//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Parties and Paperwork 
// Story: Tech Savvy 
// by BoltTheColt 
//------------------------------//

					Chapter 2: Parties and Paperwork

“ No please, call me ‘Sir Boltington’, m’lady…” mumbled Bolt, obviously still stuck in his grand dreams. Rivet considered waking him, but knew better than that, since Bolt’s personality seemed to completely change when he was woken up abruptly, from nice, sweet, and awkward, to an unbridled rage that would make even a dragon turn tail and flee. The younger brother glanced at the miniature grandfather clock that separated the duo’s beds, seeing that his brother had now slept in for an hour and a half, the hands showing it was now 8:30. Lets see,  face the full fury of my cranky brother, or be reprimanded for not waking him up in time for his ‘meeting’ with Twilight? I guess I’ll take death over humiliation any day.
With the decision made, Rivet cantered over to the stallion’s bed side, tapped him on the forehead, and whispered “ Bolt, you’re late for your date with Twilight.”


~~~~~~~~~~~


Sir Boltington was just about to plant a kiss on the lovely lady T. Sparklemores lips, when the café they were sitting in began to shake violently. Just as soon as the quake began, it stopped. Then, the skies tore open to reveal… the ceiling of Bolt and Rivet’s bedroom. M’lady, nooooooo!, thought Bolt as he realized he’d probably never get that dream back. Ok, Rivet, you are going to PAY for ruining that… wait… what time is it? Bolt looked up at their little grandfather and saw it was now 8:34.
“Holy Pegasus feathers, I’m late! I-I’ve never been late in my life! Rivet, quick! Grab me a saddlebag and some of those contracts, I need to get them signed and proofed before they’re valid and… oh sweet Celestia, I forgot about Twilight!” Rivet had never seen his brother this distressed, and wanted to calm him, but could only hold back a giggle as Bolt dashed about, trying to neatly stack the contracts, something nearly impossible with hooves, and open his saddlebag at the same time, all while balanced on his left rear leg. Bolt saw the little colt would be of no use, so continued packing much quicker than before, shoving the building contracts into the saddlebag at such a furious rate that half shot right back out. After finally putting the last stray contracts into the bag, Bolt gave a sigh of relief, then quickly gave Rivet the meanest stare he could muster in his state of exhaustion. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” mumbled the still-half asleep stallion. Rivet simply stared at his brother in disbelief. Ok, yeah, my bad for sleeping in, but it’s not like I was going to beat you senseless… at first. Before he could give an answer, Bolt stumbled into the bathroom, filled the sink to the brim, and dunked his whole head into the ice cold water. His head flew back faster than a speeding Pegasus, his eyes wide with shock. Now fully awake, Bolt opened the bedroom door and trotted through the immense warehouse-like main room to the front door. Bolt was glad to see Rivet following along, knowing he was going to need a lot of help for the day ahead. “Ready for a fun day of contract validation?” questioned the elder brother to the younger.
“ Oh boy, I can’t wait,” said the sarcastic colt. “Then we get to wait for the other ponies to realize we exist, come to our store, and see if they need a new bird fountain or garden gnome, right?” Ya know, I felt sorry for you last night, little brother. Not so much now. Bolt only gave Rivet a small look of annoyance before opening the door… and walking right into the out-raised hoof of Twilight Sparkle. Both Rivet and Twilight were surprised to see each other. Bolt, however, was on the ground holding back cries of anguish, as Twilight’s hoof had gone right into his left eye.
“ Oh, no! Bolt, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” cried Twilight. From surprise to hysterics in seconds. I sure know how to pick them, thought Bolt as he tried to control his rapid blinking.
“I’m alright, it’s ok, Ms. Sparkle. Just calm down,” said the stallion in a soothing tone. “Besides, it’s my fault for not looking where I was going.” he lied. Twilight seemed to calm down a small bit, but still seemed upset from nearly poking her new friends eye out. Bolt got back to his hooves, shook the dust off, and gave the biggest smile he could manage. “So, ready for our dat-I mean, breakfast meeting?” Oh, I really hope she didn’t catch that last bit. I’m already awkward enough, I don’t need to screw up in front of Twilight. 
“Yeah, it’s not any place fancy, just a little café.” said the unicorn as the trio began walking towards the center of town. Café? Could it be… M’lady, are thou trying to tell me in code? *sigh*… I really am weird, aren’t I? Bolt began trying to recall what his dream had been about, while Rivet and Twilight discussed whatever came to mind.
“So, your cutie mark means that you’re an expert at magic?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘expert’, but, yes, my special ability is magic.”
“That’s not what I heard…” said the colt, laying his trap.
“What have you heard!?” questioned the mare, now just as nervous as before. Rivet knew he had her now.
“Oh, you know, the little magic show Pinkie told me about…” 
“Look, it was just an Ursa Minor, and besides, if I didn’t do something, it would have destroyed the whole town!” she said in an outpour of nervousness.
“Whoa, an Ursa Minor!? For real?” questioned Rivet, actually surprised by the answer. Twilight’s eyes went bulged out, realizing she had been tricked into revealing a feat she wasn’t that happy about. Her eyes then narrowed, a small smirk appearing on her face. 
“Pretty tricky, Rivet. You know, you could be a professional interrogator. You seem like the kind of pony that would get the most fun out of it.” Rivet thought about the idea for a few seconds, then simply shrugged. “What do you think, Bolt?” she asked, noticing that the stallion had been quiet the whole time. 
“Wah?” said Bolt, snapping out of his daze.
Twilight gave a small giggle, then questioned, “What do you think Rivet’s special talent will be?” Bolt thought over the question, then gave the same answer as Rivet: a simple shrug. The unicorn’s eyes narrowed, which caused Bolt to rethink his answer, for the sake of his crush.
“Uh, what I mean is… well… I think his special ability will have to do with reading other ponies body language, so… well, I don’t really know what ability that would pertain to.” Ok, not a great answer, but I honestly don’t know what Rivet could do. Heh, maybe he’ll become a love doctor... 
The trio had arrived at the little café, each ordering a hay muffin, while Bolt and Twilight ordered some tea. After they had settled in, Twilight got down to business, explaining the layout of Ponyville and some of the major stops he had to visit. Well, I’m sure I have Sugar Cube Corner down, plus the library, but I should check out the Apples farm. If there’s anything I love more than building, it’s apples. Ooh, I wonder if they have those rainbow ones, what were they called… Bolt’s thoughts trailed off as he remembered the one task that still loomed in front of him.
“Twilight, this has been a lovely breakfast, but I have to get going. You see, I have these contracts to fill out before the business can get up and running, so…” he trailed off, hoping the unicorn understood. Twilight seemed to register his meaning, and Bolt was just leaving his tip when a spark appeared in the mares eyes, who bolted up and jumped in his way.
“You know, Bolt, I’m technically licensed to sign those forms. You can just come back to the library and we’ll get all of them approved.” she said cheerfully, her big grin giving Bolt an even bigger grin. Wow, that’s pretty nice of her! I can get the forms signed, we can continue this beautiful morning together, then… why is she still giving me that smile? The trio had began cantering towards Twilight’s house, the grin still on her face, though now it looked strained. Ok,Twilight, starting to creep me out a bit… After a few minutes, they arrived at the library, Twilight opening the door and inviting the brothers in, the big grin now quivering with what looked like pain.
“Uh, Ms. Sparkle, is everything alright?” questioned the stallion.
“Oh, I’m fine, and please Bolt, call me Twilight. Only business colts call me ‘Ms. Sparkle’.” replied the mare, her smile finally relaxing. Bolt removed his saddlebag and pulled the contracts out with his mouth. Huh, that’s strange. I only remember grabbing a few. Oh, no… Bolt dropped the contracts on the nearest table, realizing he’d grabbed all 250 papers.
“Uh, Twilight? I guess I brought all the contracts with me by accident. I just need you to sign a dozen or so, though.”
“Nonsense! You’re already here, so I might as well approve them all!” she exclaimed gleefully, that strange, strained grin returning to her face.  Bolt tried to protest, but his friend would have none of it. She began the signing process, something that, even with magic, would take almost two hours to complete. Boredom soon took hold of the brothers, who began wandering about the library, looking for something interesting to read. Bolt found the section on great inventors, but was immediately disappointed to find there was only one book about Princess Celestia, and a foals book at that.
“Is Celestia really the only great inventor? There had to have been some other pony.” Bolt said, looking back at the busy Twilight. She kept her head down, still signing away.
She eventually replied, saying “Well, she has created a lot of modern technology that we use everyday. She designed the most effective way to build buildings, she helped build the hydro-electric dam up near Canterlot, she even built the first air balloons!” she said, sounding very enthusiastic. Bolt wanted to keep quiet, but he wondered what made Celestia so great, besides the obvious, being an almighty sun-goddess and what not.
“You seem to have some nice things to say about this princess. Did you study her as a filly or something?” he asked, a little smirk on his face
“Oh, no, nothing like that. I was just her student for a few years…” Twilight continued talking, but Bolt stop listening after ‘I was her student’. A student of Celestia! That’s’…that’s incredible! Maybe I can get an audience with her, maybe she can teach me how she built all that tech! Oh, wait… magic, duh. Sometimes, I wish I was a unicorn. That would make things a whole lot easier. Bolt gave an inward sigh, noticing that Twilight had finished talking and had return to the contract signing, while Rivet was sprawled on the floor, reading a fairy tale about a knight rescuing a princess. The elder brother found a large cushion, plopped down, and dozed off, the minutes passing like hours.


~~~~~~~~~~~



Bolt awoke with a start, wondering how long he’d been napping for. The sun had noticeably gone down a bit since he had dozed off, looking like it was now evening. The stallion stretched his tired muscles and glanced around the room, now realizing he was completely alone, save for a note on the desk Twilight had been working at. He stumbled towards it, sleep trying to keep his legs locked in place. He reached the desk and looked over the note, which read:

Dear Bolt, Rivet and I have gone back to the Steel Colt with the completed paperwork. We saw how deep of a sleeper you were, and thought against waking you. We should still be at the Colt, so stop by once you’ve woken up.

Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle

How long have I been out? They’ve probably been waiting for hours… Well, mustn’t keep them waiting. Bolt found his saddlebag, placed the note into it, sealed it, and proceeded through the main library door. The stallion started at a slow trot, but soon broke into a gallop when he realized how late it really was. For all I know, they’re probably on their way back. Darn my deep sleeping! Rivet’s right, I need to see a doctor about it. Hold on, something’s not right… Bolt slid to a stop, now noticing for the first time that every house and shop in Ponyville was dark. No candles or lights showed through the windows, and all the shops were closed. It’s not that late, is it? Where is everypony!? Bolt began to panic, feeling that some horrible disaster had occurred while he had napped. Ok, calm down and think, Bolt. A never-before-heard-of disease? No. Witches? No. Zombie ponies? Not likely, but possible... Bolt soon broke into a gallop again, nervous for the safety of Twilight and his brother. As he approached the Steel Colt, something felt out of place. The lights in the shop were also out, which made no sense at all. He shuffled towards the front door and nudged it open, noticing it was unlocked. The stallion peered into the inky blackness, unable to tell if his brother and the purple unicorn were inside.
“Hello? Anypony here? If you’re alright, give me a shout! I-if you’re a zombie, could you at least give me a warning before you gobble on my brains.” murmured the stallion, yet no answer was returned. This is bad, very, very bad. Where’s the darn light switch! Bolt stumbled about, trying to remember the layout of the main room. After a few minutes of bumping into the wall, he finally found the On button.
“Let there be light!” shouted the stallion triumphantly. The lights immediately snapped on, blinding Bolt, which was followed by a deafening:


SURPRISE!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Bolt had never suffered so many assaults on his senses. I’m blind, deaf, and I’m pretty sure I just wet myself with fear. The blindness was the first symptom to disappear, revealing that nearly the entire town was present in the stallion’s workshop. Right at the front of the mob were the six mares he had befriended, plus Rivet and Twilight's assistant, Spike. The ringing in his ears finally stopped, allowing him to hear all the cheers of “Welcome!” and “How are ya!?” and a fleeting “ I really like his mane! So rugged!” Bolt was immediately surrounded, every pony complimenting him and offering some punch. After the initial surprise had worn off and the ponies had fallen into their normal partying patterns, Bolt found his six best friends in a circle, seemingly waiting for him. The girls were ecstatic, but Rivet appeared confused. He had never seen his brother with such a big grin. The grin stretch from one ear to the other, and looked like it would stay that way for awhile.
“Girls, this is just GREAT! Who put this all together!?” he shouted over the din of party noises. Pinkie Pie rocketed into the air and just hovered there, matching Bolt’s gigantic smile.
“I told you that you would get a party, and I did it! Ya see, when I first saw how big your workshop was, I decided to invite as many ponies as I could! And I did! And now we’re at the party! You really like it!?” beamed the pink pony. Bolt nodded furiously, enjoying the moment so much, he didn’t even question how Pinkie was still floating in mid-air.
“It’s the best thing anyone’s ever done for me, Pinkie. Thanks a bunch!”, and with that, he jumped up to the still-hovering mare and gave her the biggest hug he could. This is great! I-I’ve never been this HAPPY! I just want to hug everypony in here! Both ponies descended, still locked in a bear hug. The whole group soon joined in, all giggling happily, except for Spike and Rivet, who were both heaving and retching at the large show of affection. The friends finally broke the embrace and simply laughed for no particular reason. Bolt looked over the mass of partying ponies, and one thought came to mind: I gotta make them remember me. Everypony here has to know who Bolt is! 
“I’ll be right back!” exclaimed the excited stallion, rushing to his room. The six mares gave each other looks of confusion, but continued partying. In his room, Bolt was rummaging through his random assortment of junk he’d brought from home. Where is it? I know I brought it, Celestia knows why, but I know I brought it! Where is-THERE! With a triumphant grin, Bolt produced what looked like a very old and dusty record. The stallion bolted from his room, dashing between the partygoers and making his way toward the DJ booth. Bolt approached the white unicorn, her neon blue-on-blue mane bobbing somewhat out of sync with her own head bob. He pranced up to her, gave a quick tap on the back of her head, and gave her the old record.
“Huh, what’s this?” she asked, looking puzzled.
“Trust me, just play it.” he said with a wink. The DJ shrugged and popped out one of the records. The quick, happy party beat stopped immediately, to the displeasure of a few dancers. The unicorn then lowered the record into place, and lowered the needle. 
The beat started slow, like that of a heart beating. The beat continued, growing faster and faster until high speed electronic music began pumping out of the massive speakers. The look of skepticism on the DJ’s face instantly disappeared, replaced with a glowing smile, her head bobbing to the new beat. The crowd was obviously also pleased, as evidenced by the cheers of approval. Bolt moved through the crowd, finding the girls where he’d left them. As he took back his position among the group, the girls were obviously excited.
“Wow, Bolt! Who’d think that you would have a good taste in music!” shouted Rainbow Dash over the loud cheers.
“Yeah, Bolt, where’d ya get a fine ol’ record like that!” exclaimed Apple Jack, who appeared to be enjoying the very unfamiliar music.
“Well, I made it.” replied the stallion, trying not to sound to proud. The statement caught quite a few quizzical looks, especially Twilight.
“Wait, how did you make it? Did you place a special order at a record store?” questioned the unicorn. While he tried as hard as he could, Bolt couldn’t hold back his pride.
“ Well, it’s simple. First, I took one of my Dad’s old records and heated it up. Next, using a magnifying glass and a needle, I adjusted the grooves. After that, I let it cool, test the sound, and heat, change, test, repeat. Took a week, but I say it was worth it.” he said, his grin looking a little smug.
“No way! You can make your own music!? Can you make some tracks for my parties? I’m always looking for the next great dance music, and if I could get you to make some, it would save a lot of time, plus-” Pinkie said before Bolt cut her off with a cupcake in the mouth and a quick nod of approval. That’s all it took to relight the fireworks in Pinkies eyes. 

About an hour into the party, Bolt began to remember why he was here in Ponyville. Ok, I need to start calming down and start tuning the party down. I mean, yeah, this is unbelievably AWESOME! But… Bolt’s thoughts were interrupted when a stumbling Twilight thrust a cup of cider into his hooves and dragged him to the center of the dance floor using her magic. The purple aura disappeared at the same time as the music turned from his custom track to something of the “slow dance” type. Twilight, still stumbling a bit from too much cider, placed her head over his shoulder, stepping side-to-side to the tune. Bolt looked at his cup of cider, chugged it and tossed the cup, and placed his head against Twilight’s shoulder. Well, I guess I could stay up for a wee bit longer.