The sun shined over the Crystal Empire as the train rolled into the station, whistle blowing. The doors opened, and Rarity jumped out onto the platform, looking fondly out at the splendid view before her.
“Oh, goodness!!!” She exclaimed, her mane blowing in the breeze. “It’s been far too long! Crystal Empire, where has the time gone?” She closed her eyes and tilted her head dramatically, bringing a foreleg to her forehead.
Applejack walked up from behind the Unicorn while towing a large trailer full of luggage. “Uh, Rarity?” She started. “Y’all were here just last week.”
Rarity’s expression shifted to one of realization. “Oh.” She brought her foreleg down, her face going back to normal, stifling a giggle. “Well, any amount of time away from such an incredible kingdom is too long!”
Boltsinger disembarked the train, seeing Rarity’s little performance and laughing as everypony else came to appreciate the view. “This place really is beautiful…”
“Beautiful?” Rarity repeated. “It’s positively gorgeous! Have you ever seen the Empire in full bloom?”
“Well…” the stallion put a hoof to his muzzle, thinking to himself. His face brightened up as he extended his hoof out. “I know they’ve got a really great library!”
Rarity’s jaw dropped. She looked back and forth between Boltsinger and Twilight, who was giggling and nodding profusely at the Pegasus’ statement. “But what about the Crystal ponies? Did you ever meet any of them?”
“Of course I did.” Boltsinger replied. “I had to eat sometime, and some of the guards and the librarian are all Crystal ponies, too!”
Rarity hung her head, seeing all too well that her point was lost on him. “You can at least acknowledge that they were… pretty, right?”
“Well, I’d have to be blind not to see that.” Boltsinger agreed, moving to walk towards the kingdom.
Fluttershy stood next to Rarity. “Don’t worry, Rarity. I’m sure he appreciates it in his own way.”
The Unicorn sighed, perking up. “I’m sure you’re right, of course.” She continued on with the others.
Starlight came from the back of the pack, trotting up to Twilight. “I’m really looking forward to seeing Sunburst!” She told her mentor. “I wonder what kind of antiques he’s managed to collect since his last visit...”
Twilight smiled. “I’m sure he’ll tell you all about them.” She turned to Boltsinger, beaming. “I know we’re here to find a book, but I’m most looking forward to seeing Flurry Heart!”
“Is that a friend of yours?” he asked.
“Nope!” the Alicorn corrected. “My niece! I plan to go see her and her parents after our visit with Sunburst!”
Boltsinger smiled at his royal friend. “Oh, cool! Well, I hope you have the best visit ever!”
Twilight’s face softened as she leaned in closer to the stallion.“You… want to come meet them?” She offered.
“Um… Really?” Boltsinger wondered. “Aren’t they family, though? You should go and have some quality time. I would probably just get in the way…”
Rarity pulled Boltsinger aside, whispering into his ear. “Boltsinger, darling, you can’t possibly turn down an invitation like this one!” She told him. “This is your opportunity to meet not just one, but two Princesses!”
“But… I already know three.” the Pegasus responded. “That’s already more than I ever thought I would meet.”
“Yes, but would you really want to turn down an invitation like that from a beautiful mare like her?” she reiterated, pointing a hoof at Twilight.
Boltsinger looked over at the Princess, who was looking at Rarity with a puzzled expression. He looked back at Rarity, then back at Twilight. Rarity giggled.
“My dear boy, this is an offer you simply must accept!” the fashionista pressed.
“But I--”
“You MUST!”
“Bu--”
“You MUST!!!”
Boltsinger’s eyes grew wide as he looked over at Twilight. “Um, Rarity, you know that I’m not in that kind of relationship with Twilight, right?” He reminded her. “I mean, you’re definitely not wrong. She’s definitely beautiful, but…”
“Well, suit yourself.” the Unicorn said, looking at the stallion with knowing eyes. “But if you don’t take this chance now, you’ll most certainly regret it!”
Boltsinger scratched his head, his face flushed, but uncertain as he went back over to the Princess. “Okay, I’ve thought about it, and… Yes, I will join you!”
“Oh!” the Alicorn said. “I look forward to it!” She laughed as they made their way into the main town.
After a while of walking, Pinkie had bounced off in one direction, while Rarity and Fluttershy directed their attention to the spa. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had gotten into an argument regarding jousting, and had gone off to settle it. In the end, Twilight, Starlight, and Boltsinger were the only three standing in front of a fairly ordinary-looking house. Twilight walked up to the door, knocking with her hoof.
The door opened, revealing a fiery-shaded orange Unicorn stallion with an unkempt red mane, tail, and beard. Between his teal eyes and leading down to his nose, his coat was an off-white color in the same shade as his hooves. He wore a pair of large glasses on the tip of his snout, along with a blue cloak with teal trim and star patterns all around it. He looked at the ponies at his door, seeming both confused and delighted at the same time.
“Starlight, Twilight?” The pony started. “What are you doing here?” His eyes turned to Boltsinger. “And… aren’t you…?”
Starlight walked up to her friend, giving him a big hug. “Sunburst! It’s so good to see you!”
Sunburst accepted the embrace, still looking at the other two guests. “It’s nice to see you, too. But… That still doesn’t explain…” He motioned to Twilight and Boltsinger with a foreleg. “All of this.”
“Oh…” Starlight said, laughing to herself and backing off with noticeably red cheeks. “Yeah… I’ll… let you two talk.”
Sunburst backed up and let his guests inside, everyone taking a seat in the living room. Twilight proceeded to explain the research she was doing, which led to her and Sunburst talking at length on the topic. Sunburst would name various books, and Twilight would talk about her findings in each. While they talked, Starlight and Boltsinger turned to one another.
“So, how much of this do you understand?” Boltsinger asked.
“I understand some of it…” Starlight answered. “I haven’t studied Cutie Marks like Twilight has. So, what was Rarity saying that had you so flustered earlier?”
“Um... “ Boltsinger leaned in next to Starlight. “She was convincing me to go with Twilight to see her niece. I think she’s under the impression that I have a…”
Starlight looked at the Pegasus with wide eyes. “You have a…?”
“Well, that is to say…” He continued.
“Well, what is it?!” Starlight inquired, her face getting closer.
Boltsinger turned his gaze back towards the Princess. “She thinks I have… a ‘thing’ for Twilight…” He admitted. “She was using Twilight’s… um… her looks as part of her argument.”
“Not just her usual ‘must, must, MUST’ argument?” the Unicorn mare added.
“Well, that was part of it.”
“So… do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you have a ‘thing’ for Twilight?”
Boltsinger’s face went from orange to red in an instant. “What?! No… She’s… She’s way out of my league!” He looked down at his pendant, but sneaked a look back at the purple-maned pony Princess. “Besides, why would I want to risk a perfectly good friendship on something like that?” Starlight stifled a laugh as she looked at the flustered stallion. “Besides, don’t you have a ‘thing’ for Sunburst?”
Starlight’s laughter stopped in its tracks. “Okay, you’ve made your point…” She said as Sunburst left the room. He came back a moment later, holding a book in the air with his magic.
“So, what were you two talking about?” Sunburst asked as he re-entered the room.
“Nothing!” Starlight and Boltsinger simultaneously exclaimed. They each laughed nervously as Twilight took the book and placed it in her saddle bag, oblivious to the goings on in the room.
Starlight stood up from the sofa, walking over to Sunburst. “Well, I’m gonna stay here and visit with Sunburst.” She began pushing Twilight out the door, pulling Boltsinger along with her magic. “You two have fun at the castle!” She lifted a foreleg alongside her stallion friend as the winged ponies made their way to the castle.
Twilight and Boltsinger walked through the streets of the Crystal Empire, the stallion looking around at various places, really getting a look at all of the Crystal Ponies going about their day.
“So, what made you want to come with me?” Twilight asked as they made their way.
“Let’s just say Rarity was persuasive.” Boltsinger hinted. “I felt that I must come along.”
Twilight giggled. “Well, I’m sure you’ll all get along.” With that, she started flapping her wings, taking off into the air towards the castle, her stallion companion following suit. The two of them flew towards the enormous crystal palace in the center of the kingdom.
As they neared the building, a tiny purple and blue streak flew into Twilight. She spread her forelegs wide and laughed as the streak made contact, embracing what looked like an Alicorn foal with a pink coat, along with a curly violet mane and tail featuring blue streaks, with adorable light blue eyes. The two Alicorns laughed happily as they embraced one another.
Boltsinger smiled at the sight, turning his attention towards the palace, where a tall, pink Alicorn was flying over to them. Like the filly, her coat was a bright shade, and her mane and tail curled at the ends, but instead of violet and blue, they featured purple, hot pink, and white in layers. The tips of her wings made a gradient into violet, much like her eyes, which were pink at the bottom, but turned purple at the top. She wore golden shoes, along with a gold necklace and a tiny crown that rested against her horn and bore purple gems. Like the other Alicorns he had met before Twilight, her face looked more angular and mature. Her Cutie mark was a crystal heart, much like the one situated under the palace, with gold adornments on either side of it. She made her way over to the happy high-flyers, holding the small one with her magic and going in for a hug with Twilight.
“Twilight! It’s so wonderful to see you!” the tall Alicorn greeted. The two of them descended as they broke the hug, starting what looked like a foals’ game.
“Sunshine, sunshine,” the two mares trotted in place, bending low. “Ladybug’s awake!” They put their forelegs over their eyes, then quickly raised their hooves. “Clap your hooves…” They sat on their hindquarters, bumping their hooves against each other. “and do a little shake!” They turned around, raising their rumps into the air and shaking, their tails swaying in the air. They stood up normally, laughing as the taller mare floated the foal over to her, raising a foreleg and holding her directly.
“So, what brings the ‘best aunt ever’ to the Crystal Empire?” She asked.
“We came to see Sunburst about finding a book.” She told her. “But, now I have it, and I wouldn’t be the ‘best aunt ever’ if I didn’t come to see Flurry Heart!” She extended one of her wings forward, tickling the filly’s cheek, causing the happiest little giggle Boltsinger had ever heard as he landed. He smiled and looked at the mares, keeping his distance.
The taller mare looked over at the orange pony in their midst. “So, who is your friend?” She wondered. “He looks… familiar.”
Boltsinger scratched his head with his wing, laughing in his usual nervous tone and bowing in respect. “Um… My name is Boltsinger, and… Yes, Princess Cadence, you have seen me before.” From there, he went on to explain the time he was in the Crystal Empire helping Sunburst not long ago.
“Ah, I see.” Cadence replied. “Well, thank you very much for helping Sunburst back then. Your services were invaluable!”
Boltsinger’s rump hit the ground immediately, looking frazzled at the response. “Invaluable?” He repeated. “I just delivered messages about crystalling for some of the newborn foals.”
“Yes, and that allowed us to hold the ceremony without incident, which increased the Crystal Heart’s power!” Cadence clarified. “Even a small contribution to something like that is a big deal.”
Boltsinger’s eyes shrank as he came to understand the situation. “Well, um… You’re welcome, I guess.”
On the way to the castle, Twilight explained the situation regarding Boltsinger’s presence in Ponyville. All the while, Flurry Heart began flapping her wings, flying around the group as they made their way, whipping up tiny gusts of wind as she flew and laughing in the process.
“She seems like she’s having fun.” Boltsinger commented, noting the flying filly. He smirked, flapping his wings and ascending to the air beside her and whipping up his own little pockets of air. He sent playful little messages to Flurry from multiple directions, exciting her and sending her to fly in circles around him. He began flying around, doing some of the simpler maneuvers he had been learning from Rainbow Dash with the little pony trying her best to imitate.
Cadence looked at the playing ponies with a smile on her face. “Well, any pony that can make Flurry laugh like that is all right in my book.”
The airborne ponies continued their playtime for a while to come, the wind picking up as the foal flapped onward…