One Bolt, Many Questions

by Boltsinger

Pony of Performance

Twilight and Cadence sat at the map, looking at the floating image of the lilac-coated Princess’ Cutie Mark as it circled the city of Las Pegasus. The mare in question was floating the pendant belonging to a friend next to the flying Mark, the two things passing electricity back and forth.

“Well, you know where to go now.” Cadence said, noting the phenomenon. “So, what’s your plan?”

Twilight moved the pendant back, putting it on. “That’s obvious.” She sat up and turned her gaze towards the pink Princess. “I’m going. Whether or not he’s there, I’ve been called by the map. I have a responsibility.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” the older Alicorn told the younger. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” She went in to embrace her sister-in-law. “Now you let me know what happens. I want to hear every detail right away!” Twilight nodded as her foal-sitter turned to leave.

Twilight turned and cantered off towards her room, passing a tiny purple dragon as she ran. Spike looked at his best pony friend curiously, deciding to follow the mare.

In her room, Twilight pulled out her saddlebags, putting books, quills, ink, scrolls, extra ink, and extra extra ink inside. Just in case she needed to document something. She floated a blank book over to her, bearing Boltsinger’s Cutie Mark on it. She shoved it in another pocket as Spike opened the door.

“What’s going on, Twilight?” the dragon asked as he walked in. “Was Cadence able to help?”

“More than that!” Twilight began, hanging her saddlebags on her back. “I’ve gotten a lead on where Boltsinger is!” She reared up with a smile, kicking the air in front of her. As she landed, she looked fondly at her assistant. “And it never would have happened if you and Starlight hadn’t talked to Cadence.” She extended a foreleg, beckoning her friend over. Spike obliged, giving his friend a hug. “Thank you…”

Spike broke the hug, putting his claws on his hips. “Yeah, leave it to me to know just how to fix your problems!” He bragged. Twilight let out a laugh at the statement. “So, where are you going?”

“Las Pegasus!” The Princess answered. “The map called me there, and I think it might be that lead I mentioned!”

“All right! When do we leave?” Spike inquired, hopping on her back.

The corners of Twilight’s mouth turned down slightly at the question. “I’m sorry, Spike. The map only called me, which means I’m the only one that’s needed there.” Spike let loose a frown of his own, sliding off of the pony’s back.

“Oh… okay.” He walked towards the door, lingering in the doorway and looking back. “Good luck!” With that, the baby dragon ran off through the halls.

---

Arriving in Las Pegasus, Twilight took a look around. There were ponies everywhere, scrambling to the various shows and attractions that were going on. This was her first time in such an interesting city, and it was exactly as Applejack and Fluttershy had described. A bustle of excitement and liveliness, but with a different feeling than what she gets in Manehattan. The Princess noted that a lot of ponies were going to one particular hotel. In the arches above the doorway, she saw sculpting of two very familiar Unicorns.

Furrowing her brow, she trotted towards the establishment. As a testament to the owners, solid gold statues of the Unicorns in question were placed in the center of the room, with several onlookers taking in the sight greedily. She rolled her eyes, knowing better than to dwell on the “accomplishments” of those two. She opted to take a look around the room in an attempt to find out what she needed to solve what friendship problems may come.

“Have you seen the new performance here?” an Earth Pony in the crowd asked. “He’s waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than that joke of a show they called ‘the New and Improved Poneigh Fantastique’. I can’t believe anypony would pay their hard-earned bits on a show with no performers!”

“I know! That stallion, though. His show is amazing! How does he get all of those sounds to come from all those places?!” another pony responded. “I just wish the show wasn’t so darn short! One song and he’s done!”

“Excuse me…” Twilight started, walking over to the ponies. “Are you talking about an orange stallion that’s performing?” The ponies nodded enthusiastically. “Blue mane?” The ponies nodded once more. “Cutie Mark like this?!” She floated the blank book out of her saddlebags, showing the cover to the ponies.

“Why, that’s it exactly!” The Earth Pony exclaimed. “He’s got a performance coming up soon! Did you come to see it?”

Twilight smiled and put the book away. “I guess so!” She went up to the counter and purchased a ticket.

---

Later, in a large auditorium, hundreds of ponies had gathered. They were all silent, looking at the stage in anticipation. Twilight came in from the back, taking a seat at the top. On the stage, the salesponies she had come to know as Flim and Flam took center stage.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, may I say it gives me grrrrrreat pleasure to see you all here today!” Flim announced.

Flam chimed in, stepping forward next to his brother. “And might I add that it is our pleasure to present this sublime spectacle to you!”

The ponies in the crowd all cheered as the brothers bowed.

“Thank you! Thank you!” They said simultaneously. “And now, we present to you…”

“With out any assistance from sound devices,”

“instrumental accompaniment,”

“Magic,”

“Or other ponies of any kind!”

The lanky twins raised their hats with their forelegs. “Our amazing discovery! The incredible stallion whose name says it all!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled as Flim and Flam exited on opposite sides of the stage. “BOOOOOOOOOOOLTSINGEEEEEEER!”

The curtain behind the two opened, a familiar orange stallion with a messy, wind-blown, blue mane came in, twirling the individual feathers on his wingtips around, pockets of air at each one, with a somber look on his face. He raised his head, whipping his wings forward. The six pockets of air flew to the corners of the room as a familiar breeze blew by the Princess. Boltsinger gave another swift flap of his wings, remaining in the air, breaking open the pockets and releasing the sound inside.

From inside the pockets, the humming that Twilight had become so familiar with echoed through the room. She stood up in her seat as harmonies formed from the other pockets. Then, just when the Princess thought it couldn’t get any better, Boltsinger opened his mouth, accompanied by two more tones of the same voice.

~Of all the money tha-at ‘ere I spent…

I spent it i-in good company…

A-and all the harm that ‘ere I done…

A-alas it was to-o none but me…~

The non-lyrical pockets let out three somber notes in the pause.

~And all I’ve done,

For want of wit,

To memory now I can’t recall…

So-o fill to me the-e parting glass…

Good night and joy be-e with you all!~

Twilight flapped downward, lifting herself into the air and hovering in place for a better view. The accompaniments refrain continued as Boltsinger opened his mouth once more.

~O-of all the comrades that ‘ere I had…

They’re sorry fo-or my-y going away…~

His eyes opened, looking out at the crowd.

~A-and all the sweethearts that ‘ere I loved…

Wo-ould wish me o-one more day to stay!~

The three somber notes sounded once more.

~But si-ince i-it falls, unto-o my-y lot,

That I should rise a-and you should not…~

He descended towards the stage floor, putting his forelegs against his chest.

~I-i’ll gently rise a-and softly call…

Good night and joy be-e with you all!~

He landed, his hind legs on the floor with his forelegs still in their position while he continued flapping.

~So-o fill to me the-e parting glass…

Good night and joy be-e with you all!~

He brought his forelegs to the floor, eyes closing as the air pockets finished their work, dissipating soon after.

“And there you have it, folks! The talented Boltsinger!” Flim announced, coming with his brother back onstage, pushing the somber stallion aside with their magic.

The crowd cheered, some of the mares in the audience weeping. One such mare was Twilight, who flew up higher.

“BOLT!” She cried out, loud enough to carry over the cheers and reach the stage.

Boltsinger lifted his head, opening his eyes wide as he saw the large, fluttering wings of the Alicorn in the room. “Twilight…?”

The Princess dove headlong into the Pegasus, forelegs extended as she landed, wrapping her wings and forelegs around him, the tears still running down her face as they fell to the floor. “That was beautiful…” She managed to say between heavy breaths.

Boltsinger smiled, putting his forelegs around the mare. “Thank you...” He stroked her mane slowly. “It was just me being honest, though.”

Twilight lifted her head, looking the stallion in his tired eyes. He looked like he always did, save for the dark circles forming under his eyes. He yawned, keeping his smile as he looked at her.

“So, Rarity really wasn’t kidding…” Boltsinger commented.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, tilting her head and cocking an eyebrow.

“She said you would never rest until I was standing before you if I ever flew away.” He chuckled, pulling back his forelegs to release Twilight from his grip. “You didn’t go crazy, did you?”

Twilight got up, helping her friend to his hooves. “I almost did. I did research on how search patterns work, and I wanted to form a search party. But… my friends didn't let me go as far as I wanted to. I ended up sleeping in for a few days.”

“If that’s the worst that happened, I’m glad.” Boltsinger replied. “I wouldn’t want you totally uprooting all of your duties just for me.”

“Hey! I caught up after a while!” The Alicorn huffed. Her companion laughed softly. She went on to explain how she had gotten a visit from Cadence, and how the map had called her there while decidedly leaving out some of the more emotional parts of her day.

“So, the map called you here?” Boltsinger repeated. “I wonder what kind of friendship problem there is to solve…”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, abruptly stopping as Flim and Flam chimed in.

“Well, well, well! If it isn’t the Princess of Friendship!” Flim started, speeding in between Twilight and Boltsinger.

“I see you’re a fan of our star performer!” Flam continued, putting a hoof around Boltsinger. “You’re not planning on carting off with him, are you?”

“Well, I wasn’t gonna--” Twilight said, Flim getting in her face.

“Because I know a great many ponies who would be astoundingly…”

“Incredibly…”

“Extremely…”

“UNDENIABLY disappointed in their fair Princess for taking away their favorite twelve-performance-a-day show!” Flam finished, looking back at his brother from the Pegasus’ side.

Twilight looked back and forth between the Unicorns during their exchange, getting wobbly with confusion. “But… I--”

Flam moved over to the Princess. “Bu~ut, if you’re here to make sure he’s ready for the next show, that’s another story entirely!”

“We would be happy to have you along to improve the show!” Flim told her, holding up a foreleg.

Twilight looked over at the stallion she came to see. He was practically falling asleep on his hooves, dozing off and waking up repeatedly with a soft grin on his face. She looked at the smiling brothers, knowing their history with her friend Applejack.

“Twelve shows a day?” she started, getting in Flim’s face. “Isn’t that a bit unfair?”

“It’s the schedule he signed up for! Considering the prep time he requires for each performance, he’s got a full day’s schedule every day for quite some time!” Flim explained. “Besides, right when crowds started getting tired of Poneigh Fantastique, this bright little pony showed up as if out of nowhere, offering up his services! Who are we to turn down such generosity! And without any equipment whatsoever! Why, it’s almost as if he’s born for this!”

Flam joined his brother. “Why, you wouldn’t want to take the boy away from his calling, now would you?”

Twilight gave an angry growl at the smiling salesponies. She tried to speak up once more, but was distracted by the sound of hooves scraping against the floor. She turned her head to see Boltsinger falling to the floor, completely passed out. Her horn lit up as she caught the stallion, putting him up to rest on her back and holding him up with her wings.

She turned to Flim and Flam, her look still stern. “Tell you what. I’ll come up with his new schedule. You’ll get a spectacle of a show, and you’ll only need to have one show a day!”

Flim gave Twilight a relaxed look, leaning in. “Really? You would do this for us?”

Twilight stomped her front left hoof. “No!” The scammy brothers were taken aback. “I’m doing this for him! And we’re going to work on a plan to get you somepony to replace him! And soon!”

The brothers simultaneously lifted their hats with their magic, taking a bow with a flourish of their headwear. “It would be our pleasure, Princess!” from their bow, they looked at one another with a devious smirk.

Twilight floated her saddlebags over from across the room, trotting off in the direction of the hotel. “All right, let’s get you some rest…” she whispered softly into his ear as she proceeded.

Author's Note:

EDIT: I have made an a capella track of the song featured in this chapter. If you want to give it a listen, here it is.

---

The song used is the traditional Scottish song knows as “The Parting Glass”. The arrangement I had in mind was one performed by the Irish Tenors. Full disclaimer, I don't own it. So that you know, Boltsinger is a baritone.

Comments

[Horseus King of Horses]

Ah, The Parting Glass. . . also known as the song that made people cry at the end of Assassin's Creed 4.