could get me and anyone who knows it killed.

"Project Radiance was an attempt to perfect Celestia's Alicorn ritual. After almost one thousand years Celestia managed to think she had fixed it. Naturally she needed somepony to test it on. Me and my brother were just young colts when our lives changed forever..."

*FLASHBACK*

"Astral! Arctic! You two get your bottoms in here right now before I give ya a good tanning!" My mother's tone was serious. I looked to my older brother Astral to see if he knew what we did. He just looked back and shrugged. With a running start we jumped into the air and spread our wings. We raced to the front door and like always Astral won. We started laughing and shoving each other until we walked in and saw our mother sitting there with her hairbrush in hoof.

"Which one of you left the stove on? You could of started a fire and killed us all." Astral looked at me and I'm sure my expression was giving me away.

"I'm sorry mother I forgot to turn it off." I looked down at the ground trying not to meet her expression. While looking down I saw someone move outside the window through the corner of my eye.

"Well I'm about to make your bottom as hot as that stove. Get over here... wait do you guys smell that?" My mom started sniffing the air and so did I. It smelt weird, almost like there was some kind of foul scent. I ran to the window and looked outside to see if it had something to do with the figure I saw outside. As I got to the window a fireball flew through the window. I barely made it out of the way scorching half of my face.

The fireball once inside seemed to ignite the air. The whole house was engulfed in flames and smoke. I rushed toward the door but the way collapsed. I was trapped. It was the only way in and out of this room. I just laid down and started to cry. I was going to die here.

I felt my way around to see if my mom or brother were alright. Both were laying on the floor, however Astral was still barely moving. A bright light exploded above us and the roof seem to dissipate. A strange white alicorn was hovering above us. She levitated all three of us out and took us away from the house. I was in shock and couldn't do anything but sit there and watch as she blasted a green spell onto Astral and then onto me. As the spell hit me I began to feel better.

"Is th-that a healing spell?" I asked as the large white alicorn came into focus.

"Yes, my little pony it is. I was able to heal you and your brother, but... I couldn't save your mother." She looked to my mother and closed her eyes.

As I looked at the alicorn, I realized just who she was.

"Your P-Princess Celestia... aren't you?" The alicorn nodded and blasted me with another spell. This time I became unconscious.

I woke up in a large room. Instantly, I knew it was a bedroom, I just didn't know whose it was. I scanned the room and saw the normal stuff. It had two doors, two beds, and two chests. I looked to the other bed and noticed a familiar grey Pegasus laying down, sound asleep. I was glad he was OK. I got up to wake him when the larger of the two doors opened.

"Oh, you're awake. You sure recovered fast." Princess Celestia said.

"Where am I?" I looked cautiously at the White alicorn as she approached me.

"You're at Canterlot Castle. I brought you and your bother here since you two had no family members to contact." She said. My jaw had to have opened wide at this because she giggled a bit as I started to react. Then my jaw shut and I grew concerned.

"Why bring us here? You could have just as easily left us to an orphanage." Something didn't seem right about this. I knew that after the third great pony war Concordia and Equestria were allies and everything, but the Celestial army had still torched half my home land.

"You could stand to be a bit more grateful. None the less, I believe it shows a true peace between our nations with such an act of kindness. Just ring the bell by the door should you need anything." Celestia said as she left.

Astral moaned and turned on his side. That was when I saw the true extent of his injuries. He was pretty badly hurt. His right wing was wrapped in bandages and I could see scorch marks down his back. I went back to my bed and laid down, watching my older brother as I fell asleep.

Years passed and we stayed as guests in Canterlot Castle. Celestia adopted us since we spent so much time together. Astral entered the royal guard at the early age of 12. His higher-ups became intrigued with his ever evolving skills at battle analysis that he quickly became captain of the Wonderbolts. I however was more intrigued by peace than war. I would often hide away in the royal court to spy on the peace talks where Celestia would settle small country disputes.

One night Astral was summoned to Celestia's chambers. I thought nothing of it and went to sleep. However, when I awoke, I decided to ask Astral why Celestia wanted to see him so late. When I saw him at breakfast, I nearly overlooked his new horn. He looked like an Alicorn. I asked him how it happened and he told me that it was a secret.

A few nights later, I was called to Celestia's chambers. I will never forget the feeling I had walking up the flight of stairs to her chambers. We had never been allowed in that part of the castle. When I arrived the door opened as if she knew I was there. Inside I saw a circle with six candles around its circumference.

"Hello Arctic. I assume by now you have seen your brother's new features." Celestia said with a smile that seemed out of place.

"I have... and I'm guessing you have brought me here to do the same? Well, no thanks. I decline. Astral seems different ever since you did this." I pointed a hoof at her accusingly. With my words, her cheerful demeanor broke and she began to cry.

Celestia proceeded to tell me the story of Starlight. However, it wasn't the real story. I was never told that Starlight died from the spell. I was told that Starlight was taken by a disease. Celestia played on my sensitivity enough to make me feel sorry for her and help her test the spell.
She said it was to be a gift when Luna returned.

When Luna returned, things went well. Once Luna was restored to her former self, she was happy that the spell had been fixed and that the elements of harmony had new owners. A month or so after Luna's return things began to get bad. Astral had been talking to walls and attacking things that weren't there. A charge of his had tried to help him and was murdered viciously. Astral at that point had snapped. He began killing anypony he saw. After seven or eight ponies had been murdered, it caught up with him. I found him laying on top of a corpse and crying into it. I tried to talk to him, but the second I spoke, he stuck a saber through my ribs and flew away.

Once again Celestia saved my life. A few healing spells later and I was stable enough to heal on my own.A few days later I had gone to one of my hideaway spots in the royal court when I heard the royal sisters enter. Luna was enraged that her sister had not told her about possible side effects to the alicorn ritual. Luna stormed out but Celestia stayed put. When she thought she was all alone she started mumbling to herself about how the whole project was a failure and that she had killed my mother for nothing.

"You killed her... You killed her!" I spoke softly at first but then rage struck me. Celestia quickly raced over to me and hit me with a spell. The spell knocked me out cold. When I awoke I couldn't remember anything that I had heard in that room.

*End of Flashback*

"So, why did they say you have no soul?" Lightning asked.

"I still have a soul. After I was able to recover my memory, I realized that the only person I could trust was myself. I stopped caring about everything because nopony cared for me. At least, until the day I met a curious pink alicorn filly" I looked at Stella and saw her blush.

"And you never told anyone because who would believe you over a Princess." Lightning looked shocked beyond belief.

"Precisely." We all stood in awkward silence trapped in our own thoughts. We were all snapped out of our thoughts by Lightning's stomach growling.

"Mind if we bring Lightning on our lunch date?" Stella said in a mocking tone as she led her sister back out of the room.

"It's not a date so sure" I joked back. Although I was hoping for some alone time with Stella. I pushed that thought aside and ran to catch up with them.

Author's Note:

Sorry for only like the longest wait between chapters ever. I really do hope you all love it though.