Sweet Beginnings Part (2) : A Pegasus-Centric Prelude

When Lightning Blaze was angry, she wasn’t angry. She was just cold, apathetic, until she was pushed over the edge. Then she became a monster, raging and uncontrolled. The opposite of Hurricane really, who’s temper was furious and hot, quick to rise, but just as easy diffuse.

She liked not having something in common with her brother. Proud that she was still rational in her rage, proud that when her temper truly rose even beyond the rationality that she was so proud of, she was more terrifying than him.

That filly (Clematis, she had been informed when she had asked one of her followers; yes they were followers, not friends) had come quite close to pushing her over that edge of rationality. There were many things she could tolerate, but putting her before Hurricane was unforgivable to her.

Some may consider this reason petty, and perhaps sometimes when she thought of that encounter, a part of her thought it petty too, after all the filly was just defending her friend, but she ignored that tiny part of her head. She had always been seen as the inferior twin by her parents, just because of the gender she was born as.

It wasn’t her fault that she was born a filly and not a colt, but she had been blamed for that transgression all her life. To be treated the same way by a stranger, though not for the same reasons, made her blood boil.

(She won’t say it, she won’t acknowledge it, but it also makes a part of her recall the scared little filly who used to hide in the dingiest, smallest cupboard in the fortress in order to escape her father’s rage after one too many times of insulting her brother in front of him.

It also makes her recall the weak little filly who had later examined the consequent bruises in the bathroom mirror. Who had ached to have somepony to hold her, love her, comfort her but didn’t.)

“Sister”, said devil’s voice called out, and she was proud to say that her “Yes”, of reply was quite even, even though she and Hurricane had not had a proper conversation for the past three years.

“I just came here to say that you won’t be able to stay back at the academy during the summer hols this time around. Cousin Fleet Fly’s initiation ceremony is going to take place and Uncle and Aunt were asking about you. Father thinks it might start rumours if you didn’t attend”, he hesitantly stated.

She wished she could tell him that she didn’t give a damn, to not show up, but unfortunately, while the camp allowed students to stay during winter and summer hols, it was against the rules for the students to stay back during Sanguis Fernweh, commemorating the blood shed by the pegasus, general Fernweh, during the Pony-Zebra war, the last time the three pony races had been recorded to have worked together.

Saying what she truly wanted to would mean consequences. The Sanguis Fernweh holidays may be brief, but not brief enough for her to escape the consequences.

“I still don’t understand why you’re always so upset with me, mother and father”, Hurricane had the nerve to carry on. “Sure they might show a bit of favouritism every now and then, but it isn’t all that horrible.”

She felt an icy coldness seep into her veins, her blood, as it did whenever she was enraged. How could he not know?! Her suffering was all his fault and he dared to not know, to be so casual about it.

“I think I can decide for myself what is horrible and what isn’t, little brother.” She loved calling him little brother, relishing in the fact that though it was only by a few minutes, she was at least superior to him in age.

He frowned, but backed away, departing. Good, the sooner he was out of her sight, the better she would feel.

She wanted to scream, to shout and rage, but all she felt was cold.

There were times when Lightning wondered if there was something wrong with her or was it just destiny that hated her. At the moment, as she packed her bags for the summer, she was more inclined to choose the second.

“Hey Lightning”, Hurricane gestured, still a bit wary after the earlier fight.

“What is it?”, she narrowed her eyes.

“My friend, Clematis, will be staying with us for a few days. You don’t mind, do you?”, he asked.

Since when did he care about her opinion? Still, she answered, “Not particularly”

Her anger at the filly had been pushed away after Hurricane told her of the demand from their father.

“Alright. Are you going to fly home alone? We are going to the same place, maybe you could come with me, sister”, he offered, an infuriating grin replacing his reluctance, much to her irritation.

“No need for that, brother”, she said the word brother mockingly. “I’d prefer to fly alone”, she rebuffed.

“Whatever suits your needs”, he shrugged.

She used to wonder what she loathed the most about Hurricane. Their parents spooling him, is scandalous ways, his ego or his nonchalance. She later realised that it depended on the circumstances. At the moment, it was his nonchalance.

“Farewell. I hope you make it to our fortress alright”, Hurricane stated.

Lightning replied, “Farewell to you as well. I hope your travels are safe as well”, mostly out of obligation and habit. It was only after Hurricane was gone, that she too headed home.

Taking in a deep breath, Lightning stretched her wings out and with slow, sturdy flaps, took off the ground. After flapping for a while, she started pushing the air back, like an eagle.

Lightning loved to fly. The wind in her face, rustling her mane, going past her wings. Flying seemed to give her a weightlessness, as though she was leaving all of her troubles behind. It was only her, the air and the sky. The freedom was intoxicating, like alcohol, or maybe even a drug.

A storm cloud stood in her way, though she went right through it, momentarily clasping her wings tightly to her body, before spreading the out yet again.The lightning singed her mane and her hooves, sending a sharp stings of pain through her, though all she did was laugh wildly. Anypony who would’ve seen her in the moment would’ve though her to be an insane madmare.

Soon, much to soon in her opinion, the journey ended and the cold walls of her parents' fortress greeted her.

Only aa second after she landed, that the red blur that was her brother arrived as well.

"Good to see that you have arrived", he said in greeting.

"You as well", she replied half-heartedly.

Hurricane strode forwards confidently, with a reluctant Lightning in tow. He knocked the doors confidently, tackling their mother in a hug, who smiled and returned the hug with a delighted expression on her face, at least until her eyes fell on Lightning. Her smile turned sour, her blue eyes eyes.

"Good evening, daughter", she greeted through pursed lips, her tone polite, but her grimace suggesting that she was less-than-happy to see her.

"Good evening, mother", her own mouth echoing her mother's grimace.

"Your room has been set up", she stated and the gleam in her eyes told Lightning all she needed to know, what remained unsaid. She wasn't welcome here. Her parents were only fulfilling obligations and that was it.

The two kept staring at each other for a while, not breaking eye contact at all, at least until Hurricane interrupted them.

"Mother, can one of my friends come over for the hols? She'll only be staying for a few days"

"Well, it is a yes from me, but do your father first. Though he'll say yes", she beamed at her beloved son, who once again gave her a hug, before rushing away, probable to seek father out.

Meeting her father, however horrible, was inevitable, she knew. She was lucky enough to not have run into him the entire day. But she knew she would have to face him at dinner. She had prepared herself for this. But facing him in reality was something else.

Sanguis Fernweh only occurred once in four years, on twenty-ninth Febuary, which meant that she hadn't had to come home for about four years. She hadn't had to face him for almost four years.

"So, you're back again", he at her contemptuously, as though he wasn't the one who had summoned her here, in this cold, gigantic fortress that was more of a prison to her than a home.

"Yes", she replied, suppressing the urge to look down, forcing herself to meet his dark eyes, eyes that so closely resembled her that there were days when she couldn't bear to look at her own reflection in the mirror.

"I see they don't teach manners at Flight Academy. Answering back to your father this way, utterly disgraceful", he scowled.

"I was only answering your question, father", she evenly replied.

He didn't reply, but his harsh, cold glare spoke volumes.

Home, sweet home.