Bolt From The Blue 00: Introduction

>Here is where your story began
>You spread your arms and turn in the middle of the huge circle of craters and metallic rocks in the forest clearing.
“If you ever wondered where your arrowheads come from, Astra, this is it. This is your dad’s little secret retreat.”
>Astra, followed by her mother, enter the rough circle on hoof.
>You’re not sure what’ll happen if they try to fly in, but better safe than sorry.
>The pegasus filly walks up to a meteorite fragment as big as she is, placing a hoof against it and pushing. “Why’d you never show us before?”
“All ponies have a bit of magic in them, and I didn’t know what all this meteoric iron would do. Now we have a reason. I was wondering if coming to the place I first arrived in this world might trigger something.”
>The strange combination of shapes that make up Astra’s cutie mark remains frustratingly inert.
>Here may be where your story began
>But this story is not your story.
>This is the story of your daughter.
>”I don’t feel any different...”
>Astra climbs on top of the meteorite she chose and sits down.
>Parhelia nuzzles her briefly as she walks by, coming to a stop at your side, near the large central meteorite.
>Her head comes up under your idle hand. You scratch around and under her chin as she looks around the circle.
“Was worth a shot, I guess.”
>”Did you fall with the meteor?” Parhelia asks. “How did you survive?”
“I have no idea. I woke up right where we’re standing, and everything was already like this.”
>She looks up at you then, dipping her head out from under your hand. She doesn’t look amused. “This is rather dull, for something you said you didn’t want to tell me.”
>”Dad keeps a lot from you, mom!”
>This brings Parhelia’s head around, she half-turns towards Astra. “Is that so? Does he tell you any of these secrets?”
“Heavens, no. You’d sent the dogs after me.”
>Parhelia laughs and nudges your hand with her snout again, as you turn back to face Astra yourself.
“Why do you always have to make trouble for dear old dad?”
>”Because you made me walk!”
“You can’t ride on my shoulder forever.”
>As you say this, though, you’re already walking towards her.
>Even doubling her height by standing on the meteorite, she’s only as high as your shoulders.
>You lift her off the rock and hold her high, looking into her rust-red eyes until they’re partially obscured by her pale gold mane.
>She feels a lot heavier than usual.
“Putting on some weight, filly?”
>You heft her up and down a few times.
>She laughs, then replies, “You were just carrying me no problem!”
>Parhelia’s flapping wings gets your attention. “We’re a lot heavier here. You were right about this place dulling magic.”
“I thought as much. We probably shouldn’t stay long, then. No telling what it’ll do to you two.”
>”I feel fine!”
“You feel heavy.”
>Instead of letting her climb onto your shoulder, as she likes, you bring Astra to your chest and cradle her there. She tries to wiggle into your coat, but you pull her tighter to you.
“Hey sunny.”
>”Yes, twoshoes?” Parhelia answers, tone singsong with amusement.
“Come take our little arrow out of the circle. I’m gonna grab some fragments for more arrowheads. I’ll catch up.”
>Your partner walks up to you, and you gently place Astra on her back.
>She doesn’t complain about the filly’s extra weight, but after more than a decade and a half with her, you can tell when she’s moving slower due to a load.
>It’s not like she suffers due to lack of muscle, but you can see that muscle work under her pale yellow coat as she picks her way through the ring of smaller meteorites. Just how much of a pegasus’ weight is negated by their innate magic?
>Your eyes slide down her flank to her cutie mark, its design the same as her name, color the same icy blue as her eyes. Her vivid orange tail doesn’t help how distracting her rear is, standing out against the brown and green as she retreats into the forest in the direction you’d arrived from.
>Even after all these years, she can make her efforts so casually attractive. The way she moves makes up for everything her modest and marely demeanor lacks. Who needs a feminine attitude with a body like that?
>Even if she’s a pony a bit over half your height. Sometimes you can’t get over how easily you got over this world.
>At any rate, it’s just one of many reasons you married her.
>Not that pegasi say ‘marry’. You formed up. She’s your partner or mate, not your wife. You aren’t a family, you’re an element. The group you once called family, that’s a flight. Not yours, not after they joined their squadron, but once.
>They’re still good friends, at least.
>You owe them, though they’d insist it’s the other way around.
>Crouching near the giant meteorite in the center of the clearing, you start digging through the dirt with your hands.
>About a foot down, you can feel your fingers brush rougher material. As you scoop, more and more of the dirt and sand gives way to little granules and flakes of stariron.
>You switch to a kneeling position and use both hands together to scoop out big clumps of this wealth of iron beneath the ground, then pick through what you excavated to place choice pieces in your bag.
>This entire area is shot through with it. This subsurface layer shackles magic, not the still-intact meteorites.
>As averse as truly magical creatures were, even sapient beings who relied on magic in a passive sense, like your pegasi family, wouldn’t get near it by instinct, on a subconscious level below unease and aversion. It’s la blank spot in their awareness of the world. That’s why you had to lead them here.
>You stand after you collect enough pieces for your own supply and some more to sell.
>As you do, something catches the corner of your eye.
>Your shield and spear are off your back in a flash, a single motion practiced over many years of fighting beasts.
>If you were able to guide your partner and foal here, something else may have followed.
>Your scan the forest surrounding the impact site.
>The direction your two pegasi went is clear. Already you’re feeling a bit better.
>A third of the way around, deeper into the forest, things look a little darker than the rest of the span.
>Is the tree cover thicker there?
>If it was, you hadn’t noticed it before.
>And you’re more observant than that.
>Your mind runs through all the magical critters that could cause supernatural darkness.
>Many were ones you could take alone. Your shield’s antimagical properties cleared such gloom around you in a decent radius, since the effects causing it were usually weak.
>You can’t recall hearing about recent sightings of any creatures that could cause it, though.
>Curiosity compels you forward, into the dark to take a chunk out of whatever lies within.
>But that’s away from those you care about.
>If there are any unknowns in these woods, you want to be by their side.
>Your partner had her friends, and your daughter’s a fine shot, but there’s nothing that reassures you like… you.
>You kick displaced dirt back into the shallow put you dug, still standing with weapons ready.
>Once it’s filled you back away towards where Parhelia had entered the woods.
>It’s definitely darker than usual over there, even if the effect is slight. Just a couple shades. Anyone could have missed it.
>When you finally turn your back on it, you hook your shield back on your pack, keeping it between you and that area.
>Spear still in hand, you jog to find your pegasi, and you have to resist the urge to look over your shoulder again as a sliver of doubt creeps in.
>Maybe you’re just jumping at shadows.

* * *

>As the human retreats from the clearing, you collect your dispersed form.
>Even spread as much as you could manage, he still had his suspicions.
>That vigilance may prove difficult.
>You weren’t exactly the strongest shadowpony, after all.
>It crosses your mind for the umpteenth time that you might have to eliminate him.
>Not an option though, was it?
>It’s not something that He would like.
>You shake your head. He sleeps. It’s best to leave Him to his dreams.
>Once you’re sure the human’s gone, you walk towards the clearing.
>Every step is a struggle. This ground is cursed, broken, dead.
>One step before the clearing, you can feel your hoof doesn’t actually touch the ground.
>You look down at it.
>The incorporeal smudge of darkness that surrounds what some would mistakenly believe a physical body is shredded away, leaving the greyish core of your form exposed.
>With great effort, you force that exposed hoof down to the ground.
>It dissolves with a crackle when it makes contact.
>Pain is not a sensation you’re familiar with, not enough to shy away from it reflexively, but this forces you several steps back.
>By the time that hoof is set to meet the ground again, your leg has reformed.
>Oh yes, this place is indeed powerful.
>Now that you know where it is, you could use it for any number of traps.
>Once you’ve cleared this area out of competition, you could start converting.
>Start rebuilding the power that cat bitch stole from you when she forced you out.
>Take your rightful territory in the south back, first pushing out that rhyming featherbrain, then the mad draconequus beyond her.
>It’ll take time, but you had plenty of that.
>This human, though, he’ll be trouble.
>Maybe you can convince Him to let you dispose of him.
>Or simply ask for forgiveness once He learns what you’d done.
>You know He wouldn’t object.
>The apparent necessity wars with your apathy on the subject. This isn’t exactly an imperative, it has nothing to do with your Conditions, even if it would for many others of your kind.
>But the human’s skill and occupation is an obstacle, and his mare can call forth living splinters of the sun. Even if they were out of the picture, that filly’s too eager on the hunt, too good a shot to leave your preferred quarry alone.
>In the back of your mind, you feel Him stir.
>Ah, she’s a special one, is she?
>That’s fine. Maybe she can be persuaded. Converted.
>Once her parents are indisposed.
>Oh, go back to sleep. Go back to your dreams.
>You shake your head and retreat back into the shadows that were your element.
>You could watch them for awhile longer, make up your mind later.
>You had plenty of time.