“Oi. The things I do to give that little filly a good life.” Within a white house near the very edge of Fredericksmare, a middle-aged unicorn stallion waited impatiently at a couch in the living room. His coat was a shade of green, and his brown mane showed streaks of a lighter hue that revealed a clue to his age. A mare of his species was with him, and though she was also concerned, she was nowhere near as anxious as he was. Her own coat meanwhile was white, and despite being about the same age as him, her red mane showed not a single streak of hair of a lighter tint.
“Take it easy, darling,” chuckled the mare, “You don’t know what she has in store for us. You’re making it sound-”
“*sigh* I know, I know: like it’s a bad thing. I know it’s not, love, but still – I always had a feeling she was hiding something from us. It doesn’t help that she’s been much more cheerful since that Bladewing fellow was knighted into the Council.”
“*giggle* And what’s wrong with that? Is that not what you wanted for her?”
“Being happy? Yes, of course. I wouldn’t dare take that from her.” The stallion looked away from her before continuing. “Still, it’s odd that she received an invitation to the knighting ceremony to begin with. More than two years pass and she still refuses to tell me why. Do we not deserve at least that much? We MADE her, for Faust’s sake. We should be the last ponies she'd be keeping secrets from.” Now seeing why her husband was acting the way he is, the mare grasped his cheek with her hoof and turned his head back to face her.
“You need to trust her more, my love,” she spoke softly, removing her hoof, “I don’t know what this surprise of hers is any more than you do, but you and I BOTH know it’s nothing serious. She knows better than to get herself into deep trouble.”
“*sigh* Yeah. I’m probably just being paranoid.”
“Or overprotective again.” The wife chuckled as her stallion grimaced in defiance.
“Humph. I’m not being overprotective. I just wish that she’d tell me what’s going on. You’d think that I of all ponies would be the first one she’d confide in. Wouldn’t you treat my father-in-law the same way?”
“Hm…” A curious expression overtook the stallion’s face as he saw his wife don a smug grin. “Well… if Daddy ever limited how much time I had around boys… or limited how often I had sleepovers with the girls… or even told me I couldn’t wear whatever I liked… I wouldn’t want to tell him anything either.”
“Hey! I never said that last part to h- oh… oh, goddess….” The mare could see that she got through to her husband by the rueful look that now appeared all over his face.
“*chuckle* See what I mean?” The stallion looked away and held his forehead up with a hoof as he sighed in dismay.
“Damn… I-” The wife put her hoof over his lips to silence him, and the stallion in turn returned his gaze back to her.
“It’s ok. At least you understand. I agree that she should be more open with us, but you need to give her time. She may not have gotten over it just yet. Even so, I promise you that she still loves you. She is a ‘Daddy’s Girl’ after all, is she not?” The husband smiled and nodded in agreement.
“I guess you’re right. I’ll try to be more patient with her.”
“Good.” The mare looked outside the window by their couch and grinned at the nice weather that befell the city. “Why don’t we go outside for a bit? The weather is quite lovely.”
“Eh, why not?” replied her husband, “Let’s go.” With their conversation now over, the couple went outside and stood at the top of the stairs… and sure enough, she was right: the weather was lovely.
“Ah, that’s nice,” the stallion spoke, letting the gentle breeze brush against his face.
“See?” answered his wife, “Now wasn’t this a good idea?”
“It seems it is. Perhaps the wait won’t be so bad after- huh?” A green figure in the distance caught the stallion’s attention, and he squinted his eyes in an attempt to get a better look.
“What is it?” his wife asked.
“That mare… there in the distance. Is that her?”
“Let me see.” The mare leaned against the handrail on the side of the staircase to have a look for herself. She too saw a pony. Three of them, in fact… and she couldn’t feel more pleased to see them.
“It’s Rose, all right. Ooh, and it looks like Sir Bladewing’s with her as well.”
“Yes, I wondered who that pegasus was… and if I’m not mistaken, that must be Mother walking in front of them. Sir Bladewing is one thing, but what’s she doing here?”
“Oh, right. About that…” The stallion shot a look of concern at his wife who was now grinning sheepishly. “She sent me a letter in advance telling me that she was coming today.”
“What? How come you never told me?”
“She wanted me to keep it a surprise. She had hoped to surprise both you and Rose, but it seems Rose found out first.”
“*sigh* Typical. I swear, those two are plotting against me. I just know it.”
“*giggle* Oh, stop. You’re being overdramatic. There’s nothing wrong with having your mum here and you know it. Just be grateful, will you? She came all this way to see us.”
“I am. I just wish she didn’t make a surprise out of it. I have enough on my plate as it is."
“Then you can set that plate aside for now. We have more pressing matters to attend to.” The husband just sighed again and nodded as he followed his wife to the gate.
A few minutes earlier, Rose was thrilled to see the white house that signaled the end of their brief journey. Bladewing felt more of less the same way, but he was more concerned with how he’ll present himself before Rose's parents, especially her father. Mrs. Sunfire was generous in quickly accepting him as Rose’s coltfriend, but it offered him little towards seeking a similar result from her son. Thankfully for him, Rose noticed the tense expression on his face, and she nuzzled him to try and calm him down.
“Don’t worry, handsome,” Rose murmured, “I know it’s your first time meeting my parents, but there’s no need to be nervous.”
“Easy for you to say,” Bladewing murmured back, “You’re not the one who’s trying to make a good impression on the beings who raised your beloved.”
“It’s okay. Just be yourself. Being a Council Knight alone is already a good start. I’m sure they’ll love everything else about you.”
“Even your dad? Didn’t you tell me winning him over will not be easy?”
“Of course. That’s why I told you to let me do the talking. Daddy is many things, but unreasonable isn’t one of them. He’ll come around once he knows you better.”
“Maybe so, but I feel indebted to him nonetheless. Our relationship wouldn’t be possible if he didn’t bring you into this world first. Earning his friendship is the least I can do to thank him.”
“A wise decision, child,” agreed Mrs. Sunfire, grabbing his attention, “But like she said, don’t worry. We’re by your side whether my son accepts you or not. So don’t be afraid if he doesn’t. The final say in the relationship is yours and hers alone.” Bladewing nodded and refocused his gaze on the path ahead. The little pep talk from Mrs. Sunfire helped to calm him down, but he kept his guard up nonetheless. He wanted to be prepared for whatever questions Rose's father would throw at him.
It wasn’t long when the three ponies noticed the middle-aged couple opening the front gate of the house. The couple waved to the trio before approaching them, stopping only when the were face to face.
“Welcome home, dear,” the middle-aged mare spoke to Rose with a smile, hugging her, “It took you long enough. Your father was beginning to worry about you.”
“I’m sorry, Mum,” replied Rose, “I wasn’t expecting Grandma Daffy to show up with Bladewing at the train. It threw me off course a little bit.”
“Ah, yes. Speaking of which-”
“Hold on.” The group silenced themselves as Bladewing interrupted the conversation. “Did you hear that?” Bladewing heard what sounded like clanging and fabric tearing far away just after Mrs. Blossom began to speak. He looked around and checked for anything that might have produced the sound, but found nothing. Mr. Blossom then noticed a thin rod-shaped shadow slowly growing over the group, and he looked up to investigate. What he saw next made his eyes shot wide open.
“INCOMING!!!” he cried, jumping towards Rose to push her out of the way. He closed his eyes as he held tightly onto his daughter, all the while expecting a loud thud to sound. What the two ponies heard instead was nothing less than shocking.
“*grunt*… Bloody FAUST, this thing is heavy.” Mr. Blossom felt a mix of fear and awe by the scene before him, for standing tall on his hind legs was Bladewing. He had his forelegs pointed towards an enormous marble pillar, and his eyes were shut tight as he tried to focus on keeping the pillar suspended above them using the Force… and Mr. Blossom could tell through Bladewing’s gritted teeth that it was as difficult as the pillar was massive.
With himself and his daughter safe, Mr. Blossom then checked on his wife and his mother. Both mares laid on the ground trembling with their heads down, but they were otherwise okay. Even so, he was unsure how long Bladewing could keep the pillar from crushing all three of them, so he had to act fast. He and Rose got back to their hooves as soon as he let go of her.
“Bladewing!” Rose exclaimed worriedly, galloping to him, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Rose,” he grunted through his teeth, “*gasp* But I can’t hold this thing up for long. Get your mum and grandma out of here, now.”
“You heard him, sweetheart,” added Mr. Blossom, “Get them to the front yard. I’ll be right behind you with the luggage.”
“Right.” Rose wasted no time getting the two mares back on their hooves just as her father busied himself with carrying the suitcases in his magic. He wasn’t used to carrying so many, but his burden still paled when compared to the one Bladewing had. Needless to say, he carried the extra weight without a fuss.
Once the Blossoms and the grandmother were safe within the yard, Rose galloped back out to meet up with Bladewing.
“They’re safe, Bladewing,” she told him, “You can let go now.”
“Oh, thank Faust.” Rose watched in amazement as Bladewing slowly opened his eyes and moved the pillar away from the house. Once the pillar was a good dozen or so feet away from the front gate, he grunted loudly before letting go of it. The pillar itself sounded with a loud THUD before fracturing into four giant pieces of near-equal length and leaving little rod-shaped craters underneath. Bladewing was unsure how he was still standing but for the moment, he could do little more than breathe heavily from the immense pressure he’d just been put through. Now letting the realization of how close she was to losing her mother, her grandmother, and especially her coltfriend sink in, Rose hugged Bladewing firmly.
“Oh goddess, Bladewing,” she murmured, letting a tear escape her left eye, “Don’t ever scare me like that again. I almost lost you.”
“I’m sorry, love,” Bladewing murmured back, nuzzling her, “But I had to do something. I’m not letting anypony die today, be it your family OR myself.” Relieved by his response, Rose smiled before kissing his lips lovingly.
“Thank you.” Rose let go of Bladewing to allow him to breathe more calmly, but while the danger had passed, they had other matters to deal with. They were unsure how the pillar even got to where they were in the first place, but they were going to get answers soon enough.
Just as the Blossoms and Mrs. Sunfire came through the gate to see the damage, Rose and Bladewing looked to the sky upon hearing the flapping of wings above them. There were about thirty-two pegasi coming towards them, and all but one of them were wearing yellow vests and helmets denoting them as construction workers. The one pony in question wore an orange vest instead, and Bladewing deduced that this bearded stallion was their leader. It was odd that some of the pegasi were connected together by what seemed like multi-fiber cables, but Bladewing was certain that this stallion would provide him with some answers.
“Oh, shit,” spoke the leader nervously, taking off his helmet, “It’s you, Sir Bladewing.” The other workers briefly bowed their heads to Bladewing in respect before the leader continued and shook his hoof. “My name’s Hardwood, sir. I’m so sorry for what happened just now. Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” replied Bladewing, ruffling his feathers, “Just a bit sore from holding that thing up.” The other pegasi mumbled curiously among themselves after having heard Bladewing say that, but Bladewing himself wasn’t too fazed by it. They quieted down just before he continued the conversation. “What were you doing with it anyway?”
“We were transporting that pillar to the floating city of Stygius a few miles south of here. All my guys you see here were hauling it with straps, but somehow a few of the straps broke off their clamps and it slid out of our grasp.”
“I see. Are any of your workers hurt?”
“Nah, they’re all good. Even so, I apologize again for this little mishap, sir. I’ll get a couple of clean-up crews over here to pick up the pieces and-”
“…w, let me go, damn it! I didn’t do anything!” Bladewing and Hardwood turned their heads to see a pegasus stallion about Bladewing’s age coming towards them. He was in between two of his coworkers, and each one held on to one of his wings to keep him from escaping.
“What’s going on here?” Hardwood asked them.
“We caught the one responsible, sir,” replied one of the two stallions guarding the prisoner.
“What? The newbie did all this?”
“Yeah, we caught ‘im tryin’ ta fly away,” replied the other stallion, “Da son of a bitch says he’s innocent, but then why would he be runnin’ from us? I don’t know what his deal is, but he reeks o' guilt.”
“I see.” Hardwood gave a stern glare to the new worker, and he in turn shot a nervous expression at him before Hardwood turned his attention to his other workers. “Check your straps, boys. Tell me what you see.” The stallions then proceeded in pairs to check the straps for any signs of tampering… and before long, they found something.
“The straps have been sabotaged, sir,” spoke one of the workers, “They all are.”
“Sabotaged?”
“Aye, the clamps have been tinkered with,” replied another worker, “The metal rings attaching ‘em to the straps have been replaced with these weird contraptions.”
“Let me see.” The stallion who last spoke showed his boss the straps, and Hardwood in turn inspected the metal rings… and sure enough, the rings on all of them were gone. In their place sat odd metal discs with two holes each. The straps went through the lower holes and the clamps attached via smaller rings at the upper one. Hardwood inspected them more closely and noticed a device embedded in them that he never would’ve thought he’d find on a strap of all things.
“What the… what are receivers doing here?” Tiny little antennae stuck out from the discs like miniature horns. Hardwood was unsure what purpose these devices had, but he had a feeling the new worker knew why. He returned his attention to the two other workers holding him down.
“Did you two find anything on him?”
“Just this saddlebag, sir,” spoke one of the stallions, holding a bag in his hoof, “He kept trying to fight us when we pried it off of him.”
“That’s private,” grunted the prisoner, “Get your hooves off-AHH!” The stallion suddenly felt his left wing being temporarily bent at an unnatural angle, and it forced him to relent his struggling a bit.
“Shut it, Auburn,” replied the stallion to his left, “Ya lost yer right ta privacy da moment ya started flyin' away in a hurry like a traitor. Ya shoulda dought o’ dat before pullin’ such suspicious shit.”
“Indeed,” agreed the stallion to his right, “You’re anything but innocent. Now we just have to prove your guilt.” Auburn gulped nervously, for he was unable to weasel his way out of this predicament. Hardwood took note and used his fear to try and extract a confession out him.
“I don’t like going through another guy’s things, Auburn…” Hardwood held the saddlebag in front of him before continuing. “But if ya wanna keep these private, ya better start talkin'. Is there anything in here that controls those weird doohickeys?” As desperate as he was to relieve himself of the pressure, Auburn stayed quiet. Unfortunately for him, his defiance had the opposite effect as it only made Hardwood angry.
“Answer me, rookie! Is there anything in this bag that controls them?!” Hardwood gave him a good few seconds to answer, but Auburn still refused to speak.
“*sigh* All right, then.” Hardwood pointed a threatening hoof at Auburn. “If I find ANYTHING in here that links you to this shit, you’re fired. Ya hear me?” The stallion waited once more for a response from Auburn. None came.
“Yer wastin' yer breath on ‘im, boss,” spoke the stallion to the left of Auburn, “It’s clear he ain’t budgin’.”
“So be it. It’s his funeral.” Hardwood then opened up the bag and reached into it with a hoof. He felt something box-like after about a second, and he pulled it out shortly afterwards. The other stallions in the group felt surprised upon seeing the object.
“The Hell? What’s a remote doing in your bag?” To nopony’s surprise, Auburn said nothing. Hardwood himself was mildly annoyed at worst. The remote had a few buttons on it, but there were no labels anywhere on it that could tell him what they were for. With nothing else to go on, Hardwood tried pressing the big button in the center of the remote to see what happens… and the result caused everypony to gasp.
Just shortly after pressing the button, the sound of clanging and tearing was heard as a few more straps came clean off of the clamps in front of everypony’s eyes.
“It’s a clean cut, chief,” spoke one of the other workers, holding one of the tampered straps close to his face, “Looks like those discs are rigged to cut through the straps with a press of that button.” Having saw everything he needed to see, Hardwood turned his eyes angrily towards the guilty party, the stallion in question looking squeamish from having been found out.
“Well?” Hardwood grunted, “Ya have anything to say for yourself?” Even now, as his crime was laid bare, Auburn refused to speak. Hardwood maintained his composure, but one of the stallions holding Auburn down grew angry at his audacity.
“Da boss asked ya a question, asswipe!” he growled, “Ya have a lot o’ balls keepin’ yer trap shut at a time like dis. Now spill it before I decide to spill yer guts instead.”
“Make me.” Now realizing the jig was up, Auburn did not feel like sticking around. He shoved the coworker to his left, and then used the momentum to buck the one to his right hard. Both stallions were knocked to the ground, and Auburn used the brief window of freedom to escape. However, he only flew for a split second before an unseen force stopped him mid-flight.
“What, the Hell?” Auburn tried desperately to fly, but he couldn’t move no matter how hard he flapped his wings. He looked down with a pale face towards the ground to find Bladewing pointing a hoof at him from below.
“None escape justice, Auburn,” spoke Bladewing firmly, “Not even you.” The other ponies in the group looked at Bladewing with surprise. For many of them, this was the first time in their lives that they saw him hold somepony without magic – and having witnessed his power, they no longer doubted that he stopped the pillar with it.
Now that Auburn had no chance of escape, Bladewing lowered his hoof to bring him back onto the ground.
“Bind him!” The other workers in the group were more than happy to oblige Bladewing’s command. Some secretly hated Auburn, others simply didn’t like the act he just committed, but the one thing they could all agree on was that backstabbers were not welcome among them.
Grabbing one of the cut straps, the stallions set themselves to work tying down Auburn’s wings. He squirmed and pleaded for them to get off of him, but his cries were as meaningless to them as the workers themselves were to him. Effectively speaking, he was trapped.
“Struggle all you want, Auburn,” Bladewing told him, pressing a button from a box-like device on his belt, “I’m arresting you whether you like it or not.”
“Y-You can’t arrest me,” spoke Auburn nervously, “You’re a Council Knight, not a cop. You don’t have the authority.”
“Bladewing can arrest you BECAUSE he’s a Council Knight, you idiot,” Hardwood scolded him, “Royal law permits the Knights to arrest anypony who’s caught committing even one crime.”
“Exactly,” continued Bladewing, “You’ll be serving a ten-year minimum sentence just for workplace sabotage alone. Do you see these ponies beside me?” Auburn watched as Bladewing pointed towards Rose’s family.
“Yeah,” replied Auburn, “So what?” Bladewing pointed an open hoof towards the ponies in question as he continued.
“‘So what?’ These ponies happen to be the parents and grandparent of this wonderful mare beside me – and that pillar you made fall would’ve killed them had I not caught it in time. For that, you’ll be serving another ten-year minimum sentence for reckless endangerment.”
“Bullshit. You’re making that up.”
“Oh, it’s legitimate, all right… and by showing no remorse for putting the lives of the ponies closest to the love of my life in danger, you just made it personal.” The Blossom couple gasped upon hearing his statement, for they were now aware what Rose’s surprise really was. The very stallion who saved them from Death’s icy grip was also their daughter’s coltfriend… and they were seeing part of the personality that made her fall in love with him.
Just as tensions began to heat up again, Sergeant Stellar came to the area with a small group of female police officers.
“We picked up your signal, Sir Bladewing,” she said, “What’s the- whoa… what happened here?”
“This stallion is charged with workplace sabotage and reckless endangerment,” replied Bladewing, pointing his hoof at the guilty party, “That ruined pillar fell on top of the five of us here and almost killed us, and he was caught sabotaging the equipment that carried it.”
“Say no more, sir. We’ll take over from here. We’ll have him and the evidence in for processing in no time.” Now realizing that prison was no longer avoidable, Auburn’s expression quickly turned from scared to outraged.
“Damn you, Bladewing,” Auburn grunted as the officers placed hoof-cuffs on his legs, “I swear I’ll get my revenge when I get out of that shithole.”
“Spare me your venom,” Bladewing snapped back, “You brought this fate on yourself. But let me ask you something.” Auburn shot a look of scorn at Bladewing as he paid attention. “What made you sabotage those straps anyway?” Auburn initially wanted to tell him nothing but now that he saw the futility of hiding his crimes, he calmed himself down just enough to come clean (albeit unapologetically).
“I hate this job. I only signed up for it because I couldn’t find work anywhere else. I wanted to give these chumps a piece of my mind before I quit, so I figured I'd fuck up this last operation.” Like his now-betrayed coworkers, Bladewing was incensed by Auburn’s response, and he grabbed the stallion by the shirt underneath his vest. It was a move that surprised Rose, for even when they had the rare quarrel, she never saw him get this angry before.
“And you think that gives you an excuse to disregard the lives of others, you egocentric son of a bitch? You disgust me, but I can see why no employer wants you. You should've taken it as a sign to change for the better. Now you’ll just have to do it behind bars… but you can start here by apologizing to my marefriend and her family.”
“Fuck you. I already lost everything thanks to you, Council Knight. I have nothing left to lose except you from my sight. So you can shove it up your ass, because I’m not apologizing for shit!” Being no longer able to stand Bladewing, Auburn summoned enough saliva into his mouth and spat in Bladewing’s face. The filth smeared the right side of Bladewing’s face, and everypony gasped as his reflex forced him to let go of Auburn. Rose was especially worried as it was the first time she saw him experience such disgusting disrespect, and she took the rag sitting in his belt to help him.
“Oh my goddess, Bladewing,” she told him, giving him the rag, “Are you all right?” The stallion took a moment to wipe the spit from his face with the rag before answering her.
“I’m okay, love. It’s only spit.” Rose was relieved to hear that, but the same could not be said of Sergeant Stellar.
“You should’ve listened to him, pal,” she told Auburn sternly, “Now you just added even more jail time for both assaulting AND intimidating a Council Knight.” The sergeant then turned her head towards her subordinates. “You heard him, ladies. Get the evidence into the bags and take this punk to the station. Make sure the strap on his wings won’t come off easily.” The other officers either nodded or said “Yes, ma’am” in reply, and they proceeded to gather all the evidence they needed to prove his guilt in court. Before long, they were walking away with Auburn under their watchful eye.
Now that the fiasco was over, Hardwood returned his attention to Bladewing.
“Holy shit, Sir Bladewing,” he told him, “That was amazing. I haven’t seen a Council Knight take down somepony like that in years… or take being spitted on in stride. You have my deepest respect.”
“Thanks,” answered Bladewing, “I’m normally not vulgar when I’m angry, but he took it too far when he got my marefriend and her family involved in his scheme.”
“Oh, you’re totally fine, sir. The boys and I swear all the time. I don’t think any of us blames you for going off on Auburn’s ass like that.”
“That’s most reassuring. But anyway…” Bladewing offered his hoof to Hardwood, and the stallion in turn shook it gladly. “I’m pleased to have met you, Mr. Hardwood. Even if it wasn’t in an ideal setting.”
“*chuckle* For sure. As I said, I’ll get some clean-up crews here pronto to clear out this rubble for you guys. This won’t take long.” Bladewing nodded his head in agreement. Satisfied that he and Bladewing were in mutual agreement, Hardwood turned his head to face the Blossoms.
“Are you guys okay?” he asked Mrs. Blossom.
“We’re fine,” Mrs. Blossom answered, “Just a little unnerved from the near-death experience.”
“All right. I’m very sorry for the trouble my new employee caused you and your family. He’s a bit rough around the edges, but I never would’ve thought he’d be crazy enough to pull something like this.”
“It’s okay. I’m just grateful that Sir Bladewing was here to save us.”
“And thank Faust he did.” Hardwood took out his wallet and proceeded to pull a few 100-bit bills from it before giving them to Mrs. Blossom. “Lunch, dinner, and entertainment for the family’s on me today. Thank you for your patience and your understanding.”
“No, thank you. My husband and I appreciate that you’re doing your best to hold both yourself and your employees accountable.” Hardwood tipped his head in agreement and then turned to face his crew.
“All right, guys,” he told them, fluttering his wings, “Let’s head back to HQ. We’re done here.” The other workers were more than happy to oblige him. Before Bladewing and the others knew it, they were in the air and flew away soon after.
Now that the worst was over, the Blossom couple returned their attention to Rose and Bladewing. Both ponies were still trying to process what just happened, but the one at a greater loss for words was Mr. Blossom… for if the suspicion he had of Bladewing was correct, his actions gave him a clue as to why he was here with them.
“That… that was brave, Bladewing,” he said to him, “I… *sigh* I’m sorry, I can’t find the right words to say. So much has happened so quickly.” Bladewing smiled and put a sympathetic hoof on his fellow stallion’s shoulder.
“I understand. Why don’t we take this inside? I’m sure neither of us wants to stay out here.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.” Bladewing nodded, and both stallions carried Mrs. Sunfire’s suitcases while she and the other mares followed them into the house. An air of unease hung between the two of them, and the reasons for it couldn’t be more different. It was all the better for them that each had a special somepony to assist them with the coming resolution.
“Wow. This place is better than I imagined.” Bladewing was in awe over how spacious Rose’s house was. The colors of the interior weren’t as vibrant as those back at his own home but given where the house was located, it was quite fitting. He had a hard time believing that Rose grew up here.
“You can set the luggage here, Bladewing,” Mr. Blossom spoke, pointing to an area beside a table in the kitchen, “We’ll determine what to do with them later. I’d like a word with you in the living room table if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, not at all,” replied Bladewing, “Let’s do it.” Pleased that Bladewing was very cooperative with him, Mr. Blossom led the way to the living room. A table stood in the center of a C-shaped couch within this room. He and his wife made themselves comfortable at one end of the couch while his daughter and Bladewing sat together opposing them on the other. The old grandmother meanwhile sat in the middle section that separated the other two, a position that highlighted her influence as the family matriarch.
“Remember, my love,” Rose whispered to Bladewing, “Let me do the talking. You’ll know when I’m done when you hear it.” Bladewing simply smiled and nodded his head, a gesture that allowed Rose to have the first say from their side in the conversation.
“That’s better,” said Mr. Blossom, “But now, then… where to start…”
“If I may, Daddy…” The stallion looked towards the beautiful young mare that was his daughter. “How about we start with some introductions?”
“Are you sure that’s necessary, Rose? I am well aware of who your pegasus friend is. Even without his dog tag.”
“Well, that’s true, but he doesn’t know who you are. It’s only fair that I at least introduce him to both you and Mum.”
“She has a point, darling,” agreed Mrs. Blossom with a grin, “Don’t you always say that starting a conversation without them is a bit rude?”
“*sigh* I do. Very well, then. Let’s have some introductions.” Rose smiled with delight knowing she started the meeting on a good note.
“Great. *ahem* Well, Mum, Daddy, you already know who Bladewing is. No surprise there. Bladewing, meet my parents: Amaryllis and Arbor Blossom.”
“Charmed,” Bladewing answered, shaking each of their hooves happily, “It’s a great honor to meet the two of you.”
“The honor is ours, Sir Bladewing,” spoke Amaryllis, bowing her head in respect, “My husband and I have heard of many of your exploits. It’s difficult enough to meet a Council Knight in person with how often they’re at work. Meeting one as distinguished as you while also being saved by him is truly a rare treat.”
“Indeed,” added Arbor, “I’m not very knowledgeable or enthusiastic about the Council myself, but I’ve seen and heard enough about you to know you more than deserve your place in it. You truly are the king’s finest Knight… and you have my thanks for rescuing my wife and my dear mother.”
“It’s nothing, Mr. Blossom,” replied Bladewing, rubbing his neck bashfully, “I’m just doing my job.” Arbor can tell from his demeanor that Bladewing was a humble young colt, and though he was not yet ready to trust him, it earned him both his respect and a little smile towards him.
“Nonsense. Your heroism deserves recognition… and as far as rewards are concerned, I’m sure you already have it in my daughter.” Arbor's comment surprised Rose. She thought he didn’t know about her relationship yet, but once she remembered that Bladewing told Auburn she was the love of his life, she realized the cat was no longer in the bag… and though her father didn’t seem angry about it, she wasn’t too sure if he was or wasn’t. Not when he behaved in a similar manner to the colts he told to stay away from her in the past.
“Um… about that, Daddy…” Rose rubbed one of her forelegs nervously, much to Arbor’s concern. “I… I can explain. It's not what you-” Arbor raised a hoof to request silence. With no way of telling what he wanted, all Rose could do was oblige him without a fuss.
“It’s okay, Rose. We’ll discuss it later. Right now, I wish to be alone with your coltfriend for a bit.” Rose felt worried by her father’s request. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“What? But why?”
“Well, I won’t give him any trouble, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just want a conversation with him in private. It has nothing to do with you.”
“But Daddy-”
“No buts. You’ve gone against my wishes long enough, young lady. I won’t let you deny me this one as well… and unless you want to be in ACTUAL trouble, you will honor this harmless request.” Rose couldn't have felt more helpless than she was now. She didn’t want to anger her father, but she also didn’t want him to interrogate Bladewing like some prisoner of war. Granted, he assured her that he wouldn’t give him such treatment but given how he treated her colt classmates in the past, she was tempted to fear the worst.
Fortunately for Rose, Bladewing took note of her movements and understood how she felt. He couldn't stand seeing her like this, and he knew the guilt of leaving her in this state will affect how he interacted with Mr. Blossom. He decided to alleviate her stress before the anxiety drove both of them mad.
“It’s okay, love,” he spoke softly, “I’ll be fine. Just do it. Trust him as you trust me.”
“But Bladewing, I-”
“Shhh...” Bladewing nuzzled his mare, silencing her on the spot. “Please... do as he says. For me.” The warm feeling of his muzzle gently rubbing against her face comforted Rose, and she calmed down just enough to think rationally once more. She softly kissed his lips, a move that evoked sympathy from both her mother and her grandmother.
“All right,” she said to him, “We’ll do it your way.”
“Thanks. It’ll be over soon.” Rose acknowledged with a nod, and now that she gave up all further protest to her father’s request, Mrs. Blossom decided it was her turn to provide her with some relief.
“You heard him, dear,” she told her, “Let’s give them their privacy. It’ll be over before you know it.”
“Indeed, Rosie,” added Mrs. Sunfire, “It’s only a conversation. Let’s focus on other things for now. I still need to unpack, you know.”
“Ok, Grandma,” she agreed, “Let’s go.” Rose got up from her seat and walked with her mother and grandmother upstairs to help unload the luggage. Of the three mares, she was the last to go, but before she vanished from Bladewing’s sight, she looked over her shoulder towards him. She had a worried expression that showed him she had second thoughts. Thankfully, Bladewing knew what to do. He shot a reassuring smile at her, one that seemed to tell her, “Go on. I’m with you in spirit.”… and to his relief, it worked. The look on her face changed from worried to a relieved happy grin, and she turned back around to continue up the stairs.
Relieved that the love of his life was no longer anxious, he turned to face the stallion that helped bring her into existence. Arbor was nowhere near as bulky as the stallion that fell over on his back at the Fortune Festival, but he was still a bit larger than Bladewing. If not for his otherworldly powers, Bladewing would’ve easily been intimidated by his size. Even so, in order to pose less of a threat to him, Bladewing decided to refrain from using said powers. The last thing he wanted was to give Mr. Blossom a reason to so much as mistrust him, let alone hate him.
“Thank you for convincing Rose to listen, Bladewing,” Arbor told him, “It makes this conversation a lot easier for me.”
“It's all right, Mr. Blossom. If it makes you more comfortable, then I will not object.” Arbor nodded his head, and the two stallions took this moment to make themselves comfortable in their seats. Arbor himself was unsure how to start the conversation, but he was grateful that Bladewing let him go first. He felt more at ease when he took the lead, and he started their chat with a deep sigh.
“So…” Bladewing sensed discomfort from Arbor as the stallion looked away. “Are you really dating my daughter?” Bladewing could tell right away that the stallion was on edge. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his protective nature or if he was displeased that Rose was seeing him behind his back, but he knew that he had to be careful with how he answered him. He thus did his very best to control his tone.
“I am, Mr. Blossom,” replied Bladewing calmly. Now that his suspicions were confirmed, Arbor turned his gaze back to Bladewing, a much calmer tone engulfing his voice.
“I see. How long have you been with her?”
“Since at least two weeks before my knighting, sir.”
“Oh. That long?”
“Yes. It might not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”
“Don’t worry. I believe you… and I’m grateful that you’re being honest with me from the start. I'm sure Rose already told you a bit about myself.”
“She did.” Bladewing smiled warmly at Arbor as he continued. “She told me that you’re a good stallion. I don't know what things were like between you and her, but I believe her with every fiber of my being.” The bit of praise he got from Bladewing comforted Arbor, and he showed it by giving him a little smile.
“Well, it’s good to know she still speaks kindly of me. Rose often portrays me as being overprotective – and for a time, I was – but I assure you, Bladewing, that I neither still am nor did it intentionally. As a father, you do whatever it takes to keep your child safe. I just made the mistake of using the trust mine had in me as a sacrifice. I’m not the type of father who doesn’t EVER want his daughter to have a special somepony. I wouldn’t dare force Rose to live her whole life that way.”
“I understand, sir,” Bladewing assured him, “You simply want her to make her choice wisely. I can’t ever fault you for that. Not even in a fit of anger.”
“So then you know where I’m coming from.” Bladewing nodded his head. “All right. It’s good to know we have a mutual understanding, Bladewing… and I appreciate that you’re showing me both patience and respect.”
“It’s no trouble, Mr. Blossom. I'm just glad that you're not angry at Rose, to be honest. She seemed quite worried over your request for privacy.”
“*sigh* Yes.” Arbor briefly held his forehead with a hoof in dismay. “I know. I’m not angry at her, Bladewing. She’s old enough to have a coltfriend if she wants to. However, you must understand that she kept me in the dark about her relationship with you for the last two years. I asked her to let me know if she’s seeing somepony, but it’s only now – and from her own coltfriend, no less – that I learn she is. She deliberately disobeyed me and as such, she should count herself lucky that excluding her from our conversation will be all she’ll suffer as punishment.”
“I see. It’s your right to exclude her if you wish, sir, but still… isn’t that a little extreme for what she did?”
“When you have children of your own, Bladewing, you’ll understand. She will too. For now, just know that she’s in no real trouble. I want this discussion to be strictly between you and me.”
“Understood. I still think that the punishment seems excessive, but I will respect your decision.”
“Thank you. But enough about me. Now I want to know more about you, Bladewing. Can you tell me about yourself?”
“Sure. What would you like to know?”
“Hm… well…” With those two words, Bladewing and Arbor delved deep into the conversation.
Meanwhile, shortly after they made it to one of the rooms upstairs, Rose and her mother began to unload the luggage Mrs. Sunfire brought with her. They were about a quarter of the way done when the two stallions began to go deep into the conversation, and Mrs. Blossom used this time to try and get Rose to rid herself of her worry.
“Don’t worry so much, dear. I'm sure your father’s not angry with either of you. Especially not Bladewing. So please, calm down.” Try as she might, Mrs. Blossom’s words did little to cheer Rose up. Her face continued to be smitten with unease.
“I'm not sure I can, Mum,” Rose answered, “I never would’ve believed Daddy would kick me out of his very first conversation with my coltfriend. I know I disobeyed him by keeping Bladewing a secret, but I thought for certain that he wouldn’t mind it too much. At least not after Bladewing saved both you and Grandma.”
“I don't think it’s personal, dearie,” Mrs. Sunfire responded, “Getting to know a daughter’s coltfriend is usually a conversation between stallions. I think your father just wants this one to be unbiased.”
“Unbiased? Just how would my presence make it biased?”
“Well, you are Bladewing's marefriend, aren't you? Do you really think your father would trust Bladewing’s answers to his questions knowing you’re sitting next to him? It's clear that boy loves you to death. If he sees even the slightest hint of discomfort from you, then he’ll only give your father what he wants to hear and not what he needs to hear. All for the sake of keeping you happy and out of trouble.”
“But you don’t know that, Grandma. I could just stay calm and keep my mouth shut while they talk to each other. I don’t see how Daddy can object to that.”
“I’m afraid she’s right, sweetie,” countered Amaryllis, “Your father did exactly that with my own father – your other grandpa. I stayed in the conversation when they discussed our relationship and he couldn’t give any straight answers to your grandfather’s questions. I insisted to your father that I leave him alone, but he was too stubborn to listen. It worked out between the two of them in the end, but I think your father understood why it could've been easier had he listened to me and focused more on answering the questions. It's likely he asked for privacy because he secretly doesn’t want Bladewing to make the same mistake with you.”
“*sigh*… I guess you’re right, Mum. But still…” a worried look enveloped Mrs. Blossom as her daughter rubbed her foreleg nervously. “I’m scared. What if something goes wrong? Like if Daddy starts yelling at Bladewing? I can’t bear to find out he treated my coltfriend like he did all those other boys. This time would be even worse since I can’t do anything about it. Bladewing’s a wonderful stallion, and he doesn’t deserve any of it.”
“I know, dear. Bladewing seems like a sweet colt to me.” Amaryllis smiled and placed a hoof on her shoulder, making her daughter look up to her. “And it’s because he’s a sweet colt that I don’t think your father would harm him in any way. He seems to understand how much you love Bladewing, so I’m sure he knows better than to say anything that would hurt him.”
“I really want to believe you, Mum. I really do. But I… *sniffle* I…” Mrs. Blossom felt her heart sink as she saw her little girl's eyes begin to water. She didn’t like seeing her so deep in distress, and she would not stand for it.
“Aw, sweetie. Come here.” Rose could not hold in her despair any longer, and she let her tears flow freely from her eyes as she embraced her mother in a hug, the older mare softly caressing her mane with a hoof. Rose sobbed softly as she remembered all the heartache her father put her through from his overprotectiveness. The whole scene appalled Mrs. Sunfire, for though she knew that her son made plenty of mistakes with her granddaughter, she didn’t think he traumatized her THIS badly.
“I’m sorry, Mum,” Rose murmured to her, “I just can’t bear to think about it. Bladewing’s the only boy I had any quality time with… and it's with him that I finally got to experience true love. I just can’t let Daddy take him from me. I won’t let him.”
“He won’t, dear,” Amaryllis murmured back, kissing her cheek, “I promise you he won’t. Your father already apologized for pushing all those other boys away, didn’t he? He wouldn’t dare be so cruel to you as to treat Bladewing the same way. Not when he risked his life to save mine and Grandma Daffy’s.”
“She’s right, dearie,” added Mrs. Sunfire, “Give your father a second chance. He’s not perfect, but he loves you all the same. He’s just afraid that you would choose the wrong stallion.”
“I… *sniffle* I’m sure you’re right, Grandma, but still… it’s just further proof that he doesn’t trust me. Yes, I kept my relationship a secret from him, but it was only because he denied me the chance at love too many times already. How could I have chosen the right stallion if he never let me try?” As much as she hated to admit it, Mrs. Sunfire knew Rose was right. Her son brought her granddaughter’s lack of faith in him on himself and she knew it. She had no choice but to nod gently in agreement.
“I know, Rosie. He deserves it and then some, I’m sure… but that’s in the past now, love. Your father’s not the same stallion he was before. Do you think he would’ve let Bladewing stay here if he was?” Rose shook her head, a sign that signaled to Mrs. Sunfire that she was getting through to her. “Okay. So then it’s proof that he changed for the better. Bladewing said it perfectly, love: trust your father as you trust him. He knows as your mother and I do that everything will turn out fine. So chin up and cheer up. If you can’t do it for your father, then do it for your coltfriend.” Mrs. Sunfire reinforced her argument with a smile in the hopes that Rose would listen and be happy… and she was relieved to see that she did. Rose ceased her crying, and she let go of her mother with renewed hope.
“Okay, Grandma. I’ll give Daddy a second chance. I’m still not comfortable letting Bladewing talk to him alone, but I will trust in both him and the goddess. Thanks for cheering me up.”
“*giggle* You’re very welcome, dearie. Now dry those tears. I’m sure Bladewing doesn’t like seeing you cry any more than we do.” Rose smiled and did as she was told, grabbing a handkerchief from the dresser next to her to wipe her tears.
“Your father should be done by now,” Mrs. Blossom said to her, “I’ll go downstairs and check on him and Bladewing. I’ll come back here if they’re done.”
“All right, Mum. I’ll wait.” Rose smiled as she then felt her mother touch her forehead with her own, the tips of their noses just millimeters apart.
“I know it’s hard to believe in him, dear… but I’m grateful that you’re giving your father another chance anyway. Congratulations on your relationship…” The older mare wrapped her hoof around Rose and softly caressed her mane. “And I wish you and Bladewing all the happiness in Cydonia.”
“Thanks, Mum. I’m glad that at least you are on my side.” Mrs. Blossom chuckled as she removed her head from Rose’s and left the room shortly afterwards. She returned only a minute later bearing good news.
“They’re done, ladies,” she told them, “Let’s go.”
“We’re right behind you, Mum,” replied Rose. The three mares moved together downstairs to rejoin the stallions in the living room. Bladewing noticed when Rose took her seat beside him that her eyes looked a bit watery, and it made him concerned.
“Oh my goddess,” he gasped, “What’s wrong, Rose? You look hurt.”
“It’s nothing, Bladewing. Don’t worry about it.”
“But-”
“Shhh…” Now that it was her turn to serve as stress relief, Rose softly nuzzled her stallion to silence him. “It’s okay. It’s not what you think. Let’s just hear what Daddy has to say. Trust me as you asked me to trust him.” Bladewing was amused to hear his mare spin his own words back to him. Now reassured of his concern, he nodded and nuzzled her back.
“All right. I will… with both my heart and my life.” Rose chuckled and wrapped her foreleg around Bladewing’s, bracing herself for whatever her father would say next.
“Okay,” Arbor spoke, rising to his hooves, “I appreciate your willingness to open up to me, Bladewing. You did well in answering my questions. However, there’s one last question I want you to answer before I can say I’m satisfied. Can you do that for me?”
“You bet, Mr. Blossom. Ask away.”
“Very well.” Arbor took a deep breath and exhaled. “What made you choose my daughter above all other girls as your marefriend?” Despite the question’s open-ended nature, Bladewing anticipated him asking something along those lines – and he was therefore more than ready to answer it. He cleared his throat and gently ruffled his wings before he gave his response.
“Hm… I’m not sure how to answer that, sir.”
“Oh? What makes you say that?” Arbor watched curiously as Bladewing grinned happily and turned his attention to Rose.
“Because I'm not sure where to start.” Rose just giggled and leaned towards him to nuzzle him. Arbor could see that Bladewing had a lot to say regarding his question, and though seeing his daughter cuddle him so closely made him a tiny bit jealous, he looked forward to hearing it.
“Very well,” replied Arbor with a little grin, “In that case, you may start at wherever makes you comfortable.” Bladewing acknowledged him with a nod.
“I often ask myself that same question, sir: why DID I choose her? Was it for love? Was it for my future? Was it for her? It turns out…” Bladewing returned the gentle nuzzling his mare gave him earlier, much to the awe of her mother and grandmother. “… it was for more than all those things put together.” Arbor liked what he was hearing, and he wanted more.
“Go on,” he told him.
“Well, in the beginning, Mr. Blossom, I had nothing. No home, no family, no friends. Not even memories on ever having any of it. It was only when I saved the Heart family that the void in my life was filled once more. Even then, I did not anticipate that my life would change yet again so soon. When I met Rose for the first time at her job, I thought she simply liked me and that my interaction with her would end then and there; but when she surprised me at my home on her day off and spent time with me – time she willingly gave up just for me – I knew that she would become an important pony in my life. *chuckle* I just never thought it would be as my marefriend.”
“I see. How did she persuade you to be hers?”
“Well, she said, and I quote, ‘If he does agree to be mine, I’m going to make him happy for the rest of his days.’… and to this day, even after so many dates, she has never failed to do so.” Rose gasped in surprise. She could’ve sworn Bladewing didn’t hear her say that to Blaze when she briefly left him alone… and yet here he was telling her own father he did. She couldn’t help but blush with a bashful grin as her father continued the conversation.
“How touching. Well, I’m glad to both hear and see that you’re very fond of my daughter, Bladewing. Do you have anything you would like to ask me?”
“I do, sir.”
“All right. Then ask.” Bladewing nodded and then caressed Rose’s cheek with his muzzle in a cute gesture to get her to let him go. Rose happily obliged him and relinquished her hold on his foreleg, allowing the pegasus to rise to his hooves to face her father.
“Do you hate me, Mr. Blossom?” Arbor was both surprised and troubled by Bladewing’s question. It was true that he regarded Bladewing with suspicion at first, but he didn’t think Bladewing would mistake it for hatred.
“What? No, of course not, Bladewing. Why would you ask such a thing?” Bladewing looked away from Arbor while rubbing his foreleg.
“Well, Rose told me stories of how you treated boys that interacted with her growing up. I can't say if they deserved it or not, but I wasn’t sure if you would treat me the same way, whether I was a Council Knight or not. When she started to worry after you asked for privacy, I feared the worst. I don’t like seeing her worry, but I didn’t want to anger you.” Bladewing then smiled and looked up towards Arbor with a hopeful expression in his eyes. “It’s the other reason I looked forward to meeting you, Mr. Blossom: to try and earn your acceptance and your friendship. Sure, not everything Rose said about you was pleasant, but I can tell that she loves you dearly nonetheless. I can think of no greater way to make the love of my life happy than to befriend the stallion she looked up to her whole life.” Bladewing left Arbor almost completely speechless with his answer. A mix of emotions stirred within his soul as he tried to process everything he brought up, and he put a hoof over his mouth as he thought.
“Oh… oh, goddess… what have I done?” Arbor until now felt nothing but anxiety and anger as he tried to comprehend why Rose didn’t tell him about her relationship, but once he got to know Bladewing, a deep feeling of remorse hit him. He thought he kept her safe from heartbreak by driving those other boys away from her; the ironic truth was that all he accomplished in doing so was break her heart himself. Yet even after all that trauma, Rose still loved him, so much so that she had the courage to bring Bladewing home to him in spite of his protective nature. The regret hurt him even more seeing that Bladewing was nothing like the other colts. Only a stallion who truly loved his daughter would risk his ire just to befriend him. The realization of just how deep in the wrong he was about everything gave him a strong urge to cry for being such a tyrant towards Rose.
Thankfully for Arbor, his wife could see the emotional turmoil he was enduring and intervened. Mrs. Blossom placed a sympathetic hoof on his shoulder, and the stallion turned towards her. She had a reassuring smile on her face, one that seemed to tell him that she knew what he was thinking… and more importantly, that it was okay for him to feel this way. He placed his own hoof on hers, closed his eyes, and sighed one last time before returning his gaze to Bladewing.
“Is… is all of it true?”
“It is, Mr. Blossom… and I won’t ever take ANY of it back. If Rose won’t give up on you, then neither will I.”
“I see. Well, I appreciate your effort, Bladewing… but none of it will be necessary.” Bladewing looked at Arbor with surprise as he rose to his hooves.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because you’ve already earned them.” Less than a second later, Arbor embraced Bladewing in a heartfelt hug, a clear indicator to the pegasus that he won him over. Rose was delighted to see it, but Bladewing himself was a harder sell.
“I… I don’t understand, sir,” replied Bladewing as Arbor let go of him, “What do you mean, ‘already’?” Arbor chuckled softly before telling his pegasus friend his logic behind his decision.
“Exactly that, my boy: you’ve already earned both my acceptance and my friendship. You may not have realized it yet, but you already gave me enough reason to accept you as my daughter’s coltfriend. I may have saved her from getting crushed by the pillar, but by risking your life to save both my wife and my dear old mother from the same fate, you’ve shown me that you treat the three of us – her family – as if you were a part of it… and the only way you would do that is if you loved her enough to know how much each of us means to her.” Bladewing’s ears perked up in excitement.
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Yes. By standing tall against Auburn, you also showed me that you’ll protect her at any cost. I want any coltfriend of hers to keep her safe long after I join my father in Heaven, Faust bless his soul… and I feel confident that you’re more than capable of doing that.” Bladewing couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and yet at the same time, he was happy he did.
“All right. You have my thanks, Mr. Blossom… and I promise to never let you OR Rose down.”
“*chuckle* Good.” Arbor offered his hoof to Bladewing, and the pegasus in turn accepted it and shook it. “I welcome you to my family, Bladewing… and thank you for giving my little princess the happiness she always deserved.” Bladewing found himself as Arbor was earlier: at a loss for words. He didn’t need them, though, for the happy expression on his face conveyed his thoughts clearly to Arbor. Rose, on the hoof, had plenty to say to her father, for the moment she had been waiting for her whole life had finally arrived. She squealed with joy as she got up and hugged him firmly, much to the sheer delight of her mother and grandmother.
“I’m so happy you like him, Daddy,” she told him, letting a few tears escape her eyes, “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“I do know, sweetheart… and I'm very proud of you.”
“No. You don’t know.” Rose’s words gave Arbor pause, and both he and Bladewing looked at her with concern as she let go of him before continuing with teary eyes. “Do you have any idea how long I waited for this moment? Do you have any idea how much it hurt me to know my own father doesn’t trust me around boys? I know you said back then that I was too young to be dating, but I would’ve liked to be friends with some of the colts I met... and yet you wouldn’t even let me have that. When you kicked me out of your conversation with Bladewing, I thought for sure that you would yell at him or try and force him to break up with me. I never felt more scared in all my life, because I feared you were going to take away the only stallion I had the courage to fall in love with.” Having heard such traumatized thoughts from her own mouth, Arbor could not hold back his tears any longer. His own daughter was telling him how tyrannical he was towards her, and he couldn’t hate himself more for it. His only thought now was to comfort Rose and give himself closure in the process.
“Oh, Rosie. Come here.” Arbor firmly held his daughter in his foreleg, and he caressed the back of her head with his hoof as they both let their tears run freely from their faces. “I’m so sorry. It was never my intention back then to hurt you. I only asked you to leave us because I wanted to be sure that Bladewing’s answers to my questions were genuine. I never meant to make you feel helpless over it. You have to believe me.”
“I do, Daddy, but still… you hurt me for so long that I just couldn’t bring myself to believe you changed at all. You’re scary when you’re serious, and I didn’t want to anger you any further. Not if it means I’ll make things worse.”
“I know, and I’m sorry that I intimidated you…” Arbor let go of Rose, allowing her to see him face-to-face. “…but I want you to know that the fault for not telling me about Bladewing was never yours. It was mine. I’m the one who denied you any meaningful interaction with boys. I’m the one who wouldn’t trust you with knowing right from wrong in romance… and you had every right to not trust me with the truth because of it. You only did what you thought was right for you.” Rose smiled with relief as she wiped some of the tears from her eyes.
“R-Really? Do you mean that?”
“Of course I do, sweetheart. I meant it when I said I’ll stop being overprotective of you. I'm a changed pony. I just have a hard time letting you go. Can you forgive me? For being a blind and possessive tyrant of a father?” Rose gently nuzzled his face, bringing a little smile to his cheeks.
“I already have. You gave the love of my life a chance – so now I can do the same for you.” Arbor was relieved to hear her say that, for though he was sincere the first time he apologized, Rose never told him if she accepted it. Needless to say, she set him free of his guilt.
“Thank you, sweetheart. Congratulations on successfully choosing the right coltfriend. I really am proud of you… and always remember that I love you.” Rose smiled and embraced her father in one final hug, holding him as tightly as she did Bladewing a few hours earlier.
“I love you too, Daddy. I always have… and I always will.” Bladewing couldn’t hold in how beautiful this moment was to him, and he a single tear escape his own eye. Here he could see just how badly hurt Rose was by her father’s overprotectiveness… and more importantly, that even after all she went through because of it, she still had enough love for him to forgive him for all of it. She truly was a “Daddy’s Girl”. He didn’t want Rose to see his tear, however, so he wiped it from his face before she could notice. He had to be as strong for her now as he was earlier.
Now that father and daughter had reconciled with each other, Mrs. Blossom walked towards her husband to cheer him up with a hug of her own.
“I’m proud of you, darling,” she said softly, “I knew you’d come around to let our daughter have true love someday… and it’s even better knowing she chose possibly the best stallion of them all.”
“Thanks, love. It makes me feel better about being a lousy father.”
“*giggle* You weren’t a lousy father. You were a lousy pony. There’s a major difference.” The Blossom couple shared a chuckle together before inevitably silencing themselves. For all intents and purposes, the meeting was now over.
Unfortunately for both Rose and Bladewing, neither of them would be able to enjoy their success for long. A device within Bladewing’s ear began to beep softly, instantly disturbing the peaceful quiet.
“What’s that noise, Bladewing?” Rose asked him.
“Oh, it’s just my communicator,” he replied, pointing to the little earbud close to his ear, “It beeps whenever the king or one of my fellow Knights is trying to call me.”
“I see. Go ahead and answer it. We’ll keep quiet for you.”
“Thanks. This won’t take long.” Rose nodded and proceeded to gesture to the others to silence themselves. Bladewing then moved the earbud into his ear and pressed the button on the little bar connecting the bud to its tiny, elliptic-shaped power supply.
“Bladewing here… Oh hey, Crixus. How are you?... Oh, I’m back in the capitol with Rose and her parents right now… Really? What seems to be the trouble?... Oh. Oh, goddess. When did this happen?” Bladewing’s face became swept with concern as he said the latter part, and it drew concern from each of the other ponies.
“Damn. Last night? No wonder so few people know. Still, isn’t the RBI handling it?... Oh, I see. Well, even so, Crixus, Mountain Wind already approved me for the day off today, and I have other plans with Rose right now… What? He gave the order?... I see. *sigh* Great… Oh, he won’t count today as one of my days off?... Well, if he’s offering it, then I guess I can live with that… Now?... Very well. Just give me a minute with Rose… I will, trust me. It won’t be too long… All right. I’ll see you there.” Bladewing sighed in dismay as he pressed the button again to hang up the call, and Rose in turn looked at him with worry.
“What's wrong, Bladewing?”
“It's the king. Sir Crixus told me he's summoning the Council to an emergency meeting. The Earth Legion televised the execution of a pegasus mare last night.” The other ponies gasped in horror at the news.
“Oh, no,” Rose said worriedly, “Did that really just happen?” Bladewing nodded his head reluctantly. “Oh, goddess. You better get going then, for sure.”
“I’m sorry. I really hoped that we could go on that date like we planned.”
“Oh no, Bladewing, it’s fine. I totally get it. We’ll just schedule it for another time.”
“But-” In an effort to both shut him up and calm him down, Rose wrapped a foreleg around her stallion and hugged him.
“Go,” Rose murmured, nuzzling his face, “and don’t ever forget I love you.” Bladewing smiled and nuzzled her back.
“All right. I won’t… and I love you too.” Now assured that his mare was fine with him leaving, Bladewing let go of her and moved towards the door. He opened it and was about to leave the house when a playful joke convinced him to turn around.
“Hm… are you sure we can’t-”
“*giggle* Boy, if you don't get those wings flapping, I'll break up with you for real.” The other ponies chuckled as Rose playfully threatened him while walking towards him.
“Oof, easy, love. I'm just joking.”
“You better be. Smug colt.” The young couple shared one last laugh between them knowing they likely won’t be together again for a few more days. For that same reason, they decided to embrace each other’s lips one last time, as if Bladewing were being sent into battle instead. The Blossoms, especially Mrs. Blossom, found this heartfelt moment very cute.
“Go get ‘em, tiger,” Rose cooed. Bladewing tilted his head in agreement, and Rose then followed him outside before stopping at the edge of the steps. After ruffling his feathers again, Bladewing jumped forwards high into the air in a front-flip, unfurled his wings, and began gliding above the ground in a left turn. To this day, Rose still couldn’t understand how he was able to jump like that, but she was glad it made his take-offs all the more fun to watch. The Blossoms meanwhile moved outside with her having just barely caught him in the act.
“He’s a keeper,” Mrs. Blossom mused, “You’ve done well, dear.”
“He sure is, Mum,” replied Rose, “And thanks. Mountain Wind may have him now, but it won’t be forever.”
“And so it will be, sweetheart,” agreed Mr. Blossom, “Now let’s keep helping Grandma unpack. I’m treating us all to lunch after this.”
“You bet, Daddy.” Arbor was pleasantly surprised as Rose then kissed his cheek in bliss.
“And thank you... for giving us a chance.” Arbor just chuckled with a smile and nuzzled her. He wasn’t sure how well he’d take seeing his little girl with another stallion, but if it meant she’ll be happy long after his time comes, it was worth it.
Before he reentered the house, he felt a hoof touch his shoulder, and he turned his head to face the mare who gave him life.
“Well done, Arbor,” spoke Mrs. Sunfire with a grin, “Your father would be proud.” Arbor let a final tear slip past his right eye as he smiled and went inside the house with his dear old mother.
“Oh, Dad… the things I’d give to have you here one last time.”