Boltsinger trotted through the halls of the castle, a brown and tan monkey resting its head on top of his. The stallion had a content smile on his muzzle as he went, occasionally looking out a window when he passed. “You know, Abu, today is gonna be fun. Might take a bit of work, but it’ll be fun!” He looked down at his pendant, lifting it with his wing. “All of our best friends are gonna be over, and I heard Twilight saying something about Celestia and Luna coming over to boot!” The monkey lifted himself entirely onto his owner’s head, tugging on his ears. Boltsinger looked up at his pet, flicking his ears a little. “Okay, okay, I get it. You wanna fly, don’t you?” Abu nodded, clutching Boltsinger’s mane with his feet. Boltsinger approached the nearest window, swinging it open as the simian slid into place against his neck. He flared his wings, taking off out the window.
Ponyville, from a bird’s eye view, was consistently breathtaking. He flew over the town, sometimes diving down low only to lift back up over a roof. He received a number of waves from the townsponies, always waving back in kind. After a few minutes, he came upon a cloud situated over the track and opted to take a seat.
“Hey, Bolt!” a raspy alto called from below. Following the greeting came a rainbow streak alongside a smaller orange one, landing on either side of him. The larger of the two was a cyan Pegasus mare with a mane and tail ranging from every color in the rainbow. She had hot pink eyes and a Cutie Mark of a tri-colored lightning bolt escaping a cloud. The smaller pony was an orange Pegasus filly with a dark pink mane and tail and purple eyes. The Cutie Mark popping off of her flank consisted of a tri-colored shield emblem ranging from purple to violet to pink with a pink lightning bolt inside of a purple wing. “Just out for a fly?”
“Eeyup!” he confirmed, pointing his hoof at the perched primate. “Abu wanted to fly, and I had the extra time, anyway, what with Twilight wanting some ‘baby time’. How ‘bout you?”
The filly shook her head, bringing out a bright smile. “Rainbow Dash has been teaching me some new stunts! Wanna see?”
“A free show of Scootaloo stunts? Definitely!” he answered, tussling her mane. “Ready when you are!”
Scootaloo beamed, jumping off of the cloud and swooping down. She built up some momentum, going into a drill-like spin that sent her plowing through several clouds, leaving a perfectly circular hole in all of them and trailing water behind her. She twisted around, flying in circles to create a small tornado that funneled the water towards a significantly larger cloud on her right. She kept her circle going at the top of the tiny gale, aiming the droplets to the best of her ability. Once the drops were gone and the tornado dissipated, Scootaloo moved to her target cloud, pushing one side of it to show that the word ‘SCOOT’ had been written on the side. She landed on top of the cloud, buzzing her wings as she sat down with a smile. “What do you think? I haven’t gotten it down enough to get my whole name on it, but it’s really fun to do!”
Boltsinger’s jaw dropped. “That was awesome!” He looked over at Rainbow Dash, who showed him a cocky smirk. “When did she start learning this trick?”
“Started her on it yesterday!” Rainbow replied, looking back at the cloud. “She’s been practicing ever since.”
Boltsinger hopped off of the cloud, flying over to the filly and landing next to her. “That’s my girl! Never giving up!” He pulled her in for a quick hug.
Scootaloo flushed a little, pushing herself away. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
Boltsinger chuckled softly, turning back towards the castle. “Whatever you say, Crusader. I’ll leave you to it.” He waved his wing back at Rainbow Dash, pointing his hoof at the castle. “I’m gonna head back. See you soon?”
Rainbow nodded, flapping her way over to the cloud they were on. “I’ll head over once Squirt and I are done for the day. See you later!”
Boltsinger nodded, taking off for home at a leisurely pace. He made for the same window he exited from, where a blue aura surrounded the glass. He looked back at his monkey sidekick, who held on tighter, then gave a hard flap. He picked up considerable speed, a determined glare facing the closing windows. Finally, his destination was in range. If it was a needle, he was the thread…
And like most threads, he missed. The window closed, and he met with it head-first. There was a grand thud upon his impact, making the white Unicorn mare on the other side jump. She had a deep purple mane and tail that ended in well-maintained ringlets, with a Cutie Mark of three diamond-cut diamonds. In her moment of fear, she swiftly turned around, glaring at the window with her cyan-shadowed cerulean eyes and lighting her horn. “What was that?! Is somepony trying to…” She got a good look at the face that pressed against the window, making her jump a second time. “Oh! Boltsinger, darling, what are you doing up here?!” she ran to the window, reaching to open it as he backed away. She quickly swung the window open, letting the stallion inside as the simian on his back dismounted. “Sometimes I wonder about you… Why would you want to enter through a closed window when you have so many perfectly good balconies?”
“‘Cause this is where I took off from…” he stated, rubbing his nose. “I thought I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way if I came back through here…”
The mare took a close look at his muzzle, attempting to move his hoof away. “Oh, dear, that looks like it hurt… Let me have a look at it.”
Boltsinger kept his hoof in place, waving his wing between them. “No, Rarity, I’m okay, I promise!”
Rarity’s face turned stern, igniting her horn and pulling on his hoof. “Boltsinger, I insist that you let me inspect that nose of yours!”
The stallion stubbornly pulled back, trying his best to keep her from looking. “Rarity, I promise I’m fine.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it!” she declared, pulling her head back and moving the hoof in tandem. As soon as her objective had been met, she fixed her eyes at the thing she sought. “Oh, my! You call that ‘fine’?” Boltsinger’s nose had swollen up to the point where it extended out a little to each side, appearing to be a red bulge with little nostril slits. She turned around, heading for a restroom. “Come with me, dear. We’ll get you patched up.”
Boltsinger let out a dejected sigh, plodding along behind her. “Fine…”
In the castle dining room, Twilight was hard at work. She was moving a number of fancy decorations into place, getting the room as beautiful as she could for the arrival of her fellow Princesses. Ribbons, streamers a la Pinkie Pie, and a considerably large spread was put into place, and the silverware placement was nothing short of perfect. She puffed out her chest, letting some personal pride take hold as more hoofsteps sounded outside the door. Her ears perked to follow the noise, her horn lighting up with glee. In a flash of magenta light, she was in front of the door and pulling it open. “Celestia! Luna! So good to… see… Oh.” She backed off, sheepishly rubbing her neck as she looked on the three mares in the doorway. One was a yellow Pegasus with soft blue eyes and a long pink mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was three pink-winged butterflies with blue bodies. On her right was a beaming pink Earth Pony with a darker pink mane and tail that embodied the very concept of ‘frizz’. She had light blue eyes and a Cutie Mark of two blue balloons with a bright yellow one between them. The mare opposite her was an orange Earth Pony with a blonde mane and tail tied at the end with red hair ties. Her eyes were as green as a freshly-fruiting apple, and she bore three white freckles at the corner of each of them. On top of her head was a classic brown cowboy hat that sat rather snugly behind her ears. They all gave a confused look to their lilac friend, who was still laughing nervously. “Applejack! Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie! How're you doing…?”
“We’re doin’ fine.” Applejack responded, the country drawl in her voice providing a bit of calm to the Princess. “But it looks like you are a bit excited.”
“Why wouldn’t she be excited?!” Pinkie asked, bounding about the room. “She only just randomly wrote a letter to the Princesses to see if they wanted to visit only to get a response right away with almost no time to prepare! If I were Twilight, which would be weird because then there’d be two Twilights! Or… three? There’s another one out there somewhere, right? ANYWAY! If I were Twilight, I’d be in a super big hurry to get everything ready for their arrival and make sure everything is PERFECT!”
Fluttershy walked over to Twilight, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Oh, I’m sure it doesn’t have to be perfect.”
“No, Pinkie has a point.” Twilight interjected, magically adjusting the decorations. “The Princesses haven’t been able to visit ever since the school’s opening, and things have been so busy since then that we haven’t had time like this! I don't want them to think that just because I have a lot on my plate that I can’t accommodate them!”
“Well, I think everything looks beautiful.” the yellow mare assured.
“Me, too!” Pinkie seconded, appearing from behind Twilight.
“And how!” Applejack confirmed, pulling up a chair.
“Thanks, girls.” Twilight began, putting her hoof on Fluttershy’s. “I don’t know what I’d do without--"
“Don’t worry, Bolt, it looks lovely!” Rarity cooed from the hall. “The swelling has gone down, and it’s even topped with a cute little bandage!”
The tension in Twilight’s mind broke like a crack in a mirror. Her horn glowed once again, sending her teleporting out into the hall, where she stood between Rarity and Boltsinger, the latter of the two having a swollen red nose topped with a bright pink bandage with a diamond pattern on it. “Swelling? What happened?” She brought her head close, eyeing the veritable tomato that was her husband’s nose. “How did this happen?!”
“It turns out I am decidedly not good at threading the needle.” he admitted, smiling weakly and scratching his mane with his wing. “Granted, we do have perfectly good balconies…”
Twilight groaned, lighting her horn and lifting the stallion. “We’re going to get that taken care of… I can’t believe you crashed just before such an important visit!” A loud sigh proceeded to emanate from her throat, her frustration coming to the forefront. “And I thought Nova was supposed to be the one getting boo-boos…”
Boltsinger laughed, knowing full well who was coming. “Honey, if there is one pony who can understand that I crashed, it’s Luna. You’re fretting over something really small!”
The Alicorn snapped her head in her husband’s direction, her eye beginning to twitch. “Small? We’re going to be playing host to the rulers of Equestria! The ones who protect everypony from evil all the time! They need to be treated with utmost respect! Not greeted with an… admittedly cute… bandage on a big fat clown nose!”
“Are you sure?” he asked, putting his wing on his chin. “‘Cause I distinctly remember being ordered away from being formal with Celestia. You could just enjoy their company, you know.”
“Let’s just get you taken care of.” she told him, brushing his statement away without a second thought. “Then everything will be perfect, and we won’t have to worry!”
Boltsinger sighed, letting his legs go limp as he was carried through the halls. “Whatever you say, dear…”
Outside the castle, a pair of Alicorns made their approach, turning the heads of every pony they passed. One had a coat of dark blue, wearing silver shoes with a black necklace that bore a pure white moon crest along with a likewise black crown nestled in her misty, starry mane against her horn. The mane in question constantly flowed, its colors reminiscent of the night sky with a flowing tail to match. On her flank was a splotchy black mass that bore the same crescent moon as her necklace. Her blue eyes were cast ever forward, a small smile accentuating her soft features. The second Alicorn was significantly taller, with sunny white coat and a slender frame. She wore bright golden shoes with an amethyst-embedded golden necklace. Her crown sat behind her horn but in front of her ears, bearing a similar jewel. The look in her bright pink eyes was one of anticipation, closing as she felt the wind through her constantly-flowing multicolor mane of pink, purple, green, and blue, with the mark of the sun shining on her flank. Their horns were simultaneously alight, floating a sizable parcel above them as they stood before the main entrance.
“Do you think we brought too much?” the smaller Alicorn asked, eyeing the parcel above them. “I understand you are excited to see the foal again, but this seems a little… excessive.”
“Don’t be silly, Luna. I’m more worried that I didn’t bring enough!” the taller one retorted. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen them, I’m just hoping we can have a nice, happy visit without all of that royal pomp.”
Luna nodded, directing her magic to open the door. “I agree, sister. It should be a nice change of…” An orange and purple streak zipped past in the air, sending turbulence through the foyer. “... pace.”
Shortly after the orange streak flew by, a rainbow one sped into place, stopping for a moment to reveal Rainbow Dash, panting with fatigue as she looked at the royals at the door. She waved a hoof at them. “Hey, Princesses!” She looked back at the object of her pursuit, winding up and shooting off again. “I’m gonna getcha, little guy!”
The white Alicorn leaned in, looking at the flying ponies with a grin taking shape. She trotted in place, prancing a step forward and spreading her wings to their full width. An ecstatic squee of a laugh escaped her royal lips, the stationary trot continuing. “Oh, this is just what I was hoping for! I’m coming to get you!” She pranced off down the foyer, flapping her wings and taking off at her full speed, her half of the magic carrying the parcel fizzling away to leave her sister straining to pick up the slack.
From the direction Rainbow Dash had come plodded a bright pink Unicorn mare with a flippy purple mane and tail that had a real stripe running down the middle. She had purple eyes, with a Cutie Mark of a magenta four-pointed pointed star running perpendicular to a white one with two streaks of glimmering blue light trailing behind. She hyperventilated, reaching her hoof out towards the flyers. Upon seeing the addition of a third one, she turned her head to the door, where Luna waved gingerly. “Was that… Princess Celestia?”
“Yes.” Luna replied, pulling the parcel inside. “It is good to see you again, Starlight Glimmer. May I ask for your assistance with…” she strained for a moment, the magic flickering.
Starlight smiled, adding her magic to the mix. “Sure.” She made her way to a nearby closet, directing the bag to the floor. “What is this thing, anyway?”
“My sister has been quite adamant in her excitement to see the baby.” Luna explained, dropping the bag with an earth-shaking thud. “She insisted on purchasing a few toys for him.”
“A… few…” the Unicorn repeated, taking in the sheer size of the parcel. “You don’t think she might have gone… I dunno, a bit overboard?”
Luna pulled the closet door open, sliding the mass inside with a faint blush. “Some of the gifts are… from me. Just a few of them.”
“I’m sure Nova will like them.” Starlight assured. “Twilight and the girls should be in the dining room. Come with me.”
“What about the foal?” Luna wondered, looking in the direction her sister had taken off.
Starlight smiled, putting her hoof around the Night Princess. “I’m sure Princess Celestia can handle it.”
Luna reluctantly followed suit, casting a worried glance down the hall. “Very well.”
“Aaaaaaand… there.” Twilight said, placing a new bandage on the now-smaller tomato that was her husband’s nose. She gave it a quick kiss, turning to the door of the bathroom they occupied. “At least now it’s harder to notice.” She ignited her horn, pulling open the door and looking out into the hallway. “Now we just need to wait for the Princesses to--" An orange and purple streak flew through the hall, followed by a rainbow one, and then a much larger white one with a number of other colors mixed in. “... arrive…?” She poked her head into the hall, where the flyers rounded another corner. The sight of Princess Celestia with such a jovial expression on her face was a rare one, indeed, but even that paled in comparison to the room they looked to be going toward. “Oh no…”
“What is it?” Boltsinger inquired, taking a peek of his own. “Are they here?”
Rather than a response, Twilight opted to close her eyes and light her horn, teleporting them instantly into the dining room. “Please don’t be a wreck! Please don’t be a wreck!”
“Honey… You may not want to open your eyes.” the stallion advised. Twilight could hear the sounds of a baby’s laughter intermixed with tearing, clanging, and crashing.
“It’s bad… isn’t it?” She opened her eyes, finding her son and her mentor happily flitting about the room. “Oh, no…” The streamers were littered all over the floor, ribbons unraveled and laying with them. “No, no, no...” The table was an utter mess, silverware scattered to the winds. Twilight began hyperventilating, her ears falling flat against her head. As her friends entered the room, followed by Princess Luna.
Boltsinger inched closer to Twilight, raising his hoof to her. “Twilight, please, don’t…”
“NO!” she cried out, a magical pulse erupting from her horn. Everything and everypony in the room was frozen in place, pulled into place. Nova was rocketed into his father’s wing, while the adults in the room were each placed in a chair with the decorations and tableware flying into place. She slowly calmed her breathing, her eyes wide and looking at the floor below. “Okay… now… everything should be ready!” She looked around the room with a nervous smile, spotting confusion on most faces, but a level of dejection on that of Celestia. “Welcome Princesses! How are you doing?”
Celestia gave off a sigh, looking at the plate beneath her. “Quite well…”
Twilight stepped closer to the larger Alicorn, gingerly raising her hoof. “Are… you okay?”
Boltsinger reached forward, pulling his spouse back a bit as the baby began to sniffle. “Twilight… I wouldn’t push it if I were you…”
“Oh… Right.” She sat in the last empty chair, lighting her horn to bring in the meal. “It’s wonderful to see you again!”
Another sigh came out of the ruling Princess, eyeing the spread that was brought forth. “Likewise… It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you…” Her eyes drifted over to the colt, who had begun to squirm. “... or your family.”
Twilight’s nervous laugh made a sudden resurgence. “Well, you know you’re welcome any time, so…” At that point, the baby’s cries began, forcing his father’s wings to his sides as his own wings began flapping. He shot over to Celestia, squeezing her neck in a tight hug. “Would you… like to hold Nova?”
A warm smile finally crossed Celestia’s muzzle as she put her hoof around the infant, raising her head up. “I would be delighted!”
Yet another sigh sounded, one of relief from the Princess of Friendship. “Oh, good. Now we can finally begin our--” A small chime sounded from eight simultaneous places in the room. Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Boltsinger each took a look back at their flanks, where smaller images of their Cutie Marks flew into the main mark from what seemed to be the outside. The next sound the group heard was a loud thud as Twilight’s head slammed into the table. “Not now…!”