One Bolt, Many Questions

by Boltsinger

The Pear’s Perspective

On the train back to Ponyville, Twilight sat in the far back of the car, staring out the window somberly. Spike sat next to her, a worried look present on his face. The countryside was passing by rapidly in the morning light, and the Alicorn sighed at her own reflection in the window.

Applejack walked up to the seat, sitting next to Spike. “Hey, sugarcube…” the farm pony began. “How’re ya holdin’ up?”

Spike shrugged and shook his head. “She’s been like this since she woke up. I dunno how to get her to quit moping.”

“Now, Spike, she just had a stallion come out ‘n confess his feelings for her!” Applejack explained. “And then right after that, somepony came outta nowhere and started hittin’ ‘im like there’s no tomorrow! Then, right when she was tryin’ to be there for ‘im, he up and flies away in a flash o’ lightnin’! She’s bound ta have some kinda feelings of ‘er own to sort out!”

“Yeah, I know…” Spike confirmed. “I was there, remember?” He turned his gaze back to the lilac pony. “I’ve just never seen her in a funk like this. It’s a... little scary, you know?

“Y’know, I think I remember a little detail about Bolt that might be useful.” Applejack said, raising a hoof to her muzzle.

Twilight’s ears perked up. She looked at her Earth Pony friend with a hopeful look. “What is it?”

“Well, if I remember right, he said he was from Vanhoover…” she continued. “And I happen to know a pony who used to live there right on the farm!”

“Really?!” Twilight turned to face Applejack completely, her wings spreading. “Who is it?”

“Why, Grand Pear!” she announced. “It wasn’t too long ago that he came back to Ponyville, and Bolt isn’t too far from my age. There’s a good chance he might have some insight about that crazy colt!”

“Oh… Well, I don’t know how that’ll help us find him…” Twilight said, wings and ears drooping. “I guess it’s better than not having anything to go on…” She sighed and looked out the window again.

Farther up in the car, the other ponies were all sitting in the other seats, looking back on their friend with an air of sadness about them.

“That was the saddest Gala I’ve ever been to…” Pinkie said, her head low. “I’ve never seen such a huge party pooper! And look what it did to Twilight!”

“I dunno who that stallion was, but I know I don’t like him!” Rainbow Dash huffed, crossing her forelegs. “If I ever see him again… BAM!” She punched the air in front of her. “He’s going down!”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy started, looking at Rainbow Dash. “I can’t believe it would come to that…”

“You didn’t see him pummeling Boltsinger!” the cyan Pegasus told her, punching again. “If I didn’t throw him off, it would really have gotten ugly!”

“Yes, Rainbow Dash, you were quite the hero.” Rarity commented nonchalantly. “But what could have possibly caused that pony to attack without warning like that?”

“I don’t know…” Starlight responded, pondering. “I can’t imagine Boltsinger being the kind of monster that Brightling said he was.” She looked at Applejack. “I’d like to know more about his history. If that Grand Pear can really shed some light on it, I think it might make more sense.”

---

Later that day at Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight and her friends were gathered in the living room of the farm house. A yellow-coated elderly stallion sat in a rocking chair. His mane and tail were a bushy pale grey, with a single brown stripe in his mane. His Cutie Mark was a ripe and juicy pear, and he wore a green bandana around his neck.

“So what brings you fillies my way?” the old stallion asked.

“Grand Pear, do the names ‘Boltsinger’ and ‘Brightling’ ring a bell?” Applejack asked. “I know you’ve seen Bolt workin’ round the farm lately.”

“That nice colt was Boltsinger?” Grand Pear said, surprised. “My… I didn’t even recognize him! Last I saw him was that storm back in Vanhoover.”

“You mean you were there when he got his Cutie Mark?!” Twilight asked, leaning forward.

“Well, I was there after the storm.” Grand Pear confirmed. “That other name you mentioned… Brightling, wasn’t it?” Twilight and Applejack nodded. “Why, that’s Boltsinger’s older brother!”

“His older brother?!” Twilight and Applejack repeated, rearing back in their seats.

“That’s right.” the old farmer confirmed. “He had some of the brightest ideas I ever heard back when those two were colts.”

“Well, if they really are brothers, why in Equestria does one start savagely beatin’ the other once they’re in the same room?” Applejack inquired.

“Well, that probably has something to do with what happened once Boltsinger got his Cutie Mark.” he continued. “Their family was probably the only group of Pegasus in all of Vanhoover. Boltsinger always had a strong voice. He could sing, he could project, all of that. But he was also just a little bit shy. Brightling was a Pegasus who wished he was a Unicorn. He lived up to his name, and his Cutie Mark showed it. Why, it was a bright light bulb, always lit up like the brilliant ideas he brought to the table. He was quite smitten with a mare called Dimming Sparks, although she always preferred to go by Sparks.”

“That must have been that mare with him at the Gala.” Starlight added.

“After that storm, though, I was checking on the rest of the town. I saw the little colt unconscious, but his family was already there. I didn’t see the nitty gritty of what happened, but once he stood up, there were sparks flying all around him. It looked like electricity was coming out of his wings. From what I could gather, he didn’t have any control over it. I never saw a foal so terrified. His ma ‘n pa got in close to try and help him, but the lightning just shot them back, even spreading to Brightling! I imagine that he didn’t get the full brunt of it, though, seeing as he woke up a few years back.”

“Woke up?” Twilight repeated. “You mean they were knocked out by it?”

Grand Pear nodded, looking somber. “Eeyup. Brightling got up from it after a while. Their parents… not so lucky.”

“Oh, my goodness!” Rarity cried out. “You mean, they’re in a coma?”

The old farmer closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m afraid not… They passed before I came back to Ponyville.” A moment of silence ensued, the ponies all letting the fact sink in. Tears had begun to well up in a great many eyes. “What I saw that day and what the rest of Vanhoover saw turned out to be totally different.”

Twilight looked at the old stallion, wiping a budding tear from her eye. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I didn’t know about the town’s opinion of him until I heard the news of his return.” He hung his head. “Poor little colt was branded as a monster by the townsponies. They all thought he just up and electrocuted everypony he loved deliberately, and then just flew off for the sake of it!”

“Well, why in tarnation would they think that?” Applejack asked, stomping on the floor below her with a foreleg. “Seems a might excessive if ya ask me!”

“I reckon Sparks had a big say in it. She was always a smart little pony, but she was none too friendly. She put up with Brightling because he was useful to her, and they did eventually get married. But she always resented Boltsinger. I think she may have used that tragedy to her advantage. She told Brightling about it when he woke up, and he ate up every word of it.”

“So she manipulated him into hating his own brother?” Starlight interjected.

“Ever since, Brightling has been like a completely different pony. His coat dimmed down, and he took up fighting as a pastime. Never flew again ever since the storm. His wings are made for hitting other ponies now…”

“Wait…” Twilight started, holding up a hoof to stop the stallion. “You said that Brightling’s Cutie Mark was an illuminated light bulb when he was a colt, right?” Grand Pear nodded in confirmation. “But when we all saw him, his Cutie Mark was a shattered bulb… Like the Cutie Mark itself was broken!”

“A broken Cutie Mark? Does that mean that his special talent changed?” Fluttershy wondered.

“I don’t know... “ Twilight admitted. “But sitting here wondering isn’t going to find Boltsinger! I’ll get the full story from him!!” She sprang to her hooves, determination lighting up her face as she cantered out the door.

Applejack turned to her grandfather, giving him a hug. “Thanks, Grand Pear. We’ll let you know if we find ‘im!”

“Aww, it’s no problem, AJ.” he said, returning the hug. “I just gotta know, though. How did Boltsinger brighten up s’ much after what he went through?”

“Well, I admit he’s still pretty jumpy sometimes, but I think simply havin’ friends is what helped ‘im.” the farm mare elaborated. “We all played our parts, but I reckon Twilight had the biggest influence. ‘Specially considerin’ his little ‘confession’ last night!”

“Well, I hope all of you can get him home. I wouldn’t want him to start thinking Sparks was right.” Grand Pear concluded as the ponies ran out, Spike lagging behind. “Now, y’all go bring that boy home!”

---

The map blazed to life, Twilight hovering in the air over it. She placed her hoof over Canterlot, looking in multiple directions from that vantage point. Breathing a sigh, she moved over to her throne, resting her head on the map.

The door to the throne room opened, Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Starlight, and Rainbow Dash all coming in and gathering around their friend.

“Make any progress, sugarcube?”. Applejack asked. “Or have ya just been sittin’ there sighin’?”

Twilight let out another sigh, sitting up. “All I can tell is that he flew to the southwest… Other than that…” She slumped over, her forelegs and head resting on the map again. “Nothing…”

“Twilight, you know that it takes him a while to land when he takes off like that!” Rainbow Dash informed her. “When I followed him, he was flying for two straight days at that speed!” She flew over to her throne and sat in it.

“Dashie has a point, dear.” Rarity affirmed, sitting in her own throne. “It’ll take more than just a night for there to be any clues as to where he might have landed.”

“So, rather than frettin’, why don’tcha give it some time?” Applejack suggested, taking a seat.

“We’ll find him before too long.” Fluttershy said as she followed suit onto her own throne. “We just need to have faith!”

Twilight raised her head and looked between the myriad mares around the map, smiling. “Thank you so much… You’re right, there’s no sense in going crazy abou--”

“Unless…” Pinkie interjected, her hooves now on Twilight’s shoulders. “Maybe he was so traumatized by seeing his only brother trying to beat him senseless that he had a TOTAL relapse into how he was before he met everypony and made friends, and then thought he was totally WORTHLESS! Then decided he would never make another friend EVER AGAIN!!!” Twilight leaned back, looking panicked. The other ponies in the room simultaneously looked over at the party pony, glaring daggers.

“Oops!” the pink mare said, backing up into her own throne. “Sorry…” She lowered her head with a sheepish smile.

Starlight trotted over to her mentor. “You know better than to take it at face value when she says stuff like that, right?”

“That’s just it.” Twilight argued. “She’s normally right…” The Princess sighed, lowering her head. She floated Boltsinger’s pendant in front of her. “I just hope he’s alright.”

Spike sat in his seat next to Twilight, looking up at her. “Think of it this way, Twilight. If you’re gonna ask if he’s alright, then you gotta remember; Every time anypony has asked him that, he’s been okay. It’s like Fluttershy said, we just need to have faith that it’s the same this time!”

Twilight took a long look at her number one assistant, pulling him close. “You’re right… Thank you.” She put the pendant on the map, where, unbeknownst to the ponies in the room, it let out a tiny spark. “I just have some things to sort out, I guess.”

Author's Note:

I debated having a full-on flashback here, but I decided that since Grand Pear wasn't directly involved in the events, it didn't make sense to have it show any intricate details just yet.

Comments

[Luckyfanisaac]

“I don’t know…” Starlight responded, pondering. “I can’t imagine Boltsinger being the kind of monster that Brightling said he was.” She looked at Applejack. “I’d like to know more about his history. If that Grand Pear can really shed some light on it, I think it might make more sense.”

Wait Starlight knows who that pony is!?

[Boltsinger]

10413610
Sparks said his name, Starlight was just referring to him.

[f0st3r21]

Both brothers found their own Spark-pony. Guess maybe they have a type?