//------------------------------// // On A 'Digm // Story: One Bolt, Spreading Harmony // by Boltsinger //------------------------------// The Friendship Express rolled out of the Ponyville station on a cool winter morning. On the platform, floating a suitcase next to him, stood a tall, brown Unicorn stallion with silver eyes. He took a deep breath, the cold air revealing it to all, and tightened his scarf. “Well, I'm in Ponyville. Where the devil are they?” “Have you tried looking up?” Came a cocky rasp from above. Paradigm took the suggestion, directing his gaze to the sky to see Rainbow Dash, wearing a purple hat and boots with orange rainbow patterns along with a red and orange scarf smirking at him. “Long time no see, Paradigm. What's up?” “Clearly, you are.” He stated, giving her a similar smirk. “Glad to see you, Ms. Dash. Mind if I ask where Bolt is right now?” Rainbow touched down next to him. “He's with Pinkie and Cheese getting the kid's party set up.” The two trotted towards town, Paradigm cocking an eyebrow at her. “Isn't tomorrow the baby's birthday?” The Pegasus chuckled, giving the Unicorn a firm slap on the back. “Sounds like you haven't been to a Ponyville party before!” “Yes, clearly.” He retorted. He looked about the town, finding ponies of all trots of life going about their business. There were snow ponies in front of every house, and numerous decorations everywhere he looked. “I’d chance a bet that all the festive decor isn’t for the impending birthday?” “Nah. We’re keeping that party small.” The mare clarified. “Just inviting friends and family. Anything more and the kid’s likely to lose it!” “Lose it? What do you mean by that?” He wondered, looking ahead at the towering castle at the edge of town. “He’s been known to freak out every now and then.” She continued, coming to a hover and spreading her forelegs. “And I mean really freak out! Just after he was born, he had a fit so bad it turned off the sun!” “He… turned off... the sun?” Paradigm repeated, letting some disbelief onto his face. “How can a newborn do something like that?” “He’s got this crazy ability to redirect magic!” She told him, zipping ahead. “And not just regular Unicorn magic, either! He was even able to take away Bolt’s ability to fly! It was insane!” Paradigm found a lump in his throat that he quickly swallowed. “Remind me not to get on that baby's bad side…” He adjusted his spectacles, taking a look at some of the more extravagant buildings in town, such as one that looked like it was made of sweets, and one with a distinct carousel motif, getting a curious glimmer in his eye. “So, whereabouts is Rarity right now?” The prismatic pony's smirk returned, leading him down the way to the largest building in town. “Oh, she's here and there. Probably at the castle right now. Practically everypony is there! We've got Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, Flurry Heart, Starlight and Sunburst, Twilight's mom and dad, Bolt's relatives. Heck! Even Celestia and Luna are gonna be at the party! I haven't seen the castle so full since last Hearth's Warming!” “And isn't that just a fortnight away?” “Yeah, but that's a whole different story!” She flew further ahead, beckoning with her hoof. “Come on! We got a party to set up!” Paradigm met her with a determined grin, bringing his gait to a gallop. “I'll meet you there!” With a deep breath and a discharge in his horn, a star mark shone briefly in his Cutie Mark, lighting his horn's magic. He, and the luggage he carried, vanished in a flash of white. Paradigm appeared at the castle doorstep, placing his luggage beside him and knocking on the door. Before the third rap was finished, the door was pulled open, a smug Rainbow Dash there to greet him. His jaw dropped, raising his hoof to her. “How did you…?” “Just that fast!” She replied, turning into the foyer. “Make yourself at home. I'll go get Bolt.” She spread her wings once more, turning into a rainbow streak that went deeper into the castle. Paradigm chuckled at the Wonderbolt's antics, looking around at the extravagantly-decorated foyer. It looked about as ready for festivities as the rest of the town, with the castle itself lighting up as if to show its own excitement. He wandered through, heading to the largest doors in the room. Past their threshold, he was met with a bright glow, forcing him to avert his eyes. After a moment, he chanced another look around, finding his jaw going slack at the vision before him. Six thrones, one connected to a smaller chair, sat around an enormous crystal table that displayed an image of Equestria and all of the lands surrounding it. Above the map hung a chandelier made of tree roots, hanging countless ornaments that showed images of Twilight and her friends that dated back several years. Along the bottoms of the ornament strings, he found another familiar face in the pictures. Boltsinger, looking happier than Paradigm had ever seen him in person. He placed his rump in a normal chair that sat between two thrones, admiring the chandelier with a soft smile. Until a hoof tapped his back. “That's my spot, you know.” The Unicorn jumped, looking back to see a stern-looking orange Pegasus staring back with a smile tugging at his lips. After a brief staredown, the two of them erupted into laughter. “Good to see you, Paradigm!” The brown stallion calmed his giddiness, standing up and putting his hoof on the orange one. “Happy to be here, Bolt.” He stated, turning to admire the room some more. “I must admit, though, I'd never have assumed you of all ponies would live somewhere like this!” His eyes returned to the ornaments full of memories. “You’ve certainly been busy over the years.” “What, those?” Boltsinger let out a short laugh, waving a dismissive wing. “That’s only about three and a half years, honestly. But, then again, I at least have good memories of those years. More than I can say for most of my life.” He let his gaze follow Paradigm’s, remembering his own first time seeing the chandelier. “You know, you’d think my favorite room in this castle would be Nova’s room, or the library, but… We’re standing in it.” He brought his full attention to the pony next to him, patting him on the back. “Thank you for coming to my son's birthday. It means the world to us.” Paradigm met the purple eyes in kind, pulling him into a hug. “It's an honor to be here, Bolt. Thank you for having me.” Boltsinger briefly returned the embrace, moving back to the door. “Well, we’ve got a lot to do! Ponies to meet, things to set up, and a party to throw!” He raised a triumphantly balled-up wing, wrapping his tail around Paradigm’s foreleg and pulling him along into the castle proper. “Let’s do this!” The halls of the castle were astoundingly long, making Paradigm wonder if there was some kind of magic that made it larger on the inside than what he had seen before. He found himself led with surprising ease to a large ballroom, several ponies flitting about and setting up balloons and decorations with a simple motif. Twilight flew past at a leisurely pace, floating some streamers along behind her and casually waving at her spouse. Following her was a large white-coated Unicorn stallion with dark blue hooves and eyes. His mane and tail were, likewise, a dark blue with a cyan stripe running through, and his Cutie Mark showed a shield with a magenta six-pointed star emblazoned on it, three smaller stars shining at the top. He floated a number of other decorations over to the lilac mare, coming to a halt and wiping his brow. “That should be enough for now.” The stallion stated, taking a seat on the spot. “Haven’t been this busy since the last Crystal Faire!” “Oh, come on, the Crystal Faire is way bigger than this, and you know it!” Boltsinger reasoned, pulling the stallion’s attention towards him. “This is just one birthday!” “Correction. It’s your son's first birthday.” He motioned to the room around them, all of the decorations flying into place, a stage being set up at the edge of the room by Starlight and Sunburst , all while Pinkie and Cheese double-checked everything according to a blueprint. “Reminds me of Flurry’s first birthday…” He breathed a nostalgic sigh, turning to the entering ponies and taking note of the new face. “So is this the friend Twily told me about?” “Eeyup!” Boltsinger affirmed, slapping the brown Unicorn’s back with his wing. “Shining Armor, meet Paradigm!” Shining Armor smirked, stepping up to Paradigm to stand at his full height. “Aren't you the one who had that big following of ponies in Trottingham before Twily and her friends figured you out?” A small fit of nervous laughter erupted from the silver-eyed pony, sending him back two steps. “Why, yes! That was… me…” He scratched his cheek with his hoof, looking away from the imposing royal in front of him. “That's not exactly something I'm proud of…” “That's good to hear.” The Unicorn Prince affirmed, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “It means you're better than you were. It's no wonder you were invited!” Paradigm's breathing slightly slowed, allowing him to look up at Shining Armor with a more genuine smile. “That means a lot. Thank you.” He looked between the pony Princes, feeling a sense of pride emanating from the smaller of the two. He took a deep breath, focusing intently on the ponies around him as he always did. An electric spark flew from the tip of his horn, sending his head recoiling. He directed his eyes to the catalyst for his magic, cocking a confused eyebrow. That's not right… Normally it's just-- “Are you okay, Paradigm?” Boltsinger asked, tugging at his focus. Paradigm’s eyes widened for a moment, finding everything around him to be a momentary blur. “You look like you got hit by a surprise snowball.” “That’s… oddly specific...” Paradigm shook his confusion away, flashing a grin. “I’m fine, though. Just…” He looked over to the door, unconsciously walking towards it. Just need to go to the little colt’s room…” Boltsinger moved to follow him, raising a hoof. “Ah. Let me show you the way! The castle is pretty big.” Paradigm waved a dismissing hoof. “No, it's fine. I'd like to do a little exploring, anyway! You keep setting things up! I'll see you all later!” He picked up his pace, slamming the door behind him as he left the room. After a long and confusing gallop through the castle, Paradigm finally skidded to a halt. Something had messed with his focus, throwing him off of his usual thought process. He pondered for a moment on who or what may have been the cause, but brushed it off. Whatever it was, now he knew to expect it. He leaned against the wall next to a door, taking another deep breath and closing his eyes. As he reached the top of his breath, his ear twitched. Behind the wall, there was a high-pitched laugh. He opened his eyes again, giving the door next to him a curious knock. “Come in!” Called a soprano from within. Paradigm opened the door slowly, finding a room with designs all over that reminded him of Twilight, Starlight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. Hopping and skipping about the room were two tiny Alicorns, one of them of a bright pink, and one that had a darker orange coat, standing much smaller than the other. They were laughing and playing, several toys in the room floating and dancing in an aura that neither of the foals created. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” The soprano affirmed, the floating toys moving with her cadence. Behind the little bed in the center of the room sat another Alicorn, her horn alight in a shade of blue while she hummed quietly to herself. When the brown stallion came into view, she perked up, bringing one of the toys close to Nova, who hugged and chewed on it, while passing many more of them to the filly, who began her own impromptu toy dance for her little cousin. “Oh! I’m sorry, I thought you were Twilight!” She offered her hoof to him. “So whom do I have the honor of meeting?” Paradigm bumped the greeting hoof, giving a reluctant shake. “Paradigm. And, might I chance a guess that I'm introducing myself to Princess Cadence?” Cadence nodded, putting her hoof over her heart. “You’d be correct in your assessment.” She returned to her position by the bed, patting the floor next to her. “I imagine you got lost looking for something?” Paradigm chuckled, taking the offered seat. “You could say that. Bolt wasn’t kidding when he said this place was big.” He put one hoof on the other foreleg, letting his gaze follow the foals. The littlest one hopped about, dancing with the toys both in the air and on the floor, while the older one clapped along to a tune only she could hear. “Come to think of it, why did you think I was Twilight?” Cadence laughed into her hoof. “It was either her or Boltsinger, and he's much more… vocal… in his entrances.” Paradigm joined in the laughter, moving to rest on his forelegs. “That's true. He is a bit of a loudmouth!” As the grown-ups continued their conversation, a pair of eyes drifted from their little orange cousin to the newest pony in the room. Flurry's horn doused, and her face lit up, sending her trotting over to him. “Hi, there! I'm Flurry Heart! Who're you?” Cadence crossed her forelegs, giving her daughter a mildly stern look. “Flurry, what did we say about manners?” Flurry recoiled, fluffing her feathers and stepping back. “Oh! Yeah…” She adjusted her footing, flaring her wings as regally as she could and taking a bow. “I am Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire. It is my pleasure to make you acc-- um…” She brought her hoof to her head, groaning with effort. “Your acqu-- Oh…” She closed her eyes tightly, straining to find the word she wanted. Her hoof hit the floor, her face lighting up once more. “My pleasure to meet you!” The adorable vision before him sent a wide smile onto Paradigm's muzzle, causing him to give the little Princess a cordial bow. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Princess.” He offered her a hoof in greeting. “My name is Paradigm.” Flurry stepped up to the Unicorn, looking pleadingly at him. “Do you wanna play with me and cousin Nova?” Paradigm looked away, scratching his muzzle. “I’m afraid I don’t quite know how.” “That’s okay!” She assured, lighting her horn and pulling his hoof. “I can show you how!” She pulled him to another part of the room, beckoning with her foreleg. He sat beside her, following the direction she pointed to see a large pile of toys. “You just pick the toys up with your magic…” She lit her horn once more, picking up a teddy bear that soon began to dance around the room. “And you make them dance!” She floated a plush snail over to him, pressing it against his cheek. “Here, you can play with Wammy! But be careful, it’s my most favorite!” He took the plush into his aura, moving it around with the teddy bear. “Of course, your Highness.” The toys began their dance anew, each horn lighting up to add something to the mix. An hour later, the foals flew out of the nursery, moving down the hall with Cadence following closely. She waved a farewell to the stallion behind her, giving her wings a flap and taking off. Paradigm made his own exit, looking back and forth about the halls as he got his bearings. He let out a sigh, beginning a trudge down the hall in the hopes that he might find his way back to his friends. He traveled the slow curve of the hall, wishing he had wings, until he found a staircase. Lighting up like the foals he’d just parted with, he galloped toward them, ready to put an end to this chapter of his meandering and get closer to finding-- “Paradigm! Darling! There you are!” Called a soprano that forced his heart to skip a beat. Paradigm came to a stop at the end of the stairs, skidding forward a ways only to land just short of a mare with a coat of purest white. Rarity looked up at him with a smile and an unconscious batting of her eyelashes. “Why, I’ve been looking all over for you! Rainbow Dash said you’d arrived, but there was no sign of you anywhere!” She turned around, starting back into the halls with a beckoning hoof. “Come along, now. Lots to unpack! And you simply must tell me just what you’ve been up to!” Paradigm stared for a moment at the fashion empress, quickly moving to a trot after her. “Yes, of course.” He let out a long exhale, settling into Rarity’s pace. “You’ve no idea how glad I am to have found you!” She gave him a cursory glance, flashing a curious smile. “Oh? Why is it so wonderful?” Paradigm went on to explain the events of his day thus far, earning varied reactions from the mare that ranged from laughter at the conversation with the Princes to fawning over the very idea of the foals’ behavior. “I see. So, with all of the exploring you've done, have you found a room to stay in?” “I… think so.” He said as they entered the foyer. “At least as long as the one you offered is still available…” “Really?” She looked around the castle, taking in its full splendor. “But you have such a magnificent castle to stay in! Why would you want to stay anywhere else?” Paradigm trotted faster, heading for the door. “It's the castle that's the problem.” He informed her, hiding a slightly dopey grin. Among other things… “It's so large that I just can't find my way!” Rarity took another look around, adding the new perspective to her outlook. Had Pinkie been present, she would likely have listed off all of the details that make the castle a daunting place to traverse. Luckily, she knew better than to try and do the same. “I suppose it is a rather arduous task to navigate a place like this. I've been coming here for so long that I often forget just how large it can be!” She puffed out her chest, pulling along her guest's luggage as she caught up to him. “Very well, then! You'll be staying with me and Sweetie Belle!” She led him out the door, trotting down the road in the direction of the Carousel Boutique. “Oh, it'll be so delightful! I can show you my upcoming line, my inspiration room, and the boutique that started it all!” Paradigm's smile grew a little dopier as he looked on at the purple-maned pony. “Personally, I’m mostly looking forward to the exquisite company…” A giggle made its way to Rarity's lips as the boutique came into view. “Well, with as busy as we've been these past few days, what with setting up Hearth's Warming decorations, following up on all of Cheese Sandwich's plans for the party, not to mention keeping everything going at the school! I'm afraid I won't be much in the way of company.” “Oh, any company provided by you is exquisite by default.” He affirmed, nudging her side. She jumped slightly, looking over at the stallion with the faintest of blushes. Some red of his own came forward as he looked back. Their pace slowed considerably the moment they made eye contact, lingering in the reflections they saw. “I truly mean that, you know…” “I believe you…” She replied, focusing more fully on the pony next to her, causing the aura of her horn to flicker and fizzle. Paradigm’s luggage hit the ground with a thunderous thud, making the Unicorns jump and bringing the world around them back into focus. Rarity looked around, reeling back upon her discovery that the door to her boutique was mere inches from her face. “Oh! It seems we’re here!” She rubbed her neck, hastily pulling the door open. “Let’s… get you settled in!” Paradigm stepped back, looking into the boutique. “Oh… Yes! Let’s!” He took his luggage in his magic, making his way inside. “Lots to do, after all!” The two ponies went into a fit of nervous laughter, putting everything aside. “So, you'll have to show me around this fabulous abode.” “Oh, of course! But, first…” She gave him a firm look in the eye. “Are you feeling alright? You've seem quite the nervous wreck today!” Paradigm cocked an eyebrow. “Um… Yes. Why do you ask?” Rarity reached up, putting her hoof on the tip of his horn. “Well, you haven't done that little thing you do with the lightning in your horn since we bumped into each other. Is there any reason why?” “Oh, it's not a huge problem. I just--” He stopped himself mid-sentence, sending her a wide-eyed gawk. “Wait a tick… You noticed that?” “Of course, dear!” She confirmed, giving the stallion's horn a playful flick. “Why, you do it every five minutes! And you're always overflowing with confidence whenever you do!” “Do you know what it is I'm doing when I do it?” “Well, I imagine it has something to do with your Cutie Mark.” She guessed, motioning to the mark in question. “I can’t imagine anything with you having lightning that doesn’t involve that.” Paradigm looked away, letting his eyes stay fixed on Rarity. “Well, yes, but… Do you know exactly what I’m doing with it?” “I’m not sure it matters, really.” She affirmed, moving the luggage inside and heading up the stairs. “What does matter is that you're feeling alright. And if doing that little light show helps you to be as such, then you'll get no judgement from me!” “Well… if you insist…” He stopped at the top of the stairs, closing his eyes and inhaling to the limit of his lungs. The area around him became a void, with various Cutie Marks dancing about at various distances. A spark of electricity flew out from his horn, reaching into the void in search of something to connect with. Let's just focus on one pony for now… Don't want to overdo it… The spark quickly found its target, a set of three diamonds in a rather immediate proximity. It latched onto the mark, creating a resonance between it and the honey brown stallion. With a brief reflection of her mark in his, Paradigm felt a surge of energy, charging him like a battery and sending a confident smile to his muzzle. There we go… Just what I needed! “So what is it that you're doing?” Rarity inquired. Paradigm jumped, pulled from his void of focus to find her looking curiously at him from only a few inches away. “I know it doesn't matter, but you can't blame a girl for wondering!” “Well, it's not all that complicated.” He stated, his voice giving off an extra air of confidence. “I'm simply using my talent to reflect talents, albeit briefly.” He pointed to his Cutie Mark, which showed a brief glimmer of the diamonds that represented Rarity. “Bolt suggested that I use my talents to learn the skills I'm reflecting, and through that, I learned that I can focus them further and gain a deeper understanding of them! It's like I'm becoming one with their magic... Truly an empowering experience!” “It sounds wonderful.” She affirmed, opening the door to an unoccupied bedroom. “Well, this is your room. I've provided all the comforts, so it shouldn't be too hard to feel at home.” She stepped aside, allowing him entry and placing a hoof on his back. “If you need anything, just let me know.” He sent her a smile, returning the gesture. “Thank you.” Rarity nodded, slowly leaving the room and closing the door. Paradigm lingered for a moment, letting his rump hit the floor. “But I already feel at home.” Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Paradigm entered the castle precisely at noon the next day. Sweetie Belle wasted no time galloping into the castle to meet up with her fellow Crusaders, while Rarity strutted on towards the ballroom. Paradigm waited behind for a moment, letting his eyes linger on the fabulous mare while a thought came to the forefront. “So, you're absolutely certain that the Royal Sisters are attending this party?” Rarity stopped for a moment, looking back with a foreleg gingerly raised. “Oh, of course, darling! Princess Celestia wouldn't miss this soiree for the world!” She returned to her trot, soon followed by the bespectacled stallion. “Why, I wouldn't be surprised if yet another closet has been filled with gifts she bought for the birthday boy!” Paradigm let out a minuscule laugh. “How delightful… Perhaps I should take the opportunity to network. See if they'd be interested in joining a cult!” Rarity laughed in turn. “I suppose you could give it a shot, but I'm not sure they'd be interested in shaving their manes!” The Unicorns shared a laugh as they approached the door to the venue, the stallion of the pair shrugging. “Well, it was worth a shot.” He lit his horn, opening the door and taking a bow. “Ladies first, of course.” Rarity shook her head, pulling on his foreleg and trotting in beside him. Despite being a royal birthday, the venue was decorated simply. Pink, green, and purple balloons littered the room, with red streamers strung between the pillars. Simple games were set up throughout the room, with tables full of all kinds of refreshments lining the walls. In the center of the room sat a high chair with balloons strung to the back, waiting for the guest of honor. Ponies of all kinds filled the room, ranging from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Apple Family, including Grand Pear and Sugar Belle, Rainbow Dash and Soarin, Starlight and Sunburst, Fluttershy, the Crystal Empire royalty, and the Royal Sisters, Celestia and Luna. Everypony in the room sported a cone-shaped party hat modeled after their particular features. “FINALLY!” A pair of party ponies cried from either side of them. Rarity and Paradigm felt a sudden force pushing down on their heads with elastic snapping down on their chins. They looked to either side of the door, where Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, and Boneless 3 beamed at them respectively. “Are you ready for to party?!” Cheese asked. Paradigm flashed the party stallion a grin. “It is what I came to Ponyville for!” Cheese gave Paradigm a hard pat on the back, nearly sending him to the floor. “That's what I like to hear!” He put his hooves on the mirrored rump, pulling him over to the group while Rarity and Pinkie chatted on their way to join them. As the gathering was completed, a particular purple dragon flew into the room, putting his claws in his mouth for a loud whistle that turned every pair of eyes in the room towards him. “Places, everypony! They're on their way!” The room fell silent, everyone taking places at the sides of the room while Spike retrieved a camera, maintaining a hover over the high chair. With slow hoofsteps, Twilight and Boltsinger entered the room, a sleeping orange colt in the Princess’ foreleg. They each raised a wing in a shushing gesture, bringing Nova forward and placing him in the high chair. They sat on either side of him, giving him a simultaneous kiss on the cheek. The sensation caused the colt to stir, slowly opening his eyes to find his parents smiling down at him. “Happy birthday, sweetie.” Twilight said, planting another kiss on his forehead. Boltsinger looked to the doorway, beckoning with his wing. With a flash of the camera and a hum from Boltsinger, the birthday song began while the Cakes rolled in a cart carrying two of their namesake dessert. One of the cakes was a multi-layered circular cake, while the other was small, flat, and rectangular, with both of them featuring light green icing with pink accents. The Princess and the Pegasus stepped aside as Spike snapped another photo, letting the little Prince look around at all of the friendly faces. Finally, the flatter of the cakes was placed before him, eliciting an excited squeak from the orange Alicorn as he plopped his face into the center of it. The gathered ponies cheered, coming forward to both watch Nova's cake antics, as well as collect a slice of their own. Paradigm hung back from the cake collection and looked around at all of the ponies he had come to know in this room, including those he had only just met. Each of those that he'd spoken to had greeted him openly. They had accepted him for who he was, and it had not gone unnoticed. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he felt the sheer love in the room begin to empower him. His friends, his family, his subjects… Wait… My subjects? That's not right… He sharpened his focus, revealing the various Cutie Marks in the room as his horn began to discharge. He had expected there to be several of them, what with the enormous gathering of ponies, but instead found only four gigantic ones surrounding him, with enough space for what he could only guess was two left over. His lightning slipped away from the first mark, a crystal heart with gold adornments on either side, only to make contact with a mark of a radiant crescent moon. It filled him with a soft light that sent an entirely different kind of power coursing through him. His body quaked as a dark blue wave of magic swept over his form, disconnecting his lightning from it only to land on the brilliant sun mark next to it. This power shone brightly within him, illuminating his eyes to a solid white with a warmth that felt like a sunny summer day. With a coursing of white magic all over, his discharge flew to the most familiar of the marks, a magenta six-pointed star surrounded by five smaller ones. Like the heart from before, this power spread out in all directions, simultaneously offering and obtaining power from everypony around it. He shivered with excitement as his lightning returned to him. These four powers had been incredible, but his curiosity had been piqued. He was surrounded by these four marks, but they had left a gap. He had to know what existed there, so his lightning shot forth again. Surprisingly, the discharge made contact with something. Raw, unfocused power that swirled about inside his mind, bringing to mind an icy tornado that could tear through everything. One piece of ice flew from the winds, coming at him and throwing his lightning from where it had landed. That power was painful, but he had to admit it was also intoxicating. He had to have more, and his lightning lashed out to find it. The lightning made contact again, but this time felt different. The chaos of the storm he'd seen vanished, replaced with a pure blackness. It was empty, yet overwhelming. He thought to explore deeper, but found his thoughts cut short as a lightning bolt flashed before his eyes. He winced in pain as it passed, bracing himself for something as another flash crossed the first. Then another, followed by three more. The lightning bolts swirled together into a single point, fading into a blackness that sent a strange kind of power through his entire body. It felt like it was about to suck in everything around it, turning it into something else and sending it exploding out in all directions. His eyes went wide, sending his breathing into a panic. Of all of the talents he'd experienced so far, these had by far been the most exhilarating, reminding him of how he felt before he reunited with Boltsinger. And that one thought sent a shock to his system. The lightning of his horn reeled itself in, the void clearing away to reveal the party in full swing. Nova, Flurry Heart, and the Cake twins ran around, new toys littering the room while the adults talked, laughed, and kept track of the youngest ponies in the room. Paradigm took a step back, reeling from his experience to the point of hyperventilation. With one last look at the gathering, he took a staggering breath, turning to the door and galloping away at full speed. Rarity stepped into the boutique, removing the diamond-themed party hat as she made for the stairs. “Paradigm! Paradigm, where are you? You left in such a hurry that you hardly met any of the other guests!” Paradigm slowly descended the stairs, dejectedly walking past the mare into the main showroom. “I'm here…” “Are you alright, dear?” She wondered, moving to follow him. “Have you not done your little electric thing?” A forced laugh came out of the stallion. He looked back at her with a weak smile. “Oh, I've done it.” He turned to face her, raising a hoof next to his head as his pupils shrank to pinpricks. “I did it so much I could keep going for days without stopping!” “Darling, that's wonderful!” She exclaimed. “How does it feel?” “It feels… familiar…” He started, letting his face soften as his hoof returned to the floor. “Too familiar. A rush that I only ever got from hundreds of ponies at once…” Rarity nodded with understanding. “I can only imagine, given that you were in the same room as every Alicorn in Equestria! By themselves, they have enough magic to do some of the most incredible feats of magic imaginable!” “Especially those foals…” He confirmed. “It was the most incredible feeling I've ever gotten… And… honestly, I'm scared.” “Scared? Why in Equestria would you be scared?” She put a hoof on his back, slowly rubbing back and forth. “If you have a problem, you know you can tell me.” The brown stallion moved to the modeling stage, sitting on the edge with his head hung low. “I’m afraid of what I was.” His horn let out a faint spark, the usual light coming forth and wrapping around his spectacles. “The pony I was before I met all of you.” “But you've come so far since then!” Rarity assured, taking a seat next to him. “And you have friends to help you face those fears.” Her hoof found its it's way to his chin, directing his gaze to look into her eyes. “No matter what they are.” “Thank you…” He turned away, tugging at his scarf. “But I don't know if I can trust myself.” He tugged harder, causing the scarf to fall out of its knot. “I love all of you, but a rush of power like that… I liked it. I liked it a lot. It's that kind of feeling that sent me down that… more cultish path…” He stood up, letting the scarf and spectacles fall to the floor. “Let's just say… there's a lot to figure out.” “Well, I'll be here for you every step of the way!” The mare declared, rising up and raising a dramatic hoof. “No… you won't.” He lit his horn, floating his luggage in from upstairs. “I just can't risk it.” “I’m… confused. What do you mean?” Rarity inquired. Paradigm walked to the door, taking a staggering breath. “It means… well…” He wiped his eyes with his foreleg, stomping his hoof and taking a determined stance. He stepped up to her one more time, leaning in and placing a kiss on her cheek. “It means goodbye...” As the mare opened her mouth to reply, the stallion performed an about-face, rearing up and galloping out the door. “Paradigm, wait!!” She called, galloping to the doorway with her hoof extended. There was a white flash in the distance, and with that flash, the designer's rump hit the floor with water welling up in her eyes. “Be careful…”