//------------------------------// // Against Better Judgment // Story: Learning to Fly // by Alex the Bolt //------------------------------// The searing heat of the welding torch melded the two sheets of metal, marking the end of his work. A sigh left his lips as Steele Bolt raised a hoof, pushing the welding mask up so he could look over his handiwork. His Jetpack sat before him; in a remarkably complete state compared to what it had been a few days prior. The cylindrical appearance of the dull, grey coloured invention almost made it look like a barrel - a few switches lined the right side of the device for operation while an exhaust nozzle sat at the base; which was naturally where the propulsion came from. This should be a joyous moment. His pride and joy was back in one piece and ready for testing again, but the stallion was plagued by a heavy heart. Thoughts of the six mares and their dragon companion kept crossing his mind, much to his dismay. Were they okay? Had they figured out why the Everfree Forest was invading? It had been well over an hour since he had left their company, and he couldn't help but feel some degree of concern for them, even if he could only consider himself friendly with a few of them. Bolt trudged upstairs, his troubles coaxing him to find a change of scenery. He found himself in his kitchen; the lone window that overlooked his counter was covered in thick, black vines, reminding him of the situation outside. Was it really alright for him to be sitting pretty like this when other ponies were working hard to try and deal with the bizarre events occurring? Usually he wouldn't have cared in the least. He had never felt like he owed any pony anything - especially with the lack of understanding he shared with a majority of the residence of Ponyville. Yet, things were different now. He had formed a connection with at least two of the mares in that group, and the other four were welcoming to him. It was new to him, alien, but he felt obligated to try and lend a hoof. At the very least, he could check to see how things were going... Slowly, the stallion drifted towards his front door, conflicting interest still lingering in the back of his skull. There had to be some way he could help, yet there was a nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that he owed them nothing. It was dangerous out there. That much had been proven with the run-in Rainbow Dash and he'd had with the vines earlier. Why should he risk his personal safety for this stinking town? His hoof hesitated as he reached for the door, his brow furrowing as his gaze fell to the floor. He wasn't doing this for Ponyville. He was doing it for the first ponies he felt comfortable calling friends. With that resolve instilled, he extended his hoof and pressed it against the door firmly... It didn't open. A sense of dread filled Bolt as he pressed his body against his front door, trying to force it open with brute force. Why couldn't he get out? Could vines have blocked the door? How would he get out if that were the case? A growl vibrated from his throat as he lightly hit his head against the door, frustration building within him. He had spent the last five minutes steeling himself to do something completely out of his comfort zone, only for out of control nature to impede him. He turned and slid down the door, until he sat down, leaning against the wooden surface. There had to be a way out of here... The kitchen was a no-go, judging from his memory. After a moment of pondering, an idea came to mind. Maybe he could use his bedroom window... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You've had some pretty stupid ideas in your time, Bolt. But this one takes the cake." The stallion stated flatly to no pony in particular, his neutral tone translating to his expression as he looked down to the ground below him from the open window in his bedroom. Quite the fall, from the second floor of his home. But he didn't have a choice. With a quiet gulp, he clambered out of the window, holding onto the window frame with his front hooves so he could lower his body down to the ground as much as possible. It was a pretty futile attempt to soften the fall he was about to experience, but it put his spirit slightly at ease. He adamantly refused to look down, since there was little reason to remind himself of how foolhardy this idea was. He had committed to the idea of helping his friends, and this was the only way out of his home. This had to be done. He took in a deep breathe to steel himself for the drop, closing his eyes before pulling his hooves back. Gravity immediately took a hold of him, but his stomach remained above as he plummeted to the ground. Thankfully, the sickly feeling in his belly was quickly overshadowed by the impact he had with the dirt below him, a grunt leaving the stallion as a result. His eyes snapped open to look around at his surroundings, and then over himself. Still in one piece. That had been a lot less painful than he had anticipated. Once he was back on his hooves, Bolt made his way around to the front of his home, curiosity driving him to find out why he hadn't been able to open his front door. He found his suspicions had been correct; heavy vines blocked the door. He would need equipment to remove it all, which he didn't have access to right now, and he simply didn't have the time. So with a sigh, he moved on. He needed to find the mares. He'd worry about gaining access to his home later. His first stop was the very same library he had visited earlier in the day; Twilight Sparkle's home. He knocked politely on the door, but no answer forced him to open the door to peek inside. Once he found no pony within, he moved on. The problem was... He didn't really know where to look next. So he wandered, whilst hoping to avoid trouble from the crazed vines and clouds that were causing havoc all over Ponyville. That proved to be easier said than done though. The stallion soon found himself galloping at full speed, vines sprouting out of the ground in his wake as if they had some mind of their own, and were very determined to ruin his day. He was by no means a fit pony, but even he could run for a fair amount of time. Desperation pushed him to duck and weave around town, with no objective but to avoid being grabbed. A vine finally caught up to him as he came close to the edge of town though, the origin of the raging nature in view. A gasp left him as he staggered because of the vine clinging to one of his back hooves, ultimately resulting in him crashing to the floor. He hissed while hastily rolling onto his back, his other back hoof lashing out to try and kick away the vine and free the trapped hoof. Sadly, this just resulted in both of his back hooves getting trapped. The ground was pulled out from underneath him as the vines hoisted him into the air, leaving him hanging upside down like a drowsy bat. His mind was reeling, trying desperately to figure out someway of getting him out of this mess. "Bolt!!" The call startled him, drawing his gaze away from the vines that trapped his hooves to the source, just in time to witness a flash of purple magic to hurtle towards him, striking the vines. Said vines immediately vanished without a trace, leaving the stallion to tumble to the floor, a grunt appropriately leaving him as he hit the ground. "Are you alright?!" Bolt shook his head softly to remain his bearings, before raising his gaze to see whom he owed for lending him a hoof. A very familiar pair of large purple eyes stared into his green ones. Really, he should have recognized her from the colour of her magic alone... "Twilight... Um, thanks." The stallion spoke softly, pushing himself back into a standing position before flashing the Princess of Friendship a small, somewhat sheepish smile of gratitude. These mares were really dependable when one got into a pinch... He really hoped that he wouldn't end up relying on them too heavily... "It's no problem! But what are you doing here? I thought you went home." Twilight Sparkle returned the smile that Bolt offered her, before a quizzical expression quickly replaced it. Bolt lightly kicked at air with his back hooves for a moment; he could still feel the vines grasping him, and that bothered him a great deal. Sadly, a few light kicks didn't get rid of that sensation. Hopefully it would subside on it's own. With that in mind, he turned his attention back to Twilight. "I did. But I figured I would check on how things were going. Why are you here?... Where are the others?" The interrogator quickly became the interrogatee as Bolt turned the tables on Twilight, his observant gaze noticing that the Alicorn was on her own when she most certainly hadn't been before he had taken his leave. The sudden question seemed to dishearten her, much to Bolt's surprise. Maybe he had stepped where he shouldn't have... "Ah... Well, we figured out the cause of all this chaos. The others are dealing with that now... They figured it was too dangerous for me to accompany them, since I'm a Princess and all..." A silence surrounded the two ponies after Twilight finished explaining what had happened, a conflicted expression upon her face as she looked downwards. Bolt could even see a hint of frustration from her slightly furrowed brow. She had to be feeling powerless right now. He could sympathize with that. In fact, seeing Twilight like that gave him an eerie sense of deja vu. "You know, wouldn't you be safer with all your friends?" Bolt spoke up with a quiet tone of voice, his gaze drifting away from Twilight as her head raised to look his way. He couldn't summon the courage to look her in the eye. Maybe because he didn't really know what he was saying, or that it wasn't his place to be telling her what to do. He was just following his gut, and trying to say what he felt Twilight needed to hear. Either way, he avoided looking at her as he continued. "Together, you're stronger than you are apart, no? Besides, you each wield an element of harmony right? How can there be harmony if certain elements are separated...?" Bolt's logical way of looking at the situation certainly held ground, and gave Twilight something to think about. She didn't reply immediately, and that caused the stallion to glance her way; concerned that he might have stepped over his boundaries. Who was he to lecture a Princess? What he found was a smiling mare, which caught him by surprise. "You're right, Bolt. We've always faced everything together, as a team... It was a mistake for me to leave them... I have to go. Thanks, Bolt!" The Alicorn Princess stepped forward to offer Bolt an appreciative hug with one of her wings, which caused his breathe to get caught in his throat for the brief moment of contact they shared. Physical contact really wasn't something the stallion was used to, but this time there was no adrenaline or danger to distract him from the fact. He absentmindedly waved as Twilight ran off with Spike in tow, whom apparently had been there the whole time, but just hadn't said a word. It wasn't until the two were out of sight that Bolt regained his composure, gulping loudly as he blinked a few times. Had he been helpful? He wasn't sure... He seemed to have motivated Twilight, yet it didn't feel like he'd done anything... "My, my. Who do we have here." The stallion almost jumped at the sudden voice; he hadn't heard any pony approaching... He turned his head to find out who had snuck on him, only to find a rather baffling sight before him. The masculine voice belonged to a long, serpentine like creature, with a mismatch of limbs. That explained why he hadn't heard the being approach at least. He couldn't put his hoof on it - while Bolt had definitely never met this creature, he was certain he had seen him before. Silence encompassed the two as Bolt mulled over the identity of the stranger, his hoof tapping against his chin thoughtfully as he delved deep into the recesses of his memory. He assumed he might have seen the species in question in a book at some point, but he had rarely indulged in anything that would expand his general knowledge after he had graduated. That meant that he'd had to have learned this creature's identity while he was at school. The creature, in the meantime, shifted to hover on his back, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited rather impatiently for the stallion to have an epiphany. That didn't happen soon enough for the spirit of disharmony though. "You don't know who I am?" He broke the silence, forcing Bolt to finish reminiscing over past times. He shook his head honestly; pondering to himself if he should. A long sigh left the creature as he pinched the bridge of his nose, before closing the distance between him and the stallion to stare eye-to-eye with him. "I ruled over Equestria." The creature's clue didn't seem to help at all, as Bolt simply offered him a blank stare. "I'm the spirit of disharmony!" "Oh! So you're... What's the name... Discord?" "Finally! Have you been living under a rock?!" Discord exclaimed; unaware of how close to the truth he was, as he threw his hands into the air, quite literally. The reality bending act left Bolt momentarily speechless. But his mouth quickly shut as he raised an eyebrow, honestly more curious about the spirit than afraid. Discord seemed to notice this, as he returned his hands to their appropriate places. "You... Don't seem frightened of me." The spirit of disharmony stated, seemingly more surprised than anything. Considering the reaction he received from just about every other pony, that was understandable. Steele Bolt wasn't like every other pony though. "When you've fallen out of the sky as much as I have, you kind of get desensitized to fear." The stallion responded honestly, his brow furrowing slightly as memories of numerous failures involving his jetpack came to mind. Far too many. A playful grin crossed Discord's face upon hearing that, which gave Bolt a really bad feeling. Leaving was starting to seem like a good idea to the stallion now; he never got the chance. "Is that so." Discord hummed as he clicked his fingers together, a flash of light engulfing Bolt's gaze, before he suddenly found himself far away from where he was originally standing. The first thing he noticed was the lack of ground below him, his eyes widening as he hastily looked down. Nothing but clouds as far as the eye could see - he was that high up. The stallion began to flail his legs wildly as he descended towards the ground below, the wind blowing through his mane and tail to make them even messier than they usually were. "You don't seem so steeled, anymore!" The draconequus chimed, chuckling at his own pun as he hovered by Bolt's side, matching the speed of his descent while holding a casual, relaxed posture, which completely contrasted Bolt's bewildered state. "You're a mad pony!!" The stallion yelled out desperately, his eyes still set on the quickly approaching ground below, though his words only brought laughter from Discord. "Flattery gets you nowhere, you know!" How the spirit found any amusement out of this situation completely eluded Bolt. It was difficult to think of much of anything when his impending doom was briskly approaching; adrenaline pumping through his veins in high volumes. He didn't want to die... He wanted to finish his Jetpack... He wanted to keep inventing... And though he'd be loathsome to admit it verbally, he wanted to get to know his new friends more. Never before had he considered life so precious. "I-I... I don't want to die!!" Steele Bolt insisted frantically, turning his head to the only thing that could possibly save him. Pride wasn't even something that came to mind right now; the instinct to survive had completely overridden something so foolish. He also failed to realise that this admittance had been exactly what Discord had wanted. A huff of mock disappointment came from the spirit, acting as if his fun had been ruined. But he heeded Bolt's implied request, and with click of his fingers, the two of them were suddenly safely on the ground again. The shock of the jarring experience had Bolt immediately collapse to the floor, his chest heaving as his brain tried to compute what had just happened, and digest the fact that he was safe again. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'm going home." The stallion stated angrily, after he had finally regained his composure. It had taken a good few minutes, considering the level of trauma that he had just been subjected to. His legs shook as he walked away from the spirit of disharmony, showing that he hadn't quite recovered yet. He felt so humiliated now that the events that had just transpired had sunk in. The smug look on Discord's face told him volumes; that his pleading for his life had been exactly what the draconequus had wanted. His once forgotten pride now ached, having been used as nothing but a simple plaything for a greater being's amusement. It seemed that Discord wasn't content yet though, as he hovered by Bolt's side whilst the stallion staggered home. "Leaving already? But what about them?" The draconequus insisted, gesturing towards the Everfree Forest with a flick of his wrist. Bolt's shaky pace began to slow as his head turned in that direction, his ears pinning back as he was reminded of his previous worries. He now knew Discord's agenda. He knew that the spirit was simply messing with him, trying to get a reaction out of him. But he couldn't help but worry. Every pony knew how dangerous the forest could be. He reminded himself that the six of them possessed the elements of harmony. They didn't need him. "They'll be fine." Bolt stated simply, his gaze falling to the ground as he turned his head away from the forest and began on his journey home again. The vines and clouds would vanish at any moment now, and the six of them would come wandering back out of the forest with victorious smiles on their faces. Even with that conviction in his mind though, there was a hidden doubt, that Discord voiced. "But what if they never return?" The Earth pony came to a halt once more, his brow furrowing as he stared intensely at the ground beneath him. He hated to admit it, but Discord had a point. What would happen if the six mares never returned? What would Ponyville do? What would Equestria do? Without Twilight, Luna and Celestia, who would the ponies turn to? Who would stop the expanding forest? There were so many questions floating around in his mind that it left him momentarily overwhelmed. He had to shake his head firmly, to clear it of unnecessary things. Right now, he needed to concentrate on what to do. He needed to help them, any way he could. And there was only one way he could... "That's the spirit!" Discord chimed with mock enthusiasm as Bolt broke out into a sprint, his previously vulnerable state having vanished to make way of what he had to do. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, ducking under rambunctious clouds and out of control vines, until his home was in sight. But that just reminded him of an issue that he had put off before. His front door was blocked by vines... The stallion came to a halt outside and bit into one of the vines, trying with all his strength to pull it away. It didn't budge. He hissed with frustration, spinning around to thrust his back hooves out, bucking the vines roughly. Still nothing. Hope was starting to drift away from the stallion. There was only so much he could do, and nothing he tried was working. His ears drooped as he stared at the vines that still blocked his way, his mind moving at a million miles a minute in an attempt to think of some outlandish scheme to get back into his home. Maybe if he could launch himself upwards, he could climb back in through his bedroom window... He was being stupid and desperate. There was nothing he could use to launch himself. A click of fingers caused him to perk up, spinning his head round to see Discord hovering nearby, his gaze set on the stallion as he tried to deal with his dilemma. Bolt raised an eyebrow and turned back to the vines, his eyes widening once he did. The vines... They were gone. Slowly, he turned his head to look back at Discord, confusion and shock on his face. Had the spirit of disharmony just... Helped him? "Don't get me wrong. I just want to see what you will do next." Discord rolled his eyes softly, his head propping back against his arms as he hovered in midair like he were sitting on a deck chair. Regardless of his motivation, the way to Bolt's home was now free thanks to the spirit. So he offered him a simple nod of gratitude, before hastily making his way inside his humble house. He charged downstairs, stumbling and almost falling down the stairs because of how much he was in a hurry. The stallion caught himself though, and stormed into the dimly lit room. A few of the lights had gone out down here... He would have to fix them later. Now wasn't the time. His gaze, and full attention, was set on his pride and joy. His Jetpack. This wasn't exactly the optimal testing environment, but he had never been against a trial by fire. The Earth pony moved over to his workbench and pulled the Jetpack from it with his mouth, dragging it onto his back before fastening it to him. Once he was content that it was properly secured to his body, he briskly took his leave. There was no time to waste! "What is that? A toaster?" Discord inquired curiously as the stallion re-emerged from his home, a hand quizzically stroking his chin as he inspected the device strapped to Bolt's back. A firm shake of the pony's head, and a scowl, corrected that preposterous assumption. But he didn't indulge Discord in an explanation; instead he looked around frantically, which just made the spirit more curious. "Is that a new craze you're trying to start?" "What? No! I need a place with elevation so I can take off with my Jetpack!" Bolt spun his head around to look at Discord, scowling at the spirit's attempt at a joke and quickly correcting him. His ears pinned back as Discord offered him a toothy grin, quite reminiscent of the one he had given Bolt before leaving him to plummet down from the heavens. His mouth opened in an attempt to quell the mischievous thoughts of the spirit of disharmony, but he was far too late. Discord's fingers clicked before he could say a word, the ground suddenly raising up and catapulting him into the air like a giant spring. "I haaaaaaaaaaaaateeeeeeeeeeee yooooooooooooooooooou!" Bolt's voice trailed off as he was sent flying into the air, quickly leaving earshot as Discord waved enthusiatically at his departure. At least that meant the spirit would no longer be a thorn in his plot, but that didn't change the fact that if he didn't do something soon, he would be a pony pancake on the ground below. Thankfully, he had his Jetpack now. Though truth be told, there was no telling if it would actually work. He took a deep breathe and prayed to Celestia as he reached back, slamming his hoof down on the ignition button. Without hesitation, the engine within came to life, flames pouring from the exhaust nozzle. A grin crossed Bolt's face as he felt the Jetpack propel him through the air. It was working! Just like last time! Well, hopefully it wouldn't work like last time... He didn't need it stalling now. Rainbow Dash might not be around to catch him if he fell this time. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After getting his excitement under control, Steele Bolt started to focus on maneuvering with the Jetpack, weaving around a few thorny clouds as he swooped around, flying above the treeline of the forest as he tried to spy any of the six mares he was looking for. The problem was, the foliage was dense, which really hindered his ability to identify anything below it. With a sigh he came to the uncomfortable conclusion that he would have to pass under the treeline if he was going to find anything. Begrudgingly, the flying Earth pony turned skyward, before curling back around and heading straight for the ground. He raised his hooves to protect his face as he smashed straight through the dense foliage, his eyes shutting tightly until the sensation of leaves and branches hitting him ceased. He opened them again just in time to catch himself from meeting the dirt below face first, pulling his body back to direct himself away from the ground. Once his flight path was straightened out, he found a new hindrance in his progress. Trees. Trees everywhere. The stallion was forced to weave around them, occasionally colliding into the hard bark and bouncing off of it. He wasn't an ace flyer by any stretch of the imagination. It was a miracle that he was having so much luck at the moment. Bolt hurtled through the forest, mentally kicking himself for not bringing some goggles with him, or at least his welding mask, to keep the wind out of his eyes. The brutal breeze left him squinting his eyes, until he spotted a familiar blob of purple up ahead. He closed the distance between himself and this mysterious splash of colour in seconds, the scene unraveling before him. Vines with what appeared to have Venus Fly Traps on the end were assaulting a pony, spraying her with some sort of gas that was incapacitated her. Bolt recognized her immediately. "Twilight!" His call caught the weakened Alicorn's attention, her ears raising slightly as she rose her head to look his way. Bolt didn't slow down at all. He charged headlong into the fray, his sights set on the Princess. Holding out his hooves, he scooped her up as he passed by, speeding off and leaving the vines in his dust. "Bolt...? What are you..." "Are you alright?" The stallion inquired, paying more attention to the frail looking mare in his grasp, leaving flying as an afterthought; which was probably not in his better judgment. She looked so weak right now. He couldn't help wondering what that gas had been... A soft nod from Twilight helped relieve him of some of his concern though. "I'm fine. Just a bit groggy." The Princess of Friendship reassured him, shaking her head a little to try and clear her mind of the effects of the gas. It didn't seem to be wearing off quickly though; Bolt could tell from how weak her hold on his neck was, since she had wrapped a leg around him to help support herself. "Lets try and find somewhere safe to touch down-" Bolt began, the foolishness of his statement not lost on him. A safe place in the Everfree? That was unheard of. Proof of this appeared in the form of vines sprouting in front of them, trying to block their path and interrupting Bolt's chain of thought, and thus what he was saying. He clicked his tongue as he tilted his body, spinning out of the way just in time before they crashed into the wall the vines were forming. But more were pursuing, and sprouting out around them, seemingly attracted to them. Bolt glanced over his shoulder, noticing a vine lashing out at them quickly, moving faster than he could react. But before it could connect with him, or his Jetpack, it was blasted by a flash of purple magic. "You fly... I'll shoot..." Twilight affirmed as the stallion glanced towards her, her horn glowing with the aura of her magic. He simply nodded his head, turning his attention to what was in front of them, concentrating on dodging incoming obstacles whilst the Princess of Friendship shot down incoming vines with her magic. She was far from full strength though, and the vines continued to gradually gain ground on them, until finally one struck Bolt's Jetpack. The machine sputtered, it's speed decreasing as smoke joined the flames that spilled from the exhaust. "Damnit... What's the damage?" Bolt asked Twilight, his attention shifting away from his surroundings as he recovered from the impact, which shook him from his flight path momentarily. Hastily, the Alicorn leaned over to inspect his Jetpack, finding a heavy dent in the side of the invention. "It's been hit pretty hard. The chassis is dented. I can see the inner workings from here..." Bolt gulped as he listened to Twilight's diagnosis. It sounded like the vine had struck harder than anticipated, considering it had been able to breach the hull. He would need to use a more sturdy material on the chassis in the future... That was the least of their worries right now though. The loss of speed had practically doomed them. Another vine lashed out, wrapped itself around both Bolt and his Jetpack, journeying into the device, possibly attracted to the heat source like plants typically grew towards the sun. The grasp of the vine abruptly stopped their momentum, the jolt that occurred as a result sending Twilight flying out of Bolt's grasp. "Twilight!" The stallion yelled out, reaching out with his hooves, as another vine wrapped around him and his invention. He could only watch as the Alicorn hit the ground with a grunt. She got onto her hooves as quickly as she could, her horn glowing as she set her sights on the vines binding Bolt, but she never got the chance to attack. The Venus Fly Trap vines from earlier re-emerged, and Twilight briskly got a face full of the gas that had incapacitated her before. His ears drooped as he watched the Princess of Friendship shakily fall back to the ground, coughing as the gas smothered her and weakened her. Frustration, and a desire to help her, pushed him to reach back with his one free hoof, hitting another button on his Jetpack to push it to the limit. The output of both flame and smoke doubled, the metal of the chassis slowly turning red as the metal overheated with the overwork of the engine. The tactic was a double-edged sword. On one hoof, it burned the vines, forcing them to recede and freeing Bolt. But it also burnt his already scarred back, causing him to whine in pain as he crashed into the ground, since the Jetpack quickly failed as a result of his actions. At least it hadn't failed by accident this time... Bolt only had enough time to throw his invention off of his back to avoid further burning, before the Venus Fly Trap vines turned on him, spraying him with the gas that had left Twilight helpless. His eyes widened as he coughed violently, stumbling backwards as he felt the strength in his body suddenly sapping away. By some cruel fate, Twilight's limp form remained in his sight as he collapsed to the floor, his eyes narrowing as he cursed himself. Was this all he was capable of? He hadn't helped at all... Just delayed the inevitable... The shadows of the Venus Fly Trap vines were looming over them. Would they eat them? Bolt had no idea. He'd never seen plant life like this before. Today sure has been a bad day... But just as this bad day seemed to be getting worse, and one of the Venus Pony Traps went to lash out at Twilight, a lasso made of the very vines that had been chasing them wrapped around it, rendering it harmless as it was yanked to the ground and subdued. "Listen here, ya' rabid rhododendrons! Ya' mess with one of us, ya' mess with all of us!" A familiar southern accent filled Bolt with relief, his head turning to confirm what he already suspected. The remaining five mares, whom had been missing until this point, stood proudly before them, a determined look on each of their faces. And then there was Pinkie Pie, blowing a party horn... Morale support...? The Venus Pony Traps emitted an audible screech that Bolt hadn't heard from them until his point, his weakened hooves moving to cover his ears from the unpleasant noise for the brief moment it lasted. An eye remained open though, watching as Rainbow Dash swooped forwards with a familiar, smug grin upon her face. "Up here!" The Pegasus taunted as she flew towards the Venus Pony Traps, moving so fast that only a multi-coloured streak could be seen by the naked eye. She left the vines reeling as she brushed past them, causing two of them to spin around each over until they were wrapped together and left immobilized. "Yoo-hoo!! Come and get me!" Pinkie Pie cried out, bouncing around without a care in the world as one of the vine traps chased after her, it's fangs bared. It really baffled Bolt how she could seem so confident and care-free in this situation, but it wasn't just her. All five of them wore smiles and grins, which radiated the confidence that they got from working together. Rarity joined the act, ducking and weaving around the vine of the trap that was chasing Pinkie Pie. "Don't forget about me!" She chimed in, glancing over her shoulder momentarily to check for the vine trap that was following her, before hopping over a vine. This forced the pursuing vine trap to slip under the vine of it's brethren so it could give chase, bringing something to Bolt's attention. If this kept up, they would get tangled... Was that the mares plan all along...? Fluttershy and Applejack did their part as well. The shy Pegasus flew around a tree, causing her pursuing vine to snare around it, while the southern Earth pony slid under the vine that remained out stretched as a result, causing the vine chasing her to slip under as well to try and catch up. But just as it was about to lash out at her, it came to an abrupt halt, before snapping back into the pile of vines and traps that had amassed from the five mares little run around. They had done it... They had dealt with the Venus Pony Traps... Bolt was amazed... "Ta-da!" Pinkie Pie announced enthusiastically, hurling confetti up in the air as if this was a moment worth celebrating. Maybe it would have been, if not for the lone vine trap that had eluded the five of them. It had succeeded at sneaking up on Pinkie, but didn't get any further than that. It was blasted by a flash of purple magic before it could lash out, courtesy of the resident Princess. The effects of the gas were starting to wear off, allowing both her and Bolt to shakily pull themselves back to their hooves, with Spike dashing up to Twilight to help her. Where had that dragon gotten to beforehand...? "I sure am glad ya' came looking for us." Applejack spoke up with a smile, the five mares flocking to their friend, whom returned their smile with her own, instilled with a bit of relief. Bolt could understand why. There was no telling what would have happened if they had not turned up... "Not as glad as we are that you found us!" Twilight replied, gesturing towards Bolt with one hoof, coaxing a nod of agreement from the stallion. But that brought the attention to him, his ears drooping slightly as all eyes were on him. "Why are you here though, Bolt?" Rainbow Dash spoke up, her wings flapping softly to keep her airborne as she approached him, her head tilted with an eyebrow raised as she questioned him. A natural inquiry. Twilight had tried to ask the same thing earlier as well, though too much had been going on for him to answer her. "I wanted to help..." The stallion answered honestly, whilst glancing downward in fear that this wouldn't be good enough reasoning. He didn't look up again until he felt a wing upon his back, finding that Twilight had approached to try and reassure him. "Thank you, Bolt. You saved me back there." Her voice was sweet and honest, but Bolt couldn't take those words to heart. His actions had just endangered himself as well as her. He couldn't help beating himself up over his recklessness, which was so typical of him. He was never the type of pony to look before he leaped. An orange coated hoof came to rest on his other side, a welcoming smile coming from the southern mare that had joined her two friends by his side. "Well, ya' here now. Might as well tag along!" Applejack's words had Bolt looking around, as if to affirm that it was alright with the rest of them. Nods came from each member of the group, including Spike, after they had looked amongst themselves and smiled with confidence. A strange feeling welled up within him. Being accepted like this was certainly something he wasn't used to; especially as no hesitation had been shown. He couldn't stop a smile from sprouting on his lips as he nodded as well. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the end, the day was won. They ventured to the Tree of Harmony, where the Elements of Harmony were returned to it so that it would regain it's power. That rid Ponyville of the thorny vine and cloud infestation that it had been experiencing. All that, had been achieved by Twilight and her five friends, with Bolt and Spike sitting on the side lines. The stallion hadn't done a thing. He hadn't even been morale support. They didn't need him for that. Yet, even though he hadn't contributed, he now found himself in Canterlot to take part in the Summer Sun Celebration. He stood in the crowd, beside five of the six mares that had saved Equestria once again. Truthfully, he felt out of place surrounded by so many ponies, in an audience that was here to watch three Princesses. He hadn't even met royalty until recently; yet now the only royal left that he hadn't met, to his knowledge, was Celestia herself. It felt surreal. It felt like a dream to be Canterlot alone. He'd never been to the grand city - only having heard tales of it. The high class nature of the city naturally left him wondering what kind of resources might be available to him in such a place. Surely there were advanced parts and materials just waiting to be discovered. He made a mental note to try and find the time to explore proper, if they had enough time before returning to Ponyville. "Citizens of Equestria!" The noble voice of the Princess of the Sun caught Bolt's attention, drawing him from his fantasies of upgrades for his battered Jetpack. Once again, he would need to work on repairing it when he got home, but it wasn't as daunting as before. He'd had a successful test flight with it, so now the only way was up. He would continue to improve it, until it surpassed even having wings! The thought alone brought a victorious smile to his face. Maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself... "It is no longer with a heavy heart, but with great joy that I raise the summer sun. For this celebration now represents not the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of my sister, Princess Luna!" Silence completely overtook the crowd as they listened to Celestia's every word like their lives depended on it, drawing Bolt into that intensity. It felt like it would be considered treason just to breathe too loudly, even though he knew that to be an exaggeration. That was just how much the citizens of Equestria cared for, and loved Celestia. Their respect for her ran far deeper than any one pony could ever truly understand. This silence was only broken once she finished speaking, cheers and hoots coming from the audience to truly celebrate the conversion of a once darker day. Bolt watched with anticipation as Princess Luna leaped into the air, her wings carrying her upwards as her horn began to shine with a magical aura. As she summoned her magic, the moon began to descend, as Celestia followed her sister's example and joined her in the air. The sun began to rise from below the horizon, meeting with the moon as it sank towards the very same line that had obscured the sun. Just as the two of them past each other, a blast of magic filled the air, originating from a streak of purple that zipped through the sky at impressive speeds. The shape of the magical blast resembled the shape of the Element of Magic, which heavily hinted towards who was behind the little stunt. As if to confirm that suspicion, Twilight Sparkle swooped down to meet Princess Celestia and Luna as they landed back on the stage. The cheers from the crowd became louder, having clearly been entertained from the spectacle. Steele Bolt looked around at the surrounding ponies silently, watching their enthusiasm, before turning his gaze back to the stage. There he saw the Princess of the Night - looking straight at him. His eyes widened slightly once he realised this, her expression softening as she looked his way, offering him a friendly smile before moving her gaze onwards. It would seem that she remembered him... He couldn't help feeling happy about that. "Darling, did Princess Luna just smile at you?" Rarity suddenly spoke to him, her voice quieter to keep the conversation just between her and the stallion. She didn't really need to do that though, considering how loud the audience currently was. Bolt became stiff at the realisation that another pony had noticed it. Did that mean others might have as well? Would that be okay? He didn't want to cause any trouble just by being on friendly terms with the Princess of the Night... He decided to try and play it cool, shrugging his shoulders as he turned his head away from Rarity - attempting to hide the embarrassment on his face. Because of that though, he missed the knowing smile that crossed the marshmallow Unicorn's face from his poor acting.