One Bolt, Moving Forward

by Boltsinger

Overdoing

“TWILIGHT, PLEASE!!!” Boltsinger shouted as he sat up and reached forward. His words echoed almost endlessly through the castle, ringing in the ears of all of its occupants. He sat still for several moments, taking rapid, panicked breaths. “I’m awake?” he asked himself, letting his foreleg fall limp. “Oh, good… But… What if that still…” His wings came forward, delivering a sharp, yet welcome pain to his cheeks. “No… Don’t think about it, Bolt… Just do everything in your power to prevent it…” He got out of the bed, which was still notably empty at the time, and scratched his chin with his wing. “But how do I prevent it?” He headed out into the hallway, moving into the nursery. He sat next to the carriage, rocking it back and forth as he looked around the room. He laid his eyes on the walls, taking note of the star patterns littered throughout. “Aha! I know who might have an idea!” He jumped to his hooves, running out the door and back to the bedroom, where he began writing.

---

Boltsinger walked down the streets of Ponyville with a letter tucked under his wing. Out of all the things he had taken for granted, this was the one that hit him the hardest. He had grown so used to having Spike around to send his letters that not having him there changed up the game completely. He looked around the town, trying to find one of the few places in Ponyville he had never been to.

The post office.

The one service in town he never thought he’d need. And now he needed it. He sighed to himself as he walked, keeping his gaze focused and forward as he came to a street sign.

As he turned his focus laser-sharp, a mare came and sat next to him. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Boltsinger replied on auto-pilot.

“Whatcha doing?” she asked.

“Looking for the post office.” He told her.

“Oh? Got a letter for somepony?” she wondered.

“Eeyup. But Spike isn’t home, so I gotta do it the long way.” He stated.

“Who is it for?”

“My friend, Starlight Glimmer, up in the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh, well in that case, just give it to me now!” She suggested.

Boltsinger tilted his head. “What do you mean--” He turned his head, the face of Starlight Glimmer coming into view. “Ah! S-S-Starlight!” He leaned in and gave her a hug. “You have the best timing ever!” He pulled back, bringing the letter forward. “Th-this is for you!”

“Thanks.” Starlight took the letter with her magic, shifting her expression from delight to something more akin to concern. Something about her friend seemed remarkably different. He was still himself, but it felt like it wasn’t the Bolt she had come to see over time. “Hey… Are you okay? You look like you had a heck of a nightmare.”

A fit of nervous laughter erupted from the stallion, quickly dying down. “Oh, you have no idea!” After another short laugh, he returned to normal. “But, seriously, I’m fine.” He began trotting back to the castle, beckoning her along with his wing. “Come on! Twilight’s…” He let out a depressed sigh. “… in the library…”

“She holed up in there doing research?” she queried, following him.

“Eeyup.” He confirmed. “She’s going all-in on making this school happen.”

Starlight gave him an understanding nod. “Yeah, seeing that map expand was a bit of a shock, but it did get Sunburst and I started on a new project!” She pulled a crystal from her saddlebag, magic pulsing inside. “The Crystal Empire crystals have properties we’ve only just barely tapped into! Maud really wasn’t kidding that the right rocks can have incredible power, because Sunburst and I have discovered a way to store a spell inside a crystal! With multiple uses!”

“Store a spell? So, something like bending the entirety of a village to your will?” Boltsinger teased.

A sarcastic laugh escaped Starlight’s throat. “Very funny… But, no, I was thinking something more like teleportation. I’ve got another crystal just like this one set up at another location, so they’ll basically be linked! All you need to do is touch the crystal directly, and then, POOF! You’re at the other place!” She looked into the magical rock excitedly, considering all of the possible applications. “It’ll need to be recharged every once in a while, but it’ll make getting around a lot easier! Plus, if it catches on, it’ll let anycreature go seemingly anywhere! We could set up a whole ‘teleport service’ for everyday creatures!”

“Sounds like you’ve got some big plans ahead.” Boltsinger affirmed as they approached the castle’s front door. “Why don’t you go set that up where you need to, and I’ll go get Twilight?”

Starlight nodded and headed for the throne room while Boltsinger took flight down the hall. She quickly sat down in the stallion’s chair, stowing the crystal away for the moment as she opened the letter she had received. “I wonder what it is he had to write me about. He doesn't do it all that often…” she unfolded the parchment, looking at it closely.

“Dear Starlight,

I think I need some advice… Normally I would go to Twilight for something like this, but it sorta directly concerns her. And the baby. And me.

You see, Twilight doesn’t know this yet, but I’ve been in a very well-hidden state of constant freak-out ever since I learned that Twilight was pregnant. So far, the only ones who know about it are Princess Luna, Discord, and Rainbow Dash.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “He probably doesn’t think he’s gonna be a very good parent…” She returned her attention to the words below.

“There’s been a few things on my mind. I’ve been worried that I might not be a good dad, but I’ve also been worried about Twilight this whole time. Ever since Rainbow spoke out about not wanting things to change, she’s been pushing herself harder. Normally not enough to cause real harm, but she got more reckless in her flying, taking more risks than necessary, and, most recently, overdoes it with all-night studying…

What’s worse is that all of this seems to have… brought something back. I’ll explain it more to you when I see you, but… I just don’t know what to do… Let me know what you think might help, and come visit soon! We miss you!

Your friend,
Boltsinger”

Starlight folded the letter up, putting it in her saddlebag as the residing ponies of the castle entered the room. “Twilight! Good to see you!” She exclaimed, getting up and hugging the Princess. “Did you get my letters?”

Twilight beamed at her former student. “Of course! I even added my own notes on the topic!” She waved her wing with a small yawn, prompting Boltsinger to come forward with an enormous stack of documents. He lifted with all of his might, hoisting them onto the map with a thunderous thud. “Not to mention, if this works, we get to see each other whenever we want!”

Starlight guided the Alicorn to her throne, where the mares poured over the notes that Twilight had made. They talked at length about methods for recharging the crystals and making it as easy as possible for anycreature to use. Twilight repeatedly yawned through the conversation, looking more tired with each passing minute. Finally, the ladies stood up, Starlight bringing the crystal forward again. “So, you ready to test this out?” she asked. Twilight nodded enthusiastically. “Sunburst is on the other side, waiting to work the crystal on his end. When both of them are charged and in place, they’ll glow, liiiiiike…” She pulled a number of other crystals forward, setting many up in a pattern that reminded them of a four-pointed star, with a long one situated at the edge like a podium. She took the original crystal and put it in place at the top of the long crystal, causing the main crystal and all of the other ones in the array to glow a bright white “... this!”

No sooner had the array lit with power did magic build within the circle. With a bright, white, poof of light, Sunburst appeared before them, sitting on the floor with one hoof over his ducked head and the other reaching out. He shivered in place for a moment until Starlight planted a kiss on his forehead. He looked up, seeing her smiling face alongside Twilight. “So, it worked?” He sprang to his hooves. “It worked! Yes! Accessible long-distance teleportation is possible! I knew it!” He jumped forward and gave Starlight a hug like he’d never hugged before.

Starlight met the embrace in kind, laughing as they fell to the floor. Boltsinger looked at the ecstatic couple with a sly smirk, nudging Twilight. “I see they’ve certainly gotten ‘closer’.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they had plans to tie some knots in the future!” The Alicorn remarked, the two sharing a laugh behind their hooves.

The embrace ended that instant, both ponies jumping to their hooves and raising a defensive foreleg with faces more red than a Draconequus’ pupils. “What?! No! We’re just…” Starlight started, glancing over at her special somepony.

“Hey, what you choose to do is all up to you.” Boltsinger said, walking back towards the door.

Starlight looked between Boltsinger and Twilight, the Princess’ eyes drooping with the weight of her fatigue. She gave her mentor a soft pat on the shoulder. “You should get some rest, you look like you could use it.”

Twilight let out a soft yawn, shaking her head. “Thanks, but I feel like I can keep going.”

Starlight looked firmly at her, trying to come up with a way to convince her otherwise. At last, she relented with a heavy sigh. “Okay… but don’t push yourself too hard.”

Sunburst adjusted his glasses, letting his curiosity get the better of him as he turned to Twilight. “And what’s been keeping you awake so much?” The Princess perked up again, going into a long and detailed explanation of her plans to open a school.

Starlight rolled her eyes, amused at the wizard’s enthusiasm as she trotted out. “Hey, Bolt, wait up!” She called, quickly catching up to the stallion. She hadn’t noticed earlier, but getting another good look at him, and having read his letter, she could see that he was carrying himself differently than he usually did. His head was lower, slouching, even. His step wasn’t quite as springy as it was before, either, with the faint sound of a hoof dragging on the floor coming forth as he took a step. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look… off.”

Boltsinger raised his head a bit, flashing a half-hearted grin. “I’m fine.” He made a deep exhale, turning his attention forward again. “Juuuust fine…”

“Because you would totally send me a letter asking for advice if you were ‘just fine’.” she deadpanned. “You said you’d tell me in detail when we met up. What’s going on?”

A quiet, yet indignant groan came out of Boltsinger, a different kind of fatigue having set in. “So, do you remember the thing that Twilight and Luna fought against inside my dreams?”

“The one that basically drove you so crazy that you flew away and sent Twilight into a book-sorting frenzy for an entire week?” she guessed.

Starlight’s words were like a knife to his gut, he cringed in pain for a moment. “Yeah… That…” He gave his face a thorough slap, regaining his focus. “So, anyway… It’s back. But that’s not even the scariest part!”

Starlight’s mouth hung open, a small sound escaping before she finally found her response. “How is the representation of an evil influence on your mind coming back after having been destroyed not the scariest part?!” She inquired, reaching out with her foreleg.

“Because it was my fault she could even do it!” He clarified. “But… What if it had a point? What if I can’t be there?” He stopped his walking, sitting on the floor and clutching his head with his hooves as his eyes glowed green. “What if something happens to the baby and I’m not there and it’s all my fault and Twilight turns into a midnight-y nightmare Princess thing that shoots magic at everyone and corrupts the Elements and plunges Equestria into a millennia of darkn--”

Boltsinger's ramble was cut short by a hard hoof to the cheek, knocking him to the floor. “Boltsinger, calm down!”

The stallion took several panicked breaths, gathering his senses and working his way back up. His wing came to his now severely reddened cheek, rubbing it gently. “Thanks for that, but… Ow… That really hurt!” He took a calming breath, facing her properly. “And I thought Brightling hit hard…”

“You good now?” she asked. He rubbed his cheek some more, giving her a solemn nod. “Good. Now, tell me everything.”

The pace of his explanation was rapid, yet intelligible. As if he’d studied Pinkie’s method of rambling and put it to good use. He went on for half a minute explaining how he had been feeling since Twilight had decided to prove that she wasn’t a burden to anypony while pregnant, and how she had been behaving, all leading up to the dream he had the previous night, which he explained in such vivid detail that she could almost see it in her mind. “... and then I freaked out an you slapped me.” He rubbed his cheek one more time. “Still hurts, too.”

“Okay… So from what I’m hearing, you feel like you’re not able to be there enough.” she reasoned. “But haven’t you been with her as often as possible?”

“That’s what I thought, but then that thing--” he started, cut off by a hoof on his shoulder.

“Forget ‘that thing’ and think clearly for once!” she ordered, putting her face close enough to nearly touch his. “You’ve done everything in your power to prove you’re good enough, and from what I’ve seen, you’ve proven that in spades! And I can’t think of anypony who would disagree with me!”

The stallion’s eyes went wide, with his ears turning towards Starlight so as to fully absorb her words. “I can think of at least one…” he informed her, raising his hoof.

“Well, whoever it is, they’re wrong.” she replied, backing off. “And they clearly don’t know you very well.” She patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. “I’m going to go back and talk with Twilight and Sunburst. Come join us when you’re ready.”

“Okay…” he answered, letting his head hang there as she trotted off. That one pony was me…

---

“So, have you noticed Bolt acting a bit… strange… lately?” Starlight asked.

Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Strange? No, he’s been his usual self. Why?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “You sure? He hasn’t been at all jumpy or overly freaked out?”

“Starlight, this is Boltsinger we’re talking about.” the Princess deadpanned. “That’s like asking if Pinkie is being hyper or crazy!”

Starlight gave a playful scoff, waving her hoof. “I know that, but I mean… Has it gotten worse lately?”

Twilight pondered the question for a moment. “Well, he’s nowhere near as jumpy as he was when he first arrived.” Thinking on his more recent behaviors, there was one grain of truth that she found. “He’s been really… helpful ever since I started my studying for the school. Perhaps a little too helpful… Why do you ask?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” the pink mare fibbed, bringing up some papers to obscure her face. “Her just seems a little off today. Not like there’s anything that could be bothering him, right?”

“Now that you mention it, he has been getting the occasional nightmare.” Twilight mentioned while a pleasant aroma wafted in. “But I’m sure it’s nothing…” She took a sharp inhale. “... too…” another sniff. “... Okay, I can’t be the only one smelling this!”

Sunburst took a whiff of his own, getting up and following the scent. “I smell it, too… What do you think it is?”

“ATTENTION EVERYPONY! LUNCH IS NOW READY!” Boltsinger bellowed in the distance. The horned ponies all made their way to the dining room, where a large pot of steaming vegetable soup sat at the center of the table. Boltsinger trotted out of the kitchen holding four bowls in his wings.

“So what brought this on?” Twilight inquired, taking a seat.

“Well, it’s noon, for one.” Boltsinger replied, setting the table. “Plus, I’m willing to bet you haven’t eaten in hours. Maybe longer.”

Twilight sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, pulling her bowl closer. “Not since yesterday…” She looked around, met with a stern stare from Starlight and Sunburst.

“I thought so.” Boltsinger said, pouring her an extra large helping. “And well, we have friends over! Why not cook something?”

Twilight licked her lips expectantly as her reflection in the soup stared back at her. She quickly picked up the bowl and took a sip of the broth. “Mmmmmm…. Okay, this is good… But, you didn’t have to do so much, you know.”

Boltsinger let out a nervous laugh. “I kinda did.”

Twilight shook her head, putting her bowl down. “No, you didn’t. We could have done this together.”

Boltsinger’s head shook in return. “No, you need to take it easy. Doctor’s orders.”

“I feel fine! You don’t need to worry about me so much!” she retorted, rising from her chair. Sunburst and Starlight looked at the two of them, the simple fact that they were married becoming more evident than ever.

“Do I really? Because going for three days with no sleep and minimal food seems like something worth worrying about!” he snapped back, pointing towards the library.

“All I’m doing is studying for the school!” the Alicorn stated, raising her voice. “What’s so bad about that?”

“Nothing is bad about that! When you pace yourself!” he reasoned, stepping closer. “I know you know how to do that! I saw memories of you reading a book on how to not overexert yourself! Or have you forgotten the contents of that book? ‘Cause you’ve been pushing yourself way too hard for a while now!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, snapping her head back to face him. “Oh, and now you’re supposed to remind me of what I know? Are you my keeper, or something?”

“I’m your husband, and I’m just trying to be there for you!” he informed her, getting his muzzle just barely to the point of meeting hers.

Twilight gave off a loud, irritated groan, flaring her wings and lighting her horn as she reared up, towering over him. “I DON’T NEED YOU HOVERING OVER ME ALL THE TIME!” she finally screamed, slamming her hooves on the floor.

Four words. Four simple words had pierced him like none before. Boltsinger was thrown back a bit by the display of force, his eyes now wide and glowing a bright green. There was a kind of jolt inside his mind as his breathing sped up. “Okay… Okay… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I-I-I’ll get out of your mane… I’m sorry… I… I’m gonna go...”

Twilight’s own breathing slowed as she began to calm down. Her wings returned to her sides and her horn fizzled out once more. “Okay…” She turned to her chair as Boltsinger’s apologies continued. As her rump hit the chair, she felt an eerie chill down her spine as a piercing gaze came upon her. At the source of the glare was Starlight, looking at her with almost as much anger in her eyes as when the two had been enemies.

Starlight forcefully rose from her seat and stomped over to the Princess, placing her hoof firmly on her former mentor’s chest. “You and I are going to talk about this later.” She said through gritted teeth. “But right now, there’s something more important I need to attend to…” She trotted past the purple pony, quickly picking up speed into the foyer. There, Boltsinger was moving from a nervous walk to a frantic gallop. “Bolt, wait up!” She cried, vanishing in a blue flash to appear in front of him. He weaved around her, not missing a beat in his beeline for the door. “Come on, Boltsinger! Talk to me!” She teleported again, appearing in front of him with her horn still aglow. She wrapped the stallion in her magic, lifting him into the air. He struggled for a solid thirty seconds as she sat there, tapping her hoof on the floor. Eventually, he fell limp. “Now, talk to me. What’s eating you?”

Boltsinger shook his head in vehement denial. “Nothing. Nothing’s eating me! I’m fine! I’m fine… I’m fine… Just fine…”

Starlight looked at him flatly. “No, you’re not.”

Another crazed-sounding laugh burst forth from the stallion. “Oh yes I am! Perfectly F.I.N.E.! Absolutely nothing wrong!”

“After a fight like that? I doubt it.” She deadpanned. “Why don’t you come back with me and we can all--” She felt a shock in her horn, breaking her concentration. She looked up to see Boltsinger floating above her, lightning surging around him. His entire body curled up, as if winding up for a takeoff. “Bolt, wait!” She called, reaching her hoof to him. A spark of electricity shot out of the mass to hit her hoof, sending her flinching back as a thunderclap boomed through the castle, the Pegasus taking off at a speed faster than she could comprehend. She looked on at the electricity that sparked in the air, unsure of how to respond.

“Starlight! Come quick!” Sunburst yelled from the dining room. Starlight hopped to her hooves, running back to the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?!” She asked, looking towards the wizard. He pointed his hoof at the table, where Twilight had fallen asleep, using her bowl as an impromptu pillow.

Author's Note:

Starlight gets scary when she's angry. Seriously, she's even starting to scare me a little.

Comments

[Amos Anon]

Twilight, you moron. Don't you know that every time you starve yourself, you also starve your baby?

[Gboyd]

Oh no! Their first big fight! And those four words.... This is going to take some work to mend.