//------------------------------// // A New Beginning In Old Passions // Story: The Musical Murders // by Saacsa //------------------------------// "Whoa..." The white Unicorn said softly. "What happened next?" She asked as Dust Star absentmindedly downed another drink. "I think he needs a break, Vinyl." A timid, yellow Pegasus said from the side. Though, now she was more comforting than demure. "He needs some rest..." She said as Dust Star downed another drink. "And a break from that." The blue Alicorn said, "Besides, I must return to my royal duties." "How did you get out of those in the first place?" Vinyl questioned. "In case you have not noticed, it is almost dusk. I do not work during my sisters daylight." Luna said and excused herself with a teal flash, only earning minor glances from the rest of the pub. The regulars had grown use to the Lunar Alicorns presence, as the four friends frequented the bar in the later hours of the day. "You girls go ahead. We'll catch up." Fluttershy spoke. Vinyl and Octavia both knocked back their last drink and stood up. "Take care." Octavia's light Germaneian accent found Dust's ears. "Yeah, and I look forward to the rest of your story. Have a good night, Dust." The white Unicorn said. "Wif how mush I drank, I'm more worried about the morning." Dust Star slurred, a pink tint across his cheeks. Vinyl laughed as she and Octavia walked towards the door of the bar. "Good luck with that one!" Vinyl shouted as she flung the door open. "Cute couple." Fluttershy commented to the distant Dust Star. But that caught his attention. He furrowed his brow in confusion and looked over at the timid Pegasus. "Couple?" He asked. "Yes." She nodded, then raised a questioning eyebrow of her own at him. "Oh? You didn't know? I'm sorry..." She said, trying to hide behind her mane. "No... It's fine though. Not your fault." He said and sat his last drink back down. "How did you know?" He asked. "It's a little obvious... You lived with Octavia and her parents for most of you colthood after the incident and have been great friends with the two for years. How do you not know?" She asked, inciting a small shrug from Dust Star. “Which also begs the question… Is what happened to your parents your reason for you becoming a detective? I mean, here in Ponyville, it’s not that much of a career…” She said, causing the dusty stallion to look at her, stopping with a moment of silence. "How long?" He asked. “Um… What?” Fluttershy timidly asked. “Have they been together?” He asked, clarifying his question as well as avoiding the yellow mares. "Um... They were always close friends, but I don't think that they were together until a few months ago. When Vinyl moved in with Octavia." She answered, clearly not having the courage to pursue her inquiries. "Ah." Was his simple reply. "I think that Luna wash right." He said and threw a back of bits at the bar stallion, who expertly caught it. "Hey," His thick, Bostallion accent cut the air, "Not that I'm complainin', but what's all this for?" "Your troubles and sorrows!" Dust Star replied in a loopy manner. "Hey, Shy. It'd be good ta get him outta here." The bar stallion said with a smile, trying not to be rude. "Oh, yes sir." She replied quickly and grabbed Dust Star's hoof. He looked up into Fluttershy's teal gaze before she spoke gently to him. "You go ahead. I'll catch up." He opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't fight Fluttershy's soft gaze in his drunken stupor. Then again, he couldn't fight it sober either. "O-Okay." He said and got up, stumbled, regained his balance, and ambled through the door and into the setting sun. "Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I think Star might have a problem." He said. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no no no." "Yes, Shy. I know you don't want to believe it, but listen, you know as well as I do that this ain't good for him." The Unicorn said and levitated the back of bits back to her, along with a card that had 'AA' across it. "Why are you?" Fluttershy asked. "Just because I'm from Bostallion don't mean that I'm a jerk." He chuckled, "I won't steal from no drunk. Besides, our nightly princess payed in advance." He shrugged with a smile. Though Fluttershy saw straight through the lie, she held her tongue. She just thought it best to not look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak. "Thank you." She said, causing him to wave a nonchalant hoof. "Forget about it! Now, these streets ain't tha safest for a lone, drunken detective." He winked. Fluttershy nodded in understanding and stored the bits, along with the small card, in her saddlebag as she walked towards the door. "And Shy?" The green Unicorn called. She turned back towards him. "Take care of yourself and Dust, alright?" She gave him a gentle smile before replying. "Of course." She lightly nodded and exited the bar, finding Dust Star's silhouette struggling to keep upright as he staggered up the street. Fluttershy smiled and trotted up beside him, helping him stay upright "Hey, Flushershy?" He slurred, inciting a cute giggle from the buttery Pegasus. "Hm?" She answered. "Thank you." He said, causing her to smile shyly. "You're welcome." She said. "Not jus for that. For everything ya've done for me." Dust Star suddenly stumbled, losing balance and almost face-planting on the dirt road. Luckily, from years of animal care-taking, Fluttershy's reflexes had improved. She caught him, or at least tried too. Dust Star's naturally heavier male body pulled the butter yellow Pegasus down the hill with him. They tumbled down said incline with multiple 'oofs' and 'eeps'. When they reached the bottom with a crash, Dust dazedly rolled his eyes until they managed to focus on the yellow face below him. Though, now it was more crimson than anything. "I-I-I-I'm s-s-so sorry!" She stuttered out. Dust Star looked at her softly and smiled. "It's alright... You look wonderful in this light." He muttered, his voice laced with infatuation. Behind her mane, Fluttershy was blushing fiercely. "S-S-Star... You-You're drunk." She said, still frozen in place. "But I'm not that drunk." He said, his voice sounding oddly sober to her for a second. “Dusty…” She breathed, using the nickname she once had given him. “Heh, heh. Been a long time since you called me that.” He chuckled, reminiscing back to their time as a couple. Fluttershy only blushed deeper, her voice barely audible at this point. “Mhm” Was her only sound, the situation being much too awkward for the mare to bear. “Ya know, I kinda miss those times…” He trailed off, searching deeper into her eyes as he leaned toward her muzzle. Fluttershy took a deep breath as well, closing her eyes and leaning forward slightly. She was surprised when, instead of kissing her, he became deadweight. His head slumped passed hers and there was a gentle snoring that took hold of the dusty stallion. She smiled lightly and whispered in his ear, “Goodnight… Dusty.” She said. She began to struggle to get him on her back, but eventually got it. He was a lighter stallion, mostly due to the, to Fluttershy, appealing fact that he worked out quite a bit, so it was easier for her to carry him. At least down the road to his apartment. She walked in and turned the light on, moving him through the sparsely decorated living room to his bedroom that would give Rarity a heart attack, should she ever see it. It was all white, nothing else being even a shade lighter or darker. There was only one furnishing amidst the sea of white, and that was a small, full sized mattress without any sort of support. Just a plain mattress with white sheets. She placed him on his small bed and tucked him under the covers like she would a tired foal, then layed next to the unconscious stallion, thinking about all that had transpired that night. She smiled gently, rolling over and staring at the stark room’s walls. She finally knew the truth of why he was so interested in the field of homicide, which, as she could tell by her barren surroundings, was not a very profitable career. She mulled over what had happened after they had left the bar, deciding how she would tell him, if she would tell him, if he did not remember. That night, Fluttershy dreamt of what would have been between her and Dust Star, harboring a love that the stallion was oblivious to. She slept well.