Cloud homes may have been naturally bright due to how well they absorbed sunlight, but the inside of Rainbow Blitz’s house was pitch black ever since he came back from Las Pegasus. The heavily closed blinds over all the windows made it hard to see anything besides the shapes of larger furniture pieces, which made his pet tortoise Armour keep bumping into things to find her way around. Regardless of whether or not he felt bad about that, the pegasus refused to pull himself from his bedding to turn on a light or open a window. Instead, Rainbow just laid in his bed, nestled in his covers like a cocoon while the sun was shining brightly outside.
He didn’t say anything after his breakdown at that stadium. Even on the flight back home, Blitz just laid out of sight and refrained from making any more trouble for his friends. He knew Elusive tried to see him a couple times, but Butterscotch was quick to ensure he wouldn’t be disturbed in any way. It hurt a little to know his friends were just trying to help, but Rainbow was eternally grateful that Butterscotch made sure he was left alone.
Even now, the yellow pegasus was the only friend to try and visit Blitz in his house, mostly to check on Armour and give her some food. It’s only been a couple days since he got back, but the stallion felt like he was confined to his bed for over a month straight. As the darkness enveloped him, he kept his eyes closed and tried to keep from thinking back to what was said or done; but despite his best attempts, the stallion's clenched eyes were beading with tears as those statements flooded his conscience so painfully:
“I don’t consider a few little cons to be as bad as what you’ve done, Mister Patricide.”
“What’s the matter, Blitz? Are you thinking of murdering us too?~”
“Blitz, look at me! It was not your fault, okay?! You had nothing to do with it!”
Mister Patricide.
“Rainbow, PLEASE! I never meant to hurt you!”
Mister Patricide
“Rainbow Blitz? We needed to ask you some questions about what happened on the night of--”
“URGHHH!!!” Blitz sunk his head into his pillow as his chest grew tighter in growing anxiety. Even as his breathing grew fainter, making him feel like he was being constrained by a lasso around his lungs, the pegasus still gritted his teeth strongly while struggling not to sob. His heart was thumping painfully enough to almost feel like he was having a heart attack, but his fatigue left his body as inactive as any of his strongest hangovers from grain alcohol. He didn’t want to move an inch, but he also wanted to run around and break everything in sight at the same time.
Armour, who had seen these episodes only a few times since becoming his companion, kept her distance and stayed in one of the brighter parts of the house. The tortoise was obviously worried for Blitz’s well being, but she remembered what Butterscotch told her before: “I know it hurts to see him like this, but please leave him be. He just wants to be by himself.”
So with that in mind, Armour laid down on a pillow on the couch, hopeful to at least get a nap in despite overhearing Blitz’s faint groans from the bedroom. However, the tortoise’s eyes soon peered over at the picture frame Blitz left on the coffee table the night he came home. It was really old and cracked, and something he didn’t hang on any of the walls. She could recognize her owner (albeit a much younger version of him) in the middle of the picture inside the frame, but she couldn’t recognize the two ponies beside him. As she slowly tried to get herself some rest, Armour’s thoughts drifted off to who that mare and stallion were, and why Rainbow was so upset each time he looked at them.
“Sooo… do you have any idea what the next routine is going to be?”
Despite Barb’s attempts to get Elusive in a brighter mood with the change of topic, the unicorn was still slumped atop the Friendship Map with a saddened pout. Of course, given how Butterscotch came by earlier to tell them that Rainbow Blitz most likely wouldn’t make it to practice that day, the dragoness couldn’t blame Elusive in the slightest. It was bad enough that they were really behind on their practice before the Manehattan Semi-Finals, but the fact that none of them knew why Blitz was out of commission just made it even worse. Barb had a feeling that Elusive knew a little more about it than the others (besides Butterscotch), but he was keeping his muzzle shut about what it might be.
Regardless, Elusive waited a moment after Barb’s question to sigh and reply tiredly. “Actually, we did discuss it back in Las Pegasus before the competition. If we made it through, we agreed to try a contemporary routine. It’s a lot slower and provides more full-body synchronicity, but it could also show how well-versed we could be before the finals.”
“Hmmm…” Barb picked up a couple of Rainbow Blitz’s albums that he’d lent to Elusive for song choices. Noting that most of them were either classic rock or metal (including quite a few from some gryphon-based band called Talon Ripper), the dragoness raised a brow as she asked worriedly, “But isn’t contemporary like, ballet or something?”
“Well, it’s more like ballet mixed with jazz and free-form,” noted Elusive with a shrug of his head, “But… yeah, it was hard to convince him to try it. The most important aspect about the dance style isn’t specific choreographic moves or costumes, but about the emotion that comes from performing it. It’s definitely further out of Blitz’s comfort zone than some of the previous rounds, but I think he could pull it off with the right training.”
Barb seemed apprehensive, but shrugged her shoulders instead of saying anything too blunt. She picked up one of the more theatrical-looking albums, which showed some long-haired stallion breaking through the ground of a graveyard while riding some sort of demonic-looking motorcycle. Her expression became skewed as she stared at the cover quizzically. “Aaaaannnd… You think any of Blitz’s song choices can work for that kind of thing?”
“I actually found a few that might be good, including a couple from that album you’re holding.” After lifting his head back up, Elusive lit his horn and picked up the copy of ‘Bat Out of Tartarus’ Barb had in her claws. “Wheat Loaf’s ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’ could legitimately work for a contemporary dance, or even something like a rhumba. But personally, I was considering the band Perturbed’s cover of ‘The Sound of Silence’ from one of their newer albums. The vocals are surprisingly impressive.”
Despite his efforts to try and sound optimistic for his plan, the unicorn’s saddened expression soon reappeared as he slumped back in his seat and sighed. “However… Until I’m able to actually TALK with Rainbow, there’s nothing much I can do aside from sitting around and doing nothing!”
Barb bit her lip as she looked back at Elusive with a saddened expression. She felt bad for the unicorn, but she tried to play devil’s advocate as she replied with a shrug, “Well… Blitz did seem pretty out of it after that freakout. It’d probably be bad if he tried to practice dancing when he’s still in that state, right?”
Elusive knew that Barb was right, even though he didn’t want to say it out loud. Even if he were to go up there by hot air balloon and yank Blitz out of his house with his magic, there’s most likely no way he would be in any condition to try dancing. This competition may have meant a lot to Elusive, but he learned from past mistakes that the well-being of his friends was much more important than his own personal endeavours. Eventually, the stallion sighed and nodded his head in response to Barb’s point. “Yes, I… I want him to feel better too…”
Elusive breathed out painfully while holding Blitz’s Wheat Loaf album close to his chest. While he looked away from the dragoness, he didn’t notice that she was staring at him worriedly. Ever since she saw him and Blitz in their dressing room the way they were, she was starting to become a little unsure what might be happening between the two. She was sure that they weren’t anything closer than friends, but the way Elusive was acting made him look like a schoolfilly missing her colftriend.
But before she could say anything stupid, or have her worried look be noticed, the door to the Map Room opened as Butterscotch trotted in hesitantly. Seeing how distraught Elusive looked when he turned and noticed him, the yellow pegasus tried not to wince as his muzzle closed shut briefly. “Ummm… H-Hi, Elusive.”
“Hello,” replied Elusive as he breathed out, making his reply sound like he just woke up from a deep sleep. He gave Butterscotch a hesitantly hopeful look as he asked, “So… is he feeling any better?”
Butterscotch frowned and shook his head faintly. “No, he… He’s really not in any condition to come to practice, Elusive.”
Barb groaned and threw her head back in frustration. “Oh, come on!” she blurted with a roll of her eyes. “What’s his problem?! He wasn’t even this bad when Armour had to go into hibernation!”
Butterscotch gasped at that first outburst, and quickly got peeved as he stared back at her. “Barb, this is a lot bigger than that! And I really wish you would respect his wishes and not belittle him for it!”
“Well, it’s a little hard to do that when we don’t even know what’s up with him!” Barb huffed after that retort, needing a second before she added in a more sympathetic tone. “Like… I’m sorry if I’m being insensitive, alright? I really am sorry. But this isn’t something I want to just... let happen without any of us doing anything! He needs our help!”
“Barb,” said Butterscotch as his voice turned noticeably firmer, “depression does not work like that. I’m already helping him as much as I can, and I already Bubble Berry Promised him that I wouldn’t talk about it to anypony! And I’m not going to endanger that trust!”
Barb paused briefly, looking a little surprised as she heard how stern the usually-timid stallion was sounding. Elusive spoke up as he tried to speak from a more neutral standpoint. “Butterscotch, believe me when I say that we ALL appreciate what you’re doing. It really means a lot.”
The unicorn’s expression then turned more worried after putting down the album and getting up from his seat. He walked up to Butterscotch and said, “But all of us are Blitz’s friends. And we’ve all done so much for each other. Not just one pony helping another, but all of us helping together! I know that Blitz went through something really personal, and I’m not going to ask you about it, but… Is there anything we could do to help? Aside from keeping our space?!”
Butterscotch sighed and rubbed his temple with a hoof. “Elusive, I know how important this competition is for you, but I’m not--”
“THIS ISN’T ABOUT THAT, BUTTERSCOTCH!!”
The pegasus’ meek nature came back as he jolted from Elusive’s emotional screech. Even Barb reeled back in her seat in surprise at the unicorn’s reaction. While Butterscotch stood with a stunned and wide-eyed glance on him, Elusive lit his horn and shot out the same sound-proofing spell he learned from Dusk Shine. Even though the magic dome was a bit smaller, with the wall of magic being uneven at certain spots, it still ensured that Barb couldn’t hear a peep from them. Inside the sound bubble, Elusive tried to keep his tone civil as he said angrily, “Listen, I am not wanting to help Blitz because of this competition, alright?! I’m not! I’d give it up without hesitation if it meant I could help him get better, so don’t you DARE make that accusation!”
“Okay, okay!” blurted Butterscotch as he put his hooves up in sincerity. “I believe you, I’m sorry!”
Seeing how frazzled the pegasus was getting, Elusive briefly stopped to take a breath and say in a calmer voice, “Okay, thank you… I’m sorry for yelling, Butterscotch. I know you don’t deserve that.”
Butterscotch nodded sheepishly with a bit lip. “Th... Thank you.”
“It’s just…” Elusive bit his lip and paused for a moment, taking the time to look around to make sure the sound bubble was secure. He also glanced over to make sure Barb wasn’t listening in; fortunately, the dragoness saw enough of Dusk’s sound bubbles to know she couldn’t eavesdrop if she tried, so she was trying to ignore her worries by looking through the booklets in Blitz’s albums. Even though he was happy for that, Elusive still looked fretful when he turned back to Butterscotch.
“Butterscotch, I… I heard what the Shim Sham Sisters said to him. Like… what made him snap.”
Butterscotch’s eyes widened as he gasped involuntarily in worry. Elusive tried not to wince too hard before adding, “But! I’m not saying I believe them, okay? I really, REALLY doubt that Blitz would resort to something like… like that....”
He then cringed a little before asking meagerly, “Ummm… r-right?”
Elusive winced when he saw how strongly Buttercotch scowled at that question, making it look like he was going to slap the unicorn in the face. “NO, he did NOT!” he shouted firmly enough to make the unicorn flinch.
“Okay, I’m sorry!” blurted Elusive before looking away awkwardly. “I’m really sorry! I just wanted to make sure, alright?!” He may have been grateful that he knew that accusation was false, but he still hated that he had to ask something like that for clarification. Meanwhile, Butterscotch huffed and looked away to keep himself from shouting again.
After closing his eyes to take a breath, he looked back at Butterscotch and said, “But I have talked with him a lot, and… I know a few things…”
Butterscotch’s ears dropped downward like a scared animal, and he gulped apprehensively as he turned back to Elusive and asked, “L… Like what?”
“Well…” After one last look around, Elusive sighed fretfully and admitted in a hushed tone, “I know that his mother died, and… a-and that their restaurant was bought out by a realty company. If anything, those sisters probably learned of what happened from them.”
“M-Most likely,” said Butterscotch in agreement as he shrugged a little. “But… do you know anything else?”
Elusive shook his head as he sighed painfully. “Not really. But he has opened up to me, Butterscotch! I was able to learn so much about him in the past couple of weeks. Things I never thought I’d know about him! And he’s learned a lot about me as well, and I…”
His eyes clenched shut as he pointed muzzle down to the floor, trying not to tear up as he sniffed weakly. “I just… I don’t want to be left out after getting so close…”
Elusive hated that he was getting this worked up about his friend (especially when it was clear that Blitz needed more support than he did), but he was caught by surprise when he felt Butterscotch’s hooves wrap around his back for a hug. “It’s okay, Elusive,” he whispered in a warm and comforting coo. “I know how that feels, and… I’m really glad you two are connecting so much.”
After lifting his head up and opening his wettened eyes, Elusive smiled and hugged him back strongly. However, that moment was slightly dampened after Butterscotch let go and said insistently, “But… I really can’t tell you anything about what happened, alright? Blitz would never forgive me if I did.”
“And I’m not asking you to tell me!” replied Elusive insistently. “I swear I’m not! But I do want to be able to talk with him myself! S-So… if you’re able to...”
Butterscotch waited a few seconds after hearing his friend’s desperate plea trail off, and he had to take a breath to think things over. After exhaling, he gave Elusive a very hesitant stare before saying, “W-Well… if I ask him myself and he says it’s fine, then… Okay.”
Elusive’s brows rose a little in a mix of surprise and hope. “R-Really?”
“Y… Yeah…” Butterscotch looked apprehensive at best, but he was still able to nod his head in confirmation. “If… If he wants to tell you, then that’s fine. But if he doesn’t, you can not ask me about it again.”
“Understood,” noted Elusive after catching his friend’s insistently firm tone. “I promise I won’t.”
While Barb remained outside the sound-bubble and read through the album booklets, and paused when she saw Elusive and Butterscotch hug once more. After the force-field finally dropped, Elusive wiped his eyes with a hoof while the other stallion began to make his leave. “Just don’t get your hopes too high, okay?” admitted the pegasus meekly when he paused and looked back at Elusive. “I really don’t know if he’ll agree to it.”
“Just as long as you try,” replied the unicorn with a heavy breath. “And… thank you.”
Seeing the sincerely warm smile the stallion had on his face, Butterscotch sighed before smiling back. “It’s alright, Elusive. It’s just what friends do.”
After the yellow stallion made his leave, Barb had to take a moment before huffing with an impressed smirk on her face. “Wow!” she said as she glanced back at Elusive. “You actually got him to do something? I guess all those years selling suits really paid off with your persuasion skills!”
Despite appreciating the compliment, Elusive rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration. “I didn’t get him to agree like that, Barbara! I just wanted to make sure Rainbow Blitz was alright!”
“Okay, okay!” replied Barb with her claws raised in insistence. “I get it! I’m not trying to say you conned him or anything. I’m just saying you’re good with talking to ponies.”
Elusive meagerly shrugged in agreement with that statement. “Well… maybe so,” he admitted before smiling faintly back at the drake. “Although I am glad you’re not putting me in the same category as those mares.”
“Hey, I would never do that!” After that statement the dragoness paused briefly as she was reminded of the Shim Sham Sisters. Her mouth skewed a little before she asked, “Although… are those two still in jail for what they did? I remember Dusk saying something about them committing a bunch of tax fraud through their casino.”
“Indeed they did,” answered Elusive in a more positive tone, happy that Barb changed the subject. “They also altered the automated poker games and slot machines to barely ever win, so if the IRS doesn’t get them, the Las Pegasus Gaming Board will.”
Upon remembering one other detail about those doomed twins, Elusive giggled evilly before adding, “Also… I got word from Bubble Berry that he sent those two a little gift in their cell for how they treated me and Rainbow.”
It took Barb a few seconds to think it over, but her eyes soon shot wide-open in realization of what their friend did. “Oh, noooooooo… You don’t mean…”
After a devilish chuckle, Elusive made a “shush” motion with his hoof over his lips and whispered, “Don’t tell Dusk Shine~”
Back at the Las Pegasus jailhouse, Shim and Sham were fortunate enough to have their own cell to themselves. Even though the space was still cramped and uncomfortable with its concrete walls, wooden planks for beds, and a toilet in the middle of the room, the two mares seemed to be getting used to their confines slowly. While Shim was trying to rest on one of the planks, Sham huffed while leaned against the bars. “I swear I thought that July was the sixth month,” she muttered meagerly.
“Shut. Up.” From the way that Shim was glaring at her sister, it was clear that any other attempt of an apology from Sham would only result in a punch in the mouth. However, before the twin could at least try to reprimand things, the sound of hoofsteps approaching their cell made both mares look up up when an officer came to their door.
“Shim? Sham?” asked the cop while holding a nicely-wrapped box in his aura. It was no larger than a shoebox, but was wrapped in a delightfully pink wrapping paper with a matching bow. “This came in for you two by a member of the Royal Family.”
After sliding open the serving window meant for lunch trays, the officer was able to slide in the box that just barely fit through the slot. The two mares seemed slightly confused about who could’ve sent them a present, or what was even in the box, but Sham still took it and nodded to the cop with a smile. “Ummm, thank you, officer.”
The cop then left with a wave of his hoof, not saying anything more to the two criminals. While Shim got off from her bench, Sham held the present with one hoof while reading the tag with the other. “Who is it from?” asked Shim with a raised brow.
“Doesn’t say,” replied Sham while narrowing her eyes on the tastefully-written tag. “It just says, ‘To the Shim Sham Sisters, because you deserve it.’”
Due to the cutely-drawn hearts and smiley faces sketched on the card, neither of them seemed to think that statement was ominous at all. Unfortunately, any chipper moods they may have had after shrugging were instantly tarnished the instant they pulled the bow.
The explosion was large enough to make the entire station shake violently, and half of the Las Pegasus police force rushed towards the cell thinking an escape was occurring. However, as soon as they reached the holding cell of Shim and Sham, their eyes widened when they saw a thick coating of silver glitter sprayed out from the bars of the cell. Inside, every single inch of the room was covered in the shimmery dust, including the two stunned mares who stood in the middle of it.
While the Shim Sham Sisters screamed and cried with their fur and manes coated in near-permanent glitter, neither them or the officers seemed to notice the picture of Bubble Berry’s butt that was attached at the bottom of his package.