Disclaimer: I do not own MLP

Chapter 12: learning

Location: ?

Lightning felt as if his head was shortened; he lifted his hands to his face.

HANDS!?

Lightning's eyes flew open; he had hands; cyan flesh and fingers.

"By Celestia's beard…" Lightning muttered

Twilight groaned nearby; Lightning turned and saw all three of them were different.

Twilight opened her eyes, "Who are you?"

"The same guy who just got hit by the Nightmare." Lightning answered

"What happened to you!?" Twilight cried out in shock

"The same thing that happened to you; Twilight." Lightning answered; annoyed

Twilight looked herself over; she was tinted her original coat color; her horn still rested on her head.

"I have no idea what just happened." Lightning said before Twilight could ask

Rainbowdash sat up; she took the news okay after she learned she still had wings.

"Where are we?" I asked; looking around; the night sky was obscured by patches of rocky roof.

"I think we're in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters." Twilight said

"Well that means we're close to Ponyville." Rainbowdash said

"Should we go there looking like this?" Twilight asked

Lightning nodded, "We can't leave them behind just because we're different now; I think this is more reason to suspect something's up."

"You think something could be up? What makes you think that?" Rainbowdash deadpanned

"You know what I mean; something greater than what the Nightmare's trying to pull!"

Twilight cocked her head, "What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it; that blast was supposed to kill us; now we're… whatever we are."

"You think we should avoid meeting up with Anypony?" Twilight asked

"Well we can't meet up with the princess; I think we should-" Lightning stopped; he grabbed the two mares by the arms and dove behind an ancient couch.

"Why did you do that?" Rainbowdash demanded

"Quiet; listen."

There were voices; they were familiar, "Twilight; isn't this what you've been waiting for?"

Lightning felt his gut clench; this was what Twilight told him happened when they fought the Nightmare with the elements

He looked at Twilight; she wore a similar expression of shock and confusion

After the whole ordeal of waiting for them to leave Lightning got up, "Let's follow them; might as well learn something while we're here."

Lightning ran off; not caring about the fact he was only wearing boxers

When he got to the tower where the elements were to be activated he saw somepony; he turned and saw Ditzy Doo and another pony he didn't recognize; they didn't see him and they were watching through a window

Lightning went to the other side; they didn't see him; Lightning knew that if he could see what happened when the Nightmare was purged he would get an idea; or he hoped so.

Twilight was next to him; he noticed that fingers and toes were only small differences from who they were; they still had their manes and cutie marks; the cutie mark had migrated to their shoulder.

Lightning then remembered he didn't have a cutie mark yet; living a life of chaos did that to you.

He then noticed he was almost completely naked; he could ignore that when he was a pony but as a… whatever he was he found he minded a whole lot.

"Tell me I'm not the only one who feels awkward wearing nothing but underwear." Rainbowdash whispered

"Trust me; you are not the only one." Twilight whispered back

Lightning looked and saw a boy; he was wearing clothing and was watching the whole confrontation; then a strange mare appeared right behind him.

(Cameo appearance of Justin from World Troubles!)

Lightning then saw the elements work their magic; he saw the flash and a dark aura spread out across the land; it concentrated on the sun goddess

Then another flash; Lightning felt as if he was being torn apart by his atoms; then it was gone

"Everypony okay?" Twilight asked

"I sure hope so." Lightning answered

"Mmmmmmlllp" Rainbowdash said; her face on the ground

Lightning stood up; not used to balancing on two legs, "Where are we now?"

Twilight looked around, "I think we're in Canterlot."

Lightning motioned for the two mares to get out of plain sight; then they saw as Lightning and the others fought the shadow mare Celestia.

"Why are we travelling to every point where at least one of us fought the Nightmare?" Lightning asked

"I don't know; at least we're not dead." Rainbowdash said; unhelpfully

Then the searing pain tore through his body; Lightning cried out in pain; no sound came out; then once again it was gone.

"I'll never get used to that." Lightning said as he stood up; getting used to using two legs.

"Where are we now?" Twilight asked

Lightning looked around, "I have no idea; I think we're in Cloudsdale."

"You've never been to Cloudsdale remember?" Rainbowdash reminded Lightning

"Any other places that are made out clouds?" Lightning countered

"Remember what the princess told us?"

"That all of our ancestors died fighting the Nightmare?" Lightning asked

Twilight nodded, "Does it mean we're going to die too?"

Rainbowdash got up, "Not on my watch!"

"Not on mine either; we may look different but at least we have the ability to-"

"Who are you three?" a new voice asked

"To get caught; I hate this situation." Lightning finished

He turned around to see an old wizard; his beard was long and gray; his eyebrows obscured his eyes.

"You seem familiar; yet I've never met you; who are you?" his voice sounded kind; yet stern

"I'm Lightning; and this is Twilight and Rainbowdash." Lightning introduced them

The wizard clapped his hands, "Brilliant; your friends have been waiting for you!"

"Waiting for us?" Twilight asked

"Ah yes; one looks remarkably like this young man here." He gestured towards Lightning

Lightning didn't speak; he looked around to see the clouds were fake; they were really well painted.

Lightning followed the wizard into another room; two humans waited

"Who is this one?" one of them asked; he was a bit taller than Lightning with white hair with horizontal streaks through it; he wore a white T-shirt with a black jacket; his jeans were also black

"Furthermore why is he in his underwear?" the other one asked; he was an adult; his hair was green his skin was cyan and his eyes were orange

"You get blasted into wherever we are into whatever we are; I'd like to see you carry clothing with you." Lighting countered

"Who are you?" the adult asked

"The name's Lightning; you are?"

The adult shook his head, "Celestia took him from me; I'll never forget it."

"You seem to not understand; yeah she kidnapped me; she didn't kill me." Lightning said; then it hit him, "Wait; DAD!?"

The adult laughed, "You seem to be a chip off the old block!"

Twilight lifted her hand, "Can somepony explain what's going on?"

Lightning looked at her, "Well this is a surprise; I didn't expect Lightning to ever talk to a girl."

"Dad; please tell us what's going on." Lightning changed the subject

"Well you all were removed from your timeline; much like I was."

"So that means?" Rainbowdash asked

"It means you need to fight the Nightmare." He said

"And how do we do that? You would have left if you could right?" Lightning asked

"You're just like me; even more so; I cannot leave; you however can."

"How can we leave yet you can't?" Lightning asked

"You're still alive; I died; my friend Cryptic here is not from your world so he cannot go with you either." Hailing explained

"So dad; you died; how do you know we didn't?" Lightning was bombarding him with questions

"Because you arrived in the cloud room; I arrived in the flame room."

"I'm glad we didn't arrive through the flame room." Rainbowdash commented

(Do I mean Heaven and Hell? That's for you to decide.)

"You must go now; farewell in your fight with the Nightmare."

Then we were gone.