One Bolt, Many Questions

by Boltsinger

Electrifying Magic

The sun rose, and the sound of a soft and somber song echoed throughout the Castle of Friendship. It sounded almost like a cello, but with small breaths taken every now and then. In her room, Twilight stirred from her sleep, slowly sitting up, her ears homing in on the music. She went through her morning routine, finding herself groggily humming along with the song. When she went into the hallway, passing by Starlight's room, its occupant walked out and joined her teacher in her trek downstairs, with Spike following suit soon after.

Starlight looked at the humming Princess as they trotted down the hall. “You hear it, too?” She inquired.

Twilight's humming stopped as her eyes opened. “Hm?” She looked at her student, wondering what she could be talking about. “I thought I was just imagining it... Where is it coming from?” Twilight picked up her pace, looking around for the source of the sound.

Eventually, the horned ponies and their dragon friend found themselves outside the door to the throne room. The sound at its loudest so far. Starlight stepped forward, pushing the door open to reveal that the entire chamber was downright sparkling. Twilight walked in with a look of wonder on her face. She looked at the map in the center of the room, seeing her reflection staring back as though she was looking in a mirror. The music continued to echo from above. She looked up with Starlight and Spike to see Boltsinger, humming to himself while wiping down the high windows.

Twilight flapped her wings, flying up next to the Pegasus, while Starlight lifted herself and Spike with her magic. “The music was coming from you?” The Alicorn asked.

Boltsinger's humming stopped, looking at those in the air with him. “Hm? Oh, yeah, it just came out while I was cleaning up around here.” He explained. “Did I wake you up?”

Twilight, Starlight, and Spike all shook their heads. “No, it just seemed like we were all imagining it when we got up.” Spike explained. “What's with all the cleaning, anyway?”

“Well...” Boltsinger started, lowering himself to the floor with everypony else. “I just felt that I ought to do something to thank all of you for letting me stay here. Is this too much?” He looked at the room, sparkles to be seen everywhere.

---

After a good meal and a morning of training with Rainbow Dash, Boltsinger and his fellow Pegasus came back to the castle, both flying through the front door to hear Twilight talking to somepony in the throne room.

“I don't think that's such a good idea, right now...” Twilight said. “He's only just gotten used to being in one place for more than just a little while!”

“If I am to understand what it is that is happening, I need to see it happen!” a deep male voice replied. He sounded like a very literal voice of experience.

Boltsinger opened the door, walking in to see a tall Unicorn stallion with a grey coat and hooves of a darker shade. His mane, tail, and magnificent beard were white, with faded blue accents. He wore a cloak and hat that had alternating patterns of different shades of blue, with star and moon markings all over, and a number of bells on the edges of each. He towered over the other ponies in the room, and had a permanently stern face. He looked at the new arrival in the room.

“And... this is the Pegasus in question?” He inquired. Boltsinger looked up at the intimidating Unicorn, eyes shrinking as he scooted back to attempt backing away.

Twilight's horn lit up as Boltsinger was held in his spot, still able to move his body, just unable to leave the place he stood. She ran over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder, as Rainbow Dash flew in.

“Whoa!” the cyan pony began, flying over to the Unicorn guest. “Twilight, what's Star Swirl doing here?”

Boltsinger's panic subsided as he took another look at the one Rainbow Dash referred to. “Wait... You mean Star Swirl the Bearded?” He asked, moving the hoof off of his shoulder and standing on his hind legs. “Pillar of Sorcery? Teacher to the Royal Sisters, and writer of countless nearly incomprehensible spells? Personal friend to Flash Magnus?!”

Star Swirl puffed out his chest through the orange stallion's explanation, nodding as the new face stared in awe. “Yes, young pony.” He said, his voice with an air of authority. “Twilight has informed me that your wings suffer from a rather perplexing problem.”

“U-um... Yes, that's right, sir!” Boltsinger answered, his wings tensing up at his sides. He plopped his hindquarters down onto the floor and began explaining his situation in great detail.

“Hmm... I see...” Star Swirl commented. “I have an idea that may be of some use. But before I can confirm it, I believe I will have to trigger the phenomenon.”

Boltsinger's eyes grew wide as the wizard's horn began to glow. “No... No! Please, don't!” He started scooting back again, attempting to run as a bubble formed around him from Twilight's magic.

“Star Swirl, don't!” Twilight called out, teleporting between the Pegasus and her idol. “I thought I explained this to you!”

Star Swirl sternly looked at the Alicorn in front of him. “Then what do you expect me to do?” He asked, irritated. “I must know what I am dealing with if I am to solve the problem!”

Rainbow Dash flew over and chimed in. “What if I flew with him?” She asked. Twilight and Star Swirl looked over at the Pegasus, both tilting their heads. “I can keep up with him on those 'flights' of his, easy!” She explained. Twilight brought a hoof up to her face, pondering.

“Rainbow Dash has a point.” Twilight told everypony. “I've never seen anypony as fast as her in the air. Even if she does somehow fall behind, I'm sure she can find him wherever he lands... What do you think, Boltsinger?”

The orange Pegasus looked at Rainbow Dash. “It... could work...” He began. “How long can you keep up a sustained flight at your top speed?”

Rainbow Dash smirked, reared up onto her hind legs and swiped at the air in front of her. “You think you've got stamina? You haven't seen anything yet!” She boasted. “You're looking at the only pony in all of Equestria to pull off a Sonic Rainboom!”

“Okay...” Boltsinger said. “But doesn't that not have anything to do with flying for a long period of time? Sometimes when my wings do their... thing... I don't stop for several days.” He sifted through his mane with his hooves, pulling out a bag full of various things to eat. “I even started carrying this around, just in case I take off for a while.”

“Wow.” Twilight looked surprised at just how prepared her new friend actually was for this kind of happenstance. “That's... a pretty long time to keep flying nonstop.”

“It's no problem!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, walking over to Boltsinger and putting her hoof around him. “You know I've got this!”

“All right...” Twilight said, acquiescing to the idea.

Boltsinger looked back and forth between Twilight, Star Swirl, and Rainbow Dash, seeing the confident look on the Pegasus' face, and the determined look on the bearded Unicorn's. He slapped his face with his wings, standing up firmly.

“All right, then...” He said, following a long pause. “If we're going to do this, then I'm gonna need some space... And an open window!” He flew up to every window in the chamber that could open, swinging them open wide, then landed on top of the map. “Is this a good spot?”

Twilight looked at the map, then to the pony on top of it. “That might...” Looking back at the map, she saw the image of all of Equestria spring to life under him. “Actually work... Yeah! Let's do it right there!”

Star Swirl's horn began glowing again. “Very well. Now, I don't know where you will end up, but it should follow the trend you described. I should have some kind of solution upon your return.” Boltsinger inhaled deeply, nodding and spreading his wings. Star Swirl closed his eyes, focusing hard. He pointed his horn at the Pegasus standing in the center of the room, letting loose a powerful surge of white magical energy that shot directly into his wings.

As the magic struck him, Boltsinger felt a familiar tingling in his wings. The lightning on his Cutie Mark began crackling intensely, and electricity in the same color as his Cutie Mark's began discharging from his wings, hitting the map below. His face tensed up, clenching his teeth, and he brought his front half low. His wings began flapping, creating a gust that threatened to push Twilight, Star Swirl, and Rainbow Dash backwards, until he let out a yell that echoed through the castle and into Ponyville. He took off, leaving an orange streak with an electric blue lightning bolt behind him, zooming out of the nearest open window.

Having finally seen the phenomenon first hoof, Twilight's hindquarters dropped to the floor, her eyes wide and her ears low. Rainbow Dash looked on with a similar expression, seemingly in awe of the occurrence. Star Swirl looked at the map, which still had a leftover electrical charge. He walked over to the table, examining it.

“Rainbow Dash, you had best take off after him.” Star Swirl noted, his gaze fixed on the sparks flying from the map.

Rainbow Dash rapidly shook her head, coming out of a daze. “Oh yeah! Right!” She exclaimed as she took flight, the rainbow streak following the orange one.

“Twilight, I have an idea, but I will need your assistance with this.” Star Swirl said, looking at the Alicorn. She was still in awe of what she'd just borne witness to. “Twilight!” He repeated. The lilac pony blinked, turning her head to look at the Unicorn in the room with her.

“Right! What do you need?” She asked, walking towards Star Swirl. They continued discussing the wizard's idea for some time.

---

Two days later, in the city of Manehattan, an off-white-coated Earth Pony was working tirelessly on getting costumes prepared while a myriad of actors were rehearsing on stage in the central park. She had a two-tone blue mane and tail, with her mane in a bobbed hairstyle, and light blue eyes. She wore a lavender sailor collar with a scarlet tie, as well as a hair clip in her mane that featured three shades of red. Her Cutie Mark featured a lavender floppy hat with a scarlet feather sticking out. As she hung all of the outfits into place, a mare cantered up to her in a panic.

“Miss Pommel!” She cried, drawing the pony's attention. “All of our sound equipment is broken! We won't be able to get everypony in the crowd to hear the performance!”

The Earth Pony looked over at the equipment with wide eyes, seeing the majority of it broken apart and letting out small surges of electricity every which way.

“Oh no!” She exclaimed. “But, without any equipment, we can't put on the Revival!”

The mare that delivered the news looked back at the stage, seeing the shape of it and thinking. “Well, I suppose the Method Mares could probably project enough for the audience to hear, provided it isn't too large...”

The two mares looked on at the crowd that was already beginning to form. Several ponies had already taken a seat on blankets throughout the restored park, with more ponies gathering behind them.

“This... is probably too big of a crowd for that...” Miss Pommel admitted, hanging her head. She walked up to the front of the crowd. “Fillies and gentlecolts, I have an announcement to make!”

As the crowd turned their attention to the mare, a crash was heard behind the stage, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. The crowd gasped, and Miss Pommel rushed to the source. There, she found a bright orange-coated Pegasus stallion with a blue mane and tail that bore electric blue streaks strewn erratically through them. His wings were giving off a mild electrical discharge, slowly dying down and retreating into his body. His face was buried in the dirt, and his rump was positioned squarely in the air above his head, his eyes wobbling due to the dizziness of the landing.

“It's okay, Flutterguy, I'm just getting beaten by a wittle bunny wabbit...” He deliriously droned, lifting one of his forelegs, as if making some grand statement.

“Oh my gosh!” Miss Pommel shouted, running up to the crashed flyer. “Are you alright?” She leaned in and poked at his side with her hoof.

The stallion blinked, his eyes regaining focus. “Wait, what?!” He cried, jumping to his hooves and looking around frantically. “Where am I?”

The off-white mare looked confused, seeing the Pegasus' strange behavior. “You're in Manehattan!” She replied. “Are you here for the Revival?”

The stallion looked at the pony before him. “Ah. Um, no, I'm not here for the... Revival, you said?” he asked, seeing a nodding mare in response.

Miss Pommel looked more closely at the new pony's Cutie Mark, seeing the microphone with the cord of lightning, her eyes brightened. “Say, would you be able to help me with something?” She wondered.

“Ummm... Let me guess, you have a problem with something that needs sound, sound amplification, or somepony to sing?” he wondered in return.

“Actually, yes!” the mare confirmed. “Our sound system is broken, so the performers and the band don't have any microphones to use to get their performances to the whole crowd! And it's a big crowd...” She motioned to the large gathering of ponies in front of the stage.

The stallion flew up to look over the top of the stage. “I thought it was something like that...” He fluttered back down to the ground next to the mare. “I'm Boltsinger. I think I should be able to help with the issue.” He offered a wing in greeting.

The mare put her hoof in his wing. “Really?! You can fix our equipment?!” She shook her hoof in his wing rapidly. “My name is Coco Pommel! Thank you so much! The performance is in a few minutes!”

“All right.” Boltsinger confirmed. “So, I can't actually fix the sound equipment, but I can do the next best thing.” He started hovering above the ground. “Just start the performance like you normally would, and I'll take care of your problem!” He flew back up to the top of the stage as the twilight hour began to ebb.

Coco looked up at the Pegasus and then out at the crowd. “Oh! Well, then, I'll let the crowd know!”

After a few more minutes had passed, a rainbow streak flew into the crowd, looking at the wind-blown silhouette above the stage with a knowing look. Rainbow Dash flew up, landing next to her friend.

“So this is where you went!” she said, slapping him on the back with her hoof. “What're you doing up here? The play is down there!” She pointed towards the stage where Coco would be addressing the masses.

“Yeah, I know. That's why I'm up here.” Boltsinger clarified, his gaze not moving from the stage below or the ponies looking at it. “I'm the 'sound guy' for tonight's show.”

“What do you--” Rainbow Dash was interrupted as Boltsinger put a hoof over her mouth. Her sight turned towards Coco, who was taking a deep breath for her announcement. As she opened her mouth, Boltsinger lightly flapped his wings, sending a strange kind of wind through the area.

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” Coco said to the crowd. Her voice seemed louder than it would normally be, even if she was projecting. “I present to you, Hinnie in the Hills!” She backed up, letting the performers take their places as the band began to play.

Throughout the performance, Boltsinger kept up his breeze, amplifying the voices of the players along with the music of the band. It felt almost like there was a natural microphone surrounding the area. The production sounded as if it was taking place in a grand theater rather than an open field in the park. Rainbow Dash flew up and looked at the play from above. Seeing her favorite musical was one thing, but the fact that this already high-quality production sounded so clear with only just one pony’s wings doing any sound work was just awesome! She flew back over to Boltsinger as the show ended, slapping him on the back again as she landed.

“How did you do that?!” she excitedly asked.

Boltsinger stopped his breeze, jumping down from atop the stage with his fellow Pegasus in tow. “It's the thing I did when I got my Cutie Mark, just on a smaller scale.” He told her, walking away from the park. “I call it my 'microphone effect'. I can carry a sound just about anywhere with the wind.”

Rainbow Dash looked confused at the explanation. “How does that work?” She wondered, tilting her head.

Boltsinger looked back at his flight coach with a smirk on his face, raising a wing and making a twisting motion to create a pocket of air. He whispered something into the pocket and whipped it behind him.

“Like this.” Boltsinger's voice rang from behind Rainbow Dash, causing her to jump and turn around.

“What was that?!” She looked for the source of the sound, but to no avail. Boltsinger laughed to himself and whipped another air pocket behind him.

“It was me, Rainbow.” his voice came from above her, this time. She flew up into the air, looking around some more. The stallion laughed out loud as the mare seemed to panic. He called out to her normally. “Hey, calm down!”

Rainbow Dash looked over at Boltsinger, seeing him laugh at his own joke. She laughed a little to herself, seeing how she'd been pranked. She trotted up next to him as they continued walking.

“So, why aren't you back there in front of the crowd?” the cyan pony inquired, gesturing back at the cheering masses. “You're the whole reason the show was a success!”

“I didn't do anything all that important.” Boltsinger answered. “The actors and the band did all the real work. The ponies here put on the production. I just made it so that the crowd could hear it.”

On the stage, Coco looked on at the Pegasus that appeared like magic and saved the Theater Revival that she cared so deeply about, wondering what exactly brought him there, and why he didn't stay to meet everypony.