Astral's Thunder

by Bolted Sky

Chapter Thirteen.

Evening rolled around and I left with Starlight and Sunburst. We went to this twenty-four hour diner. We struck up a conversation during our meal.

"So, Sunburst tells me you wanted to learn magic." I began racking my brain after Starlight said this. It was certainly true, though I couldn't remember mentioning it to Sunburst while we were in the library.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked, looking at Sunburst.

"It was kind of obvious, with all the magic books you were surrounded by. I also saw you practicing a little bit." He said.

"Yeah, Sunburst was really impressed... So am I, considering what he told me." Starlight explained.

"Oh... What exactly did you see?" I asked, looking at Sunburst again.

"You... Performing a clone spell on yourself." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Hey, I'd be glad to teach you what I know. In fact, we can start tomorrow." Starlight replied.

"Wait, you want to teach me?" I asked

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" I didn't have to think about it. I already knew the answer.

"I'd love to!" I shouted, practically jumping out of my seat. I paused and looked around and all the other ponies staring at me. I slowly sat back down in embarrassment as Sunburst and Starlight chuckled.

"Wow, somepony's excited." Starlight commented.

"Yeah... Guess so."

We got home pretty late that night. Starlight showed me to the guest bedroom. It was weird because I didn't feel tired, but as soon as I laid my head on the pillow I drifted into unconsciousness.

---

I awoke the next morning to some commotion. It sounded like it was happening at the front door, but I couldn't be sure. I rolled out of bed and trotted out of the bedroom.

I snuck into the living room of the house to see the front door wide open and Starlight having an argument with some ponies.

"The answer is no, Rainbow Dash." What did she just say?

"Starlight, I understand your concern..." I heard Twilight's voice, but Starlight interrupted her.

"Concern! Try rage, sweetheart! There's no way in Tartarus I'm letting you see him!" Starlight shouted.

I began sneaking around the living room to get a look at who all was there. I snuck behind the couch and began spying on everypony. I saw Starlight, Princess Twilight, Mom, and Spike.

Look, Starlight, I know I messed up..."

"Two years it's not a mess up, it's deliberate!" Mom's face deflated, but Twilight looked more determined than ever.

"Starlight, don't make me have..."

"Make you what?" Starlight sounded both hurt and shocked at the same time.

"You're honestly considering..." Starlight began before mom interrupted her.

"Astral?!" Mom yelled. Mom and I made eye contact as she shouted my name. Starlight looked back at me. I rushed back toward the hallway, but Mom was quick. She rushed past Starlight and blocked the way.

"RAINBOW DASH!"

"It's fine." I said. I didn't look at Starlight, or anybody else for that matter. Mom and I stared at each other for a couple of minutes before either one of us said anything.

"Um... Hi..." Mom said. I said nothing.

"I've...ah..." She stammered. I just kept staring at her.

"I've missed you, buddy." She continued. I just kept staring at her.

"Look, Field's gone. He's not in Ponyville anymore."

"Okay... Where is he?" I asked.

"I'm... I don't know."

"You don't know what dungeon they took him to?" Now I was curious.

"We... Didn't send him to a dungeon, Astral." She responded.

"I don't get it." I said, now confused.

"We banished him. He won't be hurting you anymore." Twilight said. I noticed Spike slowly turn to look at her, the look on his face expressed both confusion and anger.

"Oh, and what's keeping him from Ponyville?" Asked Starlight.

"Ro...Royal Decree, obviously. It's the law." Twilight said, meekly.

"Riiiight, because criminals obviously care about the law." Twilight tried to respond to Starlight's statement, but Starlight wasn't done yet.

"So not only did you let him off with a slap on the hoof after everything he did to Astral, but he's out there as we speak, probably planning some kind of revenge. Am I somewhere in the ballpark, guys?" Starlight asked angrily.

"Wait, so you mean to tell me that foal abuser is still free?" Spike said indignantly.

"I mean... I still care about him, you know? Him and Varsity are like family." I couldn't listen to anymore. As soon as Mom said this, I felt a rage burning inside me, and for the second time this week, I was going to let it out.

"Huh, it's a wonder you didn't have him executed." I said blankly. Everyone gasped in shock.

"Astral?!" Mom shouted.

"Well? I'M your family, and you haven't exactly shown ME any compassion. It just seems to me that you'd extend the same treatment towards other members of your 'family'."

She looked hurt and guilty, but I didn't care. I was done caring about ponies who didn't care about me. I was just done.

"Astral... I know I hurt you. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too! Sorry I'm not in the son you wanted! I didn't ask to be born! And unlike you, I didn't get to choose my family!"

"Astral, please..."

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted. In her shocked state, I was able to run past her and back to the bedroom where I locked the door. I jumped on the bed, content to cry myself to sleep like I had done many times before. I heard commotion outside, but I was too far in my own little world to pay any attention.

---

"Rainbow Dash! Get out!" Rainbow Dash shook her head and looked at Starlight.

"But... I..." Her stammering was met with Starlight pointing a hoof toward the door.

"I'm not leaving without Astral!" Rainbow demanded.

"Oh yes you are." Starlight replied.

"That's enough. Starlight, I'm sorry about all this. We'd be more than happy to let Astral stay here." Spike said. Starlight seemed to calm down a little.

"Thank you, spike."

"I have Astral's stuff. Maybe we could come to some arrangement on what to do about that?"

"Spike!" Twilight.

"And you two! I thought you guys would have learned by now! But apparently not! Once again, you two have completely missed the point!" Spike scolded. Twilight look defeated, but Rainbow Dash wasn't giving up just yet.

"I just want to take Astral home. I promise I won't..."

"Why?! What makes you think forcing him back is a good idea?! What makes you think it's good for him?! Especially after everything you did! Everything you put him through! How much more does he have to endure before you realize what you're doing to him!" Starlight shouted.

"Starlight! Is everything all right?!" Starlight looked outside to see Sunburst. Behind him was Shining Armor and the rest of Twilight's friends.

"What's going on here!" Shining Armor asked.

"What is she doing in our house!" Demanded Sunburst.

"Trespassing! And she's going to get out now!" Starlight responded in a low, threatening voice.

"Please! I just want my son!" Rainbow wailed.

"Yeah? Well you had your chance and you blew it!" Sunburst shouted as he walked through the door.

"But I..." Rainbow began to speak, but Sunburst interrupted her.

"Look, not only did you do everything that you did, but your boyfriend and his son did much worse. On top of that, you let him go free... You outright abused your own kid, and let him do so as well... But let Field off easy because?.." Rainbow had no response to Sunburst's accusations. Rainbow looked utterly defeated.

"Look... I know you feel guilty and you want to make it right. I've been there... I get it. But this is a colt who was abused and ignored for years. It's going to take more than 'I'm sorry' to fix it. I wish it would, but it won't." Starlight explained.

"I don't know what to do... Please tell me what to do... Please." Rainbow begged.

"Go home oh, Dash. Give him time to heal." Said Starlight.

"I don't want..."

"You know where he is. You know where WE are. You know he's safe... We're not going anywhere."

"... When can I see him?" Rainbow asked.

"When he heals enough that he can... I'll let you know. But we're not making him do anything he doesn't want to do." Starlight explained.

Rainbow Dash looked back down the hall behind her where Astral ran, then back at Starlight. Without another word she walked out the front door. She looked like she was in a catatonic state.

"Rainbow?" Twilight asked, looking at her friend with concern. Rainbow Dash walked all the way to the end the walkway, then sat down.

"The rest of you should probably leave as well." Said Sunburst

"We will. Last thing we want to do is step on anypony's hooves." Said Applejack.

"I'll be back in a few minutes so we can try to figure out what to do with Astral's stuff." Said Spike.

"Thanks Spike." Said Starlight. The others gathered around Rainbow to try and comfort her. Spike had other ideas, however.

"Twilight? I wasn't in the room when it happened, so I'd like you and everypony out here to explain to me why Field isn't rotting in a dungeon right now?" Asked Spike.

"I'd like to know that as well, and you know what? I'd like to know something else, Twilight." Shining Armor said sternly.

"Wha... What's that?" Twilight asked, nervously. He answered in what could almost be described as a very angry whisper.

"Why have you been altering Flurry Heart's letters to us?"

Author's Note:

Da da DUUUUN!

Sorry it took me so long to update. I read some of your comments. In particular, I read about how Field got off really easy. And I agree.

However, I didn't want to rewrite anymore chapters. So I've been racking my brain trying to figure something else out.

With that in mind, I decided to address that in these last two chapters, and will continue to do so in the next chapter.

Also, future updates to the story will probably come with two or more chapters. So it might take me a bit longer between each update.

Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments below. Thank you.

Comments

[cunning_linguist]

This is a much better direction, so kudos to sorting out the issue with the narrative progressing too fast. The only other thing I could complain about (and I do so enjoy complaining) are some minor spelling issues.

I’m glad you’re back in the saddle.

[Orrm]

Holy hell.

This is probably the one and only story on this entire site that, to me, has a legitimate method of conclusion.

I can't say outright conclusion cause it ain't ended yet, but, damn.

The problems are brought up, an underlying obvious one is also placed on the table and it ain't overdone or underdeveloped either.

Wow.

I'm quite impressed.

Good bloody job, mate.

[Lady Lightning Strike]

"Why have you been altering Flurry Heart's letters to us?"

Altering you say? Doesn't that also imply that she would need to read it to know what to alter? Which means she's known about Astral's abuse and still deliberately modifies each letter so Cadence and Shining are not alerted. So not only does Field walk free, but the information was also kept from ponies who could help...deliberately and by a Princess of Equestria!

Isn't messing with someone's mail illegal? And because Twilight is a princess, how would that reflect upon her?

[Lady Lightning Strike]

"We banished him. He won't be hurting you anymore." Twilight sad.

You forgot the i in said

revenge. am I somewhere

Capitalize. Beginning of sentence.

that foal abuser still free?"

add is between abuser & still.

Him and varsity are like

Capitalize. It's a person's name.

That's enough. Starlight, I'm

You missed the quotation marks at the beginning of Spike's speech.

-----
I keep reading this chapter and the last one and I kept noticing these mistakes and just decided to give ya a quick hoof out.

[Bolted Sky]

9937761
Thanks. I'll fix those right away.

[cunning_linguist]

What’s the hold up, Private Pyle?!

[Blaze StormEST]

Dude where the heck is the next chapter? You said it would a few months till the next one it's been 7 months since then, what is taking so long? Please give us a sign that this story is not dead in the water.

[Bolted Sky]

10293944
I'm working on the next three chapters right now. Worry not, my friend.

[Blaze StormEST]

10300870
Sweet

[Blaze StormEST]

Hey how are those chapters coming? It a while is everything OK? How have you been doing since covid-19 hit? I hope you're ok.

[Bolted Sky]

10706476
I'm fine. Sorry I haven't posted anything lately. I started a new job and it's taken a lot of time and energy, so there's that.

In general, a lot of things have been putting me under a lot more stress than normal and I don't think it's good for my health. So some things have had to take a back seat.

It might be a bit, but I plan on continuing the story. And again, sorry for the long absence.

[Blaze StormEST]

10708625
No need to apologize, I'm just glad your ok, with how covid has been this past it's been a little crazy. Well I hope things work out for later in the future. Also a small bit of advice if you can you post short updates in your blog section of you page to everyone that follows you know what's been happening and in turn give positive motivation. A few kind goes a long way, well hope you stress less. If need any helpful advice don't hesitate to ask ok? 😄