A Storm is Coming

A Storm is Coming

Chapter 1: Awakening

The sound of chirping birds woke him. The young Alicorn lay face down on what appeared to be a cold stone floor. His body felt like a mass of bruises. He had absolutely no idea where he was or how long he had been unconscious.

Am I…am I dead?

Slowly, gingerly, he got to his hooves. The Alicorn inhaled slowly and deliberately, and exhaled a full breath. He looked down and felt his heart, still pumping beneath his gold breastplate. Aside from the fact that his joints were sore, he seemed to be in one piece.

Nope. It looks like I’m still alive. But, how can that be? I thought I was a goner.

The adolescent stallion took in his surroundings. His initial look did nothing to ease his confusion, or the sense of unease the place gave him. The place was certainly made of stone; around him were the ruins of what appeared to be an ancient castle. The place was overgrown with moss and dust coating the floor, while ivy traced intricate patterns down the columns at the edge if the hall. The hall stank with a musty odor that caused the Alicorn to scrunch up his nose. He was no expert, but the Alicorn guessed these ruins had to be several millennia old. The light of the afternoon sun played across the ground through the openings in the ceiling, accompanied by the shadows cast by the ruined stones. There were no sounds save the chirping of the birds that woke him.

I might as well explore…

The colt walked toward what he guessed was the rear of the structure and found a spiral staircase. The sense of unease began to grow for reasons he did not quite understand.

I’ve been here before…Why is this place so familiar?

At the top of the staircase, he came to a large antechamber. At the far end were four thrones. The two in the middle were raised up slightly higher than the two end thrones, but all four were an impressive sight to see, even after the years had their way with them.

Upon seeing the thrones, the Alicorn’s blood ran cold. He knew those thrones well…

Memories from that fateful day and the battle clouded his mind. The Draconequus’ maniacal laughter… Searing pain in his body… Her screaming, calling out his name… A blinding flash of light… And now waking up in deserted ruins, when there should be a castle in its stead.

No. It’s not possible… I have to find out what happened.

He unfurled his wings, previously idle by his sides, and took off through the nearest open window, to the right of the throne room. With a series of strong flaps, he gained altitude, until he could look down on his surroundings from a bird’s eye view. He settled into a hover and paused to take a quick look at the sun, high in the sky. A flock of geese flew lazily past him. He allowed himself a quick smile at the feeling of elation he always got when he flew before turning his attention to the ground below. What he saw only confirmed his suspicions, but also opened up even more questions.

Around the ruins of the castle lay a massive forest that went on for what must have been hundreds of miles. The forest itself gave him another chill. It seemed almost alive. Almost…unnatural. Chaotic. He knew about chaos all too well. The Alicorn did an about face midair, and saw a tiny town near the far edge of the forest. It did not seem terribly important. Further still, a stately castle gleamed like a cut gem against the side of a mountain.

If there are any answers to be had, I’ll find them there. I have to know what happened to Equestria.

With that, he flew with haste toward the unfamiliar castle, leaving behind a black contrail, streaked with lightning.

Discord. Was this your doing? What did you do?

Princess Celestia’s gaze was fixed upon her map of Equestria, brow furrowed in deep thought. She was in her private chambers in Canterlot castle. The alabaster Alicorn studied the map intensely, specifically the area surrounding the Everfree Forest. She had marked the map with a series of concentric circles, representing the magical anomaly she had felt not minutes ago. It was a familiar magical energy, but she knew better than to think it was who she thought it could be. That was impossible….

Wasn’t it?

While she studied the map, an indigo Alicorn walked up and stood behind her, waiting to announce her arrival.

“I take it you sensed it as well?” Asked Celestia, without turning around.

Luna smiled. She should have known Celestia already knew she was there. With slow hoofsteps, she strode toward her sister until they were side-by-side, looking at the map.

“Yes, sister. There was a magical anomaly, not twenty minutes ago, in the ruins of Everfree Castle. I’ve not felt the like since…” Luna paused, knowing what followed was sensitive subject matter. Neither of them liked to think of the day the castle fell.

Celestia noticed her sister’s pause and was thankful.

“It’s not something I like to think about, Luna. I appreciate your not mentioning it. I understand your hope, but you saw what happened. There is no way it could be him.” Celestia lowered her head, unwanted memories filling her thoughts. Remembering just made it harder to cope.

Luna nuzzled Celestia gently.

“You know you can talk to me about it, if you want. I’m here for you.”

Celestia simply returned her sister’s nuzzle before turning her gaze back to the map, eyes focused on Everfree Castle’s ruins.

“No. I’m sorry, little sister, but I’d really rather not.”

The indigo Alicorn nodded her consent. She learned a long time ago to not touch on the subject with Celestia, but she still couldn’t help that she tried every now and then.

Celestia turned gracefully, multi-hued mane billowing in the nonexistent wind. She motioned for Luna to follow her. The sisters walked down the main hallway of Canterlot Castle, toward where a squad of the Royal Guard where waiting for their arrival. Celestia addressed the senior officer directly.

“Colonel Steel Hoof, I need you to lead a squad to do a fly-by over the Everfree Forest, concentrating on a fifty mile radius around the ruins of Everfree Castle. Look for anything unusual. And before you leave, tell the captains that I have ordered an increase in security.

The colonel snapped off a smart salute, bowed before the princesses, and left with his squad in tow to carry out the Sun Princess’ orders. Luna shot a confused look at Celestia.

“Celly, why the extra precautions? One magical anomaly does not a crisis make.”

“Lulu, when you’ve ruled as long as I have, you know better than to take risks. I thought the crisis with Discord, not to mention the incident with the Changeling Queen, would have taught you that. I will not be taken by surprise again.”

Luna looked at the ground, understanding her sister’s logic, but not liking it. She still held a far-fetched suspicion as to the source of the anomaly, but Celestia simply refused to believe such a thing was possible. She didn’t want to hope against hope. Luna honestly couldn’t blame her.

The young Alicorn stallion was making great time. The castle was drawing closer by the minute. He would have his answers soon. At least he hoped he would. He was sick of unanswered questions.

A few minutes passed by in an uneventful silence, but before long, he noticed a series of pony-shaped dots up ahead. And they were getting larger. While he looked at the approaching figures, a bright light hit him square in the eye, causing a brief moment of pain. With a start, he realized that it was the glinting of armor. Militaristic looking armor. His brow furrowed.

Oh, great. Looks like a welcoming committee.

Colonel Steel Hoof was worried. The princess was not one to send a squad on an intelligence-gathering mission without good cause. And the fact that she had asked for a tightening of security was no small thing, either. Anything that made either one of the princesses nervous was bound to be bad. Plus, Everfree forest in general gave him the creeps.

The Pegasus guard flying adjacent to him interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey, Colonel, check this out. It looks like there’s a Pegasus flying toward us at 12 O’clock.”

“What, Cloud Striker?”

“I said there’s a Pegasus at 12 O’clock. And it looks as though he is making a weather anomaly similar to the Wonderbolt’s storm contrail.”

Steel Hoof concentrated his eyes forward, and sure enough, Cloud Striker was telling the truth. They continued on their flight path, and the Pegasus in question flew nearer and nearer. He saw that he was young, barely out of his adolescent years. His coat was the color of slate and his mane was like gold. His frame was thin, and he looked to be about as tall as Princess Luna. He also seemed to wear a golden breastplate of some kind, ornate, ancient, and clearly well taken care of.  It eerily reminded Hoof of the armor he currently wore, only much more elaborate. Everything about the mystery flyer screamed “warrior.” That alone was enough to make his fur stand on end. However, Steel Hoof soon became even more unnerved by what he saw adorning the Pegasus’ forehead. A horn.

“That’s no Pegasus…”

His squad mates collectively gulped when they realized their commander was right.

“What do we do, boss?”

“This must count as the ‘unusual’ things that the Princesses wanted us to look for. Judging by his flight path, he’s heading on a trajectory for the castle. We’ll see what his intentions are. Hang on, I think he might be stopping.”

Sure enough, the young Alicorn had come to a hover as they neared. He had begun to dissipate the contrail when they neared him. By now, the contrail was completely gone, but the static electricity left over made the Pegasus guards’ hair stand up further. It was then that Steel Hoof noticed his cutie mark, three bright yellow lightning bolts, shooting out from the bottom of a white cloud.

“Interesting cutie mark.” Steel Hoof turned to Cloud Striker and saw that his eyes were narrowed. “What’s up?”

“I don’t like this. This stallion looks like he means business.”

“Well, we mean business too. We can take him if we have too. It’ll be four on one.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Steel Hoof turned his gaze back to the Alicorn. Despite his encouraging words, he did not feel that optimistic about this situation. This was not looking like a good day.

“Stay on your guard, colts. Attack at the first sign of hostility.”

“Yes, sir.” The other three guards intoned in unison.

The stallion saw that the soldiers were attempting to overtake him. Now was the moment for some quick decision making. Too bad that thinking things through completely was never his strong suit. He had slowed until he was hovering in the air, wings flapping in slow, strong beats as the soldiers flew toward him. Their apparent commander, as signified by his more elaborate breastplate and helmet, addressed him directly.

“Unknown Alicorn, I have to ask you to cease your flying and the creating of unauthorized weather phenomena and that you come with us for questioning! You are flying in restricted airspace! Failure to comply will result in your arrest!”

The Alicorn’s eyes narrowed. He did not take kindly to ponies threatening him.

“I DO NOT LIKE YOUR TONE. AM I STILL IN EQUESTRIA? WHO LEADS YOU?”

Obviously, the Pegasi were not expecting such a forceful response. They also apparently thought it was a hostile answer. The Royal Canterlot Voice took them completely by surprise, and they reacted as though threatened.

“Take him down!” The commander shouted.

He couldn’t help but smirk at the Pegasus’ command.

Ha. Take ME down, he says…

Without another word, the Alicorn blew by the guards with the force of a hurricane, scattering them in his wake. He quickly formed the contrail again as he continued to make a beeline toward the castle.

Ok, time to think. So I’ve effectively resisted arrest. Maybe if I find their leader, I can somehow convince him or her that I mean no harm. Yeah, that’ll work… Oh, who am I kidding. That sounds stupid. Looks like I’ll have to play it by ear.  I’d rather not resort to force…

Behind him, he could hear the sound of approaching wing beats, and heard the labored breathing of the guards as they tried to keep up. He couldn’t help but be impressed by their diligence. By now, the castle was directly in front of him and big as day. The white stone of the towers shone in the light of the sun, giving the place a very peaceful look. Gold and purple steel formed the tops of the spires, and a waterfall cascaded majestically down into a moat around the castle, which proceeded to continue its descent down the side of the mountain. He wished he could have more time to savor the view, but in the end, it did not matter. It would be a beautiful, worthy backdrop for an aerial pursuit.

If these soldiers want a chase, then they’ll get a chase they won’t ever forget.

The afternoon’s list of royal duties was nearing completion for the royal sisters when a member of the unicorn branch of the royal guard rushed in, a look of intensity clouding his face. His dark coat glistened with sweat, and his breathing came in ragged gasps.

“Calm yourself. What is it, Night Burst?” Celestia asked, concerned.

“Y-Your Majesties…Unkown…Alicorn…Flying toward…The palace…Not sure if…Hostile…Or confused…But he is headed…This way…Pursued by…Steel Hoof and his squad.” Night Burst rasped out his message, while the princesses looked on.

Luna and Celestia looked at each other simultaneously, and galloped toward the ramparts of the castle. They needed to see this stranger for themselves.

“An Alicorn? This day gets stranger and stranger.” Luna remarked as they ran on, now flanked by two royal Pegasus guards. “But this might be promising…”

“I told you, Luna, there is no way in Tartarus that it could be him. He died.”

“But just supposing…”

She never had the chance to finish her sentence. They had arrived at the ramparts, and became witness to what appeared to be an aerial battle. A cadre of Royal Guards were tailing the Alicorn in question, who lead them on a merry chase, leaving behind a storm cloud contrail in his wake The guards flanking the princesses bared their wings and took off to aid their comrades in the pursuit.

The Alicorn in question was a magnificent flyer. He looped, twisted, flipped, and downright out flew the four Pegasi chasing him. The guards were well trained, but their repertoire of maneuvers was nowhere near the stranger’s level of expertise. His flew like an artist painting a masterpiece, each flap of a wing like the stroke of a brush. The flyers were too far away for the sisters to see, but they could follow the battle fairly closely. Both of Luna’s aqua colored eyes and Celestia’s only visible purple eye not covered by her mane were locked on every motion the Alicorn made. His antics made their irises dance around their eye socket.

Below, ponies looked up and pointed at the commotion occurring overhead, some gasping in surprise while other ponies were convinced that it was an impromptu Wonderbolt show. A crowd formed below, cheering on the aerial spectacle. The Alicorn neared the edge of the farthest outer wall, where two unicorn guards conjured up a net to ensnare him. They propelled the net forward, and jumped for joy when their target was caught…only to groan when he simply phased through the net with magic of his own, his horn aglow in a golden light. A single lightning bolt incinerated the net, lighting up the sky. Blue and purple eyes went wide at the spectacle as the Royal sisters watched from the ramparts. Celestia, in particular, had trouble accepting what she just saw.

The Alicorn was quickly growing tired of their dogged pursuit.

“ENOUGH!” The Royal Canterlot Voice bellowed out, startling the chasing ponies and the princesses themselves. It had been millennia since they had heard that voice, but they still recognized it. Celestia could have sworn she could feel her heart pounding against her chest, as though it was trying to break free of its fleshy prison. They fixed their gazes even more intently on the fight, Luna searching for an opportunity to intervene, and Celestia searching for an explanation.

As the sisters watched, the Alicorn turned sharply upward, flapping his wings and gaining altitude until he was nothing more than a darkly colored dot against the backdrop of Celestia’s sun. The guards ascended after him in a hopeless chase. Briefly, he ceased flapping, and let gravity do its work, pulling him toward the ground. He then flapped his wings again and descended into a spectacular nosedive, while the royal guards on duty, whose numbers had swelled to over 15 after hearing of the emergency outside, followed him downward.

Celestia followed his flight pattern with growing interest. Her eyes widened with the realization of the stunt he was attempting.

But that’s impossible. No one has done that in 3000 years. Could it really be him?

She had long ago given up any hope of seeing him again, but now, a tiny spark of hope found itself lodged in her mind, and it was churning furiously at the possibilities of what she was seeing.

“Is he really…no. He couldn’t… He is. He’s going for the Nightcrawler’s Gambit.”

Indeed, the Alicorn shot toward the ground at a blistering speed, only to teleport straight upward, above the guards who were pursuing him at the last minute. The guards on the other hand, were not so lucky, and had taken the bait. The first two plowed unceremoniously into the stack of hay bales the Alicorn had led them to, and were soon engulfed by the rest of the guards, who attempted to swerve and avoid a crash, but to no avail. A mound of guards lay atop the hay bales, legs and wings caught in a massive tangle of limbs. The situation only got worse for the guards, as around them ponies began to laugh at their ridiculous predicament.

Luna gulped. She looked at Celestia, who simply stared slack-jawed at the display. She soon returned Luna’s gaze, and the two sisters shared a look of understanding.

“Sister, I know you don’t think it’s possible, but the only one who has ever succeeded in pulling off a successful Nightcrawler’s Gambit is…”

“I know.”

Without another word, both Alicorns took off and flew toward the mystery arrival. Celestia felt as though her heart would explode from her chest. The closer they got, the more it pounded. It couldn’t be…

The stallion faced away from them, still looking at the pile of dazed guards. Above him, dark clouds formed, twisting into place as lightning shot forth from their centers. The wind started to howl around him. The Alicorn’s golden aura flashed with intensity, picking up the tempo as the storm started to rage overhead. Lightning bolts arced across his body, and his mane stood up with the static electricity.

“DO YOU KNOW WITH WHOM YOU ARE DEALING? PERHAPS NOW YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO PARLEY. I DEMAND TO SPEAK TO YOUR LEADER. WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERFREE CASTLE? WHAT HAPPENED WITH DISCORD! I DEMAND ANSWERS! I AM THE LORD OF STORMS, AND PRINCE OF EQUESTRIA! I AM…”

“Taranis?”

The voice was soft, hopeful. One would not expect it to come from the Solar Princess, who usually spoke so clearly, confidently. Celestia looked at the stallion intently, silently praying for a response, any response, which might confirm her suspicions.

He froze in place. Beneath his breastplate, his heart seemed to have forgotten how to work. He heard his name, and more importantly, she had said his name.

Could it be…

As quickly as they had appeared, the storm clouds dispersed, and the sun once again shone brilliantly. His aura dissipated, and the wind ceased. The lightning slowly vanished from his body, leaving the faint smell of ozone behind. His mane fell back into place. Slowly, he turned and faced the princesses. A look of bewilderment appeared on his face, replaced by a small, and steadily growing smile, until he felt his mouth would split apart from the effort of holding such a huge smile. His crimson eyes swam with tears. The Alicorns looked at each other with expressions of shock. The sisters’ own eyes soon glistened with tears, looking at Taranis in awe. Taranis fixed his gaze on the white Alicorn. One word, small and uncertain, came to his lips, much softer than the Royal Canterlot Voice he had been using. All the same, it carried just as much weight and purpose.

“Mother…”

END OF CHAPTER ONE

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