Issue #5
It was a dark stormy night. Sonic and Tails were with Sunny, Izzy, Pipp and Zipp, wearing their raincoats while looking for Discord to get the Pegasus Crystal back. Hitch and Knuckles stayed in Maretime Bay to cover more grounds and guard up the town, letting the rest in a rough storm at night while walking towards a lighthouse for shelter, with Pipp livestreaming with her phone that was wearing a little umbrella somehow.
"Pippsqueaks, our search for Discord has brought us way out to the coast. If I don’t check in soon or…" Pipp paused with a sheepish smile. "Heh... Anything weird happens, you know where to find me. I hope!" she said nervously to her followers.
Then Sonic suddenly snatched Pipp’s phone and gave her a look. "Little Pipp, let's not livestream anything for now" he begged to her. "You already did enough by sharing the existence of Discord to the others. We don't want him to find us, you know..." he pointed out, giving Pipp back her phone by putting it in her coat pocket.
"And you might wanna add a PSA for your followers, Pipp" Zipp suggested with worry. "If you get a message inviting you to the scariest abandoned town you’ve ever seen for info on a missing draconequus… Say you're busy at night" she advised her sister.
"It’s fine. C'mon, follow me" Pipp said with an assuring smile, leading her friends to the lighthouse the message led them to.
The group made it to the lighthouse and stopped at the front door. "Somepony needs to knock" Sunny suggested, not wanting to knock herself.
"I'll pass" Sonic said with a bored expression.
"Me too" Tails said a little scared, hiding behind Sonic.
"I’m freezing my flanks off" Izzy called out. "Detective Zipp?" she asked Zipp to knock.
"I’m in observation mode" Zipp countered, feeling a bit suspicious about this. "Pipp? This was your idea" she said to her sister.
"For hoofness sake--" Pipp groaned at her friends for not wanting to knock. But before she could continue or knock on the door, the lighthouse door opened, startling the group while an earth pony stallion, who's coat was light blue while wearing glasses and a raincoat, came in view.
"Well now!" the stallion called out sternly before showing a smile. "Come on inside. Take your boots off an' leave 'em in the dooryard" he said to them with a smile, inviting them inside and away from the storm.
Sometime later, after coming into the lighthouse, the stallion gave the group some hot chocolate as they sat in the living room with a fireplace in it to keep them warm with the stallion, now wearing a boat cap and scarf as his cutie mark was like a compass in the ocean. And inside the lighthouse, it had many boat theme decorations while Zipp and Sonic looked around, suspicious about this guy and finding his place a little weird.
"I’m sure you're wondering why I asked you to haul hoof all the way here…" the stallion said to them as the group nodded their heads in 'yes'. "Truth is, I don’t know how anypony uses those gizmos. Took me ages to write that message to ya, Pipp" he confessed, since he wasn't very used to technology stuff.
Pipp brought out her phone as she read the message he sent. "Thanks for sending it-- Wait!" she cried out after double checking the message. "You never told us your name!" she pointed out. The message said 'Have some information on the whereabouts of a certain lord of chaos. Meet me. Signed, A Friend', and that was all it said.
"I’m Lightning Rod" the stallion revealed. "And this here's the whispering beacon, the oldest lighthouse in Equestria" he gestured to his lighthouse home. "Most everypony has forgotten we’re out here" he added, stating that ponies have forgotten about this lighthouse a long time ago. "Ayup, everything here is long in withers, including me" he admitted.
"It must been harsh" Tails said with a soft smile. "Being alone all this time, I mean" he added.
"It was, indeed" Lightning Rod said with a sad smile. "But being around a long time means you hear things" he stated.
"Things about Discord?" Sunny asked while she and Tails had hopeful expressions, while Izzy and Pipp looked amazed with Pipp still sipping her hot chocolate and Izzy got some on her messy muzzle. And then there were Zipp and Sonic, who didn't trusted Lightning Rod at all.
Lightning Rod then gave the group a serious expression. "Hard tellin' not knowin', but maybe, just maybe, I know a legend that can guide your ship to port, so to speak" he told them. "Tell me… What do you know about chaos magic?" he asked them, pulling out his phone and looking on internet of Chaos Magic and its history. "According to this Wikiponia, chaos magic was the enemy of the elements of harmony, and--" he started, but got cut off by Pipp.
"--Wait, I could’ve read this at home and saved my mane from salt water damage" Pipp pointed out with a suspicious look while waving her hooves to prove her point. "I wanna know what you know about chaos magic" she said to Lightning Rod with a frown.
"I’m with Pipp on this one" Sonic said with a playful smirk. "We have our experience with it, but what do you know about chaos magic, sir?" he asked said with a raised eyebrow.
Lightning Rod lifted his pike to his mouth as he sat on his chair. "Have you ever heard about the Mirror of Mayhem?" he asked them. "Don’t botha lookin' 'em up on your phones, won't be nothin' there" he said, getting up and standing next to his broken mirror, while the group listened to him. "You sure you've never heard about the bad luck it brings? About the town it destroyed?" he asked them with a serious expression.
"I don’t think so…" Pipp said while turning to her friends. All looked confused, since no one ever heard that story before.
"Nope" Sonic simply replied.
Then Lightning Rod went to his bookshelf and brought out a book. "Someponies say it's just a legend, others say the mirror is cursed, some say it can contact spirits--" se stated, but then Izzy interrupted.
"Like Bloody Marey?!" Izzy asked in excitement.
"Don’t believe in that nonsense" Lightning Rod pointed out to Izzy since Bloody Marey is just a scary story. "But I do think…" he said with a thoughtful look.
"Does this story links with Discord? Because if it doesn't, I'm not interested" Sonic said with a little frown, while Pipp pushed him on the shoulder with a glare.
"I believe so, Mr. Hedgehog" Lightning Rod answered, opening up his book as he searched for the right page.
"Scary story time!" Zipp cried out in excitement, while she and her friends huddled close to listen to Lightning Rod's story.
"Oh boy..." Tails cried out with worry, hiding behind Zipp this time. Even tho his age said he was an adult, scary stories still scared him a lot.
"What do you think, Lightning Rod?" Sunny asked. "What’s behind the Mirror of Mayhem?" she added with curiosity.
"Spit out the beans, old man" Sonic said with a mocking tone.
Then Lightning Rod gave a serious expression to the group. "I’m pretty sure it's a certain Lord of Chaos" he said, which got everyone's attention as they listened to his story titled 'Lightning Rod and the Mirror of Mayhem'.
"As it goes, the Mirror of Mayhem made its way here by sea" Lightning narrated, telling a scene of the story named 'Ye Olde Curse', showing a map that showed part of Equestria and how the mirror was brought there when it moved by sea.
The next scene showed a family of earth ponies docking their boat to the docks, lowering their ramp. "Nopony knows where it came from, but when the ship picked up the cargo holding the mirror…" Lightning Rod stated. "Things dot stove-up real bad" Lightning Rod added, and the next scene showed the family being attacked by a group of earth ponies pirates as the family screamed in fright, while the pirates attacked and their boat that was burning from the attack.
The next page showed a blue Earth Pony Mare with a captain’s pirate hat setting the mirror. "They say a pirate by the name of Captain Cannon Bone kept the mirror for herself" Lightning Rod stated as Captain Cannon Bone looked at the mirror and she admired her reflection... but then the next scene showed the captain mare as a skeleton who kept smiling creepy at the bottom of the ocean. "Ayup, didn’t turn out so good for her either" Lightning Rod pointed out.
The next scene was titled 'More Curses', and it showed a pony in a diving suit, finding a chest at the bottom of the ocean. "Well, the darn thing didn’t want to stay at the bottom of the drink, so it turned up again" Lightning Rod narrated, while the diving Pony opened the chest, revealing the mirror that floated up from the water, not before the pony looked at it, freezing him in place as a shark came behind him "And you could say more bad things happened" Lightning Rod said, not wanting to narrate the pony's destiny.
The next scene showed the mirror being sold on a stand at a coast docks, with an earth pony stallion selling some sea stuff at his stand called 'Sea Junk' "The mirror resurfaced a bit later, finally having made its way to dry land" Lightning said, as an earth pony mare looked at the mirror and got in some kind of trance, admittedly paying for the mirror. "Yessah, that ghastly glass sure had a way about it" Lightning started, while the mare with the mirror mindlessly walked to the edge of the docks and fell into the water, except for the mirror that flew out of her saddle bag and into the dock's floor. "Seemed to bring trouble to everypony it came in contact with. 'Cept one" Lightning said, while the mirror got picked up by somepony that was a blue earth pony stallion with a suit and glasses, looking at the mirror with a mischievous smirk. "... Fet Lockland. Used to be one of the Wealthiest Ponies in these parts. Opened his shop right over in Candlebright Cove" Lightning started, while Fet's shop was shown. "Lotsa Yarns about Lockland, Yessah. They said all his bits came from Chaos Magic" Lightning stated.
And then Fet gave the mirror wrapped to an earth pony mare with a smile. "But he did earn quite a bit selling the mirror" Lightning listed as the next scene showed the mare, all bandaged up and traumatized, returning the mirror as it was slightly opened, and Fet smirked, having planned this to get more bits.
And then the mirror was taking again and again by other ponies, like an earth pony stallion that was covered in cactus, or a unicorn mare that was covered in honey with bees around her and felt scared, and also a pony that had a giant fish on their head. "... He sold it a few times" Lightning pointed out, showing another pony that was smokey weakly, lifting the mirror to Fet, who was evilly smiling at this outcome.
The next scene, titled 'Ye Olde Legends', showed Fet cheering as bits were raining down on him. "Where everypony had nothing but rotten luck, Lockland downright Flourished" Lightning explained, while Fet’s shop showed ponies waiting in line. "'Starting Charging' to see the Mirror of Mayhem, as he called it" Lightning stated.
"He said…" Lightning started to explain, while Fet pulled the cover off the mirror. "Ayup, just look into the mirror, see what you’re upta in the future" Lockland said to the mare, who looked at the mirror and saw herself in a beautiful wedding dress, while she smiled with awe. "Even though the curse seemed dormant… The mirror still manages to cause grief" Lightning pointed out, as the mare turned to her fiance, who had a scolding look and lifted up his hoof to reveal the same bracelet the mare has, and in the mirror it’s not there, making the mare grew nervous.
And then, Lockland was on his desk counting the bits he bribed off the ponies. "And made Lockland very rich" Lightning stated.
When night came, Lockland closed his shop, putting up a sign that said 'Gone Fishing', as a way to let ponies know he is out for now.
"Which is why everypony thought it was so odd that his shop just closed one day" Lightning narrated, now showing three earth pony mares walking to Lockland's shop, peeking through the window. And what they saw scared them a lot: they saw Lockland's face starting to decay and his eyes becoming completely white, while his hooves were grabbed by the spirit of Discord from the mirror with candles in front of it. "But Lockland hadn’t gone anywhere. At least, nowhere anypony had gone before" Lightning started, while the three mares rushed off in complete freight. "And wherever that was, it scared folks from something awful" Lightning added, not knowing what has happened in there.
Back to reality, the group was still listening to Lightning Rod, when suddenly a thunder fell and startled Tails, who immediately turned into a ball and hided between Sonic's legs.
Sonic patted Tails a bit with a smile. "It's been 18 years, but you're still scared of thunders..." he said with a chuckle.
"I hate thunders..." Tails replied, still as a ball.
"Well--" Lightning Rod continued, about to finish the story, but then that word got Zipp’s attention as she widened her eyes so wide.
"Well?!" Zipp cried out as she chugged her entire cup of hot chocolate quickly and dropped it on the ground. "You can’t just leave us hanging here!" she cried out, as she went to Sunny's side who turned to look at her, but didn’t see that Zipp drank Sunny's hot chocolate as well so quickly. Zipp then grabbed Sonic's cup, who was wide-eyed at Zipp's sugar rush, while Tails straightened again and looked at Zipp confused. "Where did he go?" she asked, grabbing Izzy by the face after drinking both Sonic and Tails' cup. "Why isn’t Candlebright Cove still around?" she asked again, flying around Izzy and drinking her cup as well, then grabbed Pipp’s hot chocolate next, who was wide eyed at her sister. "Was Fet Lockland even real?" she asked again, and then she flew straight to Lightning Rod and grabbed his shoulders, who was wide eyed as well at how hype Zipp was. "What does this have to do with Discord?!" she cried out, and then she lifted the empty cup in her hoof and stared at it with wide eyes. "And may I please have some more hot chocolate?!" She asked, still in a state of a sugar rush.
Pipp chuckled sheepishly as she grabbed Hype Zipp from her hind hooves. "Somepony can’t hold their suuuugar…" she sang sheepishly.
"Thank hoofness Knuckles isn't here, he would be ten times worst" Sonic said, as he and Tails chuckled a little. "Also, these ponies phrases are starting to get on my mind..." he pointed out a little surprised.
Some time later, Lightning Rod made a fresh back of hot chocolates and gave to the group, while Lightning Rod gave a fresh cup to Zipp, who felt embarrassed of showing her sugar rush side to the others.
"Figured I’d answer the easy question first" Lightning Rod said with a smile. "Especially considering you were buzzin' around here like a bee in a mitten" he joked about Zipp's sugar rush.
Zipp smiled sheepishly as she grabbed the cup. "Ha. I’m sort of a detective, and when I can’t crack a case, I just get a little…" she started, but then got cut off when Izzy got in front of her waving her hooves in a cheerful tone.
"Tell me who, tell me where, tell me NOOOW!" Izzy imitated Zipp's reaction, as she and the rest laughed at this while Zipp crossed her hooves in annoyance.
"You got on this yourself, Zipp! Live with it!" Tails said with a little chuckle.
"Oh, for hoofness sake! Okay, okay, I’ll chill" Zipp said with an annoying expression. "But we still need to know about Discord!" she said to Lightning Rod with a serious expression.
Lightning Rod smirked at her. "As I was saying…" he started where he left off as he grabbed another book from the shelf. "This is where things get complicated" he said to the group.
"Things get more complicated?" Sunny asked with curiosity.
"Ayup" Lightning Rod replied.
"Well, since we're talking about the Lord of Chaos himself, I won't be surprised if things get out of hand from here..." Sonic pointed out, slurping some hot chocolate.
"It sure does" Lightning Rod answered again.
Now, a glass tapestry showed how Celestia and Luna defeated Discord for the first time. "Even though Celestia and Luna imprisoned him, Discord found a way around it" Lightning explained, and then Discord, looking on his youth, growled since he was defeated. "He’s always been a clever one" Lightning Rod added, while Discord suddenly smirked at the janitor pony with the mirror behind him, rubbing his chin with a smirk. "Too clever, maybe" Lightning Rod added as Discord then appeared in the mirror the janitor was washing.
And sometime later, the janitor stallion was hypnotized by Discord, who got the mirror on his saddle bag while he walked upfront a unicorn mare with a bread cart.
"I reckon that Discord found a way to travel using Glass. And the poor folks who got in his paths" Lightning Rod theorized on how Discord get around so easily while being trap in stone for a thousand years. The scene showed the janitor getting hit by the cart with a bucket on his head while in dizziness as the unicorn mare trotted off, with the mirror on her cart without knowing.
"Used them how?" Sunny asked Lightning Rod.
"That nasty fellow draws his energy from the havoc he creates" Lightning Rod explained, showing a scene where Discord laughed in the mirror, clearly enjoying the chaos he was causing. "While his spirit hides somewhere safe, he spreads trouble. And with that escape, he was on his way to become unstoppable" Lightning added.
And then, over time, other ponies that have found the mirror fallen under Discord's trance while passing it down from one pony to another, while the mirror traveled around Equestria as a unicorn mare put it in a box. "He made his way here" Lightning said, settling the events up until Lockland found the mirror.
The mirror laid on Captain Cannon Bone’s desk, showing a little swirl on one side of it. "Maybe he sensed Fet’s magic…" Lightning stated.
And then Fet Lockland's clothes and glasses were on the floor as a green smoke came out of it. "... And took those powers for himself" Lightning stated Lockland's fate.
Later on, some ponies started to clean out Lockland's shop while they moved boxes and take out the sign, since Lockland was now gone. "Eventually, the shop was cleaned out, and folks went on with their lives" Lightning said, now showing Discord's talon claw coming out with of one box with a smoke, while Discord grinned evilly in the mirror. "But Discord was still waiting… for some naive fool to come along" Lightning finished the story.
Lightning Rod looked at the broken mirror with regret and guilt. "And a fool surely did come along" he said.
"What do you mean?" Pipp asked in confusion.
"Let’s go up top" Lightning Rod said, as he led the group upstairs, to the top of the Lighthouse.
At the top of the Lighthouse, Lightning Rod turned on the Lighthouse light signals, pointing it to one direction while the group looked on said direction.
"See that?" Lightning Rod asked the girls at the sight they were seeing.
"I think… I sorta… Kinda..." Sunny said as she tried to see clearly. "No, I absolutely don’t" she honestly admitted.
"Uh, what are we looking at?" Sonic asked Lightning Rod.
"Wondering the same, I see nothing" Tails replied, narrowing his eyes.
"That used to be Candlebright Cove" Lightning Rod revealed to the group, looking at some rubble in the distance.
The group was shocked at this as they saw the barren remains of what used to be Candlebright Cove, while Zipp flew in the air. "What happened to it?" she asked.
Lightning Rod closed his eyes as he grabbed his hat and lowered it to his chest, revealing that he was a Unicorn, but his horn was cut in half. "Me" he revealed, saying that he is the cause of the town's destruction.
The group was shocked at this, both at Lightning Rod being a unicorn and how he just said that he was the one responsible for what happened to Candlebright Cove.
"Well, this went from 0 to 100 too freaking fast!" Sonic said with shock.
"We’re going to need more hot chocolate for this. And maybe some snacks" Zipp said to Lightning.
"Follow me" Lightning Rod told to the group, while they followed him back downstairs.
In the kitchen of the Lighthouse, the group was sitting on the table while they listened to Lightning Rod from the side of it.
"I knew when I sent that email that I was ready to come clean, but--" Lightning Rod started explaining, but then Zipp came to his side with an eager look as she pointed to the cabinets.
"Do you mind if I just… Y’know..." Zipp asked to Lightning Rod with a smirk.
"I’m all mug up from the hot cocoa, but help yourself" Lightning Rod gave his permission to Zipp, as she zipped to the cabinets and dig through them for snacks, while Lightning Rod brought out his photo album. "These photos are from just before… Well, see for yourselves" he said, bringing the album to the group as they saw pictures of what Candlebright Cove used to be. One picture showed a seapony statue fountain, the second one showed Lightning Rod in his youth with his horn intact and taking a picture of himself and his Lighthouse, while the third one showed him waving to the crowd in some kind of parade. "Candlebright Cove was a real nice town. I had good friends, did an important job, and felt like part of the community. Back then, bein' a keeper was a big deal... But things changed, things always change" he said with a little sad tone.
"Except Zipp" Izzy pointed out with a smile, as the group saw Zipp bringing in snacks while in flight.
"How's that Zipp even has a sweet tooth?" Sonic asked with a chuckle.
Pipp smirked at her sister and started recording Zipp with her phone. "The Pippsqueaks are going to love this, especially if she drops it!" she teased, wanting to see if Zipp drops the snack if she loses her balance.
Lightning Rod gave a serious expression as he looked at the group. "You ready for one last scary story?" he asked the group, ready to tell his tale.
In the past, young Lightning Rod shook an old stallion's, that used to work in the Lighthouse, hoof as they smiled to each other. "I came to Candlebright Cove because they didn’t mind magic, unlike some other places" Lightning stated, meaning that unlike Maretime Bay, Bridlewood, and Zephyr Heights, Candlebright Cove welcomed everypony, no matter what race they were.
The next scene showed Lightning Rod looking at the ocean at the top of the Lighthouse, as he saw a boat in the distance and he shined the light to help guide it back to safety from the rough waves. "The harbor used to be the main port, yessah. Led lots of boats to shore, helped a lot of folks. Over the years, Candlebright Cove grew. Got more modern" Lightning stated.
Then the next scene showed Lightning Rod walking out of the Lighthouse, seeing ponies using their phones. "Technology meant boats were guided differently, they didn’t need an old Lighthouse anymore" Lightning explained.
"Or the keeper" Lightning added as it showed his young self packing his things. "I decided it was time to move down the road apiece. Didn’t want to stick around to watch myself become obsolete" Lightning added with sadness.
"And then…" Lightning started, while his younger self opened up a chest and saw the mirror in it, and once he picked it up, he saw Discord in it with shock. "... I’d had the thing for years, nothing bad had ever happened. Until that day in my Lighthouse" Lightning stated.
"Yesss, your Lighthouse…" Discord smirked evilly to Lightning.
"He said he’d make sure the town will always need me, that I'd always have a home" Lightning stated as his past self got grabbed by a smoke claw version of Discord's claw and Lightning freaked out. "What he wanted in exchange though…" Lightning stopped for a moment as he showed a scene of boats crashing into shore in a tremendous wave in a dangerous storm. "Imagine the chaos of just a few boats running up shore, he said" Lightning narrowed down, while Discord then surrounded him in fog form as Lightning Rod lower his head. "I should just use my powers, he said. They’d help me free him. Surely there must be another way, I asked him" Lightning told what he and Discord said to each other, while he looked at Candlebright Cove with Discord, in the mirror, next to him. "If it was my powers he wanted, well, I was gonna make sure he got 'em" Lightning said as his young self got in front of Discord, who was 'seeing' excitedly for Lightning to do it, as Lightning blasted the mirror with a powerful magic from his horn. "I should just use my powers, he said. They'd help free him" Lightning repeated.
Once he was done, his horn had broken off from the overpowered magic as it smoked, while he looked in despair at what he has done. "It was like the town had never existed. I’ve never meant-- I thought I’d just destroyed the mirror" Lightning said in a sad tone, stating that he was planning to destroyed the mirror to prevent Discord from messing with other ponies, but somehow, not only did he destroyed the mirror, but also he destroyed the entire town of Candlebright Cove. "What was left of it shows some things, but with that piece broken… Well, Discord was gone" Lightning Rod finished his backstory.
"That’s my story" Lightning Rod said to the group with a sad look. "And that’s why I asked you out here" he said his reason for bringing the group out here.
"That was very brave of you. It must’ve been hard" Sunny said to Lightning with a comprehensive smile.
Lightning Rod small smiled back at Sunny. "What woulda been brave was letting the town grow, letting things change" he stated with sad look again. "Instead I held on to the past and ended up alone-- But at least the mirror isn’t hurting anypony anymore" he said, looking at the bright side of things.
"I know the feeling..." Tails said with a small smile. "When I was a kid, I moved from my place to live with Sonic. At first I was scared, not because I left my old home, no. That actually made me happy since no one really wanted me there..." he started to explain a little down. "I was scared because I was going to a new unknown place for me. And I knew nobody but Sonic back then, and the idea of not fit in because of how different I was... made me realize I didn't like change..." he said with sadness, but then he smiled. "But once I arrived, everyone was so... warming and welcoming. They didn't cared about my tails, they were being nice because they wanted to. Change can be scary, that's true, but it's a good thing once you give it a chance" he finished with a bright smile.
Lightning Rod smiled at Tails for his words. "Guess your right, kid" he said.
Pipp then gasped at what Tails and Lightning just said. "Change! That’s it! Discord doesn’t want anything to change. I bet he still uses the same hideout he did back then!" she said aloud with a smile. "We can just look in the mirror--" she wanted to suggest, but then realized something as they walked out of the kitchen. "I forgot, it’s broken. You really can’t see where he’s at, Lightning Rod?" she asked the old Unicorn.
Lightning Rod smiled in response as they walked to the mirror over the fireplace. "No, no, you can’t see there from here with it broken. But…" he adjusted it a bit. "The other piece is out where the town used to be, probably buried under the rumble" he told. "When I saw your message, I knew it was time to finally do some of the good I meant to" he finished with optimism.
Pipp smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "We can really find him with this, can't we? We can still save magic" she said with a hopeful smile.
"Of course we can, Little Pipp" Sonic told her, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling at her. "We will find this guy, at any cost" he stated with confidence.
The next day, the group was ready to start their search again, with the broken mirror in Pipp’s saddle bag as they say their goodbye to Lightning Rod.
"Mr. Rod, thank you so much for your help" Sonic told him with a smile, shaking his hand with the stallion's hoof. "Now we have a chance to find Discord and save magic for good" he added.
"It was my pleasure, Mr. Hedgehog" Lightning Rod replied with a smile, glad to be of some help to them.
"You’ve been keeping this safe for so long, as I do the math, an exceptionally long time" Pipp told Lightning with an uncertain look. "Are you gonna be okay without it?" she asked him with worry.
Lightning Rod smiled in reassurance. "Oh, I think it’s well past time for me to find a new hobby. Maybe I'll try blogging like you" he said with a cheerful tone.
Pipp then smiled as she brought out her phone. "Thanks for reminding me! Can we get a selfie-- Y’know, for my next update" she asked, wanting her and her friends to take a selfie with Lightning Rod to remember him for his help.
Lightning Rod smiled in agreement as the group huddled around him and Pipp took a picture of him and his Lighthouse, while Zipp gave a suspicious look at Lightning Rod as she flew close to him.
"When exactly did all of this start?" Zipp asked. "It does seem like you’ve been here a really, really, reeeeally long time… Something isn’t adding up" she pointed out, while Lightning Rod gave a smirk in response.
Sunny grabbed Zipp by her leg as she gave her a scolding look. "Zipp! You said you’d chill!" she lectured. However, Tails gave a strange look, finding Zipp’s question suspicious as well. Since Sunny told some stories of Ancient Equestria, the Discord one's included, and the fact that Discord himself confirmed them when they met him on Canterlot, he felt something wasn’t right.
A few moments later, the group continued their journey as Lightning Rod waved bye to them. "Thank you all. For listening. For helping me put things right" he called out to them.
"We’ll let you know how it goes" Pipp waved back at him with a smile. "Wow, I mean wow! Can you believe that?" she asked her friends cheerfully.
"Not really, no" Zipp replied as she had a lot of thoughts in her head. "I believe the story but I have so many questions" she added.
"Zipp's right... something's wrong" Tails said with concern. "Discord using the mirror to get around? That’s not what happened according to Argyle's stories. If he was still, he would’ve still been a statue, but Twilight and her friends set him free to get reformed" he said. "And Discord himself said something about having a sanctuary with Fluttershy, and he was already a 'good guy' then! This smells like a charade to me..." he finished with a frown.
"And not only that" Zipp spoke again. "How does he get cell service out here? Where does he go grocery shopping? This place is desolated!" she pointed out, questioning how Lightning Rod could even contact them if this place was desolated for miles. Zipp stopped as she gestured to where they were without looking. "Why didn’t he just give us the mirror to begin with? Why tell us--" she tried to ask again, but Pipp cut her off with an assuring smile.
"Zipp, if I’ve learned anything from streaming… Lightning Rod is a natural content creator" Pipp stated. "Everypony loves a story. Everypony loves a little mystery" she added.
Suddenly, Sonic felt a chill on his quills, that glowed for a moment before go back to normal. Sonic turned around and his eyes widened. "Oh, you have to be kidding me!" he shouted.
Sunny turned her head to see what shocked Sonic, and then gave a shock look as well. "Uhh…" Sunny said with confusion.
Tails turned around as well, and his eyes widened as well. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF CHAOS IS HAPPENING?!" he cried out in shock.
That was because Lightning Rod and his Lighthouse were gone, and there was nothing on the spot where it should be.
Pipp turned to her friends, with wide eyes as well. "I said a little!" she cried out, surprised that Lightning Rod and his Lighthouse were gone.
"Did somepony request a mystery?" Sunny asked in shock.
To be continued...
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Great chapter, and wow, Lightning Rod sure did tell a scary story of discord and the mirror, but something wasn’t right there as there are some mysteries to cover and only Sonic, Tails and Zipp were suspicious but now they have a lead to find discord and by the time they turned back, Lightning Rod and his Lighthouse was gone, wow that is a mystery, awesome job on this chapter, keep up the great work
I like to think that Lightning Rod was a ghost that was only able to live that long cause of the mirror. But once the mirror was gone, his physical body & Spirit disappeared once he was able to let go.
I actually think Pipp says this quote, not Lightning Rod. Looks like it in the comic, anyway.
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No. Lightning Rod says it, since Pipp complains about it later.
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Okay, if you say so. I just thought it went the way I described it from my perspective of the comic itself, that's all.