//------------------------------// // We've Got Your Back! // Story: One Bolt, A World Displaced // by Boltsinger //------------------------------// Sunset sat at the computer in her loft, looking over the monitor at the boy on her couch. He was slouched forward, flipping through channels on the TV with a sour look on his face. She let out a sigh, returning her attention to the screen where her friends stared back at her. “He’s… sulking. Anything happen to him before you left?” Twilight fervently shook her head, raising her hands defensively. “No! Nothing at all! He just…” She averted her eyes, twisting a lock of her hair with her finger. “He’s homesick.” “I can’t really blame him.” Sunset stated. “So, it’s decided?” “Of course!” Rainbow Dash affirmed. “This is gonna be the best weekend ever!” “Yes, it would do that boy some good to just relax and forget his troubles for a spell!” Rarity added. “It’ll be like one big two-days-long PARTY, I tell ya!” Pinkie shouted. “With rides and attractions and cute little animals and balloons and cake and ice cream and--" Sunset clicked on the mute option over Pinkie’s screen, where she continued to list things off ad infinitum. “Okay. So we meet in the morning?” She was met with confirming responses from all sides, bringing a smile to her face. “Okay. See you all later.” She ended the call, turning the device off and moving over to the couch. “So what was all that about?” Boltsinger asked as his host sat beside him. Sunset leaned back, resting her head on her hands. “Just making plans for the weekend.” “Oh? And what kind of ‘plans’ might those be?” he wondered, flipping to the next channel. “You’ll see.” she replied. She took the remote from him, switching the television over to what looked to be a blank screen. “Now, I hear you’re a fan of Daring Do…” She pressed another button, and the heroine’s name appeared in the screen. “Let me introduce you to the movie.” “Boltsinger, wake up!” Sunset called, the sound of running accompanying her voice. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing her going back and forth, grabbing various things. “We need to get ready!” Boltsinger slowly sat up, met with a steaming beverage on the coffee table in front of him. “What are we getting ready for?” he groggily asked, reaching for the cup and taking a whiff of its contents. “You said that there weren’t classes today…” Sunset walked back in, running a brush through her hair. “That doesn’t mean we aren’t doing anything today. We’ve got some big plans for today, so come on!” Boltsinger groaned, taking his jacket from the arm of the couch and slipping it on as he searched for his shoes. “Pardon me for not being used to needing clothes when I wake up…” A honk came from outside, making Boltsinger jump in such a way that his feet slipped into his shoes, robbing him of his balance. He fell to the floor, landing on his side. “Y’all ready? Everyone’s waitin’ for ya!” Applejack cried from outside. “We’re on our way!” Sunset answered, pulling on Boltsinger’s arm and leading him out the door. “Trust me, you’re going to love what we have planned!” After a drive in what was easily the largest vehicle he’d been in so far, Boltsinger found himself pulled into another building by Rarity and placed into a chair that gave him an odd, terrifying nostalgia. “All right, dear, before we go out, I simply must do something about that unruly mess atop your head!” Rarity spun his chair around, where he saw a large mirror looking back at him. The fashionista was standing behind him with a comb and scissors raised, an ecstatic yet devious smile on her face. “Wait… you mean…?” he began. Rarity nodded emphatically, bringing her instruments ever closer. “Oh, no…” Those who looked upon the spectacle saw a cloud of hair care, pieces of combs flying out as Rarity did her work. “Just what kind of…” she gave a grunt of effort. “... things have you been doing to…” Another uncharacteristic grunt erupted from her. “... get such intricate tangles?!” “Mostly-- OW!-- Mostly flying!” he told her, giving off a pained yelp. “High speed. Lots of wind!” “Well, you won’t have to worry about that now, because…” The cloud dispersed, revealing a panting Rarity, with Boltsinger leaning back in a small daze, his hair out of its tie and noticeably longer than before and showing alternating streaks of the blue hues where once lived a mangled mess of cyan on blue. “It’s all ready, now!” “Good…” Boltsinger said, sitting up. “Does that mean we’re done?” “But I haven’t styled it, or anything!” Rarity argued, holding her scissors up once more. “Do you honestly want it to look like that?” Boltsinger rose from his seat, brushing off the bits of comb and hair from his clothes. “Trust me, you’ve done more than enough…” He started walking to the door, putting his hands in his pockets. “Actually…” the designer started, erecting a force field in front of him. “I haven’t done enough.” He turned around, seeing Rarity standing before him with her pony ears and magically lengthened hair while holding a folded black mask of fabric that bore his Cutie Mark on it. “Because I haven’t given you this!” She unfurled the fabric, revealing a black trenchcoat with cyan trim all about. She quickly turned it around, showing off the mark on the back once more. “As much as that jacket of yours becomes you, I felt that you needed a fashion upgrade. I wanted to make you a whole new outfit, but that takes time. So, I opted to alter this coat so that it would fit you, both in style and in size!” Boltsinger stared at the garment with wide eyes. He didn’t understand much about fashion for ponies, let alone the kind of creature he was at this point, but this was something he could understand fairly well. He immediately slid out of his hooded jacket, taking Rarity’s gift in hand. He looked up from the jacket at her, letting her see his uncertainty. “Are you sure…?” “Absolutely!” she replied with a confident nod. “Think of it as a token of our friendship!” He ran his thumb over the stitching, feeling a small spark of her inner magic, then smiled. “Thank you.” He draped it over his shoulders, sliding it on like a second skin that flared out from the waist. “To put it in Rainbow’s words, it’s awesome!” “What… is… this?!” Boltsinger audibly inquired, looking up at the fantastic structures around him. “When did we go to Las Pegasus?” “Las… Pegasus?” Applejack repeated, giving him a quizzical glance. “Is that some kind o’... Aw, never mind.” “This is just the amusement park.” Sunset explained, walking ahead of the group. “It’s not that big of a deal. Just a fun place to go for the afternoon.” “Okay… And why are we doing this, per se?” he continued, looking back at everyone. “‘Cause it’s fun! Duh!” Pinkie stated, bounding along. “What’s the matter? Scared of a little thrill?” Rainbow teased, nudging him in the side as she and Rarity walked by. “If ya ask really nice, I might catch you if you fall!” Twilight patted him on the shoulder, making her way to the rest of the gathering. “After last night, you looked like you needed something of a distraction.” She said, looking excitedly at a roller coaster in the distance. “Plus, it’s been a long time since any of us has been here! It’ll be fun!” “Well, you ladies are the experts…” Boltsinger reasoned, starting into a comfortable stride behind them all. “Who am I to argue?” Inside the park was a crowd of people heading to and from games, attractions, rides, and vendors. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack headed to the games almost instantly. They looked at the myriad prizes they had available, prompting a bubbling of joy from Pinkie Pie as she turned around, waving. “HEY BOLT! COME OVER HERE!!!” she shouted. Boltsinger followed the party animal’s suggestion, coming up to a booth where stacks of three bottles were set up on the far end, people throwing balls at the stacks to no avail. He looked to the side of the structure, finding Applejack encompassing his vision. “Care ta join us for a toss?” “What do you mean?” he wondered, staring back at the game. “I’m glad you asked, my good sir!” a swanky voice answered. A yellow-skinned man with green eyes and swept back red and white hair slid over. He wore an old-fashioned hat with a blue and white striped vest over a white button-up shirt, a bow tie resting comfortably in the collar. “The object of the game is simple, you see!” Another mustachioed man with the same outfit hopped up from under the counter. “All you need to do is take one if these…” he brought up a tennis ball, tossing it up repeatedly. “And throw it with enough power and accuracy to knock those bottles over!” “For just five dollars, you get three attempts! Win, and you can have your pick of these amazing prizes! What do you say, young man? Want to test your skill?” The first of the men leaned on the counter, twirling three tennis balls between his fingers. Boltsinger took a glance at the bottles, unsure of whether or not he wanted to go for it. “I… think I can do that. Just throw the ball, right?” “I’ve got this!” Pinkie announced, slapping down a piece of paper that Boltsinger could only assume was money. “Bolt, you go first, then I’ll go, and then…” “If you two can’t do it, then leave it to me!” Rainbow declared, raising her fist and flexing. “I’m not the captain of every sports team in school for nuthin’!” “You sure you want me to go?” Boltsinger asked, holding up his hand and flexing his fingers. “I’m not exactly used to throwing with these.” Rainbow put her hand on his shoulder, placing a ball in his hand. “Don’t worry. It’s easy!” She turned him to face the target, pulling back his arm to hold the ball up. “Start here, then just chuck it as hard as you can!” Rainbow Dash released his wrist, and Boltsinger swung his arm forward. The ball flew from his hand hurtling towards the bottles, only to bounce off of the wall behind them. “Aww crabapples!” he exclaimed, stepping aside for the next thrower. Pinkie stepped up, tossing a ball and catching it. “It’s okay, Bolt. At least you made it to the wall! Now…” She put a hand on her shoulder, winding her arm up. “Watch an old pro show you how it’s done!” She took a step back, waving her throwing arm in a circular motion so fast that it looked like a wheel of pink. The windup shifted her balance, forcing her to lean forward on one foot as she hopped back into place, letting the ball fly. It soared, much faster than what Boltsinger had displayed straight for the stack, inching closer… and closer… Pinkie turned around to face him with a sly grin, her hands on her hips. “Ya see? Leave it to an old rock-thrower to get it--" “And that’s another loss for you!” one of the men announced. “WHAT?!” Pinkie shrieked, twisting around and looking at the bottles. There they sat, unmoving as always. Pinkie’s arms straightened out over her torso, a growl coming from deep within her throat. She grumbled to herself, walking away from the stall until she saw a balloon float on by. As soon as it came into view, her smile returned. “Ooh! Something floaty!” She jumped for it, pulling it out of the air and tying it to her wrist, happily prancing away. “So even Pinkie couldn’t do it, huh?” Rainbow noted, picking up a ball and tossing it between each hand. “I guess that means it’s my turn!” “Bet’cha five bucks ya can’t do it.” Applejack offered. Rainbow eyed her farming friend with a cocky smirk. “Oh, you’re on!” She tossed the ball up higher, spitting in her right hand and rubbing both hands together. She caught the ball and took a pitching stance, raising her leg and focusing on her target. With a well-practiced grace, she threw the ball at a speed that put the previous two tosses to shame, almost instantly dinging against the bottles and bouncing off the ceiling. “Ha! You owe me five--” “And that’s three losses! Too bad for you, kids!” the shaven man announced. Rainbow Dash looked again at the bottles, seeing them as perfectly stacked as before, not not even wobbling from the impact. She growled furiously, pulling another bill out and placing it in Applejack’s outstretched hand. “Care to give it another go?” the mustachioed brother queried, resting his elbow on the table and leaning in. “I’ll take ya on.” Applejack announced, placing the bill she just received on the counter. She took hold of a ball, playfully tossing it upward as she brought her other hand to her necklace. A small flash of orange came from the stone while she fixed her eyes on her target. “Did she just…?” Rainbow started, making note of the sudden clench of her friend’s fingers. Applejack wound her arm back, extending it out to its it's full length, throwing the ball as hard as she could. The brothers laughed to each other, clutching their vests confidently. “And that’s another--” They simultaneously began, cut off by a loud crash that threw off their balance. They turned to face the bottles, which lay in hundreds of pieces on the floor below, save for the bases of the bottom two still situated firmly on the stand. Behind what remained of the bottle, a nearly perfectly circular hole had formed in the wall, just a hint of smoke coming from it. “A… winner…?” Applejack gave the brothers a cocky smile. “Yer darn right! Woulda been easier if y’all hadn’t glued ‘em all together and stuck ‘em to the stand there!” A look of mock shock came to the men’s faces, the shaven one pointed an aggressive finger at the blonde. “Now, young lady, that’s a dangerous accusation!” “Indeed!” the other brother affirmed, symmetrically matching his companion’s pose. “I don’t suppose you can prove it, can you?” Applejack huffed, putting her hand on the counter and lifting herself over, walking over to the remains of the bottles. “First of all, anybody with a sense o’ smell can tell ya used a whole heap o’ glue, here.” She brought her hand to the stand, lifting it off of the ground with ease and flipping it over. “Plus, if they weren’t glued on, I couldn’t do this!” She pointed to the main surface of the stand, where the bottle bottoms stayed rooted in place. She flipped it back over, placing it down normally. The brothers’ firm faces fell flat, their facade flawlessly foiled. They were met with a number of glares from potential customers around them, several of them grumbling and pocketing their money. They returned their attention to Applejack, who crossed her arms in defiance of them. “You’re not going to… tell everyone about this, are you?” “Why wouldn’t I?” she deadpanned. “If I wasn’t honest with everyone, y’all would just keep flim-flammin’ ‘till the cows came home!” “We promise we won’t do it again!” one brother begged. “We’ll even give you an extra prize as a token of our change of heart!” Applejack looked at the wall of prizes, a puzzle working itself out in her head. “You promise you’ll be more honest with yer games?” “Promise!” they simultaneously cried. “Pinkie Promise?” the farmer stressed. She was met with looks of sheer confusion, prompting a sigh. “All right, repeat after me.” She brought her hand up, pointing to her heart.. “Cross my heart…” she made a crossing motion over her heart, moving her arms to her sides and flapping them. “... and hope to fly…” She brought her right hand forward, bringing it up to her eye and covering it. “... stick a cupcake in my eye!” The brothers looked at each other, then back at Applejack. “Seriously?” they asked. “I mean it! If you don’t do exactly that, I’m gonna tell everybody y’all’re frauds!” she belted, stomping her foot. The brothers gave a relenting sigh, repeating the motions and phrases they had just been subject to. In that moment, they felt a presence behind them. Something dark and foreboding, yet bright and cheerful. Something that bubbled up and placed its pink hands on their shoulders. “No one breaks a Pinkie Promise!” she declared, bringing her head between theirs. “Okay? Okay!” She bounded out of the stall, grabbing something from the prize wall as she went as the brothers fell to their knees. Applejack smiled down at the cowering men, waving her hand nonchalantly. “Well, that’s our prize! Pleasure doin’ business with y’all!” She hopped back over the counter, joining her friends as they all walked away. Boltsinger looked back at the stall’s owners, reminded of someone he’d previously done business with. “You sure they’ll stick to their promise?” “They made a Pinkie Promise. Ain't no gettin’ outta that!” the farmer confirmed. Pinkie leaned forward from beside her, nodding profusely. Boltsinger laughed, knowing the full extent of Pinkie’s wrath when her patented promise is broken. “Well all right, then.” He looked curiously at the prize Pinkie picked. “So what prize did we win?” Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash laughed to one another, sneaking a look at Pinkie’s bag and redirecting their attention forward. “Oh, you’ll find out!” Rainbow assured, patting his back. “Last one to catch up with the others is a mute siren!” she broke into a run, soon followed by Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Boltsinger stood still for a moment, his friends’ acceleration leaving behind a small dust cloud. His eyes turned fierce, taking a running stance. “Oh, it’s on!” He sprinted forward at full speed. The day onward consisted of a veritable onslaught of thrills, from a roller coaster that had Twilight giddily giggling all the way up to the top of the track to a haunted house that had him remembering his own experience in scaring others. They went to nearly every attraction and ride in the park, finally congregating at a bench near the entrance. Boltsinger sat at the end of the bench, leaning back and looking up to the sky. “So… This place rocks!” he declared, sitting up with a hint of strain. He cast a look at all of them with a soft but genuine smile. “But… why did we come here today?” From behind Fluttershy, Pinkie burst forward, pointing her finger at his grin. “THAT!” she shouted. “You’re smiling! Really smiling! You haven’t done that ONCE since you got here!” He recoiled, trying to recall some instance of giving them all a genuine smile. “I haven’t?” Pinkie shook her head rapidly, crossing her arms. “Nope! You’ve been mopier than Maud in a meadow ever since you got here!” Fluttershy blinked, looking confusedly at Pinkie. “What’s so bad about a meadow?” Boltsinger and Pinkie Pie both looked at Fluttershy. “No rocks.” they simultaneously stated. They snapped their attention back to one another, both failing to stifle a laugh. As the two of them calmed down, Applejack put a hand on his shoulder. “It ain’t no secret that you’ve been homesick, sugarcube. We just wanted to let you know that you’ve got friends here.” “Indeed!” Rarity affirmed. “You should know that it’s okay to feel at home in this world, too! We’re here for you, just as we know you’d be there for us if we were trapped in Equestria!” Boltsinger took a look at all of the smiling faces around him, thinking, not of his friends back home, but of the people he was coming to know. “Thank you…” he started, making to stand up. “I… I think I just might be able to do this!” Sunset beamed, putting her arm around his shoulder. “That’s what I like to hear.” She began walking towards the entrance, waving everyone along. “Because tomorrow, I’d really like to start searching for that magic in earnest.” “Wait a second!” Twilight called. “Before we go, there’s one thing we need to do.” Sunset and Boltsinger turned back, seeing the gathering of their friends all standing with their hands behind their backs. “What is it?” the bluenette wondered, stepping closer. “Well, it’s about the prize for that game.” Rainbow said, gesturing to Applejack. Applejack nodded, pulling her hat off and holding it firmly in front of her. “Yeah… Actually, when we all got a look at it, we figured it’d be best if it went to you.” “Oooookay… So what is it? He asked, scratching his head. Twilight put her hand on her necklace, a magenta aura forming behind her. “It’s… this!” Boltsinger’s eyes grew as wide as possible as Twilight presented the prize. The orange coat, purple mane, violet eyes… He jumped forward, tackling it with a delicate embrace. “NOVA!” He cried at the top of his lungs, the volume blowing the girls’ back. He tightened his embrace, water starting to roll down his cheeks. “Oh, sweet Celestia, Daddy missed you so much!” “Daddy?” Fluttershy repeated. “You don’t mean…” “Well, it’s no wonder ‘e’s been s’ dang homesick…” Applejack reasoned, finding her emotional hardness falling away. Twilight’s jaw dropped as she found herself staring at him. “Nova… is… Oh my gosh…” He kissed the bundle in his arms repeatedly, slowing down as he felt something… different. There was no warmth. No laughter. No wings, no horn. He loosened his embrace, getting another look at what he held. It was a plush toy with a dark orange coat, dark purple mane, and violet eyes in the shape of a little pony. Boltsinger dropped to his knees, hugging the doll as tightly as he could as he let out an ear-piercing scream that carried through the park. Onlookers came forward, taking tentative glances at him before turning back to the people they had come with. He lingered in his position, taking slow and staggered breaths. Sunset stepped forward, kneeling next to him and putting her hand on his back. “Hey… You okay?” “No…” he told her, looking longingly at the pony plush in his hands. He started working his way to his feet, slowly rising up and looking at his friends. “But… I think… I think I will be...” “Wait, isn’t that…?” one voice called from among the spectators, drawing his attention. “He was in the news, wasn’t he?” another asked. “How is he…?” another voice. “Does the family know?” Another… The voices kept asking questions of a similar nature, dragging his attention every which-way. His mind raced as he walked briskly to the exit. The rest of the group, confused beyond words, followed suit. After they had put some distance between themselves and the park entrance, Boltsinger stopped, turning to the group. “So… I think I owe you all an explanation…” “No, I think your actions just now explained everything.” Rarity informed him. “You and Princess Twilight are parents. That much is obvious.” Boltsinger averted his eyes, letting a hint of embarrassment onto his cheeks. “Yeah… I suppose a display like that says it all, huh…?” He turned to the vehicle they had all come in. “He’s the reason I’ve been so homesick. Just born pretty recently…” “I can’t say I blame ya.” the farmer assured him as she walked past. “It’s tough, bein’ apart from family. Just don’t forget ya got friends to help you out.” “Yeah, we’ve got your back!” Rainbow added, punching his shoulder as she passed. “Oh, believe me, after today, I know that better than ever before.” He confirmed, starting to follow them. He stopped short, feeling a tugging at his sleeve and the train of his jacket. He turned around to see Twilight and Spike, each holding a part of the garment to get his attention. “I want to apologize to you…” she stated, avoiding eye contact. “For what?” he asked. “For being so insensitive.” she clarified, removing her glasses and cleaning them with her handkerchief. “Asking so much about your home... Making you feel so homesick…” “Asking about your son while she sounds just like the Twilight you know and making you feel totally alienated.” Spike deadpanned. Twilight gave her dog a dirty look, quickly relenting as she looked back at Boltsinger. “And that… I know that I look and sound--" “And act.” Boltsinger poignantly interjected. Twilight rolled her eyes, nodding in agreement. “... And act just like the girl you met first. I understand how confusing it can be.” Boltsinger put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, showing her that genuine smile again. “Yeah, but I know that you’re not her. I admit, it gets hard to tell sometimes, but at the end of the day, you’re different poni-- I mean people.” She smiled back at him, bending over to pick her pet up. “That’s a relief. I was afraid things were gonna get awkward.” She paused for a moment, thinking on all of her interactions with him thus far. “... More awkward, really.” “How about we try for ‘no awkwardness’?” he suggested, offering a hand to her. “That sounds great!” she agreed, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. “Good. ‘Cause I may need your help with something.” He continued the walk towards their transportation, explaining in detail what he had in mind.