Heart of Magic

by TheCrimsonDM

Chapter Thirty Four: Safety Nets

Heart of Magic

Chapter Thirty Four: Safety Nets

Written by TheCrimsonDM

Blackout stood in her room. Her door was cracked open just a bit and she could hear her mom just outside of it. Her mom did not sound happy, not in the least.

“What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

A stallion’s voice replied. “I just wanted to see her.”

“You don’t get to just ‘see her’ whenever you like.”

There was a brief silence but the stallion replied. “Rainbow, I’m getting old, I won’t be here forever. Just let me see her, get to know her, that’s all-“

“No, you don’t get that luxury, pal. We had a single night of very regrettable fun, the sex was great, but you left me with a reminder of your presence and vanished. So no, if you wanted to see her you’d have been here a long, long time ago.”

His voice replied. “I didn’t know. I was busy with a mission and I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

“Oh and I’m sure you say that to all the fillies you knocked up.”

He was silent for a moment. “I… might have done that. But I’ve been trying to make amends for it, meet the kids, get to know them. Even if I was a piece of trash back then, the older I get, the more I realize that I need to do something, leave something behind.”

Rainbow Dash replied. “You already did, and she is special, but she isn’t yours. She never will be, and if I have it my way you’ll never get to know her.”

Blackout could feel the pit in her stomach growing. It was like there was a black hole in her heart. She knew who this was, the stallion had come by three times in the past month trying to talk to Rainbow Dash, each time she would force Blackout to go to her room and stay there. It was pretty freaking obvious who this stallion was.

Blackout wasn’t going to keep hiding just because her mom said so. Even if she got scolded, or grounded for the rest of her life, she had to see him. Just once.

Blackout opened the door and stepped out of her room into the entrance way of the manor. She saw her mom by the front entrance, her eyes shot a glaring look toward Blackout. Blackout shot the glare back and then turned to look at the stallion.

He was an old stallion, a really old stallion with blue fur and a silver striped mane. Around his neck he wore a white scarf. He looked at Blackout with a pair of silver eyes that widened as he saw her. Blackout smiled at him.

Rainbow Dash spat a few curses and then demanded, “Get back in your room, this instant.”

Blackout stuck her nose up in the air and flittered around, or well with her weight she kind of floated around with her wings. “I’ll do what I want.” She flew circles around the pair trying to size up this pegasus stallion. She caught a glimpse of some kind of airship outside, it looked like Sunset Shimmer was out there waiting for him. “Wow, you hooked up with Sunset after my mom, nice.”

Rainbow Dash nearly vomited a torrent of curses amounting to, how dare you and, I’m ten times better than Sunset. Of course Blackout ignored them all and landed next to the stallion and stared up into those old eyes. “So, you my dad or what?”

Wind Rider smiled and opened his mouth. Rainbow Dash interrupted, “I may not hit her because she’s my baby girl, but you, I will beat every bone in your body senseless if you speak.”

Winder Rider smiled and winked at Blackout. This seemed to set Rainbow Dash off more. He let out a sigh. “The name’s Wind Rider.”

Blackout smiled. “I’m Blackout, best darn pegasus in Ponyville.”

Wind Rider corrected, “Best darn pegasus in Equestria more like it.”

Rainbow Dash marched up and had her hooves on Wind Rider. “That’s it, you’re gone and if you come back, even if you bring your little body guard, I’m going to rip your lungs out and then strangle you with them.”

Blackout nearly shouted, “MOM, STOP! He’s my dad, I have every right to meet him!”

Rainbow Dash shot a glare at her. “Not until you are eighteen you don’t. And if we’re both lucky he’ll die of old age by then.”

Rainbow opened the door and shoved Wind Rider out of it. “Now get the tartarus away from my home, and my family you evil, conveying, cheating man whore!”

Wind Rider glanced back at them. “Alright, alright. Just remember kid, Wind Rider’s the name. I’m kinda a big deal.”

Rainbow Dash glared. “No, you’re a washed up has been, now git!”

She slammed the door with enough fury to shake some of the clouds off of the walls. Rainbow Dash leaned against the door huffing and puffing for a good minute. She cracked her neck to look at Blackout. “Go, to, your, room.”

A sudden pang of ‘I’m in soooooo much trouble’ hit Blackout like a lightning bolt. She didn’t need told twice to know she needed to leave immediately. She flapped her wings, took off in a speeding start, and without much aim managed to collide into the wall next to her door. She slid to the floor and for the longest moment she just lay there. Her face had cloud burn on it, and hurt. Not that she couldn’t handle the pain, she totally could. She also didn’t keep her face in the floor because she was afraid she might cry, I mean, she’s Blackout, Rainbow Dash’s daughter, she’d never cry.

It was like when her body hit the floor, her heart crashed into the floor as well. Her heart was so heavy, her body was so heavy, she tried to lift herself up and she couldn’t. She just… gave up and laid there. Face first in the floor.

She could feel Rainbow Dash’s hooves approaching. She was going to get spanked wasn’t she? Just because she was too fat to fly back to her room properly.

She felt something soft touch her shoulder and jolted. Rainbow’s voice came out rough, but not loud. “I… I know this is hard for you. But I just can’t trust a thing like him around my precious baby. When you’re eighteen you can do what you want, but for now… Just respect my decision please.”

Blackout rolled her head to the side and stared up at her mom. For some reason Rainbow Dash was blurry, obviously this was because Blackout had hurt her eyes in the fall, not because she could cry, that was impossible. “But… he’s my dad.”

“He’s also a bad person.”

“But…”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, I’m sorry I won’t allow it. No ifs, no ands, and no buts. Especially no buts. Just… let me help you to your room because you’re totally grounded.”

Rainbow Dash had to support most of Blackout’s weight, but she was clearly strong enough to do it. With a bit of help Rainbow Dash helped carry Blackout back to her room and even laid her down on the bed. Blackout rolled away from Rainbow Dash and closed her eyes. Her eyes still hurt from crashing into the wall.

Rainbow Dash walked away to the door. “I… You know everything I do is for you guys. Because I love you guys.”

Blackout didn’t reply. Her throat hurt cus she was sick now too.

Rainbow Dash walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Blackout laid there, and because she was sick and hurt, and not for any silly emotional reason, she laid in bed and didn’t move for the longest time. This wasn’t fair, how could this be fair. She glanced at her window, cracked open to let cool air in. There was no way this could be fair to her, or to anyone. What if… what if Wind Rider really did die before Blackout turned eighteen? He was already old, he could have a heart attack at any minute.

An idea came to her mind. She only had to ask herself what would Amber do in this situation and she realized exactly what she would do. Blackout forced herself up and went to her window. She slid it open and although it was a tight fit she climbed out of it and looked around. Just at the front of the house, the airship was still there it hadn’t moved yet.

Blackout smirked. “I guess I always wanted to see what it was like on an airship.”

***

Amber sat there staring at Fluttershy and Maud. Both of them had listened to her and Hushpuppy’s story but neither of them had reacted yet. Amber was just waiting for their response, honestly she was hoping they’d call this thing quits and go home already. She liked the training, she needed the training, but these woods were not safe and it felt like they were only growing more dangerous by the day.

At length Fluttershy finally spoke, “Maud, what do you want to do?”

Maud pawed at the stone floor beneath her hooves. “Lulu promised we’d be safe here.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, she did. I understand why she told us to stay here right now as well.” Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin. “In all of Equestria, this castle, this valley, and the caves beneath it are probably the safest place. The Tree of Harmony resides here, the elements themselves give off the most pure form of energy there is. Even with the woods surrounding this place being created by Discord himself over a thousand years ago, this one central location is safe.”

Maud nodded. “No more trips into the woods.”

Fluttershy smiled. “I agree. The woods are too dangerous. So unless you are with me or Maud, stay out of the woods.” Fluttershy looked back at the Castle wall behind them. The section seemed newer, cleaner, the door against that wall was in fact newly made and came from Appleloosa. “Twilight’s reconstruction attempts here were pretty good, we can live comfortably in the new wing, train in the old courtyard or valley, and stay as long as we need to, or at least until this scary business passes.”

Amber felt like the world around her was changing. With the revelation of the Corrupted Alicorns there wasn’t much anypony could do against such a force. Yet Amber knew there had to be more, more dark secrets, or things on the way to come. This was only just the beginning to something far more serious, of that she was sure.

Amber glanced over to Hushpuppy and Sophie who were sitting at a table against the wall playing cards. Hushpuppy was clearly listening to the conversation and not really paying attention to the game, Sophie was holding her stuffed rabbit and staring at the cards but she looked a little distant as well.

Fluttershy spoke gently, “It’s okay, let Pinkie and Maud take care of their concerns.”

Amber glanced up at her. “I don’t like hiding here when the world is in danger, can’t we do something?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Maybe once upon a time the Elements of Harmony could, but that’s… not possible now. Let’s just do as your mom said, stay here, stay safe, and let her take care of the big bad scary stuff.” Fluttershy leaned closer and whispered into Amber’s ear. “And don’t forget, that our training will help you become strong enough to do something if they need you.”

Amber nodded. “Okay, I guess you’re right.” She didn’t like being here, but this place was safe, and she was at least surrounded by family she liked. Yeah, her mom had to be right, she could take care of the scary stuff and Amber could keep the family safe.

Amber found herself smiling. “Well, what are we waiting for then? I thought you were supposed to be training me?”