One Bolt, Moving Forward

by Boltsinger

New News and Royal Pains

“Surprise!” Twilight exclaimed, spreading her forelegs as her husband's hooves felt the new warmth in her belly. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!”

Boltsinger’s eyes returned to normal as he looked at the mare nestled against him. He brought his forelegs up, squeezing her gently. “That’s awesome news!” He shouted.

Twilight sat up, turning to face him again. “Really? I thought you’d be scared, or something.”

“Oh, I’m terrified.” He confirmed, raising a shaky hoof. “But I’m honestly not all that surprised. Brightling has been teasing me about being in his shoes soon. He’s gonna get a kick outta this news!” He laughed nervously, scratching his mane with his wing. “So, have you told everypony else?”

---

“Overall, he took it pretty well.” Twilight said, looking behind her. “Thanks for helping me get set up. I hope it doesn’t make you miss your train!” Twilight laid on a picnic blanket situated on a hill that overlooked Sweet Apple Acres. She had a basket of goodies ready to go, and Spike was coming up from behind, another basket in his arms.

“It’s no problem! If I miss the train, I’ll just send Bolt a message and he’ll come get me!” The baby dragon answered, placing the basket on the blanket. “But, why did you decide to wait until now to tell them?”

“We haven’t had a picnic in a long time.” She informed him. “Plus, it’s the perfect environment to share something wonderful!”

Spike shrugged, plucking a gem from the basket and stuffing it into his mouth. “Well, whatever works, I guess. I gotta go, see you later!” He waved his claw, running off towards the train station.

Twilight waved a farewell hoof, looking at the sky as a rainbow streak came in for a landing. As Rainbow Dash landed, drops of water from a number of clouds splashed against her, creating a rainbow above her. “How’s that for an entrance?” the Pegasus asked, trotting over to her friend.

Twilight laughed. “Familiar, but impressive all the same.” She patted the spot next to her. “Of course, you’re the first to arrive.”

“Of course! You expected anything less?” Rainbow affirmed, puffing out her chest. “So, where’s Bolt? I was hoping we could get some flight drills in!”

“He’s in Canterlot for a while.” The Princess started. “He said he wanted to be able to help me on the ‘royal side of things’, So Raven is going to be putting him through classes on ‘royal etiquette and decorum’!”

Rainbow let out a snort, giving away her encroaching laughter. She tried her best to resist, but the idea that popped into her head overcame her as she fell to the ground in hysterics.”Oh, wow! Can you imagine it? Blue-blood Bolt!” her laughter continued as hoofsteps trailed onto the blanket.

“Oh, please, darling, don’t say that name!” a posh voice called out. She was a pure white Unicorn mare with an expertly coiffed purple mane and tail that ended in fancy ringlets. She wore false eyelashes and light blue eyeshadow to frame her cerulean eyes, while her flank showed a Cutie Mark of three brilliant diamonds. She shuddered briefly. “I don’t even want to think of that awful excuse for a gentlecolt!”

Rainbow Dash sat up, looking at her friend in confusion. “Rarity, I’m gonna be honest with you. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rarity took a seat next to the Pegasus, resting on her fetlocks. “Be glad that’s the case. And let us never speak of him again!”

“Speak of who?” came a squeaky voice. Behind the three, a pink Earth Pony mare had poked her head up. Her mane and tail were a poofy hot pink, with light blue eyes and a Cutie Mark of three balloons.

“We were talking about Boltsinger going to Canterlot so that he can learn to be ‘royal’ when he needs to be.” Twilight explained. “I don’t know who Rarity was talking about.”

“And you should be thankful you don’t.” Rarity stressed, raising a poignant hoof. “Now, enough about that! Pinkie Pie, dear, did you bring anything to add to our little get-together?”

Pinkie beamed, pulling a large box full of cupcakes from the depths of her frizz and artfully slamming it down on top of the basket. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s not a picnic without cupcakes!”

“Well, I’d like to think it’d still be tasty, what with all I got here.” a drawling voice called from over the hill. The group craned their necks to see over the horizon, where an orange Earth Pony mare with bright green eyes trotted up. She wore a classic stetson cowboy hat over her long, blond mane and tail, tied at the ends with red hair ties. She had three white freckles at the corner of each eye, and three bright red delicious apples lighting up her flank. She was strapped to a wagon full of various apple-based treats, coming to a stop in front of the blanket. “I hope y’all’re hungry, ‘cause I brought enough ta feed the pigs fer at least three days!”

“Oh, I’m sure everypony is hungry by now, Applejack.” a softer voice said from above as a yellow Pegasus mare fluttered in for a landing. She had a long, straight, pink mane and tail with slight curls at the very ends, her eyes were a slightly darker shade of blue than Pinkie Pie’s, but not as deep as Rarity’s, with an overall welcoming look shaping her face. The Cutie Mark she bore consisted of three butterflies with pink wings and blue bodies. “I know I haven’t eaten in a while, at least.”

Applejack unloaded many of the treats from the wagon, looking concernedly at her friend. “Now, why in Equestria wouldja go without eatin’, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked at the spread before her, her stomach rumbling. “I got a little distracted making sure all the animals were fed, I just… forgot.” Twilight smiled, lighting up her horn as several sandwiches, snack foods, and beverages found their way onto the blanket. The hungry ponies gathered round began taking various morsels and gobbling them up, a state of reverie taking hold as they talked about recent events.

“So, Twilight, you said ya had some kinda news to share with us, didn’tcha?” Applejack asked, most of the food having been happily consumed. “What’s goin’ on?”

Twilight sighed, mentally preparing herself. “Okay… So, prepare yourselves. This one is gonna be a doozy.” The other ponies sat and looked intently at the Princess. “I know that Boltsinger and I haven’t been married very long, but… There’s another big change coming.”

Rarity leaned in, curiosity practically bubbling out of her horn as she smiled. “Oh? And what kind of change would that be?”

“Well… Bolt and I are… going to have a baby!” Twilight finished, sitting up and putting her hoof on her belly. There was an eerie, calm silence about them, Pinkie’s face showed more excitement than she had ever shown, while Fluttershy’s mouth hung open with the barest hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth. Applejack’s gaze was warm, knowing, and accepting. Rarity had sat straight up, her forelegs hanging in the air in front of her as the bubbling changed from curiosity to joyous laughter that nearly saw fit to erupt from her very core. Rainbow Dash’s face was one of surprise mixed with curiosity, and something that Twilight didn’t see in her Wonderbolt friend very often. Fear. “I’m only about a month into it, but the doctor says that it’s healthy!”

After a few moments, four of the mares broke into simultaneous cheers. Rarity was the first to form words as she lunged forward, hugging the Alicorn with all of her might. “Oh, darling, this is wonderful news! We simply must celebrate!”

“Uh, didn’t we just sorta do that?” Applejack wondered. “Anyway, I had a feelin’ for a while, now. Y’all’ve been movin’ a might slower than ya normally do, an’ those wings o’ yers could sure use a workout.”

Rainbow Dash watched as the other ponies all rose up and offered their congratulations. Her mind wandered a bit, thinking on what this kind of change would mean. There was no stopping it, but… this was huge. Any other time, any other pony, and she’d be just as giddy as the others. But something about this felt different, and she didn’t like it. She shook her head free of her swirling feelings, keeping her cool as she put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Congrats, Twi.” she said simply, standing up and walking off of the blanket, spreading her wings and taking off as fast as her feathers would let her.

Twilight looked up at the speeding Pegasus as she flew away. “Is she okay?”

---

Mere hours later, the Friendship Express pulled into the Canterlot station, a purple dragon with green spines, translucent green ear-fins, green eyes, and a yellow belly disembarking with suitcase in claw. He looked around the platform, trying to spot the pony he came to see, but not finding a hint of the mixture of orange and blue he sought amidst the plentiful pastels of presently prancing ponies. He felt a slight breeze come down from above, a voice literally carried on the breeze.

“Spike, it’s a little too crowded to meet up with you on the platform. I’ll be just outside the station, okay?” it called, directing the dragon’s attention above him, where he saw the stallion he was looking for, flying above the platform.

Spike shrugged, heading to the area in question. “No matter how many times he does that, it still freaks me out…” He exited the station and went into Canterlot proper, where Boltsinger came in for a landing next to him.

“I heard that, you know.” he commented, grabbing the drake’s tail with his wing and propping him up to ride on his back. “Thanks for coming, Spike. I dunno how I’d be able to get through all this ‘royal business’ without someone with me.”

Spike showed off a cocky grin, hanging his suitcase from Boltsinger’s wing and leaning back against his neck. “It’s nothing. It gives me a chance to pay Celestia a visit! Besides, we all know you’re hopeless without a purple friend to help you through things!”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I’ve improved a great deal since I needed her help to… face most ponies on a personal level!” the stallion retorted, beginning his walk down the road. “It’s not like I found every new face I saw terrifying! Starlight and Star Swirl just have… a scary presence about them!”

Not long after Spike’s arrival, the dragon and the Pegasus found themselves standing before a white bespectacled Unicorn mare with a dark brown mane and tail, each done in a tight bun using simple red ribbon. She wore a white shirt collar that bore a red frill flaring out in front of her. She looked at the stallion before her through half-lidded brown eyes, adjusting her glasses with her magic.

Boltsinger was terrified. He turned his head to face Spike with his knees already shaking. “Why does she feel more intimidating than Star Swirl the Bearded?!” he whispered. Spike just smiled and shrugged, walking past the mare to the Princess enthroned in the back of the room. Boltsinger looked back at the deadpanning mare with his head hanging low, finding a lump in his throat.

“You’re supposed to be the one that needs… and I quote… ‘help on the royal side of things’, yes?” she asked. Boltsinger smiled and nodded, moving his hoof to respond. “Very well. I’m Raven Inkwell, personal aide to Princess Celestia. I’m going to be one of your instructors on this subject, at the request of Princesses Celestia and Twilight. First is going to be dining room etiquette, since dinner is coming soon anyway.”

Boltsinger perked up at the idea of dinner, raising his hoof once more. “Oh! Yeah, Twilight really likes to have good silverware placement! She even taught me whi--”

A magical field took Boltsinger’s jaw and snapped it shut, silencing him. “Speak more concisely. You are royalty. When you speak, you must be clear, and you must be heard.” She adjusted her magic to move his neck into place. “And sit up straight. You must always be the picture of royal dignity!”

Boltsinger felt a crack in his neck, wincing slightly from the sudden sensation. He snuck a look over Raven’s head to see Spike and Princess Celestia looking at the scene before them, with claws and hooves raised to hide their mouths as they snickered to each other. “I can be heard just fine, thank you…” he grumbled.

Raven stepped forward, her face mere inches away from his. “What was that?”

Boltsinger snorted, slapping his muzzle with his wings and taking a deep breath. Spike and Celestia ceased their snickering, moving to cover their ears as quickly as they could. He straightened his back, flaring his wings out to the sides and puffing out his chest. “I said… I can be heard just fine, thank you!” he repeated. Despite the lack of urgency in his tone, the overall volume of his voice boomed through the throne room, reverberating off of the walls for several seconds and shaking the glasses on Raven’s muzzle, along with Raven herself.

Having been moved several feet back by the sheer magnitude of the Pegasus’ voice, Raven let out a small cough, floating her glasses in front of her collar and wiping it down with the frill. “I see. Well, let’s get to dinner! You’ll be meeting your other instructor, there.”

Boltsinger rubbed his chest with his hoof, standing up with a sly grin. “I look forward to meeting them.”

The dinner table was exquisitely set, and Boltsinger took note of all of the fancy cutlery on either side of his empty plate. Spike sat next to him, resting his head on his hand and poking at the silverware, while Princess Celestia sat across the long table, smiling warmly at them.

“So, Boltsinger, how are you enjoying Canterlot?” she asked him, leaning her head only slightly closer. “And why the sudden desire for more responsibility?”

Boltsinger raised his head, doing his best to sit up straight as instructed. “Canterlot is wonderful, as always.” he began, enunciating each syllable as precisely as possible.

“You know, you don’t have to be so formal with me.” the Princess informed him.

Boltsinger breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing his neck. “Thank you… Anyway, Canterlot is great. And, as for the responsibility thing… Well, I was informed a while back that marrying the mare I did would give me a title of sorts… And I want to make sure that Twilight has an easier time with things, considering… what’s coming up.”

Celestia thought for a moment, then nodded knowingly. “Ah, yes. She informed me about your recent surprise not long ago.” She walked over to the stallion, sitting next to him and wrapping her wing around him. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re stepping up to help Twilight. But I’m not sure all of this posh royal training is really necessary, given the business Twilight typically deals with.”

“Probably, but I want to have my bases covered. I have to consider her reputation, after all.” he finished, lifting his pendant with his wing so as to get a better look at it. “There’s a lot to live up to, and I really don’t want to let her down.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Twilight wouldn’t have married somepony she doesn’t have faith in.” Celestia affirmed, moving back to her seat. “Now, everypony else is about to come in. You’d best get back into character.”

Boltsinger nodded, slapping his muzzle with his wings and returning to his dignified pose. “Of course, your Highness.”

The doors to the dining room swung open wide, Princess Luna stepping in and sitting beside her sister. She cast a glance at Boltsinger, gingerly waving a friendly hoof as she sat down. The stallion snuck a wave of his wing in as Raven made her entrance. She sat next to the orange stallion, her clipboard floating in front of her with a quill floating above it.

“I see you are maintaining your posture. That’s good.” She started, making notes on the paper in front of her. “Now, I know you were informed of table manners by Princess Twilight, but I’d like to take the time to see that you’re able to put them into practice. So, your second instructor will be serving as an example of how a proper Prince behaves.” She set her clipboard down, looking to the entrance. “Prince Blueblood, you may enter now!”

From the doorway stepped a white Unicorn stallion, considerably larger than the lean Boltsinger, with a long, flowing blond mane and tail and sky blue eyes. His horn was longer than those of most other Unicorns he had met, and he wore a black suit collar with golden buttons and a blue bow tie. His legs ended in grey hooves, and he bore a gold and blue compass rose Cutie Mark on his flank. He gave a cocky smile as he looked at Raven, maintaining flawless posture as he knocked Spike out of the way and sat down across from her.

“So, you’re the new Prince in Equestria?” he asked, turning his gaze towards Boltsinger. He examined him from head to haunches, his face fraught with confusion. “You’re… not what I expected.”

Boltsinger felt the words pierce him, but refrained from letting it show. He gave a smile as big as he got, doing his best to look as arrogant as possible. “Nopony ever expects somepony like me!” he told him, the words ringing too true to be comfortable.

“That’s not hard to believe.” Blueblood stated, resting his head on his hoof. “So… Where is your horn?”

“I don’t have one.” the orange pony replied, spreading his wings and making a twinkling motion with his feathers. “I’m a Pegasus.” Blueblood opened his mouth, ready to speak again, finding himself blown back by a loud noise as Boltsinger aggressively cleared his throat. “Besides that. Aren’t you here to provide an example for me to follow in… etiquette and decorum?”

“I… suppose.” the pompous pony reluctantly agreed. “But you and I are going to have words after this.”

Boltsinger closed his eyes with a pronounced nod, internally sighing as the meals came in. Blueblood quickly began eating in the most posh way the Pegasus had ever seen. He looked back and forth between him and Raven, who was explaining every detail of the Prince’s actions. What in the hay have I gotten myself into? He thought, seeing Princesses Celestia and Luna laughing and conversing happily with Spike on the other end of the table, not a care in the world. No… I’ve gotta see this through! For Twilight! For the baby! His eyes fell upon Blueblood again, who somehow made all of the ‘Canterlot elite’ ponies that he had met seem as welcoming and friendly as Pinkie Pie by comparison. For my sanity…

Author's Note:

I've been wanting to have Bolt interact with Blueblood for a while now. This just seemed like the perfect opportunity.
In regards to Raven, I'm going with her depiction most seen in the comic books, where she's a Unicorn and the personal aide to Celestia. It's her most consistent portrayal, and she seemed like the right fit for the job I have her doing.