Radiance Rising

by nihilis3

Radiant's Quest Begins

Celestia:

Celestia walked the cold abandoned halls of her castle. The only illumination was her sister's moon pouring in from the large windows that dotted the hallways. This night the moon shone bright yet cold. Celestia shuddered it was unnaturally cold. The light seemed to lengthen the shadows of the hall. The quartz and marble was barely visible under the inky blackness. Something felt familiar as she traveled along the hall. 'Its odd that my halls are so empty.' She mused yet the word empty felt powerful.

"Sister why doth thou dream so." Luna said appearing in the dream. Celestia looked at her sister measuring her. Luna was smaller than her and had the night sky as her mane and tail it flowed as though on an absent breeze, much like Celestia's own dull rainbow mane and tail. "sister?" Luna asked concerned. Celestia didn't answer her sister. She was too distracted the dream causing her to break out in a cold sweat.she was standing before a plain door its only marking a sun relief, just like Celestia's cutiemark.

"I can't do this." Celestia nearly screamed in fear and frustration. She also woke up only to find Luna staring at her in shock. "I'm sorry Luna." She was on the edge of tears. "I'll be fine... I think." Celestia was barely able to keep back her tears, she bit her lip trying to keep it from quivering. Luna's expression changed to pity. She didn't know what was bothering Celestia but was she couldn't stand it. Luna trotted up to Celestia and embraced her in a hug draping her wings like a blanket.

Strangers

Two hooded figures walked the dark lonely path in the Everfree forest. The moon shone bright as they walked side by side. The tallest was definitely no normal pony. His eyes shone green and snakelike his front legs ended in clawed hands. his body was covered in scales and fur that were black as midnight. His cloak showed his feline features. He was longer than most ponies and had spinal blades running from where his dull rainbow mane ended. His tail was long and prehensile with the same dull rainbow effect of his mane ending in a blade. His Back legs ended in hooves like a normal pony and his head was crowned with a long horn. his companion was a simple earth pony. Her coat was a silver and her mane and tail were a pale white.

"So brother do you think you'll be using this opportunity to learn to fly." The mare asked her companion. She was happy to be out travelling with her brother. They were travelling from their small village in the Everfree where for generations they had been hidden from the prying eyes of the Equestrian monarchs.

"No, don't forget why we're here, Dusk Blade." The Stallion said with a sigh.

"Oh, come on you have those big beautiful wings and that horn why don't you even desire to learn to use them." Dusk lamented, She wished her brother would show some interest in developing his natural abilities.

"Because dear sister if I did I wouldn't be allowed to return remember earth ponies only." He said nonchalantly he had grown up with under the same rules. He had always been an outcast in the small earth pony village where they had grown up.

"Radiant we probably won't be allowed back anyways. No pony was very keen on having us ask the princesses for help." She said coldly She never did like how the other ponies treated her brother. "Well no matter as our parents are dead anyways we really have no reason to go back." She stated calmly.

"I guess..." Radiant stopped in his tracks a low growl alerting him to danger. Radiant looked around his slitted eyes pierced the darkness around him. All living creatures showed up in thermal to his eyes within sixty feet. He saw large creatures moving through the under brush. "Horsefeathers, Sis we got company!" He called out rearing up on his hind legs. With a flick of his wrist he extended his talons out and took up a fighting pose. Dusk fell into a fighting stance as well.

Two manticores leapt from the underbrush. The snarling lion bodied monsters began to circle the two ponies. They flared their wings and raised their scorpion like tails. They continued to circle their prey. Radiant watched as the larger of the two edged closer. Before he could move against the monster Dusk darted out forming a blade of psionic energy. She dodged the giant paw that tore down towards her. The manticor brought it's other paw to bear, Dusk jumped the the attack. Radiant saw the look of triumph on the manticor's face. Before he could call out the manticore darted out its tail impaling her right under her Glowing crystal cutiemark. Radiant felt white hot anger build in him. Dusk could already feel the poison take affect making it so she couldn't move the affected leg. Without hesitation Radiant sprung forward towards the manticore. roaring the manticore brought its paw down to try and maul him. Without flinching Radiant caught the paw and slammed his clawed hand into the exposed flesh. This time the creature roared in pain. But Radiant wasn't done with it. With a savage fury he pulled the manticor closer letting his fury flow through his lungs. His rainbow hair became vibrant and glowed as his plasma breath erupted from his mouth reducing the the monster to cinders.

Radiant in his rage forgot to track the other manticore. It was brought back to his attention when he felt a sharp pain followed by warm liquid flowing down his side. Radiant brought his claw around letting the razor sharp claws shear off the scorpion tail. Turning to the creature He snarled letting his overlarge incisors and razor sharp claws shine in the moon light. His form showed bright against the night sky. The manticor reared back letting out a howl of pain and anger, its tail bathing the area around it in its own purple red blood. Radiant used his powerful back legs to spring forward closing the the gap between himself and the beast. It brought one of its paws down trying to skewer him with its own claws. Radiant dodged around it and lashed out. He was rewarded with another howl of pain as his claws kissed bone. Using his momentum and the creatures arm as a center point he brought one of his back legs around in a round house kick to the beasts chest sending it crashing back towards the underbrush. Radiant landed and dropped a piece of the monster's muscle he was still holding onto. He shook the blood and gore from his claws as the wounded creature stood once more and ran. He could hear it whimpering as it crashed through the underbrush.

"Horseapples." Radiant cursed dropping back to all fours as he approached his sister again. She was barely conscious the poison having worked faster than anticipated. He brought his hand over to his own wound. Already he could feel the poison in his own system beginning to work, zapping his strength. He only had a few minutes left before he wouldn't be able to move. Summoning what strength he could Radiant lifted Dusk onto his back, using his cloak to secure her there. "Hang in there sis." Radiant whispered as he crouched low like a runner. He moved his shoulders like a cat ready to pounce, arched his back and tore off at top speed. He felt a wall of air break around him as he started leaving behind a neon rainbow. He sped through the forest at breakneck speeds, time was of the essence as the manticore's poison continued to do its nefarious work. Radiant's cutiemarked flanks burned with fatigue. he jumped over a fallen tree and heard his sister whimper as he impacted the ground. "Wheres the end of this accursed forest." he lamented as he continued to rocket through the Everfree. With a feeling of dread building Radiant looked around finding the forest dark and imposing as ever. Then like a breath of fresh air he burst out of the oppressive Everfree. As he did he felt the last of his strength fail. 'Ponyfeathers!' He mentally screamed as the lights of the town before him faded from his view as his mind went dark.

Twilight:

Twilight stared up at the night sky, she was up early so she could see the sunrise and study some nocturnal creatures. She always loved finding new things to study. The lavender Alicorn was mindlessly taking notes on insect formations next to the Everfree forest. The forest formed the town of Ponyvill's southern most and eastern borders. She was humming happily and jotting down her amusing find that the bugs changed formation based on her humming. A sudden loud noise pulled her from her research and sent her air born on her large feathery wings. She levitated her note pad and quill using her magic that emanated from her horn that protruded from the center of her skull. It parted her deep purple mane in the exact same part as her light purple and pink streak. She watched warily waiting for what ever made the sound. To her surprise what tore out of the underbrush was no manticor or timber wolf it was what looked like a pony. The new black coated pony collapsed where it landed. Twilight dropped back down and trotted over expecting the Stallion to at least be conscious. 'Is that blood!' Her mind registered the pooling red fluid in alarm.

"Hey can you hear me?" twilight tried to rouse the stallion's attention. A whimper from his back brought her attention to the grey mare strapped to his back. She saw more blood and a gaping wound. "Oh no you guys really need help." She gathered her magic into her horn and quickly teleported them from the field they were in. Moments later she heard a squeak of surprise as she appeared in Ponyvill General Hospital. The stallion and his mare friend were laying at her feet. "Quickly they need medical attention!" Twilight called out in panic." Wit out hesitation two earth ponies and a unicorn hurried over to help. First they removed the grey mare from the Black unicorns back. A sudden gasp rose from every one including Twilight. She stared down at an alicorn that had draconic features. "That's certainly unique." she thought aloud looking over the stallion. As she examined him she noted that he had a manticore stinger lodged in his side but what really struck her was his cutiemark of a dragons wing attached to a glowing blade. The unicorn doctor with red mane and tail and a red heart cutiemark, looked over her new patients.

"Manticore poisoning and severe blood loss, shouldn't be a problem." Dr. Bleeding Heart said to herself as she levitated Radiant and Dusk to several gurneys. "Don't worry Princess they'll be right as rain by the time I'm done with them." she assured the worried Alicorn.

"Thank you can you notify me when they can receive visitors. I have some questions for them particularly the alicorn." Twilight said smiling. She was truly interested as she had to meet a male alicorn, and that was beside the fact that he appeared to be half dragon.

"Of coarse princess." Bleeding Heart said with a Large gleaming smile. "After all no princess should be with out her prince." She laughed as Twilight teleported out.