The Past of a Past Hunter
Author's Note
I really wanted this story to introduce my original character: Searing Bolt so tell me if I did a good job at it or if I flopped. Oh, and if somewhere the numbers don't add up (Ha!) please point it out to me and i'll get right on it. I really hate building long time lines... Well then, hope you enjoy.
The Past of a Past Hunter
"So... Tell me about your past." the light gold Pegasus mare asked the Unicorn stallion sitting across from her eating. The stallion stopped his spoon in front of his muzzle and set it back in his bowl and sits the bowl next to him on the fallen pillar he sat on, then looked around the ruins they sat in the middle of then looked back at the mare.
"Where did this come from? Kinda random isn't it?" The volcanic ash color stallion asked. "I mean, it's not like I mind if you ask, it's just why now? We've known each other for a while now, so why so late in the game?" He pondered as he examined the mare. Her rose colored eyes looked at her bowl, her mane which was a palette of black and gray colors and looks strangely familiar and her Khaki jacket, which confused him to no end as to how no matter what she's been through, it never tears or scratches or let alone wrinkle. 'The hell type space age material is she using?' Shrugging, the stallion examined the rest of her body stopping at her flank, more specifically her cutie mark which was a compass rose.
At the same time, the mare saw the stallion eyeing her and examined him as well. She looks towards his mane, it was the color of a Sodium flame, swept back and held back in place with a pair of signature goggles only given to high ranking Wonderbolts. 'I wonder if someone gave them to him as a present?' She thought as looked at his build, he wasn't big and muscular, taller than her by a head and a half, but his body wasn't too lean, he was more average looking if you saw him from afar but if you looked closely you would see he was well toned. 'Hmm... His coat's color makes it hard to see his muscles at all.' She scanned him up and down and stopped at the harness on his shoulder. What sat there was a Dagger. 'I think he called it a Dai Katana.' She liked its design, it had a gold pommel at the tip of the hilt, a black cord wrap and red ray skin under the wrap. What really stood out was that it didn't have a guard between the blade and hilt. She has seen him use it and was even more fascinated by the blade, it was Obsidian black with a rainbow hue on the edge that would remind you of Celestia's mane. As she was done with her observation, she noticed his eyes on her flank. Moving her tail to cover her cutie mark. "Sorry lover boy, this item is not on the menu."
Bolt noticed he was staring at her cutie mark, he looked up and responded "Oh? I didn't take the great Daring Do to be the shy type." smirking at her, flashing a canine. "Excuse me for making the oh so great writer/ adventurer uncomfortable." He said snickering.
"Oh? But I didn't take the oh so great history hunter Searing Bolt as a tail chaser. Anyway, tell me about your past and first things first, tell me about those canines. Last I remember ponies don't have sharp canine incisors... Unless you're the same race as Luna's personal guard?" Daring Do said as she looks at his eyes and back. "But I feel like you're missing two key appendages and optic organs."
"Well..." Searing Bolt's horn, lights up in a rouge aura then a light appeared on his back as a pair of wings, the same color as his aura appears. He flexes them a couple times, then makes them disappear. "I can make wings on command, I just don't use them often and no I'm not of the Bat race... Not really fond of caves."
"Okay, cool, you still haven't explained your fangs, compadre." Daring ask raising an eyebrow.
"Well, they grew in thanks to my teacher's training." Bolt said, grabbing his bowl in his aura and begins eating again.
"Training?" Daring Do asked, narrowing her eyes. "How does training cause you to grow fangs?" Grabbing her spoon and taking a bite of the contents of bowl.
"They do when your teacher is a dragon and he's teaching you draconian magic. It's kind of a side effect really, nothing major." He took another bite then took a look at Daring Do who is staring at him wide eyed. "What?"
"YOU WERE TAUGHT BY A DRAGON?! HOW?! WHY?! WHEN?!" Daring Do asked, as she rushed to his side standing real close. Bolt didn't budge as he took another bite of his food. "TELL ME!!!!" she yells as she tried to slap his bowl out of his aura and failed as he lifted it over his head pouring the rest of what's in the bowl in his mouth then places it back on the pillar.
"That was good, you're a great cook Miss Yearling." he looked at her noticing a vein popping out of her forehead. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you geez. My home before moving to Equestria, the Burning Kingdom."
"Yes, I remember you told me about the place, but that's all you told me, that and your age: 400+." she explained as she sat next to him, looking at his profile while he stares at the campfire.
" 458 to be precise. The Burning Kingdom was home to many races from dragon to even changelings and we were all close, like one big kingdom family... Well, until someone was too much of a coward to deal with us himself and deceived a grieving old mare who happened to be the most powerful mage of that time and turned everyone to stone..." Bolt said as he sighed and looked up at the stars.
"It sounds like you didn't fight back, why?" she asked as Bolt clicked his teeth twice then blew out a stream of fire, as the flame died he lowered his head and stared back at the campfire.
"They didn't... What honor would it be to fight a grieving old mare? The whole kingdom decided that they would take all her grief and sorrow and play punching bag for her. My brother Freezing Burn and I only survived due to our dragon teacher Gold Claw, had cast a sleep spell on us and hid us in the dungeon..." Bolt sighed as he continued. "When we awoke, we might as well have been standing in a kingdom sized museum, everyone was standing tall and proud from the adults to the children..." Bolt slammed his hoof into the standing pillar to his right, sending it a few feet out of the circle of pillars they were surrounded by. Gritting his teeth, he then shouted. "WHY DID ONLY WE SURVIVE?! WE COULD BEEN THERE WITH EVERYONE ELSE STANDING PROUD NOT TUCKED AWAY LIKE COWARDS!!!" he looks at Daring Do sitting beside him to see if he scared her or not, but she was just sitting looking at him with a worried expression. He sighed and continued. "Don't worry, it's not like I'm suicidal or anything... I just don't the fact that others our age didn't make it when we did. Anyway, about a half day later, Princess Celestia showed and said that she was asked by our mother to look after us. Apparently My mom sent a letter a couple of hours before everything went down. Next thing I know, my brother and I are legally Celestia's sons through adoption and we lived happily ever after... Yeah, right." Bolt scoffed.
"What do you mean?" Daring Do ask as she tilted her. "Did Celestia treat you badly?"
Bolt looked at her with a shocked expression. "What?! Oh heavens no! She had to be one of the best mothers, aside from our own mom, around. Busy a lot but still top. Tartarus, even the staff were super friendly."
"So what was the problem?" She asked as looked at Bolt's face, noticing a pained expression creep over it.
"It was my brother... After a hundred years, he started distrusting the Princess, saying she arrived when she did on purpose as to get rid of those who could possibly outlive even her and are just as powerful or more. He went on and on, and then, he just left, gone, poof..." Bolt sighed as he slumped down.
"So, he ran away? and I've been meaning to ask you, how do you live so long without being an alicorn?" she asked as he straightened back up.
"That I don't know, Tartarus knows if they're any male alicorns at all. Both Celestia and my mom said that my dad's side of the family is a special race of unicorns. No record of a name... I guess it died with my great grandfather, from what I heard, he knew Starswhirl the Bearded when they were still young stallions and he was there for Celestia's and Luna's crowning and the birth of Equestria."
Daring Do looks at Bolt and gasped. " Woah... When did he, well, die?"
"Celestia said during the war against Sombra. I don't think anyone knew his age though..." He said as rubbed his chin.
"What about your grandfather?" she ask as he stopped rubbing his chin just to scratch the side of his head.
"I think he was born before Sombra's reign, seeing as he knew Princess Amore as a young stallion but he died during the Lunar Rebellion. Before that war My dad was conceived and well, we know how he perished... so did notice the pattern?" Bolt asked, looking at Daring Do.
Daring Do rubbed her chin as she thought then answered. "They all died in battle?"
"Ding ding, they met their end in battle or some war in Equestria. And my brother noticed too, and thought that Celestia wanted the whole Kingdom to die in that invasion, knowing that no one in the Burning Kingdom would attack some old mare. It would shame us if they did." Bolt sighed and continued. "Then another hundred years past and he show up with the intention of, well, offing Celestia... Once he made his motive clear, I teleported him to the Badlands where the Secret battle for Equestria began and ended. The fighting last for 2 weeks until my brother broke down and cried. He told me he found the old mare's grave along with her daughter."
"She had a daughter? It's been 200 years after the incident, so how would she be alive?" she asked as Bolt shrugged.
"Don't know my only guess is that they both just that powerful. I asked Celestia and she said that Creeping Ivy, the mare's daughter and my brother's now wife for the past 200 years, and her mother were close to being Alicorn without being one... I guess that means they achieved something great enough to ascend but, didn't, more than likely out of choice. So after my brother found out he filled me in on what really happened. It seemed that the old mare was deceived by an old enemy of our grandfather, who still had a vendetta. After talking to Ivy, he learned that the old mare returned to the kingdom and set flowers next to each and every statue every year after her grieving outburst as an apology, up until her final wind. My brother paid his respects to the old mare's grave, then set off to find this old soldier, just to find out he died during the old mare's invasion. With no way to vent he came back to Equestria to take it out on the original object of his ire... Well, until I stopped him that is."
"Wow, that must've been devastating." Daring Do said, placing a hoof on Bolt's shoulder. "But how did you two fight for 2 weeks? You must have been exhausted after the first 3 hours?"
Bolt lets out a small chuckle. "Sorry, but no. The Burning Kingdom trained knights for war, so 2 weeks is really the minimum. The only reason for that is because I was able to talk him down."
"Still, that had to be grueling. It had to be the worst part of your life other than your home being petrified." she stated, removing her hoof keeping her eyes glued to his face, once again noticing a pained expression.
"Nah, the worst point of my life is the moment I went completely insane a hundred years ago." he told her as he uses his magic to throw a couple sticks onto the fire.
"How did you go insane? You look fine to me, for someone who been on the wrong side of the sanity track." Daring Do places a hoof on Bolt's chin, moving his face around, examining it.
Bolt lightly removes her hoof from his chin. "Hey hey hey, easy on the merchandise. Anyway, I was hit with a curse from Nightmare moon."
Daring Do gasped loudly. "How did you get cursed by Nightmare Moon? Wasn't she still banished on the moon a hundred years ago? Wait... You're 458 right? How old were you when you came to Equestria? And how long apart are all the events that happened?"
Bolt rubbed the back his head while looking up at Luna's star as he answered "Hmm... Lets see I was 15 when the invasion happened which was 443 years ago, 200 years after that, was the spat with Freezing Burn which places that at 243 years back, the next 100 years was pretty uneventful aside from Ivy's and Freezing Burn's wedding which we are now at 143. Pretty even huh? And after that was my insanity bout which ended 43 years ago, which after that I took 5 years for myself to control the curse and awaken my love for history. After that I came out to the public by going to school with the Princess of Love Mi Amore Cadenza... Ugh, I hate saying her full name. And Prince Shining Armor... I hate adding the title to his. So yes, I am 458 years old by official records, but by public records I'm 33 years old. Does that timeline sit well with you, Fraulein?" Bolt look at Daring Do, seeming like she was piecing everything together then nods. "Now you probably wanna hear about the curse, how I got it, survived it and controlled it, si?" With another nod she agrees. Seeing this, Bolt stretches and straightens back up, looking back at the campfire. "Well, I wanted to do something to Please Celestia, to show her I appreciate all that she did for me. So, I modified my original spell, remember what it was?" Bolt questioned Daring Do as she gave it some serious thought.
Daring Do stared at the dirt remembering and answered "Spacial step right? Allowing you to fold the space in front you, to instantly move from one spot to another, right? Why not just use teleportation?" when she looked up Bolt was gone out of his seat.
"Correctomundo! And because teleporting make a loud pop when used as well as what is no doubt a bright light beacon saying I'm over here!!!" Bolt yells from the left side of Daring Do startling her. " I needed stealth and plus, I've gotten so good at it, that I can now even mirror the openings to create many of me..." Bolt demonstrated by surrounding Daring Do in her seat, then releasing the spell as she looks around searching for him only to find him back in his original seat. "And open a portal to other worlds or in my case, seeing as it my first time using the spell, to go to the moon. Let me tell you, you've never seen loneliness until you have seen a mare, broken from over 900 years of solitude... When I spoke to her, I told the honest truth, Celestia missed her and that she was torn up having to send her sister to the moon. At first it was working, she actually thought about coming through my portal, but then..."Bolt releases a long sigh. "I guess the nightmare took back over and I was hit with a nasty curse, smack dab in my left eye. I quickly closed the portal and covered my eye." Bolt emphasized as he places a hoof on his left eye and continued. "I walked to a mirror to see what damage was done." He removed his hoof from his eye and his normally burning orange colored eye was midnight purple with a slit night blue pupil and a purple aura surrounding his whole eye.
Daring Do reaches out placing a hoof on Bolt's left temple. "Does it hurt? Did it hurt?" She asked rubbing his temple in circles.
Bolt moved her hoof placing it back in front of her. "Nah, wasn't meant to hurt..." Bolt closed his eye and reopens it, returning it to the original color. "It was meant to cause nightmares... Debilitating, soul crushing, mind burning, heart wrenching nightmares..." Bolt sighed. "At first it was just normal nightmares: embarrassing or humiliating, after a week or two of that it started to crank up to 11... I was having nightmares about actually being turned stone with the rest of the kingdom, hearing the soul piercing cry of the old mare in the background." Daring Do look into Bolt's face as he recalled his nightmares, watching as he grit his teeth and tears roll down his cheek. "My big talk from earlier doesn't mean shit seeing as I'm here crying and scared recalling a nightmare where I die over and over and over and over, again and again!!!" Daring Do noticed his anger at himself and quickly hugs him to calm him down. Bolt, Surprised by the hug, looked at the mare latched to his left side. "Whoa, you give hugs? Didn't think you were emotionally capable." Bolt smirked, looking at the blushing adventurer/ author as she lets go, punching him in the arm, folding her arms and turning the opposite way.
"Hey! Even I have a heart jackass! And plus..." she turns back towards Bolt, who is still grinning, placing her fore hooves back down in front of herself. "That goofy fanged grin suits you better." She stated as Bolt ruffled her mane and in return gives him a playful shove as the shared a light laugh. "But don't think little of yourself for being afraid of death, it's the nature of all living things to fear death and it's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Yea, thanks Daring, I needed that." he said as wrapped his left arm around her for a quick hug that she gladly returns.
"So, can you continue or?" She asked as they released their quick embrace.
Bolt lets out a burst of laughter. "I guess being an author, makes it where you can't leave a story unfinished huh? Ha ha ha ha!!!" Bolt looks at the monochromatic maned mare who bore an unamused look in her eyes. "Alright, alright, no need to break out the whip! I'll be good!" Bolt cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, after 2 months I locked down the entire wing I resided in to protect the staff and Celestia from me. I was in a bad place, if anyone were to get too close... There would be no doubt in my mind that I would have ended their life. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, years to 10 years and 10 years to 20 years. After 100 years passed, 8 months into the 100th year..." Bolt gritted his teeth as to get ready to confront his biggest demon. "I... Attempted to kill Celestia... in her sleep ."
With the force of a freight train, Daring Do tackled Bolt to the ground pinning him under her. With a fierce glare she shouted. "WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK OF DOING SOMETHING SO BUCKING STUPID AS MURDERING CELESTIA?! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED HER AS A MOTHER?! SO WHY?!"
"Paranoia" Bolt answered as he looked in the direction of the campfire.
"What?" Daring Do asked as she loosened her grip.
"The nightmares had gone into playing with my trust for anyone and everyone and it didn't make it better when my brother's words start creeping in." Bolt said as he lifted Daring Do off of him and placing her back on the pillar they were sitting on before joining her soon after dusting himself off. "I started thinking 'What if all those wars my family participated in were really just elaborate ways of getting rid of us? When is the next war, when she'll be ready to send me and Burn to our fates just like our great grandparents or grandparents?' and I couldn't shake the thoughts no matter how hard I tried... Then that night came. Using a letter opener she had on her desk, I was prepared to take her life..." Bolt took a deep breath and sighed. "But I couldn't. If you would have seen the adorable sight of an all powerful ruler drooling and mumbling about cake, I doubt you would be able to as well. At that moment, it was like the curse broke and I could see all of the stupid thoughts I made as bullshit. She would never stoop so low, she rather dive in a pool sized cake before worrying about a race out living or being stronger than her. Unless they were a direct threat to Equestria, she could care less and wouldn't have to, seeing as the whole of the Burning Kingdom were her Knights and Equestria's protectors. As that thought passed, as if on cue, she awoke with a groggy look and looked at me with a goofy grin asking: 'Ah, Bolt. Did you have a nightmare? Want to sleep mommy?' I was so thrown off by what she said, all I could do is climb in the bed and become a body pillow as she patted my head whispering 'Good boy.' I waited till she went back to sleep and used spacial step back to my own room and laughed at what just happened." Bolt burst out into a loud laughter."Can you imagine? A 415 year old, scared by a nightmare and forced to sleep with his adopted mother for safety." Daring Do smiling, notice tears flowing down his cheeks as he laughed. After a minute, Bolt's laughter died as he started wiping his tears and continued. "A Year after that whole scenario, I started reading about Equestrian history in which I became increasingly interested in pre-Celestia and Luna history, found a way... A stressful way to control the nightmare magic and practiced Spacial step to be able to not only jump around this world, but to parallel one as well and I succeeded... In getting trapped in one." Bolt rubbed the back of his head, smiling, remembering the incident, while Daring Do look at him in annoyance.
"For how long?" she asked with half-lidded eyes.
"Come on, it's not that impo-" Bolt said being cut off by the mare.
"How. Long." she asked with an edge, making Bolt sweat.
"Four years..." Bolt whispered.
"How long? Speak up!" she yelled make Bolt flinch.
"FOUR YEARS! GEEZ!" Bolt shouted back.
"How in Tartarus do you get stuck in another world for FOUR YEARS?! Are you stupid?!" she yelled as she slammed her hoof next to him, causing him to cover his face.
"I'm sorry, okay? It's just the world, I went to had next to little to no magic and using what Teacher Glossing Rain, my Changeling teacher, taught me, I had to... *ahem* borrow love. And it's not easy when it's not aimed towards you. So that's one reason it took 5 years, I had to gather it." he explained while peeking over at Daring Do who still had a disapproving scowl on her face.
"One?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's the other?"
"I found a job... In *gulp* archaeology... Went on a world tour to study the bipedal creatures that live there and I apparently changed into, called humans..." Bolt could see a small vein pop out of Daring Do's forehead as she massaged the bridge of her nose.
"Bolt." she called out calmly.
"Yes, my most favorite mare in the whole wide world with every bit of gummy candy on top?" he asked cowering on the edge of the pillar.
"How long did it actually take you to remember that love gathering spell? Be. Honest." she asked as if the end statement was a cannon ready to fire.
"The *gulp* start of the fourth year... I jus-" Bolt couldn't finish because this time a high speed magical bullet train of pure Daring Do hit him with enough force to break the sound barrier, maneuvering around Bolt's back, putting him in a headlock.
"I KNEW IT!!! YOU ALWAYS DO THAT! I GUESS THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED!!! NO MATTER HOW DIRE, DANGEROUS OR CRAZY, YOU PUT OFF THE DANGERS UNTIL YOU'RE FINISHED DOING WHAT YOU STARTED!!! REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?!" Daring Do yelled.
"....... Oh yeah, we found that sweet ruin inside that volcano! I still have the inscriptions." Bolt answered, smiling until Daring Do put more force into the lock.
"YEAH, AFTER ALMOST GETTING BURNED ALIVE WHEN IT ERUPTED YOU MORON!!! And that lax thinking of yours is how you found out my secret identity. If you would have only kept going on your way to the frozen north, instead of taking that unnecessary detour and stopped being nosy, poking your head all through my cottage, my secret would have been safe..." Daring Do sighs as she lets go of Bolt, rolling him over to her right then lies in the dirt, looking to the sky. "But if you did, I wouldn't have had as much fun as I did for the past 2 years... Thanks."
"No problem, It's what I do." he said as he laid right beside her.
"So after you got back, you started school?" she asked.
"Yep, well actually I met Cadence and made friends with her, she suggested we go to school together, saying 'It will be nice to go to school as siblings.' so I shrugged and agreed. When I started, I just went with the age of 14. I can honestly say, those four year were... Eventful. I made friends with one of Celestia's personal students, her name was Sunset Shimmer, she was.... Um... Ambitious, to say the least, but she was eager to learn, so I taught her a couple of defensive and offensive spells." Bolt stared off into space with half-lidded eyes. ".......Then she tried to overthrow Celestia. After her failed coup, she was banished to, the world I got stuck in, through a mirror that Starswirl once owned... Never got the true reason why she did it but it doesn't matter now, she turned herself around and has caring friends including Princess Twilight Sparkle... I think I just hate titles?" he heard Daring Do giggle at his last statement and continued. "Anyway, after witnessing the nerd's Great Payback in which I was proudly apart of with Shining Armor and his other friends, Shining Armor's confession and graduation, they were honestly the best four years I've had, even better than the human ruins expedition. After that Shining Armor joined the royal guard and I reinstated." hearing this Daring Do sat up on her haunches and looked at Bolt.
"Wait. What do you mean reinstated? Aren't you supposed to have been in the royal guard before you can be reinstated?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"I was. I left during that fiasco with my brother. My full handle was Captain Searing Bolt of the Sun Raid platoon 5th division... Something like that." Bolt started snickering. "But you should have seen the look on Shining's face, I wish I had a camera that day. So the basic training went by without a hitch, I personally taught Shining so he could take my place as captain, seeing as I had my own thing, such as my secret division and of course, ruin hunter." Bolt said as he looked at Daring Do who was looking at him with a quizzical look.
"Secret division? And is okay to be telling me this?" she asked worriedly.
"Huh? Oh, it's fine. It's not like we do anything to be ashamed of, just squash underground rebellions and such." He answered as he sat up next to her shaking his mane. "After 3 years, I put Shining through the captain's test, which is to trek around the entirety of the Canterlot mountain twice, no time limit and 2 breaks..." Bolt smiled. "Shining did 5 laps. I was so proud..." Then the smile faded. "Then his wedding came and he's under Chrysalis' mind control..." Bolt face hoofed and slid his hoof down his face. "To pay for his folly, after his honeymoon, I forced him to run until I was tired looking at him. *sigh* Anyway, after the initial test, I met Spitfire at the frocking ceremony, saying that the captain's test was a cakewalk and that she could do it in her sleep, I responded saying that the Wonderbolt's obstacle course was nothing more than an overgrown Pegasus playground. Oh, she was a ragin'. Let's just say that, if she was as good a fighter as she was a flyer she would have almost hit me. So after Soarin held her back, in which he was a friend from school, I proposed a challenge. For Spitfire complete the captain's challenge, simple. For me? She said I had to break the current record for the course instead of meeting the requirement for new recruits. So I shrugged and accepted it, we set the event 2 weeks from then and went about our day. My 2 weeks were fun to say the least, because I spent time Shining's little sister Twilight Sparkle and Celestia's new adopted son, Spike, my new little brother."
"Wait, Spike? What kind of name is that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I thought it was cute how twilight named the baby dragon." he stated folding his forearms together.
"A DRAGON?! You never told me you had a little brother let alone him being a dragon!" Daring Do exclaimed.
"You never asked, so I never told." Bolt stated as he shrugged and shook his head.
"Why you!" Daring Do growled as she stood up, getting into a charging stance.
Bolt noticed and got into a defensive stance. "Wait, wait, wait!!! I'm sorry!!! I can't take anymore of those tackles!" he yelled, waving his hooves in surrender. Daring Do sighed, then sat back on her haunches, still looking slightly perturbed. Seeing that she is slightly relaxed, he sits back down as well and continues. "But yeah, Spike is my little brother. I think it was my second year in school when Twilight enter that snooty unicorn school... Thank the Sun, Celestia took her on as a personal student... And thank the Moon this one didn't try to take the crown... If Sunset heard me say that, I would be ash by now." Bolt sigh in defeat.
"This is your third time mentioning this Sunset Shimmer, you two an item?" Daring Do asked, with a sly smirk.
"More like unofficial wife. I get yelled at for every little thing." Bolt said with a sigh.
"Uh huh, convince me, it's not for something I don't already yell at you for." she said crossing her arms raising her eyebrows.
"....... Alright, you burned me." Bolt huffed. "Anyway, for Twilight to enter the school she had to take a test, in which I found it unfair. Who the hell has fillies and colts attempt to hatch a dragon's egg?" Bolt rubbed his hoof on his right temple and sighed. "But when I met Twilight one night after picking up Cadence from her babysitting night with Twilight, I felt an immense pressure wash off her. So when I heard of the test and who was taking it, I felt bad for the sadist who chose it just to get shut down." grinned to himself remembering the face of the elitist who set up the test. 'Jackass. Heh heh heh.' Bolt thought to himself chuckling, then noticed Daring Do looking him with a worried expression. "My bad, remembered something hilarious. Anywho, after Spike was hatched, I suggested that Celestia adopt him, Freezing Burn and Ivy agreed, seeing as Twilight was way too young and no need to stress Twilight and Shining's parents with another handful and plus, the only one with... Well, enough knowledge of dragons were me, Burn and strangely Ivy... I never asked nor cared. I can say those 6 years were a lot more exciting with those two, especially when both of them got caught sneaking in my gummy stash, I hid in my closet and strategically placed paint traps!" Bolt burst out laughing, rolling on the ground. "They looked like two purple pandas!!! AH HAHAHAHAH!!!!" he added as he rolled on his barrel, banging his hoof into the ground repeatedly. Daring Do couldn't help but join in as she imagined the Princess of Friendship as a filly with black paint over her eyes, with the look of shame over her face.
"Pfft!" she couldn't help but laugh, the thought of an all powerful alicorn in a compromising state was all too hilarious.
After a couple of minutes of laughter, Bolt sat up and dusts himself off, with a huge grin on his face and continued "So back to the challenge. After 2 weeks of teaching Twilight focus magic, basically eyesight and hearing improving magic, and teaching Spike how to cook..." he sighs. "Seeing as how Twilight could set a cloud on fire if you weren't watching her."
"Wait, she can't be that bad? You're exaggerating." Daring Do said with a skeptical tone.
"Oh? Then maybe you can tell me how to start a gas fire making a PB&J sandwich? Or how to make bricks out of eggs?" Bolt lowered his head. "Poor Joe jack... He'll never be the same again..." he said sadly shaking his head, looking towards the ground.
Daring Do laughs nervously. "Well, uh... What happened with the challenge?" she said quickly, trying to change the subject.
"Huh? Oh, the challenge!" Bolt looked back towards Daring Do. "Yeah, after two weeks passed, I met Spitfire at the base of the Canterlot mountain, gave her the rules and she set off. The thing is she did 3 laps, but she took 3 breaks. Although she has great endurance, she couldn't become a royal guard captain. So after failing, she yelled saying 'Yeah? Well, let's see how well you do on the Wonderbolts obstacle course! Oh? But wait? you don't have wings! Automatic lost! HA!!!'" Bolt shook his head. "I'm so glad she mellowed out over the years. So, I shut her up by brandishing my flight spell, which, if she was a unicorn she would've cooked the air out of sheer anger. So, as we reach Cloudsdale, Soarin gives me the 411 on the courses rule. They were pretty simple, don't touch the clouds, don't touch any obstacles and reach the goal in under 2 minutes. Simple."
"Woah woah woah!!! That course is anything but simple! I've seen that track and you'd be lucky to make it to the end just under 2:30 and that's if you're an adequate flyer, a rookie unicorn who can just fly just thanks to a spell could never-" Daring Do was going to continue her rant until Bolt cut her off.
"1:31.53. I beat the course at that time, breaking the course record by 1 second." Bolt said sticking his chest out.
"Wha- How?! How did you beat the record with no experience flying?!" Daring Do asked, can't shake her amazement.
"That's the same mistake Spitfire made, You both assumed I had no experience, when indeed I did. Over 10 years flying, taught by a male Griffin named Star Streak and a female Pegasus named Violet Rush, who was the fastest at the time while Star Streak was the most agile. And their lessons you don't forget." Bolt stated with great pride for his teachers.
Daring Do raised an eyebrow. "But why teach a unicorn to fly?" she asked
"As soon as pegasi, dragons and changelings are ready to fly, unicorn are able use the flight spell at will and earth ponies, mules and zebras are old enough to take a flight potion, it is mandatory to take flight classes if you joined Celestia's Siege Corp. The motto was: We're the first ones in and the last ones out! We're always taught: Don't let your racial limitations be your handicap, take them by surprise!" Bolt exclaimed as saluted. Noticing what he was doing, he rubbed the back of his head, calming himself down. "Sorry I get a little bit patriotic when I say our kingdom's mantra."
"I see, so what happened after the challenge?" Daring Do asked choking back a giggle.
"Well, Of course Spitfire made a big stink about it which cause a high ranking officer, who saw the whole thing, to come out. He scolded Spitfire for being unsportsmanlike and to not shame the academy any farther than she already has, then look to me and congratulated me on besting the record and asked who taught me. So I hailed him to come closer as I whispered in his ear the names of my two teachers. It was funny because he couldn't believe that I was a student of THE Violet Rush, the first mare to pull off a sonic turn and one of the best mares to grace the Wonderbolts 400 years back. But before he could say anything I shushed him and gave him a wink to keep it secret and he gave me a wink back to acknowledge it. So after all was said and done, I got these sweet goggles and then I decide to go home, as I made my way to the edge of Cloudsdale in the direction of Canterlot, I was stopped by Spitfire, who actually came to congratulate me. I teased her about falling in love with me, and if someone had spilled red paint on the tarmac right where she was standing you would swear she cloaked herself. After some not so friendly words from her, I bid my farewells and headed home." Bolt finished letting a long sigh.
All Daring Do could do was stare wide eyed. "Wow, but wait. What is a sonic turn?" she asked.
"It's a turn, done at the moment the sound barrier is broken. It's very dangerous and Violet made me promise to never attempt it. Although, I've seen Rainbow Dash pull it off a couple times, but that maybe her natural ability... Sometimes I wonder if she's related to Violet, I mean it's not like everyone had families only in our kingdom, so maybe she had some special somepony somewhere here in Equestria? She never seems interested in anybody at the Corp, just spent time training me. Hmm... Oh well, let me stop before I start rambling on. Anyway, there you have it, everything that happens after that is just me exploring Equestria, spending time with Spike and Twilight, hanging with the element bearers, being yelled at by Sunset or Adagio or Aria, who of which just takes pleasure out of my discomfort or being begged to make tacos by Sonata..." Bolt sighs and continues. "Then there's hanging with Discord, making small talk with Luna, Politics with Chrysalis and Lunch dates with Celestia and then there is meeting you which was an added bonus. And there you have it, my past." Bolt said, looking at Daring Do.
"Ok, wow. And second, who were those 3 names you just called out?" she asked genuinely confused.
"What? Adagio, Aria and Sonata?" Daring Do nodded "Well, they are Sirens, they predate me by a wide margin, all the way back with Starswirl. When they were causing trouble he banished them to the human world through that magic mirror I told you about in Twilight's possession at the Castle of Friendship. So after Twilight came back from the human world after the Sunset Shimmer incident, they made their move on the school Sunset attended. After mind control spells were tossed all willy nilly, their powers started to grow, by feeding off the negative energy of the students there..." Bolt started thinking aloud. "Sirens and changeling both work with seduction, but feed off 2 completely different emotions... Anyway, Twilight, Sunset and the human element bearers learned something and saved the day... I don't know, I didn't pay attention, because both Twilight and Sunset write unnecessary long reports. Now this is where I come in. I went to the human world a month after getting their reports from Spike about happened. After exiting my portal's opening to the human world, I run into the very three I was looking for, after a quick yelling, some talking and assorted crying, I learn they had nowhere to stay seeing as they used their magic to stay at their apartment rent free... Being a sucker that I am, I offered them to stay at the house I bought there in the third year of being trapped in that world. Yeah, smart Idea on my part." Bolt face hoofed. "I completely forgot I had Sunset staying there as well... Oh the headache that fight was. After what was at least 3 hours, they calmed down. I had to beg Sunset to let them stay and beg Adagio not to cause problems, when they both agreed that was the end of that... I really don't wanna talk about that worlds Twilight and her friends right now." Bolt ended with a shudder of fear.
"How do you pay for a house in a whole different world?" Daring Do asked.
"They pay a LOT of their currency for artifacts and ruin discoveries... I got so much money there, I don't know what to do with, so I gave everyone in the house a monthly allowance and make sure the bills are paid through something called a direct deposit." Bolt answered with a long sigh.
"Okay... So what's this thing about talks with Chrysalis?" she asked with a slight edge.
"What?!" he asked tensing up "Twilight is with me!!! Granted, she gave her 2 of the meanest punches I've ever seen a mage dish out when we set had our first meeting... I taught her CQB after she became a princess, I never thought she would have to use it... I was shocked and proud of the two piece broccoli combo she unleashes within 2 second of meeting Chrysalis." Bolt wipe a tear from his eye. "So after the coming-in-swinging introduction, we talked about the food shortage problem the changelings were going through and possible integration into Equestrian Society. Of course we've met with resistance Through Shining, complaining about how we couldn't trust them in which Twilight promptly responded 'Oh? How like you couldn't trust me, when I tried telling you that bitch wasn't Cadence!' which I putting the final nail in the coffin stated 'Yeah? Says the Knight who was her first sucker...' I Could swear I'd seen a literal hole closing in around Shining at that moment." Bolt rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment. "Let's see, I was 28 when started the talks so, it has been at least 5 years since then. And I personally think we've made great progress, of course there are stragglers, mostly nobles and whatnot but I've made it clear to everyone, If I hear of one soul being extinguished, whether it's changeling, equine or otherwise is lost due to prejudice or bias views, said offender will deal with me! Banishment to the moon would be a godsend for what I would do them. And that's the talks I've had with Chrysalis. " Bolt finished with a yawn.
"Well, you've certainly had an interesting past, I'll say that much." Daring Do said as she looked towards the rising sun. "But now that the night is gone, how about we end this little dig and head home?" She suggested as she did a cat like stretch, catching Bolt's attention.
"Keep that up and I'll think you were trying to attract me" he said, standing on his hind legs going into a full blown stretch.
Daring Do stood and walked towards Bolt, who came down on are fours out of his stretch. "Who knows." she said as she grabbed her hat and walked passed him as she flicked the tip her tail in his face.
"Oh ho? So the great Daring Do not only knows how to hug, she knows how to flirt as well does she?" Bolt joked as he caught up with Daring Do and matched her pace.
"Yes, even I need to use feminine wiles to get information, and besides." Daring Do walks in front of Bolt with her muzzle inches from his. "Only you have and will see this side of me." she whispered, then turned around and sauntered away.
Bolt smirked, not missing a beat caught up and retorted. "Hitting on a stallion in a committed relationship? For shame."
"Well, I believe herding is common practice here in Equestria." she explained as she walked closer to Bolt leaning against him. "Besides, I don't mind sharing, as long as she leaves some for me." she quipped, separating then flaps her wings to hover next to him.
"Want me to escort you home Mistress Yearling?" Bolt did a bow as he asked the hovering mare.
" No no, I shan't be needing your services this morn Sir Searing Bolt, I won't be returning straight to the homestead." she motioned in the direction of Las Pegasus.
"Oh! That book signing was today? Hmm.... Make sure to get some rest at whatever hotel you booked." Bolt pulls a small book out and flips a couple of pages till he reached the middle of the book. "The event starts at 5 so you have enough time to get a good uh, mornings rest. Oh! And make sure to change out of your Khaki before you get there. I would've gone, if got some sleep." he directed her as his book disappeared into thin air.
"Don't worry, It's the thought that counts. Later, husband mine." Daring Do said playfully as she flew away.
Bolt reached his hoof at Daring Do as she flies toward Las Pegasus. "Hey!!! I don't think I can take that as a joke! Hey! Hey!!! Dammit..." He lowered his hoof, stares at the ground and sighs. "Damn, I may have to talk to Sunset about this... I really don't think she's joking anymore." sigh once again as he steps forward and disappears into thin air.
Seconds later, Bolt appears in Twilight's castle library where Twilight and the new face of the castle Starlight Glimmer were looking through books. "Oh? Hello Bolt. I didn't expect to see you here this morning. Staying for breakfast?" Twilight asked as she pulled a book off the shelf setting it down on a pile in front of her. "Spike should be done soon."
"........" Bolt looked at Twilight then at Starlight. "Starlight, please tell me that you know how to cook? Because I hate to think what will happen to Twilight once Spike finds a wife and moves out." he questioned as he sat at a table less cluttered with books and lays his head down.
Starlight hesitated a while before answering. "I do can make pasta... But not sauce." she let out a weak laugh, digging her hoof into the castle floor.
"Hey! I can make stuff too you know!!! And what makes you think he'll move out?" Twilight huffed as she continued pulling books off the shelves.
Bolt shrugged not lifting his head to respond.
"Coffee doesn't count Twi... And don't worry, I will always be there for you. Bolt is being a bully." said a masculine voice in the library's doorway.
Bolt looked up to see Spike at the door with a light pink apron on with hot pink words reading 'Flame Kissed'. "Real dragons/ stallions wear pink, huh?" he joked as he got out of his seat and walked towards Spike.
"Oh, ha ha, not so big bro." Spike retorted with a smirk.
"Hey hey hey! Just because you've grown as tall as Celestia don't mean I won't reach up there and knock your scales from purple to black, jack!" Bolt said as he poked his hoof into Spike's chest and walked out the door.
"Hey, where you are going? I was here to tell everyone breakfast is ready? The other girls should be here at any minute as well." Spike asked
"I'm going to my work room and go to sleep, up all night, need rest." Bolt responded lazily.
"You know, not getting enough rest is bad for you." Twilight stated, making everyone turn their heads and look at her with eyebrows raised.
"Um, Twilight. You're the last one to talk." Starlight spoke up. "Just 2 weeks ago you pulled a week long study spree."
Spike continued. "If I or Starlight weren't around to make you eat or drink who knows what might have happened." he finished folding his arms.
"Wait wait wait! She pulled another week long bender?" Bolt laughed. "Last time she did that she tried to learn Spacial step and she's still stuck in phase 1! And yet here she is lecturing me!" he said, rolling on the ground laughing.
Twilight, with a noticeable hot pink blush on her face, looked on at Bolt in irritation, laughing on the crystal floor. "Anyway, why are you sleeping here? Why didn't you go home first?" she asked, changing the subject.
Bolt stood up, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Too far." he answered.
"You used Spacial step to get here and your house is right down the street from Town Hall..." Twilight replied in a smarmy tone.
"Look, I just like it here alright and if you overlook every time I pull this, I'll help you reshelve... Oh no." Bolt realizing what he just said, saw Twilight's eyes widen with a big smile on her face.
Twilight regained her composure and coughed in her hoof, then made her way to the dining area, stopping pass Bolt. "Alright Bolt, the moment you wake up and eat you are to help me reshelve the whole library. I would've just settled for 'I just like it here.' but here we are, Shelving buddy." she finish as she joyfully trotted away.
"You sure put your hoof in it this time." Spike said as he walked passed Bolt, following Twilight.
Starlight walked up to Bolt, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "Hey think on the bright side."
"Yeah? What's that?" Bolt asked
"You'll be doing a great service to the kingdom, as well as me and Spike." Starlight joked as she trotted away to catch up to Spike.
Bolt sighed as he walks down the hall toward the bedrooms. After a minute of walking, Bolt walks into a room with paperwork lining a desk with various maps skewed across it. He walks towards the bed and climbs in it, sighing. "Sad part is... That's not even the worst part of today... I still have to talk to Sunset and of course Adagio is going to make her opinion known... Today is gonna be a long day." He complained as he closed eyes and drifted to sleep.
