//------------------------------// // A Goldenrod Opportunity // Story: One Bolt, Spreading Harmony // by Boltsinger //------------------------------// “And… done!” Scootaloo declared, closing her textbook. “That's all the homework Cheerilee assigned for the week!” She turned to Twilight, who sat next to her at her desk. “Thanks for the help, Twilight. It really makes a difference!” “It's my pleasure, Scootaloo.” The Princess stated, giving the filly a warm smile. “But it's not just thanks to me that your grades have improved so much. Your willingness to learn is the real reason.” Scootaloo shook her head, standing up and turning to the door. “I don't think so. If you didn't explain things so well, I wouldn't have understood it all!” She looked back at her favorite Princess with an inviting expression, motioning forward with her wing. “How about we go for a fly? It's been a while since we did anything but homework together!” Twilight stretched her wings, getting up to follow the Crusader. “I'd love to! Actually, I was hoping you and I could just spend a day together sometime soon. We don't get the chance all that often.” Scootaloo stopped for a moment, looking questioningly at the Alicorn. “We're not gonna go do a bunch of mushy girly stuff, are we?” Twilight giggled, shaking her head. “No. I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with.” “Sounds like fun!” She confirmed, buzzing her wings. “How about tomorrow?” “I think that’s a wonderful idea. We can set up a schedule when we get ba--” A knock permeated the castle’s front door, slow and erratic with a somber feeling to it. Twilight stopped cold with a raised foreleg. “We should probably get that.” The resident ladies of the castle made quick work of the journey to the front door, where the knocking was at its loudest. Twilight lit her horn, engulfing the entire door in her aura and opening it wide. There, on the front steps, stood a yellow Pegasus filly with a green mane and tail, and a noticeably blank flank. She looked up to the pony answering the door, widening her eyes and reeling back. “P-P-Princess Twilight! I… I wasn’t expecting you!” “Goldenrod?” Scootaloo guessed, coming to a hover over Twilight. “What’s going…” She looked closely at her flight camp friend, finding the fur on her cheeks darkened in an all-too-familiar pattern. She dove to a landing between the two of them, stepping up to her fellow filly. “Are you okay?” Goldenrod smiled weakly at the friendly face. “Well, it took me a while, but I finally told my parents that I don’t want to be a weather pony…” “That’s great! The Crusader exclaimed, putting her hooves on her shoulders. “What did they say?” The yellow filly’s face began to scrunch up as tears budded in her eyes. “They said… They said…” The buds bore quick fruit, letting tears flow forth down the pre-forged path. “... They said to ‘get out’...” Her breathing began to stagger, small hiccups coming out to interrupt her. “They broke my bonsai… Then they tossed some bits at my hooves, saying ‘Don't come back until you have a Cutie Mark in weather work!’” Twilight and Scootaloo recoiled, the filly of the two pulling Goldenrod into a hug. “That’s just awful!” She looked back up at the Princes with pleading eyes. “Would it be okay if she…” Twilight put a reassuring wing on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Of course she can stay here.” She motioned into the castle, trotting ahead. “Come on, we’ll get you settled in.” Scootaloo nodded, guiding her friend in while keeping a hoof around her. “Sorry, Twilight, but I think this may get in the way of our day together tomorrow…” Twilight smiled back. “What are you talking about? We’re still going to be together tomorrow.” She hung back, opening the door to the orange foal’s bedroom. “We just won’t be doing what I thought we would.” She backed away from the doorframe, motioning for the young Pegasi to enter. “But first, your friend needs you.” Scootaloo nodded confidently, entering the room and closing the door. Twilight turned to the hall, taking one last look back at the door. “Good luck, Scootaloo.” The next morning, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat in the clubhouse, waiting for their third member to arrive. They’d been told that there was an important client coming to see them today, but that was all they knew. After a while longer, the clubhouse door opened, three sets of hooves making their way in. The Crusaders turned to see who had arrived, finding Scootaloo entering with Twilight and a filly, likely their new client, in tow. “Hey, girls.” Scootaloo greeted, sitting between them by the podium. “Hi, Scoot.” Apple Bloom replied, turning her eyes toward the entrance. “Mind if I ask what Twilight's doin’ here?” “We promised to spend the day together today, but then my friend showed up needing our help.” The Pegasus explained, faintly gesturing over to Goldenrod. “And who’s your friend?” Sweetie Belle wondered. Twilight cleared her throat, instantly obtaining the attention of the Crusaders. “Actually, I was just about to introduce everypony.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat up straight, looking at their guest as Twilight motioned her hoof to them. “Goldenrod, it is my honor to introduce you to the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Goldenrod stepped forward, rubbing her neck with her hoof. “Nice to meet you…” Apple Bloom approached their guest, waving in kind. “Nice ta meet you, too! The name’s Apple Bloom!” She brought a contemplative hoof to her chin, pointing at her with a small grin. “Goldenrod, huh? Mind if I call ya ‘Goldie’?” Sweetie Belle walked up next to her Earth Pony friend, waving away the question. “Don’t mind her. We’ll call you whatever’s comfortable.” She offered a greeting hoof. “I’m Sweetie Belle. You’re the pony that Scootaloo met at flight camp, right?” Goldenrod nodded, accepting the hoof graciously. “Yeah. And you’re the friends she talks about in her letters, aren’t you? The ones that have that Cutie Mark day camp?” “That’s us!” The Unicorn affirmed, placing her hoof over her heart. “Scootaloo’s been telling us all about you, as well!” “Like how yer s’ good with plants!” Apple Bloom stated. “And how you’re a really good flyer!” Sweetie Belle added. The yellow Pegasus stepped back with each factoid presented to her, letting a mild blush adorn her cheeks. “Um… Thank you. But…” She looked back at the Alicorn in the room. “Are you helping, too?” Twilight smiled softly, shaking her head. “Oh, no. I'm here as an observer. I'll offer input if you want, but they're the Cutie Mark experts.” Goldenrod turned back to her fellow fillies, gaining a curious expression. “And you all have Cutie Marks in Cutie Marks?” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo beamed, turning to show the marks emblazoned on their flanks. “You betcha!” The Earth Pony confirmed. “Prob’ly ‘cause we spent such a long time frettin’ over how we’d get ‘em in the first place!” “Sounds like you got your Cutie Marks in exactly what you wanted, huh?” A sad sigh escaped their client, who stared at her own flank. “Wish I could get a Cutie Mark in what I want…” “An’ who says ya can’t?” Apple Bloom asked, giving Goldenrod a hard pat on the back. “In my experience, ya can never get a Cutie Mark in sumthin’ ya don’t like! So, what is it that you like?” “I’m sure Scootaloo has told you all about it.” She started, pointing at her friend. “I like botany.” Apple bloom and Sweetie Belle gave a confused blink, the white-coated one tilting her head. “I'm sorry, what?” “Botany.” Twilight began, raising a poignant hoof. “The study of plants. How they grow, how they thrive, and how they can benefit society! It's a fascinating subject! I have plenty of books on it if you'd like to read them!” “That’d be nice, but I already read all I can on the subject.” She walked to the window, putting her hooves on the sill. “What I really wanna do is put that knowledge into practice!” “Well, you couldn’t be in a better place to look at thriving plant life!” The orange filly declared, joining Goldenrod. “Sweet Apple Acres is Ponyville’s gold standard on how to raise trees.” Goldenrod looked away from the window, catching the smiling of the Crusader beside her.  “I don’t know… It looks like they have things covered, here. Not much to learn.” “Oh, you’d be surprised how much you can learn from the Apples.” Twilight corrected, opening the clubhouse door. “Besides, it’s always a good idea to learn from as many angles as possible!” Apple Bloom stepped up beside the Princess, offering up a smile. “Yeah! Come on ‘n meet my family! I’m sure you’ll love ‘em!” Goldenrod stewed for a moment, finding the excitement on Apple Bloom’s face inviting. “Well… Okay. I’ll give it a chance.” Twilight’s wings made an ecstatic flutter as she turned to the door. “Great! Let’s go!” She trotted out the door, Apple Bloom and Goldenrod following closely. Sweetie Belle cocked an eyebrow, leaning towards her winged friend. “Didn’t she just say she was going to be an observer?” Scootaloo reluctantly nodded. “She did, but let’s see what she has to offer.” The Unicorn rolled her eyes, walking out the door. “Whatever you say...” “Goldie, I'd like you to meet my family!” Apple Bloom began, gesturing to the myriad of ponies in the room. Twilight sat aside, letting the green-maned filly get a full view of them all while the remaining Crusaders followed suit. Apple Bloom put her hoof around the visiting Pegasus, pointing to the large red stallion on the couch. “That there's my brother, Big McIntosh! Say ‘howdy’, Big Mac!” He raised his hoof, opening his mouth to respond as Apple bloom's hoof pointed at the orange mare. “And this is my big sister, Applejack! Bearer of the Element of Honesty, and one o’ the most gosh darned dependable ponies out there!” Applejack waved her hoof, a mild flush adorning her face. “Uh… Hey, there. Nice to meetcha.” Before Goldenrod could reply, Apple Bloom moved to the next pony, an elderly green-coated mare with orange eyes and a white mane and tail pulled up into a bun. “And this is the first Apple to plant seeds here in Ponyville, Granny Smith!” The droopy-eared mare drifted her eyes over to the new face in the room. “Now what's all this about?” Applejack put her hoof on her grandmother's shoulder. “I know it's a little sudden, Granny, but this here is Goldenrod, Scootaloo's friend.” Granny Smith batted the hoof away. “Oh, I knew that! I'm askin’ why she's here!” Goldenrod cleared her throat, stepping up to the old mare. “I'm here to study your trees, if you don't mind.” Granny Smith looked out the door, taking special note of the only trees in the fiefield to be without any leaves. “Study ‘em? You mean the zapapple trees? ‘Cause even I still don't understand those things!” “I think she just meant all of the trees, Granny Smith.” Scootaloo said, flying to a spot next to her friends. “You see, she's--” “One heck of a farm pony!” Granny interjected, swinging her hoof. “If'n yer wantin’ to learn about apple trees, ya came to the right place!” She patted the space next to her on the couch. “Now why don'tcha get on up here an’ I can teach you all ya need to know about apples?” She turned to her older granddaughter. “Applejack, go fetch my readin’ glasses, wouldja? An’ Big Mac! Go ‘n get the harvest manual! Big Mac rose with an immediate “Eeyup!” He and his sister vanished from the room, quickly returning with the requested items. The spots on either side of Granny Smith were occupied quicker than a bunny bopping field mice. Each of the Crusaders and their client had taken up a space, with Twilight Sparkle sitting eagerly in the chair next to them  “Now, it all started long before the Earth Ponies even talked to the other tribes…” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle awoke with a start, desperately looking around to see if they had picked up any judging eyes. None fell upon them, though, as Granny Smith's book was nearing its end. Twilight, Apple Bloom, and Goldenrod were sitting at full attention, their eyes glued to the oldest of the Apples. “... And then, with the Zapapple trees comin’ here to this farm, we was able to get growin’ these here trees down to an art!” “Wow! That… sure was fascinating!” Scootaloo declared, turning to her Unicorn friend. “Right, Sweetie Belle?” “Uh… Yeah!” She squeaked, nodding emphatically. “Totally amazing story!” “I can't believe you have a complete history on just one fruit!” Twilight exclaimed, looking at the book from multiple angles. “Do you think I could borrow this book sometime? I'd love to give it another read!” “I don't see why not.” Granny stated, snapping the book shut and holding it out. “‘S not like we get much use outta the thing over here.” She turned to the Pegasus next to her. “So, ya learn anything useful?” Goldenrod stretched, jumping down from the couch. “It was definitely a fascinating history, but… I don't know how much a pure history can tell me.” She rose into the air, hovering at the window overlooking the orchard. “I'd love to study the trees, themselves, though. Although that might take some time…” Applejack came up beside her, shooting her a knowing smile. “Well, yer welcome to come by ‘n study ‘em anytime!” She gave the flying filly a hard pat on the back, sending her to the floor. “I'd be happy ta take ya ‘round the orchard myself!” With a small strain, Goldenrod found her footing. “I think I’d like that! But…” “Let me guess...” Twilight started, tucking the book under her wing. “You’d like to see more?” The Princess was met with a firm nod. “Well, there’s plenty of options here in Ponyville! How about--” Sweetie Belle raised her hoof. “I have an idea!” She hopped into the center of the room, drawing everypony’s attention. “Why don’t we go to the florists? They can teach you all about flowers!” Bringing an inquisitive hoof to her muzzle, Goldenrod looked to the door. “I don’t know how much more I can learn about flowers.” Twilight blew a playful raspberry, lifting the uncertain foal in her telekinetic grip. “Oh, don’t be like that! There’s always more to learn! Let’s give it a shot!” She trotted out the door with a confident smile, her eyes closed to the road ahead as a bump drove her to a sudden stop. She found herself stepping back a ways, slowly opening her eyes to see her favorite set of purple eyes looking into hers. “Bolt?” Boltsinger waved his hoof enthusiastically, the littlest Alicorn sleeping soundly in his baby carrier. His wings were raised, yet behind his head, as if holding something just out of sight. “Hi, honey! How are things with the Crusaders going?” Twilight looked back at the following fillies, turning to her husband with a smile. “Going great! We were just headed to the flower shop to talk with Daisy, Lily, and Rose! I think the input they can provide on working with flowers will go a long way towards helping Goldenrod with her--” A poke came to Twilight's side, bringing her train of thought to a halt. She looked to the source, finding Scootaloo looking at her with a stern expression. “What's wrong, Scootaloo?” The orange Crusader pointed her hoof towards the filly floating above her. “I'm pretty sure she can walk on her own, Twilight.” “Oh! Right…” She doused her horn, letting the young botanist flutter down to her friend. “Sorry about that…” “It’s okay.” The winged Crusader dismissed, starting down the road again. After a moment, she paused, giving one more look back to the Princess. “We’ll go on ahead to town. Why don’t you catch up with Bolt and then meet us there?” “Are you sure you don’t need me there?” She wondered, raising an eager hoof. “I’m sure.” Scootaloo confirmed, starting back down the road. “There’ll still be plenty to observe when you get there.” “Oh… Okay!” The eager hoof began to wave. “I’ll see you soon!” Boltsinger waved in tandem, turning to Twilight with a smirk. “Going great, indeed.” Twilight sent her spouse a glare. “What do you mean by that?” “Nothing at all, your Highness.” He teased. A single, sarcastic eyebrow was raised on the Princess of Friendship. “Uh-huh. Sure. What brings you to the farm, anyway?” “Twofold reasons.” He brought one wing forward, unfurling a single feather. “First, I have something for Apple Bloom and I wanted to drop it off.” He looked at the road behind him, letting out a nervous laugh. “I’m just glad Scoot didn’t see what I’ve got…” He returned his attention to Twilight, showing two extended feathers this time. “Second, Grand Pear wanted to see Nova. And, honestly, I wanted to see Grand Pear. I haven’t caught up with him in a while.” “Oh. Well, have a nice visit.” She affirmed, giving him a quick kiss and trotting past. “I’ll see you tonight!” With a chuckle and a “Eeyup!”, Boltsinger finished his trek to the farm, pulling an oddly-shaped pink hat forward and looking at it with a silly grin. The Ponyville Marketplace quickly came into view as Twilight trotted. Every stall was busy, with a particularly long line having formed at her destination. She walked up to the side of the little establishment, where Goldenrod and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were talking with a trio of Earth Pony mares. One had a pink coat with a bright green mane and tail, dark green eyes, and a pair of daisies as her Cutie Mark Another was a darker shade of pink than her compatriot, with two shades of blonde in her straight mane and tail along with yellow eyes. Her Cutie Mark consisted of three lilies, with one of the actual flower adorning her mane by her right ear. The third mare was an off-white in her coat, bearing green eyes, a red and pink mane and tail, and a single red rose as her Cutie Mark. Surprisingly, to the Princess, the adults of the conversation seemed to be the ones intently listening, while Goldenrod looked to be in the middle of a lesson. “So, you’re sure we could keep them beautiful that much longer this way?” The lily-marked mare asked. “Most definitely.” Goldenrod confirmed. She picked up the pencil at her hooves, scribbling down notes to the point of filling the parchment completely. “Follow these instructions, and you should see an increase in productivity.” The rose-marked mare picked up the parchment, looking it over with a large smile beginning to form on her muzzle. “I can’t believe it! And you’re really willing to come by and help?” “Of course!” She took to the air, hovering over the flowers. “The better they do, the more data I can gather! I’m planning on coming back every day, if I can!” She flitted about over them, taking note of the varieties she saw and writing down the occasional detail while mumbling to herself. Twilight trotted up behind the Crusaders, splaying her wings. “Wow! It seems you three have made some real progress here!” “Not really.” Scootaloo retorted, pointing at her friend's flank. “Still no Cutie Mark!” “So what?” Sweetie Belle replied. “She's got something started. That’s a step in the right direction!” “Yeah, but just doin’ botany doesn't seem to be havin’ any effect!” Apple Bloom said, motioning to the flowers. “We gotta be missin’ sumthin’!” “Like what?” Twilight wondered, eyeing the ecstatic florists. “She seems to have things down where botany is concerned.” Apple Bloom let out a frustrated groan, rising to her hind legs and spreading her forelimbs. “That’s just it! She’s doin’ exactly what she wants with her life! How is it she doesn’t have ‘er Cutie Mark yet if she’s doin’ the thing that makes her happy?” “What could possibly be missing?” Sweetie Belle asked. “She said that she was a botanist, and she’s doing botany!” “But what if that's not enough?” Twilight examined the Crusaders’ client. She seemed perfectly at home in the air, even despite her more earthly vocational choice. She pursued her lip, adding some scrutiny to her analysis as the filly came to a landing. “Are you sure that botany is all there is to it?” Goldenrod trotted over to the group, wearing a smile she hadn't displayed yet since coming to Ponyville. “Now that was refreshing! What's next?” The Crusaders gave their new friend a downtrodden look. “Honestly, we ain't sure!” Apple Bloom admitted. “With how passionate you are about yer botany, we thought you'd get yer Cutie Mark in no time!” “But we've been at it for hours, doing a lot, but without any results!” Sweetie Belle added, letting out a dejected sigh. Scootaloo looked between her best friends, ready to join in the dejection until her eyes landed on their flanks. The Cutie Marks she saw shone bright in her eyes, reminding her of the time when their own flanks were blank. “So? That's just a few hours!” She jumped into the air, holding herself aloft with an effortless buzz of her wings. “That's nothing compared to the countless hours we spent, trying everything possible, working endlessly to get our Cutie Marks!” Apple bloom and Sweetie Belle began to swell with pride, jumping to their hooves and standing tall. “Yer right!” The farm filly affirmed. “After all we been through, we got this down, pat!” Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically, looking over to Goldenrod. “Yeah! And in your case, we already have a head start!” She hopped in place, turning to the road and flourishing her tail. “And I know--” Twilight ignited her horn, teleporting her way to the front of the gathering. “Oh! I know just where to go next! Come on, girls!” With that, she trotted down the streets of Ponyville towards the Everfree Forest. The Cutie Mark Crusaders lingered for a moment, the wingless ones giving Scootaloo looks of mild frustration. Scootaloo landed softly, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I know… I'll take care of it.” The three fillies nodded in unison, galloping after their elder. Twilight led Goldenrod and the Crusaders through the Everfree Forest, coming to a hut of a hollowed out tree, decorated with several ornate masks and lanterns. The blank flank filly landed next to Apple Bloom, looking curiously at the hut in front of them. “So, where exactly are we going?” Apple Bloom perked up, having made frequent visits to this particular hut. “We’re goin’ to see--” “Zecora!” Twilight unwittingly interrupted, happily flaring her wings. “She’s a Zebra, and she’s really good with herbs and potions!” “Uh… Twilight?” Apple Bloom started, trotting up to the left of the Princess. Twilight kept going, closing her eyes with a nostalgic smile on her muzzle. “I thought you might be able to learn some things from her, given that she has a level of wisdom that even Princess Celestia isn’t privy to!” Sweetie Belle accelerated, trotting over on the right side. “Twilight…” “Why, she even taught me some magic that I didn’t think possible!” The Alicorn continued. “Like when Trixie first got the Alicorn Amulet and took over Ponyville, it was Zecora who taught me all I needed to eventually beat her!” Scootaloo began buzzing her wings, coming to a hover just over the purple pony. “Hey Twilight!” Twilight added a spring to her step, trotting ever faster. “So, with all of that under her belt, I’m certain that she’ll be able to--” “TWILIGHT!!!” The Crusaders simultaneously cried at the top of their voices. Twilight’s eyes opened in an instant, stopping her in her tracks as she looked back at the fillies.They glared fiercely at her, showing a level of dejection that Twilight didn’t see often from these ponies. “What’s wrong?” Scootaloo snorted, zipping over to meet Twilight face to face and poking her in the chest. “You’re not letting us say or do anything!” She motioned to Goldenrod, who looked at the lot of them with a face of utter disbelief. “My friend came here for help with her Cutie Mark, and you explicitly said that you were ‘just an observer’!” She brought her face closer, bringing the Princess’ ears low. “But then you completely took over!” She breathed a sigh, coming to a landing and standing with her friends. “We appreciate your support, and that you want to help, but can you please leave the Crusading to us?” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle each raised a hoof, nodding in agreement with their orange-coated companion. Twilight’s rump hit the ground, clear memories of the day so far rushing through her head. Scootaloo was right. She promised she would observe, and broke it immediately, not even giving the foals a chance to try things their own way. “I'm so sorry… I don't know what came over me…” She slowly stood up, hanging her head as her wings began to flap. “I'm gonna leave you to it… I'll… I'll see you later…” She rose into the air, making quick work of her ascent and starting a slow fly home. That evening, Boltsinger came to a landing on the balcony, a pair of Pegasus fillies not far behind. As they touched down, Boltsinger gave them a wave. “Hey, Scoot! How goes the Crusading?” Scootaloo waved back. “Hey, Bolt!” She gestured to her fellow flyer, a little disappointment evident in her expression. “No Cutie Mark, yet. But we're definitely in the right direction!” Goldenrod nodded her confirmation, sending the stallion a smile. “We met Zecora! And she had so many fascinating things to talk about! I wrote down so many notes that my notebook is full!” She pulled out the notebook in question, showing it to be filled to the brim with tabs. “She was so happy with how much I wanted to know that she offered to let me stay with her!” “That's great!” The stallion stated, spreading his wings. “Well, we plenty of notebooks! Feel free to help yourself if you need more.“ He put his hoof to his muzzle, sifting through his thoughts for information. “I think they were in the library, last time I checked.” Scootaloo made one more buzz of her wings, momentarily hovering. “Thanks, Bolt!” She gave him one more wave, galloping into the castle with her newest friend in tow. “No problem, Scoot.” Boltsinger said, starting into a casual gait down the hall. He made his way to the nursery, placing the sleepy foal he carried into his bed. After a lullaby and a kiss on the colt’s forehead, his meandering resumed. Various thoughts popped into his mind as he went, ranging from his visit with Grand Pear to wondering how Twilight’s day had gone. Come to think of it… Why wasn’t she with Scootaloo? They said they were gonna be together all day. His pondering found its answer before long. As Boltsinger neared the library, his favorite shades of purple made themselves known as Twilight trudged unknowingly towards him. He smiled wide, waving a greeting wing to her. “Hey, Twilight!” Twilight brought her gaze up from the floor, showing the most defeated look Boltsinger had ever seen. “Hi, honey...” “Are you okay?” He wondered, trotting to her side. “You look like you just failed a test!” “I screwed up…” She answered. “I should never have gone with Scootaloo today. I should’ve just stayed home and done something else! But no… I just had to go with them and take over right when I promised I wouldn’t!” Boltsinger sighed, giving her a pat on the back with his wing. “Hey, you know we all mess up sometimes. So your ‘take charge’ personality went ahead and took charge! Your heart was in the right place.” “I know it was, but…” She looked back to the library door, which stood ajar in the hallway. “The main reason I insisted on doing things with her today was to connect with her more…” Her head found itself hanging once more. “But now I feel like we’re further apart than ever…” An echo of a conversation subtly bounced through the halls, sending a twitch into Boltsinger’s sensitive ears. He scrunched up his face for a moment, concentrating on what he heard, then shifted his expression to the warmest smile he could muster. “That’s not what I’m hearing.” “What do you mean?” Twilight inquired, looking up at him with a curious head tilt. Boltsinger waved his wing forward, directing her to the library door. “Come on. Listen to this.” Twilight took a cautious look at the door, knowing full well who was behind it. “Are you sure? I don’t know if I should be eavesdropping.” “Just trust me!” He insisted, patting the spot next to him with his hoof. With a roll of her eyes, Twilight did as instructed, sidling against the wall as a pair of familiar voices found their way into her ear. “Sorry about all the things with Twilight today.” Scootaloo began. “It’s no problem.” Goldenrod dismissed. “My mom used to get like that whenever I was doing well with the clouds. She always has advice on how to get just the right amount of just the right kind of weather. It may not have been all that interesting, but it was still pretty nice to see her in her element.” “Yeah, it’s pretty great when you can see your mom at your best.” Scootaloo let out a nostalgic sigh. “And Twilight really is the best mom out there!” A moment of silence ensued, coming to a sudden stop as the yellow Pegasus spoke up again. “Wait… Princess Twilight is… your mom?!” “Well, not officially.” Scootaloo corrected. “It’s like it is with Bolt. She’s not actually my mother, but she’s practically my mom anyway. She’s always been there for me, always teaching me something new or helping me to figure it out for myself… Then Bolt flew into the picture, and she doubled down on it! She helps with my homework whenever she can, keeps me updated on all of the Daring Do books, and always supports me through everything! I couldn’t ask for a better mom!” An audible coo came from Goldenrod, followed by the sound of a notebook closing. “That’s so sweet!” Some more noises were heard, followed by the flapping of wings. “Well, I think I have everything I’ll need. I’m gonna head back to Zecora’s place now!” “Okay. I’ll walk you out!” Scootaloo offered. Hoofsteps began to sound, coming closer and closer until the fillies broke the threshold of the hallway, moving obliviously past the adults. Boltsinger’s smile widened, turning to his wife. “So, what do you thi--” Twilight had small trails of tears running down her cheeks, her wing coming into place to wipe them away with a crooked, yet ecstatic grin on her muzzle. “She really thinks of me like a mom?” “That’s what it sounds like.” He confirmed, pulling her close with his wing. “So, about that thing we’ve been talking about…” “I’m all in.” She told him, her expression growing more confident. “We can get started in the morn--” “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” Scootaloo cried from the foyer. The winged Crusader appeared before the royal ponies in just shy of an instant. She held a letter in her mouth that she quickly put into her hooves, opening it up and showing it to them. “I actually got a letter from my parents!” Boltsinger’s eyes widened, letting his head recoil slightly at the statement. “Your parents, huh?” He sent her a hard-fought smile, leaning in closer. “So what does it say?” “It says they’re gonna be in Ponyville for Hearth’s Warming!!!” She reared up, flailing her hooves for a moment before letting out a squee that threatened to crack the nearest windows and spinning in place. Twilight and Boltsinger shot each other nervous glances, a singular foreboding thought passing between them. “That’s… uh… That’s great, Scoot!” Boltsinger exclaimed, going into a fit of nervous laughter that Twilight quickly added to.