//------------------------------// // The Very Persistent Princess // Story: One Bolt, Moving Forward // by Boltsinger //------------------------------// The thumping of a heartbeat sounded in the stethoscope. Doctor Horse bobbed his head in time with the beating, eventually raising his head and smiling at the Princess whose sizeable baby bumped belly he examined. “Well, Princess Twilight, your foal is nice and healthy. But you should make sure to keep it that way by taking it easy. Don’t push yourself too hard, and come to see me again next month!” “Of course, Doctor.” she replied, getting down from the examination table. She turned to Boltsinger, who sat in a chair across the room. “Come on! Let’s go to Sugar Cube Corner to celebrate!” Boltsinger’s head went askew as he walked up to the Princess. “What exactly are we celebrating?” “It’s been five months since I told you I was pregnant, right?” she lead, seeing a reluctant but conforming nod from the stallion. “Which means that the pregnancy is six months in! We’re past the halfway point!” “It’s been that long, huh?” the Pegasus wondered with a smile. “And here I hadn’t noticed you getting bigger at all.” Twilight laughed and nudged him with her elbow. “You’re just saying that.” “You have no proof of that!” He retorted, sounding almost deliberately guilty. Twilight gave him a cocky look after a roll of her eyes. “Uh-huh, sure.” They exited the clinic and looked up at the clear, blue sky. Twilight made a deep, happy breath, letting out a wide grin upon her exhale as she looked back at Boltsinger. “It’s such a beautiful day, why don’t we go for a fly?” Boltsinger looked up at the infinite blue expanse, feeling the inviting breeze for himself as he closed his eyes. Before he could even respond, his wings were flapping and he was in the air. “I see you agree with me!” The Alicorn stated with a giggle. She had already flown up level with the stallion, hovering in front of him. “Come on, let’s go!” She turned around, speeding off into the distance. The turbulence of her initial acceleration sent the Pegasus flying back a little. He quickly righted himself and smiled at the purple and pink streak rocketing off into the distance. “Gonna play it that way, huh?” He chuckled to himself and gave a single, hard flap of his wings that sent him forward after her, leaving a shockwave of wind behind him. After an hour of constant flying, Twilight came to a stop, hovering high in the sky. She looked around for her flying partner, seeing nopony around in all horizontal directions. “Did I lose him? I know I’ve gotten faster, but I don’t think I’ve made that much improvement…” Her breathing got a bit heavier, the consistent flapping taking its toll on her body. “Finally made it, huh?” Boltsinger asked from above. Twilight looked up, putting her hooves on her hips. “What do you mean ‘finally'?” She ascended so as to hover next to him. “Exactly what I said.” He teased, booping her horn with his hoof. “You’ve definitely gotten faster, but I’ve been getting a lot of practice in with Scootaloo’s training.” “I can still keep up, at least…” she told him, her face turning to a pout and looking away. Boltsinger’s confident demeanor quickly diminished as he put his hoof on her chin, turning her head to look back at him. “Ease up, Mrs. Pouty-pants. I know better than most ponies how fast you are.” The pursing of the Princess’ lower lip receded, her own confident look making a return. “Why, thank you.” She took a look around, seeing most of the town going about its typical business. “So, how are you feeling?” he asked, circling around her. Twilight’s smile weakened as she swung her foreleg in front of her. “Great! I could go for another few hours at this rate! How about you, Mister Endurance Flyer?” Boltsinger smirked, noticing the more panting breaths her Highness was taking as she held herself aloft. “I think now’s a good time to stop and rest a bit.” He flew off, quickly coming back pushing a large, fluffy cloud. “How about you and I take a load off before heading to Sugar Cube Corner?” Twilight raised her hoof in reply, but found herself being pushed over to the cloud. “It was more of an instruction than a request. Doctor Horse says take it easy, and I agree with him.” Twilight stepped onto the cloud, the sheer softness overtaking her legs as she melted into it. She fell onto her side and rolled onto her back, clutching some of the fluff in her forelegs. “Okay, you’ve convinced me… This is just too comfy!” She lit her horn and shaped the cloud in her hooves into the shape of a book, looking at it longingly. “All it would take to make this perfect is a good book.” “And the right company.” He added, landing next to her and laying on his stomach. He pulled up a pillow of the cloud’s surface and rested his head on it, letting out a soft and low melody. The cello-like sound rang true in the Alicorn’s ears, causing her to close her eyes and hum along in a high harmony. They continued on for several minutes as Twilight’s breathing returned to normal. She rolled over, scooting closer to the stallion in her company. “Well, I feel rested enough. Ready to go?” Boltsinger smiled and nodded. “Eeyup!”  He stood up and stepped off of the cloud, flapping his wings and hovering. “We’re here!” He announced, pointing down. Twilight moved to the edge of the cloud, looking down to see the delicious-looking roof of Sugar Cube Corner not too far beneath them. Her eyes widened slightly, looking back and forth between the building and Boltsinger. “Hi, Twilight! Hi, Bolt!” Pinkie Pie called, her head poking out of her window. The couple both waved a foreleg at the bubbly mare beneath them. “Hi, Pinkie!” they simultaneously replied as the mare of the two began her descent. “How did I not know we were here?” Twilight wondered as they touched down. Boltsinger shrugged, directing his attention to the wide-open doors. “You got me.” His eyes wandered back towards his wife, showing a smidgen of worry in them despite his otherwise forward gaze. “Well, it’s certainly convenient that we ended up here!” She entered the building first, looking around and licking her lips expectantly. “I wonder if they have anything with garlic… I could really go for something with garlic!” The next morning, Twilight trotted through the halls with Spike following close behind. She patted her belly with her wing, feeling the drumming of the foal inside with her every step. “Do you have the checklist, Spike?” The dragon pulled out a quill and parchment, looking confidently at his best friend. “Of course! I’m ready when you are!” “Excellent.” She affirmed, moving towards the kitchen and past Flash. The guard stopped in his tracks, looking back at the Princess and her assistant. “So what’s on the list for today?” Spike took a closer look at the list. “After breakfast, we’re supposed to help Fluttershy prepare the sanctuary for the arrival of some…” he swallowed a lump in his throat. “... big cats…” “Shouldn’t be too big of an issue.” She told him, thinking back on the last time she had to deal with such creatures. “After that?” “Let’s see… Rarity is running low on gems and needs us to help her find some more.” He continued, moving down the list. “Then Applejack needs help to feed the animals.” He looked up from the parchment. “All of the animals.” “Well, with how we’ve helped her to streamline her chores, that shouldn’t be too hard!” “Okay…” he returned to his task. “Pinkie wants us to help her help Maud bring some rock samples back to her cavern… Isn’t that a bit of a heavy load?” “I have to agree with you there, Spike.” Flash chimed in from above. He landed in front of the two, taking a look at the checklist. “Are you sure this isn’t too much to do in a single day?” “All I’m doing is helping my friends. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She informed him, turning her attention back to Spike. “Anything else?” “Not much. Rainbow Dash wanted your input on some maneuvers to teach Scootaloo.” He said, rolling the parchment up. “After that, you have dinner, and some astronomy research.” “Perfect!” she declared, finally rounding the corner to the kitchen. She made a quick breakfast and walked to the dining room. “So, Flash, do you plan to come with us today?” “Is Bolt coming with you today?” he inquired, sitting down with his own meal. “No, he has his own plans for today.” She answered. “Scootaloo has flight training, and he promised Big Mac he’d help him deliver a shipment of apples to Sugar Belle after that. Something about keeping him on task.” “Then yes. I feel it would be best if I accompanied you today.” He confirmed. “Especially with what all you have planned.” Twilight quickly finished up her meal, standing tall and walking back to the hallway. “Okay, let’s go!” She looked back to Spike and Flash with a smile,. “You two ready?” Spike and Flash were still sitting over their full plates, Spike having his fork up to his open mouth. He dropped his fork, letting it fall to his plate as the boys took a look at her. She smiled sheepishly, sitting back in her spot at the table. “Sorry…” Twilight, Spike, and Flash walked through the gate to Sweet Feather Sanctuary, where many of Fluttershy’s animal friends were hiding behind the caretaker in question. She had turned to them, giving each of them a reassuring pet or hug to let them know they were safe. “It’s okay, little friends, the new arrivals today aren’t going to hurt anyone! They’re just here to recover from a harsh ordeal!” “What kind of ordeal are you talking about?’ asked the Alicorn, sendling Fluttershy jumping to a nearby tree branch. The pink-maned Pegasus calmed down, fluttering down from her perch and landing in front of her royal friend. “The jaguars coming in today from southern Equestria were dug out of an old temple with a bunch of rocks piled on top of it! I don’t know how they managed, but they were able to survive for a whole year, and were rescued last week!” At the mention of a temple in southern Equestria, Twilight’s face scrunched up. The last time she dealt with big cats in that area, she was dealing with much more than just jaguars. “I see… Well, we’re happy to help however we can!” “Wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed. She looked over the Princess’ shoulder, where several ponies were leading a pair of sizeable felines into the sanctuary. “Oh! And here they are!” Twilight turned around to see the angry-looking cats walking up on their leashes. She let a fake smile onto her face, waving at the cats as the bearer of Kindness trotted over to them with her wings spread wide. “Welcome to Sweet Feather Sanctuary!” “Um… Fluttershy, maybe you shouldn’t get so close to--” Twilight began. Before she could finish, Fluttershy had already embraced the jaguars, which immediately began purring and nuzzling her face. Twilight rolled her eyes, approaching the cats as well. “You never cease to amaze me with animals, you know that?” “They’re just a couple of hungry kitties. It shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.” Fluttershy stated, guiding the cats to a spot where they could rest. “I suppose you’re right.” Twilight said. She reached for one of the jaguars with her hoof. “You’ve just had a hard time this past year, haven’t y-- EEP!” She crouched as low as she could, dodging a swipe from the large feline. As quickly as she moved, so did Flash, diving in between the Princess and her assailant. He brought his head low, flaring his wings and dragging his hoof on the ground. “Princess, I request that you keep your distance!” he shouted, snorting fiercely at his would-be foe. “Flash, I’m sure I can handle myself!” she retorted, stepping forward while keeping her hoof raised. She looked hopefully at the pony comforting the cats. “Right, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy frowned at the pleading Princess, shaking her head. “Honestly, Twilight, I agree with Flash. It might be better if you didn’t… well… help with these two. They say you smell like one of the ponies that locked them into that old temple, so they don’t really trust you all that much…” Twilight’s ears drooped. “Oh…” Her head followed suit as she turned away. “Okay…” Spike stepped between Flash and Fluttershy. “Is there anything else we can help with?” “I wouldn’t push it, Spike.” Flash suggested, easing up and following his charge. Fluttershy softly nodded, looking over at Twilight. “I’ll come by later and tell you how they’re doing, if that’s okay!” Twilight looked back with a meek smile. “That sounds wonderful…” she told her. She thought ahead to the rest of the day, lifting her head again. “Besides, there’s plenty of other friends who need my help today! I won’t let them down!” She flared her wings confidently, accelerating into a trot. “Yeah! That’s the spirit!” Spike encouraged, jumping onto his favorite Princess’ back. “Next up is Rarity!” He imagined the contents of the caves they were set to enter, licking his lips hungrily. “And all those…” He slurped up some falling drool. “... delicious gems!” To say the rest of the day was ‘interesting’ would have been, in a certain dragon’s opinion, a gross understatement. Twilight, Spike, and Flash went into the gem cave with Rarity, where they were supposed to remain as quiet as possible so as to not alert the bats. Twilight looked around, just barely shining the light from her horn, and saw her reflection in the facets of many gems. She admired their beauty for several moments, then found herself overwhelmed by her emotions. Her eyes overflowed with tears, letting out an absurdly loud sob that intensified the light she emitted. Spike, Rarity, and Flash dropped their jaws as the bats’ eyes simultaneously opened. Moments later, the cave entrance burst forth with bats, Flash and Rarity galloping out while Spike lingered at the entrance. From inside, Twilight’s laughter could be heard. She was in absolute hysterics, with two bats having their feet entangled in her mane as they attempted to escape. Rarity shrieked at the state of her friend’s hair, quickly using her magic to free the bats. She trotted up behind her laughing companion and began to push, directing her to the boutique so she could correct the tragedy before her. Later, at the farm, a freshly re-coiffed Twilight pulled a wagon behind her with several buckets in it. Flash hovered above her, while Spike stood in the wagon, going over a list of the animals. She poured the pigs’ slop into their trough, then looked at the food inquisitively. She floated up a small portion of it, sniffing it. Spike tilted his head in confusion at his best friend’s antics, recoiling in disgust as she took a bite of the supposed morsel. She smiled, finishing off her tidbit and satisfying her curiosity. She continued about her business, trying some of each animal’s feed, much to the surprise of the approaching Applejack. Once again underground, Twilight and her companions accompanied Pinkie and Maud Pie. The Alicorn held numerous large rocks in her magical grip, floating them next to the geologist as she went over each type of rock carefully. Pinkie bounded between the other two mares, giggling happily as they found their way into the cavern in which Maud took residence. Twilight lifted the rocks up high, performing a flourish with them by creating a figure eight in the air. She hummed to a rhythm that popped into her head as she did so, Maud standing under the display and observing the stones. After a few moments, the humming stopped while the magical aura flickered away. The rocks plummeted to the cave floor, piling up high. Pinkie squealed in horror as she jumped up to the top of the pile, looking down to see what became of her sister. There she was, standing in a pile of fresh rock powder as she soothed her pet rock, Boulder. Pinkie looked back to see what had happened with Twilight, finding her hunched over a wastebasket and heaving. Spike held her mane back while Flash patted her on the back. “And then, Scootaloo went into a sweet nosedive! Rumble actually had a hard time keeping up once she got into it, and right as they were about to hit the ground, she turned up so fast that it shot her back up into the sky!" Rainbow Dash rambled, sitting at the castle’s dining room table. “You really should have seen it, Twi, it was awesome!” Twilight rested her head on her hoof, a mildly sour expression on her face. “That’s good. I’m glad to know Scootaloo’s flying is coming along well.” Rainbow calmed down from her hype, giving Twilight a concerned look. “You okay? You look like something’s getting to you.” Twilight sighed, raising her head and putting her hooves on the table. “Do you think I’m weird right now? Or a burden?” The Wonderbolt recoiled, unsure of what was being asked. “What?! Why would I think that?” Twilight’s expression grew more dejected as she continued. “Because all day I’ve either freaked everypony out with what I’ve eaten, or I’ve caused some kind of problem thanks to something I don’t have control over!” She extended her foreleg for grand emphasis, quickly plopping her head down on the table. “I just want to show that I can still keep up and help everypony…” Rainbow got up and flew over to her forlorn friend, placing a wing on her back. “Of course you can still help everypony! I don’t think any of us have thought any differently. You’re just…” “Pregnant, moody, queasy, and have no sense of taste…” the Alicorn angrily rambled. She put her hoof on her horn, flicking it hard enough to make it vibrate. “Oh! And my magic has a tendency to completely fail! That’s sure helpful…” Rainbow waved a hoof, dismissing the negative thoughts. “We all have hard times! You’re still there for everypony, and that’s what counts!” She moved her wing back and forth, providing some comfort. “I promise you this. I won’t let your issues get in the way of us having a good time or getting things done. Okay?” Twilight looked up at the rainbow mare, her expression still serious. “Pinkie Promise?” Rainbow smiled confidently, sitting on the floor and crossing her heart with her hooves. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She went through the remainder of the motions, ending up with her hoof over her eye. “There, now you have an unbreakable promise.” Twilight turned her muzzle to a smile, pulling her friend in for a hug. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash.” She got up, moving towards the hall. “So, what kind if maneuvers were you wanting to show me?” Rainbow Dash lit up, rising from her spot and rushing outside. They flew up to the largest balcony, where Rainbow started into a series of aerial techniques. They ranged from the simplest possible to some of the more advanced moves Twilight herself was capable of. She would nod at things she felt were safe enough for an inexperienced flyer to do, while some of the more dangerous techniques received firm denial. This continued on for quite a while as Twilight brought out a quill and parchment, writing down a list of the things they had agreed upon. When all was said and done, the Wonderbolt waved farewell, heading home as the Princess stood tall with the door opening behind her. “She’s right. I’m not a burden!” she declared, flaring her wings confidently. “And I’ll keep proving it from here on out!” Unbeknownst to Twilight, Boltsinger stood behind her in a case of unwilling eavesdropping. He cringed slightly, showing a mixture of happiness and concern on his face. “Just… don’t prove it too much…” he mumbled.