A Bit(e) of Hope (Private)

She looks up with a tear in her eye as around them slows and dissolves, as a strong sense of meta-magics flaring in hes senses of strong metaphysical magic, and as the scene dissolved to a white endless landscape they too were changed by it, lightning replaced by a much younger self, her normally smart clothing gone, replaced but rough and ragged clothing, her frame slightly more muscular and slender, although not skinny still. sugary too was changed, a younger self reflective of a much more vulnerable time of his life.

Where they go on the spot, it feels both distant and familiar. He's not sure how or why, the great magic clouding his judgement somewhat, but he can guess he's witnessing Lightning's grief. Though he's not far off himself washed over by that, his body looking somewhat less rugged and younger, yet somehow worse for wear, and wearing a black robe, the mark of dried tears down his cheeks. He remembered this robe, this look, and this sensation; It was on the funeral day his Master's body was set aflame.

He almost began to question it, but he had long come to terms with what happened, requiring him to take a few breaths and leaned closer to Lightning again after looking around, albeit slowly; His grief on that somber day was awfully and infinitely heavy after all. "... Lightning? Sweet thing, what happened? How is one so charming so bereft of joy...? Did you lose something... very precious too?"

she looked up at him, then to her hands, she still had a bionic limb but it was clearly very rough and slapped together. both hands are partly burnt from magic. "I,, it all happened so suddenly, my aunt, she is here, she cast a spell at me, mum, she's standing in front of me and," she looked to her side where a rough image of a well built woman crumpled to the floor and further still was a dark figure in front of rows of what could be soldiers. she turned back to Sugary, clenching her hands tight "I only ever used my magic to save people, but i could feel it, something else in me... the chaos, the blood shed.." she looked back to the image, now replaced with with chaos and explosive clouds. "I didn't want to hurt anyone,, but in a way, i guess i did." turning back to Sugary with that comment, a looming figure over her, a familiar but also demonised figure, lightning herself.

The stallion saw the new figure emerge steadily among the imagery of carnage, that time she lost control. He thought to address her older self, but the more she spoke with the younger Lightning, the more he guessed she needed his attention more. He recalled her trust issues with care, and her thoughts that she had a lot to make up for. He continued to the best of his ability to comfort the young one. "... That's the double-edge of magic, dear. Believe me, I know far too well how it can save the world, how it can destroy it..." He looked at his robe again, his hand, feeling a little bitter about bad memories being made fresh. "... How powerless it can make you feel not to save a single life with it at your fingertips, and the fear to wish to wield it when it harms the wrong target... or misses the right one when it mattered most..."

Sugary kept on gently cuddling the young Lightning. "It's terrible what happened here. Do not deny yourself this truth... Yet you musn't let it consume you either. It's not just about moving on, but moving on smarter and wiser... Lightning, I don't know how many don't tell you this, but you ARE smart. And you ARE wise. You have what it takes to make those hard knocks and choices be better as you grow older. A filly will make many mistakes; Some she may have to atone for. That's the burden of our youths. I've gotta keep refining where I left off as well; Magic I shall continue to wield and embody to the best of my ability... And I would be happy to wield it and aid you if it helps your own journey too."

"When I hid,, here" the young lightning gestured around, "I wasn't there for what she did, but I could feel it, the violence in her mind, I hid and all that was left was a heart of anger,, and I don't know, how,, no, if I can fix it, if I can go back, I don't want to be like her" she looked to the ground away from the looming form.

a tear rolling down her cheek, she almost laughs, "even now I can feel it, her anger, but its not all her is it, she didn't do what I did, and although, she is a monster, I suppose, I'm a monster too.."

"You're not a monster, Lightning. You're not... But you are strong. Learning to measure might and power you have isn't always easy. As long as you have it, what matters is to try, and more so to succeed. A monster would never believe they could try or succeed at something like that. Surely you can, and will. I can't make the bitter feelings go away for you though. I'm sorry that you have to own up to them. Even if you, and her..." He points to the looming figure he recognized more and more, staring kindly if conflicted. "... don't think you deserve a chance to make up for it, I do. Your strange companions that have come to rescue you, they believe it as well. So do your closest friends... If not for you, do it for us at least, until you can come to terms that you can make amends on your own. I'm certain they'll be happy to help you as well."

She turned to face her so called demon, "others do seem to trust you, even if I don't. you hurt a lot of people, but maybe you can do better, with the right guidance," she turned back around to face Sugary, she still seemed uncertain, but gave a smile all the same. "like you mister, you'll keep her, and i guess me, in check right?"

Sugary's outfit steadily began to shift over to what was his current favored red clothing as he gradually calmed down an aspect of Lightning, though less ornamented and decorated, likely his first tailoring of it displaying more of his true emotions and goals as his tears wore off. "Oh, you bet I'm gonna do my best there. I already chased you both here; We got better places to be, and I'll be taking you there, trust me. I'll be sure to have a warm bed and meal ready."

He got up as he kept a caring arm wrapped around the young Lightning, before he looked to the looming figure and stretched his other arm out for her too. "... You already know things are rough enough as it is. There's a lot I still don't get, but it's only gonna be harder for me to get if you keep too much to yourself. So please, keep sharing more of you with me. It's risky for us to be together, doing what we do, sure, but I'm having a grand time since we met overall, really."

As the little lightning put more trust in in her mortal self, the looming projection began to take on more and more a familiar look to what the stallion knew, as the blank face grew awake and with a spark he was in the presence of both sides of her. "oh, you are here, I'm, I'm sorry" The smaller lightning said as if having to confront an adult after doing something wrong, once more tears on her face looking to the ground. but the figure didn't seem to give her much time to wallow as she swooped in like a raptor not to pound but embrace.

Now looking as she did only that morning, in a dark blue and flowing dress. "Ssh, I Should never have forced you like I did, besides we have no time for water works, right?" The soft voice of lightning spoke, only to be corrected. "Actually,, I think it might do you, me, us better, if you did cry.. you get so angry sometimes, and its scary." The older lightning looked shocked, then guilty but finally a kind and considerate smile formed. "I know, but with the help of this kind man, I'm getting better at that, I promise."

With that rushing hug, the stallion watched tentatively at first before chuckling softly and hugging around both pieces of Lightning gleefully after being told he was a kindly man; To him, it meant they were aware enough of him and each other to make this work. His magical aura was very mild in exuding from him to try and help them further recognize who he was and what he represented for them as a companion, not knowing how much was changing about Lightning to where he could stop worrying about holding his magic around her as much.

"I say we cry and leave at the same time, eh? No need to mourn on bad memories alone. We'll keep making new ones to make up for it..." He looked around briefly, his thoughts a bit perplexed. "Um... I dunno how exactly we leave, but..." His hands went to one of each Lightning, holding with care and affection, the surest thing he felt about them. "... It's not gonna happen any sooner unless we step out of here together. There's plenty we can still do then."

"Mhmm, but," she turned the her bigger self, "when i was in control, you need to know,, its not over for us.. " and with that ominous note things grew hazy around the three, and the ability to keep focus fled.
quite suddenly, with no warning magic flowing, Sugary found his mind rocketing across the spheres only to 'land' back in his body.

The scene grew to make more sense, lightning weary after her internal struggles, the power that emanating from her subdued but clearly still available. she looked to her knight in shining armour and hugged into him.

Sugary held onto them as best he could in that spectral state of his, though it was of little comfort when finally awakening back in their reality proper, addled by the experience and the energies still roaming about. But as she hugged him outright, he felt her body and magic as clear as day and his fog quickly eroded with it as he hugged her back and looked around with ears perked and horn shimmering alert. "Oh, Lightning! We're back, finally! But things were quite a bedlam getting here. We gotta meet back up with everyone else before we push our luck or we cut our reunion short... Where'd those strange figures go, anyway? I still got some bones to pick."

"i dont care what happened here, as long as i have you in my arms" lightning said said into her stallions chest. But int the calm, no longer pinned to the wall, the colt that had started all of this attempted to escape and rushed out the door.

*THUD*

with a yelp the boy was slung back through the door. an aura of malice and sadism walking into the ruined room. her soul purely the dark magic that once tainted lightning and the colt, but she was was unchanged of it, she dominated it, the ultimate master of such an evil force. she smirked, her face sharp and evil but undeniably beautiful. "i used your little village back in the day, and you still found yourself useful,, but it looks like thats all run its course" he had no time to respond to the betrayal of his loyalty as she blasted him with the malicious magic that agonisingly killed him.
She looked to the couple a wicked grin on her face "well well, a family reunion, whats the matter 'lightning' not up for a rematch, and whats this, the little relic cowering behind the little princess" she scoffed calling out Menacy, who was making her way between the pair and the evil woman.

At the arrival of the new malevolent figure, Sugary's instincts were screaming at him from the sheer danger it posed even compared to the previous figures he had issues with. Normally, he would consider attacking them in the face of such open hostility, but as that malefic aura spread faster than he could notice a strong foe had already been quickly dispatched by them, he gritted his teeth and used his magical build-up to erect layer upon layer of a complex prismatic barrier around him and Lightning while Menacy got between them. "What the heck IS that thing!? Menacy, are you gonna fight it alone!? I can hardly tell the difference between it and the ether maelstrom we struggled just to fly over here!"

"oh yes Menacy, fight me, end up like your little deer friend." she looked sharply at Sugary, the villainous smile still playing on her crimson lips. "these 'creature' once revered as gods, you see, even mother and father held respect for them, but see, I never trusted them, and when I 'heard' my sister, the heir to the throne and her little freaks had gone on the run, well I knew that put me next in line, and I knew they would want me to track them down, I don't need to tell you my epic journey . all you need to know is I found something, a magic that even these 'gods', even my useless sister, would fall too" she walked toward the prismatic shield, Menacy stood protectively but knew she could not act without getting infected. "only problem is that little freak you have there separated me from my magic." she wasn't tall, but her slender form was still looming. she raised her hand, she was ready to end this, when her smile shrunk and she blinked 3m away, looking around and now emitting the smokey magic, a smile reappearing as she fires off a bolt through the door she had come though, audibly hitting something.
"Oh dear, I think I found one of your little-" her smile totally wiped off her face.
foot steps kept coming as well as more panicked bolts. "Dear oh dear, haven't felt this in a while" Sugary knew this voice, even if only recently, as the blindfolded muscle bound demon walked in, the bolts hitting her but seemingly only jolting her as she absorbs the magic. her steps heavy. "you really shouldn't do that." Kalic saying this seemed too much for the darkened figure as she summoned as much of the magic she can, firing it as a massive blast. a white light continually being funnelled at the demon, the black smoke emanating.

"i warned you." a hand reached out, from the attack grabbing the woman by the face and breaking the spell. with Kalic in view she looked different, her horn stumps were now fully formed, she appeared to have a set of wings and her magic was much more apparent now. it wasn't like what she was hit by, but more like a sister of it.

"Hot Stuff, take Je- Lightning to the ship, all of you better get out of here, i think I'm about to cause a mess, ill see you back there." kalic called over to market tossing over another pocket teleport. "for the rest of the crew, they wont want to be here."
and with that she took the woman through the wall next to the doors head first.

Sugary was prepared to slam the Mana barrier itself onto the looming threat if he had to, if it means buying them all time to escape, though for better or worse an old ally came to help. He had too many questions in his mind, but he could tell friend from foe well enough as he looked at the teleportation opportunity, dropping the barrier as he reached for Menacy and just grabbed her too along with the weary Lightning in his arms, his grasp strong, firm, and protective of them both. "This keeps escalating, ladies. Let's go!"

Getting them to safety as his magic melded with the teleportation device from their rescuer was done with the intent to keep it as tempered as possible to avoid having their escape muddled in any way, Sugary knowing his fair share of such spells, but he couldn't take risks here with how things were going. Once at the exit, back on the bridge of the Black Mambo, he made sure the coast was clear enough to let go of Menacy while keeping Lightning closely, looking for any of the other allies to caution about what was happening. "No time to explain!We got Lightning back! Sky, let's find anyone else we can still pick up and get the hell out of here! This place might blow up real soon!"

the small tele beacon glowing in his hand, lightning hugged her stallion, giving him a kiss on the cheek and slipped the device out of his hand, and throwing it a few meters away as it flashed and 3 figures shortly appeared around it, the incredibly tall mare, the extremely joyous mare and the stoic tigress. Seeing where they were they looked unsure but on seeing lightning they smiled somewhat and saluted, as sky steers the ship away, arriving late on the deck was mania who seemingly was told to leave by kalic, and making her grouchy. "hey, where's ms Kalic" the happy go lucky mare asked looking around.

With a light blush, the stallion rubs Lightning's shoulder, her prosthetic one, making sure she was feeling alright as he addressed the steadily growing crowd in the bridge. "Kalic is... dueling with something far worse than we thought was actually here when we finally caught up with Lightning and those we pursued. Turns out this is just a base of underlings of... that thing. Tall, slim, and exceedingly powerful. I dunno who she was, but she's clearly got history with you ladies. I just barely got Lightning out of her captives and then a bigger fight breaks out. Vastly wicked dark magic out of that one, it was more hostile than the storm around this region. The sap I had a grudge against was turned to dust like it was nothing... If anyone's still here we need to pick up, point us to them, I'll boost the engines on our airship myself if I have to."

"Former crown Princess of the Syjinian-" lightning stopped and turned to Sugary, "my aunt." she turned back to the trainees. "this is history none of you needed to be dragged in, but all you need to know is the power she wields can and will kill all,, par one of you,, outright. Kalic will be here in time, the beacon is running and she can get here when ever she's done. so while we make our way clear, Mr Market here will take helm, and Sky will do your grading and make sure you are all ok." at the mention of sky, the youngest and tallest of the bunch looked awkward. Lightning put her arm around Sugary ready to retreat to the deck to recover in the shelter.

Sugary's heart sank hearing that it was an ongoing family feud matter going on here, but questioning it would have to come later as he helped Lightning get to a safe spot she could rest and be cared for there. "I'll be right back to take over the helm shortly, Sky. Double-time."

Carrying Lightning in his arms, having the mild privacy of the stairs as others scrambled to do their thing, it was then he decided to give Lightning a much longed kiss on the lips with unfettered glee that she was alright and back in his reach. "It's just one thing after another, isn't it? Feels like a war looming in the corners. Can't a merc, a researcher, and her family and friends just enjoy the simple things in life? You're gonna have to tell me about these things some more some time, once we're ALL far and safe from here." He was vastly underselling what he just went through, how he worried, who he hurt and killed just to reach down to her captive point along with her companions, but he was just too happy to see her to sweat the details.

Because he was in a hurry, he'd not have much time to spare if Lightning spoke to him, only staying to check on her long enough for the essentials before rushing back up to the deck and take command of the airship's helm as its Captain again. "She's good, Sky. Now to make sure the rest of us are. I'll wait for Kalic as much as possible, and we're shooting off once she's on board." His eyes and magic sharpened as he looked to the magical device, ready to receive their remaining guest, his aura spreading to begin tempering the airship for maximum output in speed and barrier, and call this matter, at least, settled.

"the beacon i gave you reached near enough the other side of the world, she will be able to get here aslong as we are in this sphere, get us out of here, she'll be fine, she always is." sky commented with a confident tone, ushering the girls to get to the helm or downstairs to stay safe, fussing particularly over the one that looked much like her.

as the ship readied to speed away Menacy looked sombrely back over where they were and what had happened. "you did good, i don't know what you did, but i can sense something about her i hadn't since she was small, the world is vast and with this completion of a story that should never had been told, perhaps we only open ourselves to more. but what is done is done, and we will all be the better for forgetting this place and let nature reclaim it now that the stagnant air is gone." dust clouds in the wreckage could still be seen as the fight drew on, as Menacy too prompted Sugary to take them away.

When he was given assurances he had nothing to worry about, he was still hesitant before Menacy gave him one last push to go all in as he sighed. "... I think I actually got to see and meet what she was like and what she thinks she became. Or maybe they are both in her... But Lightning is our companion at the end of the day, and... I adore her very much. As much as I hope our backup does catch up. Hold on, Menacy; Black Mambo, maximum thrust!" He tinkered with some levers giving them full swing, his magic and that of the airship circulating all around them and through the engines especially, the propellers and engine room roaring pridefully as they soared, and fast, clouds parting as the airship darted through them. He was thankful that the repairs made it more stable...

flying away at great speed, it was clear looking back the land around the shattered structure they were in was no-longer enveloped in stagnant air. whatever had been done, had restored the land, at least on that level.
With that world rapidly shrinking into the distance behind them, and new horizons growing into his view, his hands sparkling with the magic he had been submerged in, who knows what effect that will have, but as the long day accelerates to its end, the black mambo speeding at the one thing is sure, this chapter is over and whats to come is unknown.

Kalic's fate seemed dire, but assurances from the more eccentric guests gave Sugary hope that they may yet meet again, sometime, somewhere. For now, a major foe had been thwarted, a looming threat kept in check. New alliances and potential had been established however, and it was just a matter of nurturing it from there. For the time being, rumors of great and strange magics would continue, mysteries and trials ahead to be resolved one at a time... For now, this trial and tension had been concluded...