A Mother's Roots, a Father's Fury

Blank Slate POV
Morning

I woke up to the sound of many hooves walking frenzied in the first floor, and that was a completely new occurrence in our household.

Because of this, I choose to silently come down the stair. I needed to know what was happening.

"I can't believe that Aura did this..." — my father's voice was crackling with anger.

"Yes, she did, before attacking" — *What did Aura do this time? *

"So, that's why you sent her to Canterlot early today, but what about you and Black?"

"The wagon will come at midnight" — I heard a movement, they were probably getting close to each other — "When it comes, we will go."

"That's why I married you, you always know the right way to do things..."- His voices seemed nervous, estrange, it's not like him- "But, it is still dangerous for you both..."

"Forest... look at me... I always knew the danger of marring an officer" — I heard a slurp of something, and by the smell, it was coffee — "I'm strong. Besides, I swear to protect our children!"

"Prism, my heart... I love you..."

"I love you too, Fofo..."

"Don't worry... I won't let any danger befall over you" — His voice was not of confidence but of decision — "I will finish them today... ALL OF THEM, no matter what!"

"Fofo..."

I didn't know what was happening, but I assume something serious was transpiring... that's why I returned to my bed and tried hard to sleep again. That was not my problem.

====
Early afternoon

I was walking through the pear trees, my thoughts lost with the failure of my plan.

The wood from the staff plus the crystal did not give me the ability I was seeking, and even if I could see the magic flow around the crystal, I couldn't control it, I couldn't even pour my own magic in the crystal to try to "sync" it to me.

In the end, all my dreams were broken as if made of glass. I knew it, deep down, I knew this would happen, and I tried to deny it.

And so, among the pear trees, I kneeled and started to cry; the staff with a crystal tip a few inches from me. My tears were flowing to the muddy ground as I started to wail in distress.

Ever since I was reincarnated in this world and learned about magic, I was consumed by the desire to become a mage, to cast a fireball and fly around, but... it was but a shallow dream.

All the time lost studying about magic, runes, purification circles and conjuration was for nothing.

And the knowledge of this made me cry harder, louder.

Until a small hand touched my shoulder and embraced me. A warm embrace of love, an embrace that I could use as a refuge from my anger, fears and failure.

"There...there... I here now." — I hugged my mom harder, her soft voice was bringing some comfort to my mind.

I said nothing, letting the moment last up to when the tears stopped coming down from my eyes.

"Are you okay, sweet?" She asked calmly, I could just manage a half nod... I knew this day would come— "Tell me what happened?"

"Mom..." — I took a deep breath while trying to clear my face — "I failed..."

"In what?"

"I was trying to become a wizard, but nothing worked..."

'Hum..."

"What is it, mom?"— tears still dropping from my eyes

"I had a feeling you were trying something like that, but I feared cutting your dream off too early"—she then looked at my eyes, clearing some tears that still fell from my eyes— "I'm sorry, dear, I was waiting for you to learn this lesson alone, but it seems I failed too with you..."

Between my sobs, my mom comforted me with her warm smile, hugging me every time I almost fell into despair for the dream that couldn't be.

I didn't know if it took minutes or hours, but eventually I managed to calm down. My mom seemed to notice, then she rose up.

"Blank, come with me."" —she started walking through the trees— "let's go for a walk"

I could not speak yet, so I just followed her.

"Every pony is like a tree, some are the same type as others, but each one is unique in its own way"– she made a smooth turn, it seemed he had a goal in mind — "A Pear Tree can't produce an apple, as an apple tree can't produce grape. And yet, we are different because we have the will to fight our destiny."

She still walked but slowed the pace. Soon I saw a place that I never had the curiosity to enter. A decrepit looking cabin in the middle of our land.

My mother slowly entered the place, and the dust flew from all the sides. Inside, a complete metalsmith workshop waited.

"When I was young like you, I wished I could fly like the Pegasus. Because of this, I started learning about smiting... In my mind, it would help me archive my dream in some way." — her voice cracked a little, but she continued — "In time, I was able to enter the Royal Army as a specialist smith and even meet your father...but..."

Her gaze, before fixed on me, changed to the cold furnace, as sadness entered her voice.

"I could never fly as I wished. I failed." — she then turned again to me — "but you Blank, are a completely different story."

"Mom...how do you know?"

"I have been keeping an eye on you ever since I discovered you dream."

"What...?"

"Blank, you are an earth pony and no matter what, you will never be like a unicorn"– her words hit me in the heart, even being thing I already knew — "But you are more intelligent than every pony I see. I read your sketchbook about magic, I even copied some of your magic formulas and theories and showed to a some of my friends for them to tell me what they think."

"Wait, you look at my sketches!'

"Blank, they were flabbergasted by what you wrote."— she then gave me a sly smirk—"And then I took your notebook for them."

"Mom..."— what is the point of all this? I was getting confused!

"I couldn't realize my dream, but you, my son, can."— she kneeled and looked in my eyes, touching my shoulders— "not with unicorn magic, but with the one you already have. Earth pony magic, the power to be one with the earth, the plants and, in some cases, even the animals."

"But mom..." — Is it possible?"

"For you, Blank, anything is."- she rose again, clearing what looked like a tear in her face —"Never doubt your dreams, believe and one day, maybe not in the way you expected, it will become the truth."

A hug, a warm hug brought a smile back to my face. My mom has always known what to do or say.

"Now, Blank, let's go back home"– she starts getting out of the cabin —"We had some problems, and because of it, we will go to Canterlot for a while, Ok. Take only what is extremely necessary."

"Okay, mom, ”- I ran to get my staff back. It was worthless, but I had put some time into making it.

Nevertheless, I had much to think about.

Emerald Forest— POV
Early afternoon
Fillydelphia Guard's Garrison

I was walking through the dungeon, between the bars of the jails.

The clops of my hooves in the cold stone floor made me more angry about the entire situation.

* Aura, why did you have to do that? * — It was the looping thought in my mind.

"If it isn't Major Forest" — came the female voice from the cell I was getting to — "Why do I have the honor?"

There was my goal, the unicorn mare that my daughter had captured. The reason I feared the storm that was to come.

She was sitting in the farthest part of the cell, leaned to the wall with her head downward. The magic nullifier was firmly placed in her horn.

"You don't need to know anything. But I do have a question to you." — I discretely nodded to the jailer, and she swiftly departed the dungeon, the unicorn mare prisoner didn't notice— "Did you tell any pony?"

She smirked with malice. She knew I was afraid.

"Maybe I did, maybe not"– inside the cell, she struggled to get up from the wall and look in my eyes — "The little rat you call your daughter is the reason I'm here like this, you know!"

For a moment I examine her, then I see the wound in her right leg; a thin but deep gash was barely contained by sutures, a strike with the intention of stopping some pony without killing them. For a second I felt proud of Aura, but it wasn't enough to make me lose the vision of my goal.

I approached the cell door, in one hand a key and, in the other, the hilt of my saber.

"I will ask one more time"— I put the key in the hole, without breaking eye contact—"Did you tell about my daughter to any pony?"

I walked into the dinning hall with resolve, I knew what had to be done. As I walked through the many tables, some of my friends waved to me, but I didn't have time to lose.

Where was he?

Then I saw him sending a letter to some pony via magic. I had no time. I had to act fast.

Wild Wind Pov

I was eating a flower sandwich when I saw Emerald Forest and waved to him, but it seemed that he didn't see me. It was strange, he was always friendly, something was off.

Then he started running, his hooves so fast that I almost lost him of sight. He was going direct to one of our specialized guards, an unicorn called Black Mouth, who was sending a letter to some pony.

Everything after this was a blur.
First, Forest drew his saber in an upward arc, slicing the tip of Black Mouth horn in one strike, but the letter was already sent.

Then every pony got up, some of them raising their weapon for a fight.
But no one moved. No one could move.

Emerald Forest's aura was overwhelming, his fury could be felt all around and the most experienced guards knew he was ready to kill any pony, if needed.

Every pony knew that he was the strongest in the entire garrison, and I knew that he would never do something like this without a reason.

But, what reason would drive a great guard such as Emerald Forest to act in this way?

"To whom was the letter sent?"

Black Mouth put one of his hands in his broken horn, and his eyes widened as the tip of the blade touched the skin in his neck.

"Sorry, Forest, I don't know what you are talking ab-".

"10"

"What?"

"9"

No one was breathing while all this was happening, even I was holding my air. It was clear that Black Mouth was afraid, no, he was terrified.

"Forest, please, lets ta-"

"8"

Black Mouth was sweating profusely.

"I -"

"7"

The tip of the saber started piercing his skin. Not even the archers among our ranks could do anything to stop Forest if he intended to finish the job.

"It- IT'S NOT MY FAULT!"

"6"

We all could see the pressure under the saber point getting higher, we could see a drop of blood running down his neck.

"OK, I TALK-"

Forest was unmoved, not moving the blade an inch.

"You have five seconds!"

"SHE FORCED ME TO PASS INTEL TO HER!"

"4, Who is"she""

"MADAM RED LIP'S!"

"... The one I was investigating...3, and what do you send about me?"

"Sorry, Forest I send to her information about your famil-" he was stopped by Forest fist, drawing blood from his muzzle and, fast, he returned the tip of the blade at his neck.

"2, WHERE is this"Madam Red"is located?"

"IN A WAREHOUSE, AT THE NORTH OF THE CITY!"

"1... do you have any last word?"

"PLEASE DON'T KILL M-"

Emerald Forest horn glowed, and the saber moved. It moved so fast that no one couldn't keep up.

When everything was over, Black Mouth laid on the floor with his horn completely cut off from the base of his skull. Above him stood Emerald Forest, in all his fury. He looked at us, and no one could say anything.

"You, you and you"-he pointed to three Pegasuses relatively next to him- "Sent some medic to the dungeon, there is some pony there who needs help"

The trio of Pegasus quickly moved, his eyes then turned to two earth ponies that were eating some salad.

"You two, take this mole to the dungeons."
As the Pegasus, they quickly took the hornless unicorn.

And then he looked at me, directly in the eyes.

"Wild Wind, go call the chief." — and continued as he sheathed his saber — "We have a Madam to meet."

(?) POV

She was lying on a comfortable couch smoking a cigar while all around her, stallions of every races worked hard, every pony focused entirely on work because behind that voluptuous and beautiful red coat and pink mane was a monster in disguise.

I knew this from the very moment I put my eyes on her, but in my line of work, we don't choose our customers.

"So, I want you to deal with my pesk problem"

"This wouldn't be a problem" —I responded it was something normal for me — "Just stick with your part of the deal."

"I am always trustworthy" — then she blows some smoke in my direction... why do every bad guy have a need to show dominance?

Then, something unusual happened and, in front of the Madam Red, a letter formed from ashes, which she rapidly took and read. A letter sent by magic.

"It seems, miss Lighting that your fight with mister Forest will have to be...'- she licked her lips in pleasure as she talked —"earlier than expected. I believe the results will be fun... Very fun."