//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: Breach // Story: City of Shadows // by GuyGalProductions //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Breach Once the two were finished eating breakfast, this was when Rainbow Dash received a call from Haywire. Dash felt the vibrations of her cell phone, “This is it.” She flipped open her phone and answered. “What’cha got, Haywire?” “What, no ‘Hello Haywire, how are you doing?’” “Don’t be cute. You know I don’t do small talk, so cut to the chase. You must have found something or you’d have waited for me to come to you.” “Okay fine, I found something. This particular piece of equipment was part of a batch of like items stolen out of a warehouse a few months back. I’ll spare you the details of my own fine detective work but suffice to say there’s a serial number and manufacturer's data on the camera’s interior. Couple of call and *bam* I got you your answer.” Rainbow pouted as she thought. This was in some senses a dead end. If the camera had been stolen then it could have been bought and sold half a dozen times since it was taken. Perhaps if she had kept a few more of the pieces of the equipment she could hope to get lucky with one of them, or establish some sort of pattern. Then again the police probably had better records on the break in at the warehouse… as well as lists of suspects, related interviews and interrogations. Rainbow hated to admit it, but Sparkle and the boys in blue might be better equipped to follow up on this lead. That didn’t mean she was giving up, rather that she would just have to pay them another visit… maybe trade what she knew about the evidence she withheld, all in hypotheticals of course. “So Rainbow, didn’t know this case had you rubbing elbows with a model~” “What!?” Rainbow growled quickly. “I know you told me not to, but,” Rainbow could practically hear the smug smile on his lips, “I was snooping around the camera’s buffer, and fished out some wonderful candid shots of what’s-her-name… Fluttersh-” Rainbow’s face had gone slightly scarlet with fury, dropping her voice so as not to let Fluttershy know what exactly had happened. “Lose those, quickly, if you know what’s good for your health.” “Oh come on Rainbow, she’s a celebrity. What’s it matter? I could get a pretty penny for these from a tabloid. I’ll split it with you, 60-40.” “If I see those anywhere, and I mean anywhere, you’ll have to take that 60 and put it towards your hospital bills,” Rainbow threatened. “Sheesh, are you kidding?” Haywire paused for a moment, as if thinking, “Fine, fine, but I think you should give me a little something extra. I mean I’m giving up a golden opportunity here.” Rainbow spoke through gritted teeth, “Fine. I’ll give you an extra bump to your fee, but if you double cross me on this I’ll share some of the more interesting details of your life with Manehatten’s finest. I just met a bright-eyed officer who might take offence to your little piracy operation.” “Criminy Dash, you got the hots for this gal or something?” “Just keep your end up, got it?” “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Till the next time.” There was a click on the other line, signalling the end of the call. Rainbow massaged her temples. She had known Haywire’s morality to be a bit flexible, but this was a new low. “Is… Um… everything okay?” Fluttershy asked, approaching her from a few feet away, “You looked upset.” “Sorta,” Rainbow said, preparing a white lie that died on the tip of her tongue. She had gone down the route of attempting to conceal the truth from Fluttershy for her own good before, yet to do so now left a weight in Rainbow’s chest. Better to tell the truth. “That camera we handed over,” Rainbow said, her voice measured and even, “It had some data left on it, and Haywire couldn’t help but peek.” Fluttershy squeaked, and covered herself, despite that she was fully dressed. “I’m sorry Fluttershy,” Rainbow said somberly, moving towards her in a hope to comfort the distressed woman, “I paid him a little extra to delete it. With any luck he will. I also threatened him to make sure he doesn’t try to sell them, not sure if it will work, but I’ll make good on my threats if he dares try.” “....Please do…” Fluttershy murmured, looking to her pleadingly, shaking. “I-I can understand it was meant to see the footage, but I… I can’t let anyone else see me like that…” ‘Except you...’ “Don’t worry ‘Shy, I’ve got your back,” Rainbow said as she pulled the pinkette into a hug. It was the least she could do. She had known the kind of shady character Haywire was, a useful shady character, but shady nonetheless. Fluttershy didn’t deserve anymore unwanted attention, one psycho stalker was more than enough, she didn’t need tabloids after her too. Not again. Relaxing, Fluttershy felt herself smile as she returned the embrace. The security and comfort washed over her, along with the overall feeling of her friend’s arms around her. “Thank you, Rainbow… I don’t know if I can handle the tabloids again…” “If you have to, you will,” Rainbow said firmly, yet not without compassion, “and I’ll be here with you. You’ll never have to go through anything like that alone.” Meeting her gaze, Fluttershy felt a warm spark in her heart. She gave the prismatic woman a light squeeze, smiling gratefully. “Thank you… It’ll be a lot easier to take knowing I’m not alone.” Rainbow smiled back, basking in the moment before, as she knew she had to, spoiling it slightly, “Unfortunately that’s not the only crappy news. Our clue was a dead end.” “...What? Oh…. Then what are we going to do?” Fluttershy asked, feeling despaired all over again. “We’ll figure something out,” Rainbow said trying to sound hopeful. “We gave a whole heapful of evidence to the cops, they could have had more luck. As much as I dislike the idea of groveling to the cops, I’m sure we can wheedle some information from them.” Fluttershy nodded, seeing her point, “Well, okay. We can go to the precinct in a bit and see if they found anything.” Rainbow nodded, sighing, “Well I wouldn’t count on much, not yet at least. I swear they probably have to fill out forms to get a cup of coffee.” Unable to help it, Fluttershy giggled, “Well, unless you have a better idea.” “Sweet Celestia, I wish I did,” Rainbow said, smirking a bit, the sound of Fluttershy’s giggles assuaging any trace of a bad mood. “Well, then what should we do?” The pinkette asked cutely. Rainbow smiled happily, “I don’t know, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to swing by the station sometime today… Other than that it looks like we have another day of nothin’ in particular. Though I guess I should swing by my office at some point to check and see if I have any messages, and my apartment to pick up some clothes…” “Um, I’ll go with you!” Fluttershy volunteered. Rainbow thought for a moment. They had spent every waking moment together, and yet it didn’t seem quite right to part… “Well you don’t have to... but I won’t lie, I’m still a bit worried about your stalker… We may have changed the rules of the game, but it feels weird for him to have not made another move…” “I-I know… I’m beginning to worry… But I suppose I could barricade the door with a lot of things and locks, so he won’t be able to get in….” Fluttershy suggested. “No, no,” Rainbow even chuckled a bit, “Let’s not jump to that. In fact I think it’s better to the opposite. Don’t wall yourself away, but go out, live your life, be happy. These are all the things that Sombra doesn’t want. He wants you isolated and scared, so let’s show him how that’s not what you’re going to be!” Eyes wide, Fluttershy smiled, “Well, you’re right. Okay. So… I hope you don’t mind if I go with you. I just… feel better knowing you’re still there with me. I’m sorry to make you more like my bodyguard, though…” “Eh it’s fine, I know it’s not exactly my job description, but you’re paying me well enough and… well… on a personal level you’ve come to mean a lot to me in a short time, and I want to do everything I can to make sure you’re okay, okay?” “Okay,” said the pinkette, blushing ever slightly. “I understand~” “Good,” Rainbow said, “Because I barely understand it myself. I’ve never really connected so quickly to someone, so this is all kind of new to me.” “I-I… feel the same way,” Fluttershy murmured softly, not quite looking at her. “We’ll figure it out together then,” Rainbow said softly, fighting off an urge to lay a sweet kiss on her lips. “We… We definitely will…” Fluttershy met her gaze once more, looking into her stunning cerise eyes. “I certainly plan to.” Rainbow felt herself being drawn into the teal pools of Fluttershy’s eyes and found herself leaning in slightly closer before she could stop herself. Upon realizing what she was doing, and what her body was guiding her towards, she pulled away ever so slightly. They would have plenty of time to explore each other later. “Guess we should get going,” Rainbow said awkwardly. “Right…” Fluttershy turned away, hiding the pout on her face. She could see, in some way, what Rainbow was trying to do, and felt disappointed that she’d stopped. “Well, um… after we get what we need done… Why don’t we go to the bookstore? There’s actually one just around the corner from here! We can find some reading material and have fun with that~” “Sure,” Rainbow agreed, “Sounds like a good time, and a good way to get out of here.” “All right, let’s go…” Fluttershy took her coat, purse, and headed to the door. XXXX The bookstore simultaneously felt crowded and comforting. Housed in an old brownstone, the little shop of filled to the nines with shelf after shelf of books. Small nooks were interspaced throughout the levels, complete with small yet squishy armchairs for sampling the many writings. A smell of dust and books clung to the air, but this too only seemed to improve the overall experience of the shop. “Quite the place,” Rainbow remarked in a bit of a whisper. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed to be the appropriate tone for such an atmosphere. “I know… it’s very cozy,” Fluttershy said softly, smiling. She looked around the nearest shelf, which happened to be young adult romance novels. One of them was turned with the cover facing any viewer, and she approached it. The cover of a book called Shattered Dreams consisted of a photo of herself. She recognized it, it was a shot from a fantasy element shoot for a magazine. “Rainbow, look! This novel here has one of my prints.” “Woah~” Rainbow said taking in the cover and grinning. The photo on the cover while tasteful was very alluring. Looking close, rainbow felt a little giggle catch in her throat, “Are those… elf ears?” “Elf ears?” Fluttershy looked closer, “...Oh. Mm, I suppose I was wearing them, but I don’t recall.” “Could have been photoshopped,” Rainbow said, laughing softly, “Oh man, they made you an elf Flutters, that’s so…” She was going to say funny but instead another word popped upon her lips, “...cute~” Fluttershy blushed, giggling, “Thank you, Rainbow.” Rainbow blushed a bit, “Anytime.” Browsing the section more, Fluttershy spotted another novel that used a photo print of her. But it was actually digitally rendered to look more like a painting, and they changed her hair colour from pink to brown. It was a raunchier photo, where she wore a short dress and was looking at the viewer with a soft “Come Hither” smile while sitting on a chair with a martini glass in hand. Rainbow came up behind her, letting out a low whistle. “Wow, now that’s a cover. Bet that sold a lot of copies.” “...It seems to be,” Fluttershy noted that it was the only copy on the shelf. “I know I’d buy it with a cover like that, but I think I’d rather have the real thing~” Rainbow said with a little wink. Fluttershy smiled, leaning to her ear, “You do~” Rainbow gave a toothy grin, and had to remind herself of the many levels of inappropriate that it would be to just take Fluttershy now, in the middle of the bookstore. “Can’t wait~” Taking her hand in hers, the timid woman whispered, “Me neither…” XXX The pair of women continued their outing, amusing themselves with a few of the sights the city had to offer. Killing time to their own minds, waiting until a break could be made in their case, but to the eyes of any observer they may have been mistaken for a couple out for a day on the town... Together they walked, now within the richly green areas of Central Park. It was a little bit later in the day, around the evening hours. Some people wandered the park, sat on benches or around the shore, or walked along the paths. “It’s always so nice to come here, especially at around dinner time,” Fluttershy remarked, smiling as she took in the tranquil environment. “It’s really the greatest place to relax for me in this city.” “Me too,” Rainbow said as she let the calm of the lush green space fill her. “I love the city but sometimes all the noise and concrete gets to you. Sometimes this is the only place I can clear my head of it all.” “You’re right,” Fluttershy murmured, looking to her, “One day, I’d love to move away from it all, and just be in a beautiful place surrounded by nature… Like a sweet little cottage on the edge of a forest.” “I’m always so torn,” Rainbow said staring off into the distance. “This city feel like it’s a part of me. I grew up here. I breathe Manehatten. My whole job, my life, is intertwined with it… but there are times when I just want to fly away from it all, like it’s crowding me… like it turns from the air in my lungs to smoke…” Fluttershy smiled in understanding, “I know what you mean. I’ve been here my whole life, and even I think it would be nice to get away from it. Even if I do still call it home.” Rainbow nodded, “Still, I feel connected to this city. With my job, I sort of feel like I’m part of this city. Like I make a difference. I don’t know if I could ever really quit it, not completely.” The sentiment was understandable, which Fluttershy couldn’t help but admire her for. She reached over, holding her hand, feeling herself smile. “That’s great of you. You know, if I ever one day leave… I hope you’ll visit me~” “As long as you’ll brave the concrete jungle every now and again to see me,” Rainbow said with a smile, though at the same time, the idea of only infrequently seeing Fluttershy in the future weighed down her heart ever so slightly. Fluttershy giggled, nodding, “Of course I will, Rainbow. I promise.” Rainbow Dash smiled a little at this. “Well then I promise I’ll get a little fresh air to visit you if you ever do get that cottage in the woods.” “Yay!” The pinkette cheered, looking elated. “Here, Rainbow, let’s sit on this bench for a bit, shall we?” Rainbow nodded and plopped down on the little bench. “I think it might just be the atmosphere, the trees and all that, but I have never felt uncomfortable on one of these benches. I mean they should be. They’re just slats of hard wood held together by metal, but it’s the truth. Never gotten sore, not once.” “Neither have I,” Fluttershy said, sitting down next to her. “Something about these benches are comfortable.” “Heh… maybe they’re magic,” Rainbow snorted. “That would just be the icing on the cake for this world, wouldn’t it? Magic exists, but only to make park benches more comfortable than they should be.” This made Fluttershy laugh, smiling more, “Oh, you’re so silly.” “Sometimes,” Rainbow said leaning back on the bench, “It helps me deal with all the darkness I have to wade through from time to time.” Fluttershy looked at her, then reached over to hold her hand, “It must be difficult.” “It is,” Rainbow said, eyes trained firmly on a random tree on the opposite side of the path. “Then again my whole life has been like that.” Tensing a bit, Fluttershy could see where this was going. She bit her lip, wondering whether or not she should ask further about it. It was hard to imagine, yet in this city, it was almost common to have a tough time growing up. Especially if you didn’t have a lot of money. But even that could be true anywhere you went. It broke her heart to know that this woman had gone through hell, especially in her early life. She coudn’t bear the thought, but was thankful that she made it this far. She squeezed her hand gently. “If you ever want to talk about it… I’ll certainly listen.” “I figure you probably deserve to know a bit about me… I mean, you’re trusting me with your life…” Rainbow said, sighing a bit, “You know I didn’t grow up with much, which wouldn’t have been so bad… if it wasn’t for my mom. That’s a whole can of worms right there, but let’s just say things weren’t very nice there and dad tried too damn hard for his own good. Eventually he got out of there, and despite the idiocy of the courts, eventually got custody of me too…. things went smoother after that. He worked hard and so did I. But we made it work…. then he cashed outta this world…” Rainbow rubbed the bridge of her nose, as if trying to hold in tears. “I would’ve been pretty aimless if it hadn’t been for Firefly. She was kinda like the mother I never had… and when things went bad for her… well then I got the detective agency… that brings us about to now. The abridged life and times of Rainbow Dash… hope you enjoyed the show…” ‘Oh… poor Rainbow Dash… She really had it hard. I suppose this explains a lot. Poor baby… I’m glad she’s made it this far. I hope she still will. But it’s amazing that she didn’t give up. I hope she knows that she’s stronger than she gives herself credit for.’ “Rainbow…” Fluttershy whispered softly, squeezing her hand, “Thank you for telling me. I can see that this wasn’t easy for you. I can’t…. pretend to know what it’s like or how you feel, at least not past an intellectual level. But you are a strong, determined woman, and you’ve made it this far. Now… you’re not alone. I will always be there for you. Even if you call in the middle of the night just to talk, I’ll be there. I… I just wanted you to know that.” Rainbow gave a slight smile, “Thanks Fluttershy, but I think I’ll be okay. I’ve made it this far. I’ve faced down the majority of my demons, and the rest I keep in a nice little room. I know them and they know me… But thank you for the offer. I never really paid much thought to how much of my life I live alone, and I never really thought I needed someone to be close to me. But it does feel nice knowing someone would volunteer themselves to listen to all my crap, and to know someone cares enough to offer that. Thank you.” “You’re welcome,” the pinkette said sweetly, giving her hand a squeeze, “Still, if nothing else, at least you’re not alone.” “A fact that’s honestly starting to grow on me,” Rainbow said with a smile, returning the squeeze. The sentiment made Fluttershy smile as she looked ahead of them, all along the trees and the lake. In the fading light of the sun, it was beautiful. But it felt even better to be sharing it with someone else. Something Fluttershy hadn’t felt in a long time. Even better, it was with someone she truly felt more connected to than anyone in her life. Someone she never imagined she’d know, but could not imagine never having met. Scooting a bit closer, Fluttershy gently lay her head on Rainbow’s shoulder. Rainbow sighed contentedly through her nose. The comfort Fluttershy felt in her presence in turn comforted Rainbow. The detective wrapped her arm around Fluttershy’s shoulder, pulling the timid woman closer, letting her know her tender affectionate action was welcome. Rainbow then rested her own head on Fluttershy’s, bringing the pinkette’s affections full circle. XXX “I’m sure you must be hungry,” Fluttershy remarked as she fished for her keys in her purse. They now stood outside her apartment door after their little outing. “I’ll be sure to fix us something delicious~” “Anything you whip up will be delicious, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said smirking, her overnight bag still slung over her shoulder. There was a feeling of swelling warmth within her. Sure things were at a bit of a stall, as far as the case went, but she couldn’t be more delighted to feel close to someone, a fact that still never ceased to surprise her. “Aww...thank you,” Fluttershy giggled, inserting the key into the lock. She opened the door, letting them inside the apartment. “All right, so what should we-” The entire apartment was in disarray. Nothing was broken, just ransacked or overturned, or possibly stolen. Papers, objects, and clothing were strewn all over the floor. The couches were overturned, the blinds were ripped and torn. Even the kitchen had stains and food littered about on the floor, counters and sink, it seemed. On the walls, written in what she hoped was red paint, were the words; SOON, MY LOVELY FLUTTERSHY. Fluttershy screamed. Rainbow clenched her jaw and whipped around, scanning the room. She reflexively wrapped an arm around Fluttershy, holding the pinkette to her in a protective manner. Her other hand reached for her firearm, having it ready in case that their visitor had stuck around. A moment passed, then another. Rainbow could feel Fluttershy shuddering against her, all the while the detective’s nerves were strung tighter than piano wire, her muscles all tensed and ready for a fight. Minutes passed, ticking slowly by. “I don’t think he’s still here…” Rainbow said in a quietly stern voice, after still more time had passed. Whimpering in fear, Fluttershy felt too afraid to move. She didn’t want to know what they’d find, what could have been hiding within the mess. But now her home was truly no longer safe. Sombra had done this, she knew it. He’d gotten in, tore her place apart, all to scare her. She was at a loss, not knowing what to do at all. Her entire body, rigid with fear and sorrow, Fluttershy just wanted to curl away and cry. ‘Nowhere is safe...’ She realized. “R-R-Rainbow…” She uttered, beginning to cry. “No…” Rainbow whispered, her voice growing stronger with each word. “No this is just another move of his little game. He wants you scared, to think nowhere is safe, to break down and despair... but you can’t. If you do then he won this round, and I’m not even willing to give him that. This is another fear show, plain and simple. “He’s losing control. He failed with the phone call the other night and he’s trying to regain the upper hand, to control you again. To make you his. But you don’t belong to that monster. He may say it over and over, ‘My Fluttershy,’ ‘My butterfly,’ but you ARE NOT his!” Rainbow growled the last few words, an anger boiling behind them. “I hope you planted a bug you bastard!” She shouted into the empty room, “She’s not yours!” Unable to help it, Fluttershy clung to her tightly. It was amazing how this woman was able to read her, to even realize what she was thinking. And to know the mind of the very man who was stalking her. She wanted so much to be strong, to be able to overcome his tactic of scaring her into submission. “I-I… I’m sorry… I’m trying… I’m just so scared… I don’t know what to do…” Fluttershy whimpered, more tears flowing down her face. “Look at me,” Rainbow said, forcing down her anger and trying to make her voice calm, “Just look at my face, my eyes. Focus on me and not this, not him.” Trembling, Fluttershy managed to meet Rainbow’s gaze. It was meant to comfort her, to truly let her know that she wasn’t alone. She took a deep breath amidst her tears falling, trying to regain herself as best she could. Despite the anger and ferocity within the fierce magenta eyes of the detective, there was something else. Warmth, compassion, and determination. ‘I’m not alone…. She’s here with me… She’s going to help me, to protect me, to help me… feel brave. To overcome this in a way I never could… I’m going to be all right. We both are...’ Fluttershy thought, sniffling lightly, managing to calm down a bit. “Good job, ‘shy,” Rainbow said, smiling in a somber sort of way, “I know you can do this. This coward only wins if you let him, and I know you’re stronger than him. You’re better. You’re Fluttershy, and despite what this asshole thinks, you are brave, and you are not in this alone and you never will be.” At that moment, Fluttershy felt herself smile. Facing all of this alone had always taken effect on her, but now, she didn’t feel as scared. The fear was melting away, there were sparks of hope within herself that she never felt before. Not until she discovered this woman, not until she approached her. Now here she was, with a chance to overcome this monster and finally take him down. “Rainbow…” Fluttershy murmured tearfully, but was smiling, “I’m so glad… you’re here with me… I don’t feel so alone… so scared… I feel… I feel nervous and anxious, but I know it’ll be okay. Because you’re here, because I feel better… I know we can do this. Right now, if I was alone, I’d be terrified out of my mind. But I… I know you’re right. I can do this. I can make it. I can finally take down this monster that invaded my life. Thank you…” She embraced the other woman closer, holding to her tightly. “No problem,” Rainbow said, embracing her tightly and rocking her in her arms, for she had now abandoned her weapon. Sombra wasn’t going to show, and Fluttershy seemed in desperate need of a two armed hug. “Mmm…” Fluttershy snuggled into her embrace, completely relaxed and content. Her heart began to swell and pound, while her body melted. The fear ebbed away further, replaced only with hope and adoration. She sighed, dreamily, and managed to gaze into her eyes again. Those stunning cerise eyes she was beginning to truly find herself lost in. ‘Even as a model… Even if I was exposed to their beauty standards… Rainbow is so beautiful… I don’t know who would dare call her otherwise. I’ve never seen a more uniquely stunning woman… But she’s more than that. She has so much more in her heart, her mind, everything. I’ve never met anyone like her, I’ve never felt this way with anyone. She’s not just the woman helping me catch this man… She’s more. And I hope we will be more than friends. I can’t… I can’t imagine myself with anyone else...’ “Rainbow… Please, kiss me…. Kiss me…” Fluttershy pleaded, looking to her with despondency. “Please…” Rainbow brought a hand to her cheek, cradling it in her palm. The detective breathed out a soft sigh. She knew that she should deny her. It wasn’t right, not yet, not until their professional relationship ended, but that argument lost ground within her heart with each passing moment they spent together. ‘This has always been about more than the case,’ Rainbow mused as she lost herself once more in Fluttershy’s gaze. ‘From the moment she walked in the door is was more than just another case, for her and for me. Firefly and her damn rules…Firefly, I’m sorry, but the world isn’t so black and white...’ Still there was the thinnest of threads holding her back, and though it broke her heart, she couldn’t just give in, “...Fluttershy…we shouldn’t...” “I know…” Fluttershy trembled, her voice quavering. She held her tighter, raising a hand to stroke her rainbow hair, “I-I’m trying to tell myself not to… but please, just this once. Just one kiss. And I won’t ask again, I promise. Please…” It was absolutely silly and made her feel like she was a desperate little harpy. But at the same time, there was no denying that she needed it. Deep in her mind, she could see it as some sort of defiance against Sombra’s actions. Like she was telling him that he could no longer hold her back from what she truly wanted. His actions in fact managed to help her, in leading her to this woman. At the same time, it was most definitely her desires, as well. Rainbow closed her eyes tight, and let out a shaky breath. She couldn’t say no. Saying it once had broken her heart, to say it again would be simply too much. She opened her eyes, a new resolve hardening them to a purpose aligned with her passion. A soft smile graced her lips. She leaned closer to Fluttershy, moving in to kiss her like she had wanted to from the moment she had laid eyes on her. To comfort her in the way only lover could- Somewhere in the wreckage of Fluttershy’s home, a shrill ringing cut the air. Letting out a startled yelp, Fluttershy jumped ever slightly. She looked around, realizing that it was her land line phone. To add to the irritant of being startled, she now realized the moment was completely ruined. Whoever was calling her more than likely was going to be told to just go home. But before she could make a move to find the phone and answer it, Rainbow was already ahead of her, searching through a pile of papers to fish out the phone. Rainbow prized the receiver from under an upturned chair. “What?” Rainbow said, her voice ripe with irritation. “This is Officer Sparkle, calling for Fluttershy,” Replied the voice on the other end of the line, “There’s been a development on her case.” “No kidding,” Rainbow growled. “Her apartment's been broken into and trashed.” “What?! Oh... oh, that's terrible!” Twilight sounded genuinely shocked, “I’ll send some people over right away, but that’s not why I was calling.” There was a pause, “We have a suspect in custody.” “You’re kidding?” “Never,” Twilight responded. “Not about a case, and not about this one. Turns out the equipment you brought in lead us to a suspect. We may need you and Fluttershy to come down to the station at some point to review your statements, but other than that it seems like this whole thing is over.” Fluttershy, curious, and trying to ward off her irritance, came over to see what was going on. By the look on Rainbow’s face, it was clear that something very surprising was told to her. Whatever it was, it even seemed to be good news. “Uh, well… thanks for the good news…” Rainbow said into the phone, feeling incredibly mixed emotions. On the surface this was great news… but still… It could have just been her ego speaking, but it was hard for Rainbow to believe that she had been beaten to the punch by the cops. “We’ll be in touch,” Twilight added before hanging up the phone from her end. Rainbow stared around dumbstruck for a moment before setting down the phone. “They got him.” Awestruck, Fluttershy stared at her with wide eyes, “They did?!” “That’s what Twilight said,” Rainbow said, sounding distant. Fluttershy wanted to cheer, do a little dance and just happily hug the woman before her. However, the moment she nearly mustered up the nerve for it; she caught something. There wasn’t a shred of happiness within Rainbow Dash. If anything, she looked emotionally distant and even confused. Something about this wasn’t right, it all seemed a bit too easy. Fluttershy went to her, bringing her arms around her neck. “Rainbow? What’s the matter?” She asked softly. Rainbow sighed, “I don’t know… I mean I figured they’d get a lead but… this feels like too much…” She shook her head. Maybe her pride was wounded, or… or just maybe she had just wanted to be the one to save Fluttershy. “Guess we should get you a hotel or something…” Rainbow muttered. Something was not adding up, Fluttershy wasn’t sure what it was, or even if they should celebrate. “Rainbow… I don’t know. I feel happy about this, but I also don’t. I feel like something is wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe… Maybe we should go see the suspect or something, get information and see if it’s the one we’re looking for. Sombra is capable of so much… he could easily have framed someone. I-I’m not an expert, but I hear about this kind of thing sometimes. But… Rainbow, you seem so sad.” “It’s nothing,” Rainbow said simply, feeling self doubt creep into her mind. ‘Should I tell her I agree? That it seems too good to be true? But how can I… I could just be being selfish… wanting to chain her to me to ensure that she needs me… or I’m just angry that I didn’t get to be her hero… No, she can finally start rebuilding her life… and after she’s got her head back on her shoulder and her life together… then she can decide if she really wants me in it...’ “...Well, okay… but if you want to talk about it, I’m here,” Fluttershy assured her a with a little smile. “But isn’t this wonderful? If it’s really true, then he’s been caught! We can finally move on with our lives, and we can be together! I’m so happy! We should make sure this is truly settled, and once we know more, we can do something special together. ….That is, if you still want to be with me…” “Yes, of course,” Rainbow said, though still sounding off, “I’m sorry. It’s just...Yeah, no we’ll figure all this out. Now, let’s just get you to hotel for the night… It’s getting sorta late…” Fluttershy nodded, letting her go, “...Will you stay with me, tonight?” Rainbow took a moment. “I think… I think I should probably spend the night back at my place.” “...Oh, okay,” Fluttershy tried all she could to mask her disappointment, but to no avail. “Well, I suppose we should go, then.” Rainbow nodded, retracing their path back through the wreckage and to the door, picking up her bag along the way. Whatever this confusion was that had descended on her, she hoped that a good night's sleep in her own bed might help clear it up.