Aerial: My Soul to Keep

My dad always told me tales of stranger ponies, their cultures and where they came from.

He said that there were two types of ponies in this world, and that we were born from both.

Of one he said, stubbornness and selfishness created their own demise and destruction. That's why us ponies are so kind, gentle and forgiving... because there are hardly any in existence up to this date.

And the other, how they would do anything to keep those alive to feed their selfishness.

One day we'd have to chose between them; sacrifice and selfishness... but is there really a difference?

Eighteen Years Later

Through steady and calm trots down the stairs came to reveal that same abandoned mare, her mane representing the colours of the sky within her stripes as even her cloud-white coat contrasted perfectly with scarlet eyes that could instill fear into anypony's soul. Upon her flank laid a cutiemark, a single chibi wing, something rather peculiar for a unicorn such as herself to have.

Touching base of the staircase, her eyes scanned the dining room, catching a glimpse of a stallion seated at the furthest end of the mahogany table, his light cyan forehooves beneath his chin, patiently waiting for the convict to arrive.

He called out to her with a stern command, "Sit down, Aerial," and at the opposite end of the table, she had no choice but to obey her father. Setting aside the stool and dropping her weight upon it with a slouch, her hair drew over her left eye, trying to mimic her father's stature as the tension built through their silence.

"Are you ready?" his calm and unnerving voice asked, sending chills throughout her spine. Nevertheless, she allowed the quietude of the environment to answer for her, trying her best to keep maintain her focus. "Very well... you've brought this upon yourself." He then took a deep breath, clearing his mind and systems as he began. "What is magic?!"

Her eyes widened being caught off-guard, but yet slammed her hooves on the table with confidence. "Magic works in a similar manner to energy, in that it’s able to be stored and transferred, but not truly created or destroyed. All ponies have magic within them, which manifests itself in specific ways with each pony race!"she hastily exclaimed.

"What's the 38th element of the periodic table?"

"Strontium!"

"What is the mole equal to?"

"Six point zero two two by ten to the twenty third power!"

"What is entropy?"

"Lack of order or predictability which soon leads to a gradual decline into disorder!"

"What law did her Royal Majesty enact after the first running of the leaves ceremony!"

"No use of fire!"

"What's my only rule when flying?"

"Don't fly too close to the sun!"

"Why must you not bring home a stallion?!"

"Because you will rip him limb from limb if he hurts me, sir!"

"And why can't I do that?!"

"Because it is against the law!"

The two continued their strenuous staring competition until the father broke out into a hefty fit of laughter. He rose from his seat, flapping his wings as he reached his daughter, playfully ruffling her mane as he made his way into the kitchen. "One more question," Graze unsuspectingly notified Aerial, sending warning shocks throughout her entire body.

Dammit old man, can't you give me a break? I have three exams today and I already did mocks... I'll be fine! Aerial thought to herself, hurriedly rushing through her crammed studies in preparation for anything that could been thrown her way.

"What would you like for your eighteenth birthday, Aerial?" He returned to his panicking daughter, placing a floral patterned chocolate cake with eighteen lit candles between them.

Left breathless and in her own stupor, Aerial momentarily basked in the heat of the flickering candles. Free from the flames' hypnotic dance routine, Aerial asked out of sheer astonishment and bewilderment, "T-Today's my birthday?"

Graze nodded and an ear-to-ear smile drew upon her face as she excitedly galloped to double-check the calendar. "Hmph, you study so hard for your tests, memorizing all that work and yet you can't even remember your own birthday... are you sure you're going to pass?" Graze teased, glancing from his side as he too smiled with daughter.

Halfway through the route of the school, father and daughter trotted side by side, enjoying the cool morning breeze as even the sun was now fully at its place, bringing the rest of Ponyville to life. Blades of grass performed a low melodic tune as the wind playfully swayed them side to side. Everything was at peace.

"Dad, you do know I'm eighteen now, right? I'm practically an adult, and this is my last day of school, you don't have to walk me, ya know," Aerial complained, lowering her neck as she trotted beside the larger pegasus.

"In your mind, you'd still be fifteen if I hadn't told you," her father countered, matching his pace with hers. "But I'm not leaving until you tell me what you want for your birthday... next thing I purchase the wrong gift, you don't like it, you hate me and then you abandon your old man." He jokingly guilt tripped her with puppy eyes.

"Okay, okay, lemme think for a second." The unicorn paused in her tracks, looking to the sky in hopes the answer would come to her. "What do I truly want..." she mumbled to herself. Her eyes fixed on a cloud as an idea bolted through her mind. "Oh, maybe you can teach me how to make lightning... you know, from the clouds?"

And with those words, Graze's usual unbothered smile was replaced with something... ominous. His facial expression could only detail the events of a dropped bomb as he stared down his daughter, frightening her in the most.

"No," was all he replied. "Think of something else."

"B-But why?" Aerial jumped over her fears and had brought herself to ask.

"How about no. I'm not teaching you something so dangerous." He then continued to trail the high school route leaving his daughter behind.

"Okay, okay, sorry Dad... can you at least tell me why, Oh Great and Powerful Harbinger of the Ponyville Storms?" She tried her best to butter him up, but still reached the same conclusion.

"That's physically impossible for a unicorn such as yourself. You may be able to fly like a pegasus, walk on clouds like one too, but for a pegasus, let alone a unicorn to produce a thunderstorm by one's self is a dangerous and strenuous task, and I'm not going to put my daughter's life at risk... or anypony else's," he clarified his reason, ignoring any other request that dealt with physical harm. "You may fly like one of us, but you're still a unicorn."

Aerial paused for a moment, the words striking her with a quick blow that touched every nerve in her body. She shook it off and quickly galloped to his side realizing that he was still trotting without her and avoiding the topic.

"I don't get it, Dad, how is it so dangerous, especially for me? If I can walk on clouds, I can manipulate them just like you! Remember? That's what unicorns do? They manipulate the magic in their environment to their bidding? C'mon, I won't even have to touch the cloud," she refuted. "Just gotta sprinkle a lil razzle dazzle, and boom! Electricity!"

She's been spending way too much time with my sister...

With a heavy sigh and restless eyes, Graze could only think of avoiding the topic rather than letting his daughter down again. "Fine, you want a reason why?" She nodded her head excitedly. "Alright, you'd get one. First of all, lightning magic is compressed, compact and any other "C" word you can think of that means to be tightly squeezed within a small area. You know what happens when lightning magic doesn't spread itself out in very long stretches?" Aerial shook her head with the same amount of enthusiasm as her nod. "The burst of unstable energy can hospitalize a pony... or worse. And you, you have no choice or say in the matter because you can't put the clouds high enough without--" he placed a sudden halt on his explanation for a moment, now realizing what he's done by observing the melancholy painted on his daughter's face. "Well, you know what I mean..."

"Yeah, I do... thanks, Dad." Now it was her turn to be vexed, taking the lead with her trot and leaving her father behind.

"Looks like we finally made it to school, thanks for the walk." She was quick to turn her back on him, making her way through the double-sided red doors.

Jeez, why did I have to remind her of *that*** Graze thought to himself, releasing the pent up tension with a heavy breath. "Alright, Aerial, we'd discuss it later... after your party," he winked to her on that note, both parting ways as they made way to their final destination. "Good luck in your test," the stallion whispered to himself, "and do try not to get distracted."

Once again seeing that bright smile on his daughter's face, Graze could have left her with peace in mind... as for Aerial, all she had to worry about was acing that test.