With a long sigh, Steele Bolt raised the welding mask that had been protecting his face. His green eyes scanned over his work, the chassis of his beloved Jetpack finally taking shape. Two sides of the shell had been assembled, leaving the final act to be to weld the two pieces together. Naturally though, this hadn't been all he had done in the last few days. Aside from occasionally eating and sleeping, he had been tirelessly working on the internals for the Jetpack. Thanks to his visit to the junkyard with Twilight, he'd had everything he needed to piece together the inner workings of the device. All that was left was to put it all together!
Being this close to his goal naturally filled him with excitement. He had learned from his previous mistake and installed a limiter to the fuel reserve, so that fuel wouldn't flood the engine again. His imagination ran rampant, dreams of flying through the sky with his machine flooding his mind. Nothing could go wrong this time! He had definitely done it, he had finally succeeded!
But alas, he was getting ahead of himself. Bolt turned his attention to the inner workings of the Jetpack, grasping the welded piece of machinery with his mouth so that he could raise it and slowly lower it into half of the chassis. It was quite heavy, so he ended up having to raise his hooves to take some of the strain off of his mouth. The last thing he needed was a hospital visit because teeth had fallen out from trying to carry the Jetpack's internals.
Once everything was aligned just the way he wanted it, Bolt flipped his welding mask back down over his face, and carefully grasped the welder between his two front hooves. He adjusted the angle of the output nozzle so that he could begin to weld the internal parts to the chassis, his concentration focused on this one task. That was, until a voice suddenly caught his attention, and nearly caused him to drop the welder in shock.
"Hey, whatcha' doing?"
An audible gasp left the stallion, his back straightening as he stumbled to put distance between himself and the intruder. His masked gaze fell on the source of the voice, a pair of magenta eyes staring back at him in a mixture of amusement and confusion at his reaction to her sudden question.
"Rainbow Dash, you startled me! That was dangerous!" Bolt stated rather angrily, putting the welder down on his workbench so that he could raise the welding mask, revealing his scowl to the mare in his company. She just huffed and shrugged her shoulders, turning her attention away from the irritated stallion and to the nearly complete Jetpack.
"A little danger never hurt any pony! Looks like you've nearly completed your Jetpack though, huh. Cool!" The Pegasus replied, clearly trying to avert the conversation away from the topic at hoof. She probably realised how dangerous her actions were, but didn't want to take responsibility for them, so Bolt simply sighed and turned his attention to the device in question, nodding his head solemnly. It wasn't his place to lecture her; especially when his dream involved a huge amount of recklessness on his part.
"Yes, I've made a great deal of progress. No thanks to your interruption." His brow furrowed as he glanced in Rainbow Dash's direction, finding that her gaze had drifted back to him, with a puzzled expression appearing on her face not even a moment later.
"I'm pretty surprised you can work on it at a time like this though; with what's going on around Ponyville and all." The mare's words were ambiguous at best, filling Bolt with questions that his knowledge-thirsty mind needed answering. His confused expression was more than enough to clue Rainbow Dash into how aware he was of current events, giving her reason to furrow her brow this time.
"You have seen what's going on outside... Right?"
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"What in Equestria..." Bolt murmured, his green eyes wide as he looked around at his surroundings. Pitch black, thorny vines ensnared a large portion of Ponyville; even his own home. Dark, thorny clouds filled the sky as well, which brought attention to the most prominent feature of this strange new world. Both the sun and the moon were in the sky, giving the illusion of day and night appearing at the same time. Bolt found it difficult enough to keep track of time already- this certainly wasn't helping. It was safe to say that he hadn't anticipated this when Rainbow had guided him out of his laboratory...
"What in the name of Celestia is going on?" The stallion briskly turned his attention to his uninvited guest, hoping for the multi-coloured maned mare to shed some light on the baffling events that were unfolding before him. But she simply shrugged her shoulders, her wings flapping softly to keep her hovering slightly off of the ground.
"Dunno'. But the girls were heading to Twilight's house to see if any books could help us figure that out. I thought I'd come to you though, and see if any of your gizmos could do the trick!" Bolt watched as Rainbow's magenta eyes surveyed the carnage around them, before turning her head to grin in his direction. The fact that she put so much faith into his science both baffled and pressured him. There was nothing any of his simple inventions could do to slow the out of control vines, nor remove the thunderous clouds in the sky; and he knew for a fact that no pony could do anything about the sun and the moon bar Luna and Celestia. He was at a loss.
"I-" He began, though his words were quickly cut off by a sudden feeling of something wrapping around his left front hoof. His gaze shot down to find a vine snaring it, a hiss leaving his lips as he hastily yanked his hoof away before the vine could get a good grip. The stallion had been so overwhelmed by learning what was happening, that he hadn't noticed how close the vines had gotten to them.
"Bolt, look out!" His ears perked up at Rainbow's voice, his head turning to find a vine lashing out at him. He couldn't move his body in time, his eyes simply widening at the threat, until something crashed into his side. He felt himself tumble to the floor momentarily, before there suddenly wasn't any ground beneath him at all. The Earth pony's eyes snapped open to find Rainbow Dash's face in front of his, though looking directly in front of them instead of at him. His head spun on a swivel to figure out what had happened, soon realising that they had taken to the air. He might have found this flight thrilling, if not for the vines trailing behind them.
"Dash, they're behind us!" He yelled out, his hooves wrapping around her to secure his safety. He could feel her holding onto him with her front hooves, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Normally, this kind of close contact would have embarrassed the stallion to no end; it was probably thanks to the adrenaline and danger that he had better things to concern himself with.
"Don't you think I know that?" The snarky response from his Pegasus companion was hardly appreciated, but it wasn't something he could complain about at the moment. He could feel Rainbow Dash shifting her weight, weaving skillfully through the thorny clouds that blocked their path. It felt like nothing could stop her, like she was some unstoppable force. Bolt couldn't help gulping as he witnessed her remarkable flying feats. He knew she was good, but this was something else entirely.
His euphoria came to a blunt halt after she had done an aileron roll to dodge an outstretched vine though, Rainbow's curse hinting at what was to come. She had spun directly into the path of a cloud, and at the speed she was going, there was little room to maneuver. They crashed into the cloud, and the first thing Bolt noticed was how thick the seemingly fluffy cloud was. He struggled to move in it, ultimately just squirming hopelessly as he tried to fight against the constrictive nature of the cloud. It wasn't until he felt something strike his stomach, which almost left him winded, that he was able to get free from the cloud.
He gasped as he felt gravity take a hold of him, his limbs flailing in a futile attempt to gain traction in the air. The stallion was falling, and there was nothing he could do about it. His green eyes widened as his life flashed before his eyes. He had been so close to finishing his Jetpack... Why did it have to end now? He grit his teeth in frustration, just as he felt his back hit something. He hadn't fallen long enough to reach the ground though, and the impact was softer than he had anticipated. Gravity wasn't done with him yet either. The stallion began to slide down whatever it was that he had collided with, causing him to hastily spin around to get a better grip on his only lifeline. It wasn't until that moment that he realised what he had landed on. One of the menacing looking vines. The thing that was out to attack him had saved his life... He couldn't help but laugh at the irony.
Bolt's gaze shot upwards to try and figure out how he had gotten free, his eyes falling on the struggling form of a familiar mare within the cloud he had fallen from. It was a little bizarre to find that the cloud wasn't as far away as he had assumed; it had felt like he'd fallen for a lot longer than he actually had. He noticed almost immediately that Rainbow Dash's wings were stuck almost as much as the rest of her body, meaning that she couldn't rely on them to escape from the cloud. She must have kicked him or something, which had pushed him out of the cloud... His freedom had come at her expense.
"Rainbow Dash!" He yelled out to her, his hooves clinging to the vine so that he wouldn't fall. He couldn't help feeling useless as he watched her squirm, his call bringing her attention away from her predicament and over to him. Was there nothing he could do for her...?
"This is nothing! I'll be outta' here in a moment!" Even with her attempt at reassurance, Bolt didn't feel particularly comforted. He was still far from the ground below, and there were a great deal of thorns along the vine, which stopped him from simply sliding his way downwards, so he was effectively stuck there anyway. She had saved him three times now... He felt indebted to her. There had to be something he could do to return the favor...
He studied the cloud carefully from his location, taking note of where Rainbow was situated within the cloud. She was close to the cusp, so close to being free, yet so far. That was truly a testament to show difficult it was to escape the quicksand-like grasp the cloud had on anypony that got stuck within. But it wasn't quicksand... Going down would grant freedom... A plan started to formulate in Bolt's head. He just needed enough altitude to get it to work.
Slowly, the stallion began to climb the vine. It was lucky that this vine was still growing upwards, and remained close enough to the cloud Rainbow was trapped in, or his little plan wouldn't work. His gaze occasionally drifted over to the Pegasus to check on her struggle as he climbed. It was difficult to tell if she was making any real progress, but that wouldn't matter if his idea worked. The worst that could happen is the two of them being stuck again, but that could at least let Bolt free her this time, instead of vice versa.
He took a deep breathe once he was satisfied with the amount of altitude he had gained. This plan was stupid. Reckless. Which fit his forte perfectly. The stallion lowered the welding mask that was still upon his head as he set his sights on his trapped companion, cautiously raising himself to stand upon the vine. The rounded shape of the vine made this awkward, but not too difficult. One more deep breathe helped him steel himself for what he was about to do.
"Please, Celestia, let this work..." He murmured to himself, before diving from the vine that had offered him safety. He held his breathe has he began to fall, his sights still set on Rainbow Dash. She didn't notice him at first, not until his shadow was cast upon her. She looked up with wide eyes as she saw the stallion falling towards her, a startled cry leaving her as his heavy frame landed directly on top of her. The force behind his descent at the desired effect, pushing both of them downwards, through the thin layer of cloud that had trapped Rainbow.
"You crazy Pony!!" Rainbow Dash yelled out as they began to plummet towards the floor, though the shrill laugh that followed made it quite clear that she approved of his actions more than denouncing them. Her wings; now free from the cloud, spread majestically, halting her fall and allowing her to scoop up Bolt before he became a pancake on the ground below. There was a sense of relief and security that came from Rainbow's embrace, coaxing Bolt to wrap his hooves back around her as she steadily descended to the ground below. She was dependable, which made him feel safe. Hopefully next time he took to the sky, it would be his own choice though...
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Rainbow Dash had taken them straight to Twilight's house after their little battle in the sky with the clouds and vines. Bolt had never felt so relieved to feel his hooves back on the ground, which felt a little hypocritical considering how desperate he was to break the boundaries and fly. He didn't feel he was quite ready to take on threats like that while flying though... Foal steps, as they say.
So now he found himself in a foreign house, with five mares, searching through a huge supply of books. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for. Had there ever been an issue with giant dark thorny vines and clouds in the past? His knowledge of Equestrian history wasn't what it could be, so he really couldn't say. Twilight's books weren't helping shed any light on the subject either though, judging from the progress that the other five were making. Confusion and concern were clear on each of their faces. That was, until a certain Princess came barreling in as if from nowhere. Bolt had wondered where Twilight had gotten to...
"Oh thank goodness!" Rarity was the first to speak up, now that everypony's attention had fallen on Twilight, whom hadn't had the most graceful of landings. Bolt wouldn't be surprised if she felt that one in the morning...
"Oh... I hope you know we wouldn't normally go through your books without permission..." Fluttershy, surprisingly, was the next to say something, her gaze drifting away as if she were ashamed of the actions of her and her friends. Desperate times called for desperate measures though, and Bolt had a feeling that the Princess of Friendship wouldn't be opposed to her friends searching through her books like they were...
Bolt's gaze shifted away from the still disoriented Princess as the front door opened; in coming a rather shaken up Spike, who crawled along the floor like he had just been through quite the ordeal.
"Oh, ground... Sweet, sweet, wonderful ground." The little dragon recited. Bolt had a feeling he could sympathize with Spike's plight, considering what he had just been through with Rainbow Dash...
"Okay, I get it. I need to work on my flying." Twilight retorted, rolling her eyes in displeasure. Possibly a touchy subject for her, since she apparently hadn't adjusted to using her wings for flight. That gave Bolt the impression that she had only just recently acquired them... And left him feeling quite self-conscious that he wasn't up-to-date on a lot of things. How could he have not known that a Princess resided in Ponyville sooner? Had he really been living so deeply under a rock? Technically so, and he hadn't had much of a reason to pay attention to the world around him until recently, but that was besides the point.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but the Everfree Forest is just a teeny-tiny bit... Out of control." Pinkie Pie suddenly piped up, her fluffy tail quivering not even a moment after she had spoken. That was what was going on? Truthfully, Bolt should have put two and two together and realised the ominous looking vines were coming from the Everfree Forest, but he just hadn't had the time to really think about their situation until now... He still didn't get that opportunity either, since a vine came smashing through a window, taking down poor Rarity with one heavy blow.
"Uh... Are you alright, Rarity?" Steele Bolt asked as he trotted over to the Unicorn, offering a hoof to her as he raised an eyebrow. She seemed a little disoriented, but once she was had taken his hoof, and was back on her own four hooves, she seemed right as rain. Apparently, the beauty queen was a lot more resilient than she appeared.
"Oh yes, thank you, darling." The pure white pony replied with a sincere smile, before turning her attention back to the only Alicorn in their mists, the concern that was plaguing all of their minds quickly showing on her face once more. "But dear Twilight, perhaps you already know what is causing all of this calamity. Has Princess Celestia sent you to dispel it, post-haste?"
All attention was back on Twilight Sparkle, who seemed a little troubled by the question pushed upon her, her eyebrows arched as her feelings were shown on her face. Bolt had a bad feeling about this...
"Not exactly... You see, Princess Celestia is... Well... She and Princess Luna have both..."
"Gone missing!!" A gasp from everypony in the room followed after Spike so kindly finished Twilight's sentence for her, the look of shock clear on each of their faces. The royal sisters, missing? How was that possible? They were considered to be the most powerful beings in Equestria, or at least that was what Bolt had thought anyway. He couldn't help feeling concern for Luna in particular, having spent that magical night with her not even a week ago.
"I don't know who has taken them. But I've got a hunch that they're going to need the Elements of Harmony to get them back." The Princess spoke with a sudden sense of confidence in her voice, like just being with her friends was enough to bolster her spirits. Bolt couldn't say he understood that, but he was far more enticed by the necklace like jewelry that Twilight had brought out from beneath a display within the library. He had noticed them earlier, but hadn't paid them much mind. Those were the Elements of Harmony?... Rather underwhelming in appearance, in his opinion.
"Oh yeah! Just like old times!" Rainbow Dash grinned, pumping her hoof as her element was clipped around her neck, as the others were given this treatment as well. Pinkie even gave Twilight a hoof bump as her own element was given to her. Seeing them together like this really gave Bolt the sense that they were a team, and also made him feel really out of place... He couldn't see how he could help them any further than this... He wasn't needed anymore. It was almost as if the rest of them detected his self-doubt, as their attention suddenly shifted towards him. He couldn't help feeling intimidated.
"You've been a great help so far, Bolt! But maybe you should head home... It's just gonna' get more dangerous from here on." Rainbow Dash spoke up as she lowered herself to the ground by his side, patting him on his scarred back with her wing. His green eyes glanced in her direction, before drifting over the remaining five mares. It was clear by their expressions that they agreed with Rainbow Dash. They didn't need to say anything. If they didn't need him anymore, there was little point in him hanging around...
"Alright... Good luck out there." He spoke softly, his gaze falling to the ground as he slowly made his way to the door, looking back at the seven individuals in the room once he reached it to offer a sombre wave, before finally taking his leave from the library. It was funny. Bolt wasn't one to go out of his way for others. It had never been in his nature. But now that he was getting closer to other ponies, he couldn't help but feel the sting of not being needed. It cut him deeper than he ever would have thought. A rough sigh left his lips as he wandered back to his laboratory. At least he would be able to do those finishing touches to his Jetpack now...