//------------------------------//
// Blues' Blues 
// Story: My Little Pony: The Brothers of Discord 
// by mr.myxsiple 
//------------------------------//

Sorry for the huge delay. I've had some trouble with the editing, and honestly, I don't think this story is doing so well. The general lack of popularity lately demotivates me. Sorry.




CHAPTER 50

BLUE'S BLUES


They were arguing again, the shouting, cream-colored unicorn mare and the glaring, white earth pony stallion. Then again, he wasn't at all surprised by it. They were always arguing be it over each other, money, work, him or some other trivial matter. Their voices were loud, but he couldn't understand what they were saying; what were those two squabbling about this time?

He whimpered at their raised voices and hugged his hind legs closer to himself. He wanted it to stop; he wanted to speak up and beg them to stop, that their fighting was hurting him as well, but he couldn't find his voice. As their voices grew harsher and louder, all he could do was let out a small whimper and shut his eyes.

He felt small, absolutely tiny, barely noticeable. He felt like disappearing; he wanted to disappear and never have to look at their harsh faces or hear their angry tones. Their voices then suddenly stopped causing him to raise his head, a small bit of hope flickering in his chest. He made to get up, but both adults suddenly whipped in his direction, turning his blood to ice.

The hope died just as quickly as it came if not quicker.

His heart hammered against his chest as they hurriedly made their way towards him. Both of them were scowling at him, gritting their teeth and flaring their nostrils. His chest immediately tightened making it painfully difficult to breathe. This wasn't the first time they turned on him with those looks, but it blanked his mind and shook his legs either way.

He quickly rose and galloped away as fast as his small legs could carry him. He had barely gone five steps when he felt a set of teeth clamp onto his tail and gave it a painful yank. He let out a gasp as his chin bashed against the ground and felt himself dragged back. Screaming, crying and trying to claw himself away, he begged her to let go, but it was no use. When he felt the teeth let go of his tail, he rose to his hooves but found his path blocked by the unicorn mare.

He gulped and shrunk, backing away from the fiery gaze of her aqua eyes which burned right into his. He suddenly bumped into something and looked up letting out a whimper as the stalling gazed at him in a similarly. He covered his head and sank as low as he possibly could while the mare approached.

"P...P...Please..."

"What was that?" she barked at him getting in his covered face.

Feeling even smaller than before, he let out a whimper but didn't answer. A swift kick to his rump courtesy of the stallion made him yelp and uncover his face. "You got something to say?" Another blow struck him. "I heard you; spit it out!"

He motioned to cover himself again, but the stinging sensation in his behind reminded him of the consequences. Looking back and forth between them, he gulped and tried to get the words out of his trembling lips. "P...Please s-stop...stop...stop fighting please..."

"Stop? Stop?! You're telling us to stop!?" the mare screamed at him as he cowered. He cried out when a magical aura surrounded him and let out a series of rapid sobs and whimpers as he felt himself dragged upwards until he was standing on his hind legs. His pathetic, childish whimpering finally stopped when the back of her hoof swiftly connected with his cheek.

For a split second, there was silence as his body spun; the mare released her magic causing him to fall face first against the floor with a sickening thud. Shuddering and sobbing, he felt his cheek and winced at the pain. When a set of hooves grabbed his side and hoisted him up sending him into a panic.

"No! No! No! No! Please! No! Please! Please! Please!"

"SHUT UP!" the stallion roared throwing him against the ground. Before he could recover, he was flipped onto his back and pinned to the ground by the stallion's hoof.

"You think you're so fucking big?! You think you can tell me what to do?!" the stallion roared pressing his hoof against his chest and refusing to stop even as he cried out. "I am an ADULT! You are a BRAT! WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO?!"

He finally withdrew his hoof scowling at the downed pony in the process. Tears poured down his face as he made several labored breaths that made his chest hurt. He had forgotten that he was just a mere child, small and utterly less wise and superior to the two adults. He had absolutely no say in whatever they wanted to do with each other.

The mare shoved the stallion aside and pointed her hoof at him, eyes blazing with fury. He shrank and covered his head expecting more blows.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT!? GET IT IN YOUR HEAD DAMMIT! YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I AM YOU MOTHER! I TELL YOU WHAT TO DO!"

She slapped him again just as hard as the first time. "I...I...just..." He couldn't stop shaking and crying. "C-can't you...can't we...just talk...not...not shout..."

His words earned him another backhoof from his mother. Before she could strike again, the stallion came back in and nudged her aside. "WHEN WILL YOU LEARN TO SHUT UP WHEN THE GROWN-UPS ARE TALKING!" He grabbed his head and placed a hoof on his horn. "You need to know your place."

His head practically exploded.

"AAAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHHHH! STOP! PLEASE STOP! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

He was thrashing, pounding and clawing against the hoof, but the stallion paid him no heed.

"IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!"

He tried summoning up his own magic, but it wouldn't come.

"DAD! DAD STOP! PLEASE! NO! NO! DAD! STOP! PLEASE! NO!"

He could feel the cracks spreading.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

SNAP!



With scream, Blues woke up and was immediately comforted by the darkness around him. His hooves immediately flew to his horn, running across its length and taking in its wholeness. Feeling it intact, he let out a relieved sigh and fell back against his bed trying to steady his breath. It wasn't broken. Nopony tried to hurt him. Nopony-

A sudden loud ringing made him bolt upright and launch a tendril of his hair towards his side. It struck his alarm clock, knocking it of the table and sent it clattering across the floor. Using the same tendril, he picked up his clock and turned it off before putting it back in its place. With a groan, he retracted the tendril and covered his face.

Damn fight...he thought with a grimace, thinking back to yesterday when his family was in turmoil. All those raised voices, harsh tones and insults...they reminded him too much of before. Before was a horrible time, to him, the worst moments of his life. The scars remained on him to this day.

Sighing again, Blues jumped off his bed and left his room. Trying to keep his spirits up, he thought of the positives; he no longer had to deal with those two "parents" of his. Things were much better compared to before. He had a father who did indeed love him with every once of his being. He had brothers who supported and treasured him, connected by something more than blood. He had a proper family, and he was happy.

But...Psych and Ash...His thoughts turned sour once again. He wanted nothing more than a proper, happy family, and he took it as his job to do just that. He was always the one who broke up arguments, he always tended to them whenever they were ailing, he always did everything he could to make them know he loved them.

So why did those two suddenly fell out with the rest of them? Was it something he said or did or something he didn't say or do? What did he ever do that broke them apart from the rest of them? Why couldn't they just tell him why, so that he could fix it, and they could go back to being one big happy family once again? Why did they have to do all this? Why?

"Does this coat bring out my eyes?

Confused, Blues shook his head and tried to get his bearings. The voice had come from his dad, and he was standing next to a long table where another pony, a unicorn who could only be Solstice, sat. So absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn't realized he had entered the dining room already.

"Blues. Good morning son." Equinox greeted tugging the collar of a dark blue coat he was wearing.

"Good morning father. Good morning Solstice." he greeted back with a smile. "Where are the others?"

"Ironhead and Scar went ahead to Ponyville, and Psych is still in his room. I tried bringing him breakfast but..." The alicorn trailed off sadly.

Blues pouted and decided that it was time for a change of subject. "So, what exactly is going on?" he asked trotting to a chair.

"With the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, father is trying to find a proper attire for the event." Solstice explained.

"I haven't been at such a formal occasion in decades." Equinox said trotting up to a mirror propped up against the wall. "Hmm...not this one." He took his coat off and levitated it to a pile of clothes before levitating a grey one to him. "What do you think Solstice; much better?"

"Forgive me father. I admit I have a poor sense of fashion." Solstice rubbed the back of his neck.

"I think it suits you well father." Blues added with a small grin.

"Really? Well..." Equinox paused for a moment and let out a chuckle. "Oh very funny Blues. Have you decided on what to wear yet?"

"Yes. Anything that looks decent." he answered filling up a glass with milk. The alicorn pouted. "Father, you know how I am when it comes to appearances. I want to look decent enough but not overly flashy."

Equinox put the coat back and trotted to his blind son. "Blues, the Grand Galloping Gala is the most prestigious event in all of Equestria. Wouldn't you want to stand out at such an occasion? Wouldn't you want to look you best in front of the princess?"

Blues sighed and took a drink. "I suppose seeing as I'll be with royalty."

"Worry not brother." Solstice said with a reassuring grin. "I'm certain we will find something that suits you."



"Too tight! Too tight! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

A quick flash of teal magic later, the light blue polo shirt was gone from Blues' body and reappeared on top of his bed. Finally free from the suffocating clothes, Blues let out a gasp and caught his breath while leaning against the wall. Pursing his lips and adjusting his glasses, Solstice surveyed the pile of suits, shirts, pants, vests and coats spread across the bed.

While his brother recovered, Solstice levitated a black suit, a light purple shirt and a stripped blue necktie from the pile. "So far, this combination suits you well in my opinion."

"They look good enough for me." Blued muttered sarcastically.

"The only problem appears to be the size." Solstice continued having unheard his brother's snark. "The suit is too small while the shirt is too large. I do however know of a size altercation spell that should remedy that."

Blues nodded having finally gotten his breath back. Though he couldn't see it, Solstice's horn glowed brightly as he enveloped the suit with his magic. Before his very eyes, the suit grew smaller and smaller until Solstice deemed it small enough. He cancelled his spell and tosses it over to Blues who was able to catch it. "I've made this one smaller; try putting it on."

Blues put one foreleg through one sleeve but had difficulty getting through the other one. With an annoyed grunt, he finally got it through but realized that he couldn't lower his arms. He stood on his hind legs and tried forcing it down failing to notice the small rip that had formed at the bottom. "Blues, you'll tear it!"

Solstice shout caught him off guard and caused him to lose his footing and stumble dangerously close to the wall. With a loud cry, he fell face first and suddenly stopped with his nose just an inch away from the wall. A strange tingling sensation all over his body told him that he was safe in his brother's magical grip.

"Thank you Solstice." he said with a relieved sigh. The other unicorn pulled him back a bit and magicked the suit right off him before letting him go. Blues swayed a bit but landed on his hooves unharmed.

"Hmm, altering the size wasn't enough; it appears this must be fitted on you." he remarked.

"Are there any spells for that?" Blues asked.

"None that I am aware of. My usual studies do not particularly delve into this brand of magic."

Blues let out a dejected sigh. "Our first formal occasion, and I don't have anything to wear."

"Forgive me Blues. I am no dressmaker." Solstice apologized placing a hoof on his chest and bowing.

Blues was about to tell him that none of this was his fault, but his words made him pause. "Wait; what was that Solstice?"

"I said that I am no dressmaker." he repeated. "I always thought that I would have a spell for everything, but I've nothing at the moment."

"That doesn't make you any less talented Solstice." Blues comforted. "And don't worry; I actually happen to know a dress maker."

That took the scholar by surprise. "You do? Who?"

"You remember Rarity, one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony right?" he explained. "While I was there, we happened to talk a bit, and she mentioned that she makes and designs clothes for a living. Maybe she could get those clothes fitted properly for me."

Solstice remained silent in thought. "That does sound like the ideal course of action. It does seem like only an experienced pony such as herself can deal with this."

"Well then, I should be off. Do you know where my saddlebag is?"

"Right side of you bed." Solstice answered as he folded the clothes with his magic and laid them on the bed. Using a tendril of hair, he searched for a moment before finally finding it and pulling it towards him. Solstice levitated the clothes inside, and Blues closed it shut with a saxophone-shaped clasp.

"Alright. I'll inform father first before leaving. With any luck, I could meet up with the rest of you as you visit Ash." Blues said trotting towards the door with his brother. "See you later Solstice." Both brothers nodded before walking their separate ways.



"...Tall and in an open area. Thank you sir."

As the stallion walked away puzzled by his strange way of asking for directions, Blues headed in the opposite direction. Let's see...second left from here, then first right. That should put me on a large open area where the shop stands alone.

It didn't take too long for him to find it. A mere minute later, he found a wide grassy area and clicked his tongue a few times. He sensed a tall structure, presumably a building, with two smaller, thinner structures, presumably trees, beside it. Seeing as this building fits the description, Blues approached it and gently knocked on the door.

"Just a moment darling!" said a voice which he instantly recognized as Rarity's. A few seconds later, there was the jingling of a door knob and the door swinging open. "Welcome to Carousel B...Blues?"

"Ahem. Hello again Rarity." he greeted failing to notice her puzzled expression.

"Wh-why are you here? Has something come up?" she asked quickly fearing the worst.

"What? Oh-no. No; everything's fine at the moment. Nothing that you should be concerned about." He shifted to his side showing his saddlebag. "I'm here as a paying customer in fact."

Rarity blinked, her earlier concerns gone. "You are?"

"Yes. With the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, I've been trying to find something to wear, but the one that suits me the most doesn't fit." he explained. "Then I remembered you mentioning your career, and I thought you might be able to help. Unless of course you're busy with other work."

"Oh no." She waved her hoof and shook her head. "I'm just conceptualizing at the moment, not doing any of the actual dress making. I'd be happy to have your clothes fitted."

Saying that earned a grateful smile and nod. "Thank you Rarity. May I come in?"

"Why of course." Rarity stepped aside allowing her customer to enter the shop. As blues sensed a wide open room, Rarity trotted up to him. "Would you mind giving me a moment to collect a few tools I'll be needing?"

Blues nodded and heard her walk away outside of his senses, presumably into another room. Alone in the shop, Blues sat on his hunches, absentmindedly humming a small tune as he waited. A few seconds passed with nothing happening, but that all changed when he suddenly detected something shifting along the sides of the room.

Intrigued, Blues rose and trotted towards it and sensed it shift some more. When he was about a foot away from whatever it was, he heard a low hissing and sensed something move in front of him. "Now what in Celestia's name is-"

"MREEEOOOW!"

"AH! AH! AH! AH! AH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

He was screaming and running about the shop while there was something on his head hissing, shrieking and ripping out large chunks of his mane with what felt like claws. He painfully felt each slice and cut as if it was cutting into his very flesh. Screeching to a halt in the middle of the room, he grit his teeth and fought against the pain; his mane came alive, wrapping around whatever it was shredding his mane and hoisting it high above him. He heard more hisses, but pain finally ceased.

"Blues, I heard a scream. Is everything al-AAAHHH!"

Her high pitched shriek of the sight before her tore through his senses. He let out a shriek of his own, his tendrils of hair straightening out and dropping whatever he was holding back on his head where it resumed giving him a painful haircut. As bits and pieces of hair flew around the panicking Blues, Rarity activated her magic and grabbed the ball of fluff on his head.

"Opalescence, no! Bad kitty! That is not how we treat out guests!" she reprimanded sharply earning a hiss from her pet who was unable to do anything in her magical grip. Rarity tried pulled her, but Opal had dug her claws into Blues' mane. Rarity tugged some more leading Blues to hiss and gasp in pain. "Let. Go. Of. Him. This. Instant!"

Each word came with a tug from Rarity, a hiss from Opal and a gasp from Blues. Still, Rarity refused to give up and pulled some more backing up as she did. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, Rarity pulled away, tugging on her pet as hard as she could. She didn't stop until her rear hit a cabinet full of sewing equipment. She opened her eyes hoping that she had finally gotten her off him.

Opal was right in front of her face growling, held in place by a light blue aura and still clutching onto a clump of navy and light blue hair. The only problem was that Blues was in the middle of the room with a long thick tendril of hair measuring several feet long coming out of his head. His left eye and mouth twitched as if he were in pain.

"D...Don't let go..." he told her hesitantly. Bracing himself for a world of hurt, he yanked his hair back as hard as he could; pain shot like lightning across his body forcing him to cover his mouth before he could scream. Rarity's head jerked up at the muffled shout and saw Blues, his eyes shut tightly and his teeth biting into his hoof. About a second later, he lowered his hoof and took a deep breath. "Th...thank you Rarity."

"I...er...L-let me put Opal away for a minute." Blues nodded but frowned at her tone; clearly she was shell-shocked by all this. As she trotted away, he pulled his mane back in until it was back to its usual style.

He sensed her reenter the room. "Blues, I am dreadfully sorry. Opal never acts this way to all of my customers." she apologized still unable to decide which was stranger, Opal's actions or her customer's unique hairstyle.

"It's alright Rarity; animals of all sorts usually behave like that around me. I blame neither you nor Opal for all this." He paused and did some thinking. "In fact, I think I should be the one to apologize. I think I gave you quite the scare a while ago."

"What? Oh yes the um...hair thing. I must admit I was shocked to see such a thing." she confessed.

"It er...Is my special power. The strands of my mane are sensitive to sound waves and changes in air currents, allowing me to navigate safely despite my blindness. I'm also able to elongate, retract and manipulate it any way I want."

His mane came alive and shifted. Some parts retracted back into his skull while others elongated until he had a mohawk on his head. "M...My word. What I would give to be able to do that." Rarity admitted much to Blues' surprise. "What? It takes hours of washing, combing and styling to get this mane looking so fabulous."

"I...see..." Blues changed his mane style back to its usual appearance. "Again, sorry for startling you."

Rarity opened her mouth to protest but decided against it. "Apology accepted Blues." She cleared her throat. "Now that that's been cleared up, might we begin?"

"What?" He blinked twice and suddenly remembered. "Oh right of course, the fitting. Where should we begin?"

"Well first, let me see what you've brought me." Blues put his saddlebag down and grabbed the coat, shirt and tie with his magic. Rarity took them and held examined them, eyeing them from every angle and feeling the material. "Hmm..."

"Well?" Blues wondered.

"Hmmm...How do I put this?" she muttered tapping on her chin. "You obviously didn't select these clothes now did you?'

"No. Solstice did it for me. He said that they seemed to suit me the most."

"I see. No offense to your brother, but he has a poor sense of fashion." Rarity said bluntly.

"Worry not; he is aware." Blues informed.

"Well then I hope, he picked something better for him. For now...er..." She eyed the clothes with uncertainty in her eyes. "Why don't I get you measurements first hmm? There's a raised platform not too far from you; would you please step onto it?"

Blues nodded and trotted towards the side of the room where he found the raised platform and stepped on it. A few seconds later, Rarity was at his side with a pair of red glasses on her face, a pencil in her mouth, a tape measure around her neck and a not pad floating above her. "Now just hold still while I take some measurements."

"Alright." Blues said and went as stiff as a board. Rarity got to work and wrapped the tape measure around his stomach. Muttering the length under her breath, she quickly jotted it down before moving to another area.

For about five minutes, the two of them were silent as Rarity went about her measuring. "Raise you hoof please." she requested. Hmm...He's quite a bit stiff. she thought to herself. Then again, most of her customers were usually this quiet and formal around her. She decided to get him to open up a little. "So Blues, are you feeling excited about the upcoming gala?"

"Well...I am anticipating meeting the princess and clearing up this entire misunderstanding with the Elements." He paused for a moment as he lowered his hoof. "I suppose I am a bit excited; it is our first formal occasion as a family."

"Really now?" Rarity asked measuring between his shoulders. "You must not really get out much."

"On the contrary. Twice or thrice a year, the seven of us go an vacations." Blues told her. "We've been to Manehatten, Las Pegasus, Hoofington, Brayzil..."

"Would you mind turning a bit?" Blues complied and turned towards her. "What about Canterlot?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Actually, I think my father is avoiding that place." Blues answered. "He told us that many unpleasant things happened to him there and that he doesn't wish to reopen old wounds. When I told him about the gala, he sounded tense but eventually agreed to it."

"Really now? What a shame. Canterlot truly is a beautiful place to be." Rarity said. "Twilight was actually born there, and the six of us were there during the last gala."

Blues raised an intrigued eyebrow. "You were? What was it like?"

Ponies running in panic, rabid animals shrieking and roaring, my dress splattered with cake, pillars tumbling down like dominoes..."Not exactly what we expected. All in all, it was a massive disappointment." She saw him frown at that. "Oh don't let that discourage you; perhaps this year's gala won't be as disastrous as the last one."

Rarity lowered her measuring tape and jotted down the last few measurements."Done with the measurements. You can step down now Blues."

"Thank you." he replied hopping off. "That was rather quick; I was honestly expecting to stay much longer."

"Why? Do you have any other plans today?" Rarity asked folding the clothes he brought her and setting them aside.

"Well I was planning on meeting up with the rest of my family to visit Ash..." Blues trailed off.

"Ash?" Rarity turned back to him. "Visit? Has something happened?"

Blues fidgeted a little. "Yes, but as I've said, it's nothing you should trouble yourself with. I can deal with my family problems on my own."

Yet despite what he said, Rarity had doubts on that. Bitterly, she remembered how he broke down and ran away after being berated and insulted by his own brother, how she found him broken and sobbing in an alleyway like a child, how he admitted to not hating his brother and asking her to do the same. Things with them did indeed sound bad, and it wouldn't be nice for her to have him bring up such thoughts.

"Ahem. Anyway, I should be able to have your clothes ready..." She thought about them for a moment. "Um...the day after tomorrow. I'll have you looking dashing for the gala by then."

"I'm sure you will." Blues replied smiling a little.

*knock!*knock!*knock!*

Both ponies looked towards the front door. "Excuse me for a moment." Rarity left Blues and opened her front door revealing a grey pegasus. An excited smile quickly grew on her face. "Ah Derpy dear. Is this my delivery?"

"Uh huh. Just sign here." Derpy deposited a small package at her hooves and pulled a small notepad and a pencil out of her mail bag. Rarity took them with her magic and signed her name with a flourish before handing them back. "OK then. Have a nice day Rarity."

"Yes you too darling, and thanks again." Derpy nodded before flying off to her next delivery. Rarity picked up the package and headed back inside the shop. She raced towards a desk and unwrapped her package, letting out a small squeal of excitement as she did.

Her squeal attracted Blues who approached. "What is it Rarity?"

"Oh, something I've waiting a whole week to get." She stood aside and presented her package to him. Blues blinked twice and tilted his head sideways.

"Well what is it?"

Her eyes widened, and her heart stopped; she had completely forgotten his condition. "Yes well...um..." she began awkwardly. "It's a set of ginseng tea straight from Hoofington."

Blues expression instantly brightened at the mention of tea. "Hoofington ginseng tea? I absolutely loved those back when we were there."

"You do?" Rarity asked glad that the awkwardness was gone. "I never took you for a tea loving pony."

"Well only me, Solstice, Psych and our father actually enjoy tea though Solstice prefers chamomile which led to a few arguments." Blues went on.

"In that case, would you like to try some?" Rarity offered.

Blues was quick to decline. "Oh no. I couldn't-"

"No I insist." Rarity said in spite of his protests. "It sounds like things with you now aren't going smoothly. Believe me when I say that's happened to me many times before. One thing I do is just kick back, relax and try getting away from it even for just a short while. I know you're probably worried about things with your family, but I think taking a break from all of it would do you much good."

"I..." Blues began, but he really thought about what she said. He admitted that it was exhausting and stressful trying to settle his family issues and getting insulted and yelled at every time. He loved them all and wanted nothing but for them to all be happy with one another, but for now... "I...I could really use a break from it all."

Rarity smiled warmly. "Good to hear. Now, why don't I show you to my kitchen. I happen to have a few biscuits that would go lovely with the tea."

"That...That sounds like a wonderful idea...Thank you Rarity."

He couldn't help but feel a bit touched by her generosity. He had spent years trying and failing to close the gaping rift that separated them as a family. All those years of insults, arguments and shouting took their toll on his body and mind, but he always did his best not to let it show and instead focus on how to make things right with all of them. This was the job he had given himself, a job he never would have thought of giving up.

But a break, even a small moment where he would just put them all aside and enjoy himself, sounded absolutely lovely.



Proofread by:

AquaJet25