//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven: Drinking and Thinking // Story: Shut Up And Dance // by TheVClaw //------------------------------// Elusive wanted to be happy that he and Blitz won second place in the preliminary round. Heck, he wanted to jump up and down for joy at the prospect of actually moving forward in a competition he wanted to do for years. But despite how fortunate he was for their victory, the price that he ended up paying with that finale just made him feel absolutely horrible. The unicorn still didn’t know what Rainbow Blitz’s condition was, which left him to just stand in his kitchen with his head hung low in heavy guilt. As soon as Blitz passed out (luckily after the scores were handed out), Elusive had help from Dusk Shine to take him back to Carousel Boutique to be looked over; they originally planned to go to the hospital, but they could only imagine the media frenzy that could cause. Dusk Shine, who was next to Elusive in the kitchen, put a hoof on his back and tried be optimistic. “It’s alright, Elusive,” he said while patting the unicorn’s back. “It was a complete accident. I’m sure Rainbow Blitz will understand when he gets better.” “But I made him fall on his…” Elusive’s muzzle wrinkled after closing, not wanting to finish that statement if Barb could overhear them. Luckily, the dragoness was out of the house to get a bag of frozen peas from the store, since Elusive only had various pints of Träaten Dazs ice cream in his freezer. Doctor Stable made a house-call at the Carousel Boutique shortly after the competition ended, and was tending to Rainbow Blitz’s injury in the living room. As he overheard the pegasus’ pained groans, all that Elusive could do was breathe out in a shameful huff as his paranoia sunk in. “I mean, what if I damaged them permanently!? What if I made him disabled or something!? Or even--” “Elusive, please!” Dusk put both hooves on the unicorn’s shoulders before he could become hysterical. “I seriously doubt you caused anything that severe. The number of cases regarding permanent damage from testicular injuries are very, VERY low! And the causes of most of those cases are much worse than just doing the splits at a bad angle. I know you feel bad about this, and I don’t blame you for a second. But take it from me, you really shouldn’t overthink these things before knowing for sure.” Realizing that he was being told that last statement from Dusk Shine of all ponies, Elusive knew that he had to calm down.  After closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, the stallion nodded softly to Dusk’s assurance. “Alright, I… I’ll wait to freak out after hearing Stable’s prognosis…” The back door of the boutique opened and closed, and Barb ran into the kitchen while holding two very large bags of frozen peas in her pudgy arms. “Here you go, guys!” she grunted with a strain before Dusk floated both bags off of her with his magic. After Elusive took one of the bags from Dusk’s aura, Barb sighed in relief while the Prince went to give Doctor Stable the other bag. “They had a two-for-one sale at the place, so I got two bags in case Blitz needs to switch them or something.” “That’s a very good idea, Barbara,” said Elusive with a smile while putting the second bag in the freezer for later. “Thank you so much for your help.” Barb blushed and looked away from the stallion bashfully, “Oh, it was nothing, really. I would’ve don--” “GAH!” The sound of Dusk’s voice interrupted the drake as she and Elusive turned to the doorway between the kitchen and living room. Dusk Shine reemerged with a very uncomfortable look on his blushed face, trying his hardest not to shudder while closing the door behind him. “Ummm… sorry about that,” he said meekly “Is it that bad?” asked Elusive worriedly. “Well, they’re kinda…” Dusk Shine’s discomforted look only intensified as he cringed with a raised and shaky hoof. “Uhhh… swollen.” “UGH!” Elusive covered his face and winced heavily from that unneeded detail. Meanwhile, Barb just stared blankly between the two stallions without saying anything. Even though she knew that Blitz was hurt, she wasn’t sure how serious that kind of injury was. “Couldn’t he just walk it off?” she asked bluntly. Of course, as soon as she saw the befuddled stares that Dusk and Elusive gave her, she put her claws out and said, “Okay, okay… I’m guessing he can’t.” Dusk sighed and ribbed his temple with a hoof. “Barb, this… this is a little difficult for girls to understand, okay?” “Ugh, fine” groaned Barb as she began to make her leave, not wanting to press the issue any further and learn things she can’t unlearn.  “I’m gonna go back to the castle to catch up on some comic books, and appreciate not having those things you guys have between your legs. See ya!” “Yeah, yeah,” muttered both stallions as they let her leave without much protest. Shortly after Barb’s exit, Doctor Stable came through the doorway and took off her gloves with her magic. Elusive was the first to step forward and ask fretfully, “How is he, Doctor?” Stable sighed and threw her gloves into the trash bin before answering, “Well, I don’t think there’s any cause for alarm for the time being. Aside from some swelling and discoloration, I don’t think Rainbow Blitz’s injury is severe enough for any permanent damage. I would suggest that he stay on the ground for tonight, though.” Dusk and Elusive both sighed deeply in relief. “That’s really good to know,” said Dusk Shine with a more relaxed smile on his face. "Thank you, Doctor Stable.” “It’s no problem,” replied the tan mare as she used her magic to write down some notes on a sheet of paper. “I placed a numbing spell on them, so he’ll be alright for the moment. Just let him rest for the night with those frozen peas, and come to me in the morning if he’s still in pain, alright?” After both stallions nodded in agreement, Stable went to leave out the same door Barb did. “Now if you excuse me, I need to head back to the hospital.” But before exiting the kitchen, she looked back at Elusive and said cheerfully, “And by the way, you did a great job at that competition! I’m rooting for you at that Baltimare meet, so I hope Blitz’ll be alright.” Elusive could barely look back at her while nodding. “As do I, Doctor,” he mumbled disheartedly while she left. “As do I...” Dusk Shine put his hoof on the unicorn’s back and tried to get him in higher spirits. “Elusive, it’s going to be alright. Blitz is going to be fine, and you’re still in the competition.” “Yes, I know,” said Elusive as his saddened look remained. He looked back at his friend and asked morosely, “but do you think he’s going to keep dancing with me after that?” That made Dusk Shine stop with a new look of worry on his face. While the unicorn sighed and looked away with his muzzle pursed shut, Dusk had to take a moment to think of something he could say to break the silence. “Well… if it helps, I can get you guys some take-out. You definitely earned it.” “... Perhaps…” Elusive’s glance went towards the doorway to the living room. Even though neither he or Dusk could hear Blitz’s groaning anymore, the stallion still breathed out apprehensively. “Do you think I should try to talk to him?” Dusk seemed wary, but said after a thoughtful shrug, “I mean, at least he knows he’s going to be fine now. So…” The Prince didn’t say much else after that, probably because he was just as unsure about the idea as Elusive was. Alas, Elusive still huffed in a last-minute effort to relieve his anxieties before stepping forward. “Well, here goes nothing…” Before he could get any second thoughts, the unicorn went past the door and stepped into the living room to check on his friend. Rainbow Blitz was lying on the lavender couch with a pillow under his head, and the large bag of frozen peas put right between his outstretched legs. Unfortunately, the pegasus also had the nastiest, most bloodthirsty glare that Elusive had ever seen. Elusive tried to give his friend a smile, despite how terrified he looked to be in the same room as him at that moment. “H-Heyyyyyy… Dusk was just about to get us some din--” With a voice that sounded like a bitter toddler, Blitz just squeaked, “Shut up.” Elusive’s ears dropped in heartache, although he was also secretly thankful that Barb left earlier. Not just because he didn’t want her to see how angry Blitz was, but also because she most likely would’ve laughed at the pegasus’ high-pitched voice. Dusk got dinner for the two in a literal flash before leaving as well. Despite the strict diet regimen that Elusive wanted his partner to follow, he really didn’t feel like implementing it after physically emasculating him. Dusk Shine was fortunate enough to get both of their favorites, which included a broccoli and mushroom stir-fry for the unicorn, and a pad-thai with extra cashews and a platter of egg rolls for Rainbow Blitz. Elusive preferred wontons, so he didn’t even try to take any egg rolls from Blitz’s platter. Instead, he just ate his dish silently and hoped that his friend would be good to talk after their meals were done. Blitz barely even looked at Elusive as he ate. Even though he managed to mutter a brief “Thanks” when he received his food, he didn’t say much else while devouring way more calories than the unicorn would’ve preferred. He also didn’t try to keep his eating habits clean while on the couch, but Elusive tried his best to ignore that since he had it magically stain-guarded. However, what did concern him was when he noticed a lot of droplets of precipitation appearing on the bag of peas on Blitz’s crotch. Despite his precautions, the last thing that Elusive wanted was for his suede couch to be damaged by excess moisture. He waited until Blitz finished his last egg roll (which actually confounded the unicorn since that was a family-sized platter) before using his magic to lift up the bag. “HEY!” shouted Blitz (thankfully in a much less squeaky voice) as he tried to grab the bag with one hoof while the other remained over his jewels. “I need that!” “It’s thawing,” stated Elusive as he floated the bag away. Concentrating the best as he could while speaking, he was able to use his magic to open both the kitchen and freezer door, and switch the bags in less than a few seconds. “Barbara got a second bag to switch them out.” After the new frozen bag was levitated back to him, Blitz’s angered look decreased a little when he took it from Elusive’s aura. “Oh, ummm… thanks…” However, he did shiver painfully when he placed the peas back on his numbed region. “Hnnngggg!” “Oh dear,” said Elusive fretfully before asking, “Is it still that bad, Rainbow?” Blitz wanted to say yes, but he knew better than to make a flat-out lie when his friend was already guilty. He shuddered from the cold and shook his head weakly. “Ehhh… nah. they’re not the size of cantaloupes anymore, so I think they might be getting better.” “Well, that’s a relief,” breathed out Elusive in almost a whisper. He had a hoof to his chest as he tried to keep his breathing from becoming too heavy. Hoping to clear the air, he turned his attention towards the pegasus and said insistently, “Rainbow, you know that I didn’t mean to pull you down, right? That was a complete accident on my behalf.” Blitz took a few seconds before sighing and nodding his head. “Y-Yeah, I know,” he grunted while readjusting the bag between his legs. “It’s just a really shitty thing to happen, you know?” “Yes, I do know,” replied Elusive uncomfortably while averting his eyes from him. “It was indeed… shitty.” While he usually never cursed out loud in front of others, he felt that Rainbow’s adjective was the most fitting given the scenario. “Honestly,” continued Blitz as he got himself in a good seated position with his frozen bag, “I’m kinda pissed that you were able to do those splits without a single problem.” Elusive shrugged as he saw Blitz’s point. “Well, it helps that I take regular yoga classes in town. Aras and Vytas are fantastic instructors when it comes to contortion and relaxation.” “Yeah, I’ll believe it…” Blitz then noticed that there were still a couple uneaten cashews remaining at the bottom of his take-out container, so he grabbed a fork to try and fish them out. “I will say though, it’s good that the judges scored us before I blacked out. I have a feeling we wouldn’t have gotten all eights if they knew what happened.” “Well,” said Elusive as he tried thinking realistically, “perhaps that stallion would’ve given us a sympathy eight.” Blitz laughed for the first time that night while balancing the peanuts on his fork. “Yeah, maybe so!” Considering how much food the pegasus consumed already, Elusive looked a bit surprised to see him scarfing down the last of his meal so heartily. But instead of chastising him for his seemingly endless stomach, the unicorn got back onto his hooves and collected the empty take-out packages with his magic. “So Blitz,” he began as he attempted to lighten the mood, “considering what happened today, I feel it’s only fair to offer you a drink to go along with your meal. Do you mind?” “Hmm?” Blitz looked back up at his friend while chewing, and swallowed to give his answer with a shrug. “Ummm… alright, that seems fine.” “Excellent!” After throwing all the containers away, the unicorn trotted over to a seemingly bare wall of his showroom. At first glance, the wall looked like it was just there to be load-bearing, and carried nothing but a couple of framed paintings and a candle holder. Blitz looked over at him from the couch with a raised brow, wondering what his friend was up to. Like something out of Elusive’s prized mystery novels, the unicorn smirked and pulled on the candlestick, making it come out at a right-degree angle with a distinct click. In an instant, a large section of the wall came out and spun to reveal a pristine, top-notch bar with attached stools and a full display of bottles shelved behind the table. “HOLY SHIT!” shouted Blitz in shock, clearly never knowing that bar existed until just now. He wanted to hop off of his couch to check it out, but one move of his hind legs made him wince while still seated. His balls may have been completely numb, but the joints in his legs were still strained from that split. After chuckling at Blitz’s reactionary statement, the unicorn lit his horn to pick his friend up. Even though picking up a whole pony wasn’t nearly as easy as Dusk Shine would make it out to be, the unicorn managed with a tongue sticking out while floating his friend to the stool and carefully lowering him on it. Luckily, the pegasus didn’t seem too uncomfortable at his new spot in front of the surprise bar. He gawked with a dropped jaw at the display of various spirits and liqueurs behind the unicorn, blinking repeatedly like he was in a dream. “Damn, dude… “I know,” stated Elusive pertly with a smirk as he began to pour himself a drink. With his magic no longer holding Blitz up, Elusive was in free rein to collect the bottles of dry vermouth, benedictine and absinthe; he also levitated an iced strainer glass and a drinking glass before getting his concoction made behind the bar. “When I first bought this place, I got it at a very low price because it was completely gutted out to the frames. My father helped put down a loan for me to purchase it, and he and I spent a good few months renovating the place ourselves. We installed this bar as a fun little addition with some spare funds we had. Not many ponies know about it aside from my family and exclusive clients.” “Wait, what?!” shouted Blitz with an offended look on his face. “You’re telling me that you had this bar the whole friggin’ time?! How come you never told me about it?!” Elusive ignored how upset the pegasus looked while pouring his Chrysanthemum from the strainer, letting the amber mixture pour into his glass. “Just for the record,” stated Elusive firmly as he placed an orange peel in the glass and took a sip, “you’re not the only friend of mine who is unaware of this. Applejack and Bubble Berry don’t know either.” That just made Blitz look even more pissed. “Oh, and Prince Dusk Shine gets access to your secret bar?! Butterscotch too?!” “I technically never told those two either.” After tasting his creation, the unicorn smirked in satisfaction and put his drink down. “Dusk found me at this bar one day while it was out in the open, and Butterscotch apparently found out because my cat told him about it.” “Oh…” even though he could tell his friend was telling the truth, he was still peeved enough to ask, “So how come you never told us about this?” “Honestly?” Elusive looked back at his friend before answering him bluntly. “Because I was worried you guys would raid it.” “Oh, come on!” exclaimed Blitz with a roll of his eyes. “You should give us more credit than tha--Whoa, you have Glass Skull Vodka?!” Even though he was genuinely surprised to see that particular brand at the end of Elusive’s shelf, it only seemed to confirm the unicorn’s reason to keep it a secret with a raised brow on Blitz. The pegasus noticed his friend’s look, and took a second before sighing. “Okay, maybe a little, but I doubt any of us would take anything expensive!” “I’m sure you wouldn’t,” said Elusive in a less than convinced tone of voice. After finishing his cocktail, he put his glass away and looked back at Blitz. “Nevertheless, it seems fair to let you know about this bar now. I’m actually a licensed bartender, so I could make you something specific if you want.” “Wait, seriously?” Blitz stared at Elusive for a moment, not recalling ever learning that fact about him. But after glancing behind the white stallion to see a framed license under the shelf with Elusive’s name on it, Blitz was convinced with a tilt of his head. “... Huh…” He then looked back up at the shelf and thought it over momentarily. “Well… I guess a Negroni would be alright.” Elusive raised brows for a second, surprised that his stunt-pony friend knew of that drink. But considering it was something he knew how to make quite well, the unicorn nodded with a smirk and went to work. “Sounds good.” While putting his previous bottles back in their places with his magic, Elusive also brought out the sweet vermouth, campari, and gin for Blitz’s cocktail. Blitz leaned into the table and watched with interest as his friend got the cocktail made like a true professional. “You know,” began the pegasus while seeing the spirits mix and combine with magic in his iced glass, “I’m about ninety percent sure that you never told me you were a mixologist.” “Ugh!” grunted the unicorn in disgust before grabbing another orange peel. “Please don’t use that term. It’s so… gaudy!” Despite his shudder, Elusive twisted the peel for aromatics with practiced ease before placing it in the glass and floating it towards his friend. “And for the record, I… may have never mentioned it before. Not because I was trying to hide it or anything. It just never came into conversation.” Blitz took a drink of his cocktail, his brows raising as he tasted a perfect blend of bitterness and sweetness with the first sip. “Mmm! Damn…” Even though he was impressed at Elusive’s skills, he still looked up at him and asked, “When the hay did you learn bartending anyway?” “College,” said Elusive proudly as he decided to make a Negroni for himself. “I didn’t want to be swamped with student loans as soon as I got my degree in fashion design, so I took up bartending as a means to pay off my expenses. It was actually a great way to make money as a student, plus it helped to improve my social skills and give me invaluable experience with future clients.” Blitz was still surprised, but he had to admit that Elusive’s explanation sounded pretty feasible. After he finished building his own Negroni, the two tapped classes and took a sip together. After finishing his drink slowly, Blitz looked back at his friend with narrowed eyes. “Just so you know, I really would’ve liked to have known this about you earlier.” “Why?” asked Elusive coyly after another sip. “So you could use my skills to make you free drinks all the time?” “No,” answered Blitz with another roll of his eyes. “Believe me, Wonderbolts get free drinks enough as it is.” He looked down at the empty glass in his hoof, tilting it back and forth to make the ice cubes clink against each other. “It’s just that… my Mom was a bartender, so… You know…” Elusive’s eyes widened, and he slowly put down his now finished drink. “Oh…” Even though he’s been friends with his fellow Elements for years now, there were still a lot of things that the guys didn’t know about each other. Some of those things obviously didn’t need to be explained, like Applejack’s parents or Butterscotch’s anxiety issues. But others seemed to just be things that were never thought about or mentioned, like Elusive’s bartending skills or Barb’s comic book knowledge. And as for Rainbow Blitz, not much was ever mentioned of his family. Hoping he wasn’t treading on thin ice, Elusive decided to make another Negroni for Blitz while speaking. “Really? I… honestly didn’t know that.” “Yeah…” Blitz pushed his glass towards Elusive so that he could make the drink as he continued. “That was actually how my Dad met her. He just inherited the restaurant from my grandpa, so he had to hire some new staff to run it. My Mom signed up as a bartender, and they apparently became a couple by the end of that year. I ended up learning a lot of stuff about drinks because of her.” “Well, that would explain the Negroni,” said Elusive as he made Blitz’s second glass. He huffed with a smile while floating the glass back to him. “I honestly would’ve piqued you as the type to just throw some vodka in an energy drink and call it a day.” “Hey, nothing wrong with a quick buzz,” retorted Blitz with a smirk of his own before drinking a third of the glass. “But yeah, she taught me a few of her signature drinks back when I was a kid. Mostly virgin stuff in case I tried to take a sip. After she died, I…” Blitz paused briefly, looking down at his drink. Elusive bit his lip, hoping that his friend didn’t say too much. After a few seconds of pregnant silence, the pegasus breathed out deeply and downed his glass like a shot. He put it back on the table and finished with, “But yeah, I… ended up getting her cocktail book after she passed. I don’t remember every drink, but I do know a lot of the best ones.” Elusive looked at his friend for a moment, and then down to the backside of his bar setup. Underneath the table, he had a wide assortment of glasses, equipment, and three mini fridges that were filled with every ingredient and chaser he needed for exclusive clients. He may have not had an official setup, but the unicorn knew he had just as much stuff as any licensed bar in town. With a skewed muzzle, he looked back up at Blitz and asked, “Like what?” “Hm?” Blitz’s eyes peered back up at him, despite leaning against his hoof on the bar. “What are some of the 'best'?” Even though he was being casual, Elusive was wondering what his friend would do if he was given an offer. He looked away playfully as a devilish smirk crawled across his lips. “Granted, it would be hard to outdo a licensed bartender’s repertoire, so I’m doubtful that your experience can match my own creations… Rainbow’s head popped up from the bar like a Whack-A-Mole game. “What?” “I’m just saying,” continued the unicorn as he kept his coy grin pointed away from Blitz, “it takes a distinct skill to actually make a cocktail as well as someone with proper experience. Not every pony with a few cocktail recipes memorized can make something as good as somepony like myself~” Elusive’s cheeky tone was only intensifying the nasty stare that Blitz had on him. “Dude, do you want to start this? Because if so I’ll finish it.” Pleased that his friend took the bait, Elusive finally looked back at him with his smirk remaining. “Are you implying you can keep up if you were to try?” “Okay, that’s it!” Blitz hopped off the stool, not even thinking about the consequences until his hooves touched the floor. “GAHHH!!!” Rainbow gritted his teeth at the immense pain his leg joints were giving him, and Elusive gasped in sudden realization. “Oh no, Blitz!” he shouted before beginning to get out from behind the bar. “I’m so sorry, I forgot about your injury and I--” Blitz was still cringing, but he put out a hoof to stop Elusive from running to his aid. He took a couple heavy breaths before attempting to take a step. “I-It’s alright… My balls are numb as buck… It’s just my legs, but…” Elusive was frozen in shock, unsure whether he should stay behind the bar or go out to help him. Blitz hobbled towards the back of the bar slowly, despite the fact that he had to keep his hind legs wide apart to walk comfortably. Even with his ridiculous-looking waddle, the pegasus had a determined stare on Elusive before looking through the bar’s inventory. “You wanna see a good drink?” he said through a heavy groan while collecting a bottle of citrus soda to start things off. “I’ll give you a drink that’ll knock that uppity attitude out of your ass!” Despite his worry, Elusive blinked a couple times as he realized his friend wasn’t going to let up. He challenged him in the first place, so the best he could do now was go with it and hope it ended civilly. “Well, I... “ After breathing out sharply, the unicorn floated out a blender and an aura full of ice. “Very well then! It’s on!” A couple hours, and VERY many drinks later, both stallions were on their butts and leaned against the back of the bar. What started off as a friendly competition to see who can make the best cocktail, eventually devolved into the two consuming glass after glass of various things until both of them lost track of what they were doing. Completely plastered off their hooves, all that the ponies could do now was lie underneath the fluorescent light while their cheeks were flaring with a deep shade of red. “O… Okhay…” Elusive rubbed his reddened eyes with a hoof and admitted with a slurred voice, “You… You know how to… m-make a good cocktail…” Blitz, who now had a bag of frozen pineapple chunks over his crotch (mostly since the peas were thawed and Elusive couldn’t get the other bag), smirked in victory and said, “Buck yeah I do…” Seeing a half-finished bottle of Peeved Acres hard cider on the floor, Blitz used a hoof to pick it up and take a swig. It’s wasn’t nearly as good as Applejack’s fermented stuff, but it was still okay for that night. Blitz passed the bottle towards Elusive, who reluctantly took it and had a sip of his own. He grimaced a little from the bitterness of the ale after pulling it away from his lips. “Eugh… th-this is definitely better as a chaser.” “Mmhmm,” grunted Blitz before taking the bottle back to finish it. “Still alright on it’s own…” As his friend downed the bottle, Elusive looked at him with a goofy smile that grew between his heavily blushed cheeks. “Blitzie, I… I’m… really glad that you ag… agreed to be my dancing partner…” Blitz sighed after finishing the bottle of cider and tossing it aside. “It’s alright,” muttered the pegasus as he laid in a half-conscious state. “I would’ve… would’ve been a major dick if I said no.” “Yeah, but…” Despite how drunk he felt, the unicorn was able to recall enough to make his smile diminish a little bit. “But you… you did say no at first...” Blitz groaned with his eyes clenched shut. “Ugh, I know… And I’m sorry, okay?” “No, no, I know…” With his head leaned forward slightly, Elusive blinked a few times as he tried to think about that day with a little more focus. His eyes were squinted in concentration as he tried to ask clearly, “B-But… you were so adama… adamama… adaminni… You were confident your answer to me was ‘No’ until… until Dusk talked with you…” Rainbow Blitz sighed and rubbed his eyes with a hoof. “Dude, come on… not now…” “I’m just…” Elusive leaned his head back as he tried to think about it with growing confusion on his face. “I can’t stop thinking about it! I… I know you said that you didn’t say yes because of him, and… and I believe you, I swear, but…” With a worried and curious look, the unicorn glanced over at his friend and asked weakly, “But… why did you change your mind to think about it?” Blitz looked back at him with a strong pout under his own deep blush. He huffed through his nostrils before looking away. “It’s none of your business, Lucy.” “Blitz, come ooooonnnnn!” Elusive leaned to the side to flop against his friend clumsily and slur out, “I… I Bubble Berry Promise, I… I won’t tell a soul. I won’t even tell my cat, so Butterscotch won’t know either…” Blitz tried to push the unicorn off of him. “Dude, come on. You are one annoying-ass drunk!” “Pleeeeeease?~” Elusive waited until Blitz looked at him before trying to give a puppy-dog pout to make him talk. “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye?” It took a few seconds for Blitz to tell that his friend wasn’t going to let this go, which caused him to groan and push Elusive away from his side. “Alright, alright! I’ll tell you…” Elusive was sitting upright again, but still looked over at Blitz with his ears raised. The drunken stunt-pony closed his eyes and took a long breath. “I… I owe Dusk Shine a favor, okay? And he… he said if I wasn’t going to think it over, then… he would cash in that favor to make me say yes right there.” Elusive narrowed his eyes on him with a tilted head. “What kind of favor?” Rainbow exhaled sharply with his head hung low. “Dude, don’t go there. Please…” Elusive stopped for a moment, clearly hearing the desperation in Blitz’s voice. But despite his conscience telling him to stop, something in him wanted to press just a little bit further. “Rainbow, please…” He reached out to put a hoof on Blitz’s shoulder in support. “I swear, I’m not going to tell anyone. You… you know you can trust me on this.” With his lips tightly shut, it seemed like Rainbow Blitz wasn’t going to budge from his statement. His eyes slowly peered back at Elusive, seeing the compassion he was carrying behind those deep blue eyes. After another long pause, Blitz closed his eyes and sighed with his muzzle pointed to the floor. “I… I offered him the favor after the wedding.” Elusive’s eyes quickly widened, not needing to be clarified which wedding his friend was referring to. “O-Oh…” Rainbow nodded his head softly. “Y… Yeah. I went up to his room before his sister’s reception, and I… I just wanted to make sure things were cool between us...” Elusive let go of Blitz’s shoulder and ended up in the same slumped position the pegasus was in. Neither of them said much for a while, both of them clearly thinking about that horrible day. Dealing with a surprise changeling invasion in Canterlot was one thing, but turning their backs on the one friend who knew something was wrong beforehoof was enough to make them feel sick. Elusive crossed his forelegs as he felt his guilt from that event flooding back like a clogged sink. “I’m… I’m sorry I asked.” “It’s okay, I get it,” said Blitz truthfully, although his saddened tone made it sound less than so. “It’s just… I couldn’t go to that reception without at least trying to set things right, you know? And I just… I needed to do something to make up for how I treated him.” “You weren’t the only one to leave that room, Blitz. All of us did…” Elusive clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to start tearing up at the memory of that deplorable day. Even with all the apologies he and the others gave Dusk, it honestly didn’t feel like enough was done to rectify their actions. He had to take a deep breath to ensure his voice wouldn’t come out too hoarse. “S-So… you went to see him and offered a favor?” “Well… N-No,” he admitted meekly. “I went up there and offered him to punch me in the face.” Elusive wasn’t expecting that clarification. He looked over at the pegasus with a befuddled glance to make sure he wasn’t joking. “Wait, seriously? So you… What? You just went up to his room, knocked on the door, and said 'Punch me in the face'?” Blitz turned to look back at Elusive with a nod of his head. “Ummm… Actually yeah. That was exactly what I did.” “Pbbt!” Elusive had to cover his mouth with a hoof to keep from laughing guiltily. He got himself settled down and said with a shrug, “Well… I suppose that’s one way to try and fix it.” “Well, what was I supposed to do?! I thought he'd do it!” Blitz said with an exasperated huff as he slumped against the back of the bar. “I mean… I’m supposed to be the Element of Loyalty, for buck’s sake! I’m supposed to be there for my friends, and I just…” Rainbow covered his face with both hooves, clearly trying his hardest not to get too emotional. Elusive quickly scooted in closer to Blitz and put a foreleg around his back. “Hey, hey, hey… It’s alright, Blitz.” “I know,” Blitz said in a much hoarser voice than before while he kept his face covered, “but it just… it hurts to even think about that day.” “I know, darling. I know…” Elusive’s head slowly rested against Blitz’s shoulder, but luckily wasn’t removed by the pegasus. Blitz didn’t say anything for a while (aside from a heavy, lingering sigh), so Elusive looked up at him and asked, “So… did he punch you?” “No,” answered Blitz in an instant. “He refused. Although looking back, it kinda makes sense. I mean, the big reason we all left him was because he punched that fake Prince Bolero in the face. Kinda seems stupid to make up for that with another punch.” “I suppose, yes,” agreed Elusive with a shrug of his head, “but I can see your reasoning for wanting to offer that. A lot of stallions probably wouldn’t have refused.” “Yeah…” Blitz became quiet for a few seconds with his head lowered, before saying in a more morose tone, “but a lot of stallions probably wouldn’t have given us another chance either.” Elusive’s ears dropped down in an instant, making him look just as dreary as his friend. While he knew that the pegasus was completely right, it still hurt to think about that possibility. Heck, given that their Elements are connected by the strength of their friendship, it was nothing short of a miracle that they still worked after that betrayal on Dusk. Elusive couldn’t think of anything to say in response to Blitz’s point, which gave the stunt-pony the time needed to keep going. “I just… I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t hate us. After refusing to do it, Dusk… he ended up talking with me about everything before the reception started. I brought up how I should’ve stayed with him, and he… he said how he shouldn’t have bursted into that rehearsal without any good proof. He said he couldn’t be mad without feeling guilty about his own actions. After that, he… he actually told me how leaving him alone probably saved his life. Like… Maybe Metamorphosis wouldn’t have been so careful if someone else was in the room or something. I dunno…” Elusive didn’t say anything, but he kept his focus on Blitz’s words and let them sink in. After the wedding, he remembered that Dusk Shine told the unicorn the exact same thing when they talked in private; in fact, Elusive was in the very same spot he was in now (and equally as wasted) when Dusk found him that day. And given how dreary that week after the wedding went, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Dusk had to say that to every friend who tried to apologize to him. While he thought it over, Elusive barely noticed when Blitz rested his head against his own. “In the end, I knew he wasn’t going to hate me, but… I couldn’t just leave without offering something. I mean, I saw him get disowned by his sister, and I left him to wear a bucking suit! I mean…” Blitz kept his eyes tightly closed while he spoke. “... like, what kind of friend does that?!” “... the same one who leaves that same room to make a dress,” answered Elusive in an equally depressed voice. “Oh. Ummm… right.” Blitz took a breath before reopening his eyes and finishing his story. “Anyway, before I left Dusk’s room, I… I offered him one favor to make up for it, which he could use at any time. No limits. No questions asked. He tried to say no, but I wasn’t going to budge. He eventually agreed, and… he threatened to use it if I didn’t think your offer over.” Elusive could only blink a couple times while staring up at his friend. Even though he knew that Blitz’s decision to say yes wasn’t inspired by that favor, the details of it made him ask in baffled curiosity. “So, when you say ‘no limits’…” “Yeah, basically,” answered Blitz before Elusive could finish after that pause. “Like, if he wanted me to help hide a body for him, or smack Solaris' ass, or to give him a hoof-job. I’d do it. After almost killing him that day, it seemed like the least I could do as a friend.” Elusive could feel Rainbow Blitz’s head resting harder against his pristine mane, but he couldn’t really mind with the inebriated state he was in. Instead, he just wrapped his hoof around his back a little tighter while snuggled against the pegasus’ shoulder. “Rainbow, you… you’re a really good friend. You don’t need some favor to prove that.” “I know…” Blitz’s foreleg wrapped around the unicorn’s back as well, and he said in a more groggy tone of voice, “Th… thanks, dude…” “N-No problem…” As his eyes slowly closed due to exhaustion, Elusive said one last thing while nuzzled against Blitz’s neck. “You’re a really good dancer too.” “Heh heh… Buck yeah I am…” Click! “... hehehehehe… this is great!” “Ooh! Ooh! He’s still doing it!” Click! “Oh, man… Elusive’s gonna kill ‘im!” “Maybe he asked Blitz to do it.” “Ah dunno. That don’t seem like his thing…” Click! “Mmmmurghhhh… Wh… What the…” Elusive felt like his head was throbbing. When he tried to open his eyes, it seemed like his eyelids were being clamped with fifty pound weights to keep them locked shut. He rubbed his face with a hoof as he began to wake up, absolutely certain he looked like he went to Tartarus and back overnight. But when he rubbed his forehead, Elusive felt something wet and slimy just underneath his horn. Along with something warm and fuzzy on it. “Oh shit!” whispered what sounded to be Applejack’s voice, who couldn’t have been more than a couple feet away from the hungover unicorn. “‘Lusive’s wakin’ up!” “One more picture!” hissed Bubble Berry excitedly. “This is great!” Click! A bright flash assaulted Elusive’s eyes as soon as he tried to creak them open, making him wince uncomfortably. “Bu… Bubble Berry… G-get out of my room…” “We’re not in your room, Silly Filly! We’re in your hidden bar!” “Yeah, when the hay were ya gonna tell us ‘bout this, by the way?” asked Applejack in a cynical voice. Elusive tried to get up, but he felt a massive amount of weight on his head that kept him from moving much. “Guys, I have a… a valid expla… explanation…” As soon as he opened his eyes enough to look around, Elusive was able to confirm that he was still behind his bar. Applejack and Bubble Berry were standing a couple feet away with bemused grins down at him, with Berry holding a large camera wrapped around his neck. Elusive was just about to ask why he had that thing before something else caught his attention. A thin haze of cyan was just hanging above the unicorn’s line of vision, which was moving up and down ever so slightly. Elusive also began to hear suckling. “OOH!” Bubble Berry held up his camera while Applejack covered his muzzle with a hoof and snickered. “One last shot before Blitzie wakes up!” Click! Another violent flash of slight assaulted Elusive’s line of vision, but his bloodshot eyes were now wide-open as he looked up in growing horror. It didn’t take long for the stallion to realize what was just over his head, or what that eerie noise was supposed to be. He was seeing Rainbow Blitz’s chin. And while he couldn’t feel his horn yet, the unicorn’s mouth began to gape in the horrific realization of what his passed-out friend was doing to it. Nothing but a mortified creak was able to come out of Elusive’s muzzle. Blitz was slowly starting to wake up as well, his ears twitching to the sounds of giggling and some weird creaking thing. When his face scrunched in, he felt something hard and vaguely sweet inside of his mouth. It kinda felt like some porcelain figure against his tongue, but tasted like one of those weird candy things that Applejack’s grandpa gave him once. His head pulled back to get whatever that was out of his mouth, and he slowly tried to open his eyes. “Hnnnmmm… Where am…” As soon as he was able to see, Rainbow Blitz was greeted to the sight of Elusive’s horrified face staring back at him. It was at that moment that the pegasus realized he was still spooned in against him, with a bag of melted pineapple chunks still over his crotch. His eyes slowly widened when he saw Elusive’s horn, which was glistened in a thick coat of saliva. Saliva which had several lines connected between the horn and Blitz’s lips. Blitz had the camera in position, just as the two hungover stallions opened their mouths at the same time. “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!” Click!