Liquid Thunder

Chapter 4

Canterlot Gardens. It was a beautiful setting. Roses and Daises, along with various other types of flowers as far as the eye could see. Yet, the setting was not as beautiful as the mare standing right in the middle of it. Princess Luna, ruler of the stars. Her majestic ethereal mane and her captivating green eyes both glistened brilliantly in the night sky.

"Good evening, Volt,"  Princess Luna said, acknowledging my presence. "I trust that you are ready for what I have planned for us this evening?"

"Yes, Princess Luna," I reply.

"No need to call me Princess Luna young one," Princess Luna chimed. "You may work for me and my sister now, but there's no more need for such formalities, just call me Luna." Luna explains, "But for now, lets cut to the chase on why you are here."

Luna paused for the briefest of moments.

"As my sister explained before, we will need to learn how you powers work, and also you will need to learn how to control it. Now, do you feel some sort of odd energy inside of you?" Luna asked.

I closed my eyes and searched for an unfamiliar feeling. Unfortunately, I could find it.

"Try harder," Luna told me yet again.

I tried once again for the unfamiliar feeling, once again. I was unsuccessful.

"Try. Harder." Luna said, quickly losing her patience.

Once again, I tried, and yet again, I was unsuccessful. The trying and failing had continued on for the next few hours. Every time I failed, Luna would only say try harder. I was completely exhausted, but the words kept ringing. Try harder, try harder. They seemed to repeat themselves constantly within my head. I just wanted to do this and get it over with, if only just to shut Princess Luna up. Once again, I had failed.

"Try. HARDER." Luna basically yelled this time.

That was the trigger point.

I got so mad at her, I wanted to just explode at her and tell her to stuff it, but then. This, this.... this thing. I felt it coursing through my body, it hurt, but I let it happen. I felt it, and I let it go. Then...BOOM. A loud shock wave quickly caused me to open my eyes. I was absolutely stunned. The Canterlot Gardens didn't quite look like this when I first stepped out into there. Flowers, and trees. Burnt and decimated. Some of them on fire, and Princess Luna. Shockingly unharmed, stood there in the midst of all the destruction I laid at wake and gave me a hug and a smile.

"Aha, you see? I knew you could do it," Luna said. "I hoped it would be a little less destructive, but you did it none the less." Luna continued. "I hope you aren't mad at me for being so hard on you, but I was only doing it because I knew you could do it." Luna said.

I could muster a nod due to sheer fatigue.

"Despite your little display causing more questions than it solved, I think I can figure a few things out," Luna continued. "Now, go get some rest, and in a few hours, I'll send for you so I can run some tests. See you then!" Luna chimed, happiness evident in her voice.

I barely made it back to my room, The alluring aura of sleep was the only thing driving me, so I plopped down on my bed, and was instantly overcome by the sandpony.

The suns rays were shining down on me, both waking me up, and indicating that it was morning time. I was feeling pretty sore after the events that occurred earlier in the morning. I was hurting, but hey. I was standing on my feet. As I walked out of my door, I ran into my partner, Platinum.

"Hi rook, how'd it go with Luna? Sleep well?" Platinum asked in a flurry of almost incomprehensible questions due to the pure speed of which she was speaking.

"Hi Platinum, It went well, and I did, surprisingly sleep extremely well," I answered.

"That's all great news, Platinum replied. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you that Princess Luna wants you down in the Laboratory after breakfast. Follow me." Platinum said as she started to lead me towards the lab.

After an ordinary breakfast...

The trek to the lab was actually a pretty long one. In total, the castle had 10 floors. My room was on the 3rd floor, and the lab was all the way downstairs. As a matter of fact, it was in the basement. The basement hadn't looked like anything I imagined. It was kept pretty neat and clean, just like the rest of the castle, but then again, I should thought it would be clean, seeing as it is royal property. There was one thing I expected to see here that was not here, so I decided to ask Platinum about it.

"Uh, Platinum?" I asked, oddly feeling slightly nervous.

"Yes, Rook?" She answered.

"Uhh, aren't the Canterlot dungeons supposed to be around here somewhere?" I asked.

Platinum stopped her walking for a moment, but resumed after a moment.

"Well, the dungeons aren't actually in the castle, it's on the other said of Canterlot Mountains, why do wanna know?"

"No reason," I said back.

Platinum stopped and looked at me strangely, but once again kept walking after a moment. After a short while, we reach our destination. The Laboratory. The lab was an above-average sized room, completely white, but almost empty. With only 2 unicorns in labcoats, and Princess Luna, also wearing a labcoat. Tinkering around with a chamber type machine in the back of the room.

"There you are Volt, Platinum," Luna says, without even needing to turn around.

"I've brought Volt like you've requested, Princess," Platinum says. "Is there anything else you need of me?"

"No, Platinum, that'll be enough for now. Enjoy the rest of your day." Luna says, still focusing on the machine.

"Okay Luna, Thank you." Platinum says, leaving the room. To go do whatever she does.

Silence filled the room as Luna, seemingly restlessly, continued to tinker with the machine.

"Sooo, whatcha need me for?" I asked, hoping to actually get her attention.

"I need you to tell me something," Luna replied, still not taking her eyes away from the machine.

"Tell you what?" I asked.

"As I recall, you weren't able to trigger your powers for quite a while, then all of a sudden, your powers surge out, and almost completely destroy the garden. There had to be a trigger. Was there anything different that time, then the times before?" Luna asked.

"Well, you were kinda yelling at me, and I was exhausted, and I guess I sorta got mad?" I said, with uneasiness in my voice.

"Hmm, I see," Luna pondered, "I have an theory I want to test." Luna then pushed a button, and the door on the machine opened. "Step inside, if you will. This machine is usually for measuring the power of a unicorns magic,  I have modified it to hopefully be able to measure your power. Assuming that your power works like a unicorns magic." I stepped inside. Luna pressed the same button, causing the door to close, encasing me inside.

"Okay now," Luna said, after tinkering with the machine a bit more, could you replicate the feeling you had? Instead of searching for it, I want you to feel it, feeling it surging through you."

I did as she told me. I almost instantly remembered what happened the previous night, the way she was yelling, the feeling of exhaustion. The way it got me so mad. I felt the same thing I felt last night, and just like last night, I let it course through my veins and let it out with a roar.

After a minute of looking at the results, Luna had grown a smile.

"So it's just as I thought," She said. "Volt. Your powers are controlled by emotion. The more you feel, the more energy you release." Luna studied the results further. "Okay, so. Rest up and meet me again at midnight. Now that I know where your power is coming from, It'll be easier for me to teach how to use your powers," Luna explained.

"I understand." I said, as Luna opened the chamber door and let me out.

I left the laboratory and I shortly entered the main room. The first thing I noticed was that there was a maid cleaning. For some reason, seeing that maid makes me go back to think about my life before all of this. You know, it was quite a drastic change. I used to work at a weather factory, I was a pretty average Pegasus, and. I guess I was just a whole ton of ordinary, but now, I have to forget all of that and move on. I didn't really have much friends before. I didn't have any social problems, I just liked keeping to myself, but everypony could use more friends, and why not start with the mare I work with? I had time before I had to go meet Princess Luna, so why not get to know Platinum a bit better?

It took some time searching, but I eventually found Platinum on the 4th floor balcony.

"Hey, Platinum," I said. I must have surprised her, as she jerked up from her position of leaning over the balcony.

"Oh, it's you. Hey Rook." She answered, after regaining her bearings.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you, if you wanted to go out," I nervously asked. Platinum, raised an eyebrow, confusion evident on her face.

"I-I mean, not like a date or anything, just.. get to know each other better? I mean, were gonna be partners and stuff," I quickly explained with a blush probably on my face, but when I opened my eyes, Platinum wasn't there anymore. She was actually behind me, and with a smile on her face. She only said two words.

"Lets go."