One Bolt, Many Questions

by Boltsinger

Kindness' Courage

Sitting in the music room of the castle, Boltsinger was alone, thinking about what he was going to say when next he saw his most emotionally fragile friend. What he had to do was clear, but that didn’t make it any easier. He went into the hallway, making for the bedroom as Spike ran up to him.

“Bolt! You got a reply from Sunburst!” the dragon called out, handing him a scroll.

“Thanks.” the Pegasus said, taking the scroll with his wing and opening it up. “Looks like he’s okay with having me, but he seems a little confused as to what’s going on.” He tucked it under his wing and started back down the hallway. “I’ll explain it when I get there, I guess. I just wish I didn’t have to do this…” He breathed a sigh as he went.

“Have you figured out what you’re gonna do?” Spike inquired, hopping onto his back.

“It’s… pretty obvious what I have to do.” He looked back at the dragon as they went. “I just don’t wanna.”

“So… why are you going to?” the dragon wondered. “You could just let the girls take care of it. They’ve got it covered.”

Boltsinger took a deep breath, moving over to a nearby open window. “So, Twilight told me once about this time where Rainbow was in denial of Tank having to hibernate for winter. You remember that, right?”

“Yeah, she went pretty crazy.” Spike confirmed. “What about it?”

“Do you know how they solved that problem?” the stallion queried.

“Yeah, Fluttershy just told Rainbow Dash the… oh.” Spike’s face sank, realizing what was going on. Boltsinger nodded, moving away from the window.

---

Fluttershy moved about her cottage, feeding the animals and going about her typical business. She had to keep her mind occupied, and her standard responsibilities were amazing for that job. Although it did mean that some of the animals go a little… overfed. She went for the door outside, opening it and stepping out while taking a deep breath.

“Well, you seem perplexed.” a friendly voice called from behind. “Something on your mind?” From an arching position around the door, Discord snaked his way around Fluttershy, who smiled at the familiar face.

“Oh, nothing important.” She fibbed, heading over to another den while dragging an obscenely large bag of food behind her. “I’m just… feeding the animals! Nothing unusual going on! I don’t feel any different!” She let out a few bursts of nervous laughter as the Draconequus took note of the animals’ shuddering at the frantic filly’s food pile.

“You’re certain?” He asked, materializing in front of her. “There’s nothing on your mind that could be making you overwork yourself?” Fluttershy closed her eyes and gave the most stubborn nod she could muster. “Fine.” He snapped his claws, a flying teapot materializing and zipping around the area and pouring its contents into a cup in front of Fluttershy. “If you won’t tell me outright, I’ll just have to get it out of you another way.” He snapped his claws again, the two of them appearing in her living room with everything laid out for their typical gathering. “Start at the beginning!”

Fluttershy looked at her less than harmonious friend, seeing genuine interest lighting up his red pupils. “Well, it started about a week ago…”

“Ah, yes, your little ‘adventure’ in Baltimare with Bolt.” he interrupted, snapping his claws to cause Fluttershy to describe the entire trip as if she were being put on fast-forward. “Everypony’s already heard that story. Now get to the good stuff!” Time returned to normal, Fluttershy coming out of the story with a genuine smile and a bright pink blush.

“And then, we came home, and Boltsinger adopted an adorable little monkey!” She giggled at the memory, raising a hoof to her muzzle. “They looked so happy together!” She looked into her reflection in the teacup.

Discord’s eye appeared inside the cup, his tiny head popping out of it. “And then what happened?” He asked, stepping out and refreshing her drink as she quickly snapped back to normal. “I assume all was normal?”

“Well, I went over to the castle to make sure it was all going okay, and Twilight told me that I was staring at things…” She continued. “Then, at the spa with Rarity, she told me that I might have a cr--” She caught herself mid-word, putting her saucer down and covering her mouth with her wings.

“A cr-what?” Discord repeated. “A crazy good time at the next big party?” He snapped them to a jazzy club, wearing a bright orange zoot suit while Fluttershy appeared in a simple black evening gown. “A crash into a bunch of storm clouds?” He snapped once more, the two appearing in the sky above Ponyville with a long line of storm clouds closing in on them. He snapped his claws once more, the two appearing back in the mare’s abode. “Tell me!”

Fluttershy laughed at the chaos spirit’s antics, finally deciding to relent. “A crush.” She informed him.

Discord’s face literally sank. He squinted his eyes in stifled anger. “I see…” He growled. “I take it I know the stallion in question?” Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “Very well, then, let’s bring him here!”

Fluttershy raised a hoof to him as he brought his claw up. “No, please, Discord, don’t!” As she pleaded, the claws came together and a snap brought an orange-coated Pegasus stallion into the room, walking as if nothing had changed.

“--is why aside from Hum Drum, Masked Matterhorn is probably the best of the Power Ponies!” Boltsinger turned his head to look at his back, opening his eyes. “You get it, Spike?” His eyes went from relaxed to wide as he noticed the sudden change. “Oh…” He looked around the room, seeing Discord glaring literal daggers at him, Fluttershy looking pleadingly at the Draconequus. “Hi, Discord. Um… What am I doing here?”

Discord lifted the stallion up with his eagle talon. “Don’t play games with me… You know why you’re here!” He directed the pony’s attention towards Fluttershy, then back at himself. “I want an explanation!”

Boltsinger snorted at the creature holding him. “You’re right. I do owe somepony an explanation.” He raised a hoof, covering Discord’s mouth. “But not to you.” He gave him a stern look. “Put me down. Now.” Discord reared his head back, a bit surprised at the command. He opened his claws, dropping the stallion to the floor. He pointed his wing at the only non-pony in the room. “Now, you need to stay quiet through this. If you’re gonna force the issue, then you need to see it through!” Discord’s pupils shrank as his mouth literally fell off of his face, sitting down on the couch.

Fluttershy lowered her forelegs, looking at the stallion while trying to suppress her longing. “Um… Hello, Boltsinger…” She greeted, hiding her face behind her mane.

Boltsinger slapped his muzzle with his wings as he turned to face the mare, mentally preparing himself. “It’s good to see you, Fluttershy.” He told her, stepping closer and sitting on the couch. “I’ve got a lot to say… I was gonna wait until I could word it better, or at least until Twilight told me it was at least a little safe, but… Well, Discord is being Discord. Are you willing to listen to me?”

“Of course, Boltsinger.” She confirmed, looking back at him. “What do you need to talk about?”

“I think you know.” He stated. Fluttershy sighed, nodding and looking away. “Rarity told me how you’ve been feeling since Baltimare. I know you have… feelings… for me.” He placed his wing on her shoulder. “And I’m really flattered by that. Believe me. But… You know how I feel.” He put his hoof under her chin and directed her misting eyes towards him. “If I’m going to be totally honest here, I gotta say that you are easily the single-bravest pony I have ever met.”

“But I’m always so afraid of everything…” She contradicted, starting to breathe heavily. “I always worry about the smallest things, and…”

“And that’s how I know you’re so brave.” He confirmed. “You’re so scared of so many things… But you always face those fears! And every single time, you become a stronger pony because of that! And… I need you to be brave again…” Fluttershy’s ears drooped as the tears began falling. “I need you to keep on being my friend. ‘Cause I simply can’t imagine my life without you as my friend.”

“Really?” the mare wondered, sniffing up some of her sobs.

“Absolutely.” He told her. “If you hadn’t been so brave as to become my friend on that day in Canterlot, I probably would have just flown away and never looked back. I may not think about you romantically, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no love there, you got that?” Fluttershy tried to wipe her eyes, her heavy breathing taking hold as she broke down completely. She leaned into Boltsinger, who put his forelegs around her and stroked her mane with his wing. “You are one of the seven most important ponies in my life. My chosen family! It’s a different kind of love, but it’s there, and that will never change. So, please, don’t cut me out of your life… Okay?”

“Okay…” She replied between sobs, putting her own forelegs on the friend that held her.

“Thank you, Fluttershy.” He tightened his embrace, letting her keep going for as long as she needed to.

Discord’s face drooped as his body turned back to what was normal for him. For the first time in his life, he found himself utterly speechless. On one claw, he was furious at Boltsinger for making the most important pony in his eyes cry like this, but on the other, he knew that she needed a release, and that this would be the best thing for her. He reached his lion paw out towards the mare, gingerly placing it on her back as she wept.

Several minutes passed, and the crying died down. Twilight and the others came into the cottage, gazing at the scene before them with mouths agape. Fluttershy raised her head as the embrace between the two Pegasi finally broke, both of them looking at the new arrivals.

“Hey, Twilight.” Boltsinger greeted, waving one of his wings. He got up from the couch, heading over and giving her a hug. He raised his muzzle to her ear. “She’s gonna need some time. Let me know when it’s safe to come back, okay?” he whispered.

Twilight turned to look at the stallion, returning his embrace. “Okay.”

The orange Pegasus broke the hug, stepping back a bit. “I’m gonna be in the Crystal Empire for a while, staying with Sunburst. Just for a little while.” He walked past the other ponies and out the door.

Discord patted Fluttershy’s back a few more times, turning to Boltsinger, unrivaled fury in his eyes. “You’re going to the Crystal Empire, are you?!” His eyes flashed red as he disappeared, materializing next to the stallion. “Let me help you…” He gripped the air in front of him with his talon, magically lifting him into the air. “... on your WAY!!!” He made a throwing motion, sending the stallion flying northward at an incredible speed. Discord lingered in the throwing position, hyperventilating.

“Discord!” a soft voice yelled from the cottage.

“WHAT?!” He yelled in return, turning his head to look back at the ponies. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, her eyes puffy, but her gaze intense.

“Why did you do that?!” the kind mare asked him, walking over to the angry creature.

“He deserved it for putting you through this!” He fumed, clutching the air in front of him with both of his forelimbs. “If he hadn’t swept you away in the first place, then you would never have had to deal with all of these… feelings!” He slumped over, reaching out to his friend. “It just brought me so much pain to see you in such a state. I couldn’t help but get mad…”

“But he did help me.” Fluttershy informed him. “Yes, I was hiding from how I felt. And those feelings haven’t gone away.” She raised a hoof to her heart, stepping closer to Discord. “But now I’m certain of how I feel, and I know I can face it. I’ll become stronger, like he said!” She flew up next to Discord, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I’m touched that you got so angry for my sake. But I think you owe Boltsinger an apology when he gets back. Don’t you think?”

Discord smiled at the pony closest to his heart. She bore a smile in return, clearly not entirely healed, but well on her way. “I suppose you’re right... “ He agreed, putting his lion paw on the outstretched hoof.

Fluttershy turned to Twilight, landing in front of her. “I’m sorry I got all those… feelings for your special somepony.”

Twilight smiled warmly and gave her friend a big hug. “I don’t blame you. I got feelings for him, too, after all.” She backed up, keeping her hoof on the Pegasus. “Just feel better soon, okay?” Fluttershy slowly nodded, walking past her and into her cottage. “Let’s get together for tea tomorrow, okay?” Twilight called out.

Fluttershy poked her head back out, beaming. “That sounds lovely!”

Author's Note:

I understand that this was shorter than my typical chapters these days, but this was a little hard for me to write. Just imagining Fluttershy in such a state made me feel like a horrible person, so writing it out, even thought I had a good idea of what to do, was really difficult for me. Next chapter should be an interesting one as well. I've already got the idea buzzing in my brain!

Comments

[Amos Anon]

These chapters suck to write. I know how bad or awkward it can feel to write something that makes you feel uncomfortable. (I wrote a story of my family coming to equestria, and it included having members of my family finding romance with MLP characters. Talk about awkward.)